Paul Pogba has sent Manchester United fans into frenzy after hinting that a third stint at Old Trafford could be on the cards for him.
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Already taken in two spells at Old TraffordFree agent following release by JuventusDoping ban will come to an end in MarchFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The World Cup-winning Frenchman made his senior debut after stepping out of the Red Devils’ famed academy system. He returned to England as the most expensive player on the planet when sealing an £89 million ($111m) transfer in 2016.
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Pogba retraced steps to Juventus in 2022, but saw his contract in Turin terminated after being hit with a doping ban. Said suspension, which was reduced from four years to 18 months on appeal, will come to an end in March.
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As a free agent, Pogba has been linked with teams around the world – from MLS to the Middle East via the Premier League and Ligue 1. He has now shared an image on social media that has got United fans talking, as the 31-year-old dons a Red Devils kit in cartoon form alongside Ivorian winger Amad Diallo.
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WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
Amid the speculation regarding the Frenchman’s future, @StartupManutd has asked the question “Pogback 3.0?” @ChucksAndys says: “He's worth the 3rd chance looking at problems of this current squad. He's learnt his lessons, and I see him doing great things.” @realjwg7 added: “Pogba is a world class player. No transfer fee, he would bring a lot of quality in that number 10 with Amad. If he’s willing to come on a lower salary, and willing to put the work in I don’t see what the issue is.” @_BTCconnoisseur went on to say: “POGBACK to Man United. One Last Dance. Bruno and Pogba in the No.10 with Dorgu and Amad at LWB and RWB. What a movie this would be to watch. Come on Amorim.” @orangesummerluv chimed in with: “At this point, just make it happen. F*ck it.”
Enzo Maresca has had no trouble integrating his methods at Chelsea, currently on a seven-game unbeaten streak, and sitting fourth in the Premier League.
Since joining the club, the Italian has opted for his 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 starting shape, which looks to shift into a 3-2-5 shape in possession, with one of the full-backs inverting alongside the defensive midfielder. This has often been Malo Gusto so far this season.
This change has allowed Cole Palmer to attain a permanent central spot in the team, playing as the number ten, as opposed to the right-wing position he often played last term. The England international has started in red-hot form, scoring six and providing five assists in nine appearances, and 645 minutes.
But Nicolas Jackson is another player who has started well under Maresca, solidifying his starting centre-forward spot for the Blues, despite Chelsea looking at striker options in the summer.
Nicolas Jackson's time at Chelsea
Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal in the summer of 2023, paying slightly more than his £30.1m release clause, signing an eight-year deal at the London club. In his debut year for the Blues, the 23-year-old scored 17 goals and provided six assists in his 44 appearances.
For context, this was more Premier League goal contributions than Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba managed in his first season, making 26 appearances, scoring ten goals and providing five assists. However, the following campaign, Drogba netted 16 goals and provided 16 assists in all competitions, helping Chelsea to a Premier League title.
Of course, this comes with some pressure for Jackson now but he has started 2024/25 as he means to go on. The 23-year-old has made eight appearances for the Blues, scoring four goals and providing three assists in 555 minutes played.
Jackson has started all seven Premier League games for Maresca so far, despite the goalscoring form of Christopher Nkunku, who already has seven goals in 11 appearances, managing 430 minutes so far.
This shows the faith the new Chelsea manager has in the Senegal international, and Jackson will want to continue to repay that faith with goal contributions, along with his link-up play and work rate.
If Jackson can continue to add to his 21 goals and nine assists in 52 outings, then they will have a gem on their hands. However, Chelsea could be interested in another striker addition in January, who is currently smashing it in the Bundesliga.
Chelsea looking at new striker
According to reports from CaughtOffside, Chelsea are among the interested clubs in Frankfurt forward, Omar Marmoush.
The fee it would cost is believed to be around €40m (£33.5m) according to the reports. The 25-year-old has scored nine goals in nine appearances for the German outfit, also providing four assists in 747 minutes played.
The Egyptian has been labelled a “late bloomer” and “electric” by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, praising his versatility as a forward who can play as a striker, a number ten, or even from the left.
Marmoush has now made 50 appearances in all competitions for Frankfurt since joining the club in 2023, scoring 26 goals and providing 12 assists in 3,892 minutes played. The 25-year-old has also played for Wolfsburg, St Pauli (on loan), and Stuttgart (on loan), having come through the Wadi Degla academy, and Egyptian second-division team.
Frankfurt’s number seven has been showing his ability to impact games, with some lovely 1v1 finishes, lovely ball manipulation in the box to create half a yard for himself, and blistering pace on the break to help get his side forward, creating for both himself, but also his teammates.
Marmoush is now outscoring Harry Kane in the Bundesliga this season, and if Chelsea went after him, where would that leave the in-form Jackson?
Marmoush vs Jackson comparison
The first thing to compare is the two player profiles here. Jackson is 22-years-old, has a 6 foot 1 frame, is a very wirey runner, and was developed in the academy as a left-winger, and therefore possesses some winger-like traits, such as his dribbling.
Comparatively, Marmoush is 25-years-old, is 6 foot, and as mentioned earlier, is considered something of a late bloomer.
Omar Marmoush for Frankfurt.
FBref’s “similar players” feature actually notes that Jackson is one of Marmoush’s top most similar players which tells you their styles aren’t too dissimilar, both liking to run the channels, use their pace and power in transition, and can manipulate the ball in tight spaces.
Goals
1.08
0.69
Assists
0.72
0.52
xG
0.82
0.90
Progressive Carries
3.89
2.59
Progressive Passes
2.36
1.55
Shots Total
4.46
3.28
Shots on Target
1.93
1.72
Goals/shot
0.19
0.21
Shot-Creating Actions
5.97
2.59
Att Pen Touches
7.08
5.86
Aerials Won
0.56
0.52
You can see from these metrics, even though Jackson is having a strong start to the season, Marmoush is on another level right now, scoring over a goal per 90 with 1.08, also assisting 0.72 goals per 90, whilst actually generating fewer xG than Jackson.
His shot volume is high, taking 4.46 per 90, and getting 1.93 of these on target, but this does affect his goals/shot ratio slightly, as he scores at a rate of 0.19, which is 0.02 fewer than Jackson’s 0.21 goals/shot ratio.
But Marmoush isn’t just a clinical box finisher, he also has 5.97 shot-creating actions per 90, showing that ball manipulation ability we mentioned earlier, and how he can use it to create shots for himself, but also for others. This is matched by his 3.89 progressive carries and 2.36 progressive passes, which allow him to drive his team forward, something Jackson does very well too.
The dynamic of having both Jackson and Marmoush competing for that striker spot would be very interesting for Chelsea, maybe even pushing each other to get even better, or even playing so well, that you could play one of them from the left-wing, and transform the Chelsea attacking unit.
Maresca could ditch Mudryk with Chelsea move for "generational" £85m star
The Blues must continue to make upgrades to their fast-improving team…
Hurricanes sign England rising star following his stunning season for Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers
Alex Malcolm06-Oct-2021Hobart Hurricanes have signed one of the hottest young properties in English cricket with Harry Brook set for his first stint in the BBL this coming season.The 22-year-old had an outstanding season for Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast. He was the fourth-highest runscorer with 486 runs at a strike-rate of 149.07 batting in the middle order. Across both the Blast and the Hundred he only failed to make 20 in three of his 18 innings striking at 150.33 for the English summer and was duly rewarded by being named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Male Young Player of the Year. The previous three winners have been Zak Crawley, Tom Banton, and Ollie Pope.With Dawid Malan set to be unavailable for the Hurricanes due to his likely involvement in the Ashes, Brook will slot perfectly into their middle order.”I can’t wait to come out to Australia and play in the Big Bash for the first time,” Brook said.”Over the years I’ve really enjoyed watching English cricketers like myself come out to Australia, and it seems that not only have they really enjoyed their time playing in the BBL, but a lot of them have also taken their game to the next level.”I’m really hoping that I can do the same, so I just can’t wait to get there, get stuck in and learn as much as I can.”The Hurricanes targeted a power-hitting middle-order overseas player to round out their impressive top six. They are likely to have Matthew Wade, D’Arcy Short, and Ben McDermott for most of the season in the top three with Peter Handscomb, Tim David, and Brook rounding out a superb middle order.They have locked in Sandeep Lamichhane as their overseas legspinner and have a bevy of fast-bowlers to choose from as they chase an elusive BBL title.Hobart Hurricanes squad: Scott Boland, Harry Brook (England), Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Peter Handscomb, Caleb Jewell, Josh Kann, Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, D’Arcy Short, Matthew Wade (c), Mac Wright
Leroy Sane is now an outcast at Bayern Munich. A key player for Die Rekordmeister last term, the Germany international has played only cameo minutes for Vincent Kompany’s side this term. Kompany, Sane’s former Manchester City teammate who took charge of Bayern in the summer, prefers new boy Michael Olise on the right-hand side of his attack.
Though Sane has, according to Sky Germany, stated his intent to stay at the Allianz Arena and fight for his place, a number of clubs are keeping tabs in the hope that changes. Here’s who is currently interested in the 28-year-old winger.
28
Right-wing, Left-wing, Attacking midfield
30th June 2025
£320,000 (Capology)
£50m (Transfermarkt)
Man Utd, Arsenal, Newcastle
Manchester United
Manchester United have made a habit of buying out-of-favour Bayern Munich players in recent times, having signed Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from the German side this summer. Joshua Zirkzee, another of the Red Devils’ summer signings, is also a former Bayern player.
According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Sane is next on the ever-growing list of Bayern rejects United want to bring to Old Trafford. Plettenberg recently reported that United are ‘monitoring’ the former Manchester City winger.
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It would continue a theme at Old Trafford.
ByBen Browning Oct 15, 2024 Arsenal
Arsenal already boast a plethora of talent in wide areas, including Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling. Even Gabriel Jesus has been known to play out wide from time to time. But according to reports from Spain, manager Mikel Arteta wants to add more firepower on the flanks as his side navigate the complexities of mounting a Premier League title charge alongside playing in the Champions League.
The latest report claims Arsenal are “keeping a close eye” on Sane’s situation. Arteta’s Gunners came up against Sane and Bayern in the Champions League last season, with the Bavarians coming out on top after edging Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate.
Imagine him & Havertz: Arsenal chasing Henry-esque £50m-rated star
He would add further quality to the Gunners’ already potent frontline.
ByEthan Lamb Oct 12, 2024 Newcastle United
According to a recent update from GiveMeSport, Newcastle United are “keeping tabs” on Sane, with the Magpies well aware that they may be able to land him for free next summer. Other reports from Spain claim Newcastle are “determined” to sign the winger, with the wealthy hierarchy at St. James’ Park viewing Sane as a player who can finally help re-establish the club as one of the best in the country.
Given his previous record in England with Manchester City (Sane scored 39 goals and registered 43 assists in 135 games for the Cityzens between 2016 and 2020), it’s easy to see why that would be the case.
Newcastle United eye move for £325k-p/w "machine" available for £0 in 2025
He could fill a problem position for the Magpies and Eddie Howe.
Greaves goes from delivering parcels for Amazon to dispatching Bangladesh in only his second T20I
Mohammad Isam17-Oct-20215:10
Nafees: Bangladesh never looked like they were in the game while chasing
As soon as Saafyan Sharif closed out Scotland’s biggest win in World Cups – 50-over and T20 – captain Kyle Coetzer was trying to get the team together. There were little groups hugging each other around the Al Amerat ground, before finally they all got together when Chris Greaves was to be presented with the Player of the Match.Greaves turned the game Scotland’s way twice: his 28-ball 45 got them out of the woods of 53 for 6, as he and Mark Watt added 51 for the seventh wicket. Then, when Scotland needed to break the Shakib Al Hasan-Mushfiqur Rahim partnership, he removed both batters to swing the game again. It was no surprise that the rest of the team cheered him on, even as he looked astonished with what he had just achieved.Coetzer felt emotional when talking about Graves, revealing that he was an Amazon delivery driver not too long ago, before putting it all in for his cricket career. When Scotland started preparing for the T20 World Cup a couple of months ago, he was still an unknown quantity. Coetzer said that cricketers like Greaves and Watt illustrate how Associate cricketers have a daily struggle to balance their cricketing ambitions with their livelihood.”I am really proud of Greaves,” Coetzer said. “He really sacrificed a lot. He was delivering parcels for Amazon not too long ago, and now is getting Player of the Match against Bangladesh. I am not sure if he will appreciate me saying this. Seeing the performance from Mark Watt and Chris Greaves with the bat today, they are lesser-known people who had to make many sacrifices to get to where they are today.”Greaves isn’t a contracted player in Scotland. He was on the fringes. He put his hand up, worked extremely hard and put himself in the picture. Going back a month, he wouldn’t even start in one of these games. Look at what he has done. It is just proof in the pudding that there are some quality players around Associate cricket. They just need the platform to show it.”Related
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Greaves, Wheal help Scotland shock Bangladesh in Al Amerat
'Netherlands cricket is here and it's here to push back' – Campbell
Greaves, who only made his T20I debut this month, pushed himself to the forefront of Scotland’s thoughts when he took a four-wicket haul against Netherlands in a warm-up match earlier in the week.”It was an incredible day for him,” Coetzer said. “It certainly wasn’t a surprise for us. We knew he had the ability. He showed some exciting skills on this tour. It was so nice to see him take on the Bangladesh bowlers. He chanced his arms at times, but these were shots that we believed that he is capable of playing.”Greaves said that he still couldn’t believe he was in the middle with the opportunity to rebuild Scotland’s innings. “We were in a tough situation obviously. We had to rebuild the innings, and see where we go from there. It was unbelievable that I could be that person to be a part of that [rebuilding]. Incredible.”According to Coetzer, the six-run win over Bangladesh was just reward for his players’ hard work during the pandemic when Scotland saw several tours cancelled.Chris Greaves struck a vital 45 off 28 balls•ICC/Getty Images”It is a great feeling,” he said. “We believed we can achieve this win. It didn’t quite go all our way, but it is a special feeling to beat Bangladesh. We have been planning for this tournament for a long time. We only played together as a group two months ago, after waiting a long time following the qualifiers.”Guys were working hard behind the scenes, but it seemed sometimes we were working for nothing. Our tours kept getting cancelled. It was hard to manage, but this is reaping the rewards of keeping the faith that we will be a better team when this tournament comes around.”Asked about how they successfully kept batters like Shakib and Mushfiqur quiet, Coetzer said that the bowlers had aimed to restrict them from having a full swing at deliveries.”The plan was to keep them out of their hitting zones,” Coetzer said. “We knew that they are extremely dangerous and very experienced players, so part of the challenge was to keep the ball spinning away from them or keep it underneath the bat.”We knew Bangladesh’s depth. They gave us a lesson at the start with their skills. It took a real fighting effort today. I kept on telling our guys that we are never out of the game.”
Juno Temple admits that “cogs are turning” for Season 4 of Ted Lasso, with an imminent spin-off to the award-winning Apple TV+ show being ruled out.
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No official word on fourth seriesCast & crew ready to get goingNew storylines speculated onFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Speculation regarding a return to the small screen for AFC Richmond has been raging for several months. Leading members of cast and crew have spoken openly of their excitement at potentially reprising much-loved roles.
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Green lights for production are said to have been given, with lead star and writer Jason Sudeikis back on board, and there has been exciting talk of the latest series taking humours and emotional storylines in a different direction.
WHAT JUNO TEMPLE SAID
Temple, who plays bubbly PR specialist Keeley Jones, has told when asked for an update on Ted Lasso discussions: “I’ve heard the kind of stunt version of, yeah, potentially, it sounds like there might be a season 4. I don't know when. I don't know exactly who, what, why, where, but I think it sounds like those cogs are turning.”
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GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Amid the rumours of Ted Lasso looking to “self-reboot” in 2025, Temple added on the prospect of branching out on her own with new characters and tales to tell: “The idea of a spin-off with Ted Lasso is a complicated one for me, because it so feels like a team that I don't know if I would want to do a spin-off. I don't want to be a part of it if everybody else isn't. It's a team. It's a real team!”
Cristiano Ronaldo showed off a new celebration after scoring a brace in Al-Nassr's thumping win over Al Wasl.
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Ronaldo came up with a new celebrationScored a brace against Al WaslAl-Nassr clinched a 4-0 winFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Portuguese scored twice as Al-Nassr thrashed UAE's Al Wasl 4-0 in an AFC Champions League clash on Monday. Ronaldo, who turns 40 on Wednesday, revealed a new celebration as he guided his team to a dominant win. With his team-mates around him during the celebration of his second, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star raised his hand, emulating an aeroplane flying and then gestured as if it crashed.
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Colombian forward Jhon Duran made his debut for Al-Nassr in the game after he completed his big-money transfer to the Saudi club from Aston Villa last week. Duran was deployed in attack alongside Ronaldo, who operated slightly behind the former Villa star. Duran had an underwhelming outing in his maiden game but the result will surely make his debut memorable.
DID YOU KNOW?
With the brace against Al Wasl, Ronaldo is now the joint second-highest goalscorer in the Champions League with six strikes to his name.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?
Stefano Pioli's men will be back in action on Friday as they take on Al-Feiha in an important Saudi Pro League encounter.
Looking to compete with some of Europe’s best both on and off the pitch, Monchi now reportedly wants Aston Villa to sign a player who’s been compared to John Obi Mikel ahead of Chelsea.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans proved in the summer that they’re here to stay when it comes to competing for a European place in the Premier League and they’ve since backed that up in the form of results. Losing just once in their opening seven league games – sitting fifth as a result – and even defeating European giants Bayern Munich in between in the Champions League, things can’t get much better for those at Villa Park.
They won’t want to stop there under Unai Emery, however. Whilst they’ve got the chance, there’s no doubt that Aston Villa will want to put their Champions League status to good use by adding further reinforcements to their side in 2025.
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Aston Villa sold him in 2022
ByJoe Nuttall Oct 18, 2024
According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi now wants Aston Villa to sign Mario Dorgeles ahead of Chelsea after scouts compared the Nordsjaelland midfielder to former Premier League star John Obi Mikel. It’s not just Chelsea that the Villans will be competing against, however, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Brentford also reportedly keeping tabs on the 20-year-old in a busy battle for his signature.
Having won the race to sign Amadou Onana from Everton a few months ago, Aston Villa should be confident in their pursuit of yet another reinforcement and perhaps one that will complete Emery’s midfield once and for all. When 2025 arrives, Dorgeles will be one to watch.
Why Dorgeles is a man in-demand
After making an excellent start to the campaign at Danish side Nordsjaelland, Dorgeles has become a man in-demand around European football. At just 20 years old, his best is still to come in what is an exciting thought given that only four midfielders in world football managed better ball retention than the Ivorian in the 2023/24 season.
Mario Dorgeles for Nordsjaelland.
What’s more, if he is to follow in Obi Mikel’s footsteps, then swapping Scandinavia for the Premier League certainly makes sense with Villa left hoping that he decides to add a fresh twist by moving to the Midlands instead of Stamford Bridge.
It’s in the Midlands that Dorgeles could form an impressive partnership with current Villa star Onana. The Belgian has got off to the perfect start at Villa Park, quickly becoming one of Emery’s most important players, and could now receive a boost in the form of a midfield partner when 2025 arrives.
With so many of Europe’s top clubs keeping tabs on his progress, Dorgeles has the ultimate decision to make next year. Whether that ends in another vital addition to Emery’s ever-advancing Aston Villa project remains to be seen, however, as they continue to take strides on and off the pitch.
Dinesh Chandimal’s poor form might prompt Sri Lanka to bring in Charith Asalanka
Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Oct-2021Big pictureOf all the matches in this qualifying round, this one seems to most have the feel of a dead rubber. Not only do Netherlands have no chance of making the Super 12s, but Sri Lanka are also highly likely to finish top of Group A thanks to their superior net run rate.For Netherlands, this is a chance to make a mark in a tournament in which they will feel they have underperformed. In the first match, their batting was blown away by Ireland’s seam bowlers, while in the second, their bowlers could not withstand David Wiese’s assault for Namibia.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have earned themselves an opportunity to find a solution to their top-order issues. Dinesh Chandimal had another failure against Ireland on Wednesday, thus finding his position at No. 3 in serious peril. The likeliest replacement may be Charith Asalanka, but Dhananjaya de Silva is also in the squad.Related
Arthur: SL bowling attack 'almost ideal' for T20 World Cup
Their fast bowlers, meanwhile, might get a rest. Lahiru Kumara has had a particularly taxing workload over the past few weeks, although it may be Dushmantha Chameera that Sri Lanka would prefer had a night off to recharge for the Super 12s.Form guideNetherlands LLLTW Sri Lanka WWLLLThis year, Max O’Dowd has hit 293 runs in just six innings, and at a strike rate of 137.•ICC via GettyIn the spotlightOne of the few bright spots for Netherlands has been the batting of opener Max O’Dowd. He hit 51 off 47 balls against Ireland while the rest of the top order blew up around him, before making a 56-ball 70 that was the backbone of Netherlands’ innings against Namibia. He has got arguably the best attack of the qualifying stage to contend with in this match, though. Can he maintain his output?Pathum Nissanka has promised a lot more in Tests than he has in the shortest format, but in hitting his first half-century against Ireland, he suggested he could find success in this World Cup yet. He was unambitious in the early overs while wickets fell around him, but never seemed bogged down either, finding a way to keep his score moving until the boundaries eventually came. After all, Sri Lanka desperately need a reliable run-scorer in their top three.Pitch and conditionsThis will be both teams’ first match in Sharjah. During the IPL, the Sharjah tracks were slow, turned a bit and had variable bounce. Temperatures are expected to hover around the low 30s Celsius range again. If the conditions in Abu Dhabi are anything to go by, dew could be an issue too.Team newsAlthough No. 5 is a more familiar position for Asalanka, he may slot in at No.3, leaving Bhanuka Rajapaksa at No. 5.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Avishka Fernando, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt.), 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Binura Fernando, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Lahiru KumaraNetherlands may bring in Brandon Glover in place of Timm van der Gugten.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Stephan Myburgh, 3 Roelof van der Merwe, 4 Colin Ackerman, 5 Ryan ten Doeschate, 6 Scott Edwards (wk), 7 Bas de Leede, 8 Pieter Seelar, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Fred Klaassen, 11 Timm van der Gugten/Brandon GloverStats and trivia In the only previous T20I between these teams, Netherlands were bowled out for 39, a game which Sri Lanka won with 15 overs to spare. That was, however, during the World T20 in 2014, when Sri Lanka had arguably their greatest T20I side – a team which went on to lift the trophy. This year, O’Dowd has hit 293 runs in just six innings, and at a strike rate of 137. In 14 innings in 2021, Wanindu Hasaranga has 23 wickets and an economy rate of just 5.43.
Ella Toone's recent form means the 21-year-old has only been on the bench in the Women's Super League in 2025, despite a strong start to the season
With less than five months to go until their European Championship title defence, England’s Lionesses have a fair few injury concerns. Flying winger Lauren Hemp had knee surgery in November and Alex Greenwood, her Manchester City team-mate, followed suit a month later. But arguably no absence creates greater worry right now than that of Georgia Stanway.
Part of that is because the Bayern Munich star only had her knee surgery at the end of January, giving her the least amount of time before the Euros to recover. But the main reason is because of England’s lack of depth in her box-to-box midfield role. While Sarina Wiegman has a whole host of attacking midfielders at her disposal, there are not many options for the other positions in the middle of the park, which Keira Walsh and Stanway have long held down.
Wiegman said this week she is “hopeful” that the latter will be ready for this summer’s tournament. “Georgia has a plan and she's really committed and very motivated to be back,” she added. However, it’s not just about July. England will begin their Women’s Nations League campaign next week, facing Portugal and then Spain, the world champions, in a competition that impacts qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Grace Clinton could provide the solution to that Stanway-shaped hole, as a player Wiegman has used there before and one who is seen as a potential asset in that position at club level, too. But the 21-year-old has issues of her own to overcome at Manchester United right now, having found herself on the bench for all of their last three Women’s Super League outings.
Getty ImagesChange in fortunes
It's certainly unexpected that Clinton is in this position. After all, she was in flying form in the first half of the season, having returned to United following a scintillating loan spell with Tottenham that saw her earn a senior England debut. Match-winning goals against Everton and Crystal Palace highlighted her game-changing qualities, as her performances as the No.10 helped the Red Devils cope with the injury absence of Ella Toone.
However, since the latter’s return, Clinton has struggled to play the same starring role. Toone has come back with a bang, bagging six goals in her last six games, and United boss Marc Skinner has understandably opted to give the 25-year-old the reins in that No.10 role for now.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportFighting for her place
As such, Clinton has struggled for starts in 2025. Her only two have come in cup games: ahead of Toone for the League Cup quarter-final with Manchester City, likely owing to the recent return from injury of United’s No.7, and alongside her in the FA Cup win over third-tier Wolves at the weekend, when a more creative midfield was less likely to get exposed defensively. In the Red Devils’ last three WSL outings, Clinton has been on the bench.
“I think the reality is that you can learn a lot about resilience in this moment,” Skinner said last week, asked about Clinton’s recent run out of the starting XI. “I genuinely believe resilience is one of the biggest skillsets a footballer can have because … there's so many different things that will challenge you as a footballer.
"From our perspective, I think it's just about her learning in these moments, but also knowing that she's a huge part of the team and when she comes in and when she does her thing, whether it's from the start or from the bench, she can have a massive influence. I'm looking forward to her getting back to that form. It's something the team and myself are going to help her with.”
Getty ImagesDifferent role
Perhaps Clinton’s minutes are more likely to come in a different position right now. After all, she shone out wide for Spurs last season and Skinner, like Wiegman, believes in her ability to play in the slightly deeper No.8 role. “She’s clearly a creator, but she also has the tenacity to want to defend in those bigger spaces as well,” Skinner explained. “I think it's something she can continue to develop as well. It's not completely there right now, but it's something I know we want to focus on, and she wants to focus on.”
However, there is competition there at United too, with Japan international Hinata Miyazawa nailing down the box-to-box role in recent weeks. “It’s been a really high form midfield,” in Skinner’s words. “For us, I think it's about trying to strike the balance against the right opponent,” he added. “All we have to do is just keep working on the subtle differences between being an all-out attacking 10 and then knowing that there's defensive responsibilities within the No.8. That's an awareness thing, not a capability thing.
"I think it's about time and growth with Grace in that area, but also knowing that when she's on the field, she creates magic. It’s about not pulling that away from her. It's a really, really subtle balance. It's something we've got to strike together. But I'm looking forward to seeing her create and build from deep, but also help destroy attacks as well. That future is bright for us then, because they're all young in there.”
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Getty ImagesAnxiety among fans
That future is only bright for Clinton and United, however, if the club can tie her down to a longer contract. A one-year extension in her current deal was triggered just after Christmas, keeping her around until the summer of 2026. However, that still means she will enter the final year of her contract this summer. That’s the kind of situation which clubs interested in the 21-year-old will test, almost certainly more so if the player isn’t getting regular game time. It’s a significant factor in unease among fans about Clinton’s recent minutes, or lack thereof.
It is hard not to feel like figuring out where she fits into this United team alongside Toone is going to be important when it comes to ensuring she remains at the club for many more years, then. It was a point of particular intrigue coming into the season and it has only become more interesting for the second half of the campaign.