Category Uncategorized

Manchester United are now eyeing a move to sign a £42 million “fantastic” ace for Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report.

Amorim believes players still want to play for Man Utd

The 2024/25 campaign has been one of great disappointment for the Red Devils, as they look to finish in their worst ever league position in the Premier League. However, there is still a glimmer of hope, as United can end the season with silverware, as they are two games away from the Europa League final.

Their next Amad: Man Utd make huge swap offer for "outstanding" £42m star

Manchester United are making moves to land a new attacking star ahead of the summer transfer window.

1 ByEthan Lamb Apr 26, 2025

Winning that competition will not only bring Amorim his first trophy as United boss, but it will also secure Champions League football for the club, and this could be huge when it comes to transfers. The Red Devils are being heavily linked with a move for Matheus Cunha of Wolves, and the Brazilian appears keen on the move to Old Trafford, which is a massive boost given the teams that are keen on signing the forward.

Amorim was asked about Cunha, and while he wouldn’t comment, he stated that he has no doubts that Man United remains an attractive proposition and “every player wants to play for the club”.

Amorim said: “It’s Manchester United. Every player wants to play for Manchester United.

“If you look at our club in the moment, with all the problems, including changing coach, it looks a little bit of a problem. But we have a clear idea, and that’s the easiest part to explain for a player.”

Man Utd eyeing £42m bid to sign "fantastic" ace ahead of Bayern Munich

Amorim will already have an idea of which players he wants to bring to Old Trafford, and securing Champions League football may just help them, especially when they find themselves in a transfer battle with European giants. According to a report from Spain, Man United are considering making a £42 million bid to sign Alex Baena from La Liga side Villarreal.

The report states that Amorim is keen to strengthen United’s attacking options for next season and has therefore earmarked signing Baena from Villarreal. Amorim sees the player becoming a key part of his project at Old Trafford, and United are now considering making an offer for the player, which will total €50m (£42m).

The Red Devils hope the fact that they are willing to make an offer for the 23-year-old Spanish international means they can beat Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, who are also keen on signing Baena. Interest in Baena comes as Amorim is looking to sign versatile players who can adapt to different roles in his system.

Apps

27

Minutes per game

84

Goals

6

xG

6.20

Shots per game

2.2

Goal conversion

10%

Assists

7

xAG

11.23

Big chances created

17

Key passes

3.2

Baena, who has been dubbed “fantastic” by Jacek Kulig, is a key player for the Spanish side; last season he registered 14 assists in 34 La Liga games. The midfielder could hit similar numbers again by the end of this campaign, as he’s scored six goals and registered eight assists in 27 league games.

West Bromwich Albion fans should be full of excitement and anxiety ahead of the final game day in the Championship, hopeful that their side can enter into the second tier playoff picture.

However, Tony Mowbray’s dismal return to the hot-seat has unfortunately seen the Baggies drop out of the top six altogether, with the 61-year-old only able to mastermind a weak five victories from 17 games before being given his abrupt marching orders.

The Hawthorns hierarchy will know they need to get their next appointment spot on to ensure the Baggies can finally break out of the Championship, with a whole host of different names up for consideration as Mowbray’s successor.

West Brom could now appoint "outstanding" manager

The main name being heavily linked with a switch to the West Midlands is current Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes, with the Spaniard even being put on gardening leave by the Hoops to see out their season.

However, it has now been surprisingly revealed that Cifuentes isn’t even on the West Brom short-list at this moment in time, meaning the drawn-out search for a fresh manager drags on.

Gary O’Neil’s name has also been thrown into conversations away from Cifuentes being floated around, with pundit Joe Jacobson tipping him to be in the frame for the Hawthorns vacancy.

The “outstanding” former Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach – as he was previously labelled by Old Gold chairman Jeff Shi – would be an arguable upgrade on the wantaway QPR figure, on top of perhaps also boasting a sturdier reputation in the game than ex-Hawthorns fan favourite Carlos Corberan.

Why O'Neil could be an upgrade on Cifuentes & Corberan

Corberan’s sudden exit from West Brom last December was the unfortunate nail in the coffin for their season, with Mowbray unable to get the very best out of a camp regimented in the now Valencia manager’s philosophies.

Whilst the Spaniard did steer the Baggies to a mightily impressive 47 victories from his 107 games in the dug-out, a promotion up to the Premier League would continue to evade his side throughout his memorable spell, with O’Neil at least holding the advantage of being a top-flight proven boss.

Indeed, O’Neil has plenty of experience in the elite division, both at the helm of Wolves and AFC Bournemouth, with his time at Molineux a bumpy ride to say the least.

The Old Gold had turned into relegation fodder by the time of his exit – before Vitor Pereira then transformed fortunes at Molineux – but O’Neil had secured a positive 15th place finish the season prior, meaning he might well be able to consolidate West Brom as a Premier League worthy outfit if promotion was to be finally secured.

24/25

16

2

3

11

19th (at time of sacking)

23/24

38

13

7

18

15th

22/23

34

10

6

18

16th

Overall, the 41-year-old has managed to pick up 25 top-flight victories in total. Amazingly, this alone only puts him three off Cifuentes’ win count at Loftus Road, with Cifuentes perhaps not ready to make the leap up to the top league like O’Neil, especially when you further consider QPR are situated in 15th spot heading into the final day.

The major hurdle for O’Neil would be whether he’s capable of cutting it in the nitty gritty of the Championship himself, but he worked well under pressure at the Cherries and Old Gold for the majority of his stays there, meaning he might be able to better Corberan in finally guiding his new team to the big time.

Whoever is chosen to be Mowbray’s replacement will have a pressurised job on their hands, but O’Neil could be just what West Brom need to put Corberan’s spell firmly to one side.

He's impressed Pep: West Brom can forget Cifuentes by hiring 4-3-3 manager

West Brom could forget a move for Marti Cifuentes by swooping for this manager.

ByDan Emery Apr 30, 2025

Aston Villa are currently preparing for one of their biggest matches in recent history with a trip to play Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this evening.

The Villans come into the first leg clash off the back of a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen.

Unai Emery must be ruthless with his team selection and one brutal decision that should be made is the one to drop Ollie Watkins from the starting line-up.

Why Ollie Watkins should be dropped

The England international is on a barren run of form in front of goal and would not come into this evening’s clash with PSG full of confidence and ready to help the team pick up a historic result.

Watkins has scored one goal in his last nine matches in all competitions for the Villans, which came in a 1-0 win over Brentford towards the start of March.

Shots on target

2

1

0

0

0

Goals

1

0

0

0

0

Key passes

0

0

0

0

0

Assists

0

0

0

0

0

Pass accuracy

53%

50%

100%

50%

50%

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old striker has offered little at the top end of the pitch whilst also being incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet in the last five matches, completing just half of his passes in three of those five matches.

With this in mind, Emery must ruthlessly axe Watkins from the team, after he offered next to nothing in the win over Forest, to bring Marcus Rashford back into the side.

Why Marcus Rashford is Aston Villa's answer to Ousmane Dembele

The big threat for the Villans to deal with this evening is likely to be Ousmane Dembele, who has scored 32 goals and provided eight assists in 40 matches in all competitions for PSG this term.

He has played started 17 matches on the wing and 15 games as a centre-forward, highlighting his versatility, and uses his pace and ability on the ball to cause constant problems to opposition defenders.

Rashford is similar to Dembele in many ways, starting seven games on the wing and three times as a striker for Villa, with his versatility at the top end of the pitch as well as his ability to create chances for himself with his pace and the timing of his movements off the shoulder of the last defender.

As you can see in the clip above, the England international showcased his pace and ability in front of goal with his maiden Premier League strike for the Villans against Brighton.

Rashford, once hailed as “unplayable” by analyst Raj Chohan, has scored three goals and provided one assist in his last four matches for the club in all competitions, showing that he is far more in form than Watkins at this moment in time.

His recent goal burst also suggests that he is the kind of player PSG would also be wary of ahead of tonight’s game, in the same that Villa be wary of Dembele, which is why Emery must unleash him from the start after he was on the bench against Forest.

Interestingly, Rashford has played the most games (four) and scored the most goals (three) against PSG out of all of his appearances in the Champions League in his career to date, suggesting that they are a favourable match-up for the English forward.

Emery's own Saliba: Aston Villa will have bid accepted for £50m "monster"

Aston Villa could soon welcome in their very own William Saliba in this defensive monster.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 8, 2025

The 27-year-old marksman has punished the Parisian side in the past and Emery must ditch Watkins to put Rashford in a position to break French hearts in the Champions League once again.

Not only are Manchester City pushing for a Champions League spot at the end of the season and looking to win the FA Cup, but they are in the final throes of Kevin De Bruyne’s City career.

What an incredible decade it has been for the Belgian in Sky Blue. They have had an incredible amount of success, with De Bruyne at the heart of it all. He has made 414 appearances for the club so far, scoring 106 goals and grabbing an outrageous 176 assists. The peak of the project was in 2022/23, when they won the treble.

Now, City have the unenviable job of replacing the 33-year-old and have already been linked to Morgan Gibbs-White as an option.

The latest on Man City's pursuit of Gibbs-White

It certainly seems as though the Citizens could go all in for Nottingham Forest’s talismanic midfielder, Gibbs-White.

The 25-year-old has been sensational in Garibaldi Red this term, which could earn him a move to the current Premier League champions.

According to the highly reputable David Ornstein, the East Mancunian outfit is one of the players ‘among multiple options’ on City’s list, with players they ‘will consider to replace’ De Bruyne this summer. Another name mentioned was Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

It has been an excellent campaign for Gibbs-White in 2024/25, with him and his Forest teammates looking set to qualify for the Champions League.

In total, he has five goals and nine assists in 27 games. City were on the end of one of those assists, a superb cross-field pass to Callum Hudson-Odoi which the winger was able to score from.

At this stage, a price for the England international is unclear. However, he is valued at a price as high as £59m by Football Transfers, and the Citizens could have to pay as much as that if they want to sign him this summer.

Incredibly, Pep Guardiola’s side have a player in a similar position worth even more than Gibbs-White.

Man City's "freak" talent could save them millions on Gibbs-White

In and around the England set-up, the signing of Gibbs-White could certainly be a wise one for City who need to replace De Bruyne and hand the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish more competition.

However, they may already have someone who can fill in behind the striker.

Indeed, it was a busy January transfer window for the Citizens, with Omar Marmoush being one of the headline signings for £59m from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Egyptian, described as a “freak” by football scout Antonio Mango, has hit the ground running at the Etihad Stadium and could be someone who helps to replace the output of the departing De Bruyne.

In just 13 appearances for the East Mancunian outfit so far, Marmoush already has six goals and an assist. That included an unstoppable hat-trick against Newcastle United, with all three goals coming in a span of 15 minutes.

One of the impressive things about the former Eintracht Frankfurt star is his ability to play across the frontline. He has already featured as a left-winger and a number 10, the same position as Gibbs-White plays. In Erling Haaland’s absence due to injury, Marmoush has also slotted in at centre-forward.

It has been a fantastic campaign for the 26-year-old so far with the new City recruit on fire for Eintracht before his move to the Premier League, scoring 20 goals and assisting 14 in just 26 games.

With that being said, it might be no surprise that his underlying numbers on FBref compared to other forwards this season are exceptional.

For example, per 90 minutes, he averages 1.06 goals and assists and 0.86 goal-creating actions, which rank him in the top 3% and 1% of attackers, respectively.

Goals and assists

1.06

97th

Key passes

1.92

97th

Shot-creating actions

4.89

99th

Goal-creating actions

0.86

97th

Take-ons completed

1.97

98th

Marmoush’s talent is undeniable, and he has the numbers to back it up. Thus his value has shot up even from the time he joined City. As per Football Transfers, the attacker is now valued at £75.m.

That is almost £20m more than what City paid for him just weeks ago, and almost £20m more than what Gibbs-Whote is valued at. It is safe to say that the signing of the Egypt star has been a good piece of business from the Citizens, who certainly struck gold on this deal.

Bigger talent than De Bruyne: Man City lead race to sign £87m "superstar"

Manchester City have a huge task in replacing Kevin De Bruyne this summer but have wasted no time in the window.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 8, 2025

Another Indian city, another capacity crowd. Another team dispatched to gleeful roars

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Oct-20231:57

Moody: India’s bowlers relentless with their lengths

Oh hello, opposition players. Who are you guys this time? We’ve already crushed Australia, bashed New Zealand… sooo you guys must be? Hah. Just kidding, we know who you are. Come through, come through. Welcome.We’ve seen a few of you around, right? Some of you play the IPL. Even do quite well at times, I think. Look, we’re sorry, and we don’t mean much by it, but for this tournament, we have basically forgotten you. How do we put this? Those at the top of the food chain tend to be errrr… indifferent, let’s say, to the day-to-day lives of their prey.Look at how many of us there are. We’ve come to Lucknow from all over. Some of us have taken trains east from Delhi and Gurugram. Others have driven from Kanpur, from Patna, from Indore. Busloads full of us have come. Planeloads full of us. In the business class section, an Indian-origin venture capitalist from the east coast of the US is chatting all flight long to a fintech guy from Mumbai. They’re waxing nostalgic about their childhoods in the same state, trading business notes, marveling at how much India has changed, giggling about how much has stayed the same.Related

Rohit Sharma uses his experience to 'do what was necessary for the team'

Shami to Stokes: Ten balls from hell

Matthew Mott dismisses Eoin Morgan suggestion of squad rift as England hit rock-bottom

Shami and Bumrah demolish England to make it six out of six for India

Stats – England's worst ODI World Cup campaign yet

In the cities we pack out, the restaurants are all full, the streets are a whirl of blue, and the best biryani restaurants have queues out the door. You guys know all about queues in your country, right? Hahahah, you guys invented some decent stuff once.We all a bit about the cricket, because come on, that’s what we’re here for. But we don’t spend much time talking about how good the India team is. What is there to be discussed? We know India is ridiculous. The India team knows they are ridiculous. Deep down in your hearts know India is ridiculous.We spend more time talking about you guys and all the funny comments you make in the press. Like how your team is so allergic to the word “defence” your captain has said “we don’t defend anything”. You can say that again. No wonder Sri Lanka got an eight-wicket win against you, hahah. Too good.Don’t mind us, opposition players. We will only have you in our sights for a few days. Then it’s on to a next set of opposition players.At the match, the stands are filled from top to bottom, all the way around every stand, with people in light blue shirts. You’re in the ring, and you’re surrounded.We’re screaming for our guys. Emptying our lungs. This stadium especially must make you worried, right? The stands are so high, and the canvas roof over them keeps the noise rolling back in, and on the field, you have to be hearing every cascading decibel of our exultation.Listen to the roar. The match is only just starting. All of us aren’t even in yet. But when Shubman Gill square drives a four off one of your bowlers, it’s already at ear-splitting levels. The stadium DJ sounds out instructions – a drill sergeant to 50,000-plus. We raise our arms when he tells us, call-and-response when he tells us, scream at him that our enthusiasm is “high, sir!” when he asks us. If we want to have fun on command, who are you to argue? Maybe you should focus on your own stuff.The stands were a sea of blue in Lucknow•Associated PressWhen Virat Kohli, who is chasing a record-equaling 49th century by the way, gets out coming down the track and trying to bash to leg, almost every voice in the stadium is zipped shut. It takes 50,000 people to produce this much silence. People at the urinals have got to have stopped midstream, it’s that quiet. Maybe that’s getting to you too.Don’t take it personally, opposition players. You’re all just extras on our boys’ national tour of absolute domination. You’re playing your parts just fine. We wouldn’t worry about it. You have other games.And see? Look at that. You’re bowling okay, and you field just fine. Does that make you feel a bit better?But then you also have to bat. Oh boy. It wasn’t that long ago that our bowling wasn’t that good. Now? You’re in for some trouble. Ours is the best now. When our guys surround your batters, and our bowlers surge in, and we’ve got top-to-bottom coverage of all the stands, the stadium feels like a giant set of jaws, about to swallow your puny batters.This is a spin-friendly pitch apparently, and yah, we have Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav for just such tracks, but we also have fast bowlers who are bosses on them, and they are the ones who deck your top order this time. Jasprit Bumrah, our one-of-a-kind quick. Not just a soulless cricket factory, no? Not even close. Mohammed Shami, who goes hunting for that set of stumps better than most seamers on the planet, was always going to cause you so much trouble here wasn’t he. Oh, opposition players.Before long, you are 39 for 4. Then 52 for 5. Then 98 for 7 or something. Kuldeep is spinning them so big, so quickly, your captain didn’t even have time to form the gate he spun his ball through. It’s not your fault you suck. I mean, it might be. But anyone would suck against this. Everyone has so far.Then Bumrah and Shami come back into the attack, and your useless tail hits a few boundaries how cute. But, you know, our boys are wrapping things up now. All out 100 runs short of our target, in the 35th over. It’s all over.Farewell opposition players. Best of luck in all your endeavours for the remainder of this tournament. Ahmedabad next? Try the thali. We will follow you, I guess. Either way, we’ll see some of you at the IPL, and the rest of you will line up desperately at the auction for the chance of playing in India again. Ah, you guys. It’s been a good time. For us.

All the key stats from the second Test between South Africa and Bangladesh in Gqeberha

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Apr-20222 Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer became only the second pair to take all ten wickets while bowling unchanged on two occasions as South Africa beat Bangladesh in Gqeberha. They had achieved this feat for the first time during the first Test in Durban. Australia’s Charlie Turner and JJ Ferris are the only other pair to do so on two different instances.3 Seven-plus wicket hauls for Maharaj in Test cricket, the second-most by a South Africa bowler, behind Hugh Tayfield (4). Maharaj is also the second bowler to pick up a seven-for in successive Tests for South Africa after Tayfield (vs England in 1957).150 Number of Test wickets for Maharaj, the second South Africa spinner to achieve the milestone. Tayfield was the first, finishing with 170 wickets in 37 Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd27 Number of wickets between the South Africa and Bangladesh spinners in the second Test. These are the most wickets picked up by spinners in a Test in South Africa. The previous highest was 23 during the 1936 Durban Test between South Africa and Australia.141 Balls needed for the South Africa spinners to pick up all ten wickets in Bangladesh’s second innings. Only once did the spinners bowl fewer balls in a Test innings for all ten wickets – 114 balls by Maharaj and Harmer against Bangladesh in the previous Test in Durban.15 Wickets between Maharaj and Harmer in Gqeberha, the joint-most by South Africa spinners in a home Test. Their spinners had shared 15 wickets on two occasions previously – against England in Gqeberha in 1949 and against Australia in Durban in 1950. Overall, the most their spinners took in any Test was 16 against Australia in Melbourne in 1952.2 Instances of a half-century and a five-for in the same Test for Maharaj; both came at the St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Shaun Pollock (3) and Jacques Kallis (2) are the only other South Africa players to achieve this double more than once.

Taylor Rogers had an extremely short-lived tenure in Pittsburgh.

Just one day after being sent from the Reds to the Pirates in a package that saw Ke'Bryan Hayes go to Cincinnati, Rogers has now been traded to the Chicago Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal.

It's been quite the few days for Rogers, who also saw himself traded on the same day as his twin brother, Tyler, on Wednesday.

Rogers is an MLB journeyman having logged stints with the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, the Reds, the Pirates and now the Cubs. The 34-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 has posted a 2.45 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33 innings of relief this season. He now heads to a Cubs team sitting at 63–45, one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

It would be fair to say that the last week or so hasn’t been ideal for Arsenal.

Yes, Mikel Arteta’s side are still top of the Premier League, but a draw away to Chelsea and then a defeat at the hands of Aston Villa have diminished their lead to just two points.

Moreover, while they certainly weren’t terrible against the Villans, they failed to make the most of their chances.

One player who has received quite a bit of criticism from the fan base in the aftermath is Martin Odegaard, and if reports are to be believed, the club could be looking to bring someone in who could be bad news for his place in the team.

Arsenal target Odegaard upgrade

With the transfer window now less than a month away from reopening, Arsenal have a chance to reinforce their squad, and the good news is that they’ve already been linked with a host of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has once again been touted for a £70m move to the Emirates, as has Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo.

However, while both Brazilians would undoubtedly have an impact on Arteta’s side, neither one could be described as a potential rival, upgrade or replacement for Odegaard, unlike Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to recent reports from Italy, Arsenal have reignited their interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Gunners have once more made contact to find out what would be needed to make this deal happen.

However, while a potential price is not mentioned in the story, other reports from last month claim that a fee of around £88m could be enough to tempt Juventus into selling.

It would therefore be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, Arsenal should fight for him, especially as he could provide real competition for Odegaard, if not outright replace him.

How Yıldız compares to Odegaard

So, the first thing to point out is that while Yıldız is primarily viewed as a winger, he could easily become more of a ten over time.

After all, while he has spent plenty of time out wide, his most-played position is second striker, and given his third-most-played position is attacking midfield, the idea of him dropping a little deeper does not feel far-fetched.

Moreover, the youngster already possesses one of the key characteristics of the best tens: the ability to both score and assist goals with relative ease. There is a reason European football writer Danny Corcoran has suggested the youngster has “Mbappe-like ability.”

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

He has somehow become even more dangerous this season, scoring six goals and providing five assists in 19 appearances, totalling 1533 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 139.36 minutes.

Yıldız’s vs Odegaard
24/25	Yıldız	Odegaard
Appearances	52	45
Minutes	3520′	3447′
Goals	12	6
Assists	9	12
25/26	Yıldız	Odegaard
Appearances	18	11
Minutes	1457′	516′
Goals	5	0
Assists	5	2
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For comparison’s sake, Odegaard scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes, last season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

This season, in the period he has been available, the Norwegian international has provided two assists in 11 appearances, totalling 516 minutes, which is an average of one every 5.5 games, or every 258 minutes.

With it clear that the Turkish gem is more of an attacking threat than the Gunners’ captain, what else makes him a player that Andrea Berta and Co cannot miss out on?

Well, as his output would suggest, he is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, someone “capable of the spectacular.”

Whether that’s a goal from distance, a mazy run that ends in a chance or just some tidy footwork that gets his team on their way, the Regensburg-born talent is an attacker who can seemingly do it all.

This is unsurprisingly reflected in his underlying numbers as well.

Yıldız’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Goal-Creating Actions	1.22	Top 6%
Shot-Creating Actions	6.10	Top 8%
xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals	0.46	Top 9%
Carries into Penalty Area	3.41	Top 11%
Shots on Target	1.46	Top 12%
Successful Take-Ons	3.17	Top 12%
All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 UCL

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Champions League for goal-creating actions, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for expected assisted goals, the top 11% for carries into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Yıldız, as he’s got the ability and potential to replace Odegaard and become a world-class ten.

Sterling 2.0: Berta flop already looks like he'll never make it at Arsenal

It is not looking good for the Arsenal star so far this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 6, 2025

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic lost a no-hit bid during Monday's 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in the most unfortunate way possible: After an official scoring change.

Bubic was cruising along, sitting at 74 pitches through 5 2/3 innings pitched. On his 75th pitch, he got Giants designated hitter Wilmer Flores to hit a grounder to Royals second baseman Michael Massey. Massey slipped as he prepared to field the ball, which then rolled underneath his glove and into the outfield. Initially, the play was scored as an E4, or an error on Massey, preserving Bubic's no-hitter.

One inning later in the seventh, official scorer Michael Duca reversed the call from an error to a hit, ending Bubic's no-hit bid. As it stands, the no-no would have been relaitvely short-lived anyway, given that Bubic surrendered a double in the bottom of the seventh inning.

But it was still a rather painful way to lose a no-hitter. It's also not the first time a MLB pitcher has lost a no-no after an official scoring change. New York Yankees starter Max Fried saw his no-hitter become a one-hitter after a scoring change was made in between innings, three frames after the initial play had occurred during an April 20 game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bubic went on to earn his fifth win of the season after tossing seven shutout innings. And the southpaw can take solace in the fact that he's pitching as well as anyone in baseball right now. He ranks fourth in MLB in ERA (1.47) and his 61 strikeouts are tied for 12th.

Manchester United have received a major boost after scans confirmed Benjamin Sesko has avoided a serious knee injury, despite the striker being forced to withdraw from Slovenia duty last week. The former RB Leipzig striker is expected to miss no more than a month, easing fears of a long-term absence as the Red Devils enter a crucial winter schedule.

• Sesko will miss 'at most' a month

  Sesko sparked alarm at Manchester United when he was forced to leave the pitch late in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham before the international break. The striker, who had only been introduced as a second-half substitute, went down clutching his knee after a collision and was unable to continue after United had used all of their changes. Amorim admitted afterwards that any knee issue "you never know", leading to concern that the summer signing could be facing an extended layoff.

  Sesko subsequently withdrew from Slovenia's crucial World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Sweden and returned to Carrington for further assessment. United's medical team conducted scans to determine the extent of the damage and the results have now confirmed that he has avoided major ligament issues. He did not travel with Slovenia and instead completed rehabilitation work in Manchester while awaiting the full recovery plan.

  Sky Sports report that the forward is expected to be sidelined for "at most" a month. That timeframe means he will miss upcoming Premier League fixtures including Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham, and potentially Wolves and Bournemouth if there are any delays. However, the club view the outcome as a positive one, given the possibility he could have been ruled out longer.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Sesko's injury gives Amorim another Man Utd headache

  The timing of the injury is far from ideal, with Manchester United entering one of the most intense periods of the season. Ruben Amorim’s squad has remained relatively fortunate with injuries so far, but the forward line could become stretched without Sesko available. The 22-year-old was beginning to gain rhythm and earn increased minutes after a modest start to life in English football, and his absence means the attacking burden falls more heavily on others.

  United also have midfield availability issues and limited depth in the No.9 role, making Sesko’s contribution even more important heading into December. His physical profile, aerial presence and ability to attack space have already provided a different dynamic to the team’s attacking structure this season. Losing that option during a key run of fixtures from now into the New Year puts added pressure on Amorim to rotate carefully and avoid further injuries up front.

• Sesko's inconsistent start at Man Utd

  Sesko's start at Manchester United has mixed sharp flashes of ability with a need for greater consistency. He has scored two goals in 12 appearances so far, adjusting to the Premier League's physicality and the tactical demands of Amorim's setup. Despite some missed chances in big moments, the Portuguese coach has publicly backed him to settle fully and deliver more regularly once confidence and familiarity increase.

  The injury also comes at a moment when Sesko was beginning to grow into key match situations. His cameo against Tottenham featured determined pressing and strong link-up play before he was forced off in visible discomfort. The medical team were encouraged that early swelling quickly subsided and stability tests showed no significant damage to the joint. With proper recovery management and no unexpected setbacks, Sesko is projected to resume full training toward the latter stages of December. That would allow him a chance to rejoin the squad at a critical time for fixture congestion.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  When will Sesko return to action for Man Utd?

  Manchester United resume Premier League action against Everton on November 24, a match Sesko will sit out as his recovery continues. Should the one-month timeframe hold, the striker could target a return for the trip to Aston Villa on December 21 or the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle at Old Trafford.

  Amorim will rely on other forwards to step up in the meantime while ensuring Sesko is not rushed back into action prematurely. The priority is a full recovery that stabilizes his knee and prevents recurrence during the busiest stretch of the season. United are relieved that their summer signing avoided the worst-case scenario.

  If the progress remains as expected, Sesko could re-enter the squad just as the stakes intensify, giving United a timely boost ahead of a demanding second half of the campaign.