Celtic’s miserable season continues.

On Thursday evening, at a far from full Parkhead, the Hoops were beaten 2-0 by Braga in a wretched Europa League tie.

Despite having earned a respectable 1-1 draw with Crvena zvezda in their league phase opener eight nights earlier, all that good work was undone by a generally lifeless and toothless display against a team who, if reports are to believe, were underperforming to such an extent that manager Carlos Vicens was on the brink of the sack; perhaps that isn’t the case anymore!

For Brendan Rodgers, he has enjoyed unfathomable success in Glasgow and, while no one believes he is to blame, he certainly has a big job on his hands to turn the tide of negativity around.

In summary, his squad is not good enough to compete at this level, but which of the Hoops’ most experienced players were most to blame?

Kasper Schmeichel's miserable night

Braga’s opening goal, scored by Ricardo Horta, was either an absolute screamer or a goalkeeping howler, depending on your point of view.

As Joe Hart, speaking on commentary for TNT Sports, was eager to point out, the ball did dip and swerve viciously, but Kasper Schmeichel in goal will be disappointed that he was unable to keep this one out.

In fairness to the vastly experienced Dane, he could do nothing about the second, Dane Murray’s clearances ricocheting in via Gabri Martínez’s knees, while Schmeichel did make plenty of impressive saves, one in particular denying Florian Grillitsch; without him, the scoreline could have been either worse.

Since arriving from Anderlecht, Schmeichel has been excellent in a Celtic jersey albeit, set to celebrate his 39th birthday next month, there has to be some semblance of succession planning.

However, he was far from the player who put in the worst contribution on the night, with the Celts’ main issues lying at the other end of the park.

Celtic's blunt attack

We have potentially buried the lead, given that this game on Thursday night witnessed, potentially, the worst VAR decision since its introduction, one that former Celtic striker Chris Sutton described as “scandalous”.

Shortly after half-time, following a defensive mix-up from the Archbishops, Kelechi Iheanacho calmly slotted an equaliser past Lukáš Horníček.

However, VAR had other ideas, informing referee Tobias Stieler that the Nigerian striker had handled the ball in the build-up.

Hart on commentary was rightly gobsmacked; you can make up your own mind, but no evidence has yet surfaced that the ball actually made contact with the striker’s hand or arm.

That aside, Iheanacho was generally anonymous, as the table below documents.

Shots

0

8th

Shots on target

0

6th

Shots blocked

1

7th

xG

0.04

11th

Duels contested

6

17th

Duels won

1

27th

Possession lost

10

9th

Touches

19

27th

Average SofaScore rating

6.1

30th

Iheanacho was a peripheral figure, completing just five passes, touching the ball just 19 times and losing the ball on ten occasions. He could also muster only one shot while ending the night with the same expected goals figure as 19-year-old right-back Colby Donovan, who was replaced at half time.

Of course, Iheanacho will believe, and he wouldn’t be the only one, that he scored a perfectly good goal, one that would have reversed the narrative, both for him and the club as a whole.

The Nigerian did score in Belgrade last Wednesday, having converted a penalty on his debut to snatch victory at Rugby Park, but is symbolic of the board’s shambolic summer transfer strategy, arriving after the deadline following the sale of Adam Idah, with no replacement lined up.

Life is also not being made easy for him by Celtic’s general lack of attacking threat, with Sebastian Tounekti the only one looking like scoring a goal against Braga, while fellow new recruit Michel-Ange Balikwisha puzzlingly remained on the bench.

Saturday’s goalless stalemate with Hibernian was the Hoops’ first 0-0 draw in a home Premiership match since 26 August 2023 against St Johnstone, but the fifth time in 12 matches already this season in which they’ve failed to score.

Right now, in the Scottish Premiership, leaders Hearts as well as Hibs, Dundee United, Kilmarnock, Livingston and Motherwell, who will visit Parkhead on Sunday, have all scored more goals than the serial champions’ tally of eight, a mind-boggling statistic.

Rodgers’ side still have to face Sturm Graz, Roma and Utrecht in Glasgow as well as taking on Midtjylland, Feyenoord and Bologna on the road in the Europa League, and Celtic are going to have to exponentially improve, especially in attack, if they’re to avoid an ignominious early exit.

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Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has rejected an offer from Rangers as their search for a new manager continues amid uncertainty over Steven Gerrard's availability. Gers are in search of a new head coach after they parted ways with Russell Martin following a nightmare start to their 2025-26 campaign. Gerrard was at one point the favourite to take the job but he later pulled out, although his name is now back in the headlines.

• Rangers search for a new manager continues

  Rangers sacked Martin just months after his appointment at Ibrox in the summer. Many considered him to be a perfect fit at the club due to his ball-playing philosophy, but his tenure turned out to be a nightmare. In their first seven matches in the Scottish Premiership, Rangers have registered just one win and are now languishing in eighth position in the league table, 11 points behind league leaders Hearts and nine behind rivals Celtic. 

  Following Martin's exit, Rangers have been looking for a suitable candidate to fill the managerial vacancy. Last week, it was reported that Liverpool legend Gerrard could make a sensational comeback after four years. In his first stint in Glasgow, Gerrard guided Gers to a league title and thus, naturally, he had the fans' approval. The former England midfielder even flew to Scotland from the Middle East to hold talks with club officials, only to later withdraw his name from the race as he felt that the time was not right to return to football management.

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  Rangers snubbed by another mangerial candidate

  Other than Gerrard, Rangers also had former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl on their managerial shortlist. Accordingly, the Scottish giants approached the German coach with an offer and had even held concrete talks with the 36-year-old, but now reports that Rohl has rejected their offer as he does not feel the timing is right to take charge of the club. Rohl's reason is seemingly the same as Gerrard's, as he is not ready to return to the dugout after something of a torrid time at the Championship strugglers.

• Gerrard saga continues

  Days after turning down Rangers' offer, Gerrard has supposedly re-emerged as the frontrunner to take charge at Ibrox once again. reported on Wednesday that the former England star has suddenly become the bookie's favourite to manage the Gers. , though, also claims that despite that surprise update, Gerrard is unlikely to be in contention anymore and he has already flown back to Bahrain. 

  On Wednesday morning, the 45-year-old's odds were as high as 20/1 with William Hill. Spokesperson of William Hill, John Hill, told : "Despite ruling himself out of the job just a few days ago, Steven Gerrard has been heavily backed in our next Rangers manager market this morning. Gerrard is now just evens to return to Ibrox for a second spell in charge."

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• Rangers make club-record offer to Dyche

  Following Rohl's rejection, Rangers have now sent a club-record financial offer to former Everton and Burnley boss Sean Dyche, according to journalist . The bid has seemingly caught Dyche's attention as the 54-year-old English manager is said to be considering the offer. The experienced Premier League tactician has been out of work since being sacked by the Merseyside club in January 2025, having overseen a poor run of results that left them one point above the relegation zone. Nevertheless, it would be seen as something of a coup for a Scottish club if he were appointed in Glasgow.

Yet another disappointing result for Manchester City.

On Wednesday night, the Sky Blues were held to a 2-2 by Monaco at Stade Louis II in the Champions League, despite leading twice, only to concede a penalty in the final minute.

Let’s start with the positives for the Citizens, namely Erling Braut Håland, who scored two magnificent goals in the Principality, taking his tally to 52 goals in just 50 Champions League appearances.

He has reached that landmark so quickly that, as noted by BBC Match of the Day, he has to be compared to clubs, not players, having scored more goals in his first 50 Champions League outings than Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow, Celtic, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Club Brugge, Lille, Anderlecht and Dinamo Zagreb… we could go on!

Despite these exploits, dating back to last season, Pep Guardiola’s team have now won only four of ten league phase fixtures, despite winning 28 of 36 group stage games beforehand.

A few donning all black on Wednesday night did not cover themselves in glory, giving Guardiola some big selection decisions ahead of Sunday’s tricky trip to Brentford, so should he leave out arguably his most trusted lieutenant?

Nico González's difficult night in Monaco

Just as Manchester City were seemingly set to pick up all three points, les Monégasques were gifted a route back into the game.

As the clock was about to hit 90, a Monaco free-kick played into the box found Eric Dier but, as he headed the ball towards goal, Nico González came charging in and kicked the England defender in the face.

After a very long VAR consultation, referee Jesús Gil Manzano pointed to the spot and, to the surprise of many, Dier himself stepped up, sending Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way and ensuring it finished 2-2.

More broadly, since arriving from Porto on deadline day in the winter for £50m, Nico has struggled to make an impact in sky blue.

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Despite his compatriot Rodri’s continued injury issues, the la Masia academy graduate has started only 13 Premier League or Champions League games since debuting in February, deputising at Wolves on the opening day and against Burnley on Saturday.

Nevertheless, for someone who arrived for such a huge amount of money, and with impressive pedigree behind him, he is yet to consistently deliver, his only league goal for the club coming against Bournemouth in May, not that this is what he’s in the team for.

In summary, Nico is in danger of becoming the next Kalvin Phillips, signed for £50m to alleviate the burden on Rodri, before being cast aside and forgotten about, but there is another Manchester City player, who has made over 400 appearances for the club, who is at risk of losing his place in the team.

Pep must consider benching 'world class' Man City star

The Citizens’ trip to Stade Louis II this week evoked memories of their only previous visit to the Principality in March 2017, dumped out on away goals after a thrilling 6-6 aggregate draw.

That Monaco team, who would go on to reach the Champions League semi-finals and win the club’s only Ligue 1 title since 2000, contained Kylian Mbappé, Radamel Falcao, Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy, João Moutinho, Tiémoué Bakayoko, Thomas Lemar and a certain Bernardo Silva.

The Portuguese winger moved to Manchester for £43.5m the following summer, making 415 appearances for the club to date, winning 17 major honours to date, but he did not enjoy a happy return to the French Riviera.

The table below documents his statistics from Wednesday night’s draw.

Bernardo vs Monaco

Statistics

Silva

Match rank

Touches

70

8th

Shots on target

1

7th

xG

0.07

10th

Accurate passes

49

9th

Key passes

1

13th

Duels contested

6

14th

Duels won

1

26th

Possession lost

12

4th

Sofascore rating

6.0

29th

Stats via Sofascore

As the table notes, despite registering plenty of touches, Silva did not do a lot with the ball.

He lost possession on 12 occasions, only Phil Foden of Man City players did so more, also losing five of the six duels he contested, meaning he still has no goals and just one assist to his name this season.

Speaking on Sky Sports News in 2023, one content creator labelled Silva “world class”, while Ben Littlemore of Transfermarkt argued last year that he was Man City’s most important player.

In Guardiola’s managerial career, Silva is the player he has picked most, 34 times above Kevin De Bruyne who is second on the list, but now might be time to start phasing out the 31-year-old.

On the bench on Wednesday, the Citizens had both Oscar Bobb and Savinho, with Jérémy Doku starting on the opposite flank, all of whom offer a lot more dynamism and direct attacking play than Silva, emphasising why two of that trio should be in the team to take on Brentford come Sunday afternoon.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Sep 27, 2025

Ashwin said Pant’s reversal and the dialogue around it might make the bowler feel “small”

PTI28-May-2025R Ashwin was not impressed with Rishabh Pant’s decision to withdraw Digvesh Rathi’s appeal for running out Jitesh Sharma at the non-striker’s end during Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) final league game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).”Digvesh Rathi is not my relative. He is not my friend. I don’t know who he is. But I am saying… You will scar a bowler so much that it will really affect him,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “But because nobody really cares about a bowler, so in front of crores of people, should we withdraw his appeal and insult him?”The incident occurred in the 17th over of RCB’s chase when Rathi took off the bails after observing that Jitesh had left the crease at the non-striker’s end.The replays showed that the batter was outside his crease, but the TV umpire deemed that Rathi had completed his delivery stride before effecting the run-out. While it all unfolded, Pant withdrew the appeal and received a hug from Jitesh. RCB went on to win the game by six wickets.Related

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Jitesh survives Rathi's run-out appeal at non-striker's end

Ashwin, who has been a vocal supporter of running out batters at the non-striker’s end, said Pant should have backed his bowler.”Let me dive into the technicalities of this incident. Is Jitesh Sharma justified in being out if he stepped out of the crease before he (Rathi) got into the delivery stride? Yes, he is justified in being given out and the bowler is also well-justified,” Ashwin said. “Digvesh Rathi landed at the front foot and Jitesh Sharma was inside the crease. So, in all technical possibilities, this is not out. And what happened? After hitting the stump, (umpire) Michael Gough asked Digvesh Rathi. He didn’t ask him, ‘are you sure?” He asked him whether he was appealing.”He (Rathi) said, ‘yes, I am appealing’. So, he (Gough) went to the third umpire and the third umpire took the right decision. He said, ‘he has crossed his delivery stride, the batsman is inside the crease, I have a decision, not out’.”Now, till now, everything is fine. Bowler has hit, appealed, not out. It’s just another day in the office. But what happened? After this, during the match, (the) commentators said, ‘Rishabh Pant has withdrawn the appeal. What an amazing act of sportsmanship!'”Come on, . Let’s grow out of this. I am asking one question. Think about it, Digvesh Rathi is your son. Whoever is watching this video, he is your son, and Digvesh Rathi’s captain has criticised his decision in front of crores of people. It’s actually gone over the board because, look, a captain’s job is actually to back a player. Alright? A captain’s job is to not make a bowler feel small.”Ashwin suggested that Rathi was made to feel small and that he might never effect a run-out at the bowler’s end again.”We don’t know if he [Pant] already spoke to them [LSG camp] or not,” Ashwin said. “But let’s stop this vilification of that youngster in front of crores and crores of people. Do we do that to anybody else? Why does a bowler look small? It is actually a humiliation.”What happens is [that] a bowler feels so small that he will never do it and people will say in the comment section that he should not do it. Why? Why shouldn’t he do it?”

Three wickets from Em Arlott, playing just her second international match, decimated West Indies as England ran away with victory in the second T20I at Hove and an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series.Arlott’s impressive spell accounted for key batters Hayley Matthews, who had scored 100 of her side’s 146 runs in the first game at Canterbury, and Stafanie Taylor, who had returned from injury to bolster the tourists’ line-up. She also removed Zaida James, courtesy of one of two strong catches by Sophia Dunkley, and took a catch of her own to dismiss Shemaine Campbelle, the West Indies’ highest scorer for the match with just 26.That was off Charlie Dean, who took back-to-back wickets to finish with 2 for 12 from her four overs, while Lauren Bell took 3 for 28, including one in the opening over to set the tone for the match. Issy Wong was also economical with 1 for 10 in four overs.Player of the match Arlott had waited a long time to make her debut in Canterbury, having been called up to the England squad during India’s visit in 2021 without playing. She missed out again the following year when she left England’s camp before the home series against South Africa began, because she was suffering the after-effects of Covid. At that point she feared her chances of playing for her country were gone. But she made up for lost time as West Indies were restricted to 81 for 9.After losing opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge on the first ball of the reply, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Dunkley reeled in the target with 64 balls to spare.Arlott’s amazing spellMatthews needed someone to go with her this time following her gallant century in a losing cause on Wednesday. But fellow opener Qiana Joseph fell cheaply once more, spooning a return catch to Bell on the third ball of the game. A double-wicket over from Arlott left West Indies reeling at 18 for 3 in the fourth over with their inspirational captain, Matthews, back in the dugout with just six runs to her name. Matthews had tried to play across the line of a length ball from Arlott which shaped in and moved off the seam and clattered into the stumps. Four balls later, Dunkley held a stunning catch, leaping to her left and tumbling at short midwicket to dismiss James.England’s fielding demons from the T20 World Cup match between these two teams looked to be exorcised. Arlott was on a roll when she had the experienced Taylor well caught at short extra cover by Dean for a second-ball duck. That gave Arlott 3 for 7 in 14 balls. She finished her allocation with 3 for 14, including 18 dot balls.Lauren Bell struck in the first over to ignite a ruthless England display•Getty Images

West Indies implodeCampbelle was also back from injury and she made some semblance of a start in trying to drag West Indies out of their predicament, reaching 26 off 36 balls. But hers was the first of two wickets to fall in as many balls to Dean with Arlott in the action again, taking a comfortable catch at long-on. Mandy Mangru followed, bowled attempting to paddle sweep and West Indies were 63 for 6. Shabika Gajnabi survived the hat-trick ball but, in the over between, Bell had Aaliyah Alleyne caught behind.Gajnabi fell when Dunkley took another catch at backward point off Wong and Bell had her third wicket when Afy Fletcher holed out to Sciver-Brunt. England conceded just six more runs from that point but they were unable to bowl out West Indies, who set a paltry target of 82.Sciver-Brunt leads the run chaseIf failing to take 10 wickets was a hiccup in the display of ruthlessness that new England head coach Charlotte Edwards had called for on the eve of the series, her side were able to make up for it with a rapid run-chase. Wyatt-Hodge’s dismissal, bowled by James with the first ball of the innings, didn’t augur well. But Sciver-Brunt, England’s new captain, batted with authority, marshalling a powerplay of 49 for 1 and bringing up the team fifty with the first of back-to-back fours off Matthews, driven through the covers then reverse-swept.She brought up her half-century when she was dropped by Cherry-Ann Fraser moving to her right from deep midwicket and ran two for her 17th fifty in T20Is. She then struck the winning runs with a leg-side four off Afy Fletcher. Meanwhile Dunkley, who had top-scored for England with an unbeaten 81 in the previous game, played the supporting role with an unbeaten 24 off 25 balls as England cruised to 82 for 1 in 9.2 overs.

أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإسباني اليوم الأربعاء، عن موعد مباريات الجولة الـ19 من الليجا،  والتي كان من المفترض أن موعدها محدد مسبقًا.

ويتصدر نادي ريال مدريد ترتيب بطولة الدوري الإسباني برصيد 27 نقطة، وبفارق خمس نقاط عن برشلونة صاحب المركز الثاني.

وعزز ريال مدريد صدارته في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بعدما هزم برشلونة بهدفين مقابل هدف واحد يوم الأحد الماضي، في كلاسيكو الجولة العاشرة من المسابقة المحلية.

وأكدت رابطة الدوري الإسباني، أنه حدث تغيير في موعد مباريات الجولة ال19 من البطولة، وذلك بسبب ظروف إقامة بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني في المملكة العربية السعودية.

اقرأ أيضًا .. عملاق أوروبي قد ينقذ فينيسيوس بعد أزمته مع ألونسو في ريال مدريد

وسوف تلعب بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني في المملكة العربية السعودية وتحديدًا في جدة بين يومي 7 يناير و11 من نفس الشهر ، على ملعب الإنماء.

وكان من المفترض أن تبدأ الجولة الـ19 يوم 11 يناير، وهو نفس موعد نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني، حيث يشارك كلًا من ريال مدريد، وأتلتيكو مدريد، وبرشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو.

وبناءً على موعد مباريات كأس السوبر، فقد قررت رابطة الدوري الإسباني تقديم مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد في الجولة ال19 لتلعب يوم 2 ديسمبر من العام الحالي بدلًا في شهر يناير.

وعلى الجانب الآخر سوف يواجه ريال مدريد أتلتيك بلباو يوم 3 ديسمبر كذلك بدلًا من بداية العام المقبل.

وكان برشلونة قد حقق بطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني العام الماضي، عقب انتصاره الكبير على ريال مدريد 5-2 في نهائي البطولة المحلية.

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. 

St Lucia Kings, the defending champions of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), have signed IPL winner Tim David as their first-round pick at the draft for the 2025 season. Kings, however, will be without Faf du Plessis, who had led them to their maiden title last year, prioritising the Hundred over the CPL this season.Du Plessis will instead play for Southern Brave in the Hundred, whose signing was the result of his involvement with Delhi Capitals in the IPL. The Capitals’ co-owners GMR Group are finalising their deal to buy Southern Brave, having taken over at host county Hampshire last year.Moeen Ali, who had announced his international retirement in September last year, has opted to skip the Hundred for the CPL, where he was re-signed as a seventh-round pick by Guyana Amazon Warriors. Imran Tahir, 46, was retained by Amazon Warriors as their first pick.Related

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• In Chennai, next-gen West Indians take part in spin masterclass

Four-time CPL champions Trinbago Knight Riders recruited the Pakistan pair of Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq. While this will be offspinner Tariq’s maiden CPL stint – he plays for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL – Amir is a familiar name in the CPL, having turned out for Barbados Royals, Jamaica Tallawahs, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the past.As for the Falcons, they snapped up Imad Wasim as their first pick and Shakib Al Hasan as their second pick. Shakib holds the record for the best figures in an innings in the CPL – he had claimed 4-1-6-6 for the Barbados franchise back in 2013.Rashid Khan will miss the CPL once again, but other spinners contribute to a fairly significant Afghanistan presence in the league. Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, who was picked by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 auction and is currently in fine form for Derbyshire in the T20 Blast, will join Naveen-ul-Haq at Falcons.Left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil moved from TKR to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman will return to Barbados Royals. When Royals made the final in CPL 2022, Mujeeb had collected ten wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.11. Seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai will join Mujeeb at Royals.Bevon Jacobs, the big-hitting New Zealand batter, will link up with Falcons for his first CPL gig after having stints with Mumbai Indians in the IPL and MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20. Glenn Phillips, who first made his name as a franchise player at the CPL before establishing himself as an allrounder for New Zealand, will join Amazon Warriors. Wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert will stay with Kings while Colin Munro will return to TKR.Imran Tahir, 46, was retained by Guyana Amazon Warriors•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Munro, who was signed as an eighth-round pick, has previously enjoyed success with TKR – he is still their highest run-getter with 2178 runs in 72 innings at a strike rate of 129.56. Munro, 38, has retired from international cricket but continues to be active in franchise leagues around the world. Darren Bravo, the second-highest scorer for TKR behind Munro in the CPL, will also return to the franchise and will reunite with his brother Dwayne Bravo, who is set to take over as head coach.Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell were all retained by TKR as expected.Allrounder Matthew Forde, who recently equalled AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest ODI fifty, was retained by Kings while fast bowler Shamar Joseph was retained by Amazon Warriors.

Incentive for emerging players

In CPL 2025, each franchise must play at least one player from the Breakout League, a new tournament that was held to identify emerging talent from the region, in every game. This also gives the franchise the option of picking five overseas players in their XI to go with their ‘breakout’ player.The last three rounds in the draft – 15, 16 and 17 – were all reserved for emerging players from the Breakout League.Reigning champions Kings brought back St Lucian Ackeem Auguste as one of their breakout players. After winning the CPL title with Kings, Auguste visited India to train at the Chennai Super Kings academy and his recent form for West Indies Academy is also encouraging.Having captained Trinidad & Tobago Legions to the 2025 West Indies Breakout League T20 title, Joshua da Silva will now link up with his home franchise, TKR, in the CPL.Jyd Goolie, a former Under-19 World Cup winner who recently earned a call-up to the senior squad, was picked by Patriots as a player from the Breakout League.

CPL 2025 squads

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder (traded), Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Corbin Bosch, Waqar Salamkheil, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze (traded), Mohammad Nawaz, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Ashmead Nedd, Jeremiah Louis, Jyd Goolie, Navin Bidaisee, Leniko BoucherAntigua & Barbuda Falcons: Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan, Fabian Allen, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Justin Greaves, Bevon Jacobs, Jayden Seales, AM Ghazanfar, Rahkeem Cornwall (traded), Odean Smith, Jewel Andrew, Shamar Springer, Amir Jangoo, Karima Gore, Kevin Wickham, Joshua JamesBarbados Royals: Rovman Powell, Brandon King (traded), Sherfane Rutherford (traded), Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Jomel Warrican, Kadeem Alleyne, Shaqkere Parris, Kofi James, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, Zishan Motara, Johann Layne, Ramon SimmondsTrinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Alex Hales, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Amir, Colin Munro, Usman Tariq, Ali Khan, Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Terrance Hinds, McKenny Clarke, Joshua Da Silva, Nathan EdwardGuyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Shai Hope, Glenn Phillips, Gudakesh Motie, Moeen Ali, Shamar Joseph, Keemo Paul, Dwaine Pretorius, Shamarh Brooks, Kemol Savory, Hassan Khan, Jediah Blades, Kevlon Anderson, Quentin Sampson, Riyad LatifSaint Lucia Kings: Tim David, Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Tim Seifert, Roston Chase, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Delano Potgieter, Matthew Forde, Aaron Jones, Khary Pierre, Javelle Glen, Micah McKenzie, Shadrack Descarte, Johann Jeremiah, Keon Gaston, Ackeem Auguste

Chelsea are one of the world’s most active clubs in the transfer market, and they could now be set to beat Liverpool and PSG to the signing of a proven Premier League star.

Chelsea left with problems to juggle amid hectic fixture schedule

Winning the Club World Cup was a momentous moment in recent Chelsea history, and particularly for the club’s finances.

BlueCo took home over £80 million worth of prize money after reigning victorious in the States, and this helped them end last summer’s window as one of England’s biggest spenders.

However, if recent developments are anything to go by, the physical output expended by players over what was a very long 2024/2025 season, with the CWC to blame for this, may have created some frustrating consequences for Enzo Maresca.

Cole Palmer is out for six weeks due to a groin problem, meaning the England international now joins Benoit Badiashile, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Levi Colwill as long-term absentees from the line-up.

Offering his honest opinion, former Blues star Pat Nevin believes Chelsea’s pre-season has something to do with the recent absences they are experiencing.

Either way, there will be opportunities for other Chelsea players to stake their claim in light of Palmer’s absence, including Blues loanee Facundo Buonanotte.

Nevertheless, January will be very important, given it offers a chance for Chelsea to strengthen their lighter areas by recruiting top talent.

Chelsea now frontrunners to sign Morgan Rogers

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are now the frontrunners to sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers, and could beat rivals Liverpool to capture the England international.

Starting off this term with two assists in his opening ten appearances across all competitions, the 23-year-old is valued at around £80 million, and he is also being closely tracked by Paris Saint-Germain.

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Amid a return of 30 goal contributions in 2024/25, Chelsea have identified Rogers as a “key target” moving forward, and they believe internally that he is ‘well-suited to both the intensity of the Premier League and the competitive demands of European football’ present at Stamford Bridge.

Fotmob shows that the Halesowen-born playmaker, previously labelled “excellent” by Thomas Tuchel, has created seven chances and completed seven dribbles in the Premier League this campaign. He is beginning to motor after a slow start to life following a difficult summer where speculation over his future was rife.

Looking to steal a march on their rivals, Chelsea could now be set to tap into his long-term potential by offering a package that reflects his scope to develop into a world-class star.

Following a tough start to life under Russell Martin, former Rangers player Derek Ferguson has taken aim at one particular deal that Kevin Thelwell pushed through in the summer.

Update on Russell Martin's Rangers future

Reports last week suggested that the Hibernian game was a crucial point in the early stages of Martin’s tenure. Defeat would have likely ended the manager’s time at the club just months on from arriving. At long last, however, the Gers got back to winning ways and advanced in the Scottish League Cup to hand Martin a glimmer of hope.

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The victory, which must only be a start, hands Rangers something to build on and may well be the beginning of the pressure being lifted on Martin. What is also key to note about that victory is the return of Nicolas Raskin. The midfielder has found himself dropped for reasons away from the pitch at times this season, but finally returned last time out to hand the Gers a decisive boost.

That win has not silenced all the noise, however, with Ferguson still taking aim at Thelwell and one decision that the sporting director reportedly pushed through during the summer transfer window.

Ferguson "baffled" by Chermiti deal

Speaking to Ibrox News, Ferguson revealed that he’s been “baffled” by Rangers’ decision to sign Chermiti in a deal worth as much as £10m at the end of the summer transfer window.

The former midfield player said: “I just can’t see anything to justify that fee. It’s baffling why they’ve paid so much. What it does is it brings pressure for the young lad from the off.

“With a price tag like that, you expect him to play every week and to bang in goals. If he doesn’t, then the pressure builds. It’s a strange one, and I, of course, wish him well, but I’m scratching my head over this one. I don’t know why this deal was done, to be honest with you.”

The former Everton forward is yet to prove his worth in a Rangers shirt. Although still early days, the 21-year-old has made just two appearances for the Scottish giants which is far from ideal for a player of his price.

At £10m, the Gers needed a player capable of hitting the ground running, especially in the middle of their current run. Alas, Chermiti hasn’t even broken into Martin’s Scottish Premiership squad at times this season.