While Handscomb’s batting technique has been widely dissected and analysed, Australia captain Tim Paine stressed that Mitchell Marsh’s bowling was a significant factor in the selectors’ decision
Melinda Farrell in Melbourne25-Dec-20183:46
‘Kohli is up for a contest regardless of who’s watching’ – Paine
Australia have left the door open for Peter Handscomb to return to the side for the final Test against India after he was dropped in favour of Mitchell Marsh for the Boxing Day Test.Handscomb made a total of 68 runs across four innings in the first two Tests of the series, but he was in the running for a place in the team before being left out partly because of his strength of batting against spin on what may be a slow MCG pitch. Speaking ahead of the match, Tim Paine , the captain, acknowledged it would be a blow for Handscomb to be dropped midway through the series but suggested there could be a way back for him into the squad for the Sydney Test with some improvements.”Pete knows there’s things we’d like him to work on and improve and he’s going to be around the group this week and going to Sydney, a place where it normally spins,” Paine said. “I think Pete will come back into the fold pretty quickly because he’s renowned as probably our best player of spin. He’s got things to work on like we all do. We all want to get better every day and I know he’ll be doing everything he can to get back in the side.”I’m sure Pete would be upset, but you know I think he’s had conversations with the selectors that there’s a few things that they would like him to work on and Pete’s open to that. We know that Pete, at his best, is going to score a lot of Test runs and, not just his batting, he brings a hell of a lot to our side in terms of his fielding, his experience and just the way he generally goes about his cricket.”So we love having him around the group and we’re sure he’ll score a lot more runs for Australia.”Last summer, Handscomb was replaced by Marsh after two Tests, playing in the Brisbane and Adelaide matches against England before missing the final three Tests. Amid the fallout of the Newlands scandal, he joined the XI for the final Test in Johannesburg but after he failed to make runs for Australia A in India, he was left out of the squad for the two-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in October.While Handscomb’s batting technique has been widely dissected and analysed, Paine stressed that Marsh’s bowling was a significant factor in the selectors’ decision.”We did it last year in the Ashes as well and again the majority of this decision has been made around the fact that it’s a long series,” said Paine. “We’ve played a lot of hot days and our bowlers have big workloads so we think Mitch can come in and do a really good job with the bat and, obviously, he’ll be great support for our bowlers.”
There aren’t many better feelings than watching your team home and away.
Win, lose or draw, we’re there to support our beloved clubs whether it be at the home ground or as part of a tiny away section.
League One in particular is as competitive as ever, containing some historic names of English football, and so with that comes a number of must-visit grounds.
Focusing on the third tier, Football FanCast has ranked the top ten away days in League One which you should be looking to embark on if your team ever gets the chance.
For this list, we've considered the area, affordability, potential nearby activities and the stadiums themselves when coming up with the best away trips League One has to offer.
10 The Valley – Charlton Athletic
We are kicking things off in the capital, in particular Greenwich, where we have The Valley.
This is the home of Charlton Athletic, who were playing Premier League football as recently as 2007, but have since hit a bump in the road.
Fans of the Addicks currently find themselves struggling to get out of League One, but they do have an excellent stadium to show off with a capacity of over 27,000.
Visiting such a big stadium at this level of course means that a sizeable away allocation comes with it as well – a couple of thousand are able to attend.
Given that Charlton is London, it is easy enough to make a weekend out of a clash with this team, as there is no shortage of activities and pubs and whatnot in the surrounding area.
One slight downfall, though, is that with the location comes more expensive drinks than fans from further afield may be used to.
Away day rating: 6/10
9 Memorial Stadium – Bristol Rovers
Travelling further west to Bristol now, which is a two-team city.
Bristol Rovers and Bristol City divide the land in blue and red and it is the latter who are the more established, having been in the Championship consistently for nearly a decade now.
Rovers are the team going under our microscope with their ground, the Memorial Stadium.
The stadium itself has a capacity of just over 12,000, so whilst it may not be competing with the venues that have graced the top flight, it is still very impressive.
Rovers originally spent 89 years at Eastville Stadium but left there in 1986 and then moved to the Mem ten years later.
Away day rating: 6/10
8 Weston Homes Stadium – Peterborough United
Iconic stadiums losing their names to sponsors is a plight that is working its way through the EFL.
Peterborough United’s London Road is the first victim on this list, but the Weston Homes Stadium is certainly not as bad as another that will feature later on.
The Posh is a highly regarded club, this reputation being boosted by the openness shown by owner and chairman Darragh MacAnthony when it comes to the dealings in the transfer windows.
Peterborough has a historic cathedral if that is something that piques your interest before or after your team goes to battle with the Cambridgeshire side. Beyond that, there is a fair amount of general history on show and as the location suggests – Cambridge isn’t far away at all, either.
London Road is another stadium that holds a very respectable capacity, which is in excess of 15,000, with the possibility of a great atmosphere from home and away supporters.
Away day rating: 6/10
7 Pride Park – Derby County
Derby County are the first club to creep beyond the 6/10 mark and hit the heights of a very respectable seven.
They are another team who have played top-flight football in the Premier League era, although they do of course hold that haunting record for the lowest points tally.
Pride Park is where they call home, and according to BetVictor, this is the best ground in all of League One.
GiveMeSport states that season ticket price, price per game, stadium utilisation, total mileage, number of votes, atmosphere, location, stadium view, infrastructure and food were the various criteria that were assessed in BetVictor’s study.
Back in 1888, Derby were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League, showing just how steeped in history they are, making them a shoo-in for this list.
Away day rating: 7/10
6 St James’ Park – Exeter City
St James’ Park is a famous location up in Newcastle but also down south as well, with Exeter City having a ground of their very own going by the same name as the Magpies’.
Exeter are very proud of their reputation of being a fan-run club and so that quickly endears them to the football purists who come to visit in Devon.
The Grecians are a loud and proud group of supporters, with their clashes against local rivals Plymouth Argyle always being extremely fierce whether it's at Home Park or St James’.
There is a standing area and a seated area for away fans at Exeter, which is a nice touch, and with a fine city just minutes away from the ground, the stadium itself is worth a visit.
Away day rating: 7/10
5 Bloomfield Road – Blackpool
Returning to the trend of former Premier League teams, Blackpool reached those particular heights with Charlie Adam as captain and Rob Edwards and Ian Evatt also featuring – a pair who now manage Luton Town and Bolton Wanderers respectively.
Blackpool is known for having its infamous tower, the Pleasure Beach, waterparks and a zoo.
Once again, this is a location which would be suitable for the family, so a weekend getaway could be arranged around the main event of a football match.
Bloomfield Road has a capacity of 17,625, with the figures for away fans able to creep into four figures once again.
The presence of plentiful empty seats does lead to Blackpool being marked down, but it remains a desirable location for away fans, for sure.
Away day rating: 7/10
4 Kassam Stadium – Oxford United
Peterborough United affords you the chance of visiting Cambridge, while the other famous university city can be attended when your team goes toe-to-toe with Oxford United.
People of an older generation may know Oxford’s home as Grenoble Road, but it is now known as the Kassam Stadium in honour of Firoz Kassam, who owned the club between 1999 and 2006 as well as having a stint as chairman.
Kassam paid just £1 for the club due to the financial difficulties they were enduring at the time.
Oxford is considered to be a great place to visit, while as of 2021, it was named as the eighth-most expensive area in the country to buy a pint, so visiting fans will have to be wary when they flock to the nearby pubs.
Away day rating: 8/10
3 Toughsheet Community Stadium – Bolton Wanderers
Weston Homes Stadium isn’t the best name around, but that is nothing compared to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
There have been a lot of changes to the name of Bolton Wanderers’ home, from the Reebok Stadium to the University of Bolton Stadium and now to this.
But this name is one of very few blemishes on an away day to Bolton, in truth, with the size of the stadium certainly working in their favour.
Referring back to BetVictor’s research, Bolton ranked 14th in the entire Football League. This put the Trotters ahead of Premier League grounds such as Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United to name just a few.
Away day rating: 9/10
Newcastle fans against Arsenal at home
The top ten away days in the Premier League – ranked
An away day is one of the best parts of being a football fan, but which is the best in the Premier League? Football FanCast has taken a look.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2023 2 Oakwell – Barnsley
Barnsley join Bolton at an away day rating of 9/10, but the former gets the slight edge, and finishes second on the list as a result.
Oakwell is an old-school, classic ground for football and Barnsley in general are a club with a lot of history.
They are firmly ingrained in the landscape of England from a football perspective which makes it a worthwhile away day instantly.
The club doesn’t own the stadium anymore, with the council having to take over to save the club from facing extinction, and whilst they have gone from the Championship play-offs to League One in just a couple of years, Barnsley remains a massive club that deserves a lot of respect and admiration.
Away day rating: 9/10
1 Fratton Park – Portsmouth
There aren’t many better grounds that one can visit in the EFL than Fratton Park.
The University of Portsmouth labels itself as “one of the most affordable UK cities for university students”, and why can’t that carry over to football fans wanting to frequent the pubs, particularly when “the cost of a pint [is] averaged at £4.51, one pound cheaper than London.”
We have no notes for Pompey, it is a club with a great following in a nice area and Fratton Park is the best stadium in League One, all things considered.
Recent allegations will be in the mind of the tourists in Australia, says former Sri Lankan batsman
Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane23-Jan-2019
Dinesh Chandimal has a chat with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images
Russel Arnold believes that trust will “take a beating” in the Sri Lankan game following the raft of corruption allegations in recent times, to the extent that even team-mates may not feel able to trust each other.There is currently an ICC amnesty in place for anyone to come forward with further information. This, after charges against three former players, including Sanath Jayasuriya and Nuwan Zoysa, under the anti-corruption code.Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman who is part of the commentary team for the upcoming two-Test series against Australia, said that though the current players will do all they can to shut out the distractions, there must be some lingering doubts.”Anything around will certainly worry players, they are all human, even we are feeling a little nervy about what we are hearing, with the allegations we still don’t know exactly where things are,” he said.”But trust does take a beating, you tend to wonder what the hell is going on. I would be surprised if none of this is in the back of their mind, whether they can trust their team-mate, whether they can trust anyone’s instructions or gameplans, it has to worry them.”ALSO READ: Sanath Jayasuriya states his ‘integrity and transparency’ in wake of ACU chargesWhen Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka Test captain, was asked about the impact of the corruption investigations, he said, “I don’t have any comments on that.”The ICC initially launched investigations in late 2017 following allegations made by former seamer Pramodya Wickramasinghe, which led to current players, including Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, writing a letter to the Sri Lanka board asking for the “baseless allegations” to be addressed.Since then, the most significant charges laid have been those against Jayasuriya for actions during his second stint as chairman of selectors relating to a one-day series against Zimbabwe in 2017.Earlier this week, the head of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, Alex Marshall, urged more people to come forward if they had information.”I am encouraged by the number of people that have come forward and the new information we’re receiving as a result. This intelligence is assisting our ongoing and wide-ranging investigations in Sri Lanka as well us enabling us to continue to develop a comprehensive picture of the situation there,” he said.”I would urge any more players or participants who have any information concerning corrupt conduct to come forward over the next week and share it with us in the strictest of confidence without any fear of repercussions.”Sri Lanka sports minister Harin Fernando recently met with Marshall, and though he believed the problems stemmed more from the administrators than the players, he acknowledged that the issue was widespread.”Sri Lanka is being ranked one of the top countries for cricket corruption,” Fernando told . “They told me that the problem was not limited to bookies, but even the local game’s links with the underworld.”Fernando also alleged in a recent interview with , that there had been attempts to even bribe him to influence team selection, and that he had promptly reported that information to Marshall and the ACU. An investigation is understood to be under way about that incident as well.(With inputs from Andrew Fidel Fernando)
Revelado pela Ferroviária, o atacante Fabrício Daniel surgiu como grande promessa na Copa São Paulo de 2016 e logo foi contratado pelo Santos para reforçar a equipe da Baixada mas não foi o mesmo artilheiro que se mostrou na Copinha e ficou abaixo do rendimento esperado.
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Após atuar pelo Cianorte, Noroeste e Cuiabá, o artilheiro se reencontrou com o faro de gol com a camisa do Mirassol, se tornando um dos destaques do time. No Leão, foram 11 gols na Série D que ajudaram muito a equipe conquistar o acesso ao Campeonato Brasileiro da Série C. Fabrício também balançou as redes duas vezes nos jogos contra o Altos na semifinal e cravou sua importância no clube.
-Fico muito feliz com o momento que estou vivendo. Para mim é muito especial poder, principalmente, ajudar o Mirassol. Os gols são fruto do nosso trabalho no dia a dia. Treinamos muito forte e sempre soubemos o que queríamos dentro da Série D – comentou o atacante sobre a sua boa fase.
Na grande final, o Mirassol irá enfrentar o Floresta, que eliminou o Novorizontino nas semifinais e jogará o primeiro jogo em casa, com a partida da volta a ser disputada na casa do Leão, pois teve melhor campanha na primeira fase, conquistando 26 pontos contra 24 do adversário da final.
– Sabemos que o Floresta vem fazendo um grande trabalho. Conseguiram eliminar duas grandes equipes e por isso sabemos que teremos dois confrontos duríssimos. Espero dar continuidade no bom momento e ajudar a equipe conquistar esse tão sonhado título nacional – completou.
Once again in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, Manchester United find themselves at something of a crossroads, with a decision to be made whether to stick or twist with regard to manager, Erik ten Hag.
In years gone by, a run of 12 defeats in 24 games this season would have seen many managers shown the door, yet the Dutchman's fine work last season – as well as the continued off-field uncertainty at Old Trafford – is seemingly working in his favour.
With goodwill toward the former Ajax man quickly depleting, however, he will need to start putting together a consistent run of results sooner rather than later, or risk going the way of his predecessors.
One potential short-term solution for the 53-year-old could be to look to the January window in order to acquire fresh recruits, with recent reports indicating that the United boss may potentially be able to bolster his backline with the signing of AC Milan titan, Fikayo Tomori.
Man Utd transfer news – Fikayo Tomori
According to Italian outlet Milan Web, the Red Devils are seemingly 'pressing' to secure the signing of the former Chelsea man, with the 25-year-old having caught the eye amid his standout showings at San Siro in recent years.
The report indicates that United's interest in the centre-back is only likely to get 'stronger', albeit with doubts persisting over whether the Serie A side would sanction a sale next month – thus making a summer move perhaps more likely.
AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori.
Either way, if the Englishman is signed in the winter or at the end of the season, Ten Hag and co could potentially be able to strike something of a bargain, with the one-time Derby County loanee seemingly available for 'just' €40m (£34m).
While the indication is that the player would command a 'large salary', such an investment could well be worthwhile for the Premier League side – particularly amid reports that Raphael Varane could be on his way in 2024.
Fikayo Tomori's style of play
Despite Tomori having been unable to truly establish himself at Stamford Bridge prior to moving to Milan in 2021, United should have little concern over his ability to thrive back in English football, particularly amid his apparent likeness to current Old Trafford star, Lisandro Martinez.
That statistical and stylistic likeness – which is noted by FBref – should well pique the interest of those in Manchester, with Martinez notably thriving in his debut season last term, proving to be an "absolute monster" at the back, in the words of teammate Luke Shaw.
While the Argentine has been sidelined by injury for much of the current impact, his impact in 2022/23 was simply colossal following his arrival from Ajax, having arguably been one of the "best signings" in "years", according to club legend, Patrice Evra.
The hope would be that Tomori would be able to replicate that success in a United shirt if a deal was to be agreed, with the similarity between the pair evident due to their defensive prowess, with the Englishman averaging 2.12 tackles and 1.71 blocks per 90 across the last 365 days, while Martinez only just ahead as he averages 2.46 and 1.94 for those same two metrics, respectively.
The duo are also both adept on the ball, with Tomori ranking in the top 19% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, while his United counterpart ranks in the top 16% in that regard.
Such all-round brilliance was only recently evident as Stefano Pioli's side defeated Newcastle United in the Champions League in midweek, with the Canada-born sensation producing a stunning goalline block, while also going close to getting himself on the scoresheet late on – only to see his effort cannon off the post.
That "masterful performance" – as described by journalist Matteo Bonetti – was further proof of the strides that the five-cap international has made since leaving west London, having also claimed the Serie A title back in 2022.
To then acquire such a talent to potentially partner Martinez moving forward could well spell bad news for renaissance man, Harry Maguire, with the 30-year-old likely to be fearing for his long-term role in the side.
How Tomori compares to Harry Maguire
Cast your mind back to the summer, when for all the world it looked like Maguire was heading for the exit, with rumours rife regarding a possible move to West Ham United, while the former Leicester City man was also stripped of the captaincy by Ten Hag.
As fate would have it, the £80m man stayed to try and fight for his place at Old Trafford, with that persistence and self-belief paying off as he has since forced his way back to becoming a first-team regular of late – even winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for November.
For all the plaudits flooding his way, however, it remains to be seen if Maguire will remain Ten Hag's go-to man in 2024, particularly with reports suggesting last season that the defender's 'sluggish pace' was deemed an issue.
Adding a younger, more mobile option like Tomori – who has been lauded for his "great physical attributes" by Milan legend, Franco Baresi – could then see Maguire return to his place on the bench, with the ex-Blues star seemingly outperforming his compatriot this season.
Tomori vs Maguire – 2023/24 league stats
Stat
Tomori
Maguire
Games (Starts)
14 (14)
11 (9)
Goals/assists
2/0
0/1
Pass accuracy
91%
83%
Clean sheets
5
3
Interceptions per game
1.2
1.2
Tackles per game
1.9
0.9
Balls recovered per game
5.3
3.6
Total duels
60%
60%
Possession lost per game
7.3
9.5
Stats via Sofascore
As shown in bold in the table above, it is Tomori who comes out on top in almost every metric, indicating the possible upgrade that Ten Hag could have on his hands in the heart of the backline.
Maguire is undoubtedly shining at present, but whether this recent resurgence continues remains to be seen…
حسم التعادل السلبي دون أهداف مواجهة نانت وتولوز، في إطار منافسات الدوري الفرنسي “ليج 1”.
وواجه نانت نظيره تولوز، في إطار مباريات الجولة الأولى من الدوري الفرنسي على ملعب “تولوز البلدي”.
وشارك مصطفى محمد في لقاء اليوم بديلاً عن سيمون بحلول الدقيقة 75 من عمر الشوط الثاني.
اقرأ ايضاً.. سلوت يوجه رسالة غير مباشرة لإدارة ليفربول بشأن مستقبل محمد صلاح
شهد الشوط الأول أفضلية نسبية في الاستحواذ لصالح صاحب الأرض تولوز مع إهدار فرصة محققة للتسجيل عند الدقيقة 27.
وواصل تولوز سيطرته على مجريات اللقاء في الشوط الثاني، وسط تراجع تام من لاعبي نانت للدفاع عن مرمى فريقهم.
وبهذه النتيجة، يحصد كل من نانت وتولوز نقطة واحدة ليتواجدا في المركز التاسع والعاشر بترتيب الدوري الفرنسي.
جدير بالذكر أن المواجهة المقبلة لفريق نانت ستكون أمام خصمه أوكسير في الجولة الثانية لمنافسات الدوري الفرنسي، الأحد الموافق 25 أغسطس، على ملعب “لا بوجوار”. ملخص لمسات مصطفي محمد امام تولوز في الدوري الفرنسي
O técnico Dudu Patetuci convocou 23 atletas para um período preparatório da Seleção Brasileira Sub-18. Entre eles, estão dois jogadores do Flamengo: o goleiro Kauã e o atacante Werton, chamados para vestirem a Amarelinha pela primeira vez. Os garotos participarão das atividades – incluindo duas partidas – no CT do Retrô FC, em Recife, entre os dias 25 de fevereiro e 5 de março.
– Feliz demais pela minha primeira convocação – publicou Werton nesta sexta.
Werton tem 17 anos – completará 18 em setembro – e, na última temporada, já atuou na equipe Sub-20 do Flamengo. Em dezembro, assinou seu primeiro contrato profissional com o clube, válido até o fim de 2023 e com multa de 50 milhões de euros. O goleiro Kauã é ainda mais jovem: fez 17 anos em janeiro.
O técnico Dudu Patuteci falou sobre os objetivos do período de treinamento.
-Nosso objetivo é realizar algumas observações após as finais dos torneios nacionais sub-17. As competições mostraram jogadores com muito talento, que se destacaram para representar o Brasil. Temos 11 atletas convocados pela primeira vez para a Seleção Brasileira nessa lista. Será uma oportunidade para vê-los de perto – afirmou o treinador da Seleção Brasileira Sub-18.
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أعلن نادي ليفربول، في بيان رسمي منذ قليل، توقيع أولى صفقاته الصيفية خلال موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي لعام 2024.
ولم يبرم ليفربول أي صفقة تحت قيادة المدرب الجديد آرني سلوت، قبل أن يعلن أولى تعاقداته مساء يوم الثلاثاء.
وحسبما جاء في بيان ليفربول، فإن النادي توصل إلى اتفاق بشأن الحصول على خدمات حارس مرمى فريق فالنسيا جيورجي مامارداشفيلي.
وأوضح ليفربول أن جيورجي مامارداشفيلي سينضم إلى ليفربول بشرط الحصول على تصريح العمل والتصريح الدولي.
اقرأ أيضًا.. رسميًا.. ليفربول يعلن رحيل لاعبه
وأشار إلى أن الحارس صاحب الـ23 عامًا لن يلعب مع ليفربول هذا الموسم، حيث سيظل رفقة فالنسيا في موسم 2024/25 على سبيل الإعارة، قبل انضمامه إلى الريدز الموسم القادم.
وانضم الحارس الجورجي إلى فالنسيا في عام 2021، وقضى 3 سنوات مع النادي الإسباني حيث قدم أداءً مميزًا لفت أنظار ليفربول.
وتبلغ الرسوم المالية لتلك الصفقة 30 مليون يورو، إلى جانب إضافات تبلغ 5 ملايين يورو.
India’s chairman of selectors says virtually all 15 spots for the World Cup in May have been sealed
Nagraj Gollapudi10-Feb-20195:28
I was surprised when asked to bat at No. 3 – Vijay Shankar
Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar and Ajinkya Rahane are all in contention for a World Cup berth, according to India’s chairman of selectors MSK Prasad. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Prasad said the selectors have virtually sealed the 15 spots barring the “one odd” position, which would be firmed up before the deadline set by the ICC to pick the final squad.If Pant is a “healthy headache”, Vijay, who is seen as a batting allrounder, has brought in a new “dimension” to the World Cup selection with his impressive performances in the New Zealand series this month, Prasad said.”Undoubtedly he (Pant) is in contention,” Prasad said. “A healthy headache. The progression of Rishabh in the last one year is phenomenal across the formats. What we actually felt is he needs a bit of maturity now, gain more experience. That is reason we have included him in India A series wherever possible.”Pant might have only played three ODIs – all against West Indies in 2018 – but his good form in Test cricket and for India A in the last year has received a positive appraisal from the selectors. Prasad admitted about thinking of Pant as a “thick-skinned” person, but that feeling has now been replaced by that of a young player who is showing maturity at the highest level and commitment to the team’s cause.Along with Dinesh Karthik, Pant was earlier seen as the back-up wicketkeeper for MS Dhoni. However, with Karthik having settled down in the lower order in the past 12 months, the selectors are now looking if Pant can be included as a specialist batsman.Ajinkya Rahane plays a lofted drive•Kerala Cricket Association
That position might have opened up also because of the weak form of KL Rahul since the South Africa tour last year across the three formats. In this period, Rahul has just played three ODIs – all during the England tour – and was recently suspended by the BCCI over an off-field controversy. Prasad pointed out that although Rahul was still in the race, he could jump over the competition now only by scoring runs.In contrast, Vijay has now leapt into contention with a promising display during the T20I series in New Zealand, where he was asked to bat at No. 3 in Virat Kohli’s absence. After India lost the series in Hamilton, the Tamil Nadu allrounder said he was “surprised” to bat at No. 3, where he made a 28-ball 43.Prasad agreed that Vijay would be the fourth allrounder in the pool of 20 players the selectors have drawn up to then pick the final 15. “In whatever opportunities he has got, Vijay Shankar has shown the skillsets required at this level. We have been grooming him through India A tours in the last two years. But we will have to see where he can fit in the dynamics of this team.”Until the England tour last year, Rahul was being seen as the third opener by the selectors. With him struggling to find form, the selectors have been forced to look for other options which is possibly why Rahane is once again part of the deliberations.Although he has not played for India in ODIs since last year’s South Africa tour, Rahane has been consistent in List A cricket this season: 597 runs in 11 innings at an average of 74.62 with two big hundreds and three fifties. Two of those fifties came recently for India A in the unofficial ODI series against England Lions in Thiruvananthapuram last month. However, Rahane’s strike rate during these 11 innings has been 77.83; in not even one of those innings did he score at more than run a ball. It was probably his scoring rate that had seen him being left out of the India ODI side last year.”In domestic cricket he has been in form,” Prasad said. “He is very much in contention for the World Cup.”
There is no denying that Everton have responded courageously in the face of adversity of late, notably picking up four successive Premier League victories in the early weeks of December, despite suffering the blow of receiving a ten-point deduction.
At that stage, it looked as if the Toffees would still be able to comfortably stave off the drop even with that hefty points deduction, although the situation has shifted dramatically of late, with Sean Dyche's men now just a point above the relegation zone.
With Luton Town picking up successive wins and with the Goodison outfit losing to both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City over the Christmas period, the club's top-flight survival now looks far less like a certainty.
With Dyche and co now in need of a positive result away to Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow afternoon to help lift the mood, the former Burnley boss could make two changes to his starting lineup.
1 GK – Jordan Pickford
Wednesday's defeat to the champions is not one that Jordan Pickford will look back on fondly, with the England international playing his part in the eventual 3-1 loss, notably squandering possession in the build-up to Bernardo Silva's late stunner.
That moment of madness had come after the experienced stopper was also beaten from range by Phil Foden, although it would be a real shock to see him dropped at Molineux.
Tasked with curtailing the impact of Jack Grealish down the left flank, Nathan Patterson 'worked hard to defend doggedly' in midweek – as per Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley – and deserves to keep his place.
Now regularly taking on the captain's armband in the absence of Seamus Coleman, Tarkowski will be seeking to continue his run of starting in every Premier League game this season and should be fit to feature despite sitting out training on Thursday with a knock.
4 CB – Jarrad Branthwaite
jake-o'brien-jarrad-branthwaite-everton-opinion
The in-demand gem continues to put himself in the shop window with his sparkling displays at the heart of the defence, having looked so composed again in midweek, recording a solid 92% pass accuracy rate and losing possession on just four occasions.
5 LB – Vitaliy Mykolenko
Fresh from 'another smart showing' against Pep Guardiola's men, as per Beesley, the Ukrainian full-back will be trusted yet again from the start against Gary O'Neil's men.
6 CM – Andre Gomes
Andre Gomes
While the Portuguese playmaker was not at his best in midweek – recording just 22 touches in his 65-minute outing – his return from injury has been a welcome sight for the Toffees, with a run of games needed to get him back up to full speed.
7 CM – James Garner
Everton midfielder James Garner.
While Amadou Onana was harshly penalised for handball on Wednesday night, that came amid an all-round difficult display for the Belgian as he lost the ball on 12 occasions and won just two duels, putting his place in the starting XI at risk for the trip to the Midlands.
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If the former Lille man is to return to the bench, it could see James Garner drop back into a slightly deeper role, with Idrissa Gueye sidelined and Abdoulaye Doucoure facing a late fitness test.
8 RM – Jack Harrison
Everton's loan forward Jack Harrison.
It was Harrison who got Everton off to the perfect start in midweek after netting against his former employers, taking his season tally to two goals and three assists in the top flight in the process.
9 CAM – Arnaut Danjuma
Everton forward Arnaut Danjuma.
Amid the doubts surrounding Doucoure's fitness, it could be a rare chance for Danjuma to line up from the start, with the on-loan forward making just three league starts this season.
While typically an option from the flanks, the Netherlands international can also feature more centrally – as he did when scoring 16 goals during the 2021/22 campaign for Villarreal.
10 LM – Dwight McNeil
Everton winger Dwight McNeil.
So often the man to unlock the door for his side, Dwight McNeil – who leads the way among his Toffees teammates with five assists – will yet again provide quality service from the flanks, having teed up Harrison in midweek.