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Leeds United are keen to revive their Premier League fortunes after a poor start to the season under Daniel Farke, who has now found out where he stands ahead of their trip to face Manchester City.

Leeds United and Daniel Farke caught in awkward situation

There is no point in beating around the bush. Farke has come under significant pressure recently at Elland Road, and a run of five losses in his last six matches has done little to win fans over in West Yorkshire.

On the face of it, the German is a talented coach who deploys an exciting brand of football that has won plenty of adulation, albeit the Whites have been undone too often by the fine margins of the top-flight.

Facing Manchester City is a daunting task at the best of times, not least when they managed to give a rest to key players during their Champions League exploits in midweek.

Another misstep and Farke could be in serious trouble, with former Union Berlin boss Bo Svensson and ex-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers on Leeds’ shortlist should they decide to call time on his spell at Elland Road.

Survival is a difficult ask for any newly-promoted side, and nobody was expecting the Whites’ return to the Premier League to be straightforward. However, results are critical, and they appear to be in short supply at the moment.

Ultimately, only time will tell whether Farke gets an extended period to turn things around. As supporters hunt for clarity, a new update has now emerged regarding his future.

Daniel Farke given Leeds United sack ultimatum

According to sources from Football Insider, Leeds boss Farke has two matches to save his job at Elland Road, and the 49ers Enterprises are now ‘exploring new manager options amid growing fan discord over the performances and results under Farke’.

Carlos Corberan and Marcelo Bielsa are also mooted as options alongside Rodgers and Svensson, though whoever takes on the mantle, should the 49-year-old be relieved of his duties, will face some tough festive fixtures in the cold light of day.

Leeds United’s tough upcoming matches

Manchester City (A)

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Chelsea (H)

Premier League

Liverpool (H)

Premier League

Brentford (A)

Premier League

Crystal Palace (H)

Premier League

For now, Farke remains in post, but the fact that his club are already on the lookout for alternatives paints a bleak picture for his future unless Leeds can string together a run of meaningful results in the near future.

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Truthfully, the Whites’ boss has been uncompromising in his methods and is willing to go down on his own terms rather than be forced to deviate from his tactical style.

While that is admirable in theory, it remains to be seen if he can evade doubters over the coming weeks with his job well and truly on the line.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed that a game will return to Spain in the foreseeable future. The Santiago Bernabeu, home of La Liga giants Real Madrid, hosted the meeting between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday, in which Miami claimed a 16-13 overtime win in the final international game of the 2025 season.

NFL played seven international games this year

Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was intercepted by Jack Jones in the first play of overtime at the Bernabeu on Sunday. The error, though, paved the way for Riley Patterson's match winning field goal as an entertaining match capped a historic season for the NFL.

The game was not only the first in Spain, but the seventh international match in a season as the NFL continues to expand globally. Owing to the success in Madrid, there have been talks about playing a match in Barcelona. While Spotify Camp Nou won't be completely ready until 2027, the home of the Blaugrana and their eventual 105,000 seater stadium would be the next logical step for the sport.

Barcelona will play their first game at Spotify Camp Nou since the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon when they host Athletic Club, albeit with the capacity capped at 45,401 as renovations continue.

The NFL's first international game of the season came in Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year, while there was also games played in Dublin and Berlin for the first time, along with the customary three games in London, two of which took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the third at Wembley.

AdvertisementAFP'We will be back, we are excited'

Goodell waxed lyrical about the Bernabeu and confirmed that the NFL will one day return to Madrid. Speaking to the Spanish media after Sunday's game, the NFL Commissioner said: "We will be back, we are excited. This has been a great opportunity for us. We always wait until we get through the games, but we want to be back here in Madrid [and] Spain. I think this is a great market for us."

Goodell added to NFL Network: "It's been spectacular. We've never played seven games, Brazil was a great start and finishing here in Madrid it just feels right. This is such a great city. The stadium is remarkable and the partners at Real Madrid and the city have just been amazing."

There are also plans in place to take the NFL further afield, with a game pencilled in for Melbourne, Australia next year, while Goodell stated earlier this year that he is keen to see a game played in Asia in 2026. "Australia is going to be a big learning and test next year," Goodell said.

"We are excited about that. I think we will be back in a lot of the markets we've been this year, but we have a couple more that we're thinking about right now. So many cities have been reaching out, and that's a great thing for us."

UEFA impressed by Bernabeu transformation

The success of the NFL game in Madrid over the weekend may have a positive impact for Real Madrid in the long run. It's been reported that UEFA were left impressed by the transformation of the stadium and that they'd one day like to see the revamped Bernabeu host a Champions League final.

Real Madrid's home has hosted the final of Europe's showpiece event four times in its history, doing so in 1957, 1969, 1980 and most recently in 2010. In addition, the Bernabeu hosted the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final between heated rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate owing to safety concerns. River would go on to win 5-3 on aggregate in the last Copa Libertadores final played across two legs.

However, one potential hiccup is that Real Madrid would need to lodge a bid to host the Champions League final, which given the strained relationship between the La Liga leaders and European football's governing body, is unlikely to be forthcoming.

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Getty Images SportWhen do Real Madrid next play at home?

Real Madrid are in the midst of a lengthy run of away fixtures. Xabi Alonso's men last played in front of their fans at the start of November, as goals from Kylian Mbappe – twice – Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras earned a 4-0 win over Valencia.

Since then, Los Blancos have played Liverpool at Anfield and Rayo Vallecano at the Vallecas in the Champions League and La Liga, respectively, and failed to win both. Next up for Real Madrid is a trip to Elche on Sunday before games at Olympiacos, Girona and Athletic Club.

Real Madrid then return home for the welcome of Celta Vigo on December 7.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (05), os clubes 20 do Brasileirão aprovaram, durante evento do Conselho Técnico da CBF, o regulamento de competições para a temporada 2024. Em votação unânime por 20 votos a 0, ficou decidido que o limite de estrangeiros, por partida, será aumentado de sete para nove.

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Em 2023, os clubes já haviam votado uma expansão na utilização de estrangeiros, que havia passado de cinco para sete. Apesar da unanimidade na votação, a proposta de expansão não é vista com positividade de maneira absoluta. A Federação Nacional dos Atletas Profissionais de Futebol (Fenapaf), se manifestou de forma contrária à decisão.

O Presidente do Internacional, Alessandro Barcellos, comemorou a decisão tomada no evento da CBF: “É importante o aumento de estrangeiros, nós trabalhamos fortemente nisso. E a questão do gramado sintético, ficou definido que o Conselho Nacional de Clubes fará estudos para definir melhor a padronização dos gramados”.

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Além disso, outro assunto fortemente debatido foi o uso de gramados sintéticos. A expectativa é que durante a temporada, o Conselho Nacional de Clubes aumente os estudos sobre o uso dos sintéticos e estabeleça um padrão de qualidade para os gramados. O objetivo é minimizar as reclamações de outros clubes que entendem que esse tipo de gramado proporciona desnível técnico à competição.

Apesar disso, foi autorizado que os clubes que atuam em gramados sintéticos poderão passar a utilizar esse tipo de gramado em seus Centros de Treinamento. O evento contou com a participação de alguns atletas de clubes do Brasileirão, dentre eles, o lateral Tinga (Fortaleza),

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Opener Campbell Kellaway also impressed for Australia A on a dominant day for the hosts

AAP05-Dec-2025Jhye Richardson has announced his triumphant return to bowling, taking four wickets in his second game back from injury as Australia A punished a hapless England Lions.The hosts went to stumps on day one of their four-day match in Brisbane at 155 for 2, after Richardson had taken 4 for 35 to help bowl the Lions out for 166.Richardson would almost certainly have figured in Test contention for this summer, had he not been recovering from shoulder surgery. He went wicketless during 20 overs for a CA XI against the Lions late last month, but was back bowling at pace at Allan Border Field on Friday.Richardson had Ben McKinney dropped at first slip in his third over of the day, before running through the tourists in the second session. He bowled James Rew for 7 when the left-hander inside-edged a ball that angled across him onto his stumps, before Richardson’s pace had Ben Kellaway playing on.In almost comical fashion, Kellaway defended a delivery from the quick before he was unable to stop the ball rolling back onto his stumps.Richardson then had both Matthew Fisher and Nathan Gilchrist edging behind the wicket, as the Lions fell from 72 for 1 to all out for 166 in 50 overs.Richardson played his last Test in December 2022, but has battled constant shoulder and hamstring injuries since then. His recovery from last season’s dislocated shoulder ruled him out of contention for the start of the Ashes, with Brendan Doggett debuting in Perth.Todd Murphy and Xavier Bartlett also took two wickets each for Australia A, before Campbell Kellaway flew to 71 off 75 balls in the final session.Earmarked as a Test opener of the future, Kellaway’s runs came after he also hit a half-century for the Prime Minister’s XI against England last weekend.Kellaway produced one of the shots of the day with a cracking pull shot off Gilchrist, before he later pulled the quick straight to mid on.England spinner Shoaib Bashir meanwhile had an unhappy afternoon, taking 0 for 22 from three overs after being overlooked for the Gabba Test.Nathan McSweeney (40 not out) pulled Bashir’s first two balls for four, before Kellaway also took to him in the next over and he was dragged out of the attack.

“I feel that because of the unity we play with, we defeat the strongest teams,” says Vidarbha’s spinner

Abhimanyu Bose15-Oct-2025Harsh Dubey, the left-arm spinner who has been at the centre of Vidarbha’s strong red-ball campaigns over the last two seasons, feels it is the the team’s discipline that makes them stand out from other Indian sides.Last season, Dubey’s 69 wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season were the most for any bowler in the competition’s history. Part of Vidarbha’s age-group set-up before graduating into the senior team, he also said the closeness of the squad and the structure in place has helped Vidarbha become successful.”I will not say [Vidarbha are the] strongest, because I feel that more than being the strongest, we have the most disciplined cricketers overall in India, because of our structure, our team bonding,” Dubey said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai. “So, I feel that because of the unity we play with, we defeat the strongest teams. This is my observation.”Related

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Vidarbha have been on a roll over the last two seasons in red-ball competitions. They reached the Ranji Trophy final in 2023-24, won it in 2024-25 and have started the 2025-26 domestic season by securing their third Irani Cup title. They also won back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19.”See, honestly, the current lot that’s playing now, we have won at least 2-3 trophies in age group cricket. So, we know that winning habit,” Dubey said. “And even the structure of our off-season camps in the VCA, it makes a lot of difference as to how strong your basics are.”Because our coach, Usman Ghani, he was most of our players’ coach in U-14 or U-19. So, I think he has a very good understanding of the players – ‘who can be useful to me and when’.”And even the role of of our backroom team, our trainers, our physios, their role is very important. So, I think we are getting the result of their hard work in the last 7-8 years.”Despite Vidarbha’s successes, very few players from the team have made the national side. Karun Nair, who has now moved to Karnataka between seasons, made a comeback in England, while Jitesh Sharma’s white-ball credentials have made him a regular in the T20I team. However, the list is sparse, with Umesh Yadav being the standout from the team over the past two decades.When asked if players from Vidarbha not getting picked for India can demoralise the team, Dubey said it was all a matter of perspective.”I think it’s a matter of motivation,” Dubey said. “That just ‘this much’ won’t do. You have to do more. So, if you think positively about this negative point, then I think you will have a mindset that will help you do even better.Akshay Wadkar’s leadership has been a standout in Vidarbha’s recent successes•PTI “So, I think the players who are doing well – like Yash Rathod is doing well, Danish Malewar is doing well, our skipper [Akshay Wadkar] is doing well – there are a lot of such players. So, if you keep doing well consistently. You will get an opportunity at some point.”Vidarbha have replaced Nair in the squad by signing up ex-Karnataka batter R Samarth for this season, who has made the switch from Uttarakhand. It leaves a big gap in their middle-order, but Dubey said the Irani Cup performance of beating a strong Rest of India team showed there’s no void.”I read this in another place that if Karun Nair is not here, how will Vidarbha win Irani Trophy?,” Dubey said. “We won the Irani Trophy. We won without Karun Nair, and even Samarth didn’t even play this time.”So it’s not that if a player leaves, it will leave a gap. I think we have enough good players and even if we don’t have professionals, we can still do well. But yes, having a professional is an additional benefit because they bring experience with them and you get to learn new things many times. I don’t think if anyone leaves Vidarbha, there will be a gap.”On Wednesday, Vidarbha began their Ranji Trophy title defence against Nagaland in Bengaluru. They are in a tough Elite Group A alongside Jharkhand, Andhra, Baroda, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Nagaland.

Former Paris Saint-Germain and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi was left stunned by Vitinha's Champions League hat-trick against Tottenham, labelling the Portuguese star as "exceptional". Matuidi believes Vitinha has "no limits" and is currently the "best midfielder in the world," urging him to emulate Luka Modric and challenge for the Ballon d'Or.

• Matuidi hails Vitinha's 'exceptional' performance

  Following Vitinha's stunning hat-trick in the 5-3 Champions League victory over Tottenham on Wednesday night, former PSG midfielder Matuidi heaped praise on the 25-year-old Portuguese international. Speaking to , Matuidi, once a key figure at PSG and a 2018 World Cup winner with France, expressed his amazement at Vitinha's current level.

  ‘It's exceptional, almost unique," Matuidi said. "We don't realise how rare it is for a midfielder to score a hat-trick. I think this performance says everything about his game and what he has become. He can do everything." Vitinha's goals came in the 45th, 53rd and 76th minutes, the last of which was a penalty, helping PSG secure a vital win in a thrilling contest.

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  Vitinha labelled the 'best midfielder in the world'

  Matuidi went even further in his praise, asserting that Vitinha has now reached the pinnacle of his position globally. "He's perhaps the best midfielder in the world today," Matuidi declared, lauding his game intelligence, passing accuracy, work rate, and ability to deliver complete performances consistently.

  "His intelligence on the pitch, his ability to take in information faster than others and his accuracy in the final pass. And more recently, there's the diversity in his shots. He has a very wide range," he added, before comparing him to former team-mate Thiago Motta. "Thiago had exceptional game intelligence. Vitinha has this ability to always be in the right place. The difference lies in mobility. Vitinha is a different player in the sense that, in order to set the tempo, he needs to be constantly on the move and close to the forwards."

• Ballon d'Or potential and 'no limits'

  The level of Vitinha's performances has led Matuidi to envision a golden future for the midfielder, saying: "It feels like he'll never stop progressing. At 25, he hasn't yet reached his prime. I don't see any limits for him. And so, potentially, he's capable, like Luka Modric did one season, of winning the Ballon d'Or. For a midfielder like him, he'll inevitably be more dependent on the team around him than a striker, but he's capable of it. However, I don't think he's thinking about it. Because from what I see, Vitinha thinks first and foremost about the team, about the group's success. But his qualities speak for themselves. And that's what makes him a unique player.

  "He doesn't say much, he's discreet on social media, but on the pitch, he makes a lot of noise (laughs). He's perhaps the best midfielder in the world today. In any case, if there's an envelope with a few names in it, he's in there."

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  PSG in fine form after Champions League win

  Vitinha's heroics were crucial for the defending champions, who currently sit second in the Champions League standings with 12 points from five matches, three points behind leaders Arsenal. The victory over Tottenham was significant in solidifying their position high up the table and, with three games left in the round, leaves them on the cusp of securing a place in the last-16 without having to navigate a play-off tie. Other goals for PSG on the night came from Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho, while Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani scored for Tottenham, with Lucas Hernandez receiving a red card for PSG in stoppage time.

  Vitinha, who spoke of his surprise after the first hat-trick of his professional career, will hope to inspire PSG to another win this weekend when they take on fierce rivals Monaco on Saturday. A week later, they host Rennes in the French capital before returning to Champions League action against Athletic Club.

Nobody at Malahide was more disappointed than Sonny Baker when rain ruined the second of England’s three matches in Ireland on Friday. Two-and-a-half weeks on from a chastening ODI debut against South Africa, Baker was in line to win his first T20I cap and was “desperate” for a second crack at international cricket. Instead, he is crossing his fingers for sunshine on Sunday.At 22, Baker has emerged as a serious prospect this year, fast-tracked onto an England development contract after impressing for the Lions in Australia. He starred in the Hundred, with sharp new-ball spells to David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, and was widely considered a potential Ashes bolter had he made a positive first impression in an England shirt.Instead, what should have been the highlight of his young career quickly turned into a day to forget. With just 131 on the board after a dramatic batting collapse – Baker was last man out, bowled first-ball – he was asked to bowl the first over, running up the hill at Headingley. Aiden Markram duly hit three of the first five balls of his England career to the boundary.His second over went no better, with Markram crunching him for six on either side of the ground. Harry Brook kept him on, hoping a wicket would change things, but had to relent after his first four overs cost 56 runs. Baker’s second spell, after an end change, went slightly better, but 0 for 76 in seven overs were still the worst figures for an England ODI debutant.Baker receives his England cap from Jos Buttler•ECB via Getty Images

“It was obviously not exactly how I’d planned my debut going,” Baker said on Saturday, with a healthy dose of perspective. “Not all good experiences are enjoyable experiences… At the time, I was thinking, ’15 an over for my first three or four overs is not what I had in mind!’ But in the long run, it’ll be a good thing… The next one will definitely be better than that – or hopefully!”Jof [Jofra Archer] came over from cover to mid-off and was like, ‘How’s your heart rate, bud?’ But from an emotional management point of view, I actually felt okay at the time, all things considered. There was so much going on that I didn’t really have time to register, ‘Oh no, this is really not going how I wanted it to.’ It was like, ‘Well, I’ve just got to get on with it and deal with it.'”Overall, I was obviously a little bit disappointed after the series, because it’s not how you want your first game to go. I had a bit of time to reflect, but bounced back fairly quickly after that because I knew I was obviously in for this [tour].”Baker has quickly developed a reputation as a meticulous note-taker, who takes analysis very seriously and plans for each game in great detail. He was not too disheartened reviewing his debut, recounting one delivery to Markram at 89mph – “a little bit over the top of leg stump” – which disappeared over square leg for six.”Brooky was chatting to me after, and said, ‘What did you write down in your notebook after that game?’ I just said, ‘Shit happens,'” he recounted. “It was not the best I’ve bowled, but there’s days where I’ve bowled a lot worse than that and got four [wickets] for not very many. It’s just one of those games: you can score quickly at that ground.”Related

• Brook backs butchered Baker after chastising ODI debut

• Abject England still searching for one-day identity

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• Dublin downpour leads to Ireland-England washout

His main takeaway was how little room for error there is at international level: “It’s just the execution. I knew what I was trying to bowl [to Markram], just cramping him for room at the top of leg stump. If you miss fractionally short or you miss fractionally full, it’s tough. Basically, your margins are just smaller… Batters are allowed to play good shots.”He hopes to be involved in next month’s white-ball tour to New Zealand and will then head to Australia in some capacity, most likely with the Lions. After only seven first-class appearances – all of them this year, including an unusual debut for the Lions – Baker is still an unknown commodity as a red-ball bowler: “That’s one of the exciting things about being young, isn’t it?”Brendon McCullum singled him out for his “infectious enthusiasm” after the series, and his debut does not appear to have affected him too negatively. He was back bowling for Hampshire on Blast Finals Day last weekend, where his personal highlight was an inswinging yorker to clean up Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and is now hoping to make his T20I debut in front of his parents and his girlfriend in Ireland.Baker was “very nervous” on the morning of his debut at Headingley, but hopes that he will be able to channel his emotions in Malahide – a more low-key setting, even with tickets sold out for Sunday’s match – and prove himself in an England shirt: “I’m desperate to get out there again… Hopefully, [Sunday] will be a good opportunity to get one under my belt.”

حسمت وزارة الشباب والرياضة الجدل الدائر في الساعات الأخيرة بشأن ما تردد عن تقدّم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك باستقالته، نظرًا للظروف المالية الصعبة التي يمر بها النادي.

وأكدت الوزارة أن كل ما تم تداوله بهذا الشأن لا يمت للحقيقة بصلة، وأن المجلس يواصل مهامه بصورة طبيعية دون أي تغييرات إدارية.

وأوضح محمد الشاذلي المتحدث الرسمي باسم الوزارة، في تصريحات إعلامية، أن الجهة الحكومية لم تستقبل أي طلبات أو مراسلات رسمية تتضمن نية رئيس النادي حسين لبيب أو أي عضو من مجلسه التقدم بالاستقالة.

وشدد على أن ما انتشر عبر بعض المواقع وصفحات التواصل الاجتماعي، يدخل ضمن إطار الشائعات التي تهدف لإثارة البلبلة داخل الوسط الرياضي.

طالع أيضًا | “مش هنضرب الأرض تطلع فلوس”.. تصريحات مُثيرة من داخل إدارة الزمالك وحقيقة التقدم بالاستقالة

وأكد الشاذلي أن وزارة الشباب والرياضة تتابع عن قرب أوضاع الهيئات الرياضية، وتحرص على ضمان استقرارها الإداري والفني، مشيرًا إلى ضرورة تحري الدقة قبل تداول أخبار تمس المؤسسات الرياضية الكبرى.

كما لفت إلى أن الوزارة تعتمد الشفافية في التعامل مع الجمهور ووسائل الإعلام، وأن أي تطورات تخص مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك سيتم إعلانها بشكل رسمي فور حدوثها، داعيًا الجماهير إلى عدم الانسياق وراء الأخبار غير الموثوقة وانتظار البيانات الرسمية فقط.

India Test captain Shubman Gill has been discharged from the hospital where he was receiving treatment for neck spasm sustained during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. He, however, remains in doubt for the second Test in Guwahati starting Saturday.India have a training session in Kolkata on Tuesday morning but Gill is not expected to take part in that. The team is expected to fly to Guwahati on Wednesday, but with commercial air travel not advised for people recovering from neck issues, Gill is unlikely to fly with the team that day.Head coach Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference that Gill was “still being assessed”, with another assessment to be carried out by the physio and team soon. Gill’s absence in the fourth innings left India a batter short in their 30-run loss in a low-scoring game.Related

• Gill set to miss Guwahati Test against South Africa; Pant to stand in as captain

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“It was tough because we always knew we were one down,” Gambhir said after India were bowled out for 93 in their chase of 124. “Obviously, Shubman wasn’t there, and then losing two before lunch, we were literally three down. But we always felt that if we got those partnerships, a 50-run partnership or two 40-run partnerships, we would’ve been in the game.”If Gill is unavailable for the next Test, potential replacements are left-hand batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. Sudharsan made 87 and 39 against West Indies in Delhi but had a top score of 32 in four innings for India A against South Africa A earlier this month. Padikkal, who played one Test each in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the home series against England, returned three single-digit scores and a 24 against South Africa A.If that’s the only change India make for the Guwahati Test, it would leave them with seven left-hand batters in their XI. In Kolkata, India fielded six left-hand batters for the first time. Of the eight wickets offspinner Simon Harmer took in the Kolkata Test, six were of left-hand batters, while part-time offspinner Aiden Markram also dismissed one left-hand batter.Gill was admitted to the hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test, following the decision to retire hurt after facing only three balls in India’s first innings. On the morning of the third day, the BCCI said Gill would take no further part in the Test.Gill missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm too. His injury scare comes at a time when his workload has been under constant monitoring. He has played cricket non-stop across formats since IPL 2025 and was among four Test players who flew to Kolkata straight from Australia after the T20I series.

Any supporters of Glasgow Rangers and Scotland will have enjoyed their Tuesday night after former Gers academy prospect Kenny McLean scored in a 4-2 win over Denmark to qualify for the World Cup.

Whilst McLean scored from the half-way line, Scott McTominay stole the headlines with an outstanding overhead kick early on in the match, which put Scotland 1-0 up.

The attacking midfielder has now scored 14 goals for Scotland, with this strike against Denmark arguably the best of the lot, and his rise to prominence for his country is a story that the Gers could learn from.

What Rangers can learn from Scott McTominay's Scotland heroics

Per Transfermarkt, McTominay started more games as a defensive midfielder (134) than in any other position during his time with Manchester United, and scored 29 goals in 255 matches.

The Premier League giants sold him to Napoli for a fee of £25.7m in the summer of 2024, and a change in his role by the Italian side unearthed his true potential, as the majority of his starts with the Serie A champions, per Transfermarkt, have been as a central or attacking midfielder.

McTominay has not started a single game as a defensive midfielder for Napoli, per Transfermarkt, and has scored 17 goals in 50 matches for the club as a result of their decision to unleash him further up the pitch.

Rangers can learn from his rise to stardom in Naples because it is proof that a player can sometimes be hampered by the position they are playing in, and that may be the case for Mohamed Diomande.

Why Rangers need to change Mohamed Diomande's position

Football FanCast recently published an article suggesting that January may be the right time to cash in on the Ivorian midfielder, because of his regression on the pitch this season.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

McTominay’s resurgence for club and country, though, could play a role in changing that opinion, as Diomande could revive his Ibrox career by being unleashed further up the pitch.

Former Rangers boss Philippe Clement, who recently landed a new job with Norwich, criticised the midfielder and Cyriel Dessers because they were “not brave enough” in November last year, but that tough love led to Diomande ending the season with six goals and nine assists, per Transfermarkt.

All positions

48

14

Central midfield

19 (40%)

7 (50%)

Attacking midfield

16 (33%)

1 (7%)

Defensive midfield

13 (27%)

6 (43%)

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star has been asked to play in far more defensive positions than when he excelled last season under Clement and Barry Ferguson.

Diomande has no goals and no assists in 18 games, per Transfermarkt, after his 15 goal contributions in the 2024/25 campaign, which clearly shows that the change in his position has had a negative impact on his performances.

The left-footed star, who showed off his attacking quality at Parkhead in March, is capable of far more than he has shown this season, as evidenced by his form last season.

That is why Danny Rohl should look to unleash Diomande further up the pitch, in an attacking midfield role, because his attacking instincts could see him revive his Ibrox career in the same way that McTominay’s positional change sparked his career for club and country into life.

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