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."

Hardik Pandya is inching closer to his goal of bowling “in all games at the T20 World Cup”, with his team-mate in Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav, confirming that the allrounder has been sending down more and more deliveries in training ahead of the limited-overs series.”He did bowl in the England series [at home earlier this year]. I was part of it – in all the T20 games, he bowled,” Yadav said ahead of the series. “In the decider ODI also he bowled when the team was in a crunch situation, so it was good.Related

• Second-string Indian team? 'Not thinking about it,' says Suryakumar Yadav

• Scratchy Hardik among the duds of IPL 2021

• Hardik won't bowl till 'niggle cools off and he is comfortable'

“I think that the team management and Hardik knew their responsibilities really well, so they were taking a call. Here, in the intra-squad game, he did bowl in the nets. He is bowling. It is his and the team management’s call how they want to go about it. But yes, he is bowling and it is a very good sign.”Pandya was not picked for India’s long Test tour of England, which included the World Test Championship final, as part of the long-term project to get him to full bowling fitness following back surgery. As Yadav pointed out, Pandya did bowl in some of the games against England, but not for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021, which was pushed back after 29 matches following reports of multiple Covid-19 cases among the teams.Pandya last played a Test in 2018, in England. His utility, particularly in overseas Tests, has been recognised but for that, he has to be in full bowling capacity. For now, Pandya is focussed solely on the T20 World Cup later this year.”I started bowling in the IPL and my focus is on the World Cup,” Pandya said in a chat with last month. “I want to make sure that I will be able to bowl in all the games at the World Cup. I am just trying to be smart and make sure that I don’t miss that. On the bowling front, what matters is how fit I am.”Even after my surgery, I didn’t drop my pace. I was not able to drop my control. My bowling is related to my fitness. The fitter I get, the better it comes out. As a fast-bowling allrounder, I tend to get injuries. It is bound to happen and I am okay with it.”For India, I have realised that my bowling brings a lot of difference because the balance changes. In IPL, I am lucky to have a franchise where there is so much love that I was able to pick my batting and make sure that for India, I am able to be at my best. I have to make sure I am fit to be able to bowl and if I bowl, that brings balance to the side.”

Celtic are believed to be considering a move for an "outstanding" young forward during the summer transfer window, according to a new update from journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops have made a flying start to the defence of their Scottish Premiership crown, winning their opening two matches, but supporters will still be dreaming of more new signings coming in this month.

Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark has been linked with a move to Celtic a number of times this summer, with the Scottish giants believed to have been tracking him for as long as "four or five months".

Speaking about the situation, journalist Mark Guidi said: "From what I know, that is a genuine interest. It’s (a) real interest. It’s something that’s been on the radar for four or five months, from what I can gather. Again, from what I can gather, the boy is certainly interested to learn more if Liverpool are willing to let him go."

Another report has claimed that the Hoops have made contact with Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp over a move to Parkhead before the end of August. The 31-year-old is out of contract at Selhurst Park next summer, meaning this is the last chance for the Eagles to receive a fee for him.

Celtic are still fighting to keep hold of Matt O'Riley this summer, with four separate bids rejected from Europa League winners Atalanta. It sounds as though the Serie A side aren't done yet, though, with a fifth offer expected to arrive in the near future.

Celtic considering move for "outstanding" player

Taking to X, O'Rourke claimed that Celtic are showing an interest in signing Norwich City youngster Abu Kamara this summer, with the Hoops "monitoring" the England Under-20 forward.

Kamara has the potential to be an exciting young addition for the Hoops this season, having caught the eye on loan at Portsmouth last season, winning the League One title and sealing promotion to the Championship.

The 21-year-old scored eight goals and registered 10 assists in the league, starting 37 matches and appearing in every single game in the competition, while Pompey assistant manager Jon Harley heaped praise on him.

"Abs’ form recently has been outstanding, he’s such a great lad, he wants to learn and is really humble. The way we play, we want to try to isolate him one-v-one because, as a full-back myself, I would hate to play against him. I am sure every full-back would do in that position."

Abu Kamara's 2023/24 League One stats for Portsmouth

Total

Appearances

46

Starts

37

Goals

8

Assists

10

Shots per game

1.3

Dribbles per game

1.2

Key passes per game

0.9

Man of the Match awards

3

Whether Norwich are willing to sell Kamara permanently or on loan this summer remains to be seen, but if Celtic were able to bring him in for good, he could mature into a fantastic attacking prospect as the years pass, capable of impressing on both attacking flanks and down the middle.

After clinching a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Leicester City are in talks to reunite new manager Steve Cooper with one of his former players.

Foxes on the hunt for new attacking stars

The story that has been attracting the most attention at the King Power Stadium surrounds the Foxes' ongoing pursuit of Matias Soule. A deal for the Juventus winger has been in the works for a number of weeks with the latest development suggesting that Leicester have submitted a bid in the region of £21million for the player.

Leicester could hit gold by selling a star who's worth more than Soule

Leicester City can still win when it comes to selling on this forgotten man.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 24, 2024

Despite the Foxes' clear interest in the player, Soule could be drawn towards extending his stay in Italy with Roma also said to be in talks to sign the player. Recent claims in the press have stated that Soule only wants to join the Serie A side which may throw a spanner in Leicester's transfer plans this summer.

If they cannot get a deal for Soule over the line, Leicester have been looking at deals for other wide players including AC Milan ace Alexis Saelemaekers. The Foxes have reportedly opened negotiations for the Belgian winger who can also operate in the centre of the pitch.

With Leicester clearly not afraid of lining up alternatives to Soule, it looks as if the Foxes have approached a fellow Premier League side about one of their wantaway stars.

Leicester open talks to sign Reiss Nelson

As first reported on the X account of Fabrizio Romano, Leicester City have opened talks with Arsenal over a potential deal to sign Reiss Nelson. Romano claims that the negotiations in question surround an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy the winger further down the line, with the Foxes confident they can persuade the player to join.

Despite spending his entire career at the Emirates, Nelson has never quite managed to cement himself in the Gunners' starting XI, often having to settle for cameos off the bench. The course of the previous season saw the 24-year-old make just 15 appearances in the Premier League, failing to register a goal or assist during this time.

Irrespective of his recent struggles, Nelson is a player who spent his youth career touted as one of England's most promising prospects. Playing his way through the Three Lions' youth set up, the winger became a fixture of the national team, earning praises for his performances.

One person that Nelson really managed to impress was former England manager and current Leicester boss Cooper. Speaking in a press conference back in 2022, Cooper took the opportunity to heap praise on Nelson after he scored twice against his Nottingham Forest side:

“[Reiss Nelson] and I always had a strong relationship. He was a standout player for England U17s. It’s good to see him doing well, I just wish it wasn’t today.”

With the new Leicester boss already a big fan of the player, there is a good chance that Nelson could be lacing up at the King Power by the time the next season begins.

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.

Leeds United's lacklustre start to the new season continued away in the Midlands on Saturday afternoon, Daniel Farke's men left to take a point from the Hawthorns following a 0-0 draw with West Brom.

To be honest, it was a pretty decent point considering what's happened over the last week.

Leeds drew 3-3 with Portsmouth on the opening day before being hammered by Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup in midweek as they shipped six goals in their opening two matches for the first time since 1959. Yeah…it's not great, is it?

Then came the hammer blow of losing Georginio Rutter and his absence was more than felt this weekend. Leeds had just six touches in the opposition box, the lowest throughout Farke's entire managerial career.

Going into the break, they only had a 50% pass accuracy in the final third. It makes for grim reading.

The latest on Rutter's future

Just hours after Leeds had suffered defeat to Boro, it was confirmed that Brighton had activated Rutter's £40m release clause.

It was heartbreaking, it was anguish, particularly for a fan base who have already seen Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville walk through the exit door.

So, when will Rutter be confirmed? Well, Farke admitted during his pre-match press conference that he had already said his goodbyes to the squad.

Leeds paid £25m for him in 2023 so they are making a mighty fine profit on the player. That said, the prize of reaching the Premier League would bring even greater riches and they may well struggle to get there now without the Frenchman and Summerville.

Joel Piroe was the man to replace Rutter against the Baggies on Saturday but didn't take his chance to shine in a worrying display.

Piroe's performance in numbers

The Dutchman has rather flattered to deceive since being signed from Swansea City last summer.

During the 2023/24 campaign, Piroe registered a haul of 16 goals and three assists, but struggled in the number 10 role, despite 50% of his strikes coming from that position in the team.

As a result, it was frustrating for supporters to see Piroe selected in that area of the field again against West Brom.

Hauled off after 64 minutes for Joe Rothwell, he vacated the pitch having had 23 touches, far fewer than goalkeeper Illan Meslier's 49 touches.

The 25-year-old registered a dismal haul of just six passes, of which none created a goalscoring opportunity. For someone playing a role such as Piroe's, you should be expected to create. After all, Rutter ended last term with 16 assists, 13 more than his Dutch colleague.

Minutes played

64

Goals

0

Assists

0

xG

0.33

Accurate passes

6/10

Key passes

0

Crosses

0

Shots off target

2

Shots on target

0

Dribbles

0/2

Ground duels won

1/6

Aerial duels won

0/2

Possession lost

13x

To make matters worse, the former Swansea man ceded possession 13 times and won just one of his eight duels.

The attacker was subsequently slated after the game as he was handed a 4/10 match rating by journalist Beren Cross who described his outing as 'a familiar and poor display' which 'left a lot to be desired'.

So, it wasn't a great audition from Piroe as Farke attempts to solve the Rutter-shaped hole in his side.

It's a long old season and Leeds will surely improve but the omens are not good if an internal solution is sought in that number 10 role. For their next clash, the manager must try something else and put Piroe back on the bench.

Leeds hit gold on Bielsa signing who's now worth even more than Rutter

Leeds United managed to sell this former star on for a huge amount.

1 ByKelan Sarson Aug 16, 2024

Red Devils fans are excited to see the new coach's heralded system in action on Sunday at Portman Road – but who deserves to start?

There could hardly be more excitement about Ruben Amorim's first game in charge of Manchester United and the wait is almost over. The Portuguese will finally lead the Red Devils out away to Ipswich Town on Sunday, 27 days after Erik ten Hag was sacked and 23 days after it was confirmed that the 39-year-old was going to take his place.

Amorim left Sporting CP in the best shape imaginable but he joins a United side who are in the midst of the latest of many crises in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era, looking hopelessly off the pace with the Premier League's leading sides and even further behind Europe's elite. He has had nearly two weeks to get his feet under the table and assess his squad and has taken several training sessions, being left aghast by the lack of intensity on display.

The coach is renowned for playing a 3-4-3 formation and has made it clear he intends to stick with that tried and tested shape at United, already putting it into practice in training. But who will get the nod when he names his first line-up at Portman Road? GOAL runs through the starting XI Amorim should pick in order to make the best possible start.

• Getty
  

  GK: Andre Onana

  The Cameroonian has made a huge improvement from his shaky early days and he has been one of the best performers this season, making tremendous saves against Crystal Palace and Fenerbahce while ironing out the errors that plagued his start to life at Old Trafford. He is yet to make a big contribution to United's possession game, which, after all, is what he was brought to the club to do. But that should change with Amorim and the new formation. Onana's best season came while playing with a back three at Inter, and having an extra centre-back to pass to should benefit him.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  RCB: Matthijs de Ligt

  United might have a centre-back shortage at the moment but the Dutchman is fully fit, playing 90 minutes for his country against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. The former Ajax captain had a bit of a rough start to life in the Premier League but he has settled into the team recently and delivered much improved performances under Ruud van Nistelrooy, showing his power in the air and looking more assured in possession.

• Getty
  

  CB: Jonny Evans

  With Lisandro Martinez being sent home from the Argentina camp, Victor Lindelof getting injured with Sweden and Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire still getting back to full fitness, all signs point to the 36-year-old marshalling the defence in Amorim's dugout debut. The veteran centre-back might not be the picture of renewal United are hoping for but he is the safe pair of hands the new coach needs in his first game in a new league. Evans can always be relied upon and he comes into his element at tricky Premier League grounds, producing a man-of-the-match display at Burnley last season and keeping Aston Villa at bay last month with an immaculate second-half performance from the bench.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  LCB: Noussair Mazraoui

  The Morocco international has been one of United's best players in recent weeks, starring against Chelsea and getting an assist against Leicester. He has played as both a right-back and a left-back, although he has impressed more in the latter role, inverting into midfield when United have possession. He could play as a wing-back, but his defensive attributes makes him better suited to playing on the left of the back three, where he can help out the left winger while also joining the midfield when appropriate.

Big picture

Two matches, two high-octane finishes, with two centuries from two players who needed big numbers to their names, and one spirit-of-the-game debate that will keep us talking long after the dust settles on Wednesday. With honours even, the third match is a finale in the truest sense and will decide who earns a series win.For South Africa, this is the chance to claim a third trophy in nine series under coach Mark Boucher, and a second this summer. For Pakistan, it’s the opportunity to win a series against a top-seven ODI team for the first time since 2013 when they beat South Africa at home. Both teams could also use World Cup Super League points, but South Africa will have to try to get them without almost half of their first-choice team.Five key players – Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi – have left the squad for the IPL which means a complete change to the pace pack and the absence of the chief protagonist in the controversy. de Kock will not be around to take in the conversation around whether his gesturing to the non-striker’s end when Fakhar Zaman was run out at his ends amounted to wilful deceit. Both Zaman and the match officials didn’t think so and to them, at least, the matter is closed. So is the question of whether Pakistan would have successfully chased 342. They didn’t get there but showed enough fight and will fancy their chances against a less-experienced South African attack in the decider.With the three main quicks gone, South Africa will lose out on the combined experience of 114 ODI caps. The replacements, likely to be Lutho Sipamla, Daryn Dupavillon and one of Beuran Hendricks or Junior Dala have a total of 14 caps between them, so Pakistan could see that as a potential area to exploit.

Form guide

South Africa WLWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan LWLWW

This was never expected to be a series for spinners with only one wicket between Tabraiz Shamsi and Shadab Khan and with the latter ruled out with injury, it’s the former that’s under our microscope. Shamsi shot from the hip in defence of de Kock and got into a few Twitter tangles, but those are not kinds of webs he’ll want to be weaving. Shamsi has been South Africa’s second-most expensive bowler so far and will want to show he can play a holding role if required. Otherwise, Shamsi will know that Keshav Maharaj, who enjoyed strong domestic returns over the past two summers, is an alternative South Africa may want to consider in more seamer-friendly conditions.With Nortje away at the IPL, Haris Rauf has the opportunity to finish as the series’ leading wicket-taker. He currently has five to his name, two behind Nortje’s seven, and has made breakthroughs at crucial times. In the first ODI, Rauf got rid of David Miller immediately after he reached fifty; in the second, he accounted for both de Kock and Temba Bavuma as they went in search of boundaries. Thought Rauf has been more expensive than he might like – both he and Mohammad Hasnain have conceded at 6.3 runs an over – he has taken a wicket every four overs, while Hasnain only has one in every ten. After four ODIs, Rauf looks like a player who could create a regular spot for himself in Pakistan’s XI.Janneman Malan is likely to replace Quinton de Kock•Associated Press

South Africa will have to make five changes to their XI – two in the top six and the entire pace pack – following the departure of players to the IPL. That will mean a new opening partner for Aiden Markram with Janneman Malan getting an opportunity after many considered him unlucky to miss out in the first place. Kyle Verreynne will replace David Miller with Heinrich Klaasen likely to remain at No. 6 and take over the wicketkeeping duties. South Africa’s big conundrum is how to make up for the absence of Rabada, Ngidi and Nortje. Sipamla and Dupavillon are expected to slot in and a decision is to be made between left-armer Hendricks and a second spinner in Maharaj.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Kyle Verreynne, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Beuran Hendricks/Keshav Maharaj, 9 Daryn Dupavillon, 10 Lutho Sipamla, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiPakistan have one enforced change after Khan was ruled out of the tour with a toe injury. Usman Qadir will step into his place. They may also make a change to their No. 6 position, with Asif Ali’s scores of 19 and 2 necessitating a switch. Haider Ali could earn his third ODI cap. Hasan Ali, who was declared fit ahead of the series but has yet to play a game, could also be called on, likely in place of Hasnain.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Danish Aziz, 6 Asif Ali/Haider Ali, 7 Usman Qadir, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Hasnain/Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf

The series moves back to Centurion where the early morning conditions offered something for the quicks and batting eased out later in the day. The slightly cooler and wetter weather may narrow that gap, with rain expected overnight and at some point on the game day. The temperature will hove in the upper and mid-20s as the season changes.

Stats and trivia

• Imam-ul-Haq could become the second-fastest player to 2000 ODI runs. He is currently on 1909 from 42 innings, two innings behind Hashim Amla and three ahead of Zaheer Abbas. Earlier in the series, Babar Azam became the fourth-fastest to 2000 runs, in 45 innings.
• The last time South Africa lost a series decider was in 2015 in Bangladesh. Since then they have won 13 out of 16 bilateral ODI series, including beating New Zealand (2015 & 2017), India (2015), England (2016), Australia (2018) and Pakistan (2019) in the final match of a series.

Quotes

It’s a massive loss but in saying that, it’s an opportunity for the guys that are on the fringes. In 2023, we are going to play a World Cup. We want to see if our big names get injured, that we’ve got someone who can step up.

“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.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

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.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

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.