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This is the second time in succession that he has been added to the ODI squad midway through a series

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2018Bangladesh have included Soumya Sarkar in the squad for the third ODI against Zimbabwe in Chittagong. Soumya left Khulna on the third day of his side’s ongoing first-class match against Rajshahi Division.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Soumya was the only addition to the current squad.This is the second time in succession that Soumya has been added to the ODI squad midway through a series. He was flown to the UAE to join the team during the Asia Cup as “batting reinforcement” after Bangladesh were hit by an injury to Tamim Iqbal and were grappling with the form of their top order. In his two outings, however, he opened the batting only once, with a five-ball duck against Pakistan, before chipping in with a handy 33 in the final against India, where he batted at No. 7.Since then, he has made a century and three fifties in the NCL first-class competition, apart from an unbeaten 102 for BCB XI against Zimbabwe in the practice match in BKSP last Friday. He also took a five-for in the last match for Khulna against Rangpur.Khulna have called upon Robiul Islam Robi as his replacement for the remainder of the first-class match.Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Liton Das, Imrul Kayes, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Abu Hider, Mohammad Saifuddin, Fazle Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar

Chelsea have had some of football's most talented players on their books, with the likes of Didier Drogba and Gianfranco Zola leading their attack.

However, in their 118-year history, the blue side of London have seen some of the world's best players slip through their fingers.

Therefore, we at Football FanCast have compiled a list of 11 players Chelsea should never have sold.

11 Oriol Romeu to Southampton – £5m (2015)

Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu joined Chelsea at just 19 years old from Barcelona in 2011, but in his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge, he failed to ever break into the first team, making only 33 appearances and going out on loan twice (to Stuttgart in Germany and Valencia in Spain) before moving to Southampton in 2015.

Nevertheless, since leaving the Blues the 32-year-old has gone on to have an illustrious career.

During the 2016/17 season, Romeu completed the third most tackles in the Premier League (117), only behind N’Golo Kante and Idrissa Gueye, furthermore between the 2016/17 and 2018/19 campaigns the Barcelona youth academy graduate was the Saints' top tackler, showing just how crucial he was to their side.

To make things worse for Chelsea, after leaving Southampton for Girona in 2022 Romeu has returned to his boyhood club where he has continued to impress.

10 Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool – £12m (2013)

Despite only being 34, today Daniel Sturridge is more commonly found appearing for Sky Sports’ punditry team. However, after leaving the Blues over a decade ago the striker became one of the Premier League's most prolific strikers.

The Englishman spent four seasons with Chelsea, making 63 appearances (32 off the bench), but he was only able to score 13 goals and in his final season, he only managed one goal. This led to his £12m January transfer to Liverpool, where his career took off.

After his move, Sturridge scored goals 10 in 11 starts and during his first full campaign in 2013/14 the Premier League winner netted 21 times and formed one of the most iconic partnerships in the leagues with Luis Suárez.

Perhaps Chelsea and previous owner Roman Abramovich would have been smart to hold onto the two-time Champions League winner, as since the departure of Drogba and then Diego Costa they have struggled to find a star striker.

9 Juan Cuadrado to Juventus – £17m (2017)

Chelsea paid £23.3m for winger Juan Cuadrado in 2015, however, the Colombian only ever made 13 appearances, of which only four starts, furthermore he never scored during his spell with the club. This means that he cost the five-time Premier League Champions £5.83m for every start the winger made.

Following a return to Italy on loan with Juventus (just seven months after moving to England) the 35-year-old criticized Chelsea for not giving him a chance.

He said to the Evening Standard: "I don't think I was given enough opportunity to show what I can do, but that's football. I'm happy to be back being a protagonist with Juventus."

And maybe Cuadrado was right, as after making his move to Juventus permanent in 2017, he went on to play 314 times for the Old Lady, scoring 26 goals and assisting 59 times, while also winning 11 trophies.

8 Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan – £25M (2021)

Fikayo Tomori first joined Chelsea in 2005 and worked his way up from just Under-8s level, all the way to the first team, where he made 27 appearances.

However, after 16 years in London, the centre-back permanently left the club, after his loan move to AC Milan was made permanent.

Since moving to Italy, the Canadian-born defender has excelled. During his first full season with the Rossoneri, Tomori won Milan’s first Serie A title in 11 years, while also making the team of the season.

It may be that Chelsea regrets selling the 25-year-old, with the squad being remade under the ownership of Todd Boehly, the blue side of London lacks some much-needed leadership and experience, which Tomori could have provided.

7 Tammy Abraham to Roma – £34m (2021)

Tammy Abraham had a very similar career path to Tomori, joining Chelsea at just seven years old, the striker worked his way up to the first team, where he made his debut at just 18 years old.

The England international broke into the Chelsea first team during the 2019/20 season under manager Frank Lampard, and in 34 league appearances, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals and finished the season as the Blues’ top scorer.

However, only a year later Abraham was sold to Roma, after a disappointing 2020/21 campaign where he scored just six league goals.

Since moving to Roma, the Chelsea academy graduate has shown his boyhood club what they could have had, scoring 36 goals in 107 games and winning the UEFA Europa Conference in 2022.

6 Declan Rice to West Ham – Released (2014)

Declan Rice never made it into Chelsea’s first team and was dropped from their youth set-up at just 14 after joining in 2006.

This led the England international to join London rivals West Ham, where he became a club legend.

In his eight years with the Hammers Rice made 241 appearances and became the club's captain, and in his final game for West Ham in 2023, he won the Europa Conference League, which was the London club’s first trophy since 1980.

Although the 24-year-old received interest from Chelsea after leaving, he eventually moved to bitter rivals Arsenal for a record £105m, leaving the Stamford Bridge outfit wondering how they let him get away.

5 Jamal Musiala to Bayern Munich – £172k (2019)

Jamal Musiala has emerged as one of Europe’s brightest young stars since breaking into the Bayern Munich first-team during the 2020/21 season.

Since leaving London the 20-year-old has already won four German League titles and a Champions League, on top of this he has been nominated for the 2023 Golden Boy – which is awarded to the best U21 player in Europe.

This prompted Golden Boy founder Massimo Franchi to reveal that he thought Musiala could have been integral to Chelsea.

Speaking to TZ he said:

"That FC Bayern took him from Chelsea almost for free was incredibly smart. An incredible loss for Londoners.

"It would be like the Louvre losing the Mona Lisa!"

According to Football Transfers, the German international is now worth £82.2m, meaning if Munich were to sell the former Chelsea academy player, they could make at least a £82m profit.

4 Arjen Robben to Real Madrid – £30m (2007)

Arjen Robben left PSV and moved to Chelsea in 2004 for £16m, however, he was out the door just three years later after only making 67 league appearances, scoring 15 goals and providing 16 assists.

After Leaving England, the winger moved to Real Madrid, where he again had an unsuccessful spell and was sold to Bayern Munich after two years.

But this move to Germany proved to be the making of the former Dutch international, as he became one of the world's best players.

The 39-year-old spent 10 seasons in Germany, where he made 309 appearances, scored 144 goals and made 101 assists, while also winning eight German League titles, a Champions League, and Bundesliga Player of the Year.

Proving to Chelsea and Real Madrid what they missed out on.

3 Eden Hazard to Real Madrid – £130m (2019)

Eden Hazard has to go down as a Chelsea club legend, he was voted Chelsea’s Player of the Year a record four times and won two Premier Leagues and two Europa Leagues while making 352 appearances and scoring 110 goals.

Unfortunately, the fairy tale came to an end in 2019 as the winger sealed his dream move to Real Madrid.

However, this move saw his career come off the rails, after numerous injuries and only 54 league appearances, the 32-year-old's contract was terminated with a year to go, and he is yet to find a new club.

This has left Chelsea, their supporters, and probably Hazard wondering what would have happened if he had stayed in London.

2 Mohamed Salah to Roma – £12.75m (2016)

It is unlikely that anyone in 2016 would have believed you if you had suggested that Mohamed Salah would become the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history or break the record for most Premier League Player of the Month awards in a single season.

However, he has certainly proved his doubters and Chelsea wrong.

The Premier League winner struggled while at Chelsea, only playing 19 times and scoring twice, meaning that he has scored more goals against the Blues than has for them, with seven in 21 appearances against the two-time Champions League winners.

Speaking to GQ in 2022 the Egyptian revealed the pressure was too much for him while at Chelsea.

He said:

“It was so tough for me, mentally. I couldn’t handle the pressure I had from the media, coming from outside.

“I was not playing that much. I felt, ‘No, I need to go’.

“You have two choices: to tell the people that they are right to put you on a bench or to prove them wrong.

“I needed to prove them wrong.”

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani injured his left arm while trying to steal second base in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night.

With the Dodgers leading the New York Yankees 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Ohtani took off from first base in a steal attempt. He was thrown out at second by Yankees catcher Austin Wells, which ended the inning, but Ohtani remained on the ground grasping at his left arm, while waving for assistance from the training staff with his right arm.

According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Ohtani's arm was being supported by a Dodgers trainer as he left the field.

The Dodgers hold a 1-0 series lead, with a chance to shift the series to New York just two wins away from a world championship.

Their unexpected union took KKR from 57 for 5 to a score they could defend despite dew setting in

S Sudarshanan04-May-20242:02

Was sending Pandey as impact sub the right call?

Thursday evening, Wankhede Stadium. The harsh afternoon heat was giving way to a pleasant evening when Kolkata Knight Riders’ practice session got fully underway. Manish Pandey was among the first to take guard in the second of the two nets. Seeing him time some of the shots, one wondered why he had not played a match this IPL.Pandey faced all types of bowling plus throwdowns at his disposal. Between the deliveries, he even had a banter with some of the bowlers, and by the end of his nearly 30-minute stint, he walked out of the nets all drenched in sweat.Friday evening, Wankhede Stadium. Left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya marked his run-up on either end. A one-match suspension for fast bowler Harshit Rana had meant KKR had a slot in the XI for an Indian seamer. Even though Pandey was among five potential Impact Players for a sixth successive game, all indicators pointed towards Sakariya making his KKR debut.Related

Venkatesh, Starc star as KKR break 12-year Wankhede jinx

Impact sub Pandey finally gets his chance, and makes it count

But when Nuwan Thushara’s triple strike had KKR reeling at 57 for 5 in the seventh over, they had to change their plan. So out walked Pandey as Impact Player, replacing an already dismissed Angkrish Raghuvanshi.KKR had never beaten MI at the Wankhede since 2012, so you wouldn’t blame MI for thinking they had things in control, especially on a slightly two-paced surface. Venkatesh Iyer, who hit a century against MI at this venue last year, had started with two fours in his first four balls and was on 13 off 8 when Pandey joined him. But the next four overs produced just one boundary.In the 11th over, Iyer flicked Piyush Chawla through fine leg for four and then smacked Gerald Coetzee for a four and a six to signal a move-on.Manish Pandey and Venkatesh Iyer’s 83-run stand rescued KKR•AFP/Getty ImagesPandey took the cue and capitalised on his favourable match-up against Jasprit Bumrah in the 14th over by taking 12 runs off him. It included a flicked four – replays indicated it went off Pandey’s thigh pad and Bumrah wasn’t happy about it the entire over – through fine leg and a ramped six over deep third to leave their head-to-head reading thus: 80 runs, 42 balls, no dismissals.Pandey fell for 42 off 31 when he miscued one to cover but Iyer carried on. At the death, he pre-empted what the bowlers were attempting and hit crucial boundaries to bring up his second half-century of the season. He deposited Hardik Pandya over wide long-on before hitting a six and a four via reverse shot off Thushara in the 19th over.In a bid to scoop Bumrah on the penultimate ball of the innings, Iyer lost his balance, and middle stump, and was the last batter dismissed for 70 off 52 balls. But despite KKR losing their last five wickets in 29 runs, his 83-run partnership with Pandey, off 62 balls, had steered them to 169.Heading into the game, KKR were the most expensive side in the powerplay this season, and had conceded the second-most sixes at the death. Given Mitchell Starc’s poor form, MI’s long batting line-up, and the dew, a target of 170 did not look challenging.But Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine derailed their chase, with identical figures of 2 for 22 off four overs. Starc, who came into the match with seven wickets from eight games at an economy of 11.78, also picked up 4 for 33, including three in the 19th over to seal KKR’s seventh win in ten outings.”Venky’s been fantastic for us,” Starc said at the post-match press conference. “He has certainly not been out of touch, he has been hitting the ball nicely through the games and certainly at training. Tonight was the night he got the runs to reward that hard work. Not our best start with the bat but the way he went about his innings to absorb some pressure, still keep the scoring rate pretty healthy and build a fantastic innings for us alongside Manish Pandey, that was a really key partnership.”They showed their experience. Obviously, Venky has got good memories here from last year, scoring a hundred. That partnership tonight was what got us to a total we thought we could defend. He used all parts of the ground pretty well, he fought his way through the innings.”

George Bailey and Ed Cowan could be considered unlucky to have missed out on Cricket Australia contracts this year. But if they’re good enough, it won’t matter.

Brydon Coverdale22-Jun-2012The purpose of a central contract system is right there in the name. Central. The aim is to put on retainer the players expected to be central to the team’s performances in the coming year. George Bailey and Ed Cowan come to fit that description this season. If they do, they will be rewarded. They will also provide Australia with much-needed batting depth.Neither man should view being left off Cricket Australia’s contract list, which this year featured only six batsmen, as an insult. They are both new to international level. They may become long-term prospects. They may drift back to state cricket, as plenty have before them. Their fate, like that of all of Australia’s young batsmen, is in their own hands. They can’t ask fairer than that.Simon Katich might disagree after his omission last year, but there is one undeniable truth about Cricket Australia’s contract system. Eventually, the right players always earn a deal. Sometimes the wrong ones do as well. That is another matter.But the right players, those who become key performers for Australia during a contract year, will be upgraded to a national contract. It is built into the system. Call it natural selection. Last year, Katich was not in Australia’s plans, so there was no point signing him up. Others, Matthew Wade and Nathan Lyon for example, became regular internationals and were contracted mid-year. Simple.To be upgraded to a national contract from outside the initial group, a player must accumulate 12 points based on a system where each Test appearance is worth five, an ODI is worth two and a T20 international earns one. Bailey is the country’s Twenty20 captain, but has still only played nine times for Australia. If he can make himself a regular ODI player on top of his T20 duties, he will earn a contract.Cowan has played Australia’s past seven Tests. He has shown promise, but that is all. He will need more than the odd half-century and an average of 29 to make himself a viable long-term Test prospect. But if he is good enough to hold his place for three more Tests, he will be upgraded.There are others in the same situation, notably Clint McKay, Daniel Christian and Peter Forrest. They are all likely to play enough games to be upgraded. But why not make them earn it? In the past, too many contracts have been awarded prematurely. Too many contracts have been awarded full stop.Only 17 men have been handed deals for the coming year, down from 25. A less bloated list is no bad thing. England awarded only 13 central contracts last year, and their criteria for a mid-year upgrade is even tougher. They seem to be coping.Now, players won’t just make up the numbers. Remember Cullen Bailey, the young legspinner who was contracted in 2007? He did not play an international match that year, and hasn’t come within cooee since. Adam Voges was handed a contract in 2007, 2008 and 2010, for the grand total of 15 ODIs and four T20s.Not that this year’s 17-man squad is perfect. Mitchell Johnson can count himself extremely fortunate to have been included. Presumably the selectors view him as a first-choice player in the ODI and T20 sides, for his Test bowling in recent times has been about as intimidating as his Movember moustache.The retention of Brad Haddin is an indication that the selectors either believe he is still the No.1 wicketkeeper ahead of Matthew Wade or are yet to make up their minds. After a disappointing year in both Test and one-day cricket, there would have been justification for leaving Haddin off the list.Clearly, Ricky Ponting is not going anywhere in a hurry. His outstanding series against India bought him more time in the Test side, although a poor tour of the West Indies followed. The selectors want him around and he wants to be around. He is likely to be part of the Test side for at least another summer.Ponting is one of only six specialist batsmen given contracts this year, along with Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Hussey and David Hussey. There is no reason the split between bowlers and batsmen should be more even – it is a contract list, not a starting XI – but the imbalance does indicate that John Inverarity and his fellow selectors want more from the wider batting group.That is far from ideal a year out from the Ashes, but nor is it a surprise. This is a team that in the past year has relied on four men – Clarke, Ponting, Warner and Michael Hussey – for more than half its Test runs. It is a side that was bowled out for 47 in a Test match in November.Young batsmen like Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Phillip Hughes have let Test opportunities slip over the past year, while Cowan, Bailey and Forrest are still proving themselves. There are others showing promise at state level – Joe Burns, Liam Davis and Rob Quiney, to name a few – and it is up to whoever is given a chance to grab it.Australia’s young bowlers have been doing that over the past 12 months. It’s no wonder there are seven fast men and two spinners in the contract list. This year it’s time for the batsmen to make themselves indispensable. Cowan and Bailey would be a good start.

Leeds United will have been disappointed to come away from the Preston North End game last time out with nothing, unable to follow up the comprehensive win over Ipswich Town with another straightforward victory.

The attackers fell below their usual high standards in the 2-1 defeat at Deepdale from a Whites perspective, both Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter failing to catch Freddie Woodman out in the opposing goal with zero shots on target from both as per Sofascore.

Not even the introduction of youth product Mateo Joseph and seasoned regular Patrick Bamford in attack in the second half could steer Leeds towards picking up an away win, Daniel Farke's men ultimately running out of steam and ideas come full-time.

Farke could well look to the transfer window to bring in more firepower up top therefore, with the Whites notable admirers of one wonderkid who continues to take his native South Africa by storm at just 17 years of age.

With Leeds unafraid to give their own homegrown teenage talents first team minutes in the form of Archie Gray, this could be the perfect next destination for this starlet to further develop and excel.

Leeds transfer latest

The Scottish Sun reported last month that Leeds alongside Celtic were interested in Cape Town Spurs striker Luke Baartman, the 17-year-old attacker regarded as one of the brightest talents in South African football currently.

This season for the Cape Town Spurs, Baartman has managed to find the back of the net twice for the senior side which included a fierce header last match in DStv Premiership action for his boyhood club.

Baartman won't instantly come into the first team and make an impact if he relocates to Elland Road this January, but Bamford's days will still be numbered anyway as Farke looks to bring in fresh youngsters to boost the squad to replace the old guard in West Yorkshire.

Patrick Bamford's numbers this season

Bamford has had a torrid season to date with Leeds, the 30-year-old striker goalless from 15 appearances with his minutes limited to exclusively coming off the bench when the clock is ticking down.

The ageing Leeds attacker has been on a decline for some time, with this season not coming as a shock or an anomaly with the ex-Chelsea man regularly out with injury if he's not misfiring in front of goal.

Season

Games played

Goals scored

2023-24

15

0

2022-23

31

6

2021-22

10

2

2020-21

38

17

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Bamford's powers diminishing could see Farke swoop in for Baartman as a shrewd piece of business therefore, buying with the future in mind and gaining a striker likened to Henrik Larsson according to Cape Town Spurs technical director Sean Connor when speaking to the Scottish Sun.

Connor stated that the teenage sensation's "spatial awareness, movement and pace" reminded him of the iconic Swedish striker when he first set eyes upon the promising talent, a bold label to put on a 17-year-old who has so much more of his career left to go.

Leeds could well feel it's a gamble worth taking buying Baartman this January, initially placing the South African striker into the U21's fold to further hone his craft before unleashing him into the first team eventually to hopefully mirror the success story of Gray.

It will be a sad severing of the ties when the Whites do have to wave goodbye to Bamford, but a farewell they will have to consider soon with the injury-prone striker losing his clinical edge completely.

Bringing in Baartman may appear a move for the future, yet as has been shown in the case of Gray – who has featured 25 times in all competitions this season – Farke is willing to put faith in any talent regardless of their age.

Getting to see the two 17-year-old's thriving in the same side could, therefore, be a mouthwatering prospect for the Elland Road outfit.

It wasn't so long ago that Newcastle United were struggling to survive in the Premier League, but ever since their takeover by the Saudi Investment Fund the Magpies have been flying up the Premier League ranks, resulting in Champions League qualification last season. Eddie Howe's side have impressed at times throughout the current campaign too, with their standout moment being a 4-1 thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain at St James' Park.

If some thought that result was a blip, then Newcastle's valiant 1-1 draw against the French champions quickly put an end to that belief, even if French newspaper L'Equipe delivered a rather harsh verdict on the Magpies' performance.

Newcastle vs PSG player ratings

Newcastle found themselves on the verge of what would have been a famous three points at the Parc des Princes before Kylian Mbappe equalised in the 98th minute with an incredibly controversial penalty awarded for Tino Livramento's handball.

The Magpies now face the prospect of a Champions League exit into the Europa League or out of Europe entirely in what will frustrate Howe, given how well his depleted side played. They sit third in Group E, level on points with Milan and two points adrift of PSG with one game left to play.

Despite how tight the game was, L'Equipe were not quick to praise Newcastle players. Instead, they delivered some fairly harsh ratings, handing 17-year-old Lewis Miley the lowest in the team with a four out of ten.

9/10 Newcastle star outshone Livramento & Isak against PSG

This “outstanding” player outshone Alexander Isak on his return and was Newcastle United’s real hero in the 1-1 draw away at PSG.

ByAdam Scully Nov 29, 2023

Meanwhile, Miguel Almiron, who very nearly had an early assist to his name and worked tirelessly all evening, was given a six, as was Tripper, who kept Mbappe quiet aside from his penalty, even forcing him to switch flanks late on in search of more space. Livramento was hit with a rating as low as five, despite often acting as Newcastle's driving force down the left-hand side and defending valiantly.

L'Equipe harsh on Newcastle players

Travelling to a side of PSG's stature is never an easy task. Taking the lead at the home of the French champions, meanwhile, before only being pegged back in the dying minutes by a controversial penalty call, seems an impossible task. Yet, Newcastle did just that, all whilst enduring their fair share of injury problems in the build-up. If anyone deserved credit, it was the Magpies.

Miley, at just 17-years-old, was particularly hard done by, given that he performed exceptionally in the circumstances. Almiron, meanwhile, would have come away with a memorable goal involvement if Alexander Isak had tucked away from close range at the first time of asking. From Howe's perspective though, what the media in France, or anywhere for that matter, say about his side won't replace his pride in his team.

Speaking after the game, Howe delivered his verdict on the controversial penalty call, saying via ITV: "It wasn’t the right decision in my opinion. There are so many things to take into account at that moment, the speed first. It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down, looks completely different to the live event.

“The ball hits his chest first, comes up and hits his hand. But his hand is not in an unnatural position, they [his hands] are down by his side, but he is in a running motion. I feel it is a poor decision and it’s hugely frustrating for us as you know how little time there is left in the game. There is nothing we can do about it now.”

One Tottenham star's agent is said to have an "agreement" with two clubs over him leaving in January, but there's a major issue in the form of Spurs' demands.

Spurs injuries mounting

The Lilywhites boss Ange Postecoglou is having to contend with numerous squad depth issues after a quartet of key players were forced to leave the field in their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday.

Postecoglou will be without defender Cristian Romero, who is set to serve a three-match suspension, and Destiny Udogie after the pair were shown red cards against Mauricio Pochettino's side earlier this week.

However, the most worrying absentees come in the form of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, who will now be out of action until 2024 – as confirmed by Postecoglou in a press conference this afternoon.

“Micky obviously with that hamstring injury, we knew it was fairly significant, probably a couple of months for him looking into the new year," said the Australian (via football.london).

“Madders is a lot worse than we thought. He came off with an ankle injury and the next day wasn’t great, so we sent him for a scan. Again probably into the new year for him."

For now, the Spurs head coach is having to make do with limited options, but according to reports, there is a belief that the north Londoners could still opt to part ways with midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

While both Maddison and van de Ven could be back by January, when the window reopens, there is still a glaring lack of depth – so you could make the case that is wise to keep a player of Hojbjerg's experience.

Spurs are apparently open to selling Hojbjerg permanently but won't authorise a loan deal, which is backed by another update on his future from Italy.

Hojbjerg's agent has "agreement" with two clubs

The midfielder's agent apparently has an "agreement" with both Juventus and Atletico Madrid, as per newspaper La Stampa, but coming after Juventus chiefs met with Hojbjerg and his representation.

However, Spurs have adopted a firm stance over his exit – he leaves permanently for around £26 milllion or not at all. Hojbjerg was somewhat of a peripheral figure before Tottenham's current injury crisis, making most of his appearances across all competitions from the bench.

Some reports now hint Hojbjerg could be used in a makeshift central defensive role to cover for the injured van de Ven and suspended Romero, so it will be very interesting to see how that develops.

At his best, the Spurs midfielder is an extremely useful asset to have, with former goalkeeper Paul Robinson believing he was playing the best football of his Tottenham career not too long ago.

"I’ve been surprised by how much he has stepped up this year," said Robinson in October 2022 to Football Insider.

“I thought he was the one who would make way for Yves Bissouma. The club spent a lot of money on Bissouma. I think Hojbjerg recognised that and stepped up.

“He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt."

Lionel Messi finally got to play in front of Indian fans after his India tour took a chaotic turn in Kolkata. The fans at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium were left fuming with the Argentina legend's brief 20-minute appearance as they ripped up seats and hurled objects onto the pitch. Messi, however, finally got to play in front of his fans in India during his second stop in Hyderabad.

• Euphoria turned into chaos

  When Messi landed in Kolkata in the wee hours on Saturday, thousands of fans turned up at the airport to welcome the football legend. The Inter Miami captain was accompanied by his team-mates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, as the Herons trio headed to their hotel amid massive euphoria.  

  Similar enthusiasm was visible among the fans since early morning as nearly 85,000 fans visited Salt Lake Stadium to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. However, Messi's visit to the stadium was cut short and the footballers were rushed out of the venue due to reported security concerns. The thousands of fans at the stadium could hardly see Messi's face during his short 20-minute appearance, which left them disgruntled. Seats were ripped up and thrown onto the Salt Lake Stadium pitch, while video footage from Indian news agency ANI showed fans who had climbed over a fence to hurl objects onto the field. The prime organiser of the event, Satadru Dutta, was detained due to mismanagement following the stadium chaos, and the chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, has ordered a high-level enquiry.  

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Messi finally gets to play in front of Indian fans

  Messi, who is in India as part of his 'GOAT Tour 2025', a four-part event, was scheduled to travel to Hyderabad next before visiting Mumbai and the national capital Delhi. In Hyderabad, Messi was welcomed by a thunderous crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. At the second venue, Messi finally touched a football, as he, along with Suarez and De Paul, exchanged a few passes among themselves. They were also joined by a few youth footballers from the state of Telangana and the chief minister, Revanth Reddy.   

• Messi thanks Hyderabad fans

  At the conclusion of the even in Hyderabad, Messi took the microphone to address the buzzing crowd at the venue as he said: "Thank you very much for all your affection. It's an honour for us to be able to spend these days here in India with you, so I'm truly grateful. Thank you so much." 

  De Paul and Suarez were also elated to visit India as the Argentine added: "I've enjoyed a lot. This has been a very special night. Thank you so much for your love and affection." Suarez then said: "Good evening, everyone. Thank you for the love. A big hug!"  

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  What next for Messi?

  The World Cup-winning Argentina legend will next travel to Mumbai on Sunday morning, where he is supposed to meet a host of celebrities, including members of the Mumbai film industry and several other dignitaries. On Monday, He will jet off to Delhi before heading out of India.    

On Saturday evening it felt like an irremovable force was sent down from upon high to plague Liverpool's chances of moving top of the Premier League.

Such an eventuality would have capped off nicely this rejuvenation of Jurgen Klopp's, who has remoulded his midfield and once again crafted a Reds side that looks capable of challenging for elite honours.

However, when you're forced to play with nine men and then be subjected to one of the most mind-boggling VAR calls you will ever see, you are unlikely to win games of football.

Curtis Jones' aggressive challenge early doors saw red and then Diogo Jota was also sent for an early bath after twice fouling Destiny Udogie in the space of a few minutes.

However, the real injustice was at the hands of the officials. Luis Diaz raced through in the first half before firing home a lovely finish from inside the penalty area.

Everyone could see it was onside, yet in remarkable circumstances, it was chalked off. The PGMOL, for what felt like the 1000th time in the last year were forced to apologise for a major human error. The circumstances surrounding why it was given are incomprehensible.

To make matters worse, they will now be without two of their forward's services. Jota, of course, will be suspended, but Cody Gakpo was also forced off with an injury immediately after finding the net with a powerful close-range drive. According to his manager, he is now in a brace and limping.

Who could replace Gakpo and Jota?

The obvious replacement in the number 9 role will likely be that of Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan has started just twice in the Premier League this term but will likely now get his chance to do his thing.

An effervescent character in the forward line, the 24-year-old has already found the net three times this season and is simply bursting at the thought of being given an extended run in the side. Fortunately, that could well be forthcoming.

However, another player who could get a rare opportunity is that of Ben Doak.

The teenager has regularly been seen in the first-team picture this term, earning a start in the Europa League against LASK.

How good is Ben Doak?

That centre-forward berth is unlikely to be his, but a vacancy could well open up on the wings. Moving Salah would be foolish but Diaz's place isn't certain and with games coming up thick and fast, rotation will be needed. Without Gakpo and Jota, that is tricky.

Doak already has plenty of senior football under his belt. He made his first-team debut for Celtic at 16 before moving to Anfield and is now gaining semi-regular opportunities in Jurgen Klopp's first team.

Now 17, he has appeared as a substitute once in the Premier League this term but wasn't even in the matchday squad for the trip to Spurs. Damning indeed, but his chance is surely now just around the corner.

A "special" talent, as dubbed by Klopp, he is yet to earn a start in the league for Liverpool, but his radiant qualities prove he deserves a go.

A wonderful ball-carrier, Virgil van Dijk perhaps sums up his qualities best: "He’s very exciting, very direct, one-on-one. I call him a Tasmanian Devil with the way he is buzzing around, he’s just so quick. If his decision-making gets better – and he has all the time in the world for that – then he could definitely be one for the future."

One for the future? Yes. But one for the here and now? Blows to both the availabilities of Jota and Gakpo means we could well be about to find out.