“We can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions,” says Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott ahead of game against Bangladesh

Shashank Kishore15-Sep-2025Jonathan Trott believes Afghanistan will start as “slight favourites” against Bangladesh, who face a must-win situation, in their Asia Cup Group B fixture in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. And going by recent history, there’s merit in that confidence.”Since I’ve been with the side, we’ve had some memorable moments,” Trott said. “I think back to when we beat Bangladesh in a 50-over series in Bangladesh for the first time [in 2023]. It had never been done before, and given how strong Bangladesh have been at home, to go there and do that gave us a lot of confidence and positivity.”Then there was the win in St Vincent at the [2024] T20 World Cup, which helped us qualify for the semi-final. That was such a tight, historic game, and it gave us great belief. This group I’m currently working with is not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground.Related

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“Whenever there’s something that hasn’t been done before, like a big obstacle or a big challenge, this Afghan side rises to the occasion. They’re not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.”Since opening their Asia Cup with a convincing win over Hong Kong on September 9, Afghanistan have had six days off. The break, in Trott’s opinion, has helped refresh them “mentally and physically” after the gruelling pre-Asia Cup tri-series against UAE and Pakistan, where they played five games in ten days.”I’m actually quite happy with the break,” he said. “Playing in the extreme heat here in the UAE takes a lot out of you. It’s been a good chance to recharge the batteries, take stock of where we are, and get ready to go again. Hopefully, with a win and qualification into the next round, we know there will be quite a few games in a short space of time.”At the opening press conference in Dubai, barely a few hours prior to their Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan had spoken of the short turnaround – less than 48 hours – between the tri-series final and the game against Hong Kong. He had also said that it wasn’t ideal to be staying in Dubai and having all their group games in Abu Dhabi, leaving them with an added commute of three hours on match days.Looking at the schedule and putting that break into context, Trott felt it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I think our schedule has actually played into our hands, as long as we play well tomorrow and do the job in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Playing there is very different to Dubai. It looks like it’s been spinning a little more here and in Sharjah. Abu Dhabi is a very different type of pitch – the make-up of the soil is different too.1:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

“That’s the challenge of playing in these tournaments: you’re constantly adapting to a variety of conditions. I certainly feel that with our squad and the options we have, we can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions.”Trott, expectedly, talked up Afghanistan’s spin stocks, joking that they were good enough to field an XI of spinners if needed. There’s Rashid and Noor Ahmad as their frontline options, along with Mohammad Nabi. They have also got Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Sharafuddin Ashraf in the squad. That said, he felt that it wasn’t a given that Afghanistan would do well just because they had competent spinners.”We saw during the triangular series that just because the ball is spinning, it doesn’t automatically mean we’re going to win games,” Trott said. “We still have to do everything else well, and I stress that. Yes, our spinners have played a lot of franchise cricket and plenty of international T20 and ODI cricket, but we’ve got to be consistent across all departments. That’s why we work so hard as a side.”Right now, we have a great opportunity with the Asia Cup. Looking a bit further ahead, with the World Cup coming up in February, we have good memories of playing in the subcontinent – in Sri Lanka and India. It can be tempting to look too far ahead, but for now, Bangladesh is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and we’re focused on winning that game.”

Matt Short also makes his return from injury ahead of Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand

Alex Malcolm16-Sep-2025Despite retiring from ODIs earlier this year Glenn Maxwell will play 50-over cricket for his state side Victoria in the first two Dean Jones Trophy matches of the new summer to help prepare for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.Maxwell, 36, has been named in Victoria’s 14-player squad for their first two matches against Queensland and Tasmania at Allan Border Field on Wednesday and Friday respectively. Maxwell has played just one List A match for Victoria since March 2022, and that was against New South Wales in October last year.Fellow Australian T20I squad member Matt Short has also been named for his first game of cricket in any form since the MLC in July, after he was ruled out of the five-match T20I tour of the Caribbean then both the T20I and ODI series against South Africa at home in August due to a side injury. Like Maxwell, he has not played a 50-over fixture since the Champions Trophy.Related

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Captain Will Sutherland will only play in game one before departing to India to join the Australia A tour ahead of the second four-day game in Lucknow. Peter Handscomb will captain in game two.Young batter Oliver Peake, who is yet to make his Victoria 50-over debut despite making his List A debut for Australia A in July against Sri Lanka A, is unavailable as he is already in Lucknow playing in the first four-day match against India A. Todd Murphy is also playing for Australia A in India.Harry Dixon and Sam Elliott will play both games for Victoria before departing for India to play for Australia A in the 50-over matches in Kanpur that start on September 30.Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne will captain Queensland against Victoria on Wednesday and Western Australia on Sunday, also at Allan Border Field. Xavier Bartlett is unavailable due to Australia A duty while Mark Steketee (minor hamstring) and Callum Vidler (stress fracture) are also absent. Test opener Usman Khawaja won’t play either of Queensland’s 50-over matches this week as he continues his preparation for the start of the Sheffield Shield summer ahead of the Ashes.Former New South Wales allrounder Hayden Kerr is in line for a Queensland debut as is former Australian Under-19 World Cup winning captain Hugh Weibgen.Tom Straker and Lachlan Hearne will play both matches against Victoria and WA before departing to India to join the Australia A 50-over squad.Hearne has been called up to his first Australia A squad as an injury replacement for Aaron Hardie. Hearne has only played eight List A matches but the left-hander made an impressive 107 off 91 balls against his former state New South Wales in February.Victoria squad: Will Sutherland, Peter Handscomb, Blake Macdonald, Callum Stow, Cam McClure, David Moody, Glenn Maxwell, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Matt Short, Mitch Perry, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Tom RogersQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Lachlan Hearne, Hayden Kerr, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth

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O zagueiro Thiago Silva, de 39 anos, sempre teve seu nome ligado ao Fluminense. Porém, nos últimos meses, as especulações aumentaram, devido ao término do seu contrato com o Chelsea da Inglaterra, que se encerra no dia 30 de junho.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol InternacionalSonho do Fluminense, Thiago Silva deixará o Chelsea ao final da temporada, diz jornalistaFutebol Internacional22/04/2024Fora de CampoEsposa de Thiago Silva brinca com possível retorno do zagueiro ao Fluminense e agita a webFora de Campo22/04/2024Fora de CampoPrefeito do Rio de Janeiro brinca com retorno de Thiago Silva ao Fluminense: ‘Já é tricolor’Fora de Campo22/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Após a eliminação para o Manchester City, na semifinal da Copa da Inglaterra, Thiago Silva revelou que já tomou uma decisão sobre o seu futuro e que os torcedores saberão em breve.

—Vocês vão saber nos próximos dias. Eu não quero dizer nada agora com a minha cabeça na derrota, com um pouco de tristeza. Mas cedo ou tarde vai acontecer.Eu já tomei a decisão na minha cabeça, já tenho — disse Thiago Silva, à Hayters TV.

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Em 2024, o Fluminense vem sofrendo muito com o seu setor defensivo. No início da temporada, a equipe das Laranjeiras vendeu o zagueiro Nino para o Zenit, da Rússia, e não pôde contar com Manoel e Marlon, em diversos momentos, por conta das lesões.

Como peça de reposição, o Fluminense contratou o experiente Antonio Carlos. Contudo, após alguns jogos formando a dupla de zaga com outro veterano, Felipe Melo, o técnico Fernando Diniz passou a improvisar ora o volante André, ora Martinelli, e em alguns casos, até utilizou os dois juntos.

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Mas a pergunta que muitos se fazem é “Por que o Fluminense não repôs a saída do Nino, com um zagueiro à altura?” E a resposta tem nome e sobrenome, Thiago Silva.

Não é de hoje que o atual presidente do Fluminense, Mário Bittencourt, fala abertamente sobre um possível retorno do zagueiro ao clube tricolor. E em 2023, Mario deu uma entrevista falando sobre a possibilidade de contar com o atleta em 2024.

“Então, contato com o Thiago Silva tenho sempre, ele é tricolor, mandou mensagem de apoio na semana da final. Depois, Thiago mandou mensagem de parabéns (pelo título). Nós não conversamos novamente quando ele disse de maneira honesta que iria até o meio de 2024 no Chelsea. Isso não impede que a gente converse novamente. Queria aproveitar para dizer que continuo com o desejo de trazê-lo pela alta performance que tem. Acredito que um dia possa voltar a jogar no Fluminense”, disse Bittencourt, à TNT Sports.

“Mas depende muito mais do desejo ele, não é pressão, se ele não voltar, isso não diminui o amor que tem pelo clube, nem pode diminuir o amor que temos por ele. É um desejo, sou uma pessoa que desde me entendo por gente gosto de ir atrás dos meus sonhos. Vou continuar tentando, tomara que a gente possa reforçar o nosso time no ano que vem”.

Caso o zagueiro volte ao clube, no fim do seu contrato, o Fluminense terá feito uma jogada de mestre. Pois, mesmo chegando no meio do ano e com quase 40 anos, Thiago Sila desembarca no Brasil, sendo o melhor zagueiro da América do Sul.

Segundo o Sofascore, na Premier League da atual temporada, Thiago Silva tem 25 jogos (24 como titular), três gols marcados, 95% de passes certos, 4.9 bolas recuperadas por jogo, 4.8 cortes feitos por partida, 70% de duelos aéreos ganhos, 0.3 faltas por jogo e 7.08 de nota média.

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When the Blue Jays signed All-Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million contract extension in April, the news was met with some mixed responses from the general baseball public.

Here was a homegrown star, a born Canadian who, with just one year left until free agency and after a lengthy and at times testy negotiation process, was pledging to spend the rest of his career in Toronto. For an MVP-caliber player entering his age-26 season, it was the kind of day that organizations dream about.

Except there was a way to view the decision as a desperation move, one made by a gambler who’s barely hanging onto their seat at the table deciding to push a dwindling chip stack all in. The Jays were coming off of a last-place finish that followed three playoff runs in four years, each ending with a wild-card round sweep. To some (including a certain writer), the organization’s contention window was closing, if not already shut. In gambling parlance, this was throwing good money after bad.

Four-plus months into the 2025 season, and it appears that Toronto’s big bet is paying off.

Entering play on Wednesday, the Blue Jays have the best record in the American League. Playoff odds that began at 40% on Opening Day, per FanGraphs, have soared to 98.7%. Barring a horrible collapse, Toronto will be alive and well in October, and has a good chance of earning a spot directly into the division series.

Beyond simply pledging half a billion dollars to Guerrero, the path to where the Blue Jays currently find themselves is paved with even more gambles on in-house talent returning to form and fueling Toronto’s surge.

For years, the Blue Jays have far too often (for their fans’ liking, at least) played the role of bridesmaid rather than bride. Highly publicized free agent chases of Shohei Ohtani (a private plane ride from California to Toronto carrying Canadian businessman Robert Herjavec of fame caused international confusion) and Juan Soto (agent Scott Boras said Toronto impressed the now-Met with a “great offer”) came up empty, as did bids at landing Corbin Burnes and Teoscar Hernández.

Toronto was looking high and low for reinforcements, but the big fish the organization chased weren’t biting.

And the ones that did end up joining the Blue Jays haven’t panned out as hoped. Anthony Santander, who inked a five-year, $92.5 million deal in January, managed a .179 average in 50 games before landing on the injured list. Closer Jeff Hoffman signed for $33 million, and has so far posted a 4.41 ERA with five blown saves. All-Star second baseman Andrés Giménez, acquired in a December trade from the Guardians, has battled injuries amid his worst offensive season (74 OPS+ in 62 games).

Instead of the cavalry coming to save the day, it’s been improvements from players already on the roster that have spurred the Blue Jays’ climb.

That list starts with shortstop Bo Bichette, a two-time All-Star who seemed to pair perfectly with Guerrero as the young faces of the franchise. From 2021 to ‘23, Bichette twice led the AL in hits and posted a 124 OPS+. An injury-marred ‘24 campaign saw his production fall off a cliff as he managed to play in just 81 games, and there was serious doubt as to whether he could rediscover his form.

Bichette has bounced back by cutting down his swing-and-miss, posting the lowest strikeout rate (14.9%) of his career without sacrificing hard contact. His barrel rate (8.6%) has nearly doubled from last year, and is back to near his career average. A free agent after this season, Bichette has greatly improved his financial prospects to the point that it’s possible Toronto could be priced out, but that’s a problem for another time. For now, the 27-year-old is playing a critical role in jumpstarting the Blue Jays’ title hopes.

Another standout has been George Springer, who once upon a time was the big-ticket free agent Toronto was actually able to sign. Springer joined the Blue Jays in 2021 on a six-year, $150 million contract that at the time was the largest in team history. After two productive years, Springer began to show his warts in ‘23, and the decline steepened to the tune of a .220/.303/.371 slash line in ‘24.

Against all odds, the 35-year-old has turned back the clock this season, putting up his best OPS+ (144) since 2019. He’s revitalized his production from the batter’s box by using his experience to his advantage, posting the lowest chase rate (20.6%) of his career. By laying off pitches outside the zone, he’s making pitchers come to him, and doing damage when he decides to let it rip. Springer ranks eighth among 300 qualified hitters in run value against pitches swung at in the heart of the strike zone, per StatCast.

The cast of resurgent Jays goes on. Alejandro Kirk is hitting .297 with a 110 OPS+ after posting .251 and 93 marks, respectively, over the previous two years. Daulton Varsho, who’s missed most of the year with shoulder and hamstring injuries, has played just 32 games but is healthy now and mashing, with 12 home runs and a 141 OPS+. Addison Barger, who batted .197 in his 69-game rookie season last year, has emerged to provide middle-of-the-order thump, slugging 18 home runs in 96 games with a 122 OPS+.

Toronto’s trade deadline moves reflected a team that’s moved on from the old boom-or-bust approach, with savvy acquisitions to bolster both the starting rotation and bullpen. The biggest of them was the trade for 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, who’s nearly ready to return after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland are two flame-throwers brought on to help fortify the back end of the bullpen and provide manager John Schneider with more options come October, when fire-extinguishing relief pitchers become even more valuable.

In chasing the big names in recent years, Toronto has often left itself frustrated and empty handed. But by banking on a core that many had lost hope for, the Blue Jays might have just hit the jackpot after many had already counted them out.

Less than two years after hoisting the World Series trophy, the Rangers and Bruce Bochy have "mutually agreed to end his managerial tenure with the organization," the team announced Monday. The Rangers also announced that they have offered Bochy a role in the front office in an advisory capacity.

The Rangers join the Giants and Twins as teams who parted ways with their managers on Monday after the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.

Bochy came out of retirement after the 2022 season to become the manager of the Rangers. In his first season with Texas in 2023, he led them to a 90-72 record and their franchise's first World Series victory. After the Rangers failed to make the playoffs in either of the last two seasons, they have decided to search for a new manager.

Bochy has been an MLB manager for 28 seasons with the Rangers, Padres and Giants. He's led every team he's managed to a World Series appearance, won four World Series, and has compiled a 2,252-2,266 (.498) career record.

Though offered a role in the Rangers' front office, the 70-year-old manager could be a contender for other vacancies, including the Giants, his old team. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, who played under Bochy in San Francisco simply said Monday, "I don’t know what his status is yet. I haven’t heard, so I can’t speak to that.”

Beleaguered Liverpool boss Arne Slot has finally been able to share some good news with an injury update on three key players ahead of the Premier League clash with West Ham. The Reds have lost nine of their last 12 games, putting Slot under massive pressure, but the Dutchman has delivered positive updates on key stars Florian Wirtz, Allison and Hugo Ekitike.

• Ray of light for Liverpool boss

  It's been a diabolical few months for Liverpool, the defence of the Premier League crown is already in tatters and they face an uphill battle to secure an automatic qualification place in the Champions League. High-profile summer signings have failed to integrate into the team and defensive frailties have been their Achilles heel in a series of demoralising defeats, culminating in the 4-1 defeat by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. Liverpool were without goalkeeper Alisson who pulled out with illness, marquee £116 million signing Wirtz missed out after picking up an injury while on international duty and there were worrying scenes as Ekitike hobbled off on the hour against PSV. 

  But Slot has been able to offer a glimmer of hope for Reds fans ahead of the trip to east London.

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  Slot: 'It shouldn't be a big issue'

  Slot told reporters at a pre-match press conference: "Ali (Becker) trained again with the team today, so we hope and expect him to be available at the weekend. Florian will have his final day of rehab tomorrow. So, if that all goes well, he could train with the team on Saturday." 

  And on Ekitike, he added: "They (medical staff) don't expect that it has to be a big issue, but the games come fast so let's see for the weekend. But it shouldn't have to be a big issue." 

• Dutchman defiant over Anfield future

  Just hours after watching his team be dismantled at Anfield by PSV the Dutch boss spoke with the press and was confident his job was safe after having discussions with Liverpool hierarchy. He told reporters: "We've had the same conversations that we've had since I got here. We fight on. We try to improve, but the conversations have been the same as they have been for the last one and a half years." 

  When pressed on what he can change to stop the rot, Slot added: "That's not so easy to say. It's normal to reflect on a game with decisions you have made. Maybe you do it a little bit more if you lose. In the end, it's about doing what this club is about. Keep fighting no matter how difficult it is. It would be nice if we reward ourselves in the moments we play well. People are focused on the parts we don't play well but there are large parts where we do play well."

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  All eyes on the London Stadium

  Such is Liverpool's form that hosts West Ham, who are languishing in 17th place, will believe they have the chance to land three points against the Merseysiders on Sunday afternoon. The Hammers have begun to turn a corner under boss Nuno Espirito Santo and are unbeaten in their last three matches. Meanwhile, the Reds have lost each of their last five away league games against London sides, as many as in their previous 31. 

  But Slot has remained tight-lipped on whether he will make wholesale changes for the match, saying: "Everyone trains with us every single day, and they can prove themselves in that moment. It's always a balance. There was a period where I lost, and I made a few changes and people complained that I made too many changes. Of course, I consider but I can not tell you the end decision of what I've considered for Sunday."

  Anything other than a victory for Slot on Sunday will pile even more pressure on the beleaguered boss ahead of a midweek visit from Sunderland in the Premier League.

WI captain saw their improved performance in Delhi after being forced to follow as a positive sign

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-20253:56

What made Campbell and Hope stand out?

Roston Chase saw encouraging signs in West Indies’ performance against India in Delhi, despite the visitors losing by seven wickets.Shai Hope and John Campbell made centuries, the first two for West Indies in 2025. The team also batted 80-plus overs in both innings after failing to get to that mark all year, improvements that meant more coming against a strong Indian bowling outfit that included Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.”Yeah, I think this is the kind of fight that I wanted to see from us, from matches before”, Chase said at the post-match press conference. “So, I think this is a stepping stone, a building step for us to go forward and improve as a Test-playing nation. This is a performance that I think will give us the confidence and boost us in terms of that belief that we can do it against proper Test-playing nations.Related

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“I just want to see the guys continue in this vein and don’t let us go back to those ways. Even if it’s for us to lose, we have to lose in a good way. In a positive way, where we can have a lot of positives coming out of the game.”West Indies came to India without two of their best fast bowlers, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, who were both laid low by injuries. Ultimately, it wasn’t the bowling that let them down though. Chase understood that his side needed to improve their batting to get their first points in this new cycle of the World Test Championship.”I think where we could improve mainly is our batting,” Chase said. “I think that’s what let us down for the last two series. I think we have a good bowling attack, we had a few injuries. I just think that once we can put good first-inning totals on the board, we will be able to fight for some wins in the Test Championship.”John Campbell and Shai Hope put on West Indies’ highest partnership of the 2025 so far•AFP/Getty Images

But this process is complicated by the way the West Indies cricket system currently functions.”When a lot of our players come into the international level, they play like 20 first-class games, 15 first-class games,” Chase said. “While other teams, when guys come into international cricket, they have like 80 first-class games, 100 first-class games.”Domestic competitions help batters learn how to score big runs and replicate the process over an extended period of time. West Indies, though, are having to manufacture success without that essential ingredient. This is part of why they have had one-off wins, against Australia in Brisbane and against Pakistan in Multan, but are struggling for consistency.”So for us, it’s always learning on the job,” Chase said. “So if a guy can get a little longer run [playing Test matches] so that he can adjust and adapt to this level and see what it takes for him to improve and to be consistent at this level, I think that’s good. And I just think that the fight that we showed in this last game will, as I said, give us that belief and that confidence to know that we have what it takes to perform at this level.”One bright spot for West Indies on this tour of India was the allrounder Justin Greaves, who finished the series with an unbeaten 50 from No. 7 and showed good skill in combating India’s spinners.”Yeah, well, actually, if we had batted first, he [Greaves] would have batted at No. 6,” Chase. “But obviously him being the allrounder, bowling allrounder, bowling many [14 out of 134.2] overs first, we just wanted to give him some rest. So we just put him at No. 7. But yeah, I think he’s a capable batsman. I know him for a long period and I personally think his batting is better than his bowling.”West Indies’ next Test match is in December against New Zealand. Chase accepted the first year of this WTC cycle has been hard on his team but hoped for better returns in 2026.”And I think that we had a chat and this first year in the cycle, we always know it was going to be tough with opposition like Australia, India and then we go to New Zealand. But I think that once we learn from what we’ve done in those series and take it into the next year where we have guys like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, guys that we are closer to in the rankings, I think that we can be more competitive against those once we learn from these games.”

The final international break of the year came at the worst time possible for West Ham United.

After months of dire football and worse results, Nuno Espírito Santo looked to have finally got a tune out of the East Londoner, beating Newcastle United and Burnley in back-to-back Premier League games.

Fortunately, the break has come to an end and the Hammers finally get the chance to continue their good form with a challenging game away to Bournemouth, albeit without the talismanic Lucas Paqueta, who is suspended.

However, while the loss of the Brazilian is a big one, Nuno can minimise its impact by letting Mateus Fernandes pick up the attacking slack and starting someone with shades of Declan Rice alongside Freddie Potts.

Why Fernandes should start in Paqueta's place

Now, in the last two games, Nuno has opted for a midfield three of Paqueta, Potts and Fernandes, with the Brazilian obviously playing as the more attacking midfielder of the three.

With him out of contention, it makes sense for the responsibility of being more forward-thinking to fall on the Portuguese star’s shoulders, as the Englishman is far better suited to being an all-action box-to-box type.

While this change might worry some fans, it shouldn’t, as while he’s not reached the level of the former Lyon ace just yet, he is more than capable of doing so.

For example, while he’s spent plenty of time in the central midfield role, he spent more time playing as an attacking midfielder during his time at Southampton.

Moreover, during his time in Portugal, respected analyst Ben Mattinson highlighted the fact that he could play “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.

Furthermore, despite playing for a team that, for some time, looked in danger of breaking Derby County’s most unwanted record last season, the 21-year-old still produced six goal involvements in 36 league games.

Finally, FBref ranked him in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the league last season for attempted and completed long passes as well as the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

Overall, Fernandes is more than good enough to pick up the creative slack in Paqueta’s absence, and Nuno has someone in the squad who can come in as a partner to Potts to help with the less glamorous side of the game.

The Rice-like midfielder Nuno should start

While Nuno might be tempted to bring someone like Tomáš Souček back into the side for this game, he really shouldn’t, as Bournemouth will make it an intense and frenetic encounter.

Chalkboard

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

Therefore, the manager should turn to someone capable of dealing with that, if not thriving in it, someone like £17m summer signing, Soungoutou Magassa.

The Frenchman is still relatively young and certainly needs to develop some areas of his game, but he has all the ingredients to be a monstrous all-action midfielder.

Described as a “a forward-thinking” talent by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, who is blessed with “pure athleticism” and can “spray passes wide out to the wings,” the 22-year-old would be excellent alongside Potts.

Moreover, his profile, combined with his ability to play centre-back, makes comparisons to a young Rice impossible to ignore.

With that said, if you are still unconvinced, you only need to look at his underlying numbers to see how promising a player he is.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and blocks, the top 2% for ball recoveries, the top 4% for interceptions, the top 12% for switches, and more, all per 90.

Tackles

3.78

Top 1%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

1.72

Top 1%

Dribblers Tackled

2.05

Top 1%

Dribbles Challenged

3.86

Top 1%

Blocks

2.22

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

5.42

Top 1%

Ball Recoveries

7.31

Top 2%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.57

Top 4%

Shots Blocked

0.66

Top 4%

Passes Blocked

1.56

Top 4%

Interceptions

1.64

Top 4%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

1.48

Top 8%

Shots on Target %

42.9%

Top 9%

Successful Take-On %

61.9%

Top 10%

Switches

0.66

Top 12%

Through Balls

0.41

Top 13%

Tackles Won

1.64

Top 13%

Successful Take-Ons

1.07

Top 13%

In other words, the “composed” midfielder, as dubbed by Mattinson, is superb when it comes to the defensive side of the game, but is also more than capable of kick-starting an attack from deep.

Ultimately, while it’s not ideal, Nuno should start a midfield three of Fernandes, Potts and Magassa against Bournemouth, as that should be the best way to deal with Paqueta’s absence and pick up three points.

Bigger talent than Potts: West Ham must rue losing England's future 9 for £0

The incredible attacker would have been just the player West Ham United need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

Rahul anchored the chase, ending up unbeaten on 58; India still at No. 3 on WTC points table

Sidharth Monga14-Oct-2025

India sealed the series 2-0 after an hour’s play•BCCI

It took India a little over an hour on the final day and a further loss of two wickets to knock off the 121-run target to seal the 2-0 series win against West Indies. The win took them to 61.9% points on the World Test Championship points table, still at No. 3.KL Rahul anchored the chase, ending up unbeaten on 58, taking his series tally to 192, only behind Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 219. Kuldeep Yadav was the leading wicket-taker with 12 strikes. This was also the first series win for captain Shubman Gill after drawing 2-2 in England.India began the day needing 58 runs to win after they had declared their first innings in only 4.5 sessions and then enforced the follow-on. They ended up bowling 200 overs on the trot and were set 121 to get.India lost B Sai Sudharsan and Gill on the final morning. Sudharsan, whose No. 3 position is not yet sealed, might leave the series with some doubt still. He scored 87 in the first innings, but got out playing a loose drive in the second, resulting in a stunning slip catch by Shai Hope.Gill looked in a hurry to end things, hit a six and a four in a Roston Chase over, and then ended up skying one.Rahul was more solid, and punctuated his effort with two sixes, one a straight loft against Khary Pierre and the other a slog-sweep off Jomel Warrican, who got him out in the first innings.This was India’s tenth straight win against West Indies. This was also India’s 122th Test win, going past South Africa to No. 3.

Rangers’ winning streak continues, albeit in far from convincing fashion.

On Saturday, the Gers battled to a 2-1 victory over bottom of the table Livingston at Ibrox, with Emmanuel Fernandez marking his first start since August by scoring a towering header, only for Tete Yengi to equalise soon after, but Mohamed Diomandé’s goal 12 minutes from time, Bojan Miovski putting it on a plate for him, enough to snatch victory.

This makes it four Premiership wins out of four since Danny Röhl was appointed manager, the Gers’ longest streak since February, albeit they remain fourth, given that Hibernian beat Dundee 2-0 at Easter Road simultaneously.

Next up, Röhl’s team will take on Braga in a must win Europa League tie on Thursday and, despite victory on Saturday, which starter should be axed ahead of this one?

Rangers' current injury crisis

After some very underwhelming summer recruitment, most Rangers supporters agree that their squad lacks quality, so, when that is the situation, the last thing a coach needs is a lengthy injury list.

First-choice centre-back pairing John Souttar and Derek Cornelius are both expected to be sidelined until after Christmas, after suffering serious injuries while on international on the same evening, doing so within hours of one-another but more than 4,200 miles apart in Glasgow and Miami.

Meantime, just as he had started to click into gear, Mikey Moore suffered a muscle injury in training, so is set to spend weeks on the sidelines.

The Tottenham lonaee had made an inconspicuous start to life in Glasgow, but had started to show glimpses of his talent in recent weeks, scoring his first goal for the club at Dens Park in the last game prior to the international break.

In the absences of the teenager, Röhl’s team lacked dynamism, panache and flamboyance in attacking areas, with the player tasked with deputising certainly not earning rave reviews.

The Rangers star Röhl must axe after Livingston

Röhl went for a more attacking 4-2-3-1 formation for Livingston’s visit on Saturday, with Thelo Aasgaard given the free role as the central number ten.

Chalkboard

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

The Merseyside-born midfielder helped Norway qualify for a first World Cup since ’98 during the break, coming off the bench as his country crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro last Sunday.

Thus, Aasgaard was handed a first club start since being sent off during the League Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Celtic at Hampden.

Well, he certainly did not grasp this opportunity with both hands, as the table below documents.

Thelo Aasgaard’s stats vs Livingston
Stats	Aasgaard	Match rank
Shots	Zero	12th
Successful dribbles	1	11th
Accurate passes	12	16th
Key passes	1	4th
Duels won	2	24th
Touches	19	23rd
SofaScore rating	6.4	21st
Stats vis SofaScore

The statistics underline that Aasgaard was generally pretty anonymous during Saturday’s victory, completing just 12 passes and only one dribble, not registering a single attempt.

The most galling number is the fact that the Norwegian international touched the ball only 19 times before being hooked at half time, nine fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland and six less than Livi scorer Yengi.

Writer Kai Watson asserted that Aasgaard went “missing” in the first half, adding that he “needs to offer something” and is “capable of much more than we’re seeing”.

Meantime, Aheed Abrar of Ibrox News exclaimed that the midfielder was “embarrassing” on Saturday, awarding him a 3/10 rating, while Let’s Talk Rangers believes he should not be an “automatic starter” over Nedim Bajrami, Lyall Cameron and others.

Thus, despite their ongoing injury issues, Röhl does appear to have better attacking options than Aasgaard, who did little to stake a claim for a start against Braga this weekend.

Rohl's own Maeda: Rangers begin talks to sign "very pacy" sensation

With Rangers set to heavily invest in January, they have reportedly began talks to sign a “very pacy” star who would be Danny Röhl’s own Daizen Maeda.

By
Ben Gray

Nov 21, 2025