Bumrah makes a comeback to the Test set-up, Ishant’s participation subject to fitness clearance

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2020

Prithvi Shaw has a shot at reviving his stop-start Test career•Associated Press

Prithvi Shaw has been included in the 16-man India Test squad for the two-match series in New Zealand, which also features the fit-again Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma.However, Ishant’s participation will be subject to a fitness clearance, following a grade-three tear in an ankle during the Ranji Trophy in January. He is currently in rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.ALSO READ: Williamson ruled out of first two ODIs v IndiaWith Rohit Sharma ruled out, the toss up for the second opener to partner Mayank Agarwal could be between Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw. Shaw and Agarwal are also part of the ODI squad.Gill has the backing of runs under him, having smashed 83 and an unbeaten 204 for India A in the first four-day fixture in Christchurch against New Zealand A. Shaw, meanwhile, has been in good limited-overs form, having impressed in the one-day leg of the India A series in New Zealand.Meanwhile, left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav was left out of the squad altogether, with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked as the frontline spin options alongside five pacers. Interestingly, almost exactly a year ago, on February 5, 2019, India head coach Ravi Shastri had called Kuldeep “our primary overseas spinner” in Test cricket, following his five-wicket haul in the Sydney Test in January. It remains his last Test appearance. Navdeep Saini, who is uncapped in Tests, was also rewarded with a call-up. Rishabh Pant retained his place alongside first-choice Wriddhiman Saha, who has recovered from a finger injury he sustained during the Bangladesh Test in Kolkata.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Shaw had last played Test cricket in October 2018. After cracking a 154-ball 134 on debut in Rajkot, Shaw was selected for the following Australia tour, but an ankle injury sidelined him from the entire series. Later in 2019, Shaw was suspended for a doping violation. As a result, he missed the West Indies tour and then the home series against West Indies and Bangladesh.Upon returning to action in the Ranji Trophy, Shaw sustained a shoulder injury, but recovered in time, and proved his form and fitness for India A on their shadow tour of New Zealand. Earlier during the Ranji Trophy, he had hit a career-best 202 against Baroda, setting up a massive victory for Mumbai.Bumrah, too, had missed the home Test series against South Africa and Bangladesh with injury, and eased his way back into action during the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. In January, he had also been pulled out of the Ranji Trophy, but has now regained his rhythm after playing a starring role in India’s 5-0 sweep of New Zealand in the T20I series. Bumrah will also be in action in the three-match ODI series, which starts on Wednesday.Meanwhile, Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane will tune up for the Tests by turning out for India A in the second four-day fixture, which begins on February 7.The first Test will begin in Wellington on February 21 and the second in Christchurch on February 29.

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O sub-17 do São Paulo foi muito bem na temporada passada, com dois títulos conquistados: a Copa do Brasil e a Supercopa. No entanto, para o técnico Menta, a equipe precisa manter o foco para conseguir bons frutos também neste começo de competições.

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– Meninos de 16 ou 17 anos vislumbram coisas fora da realidade e temos todo um trabalho para apoiar o atleta. Não é apenas ganhar o campeonato, é subir para o profissional. Hoje tem muitos meninos de Cotia no profissional e isso faz com que eles vejam que é possível chegar ao profissional. Para isso, é buscar a evolução sempre com humildade – afirmou o treinador da categoria ao site oficial do São Paulo.

Quem deve ser o titular do ataque do São Paulo na vaga de Luciano? Vote na enquete!

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Durante a temporada passada e no início dessa, alguns jogadores estão sendo destaques. Outros, já tiveram oportunidades no elenco profissional e vêm treinando com Hernán Crespo. No entanto, Menta afirmou que trata todos do elenco com a mesma condição e destacou o amadurecimento dos jogadores.

– Procuramos ter um olhar atento com todos, porque a gente não sabe quem vai chegar ao profissional. Claro que alguns necessitam um pouco mais de atenção, mas tenho visto esses meninos com um amadurecimento muito bom. Importante destacar que não adianta só a gente cuidar. Eles precisam ter o apoio da família e das pessoas em volta. Fico feliz em ver que eles entendem que são atletas – finalizou.

O São Paulo volta a campo nesta terça-feira para enfrentar o Ceará, às 15h, em Fortaleza, pela oitava rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro da categoria. O Tricolor é o terceiro colocado do Grupo A com 14 pontos.

One of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS' top transfer targets at Manchester United is "open" to moving to Old Trafford this summer, according to an update from respected journalist Ben Jacobs.

Man Utd eyeing attacking signings

The Red Devils have had a season to forget overall, particularly in the Premier League and the Champions League, with players all over the pitch struggling for top form.

United's attack has arguably been one of their more troublesome, and while Rasmus Hojlund has been a positive, he is still a raw talent whose all-round game needs to improve. Meanwhile, Antony and Marcus Rashford have not offered enough on a consistent basis, with the former failing to score a single league goal across 25 appearances.

For that reason, attacking additions are required in the summer transfer window, with Crystal Palace ace Michael Olise one player who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford. The Frenchman is seen as the top target to replace Antony on the right-side, but rivals Manchester City are providing stern competition for his signature.

United are also thought to be interested in snapping up RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo at the end of the season, with the Red Devils looking to hijack Barcelona's move for him. Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres is also wanted by Ratcliffe, following a superb season that has seen him net 22 times in 28 Primeira Liga matches for the league leaders.

"Wonderful" player "open" to Man Utd move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Olise is "open" to joining Manchester United this summer, having emerged as top target for Ratcliffe and INEOS:

"I think that Michael Olise is open to Manchester United. Although other targets are still being determined because this INEOS-led sporting department is new, Olise is the one name that was pre-approved. Even in January, when the transition was still taking place, Olise was being spoken of by the new regime and was actually put on a provisional list of potential targets by the old regime. There has always been a consensus at Manchester United that Olise is a name they like."

Olise is definitely a player who United should be looking to sign before the start of next season, with the 22-year-old such a talented attacking player, possessing a wand-like left foot and producing more end product than Antony.

The Palace ace has had an injury-plagued 2023/24 season, but despite that, he has still managed to score six goals in just nine Premier League starts prior to the weekend. His overall tally of 19 assists in 76 outings further highlights his level of creativity, while former Eagles manager Roy Hodgson has said of him:

"What I make of him is that I think he is an enormous talent – he has got a great possibility to have a wonderful career and a wonderful future. We can only hope we at Crystal Palace can give him that platform."

Appearances

13

25

Starts

9

12

Goals

6

0

Assists

3

1

Key passes per game

1.9

0.7

Shots per game

2.5

1.2

Dribbles per game

2.3

0.9

The lure of joining City could be a concern for United, but the fact that he is reportedly open to moving to OId Trafford can only bode well, and he could be a fantastic addition to the attack.

Rangers chiefs have reportedly been left devastated by a significant update on the Scottish Premiership's status in the UEFA Champions League, in what is described as a "huge blow".

Rangers' Premiership title hopes hanging by thread

Philippe Clement's side were in such a strong position in the title race a few weeks back, but a couple of disappointing results have seen them lose momentum at an alarming rate. Granted, the 3-3 draw at home to Celtic was no disaster, especially as they equalised in stoppage time, but Sunday's 3-2 loss at Ross County was a shocker, as they fell apart during a woeful second half performance.

It means that destiny is now out of Rangers' hands in the title battle, with the Hoops four points clear of their rivals having played one game more. It promises to be a nervy run-in for both teams, and Clement will know that a response is essential against Dundee on Wednesday evening.

On top of the Gers' disappointing form, they have also been hit with the news that Scottish clubs have now lost an automatic Champions League spot starting from the 2025/26 season, with the champions going straight into the competition in the past.

A report from The Guardian stated that the "Czech Republic overtook Scotland to take 10th spot in UEFA's coefficient rankings", acting as an undeniable setback for both themselves and Celtic.

"Huge" setback changes transfer plans

According to a new update from Football Insider, Rangers chiefs believe losing an automatic Champions League spot is a "huge blow", with the report saying they are devastated by the news. Most importantly for the short-term, it goes on to add that "it is believed the development will affect the Gers’ transfer plans in future windows", which is a big reason for the concern from those high up at Ibrox.

There is no hiding the fact that Scotland slipping down the coefficient rankings acts as a major setback for the Scottish game as a whole, even though it clearly affects Rangers and Celtic more than anyone, given their dominance at the top of the table throughout history.

The Champions League is club football's most prestigious competition, acting as a huge pull for potential new signings and sponsors, so to suddenly have the risk of not reaching the group stages even if you win the title is far from ideal, in terms of enticing top-quality individuals and external money to Ibrox.

The importance of winning the title is also further highlighted for the Gers, with missing out on glory not only a huge blow to their trophy count, but also meaning they wouldn't even be in the qualifying rounds for the Champions League.

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ByCharlie Smith Jan 4, 2025

Liverpool have enjoyed a brilliant season in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign, with the Reds currently sitting two points clear at the summit with nine games left to play.

The club are aiming to win the league title to give boss Jürgen Klopp a perfect send-off, as he leaves Anfield at the end of the season after a successful nine-year stint in charge at the club.

The German has transformed the club into a force to be reckoned with once again after many years of failures under the likes of Brendan Rodgers, with Klopp able to attract some unbelievable talents.

Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson are just two examples of the world-class players he's brought to the club and developed, which has given the Reds a huge opportunity to win their second Premier League title in four years.

However, one player who arrived at Anfield just last summer has rapidly developed, with the club reaping the rewards of their impressive dealings in the transfer market.

Alexis Mac Allister's stats for Liverpool

Alexis Mac Allister has been a huge hit in Liverpool's midfield this season since his summer arrival, with the Argentinian featuring in 24 of the club's Premier League outings this campaign.

The 25-year-old has been instrumental in Klopp's success with the former Brighton man the perfect box-to-box midfielder in the Reds' 4-3-3 system.

He's been brilliant at ball-winning, with Mac Allister averaging 2.6 blocks and 3.2 tackles per game in the league this season – the latter is the highest of anyone in the Liverpool squad this season.

However, the Argentinian has been just as impressive with the ball at his feet, averaging 7.1 progressive passes per 90, with the midfielder completing 87% of the passes he's attempted this campaign.

Blocks

2.6

Tackles

3.2

Progressive passes

7.1

Pass completion

87%

Shot creating actions

3.7

From looking at the table above, it's clear the £150k-per-week talent has excelled this season, with Mac Allister's market value skyrocketing as a result of his impressive performances for the Reds.

Alexis Mac Allister's market value in 2024

Since joining Liverpool for £35m from Brighton last summer, the 25-year-old has cemented his place as a key figure within the Reds squad.

His talents have seen his value increase rapidly, with the midfielder now worth a staggering £60m on Transfermarkt – a figure that is £5m more than winger Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian now worth £55m on Transfermarkt, despite scoring 16 times in the Premier League during 2023/24.

Mac Allister's current market value sees him rank joint second-highest within the Reds' first-team behind Luis Diaz and level with forward Darwin Núñez.

Luis Diaz

£64m

Dominic Szoboszlai

£64m

Darwin Núñez

£60m

Alexis Mac Allister

£60m

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£60m

The club have conducted sensational business in bringing him to Anfield, with the Argentinian certainly looking to be worth every penny of his £35m fee.

His ability on and off the ball is up there with the best in the division, with the 25-year-old star certainly deserving of more credit given his stats in the Premier League under Klopp since his move to the club, which is why the Reds struck gold when they snapped him up from Brighton.

Manchester United hero Bruno Fernandes vowed to "repay" Fantasy Premier League players after he failed to score against Fulham.

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United start season with 1-0 win vs FulhamFernandes failed to score from six attemptsPromised to make it up to FPL playersWHAT HAPPENED?

United kicked off the new Premier League campaign on Friday with a 1-0 win against Fulham at Old Trafford thanks to an 87th-minute strike from Joshua Zirkzee, who came off the bench to make his first competitive appearance for the Red Devils.

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However, the evening could have been a much more comfortable one for Erik ten Hag's team had captain Fernandes had taken the chances he had. The Portugal international had two glaring opportunities – most notably a one-on-one that was saved in the 34th minute – among his six attempts on goal over the course of the game.

WHAT FERNANDES SAID

The 29-year-old took to social media to apologise to everyone who was let down by him failing to win them vital points in the fantasy game and promised to make up for it.

"Nothing beats the feeling of being back at Old Trafford," he wrote in an Instagram post. "Ps: fantasy league managers that trust me sorry for yesterday… I will repay you."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR FERNANDES?

The Red Devils captain will get the opportunity to make up for his misses next week when United meet Brighton in the league on August 24. The following week, they will come up against rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford in the English top-flight.

Rio Ferdinand has revealed when former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still going at 39, will start to think about retirement.

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• Evergreen frontman now 39 years of age
• Into final year of his contract at Al-Nassr
• Predicted to play on for some time yet

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The evergreen Portuguese scored 50 goals for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr last season and was on target when helping to fire them into the final of the Super Cup during his first outing of 2024-25. He did go goalless through Euro 2024, as questions were asked of his ability to compete at the very highest level, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has made a record-breaking career out of silencing any doubters.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There has been talk of Ronaldo playing through to the 2026 World Cup, having already earned 212 international caps, with there more history for him to make before hanging up his boots. The all-time great has made no public statement regarding his future.

• Getty
  

  WHAT FERDINAND SAID

  Ferdinand, though, claims to have inside knowledge regarding his illustrious ex-Old Trafford colleague. He has told of when CR7 could call it quits: “I can’t give too much away but I’ve been doing a few bits with Cristiano behind the scenes and he’s playing as long as he wants. He ain’t going nowhere. And I was gobsmacked. And listen, you’ll see it in time, but minimum three years I think he plays for again.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

  Ronaldo is into the final year of his contract at Al-Nassr, with no extension agreed as yet. He has seen a return to his roots at Sporting speculated on for some time, with it possible that the legendary frontman could go full circle and finish where it all began.

يلتقي منتخب السودان، نظيره أنجولا اليوم الإثنين ضمن منافسات التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2026 المقامة في المغرب.

وتقام المباراة بين السودان وأنجولا، على ملعب شهداء بنينا، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا.

ويبحث منتخب السودان، عن الفوز على أنجولا أو التعادل على أقل تقدير، من أجل حسم بطاقة التأهل إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا، حيث يحتل المركز الثاني برصيد 7 نقاط، إذ حقق الفوز في مباراتين وتعادل مباراة وتلقى هزيمتين.

طالع | المنتخبات المتأهلة لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 (محدث باستمرار)

بينما منتخب أنجولا يقع في المركز الأول بصدارة المجموعة، حيث يمتلك 13 نقطة، بعد الفوز بـ 4 لقاءات وتعادل في مباراة وحيدة دون أي هزائم.

وتقام منافسات التصفيات المؤهلة لنهائيات “كان” بحضور 48 منتخبًا، تم تقسيمها إلى 12 مجموعة، بواقع 4 منتخبات في كل واحدة، ليتأهل المتصدر والوصيف لكأس أمم إفريقيا. موعد مباراة السودان وأنجولا اليوم في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا

وتقام مباراة السودان وأنجولا، في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسابعة مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة. القناة الناقلة مباراة السودان وأنجولا في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا

ومن المقرر أن تنقل مباراة السودان وأنجولا على beIN Sports HD 6.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

The first impression is always vital when a new player arrives at a club, especially for a side like Manchester United.

When anyone joins the Red Devils, whether it be a player or a manager, the expectation is to bring success and perform almost instantly.

In recent years, only a handful of signings have consistently performed at Old Trafford, with the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho being examples of individuals who have been unable to star in the Premier League thus far.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at another player who once promised to be a world-beater but instead failed to live up to their apparent potential.

Meet the star who was meant to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2011, a promising Belgian talent named Adnan Januzaj joined Man United from Anderlecht as a 16-year-old, where he instantly impressed.

On October 5th, 2013, the number 44 was announced in the starting lineup for the first time under David Moyes as Man United faced Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The then-18-year-old was absolutely electric, netting a brace that handed the Red Devils a 2-1 win, which was certainly the perfect way to introduce yourself to the footballing world.

After the game, Januzaj received plenty of praise and encouragement, with Moyes comparing his quality to Wayne Rooney and United youth coach Eric Harrison stating: “Januzaj is outstanding and I think he is similar to Cristiano Ronaldo".

However, the following season saw the arrival of Louis van Gaal, which the winger later claimed to be the reason why he never lived up to his potential at United, despite being an "unbelievable" talent, as per football creator Liam Canning.

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ByTom Lever Mar 14, 2024 Adnan Januzaj’s career since his debut

During the Dutch manager’s first campaign at the club, Januzaj’s minutes and opportunities took a huge hit, starting just seven times in the 2014/15 Premier League.

A year later, the Belgium international only made just two league starts across the campaign, which was due to two separate injuries and a short loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.

With the left-footed ace failing to progress much further, in 2016, he joined Sunderland on a season-long loan in an attempt to revive his career, but over 25 matches, he failed to score a single goal.

In 2017, Januzaj eventually left Old Trafford after a troubled few seasons, joining Real Sociedad in a deal worth £9.8m, a club he would go on to score 23 goals in 168 appearances for.

Five years later, the former Red Devil moved to another La Liga side, this time joining Sevilla on a free transfer, which is where he plays his football today.

Man United

63

11

Borussia Dortmund

12

2

Sunderland

28

4

Real Sociedad

168

44

Istanbul Basaksehir

17

6

Sevilla

17

1

Despite being at the club for two seasons, Januzaj has only made 17 appearances, with a failed loan spell at Istanbul Basaksehir in between, where he scored three times in 17 games.

Fast-forward to this season, and the former wonderkid has featured just eight times, even though he has not suffered from any injuries. Januzaj has averaged just 24 minutes per game, and he truly cannot get a game, starting zero times.

At just 29 years of age, the number 25’s career has become completely stagnant, and there have been no signs of him turning it around, especially not at Sevilla.

In truth, it is extremely sad and disappointing to see how Januzaj’s career has unfolded, especially considering just how fantastic he was in his first season under Moyes, after being compared to the legendary Ronaldo in his early days at Old Trafford.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in securing the signing of an "exceptional" attacking player during the summer transfer window as they look to strengthen their squad.

Man Utd eyeing more attackers

The Red Devils haven't always had the most prolific attack this season, even though Rasmus Hojlund has shone the longer the campaign has gone on, while Alejandro Garnacho has also had his moments. Both Marcus Rashford and Antony have flattered to deceive in comparison, and it would be a surprise if Sir Jim Ratcliffe didn't bring in reinforcements this summer.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been linked with a switch to United in the fairly recent past, with the Nigerian still one of Europe's most prolific attacking players, scoring 72 goals in 125 appearances for the reigning Serie A champions.

Juventus youngster Samuel Iling-Junior is another potential target for Erik ten Hag at the end of the season. He may look to seal a return to the English game having departed for Italy from Chelsea back in 2020. Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres has also been backed to join United in the next transfer window following an excellent campaign that has seen the former Coventry City talisman net 22 times and bag 10 assists in 25 Primeira Liga appearances in 2023/24 to date.

Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen is another name on the list of summer targets at Old Trafford, and the fact that he shares the same agent as Hojlund could help that piece of business going through seamlessly.

Man Utd want "exceptional" World Cup goalscorer

According to a new update from GiveMeSport, Manchester United are also keen on signing Dani Olmo this summer, with the RB Leipzig attacker emerging as a strong option to come in.

Olmo could be a really strong addition to United's squad in the summer, with the Leipzig ace scoring for Spain at the 2022 World Cup and finding the net eight times in 33 caps for his country in total. This season, he has three goals and four assists to his name in the Bundesliga, and his versatility has allowed him to thrive centrally and on both flanks.

Dani Olmo's Bundesliga stats this season	Total
Appearances	15
Starts	11
Goals	3
Assists	4
Shots per game	1.7
Key passes per game	1.3
Dribbles per game	1.3

The United transfer target has been lauded as "exceptional" by current Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann in the past, who has said of him:

"The Bundesliga has a higher pace than the Croatian league, so it takes some time to adjust physically. But he was extremely hard-working, won the ball a lot of times and defended very robustly. He has exceptional abilities and is very safe with the ball. When he gets put under pressure, he knows how to provoke a foul."

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Depth and quality are required in United's squad moving forward in order to challenge in the major competitions, and while Olmo may not come in as an absolute guaranteed starter, he would be a superb option who could easily develop into a key man over time.