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Not long after India were unable to defend a massive score of 358 against South Africa in the second ODI, captain KL Rahul said the toss “plays a huge part” and makes a “huge difference” in matches where dew heavily skews the match in the favour of chasing sides. India lost their 20th toss in a row in ODIs, and South Africa opted to bowl and sealed a four-wicket victory with four balls to spare to level the series 1-1.”Not really, considering everything – how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings,” Rahul said at the presentation when asked if the defeat was a tough pill to swallow. “The last game, we did really well, considering everything. All the difficulties for bowlers bowling with a wet ball, and the umpires have been nice enough to change the ball a few times, but still I think toss plays a huge part. So I’m kicking myself about losing two tosses in a row. It’s obviously making a huge difference.”India were asked to bat for a second game in a row under Rahul’s captaincy this series. While India managed a narrow 17-run win in the opening match in Ranchi after posting 349, this time a bigger target didn’t prove to be enough.Related

• Ruturaj Gaikwad: 'I was pretty much confident' of batting at No. 4

• When South Africa and India went off the scale

• Shadowing the king: When Gaikwad matched Kohli shot for shot

• Hardik back in India's T20I squad for South Africa, Gill to play subject to fitness

• Markram ton trumps Kohli, Gaikwad centuries for nervy win

“To reflect back there’s always things that we could have done better,” Rahul said. “With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that’s also been the chat in the dressing room even after the last game [about] how can we get that extra 20-25 runs, so that the bowlers find some cushion when they bowl with the wet ball.”Bowlers obviously are trying their heart out, but there are areas to improve. There are a few soft boundaries that we gave away, even in the field. If we can tighten up all three aspects of the game and get a bit more sharper, then maybe those 20-25 runs will go our way and we’ll be on the other side.”India’s tall total was built on the back of centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. This was the 11th time Kohli hit hundreds in back-to-back ODIs, while it was Gaikwad’s maiden century in the format – the pair adding 195 runs in just 156 balls together for the third wicket.”It was beautiful to watch – Virat, the way he batted. Obviously, we have seen him do this for 53 times now,” Rahul said. “He goes on about doing his job, we’re used to seeing it. Just to see the way Rutu batted was beautiful. [He] took on the spinners, hit his gaps. Once he got past that 50, the tempo that he batted with is I think what gave us that extra 20 runs.”Despite the strong base, India could not finish strong: they added only 103 runs in the last 15 overs with eight wickets in hand; just 74 in the last ten overs. Rahul scored an enterprising 66 not out off 43 at No. 5 after being carded at No.6 in the team sheet at the toss. Washington Sundar made 1 off eight balls while Ravindra Jadeja batted 27 balls and scored an unbeaten 24 with just two fours.”Obviously batting at 5-6-7 [could be looked at],” Rahul said. “If the lower order could contribute a little bit more and hit a couple of more boundaries, then maybe that’s the 20 runs that we would have been happy with.”Today is the first time I’ve been slotted at No. 6 and I’ve walked in at 5. Otherwise, it’s always a decision before the game. The way Rutu and Virat’s partnership was going on, they set a good tempo. So GG [Gautam Gambhir, head coach] and me felt like it would be the right time for me to walk in and keep that tempo going. Obviously [I] got a fifty last game, so, there’s a bit of confidence. Someone who’s batted in the middle, someone who’s high on confidence is probably the right person to go in and take on the bowling and keep that tempo going. That was the plan.

West Ham chiefs are looking to back new manager Nuno Espírito Santo with key additions in January as they attempt to stave off the looming threat of relegation.

The Hammers were gifted a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal start to the Premier League season just before this international break, winning back-to-back home games for the first time since October last year against Newcastle and Burnley.

While the two wins provide plenty of encouragement for Nuno after inheriting a squad bereft of confidence and form, reports suggest that the east Londoners will look to January for much-needed reinforcements to bolster their head coach’s squad.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

According to Sky Sports, Nuno has been told that funds will be available for West Ham to spend when the window reopens, and it is believed they’d ideally like a new defender, midfielder and forward.

With Niclas Fullkrug poised to leave West Ham in January, following a lacklustre spell marred by injuries and underwhelming form when available, it is more likely than not that a striker will be arriving at Rush Green, with Fabrizio Romano confirming their intention to sign one.

Romano also said recently that West Ham are in the mix to sign Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo amid his links to Napoli, so a new midfielder remains on the cards, but there are now suggestions that a winger could come in too.

West Ham could strike 'cut-price' January move for Adama Traoré

Indeed, according to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham have been handed the opportunity to secure Adama Traoré on a bargain deal in January, with Fulham willing to accept a cut-price offer rather than lose the winger for free next summer.

Traore is in the final year of his contract and is not going to agree a new deal at Fulham, meaning January is their last chance to cash in if they sell him. The 29-year-old’s contract situation leaves the Cottagers vulnerable to low-ball bids, with Nuno apparently keen to reunite with a player he previously transformed at Wolves.

Before Nuno joined the Hammers, he tried to reunite with Traore at Nottingham Forest too, highlighting his long-standing admiration for the Spain international.

That being said, the forward has never quite reached the same heights he once hit under Nuno’s tutelage at Molineux, which included a failed spell at Barcelona.

During his best Premier League campaign to date, Traore bagged 13 goal contributions in 37 appearances for Wolves back in 2019/2020, finishing that campaign as their best-performing player on average whilst completing a seismic five successful take-ons per 90 (WhoScored).

Traore has enjoyed flashes of brilliant form at Craven Cottage too, with Marco Silva calling him an “almost unstoppable” player on his day.

Three inexperienced seamers tried their best to hold the line but England’s predicament felt like a failure of management

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Aug-2025Who else but Ben Stokes?No seriously, who else? Any ideas? Anyone? Hello, is this thing on?That’s what it felt like on Saturday. England scrabbling around, looking for something, anything to save them. It was not just day three that was getting away from them, but this fifth Test and a series win.Their regular saviour, their usual captain, their standout bowler, was on the balcony, taking as well-earned a rest as you can have when your right shoulder is hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, Ollie Pope was out there on his home ground stuck in a bad dream.Related

• India get caught up in the Tongue paradox

• Butter-fingered England spill six chances at The Oval

• Oval and out: Jaiswal's series comes a full circle with statement hundred

• Jaiswal hundred, Siraj's late strike make India favourites

• Akash Deep joins nightwatch lore with Oval knock to remember

There he was, sifting through bowling combinations without Chris Woakes, and fields with a cordon seemingly without the ability to catch. At times, it was like watching a man trying to eat soup with his hands, occasionally heading back up to the home dressing room to wash them and ask if anyone had found a spoon, or even a fork, only to be met with big sunnies, white trainers and blank stares.The best you could say of England’s bowlers is that they kept at it in a meaningful way. Not just toiling, but doing so with a degree of hate in their hearts. No one likes being dog-walked in Test cricket as they were for 70 overs. There was plenty of bark and bite to show as much. Reward, too. Or at least souvenirs from the grind. Cool stories for the scars.Josh Tongue bagged his second five-wicket haul in Tests – expensively (5 for 125 from 30 overs) but got them nonetheless. He finishes the series as England’s leading wicket-taker with 19 despite only playing three matches.Gus Atkinson’s 3 for 127 saw him reach into what, for now, are relatively shallow reserves after two months out with a hamstring injury. He came up with 27 overs more work and a few pearlers to add to the first innings five-for. He restated just how good he is by dismissing India skipper Shubman Gill with the first ball after lunch.Jamie Overton doubled his Test tally with two dismissals – as many County Championship wickets as he has for Surrey this season – while bowling at an average speed of 85mph on day two and three. The sprinkling of 89.5mph bolts offered vindication if it were needed (it was) that his inclusion had some merit.

“In seaming conditions, England committed the cardinal sin of being cut more than they were driven. Such a pitch looked prime for Sam Cook, even Matthew Potts. Both of whom have the hardwired game for these surfaces. And yet neither was even considered worthy of the squad”

It was tough not to feel sorry for them. The dichotomy between batting and bowling was felt keenly on a day like this: the former set 374, the latter dragged for 396. It felt like that most when Washington Sundar conducted the in the stands with his sixes in the final partnership. And across the six drops – two from Harry Brook, two from Zak Crawley, one from Ben Duckett and one from sub-fielder Liam Dawson – which cost 152 all in.”Going through from yesterday knowing we were going to bowl a few overs out there, it was obviously going to be a tough ask for us bowlers, but I thought we stuck at it really well,” Tongue said at stumps.Truthfully, though, the task of marshalling a series decider was always going to be tough on the three replacements. Particularly given the series had acquired so much feeling and narrative over the last two Tests, at Lord’s and Old Trafford, which featured none of them. You think jumping out of moving car is hard, try jumping a moving one.Atkinson and Overton were coming in cold. Tongue returning a month after being parked for Jofra Archer after two Tests. Each would have dealt with their own pressures, and here they were exacerbated as they were thrown in together.Even with Woakes available, there would have been struggle. The 36-year-old had bowled just 68 of his 161 overs across the first four Tests in the second innings. Slack would have had to been picked up.But his experience might have jolted them out of bad habits. The lack of game-time showed with their collective inconsistency, which was leapt upon by Yashasvi Jaiswal to the tune of 118.In seaming conditions, they committed the cardinal sin of being cut more than they were driven: Jaiswal sliced and diced 72 of his first 100 runs behind square on the off side. Such a pitch looked prime for Sam Cook. Even Matthew Potts. Both of whom have the hardwired game for these surfaces. And yet neither were even considered worthy of the squad.England’s careful planning fell apart ahead of the fifth Test•PA Photos/Getty ImagesBut more broadly, the gamest pitch of the series, certainly the one with the pace and bounce England have craved throughout the summer, has been used by the second string. And that, ultimately, feels like a failure of management.The plan at the very start of this five-match series was for enough changes of personnel to keep the prime quicks refreshed throughout. And even with injury to Mark Wood, Olly Stone and, initially, Atkinson, there was enough to shuffle through.Certainly, for instance, enough to not get to a stage where Brydon Carse, a superior hit-the-deck bowler to Tongue, was running on fumes in Manchester after four appearances on the bounce. Though Archer’s return was well-managed, it was hard not to wonder how much joy he would have got on this surface.Perhaps England could have kept a couple in the chamber? It is only this week that Manchester hosted its first positive result across six first-class matches this summer. Of the venues to protect your quicks, particularly having already established a 2-1 lead, maybe that was it? Understandably, the prospect of clutching an outright series win with a game to spare was too enticing.The pitches should get some of the ire. England have bowled on 19 of the 23 days of play so far, sending down at least 50 overs on 12 of them. But the batters haven’t helped. On day two, for instance, having made light work of India’s last four first innings wickets in the morning, the bowlers were back at it just 51.2 overs later.Rotating bowlers is never an exact science, though science does come into it. The ECB tracks overs bowled and bodies to manage their quicks, keeping tabs on things like “red zones” – when workloads reach a point that the likelihood of injury increases.The current era take on that information and are particularly meticulous when it comes to the real five-star pace merchants, like Archer and Wood. By and large, they have moved away from leaning heavily on those metrics in favour of a more personable approach.It gives players more agency over their fitness, which they prefer. What they can play through, what they know they should not.Though you wonder, in a series as big as this, ahead of an Ashes, if a player would wilfully pull themselves out of the firing line? Especially in a team moulded in the image of a captain who needed head coach Brendon McCullum and medical advice to sit out this one. Stepping aside would also risk losing that spot altogether. Ollie Pope almost found out when he handed the No. 3 position to Jacob Bethell for last year’s tour of New Zealand.There are different strands of the multiverse where Woakes does not damage his left shoulder. Or Brook holds onto Jaiswal for 20. Or even Dawson on 40. Or Crawley and Deep on 21 to nip a nightwatcher innings of 66 before it really ate away at the team’s souls.But the one strand of note, the one that got away well before this match begun, was a more considered plan with this attack. It is something they must get right come the Ashes this winter. Lessons should be learned from the last two months.Then again, they will also hope for some blind luck. Just look at India: they possess the one generational quick in the series, and have not won any of the three matches he has played. And they could not be happier with how things have panned out.

The left-arm spinner had been due to return to the T20I side in Cardiff before the last-minute injury

Firdose MoondaUpdated on 12-Sep-2025South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has been ruled out of their T20I series against England after tweaking his groin in the warm-up of the first match in Cardiff.Maharaj, the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world, had been named player of the series in their 2-1 series win in the 50-over leg of the tour. However, he has now been withdrawn from their squad for the remaining two fixtures, at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Bjorn Fortuin, the left-arm spinner who had been preparing to play for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast Finals Day on Saturday, has been called up in his place.After the Cardiff match, which South Africa won on by 14 runs on DLS, captain Aiden Markam confirmed Maharaj had been due to play the game but was forced out with the injury and replaced by Corbin Bosch. Maharaj had been recalled to the T20I squad after being left out in Australia and Zimbabwe.Related

• South Africa's T20 concerns: Markram's spot, bowling combo, injury management

• Scott Currie relishing 'dirty work' as Hampshire target more Blast success

• England 304 for 2; Salt 141* sets up crushing 146-run victory

• South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

• Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

Earlier on Wednesday, Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the series with a right hamstring strain. Ngidi returned home on Thursday and faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa’s next assignment – the start of their World Test Championship (WTC) title defence in Pakistan which begins on October 12.Left-arm quick Nandre Burger has been added to the squad in Ngidi’s place and is available from the second match at Old Trafford on Friday.On Tuesday, David Miller was also withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a hamstring strain during the final week of the Hundred. No replacement has been named for him in the squad.In better news, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lizaad Williams all returned to action in the rain-affected affair. Rabada did not play the ODIs in Australia or England after suffering ankle inflammation but bowled the opening over in Cardiff.Jansen made his comeback from the thumb surgery he underwent after the WTC final in June and Williams returned from knee surgery, which has kept him out of action for most of the year. Jansen bowled two overs in the match but Williams was not used at all.This story was updated at 5.41pm BST following Maharaj’s withdrawal from the squad

West Ham have reached out to the agents of a player who has the same representatives as Kyle Walker-Peters, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side weighing up a January move.

West Ham's rumoured transfer plans for January

The Hammers are preparing for a crucial January window as Nuno looks to address the club’s alarming goal-scoring struggles with a significant striker signing.

Given Niclas Fullkrug is poised for the exit door next month, this could be absolutely vital to their hopes of remaining in the Premier League.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Liverpool

The German forward has been a real disappointment since his arrival in 2024, which has been marred by constant spells on the sidelines through injury, and he’s failed to score a single league goal since West Ham’s 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth in April.

Callum Wilson has filled the void brilliantly as of late, bagging three strikes in his last three games, but the Englishman’s own torrid injury history means West Ham need an alternative.

According to some reports, West Ham are in pole position to sign Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David in January, with the club having already made contact.

The towering 6 foot 5 forward has netted 62 goals over the past three seasons and represents exactly the type of young, powerful striker Nuno has reportedly identified as essential.

Man United’s Joshua Zirkzee has emerged as another top target, with West Ham identifying the £36.5 million forward as a potential replacement for Fullkrug.

Related West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

Insider ExWHUemployee has also claimed that, beyond the addition of a new striker, Nuno’s side are looking at signing a new defender and midfielder in January as well.

West Ham hold talks with Tiago Gabriel's camp ahead of January

Only bottom-side Wolves have conceded more top-flight goals than the east Londoners so far this term, so their leaky backline certainly needs to be addressed.

West Ham could reignite talks over a deal for Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, who they came very close to signing in the summer (ExWHUemployee), but Lecce sensation Tiago Gabriel is also attracting their attention.

That is according to INews and journalist Pete Hall, who report that West Ham have made contact with Gabriel’s agents ahead of a potential January move.

The Portugal Under-21 international has impressed in Serie A, so much so that Juventus and Brentford have also held discussions with his camp about a winter transfer.

As things stand, Juve are believed to be the frontrunners for Gabriel as they look to find cover for Gleison Bremer, but West Ham may have a secret weapon.

This is because Gabriel is represented by CAA Base, the same agency that Walker-Peters employs, so the Irons seemingly enjoy a productive relationship with them already.

According to inews, the 20-year-old is currently valued at around £20 million, with Lecce looking to make a seismic profit on the £1.5 million they signed him for last January.

All the numbers and records from a series where the Indian batters made merry

Sampath Bandarupalli02-Aug-2025

Ravindra Jadeja finished with 516 runs for the series•Getty Images

3809 – Runs aggregated by India across the five matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. It is the second-most runs recorded by a team in a Test series, behind only Australia’s 3877 during the six-match Ashes series in 1989. The series aggregate is also the second-highest behind the 1993 Ashes, where England and Australia collectively scored 7221 runs.8 – Number of 300-plus totals for India, the joint-most by any team in a Test series. India also breached the 350-mark on eight occasions, two more than any other team in a Test series.516 – Ravindra Jadeja’s tally is the fifth-highest for a batter coming in at No. 6 or lower in a Test series. These are also the most runs recorded by an India batter coming in at No. 6 or lower in a Test series, going past VVS Laxman’s 474 runs against West Indies in 2002.Related

• Gill shows he is ready for the grind of India's Test captaincy

• Butter-fingered England spill six chances at The Oval

• Oval and out: Jaiswal's series comes a full circle with statement hundred

• Jaiswal hundred, Siraj's late strike make India favourites

Jadeja’s six fifty-plus scores are the joint-most while batting at No. 6 or lower in a Test series. Four of Jadeja’s six fifty-plus scores came in the second innings, the joint-most for a batter in a Test series.1131 – Jadeja’s run tally in Test cricket in England while batting at No. 6 or lower. These are the most runs in that position for a visiting player in any country in Test cricket, surpassing Clive Lloyd’s 1126 in Australia.Jadeja’s ten fifty-plus scores at No. 6 or lower in England are also the joint-most for a visiting player in a country, alongside Lloyd’s ten in Australia. Among Indian batters, only Sachin Tendulkar (12) has more fifty-plus scores in Tests in England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd754 – Shubman Gill’s series aggregate is the second-highest for a captain behind Don Bradman’s 810 against England in the 1936-37 Ashes. No other batter has scored more runs in a series between England and India, going past Graham Gooch’s 752 runs in 1990.470 – Boundaries hit by India (422 fours and 48 sixes), the most by any team in a Test series, going past 460 by Australia (451 fours and nine sixes) in the 1993 Ashes.12 – Number of individual hundreds for India, the joint-most for any team in a Test series. These are also the most for India in a Test series, going past the 11 they recorded against West Indies at home in 1978-79.5 – Five Indian batters scored 400-plus runs in this series, Yashasvi Jaiswal being the latest addition. Only three times has a team had five (or more) batters scoring 400-plus runs in a Test series previously – six for Australia in the 1993 Ashes, while five each for South Africa against England in 1964-65 and Australia in the 1989 Ashes.Eight batters have aggregated 400-plus runs across England and India in this series so far, the joint-most for a Test series, alongside the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1975-76 and the 1993 Ashes.Three India batters have gone past the 500-run mark in this series – Gill, KL Rahul and Jadeja, the joint-most for a team in a Test series.Akash Deep celebrates his fifty•Getty Images66 – Akash Deep’s score is the third-highest by a nightwatcher for India in men’s Tests. Syed Kirmani scored 101* against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in 1979, while Amit Mishra scored 84 against England in 2011, also at The Oval.79.66 – Percentage of runs scored by Jaiswal behind square on the offside during his 118. In all, he recorded 94 runs in that region – 11 fours and two sixes. As per ESPNCricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, it is the highest percentage of runs scored behind square by any batter while scoring a century in men’s Tests since 2003.6 – Catches dropped by England in India’s second innings, the most by them in an innings since 2018. They dropped six catches in India’s first innings at Edgbaston in 2022 and New Zealand’s second innings at Wellington in 2023.

Manchester United’s work in the transfer market over the last couple of seasons has certainly been brought into question, amid the big money spent and lack of impact produced by some players.

The Red Devils hierarchy have spent upwards of £800m on new additions since the summer of 2022, but the signings have been unable to catapult the club to any Premier League glory.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try his luck in the role at Old Trafford, with the 40-year-old already spending just shy of £250m in his first 12 months at the Theatre of Dreams.

Big names like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu have all arrived under his guidance, but it’s evident that the manager still wants added reinforcements.

With January now just around the corner, he’s already started to rack up a shortlist of talents, with more transfer business expected to take place in the coming months.

United’s early work ahead of the January transfer window

Over recent weeks, United have been linked with a plethora of new options in multiple areas of the pitch to try and sustain their positive start to the season.

A new forward could well be on the cards for Amorim, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo just one player they’re said to be considering at present.

However, he will cost a pretty penny this winter, with his current employers currently demanding a fee in the region of £65m to part ways with the Ghanaian international.

Semenyo isn’t the only attacker being eyed up by Amorim, with Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi another option that’s being discussed ahead of the winter window.

According to German outlet BILD, the 23-year-old is said to be unhappy with the lack of progress in contract talks, which could open the door to a move to Old Trafford.

The report claims Amorim’s side are closely monitoring the situation at present, but like Semenyo, it could cost a small fortune, with the Bundesliga setting a £70m asking price for his signature.

Why United’s £70m target would be a Sesko repeat

During the summer transfer window, United finally ended their pursuit for a new talisman, after forking out a reported £74m on the signature of Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenian international arrived from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, with such a move generating huge excitement within the fanbase – no doubt due to the nature of the transfer fee.

However, his start to life in Manchester has been far from ideal, with the 22-year-old only able to find the back of the net twice in his first 11 top-flight appearances.

It’s safe to say he’s presented an inconsistent figure at the top end of the pitch, often struggling to make the desired impact after his mammoth transfer to Old Trafford.

He will certainly need time to settle into life in England, but as seen with Rasmus Hojlund, the professional game is a cutthroat business and it can be unforgiving.

However, they could be about to land a similar talent in Adeyemi this winter, with the German replicating Sesko in joining the Red Devils from a Bundesliga side.

The winger is also an inconsistent figure, as seen by his tally of two goals in ten appearances, with both of his efforts coming back-to-back, just like Sesko managed in the Premier League.

Adeyemi is a rapid forward who loves to get in behind the opposition backline whenever possible, which has led to former boss Edin Terzic labelling the 23-year-old as a “roadrunner”.

His underlying stats do showcase his quality at present, even resulting in analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing the youngster “world-class” despite his inconsistent nature.

Games played

10

Goals & assists

3

Pass accuracy

75%

Successful dribbles

2.3

Touches in opposition box

6.8

Shots taken

2.8

Duels won

5.9

Aerial success rate

60%

The forward has completed 2.3 dribbles per 90 in the Bundesliga to date, whilst also notching 6.8 touches in the opposition’s box per 90 – highlighting his all-round threat in attacking areas.

Adeyemi has also registered 2.8 shots per 90 this campaign, showcasing his ability to add the end product to his mazy runs when taking on the opposition.

The prospect of the German linking up with Sesko at Old Trafford is certainly an exciting one, with the pair potentially able to aid one another and transform the club’s frontline.

£70m would be another huge investment, but it’s one that could prove to be worthwhile if he can replicate his recent numbers produced in the Bundesliga this campaign.

Their new McTominay: Man Utd in talks to sign £25m future "superstar"

Manchester United look set to make a move for a star who could emulate Scott McTominay.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 21, 2025

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez faces a major selection dilemma as Portugal heads into decisive 2026 World Cup qualifiers without injured star Nuno Mendes, a player the coach calls "the best in the world". With the Paris Saint-Germain full-back sidelined, Martinez admits there’s “no natural replacement” and turns to Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo to fill the void.

Roberto Martinez calls Nuno Mendes irreplaceable

Mendes suffered a left knee sprain during PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich in midweek, ruling him out for two crucial international fixtures. The 22-year-old has been central to Portugal’s defensive structure, combining pace, defensive stability and an ability to drive attacks down the left flank.

“My assessment of Nuno Mendes is subjective, he’s like a son,” Martinez said. “There’s no other left-back who can defend one-on-one, make overlapping runs, and play inside or outside with the ball. He's a complete player, he can play centre-back. He's a decisive player for his club and for me, right now, he's the best in the world. Other coaches don't have to agree with me."

With Nuno Tavares also sidelined, the absence leaves Portugal without a natural left-back, forcing Martinez to turn to tactical adjustments and versatile defenders.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMartinez calls Dalot and Cancelo to share the load

To address the gap, Martinez is expected to deploy Dalot and Cancelo in hybrid full-back roles. Dalot, thriving at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, has evolved into a reliable two-way defender known for his composure, fitness and ability to play on either flank. Dalot was earlier the go-to left-back for Portugal but has since dropped in the pecking order with a loss in form and Mendes rise at PSG last year. Dalot has played 32 matches for Portugal across all competitions.

Cancelo, meanwhile, offers Portugal creative flair and width. A natural right-back at Al-Hilal, he often drifts inside to dictate play, operating almost like a midfielder. While his offensive instincts differ from Mendes’ balanced profile, Cancelo’s experience and versatility make him vital to Portugal’s adaptability. Cancelo has played 62 games for Portugal across all competitions and has also scored two goals in the competition.  

“We need to find solutions, to find balance on the wing, with Cancelo and Dalot,” Martinez explained. “We need to build on the chemistry we already have, there’s no time for drastic experiments before two important games.”

Portugal will miss Mendes' impact

Before his injury, Mendes had been a cornerstone of Portugal’s qualifying campaign. Featuring in all six matches, he provided crucial defensive stability and attacking thrust. His pinpoint assist to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2-2 draw against Hungary not only saved a point but also helped the forward set the record for most goals in World Cup qualifying history with 41 goals.

Mendes’ influence extended beyond numbers. His pace in recovery, ability to overlap in transition, and composure under pressure have been essential to Martínez’s system. Portugal have yet to lose with Mendes on the pitch in these qualifiers, which speaks volume about why the manager didn't really have to bother with an alternative in that space.

His injury arrives at a delicate moment, with Portugal needing positive results against Ireland and Armenia to secure top spot and automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

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Getty Images SportPortugal’s road to qualification and the test ahead

Portugal enters the final stage of World Cup qualifying unbeaten, with four wins and two draws from six games. They top Group F with 10 points, comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals Hungary. Ronaldo continues to lead by example being their top-scorer in the competition with five goals.

Despite their strong position, Martinez acknowledges the challenge ahead: “We must adapt quickly and stay focused. Every player knows their role, we can’t depend on one individual, no matter how special he is.”

As the team faces Ireland in Dublin on November 13 and Armenia on November 15 in Porto, Portugal’s depth and resilience will be tested. All eyes will be on Dalot and Cancelo to maintain Mendes’ standards, ensuring Portugal’s fluid wing play and defensive strength remain intact.

Enzo Maresca has singled out one Chelsea player following their dismal 3-1 loss to lowly Leeds United. The Blues came into the Elland Road clash off the back of a 3-0 win over Barcelona and a 1-1 draw with Arsenal – a game where they were a man down for more than 45 minutes. Although they were beaten by Daniel Farke's side in midweek, Maresca doesn't think their lack of experience had much to do with it.

Chelsea suffer Leeds horror show

Chelsea came to Leeds on Wednesday with Premier League title ambitions but they were sent homeward to think again after a chastening 3-1 loss. The Whites started the day in the relegation zone but were fully deserving of the three points as a disjointed and petulant Blues side were put to the sword. After the defeat, head coach Maresca admitted his team – who have the youngest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 23 years – didn't deserve to come away with anything from the encounter.

He told : "A very poor night, they [Leeds] deserved to win the game, they were better in all aspects. [We will] Just try to analyse and learn from this game and focus o the next one. It's not about possession, in possession you need a purpose. Today they were better in all aspects. Congratulations to them. After the goal we scored we had one or two clear chances, but the third goal killed the game completely, then it's much more difficult. It's reality, it's Premier League, you need to perform every game, no matter if you are at home or away or who the other team is. It's important to see where we are going to be in February or March, but most important is to understand what we did bad tonight and then try to improve."

AdvertisementGETTY/GOALChelsea man incurs Maresca's wrath

While nobody had a particularly good night for Chelsea, ahead of facing Bournemouth on Saturday, Maresca singled out centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo for his mistake that led to Leeds' third goal. The Italian was asked if the team's lack of experience hurt them in Yorkshire, with captain Reece James, the suspended Moises Caicedo and more not in the starting XI. But he pointed out that the former Fulham defender was their oldest player, and that didn't help him a great deal. 

He said, via : "Listen, we always talk about experience when we drop points. When we beat Barcelona, we drew against Arsenal, no one was mentioning about experienced players. So, again, I understand that when we don't win, we are always looking for the reason why, but I think the reason why we didn't win against Leeds is not because of the experience, it's because we were not good enough. But we have experienced players. Unfortunately, they were not inside the pitch. One because he was suspended, the other one because of injury. So, it's because in that moment, the ones that have more experience, they were out. Who is the oldest one for us in the pitch? Who was? Tosin. Did he play good? So, it's not about experience. It's about that 11 players, they were not good enough. I know that we are always looking for experience, but it was a bad game for all of us."

Chelsea to continue rotating

Maresca was criticised after he made five changes from the Chelsea side that drew with Arsenal for the match at Leeds. But with the Blues regularly playing three games a week, due to Premier League and Champions League duties, the former Leicester City manager is conscious of not over-exerting his players – especially after their Club World Cup-winning exploits this summer. 

When asked about how difficult it is to keep tweaking his starting line-ups, he replied: "Yeah, it's the most difficult thing for me, personally, this season. Because, as I said, for many reasons, we need to make changes. Now, we played two days ago, we came back yesterday afternoon. We have just one session this morning. Most of them, they cannot take part of the session because they need to recover. So, we're going to try to prepare in the best way tomorrow."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Chelsea?

Chelsea, who are still fourth in the Premier League but are now nine points behind table-toppers Arsenal after 14 games, will hope to bounce back from their loss to Leeds when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon. The Cherries have lost four of their last five fixtures, so this game presents a good opportunity for Maresca's side to return to winning ways.

The captain said playing against better teams this year has helped Zimbabwe grow

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2025

Craig Ervine was pleased Zimbabwe didn’t let a strong position slip against Afghanistan•AP

It’s been a great 2025 for Zimbabwe. Having missed out on the last three ICC events, they secured qualification to the upcoming T20 World Cup. Three weeks later, they wrapped up their first Test win at home in over a decade. Senior players like Brendan Taylor have come back into the fold. Junior(ish) players like Brad Evans and Ben Curran are showing what they can do. The captain Craig Ervine had a lot to be happy about, though in the end he only felt relief.”We’ve been in good positions before and we have let it slip,” Ervine said at the post-match press conference. “So, you know, in this case, we get into a good position, we want to drive the advantage home, and fortunately we do that. And at least it gives you the impetus the next time around, you know, how did you do it? And it’s something that you can put in your pocket to remember for the next time. So these sort of experiences are great for us because at least it gives you the confidence that, yes, you can do it, and you can get over the line, especially when you get into those positions.”Zimbabwe were already on a high coming into the only Test against Afghanistan, because it was their tenth in 2025. Only once have they played more red-ball cricket in a calendar year. Ervine was able to see the gains that they had made, slowly, incrementally, through series against higher-ranked sides like Bangladesh, England, South Africa and New Zealand, as his men rolled Afghanistan over for 127 in the first innings and found a top-order batter to push that advantage further. Curran scored his maiden Test century to provide a 232-run lead and Richard Ngarava used that cushion to blow Afghanistan away.Ben Curran made 121, almost matching Afghanistan’s first-innings total of 127•Zimbabwe Cricket

Ervine also believed they had an advantage in Afghanistan playing only two frontline fast bowlers – one of whom was on debut, though Ziaur Rahman did pick up a seven-for – on a seamer-friendly Harare pitch. Zimbabwe picked four.Related

Ngarava and Curran lead Zimbabwe to first home Test win in 12 years

“I think guys have taken a lot from their experiences against England, South Africa, New Zealand,” he said. “And I think what guys learnt, especially from the series against New Zealand is, it was testing conditions and they got five bowlers that are going to test you all the time.”And I think going into this game [against Afghanistan], I think we felt that you get through that new ball phase and if you’re patient enough, I think the runs do ease up. We felt that with their spin, they weren’t as accurate, so it took a little bit of pressure off and it allowed the scoreboard to keep moving. So I think that guys were a lot more composed, guys were a lot more patient. I think that only stems from the experience that you have against better sides [than Zimbabwe are]. You have to work a lot harder against the better teams. And I thought the application that guys showed in this test. I think is fruit from the test that you played against the better nations.”Ervine had initially been nervous when, after winning the toss and putting Afghanistan in, they were able to score 68 runs off the first 13 overs.Richard Ngarava’s five-for led Zimbabwe to victory•Zimbabwe Cricket

“To be honest, after the first hour, I probably wasn’t too sure whether I had made the right call or not. The wicket wasn’t quite as quick as what we thought it would be at the start. But I thought there was enough in that wicket that having picked four seamers we needed to utilise.”We were able to regroup and hit better areas from drinks break to lunch. And we got the reward for that. I think it was just keeping it nice and simple. And obviously using the short-ball plan, which was effective, I think, against Afghanistan.””To bowl them out for 120-odd in the first innings, we knew that we had been in a similar position against them in Bulawayo [and lost]. So we needed to make sure that this time round we drove that advantage home. And I thought the batting unit did just that.”Where Afghanistan lost nine wickets for 50 runs in the first innings – Evans took a five-for – and six wickets for 50 runs in the second – Ngarava with five this time – Zimbabwe were able to bat once and bat big.”It was about our disciplines,” Ervine said. “I think our composure. We had a feeling that they were going to throw everything at us. But they were also one seamer short. So we felt if we were able to get through that new ball spell, we could grind them down. And I thought Ben Curran did that exceptionally well. The way he batted throughout, kept the same tempo and guys managed to bat around him. So really chuffed that he was able to get 120-odd. I think those sort of scores in a test match really make a big impact and put you on the front foot.”