Category Uncategorized

England captain urges his side to take “live and let live” attitude to intense scrutiny by Australian media

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Dec-20252:29

Miller: England must back their approach to win second Test

“My sponsors will be happy, because I seem to be in the press every four days,” laughed Ben Stokes.Rarely has a day gone by on this England tour that the Test captain has not been long lensed by local paparazzi. The latest shots of Stokes – wearing the odd bit of sponsored stash – were of him e-scootering around central Brisbane with some team-mates (without helmets, a fineable offense that plenty flaunt) at least added a bit of variety to the photo album of touring players. A welcome twist on already tired snaps of airport arrivals and departures, golf and even strolling out of aquariums.It is reasonable to wager that if England were 1-0 up rather than 1-0 down, the focus on them would not be as intense. Winning changes everything. And that may be the big takeaway from the various invasions of privacy. If England cannot square the series in this second Test – a day-night match which starts on Thursday – the vultures will be working overtime.All the squad knew what to expect before heading over. Stokes, Brendon McCullum and even Joe Root made a note of highlighting just how different Ashes tours are. You might get mobbed in India, but you get rushed in Australia.Related

• From Beefy to Broad Ban – inside England's Brisbane angst

• Wood set to miss second Test after long road back from injury

• Will Jacks back in England XI after three years for second Ashes Test

• Khawaja out of Brisbane Test after failing to recover from back spasms

• Ten years since Adelaide, pink-ball Tests remain an Australian speciality

“Before we got out here those conversations happened as a group: ‘This is what it is going to be like, so it is not unexpected’,” said Stokes. “When we got here there were cameras in front of the hotel from 8am, following us on the golf course and even when we went out for some lunch yesterday.”One of the important things on tour when under pressure is to go out, free your mind, enjoy yourself, and whatever is going on in that world, let it be. They are going to be there and film us. The message to the group is please don’t make decisions based on the fact you might get caught on camera. We are human. We need to enjoy countries when we get the opportunity because we live in England where it is miserable, freezing cold and dark at 4pm.”It is what it is. It will probably continue throughout the rest of the tour and I don’t see anything wrong with going out and spending your time off on a golf course or having coffee or lunch, riding on a scooter. It’s fine. If they want to keep doing it, they are all polite and don’t intrude on our personal space. We have a job to do, they have a job to do.”England’s next job is huge. Australia’s dominance in pink ball Tests reads 13 victories out of 14. And though their only defeat came at The Gabba – against West Indies in 2024 – England last won here in 1986.Usually the site of the Ashes opener, there have not been many happy English memories since, barring 2010-11, and that was a draw. Even the team’s Sofitel hotel base has ghosts of Ashes past. It was here that Andrew Strauss, managing director at the time, had to come out and state the 2017-18 cohort were “not thugs”, after Jonny Bairstow’s ‘headbutt’ on Cameron Bancroft came to light, months after Stokes’ incident in Bristol.England confirmed on Tuesday that Will Jacks will be the only change to the XI from Perth, replacing the injured Mark Wood. Jacks was told by Brendon McCullum he had made the cut ahead of Shoaib Bashir after training on Tuesday.Opting for a part-time off spinner who is an accomplished batter is a calculated move. A deeper batting line-up has been forged, and the belief is Jacks’ bowling can provide both a change of pace and enough overs in key stages of the game; whether to cover through to the twilight period when the likes of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse will be unleashed, or to a second new ball.England have played seven day-night Tests, with Stokes featuring in six of them. Combined with Australia’s back catalogue, there is plenty of evidence to make informed decisions. Players have also been encouraged to go to bed later to get used to the match timings – and the two-hour shift forward from Western Australia. They have even put in a bulk order of sweat bands to help preserve the hardness of the pink Kookaburra in sticky conditions.Ben Stokes practises with the pink ball•Getty Images

Stokes has been practicing what he preaches, though did find himself awoken by drug testers at 6am earlier this week. He has been running point, consuming as much information as he can and distributing it accordingly.His one previous experience leading a day-night match, against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, was a tactical masterstroke. England declared on 325 for 9 in 58.2 overs as the lights took hold on day one, and prised out three wickets before the close. They then slow-burned their second innings (374 in 73.5 overs) to set the Black Caps 394 before winning by 286.This Test, however, will be a markedly different task. And not just because of their more experienced opponents, or that the floodlights will take over from around 6:30pm, with about half the day’s play to go. It is, at this juncture, Stokes’ most important assignment as captain.”We have amazing resources with information, data, all that kind of stuff,” he said. “I get our analyst to send me over all the info on the day-night cricket that’s been played at the Gabba and also in Australia recently.”There’s daylight, there’s the dusk period, and then also the period when the floodlights do come on. So you’re just trying to give yourself as much information as possible.”We’ve trained here three or four sessions and the humidity is very high. You step out in the sunlight and just start sweating. Something we’ve spoke about is being very conscious of keeping that ball as dry as we possibly can, because as soon as that pink kookaburra goes soft, it’s going to be a lot harder to feel like you can make a breakthrough with anything on the wicket.”We’ve been all around the world where you get a softer ball and making breakthroughs seems a lot harder just because of that soft ball. All those tiny little things we’ve had to consider for this week. I think our liaison officers got tasked with going out and buying about 60 sweat bands for all of us.”The broad cue from previous day-night Tests is once you are ahead, fight to keep it that way. Often, that has come through a more conservative approach, even the use of multiple night watchers. Australia, for instance, are amenable to using night watchers to open the batting during the twilight period.This England team do not have a reputation for being prudent, and their ceding of the first Test was the worst example of this. But contrary to the words that often accompany the covert photographs, this is not a team without care or nous.There is one more evening session on Wednesday for players to get better accustomed to the ball and the light before the real thing begins. And Stokes is unequivocal that history will not hold his team back, nor a lack of belief that they can upset the odds.”Many teams have gone to the Gabba and lost to Australia,” he said. “But this is a brand new outfit. Lots of guys are on their first Ashes tour so this is going to be a new experience for them. So no, it doesn’t hold too much fear. But you also understand that Australia know this is a very good ground for them and we’re excited for that.”Trust is one of the biggest things to have, not only as captain but also as a team and I have complete and utter trust in everyone in the squad but also particularly the 11 guys who have been given the opportunity to play in a Test match.”That’s one thing I’ll always tell the group – I have complete trust and faith in not only your ability but also your decision making in the moment when you are out there to assess the conditions, to assess what is required and to just have that mentality of mindset of ‘I’m going to be the person to influence this game in the right way that we want’.”And that’s all I can keep trying to do. Because if I ever lose that trust or lose that respect from anyone from within the team then it’s probably impossible to get back.”

West Ham could now be back in for a former transfer target who they were on the verge of signing for Julen Lopetegui in 2024, according to a new report.

West Ham poised for active January transfer window

According to recent reports, the Hammers are poised for an active January transfer window amid their battle against relegation, and could sign a defender, midfielder and striker for Nuno Espírito Santo.

Reliable club insiders like ExWHUemployee have backed this up as we fast approach the turn of the year, while former West Ham scout Mick Brown has claimed that Nuno is planning a major overhaul.

West Ham have undergone a mini revival under Nuno recently, losing just one of their last six Premier League games, but it is clear they need strength in depth across the pitch.

Niclas Füllkrug is set to leave the London Stadium in January following his lacklustre stint in England, so West Ham are believed to be looking at strikers to replace him.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Liverpool

Man United 1-1 West Ham

Brighton 1-1 West Ham

In terms of the midfield area, James Ward-Prowse, Guido Rodriguez and Lucas Paqueta have all been linked with mid-season exits, so the prospect of a new name in the engine room hasn’t been ruled out either.

Meanwhile, Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell is back on the club’s radar after coming close to joining in the summer, with the Irons planning to ‘reignite’ talks for his signature (ExWHUemployee).

Sticking at centre-back, West Ham could now be back in the hunt for a familiar name — Cruzeiro centre-back Fabricio Bruno.

The 29-year-old made 51 appearances in all competitions for Cruzeiro in the recently-concluded 2025 Brazilian campaign, and his recent form has even earned him a recall to Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad.

Bruno featured in all of Brazil’s last three friendlies against Japan, Senegal and Tunisia, with the towering defender well in contention to be selected for next year’s World Cup.

Belief West Ham have rebid for Fabricio Bruno after near-2024 move

The former Flamengo stalwart was actually on the verge of joining West Ham in 2024.

Fabrizio Romano even gave his famous ‘here we go’ to the transfer and claimed he would be Lopetegui’s first defensive signing, but the transfer ended up collapsing.

Now, as per South American journalist Jorge Nicola, there is every reason to believe West Ham may have rebid for Bruno.

According to his information, a mystery English club has submitted a £13 million offer for the player, and Nicola theorises that the most likely candidate is Nuno’s side given their very advanced talks nearly two years ago.

Bruno’s move to West Ham apparently didn’t happen because of the player’s salary demands, but the Premier League door may now be back open following what has been a stellar 2025 for him.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who was on the books with Bruno at Flamengo, once said he has the ‘quality to play for any team in the world’.

However, given Cruzeiro only signed him in early 2025, they may be reluctant to part ways.

On Monday, Test cricket threw Indian fans into a situation they had no idea how to live through. Who knows when, or if, we will ever experience something like this again

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Aug-20255:30

Gill on Oval Test win: ‘Such moments make you feel that the journey is worth it’

Sometimes, Test cricket throws even its most seasoned watchers into situations they have no idea how to live through. On Monday afternoon IST, when a desperately backtracking, desperately diving Akash Deep tips Gus Atkinson’s slog off Mohammed Siraj over the boundary cushions at wide long-on, he also tips all of India’s millions of fans into unknown territory.None of us, not even the oldest among us, has lived through anything like this.England, with their last pair at the crease, need 11 to win. Two hits will do it.India have never won a Test match by a margin smaller than 13 runs. They have won once by one wicket, but they have never lost by that margin. They have been involved in a tied Test and a draw with one wicket remaining and scores level, but they batted last both times. Three last-wicket pairs have saved Tests against them, but on none of those occasions had an India defeat been possible.Related

Renew the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy for another season. Cancel the rest

India dominate the series stats; Gill, Rahul boss the control numbers

Tendulkar: Siraj 'doesn't get the credit he deserves'

Holy mackerel Batman, what did we just watch?

The agony, the ecstasy: 56 minutes of Test cricket at its most glorious

Never before, in short, have India’s players been on the field, together, in this situation: one wicket away from victory, and a hit or two away from defeat. Never have we, their fans, watched them deal with this and attempted to deal with it ourselves.What previous experience would we even compare with this? Brisbane 2021 felt like a fairytale all the way through that final day, but through its last ten minutes or so, we were almost certain we were winning. We had begun to pinch ourselves long before the winning hit trickled over the rope. It was magic, but not of this kind.The closest we have come to this could-go-either-way feeling was, perhaps, Mohali 2010. India were chasing then, and were a wicket away from defeat. Our hopes rested on a man with a crocked back, magic wrists, and a team-mate doing his running. It was glorious, but did it feel like this? Was this much at stake? As the first of two Tests rather than the fifth of five, did it feel this… gladiatorial?We have tasted agony and ecstasy many times before, then, but neither of the kind that is imminent. Which one will it be, and what will it feel like? And until it happens, what are we to do with ourselves?We have experienced, in the last half-century, the thrill of nine previous Tests ending with margins of ten runs or fewer, and ten with one-wicket margins. On 18 of those 19 occasions, that thrill was undiluted, or unenriched, by partisanship. Cricket won no matter who won, and we won too. India weren’t in the picture. We may have celebrated with Geraint Jones or fumed at Billy Bowden when Edgbaston 2005 reached its climax, but that is preference, a pseudo-partisanship sullied by rationality, and not the raw, pulsing ache of the real thing.3:04

Bangar hails ‘Herculean effort’ from Siraj

This, now, is the real thing. It matters like hell who wins. It matters so much that we even feel, to some degree, how much it must matter to those out in the middle.How much it must matter to them.To Akash Deep, whose futile attempt to catch Atkinson is the latest in a series of fielding mishaps that add a tinge of both tragedy and farce to his fate of being the non-bowling member of India’s three-man strike force on this final day, spent after sending down 20 overs, fuelled by painkilling injections.To Prasidh Krishna, taker of eight wickets in the match, four in each innings, in danger of being judged not by that fact but by his last ball: a pretty good ball in most contexts, but here, too close to the batter, with too spread-out a field, allowing Atkinson to clip away the single that keeps him on strike.To Atkinson, on strike again, aware that he will have to do it off his bat and his alone, with even the act of running reducing his partner to debilitating pain.To Chris Woakes, the non-striker, for whom a dislocated shoulder is merely a problem to be solved. This right-handed man who bowls, throws and bats right-handed has decided, having explored every option in the nets, to face up left-handed should he need to – a gloriously absurd misnomer with his left hand and arm out of commission and hidden away in his jumper.To Siraj, who put the word ‘Believe’ on his phone wallpaper this morning, upon whose intensity and venom the exertions of bowling 30 overs in an innings about to enter its 86th have had no effect.This isn’t just one contest of ball and bat in lives defined by ball and bat. This is, while they live it, life itself.It does odd things to the watcher. Involuntary drummings and entwinings of fingers unused to separation from mobile devices. Restless bladders. Constricted throats. A pressure in the cheeks. A prickling in the tear ducts.1:15

Monga: India’s series was all about Mohammed Siraj

For the India fan, all this comes with context. A series of Homeric drama that is about to be lost or drawn, a scoreline that is about to become 1-3 or 2-2, to follow a shattering, unprecedented 0-3 at home against New Zealand and a what-might-have-been 1-3 in Australia. A coach, a captain, former coaches, former captains, retirements. A great fast bowler who is playing this series but not this match, a fine fast bowler who is turning into a folk hero, accustomed to heartbreak but never losing belief, always certain of his power to bend the script to his will.He hurries through the crease now, for the 181st time in this innings, the 279th time in this Test match, and the 1122nd time in this series, wides and no-balls included.Cross-seam, 143kph, into the base of off stump. A bowler, a batter, a set of stumps. A swipe, a shattering. Cricket stripped to its element. Breathtaking, literally. Exhalations all around the ground, all over the world, all in sync. Realisation before thought.The Oval 2025. We have never experienced anything like it before, and who knows when, or if, we ever will again.

Juggling formats with a growing list of injured players is South Africa’s concern, but Pakistan are on a high in ODIs and have their best side to pick from

Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2024Temba Bavuma will not play the first fixture of South Africa’s three-ODI series against Pakistan as he manages his workload ahead of two crucial Tests over the festive season. Aiden Markram will captain the team for the ODI opener in Paarl, with Bavuma set to return later in the series.Though these matches are the first and last South Africa will have with their strongest available squad before the Champions Trophy, they will have the challenge of juggling between preparation for the big event and ensuring their Test players are kept fresh. Eight of the ODI squad – Bavuma, Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada – were involved in the 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka and are expected to play against Pakistan as well.South Africa will be concerned about their quick bowlers in particular because they already have four on the sidelines and cannot risk one of Rabada and Jansen joining them. Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) is in a race against time to be fit for Boxing Day while Lungi Ngidi (hip injury) and Gerald Coetzee (groin niggle) are out until January, and Nandre Burger (lower back stress fracture) is out for the season. Anrich Nortje, who may have been considered for the ODIs to relieve Rabada and/or Jansen, is out with a broken toe and has also opted out of red-ball cricket for now as he works his way back from a series of injuries.Related

• Temba Bavuma's summer of self-fulfillment

• Kagiso Rabada, too unplayable for his own good

Bavuma acknowledged that South Africa find themselves in a “tricky” position, knowing that the Tests are the priority of the summer. They need one more win to guarantee a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. At the same time, they need to finalise their Champions Trophy combination, especially since they will not have a full-strength side available for the tri-series in Pakistan (with New Zealand) that precedes the tournament. That takes place in the latter stages of the SA20.”Not everyone that we’d normally call upon is around because of injuries,” Bavuma said in Paarl where the first ODI will be played on Tuesday. “We’ve got bowlers within the squad so we’d like to be in a position where we can give guys those opportunities, rest certain guys and give other guys opportunities. We’ll try to balance it out as best as we can.”Apart from Rabada and Jansen, South Africa have seam-bowling allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo, variation specialist Ottneil Baartman, and 18-year-old left arm tearaway Kwena Maphaka available for the ODIs. Maphaka, who was called into the squad against Sri Lanka when Mulder was injured, was particularly impressive with his pace and could also be considered for the Pakistan Tests.If the bowling concerns were not enough, South Africa are also waiting on the results of David Miller’s fitness test after he injured his calf ahead of the third ODI. If he is unavailable, it may give South Africa an opportunity to trial what they will do if Miller has to miss parts of the Champions Trophy. That is a possibility as he and his Camilla await the birth of their first child, due in February.South Africa’s also have a few other things to consider as their top order will be without Reeza Hendricks, who was dropped and then scored a T20I hundred, or Quinton de Kock, who has retired from ODIs. Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton will likely share the opening duties, with Stubbs, Miller (if fit), Heinrich Klaasen and an allrounder making up the middle order.Pakistan go into the contest on the back of consecutive come-from-behind series wins•Getty Images

Pakistan get into their favourite format

While South Africa have some problem-solving to do, Pakistan will be looking to get some stability going after a period of intense upheaval.They would have been looking forward to touring South Africa with Gary Kirsten in charge and the inside knowledge that would have given them, but those hopes ended in late October when he resigned. They have since been on a roundabout of coaching and administrative changes – Jason Gillespie is gone now, too – but their results have trended well.Pakistan go into the contest on the back of consecutive come-from-behind series wins in Zimbabwe and, more impressively, Australia. While they rested Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi Naseem Shah and some of their other senior players for the series against Zimbabwe, they have got their full-strength squad back for these ODIs.They will look to repeat the template that worked wonders in Australia. In that series, they went into each game with just four fast bowlers and no specialist spinner, effectively banking on pace to wrap the opposition innings up inside 40 overs. It worked a charm, with no Australia innings lasting longer than 35 overs, and Australia bowled out in each of the last two games as Pakistan sealed a series win. If their quicks are in similarly lethal form, they will sniff an opportunity to do that again in South Africa against a batting unit that will not have their in-form captain to call upon. However, they will be mindful the first two venues are Paarl and Cape Town, where spinners tend to do well, and so may need a rethink.It is also the last bilateral series Pakistan will play ahead of the Champions Trophy they host early next year, with only the short triangular series to go before that tournament begins. But Pakistan have got their weakest format out of the way, and they now begin a series in their strongest, which can only be good for them.

Arsenal have learnt some worrying news on Martin Odegaard's fitness after Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealed a concerning update on the midfielder's injury progress, casting serious doubt over when the 26-year-old will return to action with fears he could be sidelined beyond the international break.

• Gunners hit with fresh concern over Odegaard

  Odegaard has been out since suffering medial ligament damage in his left knee during Arsenal’s 2–0 victory over West Ham on October 4. The injury occurred midway through the first half after a collision with winger Crysencio Summerville, which forced the Norwegian off after just 30 minutes. 

  At the time of the injury, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed the severity of the problem, saying: "We haven't had him since the start of the season for one reason or the other. The shoulder twice and then this injury. We'll have to wait and see the extent of that injury, and we'll find solutions, but obviously he's our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with the things that he can do, especially in attacking."

Advertisement

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Solbakken provides update on captain

  Initial scans suggested a six-week layoff, and Arsenal were hopeful of having him back for the north London derby against Tottenham later this month. But Solbakken’s latest update has cast doubt on that timeline. 

  Speaking ahead of Norway’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Estonia and Italy, the manager said, "It is steady. It is going in a steady direction but he is some distance away."

  Despite being unfit to play, Odegaard has joined up with the national squad in a non-playing role, helping motivate his team-mates as Norway chase their first World Cup appearance in nearly three decades. Solbakken confirmed that the Arsenal star would continue his rehabilitation under Norway’s medical team, first in Oslo and then in Milan, where the squad will travel for Sunday’s showdown with Italy.

  "He will fly in [to Oslo] after his rehab on Thursday," he said. "Then he will continue his rehab with us and will be with us from Thursday afternoon. I don't know when the flight leaves. But he will be with us until Milan."

• Odegaard Opens Up on His Recovery Journey

  Odegaard recently revealed that he has been training relentlessly to regain full fitness: "The rehab is going well. I had a few days off after the West Ham game, because I couldn’t do much work and had to rest my knee anyway, so I went to Norway. But I’ve been back for a week now and working every day to keep my fitness up as well as trying to heal the injury, so it’s busy days at the moment. It's hard work and long days in recovery, but that’s what you want and I feel like it’s going well so far."

  The Arsenal skipper also shared details of the remarkable technique he’s using to accelerate his return. 

  "It’s going well and I’m progressing a lot," Odegaard said. "I’ve started moving around more and I’ve been running on the anti-gravity machine this week. It’s hard work, but nice to feel that progression; it gives you more motivation."

  At Arsenal’s London Colney training base, several anti-gravity treadmills allow players to train without placing full strain on injured joints. These machines use a pressurised air chamber to reduce body weight in one per cent increments, letting athletes move pain-free while rebuilding strength and balance.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Norway’s World Cup dream still alive

  While Arsenal monitor their captain’s recovery, Norway are fighting to seal qualification for their first World Cup since 1998. A win against Estonia on Thursday could secure their ticket to next summer’s tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, provided Italy drop points against Moldova. Norway hold a commanding +26 goal difference, well ahead of Italy’s +10, and boast a superior head-to-head record after thrashing the Azzurri 3-0 in Oslo earlier this year.

As has been widely reported, Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is now the overwhelming favourite to become the new Celtic manager.

The Frenchman has held talks with the Celtic board over the weekend, as the Scottish champions continue to search for a replacement for Brendan Rodgers, who surprisingly resigned last month.

Nancy has won MLS Cup and Leagues Cup in charge of the Crew, also leading the Black and Gold to a first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, and could be appointed Celtic manager sooner rather than later, after Columbus’ season came to an end in the first round of the MLS play-offs, ousted by cross-state rivals FC Cincinnati.

Across all 136 matches in charge of Columbus, as well as 79 as CF Montréal head coach beforehand, Nancy has always deployed a back three, usually a 3-4-2-1 shape, so it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks with that, in a Rúben Amorim-esque fashion, or is more adaptable, given the depleted squad at his disposal.

Currently seven points adrift Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, irrespective of who the new manager is, expect Celtic to be busy in the January transfer window, so here is the dream XI they could build should Nancy take over.

1

GK – Kasper Schmeichel

Despite the fact he’s now 39 years old, Kasper Schmeichel remains a consistent performer in the Celtic goal.

To date, the Danish veteran has kept 33 clean sheets in 67 appearances for the Celts, conceding only 63 goals, seven of these shutouts coming in 11 Premiership outings so far this year.

On top of this, according to Squawka, he boasts a save percentage of 75.35% in the Premiership across this season and last, which does drop slightly to 69.57% when looking at the Europa League, albeit only Jari De Busser of Go Ahead Eagles and Ștefan Târnovanu of Steaua București have made more than his 16 saves in this season’s league phase.

Thus, with Schmeichel’s contract expiring next summer, following the World Cup, who knows what his future holds but, for now, Nancy can rely on the Great Dane.

2

RB – Alistair Johnston

Right now, Alistair Johnston is one of numerous key Celtic players sidelined due to injury, seeing just 26 minutes of action since suffering a serious hamstring tear against Kairat in mid-August, but, once fit again, will be a key figure in Nancy’s side, as he was in Québec three years ago.

3

CB – Cameron Carter-Vickers

Another major absentee right now is Cameron Carter-Vickers.

In the same match Johnston reaggravated his hamstring issue, the 2-1 Europa League victory over Sturm Graz, Carter-Vickers suffered a ruptured achilles tendon which will see him sidelined for around six months, all but ending his hopes of representing the United States on home soil next summer.

Since arriving under Ange Postecoglou in the summer of 2021, Carter-Vickers has been one of the first names on the team sheet at Parkhead, racking up 172 appearances in hoops, in the opinion of many, Celtic’s best centre-back since Virgil van Dijk, so Nancy will surely make him a central pillar, even if he’ll have to wait to do so.

4

CB – Axel Disasi: new signing

In the absence of Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey​​​​​​​ are Celtic’s current central defensive options, hence why they’re expected to target a reinforcement or two in January.

Well, according to reports, Celtic have been offered the chance to sign a trio of Chelsea exiles this winter, namely Raheem Sterling, Deivid Washington and, the one likely to be of the most interest, Alex Disasi.

The France international signed for the Blues for £38.5m from Monaco in the summer of 2023, putting pen to paper on a six-year contract, but has been completely frozen out by Enzo Maresca.

After spending the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, Disasi did not find a new club before the summer transfer window slammed shut, thereby in the proverbial wilderness at Cobham, so could be available on loan in January, and the arrival of his compatriot Nancy could tempt him north of the border.

5

LB – Kieran Tierney

​​​​​​​

Back at the very start of the summer transfer window, when Celtic supporters were optimistic and loving life, Kieran Tierney’s return was celebrated like a title triumph.

Since rejoining, the left-back’s minutes have been carefully managed, albeit a long-term injury suffered by deputy Marcelo Saracchi means that won’t be quite so straightforward.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether Nancy wants to play a back three or a four, he’ll surely relish working with Tierney.

6

CDM – Callum McGregor

Celtic managers come and go but no matter who is in charge, Callum McGregor is an omnipresent figure.

The 32-year-old has now made 538 appearances in hoops, winning 24 major honours, looking to add to his haul in December when he will lead the side out in the League Cup Final against St Mirren, having scored this thunderbolt against Rangers in the semis.

McGregor’s in-possession quality, off-the-ball work-rate and leadership skills will be invaluable for any incoming manager, so his name will continue to be written in permanent marker on the team sheet.

7

CAM – Benjamin Nygren

While many of Celtic’s summer signings have been underwhelming, Benjamin Nygren has been very impressive.

Many believed the Swede had been signed to replace Nicolas Kühn on the right-wing, but instead he has established himself as a first-choice member of the midfield trio, scoring six times already, including this winner against Sturm Graz, securing the Celts’ sole Europa League victory to date.

The 24-year-old then increased his stock further this weekend, bagging his third goal for Sweden as they were beaten by Switzerland at Stade de Genève. Thus, Nancy, or any other manager, will surely be impressed by what he’s seen.

8

CAM – Reo Hatate

There are plenty of candidates to complete Celtic’s midfield trio, with Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan among those vying for this spot, but Reo Hatate is still the Celts’ best option.

Since arriving in January 2022, the Japanese midfield maestro has scored 29 goals and registered 29 assists for the club, including this thunderous strike at Pittodrie in August.

Hatate’s form has been a bit up and down in recent times, but his quality remains undeniable, so he’ll be hoping to get back to his best under Nancy.

9

RW – Jota

​​​​​​​ We’ve already mentioned Carter-Vickers and Johnston, but the other Celtic star on the sidelines long-term is Jota.

Similar to Tierney, Jota returned to Celtic to a huge amount of fanfare in January, but suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury at Tannadice in April, so is expected to return around Christmas time, which will be a timely mid-season boost.

The Portuguese winger remains the Celts’ joint-record sale, moving to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia for £25m two years ago, but back in Glasgow, he will look to further enhance his reputation among the fan base.

10

LW – Diego Rossi: new signing

According to a report by Give Me Sport, Daizen Maeda will push to leave Celtic in January, having been denied the opportunity to depart during the summer, looking to cement his spot in Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan squad ahead of the World Cup; numerous Premier League clubs are reportedly interested.

Maeda would leave a huge void, but could Nancy replace him with a player he knows rather well?

Having starred at LAFC before an unsuccessful stint at Fenerbahçe, Nancy brought forward Diego Rossi to Columbus Crew, worth every penny of the $6.63m transfer fee paid, considering the Uruguayan international scored 45 goals in 101 games for the Black and Gold, including 16 in MLS last season.

Now, according to the Daily Record, he is top of Nancy’s shopping list, should he move to Glasgow.

A diminutive, versatile forward, Rossi has a similar profile to Maeda and has just a year to go on his contract in Columbus, so everything suggests he would be a shrewd addition. That said, they may have to pay a pretty penny considering he is worth £7.5m, as per Transfermarkt.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made several additions to the playing squad during the summer transfer window, and Wilfried Nancy is tasked with getting the best out of them.

The Northern Irish boss made 11 signings to bolster his options across the pitch before he eventually resigned after a 3-1 defeat to Hearts at the end of October.

Nancy has to try to get the best out of those signings in the coming months and years, as many of them have failed to live up to the hype so far this season.

Ranking Celtic's summer signings

Whilst this may say more about the rest of the business done in the summer, Benjamin Nygren has been the club’s best signing of the season, as he is currently Celtic’s top goalscorer in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, with seven goals in 25 games.

Kieran Tierney, who arrived on a free transfer, and Marcelo Saracchi, who joined on loan from Boca Juniors, have also been solid additions in the left-back position, sharing duties in that role.

Callum Osmand joined from Fulham after his contract expired with the English side and scored one goal and won a penalty in three first-team matches before picking up an injury, which suggests that he is an exciting talent to watch out for when he is back fit.

Ranking Celtic’s summer signings

Rank

Player

1

Benjamin Nygren

2

Kieran Tierney

3

Callum Osmand

4

Kelechi Iheanacho

5

Marcelo Saracchi

6

Ross Doohan

7

Sebastian Tounekti

8

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

9

Hayato Inamura

10

Shin Yamada

11

Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Ross Doohan, who joined on a free transfer as a third-choice goalkeeper, is the dividing player between poor and good signings in the rankings above, as the most average addition to the squad.

We have Sebastian Tounekti in the lower half of the rankings because he is starting to look like one of the biggest wastes of money since Albian Ajeti.

Why Sebastian Tounekti looks like a waste of money

After creating four chances, completing five dribbles, and scoring one goal in his first two matches, per Sofascore, the Tunisia international looked primed to be a star for the Hoops. Rodgers even claimed that he “excites the crowd”.

Celtic paid £5.2m to sign the forward from Hammarby to make him the most expensive signing of the summer, falling just shy of the £6m mark that would have taken him into the club’s top ten most expensive signings in their history.

Unfortunately, three months later, Tounekti has recorded two goals and zero assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has struggled to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Since Celtic paid £5m for Ajeti, who scored just nine goals in 48 games as a striker (Transfermarkt), the Hoops have signed six players for more than £5m: Jota (twice), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, Adam Idah, Auston Trusty, and Tounekti.

Jota was sold for £25m, before being re-signed, and Idah was sold for £6m after scoring 20 goals in all competitions last season, which shows that they were not complete wastes of money.

Carter-Vickers, of course, has been a long-serving regular starter for the club and Auston Trusty has made 50 appearances, now established as a regular starter, per Transfermarkt.

Engels, signed for £11m from Augsburg, has been fairly effective at the top end of the pitch, per Transfermarkt, with a return of 12 goals and 17 assists in 76 appearances since the start of last season.

This shows that the five other most expensive signings since Ajeti flopped at Parkhead have either been successful signings or had plenty of positives in their time at Celtic, even if it did not work out perfectly.

Tounekti, though, has one goal and no assists in his last 16 appearances for Celtic, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be a regular starter under the new manager, after he was the first player to be substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Related Worse than Yang: Nancy must bin 3/10 Celtic dud who once had "the X factor"

This Celtic star who had “the X Factor” should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting line-up on Thursday.

Posts ByDan Emery 3 days ago

For a player signed for £5.2m, he has not delivered enough quality at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he was a worthwhile signing, which is why he currently looks like one of their biggest wastes of money since Ajeti flopped at the club with his nine goals in 48 games.

West Indies will look to him to anchor their batting against India’s spin challenge on his first tour of the country

Deivarayan Muthu01-Oct-2025Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s square-on stance, crouch at the crease, trigger movement, and his propensity to often mark his guard with the bail all indicate that he is cut from the same cloth as his father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul. And much like Shiv, Tagenarine can soak up balls and wear bowling attacks down.Since his debut in December 2022, Tagenarine has faced 1433 balls, scoring 560 runs in 19 innings at an average of 35. Among West Indies batters, only Kraigg Brathwaite has faced more balls (2376) albeit in twice as many innings (39) during this period. After West Indies dropped Brathwaite for the upcoming two-match Test series in India, Daren Sammy expects Chanderpaul to step into Brathwaite’s shoes. Following West Indies’ first training session in Ahmedabad, Sammy even likened Chanderpaul’s ability to get stuck in to his father’s and Rahul Dravid’s.Chanderpaul is coming off a stint with his father, but in T20 cricket in the USA, where Shiv was the coach of Orlando Galaxy in Minor League Cricket and Tagenarine was captain of the team. He’s cagey when asked about Shiv’s impact on his batting, but he hopes that their training sessions will help him acclimatise to the conditions in India.”About the [Indian] conditions, it’s a bit similar to some pitches back home,” he says. “But just trying and getting some training sessions in and trying to adapt as much as possible…Related

• Between formats and futures: Shubman Gill's most unprecedented test yet

• Gill: India won't be 'looking for any easy options' against West Indies

• West Indies face mission impossible amid future of Test cricket debate

• Sammy confident pace attack will help West Indies pull a New Zealand on India

• The weight of the maroon cap: West Indies face test of identity in India

“Some of the areas where I played in the US are a bit cooler, but some places are hot as well. Especially in Florida, it could get hot sometimes. It’s just about getting your rest in the evening. Try to get as much sleep and rest and get accustomed to that time change. It’s a different quality of bowling [in India]. For sure, you need to stay sharp and make the most out of the practice sessions to get ready for the game.”Having shaken off the jet lag, Chanderpaul is ready for the red-ball grind and is hopeful of fulfilling coach Sammy’s expectations on his first tour of India.”I’m not much of a flashy player,” Chanderpaul says. “So I just try to take my time and accumulate my runs with the odd boundary here and there. I think [batting time] goes with my [natural] game. But I also spend time batting balls at the nets and hope to replicate it [in a match].”Under Brian Lara’s mentorship, Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten 207 – his first Test hundred – against Zimbabwe in 2023•CWI MediaHis old-school batting owes also to his training sessions with his paternal grandfather and first coach, Khemraj, who too put Shiv through his paces when he was growing up in the village of Unity in Guyana.”Yeah, well, obviously when I was little, my dad would be on tour playing and then he lived in the US too. I grew up in Guyana,” Chanderpaul says. “In the afternoon after school, my granddad would throw balls at me when I was small. And then as I got bigger, he’d take me to the cricket club after school. So, yeah, I grew up practising with my granddad ever since.”I don’t think I was trained on the same cement strip that my father trained on () but granddad would always throw balls at me and he always wanted to hit the ball [along] the ground. So I guess that sort of shaped me into the player I’m today.”During his short career Chanderpaul has also had the opportunity to work with Brian Lara after receiving his maiden Test cap from him in Australia in 2022. Under Lara’s mentorship in 2023, in his third Test, Chanderpaul scored his maiden double-century, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.”He always tries and gives you ideas about bowlers you can score off and who you need to be defensive against and that sort of stuff,” Chanderpaul says of Lara. “So, [the conversations with him were] about picking your match-ups.”India, though, will not offer West Indies much breathing room. In the two Tests that Chanderpaul played against India in the Caribbean in 2023, he fell three times to the spin of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin’s dismissal of Chanderpaul in the first Test, in Roseau, was a flashback to his magic ball to Alastair Cook in the Edgbaston Test of 2018. While Ashwin has retired, Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will pose a threat to Chanderpaul’s defensive technique in the Test series.West Indies dropped former captain Brathwaite and called Chanderpaul up for the India Tests in the hope of him helping see off their spin threat•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”India has a great bowling line-up,” he says. “So you can’t take them for granted. You’ve got to go out there and give them the respect and try and score when you can. In the first Test [in Roseau], I didn’t get too many runs. [In the] second Test, I batted some balls. Kind of threw it away in the first innings. But playing Ashwin and Jadeja… I can take some confidence from the second Test and do the right things going into this Test series.”Chanderpaul also had encouraging numbers on his first and only first-class tour of the subcontinent so far: in 2023 he scored 275 runs in five innings for West Indies A against Bangladesh A in Sylhet, including three half-centuries. Only Joshua Da Silva made more runs (300) than him during that unofficial three-match Test series in Bangladesh. “I had runs against two left-arm spinners and a few offspinners as well,” Chanderpaul says. “It was a fairly good tour for me. I had a few [good] scores. Hopefully I can try and get some runs in the series ahead.”What cues does he look for while facing spin? “You’ve got to try and pick the ball up from the hand, of course,” he says. “Then see what type of delivery and, yeah, where it fits and that sort of stuff. So you know, just try and get in the right positions early and see where you can turn it over and get off strike or pick up a boundary. I have the sweep but you’ve got to play what you see on the day.”It can be fiendishly difficult to pick left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep out of his hand, and Washington, who is now India’s frontline offspinner after Ashwin’s departure, can threaten both edges with turn and drift. West Indies’ presence in future World Test Championships (WTC) is looking uncertain, but there’s a sliver of hope that Chanderpaul’s staying power can make India’s attack dig deep and carry West Indies’ batting, like his father did back in the day.Despite the stint in Minor League T20s in the USA, Chanderpaul is yet to play top-flight T20 cricket, like his predecessor Brathwaite. Is featuring in the CPL somewhere in the back of his mind?”Who knows?” he laughs. “You’ve got to deal with what’s ahead of you right now.” And right now, that’s his first Test series in India.

Rahmat Shah, the Afghanistan batter, is “most likely” out of the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh because of a calf injury, according to team physio Nirmalan Thanabalasingam. Rahmat braved the injury to try to bat after Afghanistan had lost their ninth wicket in Saturday’s second ODI, after having retired hurt earlier, but he could stand at the crease for just one ball.Thanabalasingam ran out to help Rahmat, who by then couldn’t even stand. Later, the paramedics took him out of the ground in a wheelchair.”He unfortunately succumbed to his injury so he is out now,” Thanabalasingam said. “We will do the all the right things in terms of imaging and stuff tomorrow. He is going to be out for some time, I think.”Rahmat initially felt discomfort when he was trying to take a single in the 15th over after having walked out to bat at his usual No. 4. It was an innocuous looking shot, but his turn on the heel might have affected his calf. He was batting on nine at the time, and struggled to walk properly as he went off the field.Afghanistan struggled without Rahmat, who made an invaluable half-century in the first ODI, which made him the first Afghanistan batter to reach 4000 runs in ODIs. Rahmat’s absence meant regular middle-order wickets, with only Ibrahim Zadran holding things together.When Rahmat came out to bat again, it was met with applause from the Afghanistan fans at the venue in Abu Dhabi. It, however, lasted just one ball. Rishad Hossain sent in a googly that Rahmat missed, and the ball hit him in the abdomen. He was down immediately. Mehidy Hasan Miraz helped him get up but he was not able to continue as Afghanistan’s innings ended at 190 in 44.5 overs.

After his public spat with Atalanta manager Ivan Juric, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly ready to accelerate their move to sign Ademola Lookman in 2026.

It comes as no surprise that those in North London have identified an attacking target. Thomas Frank’s side have lacked conviction at times this season, with their striker problem recently made worse by Randal Kolo Muani’s injury. Despite initial news indicating that his injury is not serious, reports are now claiming that the Frenchman has suffered a fractured jaw.

The injury comes at a frustrating time for the forward, who is yet to score a goal for Tottenham in a difficult run of form. Even in the middle of that form, however, Frank could do with having Kolo Muani available.

With Dominic Solanke still sidelined, the Dane has just Richarlison and academy graduate Dane Scarlett to call on against Arsenal in his first official North London derby in charge of Tottenham.

It’s an attacking problem that Spurs know they must address and club chiefs have already reportedly set their sights on Rodrygo to do exactly that. The Real Madrid star has an uncertain future in Spain after falling out of favour under Xabi Alonso and Spurs are reportedly willing to spend as much as £70m to secure his signature as a result.

There’s no doubt that the Brazilian would be a statement signing as one of the best wingers in the world, but he may not be the only one that the Lilywhites pursue in 2026.

In an attacking overhaul, those in North London have also set their sights on Lookman and are reportedly ready to step things up in the race for his arrival.

Tottenham ready to accelerate Lookman move

As reported by TuttoJuve, Tottenham are now ready to accelerate their move to sign Lookman in 2026 with the talented forward desperate to move on from the Italian club.

Related Spurs must sell £22m dud who's one of "the worst players at a big six club"

Tottenham need to make some changes in 2026.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

The former Fulham ace was denied a move away in the summer, despite handing in a transfer request, and has since fallen out with manager Juric and removed Atalanta from his Twitter bio. Ever since he was denied a summer switch, an exit has simply looked inevitable.

As the saga continues, it’s Spurs who are attempting to take full advantage to welcome the Nigerian back to the Premier League. Although the Lilywhites won’t be the only club in the race, the fact that Lookman is represented by the same agency as Mohammed Kudus could provide them with an unexpected advantage in any negotiations.

It’s certainly a transfer race that would be worth winning, too. Before their recent disagreement, Juric went as far as to describe Lookman as “spectacular” and there’s little doubt that he’s still Atalanta’s most important player.

Forget Spence: Frank has a future superstar who can end Porro's Spurs career