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Fast bowler missed much of the season after knee surgery but could be in contention for Australia role

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2025Olly Stone has signed for Middlesex on loan in a last-ditch attempt to force his way into England’s plans for the Ashes.Stone, whose England central contract expires at the end of the season, has taken 17 wickets at 23.52 in his five Tests and was part of their squad for tours to Pakistan and New Zealand last winter. But his career has been plagued by injuries, and knee surgery in April ruled him out of the home Test summer.He has played six matches since completing his rehabilitation, four for Nottinghamshire in the Blast and two for London Spirit in the Hundred, and has now agreed a short-term loan move to Middlesex for the next two rounds of County Championship fixtures. He is set to make his debut for the county against Derbyshire at Lord’s on Monday.Stone is an outside bet for England’s Ashes squad, though could compete for a spot as a back-up fast bowler after Jamie Overton’s surprise decision to put his red-ball career on pause. Matthew Potts has been stood down from the upcoming T20I series in Ireland so that he can push his case for selection, while Sonny Baker’s chances dipped after an expensive ODI debut.”This is a great opportunity for Olly to get some competitive overs under his belt with the red ball for the first time since the back end of last summer,” Peter Moores, Notts’ coach, said. “A fit and firing Olly Stone is an asset for any side, and we’re sure he’ll be well served by this short spell at Middlesex.Related

• Overton's shock decision sounds alarm bells for England schedule

• Olly Stone ruled out for 14 weeks after undergoing knee surgery

“We’re fortunate to have a number of seam bowlers to choose from for our next couple of games, and we want to make sure Olly has the best possible chance to get some miles back in the legs after some impressive spells in white-ball cricket so far this summer.”Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said: “As we reach the end of the season, the rigours of the season inevitably take their toll on the fast-bowling unit, so to be able to bring someone in of Olly’s proven international quality to freshen things up ahead of the County Championship run-in is a huge bonus for us.”He will add not only quality, but vast amounts of experience too at the highest level, which the younger players in our group can really benefit from as we look to finish the season strong. We are really looking forward to welcoming Olly to the club and are excited to see what he will bring over the next fortnight.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Com as lesões de Lucas e Rato, o técnico Tiago Carpini deve apostar em Luciano no duelo decisivo do São Paulo contra o Cobresal-CHI, pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasDicasSão Paulo x Cobresal: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na LibertadoresDicas09/04/2024São PauloSão Paulo divulga atualização de lesionados na LibertadoresSão Paulo06/04/2024São PauloSaiba o que segura Carpini no comando do São PauloSão Paulo06/04/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Luciano saiu do banco e marcou o único gol do São Paulo na derrota contra o Talleres. Luciano possui 71 gols pelo Tricolor, sendo 53 quando o atacante iniciou como reserva.

No total, ele balançou as redes 27 vezes no primeiro tempo e 44 vezes na etapa final pelo São Paulo. Dos 15 jogos disputados por Luciano na temporada, o atacante iniciou no banco em cinco ocasiões.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

A partida contra o Cobresal será também uma oportunidade para Luciano reafirmar sua fama de carrasco de equipes chilenas. O camisa 10 soma três vitórias, um empate, cinco gols e duas assistências contra times do Chile atuando pelo São Paulo.

CARPINI PRESSIONADO

A pressão sob Carpini aumentou após a derrota do São Paulo diante do Talleres. Embora o presidente Júlio Casares tenha bancado a permanência do treinador, qualquer resultado diferente de uma vitória no Morumbis pode tornar a situação do técnico insustentável no Tricolor.

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas, horários dos jogos da Libertadores

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LibertadoresSão Paulo

Manchester United have a conundrum in midfield which needs to be solved sooner rather than later.

Ruben Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system, which he is insistent on sticking to, operates with a double pivot. Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro are his first choices in that role this season.

That has left a few players out in the cold this season, without regular minutes. The two players who have tended to be left on the sidelines are Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte. The England international is yet to start a Premier League game this season, and former Sporting man Ugarte has not been able to get into the side over Casemiro.

It seems as though the Red Devils are targeting a new midfielder who can slot into the side.

Man Utd looking to sign England international

The Manuncian side have already begun a mini-revolution in the centre of the park. They have recently signed young Colombian Cristian Orozco, who will perhaps start in the youth team but could well be considered a first-teamer in the future.

Elliot Anderson is a name who is regularly linked with a move to Old Trafford but he’s not the only England international in the crosshairs of INEOS.

Indeed, according to a report from Football Insider, Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher is a player the club continue to ‘monitor’ ahead of the January transfer window.

There has been previous interest in the former Chelsea star from Premier League clubs. Crystal Palace wanted him last summer, and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.

However, Amorim’s side are described as ‘frontrunners’ for Gallagher. As far as a fee is concerned, it has been reported that a bid in the region of £26m could be accepted.

Why Gallagher would be a good signing

The signing of Gallagher could well be a strong addition to United’s midfield. Described as a “warrior” in the middle of the park by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he would bring Premier League experience.

Indeed, Gallagher has made 136 appearances in the English top flight, for boyhood side Chelsea, as well as loan spells at Crystal Palace and West Brom. That ready-made experience in the Premier League could be vital for Amorim, as he would need little to no adaptation period.

Of course, over the last 18 months, the former Chelsea star has been plying his trade in La Liga for Atleti. He’s played 69 times for Diego Simeone’s side, chipping in with six goals and six assists. That included a strike against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season.

If the Red Devils were to sign Gallagher this winter, he could prove to be the long-term replacement for Casemiro. United’s Brazilian midfielder is out of contract soon, and it seems like he could be on his way at the end of the campaign.

Indeed, he is a hard man to replace. The former Los Blancos star has been a key figure in that midfield pivot for Amorim, making 12 appearances and chipping in with three goals.

That included this effort against Gallagher’s former side, Chelsea, at Old Trafford.

Replacing Casemiro in that United midfield would not be easy for Gallagher. Aside from his potent threat in the final third, the Brazilian, of course, is a master at breaking up play and winning the ball back.

However, when looking at the stats, it suggests that the Atleti star possesses the skills to do just that. For example, he’s averaged 4.12 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes this season, compared to just 3.6 each game for Casemiro.

Progressive passes

3.73

5.07

Key passes

0.59

0.93

Progressive carries

2.75

0.67

Tackles and interceptions

4.12

3.60

Ball recoveries

4.71

5.60

Finding the man who can eventually step into Casemiro’s shoes was never going to be easy for Amorim. Yet, in Gallagher, United may have landed upon the perfect player. He still has plenty of quality on the ball and final third threat, whilst also being an efficient ball winner.

Furthermore, he’s also got energy, something Casemiro lacks. Indeed, he has been described as an “intensity monster” and as “one of the best midfielders in the sport when it comes to running long distances” by one notable analyst on social media.

£26m is a small fee in the current market, and should the Red Devils choose to pay it, they could have finally found the perfect player to replace Casemiro.

The new Garnacho: Man Utd ready £131m bid to sign the "best in the world"

Manchester United could be about to smash their transfer record in the upcoming January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 30, 2025

In a year unlike any other for RCB, Jitesh has now played perhaps their most sparkling innings of the year, smashing an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls

Sidharth Monga28-May-20252:04

Moody: Jitesh’s 85* the innings of this season

Once the euphoria settles, Jitesh Sharma will perhaps tell himself good things happen if you keep putting in the good work. Something he might have doubted before this game.Jitesh is not your typical Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player. He is not a superstar, he doesn’t speak English, he didn’t even have a single IPL fifty when brought to RCB. Then again, this is not your typical RCB season. They named a non-superstar captain, Rajat Patidar, and threw their weight behind him. At the auction, they took Jitesh’s price to INR 11 crore from the base price of just a crore. Then they made Jitesh the vice-captain.After the break in the IPL, it has been a bit of a dogfight. Teams have scrambled for player availability, and RCB have had the added headache of injuries to their available players, including Tim David, upon resumption. In a way, the break only helped RCB, letting Patidar heal enough to play even if as just a batter. Josh Hazlewood could be available again. Only because we are still playing the IPL.Related

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Jitesh survives Rathi's run-out appeal at non-striker's end

Still it just seemed things were happening too quickly. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), RCB had a chance to seal a top-two spot. Their chase got off to a great start, but Patidar and Jitesh were part of a demoralising collapse.Then Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) handed them a lifeline by beating Gujarat Titans (GT). Another shot at the top two. Then came another big chase. Another excellent start. Another collapse. Here we go again. Jitesh in the spotlight again. Headlines about “top-heavy RCB” getting ready again.In the last match, Jitesh was involved in the run-out of Patidar that started their collapse of 7 for 16. Jitesh himself mis-hit a slot ball from Jaydev Unadkat. In Lucknow on Tuesday, though, luck turned for Jitesh. He hit the ball sweetly, but when he was about to be run-out because he was ball-watching and not looking at the non-striker, Will O’Rourke fumbled the take.Mayank Agarwal (R) congratulates Jitesh Sharma•BCCIThat was the one moment when he forgot his own survival kit. “I was only trying to stay in the moment, keep breathing and focusing on the ball,” Jitesh said later. Or perhaps he was focusing too hard. Looking too intently at the ball.The hitting was clean. In no time, he was on 49, and the two-run-a-ball chase had turned into 39 off 24. Had he got out there, RCB would likely have still won with two recognised batters still to follow, but Jitesh wouldn’t have got rid of this enormous weight on his shoulders. This night, though, was meant to be. Caught on 49, he was reprieved by the no-ball. Distraught one moment, he was swinging himself off his feet to slog the free hit into the stands and bring up his maiden IPL fifty. You could almost see the weight being lifted.”I was getting cramps because the whole load was on me because this is such a big franchise,” Jitesh said. “But I am enjoying the pressure. I have Virat [Kohli] with me, Krunal [Pandya] with me, Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] with me. When I look at them, I feel pressure. And also excitement that I am playing with these people. Then I enjoy that pressure.”2:31

An 18-year wait to end this season?

In a year unlike any other for RCB, Jitesh has now played perhaps their most sparkling innings of the year. This is sweet payoff for putting their faith in unheralded but promising players. And backing them knowing they haven’t necessarily got time in the middle because their top order has been scoring a majority of the runs.Jitesh himself now sits with elite lower-middle order players. His 85 not out off just 33 balls is the third-highest IPL score from No. 6 or lower. Above him are Hardik Pandya and Andre Russell. Below him are MS Dhoni and his “guru, mentor, Dinesh Karthik “. This is the highest score from No. 6 or below in a successful chase. That’s T20. You do all the range hitting, all the fitness work, get limited chances to bat, and then one day, in 33 balls, you are among the legends of the game.”I won’t be able to express my thoughts,” Jitesh said. “Really, I can’t believe such an innings has come.”The choice of words there is instructive. He didn’t say he couldn’t believe he had played such an innings. He said he couldn’t believe such an innings “has come”. That you always keep trying, but it “comes” only rarely. Especially if you bat where Jitesh does. Then again they do come if you keep putting in the work.

On a day of remarkable drama in the Asia Cup, Pakistan did just about enough to keep their focus and secure the win that guarantees them safe passage to the Super Four. But they had to weather a spirited bowling performance from UAE who gave them a mini-scare. However, an all-round performance from Shaheen Shah Afridi and a team effort from the Pakistan bowlers ultimately sealed a 41-run victory.After the game started an hour late as the PCB threatened brinksmanship over the status of match referee Andy Pycroft, Pakistan appeared to have left all their fire and fury off the field. They scratched and poked timidly in the first four overs, limping to 17 for 2, and it wouldn’t get much better for most of the innings. Junaid Siddique took wickets at top and tail while Simranjeet Singh punctured Pakistan with three in the middle. It was only Fakhar Zaman who was left holding the innings together, but even his 36-ball 50 barely got Pakistan’s run rate above a run a ball.Related

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• The Pakcroft drama: everything, everywhere, all at once

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Afridi’s unbeaten 29 off 14 balls at the end gave his side some breathing room, but after a third successive below-par game with the bat, it was Pakistan’s bowlers left to bail them out. Afridi enjoyed his best bowling display of the tournament, crucially breaking through with Alishan Sharafu’s wicket, while Haris Rauf, playing his first match of the Asia Cup, took the wicket of Dhruv Parashar to break a 48-run fourth wicket stand whose menace had slowly been increasing.Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub were operating in conditions conducive to their skillset, and they kept their end of the deal, their eight overs combining for 3 for 31 as the UAE’s innings ran out of steam. With six overs to go – they needed 62 runs with six wickets in the bag – the game still in the balance. However, as the pressure piled on, the Associates would crumple in a heap, the last seven wickets falling for 20 runs in 23 balls.

Junaid Siddique doubles up

In a tournament dominated by spin bowling, UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique has become the top wicket-taker. Not for nothing has he amassed 105 T20I wickets, four of which came in a masterful spell of bowling against Pakistan on Wednesday.Following on from his 4 for 23 against Oman earlier in the tournament, Siddique drew Saim Ayub into a lash outside off for his third successive duck of the tournament. Varying his pace and lengths beautifully, he went the other way for Sahibzada Farhan, denying him room to induce a feeble chip into the infield.It meant Pakistan started off painfully – they were 9 for 2 in the third over – and Waseem squirelled away Siddique’s remaining two overs for the death. There, Siddique delivered like a charm once more, Pakistan’s lower-middle order finding him as difficult to put away as well. He struck once more in each of his two overs, outfoxing Mohammad Haris as he tried to paddle him, before signing off with a slower delivery that had Mohammad Nawaz holing out to leave Pakistan eight down.1:49

Jaffer: Junaid Siddique was ‘spot on’ in a must-win game

Shaheen injects batting momentum

It was fast bowler Afridi whose last-gasp cameo with the bat against India established some competitiveness to Pakistan’s total, and he came to the rescue in similar circumstances against UAE. With Pakistan 110 for 7 in the 17th over, Afridi almost single-handedly got Pakistan up to and beyond par. He found a way to fetch a pair of boundaries off Siddique, but the bulk of the runs came in a thrilling final over.Freeing his arms to get that windmill of a swing going, he began by slapping Muhammad Rohid over mid-off for six before whipping him over square leg for six more. Eighteen would come off that over, and of the 28 that came off the final two, with Afridi scoring 27 in 10 deliveries. It pushed Pakistan up to 146, placing a level of scoreboard pressure on the hosts that ultimately weighed them down throughout the chase.

When the moment slipped away

The game was going perfectly to plan for UAE. A superb bowling performance was being followed by a brisk start with the bat. Alishan Sharafu caressed the first ball of the innings from Afridi for four, and the first two overs produced 19 for 0.But there were signs that Afridi would back up his batting cameo with the ball when he coaxed Sharafu into dragging on. UAE’s captain Waseem then tried to keep the innings going. Five wides from Haris Rauf helped the run rate, and Waseem thwacked him for a boundary in the same over. By the end of the fourth, UAE were 35 for 1.The final two overs of the powerplay, though, damaged their chase. Salman Agha turned to Abrar whose carrom ball deceived Waseem. Mohammad Nawaz threw in a dive to take a stunning low catch to deal a hammer blow to their chances of an upset. In the next over, Saim Ayub cleaned up Muhammad Zohaib to leave UAE tottering at 38 for 3. As the asking rate rose into the ether, it took UAE’s hopes with it.

On day two, just as on day one, Australia bossed the twilight zone in Adelaide

Alagappan Muthu07-Dec-2024Rohit Sharma looked like the most lonesome person in the world as he trekked back to the dressing room. It’s a good thing they’re square of the wicket in Adelaide. Shorter walk.Australia picked up five wickets in the night session. Were it not for Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland overstepping, they could have got them earlier and built on them further. Sometime in the lead-up to Travis Head’s century, it felt like they might be trying something like this. Bowling with the new pink ball in twilight. It’s almost the be-all-end-all of this format.Related

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India found themselves in a similar situation on day one when they found themselves with a seven-over-old pink ball at sunset. They were able to take only one wicket.”Yeah, I think for me if I can just rewind the clock to the first Test match, I thought our lines and lengths were exceptional and I think that was sort of the blueprint for us going into this series,” bowling coach Morne Morkel said, “We wanted to bring the stumps into play as much as possible and I felt last night with the ball moving around a little bit we missed that.”In their day-night practice match in Canberra, India discovered that the pink ball responded more when you hit the pitch on a good length. So that’s what they did when they got the new ball under lights last night. According to ESPNcricinfo ball-by-ball data, 104 of their first 198 deliveries landed exactly where they wanted it to. But only around 15% of those good-length balls ended up in line with the stumps. Many of the rest behaved a little more erratically than they were prepared for, and by the time they could recalibrate, Australia had seen off the toughest of the conditions to bat in.”Thirty overs seems to be about the mark at Adelaide Oval that for my whole career, that’s the sort of, red ball, pink ball, that’s the time where you sort of have to put in and invest and then it feels like the wicket gets slightly easier to bat on.” Travis Head, an Adelaide native, said.1:07

Where did India’s bowlers go wrong in Adelaide?

India’s second innings began with them 157 runs behind. They were under siege by an amped-up crowd and in the crosshairs of a revved-up bowling unit. Pat Cummins picked up the first wicket and the team-mates he didn’t high-five were probably the luckiest people on earth. Those he did might be sneaking ice-packs into their hotel rooms.Australia also targeted the good-length area. It accounted for 78 of 144 deliveries, and 24% of them posed a threat to the stumps because, ironically enough, in their hands the ball wasn’t moving as much. In their hands, it did just enough to beat the middle of the bat, leaving both edges and the stumps in play.One of them was the ball that had Rohit’s name on it, leaving him with two single-digit scores in his first outing after leading India to a 3-0 defeat at home. He moved down to No. 6 so as not to disrupt the opening combination that had won them the first Test. It also offered him a chance – if everything went well – to come in against the old ball, which sounds like the kind of leg up a batter who hasn’t had as much time to acclimatise to the conditions might find useful. It could be argued that Rohit dropping down the order was as much a concession as it was strategic. And it still didn’t work. He was adjudged lbw off what turned out to be a no-ball on 0, though there was a suggestion of an inside edge and an immediate gesture to review, and bowled neck and crop on 6.A few days ago Mohammed Siraj spoke about how the pink ball, when it was pitched up, didn’t really do a lot. Australia saw virtue in that. They ran the risk of being driven and flicked for four, which Shubman Gill did quite well, but given the vagaries of the pink ball, the magic of the night session and a first-innings lead, they could afford to take those hits. They could gamble in search of what happened in the 18th over when Gill was clean bowled. Starc got that ball to swing in late, seam in further, and beat the closed face of the bat to crash into the stumps.India had to spend a lot of time to home in on the line and length that accounted for the seam and swing. Eighty of their first 198 deliveries were left alone. Australia could settle in a lot quicker. They only allowed India to leave the pink ball 29 times in the window when it tends to do the most damage. This, as much as anything else, has led to the game being where it is. The night session of a day-night Test, it’s influence is irresistible.

Matt Short wants to make the T20 World Cup side for Australia next year and knows a role in the middle order is his best hope

AAP06-Nov-2025

Australia allrounder Matt Short prefers opening the batting, but has revealed his best chance of playing at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka is in the middle and lower order.The 29-year-old toured the West Indies for Australia’s underwhelming 2024 World Cup showing as a reserve player outside of the 15-man squad and did not play.The current T20 series against India, which concludes in Queensland with matches on the Gold Coast and at the Gabba, has a lot riding on it for Short.Related

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His best innings for Australia, including a dynamic 66 off 30 deliveries against South Africa in 2023, have come as an opener. However, Short, who played his first two matches of the current series at No.7, has been given a clear picture of his path to T20 World Cup inclusion by the side’s brains trust.”Personally I think I am suited to the top of the order, but having conversations with selectors and coaching staff, I think, looking forward to that T20 World Cup, I know that our top four or five is going to be pretty locked in,” Short said.”If I was to make the XI in the World Cup, I think my best chances are in the middle or lower order. We are probably using this series to see guys in different positions and looking ahead to that World Cup.”[To play at the World Cup] would be massive. I missed out on the one in the West Indies where I was a travelling reserve, but I love playing cricket for Australia no matter if it’s in the World Cup or a series like this. I am happy taking what I am getting, whether that is in the top order or through the middle.”The Adelaide Strikers captain confirmed himself as a cricketer of absolute class when he was player of the tournament in BBL 12 and BBL 13, where his powerful batting and crafty offspin stole the show.That high level of consistency was the stepping stone for Short to gain selection in both the Australian T20 and ODI sides, where he debuted in 2023.Short enjoys the ball coming onto the bat, but has set himself a goal of upping the ante when facing spinners.”There’s always ways to improve,” he said. “Looking at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, it is probably my game against spin that probably needs a little bit of work.”Especially when you look at our squad and the power hitters we have got through the middle like Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis … guys that have had that experience in India before and have that real power game against spin.”It is obviously a challenge, and playing for Australia is not easy, so we will have to wait and see.”

Phil Foden and Rebecca Cooke have dropped another hint that wedding bells will soon be ringing, with the Manchester City star’s partner flashing a huge diamond engagement ring. The childhood sweethearts have three children together and would appear to be drawing up plans for a tying of the knot. There has been no official word that they are preparing to get married.

Is Foden getting married? Engagement speculation

Speculation has, however, been rife for several months. Eldest son Ronnie has helped to fuel those rumours. He has shared a video on his Instagram account – which now boasts 4.2 million followers – that features his mum and dad.

In that, which sees the Fodens getting into the Christmas spirit, Cooke can be seen sporting a dazzling piece of jewellery on her left ring finger. She has been making no attempt to hide that sparkler across a series of images and videos that have been posted online.

AdvertisementRing shopping: No official word on wedding

Foden and Cooke sparked engagement gossip when they were spotted ring shopping in Wilmslow, Cheshire. They were seen heading into a local jewellers after arriving in a £400,000 Mercedes G-Wagon.

Back in February, Cooke was seen sporting a ring on her left hand. It was reported at the time that Foden had popped the question during a romantic break in Paris – with the England international apparently getting down on one knee as the new year was welcomed in.

The happy couple – who both hail from Stockport – have been together since they were teenagers, with City playmaker Foden now 25 years of age. A source has told : “The pair of them have been together since they were young and their family and friends have been expecting them to get engaged for a while.

“The time seemed right for Phil to pop the question. He took her away to Paris for New Year's Eve and when they came back Rebecca had a sparkling diamond ring on her engagement finger.”

The insider added: “The ring is absolutely huge. It's a massive diamond. She loves it and she's very proud of wearing it although she hasn't announced anything about it. But all the wags know and all the players know in Manchester about the ring and everybody is looking forward to maybe an announcement soon that something has happened, maybe an engagement.

“It would certainly be a massive wedding full of footballers and celebrities and WAGs. Rebecca loves a party and has hosted some amazing baby showers.”

Star-studded ceremony: Foden & Cooke are parents of three

A Foden-Cooke wedding would certainly be a star-studded affair, with several international footballers likely to be in attendance. Extended family would also be invited along, with Foden having remained close to his roots since bursting onto the senior stage. A source has previously told the Daily Mail: “Phil is very close to his family, particularly his parents.”

Foden and Cooke became parents for the first time in 2019, when Ronnie was welcomed into the world. The Manchester City and England star said of that experience: “I was there for the birth. I walked out of the room, gave it a little tear and then went back in like nothing happened.”

The couple's daughter, True, was born in 2021. Cooke gave birth to a second son in June 2024, with Foden being released from European Championship duty with England in order to be at his partner’s side in the delivery room.

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Getty Images Sport2026 World Cup dream: Foden hoping to make England squad

He is hoping to grace another major tournament next summer, with the Three Lions having secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup. They will discover their group stage opponents for that event when said draw takes place on Friday.

Foden has not always been called upon by Thomas Tuchel, with the German tactician making it clear that there are no guaranteed selections in his ranks, but a welcome return to form has been enjoyed with club and country. The classy midfielder has registered four goals across his last two Premier League appearances for City – against Leeds and Fulham.

The format of the WTC discourages defensive cricket, and that has made Test matches look and feel very different to what they were – the story in numbers

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Jun-2025In November 2015, South Africa lost an away Test series for the first time in nearly a decade when they went 2-0 down after three of the four Tests in India.In the final Test, a dead rubber in Delhi, South Africa focused solely on playing for a draw instead of trying to get a consolation win when set a target of 481 in five full sessions. To achieve that, they scored 143 runs in 143.1 overs. They were on track for the longest time, but then lost their last five wickets in just 31 balls after tea on the final day. Morne Morkel was the fastest scorer with a strike rate of 33.33.No team in the 152-year history of Test cricket has gone that long while scoring as slowly.Fast forward ten years, and teams have a solid reason to do what South Africa tried to do in Delhi. You get four crucial points to help your cause on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, after all, and prevent the opposition from claiming the full 12 points.Except, no one seems to be thinking that. There were only four draws in the WTC cycle which will have it’s winner at Lord’s in just over a week’s time.