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East Zone captain Riyan Parag’s focus at the season-opening 2025-26 Duleep Trophy was on easing himself back into the grind of competitive cricket and getting some game-time after he had spent most of last season managing a shoulder injury.Parag last turned out for India in a T20I against Bangladesh in October 2024. He had to undergo surgery for his shoulder injury, after which he played in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 for Assam in January. Before the Duleep Trophy, Parag had last played competitive cricket in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals (RR). He was their second-highest run-scorer during the season, but was “managing a lot of stress” due to the shoulder injury.”It was good,” Parag said after the final day of the Duleep Trophy game against North Zone. “I mean, that was the main goal when I came here to play the game. Performances, I didn’t really focus on that much. I just wanted to have some fun.”I haven’t played competitive cricket in a long time. Since the IPL, I haven’t really played. [In the] IPL also, I was managing a lot of stress and stuff like that. But it was nice, was a good outing. Not in a good way with the amount of overs we fielded. But then still, rolled my arm for a few overs, batted for a while. Could have converted it for a bigger score, but then I’m happy. The shoulder feels much better now.”Related

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Leading the side in the absence of Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was ruled out due to fever on the opening day, Parag was dismissed for 39 in the only innings East Zone batted. He didn’t bowl in the first innings, but bowled 22 overs in the second as North Zone made 658 for 4, building on their first-innings lead of 175.While the game ended in a draw, North Zone qualified for the semi-finals on the basis of their first-innings lead.”They played better cricket, I got to give credit to that,” Parag said on North Zone’s performance. “I feel we could have done better in the first innings while bowling but then we should have got at least close to like 350 and then try to restrict it.”But once we did not do that, they had the lead of around 200 runs. Then, just the batters batted really well and just took the game away from us and the last day was just formality, I think, for them to get their milestones.”East Zone were without Mukesh Kumar on day three and four after the fast bowler picked up a thigh strain on the opening day. Mohammed Shami also did not take the field on the final day after he cut his toe, which meant East Zone had to rely on their part-time options.”That was one of the tough things to manage,” Parag said. “Shami didn’t bowl today, Mukesh got injured in the first innings, I’m coming back from an injury so I had to bowl 20 overs. Utkarsh [Singh], our non-bowler, he had to bowl around 30 overs so that did play a part for us in fielding a lot of overs but then nothing we can do about it. We just take it as a loss.”Parag says it’s “back to basics” now as he readies himself for the upcoming season. He has been named as one of the stand-bys for the Asia Cup, and is hopeful to get a chance when India travel to Australia for a white-ball series in October-November.”I was in the T20 set-up, then took a break for the shoulder [injury], and stuff like that happened,” he said. “Ranji [Trophy] is coming in, then the Australia tour is coming in; if I get selected there, I do that. Otherwise, I go back to domestic and do what I’ve been doing for the last two to three years. Be top-scoring every single game. Have a good IPL and play for the country again.”

Ankit Kumar: ‘Everyone did their job’

North Zone captain Ankit Kumar was delighted by his team’s performance as they racked up the runs on the last two days. Ankit fell two short of his maiden first-class double-century in the second innings, but Ayush Badoni recorded an unbeaten 204, while Yash Dhull scored 133 on the third day.Ankit Kumar made 198 in the second innings•PTI

Ankit, who replaced Shubman Gill as North Zone captain after Gill pulled out due to illness, said there was “a little pressure” captaining in a big game but was glad he found a way to score runs and lead the team efficiently.”I am captaining at this level for the first time,” Ankit said. “There weren’t a lot of changes from the Ranji Trophy; we followed the same process: bowl well, bat well. That’s worked for us.”We had a well-rounded batting and bowling attack. No one could play a big innings in the first innings, but everyone contributed and that mattered. It was a proper teamwork, so we didn’t face many challenges. Everyone did their jobs.”The basic plan was to take a first-innings lead. When that happened, we knew we could qualify. We wanted our bowlers to stay fresh. Arshdeep [Singh] and Harshit [Rana] have to go and play for India, so we wanted them to go fresh [for the Asia Cup].”

After Bumrah had bowled three in the powerplay, the spinners put the squeeze almost immediately

Shashank Kishore15-Sep-20251:13

Wahab: Kuldeep always one step ahead of batters

Years later, when round one of India vs Pakistan at Asia Cup 2025 is discussed, it’s likely the no-handshake gesture and the simmering tension will be remembered first. But peel through the layers, and you will uncover India’s spin masterclass that left Pakistan’s young batting line-up searching for answers.At one point, 15 overs into their innings, it seemed as if Pakistan were simply picking through the wreckage. The moment that captured it all came in the 13th when Suryakumar Yadav placed a short midwicket, a silly mid-on, a short cover, a slip and a leg slip as Faheem Ashraf faced a hat-trick ball from Kuldeep Yadav.In the end, Pakistan left with barely a little more than just a few consolatory blows from Shaheen Afridi, as they now walk into a potential must-win against UAE to ensure there will be round two against India next Sunday, a contest that will need them to soul search.Related

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Hesson: We were a bit frenzied at the start with the bat and then got squeezed

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Kuldeep makes it worth the wait

Pakistan only need to analyse the match scorecard and India’s robust approach as compared to their diffidence, especially after the powerplay. They didn’t challenge India’s spinners enough for them to think out of the box. From 42 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, they went into their shell, only to eventually collapse.”With the bat we were a bit frenzied at the start,” Pakistan coach Mike Hesson observed. “The ball held on the surface, as we expected. But we didn’t respond as well as we would’ve liked. We got to the end of the powerplay and we were in the game, and we got squeezed.”That built up a lot of pressure during the middle overs. The more big games you play, the more trust you have in your own game. We’ve certainly got players who are finding their feet, but they certainly want to be in the battle, and we’ll come back stronger in a few days.”Between overs 5.3 to 11, Pakistan didn’t hit a single boundary while losing two wickets. ESPNcricinfo pegged their aggressive responses to just eight deliveries (24.24%) in this period. And it didn’t help that India were buzzing through their overs with spin before the dew got heavier, as evidenced by the ground staff trying to mop up the outer pockets at the halfway mark.This was the phase where Axar Patel broke Pakistan’s back. He struck first by beating Fakhar Zaman in flight, tempting him into a big shot that he dragged to Tilak Varma at long-on. Two overs later, he landed the knockout blow of Salman Agha.2:20

How big is the gulf between India and Pakistan?

Stuck on 3 off 11 and increasingly desperate to break free, Agha tried to slog sweep his way out of trouble but top-edged tamely to deep square leg. Those two strikes in quick succession drained the innings of any momentum and left Pakistan tottering at 49 for 4 at the halfway mark.The slowdown, Hesson reflected, was down to their inability to rotate the strike and not because of their inability to read India’s spinners, especially Axar. “I don’t think there was any issue in picking spinners, it’s what you do with it when you pick it,” he said. “Axar’s – there’s no mystery there.”He slides the ball, occasionally turns one. It’s more the accuracy and pressure that they build up, when you build up a lot of dots, sometimes your mind plays tricks and you play big shots. It’s certainly not that they can’t pick it, the fact is we struggled to rotate strike to take pressure off ourselves.”Suryakumar observed there was more to Axar’s success than just picking wickets. He pointed to a focused-training method that has made a difference.”His plans are very clear. Whenever I see him at practice, he bowls a lot to left-handers because that’s a proper match-up,” he said. “You feel if a left-hander is walking in, you can’t bowl a left-arm spinner, but he practices more to the left-hand batters. And when he bowls to the right-handers, he has his own plans. I’m really happy with his clear plans.”Axar’s damage happened to be the prelude to Kuldeep’s a few overs later. In the 13th over, Kuldeep struck off consecutive deliveries, one off a loopy legbreak that bounced extra, and another off a wrong’un to left-hand batter Mohammad Nawaz.Kuldeep’s double-strike underlined how well India had managed their resources through the innings. Having burned through three of Bumrah’s overs inside the powerplay, a tactic Suryakumar has now employed in back-to-back games, India effectively left their spinners with a cushion and attacking fields to work with in the middle overs.And they couldn’t have done it better, with Kuldeep and Axar slamming the door shut.

Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to release their overseas opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, along with former India fast bowler Mohit Sharma. After a lot of deliberation, the owners has decided to retain T Natarajan, a capped India pacer and yorker specialist who was signed for INR 10.75 crore at last year’s mega auction.Signed in 2024 for his base price of INR 2 crore, du Plessis, 41, had underwhelming returns in IPL 2025, hitting 202 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 123.92. These numbers were in stark contrast to his impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), for whom he made 438 runs in 15 innings at 161.62 as they rose from the bottom to the playoffs the previous season.Mohit too was below par, picking two wickets in eight games while going at 10.28.Fraser Mc-Gurk, however, will be the most high-profile release, considering hat the franchise had labelled him a player for the future when they signed him in 2024. His intent-laden batting that yielded 222 runs off just 81 deliveries were the highlight for DC during the fag end of their campaign that season.He was subsequently bought back via the right-to-match card ahead of IPL 2025, where he returned five single-digit scores in six matches. His overall tally of 55 runs included a best of 38 before he was benched.Having returned home when the IPL season was paused owing to cross-border tensions with Pakistan, Fraser-McGurk opted to stay back when the season resumed, with the franchise signing Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman as a temporary replacement. At the time, the IPL had stated temporary replacements would not be retained, which means Mustafizur, too, will need to go to the auction.Fraser-McGurk’s recent form has been poor across formats. He had a highest of 36 in three List A games against India A, and has managed scores of 34, 27 and 4 in the three list A games for South Australia since. Post the IPL, Fraser-McGurk also had a lukewarm Major League Cricket stint with San Francisco Unicorns.

Newcastle United need some fresh ideas. This much is clear after a turbulent start to the season that has left Eddie Howe searching for answers, his side 14th in the Premier League after 11 matches.

There are internal solutions available to the esteemed English coach, but there’s no question that he views St. James’ Park academy graduate Elliot Anderson as being the missing cog in the machine.

The Magpies reluctantly sold Anderson to Nottingham Forest for around £35m in 2024 to avoid PSR ramifications falling on their head. But now, the 23-year-old is flying, and his boyhood club want him back.

The latest on Newcastle's interest in Elliot Anderson

It is understood that Newcastle and Manchester United are the most likely clubs to do battle for Anderson’s signature next summer. Word on the street, however, is that Forest are set to demand a figure in excess of £100m.

Matches (starts)

37 (33)

11 (11)

Goals

2

1

Assists

6

1

Touches*

54.2

94.4

Accurate passes*

28.7 (82%)

62.1 (87%)

Chances created*

1.0

1.4

Dribbles*

1.0

1.3

Ball recoveries*

5.6

8.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.5

3.5

Duels (won)*

6.5 (52%)

7.5 (55%)

That might be an exorbitant asking price, but we can see why the City Ground side would be so reluctant to part with their man. Anderson has grown into a world-beater of a midfielder, and he is emerging as the most likely candidate to partner Declan Rice in England’s midfield at the 2026 World Cup over the pond.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, but with the Tricky Trees likely to prove difficult negotiators, don’t hold your breath.

However, it might be pleasing to note that PIF have been busy at the academy level, reinforcing the youth team with top talents capable of finding a way into Howe’s outfit.

And there’s one who might actually prove a bigger talent than Anderson, once given an opportunity to make his mark.

Newcastle have a bigger talent than Anderson

There has been a concerted effort toward raising Newcastle’s youth system over the past few years. And it is working, with prospects such as Vakhtang Salia added to the fold.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all fancied Dinamo Tbilisi’s talented forward this year, but it is a testament to Newcastle’s development that they won the race, enticing the youngster with a clear pathway toward the first team.

A versatile forward, Salia can play on either flank or in a central striking berth. In Ukraine, he scored eight goals and provided four assists across 57 matches for Dinamo’s seniors.

Salia only turned 18 in August, and it was then that his move to Tyneside was green-lit. However, it’s been a rocky start on English shores for the man who has been likened to Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal. He hasn’t played for United yet, injured early in his new start.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has described him as “one of the best teenage prospects in the world”, and with the right care and attention over the coming years, there is every reason that Salia could be fashioned into a superstar, so naturally gifted and with a physicality on the ball that suggests he could adapt to the brutality of the Premier League.

It is frustrating that Salia should have been disrupted in this way so early into his Newcastle career, but this will teach him about adversity, and in this, he could rival Anderson, who has weathered storms of his own before emerging as a superstar at the City Ground.

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ByAngus Sinclair Nov 19, 2025

Alyssa Healy offered her endorsement as well, saying this was the “most stable” Indian team she has seen

Sruthi Ravindranath13-Sep-20253:00

Harmanpreet: ‘We’re at a stage where everyone thinks we can beat Australia’

The last time India won an ODI against Australia at home was in 2007. They’ve won just one out of 10 ODIs against Australia in the last five years. They’ll be facing long odds when the two teams meet again in New Chandigarh on Sunday, but India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side can “beat Australia on any day”.”We are a team that has worked hard throughout the year, and are improving day by day,” Harmanpreet said. “But Australia have had a good set-up for some years now, and they have been dominating for some years now. We have just come into that race, and have done well in the last one to one-and-a-half years. We were working hard [to beat them before]. But now, we have worked a lot on fielding and fitness, and results are starting to show.”India are coming off a strong period in ODIs: they’ve lost just two out of the 11 ODIs they’ve played this year, and recently won 2-1 against England away. The three-match series against Australia could be an important marker in the lead-up to the home World Cup, which starts on September 30.Related

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“No doubt, they [Australia] have been very dominating; they have played well all over the world and dominated. But we are also as a stage where, as a captain, we have the belief we can beat them on any day,” Harmanpreet said. “The processes in the last one-and-a-half years have been good; we have improved quite a lot. Even in England, we beat one of their best sides. These show that we are on the right track. This group of players has played together for a while now. Everyone knows what they need to do for the team. There is belief that we can beat any team on any day, which is very important. If you have the belief, the results follow.”Australia captain Alyssa Healy, meanwhile, said this was the “most stable” Indian team she has seen.”It feels like to me in the women’s game, India’s been a bit of a sleeping giant for a long period of time and probably haven’t had the stability that I think they do right now,” she said. “They’re a really dangerous side, and I think they’re fully aware of that and what they can do to other teams. We watched them go to England and play some really good cricket and challenge a really good side.”This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen, and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup. So I’m looking forward to that challenge, and like you said, the rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia and I know how good they are in their home conditions, and that’s really a challenge for us. I think it’s going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series.”1:11

Healy: ‘India a sleeping giant for a long time now’

Harmanpreet credited the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket. She has noticed younger players coming into the team with more confidence than before.”I think their [youngsters’] approach has been very special to see, especially as a captain,” Harmanpreet said. “When I look to 4-5 years ago, we’ve been talking about the gap between domestic and international cricket, so it’s difficult for a player to transition. In the last 5-6 years, we have been playing back-to-back games, and it has also been telecast. The girls who are playing now are ready, and know how to push themselves for the international level.”We can see that in players like Kranti [Goud] and Pratika [Rawal] – they look ready. It’s not that they need time or opportunities – the way they have prepared themselves, they are showing they are ready for the opportunity. We were hoping that something like the WPL would start for a long time so that the gap between international and domestic cricket reduces, and we have seen that in the last three years. I hope they keep performing like this.”Australia have not played an ODI since January this year. But for Healy, that’s not a big issue. While she has got a unit that has played together for a long time, she also said Australia may rotate players in the three ODIs, especially with left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux out of this series and in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.Back in the side is Renuka Singh, whose return from a lengthy injury layoff will benefit the other bowlers•BCCI”It’s been a little while since we’ve played cricket together as a group, but in saying that, the group’s in a really great place to tackle this World Cup but also the ODI series,” Healy said. “India are probably red-hot favourites in their own conditions coming into a World Cup, but I feel like the squad of 15 players we’ve got to contribute in this series is really well-placed. I think, ironically, with the 15 players we’ve got, I think we can pick a best XI and use all 15, so I think we’re pretty lucky in that regard.”But obviously playing for Australia at any moment in time is an important feature, no matter if there’s points attached to it or not. So we’ll obviously be playing our best XI we can, but it’s also a good opportunity for us to try a few different things and get some different combinations in place looking ahead to what is a big four to five weeks after this series. So experimentation is probably a big word, but you might see a little bit of rotation here.”Harmanpreet indicated India may look to give all the players in the squad a chance too. Back in the side is fast bowler Renuka Singh, whose return from a lengthy injury layoff will benefit the other bowlers in the side.”Renuka’s played a very important role in the side always, really happy she’s back in the side,” Harmanpreet said. “She has worked really hard. She’s keen to be part of the team. She was the one who was leading our medium-pacer department, so it feels good that she’s back. It’s good for people like Kranti and Arundhati [Reddy] too – she played a big role in that aspect too.”This series is very important for us. We are happy we got the opportunity to play one of the best teams before going for the World Cup. These three games are important, and we are thinking of giving opportunity to everyone, so that everyone’s fresh for the World Cup.”

Without being guilty of stating the obvious, it’s not a great time to be a West Ham United fan at the moment.

The team looked terrible under Graham Potter at the start of the season, and apart from a brief moment against Everton, they’ve not looked much better under Nuno Espírito Santo.

The Portuguese coach has a tough job on his hands to get the Hammers out of the relegation zone, and things have only just got more complicated.

It now seems that Lucas Paqueta wants to leave the club, although his departure wouldn’t be ideal, West Ham appear to have a player who could step into his shoes.

Latest on Lucas Paqueta's West Ham future

As if Nuno’s task to keep West Ham in the Premier League wasn’t already challenging enough, it now seems that the incredibly talented Paqueta wants to jump ship in the winter window.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

At least, that is according to a recent report from the Times, which claims that, despite a move to Aston Villa not materialising in the summer, the Brazilian ace is still keen to leave the East Londoners as soon as possible.

It is unclear just how much money it would take for the Irons to sell, but given his desire to leave, underwhelming performances and the fact that there are less than two years left on his £150k-per-week contract, it seems unlikely they’ll make a profit on the £51m they paid Lyon for him in 2022.

However, while losing the Paquetá-born midfielder would be far from ideal, it might not be the nail in the club’s Premier League coffin that many might spin it as.

After all, even though his talent is undeniable, has the 28-year-old star actually been as effective for the club as fans hoped he would be when he first joined?

Well, across his 130 appearances for the Irons, the former Lyon ace has scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists, which works out to a decent but unspectacular average of a goal involvement every 3.71 games.

Moreover, last season saw him score just five goals in 35 games, of which two were penalties, meaning he averaged a non-penalty goal every 11.66 games, which isn’t good enough for someone meant to be a team’s talismanic number ten.

In short, while the best situation would be one in which Nuno could get the best back out of Paqueta, losing him in the winter might not be as bad as some would have you believe, as he’s barely contributed to the team for over a year now.

Moreover, West Ham already have a creative gem who could potentially prove to be a brilliant replacement in the long run.

West Ham's Paqueta replacement

While there are undoubtedly other ways in which Nuno and West Ham could approach a Paqueta-less side, perhaps the best would be to use Mateus Fernandes.

The former Southampton star joined the club for around £40m in the summer, and while he’s spent more time in central midfield since then, he’s no stranger to playing further up the pitch.

For example, during his time with the Saints, the “exceptional” Portuguese ace, as dubbed by analyst Mattinson, made 21 appearances in attacking midfield.

Moreover, despite playing for a team that were relegated and, for some time, looked in danger of breaking Derby County’s most unwanted record, the 21-year-old still produced six goal involvements in 36 league games.

For comparison’s sake, Paqueta scored just four goals in 34 league games.

Finally, on top of possessing the ability to play “those KDB-type passes,” as Mattinson puts it, the former Southampton ace is also happy to help out all over the pitch, as his underlying numbers show.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for percentage of aerial duels won, the top 5% for tackles and ball recoveries, the top 11% for long passes attempted and completed and the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

Ultimately, in an ideal world, West Ham would keep hold of Paqueta and help him get back to his best this season.

However, if he really is to leave in the winter, then fans should not worry too much, as Fernandes could step in and step up.

West Ham brewing Noble 2.0 who knows "what it means to wear the shirt"

The academy product might be able to add some much-needed fight and heart back into Nuno’s West Ham side.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 28, 2025

Sven-Goran Eriksson's family has been forced to sell his lakeside mansion in a cut-price deal to help pay off the late England manager's massive debts. Eriksson, who was in charge of England for five years and took the team to two World Cups and a European Championship, bought the mansion in 2001 for a whopping £4.5 million, but his family has now accepted a total loss on the property of around £3m.

Eriksson's lakeside mansion sold off

Former England boss Eriksson, who passed away at the age of 76 in August 2024 after a battle against pancreatic cancer, left behind a huge amount of debt, which his family is struggling to pay off. In March this year, Eriksson's partner Yaniseth Alcides and children Lina and Johan organised an auction of his collection of memorabilia. They sold off several valuable collectables, including his Armani suit from the Three Lions’ round of 16 match at the 2006 World Cup, with hand-written team notes still in the pocket. The family raised a total of £140,000 to help settle the debts.

According to , Eriksson owed the UK taxman £7.4 million and an additional £1m in other debts. Now, his luxurious lakeside mansion in Torsby, Varmland, in his native Sweden, has been sold for £1.3m. The family had initially put the property on the market with a valuation of £2m, but later slashed the price by £400,000 to attract bidders. Eventually, an anonymous e-commerce businesswoman bought the house. 

AdvertisementAFP'Of course I thought it was fantastic'

The anonymous buyer visited the mansion as a child when her father renovated it for the late Swede. She told : "Of course I thought it was fantastic. But it was still far from obvious to me to buy it when it came up for sale. It felt like a big project and a big responsibility. However, the opportunity to manage a small part of Värmland’s cultural heritage, and at the same time enjoy the fantastic environment, was ultimately irresistible. 

"We live and work in Stockholm but my soul is always somewhere in northern Värmland. We will spend as much time as we can there. I come from Torsby myself, my whole family is in Värmland, and we are always in Torsby on all holidays. Our dream with Bjorkefors is to make it an obvious gathering place for the family for generations to come."

How did Eriksson fall into the debt trap?

Eriksson earned tens of millions in salary during his 42-year coaching career, during which he managed 12 clubs and four national teams. He made around £22.5m in his five-year stint in charge of England. However, by 2007, he fell into massive debt after being duped out of £10m by financial advisor Samir Khan, to whom he entrusted his fortune. The former coach later took Khan to court and even won the legal battle, but he never got back any of that lost money for unknown reasons.

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Getty Images SportEriksson's glorious managerial journey

Eriksson enjoyed a glittering managerial career that spanned over four decades across several countries and continents. He managed 12 different clubs across the globe, including Lazio, Roma, Manchester City, Leicester City and Benfica. Eriksson also managed the Ivory Coast, Mexico and the Philippines in international football. 

He won league titles in Italy and Portugal with Lazio and Benfica and guided England to back-to-back quarter-finals at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, as their first non-British manager. At 76, Eriksson was finally able to live out his dream of managing Liverpool in March 2024, as he took charge of a legends match against Ajax and guided the Reds to a 4-2 win.

Stand-in captain backs Khawaja to bounce back from back spasm; hopeful of Cummins return at Brisbane

Tristan Lavalette22-Nov-2025

Travis Head made a flying start to Australia’s fourth innings•Getty Images

Still in a whirlwind following a frenetic first Ashes Test, skipper Steven Smith was non-committal over whether Travis Head would continue to open the batting after his 69-ball century powered Australia to a crushing eight-wicket victory at Perth. Head opened the batting for the first time in a Test innings outside of South Asia, replacing Usman Khawaja who had spent some time off the ground in England’s second innings due to back spasms.His elevation, after Marnus Labuschagne had been given the task in the first innings, proved a game-changer and he smashed 123 off 83 balls to knock England’s all-out pace attack off the lengths that had proved so effective on the opening day.The opening positions have been a cause for concern for Australia for some time. With Khawaja, 38, under pressure and Jake Weatherald posting scores of 0 and 23 in his debut, there could be a push for Head to take the role on an ongoing basis in this series.”Let’s just digest this first, the last couple of hours have been pretty incredible,” Smith told reporters after the match. “It’s probably too early to say anything on that, but what we just witnessed was quite incredible. I’m glad to have been in the house to see it.”We didn’t like how things functioned in the first innings with Marn going up top and me batting three. So Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks.”Related

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Bareknuckle Baz-brawl produces Ashes all-nighter for the ages

Travis Head's 69-ball ton secures remarkable two-day win for Australia

Khawaja was forced off the field during England’s second innings in a recurrence of back spasms he first experienced on day one. He was fit to take the field on day two, but felt further pain after stretching high for a ball that flew above him in the slips.”He was reasonable this morning. I actually thought it was his knee at one point,” Smith said. “Fortunately, it was the same thing [back spasms]. He [Khawaja] said before that it’s probably one of the best back spasms he’s ever had given the circumstances [of Head’s century].Smith said the circumstances around Khawaja’s ill-timed absence in the field in England’s first innings, making him ineligible to open the batting, was a “little frustrating”. Khawaja eventually batted at No.4 and was dismissed for just 2.”Wasn’t ideal, it all happened pretty quickly,” he said. “I got told, I think just before we got the last wicket….that he needed to be on the field to go and bat.”I think that’s why we landed where we landed yesterday [with Labuschagne opening]. Today we had a little bit more time to go through it and work it out.”I mean, those things can happen in the game. No one’s fault. Move on.”Much like Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg, Smith defended Khawaja’s decision to play golf prior to the Test match. “He’s not moving particularly well in there, the old fella, but his preparation was the same as it’s been for every Test match I think that he’s played,” he said.”There was nothing out of whack there by any stretch. Unfortunately, he just pulled up a bit lame early in the game. That happens when your back goes.”I’ve been there myself when your back seizes up and it’s not a nice place to be. So I can feel his pain right now.”Offspinner Nathan Lyon had very little to do in the match, bowling just two overs in the seam-friendly conditions. But he did cop a blow to his hip while batting and was visibly wincing in the field.”He’s got a few bruises, keeps showing them off. He’s tough though, he’ll be fine,” Smith said.There has been no update on quick Josh Hazlewood amid fears that he might miss the entire series with a hamstring injury. But Pat Cummins has revealed that he’s a chance of returning for the second Test in Brisbane starting on December 4, as he progresses well from a lower back injury.”It’s on track and pulling up pretty well. [I’m] half a chance for the next game,” Cummins said on the Fox Sports broadcast. “I’m pretty hopeful and it’s probably better than it was a few weeks ago.”

Just a matter of weeks ago it looked like Chelsea were in the title race but things have rather unravelled for Enzo Maresca and Co in recent weeks.

The Blues did pick up a point against Arsenal with ten men but results since then have been bleak, losing 3-1 to Leeds United and drawing 0-0 with Bournemouth.

Cole Palmer’s return to fitness has been timely, but according to the manager, he’s still not up to full speed just yet.

The latest Chelsea injury news

Palmer returned from the bench against Bournemouth at the weekend but in a fresh blow to Maresca and Co they have decided that the attacking midfielder will not travel with the squad for the Champions League trip to Atalanta.

That said, no fresh injury has been sustained. The manager has confirmed the forward is simply being rested as part of his recovery.

Palmer had missed a period courtesy of a groin injury and then had to spend an extra week out after breaking a toe at home.

That said, he is now slowly working himself back. Maresca said: “Cole is in part of his process in this moment. He’s not available, he can’t play two games in a row in three days. So we planned that, and it’s just a way to protect him.”

As far as Liam Delap is concerned, the news isn’t ideal there. The striker injured his shoulder against the Cherries and will now miss a period of time.

Commenting on the striker’s situation, the Chelsea boss stated: “Liam, fortunately, there is not any fracture, so that is good news. In terms of how long he will be out, we are not sure at this stage to be honest.”

What Delap's injury means for Chelsea

Well, it certainly means that Joao Pedro is likely to play a lot of minutes over the festive period and there could well be a rare slice of minutes for Marc Guiu who has barely kicked a ball this season after being recalled from his early-season loan spell with Sunderland.

That said, it’s unlikely we’ll see a recall for a certain Raheem Sterling who remains out in the cold alongside centre-back Axel Disasi.

A January exit looms for both players and it would be a surprise if we saw either in a Chelsea shirt again.

Maresca said in his press conference: “In terms of Raheem, once again it’s the same thing I said about Axel, they are Chelsea players. Now also we are in December, January is coming, so anything can happen, obviously.”

Sterling signed at Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £47.5m back in the summer of 2022 but has not lived up to expectations, scoring just 19 goals in 81 outings. A season-long loan spell with Arsenal in 2024/25 failed to get his career back on track either.

As for Disasi, he had a loan spell with Aston Villa in the back end of last campaign but has not been seen in Chelsea blue this season. He once cost the club a whopping £38.5m but there is seemingly no way back for him.

Chelsea flop has fast become their biggest liability since Bakayoko

Chelsea and Maresca need to move on from the walking disaster as soon as possible.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

3 days ago

Liverpool have now launched their first approach to sign a much-needed right-back target, who could arrive at Anfield or in North London as a free agent.

Arne Slot admits shock at "ridiculous" Liverpool form

It has been a disastrous run for Liverpool, with their 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest proving to be their most shocking result yet. After eight defeats in 11 games, the champions are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history, despite spending over £400m in the summer.

With PSV Eindhoven up next, Arne Slot has admitted just how shocked he’s been by his side’s form and went onto describe it as “ridiculous” in his pre-match press conference.

The Champions League has often been a saving grace for Liverpool this season. Their victory over Real Madrid last time out proved to be somewhat of a false dawn before their Premier League return, but the Reds now have the chance to pick up where they left off in Europe, at the very least.

They will, however, be without an out-and-out right-back yet again following Conor Bradley’s injury to join Jeremie Frimpong on the sidelines. It is a problem that Liverpool must solve and one that could yet see Zeki Celik arrive.

Liverpool launch approach to sign Zeki Celik

According to TeamTalk’s Rudi Galetti, Liverpool have launched an approach to sign Celik in a transfer battle with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, all of whom have made contact.

The right-back is on course to become a free agent when his contract expires next summer and could yet provide a solution for Slot by finally replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 28-year-old, at the peak of his powers, recently earned the praise of Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella, who told reporters: “He’s the perfect player for any coach.

“Celik is professional, reliable, does his job wherever you play him. In a locker room it is always needed to have guys like him.”

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 25, 2025

The AS Roma man is also capable of playing centre-back in what would kill two birds with one stone for Slot, who currently has just three senior centre-backs to choose from which includes the injury-prone Joe Gomez.

Instead of Gakpo: Liverpool can unlock Isak by unleashing homegrown Semenyo