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Also, who are Mumbai Indians’ first choice overseas players? Here’s ESPNcricinfo’s analysis of the puzzles teams face ahead of IPL 2022

Nagraj Gollapudi and Gaurav Sundararaman17-Mar-20228:52

Runorder: Who will take Deepak Chahar’s place at Chennai Super Kings?

Chennai Super Kings: How to plug the Deepak Chahar hole?
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings have lost their pace spearhead Deepak Chahar for a big chunk of the tournament, if not more. How do they ensure this does not affect the team’s balance? Since 2018, Chahar has been the most prolific powerplay bowler in the IPL, with 42 wickets in the phase. The next best is Trent Boult with 27 wickets. So it would be very difficult to find a replacement who could have a similar impact with the ball. Even so, it would still be better to look to strengthen the bowling as pitches are likely to favour the batters early in the tournament.One option is to have Robin Uthappa open the batting with Ruturaj Gaikwad while playing two overseas fast bowlers in Chris Jordan and Adam Milne. The other option is to bring in uncapped Indian fast bowler Rajvardhan Hangargekar and have Devon Conway opening with Gaikwad.Other than Hangargekar, who was part of India’s recent Under-19 World Cup win, Super Kings have a rich stable of Indian fast bowlers in Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif.Royal Challengers Bangalore: Where does Virat Kohli bat?
Let’s start with the numbers. Virat Kohli’s powerplay strike rate in the IPL over the last three seasons is 130.16 – that is eighth-best among the 19 players who have played a minimum of 250 balls in that phase. He averages 37.40 in this period.Related

• Punjab Kings boast batting muscle but bowling lacks international experience

• Delhi Capitals have solid first XI but player availability a concern

• IPL regulations: New man on strike if batters cross during catch

• Faf du Plessis unveiled as RCB's captain for IPL 2022

• Hales opts out of IPL 2022, KKR bring in Finch as replacement

In the middle overs in the last three years, Kohli strikes at 110.16, which is 23rd among 25 players who have played a minimum of 300 balls. Also, over the last two seasons, Kohli’s scoring rate against spin has been below par – just 105.35, though he averages 70. Read: he does not get out to spin, but he does not score quickly either. Among 20 batters who have played a minimum of 200 balls against spin in these seasons, Kohli is ranked 19th in terms of strike rate.So, the numbers point towards Kohli being better off as an opener, rather than coming lower down and potentially facing more spin post-powerplay. However, given Royal Challengers’ middle-order options, and taking into account Kohli’s No. 3 role with India, it might be feasible for the team to have him at one-down with Indian uncapped batter Anuj Rawat partnering new captain Faf du Plessis at the top. That could prove particularly beneficial early in the tournament in terms of spreading the experience around, with Glenn Maxwell joining at least a week late as he is getting married. If Kohli ends up opening with du Plessis, then Rawat is likely to be No. 3.David Willey is another potential opening option, with Kohli, Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik completing the middle order.Venkatesh Iyer: top of the order for KKR, finisher for India•BCCIKolkata Knight Riders: Should Venkatesh Iyer open, and who keeps wicket?
Venkatesh Iyer shot to fame with his fearless approach as an opener last IPL, when Kolkata Knight Riders reversed a horrendous start to the season to make the final. Since then Iyer has debuted for India in white-ball cricket, where he is being nurtured as a finisher. However, there is no obligation for the franchises to allow players to mirror their roles at the international level, so Knight Riders, you’d expect, will want Iyer to open. But that is only half the challenge resolved. Who will be Iyer’s opening partner? The answer to that could be linked to the second key question confronting the franchise: who keeps wicket?Knight Riders’ gameplan has seemingly been hit by the late pullout of Alex Hales, who was a prime contender for the opening slot. But there are other options: Englishman Sam Billings, who can both keep and float in the batting order, Saurashtra wicketkeeper-batter Sheldon Jackson, and Tamil Nadu batter B Indrajith who also keeps wicket.Or Knight Riders can make Hales’ replacement, Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch, open with Iyer. That in turn would mean Jackson would bat in the middle order and keep wicket.Of course, Knight Riders’ squad also includes Ajinkya Rahane, who has vast experience opening in the IPL, and Sunil Narine. Ideally, though, they would want Narine following Andre Russell to provide batting depth.Do Mumbai Indians bank on Riley Meredith’s pace?•Getty ImagesMumbai Indians: Who takes the four overseas slots?
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have a strong core, but a lot of their overseas players and uncapped Indians are new to the franchise. The first challenge for them is to pick their four overseas players. While Kieron Pollard and the big-hitting Tim David pick themselves, the other two slots are less clear-cut. Conditions are likely to favour batters and so, in Jofra Archer’s absence, Mumbai might want to strengthen their death bowling with the inclusion of Tymal Mills.The fourth slot should be a toss-up between the fast-bowling pair of Riley Meredith and Daniel Sams. Meredith’s pace could be a tempting option to start with, but Sams offers some batting depth with his robust hitting.As for the uncapped Indians likely to make the XI, as it stands Hyderabad youngster Tilak Varma is likely to start at No. 3 and Tamil Nadu allrounder Sanjay Yadav could be utilised as a floater, performing a similar role to Krunal Pandya over the last five seasons.Who’s going to fill Delhi Capitals’ Anrich-Nortje-sized hole?•BCCIDelhi Capitals: What if Anrich Nortje is out?
Anrich Nortje, the South Africa fast bowler, has been sidelined since the T20 World Cup in November 2021 due to a hip injury, and, as per Cricket South Africa, there is no definitive date of return yet. Nortje was arguably Capitals’ most impactful bowler – and second-highest wicket-taker – in the last two IPLs, which was enough for them to retain him. But their failure to pick a like-for-like back-up for Nortje at the auction could come back to haunt them. Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman are the other two overseas fast bowlers in the squad, but neither has performed on the same level as Nortje in terms of striking ability upfront nor do they possess the same pace.The Indian left-arm fast-bowling pair of Chetan Sakariya and Khaleel Ahmed could be other options in Nortje’s place, with Capitals perhaps going in with only three overseas players.The other challenge Capitals face is the late arrival of Australia’s David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, who are set to miss at least the first two matches. They are expected to join Capitals’ squad around April 6; Capitals’ third game is on April 7. Their absence is bound to make Capitals’ batting thin, at least on paper. Till they are good to go, New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert could open with Prithvi Shaw, while West Indies’ Rovman Powell could bat in the middle order.

The former England spinner talks spin stocks, branching out into broadcasting, and the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement

Interview by Himanshu Agrawal06-Jul-2020Cricket is about to restart after a long hiatus owing to the coronavirus. What do you make of England’s upcoming series against West Indies?
It’s great to see West Indies back in England. They put their hand forward and said they’d be happy to tour. And it is kind of a perfect timing with what we see in the Black Lives Matter [movement] and other things. It’s going to be a really good series and I think a lot of people will be watching it. The England players are going to have the names of some key workers on the back of their shirts and West Indies have got the Black Lives Matter logo printed on their shirts as well. There’ll be a huge audience watching the three Test matches.The ICC has banned the application of saliva on the ball. Seam bowling aside, do you think that will also affect spinners?
I think the main thing that’s going to be affected is the swing. England is such a unique place where you get overcast conditions, a bit of humidity in the air, and we don’t really need to shine the ball – you still get it to swing. But on a hot day and a flat wicket, as a spinner, you want that ball to drift, which you can’t [make it do] because you cannot shine it. So yes, it is going to pose some difficulties. But I think it is going to affect the seamers more than the spinners.You just mentioned the BLM movement. As a non-white player growing up in and aspiring to play for England, did you experience discrimination?
When I was young, I didn’t really come across any such [treatment] because I was surrounded by people who just thought about cricket. But what the BLM movement has done is opened up dialogue amongst other groups as well. People ask, “Why aren’t certain questions being answered for us?” BLM has raised issues and you begin to educate yourself, amongst many other things – it has raised topics in every culture now.

“Modern spinners also play T20 and one-day cricket, where you need to bowl into the pitch. But in Test cricket, you have to bowl in a more traditional way, with a certain shape on the ball and you need to spin it as well”

Going forward, everything’s about change. Whatever’s happened in the past has happened – we can’t change that. But how do we go forward? How do we make the lives of the minorities in different countries better? That’s what I am more interested in – I’d love to see changes take place. Talking about the past, people may have had political agendas that you don’t not even know about. So there’s no harm in educating oneself.We have [in England] the rugby union anthem “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, which is linked to slavery. They [slaves] were singing because they couldn’t take on the authorities. They were not allowed to question authority; they were told, “This is how it is and this is how you’ve got to do it.” So they just started singing that song, hoping that their death would be sweet. Some people say that song should be banned [at England rugby matches], but I believe we shouldn’t ban it because gives us an opportunity to educate and learn.ALSO READ: Virdi hoping to jump to front of England spin queueDiversity is what makes people stronger and [brings] people together. And diversity has been great in cricket – you look at the Indian team, they are so diverse – and that is one of the positive things that we want to talk about. India have some great cricketers from Punjab, Gujarat, Chennai and Bengal – all parts [of the country] – and are still a strong force. They still maintain their strengths in all forms of cricket with all the diversity in their team.Talking of diversity, English spinner Amar Virdi, who is also a Sikh, recently said that not only does he look like you, but also wants to be like you. What do you make of him as a young spinner?
I hope he only wants to bowl like me, and not bat and field like me! But I think he’s an exciting prospect. At 21, he seems really mature. He’s only played 23 [first-class] games and taken just over 50 wickets, so he’s still got a lot more experience to gain. He’s still young and this is probably the best time for him to play, as we have two Tests [against West Indies] at Old Trafford.Though Moeen Ali and Jack Leach are probably ahead of him at the moment, being in the squad gives everyone an insight – and Virdi himself an opportunity – to see what his bowling is like against the best players in England. If anything, he could make his debut in the third Test because it is at Old Trafford, where it’s going to be a spinning pitch. If England win the series by then or the [first-choice] spinners haven’t bowled that well, I’d definitely give Amar Virdi a go in the third match.Cardiff 2009: “I was more worried about getting run out. The whole team was always concerned about my calling”•Getty ImagesI feel England are going to give an opportunity to Dom Bess and Leach because they are in the pecking order. But they could try Virdi on helpful pitches – he gives the ball a good flight, he turns it, and everyone wants to see exciting young cricketers play Test cricket. So it would be wonderful to see him make his debut.Since the days of yourself and Graeme Swann, England have tried several spinners in Tests with only Ali getting a fairly long run. What do you make of the spin-bowling culture in England at present?
Spinners these days have to switch [between formats], so it is difficult to find genuine Test match spin bowlers. In T20 and one-day cricket, you only need to bowl into the pitch. But in Test cricket, you have to bowl in a more traditional way, with a certain shape on the ball and [you need to] spin it as well. When you look at the likes of Amar Virdi, you realise that he’s probably the most traditional spinner amongst all of them. Even Dom Bess plays in all forms [of the game] and he bats really well. He’s worked with Rangana Herath to get some shape and his action back again.ALSO READ: Monty Panesar opens up on mental health battles and hoping to play againWith Moeen Ali, I guess his favourite form [of the game] is probably T20. He is a brilliant batsman and bowls really well. I don’t know how much desire he has to still play Test cricket. There has been the attraction of playing in T20 leagues and he’s had a taste of Test cricket as well – so it’s up to him [as to] how hungry he is.Do you think pitches in England have affected spin bowling?
The pitches are drier now and they’re more used because there’s so much of cricket on. So the ball does spin – at times, it spins even more than in India. So spinners play a huge role in county cricket and in all forms [of the game] and that’s good to see. But I believe captains still need to learn how to use a spinner, especially in the first innings where they tend to go for seamers all the time.Do you think it is coincidence that all three of Ali, Adil Rashid and Virdi are of Asian background?
I think they’ve come through the system. When Mushi [Mushtaq Ahmed] was the spin-bowling coach of England, he went around the different county circuits and helped the coaches. The ECB’s system to allow the Asian players to come through and understand the culture better also helped understand how we get the best out of a British Asian cricketer.

“Fitness videos on Twitter are one way of connecting and engaging with the fans. There’s a fun way of doing it and it keeps myself fit as well”

Then we had Saqi [Saqlain Mushtaq] who helped Amar Virdi, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. So their influence has really helped the younger generation of spinners to come through and just made it easier to understand British Asian cricketers.You said you hope Amar Virdi doesn’t try to emulate you with the bat, but how do you look back to your efforts against Australia in Cardiff in 2009?
I remember being very calm at the crease, not thinking that I am going to get out any moment. Jimmy Anderson told me, “If it’s straight then protect your stumps, but if it’s short then let it hit you.” I recalled what Marcus Trescothick had told us at the time about playing spin bowling, some of which had stuck in my mind. He would always say that if the ball was turning or seaming, don’t let the bat go after the ball – just hold the position and let it turn – and you’re more likely not to snick it. But if you move your bat just a little bit, you might snick the ball. I remember some great deliveries by Nathan Hauritz but we just held our line and let it spin past our outside edges instead of chasing them.ALSO READ: From Vishwa to Panesar – six great single-figure inningsI was more worried about getting run out, and the whole team was always concerned about my calling. But I was very happy about drawing that match because we won the next one, at Lord’s, after Andrew Flintoff took five wickets and Straussy [Andrew Strauss] scored a brilliant hundred. And that win gave England the momentum and the belief that we could beat Australia.What was it like getting Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in your debut Test, in Nagpur in 2006?
They are world-class cricketers and bowling against them while holding my nerve was an amazing feeling. That’s what it [international cricket] is all about – the crowd, bowling against great batsmen, and the intensity, and not just about the players. Most of the time, I am just looking for a compliment from these greats; you don’t really think about getting them out.But I guess being a left-arm spinner, if I get one to turn, it’s always going to threaten the outside edge of a right-hander and you never know when I might get the off stump. But I feel very lucky, because if you look back, that was probably the best batting line-up in the history of Indian cricket. So I feel very happy about it.During England’s tour of India in 2012, you sat out the first Test but ran through the hosts in the next game, in Mumbai. What was going through your head when you had the ball in your hands on the first morning?
I remember getting the first breakthrough [India’s second wicket] through a fullish ball that hit [Virender] Sehwag’s pads and then hit off stump. That was it – I needed my first wicket to get me going and also get an idea of the pitch. The pitch was suited for Swanny’s and my pace, and we bowled quite quickly into the wicket and got it to turn more than the Indian spinners, who bowled slightly slower.Monty Panesar last featured in county cricket in 2016•Getty ImagesFrom that point of view, the game was kind of set up for us to bowl India out. We needed Kevin Pietersen to bat really well and that innings [of 186] was unbelievable.Can we expect you to be back in county cricket?
I hope so – that’s one of my next goals actually. I’d love to make a comeback in county cricket and to see which counties are interested in me. I’m going to ask and see if there is an opportunity somewhere.You worked with Australia’s spinners during their tour of India in 2017. Do you look forward to a career in coaching as well?
I’d love to get into coaching at some point. Talking about the experience with Australia, they had Nathan Lyon, who puts more revs on the ball and works hard on his stock delivery. Steve O’Keefe complemented Lyon really well and bowled beautifully, and on helpful pitches, he’s probably a better bowler than Lyon. O’Keefe bowls [with] a slightly flatter trajectory while Lyon bowls slower, and poses more threat on pitches in Australia.You made an appearance on the TV show , you’ve got your own YouTube channel, and you’ve been putting out exercise videos on Twitter. You seem to have lots going on away from cricket?
Fitness videos are one way of connecting and engaging with the fans. There’s a fun way of doing it and it keeps myself fit as well. I’ve done that on the Monty Channel and put that on TikTok as well. That’s one area where I try and stay active. And I try and get caught up a bit on some of the political channels as well – BBC London and LBC.

“Pubs are being reopened. I am a teetotaller, but I want to end with my friends on a Saturday in a pub somewhere while watching football”

Politics is another area which interests me because my media coach told me that if I wanted to become a good broadcaster, I must be able to talk about topics apart from cricket. So that’s my way of getting myself talking about a topic I don’t know anything about. But if I do my research, answer some questions and make some sense, it would make me a better media broadcaster.During the recent lockdown, there was a lot of discussion about mental health issues. You’ve spoken about your own battles. What have you learned from them?
I believe that the best remedy is talking – you need to talk about your feelings and thoughts and reach out to people as well. Sometimes it is difficult, because how many people can you reach out to? Maybe only your close friends. It’s very sad when you hear these stories and you just hope that people can learn from each case.ALSO READ: Rob Steen: Being Monty (2013)Behavioural therapy is really important – it can help people understand about their minds and about themselves. So talking is probably the best way and if you need to take medication, then do. But don’t be quiet – whatever’s in your mind, share it with someone. If you share things with people they can help you. If anyone is struggling and feels that life isn’t great, then just reach out and talk. That can make a huge difference.On a lighter note, what do you look forward to doing once lockdown restrictions ease and the Covid-19 situation improves?
I am just looking forward to going to a nice restaurant, having some food with my friends and my family, and catching up with them. Pubs are being reopened. I am a teetotaller, but I want to end with my friends on a Saturday in a pub somewhere while watching football. I am the designated driver among my friends. They say, “Monty, you join us and drop us home as well.”

India batter Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that her wedding has been “called off”. She and music composer Palash Muchhal were scheduled to marry on November 23, but it was initially postponed after Mandhana’s father was hospitalised.Mandhana appealed for privacy in her statement on Instagram. “Over the past few weeks there has been plenty of speculation around my life and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,” she wrote in her post. “I am a very private person and I would like to keep it that way but I need to clarify that the wedding is called off.”I would like to close this matter here and implore all of you to do the same. I request you to please respect the privacy of both families at this time and allow us the space to process and move on at our own pace.”I believe there is a higher purpose driving us all and for me that has always been representing my country at the highest level,” she wrote. “I hope to continue to play and win trophies for India for as long as possible and that is where my focus will forever be.”She concluded her statement by saying, “It’s time to move forward.”Mandhana was the second-highest run-scorer during India’s successful campaign in the recent women’s ODI World Cup, with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.Her next assignment is the five-T20I series against Sri Lanka at home from December 21 to 30, after which she will lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 WPL from January 9. RCB play the opening game of the season against Mumbai Indians in Navi Mumbai.

تحدث ياكوبو إيجبيني، مهاجم نيجيريا السابق، عن النجم المصري محمد صلاح واستعداده للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا رفقة منتخب بلده، وتأثير ذلك على ليفربول والمدرب آرني سلوت.

ويتعرض محمد صلاح للكثير من الانتقادات ذلك الموسم كونه بعيدًا تمامًا عن مستواه، حيث لم يسجل إلا 4 أهداف في النسخة الحالية من الدوري الإنجليزي، كما أن الفريق بأكمله يتعرض للهجوم في ظل سوء النتائج.

وطُلب من آرني سلوت، من قِبل الكثيرين، تهميش محمد صلاح وإبقائه على دكة البدلاء في مباريات ليفربول بسبب تراجع مستواه.

وسُئل ياكوبو إيجبيني عما إذا كان سلوت سيكون سعيدًا بتوجه محمد صلاح مع منتخب مصر إلى المغرب للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا حيث لن يشغل باله بفكرة إبقاءه على دكة البدلاء أم مشاركته أساسيًا.

ورد ياكوبو إيجبيني، في تصريحات لشبكة “sportscasting” الإنجليزية: “الجميع يعلمون أن محمد صلاح لاعب ممتاز، هو أسطورة في ليفربول، لقد سجل أهدافًا للمتعة وفاز بالدوري، ويلعب هناك منذ عقد”.

وأضاف: “أحيانًا تكون الأمور متقلبة في كرة القدم، لم يجد صلاح نفسه في هذا الوضع من قبل، لكن الأمر صعب عليه الآن، كان دائمًا ما يسجل الأهداف، لكن في الدوري الإنجليزي قد يلحق بك العمر، لكنه سيسجل الأهداف مجددًا في النهاية”.

اقرأ أيضًا | “لا يوجد أفضل من ذلك”.. حكم مباراة ليفربول ووست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي

وواصل: “سيكون محمد صلاح راغبًا في التتويج بكأس أمم إفريقيا عندما يلعب في البطولة، القرار بشأن مشاركته مع ليفربول في يد المدرب، هذا ما يتقاضى عليه راتبه، ولكن سلوت سبق أن أجلسه على دكة البدلاء، لذلك فالأمر متروك له لمنح صلاح فترة راحة أو إشراك لاعب آخر في مركزه”.

وأردف: “إذا كنت تعتقد أن هناك لاعبًا آخر قادر على القيام بالمهمة، فلماذا لا تمنحه فرصة؟ عندما يتعلق الأمر بالعمر، فإن الدوري الإنجليزي يعتمد على الركض، إنه دوري صعب للغاية، وأعتقد أن هذا سيكون آخر موسم لـ محمد صلاح مع ليفربول، قد ينتقل إلى الدوري السعودي”.

وشدد: “لقد قدم محمد صلاح الكثير لـ ليفربول، وسيظل دائمًا من أفضل اللاعبين الذين تألقوا في الدوري الإنجليزي، الجميع يحبه في مصر ويعرفه الجميع في إفريقيا”.

واسترسل: “صحيح أنه وقع عقدًا جديدًا لكن الأمور ربما لم تمض كما كانت عليه عندما كان يبحث عن عقد جديد، لقد بذل قصارى جهده من أجل ليفربول، لكن هذه هي كرة القدم”.

واختتم: “موسم واحد سيئ لا يعني أنه لاعب سيئ، عليهم فقط الاستمتاع به ودعمه، لقد قدم الكثير للنادي، وأتمنى له كل التوفيق إذا كان هذا موسمه الأخير مع ليفربول”.

It's hard to overstate the degree to which Chloe Kelly captured the attention of a nation this past summer. Her pivotal performances in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the 2025 European Championship helped drive England on to a second successive continental crown while also catapulting her name into the limelight like never before, even surpassing the levels achieved after her extra-time goal won Euro 2022. Yet, fans tuning into the Women's Super League this season hoping to see Kelly's magic in action for Arsenal, will have been disappointed.

With nine WSL games and four Champions League outings on the board, only four players in the Gunners' squad have accrued fewer minutes across all competitions than Kelly, who has started just three times since the season kicked-off in early September. Given she not only shone for England in the summer, but also made her move to Arsenal permanent off the back of an exciting loan spell in the first half of 2025, it's certainly not been what most expected.

In just a few weeks, Kelly will head to the ceremony for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award as the second-favourite to win, only marginally behind golfer Rory McIlroy, who completed the career grand slam earlier this year by triumphing at the Masters in dramatic fashion. But as her impact at Euro 2025 continues to be celebrated, can Kelly find the magic needed to spark her season into life?

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  Dealing with a setback

  It's been a weird start to this season for Kelly. The 27-year-old started Arsenal's first game of the season, against London City Lionesses, missed the next outing at West Ham due to a knock and would sport visible strapping on her right knee from there on out, up until early November, as she clearly nursed some sort of issue.

  Yet, the West Ham game would be the only one she'd miss, with a start against European giants Lyon even coming in early October despite Kelly not looking fully fit at times. Indeed, in that clash with the French champions, the England winger struggled massively to get involved in attack and didn't help out enough in defence before being withdrawn before the hour. Until Arsenal's final game before this international break, the rest of her appearances for the club so far this term have come as a substitute.

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  Showing glimpses

  While it's easy to say that Renee Slegers, the Arsenal boss, could've maybe just coped without Kelly for a few weeks while she got over the issue plaguing her, the player is always going to want to play, especially given the increased competition for places in the Gunners' wide areas this season following Olivia Smith's record-breaking arrival from Liverpool.

  Plus, despite not being at 100 per cent, Kelly has still provided some special moments. She was on the scoresheet against former club Manchester City in early October, albeit in an eventual 3-2 defeat, and has reminded everyone of the wonderful service she can provide in the Champions League. Her quick-thinking assist for Alessia Russo in the win over Benfica was brilliant while it was her wicked cross that the England No.9 tucked away to level the scores on Arsenal's way to victory over Real Madrid just recently.

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  Getting back on track

  Fortunately, that period of managing an injury seems to be behind Kelly now. Asked about the winger when she was called up by England for this ongoing camp, Slegers clarified the situation with regards to her fitness. "She missed the West Ham game and a couple of training sessions but since then she's been building back, and some things take a little bit longer than others, but she's fully fit," she explained.

  That was underlined by Slegers' team selection just before the international break, as she handed Kelly just her third start of the season against Real Madrid. The winger justified her inclusion in the XI, too. After having a significant impact in the clash with Las Blancas in last year's Champions League quarter-final, playing a key role in the Gunners' historic comeback win, Kelly was effective again in this rematch, delivering that great cross for Russo to head home and get the European champions back into things.

  It was the highlight of a performance in which Kelly, free of that strapping on her knee, generally looked back to full fitness and sharpness, too, standing out as one of Arsenal's best players on the night.

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  Ready to be reignited

  It feels like Kelly's season can really start now then. After all, we're talking about a player who lit up Euro 2025 despite not starting any of England's six games, sparking the Lionesses' into life right when they needed it. It was Kelly's brilliant delivery that allowed Lucy Bronze to get England back into a quarter-final they seemed well out of, it was her goal that defeated Italy in the next round and sent the Lionesses through to the final, and it was her spot-kick that defeated Spain to win the trophy. She didn't do it all alone, of course, but she played a massive role.

  That quality was on show for Arsenal in the second half of last season, too. Having secured a loan move to north London, freeing her from a situation at Manchester City where she was totally out of favour, Kelly starred as the Gunners enjoyed much-improved form under Slegers and won the Champions League. There's no doubting her status as one of the best wingers in England, and Europe, when she is fit and firing. Now that she is getting back to the latter, she can show that.

Sunderland have now made a decision on Granit Xhaka’s future, amid interest from Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.

The Black Cats have surpassed all expectations so far this season, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table after collecting 19 points from their opening 11 games, and Regis Le Bris & co deserve major credit for the work they did in the transfer window.

It was a summer of change for the Championship play-off final winners, bringing in new additions all over the pitch, including at centre-forward, with Brian Brobbey getting off the mark courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser against Arsenal before the international break.

However, arguably Le Bris’ best addition has been Xhaka, with the central midfielder’s importance underlined by the fact he has played every minute in the Premier League so far this season, receiving plaudits from former defender Micky Gray after impressing against West Ham United.

Gray described the Swiss maestro as “absolutely incredible”, before going on to add: “You could see him trying to speak to everybody and calm everybody down. And when the ball came to his feet, he wasn’t rushing his passes. He was slowing everything down. So that experience is absolutely huge.”

Juventus eyeing January move for Sunderland star Granit Xhaka

As such, it will come as no surprise to learn that the 33-year-old is attracting attention ahead of the January transfer window, with a report from TuttoSport (via Sport Witness), revealing Juventus are now eyeing a shock winter transfer.

The 142-time Switzerland international’s agents are said to be seeking a move, given that their client has made a fantastic start to the campaign, with the report bizarrely also claiming the Black Cats are willing to sanction a January move if he asks to leave.

Sunderland have done extremely well to be competing at the top end of the Premier League table, and they are already nearly half-way to the magic 40-point mark, but they are not out of the woods just yet, so it would, of course, be a mistake to cash-in this winter.

The Basel-born midfielder has contributed one goal and three assists in the Premier League this term, with Wayne Rooney suggesting he could be the signing of the season, given his experience and leadership qualities.

The former Arsenal man has also impressed at international level during the current break, scoring a penalty and making a number of other key contributions as Switzerland ran out emphatic 4-1 winners against Sweden on Saturday.

In all honesty, it was a major coup for Sunderland to even sign Xhaka in the first place, and given that he remains under contract until 2028, there is no need to cash-in this January or in the summer.

Sunderland "diamond" could be Regis Le Bris' captain after Granit Xhaka

Move over Xhaka: Sunderland "diamond" is Regis Le Bris' future captain

Regis Le Bris has a future Sunderland captain on his hands in this battling star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 17, 2025

كشف مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك، عن حقيقة رحيل حسام عبد المجيد مدافع الفريق، خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة. 

وكانت قد أشارت بعض الأنباء إلى رحيل حسام عبد المجيد عن صفوف نادي الزمالك خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة. 

طالع.. مران الزمالك | لاعب الفريق يتماثل للشفاء.. وتصعيد حارس جديد

وقال مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك في تصريحات لـ بطولات: “ليس هناك تفكير في رحيل حسام عبد المجيد عن الزمالك في يناير، فهو واحد من العناصر الأساسية في الفريق”. 

وأضاف المصدر: “سيتم العمل على ملف تجديد عقد حسام عبد المجيد مع النادي خلال الفترة المقبلة، ونسعى إلى الحفاظ عن العناصر الأساسية للفريق”. 

يذكر أن حسام عبد المجيد يتواجد رفقة منتخب مصر في الإمارات، على هامش معسكر نوفمبر استعدادا لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.