Wolverhampton Wanderers have decided who will take charge of their next Premier League match as they continue searching for a new manager.

Across the second half of last season, following his appointment in December, Vitor Pereira guided Wolves well away from any danger of relegation through a strong run of form. Across the summer, though, the club lost a number of key players, such as Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo.

Having not replaced them with players of a similar quality, Wolves have endured a poor start to the 2025/26 campaign. They are without a win after 10 matches in the Premier League, a run that has seen Pereira be sacked from his post, despite signing a new contract just weeks ago.

Wolves are continuing their search for a new manager. Gary O’Neil, who Pereira replaced at Molineux, was linked with what would have been a stunning return to the club. Ultimately, the 42-year-old withdrew from the running. It would appear that, as per recent reports, the appointment will come after their game against Chelsea.

Interim bosses announced as three managers deemed 'unlikely'

As per Lyall Thomas of Sky Sports, James Collins and Richard Walker, bosses within the club’s youth set-up, will take charge of Wolves when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The club are, reportedly, “short of a clear first-choice candidate”.

Wolves have been linked with Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards, who spent time at the club during his playing career. There too have been suggestions that Wolves were interested in Erik ten Hag. No stranger to the Premier League following his time at Manchester United, the Dutchman was sacked after just three games in charge of Bayer Leverkusen earlier this season.

Another manager that has been linked with the Wolves job is Rui Vitoria, formerly of Benfica, who last worked with Panathinaikos. As per Thomas, however, all of these options are considered “unlikely” options for Wolves.

Though it has been a turgid start for the Midlands side, there is still enough time in the season for them to salvage their position. It remains to be seen, however, which manager they choose to try and lift them out of the bottom three.

Wolves chairman receives reply from manager candidate

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

MatériaMais Notícias

O Cruzeiro empatou com o Alianza Petrolera, da Colômbia, em 3 a 3, na segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Sul-Americana, na noite desta quinta-feira (11). Os gols da equipe mineira, no Mineirão, foram marcados por Lucas Romero, Zé Ivaldo, enquanto Figueroa e Batalla (2) balançaram a rede para a equipe colombiana.

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⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Cruzeiro abriu 3 a 0 logo com 18 minutos de jogo. Lucas Romero, Zé Ivaldo e Matheus Pereira foram os responsáveis por balançar a rede.

Porém, no segundo tempo, os ventos mudaram de direção. O Alianza Petrolera descontou com Batalla, que marcou dois gols. No apagar das luzes, Figueroa empatou e revoltou a torcida cruzeirense.

continua após a publicidade

📆 O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
Agora, o Cruzeiro volta a entrar em campo para estrear pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. A Raposa encara o Botafogo, às 17h de domingo (14), no Mineirão.

Tudo sobre

CruzeiroFutebol NacionalSul-Americana

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.

The centuries from Samson and Tilak showed how India’s changed mindset is taking them to untouched heights

Hemant Brar16-Nov-20244:49

India sign off on stellar T20I year in style

As Marco Jansen ran in to bowl the last ball of the 16th over in the fourth T20I in Johannesburg, there was a strange curiosity. In the first five deliveries, he had not conceded a single boundary. Another such delivery would make it the first boundary-less over since the opening over of the innings. And the first since the eighth to not feature a six.It wasn’t to be. Tilak Varma got underneath the full-length ball and deposited it into the stands beyond deep midwicket. That it was a free hit did not help either. But then India treated all 20 overs of their innings as slog overs, and posted a gargantuan 283 for 1, the fifth-highest total in men’s T20Is. Tilak finished with an unbeaten 120 off 47 balls, his second successive century. Sanju Samson, after two ducks in the last two games, smashed 109 not out off 56 to make it three hundreds in five outings. Abhishek Sharma, who was dismissed in the sixth over, contributed 36 off 18.This was a game of such glorious absurdities that Samson, with a strike rate of 194.64, was the slowest of the three India batters. Jansen, who went for 10.50 an over, was the most economical of the seven bowlers South Africa used.Related

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Samson, Tilak smash records like it's nobody's business for 3-1 series win

Stats – Samson and Tilak show no T20 record is safe in India's brave new world

If India were caught in a perfect storm during their infamous 36 all out in Adelaide, South Africa were hit by its batting equivalent on Friday. The Wanderers is at a height of 1.8km from the sea level, the air so thin that the cliche “when they hit, it stays hit” is probably truer here than at any other international ground. The small square boundaries, 62 and 66 metres, further aided batters.South Africa, too, shot themselves in the foot by failing to grab their chances. Abhishek was dropped on the first ball he faced and Tilak was put down twice. Apart from that, multiple mishits landed safely.But make no mistake, a total of such magnitude would not have been possible without batters’ skills, and Abhishek, Samson and Tilak showed plenty of it. After an uncharacteristic slow start of 10 off nine balls, Abhishek hit Andile Simelane for three sixes in one over. For the first and the third, he charged down the track, gave himself room and launched Simelane over extra cover.Samson’s method was exactly the opposite. He went deep in his crease and converted even marginally short balls into boundary opportunities. The two shots in Gerald Coetzee’s opening over exemplified it. There was not much wrong with Coetzee’s length on either occasion. Still, Samson managed to pull him over deep midwicket and then cut him past point.ESPNcricinfo LtdTilak’s approach was closer to Samson’s than Abhishek’s. He bent his left leg and leaned backwards to get underneath the ball and find elevation. Often, he ended up with his back knee almost touching the ground.Samson and Tilak dominated not only their favourable match-ups but also the supposedly unfavourable ones. Samson crunched Keshav Maharaj inside-out for four twice; Tilak hit Aiden Markram for 4, 6, 6, 4 off successive balls.The duo took India to 200 in just 14.1 overs, their ninth total of 200 or more in 2024. No team has had more in a single year. India hit 23 sixes during their innings, the most in a T20I involving two Full Members. Their 135-run victory meant they finished the year with 24 wins in 26 T20Is, a win percentage of 92.3 – the best ever for a Full Member who played at least ten T20Is in a year.These are staggering numbers. But until a year ago, India were hardly the trendsetters in T20Is. Despite owning the world’s best T20 league, their only World Cup title in the format had come before the IPL came into existence. Then, at the start of 2024, in desperation to end their ICC trophy drought, they finally embraced T20 cricket. Winning the T20 World Cup in June was a just reward.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe change that was initiated by Rohit Sharma is being carried forward by the current lot. This is the first generation that did not grow up trying to keep their shots down. These guys have been training to hit sixes on demand for years now, and they don’t have the unlearning to do which the older generation did.At the same time, the team management has backed the players, which is essential given the high-risk nature of this style of cricket. Despite his failures in Sri Lanka, Samson was told that he would play the next seven games. When Tilak asked to be promoted to No. 3, captain Suryakumar Yadav did not take long to sacrifice his spot.This is also the closest India have come to recognising that T20 is a different sport and not just a different format. Barring a name or two, their T20I batting line-up is completely different from the one in Tests and ODIs.Another thing that has helped Indian batters unlock their latent potential is the Impact Player rule in the IPL. The cushion of an extra batter allowed them to attempt what they were previously afraid of. The IPL may or may not do away with the rule in the future, but it has changed the mindset of the batters forever.And that changed mindset is changing the trajectory of India’s T20 cricket and taking it to new, untouched heights.

Byron Buxton put on a show for his bobblehead day at Target Field.

The Minnesota Twins outfielder hit for the cycle during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, doing so for the first time in his career. Buxton began the cycle by hitting a triple during the bottom of the second inning. He added a ground rule double in the third, and hit a single in the fifth.

With three quarters of the cycle done, Buxton completed the cycle by hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Overall, Buxton has compiled five hits, three runs and two RBIs—all on his bobblehead day. It will be hard to find a more special bobblehead day than this one.

Buxton's complete cycle marked the first hit for the cycle by a Twins player since 2019, and the first hit for the cycle by any team at Target Field. The Twins currently hold a 12-3 lead over the Pirates, and are on track to earn their 47th victory of the season.

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.”

Chief selector hopes for a “longish” run for Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 and a middle-order slot for Padikkal

Shashank Kishore25-Sep-20256:07

‘Padikkal offers a little more than Karun Nair at this point’ – Agarkar

The 3-0 drubbing against New Zealand at home last year was a “lesson” that “we don’t want repeated again”. That’s the sentiment within the India team, according to chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, as they build towards their first home Test since that defeat last November.Related

Jadeja vice-captain for WI Tests; Padikkal, Jagadeesan in squad

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BCCI okays Iyer's request for six-month break from red-ball cricket

“Of course, because of the WTC [World Test Championship], every Test match becomes very important,” Agarkar said at a press conference to announce the India Test squad for the two-Test series against West Indies starting on October 2 in Ahmedabad. “Obviously, we had a terrible series against New Zealand. Maybe it was a wake-up call. It was a lesson. We don’t want that repeated. We’ve generally been, over a long time, very strong at home. It was after a while that we had a few bad results. And we want to try and put it behind.”All these four Test matches that we play at home, to West Indies and to South Africa, become very critical. We want to try and get as many points as possible, particularly at home. It’s a game, so anything is possible. But we don’t want to try and let what happened against New Zealand happen again.”Agarkar’s words don’t just underline the importance of results, but also the need for stability. And one of the key areas India have identified is the No. 3 slot, which over the better part of this century was occupied by two greats, Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara.The Indian think tank – head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Shubman Gill•Getty Images’Hope to give Sai a longish run from now on’Building forward, India are keen to find a long-term option for No. 3. And for now, the search seems to have ended with B Sai Sudharsan, who, the selection committee hopes, will be able to repay the faith. Agarkar thinks the signs are promising and there is a clear runway now for him to make that spot his own.In three Tests in England, Sudharsan scored 140 runs across six innings with a solitary half-century. Over the past two weeks, he has struck two half-centuries playing at No. 3 for India A against Australia A.”Eventually, it’s a little bit about continuity,” Agarkar explained. “I think there were a few changes at No. 3 [in England], because of the combination that we played.”So that just depends on what the captain and the coach at that point want, and what balance they want. But as far as going forward is concerned, Sai has shown a lot of promise. We know he’s a very good player. Hopefully, we can give him a longish run from now on, at a particular number. Hopefully, going forward, we can give these guys time to actually build their careers.”With Karun Nair dropped for the home series, the selectors have now turned to his state junior, Devdutt Padikkal as a potential middle-order candidate. Having begun his career as an opener, Padikkal has carved a niche in the middle order over the past two seasons across formats. And his recent run of form, just like Sai Sudharsan’s, has been encouraging.Devdutt Padikkal scored 150 against Australia A last week•Tanuj/ Ekana Cricket StadiumAfter missing the A tour to England due to an injury, Padikkal has impressed for India A recently, scoring 150 in last week’s first unofficial Test in Lucknow. With Rishabh Pant injured, it’s likely Padikkal will have an opportunity at No. 5 this time around. Agarkar has backed him to be a strong contender for No. 6 along with Nitish Kumar Reddy in the long run, when the injured Pant returns to reclaim the No. 5 spot.”Obviously, Devdutt can bat [in the middle order],” Agarkar said. “He batted at No. 4, if I’m not wrong, in Dharamsala [on Test debut against England] and No. 3 in Perth. These are things that eventually the captain and the coach look at, what the best balance is. But Nitish showed a lot of promise.”Even the way he bowled well at Lord’s. And the way he batted under pressure in the second innings. Plus, his batting in Australia has shown he’s got the potential. And he’s still a young kid. He was developing his game.”So, the more he plays, the better he’s going to get. And we obviously have an eye on him. So, if he does develop into that allrounder that you always keep looking for, it does give you a lot of flexibility with the XIs that you pick and the balance you can create in the team.”Mohammed Shami played one game for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy•PTI ‘Shami needs to play something’ to be consideredOne of the things Agarkar has often underlined in his tenure as selector is the need for players to prove form and fitness by regularly featuring in first-class cricket. It’s down to this that Mohammed Shami and Ishan Kishan aren’t in the scheme of things.Shami has featured in two red-ball games over the past three seasons due to a series of injuries. While he was part of the 2025 Champions Trophy squad earlier this year, Shami hasn’t come close to a national call-up since, primarily due to his lack of volume in domestic cricket.”He’s not played a lot of cricket,” Agarkar said. “In the last two-three years, I think he’s played one match for Bengal and one match in the Duleep Trophy. So, as a performer, we know what he can do. But, he will need to play something.”And Ishan – when we picked him for India [as Pant’s replacement in England], he was not yet fit anyway. [N] Jagadeesan was part of the last Test match that we picked when Ishan was injured. He [Ishan] is a very good player as we know. But we’d like him to play a bit more cricket and show some performances.”Shreyas Iyer has asked for a six-month break from Test cricket•BCCI’We want Shreyas playing, and playing well’As for Shreyas Iyer, Agarkar was clear that he is still a key member of the 50-overs set-up. On Thursday, the BCCI confirmed Iyer had sought a six-month break from red-ball cricket to “build endurance” before he can be considered again.For now, Iyer has been named captain of India A for three 50-over games against Australia in Kanpur, ahead of next month’s ODI series in Australia. When asked if this late change in leadership – after Rajat Patidar and Tilak Varma were originally announced as captains – hinted at a bigger role for Iyer, Agarkar was categorical that it should not be seen as a sign of him being lined up for the ODI captaincy.”I don’t think we’ve discussed the 50-over format yet,” he stated. “At the moment, we have to pick a Test squad. Shreyas is a senior player. He obviously leads his franchise in the IPL. He’s one of the senior guys. He was captain for India A [for four-day matches] as well. It’s not like because of that, we’re looking at him as a Test captain. We’re trying to find qualities of a leader in a lot of people.”In India A, he gives us an opportunity to see if somebody has that ability. I think the statement [on him taking a break] was put out already. With regards to his fitness, in terms of red-ball cricket, he won’t be available, and that gives us a chance.”He’s been a key player in one-day cricket over the last few years. He gets three games before we go to Australia. More than anything, we want him playing and playing well because he becomes a key member in the one-day squad.”

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.

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Manchester United have been known to make numerous big-money additions over the years, but many of which have fallen way below the levels expected of them by the fanbase.

Antony has arguably been their biggest disaster during the last five years, with the Brazilian unable to match the pressures brought by his £86m transfer fee.

The 25-year-old was able to rack up a total of 96 appearances for the Red Devils over a two-and-a-half-year period, only scoring on 12 occasions – with only five of which coming in the Premier League.

As a result of his lack of impact at Old Trafford, he was subsequently shipped off to Real Betis for just £21m last summer – resulting in the hierarchy taking a £65m loss on his signature.

However, it appears as though INEOS have failed to learn from previous mistakes in the market, as seen by their big-money transfer to land one player during the summer window.

How Benjamin Sesko compares to other PL strikers in 2025/26

After a dismal 2024/25, Ruben Amorim’s men were handed a significant chance of redemption this campaign after the hierarchy handed the manager £200m worth of funds to utilise in the market.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy in an attempt to bolster the options available in the final third of the pitch.

Both have made an immediate impact to life at Old Trafford, already scoring a combined six goals between them – subsequently sitting in seventh place going into the third international break of the season.

The former of the duo even won the division’s Player of the Month award, further showcasing how impressive he’s been since his own big-money switch to join the Red Devils.

However, Benjamin Sesko has struggled to match the pair in such an aspect, with the Slovenian international unable to produce the goods as yet after his £74m switch from RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old was tasked with the responsibility of spearheading the frontline, but his tally of just two goals in his 11 league appearances showcases his inability to impress in England’s top-flight.

He’s only managed to complete 64% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with such a tally ranking him within the bottom 10% of all players in the division at present.

Sesko’s lack of passing ability has often restricted Amorim’s side from reaching the next level, often struggling to provide the focal point and target man they have craved.

Other figures, such as 0.2 successful dribbles per 90 and 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, further demonstrate his lack of positive impact in attacking areas – undoubtedly contributing to his measly goal tally.

Both tallies rank him in the 25th percentile of other attackers in the division, meaning 75% of players in the same position have produced better numbers in the same department.

Forget Sesko: This is INEOS' biggest waste of money

United’s inability to land any top-level attackers has been apparent over the last couple of seasons, with Amorim unable to get the best out of the options at his disposal in 2024/25.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund were the two centre-forwards on the books prior to the 40-year-old’s arrival, but neither failed to nail down the number nine position as their own.

The latter of the duo subsequently left during the recent transfer window to make room for the big-money addition of Sesko – but it appears that he could also suffer the same fate.

At just 22, he has plenty of time of turnaround his fortunes around at the Theatre of Dreams, but he will certainly need to find some form amid his recent lack of impact.

However, he’s not alone in struggling at present, with midfielder Manuel Ugarte another player who could be on borrowed time after his own disappointing spell in England.

The Uruguayan joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2024 from PSG for a reported £42m, but such a transfer now looks to be one of INEOS’ worst signings in recent years.

His transfer generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but he’s failed to deliver, as seen by his recent drop down Amorim’s pecking order in 2025/26.

Ugarte now finds himself behind 33-year-old Casemiro in the United squad, with the former PSG star often an unreliable figure and unable to produce the goods when called upon.

His latest showing off the bench against Spurs highlights his recent decline at Old Trafford, as the side conceded two goals after being brought on to replace the aforementioned Brazilian.

The 24-year-old’s underlying stats from this season further showcase his dismal performances in and out of possession, with his pass accuracy of 84% – which ranks him in the 33rd percentile of midfielders in the league.

Ugarte has also created just 0.3 chances per 90 and achieved an expected assist tally of just 0.01 per 90 – the lowest in the United squad.

On that evidence, it was no surprise that one United content creator suggested that he looked “so anxious” on the ball and was “frightened to death of passing forwards”.

Games played

9

Minutes played

301

Chances created

0.3

Expected assists

0.01

Interceptions made

0.7

Tackles made

2.1

Pass accuracy

84%

Dribbled past

1.4

The latter of his two aforementioned stats also ranks him in the 5th percentile of any midfielder in the Premier League – showcasing his lack of skill in possession.

However, he was mainly brought to the club for his ability to break up the play, but that part of his game has also been satisfactory at best over the last few months.

Ugarte has only made 0.7 interceptions per 90 and has only completed 2.1 tackles per game – which further highlights the decline he’s enduring since Amorim’s arrival.

There’s little disputing that Sesko has struggled to make an impact of late, but it’s to be expected from such a young talent who has made a leap of faith to further his career in a completely new country.

As for Ugarte, he’s already had over a year to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, but ultimately, it’s evident that he’s no longer a player who should be a key member of the first-team squad.

£50m for his signature has been nothing short of a waste of money, with INEOS desperately needing to remember such a deal during the upcoming January window.

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