Zinedine Zidane’s long-awaited comeback to management is finally taking shape with France preparing to appoint the former Real Madrid boss as their next head coach after Didier Deschamps steps down following the 2026 World Cup. The move is poised to end months of speculation and ignite fresh excitement around Les Bleus, who have recently faced criticism for lacking innovation.
Left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister has also been added to the New Zealand squad as cover for Will O’Rourke
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2025New Zealand’s fast-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith has been ruled out of the second Test against Zimbabwe due to an abdominal strain. He has been replaced by pace bowling allrounder Zakary Foulkes, who gets his maiden call-up into the Test squad.Smith sustained the abdominal injury on the second day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo while batting. A subsequent MRI confirmed the strain, which will require a recovery time of approximately two to four weeks.Meanwhile, left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister has also been added to the New Zealand squad as cover for Will O’Rourke, who experienced back stiffness on day three of the first Test. He is being monitored, according to a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) press release. O’Rourke bowled 13 and ten overs respectively in the two innings of the first Test, picking 3 for 28 in the second stint.Related
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Smith returned 3 for 20 in Zimbabwe’s first innings as the hosts were bowled out for 149. He retired hurt at the end of the 93rd over of New Zealand’s innings on 22 off 79 balls and did not return to the field for the remainder of the game.Smith’s replacement Foulkes has played 13 T20Is and a solitary ODI. He most recently turned out for New Zealand in the tri-series involving Zimbabwe and South Africa, which New Zealand won in a pulsating final. Foulkes, 24, has played 19 first-class games and has 57 wickets, along with 544 runs at 19.42.Lister has also not played a Test yet but has turned out in three ODIs and 12 T20Is for New Zealand. He last played an international game more than a year ago in Pakistan.New Zealand registered a comfortable win in Bulawayo by nine wickets, with Matt Henry returning figures of 9 for 90 for the Test. Regular captain Latham had missed the opening game due to a shoulder injury and it remains to be seen whether he gets fit in time for the second Test, which begins on August 7 in Bulawayo
The good times keep rolling for Arsenal this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side are flying in the Premier League, unbeaten in the Champions League and now through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
The North Londoners had the tough task of beating Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night, and they did so even with an almost entirely changed starting lineup.
There were impressive displays across the pitch for the hosts, including from Max Dowman, and if that wasn’t enough good news, Hale End is already brewing another version of the teenage sensation.
Dowman's performance against Brighton
Several Arsenal players shone against Brighton, from Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to the centre-back pairing of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
However, when it comes to the starter who got everyone talking and the fans on their feet the most, it’s impossible to ignore Dowman.
The 15-year-old became the youngest player to start a game in the club’s history, but you wouldn’t have guessed that from the way he played.
From the first minute until he was taken off, the Hale End gem gave the Seagulls’ backline hell, so much so that within no time at all, they were forced to double and triple team him.
Amazingly, that did little to stop him, and by the time he was taken off for Bukayo Saka in the 71st minute, he had completed five of nine dribbles – the most of anyone – played one key pass, won nine of 14 ground duels and won a foul.
Minutes
71′
Touches
34
Dribbles (Successful)
8 (5)
Fouls Won
4
Accurate Passes
14/16
Ball Recoveries
3
Ground Duels (Won)
14 (9)
Key Passes
1
Described as a “certified worldie of a talent” by analyst Rohan Jivan, the young Englishman was utterly sensational on the night, but given his performances earlier this season and in the summer, it was hardly a surprise.
With all that said, Dowman is still just a child, and as such, Arteta and Co have to be incredibly careful with how they manage him. Therefore, it may be a couple of years before he starts playing games regularly.
However, by that time, there might be another unreal Hale End talent playing alongside him in the team.
Hale End's next Max Dowman
Now, it must be said that Dowman currently appears to be a genuinely generational talent, the kind of player who will regularly compete for Ballon d’Ors in the future.
Therefore, the likelihood of Arsenal producing another talent of equal calibre in the coming years is extremely low.
However, that doesn’t mean the club won’t have another young gem who could come into the side and make them far more dangerous in attack while having some of the same skills as the 15-year-old.
In fact, there are a few players in Hale End today who could do just that, but one of the ones who feels most likely to succeed and follow Dowman into the side is Ceadach O’Neill.
The extremely exciting Northern Irishman joined the club from Linfield on an initial trial in November 2023 and has been a star of the academy ever since.
Right Winger
11
2
3
Left Winger
7
3
1
Centre-Forward
5
4
1
Right Midfield
2
0
1
Left Midfield
1
0
0
Like Dowman, the 17-year-old has already shown a great deal of positional versatility, as he’s played on both wings, up front and in wide midfield.
Moreover, he’s no stranger when it comes to chipping in with goal involvement, as in just ten appearances this season, he has already scored five goals and provided three assists.
Described as “brilliantly” talented by the Gunners’ U21 coach David Horseman, the Kilrea-born dynamo is also someone who could get the fans on their feet.
For example, one analyst has highlighted his “great technique, impressive ball striking and finishing with both feet,” which sounds quite a bit like the youngster who started on Wednesday night.
Ultimately, it’s still so early on in his career, but O’Neill looks like someone who could follow Dowman into the first team in the coming years and potentially form a brilliant partnership with him.
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England captain says England will lick their wounds and try to come back stronger at Brisbane
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2025
Stokes consults with his senior team-mates as the Perth Test runs away from England•Getty Images
Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he and his team had been left “shellshocked” by Travis Head’s stunning 69-ball century, as Australia transcended the chaos of the first three innings of the first Ashes Test at Perth to romp to victory by eight wickets and with three whole days to spare.Head left the field to a standing ovation after his stunning knock of 123 from 83 balls had ripped the momentum away from an England team that seemed to have the contest in their grasp when they went to the second-day lunch break on 65 for 1, with a lead of 99 and nine wickets in hand.But a calamitous collapse of 4 for 11 in 19 balls, initiated by a fine spell from Scott Boland, turned the contest back in Australia’s favour. Though England’s lower-order rallied to set the hosts 205 for victory – the highest innings total of the game – Head’s promotion to the top of the order, in the absence of the injured Usman Khawaja, proved a blessing in disguise as he came out swinging, to blaze Australia to their target in a mere 28.2 overs.It was an example of England being comprehensively beaten at their own hard-hitting game, and Stokes was in awe of Australia’s matchwinner at the post-match presentations.”We’re a little bit shellshocked there,” Stokes told the host broadcaster. “That innings from Travis Head was pretty phenomenal. It’s quite raw, quite fresh at the moment but, geez, that was some knock. It’s knocked the wind out of us.”Asked if he regretted England’s approach to their own second innings – in particular a trio of big shots from Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root in the midst of that post-lunch collapse – Stokes insisted that England’s approach had not been the wrong one, as Head’s own success demonstrated, but their execution had been lacking.”If you look at the way the game eked out, the guys who seemed to have success out there with bat in hand were the guys who were really brave and took the game on,” Stokes said. “Anyone who tried to stay around there and try and occupy the crease didn’t really seem to have too much success.Related
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“On wickets like this, you never think you’ve got enough, so if you find yourself in a position where you’re the guy who’s managed to get in, try and give yourself the best chance of going on. There was a lot of assistance there when the bowlers put the ball in the right areas. The guys who were brave enough to knock the bowlers off their lengths seem to find success on that.”Ultimately, however, England were blown away by Head’s extraordinary onslaught. Asked what more he could have done to contain such an aggressive innings, Stokes said: “We tried three or four different plans at him. When he was going like a train, those plans can change quite quickly, because those runs were coming down quickly.”I’ve seen Travis play a lot of knocks like that, whether it be in Test cricket or white-ball cricket. He’s very hard to stop.”Because of the two-day finish, England now have close to a fortnight to prepare for the day-night Test in Brisbane, beginning on December 4. Stokes admitted that his team would have to lick their wounds after such a bruising defeat, but said that the performance of his five-man pace attack in the first innings was proof that there will be some positives to take into the rest of the series.”The way in which we bowled yesterday was simply phenomenal,” Stokes said. “A lot happened on day one, 19 wickets fell, so it was a good day for the bowlers.”This is a very tough one to get the series going when we felt we were in control of the game, and we were coming out there to bowl in that fourth innings. We’ve got four more games here.”We’ll obviously let this sink in. Obviously it hurts extremely, but we got to get our heads round and move on to Brisbane, and then hit the ground running there.”
Suspended Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is in line for a surprise return to action next month after not featuring for over a year, according to reports.
Mykhailo Mudryk banned for positive drugs test
Mudryk’s absence from Chelsea’s first-team setup has now exceeded twelve months, with the Ukrainian international last appearing competitively on November 28 last year before his career ground to a dramatic halt.
The 24-year-old tested positive for meldonium, a performance-enhancing substance prohibited under anti-doping regulations.
Following confirmation of his B sample analysis in June, the FA formally charged Mudryk, leaving him facing a potential ban ranging between two and four years if found guilty.
Throughout the ordeal, Mudryk has maintained complete innocence, and even voluntarily undertook a lie detector test which supported his version of events.
Ukrainian sports journalists have theorised that contaminated stem cell treatment administered during international duty may explain the adverse finding, suggesting the injection originated from cattle previously exposed to meldonium.
Chelsea sanctioned the record £88.5 million transfer from Shakhtar in January 2023, initially viewing him as a transformative attacking signing after hijacking Arsenal’s deal.
However, his Stamford Bridge career proved underwhelming even before the suspension materialised, with inconsistent performances failing to justify the enormous investment.
The club reassigned his prestigious number ten shirt to Cole Palmer following Mudryk’s suspension, signalling their acceptance of a prolonged absence.
Chelsea also reinforced their attacking options by striking deals for Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer, further blocking any potential pathway back into Enzo Maresca’s plans.
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Reports have suggested that, once Mudryk is eligible to play again, Chelsea could allow the forward to join sister club Strasbourg on loan in a bid to reignite his career.
Mykhailo Mudryk in line for January return as Sevilla eye Chelsea loan deal
Now, according to journalist JM Villalba and Canal Sur Radio, that eligibility could be as early as next month.
Speaking to the Spanish broadcaster, Villalba has reported that Mudryk will be able to play again after January 17, and this has piqued interest from La Liga side Sevilla.
The club are considering a deal for Mudryk once he comes back midway through next month, which is a surprise when factoring in how very little we’ve heard about the winger’s return timeline.
If Mudryk is indeed eligible for a January renaissance, BlueCo should certainly green-light a temporary move away for him.
He quite simply needs game time and renewed confidence following the lengthy layoff, controversy and serious drop down Maresca’s pecking order, with the Spanish top flight potentially providing that needed reintroduction to competitive action.
That being said, it should be a dry loan with no option or obligation to buy, with Chelsea poised to make a key decision about Mudryk’s long-term future.
He still has six years remaining on his current contract, giving the Blues plenty of time to do so.
Spinners have thrived in Guwahati, taking 33 of the 44 wickets that have fallen at the venue so far in this World Cup
Sruthi Ravindranath09-Oct-20253:00
Amelia Kerr: NZ wary of spin-heavy Bangladesh
Big Picture: NZ under the pumpTwo matches in, New Zealand are already at risk of playing catch-up in the Women’s World Cup. Two brilliant innings from captain Sophie Devine haven’t been able to save them as they lost to Australia and South Africa. That makes them one of two winless teams in this tournament.New Zealand hadn’t played an ODI in six months prior to the World Cup. The rust has shown: before losing to Australia and South Africa, they suffered defeats in their warm-up games against India and India A. Apart from Devine, who has contributed 42% of New Zealand’s runs in the tournament so far, the batters have struggled for fluency and the bowling has lacked bite. Against South Africa, they also let themselves down in the field with seven misfields, a reflection of a team that has looked undercooked.Bangladesh, in contrast, are on the rise. They stunned Pakistan, pushed England hard, and are brimming with belief. Their batting hasn’t quite clicked, but their bowlers have done the job with Marufa Akter consistently striking with the new ball and the spinners keeping a tight leash through the middle overs. With Brooke Halliday the only left-hander in the batting order, New Zealand’s right-hand-heavy line-up could be tested by left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and the legspin duo of Fahima Khatun and Rabeya Khan.They’ve never beaten New Zealand in ODIs, having lost both their completed games by a big margin in 2022. But with spin expected to play a big role in Guwahati on Friday, Bangladesh will be keen to use the conditions to their advantage. Unlike New Zealand, they have already played a game at this venue in the World Cup.Form Guide
Bangladesh LWLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LLWWLSuzie Bates is yet to open her account in this World Cup•ICC via Getty Images
In the spotlight: Fahima Khatun and Suzie BatesFahima Khatun was near unplayable against England on Tuesday, returning remarkable figures of 3 for 16. She dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt, Emma Lamb, and Sophia Dunkley, and celebrated each wicket with her trademark jig. Fahima’s slow, loopy legspin tied England down; she conceded just one boundary in 60 balls. She also had Heather Knight caught at cover, but the low catch was ruled not out by the TV umpire, a pivotal moment that arguably swung the game.New Zealand have missed the runs from Suzie Bates from the top of the order, who will be coming into this match off two consecutive ducks. She struggled to score off her first eight balls against Australia, eventually falling to left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, while she fell for a golden duck against South Africa to Marizanne Kapp. She will need to find a way to see off a red-hot Marufa, who’s coming off four wickets in two games.Team news: Is Mair fit and ready?Bangladesh are unlikely to change their combination unless there’s a last-minute injury or illness. Marufa, who bowled only five overs against England and was off the field with cramps, is “fit and ready” for Friday’s game, Nahida said at the press conference.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Sharmin Akhter, 3 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 4 Sobhana Mostary, 5 Mst Ritu Moni, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Nahida Akter, 9 Rabeya Khan, 10 Marufa Akter, 11 Sanjida Akter MeghlaNew Zealand assistant coach Craig McMillan had said that right-arm quick Rosemary Mair was “close to fitness” before their previous fixture against South Africa. If she’s fit, New Zealand may bring her in for Jess Kerr.New Zealand (probable): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr/Rosemary Mair, 9 Lea Tahuhu, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Bree IllingPitch and conditions: Spin to winSpinners have taken 75% of the wickets (33 out of 44 total wickets) in the three matches in Guwahati so far this World Cup. There is a possibility of a rain-interrupted start.Stats and Trivia: Tahuhu gears up for 100th ODINew Zealand fast bowler Lea Tahuhu will be playing her 100th ODI on Friday.Marufa Akter has eight wickets in the powerplay this year, the second most by a bowler in women’s ODIs. Brooke Halliday is 57 runs away from 1000 ODI runs. She will become the 18th New Zealand batter to the feat.Quotes”There has been quite a bit of turn and bounce in the nets, which is exciting for my bowling. But on the other hand with batting, it’s just being really disciplined in the best way to play spin. We know with Bangladesh, they’ve, I think apart from the opening bowler, they’re a spin-heavy attack and they’ve had a lot of teams in trouble as well throughout this tournament we’ve seen. So, I think being really disciplined with the bat, you have to sum up conditions really quickly and then work out what your best game plan is.”
Leeds United have made an approach to sign Flamengo winger Gonzalo Plata, alongside two other Premier League clubs, and a January move could now be possible.
A lack of goals has been an issue for Leeds so far this season, having scored just ten Premier League goals, the joint-second lowest figure in the top flight, with Danny Murphy bemoaning their lack of quality attacking options back in September.
Murphy said: “I think the biggest problem for Burnley and Leeds is firepower. I agree with what we talked about earlier. I think all the newly promoted sides doing well is great for the Premier League.
“I’d like to see them all stay up, actually. But I don’t think it’ll be the case.
Since then, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has continued to struggle in front of goal, having found the back just once in nine league outings, although Daniel Farke will be glad Lukas Nmecha scored his first goal from open play at the weekend, albeit in a 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
As a result of that loss, the Whites are just one point above the relegation zone, sitting in 16th place, and it has been revealed they have now made an approach to sign a new forward ahead of the January transfer window.
Leeds make contact to sign Gonzalo Plata
According to journalist Fabricio Lopes (via Sport Witness), Leeds have now made contact to sign Flamengo winger Gonzalo Plata, and the Brazilian club could be willing to sanction a move in the January transfer window.
Indeed, Flamengo have become increasingly frustrated with Plata, given that he went to a nightclub before an important match, which means they will now be open to offers this winter, although there could be competition for his signature.
AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United have also made enquiries over a deal for the Flamengo star, who remains under contract until June 2029, putting his current employers in a strong negotiating position.
There may be some concerns over the 25-year-old’s off-field issues, but he certainly has plenty of ability, having been lauded as “exceptional” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this year.
The Ecuadorian is established at international level, having scored eight goals in 45 appearances for his national side, while the versatile attacker, who is also capable of playing at centre-forward, has also chipped in with 17 goal contributions in 63 appearances for Flamengo.
Leeds may need a fresh injection of quality in attack if they are to avoid the drop, given that not a single one of their players has scored over two goals this season.
Leeds’ top scorers
Number of goals
Joe Rodon
2
Lukas Nmecha
2
Noah Okofor
2
Sean Longstaff
1
Brenden Aaronson
1
Anton Stach
1
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
1
That said, it would be a risk to sign Plata, given that the Ecuador international is unproven in the Premier League, and wasn’t exactly prolific in the 2025 Brazilian Serie A, netting four goals in 24 outings.
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The New York Mets are in a prolonged slide, having dropped 13 of their last 16 games on the heels of a torrid 45-24 start. This has moved them out of the top of the National League East and caused much frustration for fans. Owner Steve Cohen, the highest-profile of these supporters, acknowledged that things aren't going well in a Monday morning post on X.
"Tough stretch," Cohen wrote. "No sugarcoating it. I didn’t see this coming. I’m as frustrated as everybody else. We will get through this period. Our injured pitching will come back over the next few weeks. It is unlikely the team’s hitting with RISP will continue at this weak pace. Keep the faith!"
These seem like fairly reasonable points. Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Sean Manaea are all on the injured list with hopes to return in July. Losing this many starting pitchers at once is not a good recipe for success. As for the clutch hitting, New York is 29th in baseball with runners in scoring position and the season is past the midway point. So that might actually be a problem.
With the highest payroll in MLB, big things are expected for the Mets. Optimism at the highest level remains.
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Mauricio Taricco has quit South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors after a racism scandal. The 52-year-old Argentinian, who served as assistant coach under Gus Poyet, was sanctioned by the K League’s disciplinary committee for making what officials deemed a racist gesture toward referee Kim Woo-seong during a league match.
“I feel such things [about Kohli making it to the 2027 World Cup] shouldn’t even be spoken about after the way he plays and performs,” Sitanshu Kotak says
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-20252:15
Kotak: We don’t need to talk about Kohli’s future
Virat Kohli has the most centuries in ODI history, and yet, each time one sees him bat in the only format he is still active in internationally, thoughts turn to the 2027 World Cup. Kohli is 37 now. Will he still be playing two years on? For Sitanshu Kotak, India’s batting coach, “there’s no point talking about all this” and fans should stay in the moment.”I don’t know why we need to look at all this – he’s really batting well, and I don’t see any reason we need to talk about his future,” Kotak said after Kohli’s 135 from 120 balls took India to victory in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday.”Just the way he’s batting, it’s just brilliant. The way he’s performing, [and] his fitness – there are no questions about anything,” Kotak said. “I feel such things [the 2027 World Cup] shouldn’t even be spoken about after the way he plays and performs. That is something which is two years away. There’s no point talking about all this. For us, once the team arrives and we start practice, we just enjoy.”Related
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Vastly experienced players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who is a year older at 38, add value to the dressing room even otherwise, Kotak pointed out. And it’s not like they aren’t performing. Rohit’s last three innings in ODIs have been worth 73, 121* and 57.”Obviously, they do share their experience with others,” Kotak said. “I don’t think we’re talking anything about the 2027 World Cup. They are just brilliant, and they are performing. They are contributing to the team, which is a great thing for us.”Like Kohli, Rohit is also active only in ODIs internationally. That leaves both of them with very limited game time. But, despite that, for the second successive match, Kohli and Rohit showed good form while stitching together a match-winning century stand.After adding an unbeaten 168 against Australia in Sydney last month, they had a stand of 136 in the first ODI against South Africa. While Kohli followed 74* in Sydney with 135 in Ranchi, Rohit scored 57 at better than a-run-a-ball against South Africa after hitting 121* in a win over Australia.”They are such experienced players; it’s always great to have them,” Kotak said. “The way they bat – like today also, that partnership – it makes a huge difference. Obviously, they batted really well.”