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Chelsea are set to make a first move for Karim Benzema today ahead of a possible Stamford Bridge transfer, according to reports.

Chelsea striker rumours

The Blues have been linked with a number of forwards during the January transfer window as Todd Boehly looks to bolster Mauricio Pochettino’s current attacking ranks. Nicolas Jackson has been away with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, leaving Armando Broja as the only fit and available centre-forward.

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However, it looks as if Chelsea are open to selling the Albanian before the deadline, with Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham and Wolves all expressing an interest in the 22-year-old, who is valued at £35m. Should Broja depart, then a short-term solution could be looked at by the Blues, especially as a move for top target Victor Osimhen is looking more likely in the summer.

One of those players who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for the second half of the season has been Al-Ittihad forward Benzema, with Chelsea holding internal talks over a deal. Now, it looks as if they are ready to make their move.

Karim Benzema transfer update

The Daily Express shared an update in their live transfer blog on Wednesday morning, claiming the Blues are closing in on Benzema and are expected to make contact over a deal today.

“Chelsea are today expected to make contact with Karim Benzema over a move to the club – with a loan move the favoured option for both parties. Benzema has reportedly submitted a formal request to leave Al-Ittihad, having been made to train alone after returning late from his holiday.”

Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, is now 36 years of age and made the move to the Saudi Pro League last summer after leaving Real Madrid. He has continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis with his new side and has over 450 goals for club and country during his career.

Karim Benzema career stats

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Real Madrid

648

354

165

Lyon

148

66

27

Al-Ittihad

20

12

5

France

97

37

20

The Frenchman has, as expected, come in for plenty of praise during his career, including from pundit Joe Cole, who said:

“The levels this lad is hitting are unbelievable. Him and (midfielder Luka) Modric have been almost a decade together and they know each other so well. He's just a joy to watch.”

Meanwhile, Steve McManaman added:

“People across Europe are really starting to view him (as a great player). He's not just a good finisher, he's an extraordinary football player.”

Therefore, on a short-term solution, Benzema could well be open to playing in the Premier League for the first time in his career, and Chelsea are seemingly keen on the idea of having the striker on their books for the remainder of the campaign, making this one to watch.

Erik ten Hag has struggled to progress from his triumphant debut campaign this season, with continuous injuries and underperforming players letting his side down.

Manchester United can only challenge for silverware via the FA Cup and the Premier League, but given their seventh position, the former seems the only route to success this season already.

With that in mind, the former Ajax boss will look to reignite the fans' excitement by eyeing up a move for a tricky attacker in January.

Man Utd transfers latest – Takefusa Kubo

According to The Sun, Takefusa Kubo is being linked with a move to Old Trafford as a possible Antony replacement.

Ten Hag has reportedly sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old on numerous occasions this season, including last weekend’s game versus Real Betis.

Real Sociedad will accept an offer of £43m and the Brazilian could be used as a bargaining tool, potentially in the form of a loan deal.

How Takefusa Kubo compares to Antony

The Japanese star has developed into one of Sociedad’s best players since arriving at the club for just £5.5m last season, and he seems to have developed into an extremely “special talent” this campaign – as described by journalist Josh Bunting. Kubo has featured 17 times in La Liga, scoring six goals and registering three assists.

The ex-Real Madrid ace can play in the number ten role, yet he excels and mainly operates at right wing, making him a potential direct replacement for United’s £86m forward. The table below highlights Kubo’s playstyle and how he compares to Antony based on statistics from the last year across the top European leagues.

Kubo vs Antony Stats
Stats (per 90)	Kubo	Antony
Goals	0.34	0.1
Assists	0.16	0.07
Key Passes	1.99	1.45
Successful take-ons	2.49	1.69
Carries into penalty area	2.71	1.48
Shot-creating actions	4.30	3.83
Stats via FBref

As you can see by all the attacking stats, Kubo would be a huge upgrade on Antony. The first difference between the two is that the Japanese international is a much more direct winger, using his quick feet and small stature to wriggle his way past players and carry the ball forward with intent.

The former Madrid youngster is extremely intelligent and combines the traditional style of a winger with the more modern output-focused inverted forwards. He’s the type of player to make the crowd get off their feet by dribbling and putting the ball in the back of the net, which the ex-Ajax player has yet to display in a United shirt this season by failing to register a single goal contribution.

Although Kubo doesn’t get massively involved in play compared to other wingers, he is constantly receiving the ball and using it effectively in the final third. He is extremely difficult to mark because if the defender gets close, he will skip past them, but if they stand off, he has the ability to play deft passes that slice the opposition open.

Furthermore, as per Transfermarkt, Kubo (£43m) is valued more than even Alejandro Garnacho (£26m), which just highlights how talented and highly rated the Sociedad creative mastermind is.

Man United having two destined-for-success prospects on each wing would be frightening, to say the least, and if they continue to develop, Ten Hag would have one of the deadliest duos in the Premier League.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has been named MLS Player of the Month for April.

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• Messi wins MLS POTM
• Had 10 goal contributions
• Look ahead at Miami schedule

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine had a sensational month, leading the Herons to an undefeated month across league play. With three wins and one draw, Messi accumulated six goals and four assists in four matches, putting on a brilliant performance week in and week out.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Argentine has taken MLS by storm since returning from injury in early April after missing four games for Inter Miami. He's fully put himself in contention for the MLS Golden Boot Race and is an early frontrunner for the 2024 MLS MVP.

  MLS Player of the Month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Miami have won back-to-back Player of the Month awards, with Suarez claiming it in February/March.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI AND MIAMI?

  The Herons clash with the New York Red Bulls this weekend in MLS action. It's an Eastern Conference showdown between No. 1 Miami and No. 3 RBNY.

Kai Havertz reacted to Arsenal's 3-2 Premier League win over Tottenham in the north London derby with a hilarious post on social media.

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• Arsenal enjoy derby win over Tottenham
• Havertz grabs goal and assist
• Forward shows off 'mood' on social media

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal maintained their push for the Premier League title with a 3-2 win over Spurs on Sunday. Havertz was on target in an impressive display for Mikel Arteta's side, who remain top of the table for the time being. The forward also thrilled fans after the match by sharing a post on social media featuring a popular meme trend started by American rapper Lil Yachty.

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  Havertz posted the following meme on X with the one-word caption "mood:"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Havertz's post is based on a viral clip of rapper Lil Yachty walking on stage at a festival to perform. The clip has become popular on social media with users adding images of a host of different people in Yachty's place. The Germany international is clearly loving life after Sunday's crucial win for the Gunners. Havertz's latest strike means he now has three goals and an assist in his last two outings for Arteta's team.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL

  Arsenal will continue their chase for the title on Saturday when they host Bournemouth at the Emirates. Arteta's men then finish off their league campaign with games against Manchester United and Everton.

The batting coach spoke about Pakistan batsmen’s shot selection, the pressure their captain is under and how the players need to adapt

Danyal Rasool30-Dec-2018

The Pakistan team troop off the field after losing the first Test in three days•Associated Press

Pakistan batting coach Grant Flower admits he has “seen happier dressing rooms” than the one he finds himself in with the team right now. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in the wake of Pakistan’s defeat inside three days at South Africa’s hands in Centurion, he also warned a lot of the players’ places would be under threat following a collapse that saw Pakistan cede a commanding position at tea on the second day to succumb to a tame six-wicket reverse.”The atmosphere isn’t the best at the moment,” Flower said. “Not many losing teams’ atmosphere will be the best. No one likes to lose. You don’t want to become happy losers. I’m not involved in selection, but there are quite a few guys with their places under threat. It’s not just one or two batsmen, you could point fingers at a few players.”Evidence of a breakdown in the morale of the camp further emerged following stumps on the second day, the one which oversaw a Pakistan collapse that all but put them out of the game, with a dressing room leak reporting coach Mickey Arthur had lost his temper with the players, in particular giving some of the batsmen an earful. Although the PCB later issued a statement denying Arthur so much as became angry, there is little doubt he did make his displeasure known, with Flower saying the real problem was the incident being leaked to the media.ALSO READ: Arthur gives Pakistan’s seniors dressing-room dressing down”We don’t know who it is [the leaker]. But they’ve got to look at themselves in the mirror. It should never happen. On tour it’s all about teamwork, you’re supposed to be a family and trust each other. But I’ve been with the team over four years and there have been constant leaks all the time. It’s nothing new for me, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise.”Mickey had some strong words with the players; there was quite a bit of honesty from him. I think the guys were a bit shell-shocked, but they’ve heard Mickey, everyone knows he can come down harshly on the boys at times. But sometimes that’s needed and the guys needed to be told a few home truths. Mickey won’t be the first or last coach to do that. If the guys do have strong character, they’ll bounce back from it and take that as a challenge.”Much of Arthur’s wrath, ESPNcricinfo understands, was directed at the more experienced middle-order batsmen in the camp. Despite Pakistan’s perceived batting weakness lying at the top of the order, Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood had manged to give their side a solid foundation by tea, with the score reading 100 for 1. And in a session where the middle order might have built on the start and given South Africa a daunting fourth innings target, a string of poor shots saw the visitors lose nine wickets in the session, bowled out by stumps.Arthur’s mood had not improved by the following morning, and when Dean Elgar seemed to be dismissed in the slips by Azhar Ali, the third umpire overturned the soft signal of out to give him a reprieve that saw him score a half-century and kill off any Pakistan hopes. Arthur went to the third umpire to remonstrate, earning him a demerit point in the process, but Flower found himself in agreement with the coach.ALSO READ: Azhar took a ‘clean’ catch, on-field decision should have stayed – Sarfraz”In my opinion, it was the wrong decision. And the on-field umpire gave that out. And there was no conclusive evidence otherwise, so he should have upheld that decision.”Pakistan players react after Dean Elgar is given not out•AFP

The Pakistan middle order found itself under severe scrutiny over the past few days, and Flower felt the dismissal of Asad Shafiq, in particular, showed what pressure could do to Pakistan.”He’s one of the strongest guys mentally, but when you’re under pressure, things can change. Technically, that ball that he hit in the second innings, his back foot didn’t go across at all. There’s no weight transfer towards the delivery. That’s what pressure does. He had a big call the ball before, and when you’re under pressure, your reactions aren’t as quick as they need to be against the best attack in the world at the moment. Whenever people seem to be writing off Asad he comes through with a big hundred. If he is given that chance again I’d back him. He’s definitely good enough and should be playing for Pakistan.”The issue of Sarfraz Ahmed’s declining fortunes had long simmered in the background as an itch to be scratched, but of late has emerged front and centre as a borderline crisis. With the Pakistan captain struggling badly for runs sporting a technique that looks unlikely to flourish in this part of the world – he appears to be crouching far too low on what are almost tennis ball bounce pitches – Pakistan have been left with a captain out of form and no obvious captaincy replacement.”Anyone would agree being a captain, batsman and wicketkeeper is probably the hardest job in cricket,” Flower said. “And probably too hard. I’m sure it would help his batting if he didn’t have the captaincy pressure, but that’s how it is at the moment. If that’s going to continue, then he has to find a way of coping with those pressures technically and mentally.”It’s a tough one. Saifi’s a really good bloke who’s having a bad run. Technically, just trying to work on being able to leave the ball and not defending outside off stump, getting underneath the short ball. I thought we were progressing, but obviously the results show otherwise. It’s a tough one, when you’re in a rut.”Flower also revealed Mohammad Rizwan had been looking very good in the nets, and came to the tour on the back of good form, with the caveat that these pitches were worlds apart from the ones where he had prospered recently. He also singled out Fakhar Zaman as a player who would have to adapt to conditions here in South Africa, and understand he couldn’t play the way he had been doing back home.”Mickey is quite a big Fakhar fan, and so am I. He’s got to realise, though, he can’t play the same way on these South African wickets as he does in the UAE because the bounce is totally different. He’s got to adapt and be mature enough to know that. Regarding that second innings dismissal, it’s a bit hit and miss. You can’t just tee off and hope it’ll land in no man’s land. In Test cricket you’ve got to be more circumspect than that. I told him, and he’s admitted to that. So hopefully he’ll improve.”Pakistan also may find themselves deprived of having all their players back, with Flower disclosing Haris Sohail was still struggling with the knee injury that plagued him in Centurion, and the Cape Town Test may come too soon for him. That would suggest an unchanged top three for the second Test, where pace hasn’t been quite as hard to combat as Pakistan found it in Centurion.”Quite a few of the guys struggled on these wickets. Even the South Africa players who know these conditions said this track was bloody hard. People can say whatever they want, but they’ve got to bear in mind these are tough conditions. But good players adapt, and our players have to adapt quickly before the Newlands Test.”The track isn’t quite as bouncy there, and we have got a good team. They’re used to fighting hard and coming out of the corner so we’ll see what happens at Newlands.”

Chris Lynn believes the upcoming T20 matches can help Australia kickstart their season following the ODI series defeat

Daniel Brettig16-Nov-2018Chris Lynn only knows one way, so it was little surprise to hear him declare that the key to the rest of Australia’s summer is to start “throwing the first punch” so as to “drive the game” against South Africa and India, starting with the one-off T20 on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.This is easier said than done, of course, with Australia’s performances so far characterised more by uncertainty and struggle rather than crispness of movement and clarity of thought. When Lynn was promoted to open in the decisive ODI in Hobart on Sunday, his attempt to “throw the first punch” resulted in an edge and a duck at the hands of Dale Steyn.”We didn’t get off to the greatest starts in our batting unit,” Lynn said on the Gold Coast. “Hopefully we can do that tomorrow night and I suppose we were always just chasing the game rather than driving the game, so first and foremost we want to be out there throwing the first punch and putting them on the back foot, because then if you drive the game it makes life so much easier, not only as a batting group but for your captain, for your bowlers.Du Plessis flags 2020 exit from international T20

South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis has signalled that the World T20 in Australia in late 2020 will be his last international assignment in the shortest format, as he pondered the difficulties posed by domestic leagues in terms of having the best players available to play all three forms of the game.
“The T20 World Cup is in Australia and that’s not too far away, so hopefully we’ll be back for that and that will probably be my last international tour I would think,” du Plessis said in Brisbane. “From our perspective, T20 cricket for us over the last two or three years has been a case of bringing in the young guys, giving them an opportunity, so we never really play our strongest XI, which isn’t great for the international game.
“Football [has] a situation where it’s playing for your clubs and then there’s an international tournament. In my opinion that’s a good place for T20 cricket to be in, because you shouldn’t be trying to compete with the leagues because they are so strong at the moment. And I can see the same with other teams – it’s almost never their strongest teams, and fans come to watch the best players play. That’s where I see the game moving forward, but the T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I’m really looking forward to … that will probably be the last tournament for me.”

“If we can start that momentum through this T20 series, I think the Test series will be crucial and quite challenging against India, so if we can build momentum early in the T20 format, build guys’ confidence and belief that we’re still the best in the world, I think it’s going to be huge and hopefully we can start that tomorrow night.”Despite low scores in Perth and Hobart, and a missed opportunity in Adelaide where he was unable to resist the temptation to keep attacking Kagiso Rabada after a quartet of blows to the boundary, Lynn stressed that he would not be changing his approach.”I don’t think I’ll change at all to be honest,” he said. “I feel like I’m hitting the ball quite well, runs haven’t been there, but just because you miss out in a couple of innings you don’t change your whole game plan. To me it’s all about keeping my head still, hitting through the line of the ball and trying to do that to the best of my ability.”In the T20 format of the game, you’re going to come off some nights and other nights you’re going to fail, that’s just the way it goes in the shorter format. Hopefully tomorrow night it goes my way. The first game I was [nervous] just because it was my first game for Australia in a long time, but after the first 10 minutes the nerves were settled for me and it’s just a game no matter what format it is.”It’s a white ball coming down at you, it swings a little bit here and there, but I want to make sure I’m having fun, that’s the main thing. I’m certainly doing that at the moment, even though results haven’t gone our way. Every time you step out on the ground you want to contribute and do as best you can. I still feel I’ve got a lot to offer in international cricket, the dominoes haven’t lined up yet but I think it’s not far off.”As for the challenge posed by South Africa, Lynn said the quality of Steyn, Rabada and Lungi Ngidi in particular meant he was learning a lot in a short space of time. South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis has been blunt in stating that extra pace provided by Steyn and Rabada was the key to stopping Lynn from causing the sort of havoc he has regularly inflicted on opponents in the BBL.”Two of the best bowlers in the world, Dale Steyn and Rabada, and someone like Ngidi hasn’t given us anything to hit so far and has executed his role to a tee,” Lynn said. “They’ve got a couple of classy spinners as well. That’s why it’s international cricket, there’s no easy overs, no easy games, so I’m really enjoying that challenge.”We haven’t got the results on the board and I haven’t personally, but I’m loving every minute of it. You work out very quickly who you are as a player and where you’ve got to get better. It’s going to take a while to adjust, but the change room’s happy and we’re working our backsides off.”

Tottenham Hotspur are now becoming ready to sell a "quick" player for good as the Lilywhites reportedly settle on an asking price.

Spurs transfer plans taking fold

2024 will be a very interesting year when it comes to transfer activity at Spurs, with reports suggesting that new sporting director Johan Lange is prioritising the addition of a new left-sided centre-back.

Micky van de Ven's injury, which will keep him out for the remainder of the year, and a suspension for Cristian Romero have exposed Tottenham's glaring lack of depth in the position. As a result, it is believed Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah, Everton ace Ben Godfrey, Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi are all being considered by Spurs.

Elsewhere in the squad, it is believed that Spurs are eager to sign a new midfielder, leading to their newly-found interest in Fluminese star Andre as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Dane, despite manager Ange Postecoglou's short numbers, could still leave in January. However, he isn't the only player who could soon be set to depart, with defender Eric Dier out of contract in the summer. Exits will be a big talking point, as Spurs summer loanees will also be set to return at the end of the Premier League season.

Spurs now ready to sell Rodon

One of them, Wales international defender Joe Rodon, is currently enjoying a brilliant temporary stint at Leeds United in the Championship.

The 26-year-old was signed by Jose Mourinho in 2020 but hasn't quite got his Spurs career off the ground, with TEAMtalk sharing an update on his future. It is now believed Tottenham would be ready to sell Rodon permanently, despite his excellent start at Elland Road, and are willing to do so for a fee in and around £20 million.

There have been suggestions that Spurs should recall the former Swansea City star from his loan spell at Leeds to solve Postecoglou's lack of defensive depth, but it appears the centre-back doesn't feature in his plans as things stand.

Joe Rodon's strengths and style of play

Passing

Aerial duels

Likes to play the ball short

Doesn't dive into tackles

Rodon has started 12 second-tier games, becoming a mainstay under Daniel Farke, with Ben Davies hailing his "terrific" international teammate.

“Joe is a terrific player," said Davies.

"Every time I play with him with Wales he is very solid, good on the ball and I think we have a good understanding. To see him have success at Leeds, it really does make me happy.

“Joe is one of my best mates in football, so we speak all the time. He is the type of player that, when he is at somewhere he is feeling valued and he is getting a good run of games, he is a really, really good defender and I think he is showing that right now.”

Rodon has also been revered for his pace, with former Man United winger Ryan Giggs calling him "quick".

West Ham United and manager David Moyes are "braced to lose" one player who's been called a "superstar" in January, according to reports.

Who could leave West Ham?

A plethora of Hammers squad members are currently out of contract at the end of this season, a long list which includes Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna. While the likes of Coufal, Antonio and Soucek have options to extend by one-year, it is believed talks with the latter have stalled over this last year, with Football Insider reporting the Czech Republic ace could well be sold in January as a result.

According to club insider Claret & Hugh recently, Fornals, Johnson and Coventry appear set to leave upon the end of their current deals in 2024. While West Ham did manage to tie down star winger Jarrod Bowen with a new deal till 2030, it appears that a mass London Stadium exodus could well occur next year. Indeed, there is also some doubt surrounding the futures of defensive duo Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma.

Nayef Aguerd transfer update

The former, who was reportedly targeted by Man City not so long ago, is attracting "big-money interest" from the Middle East as clubs from Saudi Arabia take interest. That is according to Football Insider, who shared the latest Aguerd transfer update this week. The outlet and journalist Pete O'Rourke say that Moyes and co are "braced to lose" the Morocco international. They're apparently prepared for offers to sign Aguerd, and his teammate Zouma, as Saudi clubs linger.

It's added that, if Moyes were to lose either of the pair, that the Scotsman would be "desperate" to sign a replacement. One of the candidates could be Man United defender Harry Maguire, who West Ham are reportedly in pole position to sign if the Englishman does decide to leave Old Trafford mid-season (Football Insider).

Aguerd, called an international "superstar" by Moroccan journalist Mohamed A Salad, has also been called one of Europe's best defenders by former teammate Achraf Sidki.

"West Ham have signed one of the best defenders in Europe. I’m so proud that one of my former teammates will be playing in the Premier League. I’m surprised he didn’t move to England sooner. When we were younger we both had big dreams of becoming professional footballers. Nayef has done well and I’m confident he will be a great signing for West Ham.

“There were so many times he saved the team when we played together. That’s when I realised he was very good. I remember one occasion we played against a team called Tetouan.

“We needed to win and it was probably Nayef’s best game for the club. He was man of the match and after the game, I told him, ‘One day you will make it to the Premier League. You don’t know how good you are’."

Ben Stokes has been added to England’s 13-man squad for the third Test against India at Trent Bridge, which gets underway on Saturday, after being found not guilty of affray at Bristol Crown Court.

George Dobell at Bristol Crown Court14-Aug-2018Ben Stokes has been added to England’s 13-man squad for the third Test against India at Trent Bridge, which gets underway on Saturday, after being found not guilty of affray at Bristol Crown Court.Stokes, who missed the Lord’s Test due to his appearance in court, played a key role in England’s victory in the first Test at Edgbaston a fortnight ago, claiming three wickets on a tense final morning to secure a 31-run win.His place was taken at Lord’s by Chris Woakes, who picked up the Man of the Match award for his century and four wickets. However, Stokes’ England team-mate Jonny Bairstow welcomed the prospect of his swift return.England squad

Joe Root (capt), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Moeen Ali, Jamie Porter, Ben Stokes.

“I’m delighted for him, and hopefully we can see him back in an England shirt very, very soon because we saw the impact that he had at Edgbaston only a couple of weeks ago in the first Test match,” Bairstow told Sky Sports. “We’re here to concentrate on the cricket and I’m sure that’s what he’ll want to get back to as soon as possible.”However, Stokes’ availability for the Test does not necessarily mean that he will face no further sanction for his involvement in the brawl outside Mbargo nightclub on the morning of September 25.The ECB is expected to convene a Cricket Discipline Commission, which will consider whether Stokes or Alex Hales, who was also present during the incident, should face any sanction. However, ESPNcricinfo understands that this may not take place until the end of the English cricket season.”Now that the legal proceedings have concluded, the disciplinary process for Ben Stokes and Alex Hales can be scheduled by the Cricket Discipline Commission [CDC],” said the ECB in a statement.”Ben Stokes will now join the England squad for the 3rd Specsavers Test against India, which starts at Trent Bridge on Saturday.”Considerable detail has been heard in this week-long court case and, in due course, there will be a range of matters for the Board to fully consider.”It has not gone unnoticed by the ECB that both men were out late at night – the incident occurred after 2.30am – with two games left to play in the series and that Stokes was alleged to have been “really very drunk” by the prosecution.Any possible sanction by the CDC will take into account that Stokes has already missed the Ashes tour as a result of the episode – Hales also missed two ODIs at the end of the 2017 English domestic season – and Stokes’ solicitor, Paul Lunt, drew attention to the amount of cricket-related punishment that he had already received for his actions.”In addition to the extreme stress placed on Ben and his family by the trial, his intervention that night has already cost Ben the England vice-captaincy, his place on an Ashes tour, and his place in a number of other England matches,” said Lunt.”The past 11 months have served to highlight to Ben just how highly he values his position as an England representative, both in terms of the privilege that role entails and the responsibilities that accompany it. Now that the trial is over, Ben is keen to getting back to cricket being his sole focus.”Speaking in the wake of their innings victory at Lord’s, England’s captain Joe Root praised the manner in which his side had made light of Stokes’ absence in the second Test, with Woakes in particular seizing his chance to impress in the allrounder’s role.”It’s nice to see guys really taking opportunities,” said Root, “and that’s something we really want to harness as an example to the guys in and around the squad – ‘when you get your chance, make it as hard as possible to leave you out’.”It’s a great headache to have for us, going into next week.””The results speak for themselves,” added England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss. “The guys are able to put anything off field out of their mind and concentrate on what they’re doing, and this was the perfect example.”

Leeds United have enjoyed a strong return to life in the second tier after they were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.

Daniel Farke's side are currently fifth and competing for a play-off spot after 11 matches as they attempt to make an instant return to the top-flight.

The signing of Joel Piroe has been a crucial piece of business for the Whites, on current evidence, as the Dutch marksman has hit the ground running with five goals since his move to Elland Road.

However, a former Leeds player has outscored the former Swansea star, and the rest of the Leeds squad, in the Championship this season – Jack Clarke.

When did Leeds sell Jack Clarke?

Tottenham Hotspur swooped to sign the then-18-year-old from the club for a reported fee of £10m ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, after his breakthrough year under Marcelo Bielsa.

The Argentine head coach and former sporting director Victor Orta opted to cash in on the talented teenager, who failed to make the grade at Spurs over the subsequent years.

Clarke only made four first-team appearances for the Premier League club in all competitions and was unable to contribute with a single goal or assist.

Where is Jack Clarke now?

The English youngster currently plays for Sunderland in the Championship, since his permanent move to the Stadium of Light in 2022, and is thriving at this level.

Clarke has racked up an outstanding seven goals in 11 league matches for the Black Cats so far this season, which means that he is the joint-top scorer in the division as it stands.

Appearances

50

Goals

11

Assists

14

Clarke's 2022/23 season in all competitions (via Transfermarkt)

The 22-year-old whiz was described as "unplayable" by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this year and that is backed up by his superb attacking contributions.

He has created 2.1 chances per match and no Leeds player has managed more than 2.5 per game, whilst none of Farke's stars have produced more than two key passes per clash and scored more than two goals.

How has Piroe performed this season?

Piroe, who was signed from Swansea for more than £10m this summer, has scored five goals and registered 0.5 key passes per outing across 11 Championship starts for the Whites.

The 24-year-old finisher, who has been playing in a number ten role behind Georginio Rutter, is the club's top-scorer and has proven himself to be a reliable option at the top end of the pitch for Farke since his move to Yorkshire earlier this year.

However, Clarke has been in phenomenal form at this level for Sunderland, who are one place above Leeds in the table, with his impressive ability to both score goals and create chances at an exceptional rate.

The young English wizard has been one of the outstanding talents within the division, as evidenced by his place at the top of the scoring charts so far, and it may leave some Leeds supporters wondering what could have been.

It is a shame that the Elland Road faithful did not get to enjoy the 5 foot 11 gem's development at the club. Instead, they have had to watch on from afar as Bielsa's 2019 sale has become an 'unplayable' Championship star.