Arsenal have been head and shoulders above the rest of ’em this season, but Mikel Arteta knows that the season is still young, and there are many gruelling months ahead before the Gunners might end their two-decade-long wait for the Premier League title.

Runners-up for three successive years, Arsenal have worked toward dynamising and strengthening across the park, with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all adding flavour to an outfit already refined and complete.

It’s just silverware that is missing. And while the Emirates side have all the tools to go the distance this term, they will need someone of Gabriel Magalhaes’ character and quality to have avoided a long-term injury while away on international duty with Brazil.

The latest on Gabriel's muscle injury

Gabriel has played every minute of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign this season, but with a north London clash against Tottenham Hotspur looming on the horizon, a muscular injury sustained out with his nation could put a spanner in the works there.

Gabriel pulled up mid-sprint during Brazil’s recent win over Senegal. It has since been revealed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein that there is a worry that he faces an extended spell on the sidelines, more than a month and thus out of action until the new year.

It cannot be understated how integral Gabriel has become. As per FBref, the £150k-per-week talent ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for goal involvements and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90. That aside, he has incredibly won 78% of his ground duels, keeping clean sheets in seven separate matches.

In Gabriel and William Saliba, Arsenal have two defenders looking to take their place among the pantheon of great Premier League centre-back partnerships, and if Arteta does lift that elusive trophy at the end of the season, he and his wider squad will be indebted to the composed and flawlessly organised duo at the back.

The likes of Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera are able replacements, but this could be a big blow, and it’s got us thinking about the 27-year-old’s long-term successor in north London.

There is one Hale End star who might just have what it takes to complete that step up in the future.

The Hale Ender who could replace Gabriel

Under Arteta’s guidance, Arsenal have a feared outfit once again. This is a team capable of tackling and overcoming any opponent across the globe, as last season’s spectacular two-legged win over Real Madrid will tell you.

But this also needs to be a lasting project, and it’s clear that there is an emphasis on this, with Bukayo Saka the talisman and exciting prospects such as Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman filtering through to the first team.

And on the other side of the field, Callan Hamill could find himself succeeding Gabriel when the time comes, with the 16-year-old having made quite the impression at Hale End since joining from St. Johnstone in Scotland this summer.

The Scotland U19 international has swiftly established himself as the captain of Arsenal’s U18 squad, racking up 11 appearances and scoring one goal.

With such impressive performances, he has even been handed a string of outings with the U21s, and during his sole effort in the Premier League 2, Hamill kept a clean sheet across 90 minutes of action.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has remarked that the teenager has “all the tools to become a quality backline leader for club and country”, and while he’s not there yet, Arteta’s decision to throw the youngster into first-team training and guide him toward the fore suggests that it’s only a matter of time before this star emulates the better-known names in front of him and cements a place under Arteta’s wing.

Who knows, given his leadership skills, strong reading of the game and dynamism, Hamill might even have what it takes to succeed Gabriel, when the fateful day of the Brazilian’s departure comes.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Prestes a estrear na temporada, o Corinthians permanece com lacunas em seu elenco, principalmente no setor ofensivo. A diretoria alvinegra sondou nomes de impacto para a posição nesta janela de transferências, mas esbarrou em alguns obstáculos.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Com pendências financeiras para solucionar, a nova gestão focou em honrar com seus acordos, como o pagamento das parcelas à vista das compras de Raniele e Félix Torres, além das luvas salariais atrasadas de Rojas.

Ademais, o Timão se deparou com um mercado inflacionado, que não deseja se desfazer dos atletas de forma parcelada, método que o Corinthians vem adotando em suas negociações.

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Alguns nomes foram oferecidos ao clube, que deseja a contratação de uma “sombra” para Yuri Alberto e um ponta. O último deles foi o atacante Pedro Raul, atualmente no México. No entanto, a reportagem apurou que o Corinthians não tem interesse na contratação do jogador.

Apesar da necessidade em reforçar o ataque, a comissão técnica liderada por Mano Menezes aposta na recuperação técnica de Matías Rojas, Wesley e Gustavo Mosquito, jogadores que terminaram a temporada de 2023 em baixa.

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Corinthians

يستضيف فريق ليفربول خصمه نوتينجهام فورست، مساء السبت، في مباراة ستجمع بينهما في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في خضم منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، لذلك الموسم، على ملعب “الأنفيلد”.

طالع | تشكيل ليفربول لمباراة نوتينجهام فورست في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

ويحتل ليفربول المركز الثامن في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي، في الوقت الحالي، برصيد 18 نقطة، بينما يحتل نوتينجهام فورست المركز التاسع عشر برصيد 9 نقاط.

واستعاد ليفربول خدمات حارس المرمى أليسون بيكر بعدما غاب عن الملاعب لعدة أسابيع مؤخرًا نتيجة الإصابة. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام نوتينجهام فورست في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: كورتيس جونز، إبراهيما كوناتي، فان دايك، روبرتسون.

خط الوسط: ماك أليستر، جرافنبيرخ.

خط الوسط الهجومي: محمد صلاح، سوبوسلاي، كودي جاكبو.

خط الهجوم: ألكسندر إيزاك. 

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Tottenham Hotspur are adjusting to a more pragmatic tactical style under Thomas Frank. This has caused several contentious talking points to spring up over the past several months.

Yes, Spurs are imperfect, and improvements are needed. But they are also fifth in the Premier League after 11 matches, and have lost only three times.

Goals are being scored, albeit with underlying attacking metrics emphasising the work is needed in creative departments. But then, even this comes with the caveat that Tottenham have been without Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, arguably the two most creative outlets at the club, since before the start of the season.

Premier League 25/26 – xG Leaders
Club	Position	xG
1. Chelsea	3rd	20.4
2. Crystal Palace	2nd	19.4
3. Man City	10th	19.0
4. Arsenal	1st	18.8
5. Man United	7th	18.2
15. Tottenham	5th	11.0
Data via FBref

Yes, more is needed. And Frank will consider across the next two international-break-filled weeks his options across the park, and how he can water the roots of his philosophy while growing his Tottenham garden into something viewed as new and growing, rather than negative and Nuno-esque.

The changes Frank needs to make at Spurs

Tottenham showed spirit and resolve against Manchester United last weekend, and though Richarlison’s late strike was cancelled out at the death by Matthijs de Ligt’s header, the hosts did not crumble but responded after a wretched first half.

That’s a glass-half-full way of looking at it, sure, but Tottenham must take the positives – as Frank did.

However, the Danish tactician needs to iron out the many creases in this squad, and one sure-fire way to start that process is by forgoing the decision to field Djed Spence and Richarlison as a left-sided partnership. Width and dynamism are needed down the flanks, and the out-of-position Spence and technically limited Richarlison don’t work well together.

When Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert connected in the second half, things changed.

Likewise, there must be a wider shift in regard to mentality and confidence. Over the past year, Tottenham have played 20 home games and they have won only three. Much-improved away results and a tougher framework from head to toe have scrubbed away the bitter lower-table position of last year, but there remains a need for more positivity, more fluency and enterprise on the ball.

The forwards need to much do more, yes, but the midfielders have flattered to deceive from this perspective this season, and it’s time for Frank to consider parting with one player who lacks the nuance in his role to thrive and make the system tick.

Frank must drop struggling Spurs star

When Tottenham signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January 2022, initially on loan and then for a fee just shy of £22m, they knew they had landed a talented and multi-faceted midfielder.

And yet he’s falling by the wayside in Frank’s system. The 28-year-old hasn’t fallen, not yet, but his performances are becoming a concern, with analyst Raj Chohan even describing him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

The conundrum here is two-fold: Bentancur has just signed a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, raising his salary considerably to around £120k per week.

But the other angle here is that the Uruguayan just doesn’t work alongside Joao Palhinha, a player who has been regarded by many as one of the best Lilywhites players so far this season, having arrived on a loan deal from Bayern Munich in the summer.

So, if Palhinha has to play, his tough-tackling, protective presence in the middle, Frank must start playing a deep-lying midfielder beside him who can drive play forward with surgical passes. Instead, two pragmatic midfielders have been yoked together in a midfield lacking creativity under a manager who is facing criticisms for a pragmatic style of play.

It is not that difficult to identify the potential problem here, especially when bringing Xavi Simons into the equation, the playmaker yet to adapt to the rigours of the English game, and then addressing again the duel absence of Kulusevski and Maddison.

Rodrigo Bentancur in the Premier League
Season	Apps	Minutes played
25/26	10	659′
24/25	26	1,653′
23/24	23	1,007′
22/23	18	1,506′
21/22	17	1,365′
Data via Transfermarkt

As per data-led platform FBref, Bentancur actually ranks among the bottom 39% of Premier League midfielders this term for progressive passes per 90, underscoring the issues presented in the build-up. Palhinha, unsurprisingly, does not rank highly himself (bottom 11%).

The decision to start Bentancur from the bench against Man United – ending the South American’s run of six successive Premier League starts – tells of Frank’s awareness about all this, but then Pape Matar Sarr wasn’t at his best on that day in any case, albeit growing into the game after a shaky start, his energy and optimism a nice counterpoint to Palhinha’s ruggedness.

Much to chew on. Lucas Bergvall has the progressiveness to forge a protean partnership with Palhinha in the centre, but the teenager has not yet nailed down a prominent role under Frank.

Bentancur might have signed a new contract recently, but that does not mean he is unsellable. Conversely, this could provide an insight into a longer-term plan; this summer, Atletico Madrid were among those interested in an experienced midfielder whose stock has now risen from a financial vantage.

If Tottenham are to persist with the anchoring presence that is Palhinha, it might not be a bad thing to ship Bentancur and his limitations out. When the injured parties return, the picture will become a whole lot clearer, and Bentancur may well be absent from the view.

Spurs flop who's been "swallowed in the PL" must be dropped for Odobert

Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.

2

By
Dan Emery

Nov 10, 2025

Swansea City aren’t just looking at Kim Hellberg as their new manager, with an “insanely talented” boss also on the Jacks’ radar.

Swansea City in talks with Hellberg to replace Sheehan

The Swans took the decision to part ways with Alan Sheehan following the 4-1 Championship defeat to Ipswich Town prior to the international break.

Sheehan was appointed as the permanent Swansea boss following a successful spell as interim manager last season, however, he could only guide the club to four wins from their opening 15 league games in 2025/26.

Bristol City vs Swansea City

22nd November

Swansea City vs Derby County

25th November

West Brom vs Swansea City

29th November

Swansea City vs Oxford United

6th December

Swansea City vs Portsmouth

9th December

Swansea owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen told the club website after announcing their decision: “Alan has been instrumental in helping improve the club through two periods of time. Alan has a tireless work ethic, an honest approach and a positive attitude.

“He has put his full effort into the job on behalf of the club. The club would like to place on record its thanks to Alan for all of his hard work during his time at Swansea City. We wish Alan and his family all the best for the future.”

CEO Tom Gorringe and head of recruitment Adam Worth are leading the search for Swansea’s next manager, with Hellberg emerging as the frontrunner.

It was revealed shortly after Sheehan’s exit that Swansea had opened initial talks with Hellberg, with the 37-year-old currently in charge of Hammarby in Sweden.

However, another potential candidate has emerged in south Wales.

Swansea City admirers of Michael Carrick

According to the BBC, former Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick has ‘admirers’ at Swansea.

It is stated that a return for Russell Martin is looking unlikely at this stage, whereas another former manager in Brendan Rodgers returning is slim.

Carrick is described as ‘one of the more attractive British options available at present’ whereas former Boro player Lukas Engel hailed Carrick as an “insanely talented coach”.

The 44-year-old has been out of work since the summer when he left the Riverside, and his time with Boro included four wins against Swansea.

Swansea 1-3 Middlesbrough

March 2023

Swansea 1-2 Middlesbrough

December 2023

Middlesbrough 2-0 Swansea

April 2024

Middlesbrough 1-0 Swansea

August 2024

Swansea 1-0 Middlesbrough

March 2025

His near three-year stay at Middlesbrough is Carrick’s first and only permanent managerial position to date, so could Swansea be his second?

Manager who called Swansea City fans "fantastic" open to replacing Sheehan

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will have been left delighted by the creativity and bravery that his team showed in their 4-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

The Lilywhites were down to ten men for most of the second half after Brennan Johnson was sent off, but managed to score another two goals after that.

They should have had a fifth goal late on when Richarlison stepped up from the penalty spot, only for the Brazil international’s effort to come crashing back off the woodwork.

Tottenham created more ‘big chances’ (eight) than they have in any other match in any competition in the 2025/26 campaign against the Danish side, which is why Frank should be incredibly pleased with his team’s display.

The former Brentford head coach will also be delighted with the continued form of central defender Micky van de Ven, who stepped up to score yet again.

No Spurs player has scored more goals than the former Wolfsburg star in all competitions this season (six) per Transfermarkt, which may draw some comparisons to a player from another team in North London.

How Micky van de Ven is becoming Tottenham's most important player

The Netherlands international is quickly becoming Tottenham’s most important player because of how crucial he is to the team both defensively and offensively.

Of course, as a centre-back, Van de Ven’s primary objective is to prevent the opposition from scoring. Spurs have only conceded eight goals in ten Premier League matches, with the Dutchman starting all ten games.

Per Sofascore, the left-footed defender has won 61% of his ground duels in the division, which speaks to his physical dominance on the deck, and that has played a part in the team’s impressive defensive record.

It would be impossible to speak about Van de Ven without mentioning his incredible goalscoring exploits, though, including his stunning goal in the win over Copenhagen.

As aforementioned, the Dutch star is the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions, which could draw comparison to Arsenal centre-back Gabriel, who has scored 22 goals for the Gunners in 226 matches, per Transfermarkt.

Micky van de Ven

3

Joe Rodon

2

Trevoh Chalobah

2

Gabriel

1

Nordi Mukiele

1

As you can see in the table above, Van de Ven is the top-scoring central defender in the Premier League so far this season, with two more goals than Gabriel.

These statistics show that he has been influential at both ends of the pitch for Spurs, which is why he is becoming Frank’s most important player.

However, whilst Van de Ven does share some similarities with Gabriel, there is another Tottenham central defender who could be Frank’s own version of the Arsenal star.

Chalkboard

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

18-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic is currently out on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga, and his performances this season suggest that he has the potential to be Tottenham’s own Gabriel in the future.

Why Luka Vuskovic can be Tottenham's own Gabriel

Like both Gabriel and Van de Ven, the Croatian youngster has shown that he can provide a threat as a goalscorer, with seven goals at club level in all competitions since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

On top of those competitive goals, the teenage starlet also scored for Spurs in pre-season against Reading earlier this year before his move to Hamburg on loan.

Vuskovic, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed is “turning into a Goal Machine”, has the potential to provide a regular threat at the top end of the pitch, as much as a centre-back can, for Tottenham in the future after his loan spell in Germany.

However, it is in his defensive work that he could be most like Gabriel for the Lilywhites, because he has been in phenomenal form as a defensive force for Hamburg in the Bundesliga so far this term.

Vuskovic’s performance against Union Berlin at the end of September was particularly eye-catching, as he set a Bundesliga record for aerial duels won in a game over the past decade.

For all of Van de Ven’s positive attributes, the Dutchman has lost 54% of his aerial duels and only won 1.3 aerial duels per game in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, Gabriel has won 60% of his aerial duels and won 3.3 per game, as a dominant player in the air, for Arsenal, per Sofascore, which suggests that the Brazilian has the beating of him in that area of the game.

Appearances

7

10

Sofascore rating

7.49

7.08

Clearances per game

9.7

3.4

Blocks per game

1.6

0.3

Ground duels won per game

2.4

1.9

Aerial duels won per game

6.9

1.3

Aerial duel success rate

86%

46%

As you can see in the table above, Vuskovic has been unbelievably dominant aerially in the Bundesliga in the 2025/26 campaign, and has outperformed Van de Ven in a host of defensive metrics.

This suggests that the Croatian defender has the potential to come in and offer even more to Spurs than the Dutchman as a centre-back, as he can carry as much of a threat offensively whilst being more effective defensively, particularly in the air.

Given how important Van de Ven currently is to Tottenham and Frank, this speaks to just how exciting Vuskovic is as a prospect for the club moving forward, as he has the potential to be their own version of Gabriel.

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Florian Wirtz's tough start to life in England has taken another turn, as Liverpool boss Arne Slot confirmed his playmaker will miss the Reds' Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Dutch coach said the £116 million man has picked up a "muscle issue", but did not provide a timeline on his recovery. The injury comes after Wirtz impressed for Germany over the international break.

Wirtz absence headlines Liverpool's injury woes

Slot gave an update on the health of his squad during his pre-match press conference on Friday. The Dutchman revealed that along with Wirtz, Conor Bradley also picked up a muscle complaint during the international break. Liverpool's boss said he expects the Northern Irishman to be out for at least the next three weeks. His absence could cause a selection headache for the Reds going forward, as Jeremie Frimpong remains sidelined with a thigh injury he picked up during Liverpool's 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt last month. Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have both filled in on the right side of defence this season, however, there is no recognised senior right-back left in the squad.

While the former Feyenoord boss did not give an exact timeline on Wirtz's return, he did suggest the ex-Bayer Leverkusen midfielder would be sidelined for a shorter period than Bradley. 

There was some positive news however, with Alisson Becker fit enough to start against Forest. The Brazilian could feature for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury in the Reds defeat to Galatasaray back in September. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot expects Wirtz back within three weeks

Speaking on Wirtz and Bradley's injury situations, Slot said: "Both muscle issues. I don't expect Conor to be part of the next 22 days. 

"Maybe he returns towards the end of that period unless a miracle happens. Florian should be back sooner, it depends how things go but it should not be too long. 

"Jeremie is out for a similar timeframe and probably will not be available for the next two or three weeks either. It will be interesting to see who plays at right back. 

"Curtis Jones filled in there last season and Joe Gomez has played there as well, but he has only completed 90 minutes in 2025, so asking to play seven times in 22 days is a risk."

Wirtz performs on international duty

Wirtz's injury comes after a productive international break for the 22-year-old. Germany booked their place in next summer's World Cup with victories over Slovakia and Luxembourg. 

During Die Mannschaft's 6-0 win over Slovakia earlier this week, Wirtz was influential, setting up Leroy Sane for the third goal with a brilliant diagonal ball. The playmaker was mobbed by his teammates in the aftermath, perhaps as a sign of solidarity as Wirtz continues to struggle to adapt to life in the Premier League. 

German boss Julian Nagelsmann again defended his player during the international break. He said: "We all know what he's capable of, and it's perfectly normal for a player of his age to go through a bit of a dip in form. We can't expect him to perform at the same level for three years straight. Instead, we all need to support him a little bit so that he can clear his head here, and then maybe Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates. That would be one idea, because he does not create few chances, it's just that… they somehow don't like to shoot the ball in, that's also part of the truth."

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Getty Images SportIs Wirtz up to physical demands of the Premier League?

His international manager's protestations will do little to curb criticism of Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt. The suggestion the ex-Leverkusen man is pill-prepared for the physical demands of the Premier League will continue. Following the Reds 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, Gary Neville said Wirtz looked like a "little boy", while his ability to perform in the lower tempo Champions League and World Cup qualifiers will fuel those theories. 

While an injury during a crowded period in the schedule is par for the course, if Wirtz continues to break down with niggling ailments, that could quickly become another stick to beat him with. 

If Slot's vague timeline is accurate, Wirtz should return to the Liverpool team no later than Liverpool's Champions League away trip to Inter on December 9. 

Pakistan have had a good build-up to the tournament, having won the recent tri-series involving Afghanistan and UAE

Danyal Rasool11-Sep-20253:12

Jaffer: Pakistan clearly taking a new T20 route

Big picture: Another Asia Cup mismatch?Pakistan could not have asked for a softer start than the one they will get at the Asia Cup – against tournament first-timers Oman. If the qualification event was held this year rather than 2024, Oman may not have made it to the UAE. The team that qualified 18 months ago bears little resemblance to the one that will line up against the two-time champions.Oman were embroiled in a messy pay dispute earlier this year after the cricket board failed to pay its players in time for the 2024 T20 World Cup. While those dues have been cleared, most of the established players from that team are no longer with Oman; more than half the names in the Asia Cup squad were not part of the 2024 T20 World Cup. They last played T20I cricket in February, when they lost three games to the USA. Any attempt to build this side up as a credible challenger to Pakistan, and later India, stretches optimism.Fresh off an impressive victory in the final of the tri-series, an otherwise imperfect tournament involving UAE and Afghanistan, Pakistan will treat this game as a useful warm-up against the stratospherically bigger challenge on Sunday against India. The defending champions put a marker down in a mauling of the UAE, taking just 106 deliveries to seal victory. The comparison with Pakistan is notable: while Salman Agha’s men did defeat the UAE comfortably each of the two times they played, those games were significantly more competitive.The game against Oman is also an opportunity for Pakistan to play in Dubai ahead of Sunday’s clash, and their bowling combination remains a point of interest. Having rotated their quick bowlers and opted for a solitary wristspinner in the league games of the tri-series, they changed tack in the final, going with both wristspinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed. Surfaces in Dubai normally take plenty of turn, and Pakistan’s combination could be a dry run of their plans against India.Despite the heavy slant one way, Pakistan will not want to be stung again by an underdog. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, they lost to the USA before their game against India, where defeat knocked them out of the tournament. Despite the form Pakistan have shown coming into this Asia Cup, perhaps no team is more aware of the damage three hours of mayhem can do to three months of preparation.Related

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Form guidePakistan: WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Oman: LLLLLIn the spotlight: Sahibzada Farhan and Jatinder SinghPakistan may have won the recent tri-series, but the inability of their top order to fire like it did against West Indies last month is a concern. Sahibzada Farhan stuck to the attacking game he has been given license for, but struggled to translate cameos into more meaningful scores – 21 in the tri-series opener was his highest score in five games. The contest against Oman is one last opportunity for him to play with that same kind of risk without the pressure that will build in games that follow, especially the one against India.In a side that has suffered much upheaval, Jatinder Singh is a stabilising presence. The captain and opener has been a titan of Oman cricket for a decade, and at 36 continues to be their talisman. He is their highest scorer and made half-centuries in two of the three games Oman played this year. His career strike rate may be on the lower end, but it’s ticked into the mid-120s in the past couple of years. In the slow conditions Dubai is expected to throw up, that might just about be fine if he can bat deep enough to post a competitive total.Yasim Murtaza and Jatinder Singh at the Asia Cup press conference•Asian Cricket Council

Team news: New-look OmanPakistan favoured rotation of their quick bowlers through the tri-series but may play their best XI before the contest against India.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 5 Hasan Nawaz, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar AhmedThe recent pay dispute means much of this Oman side is new, which makes it tricky to determine a playing eleven.Oman (probable): 1 Aamir Kaleem, 2 Jatinder Singh (capt), 3 Hammad Mirza, 4 Mohammad Nadeem, 5 Ayaan Khan, 6 Aryan Bisht, 7 Vinayak Shukla (wk), 8 Shakeel Ahmad, 9 Ashish Odedra, 10 Hassnain Shah, 11 Zikria IslamPitch and conditions: Spin to win?The surface in Dubai is believed to offer more spin than the one in Abu Dhabi, the other venue in this tournament. The weather continues to be excessively hot, with temperatures in the mid-30s.Stats and triviaPakistan have lost four of their last five T20Is in Dubai, their only win coming against India – their opponents on Sunday – in the 2022 Asia Cup.UAE’s Haider Ali has picked up 22 wickets in 14 T20Is this year at an economy rate of 5.54. Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz (20 wickets in 11 games) is the highest wicket-taker among bowlers from the Full-Member nations in T20Is this year.

Arne Slot's Liverpool are reportedly once again in pole position to land Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in the January transfer window. The Reds narrowly missed out on the defender last summer but Palace are now considering a sale in the winter window to avoid losing the England international for free in summer 2026. Bayern Munich are also admirers, but the Reds are leading the race to finally land Guehi for a fee of around £35 million ($46m).

• Guehi to move in January?

  Palace have become "convinced" that Liverpool are the top contenders to sign Guehi and are now considering a winter sale, according to . Guehi will be able to talk to foreign clubs from the start of January, a situation that may push Palace into accepting an offer for their England international midway through the season. Bayern retain an interest in the centre-back but are said to be "less active" than Liverpool ahead of the reopening of the transfer window.

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  Slot talks January transfers

  Liverpool manager Slot has come under pressure after a dismal start to the Premier League season. Saturday's defeat to Nottingham Forest was Liverpool's sixth of the season and means the defending Premier League champions are now in the bottom half of the table. Slot was asked about potential winter transfers ahead of the game but hinted that defensive additions were not a priority.

  He told reporters: "This is one of the questions I didn’t expect. There are so many games before that. In the position that we are in, it’s the last thing on my mind. Maybe not for Richard [Hughes, sporting director], but it’s not a topic at all for me at the moment. We have three centre-backs, maybe Ryan [Gravenberch] and Wata [Endo] as well. Maybe you are not aware of it yet, but we have other positions that are maybe more of an issue.

  "Variation of form is not only with the new signings, it is also with the players we had. In a season, they are not always in the same form. But the biggest issue we have faced until now – and are still facing – is the match fitness of the players and the time they have missed in pre-season. Alex [Isak] now we were hoping he would play a bit more for Sweden, but unfortunately, he was one yellow away from being suspended, so for obvious reasons, they didn’t play him the second time.

  "For us, it would have been better if he had played more minutes. Conor [Bradley] and Florian [Wirtz] are out, Jeremie [Frimpong] is already out, Giovanni Leoni as well, so at the moment we have five natural defenders available for seven games in 21 days and I don’t see anyone coming back before that. We knew it was hard when you bring players in a little bit later, it’s harder to keep them fit and there is more emphasis on the ones who are fit."

• Glasner offers Guehi update

  Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has already confirmed that Guehi won't sign a new contract at Selhurst Park and offered another update on the situation ahead of Saturday's encounter with Wolves. He told reporters: "I don't know. Again, It will be the club's decision. Marc shows every week that he is 100% committed to Crystal Palace. I don't think about it – I think we have 15 games until 10 January, it is so busy and it makes no sense to have my thoughts in the transfer window. Of course we are always prepared, but I don't know what will happen."

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  What next? Liverpool told to buy a defender in January

  Liverpool spent heavily last summer on players including Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz but have been in dreadful form so far in 2025-26 and have looked vulnerable defensively. The situation may tempt the Reds into splashing out again in January, with Jamie Carragher adamant a defensive reinforcement is needed. He told Sky Sports: "Liverpool need to spend in January, they need to buy a centre-back, they should have bought a centre-back in the summer. Liverpool are probably one injury away at centre-back from really derailing the season, so they have to go to the market in January."

The match referee at the centre of the handshake row has been entrusted with the Super Fours game on Sunday

Shashank Kishore20-Sep-2025Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

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Pycroft givenbarely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.