Luka Modric is already drawing lucrative offers from clubs in Qatar and the Saudi Pro League, even as he continues to impress with AC Milan in Serie A. The Croatian maestro, who has defied expectations with his performances, holds the final decision on a potential contract extension with the Rossoneri, who are keen to retain him beyond his current deal's expiration date in June 2026.
Modric defying age with exceptional AC Milan impact
Modric has made an immediate and profound impact at Milan, exceeding even the most optimistic expectations since his arrival. The Croatian midfielder, now 40, has showcased his "boundless class" and "footballing sophistication," establishing himself as a pivotal leader under Massimiliano Allegri. Modric has started 11 out of 11 league games for AC Milan, playing an astounding 965 out of 990 possible minutes in Serie A.
This consistent presence includes one goal and two assists in the league, highlighting his direct contribution to the team's attacking play. Italian media have unanimously hailed his performances, with stating that Modric has played "without even remotely resembling a player nearing the end of his career."
AC Milan, who finished eighth last season, are currently third in Serie A, just two points behind leaders Inter, a significant improvement widely attributed to Modric's arrival.
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Contract extension decision rests solely with Modric
His exceptional performances have not gone unnoticed by clubs outside of Europe. Several clubs from Saudi Arabia and Qatar are already making advances towards the midfielder, according to . Milan, though, are eager to keep him and hope to convince him to activate the one-year option to extend his contract until 2027. It is the player who must trigger that clause, not the club, according to the report. His choice will be influenced by several factors, including his family and the careful management of his workload both during matches and throughout the week.
The ex-Real Madrid star will likely wait until closer to the end of the season before informing the club of his desire.
Modric an immediate leader at San Siro
Beyond his statistics, Modric's influence extends to his leadership and impact on his teammates. Gazzetta reported that: "For all his teammates, he's a model of dedication; with him struggling on the pitch, [Rafael] Leao has also been persuaded to run more for the team." This indicates his ability to inspire and elevate the performance of those around him, solidifying his role as a true leader within the AC Milan squad.
"Playing with these players helps you grow, I'm very happy: he'll give me lots of assists to take Milan forward," Leao said of him recently.
His "astonishing numbers" are not limited to playmaking; he is also a midfielder "capable of engaging in a duel," picking up two yellow cards in Serie A, demonstrating his commitment to defensive duties as well.
"AC Milan haven't had a leader with that charisma for too long," said ex-Milan star Alessandro Costacurta. "Arriving in a team that needed revitalisation and lacked personality was paradoxically positive: players like Luka and [Adrien] Rabiot thrive, they enjoy explaining football. Technically, the team has everything it needs to win, but it lacked leadership: not anymore.”
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What next for Luka Modric and AC Milan?
Modric's immediate focus remains on maintaining his outstanding form for AC Milan as they push for a strong finish in Serie A. Following the international break, AC Milan will look to continue their title challenge. The club eagerly await Modric's decision in the spring regarding his future, hoping to retain his services beyond 2026. Should he choose to extend, it would be a major boost for the Rossoneri's ambitions. However, the allure of lucrative offers from Qatar and the Saudi Pro League means that his future is far from certain, setting the stage for a compelling decision as his contract nears its final year.
A Manchester United star who Ruben Amorim called “top” is now close to sealing a January exit, with talks advancing.
Amorim looking to reshuffle squad in January
After a shaky start to the campaign, Amorim has managed to buy himself some more time courtesy of a recent uptick in results, with Man United winning four out of their last six matches in the Premier League.
The United boss has settled on Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as his preferred options in the middle of the park, and the midfield duo certainly played their part in the recent 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield.
Casemiro made three tackles to keep the Reds at bay, the joint-second highest number of any player, while Fernandes was a constant threat, hitting the woodwork and assisting Harry Maguire’s late winner.
However, there have been suggestions that Amorim is less convinced by his back-up options in midfield, with Teddy Sheringham claiming the 40-year-old isn’t a fan of Kobbie Mainoo: “He has a certain style that Amorim obviously doesn’t appreciate.
“He obviously wants more from Mainoo; it’s up to him to try and change his game a little bit to fit in with what Amorim wants.”
According to a report from Spain, Mainoo is now very close to sealing a January exit from Old Trafford, with talks over a move to Napoli recently advancing, amid very limited game time so far this season.
The 20-year-old is determined to make it to the 2026 World Cup, which means he needs to be receiving regular minutes, and Napoli are now in the strongest position to get a deal done, with the youngster potentially in line to follow Scott McTominay to Italy.
The report doesn’t make it clear what sort of fee the Red Devils could receive for their academy graduate, but a £70m asking price has been touted in the past.
Carragher said Man Utd star was "awful" in 24/25, now he's their best player
Manchester United appear to have conducted incredible business with the addition of one star.
ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025 Mainoo needs regular first-team football
It would be completely understandable if the youngster were to push for a move this January, given that he is at serious risk of not going to the World Cup, having not played for England since a 2-0 victory over Ireland over one year ago.
Amorim has previously made it clear he is a fan of the central midfielder, describing him as a “top player”, but the United boss clearly isn’t totally convinced, with the 10-time England international still yet to make a Premier League start this season.
Given that Amorim has staved off the pressure with two wins on the bounce, Mainoo may not be reintroduced into the starting XI anytime soon, but it would be a real shame to see the 2024 FA Cup final star leave, with the display against Manchester City proving he has the talent to succeed at Old Trafford.
تحدث الكرواتي لوكا مودريتش، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي إي سي ميلان عن مغادرة ريال مدريد وحلمه بالاعتزال هناك والذي لم يتحقق كما كشف عن فرصة انتقاله إلى تشيلسي عندما كان يلعب مع توتنهام.
ولعب مودريتش مع ريال مدريد 13 عامًا استطاع أن يحقق 28 بطولة في 589 مباراة خاضها مع الميرنيجي.
وقال الكرواتي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا”: “بعد ريال مدريد أينما ذهبت تكون خطوة إلى الوراء، هذا أمر لا يمكن إنكاره ويؤكده جميع اللاعبين”.
وأضاف: “أعتقد أنني جئت إلى نادٍ بتاريخه وسمعته قريب جدًا من ريال مدريد، وبالنسبة لي هذا هو الوضع الأمثل خاصةً أنني نشأت في بيئة تحب كرة القدم الإيطالية، كان ميلان فريقي المفضل”.
وأوضح: “على الرغم من أنه (رئيس توتنهام) أخبرني بكل ذلك، كانت المفاوضات صعبة للغاية وطويلة للغاية، لقد حصلت على كلمته وتوقعت منه أن يفي بها”.
واستطرد: “فكرت في الإضراب عن المشاركة مع فريقي الأسبق توتنهام من أجل ريال مدريد؟ نعم، كان الأمر صعبًا للغاية بالنسبة لي بسبب تاريخي مع النادي وعلاقتي بالجماهير، هذه ليست طبيعتي لكنني لم أجد أي مخرج آخر”.
كشف مودريتش أن تشيلسي كان يريد التعاقد معه لكن بسبب طلبات ليفي رئيس توتنهام لم تكتمل الصفقة، وتابع حول ذلك: “لا تعرف أبدًا لماذا شيء لا يحدث قد يكون أمرًا جيدًا”.
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واستطرد: “الجميع يعرف نوع النادي الذي يمثله ريال مدريد حيث لا يتم التسامح مع الأداء الضيف، وحقيقة الحفاظ على هذا المستوى في مثل هذا النادي لسنوات عديدة هي الشيء الأكثر روعة بين كل النجاحات التي شهدتها”.
واستكمل: “لطالما قلتُها، لم تكن مجرد كلمات جوفاء أو مجاملة للجماهير أو النادي أو أي شخص آخر، كانت أمنيتي الصادقة هي الاعتزال في مدريد ولكن باختصار لكل شيء بداية ونهاية، أحيانًا لا تسير الأمور كما هو مخطط لها”.
وحول وداع الجماهير في برنابيو: “عندما أرى هذا الوداع، لم أتوقعه حتى في أحلامي الكبيرة، كان كل شيء مثاليًا مفعمًا بالعاطفة، أنا عاطفي جدًا لكنني لا أظهر ذلك وأخفيه كثيرًا ومع ذلك، كانت الأيام القليلة الماضية في مدريد مؤثرة جدًا بالنسبة لي، هذا الحب من الجماهير، من النادي، من كل من يرتبط بمدريد، سيبقى معي للأبد”.
وأتم: “كان ذلك منذ اليوم الأول، لم يبدأ بعد لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا العاشر أو الثاني، بل منذ البداية، عندما وصلت بكل الصعوبات التي واجهتها منذ البداية، شعرت بهذا الحب والإخلاص من الجماهير الذين أدركوا أنني الشخص المناسب، وهذا ما ألهمني وحفزني على رد الجميل لهم بأفضل طريقة ممكنة”.
On Wednesday, Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony—the game’s consensus No. 1 prospect—lined a double down the left field line for his first big-league hit. It gave Boston a 2–0 lead in the first inning and created an inauspicious start for Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Pepiot.
Pepiot settled in from there, allowing just one more run the rest of the way over 5 2/3 effective innings, but Anthony’s base hit proved to be the difference in a 3–1 defeat. On a micro level, the day was a disappointing one. But from a zoomed out perspective, it was yet another positive step for a Rays pitching staff that has gained steam by bucking the franchise’s typical new-age roster management tendencies.
If they weren’t the inventors of it, the Rays can certainly be credited with popularizing the use of openers. For years, Tampa Bay has sought advantages by churning pitchers in and out of the bullpen and de-emphasizing the traditional five-man starting rotation, often utilizing bullpen games to cover huge swaths of innings. From 2018 to ‘24, Rays starting pitchers ranked no higher than 19th in innings pitched, twice ranking dead last (in ‘18 and ‘22). Last season, Rays starters ranked 23rd in innings and 26th in quality starts.
Through the first two-plus months of 2025, though, the script has completely flipped.
The Rays, somewhat astonishingly, lead the majors in starting pitcher innings so far. Five pitchers—Pepiot, Drew Rasmussen, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley and Shane Baz—have combined to start 67 of Tampa Bay’s 68 games this season (Joe Boyle pitched the other). Only the Los Angeles Angels have used fewer starting pitchers, and only the Philadelphia Phillies have thrown more quality starts.
That level of consistency doesn’t just set Tampa Bay apart from the rest of the league in 2025; it completely upends the way the organization has approached pitching for the better part of a decade.
From 2018 to ‘24, the Rays logged the fifth-most wins in the league and made the postseason six times. During that span, only five out of the team’s 107 starting pitchers—Zach Eflin (‘23), Shane McClanahan (‘22), Corey Kluber (‘22), Charlie Morton (‘19) and Blake Snell (‘18)—logged enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. To date, all five of the Rays’ current starters meet that threshold.
The extreme shift in pitcher usage comes as a result of a few different factors. Understanding how we got here becomes clearer after taking a look at how each of the Tampa Bay Five arrived at this point in their respective careers.
Littell is averaging more than six innings per start after spending the first five and a half seasons of his MLB career as a reliever. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Let’s start with Rasmussen, who underwent two Tommy John surgeries before the Milwaukee Brewers drafted him in the sixth round in 2018. He debuted for Milwaukee in ‘20 and pitched almost exclusively in relief before being traded to the Rays in the Willy Adames deal. Tampa Bay made him a starter, and the righthander thrived in his new role, posting a 2.84 ERA over 146 innings in ‘22.
A strained forearm cost him most of the 2023 and ‘24 seasons, though he’s made his way back to full strength this year and picked up right where he left off, putting up a 2.29 ERA in 13 starts. He has pitched into the fifth inning each time out and made it through six frames in four of his last five games, allowing just two runs during that stretch. For Rasmussen to evolve into an every-fifth-day ace, it has been all about staying healthy and bulking up to the point where he can withstand logging this many innings.
Pepiot’s situation is one of opportunity. The righthander languished in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league system for four years before finally cracking the big league roster in 2023. He never got a bigger role than as a swingman, though, and was traded to Tampa as part of the return for Tyler Glasnow. The Rays slotted him right into their rotation, and he immediately thrived, logging a 3.60 ERA over 130 innings last season. After an up-and-down start to ‘25, he has a 2.49 ERA over his last seven starts, pitching into the sixth in all seven.
Littell was in his sixth MLB season when he landed with the Rays in May 2023 as a waiver claim after the Red Sox designated him for assignment. At that point, he was your prototypical journeyman reliever: Tampa Bay was Littell’s seventh different organization. All but four of his 147 career appearances prior to arriving in St. Petersburg came in relief.
The Rays, though, saw something in Llittell that others didn’t. They tinkered with his pitch mix, adding a splitter and stretching him out into a starting pitcher by the end of the 2023 campaign. The experiment drastically changed his career: He made a team-high 29 starts last season, and last month threw the first complete game for the Rays in nearly four years—yet another sign that times are changing in Tampa.
In Bradley and Baz, the Rays have two young arms who were nurtured in their minor league system. Tampa Bay drafted Bradley in the fifth round in 2018 when he was just 17. By ‘22, he made it to Triple A, and made his big-league debut the following season. Baz was similarly a prospect darling ever since the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him with the 12th pick in the ‘17 draft and subsequently traded him to the Rays (oddly enough, also in a deal involving Glasnow). Both were the franchise’s representatives in the Futures Game (Baz in ‘21 and Bradley in ‘22), and while each has had ups and downs in the big leagues, their potential has been on full display frequently enough that the organization has trusted them to take the ball on a regular cadence.
Holistically, the group represents everything the Rays do so well. They took other organizations' afterthoughts and castoffs—Rasmussen, Pepiot and Littlell—and turned them into key contributors. They developed high upside (and, crucially for the always low-budget Rays, cost-controlled) arms in Bradley and Baz, building them up gradually to get them ready for bulk innings.
Add it all up, and it’s a formidable five-man rotation that has logged heavy innings to keep a dynamic bullpen fresh and put up a respectable 3.74 ERA—all while making less than $13 million combined in 2025.
In some ways, a five-man rotation that never changes is as antiquated as sacrifice bunts and pitchers hitting for themselves. Heck, it’s downright anti-Raysian. But the way Tampa Bay assembled this group and is leaning on it as a strength is simply a continuation of what’s made the Rays the model small-market franchise of the 21st century.
The fallout from Liverpool's terrible performance in the 4-1 defeat by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League has seen defender Ibrahima Konate singled out for additional criticism. The Frenchman has responded by issuing a heartfelt message to fans. Konate was at fault for PSV’s third goal, and the calls for manager Arne Slot to be sacked are growing louder by the day.
Konate under-fire over high-profile mistakes
Konate has endured a dreadful start to the season, consistently underperforming and to blame for a number of dreadful errors amid the Reds’ defensive struggles. Pundits and fans alike have slammed his form, with Kop hero Jamie Carragher describing his positional play as "all over the place".
The defender has been involved in several key errors, including a recent "dreadful" mistake that led directly to PSV’s third in the Champions League clash at Anfield, and he was substituted early in the recent 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. The growing consensus is that his individual performances are a major factor in Liverpool's poor results. In 12 Premier League games with Konate on the pitch the Reds have conceded 17 goals, contributing to an alarming rate of a goal conceded every 58 minutes. His struggles are compounded by ongoing contract uncertainty and a string of injuries that have hampered his rhythm this season.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportKonate: 'We know we need to improve'
The France international said on Instagram: "We have to take this moment on the chest. Criticism is part of football, and we’ll fight back every time and come through this storm. In these moments, the fans matter most. The ones who stand with us in the good times and the bad – the ones who sing for us even in the difficult moments! Your voice and your support mean everything to us. We know we need to improve and we’ll keep fighting for you. Always."
Carragher makes 'sack' claim
Anfield legend Carragher was caught bemoaning Slot’s decision to continue picking Konate during the heavy defeat by PSV, claiming the decision was a sackable offence.
Carragher said: "Honest to god, I've had enough of them. That Konate, I mean, that's a sackable offence for the manager for f******g keep picking him. He should be sacked for that."
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Getty Images SportSelection headache for boss Slot
Konate’s place in Liverpool’s starting XI to face West Ham on Sunday is anything but secure and Joe Gomez is a fit and ready-made replacement on the bench, should Slot decide to ring the changes. Andy Robertson was also deployed at centre-back in the clash with Crystal Palace earlier this season.
But Slot has remained tight-lipped on whether he will make wholesale changes for the match, saying: "Everyone trains with us every single day, and they can prove themselves in that moment. It's always a balance. There was a period where I lost, and I made a few changes and people complained that I made too many changes. Of course, I consider but I can not tell you the end decision of what I've considered for Sunday." Anything other than a victory for Slot on Sunday will pile even more pressure on the beleaguered boss ahead of a midweek visit from Sunderland in the Premier League.
And when pressed on what he can change to arrest the dreadful run of results, Slot added: "That's not so easy to say. It's normal to reflect on a game with decisions you have made. Maybe you do it a little bit more if you lose. In the end, it's about doing what this club is about. Keep fighting no matter how difficult it is. It would be nice if we rewarded ourselves in the moments we play well. People are focused on the parts we don't play well but there are large parts where we do play well."
The first of our four-part series of statistical analysis on the 2012 County Championship
David Hopps and Neville Scott05-Nov-2012Nottinghamshire have ample excuses for the collapse of their Championship challenge according to a statistical study of the 2012 season.Records drawn up by Neville Scott, a freelance cricket journalist who specialises in analysis of the county game, show that Nottinghamshire were more badly hit than any other county by the combined effects of the absences of first-choice players and one of the wettest summers ever endured.For much of the season, Nottinghamshire were the closest challengers to Warwickshire, eventual winners of County Championship, until a late slide saw them finish fifth as another high-profile dip into the transfer market, this time for the England batsman James Taylor, failed to bring immediate rewards.But statistics show that Nottinghamshire lost an average of nearly four players per match to injury or international calls, more than any other county in both divisions, and also potentially lost more points because of rain than any of their Division One rivals.Scott’s study aims to show not just a simple record of hours of play lost to rain but the maximum realistic number of extra points which they might have gained but for rain – a somewhat notional figure but one which seeks to provide a more accurate assessment of a county’s ill luck.Not only did Nottinghamshire miss the chance to gain a maximum of 120 extra points because of the dismal weather, nine of their 16 Championship matches were affected.Three Division Two counties – Yorkshire, Essex and Gloucestershire – were more badly affected by the weather than Nottinghamshire. For Essex, who can normally rely on drier weather than most, it was an unusual situation.Yorkshire’s Australian coach, Jason Gillespie, bemoaned the weather on an almost daily basis and he had reason, despite their success in sneaking promotion in the last game of the season, as rain had robbed them from contesting 151 additional points – the worst luck in the country.Those who regarded Derbyshire’s promotion with surprise will notice that they shared with Sussex the best fortune with the weather.
Mitigating Factors
CountyAbsentRain1 Warwickshire2.7594 (7)2 Somerset2.87109 (8)3 Middlesex2.0084 (7)4 Sussex0.9457 (5)5 Nottinghamshire3.59120 (9)6 Durham0.8373 (5)7 Surrey2.40105 (7)8 Lancashire1.47103 (7)9 Worcestershire0.7595 (7)10 Derbyshire0.7557 (4)11 Yorkshire2.00151 (12)12 Kent0.50111 (8)13 Hampshire0.7592 (7)14 Essex1.84142 (10)15 Glamorgan1.2775 (6)16 Leicestershirshire2.3197 (8)17 Northamptonshire1.5990 (7)18 Gloucestershire1.53121 (8)Absent: Average number of first-choice players absent per match through injury or by England orders; excludes IPL absentees or overseas players who could have been replaced Rain: Max. realistic number of extra points which might have been gained but for rain. Number of affected games in brackets.More than half the Championship matches played were interrupted by rain to an extent where stoppages affected points gained – comfortably the highest number since Scott began his study 13 years ago.
Rain, rain, go away
Division OneDivision TwoTotal199925.49%200040.28%45.83%43.06%200143.06%36.11%39.58%200233.33%20.83%27.08%200340.28%29.17%34.72%200444.44%43.06%43.75%200526.39%38.89%32.64%200625.00%23.61%24.31%200738.89%34.72%36.81%200847.22%47.22%47.22%200938.89%37.50%38.19%201030.56%27.78%29.17%201118.06%25.00%21.23%201250.00%52.78%51.59%Tomorrow: In the second of our four-part series, we reveal the only county that fielded a majority of players in 2012 who learned their cricket outside the UK; and why Yorkshire can no longer regard themselves as more homegrown than most.
They hit 41 boundaries in a 120-ball innings. These are the second-most by any team in an IPL innings
Sampath Bandarupalli28-Apr-2023257 for 5 Lucknow Super Giants’ total against Punjab Kings is the second-highest in the history of IPL. The highest is 263 for 5 by Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013.41 Boundaries hit by Super Giants in their innings. These are the second-most by any team in an IPL innings. Royal Challengers hold this record as well, having struck 21 fours and 21 sixes during their 263 against Warriors. Super Giants hit 27 fours on Friday, the third-most by a team in an IPL innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd15.5 Overs needed for Super Giants to reach 200. It is the joint-second-fastest 200 in the IPL. The quickest came off 14.1 overs by Royal Challengers against Kings XI Punjab during a 15-over game in 2016. RCB got to 200 in 15.5 overs during their record 263 in 2013.54 Runs scored by Kyle Mayers, the joint-most by a batter during a powerplay in this year’s IPL.The West Indian has hit two of the four individual fifties scored inside the powerplay in the current season.
13.28 Economy rate of Punjab Kings’ pacers in this innings, the worst by a team’s pacers in an IPL innings (min: 75 balls bowled). They conceded 186 runs in the 14 overs while claiming four wickets. The previous worst was 13.18 by Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in 2014.2 Number of overs in the Super Giants’ innings without a boundary. The first over by Gurnoor Brar fetched only two runs with KL Rahul playing four consecutive dots, while the ninth over bowled by Rahul Chahar yielded four singles.
12.33 Super Giants’ run-rate in the powerplay, their lowest of the three phases in this match. They scored 126 runs at 12.6 during the middle overs, following up the 74 in the powerplay and finished with 57 off the final four at 14.25.20 Number of 200-plus team totals in this IPL, a new tournament record, surpassing the 18 set during the previous edition. Thirteen of these 20 200-plus totals this year have come while batting first, joint-highest alongside 2022.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will remain in the spotlight while a big question remains on who replaces Shreyas Iyer in the middle order
Sidharth Monga29-Nov-20251:37
Saba Karim: ‘Expect Rohit, Kohli to do well in home series’
Big picture – India can’t be complacent despite recent dominance in ODIs
We can sometimes forget the unfortunate part injuries play in a team’s fortunes. India are now going into a third straight international match with a third different captain after Shubman Gill’s neck injury in the Kolkata Test forced him out of action following non-stop cricket for India’s newest three-format obsession. Their ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, is also out with a rib injury he sustained while taking a catch back in Australia.This format, though, is still the ideal sweet spot for India. Or at least this generation of players, up until the injured full-time captain and vice-captain. India have been dominant in ODIs, winning the last Asia Cup and the last Champions Trophy, and losing only the final in the last World Cup.Related
'Look forward to enjoying responsibility' – Rahul steps into the hot seat
South Africa prove they can win the hard way, anywhere
Watch out for Jaiswal's return, Bavuma and de Kock up top
Morkel: Gill is recovering well, Iyer has started rehab
However, they are careful not to be complacent because the next World Cup takes them to South Africa. So they are always going to be wondering if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will still be good to go in late 2027, how to find a seam-bowling allrounder, how to manage workloads. And this is the format teams play the least of.India’s opponents are nowhere near as dominant in ODIs in recent times but they will be riding the high of having beaten India 2-0 in the Tests. This is a rare full tour as nowadays home teams prefer to split Tests and shorter formats to allegedly maximise the earnings. However, all-format tours have their own charm of one side trying to dominate the other team completely and the other looking for some redemption in the other formats.Also, South Africa are closer to full strength now with the exception of Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. The return of Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma should add heft to their batting, and Keshav Maharaj should provide them the spin control they missed in Pakistan.These are just three ODIs and they will be forgotten quickly, what with more focus on T20Is right now, but they promise to be cracking contests while they last.
Form guide
India WLLWW South Africa LWLLWMatthew Breetzke comes to India with a huge reputation to live up to•AFP/Getty Images
In the spotlight: RoKo and Matthew Breetzke
KL Rahul will take over India’s leadership as the selectors have resisted the temptation to go back to Rohit Sharma, who returned to the ODIs, his only active international format, with a century in the third match against Australia. It is a clear sign that Rohit and Virat Kohli will forever remain under extra scrutiny just by the virtue of how old they will be by the World Cup in 2027.Matthew Breetzke comes to India with a big reputation to live up to. He is the only player to have scored 50 or more in each of his first five ODIs, and he averages 67.75 while playing the difficult role of batting in the middle order.
Team news: Shubman Gill and Kagiso Rabada are out
Yashasvi Jaiswal should be the natural replacement for Gill at the top of the order with Ruturaj Gaikwad primed to take Iyer’s slot in the middle order. If Gaikwad gets the nod, Rishabh Pant, who is back in the squad, will struggle to make the starting XI because India will need two allrounders. It remains to be seen if one of those allrounders will be a seam bowler in Nitish Kumar Reddy. In Australia, they played all three while the series was live because they wanted batting depth. If they repeat the formation, all three will get in.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh Krishna1:09
Karim: An opportunity for Jaiswal ‘to cement his place’
Markram should slot back into the opening role, something South Africa have tried since the last World Cup where he batted at No. 4. Bavuma should take his No. 3 position.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Rubin Hermann, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Pitch and conditions
This is only the sixth ODI Ranchi is hosting. There has been only one score of over 300, which was defended successfully, but chases of 270-280 haven’t quite been cakewalks either. The pitch generally is on the slower side; in the last ODI there, Washington Sundar opened the bowling for India. The weather will be perfect to play cricket in, but a lot will depend on dew. Without dew, batting first is not a bad shout in Ranchi.
Stats and trivia
Since 2006, India and South Africa have played ten bilateral ODI series against each other. The scoreline is 5-5.
Bavuma needs 59 runs to become only the 22nd South Africa player to score 2000 ODI runs.
Quotes
“Rutu, obviously, is a top-class player. We have all seen it. With whatever opportunities, limited opportunities he has got [with India], he has really utilised it and shown what he can do. Unfortunately, in ODI cricket, the top six or top five is quite settled. And they are performing really well.” “When you add those two names to the line-up, we expect to see a full house tomorrow and that’s exciting. I think obviously two vastly experienced and dangerous players and they can cause a lot of damage to us, but we tend to try to focus on what sort of damage we can cause the opposition.”
Aston Villa struggled to recruit efficiently during the summer amid PSR concerns, though they could now be about to make a controversial move for a star who is at Monchi’s former club.
Aston Villa move on after goalless stalemate with Everton
Four Premier League matches have passed this season and Aston Villa are yet to score a goal, which is something Unai Emery will be desperate to see change over their coming run of fixtures.
Stagnation is a trap that can be hard to evade, and even with the Villans’ late deals to sign Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliot adding some impetus, it is quite clear the Villans are a mile off where they need to be from an offensive standpoint.
Echoing these sentiments, Emery claimed in his post-match press conference that more needs to be done for his side to start regularly putting themselves on the scoresheet.
He told Match of the Day: “Tactically we have to try to help offensively to try to get better positions. Offensively we need more. We need to try to help out strikers, wingers and midfielders, but I’m happy because we competed and this is the first step forward. We are going to work and we know inside the problem we have.”
With a quick turnaround leading his side into their EFL Cup Third Round tie away to Brentford on Tuesday evening, pressure is growing as the Villans look to secure their first victory of the campaign in London.
Clearly, Ollie Watkins could use some help as the focal point in attack, and Aston Villa are reportedly planning to sign Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta if they can fend off competition from elsewhere.
January is a notoriously difficult window to push deals over the line, but Monchi may have a crucial part to play in helping the Villans secure another target from his former club.
Aston Villa eyeing controversial move for Rubén Vargas
According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa are looking to make a controversial move for Sevilla winger Ruben Vargas, who plies his trade at Monchi’s former club.
In a swoop that could spark feelings of “betrayal” from the La Liga outfit, there is a realisation from his current employers that the Villans could put up an offer that may be too good to refuse from a financial perspective.
Emery can unleash his own Grealish in “outrageous" £35m Aston Villa star
Unai Emery could now unleash his very own Jack Grealish at Aston Villa when travelling to Everton.
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Kelan Sarson
Sep 13, 2025
Deemed as a similar player to Anthony Elanga, per FBRef, the Switzerland international has made an impressive start to the campaign with three assists in as many appearances across all competitions.
Capable of playing on the right flank or as an attacking midfielder, Vargas has also created five chances and delivered four successful crosses in the Spanish top-flight, via Fotmob, coming under the microscope as a player who could help Aston Villa’s mission to create more in the final third.
For now, Emery’s men appear to be leading the race for his signature, though it remains to be seen whether they can force a deal over the line in January.
da brwin： Well, that was about as perfect a night of Champions League action as Arsenal could have hoped for.
da realsbet： Mikel Arteta’s side travelled to Czechia to take on Slavia Prague on Tuesday night, and while they were without the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, they came away with all three points.
More than that, though, the Gunners scored three goals, fielded the youngest player in the competition in Max Dowman, and most crucially of all, kept another clean sheet.
There were standout performances across the pitch, including one player who’s starting to look like Arsenal’s new Gabriel Magalhães.
Arsenal's standout stars vs Slavia Prague
Starting up top, and while he had a quiet first half, Mikel Merino once again found himself on the scoresheet in the second half. In fact, he ended up there twice.
The Spaniard’s first came just 35 seconds into the second 45 when he got on the end of a wonderful Leandro Trossard cross.
Then, 22 minutes later, he put the game well and truly to bed by heading home another cross from Declan Rice.
However, it wasn’t just the Merino show, as other starters like Jurrien Timber and Gabriel looked exceptional once again.
The former was as sturdy at the back as ever, but also, as he has all season, was a massive threat going forward.
One moment, he was overlapping on the right, and then the next, he was surging through the middle of the park.
Likewise, while he failed to get his customary goal from a corner, Gabriel was as imperious as ever.
In his 95 minutes of action, he made four clearances, blocked two shots, recovered the ball three times and won four of six aerial duels, which is impressive considering the absurd size of Slavia’s centre-forward.
There can be no doubt that the former LOSC Lille monster is now one of Arsenal’s most important players, and so it’s a good thing that another starter on Tuesday is starting to look just like him.
Arsenal's new Gabriel
If he could, Arteta would undoubtedly have a team of 11 Gabriels.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Alas, unfortunately for him, or fortunately for opposition set-piece coaches, cloning is yet to be invented.
However, there is one summer signing who is starting to look more and more like the Brazilian: Piero Hincapie.
Yes, the tough-tackling Ecuadorian “warrior,” as dubbed by one analyst, might still be finding his way in English football, but he’s already looking like another masterful addition to the Gunners’ defensive unit.
The same analyst points out that the 23-year-old shares several similarities with the Gunners’ number six, including his mobility, aggressiveness, aerial threat, and the fact that he’s a left-footer.
With all that in mind, it was hardly a surprise to see him put in such an impressive performance on Tuesday night.
For example, in his 73 minutes of blood-pumping action, he won 100% of his tackles, made one interception, won 100% of his aerial and ground duels, made one clearance, recovered the ball once, took 42 touches and completed 100% of his dribbles.
Hincapie’s game vs Slavia
Minutes
73′
Tackles (Won)
2 (2)
Interceptions
1
Clearances
1
Recoveries
1
Ground Duels (Won)
6 (6)
Aerial Duels (Won)
2 (2)
Long Balls
1
Touches
42
Dribbles Completed
1/1
All Stats via Sofascore
Ultimately, it truly was as complete a defensive performance from Hincapie as could’ve been asked for, and one that should see him get more minutes.
Moreover, his fiery Gabriel-esque attitude and desire are going to make him a fan favourite very quickly indeed.
Arsenal star is starting to play like Cazorla & he's not even a midfielder
The incredible international is starting to show shades of Cazorla for Arteta and Arsenal.