Sunderland have been in dreamland this season, with the addition of Granit Xhaka’s top level experience a huge factor in their success, and Regis Le Bris has hinted at another major signing.

The Black Cats are set to return to action from the international break in the hope of picking up where they left off against Arsenal two weeks ago. They shocked the Premier League leaders by coming from behind to rescue a late draw at the Stadium of Light. Now, with a trip to face Fulham up next, Le Bris has admitted that he expects a “tough challenge” in West London.

Victory could take Sunderland to as high as second and just four points off leaders Arsenal if a number of other results go their way. It would represent the remarkable run that they’ve been on, which has already almost guaranteed safety and potentially allowed them to focus on other ambitions.

Much of their success has come courtesy of an excellent summer transfer window. The arrival of former Arsenal man Xhaka has proven to be particularly successful, with the midfielder ending some unfinished business in the Premier League.

It’s been such a success that the Black Cats may look to repeat their genius in 2026 by signing another former Arsenal man in Matteo Guendouzi. Le Bris recently had his say on a potential deal for the Frenchman.

Le Bris shares Matteo Guendouzi to Sunderland update

Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference before his side’s meeting with Fulham, Le Bris refused to rule out signing Guendouzi and even shared that he’s still in contact with the midfielder.

This follows reports from Italy that Sunderland have joined the race to sign the Lazio midfielder, who is valued at around €30m (£26m).

It seems as though it would certainly be a welcomed reunion for Le Bris, who worked with Guendouzi at Lorient in the early stages of both of their careers. Now, with the Frenchman far more experienced these days – he has 14 senior caps to his name – the Sunderland boss could reap the rewards.

Sunderland make decision on selling Granit Xhaka as Juventus eye January move

One of Regis Le Bris’ key players is now being targeted by a Champions League club.

ByDominic Lund Nov 18, 2025

Described as a “great professional” by former Germany defender Arne Friedrich in the past, Guendouzi could yet have the chance to follow Xhaka’s path and end some unfinished business in the Premier League, courtesy of Sunderland next year.

Sunderland make contact with Real Madrid over signing in-demand £17m+ ace

Shami bowled 17 overs for East Zone on the first day of their Duleep Trophy opener against North Zone

Ashish Pant28-Aug-2025Mohammed Shami has, of late, spent more time trying to prove his red-ball fitness than he has playing red-ball cricket.Since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, his only first-class game was a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November last year. It’s part of the reason he did not make it to India’s Test squad for the tour of England. Nine months on, he’s playing his second red-ball game in the Duleep Trophy season opener for East Zone against North Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru.Shami, now nearly 35, bowled 17 overs across four spells on the first day of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, progressively getting more incisive as the day went on. East Zone had won the toss and opted to bowl under murky skies. He was given the first over, and while he hardly got any movement, his lines were tight. He bowled five overs in his first spell, mostly within himself, and conceded ten runs with two maidens. It was evident that Shami was trying to ease himself back into the red-ball grind, concentrating more on the seam position and his lengths.Related

Arshdeep fine-tunes red-ball skills by learning to enjoy the 'boring times'

Meet the spinner known as Manishi

Dhull 'not thinking too far ahead' as he tries to make up for lost time

After career of 'more lows than highs', Jagadeesan hopes to build on recent gains

Gill and Jurel miss Duleep Trophy quarter-finals

Shami bowled his second spell just before the lunch break, a three-over burst pretty similar to his first, where he conceded ten runs. He beat the batters a few times and drew a few false shots, but the Shami sharpness was missing.That changed after the lunch break. Having found rhythm, there was a marked difference in Shami’s run-up and delivery stride. He bowled five overs in his third spell – two of then maidens – and conceded just nine runs. The batters, who were until then playing Shami fairly comfortably, were suddenly getting beaten for pace. There were plenty of plays and misses, inside-edges onto pad, and the occasional false shot. Having found his lengths, Shami’s focus was now on upping his speed.Despite the improvement, Shami did not have a wicket yet. He should have had North Zone’s wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan caught down the leg side early in his fourth spell, but Kumar Kushagra dropped a relatively straightforward chance behind the stumps. He eventually found success when he had Sahil Lotra caught behind late in the day. It was a nippy length ball well outside off stump that Lotra chased and edged to the wicketkeeper.Mohammed Shami made his international comeback in January this year•Associated PressShami bowled the second-most overs among the six bowlers East Zone used on the opening day, only behind left-arm spinner Manishi, who bowled 19. He went through the day without any visible hiccups and will hope to put in more miles on day two. In all, Shami conceded 55 runs in 17 overs for one wicket.Shami has struggled with fitness ever since injuring his ankle during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He underwent surgery after playing through pain during India’s run to the final and then missed all of India’s fixtures in 2024 due to his injury, recovery from surgery, and subsequent knee issues.He was part of India’s limited-overs series against England and the Champions Trophy earlier this year, and played nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. Following that, he was not picked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar suggesting that Shami’s “workload is not where it needs to be.”There is still a month and a bit to go before India’s next Test series – at home against West Indies – and Shami will, through the course of the Duleep Trophy, aim to put in the work needed to prove to the selectors that he is ready to get back to Test cricket.

India await in second assignment of women’s summer, but new head coach likes what she’s seen so far

Valkerie Baynes08-Jun-2025England Women can expect a tougher test of their new set-up when India arrive later this month, after West Indies’ tour ended in 3-0 sweeps of both T20I and ODI series.Such results don’t appear to be optimal preparation for the world’s No.2 ODI side to take on third-ranked rivals and World Cup hosts India. However, they provided a confidence boost after the nadir of six months ago, and allowed the hosts to experiment, gleaning some valuable insights in the process.It turns out the solution to their top-order conundrum in the 50-over format had been staring them in the face all along. England’s depth of talent has so often been boasted about as a welcome product of the professionalisation of the domestic women’s game, but by bringing that to the fore rather than leaving it in the background amid a reluctance to tinker, they have strengthened their batting and bowling options.”We are under no illusions that we are going to have tougher times ahead,” Charlotte Edwards, England’s new head coach, said on Saturday. “But equally, what we are seeing already is that appetite for people to want to keep getting better too – they can’t stand still because there’s someone probably in county cricket now scoring runs who’s winning games of cricket.”Reuniting Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont as openers after five years was hugely successful, with both scoring back-to-back centuries in twin partnerships worth more than 200 each across the first two games. So too was the introduction of Linsey Smith and Em Arlott to the ODI bowling ranks.So much so that, in the third and final ODI in Taunton on Saturday, Jones dropped back to the middle order (where she wasn’t required) and Beaumont was rested along with Smith, coincidentally just as it was announced that fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone would take a wellbeing break with a view to feeling ready to take on India.Charlotte Edwards wants to be able to pick from a pool of 25 players for every England match•Getty ImagesArlott, who made her international debut during the T20I leg of the tour and was rested for the second ODI, returned with devastating effect on Saturday, taking two wickets for one run in the space of six balls as West Indies lurched to 3 for 4 inside four overs.Meanwhile, Sarah Glenn made her first appearance of the series in Taunton and took 3 for 21 after a five-hour rain delay to help contain West Indies to 106 for 8 from 21 overs. She was subsequently named player of the match as England cruised to a nine-wicket victory with Nat Sciver-Brunt scoring an unbeaten 57 opening alongside Sophia Dunkley.Emma Lamb, who like Arlott and Smith had been called up after dominating the start of the domestic 50-over competition, scored a quick-fire 55 in the second ODI before making way for Alice Capsey to move up to No. 3 and score 20 not out.Of course England had the luxury to try just about anything against an already under-strength West Indies who travelled without injured big hitters Chinelle Henry and Deandra Dottin and were further depleted when star allrounder and captain Hayley Matthews succumbed to a shoulder problem. Matthews had been player of the T20I series, despite her side failing to win a match but was ruled out of the second and third ODIs after aggravating the injury while fielding in the first in Derby.Related

• Amy Jones: 'Setting the tone is a cool responsibility'

• Jones, Beaumont make back-to-back centuries as England seal 2-0 lead

• Hayley Matthews out of third ODI against England with shoulder injury

• Nat Sciver-Brunt 57* leads England to 3-0 sweep in rain-wrecked final ODI

• Ecclestone to take time away from cricket to prioritise wellbeing

But the fact that the third ODI amounted to batting practice for England’s regular middle-order, who had up to that point been under-used, and that a re-jigged bowling line-up got their job done illustrated that their desired competition for places has arrived – something not present for the failed T20 World Cup and Ashes campaigns.”It is going to be difficult to pick teams moving forward,” Edwards added, “but that’s the place we wanted to be and we don’t want to be picking from 15 or 16 players. We want to be picking from a pool of 25 players, which I genuinely think we are now. We’ve probably got there quicker than I thought we would.”A significant factor has been Edwards’ insistence on England-contracted players playing domestic cricket in the lead-up to the West Indies series.While some will rest ahead of India’s arrival, others were set to leave the ODI squad and rejoin their domestic teams for the Vitality Blast as early as Sunday.”There’s a group of fast bowlers now really vying for a few spots,” Edwards added. “I don’t think we’ve had that, probably in the last five years, in terms of about five or six bowlers who could all open the bowling for England. And a really good group of batters who are really pushing each other to get better and better, which I think is a really healthy place to be in as a team. It makes it harder for us now to select teams, but equally more exciting for us moving forward.”England play five T20Is against India starting at Trent Bridge on June 28, followed by three ODIs. And while Edwards admitted that, with this year’s World Cup in mind, she would have preferred to have played more ODIs, England will host the T20 World Cup in a year’s time.”That’s why we played around with the team a little bit today,” she said. “But equally, we understand that the T20 format is a format that, for next summer is really important as well, so we’ll manage that.Linsey Smith took her chances after a long period out of the selectors’ thoughts•ECB via Getty Images”We absolutely know that, in a couple of weeks’ time at Trent Bridge, that’s going to be tough. They’re one of the best teams in the world, they’ve got some of the best players, so we’re going to have to be right on it when we get to the 28th of June. But we’ve taken a lot of confidence from this and that’s the most important thing. We can only play what’s in front of us and we’ll look to do that again when we play against India.”West Indies failed to qualify for the 50-over World Cup immediately before heading to England. That they couldn’t put up more of a fight in the T20Is, despite knocking England out of that World Cup last October, was unsurprising given their over-reliance on Matthews.There were some small highlights for West Indies, who will return home to host South Africa in the first of three ODIs starting on Wednesday, then three T20Is.At just 20 years of age, Realeanna Grimmond offered cause for optimism with her half-century on ODI debut in the second game in Leicester, as did 21-year-old Jannillea Glasgow with a 24-ball 44. But their development, along with that of teenage quick Jahzara Claxton is a long-term project.Shane Deitz, West Indies head coach, expected to have Henry back to face South Africa and said Matthews’ recovery would be managed through that series, but Dottin remained another month away from full fitness.”We had a chance to bring some players in and that’s what we’re looking for,” Deitz said. “Our season, so to speak, begins in February next year – 2026 is a massive year for us. We’ve got 15 ODIs that obviously go for the next World Cup qualification, a Test match [against Australia] and a World Cup.”What we do over the next eight months off the playing field is going to be the key thing for our performance next year. We’ve got a lot of things we can work on off the field, the team culture and then a lot of fitness and skill work. We’ve got a great opportunity now to play a few games against South Africa and then have a really good off-field programme for seven or eight months, and then come back in 2026 and take on the rest of the world.”

Pete Alonso had the MLB world stunned after he reportedly agreed to join the Baltimore Orioles on a monster five-year contract on Wednesday, leaving the only home he's ever known in New York.

Following seven productive years in Queens, Alonso will get a fresh start in the AL East in news that has both Mets fans and Red Sox fans alike feeling disappointed. The soon-to-be 32-year-old opted out of his contract after re-signing with the Mets last year; he recorded 38 homers in 2025 and has 264 home runs and 712 RBIs since his pro debut in 2019.

Alonso's massive deal is the most lucrative ever for his position, but just how much does he stand above his peers?

Here's a look at the highest-paid first basemen in the league as ranked by average annual salary according to Spotrac:

Who is the highest-paid first baseman in MLB?

The highest-paid first baseman in the MLB is Pete Alonso.

The former longtime Mets first baseman is reportedly joining the Orioles on a five-year deal worth $155 million ($31 million a year). Alonso leap-frogged Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the top spot following news of his signing.

Alonso's deal also marks the second-largest in Orioles history. The organization's last splurge signing was Chris Davis in 2016 (seven-year, $161 million contract).

Top 10 highest-paid first basemen in MLB in 2025

Player

Team

Annual Salary

Pete Alonso

Baltimore Orioles

$31 million

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

$28.5 million

Freddie Freeman

Los Angeles Dodgers

$27 million

Bryce Harper

Philadelphia Phillies

$25.4 million

Matt Olson

Atlanta Braves

$21 million

Christian Walker

Houston Astros

$20 million

Wilson Contreras

St. Louis Cardinals

$17.5 million

Rhys Hoskins

Milwaukee Brewers

$17 million

Luis Arraez

San Diego Padres

$14 million

Paul Goldschmidt

New York Yankees

$12.5 million

MatériaMais Notícias

Philippe Coutinho está muito perto de acertar com o Vasco, clube que o revelou, e que provavelmente jogará ao lado de Dimitri Payet, camisa 10 da equipe. Se por um lado, a dupla pode ser companheira no futuro, por outro, os jogadores foram adversários em campo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoTorcedores do Vasco vão à loucura com foto de Coutinho em casamento de atacante vascaíno: ‘Pacotão de reforços’Fora de Campo25/05/2024VascoO que Lance! sabe sobre Lyanco no VascoVasco25/05/2024VascoEspeculado no Vasco, volante Souza confirma que estará com Philippe Coutinho em clássico contra o FlamengoVasco25/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

Coutinho e Payet já se enfrentaram em três oportunidades quando jogaram na Premier League, a liga de futebol da Inglaterra. Em todas, o meia francês levou a melhor sobre a cria de São Januário. Confira os resultados abaixo.

⚽ CONFIRA O RETROSPECTO ENTRE PHILIPPE COUTINHO E DIMITRI PAYET:
– West Ham 2 x 1 Liverpool – 4ª rodada da FA Cup (2015/2016);
– West Ham 2 x 0 Liverpool – 20ª rodada da Premier League (2015/2016);
– Liverpool 0 x 3 West Ham – 4ª rodada da Premier League (2015/2016).
*Philippe Coutinho atuou pelo Liverpool, enquanto Dimitri Payet pelo West Ham

continua após a publicidade

Na primeira vez que Philippe Coutinho e Dimitri Payet se enfrentaram, o West Ham levou a melhor sobre o Liverpool e venceu por 3 a 0. Naquela ocasião, a cria do Vasco ainda foi expulsa ao receber o segundo cartão amarelo e, consequentemente o vermelho, por uma entrada dura no meia francês.

Porém, o West Ham já estava vencendo o Liverpool por 2 a 0. Lanzini, que esteve na mira do Vasco em 2023 abriu o placar, e Mark Noble ampliou antes de Coutinho ser expulso. Confira.

continua após a publicidade

O único jogo que Philippe Coutinho e Dimitri Payet participaram diretamente no placar foi o da 4ª rodada da FA Cup na temporada 2015/2016. Na ocasião, a cria do Vasco empatou o confronto com um golaço de falta “à la Ronaldinho Gaúcho”. Nos acréscimos, o francês fez um cruzamento magistral para o zagueiro Ogbonna desempatar de cabeça e garantir a classificação do West Ham. Veja o lance no player abaixo (o gol de Coutinho é aos 2:00 e o lance de Payet aos 4:25).

Philippe Coutinho tenta uma rescisão amigável com o Aston Villa para poder acertar o retorno ao Vasco. A cria de São Januário antecipou as férias e já está no Brasil com a família. Se a negociação for concretizada, o meia-atacante será o primeiro reforço para a janela de transferências do meio do ano.

Tudo sobre

Dimitri PayetFutebol NacionalPayetPhilippe CoutinhoVasco

The Blue Jays may have just gotten a massive boost after reaching their first World Series in 32 years.

Shortly after beating the Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Monday night, All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette said he plans to be active for Toronto's matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bichette hasn't played since injuring his knee sliding into home plate against the Yankees on Sept. 6. The 27-year-old has been forced to watch the entire postseason from the dugout, but finally feels like he's healthy enough to return.

During the postgame celebration after the Blue Jays beat Seattle 4–3 in Game 7, Bichette was asked if he'd be able to play in the Fall Classic. He had a confident answer.

"I'll be ready," Bichette said.

If he can come back, that is a big addition to a Toronto team that needs to find any advantage it can against the heavily-favored Dodgers. The defending World Series champions have almost no weaknesses, so the Blue Jays have to bring their best to the table. They're significantly better with their starting shortstop in the lineup.

Bichette put up big numbers in 2025

Bichette had one of his best seasons in 2025 and had he not missed time in September, it may have actually been best. If you don't count two partial seasons in 2019 and 2020, he notched career-bests in batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.357), OPS (.840), and wRC+ (134) in 2025. He also added 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, and racked up 3.8 fWAR.

He'll be a free agent as soon as the World Series is over, and now it appears he'll definitely play more games in a Blue Jays uniform before that happens.

تقدم فريق ليفربول أمام ليدز يونايتد، بهدفين خلال مباراة الفريقين المقامة مساء اليوم السبت ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج” موسم 2025-2026.

ويستقبل ليدز يونايتد خصمه ليفربول، في إطار مباريات الجولة الخامسة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز للموسم الجاري.

وانطلقت مباراة ليفربول وليدز في تمام الساعة السابعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر، وانتهى الشوط الأول بتعادل سلبي.

وسجل هوجو إيكتيكي الهدف الأول لصالح ليفربول وذلك في الدقيقة 48 من عمر اللقاء، وعقب دقيقتين أحرز الهدف الثاني بشباك ليدز.

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت عن استمرار جلوس محمد صلاح كبديل: أنا صاحب القرار في ليفربول

الهدف الأول جاء بعدما لعب جو رودون كرة عرضية في الملعب واعترضها هوجو إيكتيكي، قبل أن يتغلب على عدد من المدافعين ويسدد الكرة في مرمى الحارس. هدف إيكتيكي الأول في مباراة ليفربول وليدز

والهدف الثاني جاء بعد كرة عرضية من كونور برادلي، واستقبلها إيكتيكي وسجل في مرمى الخصم، وعاد الحكم لتقنية الفار ومن ثم أكد صحة الهدف. هدف إيكتيكي الثاني في مباراة ليفربول وليدز

They’re building towards a strong squad for the tournament, but some concerns linger

Andrew McGlashan08-Nov-2025The damp final match of the T20I series in Brisbane brought an end to a run of 16 T20Is for Australia since late July against West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand and India. They won’t play again until after the T20 World Cup squad is named next February. Having come away with 10 wins and three defeats over the last four months, and used 21 players, it’s a good time to ask where they stand heading into that tournament.”I think it’s been an amazing couple of months of cricket for our team,” Mitchell Marsh said after the washout at the Gabba. “We’ve had a lot of moving parts, probably to do with the Ashes build-up, but I think we’ve played some really good and consistent cricket, and I’m really proud of the run we’ve had.”We set out to create a squad that can hopefully win us the World Cup. We wanted to make some slight changes after what we saw as a couple of failed attempts, so we’ve been consistent with that.”Power and depth, but is there an Achilles heel?It’s hardly reinventing the T20 wheel to emphasise power, but Australia have clearly stacked their line-up with pure hitters. And it has worked. Since the last T20 World Cup, they are the second-fastest scoring Full Member, marginally behind England.They were already strong in the powerplay – in the 12 months including the previous World Cup they ranked top – but have pushed things even further. They’ve been happy to trade wickets for tempo, helped by the presence of many frontline batters as true allrounders. They can bat down to No. 7 and still have an abundance of bowling options.Related

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Josh Inglis has spoken about working on the strength side of his game to regularly clear the ropes, while Cameron Green’s brute force in the West Indies, albeit on smaller grounds, was eye-catching.However, one vulnerability showed up against India, especially on slower, turning surfaces. India’s spinners caused problems, posing the question of whether Australia have a Plan B to navigate such circumstances.”The Indian surfaces that we’ll face generally will be very good in smaller grounds, so we’ve certainly played a consistent style we want to continue and now it’s about carrying that into the World Cup,” Marsh said.David’s new roleA subtle but key shift in Australia’s planning has been the elevation of Tim David. Once seen only as a finisher, he was sometimes underused, playing only a limited number of deliveries. But over the last four series he has batted at No. 5 and, in Green’s absence, at No. 4, with destructive results.”He’s just gone up another level in the last six to 12 months,” Nathan Ellis said during the India series. “The coaching staff deserve credit. They’ve empowered him to back his natural game, given him freedom higher up the order – just don’t change the way you play. It’s freed him up tenfold.”His century in St Kitts was spectacular and he followed that with 83 off 52 balls against South Africa when Australia were in early trouble but refused to consolidate. Against India, he hammered 74 off 38 balls in Hobart.Before July he had never batted in the powerplay for Australia, but this year his strike rate in that period is 215.15, behind only Namibia’s Jan Frylinck.”In the powerplay, any ball you hit past the field is a boundary,” David said in Hobart. “You don’t have to hit over the fielders, so it can be a bit easier. It’s a new challenge for me, having not done it much, but I’m getting experience up the order now and trying to make the most of it.”Winning batting first?Marsh now sits 21 from 21 in terms of winning the toss and bowling first in T20Is. But he insists he’s not wedded to the tactic if conditions call for batting first. In this series, the one time they were forced to bat – when India won the toss in Hobart – they made 186 but couldn’t defend it.”There’s been a bit of talk about that hasn’t there?” Marsh said with a wry smile. “I often ask would I get asked the same question if I’ve batted first every time, so I don’t necessarily see it as an unusual tactic that we employ. There will be times when the conditions suit and we will bat first so we’re not closed-minded by that in any sense. But a lot of the grounds and a lot of the conditions that we face we feel that we’re best suited to chasing. [On] the day it’s 40 overs of cricket so as long as we score more runs than the other team we’ll win.”Hazlewood’s metronomic bowling and T20 smarts makes him nearly unplayable on some days•Getty ImagesHazlewood’s cutting edgeMitchell Starc has retired from T20Is and it remains uncertain if Pat Cummins will be available for the T20 World Cup, even if he plays in the Ashes. Australia have built their T20 pace depth, but Josh Hazlewood remains a vital strike weapon. His presence was missed in the last three games against India. Across three series (he was rested for the West Indies matches after the Tests), he has only once gone for more than 30, when Dewald Brevis had a day out in Darwin.In his most recent outing against India at the MCG, he was almost unplayable with 3 for 13 as the ball nipped and bounced. Among bowlers with 100-plus powerplay deliveries this year, Hazlewood has the fifth-best economy rate, of 6.72.Ellis: the variation kingYou can’t discuss Australia’s pace attack without mentioning Ellis. After biding his time for an extended run in the team he has grasped it with both hands. Against India he took nine wickets – the most for Australia in a bilateral series – at an economy rate of 8.02. While known for his death bowling, Ellis is now trusted at any stage.Ellis’ hallmark is variation – he has a full range of slower balls – but he can be sharp when he wants to, as he showed with the bouncer to Abhishek Sharma in Hobart. Across 12 matches since the West Indies tour, he has 18 wickets and has only once gone for more than 40, but Ellis tries to distance himself from the numbers.”I think the role I’m doing now, and it’s hard in a stat-based game, but I really try not to live and die on the numbers,” Ellis said. “I think there’ll be games where I bowl one in the powerplay and three at the death and I might bowl well and go for heaps. I think that comes with the role. I’m really trying to not associate a good night or a bad night with numbers.”Places up for debateInjuries could yet play their part, but the majority of Australia’s likely World Cup squad appear locked in. Green will return as a middle-order option and, fitness permitting, offer another pace option. Ben Dwarshuis should have done enough to secure his spot, especially with fellow left-armer Spencer Johnson still sidelined.One call for the selectors will be whether to carry a specialist reserve wicketkeeper. If so, Matthew Short or Mitchell Owen could be squeezed out. If Cummins isn’t available, one pace-bowling slot could open up. The upcoming BBL season could could be a chance for 50-50 players to sway the selectors.Possible T20 World Cup squadMitchell Marsh (capt), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann, Xavier Bartlett/Pat Cummins.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that USA, Namibia and Netherlands are the other teams in the India-Pakistan group

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Nov-2025India and Pakistan will play each other in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo as per the tournament schedule that will be unveiled by the ICC in Mumbai on Tuesday.The marquee contest – the first time the two teams are meeting since three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup – will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium and is India’s third group match. ESPNcricinfo has learned India and Pakistan have been grouped along with USA, Netherlands and Namibia.India play their first group match against USA in Mumbai on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup. They then take on Namibia in Delhi on February 12, followed by Pakistan, and their final group game is against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18. There will be three matches a day during the group stage of the tournament.The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8 is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Colombo or Kandy. The format is the same as the previous tournament in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where the 20 teams were divided into five groups of four. The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to a Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each. The top two teams in each of the two Super Eights groups will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be followed by the final.Related

• T20 World Cup: India grouped with Pakistan, England with West Indies

• Italy's long road to T20 World Cup qualification

• 2026 Men's T20 World Cup likely from February 7 to March 8

• ICC shortlists venues for 2026 T20 World Cup

If India progress from the group stage, their three Super Eight matches will be in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. If they make the final four, their semi-final will be in Mumbai. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the other semi-final venue depending on whether Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualify. The final will be played in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan qualify in which case it is likely to be in Colombo.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other 18 teams participating in the T20 World Cup are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAEIndia are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.

Can Arsenal continue their unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge?

The Gunners will make the seven-mile trip across the capital on Sunday, currently unbeaten in six away games against Chelsea, winning three of them, despite having lost eight of their previous ten Premier League fixtures at the Bridge; how times have changed.

Well, already this week, Mikel Arteta’s team have comprehensively beaten both Tottenham and Bayern Munich at home, and a victory on Sunday would move them nine points clear of the Blues at the top of the Premier League table.

So, if the Gunners are to beat another fierce rival, Arteta should unleash his attacker labelled “better than Bukayo Saka”.

Leandro Trossard latest injury news

Just when Arsenal were starting to get some attacking players back from injury, another could be heading for the treatment room.

38 minutes into Wednesday’s win over Bayern Munich, Leandro Trossard suffered a knock and was forced to come off.

Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Arteta said that “we’ll have to see” if the Belgian will be available this weekend, noting that he has avoided serious injury, but has not trained since the match.

Losing Trossard would be a major blow, considering he has already scored five goals and registered five assists across all competitions this season, most recently breaking the deadlock in last weekend’s North London derby.

However, does Arteta have a ready-made replacement, one who will be particularly raring to face Chelsea?

The attacker Mikel Arteta must start vs Chelsea

Arsenal do remain without Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, but Arteta is now going to have some attacking options from which to choose once again.

Both Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli made their returns off the bench in mid-week, while Noni Madueke has been introduced as a substitute in each of the last two matches, scoring his first goal for the club against Bayern Munich, connecting with Riccardo Calafiori’s cross at the back post.

Before being introduced for a late cameo against Spurs, Madueke hadn’t been seen since 21 September when Manchester City drew in North London, sustaining a knee injury that day, which was a real blow because he had been really bright up until that point.

Back in September, the winger also scored his first goal for England, on target as the Three Lions demolished Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier at the Marakana in Belgrade.

After the match, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker asserted that “I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka”, a bold take, but let’s compare the pair in the Premier League last season to test this hypothesis.

Goals

0.4

0.4

Assists

0.2

0.6

Shots

2.6

2.2

Shots on target %

56%

56%

Chances created

1.4

3

Big chances created

0.26

1.1

Big chances missed

0.6

0.4

Completed take-ons

2

2.2

Take-on success %

49.45%

52.56%

Touches

47.4

56.8

% of touches in box

18.48%

16.54%

Average rating

7.03

7.60

As the table documents, Saka does come out on top for the vast majority of metrics, but Madueke’s numbers are largely comparable across the board, superior in some key areas too.

The 23-year-old attempts more shots and registers a higher percentage of his touches in the opposition penalty area, underlining that he might just be more of a goal threat, with Saka excelling as the creator.

Also, Madueke’s direct running and fearlessness could be exactly what Arteta’s team need in this game, hoping to give Reece James, Malo Gusto or whoever else Enzo Maresca might deploy at right-back nightmares.

Having been cast aside by Chelsea in the summer, told he was surplus to requirements, Madueke will surely be ultra-motivated to show his former employers what they passed up on, so could he write his name into Arsenal folklore?

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