Well, last night was all a bit special wasn’t it? Truth be told, this has been an arduous season for Rangers. Philippe Clement has bit the dust, as have their Premiership title hopes, sitting a whopping 16 points behind the league leaders.

However, let’s forget about domestic action for a moment, shall we? No one wants to talk about that. Instead, let us discuss a truly remarkable night in Europe for the Ibrox side.

Was it the best in their history? Well, it’s surely right up there with that night in Dortmund a few years ago and the sensational win over Leipzig in 2021/22.

Jose Mourinho is a coaching legend but he met his match in the form of a mere novice – Barry Ferguson – on Thursday evening.

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Ferguson, of course, has plentiful experience in the professional game but let’s be honest, his managerial CV is no match for Mourinho. Alas, it was the Scots who roared on in Turkey last night, securing a 3-1 first-leg win in the Europa League.

Rangers' European heroes

Let’s be honest with ourselves, this tie was one that could have gone horrible. Rangers have an interim manager and they’ve shown on so many occasions this term that they’re not good enough.

Yet, when that Europa League theme bellows around the stadium, they seem to come alive.

Indeed, memories of Dortmund, Leipzig and that run to the final under Gio van Bronckhorst just a few years ago came flooding back this week.

It took just six minutes too. The Gers came flying out of the traps when the much-maligned, Cyriel Dessers, one of the biggest scapegoats we’ve seen at Ibrox in recent years, found the back of the net.

88

Minutes played

88

2

Goals

1

2

Shots on target

2

1/2

Successful dribbles

2/5

40

Touches

36

22/30 (73%)

Accurate passes

16/20 (80%)

1/5

Duels won

6/15

Truth be told, this was perhaps the striker’s finest night in the famous blue of Rangers, putting in a performance for the ages. So good it was that Mourinho said he “looked like the best player in the world.”

It wasn’t just the goal that set Dessers’ night apart from his colleagues. He also supplied Cerny’s first strike of the night with a quite brilliant first-time pass. The winger swept the ball into his centre forward in the right channel and he pulled it back with utter precision for Cerny to find the back of the net from close range.

Cerny was also pretty damn good, finding the net twice on a night that cemented his status as the best player at the club.

Still, will he be the best player to don Rangers blue over the last few years? There’s another wide player who’s been causing quite the fuss since leaving Glasgow behind.

Forgotten Rangers loanee now a £120m star in the making

This was a cracking week for British teams in Europe. Liverpool saw off the challenge of PSG, Aston Villa beat Club Brugge, Chelsea defeated FC Copenhagen and Celtic, ah…yes…Celtic no longer have European football.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Yet, on Tuesday evening, PSV Eindhoven were being dispatched, dismantled, put to the sword by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, defeated 7-1 on their own patch.

The former Rangers star has become quite the manager and as it happens, he was coming up against the employers of a former Gers loanee.

He is currently injured but Malik Tillman is the man, a player who has only gone from strength to strength since a loan spell in Scottish football.

The USA international donned Rangers colours during the 2022/23 season and made quite the impression, scoring 12 goals and collecting five assists in 43 outings.

On loan from Bayern at the time, he didn’t extend his time in Scotland, with one report noting that he “really didn’t want to come” back. Well, each to their own.

Instead, Tillman secured a £12m move to PSV in the summer of 2024 after a year on loan in the Netherlands.

Well, now aged 22, it’s safe to say he’s got a bright future in the game, perhaps an even bigger one than Cerny who is in the prime of his career at 27.

Indeed, last term, he set the Eredivisie alight with nine goals and ten assists in just 28 appearances. A captivating talent boasting trickery and pace, it led to a pretty fine appraisal from former Ajax star Kenneth Perez.

That may well be over-egging it a bit but you only have to take a look at the direction a player like Cody Gakpo has gone in since moving away from the Netherlands at a similar age.

Like Tillman, he’s a tricky winger and having moved to Liverpool, he’s now estimated to be worth around €104m according to CIES Football Observatory. That aforementioned £120m certainly isn’t out of the question for a player also compared to a certain Jude Bellingham.

So, how is the young American doing this term? Well, despite currently residing on the treatment table with a leg problem, he has starred again with 11 goals and four assists in all competitions.

Coincidentally, that record is already not far off Cerny’s best seasonal haul of 13 goals and 12 assists during his own days in the Eredivisie where he played for Ajax and FC Utrecht.

95

Games

45

21

Goals

16

22

Assists

11

5,132

Minutes played

2,932

So, while the Gers were never going to be able to prise Tillman away from Bayern Munich on a permanent deal, particularly for a £12m fee, there will surely be some regret that they weren’t able to get him come back.

Had they done so, perhaps Cerny wouldn’t even be playing for Rangers right now. Silver linings and all that.

Ferguson has made 9/10 Rangers ace look like "the best player in the world"

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ByBen Gray Mar 7, 2025

Both Barcelona and Arsenal, who will contest Saturday's Women's Champions League final, have had some of this season's most outstanding performers

This weekend, the European women's football season will come to its climax in Lisbon, as Barcelona and Arsenal meet in the 2024-25 Champions League final. It's not an unexpected final on one side, with this Barca's sixth time in the showpiece event in just seven seasons, but it's who will face the winners of the last two editions of this competition that is a slight surprise, with the Gunners reaching this stage for the first time since their lone triumph in 2007.

There have been plenty and thrills and spills on the route to this point. With Arsenal, it has featured more drama, including the biggest comeback the Women's Champions League has seen in seven years in the quarter-finals, whereas Barca's run has been incredibly commanding, with an 8-2 aggregate win over Chelsea in the semi-finals quite the statement.

However, the European season has not just been about its premier competition. Both Chelsea and Bayern Munich secured domestic trebles, Lyon continued their dominance in France and Juventus returned to the top of the tree in Italy after two tricky seasons, while there were feel-good stories at clubs like Paris FC, who upset Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup final, and Inter, who will play in the Champions League next season for the first time.

So, which individuals have shown through it all? GOAL picks its top 20 players of the 2024-25 European women's campaign…

• Getty Images
  

  20Sofia Cantore (Juventus)

  After some promising runs by both Juventus and Roma in recent years, this season was a tough one in the Champions League for Serie A sides. Juve were, however, at least able to soften the blow of their group-stage exit with a return to the top of the domestic scene. Roma had won back-to-back titles coming in this season, those their first on the women's side, but the previous dominant force has bounced back to clinch a sixth crown, thanks in no small part to the rising talent of Sofia Cantore.

  It's not been easy for Cantore to break into the Juve first team. She has had three loan spells in the last six years, and hasn't particularly set the world alight when kept in Turin, scoring just four goals last season. Her hard work has all paid off this term, though, with the 25-year-old producing 11 goals and six assists in just 20 league starts – many of them decisive.

  That continued in Juve's last game of the season, when Cantore scored the second goal in a 4-0 thrashing of Roma in the Coppa Italia final to help seal a domestic double.

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• Getty Images
  

  19Laura Freigang (Eintracht Frankfurt)

  Many have wondered just when Laura Freigang will leave Eintracht Frankfurt, the club she has represented for the last seven years. Her remarkable goal contributions for a side that isn't among the powerhouses in Germany have seen her linked with every top club on the continent in recent times, be it Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea or Bayern Munich. After hitting double figures for goals again for the sixth time in seven seasons, that's likely to continue.

  But Freigang has long been happy in Frankfurt, leading her to sign a new contract with the club only last summer. She's getting closer to firing them towards something special, too. Her goals played a big role in Eintracht's unexpected title charge this season and, though they did come up short, they will hope she can fire them to an exciting European run next term, after the club secured a top-three finish.

• Getty Images
  

  18Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)

  Real Madrid showed flashes of brilliance in this season, taking a 2-0 lead over Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final and beating Barcelona for the first time in an impressive 3-1 result – in Catalunya, no less. However, they did ultimately come away with not much to show for it again, finishing second in the league and losing the second leg of that European clash with the Gunners 3-0 to crash out on aggregate.

  Still, Madrid have been one of the best teams on the continent this term and they have stars like Linda Caicedo to thank for that. The 20-year-old regularly rises to the big occasion, providing a superb assist to put her team ahead against Barca having also been the one to come closest to ensuring Las Blancas did progress at Arsenal's expense in the Champions League. She ends the season with seven goals and assists in eight UWCL games, having also been directly involved in 11 league goals.

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  17Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich)

  There was a real fear among Bayern Munich fans that they might lose Klara Buhl this summer. The 23-year-old was set to be out of contract in a few weeks' time and there were rumours linking her with top sides, including Barcelona. However, that she has put pen to paper on a new deal in Bavaria will both delight and relieve fans of the German giants, especially after another wonderful season.

  No one registered more assists in the Bundesliga this year than Buhl, whose 13 was some five better than anyone else in the division, while a return of seven goals took her up to 20 direct goal contributions in 22 games. A wickedly talented winger who poses a problem for any full-back, she's been integral in Bayern's incredible domestic success this term.

As he looks to rebuild his side following a campaign to forget, Pep Guardiola now reportedly wants Manchester City to sign a midfield star who put in an almost perfect display against Liverpool.

Man City transfer news

The Citizens have been shock strugglers this season, going from Premier League domination to a side who may well miss out on a top four place in the Premier League this season. There’s been many factors behind their downfall, with injuries playing a large part, but their need for a rebuild cannot be ignored in the face of an ageing squad.

The likes of Kevin de Bruyne are currently approaching the end of their Etihad careers, whilst Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and perhaps even star shot-stopper Ederson don’t look far behind the Belgian midfielder to commence a major overhaul.

The Premier League already received a preview of what could be to come in the January transfer window when Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Juma Bah and Omar Marmoush arrived. Now, with the summer approaching, the Blues look destined to return to the market in pursuit of further reinforcements.

According to reports in Spain, Guardiola now personally wants Manchester City to sign Joao Neves this summer in what would end their midfield woes once and for all. The 20-year-old only joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer in a deal worth a reported £60m from Benfica, but has emerged onto City’s radar nonetheless as they eye an ambitious move.

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If those at the Etihad needed any more convincing over Neves’ quality, then his immaculate display against Liverpool in PSG’s last 16 first leg tie should have put any doubts to bed.

Whilst Harvey Elliott’s late dagger handed Liverpool a vital victory, not many will argue that PSG were unfortunate to end a dominant display on the end of defeat in a game which saw Neves put in an untouchable performance.

"Fantastic" Neves would transform Man City

Neves didn’t come flying out the blocks at PSG, as was the case for Luis Enrique’s side as a whole this season but now at his best, the midfielder has been excellent. Against Liverpool, the 20-year-old won over half of his tackles, made four recoveries and won 80% of his ground duels to silence the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Dubbed “fantastic” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it’s hard to believe that Neves is still just 20 years old and already playing at such an impressive level. Only likely to get even better, the sky is the limit for the PSG star.

The prospect of Neves forming a partnership with Rodri under Guardiola at Manchester City is undeniably a mouth-watering one, but it remains to be seen whether the Citizens will make their move.

Gill and Kishan are set to open for India, as Shaw bides his time and Gaikwad is ruled out of the series with a wrist injury

Hemant Brar26-Jan-20232:30

Wasim Jaffer: ‘New Zealand bowling will be tested’

Big picture: Gaikwad injured, Shaw set to wait his turn
Rohit Sharma has no plans of giving up on T20Is yet. Rahul Dravid is “not aware” if India have any plans of split captaincy; asked about this during a press conference before the third ODI, he asked the reporter to check with the selectors. But for now, this is Hardik Pandya’s team. Since the 2022 T20 World Cup, this will be the third successive T20I series where he will be leading India.Suryakumar Yadav has shown the world what he can do, but the opening combination is one area where India are still searching for answers. Of the four openers they had in their squad, Ruturaj Gaikwad is out of the series with a wrist injury. That leaves Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan and Prithvi Shaw. While Shaw is a compelling option – he is among the quickest-scoring Indian batters in the powerplay – Pandya indicated on the eve of the match that Gill will open; Kishan is a certain starter anyway, given that he’ll also keep wickets.In the fast-bowling department, Umran Malik and Shivam Mavi will have another opportunity to build on their performances against Sri Lanka.Watch LIVE in the UK and USA

You can watch the first T20I between India and New Zealand LIVE on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi in the USA

After being whitewashed in the ODIs, New Zealand will look to bounce back in the T20Is. But once again, they are without Kane Williamson and Tim Southee. Mitchell Santner will take over the captaincy from Tom Latham, who had led in the ODIs. Under Santner, New Zealand have eight wins, one loss and one no-result in ten T20Is. But seven of those wins have come against Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands.Apart from Lockie Ferguson, their pace attack is also thin on experience. Ben Lister and Henry Shipley are uncapped in the format, while Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy have played only 14 and eight T20Is, respectively. The good news for them is that Ish Sodhi is fit, and he has great numbers in India: 16 wickets from ten games and an economy of 6.64.Finn Allen scored ducks in the last two ODIs on this tour•Associated PressForm guide
India WLWTW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand TLLWLIn the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Finn Allen
Shubman Gill has had an excellent start to his ODI career but he is only three games old in T20Is, having made his debut during the Sri Lanka series. He had a good IPL for Gujarat Titans last year; he was the fifth-highest run-getter in the tournament but played more of an anchor’s role, scoring at 132.32. He didn’t have a great time during the Sri Lanka series, and usually takes his time to cut loose. For now, he has the backing of the team management but Shaw will be hot on his heels, especially if he slips up.Related

NZ look up to left-arm 'trickster' Ben Lister to fill Trent Boult-sized hole

Suryakumar Yadav – in a league of his own in T20Is

Finn Allen kept Martin Guptill on the bench for the entirety of the 2022 T20 World Cup. He even set the stage alight by smashing 42 off just 16 balls in the tournament-opener. But since then, his returns have plummeted: 56 runs in six T20Is, at an average of 9.33 and a strike rate of 136.58. In the last two ODIs on this tour, he made two ducks. Can he turn his form around?Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal could be fighting for the same spot•BCCITeam news: Lister in line for debut
Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal could be fighting for the same spot in India’s spin attack.India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shivam Mavi, 9 Umran Malik, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra ChahalWith Southee and Trent Boult not part of the squad, Ben Lister could be in line for a debut. According to Devon Conway, the left-arm seamer does “different tricks with the ball”.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt), 8 Blair Tickner, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Ben Lister, 11 Lockie FergusonPitch and conditions: Win the toss and bowl
Ranchi is a bowl-first venue, with chasing teams winning 16 of the 25 T20 games hosted here. With dew expected to play a big role in the second innings, captains should have no hesitation in opting to bowl after winning the toss, unless they want to challenge their bowlers. It should be a cool evening, with the temperature hovering around 15°C.Stats and trivia: Santner the allrounder
India have won all three T20Is played in Ranchi so far, including one against New Zealand in November 2021. The year 2022 was Santner’s best in T20Is with both bat and ball. In 18 matches, he scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 143.01, and picked up 23 wickets at an economy rate of 6.63. In six T20Is, Malik has picked up nine wickets, but he has an economy rate of 10.90.

Another day, another last-over thriller. This one, though, wasn’t as topsy-turvy as a few of the earlier games in IPL 2023. But, it still required the ice man Rahul Tewatia’s services. With four needed off the last two balls, Tewatia calmly scooped Sam Curran, who was bowling really well, over fine leg and ensured Gujarat Titans beat Punjab Kings by six wickets.For the longest time, the chase seemed a straightforward one. Having restricted Kings to 153 for 8 with an all-round show from the bowlers on a decent Mohali surface, Titans were cruising, led by a classy 49-ball 67 from Shubman Gill.

Hardik fined for Titans’ slow over-rate

Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during the match against Punjab Kings in Mohali. As it was Titans’ first offence of the season, Hardik was fined INR 12 lakh under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences.

But with 13 needed off 12, Arshdeep Singh bowled a nerveless penultimate over going for just six. Curran then cleaned up Gill second ball of the final one before bowling an inch-perfect yorker which almost resulted in David Miller’s run-out. Through it all though, Tewatia just held his cool, like he normally does, and came out a winner.

Kings’ batting plans go awry

After Kings were sent in to bat, Prabhsimran Singh bagged his second successive duck, meekly clipping an innocuous Mohamad Shami back-of-a-length ball to short midwicket. Shikhar Dhawan, the star of Kings’ batting unit, then skied Josh Little to mid-on, falling for 8. Matthew Short, however, looked impressive from the start. He got going with two crisp fours. Kings raced to 52 for 2 in the powerplay, but once Short fell to a Rashid Khan googly, the innings unravelled.Bhanuka Rajapaksa managed 20 off 26 balls, Jitesh Sharma 25 off 23, while Curran scored a run-a-ball 22. The dot balls hurt Kings the most. Even in the powerplay where they went big, there were 20 balls which the batters failed to score off, while in the middle overs – 7 to 16 – there were 28 dot balls. In contrast, Titans faced only 12 dot balls in the first six overs and 18 dots in the middle phase.Shahrukh Khan, coming in at No. 7, smashed a 9-ball 22 to get Kings over the 150-mark, but it was never going to be enough.Rahul Tewatia paddles for the win•BCCI

Mohit turns back the clock

It hasn’t been the smoothest of sails for Mohit Sharma. He started quite well in the IPL and was the purple cap winner in 2014, even making it to the national side. But his fortunes dipped soon after. Before this game, Mohit last played in the IPL in 2020 – a solitary game for Delhi Capitals. He was a net bowler for Titans last year, his work prompting the franchise to bid for him in 2023. And he repaid the faith with a sterling debut. Mohit bowled overs 11, 13, 15 and 19, conceded 18 runs and picked up two key wickets. The variations were back, and most importantly his control over them, something that had been missing over the last few years.

Gill lights up the chase

Titans’ chase got off to a perfect start courtesy Gill and Wriddhiman Saha. Gill was up and away with a lovely cover drive off Arshdeep before clipping Kagiso Rabada through mid-on. Saha got his boundary counter running with a stylish cover drive off Rabada before he laid into Arshdeep, creaming him for four fours in the third over as Titans raced to 36 for 0 after three overs. While Rabada did claim Saha’s wicket – his 100th in the IPL – Titans scored 56 runs in the powerplay. Kings needed to be better with the new ball, especially given they were defending only 153.Sai Sudharsan and Gill then added 41 runs for the second wicket off 40 balls, with both players concentrating more on singles than boundaries. Hardik Pandya came and went before a lofted four over extra cover helped Gill reach his second fifty of this IPL.The opener continued to go hard, an 81 metre six off Rabada standing out. He added a 42-run stand with Miller off 30 balls, but his dismissal in the final over threw the game open… at least until Tewatia slammed it shut.

Impact Player Strategy

Titans did not use their impact player, while Kings brought in Rahul Chahar in place of Rajapaksa at the end of their first innings. Chahar failed to make much of an impact, going for 24 runs in his three overs and failing to pick a wicket.

تحدث أحمد الشيخ، لاعب الأهلي والإسماعيلي السابق،عن مواجهة الأحمر ضد إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، مؤكداً تواجده لمشاهدة المباراة القادمة أمام بالميراس.

وكان الأهلي قد تعادل سلبيًا مع إنتر ميامي فجر أمس الأحد، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات.

وقال أحمد الشيخ في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “أنا أفتخر أنني في يوم في من الأيام لعب للنادي الأهلي، وجود الأحمر في كأس العالم للأندية شيء مشرف جدًا وسعيد وفخور بذلك”.

طالع أيضاً.. لاعب بورتو بعد التعادل مع بالميراس: الأهلي وإنتر ميامي خصمان قويان.. والمجموعة مشتعلة

وتابع: “كنت أرى أن المباراة ستكون سهلة لأنني متابع جيد لميسي وكنت أشاهد معظم مباريات إنتر ميامي، شعرت أن اللاعبين لن تتوقع أن المباراة ستكون سهلة، لكن في النهاية حصلنا على نقطة ليست سيئة”.

وأوضح: “بنسبة كبيرة سأكون متواجدًا في مباراة الأهلي وبالميراس البرازيلي، وستكون أصعب من مواجهة إنتر ميامي، يجب على الأهلي أن يستعد لها بشكل جيد جدًا وأتمنى أن يكون موفقًا”.

وبشأن إهدار تريزيجيه لضربة الجزاء، أتم قائلاً: “كل لاعبي العالم تعرضوا لهذا الموقف، كان ممكن أن يسجل تريزيجيه ضربة الجزاء، ولكن يوجد ترتيب في تسديد ضربات الجزاء ويجب على اللاعبين أن تحترم ذلك، تريزيجيه لاعب كبير ولعب في أعلى المستويات ويعلم أن ما فعله خطأ، وعلمت أنه اعتذر”.

Ahead of the summer transfer window, Carlos Ancelotti has reportedly set his sights on bringing an impressive Everton star to Real Madrid in what would deal David Moyes a frustrating blow.

Everton transfer news

Moyes has so far picked up where he left off at Everton over a decade ago, even giving Goodison Park a final Merseyside derby to remember courtesy of James Tarkowski’s stunning last-minute equaliser. It’s the type of moment that he will hope to witness at the new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium which recently hosted its first test event – an academy fixture between Everton and Wigan Athletic.

Meanwhile, back at Goodison Park the senior side are preparing to welcome a struggling Manchester United side in the hope of making it five games without defeat in the Premier League.

Victory would also see the Toffees move four points clear of the Red Devils – representing just how much Moyes’ arrival has turned things around for those in Merseyside. That success is not going unnoticed, however, and one particular player is now reportedly attracting quite the attention.

According to The Mirror, Ancelotti now personally wants Real Madrid to sign Jarrad Branthwaite, who could be allowed to leave Everton for the right price this summer despite watching on as Manchester United’s bids were rejected in pursuit of his signature last year.

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Worth £75m in the eyes of the Merseyside club last season, it remains to be seen if that valuation will stick one year on. After a difficult start to the campaign, Branthwaite has burst back into life under Moyes and back into the headlines on the transfer front.

Still just 22 years old, the central defender could yet reunite with the man who handed him his Everton debut if Real Madrid come calling this summer.

"Excellent" Branthwaite could have decision to make

Just like last summer, Branthwaite could have the ultimate decision to make when the transfer window swings open. Except this time, it’s Real Madrid knocking and not a fragile Manchester United side. Whether the defender swings the door open this time around remains to be seen, but the La Liga giants are rarely turned down.

Moyes, just as Sean Dyche was, will be keen to keep hold of the future of Everton’s backline who has been back to his best as of late. Dubbed “excellent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Branthwaite is back on the rise.

As the summer approaches and Everton prepare to say goodbye to Goodison Park, they’ll be hoping to avoid the added farewell of star defender Branthwaite, who has already stepped up under Moyes.

Phil Foden has been left out of the latest England squad, with it being suggested that Thomas Tuchel has "finally seen the light".

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Foden out of England squadMan City star asked to be omitted for fitness reasonsTuchel has supposedly 'seen the light'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Manchester City playmaker has struggled for form and fitness in the 2024-25 campaign, with the 24-year-old admitting that he "needs a few weeks off" in order to restore the physical conditioning that allows him to perform at his best.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Foden has been granted rest at the end of the domestic season and ahead of FIFA Club World Cup duty with City. That is because England boss Tuchel has called upon other creative influences for upcoming fixtures against Andorra and Senegal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Foden has registered 10 goals and three assists for City this season, but those numbers are well down on last term – when he found the target on 27 occasions across all competitions. Some fans are pleased to see the six-time Premier League title winner overlooked by the Three Lions.

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Getty Images SportWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Reacting to news of England’s latest selection, @adeogunyale said: "Finally seen the light about that Foden fraud." @TC7123 added: "Bold move not picking Foden, shows that nobody is gonna be undroppable under Tuchel. Would've had Bowen in there personally but overall its a decent squad." @_joebray said: "No Foden in England squad after he asked for a rest to ease the pressure on his injured ankle. No place for Lewis, Stones or Grealish either, so Kyle Walker the only #mcfc representative. No United players either, so it's an England squad without any Manchester-based players."

Seamer tells ESPNcricinfo that all four deliveries were “yorkers, because that’s a delivery I practise a lot” 

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2023

Henriette Ishimwe picked up four wickets in four balls to hasten Zimbabwe’s end•ICC via Getty Images

Rwanda have registered a historic first victory at a cricket World Cup after their under-19 team beat Zimbabwe by 39 runs in their second group match.Rwanda’s top three scored the bulk of their 119 runs with none of the other batters getting into double-figures, but they defended their total fiercely. They had Zimbabwe 80 for 5 before capping victory with five wickets in six balls including four in four balls by seamer Henriette Ishimwe. Her hat-trick is the second at this tournament after South Africa’s Madison Landsman took the competition’s first against Scotland on Monday.The Zimbabwean collapse started with a run-out in the 17th over, when victory already seemed to be evading their grasp. They needed 39 runs off 14 balls when Adel Zimunu was run-out by Rwanda captain Giselle Ishimwe.Related

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Henriette – no relation – then stepped up to bowl the 19th over. She bowled Kudzai Chigora, had Olinder Chare given out lbw and then removed both Chipo Moyo and Faith Ndlalambi’s stumps to seal victory with eight balls remaining. She told ESPNcricinfo that all four deliveries were “yorkers, because that’s a delivery I practise a lot.”Her performance in this match built on her form leading into the tournament. Henriette also took 2 for 19 in Rwanda’s one-run win over Ireland in the warm-up matches, and has been capped 44 times for the senior side as well.Rwanda’s victory may come as bittersweet for their coach Leonard Nhamburo, who is Zimbabwean and was previously involved with their senior women’s side, as an assistant coach and interim head coach. Nhamburo is experienced on the continent and has also coached the Namibian national women’s team before moving to Rwanda in 2021.

This is Washington’s third straight injury-interrupted season in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2023Washington Sundar, the Sunrisers Hyderabad allrounder, will play no further part in the ongoing IPL season due to a hamstring injury, the franchise confirmed on Thursday.Washington played seven matches for Sunrisers this season, scoring 60 runs from five innings and taking three wickets overall, with his team currently in ninth place on the table.This is Washington’s third straight injury-interrupted season in the IPL. In 2021, Washington was ruled out of the UAE leg of the tournament due to a finger injury, after he had picked up three wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first half of the season.Washington’s luck wouldn’t get any better, as he was then forced to miss the ODI leg of India’s tour of South Africa in January 2022 after testing positive for Covid-19, while a hamstring injury kept him out of the three-match T20I series at home against West Indies.During IPL 2022, Washington, having been signed by Sunrisers, missed four games due to a split webbing in his bowling hand. Last August, Washington injured his left shoulder while fielding for Lancashire during a county stint, and subsequently was ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.

INJURY UPDATE

Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the IPL 2023 due to a hamstring injury.

Speedy recovery, Washi pic.twitter.com/P82b0d2uY3

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 27, 2023