Manchester United will be hoping their season can finally get off the ground following the international break as they welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to Old Trafford this afternoon.

Erik ten Hag isn’t under pressure yet, but if his team carry on in the same fashion which has seen them secure just two wins from four Premier League matches, the Dutchman will soon start to feel the heat.

Summer signing Rasmus Hojlund made his first appearance for the club against Arsenal two weeks ago, and he could well be in line for his first start today.

Will Rasmus Hojlund start for Manchester United vs Brighton?

Having joined the Red Devils for a fee of £72m from Atalanta, the Danish striker took a few weeks to make his debut due to a back injury, but the United faithful will be hoping he is ready to hit the ground running from now on.

The 20-year-old netted 16 goals throughout the 2022/23 campaign and emerged as one of the most highly-rated young talents on the continent.

He did play just 23 minutes against the Gunners, yet the club clearly need a change up front and there is no doubt he could offer more than Anthony Martial – who has scored just 11 league goals across the last three seasons combined.

The key question for Ten Hag is, who will he deploy on the right wing alongside him, especially with Antony missing the tie.

Could Alejandro Garnacho replace Antony?

The talented Argentinian first began to make an impression for the Old Trafford side last season, enjoying a breakthrough campaign in which he made 34 appearances across all competitions, registering ten goal contributions – five goals and five assists – all before he turned 19 years of age.

The youngster primarily operates on the left wing yet is capable of performing on the opposite flank when required, and it’s clear that Ten Hag may need him to step in for Antony for the foreseeable future.

Hailed as a “game-changer” by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst back in January, the 19-year-old could give the United attack something different and a partnership of him and Hojlund could be the catalyst that kick-starts their season.

The winger has started two out of their four games this term and has averaged 51 minutes per game, impressing in flashes, particularly against Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Ange Postecoglou’s men, Garnacho attempted three shots at goal, made one key pass and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts as he sought to create something for United during the tie.

He started on the bench against the Gunners, yet after coming on with just six minutes left, it looked as though he had netted the winner, running onto a Marcus Rashford pass and slotting the ball past Aaron Ramsdale.

The £50k-per-week teenager had strayed just offside however and the effort was ruled out, with Arsenal subsequently going on to score two late goals of their own, but it’s evident that the youngster offers a major attacking threat.

Ten Hag has no choice but to deploy him today and if he performs well, he could very well prove the long-term solution in that right-wing berth.

Bangladesh’s short history has been full of near upsets and the one in Dehradun will be particularly difficult to swallow

Sidharth Monga in Dehradun08-Jun-2018This defeat will be a difficult pill for Bangladesh to swallow. They did so many things that were admirable. They showed the courage to end their bowling innings with two overs of spin, conceding just 10 runs. Their two senior batsmen batted with responsibility, taking the game deep, not playing loose shots under pressure of the rising asking rate. They targeted Afghanistan bowler, young paceman Karim Janat, got 21 off him and were within nine runs of a win that clearly would have meant so much to them that Mahmudullah animatedly applauded each of the five boundaries Mushfiqur Rahim hit in the 19th over.But yet again, Bangladesh failed to finish the job. Admittedly not favourites in T20I cricket, Bangladesh’s short history has been full of near upsets. They hadn’t prepared well for the World T20 in 2016 but they played the perfect game for 39.2 overs to push India to the brink of elimination. Then, heartbreak. It seemed there might be some redemption when they beat Sri Lanka in a close game in Colombo earlier this year but a familiar tale in a close finish repeated itself when Dinesh Karthik beat them again in the final of that tournament.Now, after having lost another series and under fire from the BCB bosses, the players were so close to salvaging something from this tour when Mushfiqur mistimed the last ball and Shafiqullah pulled of a sensational stop at long-on to deny them. Losing close matches again and again has got to take a mental toll on the side, and, the captain, Shakib Al Hasan, agreed.”It will be hard for me to answer,” he said. “I have never batted or bowled in those situations. I think the batsmen or bowlers will describe it better. I think it is a mental block, which we have not been able to overcome till now.”Bangladesh needed nine runs off the last over, bowled by the great Rashid Khan, but had two set batsmen at the wicket. Shakib agreed that you should pull games off when you have fought your way into such situations, but he also knew the last over was not where the game or the series was really lost. He was harsh on his side. “We haven’t played well in any of the three departments,” he said.When asked what they had to do to improve, Shakib said, “We need to bat, bowl and field better. I think we failed in all three departments. We didn’t bat to our potential. We could have bowled better except for today’s match. Body language and fielding, we were struggling. I have seen our team when we fielded really well, but that body language and effort wasn’t there.An addition to Bangladesh’s problems was two run-outs in one over when two different strikers failed to respect the non-striker’s call. On both occasions the ball was hit to short fine leg. First Liton Das sent back Soumya Sarkar, whose call it was, and then Mushfiqur gave the same treatment to Das.”One run-out is often enough to derail an innings so to have two in three balls was a huge setback,” Shakib said. “I think credit is due for Mushfiqur and [Mahmudullah] Riyad . We’d have felt better had we won this game. It is always harder to lose a close game. But we didn’t play well throughout the series as a team.”Bangladesh now need to find a way to close out these tight finishes or improve in other fields so that they don’t often find themselves in such tight spots.

On the same ground where England plundered the previous record England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history

The Report by George Dobell19-Jun-20180:42

‘Very proud day for us as a group’ – Morgan

England 481 for 6 (Hales 147, Bairstow 139) beat Australia 239 (Rashid 4-47, Moeen 3-28) by 242 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland thrashed the highest score in the history of ODI cricket to set up the most crushing defeat – in terms of runs – ever inflicted upon Australia.On the same Trent Bridge ground where they plundered the previous record – 444 for 3 against Pakistan in August 2016 in the most recent completed ODI on the ground – England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history. Only once in the 56-year history of List A cricket – when Surrey scored 496 for 4 against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007 – has any side scored more.The result means England have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Australia have now lost five ODI series in succession and eight of their last nine ODIs against England. Indeed, they have won only two of their last 16 ODIs against all opponents. It is the first time England have won back-to-back ODI series against Australia since 1986-87 and, with two games to go, they now have a chance to complete their first 5-0 whitewash over them. They won 4-0 in 2012 with one game abandoned due to poor weather.The foundation of England’s total was high-class centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales and the quickest half-century in their ODI history from Eoin Morgan. For Bairstow, in magnificent form, it was his fourth ODI century in six innings and his sixth in 19 since his recall less than a year ago. He now has the highest batting average – 65.76 – of any man to open in ODI cricket on more than 10 occasions. The fact he is one of only two men in the top 50 of that list with a strike-rate in excess of 100 (his is 114.19) demonstrates how well he is batting. The fact that the other is his opening partner, Jason Roy, demonstrates how the game has developed and how England have been at the vanguard of that change.The pair combined perfectly here. With Roy murderous against the short ball – he played a hook in the opening overs that travelled far enough to require a visa – and Bairstow in the sort of form that makes a length delivery an opportunity to drive or pull, they posted an opening stand of 159 in 19.3 overs; the 10th highest opening partnership against Australia in ODI history.There were a couple of nervous moments. Australia called for a review when they thought they detected an inside edge on one from Stanlake that nipped back at Roy (replays showed the ball brushed his trousers), while Bairstow was dropped on 30 by Marcus Stoinis running back from mid-off and reprieved on review having been given out leg before attempting to sweep Ashton Agar.Those moments apart, this was one-way traffic. On the sort of pitch that most batsmen would like to whisk to Paris for the weekend – and most bowlers would like to never see again – England gorged and feasted on runs until they dripped down their chins.Hales soon dispelled any thought that the wicket of Roy – attempting an unwise second run – would ease Australia’s pain. A day after he had admitted – quite rightly – that he was likely to be the man to make way once Ben Stokes returned, he provided a strong case for his retention with a 62-ball century; the sixth-fastest in England’s history, all of which have come since the 2015 World Cup. Back on his home ground – the ground where he thrashed 171 against Pakistan in 2016 – he showed tremendous power but also nice placement and shot selection. Nearly two-thirds of his runs were heaved through – or over – the leg side.It looked, for a while, as if England might reach 500. Despite losing Bairstow, heaving down the throat of deep midwicket, and Jos Buttler, deceived by a slower ball, Morgan thrashed a 21-ball half-century. Having recovered from the back spasm that kept him out of the Cardiff match, Morgan not only recorded the quickest fifty in England’s ODI history but passed Ian Bell’s record to become England’s most prolific ODI run-scorer in the process.While Australia tried just about everything in the field – going round the wicket, bowling short, bowling full, even trying eight bowlers – none of it made much difference. AJ Tye, who became just the 11th man to concede 100 in an ODI innings and just the fourth to do so in fewer than 10 overs, had the ugliest figures but this was a day all of them will wake up screaming about in years to come.Australia’s reply started well enough. D’Arcy Short carved David Willey’s first ball for six and his second for four, while Travis Head brushed off a painful blow from a Mark Wood bouncer (Wood exceeded 91 mph in that first spell) to help Australia keep up with the rate for the first 12 overs.But that target – that vast target – required endless risk-taking. And after Short chipped one to mid-on, Head poked a return catch to Moeen Ali and Shaun Marsh lofted to long-on. Aaron Finch, attempting to repeat a six clobbered over long-on, was deceived by one nicely held back by Adil Rashid (Finch, moved into the middle-order to combat spin, has been dismissed by it three times in 13 balls this series) and Marcus Stoinis attempted an unwise second to Bairstow’s arm in the deep. By the time Glenn Maxwell was brilliantly caught at long-on by a leaping Liam Plunkett, it was clear this was to be a rout. Never had England won by such a large run margin in ODI cricket. England’s spinners – a key point of difference between the sides in this series – finished with seven wickets between them.Are such conditions – white balls offering little lateral movement and surfaces offering certainty of pace and carry – good for the game? The debate will continue. Certainly there were aspects of this match – mostly some outrageous hitting – that created an entertaining and memorable spectacle. And there is no doubt that the groundstaff at Trent Bridge have produced exactly what was asked of them. We can expect more of this – and not just at Trent Bridge – during next year’s World Cup.There is, though, an inflationary aspect to boundaries. At some stage, they begin to lose just a little of their novelty and, perhaps, appeal. Suffice to say, all pretence of maintaining a balance between bat and ball disappears in such circumstances. Bowlers compete in much the same way a clay pigeon does when someone goes shooting. It was a remarkable day’s cricket, but you wouldn’t want every day to be like this.There are a couple more caveats, too. This Australia attack, missing at least three first-choice seamers as it is, is not the strongest and the relatively short boundaries meant that, a couple of times, top-edges carried for sixes. On Australian grounds they may have gone to hand.But there have been weaker attacks and shorter boundaries. This was still an incredible effort from a remarkable England batting line-up that is playing wonderfully fearless, innovative and powerful cricket. As this series has progressed, it has become hard to fathom how roles have reversed since the 2015 World Cup when one of these sides lifted the trophy and the other was humiliated. It will amount to little until England do it in a global tournament but you can be sure that no side – and certainly no bowling attack – will relish facing them in conditions like this.

The Sri Lanka captain had been suspended from the third and final Test of Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-20181:40

Arnold: Chandimal’s was a genuine mistake

Dinesh Chandimal has appealed against ICC match referee Javagal Srinath’s decision to find him guilty of ball-tampering during the second Test against West Indies in St Lucia. Chandimal was suspended from the third and final Test of the series.*Later on Thursday, the ICC appointed chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, Michael Beloff QC, as the judicial commissioner to hear Chandimal’s appeal. The ICC release said, the “hearing will take place on June 22, and, legal counsel for both parties and Chandimal will join via telephone or videoconference.” It gives Chandimal a chance of participating in the third Test that begins on June 23 in Bridgetown, if the punishment is overturned.Chandimal had been charged by the ICC after video evidence indicated that he applied saliva to the ball shortly after putting what the ICC suggested was a sweet into his mouth. He pleaded not guilty, before attending the hearing where Srinath handed Chandimal the maximum punishment available under the code – two suspension points and a fine of 100% of his match fee.Chandimal’s appeal is likely to hinge on what he put in his mouth. One of the probable contentions is that Chandimal had a number of things in his pocket during the day, including cough lozenges (which you cannot apply to the ball) but also almonds, and he does not remember which of those things he put into his mouth in this particular clip.This, the Sri Lankan team feels, is different from the ICC’s framing of Chandimal’s defence. Upon suspending Chandimal for a Test, Srinath had said in the ICC release: “Dinesh admitted to putting something in his mouth but couldn’t remember what it was, which I found unconvincing as a defence and the fact remains it was an artificial substance.”Chandimal’s defence is likely to contend that there was no way the ICC could possibly know that it was a substance capable of altering the condition of the ball, because the video evidence does not make it clear what the substance was.The argument, essentially, is that the ICC does not have sufficient evidence to find Chandimal guilty of tampering. This has been one of Sri Lanka’s assertions from the beginning.*1600hrs The story was updated after the ICC appointed a judicial commissioner for Chandimal’s appeal

A tight finish is in store at Cheltenham so like the revellers in the marquees circling the ground the scoreboard needs to be on its best behaviour

Paul Edwards at Cheltenham18-Jul-2018

ScorecardThis day began with the completion of a domestic collapse fit to rank with that of Overend, Gurney and Company in 1866, six years before the Cheltenham Festival began. It ended with Gloucestershire batting again and seeking to atone for their previous frailty by making 276 to win. They have so far scored 30 of those runs but have lost their openers, both of whom were caught behind by Ben Brown off Jofra Archer. Thus, after three fluctuating sessions we are set for a climax to savour. Watching county cricket this summer has seemed an idyll without interruption; it has been good fortune without tariff.Yet if Wednesday’s cricket began and ended with Archer cruising in and scenting flesh, the heart of our cricket featured a gloriously disciplined innings of 98 by Harry Finch, who came to the middle when Phil Salt was bowled for 9 by Ryan Higgins in the sixth over of Sussex’s second innings and did not depart until his side’s lead was nearly 200. Finch’s dismissal, caught behind off Craig Miles, came one ball after his 16th four, a faultless cover-drive, had taken him to within a single good hit of his second century of the season. His departure was surprising because his defence had hitherto been so compact and his attacking shots had been played without the showy flourish which so often suggests vulnerability. To borrow a term used by Mike Brearley in his book Finch’s batting was “centred” in the fashion of batsmen in decent nick and his fatal flirt with a ball just outside off stump was one of his few errors.For most of the day the other Sussex batsmen played their innings around Finch’s 205-minute vigil. Luke Wright’s gloriously savage 48 included nine fours and a six but ended two balls after lunch when he drove David Payne low to Ryan Higgins at mid-off. David Wiese put on 39 for the sixth wicket with Finch and was seventh out for 40 when his attempted drive off Higgins skied the ball towards Prothero’s chapel, only for Miles to hare some forty yards from mid-on and take a quite brilliant catch. Chris Jordan made a pleasant 30 before edging Miles to Roderick.In contrast to Gloucestershire, who had lost the last seven wickets in their first innings for 11 runs in 8.5 overs, Sussex built modest partnerships. This was easier, perhaps, because Ben Brown leads a team with a clear top six in its order and four other batsmen each of whom could go in at No 7. If the home side mirror their careful approach, Dent’s men may yet achieve a very fine victory.The odds, though, are against it. A target of 276 is substantial on a pitch offering inconsistency of bounce. David Payne’s four wickets on Wednesday were a just reward and included his 200th first-class victim but Archer, Jordan and Ollie Robinson will reckon they can more than match his contribution, albeit that Gloucestershire’s batsmen are under no pressure to score quickly.And it was also a day on which the packed tents and marquees – over 20 of them at this year’s festival – could take in Cheltenham’s many glories. Indeed, the College Ground is the sort of venue where visitors struggling to shake off the past suddenly find they have no wish to do so.There are Sussex connections, too. Just to the left of the pavilion a fine Lombardy poplar commemorates the achievement of the KS Duleepsinhji who took 7 for 35 in 1921 against a Marlborough team whose eleven players boasted 27 initials. Duleep nearly steered Sussex to the County Championship in 1932 only for his health to break down in mid-August. He never played for the county again.And perhaps spectators in Wednesday’s cheery chaos of canvas, clinking glasses and jazz bands needed a sense of history and a tranquil approach to life as they watched George Drissell and Matt Taylor, two nightwatchmen if you please, defy the Sussex seamers in the final 25 balls of the day.At least they could be grateful the scoreboard worked. On the first day of this game the damn thing had packed in and essential details had to be announced over the public address. This managed to be very irritating while also not mattering much at all. This is Cheltenham, after all. That wretched board will need to work properly on the final day, though.

ScorecardMatt Renshaw’s third Specsavers County Championship century in eight innings for Somerset was the feature of a closely-fought opening day of the match with leaders Nottinghamshire at Taunton.The Aussie left-hander hit 106 off 171 balls, with 12 fours and 2 sixes, before becoming a third victim for off-spinner Matthew Carter as the hosts ran up 307 for 7 after winning the toss. Skipper Tom Abell contributed 57 and Steve Davies 59 not out.Off-spinner Matthew Carter was the most successful Notts bowler with four for 81. But Luke Fletcher bowled better than his figures of one for 39 suggested.Renshaw has scored 411 Championship runs for Somerset at an average of 58.7, making his early departure due to an Australia A tour call-up in August all the more galling for the county.The 22-year-old marked his last home appearance with an important knock. He and Eddie Byrom faced some testing opening overs, particularly from Fletcher, whose initial eight-over spell saw him concede only 11 runs.A half-century stand for the first wicket took 21.3 overs and in the 24th, with the total on 62, Byrom was lbw for 14 pushing forward to Steven Mullaney.By lunch Somerset had progressed to 80 for one, with Renshaw having brought up a 77-ball fifty. Notts struck again with the total on 117 when George Bartlett, on 29, edged Carter to slip where Ross Taylor took a low catch.James Hildreth’s fine start to the season was interrupted when, having made only a single, he edged a back-foot defensive shot off Carter to give Taylor another catch.Renshaw went to three figures off 165 balls with a nick through the slips off Mullaney, not the first bit of fortune he had enjoyed. It followed scores of 101 not out against Worcestershire and 112 against Yorkshire in the opening two Championship games.He won’t have been happy with the manner of his dismissal, bowled trying to launch Carter back over his head with the total on 176.Carter likes playing at Taunton. He marked his Notts debut at the ground with match figures of 10 for 195 in 2015.Abell and Davies saw Somerset to tea at 211 for four and the skipper brought up a 117-ball half-century in the final session before falling to the second new ball, caught at first slip by Riki Wessels off Fletcher.At 258 for five, the home side could not feel comfortable. It became 288 for six when Lewis Gregory aimed a slog sweep at Carter, with his side needing a solid finish to the day, and was bowled off a glove for 16.Notts capitalised on that mistake, 23-year-old seamer Matt Milnes, on his Championship debut, bowling Roelof van der Merwe for a duck.Davies went to a composed 107-ball fifty, with 5 fours, and Dom Bess, promoted above Craig Overton in the order following his impressive batting displays for England, was with him at the close.

Manchester United have rarely got things in the transfer market in the last decade or so, with the likes of Angel di Maria, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Sanchez all failing to make the required impact at Old Trafford. The arrival of Erik ten Hag looked likely to change things, however.

The Dutchman has seen arrivals such as Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane enjoy great success, with both signings playing a key part in United's impressive campaign last time out, which saw them win the Carabao Cup, and qualify for the Champions League.

There's not much Ten Hag could do about the players that he inherited, though, with the task of improving struggling stars a difficult one from the off. Now, having fallen out with one of those stars in the form of Jadon Sancho, a surprise club has emerged in the race to sign the frozen out winger.

What's the latest Jadon Sancho transfer news?

Sancho looked destined for greatness at Borussia Dortmund, with 50 goals and 64 assists in just 137 appearances for the Bundesliga giants to earn a move to Manchester United for a reported £73m.

Since that move to Old Trafford, however, the England international has been a shadow of the player who lit up the Bundesliga for Dortmund. Now, a player once destined for greatness, is one who looks likely to forever face the question of what went so disastrously wrong?

After falling out with Ten Hag, and being dropped from the Manchester United squad as a result, Sancho could now get the fresh start he so desperately needs, with a surprise club emerging.

According to Sport in Spain, Barcelona are interested in making a potential loan move for Sancho in January, with United keen to get the winger off their books come the winter transfer window, given that he earns a reported £350k per week at Old Trafford.

The report states that Xavi is "attentive" to the situation, and Barcelona are waiting to see what happens with the Red Devils' outcast in the coming months.

Should Barcelona sign Jadon Sancho?

At his best, Sancho is a player capable of hitting double figures in goals and assists for the season. It could just be a case of somehow helping him rediscover the confidence to perform at such levels.

It would be a relatively risk-free deal for Barcelona in January, too, given that they would be pursuing a loan deal for the former Dortmund man, rather than anything permanent in January.

If they can help Sancho get back to his top form, then Xavi will have someone at his disposal who has earned the highest praise in the past, including from Harry Kane, who told Sky Sports after the Barcelona target's England debut: "He's great. Big congrats to him for his debut. I thought he came on and made an impact as well. He's been great in training and he has just got to keep working hard and playing games and I'm sure he will have a very bright future."

With that said, Sancho is certainly one to keep an eye on when the January transfer window comes around, particularly if Barcelona push on for his signature.

Joe Denly and Sean Dickson both it hundreds and to make matters worse for Warwickshire Keith Barker ran foul of the umpires

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2018
ScorecardSecond-innings centuries by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly helped Kent to build a potentially game-defining lead of 431 runs as the hosts closed on day two of their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship clash with Warwickshire on an impressive 359 for 6.Kent’s position is especially strong because Keith Barker has been forced out of the attack by the umpires after two warnings for running on the pitch.In a complete volte face to the opening day when 20 wickets fell, Kent’s third-wicket pairing found batting at The Nevill in Tunbridge Wells a pleasurable pastime once the shine went off the new ball and the wind and sunshine took effect in helping to harden the top surface.Earlier, opener Daniel Bell-Drummond had succumbed cheaply to Keith Barker – the clear pick of Warwickshire’s attack first time around with 5 for 32. Barker saw two worthy leg before decisions turned aside before running one across the right-hander and enticing him to nick one to the keeper.Barker also accounted for in-form Heino Kuhn, moving one back in through the air to snare the former Proteas Test opener flush in front to bring acting captain Denly and Dickson together.The pair, who had notched Kent’s only other championship centuries of the summer at Bristol during the previous round of matches, combined to add 208 trouble-free runs and set a Kent third-wicket record against Warwickshire, surpassing the 186 made by Bill Ashdown and Les Ames at Edgbaston in 1934.Jeetan Patel, the Warwickshire captain might have made life tougher for the pair by posting a third man when something like 25 per cent of their runs came through the gap, but instead they were allowed to bat through the middle session unfettered.Patel made amends by removing both soon after tea with his off-spinners. Dickson’s 229-ball stay for 133 ended when he played across a quicker ball to depart lbw. Then, turning one in from well outside off, he won an ambitious lbw shout that ended Denley’s 88-ball stay for a polished 119.Patel mystified some pundits later on by delaying taking the second new ball for five overs before finally throwing the new cherry to Keith Barker, comfortably his most potent threat in taking five for 32 in Kent’s first innings.When Barker did get the new ball he quickly removed Darren Stevens, following one outside off to be caught behind, before trapping Rouse leg before with a full in-swinger.With Kent six down and already leading by 410 runs, Barker blotted his copybook by running on the pitch for the second time to be taken out of the attack by umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy.With Barker out of their attack, Kent rookie Zak Crawley reached an eye-catching 47 through to stumps to deepen Warwickshire’s parlous position.The visitors will know they will have to bat superbly to save this game, let alone win it.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen an abundance of talent grace Molineux over the years, with not many names as influential in recent times as those that contributed to Nuno Espirito Santo’s rise to glory as manager.

The Portuguese coach both unearthed and signed some star names in Wolverhampton during his four-year reign, including the dominating midfield duo of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

The two midfielders, who were instrumental to the success of Nuno’s side, both bid farewell to the Midlands in the summer, with Moutinho’s contract expiring and former captain Neves opting to endeavour in a lucrative challenge in Saudi Arabia.

Newly arriving manager Gary O’Neil has been handed the task, among a list of others, to seek the midfield pairing to encapsulate the quality of the duo before his tenure, with deadline day capture Jean-Ricner Bellegarde selected as one name to occupy the area.

This summer was a difficult climate for O’Neil, and Julen Lopetegui before him, to make the necessary transactions due to Wolves’ ongoing Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, partly caused by the great expenditure in the 2022 window.

Bruno Lage smashed the Old Gold’s transfer record fee to welcome Matheus Nunes that year, in a deal worth £42m, however, the former Sporting CP star wasn’t the only midfield ace said to be on Lage’s radar at the time. Step forward, Enzo Fernandez.

Did Wolves nearly sign Enzo Fernandez?

According to reports in Argentina in June 2022, relayed by Express and Star, Wolves were linked with former River Plate sensation Fernandez, a player who would go on to steal the headlines in England in January 2023.

The report claimed that Mathew Hobbs, Wolves’ sporting director, had travelled to South America in the bid to explore a potential deal for the then 21-year-old talent.

It was added that the midfielder had a release clause at River Plate in the region of £17m, a slim price for the calibre of talent that the Old Gold could have acquired that window.

A separate report in Portugal even claimed that the Premier League side were close to signing the Argentine before he made the switch to Benfica the following month.

What happened to Enzo Fernandez?

As relayed by Molineux News, it was reportedly Jeff Shi who ‘decided against’ signing the midfielder, whose first choice was Benfica among the many interested clubs wanting to capture his signature.

Shi will forever regret not sealing a deal for Fernandez, if talks were as close as suggested by the media, with Benfica realising his worth instantaneously, slapping a €120m (£103m) release clause in his contract.

It was a well-thought decision to include a clause of such expense in the rising star’s deal, as the Eagles found out just six months after his arrival in Europe.

Signed in July, and sold in January for a magnificent sum of profit, Fernandez finally made the move to England, as Chelsea coughed up a British-record fee at the time of £106.8m to welcome the Argentine to Stamford Bridge.

Benfica captured the midfielder for around €18m (£15.5m) in total (€10m fee plus €8m add-ons), and sold him not even a year down the line for almost 10x the price, telling of what Wolves could have had both financially, and quality wise, if they had remained in the race.

What is Enzo Fernandez’s market value now?

Previously lauded as a “phenomenon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the World Cup winner has seen his market value soar over the years, aligning with his level of performance following his move to Europe.

At the time of his move to Portugal, the midfielder had an expected transfer value (xTV) generated by Football Transfers in the region of €16m (£13.8m), which has risen dramatically to the region of €100m (£86.5m), via CIES Football Observatory.

How much does Enzo Fernandez earn?

Other figures that have multiplied alongside his market value are his wages, with the San Martin-born whiz seeing his weekly wage rocket from £4k at River Plate, to £41.2k at Benfica, to then reach a high of £180k at Chelsea, via Capology.

From £209k-per-year to a remarkable package of £9.3m-per-year in less than two years of development, Fernandez has seen a fast rise in world football, and one that he deserves to relish as his level of quality stands out in most games he features in.

Why is Fernandez worth so much?

Over the past year, Fernandez has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe, carrying himself as a player with an innate and assured presence in the engine room thanks to his passing ability.

Such praise is supported by his numbers, with his passing averages placing him within the top percentiles of those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.

As per FBref, the Argentine averages 10.10 progressive passes per 90, with such decimals placing him in the top 2% of that area, with him scoring particularly high in his average rate of attempted passes per 90, in which he averages 81.06, ranking him in the best 3%.

Compared statistically to renowned world stars such as Toni Kroos for his level of performance, Fernandez’s price tag seems to become more and more understandable with every game he plays, showcasing a high calibre at the age of just 22.

What could Enzo Fernandez have offered Wolves?

When considering the impact that the World Cup winner has had both domestically, and internationally on the squads he is a part of, it’s almost incomprehensible to think that Wolves could have snatched the orchestrator last summer.

Now that the likes of Neves and Moutinho have moved on, the Old Gold are missing the passing quality of the pair, which could have been resolved by acquiring Fernandez before his rise.

When comparing the former Wolves skipper’s numbers to those recorded by Fernandez in the Premier League last season, it’s clear to see just how much of a rocket Lage could have signed with reference to the calibre those at Molineux had become accustomed to.

As per FBref, Neves averaged 6.50 progressive passes and 0.83 progressive carries per 90 for the Midlands side in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, as well as recording an average of 0.95 key passes per 90.

Such figures were blown out of the water by the Chelsea maestro during his first taste of English football, where he averaged 9.77 progressive passes and 1.28 progressive carries per 90 for the Blues, totalling an average of 1.16 key passes per 90, via FBref.

Another area that the 22-year-old could have helped Wolves with is the financial gain they could have obtained if they were to have sold the midfielder on, in the same method that Benfica opted for.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, however not so much for Fosun in this case, who will be wallowing at the club’s decision to not pursue their interest in the World Cup-winning superstar.

Saha, who hurt his thumb during the IPL, is likely to miss at least part of India’s five-Test series in England, with Karthik likely to replace him in the team

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-2018Wriddhiman Saha is understood to not have fully recovered from his thumb injury and hence is likely to miss at least part of India’s five-Test series in England beginning in August. Saha, who hurt his left thumb while playing in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad, not only missed majority of the second leg of the tournament including the final but also the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.Dinesh Karthik, who took Saha’s spot and kept wicket against Afghanistan, is likely to retain the spot. Karthik is already part of India’s limited-overs squad for the UK tour and should play as the wicketkeeper-batsman for the first Test starting at Edgbaston from August 1.Rahane, Vijay to play against English Lions

Some of the India Test players who are expected to be part of the squad have already arrived in England this week. ESPNcricinfo understands vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and opener M Vijay will feature in the India A match against England Lions, which begins at New Road (Worcester) from July 16.
Meanwhile, the England selectors have named a strong Lions XI, featuring six international players: Alastair Cook, Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes, Dom Bess, Jack Leach and Sam Curran, to take on India A.

While ruling out Saha for the Afghanistan Test, the BCCI had said that his recovery would take five-six weeks. The Afghanistan Test started on June 14, and by the BCCI estimate Saha would be fit by the end of July. Although the BCCI has not issued any fitness update on Saha, the selectors as well as the India team management will want him to not just test his fitness but also his match-readiness.The only chance Saha would have had to do that would come during the four-day warm-up match against Essex, which starts on July 25 in Chelmsford. In all probability, Karthik will test himself in that game, which is likely to feature all the Test specialists.It is not clear who would be the back-up keeper for Karthik in case Saha is ruled out. If Saha does recover and misses only a match or two, then he could even come in as the reserve keeper. Otherwise that spot is likely to go to Parthiv Patel, who played in the Test series earlier this year in South Africa.India started their UK tour with the limited-overs series against Ireland and England, the last game of which, the final ODI, will be played in Leeds on July 17. It is understood that the BCCI will announce the India Test squad after ODI series against England.