Prasidh Krishna replaced by concussion substitute after blow to the head

Fast bowler was hit on the helmet while trying to pull a short ball from Henry Thornton

Daya Sagar24-Sep-2025

Prasidh Krishna is in line to be in India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against West Indies•Getty Images

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna suffered a blow to the head during the second match between India A and Australia A in Lucknow and has been replaced by Yash Thakur as a concussion substitute for the remainder of the game.Prasidh was hit on the helmet on the second day by fast bowler Henry Thornton in the 39th over of India A’s innings. He was attempting to pull a bouncer, and continued to bat after the mandatory concussion check.After the 42nd over, however, Prasidh began walking back to the dressing room and the new batter Mohammed Siraj came in. When India A were eight down at the fall of Siraj’s wicket, Gurnoor Brar came in at No. 11, and when B Sai Sudharsan was dismissed after that, the concussion substitute Thakur walked out as the last batter, replacing Prasidh in the XI.India A were dismissed for 194 in the first innings, in response to Australia A’s 420, and the visitors were 16 for 3 in their second innings at stumps on the second day.While the extent of Prasidh’s injury is not clear, India’s selectors are meeting later on Wednesday to pick the Test squad for the two-match series against West Indies starting on October 2.Prasidh is a contender for the Test squad, along with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep as the other fast bowlers. They had formed the crux of India’s pace attack for the five-Test tour of England, where Prasidh took 14 wickets in three matches at an average of 37.07.The ongoing series between India A and Australia A was Prasidh’s first competitive appearance since the tour of England ended in the first week of August. He was wicketless in the first game – conceding 90 runs in 21 overs – and had taken 1 for 76 in 17 overs in the first innings of the second match.

Ben Foakes cracks 43* off 17 as Surrey snatch rain-reduced thriller

Will Smale’s first Glamorgan hundred not enough as Surrey get over the line

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Aug-2025Will Smale scored the first hundred of his professional cricket career but as Glamorgan, the Metro Bank One-Day Cup’s reigning champions, still lost to a Ben Foakes-inspired Surrey in a rain-shortened affair.Smale, a 24-year-old from Newport playing his 15th List A match, finished on 105 not out from 106 balls and was chiefly responsible for Glamorgan reaching a 50-over total of 308 for 7 at The Kia Oval.But Foakes, captaining Surrey after Ryan Patel turned his ankle in the pre-match warm-ups, smashed 43 not out from just 17 balls and was joined by Josh Blake in an extraordinary stand of 77 in six overs that snatched the game away from Glamorgan.Heavy rain forced a delay of two hours and twenty minutes after Surrey had made 21 for 1 from 5.1 overs. That resulted in a revised target of 146 in 16 overs, following Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations and a 5.50pm restart, meaning 125 more runs were needed in 10.5 remaining overs.It looked a stiff task but, with 40 still needed from the last three overs, Foakes hit leg-side sixes off Kiran Carlson and Andy Gorvin – after Blake had also struck Carlson for a maximum to long-on.With eight only now required from the final over, Blake hit the first ball for four before being bowled for 27 by Dan Douthwaite’s third ball. And then, in a slightly farcical finish, Douthwaite bowled a high leg-side no-ball, giving new batsman Cameron Steel a free hit. And when he hit high to deep mid-wicket, from another no-ball, Surrey had won with three balls to spare.Will Smale hit his first Glamorgan hundred•Getty Images

Put in by Surrey, the Welsh county initially stuttered to 213 for 6 in the 39th over before Smale was joined by Alex Horton in a superb seventh-wicket partnership of 86 in ten overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Horton, 21 and with just 18 previous white-ball appearances behind him, contributed a jaunty 35 from 30 balls while Smale pressed the accelerator in impressive style at the other end.There were three sixes and seven fours eventually in Smale’s first score of 50 or more in List A cricket, with fast bowler James Taylor and legspinning allrounder Steel bearing the brunt of his late assault.For most of Glamorgan’s innings, however, it seemed as if a predominantly youthful and inexperienced Surrey bowling attack was doing a fine job of working their way through a strong-looking batting line-up.Slow-arm spinner Yousuf Majid might have finished wicketless but he conceded only 41 runs from his ten overs across several spells while fast bowlers Nathan Barnwell and Alex French took 3 for 55 and 2 for 49 respectively.Barnwell had both Sam Northeast (24) and Carlson (25) caught at the wicket before later seeing Zain ul-Hassan lift a straightforward catch to mid-on, while 18-year-old rookie French put the embarrassment of bowling multiple wides in his opening over with the new ball to have Eddie Byrom caught for 9 in his second.French, playing his second List A game, also removed Asa Tribe for 16 in the 12th over and Glamorgan were in danger of underachieving when Douthwaite edged a legcutter from Taylor to give keeper Blake the third of his four catches.Smale and Horton, though, built their stand with steady accumulation at first and then explosive acceleration, with Surrey’s bowlers seemingly powerless to prevent 91 runs being plundered from the final ten overs of the innings.Rory Burns, inside-edging to keeper Horton as he jumped down the pitch on 12 to seamer Ul-Hassan, was an early Surrey casualty and after the restart there was a steady fall of wickets in a frantic finale.Nikhil Gorantla and Ollie Sykes fell swiping – Sykes after two powerful straight fours off Gorvin – and Adam Thomas took 21 off slow left-armer Romano Franco’s only over, including successive blows of 4, 4, 6, 6 before being spectacularly caught diving backwards at long-off by Carlson off Gorvin for 34.

Meghalaya's Akash Choudhary goes 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 to smash fastest ever first-class fifty

He became only the third batter in first-class history to hit six sixes in an over, after Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2025

Meghalaya’s Akash Choudhary after hitting six sixes in an over (and eight consecutive sixes in all)•Akash Choudhary

Meghalaya’s Akash Choudhary made history on Sunday, becoming only the third player in first-class cricket to smash six sixes in an over and scoring the fastest fifty in the format. He did so by hitting an unprecedented eight sixes in a row, en route to his 11-ball fifty.Primarily a seamer, Choudhary achieved the feat on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group match against Arunachal Pradesh in Surat. Coming in at No. 8 with Meghalaya 576 for 6, he began his innings with a dot and two singles before smashing six sixes off left-arm spinner Limar Dabi in the 126th over of the innings. Thus, he joined an elite club that previously included only Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri. Mike Procter had also hit six consecutive sixes but across two overs.Choudhary continued his onslaught in the next over as well, hitting offspinner TNR Mohith for two back-to-back sixes to bring up his fifty. He broke the previous record – off 12 balls by Leicestershire’s Wayne White against Essex in 2012 – by one ball. Choudhary’s was also the second-fastest fifty in first-class cricket in terms of time taken (where data is available). He took nine minutes. The record belongs to Clive Inman, who took eight minutes for his 13-ball half-century for Leicestershire against Nottinghamshire in 1965.

Choudhary finished on 50 not out off 14 balls – the last three balls he faced were dots – as Meghalaya declared their innings on 628 for 6. In response, Arunachal Pradesh were all out for 73 with Choudhary taking one wicket. With Meghalaya enforcing the follow-on, Choudhary picked up two more wickets to leave the opposition at 29 for 3 at stumps.Choudhary, 25, was playing his 31st first-class match. Before this, he had scored 503 runs at an average of 14.37 with two half-centuries. He has also played 28 List-A matches and 30 T20s. He had also smashed four sixes during his unbeaten 60 off 62 against Bihar in the previous game.With the ball, he has taken 87 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 29.97, 37 in List-A (average 29.24) and 28 in T20s (average 26.25).

John Kennedy pede desculpas e se manifesta sobre afastamento do Fluminense: 'Não participei da festa'

MatériaMais Notícias

Envolvido em polêmica e afastado do Fluminense por questões disciplinares, o atacante John Kennedy se pronunciou sobre o episódio.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Ele reconheceu que seu comportamento não tem sido dos melhores, dentro e fora de campo. Ainda de acordo com o jogador, não houve participação em festa, um dos motivos que gerou a punição do Tricolor.

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➡️ É o Flu! Fature R$880 se o Tricolor levar a Copa do Brasil

– Venho me manifestar sobre os últimos episódios. Sei que meu comportamento não foi dos melhores nos últimos dias sei que tanto em campo como fora não venho entregando o que esperam de mim. Quero pedir desculpas ao clube a comissão técnica aos companheiros de equipe e principalmente a torcida que sempre me apoiou mas queria deixar claro que eu não participei da festa na concentração que foi noticiado. Essas notícias acabaram trazendo muitos problemas pra mim pra minha família e principalmente para mãe da minha filha que é a mulher que eu amo. E isso acabou trazendo uma exposição negativa e desnecessária pra ela. Cometi erros, estou sofrendo, mas assumo como homem que sou e aceito todas as punições que me colocaram. Prometo que vou trabalhar e me esforçar pra recuperar a confiança de todos vocês – escreveu John Kennedy, do Fluminense, em suas redes sociais.

John Kennedy não compareceu ao treinamento doFluminenserealizado no último domingo (28), no CT Carlos Castilho, para os atletas não relacionados para o confronto diante do Corinthians.

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A conduta irritou as principais lideranças do elenco, que se esquivaram do assunto após a partida na Neo Química Arena. O grupo de jogadores teria solicitado à direção que o atacante não seja reintegrado ao elenco.

John Kennedy, Kauã Elias, Arthur e Aleksander foram afastados por atos de indisciplina na concentração do Fluminense antes do clássico contra o Vasco, no dia 20 de abril. O quarteto teria convidado mulheres e organizou uma festa dentro do hotel em que a equipe realizava a concentração.

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0 minutes all season: "Generational" Everton star could be Branthwaite 2.0

David Moyes has been reluctant to rotate at Everton this season. The Merseysiders are 14th in the Premier League after a summer of sweeping change, yet signings such as Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl remain on the fringe.

In fairness, Moyes did say at the start of the season that Everton’s deep-rooted issues would take more than one summer to eradicate and remould into something progressive, but some are questioning why more is not being made of the resources at hand.

Everton

14th

19

Man United

8th

20

Tottenham

6th

20

Brentford

12th

21

However, there is one change the Scotsman would love to make that hasn’t been possible. Indeed, Jarrad Branthwaite continues to languish on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, and his return would do the Toffees the world of good.

Moyes needs Branthwaite back at Everton

Branthwaite is arguably Everton’s best player. Certainly, he would be the most profitable, with Manchester United billed £70m for the potential signing of the England international last year. No move came to fruition.

But he has yet to grace the Hill Dickinson pitch, having sustained an injury in pre-season. Several weeks ago, a complication in the defender’s muscular recovery led to surgery, and now he is set for an extended spell on the sidelines, with some sources suggesting he will not be ready until after the new year.

This is a powerful and front-footed centre-half whose 6 foot 5 presence demands respect. Much has been made of Everton’s struggles in the final third this season, but we must also acknowledge the ramifications of not having your best defender fit for the opening months of the campaign (this was also true for Sean Dyche last year, when the Blues started off on a four-match skid).

Michael Keane has done a fine job in stepping in for the younger man this season, arguably outplaying the vice-captain James Tarkowski beside him, but there’s no question that Branthwaite, described as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would walk back into the line-up when fit enough to do so.

Everton have made headway this season, but further improvements are needed if Moyes’ side are to break the surface of expectations and find a space among the heavyweights in the Premier League.

Moyes, to be sure, must be more open to unleashing those bit-part members of the squad. Perhaps they could make a marked difference. There’s one youngster who is considered an elite talent, and yet he has not featured this term. Moyes must now unleash him.

Moyes must unleash "generational" youngster

This summer, Everton completed a wave of signings. The most notable addition was Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City, while big buys included Dibling and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.

But the arrival of Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich, for around £8m, has fallen under the radar. The 19-year-old is an attack-minded left-back, though his versatility permits moonlit roles further up the field and even in an alternative right-back placement.

It is his dribbling that stands out most. Last season, while out on loan in La Liga with Real Valladolid, Aznou averaged two dribbles per game, which stood as the second-highest success rate of any defender in the Spanish top flight (data via BBC).

The Moroccan has even been described as a “generational talent” by the aforementioned Kulig, and it’s curious to note he is alongside Branthwaite in having yet to make his first-team debut for Moyes’ side.

The difference is that he has not been injured, but rather, kept from the action by his manager. Seven times in succession, he has sat on the bench in the Premier League, and seven times in succession, he has remained unused.

There are concerns about the player’s physicality, but there is undoubtedly a reluctance on Moyes’ part to unleash youngsters. Last month, Dibling started against Crystal Palace and ended the 63-year-old’s 185-match streak of not naming a teenager in the starting line-up. Dibling was hooked at half-time.

It has been said that Everton are open to loaning the teenager out this winter, sending him somewhere for a short stay and with the view toward providing him with a suitable environment for growth.

There is reason to this possible route, but whether it is truly the best course of action for an Everton side in need of more dynamism down the flanks is another question. However, Branthwaite before him went out on loan with PSV Eindhoven and returned to the Premier League a better player for it.

Perhaps Aznou could emulate his fellow defender in this regard, heading out for the second half of the campaign before returning next summer and shining thereafter.

Vitalii Mykolenko is limited in his attacking output, with data platform FBref ranking the Ukrainian among the bottom 9% of full-backs in the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions per 90 (0.86). Likewise, Jake O’Brien has been dependable in his makeshift right-back role, but he is naturally a centre-back and his game reflects this.

The left-footed Branthwaite’s return and the robustness he adds could actually be perfect for Aznou as the Morocco international looks to establish himself on Merseyside. It’s a debate with substance on both sides: Aznou could help Everton with his progressiveness this year, and yet a slow, gradual integration might be better for his long-term development.

Patience was always going to be required for a young and talented full-back whose experience on the major stage is shallow. In this, Moyes’ decision to keep him on the sidelines is understandable.

However, many would not agree. There have been opportunities to unleash Aznou, and instead, he plies his trade under Paul Tait’s wing in the development squad.

There’s a sense that Everton are going to attack the January transfer window and target a new centre-forward and fresh full-backs besides. Might it be that Aznou is the answer to the club’s issues down the wings?

In La Liga last season, he won an average of 2.2 tackles and 5.8 duels per game (as per Sofascore), triumphing in 51% of that latter metric.

Work is needed, of course it is, but surely this wonderful and exciting prospect deserves a chance to shine after Everton won the summer tussle for his signature.

Everton flop "failed a succession of managers", now he's saving Moyes

This Everton veteran is proving to be the unlikely signing of the summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

Neymar transfer ruled out! Brazilian club chief denies interest in Santos star and issues strong statement

Fluminense's president has denied rumours linking his club with Neymar. Mario Bittencourt took to his X account to release a strongly worded statement, categorically refuting reports the Tricolor had made an approach for the Santos star. Speculation over a transfer was fuelled by comments made by Fluminense's head of physiotherapy, after he called Neymar, the "last genius of Brazilian football".

  • Neymar's links to Fluminense

    Nilton Petrone, known as File made the comments on the Setor Sul Podcast. Further fuel was added to the rumours, as reports emerged that Tiago Silva was lobbying the club to make an approach for his longtime international teammate and close friend. 

    These reports come months after Neymar was close to signing for the Tricolor for the duration of the Club World Cup. Bittencourt agreed to the idea with Flumienense's coach at the time, Renato Gaucho. The ex-Barcelona and PSG star admitted that the short-term loan "almost happened", however, after consulting with his father and agent he decided to remain at Santos to focus on his recovery. 

    Speaking in an interview during the tournament, the 33-year-old said: “I was having these conversations with some teams to play the World Cup. Fluminense was something that came very close to happening, but I preferred to stay and train more to come back even better.” 

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  • Fluminense president refutes Neymar rumours

    Bittencourt's statement read: "Regarding Neymar, I clarify that there has been no recent contact between Fluminense and the player, or his staff. Fluminense has immense respect for Santos and, obviously, the club and the player are 100% dedicated to winning the remaining games in the Brazilian Championship."

  • Neymar struggling for form following Santos return

    Neymar returned to his former club after a torrid spell with Al-Hilal. The winger played just seven games during his time in Saudi Arabia, as persistent injuries blighted his big money move. 

    The switch to Santos at the start of 2025 was supposed to facilitate a push for Brazil's World Cup squad next summer, however, more injury problems and a poor run of form makes that goal look less and less likely. In 25 games for Peixe since his return, Neymar has scored six goals and provided three assists. However, he has failed to score since a brace against Juventude in August. Santos currently sit in the relegation zone of Brazil's Serie A with six games left to play. 

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    Neymar's contract situation makes future unclear

    Neymar is under contract with the club until the end of 2025, after he signed a six month extension to his initial deal in June; there is an option for a further half-a-year deal once that agreement expires. The club's president Marcelo Teixeira has boasted about the 33-year-old's impact on the club's revenue and reach, however, if they are unable to stay in the top division, any extension would be highly unlikely.

    Given the many anecdotal and genuine links between Neymar and Fluminense, it would appear a market for his services would materialise, should he decide to move on from Santos. As long as this "genius" wants to play, and to represent his country, there will likely always be a club willing to take a punt on his extraordinary talent, 

Henry returns for West Indies ODIs, Tickner retains his spot

Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury, was not considered for the ODI series and will focus on preparing for the Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025Matt Henry is set to return to action for New Zealand’s the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies, starting November 16 at the Hagley Oval.Henry, who missed the final two ODIs against England due to a calf strain, has been undergoing a “planned conditioning and rehabilitation block” to prepare for the ODI series, as well as the subsequent three-Test series in December.Blair Tickner, who was an injury replacement for Kyle Jamieson for the England series, has also retained his spot despite Jamieson’s return to action. Tickner took eight wickets in two matches against England.Related

  • Batting in focus for deflated West Indies as they come up against red-hot New Zealand

  • 'Boult-ish' Foulkes is adding breadth to New Zealand's pace depth

The pace bowling group also includes Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Nathan Smith, while captain Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, and Rachin Ravindra will handle spin duties.Several players remain unavailable due to injury, including Mohammad Abbas (ribs), Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring). The NZC stated in a release that Kane Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury, has not been considered for the ODI series and will focus on preparing for the Test series, which begins on December 2.Blair Tickner was impressive against England•Getty Images

“Matt is a vital member of this group and the senior leader of our pace attack, so it’ll be great to have him back for both the ODIs and Tests,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said of Henry. “He will be fresh and fit after a good rest, and we know he will be raring to go ahead of what promises to be a big five weeks with both the white and red ball.”Walter also praised Tickner’s recent form, saying, “Ticks was outstanding against England, and we’re pleased to keep rewarding players who step up when called upon.”Looking ahead to the West Indies challenge, Walter said: “They’re always a dangerous side, with players who can turn a game in an instant. It’s an important series for us as we continue to develop and grow in the format.”The New Zealand squad will gather in Christchurch on November 14. The team will be keen to extend their streak of ten consecutive home ODI series wins, following last month’s 3-0 clean sweep over England.Meanwhile, the ongoing five-match T20I series between New Zealand and West Indies is currently tied 1-1 after two games.

New Zealand squad for West Indies ODI

Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young

Noman, Afridi set up rousing win for Pakistan

Pakistan’s nerves settled with the dismissal of Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis, who threatened with a 73-run stand

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2025

Shan Masood and Noman Ali celebrate Dewald Brevis’ wicket•Getty Images

Ultimately, reality had to bite. 276 has never been chased at the Gaddafi, and the prospect has become even more unlikely since Pakistan pivoted to rapidly deteriorating spin tracks. South Africa gamely hung around till deep into the middle session, but they had been cut too far adrift, and kept losing too many wickets. Shaheen Shah Afridi polished off the tail after Pakistan’s spinners made early inroads, sealing a 93-run win that breaks South Africa’s record 10-Test win streak.Pakistan’s nerves had been settled at lunch with the dismissal of the dangerous and the dogged – Ryan Rickelton and Dewald Brevis both falling to superb deliveries from Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. Senuran Muthuswamy was trapped in front shortly after the resumption, and for the next half hour both sides appeared to be going through the motions. Kyle Verreynne and Simon Harmer hung around without really making a charge towards the total, while Pakistan’s spin kept plugging away, but without the intensity before the break. Slowly, South Africa edged past Pakistan’s third innings total, the first time since Pakistan have prepared these tracks that the fourth innings has outscored the third.The reintroduction of Afridi broke the game open, though. Coming around the wicket, he found reverse with the ageing ball on the ageing surface, viciously dipping one back into Verreynne that struck him so square Afridi never turned around to confirm the umpire agreed with his assessment that ball was hitting the stumps.Numbers 10 and 11 were easy work for an amped up Afridi, who sensed an opportunity to pad his figures up in a game where his relevance to the side had hitherto been limited. Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada had no answer for the swinging yorkers that rattled their stumps, sealing a win that had perhaps been secured when Pakistan ran up a large total in the first two sessions of the first day.Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton gave South Africa hope•Getty Images

A lively session of cricket had broken out in the morning in Lahore with Brevis taking the attack to Pakistan. The 22-year-old, playing just his third Test match, threatened to pull off the spectacular with a run-a-ball 54 but was unable to sustain such a breakneck tempo on a wearing subcontinent pitch. Noman took back the spotlight that South Africa have been trying to take away from him through the course of this entire game, bringing up his third Test-match 10-for and putting Pakistan on the road to victory. At lunch, they were four wickets off and had 139 runs with which to buy them.Nothing like this target of 277 has ever been chased before in a Test match in Lahore and that record seemed set to continue when the first four overs of Wednesday’s play yielded two wickets and just five runs. Afridi went through Tony de Zorzi’s defence with his third ball and the worry the visitors had about new batters struggling to find rhythm in these conditions came to pass. Tristan Stubbs only lasted eight balls before reverse sweeping Noman to Salman Agha at slip, who now has five catches in the match.South Africa’s overnight 51 for 2 had become 55 for 4 when Brevis walked in. He took a little time to get acclimatised and then, in the 34th over, he charged out to meet a half-volley from Noman and smacked it over mid-off. A slog sweep for six and a heave over midwicket for four followed, giving the young batter all the confidence he needed to trust in his attacking instincts. The battle between Brevis and Pakistan peaked when he hit a no-look six over long-on to bring up his half-century.Noman had been the recipient of most of Brevis’ punishment, but the canny left-arm spinner knew all he needed was one ball in the right area. That came in the seventh over before lunch when a ball fired into the pitch gripped well enough to turn right past the defending batter and clatter into the stumps. Brevis fell for 54 off 54 with six of South Africa’s 10 fours and all of their two sixes in the final innings.That was Noman’s 10th wicket of the match. Sajid, his spin-bowling partner, chipped in with one as well when he dismissed the other set batter, Ryan Rickelton, for 45 off 145 deliveries as Pakistan went to the break consolidating the upper hand they’ve had since the first day’s play.South Africa spent the best part of four days trying to claw back that advantage, and while they took Pakistan the distance, it was a task which proved just a bridge too far, even for the world champions.

Their own Wharton: Man Utd teen looks like he's "stepped out of La Masia"

This improving Manchester United side was given more than just a fresh lick of paint over the summer, with the signings of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, in particular, breathing new life into Ruben Amorim’s ranks.

That said, for all the delight over Mbeumo, following his return of six goals in his first 12 United games, a key problem still needs to be solved – central midfield.

Casemiro, to his credit, has silenced the doubters amid his recent resurgence, although the Brazilian’s inability to last the full 90, alongside the lack of an adequate replacement for him, is becoming a growing problem.

Of the 20 goals conceded across the Premier League and Carabao Cup, 15 of those have come when the 33-year-old was not on the pitch, with Manuel Ugarte’s diminishing status highlighted by reports that he received a dressing down from his former Sporting CP boss at Carrington late last season.

With the more attack-minded Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo the only other senior central midfielders in the first-team ranks, hopes of the Red Devils kicking on surely rest in that department being addressed in 2026 – be it in January or next summer.

Adam Wharton, rising star at Crystal Palace, remains a leading target to fill that void – but is he the only solution?

Latest on Man Utd's interest in Adam Wharton

The frustration surrounding United’s errant recruitment in recent years is perhaps best pinpointed in the case of Wharton, with respected journalist Andy Mitten having revealed that the Old Trafford side were offered the chance to sign the elegant left-footer from Blackburn Rovers, prior to his move to Selhurst Park.

Unfortunately, the powers that be didn’t appear to see the merit in prising a relatively unproven teenage talent from the Championship, with Wharton going on to join Palace for a fee of around £20m in the 2024 winter window.

That investment has paid off handsomely for the Eagles, with the 21-year-old now a central figure in a side that claimed FA Cup glory last term, resulting in claims that the south London club had placed a £100m plus price tag on his head over the summer.

Amid parallel interest in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, reports in the recent window did suggest that Amorim and INEOS were keen on potentially reviving their prior interest in the England international, although the £250m outlay on their four actual signings likely put paid to that transfer chase.

Now, with January looming, United could go back again for the in-demand talent, with reports last month indicating that they are keen to steal a march on Real Madrid by making a £60m offer for his services.

Wharton, in an interview with The Athletic’s David Ornstein, has addressed such speculation, wisely suggesting that he pays little attention to the rumours:

Whether he actually wants to join or not, a problem still remains with the price tag that Palace could demand. With that in mind, might an in-house solution be the best bet for United’s sake?

Man Utd's answer to Wharton at Carrington

In the darkest of days in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, each manager has found a shining light from the academy set-up, be it Adnan Januzaj under David Moyes, to Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo under Erik ten Hag.

Surprisingly, Amorim – who helped to kickstart the career of 17-year-old Geovany Quenda in Lisbon – has thus far refrained from dipping into the youth ranks too readily, with this season yet to see the new boy wonder emerge.

Chido Obi, for what it’s worth, did make eight appearances last term amid United’s centre-forward injury crisis, although the Danish teenager hasn’t been seen since, with promising full-back Harry Amass also allowed to go out on loan after making his senior debut at the back end of 2024/25.

Tyler Fredricson

vs Wolves

20/04/25

Harry Amass

vs Leicester

16/03/25

Chido Obi

vs Spurs

16/02/25

Toby Collyer

vs Liverpool

01/09/24

Ethan Wheatley

vs Sheff Utd

24/04/24

Omari Forson

vs Wolves

01/02/2024

*in Premier League only

The lack of European involvement has been a factor in Amorim’s decision to overlook the young crop, with little need to rotate his side right now – not least amid this five-game unbeaten run.

Central midfield is one area the Portuguese coach does need to quickly address, however, hence why turning to a figure like Jim Thwaites could prove to be a masterstroke.

Still only 17, the dynamic midfielder is of slight frame and stature, although he has certainly caught the eye at Carrington of late, with recent comparisons even being made to the likes of Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick.

Like Wharton, he isn’t an imposing physical specimen, yet Thwaites makes up for that with his eye-catching technical prowess, with analyst Ben Mattinson – now a scout for Serie A side Como – suggesting that he looks as if he’s “stepped out [of] La Masia”.

La Masia remains the birthplace of the best and brightest that Barcelona has to offer, from Xavi to Gavi, the Catalan outfit certainly know how to cultivate the next midfield star of the future.

Like those at Camp Nou – as well as Wharton – Thwaites has that ability to collect the ball from a deep-lying role in between the centre-backs, before either producing a progressive carry or pass to spring United into life.

Already this season, the rising star has scored twice and provided one assist from his ten U18 Premier League outings, as per Transfermarkt, a respectable haul considering he has operated as a number six in each of those appearances.

The Bolton-born maestro – who is set to turn 18 next month – is certainly not as far along in his development as Wharton, although amid the prospect of having to fork out over £100m for the latter man, INEOS could well do with starting to develop their own future superstars instead.

At a club renowned for its academy work in the past, United need to get things back on track again. Thwaites, while it’s still early days, might be the best place to start.

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Not Eze or Nwaneri: "World-class" Arsenal star is becoming the new Odegaard

There has been considerable discussion in recent weeks that the Premier League is now Arsenal’s to lose this season.

Now, while that might be true given Liverpool’s dire form and Manchester City’s unreliability, it also overlooks the problems the Gunners have had to deal with.

After all, while he’s got a much better squad this year, Mikel Arteta has had to deal with an absurd number of injuries and has been without club captain Martin Odegaard for most of the campaign.

Fortunately, one of his other star signings is stepping up and doing some of the things the Norwegian would do, and no, it’s not Eberechi Eze or Ethan Nwaneri.

Arsenal's solutions to Odegaard's injury

While losing your captain to injury after injury is never ideal, the one positive for Arsenal this season is that there have been and are multiple ways Arteta can address the problem of Odegaard being out.

For example, in recent league games, he has taken to playing Eze on the right-hand side of the midfield three, and while he’s clearly still getting used to the system and hasn’t hit the heights of last season, he has made an impact.

After all, it was his goal against his former side that earned the Gunners all three points on the weekend.

Wednesday night saw the manager start Nwaneri in that position, and once again, while it will take him time to really get up to speed, he opened the scoring with a lovely finish midway through the second half.

A less popular solution that was trialled several times earlier this year saw Mikel Merino come in for the Norwegian.

Yet, while it did work in some games, such as away to Athletic Bilbao, it somewhat stunted the team’s central creativity.

Finally, something that has not been tried yet this season, but could be if things become desperate, is to start Leandro Trossard in midfield, as his technical ability and two-footedness could see him do a job.

With that said, while several players could replace Odegaard at the moment, there is another who has started to emulate parts of his game this season.

The Arsenal star emulating Odegaard

When thinking of Arsenal players who could be described as emulating parts of Odegaard’s game this season, most will think of the aforementioned names like Eze and Nwaneri.

Chalkboard

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

However, there is another, far more surprising candidate who is now doing certain things the captain did last season: Declan Rice.

Yes, the all-action “world-class” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, who initially joined the club as a leading six, is now starting to do things on a pitch that the former Real Madrid wonderkid was doing in 24/25.

At least this is according to DataMB, which, through using the numbers and a radar chart, has noticed some significant overlap in a number of key metrics.

These statistics include things like key and progressive passes, forward passes and even progressive carries.

Now, this is not to say that the two players are one and the same, as there are also clear differences between them, such as the Englishman’s physicality and willingness to chase down and win back the ball.

However, this does show that the former West Ham United captain is far more offensively useful than perhaps he gets credit for, although his output over the last couple of years was already showing this.

Appearances

117

Starts

106

Minutes

9352′

Goals

17

Assists

24

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

228.09′

Moreover, it does also highlight that at his core, Odegaard isn’t a ten, but an out-and-out central midfielder who thrives in a system in which he can drop a little deeper at times to collect the ball.

Ultimately, losing the captain has been a setback for Arsenal.

However, Arteta can rest easier this season knowing he has options to replace him on the bench and that Rice has become far more dangerous going forward.

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