White-ball captain set to return in Caribbean after watching Australia tour from sidelines

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Sep-2024Even after Sunday’s fifth ODI had been called off, the rain kept coming. As Australia’s victorious squad gathered in the indoor nets for their trophy presentation, Jos Buttler stood out in the open mingling with fans.In between autographs and selfies were occasional grimaces skywards, wondering how much the dark clouds had left. Plenty, as it happens. Steadily, the crowd diluted and, eventually, Buttler retreated inside for cover.Despite not playing at all during this white-ball finale to the 2024 English season due to a calf injury, he remains the big-ticket draw. And thus, a conundrum still to solve. Though he adopted a similar role to Ben Stokes during the Test series against Sri Lanka – rehabbing a torn left hamstring but on deck for every day of it – this rewarding of hardy punters braving the damp was the most statesman-like duty England’s permanent limited-overs captain has performed.Related

• In spite of injuries and illness, inevitably Australia find a way

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• Head, Short ensure Australia beat England and the rain to take series

Buttler was far more withdrawn than the Test skipper throughout his hands-off brief. Sky’s cameras had to zoom in to find him on the back row of the home viewing balcony at Bristol, wrapped up warm and making merry with players and coaches, as pundits used the rain delay to pontificate over his part in this white-ball regeneration.Sunday’s finale capped off a September that began with one clear objective from on high. Fresh from being announced as a replacement for Matthew Mott after two unsuccessful World Cup defences in nine months, Brendon McCullum identified the key to revitalising the set-up was to cheer up a “miserable” Buttler.Beyond the long-lens smiles, a man who was lucky to keep his job when Mott was relieved of his has by all accounts been buoyed by what has been a promising first stage of this latest “reset”. A drawn T20I series and a 3-2 loss to the defending 50-over champions having been 2-0 down showed there is plenty for him to work with going forward.”Around the group, it’s been a great opportunity for him [Buttler], just to step back and not worry about the pressures of playing, but have the opportunity to work with players and coaches, talking, building relationships, understanding what’s going on. Sit back and watch a little bit sometimes and see how the team is operating,” interim head coach, Marcus Trescothick, said. “When you’re playing, you’re so engrossed in what’s happening so it’s an opportunity to sit back a little bit.”Tresothick has essentially been acting as McCullum’s surrogate before the Kiwi assumes the job at the start of 2025. McCullum has been involved from afar while preparing for the upcoming Test tour of Pakistan. Communication has been regular, ranging from input in selection matters, such as personnel and roles, along with a handful of debriefs after games.”We are always planning ahead to when Brendon is coming in and the bigger tournaments,” Trescothick said. “That’s going to be the real judge, isn’t it? Bilateral series are great, but the real pinnacle is the Champions Trophies, the World T20s and the World Cups.”It will be the next bilateral, against West Indies at the end of October, when Buttler will return in a playing brief. And it was instructive that Trescothick felt the need to nip any talk of finding a spot in the XI for him in the bud, while admitting the exact guise of his return is up in the air.”Let’s make it clear, he will come straight back in. At what position, I don’t know. We’ll look at that for the Caribbean.”The proximity to the tour of Pakistan – the third Test is scheduled to finish three days before the first ODI in Antigua on October 31 – is likely to mean Buttler reassumes the wicketkeeping. Jamie Smith is likely to be prescribed a rest ahead of flying out to New Zealand for that three-Test series in November, while Phil Salt’s average of 19.90 against Australia suggests he has still not got to grips with the longer of the shorter formats.Harry Brook, too, is highly unlikely to feature against West Indies, which kicks the conversation around longer-term captaincy down the road. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the last month, along with Brook’s return to supreme form, was how at ease he looked with as a leader.Set against Salt’s moonlighting for the T20I series, and Ollie Pope deputising for Stokes for the last half of the Test summer – as well as Buttler’s constant wrestling with the captaincy full stop, both tactical elements and the burn of the extra limelight (and scrutiny) – Brook stands out as a leader in waiting. Trescothick praised Brook’s ability to marshal while setting the standard with the bat, finishing as the leading run-scorer across both teams in the ODI portion, with 312 at 78.00.Harry Brook led the ODI side with aplomb in Buttler’s absence•Getty Images

“He reads the game very well and the way he captains – the field settings and the decision-making – is very positive. He is quiet and unassuming but just gets the job done on everything he has to do.”Brook said he enjoyed his first taste of international captaincy having led England Under-19s before honing his leadership for Northern Superchargers this summer. He went on to state he looked forward to “taking a seat back and letting Jos do it again”.For how much longer remains to be seen. Brook’s impression has been strong enough to bring that conversation forward, at least among those watching from the outside. But the person to bring it to the table will be Buttler.This is still his patch, and the immediate priority is ensuring he slots back in more comfortably than ever before. Whatever shifts and conversations there have been against Australia, whether around playing roles, off-field bonhomie, or simply broader changes of perspective, they have been as much about emboldening the next generation as creating an environment for Buttler to flourish. As McCullum put it, the goal for however long the 34-year-old has left, “is just to enjoy it”.”I expect him to find it really enjoyable going forward,” Trescothick said. “Having worked with Brendon and the other coaches and the style that Brendon wants to implement into the white-ball stuff, it’s what’s been going on before [with the Test team].”There’s no reason why Jos won’t fit back into that mould, score millions of runs, captain well and fit back into the team perfectly.”There are reasons, however, all of which remain untouched because of his on-field absence over the last month. The next step, for England and Buttler, is working through them.

Barcelona have been told they made the wrong call regarding Marc-Andre ter Stegen's future as Ivan Rakitic says the goalkeeper should be first choice.

Rakitic says Ter Stegen should start ahead of GarciaCalls decision “very easy" and says he's world's best goalkeeperFlick expected to evaluate options during pre-season preparationsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Barcelona midfielder Rakitic has strongly backed Ter Stegen to remain the club’s undisputed No. 1 under the German manager. In an interview with , Rakitic insisted the German international should start ahead of other options like new signing Joan Garcia, calling the decision “very easy” and labelling Ter Stegen the best goalkeeper in the world.

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Ter Stegen, currently recovering from injury, has been told he will not be first or second choice this season, with Garcia and veteran shot stopper Wojciech Szczesny being preferred much to the German's dismay. However, Rakitic pointed to the veteran’s leadership, captaincy role and elite standing in European football as key factors that should be enough to guarantee him a place in the starting XI.

WHAT IVAN RAKITIC SAID

Rakitic, who recently retired from football, said: "I spoke to him and he seems very excited and happy. I hope his injury is nothing serious and he can return soon. Between Joan García and Ter Stegen it's very easy, Ter Stegen plays. He's the captain and a highly respected player. With Marc healthy, there are no doubts. I wish all Barcelona's problems were choosing between three great players. Joan has a lot of talent and he's going to have to earn it. It's one thing to play for a La Liga team and another to be Barcelona's number 1. I don't see a better goalkeeper in Europe or the world."

Imago ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Ter Stegen may require surgery to solve an injury he has been struggling with, which could ruin Barcelona's hopes of selling the 33-year-old, who insists he will not leave despite the club insisting he will not play.

Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a new striker, as a key target of theirs would apparently love to join them regardless of whether they achieve Champions League football for next season.

Chelsea seal huge Man United win in race for Champions League place

Marc Cucurella’s strike twenty minutes from full-time sealed a precious three points for Enzo Maresca on Friday night, with the Spaniard scoring Chelsea’s only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Man United.

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The victory at Stamford Bridge puts Chelsea in a very good position heading into their final Premier League game of the season against Nottingham Forest, and even if Nuno Espirito Santo’s side beat West Ham on Sunday, Maresca knows that a win at the City Ground would guarantee Champions League football next season.

“Very important. At this stage of the season it’s important to win games,” said Maresca about Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Man United.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Chelsea

66

5. Aston Villa

66

6. Man City

65

7. Nottingham Forest

62

“We also pay attention in the way we win the game. I think tonight we struggled on the ball because we didn’t expect them to be so aggressive man-to-man. I used to watch five, six, seven games of the other team. I’ve never seen them so aggressive man-to-man. So they surprised us a little by that.

“I think between the first half and the second half we created enough chances to deserve to win the game.

“It’s very important for sure, but the reason why I was so happy at the end is because United beat City away, drew with City at home, drew with Liverpool, drew with Arsenal. So they know how to play against a big team. So I expected, drew with us away, so I expected a very tough game.

“The reason why I was happy was especially because we beat a team that against Arsenal, Liverpool, City, it was difficult to beat them.”

The importance of a top five finish cannot be understated, especially when it comes to the club’s transfer plans, and Maresca has already confirmed their European status will have a direct effect on their summer recruitment.

Victor Osimhen keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League football

That being said, there is one target who’d be eager to make the move to west London anyway – Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen.

The £172,000-per-week marksman, currently on loan at Galatasaray, was a top target for Chelsea last summer before his temporary switch to the Turkish Süper Lig giants, but a move ultimately failed to materialise.

As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea remain in the race for him this year, and it is believed that Osimhen would still love to join the Blues, even if they don’t end up qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious competition.

“Chelsea are ‘still there’ for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen,” said Phillips. “The player has always been keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League football, and he is still keen now. The deal was worked on hard last summer, and the belief from our insiders is that his wage demands would not be as astronomical as the media are portraying.

“Chelsea can easily go back into the deal and our sources believe that it wouldn’t even be that difficult to come to an agreement.”

The 26-year-old would still be expensive, though, and Chelsea would still have to break their wage structure to seal a deal, Phillips later explained.

Even so, Osimhen’s goalscoring form over the last few seasons heavily suggests he’d upgrade Maresca’s striker options.

Angel Gomes called Mason Greenwood his "little brother," with the English international now reunited with his former Manchester United team-mate.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Gomes presented as new Marseille player
• Explained how Greenwood convinced him to join the club
• Duo came through the Man Utd youth ranks together

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gomes was presented as a Marseille player on Friday and the English international spoke about Greenwood, calling him his "little brother" and explaining how the forward helped him reach the decision of joining him at the Stade Velodrome. Gomes has made the switch from Lille, joining as a free agent upon the expiry of his contract.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both Gomes and Greenwood were part of the Manchester United youth academy, with the former making his first team debut in 2017. Greenwood made his first appearance for the senior team in 2019, with the duo a part of the Red Devils' first-team in the 2019-20 season. Over five years after last sharing a dressing room together, the England-born duo will once again play together, this time around in Ligue 1 at Marseille.

• WHAT ANGEL GOMES SAID

  Speaking at his first press conference as a Marseille player on Friday, Gomes said: “I’ve spoken to Mason on the phone several times. He’s a bit like a little brother to me. We met when we were eight, when we played together at the youth level. Starting so young and ending up at a professional club together is rare and beautiful… I can’t wait to share these moments with him in Marseille.” 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ANGEL GOMES?

  The 24-year-old midfielder will be aiming to hit the ground running when he features for Les Phoceens in their first summer friendly on July 21 against Belgian second-tier side Olympic Charleroi.

Nottingham Forest have Europa Conference League football to look forward to next term and are now progressing in their attempts to bring a highly-rated forward to the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest transfer targets as they prepare for Europe

It wasn’t to be for Nottingham Forest in their pursuit of Champions League football, though a place in Europe’s third-tier continental tournament could offer a realistic prospect of silverware next season.

West Ham United and Chelsea’s previous exploits in the Europa Conference League will offer Nuno Espirito Santo all the encouragement he needs, but the Portuguese boss knows signings will be necessary to balance their trophy bid with domestic endeavours.

According to reports, Nottingham Forest are interested in a permanent deal for Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, though there could also be a possibility of a loan agreement in the eyes of former scout Mick Brown.

Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes is a surprise target for the Tricky Trees, lending credence to the notion that they will go all out this summer following an impressive Premier League campaign.

Intriguingly, Espirito Santo stopped short of confirming he would be in charge next term after his side missed out on Champions League qualification, stating: “We are in good place and now it’s time to reflect and focus on the future. This is not a moment to speak about me. It’s about the club.”

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Either way, there is plenty to be positive about on reflection. Nottingham Forest have shown they are a force that can compete with the best after conducting a mass overhaul across the last couple of years in the East Midlands.

Sparing no expense, the Tricky Trees are now advancing in their pursuit to sign a talented forward who has likened himself to Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr.

Nottingham Forest in advanced Igor Jesus talks after £18.5m offer

Per Fogao Net, Nottingham Forest have made an offer to sign Botafogo forward Igor Jesus for £18.5 million and talks are now believed to have progressed to an advanced stage.

Negotiations between all parties are moving along nicely, leaving the final decision down to the Brazil international, who has previously pointed out similarities between himself and countryman Vinicius Jr.

Igor Jesus statistics in 2025 – Serie A (Fotmob)

Shots

33

Shots on target

13

Completed dribbles

5

Dribble success

62.5%

Chances created

14

Duels won

62

Enjoying a bright start to the year, Jesus has netted seven goals and laid on a solitary assist in 23 appearances across all competitions for Brazil’s reigning top-flight champions.

Chris Wood has been a talismanic figure at the City Ground of late, though his age may work against him moving forward and securing an alternative option would make sense to bolster squad depth.

Now, it remains to be seen if Nottingham Forest can push a deal over the line as they look to build on an impressive campaign by keeping pace with contenders for European football in 2025/26.

فتح جياني إنفانتينو رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” الباب أمام إقامة بطولات كأس العالم وكأس العالم للأندية في الشتاء.

ويعتقد إنفانتينو أن كرة القدم بحاجة للتفكير بعقلية منفتحة بشأن نقل البطولات الكبرى من الصيف.

وتجرى مناقشات حول جدول مباريات ما بعد 2030 وهو ما يمثل نقطة توتر خاصة بالنظر للضغط المتزايد الذي تفرضه البطولات الموسعة.

وشكل الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم مجموعة عمل لدراسة هذه المسألة وقد وضع الاتحاد نفسه في مأزق بمنح استضافة كأس العالم 2034 للمملكة العربية السعودية.

ومن شبه المؤكد أن تقام هذه البطولة في فصل الشتاء كما حدث مع قطر 2022، واقترح إنفانتينو أن تعتاد كرة القدم على فك ارتباطها بالصيف الأوروبي.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | إنفانتينو يهنئ منتخب مصر على التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026

وقال إنفانتينو في تصريحات نقلتها “جارديان” البريطانية: “نحن بالفعل في صميم الموضوع ونناقشه طوال الوقت، الأمر لا يتعلق بكأس عالم فقط بل هو انعكاس عام، حتى اللعب في بعض الدول الأوروبية في يوليو يكون حارًا جداً، افضل شهر للعب كرة القدم وهو يونيو لكنه لا يستخدم كثيراً في أوروبا”.

وواصل: “ربما توجد طرق لتحسين التقويم، لكننا نناقشها وسنرى ما سيحدث عندما نتوصل لاستنتاجات، علينا فقط أن نكون منفتحين”.

وتابع: “من المعروف أنه إذا أردت اللعب في نفس الوقت في كل مكان فمن المرجح أن تلعب في مارس أو أكتوبر لأنه في ديسمبر لا يمكنك اللعب في مكان ما من العالم وفي يوليو لا يمكنك اللعب في مكان آخر”.

وأكمل: “علينا أن نأخذ جميع هذه العوامل في الاعتبار عند الحديث عن مسابقات المنتخبات الوطنية ومسابقات الأندية وأن نبحث كيف يمكن تحسينها بما يعود بالنفع على الجميع لذا هناك الكثير على المحك”.

وأضاف إنفانتينو أنه يأمل ألا يتم استهداف مباراتي أحد المنتخبات المقبلة في تصفيات كأس العالم ضد النرويج وإيطاليا من قبل المتظاهرين بعد الاتفاق على وقف اطلاق النار مع حماس.

وختم: “الآن هناك وقف لإطلاق النار ويجب أن يكون الجميع سعداء ويدعمون ذلك، الأمر يتجاوز كرة القدم، اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار خبر رائع للعالم أجمع”.

Arsenal’s search for a striker is set to dominate headlines as we enter the first mini-summer transfer window, and it’s an area of the squad which sporting director Andrea Berta is working hard to address.

Arsenal in ongoing talks for Benjamin Sesko in search of striker

Gabriel Jesus’ ACL rupture in their FA Cup defeat to Man United, and Kai Havertz’s lengthy absence due to a hamstring injury, crippled Mikel Arteta’s options up front during the second half of 2024/2025, prompting the Spaniard to utilise Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role.

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Merino performed well, but that injury crisis up front brought yet more attention to Arteta’s glaring need for a prolific centre-forward.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

A proven number nine has long been touted as the final missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw, and Berta is said to be laying the groundwork on deals to bring Arsenal’s long search for a new striker to an end this summer.

Arsenal have held talks over signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, according to some reports, and they were heavily linked with a move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, until this week at least.

Now, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko has entered pole position to become Arsenal’s answer to their goalscoring woes, and “concrete” talks are underway after Berta’s meeting with Leipzig director Marcel Schafer in London.

The Gunners are said to be putting their focus on a deal for Sesko, and discussions are centered around a payment structure for his £67 million release clause.

While Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg claims Gyokeres is still high on Arsenal’s list despite these Sesko talks, Spanish media sources claim their negotiations for the Slovenian have put an end to their chase for Sporting’s serial goalscorer.

Arsenal pull plug on Viktor Gyokeres deal after opening Sesko talks

According to reports from Spain, cited by Football 365, Arteta has now ‘ruled out’ an Arsenal move for Gyokeres, and they’ve now ‘withdrawn from the bidding’ to sign him – which could open the door for other linked sides like Man United and Barcelona.

This follows their decision to up the ante in pursuit of Sesko, so going by this update, it appears the 22-year-old is now their priority target.

Given the costs involved when it comes to a deal for Sesko, we wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal pull a U-turn on this call, especially considering that Gyokeres could leave Sporting for just £60 million.

The “quality” ex-Coventry City star is fresh off the back of an exceptional campaign, scoring 54 goals in all competitions, and there are reports in Portugal that Arsenal have already offered Gyokeres a contract, so he could just be on the back-burner for now.

“I have said this before, and I will continue to say it: he brings a lot to the team, and his teammates are aware of what he contributes, which is why they look for him during games,” said Sporting boss Rui Borges about Gyokeres.

“The collective effort also plays a role, as no one can succeed alone. Viktor is a game-changer, and he will continue to be, whether with us or elsewhere. His quality is undeniable; it is phenomenal.”

Can you pit allrounders against specialist batsmen and bowlers? The debate rages on

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2020Rabbit HolesDeivarayan Muthu, sub-editor: Hello fellas. In an ideal world, it would have been Kings XI v Sunrisers Hyderabad this evening, and we would have been approaching the playoffs. Instead, we’re looking back at the IPLs past. Who is your MVP? Bombs away.Gaurav Sundararaman (aka G-Stats), senior stats analyst: MS Dhoni, obviously! End of conversation.Muthu: ): Longevity, consistency, performance under pressure, impact in key matches, multi-dimensionality. What sort of team is he playing in? Dependency on him? Accolades: Man-of-the-Match and trophy wins.Lonely at the top: everyone’s favourite IPL captain can’t cut the MVP list•BCCIMuthu: Makes sense. My top priority is consistency, followed by the ability to handle pressure – because it’s such a fickle format, it doesn’t allow one to be consistent.Sundararaman: Exactly. It’s very hard to be consistent in this format and easy to get found out with technology, etc. But have you guys decided who your MVP is, or do you have a few names in mind? I know mine!Roller: I found it so difficult to narrow it down to one. I can throw a whole load of names at you, but I keep second-guessing. I don’t think there is a single player that fulfills every criterion I want them to.Muthu: I’ve had a few prominent names in mind, but can’t nail down just one, because they bring varied skill-sets. Dhoni, Mali, Sunil Narine, Pollard are sitting at the top of the (unranked) list for me. Oh, and Andre Russell.Roller: My top five were David Warner, Narine, Pollard, Dhoni and Malinga. I’ll add a couple of names as honourable mentions in Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina – especially for longevity, consistency and impact in knockout games.Sundararaman: None of you have mentioned my guy yet.Muthu: No Virat Kohli, sorry.Sundararaman: Well, Kohli has been amazing, but somehow I never see the India Kohli and the RCB Kohli as the same. He plays with slightly less intensity for RCB and that is understandable. Maybe that reflects in his performances. So all of us agree, no Chris Gayle and no Kohli then?Muthu: Absolutely agree, but I’d give extra points to Pollard, Russell and to MS for the tough job of dealing with the old ball.Sundararaman: How can you guys not consider Shane Watson! Sorry, I can’t continue this conversation without him. This is the IPL’s MVP. Never forget the early years. In IPL fantasy games, Shane Watson was always everyone’s captain! (). Here’s fun fact No. 1: I have put a 500-run qualification just to satisfy all of you, and so that your contenders even make the table. Five hundred runs in 12 seasons is what the Tamil actor Rajnikanth will call a “jujube”.