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Manchester United have now opened talks over a deal for a “world-class” Barcelona player, with the La Liga champions willing to sanction a departure this summer, according to a report.

Man Utd's summer rebuild underway

After one of the worst seasons in their modern history, no Man United player has been safe from criticism, and Jamie Carragher has suggested that Bruno Fernandes doesn’t fit into Ruben Amorim’s system.

Carragher said: “I’ve always described Bruno Fernandes as a great talent but not a great player. Where does he play?

“He’s a bit mad in that he just runs all over the place, like a kid in the school yard. The best player in the school yard doing everything but in a really poor team. I don’t think he’s ever had any discipline in those No. 10 positions.”

It has since been confirmed that Fernandes is set to remain at Old Trafford, but the rebuild is very much underway, with Matheus Cunha arriving at the start of the month, while Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has also emerged as a major target in attack.

Forget Gyokeres: Man Utd have had talks to sign "world-class" £50m+ striker

The Red Devils have engaged in discussions with the entourage of a centre-forward.

ByDominic Lund Jun 10, 2025

Having been the subject of widespread criticism throughout the campaign, there have also been indications that Amorim could look to bring in an upgrade on Andre Onana this summer, and an initial approach has now been made for a Barcelona star.

Indeed, according to a report from Spain, Man United have now opened talks over a deal for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, submitting an enquiry about the goalkeeper, and they may have discovered that Barca are now willing to sanction a departure.

Onana is no longer part of Amorim’s plans, which means the manager will be tasked with bringing in a replacement, and Ter Stegen is very much of interest, although there could be competition for his signature from Galatasaray and Al-Hilal.

The German is in no rush to leave, but Joan Garcia’s arrival could unsettle him, as reduced game time may impact his chances of going to the 2026 World Cup.

"World-class" Ter-Stegen has track record of success

The 33-year-old has won 20 trophies for club and country across a glittering career, most recently playing a minor role in Barcelona’s La Liga triumph by making eight appearances throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

However, the £103k-a-week shot-stopper missed the majority of the season through injury, and given his age, there are questions over whether he would be a viable long-term replacement for Onana.

Having been lauded as “world-class” by Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann, Ter Stegen is clearly a top goalkeeper, but the rival interest coming from Galatasaray and Al-Hilal, rather than some of Europe’s top clubs, speaks volumes.

As such, it may be wise to go all out for a younger goalkeeper on the shortlist, having previously identified a number of potential targets.

Target

Current club

Potential cost

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

Torino

£17m

James Trafford

Burnley

£30m

Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa

?

Bart Verbruggen

Brighton

£34m

Tottenham Hotspur are now seen as the favourites to sign a highly-rated forward, despite his agent’s talks with London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

Daniel Levy gifted Spurs transfer boost after Europa League triumph

Spurs’ triumph in the Europa League final last week stands to seriously benefit the Lilywhites in far more ways than ending their long wait for silverware.

Salah-like forward considers joining Tottenham as contract expires in 2025

Spurs have an opportunity to strike a bargain deal.

ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

While Ange Postecoglou fulfilled his promise of ‘always’ winning silverware during his second season in charge, subsequently ending Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy, chairman Daniel Levy will also have a much easier task when it comes to attracting the club’s top transfer targets.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The north Londoners are reportedly set to receive £38 million in prize money from winning the Europa League, and will earn at least £15.7 million from qualifying for the Champions League, even if they lose every game and go out in the group phase (Sky Sports).

The boost is clear from a financial perspective, but Spurs’ place in the Champions League draw next term now suddenly makes the club a far more attractive landing spot for big-name players.

As reliably reported, Tottenham are aiming to sign more experienced players this summer (BBC), and their European status makes this objective all the more possible.

This is especially true when it comes to Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane, who is out of contract beyond June 30, with Sky Sports reporting earlier this week that Postecoglou’s side have now been offered his services.

The 29-year-old is a proven attacking star at the highest level and possesses great Premier League experience from his time at Man City.

Since departing Eastlands for Bavaria, he’s racked up 61 goals and 55 assists in 220 appearances at Bayern, with 27 of those goal contributions coming in the Champions League.

Some may even suggest he is exactly the calibre of player needed to bolster Spurs’ inexperienced squad.

Tottenham favourites to sign Leroy Sane ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal

Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with a move for Sane within the past few months, but Tottenham’s Europa League win has now catapulted them into pole position.

That is according to Sport Bild, who report that Tottenham are ahead of both Chelsea and Arsenal in the race for Sane, despite the latter two sides holding talks with his agent, Pini Zahavi.

Discussions over a new deal for Sane have stalled recently, thanks in part to the £242,000-per-week winger appointing Zahavi, but the representative travelled to Munich this week for another meeting with Bayern regarding the player’s future.

For this reason, we advise an err of caution when it comes to Sane. There is reason to believe this flirting with Premier League sides could simply be a ploy to encourage improved terms from Bayern, and Levy won’t want to be embroiled in a dramatic transfer saga.

As Manchester United prepare to take on Newcastle United at St James’ Park this afternoon, it could be argued that the trip to Tyneside is merely an unwanted obstacle for Ruben Amorim’s side, with all eyes on next week’s Europa League tie with Lyon.

The Red Devils certainly won’t throw in the towel on the domestic front, yet left residing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, there truly is little to play for in the top-flight – other than pride, of course.

That scenario should ensure that the Portuguese coach is ready to ring the changes for today’s encounter, albeit with there an argument to be made that alterations need to be made regardless.

Indeed, the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler has already reported that Andre Onana could be dropped following his midweek blunders, while Rasmus Hojlund could be in the firing line after another limp outing which saw him register just 11 touches on Thursday night.

Alongside the goal-shy Dane, Alejandro Garnacho is another perhaps in need of a rest as his woes continued in front of goal away in Lyon, with the 20-year-old arguably outclassed by young Rayan Cherki for the hosts.

As such, it might be time for Amorim to trial a fresh new attacking lineup, considering the return of a number of high-profile talents.

Man Utd team news for Newcastle

As Amorim revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the 40-year-old should have a similar squad available to the one that made the trip to France earlier this week, with squad depth gradually beginning to improve in the Old Trafford ranks.

Indeed, that latest outing saw Kobbie Mainoo finally make his return to action off the bench, with compatriot Mason Mount also stepping up his return to fitness after now featuring as a substitute in each of United’s last three games in all competitions.

Elsewhere, fellow England star, Luke Shaw, has also been back in contention of late, albeit with the versatile defender still waiting to make his first appearance since early December. A first start, meanwhile, could be on the cards for the first time since February 2024.

Chido Obi could also be in the mix again, with the teenage striker ineligible to feature in Europe, albeit with Toby Collyer and Mathijjs de Ligt likely to be absent once again, having joined the likes of Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven and Jonny Evans on the treatment table.

Thankfully, however, there does not appear to be any fresh injury blows, with Lisandro Martinez – who is likely to be out for much of 2025 after rupturing his ACL – seemingly the only long-term absentee at the Theatre of Dreams.

Chalkboard

That growing list of options should ensure that Amorim now has the chance to shuffle his pack against the Magpies, with both Garnacho and Hojlund among those who could make way.

How Man Utd's attack could look against Newcastle

There could be worse ideas than to drop Garnacho and Hojlund back to the bench, thus taking the pair out of the firing line and allowing them the chance to potentially make an impact as a substitute late on.

Rasmus Hojlund’s stats vs Lyon
Stat	Record
Minutes played	63′
Touches	11
Shots on target	1
Shots off target	1
Passes completed	2/3
Key passes	2
Ground duels	0/3
Aerial duels	N/A
Possession lost	3x
Fouls	1
Stats via Sofascore

As Thursday’s 2-2 draw showcased, the Red Devils do now have the luxury of increased alternatives in the attacking ranks, with the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee on the hour mark proving particularly fruitful.

While the Dutchman may not be the out-and-out striker that United are craving, his late header did showcase his growing impact in a United shirt, having now scored on the road against both Real Sociedad and Lyon.

With Hojlund toiling, Zirkzee may have to lead the line from the off this time around, thus marking a real full circle moment, considering he was jeered off against today’s opponents just a matter of months ago.

The 23-year-old could be joined in the front line by the aforementioned Mount, with the former Chelsea man having looked lively during his late cameo in midweek, emphasising just why Amorim has hailed him as a “proper footballer”.

Mount, 26, has been among the few who the former Sporting CP boss has repeatedly singled out for praise during his brief tenure thus far, although now is the time for the Englishman to walk the walk.

With the £55m man joining Zirkzee in the starting lineup, the final number ten berth could be taken up by the returning Mainoo, with the 19-year-old playing his part in the second goal in France, as it was his brave header which found Bruno Fernandes.

The FA Cup final hero has endured a rocky season due to injury and the failure to nail down his best position in the 3-4-3, although it does appear he could earn a regular role for himself as part of the front three, having scored and assisted in that berth against FCSB back in January.

As Amorim has stated, the Red Devils “need to be careful” with the teenager amid his injury woes, although it would be a waste not to utilise a player of his talents, with the United boss stating that Mainoo is “really good near the opponent’s box”.

With Fernandes potentially replacing Manuel Ugarte by dropping into a deep-lying berth, the opening is there for the academy graduate to take his chance as one of the two number tens.

There could be a lack of pace if Amorim does opt to deploy Mainoo alongside Mount and Zirkzee, although that £375k-per-week trio could make up an exciting, new-look forward line at St James’ Park.

64 touches, 93% passes: Man Utd's 8/10 star is now as important as Bruno

Manchester United could only secure a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League last night.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 11, 2025

Shrug after being bowled by Jasprit Bumrah’s offcutter was of a man who felt he’d done everything right

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jan-2024As part of England’s preparations during their pre-tour training camp, ground staff at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed training complex were given creative instructions.The grass on the pitches was to be shaved as close as Ben Stokes’ fade, raked, then covered in sawdust. The aim was to recreate the most extreme surfaces they might encounter in India – then go even further.The results? Well, as intended. Batters were challenged to the nth degree, wearing deliveries on the shins or helmets. Personal wins were small, humiliation in abundance. Complaints, however, were zero.Related

Yashasvi Jaiswal and spinners make it India's day

England surprised by attacking intent of India openers – Duckett

How disciplined India attacked England's defence

Therein lay the true aim of this exercise from a batting point of view. Shake off the errors, snap out of the pearl-clutching previous English sides have taken to India when surfaces turn square and embrace the doubt. And if you get a good one, move on. Ultimately – commit to the bit that has served this group so well.Naturally, it was Stokes, the captain, who encompassed this. His shrug after being bowled by a Jasprit Bumrah offcutter was of a man who felt he had done everything right. Which, in this instance, was to give himself room on the leg side, expose his stumps and shape to hammer through the off side.Stokes was the last wicket to fall, walking off having struck 70 off 88 in England’s total of 246 after calling correctly at the toss. This was the team’s highest score in seven innings away to India since their 578 in the first Test of the last tour in 2021. The run rate of 3.81 per over just a 1.01 dip from their usual Bazball rate, which can be put down to how much tougher it is to rotate the strike against a peerless spin trio.”I think we were over the par, to be honest,” said Ben Duckett, who struck a breezy 35 in an opening stand of 55 with Zak Crawley. “I think it was a tricky day-one pitch. Consistent spin from earlier. Stokesy’s knock there, to get us to where we were, was fantastic. Come day three, day four – that could be a match-winning knock if that pitch gets harder to bat on.”It certainly could be match-winning. By the end of day one of this first Test, it had decidedly face-saving qualities, too, given India are only 127 behind with nine first-innings wickets to spare.Ben Stokes scatters the field with a sweep•Getty ImagesStokes arrived at 121 for 4, as England were in the midst of a spin cycle threatening to shrink their ambitions. Once Rohit Sharma abandoned seam from the eighth over, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel combined to take six for 83 from the next 38 overs.Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root pushed back in a partnership of 61 before both fell either side of Stokes’s entrance. And while the dismissals within the top six at that point were far from reckless – Crawley not committing enough after coming down the track; Root top-edging to short fine leg playing the sweep shot that has served him very well; Ollie Pope simply out of touch – England were in trouble.It was the shirt-and-tie Stokes who arrived on the scene first – presentable for 17 off 52 deliveries before contorting his hands to reverse Jadeja through cover for his boundary. He repeated that shot twice more, without the grimaces that used to accompany it before his knee surgery in November.That third and final one came as the exclamation point in a 14-run over against Jadeja. The next time their paths crossed after tea, Stokes heaved back-to-back sixes down the ground to take 13, which led to Jadeja being taken out of the attack.If Stokes’ patience at the start was to cover for the mistakes of his teammates, the aggression was a reinforcement of the message to retain their aggression, even if it was a necessity given the dwindling partners to come. It probably went some way to humanising the likes of Jadeja, who subsequently returned an economy rate of more than four for the first time in a home innings. Even Mark Wood felt bold enough to cart Ashwin through the covers twice.Alas, England’s efforts were put into harsher context as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s blitz took India to 119 for 1. At one point, it looked like India’s next superstar might get the deficit down to double digits.Tom Hartley bore the brunt of that assault. A first day in Test cricket started well enough when he struck England’s first six, off Ashwin no less. It derailed quickly once his first delivery was sent into the stands at midwicket by Jaiswal.An English spinner being tasked with opening the bowling is hard enough, let alone one more au fait with the white ball playing in just his 21st first-class match. And there were times – three overs, 0 for 34; six overs, 0 for 51 – when you feared you were witnessing the end of a career before it had even begun.Yashasvi Jaiswal came out of the gates firing•Getty ImagesOn the field, however, there was an inordinate sense of calm. Beyond fielders fetching the odd long-hop or over-pitched delivery from the boundary, there was no sign of alarm from Stokes. Hartley had even got into a rhythm of handing his cap over to the umpire for the start of the next over when others might not have bothered to take it off, believing they would surely be dragged out of the attack.That rhythm eventually transferred to his bowling, sending it down a little slower, in turn finding some necessary dip. His two best deliveries – one spinning sharply past Rohit’s outside edge, the other pinning Shubman Gill on the front pad – were both rewarded with DRS reviews by his captain, and subsequently lost. The first was nowhere near but was pretty enough to watch again. The second, showing a projected path taking the ball over the stumps, was a cruel irony – the first time this high release point England banked on when picking him was clear for all to see.By the time his nine-over stint was done, all of Mark Wood, Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed had been cycled through at the Pavilion End. Even while “Simon Kerrigan” trended on Twitter – another Lancashire left-arm orthodox spinner, who endured a torrid debut against Australia in 2013 and never recovered – Stokes kept faith.”On another day, captains might take you off after two overs and then you’re hiding away for the rest of the game,” said Duckett on Hartley’s spell. “But that’s Stokesy. He keeps bowling him and he nearly gets Shubman out right at the end. I’m not sure how that’s going over the stumps but I thought he came back really well.”Stokes’ methodology with the bat, selection and persisting with Hartley, and his own efforts to fix the errors, necessary and pragmatic. Finding a way to post something worthwhile on a challenging first-day pitch, ensuring the rangy spinner you took a punt on gets through this living nightmare, and even those practice pitches in Abu Dhabi are all examples of the underlying point of the McCullum-Stokes era – making the most out of what you’ve got.And what England have at this juncture, with the surface likely to get even tougher to negotiate over days two and three, is one foot in an already compelling contest.

Having been widely derided for the squad they assembled at the auction, they now sit near the top of the IPL table

Hemant Brar22-Apr-2022In February, all the talk about Gujarat Titans revolved around how they had messed up at the mega auction. Their batting looked thin, the overall balance awry, and some of the players they picked had underwhelming IPL records. On top of that, they had an inexperienced captain who was coming off an injury. But as we approach the halfway stage of the season, Titans are at the top of the table with five wins from six games. Here are some of the factors that have played a part in their success.Strong bowling attack
Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Shami make Titans’ bowling unit one of the strongest in IPL 2022. With the new ball, Titans have been incisive as well as frugal. Their powerplay strike rate of 15.4 is the best in the tournament and translates to 2.33 wickets on average in the first six overs. Their economy rate in this phase is 7.33, the second-best among the ten teams.Their seamers, especially Shami, have benefited from early-season grass on the pitches. “It’s important to use the new ball well,” he told . “And when you have got multiple options for the back end, it becomes almost imperative to look for wickets up front.”Titans have dominated the back end too. In the death overs (17-20), they are by far the most economical side, conceding only 8.41 per over. To put that in context, Delhi Capitals, the second-best side on that table, have managed an economy rate of 10.15, while Mumbai Indians, currently the most expensive side in that phase, have conceded 13.05 runs an over. On average, Titans have conceded 18.56 runs fewer than Mumbai per game in just those last four overs.Shubman Gill 2.0
In IPL 2021, Shubman Gill had a strike rate of 118.90. This despite Brendon McCullum, his coach at Kolkata Knight Riders, insisting on the need for aggression. This season, though, Gill seems has found that extra gear while still maintaining his silken touch. He has scored 200 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 151.51. Among openers with at least 100 runs this season, only Prithvi Shaw, Jos Buttler and David Warner have scored at a quicker rate.Gill started the tournament with a duck but in his next match he posted his highest T20 score: 84 off 46 balls. He bettered it against Punjab Kings, scoring 96 off 59. Titans won both those games.Multiple match-winners
Five different Titans players have won the Player-of-the-Match award in their five wins: Shami against Lucknow Super Giants, Ferguson against Capitals, Gill against Punjab Kings, Pandya against Rajasthan Royals, and David Miller against Chennai Super Kings.With multiple players stepping up, Titans have been able to make up for the poor form of Matthew Wade and Vijay Shankar. Wade has managed only 68 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 107.93 and Vijay 19 in four innings at 54.28. Against Super Kings, they won even when Pandya was unavailable and Gill fell for a first-ball duck.When all else fails, send in Rahul Tewatia•BCCIFinishing on the right side of close games
In T20, a single over can change the result of a game, and Titans have been on the right side of that equation on two occasions. In their game against Kings, Titans needed 13 from the last three balls. At that stage, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave them a 6.85% chance of winning. A needless throw by Odean Smith made it 12 required from two balls, and Rahul Tewatia smashed back-to-back sixes to take Titans over the line.Similarly, against Super Kings, Titans had only a 4.20% chance of winning at the end of the 17th over in the chase. Rashid then whipped Chris Jordan for three sixes and a four in a 25-run over to make Titans favourites, before Miller wrapped up the win off the penultimate ball of the match.”We could have probably lost four out of six [matches], and we won five out of six,” Miller said after the game. “The dice has definitely rolled onto our side.”Abhinav’s contributions
Abhinav Manohar, who is playing his first IPL, might not have won games on his own, but he has played important cameos in almost every other match. Against Super Giants, when Titans needed 11 from the final over, he hit Avesh Khan for two fours off the first two balls to all but seal the game. Against Royals, he struck 43 off 28 balls, taking on Yuzvendra Chahal in the process and adding 86 for the fourth wicket with Pandya to set the platform for a big finish. In five innings so far, he has batted everywhere from No. 4 to No. 7, lending the team flexibility to adapt to various situations.

The National League Division Series between the Cubs and Brewers has produced plenty of runs right off the bat, literally. The Cubs–Brewers have already made playoff history with the high-scoring first innings of their first two NLDS games.

In Game 1 on Saturday, Chicago opened up the scoring early with Michael Busch hitting a leadoff home run. Milwaukee quickly followed up by scoring six runs in the first inning before eventually winning 9-3.

In Game 2 on Monday, the Cubs scored three runs in the top of the first thanks to a Seiya Suzuki three-run homer. Then, the Brewers answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer by Andrew Vaughn.

Monday's Game 2 marked the first postseason game in MLB history in which both teams hit a three-run homer (or grand slam) in the first inning, via Sarah Langs.

Over the course of the first two games, the two NL Central teams have combined for a total of 13 runs in the first innings alone. This total is the most runs scored in the first innings through two games of the NLDS in MLB history, per Langs. The previous record was held by the 1989 Chicago–Giants series and the 2000 Cardinals–Braves series that produced combined 11 runs each.

We'll see if Game 3 on Wednesday produces a lot of scoring in the first inning again to continue the trend.

José Butto suited up in his New York Mets uniform and headed to the bullpen to await his opportunity on Wednesday but before he got the chance, news came down that he had been traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Major League Baseball's trade deadline creates these types of situations from time to time where we're privy to the traded player's real-time reaction. And Butto's was emotional.

Butto could be seen processing the information and being comforted by Mets bullpen coach Jose Rosado.

He then took his leave from the bullpen after saying his goodbyes out there.

Upon entering the dugout Butto was embraced by the other Mets as they learned of the news.

Butto had spent his entire professional career with the Mets and broke through into the big leagues in 2022. This year he has appeared in 34 games with a 3-2 record and 3.64 ERA.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. While MLB did not initially specify details of the investigation, sources told Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of that the league's probe is related to gambling.

The Guardians confirmed the news of the investigation in a statement on Thursday, adding that Ortiz, 26, was placed on paid leave.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players' Association due to an ongoing league investigation," the team said in the statement. "The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."

Ortiz was slated to make his 17th start of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Joey Cantillo will start in place of Ortiz for the Guardians.

Ortiz has recorded a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. Last year, Ortiz racked up 3.1 WAR and pitched to a career-best 3.32 ERA as a starter and swingman out of Cleveland's bullpen.

Quinton de Kock’s ODI retirement U-turn has South Africa captain Temba Bavuma excited, but he said that the wicketkeeper-batter might not get an “easy pass” into the XI, with the team loaded with in-form batters who have helped them win ODI series in Australia and England over the last few months.”I’m a little bit biased when it comes to Quinton. I grew up playing with Quinton from school cricket. So the fact that he is back, I’m as excited as a lot of fans out there,” Bavuma said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I think there’s quite a lot of batters, young batters especially, who have put up their names. So he is obviously going to have to do what he needs to do from a run-scoring point of view.”I don’t think he is oblivious to that. It’s not the case that he is getting an easy pass into the team. But I think it’s a case of, from where he has been in the abyss, per se, watching into the team, he wants to be a part of what has been created within the team.”Related

• Bavuma out of Test series against Pakistan with calf strain

• De Kock reverses ODI retirement

• De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

Bavuma also revealed that de Kock had started hinting at wanting to reverse his ODI retirement as early as January. In de Kock’s absence, two left-hand wicketkeeper-batters – in Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius – have staked their claim for spots in South Africa’s XI. Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis have also been impressive, in addition to the more seasoned batters like Bavuma himself and Aiden Markram.”I chatted to him earlier this year, in January, just before we were going to the Champions Trophy. And there he started kind of throwing out the fact that he would like to be available. Before he went and spoke to Shukri [Conrad, South Africa head coach], he spoke to me. He made it clear that that’s what he would like to do. And we will support him.”Quinton is one of the good guys within the system, a super-talented player. So if it’s the Quinton who batted in the 2023 50-over World Cup, I don’t think anyone would say no to that.”South Africa will begin their World Test Championship defence in Pakistan•ICC/Getty Images

At the 2023 World Cup, de Kock scored 594 runs from ten innings, at a strike rate of 107.02, and finished as the third-highest run-scorer, helping South Africa reach the semi-finals.Apart from South Africa’s lead-up to a home ODI World Cup in 2027, Bavuma will also have to oversee their defence of the World Test Championship title, beginning with a two-Test series in Pakistan starting October 12. Bavuma will not be part of that series as he is recovering from a calf strain but he sounded positive about South Africa’s chances.”Pakistan selected five spinners into their squad, so that really shows you what type of conditions the guys will be faced with there,” Bavuma said. “Guys are back home now, busy with their preparation. So we’ll leave no stone unturned. We’ve been to Pakistan before. The Champions Trophy – yes, those were good wickets. But we are familiar with the place.”After that will be India. There’s Sri Lanka as well. So there’s a lot more of the subcontinent tours that we’re going to have to overcome the challenge. And then something a little bit more familiar back home with Australia and England. But then again, those are strong teams.”South Africa faced criticism from some quarters about getting favourable fixtures in the previous cycle, but Bavuma was adamant that they didn’t want to shy away from playing the best teams.”I know in the previous cycle, there was criticism around our route into the final, supposedly playing the weaker nations,” Bavuma said. “That’s not the case now. I think for us as players, we look at it with a lot of optimism. Firstly, as a competitor, as an international player, you can test yourself against the best players. And obviously from a team point of view, we keep going and achieving what we want to achieve.”

Inter manager Christian Chivu refused to blame goalkeeper Yann Sommer following a disappointing derby defeat to AC Milan, instead praising his team's overall performance and spirit. The Romanian coach also strongly defended his decision to substitute captain Lautaro Martinez early in the second half of the 1-0 loss, insisting the call was tactical and within his rights as manager. Inter now sit fourth in Serie A after their fourth defeat of the season.

Chivu praises Inter spirit despite Milan defeat

Chivu's first Derby della Madonnina as Inter coach ended in a narrow defeat to city rivals AC Milan, courtesy of a Christian Pulisic goal in the 54th minute. Despite the disappointing result, Chivu expressed satisfaction with his team's effort and application. 

"The performance and focus were there, we didn't suffer any counterattacks," he said. "The only time we went for a long ball, Milan scored. But I'll take credit for the good performance from the lads who tried in every way. That's the spirit I want to see."

Inter dominated possession with 64% and managed 16 shots to Milan's eight, with five on target compared to Milan's three. They also won nine corners to Milan's one, highlighting their territorial advantage. However, wasteful finishing, including two shots hitting the woodwork and a missed penalty, ultimately cost them the points.

AdvertisementAFPChivu refuses to blame Sommer for Milan goal

Milan's goal came after Inter goalkeeper Sommer got low to stop a shot from Alexis Saelemaekers, knocking it into the path of Pulisic for an easy finish less than 10 minutes into the second half. Despite the spill, Chivu held off of criticising the shot stopper.

"I'm not talking about individuals, that's not fair. For me, my players are the best, and I could never point the finger at anyone because when you do that, it smells like failure," he said. "We're all in this situation: we could have unlocked it, done better, managed it, but the statistics are what they are. We just have the duty to get back up."

Why was Lautaro Martinez taken off?

A key talking point from the match was Chivu's decision to substitute captain Martinez in the 64th minute, just 10 minutes after Milan took the lead. The Argentine forward has been a pivotal player for Inter, and his early withdrawal drew questions.

Chivu, however, was defiant in his defence of the decision, emphasising it was a tactical choice and not due to injury or poor performance, saying: "Lautaro is fine, it was my decision. He's fine, I took him off for my own technical reasons: can't I change players? Even those on the bench deserve to contribute. It was my decision."

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Getty ImagesWhat next for Inter

The defeat leaves Inter in fourth place in Serie A with 24 points from 12 matches, three points behind league leaders Roma. Chivu acknowledged that the number of defeats is a concern for a club with title ambitions.

"It's clear that four defeats in 12 games is too many. The table is tight, we need to let go of disappointments and overcome frustration, which can leave its mark. I know how much we create and how much we concede," he added.

"Due to my team's characteristics, we attack with many men, and that exposes you to counterattacks. But today we only conceded one, which was fatal. We need to work, improve, better perceive danger, and earn a few more yellow cards."

Inter have now lost three of their last five Serie A matches, a run of form that will need to be addressed quickly to stay in contention for the Scudetto.

Following this derby defeat, Inter will look to bounce back in their next Serie A fixture against Pisa which comes right after their Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Chivu's side will need to translate their dominance in possession and chance creation into goals and wins to climb back up the standings. The manager will also be looking for a reaction from his players, particularly in terms of defensive solidity and finishing, to avoid further slip-ups.