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The Lahore Qalandars batter played for the franchise as an emerging player, but his registration appears to have contravened the PSL’s own rules

Danyal Rasool10-Jun-2025What is the emerging category?Since the start of the PSL in 2016, the league developed a category to propel talented young players into the spotlight. Each side was required to field at least one in every game; current rules stipulate each franchise must have at least two in their squad.What classifies a player as an emerging cricketer?This is somewhat loosely defined, and, as a result, poorly understood; more than one franchise ESPNcricinfo spoke to said they were unclear on the eligibility. Basically, players need to be under 23, and should not have played in the Pakistan national team. More recently, the PCB made an exception for players discovered under their talent hunt programmes, such as the Lahore Qalandars Player Development Programme, which, in certain cases, permits players over the age of 23 to be registered as emerging players.Mohammad Naeem raised three half-centuries during the season•PCBDid those exceptions apply to Naeem?That’s what everyone believed. Naeem was Qalandars’ emerging player in the line-up for all but one game. Qalandars have said they picked Naeem through their player development programme, and invested in him over the years. Since he was registered under the talent hunt discovery programme, he was exempt from the age requirement. Naeem is 26.However, according to the players draft guide from 2017 – the most recent edition that is publicly available – any player to have played competitive domestic cricket becomes ineligible to be registered as an emerging player. At the time, the rules excluded anyone who played Under-19 cricket, too, which Naeem did in 2017. His profile on the PCB’s official website lists him as having played for the FATA Region U-19s.In 2023, before making his PSL debut, he also played senior competitive domestic cricket with regional side FATA.How was he registered as an emerging player, then?This is at the heart of the controversy. When ESPNcricinfo reached out to the PSL, they sent a document insisting Naeem was correctly registered as an emerging player. It said that Qalandars “nominated and protected Mohammad Naeem prior to his debut in competitive domestic cricket in December 2023”. It went on to say that the rules allowed for him to be “protected until the next draft cycle” and that no other franchises raised any concerns at the time.Related

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The rules mentioned by the PSL’s statement to ESPNcricinfo do not appear in any official document publicly available that concerns the rules governing emerging players. ESPNcricinfo could not find any official update to the draft guide in 2017, which is notable since the PSL’s statement referenced rules governing talent hunt discovery programmes over the past five years.A copy of the playing conditions from 2023 on the PCB’s website does not detail what constitutes an emerging player, and does not mention the talent hunt discovery programme.What do the other franchises think?Multiple franchises that ESPNcricinfo reached out to said they were not aware of this stipulation. Nearly all believed that Naeem’s inclusion under the emerging rules – as they understood them – was a mistake. Karachi Kings nominated and protected fast bowler Fasih Ali, and were under the impression he would lose his emerging status if he went on to play competitive domestic cricket over the next years, as Naeem did.The PSL’s statement mentioned three times that none of the franchises objected at the time of Naeem’s registration. Every franchise ESPNcricinfo spoke to accepted this, though more than one pointed out the obligation upon the PSL to enforce its own rules did not hinge on objections from the franchises.Did Naeem’s performances significantly help Qalandars?Demonstrably so. Naeem was the eighth-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 314 runs including three half-centuries. None of the seven who scored more matched his strike rate of 162.69.What happens now?Well, nothing. Other franchises told ESPNcricinfo they wished to put this behind them and move on, but hoped that the rules would be more clearly spelled out in future. There is no indication of any wrongdoing by Qalandars, given the PSL accepted the franchise’s registration of Naeem as an emerging player. Naeem will no longer be able to be registered as an emerging player in the PSL’s next edition.

Despite dropped points at the Stadium of Light, Arsenal supporters are rightly feeling generally pretty good about things.

On Saturday night, goals from Bukayo Saka and then Leandro Trossard turned the game around and had the Gunners on course for a precious three points on Wearside, only for Sunderland to snatch a 94th minute equaliser.

Prior to this, Mikel Arteta’s team had won ten successive matches across all competitions, keeping eight consecutive clean sheets too, equaling the club record set in 1903, so go into a huge week in which they’ll take on Tottenham, Bayern Munich and then Chelsea four points clear of a rather ominous-looking Manchester City.

Nevertheless, in hindsight, it was remarkable that Arsenal managed to string together so many victories considering they currently have six attackers sidelined.

Four of those sidelined forwards are forecast to be back in time for the North London derby, but which member of this sextet will be hoping to dislodge the Gunners’ most productive attacker?

Where Leandro Trossard ranks at Arsenal this season

During the summer, if reports are to be believed, numerous clubs were interested in signing Trossard, Aston Villa, Brentford and Fenerbahçe to name just a few, and many Gooners were of the opinion that an upgrade was required and now was the time to cash in on the 30-year-old.

Well, Arteta certainly did not agree, even rewarding the Belgian with a pay rise, and this decision has been vindicated, given that Trossard currently leads the way at Arsenal this season for combined goals and assists, as the table below documents.

Viktor Gyökeres

6

0

Bukayo Saka

6

0

Leandro Trossard

4

4

Gabriel Martinelli

4

1

Mikel Merino

3

1

Declan Rice

2

5

Jurriën Timber

2

2

Gabriel

2

3

Martín Zubimendi

2

1

Eberechi Eze

2

3

Riccardo Calafiori

1

2

Ethan Nwaneri

1

0

Myles Lewis-Skelly

0

3

Martin Ødegaard

0

2

William Saliba

0

1

Max Dowman

0

1

As the table documents, Trossard ranks first at Arsenal in terms of combined goals and assists with eight.

To date, all four of his goals have come away from home, netting at Athletic Club, Port Vale and Fulham, (bet those three clubs have never been in a list together before!), before this rocket that fired his team in front at the Stadium of Light on Saturday night.

Thus, Trossard remains a key figure in this team, almost certainly set to start against Spurs after the international break, but, as the season progresses, he could once again find himself beginning matches as a substitute.

Equally, in the long-term, while he did receive a bumper wage increase, his contract length was not actually extended, ensuring his current deal will still expire in the summer of 2027 – placing doubt on whether he will still be on the books beyond next summer.

Set to turn 31 next month, the former Brighton star is almost certainly nearer the end than the start of his Emirates journey, with a potential replacement already in the building.

The Arsenal attacker aiming to take Trossard's spot

As already alluded to, the Gunners currently have six attackers sidelined, hence why Arteta has had to return to the well that is Mikel Merino up front in Prague and on Wearside last week.

There is optimism that Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Martin Ødegaard and Noni Madueke could all be involved in the North London derby, with the returns of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus likely to be another few weeks away.

However, it is Madueke who the majority of supporters are most looking forward to seeing in action once again.

The 22-year-old’s £52m move from Chelsea in the summer was controversial, albeit this was nothing to do with him personally, with a certain section of, how shall we put this diplomatically, vocal online supporters simply tired of signing Chelsea’s cast-offs.

Nevertheless, Madueke, who reportedly earns £150k-per-week, quickly proved his worth, starting the second Premier League game of the season against Leeds on the left-hand-side.

During that match however, Saka suffered an injury, meaning Madueke deputised on the right for the next four matches, before himself suffering a knee injury against Manchester City, the day Saka made a timely return.

Of course, with Man City leading 1-0 at half time, everyone was pleased to see Saka introduced, but there was general bewilderment that Madueke was the man replaced, given how sharp he had been both in the first 45 minutes but in general, fans in the stadium not yet aware that this was an enforced change due to injury.

In total, Madueke has only played 396 minutes for Arsenal, about the same as the flight time from London to Lagos, which is not very much at all, leading to the feeling that what we’ve seen so far is merely an amuse-bouche of what is to come.

When he arrived, Arteta asserted that the “exciting and powerful” 23-year-old is “one of the most talented wide forward players in the Premier League”, showing glimpses of this potential before his injury.

Meantime, back in September, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker exclaimed, “I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka”, after Madueke, also deputising for his club team mate at international level, scored his first goal for England during their 5-0 demolition of Serbia at Stadion Rajko Mitić.

That is obviously an bold assertion and, if there is one thing we’ve learned during Arteta’s six-year reign, it is that if Saka is fit and available, he is going to play.

Thus, it is unrealistic to suggest that Madueke can dislodge the Gunners’ joint-top scorer on the right, but the left flank is very much up for grabs.

Martinelli and Eberechi Eze have both started there at various points this season, with Trossard the current tenant, further underlining that the position is up for grabs.

With games against Spurs, Bayern Munich and then his former side Chelsea next on the agenda, Madueke’s electric dribbling and explosive pace will add an extra dimension to the Gunners attack and will prove invaluable assets, suggesting he could make the left-wing spot his own, permanently demoting Trossard to the role of super sub.

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Another Emile Smith Rowe situation could be playing out at Arsenal.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 11, 2025

كشفت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية آخر تطورات إصابة حارس مرمى نادي برشلونة، مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، وعملية تعافيه من الإصابة.

ويعاني تير شتيجن من إصابة على مستوى الظهر خلال الأشهر الأخيرة، والتي منعته من التواجد مع برشلونة منذ بداية هذا الموسم.

ولا يعتبر شتيجن في مكانة أساسية بتشكيل برشلونة، وذلك في ظل اعتماد المدرب هانز فليك على خوان جارسيا في مركز حراسة المرمى بجانب فويتشيك تشيزني.

وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن شتيجن يعمل بجد خلال الفترة الأخيرة، وذلك حرصًا منه على العودة في أقرب وقت ممكن وأن يكون متاحًا للعب.

وأضافت الصحيفة، أن شتيجن من المتوقع أن يعود إلى تدريبات برشلونة قبل نهاية شهر نوفمبر الجاري، وأن يحصل على التصريح الطبي للعب قبل نهاية العام.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لاعب برشلونة يرفض عرض باريس سان جيرمان ويقترب من التجديد

وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن تير شتيجن يدرك جيدًا أن أفضل خيار له هو الرحيل عن صفوف برشلونة خلال الفترة المقبلة، إذا ما أراد اللعب بشكل منتظم.

كما نوهت برغبة عدة أندية في التعاقد مع شتيجن على سبيل الإعارة خلال فترة الميركاتو الشتوي المقبل في يناير، لكن برشلونة لم يتلق عروضًا رسمية بعد.

برشلونة دعم مركز حراسة المرمى هذا العام بضم خوان جارسيا قادمًا من صفوف إسبانيول، حيث يلعب بشكل أساسي مما يجعل أمر مشاركة شتيجن مع البلوجرانا بشكل أساسي مستحيل عمليًا.

Danny Rohl has now personally ordered the Rangers board make three new signings in the January transfer window, with the manager’s top transfer priority named.

Rohl is off to a solid start in the Scottish Premiership, recording victories in his opening two matches as manager, which means he already has more league wins to his name than Russell Martin, who left the Gers in nothing short of a terrible position.

Indeed, as a result of Martin’s awful start, the Teddy Bears have a lot of ground to make up if they are going to be serious contenders for the league title, with Hearts currently setting the pace at the top, opening up a 14-point lead.

As bad as the former Southampton boss was, the players must also take their share of the blame, however, and the Heart & Hand Podcast recently singled out a number of first-team stars for heavy criticism.

Consequently, the new manager may feel the need to strengthen his squad this winter, and his number one priority has now been revealed…

Rohl orders Rangers board to make three January signings

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Rohl has now ordered the Rangers board to make three signings in the January transfer window, with the club’s hierarchy ready to back their manager.

Top of the list is a ‘commanding’ new centre-back, given that doubts remain over Nasser Djiga, Clinton Nsiala, Emmanuel Fernandes, John Souttar and Derek Cornelius.

However, signing a new centre-back is not the only task on the agenda, with the 36-year-old making it clear he wants to bring in an energetic midfielder and a prolific striker.

It is clear to see why bolstering the backline is of the utmost importance, with the Gers looking shocking from a defensive point of view on multiple occasions this season, the most recent example of which being the display against SK Brann last month.

That result, in particular, will have underlined the size of the task at hand to Rohl, with James Tavernier being left disgusted by the performance.

Having also conceded nine goals across two legs against Club Brugge, the Gers should undoubtedly sign a new centre-back this winter, but a new striker wouldn’t go amiss either.

Tavenier is the only Rangers player to have scored more than two Scottish Premiership goals this season, despite being a right-back, highlighting the scale of the issues at both ends of the pitch.

Rangers urged to drop Youssef Chermiti ahead of AS Roma clash As bad as Aasgaard: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who was "so poor"

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ByDan Emery Nov 2, 2025

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. wasn't included in New York's starting lineup for their playoff opener against the Red Sox Tuesday. He entered late in the game as a defensive substitute for Amed Rosario who started at second base.

The Yankees fell to the Red Sox 3–1 as they were unable to convert with bases loaded and no outs in the ninth. After the game, Chisholm was asked about manager Aaron Boone's decision to leave him out of the starting lineup, but he didn't seem too interested in discussing the matter.

"I mean I guess, yeah," Chisholm said with his back to the camera in the locker room on whether he was surprised with Boone's decision. "It's a little conversation. Not much, but yeah, just move forward after it."

Chisholm said that Boone relayed the decision to him in a text message Monday night. "I mean, got to do whatever we got to do to win, right? So, that's how I look at it," he said.

Before the game, Boone mentioned the decision was a matchup call to play the right-handed-hitting Rosario against the Red Sox' lefty ace Garrett Crochet, according to NJ.com. Righthander Brayan Bello is Boston's planned starter for Wednesday's Game 2, so Chisholm will presumably be back in the starting group.

He had one at-bat Tuesday night, hitting a flyout out in the ninth inning as the Yankees' comeback attempt fell short. Chisholm received his second All-Star appearance this year as he slashed .242/.332/.481 with 31 home runs, 80 RBIs and 31 stolen bases over the regular season. He slashed .248/.322/.411 with six homers and 19 RBIs against lefties this year.

Jake Weatherald’s last bid to push for the opening Ashes Test was undone by a brilliant Fergus O’Neill delivery after centuries to Campbell Kellaway and Marcus Harris put Victoria in the driving seat at stumps on day three against Tasmania at the Junction Oval.For the second time in the match, Tasmania’s openers were forced to negotiate a short new-ball burst before the close after a long day in the field. For the second time in the match, Weatherald was undone by a superb delivery with O’Neill pitching on middle and nipping away to catch Weatherald’s outside edge. Will Sutherland held the low juggling chance at first slip.Related

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It left Weatherald with scores 0 and 12 in the match, after three half-centuries in his first four innings of the summer, ahead of the first Test squad being picked next week. It also left Tasmania at 28 for 1 needing a further 327 to win on the final day.Victoria set the visitors 355 on the back of an excellent 195-run partnership between Kellaway and Harris. Kellaway, 22, continued his rise to becoming one of the best domestic openers in Australia over the last 12 months with a third Shield century in 18 innings since moving to the top of the order for Victoria 11 months ago.Since the start of the 2021-22 Shield season, only Test opener Usman Khawaja averages more in Shield cricket as an opener than Kellaway’s 46.11, with Cameron Bancroft (42.37), Weatherald (40.51) and Daniel Hughes (38.20) the only others to average above 35.”I think my game is pretty well set up to play against the new ball,” Kellaway said after play. “I like to try and bat for a long period of time, so I like having that role of being the guy to try and anchor for the side.”Harris posted his 33rd first-class century, his eighth at the Junction Oval, but his first at No. 6 having slid down the order after experiencing some back tightness prior to batting on the third morning.Marcus Harris celebrated his eighth century at the Junction Oval•Getty Images

“It’s probably just got a bit worse in the last week, just wear and tear and old age,” Harris said. “I think it’s dad back. Hanging onto the kids too much.”The pair came together with Victoria struggling at 91 for 4, leading by 115 with only six wickets in hand, after Tasmania’s bowlers threatened to break the game open in the morning session.Nightwatcher Mitchell Perry edged Gabe Bell to second slip for the first breakthrough of the morning. Peter Handscomb battled to 3 off 20 balls before Riley Meredith exposed his defence. Handscomb showed all three stumps batting outside leg and got an outside edge to a ball that would have missed leg stump and nicked it into the top of off.Ollie Peake then nicked a beauty from Brad Hope which angled in and seamed away to leave Victoria struggling. But Kellaway and Harris then put together a chance-less stand to rip the game away from the visitors.Kellaway was impressive throughout, remaining disciplined in the face of some excellent bowling. He absorbed pressure and then pounced when the bowlers strayed, striking 16 fours and two sixes in his 268-ball knock.”I thought he batted brilliantly today,” Harris said. “Tricky little half an hour last night, and started really well today. He works really hard on his game.”And then I think you saw the shots he can play once he’s in. He’s got good game. He’s played well on one-day cricket. He’s a good package.”Harris meantime thrived in a different role in the middle-order having spent so much of his career grinding against the new ball.”I’ve done it a fair bit in one-day cricket,” Harris said. “I’ve done it a bit in county cricket. I’ve enjoyed it a little bit.”After Kellaway and Harris set the game up, O’Neill and Perry put Tasmania’s top three under enormous pressure with some high-class new ball bowling. Weatherald tried to be positive but was undone by an outstanding delivery. O’Neill was unlucky not have more, beating the bat several times and even hitting the stumps when Tim Ward pulled out of a delivery very late, but it was ruled a dead ball.Perry was equally unlucky at the other, beating the bat three consecutive times at one stage. But Ward and Caleb Jewell survived to set up a fascinating chase on the final day

For two seasons, signing Arda Guler looked like it might have been a mistake by Real Madrid. There were, in fact, reports that they really didn't want him in the first place, and that he was instead only brought to Santiago Bernabeu because Barcelona were so keen on signing 'The Turkish Messi' from Fenerbahce. Fast-forward, though, and that assumption now seems massively misguided.

Over the past few months, Guler has become indispensable to Xabi Alonso – and Kylian Mbappe. Rather than producing Messi-esque moments, Guler has taken on a midfield role more akin to his former team-mate and mentor, Mesut Ozil. The results have been extremely positive, as while Mbappe continues to work on his on-field relationships with fellow superstars Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, he has found a player in Guler who can provide him with the final pass and ensure that he at least keeps up his end of the bargain by banging in goal after goal.

• Getty Images
  

  Barca hijacked

  When Guler first broke onto the scene as a teenage prodigy in Turkey, it was Barca – along with Arsenal – who were most routinely linked with his signature. The Blaugrana lacked a creative player of his ilk, and there was a feeling in Catalunya that Guler could be developed into a star of the future alongside the club's homegrown talents. 

  In early 2023, Barca club president Joan Laporta went on record promising that the deal was all-but done – with the condition that Guler would not arrive until the start of the following campaign. 

  “Today [Barca sporting director] Deco was in Istanbul,” said Laporta. "La Liga allows us to carry out operations for next season without impacting ‘Financial Fair Play’. Arda Guler is a very talented player who Deco likes a lot, and we are trying to close the operation."

  And then Madrid stepped in. Los Blancos insist that they had their eye on Guler for months before Barca made their move, but their Clasico rivals weren't so convinced. Madrid offered an initial €20 million (£17m/$22m), with the promise of another €10m in add-ons, and ensured Guler that he would be given minutes in the first team from day one. Laporta later came out, in very Laporta style, and insisted that it would have been a mistake to sign Guler anyway.

  "We moved away from the Guler operation because of the magnitude it was reaching. We thought it would be a mistake on our part," he said after Madrid announced the teenager's signing. "There are more players that I think we can get without entering such a bidding war.

  "We could have come to compete for Guler, but we decided not to. We have a certain line and we don't cross it. Neither with Arda nor with other players who want to come to Barca."

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Made to wait

  When Guler arrived into the Spanish capital, his quality on the ball could not be denied, but there were clearly physical limitations given the stage of his development, and perhaps unsurprisingly he swiftly picked up an injury which forced him to watch from the Bernabeu stands for months before he was eventually handed his debut in January 2024. Even then, though, Carlo Ancelotti seemed unconvinced.

  "He did an hour well but obviously he is not at his best physically," the then-Madrid boss said. "The important thing was for him to get used to playing with the team, to show his quality. You have to be patient. He showed the quality he has in the first half. He has personality and character, it’s true. That’s a good thing. He stands out for the quality he has above all, but character is important to do well at Real Madrid."

  Guler was subsequently made to wait for more opportunities, with Luka Modric preferred to him on a number of occasions while Bellingham thrived in the other advanced midfield role. The Turkey international did score six goals in his final seven La Liga appearances of the season as Ancelotti rotated in a bid to win the Champions League after sealing the league title, but that did little to convince the legendary Italian coach of Guler's capabilities, and he was trusted to start just 18 games across all competitions in 2024-25, averaging just 41 minutes per appearance.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Impressive numbers

  Alonso has, by contrast, had no such reservations and has instead made Guler a crucial part of his set-up from his very first games in charge at the Club World Cup. The ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss brought the playmaker on at half-time in Madrid's opening game against Al-Hilal, and he subsequently remained in the line up for the rest of their run to the semi-finals.

  That faith has continued into the 2025-26 campaign, where Guler has started 14 of Madrid's 16 games in all competitions thus far, returning three goals and six assists. When you consider his performances for Turkey in World Cup qualifying, and he has totalled 15 goal contributions in around 1,700 minutes on the pitch.

  Within La Liga, Guler's average of 0.91 goal contributions every 90 minutes for Madrid puts him in the 98th percentile within the division, while the 40 chances he has created in all competitions makes him the leader among players in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues.

  Alonso has also called on Guler to improve the defensive side of his game, and the numbers suggest he is well on his way to doing so. His 0.74 interceptions per 90 minutes are in the 74th percentile among attacking midfielders, while his tackles won, 1.78, puts him in the 84th percentile. Those numbers are hardly elite, but they aren't bad either – especially for a team that consistently has more of the ball than their opponents and has a real desire to win it back as quickly as possible. 

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• AFP
  

  Strong connection

  Perhaps most important for Madrid's chances of success in the coming months, however, is Guler's connection with Mbappe. The Frenchman and Vinicius might profile as a devastating attacking duo, but they are seldom on the same wavelength, and that can lead to promising attacks breaking down when the pair try to combine.

  By comparison, Guler and Mbappe have developed far more of a connection. All six of the Turkey midfielder's assists this season have been for Mbappe, and Guler has spoken of how they "understand each other very well," while being compared to another devastating duo of recent Madrid past.

  “I like the comparisons between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil and Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler," the 20-year-old said when asked whether he can replicate Ozil, who assisted goals for Ronald on 39 occasions during their time together at the Bernabeu. "They’ve achieved great things, but significant success is always achieved by a team, never just two players."  

  Guler's ability to pick a pass has helped Mbappe maintain his central position far more this season, with the Frenchman much more keen to combine with Madrid's No.15 rather than edge away from Guler's position on the right of the midfield three and towards his favoured left-hand side. As such, Alonso's Madrid look much more balanced than they did under Ancelotti last term.

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a move for an “unbelievable” Premier League player in the January transfer window, as he looks to boost his World Cup chances.

Aaronson hails impressive "mentality" at Leeds

The Whites continue to battle well in the Premier League this season, with last Friday’s 2-1 win at home to West Ham leaving them 15th in the table at the end of the weekend.

One player who is enjoying his football at Leeds is Brenden Aaronson, with the American hailing the mentality on show under Daniel Farke after scoring against the Hammers, and lauding the competition for places.

“It was huge for us today to keep the mentality. I think that was the message all week. Late minutes in the game, stay on top of it and get the result which we needed today to hold the 2-1 win. Defensively, we were good today. We handed a lot of crossing situations from them. West Ham is a team that has a ton of quality so it was definitely a difficult game. I am just proud of the group.

“I think we have this next-man-up mentality where I think everybody is ready to play and everybody is winning their chance. I think the biggest thing for me is getting in the box and the ball bounces your way but that is all about positioning and reacting. I am really happy with the goal and I am happy with the group and the atmosphere.”

But Leeds will know that there is still a huge amount of work to do this season, in terms of avoiding relegation back to the Championship, and new signings in January wouldn’t go amiss.

Leeds eye January move for "unbelievable" Barkley

According to The Leeds Press, Leeds and Farke are keen on signing Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley on loan in the January window.

The 31-year-old is seen as “an option amongst several other players” midway through the season, with Farke “keen to add a creative midfielder to his squad in January”. The player himself is “keen for more game time”, with a move to Elland Road giving him an “outside chance of a place in the England World Cup squad” next summer.

Barkley could be a shrewd creative loan option for Leeds in attacking midfield, scoring 37 Premier League goals in his career and being lauded by former Luton Town teammate Andros Townsend, who even once compared him to the legendary Diego Maradona.

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Barkley has a point to prove and a big World Cup aim with England, which would only be a good thing for Leeds, and if the loan move didn’t work out, he would simply return to Villa at the end of the season.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shared an injury update on his squad, and they could be without one of their players until after the new year.

The Blues made light work of London rivals Tottenham in their last outing, cruising to a 1-0 win on enemy turf, and Thomas Frank’s side hardly laid a glove on them.

It was a much-needed victory for Maresca’s men, who were dispatched by newly-promoted Sunderland in their previous Premier League clash the weekend prior.

The loss at home to Regis Le Bris’ side sparked major outrage after what was a very disappointing performance, with reports in the aftermath suggesting that Maresca’s long-term Chelsea future is far from certain amid interest from Juventus.

Luckily for the Italian, Chelsea have responded to that defeat in good fashion — knocking Wolves out of the Carabao Cup via a dramatic 4-3 win at Molineux to then claim the London derby spoils.

It has been a mixed start to 25/26 for Chelsea after what was a stellar summer, having won both the Conference League and Club World Cup earlier this year, but Maresca is believed to be dissatisfied with the squad at his disposal overall.

Chelsea ended the last summer transfer window as one of England’s most lavish spenders, investing nearly £300 million in new recruits, but the west Londoners failed to shore up their centre-back options or bring in a world-class goalkeeper.

Premier League Clubs’ Summer Spending

Rank

Club

Gross Spend

Sales

Net Spend

20.

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£202.5m

+£65.8m

19.

Brighton

£67.7m

£127.5m

+£59.8m

18.

Brentford

£92.8m

£152m

+£59.2m

17.

Wolves

£105.6m

£126.5m

+£20.9m

16.

Chelsea

£296.5m

£314.4m

+£17.9m

BlueCo are reportedly ready to prioritise the signing of a centre-back for Chelsea in January, but Maresca hasn’t exactly been helped by injuries and suspensions either.

Summer signing Liam Delap was missing for weeks with a hamstring problem and couldn’t play against Tottenham last weekend after his red card at Wolves.

Malo Gusto was also suspended recently, with Trevoh Chalobah, Robert Sanchez, Joao Pedro and Delap all sent off in the last 44 days alone.

Chelsea’s current disciplinary issues are a real conundrum for Maresca to solve, and it’s the last thing he needs considering their troubles with fitness issues this campaign.

Right now, Pedro Neto, Benoit Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Dario Essugo are all unavailable through injury, and Maresca might not welcome back the latter until 2026.

Chelsea could be without Dario Essugo until January

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League clash with Qarabag, Maresca suggests that Essugo could be out injured until January.

Essugo, who’s been called a ‘frightening’ player by members of the media like journalist Antonio Mango, hasn’t been able to showcase his best since joining Chelsea in the summer, and it’ll be a while before he gets to do so.

That being said, there is some good news.

Chelsea’s manager believes that star forward Palmer, who’s been battling a niggling groin problem since the start of the season, could return for their blockbuster European showdown against Barcelona.

Chelsea play their last game before the next international break against Wolves this weekend, and their Barça clash is scheduled to take place around three days after they return to action away to Burnley on November 22.

After their combined tally of eight runs in four innings at Perth, it proved to be a day of revived fortunes at the Gabba for two of the most scrutinised batters in England’s ranks. While Joe Root secured the plaudits for his magnificent maiden century on Australian soil, Zak Crawley’s bounce-back from a first-Test pair proved a similarly cathartic display.Though he fell when well set, gloving a pull off Michael Neser shortly after the first interval, his 76 from 93 balls was nonetheless a crucial contribution, coming as it did after his first-Test nemesis Mitchell Starc had again struck hard with the new ball, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks in his first two overs.Crawley, by then, had already driven Starc through the covers for four, to bring up his first runs of the series, and he carried on in a similar vein, picking off a total of 11 boundaries, the majority coming when Australia’s bowlers strayed into his arc.”I did feel good, to be honest,” Crawley told TNT Sports at the close of the first day’s play. “I felt much better than Perth. I was just trying to keep it simple, just trying to score straight on the leg side, and then if it was really full, maybe on the off side. Yeah, I was happy with my knock.”Crawley’s relative watchfulness outside off was the key feature of his innings, and a tribute to the hours in the nets that England have put in (in between some notable moments of downtime) since their two-day defeat in the series opener.”I think it’d have felt a long break if I’d have got two hundreds, to be honest,” he said. “It was big old gap after a two-day game. But yeah, it’s a good chance to get some practice in. And I felt comfortable. I felt calm today, and managed to settle the nerves. So I was pleased with how I played.”I had a clear plan and I stuck to it. There were still a couple of loose shots in there, as I tend to do, but got away with them, and I played nicely down the ground as well. By trying to score on the leg side, that made me leave a bit better outside off with the extra bounce today, and then when I got in, the ball started doing a bit less.”England’s close-of-play score of 325 for 9 looked significantly more healthy thanks to an unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 61 between Root, who finished unbeaten on 135, and Jofra Archer, whose 32 not out was his highest Test score, in just his second innings at No.11.Until Australia have batted, it will be hard to tell how good that score actually is, but after the groundstaff had given the pitch a final trim to 3mm of grass before the match, Crawley knew it had been a good toss for England to win, notwithstanding their early collapse to 5 for 2.Related

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“The last few days, it’s been really green here. So we all thought it’s going to be a green nipper again. And they obviously shaved it this morning, so it looked like a great wicket to bat on, with the overheads as well.”I was gutted to get out when I did, the pitch was just getting a bit flatter there,” he added. “But obviously we finished the day well with Rooty and Jof at the end there. So it’s good day.”At 264 for 9 with approximately half an hour of the day remaining, there had been some speculation that England might declare to insert Australia under the lights, much as they had done in their previous pink-ball Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui two years ago. But with Root going strong, and with memories of England’s infamous declaration at Edgbaston in 2023, Crawley said a repeat scenario had not been on the cards.”No talk of declaring,” he said. “We were talking about boys going really hard, and if they got out, then it was kind of a win-win situation. So they went hard, and they came off, and there’s a valuable 50 runs there for us.”Root will be on strike when day two gets underway, and will have the chance to extend England’s innings into the morning session, with six overs to come until the new ball is due. For now, though, he will have a chance to savour a significant landmark in his career, and one that may just confirm his credentials as England’s greatest Test batter.”I’m chuffed for him,” Crawley said, after Root’s 40th Test hundred and his first in Australia. “He hasn’t been speaking about it at all to us, that’s just the outside noise. He’s just very focused on just getting whatever score is needed on the day, and proved to be a hundred today.”But he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, or probably against as well. And he’s a champion bloke. I’m chuffed to bits for him.”