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O Santos largou na frente no primeiro jogo da final do Paulistão contra o Palmeiras. Sob os olhares de Neymar em uma Vila Belmiro lotada, o Peixe venceu o jogo por 1 a 0, gol de Otero, neste domingo (31), e vai com a vantagem para o Allianz Parque, no próximo dia 7.

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Com o resultado, o Palmeiras perdeu sua invencibilidade na competição. Para conquistar sua terceira taça seguida, o Verdão precisará tirar a diferença em casa de um gol em casa. Uma vitória simples do time de Abel Ferreira, levará a decisão para os pênaltis. O empate dá o título ao Peixe.

⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

O duelo começou pegado, mas com o Santos mais ofensivo e disposto a sair da Vila Belmiro com a vantagem, enquanto o Palmeiras parecia estudar mais o jogo e pouco levar perigo ao gol de João Paulo. Aos 4 minutos, Flaco López teve a primeira chance do jogo, mas desperdiçou e, a partir daí, o domínio santista aconteceu. A melhor chance saiu dos pés de Guilherme, que bateu rasteiro, perto da trave direita de Weverton.

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No segundo tempo, não demorou para o Santos abrir o marcador diante de sua torcida. Após bela jogada de Guilherme pela esquerda, Otero aproveitou o cruzamento e, de cabeça, mandou para o fundo da rede. Depois do gol, o confronto passou a ficar mais equilibrado, principalmente, com as mudanças de Abel Ferreira. Rony teve duas das melhores chances do segundo tempo. Na primeira, parou em grande defesa de João Paulo, e depois mandou para fora. Pedrinho, nos minutos finais, arrancou sozinho e parou em Weverton na finalização. Nos acréscimos, Lázaro quase empatou, mas parou em João Paulo.

O que vem por aí?

Antes dos rivais voltarem a campo para a decisão paulista na próxima semana, o Palmeiras fará sua estreia na Libertadores na quarta-feira (3), às 21h30, contra o San Lorenzo, na Argentina. O Santos, por sua vez, não entrará em campo antes de domingo (7), no Allianz Parque, às 18h, para decidir com o Verdão quem ficará com a taça do Paulistão.

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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários do Paulistão

✅ Santos 1 x 0 Palmeiras
Final – Jogo de ida

Data e horário:domingo, 31 de março de 2024, às 18h (de Brasília)
Local:Vila Belmiro, em Santos (SP)
Árbitro:Flávio Rodrigues de Souza
Cartões amarelos:João Schmidt e Morelos (Santos) / Zé Rafael e Aderlan (Palmeiras)
Cartões vermelhos:-

Gol:Otero

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

SANTOS
João Paulo; JP Chermont (Aderlan), Gil, Joaquim e Felipe Jonatan; João Schmidt (Rincón), Diego Pituca e Giuliano (Cazares); Otero (Pedrinho), Guilherme e Julio Furch (Morelos). Técnico: Fábio Carille.

PALMEIRAS
Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Murilo, Luan e Piquerez (Vanderlan); Aníbal Moreno, Mayke (Estêvão), Zé Rafael (Richard Ríos) e Raphael Veiga; Endrick (Lázaro) e Flaco López (Rony).Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato PaulistaFutebol NacionalPalmeirasSantosVila Belmiro

Manchester United suffered their first defeat of the WSL season, falling 1-0 to a spirited Aston Villa side. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, with Miri Taylor firing in from the edge of the box for her first goal as a professional. The Red Devils were uncharacteristically listless in attack as Mark Skinner's side failed to score for the first time in the 2025-26 season.

United entered the game as heavy favourites, sitting in third at the start of the day's play and the visitors winning just once in their first seven league games. 

Villa frustrated the hosts in an uneventful first half. Taylor's strike came after the hosts failed to clear their lines from a corner. The Scottish midfielder managed to keep the bouncing ball down, driving the ball into the corner of Phallon Tullis-Joyce's net. 

Ella Toone produced United's first shot on target shortly after the hour mark. Her scrambled effort was gallantly cleared off the line by a lunging Villa defender. Skinner's substitutions could do little to influence the game, with United failing to create a clear cut chance until Rachel Williams' header was comfortable stopped by Sabrina D'Angelo in the 85th minute. 

GOAL rates Manchester United's players from the Leigh Sports Village.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Phallon Tullis-Joyce (5/10):

There was little she could to stop Taylor's effort as she was left unsighted by a sea of bodies from the uncleared corner. Dealt with Villa's otherwise tame efforts with minimal fuss.

Jayde Riviere (6/10):

Provided some attacking impetus, but her delivery was inconsistent. 

Dominique Janssen (5/10):

Was caught high up the pitch on a couple of occasions. Bailed out by her centre back partner and the covering Miyazawa.

Maya Le Tissier (6/10):

Fierce battle with player of the match Kirsty Hanson. Stood up to the striker physically, and made some well timed recovery tackles. 

Gabby George (4/10):

Failed to push on with any threat. Pulled in the 55th minute. 

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Hinata Miyazawa (6/10):

An outstanding covering tackle stopped Villa from extending their lead on the hour mark. Unable to dictate play in possession. 

Lisa Naalsund (4/10):

Subbed before the hour mark. Another victim of Villa's compact defence. 

Ella Toone (5/10):

Struggled to impact the game until her snatched chance in the box was cleared off the line. 

Getty Images SportAttack

Jess Park (4/10):

Floated in and out of the game. Showed little sign of the attacking threat she has provided so far this season. 

Fridolina Rolfo (4/10):

One jinking run in the first half resulted in a poor effort on her weaker foot. An anonymous performance otherwise. Pulled before the hour mark. 

Elisabeth Terland (5/10):

Next to no service before getting the hook in the 55th minute. A frustrating afternoon.

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Melvine Malard (6/10):

Provided a physical presence in the box that almost lead to a Toone goal. Her willing runs down the channel turned the Villa defence. 

Anna Sandberg (6/10):

Retained possession well in the final third. Her floated cross for Williams could have set up the break through.

Leah Galton (5/10):

One headed effort screwed harmlessly wide. Little to talk about otherwise. 

Julia Zigotti Olme (4/10):

Little to report. Tidy enough on the ball, but like many of her peers, provided no sustained attacking threat. 

Rachel Williams (N/A):

Could have done better with her headed chance as time expired. 

Mark Skinner (4/10):

His side looked a shadow of the attacking threat they have provided over the season to date. Some of the subs had an impact, but it wasn't enough to break down the visitors' low block. 

Celtic are back in action in the Europa League on Thursday as they travel to Denmark to take on FC Midtjylland in their latest match in the League Phase.

It will be Martin O’Neill’s first venture into Europe since he took over as interim head coach after Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation at the start of last week.

With the Scottish giants still looking for a permanent successor to Rodgers, who won two Scottish Premiership titles in two seasons back at the club, O’Neill will be in the dugout again on Thursday.

The 73-year-old manager won his first two games in interim charge against Falkirk and Rangers, sealing a place in the League Cup final with a win at Hampden Park on Sunday,

Two wins from two games as the interim manager means that O’Neill has provided the board with a chance to take their time to find a long-term successor to Rodgers.

The latest on Martin O'Neill's future at Celtic

There has been speculation that the experienced head coach, who is in his second spell in the dugout at Parkhead, could stay on in the position beyond the upcoming international break.

O’Neill, who won three Premiership titles in his first stint at the club, is a safe pair of hands who could keep the seat warm until the next manager comes in with the summer transfer window ahead of them next year.

When asked if he would be open to extending his stay at Parkhead, the Northern Irishman said: “The very obvious answer would be yes, I would do. But I genuinely don’t know what to expect.

“When I saw the games they had and then the international break, I thought they’ll have a couple of weeks to think about it. I haven’t even spoken to him since that. In a perverse sort of way I’ve enjoyed the two games – but not a lot.”

Football Insider reported at the end of last month that O’Neill could take the job until the end of the season if his spell as the interim is a success, which suggests that the next two matches against Midtjylland and Kilmarnock could be pivotal.

Midtjylland

Europa League

Kilmarnock

Premiership

St Mirren

Premiership

Feyenoord

Europa League

Hibernian

Premiership

Dundee

Premiership

Hearts

Premiership

Roma

Europa League

Falkirk

Premiership

St Mirren

League Cup final

The Hoops have nine more games left to play, including the next two matches before the international break, before the League Cup final clash with St Mirren at Hampden Park.

However, it currently remains to be seen whether or not O’Neill will get the chance to lead the team out at Hampden for a second time, after winning the semi-final there on Sunday.

Whilst O’Neill’s short-term future at Parkhead remains up in the air, there is work going on behind the scenes to identify the long-term successor to Rodgers.

Celtic are making moves for Belgian head coach

According to Voetbal Nieuws, as relayed by Sport Witness, Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Club Brugge tactician Nicky Hayen to Glasgow.

The report claims that the Hoops are eyeing up the Belgian head coach as a potential option to replace Rodgers, and that they are making moves behind the scenes to make it happen.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It adds that Hayen has a release clause in his contract with Club Brugge, which would make negotiations slightly easier for Celtic, but it does not reveal how much that clause is worth.

The outlet also relays comments from the Club Brugge boss when he was asked about interest from the Scottish giants. He said: “I haven’t thought about that for a second. I have someone who looks after my interests and who also knows exactly when to inform me. That’s not on the agenda yet.”

It was a fairly coy response from Hayen, who did not suggest that he would not be interested in the move, and the Hoops must, now, press ahead with a deal for his services.

Why Celtic should appoint Nicky Hayen

On face value, the Scottish giants should appoint the 43-year-old head coach because he has shown that he can win trophies as a manager.

Hayen, who one analyst on social media has described as “tactically unbeatable”, has won three trophies, including a Pro League title, in less than 100 matches in charge.

On top of his credentials as a winner, the Club Brugge boss could be the perfect appointment to develop players at Celtic, who have a rich history of developing and selling talent, including the likes of Matt O’Riley, Jeremie Frimpong, and Virgil van Dijk.

Hayen’s impressive work with Brugge forward Christos Tzolis suggests that he has the coaching skills to make Sebastian Tounekti a superstar at Parkhead.

Tzolis was signed by the Belgian giants for a fee of around £5.7m in the summer of 2024, after a spell of three goals in 30 games with Norwich in England, per Transfemarkt.

The Greek international racked up 21 goals and 16 assists in 56 appearances in all competitions on the left of Hayen’s 4-2-3-1 formation in the 2024/25 campaign, which attracted interest from the Premier League.

Crystal Palace had an offer of £26m turned down for the winger, who was valued at £35m by Brugge, which shows that his value has soared by millions under the Belgian coach.

xG

1.33

Top 35%

Goals

1

Bottom 48%

xA

1.41

Top 12%

Chances created

15

Top 7%

Cross accuracy

37.5%

Top 19%

Assists

0

Bottom 3%

Successful dribbles

11

Top 21%

As you can see in the table above, Tounekti has shown signs of promise in the Premiership for Celtic since his £5m move from Hammarby in the summer, but he needs to add consistency to his end product if he wants to be a superstar.

The Tunisia international, who has scored two goals for the club so far, has been exciting to watch with his dribbling skills and direct play, and Hayen could help him to take the next step in his career.

Club Brugge’s head coach helped Tzolis to add consistency to his play in the final third, leading to goals and assists on a regular basis from the former Norwich man, and he could do the same with Tounekti, who plays in the same position.

Therefore, Celtic could turn their Tunisian winger into a superstar by appointing Hayen to help with his development for the Hoops.

Their own Klopp: Celtic can replace O'Neill with "kamikaze" 4-3-3 manager

Celtic could find their own version of Jurgen Klopp by hiring this reported managerial target.

ByDan Emery Nov 5, 2025

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2025 will be held from November 27 to December 23. Now in its sixth edition, the tournament will take place across three venues – Colombo, Kandy and Dambulla.This will be the fourth time in six years that the LPL is scheduled for the November-December window rather than its preferred July-August slot. The last two seasons took place during July and August, however this year, with the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin in February, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) felt the later window better suited their needs.”The idea to conduct the LPL during this time frame is aimed at aligning the tournament with the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela said.ESPNcricinfo also learnt that talks are underway to incorporate a sixth team into the tournament. The first five editions saw five teams representing Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna compete.”Potential owners for a sixth team are currently being vetted,” Dodanwela confirmed.The inclusion of a sixth team has long been discussed, though SLC’s cautious approach to introducing new ownership might be understandable. The LPL has struggled with long-term franchise ownership over the years.Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings – formerly the longest-standing franchise, having joined in the tournament’s second edition – and Colombo Strikers were terminated by SLC for “failure to uphold contractual obligations.” As a result, the LPL currently has no franchise owners with a history stretching back beyond 2024. New owners for both the Jaffna and Colombo teams are yet to be announced.Dodanwela also elaborated on SLC’s desire to curate more batting-friendly surfaces, with a view to better prepare players for the kind of wickets they are likely to play on during the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.”We were quite happy with the wickets during the last edition, particularly in Dambulla and Kandy,” Dodanwela noted. “We saw lots of high scores and even some centuries during that portion of the tournament. It was only in Colombo where batting was a little harder.”Backing up Dodanwela’s assessment is the fact that the pitches at the R Premadasa Stadium are currently in the process of being relaid. Several national players, such as Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva, also recently voiced the need for more batting-friendly surfaces.

More than anything else, it was a chance for India’s two most celebrated batters – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – to do something big. They failed, as did India

Alagappan Muthu30-Dec-20241:17

The big mistakes that cost India the MCG Test

There were already 50,000 people in the morning to watch the final day’s play of the Boxing Day Test.Four results were possible.It was AUD 10 entry for adults and free for kids under 15.One man had come in with a sign saying “Chase master Kohli” and on the back it said “All the way from Canada”.Virat Kohli – the brand, not the person – has long graduated to King Kohli. Chase master was a long time ago. He aced them so often and so easily that the catchphrase was losing meaning. But it might be coming back now. With a different meaning. A less flattering one. Referring to his natural response to seeing balls angled across him.Related

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India needed 340 to win. Ninety-two overs to play. This was a day made for India’s two celebrated senior batters. A day to atone because it was a day with life. By the end of it, they were in a tortured place.”A lot of the things that I am trying to do is not falling in the place that I would want to,” the captain Rohit Sharma said. “But mentally, it is disturbing without a doubt.”Rohit had come through a very disciplined, hour-long examination by the three Australia fast bowlers. Twenty-two for no loss after 15 overs. Seven balls after the drinks break, though, Rohit went for a big shot. A flick across the line and the ball went 180 degrees in the opposite direction into Mitchell Marsh’s hands at gully.”When you come here chasing 340 – we did that last time around, so there’s no way that we were not thinking of the target,” Rohit said. “But to get that target, you need to lay the foundation.”India were 33 for 3 in the 27th over. They had lost three wickets for 11 runs on a pitch where Australia’s Nos. 10 and 11 had put on a fifty partnership. “Wicket was slowing down a fair bit,” Rohit said. So if you wanted to sit in, you could. If you wanted to back your defence, you could.Kohli fell to the sucker ball in the over before lunch.

“The batters, they sometimes perform, they sometimes don’t. But, it is much more painful if you don’t get the desired results [as a team]. But why don’t you get the results? It happens when you have the opportunity to grab hold of a game, then you should”Rohit Sharma

Mitchell Starc was the bowler. He wasn’t 100%. “He’s a warrior,” Pat Cummins gushed in the end.But that was a point of vulnerability. Australia batting on day five was partly to get themselves as big a score as possible and partly because their battering ram of a left-arm quick needed to be managed slightly. Cummins was seen putting his arm around Starc as he began a new spell.India did something really cool at the Gabba in 2021. But the coolest thing about it is that it helped them win that series and that was only possible because they were able to come out with a draw in Sydney. They lasted five overs longer (97) than they needed to here (92) even though they had only eight wickets to work with. Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin kept a full-strength Australia attack – that one included their regular allrounder Cameron Green – waiting for basically ever. There were three No. 11s below them: Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. All of them could have put their feet up.There was a time when this team could have done that too. For 32.5 overs, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant showed admirable application. Jaiswal was being stalked by Starc with his smiles and his awayswingers. Eleven times the fast bowler went past his bat. On the fifth, Jaiswal smiled back. He knew he had done what he could do. Play the line of the ball and not follow the movement. That gave him a bit of pride. It took him straight into the contest. Earlier, he was driving away from his body and getting beaten.A record number of people came in to the MCG across the five days to watch a compelling contest•Getty ImagesPant showed such restraint. Of all his innings that have lasted more than 15 balls, only three others have seen him forget about scoring as much as he did today. And those didn’t last beyond 33 balls. This one went up to 104. India were taking time out of the game. They were putting overs into the Australian bowlers’ legs, which, if the series had remained 1-1 and considering the short turnaround to Sydney, would have been a tangential benefit. They were getting closer and closer to safety. They had seven wickets in hand to negotiate the last 38 overs. They failed.”The pain of losing a Test match is more,” Rohit said. “The batters, they sometimes perform, they sometimes don’t. But, it is much more painful if you don’t get the desired results [as a team]. But why don’t you get the results? It happens when you have the opportunity to grab hold of a game, then you should. Be it bowling or batting, batters or bowlers, both have the same role. We had the chance…”Cummins gambled that Pant and Jaiswal, having seen off the main bowlers, might chance their arm against a part-timer. Travis Head came on. Pant took on the long square boundaries at the MCG even though Australia had three men posted there and was caught at deep midwicket. Jaiswal, who ended up as India’s last recognised batter, went for another aggressive shot, trying to pull a slower bouncer from Cummins and gloving behind to the wicketkeeper. Ravindra Jadeja received an unplayable ball. Earlier, KL Rahul had received an unplayable ball. The other batters fell to shots that weren’t really conducive to what they were trying to accomplish – what one injured batter and one injured bowler who could bat accomplished in Sydney.”Today, we had the opportunity to win or draw the game,” Rohit said. “We tried but a lot of the boys about whom you are talking, the ones that have scored runs, could have played longer. But they are new, the more they play, they will learn.Steven Smith gets into position to take the catch to dismiss Nitish Kumar Reddy off Nathan Lyon•Getty Images”Sometimes I know you want to do the target, you want to chase the target, you want to be positive and stuff like that. But you’ve got to be realistic as well sometimes. And getting six an over [India needed 228 off 38 overs] on that pitch, it seems a little tough.”Cummins rated this win as his best. Certainly something to rival Edgbaston 2023. Three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand people came through the gates creating a raucous atmosphere. The game ebbed and flowed. Both teams had periods where they were under the pump and fought through it. And really, in the end, it went to the one that made the fewest mistakes. Australia didn’t have any mix-ups running between the wickets. India did and 153 for 2 – a position from which they could at least contest for a first-innings lead – all of a sudden became 159 for 5.Rohit and his men were playing catch-up from that point on and as well as they tried it just wasn’t going to happen. In the end, they were stuck in the dressing room watching their bowlers, who have given everything on this tour, being raked over the coals. Washington Sundar had so many close catchers that Mitchell Marsh who had been asked to join them didn’t know where to go because there was no place. Eventually, Steven Smith moved off to his right basically becoming a second wicketkeeper to facilitate a field that had a silly mid-off, silly point, two gullies, a slip, short leg and leg slip.Bumrah’s wicket – the penultimate one that Australia needed for victory – produced such a visceral roar that the sea gulls sat on top of the MCG roof scattered as a group; fleeing the scene of danger. Eventually they took over the ground. Scores of them were on the outfield as day turned to night. The MCG had turned peaceful. India, though, look a long way from peaceful. They have to digest a loss that needn’t have happened.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot is only worried about arresting his side’s worrying slump amid reports of him signing a new contract.

The Dutchman is facing the first real test of his Anfield reign as the Premier League champions have suffered four successive defeats as part of a wider run of six losses in seven games in all competitions.

Despite that, reports suggest Slot is in talks over a new deal, but that is not where his focus is.

Slot shocked at Liverpool question before Aston Villa

Asked about a possible new contract, he said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa:

Serious questions are being asked of Liverpool and the cause of their severe drop off from the side that coasted to the title last season and won their opening seven competitive games this term.

Slot, who was keen to steer away from “excuses” for his side’s poor run but did cite injuries and a packed schedule, is confident his side have the quality to end their alarming slide.

“The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality of the players,” he added.

“We have to address certain other things, but if I’m speaking about what we have to improve, people then tell me I’m using excuses.

“So maybe it’s better now just to say we need to address certain things. But there are a lot of positives to go into this week as well.

“We miss nothing. I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have and I am also completely convinced by the strategy and the policy that we have.

Arne Slot sends message about Anfield atmosphere after Liverpool fans spotted leaving early

“But that makes the issue – if you call it an issue – is not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.

“When three or four are injured you go back to 16 players. I am a firm believer that 20 or 21 players is enough but you have to keep them fit as we did last season.

“It has been more difficult than last season to keep them all available and if a few of them are not available, it comes down a lot to the same players.

“Maybe last season we were more lucky and now we are more unlucky.

“But, no excuses for our results before people say this. We have had to play a lot of away games with only two days rest in-between and that would have been difficult for our players last season and players that have been fit all pre-season but that has not been our situation.

“It is nothing to do with the squad depth, it is how we’ve gone throughout the season in terms of injuries and availability.”

Alexander Isak and Allison Becker will again be missing for the Reds against Villa while Ryan Gravenberch will be assessed ahead of the match having returned to training.

Chelsea take on Burnley this weekend as Enzo Maresca looks to spearhead a possible Premier League title challenge, with the Blues lying just six points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Chelsea travel to Turf Moor on Saturday looking to maintain their impressive form against the top flight newcomers.

The Blues currently sit third in the Premier League table, having enjoyed an unbeaten run of four games in all competitions before the international break. Despite some criticism, perhaps overblown at times, Chelsea are in pretty good stead right now, having lost just three times in their 12 outings.

The visitors will be strong favourites against a Burnley side languishing in 17th, with the Clarets enduring four defeats in their last six league games. They haven’t even kept a clean sheet in their previous three, and even more concerning for Scott Parker’s side, Burnley now have the third-worst defence in the division this campaign with 22 goals conceded in 11 matches.

However, Chelsea’s title challenge has been hampered by injuries, particularly to their talismanic forward Cole Palmer.

Palmer has been plagued by a niggling groin issue which even caused him problems at the Club World Cup, limiting him to just four appearances in all competitions this season. Maresca confirmed Palmer would miss another six weeks before the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest last month, though Chelsea are hoping the England international will be back from injury to face Arsenal on November 30 (Simon Phillips).

Injuries and absentees have been a key theme of their campaign so far, with Palmer, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Roméo Lavia, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all missing games at various points so far.

This has prompted Maresca to make the most squad rotations of any Premier League manager so far this season with 93, and it could well be a symptom of their extensive fixture schedule last campaign.

Their current injury list includes Palmer, Essugo, Colwill, Badiashile, Lavia and Neto, with Fernandez ruling himself out of Argentina duty as well.

The latter, who has dazzled since Maresca’s arrival as a key linchpin of Chelsea’s midfield, has now become a crucial player for the west Londoners.

Fernandez is attracting interest from Real Madrid as a result, according to some reports, and supporters have been waiting for an update when it comes to his condition.

Chelsea given Enzo Fernández update ahead of Burnley

According to journalist Simon Phillips, the situation is fairly positive.

While Fernandez has been struggling with knee pain, it is believed that the 24-year-old is expected to be available for Chelsea’s trip to Lancashire this weekend in what is a big boost for Maresca’s side.

Fernandez has emerged as a ‘leader’ at Chelsea who has ‘a bit of everything’, as per Sky pundit Micah Richards, and he’s poised to play a crucial role in Chelsea’s hunt for major silverware.

With Barcelona in the Champions League just days after Burnley and Arsenal the weekend after, having Fernandez fit and firing will be absolutely pivotal.

The midfielder has been deployed in an attacking position when Chelsea are in possession, but drops back alongside Moises Caicedo to defend without the ball, creating a hybrid role that has seriously unlocked Fernandez’s true potential after initially failing to justify his £107 million price tag.

Remarkably, Fernandez is the only player at Chelsea to have 20 direct goal contributions in 2025, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists, with Maresca describing him as an ‘example’ to the team.

Norwich City have appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement as the club’s head coach, and the new boss has revealed a message of ambition from majority shareholder Mark Attanasio.

Clement – sacked by Rangers in February – has signed a contract through to the summer of 2029 and will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.

The Belgian replaces Liam Manning, who left Carrow Road ahead of the international break with the Canaries second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, having lost all of their home matches so far this season.

Norwich were reported to have spoken to both ex-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who had a spell as a player with the Canaries, as well as former Sweden and Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, before settling on Clement.

Although the Belgian’s time at Ibrox ended following a disappointing run – with Rangers well adrift of rivals Celtic in the league – Clement did win the 2024 Premier Sports Cup and had previously guided Club Brugge to their domestic title twice before a spell at Monaco.

Clement excited by Norwich ambition

His reign in Glasgow was marred by issues with ownership and recruitment – the Rangers board are still unter intense scrutiny after their failed summer revamp of the playing squad and appointment of Russell Martin – but Clement has revealed he is excited by what Attanasio and Co have in store in Norfolk.

“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity. I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement said on the Norwich club website, revealing the board’s ambition convinced him to join.

Clement’s first game in charge will be away at Birmingham on Saturday.

Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”

If he decides to stay on, will he be getting in the way of the team’s growth?

Nagraj Gollapudi24-May-20251:26

Bangar: If I was Dhoni I would say ‘enough’

It is a question that has been asked of him repeatedly since he retired from international cricket. With that handsome and enigmatic smile, MS Dhoni has always responded, in his own idiosyncratic way: you will have to wait till next season. So, as Chennai Super Kings wind up a forgettable IPL, where they finished last for the first time, the question will once again gather momentum: is time finally up for Dhoni?What if, though, we tweak that query? If Dhoni decides to continue, will he not be getting in the way of CSK’s future growth?No athlete is bigger than the sport they play, but in the case of Dhoni and CSK, the former has acquired godlike status due to what he has achieved for the franchise from the time he was made captain in 2008. He has been central to all their success – five IPL titles, numerous playoffs, and innumerable games where he rescued them from utterly rubbish positions. The franchise has relied on him on the field and off it. No decision is taken without his counsel and his word is final, and that is how it has been virtually throughout Dhoni’s 18-year relationship with CSK, one that is familial more than anything else.Related

• Mhatre and Urvil show up CSK's old-school auction

• Dhoni on his IPL future: I have four-five months to decide

• 'Nothing for me to decide as of now' – Dhoni on his IPL future

• CSK face a tricky situation with Dhoni the batter

Dhoni has already said that he will review his future based on how his body feels closer to the 2026 season. That has been his parting line after the final match of every season for the last five years. By the time the next IPL rolls around, he will be 44 years old. If fit – as he has largely shown he is again this season – he will conceivably be as sharp as ever behind the wickets. His captaincy skills remain strong. But can Dhoni, the batter, walk into the best CSK XI?Early this season, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he came in at No. 9 in a 50-run defeat. In CSK’s next match, another chase, against Rajasthan Royals, he came in at No. 7, when the match was in the balance, but made a stuttering 11-ball 16 in a six-run defeat. Early in May, in another live chase, against RCB again, Dhoni said he took the blame for CSK’s two-run defeat, admitting he failed to step on the accelerator when he came in, in the 17th over, when 42 runs were needed.MS Dhoni: a past master at leaving things till the end•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter the defeat against Royals, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said Dhoni decided his entry points based on the match situation, but that he could not bat too many overs anymore, following his knee surgery after the 2023 IPL. But with Dhoni’s weakness against spin well known, opposition teams keep at least an over of spin in the bag for when he comes out.In the 2024 IPL, Dhoni consciously came in late to bat, his sole intent being to wallop the ball: among batters who made at least 100 runs in that tournament, Dhoni’s strike rate of 220.54 was the second highest. In 2023, hobbling on a dodgy knee, he lifted first the Player of the final, Ravindra Jadeja, and then his fifth IPL title as CSK captain. In terms of runs scored by Super Kings batters in the last two seasons (2024 and up to May 24 this year), Dhoni is fifth on the list, with 357 runs in 24 innings at an average of over 32, a strike rate of nearly 164, and 25 sixes, which is the second highest for the team. The legend of is built on such stuff.However, to fit Dhoni in the side, Super Kings are forced to play one specialist batter fewer – who could be good against spin, or who could float in the order. So far they have seen that as a fair gamble.There is no doubt Dhoni will have dealt internally, within the CSK management, with the question of when to retire more than once. Perhaps he thinks a major part of his responsibility in this regard is to get the timing right: when he is confident the transition will be smooth. However, transitions rarely are.Despite his cult status, Dhoni has maintained it is not about the individual, it is about what is good for CSK. Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, he said it was important to build a core group that would stay together for the next ten years or so. There has been another mega auction since then, last November, and Dhoni remains part of the core group four seasons on from that 2022 auction.Knee be damned: Dhoni gets a load of his main man, Ravindra Jadeja, after the 2023 final•BCCIDhoni’s Super Kings stuck to their template regardless of how a season ended, and more often than not, it was successful. At the last mega auction, CSK decided again to pick a number of players who were close to the end of their careers, including some who had seemingly plateaued. Most of those players are likely to be released soon. There is increasingly talk about the franchise moving in a new direction, by intending to retain and invest in younger talent. But the longer Dhoni sticks around, the harder it could get for them to do this.Among Dhoni’s strengths as a leader was knowing when to pass the baton. He did that with Virat Kohli in 2014 in Test cricket, then in white-ball cricket in 2017, and he identified Ruturaj Gaikwad for the Super Kings job. One of Dhoni’s other strengths is not extending his stay. If he seems to have stuck around at CSK to the point of overstaying, it is perhaps due to a sense of obligationPerhaps it is not just the sense that he needs to oversee a smooth transition that has stopped him from going. Perhaps it is the emotional bonds he has built with the franchise and CSK fans, which have taken deep root. After a fairy-tale title-winning run in 2021, Super Kings owner N Srinivasan said: “There’s no CSK without Dhoni and no Dhoni without CSK.” Srinivasan is no longer actively involved in the running of the franchise. Does Dhoni think he cannot leave until he thinks Gaikwad is completely secure in his leadership role?There has been no other player who has been indispensable to his franchise the way Dhoni has been. CSK fans probably refuse to think of life after him. But even his most die-hard devotees might probably now admit, in private at least, that the time has come for a new beginning. Or do they still believe in their beloved ?

The 2025 MLB season has rounded the All-Star break turn and is headed for the home stretch. There is a glut of teams still in contention for playoff spots, which means the July 31 trade deadline could get hectic.

There are contending teams with glaring holes that must be plugged over the next couple of weeks. Here's a look at the biggest needs among the leaders in the American League—we’ll follow up with the National League on Friday.

New York Yankees: Third base

The Yankees moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base and released DJ LeMahieu. It was a dramatic shift for a team battling for first place in the AL East. The third base job is now open and there is no good fit at the position currently in the Bronx. It may be the most obvious hole a contender has. Oswald Peraza isn't the solution.

General manager Brian Cashman is almost certain to go all-in this season after his team fell three games short of a championship in 2024. There should be several options available to to fill the spot before the deadline, and first among them is Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez. The veteran third baseman is in the final year of his contract and has 31 home runs and 78 RBIs. But there are several guys who could fill that role if the Yankees look elsewhere.

Detroit Tigers: High-leverage relief pitcher

The Tigers entered the All-Star break with the best record in baseball but they're not a finished product. Detroit's offense is fantastic and doesn't need help, other than maybe a bench bat. The front office's focus over the next few weeks should be finding help for the relief corps. The Tigers' bullpen carries an ERA of 4.13, which ranks 21st in the league, and has the third-lowest strikeout rate (19.6%). Other than Will Vest (2.30 ERA) the team's bullpen arms have all been shaky at times.

Detroit should attempt to find at least one big-time relief pitcher, and perhaps another arm for depth. Chatter around the league is that the price for pitching will be exorbitant this season, so the Tigers will have to pick their targets well.

Toronto Blue Jays: Starting pitching

The Blue Jays enter the second half one game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. While José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman have been solid, Toronto needs another starter for the stretch run. As a group, the team's starters have a 4.60 ERA, which ranks 25th in baseball. The Blue Jays simply don't have the depth to compete down the stretch as the season wears on, and another top tier guy could push them from a nice, surprising story to a true contender.

Even if Toronto isn't willing to give up what it takes for a top-of-the-rotation guy, it must find at least one starter to lengthen the rotation. Again, prices will be high, but it could be worth it.

Houston Astros: Starting pitching

Yes, another team in need of pitching (maybe you're starting to understand why prices will be so high). It will be an extreme seller's market this year. Houston's starters have been pretty good this season, as they rank 11th in MLB in ERA (3.80) but they don't have the depth they'll need in October. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have been elite this year, but Spencer Arrighetti and Cristian Javier have both dealt with injuries, while Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski are out for the year.

Getting another starter they’re confident turning to in October to add to Brown and Valdez could make the AL West-leading Astros a favorite in the AL.

Seattle Mariners: Corner infielder

The Mariners enter the second half holding on to the final wild-card spot, but with Cal Raleigh having a potentially record-breaking season, rumors suggest they'll be aggressive. If that's the case, upgrading the corners is what they need to do. Ben Williamson (79 wRC+) isn't good enough at third base, and Luke Raley (0.7 fWAR) could be improved upon at first. One of those spots has to be upgraded.

Like the Yankees, Suárez makes sense for the Mariners, as does Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor.