Arsenal reportedly held summer interest in want-away Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, but the Gunners’ transfer plans have changed.
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England international ready to leave Old Trafford
Gunners in the market for more firepower
Isak & Sesko on Emirates Stadium recruitment radar
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Mikel Arteta remains keen on adding more firepower to his ranks, with Germany international Kai Havertz and Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus currently being asked to lead the line between them. The general consensus at Emirates Stadium is that another proven goalscorer is required.
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With that in mind, Arsenal are said to have tentatively explored the possibility of luring Rashford away from Old Trafford during the summer of 2024. There was no deal to be done then, but the England international has since admitted that he is "ready for a new challenge".
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DID YOU KNOW?
According to the , the Gunners are no longer keen on the 27-year-old winger due to the costs involved. Rashford is working on a £325,000-a-week contract in Manchester. As a result, Arteta and Co will be exploring other options.
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Newcastle star Alexander Isak continues to register on their recruitment radar, but questions are being asked of his fitness record. Prolific Sporting frontman Viktor Gyokeres is attracting admiring glances from across Europe, but he would cost around £85 million ($106m) and will turn 27 before the start of next season.
Kevin De Bruyne has made a stark revelation about his Manchester City contract situation with just six months remaining on his current deal.
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KDB's contract set to expire in summerCan sign pre-contract with another club in JanuaryBelgian admitted talks with City remain stalledFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
De Bruyne disclosed that initial discussions regarding a contract renewal had begun before the season started but were paused after he suffered an injury in September. This setback sidelined him for two months, during which all negotiations were put on hold.
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With his contract expiring in June, De Bruyne will be free to engage in talks with foreign clubs starting from January 1. The midfielder, who has previously been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and MLS, admitted there has been no progress in renewing his deal.
WHAT DE BRUYNE SAID
When asked about the current state of talks with Manchester City, De Bruyne stated plainly: “No. Nothing yet.”
De Bruyne has faced significant challenges this season due to an abdominal injury that disrupted his campaign. Explaining the nature of his ailment, he said: “It’s pubis. It’s a bit of everything. It’s not nice, but there’s not a lot you can do about it, just wait. I hope to get better now.”
When quizzed about his recovery, De Bruyne said: "I don’t know. It’s hard to say. With the injury I had, I took a while and then I had four games in ten days which was hard. I’m happy for today.”
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As one of Manchester City’s most decorated players, De Bruyne’s potential departure would mark the end of an era at the Etihad Stadium. His contract impasse, coupled with interest from clubs abroad, has fuelled speculation about his next move. Despite the off-field uncertainty, the midfielder is preparing for the next Premier League fixture against West Ham on Saturday.
After a summer that was framed as a rebuild of the squad by those in power at Glasgow Rangers, the first game of the new season could easily have been slotted in as one of the matches from the 2023/24 campaign.
The starting XI in the 0-0 draw with Hearts on Saturday featured just one player – Connor Barron – who was not at Ibrox during the second half of last term.
Philippe Clement's side scored eight goals fewer than the eventual champions in the Scottish Premiership last season and their lack of threat at the top end of the pitch cost them once again.
The Ibrox giants only created 0.9 xG worth of chances throughout the match and squandered the few opportunities that they were able to create.
Minutes played
90
Shots
3
Big chances missed
2
Goals
0
Pass accuracy
58%
Key passes
0
As you can see in the table above, Cyriel Dessers was a particularly poor performer against the Jam Tarts, with two 'big chances' missed and zero chances created for his teammates.
Clement could finally ditch the Nigerian dud by swooping to sign one of the players from the opposition's team before the end of the summer transfer window.
Premiership star wants Rangers move
Pundit Chris Sutton, who was on Sky Sports' coverage of the game on Saturday, claimed that he has heard that Lawrence Shankland "wants the move" to Ibrox, as relayed by RangersNews.
The former Celtic striker described the Scotland international as a "ruthless" finisher who could come in as an upgrade on the club's current forward line options, including Danilo and Dessers.
Shankland did not find the back of the net against the Gers, with zero 'big chances' created for him, but did win 12 of his 17 duels to showcase his physical attributes.
Last month, the Daily Record reported that Clement is weighing up a swoop to sign the Hearts captain this summer to bolster his playing squad.
The outlet claimed that the Belgian boss was concerned about his ability to play in a high-pressing side but his goalscoring prowess could tempt him into a move.
It was stated that Sam Lammers' move to FC Twente has provided the club with enough funds to make an offer for Shankland, who they hope would be available for a fee of £3m.
Signing the Scottish centre-forward would finally allow the manager to ditch Dessers from his starting role, which has not been justified by his performances on the pitch.
Cyriel Dessers' struggles in front of goal
The former Cremonese attacker missed two 'big chances' in the 0-0 draw with Hearts on Saturday and his performance was not a surprise to anyone who watched the striker in action during the 2023/24 campaign.
Dessers did score 16 goals in 35 matches in the Premiership last term, which is a respectable return on paper, but his finishing left a lot to be desired.
Cyriel Dessers
27
Danilo
9
Fabio Silva
8
Abdallah Sima
6
Sam Lammers
6
As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old flop spurned a staggering 27 'big chances' in the Scottish top-flight, which was 18 more than any other player in the squad missed.
This shows that Dessers is a wasteful finisher who does not make the most of the opportunities that his teammates are able to create for him on a consistent basis, which was on display again against Hearts on Saturday.
Rangers are vying to win a league title and secure trophies in the cup competitions, which is why they need a reliable marksman who can step up in the big moments and be consistent in front of goal.
Dessers and Shankland
Dessers' form last season and his performance against the Jam Tarts on the opening day suggests that he is not the reliable number nine who is likely to win the Gers the league with his finishing quality.
This is why Clement must dip into the market to land Shankland, who seemingly wants the move, before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of the month, as he could come in as a far better option than Dessers.
What Lawrence Shankland could offer Rangers
Firstly, Shankland is a throwback number nine who can hold the ball up, win flick-ons, and cause constant problems for defenders from a physical perspective.
The 28-year-old star won 71% of his duels against Rangers and won 3.9 duels per game in the Premiership last term. Whereas, Dessers lost 67% of his duels in the division last season and only won 2.3 duels per match on average.
This suggests that the Hearts marksman could come in and immediately offer more than the Nigerian striker out of possession as a target man for the side.
Alongside his physical attributes, Shankland is also a lethal, and 'ruthless' as per Sutton, goalscorer who has been a reliable threat in the final third throughout his career.
The right-footed ace has scored 206 goals in 418 matches throughout his club career to date and his scoring prowess was on full display in the Premiership last season.
Appearances
37
Goals
24
Minutes per goal
136
Big chances missed
9
Assists
4
Big chances created
6
As you can see in the table above, Shankland racked up a hugely impressive tally of 24 goals in 37 league appearances, and only missed nine 'big chances'.
This means that he scored eight more goals than Dessers despite missing 18 fewer 'big chances' than the Rangers man, which perfectly illustrates the gulf in quality between the pair when it comes to scoring goals.
The Hearts captain's performances also earned him the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, which essentially means that the Light Blues would be adding one of the best players, if not the best, in the division to their squad by signing him.
Rangers register interest in £5m star who's a dream Roofe replacement
The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward.
1 ByDan Emery Aug 1, 2024
Clement must now launch a £3m swoop for the Scottish sensation to bolster his attack, as it would improve his team and finally allow him to ditch Dessers from the starting XI.
The champions are in relegation form as they prepare for what is already shaping up to be a season-defining showdown at Anfield
Ever since Manchester City were hit with 115 charges by the Premier League for allegedly breaking its financial rules, rival fans have been dreaming of the prospect of Pep Guardiola's side being relegated as a punishment. But if their recent results persist, they will not have to wait until that interminable case finally gets a verdict; they could get their wish in May when the season ends.
Make no mistake about it: right now, City are in relegation form. They have lost five of their last six games and are without a win in any competition since scraping a 1-0 victory over Southampton on October 26. Even the sorry Saints have won more recently than Guardiola's "fragile" side, who are also leaking goals at an alarming rate.
During this winless run, they have conceded more than two goals per game (17 in six) for the first time since 1963, when they were indeed relegated. In their last two home fixtures, against Tottenham and Feyenoord, they have shipped seven goals, one third of the total amount they let in throughout the entirety of last season.
It has not even been a particularly difficult run of fixtures for City, who have lost to Tottenham (twice), Bournemouth, Brighton, Sporting CP and drawn with Feyenoord. And just as they are at their lowest ebb, now they have to go to an all-conquering Liverpool, who have won every game in all competitions this season bar two and are feeling unstoppable after beating Real Madrid. Things might be about to get a whole lot worse before they get better…
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Lost without Dias
Everywhere you look at City at the moment, there are major issues. But the biggest problem area is undoubtedly defence, and City made unwanted Champions League history on Tuesday against Feyenoord by becoming the first team to fail to win a game after being three goals up in the 74th minute.
These are unprecedented times for the club in the Abu Dhabi era. The thrashing by Tottenham was Guardiola's heaviest-ever home defeat, while it was City's biggest loss since moving into the Etihad Stadium in 2003.
There are two obvious reasons for their woes: the twin absences of Rodri and Ruben Dias. City famously didn't lose a game for over 15 months with Rodri in the team, and the Ballon d'Or winner's season-ending injury has shaken them from top to bottom. But as well as having no real defensive midfield cover, they are suffering badly without Dias, who has been out for the last month with a calf injury.
The Portugal international was the solution to their last crisis of results, when they surrendered the title to Liverpool in 2019-20. His arrival led to them winning a historic four consecutive titles, and they look lost without him. Rather like with Rodri, the difference between City when Dias is playing and when he isn't is stark. According to , the centre-back has been responsible for 20 percent of City's clearances in the Premier League since he joined from Benfica. When Dias starts, City concede a goal every 70 minutes; when he doesn't, it's every 60 minutes.
Without Dias, City are also lacking coordination in their pressing. They are playing with a higher defensive line than in any previous season and are being punished on the counter as they struggle to catch opponents offside.
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Ederson exposed
City's defensive frailties, however, cannot all be blamed on the absence of their Iberian lynchpins, nor on John Stones' repeated absences. Josko Gvardiol has given away four goals through errors in the last two games, while Kyle Walker looks like he is approaching the end of his career at the highest level, his 34 years and 60-plus games per season eventually catching up with him. The inexperienced teenager Jahmai Simpson Pusey, who Guardiola refers to as "the young lad", has been thrown into the fire and, at least for now, seems out of his depth.
Then there is Ederson. The aforementioned high defensive line has led to City relying more and more on the Brazilian goalkeeper to sweep up behind the defence. He is making the third-highest number of sweeper-keeper actions in the Premier League this season (according to ) and sweeping at his most frequent rate since his first season with the club, in 2017-2018. The 31-year-old has, however, contended with a number of injuries within the last year and is not nearly as sharp as coming out of his area and clearing as before. Just look at how he misjudged the flight of the through ball in the build-up to Feyenoord's equaliser, while he had also been sloppy for the other two goals.
Doubts about Ederson's shot-stopping are not new, and it is no secret that he is City's No.1 on account of his ball-playing abilities than his capacity to make top-draw saves. But his propensity to concede the first shot he faces is getting more and more obvious. It was a theme of the last two seasons, but it mattered little as City were so productive down the other end. Now the goals are drying up, they cannot afford to have such an unconvincing goalkeeper between the posts.
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Midfield with no anchor
City's midfield is not performing much better. If things were bad enough without Rodri, they are even worse without Mateo Kovacic. Ilkay Gundogan has been left to anchor the midfield largely by himself, only getting support from the technically brilliant but rather lightweight Rico Lewis.
Gundogan has never been suited to the holding midfield role and Guardiola choosing him in that position over Rodri and Fernandinho in the 2021 Champions League final was a huge factor in City's defeat to Chelsea. Three years on, now aged 34 and after a season with Barcelona, he is finding it even harder. Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville both agreed he "got nowhere near" Tottenham's James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski while covering the match for .
Bernardo Silva has been hugely disappointing too, as he is lacking his usual dynamism. Indeed, things have got so bad for City's enginge room that Rodri is now targeting a return from knee surgery before the end of the season. It is never a good idea to rush your recovery, but Rodri clearly cannot bear to witness his team toiling without him and wants to get back as soon as possible to stop the rot.
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No help for Haaland
The attacking midfielders and forwards are also having a torrid time. Phil Foden is a shadow of the player he was last season, showing less interest in trying to dictate the play like he didin 2023-24 and is thus witnessing a massive drop off in his production. He has just one assist in the Premier League, with no goals in domestic competition.
Speaking of no goals, Jack Grealish hasn't scored in any competition for City in 2024, while Savinho has failed to score since switching to the Etihad from Girona, despite showing flashes of brilliance. Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, has been largely powerless to help the team, playing just 60 minutes of football since getting injured against Brentford in September. His fitness troubles have even prevented him from making a decision about his future as he has stalled on talks of extending his contract, which expires in June.
It has left an unhealthy reliance on Erling Haaland to do the bulk of City's scoring. Haaland scored 27 of City's 96 league goals last season (27%). This season he has been responsible for 12 of their 22 strikes, a stonking 54%.
The Norwegian is not enjoying vintage campaign either, despite making a ferocious start of 10 goals in his first four league games, as he has netted just twice in his next seven and has been uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal. But as he scored twice against Feyenoord, it was tempting to conclude that, as Guardiola had suggested the previous day, the team's malaise is not Haaland's making.
The coach said: "I would say the reason for our lack of goals is not Erling Haaland. Without Erling, we would be more in trouble! We are lucky to have Erling. Every game, he has three or four chances. One day he scores two or three. We have four or five wingers, but we only had one. Phil was excellent in that position but he's struggled early with niggles and little things. Kevin has been injured. That is the reality and we have to adapt."
Os torcedores do Corinthians não ficaram satisfeitos com a performance do time na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Sport, neste sábado, na Arena Pernambuco, pela 25ª rodada do Brasileirão-2021. No entanto, esse sentimento também ficou na cabeça dos jogadores, que viram uma série de dez partidas de invencibilidade cair. Giuliano foi um dos que reconheceu a atuação ruim.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansATUAÇÕES: Ataque do Corinthians não funciona e defesa falha em lance decisivo da partidaCorinthians09/10/2021CorinthiansSport joga bem, vence e quebra invencibilidade de dez jogos do Corinthians no BrasileirãoCorinthians09/10/2021CorinthiansCom 30% da Arena liberada, Corinthians abre venda de ingressos para o jogo contra o FluminenseCorinthians09/10/2021
TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
GALERIA >Confira as fotos da nova terceira camisa roxa do Corinthians
Em entrevista para a TV Globo, na saída de campo, o camisa 11 do Timão admitiu uma série de dificuldades que a equipe teve na partida. Entre elas a adaptação ao gramado da Arena Pernambuco e ao estilo de jogo do Leão. Por essas e outras, ele viu problemas individuais e coletivos do Alvinegro.
– A gente fica primeiramente triste pela derrota, um jogo muito abaixo coletivamente e individualmente. Nossa performance não foi boa, tivemos muita dificuldade, Sport marcou muito baixo, a gente teve dificuldade de se adaptar ao campo, a bola não corria, o jogo ficou lento, a gente não conseguiu criar oportunidades de gol. O Sport jogou por uma bola e eles encontraram no segundo tempo, um jogo equilibrado, em que a situação não foi boa.
Apesar de ter focado mais no que o Corinthians não conseguiu fazer neste sábado, Giuliano também valorizou a atuação do Sport, que conseguiu cumprir sua proposta de jogo e abrir o placar jogando em casa. Para o meia, agora é momento de se preparar para a próxima partida do Campeonato Brasileiro.
-A gente tem que acreditar no nosso trabalho, porque nos colocamos nessa situação e a gente sabia que uma hora encontraria uma equipe que iria ser merecedora do resultado, como foi o Sport hoje. Reconhecer o trabalho deles, reconhecer que nós não fizemos uma boa partida e pensar no próximo jogo.
Na próxima quarta-feira, o Corinthians volta a jogar em casa e recebe o Fluminense, na Neo Química Arena, às 21h, pela 26ª rodada do Brasileirão-2021. Com 37 pontos, o Timão permanece na quinta posição na tabela.
Ruben Amorim hinted that Manchester United are unlikely to go after Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres in the January transfer window.
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Man Utd won't sign Gyokeres in January
Star striker spoke on Amorim's move
Scored four times in Sporting's win on Friday
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Amorim is in his final week at Sporting CP after United announced his arrival at Old Trafford on Friday. The manager will formally leave the Lions on November 11 and head to the Premier League. Ahead of completing his move to England, the 39-year-old coach was asked if he could consider raiding his old club in the January transfer window and try to sign star striker Gyokeres.
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WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID
Speaking on the Red Devils' transfer pursuit of the Swedish star, the Portuguese coach said, "Gyokeres costs €100 million (£83.7m) and it's very difficult. I'm not going to pick up any Sporting player in January."
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Gyokeres who scored four goals in the club's thumping 5-1 win over Estrela Amadora in a Liga Portugal clash on Friday, remained tight-lipped on his future with the Portuguese champions. The player, however, wished his manager luck ahead of his move to United.
Speaking to reporters, the striker said, "It wasn't a normal situation [this week], but we showed that we handled it well and won 5-1. It was a good reaction from us, we have to remain professional and do things the right way. It's sad that he's leaving, he was excellent for us, we had a wonderful year. We have to adapt, but it's difficult to talk about the future because we don't know what will happen, but I'm sure we'll do the same job. If we can do it, we'll continue as we have been doing. We wish him all the best, it's very good for him."
He added, "I don't know, I'm here. As you can see, I really enjoy playing here and I'm not thinking about anything else, I'm enjoying being here."
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WHAT NEXT FOR SPORTING CP?
The Lions will be back in action this Tuesday in Europe as they take on English champions Manchester City in a Champions League fixture at home. It will be Amorim's penultimate game in charge of the club. His final game will be against Braga in the league next Sunday.
The lower-order hitter made a stunning half-century to lead Sydney Thunder to victory over Brisbane Heat
Alex Malcolm15-Dec-2020
Daniel Sams cracked his highest T20 score during a special all-round show•Cricket Australia via Getty Images
Daniel Sams believes his work with Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting is part of the reason for his extraordinary career-best batting performance in Sydney Thunder’s remarkable win over Brisbane Heat in Canberra on Monday night.Sams had never scored more than 42 in 35 innings in T20 cricket and had only struck 12 sixes in his career prior to Monday’s match. But he smashed 65 not out from 25 balls with seven sixes to steal the game from the Heat after entering with the Thunder in all sorts of trouble at 5 for 80, needing 99 runs from 56 balls.Sams revealed post-match that his stint in the IPL under Ponting had been vital for his batting.”It was unbelievable,” Sams said. “I obviously grew up watching Ricky playing pull shots and hitting the ball everywhere. It was awesome to be able to get some work with him. He really instilled some confidence in me, and we just worked on a couple of technical things that have obviously worked for me.”It was basically just trying to keep my hands up earlier and just getting into a little bit of a better position, a little bit more powerful, so I can access more of the ground.”Ponting was commentating on the match for and explained what they had been working on when Sams arrived at the crease.”He’s been working very hard on his batting, Daniel Sams,” Ponting said. “He is a very, very powerful hitter of the ball. He hits the ball as far as anybody. He’s been working on a few things in his back lift. Not letting his bat drop down too low after the ball has been released, trying to give himself a little bit more time to get a good solid swing on the ball.”Ponting’s words were prophetic as Sams then plundered the first of seven sixes over deep square leg.Sams’ performance was even more remarkable given in his last 26 T20 innings, following his previous career-high of 42 against the Melbourne Stars in January in 2019, he had made just 107 runs at an average of 5.09 and a strike-rate of just 87.70. He only reached double-figures five times in that stretch with a highest score of just 18, and he had registered six ducks, including a first-baller against the Stars in the opening game of this season.”I think it was just more the mental game,” Sams said. “I know that, without it sounding bad, that I’m good enough at this level with my batting.”I think I just wasn’t switched on mentally and I let the occasion [of the opening game] get the better of me. And it was kind of the same last game, trying to hit a (six) first ball.”So just giving myself a chance, take it deep, that gives me the best opportunity to get the guys over the line.”Confidence is a really funny thing. One of the things I’ve been working on is to keep my confidence nice and level and not let my confidence from my performances shoot up or shoot low, just trying to stay nice and level and that way I’m able to come into every game feeling the same about it.”Sams is trying to take the same attitude to his bowling. Last year’s leading wicket-taker in the BBL was rewarded with a T20 international debut against India at the SCG recently. He claimed Virat Kohli as his first international wicket but came crashing back to earth when he was asked to bowl the final over the match with India needing 14 runs to win. Hardik Pandya thumped him twice into the stands to end the match with two balls to spare.”With that particular instance, he’s the best in the world,” Sams said. “My first game, he was better than me at the time. I can 100 per cent live with that. I gave it my best shot and I’ll just learn from that. It was an amazing experience, I had so much fun with that.
Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor has explained why Lauren James missed the Blues’ Women’s Champions League clash with FC Twente.
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England forward was named in starting XI
Failed to make kick-off & had to be replaced
Injury will be assessed over coming days
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The England international forward was initially named in Bompastor’s starting XI, but was replaced by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd before a ball was kicked in anger. An untimely injury prevented James from figuring in elite European competition.
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WHAT BOMPASTOR SAID
Bompastor has revealed the nature of that ailment, telling reporters when asked for an update on James: "In the last moment of the warm-up she felt something in her foot. At the moment it’s too early for me to say something else about LJ. We will have to assess her in London and see how she feels."
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Despite being without Lionesses star James, Chelsea claimed a 3-1 win over Twente courtesy of goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Maika Hamano and Guro Reiten. Bompastor said of being able to shuffle her pack and take advantage of squad depth: "I’m really happy with the first half. We started the game strongly. We were efficient being able to score really quickly. We saw some good movement from the players. For me, we just got the three points which is really important. We are top now which is the main goal.
"Also, we had the opportunity to rotate and manage some players. Some players could rest in preparation for the game on Sunday. It just shows how much quality there is in the group, and also how much I trust everyone in the group. Some of them were able to start and play 90 minutes in the Champions League. It’s good to have the quality in the group to make sure we can rotate and play every single game with a lot of competition."
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WHAT NEXT?
Reigning WSL champions Chelsea – who have been faultless through three domestic fixtures this season, picking up nine points and scoring 10 goals – will be back in action on Sunday when playing host to London neighbours Tottenham.
Hales was the second-highest run scorer in last year’s tournament and will be available for the whole competition
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2020
Alex Hales plays into the leg side•Getty Images
Alex Hales will return to the Sydney Thunder for the Big Bash as he becomes the first overseas player to sign a new deal with the league ahead of what is expected to be the arrival of a significant number of England players.Tom Banton (Brisbane Heat) and Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) are so far the only other confirmed overseas names for the tournament but they had existing deals with their clubs.Hales, who was dropped from the England side shortly before the 2019 World Cup after receiving a ban for using recreational drugs and has not played since, was the second-highest run scorer in last season’s BBL with 576 at 38.40 and a strike-rate of 146.93.”To get the chance to come back is exciting because we’re at the start of something,” Hales said. “I think the next two-to-three years is going to be very special for Sydney Thunder as a franchise. I really believe that, and to know I’m coming back to that means a lot.”It is expected that England names will feature strongly in this season’s BBL. ESPNcricinfo previously reported that Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy were lining up deals while Dawid Malan, the current No.1-ranked T20I batsman, is also in the mix and Liam Livingstone is tipped to head back to the Perth Scorchers.However, with England in talks about a limited-overs tour of South Africa in November it remains to be seen the availability of those who would be part of the squad. Overseas players arriving for the BBL will need to undergo two weeks of quarantine when they reach Australia amid the Covid-19 protocols.Shane Bond, the Sydney Thunder coach, said: “There’s a whole range of reasons to be excited about Alex extending his contract – and they’re exactly why we signed him in the first place. He is a great player who is available for the entire tournament.”He played brilliantly for us last year, but he was brilliant on-and-off the field. He was hugely popular with the players and support staff – and that’s how Alex is viewed wherever he plays.”We have some very talented players in our squad, and it is important to have those professionals, like Alex, around so they can learn off them as well. Everyone in the team is looking forward to having him back, he’s a brilliant bloke.”The revised fixture list for the BBL – which is currently due to start on December 3 – is yet to be confirmed by Cricket Australia but there is a chance it will be played in rolling hubs around the country to navigate the various Covid-19 border restrictions.
The PCB has withdrawn Faisal Iqbal, the Balochistan first XI head coach, from the upcoming National T20 Cup after his NOC was delayed from his parent organisation, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). ESPNcricinfo understands the reason for the delay is becasue he is presently facing an inquiry about discrepancies between his date of birth and his name in the matriculation certificate from the one he had submitted for his employment with PIA in 2003.Iqbal was staying with his team in Muridke in a biosecure environment, a protocol for all teams playing domestic cricket. On the last day of quarantine, he, along with his assistant coach Wasim Haider, violated the protocol only to have their stay extended by five days. They were to be tested twice over and required to return negative both times before being allowed to join the team in Multan. After withdrawing Iqbal from the rest of the squad, the PCB named Haider as interim head coach for the tournament scheduled to start from September 30 in Multan.Unlike last year, all players, support staff and match officials who were offered contracts were asked to fulfill the stipulated term to obtain the NOC from their respective organisations. Unlike Iqbal, PIA has issued an NOC to their regular employees Ghulam Ali (head coach of Sindh Second XI) and Aizaz Cheema (Southern Punjab First XI), while other coaches in the system have understandably submitted their NOCs.ALSO READ: Salman Butt refuses to play National T20 Cup after Central Punjab demotes him“It would be unfair on Faisal Iqbal as well as on his side – and on the tournament – if he competed in a major domestic tournament until he had resolved and settled the matter with his parent organisation,” the PCB said in a statement. “Faisal Iqbal would be reintegrated with his domestic side as soon as PIA gave him a clean chit along with a No Objective Certificate (NOC). Until such time, Wasim Haider will act as the Balochistan cricket team’s interim head coach.”This year, the PCB had made substantial changes to the domestic set-up, bringing in new coaches with Iqbal being handed over the charge of Balochistan’s first XI team. However, there were as many as 16 coaches who lost heir jobs, including Azam Khan, Arshad Khan, Ijaz Ahmed Jnr and Kabir Khan. Abdul Razzaq is supposed to replace Kabir at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Basit Ali, the former SNGPL coach, will take over the reins from Azam at Sindh. Shahid Anwar is in charge of Central Punjab while both Abdur Rehman (Southern Punjab) and Mohammad Wasim (Northern Punjab) were retained. All six domestic coaches will also act as national selection committee members to assist Pakistan national team coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq.Iqbal, 38, had a prolific career at the junior level since making the Under-15 side. But his time with the seniors has, for the most part, been marred by allegations of nepotism. His career coincided with Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq being at their prime, and thus Iqbal was never able to cement his place in the team.His domestic figures are impressive with 12,685 runs at 39.64 in 225 matches to go along with 5,979 at 42.10 in List A games. Iqbal turned his attention to coaching since he retired from all cricket in 2018, having served as the Karachi Kings’ batting coach for the last two seasons of the PSL.