Leeds United secured a superb 3-3 comeback against Liverpool at Elland Road last night to make it four points in the space of a week against big six opposition.

Daniel Farke’s men fell two goals behind just minutes after the break after a Hugo Ekitiké double, but it only seemed to spur the side on to get back into the Premier League clash.

Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anton Stach restored parity before Dominic Szoboszlai’s 80th-minute effort looked to have finally handed the visitors three points.

However, it wasn’t meant to be, with the Whites’ never-say-die attitude rewarding them a point, after Ao Tanaka beautifully volleyed home from a corner in the 96th minute.

Despite the impressive fightback against the Reds in Yorkshire, numerous players struggled to impress throughout the clash, which could put their starting roles at huge risk.

Leeds’ poor performers against Liverpool

Jayden Bogle has been Leeds’ number one right-back so far this campaign, but his showing against the Reds was arguably one of his worst of the season to date.

The Englishman was withdrawn with just a minute left in the clash, after giving possession away 11 times, with two occasions coming when trying to take on an opponent.

He also failed to win any tackles against Cody Gakpo, whilst only coming out on top in 25% of the ground and aerial duels he entered against the defending champions.

Bogle wasn’t alone in struggling within the back five, with centre-back Joe Rodon having an uncharacteristically poor performance in the Premier League.

The Welsh international’s misplaced pass handed the ball on a plate for Ekitike to fire home and help the visitors establish their two-goal cushion early in the second half.

He also only managed to win 50% of the aerial battles he entered in the defensive third, but thankfully, he was bailed out by Tanaka for his struggles in stoppage time.

The Leeds star who needs to be dropped after Liverpool

If Leeds are to stay up in the Premier League this season, their ability to get themselves off the canvas on a regular basis could play a massive role in any successful survival attempt.

Few sides in the league would be able to get themselves back within striking distance of sides who possess the quality of Liverpool, with Farke deserving huge credit after such a result.

The German wasn’t afraid of making key changes at crucial parts of the game, with his triple change in the 65th minute seeing Tanaka score, whilst Wilfried Gnonto won the penalty for Calvert-Lewin’s strike.

Brenden Aaronson was also on hand to provide the goods, with the American registering the assist for Stach’s strike – which restored parity for the first time in the meeting.

However, Noah Okafor was just one of the players sacrificed for the aforementioned trio, with the attacker potentially now fearing for his starting role in Yorkshire.

The Swiss international lasted just over an hour before being replaced, but his stats from his time on the pitch showcase how lacklustre his showing at Elland Road was.

He was only able to complete a total of five passes in his 65-minute showing – an average of one every 13 minutes – with his small frame unsuited to the counter-attacking nature in the first half.

Minutes played

65

Touches

14

Passes completed

5

Dribbles completed

1

Aerials won

0

Shots on target

0

Possession lost

4x

Fouls committed

1

The 25-year-old tried his best to make an impact on the transition, but largely struggled against the Reds’ backline – as seen by his tally of just one dribble completed.

Okafor also failed to win any of his aerial battles, something which is hardly a surprise given his stature – but also coming up against the likes of Virgil van Dijk.

To top off his disappointing display, he only registered a total of 14 touches during the draw, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri making nearly three times more with his tally of 43.

After such a performance, Farke will be left with no choice but to drop the Swiss international, with the trio off the bench certainly deserving of a start after their impact in the second half.

It’s certainly not a bad call for the manager to make, especially with the recent form creating competition for places – something that will be vital if they are to secure survival.

Leeds now make contact over signing "powerful" star who's been likened to Odegaard

He’s a wanted man.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 6, 2025

The fast bowling duo were in the nets in Sydney on Tuesday as focus turns to the second Ashes Test

Andrew McGlashan25-Nov-2025

In an encouraging sign for Australia, Josh Hazlewood returned to the nets on Tuesday as he recovers from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening Ashes Test in Perth.Pat Cummins, meanwhile, was pictured bowling with a pink ball as he continues his push to return for the day-night Test at the Gabba following his back injury.The pair trained at Cricket Central in Sydney while New South Wales were playing their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.Related

Hazlewood suffers Achilles soreness during hamstring rehab

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The world where Lyon doesn't play at the Gabba

Bartlett, Sandhu dismantle Victoria under Gabba lights

In what looked like clear evidence of immediate priorities, Hazlewood was bowling with a red ball. He is not expected to be available for the Gabba Test, so his comeback target will be Adelaide, which has reverted to a day Test this year.Speaking on Monday, Australia coach Andrew McDonald was confident that Hazlewood would be available later in the Ashes.”I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series,” he said. “We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”Cummins has been making good progress in ramping up his bowling in recent weeks and looked impressive in the nets in Perth ahead of the opening Test. The selectors will need to be fully confident that he can get through the workloads required for a Test, even if the early indications are that matches in this series may not go the distance.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” McDonald said. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.”The first three Tests of the series are well spaced out – the gap between the first and second now 11 days after the two-day finish in Perth – but the schedule does become more condensed from Adelaide onwards: there is a four-day gap to the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the same to Sydney if those matches reach the fifth day.Pat Cummins has a go with the pink ball•Getty Images

With the day-night pink-ball element thrown into the mix for Brisbane, there is a good chance that it could be another short, sharp Test. In the current round of Sheffield Shield matches, ten wickets fell in the night session of the third day between Queensland and Victoria to hasten the contest to a result, although wickets hadn’t fallen at the same rate on the first two days.In that match, Xavier Bartlett put in an eye-catching performance with 4 for 35 in the second innings alongside a career-best 72 with the bat. Australia may not need further pace reinforcement during the Ashes, especially if Cummins and Hazlewood are available, but Bartlett, who has impressed in ODIs and T20Is, may have moved himself up the queue.Michael Neser was the spare pace bowler in Perth and the Gabba is his home ground. His two previous Tests have been with the pink ball in Adelaide: against England in 2021-22 and West Indies in 2022-23.In the build-up to the Ashes, the selectors also spoke of their hope that Jhye Richardson may become an option later in the series as he returns from the shoulder surgery he had earlier this year.He trained with the Test squad in Perth and then bowled 20 wicketless overs for the Cricket Australia XI against England Lions at Lilac Hill. He is expected to feature for Australia A against the Lions in Brisbane next week.”This game was a lot about physical preparation for me and making sure that we can get through,” Richardson told reporters after the CA XI outing. “I’m sure there would have been a few people seeing a bit of ice on it after the bowling but that’s basically just maintenance. The shoulder’s feeling really good and it’s feeling better and better each bowl.”It’s a decent hit out, the most overs I’ve bowled in a while and it’s all part of the process to building up to be ready for four and five-day cricket.”

Hardik Pandya has been named in India’s 15-member squad for the T20Is against South Africa after an injury layoff kept him out of action for over two months.India’s T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has been recovering from a neck injury he sustained in the first Test in Kolkata, was also named in the squad, but his participation will depend on his fitness clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE). Suryakumar Yadav will lead the squad for the five-match series starting on December 9.There was no place in the side for Rinku Singh and allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy who had toured Australia recently for the T20I series. Those were the only two omissions from India’s last T20I assignment.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Hardik returned to action on Tuesday in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s domestic T20s, for Baroda. He opened the bowling for figures of 1 for 52 and then batted at No. 4 to smash an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls with four sixes and seven fours for a seven-wicket win over Punjab. That was his first match since the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Sri Lanka on September 26.Rinku didn’t bat at all on the Australia tour and was picked in the XI only for the last T20I of the series, in Brisbane, which was washed out after 4.5 overs. That was his only international outing since hitting the winning runs in the Asia Cup final and he is currently playing in the SMAT for Uttar Pradesh.Reddy also didn’t get any chances in the T20Is in Australia but his exclusion was expected once Hardik was fit again.If Gill doesn’t regain his fitness in time, Sanju Samson could open along with Abhishek Sharma, which he has been doing while leading Kerala in the ongoing domestic T20s. In Australia, Samson batted at No. 3 in the only chance he got, in the second T20I in Melbourne. He was also in the XI for the opening game but Suryakumar batted at No. 3 and the match was washed out after 9.4 overs.Jitesh Sharma is the second wicketkeeper in the side. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the fast-bowling attack along with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Hardik, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are the allrounders while Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are the frontline spinners.The five matches will be played on December 9, 11, 14, 17 and 19 in Cuttack, New Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Lucknow and Ahmedabad respectively. South Africa won the two-Test series 2-0 and India led the ODI series 1-0 when the T20I squad was announced during the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday.

India’s T20I squad for South Africa series

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
*Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI CoE.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians está na decisão da Copa do Brasil. Neste domingo (14), o clube alvinegro eliminou o Cruzeiro nas penalidades, na Neo Química Arena, e garantiu vaga na final do torneio. É a quinta final da competição de Dorival Júnior.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCruzeiroEstratégia de Jardim dá errado em decisão por pênaltis de Corinthians x CruzeiroCruzeiro14/12/2025Futebol FemininoGabi Zanotti cobra evolução após temporada de títulos: ‘O Corinthians precisa de mais’Futebol Feminino14/12/2025CorinthiansDorival sai em defesa dos treinadores brasileiros após vitória do CorinthiansCorinthians14/12/2025

O técnico conquistou o título três vezes, com Santos, em 2010, Flamengo, em 2022, e São Paulo, em 2023. Além disso, foi vice-campeão em 2015, com o Alvinegro Praiano. Após a vitória sobre o Cruzeiro de Leonardo Jardim, Dorival Júnior pediu mais respeito aos treinadores brasileiros.

– Acho que esses números para mim são muito importantes, eu quero aqui só fazer uma ligação com o que vem acontecendo com os profissionais da minha área nesse país. Há um tempo nós estamos sendo desrespeitados em todos os aspectos, e mais uma vez finalizamos o ano com o Filipe Luiz, treinador do Flamengo, campeão da Libertadores e do Brasileirão, e no mínimo um treinador brasileiro nas finais da Copa do Brasil. Eu prefiro chamar atenção para esse lado, nos respeitem um pouco mais, que os treinadores sejam mais observados, avaliados, pois temos muita qualidade, os profissionais que aqui estão – disse o treinador do Timão em entrevista coletiva na Neo Química Arena.

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Sem comparação

Na última década, o futebol brasileiro se consolidou como um polo de atração para treinadores estrangeiros. Um exemplo é o atual treinador da Seleção, o italiano Carlo Ancelotti. Em sua defesa dos técnicos locais, Dorival Júnior ressaltou que a intenção não é criar comparações, mas pedir que os profissionais brasileiros sejam mais respeitados, especialmente pela imprensa.

– Não quero comparação, de forma nenhuma, tenho muito respeito pelos treinadores estrangeiros, a integração é importante, mas espero um respeito maior da imprensa brasileira de forma geral. Há um processo de desrespeito muito grande na nossa área, e isso é lamentável, estamos perdendo muitos profissionais, estão ficando no meio do caminho desnecessariamente, são pessoas que estão buscando espaço. Espero que acreditem mais no profissional brasileiro. Sempre tem um culpado no futebol, sempre é apontado o treinador, e nem sempre é assim que acontece, nós temos interessados, buscando melhorar, mas precisamos que avaliem melhor o contexto, comecem a ler futebol de uma outra forma, não são todos, mas uma boa parte tem feito desta forma, é lamentável o que tem acontecido – falou o treinador.

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CorinthiansDorival JúniorFutebol Nacional

يستعد فريق ليفربول لخوض مباراة مهمة مساء يوم الثلاثاء، في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، وذلك ضد نظيره فريق إنتر ميلان، على ملعب الأخير.

تأتي تلك المباراة في خضم منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26، على ملعب “سان سيرو”.

يدخل ليفربول تلك المباراة وهو يمتلك 9 نقاط فقط حيث يحتل المركز الثالث عشر، في حين أن إنتر ميلان في المركز الرابع برصيد 12 نقطة.

وشهدت قائمة ليفربول المستدعاة لخوض مباراة إنتر ميلان استبعاد النجم المصري محمد صلاح، كرد فعل من النادي والمدرب آرني سلوت على تصريحاته الهجومية التي أدلى بها يوم السبت الماضي.

كما يغيب فيديريكو كييزا بسبب المرض، في حين أن كودي جاكبو يعاني من إصابة تعرض لها في المباراة الماضية ضد ليدز يونايتد، وسيغيب إثرها عدة أسابيع. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام إنتر ميلان اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: كونور برادلي، جو جوميز، فيرجيل فان دايك، روبرتسون.

خط الوسط: جرافنبيرخ، كورتيس جونز.

خط الوسط الهجومي: دومينيك سوبوسلاي، فلوريان فيرتز، هوجو إيكتيكي.

خط الهجوم: ألكسندر إيزاك.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

“Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Umran Malik, who is making his comeback from a hip injury, says

Rajan Raj07-Dec-2025Umran Malik will not compromise on his speed. It’s his “identity” and his “natural ability”, and though he is on a comeback trail after over a year out with injuries – a hip issue the last – he will keep bowling as fast as he can since it’s a point of difference between him and other quicks in the country.”Every fast bowler in the world knows that injuries are going to be a part of his career. But speed is my natural aspect. How can I compromise with that? Speed is my biggest strength, and I want to continue to maintain that strength,” Malik told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of Jammu and Kashmir’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Hyderabad in Kolkata on December 4.”You can’t bowl at 150(kph) straight away. You reach that speed gradually. I don’t want to show my speed to anyone, but I want to show my wickets. But it is also that after ten years [of bowling at a competitive level], I want to bowl at 140 [from 150] and not come down to a speed of 130 from 150.”Before turning out in the latest edition of the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournaments, Malik had last played in in March 2024 in the IPL that year, for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Mumbai Indians (MI). He was with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025 but could not play a single match.

“Money is not a concern. The first and last thing is that my fitness and form should be such that I play every match for the team and take wickets. If I can’t do this, then what will be my value as a player?”Umran Malik

Coming back from a serious injury takes a toll on the body as well as on the mind, and Malik’s focus has changed a bit now.”After spending time at NCA [BCCI’s Centre of Excellence] and talking to many experts, I have started to understand my body better,” he said. “I now know what things need to be managed better if I want to avoid injury.”Though KKR have let go of a number of their players, including some big-ticket stars, Malik has been retained ahead of IPL 2026.”I know that for many Indian fast bowlers, it is not that difficult to be part the IPL. It’s probably easy for me too, but I’m not just thinking of taking part in the tournament,” he said. “Money is not a concern. The first and last thing is that my fitness and form should be such that I play every match for the team and take wickets. If I can’t do this, then what will be my value as a player?”I will work as hard as I have to. I will learn where I make mistakes. I will take care of myself and want to make my comeback memorable.”Those who have watched him bowl this season have found a slightly different Malik, who has maintained his speeds while also appearing to bowl within himself a bit.At present, Malik’s eyes are focused solely on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but it is with an eye on the future, starting with the IPL.

Mohamed Salah gave an astonishing interview in the aftermath of Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw against Leeds United on Saturday, accusing the club of “throwing me under the bus” and saying his relationship with manager Arne Slot is broken. The Egypt star, who has been benched for the Reds’ last three Premier League games, said he will say “goodbye” to supporters in next weekend’s clash with Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield.

• Salah named on the bench for Liverpool's last three games

  Looking to find a way to resurrect Liverpool’s form in what has been a torrid 2025-26 season so far, head coach Slot has named Salah among the substitutes in the last three league fixtures against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds.

  However, while the Reds recorded a 2-0 victory over the Hammers on 30 November, they have been unable to kick on since then, requiring an own goal from Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele to earn a point against Sunderland, before twice throwing away the lead to draw with Leeds.

  Scoring his first two league goals since September's 2-1 victory over rivals Everton, striker Hugo Ekitike netted a second-half brace which put Liverpool in front at Leeds. However, Slot's side were then pegged back by a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty and a strike from midfielder Anton Stach.

  Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai soon restored his side's lead with a controlled finish after 80 minutes, only for Leeds' Ao Tanaka to rescue a last-gasp point in the sixth minute of injury time.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Reds talisman criticised for not speaking to supporters

  In a campaign which has seen several Liverpool players drop below the lofty standards they set in last season’s title-winning campaign, Salah has particularly suffered a sharp decline in form.

  Unable to consistently replicate the sparkling performances which saw him score 29 goals and record 18 assists in the top flight last season, the former Chelsea and Roma winger has also received criticism for failing to address supporters during Liverpool’s struggles this season.

  Speaking in his capacity as a pundit, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher – who made 737 appearances for the club, winning nine major trophies – said in November: “I think Virgil van Dijk, after the [Nottingham Forest] game, has come out again and spoke, as he should do as a captain, he's called Liverpool a mess. I must say, on the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out. And as I said, the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club. 

  “A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn't shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. 

  “I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain. But, obviously, the manager [Slot] is the one in the firing line. Any manager with results like that, as you said, if they were part of the bottom four or a promoted team, they would be under pressure.

  “So there's no doubt the manager is under pressure now with results like that, on the back of being champions, but also on the fact of what Liverpool spent in the summer.”

  After months of speculation over his future, Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April. His previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

• AFP
  

  Salah launches explosive tirade after dramatic Leeds draw

  However, in an incendiary interview following Liverpool’s disappointing draw with Leeds, Salah has revealed he intends to say farewell to the club’s fanbase during next Saturday’s home game against Brighton, with the 33-year-old unsure if he has a future on Merseyside.

  Following the match against Fabian Hurzeler’s side, Salah will head to Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations camp ahead of the tournament starting on Sunday, 21 December in Morocco.

  In quotes carried by , he said: “I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.

  “Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

  “I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.

  “This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday — you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew.

  “Yesterday I said to [my parents], ‘Come to the Brighton game.’ I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”

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• 'It really hurts' – Salah expecting more criticism from Carragher

  While Salah said he “did not want to answer this question” about whether he could move to the Saudi Pro League in the January transfer window, he continued his explosive remarks by saying he expects Carragher to “go for me again” during coverage of Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

  “After what I have done for the club it really hurts,” Salah continued. “You can imagine, really. After going from home to the club and you don’t know if you are starting. 

  “I know the club too well, I have been here many years. Tomorrow [Sunday] Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that’s fine."

  Salah also namechecked Harry Kane when defending his goal record this season, saying the England captain was treated more favourably in the media despite once embarking on a 10-game scoring drought. 

  It is not clear which of Kane's goal droughts Salah is referring to – the Bayern Munich striker once went five Premier League games without scoring for Tottenham Hotspur between August and September 2021.

  Salah said: "Can I give an example? It’s silly but I am sorry. I remember a while go, Harry Kane was not scoring for ten games, everyone in the media was like, ‘Oh, Harry will score for sure, when it comes to Mo everyone is like ‘he needs to be on the bench’. I am sorry Harry!"

  Ex-Fiorentina and Basel forward Salah has scored five goals in 19 games in all competitions for Liverpool this term.

Kylian Mbappe's injury has forced Xabi Alonso to launch a 'desperate' Real Madrid tactic in the fight to save his job against Manchester City. Alonso could turn to out-of-favour forward Endrick in the absence of their star attacker. The Frenchman was absent from Los Blancos' open training session the day before the game against Pep Guardiola's side at the Bernabeu.

Injury scare for Real Madrid ahead of Man City clash

A day before Madrid's crucial Champions League fixture against Premier League giants Manchester City, star forward Mbappe missed the club's open training session, alongside compatriot Eduardo Camavinga. While Alonso did not mention anything about injuries in his squad, in the training session following the manager's pre-match press conference, Mbappe was a notable absentee. 

Spanish radio station also reported that the France international had suffered an injury in his left leg, making him a serious doubt for the game with City at the Bernabeu.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMbappe's injury major blow for Alonso

Mbappe has been Los Blancos' standout player in the 2025-26 campaign, with 25 goals across La Liga and the Champions League, plus four assists. He is also on course to break Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals for Real in a calendar year. The Frenchman has been responsible for half of the team's goals in the Spanish top flight and a remarkable 75% of their goals in Europe's top competition, netting a stunning four strikes in his last continental outing against Olympiacos. 

Head coacg Alonso is under huge pressure following Madrid's dismal 2-0 defeat at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday, which also saw Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia sent off and key defender Eder Militao hobble off with a muscle injury that is set to keep him out for up to four months. The loss meant that their gap with league leaders Barcelona increased to four points. Alonso's side have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions.

Alonso focusing on Endrick

With Mbappe out injured, reported on Tuesday that the Madrid boss paid special attention to out-of-favour forward Endrick in the training session and even individually spoke to the Brazilian, something he never did since joining the club in the summer. 

The special attention towards the attacker clearly indicates that the youngster is likely to feature in the club's matchday squad to face City on Wednesday, which has been dubbed 'Plan Endrick'. If Endrick starts against the English giants, it will happen for the first time this season. If he comes off the bench, he would feature in a game for the first time since November 1, when he played a few minutes in the club's win over Valencia.

Other than Endrick, another forward option for Alonso ahead of the City clash is Gonzalo Garcia. The Spaniard has played more minutes than Endrick this season and is likely to get the preference ahead of the Brazilian in the European clash.

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Getty Images SportWill Endrick leave Madrid in January?

Endrick has been linked with a temporary move away from Madrid since the start of the new season and the player's frustration has only grown after repeatedly being ignored by Alonso. With just over six months left for the 2026 World Cup to start, the youngster is naturally desperate for game time and could consider moving away from the Bernabeu.

Endrick's father recently showed his support by writing on social media: "I know, my son, how hard you work and how much you dedicate every minute of your day. I know everything you're capable of. You're a winner and you're showing everyone that you're a true warrior. Your star will continue to shine, even though some try to dim your light. I believe your future lies right there."

It remains to be seen now how many minutes Endrick manages to accumulate in Mbappe's absence in December and depending on his opportunity, the teenager will take a final call on his future.

Anthony Volpe didn't have a great showing defensively on Sunday.

The Yankees' shortstop was roasted by the team's fans after a few defensive plays where it looked like his lack effort cost the team outs.

The first came in the top of the second inning and the Cubs holding a 1-0 lead. With Ian Happ at first base and one out, Nico Hoerner hit a ground ball to Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base in what appeared to be an easy double play for the Yankees.

Chisholm got the ball to Volpe to force Happ out at second, but as the shortstop came across the bag towards first base, he floated the ball across the diamond. By the time the ball got into first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's glove, Hoerner had crossed the base and was safe. Volpe's throw clocked in at 62 mph, far below what he's capable of.

Video is below.

In the top of the eighth, with the Cubs leading 4-1, Dansby Swanson was on first with two outs. Matt Shaw stepped to the plate and hit an easy grounder right to Volpe. He didn't charge the ball, opting to stay back and wait for it. When he fielded the ball, he softly tossed it to Chisholm at second, but Swanson beat the ball there. He was initially called out, but replays showed he easily beat Volpe's throw.

The Yankees wound up losing 4-1 and continued their trend of up and down play. Fans of the team were all over Volpe for his defensive lapses.

Through 95 games, the 24-year-old Volpe is slashing .214/.287/.384 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs. He has 91 strikeouts against 34 walks, and his OPS of .671 leaves a lot to be desired from a former top prospect.

If SRH had a bit of a hole at No. 3 last season, they may have found the perfect candidate to fill it this time around

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Mar-20252:46

Rapid fire: Are Kishan and SRH a perfect match?

Did you see that?Did you see Abhishek Sharma step out, realise that Fazalhaq Farooqi had followed him with a bouncer into his body, and still have the time to lean back, manufacture room, and carve the ball over backward point?Did you see Sanju Samson hook Mohammed Shami for six, and slap and chop him either side of point for a pair of surgical first-over fours?Did you see Dhruv Jurel welcome Pat Cummins to IPL 2025 with a 90m six over long-on, with a bat-swing like the smoothest golf drive?Related

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This was quite a match if you were a top-order batter, keeper-batter, or keeper-batter who bats in the top three and has been part of India’s recent T20I squads. Abhishek and Samson are India’s current opening pair in the format, and Jurel their reserve keeper in their most recent series.Between them, they scored 160 off 83 balls.It wasn’t quite the match for Yashasvi Jaiswal, but it could so easily have been that. If he had uppercut Simarjeet Singh a few inches higher, or if Abhinav Manohar had mistimed his jump at point by a few milliseconds, you might be reading an open-mouthed appreciation of his gifts.2:06

‘Kishan hammered everyone to every corner’

India’s T20I present was there, as was India’s all-format future, in a clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) that produced an aggregate of 528 runs, the second-highest in IPL history.The defining innings of this match, however, came from someone else – another top-order batter who keeps wickets, who could easily be a defining face of India’s present and is young enough to be their future too, but whose innings on this day, for complicated reasons, felt like a blast from the past.A blast, perhaps, from November 2023, when Ishan Kishan was India’s Test keeper in the long-term absence of Rishabh Pant; their back-up opener in ODIs, with a double-hundred in that format; and possibly their first-choice T20I keeper, with his last three innings in that format including two blistering fifties against Australia.November 2023 wasn’t all that long ago, but try measuring that in Indian cricket time. The Kishan of March 2025 is a cricketer who hasn’t played for India in nearly 16 months and is out of the BCCI’s central contracts list. Others have taken his place in India’s squads, and taken full ownership of their roles. Time has stood still for Kishan, seemingly, and Indian cricket has simply kept moving.An unfettered version of Ishan Kishan was on show on his SRH debut•BCCIBut then, he’s only 26. And did you see that?Did you see Kishan step out to Maheesh Theekshana on Sunday afternoon and send him whistling over the ducking umpire’s head with that trademark, unfettered follow-through? Did you wonder why the sight of this familiar figure kitted out in unfamiliar colours made so much sense?The shot brought up SRH’s fifty, and it was just the fourth over of their innings. It was just the third ball Kishan had faced. Travis Head and Abhishek had put on 45 in 3.1 overs, and it made so much sense that another no-holds-barred intent machine would follow them to the crease. This has been the SRH way since their revolutionary 2024 season, and this has always been the Kishan way.Interviewed between innings, Kishan gave a glowing endorsement of the SRH management, particularly their captain Pat Cummins, and if you were so inclined, you could have listened to his words and heard less-than-glowing assessments of previous captains and managements.”The captain especially, the skipper in our team is just giving a lot of freedom to everyone, doesn’t matter if you get a lot of runs or if you get out early. [As long as] you’re doing everything for the team, it’s all fair, and that is the confidence every player needs, so hats off to him, and hats off to the management.”Now everyone says pretty much the same things about the captains and managements they happen to play for, but SRH can only play the way they do if they fully empower their batters to keep taking the high-risk option. There’s a clarity to how Abhishek and Head bat, a seeming absence of the thought of failure or its consequences, and Kishan, at his best, plays the same way.Ishan Kishan slammed his first IPL hundred•BCCIOn 25, for example, he went after a short ball from Sandeep Sharma that was angled away from him, aiming for the gap to the left of deep point. The ball bounced a little more than ideal for this horizontal-bat slap, and there was perhaps less width than ideal, but Kishan threw himself into the shot. He didn’t quite middle it, and was perhaps lucky that the ball didn’t quite carry to the fielder. But from the way he played that shot, it was clear it would have been okay for him to get out that way.On 39, he leaned across to the off side to try and scoop Jofra Archer over short fine leg, and this shot was almost entirely premeditation, hugely dependent on guesswork as to the bowler’s intended line and length. He guessed the line right, but not quite the length, and only managed a top-edge, but it went for six anyway.It’s precisely this sort of educated abandonment of control that unlocks the ability for teams to score at 14 or 15 an over as SRH did right through their innings. It was the first ball of the over, and Kishan had shown Archer he was coming for him, no matter what. Under these circumstances, the bowler running in can’t just think of the field he’s set and the line and length he wants to bowl, but also the means by which the batter can manipulate those things. Kishan hit two more sixes in that Archer over, the 13th of the SRH innings, and they too were all about manipulation – both times he stepped away to the leg side and freed his arms to launch full balls aimed at the base of the stumps over the cover point boundary.Kishan hit 11 fours and six sixes in all, and while some of these flew unstoppably off the middle of his bat, there were others that could count as miscues or chancy hits that could have led to his dismissal on other days. Those, though, were in one sense his best shots of the day, because they fully captured the spirit of his innings: that top-edged scoop that put Archer under pressure; that low full-toss that was close to being a well-executed wide yorker, stabbed off the toe-end to just elude mid-off; the collapsed back-knee slog-sweep that barely cleared deep square leg.This is the SRH way, and this is the Kishan way. If they had a bit of a hole at No. 3 last season, they may have found the perfect candidate to fill it this time around. And along the way, he could yet find a way to force himself back into conversations about India’s present and future.