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Manchester United have had some sensational midfielders over the years. Two of the players who spring to mind are Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick. The England pair formed a crucial midfield pivot in the later years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s dynasty.

Of course, Scholes was a graduate of the United academy and had plenty of success before Carrick signed for the club in 2006. Once they were playing together week in, week out at the Theatre of Dreams, they formed one of the best midfield pairings in the Premier League.

United have long been searching for a midfielder who possesses as much class as Scholes Carrick did. Kobbie Mainoo is someone who would surely fit that bill.

What Scholes has said about Mainoo

Life under Ruben Amorim this season hasn’t been easy for Mainoo. The 20-year-old has been continuously overlooked, which is strange given the pedigree he comes with, built up in such a short amount of time.

His astronomic rise under Erik ten Hag began with a spellbinding performance on debut away to Everton.

Mainoo’s technical brilliance was on show then, picking up the ball off the back four with ease and carrying forward to progress play.

Mainoo stats on PL debut vs. Everton
Stat	Number
Touches	61
Passes completed	38/46
Ground duels won	3/5
Aerial duels won	2/3
Ball recoveries	3
Long balls completed	2
Tackles won	1/1
Stats from Sofascore

He continued to shine in that United midfield, with Scholes someone who heaped praise on him.

The United great said, “I remember that calmness” Mainoo had on the ball, before going on to admit, “I just couldn’t believe such a young player could do that.”

Mainoo’s excellent performances were capped off last summer. He started and shone in the Euro 2024 final, which England lost 2-1 to Spain.

Given his quick rise and obvious talent, it is baffling that he continues to get ignored for a starting spot by Amorim.

Incredibly, United have a midfielder in the academy who might be even more like Carrick and Scholes than Mainoo, however.

United’s Carrick and Scholes hybrid at Carrington

The Red Devils are no strangers to incredible midfield talent. Of course, Scholes and Carrick are two of them, and Mainoo is the current example, but the likes of Paul Pogba certainly fit into the category.

Well, the next off the incredible production line at Carrington could well be Jim Thwaites. The 17-year-old has shone in the centre of the park for United’s under-18 side this season, under another midfield great, Darren Fletcher.

This season, sitting at the base of the midfield for Fletcher’s team, Thwaites has played six times in the under-18s Premier League. He’s started all of those games, skippering the side once and chipping in with a couple of goals.

Speaking of those strikes, and ones in the past, Thwaites is a bit of a specialist when it comes to free kicks. Look at this effort against Manchester City in what turned out to be a 4-2 defeat for his side.

The United youngster rifled home the set piece into the top left corner, with an inch-perfect effort.

That goal itself showcases Thwaites’ excellent ability. You can’t take a free kick like that without possessing technical brilliance. It is easy to see why he can be such a good controller in midfield, pulling the strings for his side.

In fact, coach Seb Ostergren was full of praise for the youngster. He said Thwaites is like a “hybrid between Scholes and Carrick,” noting he has the “line breaking forward passes” of United’s former number 16 and the “switches” of their academy graduate.

Thwaites is certainly a talent United fans can get excited for. At just 17 years of age, he knows how to make things tick in the centre of the park.

Once he gets used to the pace of senior football, he could become a huge asset for the club.

Man Utd's "homegrown Osimhen" at Carrington looks like their new Rashford

Manchester United already have a star who could reach phenomenal levels in the near future.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 23, 2025

Australia’s stand-in captain said that a pink-ball Test is ‘just a completely different game’

Matt Roller30-Nov-2025

Steven Smith wears black tape under his eyes•Getty Images

Steven Smith looks set to emulate former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul by wearing ‘eye blacks’ on his cheeks during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. He trialled the anti-glare strips while batting in the nets during Australia’s floodlit training session on Sunday evening ahead of Thursday’s day-night, pink-ball fixture in Brisbane.Smith has played 13 of Australia’s 14 previous pink-ball Tests but has not taken to the format in the same way as red-ball cricket: he has only scored one hundred in 24 innings in day-night Tests, averaging 37.04. His record in daytime Tests is far superior, with 35 centuries in 190 innings and an average of 58.31.”The pink ball in general is just a completely different game,” Smith had said during Australia’s most recent day-night Test match, a 176-run win over West Indies in Jamaica in July. “Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that, and the way it behaves is completely different to a red one.”I think people like the spectacle. But as a player, particularly as a batter, it’s very challenging. The game can so quickly, and things change really quickly, which you probably don’t get so much with a red ball. But yeah, people like watching it, I suppose, so I guess it’s here to stay.”Related

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The ‘eye blacks’ – small, black, adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone – that Smith wore in training are commonplace in several American sports, and are designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.Chanderpaul is the most prominent cricketer to have used them previously. “I always used it whenever it was very glary,” he told in a 2018 interview. “I stick them on and it does help take 60-70 percent of the glare off my eyes, and that was good for me.”Alastair Cook, who played three day-night Tests for England, has identified focusing on the pink ball’s black seam as the biggest challenge for batters due to glare. “When the floodlights shine off the pink leather, it distracts from focusing on the black seam – and if you can’t see the seam as a batsman, you’re in big trouble,” Cook wrote in his column.”Whatever type of cricket you are playing, the seam is your clue as to how the ball will behave… At least you have a chance with a red ball. If it’s a pink one under lights, it’s nigh-on impossible to pick up the seam and, therefore, decide with confidence which way the ball might move.”Smith’s innovation came on the same day that Joe Root questioned whether the Ashes should feature a pink-ball Test, comments which Travis Head dismissed.Australia lead the five-Test series 1-0 after beating England inside two days in Perth.

MatériaMais Notícias

Andreas Pereira é uma das peças versáteis no meio-campo da Seleção Brasileira de Dorival Júnior. O jogador do Fulham tem ao lado diversos companheiros de Premier League em que a parceria não é só dentro de campo. Para o atleta, a amizade ajuda no entrosamento do time.

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A gente tem um meio de campo muito móvel, dinâmico, que está acostumado a jogar na Premier, que é muito intensa

---

disse Andreas Pereira. E completou:

– A gente está muito bem servido nas posições, qualquer jogador vai fazer um bom trabalho, mas com certeza mudou a estrutura, não tem alguém fixo na frente da defesa, como era antes com o Casemiro, são três jogadores dinâmicos, intensos, para ajudar os atacantes e a defesa também.

O meia do Fulham é um velho conhecido de Dorival Júnior. Andreas Pereira trabalhou com o técnico ainda quando jogava no Flamengo. Pela Seleção Brasileira, o jogador já desempenhou diversas funções.

– O Dorival me conhece como segundo volante, mas também como meia, como venho atuando no meu clube, na Inglaterra. Ele sabe que eu posso ajudar em muitas funções no meio de campo, pede para eu exercer essas coisas, posso jogar mais ofensivo, como segundo volante, posso ajudar nessas funções. Tento fazer meu melhor possível nos treinos e nos jogos – contou o volante do Fulham. E emendou:

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– O futebol vem evoluindo bastante, é difícil ver uma equipe que joga com um 5 fixo. Para mim, como segundo volante, há alguns ajustes. Você vai estar em dois para defender na frente da defesa, tem que ter em conta que ninguém pode ir para o ataque e deixar a defesa vulnerável, por isso o professor fala em atacar marcando. Como sou segundo volante, tenho esse pensamento de estar mais presente para defender. Para mim, não muda muito, tem que entrar na área para fazer gol e ter a recomposição para parar qualquer tipo de jogada. Para jogar nas posições do meio, tem que estar ligado e ter disposição.

A Seleção Brasileira entra em campo neste sábado para enfrentar o México em amistoso preparatório para a Copa América. A bola rola às 21h30.

🎙️ MAIS RESPOSTAS DE ANDREAS PEREIRA:

VOLTA POR CIMA NA INGLATERRA
– A saída do Brasil iniciou essa retomada com o próprio Dorival no Flamengo, foi o primeiro técnico que me levantou, levantou a cabeça, quando cheguei na Inglaterra o treinador do Fulham, Marco Silva, me ajudou muito. Graças a essas pessoas estou aqui, só tenho a agradecer a essas pessoas que me ajudaram, à minha família.

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AMIZADES BRASILEIRAS NA PREMIER LEAGUE
– Eu conhecia o João, o Douglas também, o Paquetá vindo do Flamengo têm essa conexão, o Bruno de jogar contra, essa amizade… fomos no parque juntos, aproveitamos, foi muito bom, é bom ter amigos na Seleção para defender um ao outro em campo. Estamos aproveitando a cada treino, a cada momento, vamos nos preparar para ganhar esse torneio.

VISITAS DE EX-JOGADORES
– É uma honra ver os ex-jogadores aqui com a gente, orgulho imenso ver o Emerson, tirar foto, Rivaldo esteve aqui. Quando era criança, via jogos da Seleção com meu pai e queria estar na seleção, é sonho de criança.

ESPORTES AMERICANOS
– Gosto bastante de NFL, do Patrick Mahomes, acompanho sempre o Super Bowl, tento assistir, pela diferença de horário às vezes fica tarde. É uma experiência boa estar nos Estados Unidos, jogar nesses estádios incríveis, antes dos jogos vou bater uma fotinho nos estádios, é sempre bom. É um privilégio estar aqui.

DORIVAL JR
– Ele me ajudou muito num momento que eu estava precisando muito, é uma coisa que sempre vou levar no coração o quanto ele me ajudou e o quanto foi importante. Fico feliz de estar na Seleção com ele como técnico, só tenho que ajudar de todas as formas possíveis para retribuir.

FUTURO
– Eu acho que é difícil falar agora, estou completamente focado na Seleção, com certeza, se Deus quiser, após o título com a seleção brasileira vou pensar no futuro no clube, vou sentar com meu empresário e decidir.

Tudo sobre

Andreas PereiraBrasilFutebol NacionalPremier LeagueSeleção Brasileira

Manchester United are reportedly battling Arsenal and Real Madrid to complete the signing of a quick Bundesliga defender.

The left-back situation at Old Trafford is one that Ruben Amorim will be keeping an eye on, with his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation requiring a player who can excel in a left wing-back role.

Luke Shaw has been used more as one of the three centre-backs for United this season, with age and injuries arguably making it harder for him to be the marauding force that he used to be down the left flank.

Meanwhile, Patrick Dorgu is a good player with plenty of promise at wing-back, providing power and quality, and Diogo Dalot’s versatility allows him to do a job on both the left and the right.

United could need to look at more depth moving forward, however, especially with Shaw never too far away from an injury absence, and it looks as though Nathaniel Brown has emerged as a strong option in that area of the pitch.

Man Utd keen on signing £56m-rated Brown

According to a fresh update from Bild [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are in the mix to sign Brown from Frankfurt, but Arsenal and Madrid are providing stiff competition.

He is said to be “on their radar” as they eye up fresh faces in 2026, with the German left-back a new target for the Red Devils who is valued at £56m.

Brown stands out as an exciting target for United, with Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche heaping praise on his many qualities as a player.

“Yes! Because he has three exceptional abilities that you can’t learn. He’s smart and tactically astute, has fantastic technique, and is very fast. And all of that is necessary to have a great career ahead of him. Now is the wrong time to think about who might leave us and when. They’re both young and should stay with us a while longer.

“Can (Uzun) has developed tremendously compared to last year. It’s a shame he’s injured now. And Nene (Brown) is simply exceptional. He’s made outstanding progress, especially when it comes to defending at a high level. Just look at how he plays against top opponents in the Champions League.”

At 22, Brown would be a long-term addition for United, challenging Dorgu for minutes, and he will surely add to his one solitary cap for Germany at senior international level as the years pass.

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Andrea Berta could secure a bargain next year.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 15, 2025

He has averaged five tackles per game in the Champions League this season, highlighting his tenacity off the ball, while three assists in all competitions shows he can also create in the attacking third.

"Explosive" Dorgu star can take new Man Utd role when Amad & Mbeumo go to AFCON

MatériaMais Notícias

Raphael Veiga assumiu a responsabilidade na derrota do Palmeiras contra o São Paulo, pela Supercopa do Brasil. O meia lamentou a chance perdida no primeiro tempo, mas reafirmou a grandeza do Verdão e o atual elenco.

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– A gente já ganhou, a gente já perdeu. Quem ganha tem que comemorar. O Palmeiras ainda é o maior campeão do Brasil e estamos só no começo do ano. Jogos assim tem menos chances. Eu tive uma cabeçada no começo, faltou um pouco. Tem vezes que você chuta, desvia e entra. Tem vezes que as coisas não acontecem. Sou grato por fazer parte desse time – disse o camisa 23 à Globo.

Raphael Veiga também exaltou a presença e apoio da torcida do Palmeiras nas arquibancadas do Mineirão. O meia destacou o apoio dos torcedores antes, durante e após o primeiro Choque-Rei

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– Parabenizar a torcida do Palmeiras. Mais uma vez deram show e cantaram o jogo inteiro – comentou o meia.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

O camisa 23 é o jogador com mais gols em finais na história do Verdão, e neste ano chegou a 15 gols em clássicos, sendo cinco deles contra o São Paulo. O próximo compromisso do Palmeiras é na quinta-feira (8), às 21h, contra o Ituano, no Allianz Parque.

Tudo sobre

PalmeirasRaphael Veiga

Uma Chetry to replace her in both squads

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2025

Yastika Bhatia injured her left knee during the preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam•Getty Images

India’s wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia as well as the ODI World Cup after she injured her left knee during the preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam.Uma Chetry, who was one of the standbys, has replaced Bhatia in both squads. Chetry, 23, has represented India in seven T20Is but has yet to play an ODI. Since she is now part of the main squad, she has been withdrawn from the India A side that was to play the World Cup warm-up match against South Africa on September 28.Bhatia had last played an ODI in October 2024 and was a back-up for Richa Ghosh. She was picked in the World Cup squad after an impressive performance for India A in Australia, where she scored 59, 66 and 42 in three 50-over games.India will take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the World Cup in Guwahati on September 30.India’s updated squad for Australia seriesHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Uma Chetry (wk)Standbys for Australia series: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya MishraIndia’s updated squad for Women’s ODI World CupHarmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (WK), Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Uma Chetry (WK)Standbys for Women’s ODI World Cup: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Minnu Mani, Sayali SatghareIndia A’s updated squadMinnu Mani (capt), Dhara Gujjar, Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Vrinda Dinesh, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Tanushree Sarkar, Tanuja Kanwar, Titas Sadhu, Sayali Satghare, Saima Thakor, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Raghvi Bist

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl got off to the worst possible start in charge of the Ibrox giants with a 3-0 defeat to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Light Blues boss arrived at the club earlier this week to replace Russell Martin in the dugout and got a firsthand look at the issues that have plagued the season so far.

Three avoidable goals were conceded, only one ‘big chance’ was created, no goals were scored. Rohl will be struggling to come up with positives to take away from the game, beyond the performance of Jack Butland.

Why Jack Butland is already undroppable for Danny Rohl

The former England international showed his class against Brann, in spite of the result, with some excellent work between the sticks to help his side out.

Butland made an excellent early save down to his right after Nasser Djiga was caught out, but had no chance for the opening goal that was converted from close range.

Per Sofascore, the experienced shot-stopper completed all three of his run-outs, which shows that he was proactive in sweeping up behind his defenders to prevent the hosts from creating even more chances.

Despite conceding three goals, Butland only conceded 0.45 more than expected, per Sofascore. This means that there was little more that he could have done to affect the result.

Whilst Butland may already be undroppable for Rohl, because of his strong display in the loss, Joe Rothwell is one of the players who should be immediately dropped.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Joe Rothwell

The German tactician should immediately drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up because the Russell Martin signing failed to impose himself on the game in midfield.

Chalkboard

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

As aforementioned, Rangers were too easy to create chances against and they did not create enough quality chances of their own to get back into the game.

Rothwell’s performance played a part in their struggles in and out of possession, as the experienced Englishman offered little to the team aside from composure in his passing game.

Minutes

64

Pass accuracy

93%

Accurate long passes

1

Dribbles completed

0

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Tackles attempted

0

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder did not create any chances for his teammates in 64 minutes on the pitch, and he failed to win a single duel in the middle of the park.

These statistics show that the summer signing from Bournemouth did not get about the field to disrupt the opposition, who strolled to a 3-0 win, and he did not show enough creativity in his use of the ball to drag Rangers back into the match.

Rothwell had fewer touches (31) than Butland (48) did between the sticks, per Sofascore, which further speaks to the lack of influence that the 30-year-old midfielder had for the Light Blues.

Rohl, therefore, should brutally ditch the central midfielder from the starting XI ahead of the club’s trip to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, because he did not show enough on or off the ball.

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1 ByBen Goodwin Oct 23, 2025

It is a concerning trend for Rothwell, signed by Martin, because he has also lost 54% of his ground duels and assisted one goal in eight appearances in the Premiership, which shows that he has not been outstanding domestically or in Europe.

The 30-year-old midfielder may need to show Rohl more, on and off the ball, to prove to the manager that he deserves a regular place in the starting line-up.

وجه نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، إيرلينج هالاند، ضربة قوية لنادي برشلونة في إطار مساعي بطل الدوري الإسباني للحصول على خدماته، الصيف المقبل، حيث يمثل حلمًا لـ خوان لابورتا رئيس العملاق الكتالوني.

وسبق أن ذكرت تقارير صحفية أن خوان لابورتا يحلم بالحصول على خدمات إيرلينج هالاند، لصالح برشلونة، من أجل تعزيز آماله في انتخابه كرئيس جديد للنادي الكتالوني، رغم صعوبة الأمر بسبب النواحي المالية.

ووقع إيرلينج هالاند عقدًا جديدًا مع مانشستر سيتي، في يناير الماضي، ممتد حتى صيف 2034.

ورغم ذلك، زعم الصحفي خورخي بيكون، عبر شبكة “eldesmarque” الإسبانية، أن إيرلينج هالاند حدد وجهته المقبلة حال رحيله عن مانشستر سيتي، حيث يريد الانتقال إلى الدوري الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هالاند عن استبداله بـ مرموش أمام بورنموث: البعض ليسوا سعداء.. ويجب سؤال جوارديولا

وأوضح أن هالاند يرغب بشدة في اللعب لصالح ريال مدريد، كما يؤكد محيطه، بخلاف أن وكيلة أعماله رافاييلا بيمينتا صرحت مرارًا وتكرارًا أن النرويجي هو صاحب الكلمة العليا في تحديد مصيره.

وأفاد بأن هالاند لديه مخرج من مانشستر سيتي متمثل في شرط جزائي في عقده الحالي، ولكن قيمته لا تزال غير معروفة.

وربط الصحفي نفسه بين احتمال وصول هالاند إلى ريال مدريد ومستقبل فينيسيوس جونيور الذي سينتهي عقده في صيف 2027، مع غموض يكتنف مصيره تحت قيادة المدرب تشابي ألونسو.

وأشار إلى أنه في حال بقاء فينيسيوس جونيور مع ريال مدريد، فإن وصول هالاند إلى “سانتياجو برنابيو” قد يكون أصعب قليلًا.

RCB are expected to be without Tim David, but Josh Hazlewood is back

Vishal Dikshit26-May-20251:24

Chance for Pant to open?

Big Picture: Will LSG spoil RCB’s party?Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) need not have watched the game between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday with a calculator in hand to see what kind of margin they need for Tuesday to finish in the top two for a straight shot into the IPL 2025 final. No matter what the result on Monday night, RCB just need to win their last league game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to reach 19 points that will guarantee them a place in qualifier 1, whether they finish on top or second.If LSG win on Tuesday, though, RCB will finish third and play in the eliminator, like they did last year and bowed out of the tournament after a loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR).Related

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Injury scare for Tim David ahead of playoffs

What might scare RCB a little is that the teams eliminated from the playoffs race have been beating the teams that have made it to the playoffs over the last four days. It was LSG who started that trend by taking down the table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) with a match-winning century from Mitchell Marsh. Nicholas Pooran’s return to runs after a slump in between also bodes well for LSG, and so does the bowling of 6’4” fast bowler Will O’Rourke, who has bagged four wickets in his two showings so far, after he came on as a replacement for the injured Mayank Yadav.The day after LSG’s last game, RCB had their four-match winning streak broken by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Even though one loss doesn’t make or break a team’s confidence, RCB suffered a blow in that clash when their middle-order basher Tim David hurt himself while fielding in the deep, and is unlikely for Tuesday.RCB will, however, be boosted by the return of their ace fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who stayed back in Australia for his shoulder rehab when the IPL had resumed, and has joined the team ahead of the last league game.Form guideRoyal Challengers Bengaluru LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Lucknow Super Giants: WLLLLIn the spotlight: Josh Hazlewood and Rishabh PantThere are not many overseas bowlers who have taken IPL 2025 by storm, but Josh Hazlewood is among the small bunch. His metronomic bowling style married with the T20 weapons of hard lengths, pace variations and yorkers make him one of the most feared fast bowlers in the competition. He is a potent weapon in both the powerplay and the death overs, and RCB will look to bank heavily on him, on both Tuesday and in the playoffs, before he heads to London for the WTC final.0:58

Moody: RCB need to move on from this loss quickly

Rishabh Pant is having his worst IPL season, be it in terms of runs, strike rate or average. In his last game, however, Pant gave glimpses of Pant of the old when he hit two sixes with his usual physics-defying positions he gets into by the time he finishes his shots. It could be because LSG had been eliminated from the playoffs, and we saw a carefree Pant with a nothing-to-lose attitude. LSG will hope he bats more like that on Tuesday, and he will hope he gets some more runs before flying out to London for the Test series as vice-captain.Team news and likely XIIsRCB will be forced to make a couple of changes. Hazlewood’s return to the XI will be in place of Lungi Ngidi, who misses the last league game to fly back home for WTC final preparations with his national side.The big miss will be David, who had scored 42 runs off 20 deliveries he faced in their last two games. RCB may not have a like-for-like replacement for him if he’s unavailable, but they do have Liam Livingstone and Tim Seifert who was brought in as replacement for Jacob Bethell for the remainder of the tournament, just like they have Blessing Muzarabani for Ngidi. Both Seifert and Muzarabani have joined the squad. Their captain Rajat Patidar was only fit to bat in the last game, and he could continue to be their Impact Player if he has still not recovered to field.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaThe main change LSG could make is bringing back Digvesh Rathi, who missed the last game because of his one-match suspension. If their opener Aiden Markram has returned home to prepare for the WTC final, LSG will need a new opener. Will Pant move up the order again? They may also want to give chances to more players on the bench such as batter Matthew Breetzke, wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Juyal, batting allrounder Yuvraj Chaudhary, bowling allrounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar and batting allrounder Arshin Kulkarni who still haven’t played a game this season, and Himmat Singh hasn’t batted even once despite getting two matches this season.Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Matthew Breetzke/Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Himmat Singh, 8 Digvesh Rathi, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Will O’Rourke, 12 Akash SinghThe big questionPitch and conditionsIt’s going to be a mixed-soil pitch for Lucknow’s last game of the season, made up of red and black soil. That’s usually a batting-friendly track. The last game played on that strip was between LSG and CSK when the hosts were restricted to 166 and MS Dhoni had taken CSK home. It’s expected to be extremely hot in Lucknow on Tuesday, with temperatures going over 36 degrees Celsius, and a good amount of humidity too to make it more sultry. There is no rain in the forecast.Stats and trivia RCB will have to find a way to stop LSG’s overseas batters from hitting sixes: Marsh has struck the second-most sixes in the powerplay so far whereas Pooran has the most in the middle overs Will RCB be brave enough to bowl Krunal Pandya to Pooran? Because Pooran also holds the record of most sixes against spin in this IPL, at 25, with 15 being the second-best. Pooran has hardly faced Krunal so far, having scored 25 off his 15 balls so far in the IPL without being dismissed yet RCB could become the first time in the history of the IPL to win all their seven away games, if they bag another W on Tuesday Virat Kohli is 24 away from 9000 runs for RCB overall, in the IPL and Champions League T20 combined

Tottenham Hotspur are now in talks to sign a “world-class” £43m star, who is ready to fly into London to complete a move.

Spurs looking to sign forward before 7pm deadline

As we enter the final hours of the summer transfer window, Tottenham remain keen on signing a new forward, having failed to bring in a like-for-like replacement for Son Heung-min, with Manchester City’s Savinho remaining at the Etihad Stadium.

Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani, who can play at both centre-forward and on the wing, has now emerged as an option for Thomas Frank’s side.

However, Spurs are also ramping up their interest in a different forward of a similar mould, with a report from The Boot Room revealing they have now entered talks over a deal for wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

The Italian club are looking to receive £43m for Lookman, and they could be willing to accept an initial loan deal, which would include an obligation to buy, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey adding: “Lookman has emerged as an option for Tottenham, not dissimilar to their Xavi Simons deal. They were in the right place at the right time.

“I am told Lookman is keen, Tottenham are keen, and this has a chance ahead of Monday’s 7pm deadline.”

Promisingly, with the Atalanta forward keen on a move to N17, he is now ready to fly to London to complete the deal.

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Spurs have now identified a Champions League-winning defender as a target.

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 1, 2025

"World-class" Lookman would be exciting signing for Spurs

Much like Kolo-Muani, the Nigeria international is able to play at both striker and on the wing, making him a versatile option for Frank, and the 27-year-old has maintained a fantastic record in front of goal during his time with Atalanta.

Season	Serie A appearances	Goal contributions
2022-23	31	21
2023-24	31	19
2024-25	31	20

Not only has the London-born forward impressed in the Serie A, but he memorably caught the eye in the 2024 Europa League final, scoring a hat-trick to secure a 3-0 victory for his side over a Bayer Leverkusen side that won the Bundesliga undefeated.

Courtesy of the hat-trick against the at-the-time German champions, the Atalanta star scooped up a prestigious award and received very high praise from the BBC’s John Bennett.

Lookman would clearly be a top-quality addition to Tottenham’s squad, and a £43m fee seems reasonable, given the level of his performances in the Serie A and Europa League.