Precautionary omission from Australia tour party likely to be temporary setback in rapid ascent

Cameron Ponsonby21-Apr-2023When WACA teammates Aaron Hardie and Hilton Cartwright were asked to describe the qualities of their fast-bowling friend Lance Morris, Hardie said that Morris “bowls as fast as anyone I’ve seen or faced”. Whilst Cartwright, possibly deliberately misunderstanding the question, simply went for, “He’s such a good-looking man”.”I don’t know how to comment on that!” Morris laughs when asked if Cartwright’s assessment is one he agrees with. “I try and give him [Cartwright] the fast-bowler stare but it doesn’t work. I think it’s turned into something romantic.”Cartwright isn’t alone in his affection for Morris, whose 2022-23 season was the type of breakout summer that elevated him from your favourite unknown band, to a player you have to remind your mates that you actually knew before it was cool. Sure, his stuff at the MCG is great, but I actually preferred his earlier work at the Karen Rolton Oval.”It was a proper whirlwind,” Morris says, reflecting on his rapid ascent. “The moment I came off after a Shield Game at The Gabba – and that was before our Christmas break where we split off into BBL – I remember talking to my bowling coach, literally as soon as we came off and he was saying, ‘All right, let’s get a white ball in your hand and work on some yorkers’. And then 10 minutes later, Adam Voges [WA head coach] came up and said, ‘You’re going to get a phone call. And I think you probably want to answer it because it’s going to be a pretty good one.”Starting the season with just 13 first-class appearances to his name, Morris, now 25, took 31 wickets at an average of 19 in WA’s victorious Sheffield Shield campaign and nine wickets at 15.22 in Perth Scorchers Big Bash win. A set of figures that saw him earn a maiden Test squad berth against West Indies, a place on the bench for Australia’s tour of India and a first central contract that was announced earlier this month. An ascent to the Test team and a place in the squad for the Ashes seemed an inevitability, before a back scan showed a stress spot and Morris was forced to swap his champagne glass for an ice pack.”He’s having a bit of a de-load period,” Australia’s chief selector George Bailey said, “which I think is about four to six weeks, and then he will start to start to build after that. Conservatively, we’ll probably look to rebuild Lance and hopefully have a really big crack at the summer.”Lance Morris’ pace almost conjured a remarkable victory•Getty ImagesThe frustration for Morris, however, is that he feels absolutely fine. He had been due to join Northamptonshire on a three-match county deal for the month of May with the view of readying himself for the Ashes, only for the routine scan to show a flare-up, and in the name of caution and having previously suffered from stress fractures, he pulled out of the deal. It was another example of why some bowlers are known to avoid scans at all costs, with the results often coming as a complete surprise. However, as the famous thought experiment Schrödinger’s stress fracture has long proven, a fast bowler can be both fully fit and dead all at the same time.Furthermore, much like politely declaring yourself full only to discover there’s pudding, Morris then got a call from the Mumbai Indians asking if he fancied a run around (and loads of cash) to play in the IPL. But having turned down Northants, and in order be fully fit for Australia, he waved away the tiramisu with a tear in his eye.”It was a tough one,” Morris said. “All in and commit or do a genuine rest.”The excitement and demand surrounding Morris is merited by a player who is increasingly adding precision to raw pace. Widely considered to be the fastest bowler in Australia, the numbers from CricViz fail to crown him undisputedly as such, but do show a player with a consistency of speed that mixes him with the usual Australian suspects in Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, with over half of his deliveries across the last two years north of 140kph. Objectively, he’s as quick as Australia’s quickest; and subjectively, he’s considered even faster. It’s a fine combination to boast.”It’s a pretty tough bowling attack to break into,” Morris says of the challenge facing him to dislodge Australia’s holy trinity. “I just have to be there and be ready for an opportunity.”I understand I’m not a starter in the line-up at the moment. So I need to find a way to stay ready and co-exist with those guys and learn off them at the same time.Related

• 'Nice to blow the cobwebs out', says Lance Morris after fired-up show on day one of Shield final

• Australia's fast-bowling back-up earn central contracts, Marcus Harris also gets deal

• Renshaw and Harris earn Ashes, WTC final call to keep heat on Warner

• Back injury ends Lance Morris' Ashes dream, IPL key for Josh Hazlewood

“Bowling at pace means you can always play a role wherever you go. [Even] India, there’s that reverse-swing element and then if you go to a fast flat track then you can also make an impact there.”Make no mistake, had Morris been picked for The Ashes, he would – and could – have been ready for action, with his omission due to injury a polite way for the selectors to call a spade a stressy and not publicly drop a player for whom they have the highest of hopes. Morris’ challenge now is to maintain a workload over the next six months that will allow him to return at full strength, with research from the ECB showing that bowling too little puts a fast bowler at risk of back injury as much as bowling too much, with time away leading to bowlers losing the bone density in their back that prevents injury. Only time will tell if Australia’s pro-active rotation policy is a masterstroke or merely a well-intended tea-leaf reading.Nevertheless, all things being equal, a Test debut should be an inevitability and the longest form of the game will be ready to welcome another superstar quick to its shores. In a previous interview, Morris stated plainly that: “There’s no point parking it and bowling 130kph, because that’s not going to get me a game. I need to be that intimidating fast bowler.”And if Aaron Hardie’s and, in particular, Hilton Cartwright’s assessments are anything to go by – that’s something for us all to look forward to.

Analysis of individual batting and bowling performances in the Champions League Twenty20

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan22-Oct-2012In ESPNcricinfo’s analysis of individual performances in Champions League Twenty20 matches, David Warner and Samuel Badree take the honours on the batting and bowling fronts respectively. Warner, one of the highest run-getters in the Twenty20 format, is on top for his superb 135 off 69 balls against Chennai Super Kings in the 2011 tournament. Kieron Pollard slots in at second place for his stunning 54 off 18 balls against New South Wales in 2009. The top-ten list in batting is dominated by the big hitters with Warner, Pollard and Suresh Raina featuring twice each. Chris Gayle, the leading century-getter in Twenty20 matches (eight centuries) comes in at ninth for his 92 off 41 balls in the 2011 semi-final against NSW.Trinidad & Tobago, the runners-up in the inaugural tournament, have both their spinners Badree and Sunil Narine in the top three. While Badree leads the way for his 2 for 7 in the qualifying game against Leicestershire, Narine comes in third for his impressive 3 for 8 in a low-scoring encounter against Chennai Super Kings in 2011. Shaun Tait’s 5 for 32 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011, which is in the second place, was an exceptional effort in an extremely high-scoring game. Auckland have two bowlers in the top ten with Kyle Mills’ 2 for 6 against Sialkot Stallions in the fourth position and Azhar Mahmood’s 5 for 24 against Hampshire in the sixth spot. The top ten is rounded off by L Balaji, who picked up 4 for 19 in Kolkata Knight Riders’ crushing 99-run win in their last group game against Titans.Warner dominated the tournament in 2011 ending as the highest run-getter. His 135 in the group game against Chennai was scored at a strike rate of 195.65 with 92 runs in boundaries. The combined strike rate of the other batsmen in the game was just 126.66 and none of them managed a score over 40. In the game against NSW, Pollard walked in with T&T requiring 54 runs off 28 balls with four wickets in hand. His explosive 54 (strike rate of 300) swung the game around completely with T&T knocking off the remaining runs in 19 balls. Pollard, who scored 50 of his runs in boundaries, had a strike rate that was nearly three times the corresponding figure of the other T&T batsmen (116.12). In third place is Wes Durston’s 57 off 32 balls for Somerset against Eagles in 2009. Durston’s strike rate of 178.12 was comfortably higher than what the rest of the batsmen managed (92). Both Pollard and Warner make their second appearance in the top ten at fourth and sixth positions respectively. However, Warner’s second century of the tournament (123) was unable to prevent defeat in the semi-final against Royal Challengers, who overhauled the huge target of 204 with the help of Gayle’s 92 (strike rate 224.39), which slots in at ninth. The two other centuries scored in the Champions League Twenty20 come in at tenth (Andrew Puttick) and 12th (Daniel Harris). The only knock from this year’s tournament that makes it to the top 15 is Gary Ballance’s 64 off 25 balls for Yorkshire in their qualifying match against T&T.

BatsmanTeamOppositionRunsBalls facedPointsDavid WarnerNSWChennai Super Kings1356970.43Kieron PollardTrinidad & TobagoNSW541867.49Wes DurstonSomersetEagles573260.82Kieron PollardMumbai IndiansGuyana723058.20Suresh RainaChennai Super KingsRoyal Challengers Bangalore944858.03David WarnerNSWRoyal Challengers Bangalore1236856.20JP DuminyCape CobrasRoyal Challengers Bangalore995253.76Suresh RainaChennai Super KingsWayamba874453.16Chris GayleRoyal Challengers BangaloreNSW924151.73Andrew PuttickCape CobrasOtago1046250.94Richard CameronLionsGuyana784250.51Daniel HarrisSouth AustraliaRoyal Challengers Bangalore1086150.02Aaron FinchVictoriaCentral Districts936049.88Roelof van der MerweSomersetKolkata Knight Riders734049.66Gary BallanceYorkshireTrinidad & Tobago642547.53Badree’s 2 for 7 in the qualifying game against Leicestershire is the best bowling performance followed by Tait’s 5 for 32. Badree finished with an economy rate of just 1.75 in a game where the run-rate was over seven runs per over. In addition, both his wickets were those of top-order batsmen. In a game dominated by batsmen (run-rate of 10.72), Tait’s figures were outstanding. All five of his wickets were those of top-seven batsmen including Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli, the top scorers for Royal Challengers. Narine’s effort came after T&T had been restricted to just 123. He dismissed M Vijay and Raina before returning to remove the dangerous MS Dhoni as T&T managed to defend the low target. Despite the game being a low-scoring one, Narine’s economy rate of 2.00 was well below the match run-rate of 5.85. Both Azhar Mahmood’s 5 for 24 against Hampshire in the qualifying game and Lasith Malinga’s 5 for 32 in the dead-rubber clash with Chennai finish in the top ten. Despite the lack of wickets, Dilshan’s 1 for 10 against NSW is in 11th place because of the top-class economy rate (2.50) in an extremely high-scoring game (run-rate 10.57). No other bowler in the game ended with an economy rate below seven runs per over.

BowlerTeamOppositionWicketsRunsPointsSamuel BadreeTrinidad & TobagoLeicestershire2772.13Shaun TaitSouth AustraliaRoyal Challengers Bangalore53271.25Sunil NarineTrinidad & TobagoChennai Super Kings3867.91Kyle MillsAucklandSialkot Stallions2667.60JP DuminyCape CobrasChennai Super Kings42067.31Azhar MahmoodAucklandHampshire52466.68Andrew McDonaldVictoriaRoyal Challengers Bangalore42166.33Cornelius de VilliersEaglesSomerset41765.38Lasith MalingaMumbai IndiansChennai Super Kings53265.34L BalajiKolkata Knight RidersTitans41965.13Tillakaratne DilshanRoyal Challengers BangaloreNSW11061.34Aaron PhangisoLionsSydney Sixers31461.27Ravi RampaulTrinidad & TobagoLeicestershire41461.26Pat CumminsNSWRoyal Challengers Bangalore44561.23Dirk NannesDelhi DaredevilsWayamba42460.72

South Africa ensured their first series win in India in 25 years by building on their lead for nearly five hours. While the declaration, setting India more than they have ever been set at home, seemed a touch conservative, the visitors went to stumps needing eight wickets on the final day to take away all 12 WTC points from this Test and consign India to their second whitewash at home in 12 months after 12 years of spotless series record.As it often happens in such match situations, the same pitch that South Africa batted on, looking untroubled for 70.3 overs, began to look unplayable in the 15.5 India got to play. Marco Jansen didn’t even bother with swing and seam, and began to bounce Yashasvi Jaiswal before getting him out on the cut shot. Simon Harmer, who has out-bowled the home spinners, continued his dream series with a dream offbreak to bowl KL Rahul through the gate, and came desperately close to getting B Sai Sudharsan out lbw.The day began with curiosity around how much South Africa valued the 12 full points from this match vis-a-vis ensuring they give India no chance to threaten their series lead. Turns out they were in no mood for adventure. Especially as the ball started to turn more consistently in the first session of the fourth day than it had done at any point before. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar got long spells in. Jadeja got Ryan Rickelton caught at extra cover, but then India did what they have struggled to do all Test: get wickets on defensive shots. Jadeja beat Aiden Markram’s outside edge and hit the off stump, Washington got one to bite at Temba Bavuma’s glove and settle in the hands of backward short leg.As three wickets fell for 18 runs, South Africa remained slightly cautious. Tristan Stubbs and Tony de Zorzi, though, managed to keep the threat of spin out with their sweeps and reverse sweeps. After Rishabh Pant missed a stumping off Stubbs, the No. 3 batter limited his options to just the sweeps whenever he wanted to force the pace.3:49

Can India’s youngsters grind out a draw?

Stubbs and de Zorzi added 101 for the fourth wicket, 41 of those in sweeps and reverse sweeps. Like Stubbs in the first innings, de Zorzi fell one short of a fifty, beaten on the sweep for a change. It was mid-afternoon and South Africa led by 466, but they still continued to bat at normal pace.Related

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Only after the lunch break did Stubbs get a move-on to try to complete a Test hundred, but even this charge was not frenetic. The team management gave him all the time as he scored 32 from the last 19 balls he faced, taking the lead past the 542 that Australia attained in Nagpur in 2004. He slog-swept Jadeja to go from 88 to 94, but Jadeja slowed the ball down to beat a repeat attempt. Stubbs still was the highest run-getter in the series (163), and would need a big effort from someone in the final innings to be eclipsed.That effort wasn’t coming from the openers. India have done this to many a visiting side – just when everybody thought they had been too conservative with the declaration, the pitch would magically change its nature and wickets would start falling.Something similar happened when Jansen ran in and started bowling short. In the first over itself, he had Jaiswal fending uncomfortably. One didn’t pop up, the other landed just short of second slip. While Jaiswal managed to ramp him once, he fell to his favourite cut shot again. Since Jaiswal’s debut, nobody has scored more Test runs with the cut off fast bowlers than his 291, but no one has got out as often as his seven times. Nobody has played as many false shots as he has on the cut to the fast bowler: 68. He averages 41.57 on the cut against fast bowlers, but has fallen to this shot four times in his last eight innings.3:19

Saba Karim: Spinners need long spell to set up batters

Rahul was more traditional in the route he took to fight for a draw. He scored just 6 off 30 balls, but the 30th was a bewitching dipping, drifting delivery, which had him playing well away from where he thought it would originally pitch. In panic, he turned his drive into a flick, but it wasn’t enough to plug the gap created between his body and his bat. Harmer was again level with Jansen for most wickets in the series: 12.Harmer came extremely close to taking the lead when he appealed for lbw against Sai Sudharsan. In all likelihood, the on-field call for not-out was down to an inside edge, but the replay showed the ball had hit the pad first. However, the ball tracking returned an umpire’s call on impact, saving Sudharsan to fight another day.India somehow survived the rest of the day but it looked like a wicket could fall anytime. South Africa now have six hours to take eight wickets because the light has consistently dipped by 4pm, not allowing any extra play.

تحدث وليد صلاح الدين، مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، عن تفاصيل عرض برشلونة لضم مهاجم القلعة الحمراء الشاب حمزة عبد الكريم، وعرض هانوفر بشأن بلال عطية.

وقال صلاح الدين، عبر قناة “النهار”: “هذا الأمر سيكون مع الإدارة، عرض هانوفر الألماني معايشة لبلال عطية، حمزة لا يوجد عرض رسمي أتى للنادي الأهلي”.

طالع.. وليد صلاح الدين يكشف خطة الأهلي لتجديد عقود اللاعبين.. وأسباب اختيار توروب

وواصل: “نعرف قدر اللاعبين ونريد خروجهم للاحتراف ولكن مهم جدًا مصلحة الأهلي إذا كان إعادة بيع أو إعارة أو نية شراء برقم كبير، كل ذلك سيُبحث عندما توجد عروض رسمية بأرقام مؤكدة”.

وذكرت صحيفة سبورت، أن المفاوضات بين برشلونة والأهلي جارية منذ ثلاثة أسابيع بشأن حمزة عبد الكريم، وأن هناك تفاؤلاً في الفريق الكتالوني بإتمام الصفقة، على الرغم من اهتمام العديد من الأندية الأوروبية بضم اللاعب.

وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن رغبة برشلونة هي ضم حمزة عبد الكريم خلال فترة الميركاتو الشتوي المقبل في يناير على سبيل الإعارة لمدة ستة أشهر، مع وجود خيار الشراء النهائي في نهاية الموسم.

وأردفت الصحيفة، أن حمزة عبد الكريم سيبلغ الـ18 من عمره في بداية العام الجديد، ما سيسهل كثيرًا على برشلونة التعاقد معه، حيث يتم الآن وضع اللمسات النهائية على الصفقة.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betsson： O técnico Tite não poupou elogios ao goleiro Gabriel Chapecó, do Grêmio, único jogador que atua no futebol brasileiro presente entre os convocados da Seleção para os jogos de novembro pelas Eliminatórias. Em coletiva nesta sexta-feira (29), Tite detalhou o acordo feito com o Tricolor gaúcho para que o jovem esteja no grupo que encara Colômbia e Argentina nos dias 11 e 16.

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da heads bet： – Nós conversamos com o Grêmio, o Juninho e o Cleber (Xavier) conversaram diretamente com o Dênis Abrahão (vice de futebol do Tricolor gaúcho), foi encaminhado ao Vagner Mancini. Queremos uma equidade entre os clubes brasileiros e valorizou o jovem:

– Trouxemos um jogador que não é titular agora, mas tem uma sequência de 23 jogos como titular da equipe e tem um histórico todo na Seleção de base. Tem a anuência do Taffarel (preparador de goleiros) e do Marquinhos da principal – completou.

O auxiliar César Sampaio falou sobre o “grupo” de observação no qual Chapecó se encaixa.

– Ele está entre os goleiros com projeção. Observados foram o Lucão, do Vasco, o Brenno, do Grêmio, o Bento, do Athletico-PR. Entendendo esse calendário de times que disputam títulos ou que tentam sair de uma zona de rebaixamento procuramos não impactar os elencos trazendo um goleiro que não vem sendo utilizado – disse.

O Brasil lidera com 31 pontos as Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo.

Something feels different about Arsenal this season, doesn’t it? The Gunners sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table and they have a 100% record from their three Champions League matches.

A year ago, it was a struggle. Multiple red cards and injuries plagued a heavily talented squad and, until the latter stages of European competition, they struggled to hit top gear.

Yet for all of the reliance on set-pieces, for all of the ridiculous comments on long throws in recent days, Arsenal looks like the best team in the land.

Steady on. We know. Let’s not count our chickens just yet, but everything is looking rather rosy. Mikel Arteta’s men have shipped just one open-play goal all season and are yet to concede in the Champions League.

Their forward line, as demonstrated in that stunning 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid, is improving all the time too.

That’s hardly a surprise. Andrea Berta – once of Atleti’s parish – invested KSE’s money heavily over the summer on the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze.

Gyokeres went nine goals without finding the net before his brace on Tuesday night. The relief and delight were clear to see on the Swede’s face.

The number 14 has some way to go before he can be considered an all-time great but amidst Arteta’s setup, there are a few faces beginning to make themselves modern icons. Gabriel Magalhaes is the prime example.

Why Gabriel is now the best centre-back on the planet

Swing in a corner or set-piece and there is usually one result. Gabriel will be on hand to head home.

His record in recent years and indeed this season has been extraordinary. No central defender across the top five leagues in European football has scored more goals than his tally of 22 since 2020.

The big Brazilian is inevitable and his remarkable record in 2025/26 has only strengthened his argument as the best goalscoring defender around.

In his last five games, he has scored twice and also picked up two assists. There was that crashing header in the dying embers to win the game at Newcastle United and he followed that up by flicking on Bukayo Saka’s corner for Leandro Trossard’s winner at Craven Cottage a few days ago.

His performance against Atleti, however, was colossal. It was the 27-year-old who headed the Gunners in front from Declan Rice’s teasing free-kick and it was Gabriel who got on the end of Rice’s corner minutes later in the second half. He didn’t find the net this time but he did put it on a plate for Gyokeres to score from a matter of yards out.

But, can he defend too? You bet he can. Gabriel is one of the sternest central defenders in the land.

He has been dribbled past just 0.4 times per game in the league this season and is winning 77% of his ground duels. For context, of Premier League defenders to win more than ten ground duels in 2025/26, he ranks joint-fifth for percentage of ground duels won. He sits level with Virgil van Dijk in that regard.

1. Joel Veltman

89%

2. Noussair Mazraoui

82%

3. Daniel Ballard

78.57%

3= Trevoh Chalobah

78.57%

4. Kenny Tete

77%

5. Virgil van Dijk

76.92%

5= Gabriel

76.92%

Defenders who have won 10 + duels only

So, he’s a set-piece menace. He’s a warrior, he’s a leader of men and he’s a pretty damn good defender too.

Is there anything Gabriel cannot do? Perhaps not. He is undoubtedly one of the best players we’ve seen in the Emirates Stadium era. But, is he the best?

Arsenal's best player since Arsene Wenger retired

While Arsene Wenger’s final few years at Arsenal were not as victorious and triumphant as the early days, he is still remembered fondly. Besides the great Herbert Chapman, he is the finest manager the club have ever had and he had some remarkable players in his armoury.

Whether it was Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira or Robert Pires, the greats of Arsenal were around when Wenger was.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Yet, since he retired, the Gunners have struggled and it’s not until recent years that Arteta has transformed them into title challengers again.

The aforementioned Gabriel has been a big part of that. As has Saka. Without him, there’s a very realistic chance that Arteta wouldn’t even still be in the job.

During the infancy of the Spaniard’s coaching career in north London, it was the Hale End marvel who got the Gunners out of plenty of sticky situations.

Yet, in recent years, they’ve found a transformational player, a generational talent who looks like he could eclipse some of the best players we’ve seen at Arsenal since Wenger walked away. Mesut Ozil? He’s making a bigger impact than him. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? He’s certainly earned more respect than their former no.14.

Even better than Gabriel and Saka? Arguably so. Rice is your man and he’s becoming one of the finest specimens in world football.

Back in 2023, Edu and Co moved heaven and earth to bring the England international to the Emirates, paying a club-record £105m to sign him from West Ham. They fended off serial winners Manchester City to do so. It was a landmark move.

Well, since heading to Arsenal, Rice has made that fee look like a bargain. Since when has that sort of money ever looked cheap? Well, West Ham must be cursing their luck that they did not get more bang for their buck.

The midfielder was a mighty fine player at West Ham but he has gone on another level after his big-money move.

At the Irons, he was seen as a defensive midfielder but Arteta has transformed him into one of the best, if not the best box-to-box midfielder in the land. Rice’s work rate is simply incredible and his ability to win the ball back is second to very few.

But, at Arsenal, he’s now become a threat in the final third. He scored nine goals and registered ten assists last term, his best tally in a single season.

While the 26-year-old has only scored once in 2025/26, he has registered four assists, all from set-pieces. Indeed, that’s one area where Rice has been exceptional, particularly in the last year.

You won’t need a reminder but we’ll bring it up again anyway. His free-kicks against Real Madrid last season were a thing of beauty. However, it’s his delivery into the box that stands out most.

He was involved in two of the four goals against Atleti this week, swinging in a delicious ball for Gabriel to head home and then firing in the corner that led to Gyokeres’ second.

In the words of Sky Sports reporter Sam Blitz, the Three Lions star is now “the best set-piece taker in world football.”

If you didn’t think Rice could get any better, think again. He is the perfect all-rounder. Gabriel is a menacing centre-back and Saka’s creativity skills are sublime. Yet, the £240k-per-week earner has it all. He can score, he assist, he can defend and he’s arguably got the best set-piece delivery in Europe.

Few will argue against just how good Rice has been since he moved across London. The best signing we’ve seen since Wenger left? It’s hard to suggest he hasn’t been.

Not a single Real Madrid player spoke to the media on Sunday night. They don't have to, of course, but after Los Blancos drew 1-1 with struggling Girona, every single squad member walked through the mixed zone without acknowledging the awaiting press. It was emblematic of a shift at the club, the good vibes within this great institution falling apart.

And how could they not? Madrid expects excellence and football without flaws. They are expected not only to win, but to win well. And of late, they simply haven't done enough winning. After Sunday's drab draw, they have now drawn three straight games in La Liga. The highest-ranked team of three to have taken a point off them are ninth-placed Rayo Vallecano.

While that is undoubtedly a disappointing run for a club of Madrid's size, it must be remembered that they are also in a period of transition after hiring a new manager in Xabi Alonso, who in turn has been dealing with a number of injuries that have upset the balance of his side somewhat. 

However, amid reports of rifts in the dressing room led by some of the most highly-paid players on the planet, the last thing Alonso needed was for his side to throw away their lead at the top of the table to Barcelona. That's exactly what they have done, sacrificing a five-point advantage in the space of a month, and while the calls for Alonso to be sacked are far too premature, it has undoubtedly been a nightmarish few weeks for a man still starting out in his dream job. 

Getty Images SportHow things stand

The actual picture of Madrid's season doesn't look too bad. Through 14 league games, they have won 10, drawn three and lost just one. They sit in second place, on 33 points, four behind Barcelona with their game in hand to come on Wednesday against Athletic Club. At their current pace, they will accrue 90 points, which should be enough to run Barca right down to the wire. Madrid have also played a slightly tougher schedule, and did win the first Clasico of the season in late October. 

In the Champions League, things are looking rosy. Madrid have won four of five, dispatching Marseille, Juventus, Kairat Almaty and Olympiacos, while their only loss came at the hands of a much-improved Liverpool, who decided to break their torrid spell by turning in a one-off memorable performance against the Spanish giants in early November. An automatic spot in the last 16 is therefore within their grasp.

There are plenty of positives to take from how certain individuals have performed, too. Kylian Mbappe has accepted his role as a central striker and run with it, with his tally of 23 goals in just 19 games challenging the best goal-scorers in Europe. Elsewhere, new signings Alvaro Carreras has offered much-needed stability at left-back, Arda Guler has shown the kind of creative chops his early-career flashes promised and Jude Bellingham has been rounding into form after missing the first two months of the season while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesInjury issues

Bellingham is not the only big name to have missed time due to fitness problems. His England team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold is the presumptive right-back of the future in Madrid, but he has started just six games since the Club World Cup, thanks in part to a hamstring injury suffered on the opening night of Champions League that sidelined him for six weeks. His main competition, Dani Carvajal, picked up a knee injury soon after, and will be out until at least January, which has led to Fede Valverde again being deployed in defence.

Vinicius Jr, meanwhile, was steadily worked into the side in the opening weeks of the season as Alonso looked to protect his legs, and his campaign has been more about off-field noise than his goal contributions (or lack thereof). Centre-backs Toni Rudiger, David Alaba and Dean Huijsen have also missed time.

Getty ImagesDressing-room divide

Still, Madrid should have enough talent to be dominant force in Spain and Europe. And yet it is that concentration of Galacticos which is proving to be Alonso's biggest headache.

The ex-Bayer Leverkusen coach has, according to , had his methods questioned by senior players within the squad and that messages are not getting through regarding his tactical plan for each game. A meeting was reportedly held between Alonso and his players in a bid to smooth out their differences ahead of the 4-3 win over Olympiacos, but Sunday's draw in Catalunya – described by one source to has being "a disaster" – suggests that it has not ironed out all the kinks.

It likely doesn't help Alonso that there are high-profile players within his squad who are barely seeing the field. Both Rodrygo and Endrick were linked with moves away from the Bernabeu this summer, yet Alonso insisted that both would be crucial to the project. That, however, hasn't been the case. 

Rodrygo, in the midst of a 30-match goal drought, has continued to have been starved of opportunities, and has played just 442 minutes. Endrick has featured even less, with just 11 minutes to his name, and is set to finally leave on loan in January, likely to Lyon.

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AFPThe Vinicius problem

But of course, the biggest problem for Alonso is Vinicius. The Brazil winger is a wonderful footballer, charismatic and expressive with the ball, and equally vocal when he doesn't have it. He is also one of the more complex characters in this sport, so often the victim of abuse based on his reputation – a lot of it to do with the colour of his skin – yet, by all indications, a truly humble footballer. It is known, too, that Florentino Perez is a big fan of Vinicius'. 

That is perhaps why he has felt emboldened to challenge his managers at times. During the end of Carlo Ancelotti's reign, Vinicius took an apathetic approach towards running without the ball, and thus far under Alonso, he hasn't always adhered to the manager's tactical demands. He has subsequently completed 90 minutes just seven times, and is often Alonso's first substitute when he needs to change his forward line.  

Vinicius provided the lasting image of the Clasico, too, when he shouted at Alonso in frustration after he was removed from the game midway through the second half. He later apologised to the club and his team-mates, but left Alonso's name out of his social media post. The pair's relationship is said to be the driving force behind Vinicius' unwillingness to discuss a new contract, despite his current deal being set to expire in the summer of 2027.

Manchester United now hold an advantage in the race to sign Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand, with the midfielder being targeted as a replacement for Casemiro.

Casemiro has repaid Ruben Amorim’s faith in him with some fantastic performances this season, most recently picking up a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, while also making a number of other important contributions.

Statistic

Number completed

Tackles

3

Interceptions

2

Ground duels (won)

6 (4)

The Brazilian was lauded by Amorim after the match, with the 40-year-old suggesting he should be a role model for the other United players, saying: “I think he gives a lot of experience,

“He’s so important for us. Today he run a lot. He had to press so high and then return, and he’s doing that. So, I’m really pleased with him. And the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”

However, the 33-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire next summer, and the Red Devils are now lining up moves for new midfielders, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson emerging as a target.

A deal for Anderson could be on the expensive side, however, with it being reported Forest could hold out for £120m, and the England international is not the only target on the shortlist…

Man Utd hold advantage in race for Hjulmand

According to a report from Football Insider, Man United hold an advantage in the race for Sporting CP midfielder Hjulmand, given his links with Amorim, with the Portuguese manager signing the Dane from Lecce back in 2023.

The central midfielder has a £70m release clause in his contract, but there is now a feeling he could be available for the cut-price fee of £50m, which will also be welcome news for the Red Devils.

Amorim is known to be a big fan of the 26-year-old, but there may be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also in the race.

With it also being revealed that United don’t plan to trigger the extension clause in Casemiro’s contract, the Sporting star could be brought in as a replacement, and he may be a solid option, having impressed for club and country.

The Denmark international displayed his ball-striking ability with a fantastic goal against England at Euro 2024, and there are signs he could have a positive influence in the Man United dressing room, having been dubbed a “leader” by sporting boss Rui Borges.

It would be a shame to see Casemiro depart, but the 33-year-old is on massive wages, raking in £350k-a-week, so it could make sense to sign a younger midfielder this summer, and Hjulmand, who’s made 12 Champions League appearances, may now be ready to test himself at a top club.

Find out the latest on Man Utd's move for Conor Gallagher Man Utd set to push for "amazing" English signing, £52m bid in the works

The Red Devils have identified a new top target in midfield, and they could make a move in the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025

All three were part of the Road Safety series in India recently

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2021On Saturday, Sachin Tendulkar announced on social media that he has tested positive for Covid-19. The former India batsman and captain added that his symptoms were mild, that no one else in his family had been affected and that he has gone into isolation.