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Ben Stokes has been left out of the squad for the third Test against Pakistan after MRI scans confirmed a torn calf muscle

Alan Gardner27-Jul-2016Ben Stokes has been left out of the squad for the third Test against Pakistan after MRI scans confirmed a torn calf muscle. England have opted not to replace him for Edgbaston, sticking with the 13 other players named for the Old Trafford Test, with Jake Ball, Steven Finn and Adil Rashid the candidates to come into the XI.Confirmation of a calf tear almost certainly rules Stokes out of the rest of the Test series, although England have indicated he will be reviewed by the medical team in Birmingham on Monday. With back-to-back Tests coming up, it is little more than two weeks until the final match at The Oval, starting on August 11.England squad for third Test

Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Jake Ball, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, James Vince, Chris Woakes

England levelled the series with a 330-run win at Old Trafford, in which Stokes scored 34 batting at No. 7 and took 2 for 39 in Pakistan’s first innings. He pulled up holding his right calf during his sixth over in Pakistan’s second innings and left the field immediately. He had only just returned to the side after missing three Tests with an injury to his left knee.The knee problem, which required minor surgery to fix a cartilage tear, meant Stokes played no part in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and he could now be out for the rest of the summer. England play five ODIs and a T20 international against Pakistan between August 24 and September 7.England have become used to shuffling their order this summer and Stokes’ absence is likely to see Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes all move up a place. Ball, who made his debut against Pakistan at Lord’s, or Finn, who took eight wickets on his comeback at Edgbaston last year, would provide a fourth seam-bowling option, while Rashid could play his first home Test if the pitch looks likely to turn.The policy of sticking with the same group of players seems likely to hand James Vince another chance. Vince is currently averaging 18.57 after five Tests, with a high score of 42, and has yet to prove himself in England’s new-look middle-order.England’s dominant performance at Old Trafford was based around a century from Alastair Cook and Joe Root’s career-best 254 at No. 3, but, despite the margin of victory, some issues remain. Gary Ballance’s return to Test cricket has resulted in scores of 6, 43 and 23, while Alex Hales has struggled against Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers. Moeen Ali’s all-round contribution has also come under scrutiny, although he picked up five wickets in the second Test, his best returns since being named Man of the Match in England’s win in Durban before Christmas.

Glasgow Rangers scouted goalkeeper Ivor Pandur over the weekend ahead of a potential move, according to The Daily Mail.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news involving Pandur?

Michael Beale appears to be making a head start when it comes to possible signings prior to his first full season in charge. It looks set to be a busy few months in the transfer market when it comes to incomings and outgoings, with a number of players out of contract at Ibrox.

Chelsea right-back Dujon Sterling and Norwich City midfielder Kieran Dowell appear to be close to making the move north on free transfers, with the former of the two having a tour of the Gers’ training centre. Up to 10 new additions could be made this summer, one of which may be Pandur following a recent update.

The Daily Mail shared more Rangers news in their transfer confidential story in the last 48 hours, with the club making their first move for Pandur.

They said that Gers scouts checked in on Pandur for Fortuna Sittard against PSV Eindhoven on Sunday, with the goalkeeper under consideration over a summer transfer. A move for Jack Butland is seemingly too expensive at this moment in time, with Pandur appearing to be an alternative.

Who is Pandur?

You can see why Rangers are on the hunt for a new shot-stopper this summer, with Allan McGregor one of those who is out of contract in a matter of weeks and looks destined to call time on his time with the Light Blues.

Pandur, a Croatia U21 international, is 23 years of age and is on loan at Fortuna Sittard from Hellas Verona. He has made 29 appearances for his current employers, and a permanent move appears to be on the cards. He has even recently been hailed by Sjoerd Ars, Fortuna’s technical manager, who described the player as a "top professional".

“Ivor has developed fantastically this season. The rack isn’t finished yet. He is a top professional, works hard every day and always with a big smile. We are of course super happy that we have now managed to capture him for four seasons.”

Therefore, if Rangers can’t get a deal over the line for Butland, Pandur, who was previously linked with Liverpool, could be a shrewd target, potentially arriving to challenge Robby McCrorie next season in what will be Beale’s first full season in charge.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to bolster their squad in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Carlos Augusto to Newcastle?

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercato, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs tracking Monza left-back Carlos Augusto ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that Inter and Juventus, along with some unnamed Premier League teams, are also keen on the defender, who is valued at around €20m (£17m) by his current club.

It is stated that Newcastle are eyeing up the enforcer with a view to making an offer for his services at the end of the season, particularly if they qualify for the Champions League.

Is Carlos Augusto better than Dan Burn?

Toon sporting director Dan Ashworth could land Eddie Howe an upgrade on current left-back Dan Burn with this proposed swoop to sign the Brazilian as his performances this term suggest that he is a better player.

Burn, who is a central defender by trade, has started 32 matches in the Premier League this season and been a key component for the head coach throughout the campaign.

However, his average Sofascore rating of 6.77 ranks him 13th in the squad. He has also made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 56% of his duels in the division.

Augusto, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 in the Serie A for Monza and won 55% of his battles whilst making 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match.

The 24-year-old machine has also scored six goals and provided five assists – creating five 'big chances' for his teammates – in his 31 appearances in the Italian top-flight.

Burn does not carry the same attacking threat as the Englishman has failed to produce a single goal or assist in the Premier League this season – creating just three 'big chances' in total.

These statistics suggest that the "impressive" – as he was once dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting – Monza star would come in as a big upgrade on the Newcastle defender due to his average performance level, his defensive contributions, and his quality on the ball in forward areas.

Augusto is also seven years younger than Burn and would come in with more long-term potential, to go along with possibly being an immediate upgrade on the full-back position.

Ashworth must now work hard to beat Inter and Juventus to his signature this summer.

Tammy Beaumont became the first English woman to hit back to back one-day international centuries as England wrapped up a 3-0 win in their series against Pakistan in Taunton

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2016
ScorecardTammy Beaumont made her second successive hundred•Getty ImagesTammy Beaumont became the first English woman to hit back-to-back one-day international centuries as England wrapped up a 3-0 win in their series against Pakistan in Taunton.Beaumont, who was dropped on 2 and 64, made the most of her good fortune, by posting the second-highest score by an English woman in ODIs, and the fourth-highest overall. In the end, England won by 202 runs with Pakistan, replying to 366 for 4, bowled out for 164, in the 45th over.Having won the toss on a typically flat Taunton wicket, England found few difficulties in coping with the Pakistan attack. Beaumont and Lauren Winfield, who put on 235 for the first wicket at Worcester last Wednesday, made a decent start before Winfield became Sana Mir’s first of two victims, caught by Maham Tariq, at mid-off, at 59 for 1.Thereafter, there was precious little over which to enthuse for the tourists as England made the most of the friendly conditions and some desperately poor fielding.Beaumont passed 50 off 70 balls and featured in a thrilling 166-run partnership with Georgia Elwiss, who put behind her two modest contributions with the bat to score 77 from 78 balls. She passed 50 off 57 balls before being bowled by Mir at 225 for 2 in the 39th over.The arrival of Nat Sciver brought even greater agony for Pakistan. With Beaumont in full flow, the pair added 119 off just 58 balls, in 39 minutes. Sciver struck six fours and a six in her 48 off 22 deliveries.Beaumont posted her century off 111 balls, with nine fours, and reached 150 off 133 balls with a further eight boundaries. Having scored 70 and 104 in the first two matches of the series, Beaumont took her tally against Pakistan to 342 at an average of 171.00 – setting a new record for runs scored by an Englishwoman in a three-match series.Pakistan, who were never likely to trouble England’s considerable total, found themselves in early trouble when Katherine Brunt held on to a regulation catch to dismiss Sidra Ameen for 9, with the score on 16 for 1. Three runs later, Anya Shrubshole picked up a second wicket, that of Javeria Khan. This time Winfield was the catcher as Pakistan slumped to 19 for 2.Brunt, who bowled with great accuracy and, at times, hostility, took her first wicket in the eighth over. Nain Abidi attempted to hook a short delivery from the pace bowler. Unfortunately, instead of dispatching the ball to the boundary, as planned, she gloved a catch to wicket keeper Amy Jones, leaving Pakistan 22 for 3.Faced with a near impossible situation, Pakistan did their best to make a decent fist of things. Bismah Maroof and Sidra Nawaz added 74 off 89 balls for the fourth wicket, and Nawaz and Mir 21 for the fifth. However, when Nawaz departed, bowled by Laura Marsh for 47 in the 31st over, Pakistan’s hopes of getting within 150 all but disappeared.Marsh returned the figures of 3 for 29 and Shrubsole 2 for 17. However, Brunt was the pick of the England attack, finishing with 5 for 30 off 9.5 overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 164 off the penultimate ball of the 45th over.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has given some insight into Tottenham Hotspur's search for a new manager and has suggested that contact has been established with out-of-work candidates and that Spurs are 'past the research stage'.

What's the latest manager news involving Tottenham Hotspur?

As per 90min, former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann and Spanish coach Luis Enrique have held talks with Tottenham over the managerial vacancy in north London and asked questions about how the club is run.

The report also states that out-of-work pair Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers are under consideration by Spurs, while several other candidates in employment have also been linked, including Feyenoord's Arne Slot, Xabi Alonso, Vincent Kompany, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick.

One outlet in France has also claimed that Lille boss Paulo Fonseca is also in the frame to take over; however, West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also keen to hire the 50-year-old in the summer.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi and Celtic's Ange Postecoglou have also been touted for the role, though it is still unclear who will be the next Tottenham head coach.

Speaking on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, Gold has indicated that contact has been initiated with out-of-work candidates:

"What we can say is they seem to be now past the research stage where they're looking into the candidates, compiling their shortlist and now we're at the stage where those managers in jobs, they're going to start discussions with. It appears that they have already had some discussions with those out of work. Obviously, contact has been made with Julian Nagelsmann."

What next for Tottenham Hotspur?

In the here and now, Ryan Mason is currently in charge at Spurs and will try his best to fire his side up for their remaining matches, though being able to finish in the top four looks like a tough ask at the moment.

Tottenham still have four Premier League fixtures left to complete and face some tricky opponents, with Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford and Leeds United still to come.

Spurs sit in seventh place in the Premier League and face the possibility of seeing their hopes of securing any continental football fading into the distance unless they can try and string a run of results together, as Aston Villa and Brentford linger not far behind them.

Mason will need to try and get a tune out of his players before a likely busy summer gets underway at Hotspur Way following a disappointing 2022/23.

Although Champions League football may be out of the window, it will be interesting to see how hard Spurs fight for the remaining two European competitions available to them to qualify for.

Two days out from the Test, with thick grey clouds overhead and the wind whistling in from the north east, Sri Lanka trained in the coldest temperatures many of the team had experienced

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Chester-le-Street26-May-2016Two days out from the Test, with thick grey clouds overhead and the wind whistling in from the north east, Sri Lanka trained in the coldest temperatures many of the team had experienced. Gloves stayed on during fielding drills. Some bowlers wore two woollen jumpers. Batsmen only removed their hoodies to put helmets on. And after training ended, players all but sprinted back into the dressing room.Sri Lanka had done almost everything possible to acclimatise themselves to northern springtime weather, even training in slightly cooler Kandy before travelling to Essex and Leicester in the weeks before the Test. But some will feel they should have held their training camp in an industrial freezer to really feel comfortable in the springtime north.”This is the coldest place I’ve played cricket,” Angelo Mathews said ahead of the Test. “It was extremely cold yesterday and it was a bit better today. The weather can be a factor, but you can’t make it an excuse. When England come to Sri Lanka, it’s hot, and they struggle. You can’t control the weather. You can only control what you do.”Bandara to replace Chameera

Uncapped left-arm seamer Chaminda Bandara will join Sri Lanka as the replacement for Dushmantha Chameera, captain Angelo Mathews said. Bandara is not with the squad yet, and will only be available for the Lord’s Test, which begins June 9.
“Chaminda Bandara is the replacement for Chameera, but both he and Kusal Perera have had a bit of a visa delay,” Mathews said. “They will be with the team in a few days.”
Bandara, 29, was the most successful seam bowler in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition this year, claiming 33 wickets for Ports Authority Cricket Club at an average of 26.30. He leapfrogs Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajith – both of whom had been in the preliminary squad for this tour England, though Bandara wasn’t – into the squad.
SLC is yet to officially confirm his selection.

Often in these conditions it is fielding that poses the major challenge for Sri Lanka, but given the two insipid innings at Headingley, the batsmen will feel more on trial at Chester-le-Street. Through the past year, Mathews had spoken of the mental muddle his top order had got themselves in. In some Tests he felt they had been too reticent. In others, too careless and aggressive.”We have more clarity on the batting approach, and also we’ve found the right balance,” Mathews said. “It’s just that when you play more games, you tend to learn more. Batting is also an art, and Test cricket is an art. It is a test of skill and temperament. It can’t be an excuse because we are all international players and we’ve played enough cricket now to understand what roles we have to play in the team in the batting line-up.”As a batter you have got to have that balance. If you play a whole day and don’t get a run, it’s useless. You do have to be positive when a bowler is bowling really well, but you’ve also got to survive that situation when someone like Broad or Anderson is bowling. Those little phases, you’ve got to win and not lose wickets. When the ball is old and the wicket settles down you can score runs.”Kusal Mendis’ 53 was Sri Lanka’s only half-century in the Headingley match Mathews described as “embarrassing”. Mathews said others in the top order could look to that knock for some inspiration.”This is the first tour for Mendis on the big stage, and his first Test match in England,” Mathews said. “He showed a lot of character when the ball is swinging and seaming around. That itself showed a lot of character about the player. We can take a lot of positives out of it. The rest of the batters can also take a lot of positives out of it and take up the challenge.”Mathews said his team sought to simply forget the Headingley Test, as little good could come of dwelling on so thorough a defeat. “We’ve had only a few days to turn around and think about our strategies. We just have to flush that game out of the system because the more we think about it, the more disappointed we get. You can’t erase it, but you can move on and work really hard to have a positive mindset to take into the next game.”

Arsenal have made major strides towards where they seek to be for the foreseeable future: fighting at the top of the Premier League for those elite honours.

Although Manchester City may seem set to claim the title, Mikel Arteta can remain proud of the meteoric rise his team has overseen. They are poised to once again battle next season, and given the youth that permeates throughout their squad, this is an outfit that should be around the apex of English football for a long time.

Especially if Edu is afforded the license to continue bolstering it, which surely this summer will be the case.

For all the strength of their starting XI, the fragility of their backups has ultimately cost them in their race for glory. Rob Holding was not a patch on William Saliba, and Kieran Tierney is still far from comprehending the inverted full-back role that is so integral to the system.

In an effort to cover numerous positions in one fell swoop, it seems that the Gunners have set their sights on snatching an asset from just across the city.

With Mason Mount's contract talks with Chelsea continuing to stall, and an exit from Stamford Bridge becoming more and more of a likelihood, rumours are swirling that suggest the north London outfit could pounce. What's more, the midfielder is reportedly "considering" the move himself.

Would Mason Mount improve Arsenal?

The obvious comparison for the English ace is to Martin Odegaard, as both seek to occupy that number ten role.

However, it is worth mentioning that both share a versatility that could benefit Arteta massively. The Spaniard enjoys having players on the pitch who are so tactically flexible, as it allows someone as tactically intuitive as himself to switch shapes in-game according to the opposition without having to make substitutes.

It explains why Frank Lampard and Graham Potter in particular continued to start the 24-year-old, even if his form was struggling.

To snatch Mount from the Blues would not only be another great point of contention to add to the list between these famous clubs, but it could mark a repeat of Edu's trick to sign their Norwegian captain from Real Madrid.

With 12 goals and eight assists this season, Odegaard, is enjoying a true standout year as the main creative influence at the Emirates. However, it is worth noting that the £61m-rated Mount did score 11 and assist ten just last season, having previously been noted as a Chelsea "hero" by journalist Karim Rizk.

Also, with a Champions League under his belt, the Cobham graduate would bring that trophy-winning experience that could help take Arsenal to the next level.

It seems all the stars are aligning for Arteta to make this move a reality, adding another creative master to his ever-improving side. If their summer recruitment is to follow this path, next season might just be the one where they take that final step towards toppling Pep Guardiola's unstoppable movement.

Manchester United have enjoyed a fine season, with Erik ten Hag making his mark during his debut campaign in the Old Trafford dugout.

The Red Devils may not have been expected to secure a top-four place ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, let alone do so having also reached two cup finals. With silverware already in the bag and another trip to Wembley on the horizon, their transformation from last season's mess has been meteoric.

However, with such impressive performances understandably comes additional pressure.

Ten Hag spent big in the summer to bolster his squad massively, but there still remain glaring weaknesses within his squad, not least up front. Although the former Ajax boss might appreciate Wout Weghorst, the goal-shy loanee is far from the answer.

Two key targets seem to have already been identified, both with rather contrasting skill sets. Should the Red Devils fail to tempt Harry Kane from north London, despite their longstanding interest, perhaps they could simply turn to Benjamin Sesko as a more long-term solution to their striking woes.

Will Benjamin Sesko join Man United?

Writing for GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones gave an update on their search for a new forward. The Slovenian marksman continues to crop up as an option, but this makes for a perplexing transfer situation given the 19-year-old is already set to join RB Leipzig this summer.

Moving for a €24m (£21.3m) fee – well below his market value due to the shared Red Bull relationship – it is expected that the German outfit will seek to make a huge profit on the forward before he has even kicked a ball for them.

With United as long-time suitors and notorious big spenders, there is every reason to believe a deal could be made this summer.

How good is Benjamin Sesko?

With 14 goals in just 26 league matches for RB Salzburg, plus a further two in their domestic cup, it was been a prolific season for the young finisher. Such blistering form for someone of his age has understandably drawn praise, with journalist Ryan Taylor including him in the bracket of "generational talents". Meanwhile, fellow writer Manuel Veth agreed that the "kid is special".

What makes him so unique is not just his goalscoring, as the 6 foot 5 goliath also poses a fine physical threat upon which teams can build from. Given Ten Hag's liking towards Weghorst – who stands an inch taller than this potential successor – the Red Devils boss could seek to bring in this teenager and mould him into his perfect striker.

Whilst Kane might already have perfected such a role, and with an added hunger to push towards the all-time Premier League scoring record, he is hardly one for the future at 29. With a £100m upfront fee touted too, it is expected to be far from a cheap deal.

Despite being more inexperienced, Sesko could prove to be an intelligent investment for the future of the club, rather than rushing to sign the biggest, shiniest player available on the market – all at a cheaper price. This is a tactic they have deployed in the past since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, to little success.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz had a “tough time” during the Premier League game vs Brentford, says journalist Gregg Evans.

How did Luiz perform at the Community Stadium?

The Midlands outfit were the visitors at the Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon where Unai Emery and his side earned a 1-1 draw against Thomas Frank’s hosts, with goals scored either side of the break from Ivan Toney and Luiz.

The Brazilian was named in the starting line-up for the trip to TW8 and was kept on the field for the full length of the game, and despite netting the all-important equaliser, his performance prior to that was underwhelming having lost possession of the ball 14 times, not to mention that he was also dribbled past twice and received a yellow card in the second-half, as per SofaScore.

Taking to Twitter, Evans criticised Luiz’s display vs the Bees and thought it was obvious that his level of standard today had dropped compared to the bright spark that he was earlier in the season. He wrote:

“Douglas Luiz is having a tough time today. Nutmegged early on. Fair few fouls gone in on him. Given the ball away a few times. He's just not quite at the same level as recent weeks/months.”

Should Villa be worried about Luiz's performance?

Aston Villa had a mediocre day at the office and will be disappointed not to have come away with all three points, but despite Luiz having a real individual mixed bag of a performance, he still received a match rating of 7.6 which was the highest throughout the whole of the squad showing that he remains one of the most key players for Emery.

The Rio de Janeiro native has clocked up five assists and scored four goals across all competitions this season, via Transfermarkt, so has proven what he’s capable of and therefore the boss shouldn’t be concerned about one display that was slightly under par considering the promising signs the £75k-per-week ace has displayed up until this stage of the campaign.

Former Aston Villa forward and pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to the club’s reported interest in Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What’s Agbonlahor had to say on Villa possibly signing Phillips?

Villa have seemingly been long-term admirers of Phillips which dates back to 2019 when he was with Leeds United in the Championship. Those at Villa Park were even looking at a move for the England international last summer, but as we know, he ended up moving to the Etihad Stadium.

Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Phillips in Manchester, though, with the player yet to start a Premier League match this season. That has led to rumours of an exit this summer, with Villa once again showing a strong interest in a possible club record £45m transfer. It is thought that Unai Emery is after a “top-class signing capable of running the midfield”, and the Spaniard feels the 27-year-old fits the bill.

However, talking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor feels that Phillips would struggle to get into Emery’s first-choice XI, believing Boubacar Kamara “is a better player”.

“To be honest, I don’t think he starts. I think Kamara is a better player. “We’ve also got Luiz, Ramsey, McGinn. I think Villa are ok in central midfield, I really do.

“I don’t think Phillips starts in our midfield. With the price Man City would want for him, £45million – I just can’t see Villa being interested and following through with a deal.”

Should Villa look elsewhere?

As Agbonlahor mentions, Villa currently have a number of solid midfield options, players which Emery is getting the best out of which has resulted in a late push for European football.

NSWE are ready to back the manager with a “huge” budget which could involve the club record for a transfer being smashed, but writing a big cheque for Phillips could be a gamble given he has played just 390 minutes all season.

A new versatile midfielder could be of use to bolster Emery's ranks, with Valencia’s Andre Almeida another who has been linked with a move to the Midlands. The 22-year-old would provide a more attacking option over Phillips, with the Portuguese ace primarily a central midfielder who can turn out further forward or on the right.

However, a move for Phillips looks like it will once again be one to keep an eye on in what could be a busy few months ahead of Emery’s first full season.