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Glasgow Rangers are just 24 hours away from their first Premiership match of the 2024/25 season as the Old Firm side look to begin the campaign with a bang.

Philippe Clement has managed to fill the void left by Connor Goldson, luring Dutch centre-back Robin Propper to Ibrox just in time for the tie against Hearts – the 30-year-old joining from Eredivisie side FC Twente, where he had been captain.

The 6 foot 3 defender becomes the ninth signing of the summer transfer window, but there will surely be a few more in the coming weeks…

Rangers interested in former Chelsea midfielder

According to Football Scotland, the Light Blues are showing interest in Dutchman Marco van Ginkel, who has emerged as a target for Clement recently.

The 31-year-old is available on a free transfer having departed Vitesse at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He would certainly add some experience to Clement’s midfield.

Player

Club signed from

Connor Barron

Aberdeen

Jefte

Fluminense

Mohamed Diomande

FC Nordsjaelland

Oscar Cortes

RC Lens (loan)

Vaclav Cerny

Wolfsburg (loan)

Liam Kelly

Motherwell

Clinton Nsiala

AC Milan

Robin Propper

Twente

Hamza Igamane

AS FAR

The Belgian coach is also keen on bringing Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri to Ibrox, but could the Dutch midfielder be a better option?

Why Marco Van Ginkel would be an upgrade on Hannibal

The Man United youngster may have youth on his side, but the 2023/24 campaign was hardly productive. Indeed, he made just 17 appearances, scoring once, for both the Old Trafford side and during a loan spell with Sevilla.

A promising talent? Yes. But Clement now needs a few players who have plenty of experience in the game. Van Ginkel certainly fits the bill.

The midfielder made the headlines when he joined Chelsea back in the summer of 2013, becoming José Mourinho’s first signing during his second spell at Stamford Bridge,

The maverick Portuguese boss held the youngster in high regard, going as far as seeing Van Ginkel as the long term successor to Frank Lampard in the Chelsea midfield, having lauded him as "one of the best prospects" at the time of his arrival in west London.

Game time was promised, but it didn’t work out for him at the Blues, making just four appearances before finally leaving the club permanently in 2021 following a series of loan moves.

He returned to his first club, Vitesse, two years ago and enjoyed a wonderful spell for the Dutch side, playing 45 matches while scoring nine times and registering four assists.

The 31-year-old ranked first among his teammates for goals and assists (nine) in the Eredivisie last term, along with ranking sixth for shots per game (1.9) and first for big chances missed (six), meaning he could have had a few more goals if he was more clinical in the final third.

When compared to fellow midfielders in the men’s next 14 competitions, Van Ginkel ranked in the top 2% for total shots (2.61), non-penalty goals (0.27) and touches in the opposition penalty area (3.71) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

These statistics clearly showcase his attacking abilities from the heart of the midfield, which could give Clement a dangerous option in that area of the pitch.

On a free transfer, it is certainly a move which makes a lot of sense. The Dutchman still has a few more years left in him and a move to Scotland could see the player thrive.

Rangers register interest in £5m star who's a dream Roofe replacement

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 1, 2024

Sarina Wiegman's side had their shot-stopper to thank on Saturday, with her saves preventing the European champions from defeat at Wembley

For all the hype and excitement, Emma Hayes' return to England as the Lionesses faced her United States women's national team on Saturday night ended in a disappointingly uneventful 0-0 draw, one particularly underwhelming for the majority of the 78,346 inside Wembley Stadium. This was the biggest home crowd the reigning European champions had played in front of for over 18 months and yet, they had very little to shout about.

Instead, it was Mary Earps who stole the show, forced into a string of strong saves in a first half that saw England fail to create any chance of note. First from Alyssa Thompson and then from Casey Krueger, Earps stood tall to keep her team in a game they were struggling to make any positive impact on.

That improved a little after the break, albeit not dramatically, with visiting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher only having to make one perfectly-routine stop all evening. England may have had stars missing for this big game, with Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone all sidelined, but that will struggle to stand up as an excuse for such a toothless performance when contrasted with the brighter moments the U.S. had, despite Hayes being without all of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson.

GOAL rates the Lionesses' players from Wembley Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Mary Earps (8/10):

Made some terrific saves in a stand-out performance.

Lucy Bronze (7/10):

A well-balanced display down the right, with some positive contributions in attack but a particularly well done job in defence.

Leah Williamson (7/10):

Popped up in the right place at the right time more than once to swat away danger.

Alex Greenwood (6/10):

Reacted well to stop Williams scoring a tap-in midway through the first half. Had to adapt to being moved to the left in the second half and rightly survived a handball penalty shout, thanks to VAR.

Jess Carter (6/10):

Not a natural at left-back and that showed with how reluctant she was to get forward. Came up with some important interventions defensively, though.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Keira Walsh (5/10):

Failed to help England control the game, with the U.S. dictating things from the get go.

Georgia Stanway (5/10):

Worked hard but struggled to make an impact.

Jess Park (4/10):

Tried to make things happen but, often, they just didn't come off.

AFPAttack

Beth Mead (4/10):

An underwhelming evening for her, with too many loose passes in her own half.

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Made some good runs and looked sharp when involved, it was just that England didn't get the ball to her anywhere near enough.

Jess Naz (4/10):

Didn't have enough touches to make any impact.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Chloe Kelly (5/10):

England's first sub in the 75th minute, she struggled to get into the game in the time she was on the pitch.

Fran Kirby (6/10):

On alongside Kelly, she immediately played a good ball out wide that injected some life in attack. Didn't have enough time to truly impact the game, though.

Sarina Wiegman (4/10):

A somewhat predictable and routine starting line-up resulted in an extremely flat first half, with England unable to create anything of note while Earps was called upon time after time. Things improved a little after the break, but that Wiegman waited until the 75th minute to make a sub in a game that was crying out for a spark was puzzling.

With their opening day clash against Preston North End taking place on Friday, Sheffield United have reportedly reached an agreement with a Premier League gem ahead of their season curtain raiser.

Sheffield United transfer news

It's been a summer full of arrivals for the Blades, who are looking to make an instant return to the Premier League this season. Those at Bramall Lane have welcomed as many as seven fresh faces with the standouts being Kieffer Moore and Callum O'Hare. Meanwhile, the arrival of Alfie Gilchrist is also impressive business, given how he was showing glimpses of his quality at Chelsea last season.

Speaking to the club website after putting pen to paper, Gilchrist said: "I am really looking forward to it. It is a great opportunity which the club and the manager have given to me. I am just looking forward to getting started. It has always been the plan to showcase what I can do in the Premier League with the chances I've had, so now I want to try and do that week in, week out, here.

"This is a new challenge. I am taking myself out of my comfort zone. I've been there (at Chelsea) a while now, so I am ready to kick on. I came here last season for an away day, and seeing the fans and how they get behind the team, how much they love it, I was impressed."

It seems as though he won't be the last Premier League loanee, either. According to Football Insider, Sheffield United have reached an agreement with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi over a season-long loan deal and are now negotiating with Crystal Palace. On that front, as per Dom Smith of The Standard, the Blades will pay more than £1m in loan fees and Rak-Sakyi's wages in full to complete their deal ahead of Leeds United.

"Remarkable" Rak-Sakyi is Championship-ready

Just 21 years old, Rak-Sakyi has shown glimpses of his quality in the Premier League, but has seen his game time limited at Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, during the 2022/23 campaign, the winger enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Charlton Athletic, scoring 15 goals and recording a further eight assists in League One. So, that said, the natural middle ground at this stage of his development should be the Championship and Sheffield United.

The youngster has earned plenty of praise during his time at Palace, including from former manager Roy Hodgson, who told the club's official website when Rak-Sakyi broke into his squad: "He's dealt with it [stepping up] very well. For such a young man he's shown a remarkable maturity and a remarkable sangfroid.

"Everyone’s taken to him and been appreciative of him and what he can do so it’s nice we’ve been able to have him with us in a situation where a vacancy has occurred because we’ve had enough senior players out of our squad to not be able to fill our 20-man quota."

Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls ensured the target was knocked off with ease

Andrew McGlashan19-Mar-2021New Zealand laid down an impressive marker on their return to ODI cricket for the first time in a year with a thumping victory over a disappointing Bangladesh. Trent Boult top and tailed the wicket-taking as the visitors’ batting was overwhelmed on a surface offering bounce then Martin Guptill briefly peppered the grass banks as the target was hunted down with more than 28 overs overs to spare.Only Madmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim passed 20 for Bangladesh as the line-up was challenged by the University Oval surface which was exploited perfectly by New Zealand after they bowled first. In a sign of the hold they had with the ball, there were only eight boundaries (along with three sixes) as they bundled the opposition out with eight overs remaining when Boult claimed the last two wickets in three balls. Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santner claimed a tidy brace each.Guptill picked up his T20 form from the series against Australia, sending seven of his 19 deliveries to the boundary, including four for six, in an opening stand of 54 in 5.3 overs. His fun was ended when he had a huge swing at Taskin Ahmed, who bowled with good pace, and edged behind although Guptill wasn’t sure and used up a review.With no scoreboard pressure Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway, the latter of three New Zealand debutants, went along at a leisurely pace. Conway departed with a handful of runs needed, picking out deep square leg, but it allowed fellow debutant Will Young a brief stay at the crease and his consecutive boundaries wrapped up victory, leaving Nicholls one short of his fifty.This was New Zealand’s first ODI since their aborted tour of Australia last March and just their fourth since the 2019 World Cup final. For the first time since 2012 they handed out three new caps in the same game with allrounder Daryl Mitchell joining Conway and Young. Mitchell wasn’t needed with bat or ball and his one chance to get on the scoreboard was spurned when he was distracted by Tom Latham diving across him as Matt Henry found the edge of Liton Das in the sixth over. It was New Zealand’s only error of the innings.The opening scoring shot of the game was a six as Tamim Iqbal upper cut Boult over backward point, but the contest was soon won by the left-armer with a classic set-up: after twice beating Iqbal with late away swing he made one hold its line which thundered into Iqbal’s pads to earn the lbw. Three balls later and Boult had his second when Soumya Sarkar played a poor stroke against a shorter delivery, popping a catch into the off side.Das shaped up well in challenging conditions as he tried to commit either fully forward or fully back, but his hard work was undone when he got a leading edge to mid-on in Neesham’s opening over.The scoring rate rarely got above three an over against a relentless New Zealand attack. Kyle Jamieson, who struggled in the T20I series against Australia, went wicketless but at times Bangladesh could barely lay a bat on him as he gained troublesome bounce from a reasonably full length.Rahim played solidly to try and give his team some chance of building a foundation but became Neesham’s second wicket when he was cramped for room playing a cut and found gully. That was the first of three wickets to fall for nine runs in six overs.Bangladesh’s woes were compounded when Mohammad Mithun was run out backing up after a firm straight drive from Mahmudullah flicked the finger of Neesham into the non-striker’s stumps. Mehidy Hasan then moved too far across his crease against Santner and had his leg stump tickled.Debutant Mahedi Hasan marked the occasion when his first scoring stroke in ODIs was a huge 94-metre six over long-off but an attempt to repeat it four overs later offered a catch to mid-on leaving Bangladesh seven down with 18 overs remaining.Madmudullah and Ahmed formed a 10-over stand although large parts of it was purely survival before Madmudullah, attempting to inject some impetus, picked out midwicket where Santner timed his leap perfectly. Boult did the rest.

“It’s possible that if we try to reduce his rate of scoring, the chances of him making a mistake are higher”

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Apr-2021Try to get him lbw early. Try to get him out with offspin. And if none of that works, dry up the runs.This, according to captain Dimuth Karunaratne, is Sri Lanka’s plan to dismiss Tamim Iqbal – Bangladesh’s top scorer in the first Test. Although he didn’t score a century, Iqbal’s 90 off 101 helped set Bangladesh on track for their mammoth total, before his 74 not out off 98 in the second dig crushed any hope of a Sri Lanka victory, after the hosts had claimed two quick wickets.Related

Russell Domingo: 'We have to play to win, and not merely be happy with draws'

Mominul Haque's Bangladesh chase rare Test series win on the road

Tamim seeks balance between caution and aggression

Iqbal, in general, has been effective in Sri Lanka. On the last tour, his 82 off 125 balls had seen Bangladesh chase down a tricky target in Colombo, leading to their only Test win over Sri Lanka.”We might have both Dhananjaya de Silva and Ramesh Mendis in the team, so we’d have two offspinners, and in the last few series Tamim hasn’t played offspinners that well,” Karunaratne said ahead of the second Test. “The first five or ten overs, Suranga Lakmal also has a good chance of getting him out. The way Tamim plays, there are lbw opportunities. So we’ve got plans like that. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try to get him into a defensive mode.”In addition to averaging 62.85 in Sri Lanka, Iqbal also has an excellent strike rate of 62.14 on the island. Sri Lanka believe tamping down his scoring rate may mean a lower average too.”Tamim scores quickly and really tries to unsettle the bowlers and put them under pressure. It’s possible that if we try to reduce his rate of scoring, the chances of him making a mistake are higher. In the first Test we tried very hard to get him out, and what happened was that we leaked a lot of runs. In this match we’re planning to close up his big scoring areas and get him to play more defensively. When he attacks more, we do give away a lot of runs, and it’s hard for us to recover.”In the absence of Lasith Embuldeniya (who is injured) and Dilruwan Perera (who failed to meet fitness requirements), however, Sri Lanka’s spin attack does not have substantial menace on paper. Karunaratne hopes his attack is nevertheless capable of taking 20 wickets.”These are the resources that I’ve got as captain. In the past we had Rangana Herath, and also Dilruwan Perera. You can’t expect the same performance you expect from a Herath from a spinner who’s only played a few matches. I think they’ll show what their got, though. As a captain I’m trying to figure out how to get them to perform. What Herath and Dilruwan Perera did – we can’t expect that. But if they can do 70% or 80% of that, that’ll be great. It’ll take the spinners some time.”

Elliot Lee scored the all-important winner as wasteful Wrexham secure three crucial points against Burton Albion.

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Lee helps Wrexham beat BurtonScored the all-important winner with a brilliant cornerWrexham now tied on points with Wycombe at the topFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

Wrexham dominated proceedings right from the off and had won several set-pieces, but they failed to capitalise on the chances. Lee had the best opportunity of the game to break the deadlock in the 15th minute when Oliver Rathbone kept a perfect cross across the goal. Elliot Lee slid inside the box but failed to get a touch. The worsening weather conditions did not help either of the teams as the strong wins and rainfall affected the quality of the game.

Lee made up for his earlier miss as he finally scored the opener with a world-class strike in the 65th minute. The midfielder curled in a brilliant corner as the ball hit the top half of the far post and directly went in. It was a well-deserved goal for the Red Dragons who dominated the match for more than an hour.

Rathbone could have doubled the visitors' lead in the 89th minute when he received an inch-perfect cross inside the box from Thomas O'Connor but couldn't keep his header on target. Despite being wasteful throughout the game, the Welsh side eventually clinched vital three points riding on Lee's brilliant corner.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE MVP

Lee proved to be the saviour for Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney's side as he scored the all-important and extended his team's winning streak to four games in League One. The Welsh club are now tied on points with league leaders Wycombe Wanderers who played out a 1-1 draw with Reading.

Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

Burton's defensive woes continued as they have now leaked the joint second-most number of goals, 30, in League One this season and are staring at possible relegation as they struggle at the 23rd position with just two wins from 18 outings.

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Getty Images SportWHAT COMES NEXT?

Phil Parkinson's men will be next seen in action in a Football League Trophy second-round clash against Crewe Alexandra on December 10.

With just days left until the summer transfer window comes to a close, West Ham United could be in for a late flurry of arrivals, having been linked to a defensive reinforcement alongside Carlos Soler.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers are undoubtedly among the transfer window's winners this summer, having welcomed several fresh faces who are all ready to make an impact under new manager Julen Lopetegui. They've signed the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Niklas Fullkrug and others in an incredibly impressive window at the London Stadium.

Even after those arrivals, however, West Ham are seemingly not done there. Recent reports have linked those in London with a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler in a move that could be worth £20m in the remaining days of the window. Whilst that rumour continues though, the Hammers are also reportedly eyeing up a defensive reinforcement.

Steidten attempting to sell trio as West Ham hold early talks for £20m star

The Irons want to offload fringe players before making another signing.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 22, 2024

According to Will Unwin of The Guardian, West Ham and Lopetegui are also eyeing a move to sign Victor Nelsson alongside Soler in a deal that could reportedly be worth just £12m this summer.

Nelsson would likely arrive to replace Kurt Zouma, who looked set to leave earlier in the summer before his move to Shabab Al-Ahli collapsed. With the Frenchman's future still in doubt, however, they could swoop for Nelsson to replace the veteran defender before the end of the month.

That said, they're not the only side supposedly interested in the 25-year-old's signature, with Sevilla, Lille and Bologna also eyeing moves to sign the Galatasaray man.

"Superb" Nelsson could complete Lopetegui's options

With both Kilman and Todibo to choose from already, it's unlikely that Nelsson would instantly emerge as a starter in Lopetegui's star-studded side this season. But squad depth is key and the Dane would undoubtedly add that.

Now 25 years old and potentially on course to seal his biggest move yet, Nelsson's rise is one that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig saw coming, dubbing the Galatasaray man a "superb centre-back" back in 2020.

There could be plenty more to come from Nelsson too, especially if he completes a move to the Premier League. Potentially replacing Zouma at West Ham for just £12m, the Dane may become another shrewd summer signing at the London Stadium.

As time runs out in the summer transfer window, however, the Hammers may need to make their move sooner rather than later to sign the central defender.

Aston Villa’s start to the 2024/25 season has been something of a mixed bag for the Midlands club so far. They won their first game, securing all three points in a tough away trip to West Ham United, thanks to goals from Amadou Onana and Jhon Duran. However, their first home game of the campaign ended in a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal.

The Villans have a huge season ahead, with a return to the Champions League, and have already made eight signings as they look to improve their squad.

Aston Villa were targeting Serie A striker

The player in question here is AS Roma and England international striker Tammy Abraham.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Villans had been plotting ‘a formal move' to hijack Abraham’s proposed switch to AC Milan, if Jhon Duran departed Villa Park, suggesting that an offer could arrive for the Serie A-based marksman.

The Midlands club ‘believe the striker will choose them’ if they manage to agree terms for a deal with Roma to sign their former loanee, who is deemed to be at the top of their list to replace Duran.

Sadly, any such move will now not come to fruition with the player agreeing a move to Roma in the final hours before deadline day.

Why Abraham would have been a good signing

Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, he missed much of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which he picked up at the start of the campaign. He did make it back to full fitness for the final few games of the season, playing eight Serie A games and getting a goal and an assist.

The season prior to his injury saw the England international in fairly good form. In 2022/23, Abraham managed to find the back of the net on eight occasions in 38 Serie A games, also registering four assists in that time.

As has been previously alluded to, the Roma centre-forward has had a spell at Villa Park before, on loan from Chelsea in 2018/19 when they were in the Championship. It is fair to say the striker was superb, playing 40 games, scoring 26 times and registering three assists. There are certainly good memories of the attacker for Villa fans during his first spell at the club.

Had he returned to the club this summer on a permanent deal, he could have formed a deadly partnership with Morgan Rogers. The enterprising attacker has had a superb start to the season. He put in a “phenomenal” performance against Arsenal last Saturday, as former England goalkeeper Ben Foster said on his YouTube channel, CyclingGK.

Rogers could have been a dream option in behind Abraham, who has a natural instinct in front of goal, as he showed the Villa Park faithful during his first spell at the club. Against the Gunners, the former Man City academy player played two key passes and created one big chance as per Sofascore.

Stat

Number

Touches

48

Passes completed

19/28

Ground duels won

8/10

Dribbles completed

5/7

Key passes

2

Big chances created

1

Getting Abraham – who has been dubbed "outstanding" by journalist Henry Winter – on some of the end of those chances would have been a recipe for success under Unai Emery.

He is a “superb centre-forward”, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, and has elite movement off the last line and inside the penalty box. Given Rogers’ superb creativity in the final third and Abraham’s excellent goalscoring record in a Villa shirt, the pair no doubt would have linked up beautifully together.

Rogers ran the show against one of the best sides in the league, and pairing that up with the Roma striker could have helped them a great deal in their quest to reach the Champions League knockouts and finish in the top four once again.

Onana repeat: Aston Villa have discussed signing "monster" striker

He has 12 months left on his contract and could move before the deadline.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Aug 28, 2024

Harry Kane shared a positive update on his injury on social media as he plans to watch Bayern Munich in action from home on Tuesday.

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Kane back in individual trainingShared update on injuryBayern face Shakhtar on TuesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England captain limped off during Bayern's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund last month, with it later emerging he had torn a muscle fibre in his thigh. There were major concerns over Kane's condition and it was speculated that the striker might not feature for the club anymore in 2024. However, on Tuesday, the star player shared an update on his injury.

AdvertisementWHAT KANE SAID

Taking to Instagram, Kane shared a photograph of himself back on the training pitch as he wrote in the caption, "Back out on the grass today with a ball which was great. Rehab coming along well! Will be watching the lads from home later."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Bavarian club have struggled in the absence of their first choice No.9 as after the draw against Dortmund, they faced elimination from the DFB Pokal round of 16 after losing to reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen. In their last Bundesliga game against Heidenheim, they had to fight hard for a 4-2 win with Jamal Musiala starring after coming on from the bench.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

Kompany's men are set to face Shakhtar Donetsk next in the Champions League on Tuesday night before meeting Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Captain of defending champions handed possible T20 World Cup chance

David Hopps08-Jun-2021Dan Christian, captain and inspiration of defending T20 Blast champions the Notts Outlaws, has pulled out of the group stages on the eve of the tournament after winning an international recall at the age of 38.Overseas withdrawals from England’s flagship T20 tournament are a fact of life, such is the crowded nature of the calendar, but this one counts as the most unexpected.Christian has not played for Australia for nearly four years – a T20I against India in Ranchi – but he now returns to Australia ahead of the tour to the West Indies wondering if he can gain an unlikely selection for the T20 World Cup.Related

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Allen braced for trial by spin as he prepares for Blast debut

For Notts, this is more than just another overseas drop-out. Arguably no overseas player has been embedded into a county T20 side to such good effect.Christian has featured in their last seven campaigns and took over as captain as 2016, supervising their development into the most powerful T20 side in England. He has since led the Outlaws to four Finals Day appearances in five years, winning the trophy in 2017 and 2020.Nottinghamshire’s head coach Peter Moores said: “It changes things for us late in the day ahead of the tournament, but first and foremost you can only be really pleased for Dan.”To be called up again by a nation as strong as Australia, and for that to come on the back of playing some of the best cricket of his career and at the age of 38, it’s a great achievement for him. We’re proud, as a club, of the role we have played in that.”It’s going to be strange not having Dan around. He’s been here for every Blast campaign since 2015 and he’s led the side brilliantly as well, but what it will do is create opportunities for other players to step up.”Steven Mullaney will step up to captain the side, whose tournament begins on Wednesday evening against Worcestershire Rapids at New Road. They are regarded as favourites for the tournament, with considerable batting depth, but they are an ageing side and Christian’s departure will be a considerable blow.Christian said: “Getting picked by Australia again is a significant ambition fulfilled for sure, and particularly exciting in such an important year of T20 cricket heading into the World Cup.”It’s disappointing that I won’t get to don the Notts jersey this year. It’s become a big part of my life in recent times and I’ll miss it. But there is depth in our squad and a huge amount of experience in there as well.”Australia’s expanded preliminary squad also includes Ben McDermott, the wicketkeeper-batter who was due to feature in the Blast with Derbyshire. His call-up is a further blow to Derbyshire, after they lost Australia fast bowler Billy Stanlake to injury.