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Astros fans will gladly take infielder Carlos Correa's performance through his first nine games back with the team—a .405/.476/.622 slashline with two home runs and six RBIs.

However, to Correa, his return to Houston has a deeper meaning. Asked by reporters Monday what his favorite part of being back with the Astros was, he provided a simple response.

"Playing with (second baseman, left fielder and designated hitter) Jose Altuve again," he said via Michael Shapiro of the .

The two infielders played together from 2015 to '21, where their journeys were bound for better or for worse. When Houston won its first World Series title in 2017, both were in the lineup; when the Astros' sign-stealing operation came to light in 2019, both took public image hits.

In 2022, Correa signed with the Twins—only for the reeling squad to trade him back to Houston on July 31 of this year.

Though both are in their 30's and playing several different positions, they have resumed their collective status as one of baseball's most visible infield tandems—and figure to get a huge ovation against the Red Sox Monday.

Gary Stead can continue to work outside NZC too, like with Andhra in the Indian domestic circuit

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025Gary Stead has rejoined New Zealand Cricket (NZC) as the high-performance coach, just over three months after he had stepped down as the national men’s head coach after a seven-year stint – he ended as the team’s most successful coach. His new role will be “supporting player and coach development, as well as high performance programmes”, an NZC statement said.”New Zealand cricket’s very much been at my heart for the past 30 odd years and to be able to keep contributing to the game I love is really special,” Stead said. “I’m still passionate about coaching and trying to help people learn and improve. If I can pass on some of my skills and experiences to the wider cricket network and in turn help the BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS win on the world stage – than that would be really satisfying.”I’m also appreciative of the opportunity to work outside of NZC to broaden my skills and experiences and hopefully I can bring what I learn back into our cricket environment.”Related

• Stead calls time on seven-year tenure as NZ coach

• Stead appointed as Andhra head coach for 2025-26 season

• Interview: Gary Stead did it his steady way

One such opportunity is to work with the Andhra Cricket Association in India as the head coach of the men’s team, which will continue. Stead also provided interim coaching support to Otago Cricket over the winter pre-season and has been involved in a New Zealand Under-19 camp this month.”Gary’s knowledge and experiences in cricket is immense and the fact he’s still passionate and motivated to give back to the game in this country speaks volumes about his character,” NZC chief high-performance officer Daryl Gibson said. “His role, which is a commitment of three days a week on average over the year, will see him work across much of the high-performance network, allowing our national and domestic coaches, players and staff to tap into his expertise and IP.”Gary is also able to work outside of NZC, such as his recent part-time appointment to the Indian domestic side Andhra for their upcoming four-day competition, an experience which will allow him to further grow his knowledge and experience.”Stead’s highlights as the head coach of the men’s national team included winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title in 2021 and sweeping India 3-0 in India in a Test series last year.Stead first joined NZC as a coach development manager (2004-2009), before becoming an assisted coach at the NZC Academy (2005-06), New Zealand Women’s head coach (2009-12), and Canterbury head coach and director of cricket (2012-18), before he joined the men’s senior team in 2018.

Newcastle United fans won’t want to dwell on Alexander Isak’s notable summer exit at all now.

The Magpies’ former fan favourite definitely left on sour terms in the summer when he forced through a mighty £125m move to Arne Slot’s Reds, though, having bagged a weighty 62 goals for the Tyneside giants across 109 outings.

Luckily, Eddie Howe’s men have recovered strongly from what had the potential to be an earth-shuddering setback, as Nick Woltemade came in through the door to instantly replace the superstar Swede for a whopping £69m.

He has filled the Isak-shaped hole well, too, with a blistering six strikes already in his back pocket for the Premier League titans from just 12 games. In stark contrast, Newcastle’s ex-star man has only one meagre effort next to his name at Anfield.

Worryingly, though, the “first class” Woltemade – as Eddie Howe has recently labelled him – has been a rare bright spark at St James’ Park this season, despite only just entering the English game.

On the contrary, many of Newcastle’s stalwarts who have been in and around the Magpies’ first team long before the 6-foot-6 menace’s arrival have been below-par this campaign, with all of Newcastle’s mounting issues clear for all to see, as they collapsed to a 3-1 defeat away at lowly West Ham United last time out.

The biggest problems facing Newcastle in 2025/26

Newcastle must wish they could only play in the Champions League at the moment, with the Magpies picking up a lethal eight goals across two wins so far in that competition, as they re-enter the illustrious stage on Wednesday night against Athletic Club.

From a far larger pool of games back in the Premier League, ten to be exact, Howe and Co only have a slim three wins next to their name, with the 3-1 defeat picked up at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon sparking St James’ Park royalty Alan Shearer into labelling the loss on the road as a “rotten” performance.

It was far from Newcastle at their very best, that’s for sure, with Woltemade even letting the side down with just 14 touches of the ball, as the Magpies only had an early Jacob Murphy effort to shout about in the attacking positions.

Defensively, the travelling Toon looked all over the place, too, with more question marks popping up at the close of the loss at the London Stadium as to how Dan Burn remains in Howe’s starting XI.

Howe has had to count on his ageing number 33 to be a stand-in in the left-back spot for the majority of the season so far, with one Newcastle-based content creator even stating that persisting with the 33-year-old here is the “stuff of nightmares.”

The Blyth-born defender certainly had an afternoon to forget in East London to back up these comments, with zero tackles and only two duels being won, as Howe now prays he has Lewis Hall back to full fitness shortly to bring this long-standing experiment to a close.

Injuries have been a real pain this season so far for the Premier League underperformers, with Newcastle’s lack of depth in defence – due to Hall being in and out of the treatment room – meaning they have had to rely solely on Burn in a makeshift left-back position.

Moreover, their frustrations in this department have, no doubt, only been strengthened by the fact that summer arrival Yoanne Wissa has not been able to line up for one single Magpies game so far this season, after joining for a bumper £55m from Brentford.

With 45 Premier League goals next to his name for the Bees, he would have been a breath of fresh air for Newcastle fans to latch on to, in a similar fashion to Woltemade.

Instead, with Wissa sidelined and many more issues coming to the forefront, the feel around St James’ Park is arguably stale, with Joelinton also now showing visible signs of rust.

Yet, he continues to be selected week in, week out – like Burn – despite zero goals or assists coming his way this campaign so far.

He isn’t the only first-team star that is crumbling right now, however.

£100m Newcastle star now looks "all over the place"

Newcastle turned a few heads this summer when gaining £125m after Isak left the building.

But, this trend of selling one of their prized assets for around the £100m mark could amazingly continue on, if rumours surrounding Anthony Gordon’s long-term future at St James’ Park were anything to read into the same window Isak departed.

Indeed, the Merseyside-born winger was being tipped to relocate to Anfield, much like his former teammate, for an equally ludicrous fee, with statistician Statman Dave even noting that Gordon can be “unplayable” on his day, like the lethal Swede, as well.

The England international loved linking up with Isak when he was still situated on Tyneside, with eight of the Scandinavian’s aforementioned 62-goal tally coming directly from a Gordon assist.

On top of that, the former Everton youngster turned Newcastle first-teamer also has 26 goals in total for Howe’s men, with nine of those efforts coming just last season to pique the Reds’ clear interest.

But, away from some flashy performances in the Champions League so far this season, with Jose Mourinho even waxing lyrical about the 24-year-old when his Benfica side came to St James’ Park, Gordon has cut a disinterested presence in Newcastle’s ongoing demise in the Premier League.

The hot-and-cold number ten is now deep in a 19-game patch in the top-flight, where he has picked up zero goals and assists.

Worryingly for Newcastle, this isn’t the first instance where Gordon has mentally checked out of proceedings, having left behind boyhood employers Everton mid-season – in controversial circumstances – to jump ship to the Toon in early 2023.

While that was a major plus at the time, as Newcastle didn’t have to play the long game, it should have been a slight warning sign for what the future could hold, with the attacker even being hauled off at the half-time mark against West Ham, after an “awful” 45-minute spell, in the words of journalist Luke Edwards.

Further said to be looking “all over the place” at the moment by journalist Adam Clery, it could be that Gordon is just hurting from his synergy with Isak going to the wayside, as a possible £100m move to Anfield in January – to link back up with his deadly former teammate – now looking way off the cards.

In the same breath as criticising Newcastle’s recent downfall, though, Shearer has also offered some pearls of wisdom to the likes of Gordon, with this big-game mentality and the constant need to entertain, now having to be replaced by a “back to basics” approach to get off the mark in the league, sooner rather than later.

If Gordon can get back to his best in the bread and butter of the league, Newcastle will surely rise in the league standings, with an unsatisfactory 13th spot at the time of writing, just not cutting the mustard.

Worse than Pope: Howe must drop Newcastle star who lost 100% ground duels

Eddie Howe has a lot of Newcastle United selection decisions to ponder over after his side collapsed to a 3-1 loss away at West Ham United.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 3, 2025

Spinner completes memorable match after first-innings hundred as visitors continue upturn in form

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Jul-2025Lancashire 557 (Green1 60, Hartley 130, Hurst 106) and 110 for 1 (Jennings 57*) beat Gloucestershire 381 (Charlesworth 160, Phillips 64, Hartley 6-116) and 285 (Charlesworth 71, Phillips 56, Hartley 5-99) by nine wicketsMan-of-the-match Tom Hartley produced another career-best performance to propel Lancashire to a hard-earned nine-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham and keep alive their hopes of winning promotion back to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.Having previously staged his highest score of 130 and taken 6 for 116 to put his team in control, the England slow left-armer claimed 5 for 99 on the final day of an entertaining match at the famous old College Ground as the red rose county made it two wins out of three in the red-ball format under the new leadership team of interim head coach Steve Croft and captain James Anderson.Made to follow on, Gloucestershire were dismissed for 285 in 98 overs in their second innings, Hartley finishing with match figures of 11 for 215 after Ben Charlesworth and Joe Phillips had scored 71 and 56 respectively for the home side. Chris Green weighed in with 2 for 62 as spin accounted for seven wickets on a surface offering some assistance.Set 110 to win in 26 overs, Lancashire chased down their target for the loss of Luke Wells with five overs to spare, courtesy of an authoritative unbroken second wicket partnership of 103 between Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon. Confronted by four spinners as Gloucestershire dispensed with seam, Jennings top-scored with a brisk 57 not out from 67 balls, while the equally forthright Bohannon faced 50 deliveries in raising an undefeated 45 as the visitors eased to victory in the final hour.Lancashire took 22 points to move into fourth place in Division Two, in the process leapfrogging Gloucestershire, who settled for five points after sustaining their third defeat of the season.Gloucestershire resumed their second innings on 98 without loss, still 78 in arrears and potentially vulnerable to a repeat of the collapse that undermined their first innings. It was incumbent upon openers Cameron Bancroft and Charlesworth to build upon their good start on a pitch that was offering some assistance to spin, but which was not expected to break up.If Gloucestershire’s minimum requirement was to bat two sessions, Lancashire were reading from an altogether different script, Anderson claiming the prized scalp of Bancroft in the opening over, the Australian edging to midwicket without adding to his overnight score of 35.Having seen off Anderson, Charlesworth was no doubt disappointed to then succumb to George Balderson in his first over from the Chapel Lawn End. Attempting a back-foot flick, Gloucestershire’s first-innings centurion found Marcus Harris at short midwicket and departed for 71 with the score 129 for 2. Guilty of poor shot selection, Ollie Price then pursued a wide delivery from Hartley that bounced off a length and edged to Luke Wells at slip, at which point Gloucestershire were 134 for 3, still 42 in arrears, having lost three wickets in the first hour.They came close to losing another in the next over, Miles Hammond standing his ground and being afforded the benefit of the doubt when Jennings claimed a catch at short square leg off the bowling of Hartley. The reprieve proved temporary, Green pinning Hammond lbw for 22 in the final over before lunch, which was taken with the score 168 for 4. Representing Gloucestershire’s best chance of saving the game, Phillips remained unbeaten on 35.He was joined by James Bracey and these two wiped out the remaining arrears early on in the afternoon session, Phillips going to a hard-earned 50 from 91 balls with his eighth four. But Lancashire continued to take wickets, Jack Blatherwick angling a short delivery into the body of Bracey, who was unable to get his bat out of the way and edged behind. His departure was a blow for Gloucestershire, who were in effect 21 for 5 with 57 overs left in the day.An even bigger blow befell the home side when Phillips’ vigil came to an end soon afterwards, the Cornishman held by the safe hands of Jennings at short leg off the bowling of the ubiquitous Hartley. Phillips had faced 110 balls, accrued eight fours and defied the red rose bowlers for three hours. Hartley then extracted additional spin to remove Graeme van Buuren, who stretched forward and was caught behind for 8 to leave the home side between a rock and a hard place at 210 for 7.Todd Murphy led a Gloucestershire counterattack, going for his shots, pushing the field back and sharing in a useful stand of 41 in eight overs with Zaman Akhter, who scored a breezy 20 before offering a return catch to Green as the home side slipped to 251 for 8. Ajeet Singh Dale survived a searching examination at the hands of Anderson and the new ball, he and Murphy digging in to reach tea on 268 for 8. Gloucestershire had a slender lead of 92 with a minimum 35 overs remaining.Lancashire’s go-to man, Hartley returned to bowl Murphy for a 56-ball 33 and complete the first 10-wicket match haul of his career as an enthralling contest entered its final session. He then accounted for last man Marchant de Lange, held at short square leg as Gloucestershire’s resistance with the bat finally came to an end in the early-evening sunshine.

Where his colleagues tried to force the situation, he batted with seemingly no preconceived ideas and made a landmark hundred away from home

Alagappan Muthu30-Sep-20241:08

Manjrekar: Mominul’s ‘old-school batting’ worked well for Bangladesh

There was one good thing that came out of the wet outfield at Green Park. Mominul Haque got his birthday off. He spent Sunday at the Bangladesh team hotel being spoiled rotten by his team-mates.Respite is the very last thing that comes on a tour of India these days. Especially for a batter. Mominul could attest to that after he began his tour with a first-ball duck before getting worked over by one of the greatest spin bowlers of our time.Related

• Stats – Jadeja the third left-arm spinner to join 300-wicket club

• India's breakneck pace keeps result alive after two lost days

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• Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game

There is a pattern to his career so far. At home, he averages 48.57, the best of any Bangladeshi batter in history (min five games played). Away from home, he averages 27.39 with 60% of his innings ending before the 30-run mark. This is part of the reason why Mominul struggles to feature in the same conversation as some of the great players from his country. He has the game – particularly the concentration levels required to face high quality bowling – but an asterisk has always accompanied his numbers.Bangladesh are staring at an incomprehensible situation in Kanpur. With a great deal of help from the rain, they’d been able to see off three days of a Test match in India with only three wickets lost. On the fourth, they lost seven wickets for only 126 runs. India rubbed that in their face when they then amassed 285 in just 34.4 overs. A game that was shuffling towards a draw is now bursting with life.Mominul Haque made a statement with his sweeps•Associated PressMominul finds himself at the centre of it. He had hoped not to, with Bangladesh sending out a nightwatch when the openers were unable to negotiate the 40-odd minutes there were until stumps. But R Ashwin took care of Hasan Mahmud and he had to represent, which, if his 107 in the first innings was any indication, he can.His back-foot play, all through the innings, was both impressive and crucial. It helped him survive India’s unerringly accurate spinners. As much as Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja tried to tempt him forward, he knew he didn’t need to succumb. The slowness of the pitch gave him an advantage and he took it gleefully.Against the quicks, Mominul on the backfoot was not just a pain but a threat. He used to have a problem against the short ball, used to be hurried by it. It was an area that needed work and based on recent evidence it seems he’s put that in and then some. On the tour of Pakistan, he messed with Naseem Shah’s attempts to bounce him out. Here, he kept carving India’s quicks over point and third man every time they gave him an opportunity.Mominul’s century was his second away from home; he has 13 Test hundreds in all•Associated PressAccording to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Mominul only scored 35 of his runs off the back foot but he scored them at a strike rate of 112.90, which suggests that, more often than not, he took that option knowing he’d be able to score runs.”Cricket is a game of runs,” Mehidy Hasan Miraz said at the press conference on Monday. “You have to score and batters make mistakes with wrong shot selection. Sourav [Mominul] was good with his shot selection. He played a good innings after a while. His commitment and temperament were very good and that’s why he scored runs.”Other Bangladesh batters tried to throw the Indian bowlers off their discipline. Litton Das succeeded for a while before India forced him away from the shots that were working for him. Shakib Al Hasan, in possibly his last Test match, ran at the bowlers to see what would happen. Only Mominul seemed to bat without preconceived ideas. He did have his plans of attack – whenever Ashwin or Jadeja tossed it up a little too straight, he was quick to go down and sweep them – but they were more like guidelines. Up until playing the shot that got him runs, it seemed as if he had the blankest mind of all the Bangladesh batters. That’s where good decisions come from. Bangladesh are going to need a lot more of that on Tuesday.”Anything is possible in Test cricket,” Mehidy said. “It’s not like we have lost already. We have won matches like this and lost as well. So it’s an opportunity for us, for those batters remaining. The wicket is good and it will be challenging for us but if we can get a good partnership up top and our batters bat with responsibility for a session it will be a positive sign for us. We still have tomorrow’s day so we are not trying to think about it [losing].”

Carlo Ancelotti advised Neymar to change his position to get back to his best form after omitting the Selecao legend from the national team for the fourth time since taking charge as head coach in the summer. Neymar's fitness and form have been under the scanner at Santos and the 34-year-old is running the risk of missing out on his fourth World Cup appearance in North America next year.

• Neymar snubbed yet again from Brazil squad

  For the fourth time since Ancelotti took charge of the Brazil national team in the summer, legendary forward Neymar was left out of the Selecao squad as the Italian boss named his team for the upcoming international friendlies this month. 

  Neymar has not featured for Brazil since October 2023, when he ruptured knee ligaments during a clash with Uruguay. He spent 12 months stuck on the sidelines recovering from that injury and is now two years into a wander through the international wilderness. 

  Ancelotti has not called upon Neymar since taking charge of South American heavyweights due to a series of unfortunate fitness setbacks, with his last selection in March 2025 ending in withdrawal. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has struggled to steer clear of the treatment table.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ancelotti's advise to Neymar

  Addressing Neymar's omission, Ancelotti told : "Yes, yes (laughs), [the question I've heard most so far is] about Neymar, but it's normal because he's a legend of Brazilian football. So, it's normal. I know everyone wants Neymar to get back to his best physical condition. And also the CBF, the coach, the technical staff of the national team hope that Neymar can return to his best level. The truth is that today's football demands many things. Not only talent, but also physical condition, intensity… hopefully Neymar will be at his best level.

  "I think he needs to play more centrally, not as a winger, because wingers in today's football are players you need to help defensively as well. When you play a little more centrally, the defensive work is much less than when you play as a winger. And I also think that a very talented player, closer to the goal, has more opportunities to score goals. [False 9] could be his ideal position."

• Neymar's future doubtful at Santos

  Neymar, who returned to his boyhood club in January this year, is nearing the end of the contract and Santos aren't fully sure whether to offer the star player an extension. Speaking on Neymar's renewal, club president Teixeira said: "The Neymar project isn’t for six months or a year. It’s for the 2026 World Cup. Santos knew how they would treat Neymar, the investment made. It’s a high investment. Santos and Neymar evaluate the situation periodically. We evaluated it when he came, and that evaluation isn't the same as today's. And the financial situation will be evaluated by both parties until the end of the year. He's not worried about the finances. And Santos has a limit. Neymar’s project is the 2026 World Cup. If we find common ground, his continuity will be confirmed. As long as Santos and Neymar, who have a strong and positive understanding of trust, reach a common ground. I believe we will resolve this situation at the right time."

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  Will Neymar play in 2026 World Cup

  Brazil fans are patiently waiting for Neymar to put on the national team colours once more as the 2026 World Cup fast approaches. The former Barcelona and PSG star now only has the March international window to prove himself in front of Ancelotti as he remains eager to represent the national team for the fourth time in his career in North America next summer. In between, though, the 33-year-old will have to remain fit and perform consistently for Santos to earn a call-up for the March friendlies. 

  Meanwhile, Ancelotti's Brazil are scheduled to face Senegal and Tunisia in back-to-back friendlies on November 15 and 18, respectively. 

Arsenal’s terrible luck with injuries last year seems to have carried over to this season.

On top of the mountain of attacking injuries, Mikel Arteta is now set to be without Gabriel Magaheles for up to two months.

Fortunately, the squad is fairly well stacked in defensive areas, and so while it’s not ideal, the Spaniard should be able to find a way to make his backline work.

Moreover, that defensive depth is likely to get even stronger within a few years, as Hale End are currently brewing someone who could be a dream Gabriel heir.

Arsenal's next Hale End stars

It feels like every season now, a Hale End gem or two emerge and slot right into Arsenal’s first team, be that Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly or even Max Dowman.

The good news for the Emirates faithful and Arteta is that the production of incredible young talents shows no signs of stopping, with a few academy gems looking likely to make a first-team appearance or two in the coming years.

One of those who seems destined for the senior side is Northern Irish youth international Ceadach O’Neill.

The 17-year-old attacker joined the club in 2023 and has shone for the u18s.

On top of being able to play across the frontline, the “brilliantly” talented gem, as dubbed by the Gunners’ U21 coach David Horseman, has shown an eye for goal, scoring 11 and providing five assists in 32 games for the u18s.

Another hugely exciting young attacker is Brando Bailey-Joseph.

The 17-year-old only signed scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, but has already been rewarded with a professional deal thanks to his sensational performances this season.

For example, in 14 appearances this season, totalling 929 minutes, he’s scored four goals and provided four assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.75 games, or every 116.12 minutes.

Hale End expert Will Balsam has described the youngster as an “explosive” attacker whose “quickness and sharp cuts” make him a “menace” for opposing defenders – which sounds like the sort of left-winger the first team could use.

In all, there are more than a handful of academy gems like O’Neill and Bailey-Joseph who could soon make it into the first team, but few are as exciting as Hale End’s best defensive prospect in years.

Hale End's future Gabriel replacement

Now, for a youngster to be considered as a future replacement or heir for Gabriel, they’ve got to be something pretty special.

Fortunately, as things stand, Marli Salmon looks to be just that.

In fact, Mattinson has gone out on a limb and described the exceptionally talented prospect as “the best CB Hale End has produced.”

What makes the 16-year-old so special, then? Well, like the big Brazilian he might one day step in for, he’s excellent at reading the game and is incredibly cultured on the ball.

For example, Mattinson has described him as “technically advanced,” and Balsam argues that he’s “different gravy on the ball” and has a perfect “mix of control and aggression.”

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

However, if he wants to one day step into Big Gabis’ shoes, he also needs to be someone who can engage in a bit of old-school defending, someone who can hold their own against the battering rams.

Fortunately, despite looking relatively slight – he is still 16 after all – the Hale Ender is already showing signs that he’s far stronger than he looks.

According to Balsam, he’s an “athletically gifted” defender who marries technical composure with “freak physical attributes.”

Finally, the last sign that he has a bright future ahead of him is that he featured in pre-season and, just like Dowman, didn’t look too out of place.

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go, but Salmon looks like he could be Hale End’s next superstar and the perfect long-term replacement for Gabriel.

A new Zubimendi: Berta makes first move to sign "Rodri-like" CM for Arsenal

The incredibly exciting prospect could be another Zubimendi for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 20, 2025

Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox to debut against Australia as part of white-ball overhaul

Matt Roller10-Sep-20241:51

Ehantharajah: ‘Perfect time’ for Bethell’s England T20I debut

Twice this year, England captains have seen their decision to throw the new ball to a fingerspinner backfire. Their responses to similar gambles which didn’t pay off told a story.In Hyderabad in January, Ben Stokes gave Tom Hartley the second over of India’s first innings of the series. Yashasvi Jaiswal promptly hit his first and fifth balls for six. In Bridgetown, five months later, Jos Buttler gave Will Jacks the second over against Australia. Travis Head and David Warner ruthlessly targeted the short leg-side boundary, and the over cost 22.Stokes stuck with Hartley even as he went the distance, keeping the field up and giving him eight further overs on the first evening of the Test: “I lost no confidence,” he said. In the second innings, he was England’s match-winner, taking 7 for 63. Jacks, by contrast, was immediately whisked out of the attack, not used again with the ball, and was dropped two games later.In part, this contrast reflected the difference between Tests and T20 as formats. The second chance is a fundamental part of Test cricket’s fabric: across four innings and five days, there is always the opportunity to recover from a mistake. In T20, one error – or even one moment of bad luck – is often terminal: the format’s brevity is what makes it so punishing.Related

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• Atkinson rested for Australia ODIs, Stone called up

• Old enemies meet with eyes on bigger prizes to come

Yet the difference in how Hartley and Jacks were handled also revealed the attitudes of their respective teams towards young players. Under Stokes and Brendon McCullum, England have backed youth: eight players have featured for them in Tests this year while aged 25 or younger. In T20Is, under Buttler and Matthew Mott, it is only Jacks and Harry Brook.It has been a reflection of England’s previous success. Buttler has been fiercely loyal to the generation of players with whom he created history, becoming the first men’s team to hold both the 50-over (2019) and T20 (2022) World Cups simultaneously. England have lent towards giving their golden generation of white-ball talent one game too many, rather than one too few.At last year’s 50-over World Cup, England picked a team in which every player was at least 30 years old for their defeats to Sri Lanka, India and Australia; they even left Brook out of their provisional squad, though he eventually replaced Jason Roy. In June, they backed Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Jordan to come good in the Caribbean, but with little return.That will change on Wednesday night, in the first of eight white-ball games – three T20Is and five ODIs – against Australia at the Utilita Bowl near Southampton. England will give T20I debuts to two young players in Jacob Bethell (20), Jordan Cox (23), with Jamie Overton (30) also winning his first cap in the format. John Turner, Dan Mousley (both 23) and Josh Hull (20) could come into contention later in the series.Jordan Cox is set to make his T20I debut•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThe old guard are now moving on: at 36, Adil Rashid is five years older than anyone else in this week’s squad, with Moeen Ali recently joining Dawid Malan in announcing his retirement. “I did my job, and it’s time for the next guys to come in,” Moeen said on Sunday. “The team needs to go in that direction… it probably just needs that cycle to start again.”McCullum has already shown as Test coach that he can blood younger players, though will not take over as England’s white-ball coach until January’s tour to India. But Marcus Trescothick, who will deputise as coach in this series and on November’s tour of the Caribbean, has worked with the Test set-up under McCullum and is conscious of helping young players flourish.”We’re looking at the next generation because we have a bit of time to prepare and expose them so that we can see how they react,” Trescothick said on Tuesday. “We know that there’s great talent within the county game. It’s picking and choosing the right ones that we think will succeed at international cricket, because it is a slightly different game.”It is really exciting when you see these youngsters coming through [aged] 19 or 20, fresh-faced and quite innocent when they come into the team, and to know what they could do and what they can achieve. The opportunity we have as coaches – within the Test group, and now in this group – is to harness those players.”There is plenty of excitement around the new generation within English cricket, and Bethell in particular. Trescothick worked with him at Under-19s level, and was immediately impressed: “It was really evident to me that he’s going to be a superstar,” he said. “I think you’re going to enjoy watching him going forward over the next few years.”That Hartley does not feature in England’s Test squad to tour Pakistan next month is evidence that players’ progress is not always linear; so too is Overton, at 30, winning his T20I debut as a specialist batter. But what is clear is that Wednesday’s T20I marks the start of a new era for England’s white-ball teams, one in which youth will no longer be treated with suspicion.

One of the biggest pieces of the puzzle for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim is who will play at wing-back. The right-hand side seems much clearer, with Amad seemingly securing that spot for himself.

The Ivorian – who netted at the City Ground a week ago – has impressed at right wing-back in recent outings.

However, the other flank is proving to be a bit more of a conundrum for Amorim. Patrick Dorgu is only 21 years of age and has great promise, but is not being rushed. Luke Shaw has played that role before for England, but is thriving on the left of United’s back three.

The first choice left wing-back this season has been Diogo Dalot.

Dalot’s struggles at left wing-back

26-year-old Dalot has certainly struggled at times as a left wing-back. It might not be a surprise, given that he is a right-back by trade.

At times, he is operating as the highest player on the pitch, on the opposite flank to where he is most comfortable.

Amorim has placed a lot of trust in the former FC Porto academy player as a left wing-back. This season in the Premier League, he has picked his countryman nine times, with six of those appearances coming from the left flank.

Dalot has struggled, too. In those six games from the left-hand side of United’s midfield, their number two has registered just a solitary assist. He does pose an attacking threat from that area, though, and got an assist for Bruno Fernandes in the FA Cup last season.

Generally speaking, though, it has not been easy for the 26-year-old. Blame can be given to Amorim for playing a right back as the furthest player in United’s attack on the wrong side.

United content creator Dev Bajwa says the Portugal star has “got to be dropped.”

In United’s most recent game, a 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur, Dalot was actually dropped from the side. Amorim chose to bring Dorgu into the starting lineup, with the United number two having to settle for a 10-minute substitute cameo.

If Amorim does decide to rotate Dalot out of the side again in the future, there could be a homegrown star waiting in the wings.

United’s in-house Dalot replacement

There are definitely options for Amorim if he thinks the time is right for a more permanent change at left wing-back. Danish international Dorgu could keep his place, or Shaw could move further up the pitch, coinciding with the return of Lisandro Martinez.

However, if the Red Devils boss decides to lean into the DNA of the club, then he could call upon Bendito Mantato. The 17-year-old has impressed for United’s academy over the past few years, and could be the attacking option Amorim needs at wing-back.

The England under-17 international, who is currently on national team duty at the Under-17 World Cup, is a winger by trade. However, he plays as a left-back for the Three Lions, and has done so for United, too.

One thing that you can guarantee from Mantato is that he will add a creative spark at left wing-back. His record for the under-18s side at Carrington is exceptional, with 15 goals and three assists in just 25 appearances.

Speaking of that inventiveness in the final third, the Manchester-born attacker has great instinct in attacking areas.

This goal he scored in the FA Youth Cup away to Arsenal last season, where he darted in between two defenders to fire home, really sums up his quality.

Mantato has already been involved with the first team under Amorim. Not only has he trained with the seniors, but he’s been on the bench twice in last season’s Europa League.

That certainly shows how highly he is rated by the Red Devils manager.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Academy Scoop, a page on X dedicated to United’s academy, was full of praise for the 17-year-old. He called Mantato “one of the biggest talents at the club,” highlighting his excellent ability.

It will be fascinating to see whether Amorim takes a risk and brings him into the first team fold at the expense of Dalot on the left flank.

Man Utd "monster" is fast becoming their own Gabriel & it's not De Ligt

This Man Utd star has been crucial for his side this season

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By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 5, 2025