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Mason Greenwood's loan club Getafe have been hit with a three-game partial stadium ban by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

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• Getafe hit with punishment by RFEF
• Spanish side given partial stadium ban
• Fans abused Sevilla coach and player

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Madrid club were hit with a €27,000 fine and will have to close off part of their central stand for the next three games in La Liga as part of a punishment from Spanish football's governing body, it was announced on Wednesday.

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• THE EXPLANATION

  The partial closure is punishment for the racial and xenophobic abuse that was aimed at Sevilla coach Quique Sanchez Flores and Marcos Acuna in last week's La Liga game. The match was stopped by referee Iglesias Villanueva in the second half as part of the league's protocol for dealing with racism after racial insults were aimed at the defender and the coach.

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  Spanish football has toughened its stance on racism following many high-profile incidents. Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has been a vocal critic of the lack of action taken to fight the issue in Spain after he was the target of abuse on many occasions.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sevilla boss Sanchez Florez was appalled after being insulted during the game. He said afterwards: "I don't want people to use the word gypsy as a racist insult. Some of the crowd think they can come to a game and say whatever they like. We're workers who need to be respected in the work space. I think it's abhorrent."

Ruben Amorim has vehemently refuted reports that suggested the Sporting CP manager has already reached a verbal agreement to join Liverpool.

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• Liverpool intensely linked with Amorim
• Reds pursuing him after being snubbed by Alonso
• Amorim distanced himself away from the rumours

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Known as one of the brightest young talents in European football management, Amorim has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Klopp at Liverpool. This comes after Klopp announced his decision to step down as Liverpool's head coach in January, prompting the club to search for his successor.

  Initially, Xabi Alonso was considered a top candidate for the position. However, Alonso, who has had a successful start to his managerial career, confirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen, dismissing any possibility of a move to Liverpool.

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  Recent reports claimed that Amorim reached a “verbal agreement in principle” to take charge at Anfield from next season. It was even touted that he has been offered a three-year contract and everything is in place at Merseyside, barring his signature.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  However, during a press conference, Amorim denied these reports, insisting that he has had no discussions or agreements with Liverpool officials.

  "There was no interview, much less an agreement [with Liverpool]," he told reporters. "The only thing we want, all of us here, is to be champions with Sporting, and nothing will change. I'll say it again: I'm Sporting's coach. There was no interview with any club, no agreement with any club. I am focused, as always, on defending my club."

  Amidst the speculation, Amorim urged the media to refrain from further inquiries about his future, expressing his determination to focus on Sporting's pursuit of the Portuguese league title.

  "Since I really have nothing to say: there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. The matter is resolved, whether for this club or another. This is the last time I talk about my future," he said.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Amorim is contracted with Sporting until 2026, and Liverpool may need to trigger his €20 million (£17m/$22m) release clause to secure his services. The former Portuguese international has enjoyed success at Sporting, guiding the team to the Primeira Liga title in the 2020-21 season. Currently, Sporting sit four points clear of Benfica at the top of the table this season, with a game in hand.

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI series but is in the T20I squad

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20251:19

Chopra: Rohit’s place in the side will now depend on form

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been picked in India’s ODI squad for the series in Australia starting on October 19, marking their international comebacks after last playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March. The squad will be led by Shubman Gill, who has replaced Rohit as the ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer the vice-captain.The selection panel, headed by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, met on Saturday in Ahmedabad, where India won the first Test of the series against West Indies by an innings and 140 runs.There are five changes to the ODI squad from the 15 that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March: Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy are missing, Hardik Pandya is recovering from a quadriceps injury, Rishabh Pant has not yet fully recovered from the broken foot he suffered in England, and Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. They have been replaced by allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was injured for the Champions Trophy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.Related

• Gill inherits the wealth of India's Rohit-Kohli era

• Gill replaces Rohit as India's ODI captain

“With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE]. At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washi [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Bumrah is part of the T20I squad for the five matches in Australia after the ODI series. The only change to the T20I squad that won the Asia Cup last month is Hardik being replaced by Reddy, while Washington has been added, making it a squad of 16.”We have already rested him for the one-day games. When we can manage his workload, we will do that,” Agarkar said about Bumrah. “Wherever you can give him a break, you will, because we all know how important he is, but we have also got to see what is in the interest of the team. And when we need him to play, he is always available, but we will look after [him]. Not just him, Siraj bowls a lot of overs as well. There are other guys who do play Test cricket, who will end up having a lot of bowling to do, so we will try and manage all the seamers, so that we minimise the risk of injuries.”Agarkar indicated that Gill and Rohit were likely to open in the ODIs, which means Jaiswal could miss out on a place in the starting XI. He also said Jurel was picked ahead of Sanju Samson in the ODI squad due to batting position, while KL Rahul is likely to remain the first-choice wicketkeeper.”Sanju Samson bats at the top of the order,” Agarkar said. “I think when he got a 100, I think he batted No. 3, if I am not wrong. Jurel usually bats lower down the order. KL bats there as well. You have seen how good a player Dhruv is. Again, you are looking at spots. I don’t think there is room at the top again. So, we are looking at guys who can fit in those spots. Obviously, Sanju at the moment in T20 cricket is batting there [middle order] and we are trying him there. But in one-day cricket, it’s a little bit different. So, that’s basically the thought. It’s more the position than anything else.”India play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

India’s ODI squad for Australia

Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

India’s T20I squad for Australia

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

Claudio Ranieri and his Cagliari players celebrated wildly after the Serie A club staved off relegation by beating Sassuolo.

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• Cagliari beat Sassuolo 2-0 in crucial clash
• Victory ensures they stay in Serie A
• Ranieri soaked by players in joyous scenes

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Islanders needed a win from their final two matches of the season to survive in Serie A, and they managed to put up a convincing performance in their penultimate game as they beat Sassuolo 2-0 to move up to 14th. After the contest, Cagliari's players celebrated jubilantly as they drenched their manager and former Leicester City boss Ranieri with water right after the full-time whistle.

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  Ranieri had his work cut out at the club after helping them to secure promotion to the top division last season. Cagliari were off to a disastrous start as they managed to secure just three points from their first nine matches. The 72-year-old had offered to resign after taking responsibility for the team's failure, however, the club and the players convinced him to stay, and that decision has paid off.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CAGLIARI?

  The Italian side are all set to face Fiorentina in their final game of the season on May 26. Although they are only three points above 18th-placed Empoli, with a plus one goal difference over their rivals, Serie A prioritises head to head records and not goal difference when teams are level on points. As Cagliari took four points from Empoli this season, even if they win their final match of the campaign and Ranieri's side lose, Cagliari will be safe from relegation.

Manchester United are showing interest in Bayern Munich goalkeeper Mala Grohs as Lionesses No.1 Mary Earps prepares to bid farewell to the club.

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• Earps set to leave Man Utd for PSG
• Red Devils have capable back-up in Tullis-Joyce
• But are considering move for Bayern No.1 Grohs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It was revealed earlier this week that Earps will not renew her expiring contract with the Red Devils and is instead set for a move to France, to join Paris Saint-Germain. Man Utd are already eyeing up replacements, it seems, as in Germany understands that the club is interested in Grohs, who kept 14 clean sheets in 21 Bundesliga outings last season to help Bayern win the title.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite Man Utd not being an established title-challenger or Champions League side, the report says that Grohs would be open to the move because she has a 'personal target' to join a 'top club' in England's Women's Super League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It's a rumour that has come as a surprise to some, as Man Utd already have a fantastic goalkeeper at the club in Phallon Tullis-Joyce. The American joined last summer from Seattle Reign, where she established herself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the NWSL, but struggled for opportunities behind Earps.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GROHS AND MAN UTD?

  Despite her obvious quality, it appears that Tullis-Joyce might struggle for minutes even when Earps leaves, if Man Utd are looking at Grohs. Whether a move will materialise, or which other candidates they assess for a summer move, we'll soon see.

Just days after gushing about the chance to live his Champions League dream, Facundo Buonanotte has been brutally snubbed. The 20-year-old Argentine, Chelsea’s latest summer recruit, has been left out of the Blues’ European squad in a decision that embarrassed the midfielder who had only just spoken of his excitement.

• Chelsea loanee Buonanotte cut from squad 
• Argentine star’s dream debut cruelly dashed 
• Blues face Bayern in opening clash  

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Buonanotte joined the West London giants on September 1 in a season-long loan deal from Brighton. It was Chelsea’s tenth signing of the window and their fifth attacking addition in what has been one of the busiest recruitment drives in club history. The deal, worth around £2 million in loan fees, was struck after Chelsea swooped in at the final moment to beat Leeds United, who had been close to securing him. The South American youngster arrived at Stamford Bridge with a solid reputation, having made 50 appearances for Brighton, scoring five goals, and already boasting two senior caps for Argentina.  

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  When signing, Buonanotte spoke with pride about joining Chelsea and specifically about playing under the bright lights of Europe’s biggest stage. 

  “It’s a massive step in my career,” he told club media. "I’m really happy to be here and ready to offer as much as I can to the team and the staff. I’m sure it will be a positive season. Of course, I’ll get the opportunity to play in the Champions League for the first time, which will be a great challenge. I’m really looking forward to this season and hopefully I can help the club to achieve its goals."

  Just two days later, those words were rendered hollow as his name was left off Chelsea’s official Champions League squad list.

• TELL ME MORE

  With Enzo Maresca dealing with an inflated squad packed with new arrivals, tough choices had to be made. Regulations restrict Champions League squads to 25 senior players, and while youngsters under 21 who have been at the club for more than two years can be added freely, Buonanotte does not qualify. As a result, Maresca wielded the axe, and Buonanotte, one of the most recent arrivals, was among the casualties. 

  While Buonanotte sits out, Chelsea have still managed to squeeze in other high-profile names. Alejandro Garnacho, snapped up from Manchester United this summer, has been included. Romeo Lavia, Tyrique George, and Josh Acheampong also qualify under UEFA’s youth exemption rules and will be available.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  UEFA’s strict financial regulations have intensified Chelsea’s selection headaches. In July, the club were slapped with a €31 million (£27m/$36m) fine and told they must ensure a positive transfer balance from last season’s Conference League squad to this season’s Champions League squad. That ruling forced the club to be extra cautious in how they constructed their European roster. 

Over the summer of 2023, Todd Boehly’s spending at Chelsea again was rather sizeable, splashing out a whopping £386.7m on 12 permanent signings.

In order to fund this, the Blues also made back around £231.8m in sales, with 14 players leaving the club on permanent transfers, whilst 16 left the club on loan.

The biggest deal of that window was acquiring a midfield partner for Enzo Fernández, signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton, for a fee of around £115m. The 23-year-old midfielder signed an eight-year deal with the club and has already made 61 appearances, scoring two goals and, providing six assists.

Christopher Nkunku also joined from RB Leipzig for a fee of around £52m, agreeing a deal prior to his arrival on July 1st, 2023.

But injuries affected the Frenchman’s first season at the club, as he has only been able to make 31 appearances for the Blues since joining.

Christopher Nkunku's time at Chelsea

Nkunku’s first season at the club only saw 14 appearances, having suffered a knee injury, a hamstring injury, and a hip injury, really struggling to regain and sustain fitness. In those 14 games, Nkunku managed three goals across just 516 minutes on the pitch.

However, to start this term, despite being the understudy to Nicolas Jackson so far, the 26-year-old has made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and supplying one assist, already more than he managed in the entirety of 2023/24.

Despite his good goal tally this time around, the former Leipzig man is far more of a number ten, someone who likes to play off of the striker, be involved in all phases of play, and arrive in the box late, rather than being the out-and-out number nine, looking to occupy the box at all times.

This could see Nkunku force a move, as he looks for more game time in his natural position, with Manchester United reportedly interested in the Frenchman. Therefore, Chelsea could move for a new striker alongside Jackson, and links are beginning to emerge for a current Premier League star striker.

Transfer Focus

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

Chelsea's big-money Nkunku replacement

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who was dubbed “The New Zlatan” by scout Jacek Kulig, is reportedly going to be available in 2025, chiefly if the Magpies fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to Graeme Bailey.

This could see the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea (noted as long-term admirers) and Liverpool all chase up their interest in the striker.

Since joining Newcastle in 2022, Isak has been a phenomenal asset to the Toon, making 78 appearances, in which he’s scored as many as 40 goals. So, how does the Swede compare with what Maresca already has at his disposal?

Both Isak and Jackson do have similar profiles, looking to help their teams in the build-up, progress play, link the ball, run the channels and then arrive in the box.

Winning more aerial duels and, of course, scoring more regularly, Isak would offer a greater box threat. His 6 foot 4 frame is frightening and would give Chelsea something they severely lack currently; height.

Considering their profiles are similar and the fact he’s been priced at a seismic £115m, perhaps developing the rawer Jackson would save them money but the Sweden international is a proven hit now in the Premier League and is waiting for his big money money.

Jackson is there already but Isak would be an amazing pickup for any Premier League top side, guaranteeing goals, and overall quality in all phases of play.

Chelsea must regret selling £35m ace who's dominated Saka like Cucurella

The former Chelsea ace has taken his career to the next level after leaving Stamford Bridge.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 13, 2024

Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners as alternative venue

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Feb-2023The third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will not be played in Dharamsala because the venue is not ready to host the match.The BCCI is yet to finalise the new venue but Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners. A final decision is expected to be taken soon.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI took the decision to move the fixture out of the venue in the Himalayas after an unfavourable report from the board’s inspection panel.As reported previously, the panel visited the ground on February 11 and noted several bare patches on the outfield, which was re-laid recently by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association to install a new drainage system. Another deterrent was the fact that no cricket had been hosted in Dharamsala since the two T20Is between India and Sri Lanka last February.Dharamsala was incidentally the venue where India clinched the 2016-17 series against Australia by winning the fourth Test by eight wickets.India are up 1-0 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after beating Australia by an innings and 132 runs inside three days in Nagpur. The second Test is in Delhi from February 17 to 21, and the third is scheduled between March 1 and 5 at a yet to be confirmed venue.

Newcastle have been dealt a cruel Carabao Cup final injury blow after it was revealed Lewis Hall will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.

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• Hall out for the rest of the season
• Joins Gordon in missing Carabao Cup final
• Mohamed Salah will fancy his chances

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hall sustained the injury during Newcastle's 2-0 defeat at Anfield in February and will miss the Carabao Cup final next weekend. He has established himself as Eddie Howe's first-choice left-back this season and the news will force a defensive reshuffle on a highly-anticipated occasion for the club.

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  Hall is the latest addition to a list of absentees for next Sunday's showdown, including winger Anthony Gordon, who is suspended after being sent off in the FA Cup defeat to Brighton at the weekend. Jamaal Lascelles is a long-term absentee, while there are concerns over Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Kieran Trippier.

• WHAT NEWCASTLE SAID

  A Newcastle statement read: "Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season after sustaining an injury to a bone in his foot. The 20-year-old was injured during the Magpies' Premier League fixture at Liverpool. Following a scan and advice from a specialist, Lewis will undergo surgery before a period of rehabilitation with the club's medical team."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE?

  Tino Livramento is Newcastle's only natural full-back who has regularly featured and is fully fit, with Trippier nursing a back problem and Hall now ruled out. The situation could see Howe turn to left-back Matt Targett, who has only made four appearances this season, or move Dan Burn back to the left-hand side of his defence. It is far from ideal ahead of the Wembley showdown, where the Premier League's current top scorer Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold will likely be lining up on Liverpool's right.

Leeds United are back in action once again in the Championship as they travel to Loftus Road to take on Queens Park Rangers this evening.

The Whites can move four points clear of Ipswich Town, who are currently third, with a win against the London-based outfit, although their rivals would then have two games in hand to potentially overtake them.

Daniel Farke's side come into his match off the back of a dramatic 4-3 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium last time out in the second tier, and then host Southampton at Elland Road in the final game of the regular season next weekend.

The German head coach may hope for a more comfortable evening against QPR, who are fighting to avoid relegation from the Championship, when they take to the field tonight.

Farke could be without one of his starters from the win over Boro on Monday night, though, as Patrick Bamford is doubtful to be fit enough to feature at Loftus Road.

Leeds United's "major" fitness doubt

Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth described the former England international as a "major doubt" for the game, after the manager revealed that the forward has a big bruise on his knee.

Farke, who also stated that the striker is a "major doubt", now looks set to be without the ex-Middlesbrough marksman for this clash with QPR, unless he can make a surprise recovery to make himself available for selection this evening.

Bamford scored the first goal for Leeds against Boro, which was an equaliser after Isaiah Jones' opening strike, as he bundled Junior Firpo's cross into the back of the net.

As you can see in the table above, however, the 30-year-old attacker did not offer much outside of that goal, with a 33% duel success rate, zero key passes, and a 'big chance' missed after his finish.

His finishing has left a bit to be desired at times this season. He has scored eight goals from an xG (Expected Goals) of 11.11 in the Championship, which shows that Bamford has not made the most of the chances that his teammates have created for him.

The experienced striker had failed to score in six games prior to the win over Boro, and missed a whopping five 'big chances' in those six outings.

This means that, including the last match at the Riverside, the Leeds ace has scored one goal and missed six 'big chances' in his last seven league appearances for the Yorkshire-based outfit.

Bamford has also lost 60% of his duels in the division throughout his 33 games this term, which shows that opposition defenders have found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests at times.

He has also struggled to create for his teammates in the league. One assist and one 'big chance' created in 33 matches does not suggest that the forward is a regular source of creativity for the Whites.

These statistics show that, whilst losing him is still a blow, Bamford has not been a faultless performer. His potential absence tonight does, however, provide Farke with an opportunity to finally unleash Mateo Joseph.

Why Leeds should start Mateo Joseph

The 20-year-old starlet is yet to make his full Championship debut for the Whites, with his only appearances coming as a substitute so far, and the manager must now hand him an opportunity to shine to ease the major doubt over Bamford.

Whilst this may come across as a huge risk at this crucial stage of the season, the talented academy graduate has showcased his potential at first-team level and has the attributes required to make the step up.

Joseph was selected to start a big game in the FA Cup earlier this year as Leeds travelled away to face Premier League giants Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and the Spain U21 international put on a show.

As you can see in the table above, the 5 foot 11 whiz scored twice and created two chances for his teammates against top-flight opposition, which shows that he can handle pressure on the big stage and has the ability to find the back of the net against quality opponents.

Joseph, who U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed as a "deadly" forward who is "dynamite" in the box, has made 18 appearances as a substitute in the Championship and scored once.

His cameos have not allowed him to showcase the best of his abilities and that is why Farke must now ease the blow of possibly losing Bamford tonight by unleashing the Spanish marksman from the start to lead the line.

Why Joel Piroe should not start

Joel Piroe would be the obvious, given his experience, option to replace the English forward from the start this evening, particularly given that he started against Blackburn Rovers recently.

However, the former Swansea star has been in poor form at the top end of the pitch throughout 2024 and should be left on the bench against QPR.

Piroe put in a poor display in his last start against Blackburn that earned him a lowly match-rating of 3/10 from LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, which was a fair score based on his statistics from the game.

As you can see in the table above, the Dutch attacker did not offer anything in the final third for Leeds, with zero shots and zero 'big chances' created, and lost the majority of his duels.

In 22 appearances in all competitions this year, Piroe has scored two open-play goals, three if you include penalties, and provided his teammates with two assists.

These statistics show that the left-footed forward has not been a reliable contributor in the final third, as illustrated in his shocker against Blackburn, and that is why Farke must pick Joseph, instead, to replace Bamford against QPR.