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Newcastle United have been handed the chance to a Chelsea player on-loan after the New Year, according to reports.

Newcastle halt high-flying Reds

Newcastle put in a stellar performance to deny Liverpool a fifth consecutive win in the Premier League on Wednesday night, holding Arne Slot’s high-flying team to a 3-3 draw at St. James’ Park in what was one of the games of the season so far.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring with an unstoppable drive from distance before Curtis Jones leveled early in the second half. Anthony Gordon restored the host’s lead shortly after, but a brace from Mohamed Salah looked to have secured yet another three points for the Reds.

With just seconds left on the clock, however, Magpies defender Fabian Schar prodded home a whipped free-kick that Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher had come for but failed to claim. Speaking after the game, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe described his side’s performance as their “best of the season”.

Chelsea flop bound for the Magpies?

Howe also said after the draw that he was proud that his side managed to find the net three times.

“We scored three goals and looked dynamic and energetic,” he said, adding: “Alexander Isak was really good tonight, if we get our players firing we are some team.”

Scoring goals has been a real problem for Newcastle this season. Even despite their three goals against Liverpool, the Magpies have still scored just 17 goals in the top flight this term – the sixth-lowest total in the division. It’s a problem that needs to be fixed if Howe’s side are to fulfill their ambitions of securing European football, and fortunately, they’ve now been given a boost in their pursuit of Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk.

CaughtOffside report that the Blues are now willing to let the Ukraine international leave the club on loan in January. The publication claims that Newcastle could take advantage and recruit Mudryk to provide competition for Anthony Gordon, whose form has dipped this season, or play one on each flank.

Mudryk, who joined Chelsea in a £62 million move from Shakhtar Donetsk last January, has struggled for Premier League minutes at Stamford Bridge this season due to a combination of poor form and competition for places.

He has, however, shown glimpses of his talent in the Europa Conference League, where he’s scored a goal in each of his last three appearances.

Chelsea want to sign £46m Arsenal target who's far better than Mudryk

Mudryk’s time at Chelsea could be up if they sign this “great” star.

1 ByConnor Holden Dec 4, 2024

Having also been linked with a move to Crystal Palace, earlier this season, Blues boss Enzo Maresca insisted the 23-year-old’s importance to his team.

“We want the best for Misha, since day one we’ve tried to help him,” Maresca said at the end of October. “Probably he’s one of the guys that the learning process is more slow compared to the rest.

“But he’s improving. I’m sure that slowly, slowly we’re going to arrive where he will score more goals and be more important for us,” he added.

Massimiliano Allegri made a late tactical change during AC Milan’s 2-2 draw with Sassuolo, substituting U.S. international Christian Pulisic in the 72nd minute. The Milan manager said the move was dictated by the flow of the match, stressing it had nothing to do with managing minutes ahead of the club’s next fixture. Pulisic has nine goal contributions in nine league matches this season.

AFPAllegri prioritizes midfield stability

Allegri explained that Pulisic had only recently returned to full training after recovering from a fever before the Sassuolo match. Despite the American international's solid performance through 72 minutes, the coach felt compelled to strengthen Milan's midfield presence as Sassuolo began exerting increased pressure on the Rossoneri's defensive structure. The substitution brought Samuele Ricci into the match to provide additional protection in the center of the park.

“I would have done it anyway,” Allegri said, reported Football Italia. “Christian had joined us in Turin after a fever and then trained. He played well for 72 minutes, but at that moment, we needed one more midfielder. Loftus-Cheek held firm up front, but we had to defend better, especially for the second goal. We had to follow Laurienté, and it was too easy for them to score.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPulisic's performance earns praise

Allegri highlighted Pulisic's involvement in Milan's attacking play, noting his role in the team's second goal and a late opportunity he created in the final stages. The coach's assessment reflected Pulisic's continued importance to Milan's attacking structure, even as tactical adjustments became necessary.

“Today he played a good game, as in Turin,” Allegri said. “He was decisive for the second goal; he had a chance in the final minutes. He was very good. We know the team’s quality, we know we can’t win every game, and we must give consistency to the results. Today, we could have lost the match, but we took home a draw. Today it seems that we’ve thrown two points away, but in the end, it will prove to be useful.”

Pragmatic perspective on dropped points

The result leaves Milan vulnerable to being overtaken by Napoli and Inter Milan, who both have opportunities to climb the Serie A table. However, Allegri's confidence in his squad's ability to maintain consistency suggests he views the Sassuolo draw as a temporary setback rather than a fundamental problem. 

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Getty Images SportWhat lies ahead for AC Milan

Following their 2-2 draw, Allegri and Milan will now turn their attention to Thursday's Supercoppa Italia semifinal against Napoli in Saudi Arabia. After that, the Rossoneri will face Verona at home on Dec. 27 in the Serie A and then go on the road to face Cagliari on Jan. 2.

Fast bowler has picked up 40 wickets in 27 IPL matches at an economy rate of 8.46

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2022Three days before the start of IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants have brought on board Australia fast bowler Andrew Tye – the IPL 2018 purple cap winner – as a late replacement for the injured England fast bowler Mark Wood.The 35-year-old Tye emerged as a specialist death bowler in the BBL for Perth Scorchers. He played a significant part in their title run this season as well, picking up 3 for 15 in the final. Known for his medley of slower balls and yorkers, Tye has picked up 40 wickets in 27 IPL matches at an economy rate of 8.46.Along with Tye, the Super Giants have IPL 2021’s second-highest wicket-taker Avesh Khan, Sri Lanka spearhead Dushmantha Chameera and Ankit Rajpoot as recognised specialist fast bowling options. They are expected to be backed up by the all-round skills of Jason Holder, Marcus Stoinis and Kyle Mayers.Wood was supposed to join the Super Giants after the end of England’s ongoing tour of the West Indies. But he suffered an elbow injury during the course of the first Test and has been ruled out of action for the foreseeable future.Super Giants open their IPL campaign against Gujarat Titans on March 28.

Samson and Jadeja also played aggressive knocks as India romped home with 17 balls remaining

Hemant Brar26-Feb-20221:29

Jaffer: India’s batters making the most of their chances

Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 74 off 44 balls trumped Pathum Nissanka’s 75 off 53, while Ravindra Jadeja’s 45 not out off 18 outshone Dasun Shanaka’s 47 not out off 19 as India chased down Sri Lanka’s 183 for 5 with seven wickets and 17 balls to spare in the second T20I in Dharamsala. The win, India’s 11th on the trot in T20Is, gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.After being put in, Sri Lanka were only 111 for 4 after 16 overs but Nissanka and Shanaka ransacked 72 off the last four. Nissanka hit 11 fours during his stay, while Shanaka preferred the aerial route. He struck two fours and five sixes, two of them on the last two balls of the innings, to propel Sri Lanka to a formidable total.India lost Rohit Sharma in the first over of the chase and were 56 for 2 after eight overs, needing another 128 from the last 12. Initially, Shreyas seemed uncertain, shuffling around the crease, but once he began connecting his shots, the Sri Lanka bowlers looked helpless against his power and timing.Shreyas Iyer hit six fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 74•BCCISanju Samson began scratchily too, but he took 23 off the 13th over, bowled by Lahiru Kumara, leaving India needing 56 off 42 when Jadeja walked in. Jadeja did the bulk of the scoring from there on, and handed India a comfortable win in the end.Sri Lanka’s sedate start
Bowling first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah made good use of the moisture in the surface. Both seamers got the ball to jag around, with Bumrah slipping in a few yorkers as well. Openers Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka tried to counter that by showing attacking intent but they struggled to connect their shots. In the first four overs, Sri Lanka scored only 15 runs and hit just one boundary.The step up
With the ball still moving around, there was a case to give Bhuvneshwar a third over in the powerplay but Rohit went to Harshal Patel. Harshal tried his slower one with mixed results: there were a couple of plays-and-misses in the fifth over but also two boundaries.The next three overs featured a boundary each as Sri Lanka went past 50 in the eighth over. Gunathilaka then smashed Jadeja for six, four and six off the first three balls of the ninth over, with both sixes coming via slog-sweeps. Off the fourth ball, he went for another slog-sweep but this time Jadeja shortened his length a touch and bowled it further away from his arc to induce a top-edge, which Venkatesh Iyer gobbled up running in from long-on.Pathum Nissanka played plenty of inventive shots behind the wicket•BCCINissanka, Shanaka launch onslaught
The next two overs produced two more wickets – Yuzvendra Chahal trapped Charith Asalanka lbw and Harshal had Kamil Mishara caught in the covers with a slower one – but Nissanka kept the scoreboard ticking with a couple of fours off Bhuvneshwar in the 13th over. In the 15th, Dinesh Chandimal brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 with a straight four off Bumrah but the bowler dismissed him off the very next ball with an offcutter.Nissanka reached his fifty off 43 balls with a boundary off Chahal, before he and Shanaka went all-out. Shanaka launched Harshal for two sixes in a 19-run 17th over, while Nissanka used the lap and the reverse lap to help take 14 off Bumrah in the 18th.Bhuvneshwar was the next to bear the brunt as Shanaka hit successive balls for six and four. Bhuvneshwar dismissed Nissanka with the last ball of his spell but Shanaka wasn’t done yet. He smashed Harshal for two sixes and a four in the 20th over, which also featured four leg-byes and went for 23 in all.Pace like fire
If Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah tested the Sri Lanka openers with swing, Dushmantha Chameera and Kumara troubled Indian with raw pace. Rohit played on to Chameera in the first over; it was the fifth time Chameera had dismissed him in T20Is, the most for any bowler-batter combination. Kumara began his spell with a 146.7kph thunderbolt. With his second ball, he rattled Ishan Kishan by hitting him on the helmet.In the fifth over, Shreyas hit Binura Fernando for three successive fours but Kumara got rid of Kishan with the first ball of the next over. The batter tried to whip one towards midwicket but ended up lobbing it towards mid-on.Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Rohit Sharma for the fifth time in T20Is•BCCIShreyas breaks the shackles, Samson joins in belatedly
India managed just 12 runs from overs six to eight before Shreyas stepped out to left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama and launched him for back-to-back sixes. At the halfway stage, India were 80 for 2, needing 104 from the last ten overs. Shreyas hit two more sixes in the next two overs, the first one bringing up his half-century off just 30 balls.Samson was on 17 off 19 balls before hitting three sixes and a four in Kumara’s third over. He fell off the final ball of the over, trying to fetch another boundary, but the 23 runs from it had brought the equation down to 56 required from seven overs.Jadeja applies finishing touches
For the second match in a row, Jadeja was sent in ahead of Venkatesh. He opened his account by creaming Chamika Karunaratne through extra-cover and hit three boundaries off the first six balls he faced. Soon, India needed only 31 from 30 balls. In the 16th over, Jadeja got stuck into Chameera, hitting him for three fours and six to all but seal the deal.

The NWSL defender took a break from preseason training to attend "SIX" the musical on Broadway, meet the cast

Martin attends performance of "SIX" the musical on BroadwayDefender poses for photos with show's female cast membersGotham FC kick off 2025 NWSL season against Seattle Reign FCGetty Images EntertainmentWHAT HAPPENED

Gotham FC defender Nealy Martin took a break from her rigorous training schedule to enjoy a night out at Broadway's hit musical "SIX." Following the performance, Martin had the opportunity to meet and take photos with the show's all-female cast, bridging the worlds of professional soccer and theater in New York City.

She was pictured with the likes of Kelsie Watts, Krystal Hernandez, Gianni Yanell and several other cast members while sporting her 2023 NWSL championship ring.

AdvertisementWHAT SIX AND NWSL POSTEDTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Martin was only watching "SIX" at Broadway, Gotham FC have taken things to another level as they’ve introduced several theme nights for the 2025 NWSL season. One of the evenings includes a Broadway Night theme which will be on show during the club’s home game against the San Diego Wave on May 16.

There are nine other themed nights and these events are designed to celebrate the unique backgrounds and cultures of both fans and players, creating an atmosphere that embraces diversity and promotes a sense of belonging.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Gotham FC kick off their 2025 NWSL season against Seattle Reign FC on March 15 before hosting 2024 NWSL champions Orlando Pride at the Sports Illustrated Stadium on March 24.

Everton picked up another point last time out. You know how it goes. It’s a coin with two sides, to be sure. From one standpoint, the Blues have lost just once across eight Premier League fixtures, but from the other, Sean Dyche’s tactics leave plenty to the imagination.

What to do? The Friedkin Group are closing in on a takeover, ending Iranian tycoon Farhad Moshiri’s unsuccessful reign as the top brass at Goodison Park. Should Dyche follow?

It feels like the pragmatic manager is treading close to the precipice, but whether he falls or steadies himself and his side remains to be seen.

In any case, Everton are eager to assess their options and are considering bringing one well-known gaffer to the Blue stretches of Merseyside.

Everton's potential Dyche replacements

According to scout Mick Brown, via Football Insider last month, David Moyes would be keen on taking over from Dyche if Everton decide to sack the 53-year-old in the coming weeks.

01/12/24

Man United

Old Trafford

04/12/243

Wolves

Molineux

07/12/24

Liverpool

Goodison Park

14/12/24

Arsenal

Emirates Stadium

22/12/24

Chelsea

Goodison Park

26/12/24

Man City

Etihad Stadium

29/12/24

Nott’m Forest

Goodison Park

Dyche’s outfit are 16th but a gruelling winter period awaits and trepidation concerning Dyche’s ability to pass through this span is building.

He’s a wanted man though. While managerless Leicester City appear to have distanced themselves from rumours, TEAMtalk revealed last month that Crystal Palace would be interested if Oliver Glasner is relieved of his duties.

Everton need to pounce. It might just re-energise their frontline.

Why Everton should appoint David Moyes

Moyes, of course, knows the streets of Liverpool well. Way back when, he served as Everton’s manager, triumphed as Everton’s manager, leading the Toffees out 518 times across an 11-year period before Manchester United anointed him as Sir Alex Ferguson’s heir.

He left his role as West Ham United manager at the end of the 2023/24 season, mutual consent, after his tactics and managerial rule gave rise to the most illustrious spell in the east Londoners’ modern history, winning the Conference League in 2022 – a feat that Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher praised as “special.”

Now, Moyes is chomping at the bit to get stuck into Premier League action once again and could be the perfect fit to reunite with Everton as they move to a new stadium and begin a new era.

Its’ been 11 years since Moyes, now 61, left Merseyside, and he’s not the same manager anymore. Even so, his tactical disposition and preferred 4-2-3-1 formation would not differ too greatly from Dyche’s but would see tweaks that could maximise the wide players. Mohammed Kudus at West Ham, for example, enjoyed great success under the Scotsman last term.

Therefore, Moyes could prove to be the perfect tactician to take Iliman Ndiaye to another level, with the Senegalese star enjoying a rich season at Goodison Park so far.

Ndiaye has scored three goals across 14 appearances for the Irons this season after Dyche signed Marseille’s talent for a £17m fee in the summer.

Across the Premier League campaign, so far, the data makes an exciting comment on his future success too, for Ndiaye has averaged 2.3 dribbles, 6.1 ball recoveries and 5.7 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, which basically means that he is operating with an all-encompassing approach, determined to make an impact across a range of roles.

This is crucial for Dyche’s system, and you can be sure that Moyes will expect his players, no matter where they perform, positionally, to subscribe to such tactical ideas too.

Further corroboration: he ranks among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League this season for pass completion, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 18% for tackles made per 90, as per FBref, speaking of ball-carrying brilliance that aligns with that of Kudus.

West Ham enjoyed some fine individual results from Kudus last season – as the forward provided 20 goals and assists in east London – and now, if Moyes were to take the helm, that could be replicated at Everton, providing an injection of attacking inspiration to take the Merseysiders away from the pit of the Premier League.

Pundit Micah Richard claimed last season, on The Rest Is Football podcast, that Moyes “doesn’t always get the appreciation he deserves” in regard to his football philosophy, with his “wisdom within the game” allowing his sides to exceed expectations.

That kind of nous is needed at Everton, to be sure. The forwards at the club are struggling to finish, and there is only so much coaching that can be put toward this kind of instinctive thing, but creativity is also drying up too, with Everton’s 17 big chances created in the Premier League this term one better than Southampton (16) who suffer the measliest creative record in the division.

Some segments of the support base might wish for a radicalised managerial approach to provide the club with the slick and stylish football that every football fan wants to see their club perform, but wishes must be tempered with realism here.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Dyche’s style does not differ all that greatly from Moyes’, but with the results not coming, a more experienced head with a trophy-winning record might prevail.

Moyes knows the club, and he took the reins at West Ham when things were colourless and concerning, lifting them toward the European light.

Can he repeat that feat?

Everton star was "like Messi" when he signed, then he left as a giant flop

Carlo Ancelotti signed a Messi-esque star but he left as a flop.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 26, 2024

Celtic extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to four matches after a hard-fought 0-0 draw away at Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night.

The Hoops may not have clinched the three points but they avoided defeat and have now only lost one of their six matches in the competition so far, which came at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.

Brendan Rodgers’ side had 69% of the possession but only mustered up seven shots on goal and failed to create a single ‘big chance’ to find the back of the net.

There were a number of underwhelming performers for the Hoops with their work in possession, with Reo Hatate one of the stars who struggled in Croatia.

Reo Hatate's performance against Dinamo Zagreb

Rodgers opted to go with Paulo Bernardo and Hatate either side of captain Callum McGregor, leaving Luke McCowan and Arne Engels on the bench, and did not get much back in the way of quality on the ball from his starters.

The three of them combined for one chance created in the entire match, which came courtesy of McGregor, and zero ‘big chances’ created at all.

Hatate was particularly wasteful with the ball at his feet. He ended the game with a pass success rate of just 71%, whilst the skipper completed 97% of his and Bernardo completed 87% of his passes, and lost possession a whopping 18 times.

The Japan international did, however, win five of his eight duels and made two tackles and one block, which shows that he fought hard out of possession to preserve a point for his side.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

There was a Celtic star who was even worse than Hatate, though, because they struggled with their work both on and off the ball on Tuesday night.

Kyogo Furuhashi's struggles against Dinamo Zagreb

Kyogo Furuhashi was selected over Adam Idah from the start, and justifiably so after his excellent goal against Hibernian on Saturday, but failed to make the most of his opportunity.

The Japanese marksman simply struggled to get involved in the game and ended his 72 minutes on the pitch with seven touches of the ball and three passes completed, despite Celtic’s dominance in possession.

Whilst you can point to the lack of creativity from Hatate and the other forwards, Kyogo has to do more to get involved in matches when the team are not functioning at 100% creatively.

Adam Idah had nine touches, completed a dribble, had a shot, and won 100% (2/2) of his duels in just 18 minutes off the bench, which shows that it was not just a team issue for the Japan international.

Minutes

72

Shots

0

Key passes

0

Dribbles completed

0/1

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo lost 100% of his duels and did not contribute with a shot or a key pass to help his team at the top end of the pitch.

He was a lightweight out of possession and did not do enough to make a difference on the ball and that is why he was even worse than Hatate, who was dominant defensively but struggled with his use of the ball.

Celtic interested in 19 y/o "talent" with January move now on the cards

The Hoops have been given renewed hope of signing a promising youngster.

ByDominic Lund Dec 10, 2024

GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 1998 – but did they go on to fulfil their potential?

Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.

So, after theNXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2017 are now:

Every NXGN list

Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids

De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids

Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids

Saka, Rodrygo & 2020's best wonderkids

James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids

Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids

Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids

Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids

Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids

Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids

Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids

Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids

Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids

AFP50Diego Lainez (Club America)

2017: Having made his senior debut as a 16-year-old, Lainez was regarded as the best prospect in Mexican football as he bore a passing resemblance to Lionel Messi in his style of play.

2018: Lainez continued to develop, and made his senior international debut for Mexico in September 2018.

2019: In January 2019, Real Betis paid €12m to sign Lainez, making him the second-most expensive Mexican player bought by a European club. His first goal for the club came in dramatic fashion, as he netted a last-minute equaliser against Rennes in the Europa League.

2020: Lainez's first full season in Spain yielded just 18 outings, though he did miss the final three months of the campaign due to an abdominal strain.

2021: The forward again found himself on the fringes at Betis, making 25 appearances during the 2020-21 campaign. He also scored for Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League, though El Tri were beaten by the United States.

2022: After a knee injury meant he missed the first two months of the season, Lainez fell right down the pecking order and made just 13 appearances in all competitions before being loaned to Braga at the end of the campaign.

2023: Braga cut Lainez's loan short in January 2023 after he made just six league appearances in Portugal, and he was sent on a one-year loan to Tigres in his native Mexico a few weeks later. That deal was made permanent in July 2023.

2024: Lainez was a regular contributor for Tigres, though he struggled to provide goals or assists, while he also fell out of favour with the Mexico national team.

2025: The playmaker has made an encouraging start to the 2025 Clausura campaign and should be part of Tigres' squad for the Club World Cup.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport49Takefusa Kubo (FC Tokyo)

2017: Nicknamed 'The Japanese Messi', Kubo was forced to return to his homeland in the aftermath of Barcelona's FIFA-imposed transfer ban having been invited to La Masia as a 10-year-old. In April 2017, he became the youngest goalscorer in J.League history as a 15-year-old.

2018: Kubo was loaned to Yokohama F. Marinos in August 2018, and scored on his debut for his new club.

2019: Having enjoyed the most productive season of his career at senior level in 2019, Kubo made his international debut after being called-up to the Japan squad for the Copa America (they participated as one of the guest teams in Brazil). At club level, many expected him to return to Barcelona, but Real Madrid managed to secure his signature, before sending him on loan to newly-promoted Mallorca for the 2019-20 campaign.

2020: Kubo was one of the young stars of the Spanish season, directly contributing to nine goals as Mallorca fought against relegation. His form persuaded Villarreal to take him on loan for the following season.

2021: The forward failed to force his way into Unai Emery's team, and had his loan spell cut short in January 2021, with Madrid instead sending him on loan to Getafe for the remainder of the season, though he struggled to make much of an impact.

2022: Mallorca's promotion back to La Liga allowed them to make their move and bring Kubo back to the club on loan in 2021-22, and the Japan international's form having improved a little as a result.

2023: Kubo left Real Madrid to join Real Sociedad for an initial €6.5m in the summer of 2022, and he was back to his best in San Sebastian, as he provided 18 direct goal contributions for a team that qualified for the Champions League.

2024: The Japan international continued to impress for La Real in 2023-24, and he was linked with elite clubs around Europe.

2025: Kubo hasn't quite hit the same heights so far this season in San Sebastian, leading to him being left out of the line up on a number of occasions.

Getty Images Sport48Dujon Sterling (Chelsea)

2017: After impressing in the Blues' youth ranks, Sterling made his first-team debut under Antonio Conte in September 2017.

2018: Sterling made one further appearance for the Blues senior side in 2017-18 before joining Coventry City on loan for the following campaign.

2019: The full-back enjoyed a successful spell in League One, playing 40 matches in all competitions, before heading to Wigan Athletic on loan to test himself at Championship level the following season.

2020: Sterling managed just 10 appearances for Wigan because of a hamstring injury, which was then compounded by him picking up a serious illness that kept him on the sidelines for even longer.

2021: After missing 13 months of football, Sterling returned to action for Chelsea's U23s in the second half of the 2020-21 season. He proved his fitness enough to earn a new contract at Stamford Bridge, which he signed before joining Blackpool on loan.

2022: Sterling was largely a starter for the Championship outfit, and impressed enough to earn another loan move, this time to Stoke City.

2023: Sterling managed to lock down a starting berth for the Potters having been in and out of the side during the opening months of the campaign, and though he was subsequently released by Chelsea, he joined Rangers on a free transfer.

2024: After a slow start to life at Ibrox, Sterling forced his way into Philippe Clement's line-up during the second half of the campaign, showcasing his versatility by performing well in midfield.

2025: Injuries have meant Sterling has been out of action for long periods during 2024-25, though he has mostly been a starter when available.

Getty Images Sport47Niklas Dorsch (Bayern Munich)

2017: Likened to Toni Kroos by those in the know at Bayern, Dorsch was being closely monitored by then-coach Carlo Ancelotti.

2018: Dorsch marked his senior Bayern debut with the opening goal against Eintracht Frankfurt, but that proved to be his only appearance for the club, as a failure to agree a new contract saw him join second-division outfit FC Heidenheim in the summer of 2018.

2019: A regular starter for Heidenheim through the 2018-19 season, Dorsch impressed with his maturity despite his lack of experience.

2020: Dorsch helped Heidenheim reach the 2019-20 promotion-relegation play-off match, which they lost to Werder Bremen, before joining Gent at the end of the season in a €3.5m deal.

2021: Having got his first taste of European football with Gent, Dorsch was outstanding for Germany as they won the 2021 U21 European Championship. Those performances earned him a €7m move to Augsburg.

2022: After a slow start to life in the Bundesliga, Dorsch grew into his new environment, and played 30 times as Augsburg fought off the threat of relegation.

2023: A broken foot meant that Dorsch missed the entire first half of the 2022-23 season, but he worked his way back into contention and ended the campaign as a regular starter.

2024: Dorsch began the 2023-24 season in the Augsburg line up, but injuries limited his involvement after the New Year, and he thus begun to fall down the pecking order.

2025: Heidenheim, who are now in the Bundesliga, re-signed Dorsch in August 2024, and he has been a key member of their team for much of the season.

New Australia coach believes that international teams should have one person in charge across formats

Alex Malcolm03-May-2022New Australia coach Andrew McDonald insists there was never a risk he would have pursued the England job due to his firm belief that international coaches should oversee all three formats, with England set to split the roles down white and red-ball lines.McDonald was formally appointed as Australia’s new coach last month taking over the post permanently from Justin Langer on a four-year deal.There was interest from England in both McDonald and Langer prior to Rob Key being appointed as new ECB managing director of men’s cricket.But Key’s desire to split England’s coaching roles, with the two jobs advertised last week, dissuaded McDonald from considering it prior to taking the Australia job.”No I don’t think there was a risk,” McDonald told . “I think the way that they’re going to set-up, structure up, is clear. I think they’re going to go for a split coaching role. My views on that differ slightly.”McDonald would not have taken the Australia job had it been split into two roles. His reasoning is that the consistency of messaging from one figurehead is vitally important despite the enormous workload that comes with coaching an international team.Related

Australia open to being creative if Sri Lanka Tests call for third spinner

England to split coaching roles between Test and white-ball teams

Rob Key brings sense of calm at turbulent time for English cricket

Andrew McDonald, the quiet achiever

“My belief is to still have that one coach and share the workload within that,” McDonald said. “I think for me the continuity of messaging is critical. But also the priorities shift. And people probably don’t like me saying this, but the priorities do shift at certain times. You can’t be everything to everyone.”For example, Pat Cummins, on the back of three Test matches in Pakistan, at the end of that he’s severely fatigued and then the white-ball team gets compromised because Pat Cummins isn’t playing. But he’s not ready to perform in that environment.”If you had split coaches, which format takes priority? So, I think the ability to have one selection panel, one coach to work through that, give the direction to what the priorities are at the time and managing the overall squad as such and then someone, potentially a Michael Di Venuto or another assistant coach, coming in to allow the head coach to balance the workload but still stick on the same path.”For example, we’re going to build towards the 2023 World Cup, am I going to do every one-day game leading into that World Cup? There’s no chance of that. So I think that the continuity of messaging for me is important.”England have tried to split the coaching roles previously in 2012 between Andy Flower (Tests) and Ashley Giles (ODIs and T20Is) with the push and pull between formats causing a lot of friction between the pair.McDonald was keen to avoid any such scenario in the Australia job. McDonald and Cricket Australia’s head of national teams Ben Oliver have several assistant coaching appointments to make prior to the three-format tour of Sri Lanka in June.McDonald needs to find a full-time bowling coach to replace the role he has vacated since ascending to the head coaching job, while Jeff Vaughan has left his post as an assistant coach to take on the head coach position in Tasmania, leaving a second hole to fill within Australia’s ranks.Test cricket remains the priority for Australia as they remain in the frame for the World Test Championship final next year while a T20 World Cup title defence at home this year will also mean McDonald is heavily involved in the T20I series ahead of that. But there is likely to be an ODI series against Zimbabwe in August/September where McDonald could rest as well as other ODI series over what is shaping as a hectic 18 months of cricket for Australia.

The Mumbai Indians batter hurt a muscle in his left forearm during the match against Gujarat Titans on May 6

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2022Suryakumar Yadav, the Mumbai Indians middle-order batter, has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2022 after sustaining an injury to a muscle in his left forearm.He picked up the injury during Mumbai’s game against Gujarat Titans on May 6, when he scored an 11-ball 13 in a five-run win for his team.A statement from Mumbai Indians before their game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday evening said that the decision to remove Suryakumar from the squad had been taken in consultation with the fitness team of the BCCI.This is the second time Suryakumar has been sidelined because of an injury in recent months. Before the start of the IPL, he spent three weeks recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru after suffering a hairline fracture on his thumb on February 22 in the final match of the T20I series against West Indies.He was forced to miss the first week of the tournament as a result, and got into Mumbai’s XI only for their third game of the season, against Knight Riders on April 6.Despite playing only eight games, his 303 runs – at an average of 43.28 and strike rate of 145.67 – made Suryakumar the team’s second-highest run-scorer in what has been a forgettable season for the five-time IPL champions, who have struggled to lift themselves off the bottom of the points table.Suryakumar is now in a race to be fit for the five T20Is India play at home against South Africa from June 9, with an eye on the T20 World Cup that comes later in the year.