Four key Man Utd stars sat out training just days ahead of the crunch derby clash with Liverpool as boss Ruben Amorim continues the struggle to turn his side’s season around. Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo and Casemiro were all absent following their involvement in international fixtures in the past fortnight.
Captain needed treatment on the field after apparently experiencing discomfort to his groin
Valkerie Baynes10-Jul-2025
Ben Stokes receives treatment from the physio•Getty Images
England face an anxious wait on the fitness of their captain, Ben Stokes, after he pulled up sore while batting on the first day of the third Test against India at Lord’s.Stokes was unbeaten on 39 at the close, having faced 102 balls on a slow day in which the hosts ended on 251 for 4 with Joe Root on 99 overnight.On 32, Stokes took a step forward before leaving a Nitish Kumar Reddy delivery outside off and immediately winced in pain, clutching at his right groin.Related
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He called for the physio and after some on-field treatment returned to his crease. But he was still in visible discomfort, hobbling as he set off for a single and sitting on his haunches trying to loosen up between deliveries. Stokes was stretching again as the second new ball was brought out and Root eyed a century.Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah got the ball swinging again immediately – as it had at the start of the day, making the going tough.Root thought he could reach his milestone with a glance behind point on 98 but he only managed a single as Ravindra Jadeja swooped, then beckoned for Root to come back for a second as he held onto the ball, grinning. But there was no way he was risking it, especially with Stokes’ running a concern.Ollie Pope – who faced 104 balls for his 44 before falling to Jadeja on the first ball after tea – was hoping the as-yet-undiagnosed problem would improve overnight.”Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong,” Pope said. “I’ve not seen him since, so fingers crossed there’s nothing too serious. But clearly we’ve got a big Test over the next four days and we’ve got a big two [at Old Trafford and The Oval] coming up as well, so it is important to try and manage him.”As vice-captain, Pope acknowledged he had a part to play in ensuring that Stokes didn’t push himself too hard in spite of the problem.”We’ll see how he pulls up tomorrow, but for me, that is partially one of my roles, to make sure that he doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he’s dealing with at the moment,” Pope said. “I’m sure the physios, the medics will work with him to lay out a plan and then I’ll help push him in the right direction.”2:23
Pope: We’re constantly trying to get batting balance right
Stokes was England’s most effective bowler when they won the opening Test at Headingley, having finally been able to increase his bowling workload after two bouts of surgery to repair tears in his right hamstring in the space of six months.He bowled 19 overs in India’s first innings at Edgbaston and seven at an economy rate of 3.71 in their second before the tourists won by a massive 336 runs, levelling the five-match series 1-1.Stokes’ resurgence as a bowler follows painstaking work after he underwent knee surgery in late 2023. That threw a spotlight on his penchant for exerting himself through any discomfort for the good of the team.With plenty more runs needed before any thoughts turn to his bowling in this match, England will be carefully weighing up what is good for both heading into the second day.
While finally getting over the hill and winning the Premier League is going to require a Herculean effort from the team, it would be fair to say spirits are high around Arsenal at the moment.
Mikel Arteta’s side beat AC Milan in Singapore and then got one over Newcastle United in Hong Kong, and now have a North London derby to look forward to tomorrow.
Unsurprisingly, one of the stars of pre-season so far has been Bukayo Saka, who scored the only goal in the first game and was more than lively in the second.
So, fans should be thrilled about reports linking them with another international superstar who could be Arteta’s new Saka.
While the football in pre-season has been great, it’s been an even better summer for Arsenal off the pitch.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
After years of fans crying out for one, the club have finally signed a new top-quality number nine in Viktor Gyokeres, and that’s not all, as Martin Zubimendi looks like he could be even more consequential at the base of midfield.
Moreover, Arteta won’t have to worry about squad depth quite as much anymore, with Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera all coming in to bolster the squad.
Yet, even with six new faces through the door, the North Londoners want to do more business, business which could see them land their new Saka.
At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has claimed Arsenal have a ‘clear name’ in mind when it comes to further improving the squad this summer: Rodrygo.
While the report reveals that the Gunners will likely have to sell a player or two before signing the Brazilian, it does not mention how much he might eventually cost them.
However, multiple stories from earlier this summer indicate that a fee of around £86m could be enough to seal the deal, and while that’s a lot of money, it would be worth it for a player of Rodrygo’s quality, especially as he could be the club’s new Saka.
So, before the pitchforks and torches come out, we aren’t necessarily saying Rodrygo will come in and be just as good as Saka right away, as the Englishman has practically made this team his own over the last few years and is unquestionably now world-class.
However, we are saying that there is every chance the Real Madrid star could come in and end up having a similar impact on the left-hand side, albeit without the homegrown academy product side of things.
Why do we think this? Well, for starters, despite playing out of position for much of the last two seasons, the Brazilian has remained a seriously dangerous attacker.
For example, the “incredible” talent, as dubbed by former manager Carlo Ancelotti, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.
That translates to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is a level of output the Gunners’ left side could do with.
|
Rodrygo’s recent record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|
Appearances |
51 |
54 |
|
Minutes |
3707′ |
3452′ |
|
Goals |
17 |
14 |
|
Assists |
9 |
11 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.50 |
0.46 |
|
Minutes per Goal Involvement |
142.57′ |
138.08′ |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
Second, much in the same way the Hale End icon has taken the club on his back in the past, the former Santos gem has often been the difference maker in big European games for his side.
In 64 Champions League games, the 24-year-old has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists, but crucially, eight of his goals have come in the knockout rounds and eight have been game-winning.
Finally, despite neither one of them being particularly tall, they’ve proven themselves to be tough to dispossess in recent seasons, be that through sheer strength or an underappreciated ability with the ball at their feet.
Moreover, when given space, both wingers can be quite explosive and an absolute nightmare for backtracking defenders, with FBref placing the Brazilian in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for carries into the penalty area and the Englishman in the top 11%.
Ultimately, while Saka will likely always be the most popular player at Arsenal thanks to his deep ties with the fans and club, Rodrygo could be almost as effective as him off the left, and therefore, Arteta and Co should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.
Arsenal eye "fascinating" Eze alternative with £22.5m release clause
The Gunners are after another number 10.
1
By
Emilio Galantini
Jul 30, 2025
Anthony Gordon has compared Nick Woltemade to England "quarterback" Harry Kane and explained how Newcastle's £69 million ($93m) frontman has positively impacted his game. Woltemade has exploded onto the scene at Newcastle with four goals in his first six appearances, three of which came in the span of just seven days against Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Nottingham Forest before the international break.
Aston Villa have now submitted an offer for an “elusive” forward, with his current club open to a sale at the right price, according to a report.
Villa may have a battle on their hands trying to keep hold of Ollie Watkins this summer, given that the England international has attracted widespread interest from elsewhere, and Manchester United are becoming increasingly keen on a deal.
Ruben Amorim’s side have whittled their striker search down to just two targets, and Watkins is one of them, with the Red Devils of the belief they could be able to get a deal over the line for a relatively low sum.
Having also lost Jhon Duran in the January transfer window, there will be a serious need to bring in a new centre-forward if Watkins moves on this summer, and Unai Emery also remains keen on bringing in a new winger.
According to a report, Aston Villa have now submitted a €20m (£17m) offer for Galatasaray forward Baris Alper Yilmaz, and they have since been slowly increasing their proposal in increments of €1m to €2m.
However, Villa may have to increase their bid significantly if they are to tempt the Turkish club into a sale, as they are thought to be holding out for a fee of €40m (£35m).
Aston Villa now stepping up efforts to sign "incredible" £30m Brazilian ace
There has been a development in Villa’s pursuit of a midfielder, who is also being targeted by Leeds United.
By
Dominic Lund
Jul 29, 2025
Should an offer in that region arrive, Galatasaray could be tempted to cash-in, but the Villans are not the only Premier League club in the race for his signature, with Nottingham Forest also named as potential suitors.
If Watkins departs, Emery may have to bring in multiple forwards to make up for the Englishman’s attacking contributions, and the Galatasaray star was regularly among the goals last season, picking up 12 goals and three assists in the Turkish Super Lig.
Not only is the 25-year-old a real threat going forward, but he is clearly a very well-rounded player, having performed well from a defensive point of view over the past year, while proving himself as an aerial threat.
|
Statistic |
Average per 90 |
|
Tackles |
1.97 (90th percentile) |
|
Clearances |
1.04 (84th percentile) |
|
Aerials won |
2.89 (98th percentile) |
Virgil Van Dijk has also made it clear how difficult he has found it to defend against the Turk in the past, saying: “Baris Alper Yilmaz was running constantly. He was running elusive. It was difficult for every defender. He made it very hard for us.”
As a result, Yilmaz could be an exciting acquistion for Villa, but they may need to increase their offer significantly to tempt Galatasaray into a sale.
He also urged the middle order to show more fight after Bangladesh failed to bat out 50 overs in any of the three ODIs
Mohammad Isam08-Jul-2025Bangladesh ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz rued the lack of big partnerships that could have sustained the visitors in their 286-run chase after they went down by 99 runs in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. With the loss, Bangladesh squandered the ODI series 2-1 after having lost the preceding Test series as well.Mehidy said that while Sri Lanka banked on a 124-run fourth-wicket stand between Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka after they were in a spot of bother, Bangladesh failed to stitch a similar stand.”When [Towhid] Hridoy and Jaker [Ali] were batting together, I still believed we could win the game,” Mehidy said. “We just couldn’t put together partnerships like Sri Lanka. They had a big partnership after they lost three wickets for 100 runs. Partnerships in the middle overs are crucial. We got a couple of 40s, but winning is hard without these partnerships in ODI cricket.”Related
Kusal 124 forms the centrepiece of Sri Lanka's series victory
Hridoy, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 51, had stands of 42 with Parvez Hossain Emon and 43 with Mehidy. However, none of the batters could carry on after getting starts.”We are getting out soon after getting set,” Mehidy said. “We can’t keep the momentum for too long. We have to work on it. When I was batting with Hridoy today, we nearly grabbed the momentum. Then I got out. Momentum is required for a partnership. Strike rotation is important in a partnership. We have to play more low-risk cricket, not the high-risk cricket we are playing.”Another area of concern, according to Mehidy, is Bangladesh’s failure to bat out the 50 overs in any of the three games. They were bowled out in 35.5 overs in the first ODI in Colombo, 48.5 overs in the second, and 39.4 overs in the third.Towhid Hridoy top-scored for Bangladesh with 51•AFP/Getty Images
The Bangladesh captain felt the middle order, including himself, needed to be more responsible. Mehidy, who now bats at No. 5, was guilty of throwing away his wicket in two of the three matches. On Tuesday, Mehidy, who struck four fours and a six in his 25-ball 28, holed out to long-on at a critical stage of the chase.”It is a concern for the team that we couldn’t bat 50 overs [in any of the matches],” he said. “It would have helped us if we had batted properly. Our middle-order batters need to take more responsibility. I couldn’t play a lot of balls, too. It would have been better [if I had done so]. We have a lot of room for improvement. We have a lot of cricket in front of us.”My dismissal put the team under pressure. I was trying to stay in touch with the run rate. I was looking for at least a boundary per over to meet the required run-rate. I didn’t want to put that pressure on Towhid Hridoy. I tried to take a calculated risk, but I couldn’t execute that shot properly. If I had, it would have gone for six.”Hridoy scored his second half-century of the series but failed to carry on. Mehidy said the other batters didn’t offer Hridoy enough support to enable him to accelerate when he was set at the crease. “I think he could have batted at a faster rate, but he couldn’t do it as we kept losing wickets,” Mehidy said. “Whenever he needed momentum, there was a setback. I won’t blame him for today’s defeat. If we could support him in a partnership, he could have batted at a faster rate. It is hard for a batter to bat in this type of situation.”Mehidy, however, said he would still back his batters playing their natural game, despite the setbacks in this series. “We could have hit more fours and picked up more singles,” he said. “It is also a matter of emotional control. Everyone likes to play cricket in certain ways. Our top order likes to play with a bit of risk. They like to find boundaries. I can’t stop them. It will make the situation difficult in the team. We are trying to back every player’s strength.”
And what’s the lowest number of bowlers who took all 20 wickets in a Test between them?
Steven Lynch04-Jul-2023In the Lord’s Test England’s new-ball pair had a combined age of more than 78 years. Was this a record? asked Jeremy Lambton from England
England’s opening bowlers in the gripping second Ashes Test at Lord’s were Jimmy Anderson, who’s nearly 41, and 37-year-old Stuart Broad. In terms of combined age they were the oldest pair to take the new ball in a Test since 1951, when the South Africans Eric Rowan (41) and Dudley Nourse (40) did it in the second innings at Lord’s. Rowan and Nourse were really batters – neither ever took a Test wicket – who had a trundle because England needed just 16 to win.The only England new-ball pair with a higher combined age was Gubby Allen (45) and Harold Butler (34) against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1947-48. This is actually the highest instance of all with two supposedly fast bowlers: there are two older new-ball pairs, both involving the venerable Australia left-arm spinner Bert Ironmonger. “Dainty” was 46 when he made his debut against England in Brisbane in 1928-29; in the second innings he took the new ball with fellow spinner Clarrie Grimmett (36). Two years later, against West Indies in Sydney in 1930-31, Ironmonger – by now 48 – opened in the second innings with medium-pacer Ron Oxenham, who was 39; their combined age was around 88½ years.These instances are taken from ESPNcricinfo’s database. But Charles Davis, the distinguished Australian statistician who has re-scored many early Test matches from the original scorebooks, warns: “There are many cases of incorrect second-innings bowling order in the ‘received’ scorecards for older Tests. Both the instances mentioned about Ironmonger are actually incorrect: in the fifth Test of 1930-31, Oxenham opened with Stan McCabe in the second innings, while in Brisbane in 1928-29, Grimmett and Stork Hendry opened in the second innings. Ironmonger and Oxenham did open the bowling in Melbourne in 1930-31, but in different innings.Where does Ben Stokes fit in the list of the highest scores in the fourth innings of a Test? asked Martin Steele from England
Ben Stokes’s valiant 155 at Lord’s was the 27th time a batter has reached 150 in the fourth innings of a Test.Only 21 of those innings were higher than 155, and just four were for England, whose highest remains Bill Edrich’s 219 in the timeless Test against South Africa in Durban in 1938-39. Highest of all is George Headley’s 223 for West Indies against England in another drawn timeless Test, in Kingston in 1929-30. (Both these games had to be left unfinished as the England teams needed to catch their boat home.)Of those 27 scores of 150 or more, 13 came in wins (the highest was Gordon Greenidge’s 214 not out for West Indies vs England at Lord’s in 1984), nine in draws, and five (including Stokes’) could not prevent defeat – the highest in vain was Nathan Astle’s 222 for New Zealand vs England in Christchurch in 2001-02.Stokes was the first to score 150 in the fourth innings of a Test from as low as No. 6 in the batting order. Adam Gilchrist hit 149 not out from No. 7 for Australia against Pakistan, in Hobart in 1999-2000. The previous-best from No. 6, before Stokes’ innings, was Asad Shafiq’s 137 for Pakistan vs Australia in Brisbane in 2016-17.Six Australian bowlers took wickets in England’s first innings at Lord’s. How unusual is this? asked Kasey Anderson from Australia
England’s first innings at Lord’s provided the seventh instance in the Ashes of six different Australian bowlers taking at least a wicket each. It was, however, their first such instance in the Ashes for more than 60 years, since Sydney 1962-63.England have done it eight times, and also have the only case of seven men taking a wicket in an Ashes innings, in Melbourne in 1897-98. In all Tests, there are three further instances of seven, and over 100 cases of six.Tony Lock takes a catch off Jim Laker in the Test where the two spinners took all 20 wickets – between them – Laker 19, Lock one•PA PhotosWhat’s the lowest number of players involved in taking all 20 wickets of an opposition in a Test? I am guessing one answer at least involves Jim Laker. And what’s the number for an entire Test match? asked Ashwin from India (not that one, I don’t think!)
The Old Trafford Ashes Test of 1956 – when Jim Laker took 19 wickets and Tony Lock one – is one of six Tests in which just two bowlers shared all 20 opposition wickets. It happened to Australia again a few months later, in Karachi, when Fazal Mahmood took 13 wickets for Pakistan and Khan Mohammad seven.The only instance since then was at Lord’s in 1972, when the Australian debutant Bob Massie took 16 of England’s wickets, and Dennis Lillee claimed the other four. The earlier instances were by Australia against England in Melbourne in 1901-02 (Monty Noble took 13 and Hugh Trumble seven), England vs Australia at Edgbaston in 1909 (Colin Blythe 11, George Hirst nine), and South Africa against England in Johannesburg in 1909-10 (Bert Vogler 12, Aubrey Faulkner eight).There are two Tests in which just six bowlers shared all 40 wickets: England vs South Africa at Headingley in 1998, and Sri Lanka vs Australia in Kandy in 2003-04. Only five bowlers took wickets in the 1901-02 Melbourne match mentioned above, but one batter was run-out.Who was the first man to score 42 in the second innings of his 24th Test? asked Sudarshan Narayanan Poondi via Facebook
This one made me smile, as I think it’s a variation on those old jokes about cricket statisticians pointing out things that had never happened before at Lord’s on a wet Tuesday afternoon. But it did make me wonder whether anyone had ever done this – and it turns out four people have.The first to score 42 in the second innings of his 24th Test match was the allrounder Charles Kelleway, in the course of Australia’s innings defeat against England in Melbourne in 1924-25. He was followed in 1971-72 by Bruce Taylor, who made 42 not out to help New Zealand force a draw against West Indies in Port-of-Spain.This exclusive band was boosted in the current century by Chris Gayle, for West Indies against India in Mumbai in 2002-03, and Martin Guptill, for New Zealand vs West Indies in Kingston in 2012.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
AC Milan striker Santi Giménez headlines Mexico’s 25-man squad for October friendlies, with notable absences including Raúl Jiménez, Julián Araujo and Edson Álvarez. El Tri will face South American foes Colombia and Ecuador in the FIFA window, with Javier Aguirre's roster featuring a mix of surprise inclusions and omissions.
Chelsea have agreed on personal terms with Alejandro Garnacho as they inch closer to securing a transfer for the Argentine winger. The Blues will now initiate transfer talks with Manchester United before placing a formal bid for the youngster. They are also pursuing RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons simultaneously.
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Sunderland continue to be plagued by issues at the back, with Mike Dodds unable to find a consistent starter at left-back alongside having Luke O'Nien out of action for the Queens Park Rangers clash.
Versatile January recruit Callum Styles was given a start down the left-hand flank in the 0-0 draw against the visitors from West London last time out as a result, whilst Leo Hjelde – who was meant to be the answer to their woes on the left with Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin sidelined – awkwardly slotted into the heart of defence.
To stop Dodds reshuffling with the back four constantly at the Stadium of Light, the interim Black Cats boss could opt to give one exciting youngster some minutes in the first-team fold soon.
It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the 37-year-old coach to catapult this starlet into the senior mix, with Chris Rigg finding his chances increase since Dodds took over the temporary reins.
The Wearside outfit will keep their fingers crossed that 18-year-old Oliver Bainbridge is next on the conveyer belt of young gems who can make the jump up to the men's side, with the teenager tipped to have a big future at the Stadium of Light.
Described as being a "strong" defender by Academy manager Robin Nicholls, when putting pen to paper on a new contract last year, Bainbridge has shone at youth level for Sunderland for some time now.
Bainbridge has notched up 70 appearances in the youth ranks at the Black Cats, with the 18-year-old proving himself to be a confident finisher even whilst playing at left-back over four seasons.
From 16 games in the U18 Premier League last campaign, Bainbridge would help himself to six goals from 16 appearances whilst his efforts this season in the U21 age bracket has seen him pick up two assists from 11 Premier League 2 contests.
It's resulted in the likes of Everton taking a keen interest in how Bainbridge is developing on Wearside, as has been reported by Alan Nixon.
Sunderland, despite their poor 12th placed standing in the Championship currently, will still strive to keep their promising starlet around and could well begin to integrate him into lineups slowly but surely to see how he copes with the hustle and bustle of the second tier.
Bainbridge will be encouraged by Sunderland's reputation at giving youngsters chances to shine in the first-team fold, with Dan Neil once just a wide-eyed academy product aiming to make it big at the Stadium of Light alongside 16-year-old Rigg.
The 18-year-old could find that he's thrust into the spotlight sooner than he thinks, having made up the numbers on the substitutes bench against QPR last game watching the likes of Neil and Rigg play with a slight inkling of jealousy.
Hjelde will know he needs to up his performance levels with Bainbridge breathing down his neck now, the ex-Leeds United man shaky against Martí Cifuentes' visitors.
Deployed at centre-back, Hjelde – who is only 20 years of age himself – would squander possession 22 times to the detriment of his side whilst stand-in full back Styles didn't come away from the contest putting in the most convincing display either with a lacklustre 65% passing accuracy registered.
The door could open for Bainbridge to come into the starting lineup soon consequently to replace either Hjelde or Styles, with Sunderland not abandoning their approach of utilising youngsters any time soon despite their torrid season to date.