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Manchester United are looking to add to their squad in January, and Fabrizio Romano has revealed one signing the Red Devils absolutely “will” make in 2026.

Ruben Amorim will be pleased with the progress his side have made in their last batch of Premier League matches with the international break now here, given that the Red Devils have gone five games unbeaten in the top-flight.

Despite looking set for a defeat last weekend, Matthijs De Ligt’s late header against Tottenham salvaged Manchester United a draw in the capital to keep his side one point off the top four.

Intriguingly, the Red Devils now sit above Liverpool on goal difference after their heavy defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, which is a testament to their resilience despite losing three players due to injury, something Amorim was keen to point out when speaking to Match of the Day.

“It was a complicated match, especially in the end. If you look at the game the three points were there to take. I think we can be so much better to understand more what’s happening in the game,” said the United boss.

“We lacked a little bit in the final third, the quality was not perfect. We fight in every adversity. We lost Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko and we lose two goals, but we still managed to score.”

While the Slovenian appears to be the worst of the casualties, it does beg the question of where Manchester United could look to strengthen in January. With that in mind, Romano has delivered a telling update from Old Trafford.

Fabrizio Romano confirms Man Utd "will" sign midfielder

Speaking on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast, Romano has confirmed that Manchester United will “for sure” sign a midfielder next year, noting that Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher and Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller are two targets that the club could look to acquire.

Conor Gallagher in 2025/26 – all competitions

Appearances – 16

2 goals 0 assists

Angelo Stiller in 2025/26 – all competitions

Appearances – 17

1 goal 5 assists

With both midfielders excelling inside Europe’s top five leagues, it appears there could be room for movement, even if January may not be a suitable time due to the difficult nature of conducting business mid-season.

Man Utd are also eyeing a midfielder they could get a £60m discount on

Gallagher’s homegrown status would also appeal to Amorim. However, there are no certainties in football, and it appears that there is plenty of work to be done before Manchester United secure a new operator in the engine room.

It doesn’t often occur in the Premier League, but Manchester City – even with Erling Haaland leading the line – drew a blank away at Aston Villa on Sunday.

In the end, a fiercely hit effort by Matty Cash in the first half would be the difference between the two sides, as the Citizens fell to their first league defeat since coming unstuck away at Brighton and Hove Albion at the close of August.

Tijjani Reijnders, in particular, struggled at Villa Park, with the number four’s early fall from grace at City a concerning tale to keep tabs on.

Why Reijnders was disappointing against Aston Villa

When the Dutchman has been given the freedom to express himself further up the pitch, he has been a joy to watch; however, with a goal confidently put away on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers, even seeing statistician Statman Dave herald him as being “De Bruyne’s heir.”

However, the ex-AC Milan man wasn’t played in a De Bruyne-style position against Unai Emery’s hosts, with Reijnders not looking so comfortable as an anchor figure for Guardiola’s side on their travels, who are still presumably reeling that Rodri remains in and out of the Etihad treatment room.

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

1

Blocked shots

0

Ball recoveries

2

Total duels

0/7

While Reijnders did trudge off at the end of the 1-0 loss with just two passes not reaching their intended target, the 27-year-old did noticeably find it tricky to battle away for his losing side, with an alarming zero duels won from seven attempted.

Moreover, the £46.5m summer purchase also failed to win a single tackle, with Amadou Onana for the hosts – in stark contrast – winning a combined tally of two tackles and six duels, as Reijnders routinely lost every 50/50 and scuffle that came his way.

With Nico Gonzalez also out injured, it remains to be seen what option Guardiola will go with in the games to come in the defensive midfield spot on the pitch, with Reijnders clearly not cut out for the demands of the position long-term.

He isn’t alone, though, in being worried about his first-team spot moving forward, with this “wasteful” attacker – as he was branded by journalist Amos Murphy – also in some bother about his immediate future in the Spaniard’s main XI.

The 5/10 City star who must be dropped

Watching back over the highlights from Villa Park, it’s clear that City could have nicked at least a point on another day if they had packed their shooting boots and weren’t so “toothless”, as they were branded by journalist David Mooney at the full-time whistle.

Indeed, Haaland uncharacteristically fluffed a one-on-one opportunity directly after Cash’s sweetly struck opener, with Savinho also falling victim to some poor finishing himself, when two chances in quick succession in the second 45 minutes passed him by.

Minutes played

84

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

50

Shots

2

Accurate passes

22/31 (71%)

Accurate passes in the opposition half

15/28 (54%)

Accurate crosses

0/5

Possession lost

18x

Successful dribbles

1/4

Total duels won

3/9

His overall play in attacking positions, away from spurning some big chances, also makes for some pretty grim reading, with Savinho only managing to make 15 accurate passes when in the opposition’s half of the pitch, leading to him giving away possession a mammoth 18 times.

On top of that, the lacklustre Brazilian could only muster up one successful dribble from his 84-minute stint in the West Midlands, alongside further failing to complete a single accurate cross to try and pick out the likes of Haaland, who can strike fear into any defenders he’s coming up against at a moment’s notice.

Savinho will surely now sense that his starting spot is on thin ice, with only one assist next to his name from his four Premier League starts this season, not exactly the most glowing track record.

Manchester Evening News journalist Simon Bajkowski would hand out a low 5/10 rating to the 21-year-old, subsequently, who stated that Savinho was ‘largely poor’ when attempting to unlock Villa, away from a promising effort here and there on Emiliano Martinez’s well-guarded net.

Cutting a forlorn figure at the close of the slim 1-0 defeat, Guardiola will have many a selection issue to address ahead of City facing off against AFC Bournemouth at the beginning of November, with both Reijnders and Savinho potentially removed from his starting lineup for the test of the Cherries.

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Wojciech Szczesny has recommended the Real Madrid and Barcelona players to practice "meditation and breathing" in the aftermath of last weekend's El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu. Tempers flared between the players of the two rivals following the hosts' 2-1 win, with the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Vinicius Junior, and Lamine Yamal engaging in a tense exchange.

• El Clasico turned into a feisty affair

  Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend to end their four-game losing streak against the reigning La Liga champions, thanks to first-half goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. 

  However, tempers flared between the two arch-rivals, with Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, and Vinícius Junior engaging in a tense exchange with Lamine Yamal. Madrid players were fired up ahead of the highly-anticipated match after Yamal, during a live stream, implied that Los Blancos “rob, complain, and do things" to win by questionable means.

  After the full-time whistle, Carvajal, the Madrid captain, told Yamal: "You speak too much. Speak now." Yamal reportedly responded by saying: "See you in the tunnel," as he pointed towards the tunnel repetitively.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Szczesny urges everyone to meditate

  Speaking in a chat with Polish YouTubers, Szczesny said: “I learned early in my career that emotions don’t help me, so I try to disconnect. For example, after El Clasico, everyone was arguing and fighting, and I just thought, ‘We lost the match, but we have to move on.’ I would recommend that everyone practice meditation and work on their breathing. I do breathing exercises before the match and at halftime. People look at me strangely because I do it right in the middle of the locker room. I recommend working on your breathing in extreme conditions — in both cold and heat.”

• Revealed: What makes Szczesny an expert at saving penalties

  Barcelona had their third-choice goalkeeper Szczesny to thank for ensuring Madrid didn't complete a demolition job of Barcelona at the Bernabeu last weekend. He made nine saves – the most by a goalkeeper in an El Clasico since April 2017 – which also included a second-half save against an Mbappe penalty. It's the first time since the 2015-16 season that a goalkeeper made a successful penalty save in El Clasico. 

  With that, he has now saved the penalties of some of the greatest players in football history, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar. When asked how he prepares for penalties, the Polish goalkeeper said: “I study the penalty takers a lot before matches. I usually watch the last 20 penalties taken by the two or three players responsible for taking them and try to find the pattern in their shots. Sometimes their run-up also gives me information. There are players who shoot differently at important moments in the match or if the team is winning or losing. I try to gather all that information and then go with my instincts. 

  “As for Mbappe, he scored the last penalty against me (in the 4-3 win at home last season). I was feeling confident and knew he would choose the same side. Then you have to hope it happens, and luckily it did."

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Szczesny saving Barca's blushes amid injury crisis

  It must be remembered that Szczesny was a happily retired professional around a year ago, enjoying life with his family. However, an ACL injury to then first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen forced the club to look for emergency options, and they turned towards the former Arsenal and Juventus custodian. He established himself as a first-choice keeper under Hansi Flick in the second half of the season after coming out of retirement, proving that he still had enough in his tank to deliver at the highest level.

  He agreed to renew his deal by another season over the summer, expressing his happiness at being third-choice behind summer signing Joan Garcia and Ter Stegen. In fact, he has emphasised that he wants to spend the season mentoring Garcia, believing that the 24-year-old has the potential to become the best goalkeeper in the world. 

  Injuries to both goalkeepers above the Warsaw-born player in the pecking order saw him being called into action. He has played six games on the trot and doesn't look out of place. However, both Szczesny and the club will be hoping that Garcia doesn't suffer further setbacks once he recovers. The ex-Espanyol goalkeeper underwent knee operation in late September, but there's optimism within the club that he could return to the lineup before the upcoming international break. 

  In any case, Garcia's return will not be rushed, which means we can expect Szczesny to retain his spot for the next few games, if not more.

Manchester City are not what they were, but they are still good enough to challenge for the Premier League title this season.

No side have scored more goals in the top flight so far than Pep Guardiola’s lot (15), and they sit just three points behind leaders Arsenal.

This is a young and developing side, but City have one of the strongest spines in Europe, with Erling Haaland well beyond scoring goals for fun and Gianluigi Donnarumma bringing a new brand of shot-stopping between the sticks.

However, the linchpin in the middle, Rodri, has suffered injury complications this year after missing the bulk of the 2024/25 campaign due to injury

The latest on Rodri's fitness

Rodri is one of the best footballers in the world, and he has been the glue at the heart of Guardiola’s genius for so many years.

It was no coincidence that the wheels came off with the Spanish star sidelined last year, and Guardiola grudgingly confirmed he would be unavailable this weekend, City hosting Everton in the Premier League, and perhaps for a while longer.

The 29-year-old confirmed he felt something in his hamstring during the narrow win at Brentford before the international break, lasting only 22 minutes at the Gtech.

With Nico Gonzalez yet to click into gear after joining the Citizens from Porto for £50m in February, Guardiola will need to come up with a solution.

He will, of course, but this frustrating fitness saga draws us back to a time when the club parted with a young holding midfielder who could have been the perfect understudy.

Pep already sold Man City's Rodri replacement

Manchester City have one of the most efficient and respected youth academies in the world, with so many young prospects spending time cutting their teeth with the Elite Squad.

And among those to have parted with the Mancunians before earning a shot in Guardiola’s senior set-up was Douglas Luiz, who joined Aston Villa for £15m in 2019. The Brazil international was a monstrous presence in the Midlands, instrumental in Villa’s rise to European competition.

Now 27, Luiz left the Premier League for Juventus and returned after two years this summer, signing for Nottingham Forest.

Impressive on the ball, combative and a leader of men, the robust midfielder has the complete package, and that’s something that has set Rodri apart over the years.

Luiz has struggled for form and indeed minutes at the City Ground this season, but he has proven his ability to stand out in the Premier League before, and was certainly playing at a level suitable for a squad like City.

It’s within his ability, with the Brazilian even being described as being “better” than Declan Rice during those final days with Aston Villa by former Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant.

This might seem somewhat ridiculous now, but Luiz really has hit the highest level of performance in the Premier League before, and that’s without having been inculcated into Guardiola’s tactical sphere.

Declan Rice vs Douglas Luiz: 2023/24 PL season

Stat (per 90)

Rice

Luiz

Goals

0.15

0.31

Assists

0.05

0.15

Shots

1.39

1.70

Pass Success

91%

85%

Key Passes

0.77

1.49

Progressive Passes

9.48

5.67

Shot-creating Actions

2.06

3.81

Tackles Won

1.24

1.29

Successful take-ons

0.67

0.77

Progressive Carries

1.96

1.96

Aerial duel win %

39%

57%

Stats via FBref

Just imagine the partnership that could have been forged.

Of course, Rodri’s brilliance has eased any need for an elite number six across most of the Ballon d’Or-winning Spaniard’s career in England, but now, with the world-class superstar struggling, a player like Luiz could have been a difference-maker over the past 12 months.

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Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Oct 16, 2025

Newcastle United are feeling optimistic after claiming their first three points of the season, though Eddie Howe has now been dealt a frustrating injury blow involving one of his prize assets.

Newcastle show resolve to defeat Wolves after Woltemade winner

Nobody of a black and white persuasion needed to be told twice how important their clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers was yesterday, and supporters will feel a sense of relief that they managed to secure a gritty 1-0 triumph courtesy of Nick Woltemade’s debut header.

After draws against Aston Villa and Leeds United with a defeat to Liverpool sandwiched in between, the Magpies are finally on their way up the Premier League table in another campaign where they will target Champions League qualification.

Making his feelings known post-match, Eddie Howe showered £69 million striker Woltemade with praise, complimenting his excellent showing and signalling that there is plenty more to come from his towering Alexander Isak replacement.

“There was a lot of love for Nick and a lot of pats on the back. The group are really good at doing that, when someone does well.

“It was a great moment for Nick. I was very pleased with how he played. You saw his technical qualities and his intelligence. But most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there – and he was. It was a great finish. I’m really pleased for him personally because that just settles him down and relaxes him. He’s a very humble guy, he wants to do well and he’s delighted to be here.”

£60m Newcastle target now open to Tyneside as PIF hold talks over transfer

The Magpies could look to try again to land his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 13, 2025

While drama surrounding Isak’s departure to Liverpool has come and gone, Howe has suffered another sizeable blow before some crunch fixtures as his side work to find their groove.

Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa out for at least a month

According to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie on X following the win against Wolves, Newcastle summer signing Yoane Wissa will be out for four to five weeks after sustaining a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo.

Despite disappointment over the £140,000-per-week earner being unable to feature since joining from Brentford on deadline day, the Magpies have evaded concerns that his knock is ACL-related. However, he will now miss their next six matches prior to the next international break.

This comes after the news about Jacob Ramsey, another summer signing, who will also be out for a month with an ankle problem, with things going from bad to worse for Howe.

Wissa scored 20 times in 39 appearances for Brentford last campaign and established himself as Thomas Frank’s go-to man in West London, albeit Howe will now face a period where he is short of striking alternatives behind Woltemade.

William Osula may deputise when needed despite seeing a late move to Eintracht Frankfurt fall through late on in the summer, while Anthony Gordon is another option once he comes back from suspension.

تحرك نادي ريال مدريد بشكل مفاجئ حول قضة إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني بمدينة ميامي في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ووافق الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم ”يويفا”على إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال هذا العام في ميامي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، لتكون هذه هي أول مباراة دوري تُلعب خارج البلاد.

وتبقى فقط موافقة الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم ”فيفا” على مقترح إقامة هذه المباراة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، ليصبح الأمر رسميًا.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا يعلن تصرف برشلونة النهائي بشأن طرد فليك.. ويتجاهل كورتوا

وكان الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” قد أعلن موافقته على إقامة مباراة فياريال وبرشلونة خارج إسبانيا، والتي ستُقام في 20 ديسمبر بشكل استثنائي.

وقدم ريال مدريد شكوى رسمية إلى المجلس الأعلى للرياضة الإسبانية ليعبر عن معارضته الشديدة للمباراة المقرر إقامتها في ميامي بين فياريال وبرشلونة.

وفقًا لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، فإنه بعد تلقي شكوى ريال مدريد، طلبت اللجنة العليا للرياضة من الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم معلومات دقيقة حول الأسباب التي تدعم قرار رابطة الدوري الإسباني بإقامة المباراة خارج إسبانيا، ومن ثم طلب الاتحاد الاطلاع على الوثيقة المكتوبة من أجل الرد.

وسبق أن أصدر نادي ريال مدريد بيانًا معارضًا لفكرة إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في ميامي، عندما كان الأمر في بدايته، قبل إصدار الموافقة من جانب يويفا.

خطف فريق الشباب تعادلاً ثمينًا من مضيفه الأهلي بنتيجة 1-1، في اللقاء الذي جمعهما مساء الجمعة، ضمن منافسات الدوري السعودي.

والتقى الشباب مع الأهلي، على ملعب الإنماء بجدة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة، من مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين موسم 2025-2026.

نجح الأهلي في التقدم مبكرًا عند الدقيقة 15 عبر المهاجم الإنجليزي إيفان توني، الذي ترجم ركلة جزاء حصل عليها بنفسه بعد تعرضه للإعاقة من المدافع سعد بالعبيد.

طالع.. فيديو | الاتحاد يتعادل مع الفيحاء في الدوري السعودي.. وبنزيما يهدر ركلة جزاء

وفي الشوط الثاني، واصل الأهلي بحثه عن تعزيز النتيجة، لكن تماسك دفاع الشباب وتألق حارسه مارسيلو جروهي حرم الأهلي من زيادة الفارق.

ونجح الشباب في تسجيل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 87 عن طريق جوش براونهيل مستغلًا مرتدة للفريق.

ورفع الأهلي رصيده إلى 9 نقاط في المركز الخامس من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري السعودي، بينما الشباب رفع رصيده إلى 5 نقاط في المركز الـ12.

Aston Villa have had a fairly quiet summer transfer window, signing just one prominent first-team player, Evann Guessand from Nice, who cost around £30m.

They have sold a few players, too, with Jacob Ramsey being the notable exit. The boyhood Villa star moved up north to join Newcastle United.

They were recently on the cusp of losing another midfielder, one of Unai Emery’s key men in the centre of the park. Belgian star Youri Tielemans had interest from Saudi side Al-Ittihad, according to reports, but turned down the offer to remain at Villa Park.

With the transfer window set to slam shut on Monday, Villa could now turn their attention to incomings, as they look to strengthen Emery’s squad.

Aston Villa's transfer plans in the final days

It will be interesting to see what business the Villans do as the end of the transfer window approaches.

Emery’s side seem to want a new midfielder, with Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United one player who they’re showing interest in signing.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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They are said to have joined the race to sign another midfielder with Premier League experience, too.

That’s according to reports in Spain, via Sport Witness, who suggest that the West Midlands side are said to be interested in signing Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher.

They are thought to have ‘money in the bag’ this summer, and could well send an offer to Diego Simeone’s side ‘in the coming hours’.

However, they will face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, with the Hammers also showing interest. As for the price, Gallagher could be available for around £34m this summer.

Why Gallagher would be a good signing

Gallagher is a player who has reams of Premier League experience and would have no trouble slotting into the midfield at Villa Park, in that sense.

He has impressed in the Spanish capital for Simone’s side, where his “relentless” nature, as Statman Dave put it, has served him well.

Last term, the 25-year-old, who was born in Epsom, played 50 times for the La Liga giants, mainly operating as a number eight, but also playing as a left midfielder.

He bagged four goals, including one against rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League, and assisted six.

But it is that English top-flight experience which might make him such an appealing option for Emery and Villa.

Gallagher has played 136 times in the Premier League for Chelsea, Palace and West Brom, having loan spells at the latter two. He has 31 goal involvements to his name.

It could well be the case that, if Villa do sign Gallagher this summer, he could become Emery’s new Tielemans.

Of course, it seems like the Belgian will remain at Villa Park this summer, which is key for the club given his importance in Claret and Blue.

Last season, the former Anderlecht star played 50 times, with 36 of those coming in the Premier League and 12 in the Champions League.

He chipped in with five goals and ten assists, often operating as a deep-lying playmaker sitting in front of the back four, but also playing further forward.

Indeed, there are comparisons which can be made between the two players. Gallagher is also a versatile option in midfield, as he showed for Chelsea. The Cobham graduate featured as a number six, a number eight and in attacking midfield for his boyhood club.

There are also similar underlying statistics when looking at numbers from 2022/23, when Tielemans was at Leicester City and Gallagher was plying his trade at Stamford Bridge.

The England international’s impressive passing range was on show, given that he averaged 5.83 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Tielemans’ tally of 6.96 each game.

Gallagher vs Tielemans – 22/23 PL

Stat (per 90)

Gallagher

Tielemans

Progressive passes

5.83

6.96

Key passes

1.17

1.15

Progressive carries

2.22

1.35

Tackles and interceptions

3.83

3.62

Ball recoveries

5.17

7.5

Stats from FBref

Emery would surely love to have another version of Tielemans in midfield. Gallagher offers ball progression and threat in the opposition box, as well as tenacity off the ball. Between them, the duo could be a deadly midfield pivot.

A fee of £52m is a huge investment at this stage of the window, but might be a smart move for Villa if they are looking to improve their midfield options.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Aug 28, 2025

Even as the Perth Test was coming to a close, some of Australia’s reserves had begun training for the day-night Test in Adelaide. That might come in handy now, especially for Scott Boland, as he contended with the first day of the practice game between the Prime Minister’s XI and the Indians struggling to get underway. Boland, who got the call about Josh Hazlewood’s side strain “a couple of days ago”, is favourite to make the XI in Adelaide next Friday and play his first Test since the early part of the Ashes in July 2023.”Obviously I haven’t played a heap of cricket in the start of this season, but I feel like I’ve played enough cricket to feel like I’m in a really good spot,” he said on Saturday afternoon. “My body’s feeling really good now. I had a couple of niggles that were a little bit sore, but knee and foot are feeling really good and I’m confident how the ball’s coming out.”Our last net session in Perth was for me and Josh Inglis, we went pink ball for quite a few overs. So getting it in the hand then and then obviously the overs we can get in probably tomorrow by the look of this weather will be valuable as well. Then Adelaide on Monday, then just a normal prep before a game. So have a good bowl two days before the game and then just prepare to play.”Related

• Uncertain Australia walking a tightrope in Adelaide

• KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal open, Shubman Gill fifty at No. 3 in warm-up

• Webster bolsters Australia squad amid Marsh concerns

• Race to the WTC final: India back on top after Perth win

• Undercooked Australia lose the plot in Perth

Australia’s defeat in Perth has set off alarms on the outside – their top-order batters folded pretty quickly in both innings and the bowling was unable to stop India from piling on the runs the second time around. While Boland admitted a need to go back to the drawing board, he said they wouldn’t be making wholesale changes.”There’s definitely not panic stations in our change rooms,” he said. “There’s obviously going to be some chats around individual performances and everyone wants to perform really well every game they play. But yeah, it’s like, we’ve lost one game. It’s not toys out of the cot, I don’t think.”We’ve spoken as a team about our plans for all the different Indian batters. I won’t tell you those, but we’ve got pretty set plans. They might have a little bit of a tweak after the guys have seen them again from Perth, because obviously [Yashasvi] Jaiswal batted really well there. KL Rahul batted well in the second dig as well and really digged in. So we’ll probably have a chat over the next week and our plans might slightly change, but I’m pretty confident what we did in the first games was good.”There was also a suggestion that the workload Australia’s bowlers had to get through made a difference in the outcome of the Perth Test. “I think our bowlers bowled really well as well,” Boland said. “Maybe the only difference was that the Indian bowlers got a really nice long break between their first innings and second innings where our break wasn’t as long.”

‘Probably thought maybe the opportunity had passed’

The last 15 months have been frustrating for Boland, kept on standby for Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood all through the summer, and then suffering an injury in the winter, which cut his county cricket stint at Durham down from four months to just one day.There aren’t many teams that are unable to fit in a fast bowler capable of holding a line and length all day long. Boland averages 20.34 from ten Test matches – but those ten Test matches are only a fraction of what Australia have played (31) in the time since his debut in December 2021.”Obviously those guys [the big three Australia quicks] have been so resilient, they don’t miss too many and no one must give up their spot at any stage,” Boland said. “And they’re so dominant, so last summer they weren’t bowling a heap of overs, but we’re still able to win most of those games.”So yeah, I probably thought maybe the opportunity had passed, but I’ve worked really hard in the off-season to get my body in a spot where I’m confident that if I get another chance I’ll be able to perform it for Australia again.”I just knew if I put the conversations I had with Ron [Andrew McDonald, the head coach] and George [Bailey, the chief selector] over the pre-season – when I was rehabbing a lot was to try and get my body in the right spot – that I didn’t want to rush anything and then re-injure something and then push my return to play back date a while. So we took it pretty slow with my rehab.”Boland’s run-in to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy included a Sheffield Shield game, where he took 3 for 104, and the Australia A vs India A game, where he took 1 for 87 across two innings.”Played the second game for Victoria and then I’ve missed a couple and then played the ‘A’ game. So I’ve had a pretty good prep and then now it’s just about building up, getting the intensity up in this game here and then in the night sessions as well before Adelaide.”

Pink-ball rhythms

Boland’s primary skill – getting the ball to nip off the seam – lends itself to pink-ball cricket, especially when conditions start to turn really helpful as day goes to night. He averages 13.71 from two day-night Tests.”Usually there can be two different games in the one game,” he said. “You can bowl during the day when the sun’s out and it doesn’t do a whole lot, and then you get to the night session and the ball starts moving around a bit. So I think it’s just for the bowlers, we just communicate really well together about what the ball is doing and how the pitch is playing and then just sort of flicking between those modes as quick as you can.”Strategy can sometimes be shaped by the pink ball as well. “I feel like the teams that bat first can sort of time when they want to bowl, if they bat really well on their first day, because if you get a newish ball at night, it can be pretty lethal,” Boland said. “If batters are coming in, they’ve batted through the daytime, they get through to the night session. I think it’s been a couple of instances where the ball hasn’t dominated the bat. I think maybe last year at the Gabba [against West Indies] we took the new ball and didn’t get as many wickets as what we would have hoped in that night session.”But now back to Adelaide, I think they produce a really good cricket wicket that really suits the pink ball and helps it last a bit longer because it does get a little bit softer after 30, 40 overs compared to a red ball.”

Paris Saint-Germain have been accused of manipulation as ex-international Christophe Dugarry slammed the club's reaction to Ousmane Dembele's injury.

• PSG furious at FFF after injuries to Dembele and Doue
• Dugarry sides with France boss Didier Deschamps
• Ex-French international blames PSG for the duo's injuries

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former France forward and 1998 World Cup winner Dugarry has come to his ex-captain, and current national team boss, Didier Deschamps' defence amid the feud between PSG and the French Football Federation (FFF). PSG have expressed their disappointment after the injuries to their players Dembele and Desire Doue, throwing the blame on Deschamps and his coaching staff. On the contrary, Dugarry believes it was PSG who didn't manage the duo's minutes wisely.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  France's 2-0 win over Ukraine came at a heavy cost, as Dembele suffered a hamstring injury just 30 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute, while Doue sustained a calf issue. The Ballon d'Or frontrunner is expected to miss six weeks, while Doue will be out of action for around four weeks. 

  Per journalist Fabrice Hawkins, PSG were absolutely furious over the injuries to Dembele and Doue, which the Champions League holders referred to as "serious and avoidable." The Ligue 1 giants have accused the French setup of ignoring their warnings about the winger's medical condition, according to In a pre-match press conference over the weekend, Deschamps addressed the situation and tried to calm the chaos brewing behind the scenes.

• WHAT CHRISTOPHE DUGARRY SAID

  Speaking on with former player Jerome Rothen, Dugarry said: "I'm 100% behind the Federation and behind Didier Deschamps.

  "We've known that Dembele has been fragile for several years. Now he's injured, it's just bad luck. If PSG can explain to me and make me believe that Ousmane Dembele never played for Paris when he had too much muscular work, I don't believe it for a single second.

  "The manipulation PSG is trying to implement is scandalous; it's disrespectful to the national team and Didier Deschamps. PSG is solely responsible for Dembele's work overload. 

  "I understand PSG's disappointment, but the national team is above all else. The coach chooses the players no matter what. [PSG] already have their noses in the LFP (governing body that overlooks French leagues), they also want to have it in the FFF and decide what will happen at the Federation? When I see President Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] alongside Gianni Infantino, explaining to us that the Club World Cup is a good thing…"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?

  France will hope to make it two wins out of two during the ongoing international break as they prepare to host Iceland at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.