Marc Cucurella has cheekily claimed that Chelsea team-mate Cole Palmer fractured his toe after angrily reacting to a "loss on FIFA". The England international was set to resume first-team training last week after two months out with a groin injury. But the 23-year-old had a slight setback due to hurting his toe when he stubbed it on a door.

Palmer suffers freak injury

Shortly after he fractured his toe on his favoured left foot last Wednesday, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca lifted the lid on the matter.

The Italian said at a press conference last week: "He is probably not available for Saturday for sure, Barcelona for sure, or Arsenal for sure. Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe. It is nothing important, but he won't be back in the next week. I wake up many times during the night – I hit my head, my legs, my everything – so it can happen."

Ahead of the Blues' Champions League clash against Barcelona on Tuesday, the former Leicester City manager provided a more positive update on Palmer.

"Yes, Cole is wearing a [protective] boot. We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball and the feeling [for him] is good," said Maresca. "At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow’s game. It’s a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don’t think he will be available for these two games, but he is doing well."

AdvertisementCucurella pokes fun at Palmer

While many would have felt sorry for Palmer for this latest setback, Chelsea left-back Cucurella has alleged that this new injury was quite unavoidable. 

He told reporters on Monday: "To be fair, I don't believe it. It is true that these things can sometimes happen. I have had this a couple of times but I'm stronger than them, so I don't feel anything. It's a big upset for us because he's getting closer to playing with us, to train with us, and then now he needs to rest. But this is part of life, a part of footballers' lives, we have personal lives, and we have these kinds of problems, so hopefully he can recover fast."

When asked what he was doing, Cucurella replied: "I don't know. He's running because I think he lost a FIFA game or something like this, I think!"

Season of frustration

In some ways, 2025 has been a trying year for Palmer. After a superb year or so at Chelsea following his move from Manchester City, the England star has struggled with injuries and goal droughts. He couldn't stop scoring in his first 12 months or so at Stamford Bridge but things weren't quite going his way this year. For instance, this season, a troublesome groin problem has limited him to just four appearances in all competitions. 

Back in late September, Maresca said: "We need to protect Cole for sure, 100%. Not only Cole in my personal view because as I said now because of the Club World Cup or because we never stop, we need to manage and protect different players. The solution with Cole, I don’t know, now we have a meeting with the medical staff and we decide the best solution for him. But it’s also a kind of injury that is not like black and white. It’s an injury that someday you can be better. It’s not that you have pain and tomorrow disappear. Sometimes you can be better, sometimes you can be worse. That’s why we need to manage day by day."

He scored two goals in just over 230 minutes of action but the Blues could have been an even better place with him in their attack. Chelsea fans will hope he returns to action as soon as possible.

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Getty Images SportCrunch games for Chelsea

The FIFA Club World Cup champions had a little wobble earlier this season but after three straight wins, they are up to second in the Premier League. This week, however, could potentially be a season-defining one as they host Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night, before entertaining London rivals and table-topping Arsenal on Sunday. Win both of those and that could do wonders for the players' confidence. If it goes the other way, their outlook may be much bleaker.

They’ve had a few disappointing results, but this season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League, with a chance to cut Arsenal’s gap to three points on Sunday, and have just demolished Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Blues were superb on Tuesday night, and while being a man up certainly helped, they were without a doubt the better side.

One of the most impressive performers for Chelsea was Estevao, who outshone fellow wonderkid Lamine Yamal, and so fans should be excited that they have someone on loan showing shades of the Brazilian in their game.

How Estevao outshone Yamal

While it felt early to be comparing Chelsea’s new wonderkid to someone who just finished second in the Ballon d’Or, that was exactly what was happening before Tuesday night’s game.

However, that added pressure certainly didn’t seem to bother Estevao, as he was sensational throughout the encounter and put in a far better performance than Yamal.

For example, on top of scoring the all-important second goal for the hosts, the 18-year-old didn’t give the visitors’ backline a moment’s rest.

In his 83 minutes of action, he created one big chance, played three key passes, produced an expected assists figure of 0.35 and completed two dribbles, one of which led to the goal.

On the flipside, the Spaniard looked nothing like the superstar winger fans have become so accustomed to seeing.

He was practically anonymous for most of the match, and when he did try to do something, he was more often than not locked down by Marc Cucurella, who was named Man of the Match.

By the time the Barça star was taken off, he had failed to score, lost the ball 21 times, played just two key passes and come out looking second best in the battle of the teenage wonderkids.

In all, it looks like Chelsea have a truly special talent on their hands in Estevao, and in even more good news, they’ve got another stellar prospect out on loan with shades of the Brazilian in his game.

The Chelsea gem with shades of Estevao to him

The scary thing for opposition fans and teams is that Chelsea’s bet on young, up-and-coming talent is starting to pay off, and it could see them really kick on in the coming years.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Estevao is obviously going to be a huge part of that, but another youngster who could be right there with him, and even has shades of the Brazilian to his game, is Kendry Páez.

The Blues signed the Ecuadorian gem over two years ago, but, due to rules on players under 18, he couldn’t join the squad until the summer.

However, instead of keeping him on the bench or in the youth side, the club opted to send him out on loan to Strasbourg for the season, where he has played 531 minutes of first-team football across 14 appearances so far.

Now, it’s important to say that, given Estevao’s extraordinary talent, it’s unlikely that the Guayaquil-born prospect will be as good as him.

However, he certainly shares some traits with him and could still develop into a world-class player.

For example, despite being so young, the “pure quality talent,” as dubbed by Jacek Kulig, racked up a tally of eight goals and five assists in 41 first-team appearances for Independiente del Valle last season.

Appearances

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1.84

Furthermore, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, the 18-year-old is “a left-footed magician who can play as a 10 or RW and has the intelligence to control and decide games,” which certainly sounds like the former Palmeiras gem.

Likewise, while he is capable of playing a killer pass or recycling possession to help the team, Mattinson also points out that he’s more than happy to “take on a couple players and get off shots.”

Finally, like Brazil’s next great superstar, the Strasbourg ace has already established himself on the international scene, amassing 23 senior caps for Ecuador, in which he’s scored two goals and provided three assists.

Ultimately, while he might not quite reach the level of Estevao, Paez has the potential to get incredibly close, and that would still make him a world-class player for Chelsea.

Liam Delap says Chelsea have a youngster who's "so raw" but "so exciting"

The striker made the comments after the Blues’ 3-0 rout against FC Barcelona in the Champions League.

ByDominic Lund Nov 26, 2025

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim could now be without one Red Devils star for their next five Premier League games.

Man Utd injury latest on Martinez, Mainoo, Maguire

The Red Devils have been without Lisandro Martinez for the majority of 2025 due to an ACL injury, however, the Argentine defender appears to be closing in on a return.

Back in full team training, Martinez wanted to travel with the side for the draw against Nottingham Forest and has since been training with his national side during the international break.

Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo missed the 2-2 draw with Tottenham last time out, whereas Harry Maguire was replaced with a hamstring issue, however, both could return in time as Man Utd host Everton at Old Trafford on Monday.

Summer signing Benjamin Sesko also joined the injury list prior to the international break after being replaced late on against Spurs. Amorim admitted that he was “concerned” with Sesko’s injury and not his form.

“That [his recent form] is not the biggest concern now. I’m concerned with an injury, because it is in the knee, and I don’t know. We need Ben [Sesko] to be a better team. We have to check. He has something in his knee. Let’s see.”

Now, Amorim has found out how long the Slovenian will be missing for.

Man Utd handed Sesko injury update

As reported by Sky Sports, Sesko has avoided a major knee injury after further scans.

The forward will now undergo a period of rehab running into December and is expected to be sidelined for a month.

Should that prove accurate, Sesko will miss United’s next five Premier League fixtures and could return just before Christmas against Aston Villa on December 21.

Man Utd games Sesko will miss

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November 24

Crystal Palace vs Man Utd

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Man Utd vs West Ham

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Wolves vs Man Utd

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Man Utd vs Bournemouth

December 15

This will come as a blow to Amorim, who hailed the £160,000-a-week striker following his performance and goal in the 2-0 win over Sunderland.

“He has time, he’s going to stay here for a lot of years. The media puts a lot of pressure on the goals for the striker but for me it’s the effort that is the most important thing. Every time we kick the ball he’s fighting for it, that’s massive for us. To win the second ball and give us time to breathe. I’m really happy with that.”

Now, Amorim will have to find a way to cope without the towering striker, whether that be by bringing back someone like Joshua Zirkzee or using Matheus Cunha as a forward with captain Bruno Fernandes playing in a more advanced midfield role.

Forget Bruno and De Ligt: Man Utd "monster" is looking like a new captain

Inter’s perfect Champions League run came to a sudden halt as Atletico Madrid secured a dramatic 93rd-minute winner through Jose Maria Gimenez. Still bruised from their derby loss to AC Milan, Inter faded late and paid the price, with Cristian Chivu admitting fatigue, failed substitutions and a game plan that “didn’t work” in a night that exposed deeper problems for the Nerazzurri.

• Atletico strike late to end Inter’s flawless run

  Inter entered the Metropolitano still carrying the emotional and physical weight of their 1-0 derby defeat to Milan and it showed. Despite arriving with four wins from four in Europe and a near-flawless defensive record, the Serie A side lacked sharpness in key moments, allowing Atletico to grow into a game that became increasingly frantic.

  The visitors did begin brightly. Federico Dimarco’s early free-kick forced Juan Musso into a save, while another driven shot skidded narrowly wide. The Nerazzurri controlled the rhythm during the first 20 minutes, yet Atleti stayed patient. The breakthrough came when Alex Baena’s accidental contact redirected the ball into the path of Julian Alvarez, who fired home his 10th Champions League goal in just 14 appearances. Inter responded well after half-time. Nicolo Barella hit the crossbar from close range, Dimarco was again denied by Musso, and the pressure eventually told when Ange-Yoan Bonny released Piotr Zielinski, who finished calmly to level the match. At that point, Inter looked the more likely winners.

  But Los Rojiblancos's substitutes, especially Antoine Griezmann and Marc Pubill, swung the momentum back. Inter’s back line began to retreat deeper, counters became harder to contain, and set-piece defending grew increasingly unstable. That vulnerability proved decisive in the 93rd minute, when Gimenez rose above the pack to nod in the winning goal, handing Chivu's side their second consecutive defeat in all competitions.

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• AFP
  

  Chivu admits failures in plan and substitutions

  Chivu didn’t hide behind excuses and acknowledged that Inter were far from the level required in key phases. Before discussing tactical flaws, he highlighted the team’s improved intensity after the break but stressed that it wasn’t enough to manage the final moments.

  “In the second half, we responded and were effective in attacking the depth,” Chivu said after the match. “We had a game plan, and it didn't work. We reacted with anger and quality, in my opinion, but we weren't able to defend the result until the end. This defeat can hurt; it's the second in a row. We haven't gained anything, but we're aware of everything. We need to be more aggressive and understand the moments of the game.”

  He then pointed to the impact, or lack thereof from his bench, making it clear that the substitutions did not replicate Atletico’s energy. “We tried to plug the gap between the quality Atletico had. In the second half, new players came on, but despite that, we tried to get more. The new arrivals could have done a little more with the ball, added something more. We'll analyse everything. The derby sapped our energy. I can't fault them for anything.”

• Issues grow for Inter as big-game struggles continue

  The defeat fits a worrying pattern. the Nerazzurri's losses this season have almost all come against top-level opponents: Milan, Napoli and Juventus earlier in the campaign, and now Atletico. Each time, the team have created chances but failed to manage decisive moments. Chivu’s side have also shown repeated vulnerability to counter-attacks, with transitions from defence to midfield breaking down too easily.

  This match only reinforced those concerns. Simeone's punished Inter’s hesitation in wide areas, exploited space during late transitions and dominated the final 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Inter’s substitutes, normally a key strength, failed to provide the push needed. The contrast with Atletico’s bench, who immediately raised tempo and aggression, was stark.

  Despite the loss, Inter remain in a tightly packed group, level on 12 points with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Atletico’s win takes them to nine points, keeping their hopes alive but still requiring a flawless finish. For Inter, the standings remain favourable but performance trends are becoming harder to ignore.

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• Getty Images
  

  Chivu must reset quickly as fixtures pile up

  The Serie A giants now face a crucial stretch that will test their resilience. Their next league assignment sees them travel to Pisa on Sunday, where the priority will be stopping the losing streak before it spreads beyond Europe. Chivu needs fresh legs, sharper structure and immediate improvement in transition defence if Inter are to avoid slipping further.

  Atletico, meanwhile, take significant momentum into their La Liga clash against Real Oviedo on November 29. Gimenez’s late winner has reignited belief that a knockout-stage push is still possible, even if the pathway remains narrow.

Sunderland returned to Premier League action after the international break with a whimper, instead of a bang.

Indeed, Regis Le Bris’ men lost 1-0 away at Fulham, which doesn’t seem like the demoralising result on first glance. But, on another day, Marco Silva’s hosts could have run away with the clash as resounding winners, having notched up a colossal 23 shots, to the Black Cats’ meagre five.

Le Bris will hope his side can return to winning ways in the top-flight when AFC Bournemouth come to Wearside next, before December kicks into gear, which sees huge contests such as the Tyne-Wear Derby arrive on the jam-packed calendar.

Before you know it, the January transfer window will also reopen to give Sunderland an apt opportunity to improve their ranks, ahead of a tough second part of the season, with some high-profile names already being linked to the Stadium of Light.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Sunderland were very busy in the summer before jumping up to the big time in the Premier League, with a whopping £162m forked out on the likes of Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs.

Therefore, it isn’t the wildest shout to suggest they could break the bank again if a tempting move comes their way in January, with recent reports from Spain suggesting that the Black Cats could boost their forward line with the acquisition of Real Madrid hotshot Gonzalo Garcia.

The biggest rumour of them all comes in the form of Matteo Guendouzi, the former Arsenal midfielder who worked under Le Bris at Lorient.

Keith Downie reported last week that the Mackems boss has not ruled out a move for the Frenchman as they potentially go about bringing another former ex-Gunner to the Stadium of Light.

He isn’t the only Lazio midfielder catching the eye, with concrete rumours emerging involving the Premier League newcomers being in the hunt for Lazio outcast Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

As per reports from Italy, Sunderland are named as one suitor taking a look at the ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder this January, with the centre of the park a clear priority position to improve.

Sunderland will hope, even if a move for Guendouzi isn’t forthcoming, that they can still clinch a deal for Dele-Bashiru to leave Serie A behind, as Le Bris potentially works his magic on another diamond in the rough, much like he did with Wilson Isidor.

How Dele-Bashiru can be Le Bris' next Isidor

Isidor hasn’t had the smoothest career up to this point, even if he is now four Premier League goals down in Sunderland red and white.

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old attacker has had to bounce back from a lot of adversity already, so early into his playing days, with the Rennes-born striker never going on to score a senior goal for AS Monaco, before many loan moves to the likes of Lokomotiv Moscow came to fruition.

Thankfully, the nomadic marksman has now found a home that suits him in Wearside, after such a well-travelled career, with Dele-Bashiru’s career path looking very similar.

Like Isidor, the “special” midfielder as he’s been labelled in Nigeria, is well-travelled, having already played in countries such as Turkey and Italy, after failing to make the grade at Manchester City at youth level.

Much like Isidor, though, he has shone in the EFL previously – which is where the 6-foot-1 striker bagged 13 goals to seal Sunderland’s promotion out of the Championship – with seven goal contributions coming his way on the books of the Owls in League One, as a rising youngster in South Yorkshire.

The nine-time Nigeria international has also shone in spurts for Lazio, even if only four appearances have come his way this season, with five goals and three assists from 33 appearances perhaps standing him in good stead to acclimatise to the Premier League effortlessly, as Isidor has managed.

Away from possessing a similar eye for a goal and assist like his Rennes-born counterpart, Dele-Bashiru would also be a useful buy when you consider his versatility across his up-and-down career to date, with his Lazio teammate in Boulaye Dia even hailing him as a talent who “can do everything”, whether that be from a central role, down the flanks, or even as an unorthodox defender.

CM

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14 + 9

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41

7 + 6

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1 + 0

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2 + 1

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0

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0

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2

0

Valued at around the £4.7m mark, which is the amount he officially joined Lazio for, this is a deal that would be really worth exploring, with Dele-Bashiru lining up across seven different positions during his bumpy career to date.

Isidor only cost around the £5m price range, as well, and in January, another Isidor-style deal could soon be wrapped up.

Sunderland chief in contact with 14-cap midfielder who Cesc Fabregas "loves"

The Black Cats could land another transfer coup in 2026.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025

The formidable former South Africa bowler talks about swing and seam, the particular arts that set the medium-pacer apart

Interview by Yash Jha30-Jul-20252:41

‘Seam movement is a bigger threat than swing’

Vernon Philander is not the most archetypal presence in South Africa’s pantheon of quick bowlers, but though far from Allan Donald and Dale Steyn in methods and attributes, he was up there with those more storied practitioners as far as results went: he was the second fastest to 50 Test wickets, and finished with a little under four per match from his 64 Tests, at a phenomenal average of 22. A master of cut and movement – both early and late – he speaks here about what sets a skillful medium-pacer apart from a pace merchant.What does it make you feel when you see a generation that is obsessed with the speed gun and fast bowlers only talking 140-plus or 150-plus?
I feel as a medium-pacer, your biggest asset is obviously control, number one, but you have to keep adding some elements to your game. So for me, I obviously have fantastic control in trying to get the ball to shape away from the right-hander, but you also need to bring in the element of doubt, you know, where you’re going to nip one back and challenge batters, the way they think, the way they set up. It’s finding out what is going to make you effective as a bowler and you have to implement that into your skill set.Being a medium-pacer, it takes a great deal of training. It’s playing around. Because you’re a touch slower, it means that you have to sharpen your skill set in different ways, and for me, it is challenging the batters in terms of the way they’re thinking.These days we see that batters come out of their crease [against medium pace], so, you know, dragging the keeper up from time to time in order to shift those batters back. Develop a sharp bouncer. Those are little skill sets that you add, and then you’re going to have to go and execute it.Related

'Hold, hold, hold, then click' (2014)

Women's cricket is the ideal playground for swing

Philander: Deadly at home, phenomenal with new ball (2020)

Big Vern reels in the big fish (2018)

I think also because you’re bowling in that sort of 130-135 range, batters sometimes feel they have to be playing at deliveries, and that’s where you can also pick up wickets, because they feel they have to keep prodding at it. You can drag batters wider. So it’s a fantastic pace to bowl at, and if you have the skill set to go with it, it makes it so much more rewarding.In Test matches we still see pitches where the ball will seam, or you’ll have conditions where it will swing, but in white-ball cricket, do you think it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for the medium-pacer to survive?
I think, yeah, we have to call a spade a spade. I think the wickets are a lot flatter in the T20 format as well as the ODI format. So again, I will say as a bowler in that sort of speed range, you have to keep adding to your game. You have the opportunity of playing around on a crease, creating different angles, not having the same release point, because that’s where batters are getting so smart these days – they’re lining you up because you’re releasing the ball from one point.The stock ball is so important. You need to be able to trust your stock ball. You need to be able to trust your action. I do feel a lot more has to be put in in the way that these guys are training, number one, in order to trust [their] action.To be operating in that sort of 130-135 range, I do feel you can bring all the elements of seam bowling into play.Philander took eight wickets in his debut Test, in Cape Town in 2011, including 5 for 15 in the innings where Australia were shot out for 47•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesIn Tests too, how important are surfaces for that speed range? Because when you consider this obsession with speed, it is somewhere linked with the assumption that if it’s a flat surface, the quicker bowlers will be able to get something out of it.
I think the one big key is consistency. And I think if you’re operating in that sort of speed, you need to be consistent. You need to string good overs together.The big [advantage when it comes to] knocking top-order batters over is, after a while they will start playing [at the ball], because they feel it’s a touch on the slower side, whereas guys operating in the 140-plus arena, batters will play them on instinct. So they’ll often just leave a good-length ball [at high pace]. But operating at 130, 135, often batters feel that they have to start prodding at balls.But again, it boils down to the consistency of landing the ball in a good area and asking the same question time and time again. Look, I think also we have to admit that bowling in that sort of speed range it’s going to take a little bit of harder work in terms of knocking batters over. But I do feel once there is a bit of assistance in the surface and you can be consistent, you can be a massive threat and compete right up there with the guys bowling 140-plus.The likelihood of finding flatter surfaces in the time you were playing Test cricket was far greater. In the last few years we’ve seen much more spicy pitches in Test cricket. Can you remember any instances where you found yourself on the flattest deck possible and what you thought to yourself about how you would go about operating there?
Yeah, I certainly feel that I retired a bit too early, looking at the surfaces these days! I think it’s also, you know, being able to identify your particular role within a spell. I had a wonderful opportunity of operating with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, and it’s understanding what your role within that bowling set-up is. I think when the wickets are getting a touch slower and obviously less responsive, my job then becomes to keep it really tight, to go at two an over, and really do those investment periods for a long period of time.So again, it boils down to understanding what your role is and how you need to adapt your game to make yourself effective in various conditions around the world.The fast and the wily: to Dale Steyn’s fierce pace and movement, Philander added his ball-whisperer’s nous•Hindustan TimesYou stood out for the seam movement you used to create through your Test-playing days. At the pace you operated at, did you feel seam was more important than swing?
Yeah, I think initially when I started out, I used to have this beautiful awayswinger, but I felt that it became less and less effective because batters were so good. They could see the ball moving out of the hand and they can start leaving the ball once it swings early. So I had to go and reinvent or re-adapt my game.And that’s where the seam movement really started – to try and get batters to nick one back. That’s where the element of doubt was planted. And then they start playing it, those ones leaving them right at the end.So yeah, I [switched] more to seam bowling rather than swing bowling. And I also do feel that it was a lot more effective than to watch a new ball swing by. You basically waste a new ball, you know, by not making batters play upfront.When the ball moves off the seam, it leaves batters with a lot less reaction time as [compared] to when the ball is swinging, because they can actually see the ball swinging out of the hand. So I do feel the seam movement is a much bigger threat than the ball swinging through the air.What about workload? While there might be one line of thinking that it’s lesser toll on the body than for an outright quick, you will probably be asked to bowl longer spells than the outright quick. So how did you weigh that up?
You still have to run in, you still have to bowl the ball just like [the faster bowlers] did. It doesn’t mean you’re working less hard than them. But yeah bowling and operating in and around those speeds, you know that you’re going to be bowling more overs than the blokes operating at 140-plus. So yeah, you do prepare yourself to be bowling longer spells.”If you can get your wrist firmly behind the ball, you get the ball to move later through the air as well”•Getty ImagesWhen I started out, our workloads used to be pretty high. We used to bowl overs and overs and overs. So it was a lot less gym back then but yeah, more overs, obviously, in the nets. So we could keep up with the workload required from us. And yeah, in a Test match, if you’re going to be bowling my pace, I’ve got 20-plus overs behind my name at the end of the day. It’s a challenge that you enjoy.Again, I think I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of bowling with the new ball and making life hell for the batters up front, because I do feel there’s a window of opportunity when a batter walks to the crease and [you’re] operating at that sort of speed. If you can get it right, batters always feel that they have to play at it. And there lies the opportunity of picking up wickets.Was there a particular brand of ball that you preferred bowling with? And how much of a difference did it make?
Yeah, I really enjoyed the Kookaburra ball, because it remained quite hard for a long period of time. I think also in South African conditions, Australian conditions, New Zealand conditions, I used to get the ball to jag quite sharply off the seam, as opposed to the Dukes ball. I think I really enjoyed the Dukes ball, but for about probably 20 overs to 25 overs it stays hard and then it loses that and it becomes really soft. So batters can then capitalise. But if you have to ask me a preference of ball, it has to be the red Kookaburra.The thinking is that swing bowling operates at its best at a particular speed, commonly thought to be around that 130kph mark. How accurate was that, in your opinion?
Yeah, I do feel that operating in that 130-135 kilometre range, you extract all the elements of seam and swing bowling that is on offer. And again, I think I can vouch for it, having bowled that sort of speed myself.I mean, if you’re going to be bowling faster, you know, there’s a lot more velocity that goes behind the ball. But it’s also the position that you release the ball from. I think for me, it’s always about that wrist position behind the ball. If you can get your wrist firmly behind the ball, you get the ball to move later through the air as well. So, yeah, I mean, there’s quite a few elements that [are involved] in getting the ball to swing.

Play was halted for 15 minutes while the field was fumigated but the effect seemed to be temporary

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Oct-2025

Bugs stopped play after 34 overs•ICC/Getty Images

The India v Pakistan fixture in Colombo was stopped for 15 minutes while the playing area at Khettarama was fumigated, to clear it of a swarm of insects. Play had been paused once before this, as less intensive insect-clearing methods were tried.The fumigation appeared to work only briefly. The insects – likely a variety of winged termite attracted to the stadium floodlights – seemed to return less than 10 minutes after play resumed. They continued to cause delays in play. Pakistan offspinner Rameen Shamim appeared to need to have an insect picked out of her eye in the 38th over.The bugs had begun to appear roughly 20 overs into India’s innings, just as the sun was setting. The insects were seen causing problems for the India batters and the Pakistan bowlers, with Nashra Sandhu particularly irked by the swarm. Five balls into the 28th over of the innings, Sandhu and captain Fatima Sana called for what appeared to be bug spray, and they applied it around the bowling crease, and on parts of their clothing.The drinks break was taken early during that first insect-related stop, but the insects continued to swarm near the centre of the playing area.After 34 overs, play was stopped, the cricketers left the field, and a man wearing a gas mask entered the playing area with a fumigation machine (fogging machine). Within minutes virtually the entire playing area was covered with anti-insect smoke. Play resumed after the smoke had cleared.”To be honest, you had to concentrate a lot more,” Jemimah Rodrigues said after India scored 247. “Couldn’t see much when the bugs were coming through.”Insect-related stoppages are uncommon in Sri Lanka, but are not unknown. Some species of termite swarm after rains, and during the wetter months of the year. This ground had seen rain on Saturday, when the Sri Lanka v Australia fixture had been washed out without a ball being bowled.

SLC said that the decision was taken “after careful consideration of the broader requirement of preparing well in advance” for next year’s T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2025

The 2025 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will not take place this year as was originally planned, SLC has announced. In a press release, SLC said that the decision was taken “after careful consideration of the broader requirement of preparing well in advance” for next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.The 2025 LPL was originally slated to be held between November 27 and December 23 across three venues – Colombo, Kandy and Dambulla. SLC, however, has now decided to move the tournament to another window, in order to allow “full focus on ensuring comprehensive venue readiness ahead of the World Cup.”As per ICC guidelines, all venues for the upcoming 20-team World Cup are meant to be in perfect condition to meet the demands of hosting a major international tournament. Accordingly, SLC said they needed the time to upgrade and enhance the infrastructure in and around the grounds.The R Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, which is one of three venues in Sri Lanka, had temporarily paused its renovation work to host 11 matches in the ongoing Women’s World Cup. SLC confirmed that the ground will resume development work immediately upon the completion of its scheduled games.The last two seasons of the LPL took place during July and August, however this year, with the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin in February, SLC had initially felt the later window better suited their needs.ESPNcricinfo had also learnt that talks are underway to incorporate a sixth team into the LPL. The first five editions saw five teams representing Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna compete. Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings – formerly the longest-standing franchise, having joined in the tournament’s second edition – and Colombo Strikers were terminated by SLC for “failure to uphold contractual obligations.” As a result, the LPL currently has no franchise owners with a history stretching back beyond 2024. New owners for both the Jaffna and Colombo teams are yet to be announced.

India first, Australia second. No, that wasn’t an early prediction for the finals, just simply Sri Lanka’s first two matches at this World Cup. It should only get easier from here but for a Sri Lankan outfit that, despite having played 31 ODIs between the 2022 World Cup and this one, has been crying out for consistent, high-level competition, this upcoming game will lay the most accurate marker yet on their upward trajectory over the past couple of years.Having challenged the hosts India in the tournament opener, they fell short at key moments in that game, perhaps succumbing to the pressure of the occasion. And that pressure will only be cranked up against an imposing Australian outfit, one with so many avenues to hurt you, it’s hard to pinpoint any single weak point that opponents could potentially prey on.For Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu both these matches have come at the right time – at the start of the tournament – and she hopes they will serve as a building block for her side’s ambitions.Related

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“Yes, we’re playing against the two best teams in the first two games, but that’s really good for us,” Athapaththu said ahead of Saturday’s match against Australia in Colombo.”Because then we have some games against teams – like South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan Bangladesh – that we have beaten during the last 12-15 months. So it’s good to start with best teams so that we can prepare well and learn from our mistakes and bounce back.”That resilience to bounce back from setbacks is what has driven this Sri Lankan team over the past couple of years. Between October 2019 and June 2022, they didn’t play a single ODI. Since then, they’ve surged forward, culminating in their T20 Asia Cup title in 2024.Game time has helped, even if parity with the men’s team remains distant. Sri Lanka played 31 WODIs and 61 WT20Is between the 2022 and 2025 World Cups. Still, matches against elite sides like Australia remain rare. Before this tournament, Sri Lanka hadn’t played an international for four months; they prepared with domestic fixtures and games against youth teams.”Everyone knows the Australians are the best team and they have a very experienced side,” Athapaththu said. “In 2019 we played a series against them and I scored a century in Brisbane. After that we never played against Australia because of Covid and some other various reasons. So we missed playing against Australia.”We know we haven’t played international games during the past few months, but we played some domestic cricket. There are things that I cannot control as a captain but I’ll control my bat and ball. Our preparation is good, because we played some games against national youth teams.”Australia’s preparation, meanwhile, has been ideal. They won a hard-fought series in India in September and several of their players have gained exposure to Indian conditions through the WPL. They arrived in Colombo on Thursday afternoon, well in time to recover and prepare for Saturday.”It’s been good, positive vibes,” said opener Phoebe Litchfield when asked about the team’s mood following their journey from Indore. “Woke up this morning, hit the gym, got to the ground and hopefully have some food and get started into training. The commute was fine. It was pretty stock standard but the bodies feel great all around so we’re keen to play tomorrow.”Litchfield struck a 31-ball 45 against New Zealand to set the tone for Australia’s innings in Indore, but with conditions in Colombo unlikely to be as conducive to batting, she knows a more considered approach might be required.”I think we’ll see when we get out there,” Litchfield said. “I’m not going to swing from the limbs first ball. Going to assess conditions, see how it’s playing. And if we think it’s a 300 wicket, it’s a 300 wicket and we’ll play our way. But also know that we might have to adapt depending on the conditions that we face.Litchfield has played just the solitary match against Sri Lanka – a WT20I last year – but Australia know what to expect for the most part.”Their opening bowlers pose a threat but their spin attack is where their work gets done. They’ve got four spinners that are completely different to each other. That’ll probably be the biggest threat to us.”

دافع ستيفن جيرارد، أسطورة نادي ليفربول، عن محمد صلاح نجم الفريق، موضحًا أن الدولي المصري يجب أن يعود للعب بشكل أساسي مع النادي الإنجليزي خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويعتقد جيرارد، أن عودة محمد صلاح إلى مستواه وإلى تشكيلة ليفربول الأساسية سوف تساعد الريدز على الخروج من الأزمة التي يعاني منها الفريق هذا الموسم.

محمد صلاح استبعد من التشكيلة الأساسية لليفربول في آخر ثلاث مباريات للفريق في الدوري الإنجليزي وكان آخرها ضد ليدز يونايتد يوم السبت الماضي، حيث انتهت المباراة بالتعادل 3-3.

وخرج محمد صلاح بعد ذلك غاضبًا لينتقد إدارة ليفربول والمدرب آرني سلوت، مما جعل الأخير يستبعد اللاعب من مباراة الريدز ضد إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا يوم أمس الثلاثاء، والتي فاز بها النادي الإنجليزي 1-0.

اقرأ أيضًا .. ستوريدج يلوم محمد صلاح بعد أزمته مع ليفربول: لا أعرف كيف فعل ذلك

لكن جيرارد وفي تصريحات عبر ”TNT Sports” أشار إلى أن رد فعل محمد صلاح طبيعي، وعلى الجميع احترام ردة فعله بالاعتراض على عدم المشاركة.

وقال جيرارد عن محمد صلاح: “من الواضح أنه مستاء للغاية لعدم مشاركته وهذا أمر أحترمه، لا يريد أن يجلس على مقاعد البدلاء، وأنا أحترمه”.

وأضاف جيرارد في حديثه: ”بعض التصريحات حول التضحية باللاعبين من أجل المدرب خاطئة، عليه أن يتراجع قليلًا عن ذلك وأن يتعامل مع الأمر مع المدرب، هذا يتطلب من فيرجيل فان دايك أن يقول: “سأحل هذه المشكلة”، ليس فقط لمصلحة النادي أو الفريق، بل لمصلحة الجماهير أيضًا”.

وأوضح: ”لقد رأيت هذا بنفسي، وعشته مع سواريز عندما دخل في مشادة مع بريندان رودجرز وجهاً لوجه، لقد رأيت كل شيء، لقد مررت بنفس التجربة من وجهة نظري الشخصية، لقد أدليت بتصريحات صلاح في 30 ثانية ضد مانشستر يونايتد وطردت، لذا لا أحد معصوم من الخطأ”.

وأردف جيرارد: ”لقد مررنا جميعاً بلحظات فقدان أعصاب كلاعبين، لقد تصرفنا جميعاً بانفعال، أعلم أنه مع مرور الوقت عندما تهدأ الأمور، سيقول محمد صلاح: “كان يجب ألا أقول ذلك، لقد كنت متسرعاً بعض الشيء” وما إلى ذلك.

واختتم: “في نهاية المطاف، يحتاج نادي ليفربول إلى عودة محمد صلاح للعب بشكل جيد، وتسجيل الأهداف لأنه أفضل لاعب، وأفضل هداف، وسيساعدهم على الخروج من هذه الأزمة”.