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Chelsea legend John Terry has made a huge claim about star left-back Marc Cucurella after his masterclass against Barcelona and Lamine Yamal in the Champions League.

Chelsea thrash Barcelona as Marc Cucurella shines

Cucurella delivered the performance of his Chelsea career on Tuesday night, completely neutralizing Barça’s sensation Yamal as the Blues cruised to a commanding 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

While another teenage sensation, Estevao, grabbed all the headlines with his spectacular solo goal, it was Cucurella’s disciplined defensive work that provided the foundation for Chelsea’s dominant display against the Spanish champions.

The left-back’s ability to lock down his international teammate proved instrumental in suffocating Barcelona’s primary attacking threat throughout the ninety minutes, with Cucurella earning a deserved player of the match award.

Yamal, who finished second in the recent Ballon d’Or voting, endured one of the most frustrating evenings of his early career to date as Cucurella shadowed his every movement.

The Chelsea defender repeatedly intercepted passes intended for the teenage prodigy and forced him into ineffective wide areas where he posed minimal threat, with Cucurella continuing to make his previous doubters look pretty silly.

Beyond his defensive responsibilities, Cucurella contributed going forward too — providing an outlet down the left channel and delivering dangerous crosses into Barca’s penalty area. His energy and work rate exemplified the intensity Chelsea brought to the contest, setting the tone for teammates to follow.

The 27-year-old, who has been a standout performer for both Enzo Maresca’s side and Spain over these last two seasons, was also awarded a secret contract extension in August to reflect his star player status, according to Fabrizio Romano this week.

Now, Terry has had his say on the former Brighton star in a statement of real praise.

John Terry makes big Marc Cucurella claim after Chelsea masterclass

Speaking on Wednesday, Terry branded Cucurella as one of the best left-backs in the world right now and everything he wants to see in a Chelsea player.

Right now, there is no question that he is one of Chelsea’s most important players, but a time will come when the club must replace him considering he one day wants to return to play in Spain.

According to some reports, Chelsea already have a succession plan in mind.

Journalist Simon Phillips reported earlier this week that Chelsea are trying to convince Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly to join them as a long-term replacement for Cucurella, but for now, the Hale End sensation isn’t keen on going anywhere.

The original Estevao: Chelsea lead race to sign "best player in the world"

Chelsea could sign the original Estevao for a mega-money fee.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 28, 2025

Como manager and ex-Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas has now heaped praise on Mikel Arteta following a key Gunners tactical tweak.

The Premier League frontrunners take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light later today, pitting Arteta’s side against the surprise package of the season.

Arsenal arrive on Wearside in utterly imperious form. The north Londoners have won their last 10 matches across all competitions, with eight consecutive victories without conceding a single goal.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

They’re aiming to win five successive Premier League games without conceding for the first time since 1987, while their run of eight clean sheets in all competitions matches a club record set way back in 1903.

It’s been nearly 13 hours of football since anyone has scored against them, which is quite simply unbelievable, and they of course boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues as a result.

That being said, Regis Le Bris’ side pose a tough challenge. Sunderland enter this game having defied all pre-season expectations spectacularly. They’ve accumulated 18 points from their opening 10 fixtures – the most any promoted side has managed at this stage since Hull City’s 20 points in 2008-09.

Their remarkable home form has been key, remaining unbeaten at the Stadium of Light this campaign.

Arsenal are still favourites to win this one, though, following their imperious start to the season — which is made all the more impressive by their mountain of attacking injuries.

Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and captain Martin Odegaard are all unavailable with knee or muscular problems — even if Jesus returned to training this week — Meanwhile, striker Viktor Gyokeres has been ruled out with a potential hamstring injury until after the international break.

This leaves Arteta pretty short of forward options, with Mikel Merino likely to continue in an emergency striker role.

Merino’s second-half brace secured a 3-0 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague in midweek, adding to his very impressive tally of 11 goals in all competitions for Arsenal this calendar year.

The midfielder has been nothing short of inspirational when called upon to play an unfamiliar role by Arteta, and Fabregas is certainly impressed by the former Real Sociedad star.

Fabregas praises "great move" by Arteta to play Merino as Arsenal striker

Speaking in an interview with Calciomercato this week, Fabregas stated it was a “great move” by Arteta to play Merino as a striker once again in the absence of Gyokeres — claiming he’s done very well in the role.

Merino had never played striker before featuring there for the first time against Leicester City back in February, where he scored both goals in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory after replacing the injured Kai Havertz.

Since then, he’s excelled in the position.

The midfielder has netted an astonishing 19 goals for club and country combined in 2025, including his midweek brace against Slavia Prague that also took his Arsenal tally to three headed goals this season. His 6 foot 2 frame makes him a major aerial threat inside the area, while on the deck he’s incredibly strong, using his muscular frame to dominate physical 50-50s.

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres is set for a period on the sidelines after picking up a suspected hamstring injury, with a reliable club insider sharing the true extent of his problem and expected return date.

Gyokeres was just beginning to catch fire with three strikes in his last three appearances, following a barren run of seven consecutive games without a goal before he ended the drought against Atlético Madrid.

Arsenal 5-0 Leeds United

8.84

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

7.97

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

7.68

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

6.69

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

6.68

via WhoScored

The 27-year-old, signed for an initial £55 million which could rise to £64 million if add-ons are met, was brought in by sporting director Andrea Berta as the club’s statement signing of the summer.

After a sensational haul of 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP, marking him out as one of Europe’s most lethal marksmen, Mikel Arteta was understandably excited by Gyokeres’ arrival at N5.

While Gyokeres hasn’t exactly ‘free scored’, the Sweden international has added something entirely unique to their forward line with pace, power and intelligent runs to drag opposition defenders away and free up space for Arsenal’s attackers.

Gyokeres has also averaged more shots at goal per 90 than anyone else in the Arsenal squad so far this season, but they’ll now be missing his threat for a while.

Arteta admitted he was “concerned” by Gyokeres’ injury after hauling him off at half-time against Burnley last weekend, right after he opened the scoring at Turf Moor, and supporters are anxious to discover the results of his scans this week.

The early prognosis is that Arsenal expect Gyokeres to return for their North London derby against Tottenham right after the next international break, with the Scandinavian omitted from Sweden’s squad for the international break.

Insider reveals true extent of Viktor Gyokeres injury at Arsenal

Now, according to reliable insider Hand of Arsenal via X, this still looks like the most likely outcome so far.

It is believed that Gyokeres’ injury is on the “minor” end of the spectrum, and while more tests are still to be conducted, the club are “relaxed” about his situation.

This comes as a major boost for Arteta, who is already without the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke.

Arsenal have done amazingly to navigate this plethora of injuries to attacking players, with makeshift number nine Mikel Merino showcasing his ability in the role once again at Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

Speaking before their win away to Burnley last weekend, Arteta said that Odegaard, Havertz and Madueke are all closing in on returns and could play against Tottenham as well.

The north Londoners could have a near-full attacking complement for one of their most important games of the season, with Havertz blowing away Arsenal staff after his faster than anticipated rehab.

The same can be said of Madueke, who has apparently been racing to get back fit.

Ahmed Daniyal first defended six runs in the final over of the game before conceding just six runs in the Super Over to set up Pakistan Shaheens’ win

Ashish Pant24-Nov-2025In a dramatic low-scoring thriller that went into a Super Over, fast bowler Ahmed Daniyal kept his composure as Pakistan Shaheens defeated Bangladesh A to lift the Asia Cup Rising Stars title in Doha, Qatar.Daniyal, defending six runs in the 20th, bowled a nerveless over to take the game into a Super Over. He then removed Abdul Gaffar Saqlain with his second ball in the Super Over and then clean bowled Jishan Alam to restrict Bangladesh A to only 6. Saad Masood and Maaz Sadaqat took just four balls to chase down the target and spark celebrations in the Shaheens camp.This, however, was a game which ebbed and flowed all the way through. Sent into bat, Shaheens lost three wickets in the powerplay, and then continued to slip to eventually be bowled out for 125. Bangladesh A started the chase rapidly, but the spin quartet of Arafat Minhas, Saad Masood, Maaz Sadaqat and Sufiyan Muqeem spun a web around the batters to derail the chase.At 53 for 7 in the 13th over, the game looked as good as done, but Rakibul Hasan (24), Saqlain (16) and Ripon Mondol (11) – Bangladesh A’s last three – staged an unlikely comeback. Mondol, however, wasn’t able to repeat his semi-final Super Over heroics in the final as Bangladesh A went down.Bangladesh A couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the game with Shaheens losing Yasir Khan first ball of the match, courtesy a stunning under-arm direct hit from Saqlain running in from mid-on. Mohammad Faiq was cleaned up by SM Meherob, while wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori was bowled by Rakibul as Shaheens slipped to 25 for 3 in the fifth over.Maaz Sadaqat struck two fours and a six in his 23, but when he fell in the seventh over, Shaheens lost their way. Captain Irfan Khan scored a sedate 9 off 22 balls, with only Masood and Minhas providing anything of note on the Shaheens’ scorecard. Mondol bowled a terrific 19th over, picking up three wickets, and the innings ended with a run out as Shaheens were bowled out in 20 overs.In reply, Bangladesh A opener Habibur Rahman Sohan was quick off the blocks, tonking Ubaid Shah for a six over deep midwicket. While Alam was trapped in front of the stumps by Minhas, Habibur kept going as he smashed Masood for a six and two fours in the fourth over. But the bowler had the last laugh when Habibur pulled a long hop straight to square leg, and the Bangladesh A middle order caved in.Minhas trapped Mahidul Islam Ankon lbw before Muqeem’s left-arm wristpin bamboozled Bangladesh A. He got Akbar Ali to chop one back onto his stumps, and then struck twice in two balls, cleaning up Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury with identical wrong’uns. Rakibul went after Masood but Bangladesh A kept losing wickets, with the required rate rising.Then came another twist with Bangladesh A requiring 27 off the last two overs and only Saqlain and Mondol, the last two batters at the crease. Shahid Aziz, bowling the 19th over, missed his yorker three times and the batters smashed him for three sixes to flip the script. Daniyal, however, bowled a terrific last over, mixing his lengths to rescue Shaheens.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is personally driving a move for Murillo, with Nottingham Forest’s stance on sanctioning a departure now being revealed.

The Blues have been solid from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets in their last three Premier League matches, most recently defeating Burnley 2-0 at Turf moor, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah impressing at the heart of defence.

Adarabioyo particularly caught the eye, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 8.6, the highest of any player, courtesy of making six tackles, winning ten of the 12 duels he contested, while also completing a whopping 102 passes, including seven long balls.

Being assured in possession of the ball is an important attribute for any player in a Maresca system, and the manager is now keen on another centre-back who could be an ideal fit in the Italian’s backline…

Maresca now driving Chelsea move for Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Maresca has now personally identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but it could take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for up to €90m (£79m).

Forest are hesitant to cash-in on one of their key players, but they could be tempted to sanction a departure if a huge offer is submitted, with some other huge clubs also showing an interest in the centre-back, namely Barcelona and Arsenal.

The Chelsea manager is said to be a fan of ball-playing defenders capable of creating chances from deep, which means the Brazilian could be the perfect fit in his backline, and he recently put in a fantastic display as Forest secured a shock 3-0 win at Anfield.

Liverpool’s struggles continued on Saturday, with Arne Slot’s side falling to a shock defeat against a side that had made a slow start to the season, and Murillo displayed his attacking prowess by opening the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark.

It was a solid all-round performance from the one-time Brazil international, winning five of the six duels he contested, creating one big chance, and making 19 defensive actions, the highest number of any player.

It wasn’t the first time the 23-year-old has put in a top performance against the Reds, receiving high praise after impressing against Slot’s men earlier this year.

As such, Chelsea should undoubtedly pursue a move for Murillo, and it is promising news that Nottingham Forest could now be willing to sanction a departure for the right price.

Chelsea now readying hijack to sign Gabriel and Saliba 'hybrid' Related Chelsea now readying hijack to sign £44m 'Gabriel & Saliba hybrid'

The impressive international could be Chelsea’s answer to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

Conditions could give Sri Lanka a leg up as they look to pull off an upset over unbeaten visitors

Madushka Balasuriya10-Oct-20252:46

Beaumont: Sri Lanka are a team on the rise

Two of the best batting units in world cricket – India and Australia – have in the Women’s World Cup 2025 struggled to come to terms with the some of the more sluggish pitches, stumbling to 124 for 6 and 76 for 7 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively.England, one of two undefeated sides in the tournament alongside Australia, meanwhile struggled in their chase against Bangladesh in Guwahati last time out. Now they arrive in Colombo to face a Sri Lanka side that they have lost to just once in 18 WODIs, but on a surface that might bridge the gap considerably.”I think the conditions here, obviously it being a lot more spin-friendly, is certainly bringing all the teams together,” Tammy Beaumont said. “I think that you see a team like Bangladesh playing us in the last game, [they were] so well-disciplined with the ball that it makes life a lot harder when you can’t necessarily trust the spin off the wicket and go to those big release shots; you have to really earn your runs.Related

• Sciver-Brunt ton, Ecclestone four-for help England brush aside Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka focus on the present as England challenge looms

• Unbeaten England prepare for Sri Lanka spin test

• Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

• Mooney's rescue act for the ages denies Pakistan a historic win

“I think that means that it’s a lot closer together for all the teams, and certainly the standard and depth of every single team has risen in the last four years. And we’re certainly going to see a few upsets in this World Cup, but hopefully not involving us.”Against Bangladesh it was Heather Knight’s 79 off 111 that took England past the finish line, and according to Beaumont the learnings and takeaways from that innings – primarily being patient and taking the game deep – will likely prove crucial in how they handle the conditions in Colombo.”What we spoke about mainly from Heather’s innings was about how patient she was and how precise she was in the balls she went to score off. And almost putting maybe your ego to one side and just trying to really graft one out for the team and be gritty.”I think that’s the kind of words we’re trying to use, to make sure that we’re working incredibly hard. And we might have to sit in for a bit, but we know that the longer you bat, the easier it gets. It certainly seems like a lot of runs have been scored in the last 15 overs in a lot of games, and actually sometimes you’ve just got to try to make it to that point as a batter.”One unique challenge England will face on Saturday is Sri Lanka’s left-hand heavy top order – three of Sri Lanka’s top five bat left-handed.”I think they’re a really well-structured team and certainly a team on the rise. They’re really well-organised. Obviously, they’ve got a lot of left-handers, which is not something we’re that used to. Not having any left-handed batters in our squad, I think makes things a little bit trickier.”With left-arm spinner Linsey Smith the solitary southpaw in the English side, it has forced some out-of-the-box thinking in terms of preparation.”Actually there’s been a few of us that have batted left-handed for her [Smith]. She’s obviously the only left-handed batter we have in the squad, so she’s also getting a lot of batting, but obviously she doesn’t get to practise against left-handers.”Smith has had a good tournament thus far, picking up five wickets across two games. And against Sri Lanka, she is likely going to play a crucial role once more in deciding the direction of the game.”I think she’s someone that maybe hasn’t played that much international cricket, but actually she’s a little bit older. She’s very experienced. She’s played some franchise cricket, so she doesn’t need too much support from us. She knows what she’s doing. She knows her craft so well.”What I love about her is she had a tough couple of games against India in our summer, and she really reflected, worked incredibly hard and has actually upped her game since then in a very short space of time, and I think that’s why it’s paying off out here. Obviously the conditions are helping, but getting the new ball I think really suits her.”

Knowing a pace buffet was around the corner, he swallowed his pride, saw the bigger picture, and waited for the chance to go berserk

Sreshth Shah04-May-20250:55

Martin: Russell was banking on taking on the pace bowlers

Andre Russell has built a reputation of being someone possessed with extraordinary abilities with the bat. That’s why he remains at the centre of every conversation about Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). When KKR’s top order does well and Russell faces only a handful of balls, questions are raised about why his potential was left unused. If he’s sent in too early, critics wonder why a world-class finisher is being exposed ahead of time. And when KKR collapse and even Russell can’t save them, the inevitable question returns: where has the old Russell gone?So when Russell walked out at No. 5 in the 13th over with the score 111 for 3 against Rajasthan Royals (RR), a ripple of part-surprise, part-excitement flowed through the sparse Saturday crowd at Eden Gardens.In the first ten games this season, Russell had batted, on average, 7.8 balls per innings and scored only 72 runs in 55 balls. It was an unusual point of entry for him since it was neither time for him to play the death-overs blitz nor for a back-to-the-wall rescue. He had deliveries to work with, the team was in a promising position, and with that came the uneasy thrill of the unexpected.Related

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Rinku under injury cloud after saving the day for KKR in the field

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Parag becomes first in IPL to hit six sixes off successive balls

But Russell had spin to contend with first. Recent memories of Russell against wristspin – stumps rattled by googlies or sliced dismissals against the legbreak – don’t paint a pretty picture, but those dismissals need context. KKR often found themselves chasing the improbable, or with too few balls left, forcing him into the zone of attempting big shots blindly.This time, he was afforded the rare luxury of building an innings. And his plan for the day was evident from the first ball he faced, bringing out an exaggerated front-foot block off Riyan Parag. His first nine balls earned just two runs as he saw off a tricky Maheesh Theekshana over with one defensive shot and a few balls left out that were zipping past his outside edge.Off Wanindu Hasaranga, who has a lethal googly, he got away from strike in his first opportunity, and when he had to face the spinner one last time, he brought out the block again to see off the final delivery of Hasaranga’s night. Once the pacers returned, so did the Russell we know. He crunched 55 off the next 16 balls he faced to finish unbeaten on 57 off 25, lifting KKR to 206 for 4.

“I just think once you look at the overs and see five overs, you don’t think about five overs. You think about 30 balls, and if you faced 15 out of that with my power, I think I can get maybe 40 runs from those 15 balls”Andre Russell

“I wasn’t worried when I saw the scoreboard and saw I was on two runs off eight deliveries. I never worry about a few dot balls here and there,” Russell said after the KKR innings. “I realised the wicket was getting a bit of grip, especially Theekshana. I didn’t want to take a risk so early.”My strong point is to get away the spinners as much as possible, but in the first part they were bowling in good areas so I didn’t want to play a risky shot early because I know what I can do in the back end.”Saturday’s innings was a reminder that Russell is more than just a slogger. Everyone knows it, but circumstances can sometimes betray the nuance in his game. Since 2022, he averages 22.70 and strikes at 140.12 against all types of wristspin in T20s. He’s not uncomfortable against spin, just short on time sometimes. On this day, knowing a pace buffet was around the corner, Russell swallowed his pride, saw the bigger picture, and waited. With four of the final five overs set to come from the quicks, he later admitted he was “licking his lips” for the overs that would follow.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe tore into Akash Madhwal in the 16th over by mauling a six over cow corner, sandwiched between boundaries through square leg and cover. Never one to shy away from a contest, Jofra Archer came roaring in next, searching for two million-dollar deliveries. But he missed his length by mere inches, and Russell, deep in his crease, drilled a four and a six straight back past the bowler.One over from Theekshana still remained – the 18th – but by then, Russell was well set. Defending was out of the picture. He faced only the last three balls of the spinner’s final over, and sent each one soaring into the stands: over midwicket, down the ground, and beyond long-off. The Eden crowd had turned electric, Russell fed off the noise, and in the space of two overs, the conversation about the potential total had shifted. It was no longer about scraping to 180, but more about storming past 200.A flicked six off an Archer full toss in the 19th over brought up his first fifty of the season in 22 balls. There was one more four off Archer to follow – a pull – before Rinku Singh helped hammer 22 runs off the final over with three big hits of his own.After the game, Russell said he broke his plan down not by overs remaining but by deliveries left.1:24

Rayudu: Royals should have persisted with spin against Russell

“I think the scoreboard is the best indicator,” Russell said while collecting his 16th IPL Player-of-the-Match award. “Playing so many games, you know these type of situations – which bowlers to come, who you can target, and who to take down. I just think once you look at the overs and see five overs, you don’t think about five overs. You think about 30 balls, and if you faced 15 out of that with my power, I think I can get maybe 40 runs from those 15 balls.”Such ability is the reason why KKR have never let Russell go since signing him as a 26-year-old in 2014. He’s long wanted a higher batting slot, dating back to Brendon McCullum’s tenure in 2019, but the opportunities have been rare . However, a combination of poor form for Venkatesh Iyer and Ramandeep Singh and everything to play for meant KKR put the trust in the second-most experienced T20 player of all time and the result makes one think why it hasn’t been the case more often.”We all knew about the importance of this game,” Russell said. “When you have four games to go and it’s like four finals you have to leave everything on the park and that’s what I did tonight.”This was Russell at his near best: patient, powerful and perfectly timed. It was also a clear message for KKR for the games to follow. With three must-win matches to follow, surely this is the template for the remainder of the season.

Manchester United are now planning a move for Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, amid the uncertainty surrounding his future at Spanish club.

Despite their struggles last season, Man United proved they still have pulling power in the summer transfer market, winning the race for the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo, even though both forwards attracted interest from a number of clubs playing in Europe.

However, it has been a long time since United have been able to make a real statement signing in the transfer window by signing one of the world’s best players, given the decline since Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season.

It was recently revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe actually stepped in to prevent a move for FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, despite Ruben Amorim being very keen to sign the Poland international.

The INEOS chairman has concerns about Lewandowski’s age and wage demands, which means the move wasn’t given the green light, despite the 37-year-old being regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.

Vinicius, on the other hand, is still in the prime of his career at 25-years-old, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for his signature…

Man Utd now planning move for Vinicius Junior

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United now intend to make a move for the Real Madrid forward if the opportunity comes up, with it emerging that his future at the Spanish club is up in the air.

The Brazilian’s contract is set to expire in 2027, meaning rumours of a possible departure are now swirling, amid widespread interest from some top clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.

However, United may have to shell out a massive fee to tempt the La Liga giants into a sale, with it recently being revealed they are unwilling to sanction a departure for less than €250m (£220m).

Having identified one of the best wingers in the world as a target, INEOS clearly mean business, and the left-winger’s goal catalogue alone suggests he could be capable of taking Man United’s forward line to the next level.

Throughout the 2024-25 campaign, the former Flamengo man was a constant threat in front of goal, chipping in with a whopping 41 goals and assists for Real Madrid in all competitions, finding the back of the net eight times in the Champions League.

Amorim will no doubt be pleased with his summer acquisitions in attack, with Mbeumo making an instant impact, bagging a brace in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, and Matheus Cunha is also now off the mark.

However, Vinicius Junior, who has been lauded as “spectacular” by journalist Tom Allnutt, is a proven top-level forward, and Man United should not pass up the chance to sign him if the opportunity arises.

Vinicius Junior is currently in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or Power Rankings Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

Shubman Gill was just three balls into his innings in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata when he hurt his neck and had to go off the field. He did not come out to bat as India finished their first innings on 189, taking a lead of 30 runs.”Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said after the first session.India were 75 for 2 when Gill, facing his third delivery, slog-swept Simon Harmer for four over square leg. As he completed the shot and got up, he looked in discomfort, took off his helmet and rubbed the back of his neck. The physio came out and Gill had to retire hurt.Related

• Gill hospitalised after suffering neck spasm

• India smell victory after 15-wicket day on a tough Eden Gardens pitch

At the end of the day, Gill, wearing a neck brace, was stretchered out of the dressing room and into the players’ ambulance for scans to Woodlands hospital with the team doctor. Since it’s not an external injury, he may not be allowed to bat at his usual No. 4 if he does not spend the required time in the field during South Africa’s innings.”Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well, so it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us,” India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said after the day’s play. “Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time and… just bad timing.”Rishabh Pant replaced Gill at the crease, and India went into lunch at 138 for 4. But the wickets fell in a flurry after the break, with Harmer picking up 4 for 30 and Marco Jansen 3 for 35.Last October, too, Gill had to sit out the Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru because of a stiff neck.

Bavuma says de Kock had started hinting at wanting to reverse his ODI retirement as early as January

Abhimanyu Bose08-Oct-2025

“Quinton is one of the good guys within the system, a super-talented player” – Temba Bavuma•Getty Images

Quinton de Kock’s ODI retirement U-turn has South Africa captain Temba Bavuma excited, but he said that the wicketkeeper-batter might not get an “easy pass” into the XI, with the team loaded with in-form batters who have helped them win ODI series in Australia and England over the last few months.”I’m a little bit biased when it comes to Quinton. I grew up playing with Quinton from school cricket. So the fact that he is back, I’m as excited as a lot of fans out there,” Bavuma said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I think there’s quite a lot of batters, young batters especially, who have put up their names. So he is obviously going to have to do what he needs to do from a run-scoring point of view.”I don’t think he is oblivious to that. It’s not the case that he is getting an easy pass into the team. But I think it’s a case of, from where he has been in the abyss, per se, watching into the team, he wants to be a part of what has been created within the team.”Related

Bavuma out of Test series against Pakistan with calf strain

De Kock reverses ODI retirement

De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

Bavuma also revealed that de Kock had started hinting at wanting to reverse his ODI retirement as early as January. In de Kock’s absence, two left-hand wicketkeeper-batters – in Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius – have staked their claim for spots in South Africa’s XI. Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis have also been impressive, in addition to the more seasoned batters like Bavuma himself and Aiden Markram.”I chatted to him earlier this year, in January, just before we were going to the Champions Trophy. And there he started kind of throwing out the fact that he would like to be available. Before he went and spoke to Shukri [Conrad, South Africa head coach], he spoke to me. He made it clear that that’s what he would like to do. And we will support him.”Quinton is one of the good guys within the system, a super-talented player. So if it’s the Quinton who batted in the 2023 50-over World Cup, I don’t think anyone would say no to that.”South Africa will begin their World Test Championship defence in Pakistan•ICC/Getty Images

At the 2023 World Cup, de Kock scored 594 runs from ten innings, at a strike rate of 107.02, and finished as the third-highest run-scorer, helping South Africa reach the semi-finals.Apart from South Africa’s lead-up to a home ODI World Cup in 2027, Bavuma will also have to oversee their defence of the World Test Championship title, beginning with a two-Test series in Pakistan starting October 12. Bavuma will not be part of that series as he is recovering from a calf strain but he sounded positive about South Africa’s chances.”Pakistan selected five spinners into their squad, so that really shows you what type of conditions the guys will be faced with there,” Bavuma said. “Guys are back home now, busy with their preparation. So we’ll leave no stone unturned. We’ve been to Pakistan before. The Champions Trophy – yes, those were good wickets. But we are familiar with the place.”After that will be India. There’s Sri Lanka as well. So there’s a lot more of the subcontinent tours that we’re going to have to overcome the challenge. And then something a little bit more familiar back home with Australia and England. But then again, those are strong teams.”South Africa faced criticism from some quarters about getting favourable fixtures in the previous cycle, but Bavuma was adamant that they didn’t want to shy away from playing the best teams.”I know in the previous cycle, there was criticism around our route into the final, supposedly playing the weaker nations,” Bavuma said. “That’s not the case now. I think for us as players, we look at it with a lot of optimism. Firstly, as a competitor, as an international player, you can test yourself against the best players. And obviously from a team point of view, we keep going and achieving what we want to achieve.”