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He had suffered a quad injury last week and Bangladesh “will know the full scenario when he hits the nets” on Tuesday in Pune

Mohammad Isam16-Oct-2023Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan remains in contention for Bangladesh’s next World Cup match, against India on October 19, after he suffered a left quad injury in their last outing against New Zealand in Chennai. Team director Khaled Mahmud said that all signs point towards Shakib feeling well, but they will monitor him closely during Tuesday’s practice session in Pune.Shakib got injured while taking a run during the New Zealand clash. He continued batting for a while, and he also bowled his quota of 10 overs but it was clear that he was battling through pain. He had a scan in Chennai shortly after the game, but reportedly, he is pain-free.”Shakib is getting better,” Mahmud said. “He is pain-free. But we will know the full scenario when he hits the nets tomorrow. He will also do running between the wickets. We are hopeful that he can play against India. He worked in a swimming session, and some upper-half work in the gym today. There will be a scan tomorrow which will give us a clearer picture of his situation.”Mahmud said that Shakib wants to play but his inclusion was not so straightforward.”Usually these injuries produce a lot of pain,” he said. “It is tough to walk around even. Shakib is quite well. It is giving us hope.”Shakib wants to play, so if the situation is that he is 85-90% fit, like he was in the last game after getting injured, we are hopeful too. But it depends on his 100% fitness.”Mahmud said that they will still be cautious about not risking Shakib with six matches remaining for Bangladesh in the campaign. “We don’t want him to miss the rest of the tournament after playing one more game. There are six matches remaining.”It is the doctor and physio’s call. We don’t want to trouble him in the long term. If he gets clearance from the physio, he will play.”The Bangladesh team was given a two-day break in Pune and they will return to training on Tuesday. They have so far won only one of their three games.

West Ham managed a point against Bournemouth, having gone 1-0 down in the first half. Graham Potter’s side came out fighting in the second half, scoring in the 61st and 68th minute to take a 2-1 lead at the London Stadium.

However, Evanilson did manage to salvage a point for the Cherries, netting his second of the game to make it 2-2 in the 79th minute, with the points being shared.

Despite having more of the ball with 56% possession, West Ham only generated 0.65 xG in the match, creating one “big chance” and taking nine shots. In comparison, Andoni Iraola’s side generated 2.15 xG in the game, creating two “big chances” and taking 11 shots.

The second-half performance was much stronger by the Hammers, having seven of their nine shots in that second half, and it was the goalscorers, Niclas Füllkrug and Jarrod Bowen, who spurred the comeback.

Bowen's performance vs Bournemouth

Bowen scored the second goal, putting West Ham 2-1 up in the match. Whilst he started the game as a centre-forward, having a license to roam into both channels, Fullkrug’s introduction saw Bowen move to his natural right side, where he really began to come into his own.

The 28-year-old Hammers captain managed 52 touches in the game, taking four shots (only one on target) and completing two of his four dribble attempts. Bowen also won seven of his 15 ground duels in the game, working hard for his side, winning two tackles and making two interceptions.

Bowen’s goal was his ninth of the season, also providing seven assists in his 2,539 minutes played. But today’s game made one thing apparent, and it feels like West Ham could have one man who is even more undroppable than their captain at this point in time.

Why James Ward-Prowse is undroppable

James Ward-Prowse was recalled from his loan at the end of the January transfer window, having made just 10 appearances for Nottingham Forest. West Ham stated his return would offer “experience, depth and quality” to Potter’s side.

James Ward-Prowse vs Bournemouth performance
Stat	Ward-Prowse
Minutes	90
Touches	73
Assists	1
Accurate Passes	53/60
Key Passes	2
Long Balls	5/8
Successful Dribbles	1/1
Ground Duels Won	2/3
Tackles	1
Stats taken from Sofascore

But his performance against Bournemouth proved exactly why he is more than extra depth and experience, as the midfielder controlled proceedings in the middle of the park, provided the assist for Fullkrug’s equaliser, and protected the Hammers back line, winning two of his three ground duels.

In recent weeks, Potter has shown faith in Ward-Prowse, quickly making him a regular starter in his side, giving the team a more progressive passer in the midfield, someone who can keep things ticking, but also a set-piece specialist, which can be an invaluable tool in the modern era of Premier League football.

Whilst Bowen is the club captain and top goalscorer, Ward-Prowse has shown his importance to the side, making them less predictable in their build-up, offering slightly more mobility in midfield (whilst it isn’t his biggest strength) and, of course, adding that set-piece threat.

Therefore, the former Southampton man should keep his place in the side and be considered undroppable by the manager heading into the final matches of the season.

Fulham have now made contact with a 23-year-old full-back in a bid to bring him to Craven Cottage, according to a new report.

Fulham planning raid on free transfer market

Marco Silva will have 100% focus on what remains of this Premier League season, but it appears the powers upstairs are already turning their attention to the summer transfer window. The Cottagers are still in the hunt for a European place, and that could mean their plans are changed, but as of now, they have their eye on two players who are set to become free agents at the end of the campaign.

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Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof is one player Fulham are looking at possibly signing this summer, as he looks set to be a free agent as his contract comes to an end at Old Trafford. The Red Devils don’t look like they are going to offer a new deal, and therefore, Fulham, as well as teams such as West Ham, Everton and Wolves, are all interested in a possible swoop for the Sweden international.

Angel Gomes, a former United player, is another soon-to-be free agent that Fulham are not only considering signing but have held talks with over a possible move to London. The Englishman looks set to leave Lille, and the Premier League side believe he would fit into Silva’s team perfectly.

Fulham could sign £8m Greek star Vagiannidis to replace Castagne

As the Cottagers continue to scour the free transfer market, according to A Bola, relayed by Sport Witness, Fulham are also interested in signing defender Georgios Vagiannidis and have already made contact.

The report states that not only are Fulham interested in signing the 23-year-old right-back, but European giants Sporting CP and Ajax are also keen on securing the transfer this summer. It goes on to state that Fulham, as well as the two other teams, have followed Vagiannidis closely since the January transfer window and have already made formal contact in a bid to sign him for next season.

It isn’t clear if Fulham made contact with Panathinaikos, his camp or both, but the Cottagers are keen to strike an agreement. Sporting CP are said to have already made an offer worth €6 million, but the Greek side have rejected this as they want €10 million, which is roughly £8 million, and Fulham are now ready to step up their efforts to sign the defender.

Apps

7

Starts

4

Assists

1

Big chances created

2

Key passes per game

1.0

Interceptions per game

0.3

Tackles per game

1.4

Vagiannidis’ potential arrival at Craven Cottage could see him be a replacement for current first-choice right-back Timothy Castagne, who has played 19 times in the Premier League this season. The Belgian has started the last 13 league games, but given he is 29 and is out of contract in 2027, Silva may have his eyes on an upgrade.

Vagiannidis could become first choice when Kenny Tete departs as a free agent this summer, relegating Castagne to a support role.

Tottenham Hotspur are no closer to climbing back up the Premier League table after they were beaten 2-0 by London rivals Fulham on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou’s side remain stuck in 13th place in the division, five points behind Crystal Palace in 12th, after goals from Rodrigo Muniz and former Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon secured all three points for the hosts.

The Lilywhites, as you can see in the clips above, did have chances to take the lead before the second-half strikes from the Fulham pair, as Dominic Solanke missed two big opportunities to find the back of the net.

Tottenham’s £55m signing from Bournemouth last summer failed to step up and put his team in front, which provided the Cottagers with the chance to go on and win the match – and they did.

Solanke was far from the only Spurs player who underperformed on the day against Fulham, however, as Yves Bissouma was hauled off the pitch at half-time after his struggles in the opening 45 minutes.

Spurs' poorest performers against Fulham

Postecoglou decided to go with the Mali international as part of his starting midfield three alongside Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur at Craven Cottage.

Unfortunately, however, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man did not justify his manager’s faith in him with a positive performance on the pitch against the Cottagers.

Instead, Bissouma struggled badly with his play in and out of possession in the opening 45 minutes before he was withdrawn from the action, to be replaced by Lucas Bergvall for the second half.

The central midfielder only completed 82% of his attempted passes in the first half, despite not attempting a single long pass or cross, and did not create a single chance for his teammates. This suggests that he was sloppy in possession without offering any threat to the Fulham goal.

Minutes played

45

Touches

17

Ground duels won

2/6

Aerial duels won

0/1

Tackles + interceptions

1

Clearances

0

Fouls committed

2

Possession lost

8

As you can see in the table above, Bissouma also struggled out of possession throughout his time on the pitch for the Lilywhites, losing five of his seven physical duels.

He made more fouls than tackles and interceptions made combined, which speaks to how much of a liability the midfielder was off the ball, and his play at both ends of the pitch may have contributed to Postecoglou’s decision to take him off the pitch.

Chalkboard

The 28-year-old dud was not, however, the worst player on the pitch for Tottenham during that first-half display. Winger Brennan Johnson was also taken off after the first 45 minutes, after he put in an even worse performance than Bissouma at Craven Cottage.

Brennan Johnson's performance against Fulham

The Wales international was selected to start on the right side of the front three for Spurs, with Solanke down the middle and Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel on the left flank.

It was Johnson’s lack of fluidity in possession that ultimately cost him in the first half, though, as he failed to be effective with the ball at his feet for Tottenham on the wing.

The former Nottingham Forest man was substituted off at the break, with club captain Heung-min Son coming on in his place, after he was unable to cause many, if any, problems for Antonee Robinson.

Johnson ended the first half with zero shots attempted, zero crosses completed, zero long passes completed, and zero chances created for his teammates in his 45 minutes on the pitch. On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that he was handed a dismal 3/10 player rating by Football.London at full-time.

Minutes played

45

Shots

0

Key passes

0

Dribbles completed

0/2

Crosses completed

0/1

Long passes completed

0/1

Pass accuracy

55%

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh forward was completely ineffective at the top end of the pitch and incredibly loose with his passes, which gave Robinson a fairly easy afternoon.

Johnson also struggled to deal with the physicality of the Fulham players, losing four of his six duels, as he put in an even worse performance than Bissouma, who at least completed 82% of his passes and was not expected to make a difference in the final third.

Why Spurs should drop Brennan Johnson

Postecoglou must, now, ruthlessly bin the Welsh attacker from his starting line-up when Spurs are back in action against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after the international break, by bringing Son or Wilson Odobert back into the side.

Johnson has been in disappointing form of late for the North London outfit, with just two goals and zero assists in his last ten appearances against Premier League level or Europa League opposition.

Both of those goals came in a 4-1 win over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, who were in League One two seasons ago, which means that the ex-Nottingham Forest man has failed to register a goal or an assist in any of the other nine outings.

The 23-year-old is not a dynamic winger who is likely to progress play with passes or dribbles to make things happen, but he does have excellent positioning and a good feel for when a chance will come his way.

Non-penalty xG

0.48

Top 2%

Non-penalty goals

0.47

Top 6%

Assists

0.10

Bottom 24%

Expected Assisted Goals

0.08

Bottom 11%

Shot-creating actions

2.20

Bottom 9%

Progressive passes

2.99

Bottom 37%

Progressive carries

2.73

Bottom 38%

As you can see in the table above, Johnson is exceptional at finding himself in high-quality goalscoring positions, yet leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his use of the ball outside of his shooting opportunities.

He ranks incredibly lowly among his positional peers in the Premier League at progressing play and creating chances for his teammates, which was part of the issue with his performance against Fulham.

This is backed up by his return of just two assists, from 1.43 xA, in 26 appearances in the top-flight this season, which shows that he rarely provides his fellow attackers with chances to score.

When Johnson does not get the big chances to score in matches, the former Forest man does not offer much to the side on the right flank and that is why – amid this current dry spell in front of goal – Postecoglou should drop him from the starting line-up.

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Manchester United could pursue a summer move for an “outstanding” striker this summer, who may be targeted instead of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, according to a report.

Osimhen transfer race hotting up

Last month, it was revealed Osimhen has a release clause of around £62m in his Napoli contract, which is set to become active in the summer, and the race for the Nigerian’s signature is now hotting up.

The Red Devils clearly hold an interest in the Galatasaray loanee, having submitted a verbal contract offer, but it appears they could be lagging behind in the transfer race, given that Premier League rivals Arsenal are said to have overtaken them.

In fact, it seems like the Gunners are making good progress in their pursuit of the 26-year-old, with a report claiming they have now agreed a £62m deal ahead of the summer, having informed Napoli they are willing to stump up the release clause.

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As such, United may have to turn their attention to alternative targets, and a report from GiveMeSport has revealed they could instead pursue a move for FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, who may be more attainable.

Ruben Amorim is determined to sign a striker this summer, and the manager is scouring the market for potential targets, but a deal for the Porto star could prove to be very expensive.

Aghehowa has a release clause of £84m in his Porto contract, which could make it difficult for United to get a deal done, should the Portuguese side insist on receiving the full amount.

Osimhen remains Amorim’s dream target, but a move for the 20-year-old could be one to watch, should Porto be willing to accept a lower fee.

"Outstanding" Aghehowa "has everything" to become a top striker

The Spaniard is still very young, but he could be capable of going on to establish himself as a top striker, if the high praise he has received from journalist Josh Bunting is anything to go by.

The starlet has been prolific in Portugal this season, scoring 14 league goals, while also bagging six goals in nine Europa League games, which could indicate he is ready for a big move to the Premier League.

That said, it may be very difficult for United to get a deal done this summer, should Porto insist on the release clause being paid in full, considering their financial problems, which were recently outlined by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Perhaps if United manage to offload some high-earning players this summer, they may be able to dip into the transfer market, but given the severity of their financial issues, it is difficult to see them shelling out £84m on Aghehowa.

Barry Ferguson is the man tasked with leading Rangers for the remainder of the 2024/25 season following the decision to sack Philippe Clement.

The ex-Ibrox captain is in interim charge until the summer and has been joined by former players Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor as coaches, whereas Issame Charai – who was appointed as Clement’s assistant just last month – has remained at the club.

After making the decision to bring Ferguson back to Ibrox, Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart said: “I also want to welcome Barry back to the club. We appreciate him and his team stepping into the role at this difficult time. Myself, the board and the executive team will give them our full support for the rest of the campaign.”

Rangers are currently way adrift of rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but Ferguson will have the chance to take on Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce in the last 16 of the Europa League.

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Ferguson, who knows what it takes to come through the Gers’ academy, may look towards the future and the club’s youth ranks, especially in the final weeks of the season should Celtic seal another Premiership crown with games to spare.

With Clement arguably only taking advantage of the Light Blues’ youthful talents when absolutely necessary, Ferguson’s arrival could represent an opportunity to fully integrate these youngsters into the first team.

With that in mind, we’ve looked at five Rangers prospects aged 21 or younger who Ferguson could now unleash at Ibrox between now and the end of the season.

1 Ross McCausland 21 years old

Ross McCausland has played less than 700 minutes of football all season at Ibrox, turning out on the left and right under Clement.

The Northern Irishman, who came through Rangers’ academy, started his last Scottish Premiership match back in October and has hardly been seen in 2025.

He does have four goal contributions to his name, so Ferguson may see McCausland as someone he can improve between now and the end of the campaign, giving him more minutes in the process.

2 Paul Nsio 18 years old

Central midfielder Paul Nsio could be another Ferguson looks to use more, with the interim boss himself a former midfielder. Nsio made his Scottish Premiership debut earlier in the year, coming on as a late substitute in a win at Dundee United.

The teenager was also given the nod from the bench by Clement in the Europa League win over Union SG at the end of January.

During pre-season last year, Nsio was reportedly impressing Rangers’ coaching staff with his work ethic, guile and creativity in the middle of the park, so perhaps he will feature more under Ferguson.

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ByRoss Kilvington Oct 9, 2025 3 Findlay Curtis 18 years old

More of an attacking midfielder than Nsio is Findlay Curtis, who can also play out wide if needed. The Scot has made five matchday squads in the Europa League, even playing 30 minutes at Old Trafford against Man Utd in January.

2025 has been a positive year so far for Curtis, who had also been making Clement’s squads in the Scottish Premiership in the weeks prior to the Belgian’s dismissal.

Curtis has also signed a contract extension and was praised by Technical Director, Nils Koppen, who said: “Findlay is a player who has progressed through our youth system since the age of six and his development towards the first team is testament to his own commitment and the hard work of all the coaches who have played a part in his journey.”

4 Bailey Rice 18 years old

Bailey Rice was just 16 years of age when Michael Beale labelled him “a heck of a player”, but since then, the defensive midfielder has found senior game time hard to come by.

The Scotland U19 international has been threatening to make a first-team breakthrough this season, making five of his eight first-team appearances in 2024/25.

Ferguson, previously a no-nonsense midfielder, may look to take Rice under his wing over the coming months and give him more regular opportunities as Rangers look to potentially plan for the future.

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ByRoss Kilvington Feb 21, 2025 5 Zander Hutton 18 years old

Full-back Zander Hutton is still awaiting his Rangers first-team debut, and he may be hoping it is just around the corner after being named as a substitute for the final two rounds of the Europa League’s league phase against Man Utd and Union SG.

A regular in Rangers’ B team, Hutton, who can play as a right or left-back, helped the club beat Celtic 3-2 in the Glasgow Cup Final at the end of 2024.

Ferguson has a number of full-back options including Ridvan Yilmaz, Jefte, Dujon Sterling and captain James Tavernier, but who knows, he could be tempted to throw Hutton in before May.

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Tim Southee: On the day everyone poses different threats

Big picture
Fatigue-wise, New Zealand have had a kind start to the tournament. They thrashed Australia in Sydney, then took the short flight to Melbourne, where their match against Afghanistan was rained out without a ball being bowled. They’d have preferred to play that match, of course, but they’ve not had to contend with crazy schedules or serious changes in timezone.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have been whipped around, and they arrive in Sydney in some disarray. They’d started their campaign in Geelong, in the qualifiers, and have since lost no fewer than three fast bowlers to injury. Then three days after the qualifiers ended, they were playing a match in Hobart. Two days after that they played Australia in Perth. Now they’ve been shot back across the breadth of the continent to Sydney. Within the side, there seems to be a little consternation about their schedule, by the way. Their next match, on Tuesday, is in Brisbane. Then they come back to Sydney.Related

The future is uncertain, so savour Boult and Southee while you can

'Adaptable' Mitchell looking forward to 'cool challenge' of batting at No. 5

Sri Lanka replace injured Binura with Asitha

Sri Lanka tend to find grievance in high-profile assignments, however, but perhaps more importantly, they have a history of weaponising that grievance, to blast their way to good results. Test tours of South Africa in 2019, England in 2014, the T20 World Cup in 2014, and of course the big one – the 1996 World Cup – are some examples. But here they are up against a side that seems much-better drilled, and way more settled than they are.Out of 13 completed matches this year, New Zealand have lost only three. They have a nuclear top order, good firepower through the middle, and a top-class seam attack for Australian conditions. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are getting by on top-order runs without the middle order really contributing, and their attack looks more vulnerable following Tuesday’s loss to Australia.Sri Lanka have to dig deep and find a new gear to overcome their cricketing, and fatigue-related circumstances. New Zealand merely have to build on what they’ve already been doing.Form guide
New Zealand WLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWWWLIn the spotlight
That the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson are good at turning it on is known, but don’t sleep on Mitchell Santner, who has put up some impressive stats this year. Against Australia, he took 3 for 31 bowling inside the powerplay, and then through the middle overs. In T20Is this year, he has 17 wickets from 12 games, with an economy rate of 6.69.Wanindu Hasaranga went for 0 for 53 against Australia•ICC via Getty Images

It’s not often that Wanindu Hasaranga gets taken apart, but he clearly was in the last match, going for 0 for 53 from his three overs, as he kept trying to toss the ball up and get Australia’s batters caught in Perth’s big outfield, but failed repeatedly. Perth’s bouncier pitch didn’t quite suit his bowling but Sydney, where Sri Lanka’s spinners have done well in the past, may suit him nicely. It’s rare that he has two bad games in a row.Pitch and conditions
Thankfully, after two rained-out games on Friday, the forecast looks good in Sydney. This match will be played on a fresh pitch, and the short boundary will be the opposite direction to New Zealand’s first game here. The SCG has generally been the best batting surface so far in the tournament.Team news
Pramod Madushan will likely slot in for Binura Fernando, who was the third Sri Lanka quick to be ruled out of the tournament.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Pramod Madushan, 11 Lahiru KumaraNew Zealand are set to bring in Daryl Mitchell for Mark Chapman.New Zealand (possible): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultStats and trivia
Pathum Nissanka is the fourth-highest run-scorer in T20Is this year, with 636 from 21 innings. But those runs have come at a strike rate of only 111. Sri Lanka have been one of Santner’s favourite opponents in the past. He has taken seven wickets against them in five matches at a strike rate of 6.26. New Zealand have won 10 and lost seven T20Is against Sri Lanka. In T20 World Cups, however, the tally is 4-1 in Sri Lanka’s favour, though they haven’t met at this tournament since 2014.Quotes
“If it’s a good batting wicket and a fast outfield, the runs are there for taking. We need to go with a different game plan on a pitch like this..”
Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz on needing to adjust to Sydney, having played in three other venues in the past 12 days.“Feels like it’s been a while since we’ve played, but we’ve had a couple of good trainings in between.”
New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee on the entirely different kind of challenge that his team faces.