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Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl certainly likes a challenge. To go from the situation at Sheffield Wednesday to taking on a team that had a disastrous spell under Russell Martin takes some guts.

The Light Blues had a dismal start to the season under their former manager, who won one match in the Scottish Premiership, but things are already starting to turn around.

Rangers won five of the 17 matches that Martin was in the dugout for before they decided to part ways with him last month after a 1-1 draw with Falkirk in the Premiership.

Rohl has provided the Gers with an instant lift in the league. He has won all three of his matches in the top-flight, most recently with a 3-0 win over Dundee before the international break.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss has, though, lost both of his Europa League games in charge, to Brann and Roma, which is a reminder that there is plenty of work that needs to be done.

Too many of the summer signings made by Martin and Kevin Thelwell have either flopped or have been too inconsistent, and there may be some decisions to make in January.

The summer signings who should be let go by Rangers in January

The new owners provided Thelwell with the backing to build a squad with the intention of competing for trophies in the 2025/26 campaign, but it did not go to plan under the previous coaching staff.

As you can see in the graphic above, the likes of Youssef Chermiti, Bojan Miovski, Joe Rothwell, and Mikey Moore came through the door to bolster the club’s options across the pitch.

Rothwell is one player whose future may be in doubt heading into January. At the age of 30, he was surely brought in to make an instant impact, but the central midfielder has only featured in two of Rohl’s six games and failed to make the matchday squad in the last two, per Sofascore.

Emmanuel Fernandez is another summer signing who may be on the move in January, as the young centre-back has only made three appearances in all competitions. A loan move away from Ibrox to play regular game time could be the best decision for his short-term future, if he is not going to get increased game time at Ibrox.

The former Peterborough man may not be the only centre-back who departs Glasgow when the January transfer window opens, though, as the manager should also send Nasser Djiga back to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

As you can see in the table above, the Burkina Faso international has been in and out of the team in recent months, under Martin, Stevie Smith, and Rohl, without being able to nail down a place in the starting XI.

Wolves presumably sent Djiga to Ibrox to play regular football and develop as a player, but he has not done enough with his chances on the pitch to prove that the manager should make him a first-choice option.

Chalkboard

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

The Premier League loanee has failed to convince with his performances for the Light Blues, and Rohl could end his Ibrox career by unleashing James Tavernier in a rarely-seen role on a regular basis.

Why Rangers should part ways with Nasser Djiga in January

The Light Blues should look to cancel Djiga’s loan deal in the January transfer window because he has not been a reliable performer for the Scottish giants so far this season.

Heart & Hand podcast creator David Edgar described him as “rotten” and Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he “genuinely looks lost” during the loss to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier this month.

Back in August, Rangers icon Ally McCoist said that Djiga broke “every rule as a centre-back in the planet” when he failed to usher the ball back to Jack Butland against Club Brugge in a Champions League qualifier, which turned out to be a costly mistake.

This shows that fan media and pundits alike have been left unconvinced by his showings at centre-back on the pitch, whilst his lack of consistent game time suggests that his multiple managers have also been unconvinced.

Whilst the January transfer window could be utilised to sign a new centre-back to replace Djiga, Rohl could end the defender’s Ibrox career by playing Tavernier as a centre-back.

With Max Aarons at the club on loan from Bournemouth, Rangers have another right-back option who can fill in and allow the captain to play as a right-sided centre-back, which would negate any need for Djiga to continue his loan beyond January.

As you can see in the table above, Tavernier has rarely played at centre-back for the Gers, with just seven appearances, but he does have some experience in that role.

The English full-back played as a right-sided centre-back in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock and the 2-0 defeat to Roma, although both of those outings were as part of a back four.

It would be interesting to see how he fares as a right-sided centre-back in a back four for Rangers under Rohl, as he has won 52% of his aerial duels in the Premiership this season, per Sofascore, which suggests that he could hold his own in aerial battles in the heart of the defence.

Unleashing the captain in that new role in a back four, with John Souttar and Derek Cornelius also available for selection, would allow the manager to ruthlessly ditch Djiga and end his underwhelming loan in January.

Rangers now monitoring boyhood Celtic fan who's withdrawn from Scotland squad

The Gers know all about his quality.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 12, 2025

Now, though, it is down to the German head coach to decide whether or not to experiment with this tactical change in order to end Djiga’s time with the Gers.

Asif Khan looked destructive in his innings of 35-ball 77 but it came about far too late

Danyal Rasool30-Aug-2025Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz’s firepower overwhelmed UAE as Pakistan registered their second win in as many days: a 31-run thumping of the home side in Sharjah. The pair’s half-centuries did the lion’s share of the work as cameos around them kept Pakistan’s momentum ticking along through the first innings. A burst at the end from Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali carried them to 207, their joint third-highest men’s T20I total.UAE’s chase was highly dependent on what their captain Muhammad Waseem could do during the powerplay. Sure enough, a blistering start kindled brief optimism as he raced along to 33, but his innings was cut down in its prime after a horrible mix-up towards the end of the first six overs.Another wicket fell the following ball and the innings petered out as Mohammad Nawaz and Ayub squeezed the home side in the overs that followed, rendering the contest uncompetitive long before the outcome was made official. Asif Khan, UAE’s lower-order power-hitter, looked destructive in his innings, a 35-ball 77, but, like Rashid Khan’s the day before, it had come about far too late.Saim unleashesPerhaps this was the innings closest to the mould of a vintage Ayub knock since he returned from his injury at the start of the year. It all began with a 22-run third over where he carted Junaid Siddique for two sixes and a four. Boundaries were sprinkled through the powerplay but carried on even as the fielding restrictions lifted, as left-arm quick Muhammad Jawadullah found out. Ayub hit him for a four and a six, and then the same off the first two balls of the following over as the opener sped to a 25-ball half-century. While his team-mates were unable to cash in to the same degree from the other end, Ayub’s innings, which ended after being contentiously given out caught behind – there is no DRS in this series – for a 38-ball 69, had helped Pakistan maintain a run rate above nine.The smaller contributionsHasan Nawaz took Ayub’s baton and ran with it, becoming the destroyer-in-chief during the second half of the innings. It culminated in a thrilling dismantling of the UAE’s best bowler, spinner Haider Ali, who until then had gone for just 12 in three. The first three balls of his final over were dispatched for 18 runs before Nawaz miscued one, getting an inside edge to see a brilliant knock come to an end after he had plundered 56 off 26.Hasan Nawaz celebrates his half-century•Emirates Cricket BoardBut Pakistan were still in a slightly precarious situation. They had lost their sixth wicket with the score at 163, and there were still 26 balls left to utilise. Coach Mike Hesson has made no secret of his desire to have batters in the line-up to squeeze every last drop of run-scoring potential, even if it comes at the cost of specialist bowling. Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali each chipped in during this time with 25, 16 and 9 respectively. It all combined for 44 in the final four overs to take Pakistan beyond 200 and truly secure their position in case the UAE did something remarkable with the bat.Asif Khan’s brutal counterattackAsif Khan is the only UAE batter to boast a superior strike rate to his captain Waseem this year, and he showed why in a mauling of Pakistan’s bowlers late on in the game. That the contest was effectively over by this time felt cruel, because an innings of such power should not go to waste. Pakistan’s intensity may have dropped with spinners and seamers alike repeatedly bowling into his arc, but that wasn’t to detract from how consistently he dispatched them.He scored just 11 off the first 12 balls, but after smashing a six and a four off Sufiyan Muqim in the 14th over, he unleashed beast mode. Hasan Ali, poor with the ball for much of the day, fed him in the slot and paid for it with another 19 runs, and the hits just kept coming. Muqim conceded 17, Salman Mirza 18 more.None of it ever threatened to overturn the outcome; UAE had needed 122 in seven overs by the time Asif hit his stride. But it does take UAE above Afghanistan on net run rate, having lost to Pakistan by a smaller margin than Rashid’s men did on Friday. When Hasan returned in the final over and bounced him out, Asif had a wry smile on his face. His last 22 deliveries had produced 66 runs, and even with this outcome, he was entitled to a bit of satisfaction.

Jonny Bairstow has signed a new three-year contract that will see him continue as Yorkshire’s captain in the County Championship but possibly miss the first two months of next season to play in the IPL.Bairstow’s two-year central contract only expired at the end of the 2025 season, more than a year after his most recent England appearance, and he has committed his long-term future to his boyhood club. At 36, he has resisted the temptation to become a T20 specialist and instead will continue to lead Yorkshire in the Championship after his appointment as captain this year.However, Bairstow could miss the first block of fixtures next year if selected in the IPL auction. Under the league’s regulations, he is not available for retention by Mumbai Indians after scores of 47 and 38 in his two appearances as a late replacement this year, but ESPNcricinfo has learned that he plans to enter the auction for 2026, which is expected to be held next month.Yorkshire finished seventh in Division One of the Championship last year and second-bottom of the North Group in the T20 Blast, though did reach the semi-finals of the Metro Bank Cup with a young side.Gavin Hamilton, their director of cricket, said he was “absolutely delighted” that Bairstow had committed to a long-term contract. “Jonny remains one of the best batters in the English game, capable of changing a game single-handedly, and we are very lucky to have him in our side,” he said.Bairstow has been at Headingley this week for pre-season fitness testing but will spend much of his winter playing overseas, with contracts lined up with MI Emirates in the ILT20 and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.”I’m delighted to have signed a contract extension and am looking forward to playing my part in what is a hugely exciting period for Yorkshire,” Bairstow said. “Having come through the age-groups and spent all of my career here, it was the only real choice for me, and I’ll continue to wear the White Rose with pride over the next three years.”Leading the side in the Championship this year was a real honour, and I can’t wait to get back out there in 2026. The performances we put in, particularly in the second half of the campaign, were very encouraging and I am confident that we have got a group of players that can challenge the very best teams over the next few years.”

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness says he “assumes” Harry Kane will see out the remainder of his contract with the club, despite having the option to trigger an early exit in January. The England captain continues to be linked with La Liga giants Barcelona after revealing he is yet to open talks over an extension to his current deal, which expires in 2027.

Kane has been in stunning form for Bayern and England in 2025

Kane has been in remarkable form for both Bayern and England in 2025. The 32-year-old has scored 24 goals in just 20 games in all competitions for the Bundesliga heavyweights, who are currently eight points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig at the top of the table.

The former Tottenham striker also played a key role in helping England qualify for the 2026 World Cup, scoring eight goals in as many qualifying games as the Three Lions topped Group K with a 100 per cent record. In their final competitive fixture before next summer’s showpiece in Canada, Mexico and the United States, Kane scored both goals as Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated Albania 2-0 on 16 November.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEngland captain is yet to enter contract discussions with Bayern

However, while Kane continues to sparkle on the pitch, speculation is swirling regarding his long-term future. In an interview with German newspaper earlier this month, the forward confirmed he is yet to start negotiations with Bayern over a contract renewal with the club.

“I haven't had any contact with anyone, nobody has contacted me,” said Kane. “I feel very comfortable in the current situation, even though we haven't yet discussed my situation with Bayern.

“There's no rush. I'm really happy in Munich. You can see that in the way I'm playing. If there's contact, then we'll see. But I'm not thinking about the new season yet. First up is the World Cup in the summer. And it's very unlikely that anything will change after this season.”

Getty Images SportBayern chief Eberl recently issued cryptic update on striker's future

On the back of Kane’s comments, Bayern director of sport Max Eberl issued a cryptic update on the attacker’s future following the club’s last-gasp 3-1 league win over St. Pauli on Saturday.

Speaking to after the final whistle, Eberl said: “Harry knows exactly what he wants and we have plans for him. We would like to continue. We can very, very well imagine that, but we will basically discuss everything with Harry.”

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Getty Images NewsClub legend Hoeness believes Kane wants to remain in Germany

However, club legend Hoeness – who was part of the iconic Bayern side that lifted numerous honours in the 1970s including three consecutive European Cups in 1974, 1975 and 1976 – has since issued a more bullish update on the situation.

Confirming Kane holds the option to trigger a release clause before the end of January which would allow him to leave next summer for just £56.7 million (€65m/$76m), Hoeness told “We assume that he will definitely fulfil his contract until 2027.

“And if it were up to us, and I've heard he wants it too, then he will extend. His family feels very comfortable. In Munich, you can still go about your business in peace. Harry Kane only ever worked with bodyguards at home (in London, when playing for Tottenham). You don't necessarily need that kind of life.”

Inter have been dealt a severe blow after learning that Denzel Dumfries' injury is more severe than the Italian club had initially expected. The loss of the Netherlands international comes as a severe blow for coach Christian Chivu in the wake of his side's 1-0 defeat to AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday.

Dumfries injured on Netherlands duty

Dumfries started the game against Lazio on November 10, which was played just before the November international break. However, after 56 minutes of action, he had to be taken off after he sustained an ankle injury. He then joined the Netherlands national team camp days later, but had to sit out the 1-1 draw against Poland and 4-0 win against Lithuania that booked Oranje a place in next year's World Cup. After retuning to Italy, Dumfries was ruled out of Sunday's defeat to their San Siro rivals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDumfries' injury extent is higher than expected

According to , it might take him a significant period of time to nurse Dumfries' ankle and allow him to return to the training pitch. This week, his injury status will be assessed and it is believed that he will be out until late December. This means he'll miss Serie A games against Pisa and Como, as well as Champions League fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, among others. Entrusted by Chivu with the right-wing-back role, Dumfries' impact was immense, whether it be on the defensive front or the offensive third, as he scored a consolation goal against Udinese in the second game of the Serie A campaign. 

Chivu seeking solutions

Against Milan in the derby, Chivu was forced to use Carlos Augusto, a left-footed left-back, on the right side as he placed Luis Henrique on the bench. Inter lost the game 1-0, with Christian Pulisic scoring the decisive goal. It is the third time Augusto has been used in that position this season, having also replaced Dumfries in the role when he came off against Lazio. Henrique could be called in to fill the position while Dumfries is out should Chivu prefer to have a natural right-footed player on that side.

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AFPWhat comes next for Inter?

Inter have a tough fixture ahead of them midweek, where they will face Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid in Spain. While they have just two days to prepare, including travel, the game offers a great opportunity for them to secure the pole position in the Champions League. They sit level on points with Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the top of the table, though the German and English sides have a slightly better goal difference.

And who is the youngest Test centurion?

Steven Lynch13-May-2025Romario Shepherd came in in the 18th over in a recent IPL match and reached 50. Was this a record? asked Dirhan Ahmed from India

Playing for the Royal Challengers against Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru last week, the Guyanese allrounder Romario Shepherd came to the crease to face the fifth ball of the 18th over – and hurtled to 53 from just 14 balls. Only one quicker half-century has been recorded in the IPL, by Yashasvi Jaiswal in 13 for Rajasthan Royals against the Knight Riders in Kolkata in May 2023.Shepherd broke the IPL record for the latest start to a half-century in an innings, previously 14.3 overs by Naman Dhir (62 not out) for Mumbai Indians against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium in May 2024. Dhir’s final partner in that innings was… Romario Shepherd. For more details of Shepherd’s onslaught, click here.Shepherd’s late-arrival fifty has been bettered in a T20 international: against Mongolia at the Asian Games in Hangzou in September 2023, Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee came in after a wicket fell to the first ball of the 19th over, but finished with 52 not out from ten balls, eight of which he hit for six.Ishan Kishan took four catches for Sunrisers the other day. Was this a record for the IPL? asked Mahesh Bhasin from India

Sunrisers’ wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan took four catches – three of them off Pat Cummins – in the no-result game against Delhi Capitals in Hyderabad last week. This was the 26th instance of a keeper making four dismissals in an IPL innings – but there’s one case of five, by Kumar Sangakkara for Deccan Chargers against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Hyderabad in April 2011.There are also 12 instances of an outfielder taking four catches in an IPL innings, and two cases of five: by Mohammad Nabi for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi in October 2021, and Daryl Mitchell for the Super Kings against Sunrisers in Chennai in April 2024.Apparently there’s a great-grandson of a former England captain playing county cricket at the moment. Is it Ben Compton? asked Derek Wilson from England

It’s not Kent’s Ben Compton, as the old England great Denis Compton never captained in a Test. (And Ben is Denis’s grandson, not great-grandson.) The player you’re asking about is actually Harry Came, a batter who made his debut for Hampshire in 2019 (unusually, as a concussion substitute), and moved to Derbyshire two years later. He scored two first-class hundreds in 2023, and has had a useful start to the current season, scoring 83 against Gloucestershire in Derbyshire’s first Championship match, and 73 against Middlesex at the end of April.Came is the great-grandson of the legspinner Walter Robins, who played for Middlesex and captained England in three of his 19 Tests before the Second World War. Robins’ daughter Penelope married Kenneth Came in 1958.Mohammad Ashraful is the youngest Test centurion, scoring his debut hundred at 17 years and 63 days•AFPMushfiqur Rahim was stumped by a substitute in a recent ODI. Has this ever happened before? asked Peter McDonald from England

Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh was stumped by Afghanistan’s Ikram Alikhil – subbing for the injured Rahmanullah Gurbaz – during a one-day international in Sharjah in November 2024. There’s only one previous instance of this in ODIs, and the same Afghanistan double act was involved: Philippe Boissevain of the Netherlands was stumped by Alikhil, subbing for Gurbaz, in Doha in January 2022.There have been no instances of stumped by a substitute in T20Is, but three in Tests: South Africa’s captain Tip Snooke (by Neville Tufnell, on for Herbert Strudwick) against England in Durban in January 1910; Pervez Sajjad (by Bevan Congdon, on for Artie Dick) for Pakistan vs New Zealand in Lahore in April 1965; and Tom Latham (by Srikar Bharat, on for Wriddhiman Saha) for New Zealand vs India in Kanpur in November 2021.Who’s the youngest cricketer to score a hundred in a Test? asked Aahan Bojanui from India

The youngest man to score a Test century is Mohammad Ashraful, in the second innings of his debut for Bangladesh against Sri Lanka in Colombo in September 2001. Going by the date of birth ESPNcricinfo have for him (July 7, 1984), Ashraful would have been 17 years 63 days old at the time – but some sources give the date as September 9, 1984, which would mean he achieved the feat the day before his 17th birthday.Next on the list is Mushtaq Mohammad, who was 17 years 82 days old when he reached his hundred for Pakistan against India in Delhi in February 1961. Sachin Tendulkar of India and Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza also scored Test centuries before turning 18.For the full list of the youngest Test centurions, click here (note that the ages shown are at the start of the match in question).The youngest to score a century in a women’s Test is Sri Lanka’s Chamani Seneviratna, who was 19 years 156 days old when she scored 105 not out against Pakistan in Colombo in April 1998: this is still Sri Lanka’s one and only official women’s Test match.And there’s an update to last week’s question about Mehidy Hasan Miraz scoring 88 runs and taking five wickets on the same day in a Test:Thanks to his feat against Zimbabwe in Chattogram last month, Mehidy Hasan does hold the men’s record for most runs on a day in a Test on which he also took five wickets – but Chris Gayle ran him close, with 82 and five wickets for West Indies against England at Edgbaston in August 2004.The others to have scored at least 50 runs and taken five or more wickets on the same day are Jimmy Sinclair (6 for 26, then 59 of his eventual 106) for South Africa vs England in Cape Town in April 1899, Dilruwan Perera (five wickets spread over two innings, in between which he scored 64) for Sri Lanka vs Australia in Galle in August 2016, Shakib al Hasan (five wickets and 54) for Bangladesh vs West Indies in Kingston in July 2018, and Wes Hall (50 not out and five wickets to reduce India to 30 for 5) for West Indies in Port-of-Spain in April 1962.Two women also achieved the feat in Tests. England’s Myrtle Maclagan took 7 for 10 and then scored 72 on the first day of the inaugural women’s Test, against Australia in Brisbane in December 1934, while Enid Bakewell took 5 for 56 and then scored 66 not out on the third day of England’s Test against New Zealand in Christchurch in March 1969; she’d scored 114 on the second day.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions02.02GMT, May 7, 2025: This answer said “three” previously. The first instance, featuring John Trumble and Billy Barnes, was added on.

Manchester City are now leading the race to sign a “generational talent”, having moved ahead of Premier League rivals Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Man City looking to improve attack amid Haaland overreliance

There have been suggestions that Man City have been too overreliant on Erling Haaland so far this season, with the Norwegian way out in front as the top goalscorer in the Premier League, having already found the back of the net 11 times.

No other City player has scored more than one goal in the top flight, which is likely to be a concern for Pep Guardiola, with some of his other attacking options still learning on the job and yet to realise their true potential.

One such player is Savinho, with Guardiola saying: “Savio is a top player who can play both sides and he feels comfortable on both sides. I said last season, being [in your] first Premier League season, it’s not easy to play a lot of minutes.

“Just the moment to make the steps to be a decisive player and add goals and assists, especially goals he will be a top-class player. Top class. He needs to make that step.”

Jeremy Doku has also been inconsistent, registering two assists in the 3-0 victory over Man United but failing to make much of an impact in other matches, and the Blues are now looking to sign a new winger.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which states Man City have now moved into pole position in the race to sign Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, having overtaken Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea.

City are now preparing a fresh approach to sign Monga, who has been a long-term target, with the 16-year-old putting himself in the shop window after emerging as a first-team regular for Leicester this season.

Related Scouts sent: Man City show interest in breakout star who'd cost near £70m

The Citizens believe they have the financial clamour to complete a deal.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Oct 26, 2025

The Foxes are powerless to stop the teenager from leaving, as he is unable to sign a professional deal until he turns 17 in June.

"Generational talent" Monga could be future star

Lauded as a “generational talent” by journalist Graeme Bailey in the aforementioned report, it is a testament to just how talented the youngster is that he has already forced his way into first-team contention at Leicester.

The starlet has already made 11 appearances in the Championship this season, picking up his first professional goal in a 2-1 defeat against Preston North End back in August.

Scout Jacek Kulig clearly believes the five-time England U19 international has a big future ahead too, describing him as “one of the most exciting U-17 talents in England.”

Given his age, Monga may be some way off challenging for a starting spot at a club like Man City, but he certainly looks like a top prospect, so it is exciting news they have moved into pole position in the race for his signature.