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Celtic are keen to appoint a permanent successor to Martin O’Neill and now look to be well down the road in that regard, as fresh details over Wilfried Nancy’s arrival and potential backroom team emerge.

The Bhoys enjoyed a productive weekend of Scottish Premiership action, even if it was a little fortuitous, claiming a dramatic last-gasp victory over St Mirren before Heart of Midlothian lost out at Aberdeen to narrow the gap at the top of the table.

Four points separate the top two heading into a busy schedule, with Celtic holding the advantage of a crucial game in hand against Dundee United days after they collide with the Edinburgh side in a blockbuster clash at Parkhead in a couple of weeks.

From a position of real uncertainty, the Bhoys have edged their way back into title contention and will hope to capitalise as Hearts continue to falter, albeit O’Neill made it clear after their win in Paisley that he isn’t sure how much longer he will be in interim charge alongside Shaun Maloney.

He said: “There’s relief as much as anything else, but you enjoy winning football matches – that’s what it’s about. It keeps confidence alive as much as anything else and keeps momentum going.

“At this minute, I haven’t heard anything more. I would reckon I would probably be on the plane for Rotterdam and maybe not much longer. If the board announce a new manager in the couple of days, I will walk into the sunset.”

O’Neill looks likely to be in charge for Celtic’s trip to face Feyenoord on Thursday in the Europa League and could be in situ for their match against Hibernian on Sunday. However, it doesn’t look like he will be sticking around for long after that.

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 22, 2025 Wilfried Nancy set to add four new faces to Celtic backroom staff

Previously, it became clear that Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is set to take over at Celtic after his side bowed out of the MLS Cup playoffs, though there has since been quiet over the details of his arrival.

Now, PLZ Soccer report that Nancy is set to begin his journey at Parkhead from the start of December, if not before then, with the Bhoys’ home clash against Dundee on the third day of the month likely to be his first game in charge.

Four of Nancy’s own staff are set to take on new roles in Glasgow over the next week, should their contracts be signed off, with Dermot Desmond sparing no expense making the new boss feel at home in the face of recent fan pressure. Kwame Ampadu is likely to be one of the new faces following his work alongside the 48-year-old in the United States.

Wilfried Nancy’s record at Columbus Crew

Matches

136

Wins

71

Draws

32

Losses

33

Trophies

MLS Cup (2024)

It remains to be seen whether Maloney will form part of the Frenchman’s backroom team after his sterling efforts during his period as interim assistant.

Celtic fans have had to wait nearly a month to find out the identity of their new permanent manager, though they will be relieved to see that the hunt for a new boss is finally nearing an end.

Newcastle United just cannot string together a consistent run of wins at the moment.

Indeed, Eddie Howe would have been hopeful that his side had turned over a new leaf when getting the better of Manchester City in Premier League action 2-1 last time out, but – again – home comforts clearly were in play, as the Toon have since succumbed to a 2-1 away defeat at Marseille in the Champions League.

On another night, however, Newcastle might well have walked away from the Orange Velodrome with another three points secured in Europe, with Harvey Barnes’ early opener suggesting that the Magpies would be successful on their travels.

Unfortunately for the away side, though, ex-Premier League goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have other ideas, as his quickfire second-half brace sealed the win for the Ligue 1 hosts.

While the former Arsenal striker was his instinctive self throughout, he was undoubtedly helped by Nick Pope dropping even more clangers in between the sticks.

Why Nick Pope has to finally be dropped

It’s now three away games on the spin where the ex-Burnley goalkeeper has looked ropey and unconvincing.

He gifted Marseille a route back into the even contest on Tuesday night when rushing out of his net, only for Aubameyang to utilise his pace to comfortably place an effort past Pope, who was stuck in no man’s land after the “inexplicable” error, as it was branded by the Athletic’s Chris Waugh.

The immediate inquest now centres on whether Howe should get rid of the 33-year-old or not, with Aaron Ramsdale certainly a capable replacement, having previously kept 32 clean sheets on the books of Arsenal.

Still, despite all the rampant criticism coming his ‘keeper’s way, Howe would publicly defend Pope at the full-time whistle, stating that he “certainly” backs him, having saved his side “many times” in the past.

Yet, even with this very public vote of confidence, Howe must be aware that his usually trusted number one is declining, with another well-established defensive presence for the Toon, who lined up against Marseille, now also fearful of his starting spot moving forward.

Howe must also bench another Newcastle hero

At this point in time, the 47-year-old could well find he’s on the chopping block sooner rather than later, if he doesn’t drop the likes of Pope, even if they have been regular fixtures of his reign so far.

Fabian Schar also falls into the category of a long-standing servant who likely isn’t the required standard of the first team anymore, even with 241 games under his belt at St James’ Park, and the label of being a “total one off” handed to him by his manager for what he provides for the club at his very best.

Based on the table above, though, he is experiencing a swift decline akin to the Toon number one right now, with the Swiss international winning zero of his attempted duels, during his 61 minutes on the pitch.

On top of that, the ageing centre-back would only manage to complete 13 accurate passes all night long, with Aubameyang no doubt feeling even more confident in front of goal, knowing he had the shoddy duo of Schar and Pope to get the better of.

With only five Premier League starts next to his name this season, too, it’s clear that Schar is no longer a guaranteed first-teamer under his manager, with talk also centring on the ex-Deportivo defender being resigned to walking away from Tyneside when his contract expires next year.

As the new breed of Newcastle stars coming through in Malick Thiaw continue to shine, with the German completing 36 passes and winning four duels in France, it’s now very clear that the old guard at St James’ Park are rusty, and cannot be kept in the side long-term.

The obvious alteration to make is to drop Pope, after another “moment of madness” cost his side dear, as his rush out of the goal was branded by journalist Mark Douglas.

But, Schar isn’t above criticism, either, with both well-established Toon servants in very grave danger of dropping out of their manager’s XI for the upcoming away trip to Everton.

As bad as Pope: Howe must drop 4/10 Newcastle dud who made just 14 passes

Newcastle were defeated at Marseille in the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 26, 2025

أعلن الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن قائمة الأبيض التي ستسافر إلى جنوب إفريقيا لخوض مباراة كايزر تشيفز المقبلة في بطولة كأس الكونفيدرالية الإفريقية.

ويحل الزمالك ضيفًا على كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي في الجولة الثانية لدور المجموعات في الثالثة عصر السبت 29 نوفمبر الجاري باستاد بيتر موكابا بمدينة بولوكواني.

وتغادر بعثة الزمالك من القاهرة في الحادية عشرة مساء اليوم الثلاثاء متجهة إلى جنوب أفريقيا، استعدادًا لخوض مباراة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب أفريقي، في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

طالع.. خاص | لاعب الزمالك يفسخ عقده بعد انتهاء مهلة المستحقات

ويترأس البعثة أحمد خالد حسانين عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك.

جدير بالذكر أن الفلسطيني عدي الدباغ سيلحق بالبعثة غدٍ الأربعاء، في جنوب إفريقيا، بعد عودته من منتخب فلسطين بسبب مشاركته في مباراة ليبيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العرب. قائمة الزمالك لمباراة كايزر تشيفز في الكونفدرالية

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد – محمد صبحي – محمود الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: عمر جابر – بارون أوشينج – محمود حمدي “الونش” – حسام عبد المجيد – محمد إسماعيل – أحمد فتوح – محمود بنتايج.

خط الوسط: محمد شحاتة – محمود جهاد  – سيف جعفر – ناصر ماهر – عبد الحميد معالي – أحمد شريف – آدم كايد – شيكو بانزا – خوان بيزيرا.

خط الهجوم: عدي الدباغ – سيف الجزيري – عمرو ناصر.

Wood will continue to train as planned ahead of Perth Test, but whether England select him or not remains to be seen

Tristan Lavalette15-Nov-2025Mark Wood has been cleared of a hamstring injury in a relief for England ahead of the Ashes, but he will not take the field on the final day of England’s sole warm-up game at Lilac Hill in Perth against England Lions.In what came as a scare for England, Wood experienced stiffness in his left hamstring on Friday after bowling two four-over spells to start the three-day match. He left the field after his second spell midway through the second session before being sent for scans.Related

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“Following precautionary scans on Friday, England fast bowler Mark Wood has been cleared of any concerns regarding his left hamstring,” the ECB said in a statement.The ECB also said that Wood would continue to train as planned ahead of the first Test, starting on November 21 in Perth, but whether England are going to select him or not remains to be seen.Brydon Carse, who overcame illness on the first day of the warm-up to claim three wickets in England’s second innings, welcomed the prospect of England’s fastest bowler being part of the mix at Perth.”That’s great news,” Carse said. “Woody found out last night that it’s nothing serious, he’s going to have a couple of days off and then have a good bit of training up leading up to that first Test.”For any player, when you’re waiting on a result of a scan, it can be a little bit niggly, but he was fairly confident. So, he’s all up and about and full of energy at the moment.”England have taken a cautious approach with Wood’s rehabilitation from the knee injury that he sustained at the Champions Trophy in February. He had initially hoped to feature in the final Test of their summer series against India, but a setback in training ended up ruling him out of the entire home season.”He’s got a huge amount of resilience,” Carse added. “You look back at some of the setbacks that he’s had over his career, to keep going through the processes to get back out on the field, it’s very exciting, and it shows the sort of character that he has.”Wood, on the first day, had bowled several lively deliveries on a relatively sedate surface at Lilac Hill, a suburban ground in the fringes of Perth.The conditions at the Optus Stadium are expected to be more conducive to fast bowling and, in addition to Wood and Carse, the squad also has Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Matt Potts, Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes as quick-bowling options.”This week was all about bowlers getting miles in their legs,” Carse added. “It’s exciting. I think we’ve got a group of six bowlers who, whatever dynamic we go with, will relish those conditions.”Later on Saturday, Australia suffered a major blow when Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the opening Test with a hamstring injury after initially being cleared during the Sheffield Shield game against Victoria last week.

The day-long elections, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka on Monday

Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2025Aminul Islam has been re-elected as the BCB president at the board election on Monday. He will serve a four-year term, after having been in the same role for the last four months. Faruque Ahmed, the former president who Aminul had replaced in May, and Shakhawat Hossain, will be the vice-presidents.The day-long election, which included physical votes and e-ballots, was held in a hotel in Dhaka. A total of 23 directors were elected and two government representatives were announced later to form the 25-member body. The election commission said 115 votes were cast out of the 156 eligible voters.The election process is two-fold. The voters, called councillors, elect 23 board directors in three separate categories. Aminul was one of ten directors elected from the first category, which includes only the divisions and districts of the country. The second category is the all-powerful Dhaka clubs who elect the majority of 12 directors. The third category includes representatives from different institutions, former cricketers, captains, and several other organisations.The election commission announced the names of the board directors at 6.30pm, before the new 25-member body held an election among themselves to choose the president and two vice-presidents. Aminul, Faruque and Shakhawat were elected unopposed in these posts.Three former captains are now in the board of directors, including Aminul, Faruque and Khaled Mashud. Former Bangladesh cricketer Abdur Razzak was nominated from the Khulna sub-category unopposed, becoming a board director. He had left his job as a senior men’s selector recently.While the voting was held without major incident on Monday, the election commission representatives made allegations of “intimidations”. The build-up to the election, too, had several controversies. Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, had withdrawn from the race after complaining of interference, when BCB chief Aminul issued a letter asking for fresh nominations for the elections’ first category. The letter was cleared by the country’s courts the day before the elections.After he was confirmed as the new president, Aminul said he wanted to continue in this role after “falling in love with Bangladesh cricket’s development”. When he was elected on May 30, Aminul had said that his short-term role would be like a “quick T20 innings”.Aminul played 13 Tests and 39 ODIs, and led the side during their maiden World Cup appearance in 1999.Category 1 directors: Aminul Islam, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, Asif Akbar, Abdur Razzak, Julfiker Ali Khan, Mukhlesur Rahman, Hasanuzzaman, Rahat Shams, Shakhawat HossainCategory 2 directors: Ishtiaque Sadeque, Adnan Rahman, Fayazur Rahman, Abul Bashar, Amzad Hossain, Shanian Taneem, Mukhsedul Kamal, Nazmul Islam, Faruque Ahmed, Manjur Alam, Mehrab Alam Chowdhury, Iftekhar RahmanCategory 3 director: Khaled MashudGovernment representative directors: M Ishfaq Ahsan, Yasir Mohammad Faisal Ashique

With the 13th season of the CPL set to kick off on August 14, here’s a primer to bring you up to speed

Deivarayan Muthu13-Aug-2025So, the biggest party in cricket is back?Yep, the six-team league will start on August 14 and will run until September 21, with six venues set to host 34 games. The top four sides in the league phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Just like the IPL, the top two teams will get two tilts at the final.Okay, how many countries are hosting the tournament?CPL 2025 will be played in six countries: St Kitts, Antigua, St Lucia, Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana.Related

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Are you excited about the reunion of the Bravo brothers?Dwayne Bravo, who has been one of the faces of the CPL for a number of years, had retired from competitive cricket after an injury had cut short his CPL season in 2024. He has since coached the Knight Riders’ franchises around the world, and this will be his first stint in the CPL as head coach. He will take over the role at Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) from Phil Simmons, who is now in charge of Bangladesh.Can the most decorated player in the CPL – he has won five titles – add another to his kitty, this time as TKR’s head coach?Dwayne Bravo was appointed TKR head coach earlier this year•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesUnder Dwayne, his brother Darren Bravo, who has won four titles, will return to the CPL, having last featured in the league in 2022. Darren has not played any competitive game in senior cricket since 2023, but after taking a break from cricket, the 36-year-old is ready to return to action.The league of ageless wondersImran Tahir, who turned 46 this March, showed that he still has it in T20 cricket, taking 14 wickets in five games at an outstanding average of 9.28 and economy rate of 6.61 in Guyana Amazon Warriors’ run to the Global Super League title. He remains the only overseas player with 100 or more wickets in the CPL and hopes to bring home a second CPL title for Amazon Warriors.Faf du Plessis, who had led St Lucia Kings to CPL glory in 2024, will miss the tournament this year. The 41-year-old had originally prioritised the Hundred over the CPL, but has now withdrawn from that competition too for groin surgery. David Wiese, who turned 40 earlier this May, has been appointed as the new captain of Kings. He brings a wealth of T20 experience, having played 400 T20s around the world, including 39 in the CPL.Then, there’s Moeen Ali, 38, who has opted to skip the Hundred for the CPL, where he will team up with Tahir.After winning the MLC with MI New York, 38-year-old Kieron Pollard is back in the Caribbean with TKR. Colin Munro, also 38, and Alex Hales, 36, lend more experience to TKR. Hales is 41 runs away from surpassing Pollard as the second-highest run-getter in the history of T20 cricket.Shakib Al Hasan, 38, was Falcons’ second-round pick at the draft and is now just two strikes away from 500 T20 wickets. He is set to become the fifth player to the landmark.ESPNcricinfo LtdNew captains in the spotlightFour of the six franchises have new captains*. Nicholas Pooran will take over as TKR captain from Kieron Pollard. Apart from Tahir, Imad Wasim (Falcons) and Wiese (Kings) are the overseas captains in the league. Meanwhile, Jason Holder, who had exited Royals after 13 years, has been appointed as the captain of Patriots. Holder will work with head coach Simon Helmot, who had replaced Malolan Rangarajan. Helmot had coached Patriots and the Trinidad & Tobago franchises to CPL titles in the past.Who are the defending champions?Kings are the reigning CPL champions, having won their maiden title in 2024, when they toppled Tahir’s Amazon Warriors in Guyana. USA international Aaron Jones, who cracked an unbeaten 48 off 31 balls in the final last year, has been retained by Kings for the upcoming season. Jones qualifies as a local player in the CPL through his Barbados passport.Which are the strong teams?It’s hard to look past TKR, who have a number of T20 stalwarts such as Andre Russell, Pooran, Sunil Narine in addition to Pollard, Hales and Munro. They’ve added more variety to their attack by recruiting the Pakistani pair of Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq.Under Tahir, Amazon Warriors won the title in 2023 and came close to successfully defending it last season. They have lost a key signing, Glenn Phillips, to injury, but the depth in their spin attack makes them one of the favourites.The absence of left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, who has opted for the Hundred over the CPL, and injury to allrounder Matthew Forde has depleted Kings, but count Daren Sammy’s team out at your own peril.Jediah Blades is one of the players to watch out for•Randy BrooksHow many overseas players can be part of the XIs?In CPL 2025, each franchise must play at least one player from the breakout league, a new tournament that was held earlier this year to identify emerging talent from the region, in every game. This gives the franchise the option of picking five overseas players in their XI to go with their ‘breakout’ player.Any unknown local players to keep an eye on?The depth below the first-choice West Indies T20I XI isn’t particularly encouraging, but do watch out for Amazon Warriors’ Jediah Blades who swings the new ball and is also capable of operating with the older one. Barbados Royals’ Kofi James, who goes hard in the powerplay with the bat and can also pitch in with offspin, might emerge on West Indies’ radar, especially if he has a good CPL season.Does the CPL clash with any other franchise tournament?Of course. What’s a franchise league without a schedule clash these days? It overlaps with the Hundred.How can fans outside the Caribbean follow the action?Every match of CPL 2025 will have ball-by-ball commentary right here on ESPNcricinfo. Fans in India can watch the CPL on JioStar (linear TV) or Fancode (digital). USA and UK viewers can watch it on Willow and TNT Sports respectively. Sky NZ will be broadcasting in New Zealand and SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa.*GMT 2pm, August 14: The story was updated following TKR’s announcement of a captaincy change

Australia hold nerve and find new plans on the fly as England’s campaign ends as it began

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Sep-2024Well, that’s one way of coming back down to earth. Flawless at Lord’s, floored in Bristol.Just two days after England put together a near-perfect performance with bat and ball to bring them back into the contest, Australia flexed their muscle and nous to take it, eventually, with ease.What experience they used to crush a brilliant start in the first innings was channelled to launch a series-clinching one of their own in the second. If the rain saved anyone this time around, it was England. Australia were breezing this long before the winds picked up to give this summer an appropriately wet finish.There’s a reason Australia are world champions in this format. Adjustments were made on the fly and executed precisely after Phil Salt, then Ben Duckett and Harry Brook had blitzed their way to 202 for 2 with a ball to go in the 25th over.England picked up where they left off from Lord’s against Adam Zampa, targeting the legspinner – his first two overs went for 30 – with Brook nailing him for sixes at will. Nevertheless, pace off was clearly the way to go to starve England’s swing-happy batters of scoring opportunities. Aaron Hardie bowled the 21st over, Mitchell Starc the 45th – and everything in between was made up primarily of wily offies. Hazlewood and Starc ended up bowling just 12 overs between them. Not since Princes William and Harry played Stormtroopers in Star Wars: The Last Jedi has such royalty disappeared into the background.Travis Head’s removal of Duckett, who had assumed the responsibility of giving the innings a late kick, was not just the first of four wickets to the part-timer but also began a boundary drought that lasted 52 deliveries. All in all, “spinners” – and with all due respect, that definition does require inverted commas – sent down 194 deliveries, a new Australian record in ODIs. Some going on an overcast day at the end of September.Did England get ahead of themselves? Well, yes. Both Brook and Duckett fell attempting to land multiple blows – the former after striking Zampa for back-to-back sixes at the start of the over, the latter right after sending Head over the fence down the ground. No surprise that the two grooved on “Test Cricket According to Baz” decided to mark one attacking stroke with another.Jamie Smith was bowled by Glenn Maxwell•PA Photos/Getty ImagesGone are the days of knocking a single after a boundary. But Brook had half the innings to go, and Duckett was the only adult left for the hosts. Not to mention the two are England’s best players of spin, and the form batters, finishing as their team’s top scorers in the series.Responsibility was not shirked, , but it certainly wasn’t seized when the game was there to be taken well out of Australia’s reach. Brendon McCullum has promised to bring the joy back to England’s white-ball teams – and this has been a promising month on that front – but much as has been the case with his Test team, there will no doubt be conversations about adopting a more cut-throat attitude.”We’ve been bowled out again today as we didn’t adapt to the pitch quickly enough,” answered interim head coach Marcus Trescothick when asked about areas of improvement. It was in keeping with the opening two defeats; England were dismissed for 315 at Trent Bridge – having been well set on 213 for 2 – and 202 in Leeds, flunking a chase of 270.”If we look at all the games we’ve lost in the series, there were periods in all those games where we could have made an impact and won the game, and the story of the series could’ve been very different. I just mentioned to the boys in the dressing room about keeping the pressure on, like we’ve done in this game and across the whole series. We should be maintaining it and be smarter for longer… we can elongate that while playing over 50 overs.”This collapse of 8 for 107 in 24.3 overs was felt harshly by a bowling attack still finding its feet. They had had things their way in helpful seam conditions under lights in the fourth ODI, squaring the series by dismantling Australia for 126. But they were left exposed when Bristol’s shorter dimensions were flipped against them.Head and Matt Short were always going to race out of the blocks. But their powerplay carrot was thicker and juicier with England only just crawling beyond the 300 mark, having had 450 in their sights. The impending storm, wending its way up the Bristol Channel all through the afternoon, brought extra urgency.Olly Stone and Matthew Potts found themselves in the crosshairs of an opening stand of 78 from seven overs. Steve Smith and Josh Inglis then cracked on to ensure Australia were 45 ahead of the DLS par at the magic 20-over mark. England had tried to keep that figure at bay, with sub-fielder John Turner coming on at regular intervals to eat up whatever seconds he could. Brook said he was still trying to take wickets, hence Adil Rashid was used even though his two overs would have taken longer had they been bowled by a seamer.A touch of naivety from the stand-in skipper? Ultimately, Australia were just sharper. And perhaps most humbling was they bettered the best of what England produced in this finale. The 11 sixes they struck in the first 25 overs was England’s most since 2006. Australia had nine by the 20th over.Related

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Even their achievement in coming back from 2-0 down was ultimately trumped by a group of tourists who had been blighted by illness throughout the series and were desperate to get home, but still managed to turn on the style one last time in bleak conditions. “I’d be lying if I say I wouldn’t prefer it to be in July – with a bit of heat,” Mitchell Marsh, their captain, said, and he even had the benefit of wrapping up warm, away from the elements, as Smith took on the captaincy duties in Bristol.These are two teams at different ends of the spectrum on their journey. The theme of Australia’s tour, according to Marsh, was “flexibility”, as evidenced by the way they used their spinners on the field here, including 50-over debutant Cooper Connolly, as well as the fact Head has had two different opening partners in the last three days.Brook, meanwhile, spoke of the importance of players becomingwith the “tempo” of ODI cricket, particularly for a batting group reared on T20. After an impressive series as stand-in skipper, he used his last media appearance in the role – for now – to put these last five matches into context.”They’re the best team in the world,” Brook said of their vaunted opponents. “We’re playing against some of the best bowlers to ever play the game, and some of the best batters to have ever played the game as well. The fight and desire we’ve shown to bring that [series] back has been amazing.”Travis Head was all over England’s lower order•Getty ImagesThe next stage for this team is unknown. The next white-ball series in the Caribbean is sandwiched between the Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand. As such, Brook, Duckett, Jamie Smith, Potts, Olly Stone and Brydon Carse – who leave for that first three-match series on Tuesday – are unlikely to feature despite occupying key roles this month.Factor in Jos Buttler slotting back in as captain after Brook’s impressive showing, and there is either a hint of awkwardness, or a solution, on the horizon. Similarly, the mooted returns of Joe Root and Ben Stokes ahead of February’s Champions Trophy bring bigger selection matters to decipher.And that is arguably where England wanted to be as night fell on the final day of the 2024 English summer. This month against Australia has not been about immediately righting wrongs, or knocking the world champions off their perch.It was all about discovery after a limited-overs summer that began, in June, with a T20 World Cup that showed England’s most successful limited-overs generation had reached the end of the line. The first batch of the next generation are here and have taken their first steps on a different path, but one they hope leads back to where English white-ball cricket once was.

Aston Villa could make a move for an “excellent” striker in 2026, amid Ollie Watkins’ struggles to make an impact.

Villa lay down marker with victory over Arsenal

Villa secured their seventh win on the spin in all competitions on Saturday, courtesy of a 2-1 victory against Premier League leaders Arsenal, which came in dramatic fashion, with Emiliano Buendia firing home a late winner to send Villa Park into raptures.

Unai Emery was delighted with the result, despite also making it clear his side must keep their feet on the ground, saying: “Today we must be happy, the supporters, Aston Villa fans and ourselves because we did the job we needed.

“Of course, we got three points and we are, in the Premier League, the most difficult league in the world, more or less, now feeling strong and feeling comfortable.

“But this is a race for 38 matches and we are on 15.”

It is difficult not to get too carried away, with the Villans now just three points behind Arsenal, but Watkins may need to get back to his best if Emery’s side are going to make a serious push for the Premier League title.

The Englishman has scored just three goals in 15 league outings, and Aston Villa are now lining up a move for a new striker in 2026, with a report from Tuttosport (via FC Inter News) revealing they could launch an attack to sign Bologna’s Santiago Castro next summer.

Nottingham Forest are also in the race for the centre-forward, and a deal could be on the expensive side, with the Italian club potentially set to demand €40m – €50m (£35m – £44m) for his services.

Ideally, Bologna would like to keep hold of the 21-year-old, and they are planning to offer him a bumper new contract in the coming weeks, in order to ward off the interest from elsewhere.

Emery's a fan: Aston Villa willing to make mega-money bid for £52m "baller"

The Villans are lining up a winter move for a new midfielder.

ByDominic Lund 5 days ago Castro could be "excellent" addition to Villa's attack

Donyell Malen has proven himself as a solid option at striker this season, scoring seven goals in all competitions, but Villa may still have room to bring in another centre-forward, given that the Dutchman regularly features out wide.

Castro has proven he could be a viable target with some of his displays this season too, having scored five goals in all competitions, two more than Watkins, while he also showcased his ability to create chances last term, leading to high praise from scout Jacek Kulig.

The Argentinian hasn’t been prolific since moving to Bologna, chipping in with 16 goals and 10 assists in 71 outings, but he is still very young, having only turned 21 in September, and Villa should continue to monitor his performances between now and next summer.

Big Picture: Can Bangladesh give Australia a scare?

After the puffing and panting England and South Africa were forced to do in their modest chases this World Cup, Bangladesh’s next target is the biggest fish of them all – world champions Australia. Playing only their second ODI World Cup, Bangladesh would want to drop the seven-time champions a reminder of how their meeting in the 2022 edition had unfolded, when Bangladesh had given Australia a few stutters while defending 135 in a truncated match in Wellington.Three-and-a-half-years on, Bangladesh have grown by leaps and bounds by running England and South Africa close in this edition, nearly winning on both occasions. Their bowlers had England on the ropes in a modest chase of 178 while their batters set the stage nicely against an experienced South African attack a few days back. However, their fielding let the match slip through with dew around in Visakhapatnam.Three days on, Bangladesh need to ensure they put their best foot forward in all aspects against the defending champions, if they hope to turn their dream of entering the top four on the points table into reality.Australia started their campaign with two collapses before rescue acts saved them against New Zealand and Pakistan. Their top order – primarily driven by Alyssa Healy – then got among the runs in their slightly tense win over India, but a few late wickets also had them break into a sweat. Bangladesh will be keen to punch a few holes early into that batting order, for that’s their best chance.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh LLLWL1:44

Sutherland: Our bowling attack covers all bases

In the spotlight: Marufa and Litchfield

Marufa Akter will hold the key to Bangladesh’s hopes with the new ball. She has had two poor games after her early wickets against both England and Pakistan in the early stages of the tournament. Her hooping inswingers become unplayable when pitched correctly well outside off, which she was unable to do against South Africa. She didn’t get her rhythm right that day, her captain said, and Marufa will hope her mojo is back on Thursday, and keep the inswinging threat going by taking a leaf out of Fatima Sana’s book from her spell against England on Wednesday.Related

• England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

• A big-hitter in a small world – new-age Shorna turns heads

• Top-order turbulences, left-arm spin traps and catching concerns

• 'It was very difficult' – dew and drops dampen Bangladesh's spirits

• Healy: Batting collapses 'not a worry' but it's 'something we'd like to rectify'

For the kind of promise she has shown so early in her career and at such a young age, 22-year-old Phoebe Litchfield is always among the young players to watch out for heading into a big tournament. She got to face only 45 balls in the middle and lower order in the T20 World Cup last year in the UAE, and now her maiden ODI World Cup has had a slightly lukewarm start. Her quick knock against India had all the signs of a big score before she fell for 40. However, the conditions in Visakhapatnam, where runs are on offer and quick bowlers are getting dispatched, might favour her.

Team news

Australia won’t feel the need to tinker with their winning XI that beat India on the same ground, covering all bases with their spin and pace attack. Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry had walked off against India with cramps in hot and humid conditions, but there was nothing serious with their injury concerns. Only if Sophie Molineux needs a break, since she has returned to international cricket after ten months because of a knee surgery, will Australia make a change by bringing back Georgia Wareham.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (cap & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux/Georgia Wareham, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King, 11 Megan SchuttBangladesh nearly pulled off a victory against South Africa on this ground a few days ago, and they seem to have the right balance – with a swing bowler and plenty of spinners – to suit the conditions, which don’t offer much for pace bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Fargana Hoque, 2 Rubya Haider, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Shorna Akter, 6 Sobhana Mostary, 7 Rabeya Khan, 8 Ritu Moni, 9 Fahima Khatun, 10 Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter2:01

Mostary: The younger players just try to give their best

Pitch and conditions: Runs aplenty expected

The pitches used in the three matches in Visakhapatnam so far have all offered runs, some swing early on and purchase for the spin bowlers, when they aren’t bowling too much over 80kmh. There was plenty of dew in the last game when the Bangladesh bowlers struggled to control the ball while trying to defend 232 against South Africa, and similar conditions could be expected for Thursday. There has been intermittent rain in the build up to all the matches here. For a change, Thursday looks completely clear for the heat and humidity to dominate.

Stats and trivia

• Shorna Akter scored the fastest half-century for Bangladesh in ODIs, against South Africa, off just 34 balls
• Australia and Bangladesh played a three-match ODI series in Bangladesh in March 2024 which Australia won 3-0
• Annabel Sutherland’s five-for against India was only the third five-wicket haul for an Australian player in ODI World Cups. The first two were by Tina Macpherson and Lyn Fullston (twice)
• Alyssa Healy has the joint-most hundreds (three) in ODI World Cups, along with Meg Lanning and Karen Rolton. Nat Sciver-Brunt leads the overall list with five centuries.
• Fahima Khatun and Marufa Akter are the only Bangladesh players to have won Player-of-the-Match awards in ODI World Cups.

Quotes

“I think we had a really good series against them a little bit over a year ago, which sort of gave us some really good insight. Pretty similar team that they’re coming out with in this World Cup so far. So we’ve got some really good intel on that and can obviously look back at the games so far.”
“After the last match (against South Africa) there was no negative talk. Everyone – senior, junior and the team management – spoke only about the positive things.”

يحل فريق مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على خصمه فريق فولهام، في مباراتهما مساء يوم الثلاثاء، وذلك في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في خضم منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي لكرة القدم، لهذا الموسم، على ملعب “كرافن كوتيج”.

ويحتل مانشستر سيتي المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي في الوقت الحالي، برصيد 25 نقطة، بينما يحتل فولهام المركز الخامس عشر برصيد 17 نقطة.

ويأمل النجم المصري عمر مرموش المشاركة أساسيًا في مباراة اليوم رفقة كتيبة بيب جوارديولا، بعدما دخل كبديل في الدقيقة 89 من مباراة الجولة الماضية ضد ليدز يونايتد، والتي حقق فيها مانشستر سيتي فوزًا قاتلًا بنتيجة 3/2. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي المتوقع أمام فولهام اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: جيانلويجي دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: ماتيوس نونيز، جفارديول، روبن دياز، نيكو أوريلي.

خط الوسط: برناردو سيلفا، نيكو جونزاليس.

خط الوسط الهجومي: ريان شرقي، جيريمي دوكو، إيرلينج هالاند.

خط الهجوم: فيل فودين.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا