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Sri Lanka need to work on their batting in the death overs while Netherlands could do with some fixtures in the subcontinent, and a sponsor or two won’t hurt

Firdose Moonda09-Jul-2023Harare Sports Club was half-full (or half-empty, if you are that way inclined) to bid the ODI World Cup qualifier and the World Cup’s last two participants goodbye. It was a typically clear and sunny Sunday afternoon, a slight chill in the breeze as a reminder that it’s still winter, the sounds of a papare band alternating with the Shona anthems from Castle Corner and a mix of braai smoke and underwhelm in the Harare air.Maybe it would always have ended like this: a match with no context, in a format that is increasingly running out of any, between teams that had already done what they came to do – qualify for the World Cup. At best, this match was an exhibition of the skills that got them there and a (very early) statement of what they will bring to the tournament proper, albeit in very different conditions. In Sri Lanka’s case, it was also an exercise in fulfilling the expectation they had coming into this event with, which West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe had left unchecked. “As a Full Member country, it’s very important to win this series,” Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s captain, had stressed before the final.Why? Because as much as Associates see the narrowing gap between themselves and Test-playing nations as a sign of progress, Full Members view that in the opposite way. Just look at West Indies. Twin defeats to Scotland have led to them being knocked out at last year’s T20 World Cup and this year’s World Cup qualifier and the questions that always burbled about their decline are now being bellowed. “WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE FORMER WORLD CHAMPIONS?” That’s not a headline Sri Lanka want to read.Related

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How a reenergised Dutch unit made it to the World Cup

“It’s been uncomfortable,” Chris Silverwood, Sri Lanka’s coach, said when asked how it landed at home that the team had not automatically qualified for the World Cup. “It was a responsibility that we took very heavily. We knew we had to come here and perform.”That showed. Sri Lanka dominated the group stage and the Super Six and booked their tickets to India as though they were doing it online, in just a few clicks. They had only two moments of real concern in this tournament: both against Netherlands.At 131 for 7 in the 33rd over in the Super Six game, Sri Lanka looked unlikely to get to 200 but eventually managed 213. And at 190 for 7 in the 39th over in this match, 230 seemed unlikely, but they got to 233.Those scenarios highlighted Sri Lanka’s most glaring weakness: a lack of firepower at the death. Between the 2019 ODI World Cup and the start of this qualifying event, Sri Lanka’s scoring rate in the last ten overs has been 7.38, which put them ninth out of the 12 Full Members, only above Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. In eight matches in Zimbabwe, that dipped to 6.99, only higher than Nepal’s. Going into the World Cup, where every other team has a power-hitter in the lower-middle order and totals just over 200 are unlikely to be enough, that is an area Sri Lanka will have to address, and they know it.”We’ve managed to build good platforms to go on, and then not quite finished as strongly as we would have liked,” Silverwood said. “That’s an area to try and develop. We are a developing team and that is an area we are trying to improve on.”The real story of their success in Zimbabwe lay in their bowling. Sri Lanka are the only side to dismiss their opposition in every match they played and finished with the best economy rate of all their competitors – 4.74 – and the best average – 17.75. When Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe last week, to confirm their World Cup berth, Maheesh Theekshana credited the variety in their attack for their dominance and with Netherlands reduced to 41 for 5 in the first powerplay in the final, you could see why.

“This is a call-out to anyone who wants to play us. We’d love to have a fixture or two. Our guys have not been to the subcontinent many times before so it would be good to have some fixtures somewhere in the subcontinent as well”Ryan Cook, Netherlands coach

Sri Lanka made 233 look like 400 in the final when Dilshan Madushanka’s inswing almost accounted for Max O’Dowd twice in his first over and he got rid of Vikramjit Singh, Wesley Barresi and Noah Croes in his third, fourth and fifth overs. Wanindu Hasaranga took a wicket with his first ball, a googly, and asked questions with every other delivery he bowled. The pressure so suffocated the Dutch that at the end of ten overs, their best runner, Scott Edwards, was caught short of his ground. And they weren’t even the best performers of the match. That was Theekshana, whose 4 for 31 put him one behind Hasaranga in the tournament overall.For Netherlands, who have improved their game against spin but lost 12 wickets to the Sri Lankan spinners in two games at this event, that is the most urgent area of their game to work on ahead of a World Cup in the subcontinent. The problem? They have no fixtures scheduled for the next 90 days.”This is a call-out to anyone who wants to play us. We’d love to have a fixture or two,” Ryan Cook, their coach, said with a special request about who they would like to play. “Our guys have not been to the subcontinent many times before so it would be good to have some fixtures somewhere in the subcontinent as well.”And his campaigning didn’t stop there. Despite Sunday’s result, the afterglow of qualifying for the World Cup has not dimmed and he is hopeful it will start to catch fire at home.”Hopefully we will be able to pick up a sponsor or two, and bring a bit more revenue into the game,” he said. “The players get paid quite lowly in comparison to other countries so hopefully that will give us a bit more resources to be able to do that. At the moment, we only have a coaching staff with one member full time. It will take a bit of work from our end, and here’s a full invitation to any sponsors out there who feel like being on the front and the side of the shirt in the World Cup.”Netherlands are hopeful of scheduling some ODIs before the World Cup in India•ICC via Getty ImagesThe fixtures and fundraising aside, Cook will also have a selection conundrum on his hands. Netherlands were without seven frontline players at this competition due to other commitments and will have to find a balance between rewarding the players who got them to the World Cup and taking their strongest squad there.”They wanted to be here, and they love playing for the Dutch, and they are very committed but the guys who have done well here will also be expecting to go,” Cook said. “It will be challenging.”As will the hangover in Harare after three weeks of high-octane cricket. Just as the light started to fade, the sprinkler started up and the only evidence of all the action gone past was a gathering of groundstaff, who celebrated the work they have put in. It should not go unnoticed that they have prepared good pitches for ten matches played within 22 days of each other, which is no mean feat. And they don’t stop.The Zim Afro T10 is scheduled to start on July 20 and rumour has it that the floodlights, which were first supposed to go up in 2011, will finally be installed. Happily, they are not the same lights as the ones that have sat at customs for most of the last decade but upgraded versions. When they are finally put in place, it will mean cricket matches in the night for the first time in Zimbabwe. If the last three weeks have shown us anything, it’s that the appetite for the game is massive and the next step must be laser focus on its growth.Across the four venues that have hosted matches at this event, school kids have turned up in numbers and the Cricket4Good clinics have been oversubscribed. A country whose national football federation remains suspended has now embraced cricket as the people’s game. Zimbabwe will not have World Cup berths to show for what took place over the last three weeks, but they have something else which is special: a sport that has captured hearts, minds and imaginations. In years to come, the glass will overflow.

Trent Rockets men’s coach on tactical differences of new format and England’s need for a premier short-form competition

Matt Roller19-Jul-2021Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the UK and on Monday, government restrictions were eased even further. Entire teams have been forced into self-isolation in county cricket, with Derbyshire forced to cancel their final two T20 Blast group games due to a lack of available players. Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, was firm in emphasising last week that the mental toll of bubbles meant they were no longer feasible, but the Hundred – which starts on Wednesday night – can ill-afford a spate of cases over its four-week group stage.It is a familiar scenario for those involved in the competition who have worked in franchise cricket over the last six months. Andy Flower, who will coach the Trent Rockets men’s team, is one of them: he was in India working as Kings XI Punjab’s assistant coach when the IPL was curtailed in May, either side of which he coached Multan Sultans to the PSL title, initially in Pakistan and then in the UAE after an outbreak among players caused a postponement.”I’ve been away from the UK for three-and-a-half months,” he tells ESPNcricinfo via Zoom, shortly before finishing his 10-day hotel-room quarantine period. “We talk about adaptability being really important for players in the short formats of the game and it’s equally important for us on the coaching or leadership front. One of the most important aspects in having a good chance in a franchise competition is adaptability.Related

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“Almost every franchise in every competition is being affected by late pull-outs – the Hundred is obviously being seriously affected at the moment. We had a recent situation where Wahab Riaz – who came in for Nathan Coulter-Nile – had a visa problem and won’t be available for the first few games [Marchant de Lange has been signed as his replacement]. That’s an obvious example of having to be flexible and understanding at this time.”Not that it has affected Flower’s success. He comes into the Hundred on the back of a remarkable run of results coaching franchise teams, just under two years after leaving his role at the ECB: he has won the PSL, taken St Lucia Zouks to their first CPL final, and led teams to first and second-placed finishes at the Abu Dhabi T10.Success with Multan was unexpected after they had started slowly in the Karachi leg of the PSL. “We did come from almost nowhere,” he says. “The conditions in Abu Dhabi were much fairer and made for better, more interesting cricket and suited our attack more. [Blessing] Muzarabani, the tall fast bowler from Zimbabwe, was central to our plans and was a revelation for us; Imran Tahir was solid as a rock and generally inspirational; and Sohaib Maqsood was a major difference in our fortunes.”His role at Trent Rockets, he admits, is “a bit of a play to nothing”. As things stand, he is only due to coach them in the first season of the Hundred following Stephen Fleming’s withdrawal for family reasons, and has inherited a squad already picked by Fleming, Mick Newell (general manager) and Kunal Manek (analyst). He had a meeting with Lewis Gregory, the Rockets’ captain, during the Karachi leg of the PSL about the tournament and has been in regular contact with him throughout England’s white-ball series against Pakistan.He has had some time to think through the nuances of the new format, but expects tactical trends to evolve gradually through the group stages. “I’ve been involved in T10 as well so I’m used to an even quicker, more attacking form of the game but I’d imagine it’s going to be similar to T20 – though might feel slightly different in that we’ve got these 10 balls from one end. There might be a few tactical differences and if you can get the edge on the opposition through understanding those better and quicker, then that’s what we need to do.”An area where it will feel different to T20 is the option [for one bowler] to bowl 10 balls in a row, so how do you deploy some of your more powerful resources like Rashid Khan? When he operates for his IPL side, he bowls overs 8, 10, 12 and 14 in the middle and usually people find it hard to attack him. Getting a feel for the Hundred and what it’s like to bowl 10 balls in a row and how effective that is, we’ll have to assess that in real time.”

“I’m a very big supporter of a premier short-format competition for England. We all know the power and reach of the IPL, various other countries have excellent franchise competitions. England needed its own”Andy Flower

There are a few details to iron out within the squad. Joe Root is likely to be available for the opening rounds and Flower is yet to decide which order the top four – Root, Alex Hales, D’Arcy Short and Dawid Malan – should come in. He is hoping that the strong Notts core of five players plus assistant coach Paul Franks will be able to exploit their high-scoring home ground to their advantage, though cautions against the idea that every game will be a run-fest. Franks will be joined by Mal Loye (batting), Tom Smith (bowling) and Nic Pothas (fielding) on the coaching staff, while Flower is particularly pleased that Jonathan Trott – a mainstay of his successful England side – has recently been appointed in a backroom role.As for his star batters, Flower is enthusiastic about the opportunity to deal with Hales again, having worked closely with him as a young player making his way in international cricket during his time as England’s head coach and tracked his recent progress in franchise leagues. “I’ve always been a real fan of his batting,” he says. “His skill against spin is undervalued; not only the power game, but he’s a good off-side player, and willing to sweep against spin when he needs to.”I feel for him, actually, because we all deserve second chances in my opinion. I’d don’t know what goes on behind closed doors with England but I can’t see why he would be ostracised any longer. One thing he’s done pretty well is that he hasn’t let it affect his form and I applaud him for that – he’s able to focus on what he needs to, as opposed to being distracted by the topic.”I’m not quite sure how we’ll go with the top four but they’ll all had lots of success. I think Root is an excellent T20 cricketer, actually – one of his greatest strengths, ever since he first played for England, has been that he plays at a tempo that the match or situation or his team requires. His understanding of the game is that good that he can do that. [Root and Malan] are both intelligent and skilful cricketers who will do what’s required of them.”And as for the ? Does Flower think English cricket needs the Hundred? “Without a doubt,” is the unequivocal response. “I’m a very big supporter of a premier short-format competition like this for England. We all know the power and reach of the IPL and there are various other countries that have excellent franchise competitions. England needed its own. It’s really important financially for the ECB and for the future of the game in this country that it works.”It’s great that a women’s competition is operating at the same time with the growth of the popularity of the women’s game in the UK. And the better standard of cricket is good for the future of English cricket: playing under pressure in a competition with a global reach is good for all these young English cricketers. We’ve seen what it’s done for young Indian cricketers, and I can only imagine that this is going to be a very good thing for English cricket.”

Jack Grealish peeled away in celebration. The joy on his face was palpable. Infectious. This was the moment, sending the roof off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Everton sealing a last-minute winner against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

19 games unbeaten. No more. The Eagles had been grounded and Everton had taken off. That’s 11 points on the board for the Toffees, and only seven matches played. Last year, 12 fixtures were needed to reach the same points total.

David Moyes’ squad are coming together, even with the centre-forwards still toiling. Beto is beginning to look rather stale, while £27m summer signing Thierno Barry hasn’t yet provided the quality or fluency to suggest he can lead the line.

It’s a familiar problem on the blue half of Merseyside.

Everton's striker issues

After Moyes’ appointment last winter, Beto came alive. He had previously laboured under Sean Dyche’s management, but scored five from four Premier League games to rebind the rigging and turn the ship away from relegation danger.

With one top-flight goal this season, things need to change if Beto is to retain his star spot as the frontman. Everton have been here before, with struggles at centre-forward a common theme since Farhad Moshiri first purchased a stake in 2016.

While Dominic Calvert-Lewin had some high points across his long stay in Liverpool, the tall and commanding star lacked control of his fitness levels and toiled over the final years of his Everton career.

Few and far between are the strikers who have left Everton with their heads held high, and Beto knows he needs an upswing in form if he wishes to edge away from an unwanted reputation when he does play his football elsewhere.

Here is a list of differing fortunes, but there are more than a few strikers who will look back at their time at Goodison Park with regret.

Moise Kean, for example, arrived from Juventus as a teenage prodigy with a weight of expectation. But it didn’t work out in England.

Everton's new Moise Kean

Everton haven’t always hit the jackpot in the transfer market over the past several years, but recent additions certainly speak of greater accuracy and synergy when planning for the future.

Kean, who completed a £25m move to England in August 2019, was billed as a real coup for a first-class prospect, but he never managed to make it work on Merseyside and returned to his homeland, having scored only four times and completed a series of loan spells.

Now, Kean is a superstar in Italy with Fiorentina, prolific and powerful, and Everton might want to bear that one in mind when considering Tyler Dibling, who arrived from Southampton this summer for £42m but has endured a difficult start, used sparingly by Moyes and yet to show off the skills that caused such a furore regarding his services.

Sunday’s tie was considered a huge opportunity for the 19-year-old. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was suspended, after all. But he failed to take the opportunity, with the Liverpool Echo slapping him with a 4/10 match rating and saying he was ‘anonymous at times’.

Dibling is young and talented and has demonstrated his potential already in the Premier League, but he’s a work in progress. He was hounded out of any promising positions at the weekend, and it’s unlikely he has gained Moyes’ trust at this stage.

This “world-class talent”, as he has been described by Southampton youth coach Andy Goldie, may well reach the end of the campaign with little individual triumphs to boast about. Perhaps there will be scrutiny, and knots of adversity and frustration from which he must disentangle himself and keep his head down and work hard.

Dibling impressed with Southampton last year, a bright spark during a difficult year. Saints were doomed, and that was a fact long before the season curtailed. But Dibling shone, notching seven goal involvements across the term and impressing with his strength and pace and gusto.

The lesson here is that Everton have paid for a youngster who is anything but the finished product. Maybe it will take time, and maybe he will need a loan spell away to find his feet.

Perhaps he won’t. But Everton must keep the faith in a top prospect and watch him bloom into a star down the line, because Everton and Moyes know what they have paid for, and there is a lofty, grand-scale future for this one.

Moyes must ditch £56m Everton duo who have been holding Grealish back

Moyes’ Everton have made improvements but there are some stars who need to be dropped.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 2, 2025

It looked like it would be the week that would end Daniel Farke’s time at Leeds United. One that would all but condemn the Yorkshire giants to a swift return to the Championship. And yet.

While last weekend’s Etihad fight-back ultimately proved in vain, that second-half showing has sparked new life into the Elland Road side, having since claimed four valuable points at home to both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent days.

Unlike in midweek, however, the Whites were far from at their best this time around, with Hugo Ekitike surging the away side into what appeared to be an unassailable two-goal lead.

This is not the Liverpool side that claimed Premier League glory last term, though, nor is it the Leeds outfit which meekly fell to relegation two years ago – they’re made of sterner stuff.

Aided by the reckless Ibrahima Konate, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s spot-kick sparked a frantic finale at Elland Road, with Anton Stach levelling things up just two minutes later.

Man of the moment Dominik Szoboszlai then looked to have popped the Leeds balloon, before Ao Tanaka came up trumps at the death – cue bedlam, delirium, and a queue of writers not quite sure what to make of it.

Tanaka the hero in stunning second-half fight-back

It was all going so wrong for Farke and co, with Joe Rodon gifting an opener to that man Ekitike, before the Frenchman netted a second almost within a minute to make it 2-0 on the 50-minute mark.

There looked to be no way back, with Leeds drifting toward defeat, before a trio of changes sparked the game into life.

Up stepped Wilfried Gnonto, Brenden Aaronson and the aforementioned Tanaka to alter proceedings, with the three late arrivals making an impact in all three goals for the home side.

Indeed, it was Gnonto’s direct run which drew the foul from Konate for Leeds’ first, while Aaronson laid on the assist for Stach, as Farke’s men levelled things up just two minutes later.

The headline-grabber, however, was Tanaka, with the Japanese midfielder – who had been replaced by Ilia Gruev in the starting lineup – pouncing at the backpost to snatch a point in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

That moment aside, the 2024 summer signing also notably won 100% of his duels after entering the fray, as per Sofascore, with the decision to start Gruev in his place seemingly backfiring as far as Farke is concerned.

Tanaka will surely be reinstated into the fold next time around, while fellow substitute Gnonto should also be in the mix for a regular starting berth again.

Why Leeds sub now needs to start every game

While Tanaka may have stolen the show in stoppage time, the game truly appeared to change due to the added dynamism of Gnonto in attack, with Leeds looking rather blunt prior to that.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Noah Okafor, for instance, was hooked just after the hour mark, having made just five passes in all, while registering just 14 touches, with the Whites in need of a spark to ignite their limp forward line.

As ever, it was the diminutive Italian who proved to be just that, cleverly drawing the foul from Konate with his fleet of foot inside the area, representing one of two fouls he would win in that late cameo.

Direct and penetrating, the 22-year-old also notably recorded a stellar 100% pass accuracy even while seeking to make things happen for his side, having even recorded more touches (17) than Okafor despite his limited time on the field.

From Championship hero to peripheral Premier League figure, Gnonto has not had the game time he would’ve liked in 2025/26, with a calf injury limiting him to just seven top-flight outings thus far.

Gnonto’s 24/25 Stats

Stat (*per game)

Record

Games

43

Starts

26

Goals

9

Assists

6

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

10

Key passes*

1.1

Pass accuracy*

81%

Successful dribbles*

1.0

Stats via Sofascore

On the evidence of Saturday night, however, he should well be a regular fixture moving forward, now that he is fit and firing again, with Leeds simply looking a different team with the speedy forward spearheading the attack.

As noted by Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who awarded him an 8/10 match rating, Gnonto was ‘bright, lively, tricky’, having fearlessly taken the hosts forward time and again.

With a trip to Brentford now next on the agenda next weekend, the former Zurich starlet should surely be deserving of a recall to the starting XI.

Related Farke must unleash "wonderkid" who'd be perfect for Nmecha's new Leeds role

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Posts ByDan Emery Dec 6, 2025

Celtic are now reportedly confident that they’ll beat Manchester City to the signature of a rising star who made history back in February.

O'Neill confirms fresh Celtic timeline

It’s set to be a chaotic week at Celtic, with Wilfried Nancy set to arrive and Martin O’Neill set to take charge of his final European game as caretaker boss. The 73-year-old has done an admirable job and the Bhoys’ trip to Feyenoord represents the perfect way for him to pick up a win in the Europa League in his final attempt.

The veteran manager also confirmed that Nancy’s arrival is “imminent”. Whether that means the new manager will be in place in time to take charge of Celtic’s game against Hibernian this Sunday remains to be seen, however.

The Columbus Crew manager is already reportedly planning January reinforcements from the MLS side. Both Wessam Abou Ali and Diego Rossi have both already been linked with moves to Scotland ahead of Nancy’s arrival and both would certainly help to solve the Bhoys’ goalscoring issues.

If Celtic are to stand a chance of catching Hearts in the Scottish Premiership then the January window will be crucial. They must make up for their summer failure by reinforcing their attack in January, before continuing that work into the next window.

It’s then that they could welcome 17-year-old Michael Noonan by fending off interest from Premier League giants Manchester City.

Celtic confident they'll sign Michael Noonan

According to the Scottish Sun, Celtic are now confident they’ll sign Noonan ahead of interest from Man City next year in what would be an impressive coup for a rising star. The 17-year-old made history when he became the youngest goalscorer in Europa Conference League history at 16 years and 197 days old in February.

After scoring three goals at the U17 World Cup, Noonan earned the praise of scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed the forward “a superb advanced striker” and “the future of Irish football”.

Nancy must unleash Celtic's most frustrating player since Engels

Wilfried Nancy must unleash this Celtic star who is their most frustrating player since Arne Engels.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 26, 2025

Everything points towards a top star on the rise and one that Celtic should do everything to sign. Beating Man City to such a talent would be an impressive move too, and the Hoops’ confidence suggests that Noonan could yet be on his way to Glasgow.

Celtic agree deal to appoint 54-year-old coach to Wilfried Nancy's backroom team

The St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon for an early-season clash. Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras momentarily stole the show, not because of anything he did on the field, but because of what he did in the batter's box. And not because of any big hit he had the batter's box, but rather because of what he in the batter's box.

While at-bat, Contreras stepped back from the plate and ripped what appeared to be tape off the handle of his bat with his teeth. He then popped the tape into his mouth. It was far too casual.

Fans across the league were left confused by Contreras's decision.

A very odd sequence.

Opener hits unbeaten 72 off 40 balls to keep Rockets winless

ECB Media10-Aug-2025Eighteen-year-old Davina Perrin continued her impressive domestic form with a sparkling 42-ball 70 to overpower Trent Rockets in The Hundred.It was Perrin’s first half-century in The Hundred, and the second-highest score by a female English player uncapped at international level. More importantly for Perrin and Northern Superchargers, it took them to the top of the table with two wins from two.”I had a conversation with one of the coaches before and he said: ‘What are you going to do when you go out?’ And I was like: ‘have fun,'” Perrin said. “It was a pretty decent deck, it was coming onto the bat nicely, so it allowed me to lean into it and just try and play strong shots. It’s nice to do it front of so many people and on a decent ground, so happy days.”It was a dominant performance from the team in purple, who were on top straight away and rarely let their foot off the gas, save some customary excellence from Trent Rockets skipper Ash Gardner.The Superchargers had Rockets at 5 for 3 after 18 balls and right up against it, Gardner did her thing to fight back with a 32-ball 61 but it was essentially a lone hand and her side’s eventual total of 128 felt light at a sun-dappled Trent Bridge.Ash Gardner forces one away through the off side•Warren Little/Getty ImagesPerrin dominated the opening partnership of 62 with Alice Davidson-Richards and entertained the crowd throughout, with strong shots all around the wicket and even a one-handed scoop. Phoebe Litchfield matched her stroke for stroke with her 10-ball 22 and Annabel Sutherland finished things off in a fittingly creative way, reverse-sweeping through the off-side.It was a performance of great promise from the Superchargers who will feel they’re laying down a marker, for Rockets the need to get a win on the board is getting ever greater.

Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure has been handed a four-match suspension for his red card after a challenge that left Lyon's Malick Fofana with a serious ankle injury. The incident, which occurred during Lyon's 2-1 Ligue 1 victory over Strasbourg on Monday, has left Fofana ruled out for several months and drawn a heavy suspension from the LFP, Ligue 1's governing body.

• Doukoure's four-match ban confirmed

  The LFP disciplinary committee met on Thursday to review the challenge and handed down the significant sanction to the 22-year-old Strasbourg player. The tackle occurred in the 67th minute of the heated match as Doukoure, attempting to win the ball from behind, lunged in recklessly and caught Fofana's right ankle. Following a VAR review, the referee rescinded the initial yellow card and produced a straight red card for serious foul play.

  The ban means Strasbourg, who currently sit fourth in the Ligue 1 table, will be without their starting defender for crucial upcoming league fixtures as they look to maintain their surprise push for a Champions League qualification spot.

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• Getty Images
  

  Fofana facing surgery on 'serious' ankle injury

  The consequences for Malick Fofana and Lyon are severe. The 20-year-old Belgian international was stretchered off the pitch in clear distress and taken to hospital for immediate assessment.

  Lyon released an official statement confirming the extent of the damage, which will likely require an operation and rules the player out for the long term.

  "Tests carried out overnight at the hospital, then confirmed today, revealed a serious sprain of the right ankle, accompanied by injuries which will most likely require surgery, which should keep him off the pitch for several months," the club statement read.

  "Olympique Lyonnais will put in place all necessary measures to ensure Malick Fofana receives the best possible medical care and supports his rehabilitation, in order to plan for his return to the squad as quickly as possible."

  The prognosis of "several months" could see Fofana miss the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, with some reports suggesting he may not return until well into 2026.

• Strasbourg boss Rosenior apologises for 'impulsive' reaction

  Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior was visibly frustrated with the red card decision during the match and criticised the referee afterwards. After reviewing the replay, though, he offered a full apology for his initial reaction.

  Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Rosenior expressed regret and offered support to the injured Lyon forward.

  "We all make mistakes, I reacted impulsively, I was wrong about the red card," Rosenior explained. "I apologise. I hope Fofana recovers quickly."

  The loss of Fofana is a devastating blow to Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca, whose squad is already stretched thin in forward areas. Fofana had been a key performer this season, registering two goals in 12 Ligue 1 appearances.

  His injury comes after a difficult summer transfer window that saw the departures of key attackers Rayan Cherki and Georges Mikautadze. Furthermore, fellow winger Ernest Nuamah remains sidelined with a long-term ACL injury sustained in April.

  The immediate impact of Fofana's absence was felt on Wednesday, as Lyon collapsed in their Ligue 1 match against Paris FC. Despite leading 3-0 at the hour mark, Fonseca's side were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw, dropping vital points in the race for European football.

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• Liverpool & Chelsea interest paused by long-term layoff

  Fofana's emergence as one of Ligue 1's brightest prospects had attracted significant attention from the Premier League. Both Liverpool and Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for the 20-year-old.

  Liverpool's scouting department, led by sporting director Richard Hughes, has reportedly monitored Fofana for months as a potential long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, viewing his pace and directness as an ideal fit for Arne Slot's system.

  Chelsea, meanwhile, saw Fofana as a prime target for their youth-focused recruitment strategy, valuing his high developmental potential. Fofana is under contract at Lyon until 2028, but his representatives were reportedly exploring options for a potential move at the end of the current season. This severe injury setback will now put any transfer negotiations on hold indefinitely.

  Speaking last month about the speculation, Fofana had maintained his focus on developing at Lyon.

  "There was interest from those two clubs [Liverpool and Chelsea], but ultimately nothing concrete," Fofana said. "I've considered a transfer, but now I think it's more important that I play a lot, and that has to happen at Lyon. Because I still have some progress to make."

  The winger now faces a long and arduous period of rehabilitation before he can continue that progress on the pitch.

With the news filtering through that Ross Wilson is now joining Newcastle United as the club’s new sporting director, it could well be make or break time for a number of the reserve personnel at St James’ Park who are nearing the end of their current deals.

Indeed, Wilson will want to leave his mark on proceedings, with the likes of Matt Targett surely being let go when his deal expires next summer.

The likes of Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar, however, will surely be keen to extend their current contracts, which also expire next year, even as they reach both 35 and 33, respectively, having shown they can still offer up plenty of quality as St. James’ Park veterans.

Dan Burn will also want to continue his celebrated Newcastle stay for as long as possible, even if question marks continue to pop up about his suitability as a left-back in Eddie Howe’s XI.

What the future holds for Dan Burn at Newcastle

Burn has become a staple at Newcastle over recent years, with the Blyth-born colossus beaming from ear to ear when he lifted the EFL Cup last year to break the Toon’s long trophy drought, having scored in the unbelievable 2-1 victory.

In total, the 6-foot-7 defender has now tallied up 158 appearances for Howe and Co since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022, with Burn missing from just one Premier League contest all season long last campaign.

Still, he hasn’t been without his critics this season, with one Toon-based content creator even dubbing Burn’s extended shifts at left-back over recent games as the “stuff of nightmares”.

In particular, the England international notably struggled to close down Bukayo Saka during Newcastle’s late 2-1 collapse against Arsenal, with the usually formidable 33-year-old giving away possession a high 26 times in the process.

With Malick Thiaw’s emergence into the side as an up-and-coming centre-back option, it’s unlikely that Burn will be shoved back into the heart of the backline soon, with the ageing number 33 just hopeful he can remain a consistent starter until his own contract runs out in the summer of 2027.

One of Burn’s Newcastle teammates doesn’t look to have the same luxury of time on his side, however.

Newcastle "leader" is now on borrowed time

When scanning the current makeup of the Magpies’ first-team step-up, there are an awful lot of figures who have been with the club since the very beginning of Howe’s reign.

Nick Pope left Burnley behind for the allure of St. James’ Park during Howe’s first proper summer transfer window, and despite some murmurs last season by journalist Adam Clery that he looks “absolutely petrified” to make an error, he remains Howe’s number one choice all those years down the line.

He does, however, have that same weight on his shoulders that the likes of Trippier and Schar are feeling, as his contract also expires this approaching June.

Jamaal Lascelles is also in this same unwanted boat, but he has been situated on Tyneside since the days of Rafa Benitez, even when his team were locked into a Championship promotion race during the 2016/17 season.

At the time, Lascelles would stand up strong as the Toon’s captain to guide the underachievers back up to the top-flight, with Newcastle royalty in Alan Shearer even going out of his way to label the 31-year-old as a “leader.”

Games played

253

Goals scored

15

Assists

4

Days out with injury

953

Games missed with injury

119

Since then, he has notched up 159 Premier League appearances and counting, but with their Champions League status now nearly a decade from Lascelles’ moment in the spotlight, and his recurring nature in and out of the St James’ treatment room currently, it might well be an apt time to pull the plug on the Derby-born centre-back’s long-winding stay, when his deal ceases to be in June.

Lascelle’s woes with injuries haven’t stopped him from still being seen as a club captain off the pitch, with Howe further reinforcing that he is an “incredible” player to have around the dressing room.

But, with Wilson through the door, and his contract soon to be up, now could be the time to wave goodbye, with Lascelles potentially going on to be a hero for another club, if he can exorcise his injury demons once and for all.

Anderson re-signs; £75m PL star joins: Ross Wilson's dream XI at Newcastle

Newcastle continue their hierarchal re-structure with the appointment of a new technical director.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 11, 2025

Jamie Carragher has ignored England as he named his favorites for the 2026 World Cup. Thomas Tuchel's side were the first European team to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and head into their final two qualifiers already assured of their place; Carragher, though, has picked Argentina, Spain, and France as his favorites.

Tuchel's men overlooked

England have enjoyed a flawless qualification campaign, winning all six of their six qualifiers thus far. As a result, their November qualifiers against Serbia and Albania offer Tuchel the opportunity to experiment with his starting XI, as well as his squad composition, ahead of the tournament next summer. 

Nevertheless, Tuchel has insisted that England will arrive at the showpiece as "underdogs", despite their sterling progress in tournaments since 2018. Under Gareth Southgate, they reached two finals – Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 – and also reached the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals. 

He said: "We will arrive as underdogs in the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades, and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time, so we need to arrive as a team otherwise we have no chance.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCarragher overlooks Three Lions

Carragher was asked to pick his favourites for the tournament and backed champions Argentina to harness the support of the US, following Lionel Messi's impact in MLS, while favouring Spain and France from Europe, instead of Tuchel's side. 

He told CBS Sports, via the Independent: “You have to look at Argentina, the holders, will it be the last time we see Messi play football? They’ll probably have great support, especially if they play in Miami, with his impact on MLS and playing for Inter Miami. 

“From the European side of things, the European champions, Spain with Lamine Yamal and then France with Kylian Mbappe, arguably the two best players in the world right now, alongside obviously Ousmane Dembele with France as well.

“I find it very difficult to ever look at a tournament and not have France at the back of my mind. [England are in] the next level of teams, alongside Portugal, those teams I’ve mentioned are probably the favourites and then they’ve got an outside chance.”

Tuchel's praise

After England's most recent outing, a crushing 5-0 win over Latvia, Tuchel was fulsome in his praise of his players, as they continue to develop an understanding under the German manager's system. 

“Brilliant, such a good mood in the dressing room," he said. "It feels very different because it's our dream to go to [North] America and now we've made it, another good performance and a top result. We now have six wins and six clean sheets so we're very happy.

“We're dominant in games, we're hungry, we invest against the ball, we have a lot of ball wins in the opponent's half.You look at our last goal, Harry Kane controlled the way back in his own half after a mistake from a teammate, helps defend the ball and wins the ball for the goal for Ebs (Eberechi Eze).

“It's good and we're on our way.”

He added: “It's a club feel because we play very aggressive, we play a high press. It's a very physical game that we play. It's very demanding but it gets everyone going. Everyone needs to go and buy into the idea because otherwise we can't press so high so we have a lot of ball wins.

“The guys train on a high level and the group is a very good group. It's a pleasure to coach them. That's the result, it's step by step and we're getting there.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

England have two more qualifiers before they head to the United States and are also likely to schedule warm-up friendlies beforehand. England will head to the States with the hopes of finally finding a way to end 60 years of hurt, and if qualification is anything to go by, they will be right up there. Tuchel has actually only overseen one defeat thus far, a 3-2 friendly loss to Senegal.