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Apart from everything else, interference from the BCB and the team management is something for Gazi Ashraf Hossain to deal with

Mohammad Isam20-Feb-2024Not many chief selectors’ reigns are especially notable. In the modern era, there has generally been a regular turnover, almost everywhere. Some have been lengthy: David Graveney was around for 11 years in England; further back, Lawrie Sawle helped transform Australian cricket as national selector from 1982 to 1995. Last week came the end of another – less radical – long stint, that of Minhajul Abedin, who was Bangladesh’s chief selector for eight years.The BCB has appointed Gazi Ashraf Hossain as Minhajul’s successor, starting March 1. The news was welcomed in Bangladesh, mainly because of the years of talk about Minhajul being a weak selector with little influence – BCB president Nazmul Hassan often talked to the media instead of Minhajul about selection matters.Ashraf has the reputation of being an able administrator, and is known to have one of the best cricket brains in Bangladesh. Ashraf will be the first BCB chief selector with the stature of a board director. This is impressive. Firstly, just that he could arrange such a deal. Secondly, more importantly, because it will allow him the authority a chief selector needs in the BCB, where there is a lot of interference in selection matters by the board’s administrators.

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Without doubt, he will face resistance from the Bangladesh team management and the cricket board – something that was almost institutionalised several years ago.Ashraf led Bangladesh in their first seven ODIs, from 1986 to 1990, also the entire length of his international career, where his top score was a rearguard 18 against Merv Hughes & Co.

“It was really surprising for me. I hadn’t heard his name as a candidate. Many other names were floating around. I am the [BCB’s] vice-chairman of cricket operations, still I didn’t know anything. This is what surprised me the most”Khaled Mahmud on Gazi Ashraf Hossain’s appointment

Bangladesh’s pre-Full Member days are now so removed from the average Bangladesh fans’ consciousness that the likes of Ashraf and Minhajul are sometimes judged only by their poor numbers – Minhajul averaged 18.87 with the bat and 39.30 with the ball in 27 ODIs between 1986 and 1999. But both Ashraf and Minhajul were domestic giants in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively.Ashraf’s peak was from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. After leading Abahani Limited to six Dhaka Premier League titles during his time, Ashraf gained a reputation of being an astute strategist and is regarded as one of the architects of Bangladesh’s 1997 ICC Trophy title win in his role as manager. It is the triumph that started Bangladesh’s ascent towards Test status.As a board director, Ashraf held various roles in the BCB, including being the first BPL governing council chairman. After Khaled Mahmud defeated him in the 2013 BCB directors’ elections, Ashraf became a prominent face in TV talk shows and wrote a newspaper column. But unlike many former Bangladesh cricketers, he offered well-informed views and was usually a voice of reason.Former cricketers, however, rarely get roles in the BCB. Even in selection. Usually, one of the men in the chief’s panel is promoted.There have been exceptions. In 2007, Rafiqul Alam was a chief selector appointed from outside the board bosses’ close circle. But Faruque Ahmed was first made chief selector in 2003 after he had served under Aliul Islam’s selection panel; Akram Khan was made chief in 2011 after serving in Rafiqul’s panel; Faruque returned to the top role in 2013 after his 2003-07 tenure; when Faruque resigned in 2016 after clashing with BCB president Nazmul Hassan and head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, Minhajul, who was part of Faruque’s team, was given the top job.[File pic] Minhajul Abedin [R] was thought of as a weak chief selector•Raton GomesWith Ashraf, there is an argument to be made about his lack of experience as a selector. Faruque, Akram and Minhajul had experience as selectors before they got the chief’s job. Ashraf doesn’t.That the appointment has polarised the BCB became clear less than 24 hours after it was made formal – BCB director Khaled Mahmud, who had defeated Ashraf in the 2013 elections, said that he was surprised. He felt that former captain Habibul Bashar “deserved” the job.”It was really surprising for me. I hadn’t heard his name as a candidate,” Mahmud, also the coach of BPL team Durdanto Dhaka, said at a press meet in Chattogram on February 13. “Many other names were floating around. I am the [BCB’s] vice-chairman of cricket operations, still I didn’t know anything. This is what surprised me the most.”I feel that [Bashar] definitely deserved it. He was a successful captain of the Bangladesh team, he was a successful cricketer, and he also worked with the team for many years. I had hoped that he would be made chief selector if [Minhajul] is replaced.”Mahmud might have a point, but he wasn’t present at the board meeting. He was with the Dhaka franchise and the BCB directors present at the meeting reportedly agreed on Ashraf’s appointment unanimously after the BCB chief had proposed his name.

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There were no such questions about Hannan Sarkar, the other selector appointed alongside Ashraf. Hannan was the BCB’s age-group selector since 2015. It has been one of the best periods for the age-group sides in the country, culminating in the 2020 men’s Under-19 World Cup triumph. Hannan’s progression to the senior selection committee makes sense in Bangladesh’s context, since age-group cricket produces almost all of Bangladesh’s future senior cricketers.Hannan’s promotion seems ideal. But the BCB’s overall structure isn’t really supportive of such a pathway. Selectors have often been picked based on their status as cricketers. Faruque, Akram and Minhajul, and now Ashraf, are all ex-captains, while Rafiqul was a well-established senior cricketer. Those who toil for years in the age-group level and are considered good at scouting or talent spotting don’t get the BCB’s call-up for selection. Like former fast bowler Hasibul Hossain Shanto, who is known in the circuit as an efficient selector but has been kept in age-group cricket. Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, one of the senior-most coaches who is known for his depth of knowledge in age-group and senior cricket, was reportedly part of the discussions this time as a selector, but was passed over.Khaled Mahmud, Russell Domingo and Shakib Al Hasan at a practice session•AFP via Getty ImagesAnd then there is the BCB’s overall culture about team selection. Faruque resigned in 2016 after the BCB put the head coach, team manager, and cricket operations chairman in a “selection panel” to approve the selectors’ selections. Faruque’s exit was seen as a huge blow to the independent selection system. Minhajul, it is understood, worked with the system of interference in place, with Hassan taking on the media’s questions and offering his opinions on selection matters, and the understanding was that the selectors would not be taking the final call.The most extreme example of this came in 2018. Imrul Kayes and Soumya Sarkar were flown in to Dubai for the Asia Cup. It was reported at the time that everyone in the team management, including the captain and the coach, knew what was going on. The BCB’s top brass were fully aware, too, and arranged for the two players to fly in. Minhajul had no idea.Understandably, one of the early questions in Ashraf’s first press conference was about whether he would be allowed to work independently. Ashraf said that he wanted to follow “global standards” when it came to taking suggestions from coach Hathurusingha, but if recent history is any indication, it could be an uphill battle. Ashraf will not only have to change the selection panel’s image, but also put in place the right methods of selection.The new selection committee officially begins work on March 1. They will follow Bangladesh playing against Sri Lanka through the month. The white-ball squad is already out. The Minhajul Minhajul-led panel will be remembered for being weak, taking a backseat to the board and the team management. Ashraf’s stature as a board-director equivalent could help him, but his task is complicated, and it’s not just about selecting the best team for Bangladesh.

Manjrekar has asked for LED lights to do the job bails do, Shastri doesn’t want change after a “one-off case”

Nagraj Gollapudi and Raunak Kapoor13-May-20224:29

Is it time to do away with the bails?

Yuzvendra Chahal agrees with Sanjay Manjrekar that if a ball hits the stumps and the bails light up but don’t get dislodged, it should still be declared out.One such moment came during Rajasthan Royals’ loss against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday when off the last ball of Chahal’s first over, he beat David Warner with a legbreak that went on to hit the stumps. Unfortunately for Chahal, and Royals, Warner survived as the bails didn’t fall. Warner was on 22 at the time and the Capitals were 94 adrift of the target with 11 overs to go. Warner eventually walked back undefeated on 52 having seen Capitals home comfortably.Related

• Simon Taufel: 'People think that the way to solve the odd grey area in cricket is to replace it with technology'

• When Jasprit Bumrah met Andre Russell

• Pat Cummins leaves IPL 2022 early with hip injury

• Manjrekar: Bails are 'redundant', add a 'lot of complications'

“Since it was first time this happened with me, even I was shocked because the ball hit the wickets and the bails did not fall,” Chahal told ESPNcricnfo on Thursday. “If such a thing happens at a crucial time especially with a batsman like Warner, who does not offer too many chances… so if he had got out at that juncture then probably the match result could have been different.”Chahal said he had planned Warner’s wicket, leaving a point and just one fielder to man the covers. With the ball turning, Chahal said he went “fuller”. “The way he plays with a short backlift [trying to hit more square of the pitch], I wanted to create the gap [between the bat and the ball] because if the ball is turning, I have to go for the wicket.”The plan worked like a charm, and both Chahal and Sanju Samson started to celebrate, only to have their celebrations cut short.The LED-stump technology is used by match officials to adjudicate three forms of dismissals: bowled, stumpings, and run-outs. The existing playing condition dictate that the bails have to fall off the top of the stumps for the batter to be declared out. And the LED lights flash only when both spigots on one or both bails are dislodged from the groove, though they can settle back in.On Wednesday, just as the legbreak hit the stumps, the left bail came off the groove. Momentarily igniting the lights. But it rested back in the groove, reprieving Warner.Warner said cheekily after the match that he was “due some luck”. “You do the hard yards at training and you create your own luck and I think tonight I had some,” he told Mitchell Marsh during an interaction. “Spinners complain when the ball doesn’t spin and they complain when the ball does spin. It was one of those things where the stumps were jammed in the ground.”Chahal said while he respected the rule, he was in favour of it being changed. “We can do that because at a crucial time, and it is a big event or match or final, then something like this happens because if the ball hits the wicket then it should be out,” he said. “If it is given not out just because the bails have not fallen off then it could cost you a match. It definitely will affect the [bowling] team.”

“If you have bails, then the bails should fall off. If tomorrow you say get rid of the bails, then go by the lights. It’s a case of basically getting rid of the bails. But why change it? It’s there for a 100 years and the fun element is there, and the luck factor comes in”Ravi Shastri

Talking on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out on Wednesday, Manjrekar had stated that bails be made “redundant”, considering LED stumps are widely used these days. “It would have been a wicket, deserving for Chahal who bowled superbly,” he said. “It was a terrible shot from Warner, and it didn’t get a wicket. Unless it’s adding an aesthetic value, they should just get rid of the bails because they’re completely redundant with LED technology.”Ravi Shastri, though, had a more traditional viewpoint, saying that bails, which had been introduced in cricket to allow match officials to determine if the ball had hit the stumps or not, should stay. “It’s a Catch-22 situation,” he told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. “Suppose I play a forward defence and the ball rolls on to the stumps at a very slow pace and touches the stumps, and the bails don’t fall off – is he out or not out? The debate will start there as well.Yuzvendra Chahal executed his plan against David Warner perfectly, only for the batter to get lucky•BCCI”If you are looking from the bowler’s point of view, you might say the lights have flashed, you should be given out. But if that’s the rule that has existed over a 100 years, there’s an element of suspense, whether it will fall or not fall, that makes the luck factor come into play. I think it’s very rare the bails won’t fall, you’ll have a one-off case like this.”If you have bails, then the bails should fall off. If tomorrow you say get rid of the bails, then go by the lights. It’s a case of basically getting rid of the bails. But why change it? It’s there for a 100 years and the fun element is there, and the luck factor comes in.”Shastri cited an example from his playing days when he was at the “receiving end” in a dismissal where the bails had fallen off without anyone noticing it. “I remember a game in Mumbai where I was batting against West Indies at the Wankhede and [Michael] Holding was bowling. I was batting on 70 or something and there’s one that nipped back and went to [Jeffrey] Dujon. And after a minute, there was an appeal because one bail had fallen down. No one heard anything, but the bail had fallen down and I was given out. It was the right decision because when they really showed it in slow motion, it was the pace of Holding. It might not have touched the stumps but the speed at which the ball was going it dislodged the bail. And that’s cricket. I was at the receiving end of it.”He, however, admitted that he would reluctantly agree for the existing rule to be tweaked. “If you see most of the rules, if they are in favour of the batsmen, then this one as a bowler to get something back, it’s not a bad thought,” Shastri said. “I don’t want to change things for the sake of changing.”

The New York Yankees have been in a prolonged slump and the team didn't get off to a hot start in the month of August, either. Following Sunday's 7–3 defeat at loanDepot Park, the Yankees were swept by the Marlins for the first time ever.

New York has not only seen its comfortable AL East lead slip, but they've even fallen into third place in the division behind the rival Red Sox. They're currently clinging onto a wild card spot by two games as teams continue to close the cap.

Following the humbling sweep in Miami, Aaron Boone spoke to reporters and addressed the team's current woes. He used three words to describe the situation, telling reporters it's "gut check time" for the Yankees as they embark on the final two months of the campaign, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

As Hoch noted, the Yankees are 25-32 since the end of May and have been swept three times during that span, including twice against division rivals in Boston and Toronto. As the season continues to crumble, Boone is hoping his team can find the mindset needed to overcome their struggles and turn things around down the stretch.

The injury to Aaron Judge certainly makes things more difficult, but there's plenty to criticize about this Yankees team, in particular their lack of focus on defense and on the base paths. If they can't clean up their sloppy play, things may continue to get worse in the Bronx.

Liverpool’s board have reportedly picked their side in the stunning internal battle at Anfield which has been sparked by Mohamed Salah’s explosive outburst. The Egyptian superstar has spoken out against the club, accusing them of throwing him under the bus, while also admitting to having no working relationship with Arne Slot. Reds chiefs now face player versus manager drama on Merseyside.

• Frustrated Salah taking in Liverpool bench duty

  It has been pointed out, by a number of prominent figures that boast strong professional ties to Liverpool, that nobody will ever be bigger than the club. Salah has been bluntly reminded of that point, with the 33-year-old considered to have allowed ego to get the better of him.

  He has, after being named among the substitutes in three successive games, suggested that his past achievements should guarantee a starting berth. Salah is, however, among those to have struggled for form this season.

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  Explosive outburst: What Salah said

  The two-time Premier League title winner is less than impressed at being forced to fill a supporting role in Slot’s current plans, with no explanation being offered as to why he has – in his opinion – become a scapegoat for their struggles.

  Salah told reporters after seeing no game time off the bench in a dramatic 3-3 draw at Leeds: “I don't know why I'm sitting on the bench. It feels like the club is throwing me under the bus, that's how I feel. I think it's very clear that someone will blame me.” He went on to say of his dealings with Slot: “I have said many times that I have a good relationship with the manager, but suddenly we don't have a relationship anymore. I don't know why.”

  The stunning outburst from Salah has left those behind the scenes at Anfield with some difficult decisions to make. According to , Reds boss Slot “has the full backing of the board” as he retains complete control when it comes to selection calls.

• Liverpool board side with Slot as Salah faces being dropped

  It is being suggested that Salah will be left out of Liverpool’s squad for a Champions League clash with Serie A giants Inter on Tuesday. There is also a chance that he will be forced to miss a Premier League meeting with Brighton on Saturday.

  That fixture will be Salah’s last before heading off on international duty with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. He has hinted at that contest being his last for the Reds, with the plan being to make sure that farewells are bid to a loyal fanbase at Anfield.

  Salah will be forced to accept whatever fate Slot has in store for him, with reporting on how the Liverpool board believe that their head coach “should be given the freedom when it comes to tactical decisions and that players should react to those decisions in a professional manner”.

  Salah has chosen petulance over professionalism, with many questioning his decision to speak out in public. He has every right to feel aggrieved, having also failed to make it off the bench against West Ham on November 30, but could have addressed matters behind closed doors.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Salah record in 2025-26: Goal numbers down as transfer talk sparked

  He has only registered five goals and three assists through 19 appearances in the 2025-26 campaign, with those numbers well down for a man that has broken the 20-goal barrier in all of his eight full seasons on Merseyside – topping 30 on five occasions.

  Salah last found the target in Premier League competition on November 1, against Aston Villa, with a blank being drawn across his last five outings. He is being challenged to work hard in training and play his way back into form and favour.

  That may not happen as, despite signing a new two-year contract back in April, transfer talk has been sparked once again. are among those to report on how Saudi Pro League teams are monitoring Salah’s situation, with lucrative offers being readied in the Middle East ahead of another window of opportunity swinging open at the start of 2026.

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بيراميدز لمواجهة باور ديناموز، في اللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويتواجد بيراميدز في المجموعة الأولى، ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا مع أندية باور ديناموز ونهضة بركان المغربي وريفرز يونايتد النيجيري.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد فوز نهضة بركان على ريفرز يونايتد

ويحتل بيراميدز المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب المجموعة الأولى، برصيد 3 نقاط، بينما يقع باور ديناموز في المركز الثالث دون نقاط.

وكان نهضة بركان المغربي قد فاز على ريفرز يونايتد النيجيري بهدفين لهدف، ليحتل صدارة المجموعة برصيد 6 نقاط من مباراتين. تشكيل بيراميدز المتوقع أمام باور ديناموز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

حارس المرمى: أحمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: أحمد سامي ومحمود مرعي ومحمد حمدي ومحمد الشيبي.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه ووليد الكرتي وأحمد عاطف قطة.

خط الهجوم: فيستون مايلي ومحمود زلاكا وعبد الرحمن مجدي.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nicolás Larcamón concedeu entrevista coletiva – em uma espécie de zona mista improvisada da Arena MRV – após a vitória do Cruzeiro sobre o Atlético-MG por 2 a 0, neste sábado (3). O técnico argentino elogiou a atuação do time e o triunfo sobre o rival, mas mantém os pés no chão.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– Da maneira que se ganhou, sendo parte da construção como time, o time jogou muito pelo jogo, com consistência, mas é parte do processo. Temos que sustentar a humildade principalmente. Agora não é positivo se tomar atitude de perder humildade. É só um grande triunfo. Para a torcida é importante, mas para a gente é só um grande passo – afirmou Larcamón.

– A humildade, a convicção. O time jogou bem no segundo tempo, foi dominante, em campo foi o que vimos trabalhando. Um jogo com tudo contra. Tudo era para o rival. Minha equipe principalmente teve humildade e muita convicção do que sabe fazer – completou o treinador do Cruzeiro.

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Foi um jogo que foi muito consistente na performance, contra um grande rival, tem grandes jogadores, um excelente treinador. Mas foi um jogo inteligente, consistente. Soubemos dar os golpes nos momentos importantes do jogo. Não perdemos o controle do jogo. Isso é importante pra gente – finalizou, em conversa breve com a imprensa após a vitória do Cruzeiro sobre o Atlético-MG neste sábado (3)

Tudo sobre

Atlético-MGCampeonato MineiroCruzeiroNicolás Larcamón

India wristspinner overtakes New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy following his performances in two Asia Cup matches

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2025

India wristspinner Varun Chakravarthy has become the top-ranked bowler in the ICC’s men’s T20I rankings following his performances of 1 for 4 against UAE and 1 for 24 against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE. He is the third Indian bowler to achieve the No. 1 ranking after Jasprit Bumrah and legspinner Ravi Bishnoi.Chakravarthy, 34, overtook New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy, who had been at No. 1 since March. Sri Lanka quick Nuwan Thushara also rose six places to sixth place after taking one wicket in his first two Asia Cup matches.Pakistan’s left-arm wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem has moved up four spots to 11th, India’s left-arm spinner Axar Patel is up one rank to 12th, Pakistan legspinner Abrar Ahmed jumped 11 places to 16th and Kuldeep Yadav has made up 16 spots to finish 23rd, and Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad is 25th after the ICC’s weekly update of the rankings.India opener Abhishek Sharma has strengthened his grip on the No. 1 ranking for T20I batters by blitzing 30 off 16 balls against UAE and 31 off 13 balls against Pakistan at the Asia Cup.England’s openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler have both moved up a spot to second and third place. Salt scored 141 not out off 60 balls – England’s highest T20I score and fastest century – and Buttler 83 off 30 balls as England smashed 304 for 2 in the second T20I against South Africa at Old Trafford. It’s the first time Buttler has broken into the top three in the ICC’s T20I batting rankings.

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final was always going to be an unmissable event, but this latest Old Firm derby is even more intriguing than usual.

Both Glasgow giants have changed managers in recent weeks, with this only Danny Röhl’s fourth match in charge of Rangers, while Martin O’Neill is back in the Celtic hot seat on an interim basis, following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation on Monday.

For Röhl, it feels as though momentum is starting to build in Glasgow’s West End, following back-to-back Premiership victories over Kilmarnock and Hibs so far this week.

Nevertheless, there is nothing quite like an Old Firm derby to set the zeitgeist, so victory at the national stadium on Sunday would only enhance Röhl’s hero status among the Rangers support, but what lineup should he select against their fierce rivals?

Rangers team news vs Celtic

First and foremost, it has transpired this week that midfielder Connor Barron is suspended.

The £14k-per-week star has been cautioned during both League Cup ties so far this season, victories over Alloa Athletic and Hibernian at Ibrox, so will serve a one-match ban at Hampden.

Given that Barron started the mid-week win at Easter Road, at least one change to the lineup will be required, but a few more are forecast.

Elsewhere, Dujon Sterling remains sidelined long-term due to an achilles injury, still yet to feature this season, but attacker Oliver Antman could return, having missed the last two matches due to illness, which would be a boost.

In total, four changes are forecast when compared to the lineup that left Leith with all three points on Wednesday, but will this team have enough to defeat Celtic?

Rangers predicted XI vs Celtic

As Danny Röhl seeks to figure out which players he can count on, one man whose spot is not up for debate is Jack Butland.

He was the Gers’ hero against Hibs in mid-week, saving a late Jamie McGrath spot-kick, thereby preserving the club’s first clean sheet away from Ibrox since December last year, a sequence of 25 matches that broke the club-record set in Victorian times.

In front of him, Röhl is likely to stick with the back three deployed in both domestic matches so far.

This is good news for Nasser Djiga who, after high-profile mistakes against Dundee and Club Brugge in August, sent off in the former and rather gifting the Belgians a goal in the latter, found himself cast aside.

Nevertheless, the Wolves loanee will keep his place alongside Derek Cornelius and John Souttar.

At wing-back is where the first change will be made.

Having been introduced at half time in Edinburgh, James Tavernier will return, making his 43rd Old Firm appearance, but there is a question mark over who gets the nod on the other side.

The captain replaced Jayden Meghoma in the capital, with Max Aarons shifting across to left-wing-back, so it’s tough to forecast who Röhl will go for, but the teenager on loan from Brentford is the more natural option.

In the middle, given Barron’s suspension, Mohamed Diomandé is the obvious candidate to come in and partner Nicolas Raskin, the pair rekindling their partnership that was the most effective part of Rangers’ team last season.

In this system, Röhl needs two players who can cover a lot of ground, something that certainly is not Joe Rothwell’s forte.

Attack is, by a significant distance, the toughest area of the team to forecast, with seven players, realistically, vying for three spots.

Having scored in each of the last two matches, thereby on target in back-to-back Premiership appearances for the first time since December, Danilo is likely to keep his place, but could be the only member of Wednesday’s front three to do so.

After a generally anonymous performance in Leith, Mikey Moore is set to drop out, the Spurs loanee still yet to score for the Gers.

This would see Djeidi Gassama return to the forward line, having scored five times so far this season, albeit all of which have come in Europe, looking to change that at Hampden.

When he arrived, then-manager Russell Martin labelled the Frenchman “an exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats”, and that has certainly proved to be the case so far.

To complete the forward line, Röhl seems to see something in Youssef Chermiti that supporters do not, the 21-year-old joining Rangers for £8m from Everton, a fee that could rise all the way to £10m, a club record in the post-liquidation era.

The big money signing has started two of the last three games, scoring his first goal for the club off the bench against Killie last Sunday.

However, deploying two centre-forwards against Celtic would be bold, which may well count against both Chermiti and Bojan Miovski, meaning Thelo Aasgaard is the most likely candidate to come in, chosen over Antman, given his recent bout of illness.

Rangers predicted XI vs Celtic

Formation: 3-4-2-1

GK

Jack Butland

CB

John Souttar

CB

Nasser Djiga

CB

Derek Cornelius

RWB

James Tavernier

CM

Nicolas Raskin

CM

Mohamed Diomandé

LWB

Jayden Meghoma

RM

Thelo Aasgaard

LM

Djeidi Gassama

CF

Danilo

Röhl does have options and plenty of talent to work with, even if that certainly did not appear to be the case during Martin’s ill-fated tenure.

So, does this XI have enough quality to beat a depleted Celtic?

Only time will tell!

Related Chermiti upgrade: Rohl readying Rangers approach for "dangerous" £1m gem

As Danny Röhl seeks to strengthen his Rangers attacking options, should they sign a £1m rated gem who’s better than Youssef Chermiti?

Posts ByBen Gray Oct 31, 2025

After a disastrous few weeks, Liverpool have now reportedly joined the race to sign a bargain Bundesliga ace in an attempt to solve their current defensive problems.

Klopp fails to rule out Liverpool return

After four defeats in a row, the last thing that Arne Slot needed to see was a Liverpool legend’s admission that he could still one day return to the club. But that’s exactly what Jurgen Klopp handed him when speaking to Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO podcast. Speaking more openly than ever before, the German failed to rule out an Anfield return.

That said, Klopp also took the time to hand Slot plenty of praise, having watched on as the Dutchman secured Premier League glory in his first season at the club.

The Liverpool legend said: “I tried to make it as easy as possible for the guy who would come after me. We have had a lot of contact after I left. He is a super good guy and got the best out of the team.”

Whether Slot will turn to Klopp for advice in the face of Liverpool’s current problems is something that only he will know, but there’s no denying that he needs a solution from somewhere.

Liverpool dud who "plods around like he's 40 years old" is on borrowed time

A number of Arne Slot’s players are underperforming at Liverpool.

ByMatt Dawson Oct 20, 2025

The Reds were once again fragile from the off on Sunday, with Manchester United the latest team to benefit, and Harry Maguire’s late goal ensured that it’s four defeats in a row for the Premier League champions.

For all their spending in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice, Liverpool’s weaknesses are clear for all to see and Michael Edwards must return to the transfer market in search of a solution in January.

Liverpool enter race to sign Diogo Leite

As reported by Milan Live, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Diogo Leite from Union Berlin in 2026. The Portuguese defender will reportedly be available for just €5m (£4m) next year and has attracted interest from those at Anfield as well as AC Milan and Wolverhampton Wanderers as a result.

It should come as no surprise that Liverpool have found themselves in the race to sign the central defender. As things stand, Slot has just three senior centre-backs to choose from in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, who fans will remember cost a similar fee when he joined from Charlton back in 2015, just £3.5m.

Although Marc Guehi is officially set to leave Crystal Palace as a free agent in the summer, there’s no guarantee that Liverpool will win the race for his signature in such circumstances. Instead, they may be better off targeting someone like Leite.

Dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig during his Porto days, Leite represents the kind of bargain deal that Edwards initially became known for at Anfield. Now, he could return to what he does best to get the Reds back on track.

Batter available for remainder of Metro Bank One Day Cup opening block and first four Vitality Blast games

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2025The Blaze have recruited New Zealand batter Maddy Green on a short-term deal for the Metro Bank One Day Cup and Vitality Blast.Green, part of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup-winning side in October, replaces allrounder Orla Prendergast, who has returned home to Ireland for family reasons.Green will be available or the remainder of the opening block of fixtures in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, which runs to May 20 before the competition breaks until late July, and the opening four matches in the Vitality Blast, which starts on May 30.While this will be Green’s first experience of women’s domestic cricket in England under the new county-based structure, she was part of the Nottinghamshire women’s squad in 2012, playing against the likes of Trent Bridge stablemate Tammy Beaumont as Notts reached the regional final of the T20 Cup. She also appeared for Welsh Fire in The Hundred in 2022.”I’m really excited to be here,” said Green. “The Blaze have been a strong side for a number of years, so it’s a great chance to join that and play a part. It’s brilliant to be back in Nottingham. It feels like a long time ago now, but it’s been great to see the evolution of women’s cricket in that time. I’m really pleased to be a part of it, and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running.”The Blaze are second on the One Day Cup table, five points behind Hampshire, who have played one game more.Green has represented her country 193 times across white-ball formats. She has scored 1,708 ODI runs at an average of 28.00 with two centuries and seven half-centuries. In T20Is, she has 1,193 runs at 17.04 with a strike rate of 103.29.She has also won multiple titles for Auckland and Wellington in both T20 and 50-over cricket in New Zealand and was part of the victorious Brisbane Heat side which won the 2019-20 WBBL.Craig Cumming, The Blaze head coach, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to secure a player of Maddy’s calibre at such short notice. She’ll add extra power to our batting line-up and energy in the field, and her leadership skills and experience will complement the rest of the group as we look to maintain our positive momentum this summer.”