Thakur struck with both the new ball and old one to restrict SRH to 190 for 9 in Hyderabad

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2025

Shardul Thakur celebrates a wicket with Ravi Bishnoi•Associated Press

Shardul Thakur had gone unsold at the auction before IPL 2025. He was preparing to turn up for Essex in seven County Championship games during April and May. But in the lead-up to IPL 2025, his plans changed when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) approached him to be an injury replacement. Thakur slotted into LSG’s side immediately and is currently the leading wicket-taker this season, with six strikes in two games at an average of 8.83 and an identical economy rate.After collecting the Purple Cap on Thursday, Thakur revealed that other franchises had also approached him ahead of the new season, but the first call had come from Zaheer Khan, LSG’s mentor.”See, I feel all these things keep happening in cricket,” Thakur told the host broadcaster at the break after helping LSG keep Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to 190 for 9. “It was just one bad day in the auction, I didn’t get picked by any of the franchises. But, unfortunately, a few injuries here and there, there were a few inquiries whether I could join the camp. But LSG was the one who approached me first, so I had to give them preference, and even closely working with Zaheer Khan, he gave me a call. And it was always on the cards, I had to accept it.Related

'Lord' Thakur and the Prince clip SRH's wings in Hyderabad

LSG mute SRH with death bowling before the death overs

Thakur joins LSG as replacement for injured Mohsin Khan

“And, like I always say, skills are always there, talent is always there. It’s just about the form and bad days – you have to go through it in cricket.”After winning the Player-of-the-Match award later in the night, Thakur said that he got to know of his potential IPL return around the time of the Ranji Trophy knockouts. Thakur was in fine form in the Ranji Trophy, taking 35 wickets in nine games to go with crucial contributions with the bat down the order.”While we were playing Ranji Trophy knockouts, Zaheer Khan made a call and he said we are looking at you as a potential replacement,” Thakur said. “So [he said] don’t switch yourself off and keep your plans ready. Probably if you come in as a replacement, you will start. That was the day I started to get into the IPL mindset again and the hopes came back.”Thakur will no longer join Essex and will stay with LSG until the end of their IPL 2025 campaign. He was picked as a replacement for left-arm quick Mohsin Khan, who had torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on his right knee on December 31 while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Thakur came away with career-best IPL figures of 4 for 34 on Thursday and along the way, he reached 100 IPL wickets. “It’s always good to be in the score sheet, but yeah, winning the game is important for me,” Thakur said. “I’ll keep doing something or the other, that’s my attitude. I don’t much look at the wicket column or the runs column, but to create an impact in the game, to create match-winning performances, that’s what I look at.”1:28

What makes Shardul Thakur effective?

Thakur made early inroads into the big-hitting SRH line-up, taking out Abhishek Sharma (6) and Ishan Kishan (0) off back-to-back deliveries in his second over before dismissing Abhinav Manohar and Mohammed Shami in the end overs. What was Thakur’s plan against a line-up that had almost smashed their own IPL record during the weekend, when they piled up 286 for 6 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the same venue?”I think they [SRH batters] are coming hard at bowlers and why not bowlers go hard at them? So the talk was around what the plan should be and we collectively said let’s go hard at them, let’s take our chances,” Thakur said. “If we get early wickets then we are in the game because they have been scoring heavily on this ground on flat pitches and probably we had to take our chances and today I think initially it fell in our pockets.”Mitchell Marsh, who had played his part in LSG’s successful chase with a half-century, lauded Thakur for setting up their first win this season. “Shardul bowled outstandingly, set the tone for us early,” he said at his post-match press conference. “Shardul showed his experience against those guys [Travis Head and Abhishek] and then bowled really well towards the back end.”

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) started IPL 2025 with two big totals in away games – even though one resulted in a very slim loss – but when they got to Lucknow for their first home game, they fell “20-25 runs short” after they were put in to bat because they are “still assessing” the conditions at the Ekana Stadium and captain Rishabh Pant said he is “still figuring out a lot of things for the team.”LSG managed 171 for 7 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and saw the visitors chase that down in just 16.2 overs with eight wickets in hand.”Definitely [our total] wasn’t enough, we were like 20-25 runs short but that’s part and parcel of the game,” Pant said after the game. “It’s our first home game so still assessing the conditions.”LSG went for a track on the slower side, but it came back to bite them after they were asked to bat by PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer. The hosts stuttered to 35 for 3 in the fifth over as Pant fell for a third low score of 2 off five balls to follow a duck and 15 in the first two outings, and finished the first six overs with just 39 on the board, their slowest powerplay of this IPL.”Definitely it’s always going to be tough to get a big total when you lose early wickets, but that’s how the game progresses every day, like you can’t control everything,” Pant said. “Each and every player is trying to take the game forward from there.”When it was time for LSG to defend their below-par total, Pant used three overs of spin – two from Digvesh Rathi and one from Ravi Bishnoi – hoping that the slowness of the track would get him success, but only Rathi got the wicket of Priyansh Arya while Bishnoi was taken apart for 15 runs by Prabhsimran Singh.”The idea was to get a slower wicket because we felt that it was a home game, it’s going to stop a little bit. And I think when you were bowling slow into the wicket, they were still sticking in but we weren’t good enough on the given day. We going to learn from it and move forward.”LSG now have two losses from their first three games but have three more home games out of their next four to get used to the conditions at Ekana.”It’s early in the tournament, can’t say much, still figuring out a lot of things for the team but hopefully it’s going to come nicely for us.”2:11

Aaron: Bishnoi needs to take more responsibility

After Prabhsimran set the base with a 34-ball 69, Iyer sealed his side’s second straight victory, staying unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls. Nehal Wadhera, who was not out on 43 off 25 at the other end, said “all the credit” went to Iyer for the way he is leading them.”All credit goes to the way he’s captaining us and also the way he is boosting our confidence and the way he was telling me things, like, ‘play your natural game, just go with the flow,’ and I just love playing like that,” Wadhera said.Wadhera came on as an Impact Player, in place of Yuzvendra Chahal after he had bowled out, and said he didn’t even know when he reached he ground that he was going to play and was carrying just the one kit for the day. Wadhera was bought by PBKS after playing for two seasons for Mumbai Indians, and is now under a new captain and a new coach, Ricky Ponting.”He’s one of the best coaches I have ever worked under,” Wadhera said. “I’ve never heard any negative talk ever from his mouth and that’s the best thing about him. He just talks positive and when a coach gives you such positive remarks, that automatically boosts your confidence.”

كشف خوان لابورتا، رئيس نادي برشلونة، عن مصير اللعب من جديد على ملعب “كامب نو” خلال الفترة المقبلة، مشيدًا في الوقت ذاته بعمل المدير الرياضي، ديكو.

برشلونة لم يلعب أي مباراة هذا الموسم على “كامب نو”، في ظل الإصلاحات التي تجرى على الملعب وتجديده، مما جعل البلوجرانا يلعب مبارياته على ملعب “يوهان كرويف”، وكذلك على ملعب “مونتوجويك”.

وأكد لابورتا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس”، أن برشلونة سوف يعود في أقرب وقت ممكن للعب من جديد على “كامب نو”.

وقال لابورتا في البداية عن عمل ديكو مع برشلونة: ”هناك نسبة ممتازة بين فرق رواتب اللاعبين والدخل، وأدى عمل ديكو إلى تحسن الفريق ماديًا، لقد قدم ديكو أداءً رائعًا مع فريقه حيث أعاد إحياء برشلونة الذي يتمتع بقيمة سوقية عالية، كانت نسبة الرواتب عالية حقًا مقابل الدخل، وديكو خفض هذه النسبة بشكل كبير”.

وأضاف: ”اتبع ديكو سياسة لاحتواء الاستثمارات وخفض متوسط ​​الاستثمار في التعاقدات، ومن الواضح أن هناك التزامًا تجاه لا ماسيا”.

وأوضح: ”سنكون قادرين على المنافسة، لقد خفضنا 90 مليون يورو من قيمة الديون، ونحن في طريقنا نحو تعزيز الوضع المالي للنادي والذي عانى كثيرًا بسبب الديون”.

وأردف لابورتا: ”في ظل هذه النتائج الاستثنائية يمكننا القول إن برشلونة استطاع التخفيف من خسارة صافية قدرها -17 مليون يورو بدون أي استثناءات”.

أقرأ أيضًا.. ثنائي مانشستر يونايتد يكشفان مفتاح الفوز على ليفربول

وتابع: ”لقد بذلنا جهودًا جبارة لاحتواء الإنفاق وزيادة الإيرادات، لقد أطلقنا منتجات ضيافة مبتكرة مثل مقاعد كبار الشخصيات، والتي حققت لنا بالفعل 70 مليون يورو”.

وواصل: ”هذا الموسم نتوقع أن نحقق إيرادات بقيمة 1,075 مليون يورو، وهذا بفضل العودة التدريجية إلى اللعب في كامب نو والتي ستجلب 50 مليون يورو إضافية”.

وعن ملعب كامب نو: “هو حلم جماهير برشلونة وإرث للمستقبل، لقد تحلينا بالشجاعة لإعادة إحياء هذا المشروع وكنا نؤمن بضرورة القيام بذلك من أجل استدامة النادي اقتصاديًا ورياضيًا”.

وأضاف: ”نريد أن يرى الأعضاء هذا الحلم يتحول إلى حقيقة، وعليهم أن يعيشوا هذا الواقع، لهذا السبب عملنا بلا كلل للحصول على التصاريح من مجلس المدينة حتى نتمكن من العودة إلى الملعب”.

واختتم: ”وصل هذا التصريح يوم الجمعة الماضي، أود أن أشكر مجلس مدينة كولبوني الذي أعلم أنهم يتابعون مشروع تطوير الملعب عن كثب، أود أن أشكر الجميع على عملهم القانوني الكامل لتحقيق هدفنا”.

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has issued a stark warning to Barcelona despite praising Hansi Flick’s side as "the most attractive in Europe". The former midfielder believes the Blaugrana’s high-risk approach leaves them vulnerable in the Champions League, claiming fatigue and tactical rigidity could cost them deep into games.

• A rocky spell for La Liga champions

  German legend Kroos has delivered a candid assessment of Barca’s Champions League prospects, saying that while Flick’s men play some of Europe’s most eye-catching football, their rigid system could ultimately be their downfall. Speaking on the podcast, the Real Madrid icon highlighted Barca’s late-game fragility, especially after the 75th minute, when energy levels drop and tactical flexibility becomes crucial. The warning comes as Barcelona attempt to rebound from back-to-back defeats, having gone down 2-1 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and 4-1 against Sevilla in La Liga, results that have exposed defensive vulnerabilities in their otherwise fluid attacking setup.

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  Kroos says Barca take 'too many risks'

  Kroos, who faced Barcelona numerous times during his glittering Madrid career, acknowledged Flick’s work in reshaping the Catalan giants but stressed that their “obsession” with maintaining the same style leaves them exposed. 

  “Barca have one of the most attractive styles, if not the most attractive, in all of Europe,” Kroos said. “But I think they take too many risks. On a bad day from Pedri, Lamine [Yamal], or Raphinha, any team can hurt them and still win. They can eliminate them from the Champions League. Last year it happened to them against Inter, and this year, whether it's in the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, or final, at some point they'll come up against an opponent like this who eliminates them. This will happen to them in the Champions League, but not in La Liga, because they're so dominant.”

• Flick issued fatigue warning

  Kroos went further, identifying fitness and in-game management as major issues that could undermine Flick’s Champions League ambitions. “From the 75th minute onwards, you notice that everyone is more tired and you see that they don’t switch to a different style of closing down spaces,” he explained. “If you’re tired and don’t change your style of play, it becomes very evident how exposed you are.” 

  His comments echo those of other pundits, including Thierry Henry, who has previously criticised Flick’s insistence after the PSG clash, on maintaining an ultra-high defensive line even when the team is under pressure late in games, stating: “you cannot play in the Champions League with such a high line, I’m sorry".

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  Barca's challenge after double defeat

  The back-to-back defeats to PSG in the Champions League and Sevilla in La Liga have reignited debates around the sustainability of Flick’s aggressive tactical model. With key players like Yamal, Gavi, Fermin Lopez and Marc-Andre ter Stegen recovering from injuries, the German manager has had limited flexibility to rotate. Yet, Kroos’ critique suggests a deeper concern, that even with a full squad, Barcelona’s stylistic purity could be their Achilles’ heel against elite European opponents.

  Barca will look to bounce back after the international break with a crucial run of fixtures, including a Catalan derby against Girona, followed by a Champions League clash with Olympiacos and a much-anticipated trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid. 

Newcastle United fans from far and wide eagerly anticipate the advent of Monday night’s Premier League clash, with Eddie Howe’s side meeting Liverpool to St. James’ Park.

Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and the like will want to mete out a kind of retribution on the defending champions after weeks of being embroiled in a bitter transfer saga concerning the future of Alexander Isak, who is on strike as he tries to force a move to Merseyside.

Isak won’t be involved, Howe has confirmed. Whether the Sweden striker will wear black and white again remains a million-dollar question, and one that has disrupted United’s build-up to the 2024/25 campaign.

Though Anthony Gordon gave it his all as a makeshift number nine as Newcastle opened their season with a goalless draw at Villa Park last weekend, it’s clear that a natural finisher is needed.

And though the interminable search for such a forward drags on, there remains hope that Newcastle will get a deal for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa over the line.

The latest on Yoane Wissa to Newcastle

Newcastle have been locked in a battle to sign Wissa for several weeks, and though the 28-year-old is desperate to move to Tyneside, with parallels to Isak’s situation, his outfit are playing hardball, having rejected two bids so far.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews said earlier this week that the DR Congo star had returned to pre-season training, but he played no part in the Bees’ trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Wissa scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season, but he’s not as technically gifted or nimble-footed as Isak, and so is not actually viewed as the 25-year-old’s potential replacement.

Callum Wilson, after all, joined West Ham United this summer after his contract expired with the Toon.

So then, Newcastle might need to sign a centre-forward to compete with Wissa, should he arrive, for a place in Howe’s starting 11. And they might have found one who has more about him than the Premier League goalscorer.

Newcastle enter the bidding for new striker

According to Spanish sources, Newcastle have entered the bidding for Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth, who wants to leave Diego Simeone’s side before the end of the transfer window.

The prolific marksman is available for a cut-price €35m (£30m) figure, which is beneath the £40m offer Newcastle tabled for Wissa earlier this week.

However, Tottenham Hotspur and Serie A champions Napoli are also reported to be interested in the Norway international, so Howe and his transfer coterie will need to act swiftly here.

What Sorloth would bring to Newcastle

The 29-year-old Sorloth might not be a spring chicken, but he’s developed into a devastating striker in Spain, having previously fallen by the wayside when at Crystal Palace seven years ago, scoring just once across 20 matches.

Afterwards, Sorloth rediscovered himself out on loan in Turkey with Trabzonspor, scoring 33 goals across the 2019/20 campaign. He hopped to Germany and joined RB Leipzig, and that was so-so, but La Liga has proved a hothouse for his shooting skills, having now surpassed 20 goals in successive campaigns, first with Villarreal and then in the capital under Simeone’s wing.

Last term, in fact, Sorloth managed to notch 24 goals across 53 appearances for Atletico, starting only 20 of those matches. Talk about clutch. Simeone remarked that the frontman had been “phenomenal” when finding space in the box.

Sorloth is powerful and prolific, but he’s also mobile and committed during defensive phases. When looking at how he matches up against Wissa over the past 365 days, there’s little question that he’s the more complete man.

Sorloth vs Wissa (all comps – past 365 days)
Stats (per 90)	Sorloth	Wissa
Goals scored	0.94	0.57
Assists	0.10	0.10
Shots taken	4.30	2.79
Touches (att pen)	6.37	5.01
Shot-creating actions	1.78	2.16
Progressive passes	1.97	2.06
Progressive carries	1.83	1.87
Successful take-ons	0.84	0.44
Aerials won	5.04	0.92
Data via FBref

And that’s okay. Wissa is not targeted for his creativity (although he showed when linking up with Bryan Mbeumo last season that he’s capable of more than just shooting), and he would serve as a neat foil if Sorloth were to be welcomed to the fold.

For such a hulking striker, the 6 foot 4 Sorloth has a spring in his step, and his willingness to get on the ball and drive forward himself suggests that he could provide Howe with a more dynamic and effective focal point at the front of his system.

It’s something that Isak, 6 foot 3 himself, has performed with such aplomb across his three years as a Magpie.

In this way, it feels crucial that Newcastle beat off the competition and sign Sorloth this month, maybe even combining him with Wissa at number nine.

Sorloth is far above the level he performed while playing for Crystal Palace, and given the overarching fluidity that Newcastle’s squad is imbued with, there’s no reason why he couldn’t produce the goods for Howe over the next several years.

As well as his goalscoring success across the 2024/25 campaign, the nomadic forward also won 51% of his duels across the La Liga campaign, further underscoring his robust and combative nature, tailor-made for the rigorous nature of the Premier League.

Though there remains a chance that Isak could be reintegrated into Howe’s Newcastle team, it may well be that irreparable damage has been done over these frantic past weeks.

If that truly is the case, it would be worthwhile to sign a player such as Sorloth, who is progressive, strong and boasts a prolific touch that surpasses even Wissa on his A-game last year.

Higher ceiling than Wissa: Newcastle in talks to sign £80m CF this week

Newcastle United are in talks to sign a star who has an even higher ceiling than Wissa.

By
Will Miller

Aug 23, 2025

South Africa seamer strikes hard on day two to put Kent on the brink of victory at Wantage Road

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Apr-2025Northants 143 (Keogh 64, Singh 4-35) and 107 for 7 (Bartlett 54*, Dudgeon 4-32) need 153 runs to beat Kent 231 (Muyeye 72, Leaning 40, Weatherall 3-32) and 171 (Evison 52, Compton 36, Weatherall 3-38) Keith Dudgeon had originally planned on joining Kent for the 2024 season before NOC issues ruled that out. A year on, he finds himself at the club as one of two replacements, alongside Pakistan Test seamer Kashif Ali, to cover for Wes Agar through to May, who was prescribed rest following the end of the Australian summer.Even moonlighting for Agar owed a lot to a referral from a high-profile figure within the English game. Joe Root, having spent time with Dudgeon during an SA20 stint with Paarl Royals, thought he had the skills to succeed in county cricket. His overall record was impressive enough, with 226 red ball wickets at 26.31. With Kent searching for bowlers, Root recommended Dudgeon to England teammate Zak Crawley, who passed it on,The lesson to learn after just two days of the 2025 season is that networking works. Because whatever thoughts there might have been that the 29-year-old South African is an afterthought overseas, the record was set straight on Saturday evening at Wantage Road.The broad-shouldered seamer took Kent to victory’s door against Northamptonshire with a late spell of three wickets in nine deliveries that leaves his new side needing just three more wickets on day three for victory in their Division Two opener. An uncapped Protea he may be, but this was a top-quality fare.That day two saw 20 wickets across three innings tells an accurate story of a crapshoot of an opening fixture on a spicy pitch that would have done plenty without the plethora of batting errors. But Dudgeon’s late burst – which might have been four wickets in 11 balls, and a first five-wicket haul for the club, had a vociferous LBW appeal against Justin Broad been given – was a gut punch to Northamptonshire.At 54 for 2 in pursuit of 260, they looked to have stumbled across some calm amid the chaos of the last two days. Now, closing on 107 for 7, they rest knowing defeat awaits them on Sunday, with only George Bartlett’s unbeaten 54 to hold on to. Bartlett’s presence should be considered a blessing given he was shelled on 17 by Bell-Drummond at third slip.”We’ve had a struggle this year with the Kookaburra (balls) back home, and slower seam conditions at my home ground, Boland Park,” Dudgeon said of South African seamers over their domestic summer. His seven wickets for Boland came at 55.28. Just 20 overs with a Dukes in April have already reaped five at 13.00.”I’m well aware that they’re not all like this,” he added, referring to the surface and conditions, having clocked a few heavy scores around the country. “I know the hard work is only coming, so we need to stay humble.”He need not worry, because humility has a way of finding this modern iteration of Kent, even when they are in the ascendancy. They needed just 40 minutes to wrap up Northamptonshire’s first innings, with Jaskaran Singh doubling his two dismissals from the night before to finish with career-best figures of 4 for 35. But having worked hard to establish a lead of 88, the visiting attack were back in action after the tea break, with 29 overs remaining in the day’s play.What happened in between was down to a super-sized version of the first day’s mistakes. A collapse of 5 for 33 in their first innings was “bettered” by a rather inexplicable 7 for 49 in the second, of which four – all caught through attacking shots – should have been avoided.The first of those was a tame bunt to cover by Crawley, this time for 31 after losing two stumps for just one 24 hours earlier. That it set up the cascade was no fault of Crawley’s; England’s erratic opener had compiled nicely up to that point, dovetailing with Ben Compton to take the opening stand to 66 just after lunch.Jaskaran Singh struck in the first innings before Keith Dudgeon make the key inroads in the second•Getty ImagesBut when a Broad length delivery sat up, deserving to be smoked through the off side, Crawley snatched at the chance, gifting a simple catch to Saif Zaib at cover. An over later, Zaib was in more or less the exact same patch of field – this time fielding at midwicket – as Bell-Drummond flicked to him for a three-ball nought, and was immediately followed back to the pavilion by Tawanda Muyeye.The reaction to Muyeye’s dismissal for a golden duck said it all, though it was as much down to seeing off a batter who peeled off a composed 72 on day one as the quality of delivery from Raphael Weatherall. An inswinging yorker pinne the right-hander’s front pad on its way towards to the base of leg stump.Yet again, it was Weatherall’s introduction that ripped the guts out of Kent’s line-up. Jack Leaning survived the hat-trick ball, but the former England U19 quick eventually picked up his third, ripping out Compton’s off stump to cap a resolute stay at 101 minutes.Weatherall’s 3 for 38, combined with the first day’s career-best effort of 32 not only doubled his overall first-class tally. To have gone two days in a row showcased the important technical changes made over the winter following a stress fracture of his lower back.Aged 20, his pace – 81/82mph according to analysts at Wantage Road – and ability to hammer the same length to right- and left-handers (including from around the wicket to the latter, which did for Compton) is a huge upside. The energy provided was harnessed beyond his own spell to allow Northants a route back through the seven-wicket flurry spanning 16.3 overs.The problem, however, was despite Kent’s missteps, their lead had made it to 203. With Joey Evison the designated fourth emergency service since moving to Canterbury in 2022, another rescue act was cooking. A gutsy 52 – his 10th first-class half-century for the club – dragged Kent to 171. Evison was the last to fall attempting his first shot in anger, failing to clear Zaib on the fence at deep midwicket.Undoubtedly the crucial part of that late resistance was an eight-wicket partnership of 36 with Dudgeon, which meant Northamptonshire’s target for victory would require them to register the highest innings of the match. Considering that stand was greater than anything the hosts mustered in their first innings, it was clear who were in the ascendancy going into the tea interval.Those odds shrunk at the end of the second over of the evening session. Ricardo Vasconcelos decided to leave a good length ball from Dudgeon, delivered tight to the stumps from over the wicket, despite the fact the right-armer has been consistently moving the ball in to the left-hander, and lost his off stump.It was the first of three bad leaves. The third – Broad wearing one on the pad from Gilchrist – closed out the day’s play. The second, however, was a work of art from Grant Stewart.James Sales had judged the line of the Italian seamer’s delivery to be wide of off stump out of the hand. A wicked deviation sent it back towards its intended target, kissing the middle-and-off bail gently enough that even standing umpire Rob Bailey had to double-take when Sales calmly strode off.Stewart had already seen off home skipper Luke Procter. And when Rob Keogh, Northamptonshire’s first innings top-scorer with a 64 that only ended this morning, became the second of three catches to be pouched by Leaning at second slip, all in Dudgeon’s late spell, all reasonable hope was lost.

Celtic now look to be closing in on their eighth signing of the summer transfer window, in another boost for manager Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers "very pleased" with his Celtic side

The Scottish Premiership champions maintained their 100% winning start in the league this season on Saturday, sealing a routine 3-0 victory at home to Livingston. Speaking after the game, Celtic manager Rodgers was in positive spirits, with his side already six points clear of rivals Rangers after just three matches.

“I was very pleased. I thought the performance was really good. We started well and with the tempo that we wanted. There were a lot of changes but the fluidity in the team was very good and we got in to some good areas in the first half. In the second half, we had a good flow in the game and scored three very good goals.

“Defensively we’re strong, we’ve conceded only one goal in four domestic games. And today, against a team that are very compact and tight, we showed some really good moments of football.”

Now, the positivity appears to be continuing at Celtic, with the Hoops looking to be on the verge of completing another summer signing, following a new update.

Celtic close to completing 8th summer signing

Taking to X on Monday morning, Anthony Joseph reports that Celtic are closing in on the signing of Michel-Ange Balikwisha from Royal Antwerp, with a medical scheduled in the UK this week.

This is brilliant news for anyone of a Celtic persuasion, with Balikwisha a long-time transfer target who could make them even more of an attacking force.

The Belgian has scored 30 goals in 145 appearances for Antwerp, predominantly shining from the left wing, but also being able to do a good job on the opposite flank and in more of a central role.

Muscle injury

2024/25

21

3

Muscle injury

2024/25

57

9

Torn thigh muscle

2024/25

127

17

Knee surgery

2023/24

49

10

Muscle injury

2022/23

44

2

Torn thigh muscle

2022/23

59

12

Hip injury

2021/22

33

7

Hamstring injury

2021/22

18

3

That said, the one slight concern for Rodgers will be Balikwisha’s injury history, with the 24-year-old suffering plenty of absences during his career.

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But hopefully, he has rid himself of those fitness woes, coming in and being an immediate key man for Celtic, giving the Scottish champions the additional firepower that they have craved throughout the summer window.

Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has launched a passionate defence of Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal. There has been increased media attention on the teenage winger, who only turned 18 in July, and Mbappe has urged critics to leave the Barca star alone as he continues his establish himself as one of the best footballers in the world.

Getty Images SportYamal facing scrutiny from the media

Mbappe has pleaded with critics to leave Yamal alone as the spotlight continues to shine on the Barcelona star. Yamal won the 2025 Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony last month as he was named the best player under the age of 21 in world football for the second year running.

However, the accelerated rise to superstardom means Yamal has come under scrutiny on private matters from the media. A number of outlets have chosen to focus on the Spain star's love life, while others have dug deep into the winger's dating history.

Additionally, Yamal is embroiled in a club vs country tug-of-war over his fitness. The teenager was called up to the Spain squad for World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria this month before being withdrawn following protestations from Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, who has criticised the national team over his handling for the star forward.

Yamal only recently returned to action having suffered a groin problem while on Spain duty last month as he missed wins over Valencia, Newcastle, Getafe and Real Oviedo.

Advertisement'I think people should leave him alone'

And Real Madrid star Mbappe has leapt to the defence of Yamal, telling Jorge Valdano in an interview that will be broadcast on Movistar on Sunday, via ESPN: "You can see [Lamine] has passion for football and that's the only thing he mustn't lose.

"The rest is just his life. People talk about his personal life, but I think people should leave him alone."

Yamal started the La Liga season strongly, scoring twice and providing two assists in his opening three league outings of the campaign. Having suffered a groin problem with Spain last month, however, Yamal has made just one further league appearance since the 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano in August as he came off the bench for the 2-1 home win over Real Sociedad last month.

And Mbappe, who broke onto the scene at 16 years of age with Monaco, has backed Yamal, who debuted at just 15 in 2023, to learn from his mistakes.

AFPAt 18 everyone makes mistakes

"[Lamine] is a great football player, but in life he's an 18-year-old kid," Mbappe added.

"At 18 everyone makes mistakes. He'll live his life. We should only look at what he does on the pitch. The rest isn't important, as long as it isn't anything serious. He's a player with a great talent."

Mbappe and Real Madrid were involved in a similar fitness-war as Yamal and Barcelona with the former called up to the France squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland this month, this despite suffering an ankle problem against Villarreal last weekend.

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Mbappe suffers ankle injury in France's win over Azerbaijan

Even so, Mbappe started Friday's game over Azerbaijan, scoring the opening goal on the stroke of half time, extending his scoring run for club and country to 10 games in the process, before turning provider for Adrien Rabiot midway through the second half as France eased to a 3-0 home win.

Mbappe, though, was forced off in the 83rd minute after his ankle trapped in a challenge involving Abdulla Xaybulayev. While the France captain gingerly walked off, both club and country face an anxious wait to learn the full extent of the injury.

On the injury, France head coach Didier Deschamps said after the win over Azerbaijan: "It’s the same ankle where he was hurt. The pain decreases when he rests. In a match, contacts are inevitably going to happen. We will assess it. He has discomfort that is not ideal for him."

Les Bleus take on Iceland Monday night and victory in Reykjavík will all but confirm France's place at the 2026 World Cup.

Leeds United will be hoping they can win successive Premier League games following their 3-1 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last weekend.

Daniel Farke’s side picked up their second win of the campaign, thanks to goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach, and Noah Okafor.

On Saturday afternoon, they host Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth at Elland Road, in what will be a tough clash. It presents a good opportunity for the Whites to pick up another three points against a side flying high this season; the Cherries are already up to fourth in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen if Farke plays the same team that beat Wolves. Brenden Aaronson is one player who could be dropped from the side.

Aaronson’s start to the season

Based on Farke’s team selections over the last few weeks, it might come as something of a surprise if Aaronson were to lose his place in the side. The United States international has started three of the six games he’s played in this season.

In the last couple of games, the forward, who was born in Medford, New Jersey, has started twice for Leeds, operating on the right-hand side. He even played 90 minutes in their win in the West Midlands last weekend.

Yet, despite featuring for the full game, the 24-year-old did struggle at times. Leeds Live journalist Isaac Johnson gave the attacker a 6/10 for his efforts at Molineux, and said he was “chastised by teammates or his manager of being either too erratic or too cautious” in possession.

This season, Aaronson has yet to score or assist for Farke’s side. In the Premier League, he’s only played three key passes and created two big chances. It certainly feels as though his slow start to the season needs to pick up soon, to both help the team and cement his place in the side.

If Farke does decide to drop Aaronson from the starting lineup this week, it could be perfect timing with one possible replacement back from injury.

The Leeds star who could replace Aaronson

In the last few weeks, the Whites have had to deal with a couple of injuries. Farke confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Wilfried Gnonto and Lucas Perri would both remain sidelined, but there is more to come at Elland Road.

One of those is full-back Jayden Bogle, who picked up a slight knock. The other is winger Daniel James, the man who could step in for Aaronson. Farke confirmed the Welshman “has a chance to be involved” at the weekend, but it “will take a late decision” to determine how ready he is.

It could well be the case that James is ready to play from the start. The 27-year-old would certainly add a different dynamic to the Leeds attack, thanks to his “unstoppable” direct threat, as Statman Dave once described him.

Although the former Manchester United star is yet to score this season, his form in the Championship last term was impressive. He scored and assisted 21 times in just 36 games, 10 more than Aaronson’s tally in 46 games.

The Leeds number seven also edged out Aaronson in key stats from last season. For example, the Welshman averaged 1.3 crosses completed and 8.7 forward passes per 90 minutes, compared to the USA star’s 0.4 completed crosses and 8.4 forward passes each game.

James & Aaronson key stats from 24/25 Championship

Stat (per 90)

James

Aaronson

Goals

0.5

0.3

Assists

0.4

0.1

Chances created

1.5

1.9

Crosses completed

1.3

0.4

Forward passes

8.7

8.4

Stats from Squawka

James’ pace on the counterattack could play into Leeds’ hands against Bournemouth. According to Sofascore, the Cherries average 48.8% possession this season compared to 43.8% for the Whites.

If they have less of the ball, James’ pace and direct dribbling would surely be more potent in transitional situations. Elland Road could see a lot of that if Bournemouth dominate the ball, as the stats suggest they will.

On top of that, the 27-year-old’s superior crossing ability would suit Calvert-Lewin far better. The Englishman has already scored a header this season, and with James’ proficiency from those areas, a similar opportunity could well arise.

If James is fit to start against the Cherries this weekend, it might well be the case that Farke chooses to start him over Aaronson.

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Warwickshire wriggle out with a draw after dogged rearguard on final day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Apr-2025Dominant Nottinghamshire ran out of time and had to settle for a draw against Warwickshire after rain took out much of the final day of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston.Warwickshire, trailing by 274 on first innings, entered the final day on 163 for six second time around, with the visitors four wickets away from the win their command of the match deserved. But rain prevented play until 3.45pm, leaving Nottinghamshire’s bowlers just 36 overs at their disposal on a flattening pitch.Overnight pair Ed Barnard (40 not out, 149 balls) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (seven not out, 62 balls) blocked their way to safety as Warwickshire ended on 181 for six.Warwickshire ended with much relief at a draw, having been outplayed. Nottinghamshire’s frustration, after seizing control with some brilliant bowling on the second day, was deep, though they did not help themselves with pedestrian batting on the third morning. With heavy rain always likely on day four, there was a clear case for pressing home their advantage in more proactive fashion and trying to force victory before the final day.Nottinghamshire’s gamble on the weather allowing them sufficient time did not succeed as Barnard and Hannon-Dalby ‘parked the bus’ on an increasingly placed pitch. After play finally resumed, just three runs came from the first 14 overs.The seventh-wicket pair survived 20 overs with few alarms when Nottinghamshire had their last throw of the dice – a new ball with 16 overs remaining. By that stage, however, the dark clouds had rolled back in and the floodlights were on and only four balls were possible with the new ball before the umpires took the players off for bad light, never to return.Warwickshire were left mightily relieved to have drawn a match in which they were so emphatically second best. Nottinghamshire might reflect that county championship matches are very hard to win, so when you do build a winning position, it’s a good idea to stay positive and do everything you can to turn it into a victory.