The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing third baseman Max Muncy on the injured list with a bone bruise in his left knee, the team announced Thursday.

Muncy heads to the IL after Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor attempted to steal third base and collided with Muncy's lower leg during Wednesday's 5-4 Dodgers win. Muncy tagged Taylor out, but went down clutching his knee and had to limp off the field with assistance from athletic trainer Thomas Albert.

Muncy told reporters Thursday that he is expected to miss about six weeks with the injury.

“It was tough news, but it was also great news in terms of when you look at the play and the injury that could have happened, we possibly got best case scenario,” said Muncy. “There’s no structural damage in there, which is huge. That was definitely a pleasant relief, but the timetable still kind of sucks for me personally. … It was a tough blow, but at the same time, I still get to play baseball this year instead of coming back next year around April.”

The two-time MLB All-Star, who is in his ninth season with the Dodgers organization, was in the middle of a strong campaign before going down with the injury, slashing .250/.375/.457 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs this season.

With Muncy out for the foreseeable future, the Dodgers are calling up outfielder Esteury Ruiz in a corresponding move. Ruiz, who the Dodgers acquired from the Athletics earlier this season, has spent this season in the minor leagues, but previously led the American League in stolen bases in 2023. Ruiz is slashing .292/.394/.458 with eight home runs, 37 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases for Triple-A Oklahoma City this year,

The Australia captain was especially emotive with the ball in hand as his team responded strongly to their Perth drubbing

Andrew McGlashan08-Dec-2024As Pat Cummins went through India’s lower order early on the third day in Adelaide, it felt like a statement from the Australia captain who had been particularly expressive with ball in hand throughout the contest.Mitchell Starc had already removed the main threat, Rishabh Pant, in the first over. Now a rapid bouncer from Cummins did for R Ashwin as he tried to hook, another rising delivery was fending into the gully by Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy ramped into the hands of deep third to give Cummins his third wicket. He could have finished with six when Mohammed Siraj, who was booed to the crease in rather pantomime-esque scenes after his run-in with Travis Head the previous day, fended at his first delivery but Alex Carey couldn’t gather the edge.Never mind. In the blink of an eye, Australia needed 19 to level the series. It was all done before the first interval, perhaps leaving some of the 33,000 in the ground a little torn between delight at the victory and a lack of cricket for the rest of a beautiful Sunday.For Australia, though, there was only one concern: winning. And they did so in a style every bit as emphatic as India’s victory in Perth.On the opening day Cummins had looked especially emotive – borderline angry – when he bounced out Pant. Late on the second night he produced a peach of a delivery to take Rohit Sharma’s off stump, which drew a few comparisons to the famous ball to Joe Root at Old Trafford in the 2019 Ashes.”This week we were back to our best, the team I remember and how we want to play our cricket so really satisfying,” Cummins said. “I was pretty pumped up. Probably felt like some big wickets in the context of the match. Especially the pink ball, feels like the margins have been quite small so maybe just pretty excited – more so than normal.”1:42

Cummins on Australia’s comeback win: ‘We were back to our best’

It was the fourth-shortest Test in Australia and 81 fewer deliveries than last season’s thrashing of West Indies, although this contest was witnessed by 135,012 across the three days – a record for an India Test in Adelaide despite its brevity.From the very first ball of the match, when Starc removed Yashasvi Jaiswal, it was an excellent two-and-a-bit days for Cummins and his team. That’s all it took to dismantle India twice across a collective 80 overs while Travis Head, not for the first time, produced the defining innings when there was a still a way back into the contest for the visitors.”When Trav walked out to the crease that was the turning point,” Cummins said. “Feels like every time he walks out the game’s in the balance…and within the space of a session or so he really took the game out of their hands. He’s done it time and time again for us in many different formats. So lucky he’s on our side because as a captain I wouldn’t know how to bowl to him, how to set fields to him.”But he also singled out the night session on the opening day, where Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne, took Australia to the close just one down, as a key period in setting up the game.”That was really gutsy what those guys did on that first night,” Cummins said. “You look back to Perth, it’s those small moments that if you win them and suddenly you wake up the next day and it’s a different day. Think that was a really good lesson and it was really gutsy to get through that period and meant some of the other guys later on could cash in.”Cummins again spoke of being reasonably happy with how he bowled in first Test in Perth – where he had a match return of 3 for 153 – and that not much changed for him here, but he looked better for the run from the moment he nibbled the new ball around in the first innings.He heaped praise on his pace-bowling colleagues, Starc and Scott Boland, who finished with eight and five wickets in the game respectively. Nathan Lyon sent down the grand total of one over – “He will jump in the ice bath, he has had a big week,” Cummins joked at the presentation – while Mitchell Marsh’s unconvincing four overs in the first innings faded from significance.”Some of the talk this week was around do we have enough bowling,” Cummins said. “Particularly that day one, thought it was a herculean effort from Starcy and Scotty. It was hot, close to 40 degrees, humid and basically just kept rotating the bowlers all day. Huge effort from those guys, showed their class, I feel very lucky as a captain to have those guys and then having someone like Lyno who we didn’t even need to call on. Feels like I’ve got a lot of tools at my disposal.”And so for the third time in a row a series between these two teams in Australia is level at 1-1 after the first two matches. Onto the Gabba.

Without Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Pratika Rawal, India’s batting order crumbled against England at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence ground in a warm-up fixture ahead of the ODI World Cup. Chasing 341, India were all out for 187, with Arundhati Reddy not coming out to bat due to a leg injury she sustained while bowling.Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who was included in the squad in place of the injured Yastika Bhatia, made a promising 45, while captain Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with 66 off 68 balls. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana combined to make just 43 runs in the middle order.Related

• Reddy suffers blow to knee during warm-up match against England

Sent in to bat, England, propelled by captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s brisk 120 and Emma Lamb’s 84, piled up 340. India’s pace spearhead Renuka Singh struck in her first over to remove Tammy Beaumont, and the hosts had both Amy Jones and Heather Knight back before the halfway stage. However, Sciver-Brunt and Lamb’s 173-run stand put England in front, despite Kranti Goud’s three-wicket haul later in the innings.Shafali Verma notched up 70 off 49•Getty Images

Shafali Verma, left out of India’s World Cup squad, scored a blistering 49-ball 70 in India A’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected fixture.After New Zealand posted 273 for 9 on the back of Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 101 at No. 7, multiple rain interruptions left India chasing a revised target of 225 in 40 overs. Shafali’s brisk knock – which included 11 fours and a six – gave the innings early momentum. Captain Minnu Mani remained unbeaten on 39, while wicketkeeper Madiwala Mamatha contributed a crucial 56 not out off 60 balls at No. 8.Earlier, Sayali Satghare, the reserve seamer for India at the World Cup, picked up three wickets. India A had New Zealand reeling at 146 for 7, but Gaze’s counterattacking century helped the Sophie-Devine-led side post a competitive total.In Colombo, both the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game and South Africa’s match against Bangladesh were washed out. Sri Lanka were 33 for 1 in 7.3 overs when play came to an end, while in the other contest, South Africa had reached 45 for 3 in nine overs before rain intervened. Bangladesh’s young pacer Marufa Akter dismissed both Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen, while Nahida Akter bowled Marizanne Kapp – a dream start for Bangladesh.

Gilkes (99), Patterson (73) and Green (38*) took NSW to 288, before Green and Sangha shared eight wickets

AAP20-Sep-2025NSW wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes had been run out for 99 but spinners Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green wreaked havoc in a crushing 131-run One-Day Cup win over defending champions South Australia in Sydney.Gilkes (99 off 107 balls) was run out by a direct hit from Jason Sangha in the 44th over after pushing for a quick single in his quest to bring up his century in Saturday’s clash at Cricket Central.Despite that heartbreak, the bulk of the damage had already been done, with Gilkes and Kurtis Patterson (73 off 84 balls) having combined for a 140-run stand earlier in the innings as NSW posted a competitive 288 for 7.Green added a handy 38 not out off 19 balls in a blistering late cameo that featured three sixes and three fours.In reply, South Australia were skittled for 157 in 36.3 overs after being torn to shreds by legspinner Sangha (4 for 35) and offspinner Green (4 for 25), securing NSW the bonus-point win.The Redbacks were well placed in their run chase at 84 for 1 after 15 overs following a solid knock from opener Mackenzie Harvey (60 off 55 balls). But Sangha’s first wicket, the scalp of Daniel Drew, sparked a collapse of 7 for 30 as the run chase ended limply.Sangha followed up the dismissal of Drew by snaring dangerman Alex Carey for 8. And by the time Green snared a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to send Harvey packing, and then Sangha dismissed Jake Lehmann for a duck, South Australia had slumped to 100 for 6, and it was effectively game over.

The current international break came at the worst time for West Ham United.

After weeks of poor performances, Nuno Espírito Santo had finally got a tune out of the East Londoners.

First, they blew away a talented Newcastle United side 3-1, and then a week later picked up another three points by beating Burnley 3-2.

These back-to-back Premier League wins have given the fanbase genuine reasons to be optimistic, as they were not lucky victories, but hard-fought and thoroughly deserved.

It finally feels like Nuno has his feet under the table at the London Stadium, and as a result, fears of a possible relegation are starting to dissipate.

However, the Premier League can be unforgiving, so West Ham must maintain their upward trajectory and the board need to back the manager in the winter window. If they do, this could be Nuno’s dream lineup at the end of January.

1 GK – Alphonse Areola

While it would have been a surprise at the start of the season, it should come as no surprise now that, keeping his place between the sticks is Alphonse Areola.

Unlike the Dane signed to replace him in the summer, the Frenchman has been pretty reliable since coming back into the team, and while he might not be the long-term answer, he’s more than good enough to spend another season in goal for the Hammers.

After all, he’s already made 108 appearances for the club, what’s another 27?

2 RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Keeping his place at right-back, so long as he’s fit, is Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Now, Kyle Walker-Peters has done reasonably well since joining the club in the summer, but at his best, the former Manchester United ace is a more competent defender and has become more adept at getting forward over the last few years.

He was also the club’s Hammer of the Year just last season.

3 CB – Axel Disasi

Now, moving on to the first new face in the team, and before the pitchforks and torches come out, Axel Disasi, who has previously been touted for a £25m move to the London Stadium, could be an excellent signing for the Hammers.

Yes, he has failed to establish himself at Chelsea, but before that, he was one of Ligue 1’s best centre-backs and was even compared to Virgil van Dijk by respected talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Moreover, under a manager like Nuno, who doesn’t like to leave his defenders isolated, the Frenchman might be able to rediscover some of the form that first earned him his move to the Premier League.

4 CB – Charlie Cresswell

Alongside Disasi is the second signing: Charlie Cresswell.

He might not be a familiar name to English fans at the moment, but he certainly will be in a few years from now, as not only is he doing incredibly well for Toulouse in Ligue 1, but he was also a key part of the England u21 side that won the Euros this summer.

Described as a “proper leader at the back” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the former Leeds United gem has also been described as being a bit “like a Thiago Silva” by European football expert Andy Brassell, who highlighted the fact that he “got real smarts about him.”

Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old is gaining plenty of attention at the moment, and while it won’t be easy to sign him, reports suggest the Hammers could get the job done for around £15m.

5 LB – El Hadji Malick Diouf

Back to a familiar face and keeping his place at left-back is, of course, El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The all-action full-back joined the Hammers from Slavia Prague in the summer, and while he can be a little frustrating defensively, he is unreal when it comes to the offensive side of the game.

For example, he has already racked up three assists in just 12 appearances, and really could have more if his teammates were able to finish better earlier in the campaign.

6 CM – Freddie Potts

Moving into the middle of the park and onto someone who has to now be one of the first names on the team sheet: Freddie Potts.

The academy graduate was finally handed his first competitive start for West Ham against Newcastle United, and to say he delivered would be a massive understatement.

He put in a man-of-the-match performance that saw him cover practically every blade of grass, snuff out Toon attacks and kickstart ones for his own side.

It was more of the same a week later against Burnley, and while it is still early on, it feels like the Hammers have themselves a future superstar in Potts.

7 CM – Mateus Fernandes

There are a few options Nuno could go with for the position alongside Potts, but based on the last two games, it really has to be Mateus Fernandes.The Portuguese midfielder had a bit of a slow start to life in East London following his £40m move from Southampton in the summer, but over the last few weeks, he has started showing the fans just what he can do.Capable of helping out with the defensive side of the game, but just as able to play defence-splitting”KDB-type passes,”in the words of Mattinson, the 21-year-old could be a real game-changer for the Hammers as the season goes on.

8 CAM – Lucas Paqueta

To nobody’s surprise, Lucas Paqueta keeps his place as the most advanced of the midfielders.

Despite talk around his future, the former Lyon ace has looked back to his best in recent games and scored his fourth goal of the campaign against Newcastle.

He might be frustrating at times, but West Ham are undeniably a weaker team without him in it.

9 RW – Jarrod Bowen

The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Jarrod Bowen starts for West Ham United.

The former Hull City star is the club’s talisman, the most beloved player to wear the shirt in a very long time, and, most importantly, a sensational goalscoring, game-changing winger.

Despite the team’s poor form last season, the Englishman was still able to rack up an incredible tally of 14 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, totalling 3148 minutes.

That came out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

Appearances

250

Minutes

19971′

Goals

77

Assists

53

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

Minutes per Goal Involvement

153.62′

So far this year, the 28-year-old has already scored three goals and provided two assists in just 12 games, and now that the team seem to have turned a corner, he’ll probably become even more productive.

10 ST – Lucas Stassin

The final signing in the team is Saint-Étienne’s Belgian goal machine, Lucas Stassin.

According to one report, the Hammers might be able to sign the 20-year-old for a fee of €30m, which is about £27m, and while that is a lot, it would almost certainly be worth it.

For example, despite being so young, he racked up an impressive tally of 14 goals and eight assists in just 34 appearances last year, and has already produced seven goal involvements in 13 games this year.

That sort of return would make him an instant upgrade on the still useful but injury-prone Callum Wilson and the ideal replacement for Niclas Füllkrug, who has made it clear he wants out in January.

Liverpool are reportedly continuing to eye a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha, in what could be a stunning piece of transfer business.

The 25-year-old has matured into one of the best midfielders in the world currently, proving to be a key figure in PSG’s Champions League triumph last season and being hailed by former Portugal international Pedro Miguel Pauleta.

“It’s a huge pleasure to watch players of this quality. Is he the best midfielder in the world? He’s at a huge level, like Pedri at Barca. They remind me of Iniesta. Vitinha, he doesn’t lose the ball, he’s always well positioned. He knows how to do everything with the ball. He doesn’t make a mistake and doesn’t miss a pass. He has the confidence of his club. He’s a phenomenon.”

Vitinha has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent days, with one report even claiming that they are willing to table a monster £132m offer for him.

He is contracted with PSG until the summer of 2029, so big money will clearly be needed to prise him away, and a new claim has now emerged regarding the Reds’ interest in him.

How much PSG could sell Vitinha for amid Liverpool interest

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are “keeping a close eye” on Vitinha ahead of a potential move, with Reds scouts identifying him as “one of the most technically gifted midfielders in Europe”. Arsenal and Juventus are also in the mix.

The report adds that the Portugal star “fits the kind of profile that Liverpool have sought since the departure of Thiago”, in terms of his quality in tight areas and ability to dictate midfield battles. It is stated that an offer of around £115m could tempt PSG into selling – £18m cheaper than the above claim.

The idea of Liverpool signing Vitinha is a mouthwatering prospect, considering his status as a world-class footballer who is coming into the prime years of his career.

While the Reds are well-stocked in the middle of the park currently, the form of Alexis Mac Allister is a concern this season, with the Argentine looking jaded after playing so much football in recent years.

Granted, he is still only 26, so this is hopefully just a dip in form after injury problems, but he has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid and may need to be replaced at some point.

More than Wirtz: £36m Liverpool star is becoming a "serious issue" for Slot

Liverpool were condemned to a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Etihad.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 10, 2025

Either way, Liverpool should never pass up the opportunity to sign a player of Vitinha’s calibre, and the fact that he has some Premier League experience from his time at Wolves can only be a good thing.

FSG have signed a "Rolls-Royce" who could end Konate's Liverpool career

Nottingham Forest are on the lookout for solidity under Sean Dyche and could now be set to make an intriguing move courtesy of owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The Tricky Trees had a fairly ominous start to the Premier League campaign that culminated in the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, which was followed by Ange Postecoglou’s short tenure at the City Ground that ended under acrimonious circumstances.

Now, Dyche is the man at the helm and there is a feeling that improvement is starting to take shape on the River Trent, characterised in clear fashion by their convincing victory over Leeds United before the international break.

Ultimately, Forest are still in the relegation zone and have their work cut out to ensure they survive in the top-flight this campaign, though the fact that players such as Elliot Anderson are earning rave reviews from Thomas Tuchel is a reason for some optimism in the East Midlands.

Paying tribute to the Three Lions midfielder, the England coach labelled him as ‘one of the best midfielders in the Premier League’ before a routine victory in World Cup qualifying over Serbia, emphasising the value of his services that the Tricky Trees have at their disposal.

Even then, a tricky fixture at Anfield awaits for Forest on the other side of the international break before a quickfire double header against Malmö and Brighton, requiring squad rotation to make sure Dyche has fresh options to choose from.

Stability is something that hasn’t always been easy to come by at the City Ground, and club owner Marinakis doesn’t wait around when it is time to make a decision, something he could again demonstrate in January.

Nottingham Forest set for intriguing Christos Mouzakitis pursuit

According to Tuttosport, Nottingham Forest are among a clutch of clubs that are keen on Olympiacos star Christos Mouzakitis, who is also wanted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, AC Milan and Napoli.

Intriguingly, the Greek giants are owned by Marinakis, and he is said to be the one who will have the final say on his next destination amid their £30 million asking price for the 18-year-old midfielder.

Mouzakitis is described by Tuttosport as a player who’s ‘already one of the greatest talents in Greek football history’, with a clutch of Premier League sides taking notuce.

However, Forest may well have an edge given their close ties to the teenager via their owner.

Known to idolise AC Milan veteran Luka Modrić, Mouzakitis is a recipient of the TuttoSport Goldenboy Web Award and has registered two assists in 13 appearances this season across all competitions.

Nevertheless, he is under contract until 2029, and Olympiacos will hold the cards should a bidding war start to take place for his services, making it a tough ask for any suitors to land their man for anything less than a premium.

Either way, Marinakis could be the defining factor for Nottingham Forest in this one, and it may be worth keeping an eye to see what developments occur over the coming weeks and months.

Nottingham Forest could also be set to allow a surprise departure

Paris Saint-Germain have reignited their pursuit for Atletico Madrid start forward, Julian Alvarez. With Luis Enrique pushing for a dynamic No. 9 and Alvarez open to a Ligue 1 switch, PSG believe he is the missing piece in their evolution. But Atletico’s massive €120m valuation threatens to turn the chase.

• PSG rekindle their push for Alvarez

  Alvarez’s name has re-emerged at the top of PSG’s agenda, and this time, the French champions believe the door is wider than ever. Earlier this month, Alvarez revealed to in an interview with L'Equipe that PSG had already attempted to sign him back in 2024 when he left Manchester City. Even though he ultimately chose Atletico Madrid, the conversations with PSG were real and serious, and that interest has not faded.

  As reported by Sacha Tavolieri, Luis Enrique remains an enormous admirer of Alvarez’s all-round ability, his pressing intensity, positional intelligence, and capacity to operate both as a central striker and a roaming second forward. PSG want a new long-term No. 9, and Alvarez fits the profile exactly. Crucially, the Argentine is open to the move and is not considering a Premier League return despite interest from England.

  The only obstacle are Atletico, who have placed a €120m (£105m/$139m) valuation on him, a fee PSG view as excessive. While agreeing personal terms with the Argentinian would be straightforward, negotiating with Los Colchoneros may prove to be the real challenge.

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  From Haaland's shadow to Spain's most effective forward

  After joining City from River Plate, Alvarez grew into one of Europe’s most efficient forwards despite playing behind Erling Haaland. His two seasons under Pep Guardiola produced six major trophies, including a historic treble, and he contributed 36 goals in 103 matches. The 25-year-old even achieved the unprecedented feat of winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and World Cup in the same campaign.

  But Alvarez wanted a platform where he could start every week, and Atletico gave him that. Since his €75m (£66m/$87m) move in 2024, he has repaid the investment with astonishing productivity with 29 goals and eight assists in his first full season, and already nine goals with four assists in 15 matches this year. His adaptability across attacking positions, ability to press from the front, and instinct for decisive moments have made him one of LaLiga’s standout performers.

  Alvarez has also admitted that life in Spain keeps him in constant headlines, especially with Barcelona rumours swirling around. But when asked about PSG, he confirmed there were serious talks during his Atletico move and that he has never ruled out joining the French giants in the future.

• Will PSG break the bank for Alvarez?

  While Alvarez is open to the move, Atletico’s stance complicates the entire pursuit. The club believe his development, goal output, and contract running until 2030 justify their €120m asking price. PSG disagree and view that valuation as steep, especially since they want to strengthen other positions in the summer.

  Coach Enrique’s admiration only intensifies PSG’s motivation. Enrique’s system often functions without a traditional centre-forward, as seen when Ousmane Dembele operated as a false nine during PSG’s treble-winning season. Gonçalo Ramos has not cemented the role, leaving a natural opening for a striker who offers high pressing, tactical fluidity, and intelligence between the lines. Alvarez embodies all of that, a forward who works tirelessly, links play beautifully, and strikes decisively.

  PSG see him as a transformational signing. Atletico see him as non-negotiable unless a massive bid arrives. And Alvarez finds himself right in the middle, willing to listen if Paris make their move.

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  What's next for Alvarez?

  For Alvarez, the next step is about choosing the environment that maximises his long-term growth. He has already proven himself in England and Spain, winning trophies and delivering world-class performances in two very different systems. A move to PSG would hand him the keys to the No. 9 role under a coach who values his exact attributes and sees him as the centrepiece of the next attacking cycle.

  But staying at Atletico also has merit, he is thriving, scoring freely, and is firmly trusted by Diego Simeone. The question is whether Atletico’s conservative, counter-attacking approach limits his ceiling compared to the technical, possession-heavy football Enrique offers.

  What is clear is that Alvarez is entering his peak years. His next move or decision to stay will define the next chapter of his career.

It is likely KL Rahul will move up to open, leaving a batting spot in the middle order up for grabs

Nagraj Gollapudi08-May-20252:03

Who replaces Rohit as Test captain?

Other than captaincy, the other immediate impact of Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement is it has created an opening in India’s batting order. It is likely that KL Rahul will take Rohit’s opening slot, and if that happens, it opens up a middle-order slot. ESPNcricinfo looks at the most significant contenders, names that are understood to be pencilled in by the national selectors, who will soon finalise the squad for the five-Test series against England starting June 20.

Dhruv Jurel, 24 years

It was Jurel whom Rohit had replaced in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, having missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child. The solitary batter to impress, both in defence and attack, during the second unofficial Test for India A against Australia A in Melbourne, where he made 80 and 68, Jurel played as a specialist batter at No. 6 in Perth. It would end up being the only Test Jurel played on the tour, making 11 and 1.Related

• Rohit Sharma in Test cricket: a solid opener, yet a six-hitter

• High peaks, imperfect bookends: Rohit, the Test batter

• Gill leads the race for India's next Test captain after Rohit's retirement

While he is set to be picked again as back-up to Rishabh Pant, the Indian selectors have remained confident about Jurel, who has played four Tests, growing into a pure batter ever since he won the Player-of-the-Match award in his second Test, against England on a challenging Ranchi pitch last February.

Karun Nair, 33

How can Nair, who played last of his six Tests in 2017, even be part of this list? While it’s a valid question, you wouldn’t have asked that in case you were following the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, where Nair was among the chief architects in Vidarbha winning their third title. Nair, who was dropped by his home state Karnataka two years ago, moved to Vidarbha ahead of the domestic season in 2023-24 as a professional, and ended last season as the fourth-highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 863 runs in 16 innings at an average of nearly 50, including four centuries.A right-hand middle-order batter, Nair, who scored a triple ton against England in the Chennai Test in 2016-17, has a compact technique, and has vast first-class experience. Nair also featured for Northamptonshire in the Division 1 County Championships over the last two seasons: overall, in 14 innings, he scored 736 runs at an average of 56.61, with two centuries – including an undefeated 202.

B Sai Sudharsan, 23

Regarded as among the most talented batters in the domestic circuit, Sai Sudarsan has been on the fringes of India’s Test set-up for the last two years. Recognised for his temperament and sound technique, the Tamil Nadu left-hand batter bats predominantly in the middle order, although he has played in the top order too. Currently among the leading run-getters in the ongoing IPL 2025, where he’s playing for Gujarat Titans, Sai Sudarsan has also got decent county experience, with two stints with Surrey: first in 2023, and then last year, during which he scored 281 runs in eight innings at an average of 35.13, including 105 in his last match.

Sarfaraz Khan, 27

Last October, Sarfaraz was “fighting” for one middle-sorder slot with Rahul during the home series against England. With an entertaining 150 in the second innings in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, which featured some unorthodox but bold strokeplay, Sarfaraz retained his spot for the remaining two Tests in that series, while the more experienced Rahul sat out.However, Sarfaraz, who had made his debut against England earlier in 2024 after several successful seasons in domestic cricket, was part of the collective batting failure in the final two Tests of the New Zealand series, failing to go past 11 in four innings. Though he was part of India’s squad for the Australia tour that followed, Sarfaraz, who has played six Tests, failed to get an opportunity and returned home with a single run, which he scored in the tour match against PM’s XI. Since then, though, Sarfaraz has not played any competitive cricket due to a rib injury.

Liverpool have lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions after they were hammered 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Premier League champions have now lost five of their 11 matches in the division so far this season, per Sofascore, after losing four of their 38 games in the 2024/25 campaign.

After the match, as shown in the clip above, former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane suggested that the Reds should not be considered in the race for the title, and it is hard to argue with.

The current run of form, their position in the league, and their performance against Manchester City do not suggest that they are likely to retain their crown in the 2025/26 campaign.

Liverpool’s current situation is particularly frustrating for the club when you consider the significant money that they splashed on new signings during the summer transfer window in a bid to strengthen their squad.

Attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record, at the time, fee of £116m, yet he failed to make an impact once again.

Why Liverpool should be worried about Florian Wirtz

It is fair to expect that a £116m signing would be able to make a fairly immediate impact for the club, but he has been anonymous far too often in his Liverpool career so far.

The Germany international produced 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which led to the Reds splashing a gigantic fee on his services.

This shows that he has the technical ability to make an impact in the final third. That was further evidenced by his two assists against a Bundesliga team in Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last month.

However, the physicality and intensity of the Premier League has proven a bit too much for Wirtz when it comes to making an impact with goals and assists at the top end of the pitch.

Per Sofascore, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder has no goals and no assists in 11 appearances in the division for Liverpool since his £116m transfer to Anfield in the summer.

Minutes

83

Pass accuracy

88%

Crosses completed

0/2

Key passes

0

Big chances created

0

Shots

2

Shots on target

0

Duels won

4/8

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday lacked substance, with no shots on target, key passes, or ‘big chances’ created.

He was efficient in his passing and won half of his duels, to his credit, but his lack of physicality meant that he was unable to really threaten the Cityzens backline, marshalled brilliantly by Ruben Dias.

Liverpool should, therefore, be worried because his performances are not improving and his only goal contributions, outside of the Community Shield, came against a Bundesliga team.

Wirtz needs to adjust to the intensity of the English game, and quickly, to start proving why the Reds were right to spend so much money on his signature this year.

Chalkboard

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

The Germany international is not the only player whose performances are concerning, though, as central defender Ibrahima Konate put in another disappointing display.

Why Ibrahima Konate should be dropped by Liverpool

The French centre-back must be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up by Arne Slot when the team returns to action after the international break, because he put in a dismal showing against City.

For the opening goal from Erling Haaland, Konate was unable to time his jump correctly and allowed the Norwegian giant to beat him to the header, which landed in the back of the net.

That was followed up by some passive defending in the second half for the third goal. Jeremy Doku seemed destined to cut onto his right foot to shoot from distance, but Konate did not shape his body to react to the situation and allowed the shot to come in almost uncontested.

The France international, who was called “horrific” by Liverpool supporter Lawrie on X, was even worse than Wirtz against Pep Guardiola’s side, as he made costly errors for two of the three goals, whilst the German midfielder simply did not do much of note.

Whilst Wirtz, at least, won half of his duels in the game, Konate struggled with the physical challenge posed by Haaland, which is not a surprise given the Norway international’s presence and style of play.

Minutes

90

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

1/3

Dribbles

0

Shots

0

As you can see in the table above, the former RB Leipzig man lost the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, which shows that he was far too easy to beat in duels throughout the match.

On top of that, the central defender did not step in to make a single tackle or interception, and did not attempt any dribbles to get his team up the pitch to bypass the first line of City’s press.

Passive was the word of the day for Liverpool and Konate, as evidenced by both the result and his individual statistics, which is why Slot may want to shake things up with some changes to his starting line-up after the break.

The France international could find himself out of the team when the Reds next play, with Joe Gomez waiting in the wings for his chance to start at the heart of the defence next to Virgil van Dijk.

Man City fans' brutal chant sums up Florian Wirtz's time at Liverpool

The German struggled, yet again, for the Reds against Manchester City.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 9, 2025

Whilst it is now down to Slot to decide whether or not that is the right call to make, Konate’s performance on Sunday has given the manager a decision to make.