All posts by h716a5.icu

The allrounder is peeved at the West Indies selection panel for sending out mixed signals on the matter

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2018Dwayne Bravo has hit back at Cricket West Indies (CWI) for building a perception that he isn’t interested in playing one-day internationals. The 34-year old allrounder hasn’t played one in nearly four years, but he insists that such a situation arose because of a lack of clarity from the selectors regarding his role in the team as opposed to his not wanting to play ODIs.In addition, Bravo has also called out the chairman of the panel Courtney Browne for purporting that the two of them had been in contact with each other.While announcing West Indies’ squad for the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers, Browne was quoted in a CWI release saying, “Dwayne Bravo was not contacted as he had indicated previously that he is no longer available to play cricket for the West Indies.”Bravo, however, was firm that he has never expressed any desire to end his West Indies career; at least not to CWI or the team management. “Let me make it clear that I have never had any conversation in last six months with the chairman or anyone from board about any West Indies cricket,” he told . “The only time we spoke about cricket was during the T20 series in Dubai 2016 when he said I was poison to West indies cricket and bad influence on young players, ridiculously.”What I said recently in an interview with a journalist in the Bangladesh Premier League was that, however, I don’t see myself playing 50-overs cricket again, despite my interest, because of the lack of communication from the board. So I would challenge the chairman to say otherwise.”A similar situation arose last year when West Indies were deliberating on a squad to play England. In August 2017, Browne had ruled out the possibility of Bravo’s inclusion, despite the board offering to relax the rules and pick even those players who didn’t take part in the one-day domestic tournament, on fitness grounds but that he may be considered for a spot in the future.”The person who actually spoke to me was captain Jason Holder, during Caribbean Premier League,” Bravo said, “And it was him I told that after just coming back from my 2017 Big Bash League injury my body wasn’t ready to play one-day cricket in England, but when I’m stronger I would consider playing one-day cricket in 2018.”Bravo last represented West Indies in September 2016 but remains a popular figure in T20 franchise cricket. He is currently in Australia, with the Melbourne Renegades, who have made it to the playoffs of the Big Bash League. On Saturday, he was bought by Chennai Super Kings to play the IPL for USD 1 million approx.”What I would like the Caribbean people to be aware of is that since India 2014 saga [when West Indies left the country midway through the tour over a contract dispute with the board] I never said much about West Indies cricket, because I am living my life stress free, enjoying my cricket around the world,” Bravo said. “Yet my name is still being called up in West Indies cricket controversy.”While the CWI signed a temporary truce with their cricketers last year, and have now instituted white-ball contracts, the board made it clear that playing the domestic one-day tournament was still a requirement. Last week, the CEO Johnny Grave told ESPNcricnfo that Andre Ruseell, Sunil Narine and Chris Gayle would play some matches in the this year’s Super50 season. These players, Grave said, would then be available for ODI selection in the future, based on form and fitness.It is not clear whether Bravo and the selectors have had any conversations about him featuring in domestic cricket again. He hasn’t played a List A match since January 2015, and even as a one-day international player, he averaged a middling 25 with the bat but did markedly better with ball in hand, as 199 wickets at 29 apiece suggests.”I was dropped from the Test team at age of 26, in 2010, before I retired in 2015 after being fed up of asking the selectors when I’d play again,” Bravo said. “I was dropped from the one-day team before the 2015 World Cup. I have never turned my back on West Indies cricket, it is them who have turned their back on me.”

With the summer transfer window having come and gone, Tottenham Hotspur can now turn their full attention toward maintaining what has been a largely positive start to life under new boss Ange Postecoglou so far this season, with a trip to face Burnley to come later today.

Despite slipping up on the opening weekend after playing out a 2-2 draw away to Brentford, impressive wins over both Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth in recent weeks have helped to propel the Lilywhites into the mix at the summit, with there little sign as yet that the club are suffering following the loss of former talisman Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.

Having raked in a sizeable £100m fee for the England skipper – who had just a year left to run on his deal at N17 – last month, the north London outfit reinvested a fair chunk of those funds late on deadline day, having forked out £45m in order to snap up Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest.

While the versatile asset – who can feature all across the front line – is unlikely to be viewed as a direct replacement for Kane in attack, the hope will be that the 22-year-old can go somewhat help to carry the goalscoring burden over the coming years.

Can Brennan Johnson play against Burnley?

Despite having sold the aforementioned Kane in the early weeks of August, it took until the last knockings of deadline day for chairman Daniel Levy to finally use that wealth of cash to acquire Johnson, with the lateness of the deal ensuring that the Wales international is set to be restricted to a watching brief at Turf Moor this afternoon.

That ensures that Spurs supporters will be forced to wait to see their new man in action, while another first-team figure who is also not set to be involved against the Clarets is Argentine playmaker, Giovani Lo Celso, with the 27-year-old having sustained "a quad strain" during the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Fulham – as per Postecoglou.

As per BBC Sport, the expectation is that Brazilian enigma, Richarlison, will be fit to feature despite having sustained an ankle injury against the Cottagers, with that outing having seen the former Everton man get off the mark for the new season with a well-taken header.

Despite that much-needed goal for the 26-year-old – which ultimately proved in vain as Postecoglou's men crashed out on penalties – there is an argument to be made that the Brazilian should still find himself ditched from the starting XI today, having hardly proven that he is worthy of being the man to lead the line in Kane's absence.

Will Richarlison start today?

After finally getting himself on the scoresheet this season after nodding past Marek Rodak at Craven Cottage, the £90k-per-week marksman will likely be chomping at the bit to try and kick on from that effort by continuing to fire against Vincent Kompany and co this afternoon.

That being said, however, the return to Premier League action will see the hot-headed striker involved in a competition in which he has distinctly underwhelmed since making the move to the capital on a £60m deal last year, having bagged just a solitary top-flight goal in that time.

After previously netting ten league goals during the 2021/22 campaign to help fire his former employers away from danger, things just simply haven't worked in his new surroundings to date, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor previously indicating that the mercurial talent needs to "wake up", or else could quickly find himself on the scrapheap.

Despite now being the only out-and-out senior striker at the club – aside from teenage arrival, Alejo Veliz – that's not to suggest that Richarlison should simply keep his place in the side by default, with it still somewhat of a head-scratching decision for Levy not to have acquired a potential competitor to the one-time Watford man through the middle.

As could be the case today, and moving forward, there is a chance that long-serving sensation, Heung-min Son could be tasked with leading the line instead, with respected journalist Alasdair Gold having stated as such after reflecting on what he described as a "strange window" for the club:

"No new number nine and I still think Son will end up filling that role in a different but effective way."

That view is a rather damning assessment of Richarlison's woes as Postecoglou could be set to consider a far more unorthodox option – like Son – to be his first-choice pick at centre-forward, despite the South Korean star having typically done much of his damage over the years from the left flank.

It could be the case that a figure such as Manor Solomon is utilised in that wide berth instead, ensuring Richarlison may find himself watching on from the bench both against the newly-promoted Clarets, and beyond.

How has Richarlison performed this season?

There may be those questioning the wisdom of dropping a player who has only recently got a much-needed goal, although as Postecoglou himself admitted, the one-time Fluminense hotshot did not produce a particularly standout all-round display, with the experienced tactician having stated:

"I actually think that he’s played better in the other games."

That's not to suggest that the striker was particularly impressive in his prior outings, however, with 90min's Ewan Ross-Murray noting that Richarlison looks 'devoid of any confidence' after he squandered 'several chances' against the Cherries last week.

A player with "no standout attributes" – according to Agbonlahor – the 6 foot hitman lost possession 11 times from just 29 touches against the south coast side and won just four of his 12 total duels, with those woes seeing him a record a lowly 6.3 match rating, as per Sofascore, by far the worst record of any of his starting teammates.

Even in the victory over Man United the misfiring asset was again something of a liability having lost the ball 15 times from only 28 touches, while also winning just one of 12 total duels on that occasion, having 'struggled to make inroads', according to the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick.

Although his midweek strike could be the catalyst to help reverse those fortunes, the evidence points to a player who is hardly offering much to Postecoglou at present, be it offensively or defensively, hence why a rather ruthless change could lie in store when the teams are announced in the near future.

The openers added 175 to steer the hosts through a breezy chase after a four-wicket haul from Leigh Kasperek had helped them bowl West Indies out for 194

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2018IDI/Getty ImagesA 175-run opening partnership between Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine gave New Zealand women an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against West Indies women in Lincoln. Chasing 195, New Zealand romped home with eight wickets in hand and 19.2 overs to spare, with Bates remaining unbeaten on an 86-ball 101, with 13 fours. Afy Fletcher dismissed Devine for 80 (91b, 6×4) and followed up with the wicket of Amy Satterthwaite in her next over, but by then West Indies’ fate had been all but sealed.West Indies had run New Zealand neck-and-neck in a pulsating first ODI, but here their batting failed them. Sent in to bat, they got to a solid 95 for 2, courtesy a third-wicket stand of 54 between Stafanie Taylor and Chedean Nation. But the wicket of Nation in the 25th over sent them sliding, with the offspinner Leigh Kasperek running through their middle order to finish with figures of 4 for 44. Taylor battled on before she was last out for 86 (112b, 4×4, 1×6), but had little support from the middle and lower order, as West Indies lost their last eight wickets for 99 runs. Lea Tahuhu took three wickets, including those of Taylor and Nation.

With the summer transfer window coming to a close less than two weeks ago, it seems that Chelsea are already preparing for what moves to make come January.

The Blues have been known to flex their financial muscles ever since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003.

However, current owner Todd Boehly has taken things to a whole other level – despite only owning the club for a little over a year, the American businessman has overseen the expenditure of over £1billion on transfers.

Yet, with all the money being spent, many have been left baffled by the lack of firepower upfront the club currently possesses.

Nicolas Jackson is currently leading the line for the west Londoners.

The 22-year-old joined from Villarreal for £32m, but has only scored once so far this season, with fellow recent signing Christopher Nkunku currently injured, it seems apparent that more is needed centrally in order to progress under Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea currently sit 12th in the Premier League with just four points after a disappointing start to the season – this has further emphasised the club's need for more potency in front of goal.

However, it seems that the Argentine boss may have found his ideal man to get the goals flowing once again at Stamford Bridge.

Who are Chelsea targeting in January?

According to reports from GiveMeSport, it seems that Chelsea have identified an Englishman as one of their primary attacking targets, with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins being high on Pochettino's wish list.

The former Brentford striker is currently valued at around £35m, according to FootballTransfers, and has less than 2 years left on his £75k-per-week contract.

It was reported in May that Villa had opened talks with the 27-year-old over a new contract.

Villa boss Unai Emery sees him as a vital part of his plans moving forward with the club.

However, it is likely that Chelsea feel confident in their ability to sway Watkins away from his current club.

The Blues are riding a wave of confidence having managed to convince the likes of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to join the club despite there being strong interest elsewhere.

Why do Chelsea want to sign Ollie Watkins?

Having played in the Premier League since 2020, Watkins has proven he has what it takes to find the net in England's top-flight. This is something none of Chelsea's current strikers have done.

Although the 5 foot 11 focal point has not bagged in the league yet this season, he is coming off the back of his most prolific campaign yet.

Watkins managed 21 goal contributions (15 goals and 6 assists) in 37 league games last season, making it his most productive season in top-tier football of his entire career.

2020/21

37

14 & 5

2021/22

35

11 & 2

2022/23

37

15 & 6

2023/24*

4

0 & 2

*At the time of writing [11th September 2023]

His performances have earned Watkins widespread praise, with former England international Dean Ashton labelling the forward as being "just fantastic" last season.

The "unstoppable" goal machine – as hailed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher on social media – has also been able to make the step up to international football too, scoring twice in his seven appearances for the Three Lions.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea pull the trigger on Watkins, but you would imagine if they do, they might find the answer to their lack of end product.

Last year in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh enjoyed, perhaps, their best-ever away tour. Fast forward to the return series in 2018 and the tables have turned, across formats. Can the hosts halt Sri Lanka’s charge?

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Feb-2018Big PictureLast year, playing in Sri Lanka, there had been nothing to separate these teams. The Tests, ODIs and T20Is were all shared 1-1, and Bangladesh left Sri Lanka having perhaps enjoyed their best-ever away tour. Now, disappointingly for the hosts, they have not been able to capitalise on the gains they had made on Sri Lanka in 2017. Sri Lanka won the tri-nation series after a wobbly start, dominated the Test series, and arrive at the T20Is now in sight of a sweep.Whether they will be able to convert the confidence gained on tour into victory in the ficklest format is anyone’s guess. Sri Lanka have been woeful in T20Is over the past 10 months, losing each of their eight most recent encounters, often by substantial margins. With Lasith Malinga now out of the picture – at least temporarily – they are yet to find a bowler who might capably manage the death overs. The top order has not been setting the world alight either.Bangladesh’s own T20 form is difficult to gauge. Since last April, they have only played two matches in the format, losing both games in South Africa. They will hope, for the sake of saving face in this tour, that the uncapped youngsters that have flooded this T20I squad can carry their BPL form into international cricket. The hosts remain without captain and marquee player Shakib Al Hasan, however. In each of last year’s victories over Sri Lanka, Shakib had played a vital role.Form guideBangladesh LLWLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLIn the spotlightIt is not that Mustafizur Rahman has become less effective, exactly – more that opposition sides are now better prepared for the unique challenges he presents. On this tour Sri Lanka haven’t quite played him with confidence, but have mustered enough competence against him to prevent the left-arm pacer from making a match-winning impact. In T20Is, however, the opposition may not be able to see Mustafizur’s overs out as they have in other formats. The last time these teams played, Mustafizur took 4 for 21 and bowled his team to victory in Colombo. Playing a T20I at home for the first time in almost two years, Mustafizur has the potential to ravage the opposition again.The last time Dinesh Chandimal captained the T20I side in Bangladesh, things went poorly for him. Unable to justify his place in the XI on performance, Chandimal was removed as captain midway through the 2014 World T20, and was left out of the side. His leadership has grown over the past few months, with series wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh, but questions remain over his ability to bat aggressively enough in the shortest format. Across 42 innings, his strike rate has only been 103.29.Team newsBangladesh are ravaged by injuries, with Tamim Iqbal (bicep) and Mushfiqur Rahim (wrist) having picked up niggles to add to Shakib’s finger injury. In any case, they have to make five changes to the XI that played in their most recent T20I in October.If Tamim is fit, he will open with Soumya Sarkar. Among the newcomers, Afif Hossain, Ariful Haque and either one of Nazmul Islam or Mahedi Hasan are likely to make their debuts.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal/Mohammad Mithun, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Afif Hossain, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Sabbir Rahman, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Ariful Haque, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mahedi Hasan/Nazmul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Rubel HossainA late injury to Asela Gunaratne, who landed awkwardly on his arm during a fielding training, has ruled him out of the series. This means Kusal Mendis – originally sent as a replacement for the injured Kusal Perera – could come into the side. SOn the fast-bowling front, they are likely to field at least one of Shehan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando – both uncapped in this format. It is also unclear who might partner Akila Dananjaya in the spin attack – perhaps Amila Aponso, the left-arm spinner.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Isuru Udana, 10. Amila Aponso, 11 Shehan MadushankaPitch and conditionsThe pitch in Mirpur is likely to be slow but still good for batting. The weather in Dhaka has quickly warmed up, with temperatures set to be in the mid 20-degrees range. No rain is forecast.Stats and trivia Chandimal has maintained a strike-rate below 100 in 20 of his 42 T20I innings. These are generally his lower scores, which suggests he has trouble getting started in a T20 knock. Perhaps Mustafizur’s most-impressive T20 stat is his economy rate of 6.16 after 17 innings. At home, that rate goes further down to 5.61. Although Sri Lanka have the longer losing streak heading into this match, Bangladesh’s T20 record since the 2016 World T20 has also been awful. They have lost 10 of their 11 most-recent games.Quotes”I am excited with the new faces in the team. If we can think on our feet, in terms of our tactics, we can do well in this game.”
“We have done well so far, in the one-day tournament and the Test series also. We have confidence. We’ve got good momentum. We want to carry that forward.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou could never use an "excellent" Spurs player again after a training incident this week.

Arsenal vs Tottenham

The Lilywhites are now gearing up for a crunch Premier League battle with north London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Postecolgou's side enter the contest on a serious hot streak of form; having reigned victorious in four out of their last four top flight matches with wins over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley and Sheffield United. Only Brighton and Man City have scored more top flight goals than Spurs have so far this campaign; with supporters watching a completely new-look Tottenham side take the league by storm.

Tottenham are yet to lose a single match and there is seemingly no better time to be heading into one of their biggest games of the season. Postecoglou, speaking to the media after his side's dramatic win over Sheffield United last weekend, urged fans not to temper their expectations and to simply enjoy the ride.

"No, no, no, let them go, let them go and enjoy it," said Postecoglou after their victory over the Blades. My role is not to burst people's bubbles. Let them get excited, let them get ahead of themselves. That's the beauty of being a supporter.

"They go through enough pain mate, you want to let them enjoy it. If they think we're going to be world beaters then great, that's up to us to match that expectation. Our supporters deserve to have some happiness and enjoy it any way they want to."

Mikel Arteta's side are on a similar run of form but have had to dig deep for a lot of their results, especially their wins over Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Everton.

Tottenham team news

Spurs will be without the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil, who are all sidelined after various surgeries on long term injuries.

Young goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman is in the same boat, but perhaps the biggest loss is versatile winger Ivan Perisic, who suffered a complex ACL injury in training this week and is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Following the incident, journalist Dan Kilpatrick has suggested Postecoglou could never use the Croatian again, and he may well have played his last game for the club. Perisic's contract expires next summer, and if he isn't back in time, their clash against Sheffield United last Saturday could've been his final hurrah.

"What a blow for Perisic," wrote Kilpatrick on X in response to the news. "Might have played his last game in a Spurs shirt (contract is up next summer). He was excellent off the bench on Saturday, making both goals."

How good is Ivan Perisic?

Registering more assists than any other Spurs player last season, Perisic was a real asset for Postecoglou and the manager will be hoping he can fight his way back in time to play a role.

Antonio Conte, speaking last season, was effusive in his praise for the former Inter Milan and Wolfsburg star.

"It is very important we sign a player like Ivan Perisic because he can see the way to try to learn something from Ivan," said Conte on Sessegnon and Perisic last summer. We are talking about a real important player and top player. Sometimes it is good to bring a player in your team who is a bit over age but at the same time a good player with experience who can improve a young player in your squad.”

With Andre Russell in Kolkata and training since March 24, and Chris Lynn and Mitchell Johnson arriving on Monday, the Knight Riders CEO was confident of a full-strength XI for the team’s season-opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2018Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell – Kolkata Knight Riders’ big three overseas players – will all be available to play in their season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore, according to team CEO Venky Mysore.There were questions over the availability of Russell (who reached Kolkata last month) and Lynn, after both players pulled out of the PSL with hamstring and shoulder injuries respectively, but Mysore was confident that the two T20 stars, together with Narine and Mitchell Johnson, would feature at the Eden Gardens when Knight Riders’ campaign starts.”Lynn’s fine, Johnson’s fine – they’re all on a plane as we speak,” Mysore said at a press conference in Kolkata on Sunday. “Tomorrow, we’ll have a practice game. If the physio feels they’re fit to play the practice match after the flight, then you’ll see them in action. Lynn’s available for the first match.”Captain Dinesh Karthik and vice-captain Robin Uthappa pose for a picture•PTI Knight Riders lost the services of Mitchell Starc, their $1.47m buy at the auction, who picked up a shin injury in South Africa, the outcome of which was Johnson becoming the team’s frontline pacer. Despite his age, Mysore backed the 36-year-old to deliver for Knight Riders in the tournament’s early stages.”With every adversity comes an opportunity and it could be one of the youngsters who shine this season,” Mysore said. “So, yes, we are disappointed but we’re not going ‘Oh my God, what happened.'”Johnson’s played a lot at the IPL and won two championships [with Mumbai Indians]. He’s an outstanding bowler – you saw how he bowled at the Big Bash. He’s still fit, still bowling 145+ and is an experienced campaigner. So, at least in the initial stage we won’t miss Starc, but we’re looking at replacements. Give us 24 hours.”Knight Riders, however, are not a big-name team, or so Mysore believes. He said staying low-key before the IPL’s start was beneficial to the team and that the other squad members, on whom the spotlight hasn’t shone much, also possess the desire and talent to do well for the side.”Yes, we talk about [Shivam] Mavi, [Kamlesh] Nagarkoti and [Shubman] Gill, but don’t forget Apoorv Wankhade, Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana and Ishank Jaggi,” Mysore said. “Jaggi’s a highly under-rated player and had an excellent season for Jharkhand. It’s good that we’re under the radar. People are saying, ‘where are the names, where are the names?’ You don’t need names here, you need people who are hungry to do well.”Knight Riders’ season opener is at home, against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, on April 8.

Manchester United return to action at home to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, with the holders looking to make home advantage count having been drawn at Old Trafford for the 11th time in a row in domestic cup competitions.

The Red Devils head into that midweek encounter after having stopped the rot with a hard-fought victory over newly promoted Burnley at the weekend, with a stunning effort from influential captain, Bruno Fernandes sealing all three points following a run of three successive defeats across all fronts.

The Portuguese playmaker was found superbly by stand-in centre-back, Jonny Evans, with the veteran asset – who had earlier had a header chalked off for offside – producing a delightful, lofted pass to pick out his teammate, akin to Wayne Rooney's assist for Robin van Persie back in 2013.

That moment of quality showcased the benefits of Erik ten Hag having brought the 35-year-old back to the club over the summer, with the former Ajax boss no doubt relieved that such a decision was taken amid the growing list of absentees in the backline.

With the Dutchman having had just five senior defenders available on Saturday night, it looks as if Evans will need to be relied upon over the coming weeks, as too will fellow surprise package, Sergio Reguilon.

How has Sergio Reguilon performed this season?

With United having lost both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia to injury, Ten Hag was forced to look to the transfer market in order to find a short-term solution at left-back over the summer, initially settling on Chelsea's Marc Cucurella as the prime candidate for the role.

After failing to agree a deal with the Blues, however, the Red Devils instead turned to his compatriot, Reguilon, to plug the gap, albeit with that late swoop appearing like nothing more than an act of desperation, with the 26-year-old previously dubbed "average" by Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham after sliding down the pecking order in north London.

It is fair to say that the full-back's arrival was hardly met with much fanfare at the Theatre of Dreams, yet he has since proven something of a revelation in recent weeks, having been hailed as the club's "best player" in the defeat to Bayern Munich, as per talkSPORT's Jamie O'Hara.

Spurs

67

2

9

Real Madrid Castilla

48

2

4

UD Logrones

43

7

1

Sevilla

38

3

5

Real Madrid

22

0

3

Atletico Madrid

12

0

0

Manchester United

3

0

0

Stats via Transfermark

Against the Clarets last time out, the all-action machine was again 'impressive' as he 'always looked to make something happen' – as per 90min's Tom Gott – having notably delivered a delightful inswinging corner for Evans' disallowed goal.

The worry will be, however, that the on-loan gem was forced off late on at Turf Moor due to illness, with it yet to be seen if he will be fit to feature tomorrow night, such is the quick turnaround between the games.

Who could replace Reguilon?

Even if the one-time Real Madrid man is back to full health it may be wise for Ten Hag to rest and rotate his new addition in the cup, such is the fear of losing the club's only senior left-back for arguably more important fixtures in the Premier League and Champions League.

If Reguilon is to sit this one out, a possible left-field alternative has presented itself in the form of Sofyan Amrabat, with the United boss previously stating that the Moroccan international can line up at full-back or wing-back if required.

It was the 27-year-old who Ten Hag turned to to replace Reguilon against Vincent Kompany's side, although the debutant didn't look particularly comfortable in his brief, late cameo, notably giving away a potentially dangerous free-kick at the death.

With the Red Devils also having a "problem" in midfield – as per The Athletic's Marc Critchley – it is in the centre of the park where Amrabat is seemingly needed, even though the options in defence are so limited.

Perhaps, rather than slotting the Fiorentina loanee into an unsuited defensive berth, Ten Hag could instead find a dream replacement for Reguilon in the academy set-up, in the form of teenage sensation, Sam Murray.

Who is Sam Murray?

Like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo – two players who have forced their way into Ten Hag's plans of late – the 19-year-old was also part of the side that claimed FA Youth Cup glory back in 2022, as United's sparkling U18s saw off Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in the final.

The promising dynamo played a central role in that showpiece triumph after teeing up captain Rhys Bennett for the game's opening goal, showcasing just why he has been noted as an 'attacking full-back' by the club's official website.

Although restricted to just a solitary appearance at Premier League 2 level this season – with that outing coming in the recent 4-2 defeat to Arsenal – the Englishman does previously boast a haul of three goals and six assists in 46 games for the U18 side.

Having been rewarded with a first professional contract back in May, the former Huddersfield Town youth asset – who joined United in 2017 – will likely be hoping to make the step up to the senior ranks sooner rather than later, with this latest injury crisis perhaps offering the perfect opportunity to take his chance.

With fellow youngster Alvaro Fernandez currently out on loan at Granada, Murray is the leading candidate in the youth set-up to fill Reguilon's shoes, having already proven his credentials against senior opposition in the EFL Trophy last year.

Those five outings in the competition saw the precocious talent illustrate his defensive prowess as he averaged two tackles and interceptions per game, the same record that Reguilon has achieved in the league this term.

Ten Hag hasn't exactly been renowned for shuffling his pack too greatly even in the Carabao Cup or FA Cup during his time in Manchester thus far, although it would be sensible for the 53-year-old to rest his key men against Roy Hodgson's side, even amid the desire to keep the weekend's positive momentum going.

Having seen the benefits of putting faith in Hannibal Mejbri – who was "very good" at Turf Moor, according to his manager – giving an opportunity to another youngster, like Murray, may also prove particularly fruitful.

The Australia left hander will be available for all 14 group matches and will play alongside Shaun Marsh

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2018Glamorgan have signed Australia batsman Usman Khawaja as an overseas player for the Vitality Blast and he will be available for all 14 group matches.Khawaja will join Australia team-mate Shaun Marsh in the Glamorgan top order for the T20 campaign. He averages 32.73 with a strike-rate of 126.16 including two centuries which came during the 2015-16 BBL.”I’m delighted to have signed for Glamorgan for their Vitality Blast campaign and look forward to the challenge of helping them build on the success they achieved in last year’s competition,” Khawaja said.”From my point of view, it would be great to be able to take them a step further and bring silverware back to Wales. Glamorgan have some fantastic players in their squad and I can’t wait to join up with the team and play with Shaun again.”Glamorgan begin their tournament away to Hampshire on July 6 before their first home match against Sussex two days later.

Jeevantha Kulatunga and Tharindu Mendis, working as coaches with SLC, were suspended after being seen in conversation with alleged fixers in Al Jazeera’s documentary

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-May-2018Two of the three former Sri Lankan players seen in conversation with alleged fixers in Al Jazeera’s documentary on cricket corruption are coaches presently working for Sri Lanka Cricket. They have been suspended since the documentary’s release, SLC said.Jeevantha Kulatunga, 44, who had played two T20 internationals for Sri Lanka and had also coached the national women’s team until 2014, was working as a provincial coach in the Western Province. Tharindu Mendis is a coach for the Gampaha district, in addition to being a former first-class cricketer.Both were seen talking to an alleged fixer, as well as the Al Jazeera journalist posing as a prospective bettor. Mendis was seen during the investigation into pitch fixing; Kulatunga in another part of the documentary when those in the room were allegedly speaking about fixing actual games. “Playing cricket for us is like brushing our teeth in the morning,” Kulatunga is shown to be saying at one point. “But playing according to your plan is the easiest thing because there’s no pressure for us.”SLC said its first move after coming to know of these allegations was to suspend those in its employ. “The names we learned about as a result of this documentary – we suspended them immediately,” SLC vice-president Mohan de Silva said. “It’s our duty to protect the game, and we want to reiterate that we have a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. We will look at our processes and improve them to ensure there is no leeway.”Al Jazeera’s documentary also implicated a third former player, Dilhara Lokuhettige, who was shown to be in the room with Kulatunga when fixing was allegedly discussed. As Lokuhettige lives in Australia and holds no positions within SLC, the board can take no action against him, board CEO Ashley de Silva said.The assistant manager at the Galle Stadium, who is also implicated in Al Jazeera’s allegations, has been suspended as well.