With the series in the bag, the only dampener for the hosts in the third and final T20I in Auckland could be rain

Mohammad Isam31-Mar-2021Big PictureNew Zealand are about to end their all-win home summer that has stretched seven series. They have hosted 21 international matches, the most by any country since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is regarded as an administrative success, particularly given their country’s stringent quarantine protocols. The only dampener is likely to be the rain in the forecast in Auckland for the season finale, the third T20I against Bangladesh.A major strength for New Zealand has been their newcomers turning in superb contributions even after they have been put under pressure. In the second T20I in Napier, it was Glenn Phillips whose unbeaten half-century got them out of trouble and into a total that proved too much for Bangladesh amid confusion over the DLS-determined target. Daryl Mitchell helped Phillips in an unbroken 62-run sixth-wicket stand that came off just 27 balls.In the first match, it was Devon Conway and debutant Will Young who got them into a position of strength. New Zealand will also be pleased with how Ish Sodhi has continued his good form throughout the summer despite playing only T20Is. During the ongoing T20I series in particular, Tim Southee’s captaincy has also stood out.Come the third and final T20I on Thursday, they wouldn’t mind Martin Guptill getting a big score as he has been in threatening form since the ODI series against Bangladesh with his quick starts. Finn Allen, too, would be eyeing a sizeable score having made just 17 across two innings so far in this series. There’s going to be an opportunity to see who among Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Hamish Bennett get to pair up in Auckland.Related

'Almost felt like my debut' – Milne relishes NZ comeback

DLS drama: Confusion over target reigns as Bangladesh begin chase

Bangladesh have had a few positives during this tour but their players have been somewhat inconsistent. Nasum Ahmed bowled well in both T20Is, particularly opening the bowling, although he has only two wickets to show for so far. Soumya Sarkar’s half-century in the second T20I should help him get out of a trough.Mohammad Naim has shown glimpses of his impressive strokeplay in both games, albeit without a big score. Afif Hossain made 45 in a losing cause in the first game, in Hamilton, while Shoriful bounced back with an economical spell in Napier after a disastrous debut in the series opener.Mohammad Saifuddin has been expensive with the ball in both games, Liton Das has scored only 50 runs on this tour while Mohammad Mithun and Mahedi Hasan haven’t converted their promise from the ODI series.Form guide(last five completed matches)
New Zealand WWWLL
Bangladesh LLWWLIn the spotlightGlenn Phillips has been unbeaten in his last three international matches, with all three being pivotal to New Zealand wins. In the second T20I, his 58 came off 31 balls, his big-hitting prowess on show as much as his diligence in building partnerships during a tricky passage of play.It’s hard to predict which Soumya Sarkar might turn up in Auckland. He averaged 9.5 on the tour until his quickfire 51 in Napier. It contained an array of special shots but his dismissal sparked a batting collapse. Perhaps getting back to form is important but for a batsman with 129 international matches under his belt getting the team to winning positions is his main job.Team newsOnly Todd Astle is yet to get a game in this series while the pace combination of Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne may also come to fruition.New Zealand (probable) 1 Finn Allen, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Devon Conway (wk), 4 Will Young, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10, Adam Milne, 11 Hamish BennettBangladesh may not want to tweak the starting XI that to some degree tested New Zealand in the previous game unless Mushfiqur Rahim is fit.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Liton Das (wk), 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mohammad Mithun, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Nasum Ahmed, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditionsThe series-ender will be the first day-night T20I at the Eden Park in five years. Short boundaries and an expected flat pitch hint at a high-scoring game in the offing. There’s rain in the forecast, though.Stats and trivia Martin Guptil’s 582 runs at Eden Park makes him the only player to score 500-plus T20I runs in a single venue. Mahmudullah is set to play his 55th consecutive T20I for Bangladesh, currently the fourth longest in the all-time list. Essentially, he hasn’t missed a T20I since November 2015.Quotes”I have been ridden with injuries in the last three years, so I want to be injury-free, firstly. I am just going to try to keep my body in the park and play consistent cricket.””We haven’t done well in all three departments in one particular game. We have bowled well and batted well in separate matches. We need to bring it all together to win a game.”

Jack Wilshere is all set to leave his post as Arsenal's Under-18s manager after agreeing to join Norwich City as a first-team coach.

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Wilshere set to leave ArsenalAgrees to join Norwich City Served as Arsenal U-18 coach since 2022Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Last season, Wilshere was linked with moves to MLS side Colorado Rapids and Scottish Premiership outfit Aberdeen as he looked to enter senior management. However, none of the moves materialised in the end as the American club appointed Chris Armas as their head coach while Jimmy Thelin joined the Scottish team.

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Now talkSPORT reports that the former England international is finally parting ways with the Gunners after he agreed to join Championship side Norwich City as their first-team coach. The 32-year-old will work as an assistant to Canaries boss Johannes Hoff Thorup, who joined them on a three-year deal this summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wilshere joined the north London club as the coach of their U-18 side in 2022 after retiring from professional football aged 30. During his playing days, he represented the Gunners in 197 matches across all competitions and won two FA Cups and a Community Shield.

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Mikel Arteta's side are currently third in the Premier League, tied on points with second-placed Manchester City and will be next seen in action on Saturday against Bournemouth away from home. The Gunners' Under-18s side will be on the hunt for a new manager, meanwhile, with their women's team also currently without a head coach after the resignation of Jonas Eidevall.

The summer transfer window is officially open for business and Celtic have over two months to make moves to bolster their playing squad for the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead last year, to replace Ange Postecoglou, for his second spell in the dugout and enjoyed a respectable first season back at the club.

The Northern Irish head coach lifted two trophies last month as his side won the Scottish Premiership title and then the SFA Cup, with a 1-0 win over Rangers at Hampden Park.

He may now look to use the upcoming window to improve his team further to potentially add more silverware to the cabinet, along with more success in Europe, next season.

But what would the manager's dream starting lineup look like for the 2024/25 campaign if the club goes on to have a fantastic transfer window? Well, here is our best attempt at it…

1 Caoimhin Kelleher

Celtic know that they have to find a new number one over the coming weeks and months after Joe Hart retired from professional football after three years at Parkhead.

HITC recently reported that Liverpool number two Caoimhin Kelleher is tempted by a possible move to Paradise but Celtic may struggle to afford a £15m deal for the Ireland international.

He could be the dream signing between the sticks as the Reds titan has proven himself in the Premier League, with 0.40 goals prevented and a 72% save success rate in ten league outings this season, and still has plenty of years left to improve and develop at the age of 25.

This means that the Hoops could land a long-term number one who could be sold on for a profit in the future if he excels in Scotland and attracts interest from elsewhere.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, there is little need to source a replacement for Canada international Alistair Johnston as he was a terrific performer for Rodgers this term.

The 25-year-old dynamo showcased his attacking quality in the Scottish Premiership with 11 'big chances' created and five assists in 32 starts.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

At the heart of the defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers should remain a key figure for the Scottish giants as he has been an outstanding defender in the league over the last three years.

The USA international, signed – initially on loan – from Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2021/22 campaign, the 2022/23 season, and for the year just gone.

4 Liam Scales

Alongside the American colossus, Ireland international Liam Scales could retain his position on the left side of the centre-back pairing for Celtic.

The former Aberdeen loanee formed a brilliant partnership with Carter-Vickers at the back, as shown by his inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year alongside his teammate.

5 Kieran Tierney

The second new signing in this dream XI could come at left-back with Kieran Tierney potentially making a return to Parkhead for a second spell at his boyhood club.

It was recently reported that the Hoops are keen on a deal to snap the Scotland international, who is currently at the European Championship, up and that the player is eager to make the move, although the report claimed that his wages could make a move complicated.

The left-footed dynamo assisted 37 goals in 170 games for Celtic during his first stint at Parkhead, which is a return of one every 4.59 matches and better than Greg Taylor's 25 assists in 173 outings – one every 6.92 clashes.

6 Callum McGregor

Callum McGregor led the team to another Premiership title as captain this season and there is no immediate need to replace him in the middle of the park.

The Scotland international ended the season with the highest pass success rate (91.8%) of any active player for the club in the Premiership.

7 Reo Hatate

Reo Hatate missed a staggering 40 games for club and country during the 2023/24 campaign but did showcase his quality for the Hoops during the previous season.

The 26-year-old maestro chipped in with six goals and eight assists in 32 Premiership games in Postecoglou's final season, and the Japan international will hope for an injury-free year next term to return to that form.

8 Matt O'Riley

Matt O'Riley has been linked with the likes of Newcastle United, Southampton, and Leicester City for a fee in the region of £30m but Rodgers would surely want to keep hold of him in his dream XI for next season.

The Danish magician racked up an eye-catching 18 goals and 13 assists in the Premiership this season and the Hoops would have a match-winning midfielder in their ranks again if they can retain his services.

9 Nicolas Kuhn

On the right side of the attack, Nicolas Kuhn could keep his place in the starting XI after an impressive start to life in Glasgow after his move from Rapid Wien in January.

The German forward scored two goals and created five 'big chances' in just nine Premiership starts for Rodgers, and could look to hit the ground running in his first full season in Scotland next term.

10 Adam Idah

The third signing in this dream XI could be Ireland international Adam Idah, who spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead.

HITC recently reported that the Hoops want to spend £5m on the Ireland international but Norwich City are holding out for a fee of £8m for the forward.

Idah, who was hailed as "sensational" by Chris Sutton earlier this term, scored eight goals and provided two assists in 15 appearances and eight starts in the Premiership, with one goal every 76 minutes on average.

The 23-year-old star had a conversion rate of 27% in the league, whilst Kyogo Furuhashi's was only 14%, and his effiency in front of goal could make him a dream signing to lead the line next season if he is bought for £8m.

MatériaMais Notícias

da casino： O meia-atacante Nikão, novo reforço do São Paulo para a temporada, falou sobre os motivos que o fizeram escolher o Tricolor para jogar em 2022. Ao site oficial do clube, o atleta de 29 anos citou a grande história da equipe como um motivo para vir ao time comandado por Rogério Ceni.

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da betcris： – É um clube muito grande. A camisa do São Paulo é gigante, tem uma história de grandes craques. Rogério, Zetti, Cicinho, Cafu, Fabão, Danilo, Júnior, Leandro, França, Luis Fabiano… Muita gente que fez história nesse clube, conquistou títulos. Estou aqui com esse objetivo, ajudar o clube a conquistar títulos importantes, porque foi com isso que o São Paulo acostumou o seu torcedor, ganhando grandes campeonatos e fazendo grandes jogos. Por isso que eu escolhi estar aqui no São Paulo – afirmou Nikão.

O jogador assinou contrato até dezembro de 2024 e já treina com o restante do elenco na pré-temporada, que está sendo realizada no CT da Barra Funda.

– Estou muito feliz, muito motivado com esse novo momento da minha vida, da minha carreira. Agradeço muito a Deus por estar vivendo este momento e vou procurar sempre fazer o meu melhor, buscando o bem do São Paulo. Vou trabalhar bastante para que as coisas possam acontecer e que todos nós possamos ser muito felizes aqui.A torcida pode esperar um cara que vai se dedicar bastante, que trabalha muito, que é muito empenhado e que vai fazer de tudo para que eles possam sorrir com a conquista de títulos equivalentes à grandeza do São Paulo – finalizou o meia-atacante.

Nikão foi o quinto reforço anunciado pelo São Paulo para 2022. Além dele, chegaram o goleiro Jandrei, o lateral-direito Rafinha e os meias Alisson e Patrick.

Batting coach Grant Flower and team analyst GT Niroshan were described as being in a “stable” condition

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jul-2021Sri Lanka’s men’s cricketers will be allowed to come out of isolation on Sunday, after everyone remaining in the national squad returned negative PCR results. This only goes for the players however; coaches and support staff will have to remain in isolation until Wednesday, as they are considered first contacts of batting coach Grant Flower and team analyst GT Niroshan, who tested positive for the virus over the past few days.Related

• Player from alternative Sri Lanka squad for India series tests Covid-19 positive

• SL-India series to begin on July 18; new fixtures announced

• SL team's data analyst GT Niroshan tests positive for Covid-19

The fact that Sri Lanka’s players will gradually begin training over the next few days – with outdoor practices likely to start on Tuesday – is good new for the series against India, which has already been postponed five days due to the infections in Sri Lanka’s camp. Provided no one else tests positive, team doctors are optimistic the first ODI can be played on July 18 as per the revised schedule.When training does resume, however, Sri Lanka will likely be using the facilities at Khettarama stadium, while the India team trains at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC). The teams are also in separate hotels.Flower and Niroshan, meanwhile, were described as being in a “stable” condition, after having been moved to an intermediate healthcare facility. Niroshan’s infection is understood to be asymptomatic at present. Doctors believe they had picked up the infections during the recently-concluded tour of England, though the team was supposed to be in a bio-bubble through the last stages of that tour. Seven members of the England squad – including four support staff – tested positive for the virus.India’s preparation in Sri Lanka has been free of Covid-19 scares. They have been in a bio-bubble since their arrival.The teams are set to play three ODIs, followed by three T20 internationals.

أكد المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ستيلينبوش، ستيف باركر، على صعوبة مواجهة الزمالك في دور الثمانية من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

وأسفرت القرعة التي أجريت الخميس عن مواجهة بين الزمالك متصدر المجموعة الرابعة ووصيف المجموعة الثانية ستيلينبوش يومي 3 أبريل و10 من نفس الشهر.

اقرأ أيضًا | أصعب اختبار.. ستيلينبوش يعلق عبر بطولات على مواجهة الزمالك في الكونفدرالية

وتواصل بطولات مع مدرب ستيلينبوش للحديث عن القرعة ومواجهة الزمالك، وقال: “اللعب أمام فريق كبير مثل الزمالك أمر صعب لأنه عملاق في قارة إفريقيا”.

وتابع: “لقد سبق وفازوا بالبطولة في الموسم الماضي ويدافعون عن لقبهم بالفعل، لذلك ستكون مواجهتهم مليئة بالإثارة ونتطلع إليها”.

وأضاف: “الزمالك فريق يمتلك تاريخًا كبيرًا للغاية في قارة إفريقيا وفاز من قبل ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، لذلك يمثل تحديًا كبيرًا لنا”.

واختتم: “كنا نعلم أننا سنواجه فريقًا قويًا، نحن أضعف الفرق المتأهلة في الوقت الحالي، لكننا فخورون بأنفسنا وبكوننا فريقًا مليئًا بالالتزام ونريد أن نترك بصمتنا في القارة وهذا ما يمنحنا الفرصة لتحقيق المفاجأة”.

da lvbet： The Chelsea faifthul have had the privilege of watching numerous superstars play for their club, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba, and Frank Lampard coming to mind.

da betcris： However, the latest individual to join that list is without doubt Cole Palmer, who exceeded all expectations during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

The former Manchester City player was the heartbeat of the Blues, ending the season with 22 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League alone.

However, there was once a young Chelsea ace who got away, and today, he would’ve been just as influential as Palmer.

The fee that Chelsea sold Jamal Musiala for

At the age of seven, Jamal Musiala moved to England from his birthplace, Germany, and by the age of eight, he had become a Chelsea academy player.

However, Football London said that the attacking midfielder failed to see a pathway into the first team, and Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich ‘presented a clear developmental path compared to Cobham.’

Having already made up his mind, the German international then left Chelsea at the age of 16 to join Bayern Munich for just £170k, as per the Daily Mail.

Despite Chelsea offering him a new contract, the club had to settle for having a 20% sell-on clause in his contract at Bayern instead, with what could prove to be one of the biggest howlers in the club’s recent history.

Jamal Musiala’s 23/24 campaign

Since his departure from England, it’s fair to say that Musiala has developed into one of the most promising footballers on the entire globe.

If it already hadn’t by now, his name has reached those outside of Germany thanks to an incredible start to the 2024 European Championships, where he’s one of two players to have scored in both games so far.

It’s fantastic to see the 21-year-old thrive on one of the biggest stages, especially given that his 2023/24 campaign was hindered by numerous small injuries that made him miss 12 matches.

Regardless of his setbacks, the German international was still simply superb in the league, boasting a record of ten goals and six assists in just 20 starts under Thomas Tuchel.

Musiala vs Palmer 23/24 League Stats

Stats (per 90)

Musiala

Palmer

Goals

0.51

0.76

Assists

0.26

0.38

Shots

2.97

3.44

Shot-creating actions

5.44

5.57

Key passes

2.15

2.48

Successful take-ons

4.46

1.79

Via FBref

Nonetheless, as you can see from the table, Musiala had the potential to be just as influential as Palmer was last season, which is quite remarkable.

Just like the England international, Bayern’s number ten has the technical class to operate out wide or in central zones, but most importantly, he can win a game on his own, as shown by his goals and assists.

Furthermore, Musiala has an unpredictable element to his game that enables him to cause chaos against the opposition, with his ability to weave past defenders easily being his trademark move.

The former Chelsea academy star cannot be afforded any space whatsoever, as the outcome is almost guaranteed to be costly, and the same can be said for Palmer.

Musiala’s ability to produce endless amounts of creativity regardless of the game state is what makes him “out of this world,” as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, and it’s fair to say that he’s the catalyst for the majority of attacking situations at Bayern.

Sadly, this is what Chelsea missed out on, and a duo of Palmer and Musiala could have developed into one of the deadliest partnerships to have graced the Premier League.

Related No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea

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Posts ByTom Lever May 29, 2024

Arsenal cult hero Cesc Fabregas has become a pretty decent manager already. He's guided Como to promotion to Serie A and was even suggested as someone who could take the Chelsea job after Mauricio Pochettino's departure.

It's hardly a surprise to see he's so astute in the dugout. After all, this is a coach who got to sit in a dressing room next to some of the greatest managers to ever do it.

He was raised by Arsene Wenger, nurtured further by Pep Guardiola and even had spells under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte at Chelsea. That's not forgetting his time under Vicente del Bosque with Spain too.

It would take some going to replicate his extraordinary career but that's exactly what he's doing. It's just a pity that some at Arsenal don't always appreciate what he did at Highbury and then the Emirates Stadium departing for Barcelona in rather controversial circumstances.

Though, 20 years on from when Cesc first arrived in north London, Arsenal could be about to bring in someone possessing similar mental and technical traits.

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ByDan Emery Jun 15, 2024 Arsenal looking to strengthen their midfield

The Gunners went big last summer to welcome Declan Rice to the club in an initial £100m move from West Ham.

Finishing second in the club's Player of the Season vote, it's safe to say he was a roaring success during his debut campaign in the north of London.

Despite his emergence in the engine room, Mikel Arteta and Co could still spend big on another midfielder this summer. Everton's Amadou Onana has been linked, as has Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz.

However, the focus of this article is on Benfica's Joao Neves. According to reports in Portugal, two offers have already been laid on the table for the midfielder.

That's thought to be from Arsenal and Manchester United who have stated they are willing to pay a fee of €60m (£51m) for Neves. However, the Lisbon club are still hopeful of receiving €120m (£102m) which would meet his release clause.

United are said to be the most interested party but the Gunners are monitoring developments and could move in the forthcoming months.

How Joao Neves compares to Cesc Fabregas

At the age of just 19, Neves is attracting acclaim and praise that very few gain at such an age unless you are a genuine superstar.

Well, it certainly evokes memories of the plaudits Fabregas was getting at the same age.

Fabregas made his debut under Wenger at the age of just 16 and until 2022, was Arsenal's youngest player in their history. Step forward Ethan Nwaneri.

#1 Ethan Nwaneri

15 years, 5 months, 28 days

2022: Brentford

#2 Cesc Fabregas

16 years, 5 months, 24 days

2003: Rotherham

#3 Jack Wilshere

16 years, 8 months, 12 days

2008: Blackburn

#4 Jermaine Pennant

16 years, 10 months, 15 days

1999: Middlesbrough

#5 Paul Vaessen

16 years, 11 months, 11 days

1978: Lokomotive Leipzig

#6 Ryan Smith

16 years, 11 months, 18 days

2003: Rotherham

#7 Gedion Zelalem

16 years, 11 months, 29 days

2014: Coventry

#8 Armand Traore

17 years, 16 days

2006: West Brom

Since that moment, Fabregas didn't look back and as of 2024, he is still the only player in Premier League history to register 20 assists as a teenager.

The Spaniard possessed all sorts of tools. Whether it was striding forward and slaloming past defenders, whether it was scoring screamers from long-range or whether it was his awe-inspiring vision, he had everything you could want from a playmaker.

What's more is that Fabregas was a natural-born leader too. He was a mentality monster, handed the captain's armband by Wenger at the age of just 21.

Well, Neves has very similar tools at his disposal. He's not quite as offensive but the shooting ability, vision and leadership are already there.

Indeed, the summary from analyst Ben Mattinson below sums it up rather well.

Like Fabregas then, he looks like a player who is wise beyond his years, gaining instant respect from teammates and the opposition.

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez once said: "Joao Neves reached the national team at 19 and showed a personality and maturity that surprised me a lot. I've never seen a situation like Neves in my career. In two days he gained the respect of the entire Portugal locker room.”

Further described as a "special" player by Mattinson, it's rather evident that the teenager is one of the finest young midfielders in the game. Playing in a role akin to Fabregas' deep-lying position in his final days as a player, there is a belief that Neves could play further forward.

Also hailed for being "genuinely so complete for his age", it's scary to think just how much potential the Benfica gem has left to extract.

Like Fabregas, he could well just become one of the best modern midfielders we've seen.

Arsenal eyeing £85m Partey upgrade who's "Santi Cazorla-esque"

The incredible midfielder has shades of the Spaniard about him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 5, 2024

Already without Jofra Archer, the Rajasthan Royals will have to do without another key man

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2021Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the remainder of the Rajasthan Royals’ campaign in IPL 2021 with a broken finger in his left hand. The allrounder sustained the injury during the Royals’ opening game, against the Punjab Kings, when he ran in from long-on and dived forward to take Chris Gayle’s catch in the tenth over of the Kings’ innings.The Royals said in a statement on Tuesday that after Stokes picked up the injury, “subsequent investigations revealed that he sustained a broken finger, which will unfortunately rule him out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2021 season”. Stokes will continue to stay on with the Royals to provide “support and inputs off the field”, while the Royals cast around for a potential replacement signing.”Everyone at Rajasthan Royals absolutely admires Ben for being such a huge asset and a valuable member of the Royals family, both on and off the field, and wishes him a speedy recovery,” the Royals statement said. “We are delighted that Ben would like to stay with the group to provide his valued support and inputs off the field. In the meantime, we will be reviewing potential replacement options for the remainder of the season.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Stokes is being assessed by the team’s medical staff, with the ECB in the loop on the developments. “We are aware and he will be assessed over the coming days on the extent of the seriousness of the injury. At that point we will confirm the next steps,” an ECB spokesperson said.In the match against the Kings, Stokes had bowled the eighth over, but didn’t come on to bowl any more even though the Kings scored 221 for 6. He subsequently came out to open the innings for the Royals, but lasted only three balls before top-edging a pull back to the bowler Mohammed Shami to be out for a duck. The Royals lost the match by four runs.Stokes’ injury could disrupt the Royals’ plans significantly, especially because they are already without a first-choice player in Jofra Archer, who is recuperating and is expected to miss at least the first four games of the season. While Archer was cleared to return to training on Tuesday, it is still not clear when he will be able to resume playing.Without either Stokes or Archer, the overseas options for the Royals are limited. Both Jos Buttler and Chris Morris are first-choice picks, and for the other two slots, they have to choose from among Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Mustafizur Rahman and Andrew Tye. Rahman played in the first match and Livingstone – who can bat in the top order and turn his arm over for part-time offspin – could be the most likely to fill in for Stokes.The injury also puts a question mark over Stokes’ commitments for England. They are scheduled to play a two-Test series against New Zealand, starting at Lord’s on June 2, just four days after the IPL final, which is on May 30. Following the New Zealand Tests, England are due to play a five-Test series against India, after which is the T20 World Cup in India, followed by the Ashes in Australia.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he "likes" Erik ten Hag but insists it's not his decision whether the manager remains at Manchester United.

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• Ten Hag under mounting pressure at Man Utd
• Ratcliffe says he "likes" the Dutchman
• "Not his call" over the manager's future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Minority owner Ratcliffe was asked about Ten Hag's future at United, with a growing number of fans and pundits alike questioning if he is the right man to take the club forward. The INEOS chief said the Dutchman is a "very good coach" but admitted they are a long way from where they want to eventually be.

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• WHAT SIR JIM RATCLIFFE SAID

  He told : “I don’t want to answer that question…I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects. But that team that’s running Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren’t there in January, February, March or April – Omar [Berrada, CEO], [sporting director] Dan Ashworth – they only arrived in July. They’ve only been there…you can count it in weeks almost – they’ve not been there a long time so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag is seemingly on thin ice at United as they are struggling in the Europa League and Premier League, where they are languishing down in 13th. After spending around £200 million ($262m) on transfers this summer, many at the Red Devils would have hoped to be higher up the table. If things don't improve soon, it may just be a matter of time before the ex-Ajax boss is dismissed from Old Trafford.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After securing a thrilling 3-3 draw with Porto on Thursday in the Europa League, Ten Hag's team travel to in-form Aston Villa on Sunday as the Premier League returns.