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This is getting serious now. Liverpool’s abject run of form under Arne Slot’s management this season has been a massive concern, but one which all of a Reds persuasion have been steadfast in their belief that the blip will be overcome.

Mohamed Salah’s flaming comments at the weekend have threatened to split the Slot machine wide open, with terms such as civil war and crisis being bandied about like never before.

What sparked this latest drama in a season weighed further and further down by setbacks? Well, Liverpool blew a two-goal lead at Elland Road in the Premier League, and Salah did not get even a flash of the action.

Liverpool's implosion at Elland Road

Liverpool just can’t pull all the strings together at the moment, having blown their two-goal advantage over Leeds United to draw 3-3. Dominik Szoboszlai thought he’d salvaged a draw late, but the hosts struck deep into stoppage time to condemn the Reds to their latest in a long litany of disappointments.

The frustrating part is Liverpool were comfortable and well worth their lead until spineless, error-riddled habits crept in after the break.

It was Konate’s lunging challenge, clumsy, needless, which started the Leeds fightback, and this underlines the point that Liverpool keep putting themselves through the wringer, incapable of playing to their strengths and retaining balance and composure throughout 90 minutes.

Konate is only months away from the end of his Liverpool contract, and while FSG continue to keep a door open regarding the France star’s renewal, Spanish sources suggest they could be open to cashing in for £15m this summer.

It would possibly be unwise to sell Konate right now, given the dearth of depth across Slot’s backline. Salah, too, is a player FSG wish to keep, but there is another struggler who flattered to deceive at Leeds and should be sold first.

FSG must get rid of Liverpool's "major issue"

Two things can be true: Salah has been well out of sorts this season, and he cannot convincingly tout the undroppable status he has carried through his glittering Liverpool career on his current form; Salah has every right to feel aggrieved, with players like Cody Gakpo reprising their starting berths in spite of dire performances.

It is Gakpo who is becoming a “major issue” for the Anfield side, and in more ways than one, as has been observed by analyst Raj Chohan.

Though the Dutchman has been a moderately efficient force on the left flank this season, scoring four goals and providing three assists in the Premier League, it’s clear that he is limited in his approach, and that the Reds could do with a more dynamic left winger to replace Luis Diaz, sold to Bayern Munich in August.

Gakpo, 26, has been at Liverpool for three years, scoring 46 goals and providing 21 assists across 149 appearances. He is versatile and has played his role throughout his time on Merseyside, but the Netherlands man has been exposed as lacking dimensions as Liverpool’s main man on the left wing.

There’s no doubt that Gakpo is a naturally prolific player, but if anything, this underscores the significance of the concerns surrounding his name: thee is a lack of expansiveness about his skillset, and he is averaging just 0.4 shots on target per Premier League match this season, ranking among the bottom 4% of league forwards for percentage of shots on target per 90, as per FBref.

Mohamed Salah

39 + 26

65

Cody Gakpo

23 + 11

34

Dominik Szoboszlai

12 + 14

26

Luis Diaz

17 + 8

25

Alexis Mac Allister

8 + 8

16

Someone like Antoine Semenyo, perhaps, who is ostensibly gearing up for an exit from Bournemouth in January, with Liverpool right at the top of the shopping list.

Liverpool may need a central defender, but there is a reason Slot suggested during a presser last month that he and sporting director Richard Hughes are looking further up the pitch as a priority position to smooth out the many wrinkles in the tactical fabric.

Though it would be foolish to start thinking about selling Gakpo in January, and an upgrade on the left is desperately needed, and bringing someone like Semenyo in would solve a ‘major issue’ and help launch Slot’s squad back into the ascendancy.

Salah and Konate’s respective futures are in doubt, but it might be that getting rid of Gakpo is the move Hughes needs to make first.

Salah upgrade: Liverpool prepare British record bid to sign £131m magician

Mohamed Salah may leave Liverpool in January after an extraordinary outburst at Elland Road.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 8, 2025

Manchester United’s supporters have been largely left frustrated over the last decade, with the club unable to achieve any sustained success since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

The Scotsman decided to call it a day at the end of the 2012/13 season, with the Red Devils yet to claim Premier League glory under the guidance of any other manager.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try his luck at Old Trafford, with the hierarchy already backing him in his quest for success during his tenure in the role.

He’s already spent upwards of £220m since his appointment last November, with the majority of his spending being directed into the final third of the squad.

However, with January rapidly approaching, the board have shifted their attention to the midfield department, which has led to a whole host of players being touted for a move to join the club.

The latest on United’s move to land Elliot Anderson

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been hugely touted with various moves for a number of central midfielders to help bolster Amorim’s squad in the second half of the season.

The likes of Adam Wharton, Joao Gomes and Ederson have all been linked with moves, but none of the aforementioned talents appear to be their main target.

Such a luxury has fallen into the hands of Elliot Anderson, with the Nottingham Forest star seemingly being the Red Devils’ number one target this January.

The 23-year-old has been in remarkable form for Sean Dyche’s side this season, leading to the youngster becoming a regular starter in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

It’s been reported that Amorim’s side are willing to pay £60m for the signature of the midfielder in the upcoming window to try and solve their issue at the heart of the squad.

However, such a deal could well be rejected out of hand, with Forest wanting at least £100m for their star man, who has three and a half years left on his current deal.

Anderson also has no release clause in his current deal at the City Ground, which puts Dyche’s men in full control over negotiations when it comes down to conducting a transfer.

If Amorim’s men are to land the Englishman this window, the £100m deal would see a new club-record being paid for his signature – surpassing the £89m paid for Paul Pogba nearly a decade ago.

The player who Amorim could sell to fund the Anderson deal

£100m is a mammoth sum, even in today’s market, but Anderson’s stats from the current campaign showcase why he’s so highly-rated by his current employers.

He’s ranked top of numerous different categories across the Premier League this season, ranging from touches of the ball to possession won for his side.

His tally of 8.6 progressive passes per 90 highlights his phenomenal ball-playing ability, but it’s his work out of possession that could be the selling point to Amorim and the board.

A real ball-winner is what the club have lacked in recent times, with the Englishman’s dominance in winning the ball back seemingly what’s prompted the recent interest.

However, after splashing around £200m on new additions in the summer, it remains to be seen how much the board are willing to spend in the upcoming January window.

As a result, numerous players may have to be offloaded from the current squad, with Kobbie Mainoo just one star who could be sold by Amorim.

Such a sentence would have been absurd 12 months ago, but the midfielder has simply been unable to showcase his talents since the arrival of the 40-year-old.

In 2025/26 alone, the 20-year-old has featured just eight times in the league, but none of which have come from a starting role – restricting him to just 170 minutes of action to date.

He’s since dropped behind the experienced Casemiro in the pecking order, with the manager evidently favouring the Brazilian over the academy sensation.

However, it could get worse for Mainoo in the near future, with the Red Devils having youngsters such as Sekou Kone who could also rise above him in Amorim’s plans.

Anderson’s arrival would also do just that, potentially seeing Mainoo become surplus to requirements at Old Trafford – something which is a real travesty.

Games played

25

Minutes played

1656

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

1.7

Successful dribbles

1.3

Tackles won

63%

Duels won

5.9

Interceptions made

1.2

Recoveries made

4.8

Just a couple of years ago, he was scoring key goals in FA Cup finals and local derbies, even leading to journalist Liam Canning labelling him as the club’s “best player”.

However, it’s evident the boss doesn’t have as much faith in the player as many outsiders do, which could force the youngster to move on to reach his full potential elsewhere.

It’s likely he would still command a hefty fee should he be sold in January, with such funds potentially playing a key role in any pursuit of Anderson in the weeks ahead.

The downfall of Mainoo has been truly devastating for the fanbase to witness, especially after the joy he gave them when he breezed into the first-team setup as an 18-year-old.

However, it’s crucial the club cash in on him before his value declines further, with the board needing to make huge calls if they are to land the Forest star or keep the academy graduate happy at the club.

Joao Gomes upgrade: INEOS ready Man Utd talks for "out of this world" star

Manchester United look set to make another move for a central midfielder ahead of the January window.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2025

Newcastle United are now ready to battle Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race to sign a teenage sensation who’s been compared to Kevin de Bruyne, according to recent reports.

The Magpies are looking to bounce back off the pitch following a disastrous start to their Premier League campaign. Eddie Howe’s side have won just three of their opening 11 games and their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford was their most damning yet.

For the first time during his time at the club, Howe is under pressure to turn things around and admitted there is “no excuse” for how his side performed in West London last weekend.

The international break comes at a good time for those at St James’ Park, but they must use it well to find a solution for their current problems. In the space of six months, they’ve gone from a top four side to the bottom half of the Premier League in dismal fashion.

With the January transfer window now less than two months away, the solutions could also come courtesy of the market. Newcastle endured the most chaotic summer possible before eventually landing on record signing Nick Woltemade and the now-injured Yoane Wissa, but a smoother winter window could result in some much-needed improvement.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 12, 2025

To that end, new sporting director Ross Wilson has already reportedly identified targets such as Everton’s James Garner and now a young midfield sensation who’s attracting the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Newcastle ready to join Kees Smit race

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle are now ready to join the race to sign Kees Smit alongside some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Some in the Netherlands are expecting the 19-year-old to leave AZ Alkmaar next summer and his £20m value could see those at St James’ Park land an undeniable bargain.

Whilst Smit has been compared to De Bruyne by those in his home country, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman recently likened him to Barcelona’s impressive star, Pedri – saying: “He has the awareness to receive in tight spaces and move the ball forward. That is something we value.

“The resemblance people see (with Pedri) is in how he positions himself and his decision-making under pressure. Big clubs follow players with these characteristics. That is normal. What is important is that he continues developing where he is, playing regularly.”

Como scout Ben Mattinson also went as far as to describe Smit as “aggressive” and dubbed him a “duel monster” back in March. The fact is, the more that the midfielder features, the better he looks and he now looks destined for a big move as a result.

Newcastle must regret signing £100k-p/w flop who's cost £3.2m per game

José Iglesias has been an important part of the New York Mets' success this year, providing his traditionally excellent defense and wielding a reliable contact bat. He also—and there's no other player in baseball that can say this—has brought immaculate vibes by creating and performing a legitimately good pop song.

The 12-year veteran went 1-for-5 in the Mets' Game 1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday and that was enough to make him an interview subject postgame. And that hit with SNY got off to a funny start when the reporter posited his question by using Iglesias's career batting average coming into the season instead of at the end of the season.

Iglesias was quick to point out that his .337 campaign this year means he's a .283 lifetime hitter not a lowly .280 lifetime hitter.

Incredibly savvy move here. Especially because the question was about Iglesias's long-term future with the Mets. Every little percentage point counts in these types of conversations. And being able to fact-check in real time is just another example of his malleability as a player who can help a team win in a lot of different ways. Including in the charm department.

West Indies’ second innings lasted only 14.3 overs and had seven batters dismissed on a duck as they went down by 176

Andrew McGlashan14-Jul-2025There was a feeling that the stars had aligned for Mitchell Starc, playing his 100th Test with the pink ball he has so often dominated with, but few could have imagined the carnage that unfolded on the third day at Sabina Park as he claimed three wickets in his first over and the quickest five-wicket haul in Test history including his 400th.Yet that was not the end of it. Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick, removing Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican, leaving West Indies 26 for 9 and in danger of equaling the lowest-ever Test total – made by New Zealand against England in 1955. They edged past it courtesy of a Sam Konstas misfield in the gully, but only by one run when Starc ended the Text next ball to finish with a career-best 6 for 9. West Indies were all out in 14.3 overs.Related

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'Unreal' – Starc and Boland amaze each other with stunning feats

Starc’s incredible performance propelled Australia to a 176-run victory and a 3-0 series margin after they had set West Indies 204 for victory in another match dominated by the quick bowlers. Alzarri Joseph, with a career-best 5 for 27, and Shamar shared nine wickets as Australia’s last four wickets fell for 22 runs but that was nothing compared to what followed.Starc produced one of the great opening overs. He removed John Campbell first ball, the fourth time in his career he had struck with the opening delivery of an innings, when the left-handed edged a perfect outswinger to substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who was standing in for the concussed Alex Carey.Four balls later, Kevlon Anderson shouldered arms as the ball swung back to strike his shin in front of middle stump, yet he reviewed the plumbest of lbws. Next delivery, another one arched back between Brandon King’s bat and pad to demolish the stumps. It was the sixth time in Test history that a team had been 0 for 3.Mitchell Starc completed his five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, the fastest in Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesMikyle Louis survived the hat-trick ball at the start of Starc’s second over, but fittingly his 400th wicket came with another trademark inswinger as he trapped Louis lbw, becoming the fourth Australian bowler to the landmark after Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon.The extraordinary scenes continued when, two balls later, Starc added Shai Hope lbw to bring up a five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries, the fastest from the start of an innings – beating the previous record of jointly held by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland by four deliveries.Starc’s monopoly ended when Josh Hazlewood had Roston Chase caught behind to leave West Indies on a scarcely believable 11 for 6. In the eighth over, Greaves became the first batter into double figures as he and Alzarri managed to reach the tea interval, which at one stage had been in doubt.Australia pose after blanking West Indies 3-0•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter the interval, Boland got into the act as Greaves edged to slip and Shamar was lbw via the DRS. Then, with the hat-trick delivery, he speared one through Warrican. Few would have bet against four-in-four, but Starc ended with the honour of wrapping up one of the wildest passages of play imaginable.The ball had dominated from the very start of the day when Cameron Green shouldered arms to one from Shamar, which shaped back to cannon into off stump. Green had played superbly the previous evening to give Australia a cushion for the fourth innings, although in the end they didn’t come close to needing it.Shamar took his series tally to 22 wickets at 14.95, the most for a West Indies bowler against Australia since Courtney Walsh in 1999, but not long later, there was only one quick bowler being talked about.

Eighteen years spent in the belief that (this year the cup is ours), 17 of them ending in wretched disappointment for one of the IPL’s biggest and most passionate fan bases, three of them ending with defeat at the final hurdle.Eighteen seasons in, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are finally IPL champions. Their victory in their fourth final came at the expense of another trophy-less team that had put together a heartwarming IPL 2025 campaign; it wasn’t to be for Punjab Kings (PBKS), but their time will surely come too.It’s a sign of how far T20 has come that 190 beating 184 was a bowler-dominated game. PBKS did brilliantly to restrict RCB to 190 after sending them in, but RCB’s bowlers did even better, with Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal – who have all won IPL titles at other teams – bringing their experience and nous to play on an unusual Ahmedabad surface.The margin of victory was narrow – six runs – and while it showed how closely matched these two teams have been over the season, it was also deceptive. Shashank Singh, who finished on an unbeaten 30-ball 61, hit Josh Hazlewood for 6, 4, 6, 6 to end the match and the season. But those hits came just a touch too late; PBKS went into the final over needing 29, and Hazlewood had started with a pair of dots that all but ended the contest mathematically.2:28

Aaron: Kohli has been king of the castle for 18 years

18th time lucky for No. 18

At the end of it, all eyes were on one man, the man with 18 on his back. Like his innings in last year’s T20 World Cup final, Virat Kohli’s 43 in this game seemed at various points like it belonged to another era, too risk-averse, and likely to set his team a below-par total. But there were clues throughout his knock that this wasn’t the sort of pitch that Ahmedabad has rolled out routinely this season, where 196 had been the smallest first-innings total in eight games. He had struggled especially to generate power with his pull shot, with the PBKS seamers generating tennis-ball bounce when they bowled into the pitch.A target of 191, for all that, seemed too small for a PBKS line-up that had gunned down 204 with an over to spare at the same ground two days previously. But this pitch was different, and it didn’t necessarily ease up through the second innings. Between them, two of PBKS’ brightest batting talents outdid Kohli’s struggles: where Kohli scored 43 off 35 balls, Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera scored 41 off 40 between them.2:38

Aaron: Patidar a huge factor in RCB’s title win

Krunal bends another final to his will

Krunal has won three IPL titles with Mumbai Indians (MI), and was Player of the Match in one of them. That was for what he did with the bat.This time, he came in to bat in the 18th over and holed out for 4 off 5. This time, he turned the match with the ball.The final was on a knife edge when he came on. PBKS were 52 for 1 at the end of their powerplay; RCB had been 55 for 1 at the same stage.Krunal’s first over contained most of the ingredients that made him so difficult to hit on this pitch, which had just enough natural variation of pace and turn to make him hard to line up. He bowled fast and into the pitch, either angling the ball into the right-handers’ leg stump and cramping them for room or firing it wide of off stump to offer a single to sweeper cover that they didn’t particularly want. Only three runs came off this over.His next over brought in another dimension: the ability to spot the batter’s intentions and change his pace at the last moment. Seeing the struggling Prabhsimran charge at him, Krunal – whose usual pace hovers in the 98-101kph range – dangled an 80kph ball outside his eyeline. Wrenched out of shape, Prabhsimran skewed a catch to point.2:06

Aaron: Iyer ‘one of the best captains in the IPL’

Iyer and Inglis fall at the wrong times for PBKS

Go back to November 19, 2023. Shreyas Iyer had been in red-hot form through that ODI World Cup, and had played the innings of India’s semi-final win. Then, in the final, he had fallen early, caught behind off a back-of-a-length delivery.The same script played out all over again now, more or less. Where he had poked uncertainly at Pat Cummins two years ago, he top-edged an attempted slash through point, off Romario Shepherd. It was a massive inflection point in this game, leaving PBKS needing 112 off 62 balls.They were still in with more than a shout, though, because of their batting depth, and because Josh Inglis was playing a blinder. On this pitch where the short or shortish ball wasn’t coming onto the bat at anything like a predictable pace or height, he was playing the pull like a man in a dream. He scored 33 off 10 pulls, against pace and spin, hitting one four and four sixes.At 39, however, he looked to step out and launch Krunal over long-on, and didn’t quite find either the power or elevation to do so. At that point, with PBKS needing 93 off 47, it seemed all but over.2:03

Do titles alone define a team’s legacy?

Too late for a Shashank Redemption

Shashank had started his season at the same ground, and hit five fours in a now iconic final over, leaving his captain, on 97, without the strike.He ended it with another burst of brilliance, keeping PBKS hanging on by their fingernails even as the required rate kept climbing. He hit Hazlewood for two sixes in the 16th over, and kept the equation within the bounds of possibility: 55 off 24. Then, with the rest of PBKS’ batters and genuine allrounders back in the hut, he refused singles and kept the strike all through the 19th over, hitting Bhuvneshwar for a six and a four to bring it to 29 off the last six balls.It wasn’t to be, but the explosion at the finish, when the match was done, showed how much closer PBKS could have come if things had gone just a little differently.Virat Kohli and silverware make quite the striking pair•BCCI

Jitesh plays a crucial hand

Through most of RCB’s innings, it felt difficult to pin down whether they were going a touch too slow on a flat pitch or laying a strong platform on a slow one. While Kohli did his thing at one end, his top-order colleagues kept falling just when they were looking threatening, with Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone scoring 66 off 43 between them. All three fell to Kyle Jamieson, who used the slower legcutter to telling effect, either getting it to die on the batter from shorter lengths or dip disconcertingly when he went full.Jamieson, Azmatullah Omarzai and Vijaykumar Vyshak all hammered away on a hard length, and RCB couldn’t quite find a way to attack that length until Jitesh Sharma walked in. His 24 off 10 balls was a crucial little cameo in the end, featuring a flat-batted six over cover when he exposed all his stumps to create room, and a scooped six over his head, hit while chest-on to the bowler, Jamieson.Jitesh’s innings threatened to take RCB past 200, but their ambitions were nipped in the bud by Vyshak, who dismissed Jitesh while conceding just five runs in the 18th over, and Arshdeep Singh, who found the reverse-swing that allowed him to go full and attack the stumps in a three-wicket final over that cost PBKS just five runs.

Micah Richards criticised two Manchester United players for the role they played against Brentford as the Red Devils were put to the sword once again at the Gtech Community Stadium by Brentford.

Brentford heap more misery on Amorim

Fresh from defeating Chelsea last weekend, Man United had the task of handing Ruben Amorim back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League almost nine months on from arriving. With 20 minutes on the clock, however, it was an all too familiar story for the Manchester club, as Igor Thiago struck not once but twice.

The opening goal saw Harry Maguire fall culrpit to a tight offside call, as Thiago took full advantage to sprint in behind and fire home a tremendous finish.

As for the second, the forward had a far simpler task after getting the best out of Matthijs de Ligt and then on the end of Altay Bayindir’s spilled save straight into his path. In 20 minutes, the Brentford star had his brace gift-wrapped.

Benjamin Sesko’s first Man United goal then gave the Red Devils plenty of hope when he slammed home at the third time of asking midway through the first period and a comeback certainly looked on the cards.

Alas, it almost summed up United’s afternoon, their season and arguably Amorim’s tenure when Bruno Fernandes missed his second penalty of the season to deny United their equaliser late in the second-half. The Portugal international, often so reliable, has fallen short of his standards so far this season.

Caoimhin Kelleher’s save put the writing on the wall for the Red Devils, who had their misery compilled by a stunning late strike from substitute Mathias Jensen to make it 3-1.

Richards slams "shambolic" Maguire & De Ligt

Among those critical of Man United following yet another defeat, former Man City defender Richards slammed Maguire and De Ligt as “shambolic” for their actions in Brentford’s two goals.

There will now be questions asked of Amorim’s position once again, but whether defeat at Brentford is INEOS’ final straw remains to be seen. There’s work to be done, that cannot be denied.

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Up next for United is the visit of Sunderland next Saturday. Defeat against newly-promoted opposition would be yet another low for Amorim, who simply has to change things if he is to turn his tenure around at Old Trafford.

The match will be played on a red-soil pitch, which has plenty of grass cover

Abhimanyu Bose31-Mar-20252:09

How do PBKS contain red-hot Pooran?

Big pictureSunrisers Hyderabad racked up 286 for 6 in their first game of IPL 2025. All eyes were on them when they came up against Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) inexperienced bowling attack, with 300 being the buzzword. But a death-bowling clinic before the death overs from LSG stopped them in their tracks. Punjab Kings (PBKS), in their first game of the season, posted 243 for 5 – the second-highest total of this year. Now they, too, are up against LSG.LSG allrounder Shardul Thakur has made repeated calls for pitches that aid bowlers, and he will be happy to play at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, arguably the most bowler-friendly venue in the IPL. However, being at home is not necessarily a good thing for LSG, as they have a fifty-fifty record there. The in-form Nicholas Pooran, despite three seasons with the franchise, does not enjoy playing at this ground, averaging less than 25 and managing a high score of 42 in 14 matches.Related

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New loyaltiesIn his three years with the franchise, Marcus Stoinis was LSG’s third-highest run-scorer. But on Tuesday, he will turn out against his old team, hoping to quickly gain form for his new franchise PBKS, who shelled INR 11 crore for him at the auction.Fast bowler Yash Thakur is another ex-LSG player in PBKS’ ranks. But it is unlikely that he will get to play on Tuesday.2:26

Cricinformed: What has made Pooran such a T20 force since 2024?

Team news and likely XIIsWith PBKS’ batting line-up stacked with right-handers, LSG could be tempted to bring in one of their left-arm spinners in Shahbaz Ahmed or M Siddharth in place of Abdul Samad. LSG could also consider swapping Aiden Markram to give his compatriot Matthew Breetzke a chance at the top of the order, but Breetzke’s form has also been indifferent, with no half-century in his last ten T20 innings.Lucknow Super Giants (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Prince Yadav, 11 Avesh Khan, 12 Digvesh RathiWith the Ekana Cricket Stadium generally favouring spinners, PBKS could think of an additional slower bowler in Harpreet Brar to support Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell. This could mean that Vijaykumar Vyshak, who put on an excellent display of death bowling after coming on as an Impact Player against Gujarat Titans (GT), will have to make room.Punjab Kings (probable): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Shashank Singh, 8 Suryansh Shedge, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Vijaykumar Vyshak/Harpreet BrarBig questionVyshak’s death bowling ensured GT didn’t chase down 244 against PBKS. But he is the only player who can make way for an extra spin option. Will PBKS stick with the seamer who kept GT’s left-hand batters quiet with his wide yorkers, especially with the prospect of having to bowl to Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant, or will they go with what conditions dictate?In the spotlight: Rishabh Pant and Glenn MaxwellAfter becoming the most expensive player in IPL history, Rishabh Pant has had a challenging start to his LSG stint. A six-ball duck in his first match followed by a run-a-ball 15 has seen him come under the scanner. Things are unlikely to get easier for him in Lucknow, where the conditions tend to favour the bowlers.Glenn Maxwell’s third stint with PBKS did not get off to the best of starts, as he was out for a golden duck against GT. But he has a good record against Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi, and will be looking to make the most of the favourable match-ups.Rishabh Pant hasn’t have a great start with Lucknow Super Giants•BCCIPitch and conditionsThe match will be played on a red-soil pitch, which is expected to have a lot of grass covering to keep the seamers interested. The average first-innings score here in T20s since 2023 is 169, so this is not going to be a run-fest.Stats and triviaSince the start of 2004, Pooran is the only batter in T20s to score over 500 runs at No. 3 with an average of 45-plus and a strike rate of 160-plus. Pooran has also hit the most sixes (200) in T20s in that period. His closest competitor is Heinrich Klaasen with 121. Pooran’s 49 sixes in the IPL during this time are also the most for any batter. David Miller is just 36 runs away from 3000 IPL runs.Next three fixturesLSG will host Mumbai Indians next, before travelling to Kolkata to take on Kolkata Knight Riders. They then return home to face GT.After two away games, PBKS will host Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in Mullanpur in their next two fixtures, before hitting the road again to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.Quotes”I think that compared to other grounds, there will be a little more help for bowlers at the Ekana. It is a big ground and our bowlers have the skills to make use of that. So I think it will be a high-scoring match, but not as high-scoring as you’d get in Hyderabad.”
“We have to weigh up what we’re going to need the most: whether we’re going to need to try and get a little bit of tail with the older ball or whether we’re going to need to give our world-class spinner a dry ball to make an impact within the last ten overs of the innings.”

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O atacante Lucas Barbosa foi afastado do elenco do Santos. Por opção técnica, o treinador Paulo Turra escolheu deixar o atleta treinar separado do resto dos jogadores.

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Esse é o sétimo afastamento desde a chegada de Paulo Turra. Três foram promovidas por indisciplina e as outras quatro por escolhas técnicas.

Na semana da sua chegada no Peixe, Lucas Pires, Nathan e Soteldo foram separados do elenco por conta da introdução da ‘tolerância zero’ com problemas de conduta.

Logo após, Ed Carlos, Ivonei e Daniel Ruiz, por opção técnica, foram afastados. Com apenas o Brasileirão no calendário, o treinador Paulo Turra assumiu que o elenco era bastante ‘inchado’ para disputar apenas a liga nacional. Agora, Barbosa segue o mesmo caminho.

NÚMEROS LUCAS BARBOSA

Revelado pelo Peixe, o jogador, que se destacou na Copa São Paulo 2022, possui 63 aparições em partidas do profissional do clube. Neste período o atleta marcou sete gols e realizou quatro assistências.

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O Santos buscou algumas informações sobre o técnico Rogério Ceni e tem o profissional no radar de possibilidades para assumir o clube após a saída de Odair Hellmann, oficializada nesta quinta-feira (21). Inclusive, houve conversas entre dirigentes santistas com pessoas que integram o futebol do São Paulo, último clube que o ex-goleiro dirigiu, para saber sobre o cotidiano de trabalho do treinador

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Rogério não está na frente da fila de opções que o Peixe tem para comandar a equipe até o fim da temporada, quando termina a atual gestão, mas o clube alvinegro tem mapeado algumas alternativas, principalmente que estão disponíveis no mercado. 

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Há pessoas que atuam na linha de frente do Santos no futebol e que gostam bastante do estilo de trabalho de Ceni, que chegou a ter o seu nome forte no clube praiano em outras ocasiões, principalmente após a saída de Fernando Diniz, no segundo semestre de 2021. Hoje, Rogério possui ressalvas no Peixe, principalmente por conta do histórico temperamental. Ainda assim, não é descartado que a equipe alvinegra possa tentar intensificar os contatos por ele caso não tenha sucesso nas primeiras investidas. 

Neste momento, o favorito da direção santista é Fábio Carille, que dirigiu o time entre o segundo semestre de 2021 e o início do ano passado. A demissão se deu mais por divergências do treinador com o então executivo de futebol Edu Dracena do que por descrédito do trabalho.. No entanto, o retorno de Carille é bastante difícil neste momento, já que o profissional tem contrato até o fim do ano que vem com o V-Varen Nagasaki, do Japão, com multa rescisória considerada alta. 

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Já do lado de Rogério Ceni, o treinador está bastante recluso desde o seu desligamento do São Paulo. De acordo com pessoas próximas ao profissional, ele dificilmente aceitaria um novo trabalho no decorrer da temporada e a ideia dele é que o seu próximo trabalho seja fora do Brasil. Equipes da Argentina e México já entraram em contato para obter informações sobre o treinador.