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Leicester City will soon be back in the Championship and have now lined up a potential replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy who would be open to taking over at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy's uncertain future

Truthfully, Leicester City have struggled to adapt to the Premier League and their relegation against Liverpool earlier this month proved to be something of an inevitable end result.

Ruud van Nistlerooy has been unable to turn the tide since taking over from Steve Cooper, with a return of three victories, two draws and 18 defeats across all competitions certifying that his side will return to the EFL Championship after a year in the top-flight.

The former Netherlands international is under contract until 2027, but there are naturally some doubts over his position at the club following a dismal run of results.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is said to be on the Foxes’ list and has been evaluated internally by their hierarchy. Meanwhile, England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley has also emerged as a potential candidate.

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior could be targeted by Leicester City following his sterling work at the BlueCo-owned Ligue 1 outfit, though he is also attracting interest at Southampton, who have their own vacancy to fill.

Leicester City now eyeing Europa League striker with 10 goals this season

The Foxes have their eye on a 20-year-old forward who’s been on the scoresheet regularly this season.

ByDominic Lund Feb 20, 2025

The bigger picture in the East Midlands can be altered with the right appointment. Sales will happen this summer, but there is still the makings of a talented squad to work with for whoever is chosen to lead the Foxes in the Championship.

In light of this, another progressive candidate has come to the table and may be open to taking the job at the King Power over the next few weeks.

Leicester City set for tussle over top target Russell Martin

According to The Sun, Russell Martin is Leicester City’s first choice to fill their managerial vacancy, and he is now said to be keen on being installed as their new manager should an approach be made for his services.

On the flip side, Rangers have shortlisted the 39-year-old as a candidate to take over from Barry Ferguson, creating a scenario where whoever makes the first move could land the former Southampton and Swansea City boss.

Russell Martin’s managerial record – would he be a good choice for Leicester City?

Games managed

252

Wins

101

Draws

56

Defeats

95

Intriguingly, he has lost every match when in the dugout against Leicester City, but his promotion-winning campaign with Southampton last term may be of interest to the Foxes as they seek a return to the Premier League in 2025/26.

Neither themselves or Rangers are in an immediate rush to make an appointment, so it remains to be seen how things will play out for the former Scotland international, who has previously been praised by Pep Guardiola for his brave tactical framework.

Ultimately, timeframes aren’t important for Leicester City, they will take their time before coming to a conclusion over who is the right man to take them forward.

The success of GT’s top three this season has left others precious little time to impress, so this was a vital opportunity ahead of the playoffs

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-May-20251:07

Moody: Getting a fifty leading into the playoffs perfect for Shahrukh

They suffered their joint-second-worst defeat by runs in their history as an IPL team, but Thursday night was still an encouraging one for Gujarat Titans (GT).There’s no such thing as a good defeat, of course, and this 33-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) put a dent in GT’s hopes of a top-two finish in the IPL 2025 league phase. On the way to that result, however, they ticked off at least one significant box ahead of the playoffs.Coming into Thursday’s match, GT had been the most top-heavy line-up of the tournament, with their top three scoring nearly 77% of all their runs. Their openers were the top two run-getters in the tournament, and their No. 3 wasn’t far behind, sitting at No. 7 on the run charts.Related

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All that top-order success had limited GT’s middle-order batters to bit-part roles. Their No. 4 had batted only twice inside the first ten overs in 12 matches, and their No. 5 not even once.Coming into this game against LSG, GT had the worst average of any middle order (Nos. 4 to 7) this season. On the flip side, they had the best strike rate for those positions. You could say they were doing rather well given the constraints they were operating under, but those constraints had left too small a sample size to draw meaningful conclusions from.With the playoffs looming, GT’s middle order was in serious need of time at the crease. As well as Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler were doing, GT may almost have been hoping for all three of them to get dismissed early in one of their last two league games – particularly with Buttler to play no part in the playoffs.M Shahrukh Khan had a rare opportunity for more substantial time in the middle•AFP/Getty ImagesAs it happened, that unspoken but probably not uncontemplated hope took material form on Thursday. Chasing 236, GT were three down in 9.3 overs, which meant that their No. 5 made his earliest entry of the season by far, beating the previous record by 22 balls.Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Buttler had done their bit before that, scoring quickly enough but getting out of the way early enough to leave their successors an equation that was steep but not outside the realms of possibility. When M Shahrukh Khan joined Sherfane Rutherford at the crease, GT needed 140 in 63 balls.Shahrukh has enjoyed a curious career in the IPL. The promise of his domestic T20 record, and the flashes of six-hitting power he has shown over time, have earned him INR 34.65 crore over five seasons of auctions and retentions. That’s a lot of money for an uncapped player, but coming into Thursday, he had only crossed 30 five times in 46 innings.That’s partly down to the thankless role he plays; seldom does he get any time at the crease before he has to swing at everything.Jos Buttler won’t be part of the playoffs•Associated PressShahrukh had that time on Thursday, even if a required rate nearing 14 meant there wasn’t much of it. But even this limited window allowed him to give the world a glimpse of the player he had been in his teenage years, when he hadn’t yet grown into this 6’4″ powerhouse, and when his technique rather than his power was the talk of Chennai’s cricketing circles – he’s referred to as “almost Laxmanesque” in this feature from 2014. You could kind of see it now. A back-foot defensive shot against Akash Singh. A flicked single off Will O’Rourke. A front-foot drive through the covers, with one knee on the ground, off Avesh Khan.GT needed more than that, of course, and Shahrukh obliged. When Akash Deep missed his length on a wide yorker, Shahrukh sliced him with astonishing power over the backward-point boundary. When the same bowler went for a yorker at the stumps and missed his length only marginally, Shahrukh created elevation with minimal room with a bottom-handed shovel that whistled back over the bowler’s head. In between, he stepped out to Shahbaz Ahmed and mowed him between long-on and deep midwicket, clearing the boundary despite connecting only with the inside half of his bat. This is the raw six-hitting power that makes him so sought-after.Rutherford brought the big hits too – an effortless flick off Avesh, a reverse-sweep off Shahbaz – and suddenly, GT were in with a chance. At the 16-over mark, when they needed 54 off 24, ESPNcricinfo gave them a 42% win probability. When Buttler had been dismissed in the 10th over, it had fallen to below 4%.2:18

Aaron: ‘GT have a problem with their third seamer pick’

“After the first three wickets, our middle order batted really well and brought the game on course,” Sai Sudharsan said at his post-match press conference. “From there, having four overs, 54 runs on the board, I think any other day we would have got those runs for the team.”It didn’t happen on this day, but GT still became the first team to breach 200 seven times in an IPL season. And this time, the middle order played a key role in taking them there.”I feel [the] middle order has done pretty well [through the season],” Sai Sudharsan said. “Even in the first six, seven, eight games, Sherfane stepped up and got so many runs in the middle order and changed games for us. Even in Mumbai he changed the course of the game for us.”Even Shahrukh got an opportunity today to showcase his talent. So I feel the middle order is on course as well. I don’t think there is some gap or something in the middle order. I feel, touch wood, things went well for all the three batters at the top so they didn’t get more opportunity to play in the first half of the tournament.”Thursday brought defeat for GT, and a worrying one if it puts them out of the top two. But it also brought them significant positives going into the business end of IPL 2025.

Williamson, Boult and Southee were there in 2015 and in 2019 but may not make it to 2027

Alagappan Muthu29-Sep-20232:47

Can New Zealand make it to their third straight ODI World Cup final?

World Cup pedigree
New Zealand have made it to the semi-final stage of every ODI World Cup since 2007. They produced, along with England, perhaps the greatest game of 50-overs cricket ever at the 2019 final and, since that heartbreak, have gone on to win an ICC World Test Championship and make it to the final four of the T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022. Whatever they’ve got in the water over there may be the key to unlocking human potential and preventing the robot apocalypse.Recent form
New Zealand landed in India having beaten Bangladesh 2-1 at their Mirpur fortress in conditions that shouldn’t be too dissimilar to what they will see in the World Cup. The only problem is that was a very different squad to the one that will line up against England on October 5. Limited access to their best players has certainly been a factor in them winning just eight out of 20 ODIs in 2023. Their two most recognisable talents – Kane Williamson (3) and Trent Boult (5) – played less than half of those matches.Related

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Sodhi: 'Worked really hard on my run-up to bowl a fraction quicker'

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How New Zealand all but took the 2019 World Cup title

Selection
There’s a whole lot of experience in their 15. New Zealand have set so much store on it that they are happy to carry not one but two players who are still figuring out if their very recently healed bodies can handle the rigour of a global tournament. The risk is understandable. Williamson is the team’s captain and the one the whole batting line-up revolves around and Tim Southee is necessary to round out a bowling unit that includes a left-arm quick, an express quick, a legspinner and three fingerspinners.Squad
Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will YoungKey player
So much of ODI cricket in the subcontinent is about top-order batters bedding all the way in and that is pretty much what Devon Conway does everywhere he goes. A left-handed hitter of spin whose off-side power game is on par, if not better than, his leg-side power game and who is managing a hundred roughly once every five innings? That’s bank right there.Devon Conway – the player to watch out for at the World Cup•Getty ImagesRising star
Glenn Phillips is must-see TV. Dude does things that end up outing even the most closeted cricket fan. *Cough* John Cena *Cough*. He sets up to bat like Steven Smith – yells of no-run included – but probably has more in common with Glenn Maxwell. Phillips’ ability to hit 360 degrees and utterly ransack runs from down the order was on brilliant display at the start of the year in Karachi, where he led New Zealand to their first ODI series victory in the subcontinent since 2008. He also bowls pretty some useful offbreaks, which New Zealand might rely heavily on over the coming weeks, and is phenomenal in the field. #TotalPackage #ManCrushWorld Cup farewells?
Well, 12 of the 15 are over 30, and one of the other three is 29, so there’s going to be a fair bit of this. A golden generation of New Zealand cricketers – Williamson, Southee, Boult – will likely be riding off into the sunset soon.

Since the 2019 World Cup, poor selection decisions have seen players drift in and out of limited-overs squads, with few sticking around long enough to show results

Mazher Arshad06-Aug-2021Pakistan’s limited-overs squads have gone through numerous changes in the last couple of years. Since the 2019 World Cup, they have tried 27 players in 11 ODIs and 38 players in 34 T20Is (in the first seven of those game alone, there were 25 different players, and a change in captaincy, though the team was No. 1 in the T20I rankings at the time).Related

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A pattern has emerged of too many players being dropped after too few opportunities or despite producing decent results. Much of this has come during the tenures of Misbah-ul-Haq (September 2019 to December 2020) and Mohammad Wasim (since January 2021) as chief selectors.In that time Pakistan have still won more white-ball games than they’ve lost – their win-loss record is 22-18 – but it has been an uneven, unsettled ride.Below are some of the more difficult-to-explain selectorial decisions Misbah, who is also head coach, and Wasim have taken in that time.Khushdil Shah
Pakistan’s issues with finding a middle-order batter and finisher in white-ball cricket are well-known. They looked at Khushdil as someone who could fix those problems, but he was dropped after a single ODI, in which he scored 33 batting at No. 7 against Zimbabwe in 2020.Khushdil Shah played a solitary ODI, against Zimbabwe, and nine T20Is before he was dropped•AFP via Getty ImagesSince making his debut in 2016, Khushdil has scored 2225 runs in List A cricket at an average of 51.74 and a strike-rate 99.19. No middle-order batter in Pakistan’s domestic one-day game has more centuries than his eight in this period, and no batter from Pakistan has hit more sixes than his 94.He scored a 35-ball 100 in the National T20 Cup last year and is one of the most successful power-hitters from Pakistan in the last couple of seasons – since 2020, only Mohammad Hafeez, with 62, has hit more sixes than his 56 – but he was given only nine T20Is to prove his worth – too small a sample size to judge a batter whose role is to play high-risk cricket.ESPNcricinfo LtdUsman Shinwari
Shinwari is one of those players who, because of poor performances in one format, has been dropped from others – a recurring theme in Pakistan over the last few years. He does not have a great record in T20Is, and an economy of 10.37 in the last two PSLs didn’t help. But his ODI numbers are too good to be ignored – in 17 games he has claimed 34 wickets at an average of 18.61 and an economy of 4.94.Usman Shinwari hasn’t played an ODI since picking up a five-for in the series against Sri Lanka in 2019•AFPThat includes ten wickets in his last three ODIs alone, including 4 for 49 against Australia in Dubai in 2019, and a Player-of-the-Match effort of 5 for 51 against Sri Lanka in Karachi. Earlier that year he took four wickets in Pakistan’s win in Johannesburg. Most players doing this in a World Cup year could rightly dream of playing in the tournament, but Shinwari wasn’t considered.Even when Pakistan decided to drop Faheem Ashraf and Junaid Khan, who played against England in the five-match ODI series right before the World Cup, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector at that time, picked Wahab Riaz over Shinwari. Wahab hadn’t played an ODI in two years, while Shinwari had ten wickets in the last five ODIs before the World Cup, and two four-wicket hauls.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe was selected again by Misbah for Pakistan’s first ODI series after the World Cup and his five wickets in that first game back, against Sri Lanka, proved the selection right. After that, however, he played only one more ODI and then wasn’t considered for the next series, against Zimbabwe. That call was made ostensibly on his PSL 2020 performance, where he went wicketless in four T20s and conceded 11.45 per over.No Pakistan bowler has had a better average in ODIs than Shinwari in the last five years. Why he is hardly even in the conversation for a place in the ODI side is anybody’s guess.Despite an average of 50. 54 and a strike of 121.39 in the last three years, Imad Wasim has played only three ODIs since the 2019 World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesImad Wasim
Although widely seen as a bowler, it is with the bat that Imad has excelled in ODIs. He has averaged 50.54 in the last three years with a strike rate of 121.39 – the third highest in the world after Jos Buttler and Glenn Maxwell (for batters with a minimum of 500 runs in that period).His average may be boosted by not-outs, but that indicates he is a much better batter than a regular No. 7 or 8, the two positions where he has mostly batted. No other player has averaged more at these two positions in ODIs in the last three years.ESPNcricinfo LtdGiven the evidence of an unbeaten 117 off 78 in a warm-up match against Kent before the England series in 2019 and the 49 not out in the World Cup against Afghanistan, there’s an argument that Pakistan could have promoted him to No. 6, considering they still haven’t found anyone for this role. Yet, after the World Cup, he played only three ODIs before being left out.Shan Masood has averaged over 80 in List A cricket for Pakistan in the last five years but has only made five ODI appearances•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesShan Masood
The highest run scorer in List A cricket in the last five years in Pakistan – since 2016, Masood has scored 3376 runs at an average of 80.38, at a strike rate of 86.21, and hit 13 centuries – has played only five ODIs. Masood was picked for the series against Australia in the UAE before the World Cup in 2019 and was never considered again after.It is true that Pakistan’s current ODI openers, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, are doing a decent job (though the latter’s List A average and strike rate are lower than Masood’s) and their back-up, Abid Ali, has also proven his selection. But before the series against Zimbabwe in 2020, Pakistan picked a new opener, Abdullah Shafique, who had not played a single List A match. An uncapped List A player being selected for ODIs ahead of someone who is still only 31 years old and is averaging over 80 in the last five years? There are few better illustrations of the strange ways in which Pakistani selection operates.Abid Ali made a hundred on ODI debut, against Australia, in 2019 but wasn’t considered for the World Cup that year•Getty ImagesAbid Ali
Abid’s case is similar to Masood’s. Though his Test batting does not hint at it, he earned an ODI cap after good performances in domestic cricket. He scored 789 runs at an average of 65.75 in List A cricket in 2017-18, including a double-century. The next season, he scored 562 runs at 56.20 followed by a century against England Lions. Based on these performances he became a candidate to play in the 2019 World Cup and made his case even stronger with a century on ODI debut against Australia.After that century he played two more ODIs before Pakistan decided to leave him out of the World Cup, though he was supposed to be the back-up wicketkeeper to Sarfaraz Ahmed. He returned after the World Cup and was Player of the Match in his first outing, against Sri Lanka in Karachi. Two ODIs later, he was dropped despite his 234 runs in six innings at an average of 39.00 and a strike rate of 93.60, better than many current Pakistan batters.Danish Aziz played two T20Is and two ODIs before falling out of the reckoning•AFP/Getty ImagesDanish Aziz
While his overall white-ball numbers might not be impressive, Aziz was one of the best finishers in the 2020 National T20 Cup, where, he scored 220 runs for Sindh at an average of 73.33 and a strike rate of 154.92. The highlight was chasing 19 runs in the last over against Khyber Pakhtunwala. In the PSL recently in Abu Dhabi, Aziz was one six away from scoring Pakistan’s fastest fifty in T20s. In between he was given only two T20Is before being discarded from the national squads.It can be argued that it was wrong to pick him in ODIs in the first place but that he was dropped after only two games underlines that players are either getting selected without significant performances in domestic cricket or being dropped after getting too few chances.Muhammad Musa’s performance in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup carried him to the national squad, but he was dropped after two T20Is and two ODIs•Getty ImagesMuhammad Musa
Musa was one of the finest prospects to emerge from the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, where he took four wickets in the semi-final against India. He played two ODIs against Zimbabwe and took a wicket in his very first over. It wasn’t that he was only given an opportunity because Pakistan were testing their bench strength; he played against Australia too in T20Is, another format where he was dropped after two games.You could argue that his selection was premature, but three emerging fast bowlers – Shahnawaz Dahani, Arshad Iqbal and Mohammad Wasim Jr – have now suddenly risen above him in the pecking order. It says a lot about the current selection process, where the selectors seem easily swayed by performances in the most recent games they’ve watched, and go on to pick a new player to replace someone tipped for the same role just the previous season. For instance, it is tough to believe that Abdullah Shafique would have been selected had his hundred on debut in the National T20 Cup not been televised.Mohammad Amir: a victim of politicking?•Getty ImagesMohammad Amir
Amir’s current form in T20s – 22 wickets at an average of 44.54 and an economy of 8.27 in the last year – is poor, but that shouldn’t undermine his ODI record, where, in his last ten games, he has 21 wickets at an average of 20.42 and an economy of 4.76. This stretch includes the 2019 World Cup, where he was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker, with 17 wickets.After the World Cup, he has only played two ODIs, in the home series against Sri Lanka, taking four wickets at an average of 17.75. Pakistan didn’t play another ODI for nearly a year, though Amir was part of Pakistan’s T20 squads that toured Australia in 2019 and England in 2020. He struggled on those trips and by the time of Pakistan’s next ODI series, against Zimbabwe in 2020, was out of favour.Should a player be dropped from ODIs for not performing well in T20Is? Admittedly, an ongoing spat with current management has also led to his continued exclusion. Amir retired from Tests after the 2019 World Cup. For a while that didn’t matter, as Pakistan continued to select him for T20Is. But a change in the team management’s stance has subsequently led to his exclusion from all Pakistan teams, based – according to Misbah – solely on his form. Not, clearly, his ODI form.

****

During his recent stint as batting coach, Younis Khan admitted that Pakistan’s selection policy is reactive to criticism on social and mainstream media. Pressure is built through these platforms to select players who are too raw, and expectations of them are so high that when they fail, they are buried. That goes for established players as well, and there are a couple of players who, given Pakistan’s recent selection track record, could be in trouble despite actually not performing that poorly.Despite a recent dip in form, Shadab Khan has been the leading wicket-taker in T20Is among spinners since his debut in 2017•AFP/Getty ImagesShadab Khan
There are two major factors behind Shadab’s dip in bowling form in white-ball cricket. The first is that he has been through a succession of injuries from which he has still not fully recovered. Second, he hasn’t played any international cricket in Pakistan or the UAE in 12 months.Since Shadab has played all his recent international cricket in England, New Zealand and South Africa – arguably the three most difficult places for spinners – he hasn’t been able to meet his initial standards. A case in point is the T20I series in New Zealand last year, where he went wicketless. In that entire series, Pakistan’s and New Zealand’s spinners together took only two wickets, while the seamers took 32. In the 2021 PSL after that, with nine wickets, Shadab was still the leading Pakistani wicket-taking spinner.Someone who is still only 22 and the world’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is among spinners since his debut in 2017, who adds depth to batting, and is the best fielder in the team, deserves some leeway given during a rough patch. Jasprit Bumrah, for instance, has only five wickets in his last nine ODIs at an average of 96.40 in the last couple of years but will still be one of the first names on India’s team sheet.Shadab’s T20I numbers are in line with most of his contemporaries since his debut – Ish Sodhi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adil Rashid and Tabraiz Shamsi. Only Rashid Khan has an exceptional record but he hasn’t played against Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa or Sri Lanka in this period.The same goes for Shadab in ODIs. He had the third best average among spinners in the 2019 World Cup and since then has played only seven ODIs (five of them in England and South Africa) with little success. It’s a small sample size, and because of where he has played, a skewed one, on which to write off a spinner. As an example, check Rashid Khan’s figures in the same World Cup – arguably the greatest spinner of this era, struggling in conditions that didn’t suit him, against a superior quality of opponent.Haris Rauf has 80 T20 wickets since 2020, the most of any fast bowler•Daniel Pockett/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesHaris Rauf
Haris is the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in T20Is and T20s since 2020. In internationals he has 28 wickets at an average of 25.07, while overall in T20s he has 80 wickets at 23.20. That isn’t enough to shield him from severe criticism on Twitter and YouTube.Yes, his economy (8.94) is an issue, but he is only in his second year of international cricket, having been fast-tracked in. Anyone that raw and with the ability to bowl at 90mph is likely to be wayward at the start.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe has also shown that he is among the best bowlers in the death overs in T20Is, and it is the coaches’ job to define his role in the team and work on his areas of weakness, such as his middle-overs effectiveness, where he has only three wickets and an economy of 8.68.Even in ODIs, since the 2019 World Cup, no one has more wickets for Pakistan than him. These are decent numbers for a bowler who started playing professional cricket only three years ago and was picked for international cricket after four List A matches. None among Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan had ten wickets in their first eight ODIs, and Shoaib Akhtar had only 11. Trent Boult, currently the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler, had six wickets at 47.66 in his first eight ODIs.This not to say that Rauf is guaranteed a career like these players have had, but these numbers underscore that success has never come easy, not even for the greatest bowlers, and that you need to back talent to build a successful career.

MatériaMais Notícias

Torcedores do ABC foram abordados pela Polícia durante a partida do Mais Querido contra o Santa Cruz-RN, pelo Campeonato Potiguar, no último sábado (6). O motivo, porém, é um tanto peculiar: os alvinegros estavam acompanhando a partida “escondidos” em colina ao lado do Estádio Manoel Dantas Barretto, o Barretão.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Durante a transmissão, era possível ver um grupo de torcedores do ABC assistindo à partida em local inapropriado, em cima de um morro ao lado da arquibancada. Já próximo do final do jogo, a Polícia chegou e abordou os presentes no local, o famoso “baculejo”. Não há informação sobre possíveis detidos.

Antes mesmo da partida, boa parte da torcida do ABC vinha criticando os preços dos ingressos para o setor visitante. As entradas para o duelo fora de casa, no Barretão, custavam entre 50 (meia-entrada) e 100 reais (inteira).

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Além do inconveniente com os torcedores, o ABC saiu derrotado por 2 a 0 diante do Santa Cruz-RN. O jogo foi válido pela semifinal da segunda fase do Campeonato Potiguar. Com o resultado, o Mais Querido não tem mais chances de ser campeão do estadual neste ano.

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

➡️ Vasco realiza homenagem aos 100 anos da Resposta Histórica; Veja

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ABC-RN

Girona are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Barcelona star Marc Bernal as La Liga rivals aim to snap up the La Masia graduate on loan in the January transfer window. The 18-year-old has made just four appearances for the Catalan giants following his return from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which saw him miss the majority of the 2024-25 campaign.

Struggling Bernal wants a move away from Barca

After emerging through Barcelona’s famous youth system at the start of the 2024-25 season, Bernal’s campaign was cruelly cut short after he sustained a serious knee injury in his side’s 2-1 La Liga victory over Rayo Vallecano in August 2024. However, after 382 days on the sidelines, Barcelona declared Bernal was fit once again on September 13, 2025. 

The Berga-born prodigy made the perfect return to action as he provided an assist in the Blaugrana’s 6-0 league victory over Valencia a day later, with Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski all scoring braces at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. However, since his return, the teenager has played just six La Liga matches, out of which he has started in just one game. Overall, he has clocked only 120 minutes on the pitch and Bernal is getting frustrated with his role under Flick.

reported in November that Bernal is considering all his options ahead of the upcoming January transfer window opening in less than a month’s time. The report added that while the Catalan side are not planning on allowing Bernal to leave, the youngster is believed to be eyeing a loan move in his bid to earn more minutes.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesGirona eye temporary move for Barca outcast

According to journalist Nil Sola, Barcelona's La Liga rivals Girona are considering making a formal bid to sign the young midfielder on loan in January, as they look to bolster their squad midway through the season after making a nightmare start to the 2025-26 campaign. Girona have won just two out of their first 15 matches in La Liga and are currently placed 18th in the league.

Speaking on , Sola said: "One of the players that Girona would really like, and that is an option, but it remains to be seen whether it ends up happening, is Marc Bernal. If the loan option is open, it would be very interesting to repeat a formula like the one used with Eric Garcia a few seasons ago."

Bernal's lack of game time hurting the national team prospect

During the November international break, Bernal was left out of the Spain U-21 squad that competed in two Euro U-21 qualifying matches, with head coach David Gordo citing a lack of playing time for his exclusion. "Marc is one of our own, but he’s not in a comfortable situation right now," said Gordo. "He’s getting very little playing time. And we’ve brought the squad we think will best help us get six crucial points for our league position."

The Spanish youth side went on to beat San Marino 7-0, before edging out Romania U-21 2-1.

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Getty ImagesBernal's massive release clause

Bernam moving out of Barcelona permanently might not be feasible as the Catalan side renewed the contract of their teenage sensation until 2029 and inserted a huge €500 million (£420m/$545m) release clause. During the time of his extension, the club had said: "FC Barcelona and the player Marc Bernal have reached an agreement for the extension of the player's contract until June 2029. The signing took place on Monday morning at the Club Offices with the Barça president Joan Laporta, first vice president Rafael Yuste and director of the Football Area, Deco, all present."

From his massive release, it is clear that Barcelona rates the talented midfielder very highly and are thinking of incorporating him in the starting lineup in the long run. However, considering the player's benefit, they might allow him to leave temporarily in January.

“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.

خاض فريق مانشستر سيتي، بقيادة المدرب بيب جوارديولا، مباراته في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مساء السبت، وذلك ضد نظيره ليدز يونايتد.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة فريقي مانشستر سيتي وليدز يونايتد، في الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي موسم 2025/26، حيث حقق السكاي بلو فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف لهدفين. أهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي

وتمكن مانشستر سيتي من تسجيل هدف أول سريع، في الدقيقة الأولى من عمر الشوط الأول، عن طريق فيل فودين، بعد تمريرة من ماتيوس نونيز الذي توغل بشكل رائع ومرر كرة ناحية الإنجليزي وسددها الأخير في سقف الشباك.

وكاد فودين أن يسجل الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 20 ولكن مدافع ليدز يونايتد تصدى للكرة داخل منطقة الجزاء، وتتحول إلى ركنية حيث سدد جفارديول الكرة برأسه ولكنها مرت خارج الملعب.

ونجح مانشستر سيتي في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك ليدز يونايتد، في الدقيقة 25، طريق يوسكو جفارديول، بعد ركلة ركنية نفذها فيل فودين، ووصلت إلى نيكو أوريلي الذي سدد الكرة برأسه، قبل أن يتابعها الكرواتي ويهز الشباك.

وتدخلت تقنية الفيديو لتأكيد مدى صحة الهدف لوجود شك حول تسلل على برناردو سيلفا وما إذا كان متداخلًا في اللعبة، ولكن تم احتسابه في النهاية.

وأهدر مانشستر سيتي فرصة تسجيل هدف ثالث قبل نهاية الشوط الأول، بعدما سنحت أكثر من تسديدة لأصحاب الأرض ولكن الحظ لم يحالفهم تلك المرة.

ونجح ليدز يونايتد في تسجيل هدف أول في شباك مانشستر سيتي، في الدقيقة 50، عن طريق كالفيرت لوين بعد خطأ فادح من ماتيوس نونيز، حيث فقد الكرة ومررها بطريقة خاطئة إلى لاعب ليدز، ليسجل الأخير الهدف الأول للضيوف.

وتحصل ليدز يونايتد على ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة 68 بعد تدخل من جفارديول، ونفذها لوكاس نميتشا، حيث تصدى لها الحارس دوناروما، وارتدت الكرة لتصل إلى اللاعب نفسه الذي سددها في الشباك تلك المرة.

ودخل النجم عمر مرموش كبديل في الدقيقة 89 بقرار من المدرب بيب جوارديولا، كبديل للبرتغالي برناردو سيلفا، وسدد المصري كرة رأسية بعد ثواني من نزوله ولكن الكرة في يد حارس ليدز.

وفي الدقيقة 91، سجل فيل فودين الهدف الثاني له والثالث لكتيبة جوارديولا، بعد تمريرة من ريان شرقي والتي وصلت إلى الإنجليزي، حيث توغل وأبدع وهز شباك الضيوف.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي إلى 25 نقطة في المركز الثاني، بينما تجمد رصيد ليدز يونايتد عند 11 نقطة في المركز الثامن عشر.

قال الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز إن الفوز على ريفرز يونايتد بثلاثية نظيفة كان مهما للغاية في بداية مشوار دور المجموعات ودافع قوي لمواصلة مشوار البطولة بذات القوة، مشددا على أن الفريق كان يواجه مشكلة واضحة في نقص المعلومات عن المنافس ولكن في النهاية كان الفوز والثلاث نقاط.

وفاز بيراميدز على ريفرز يونايتد النيجيري، بثلاثة أهداف نظيفة، وذلك في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب استاد الدفاع الجوي، في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وأشار خلال المؤتمر الصحفي إلى أن بيراميدز دخل اللقاء بهدف الفوز وتحقيق الانتصار ولكن المشكلة التي وضحت في الشوط الأول هي عدم إنهاء الفرص التي أتيحت له خلال هذه الدقائق، ولكن في الشوط الثاني كان رد الفعل قوي من جانب اللاعبين وتسجيل ثلاثة أهداف وتحقيق الفوز والثلاث نقاط.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد الفوز على ريفرز يونايتد

وشدد: “الفوز مهم للغاية ولكنه لا يعني مطلقًا أن الفريق فعل الشيء الكبير في مشوار التأهل، ونحن ما نزال في بداية المشوار وأمامنا مباريات مهمة خارج الأرض وكذلك في القاهرة، ونحن نأخذ المشوار خطوة تلو أخرى وهدفنا واضح وهو الحفاظ على اللقب”.

وأشاد بالبرازيلي إيفرتون داسيلفا مؤكدًا أنه لاعب مهم للغاية وإضافة ولكنه يحتاج فقط للتأقلم خاصة وأنه قادم من ثقافة وكرة وبلد مختلفة وطرق لعب أخرى ويحتاج للوقت.

واختتم: “مقارنته بإبراهيم عادل ظالمة بعض الشيء، لأن إبراهيم استمر في بيراميدز لأكثر من 7 سنوات ويعلم كل شيء عن الفريق والكرة في مصر، وهو بالفعل لاعب عظيم ولكن مع الوقت سيظهر إيفرتون بصورة مختلفة وبأداء أفضل بكثير.

Football is a fickle game, but the feel-good factor has certainly returned to Manchester United in recent weeks, with Ruben Amorim’s men now in the midst of a rare three-game winning run in the Premier League.

While the prior win at Anfield may have been the cliched ‘statement’ performance, the subsequent display against Brighton provided even greater reason for encouragement.

Like the red arrows – or Sir Alex Ferguson’s beloved geese – United swarmed the Seagulls on Saturday night, with the frontline, in particular, simply proving too hot to handle.

This much-debated 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 set-up has no doubt had its critics, but the weekend triumph showcased what it can look like in full flow, with so many avenues available to hurt the opposition.

If it’s not Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, it’s Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro making an impact, with even the high press of the backline working to emphatic effect amid Luke Shaw’s involvement in the opening two goals.

Where Amorim’s machine currently looks at its best, however, is on the right flank, making it all the more troubling that the Portuguese will soon be without the dynamic duo of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo.

How many games Amad and Mbeumo could miss due to AFCON

There was a moment on the opening weekend that seemed to illustrate everything wrong with Amorim’s approach, with the left-footed pair of Amad and Mbeumo getting in each other’s way inside the area against Arsenal.

With both men looking to come in onto their favoured left foot, they had been occupying the same areas in the early weeks of the season. That has all changed since Sunderland, however.

There were shades of Yorke and Cole about the two men against the Black Cats, while they also combined again to devastating effect against Liverpool, with opposite number Milos Kerkez enduring a torrid day at the office.

As Amad has himself spoken of, there is a fluidity emerging regarding United’s right-sided duo, with the pair comfortable alternating between a no.10 or right wing-back berth mid-game.

Mbeumo, signed for a total fee of £71m this summer, now boasts five goals already for the Red Devils, while Amad has created two ‘big chances’ and provided one assist in the Premier League thus far, as per Sofascore.

Frustratingly, this developing partnership is set to be halted in the near future, with the upcoming African Cup of Nations set to kick off on 21 December. Amad and Mbeumo will be representing Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon, respectively.

While festive fixtures are yet to be totally confirmed by broadcasters, United currently face Aston Villa (21st), Newcastle United (27th) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (30th) in late December, with further fixtures at risk in January should their nations progress.

There should be no pressure applied for the pair to forego their international commitments, however, with Amorim and co instead needing to find international solutions to help fill that double-barreled void.

How Man Utd can replace Mbeumo and Amad

As per journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the impending departure of the two widemen will likely see United block potential January exits, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee having been tipped to depart in the New Year.

In truth, the club’s attacking options are light as it is following the summer exits of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony, with Amorim unable to afford his frontline getting any weaker.

Thankfully, an obvious solution to the Mbeumo absence would be Mason Mount, with the Englishman – who was named on the bench last time out – comfortable either in a left-sided or right-sided number ten role.

That would then leave Cunha and Sesko to complete the attacking trio, with the likes of Zirkzee and Mainoo in reserve – while a surprise chance could emerge for academy sensation, Shea Lacey.

If Amorim is looking for a more natural replacement for either Mbeumo or Amad, however, it might be Patrick Dorgu who he turns to, with the left footer able to provide another “explosive” presence down the right flank – as U23 scout Antonio Mango has described him.

While predominantly deployed on the left flank following his January arrival from Leece, the young Dane has been ousted from that role of late, with Diogo Dalot slotting in at left wing-back in each of the last three victories.

It would seem bizarre to have a right-footer on the left, and a left-footer on the right, although that approach is working currently, ensuring Dorgu might be the man to fill that Amad-Mbeumo-shaped hole.

Indeed, prior to moving to Manchester, the versatile 21-year-old had regularly lined up as a right winger in Italy, with three of his five Serie A goals coming from a right-wing or right midfield berth, as per Transfermarkt.

An impressive ball carrier, like Amad and Mbeumo, Dorgu currently ranks in the top 7% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carriers per 90, as per FBref, as well as in the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 – highlighting his willingness to get forward.

Too often, the £30m signing produces a wayward attempt when cutting onto his right foot from the left, with there the chance that he might well benefit from being able to cut in onto his preferred foot instead from the opposite flank.

Noted as a statistically similar player to Amad in this season’s Premier League, as per FBref, Dorgu might well be the man to replace the Ivorian in something of a new role, having only featured on the right a handful of times to date under Amorim – namely on debut against Leicester City.

The ten-cap Denmark international will have big shoes to fill over the Christmas period, but he might just be the international solution that Amorim is in need of.

Not Cunha or Mbeumo: Man Utd gem is becoming one of the "best in the world"

Manchester United have yet another world-class star on their hands under Ruben Amorim.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 30, 2025