Category Uncategorized

After narrowly missing the playoffs last year, CSK have stocked up on spinners for IPL 2025

Deivarayan Muthu17-Mar-20254:24

Harbhajan on CSK’s overseas picks: ‘Rachin could play ahead of Conway’

Where Chennai Super Kings finished last yearFifth, with seven wins and losses, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pipped them on net run-rate and qualified for the playoffs.What’s new in IPL 2025CSK don’t really do ‘new’ in a huge way. It’s their consistency in personnel and strategy that has been the bedrock for their success – five IPL titles, and two in the last four seasons. This year, some of their ‘new’ is also old. R Ashwin, Sam Curran and Vijay Shankar return to the franchise after several years away. Devon Conway, who had missed IPL 2024 with injury, was also bought back.CSK aren’t usually big on wristspin or mystery spin, but they splurged INR 10 crore this season on Noor Ahmad, the 20-year-old left-arm wristspinner from Afghanistan. He, along with Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, form a formidable spin attack when conditions warrant it.Rahul Tripathi is set to slot in at No.3, a role performed by Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa in the recent past.With the revival players like Rahane, Uthappa and Shivam Dube enjoyed at CSK, the franchise has developed a perception of being a place that can rehabilitate flagging IPL careers. This season, in addition to Tripathi and Vijay Shankar, they also acquired Shreyas Gopal, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Deepak Hooda – five players whose IPL careers have been derailed in recent seasons.It’s been nine years since MS Dhoni kept wicket to R Ashwin at CSK•BCCILikely best XII1 Devon Conway/Rachin Ravindra*, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda/Vijay Shankar, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran*, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Noor Ahmad/Nathan Ellis*, 11 Matheesha Pathirana*, 12 Khaleel Ahmed
Full CSK squadBig questionCan MS Dhoni continue his six-hitting form this season?•BCCIWatch out forThe high bids for Ashwin and Noor – CSK also have Jadeja’s left-arm fingerspin, Gopal’s legspin, and Hooda’s part-time offspin – indicates a return to the famous spin-to-win strategy at Chepauk. In IPL 2024, the fast bowlers took 74 wickets while the spinners claimed only 25 at the venue. Even during the 2023 ODI World Cup, Chepauk offered sharp bounce and pace to the quicks, but that could change during IPL 2025.Curran is currently not part of England’s squads in any format, but a big IPL season will be hard to ignore for the selectors. Promoting Jadeja up the order didn’t produce the kind of output CSK hoped for in IPL 2024. Curran is better equipped to float in the batting line-up – he batted primarily at No.4 for Desert Vipers in the UAE’s ILT20 – and will also have a job to do with the ball in the end overs, especially at Chepauk.Along with Curran, CSK’s wealth of allrounders – Dube, Jadeja, Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Hooda, Ravindra, Jamie Overton among others – means they will never be short of bowling options or batting depth.Key statsMS Dhoni had a strike rate of 220.54 in IPL 2024, his highest across all seasons. He clattered 161 off 73 balls, including 14 fours and 13 sixes. At the age of 43, will he be able to have a similar impact at the death this year?Since joining CSK in 2022, Dube has a strike rate of nearly 159 against spin – the highest among 13 batters against this variety of bowling for a minimum of 30 IPL innings.There are strong reasons why CSK see Khaleel Ahmed as a replacement for Deepak Chahar: in IPL 2024, he took eight wickets in 14 innings in the powerplay at an economy rate of 8.87 during this phase. Only Trent Boult, Mitchell Starc, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Vaibhav Arora picked up more powerplay wickets than Khaleel last season.Who’s out, who’s in doubt?TNPL star Gurjapneet Singh, who had missed the second phase of the Ranji Trophy with injury, is fit again, but with Curran and Khaleel being CSK’s frontline left-arm seamers, it’s hard to see another left-armer fit into their XI or XII. As of now, CSK have all players available for selection.

Coach Andrew McDonald hopes the batters can tire out England’s quick at Old Trafford

Andrew McGlashan11-Jul-2023Mark Wood has changed the mood around this Ashes and Australia know they need to find a way to exhaust him to nullify his impact.Wood claimed seven wickets at Headingley, including 5 for 34 in the first innings, and touched speeds of 96mph as Australia faced an entirely new challenge to one that confronted them in the first two Tests.At Edgbaston and Lord’s, Australia managed to put considerable overs into England’s quicks but at Headingley their two innings lasted for 60.4 and 67.1 overs. Wood did extend himself into a seven-over spell at the back-end of Australia’s second innings, but Ben Stokes was largely able to use him for maximum impact.Related

Australia over-reliant as Cummins, Starc bust a gut

Let's all bask in Mark Wood's climate of optimism

Wood earns his wings as bombastic display provides Ashes lift-off

It made the double loss of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith even more of pivotal moment, especially given England were a bowler down with Ollie Robinson having suffered back spasms.Wood’s performance continued an impressive record against Australia which has now brought him 34 wickets at 27.76, although prior to Leeds the majority of that had come from the 2021-22 Ashes tour where he claimed 17 at 26.64, a rare bright spot in a forgettable series for England.He caused Labuschagne and Smith uncomfortable moments, removing them a combined five times in the four matches he played. Both were again rushed by Wood’s pace at Headingley and this time his efforts at hurrying up Australia’s top order and cutting through the tail in the first innings ended with victory. He also brought wickets at the other end; it was no coincidence that he was bowling when Moeen Ali claimed his double.”I think the plans we had leading in, they’ll remain the same,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “In the first innings he was swinging the ball at pace and that’s a challenge for top order, lower order.”You can plan for things but when you get out there you’ve got to be able to adapt and adjust. And maybe we didn’t do that in the first innings of the game.”Going forward, we’re going to be challenged with that. He’s a good bowler, he gives them variety in their attack and I think if we can put a few overs into him we saw that the ball speed can drop off a little bit.”But when he’s got his tail up he’s going to be a handful, so I think deny him any opportunities to make inroads and keep him out there a bit longer.”When Wood knocked over Australia’s tail in the first innings it was largely with the fuller delivery, crashing into the stumps of Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy while pinning Pat Cummins lbw. In contrast, Australia bowled shorter at England’s lower order when they helped add 95 in 10 overs after lunch on the second day, and used a similar approach in the chase.By way of comparison, Australia bowled 52 deliveries classed as short or short of a length to England’s Nos. 8-11 in the Test, which brought three wickets but cost 65 runs. England bowled 40 balls classed as good length or full at Australia’s tail, taking four wickets and only costing 21 runs.McDonald believed that conditions played a big part in what tactics worked well, but added Australia would assess how they went about it.”The short ball’s been used more regularly in this series than I’ve ever seen before,” McDonald said. “And with the short ball comes the risk of runs, and that sometimes happens – shorter boundaries, faster outfield and the short ball probably didn’t reap the same rewards with the lower order as it has.”But I still think it’s going to be a plan that’s employed throughout the series. I think if it works you say that it works, and if it doesn’t then you’re probably on the opposite side.”Day one Mark Wood had ball speed and the ball was shifting, the overheads were pretty thick and you tend to pitch the ball up a lot more in those conditions. When the sun comes out and the ball’s not shifting as much, you’ve probably got less options on the fuller side so we’ve got to always balance that. We critique ourselves pretty harshly so we’ll be looking into that no doubt.”Ultimately, McDonald felt it was the two-hour session late on the third day after rain where the game took its decisive swing as England worked through Australia’s middle and lower order although Travis Head’s 77 gave the visitors a chance.”[There are] some areas where we can no doubt improve and a little bit of credit goes to England,” he said. “At certain times they got the conditions in their favour and they maximised those, and I thought [Saturday] went a long way to deciding the fortunes of today.”In difficult batting conditions, they maximised them with the ball and put us probably in a position where we didn’t have enough runs to be as creative as we would have liked.”

Crowd in excess of 13,000 witness remarkable matchwinning display from 16-year-old

Cameron Ponsonby25-Jul-2021And so the rain arrived. Just after the first women’s Hundred’s London derby had ended and just before the men’s was due to begin.A sort of social justice piece of karma delivered by the sky to anyone who thought they’d only turn up to the latter game and skip out on the former. Oh you wanted to watch some cricket? Well you could’ve and you would have seen possibly the most exciting teenage English talent in the game right now. Tough luck.Women’s cricket, and sport in general, is always going to suffer from lazy comparisons to the men’s game. Which has never really made sense. No one should look at Shelley Ann Fraser-Pryce with all her Olympic sprinting medals and think, “cor she’s quick…wonder how she’d get on against Usain Bolt?”. Because it’s a false equivalence. Why bother in the first place?And yet it’ll continue to happen. And I think it’s mainly down to how we consume our sport, which is through TV. We’re accustomed to watching cricket in the context of 90mph thunderbolts and sixes being launched 100m as we sit on the sofa lazily grunting our approval. The Olympics’ (recently updated) motto includes the words ‘faster, higher, stronger’ and so when things are smaller and slower people can think of it as less. But when you’re watching at the ground, the context of TV is removed and the skill of the players comes to the fore.Today, in the space of five balls, 16-year-old Alice Capsey lofted the spinner over mid-off for four, reverse-swept the next one for four more and then gave herself space to slap Deandra Dottin through point. It was thrilling. And you’d be a fool to miss it.The women’s game is increasingly being dominated by players of the skill level of Capsey. Whilst today was her day to announce her arrival, the likes of Shafali Verma, Sophie Ecclestone and Sophia Dunkley have all had their days in the sun to announce their arrival on the world stage. Young players, each phenomenal in their own right who are no doubt the rule of the women’s game moving forward rather than the exception.Related

• Alice Capsey and Grace Gibbs lead Stars to emphatic win

• Jemimah Rodrigues on her 92* in Hundred: 'A much-needed innings for me personally'

• Teenager Alice Capsey hits the high notes as Oval Invincibles win again

Today the attendance for the women’s game was measured at 13,537, a figure that grew throughout the match as fans filtered their way into the ground for a Sunday at the cricket.A record for a domestic women’s game in the modern era, which should be celebrated. However, perhaps it’s the greed of progress that it still left me wanting more.It’s the gift and the curse of the double header that the women’s game is put in front of more people’s eyes than ever (good) but only as a curtain-raiser (bad). But, because of the rain today, it took centre stage for the second time this tournament after Wednesday’s opening night. And far from it being a warm-up, it hopefully left 13,537 people asking for an encore.Certainly those who arrived on time for the match action will have left wanting to know and see more of Capsey following her imperious display.Much has been made of Capsey’s age, or lack of. The youngest player in the tournament at 16 and recently embarked on her A levels, it could have been expected, or at least forgiven, had the occasion of playing at Lord’s got the better of her.Or, on the other side of the coin, and as I’m sure many will comment, “she played with the fearlessness of youth.”As a phrase it’s one that’s always confused me and I can only assume it is only said by those who don’t remember being 16 (sorry). Because being 16 is terrifying.You’re constantly being confronted with so many firsts in your life happening at one time. Your first love interest maybe, your first drink perhaps, your first major set of exams for definite. It’s just that, unlike us, Capsey has added her first innings at Lord’s to that list as well.To say Capsey’s youth made her fearless is to diminish her achievement. She batted brilliantly for 59 off 40 balls on the biggest stage of all. There’s no doubt it was a daunting occasion and that’s what made it all the more impressive.Her innings shifted from one of promise to one of certainty in the space of five balls midway through the innings. Consecutive boundaries off the bowling of Dean was followed by a dismissive shot through the off-side against Dottin. Three boundaries in five balls. A drive, a reverse sweep and a cut. Three different shots with the same outcome each time. This was a batter in control of her game and of the occasion.Further testament to her innings was that she was supported, not led, by South Africa captain and star of the Invincibles opening night win on Wednesday in Van Niekerk.”It’s a special moment. There were a few nerves, but I just wanted to be able to express myself and stay true to how I play,” Capsey said afterwards.”I just wanted to take it in my stride and show I’m not going to be pushed to the side. I want to play how I want to play.”The Hundred Rising is providing eight aspiring, young journalists the opportunity to tell the story of The Hundred men’s and women’s competitions through their own eyes.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Nacional-PAR por 4 a 0 em partida válida pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. Romero (2x), Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul marcaram os gols do Timão na Neo Química Arena. O paraguaio se tornou o maior artilheiro de Itaquera e o estrangeiro com mais gols pelo clube.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansJornal coloca joia do Corinthians na mira de Bayern e gigantes inglesesCorinthians06/04/2024CorinthiansTorcedores elegem craque do Corinthians no PaulistãoCorinthians08/04/2024CorinthiansEntenda como eliminação precoce no Paulistão fez patrocinador rescindir contrato com o CorinthiansCorinthians05/04/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

Com o resultado, o Corinthians chega a quatro pontos e assume a liderança do Grupo F da Sul-Americana. A equipe paraguaia amarga a lanterna do grupo, com zero pontos.

⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

Após 15 minutos sonolentos, o Corinthians conseguiu encontrar espaços e conseguiu impor sua dominância sobre o Nacional-PAR. Após algumas chances, Romero abriu o placar no primeiro tempo. O Timão aproveitou a expulsão de Arévalo na etapa final, foi mais incisivo no ataque e ampliou a vantagem com Yuri Alberto, Romero e Pedro Raul.

continua após a publicidade

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

O que vem por aí?

O próximo compromisso do Corinthians será no domingo (14), contra o Atlético-MG, pela primeira rodada do Brasileirão, na Neo Química Arena. No sábado, o Nacional enfrenta o General Caballero pelo Campeonato Paraguaio.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CORINTHIANS 4 X 0 NACIONAL-PAR
COPA SUL AMERICANA – FASE DE GRUPOS – SEGUNDA RODADA
Data e horário: terça-feira, 9 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília);
Local: Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo, no Brasil
Árbitro: Jhon Ospina (COL)

continua após a publicidade

GOLS: Romero (2x), Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul

➡️ Veja tabela com datas, horários dos jogos da Libertadores

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES
CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira)
Cássio; Fagner, Félix Torres, Gustavo Henrique e Hugo; Raniele, Fausto Vera e Rodrigo Garro; Wesley, Romero e Yuri Alberto

NACIONAL-PAR (Técnico: Victor Bernay)
Antony Silva; Blasi, Claudio Nuñez, Ojeda e Rivas; Juan Alfaro, Cáceres e Santacruz; Gaona, Arévalo e Tiago Caballero.

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansSul-Americana

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl recently revealed that he needs players who “understand” what it means to play for the Ibrox giants.

With the January transfer window less than a month away, the German manager said that he has learned which of his players are up to the task of playing for the club.

Whilst he said that he knows which players need to improve, the window will provide him with a chance to replace those players instead of trying to help them improve.

Rangers lining up move for new midfielder

Despite sporting director Kevin Thelwell’s departure at the start of last week, there is already work going on in the background to bolster the former Sheffield Wednesday manager’s side.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Glasgow Rangers are one of the clubs eyeing up a deal to sign exciting Tromso central midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl in the upcoming January transfer window.

The report claims that the Light Blues have sent scouts to watch the 20-year-old talent in action in recent weeks, as Rohl lines up a move to sign the midfield whiz.

It adds, though, that Premier League side Sunderland are also interested in Hjerto-Dahl, which means that there could be some stiff competition for his signature in January.

GIVEMESPORT also reports that the Norwegian youngster is not expected to cost a fortune, although no exact price tag has been mentioned.

Why Rangers should sign Hjerto-Dahl

Rangers should push to beat Sunderland to a deal for the 20-year-old central midfielder because he could be a Nicolas Raskin repeat for the Scottish Premiership giants.

The Gers signed the Belgian star from Standard Liege in January 2023 for a fairly modest fee of £1.7m, in a move that could be replicated by Hjerto-Dahl, who could sign in January for another modest fee, given that he is not expected to cost a fortune.

On top of the Tromso midfielder potentially joining in a similar transfer deal, the Norwegian gem could also offer similar qualities to Raskin in the middle of the park with his performances.

Hjerto-Dahl, who was described as a “unicorn” by Belgian scout Elijah Michiels, is another central midfielder who can make an impact at both ends of the pitch as a natural number eight.

The Rangers and Sunderland transfer target has been a regular for Tromso in the Eliteserien in the 2025 campaign, starting 28 of his 30 appearances, and has shown some promising signs with his displays.

Appearances

30

33

Goals

4

4

Assists

4

10

Successful dribbles per game

1.3

1.0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.5

3.4

Possession won in final third

0.6

0.5

Duels won per game

5.1

6.6

As you can see in the table above, he has some fairly similar statistics in comparison to Raskin’s full season in the Premiership last term, with his work in and out of possession, which is why he is such an exciting prospect.

Given that Hjerto-Dahl is four years younger than the Belgium international, his statistics in comparison to the Rangers star’s are fairly impressive, as they show that he can impact games as a scorer and a creator of goals, without neglecting the defensive side of the game.

The Norway U21 international could arrive in January and use the first five months to adjust to Scottish football and life in Glasgow, as Raskin did in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, before being ready to shine in the 2026/27 campaign.

Whilst supporters may not want to hear about long-term signings and preparing for next season, the reality of the situation is that the Gers are already nine points off first place in the league, have not won a game in the Europa League, and are already out of the League Cup.

Worse than Miovski: Ibrox flop just played his worst game for Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop played his worst game for the club in the 2-1 defeat to Dundee United on Wednesday.

ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

Instead of chasing short-term results and signings, Rangers need to ensure that they have a long-term strategy in place that will ensure that they are competitive in the long run, which Hjerto-Dahl will, hopefully, be a part of.

After playing a respectable 15 seasons across nine teams, longtime pitcher Jason Grilli received the MLB's "Lifetime Pass" upon his retirement in 2017.

What is this "Lifetime Pass", you ask? Apparently, after eight years of service, all MLB players, managers, coaches and umpires are awarded an exclusive gold card that allows the owner and a guest free admittance to any regular-season game. All full-time front office personnel are also eligible for the gold card—which is good for life—after 25 years of service.

Grilli used his little-known perk in an awesome way on Monday night in Pittsburgh, sharing on Instagram that he took his son to PNC Park to watch Pirates star Paul Skenes take the mound against the Washington Nationals.

Here's a look, as shared by the MLB on X (formerly Twitter):

Here's a look at the original post, via Grilli's Instagram:

"Used the lifetime pass and golden ticket today to watch Paul Skenes take the mound at PNC with my son," he wrote. "Moments like this hit different—baseball, legacy, and passing it on to the next generation."

Really cool.

To make the outing even better, Skenes threw six full innings while allowing just three hits and one earned run, and the Pirates came away with a 10–3 victory.

Changing styles and systems has been a common thread at Tottenham Hotspur in recent times.

From the fluid football of Mauricio Pochettino to the win-at-all-costs pragmatism of Jose Mourinho. From the gung-ho, all-action style of Ange Postecoglou, to the more conservative, measured approach of Thomas Frank.

The latter man is currently trying to steady the ship again following a turbulent and chaotic ‘second season’ under Postecoglou, although there is a sense that the Dane needs to take the handbrake off, even with the Lilywhites currently residing in fifth in the Premier League table.

With 11 games played, the north Londoners have collected 18 points, scoring 19 goals and shipping just ten. Two years earlier, for comparison, Postecoglou’s first 11 league games yielded 26 points, having scored 23 goals and conceded 13.

Of course, that rampant start wasn’t maintained, although the enigmatic Aussie swiftly got supporters onside. As was evident amid the jeers at his substitutions in the recent 2-2 draw with Manchester United, Frank is yet to do just that.

Patience is required, however, with further investment likely to be needed, not least in the forward ranks. How about Antoine Semenyo, anyone?

Latest on Tottenham's interest in Semenyo

Frank is still fine-tuning his frontline, in the absence of Dominic Solanke, having unleashed 14 different attacking combinations in just 18 games this season, while never using the same one more than twice, as noted by the Daily Mail.

Ex-West Ham United man Mohammed Kudus has perhaps been the brightest spark off the right, with six goals and assists already in 2025/26, although a solution still needs to be found on the opposite side, following Son Heung-min’s emotional summer exit.

Enter, Semenyo, with the “best winger in the country” – as hailed by Spurs great Chris Waddle – reportedly among the targets that Spurs are considering heading into 2026, having previously been in the mix for his signature, alongside Man United, over the summer.

As reported this week by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the north London side are still among the clubs keen on signing the Ghanaian, with the 25-year-old having a £65m release clause that comes into effect for a specific time period in January.

Previously valued at closer to £70m, it looks as if Bournemouth are now almost powerless to prevent their star man from leaving in the near future, with that £65m figure set to reduce even further over the summer.

With nine goals and assists in 11 league outings this term, unsurprisingly, Semenyo has also caught the attention of clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City, with it yet to be seen whether Spurs can nudge ahead in that intriguing battle for his services.

Should they miss out on the ex-Bristol City man, all is not lost, however, with Frank and co already having an internal solution to unleash in the near future.

Spurs' answer to Antoine Semenyo

As already stated, after trialling the likes of Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Xavi Simons off the left flank, a true permanent successor to Son on that side still needs to be found, with the South Korean moving on after netting 173 goals in 454 games in all competitions for the club.

Semenyo, for what it’s worth, would be a dream solution, with his breathtaking ability having been evident in the recent win over Fulham, as he tore down the left flank before somehow converting from an acute angle.

With Liverpool and City in the mix, however, there may well be a bigger fish, with Spurs instead needing to look elsewhere to find Son’s true heir in that wide role.

Thankfully, in the form of his compatriot Yang Min-Hyeok, the north Londoners may already have just that, with the teenage winger described as “like Son Heung-min” by journalist Jason Lee, who tipped him to be “Korea’s next superstar”.

While yet to actually feature for his parent club, Yang has shown more than just flashes of his quality out on loan in 2025, first starring during a six-month stint at Queens Park Rangers, where he scored twice and registered one assist in 14 games.

Yang – 2024 K-League season

Stat (*per game)

Record

Games (starts)

38 (37)

Goals

12

Big chances missed

5

Assists

5

Big chances created

8

Key passes*

0.9

Pass accuracy*

78%

Successful dribbles*

0.9

Fouls won*

0.8

Stats via Sofascore

Back in the Championship again this season, now with Portsmouth, the 19-year-old has again chalked up three goal involvements from ten games across all fronts, enjoying a particularly fruitful October amid an initial slow start to life on the south coast.

Currently travailing the EFL, like Semenyo did in the past with Bristol, Newport County and Sunderland, the early signs are certainly promising for Yang, having been “on fire” for Pompey in the view of talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Not just blessed with blistering pace, what also sets Yang apart – much like Semenyo and Son – is his two-footedness. Indeed, both of his goals for QPR came with his left, while both of his efforts for Pompey have come with his right.

The former Gangwon gem – who scored 12 times in 38 senior games at his former club – looks destined to be a fixture of Frank’s first-team heading into next season, with Spurs able to save themselves millions by not signing another winger to block his pathway and development.

With fellow teenager Mikey Moore – currently out on loan at Rangers – also in the equation, that left-hand side looks to be in safe hands. Semenyo might well not be needed.

Related He can end Bentancur's stay: Spurs gem is showing "shades of Mousa Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur have a star who could end Rodrigo Bentancur’s career in North London.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 19, 2025

تحدث وليد صلاح الدين، مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، عن الحالة الصحية لإمام عاشور، وعن الأنباء التي تتردد بشأن اقتراب حامد حمدان من الانضمام إلى القلعة الحمراء.

وقال وليد صلاح الدين، خلال مداخلة هاتفية ببرنامج “ملعب أون” على قناة أون سبورت: “أداء الأهلي في تحسّن مستمر، والتعادل بالنسبة لنا أقرب من الهزيمة، اتخذنا قرارًا بعد كل مباراة بالدخول إلى أرض الملعب لتحية الجماهير، أيًا كانت النتيجة، لأننا نحتاج إلى رضاهم ودعمهم المستمر”.

وأضاف: “فيما يخص تجديد عقد ديانج، لم نناقش بعد أي ملفات تخص التجديدات نحن في فترة إجازة، وسنجلس قريبًا بحضور سيد عبد الحفيظ ولجنة التخطيط نعمل مع جميع اللاعبين نفسيًا، ونحاول قدر الإمكان ألا نخسر أي لاعب”.

طالع.. مفاجأة تقلب موازين صفقة حمدان.. الأهلي يدخل بـ”الكاش” وجلسة تحسمها

وأفاد: “بغض النظر عمن سيستمر أو يرحل، يجب أن نستفيد من كل لاعب حتى نهاية عقده، ولن نفرط في أي لاعب إلا إذا شعرنا أنه لا يرغب في الاستمرار أو يفضل عرضًا آخر”.

وتابع: “إمام عاشور غير مصاب، ويتدرب بشكل جيد هو في إجازة مثل باقي الفريق، وبعد العودة سيشارك معنا، وسنزيد أحماله التدريبية وفقًا لاجتهاده وحالته البدنية، ومن الممكن أن يكون معنا في مواجهة شبيبة القبائل أو الجيش الملكي المغربي”.

وأوضح: “فيما يتعلق بحامد حمدان، لم نتحدث مع توروب حول أي صفقات، ولم نتطرق إلى هذا الأمر إطلاقًا معه”.

واستكمل: “بخصوص الأزمة الأخيرة المتعلقة بزيزو، قمنا بأكثر من عشرة أمور إيجابية، لكن كالعادة تم تجاهلها والتركيز فقط على الجانب السلبي، فور إطلاق الحكم صافرة النهاية، ذهبنا لتحية لاعبي الزمالك، وزيزو توجه إلى أحمد عبد الرؤوف لتحيته أيضًا”.

واختتم وليد صلاح الدين تصريحاته قائلًا: “نظمنا ممرًا شرفيًا لنادي الزمالك، رغم أن الشكل لم يكن تنظيمًا رسميًا كاملًا، وأنا وتوروب ذهبنا إلى الجهاز الفني للزمالك لمصافحتهم، ولم أتحدث مع زيزو بعد المباراة لأنه انضم إلى المنتخب الوطني”.

One of the best players in the world over the last 12 months has been former Leeds United star Raphinha. The Brazilian has shone for Barcelona, and scored 34 goals and assisted 26 in just 57 games under Hansi Flick last term.

His exceptional performances were certainly seen by people across the world. The culmination of Raphinha’s success last season saw him finish fifth in the Ballon d’Or race, with Lamine Yamal the only Barca player ahead of him.

Injury has slowed his season down in 2025/26, but he has five goals and assists in six La Liga games.

Leeds fans will never forget his contribution in his final season at the club.

Raphinha’s importance during the 2021/22 season

Brazil international Raphinha only spent two campaigns at Elland Road. The first season was behind closed doors due to COVID, but he had already established himself as a fan favourite.

The second campaign was excellent too, and incredibly important.

The Whites avoided relegation by the skin of the teeth on the final day of the 2021/22 season.

It would turn out to be Raphinha’s last appearance for the West Yorkshire side, and he scored a crucial penalty in their 2-1 win away to Brentford, which helped keep them in the Premier League.

It was more than just that spot kick at the Gtech Community Stadium that signified Raphinha’s importance. He bagged 11 goals and assisted three across the season, including a run of seven goal involvements in ten games between October and January.

His pivotal contributions did not go unnoticed by fans and ex-players alike. One man who could not praise Raphinha enough was Noel Whelan, their former striker. He said the Brazilian “gave everything to keep Leeds United in the Premier League,” showing just how much it meant to the club.

In their promotion campaign last season, Leeds had a player vital to their success, although he has rapidly fallen out of favour at Elland Road.

The Leeds star now out of favour

A few players under Daniel Farke this season have fallen down the pecking order after a busy summer transfer window. Illan Meslier and Joel Piroe are two examples of players who were crucial to earning promotion but have had little or no involvement this term.

Well, someone else who fits that category is Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka. He is a player who Farke clearly rates, and called him an “outstanding” player last season. Summer signings have meant he is struggling to get into the team this term, though.

Last season, the 34-cap Japanese international was a key man in the centre of the park for the West Yorkshire side.

He played 43 Championship games, chipping in with five goals and two assists, including a late strike against promotion rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

It was that sort of form which has led to Tanaka being hailed as the club’s best signing since Raphinha. It is easy to see why, too, with the contributions from midfield helping the Whites to return to the Premier League.

After starting the first couple of top-flight games this season, Tanaka picked up an injury and has since been out of the team. Farke has built momentum in the midfield with Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff, meaning Tanaka can’t get into the lineup.

Leeds midfielders – 2025/26

Player

Games played

Mins played (full 90s)

Ethan Ampadu

6

519 (5.7)

Anton Stach

8

680 (7.5)

Sean Longstaff

8

566 (6.2)

Ao Tanaka

6

190 (2.1)

Ilia Gruev

4

193 (2.1)

Stats from Transfermarkt

Perhaps Tanaka is on borrowed time at Elland Road. Once someone so important to the club, he now can’t get a game under Farke, and with the continuity we are seeing in the middle of the park, it is hard to see where his next start comes from.

Given his crucial role last term, the 27-year-old might well decide to consider his future if the situation doesn’t improve.

After showing his importance, just like Raphinha did a few years ago, his career has certainly gone the other way than how things panned out for the Brazilian.

Related Leeds have signed a "difference-maker" who is a bigger talent than Rutter

Leeds United have signed a bigger talent than Georginio Rutter with this summer signing.

Posts 2 ByDan Emery Oct 21, 2025

Sunderland still have some time to wait until they face off against arch rivals Newcastle United back in the Premier League.

The middle of December sees Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats clash against Eddie Howe’s Magpies in what promises to be a hotly contested Tyne-Wear Derby, with the last fierce meeting between the two enemies in the top-flight coming all the way back in 2016 in a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.

The two sides did butt heads in the FA Cup back in 2024, as an Alexander Isak-led Toon comfortably swept aside their Championship hosts 3-0 on the day, but the Wearside outfit is a completely different beast now with Le Bris at the helm, as opposed to their once bruised nature as second-tier regulars.

While there will be a lack of niceties exchanged at the Stadium of Light in December, Sunderland will know that there are some strong performers already in their camp who will be ready for any intense battles ahead, with the likes of Noah Sadiki not fazed whatsoever by the intensity of the top-flight so far.

Sadiki's early promise at Sunderland

With new signings such as Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, and Omar Alderete receiving a lot of the early praise this season, and rightly so, Sadiki has arguably slipped under the radar as another mightily impressive summer pick-up.

Indeed, the former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise battler might just be 20 years of age, but he looks cut out for the grind of the English top-flight already, having been an ever-present part of Le Bris’ starting lineups across Sunderland’s seven Premier League clashes so far.

He has made one of those starting central spots his own with his energy and quality clear for all to see, with his running statistics on the opening day against West Ham United seeing him cover a ridiculous 11.5km across the 90 minutes.

With an assured 85% pass accuracy also averaged per Premier League game so far, it could be argued that Sadiki is actually Sunderland’s own unique take on Newcastle warrior Bruno Guimaraes, with the 20-year-old just needing to add goals and assists to his Black Cats repertoire to be on the road to rivalling his South American counterpart.

At the moment, he has zero goals or assists next to his name.

This could come soon, though, with Sadiki actually helping himself to four goal contributions last season during his swansong Belgian Pro League season.

But, with six ground duels won effortlessly at the City Ground before his side’s 2-0 slip-up at Manchester United, it might well be that Sadiki excels more as a tireless anchor for the Sunderland cause, as opposed to marauding forward on occasion and hammering home sweet efforts, like Guimaraes.

Instead, one of Sadiki’s equally lively teammates could have more of a compelling argument to hand on why he’s Sunderland’s very own version of the Magpies captain, having been in and around the intense environment of the top-flight for far longer than the promising number 27.

Why Sunderland's "genius" is their own Guimaraes

When Guimaraes arrived on Tyneside in January 2022, Sunderland’s main rivals were used to middle-of-the-road finishes in the Premier League. Now, with the Brazilian as a key cog in Howe’s machine, Champions League football is regularly served up.

Of course, Sunderland won’t be expecting to be in Europe’s elite competition anytime soon, but it’s abundantly clear from how the Black Cats have started this season that Granit Xhaka is already a transformative presence – much like Guimaraes once was at St James’ Park – who can help the Wearside outfit to a high-up finish right after promotion.

Much like the number 39 chips in time after time with crucial goals and assists, the former Arsenal warrior has more than played his role in Sunderland collecting early wins in their immediate bid to beat the drop, with the last three goals Le Bris’ men have scored in the tough division coming about from Xhaka popping up with an assist.

This, clearly, sets him apart from Sadiki, who can spray a lovely pass here or there, but hasn’t quite grasped the same level of incision as the Basel-born midfielder.

But, much like his Toon foe, Xhaka is also definitely well-versed in what it takes to be a physical presence when needed, having even been branded a “monster” by Arsenal-based writer Connor Humm when still at the Emirates, off the back of the 33-year-old winning 130 duels during his final top-flight campaign in North London.

Games played

7

7

Goals

2

0

Assists

0

3

Touches*

59.7

72.9

Accurate passes*

35.7 (83%)

46.4 (84%)

Big chances created

0

4

Ball recoveries*

5.8

5.1

Total duels won*

6.7

6.4

This side of his well-varied game has been on full display donning Sunderland red and white, too, with Xhaka not a million miles off Guimaraes’ “world-class” nature, as he was once glowingly labelled by scout Jacek Kulig for never letting his standards slip on Tyneside.

On Wearside, Xhaka has also been a rock early into this competitive season, with 6.4 duels won on average, putting him on the same lofty pedestal as his counterpart, who was once touted to leave Howe and Co. behind for a staggering £100m.

Considering Sunderland landed their midfield veteran for just £17m, this is extremely impressive to see.

With 17 goals also coming his way in the Premier League when situated at Arsenal, it could be that Xhaka elevates his game even more in the weeks to come and becomes the constant Sunderland needs to push up the division, much like Guimaraes has been their every step of the way for Howe’s men as they turned into a Champions League-level outfit.

With Xhaka now wearing the armband with pride, it will be fascinating to see where both Sunderland and Newcastle are in the league standings come their showdown on the 13th of December, with the Black Cats very much fancying their chances of Tyne-Wear glory if their “genius” – as he was recently labelled by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman – puts in another game-changing display.

Sunderland "powerhouse" is in danger of becoming a modern-day Altidore

This Sunderland attacker is in danger of turning into a modern-day Jozy Altidore.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 7, 2025