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Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury, was not considered for the ODI series and will focus on preparing for the Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025

Matt Henry had missed the final two ODIs against England due to a calf strain•ICC via Getty Images

Matt Henry is set to return to action for New Zealand’s the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies, starting November 16 at the Hagley Oval.Henry, who missed the final two ODIs against England due to a calf strain, has been undergoing a “planned conditioning and rehabilitation block” to prepare for the ODI series, as well as the subsequent three-Test series in December.Blair Tickner, who was an injury replacement for Kyle Jamieson for the England series, has also retained his spot despite Jamieson’s return to action. Tickner took eight wickets in two matches against England.Related

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The pace bowling group also includes Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Nathan Smith, while captain Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, and Rachin Ravindra will handle spin duties.Several players remain unavailable due to injury, including Mohammad Abbas (ribs), Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring). The NZC stated in a release that Kane Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury, has not been considered for the ODI series and will focus on preparing for the Test series, which begins on December 2.Blair Tickner was impressive against England•Getty Images

“Matt is a vital member of this group and the senior leader of our pace attack, so it’ll be great to have him back for both the ODIs and Tests,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said of Henry. “He will be fresh and fit after a good rest, and we know he will be raring to go ahead of what promises to be a big five weeks with both the white and red ball.”Walter also praised Tickner’s recent form, saying, “Ticks was outstanding against England, and we’re pleased to keep rewarding players who step up when called upon.”Looking ahead to the West Indies challenge, Walter said: “They’re always a dangerous side, with players who can turn a game in an instant. It’s an important series for us as we continue to develop and grow in the format.”The New Zealand squad will gather in Christchurch on November 14. The team will be keen to extend their streak of ten consecutive home ODI series wins, following last month’s 3-0 clean sweep over England.Meanwhile, the ongoing five-match T20I series between New Zealand and West Indies is currently tied 1-1 after two games.New Zealand squad for West Indies ODIMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young

She suggested starting games earlier in the day when there is no forecast for rain

Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-2025

Sophie Devine also suggested early starts for Colombo matches in the future•Getty Images

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine was left “extremely frustrated” after their second washout in as many matches in Colombo and has asked for better work in organising matches at ICC events.”You wait four years for a World Cup and to have rain play such a massive part in it is disappointing,” she said at the presentation. “I hope that in future editions they think about playing the games earlier in the day. We’ve obviously seen here that the rain usually comes in the afternoon, so [there is an] opportunity to potentially play these games at 10-11am in the morning and try and get a game in. Because that’s what all these teams want, is to be able to play cricket. You’ve waited for so long and you want to test yourself against the best and to be scuppered by rain, it’s a real shame for me.”All games barring one at this World Cup have a 3pm local time scheduled start, and four of the nine matches so far in Colombo have been washed out, including three of the four last four. While their washout against Pakistan on Saturday kept them fifth on the points table, New Zealand thought they were “in a decent position” after reducing Pakistan to 80 for 5. The points eventually had to be shared because of rain.”I thought we had a little bit of hope seeing the South Africa game [against Sri Lanka] the other night, where they were off for five hours, and managed to squeak a game in,” Devine said. “Look, we thought we were in a decent position, we just needed the rain to hold off and unfortunately it didn’t happen for us today.”Rain has played spoilsport in Colombo at the Women’s World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesNew Zealand had opted to bowl in pretty overcast conditions on Saturday afternoon. Despite putting down two catches, they took five wickets within the first 20 overs. With two must-win matches coming up, against India (Navi Mumbai) and England (Visakhapatnam) as the semi-finals race heats up, New Zealand would have fancied their chances against Pakistan, who remain winless in the tournament.”Oh, look, to be honest, it’s pretty flat,” Devine said of the mood in the dressing room. “I mean, we wanted to play today, we were really up and about for today’s match. We just want to be playing cricket, so for us now, we know that the situation’s extremely clear. We just need to win both games, starting with India in Mumbai – so, a real big challenge for us – but we’re really excited about it. I know that the girls don’t need to be pumped up anymore to be able to take them on so, we’ll head back to India tomorrow and look forward to those challenges.”Related

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When asked if New Zealand have had any time to prepare for their next two games, Devine said: “Not yet. We’re probably so focused on these games here in Colombo that we really wanted to make sure we gave it that full focus for us. So luckily, we’ve got a few days now [till] our next game against India [on Thursday]. So we’ll certainly prepare really well and we’ve had some good experiences against them of late in terms of the [T20] World Cup last year and we’ll be calling upon those. We also know that they’re huge favourites playing at home, in conditions that suit them, and they’ve got threats throughout, but again, this is what you want to be doing.”You want to be playing against the best teams at home and putting yourself under pressure, so we’ll really look forward to that challenge.”New Zealand had started their campaign with two matches in Indore, which they lost, before going across to Guwahati for their first points of this World Cup, against Bangladesh. They then flew down to Colombo, where they got only 75 overs of action across two matches. Two more matches remain in Colombo, on October 21 and 24, when Pakistan will take on South Africa and Sri Lanka respectively.

Ashley Cole has lifted the lid on the dramatic crossroads that shaped his career, revealing he felt “underappreciated” at Arsenal and even had opportunities to join European superclubs before ultimately choosing Chelsea. The former England defender admitted both Real Madrid and Barcelona were serious options, but personal circumstances drove his eventual west London switch.

Barcelona and Real Madrid wanted Cole

Cole has reflected on the turbulent final months of his Arsenal career, explaining how frustration over contract talks played a major role in his decision to pursue a move away from the club. As negotiations stalled and the left-back felt increasingly undervalued, he became open to opportunities abroad, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona showing interest. However, despite preparing for a potential move overseas, his eventual decision to remain in London set the stage for his now-famous transfer to Chelsea.

During this period, Cole found himself caught between career ambition and personal stability, especially after marrying Cheryl Cole, which made a relocation abroad less appealing. As interest from Spain cooled and his dissatisfaction at Arsenal deepened, his representatives received an unexpected call from Chelsea, an option that ultimately changed the trajectory of his career. A year and a half after initial issues surfaced, Cole completed his move to Stamford Bridge in a £5 million deal involving William Gallas going the other way.

His transfer became one of the most controversial in Premier League history, but also one of the most successful in hindsight, as Cole went on to establish himself as one of Chelsea’s greatest modern defenders. Winning multiple domestic and European titles, he cemented a legacy that arguably surpassed his achievements at Arsenal. Yet the origins of his move remain rooted in a personal feeling of being undervalued, a sentiment he still openly discusses today.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCole felt 'underappreciated' at Arsenal

Cole explained the emotional aspects behind his decision, saying: "I felt a bit underappreciated and undervalued. So that's where my head and heart was at. I was like, 'You've taken my love away' and it didn't need to be like that." He admitted he initially planned to leave Arsenal for Europe, with major clubs ready to act.

Reflecting on the interest from abroad, he said: "From what I was told and heard, I was going to Real Madrid. I was having conversations with agents because at that point I could pre-sign for a team abroad. So, it was Madrid and kind of Barcelona. I don't know how deep it was." But personal developments changed his priorities.

Cole continued: "Things changed, I got married, and didn't actually want to leave the country in the end. Then, around a year and a half later, I remember sitting in my box with my agent and him calling me outside and going, 'You're never going to believe who this is, it's Chelsea.' So I was like, okay!" He added that Chelsea offered him "maybe five or six grand more" than what Arsenal were paying.

Cole opens up on the failure of England's Golden Generation

Cole went on to enjoy immense success at Chelsea, winning the Premier League, four FA Cups, the Champions League and Europa League during an eight-year spell in which he made 337 appearances. He became widely regarded as one of the greatest left-backs of his generation and a cornerstone of Chelsea’s European triumphs. His trophy haul at Stamford Bridge eclipsed his achievements at Arsenal, despite having been part of the legendary Invincibles side.

On the international stage, however, Cole admitted that England’s so-called “golden generation” never found the right balance. He described the difficulties of fitting elite talents into one system, saying players were not always willing to sacrifice their preferred roles for the team. Cole highlighted the challenges of combining the traits of Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and others, arguing their strengths did not naturally complement one another.

He reflected on how the team lacked cohesion despite the presence of world-class individuals, ultimately limiting their success at major tournaments. He said: "Reflecting now and where I am now, you know working with the England seniors now and seeing what they have compared to what we had, you think now that our team just didn't work.

"To get all of those players on the pitch – the three midfielders for example – and all the top players on the pitch together, I don't think it works and we can't all be what we are for our clubs. 

"So Paul Scholes cannot be Paul Scholes with Steven Gerrard in the team, because Stevie G cannot be Stevie G with Paul Scholes, Lampard can't be the Frank Lampard for Chelsea with those two in the team. 

"So were the players open enough to sacrifice themselves? People need to be more selfless and I don't think we were. Scholes wanted to hit his Man United diagonals, so did (David) Becks, Stevie G wanted to drive and push us up the pitch. Us defenders wanted to get forward."

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Getty Images SportHelping the next generation with England

Cole’s comments reignite a longstanding debate about his Arsenal exit and the choices that shaped his career, especially given how close he came to leaving England altogether. His account may prompt renewed reflection from supporters on both sides of the London divide, as well as fresh discussion about the so-called 'Golden Generation' and its shortcomings. As Cole continues to work within England’s coaching setup, his experiences—both domestic and international—are likely to inform the next era of national-team development.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank privately doesn’t rate two of his Spurs players and a January exit could be on the cards for at least one of them, according to a new report.

Spurs played out a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at lunchtime on Saturday, and the match brought with it a reoccurring theme of their season.

The Lilywhites seriously lacked creativity for large portions of the 90 minutes and were even booed off at half-time after United star Bryan Mbeumo handed the visitors a pretty deserved lead. Djed Spence’s “lackadaisical” defending in the build up to their opener, and Pape Sarr’s questionable decision not to clear, were key in handing Ruben Amorim’s side the early advantage.

Frank’s side had chances, testing Senne Lammens after the restart, particularly Cristian Romero from close range, but it looked more than likely the Red Devils would see out a fairly comfortable 1-0 win in the capital at one stage.

However, Frank’s substitutions were on hand to very nearly clinch a last-gasp three points and turn the game on its head.

Wilson Odobert

7.4

Matthijs de Ligt

7.3

Amad Diallo

7.3

Mathys Tel

7.1

Patrick Dorgu

7.1

via WhoScored

Mathys Tel fed off Destiny Udogie’s sharp pass into the box to swivel and blast a deflected effort past Lammens, levelling the score and sparking real hope they could actually win the game.

Just minutes later, fellow sub Wilson Odobert set up Richarlison, who guided a deft header into the bottom corner to make it 2-1, with the Brazilian taking his shirt off and celebrating in raptures as the stadium went wild.

Spurs were suddenly on the verge of what looked like a very unlikely win and their first at home since the opening Premier League weekend, but their hearts were broken deep into added time when United defender Matthijs de Ligt equalised from a set piece.

For Frank, their home woes continue, having won just four of their last 20 league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It doesn’t get any easier for them either, with a North London derby scheduled immediately after the international break and European champions PSG awaiting them in the Champions League just days later.

Off the field, Frank is now getting a good idea of which players he wants to stick with going forward as he continues his slow Tottenham rebuild.

While Richarlison put Spurs 2-1 ahead, you can make a serious case that he was largely ineffective against United, while Dominic Solanke is continuing his slow return to fitness.

Thomas Frank sees Solanke and Richarlison as "expendable" Tottenham players

In the build up to January, Tottenham have reportedly been exploring the possibility of signing a more impactful striker, and Al-Ahli star Ivan Toney is Frank’s “preferred” option.

That is according to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, who also reports that Frank views both Solanke and Richarlison as “expendable” Tottenham players.

Veysey adds that one of the duo could be sold to raise funds and make room for Toney, and it’ll likely be the latter.

Richarlison, whose contract expires in 2027, has been repeatedly linked with a Spurs exit in recent months and his form has been criticised — meaning that the 28-year-old may well be sacrificed as Frank eyes a reunion with Toney at N17.

Toney has been free scoring in Saudi Arabia since joining Al-Ahli last year, bagging 41 strikes in 59 total appearances, but his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is far from certain.

The former Brentford star, bar one call-up last summer, has been excluded from the Three Lions set up and a loan move back to the Premier League could be the answer ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Frank, meanwhile, has made no secret of his admiration for the number nine, once joking that he’s worth ‘£100 million-plus’.

Rangers invested heavily in the summer but, given their current predicament, expect plenty more signings in January too.

During the summer transfer window, led by manager Russell Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell, the Gers signed 13 new players, splashing around £30m, a huge amount for a Scottish club.

The most expensive of these additions was striker Youssef Chermiti, arriving from Everton for £8m which could rise to £10m, their second-most expensive signing of all-time, but the Gers still appear light in attack, so could new manager Danny Röhl demand the addition of a new centre-forward he knows rather well.

Rangers' search for reinforcements

Even before appointing out-of-work Röhl, Rangers had taken advantage of Sheffield Wednesday’s predicament, signing winger Djeidi Gassama for a cut-price £2.2m in July.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The EFL Championship club entered administration this week, usually a dark day for any football club, but on this occasion it was a day of celebration, because it means Dejphon Chansiri is no longer running the club.

Supporters rushed to Hillsborough to buy tickets and merchandise, having been boycotting both, but there are serious ramifications, given that the Owls were slapped with a 12-point deduction, more could follow for failing to pay staff, meaning relegation to EFL League One appears inevitable, while a new owner still has to be found, all why Röhl walked away in July.

Thus, for as long as the administrators remain in charge, their task is to raise as much cash as possible, which includes selling players.

As a result, Sports Boom are reporting that Röhl is targeting a move for Sheffield Wednesday striker Bailey Cadamarteri, with the new boss telling the Glasgow side to put together ‘a proposed deal” for the youngster.

They add that Röhl is ‘eager to bolster his attacking options’, while adding that the German coach was an ‘influential figure in Cadamarteri’s development’, thereby potentially set to take advantage of the financial crisis in South Yorkshire by snapping up a bargain

So, could the 20-year-old soon be swapping Owlerton for Govan?

What Bailey Cadamarteri would bring to Rangers

Born in Leeds, Cadamarteri joined Sheffield Wednesday as an eight year old, making his senior debut in the EFL Trophy against Leicester City’s under-21s in October 2022.

He did not then feature for the Owls’ first team again for over a year, largely due to surgery, handed his league debut by Röhl against Millwall in November 2023, before scoring his first senior goal during a 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers a few weeks later.

He then also netted against Norwich, QPR and Swansea, before spending last season on loan at Lincoln City, scoring eight times in 31 outings for the Imps, his campaign at Sincil Bank cut short by a groin injury suffered mid-way through the season.

Now back at Sheffield Wednesday, given that many of the Owls’ senior players departed during the summer due to financial turmoil, he has started nine of their 12 EFL Championship matches, with the table below documenting his importance to Henrik Pedersen’s side.

Minutes

838

7th

Goals

1

4th

Expected goals

1.8

2nd

Shots

20

1st

Shots on target

5

2nd

Big chances missed

2

1st

Key passes

6

5th

Attempted take-ons

23

2nd

Touches in box

39

1st

As the table emphasises, Cadamarteri has been an integral figure for Wednesday this season, scoring during a 2-2 draw with Wrexham at the Racecourse in August.

He has though had the most shots of any Wednesday player, missing two Opta-defined big chances, while over 18% of his total touches have come in the opposition penalty area, showing that he offers an attacking presence.

Meantime, the 20-year-old has also made an interesting choice when it comes to international football.

After representing England at youth level, he switched his allegiance to Jamaica earlier this year, debuting for the Reggae Boyz in Bermuda in September, scoring against Trinidad & Tobago in Kingston a few days later.

Thus, if Steve McClaren’s team collect four points from their two qualifiers in November, again Trinidad & Tobago and then Curaçao, they’ll be heading for a first World Cup since France ’98, which could give Cadamarteri a platform to increase his exposure and market value, currently valued at around £1.1m by Football Transfers.

Ali Maxwell labels the young striker a “finisher” while Röhl, when the pair were still together in South Yorkshire, described him as “dangerous”.

A report by Total Football Analysis agrees, noting that he ‘consistently moves around to find pockets of space’, while praising his ability to ‘occupy spaces intelligently’ and excellent penalty box positioning.

Thus, it is clear that Cadamarteri is a talented young player, one who could well be available for a slashed price, while he may be eager to re-untie with Röhl north of the border.

Summer signing Chermiti has scored only once for Rangers to date, his first goal for anyone since May 2023, looking very unconvincing overall, while fellow centre-forwards Danilo and Bojan Miovski have only two goals to their name so far this season.

Given the dearth of quality in Rangers’ striker department, the young Jamaican international could come in and be first-choice from the word go, firing the Gers up the table.

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ByBen Gray Oct 28, 2025

“Even we bowled pretty good yorkers throughout the campaign and we just couldn’t get those yorkers going,” MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-20253:14

Shreyas Iyer’s hat-trick of sixes turned the match

Head coach Mahela Jayawardene pointed to the “blunders” on the field and lack of “execution” with the ball as the primary reasons for Mumbai Indians’ (MI) exit from what had been a “good campaign” in IPL 2025. On Sunday night, which spilled into Monday, MI lost in Qualifier 2 to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by five wickets to miss a shot at their record sixth IPL title.”It was a good campaign for us, the way we started and how we regrouped as a team and played some really, really good cricket,” Jayawardene said in the press conference after the game. “We had our opportunities getting to the playoffs, and we had a really good game first half and even today, I thought we played some good cricket except for Kings playing better cricket than us. Especially with the bat, they were solid, especially chasing 200. It’s not that easy, they executed that pretty well.”We made a few blunders obviously with those two catches but I think that’s how the game goes, we had those luck going our way in the previous games. It was a good game of cricket and we came short, I think that’s as simple as that.”Related

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After being asked to bat first, MI posted a competitive 203 for 6, but it wasn’t enough to contain a clinical chase led by PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 87. Jayawardene said that MI’s bowling approach was to take the pace off the ball and rely on yorkers – something they had done well throughout the season – but execution let them down at critical points.At the end of ten overs, PBKS needed 106 needed off 60 and MI were 61% on ESPNcricinfo’s win predictor. However, Iyer and Nehal Wadhera’s 84-run stand off just 47 balls took the game away from MI.”In phases, they batted well,” Jayawardene said. “We also came back and took the wickets and were in it, which is that middle phase, [but] we just couldn’t control that after the tenth over. Those four-five overs, we just couldn’t keep the pressure going, and that’s where especially Nehal and Shreyas, their partnership probably took the game away from us.2:30

Why didn’t Hardik and Santner complete their quota of overs?

“We also took some pace off, but like I said earlier, our execution wasn’t up to the mark, we have to take that [blame]. Even we bowled pretty good yorkers throughout the campaign and we just couldn’t get those yorkers going as well [today].”So it’s just execution and that can happen and they put us under pressure as well, so when they hit those vital blows in that middle phase, especially those sixes, that’s something that we need to stop in this kind of situation, but we just couldn’t do that.”What could MI have done differently? According to Varun Aaron, smarter use of the pitch and the ground dimensions might have helped MI regain control in the middle overs.”Definitely not bowl the length they bowled tonight,” he said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “They bowled too full. I definitely think they could have gone short and slow on this wicket, which [could have] got him [Iyer] out, especially with the boundaries being longer on one side. They just bowled too full.”

علق أيمن يونس، نجم الزمالك السابق، على الشوط الأول في مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا، ضمن منافسات كأس السوبر المصري.

وانتهى الشوط الأول بين الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا بالتعادل بهدف لكل فريق، في نصف نهائي بطولة كأس السوبر المصري المقامة بالإمارات.

طالع.. فيديو | مروان عثمان يسجل هدف تعادل سيراميكا كليوباترا أمام الأهلي

وقال أيمن يونس عبر قناة أون سبورت: “سيراميكا دخل متأخرًا، شوط رائع وجيد وشخصية المدربين موجودة في الملعب”.

وتابع: “سيراميكا بدأ اللقاء متأخرًا، وسيطرة كاملة للأهلي، وتحرك الخط الأمامي للأهلي مثير ومربك، وأضاعوا هدفين على الأقل”.

وأكمل: “الثغرة الدفاعية عند الأهلي كالعادة، لكن بلحاج صاحب الشخصية الهجومية لم تظهر إلا في كرة واحدة، وهدف تريزيجيه الدي سرق المدافع بطريقة رائعة”.

On a day when some supporters decided to take action against the board with a protest at the start of the match, Celtic looked on course to drop points in the Scottish Premiership against Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The Hoops, who had drawn 0-0 with their city rivals before the international break, found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time because of an equaliser from David Watson after Daizen Maeda had opened the scoring.

Given how the day started, the onlooking board members may have been fearing the reaction from the supporters if the full-time whistle had blown whilst the score was 1-1.

Fortunately, for them, the supporters, and the team, a stoppage-time penalty was awarded to the Premiership champions for a handball from James Forrest’s shot.

Kelechi Iheanacho stepped up to score from the spot with an emphatic penalty that thumped into the back of the net to win the match for the Hoops in the 96th minute.

It was a debut goal for the Nigeria international, signed on a free transfer the day after deadline day, and one that will hopefully tee him up for a successful season.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho's debut was a big positive for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers, who worked with the centre-forward at Leicester City in the Premier League, turned to the former Sevilla marksman in the 70th minute to replace Maeda whilst Celtic were winning 1-0.

There was nothing he could do, as a striker, to prevent Watson from equalising for the hosts from a corner, but his individual display showed plenty of signs of promise.

It was clear that the Nigerian number nine wanted to score. He was desperate to find the back of the net on his debut. Three of his nine touches on the pitch were shots: one was off target, one was blocked, and the third was the penalty that he scored to win the match.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho did lose both of his duels in the win over Kilmarnock, as he still looked a little bit short of full match sharpness, understandably.

The left-footed marksman had not played a competitive club match since Middlesbrough’s 2-0 defeat to Coventry City at the start of May in the English Championship, which means that it may take some time for the striker to get back to his best from a physical perspective.

With this in mind, Rodgers may slowly bed him into the team rather than chucking him in as a regular starter in the number nine position after his winning penalty on Sunday.

Iheanacho needs to build up his sharpness and that could come by alternating between being a starter and coming off the bench for a few matches before he is ready to fully kick on.

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Meanwhile, there is a summer signing made by Celtic who should already be deemed to be undroppable from the best starting XI after he made a positive impression against Kilmarnock.

Rodgers opted to hand Sebastian Tounekti, who signed on a permanent deal from Hammarby on deadline day, a debut on the left wing and was rewarded with an eye-catching display from the forward.

Why Sebastian Tounekti is undroppable for Celtic

Unlike Iheanacho, the Tunisia international was ready to be dropped straight into the starting XI because he had played six times for Hammarby in all competitions in August, per Sofascore.

This meant that the winger was fully fit and match sharp by the time he arrived at Celtic just before the international break, which helped him to hit the ground running with an impressive debut.

Rodgers opted to start Tounekti on the left flank, moving Michel-Ange Balikwisha over to the right, and the Tunisian star caught the eye with his fearless and confident performance, despite playing on an artificial surface that may have come as a shock to some players who are not used to that kind of pitch.

The 23-year-old star, who lined up with fellow new signing Marcelo Saracchi behind him, did not register a goal or an assist in the 2-1 win for Celtic, but his general play was enough to suggest that he will be an exciting player to watch this season.

Minutes

88

58

Touches

67

34

Shots

5

0

Chances created

4

1

Dribbles completed

5/9

0/1

Duels won

6

1

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti was way better than Balikwisha, who had started on the left against Rangers before the break, with five more shots, five more completed dribbles, and four times as many chances created.

These statistics show that the Tunisia international carried a far greater threat in the final third by constantly looking to make things happen with shots, dribbles, and key passes, whilst the Belgian attacker was too timid in his play.

This is why Tounekti should be considered undroppable by Rodgers already, because he has done more in one match on the left wing than Balikwisha has managed in his first two starts for the club, with one chance created and zero shots against Rangers and Kilmarnock, per Sofascore.

Celtic writer John McGinley noted that the former Hammarby forward “likes being a problem” for opposition defences with his fearless approach to the game, which is partly why his performance against Kilmarnock was so refreshing to see.

Tounekti was willing to take the game to the hosts by taking players on and taking risks with the ball at his feet, which is exactly what supporters want to see players doing to win matches.

Whilst it is now down to the player to prove that he can deliver consistent performances on the pitch, the new signing’s showing on Sunday should mean that he is now undroppable from the starting line-up.

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ByDan Emery Sep 14, 2025

Meanwhile, Iheanacho still needs to prove his fitness and quality on the pitch before he can be considered an undroppable member of the best XI.

The performance of new-ball bowlers could have a big say in which direction this game goes

Ekanth11-Apr-20252:04

Battle of the two best top orders?

Big picture: a top-order collisionTwenty five games into IPL 2025, the top four run-scorers are from Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) top order. If that wasn’t unexpected enough, Shubman Gill isn’t on that list. It has allowed both teams to work around vulnerabilities in their batting.In a season where teams are looking to maximise their scoring throughout the innings despite the situation, GT follow an old-school T20 template. B Sai Sudharsan, who was the player of the match for his 82 in GT’s win over Rajasthan Royals (RR), said, “we try and keep a lot of wickets in hand and go full-on in the last five overs.”Their middle order has remained unburdened as at least one of Gill, Sai Sudharsan or Jos Buttler have scored a fifty in each of their five games so far. Not that that’s made them formulaic. In fact, after the last game GT’s assistant coach Parthiv Patel said, “there are no specific roles as such. As a team, we have a top three, but we keep shuffling the batting order. We react based on conditions and the situation.”Related

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That flexibility was on demonstrated by Washington Sundar being promoted to No. 4 in their win against Sunrisers Hyderabad – he made 49 off 29 balls – but then he was replaced with Shahrukh Khan, whose 20-ball 36 built on a well-set platform against RR.For LSG, the chance pairing of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh clicking has bolstered the impact of Nicholas Pooran’s onslaughts and nullified Rishabh Pant’s lack of runs.Form guideLucknow Super Giants WWL ()
Gujarat Titans WWW3:13

Will LSG’s explosive top order face their toughest test yet?

Team news and likely XIIsParthiv had said GT played four seamers against Royals because of the conditions in Ahmedabad. Lucknow is unlikely to be as seamer-friendly and Washington is likely to replace one of the quicks.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Arshad Khan/Kulwant KhejroliyaLucknow Super Giants are unlikely to change their XII from the last game. They have the option of bringing in left-arm spinner Manimaran Siddharth to challenge the two right-handers in GT’s top order.Lucknow Super Giants (probable XII): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Ravi BishnoiThe big questionRashid has bowled only one over in the powerplay so far this season. Marsh, Markram and Pooran have sub-120 strike rates against him, Pooran has even been dismissed twice in 66 balls. Rashid has only started to rediscover his form after a poor start to this season, but should he be brought on to bowl earlier given the strength of LSG’s top order?In the spotlight – Digvesh Rathi and Prasidh KrishnaFive of Digvesh Rathi’s seven T20s have come in IPL 2025. His celebrations might have landed him in hot waters but his impact cannot be written off. His economy rate of 7.75 is easily the best of all of LSG’s bowlers so far this season. In LSG’s last game, against Kolkata Knight Riders where 472 runs runs were scored, his economy was 8.25. While Ravi Bishnoi remains the primary legspinner in the side, Rathi’s position is only rising.Digvesh Rathi celebrated in a new way – by writing on the ground•Associated PressPrasidh Krishna’s pace and height have offered Titans a unique advantage in the middle overs. He has been able to hit the middle of the pitch and get extra bounce to challenge batters on the back foot. He is coming off five wickets in the last games and is a threat to LSG’s middle order.Pitch and conditionsThere are slight chances of rain in the evening but a large stoppage is unlikely. In terms of the pitch, 15 wickets have been taken by pacers so far in Lucknow and spinners only six. Lucknow did roll out a black-soil surface after Pant and LSG mentor Zaheer Khan had expressed disappointment over the lack of assistance for the spinners during their loss to Punjab Kings. But the spinners took only two of the ten wickets to fall in the 472-run game. They might have a better outing this time considering this is a day game.Stats and Trivia LSG and GT are also the only teams to have scored more than 500 runs in the middle-overs this season GT, in this phase have lost only 8 wickets, the joint-least with Delhi Capitals Rashid has dismissed Pant three times and conceded 114 runs in 103 balls across 15 innings. He has a great record against David Miller too, whom he has dismissed 4 times in 59 balls while conceding only 67 runsQuotes”The games that we have won, we’ve kind of found ways to win, been under pressure with our bowling and batting at certain stages and getting through that and still winning, so for me that’s the encouraging part for the team.”
“Ashish Nehra is a very compassionate about the players, and that’s why it seems like [he is animated] from the outside. He cares a lot for people around him. It is good to see the combination of Ashish Nehra and Shubman Gill – they work very well and it’s like hand in glove.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be desperate to pick up their first Premier League victory of the new season when travelling to AFC Bournemouth this coming weekend.

Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold were torn to shreds 4-0 by Manchester City on the opening day, as Rayan Ait Nouri returned to his old side to deliver a killer blow, while Matheus Cunha’s absence was there for all to see, too, as the weak hosts struggled in the forward areas.

With Jorgen Strand Larsen also now reportedly on Newcastle United’s shortlist of striker targets, the hectic transfer window could soon go from bad to worse for the depleted West Midlands outfit.

Yet, there are a few players also catching the Old Gold’s eye, away from the constant chatter about those departing the building.

Latest on Wolves' midfield search

Wolves have been active in the window with incoming signings.

Fer Lopez joined the Molineux ranks for £19.5m, having previously played alongside Strand Larsen at Celta Vigo, while Jackson Tchatchoua has also just completed a switch to the Premier League side from Hellas Verona to strengthen Pereira’s personnel in the right-back spot.

Up next, Wolves could soon welcome Barcelona number 17, Marc Casado, to their ever-growing camp in the middle of the park, if reports are to be believed.

Indeed, as per reports from Spanish outlet Marca, Casado is attracting interest from both the Old Gold and West Ham United, having been left out of Hansi Flick’s first team plans last time out versus RCD Mallorca as La Liga kicked off. The Premier League pair are said to be ‘closely monitoring’ his current situation.

The report does state that the 21-year-old ace only has eyes for Barca, but a £26m bid could soon come Flick and Co.’s way for the La Masia academy product.

Pereira will hope he can get an ambitious deal over the line for the Spanish youngster, with Casado perhaps capable of offering the same level of class and excellence on the ball that Ruben Neves once gave Wolves in spades during his celebrated stay at Molineux.

Why Casado can be Pereira's own Neves

Neves would arrive at Wolves in the summer of 2017 as an undoubted coup, having arrived at the then-Championship club for just £15m from FC Porto, despite having suitors from the Premier League in both Chelsea and Liverpool.

Wolves certainly got themselves a stunning bargain by landing the Portuguese star when they did, with Neves going on to be an integral part of the Old Gold jigsaw over many a season, culminating in 30 goals and 13 assists coming his way from 253 total appearances.

Casado’s potential arrival onto the scene does have a similar Neves feel, considering the 21-year-old has reportedly had eyes watching him from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur this summer, on top of the Spaniard being more used to Champions League contests at the Camp Nou assisting Raphinha than any Premier League basement battles.

Still, much like the Al-Hilal midfielder routinely steered Wolves to comfortable mid-table finishes – with Neves’ lowest final position in an Old Gold shirt coming in at 13th – Pereira will hope Casado’s addition to the group means defeats such as the one suffered at the hands of the Citizens don’t crop up all campaign long, as more successful days lay ahead.

La Liga games played

23

League goals scored

1

Assists

3

Champions League games played

10

Champions League goals scored

0

Assists

2

After all, despite limited first-team opportunities, Casado has shown he can cut it at the very top with Barca, with one goal and five assists falling into his lap last season in La Liga and Champions League action.

Therefore, the 5-foot-8 star shouldn’t find the step-up to the Premier League to be too overwhelming, with a hope he can instantly settle in, like Neves managed all those years ago.

Moreover, he even possesses elements of Neves’ game when it comes to stepping up as a leader, with the 28-year-old going on to don the Old Gold armband regularly across his lengthy spell at the club.

Former Barca great Rafael Marquez would herald Casado as a “total leader” when first making waves in the Camp Nou senior set-up, while further being branded as a “machine” by ex-Spain teammate Yeremi Pino.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

All this positive talk points in the direction of this being a worthwhile purchase to pursue, particularly if he goes on to be as effective as Neves.

Offer will be accepted: Wolves now very keen to sign "superb" La Liga star

He’s a wanted man.

1 ByTom Cunningham Aug 19, 2025