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The Zimbabwe opener suffered the injury during a practice game against South Africa in Arundel and might be out for four to six weeks

Firdose Moonda05-Jun-2025Ben Curran suffered a fracture to his right hand on the second day of Zimbabwe’s warm-up game against South Africa at Arundel. Curran was hit by a Kagiso Rabada delivery in the fifth over of Zimbabwe’s innings and retired hurt on 4. He was treated at the ground and taken for an x-ray which confirmed the fracture.ESPNcricinfo understands that the injury is unlikely to require surgery but that Curran could still spend around four to six weeks out of action, which would rule him out of Zimbabwe’s home Tests against South Africa later this month. South Africa will play two matches in Bulawayo starting on June 28.Curran, the middle brother in a trio that includes England internationals Sam and Tom, made his debut for Zimbabwe in December last year and has played six Tests, including their most recent one against England, and six ODIs as well. He is yet to be capped in the T20I format. He has opened the batting in all his Tests, as he did in the match at Arundel, which does not have first-class status. Zimbabwe spent 79 overs in the field before South Africa declared on 313 for 2, and gave themselves an hour to bowl at Zimbabwe at the end of the day. Rabada and Marco Jansen shared the new ball and bowled with good pace and discipline.After Rabada hit Curran, he had Brian Bennett caught at gully to give South Africa their first wicket on the tour. Rabada was replaced by Lungi Ngidi, who broke Nick Welch’s bat in the closing exchanges of play.There has only been one day of play possible in the fixture so far after the opening day was washed out and the third day appears likely to go the same way. With rain around Arundel, it was confirmed that there will be no play until at least the second session on Thursday. Friday’s forecast also appears grim, which may mean South Africa head to London for the World Test Championship final against Australia with minimal match practice. They will have three days of training at Lord’s the final starts on June 11.Zimbabwe return home after the Arundel match to prepare to host South Africa for two Tests and a T20I tri-series, which also includes New Zealand. They will then play two Tests against New Zealand, the T20 World Cup Qualifiers and two Tests against Afghanistan later in the year.

Du Plessis captains DC in Axar’s absence

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-20252:58

Cricinformed: Bumrah, the gold standard for a T20 bowler

Faf du Plessis, captaining Delhi Capitals in Axar Patel’s absence due to a bad flu, won the toss and chose to bowl. Speaking about Axar at the toss, du Plessis said, “Unfortunate for him, really sick the last two days. Bad flu. We wish him all the best. Will definitely miss him today.”Madhav Tiwari and Mukesh Kumar have replaced T Natarajan and Axar for DC. Tiwari, a seam-bowling allrounder from Madhya Pradesh, was part of DC’s XI in their abandoned game against Punjab Kings but will be on debut as that game will be replayed on Saturday. KL Rahul has been named in the Impact Players bench after being hit on the knee in training on match eve and is most likely to be subbed in for the second innings.DC will be out of the playoffs race with a loss today. MI, on the other hand, will go through with a win. Hardik Pandya, MI’s captain, said he would have liked to bowl as well. Mitchell Santner replaces Corbin Bosch. One of Ashwani Kumar and Karn Sharma, who were part of MI’s previous game, will miss out tonight.So far this season, the average score batting first at the Wankhede stadium has been 174 for 7 and the chasing team has won four out of the six games.Mumbai Indians XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, N Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit BumrahMI Impact Players bench: Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Karn Sharma, Raj Bawa, Satyanarayana RajuDelhi Capitals XI: Faf du Plessis (capt), Abishek Porel (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Dushmantha Chameera, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh KumarDC Impact Players bench: KL Rahul, Sediqullah Atal, Karun Nair, Tripurana Vijay, Manvanth Kumar

From not finding a spot in the Champions Trophy XI to being a middle order lynchpin in India, the New Zealand wicketkeeper’s curve is on the rise

Vishal Dikshit in Pune24-Oct-2017For New Zealand, Tom Latham is a keeper. No, not just a wicketkeeper, but someone worth investing in for the long run, because he’s soon becoming an asset across formats with varied roles in recent times.During the course of his match-winning century in the series opener in Mumbai, he demonstrated the ability to adapt in the middle order despite a topsy-turvy 2017.He started the year with a mere nine ODI runs across five matches at home, leading to him being axed from the XI. However, when New Zealand set off for their next ODI series, in Ireland, Latham was named captain as ten of his team-mates were unavailable due to IPL commitments. Once they returned, Latham did not get a game at the Champions Trophy despite two half-centuries and a century in four innings in Dublin.Once New Zealand were ousted early from the Champions Trophy, they had to change batting strategies, especially for the challenging India tour. They brought in the hard-hitting Colin Munro to partner Martin Guptill at the top, so that they could collect a handful of runs before the Indian spinners would be summoned. But the middle-order holes were still staring at Mike Hesson, the coach, and Kane Williamson, the captain.Latham had scored runs while opening in Ireland, but it was decided to move him down the order to add some stability at No. 5, given his experience and preference against spin after the India tour last year.”I have played in that position (No. 5) before when I started playing for New Zealand,” Latham stated in Pune on Tuesday. “So, it’s not a position which is unfamiliar to me. It was more of a tactical shift than anything, coming in the middle when the ball is a little bit softer and playing a bit more spin. It is nice that I adapted quickly. It was nice to have those two warm-up games beforehand and contribute in those games and start against spin.”I think there is always a reason behind it (changes in batting order) and I have been talking to Hess (Mike Hesson) quite closely over the winter in terms of what he wanted, and taking the gloves and batting in the middle overs. I think it’s probably more about to be able to recover, in terms of the role that we wanted at the top of the order in terms of our game plans. You have to adapt to the team situation and I’m more than happy to do the middle-order role.”Latham had made his international debut at 19, but was shuffled up and down the order initially. He set about cementing himself as a Test opener by accumulating runs on overseas tours, but limited-overs matches were treating him differently. He started his ODI career batting in the middle order and averaged 24 in his first 25 innings. He became more prolific when he started opening more regularly in 2015, but he was often left out of the playing XIs, including in the last World Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy.What also worked in his favour for the current tour were his wicketkeeping skills. New Zealand had to fill that gap twice in recent times with the retirements of Brendon McCullum in 2016 and Luke Ronchi this June. Once he was among the keeping options for the current tour, Latham underwent specialist keeping training before departing for India. The first test of his skills emerged in the very first ODI when he had to keep wickets in Mumbai’s heat and humidity, before coming out to bat in the 13th over.”It was very hot the other day,” Latham stated. “The conditions were the hottest, it was very sweaty and I lost a lot of fluid. I guess that’s credit to our fitness training, having the right running programmes and gym programmes in place. The guys have had a winter off, a few months off to build the strengths and fitness back-up. It was nice to go out there and bat and be there till the end even though it was quite hot and exhausting.”Using his familiarity of conditions from the India tour last year, Latham, who has also been in India with New Zealand A in the past, used the sweep and reverse sweeps effectively on Sunday, since his role had changed from seeing off the new ball to batting against the older and softer ball.”I put a little bit of work in terms of coming over here and playing spin,” he said. “One thing for me is the sweep shot that I have always played throughout my career. I probably find it easier doing that than hitting down the ground. The other guys may find it easier hitting down the ground. It’s important to adapt to conditions and have a game plan and try and stick to it.”Until New Zealand go back and start their home summer season, Latham’s responsibilities are clear. Whether he will go back to opening in ODIs at home or not remains to be seen, but for now, he has exemplified with his gutsy batting and changing duties how he fits into any role that is asked of him. Even when he was not keeping wickets regularly, Latham was often taking catches in the slips or copping blows under the helmet while fielding close to the pitch. In cliched sports lingo, Latham is a true team player.

This tournament will ask existential questions of almost every team: what would it mean for West Indies, winners of the inaugural World Cup in England more than 40 years ago, to miss out?

Liam Brickhill02-Mar-2018Late summer rains have blanketed all of Zimbabwe in the week leading up to the World Cup Qualifier. It’s the sort of moody weather that will add a little more drama to the beginning of a journey for ten teams who all believe they are in with a shot at the final. This will be high-stakes cricket, with rain bound to be a factor at some point – yet another leveller in a playing field already sitting more or less at parity.Yet, there are a couple of teams that, barring some disaster of form, we might call favourites. Afghanistan brim with quality and a confidence that seems increasingly intrinsic to their brand of cricket. They will be further buoyed by Rashid Khan’s meteoric rise. Rashid, still a teenager, is set to become the youngest captain in international cricket history when he leads the team in its first match against Scotland, due to regular skipper Asghar Stanikzai having been temporarily laid low by appendicitis.”It feels good to see that Afghanistan is a favourite to qualify,” Rashid said with a smile at a pre-tournament press conference. “I think we should show it on the ground, it’s not only on paper that we should look good.”Rashid Khan goes through Jason Holder’s defense•AFPWest Indies have been in the country preparing for almost two weeks, and though their batsmen are clearly only going to start showing up once the actual tournament begins, having been bowled out cheaply in their two warm-up matches, they would have to play pretty badly to miss out on the final.”We know what is at stake,” said captain Jason Holder, who also telegraphed his long-term goals with: “We’ve done well in T20 cricket, we’ve done well in women’s cricket and in Under-19 cricket. I think it’s about time we win another World Cup.” They’ll have to qualify first.Ireland are by some distance the most experienced squad at the tournament. Importantly they have it where it counts: ten players who were part of of their 2015 World Cup campaign, as well as a core group who were also at the 2011 event, are part of the 15-man group in Zimbabwe.As the hosts, Zimbabwe are perhaps the romantic pick, but they are anybody’s equal in ODIs at home and their success would breed a vibrant atmosphere and bring in crowds.”It’s very, very special for us to have such a big tournament in our country,” said Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer. “With the home crowd behind us, we are confident about our chances.” Attendance at the group matches is free of charge.

Tournament groups

Group A: Ireland, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, United Arab Emirates, West Indies
Group B: Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Whoever eventually makes it, the tournament abounds in quality cricketers and the gameplay will surely be absorbing. In attendance are the world’s best bowler outside of Test cricket (though not for much longer) in Rashid and the Universe Boss Chris Gayle. There’s also Mohammad Nabi’s match-winning sangfroid, Sikandar Raza’s all-round effervescence, Paul Stirling’s devastating top-order hitting and Boyd Rankin’s pace and bounce to look forward to. Adding to the roll call are iconic stars of the Associate scene such as Kyle Coetzer, Ryan ten Doeschate and Paras Khadka, and exciting rookies in Sandeep Lamichhane, Anshuman Rath and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.This tournament will ask existential questions of almost every team. What would it mean for West Indies, winners of the inaugural World Cup in England more than 40 years ago, to miss out on the global event when it returns to England for the fifth time? Will the pressure make for a nervy campaign? What would it mean to Afghanistan to book their passage to a World Cup in England? Will the pressure of a home qualifier inspire Zimbabwe? And if they don’t make it, how will they survive the next four years?There is plenty of other motivation too. Ireland will be aching to back up their Test status with a commanding performance, while Netherlands could do with a morale boosting outing to show that their imminent return to ODI status is no fluke. Scotland will be defending the title they won four years ago, though this time around there is greater gravitas to the tournament. Netherlands, who won the World Cricket League Championship, and the three top finishers out of the Associates will also earn ODI status until 2022. During the qualifier, however, matches involving Netherlands or Nepal won’t have ODI statusFor Papua New Guinea, UAE, Nepal and Hong Kong, the qualifier is a chance to bloody the noses of those ahead of them in the pecking order, and possibly even go a step further. For them, success is unlikely but certainly not unthinkable.Scotland enter the tournament as defending champions after lifting the title in New Zealand in 2014•ICCThe Zimbabwe set-up has hinted at seaming wickets, but spin, and particularly wristspin, will likely play a key role in the tournament. Aside from the clear and present danger of Rashid, there will also be Devendra Bishoo, Graeme Cremer, Lamichhane and Mujeeb to contend with. Another legspinner, UAE’s Imran Haider, dismantled West Indies’ middle order with 4 for 16 in a warm-up game. Many squads are also packed with fingerspinners.With the domestic season having been postponed to allow Zimbabwe Cricket to focus entirely on this tournament, the pitches should be fresh, with possibly a little more pace and bounce than has been on show on Zimbabwean surfaces in recent times. But rain has also been around, and tracks that traditionally play slow and low could be very difficult to score on, at least until the sun comes out. The weather should dry out after the first round of games, but, at this time of the year, afternoon rain is so common that “scattered afternoon thunderstorms” is the cliched cover-all weather forecast for every day until April.In that first round, each side will play the other teams in their group once, with the top three from each group progressing to the Super Six stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.The context and conditions suggest that temperament could be the defining factor for any team’s ultimate triumph. How they manage weather breaks, bowler-friendly pitches and the pressure of expectation will be fundamental. Though a World Cup trip to England is the goal, this is a potentially absorbing tournament in its own right.

The champions are still reeling from losing four games in a row, but buying a midfielder to fill their Rodri-shaped hole could get them back on track

Pep Guardiola has never hidden his love for international windows, and he has continued a habit of using the November break to consider his future by agreeing to a one-year extension on his Manchester City contract.

Certainly, the Catalan hasn't been put off by a punishing period leading into the break for the coach and his City side, as for the first time in his 17-year coaching career, Guardiola slumped to four successive defeats in all competitions. City lost at Tottenham to exit the Carabao Cup, suffered a first defeat in the Champions League for more than two years when they were beaten by Sporting CP and fell five points behind Liverpool in the Premier League by losing at Bournemouth and then Brighton.

The two-week hiatus in club action gave City some much-needed respite and some time for their many injury-stricken players to recover. But it will not solve their biggest issue: the continued absence of Rodri. While John Stones, Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji, Phil Foden, Matheus Nunes, Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku and Ruben Dias could all make their respective comebacks against Tottenham on Saturday, the Ballon d'Or-winning Spaniard still faces a long way back from the knee injury he suffered against Arsenal in September, and is not due to return to action until June.

City have a win rate of 74 percent with Rodri in the team, which falls to 67 percent when he is not. If that does not seem like a huge drop-off, consider this: Guardiola's side were unbeaten in each of the 34 Premier League games the midfielder played last season. Of the four games Rodri missed, City lost three. Between losing to Brentford in November 2022 and the FA Cup final to Manchester United in May 2024, the team were never beaten with Rodri in the line-up.

"There is no-one in the City squad like him, so in the short-term he is irreplaceable," wrote Jamie Carragher in earlier this month. "The blow can be likened to when Liverpool were denied Virgil van Dijk when defending the title in 2021. It is my belief Jurgen Klopp would have won his second Premier League crown had Van Dijk been fit. There are some players who are so fundamental to a side’s chances of success, the team is unrecognisable without them. Rodri is such a player."

There is one way for City to replace Rodri, though, and that is to go out and buy a top-class midfielder in the January transfer window. City are definitely not short of money after making a profit of €116m (£97m/$122m) in the transfer market last summer, not to mention a club-record €826m (£690m/$873m) in revenue last year. The club might have been reluctant to use the January window in the past, but doing so now could be the difference between winning a fifth-successive Premier League title and surrendering their crown, as well as having a huge impact in their bid to win the Champions League.

GOAL takes a look at the club's best options as the transfer window approaches…

• Getty
  

  Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)

  Zubimendi is the most obvious replacement for Rodri as he filled in for him in the second half of the Euro 2024 final against England and has continued to perform admirably in the City lynchpin's absence, including scoring the only goal against Denmark last month.

  The 25-year-old was on the verge of joining Liverpool when the Merseysiders activated his £51m ($64m) release clause in the summer, only for Zubimendi to opt to stay with boyhood club Real Sociedad. City have reportedly been watching Zubimendi closely since, and although the player said last month he wanted to "stay and grow" with La Real, his resolve could be tested with another seductive offer from the Premier League and the chance to work with Guardiola.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

  "When I speak about Joshua Kimmich, I only say good things," said Guardiola in 2016. "He has absolutely everything and can achieve whatever he wants. He wants to learn and has passion. I love this kid."

  The Catalan brought Kimmich to Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig when he was just 20 and used him across the pitch, at right-back, in midfield and even at centre-back. He only got to coach him for one year, but there is a good chance the pair could be reunited.

  Kimmich is the latest Bayern player to run down his contract, and in January he will be free to speak to other clubs about joining them for free in the summer. City could bring a potential move forward by six months by offering Bayern a reduced transfer fee, and it would be more than worth it if Kimmich can help them reverse their current slide.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ederson (Atalanta)

  No, we're not suggesting that the City goalkeeper moves into midfield, as gifted as he is with his feet! His compatriot and namesake has quietly turned into one of the most consistent midfield operators in Serie A since moving from Salernitana to Atalanta in 2022. He played a crucial role in Atalanta's Europa League triumph, taming Florian Wirtz in the final.

  The Brazilian is renowned for his physical strength, aerial prowess, tackling and anticipation. as well as his passing range and, like Rodri, chips in with goals, scoring six times in the league last season. He is valued at around £35m ($44m) and would represent a good long-term move as he is only 25.

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• AFP
  

  Morten Hjulmand (Sporting CP)

  City fans from England will know all about Denmark international Morten Hjulmand's ball-striking ability after his missile against the Three Lions during Euro 2024, but his qualities as a holding midfielder are more relevant. The 25-year-old has taken the long road to the top, starting out at little-known Austrian side Admira Wacker and then helping Lecce win promotion back to Serie A. He is one of many players to have thrived at Sporting CP under Ruben Amorim, seamlessly replacing Manuel Ugarte as the coach's top defensive midfielder, a year after he had to part ways with Joao Palhinha.

  Hjulmand, who has an €80m ($66m/$84m) release clause, has been described as "a more cerebral destroyer" than the Uruguayan and the Portuguese, contributing more in attack than his predecessors and making fewer risky tackles due to his anticipation skills.

  "He reminds us of the defensive midfielders of the past, who controlled the entire game, who led the teams," said Denmark coach Brian Riemer. "His character, his leadership, his personality his communication are not very common in today’s football."

Leeds United are expecting to part ways with another one of their stars this summer after the sale of Archie Gray to Tottenham, it has emerged.

Gray joins Tottenham

After a whirlwind few days, Leeds' teenage talent Archie Gray has joined Tottenham in a deal that will help alleviate some of the financial burden faced by the Yorkshire club this summer.

Gray enjoyed a fantastic debut season under Daniel Farke, playing 44 times en-route to the Championship play-off final, and was in tears after failing to secure promotion for his boyhood club. However, given the interest around him, it always felt likely that he would move on this summer.

Initially set for Brentford, Gray and Leeds both opted to accept Tottenham's offer, which consisted of around £40m and the opportunity to bring Joe Rodon back to Elland Road in a seperate deal worth around £10m, something that the club had been keen to explore all summer following his successful loan spell last season.

Spurs have been chasing Gray since his time at Thorp Arch academy, with the Lilywhites reportedly having tried to snatch him from Leeds before he signed his first professional contract and eventually getting their man this summer.

His sale, £40m of pure profit on the accounting sheet, is "believed to be enough to make Leeds compliant with profit and sustainability rules", which will make the task of keeping stars such as Crysencio Summerville or Wilfried Gnonto easier.

However, Gray isn't expected to be the only exit from Elland Road this summer.

Leeds expect to sell full back

Now, it has emerged that Leeds are "expected" to part ways with fullback Junior Firpo this summer, despite an impressive campaign from the former Barcelona man.

The 27-year-old defender grabbed 7 assists in the Championship last season, and though his defending was questioned at time throughout the season, he was a standout during their playoff thrashing of Norwich City.

Farke could land an "exciting" Piroe upgrade for Leeds

The Whites have been linked with a swoop to sign the attacking midfielder this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 2, 2024

Firpo grabbed an assist in their 4-0 win over the Canaries, as well as working to keep Norwich talisman Gabriel Sara quiet, and was handed a 9/10 by the Yorkshire Evening Post for his performance.

But the fullback is down to the final 12 months of his £60,000 a week deal at Elland Road, and Leeds do not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months' time. As a result, the Daily Mail report that the Whites are "expected" to sell the defender this summer, though no further details are given.

A sale would be a further boost to Leeds, with Firpo among the higher earners at Elland Road but far from a nailed on starter under Farke, while they could also part ways with Patrick Bamford for the same reason, both of whom would free up significant funds in Yorkshire.

Former Tottenham and Brazil midfielder Sandro has come out of retirement to join non-league side Harborough Town.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sandro comes out of retirement
• Joins Harborough Town
• Played for Tottenham and West Brom

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Thirty-five-year-old Sandro, who last played for local Portuguese club B-Sad, retired from professional football in September 2023. However, the defensive midfielder has now staged a sensational comeback, signing a surprise deal with Harborough – who currently play in the seventh tier of English football.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  After roping in the vastly experienced player, manager Mitch Austin told the club's official website: "What an unbelievable signing for the club, I really cannot express how I am feeling. I had a chance conversation with Sandro a couple of weeks ago and we got talking about football, told him about Harborough Town FC and the journey we are on and he has been messaging me ever since to sign on, totally unbelievable and gobsmacked is how I would describe this signing.

  "These sort of signings don’t happen every day but when you get a chance to sign an ex-professional footballer who has played at the highest level in the Premier League and Internationally with Brazil, you just cannot turn it down."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sandro made his senior debut for Brazilian club Internacional in 2007 and three years later he joined Tottenham. At the Premier League side, he appeared in 106 games across all competitions and spent four years in north London. Later in his career, the midfielder played for clubs like West Brom, QPR and Genoa. He represented Brazil in 17 international matches between 2009 and 2012 and scored one goal.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SANDRO?

  The veteran star could make his debut for Harborough on Saturday as they take on Royston Town in a League clash away from home.

England kickstarted their Euro 2024 campaign in less than convincing circumstances last Sunday in Gelsenkirchen.

The Three Lions are among the favourites to claim continental glory this summer but could only come away from their opening clash against Serbia with a dreary 1-0 win.

Jude Bellingham was the scorer – of course he was – nodding home a vicious header inside the opening quarter of the game.

Besides Harry Kane hitting the bar that was about as good as it got for Gareth Southgate's men.

The England boss has already taken a barrage of criticism. Why can't he get more from Phil Foden? Why do they seem to play so negatively? Why leave, X, Y and Z at home?

Quite. This wasn't the most exciting of starts to a major competition but there is plenty of time to grow into things. That starts with their clash against Denmark on Thursday evening.

So, what does Teddy Sheringham make make of all of it? Well, thankfully we have the answer.

What Teddy Sheringham said about Phil Foden

The Euro 2020 finalists looked like the real deal in the early exchanges of the game but couldn't match the same tempo and energy the longer the game went on. The second half was certainly a slog with Serbia penning their opposition back and enjoying a lot more possession.

So, what went wrong? Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of Poker Sites, Sheringham said:

"I thought it was quite disjointed. There seemed to be square pegs in round holes – I don’t like it. However, with that in mind, I thought it was quite a comfortable performance. We didn’t really look like we were going to concede, and we mostly controlled the game – even if it got a bit hairy in the final 20 minutes. I thought we were kind of comfortable throughout, really."

England were forced back deep late in the match but ultimately the Serbs struggled to carve out many chances of note. For a defence missing Harry Maguire and Co, it was a very solid display at the back.

That said, the attacking performance left much to be desired, largely due to the efforts of the aforementioned Foden.

The Manchester City star won the Premier League's Player of the Season award for 2023/24 but has struggled to get going for his country. That was evident on Sunday evening.

Sheringham, the winner of 51 England caps, was keen to voice his feelings on the City man. Speaking about what Southgate should do to improve the attacking midfielder, he commented: "You need to bring Phil Foden inside and let him have the freedom to go where the likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice do, and let those three alternate in midfield.

"You’ve got three very clever midfield players there. I don’t like him out on the left wing – he could perform on the right wing at a push, but Bukayo Saka’s got that position nailed down, for me. I would play Foden inside and let someone else go wider."

The 24-year-old started on the left flank in England's opening clash but that didn't work. What could the solution be? Well, other options in Germany include Newcastle's Anthony Gordon and Crystal Palace sensation Ebereche Eze.

However, is there an option at home who could have solved the problem? Sheringham seems to think so.

Serbia 0-1 England: Player ratings from Three Lions' Euro 2024 opener

England began their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia.

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 16, 2024

Sheringham thinks Jack Grealish should be there

The biggest surprise when Southgate named his squad for this summer were the ommissions of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford.

Both have been hugely important parts of recent campaigns, Rashford notably now in possession of 60 caps for his country and Grealish in possession of 36.

That said, neither enjoyed the best of seasons for their respective Manchester clubs. The United forward contributed just seven league goals while the effervescent City winger only found the net on three occasions.

Despite that, could you still make a case for either being there? Sheringham was certainly surprised the latter wasn't on the plane.

Telling FFC, the former Man United and Spurs striker noted: "I would say they’ll regret leaving Jack Grealish out of the squad – more so than Rashford for me."

Why? The former attacker continued: "I think Grealish does a job – he retains possession in the final third, he takes people on, he draws players to him and players want to kick him and foul him. He realises when they do that, and he then releases the ball well. If there’s two or three players on him then there must be teammates spare on the other side of the pitch. I think he is really clever in realising that, so I’m quite surprised that he’s not there."

Whether Southgate's decisions pre-tournament come back to bite him, time will tell. For now, however, he will be content with the crop of players at his disposal.

Worse than Trent & Trippier: England could drop 5/10 star after Serbia

England flattered to deceive in their opening game of Euro 2024, defeating Serbia 1-0.

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 17, 2024

The Herons' stars showed up, but Brad Guzan's heroics kept it close in Friday's postseason clash

The scoreline was close but it probably shouldn't have been as Inter Miami edged Atlanta United 2-1 at home in Game One of this best-of-three series.

If not for Brad Guzan's heroics for Atlanta, Lionel Messi and Miami's stars would have run up the score. Instead, the Supporters' Shield winners had to sweat out their MLS Playoff opener just a bit more than anyone could have really expected.

Messi didn't get on the scoresheet, although he will feel like he should have. The Argentine had to settle for a mere assist, as Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba were the goalscoring heroes in the win for the home side.

Suarez opened the scoring within two minutes, giving the home crowd a signature playoff moment right as the game got going. It began a sustained period of Miami dominance, as the Herons created chance after chance as wave after wave of attacks were thrown at Atlanta United.

Guzan, the Atlanta United goalkeeper, was undoubtedly the Man of the Match, making nine saves to keep Miami at bay. And it looked like he might just succeed, too, as Saba Lobzhanidze's goal just before halftime sent the two sides into the locker room level.

There was no stopping Miami, though, and, in particular, no stopping Alba. The fullback's long-range stunner was the game-winner the Herons needed, sealing a win heading towards Atlanta for Game Two.

This wasn't Miami's best performance, but it was Guzan's. The Herons will feel that they'll be just fine going forward. Game One is behind them as Inter Miami's road to MLS Cup began with a well-deserved win.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium…

• Goalkeeper & Defense

  Drake Callender (5/10):

  Was only tested once by Atlanta, and that was their goal. Unfortunate for him, but also a credit to those in front of him.

  Jordi Alba (9/10):

  Vintage Jordi. An absolutely ridiculous goal from the Barcelona legend, who gave Miami the moment of magic they needed to escape this opener with a win.

  Hector Martinez (8/10):

  Just about perfect. Great on the ball, rock-solid defensively and nearly got a goal of his own. A fantastic game.

  Tomas Aviles (6/10):

  Fell asleep just a little bit on Atlanta's goal. Outside of that, was very, very good.

  Marcelo Weigandt (6/10):

  A bunch of running, but not much danger created. Did have a few looks at goal, though.

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  Midfield

  Federico Redondo (6/10):

  Did well to keep it moving when off the ball, but did lose five of his seven duels when asked to defend. Overall, not too much to complain about, though.

  Sergio Busquets (8/10):

  What do you expect? Completed about 95 percent of his passes and was right there with Alba for most touches of the ball. The perfect metronome, and he added a bit defensively, too.

  Yannick Bright (8/10):

  Overlooked so often. Not tonight. Provided the energy this midfield needed and hardly misplaced a pass. Such an important player for this team, even if he doesn't have the star power of his teammates.

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  Attack

  Diego Gomez (7/10):

  A fantastic assist on Suarez's goal as he combined so well with Alba on that left-hand side. Was a little wasteful as the game went on, but he did what he had to do early.

  Luis Suarez (8/10):

  Typical Suarez, in more ways than one. A fantastic finish early and then plenty of mind games as the game went on. The Uruguayan legend is just so, so good at this.

  Lionel Messi (7/10):

  It's almost unfathomable that he didn't score given the amount of chances he had. Credit to Guzan for keeping him out but, even with that, Messi was dangerous all night. He assisted Alba's banger while creating five further chances. Had four shots on target and two more that went close. Not quite at his best, but pretty close.

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  Subs & Manager

  Benjamin Cremaschi (6/10):

  Good energy off the bench, and he had a few chances to really put the game away.

  Ian Fray (6/10):

  Heartbreaking. After previously suffering three ACL tears, Fray went down again with another non-contact injury. Everyone involved will be hoping for the best for a player that deserves so much better.

  Noah Allen (N/A):

  Replaced Fray in the final moments after his injury.

  Gerardo Martino (7/10):

  Stuck with his stars and got the win. Will he rotate at all for Game Two, or really try to bury the

Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal got special mentions in Carlo Ancelotti's Coach of the Year acceptance statement.

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• Ancelotti mentions Vini in acceptance statement
• Named Coach of the Year at the Ballon d'Or ceremony
• Real Madrid boycotted the awards

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid decided to boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris at the last moment after they found out that Rodri would be handed the Golden Ball instead of their star winger Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian did finish second in the race behind the Manchester City midfielder, however, Ancelotti was named the Coach of the Year for guiding Los Blancos to La Liga and Champions League titles in 2023-24.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Italian coach did not travel to Paris to accept his award in person, but he took to social media to share an acceptance statement. The Real boss thanked his family and the entire club and gave special mentions to Vinicius Jr. and Dani Carvajal. Per One Football, there is a feeling at Los Blancos that both the stars were robbed of the award after grabbing a goal each in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Carvajal was also an integral part of the Spain side that lifted the European Championship in Germany.

• WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

  On X (formerly Twitter), Ancelotti wrote: "I want to thank my Family, my President, my Club, my Players and above all Vini and Carvajal."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  After a major setback in El Clasico last weekend, the reigning Spanish champions will be back in action on Saturday as they take on Valencia away from home.