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Recent reports have seen Newcastle United linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio, with the 20-year-old potentially set to be available for £38m owing to a release clause in his existing contract.

The Magpies are believed to have seen a €30m (£25.3m) bid for the Portuguese starlet rebuffed by the Primeira Liga club in January, although they are seemingly set to re-enter the market for the youngster in the upcoming transfer window.

The £16.2m-rated gem – who has also been linked with a move to Manchester United – only made his senior debut in October 2020, although he featured heavily for the remainder of that campaign as Ruben Amorim’s side claimed the league title.

He has kicked on again this term, making 45 appearances in all competitions, including seven outings during the club’s run to the Champions League round of 16, and it is no surprise that transfer interest is starting to flood in.

A highly-rated young prospect, the 6 foot 1 centre-back has received particularly glowing reports from playmakerstats.com’s Portuguese expert Daniel Oliveira, who has compared him favourably to current Manchester City captain Ruben Dias.

Asked about the Portuguese duo, Oliveira stated: “It’s always difficult to compare players. One obvious difference is that Dias joined Manchester City when he was 23, so he was further along in his development than Inacio, who is still only 20. It is unlikely, therefore, that Inácio could have the same impact as Dias, who was crowned the Premier League’s best player at the end of his first season.

“Dias was always a natural leader and Inácio’s communication may be one area in which he can improve. Physically-speaking, I believe the young Sporting defender would be able to handle the Premier League, as he is very strong in the tackle and in the air.

“He’s also smart in his defending, as just two bookings all season will tell you. In terms of his quality on the ball, I would probably rate Inácio higher than Dias – he’s very good on the deck and has a 91% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this term.

“Like I say, it’s hard to make comparisons. I’m 100% sure about one thing: the 20-year-old Inacio is a better player than Ruben Dias was at the same age.”

That final statement will have particularly caught the eye of those at Newcastle, and it is high praise indeed to suggest that Inacio is already considered to be ahead of where the City star was at the same age.

Dias has proven an influential figure in Pep Guardiola’s side, taking on the captaincy this season after a fine debut campaign in England last term, with his performances in that title-winning year seeing him crowned the Premier League Player of the Season.

Should Inacio reach such heights, he could help to propel Eddie Howe’s men towards the upper echelons of the English top flight, with European qualification likely to be the ambition for the mega-rich new owners.

The £9.2k-per-week gem’s statistics this season further illustrate what a colossal talent he is, as he averaged 2.4 clearances, 1.4 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game in the league, along with helping his team to keep 14 clean sheets.

By contrast, Dias has averaged 0.8 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 2.2 clearances per game and has kept 12 clean sheets in the Premier League thus far, albeit while forming part of a backline which has conceded just 24 goals this season, the fewest in the division.

Of course, it is hard to know how smoothly Inacio would find the transition from Portugal to England if he comes to Newcastle, although all the signs are pointing towards him reaching the same heights – or even bettering – those of his compatriot at the Etihad Stadium.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Celtic play their final game of the season on Saturday as the Hoops return to Parkhead as newly-crowned Premiership champions after their 1-1 draw against Dundee United in midweek.

This time, the Bhoys take on Motherwell in front of their home crowd, after which they will the trophy and potentially topping off what has been a brilliant domestic season with another win.

In midweek, after a goalless first half, Giorgos Giakoumakis opened the scoring with 53 minutes on the clock, only for Dylan Levitt to equalise later on.

Despite the draw, a point was all that was needed for the Bhoys to take the league title off their Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Even though the title is already secured, Ange Postecoglou will still want to see his team pick up a win tomorrow and give their home supporters something else to celebrate. To that effect, one man who started at Tannadice but should not be in the team on this occasion is Reo Hatate.

Ange must axe Hatate

With 63 minutes of action under his belt on Wednesday, the midfielder only completed 22 of the 34 passes he attempted and failed to register even one shot on target before being replaced by Tom Rogic.

This underwhelming display caught the attention of The Scotsman journalist Alan Pattullo, who wrote that the 24-year-old was ‘wasteful with a couple of opportunities including when he took the ball off [Liel] Abada’s toes in the first half but fired high over’.

With that in mind, it could be said that the £14.5k-per-week Japan international has been holding the team back in an attacking regard and stopping them from getting as many goals as they can.

In terms of who Postecoglou could turn to on this occasion if he does take Hatate out of the side, with the recent announcement from the club that Rogic will be waving goodbye to the Hoops after this weekend, the 56-year-old may give his fellow Australian one last outing in front of the home fans before he leaves Parkhead.

With both Rogic and Nir Bitton leaving Celtic this summer, the Japanese ace will be able to show next season that he can be a suitable midfield replacement for the departing duo, and an important player for the club as a whole.

In other news: Big Lennoxtown claim emerges, it’s great news for Celtic supporters

He says captain Hayley Matthews is thriving in the new structure, and Deandra Dottin has “fitted in beautifully” on her return

Valkerie Baynes03-Oct-2024Bringing the fun back has been a big part of West Indies’ women’s T20 World Cup preparations. It’s a simple ethos, but a much-needed one championed by head coach Shane Deitz, the Australian who is a year into his job.”There is a lot of laughter,” Deitz told ESPNcricinfo. “[It’s about] generally having fun, and being relaxed, and enjoying each other’s company, enjoying the experience of playing cricket, [and] travelling the world.”That’s one thing that, coming from other jobs where it’s a bit more serious and they want a lot of structure, it’s good that we have a bit less of those things and make it a bit more [about] backing your gut feeling and your intuition, and how you want to play and how you naturally grow up playing.Related

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Deandra Dottin back in West Indies squad for T20 World Cup

“You grow up playing on beaches, in the streets – a bit more [of] that environment. Australia’s a lot more structured. So just finding that balance and how to work it into our cricket has probably been one of the things that we’re trying to learn and use that to our advantage, [and] make the girls feel comfortable that that’s how we’re going to play.”Originally from New South Wales, Deitz was a wicketkeeper-batter for South Australia from 1998 to 2008. He coached the Bangladesh women’s team in 2013-14, and was heavily involved in Vanuatu cricket as a player, a coach, and an administrator, before becoming head coach of the Netherlands women’s team immediately prior to taking up his current post with West Indies.Despite his well-travelled CV, it has been a sharp learning curve for Deitz, who took over at West Indies from Courtney Walsh, who in turn had taken over from Gus Logie.”They’ve had a lot of Caribbean, [or] West Indies legends coaching them for a while,” Deitz said. “I’m far from [being] a legend – [just] a middle-aged white man from Australia. It’s a very different culture that I’ve grown up with compared to the girls, so it was about understanding them, [and] understanding the culture, and using that as part of our cricket.”I grew up watching the West Indies cricket team, and they definitely had a style about them and the way they wanted to play. So I wanted to encapsulate that into our style a bit and use what they have in their culture, and bring it into cricket. Also, just gain their trust that I’m here for them, and I’m here to make them better cricketers, and make the team a better team. That was the main thing – just understanding them and getting the team working together.”Deandra Dottin reversed her international retirement just before this year’s T20 World Cup•ICC via Getty ImagesImmediately before this T20 World Cup, star allrounder Deandra Dottin reversed her international retirement, which she had attributed at the time to concerns about the team environment. Dottin won a place in the squad for this World Cup, and Deitz says she has slotted back in “really well”.”She’s known a lot of girls for a long time,” he said. “We’ve changed a few things off the field and how the team is set up with particularly a leadership group. We really control the culture of the team and how the team works off the field. Deandra was coming in really wanting to help the team and play well. Whatever the team needs, she’s happy to do, and she’s fitted in beautifully, and the leaders of the group have made that all work.”Similar to AFL teams, who have a captain supported by several deputies, West Indies now have five team leaders, led by skipper Hayley Matthews, elected by the players to represent them with team management. Deitz didn’t name the other leaders, but said Dottin, who returned after they had been elected, was not one of them.”We spend a lot of time with each other, so like any family or room-mates or whatever, you’re always going to have a little bit of friction from time to time,” Deitz said. “So [it’s about] just making sure we’re all together and we have open conversations. If you’ve got an issue, we just talk about it, get it out there, solve it, and move on quickly.”Shane Deitz on Hayley Matthews: “The hard thing is she wants to do everything”•Getty ImagesDeitz said Matthews was thriving in the new structure. Since becoming captain in 2022, Matthews has scored 1284 runs in T20Is at an average of 40.12 and at a strike rate of 120.45 compared to her corresponding career numbers of 25.70 and 112.88.”The hard thing is she wants to do everything,” Deitz said. “It’s trying to tell her to stop. She wants to be involved with everything and run everything. She gets bored sitting down for ten seconds – particularly at the games.”I think that’s why she bats so long. But she’s been so good off the field, and what I talked about before – about the fun and enjoyment of cricket – she does that so naturally. And her personality is really coming out [with] her captaincy, and that’s a big, big bonus for us.”In terms of building depth around Matthews and Dottin, Deitz believes things are moving in the right direction. After their 2016 T20 World Cup triumph, West Indies women’s cricket fell away sharply amid a lack of resources. But in 2021, CWI increased the number of women on retainer contracts by three to 18, and in 2023 launched the West Indies Women’s Academy.”It’s a good thing now, the Under-19 World Cup – that makes a lot of countries step up their high-performance programmes,” Deitz said. “Australia, England and India, the big three countries, have more resources, more facilities, more infrastructure, [and] everything else to produce more players. We can’t complain about that. We’ve just got to maximise what we’ve got, and in our region, what we can do to try to get to that level. It can’t be an excuse; we’ve just got to be smarter, work better.”

There isn’t a whole lot of buzz around Dubai and Sharjah just yet, but seldom has the field looked so even ahead of a major women’s tournament

Shashank Kishore01-Oct-202415:17

Runorder: Can Australia be stopped at the Women’s T20 World Cup?

“What happens in Dubai Sports City stays in…….” doesn’t quite have the same appeal as “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, does it?That unmistakable sentiment rings out loud around this township, because nothing that happens here, except when the men’s teams of India and Pakistan occasionally meet, causes ripples of excitement around town.The robust Dubai metro hasn’t yet spread its wings this far, so is it even in Dubai, they ask. Jokes aside, there’s an unusual sense of calm around the venues.If you’re expecting fanfare and hoopla around the stadiums as a marker of the buzz around the Women’s T20 World Cup, you may need to temper your expectations. The ICC certainly has.Related

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An example of that is simply how affordable the tickets are; they start at AED 5 (USD 1.36 approx) for regular seating, while the premium seats start at AED 350 (USD 95 approx). The same area for a men’s India-Pakistan game at the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup cost upwards of AED 6000 (USD 1600 approx).Getting your hands on tickets may have meant hours of queuing up virtually, staying connected through every possible device you own, only to be told your payment failed because the server crashed, before you find the friendly neighbor posting an Instagram story of how a friend’s uncle’s colleague helped arranging passes.For the record, while the hospitality tickets for India-Pakistan on October 6 in Dubai have been sold out, general seating is available in plenty, as are tickets for most other big games.India have been training with balls soaked in soap solution to try and prepare for dew•ICC/Getty ImagesWhile the last-minute shift of venue from Bangladesh wasn’t ideal, and is among the reasons for the low-key build-up, there couldn’t have been a better alternative than the plug-and-play possibilities the UAE offers.Yes, it won’t quite match the pulse of a sellout Sylhet crowd dancing to the beats of (the theme song of the last Women’s T20 World Cup Bangladesh hosted in 2014), but it could yet produce compelling cricket because all the teams are about to embrace the unknown.And this perhaps, entirely by chance, could be the ICC’s cheat code to unlocking the closest-ever women’s tournament in recent memory, because no team can claim to have mastered the conditions. Picture this: none of the competing teams have ever played at the Dubai International Stadium.Acclimatising to the heat and humidity isn’t unusual for professionals anymore; what is a slight deviation from the norm is the lengths teams are going to in their preparation.England have camped in Abu Dhabi for over two weeks, training at different times of the day, including the dead of the afternoon, to tune their bodies, coming from nippy weather back home. Pakistan have played in 40-degree heat in Multan against South Africa and have continued from where they left off. Scotland and West Indies scheduled unofficial games to get used to the heat factor, long before the warm-ups.Given the advantage chasing sides are likely to have in Dubai, teams batting first may need to go hard from ball one•ICC/Getty ImagesIndia have had unusually long fielding drills to get used to the low, ‘ring of fire’ lights around the stadium. On their first training day upon arrival, the local organisers were taken aback by a rather strange request. “Lots of soap water, please” was the message. To wet the ball. They could have used plain water, but India wanted the slippery effect of soap to help their spinners simulate bowling in dewy conditions.History suggests dew could be a massive factor. In the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, all 10 night games in Dubai were won by the chasing team. So, teams are trying to go hard from the first ball, to be able to give their bowlers, to quote MS Dhoni’s famous term, “par-plus scores.” Jemimah Rodrigues has certainly bought into that mindset. Shafali Varma, Chamari Athapaththu, Alyssa Healy and Deandra Dottin probably know no other way.And the exact opposite of what Dubai offers is likely to spring up in Sharjah. The South African men being spun out by Afghanistan on slow burners could have just been a teaser of what could follow at this tournament. It could bring out a different facet of T20 bating.The tournament as a whole has grown, as has the following, as a result of this transformation of skills in the women’s game. This has led to a massive spike in interest which wasn’t there even 10 years ago, because only the knockout games were deemed important enough to televise.The group-stage fixtures were a distant second cousin to the men’s tournament happening in parallel at A-list centers. But six years since opening up the experiment of a standalone tournament, the sport grew exponentially that March day in 2020 – raging pandemic notwithstanding – when 86,174 spectators played a massive part in spurring a revolution.Four years on, the women’s game has grown even bigger, with a greater number of dangerous teams, and endless possibilities await in what could yet be the closest-ever Women’s T20 World Cup.

There’s been a bit of upheaval in the directorial department at Newcastle United over the past year, but Ross Wilson has forged a neat working relationship with Eddie Howe, and the pair are looking to make improvements at St. James’ Park.

Last year, Howe and his squad defied many odds to lift the Carabao Cup and restore a place in the Champions League. It all came together, and while the sale of talisman Alexander Isak this summer threatened to knock things out of kilter, United have made progress in recent weeks, with new heroes emerging.

Bruno Guimaraes remains the Magpies’ all-inspiring leader, but Malick Thiaw has risen to the occasion since arriving in the Premier League this year, becoming a different kind of driving force for the Tynesiders.

Howe's new leaders at Newcastle

Isak was never a vocal talisman in Howe’s Newcastle squad, but, before the summer transfer window, he led by example on the field, scoring 27 goals across all competitions last season and notching in the Carabao Cup final.

However, Newcastle banked a record fee for his signature, and Guimaraes has only raised his game this term, both from a technical and leadership standpoint.

Though a new forward focal point has yet to properly establish himself, Thiaw has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly, and Bruno has actually remarked that the imperious German defender is “the future of this club”.

It says something of his character and technical quality that he has arrived from AC Milan for around £35m and swiftly stepped higher than Sven Botman. As per Sofascore, Thiaw, 24, has won 74% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, completing 88% of his passes and yet to make an error.

He’s some player, and Bruno is too, but United may actually have a younger member of their squad who is shooting through the form rankings in the English game, starting to prove he could be the pick of the bunch.

Newcastle made a better signing than Bruno & Thiaw

When Newcastle signed Lewis Hall from Chelsea for £28m (after a season-long loan move throughout the 2023/24 campaign), they knew they had struck a bargain for a young full-back with a wealth of potential.

However, injuries have damaged the 21-year-old’s chances of establishing fluency since that move became permanent, and so it’s interesting to see him playing so well in recent weeks, finally building toward the elite player he could, should, become.

Described as “the best player on the field” by reporter Andy Sixsmith after his monstrous display against Tottenham, Hall has overcome his injury problems and is now reminding the Premier League that he is one of the best in the business. Indeed, with more performances like these, it won’t just be those of a Toon persuasion advocating for him to be on the Three Lions plane across the pond next summer.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

75

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Accurate passes

36/43 (84%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

2/2

Recoveries

6

Tackles won

4/4

Interceptions

2

Clearances

4

Duels won

8/15

As per FBref, Hall actually ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive passes, and the top 5% for through balls and tackles won per 90.

This is a frighteningly rounded player, his formative career as a centre-midfielder fostering a dynamic skillset that is charging his journey to the top. If the England international can keep fitness levels on his side, then he will only get better and better on Tyneside, potentially even becoming Howe’s main man.

In this, he might become one of the best signings of the PIF era. Already, it is clear that his name belongs in such a conversation, but Hall needs consistency now. Who knows, maybe he could climb up to loftier ground than the likes of Bruno and Thiaw stand on.

There’s also the matter of him arriving from Chelsea after being awarded the Cobham side’s Academy Player of the Year award. Pinched from a direct rival, Hall is developing into a player who will rival the likes of Marc Cucurella for the left-back crown down the line.

With so much room still for growth, there’s every chance that Hall could be Howe’s main man in the not-too-distant future.

Bigger waste of money than Wissa & Elanga: Howe must drop Newcastle dud

Eddie Howe must now axe this big Newcastle United waste of money ahead of the tense Tyne-Wear Derby.

ByKelan Sarson 6 days ago

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge seems intent on following up on historic 2024 season by putting together an even better one this year and couldn't be happier about the uniform he's wearing and organization he's playing for while chasing those gaudy numbers.

Bob Nightengale of caught up with Judge as he was continuing his power surge over the weekend on Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Judge spoke glowingly of the Yankees and his decision to stay there amid his frenzied free agency courting in late 2022.

Soto, Judge's teammate on a run to the World Series last season, opted for another borough and the New York Mets this past offseason. The swing-swinging outfielder has been under tremendous pressure to deliver in the opening chapter of his 15-year $765 million deal with the aspiring franchise. He was greeted with a cascade of boos at every opportunity from the Bronx crowd when the two club's played a series earlier this spring.

The expectations for Soto are sky-high. If he were putting up the same type of stats that Judge is currently, the transition and acclimation might have been smoother to this point. Problem is, there aren't many players in the history of the game who posted those—even through the first two months of a season.

The pressure is really ramping up on Liverpool boss Arne Slot after losing nine of the last 12 matches and now the Dutchman has been warned former boss Jurgen Klopp could be ready and poised to return to the Anfield dugout. It's been claimed Klopp and would be carried "shoulder high" by Reds fans who are desperate for the team's current disastrous run to finally come to an end.

Klopp backed for sensational return

The boos rang out around Anfield after yet another defeat, another poor performance and another four goals conceded as Liverpool slumped to a 4-1 defeat to PSV on Wednesday evening, the latest chapter in a horror show of a season for the English champions. Defeat in the Champions League came after back-to-back 3-0 defeats by Nottingham Forest and Manchester City and followed the Reds' 3-0 capitulation to Crystal Palace which dumped them out of the League Cup. Slot has stated the club hierarchy still support him, but the wolves are circling a manager who is failing to fix defensive frailties or improve the form of summer signings who are still struggling to integrate into the team. And prominent German journalist Michael Reif has backed Klopp to make a sensational return to Merseyside, if Slot fails to end the dismal run of results. The German boss enjoyed a trophy-laden nine years at Anfield, winning multiple domestic and European titles before leaving in 2024 and is currently the Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull Group. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReif: 'Klopp's hovering over Anfield like a UFO'

Reif told : "Liverpool isn’t just in a mess. It’s practically burned to the ground!. The timing of this statement (Klopp's appearance on Diary of a CEO) is terrible for Slot. He's hovering over Anfield like a UFO. All of Liverpool would carry him back on their shoulders. And it would be negligent if they didn’t try to bring Klopp back. In Liverpool, the scar from his departure is far from healed. I don’t know what it’s like being Global Head of Soccer, and whether you ever start to wonder, ‘Is this really me?’ He was exhausted after that time. It took its toll. Now he looks very rested. Almost as if Arne Slot has to watch out…"

Under-fire Slot on borrowed time

Anfield legend Jamie Carragher has weighed in on the debate and handed a stark warning to the Dutch boss, saying he has as little as seven days, across three fixtures to save his job. 

Carragher told : "Arne Slot has a week to save his job. It is hard to believe that sentence is being written, but Liverpool’s next three games are against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds United. Anything fewer than seven points will make an already unacceptable situation untenable. No matter how much goodwill the manager has, Liverpool Football Club cannot sustain the drop in standards witnessed over the past three months. No one knows better than me how much that reality will be hurting everyone connected with my old club. Liverpool do not willingly sack coaches, especially those that bring great success."

He added: "Nobody saw this drop-off coming, and there must always be caution about making statements with the benefit of hindsight. However, there were hints that the team was going in the wrong direction from March last season onwards, most notably in the performance away to Paris St-Germain and in the Carabao Cup Final loss to Newcastle United."

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Getty Images SportLondon calling for beleaguered Reds boss 

Slot knows he can buy himself some breathing space if his side can secure three points when they head to West Ham on Sunday afternoon. But the Hammers are on an upward curve after the dreadful start to the season under previous boss Graham Potter, and are unbeaten in their last three under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. But history is on the Reds’ side; West Ham have won just one of their last 18 Premier League games against Liverpool. Slot will be desperate for that run to continue at the London Stadium.

Bangladesh have run England and South Africa close in the tournament, but now need to cause an upset if they want to enter the top four

Vishal Dikshit15-Oct-20253:13

Australia waiting for their batting to click as a unit

Big Picture: Can Bangladesh give Australia a scare?After the puffing and panting England and South Africa were forced to do in their modest chases this World Cup, Bangladesh’s next target is the biggest fish of them all – world champions Australia. Playing only their second ODI World Cup, Bangladesh would want to drop the seven-time champions a reminder of how their meeting in the 2022 edition had unfolded, when Bangladesh had given Australia a few stutters while defending 135 in a truncated match in Wellington.Three-and-a-half-years on, Bangladesh have grown by leaps and bounds by running England and South Africa close in this edition, nearly winning on both occasions. Their bowlers had England on the ropes in a modest chase of 178 while their batters set the stage nicely against an experienced South African attack a few days back. However, their fielding let the match slip through with dew around in Visakhapatnam.Three days on, Bangladesh need to ensure they put their best foot forward in all aspects against the defending champions, if they hope to turn their dream of entering the top four on the points table into reality.Australia started their campaign with two collapses before rescue acts saved them against New Zealand and Pakistan. Their top order – primarily driven by Alyssa Healy – then got among the runs in their slightly tense win over India, but a few late wickets also had them break into a sweat. Bangladesh will be keen to punch a few holes early into that batting order, for that’s their best chance.Form guide
Australia WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh LLLWL1:44

Sutherland: Our bowling attack covers all bases

In the spotlight: Marufa and LitchfieldMarufa Akter will hold the key to Bangladesh’s hopes with the new ball. She has had two poor games after her early wickets against both England and Pakistan in the early stages of the tournament. Her hooping inswingers become unplayable when pitched correctly well outside off, which she was unable to do against South Africa. She didn’t get her rhythm right that day, her captain said, and Marufa will hope her mojo is back on Thursday, and keep the inswinging threat going by taking a leaf out of Fatima Sana’s book from her spell against England on Wednesday.Related

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A big-hitter in a small world – new-age Shorna turns heads

Top-order turbulences, left-arm spin traps and catching concerns

'It was very difficult' – dew and drops dampen Bangladesh's spirits

Healy: Batting collapses 'not a worry' but it's 'something we'd like to rectify'

For the kind of promise she has shown so early in her career and at such a young age, 22-year-old Phoebe Litchfield is always among the young players to watch out for heading into a big tournament. She got to face only 45 balls in the middle and lower order in the T20 World Cup last year in the UAE, and now her maiden ODI World Cup has had a slightly lukewarm start. Her quick knock against India had all the signs of a big score before she fell for 40. However, the conditions in Visakhapatnam, where runs are on offer and quick bowlers are getting dispatched, might favour her.Team newsAustralia won’t feel the need to tinker with their winning XI that beat India on the same ground, covering all bases with their spin and pace attack. Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry had walked off against India with cramps in hot and humid conditions, but there was nothing serious with their injury concerns. Only if Sophie Molineux needs a break, since she has returned to international cricket after ten months because of a knee surgery, will Australia make a change by bringing back Georgia Wareham.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (cap & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux/Georgia Wareham, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King, 11 Megan SchuttBangladesh nearly pulled off a victory against South Africa on this ground a few days ago, and they seem to have the right balance – with a swing bowler and plenty of spinners – to suit the conditions, which don’t offer much for pace bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Fargana Hoque, 2 Rubya Haider, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Shorna Akter, 6 Sobhana Mostary, 7 Rabeya Khan, 8 Ritu Moni, 9 Fahima Khatun, 10 Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter2:01

Mostary: The younger players just try to give their best

Pitch and conditions: Runs aplenty expectedThe pitches used in the three matches in Visakhapatnam so far have all offered runs, some swing early on and purchase for the spin bowlers, when they aren’t bowling too much over 80kmh. There was plenty of dew in the last game when the Bangladesh bowlers struggled to control the ball while trying to defend 232 against South Africa, and similar conditions could be expected for Thursday. There has been intermittent rain in the build up to all the matches here. For a change, Thursday looks completely clear for the heat and humidity to dominate.Stats and trivia Shorna Akter scored the fastest half-century for Bangladesh in ODIs, against South Africa, off just 34 balls Australia and Bangladesh played a three-match ODI series in Bangladesh in March 2024 which Australia won 3-0 Annabel Sutherland’s five-for against India was only the third five-wicket haul for an Australian player in ODI World Cups. The first two were by Tina Macpherson and Lyn Fullston (twice) Alyssa Healy has the joint-most hundreds (three) in ODI World Cups, along with Meg Lanning and Karen Rolton. Nat Sciver-Brunt leads the overall list with five centuries. Fahima Khatun and Marufa Akter are the only Bangladesh players to have won Player-of-the-Match awards in ODI World Cups.Quotes
“I think we had a really good series against them a little bit over a year ago, which sort of gave us some really good insight. Pretty similar team that they’re coming out with in this World Cup so far. So we’ve got some really good intel on that and can obviously look back at the games so far.”
“After the last match (against South Africa) there was no negative talk. Everyone – senior, junior and the team management – spoke only about the positive things.”

Middlesbrough are already working on Kim Hellberg’s first signing and are now reportedly in pole position to sign a Ligue 1 winger for their new manager.

Hellberg: Championship promotion is the "clear aim"

After hijacking Swansea City’s move, Middlesbrough unveiled Hellberg earlier this week and watched on as their new manager instantly set his sights on promotion to the Premier League. The 37-year-old will be desperate to simply pick up where Rob Edwards left off and secure a win on his debut against Derby County this weekend.

Speaking to reporters for the first time, Hellberg outlined his Premier League ambition, saying: “To get to the Premier League, that’s the clear aim,” said Hellberg in his first press conference. “If it’s this year or next year, it is of course difficult to say.

“It’s an opportunity when you’re in this position, to aim for it and to work as hard as possible to get into that spot that gets you to the Premier League. That’s nothing to hide from.”

It is, of course, easier said than done to achieve promotion from the Championship, but Boro have certainly put themselves in a strong position to do exactly that.

Despite defeat against Coventry City late on in midweek, those in Riverside only sit third on goal difference and could move into the automatic promotion place if results go their way this weekend.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the playoffs, Boro have given themselves a four-point gap inside the top six. Everything is set up for Hellberg to make a promotion charge, before potentially welcoming his first arrival at the club in 2026.

Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly

According to Africa Foot and relayed by Sport Witness, Middlesbrough are now in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly from FC Metz in 2026. The winger is set to become a free agent next summer and has also attracted the interest of Southampton, but it is Boro who are currently most likely to seal a bargain deal.

The Senegal international is certainly talented and England fans saw that talent for themselves back in June, when he scored in a stunning 3-1 victory for his country against Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Now, Sabaly could get the chance to become the star of the show every week in England, courtesy of Boro. Whether the promotion contenders wait until the winger is a free agent to make their move is the big question.

In Ligue 2 last season, Sabaly scored 15 goals and provided four assists. Whilst he has struggled to make the same mark in Ligue 1, there’s every chance he would rediscover his best form in the Championship.

Hellberg starts instant Middlesbrough overhaul as Viveash handed new role

Rob Thomson caught some flak from Philadelphia Phillies fans and pundits for not emerging from the dugout to argue a controversial called strike three on catcher J.T. Realmuto in a 10-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. So contentious was home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo's call that both the Phillies and Giants broadcasts were in agreement on its seeming egregiousness.

Speaking to reporters in the dugout at Citizens Bank Park before the second game of the series against the Giants on Tuesday, Thomson explained why he didn't risk an ejection to argue the call against Realmuto.

"I generally don't let things that I can't control bother me," Thomson said, per Devan Kaney of Philadelphia’s 94WIP. "And I think it's important to stay in the game and stay calm for your club. There's a time when you may want to rally the troops a little bit, but I didn't feel like that was the time."

"Not necessarily," Thomson said when asked if April was too early to light a fire under a team with an ejection. "But, I mean, it was a ball but it wasn't egregious I didn't think. And I can't tell from the side anyway."

Umpire Scorecards, which uses MLB's advanced pitch tracking data to rate the accuracy of home-plate umpires, in its evaluation of the Phillies-Giants game showed that the called strike on Realmuto was well off of the plate. The site also determined that the call was among the most impactful in terms of largest changes in run expectancy.

The controversial call occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Phillies mounting a two-out rally down 8-4. Philadelphia had two men on base—and the tying run would have came to the plate had Realmuto walked instead of being called out on strikes.

The Phillies (9-7) have lost two straight games and are 4-6 in their last 10 contests.