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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is determined to add plenty of quality to his team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign starting in a few weeks.

There is pressure to repeat their fourth-place finish in the Premier League from last term, while plenty of challenges will come in the revised Champions League group stage.

The club have finally brought in Amadou Onana from Everton and in the attacking areas, have been linked with moves for the likes of Nico Williams, Viktor Tsygankov and Jesper Lindstrom recently.

Though, for their next move, could Emery turn closer to home again?

Aston Villa showing interest in Premier League star

According to Ben Jacobs last weekend – who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the Midlands side are interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, with his arrival more likely than Williams.

The former Wolves starlet could cost around £50m should Emery go ahead and make a more concrete move to sign him in the coming weeks, which may prove to be a stumbling block depending on who else the Spaniard wants to sign.

There is no doubt that he would be a wonderful signing, taking no time to settle in due to his Premier League experience of recent seasons with Nottingham Forest.

Why Morgan Gibbs-White could be Villa’s next Watkins

Villa have signed their fair share of English players from Premier League and Championship sides in recent years, but Ollie Watkins has to go down as one of the finest.

Last season saw the striker score 27 goals in all competitions as he propelled Villa to fourth spot and a place in Europe’s premier club competition.

From a personal point of view, his goalscoring exploits saw the 28-year-old secure a spot in the England squad for Euro 2024, where he scored a wonderful winner against the Netherlands in the semi-final.

Gibbs-White may play slightly deeper as an attacking midfielder, but the Villans would be acquiring another homegrown talent from a fellow English club, as they did with Watkins.

He might not be as prolific as Watkins, but he does have a keen eye for goal, netting six goals while grabbing ten assists for Forest as they retained their top-flight status.

Among his teammates, not only did Gibbs-White record the best average Sofascore rating in the Premier League (7.26), but he also ranked second for goals and assists (15), first for big chances created (16), key passes per game (2) and second for shots per match (1.9), clearly impressing in the final third.

Goals

5

5

Assists

8

10

Big chances created

9

16

Key passes per game

1.9

2

Successful dribbles per game

1.4

1.2

U23 scout Antonio Mango previously hailed the Englishman as being “incredibly underrated” towards the end of 2023, and it is clear he is ready to make the step up to play for a team like Villa next season.

Splashing in excess of £50m for the current Forest sensation may seem like a lot at the moment, but if he joins and immediately hits the ground running, there is no doubt the Villa faithful will get right behind him.

His stats in the Premier League since the start of the 2022/23 season – ten goals and 18 assists – would certainly give Emery more goals from the midfield area, taking some pressure off of Watkins next season.

The next few weeks could see some more developments with this transfer.

Imagine him & Williams: Aston Villa could sign a "clinical" star for £0

Unai Emery is in the market to sign a striker this summer…

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 22, 2024

Former Australia quick is expected to link up with Afghanistan for the T20 World Cup in October-November

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2021

Shaun Tait, the former Australia quick who recently signed a five-month deal to be bowling coach with the Afghanistan national team, has also been roped in as bowling coach of Puducherry in the Indian domestic circuit. Afghanistan remains a priority, though, and Tait will link up with Puducherry only when available.”I’m with [Puducherry] throughout the season based on availability from my commitments with the Afghanistan team,” Tait confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Saturday. Puducherry have Dishant Yagnik as their head coach – both Tait and Yagnik have been players with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL in the past, and Yagnik has more recently been Royals’ fielding coach.”Tait has expressed his willingness to join the Puducherry team later this month. However, if he gets a call from Afghanistan he may join them and stay with the team before rejoining Puducherry for his duties,” a Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP) official was quoted as saying by PTI, which said that Tait was expected to mentor the quick bowlers at the CAP academy in Puducherry too.Related

Women's cricket 'in peril' but fans rejoice as the game returns to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

Afghanistan likely to host Australia and West Indies

India’s domestic calendar for 2021-22 will begin with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy on November 4 this year, while the Ranji Trophy, the country’s premier first-class competition, starts on January 13, 2022. The 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy will get underway on December 8, with neutral venues being used for all tournaments.Tait’s appointment with Afghanistan was confirmed in early August, and his first assignment there was expected to be the three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Hambantota in early September. But that series was postponed indefinitely because of logistical concerns, and Tait will now link up with the team only prior to the T20 World Cup in late October. He was never expected to move to Kabul, and had said the agreement had been that he would join the team whenever they travelled.”There have been talks for a few months now about me possibly taking up the role,” 38-year-old Tait told ESPNcricinfo earlier about his Afghanistan gig. “It eventuated because head coach Lance Klusener wanted someone else to oversee the bowling side specifically.”Everyone talks about Afghanistan’s spinners, so one of the specifics of my role is to get people talking more about their fast bowlers. There is some improvement to be done and hopefully, I can add that side of things. With all the concentration on the spin, a couple of guys get picked to do the role at the death and they’re gonna need some guidance. That’s where I come in.”Tait is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has worked as a bowling coach with Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League and Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.

da brwin： It's been over three weeks since the transfer window swung open, and while there has been some movement here and there, it feels like clubs are waiting for the European Championships to end before really splashing the cash.

da apostebet： In the case of Arsenal, they have made two permanent signings thus far, welcoming 18-year-old Lucas Nygaard to the team and executing the option to buy in David Raya's loan deal from Brentford.

However, based on recent reports, Mikel Arteta looks set to welcome a player who has caught the footballing world's attention recently and shares many similarities with the Gunners' star right-back, Ben White.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are edging closer to securing the services of Bologna's star defender Riccardo Calafiori after agreeing personal terms with the Italian.

The journalist revealed that the Gunners are now the clear favourites to land the player's signature, as there have been no talks with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, or Chelsea Football Club.

An earlier report from Romano revealed that the North Londoners have agreed to a five-year deal with the 22-year-old that will see him earn €4m-per-year, the equivalent of around £3.4m.

Reports over the last week or so claim that the transfer fee will cost Arsenal around £42m, and while it's a lot of money altogether, Calafiori looks like an incredibly exciting defender, and the fact he shares some similarities with White is undoubtedly reassuring.

The similarities between Calafiori and White

So, while Calafirori enjoyed an exceptional Serie A campaign with Bologna last season and helped them qualify for the Champions League, he really caught the eye of the wider footballing world thanks to his impressive displays for a lacklustre Italy team at the Euros this summer.

He started and starred in all three group games for the Azzurri in Germany and only missed the round of 16 match against Switzerland – the game that saw the team eliminated – due to picking up two yellow cards.

In the three games he did feature, he played as a centre-back, but across his career, he's started more games at full-back, in the first fundamental similarity he shares with White.

Calafiori & White's versatility

Position

Calafiori (Starts)

Position

White (Starts)

Left-Back

49

Centre-Back

207

Centre-Back

43

Right-Back

100

Left Midfield

9

Defensive Midfield

13

Right-Back

2

Left-Back

4

All Stats via Transfermarkt

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 129 appearances, he has started 49 games at left-back and two at right-back while starting 43 at centre-back. The Englishman, who is four years his senior, has now reached 100 starts at right-back, and with how his career has progressed in recent seasons, he seems destined to surpass his 200 starts at centre-back within a few years.

Alongside their positional versatility, the two stars are also progressive and forward-thinking defenders. For example, last season, the Italian "monster," as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored two goals and provided five assists in 33 appearances for the Rossoblu, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.71 games.

Likewise, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem scored four goals and provided five assists in 51 appearances for the Gunners, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 5.66 games for the Premier League runners-up.

Ultimately, if Arsenal are to go on and finally overtake Manchester City as the best team in England, they will need a squad bursting to the seams with talent. While they already had the best defence in the league last season, adding a player like Calafiori can only be a good thing, especially as he already seems to have a lot in common with the incredible White.

Related Arsenal struck gold on a star who's worth more than Calafiori & Gyokeres

The “phenomenal” talent has has been unreal for Arteta.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 7, 2024

Alex Carey made a century earlier in the day while Jake Lehmann further swelled the Redbacks’ total

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2021South Australia followed a powerful batting display by making significant inroads into the New South Wales top order but Kurtis Patterson held the visitors together in Adelaide.Alex Carey scored his fifth first-class century in the Redback’s hefty total – one of six players to pass fifty before they declared shortly after lunch – then they had New South Wales tottering at 4 for 115 before Patterson and captain Peter Nevill guided them to the close without further mishaps.David Warner had made a positive start on his return to first-class cricket after injury, hitting four boundaries before edging behind as he tried to leave a delivery off Daniel Worrall from round the wicket.Nick Larkin drove a catch to gully and the in-form Moises Henriques picked out point against David Grant who then found the outside edge of Daniel Solway.However, Patterson went past fifty for the first time this season and closed in sight of a ninth first-class hundred although New South Wales still had considerable work to do.They had struck early with the ball when Warner held an excellent low catch at slip to remove Harry Nielsen off Josh Hazlewood to break a fifth-wicket stand of 101.Carey had resumed on 86 and brought up his century from 177 balls before failing to clear in the in-field off Lyon as he looked to lift the tempo.The scoreboard moved along at a good rate thanks to Jake Lehmann, who made his highest first-class score since October 2018, and Chadd Sayers. Lyon removed Lehmann short of his hundred to complete another five-wicket haul but Mitchell Starc finished with figures of 0 for 91 from 21 overs.

Veteran Porterfield to combine playing career with job as fielding coach

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2021Cricket Ireland has announced new coaching consultancy roles for William Porterfield, Ireland’s former captain across all formats, and Gary Wilson, the wicketkeeper-batsman who retired last week.Porterfield, 36, will combine his playing career with a job as consultant fielding coach, working with the men’s and women’s teams and the Ireland pathway system. He has also be named as Wilson’s assistant at the North West Warriors in Ireland’s interprovincial set-up.Recognised as one of Ireland’s best fielders, Porterfield’s last international appearance came in an ODI in January 2020, having stepped down from the captaincy a few months earlier.”I’m really excited about these two roles – both working within the national system and within the provincial system in the North West,” Porterfield said. “I had a bit of a taste of coaching with the Birmingham Bears last year, and am looking forward to working with some of Ireland’s most talented players – being able to pass on knowledge and experience from a coach’s perspective. It will be a bit different being a coach while still playing, but it’s going to be a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”The fielding role with Ireland is something I’m passionate about. I’ve prided myself on my fielding throughout my career, and tried to set high standards, so hopefully I’ll be able to help not only players from the senior men’s and women’s squads, but players from the under-age teams as well.”Related

Ireland emphasise need for ICC funding and more context as Test drought continues

Porterfield steps down as Ireland captain

Dockrell, Porterfield, Rankin dropped for Afghanistan ODIs

Gary Wilson retires to take up coaching role

Having called time on his professional career to take over as North West Warriors head coach and pathway manager, Wilson has also been given a consultant wicketkeeping role with Ireland, again working across men’s, women’s and age-group teams.Wilson said: “I’m thrilled to be able to support keepers up and down the Irish pathway in this new role. It’s a great opportunity to get back involved in the international set-up so soon after retirement, and it’s a role I’m looking forward to massively.”When I was initially discussing the scope of the role, what I really felt added to it was the ability to share my knowledge and experience with the keepers within the women’s game. Ed [Joyce] has been doing such a fantastic job as head coach, and I’m delighted to be able to work with him on bringing on the senior and emerging talent that we have here in Ireland.”Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland’s high performance director, added: “I’m delighted that we have not only appointed these two roles we have long sought, but to have appointed two world-class players like William and Gary represents a real win for Irish cricket and the players in our performance system.”For any young player to be able to access and learn from two of the best players Ireland has produced is an immense opportunity. I know both William and Gary have a passion for Irish cricket and are keen to help develop and improve Irish cricketers at all levels. I wish them well, but know they need no additional motivation – they are two of the most self-motivated people I have worked with and I look forward to seeing their work in this new capacity.”

As the IPL starts to take shape, here’s a recap of the main storylines involving the Australians

Alex Malcolm08-Apr-20241:10

Will Mitch Marsh be dropped?

Marsh’s hamstring concern

Mitchell Marsh is set to be confirmed as Australia’s T20I captain for the World Cup but there is a major concern over his fitness after he missed Delhi Capitals’ loss to Mumbai Indians on Sunday with a hamstring injury. Capitals’ assistant coach Pravin Amre called it a “worrying sign” for Capitals but it is a greater concern for Australia given his injury history.”He has gone for a scan and the physios will give us a report in a week’s time,” Amre said. “Then we will come to know what the exact situation is. Whether he can [play the entire season] or not depends on the reports.”Related

• Hamstring injury rules Delhi Capitals' Mitchell Marsh out for at least a week

• The curious case of RCB's struggling overseas batters

• Maxwell on Mayank: You don't often see someone of his pace

• Starc: 'Personal stuff aside, the team's start has been fantastic'

Cricket Australia’s medical staff will be kept in the loop but there is no indication yet of whether he would be withdrawn from the IPL to rest for the World Cup. Marsh has been very carefully managed by CA over the last 12 months since returning to being a three-format player, culminating in being named Allan Border Medallist as Australia’s best-performed player in all forms over the last year.His form prior to the injury was a concern for Capitals with talk of his place being in jeopardy after scores of 20, 23, 18 and 0. But his performances would not have concerned Australia’s selectors given he has still been making fast starts without going on with it. He is playing the style of cricket Australia’s hierarchy will want him to play in the powerplay during the World Cup.

Maxwell and Green struggling at Royal Challengers Bengaluru

2:19

Moody: Both Green and Maxwell are under pressure

Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green have both had tough starts to the IPL at Royal Challengers Bengaluru and their form has had an impact on the team’s performances as a whole. Maxwell has scores of 0, 3, 28, 0, and 1.In the last match against Rajasthan Royals, he walked out in a situation set-up for a Maxwell masterclass but was cleaned bowled backing away. Opposing teams have used high pace against him early with great success, which will be a theme he will see a lot of heading to the World Cup. He told ESPN’s that he has had trouble adjusting to Bengaluru’s two-paced pitch. Maxwell has bowled very well in the two matches he has been used. He credited work with RCB assistant coach and current Victoria bowling coach, Adam Griffith in helping him get more overspin and bounce which has yielded four wickets at an economy rate of 7.37.Glenn Maxwell is having a lean time at the IPL•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile Maxwell’s form will not concern Australia’s selectors, Green’s form is not helping his bid to make the T20 World Cup squad. He was already on the fringes of the final 15 for the tournament but he has been unable to make a statement in a new role for RCB. Having had an excellent debut season for Mumbai Indians last year batting at No. 3, and having had some brief T20I success as an opener, Green is struggling to find his feet at No. 5 with scores of just 9 and 5 not out in the last week. He lost his off stump to the pace of Mayank Yadav and then had no impact at the death against Rajasthan, unable to find the boundary in six balls faced.His best innings of the tournament so far came at No. 3 against Kolkata Knight Riders where he made 33 off 21. In his three innings at No. 5 he has struck at under 100 across 37 balls. He has also struggled to make an impact with the ball. He did take two wickets in the first match of the tournament but has gone wicketless since. Green did not play any T20 cricket at any level between last year’s IPL and this one as Australia’s selectors kept him focussed on red-ball cricket. That lack of exposure may play against him when the selectors sit down to pick the final World Cup 15 later this month unless he can find some form for RCB.

Stoinis and David power up

2:21

Why Stoinis came in to bat before Pooran

While Maxwell’s out of runs, Australia will be pleased by the performances of Marcus Stoinis and Tim David for their respective teams on Sunday. Stoinis muscled a match-winning 58 from 43 balls in Lucknow Super Giants’ low-scoring win over Gujarat Titans while David clubbed 45 not out off 21 balls in Mumbai’s mauling of Capitals.The form of Stoinis will especially please Australia’s selectors. He was promoted to No. 4 with LSG having lost momentum outside the powerplay and picked his moments to attack to give them a winning score to defend on a surface that became slower throughout. He also played an important hand in the previous win for LSG making 24 off 15 against RCB. He took a wicket in that game but has strangely only bowled one over for the tournament. He was subbed out after his half-century against Titans.David’s start to the tournament had been very unusual. He was demoted to bat behind legspinner Piyush Chawla in Mumbai’s previous game against Royals. But he was back at No. 6 against Delhi and smashed four sixes as he and Romario Shepherd ransacked 42 from the last eight balls of the innings as Mumbai finally broke their season drought.Mitchell Starc was finally among the wickets in IPL 2024•BCCI

Starc bounces back, Cummins keeps on keeping on

Mitchell Starc’s expensive start to the IPL after his expensive auction purchase had raised some eyebrows but he fought back last week with wickets against Capitals. He claimed 2 for 25 from three overs including the scalp of Australia team-mate David Warner who chopped on the ball after smashing Starc for six over cow corner. Starc was unperturbed by his expensive start to the tournament claiming “a little bit of luck” had gone against him in the first two games.Meanwhile, Pat Cummins is looming as a key man for Australia at the T20 World Cup given he is bowling superbly at the IPL. He produced another frugal display in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s win over Chennai Super Kings including the key wicket of CSK’s form batter Shivam Dube.

So early in his Test career, Yashasvi Jaiswal has already shown incredible and effortless range in his batting – a product of the Bombay school of batting but also the IPL

Karthik Krishnaswamy19-Feb-2024A belief pervades many cultures that showering someone with praise summons the evil eye.Rohit Sharma seemed to be in the grip of just such a belief on Sunday evening, when he was asked about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s run-scoring feats in this series against England. He was asked first at the presentation ceremony in Rajkot.”I’ve spoken a lot about him,” he said. “I’m sure people outside the changing room have also been talking about him. I want to be calm about him, not talk a lot about him.”Related

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• Stats – Kuldeep's quick fifty and Jaiswal's race to 1000

• Jadeja, the batter – mundane but magnificent

• Jaiswal explains hunger behind big scores

• Stats – Jaiswal and India break six-hitting records

He was asked again at his post-match press conference.”I won’t say anything on Jaiswal. Everyone is talking about him. Let him play. He is playing well, it’s good for us and he is in good form. I am not going to say much more than that. [this is enough for now].”At these moments Rohit seemed not so much the captain of a cricket team as the anxious parent of a gifted child fretting about the inadvertent curse of excessive praise. You could imagine him nailing a string of chillies and lime to India’s dressing-room doorframe, and getting a member of the coaching staff to circle Jaiswal’s head three times clockwise and three times anticlockwise with a fistful of rock salt.You could empathise with Rohit, because Jaiswal is that kind of player. So good, so early in his career, that it seems wrong to talk about him. Let the boy be. Let him get on with it. Just watch and enjoy, no?This feeling – no doubt shared by many others apart from Rohit – is perhaps also a product of the names Jaiswal’s recent achievements have twinned him with, Don Bradman and Vinod Kambli: a career so productive that no one will ever be expected to match it, and a sad and curiously truncated career of whys and what-ifs. Kambli, of course, is a Mumbai left-hander who came from humble beginnings and brought to Test cricket both a precocious appetite for runs and a love for hitting sixes.Bradman and Kambli. A bright start, then, is just a start.The Indian camp rises as one to welcome Yashasvi Jaiswal back after his Visakhapatnam epic•BCCIBut what a start Jaiswal has had. He has played seven Tests now, and scored 861 runs at an average of 71.75. He’s already made three hundreds, each of them big, each bigger than the previous one – 171, 209, 214* – and each different to the other too.The debut effort in Dominica was remarkable for how unremarkable it appeared on the surface. On a slow Dominica pitch where India’s batters struggled for timing though not for survival against a limited West Indies attack, he batted time, with only as much fluency as the conditions would allow, and checked off one milestone after another, each appearing more inevitable than the last one. It was an innings you might have expected from Virat Kohli – who, to put the conditions in perspective, took 80 balls to hit his first boundary – but perhaps not from a 21-year-old debutant.Then, over the last two weeks, he’s made two double-hundreds: one that held together a first innings that could have otherwise fallen apart – he made just under 53% of India’s total of 396 – and one that set the tone for a jubilant third-innings surge.Perhaps nothing illustrates how different these two double-hundreds were than the methods he adopted against England’s fast bowlers in both innings. In Visakhapatnam, he faced 67 balls from James Anderson, England’s only quick, and scored 17 runs. In Rajkot, he faced 39 balls from Anderson and Mark Wood and scored 61. In strike-rate terms, he went from 25.37 in one innings to 156.41 in the other.

You could imagine Pant leaving five balls in a row if he really, really had to, but by the fourth leave you’d be off your chair and pacing the floor. When Jaiswal left five in a row from Jason Holder in his debut innings, you were probably fixing yourself a snack while the cricket played in the background.

The shots Jaiswal unleashed on the fourth day in Rajkot were always present in his kitbag: the falling scoop, the bent-knee slap over the massed off-side field, the club down the ground off the good-length ball. But where even the most subdued innings from Rishabh Pant – to take the example of the previous extravagantly gifted India left-hander to treat Anderson with cheerful disrespect in a home Test – is likely to include one or two shots of that type, it feels like Jaiswal could comfortably get through a full series without needing to demonstrate his full range.You could imagine Pant leaving five balls in a row if he really, really to, but by the fourth leave you’d be off your chair and pacing the floor. When Jaiswal left five in a row from Jason Holder in his debut innings, you were probably fixing yourself a snack while the cricket played in the background.Some players are so good that you can’t take your eyes off them. Some are so good that you frequently do, with the certainty that they’ll still be batting when you’ve returned from your fridge-foraging.Jaiswal can be both kinds of batter, but he’s more often the second kind. He’s a product of the Bombay school the Rajasthan Royals school, and while that education has given him a vast skillset, it has seemingly spared him the effects of its inherent contradictions. At this stage, it feels like you could send him out in any situation and expect that he’d make sound choices without having to think too hard about it.That clarity and certainty, of course, is partly a product of the form he’s in, and the fact that he hasn’t yet met a real setback as a batter at the highest level. That will come in its course. Watching him, it’s hard to think he wouldn’t find a way to overcome it.For now, though, it’s perhaps wisest to just let him be. Watch and enjoy. And keep your amulets and rabbit’s feet handy, just in case.

Top-order batsman Raynard van Tonder and fast bowler Lutho Sipamla have received maiden call-ups to South Africa’s Test squad, while allrounder Dwaine Pretorius has been cleared fit to be a part of the group too. In addition to members of the squad that was named last week, two more players have tested positive for Covid-19 and will no longer be part of the playing group. That takes the total number of players in preparation for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka to 17.In keeping with doctor-patient confidentiality, CSA will not name the two players who have been removed from the squad but them, and at least 10 others including van Tonder and Sipamla, were part of domestic matches in which cases of Covid-19 were detected this week and may not be able to enter the bio=bubble on Saturday, which may necessitate further changes to the squad.Related

• SA face selection headache amid domestic Covid-19 scare

• Look, there are 18 holes in your cricket bubble

former national Under-19 captain van Tonder has been rewarded for his form in the domestic four-day competition, where he is on top of the run-chart. His most recent knock was a double-hundred, which set the Knights up for a big win over the Lions, Sipamla’s team. That match was Sipamla’s first red-ball cricket of the summer and he took 2 for 75. Also, in that fixture, one Lions player tested positive for Covid-19 on day three and was substituted, with the game allowed to continue. Testing and monitoring have continued when it comes to other Lions players.Pretorius, who also plays for the Lions, was not involved in the match as he was recovering from a hamstring injury, which had ruled him out of the aborted white-ball series against England. He was due to play in the round of fixtures that were scheduled to start this Sunday but because the matches have been postponed, Pretorius has been added to the national squad.”Pretorius has made great progress from the hamstring injury he picked up last month just before the start of the England tour. He would have completed the last step of the CSA Return to Play protocol by playing in the now postponed round of the 4-Day Cup and will instead work closely with the team’s medical staff and coaches to ensure that he is Test match-ready,” a CSA statement said.Kagiso Rabada, the other injured player among South Africa’s regular playing group, has not been cleared to play after sustaining a groin injury against England and is expected to sit out the Sri Lanka series. Rabada’s absence has resulted in South Africa calling up reinforcements including Sipamla and, earlier this week, Migael Pretorius.South Africa’s players were tested for Covid-19 between Wednesday and Thursday and will be tested again on arrival in Centurion tomorrow. They will spend the first 72 hours in managed isolation in their hotel rooms with training on a one-on-one or small group basis and will be tested for a third and final time on Tuesday next week, two days before the series starts on Boxing Day.Squad: Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Beuran Hendricks, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Sarel Erwee, Anrich Nortje, Glenton Stuurman, Wiaan Mulder, Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne, Migael Pretorius, Dwaine Pretorius, Lutho Sipamla, Raynard van Tonder

The Yankees bullpen sunk to a historic new franchise low in an 11–1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

New York's 'pen surrendered nine earned runs for the second consecutive game, the first time that's occurred in Yankees franchise history, according to Katie Sharp.

Consider this: So poor was the Yankees bullpen on Wednesday night that each of the four relief pitchers Yankees manager Aaron Boone sent to the mound surrendered an earned run—except for outfielder Austin Slater, who entered the game in the ninth inning and slow-tossed 36-mph eephus-esque meatballs as New York waved the white flag.

Wednesday's game eerily resembled Tuesday's loss for the Bronx Bombers, who played Detroit to a 2–2 tie through six innings before the bullpen came undone in a nine-run implosion in the seventh inning.

But as poor as the results have been in the two-game postseason litmus test against the Tigers thus far, Boone, ever the optimist, believes the results are a blip on the radar rather than a concerning trend.

"Track record. Stuff. Who they are," Boone said when asked what gives him confidence the bullpen can turn things around. "Obviously, we got to get a couple guys on track so we can create that depth that we can have down there. A bullpen ERA in short samples like that can be a little misleading, like when you have a handful of games where it really gets away and it gets blown up.

"I feel like through this stretch of games, where over the last month we started winning, we've closed out a lot of good games, too, with guys capable of shutting people down. This is what we have. I've had a lot of confidence in their ability and their stuff, but we got to bring it together. We haven't done that consistently enough yet. Can we do it? That's what we're going to find out. That's what we're going to need to do if we're going to make a big run at this."

The Yankees play one more game against Detroit on Thursday before traveling to Boston for a three-game series against the Red Sox beginning on Friday.

Chelsea are seemingly starting to build some serious momentum.

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues swatted aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground; Josh Acheampong breaking the deadlock, Pedro Neto firing home a free-kick and then Reece James making the points secure.

This result saw Ange Postecoglou sacked as Forest manager mere moments after full-time, ending his 39-day tenure.

Meantime, that’s now back-to-back league wins for Enzo Maresca’s team, who will take on Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, but the Blues boss will be concerned by his growing list of absentees.

Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernández, Dário Essugo, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap all missed out due to injury, while Malo Gusto’s stoppage-time red card means he will sit out next weekend’s clash with Sunderland suspended, with João Pedro already banned for the Champions League tie.

Of course, one of these absentees is significantly more noteworthy than the others, so how should Maresca fill the void of his talisman?

The latest on Cole Palmer's injury

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Maresca confirmed that Cole Palmer will be sidelined “for another six weeks”.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by injury issues throughout this season already, withdrawing following the warm-up at West Ham in August, before hobbling off inside 20 minutes at Old Trafford last month, not seen since.

With fierce London derbies against both Tottenham and Arsenal to come in November, as well as a Champions League clash against Barcelona, not having Palmer available for these games would be a major blow.

Minutes

3,191

2nd

Goals

15

1st

Assists

8

1st

Shots

121

1st

Shots on target

44

1st

Key passes

87

1st

Progressive passes

214

2nd

Shot-creating actions

202

1st

Goal-creating actions

15

2nd

Big chances created

24

1st

Attempted take-ons

113

1st

As the table emphasises, in the Premier League last season, Palmer ranked first for pretty much every available attacking metric; the second and third-highest goal-scorers, namely Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, have both been sold.

This time round, despite only starting two matches, accumulating 235 minutes, Palmer has already scored twice, on target against Brentford and Bayern Munich, both on the road.

Maresca added, during his aforementioned press conference, that “to replace Cole is difficult, because Cole is a very important player for us, probably one of the best players in the Premier League, so to replace that kind of player is always difficult… we don’t have another player like Cole, because Cole is unique”.

Of course, he is right, no current member of the Chelsea squad is at Palmer’s level just yet, but which player could get there soon and appears best-suited to start in his absence?

Chelsea's perfect Palmer deputy

Against Nottingham Forest, Maresca deployed a starting lineup surely no one could’ve foreseen, with Gusto alongside Roméo Lavia at the base of midfield, while Andrey Santos, Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho were deployed in-behind João Pedro.

He then made a triple alteration at half-time, Moisés Caicedo, Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu all introduced, but there was still no room for Estêvão Willian, not brought on until the 78th minute, as he continues to be under-utilised.

In the previous game, the 18-year-old had announced himself to the world by scoring the injury-time winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, connecting with Marc Cucurella’s low cross at the back post.

Despite his tender age, Estêvão arrived in West London with a big reputation, not least after he scored against Chelsea during the Club World Cup quarter-finals for Palmeiras in July.

Even before that, he had been touted as a future global superstar.

Respected analyst Ben Mattinson has labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, while Brazil’s all-time top-scorer Neymar believes the teenager “will be a genius”, adding that he is a “big talent that is surging in Brazilian football”.

Before joining Chelsea for a reported fee of £29m, Estêvão scored 27 goals and registered 15 assists in only 89 appearances for Palmeiras, winning the Brasileirão title in 2024.

At international level, he scored his first senior goal for Brazil during a World Cup qualifier against Chile at the Maracanã in September, before netting twice as the Seleção smashed Korea Republic 5-0 in Seoul just last week.

Across his final season and a half in the Brasileirão, the youngster scored 13 goals, registered 12 assists, created 12 big chances and completed an average of 2.3 dribbles per 90.

Of course, moving to the Premier League is a step-up, but these numbers should not be dismissed because, according to Global Football Rankings, the top division in Brazil is the ninth-strongest league in the world.

Thus, both in terms of the eye test but also the statistics, Estêvão appears to be, stylistically, the best fit to replace Palmer.

His talent certainly warrants more than the four starts from ten matches he has enjoyed to date, not starting any of the last four matches.

So, with Chelsea’s next three games against Ajax, Sunderland then Wolves in the EFL Cup, Maresca must make Estêvão a central figure in his team as he seeks to find a way to fill Palmer’s void.

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