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Pakistan captain scored just 46 runs off 77 balls during a middle-overs slowdown which cost his side

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-20251:31

Urooj Mumtaz: Rizwan chewed up too many dot deliveries

The loss to India has all but pushed Pakistan out of their home Champions Trophy, and it had a lot to do with a middle-overs slowdown. They ended the first ten overs at 52 for 2, but the next 14 overs netted them just 42 runs. Urooj Mumtaz lay the blame squarely on captain Mohammad Rizwan, who, she said, had played too many dot balls in that period.”Rizwan, time and again, is at fault of chewing up too many dot deliveries. Then there is one release shot that comes out,” she said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “He was on 40-odd from something like 70 deliveries at the point where he looked like taking another release shot. He was 30 off 68 [24 off 53] at one point when he hit that one four. Saud [Shakeel], on the other hand, is not the normal aggressor; it is Rizwan who is normally the aggressor when he does get going and does get set.”During the period in question [overs 11 to 24], Rizwan faced 45 deliveries, and 29 of those were dots. He didn’t hit a single boundary, and got only 16 singles. Eventually, Rizwan struggled his way to 46 off 77 balls. He fell when he skipped down the pitch to try and loft Axar Patel, but missed and was bowled.Related

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Pakistan slide feels like a terminal, slow decline

Kohli 100* headlines India's comprehensive win over Pakistan

Rizwan had slog-swept Kuldeep Yadav for four off the first ball he had faced. His next boundary only came on the 49th delivery he faced off Ravindra Jadeja in the 25th over. Another – the third and last – came off Jadeja in the 27th. When he was dismissed by Axar in the 34th over, Rizwan’s partnership with Shakeel was worth 104, but it had taken 144 balls.”I think Rizwan, in his 46 off 77 – strike rate of 59 – just wasn’t good enough because we’re talking about a team where the best batter in the team [Babar Azam] is obviously out of form, hasn’t been churning out those big runs… and he got out early,” Mumtaz said.”Imam [had] that unfortunate run-out. So it was down to Rizwan as captain to put his hand up and show that brave attitude. Maybe even not just trying to botch everything down, but maybe just better strike rotation, [the lack of] which I thought was a massive fault, and probably applied a little bit more pressure on Saud as well.”

Arne Slot singled out one Liverpool star for blame as the Reds went down 2-1 against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League. The loss at Selhurst Park also ended Liverpool's perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they suffered their maiden defeat of the season. Slot was understandably unhappy after the game as he dissected his team's performance.

Liverpool's first defeat of the season

After making a perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they won their first seven matches across all competitions, including five wins in a row in the Premier League, Liverpool tasted defeat for the first time on Saturday. Crystal Palace were the more dominant side at the start of the game and rightfully took the lead through Ismaila Sarr's goal in the ninth minute. Federico Chiesa then scored the equaliser three minutes before the regulation time ended but Eddie Nketiah netted the winner from a long throw-in as Oliver Glasner's side had the last laugh. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot indirectly blamed Frimpong for Nketiah's goal

While dissecting his team's performance after the match, Slot told reporters: "We can only blame ourselves for defending the way we did. One of our players ran out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up, so it was only about defending. One player was too offensively minded in that moment, which led to them scoring the winner and us losing the game."

Slot's comments appeared to be directed at Frimpong as the summer signing stepped away from Nketiah who went on to bag the winner.

"It was a disappointing first half and disappointing end to game. Credit to Palace – with the Community Shield it’s not the first time we’ve lost to them. They deserved to be two or three up in the first half," he added. "The second half was much better from us, we created chances that not many teams do here. It took us a while to score a goal – and when we did, to concede another set-piece goal is just as disappointing as the first half. If one team deserved to win today it was Palace."

Liverpool's set-piece woes

Slot also admitted that the Reds have been struggling to tackle opponents' set-piece moves as he added: "If you want to compete and want to be right up there you need a very positive balance in set pieces. That is what I always say, for years, and in this league that is probably even more the situation. That was one of our biggest strengths last season. We hardly conceded a set piece. Now against Newcastle we conceded two and today we conceded two so that is something we need to do better. But this league is more and more about set pieces.

"We had to defend a lot of them as well and the margins are small. One of our players in the last minute runs forward to maybe try to counter attack for a second goal but in that area the ball falls for a Crystal Palace player who scores."

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Getty Images SportTough week of football awaits Liverpool

The English champions will now prepare to face Turkish giants Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, before they make their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on October 4. 

When Liverpool signed Luis Suarez from Dutch giants Ajax in January 2011, there was a general acceptance that a deal was possible because Europe’s leading clubs, of which Liverpool were not one in that former phase, were dissuaded by his conduct.

Suarez, now 38 and playing Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, will retire as one of the most decorated and greatest strikers of his generation. He will be remembered by many for his incredible goalscoring record and mesmeric movements and ability to blend with attacking teammates.

But he will also be remembered for his volatile and aggressive nature. Suarez plays with his heart on his sleeve, but not always in a sporting fashion. He is both bark and bite.

Even so, he was a superstar for Liverpool, and many others besides. Trumping him would take some doing at number nine, and for all their success under Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot, it is something the Reds have not achieved yet.

Well, not until this summer. Now, Liverpool may have not one but two new centre-forwards capable of emulating the Uruguayan’s Premier League legacy.

Liverpool's new strikers

Meet Liverpool’s new strikers. Hugo Ekitike has already familiarised himself with the Anfield crowd, scoring three goals and supplying an assist across his first three matches for the club.

Liverpool won a charged race for his signature, beating off a number of competitors, notably Newcastle United, to sign the French forward in a £69m deal, plus £10m in add-ons.

And he’s repaying the faith. Ekitike looks at home in the Premier League, leading the line. Still only 23, perhaps the most exciting part is that Ekitike has so much potential, and there’s little question that FSG have hit the jackpot, even given his lofty price tag.

Aleander Isak hardly needs an introduction. Liverpool signed Newcastle’s star striker in a British record £125m deal on transfer deadline day, ending a month of speculation that was as contentious as it was compelling.

The Sweden international scored 27 goals across all competitions in 2024/25 and won the Carabao Cup, scoring as Eddie Howe’s side beat Liverpool at Wembley.

Erling Haaland is the only player to have scored at a more clinical rate in the Premier League since Isak left Real Sociedad in Spain and joined Newcastle for £63m. Even Mohamed Salah, in all his brilliance, hasn’t provided the same frequency.

Erling Haaland

101

90 (0.89)

Mohamed Salah

112

68 (0.61)

Alexander Isak

86

54 (0.63)

Ollie Watkins

112

50 (0.45)

Chris Wood

96

39 (0.41)

Bryan Mbeumo

105

39 (0.37)

No doubt, Isak hopes to leave a legacy comparable to that of Suarez, and Ekitike will too. However, Liverpool’s new version of the South American star is actually another member of Slot’s squad.

Liverpool's new version of Suarez

Suarez was a maverick, a game-changer. Rarely has the Premier League seen such boundless quality in one man, and he almost single-handedly dragged Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool to the top-flight title in 2013/14, scoring 31 goals and assisting 13 more as he plied a campaign for the ages.

But he didn’t quite hit the ground running a few years earlier, when he joined from Ajax. Suarez scored off the bench on his Premier League debut, netting against Stoke City in a 2-0 win.

Then the goalscorer would go on to bag just once across his first eight starting appearances in the competition. The circumstances differ, but this curious fact could be applied to contextualise the slow start of Florian Wirtz.

Wirtz, 22, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for a record-breaking £116m fee that was swiftly superseded by Isak. The attacking midfielder is one of the most talented footballers in the world and has earned acclaim for his performances in his German homeland.

Fleet feet and a sharp assist for Ekitike in the Community Shield issued a solemn warning to the rest of English football, but four games into the league campaign, the £195k-per-week talent has yet to break his duck.

Journalist Declan Carr conceded that the marquee arrival “has struggled since joining Liverpool”, but there is little reason for concern. As journalist Sam McGuire noted, he is a “statistical unicorn” – a “final third freak”.

Devastating in the Bundesliga and equally as mesmerising across his exploits in the Champions League, Wirtz has proven himself on every stage, and in spite of his relative struggles so far, data from Sofascore reveals that he is averaging two key passes per game for Liverpool, also winning 50% of his ground duels and completing 60% of his dribbles.

In a similar way, Suarez was always going to be a star on Merseyside. Perhaps he outgrew his reputation and potential, becoming one of the best to do it, but still, the forward just needed a bit of time to find his feet.

Suarez might not have made the fastest start in Premier League history, but he played and fought and won like a man possessed once he got going.

And Wirtz carries himself with the air of the footballing elite. You can see it when he takes a deft touch, scans and rolls his way through and into space. There’s a tenacity in his play and an undercurrent which is just waiting to erupt.

Has it been a disappointing start? Perhaps. Wirtz has not been bad, by any stretch, but those who expected him to set the English game aflame from the get-go would be forgiven, as he cost a significant sum, after all.

But Wirtz is young and adapting to a new league; Liverpool, let’s not forget, are adapting to a new system, and have emerged from a summer transfer window characterised by upheaval and change.

It is a matter of when, not if, and if Wirtz keeps on as he has been, he will soon find himself playing with all the gusto of Suarez in his Liverpool prime, and the plaudits will follow.

The new Rooney: Liverpool already sold Salah's heir in "world-class" talent

Liverpool have so much attacking quality but might come to regret selling this star.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 13, 2025

It looked like an ideal game for Royals, first posting a 200-plus total and then almost all their bowlers combining for a comprehensive win

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Apr-20251:25

Boucher: Archer’s pace and rhythm show he’s back

Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring runs. Jofra Archer continuing the rhythm he seemed to rediscover against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga coming into their own.All these things may have been on Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) wishlist coming into Saturday night’s match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). All three wishes were fulfilled, as RR consigned PBKS, playing their first home game of IPL 2025, to their first defeat of the season.Jaiswal and Riyan Parag provided the sparks at the start and finish for RR to become the first team to post a 200-plus IPL total in Mullanpur. With this only being the sixth IPL game at the venue, it wasn’t yet clear if 205 was a winning total, but only until Archer made his entrance.Six legal balls into their chase, PBKS were two down, with Archer finding movement at upwards of 145kph to take out Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer. RR struck two more blows in the first seven overs, and PBKS were always playing catch-up thereafter, even when Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell added 88 for the fifth wicket.Theekshana and Hasaranga did their bit to stifle the partnership’s scoring rate, and then struck one after the other to remove both set batters. And that was that for PBKS; they only hit one boundary in the last 5.4 overs as RR wrapped up victory by 50 runs.Jaiswal and Samson lay the foundationJaiswal got off to a scratchy start, slashing and missing against the left-left new-ball pair of Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen, who both found early swing. Jaiswal miscued a pull just beyond the reach of a backtracking mid-on, and scored just 12 off his first 14 balls.But perhaps all he needed, after starting his season with scores of 1, 29 and 4, was a bit of time in the middle and a bit of luck. The fourth over brought him back-to-back sixes off Jansen – a ramp over the keeper and a slog over midwicket – and he seemed to be up and running.Sanju Samson, captaining RR for the first time this season after a finger injury had restricted him to a batting-only Impact Player role thus far, began more fluently but had less of the strike early on. When RR ended their first wicketless powerplay of the season on 53 for 0, he was on 20 off 14 and Jaiswal on 32 off 22.2:28

Did the two teams read the pitch differently?

PBKS hit back with slower ballsFrom 40 for 0 after four overs, RR only scored 45 in their next six. The legspin of RR old boy Yuzvendra Chahal and the slower cutters of Lockie Ferguson and Marcus Stoinis had a lot to do with this, on a pitch that was just a touch grippy and two-paced.Samson fell in the 11th over trying to force the pace against Ferguson, and Jaiswal seemed to be getting stuck. But from 46 off 39, he found that elusive higher gear, crunching Chahal down the ground to bring up his fifty before slog-sweeping his next ball for six. He hit Stoinis for a six and a four in the next over – the 13th – before becoming Ferguson’s second victim, swinging too early at a well-disguised, stump-bound knuckleball.Parag breaks free after slow startParag, batting at No. 3, began much like Jaiswal had, struggling initially to get to grips with the surface. At one stage, after four successive dots against Arshdeep’s cutters, angling across the right-hander and turning further away, Parag was on 12 off 14 in the 16th over.Then he paused for breath, and took strike transformed, a batter able to hold his shape for a split-second longer. He hit the next two balls from Arshdeep for fours, and that began a hitting spree that brought him 31 off his last 11 balls at the crease. With Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel contributing cameos as well, RR rushed past 200 in the final over. Stoinis, whose first two only went for 12, leaked 36 in his last two, which again told the tale of RR’s batters coming to grips with the conditions and finding a way to master them.Archer hits the bull’s eyeThe first ball Archer bowled could not have been bettered. Perfect length, rooting Impact Sub Priyansh Arya to the crease. Movement from leg to off, at 144.6kph. The left-handed Arya defended down the wrong line and the ball slid past his outside edge to flick the top of off.0:53

‘Wadhera a winner who wants to be in the tough situations’

None of this seemed to make any impact on Shreyas Iyer, though. The PBKS captain began in a manner befitting someone whose head coach had likened his previous innings to a purring Rolls Royce, stroking Archer for two fours through the covers in his first four legal balls at the crease. Then he got greedy, exposing all his stumps to try and make room for another off-side hit, and Archer burst a 148.6kph ball through him.RR stay in control despite Wadhera and MaxwellWickets kept falling even when Archer didn’t have the ball. Stoinis popped a return catch to Sandeep Sharma off a fairly innocuous seam-up delivery in the fourth over, and Prabhsimran Singh slog-swept Kumar Kartikeya to deep midwicket in the seventh. The required rate kept mounting too; PBKS needed 163 from 82 balls when Maxwell joined Wadhera.PBKS’ hopes began to stir when both batters hit sixes off Kartikeya in a 19-run tenth over, but Theekshana and Hasaranga immediately got to work, conceding just five and 12 – the latter an impressive recovery after Wadhera slog-swept the first ball of the over for six – in the 11th and 12th overs.But as Maxwell ramped and reverse-swatted Yudhvir Singh for a pair of fours in the 13th, Wadhera launched Hasaranga for a straight six to bring up a 33-ball fifty in the 14th, and then began the 15th with back-to-back fours off Theekshana, PBKS began to dream once again.Then the two Sri Lankan spinners brought their defensive skills to the fore again, asking the batters to try and fetch balls dangled wide of their hitting arcs. Maxwell sliced a catch to long-off at the end of the 15th over, and Wadhera slog-swept to deep midwicket at the start of the 16th. PBKS were six down and needed 75 off 29. It was never going to happen as they continued to lose wickets.

Pep Guardiola has delivered an injury update on Rodri after seeing the Spaniard forced out of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Brentford. The Ballon d’Or winner has been handled with care this season, but he limped away from the clash in west London and is facing another spell on the sidelines – although the man himself remains upbeat.

ACL injury has seen Rodri's game time limited

City saw Rodri suffer knee ligament damage in September 2024, with that issue ruling him out of 53 games for club and country. After 236 days out of action, the Spain international returned to the field late in the 2024-25 campaign. He went on to represent Guardiola’s side at the FIFA Club World, but suffered another fitness setback there.

Rodri has made just 15 appearances since the start of last season, with a serious ACL problem meaning that his game time must be limited. Guardiola had hoped that a key part of his plans was over the worst of his injury issues, but keeping the 29-year-old fit is proving to be difficult.

AdvertisementGettyGuardiola update on Rodri's latest injury

Guardiola told Sky Sports of Rodri after facing questions about why the Golden Ball winner was withdrawn an hour into City’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Monaco: “I was right, no? You asked me why I don't play him 90 minutes all the time. The journalists always ask me why I substitute him. This is why we tried to be gentle and play [him] for 60-65 minutes.”

Guardiola added when asked about the nature of Rodri’s latest setback: "It's muscular. Of course I don't want to lose him [at all] because he is such an important player. We tried to take care of him, but it is what it is.”

Return date: When Rodri hopes to play again

Rodri hobbled out of City’s 1-0 victory over Brentford inside the opening 20 minutes. He was forced to take a seat on the turf early in the first half after it became clear that he was in no position to continue. He looked crestfallen when inviting medical staff onto the pitch. Rodri was able to walk off unaided, but was in some discomfort after clutching at the back of his leg. The fact that further knee problems appear to have been avoided does offer a crumb of comfort to Rodri and City.

The man himself told when asked why he had been forced to leave the action and when he could be seen again: “I'm good. I felt a little bit in the hamstring but it seems like it's not that much. The important thing was the victory. I stretched the leg a little bit, a bit like in the Euros final. I stretched a little bit but it's part of the process.

“I don't feel that I feel tired muscle wise, I feel fresh but the most important thing is it's not that big. It's part of the process. The good thing about this is you get out, you don't let the muscle stretch now. The good thing is the break so it will be even better in this sense to recover these days and hopefully I can be in the next game.”

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Getty ImagesRodri crucial to Guardiola's plans at Man City

Rodri will not link up with the Spain squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria. He will remain in Manchester for treatment, with City set to return to action against Everton on October 18.

Guardiola has previously said of getting Rodri back up to full speed: “Rodri is an outstanding player, everyone knows it, maybe he struggled to understand it's not about six months or 12, the World Cup will be the best Rodri and next season will be the best Rodri, this year is how to handle it. One year he has been out. The body changes, the rhythm changes, it's a question of time, if he's healthy he will be back.”

Only 9.2 overs of play possible at Edgbaston before rain sweeps in

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025Nottinghamshire struck two early blows against Warwickshire before rain wiped out the bulk of the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston. Play started on time but just 9.2 overs were possible before the rain arrived with the home side on 34 for 2 having been put in.Having chosen to bowl, Nottinghamshire removed both opening batters in the first five overs. Rob Yates fell to the second ball of the match and Alex Davies to the 27th, Brett Hutton inflicting the damage with similar deliveries, rapid in-duckers which trapped the batter half-forward to win an lbw decision.Hamza Shaikh and Sam Hain, the latter looking in excellent nick, avoided further mishap before the rain arrived.It was a frustrating day for both teams who are keen to build on the momentum of a strong start to the season, each having secured a win and a draw from their first two games. Both have made one change to their team. Olly Hannon-Dalby, having recovered from a quad injury, returns in place of Tazeem Ali for Warwickshire. Nottinghamshire’s switch is in the pace attack where Josh Tongue replaces the injured Dillon Pennington.

Liverpool will have to cope without having Hugo Ekitike at their disposal when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

The French centre-forward is set to be suspended for the trip to London because of the red card that he picked up in the 2-1 win over Southampton in the League Cup at Anfield on Tuesday night.

Ekitike came off the bench at half-time in the win over the Championship side. He made an impact as a substitute by netting the winner late in the second half, converting into an open net from Federico Chiesa’s pass.

However, joy quickly turned to confusion as the referee showed a red card to the forward, who had taken his shirt off to celebrate his finish in front of the Anfield crowd.

This means that Arne Slot will be without the summer signing from Eintracht Frankfurt for the clash with Palace, after Ekitike started the first five matches of the Premier League season.

The Liverpool head coach now has a decision to make on whether or not to play club-record signing Alexander Isak from the start at Selhurst Park.

Why Alexander Isak may not start against Crystal Palace

Despite arriving at Anfield from Newcastle for £125m, a British record fee, during the summer transfer window, it is not a certainty that the Sweden international will start against the Eagles.

Because of the drawn-out transfer saga, Isak did not have a pre-season with the Magpies and did not feature in the opening weeks of the 2025/26 campaign, which means that he is still short on match fitness.

The Liverpool number nine has yet to play more than 58 minutes in any of his three appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and came off at half-time against Southampton after scoring his first goal for the Reds.

This shows that Slot and the medical team are being careful with Isak and slowly building him up, rather than chucking him straight into full 90-minute appearances.

24/25

3

9

23/24

2

12

22/23

1

17

21/22

2

5

20/19

0

0

19/20

0

0

18/19

5

15

17/18

1

8

As you can see in the table above, Isak has far from a spotless injury record during his career, which is why they may want to be extra careful with him to avoid causing any unwanted muscle injuries.

With his fitness and Ekitike’s suspension in mind, Liverpool may save Isak to come off the bench because of their lack of senior centre-forward options to play in the crucial stage of the match.

Assuming, based on how his appearances have gone so far, that the Swedish striker is not ready to play the full 90 minutes, Liverpool would be in danger of potentially having to substitute the £125m forward in the second half whilst chasing a result.

Instead of running that risk, the Reds could go with a wildcard replacement for Ekitike by unleashing a different player in that role and subbing Isak on to finish the match in the second half.

Chalkboard

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

Slot brought Jayden Danns on in the second half against Southampton on Tuesday night, and the 19-year-old academy graduate could be the wildcard replacement for Ekitike to lead the line until Isak is introduced on Saturday.

Why Liverpool should unleash Jayden Danns

The teenage centre-forward provided the fans with a reminder that he is physically ready for first-team football by winning all three of his duels in 15 minutes off the bench against the Saints, per Sofascore.

Danns has scored two goals for club and country at youth level so far this season, per Sofascore, and looks to be getting back to his best after an injury put an end to his loan spell at Sunderland in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

The England U20 international first arrived on the first-team scene under Jurgen Klopp with two goals against Southampton in the FA Cup in 2024.

Danns also scored off the bench against Accrington Stanley in a 4-0 win for Liverpool in the FA Cup under Slot at the start of this year, before his loan move to Sunderland and subsequent injury troubles ended his campaign.

This means that he has already had a tiny bit of success at first-team level at Anfield, with three senior goals under his belt, which is why throwing him in from the start against Crystal Palace may not be the worst idea in the world.

Liverpool U18s

33

24 + 4

Liverpool U21s

12

4 + 2

Liverpool first-team

10

3 + 0

England U18s

9

0 + 0

England U16s

3

2 + 0

Liverpool Youth League

2

1 + 0

England U20s

1

1 + 0

As you can see in the table above, Danns has scored goals at an impressive rate for almost every team he has played for at senior and youth level.

U23 scout Antonio Mango described the striker as being “extra prolific” because of his intelligence and movement off the ball. His goal against Southampton in the earlier clip is a great example of those attributes in action.

The 19-year-old star, who made one appearance in the Premier League last season, is an exciting prospect and appears to have the physical and technical qualities to hold his own in the first-team already.

This is why he could be an ideal option to lead the line from the start against Crystal Palace on Saturday. That would provide Danns with a huge opportunity to showcase his quality, whilst also allowing Liverpool to end the game with Isak leading the line.

Not Ekitike: Liverpool have Sturridge 2.0 in star who's "making an impact"

Liverpool may have found their new version of Daniel Sturridge in this Reds star.

ByDan Emery Sep 24, 2025

It could be an ideal solution to the problem facing Slot, with Ekitike’s suspension, as it would prevent the Reds from being in a position where they are chasing a result but have to substitute their star striker whilst doing so.

Manchester United are reportedly considering a move for Jude Bellingham's brother Jobe as Ruben Amorim sees the young midfielder as a perfect fit for his 3-4-2-1 system. Bellingham followed in his elder brother Jude's footsteps and signed for Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window from Sunderland but the youngster has struggled for regular game time in Germany under Niko Kovac.

Bellingham struggling in Germany

After starring for Sunderland in the Championship last season and helping them secure a promotion to the Premier League, Bellingham attracted interest from Borussia Dortmund, a club where his elder brother Jude had previously thrived. He eventually sealed a move to the Bundesliga, as Dortmund agreed to pay the Black Cats a €33 million (£28m/$38m) transfer fee. Jobe was expected to have a similar impact as his sibling, however, so far this season, the midfielder has struggled to solidify a place in Dortmund's starting lineup. He has featured in eight matches across all competitions, accumulating just 281 minutes of action. He has been named in the starting XI only three times – twice in the Bundesliga and once in the Champions League – while failing to register a goal or an assist.

Bellingham has also been accused of holding back Dortmund this season, as Germany legend Dietmar Hamann said: "The momentum Niko Kovac has brought to the table is truly impressive. Finally, consistency. The whole team is finally working for the win. I don't think they'll be able to keep up with Munich until the end, because Bayern seem to be able to step up a gear when necessary. But BVB's development is really good. Just imagine if they had even won the games in Turin and at St. Pauli. Then they'd be on Bayern's level. The only cause for concern seems to be Jobe Bellingham. Young, expensive and, so far, not even half as good as Jude Bellingham. It's not getting any easier for him."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportUnited eyeing a move for Bellingham

Despite signing a five-year contract only a few months ago, Bellingham is already being linked with a move away from Dortmund and according to , United are closely monitoring the youngster's situation, potentially plotting a move to bring him back to his homeland. The report adds that Red Devils boss Amorim is an admirer of the midfielder and he believes that Bellingham would nicely fit his complex 3-4-2-1 setup, as his physical strength will be of great use at the centre of the park. 

However, United are not the only club chasing Bellingham as they are likely to face competition from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, who are also in search of a midfielder. Palace know that their star player Adam Wharton could depart Selhurst Park next summer, amid interest from European giants like Real Madrid, while United also have their eyes on the England international. As a result, the Eagles have seemingly begun their search for Wharton's replacement already. 

United looking to bolster midfield

Amorim spent heavily to strengthen United's attack in the last summer transfer window, as the club brought in big names for big money, in Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Midfield, however, still remains an area of concern. The Red Devils need a long-term replacement for an ageing Casemiro, while home-grown star Kobbie Mainoo could exit Old Trafford due to a surprising lack of game time this season. 

United had also pushed to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton towards the end of the summer transfer window but a move for the Seagulls star failed to come to fruition due to his massive £115m ($156m) price tag ($156m). Some reports have suggested that United could make another move for the youngster at the turn of the year.

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Getty Images SportLiverpool test up next for United

After a series of poor results throughout September, which saw United drop to the 14th position on the league table, the team finally regained confidence by comprehensively beating Sunderland just before the international break. Amorim's team will now aim to make it two wins in a row next Sunday as they visit Anfield to take on champions Liverpool in a key Premier League clash. The Merseysiders are in a slump after three straight defeats, so now could be the perfect opportunity.

Only 10.1 overs were possible on Thursday evening before the game was called off

Sreshth Shah08-May-2025The Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Delhi Capitals (DC) match in IPL 2025 in Dharamsala has been called off after 10.1 overs.”The Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match (Match#58) in Tata IPL was forced to be abandoned due to a significant technical failure at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala,” an official statement from the IPL said. “Due to a power outage in the area, one of the light towers at the HPCA stadium malfunctioned. BCCI regrets the inconvenience caused to the in-stadium attendees.”In the 10.1 overs possible, PBKS openers Priyansh Arya (70) and Prabhsimran Singh (50*) dominated proceedings, stitching up a 122-run opening stand off 61 balls.Arya fell in the first ball of the 11th over, top-edging a T Natarajan slower-ball bouncer onto his helmet, which popped up for a simple catch. The players then left the field due to a floodlight failure at the stadium. Around 9.40pm IST, the match was called off.Before the abandonment, Arya and Prabhsimran took down Mitchell Starc and Dushmantha Chameera in the powerplay as PBKS raced away to 50 for no loss in four overs.After the powerplay, the pair took down Kuldeep Yadav as well, smashing him for two sixes and two fours. Arya reached his third fifty-plus score of the season in the seventh over off just 25 balls. Prabhsimran reached his own fifty in the tenth and in the process became the first uncapped batter to hit four half-centuries in a row in the IPL.PBKS next play Mumbai Indians (MI) on May 11, a game that was shifted from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad. DC will play Gujarat Titans (GT) in Delhi on the same day.

Thomas Frank has confirmed Tottenham forward Dominic Solanke has undergone minor surgery to get to the bottom of his troublesome ankle injury.

Solanke, who last played for Spurs on August 23 against Manchester City, was absent from training again on Monday ahead of the Champions League fixture away to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday.

England forward Solanke had returned to training earlier this month before he was pulled out last week, but Frank revealed in Norway that a final decision had been made to go down the surgery route.

Frank had played down concerns over Solanke’s fitness in Friday’s press conference before a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves on Saturday night.

Solanke, on £140,000-a-week, missed the majority of pre-season with an ankle issue, but it appeared to be fixed by the start of August after he featured in matches against Paris St Germain, Burnley and Manchester City.

However, with the 28-year-old not able to play for Tottenham during the last five weeks, Frank was asked whether the club could have opted for surgery sooner.

He said: “No, I think you can look at it two ways. That is the easy answer but it is not that easy because if we knew we could have done the surgery a month ago, we probably would have done it.

“For me I am always ‘it is what it is’. We deal with it now and no doubt the way we dealt with it was because we thought that was the right thing. In general no one wants surgery.”

Frank provides update on Kolo Muani

Surgery for Solanke leaves Frank light on attacking options in Bodo, with Paris St Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani unable to train on Monday.

Frank provided a positive update on the France international, but he will be unavailable for this rematch with Bodo four months on from a Europa League semi-final victory at Aspmyra Stadion.

Mathys Tel featured in the 2-0 win in the Arctic Circle, but is not registered for Tottenham’s Champions League squad, which is also the case for summer recruit Kota Takai and Yves Bissouma.

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Takai and Bissouma took part in training on Monday along with Ben Davies – after a minor knee issue – but Frank revealed captain Cristian Romero has been left in England as a “precaution” after a bruising encounter with Wolves.

Frank added: “Kolo Muani, I think now we’re finally on top of his dead leg, so that is also progress there and good. Cuti was just a precaution.”

Danish coach Frank heaped praise on Norwegian minnows Bodo after their historic run to the Europa League semi-final was followed by qualification for the Champions League for the first time.

Asked about Spurs’ 2-0 win under his predecessor Ange Postecoglou, Frank admitted: “How many months is that? Four months ago? With all due respect, I was not the coach. This is a new game. This is a new situation.”