Russell Martin has survived another day as Rangers manager.

On Saturday, the Gers reached the League Cup quarter-finals, managing to win 2-0 at Ibrox, although a Glasgow derby at Hampden on 2 November is probably far from what they need right now.

The question though still remains; will Martin be in charge by then?

Well, to avoid becoming the shortest-serving permanent manager in Rangers’ history, breaking Pedro Caixinha’s record, Martin would still need to be at the helm for the visit of Braga in the Europa League on 27 November, which appears unlikely considering he is yet to win a Premiership match in five attempts, leaving them second-bottom, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Almondvale.

Thus, surely 49ers Enterprises, who took over the club in the summer, are considering potential replacements, so a future “elite manager” should be top of their wish list, not the obvious front-runners.

The favourites to replace Russell Martin at Rangers

Ever since it became clear that Martin was not going to last particularly long in Govan, amid widespread protests against him and chief executive officer Patrick Stewart present throughout the weekend win over Hibs, two obvious front-runners have emerged, both with Merseyside connections.

Steven Gerrard would be the populist choice, with many supporters wanting to see him return to Ibrox, having managed the club for 194 matches between 2018 and 2021, re-establishing Rangers as a force in European football, as well as leading them to their sole Premiership title since 2011, stopping Celtic’s pursuit of ten-in-a-row.

A key figure in Gerrard’s success in Glasgow was then-assistant Michael Beale, who returned to Ibrox as manager himself in 2022, lasting just 43 matches before being hounded out.

The pair did briefly reunite in Saudi Arabia, working together at Al-Ettifaq before Gerrard was unceremoniously sacked in January, so could the 49ers get the band back together?

The other leading candidate is Sean Dyche, who has also been out of work since January, dismissed by Everton earlier this year.

Having taken charge of 557 games as a manager, of which 332 have come in the Premier League, the former Burnley boss is surely one of the most experienced coaches Rangers could attract, and he has proven himself adept at getting the best out of whatever he has to work with, something the current occupant of the Ibrox hot seat certainly is not doing.

However, rather than playing it safe, Rangers should be bold and appoint a future “elite manager” who is currently out of work.

Rangers' dream Russell Martin successor

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jordi Cruijff, son of the legendary Johan, asserted that “all the best managers were midfielders”, a claim supported by a study from The Athletic, which found that ‘almost half of coaches with a professional playing background were midfielders’.

Well, a man looking to reinforce that stereotype is Michael Carrick – formerly tipped to replace Gerrard in the hot seat by Charlie Adam back in 2021.

After spending 12 years at Manchester United as a player, he retired in 2018 and worked under José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær as an assistant coach, placed in interim charge for three matches in 2021, overseeing victories over Villarreal and Arsenal, as well as a draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

After leaving Old Trafford, Carrick returned to the North East, where he was born and raised, appointed Middlesbrough manager in October 2024.

As the table below documents, his time on Teeside was generally pretty successful.

Matches

136

Wins

63

Draws

24

Defeats

49

Goals scored

220

Goals conceded

177

22/23 league finish

4th

23/24 league finish

8th

24/25 league finish

10th

Best EFL Cup run

Semis

As outlined by the table, Carrick led Boro into the Championship play-offs in his first season, having taken over with the side 21st, before they were beaten 1-0 by Coventry City in the semi-finals.

He also guided them to the EFL Cup semi-finals, actually defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the first leg at the Riverside, but eighth and then tenth place finishes in the Championship saw him sacked and replaced by Rob Edwards during the summer, who has made a flying start in fairness, with Middlesbrough currently top of the table.

Nevertheless, Carrick earned plenty of praise, labelled a future “elite manager” by one analyst, while Jack Manship of Total Football Analysis was impressed by his ‘eye-catching’ brand of football, praising Boro’s ‘organisation’ and ability to attack quickly.

Meantime, Solskjær has backed Carrick to be a future Manchester United manager one day, describing him as a “winner”, forecasting he will be a top-class coach in the near future.

Thus, while Carrick is out of work, Rangers should surely do everything they can to convince him to take over in Glasgow, successfully taking a chance on Gerrard back in 2018, even more of a rookie himself at the time, so a young coach with fresh ideas is surely exactly what they need.

Imagine him & Raskin: Rangers must rue selling £6m "left-footed Yaya Toure"

As Nicolas Raskin underlines his importance at Rangers, imagine him alongside the “left-footed Yaya Touré” sold for £6m by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

ByBen Gray Sep 24, 2025

Tottenham’s transfer business for 2025 has officially concluded following one of the most dramatic and memorable summer windows on-lookers have ever seen, with Spurs enjoying a solid one themselves.

Despite their failure to bring in a natural left-winger and centre-back for manager Thomas Frank, which were two key items on their to-do list (Sky Sports), a recruitment team stocked with Daniel Levy, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici did work some magic.

Mohammed Kudus

£55 million

Kota Takai

£5 million

Mathys Tel

£30 million

Joao Palhinha

Loan

Kevin Danso

£21 million

Xavi Simons

£52 million

Randal Kolo Muani

Loan

Following their infamously botched deals for Morgan Gibbs-White -who reportedly phoned Frank to apologise for his U-turn over joining Spurs – and Eberechi Eze, Spurs finally managed to get a replacement for the injured James Maddison by signing Xavi Simons in a £52 million deal from RB Leipzig.

It was all happening in N17 during the final days, with an ankle injury to striker Dominic Solanke also partly forcing Frank’s side into a late temporary deal for long-time target Randal Kolo Muani.

Tottenham were actively pursuing the PSG-owned forward in January, only to back out and see Juventus win the race for his signature instead.

The France international really impressed for Juve, bagging 10 goals and three assists in all competitions, and while Igor Tudor wanted him back in Serie A, they couldn’t agree to re-sign him despite lengthy summer talks.

Instead, Spurs tempted Kolo Muani with a move to the Premier League, and Frank is set to benefit from the introduction of a centre-forward who can play in multiple areas with a proven scoring record. Interestingly, the 26-year-old was also a player who ex-manager Ange Postecoglou pushed for in the winter (Paul O’Keefe), and it’s not hard to see why.

His best-ever season to date in 2022/2023 saw the attacker rack up a brilliant 23 goals and 17 assists in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt, with Kolo Muani also making his mark for France on the international stage.

Semi-final goals against Morocco at the 2022 World Cup and Spain in Euro 2024 showcase partly why Didier Deschamps has kept faith in Kolo Muani, even amidst a lack of game time at PSG, and Tottenham are in dire need of him now that reports suggest Solanke could be out for even longer than anticipated.

Kolo Muani’s arrival could end up being crucial with the influx of matches awaiting Spurs after this international break, leaving little wonder Levy and co were clamoring to get him through the door.

Tottenham agreed "un-Spurs like" Randal Kolo Muani deal condition

Giving his take on the deal, reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold says that Tottenham agreed an ‘un-Spurs like’ condition to sign Kolo Muani from PSG.

Namely, Gold states that the lack of any buy option in this move is something quite out of the ordinary for them, and some might suggest that it highlights their “desperation” to bring in another new attacker (football.london).

Without the inclusion of an obligation or option to buy, if Kolo Muani’s move proves a success, then Levy will need to return to the negotiating table with PSG – by which point they’d be able to command a loftier price tag.

They’ll also face competition from other elite sides on the look-out for a proven striker, so Tottenham face the prospect of this being Kolo Muani’s only season in north London, regardless of how well he performs.

It’s certainly out of Tottenham’s character not to take the future into account, but Frank’s need for attacking reinforcements was pressing, and it perhaps indicates Levy’s increasing willingness to compete after the Lilywhites tasted Europa League glory in May.

Gujarat Titans becomes the sixth team to be penalised for a slow over rate this season

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2025

Shubman Gill chose to bowl first on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad•BCCI

Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill has been fined after his team was found to have maintained a slow over-rate in the IPL 2025 match against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Ahmedabad on Saturday.”As this was his team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Gill was fined INR 12 lakhs,” the IPL said in a statement.Gill joined Axar Patel (DC), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals – RR), Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru – RCB), Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants – LSG), Riyan Parag (RR) and Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians – MI) in the list of captains who have been penalised for slow over-rate offences so far this season. Unlike last year, however, the IPL has done away with player bans for repeat over-rate offences and will only levy demerit points and fines, in addition to in-game penalties.Gill had chosen to bowl first in hot conditions in Ahmedabad, where the maximum temperature hit 40C. There were frequent stoppages as players struggled in the extreme weather. DC scored 203 for 8, a total that GT chased down with seven wickets in hand and four balls to spare. Jos Buttler was the Player of the Match for scoring an unbeaten 97 off 54 balls in the chase.The victory took GT to the top of the points table with five wins in seven games, level on ten points with DC but ahead on net run-rate. The game marked the halfway point in the league stage, with all ten teams having played seven games each.

حقق منتخب مصر للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا، فوزًا غاليًا على أمريكا، في ثاني مبارياته ببطولة العالم لكرة اليد المقامة في المغرب. 

وواجه منتخب مصر للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا نظيره منتخب أمريكا، في تمام الساعة 8:50 بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية، في الجولة الثانية من بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد.

طالع..ترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا بعد الفوز على أمريكا

وكان منتخب مصر لكرة اليد للناشئين قد فاز على نظيره البرازيلي في افتتاح مشواره ببطولة العالم المقامة في المغرب، بنتيجة 35-26.

وحقق منتخب مصر الفوز على أمريكا بنتيجة 42-22، في ثاني مبارياته في بطولة العام للناشئين لكرة اليد. 

يذكر أن منتخب مصر للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا لكرة اليد، يقع في مجموعة تضم منتخبات البرازيل وأمريكا والمغرب صاحب الأرض والجمهور.

وبهذا الفوز، رفع منتخب مصر للناشئين لكرة اليد رصيده إلى 4 نقاط، في صدارة ترتيب المجموعة، وحجز بطاقة التأهل رسميًا إلى نصف نهائي البطولة. 

Just six months after Arsenal stunned Lyon on their own patch in the Champions League semi-finals on their way to a second European triumph, the French giants got some revenge on Tuesday night as they spoiled the start of the Gunners' title defence with a 2-1 victory that, in truth, flattered the holders. Alessia Russo gave the hosts the lead with seven minutes on the clock but once Melchie Dumornay had quickly cancelled that out, it was all Lyon as two goals from the Haitian star secured all three points for the eight-time winners.

Russo's early strike was a real moment of quality, too, both in the finish and the excellent footwork from Beth Mead that set it up. However, it seemed to serve to only poke the bear as Lyon battled back ferociously with some relentless play throughout the first half in particular. It was a gift that helped them draw level, as goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar passed the ball to Dumornay when playing out from the back under no pressure, but the 22-year-old's second was a stunner, one she sent flying into the top corner from 20 yards out.

Lyon should've added to that lead multiple times but efforts either flew off target or were parried away by Van Domselaar, who did make amends for her earlier blunder with a terrific double stop just before the break especially. Arsenal couldn't make them rue that wastefulness, either, with chances few and far between bar Mariona Caldentey's well-saved effort a minute after Dumornay's second and Caitlin Foord's strike just wide in the final seconds.

It means it's now four games without a winner for the Gunners, after draws against Manchester United and Aston Villa were followed up with defeat at Manchester City at the weekend and now this loss. It's the first time since January 2022 that they have endured such a barren run. Five months after winning the Champions League, head coach Renee Slegers isn't under any real pressure in terms of her job, it must be said, but she and her Arsenal team are in terms of regaining some momentum and getting their season back on track for success.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (3/10):

  Made a real blunder for Lyon's first goal and her distribution was questionable for the second, too. Made amends to an extent with some terrific saves but the damage was already done.

  Emily Fox (4/10):

  Was overwhelmed in the first half in particular, dealing with Bacha and Diani both running down her side. Could've done more at times but also needed more help.

  Katie Reid (4/10):

  Her most difficult night of the season but she still wasn't the most culpable.

  Steph Catley (4/10):

  Lost the ball far too often in dangerous areas.

  Taylor Hinds (3/10):

  Caught out of position too often as Lyon thrived out wide.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Kim Little (5/10):

  Kept the ball better than most, though the bar wasn't very high.

  Mariona Caldentey (4/10):

  Poor awareness led to her giving the ball away for Lyon's second goal. A surprisingly sloppy performance from the Ballon d'Or runner-up.

  Frida Maanum (4/10):

  Battled well off the ball, winning most of her duels, but was on the fringes of the game in an attacking sense all night.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Chloe Kelly (3/10):

  Could not get involved at all in attack and didn't do enough defensively to help deal with Bacha, who always had so much space coming forward from left-back.

  Alessia Russo (5/10):

  Took her goal brilliantly. That was about the only service she had all night, however.

  Beth Mead (5/10):

  Showed great footwork and vision to pick out Russo for the opening goal but struggled to make much of an impact after that.

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• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Caitlin Foord (6/10):

  Arsenal's liveliest introduction, she was not far away from equalising in the final moments.

  Olivia Smith (5/10):

  Battled well and won plenty of duels but couldn't really get anything going in attack.

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (N/A):

  Made a rare appearance in the final 15 minutes.

  Stina Blackstenius (N/A):

  On for the final 15 minutes but didn't get any service.

  Katie McCabe (N/A):

  A late sub.

  Renee Slegers (5/10):

  Was too predictable with her team selection and set-up, and the same with her subs. Didn't do anything to give Lyon a particularly different look going forward in order to help Arsenal get back into the game.

Keira Walsh's stunning strike gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday as the defending Women's Super League champions maintained their position at the top of the table. The Blues huffed and puffed a lot in this game, producing a lot of nice build-up play without the incisive final ball. And so, up stepped Walsh just past the hour mark to rifle an effort from range into the bottom corner of Lize Kop's goal and secure all three points in some style.

No fixture in WSL history has a more dominant head-to-head than this one, with Chelsea having won all 11 meetings between the two sides ahead of this game. That disparity was evident in the way the afternoon unfolded, too, with Spurs constantly pinned back in their own defensive third as the Blues peppered the box with crosses and attempted passes. However, despite a record number of corners and touches in the opposition's box for the first half in a WSL game, Sonia Bompastor's side failed to really trouble Kop in the away goal. It wasn't until the second half, when Alyssa Thompson curled an effort on target, that the Tottenham goalkeeper was really forced into action.

It wasn't long after that, though, that she was beaten. Chelsea cranked up the pressure after the break and showcased better decision-making in key areas, carving out a chance for Thompson from close range which was well-blocked. But it was actually from range that the opening goal would be scored, as Walsh lined up a shot from 25 yards and rifled it into the bottom corner brilliantly.

Once the net rippled, the result felt secure, with Spurs having defended excellently but done little to trouble Hannah Hampton. There would be one a heart-in-mouth moment for the home fans, when Hampton uncharacteristically lost possession in a dangerous area, but it was a situation from which Chelsea escaped unscathed as they saw the victory out in an otherwise comfortable fashion, making it five wins from their first six WSL games and extending their unbeaten run in the competition to 31 matches, the second longest streak in competition history.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Kingsmeadow…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (6/10):

Didn't have much to do. Was good in possession, bar a sloppy error midway through the second half that, fortunately for her, went unpunished.

Ellie Carpenter (7/10):

Another fantastic display in defence and attack. Linked up well with Rytting Kaneryd to cause Spurs plenty of problems down their left.

Millie Bright (6/10):

Dominant in her duels and good in her positioning to prevent Spurs from having any joy on the counter.

Nathalie Bjorn (6/10):

Battled well when called into action, though that wasn't too often.

Niamh Charles (6/10):

Got just under an hour under her belt on her return from injury. Was solid in possession and won plenty of her duels.

AdvertisementMidfield

Keira Walsh (7/10):

Tidy on the ball at the base of midfield and won the game with her terrific strike.

Erin Cuthbert (8/10):

Never stopped in a typical all-action performance. Won so many duels and was excellent in possession.

Wieke Kaptein (5/10):

Had a fantastic chance to break the deadlock in first half stoppage time but didn't connect with the cross well enough. 

Attack

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (7/10):

Caused plenty of problems with her direct running and ability to get in behind. Became more accurate with her final ball as the game went on.

Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):

Worked hard off the ball and produced some nice touches in and around the box. Didn't get much service, however.

Alyssa Thompson (7/10):

Alongside Rytting Kaneryd, was one of Chelsea's liveliest players for most of the game, forcing Kop into her first meaningful save in the game. Final ball could've been better, though it did improve.

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Subs & Manager

Catarina Macario (5/10):

Couldn't impact the game too much on this occasion, though it wasn't for a lack of trying.

Veerle Buurman (6/10):

Slotted in nicely on the left. Wasn't racing up and down the wing but did help recycle possession and keep the pressure on Spurs with her quality in possession.

Guro Reiten (N/A):

Ensured Chelsea's threat out wide remained until the end, picking up the baton nicely from Thompson.

Sam Kerr (N/A):

Another late sub whose presence and quality on the ball kept Spurs pinned back.

Lucy Bronze (N/A):

Made her first appearance of the season in the closing minutes, after overcoming injury.

Sonia Bompastor (6/10):

Will want to see more cutting edge from her team in the final third, especially after similar issues plagued them in a 1-1 draw with Twente in midweek, but will have been pleased with how that improved in the second half as well as other aspects of this win, not least the fact she was able to get Bronze and Charles back from injury. Didn't panic at 0-0 and trusted her side to get the job done, which they did.

Essex batter retires hurt on 103 two days after being called up for England’s Test against Zimbabwe

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-May-2025Jordan Cox suffered an injury concern while celebrating his latest England call-up with a century for Essex on the third day of their Rothesay County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.The 24-year-old fell to the ground clutching his left side just above the hip after taking a quick single off Jack Leach to put him on 99. He had been feeling the same area while batting and remained prostrate while being treated before being helped to his feet.Related

Jordan Cox: 'Dad was in the queue at Heathrow, I told him to turn round'

Cox recalled to England Test squad for Zimbabwe

Harmer, Cox help Essex turn tables on Somerset

Cox stayed at the wicket just long enough to hit a boundary off Leach and reach his ton at which point he immediately retired hurt. He took no further part in the Essex second innings and was replaced in the field when Somerset batted.Essex’s captain, Tom Westley, confirmed the extent of the injury at the close of play.”Jordan has a problem with his side, which our medical staff are in the process of assessing,” he said. “Unfortunately, because it is a Sunday it has not been possible to get the injury scanned. Hopefully, that will happen as soon as possible tomorrow and we will know a lot more then.”He played a tremendous innings and it was a shame he was not able to go on.”A broken finger forced Cox to miss England’s tour to New Zealand last year. On Friday he was recalled to the squad for the Test match against Zimbabwe later this month.The England squad are expected to assemble in London next week before a training camp in Loughborough leading into the four-day Test, which will be played at Trent Bridge on May 22-25. The encounter will be England’s first Test against Zimbabwe since 2003.

MatériaMais Notícias

Foi um jogo tenso, brigado, mas Cruzeiro e Botafogo ficaram no 0 a 0 neste domingo (6). Em jogo pela décima-oitava rodada do Brasileirão, a Raposa pressionou os alvinegros, buscou chances, mas esbarrou em atuações implacáveis de Adryelson e Lucas Perri no Mineirão.

RelacionadasFora de CampoMelhor do Brasil? Web elege Lucas Perri herói no empate entre Botafogo e CruzeiroFora de Campo06/08/2023BotafogoLucas Perri exalta empate arrancado pelo Botafogo com o Cruzeiro e fala sobre dores no joelho direito: ‘Estou sentindo, mas está tudo certo’Botafogo06/08/2023BotafogoATUAÇÕES: Lucas Perri brilha, salva o Botafogo e tem a maior nota em empate com o CruzeiroBotafogo06/08/2023

A partida, porém, deixou preocupações para o Glorioso. O artilheiro do Brasileirão, Tiquinho Soares, deixou o gramado com dores no joelho esquerdo. O clube informou que o camisa 9 sofreu entorse no local e iniciou tratamento.

O líder Botafogo chegou a 44 pontos na competição. O Cruzeiro está com 24 pontos.

OS CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA:

POUCAS EMOÇÕES… Houve muita expectativa, mas poucas emoções no primeiro tempo no Mineirão. O Cruzeiro acuou o Botafogo, apostou em jogadas pelos lados com William e Matheus Pereira, só que esbarrou no forte bloqueio alvinegro. A equipe de Bruno Lage, por sua vez, foi inofensiva na frente.

PREOCUPAÇÃO COM O ARTILHEIRO… Uma dor de cabeça começou a rondar o Botafogo na etapa inicial. Após dividida com Neris, Tiquinho Soares caiu no gramado se queixando de dores. O camisa 9 saiu do gramado carregado e teve diagnosticado inicialmente um quadro de entorse no joelho esquerdo.

TRABALHA, ADRYELSON! A equipe celeste abusava dos lançamentos e dos passes para a área. Neste momento, Adryelson entrou em cena se atirando para cortar jogadas.

PASSOU PERTO… Na reta final, o Cruzeiro acelerou seu ritmo e teve chances. Rafael Elias arriscou, mas a zaga cortou. Em seguida, Mateus Vital encheu o pé e a bola passou rente à trave.

PERRI ESPETACULAR! Lucas Perri voltou a se tornar fundamental para o Botafogo. Na reta final, o goleiro esticou-se e fez duas defesas consecutivas em cabeçadas de Rafael Elias.

COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO?

Houve muita expectativa para poucas emoções . Lucas Silva abria caminho para William e Matheus Pereira tentassem jogadas. Porém, a bola não chegava com precisão para Gilberto concluir. Do outro lado, o Botafogo via Cuesta e Adryelson se desdobrarem para frear o ímpeto adversário. Com Eduardo muito bem marcado, os alvinegros não encontravam alternativas para desenvolver jogadas e viam Victor Sá e Júnior Santos serem facilmente marcadas. Nos últimos minutos, o líder do Brasileirão se deparou com uma preocupação. Após dividida com Neris, Tiquinho Soares desabou no gramado se queixando de dores no joelho esquerdo. O Alvinegro informou que o camisa 9 sofreu uma entorse na região.

E O SEGUNDO TEMPO?

Na volta do intervalo, a equipe celeste continuou a jogar de maneira incisiva. As jogadas eram alçadas por Matheus Pereira e William, mas Adryelson se desdobrava para salvar. Em cobrança de falta, Matheus Pereira fez Lucas Perri se esticar para defender. Aos poucos, os alvinegros se soltaram e levaram perigo tanto em tentativa de Eduardo quanto em finalização de Matías Segovia que parou nas mãos de Anderson. Mas eram os cruzeirenses que ditavam o ritmo e proporcionaram uma reta final de tirar o fôlego. Mateus Vital encheu o pé e a bola passou rente à trave. Nos últimos minutos, Lucas Perri teve novo momento iluminado. Após cruzamento, Rafael Elias cabeceou e o camisa 12 esticou-se até salvar. Em jogada semelhante, o goleiro botafoguense lutou até fazer defesa dificílima à queima-roupa. Nos acréscimos, Luciano Castán ainda cabeceou rente à trave. Em jogo tenso, o Alvinegro arrancou um suado empate.

PRÓXIMOS JOGOS

O Cruzeiro volta a campo na segunda-feira, dia 14, para enfrentar o Palmeiras no Allianz Parque pela décima-nona rodada do Brasileirão. O Botafogo, por sua vez, direciona suas atenções na quarta-feira (9) para a Copa Sul-Americana, e faz o jogo de volta com o Guaraní, do Paraguai, no Estádio Defensores del Chaco. Pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, o Glorioso vai a campo novamente no sábado (12), para enfrentar o Internacional, às 21h, no Nilton Santos.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CRUZEIRO 0x0 BOTAFOGO

Data e hora: 6 de agosto de 2023, às 18h30
Estádio: Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte (MG)
Árbitro: Raphael Claus (Fifa/SP)
Assistentes: Marcelo Carvalho Van Gasse (SP) e Daniel Paulo Ziolli (SP)

Cartões amarelos: Luciano Castán (CRU), Tiquinho Soares, Marçal (BOT)

CRUZEIRO (Técnico: Samuel Elias)
Anderson; William (Palacios, 25/2T), Neris, Luciano Castán e Marlon; Matheus Jussa, Lucas Silva, Machado (Mateus Vital, 18/2T) e Matheus Pereira (Nikão, 28/2T); Arthur Gomes (Paulo Vítor, 25/2T) e Gilberto (Rafael Elias, 18/2T).

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Bruno Lage)
Lucas Perri; Di Plácido, Adryelson, Cuesta e Marçal; Marlon Freitas, Tchê Tchê (Janderson, 26/2T) e Eduardo (Danilo Barbosa, 47/2T); Júnior Santos (Matías Segovia, intervalo), Tiquinho Soares (Lucas Fernandes, 46/1T) e Victor Sá (Carlos Alberto, 26/2T)

He missed out twice against Northamptonshire ahead of the selectors needing to decide the make-up of Australia’s top three

Andrew McGlashan22-May-2025How important will events in Cardiff over the next four days prove to Australia’s plans for the World Test Championship final? After his twin failures against Northamptonshire, Marnus Labuschagne has one more outing, against Middlesex, to find some form before decision day draws closer for the selectors over the make-up of the batting order.With Cameron Green’s strong showing against Kent, it feels like his recall for the final against South Africa is becoming increasingly assured even though he won’t be able to bowl. Therefore, the last call to make – providing Beau Webster’s overs are wanted and Josh Hazlewood’s shoulder doesn’t become an issue – would appear to be between Labuschagne and Sam Konstas, with Josh Inglis an outside option given chair of selectors George Bailey put his name in the mix. Whoever gets the nod will be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.Related

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It may be that the selectors are not swayed massively by what happens in a pair of County Championship matches but Labuschagne, while being an incumbent Test player with an average of 46.76 and 11 hundreds, is not coming into the debate from a position of strength. His Test figure in this WTC cycle is 28.33 with just one century which came 29 innings ago against England during the 2023 Ashes; his last hundred in all first-class cricket was in June 2024.There was a similarity in his pair of dismissals against Northamptonshire last week: squared up and edging to third slip, firstly against fellow Australian Harry Conway, who has recently lost his state contract, and then to Ben Sanderson in a small chase. There wasn’t much to gain with Glamorgan needing 66 to win, but the chance of red-inker 30 went missing. As the catch was taken, Labuschagne lingered at the crease with the expression of someone pondering his lot.The selectors will deliberate long and hard before moving Labuschagne aside. Even when not at his best, the three half-centuries against India last season all came at crucial stages of the series. Unlike Konstas, Labuschagne also has considerable experience batting in England. But it would continue a strange time at the top of Australia’s order if they opt to effectively manufacture another opener.

An effortless display of strength and style from Cameron Green pic.twitter.com/solv9UwaZm

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