Who are the big stars in action, what do the teams look like, and everything else you need to know about SA20 2025

Deivarayan Muthu08-Jan-2025Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the defending champions, right?Indeed. Having won the tournament in 2023 and 2024, Sunrisers, under captain Markram and coach Adrian Birrell, will gun for a three-peat. If they manage to do so, they will emulate Jaffna Kings, who had recently won three titles in a row at the Lanka Premier League.Related

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Sunrisers have a particularly strong local core – Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs and Ottneil Baartman – with some talented overseas players complementing them. They have lost Dan Worrall, who was their powerplay specialist last season, to Gulf Giants in the ILT20, but have filled that void by bringing in Craig Overton, who can also swing the new ball from his tall frame, and added Richard Gleeson, who can clock 140kph, to their roster. They have strengthened their batting by snapping up David Bedingham, who is set for his SA20 bow.Markram had a wretched 2024 with the bat in T20Is, but you just can’t look past him and his team in the SA20.Who will challenge Sunrisers for the title?MI had finished rock bottom in 2023 and 2024, but if they perform to potential this season, they could challenge the might of Sunrisers. Before combining with Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Trent Boult will work with Kagiso Rabada in a partnership that promises to be just as mouth-watering.Reeza Hendricks, for whom MI forked out Rand 4.3 million will reunite with his Lions team-mates Rassie van der Dussen at MI in the SA20. This is a chance for allrounder Corbin Bosch, MI’s wildcard signing, to enhance his reputation after having enjoyed a memorable Test debut for South Africa in the Boxing Day fixture.Rashid Khan will lead a side that also has Colin Ingram, George Linde and Nuwan Thushara in its ranks. In a significant blow, however, Ben Stokes is set to miss the SA20 with a recurrence of a hamstring tear, for which he has had surgery.South Africa’s best players can play the SA20 this time without worrying about ignoring international cricket•AFP/Getty ImagesDoes the league clash with SA’s international commitments again?No. Not this time.The SA20’s clash with SA’s Test series in New Zealand caused a stir last year, with the CSA prioritising its league over Test cricket at the time. Any South African player with an SA20 deal was informed of their contractual obligations to play in the tournament ahead of the Tests, which resulted in a squad with seven uncapped players, including the stand-in captain Neil Brand, being selected for the New Zealand tour.The SA20, however, overlaps with other T20 tournaments – Australia’s Big Bash League, UAE’s ILT20, New Zealand’s Super Smash and the Bangladesh Premier League.What’s the format of the league like?The top-four teams in the six-team league will qualify for the knockouts, which will have IPL-style qualifiers and an eliminator. To summarise, the teams placed first and second after the league phase will play in the first qualifier, with the winner going straight to the final. The teams placed third and fourth will play an eliminator with the loser out of contention. Then, the loser of the first qualifier will play the winner of the eliminator to determine the second finalist.Gqeberha is set to host the first qualifier while Centurion will stage the eliminator and second qualifier. The final will be held in Johannesburg on February 8.Tell me about the big overseas names who will be in actionDespite the clashes, the SA20 has some big drawcards, including Rashid, Boult, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and Dinesh Karthik.Boult will complete the MI set, having already played for their teams in the IPL (Mumbai Indians), MLC (MI New York) and ILT20 (MI Emirates). For Williamson and Conway, this will be their first stints at the SA20. Williamson will play for Durban’s Super Giants while Conway will reunite with Stephen Fleming at Joburg Super Kings, having already won the IPL title under him at CSK.Having “sold everything” and left South Africa, the Johannesburg-born Conway will have a special homecoming at this SA20. Back in the day, Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi used to be house-mates in South Africa but then their paths diverged. Years later, at the SA20, their paths will converge again.Also, watch out for Pathirana vs Thushara in the battle of the Lasith Malinga clones.Dinesh Karthik will become the first Indian to take part in the SA20•Abu Dhabi T10Did you mention Dinesh Karthik?Yes, the former India international will rock up for Paarl Royals this season. He’s set to become the first Indian to feature in the SA20 and will also serve as the tournament’s brand ambassador. Since retiring from Indian and international cricket in June 2024, Karthik has been part of the Legends League and the Abu Dhabi T10 league.Family affairsHaving been hit by injuries, JSK have called up allrounder Hardus Viljoen, who will play under his brother-in-law Faf du Plessis, who had led St Lucia Kings to the CPL title in 2024.JP King, who was invited for JSK’s training sessions last season, will join them as a rookie player for this season while his brother CJ King will be part of the Super Giants side.The Bosch brothers – Corbin and Eathan – were on the same side (Pretoria Capitals) in SA20 2024, but Corbin has now moved to MI, which could add some spice to the MI-Capitals clash.Is Imran Tahir still an active T20 player?Indeed. Imran Tahir, who will turn 46 in March, is still going strong in T20 cricket. He will link up with Shamsi and Maheesh Theekshana at JSK. Tahir is currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, with 526 strikes in 420 games.What about the Impact Player rule?The SA20 doesn’t have the Impact Player rule in place like the IPL, but teams can name their final XIs after the toss. Captains can take two team sheets to the toss – one with their bat-first XI and the other with their bowl-first XI – and offer up the final list once the toss has been completed.

Jonathan Trott believes Afghanistan will start as “slight favourites” against Bangladesh, who face a must-win situation, in their Asia Cup Group B fixture in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. And going by recent history, there’s merit in that confidence.”Since I’ve been with the side, we’ve had some memorable moments,” Trott said. “I think back to when we beat Bangladesh in a 50-over series in Bangladesh for the first time [in 2023]. It had never been done before, and given how strong Bangladesh have been at home, to go there and do that gave us a lot of confidence and positivity.”Then there was the win in St Vincent at the [2024] T20 World Cup, which helped us qualify for the semi-final. That was such a tight, historic game, and it gave us great belief. This group I’m currently working with is not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground.Related

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• Afghanistan get the win they needed, but Trott wants more

“Whenever there’s something that hasn’t been done before, like a big obstacle or a big challenge, this Afghan side rises to the occasion. They’re not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.”Since opening their Asia Cup with a convincing win over Hong Kong on September 9, Afghanistan have had six days off. The break, in Trott’s opinion, has helped refresh them “mentally and physically” after the gruelling pre-Asia Cup tri-series against UAE and Pakistan, where they played five games in ten days.”I’m actually quite happy with the break,” he said. “Playing in the extreme heat here in the UAE takes a lot out of you. It’s been a good chance to recharge the batteries, take stock of where we are, and get ready to go again. Hopefully, with a win and qualification into the next round, we know there will be quite a few games in a short space of time.”At the opening press conference in Dubai, barely a few hours prior to their Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan had spoken of the short turnaround – less than 48 hours – between the tri-series final and the game against Hong Kong. He had also said that it wasn’t ideal to be staying in Dubai and having all their group games in Abu Dhabi, leaving them with an added commute of three hours on match days.Looking at the schedule and putting that break into context, Trott felt it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I think our schedule has actually played into our hands, as long as we play well tomorrow and do the job in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Playing there is very different to Dubai. It looks like it’s been spinning a little more here and in Sharjah. Abu Dhabi is a very different type of pitch – the make-up of the soil is different too.1:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

“That’s the challenge of playing in these tournaments: you’re constantly adapting to a variety of conditions. I certainly feel that with our squad and the options we have, we can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions.”Trott, expectedly, talked up Afghanistan’s spin stocks, joking that they were good enough to field an XI of spinners if needed. There’s Rashid and Noor Ahmad as their frontline options, along with Mohammad Nabi. They have also got Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Sharafuddin Ashraf in the squad. That said, he felt that it wasn’t a given that Afghanistan would do well just because they had competent spinners.”We saw during the triangular series that just because the ball is spinning, it doesn’t automatically mean we’re going to win games,” Trott said. “We still have to do everything else well, and I stress that. Yes, our spinners have played a lot of franchise cricket and plenty of international T20 and ODI cricket, but we’ve got to be consistent across all departments. That’s why we work so hard as a side.”Right now, we have a great opportunity with the Asia Cup. Looking a bit further ahead, with the World Cup coming up in February, we have good memories of playing in the subcontinent – in Sri Lanka and India. It can be tempting to look too far ahead, but for now, Bangladesh is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and we’re focused on winning that game.”

Welsh Fire condemned to wooden spoon once again despite best efforts of Kohler-Cadmore

ECB Media28-Aug-2025In the last game of the group stage, Welsh Fire could have climbed as high as fourth in the table with a win against Southern Brave in Southampton but defeat left them rock bottom, joining their women’s team in ending up with the wooden spoon.In the end it was Southern Brave, with Jason Roy (70 off 39) rolling back the years, who ended up in that fourth position, after a game that was all about playing for pride, the top three positions in the table all having been decided days ago.Fire chose to field and with the Brave at 10 for 2 off 14 balls, the Welsh side were delighted with their start. But Roy was at his belligerent best, counterattacking brilliantly, twice hitting successive sixes to get himself going and bringing up his 50 from 30 balls. David Payne (2 for 17) used his smarts to do for him in the end but despite 30 from 21 from Leus du Plooy, it took a rambunctious finish from Craig Overton and Jordan Thompson to take the home side up to an impressive looking 167 for 7.In reply, Overton took two scalps in the first five balls, one of them the big wicket of Steve Smith, snapped up by Roy at extra cover. With the score at 24 for 3 after the Powerplay, the Fire’s hopes seemed all but extinguished. And when Tom Abell went, with 117 needed from 59, it was a tall order but Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Welsh starlet Ben Kellaway soaked up the pressure and then exploded, hitting shots all around the ground to bring the Fire right back into things.Kohler-Cadmore matched Roy in striking a brace of successive sixes and Kellaway lost nothing by comparison, the two combining for 81 in 39 balls and leaving the match in the balance.In an innings where 40 overs of spin had gone for 85 runs, it was left to seamers Thompson and Tymal Mills to bowl the last 20 with 36 needed and their death bowling skills were evident, with a succession of yorkers and slower balls. It came down to 18 from 5 and a no ball and a slugged six made the Fire favourites, but then Thompson bowled Kohler-Cadmore (84 off 46) to leave seven needed off two, then six of off one. Another nailed yorker was enough to see the Brave home.Meerkat Match Hero Overton said: “It was great to get across the line; we haven’t quite put in the performances this year so it’s good to finish with a win. It was about doing the basics; it swung a bit and the way the boys finished off was great.”The boys have been awesome; the group has been similar for the last three of four years and it’s nice to get back together. We didn’t quite perform how we would have wanted but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

تحدث الإسباني، تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن مباراة فريقه أمام أتلتيك بلباو ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويخوض ريال مدريد مباراة قوية أمام نظيره أتلتيك بلباو ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 19 المقدمة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”، غدًا الأربعاء.

وقال ألونسو، في المؤتمر الصحفي والذي نقلته صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “إنها مباراة دوري كلاسيكية، ودائمًا ما تكون الأجواء رائعة، علينا أن نلعب بطاقة كبيرة وتركيز كبير، حان وقت التدريب الآن، ثم سنسافر”.

وعن الأمور التي يجب أن تتحسن: “تحدثنا عن كرة القدم، وعن الوحدة، وعما يجب تحسينه لنكون أكثر ثباتًا، هذا ما يهمنا، نريد كسر سلسلة هزائمنا خارج أرضنا ومباراة الغد فرصة رائعة”.

وحول كلمات كروس الأخيرة: “هو يتمتع بخبرة واسعة، وقد مر بجميع أنواع المواقف هنا، يعرف النادي جيدًا ومتطلباته، ويدرك أن هناك إجراءات ومراحل مختلفة، المهم هو كيفية التعامل معها، لدي ثقة كاملة بالفريق، وأركز على المدى القريب وهو الغد”.

وحول تراجع مستوى بيلينجهام: “أنا أراه يُبلي بلاءً حسنًا يومًا بعد يوم وهو مُتحمس، يُشارك الجميع شعورهم بعدم السعادة لعدم الفوز لكن هذا جزء من الضغط فهو يُريد مساعدتنا جميعًا ونريد مساعدته أيضًا”.

وحول الحديث عن رحيل لاعبين أو التعاقد مع آخرين: “أركز على الغد فقط، أركز على إعداد الفريق، لا يزال الطريق طويلاً فقد بقى أكثر من ثلث الموسم، وكل شيء قريب جدًا، وما زال أمامنا الكثير لنقطعه، هذا قد يتغير كثيرًا، نجد صعوبة في الفوز خارج أرضنا لكننا قادرون على ذلك غدًا”.

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وأردف: “عدم ثقة الجمهور بي؟ نحن في مكاننا الحالي سواءً في الترتيب أو في كل شيء آخر نعيش تحت الضغط، ونركز على ما يمكننا تغييره، لقد تحدثت مع الرئيس (بيريز) أمس وكان في حال جيد”.

حول طبيعة كرة القدم التي يلعبها الفريق: “في كرة القدم، نبذل قصارى جهدنا لكن بعض المباريات لم تكن جيدة وهذا ما نريد تصحيحه”.

وعن سبب سوء أداء لاعبي خط الوسط: “بعد مباراة الكلاسيكو أو فالنسيا، من لديه هذه الشكوك لم يكن ليسأل هذا السؤال، لقد فقد الفريق ككل بعضًا من جودة لعبه ونشاطه لكننا جميعًا نلعب معًا مجددًا”.

وأردف: “تراجع مستوى اللاعبين في الضغط؟ اللاعبون يدركون ما نريد فعله وكيف يمكننا تحسينه، بدون تنظيم، يستحيل تحقيق ذلك وعلينا العمل على ذلك بالطبع، في المباراة الأخيرة، تحسن أداؤنا في الشوط الثاني، ولهذا السبب سنحت لنا فرص أكثر”.

وعن عدم مشاركة جونزالو جارسيا باستمرار: “كان أداؤه في كأس العالم مذهلًا، قد لا يلعب كل الدقائق التي يستحقها لكنه ذكي للغاية، ويعرف دوره جيدًا، ومستعد دائمًا”.

واستطرد: “الطريق أمامنا شاق على الجميع والحفاظ على كامل طاقتنا أمر صعب لكن يجب أن نركز على الثبات والتقدم خطوة للأمام وهذا يأتي من الشعور الإيجابي عندما يسير الفريق بسلاسة، يكون الوضع أفضل”.

حول أنباء اعتزال أراوخو لأسباب نفسية: “علينا احترام اللاعبين فهم ليسوا آلات، إنها مسؤوليتهم، إذا اتخذوا هذا القرار وكان لمصلحة اللاعب، فهو منطقي برأيي”.

وأتم: “سأعطي لكم مثالًا، لقد أمضى مبابي موسمًا كاملًا في مدريد، جميعكم تعلمون كيف غادر العام الماضي، كان أداؤه ممتازًا ولكن كما ذكرت سابقًا، لا يُمكن أن تكون الأهداف حكرًا على كيليان، فهو يُقدم أكثر من ذلك بكثير، القيادة والتأثير جزء كبير من العمل اليومي وهذا في غاية الأهمية”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Corinthians e Fluminense se enfrentam neste domingo (21), pela 4ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024. A bola rola às 16h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena, com transmissão da Globo e do Premiere.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasNotíciasAmbos marcam! Com R$100, você pode garantir R$194 se Corinthians e Fluminense balançarem as redes!Notícias28/04/2024DicasCorinthians x Fluminense: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na 4ª rodada do BrasileirãoDicas27/04/2024FluminenseAndré sofre lesão no ligamento; saiba estimativa de retorno ao FluminenseFluminense26/04/2024

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Na última rodada do Brasileirão, o Corinthians foi derrotado pelo Bragantino, enquanto o Fluminense venceu o Vasco, no Maracanã.

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Palmeiras e Flamengo pelo Brasileirão (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Corinthians x Fluminense
4ª rodada – Série A Brasileirão

Data e horário: domingo, 28 de abril de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília)
Local: Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP)
Onde assistir: Globo e Premiere
Árbitro: Ramon Abatti Abel (FIFA-SC)
VAR: Igor Junio Benevenuto de Oliveira (VAR-MG)
Assistentes: Guilherme Dias Camilo (FIFA-MG) e Rafael da Silva Alves (FIFA-RS)

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira)
Carlos Miguel; Fagner, Félix Torres, Cacá e Hugo (Matheus Bidu); Raniele, Breno Bidon e Rodrigo Garro; Wesley, Yuri Alberto e Pedro Henrique

FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)
Fábio; Samuel Xavier (Guga), Felipe Melo (Antônio Carlos), Manoel, Marcelo (Diogo Barbosa); Martinelli, Lima, Ganso (Renato Augusto); Marquinhos (Douglas Costa), Arias, Cano

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BrasileirãoCorinthiansFluminense

The Chicago Cubs were blown out by the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night, losing 12-3 at Oracle Park.

During the loss the Cubs gave up one of the weirdest runs of the season on a play that had the Giants' announcers chuckling in disbelief.

In the bottom of the fifth inning Matt Chapman hit a single to right field. Then as he stood on first base he was hit in the head by Kyle Tucker's throw from the outfield. The ball bounced off his helmet and went flying over the catcher before landing behind home plate, which allowed Dominic Smith to score from third base.

Here's how that played out:

Now that is using your head, Matt Chapman.

The Cubs, who have lost two straight to the Giants, will try to avoid being swept when they square off in the series finale on Thursday afternoon.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has now made a major decision on Pedri’s fitness ahead of the Champions League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Tuesday.

The Blues will be looking to return to winning ways in the Champions League on Tuesday, having been unable to overcome Qarabag last time out, drawing 2-2 away at the Azerbaijani side, but they should be heading into the game with renewed confidence.

Enzo Maresca’s side have put together a good run in the Premier League, winning their last three matches without conceding, most recently securing a 2-0 win at Burnley courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

Maresca was particularly happy with his side’s defensive showing, saying after the game: “The way we competed I am very happy.

“To come here and not concede is very difficult. It’s normal to concede something. But overall they only had one real chance. During the game they didn’t have any big chances and during the game we had loads of chances.”

However, the manager will be well-aware that Tuesday’s opposition will be much tougher, and the west Londoners have now been handed a boost heading into the Champions League encounter…

Hansi Flick set to leave Pedri out against Chelsea

According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), Pedri is now unlikely to travel to London ahead of Tuesday’s game, as Flick and his coaching staff believe it is not worth risking the midfielder, who suffered a hamstring injury near the end of October.

The 22-year-old is now a serious doubt for the trip to Stamford Bridge, having missed training on Sunday, which will be welcome news for Maresca & co, who need every advantage they can get heading into the game against the reigning La Liga champions.

Lauded as “amazing” by journalist Muhammad Butt, the Barcelona star has been absolutely integral for Barcelona over the past year, regularly displaying his ability to dictate games, set-up chances for his teammates, and drive the ball forward.

Pedri’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Assists

0.17 (80th percentile)

Passes attempted

91.85 (98th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.42 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.40 (97th percentile)

That said, the La Liga side are likely to be just as fearful of Chelsea’s midfield, with Fernandez scoring his fifth goal of the season against Burnley at the weekend, while Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has waxed lyrical about Moises Caicedo this season.

As such, Chelsea should no doubt fancy their chances heading into Tuesday’s game, taking on Barca in a competitive game for the first time since a 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou back in 2018.

Moises Caicedo and Pedri have been named among the best midfielders in the world The Best 15 Midfielders in World Football Ranked (2025)

Some of the best players in the world do their stuff in the middle of the park, but who’s number one?

5 ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

A Liverpool legend has suggested £116 million summer signing Florian Wirtz could leave the club on loan in January. Much was expected of the German international when he joined for a then-Premier League record fee, an amount that has since been surpassed by Alexander Isak. And amid his Reds struggles, an ex-Anfield favourite thinks a short-term switch for the 22-year-old could be in the offing.

Wirtz failing to fire at Liverpool

Hopes were high when Wirtz made his big-money move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen this summer but the player that Reds fans have seen on the pitch has not justified that huge fee so far. Indeed, in 16 appearances, he has failed to score a single goal, but he has contributed three assists. The playmaker is currently sidelined with a muscle injury, in a time where Liverpool have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions – a 71-year low.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLoan move for Wirtz?

Former Liverpool midfielder and German international Didi Hamann thinks spending the second half of the season at another club could be beneficial for Wirtz. He also questioned if he has the right physicality for the Premier League.

He told CoinPoker.com: "Could Florian Wirtz still leave Liverpool on loan in January? Yeah. Obviously with all the help and all the protection from the club and the manager, if you bring somebody in for that amount of money, then maybe he should be the one, even though he's still very young, then maybe you expect him to turn things around. I don't think, the way he's playing at the moment, I'm not sure he's capable of doing that. And when I watch him sometimes, you know, thinking, has he lost belief because it is in the Premier League? Sometimes when I watch him when he loses possession, I'm thinking maybe it’s because it’s a lot quicker, a lot more physical, as if he were to say: ‘I'm not sure that's for me'. I hope I'm wrong, but this is how it looks to me. Sometimes if it's going on for too long, you know, it's very hard to turn it around."

Wirtz sent Liverpool warning

Wirtz, who has started 12 of his 16 games for Liverpool, has also been warned by Hamann that if he doesn't come good before Christmas, his Reds future may be discussed by the club's board. The German added that the youngster doesn't look happy at Anfield after a "very disappointing" start.

"Florian Wirtz has had chances to perform. He's had chances over the last six to eight weeks, where the team hasn't really fired since the start of the season," he said. "Even the games against Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Burnley were all games they probably didn't deserve to win, but they did, and he played in all of them. He's had the chance for the last three months to perform. What should make me believe he's going to do it now, because the team seems to be in disarray? It's not easy when you come in and there are cracks or problems within the team, and I don't know what it is or why it is. He doesn't look happy at the moment. He's a player who learned football on the streets, and that's how he played for Leverkusen, and this is why he was so natural, he always did the right thing. Now he doesn't do that anymore, he thinks too much. I think he works too much going backwards, which credits and honours him because he wants to help the team. But obviously, he was brought in to affect games on the other side of the pitch, and he hasn't done it so far. Having said that, it might take a little bit of weight off his shoulders because people clearly saw this past weekend that he is not the problem. Despite that, so far he's been very disappointing. I think he's got until Christmas now to show his worth, which is not easy because, as I said, the team is not functioning at the moment. I think if he doesn't do it from now until Christmas, I'm pretty sure that the club will get together with him and see what the best would be for both parties."

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Getty ImagesWhat comes next for Liverpool?

With Liverpool on a run of six Premier League defeats from their last seven games, some of the heat may have been taken off Wirtz as many of his team-mates are struggling at present. Arne Slot's team are down to 12th in the table and if they don't beat West Ham this weekend, the Dutch manager could be in a fight to save his job. Either way, Wirtz needs to start contributing soon or he could be on the bench more often than not.

Retiring allrounder says he agrees with decision to overlook him for Ashes tour after dislocation

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025Chris Woakes has confirmed that his international retirement was accelerated by the shoulder injury he sustained at The Oval in July, which he quickly realised could mark the end of his England career.Woakes, 36, announced his decision to retire from international cricket on Monday after discussions with Rob Key, England’s managing director, in which it became clear that he would not be considered for selection in the upcoming Ashes. He intends to play on both in franchise cricket, starting at the ILT20 in December, and for his county Warwickshire.His decision means that the final act of his England career was to walk out to bat at No. 11 with his left arm in a sling, spending 16 agonising minutes at the non-striker’s end and grimacing in pain every time he ran through for a single. Woakes did not face a ball as England fell six runs short, but was widely praised for his courage and bravery, defying a shoulder dislocation.He sustained the injury while diving over the boundary in an attempt to save a run on the first day of that fifth Test, and admitted in an interview with Sky Sports that retirement soon crossed his mind. “Definitely, there was a part of me that thought then that this could be my last act in an England shirt,” Woakes said.Related

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“When my shoulder was in the wrong place and you’re walking off at that moment, immediately you’re thinking about the game, and thinking you’re not going to play any further part. And then once things calm down a little bit, and you get the shoulder back in place, I suppose you start to then reflect and think, ‘Actually, this could be potentially be my last act in an England shirt.'”Woakes had been preparing to take a left-handed stance if required to face a ball, and conceded that he had found the prospect “slightly terrifying”. But he said that he never doubted his decision to bat: “I would’ve never been able to live with myself if I’d have said no… It just wouldn’t have sat right with me. It felt the right thing to do, and I’m sure everyone [else] would’ve done the same.”While he would have been in contention for England’s Ashes squad if fully fit, Woakes’ recovery timeframe effectively ruled him out of the start of the series and he was ultimately not considered for selection. He said that he was confident he could have “done a job” in some capacity if available, but accepted that the severity of his injury changed the picture.”I’ve got to get this right and rehab it well,” Woakes said. “Before that, the body was feeling great, and actually got better as the [India] series went on. Physically, I felt great and I felt like I potentially could have continued, but then obviously this happened and it just did change things a little bit.”I still feel like I would’ve been good enough and had the ability to go out [to Australia] – with my experience – to be able to go and do a job for the team, but I understand the route that the team are wanting to take. We haven’t won in Australia for a long time, so it feels like we’ve got to do something a little bit different and I’m fully behind that.”There was a chance I could have been fit once we go into December, but obviously the series would’ve been well and truly underway [by then]. You’re into the third or fourth Test match by that point, and I’m generally better with cricket under my belt. That call wasn’t surprising and, to be fair, I totally agree with that decision as well.”Woakes said that he had been “overwhelmed” by the response to his retirement, and that he will leave international cricket with no regrets: “To have won two World Cups, been a part of many Ashes series and one Ashes series win, I could never have dreamt of anything more.”

Manchester United are keen to secure a new midfield arrival and could now be set to turn to a star who Sir Alex Ferguson once likened to David Beckham.

The Red Devils are probing in their hunt to climb the Premier League table under Ruben Amorim and will hope that they can attack their festive schedule now that the international break is over, even if they need to navigate injuries and absences along the way.

Benjamin Sesko is set to be on the sidelines, and the former Sporting boss has confirmed that his summer striker signing is set to return around the same time that Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui exit for the African Cup of Nations.

He said on his potential return: “He’s going to stay a few weeks out. I don’t know how long but it is not that serious. We have to be careful with him. He is doing the recovery, he is feeling better, so in a few weeks I expect to have Ben.

“I think it’s going to be more or less at the same time. I don’t want to say for sure but when they are going to the camp, I expect to have Ben back.”

While the goals have been spread for Manchester United this season, there is always a cause to add more expertise in front of the target to alleviate pressure on the strikers, something Mbeumo in particular has brought to the club since his summer move from Brentford.

With the transfer window fast approaching, Amorim and INEOS will have their list of targets in place and ready to go, either for the January period or even beyond into the summer.

Man Utd now make approach to sign exciting gem who shone at U17 World Cup

The Red Devils are now keen to secure his signature before some high-profile suitors.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 23, 2025

Now, they have added a surprise name to their shortlist who is a popular figure among supporters, and news that he could be set to move to Manchester would certainly make headlines.

Man Utd eyeing surprise Scott McTominay return

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are eyeing a surprise return for Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who is also on the radar of Arsenal due to his exploits for club and country.

His career revival since leaving Old Trafford hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the Scotland international striking 17 times and registering eight assists in 51 appearances for the reigning Serie A champions.

Of course, McTominay’s exploits for the Tartan Army have also drawn worldwide attention, especially after his incredible overhead kick strike to help his country edge out Denmark for a place at the World Cup finals.

Happy in Italy, it is believed that Napoli has set a £60 million valuation of the 28-year-old, and unless something drastic were to happen, a summer 2026 transfer move appears to be the most likely outcome.

Manchester United have been in the market for a midfielder to add to their existing pool of options, though it would be a surprise if they were to bring in a former academy star with such a strong connection to the club, where his ascent was even likened to Beckham’s at Old Trafford by Ferguson.