Who are the players unavailable? And what have been the key takeaways?

Hemant Brar28-May-20253:45

Moody: ‘A clear gap’ in GT’s middle order

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Players unavailable for playoffs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Lungi NgidiReplacements: Mayank Agarwal, Tim Seifert, Blessing MuzarabaniKey takeaway: Tim David sat out of RCB’s last league game with a hamstring injury and remains “a work in progress”, according to team mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik. Among those who have scored at least 100 runs this season, David has the sixth-highest strike rate (185.14). If he stays unavailable, it will rob RCB of the lower-middle-order firepower. Can Liam Livingstone, who has a strike rate of 126.08 this season, up his game in David’s absence?On the bright side, Josh Hazlewood is likely to be available for Qualifier 1. He has been outstanding both in the powerplay and at the death. RCB’s flawless away record this season – seven wins in seven matches – should also boost their confidence.Related

• Jitesh 85* trumps Pant 118* as RCB make Qualifier 1

• GT bowlers 'losing form at the wrong time'

• Arya and Inglis take PBKS to Qualifier 1 and send MI to the Eliminator

Likely best XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Tim David/Liam Livingstone, 8 Romario Shephard, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Suyash Sharma

Gujarat Titans

Players unavailable for playoffs: Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Glenn PhillipsReplacements: Kusal Mendis, Dasun ShanakaKey takeaway: Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have scored almost 73% of GT’s bat runs. Therefore, Buttler’s unavailability leaves a massive hole for Kusal Mendis to fill. Another concern for GT is Rashid Khan’s form. No matter what parameter you look at – average, strike rate or economy – he is having his worst IPL season. In 14 games, he has picked up just nine wickets at an economy rate of 9.47. He has been hit for 31 sixes, the joint-most for any bowler in an IPL season.Likely best XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Arshad Khan, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh KrishnaPunjab Kings sealed their top-two spot with a win against MI•Associated Press

Punjab Kings

Players unavailable for playoffs: Marco Jansen, Glenn Maxwell, Lockie FergusonReplacements: Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell OwenKey takeaway: PBKS’ biggest strength this season has been their Indian core, be it in the batting department or bowling. That said, Marco Jansen’s absence will take away some sting from their bowling and lower-order batting. Can Kyle Jamieson step into those shoes? Yuzvendra Chahal missed the last two league games because of an issue with his right wrist but he is expected to be available for the playoffs.Likely best XII: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Josh Inglis, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Harpreet Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal

Mumbai Indians

Players unavailable for playoffs: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch, Vignesh PuthurReplacements: Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, Richard Gleeson, Raghu SharmaKey takeaway: Despite losing two of their last three games, MI remain a formidable unit. Moreover, Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks’ unavailability should not affect them much. Jonny Bairstow can replace Rickelton at the top of the order and behind the stumps. To cover up for Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav can move up to No. 3 and one of Charith Asalanka and Bevon Jacobs can slot in the middle order. Asalanka can also chip in with his offspin if required.Likely best XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Charith Asalanka/Bevon Jacobs, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Karn Sharma

Playing for England wasn’t always a goal but she soon realised “pace, swing and bounce” were her true calling

S Sudarshanan09-Oct-2025For Lauren Bell, cricket just happened. Naturally athletic and competitive, she dabbled in multiple sports for the fun of it while growing up. A lot of football and a little bit of cricket. Playing for England wasn’t always a goal. It just happened.”If you asked probably like 7-8-year-old Lauren, she would be in a full football kit running around with the shin pads on,” Bell tells ESPNcricinfo in Guwahati. “My grandad always brought us Manchester United kits and I was always in the garden doing football. Like kids spend their time doing different things, what I found fun was playing sports.”Bell played for Reading FC from when she was eight. She also played cricket at the time, and her parents took her to training for both sports. It was in 2017, after the second edition of the Kia Super League (KSL), that Southern Vipers offered 16-year-old Bell a contract for their winter training programme and to then play for them in the summer. Training was on Saturday mornings, the same time as her football games.”My parents were like, you need to choose because we can’t physically get to these two places,” Bell says. “That was when I made the decision that I’ll follow cricket. I haven’t played football since, which is a bit sad, but I’ve not really looked back since then.”Related

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Young ones to watch: Kranti Goud, Georgia Voll and Lauren Bell prepare to light up World Cup

Bell is about six feet tall, nicknamed ‘The Shard’. She bowls at good pace and has a mean inswinger. However, she used to lose her footing and fall to her left during her bowling action, which gave her a bit of back pain. Last year, she worked hard to remodel her action, and she can now swing the ball both ways.”I don’t think I was really aware that being this tall is a massive advantage for me,” Bell says. “When I was a kid, I was so much taller than everyone. So obviously as a fast bowler, that’s going to bring its advantages. But I never thought, ‘oh, I’m tall, I’m going to do this’. It just all fell into place.”As I became a professional, I actually started to learn my craft. Before then, you worked on your talent and you’ve already been coached, but you don’t learn about the intricacies of fast bowling and bowling action. Only since I’ve started learning about my skill set and I guess the intricacies of my action, have I learned that obviously my height and the balance I can get in the extra bounce and how I play differently to other seamers. It’s obviously a big advantage for me or it makes me different to other girls and fast bowlers in the game.”Once she understood the advantage her height gave her, she worked hard on improving her speed and controlling swing.”I take the new ball and swinging the ball is a big skill of mine and one of my biggest advantages,” Bell says. “My coaches and I always talk about the three massive things – pace, bounce and movement. If you’ve got them, then you’re going to be a really hard bowler to face. With my height, I can get bounce and if I keep working on my strength, I can increase my pace. I’ve got the ability to swing the ball and hopefully I’ll keep progressing to moving the ball both ways. Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening.”Lauren Bell: ‘Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening’•Getty ImagesIt is not just her bowling that differentiates Bell from most other cricketers. She likes to make a statement with her hairstyle, which has inspired many young players to wear their hair in plaits like she does, and wants to see women cricketers embrace their “girly” side.”I’ve always liked doing my hair,” Bell says. “I remember vividly when I first played with plaits in my hair. I played in a [T20] World Cup with plaits and then played in the Hundred in England and I was meeting these girls and they were obviously there for the cricket. But so many of them had matching hair, like they had their hair in plaits. I was meeting the mums, who were like, ‘I have to do this hairstyle for my daughter every day now’. Stuff like that is part of the reason that I love playing and having the platform to inspire these young girls.”I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket. You don’t have to be like a certain type of personnel. When I was growing up, it was like a boy sport, which has changed over time. This is one thing that I’m passionate about and I care about, and doesn’t affect my cricket in any way. If anything, it reaches an audience that someone else might not reach.”Bell is a graduate in sociology and criminology. She completed her degree before her England debut but worked on her dissertation while being involved in the Women’s Ashes and the 2022 ODI World Cup as a standby.”When I was at school, my parents were really keen for me to go to Bradfield College and do really well at my A levels and study really hard,” she says. “I always wanted to do whatever my sister did and she went to uni, so that was always going to happen. My A levels were good and then I went to Loughborough.”I chose Loughborough with the cricket in mind as well because it made training easier. But when I started at Loughborough, I wasn’t a professional cricketer. I wanted to just study something I enjoyed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but after uni, if I wasn’t a cricketer, I just wanted to study something that I thought I enjoyed.”

“I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket.”Lauren Bell

With Covid-19 impacting cricket in 2020 and 2021, her first two years at university were relatively easier, in that she did not have to juggle cricket and course work. But her third year was a challenge, when she was picked for England A’s tour of Australia just before the Women’s Ashes.”It was hard, especially on tour when you’re touring such amazing countries like New Zealand and you have a dissertation to write. It’s tricky to turn down the social part and the exploring. It was the first time I’d been to Australia and New Zealand. So you want to obviously see it, but I also knew that I needed to get this dissertation written and I needed to study and keep up with my lectures. Because of Covid, everything was online and I managed to get through. I had a lot of support and few extensions on deadlines. I’m glad I did it and graduated, but it was tricky.”Since her debut in July 2022, no England fast bowler has taken more wickets in women’s ODIs than Bell’s 40. Kate Cross was close with 39 but she was left out of the World Cup squad, elevating Bell as the leader of the pace attack. In England’s first two games at the 2025 World Cup, Bell took 1 for 24 in four overs against South Africa and 1 for 28 in seven overs against Bangladesh, on slightly sticky surfaces in Guwahati.”It is responsibility; it’s how I really thrive,” she says. “When Heather [Knight] was captain and now Nat [Sciver-Brunt] is the captain, I think the more responsibility I’m given and the more clarity I have on the importance of my role, the more I thrive. I really enjoy taking those opportunities, being the bowler to make an impact or leading the seam attack. It gets the best out of me. I really enjoy it and every time I get a chance to do it, it’s great.”As England travel to Colombo to play Sri Lanka on what could be a slow surface, the once-football-crazy Bell will have another opportunity to show off her new-ball skills. England will hope that just happens.

Member of the last successful men’s Ashes tour reflects on the harsh lessons he learned down under

Vithushan Ehantharajah12-Nov-2025Steven Finn knows what it is like to find yourself in the goldfish bowl of an Ashes tour. The parochial crowds, the unrelenting media circus. Even the barbs of a single Western Australian punter stick with you.”We were playing this warm-up game in Perth, England versus Western Australia in the 2010-11 Ashes, and there was this one fella sledging us the whole time,” Finn tells ESPNcricinfo. “He was one of the few spectators in.”I didn’t bowl particularly well, and he singled me out for stick, screaming and shouting, telling us it was a long summer and that we were going to get pumped.”During the third Test in Perth at the WACA, I took wickets but didn’t bowl particularly well. We got [Mitchell] Johnson-ed in that game. And there he was again, still going.”I’d go down to fine leg and he’d be screaming: ‘you were rubbish then and you’re rubbish now’. I got Phil Hughes out in the second innings, caught in the slips by Colly [Paul Collingwood] and gave him a big shush.”Related

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It remains, to Finn’s mind, the only time he had reacted to someone in the crowd like that. “I imagine he’ll be waiting for me to tell me I’m a rubbish broadcaster in the first Test this time around.”It is 15 years since England’s last series victory in Australia, when Finn kept a daily tour diary. Though a diligent note taker, it was the first time he had regularly documented his thoughts, something which he reprised on the 2013-14 tour. “The Ashes is just that bit different to any other cricket you play as an English player. The fact that I only kept diaries on those tours is probably a nod towards that as well.”They were, on the face of it, contrasting series. England left Australia with the urn for the first time since 1986-87, and then returned to suffer an ignominious 5-0 defeat. For Finn, however, both were about unique struggles of mind and body.Having taken 14 wickets at 33.14 in the first three Tests of 2010-11, he was benched for Tim Bresnan. Unused in 2013-14, lost in his own battles with his bowling, one-day coach Ashley Giles sent him home from the limited-overs series that followed deeming him “not selectable”.As such, Finn’s autobiography , which leans on both diaries – and is cowritten by ESPNcricinfo’s Matt Roller – is about a 36-capped Test fast bowler revisiting those moments introspectively. A very personal journey back in time led by the Ghost of Ashes past.

“If I was back in that moment again, I would say to myself, even though I’d been dropped for those last two games, soak this up and embrace enjoying what you’ve achieved here and what the team’s achieved because it’s monumental”Steven Finn on memories of 2010-11

Finn ranks himself as his own worst critic, even now as a commentator and pundit for both BBC and TNT, who he will be working for this winter. “The way that my mind works, I’m very good at focusing on the things that I’m not doing well and that I’m not very good at. If I’m broadcasting and I stumble on one word I don’t quite make my point as succinctly as I’d like to.”He was especially unkind to himself both as a 21-year-old on that maiden Ashes tour, and at 24, in an unforgiving environment, succumbing to tears in the dressing room as he lost his love for the game. With the benefit of experience and hindsight, how would Finn, 36, have dealt his younger selves?”I think in ’10-11 I’d have tried to help myself see the bigger picture. I was really disappointed that I didn’t play the fourth and fifth Test, so I maybe didn’t feel as much a part of the team at that stage of the series.”When I look back on it now 15 years later, I’m so proud that I played three Tests in that series because we won the Ashes away for the first time in a long time. And it was the right decision by the way – to bring Bresnan in, he bowled amazingly. But if I was back in that moment again, I would say to myself, even though I’d been dropped for those last two games, soak this up and embrace enjoying what you’ve achieved here and what the team’s achieved because it’s monumental.”In 2013-14, I would encourage myself to take a step back, allow yourself to be removed from everything that you’re doing. Being so focused on trying your hardest, chasing something the whole time – it meant that all my bad habits and all my intrusive thoughts just compounded across that tour. I’d say to myself, it’s okay to just take a small step back and try and remember the good things that you’re doing as opposed to always remembering the bad things.”Finn has become a respected broadcaster post playing career•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIt would take Finn a year to get back to his best. The labour of building himself back up with the help of his then Middlesex bowling coach Richard Johnson allowing him to return in the home 2015 Ashes. He took eight wickets in his comeback at Edgbaston, including 6 for 79 in the second innings, leading to 12 in the series at 22.50.Liberated by comfort, encouraged by those around him, it was no surprise he was back in the groove. Nor that he regards the current environment of the England Test team cultivated by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as one he would have thrived in.To that end, he sees parallels with his 2010-11 cohort and what this current set-up are looking to achieve when the first Ashes Test kicks off in Perth next week.”I think in 2010-11, and I reflect on it in the book, we went there and when you get off the plane, scrub your boots, get cameras in your face and it’s like, ‘oh my God, you’re gonna get hammered, you’re gonna get battered, we’re gonna smash you five-nil!’ But then when you stand up to Australia in that moment and push back like we did in the second innings of that first Test in Brisbane… it would’ve been easy for us to fall like a pack of cards and then we’re off on that negative cycle again. But in that second innings, we broke the cycle by puffing our chest out.”Collectively as a team, we stood there, and said, ‘we’re going nowhere’. We were clearly a fantastic team, but we looked to embrace being in Australia. We didn’t hide away; we’d go to restaurants, we’d go to a bar and have a drink. We just embraced being there and being in what is an amazing country. It’s the best tour.”I think that this England, led by Ben Stokes, will have that attitude going into this series. Even if Australia do try and blow the house down, I don’t think England will let it fall. I think they’ll have the mentality to come back from those tough moments within games, which is not something that we can say of the teams that have toured there since 2010-11.” by Steven Finn (Orion Publishing Co) is available to buy now geni.us/AshesFiles

Somerset opener peels off boundaries during century stand with James Rew

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Sep-2025Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit a typically aggressive half-century against his old club as only 42 overs were possible on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match with Yorkshire at Taunton.The home side had reached 155 for 3 after losing the toss when a thunder and lightning storm engulfed the Cooper Associates County Ground at shortly after 2pm, Kohler-Cadmore having made 76 and James Rew 54 not out. George Hill claimed two of the wickets.Heavy rain left the outfield saturated. Umpires Rob Bailey and Mark Newell inspected at 4.30pm, but decided conditions were not fit for play to resume.Yorkshire’s decision to field first looked set to reap dividends when Hill struck twice in the opening ten overs of the match. Archie Vaughan edged through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and departed for 10 with the total on 20. Then Tom Lammonby played down the wrong line to a ball angled into him and saw his off stump sent cartwheeling.That was as good as it got for the visitors in the morning session. Rew overcame a scratchy start, while Kohler-Cadmore was not afraid to advance down the pitch to seam and spin alike in moving to a 55-ball half-century.Twice the former Yorkshire player lofted ex-Somerset offspinner Dom Bess back over his head for six as he and Rew took the total to 114 for 2 off 30 overs at lunch. The shortened afternoon session saw Rew bring up his fifty, off 91 balls, with eight fours.Kohler-Cadmore took one chance too many when advancing to a delivery from Jordan Thompson and edged a sharp shoulder-high catch to Hill at first slip to make 147 for 3. He had faced 110 balls and extended his boundary count to 11 fours and two sixes.Tom Abell made a watchful start and only eight more runs were added before the first crash of thunder sent the players to the pavilion with black clouds closing in.

The Boston Red Sox are surging in the month of July.

Boston has won 10 straight games, sweeping the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays prior to the start of the All-Star break. The recent surge has the Red Sox sitting just three games out of first place in the American League East. Officially, the Sox are 53-45 and in third place in the East behind the New York Yankees and the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Former New York Yankees star and current Fox baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez sits on a panel with the network alongside his former teammate Derek Jeter and Red Sox great David Ortiz.

And on Tuesday night, when it came time to talk about the Red Sox, Rodriguez was clear about what the franchise's surge means in the broader context of the sport. And it made him absolutely sick to say out loud.

"Bottom line, boys, if we zoom out, it's great for baseball when the Boston…I can't believe I'm saying this…when the Boston Red Sox are good," Rodriguez said on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez added that the trade of Rafael Devers could end up being a good thing for the Red Sox in the long run, as he referenced two specific examples from his own playing days.

"Sometimes when you clear a clubhouse of whatever perceived energy…I remember when [Ken] Griffey Jr. left us in Seattle, we got better. And then when I left the next year, we got even better. And sometimes you need the big brother to get out so all the other big brothers can excel and thrive and they're doing that in a beautiful way."

The Red Sox open the second half of the season with a series in Chicago against NL Central's first place Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox will then take on the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies before hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers later this month.

Three brutally tough series out of the break will tell the tale of whether or not the Red Sox are for real.

In years past, Arsenal fans would have to watch an England team full of players from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

It was a damming indictment of where the club was at that time, but over the last four or five years, things have changed.

It’s not unusual to see three or four of Mikel Arteta’s players in the Three Lions squad these days, and few from the white side of North London, which might explain the team’s uptick in quality and performances.

Thursday was another example of how important Arsenal have become for the national team, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze scoring the goals and Declan Rice marshalling the midfield.

There is no sign of this relationship between club and country slowing down either, especially as Hale End could be brewing England’s next superstar, who could follow in the footsteps of Rice and Saka.

Rice and Saka's England careers

So, while Arsenal fans would love to take the credit for moulding Rice into one of England’s most important players, West Ham United should get more of the credit.

Chalkboard

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

After all, he made his debut for the Three Lions in 2019, while playing for the East Londoners, and was still a Hammer for the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup the following year.

However, he has arguably become more instrumental to the national side since his move to the Emirates, and wore the captain’s armband for the first time in March 2024.

So far, the all-action midfielder has won 71 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored six goals and provided six assists and nine of those goal involvements have come since his £105m in the summer of 2023.

Now, an England star Arsenal can take full credit for is, of course, Saka, who is Hale End’s greatest product in a generation.

The 24-year-old made his debut for the national team against Wales in October 2020 and has since gone on to amass an impressive tally of 47 caps, in which he has scored 14 goals, provided nine assists and been named England’s Player of the Year twice in succession.

Moreover, he has played a significant role for the country in every major tournament since, despite receiving horrific abuse after the 2021 Euros final.

In all, so long as they remain fit, Rice and Saka should, and will, be two of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s teamsheet at the World Cup, and in a few years, they could be joined by another Arsenal star, someone who could even surpass them in importance.

Arsenal's next England star

While the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are surely going to become regular starters for England, the Hale End gem who could well become a superstar for Tuchel and Co is Max Dowman.

Despite still being just 15 years old, the teenager has been one of the most talked-about players at Arsenal this season, although for those in the know, he has been a subject of interest for longer than that.

For example, in September of last year, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

As if that wasn’t praise enough, just a couple of months later, Hale End expert Will Balsam called him “the biggest talent in England” and described him as “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Now, while that all sounds somewhat hyperbolic, and perhaps to an extent it is, it’s not hard to see where they were coming from, considering he was just 14 at the time and destroying defenders in the U18S and even the U21S that season.

For example, he ended last season with a tally of 19 goals and five assists in 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this saw him included in the club’s pre-season tour, where he made his first appearance in front of the fans against a physical Newcastle United side, but instead of shying away, he, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, started “humiliating Premier League players.”

Since then, he has made his Premier League debut, become the youngest ever starter for Arsenal, and broke the record as the youngest player in Champions League history.

In other words, the Hale Ender is looking like a generational talent, and he’s already making his impact felt on the international scene as well.

Even though he’s not turning 16 until New Year’s Eve, the Chelmsford-born gem is already a regular feature for England’s U19S, making six appearances for them, in which he’s scored one goal and provided two assists.

With his incredible performances, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is handed his first senior England cap.

Ultimately, Saka and Rice are currently two of England’s most important players, but in a few years from now, Dowman could be up there with them, if not more important.

Carragher gave Arsenal star a grilling last season, now he's undroppable

The international star has rediscovered his form for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 14, 2025

Pep Guardiola has been backed to see out the remainder of his Manchester City contract despite talk of him leaving the club next summer. The former Barcelona boss signed a new deal until 2027 at the end of last year but new reports claim he may leave the Etihad early. Now, an ex-City star has poured cold water on such speculation, while outlining why Guardiola is a better tactician than Arsenal's Mikel Arteta.

• Guardiola plans to stop after Man City

  In late July, Guardiola was quizzed about his City future, despite him having two years left on his deal. 

  He told GQ Hype: "I know that after this stage with City I'm going to stop, that's for sure, it's decided, more than decided. I'm going to leave after this stage with City, because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body."

  In October, he quipped that he will "think" about a break in 2035, but jokes aside, the former midfielder is focusing on tasting success this season.

  "At the moment, I think I have the energy with my players to simply make a better season than last season. This is my target. I am never sitting here at the start of November and December and going to say we are going to win this or that," he said. "I see things that we are doing much better than last season and in every game, we are a little bit better. There is the margin that we can do better in many aspects and that gives me the energy that it's not job done. It's completely unfinished business. That's why I am here."

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  Guardiola 'enjoying this rebuild'

  Earlier this week, The Times reported that Guardiola was considering stepping away from the Citizens at the end of the campaign. But ex-player Paul Dickov cannot see that happening, especially as his side have their tails up once more after overseeing big changes in his squad. Moreover, the ex-Bayern Munich coach said he feels "the energy is back" at City following his 1000th game as a manager, which ended in a 3-0 win over Liverpool.

  He told Best Betting Bonuses, "He signed on for this season and next, and few people expected that. So I think he’ll do that, at least. Looking at Pep, even in the Club World Cup in the summer and the beginning of the season, he looks as enthusiastic and as driven as he was when he first came to the club. I think he's really enjoying this rebuild, getting these new players in, and getting them to play how he wants them to. They’re improving all the time. I'm not saying it looks like he's got his mojo back. I don't think that ever left, but he looks as fresh and as driven as he was from the first day he walked in the club, which is fantastic for everyone associated with Man City Football Club. Because it's not just the team. The atmosphere around the training ground, the staff, it's just a fantastic place to go into. Pep creates that environment for them all to do the best they can all the time." 

• Guardiola backed over Arteta

  Despite Arsenal sitting four points clear of City at the top of the Premier League table, Dickov thinks that Guardiola is still the best in the business in terms of coaching.

  He added, "Obviously, with my blue-tinted glasses on, I still think he's the best. I think he showed that in the game against Liverpool. City with and without the ball tactically were so much better than Liverpool. I think Pep looked at the midfield with the three that they have in it and they tweaked it a little bit. Rayan Cherki coming in from the right, Nunes pushing right on the wingers, with Nico O’Reilly and Jeremy Doku on the left, the players were coming off the line and the Liverpool players could not work out how they were getting outnumbered in the middle of the pitch. I just thought it was a tactical master class from Pep yesterday. A lot of people are saying that Pep's plan A is playing out from the back. He's showing this season that at times we need to go longer to [Erling] Haaland and go from there, that’s what we’ll do. But I thought yesterday the players – the players have got to go out there and execute the plan as well as they can – deserve credit. I thought from a tactical point of view, I thought it was top, top class and it shows that Pep still got it.

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  Guardiola to switch up tactics?

  This season in particular, Premier League sides have utilised the long throw with good effect. It appears the English top-flight is, once again, valuing the importance of set pieces but Dickov doesn't think Guardiola's side will follow suit. 

  "I don't think they've got anybody that can throw it that far, actually. Otherwise I'm pretty sure that they would have looked at it, because the one thing Pep does is make sure there's no stone unturned in what he does and the detail that he does. I think City is the only club that's not used long throws at all this season. I'm pretty sure if he thought it was going to benefit the team, he’d do it," he said. "But Pep does like to control the ball. The long throw-ins are great, but you've got to make sure that if you don't get the first contact, you've got to pick up the second balls. He might see that as a way of losing possession, and losing control of the game. So maybe that's another reason why he's not done it, because he loves his teams to have the ball. He loves to be in control of the game and sometimes with long throws, it can disrupt that a little bit."

Nottingham Forest have now made contact to sign Everton’s James Garner, amid a new update on the midfielder’s future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Forest are looking to bolster their options in the engine room, amid widespread interest in Elliot Anderson, with Chelsea recently joining the race for the Englishman, who has managed to impress once again this season, despite his side sitting 19th in the Premier League table.

Anderson has also emerged as a regular starter for England, most recently putting in a solid showing as the Three Lions cruised past Serbia 2-0, completing 77 passes, while also winning seven duels, the joint-highest number of any player.

The Tricky Trees played a blinder by signing the 23-year-old from Newcastle United back in 2024, and they have now made an approach for another English midfielder…

Nottingham Forest make contact to sign James Garner

According to a report from Football Insider, Nottingham Forest have made contact over a deal for Everton midfielder Garner, who is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is in doubt.

Forest have registered their interest in signing the 24-year-old, but there could be competition for his signature from Aston Villa, who have also made a move, while former club Newcastle United remain in the race.

The Merseysiders retain the option to extend the Englishman’s contract by an additional year, so they do not need to panic just yet, but they will be eager to tie him down soon, given that interest from elsewhere is now growing.

Sean Dyche knows the central midfielder well from their time working together on Merseyside, with the former Everton manager saying: “Jimmy Garner was terrific, he’s learning and improving. He’s just a good kid. He’s got that nice little edge about him that he’s a bit of a nark now and again, I like it.

“I think you need that as a footballer. The demands he places upon himself is very pleasing as he works very hard in training and I think he’s getting the rewards with his improvement.”

The Birkenhead-born midfielder has also performed well from a defensive point of view over the past year, even outperforming Anderson on some key metrics.

Average per 90 (past year)

James Garner

Elliot Anderson

Interceptions

1.35

1.02

Blocks

1.39

1.37

Clearances

2.24

2.01

Garner has been a key player for Everton this season, starting every match in the Premier League, which suggests he would be able to hit the ground running at Forest, so Dyche’s side should undoubtedly try and get a deal done this January.

Elliot Anderson makes decision on joining Man Utd Related Elliot Anderson makes Man Utd decision as INEOS ready £60m bid

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson could be set for a major move in January.

Posts 1 ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025

Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he will not force Vinicius Jr to play out of position. The Italian coach was seen speaking privately with Vinicius during Brazil’s training camp in London, but Ancelotti later clarified that their conversation was purely personal and not related to tactics or positioning.

Ancelotti's idea to get the best out of Vinicius

With Neymar sidelined once again due to recurring injuries, Brazil now look to Vinicius as the talisman of their attack. The winger has grown in importance for the national team and is benefitting from Ancelotti’s appointment as Brazil coach, having already worked under him at Madrid. Despite Vinicius' inconsistent form at club level this season, Ancelotti believes he can reach another level and has encouraged him to adapt to a new role as a centre-forward in Neymar's absence to maximise his output.

Ancelotti explained to Vinicius the differences between playing as a winger and playing as a central forward. He noted that as a dribbler, Vinicius often needs several touches to create a scoring chance, while as a striker, a single movement can be enough to find the net. Ancelotti said: “I see him either as a winger or as a central striker. Vinicius has the quality to score many goals. I told him, ‘When you play as a winger, you need three or four dribbles and seven or eight touches to score. But in the centre, one well-timed movement is enough to score.’ 

"He understood it, and he enjoys playing in that position.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAncelotti explains about his chat with Vinicius

Recently, Ancelotti was seen speaking privately with Vinicius during Brazil’s training session in London.

At a press conference, Ancelotti explained that he regularly talks to all his players because he wants to understand their thoughts on every aspect of the game, including tactics. He said: “I have to talk to everyone to understand the players’ thoughts, tactically as well. You have to ask them, talk to them, know what they think; it is very important.

"I'm not going to force a footballer to play in a position he doesn't want ; I want them to play where they're comfortable. With Vinícius, it wasn't about that; it was another issue, more on a personal level than a tactical one."

He remains confident that Vinicius can play alongside Rodrygo for the national team, just as he had done under Ancelotti at Madrid.

"Vinícius and Rodrygo can obviously do it, because they're used to it, because they've done it at Real Madrid," he added. "I see them doing well, I see them focused, in good physical condition, and I'm convinced they can contribute a lot to the national team."

Brazil's rise under Ancelotti

The bond between Ancelotti and the Brazil squad has grown steadily, creating a sense of trust and clarity within the team. In six games under his leadership, Brazil have won three and drawn two, results that secured their qualification for the 2026 World Cup with confidence. One of Ancelotti’s major achievements has been expanding the talent pool by integrating emerging stars like Endrick and Vitor Roque, giving Brazil more depth and flexibility in attack. Most importantly, the team has learned to function effectively without Neymar, adapting their style and redistributing creative responsibilities across the squad.  

Vinicius explained that Ancelotti has helped Brazil evolve by restoring belief and clarity within the squad. He described the renewed confidence the manager has brought when he said, “He has done the same thing everywhere he has gone, instilling confidence and getting the best out of every player in their ideal position. He always says his dream is to make the Brazilian people happy, to bring back the joyful football that defines us, and to win the World Cup.”

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AFPBrazil's preparations for 2026 World Cup

Brazil take on Senegal tomorrow during the international break, and Ancelotti will use these friendly matches to test different permutations and combinations of players in various positions. These games will help him identify the best squad for the 2026 World Cup.

"We have to keep learning and improving to be ready for the World Cup," Ancelotti added. "I'm happy with what we've done so far, but we're also aware of the mistakes we've made . Because now you can make mistakes, but in the World Cup, if you make a mistake, you're going home."

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer was struck in the head by a 96 mph sinker Monday evening against the Baltimore Orioles, forcing him to leave the contest.

Orioles pitcher Kade Strowd's first offering to Springer with one out in the ninth inning ricocheted off Springer's helmet, sending him to the ground, where he spent two minutes collecting himself and being treated before ultimately getting helped off of the field. Springer was replaced with pinch runner Leo Jimenez as Baltimore polished off an 11–4 win.

"It kind of got him in his shoulder, then helmet, which… thankfully, he was able to turn a little bit, too. I just had a chance to talk with him. He’s with the doc right now getting evaluated," manager John Schneider said postgame via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Springer, 35, is slashing .293/.383/.510 this season with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs. He's been a focal point of the Blue Jays' in-season renaissance, which has given them a 5.5-game lead on the New York Yankees in the American League East division.

In 12 seasons with the Houston Astros and Toronto, Springer has made four All-Star teams and won a World Series title.