Marsh fails in rare Shield outing as Elliott bags five

Mitchell Marsh’s return to red-ball cricket has not gone to plan with the Ashes outsider failing for Western Australia against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.Marsh had been touted as a potential shock factor at the top of Australia’s order in the series against England. But his return to Shield ranks yielded only nine runs, batting at No.3 for WA on Thursday’s opening day at the MCG.WA struggled to 194 all out, with Sam Elliott taking 5 for 33, before ladder-leading Victoria reached 51 without loss at stumps.Marsh’s most recent Shield match was in October last year. And he hadn’t played a first-class game since being axed from the Test side after the Boxing Day win against India last year, when he scored four and a duck.Marsh’s surprise return to red-ball cricket came amid speculation Test selectors are toying with deploying the hard-hitting batter as an opener against England.But after Travis Head’s first Test heroics at the top of the order, Marsh’s prospects of adding to his 46 Tests appear slimmer.On Thursday, the 34-year-old struck two fours, including a trademark pull shot. But he was also troubled by the movement of Victorian quick Mitchell Perry, who had a couple of lbw shouts turned down against Marsh.Australia’s T20 captain lasted only 16 balls, launching at a full, wide delivery from Perry and edging to wicketkeeper Sam Harper.Allrounder Aaron Hardie top-scored with 53 from 73 balls and Cameron Bancroft was next best with 39, while Jayden Goodwin and Cameron Gannon chipped in.But the West Australians collectively folded late as Elliott crashed through the lower order after Perry captured the initial three wickets.Elliott, who also took a five-for against NSW last month, took five of the last six wickets to fall as WA lost 5 for 42.Victoria’s opening batters Blake Macdonald and Harry Dixon posted a half-century stand inside 13 overs.Eight points clear atop the table, Victoria are chasing a fifth win from six games against WA who have one win from five games.

Alex Marshall: Removing certain players from auction makes BPL 'much safer'

The independent head of BCB’s integrity unit said keeping some players out of the auction was “one of many actions” to “protect” the BPL

Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2025Alex Marshall, the independent head of BCB’s anti-corruption unit, wanted to keep some individuals away from the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as it would make the tournament “much safer” without them. On Saturday, the BCB had removed several players from the auction that took place on Sunday. The BCB integrity unit is carrying on investigations to look into previous editions of the BPL.Marshall’s statement was played ahead of the BPL auction’s broadcast. “In advance of BPL 12, I have provided advice to the (BPL) governing council about some people who should not be invited to this year’s event,” he said. “That’s just one of many actions that are being taken to protect this year’s BPL. And I just felt it would be much safer to keep some people away while investigations are completed and we look back over recent years.”Marshall and the BCB have, however, not officially named anyone as part of their reports. “I’ll say no more about any individuals because that would be wrong, and I will never discuss the details of a live investigation. That’s unfair to victims and witnesses, and it’s unfair to people who are suspects. My team will maintain confidentiality.”Shortly before the auction started, the BCB also announced that the country’s high court had rejected three writ petitions which challenged the board’s decision to exclude nine cricketers from the BPL auction.The board released an official statement that said: “Upon hearing the petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Cricket Board’s lawyer Barrister Mahin M Rahman, Advocate (Appellate Division), Supreme Court of Bangladesh, a Division Bench of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Mr Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi and Mr Justice Raziuddin Ahmed, vide an Order dated 30 November 2025, summarily rejected the said writ petitions. Accordingly, the auction of the BPL 12th Edition will proceed without the names of the nine players.”

Roy Keane lays into 'frightened' Man Utd and claims Red Devils 'weren't nasty enough' in West Ham draw

Roy Keane has accused Manchester United of being “frightened” when presented with Premier League challenges, with the Red Devils not “nasty enough” to grind out wins in games where collective standards are allowed to slip. That was the case in a home date with West Ham, as the Hammers were able to leave Old Trafford with a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

  • Two points dropped: Man Utd held by West Ham

    Ruben Amorim’s side looked to be in control of a meeting with relegation-threatened West Ham when Diogo Dalot fired them in front just before the hour mark – with the ball breaking kindly for the Portuguese defender inside the box as he registered his first Premier League goal on home soil.

    United were, however, unable to see the game out – with a lack of control costing them dear. Noussair Mazraoui produced a goal-line block to keep Jarrod Bowen out in the 83rd minute, but Soungoutou Magassa was on hand to slot in the rebound and snatch a priceless point for the visitors.

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    Keane delivers scathing assessment of Man Utd

    Ex-Red Devils captain Keane was scathing in his post-game assessment, with the Irishman less than impressed with the collective effort being put in by United – with too many players hiding when the going gets tough.

    Keane told : “After they get the goal, you are playing against a team in the bottom three, they take their foot off the gas. You're 1-0 up! Take nothing away from West Ham, and they just about deserved the equaliser. You are just putting yourself under pressure. Every time I watch this United team, they are disappointing. They aren't clinical, they weren't nasty enough to get the job done.

    “People will be scratching their heads. One minute they are making progress, win and you go fifth. There will be a lot of frustration. Show your quality. In their last three or four games, I think it has been desperate. Really poor. An opportunity to get the job done and they were almost frightened. We are talking about fifth here by the way. Same old problems.”

    Keane added on United’s lack of intensity, with Amorim contributing to that: “United are making substitutions, and he is entitled to do that, but I was watching people come off and it was like they had won the league! Show some intensity. It was all a bit, 'this is cool'. You cannot be cool when you're 1-0 up. Get the job done! United have better players than West Ham but this is not a good United team. It was too relaxed, get the job done!”

  • Amorim angry with performance against the Hammers

    Amorim told reporters when offering his take on a third stalemate for United in their last five games: “Frustrated, angry, that is it. After the first goal, we lost some second balls. We tried to defend all the time far from the goal. It happened long ball, they win the second ball against three guys of us so we need to be better in the second half. We are losing because of the second balls, sometimes it is not more men in front. We are really inconsistent but if you look at the goal, we have a long ball, we have everything under control, we need to do better. I always have the feeling that we have to score more goals and I'm sure about that.”

    He told : “We should have closed the game with the ball because the game was there to win. I think the overall performance was not perfect. We had our moments but we lost control in the game in some minutes in the first half and in the second half, especially after the goal. The game was clearly ours to win and we had an opportunity with Cunha to finish the game off. It is really frustrating because you look at the game, you have the game under control and we didn't win.”

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    Man Utd fixtures 2025-26: Rock-bottom Wolves next up

    United will face lowly opposition again when returning to Premier League action on Monday, with a trip to Molineux for a meeting with rock-bottom Wolves next on the agenda for Amorim’s troops.

Game off?! Serie A's plan to host AC Milan vs Como clash in Australia in doubt due to Asian Football Confederation's demands as historic match faces same fate as cancelled Barcelona vs Villarreal venture in Miami

The ambitious proposal by Lega Serie A to stage a historic league fixture between AC Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, appears to be on the verge of collapse. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reportedly raised significant objections regarding the authorisation process, leaving the plans for the overseas showdown in serious doubt.

AFPAustralia plan suddenly under threat

Serie A’s pioneering attempt to export competitive domestic football to international markets has hit a major roadblock. The fixture, initially slated for February 2026 at Optus Stadium in Perth, was designed to capitalise on AC Milan’s global popularity and the growing interest in Italian football in the Asia-Pacific region.

The move was necessitated by the unavailability of the San Siro during the Winter Olympics period, forcing the clubs to look for alternative venues. However, despite initial optimism from Lega Serie A and the clubs involved, the project is now hanging by a thread. According to reports from Italy, the AFC – of which Australia is a member – has imposed administrative blocks that have effectively stalled the process.

AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni said in an interview: "One of the ideas we pursued was to go to Australia to promote Italian football, not to make a financial deal that doesn't exist. I haven't given up on this issue yet, but there are so many authorisations to obtain that I'm starting to get worried. If it falls through, it would be a missed opportunity for Serie A, because our goal is to make Serie A attractive around the world. Serie A earns €200 million a year from international TV rights, the Premier League €2.2 billion, and La Liga €700-€800 million, which is explained by the fact that in recent years they've had two great players in Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The gap with the Premier League needs to be filled, but obviously there are many things to do, including new stadiums, because having beautiful, fully-filled stadiums is the foundation for achieving a certain level of television impact. I'm convinced that after San Siro, many other stadiums will be built in Italy."

AdvertisementThe San Siro problem

The driving force behind this venture was not purely commercial but logistical. With the 2026 Winter Olympics taking place in Milan and Cortina, the iconic San Siro is set to be repurposed for the opening ceremony. This renders the stadium unusable for football from February 6 until late in the month.

AC Milan vs Como was scheduled during this window, on the weekend of February 8. The unavailability of their home ground presented the Rossoneri with a unique dilemma: play at a neutral venue in Italy or attempt something ground-breaking. The club, alongside the league, opted for the latter, identifying Perth as the ideal location to showcase the "Made in Italy" brand.

Optus Stadium, a 60,000-seater venue in Western Australia, was selected to host the Lombardy derby. It was seen as a perfect marriage of necessity and opportunity, allowing Milan to engage their massive Australian fanbase while solving a fixture congestion issue.

Getty Images SportThe AFC's red light

However, the plan has encountered a formidable opponent in international football bureaucracy. While FIFA and UEFA were reportedly open to the idea on an exceptional basis given the Olympic constraints, the final hurdle lay with the host confederation.

Reports indicate that the AFC has withheld the necessary "green light" required to sanction an official European league match on its territory. The first major stumbling block is a reported ban on marketing the event as an official Serie A match. The AFC is allegedly insisting that the game cannot be promoted as a competitive league fixture in a way that might overshadow or conflict with the local A-League. This would effectively force the organisers to present a crucial Scudetto or relegation battle as if it were a pre-season friendly, severely damaging the commercial value of the event.

Even more problematic is the demand regarding officiating. The AFC has reportedly stipulated that the referee and their assistants must be from their organisation, rather than the Italian Referees Association (AIA). For a competitive Serie A match involving points that could decide the title or survival, forcing clubs to play under officials who do not operate within the Italian VAR protocols or interpretation guidelines is seen as a compromise on sporting integrity that neither Milan nor Como can accept.

With the Australian dream fading, the clubs are now scrambling for a domestic solution. The match may be delayed until later in February so that it can be played at San Siro as normal.

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Echoes of La Liga's Miami failure

The potential collapse of the Perth fixture mirrors the recent failure of La Liga’s own attempt to break the international barrier. Just months ago, the Spanish top flight was forced to abandon plans to stage the Barcelona vs Villarreal match in Miami, Florida.

That initiative, driven by La Liga and promoter Relevent Sports, fell apart due to "insufficient time" to organise the event amidst legal and bureaucratic uncertainty in Spain. Despite receiving similar "reluctant" approval from UEFA to explore the option, the opposition from players' unions, the Spanish FA (RFEF), and the sheer logistical complexity forced a cancellation.

In a statement at the time, La Liga expressed "deep regret" that the project could not go ahead, citing the "uncertainty that has arisen in Spain" as the primary reason for pulling the plug.

It seems Serie A is now learning the same hard lesson: while the desire to globalise European domestic leagues is strong among executives, the governance structures of world football remain a formidable defensive line that is difficult to breach.

Ryan McMahon Trade Grades: How Did Yankees, Rockies Fare?

In what was the worst kept secret heading into Major League Baseball's July 31 trade deadline, the New York Yankees needed help in the hot corner.

They got just that when they made a move for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon Friday afternoon. In return, the Rockies received two of the Yankees' pitching prospects: Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz.

The Yankees were interested Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez, the best bat on the trade market, but zeroed in on McMahon as a backup plan with many other teams interested in Suárez. Shortly before the McMahon deal was announced, MLB insider Jon Heyman of the reported that Suárez was the Yankees' top choice but there was a gap in talks with the D-Backs.

With the Yankees deciding to pull the trigger on McMahon with just under a week left before the deadline, how did they make out? And how about the last-place Rockies in this seller's market? Let's dive in.

New York Yankees

Ryan McMahon has spent his entire MLB career in Colorado thus far. / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Trade grade: B

With six players appearing at third base for New York over this season and current third baseman Oswald Peraza slashing a disappointing .147/.208/.237, the Yankees fill a much needed void with the addition with McMahon. He's no Suárez, but he brings an upgrade at third base for the 56-46 Yankees.

This season, he's slashing .217/.314/.403 through 100 games played with 76 hits, 16 home runs and 35 RBIs. A big knock on McMahon is his home/road splits this season, hitting much better at Coors Field. At home, he's slashing .248/.354/.491 with 11 homers and 22 RBIs compared to .189/.265/.324 with four homers and 13 RBIs on the road. Last season, though, his batting average was closer to even between home and road games, while he hit more long balls on the road (11) compared to at home (9). There should be some optimism for McMahon's home/road splits to not become drastic as he gets away from Coors Field. Plus, he gets the advantage of playing his home games in the left-handed hitter friendly Yankee Stadium.

In the field, the Yankees have committed 16 errors at third base this season, which trails only the Los Angeles Angels (18) for the most across the league. McMahon has made six errors at third base this year, which is a top-10 mark for the position. Last season, he made 15 errors which is some cause for concern, but hopefully the consistency in the hot corner helps fill the Yankees' need heading down the stretch.

It's also important to note that Suárez, 34, will become a free agent after this season. After this year, McMahon has two more years at $16 million apiece left on his deal, giving the Yankees a controllable asset that fills a void without giving up the farm for a rental in Suárez.

Colorado Rockies

Former LSU pitcher Griffin Herring was moved to the Rockies in the McMahon trade. / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Trade grade: B-

Colorado gets New York's No. 8 prospect in Herring and No. 21 prospect in Grosz by sending McMahon out. The move bolsters their No. 18 ranked farm system as Herring immediately slides into their top-five prospects list per MLB Pipeline. He's now their top left-handed pitching prospect and second-ranked pitching prospect overall, behind only righthander Brody Brecht. Herring pitched for LSU in college before the Yankees drafted him in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB draft. Grosz becomes Colorado's No. 18 prospect. He was drafted in the 11th round of the '23 draft.

It's not a massive haul for the Rockies by any means, but they get two long-term prospects for McMahon who they had no reason to keep in the midst of another brutal season. Herring even has the potential to become a contributor to Colorado's staff, whether as a starter or reliever, sooner rather than later. This season with New York's high and low Single A clubs, he has a 1.71 ERA with 102 strikeouts and a 7-3 record over 16 starts.

Michael Kay Didn’t Hold Back After Yankees Shut Out for Third Straight Game

The New York Yankees are currently going through it.

On Tuesday, the Yankees were shut out for the third straight game, this time falling to the Los Angeles Angels 4–0. The Yankees managed just four hits on the night, with the offense looking as stagnant as it ever has during this recent slump.

It’s just the seventh time in the history of the franchise that the Yankees have been shut out for three straight games, and their scoreless streak is now at 29 innings strong.

As the Angels recorded the final out of the game, broadcaster Michael Kay summed up the poor state of the New York offense with disappointment in his voice.

“29 straight scoreless innings,” Kay said. “When you see a lineup with this type of talent base, it’s almost incomprehensible that they’ve been shut down to this extent.”

The Yankees will try to finally get their bats going with one more game against the Angels on Wednesday night.

Gill and Abhishek begin new chapter in old bromance

They’ve been the best of friends since Under-14 level. Now they’re set to rejoin forces at the top of the order in T20Is

Shashank Kishore09-Sep-2025Batting in adjacent nets on the centre pitches of the ICC Academy in Dubai on Saturday, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma took turns admiring each other’s strokes. On an occasion, Abhishek wasn’t entirely happy with the sound of bat on ball. He picked up one of Gill’s bats and began easing himself into his shots again.For the rest of the session, Abhishek was all power and connection and Gill poetic timing, until the coaches signalled the last set. Gill then began playing inventive strokes – reverse sweep, ramp, scoop. Abhishek, who by then had already finished his net, waited for Gill, and they walked off together, smiles on their faces.Last year in Zimbabwe, when Gill was T20I captain and Abhishek had earned a maiden India call-up on the back of a stunning IPL season, the two realised their dream of opening together for India. But that was a second-string side. The Asia Cup in the UAE could be even more special for Gill and Abhishek, because they are set to open for the first time for a full-strength India side that’s preparing for a T20 World Cup defence early next year.Related

Grassy Dubai pitch leaves India with tricky selection calls against UAE

UAE look to script upset of the year against T20 world champions India

Ind vs Pak: Suryakumar, Agha okay with aggression 'as long as it stays on the field'

The pair’s story goes back over a decade, to the Under-14s camp in Punjab where they first met. From there to the Under-16s and Under-19s, through state-level cricket and the India age-group sides, their journeys have been intertwined.On tours, Gill and Abhishek would often be room-mates, a ritual that continued through much of their age-group days. At some point, they had to be separated only because the coaches wanted them to mingle with the other players in the group.Shivam Mavi, who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning class of 2018, recalls, “It was always Gill and Abhishek. Whether during team outings, team activities, or lunches and dinners, the two were always together.”Once, Gill and Abhishek along with Mavi’s new-ball partner Kamlesh Nagarkoti planned a birthday surprise for coach Rahul Dravid during that campaign. “They said, ‘let’s do a cake smash on Rahul sir’s face’. And they actually did it,” Mavi laughs.During India’s quarter-final against Bangladesh in Queenstown, tensions ran high. There was some history: Bangladesh had beaten India in a tense warm-up game. Words had been exchanged, to the extent that the umpires had to intervene.In the IPL, Abhishek and Gill are the best of frenemies•AFP/Getty Images”Before our quarter-final, Gill and Abhishek said, ‘we’ll give it back to them’,” Mavi says. They instructed Ishan Porel and Riyan Parag, the team’s Bengali speakers, to be at their chirpiest. “Then our two Punjabi boys would chip in from time to time.”Mavi’s recollections move to the semi-final against Pakistan. “Shaheen Afridi and Co were sledging Gill, saying, ‘our bowling attack is not Bangladesh”. Gill, batting at No. 3, went on to score a century that he celebrated aggressively, with pointed gestures. “Abhishek replied, ‘our batting is not like Pakistan either’.”India went on to beat Australia and win that Under-19 World Cup, and the paths of Gill and Abhishek soon diverged. Gill made his India debut a year later while also establishing himself in the IPL, initially with Kolkata Knight Riders. Abhishek navigated the challenges of proving himself in domestic cricket, unsure whether he was a top-order batter or a finisher.During the Covid-19 pandemic, the two were back together. The man who brought them under one roof, so to say, along with a number of other Punjab players was Yuvraj Singh. This time, there was no space for jokes or banter. Yuvraj was the boss, and Gill and Abhishek had to listen to every single thing he told them. Among his diktats: no phones at night, no parties, regimented sleep-and-wake-up schedules.To ensure the players stuck to their routines, Yuvraj boarded them at his residence for a month, and sought special permissions for training at a time when lockdown rules were strict. Both Abhishek and Gill remember this time fondly, and credit it for toughening them up.A blockbuster maiden tour of England as Test captain has turned Gill into Indian cricket’s all-format poster boy•Getty ImagesToday, Gill is Indian cricket’s all-format poster boy and the darling of brands. A bumper maiden Test tour as captain in England, where he peeled off runs with the consistency of his teenage days, has already thrust him into the conversation for ODI captaincy whenever the selectors look to the future. He’s also the T20I vice-captain now.Gill brings with him a body of work and a transformed game that took shape in 2023 at Gujarat Titans, when he lit up the IPL with a chart-topping 890 runs at a strike rate of 157.80, including three centuries. The most improved aspect of Gill’s game was his six-hitting – he hit 33 of them, the third-highest of all batters that season.It was because Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were locked in as openers that Gill was only picked as a non-travelling reserve for the 2024 T20 World Cup. It has been more than a year since he last played T20Is, but his recent T20 form is compelling: 650 runs at a strike rate of 155.87 in IPL 2025. He reclaims his spot at a time when his T20 stocks are at an all-time high.Abhishek’s journey has been less straightforward. He wasn’t an instant IPL sensation, and for a while he floated between roles: middle-order batter, occasional finisher, part-time spinner. Then came the realisation: his game was built to take bowlers on from the very first ball.

Having converged and diverged so many times over so many years, the journeys of Gill and Abhishek are running together once again, with a stretch of smooth road between now and next year’s T20 World Cup

Days spent training under Yuvraj during lockdowns in Chandigarh reshaped his approach. Yuvraj made him train on marble slabs so the ball would skid, asked the curator in Mullanpur to prepare raging turners to force Abhishek to sharpen his bat speed and footwork. It was bootcamp-style training, and it unlocked something within him.Abhishek emerged a different player. He was physically stronger, more fearless, and not afraid of losing his wicket in the pursuit of risk-taking. Shades of this transformation were visible as far back as in 2022, when he was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s leading run-getter with 320 runs at a strike rate of 133.12. But just when it looked like he had begun to make a mark, 2023 brought a new set of challenges – Abhishek found himself shunted up and down the order.The change in leadership at the franchise in 2024 was a turning point. Out went Brian Lara as coach and Aiden Markram as captain, and in came Daniel Vettori and Pat Cummins in those positions. Impressed by his hitting, they returned him to the top of the order, this time alongside Travis Head. The returns have been spectacular. The last two IPL seasons have brought Abhishek 923 runs at a strike rate of 198.92. No batter in the tournament with a cut-off of 500 runs has scored quicker.An extraordinary willingness to take risks has brought Abhishek extraordinary T20 numbers over the last two years•Associated Press”I stopped worrying about getting out,” Abhishek said in post-match chat last year, and it’s been clear to see whenever he has batted. With a settled role and the license to attack, he has become a destroyer of all kinds of bowling, with especially frightening numbers against spin. In all T20s since the start of 2024, Abhishek has a strike rate of 232.12 against spin. For context, Glenn Maxwell, who sits in second place among those with at least 500 runs against spin in this period (where ball-by-ball data is available), has gone at 173.31.The transition into T20Is has been smooth too: Abhishek’s strike rate of 193.84 is the best of all batters with at least 500 runs since his debut. He got his run in the India side at a time when the senior players were being rested, and now, when India have turned their full attention to T20Is with a World Cup imminent, he’s still there, keeping a batter as good as Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the squad.The moment Abhishek switched to Gill’s bat at training was a poignant one: it was with one of Gill’s bats in Harare that Abhishek had scored his first T20I hundred, in only his second match.Having converged and diverged so many times over so many years, the journeys of Gill and Abhishek are running together again, with a stretch of smooth road between now and next year’s T20 World Cup. If they click together like they did at the nets, or like they did as teenagers, there’s no telling how dangerous this partnership could be.

Leeds can ease Okafor injury blow by playing "one of the best" in new role

Leeds United are back in action for the first time in two weeks this afternoon as they travel to Turf Moor to take on fellow newly-promoted side Burnley.

This is the club’s first meeting with one of the other two teams that came up with them from the Championship, and it is a chance to show that they have adapted better to the top-flight.

Daniel Farke’s side have twice as many points as Burnley, with eight points on the board, after seven matches in the division, which shows that the Whites have had a better start to the campaign.

Turf Moor is not an easy place to go to, though, as the Clarets have only lost once and conceded two goals in three home games in the Premier League this season.

25/26 Premier League

Leeds

Burnley

Points

8

4

Wins

2

1

xG

7.6

4.9

xGA

7.9

13.4

Goals conceded

11

15

xGD per 90

-0.04

-1.12

Stats via FBref

The statistics in the table above suggest that Leeds should, though, be the favourites to claim all three points this afternoon, as they have offered more offensively and defensively as a team in the top-flight than Burnley so far.

However, some of the injury issues that Farke is currently having to deal with at Thorp Arch may lessen his side’s chances of putting another win on the board.

The latest Leeds team and injury news

The Leeds head coach has confirmed that goalkeeper Lucas Perri is back in training, but he will not start against Burnley ahead of Karl Darlow because he has only just returned to action and needs one or two weeks to settle back in.

There was less positive news on the winger front. Farke said: “Willy Gnonto won’t be available for this game because his calf problems are sorted, but sadly, he had to use the international break for a little minor hernia surgery. So not a major thing, but he needs to do this.

“He’ll be just back in team training next week, so I expect him then to have him available, perhaps only for the next home game, but definitely not for this away trip.”

Farke added that Dan James has returned to training earlier than expected, but the Wales international will not be in the starting XI against Burnley.

The Leeds boss said: “He’s definitely not in contention for the starting line-up, but due to the fact that we have lots of load and also a few problems in training, or Okafor is also struggling a little bit with some adductor problems, he could be perhaps even in contention to be picked for the squad.”

Noah Okafor, who joined from AC Milan for £18m, “struggling” with an adductor problem is a cause for concern for Farke and Leeds, because he is the team’s top scorer with two goals in the Premier League this season.

Given that Gnonto is out and James is unavailable to start, it would be a blow for the £72.5k-per-week star to miss out on the match through injury, or if he is not fit enough to play from the start.

This means that Farke may have to get creative with his team selection due to the dearth of natural wingers available to him if Gnonto, James, and Okafor cannot start on the left flank.

Chalkboard

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

One potential option for the German head coach to explore is the possibility of playing Gabriel Gudmundsson in a new role on the left wing, with James Justin coming into the side at left-back.

Why Leeds should unleash Gabriel Gudmundsson in a new role

All seven of the Sweden international’s appearances for Leeds in the Premier League this season have been at left-back, but he has played on the wing at previous clubs.

Per Transfermarkt, Gudmundsson has played 70 club matches as a left midfielder and 24 games as a left winger, scoring 12 goals and providing ten assists in those two positions combined. This shows that he is comfortable playing further forward as an attacking threat.

TEAMtalk editor James Marshment claimed that the Swedish star has been “up there with the best LBs in the PL so far this season”, but the concern over Okafor’s injury may force him to play higher up the pitch.

Gudmundsson could offer natural width down the left flank as a winger, with James Justin behind him, as he is a left-back who naturally wants to bomb forward and put crosses into the box.

In fact, his statistics in the Premier League so far this season for the West Yorkshire outfit suggest that he has attributes that could allow him to thrive in a more advanced position in the team.

25/26 Premier League

Gabriel Gudmundsson

Percentile rank vs FBs

xG

0.17

Top 29%

xA

0.38

Top 39%

Chances created

4

Top 36%

Successful crosses

5

Top 23%

Successful crosses

6

Top 16%

Touches

419

Top 18%

Touches in the opposition’s box

12

Top 18%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Gudmundsson excels among full-backs in the top-flight in a host of attacking metrics, which suggests that he may be effective as a winger, getting more of the ball in the final third.

The left-footed star predominantly played as a full-back for Lille in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 season, before his move to Leeds, but his goal in the clip below shows that he does have the potential to provide a threat in the box from a left wing position, arriving at the back post to score.

Therefore, playing the Sweden international in a new role could ease the possible Okafor blow that the Whites could be dealt if his adductor issue means that he cannot start against Burnley.

It would also provide summer signing Justin, who has made three appearances off the bench in the Premier League so far this season, with an opportunity to start at left-back and show Farke that he deserves more minutes on the pitch.

Their answer to Saka: Leeds now have "one of England's best prospects"

Leeds United have a teen star in their academy who could emerge as their own Bukayo Saka-type player.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 15, 2025

It is now down to the manager to get creative by unleashing Gudmundsson in a new role if he is without Okafor, James, and Gnonto from the start this afternoon.

Justin Verlander Finally Wins First Game With Giants After 16 Tries

When San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander was coming up, the pitching win was still an object of romance.

Verlander won 17 games in 2006, and those wins bought him an American League Rookie of the Year award. He lost 17 in 2008 to lead MLB in a lost season, and then won 24 in 2011—one of the great individual campaigns of this century.

In the present day, the pitching win is a rustic statistic mostly useful for trivia—science having long since provided more effective means of player evaluation. The fact that Verlander started his first 16 games in '25 without winning, however, vexed the baseball world anyway.

On Wednesday, he finally entered the win column, with the Giants besting the Atlanta Braves 9–3 to capture the 263rd win of his career.

Verlander was shaky, but the three-time Cy Young winner was still in there somewhere. He ended his outing with a hit, five walks and three strikeouts in five shutout innings to move to 1-8 on the season.

The surefire future Hall of Famer is MLB's active wins leader, and is two victories shy of cracking the top 40 in history.

Raphael Veiga brilha mais uma vez em clássicos e iguala marca histórica de Dudu no Palmeiras

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras empatou por 1 a 1 diante do São Paulo em clássico pra lá de polêmico no Morumbis na noite deste último domingo (3), em jogo válido pela penúltima rodada da fase de grupos do Paulistão.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Autor do gol alviverde na partida, o meia Raphael Veiga chegou ao quinto gol em 2024 e de quebra alcançou duas marcas importantes na sua vitoriosa carreira no Maior Campeão do Brasil.

Com o gol de pênalti no Morumbis, Veiga chegou ao seu gol de número 100 na carreira e de quebra igualou Dudu com 88 gols com a camisa alviverde e agora também é o maior artilheiro do Verdão neste Século XXI.

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Com o Baixola machucado, Raphael Veiga tem tudo para ultrapassar a histórica marca do camisa 7 e se tornar o maior artilheiro do clube desde 2001, de maneira isolada.

Veiga também chegou ao seu gol de número 16 em clássicos e o seu sexto em cima do São Paulo, rival que ele mais vezes castigou na carreira. Ele também é o atleta com mais gols em cima do rival do Morumbi neste século alviverde e só fica atrás de Servílio (7 gols), Ademir da Guia (8 gols) e Evair (9 gols) na artilharia alviverde na história em cima do São Paulo.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Apesar das expressivas marcas, Veiga não tem feito jogos tão brilhantes e com dois gols de pênaltis nos últimos três jogos, vem sendo criticado por alguns palmeirenses nas redes sociais, que cobram mais participação do meia nas jogadas ofensivas do Verdão.

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