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Arne Slot’s contentious selection decision for Liverpool’s latest in a long litany of defeats was a gamble, alright, but whether it has paid off is anybody’s guess at this stage.

Crystal Palace secured a 3-0 win at Anfield against a second-string home side, and Liverpool are now out of the Carabao Cup. But the tactical fault lines run far deeper, and the Reds know that their upcoming run of games will prove decisive in exactly how the club emerge from this dismal run of form.

Aston Villa travel to Merseyside at the weekend, and then next week’s double header of Real Madrid and Manchester City will perhaps show exactly how Slot will fare over the coming months.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Liverpool have one of the most talented and expensive squads in the world, after all, and have seen a few stars go from strength to strength over the past several months.

Chief among them is the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai, but, despite his smaller role, Federico Chiesa has been just as impressive.

How Chiesa is rebuilding his Liverpool career

Liverpool only signed one player during the 2024 summer transfer window: Chiesa. What a contrast to the window just passed. The Italian arrived for a cut-price £12.5m fee, but injuries and Slot’s wariness kept him on the fringes.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed quite the revival this season, among the most prolific players in Slot’s squad. Despite starting only two matches in all competitions (both of the Reds’ domestic cup fixtures), he has notched two goals and three assists.

And still he waits for his first Premier League start of the season. Chiesa is earning starts on tournamental fronts but will perhaps feel somewhat aggrieved by sitting in the centre on Wednesday evening, flanked as he was by teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison.

Chiesa has in the past proved he has the talent to sit alongside the world’s best forwards. He has been deeply unfortunate with injuries, but his mental fortitude and underlying talent are beginning to shine, and there is a real chance for him to lay down a marker over the coming months, especially when you consider Mohamed Salah will be away at AFCON come January.

Liverpool's new version of Chiesa

Last season, Chiesa drifted through Liverpool’s title-winning campaign. Clearly, he was a talented player who had the skills to make a mark, but for whatever reason, Slot opted against unleashing him.

Now that he’s seen Calvin Ramsay put in a fine showing against Crystal Palace, the Dutch coach may want to avoid repeating that same mistake. Right-back Ramsay has not played much football over the past several years, but he showed what he can do against the Eagles.

The 22-year-old was composed on the ball and looked to progress play forward when the chance arose. In the first half, he played a Trent-esque diagonal cross over to Ngumoha, demonstrating a range of strings on his bow.

Liverpool signed Ramsay from Aberdeen in July 2022, adding him to the squad for an initial £4m fee. Jurgen Klopp once said “the sky is the limit” for the one-cap Scotland international, but a low-hanging fog has clouded his potential over the past three years, restricting him to just three first-team appearances for the Merseysiders and a string of unsuccessful loan spells.

But there’s a real player in there.

Against Palace, the Scotsman won six duels, made seven recoveries and four clearances, as per Sofascore. Promising stuff, even if the rust was clear to see, losing the ball 19 times despite not creating a chance.

Like Chiesa, Ramsay has been shaken by injuries over the past several years, and at the early stage of his career, this has had a detrimental impact on his hopes of getting going at the highest level.

Liverpool have lost six of their past seven matches in all competitions, with that emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League an outlier born from the Germans’ own deep defensive deficiencies.

Analytical Reds writer Sam McGuire even said that Slot’s decision to exclude Ramsay previously is “a sackable offence”. Of course, we must take this as tongue in cheek, but it does underline the quality of talent Liverpool have in this Scottish defender, and it’s certainly frustrating that he is now unavailable for the men’s team over the next few months.

Chiesa stands a real chance of continuing to go from strength to strength in Liverpool’s senior squad this year, adding a dimension that Slot simply cannot ignore.

With Jeremie Frimpong not quite a natural full-back and Conor Bradley’s performances leaving something to be desired, might there not be a chance for Ramsay to sneak his way into the club’s plans too?

The defeat to Crystal Palace, the third of the campaign, emphasised the scale of Liverpool’s plight at the moment, with wholesale changes and a bench full of youngsters backing firing on a head coach who now stares down the barrel of a gun, preparing to take on some of Europe’s most threatening outfits.

He will need every tool at his disposal, and allowing Ramsay to taste some more action might not be the worst thing in the world for a side currently lacking solutions.

Van Dijk's new Matip: Liverpool now chasing "sensational" Guehi alternative

Liverpool are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements in 2026.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 29, 2025

Luis Diaz's wonder goal against Union Berlin at the weekend has been labelled "world-class" by Bayern Munich icon Lothar Matthaus. The Colombian, signed from Liverpool over the summer, has been brilliant for Die Roten so far. While Matthaus believes that the hard-working left winger "needs to be more clinical in front of goal," he said that his "outstanding" strike compensates for his lack of efficiency.

• Union Berlin end Bayern's winning streak

  Bayern were brought down to earth this past weekend during a tricky away trip to Union Berlin at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, as Kompany's men could only salvage a 2-2 draw, thanks to a 90th minute equaliser from the in-form Harry Kane. 

  The game brought an end to the Bavarian giants' record-breaking 16-game winning streak across all competitions since the start of the ongoing 2025-26 season, breaking the 13-game record set by the famous AC Milan outfit from the 1992-93 season. The result also prevented Kompany from matching Pep Guardiola's record of 10 consecutive Bundesliga victories in the first 10 games of the season, with the Belgian managing to guide his team to nine straight wins before the stalemate against Steffen Baumgart's men.

  Even though Bayern left Berlin without maximum points, they certainly came out of the match with a few positives. For a team that has dominated on all fronts across all competitions, the encounter against Union Berlin allowed the visitors to equalise twice following goals from centre-back Danilho Doekhi in each half.

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  Matthaus lauds Diaz for being the overall package

  With Bayern trailing, they tightened the screw and switched gears in search of an equaliser as the game progressed towards the end of the first half. In the 38th minute, Diaz collected the ball on the edge of the box on the left side following a clearance. After collecting the ball, the Colombian passed it to Josip Stanisic and then made a run into the box to receive after a one-two. Stanisic seemed to have overhit the ball, his hands on his head out of disappointment as he saw the ball moving beyond the touchline. Just when it seemed Union Berlin would be awarded a goal kick, Diaz slid and somehow kept the ball into play. After sensing pressure from one of Berlin's defenders, the ex-Liverpool winger's daft touch put the ball past the on-rushing defender before striking into the top corner from an extremely acute angle. 

  Moments after his equaliser, Diaz fumbled a one-on-one with the Union Berlin goalkeeper. However, former Bayern player Matthaus is of the firm opinion that the Colombian international shouldn't find himself in the crosshairs of the fans and the media thanks to his work ethic and profound ability to create goals out of nothing.

  In a column for , Matthaus said: "After 16 consecutive wins, FC Bayern only managed a draw against Union Berlin . Refocusing completely on the Bundesliga and a match at the comparatively smaller Forsterei stadium after their stunning Champions League victory in Paris wasn't easy.

  "Their senses might not have been sharp enough at the start, but Bayern came back from behind twice. That was yet another sign of strength.

  "Luis Diaz 's goal was world-class. It's great to have a player who works hard for the team, scores goals, and creates clear-cut chances. He needs to be more clinical in front of goal, but his outstanding strike makes him forgivable."

• A week to remember for Diaz

  It was a memorable week for the 28-year-old. He scored twice in the 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League. Against Union Berlin, his goal automatically makes him one of the contenders for the goal of the season.

  After the game, Kane was in awe of Diaz's "special" strike. "Incredible to be honest," said the Englishman, who now has 23 goals from 17 games. "The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

  Kompany, the head coach, admitted that Diaz could have bagged another goal, but stated that he was happy for him. ”We really needed that moment of brilliance from Lucho”, Kompany told reporters after the full-time whistle. “Of course he could’ve scored another goal afterwards, but the quality we have in this team is what we need to achieve our goals during the season. 3 goals he’s scored this week, that was good for him.”

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  Diaz to miss Arsenal clash in the Champions League

  Bayern will face Freiburg in their first match following the international break, before traveling to the Emirates Stadium for a high-profile clash with Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side have emerged as frontrunners in the Premier League title race this season, combining domestic dominance with impressive form in Europe.

  Bayern will, however, be without their in-form winger when they make the trip to London – a significant setback for Kompany’s men. Diaz, who has tallied 11 goals and five assists this season, received a straight red card for a reckless challenge on PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi, which left the Moroccan defender nursing an ankle injury. As a result, Diaz will serve a suspension and miss the chance to face his former rivals in a familiar territory.

He feels it’s “going to be a constant challenge” for a modern-day player to maintain the same levels of fitness all year

Ashish Pant07-Sep-2025Fast bowler Shardul Thakur believes players are being “taken for granted” with respect to workload, and that it is “going to be a constant challenge” for a modern-day cricketer to maintain the same levels of fitness all year long with the amount of cricket being played.”A lot of times we are taken for granted and the management is not to the highest level,” Thakur said on the final day of the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Bengaluru. “No one actually comes and asks us how our body feels after playing for so many months. But yes, I have been managing my body with physios, S&Cs [Strength & Conditioning coach], doing constant work.”And it’s about playing cricket. I’m not saying that you keep pulling yourself out from playing the games. But frequent breaks here and there are good for the body.”It’s been over 11 months of non-stop cricket for Thakur. It started with the Irani Trophy in October last year. He then played the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Initially going unsold, he joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025 as an injury replacement, following which he played two tour games for India A against England Lions and was part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Related

• Duleep semi-finals: Gaikwad the standout as India's international stars struggle for form

• After difficult Test debut, Kamboj returns with a display of quiet control

• Sindhu spins, bats and dreams on in marathon Duleep shift

• Dubey's 'positive mindset' helps Central Zone secure first-innings lead

Players’ workload management has been in focus in the last few years. Recently, Jasprit Bumrah played only in three of the five Tests in the tour of England to manage his workload. Thakur believes it should be up to the players on how they manage their fitness and workloads, but said it shouldn’t be on their minds during a game.”Once you enter the game, you can’t be talking about workload management because then the game situation also takes over,” he said. “When you go into the game, you’re expected to give your best. Whatever you have in your tank, you have to give it all.”And I believe you shouldn’t be shying away from coming in and hitting the deck hard in the game, keep doing those efforts. Yes, when you go out of the ground and when you’re resting back home or you have those breaks in between the game, that’s where you try to manage your bodies and try to manage your load.”If you’re not having too much load in the game, then of course you can push yourself in the nets also. But if you’re having a big amount of load in the game, then you can take it a little bit easy in the nets.”

Shardul Thakur ‘open’ to captain Mumbai

Thakur began the 2025-26 domestic season as West Zone captain in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, the first time he was leading a team in first-class cricket. It was a tough initiation as West Zone failed to progress to the final, with Central Zone going through after a first-innings lead.But the experience of leading the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad has given him enough confidence to be a leader, particularly with the Mumbai captaincy up for grabs after Ajinkya Rahane stepped down from the role earlier this year.”Yes, I am open for the [Mumbai] captaincy,” Thakur said. “And of course, this was one of the steps where I get that experience of captaincy. It was just my first game and there were a lot of learnings. I wouldn’t say that captaincy is difficult, but there are a lot of things which you learn only when you step into the captain’s shoes.”With the Ranji Trophy season starting from October 15, Thakur has urged curators to produce “sporting pitches” where the fast bowlers can also come into play, unlike the one in the semi-final. Thakur bowled just 11 of the 164.3 overs in the West Zone innings. Arzan Nagwaswalla bowled 14.3 and Tushar Deshpande 17. The rest of the 122 overs were shared between the spinners.”The spinners were in the play all the time. There was not much for fast bowlers [in the pitch],” Thakur said. “And it’s always going to be a sort of complaint when we play domestic cricket across the country that we don’t get enough pitches where fast bowlers could come and bowl 40 overs in a game.”Being a fast bowler, I expect that there should be more pitches where the game is even for fast bowlers, for batters and spinners.”

Manchester City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, with Pep Guardiola personally a fan, and the Italian club’s asking price has been revealed.

Man City made a real statement by defeating reigning Premier League champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and Guardiola was left particularly impressed by Jeremy Doku’s performance, describing the winger as “outstanding.”

Doku completed a remarkable seven dribbles throughout the match, six more than any other player, in what was a top performance, but the 23-year-old was not the only City forward that caught the eye.

Indeed, Erling Haaland once again found the back of the net, with the Norwegian putting his first-half penalty miss behind him and bagging his 14th Premier League goal of the season, which puts the 25-year-old six clear of nearest-rival Igor Thiago in the goalscoring charts.

Guardiola is clearly blessed with a number of top-quality attacking options, but the manager remains keen on strengthening his forward line even further…

Man City closely monitoring Rafael Leao

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man City are now closely monitoring AC Milan forward Leao, who has a €150m (£131m) release clause included in his contract, although the Serie A club have set a more affordable asking price of €80m – €85m (£70m – £75m).

Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are also in the race for the Portugal international, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, but City could rival their Premier League title rivals for his signature, given that Guardiola is a fan.

Indeed, the Spaniard admires the 26-year-old’s versatility, given that he is capable of playing out wide, in attacking midfield or even at striker.

At the moment, Milan are hopeful they will be able to keep hold of their star forward, but a January exit could be on the cards if talks over a new deal do not progress.

There are signs the Portuguese forward could be capable of taking City’s attack to the next level, having been lauded as “world-class” by journalist Carlo Garganese, while also proving himself as a reliable goalscorer over a number of years at AC Milan.

The Milan star has amassed a whopping 75 goals and 63 assists in 268 games for the Serie A giants, scoring a brace in what was a fantastic display against Fiorentina earlier this season.

The former Lille man clearly has the ability to succeed at the Etihad Stadium, but Doku’s recent performances suggest the Belgian winger could now be entering his prime, with his all-round display against Liverpool particularly eye-catching.

As such, Leao would perhaps be a luxury signing, rather than a necessary addition to Guardiola’s squad.

Rafael Leao has been named as one of the best wingers in the world

The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 28, 2025

England boss Thomas Tuchel says he would consider singing God Save the King at next year's World Cup but joked he is not sure he has earned that right yet. The German was announced as Gareth Southgate's successor just over a year ago, sparking much consternation in certain quarters. But after an upturn in form, Tuchel believes that if the positive results keep coming, he may be singing the English anthem soon.

• Push back over Tuchel appointment

  When Tuchel was sworn in as England's new manager, following a successful and long spell with Southgate at the helm, not everyone was thrilled. Some media outlets wanted a British manager, as did ex-Premier League manager Harry Redknapp. But the former Bayern Munich boss said he was "proud" to take up the challenge of guiding England to their first World Cup triumph since 1966.

  "I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," he said in October 2024. "I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting. Working closely with Anthony [Barry] as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank The FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together."

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  Tuchel feels the love from England

  The German guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 before being sacked in 2022. He has spent more of his managerial career in Germany but Tuchel admitted he has a certain fondness for England, something that he doesn't always feel in his homeland. 

  He said, "I feel that we are very critical of each other in Germany, especially with players and coaches, not only me. It's very hard to escape it once you're in it… so there is a picture, and this is the picture for years and years. I felt more appreciation in England, yes. This is just a fact."

• Tuchel teases English national anthem singing

  Tuchel is the third non-English manager to take charge of the Three Lions after Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello. So, will he sing the English anthem?

  He told reporters on Friday: "I will earn it with results, with building a group, with doing my job properly and by creating a feeling where maybe even you guys say at some point, 'Now it's time that you sing it, it feels like you properly earned it and you're a proper English guy now'. Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like, 'He should sing it now, he's one of our own, he's the English manager, he should sing it'."

  Asked if he believed he had earned the right to sing the national anthem now, he said with a grin: "You think it is already there? I will think about it."

  Asked if he might sing the national anthem at the World Cup, he again smiled and said, "Yeah, maybe. Let's see."

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  What comes next for Tuchel's England?

  England are eyeing a 100 per cent winning record for their World Cup qualifying campaign after beating Serbia 2-0 on Thursday to make it seven wins from seven games. Next up is second-placed Albania on Sunday. The Three Lions are also trying to go the entire campaign without conceding a goal, with Tuchel's side having a goal difference of +20.

  After the Serbia win, Tuchel said: "It was a difficult match. It was complicated because they knew everything about us and we knew nothing about them. Go through the list of players, they are at top clubs, they play in top leagues. They have individual quality, they came with new energy and they made it a final for them. I liked the first half a lot. I think we deserved to go up, I think we deserved to have maybe a second goal with Harry's header. Second-half, we didn't get the pressing right all the time, they escaped sometimes from the deep build-up into fast attacks so the back four had to work hard to keep the clean sheet. We had to overcome some difficult moments but I like it, not everything is easy. Not every win is 2-0, 3-0, 5-0. It is good. We kept a clean sheet and it was decisive in the end."

Aaron Judge continues to etch his name alongside previous Yankee greats as he adds to an already impressive career in pinstripes. The slugger launched his 45th and 46th home runs of the season on Thursday night in a 9–3 victory over the Tigers, bringing his total with the franchise to 361.

That's enough to tie Joe DiMaggio for fourth-most in a Yankees uniform. Earlier in the series against Detroit, Judge passed Yogi Berra with his 359th homer.

Aaron Boone, Judge's longtime manager, spoke after the blasts about what it's like to ride shotgun on such a ride.

"Joe DiMaggio—that feels like that’s been there forever, right?” Boone said. "Joe DiMaggio, in a lot of ways, transcended baseball. To be next to him on the list, he’s going to be waving as he goes by. It’s been a privilege having a front-row seat to that."

Judge's greatness is no secret and at this point he has been doing it awhile. This is his 10th year and everyone that hasn't been cut short due to injury has been filled with incredible power. Still, it is sort of strange to realize in realtime that he will go down in Yankees lore in the same way the names he's chasing and catching have.

Bayern Munich head to London for a heavyweight Champions League clash with Arsenal, and Lothar Matthaus believes Vincent Kompany already knows who must start. The German legend insists teenager Lennart Karl “can make the difference” alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise, urging Bayern to trust the 17-year-old on the biggest stage as both superpowers defend perfect European records.

• Karl backed to start in Arsenal vs Bayern showdown

  The Bavarians arrive at the Emirates for one of the biggest Champions League nights of the season, and Matthaus is convinced that boss Kompany does not need to overthink his lineup. In his latest column ahead of Wednesday’s clash, the German legend argued Karl should start in place of Luis Diaz, suspended after receiving a red card against Paris Saint-Germain, claiming the teenager offers the “special moments” Bayern will need against an in-form Arsenal side.

  The showdown pits the two best-performing teams in Europe against one another, with both Arsenal and Bayern winning all four Champions League matches so far. Arsenal have swept aside every opponent without conceding a single goal, while Bayern enter the tie unbeaten across all competitions, recently dismantling Freiburg 6-2 with Olise starring and Karl featuring again despite carrying a minor fitness issue.

  Matthaus believes the pattern of Bayern’s thrilling 2-1 win in Paris offers a blueprint for London. “Bayern stands for dominance, as they showed against PSG, allowing very little defensively in the first half,” he wrote. For that reason, he believes Kompany must back the formula that has lifted Bayern to the top of the Bundesliga and to a perfect Champions League start, a formula that, in his view, must include Karl.

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  Bayern team 'picks itself', says Matthaus

  Matthaus said: "Bayern Munich also have high ambitions. I expect them to perform similarly in London as they did in their 2-1 win in Paris, trying to take control from the outset. Bayern are known for their dominance, as they demonstrated against PSG, conceding very little defensively in the first half.

  "I would definitely start Karl in place of the suspended Diaz . You shouldn't expect him to score three goals right away, but he's capable of it; he has the instinct and creates special moments. The team picks itself for me: Karl and Olise on the wings, Kane up front and [Serge] Gnabry behind him . We know he enjoys playing against his former club and scoring against Arsenal.

  "Behind them is the double pivot with [Joshua] Kimmich and [Aleksandar] Pavlovic or [Leon] Goretzka, who brings a bit more physicality against the physically strong English, and at the back the back four with [Konrad] Laimer, [Jonathan] Tah, [Dayot] Upamecano and [Josip] Stanisic in front of [Manuel] Neuer."

• Karl the latest rising star at Bayern

  The Bayern teenager, who has become one of the breakout stars of the Bundesliga season, continues to impress for Kompany's side. Karl contributed a goal and an assist in the recent 6-2 win over Freiburg, extending a rapid rise that has electrified Bayern’s supporters and coaching staff alike. Karl has also shone internationally. Sent to the Germany Under 21 side during the most recent national camp, he promptly scored three goals in two matches under Antonio di Salvio. 

  For Bayern, the teenager’s explosiveness offers another dimension next to Kane and Olise, particularly in a match where Diaz’s absence forces Kompany to trust new solutions. Matthaus ultimately expects a very tight contest. “I expect a very close game and predict a 2-2 draw,” he concluded.

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  Champions League stakes rise ahead of London epic

  The focus now shifts fully to Wednesday’s blockbuster meeting, a contest that will break at least one of the last two perfect records in this season’s Champions League league phase. Arsenal enter the tie in elite form after a 4-1 north London derby win over Tottenham, maintaining their six-point Premier League lead and scoring 11 Champions League goals without reply.

  Bayern travel with confidence but also with selection dilemmas as Diaz’s suspension opens the door for Karl, while Serge Gnabry remains a doubt after a minor knock suffered on international duty. Kompany must also weigh midfield balance as Bayern aim to match Arsenal’s pace and physical presence.

  With both teams unbeaten, both scoring freely, and both managing injury issues, the match promises to be a defining point in the Champions League league phase.

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI series but is in the T20I squad

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20251:19

Chopra: Rohit’s place in the side will now depend on form

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been picked in India’s ODI squad for the series in Australia starting on October 19, marking their international comebacks after last playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March. The squad will be led by Shubman Gill, who has replaced Rohit as the ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer the vice-captain.The selection panel, headed by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, met on Saturday in Ahmedabad, where India won the first Test of the series against West Indies by an innings and 140 runs.There are five changes to the ODI squad from the 15 that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March: Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy are missing, Hardik Pandya is recovering from a quadriceps injury, Rishabh Pant has not yet fully recovered from the broken foot he suffered in England, and Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. They have been replaced by allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was injured for the Champions Trophy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.Related

• Gill inherits the wealth of India's Rohit-Kohli era

• Gill replaces Rohit as India's ODI captain

“With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE]. At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washi [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Bumrah is part of the T20I squad for the five matches in Australia after the ODI series. The only change to the T20I squad that won the Asia Cup last month is Hardik being replaced by Reddy, while Washington has been added, making it a squad of 16.”We have already rested him for the one-day games. When we can manage his workload, we will do that,” Agarkar said about Bumrah. “Wherever you can give him a break, you will, because we all know how important he is, but we have also got to see what is in the interest of the team. And when we need him to play, he is always available, but we will look after [him]. Not just him, Siraj bowls a lot of overs as well. There are other guys who do play Test cricket, who will end up having a lot of bowling to do, so we will try and manage all the seamers, so that we minimise the risk of injuries.”Agarkar indicated that Gill and Rohit were likely to open in the ODIs, which means Jaiswal could miss out on a place in the starting XI. He also said Jurel was picked ahead of Sanju Samson in the ODI squad due to batting position, while KL Rahul is likely to remain the first-choice wicketkeeper.”Sanju Samson bats at the top of the order,” Agarkar said. “I think when he got a 100, I think he batted No. 3, if I am not wrong. Jurel usually bats lower down the order. KL bats there as well. You have seen how good a player Dhruv is. Again, you are looking at spots. I don’t think there is room at the top again. So, we are looking at guys who can fit in those spots. Obviously, Sanju at the moment in T20 cricket is batting there [middle order] and we are trying him there. But in one-day cricket, it’s a little bit different. So, that’s basically the thought. It’s more the position than anything else.”India play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

India’s ODI squad for Australia

Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

India’s T20I squad for Australia

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

Liverpool now look a million miles off the likes of Arsenal, sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League.

Only last season, Arne Slot’s runaway Reds finished ten points clear of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, having won a mammoth 25 clashes along the way to lifting the title.

Now, with an abysmal six defeats next to their name from 12 Premier League clashes, and 20 goals already leaked, the out-of-sorts giants are already 11 points behind the North Londoners, who swept Tottenham Hotspur aside 4-1, on the same weekend Liverpool crashed out to a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Thankfully, despite Liverpool suffering their worst start to a season since 2014, and Gary Neville chipping in by labelling the current state of affairs as “unacceptable”, the January transfer window opens soon, which could see the Reds spend wildly again to try and get their atrocious campaign back on track.

Liverpool preparing to spend big again

Just one look at the list above gives you a flavour as to how much Liverpool splashed out in the summer, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike all joining the building for an eye-watering combined total of £294m.

While these deals haven’t exactly gone to plan so far, that doesn’t mean more lavish spending won’t do the trick in an attempt to turn out Liverpool’s depressing fortunes, with sources from Spain now alleging that Slot and Co could be willing to drop an earth-shuddering £177m on the services of Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise.

Liverpool have also been tipped to move for the likes of Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz and Premier League man of the moment Antoine Semenyo to freshen up their attacking ranks, but a new emerging report from Spain also suggests that their central midfield spots might well be given a major facelift, if they can pick up Paris St Germain ace Joao Neves.

Indeed, the report states that the faltering titans have an ‘intense interest’ in adding Neves to their squad after a breakout season in Ligue 1, with a battle for his services perhaps defining a busy January window to come.

It’s further revealed that Liverpool are preparing an offer close to £140m in an effort to persuade Luis Enrique’s men to part ways.

How Neves is a big upgrade on Mac Allister

Liverpool could win themselves a major upgrade on a declining Alexis Mac Allister if the ex-Benfica midfielder does choose to leave the comforts of France behind for a shot in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, the Argentine has looked seriously off the pace this season during Liverpool’s well-publicised struggles.

It’s been a significant fall from grace for the World Cup winner, who managed to bag five goals and collect five assists last season in league action to help Slot pick up the Premier League title in a crazy first campaign at the helm.

Now, however, the waning 26-year-old has an unconvincing zero goals and two assists from 11 league outings this season, leading to one analyst labelling him as a “huge disappointment”, with his once-feared ability to dictate play now nowhere to be found.

While the former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder continues to decline, Neves has followed up his outrageous tally of three goals and eight assists from last season with five goals already this campaign, as the 21-year-old continues to live up to his billing as being “one of the best midfielders in the world” by European football content creator, Alex Brice.

On top of being a clinical and classy finisher of chances, Neves also blows his competition out of the water in terms of his pass accuracy with an unerring 94% average in tact, alongside also offering up more ball recoveries at 3.1 per Ligue 1 game, which should stand him in good stead to be an energetic partner to Ryan Gravenberch.

A major plus to his game, though, is his ability to fire home chances – as seen in his unbelievable hat-trick earlier this season – with Mac Allister also well-known to fire home a memorable strike or two during his Liverpool peak.

But, it’s his overall package that makes him such a “complete” talent, as he has been labelled by his ex-trainer in Luis Castro, who even said that number 87 can play in “any championship in the world” and “shine”, with Liverpool having to put their money where their mouth is to prove him right.

Of course, between now and January coming into view, Mac Allister might well pick up form again, as could his entire team, as they potentially climb far beyond their current mid-table slump.

But, with Curtis Jones the only real other figure Slot can fall back on in the defensive midfield ranks – away from the South American and Gravenberch – dropping £140m on Neves could be a fantastic, if costly, investment to make, as the big spenders hope the Portuguese superstar can enter the starting XI and push his new team back into the top positions in the tough division.

Semenyo alternative: Liverpool preparing £177m bid to sign their new Diaz

Liverpool are gearing up to open their purse once again this winter.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 24, 2025

Bavuma was the best batter of the 2023-25 cycle and he had the best pace attack at his disposal

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‘Never thought this would happen’

A near-perfect home record

South Africa had a near-perfect home record during the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, winning five out of six matches across three home series. The only loss came against India in in Cape Town, where they lost by seven wickets. It was the shortest Test ever, finishing inside two days.But they whitewashed both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Their win-loss ratio of 5.0 was the best by any team at home in this cycle, with Australia’s 3.5 (seven wins in ten home Tests) second.