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The five T20Is were the only home series for the South Africa men’s team this summer

Firdose Moonda24-Sep-2025South Africa may be forced to shorten their only men’s international home series this summer – against West Indies – for both teams to get to the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka on time. South Africa are scheduled to host West Indies for five T20Is between January 27 and February 6, but as reported by ESPNcricinfo last week, the T20 World Cup is set to be played between February 7 and March 8.On August 28, the ICC sent participating teams a Member Information Pack, with information regarding warm-up matches. The document, seen by ESPNcricinfo, states that the ICC’s support period – the time in which teams are expected to arrive in the host countries and play non-obligatory warm-up games – starts on January 31. That has moved up from February 3, while CSA had drawn up their home fixtures with the understanding that South Africa would have enough time to travel to the T20 World Cup.It is not mandatory for countries to spend the entire support period in the host venue, but the ICC asked participating countries to list by September 5 how many warm-up matches they want to play, with options ranging between none to a maximum of two. Only if a country opts for two matches, will the support period become one week prior to the tournament opener. CSA are currently in discussions with CWI to see when West Indies want to arrive in the subcontinent and how many matches they want to play there. If teams opt for no warm-up games, the mandatory support period is four days prior to the first match on February 7. If a team opts for one warm-up then the support period will five to six days prior to the tournament opener.The warm-up information is significant only because it allows the ICC to confirm an arrival date for each team.Even if West Indies do not want to play any T20 World Cup warm-up matches, CSA will still have to cull at least two of the five T20Is; the last two games are on February 3 and 6. The fixtures cannot be played any earlier with the SA20 ending on January 25. CSA is currently deciding which venues should host the matches against West Indies – at present, the venues are likely to be Paarl, Newlands, Buffalo Park in East London, Centurion and Johannesburg.

CSA always planned on having a less-crowded summer this year to prepare their venues for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Currently, drop-in pitches are in development around the country

England and Sri Lanka narrowly escape this problem; their three-T20I series in Sri Lanka will be played between January 30 and February 3. They also have the benefit of being in one of the host nations at the time.South Africa do not have any other men’s international fixtures at home this season, in part because their all-format tour of India ends on December 19, which left no space for matches before the original window of the SA20 in the first week of January. The SA20 has now been moved into the festive period and will start on December 26.However, the league is not the only reason for the lack of men’s international fixtures. CSA always planned on having a less-crowded summer this year to prepare their venues for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Currently, drop-in pitches are in development around the country. Next season, South Africa play ten home Tests (eight men’s and two women’s), including three-match series against Australia and England.

It’s safe to say it has been a topsy-turvy few weeks for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

A few weeks ago, the Gunners had played out an unbeaten week against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Well, it would appear that the intense period has rather taken it out of them. The Gunners did beat Brentford but a defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, their first loss in 18 games, has raised questions.

Arteta’s squad may be full of depth but any team would struggle with the number of injuries they have suffered this season.

Sadly, that trend is only continuing ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

The latest injury news from Arsenal

Arsenal headed to Villa Park last weekend without a number of key players. Kai Havertz was absent once again, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were both unfit to play.

Arteta stressed over a week ago that Saliba’s injury was only a ‘matter of days’ but he is still missing from the squad ahead of Arsenal’s encounter with Brugge in midweek.

Given the club’s defensive frailties against Villa a few days ago, another missed match for Saliba is a hefty blow. Arsenal need to return to form and without their two defensive warriors, they are struggling.

Also missing from the squad to face Brugge will be Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has been one of Arsenal’s key men this term, scoring six goals and supplying five assists in 17 matches. It’s a huge blow, really. He’s been a clutch player for a long time but he’s been in the form of his life throughout 2025/26. Dare we say it, he may well be the club’s most important forward right now.

The Belgian returned to the squad following a small injury against Villa and did score, although he has now suffered another setback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “Obviously when you are missing players, you are loading other players and there is a consequence to that, and it’s a really dangerous circle.

“You have to separate the kind of injuries. Some of them have been long-term, and some have been acute injuries. It’s something that we are constantly looking at. We have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing and that puts a lot of stress, and then you get more injuries.”

While setbacks for Trossard and Saliba are key blows, it’s also disappointing that Max Dowman has picked up a longer-term problem. The teenager was likely set to feature in the remaining league games of the Champions League but is unlikely to be seen again in 2025.

Most injuries in the PL this season

Club

# of injuries

1. Leeds

28

2. Arsenal

26

2= Aston Villa

26

4. Crystal Palace

25

5. Chelsea

23

Commenting on that blow, the manager stated, “When you play in the position that he plays, when you play the manner that he plays, it was going to happen, and it has happened.

“It’s not ideal. He picked up weeks, it could have been worse, and we learn from that and now use this time to continue to improve in his education, in everything that is related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality as well and the understanding of the game.”

That blow has, at least, allowed the club to replace Dowman with Gabriel Jesus in their Champions League squad. He could be in line to feature for the first time in nearly a year following an ACL injury.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brugge

With Saliba, Gabriel and summer signing Cristian Mosquera all missing through injury, the backline likely picks itself with Ben White featuring at right-back alongside a centre-back pairing of Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie.

Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal’s clash with Wolves at the weekend and thus, Arteta may use this as an opportunity to get minutes into the legs of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

In midfield, Declan Rice will be missing with illness. Martin Zubimendi is also due a rest, meaning we could see a midfield three of Christian Norgaard, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze.

In the forward line, Viktor Gyokeres could start for the first time since returning from injury, playing ahead of Mikel Merino. He is likely to be flanked by Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli with Bukayo Saka handed a rest. Expect to see him feature from the bench.

Ethan Nwaneri and Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to be in contention for rare starts but it feels more likely that they will be among the subs again.

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Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso has been touted to make a shock move back to his former club Rangers, where he played for a single but memorable season as a player. The 47-year-old has been manager of the Italian national side since June 2025 and is hoping to lead the Azzurri to the World Cup when they take part in March's play-offs. Rangers recently appointed Danny Rohl as their new boss, following the sacking of Russell Martin.

• Gattuso told to take over as Rangers manager in future

  While neither Gattuso nor Rohl look set to leave their managerial posts at present, a future opportunity for the iconic former defensive midfielder to take over at Ibrox might arrive in the future. This was claimed by Kyle Lafferty, who played under Gattuso at Palermo and was previously his team-mate at FC Sion.

  Lafferty has called for the “great man” to take over at Rangers in the future, as reported by Sport Witness in citing an interview with I Love Palermo Calcio in Italy.

  Gattuso has made his first foray into international management, following spells with nine club sides, including, most notably, AC Milan and Napoli.

  He previously played for the Gers for a single season as a 19-year-old in 1997/98.   

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Gattuso aiming to reach 2026 World Cup with Italy

  Gattuso has had a solid start to his time in charge of Italy thus far, winning five matches from six, but this was not enough to topple the imperious, Erling Haaland-inspired Norway in their group as they fell to a disappointing 4-1 defeat to the Norwegians in their decisive encounter. Italy will face Northern Ireland in their play-off semi-final on 26 March 2026, ahead of a final against one of Wales or Bosnia & Herzegovina if they get through.

  The former midfielder will no doubt see his managerial stocks rise if he can guide Italy to the finals, a tournament in which they have not competed since crashing out of the group stage at Brazil 2014. In fact, the Azzurri have not made the knock-out stages since they won the tournament with Gattuso in the side back in 2006.

  Should a return to club football be in the offing in the future, Ibrox could be a possible destination for Gattuso, following previous links when the job was vacant in the past. 

• 'One day' – Lafferty calls for Gattuso to become Rangers manager

  “I’m very happy he’s leading the Italian national team because I have great respect for him,” former Northern Irish international Lafferty said.

  “He’s a great professional as well as a great man. Given his past at Glasgow Rangers, I hope to see him lead them one day. I’m convinced the relationship between him and the Scottish club would be excellent.” 

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  Gattuso spoke of 'dream' after becoming Italy boss

  Gattuso expressed his strong desire to lead Italy back to the World Cup finals after he replaced former boss Luciano Spalletti in the summer.

  “This is a dream come true. I hope I’m up to the task,” Gattuso told his press conference. “I know it’s not going to be easy, but that’s often the case in life. My staff and I are aware that a lot of work lies ahead, but we are confident that we can achieve something truly great.

  “There’s work to be done. Meeting players, talking to them, getting into their heads. I’ve been hearing for years that there’s no talent, but I believe the players are there. We need to put them in the right conditions to perform at their best. The goal is to go back to the World Cup. It’s fundamental for us and Italian football. 

  “We need to rediscover enthusiasm and stop thinking negatively. When players come to Coverciano, they should do so with excitement.

  “Creating a family is the most important thing. Beyond tactics and technique, we need to rebuild that group spirit that has defined us for so many years. We have important players; four or five in this group are among the top ten in the world in their roles.

  “I’ll repeat it. It’s about the team, not individuals. I’m convinced this squad has values and can achieve its goal. When [Gianluigi] Buffon and [Gabriele] Gravina called me, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I believe we have what it takes to succeed.  

  “Missing two editions of the World Cup in a row isn’t easy to swallow. That’s why we must rediscover enthusiasm; fear leads nowhere.”

The visitors are 0-1 down and will want to show their versatility playing in early-seaon, seam-friendly Australian conditions

Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Nov-2025Big picture: India will want to show their versatilityRelax, India. Your most relentless tormentor has left the building. Josh Hazlewood, perhaps the most influential player on either side during the ODI series and the first two T20Is, has turned his attention to preparing for the Ashes.Australia are 1-0 up with three games to go, but they suddenly don’t look like the same bowling team anymore.They will, however, welcome back Glenn Maxwell, who joins the T20I squad after recovering from the fractured wrist that has kept him out of action since mid-September. His return brings a new dimension to Australia’s line-up, particularly with the bat, and particularly against India’s spinners.It’s hard to say how much learning either of these teams can take from this series with the T20 World Cup in February-March in mind. That tournament will be played in India and Sri Lanka; conditions will be entirely different to those we’ve seen in the early part of this Australian summer, with levels of seam movement and bounce that are seldom to be found anywhere in the world in white-ball cricket.For all that, though, India want to be an all-weather T20 team; on the evidence of the second T20I on Friday, there are still gaps to plug, with bat as well as ball. There were times at the MCG where they looked, both on paper and in the field, like an XI assembled with Asian conditions in mind.Over the next three matches, India will want to show they have the versatility to win consistently even in these conditions — no matter how similar or dissimilar they may be to what they get at the World Cup.Form guideAustralia WWWWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India LWWWWSanju Samson has been trying to adapt to an unfamiliar role, batting down the order•Associated PressIn the spotlight: Maxwell and SamsonThe last time he played for Australia, Glenn Maxwell won them a T20I against South Africa in a manner only he and a handful of others can, from 122 for 6 in a chase of 173. That, though, was his first half-century in 11 T20I innings. That’s what you get from a player of Maxwell’s high-wire game. His T20 numbers against India’s wristspinners show a similar boom-or-bust tendency: a strike rate of 165.30 against Kuldeep Yadav, but also five dismissals in 49 balls, and a strike rate of 151.51 against Varun Chakravarthy while being dismissed five times in 33 balls. Whatever happens in this contest, you can be sure it will entertain. Maxwell will have a role to play with the ball too, possibly even with the new ball against Abhishek Sharma, even if teams are quickly finding out that a number of left-hand batters, Abhishek among them, are getting increasingly adept at taking offspin apart.Sanju Samson has been trying to adapt to an unfamiliar role at No. 5 or 6 in India’s T20I line-up ever since Shubman Gill’s return squeezed him out of the opening slot. He got the opportunity at the MCG to bat in the more familiar environs of No. 3, but his innings was shortlived, undone by a Nathan Ellis in-ducker that exploited his tendency to hang back and get stuck on the crease even against fullish lengths. If India have continued to back him ahead of Jitesh Sharma, it’s partly because of his strong record against pace. Samson has certainly got the attacking game when he’s in; he will, however, have to bat on pitches where sometimes he’ll have to survive one or two overs before he gets to unleash.Team news: Will India bring in pace-bowling support?Who replaces Hazlewood in Australia’s attack? Sean Abbott, who will himself leave the squad after the third T20I, seems the likeliest candidate, although Australia could potentially throw a surprise at India by handing the West Australian tearaway Mahli Beardman (who has, along with Maxwell, joined the squad) an international debut. Maxwell, who has recovered from his wrist fracture, will likely replace either Mitchell Owen or Matthew Short in the middle order.Australia (probable): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Owen/Matthew Short, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Sean Abbott/Mahli Beardman, 11 Matt Kuhnemann.Mahli Beardman was an Under-19 World Cup winner in 2024•Gallo ImagesIndia tend not to make too many changes to their T20I XI when series are still alive, but they might be having discussions around the balance of their team after how Friday’s game went. Do they view Shivam Dube as a viable bowling option in these conditions, and if not, could a specialist finisher in Rinku Singh, a batter with more pace-hitting pedigree, serve them better? And are two frontline seamers enough on these early-season Australian pitches, with or without Dube chipping in with a few overs?India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Axar Patel, 7 Shivam Dube/Rinku Singh, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.Pitch and conditions: Early season, lower totalsHobart can produce high-scoring games as well as low-scoring games, as its last two T20Is suggest. In February 2024, Australia beat West Indies in a match where both teams passed 200. Then, in November, Australia bowled Pakistan out for 117 and romped to victory in 11.2 overs.The timing of those matches may have had something to do with how they panned out. Four T20Is played in Hobart in January and February have produced an average first-innings total of 190, while nine completed T20Is in October and November have produced an average first-innings total of 148. Could these lower totals be down to early-summer juice in the pitches? Or do they just reflect the quality of the teams that batted in those games? Or is it all just randomness? And will it have any bearing on Sunday?A mostly clear day is expected, with evening temperatures cooling from the mid 20s to the low 20s.Stats and trivia: Samson, Tilak, Abhishek and David near 1000 T20I runs Sanju Samson needs five runs to become the 12th India batter with 1000 T20I runs. Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma, who have played 31 and 25 T20I innings to Samson’s 43, need 38 and 64 runs to get there respectively. Tim David is 50 runs away from the same landmark Glenn Maxwell is one wicket away from 50 in T20Is, and Marcus Stoinis is three wickets away (). Jasprit Bumrah is two wickets away from 100 in T20Is. Arshdeep Singh (101) is the only India bowler to have got to that mark so far. India have a positive win-loss record against all T20I oppositions. Against Australia so far, they’ve won 20 and lost 12. India have never played a T20I in Hobart.

Liverpool are now reportedly racing Real Madrid to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in 2026 amid comparisons with France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

After spending over £400m in the summer, the Reds have set their sights on further arrivals to solve the glaring problems in Arne Slot’s squad. The Premier League champions find themselves in an unprecedented position, having lost six of their last seven games in all competitions.

They must find a solution against Aston Villa this weekend and their manager expects them to do exactly that back in front of their home fans in the league.

The Dutchman did, however, confirm that Liverpool are likely to be without record signing Alexander Isak and midfielder Curtis Jones just as Ryan Gravenberch works towards making a return.

No one expected Liverpool to find themselves in this position after spending big in the summer, but it’s now something that Slot must use to prove his worth.

The Premier League crown has slipped and for the first time, he is under increasing pressure. That said, it would be incredibly out of character for Michael Edwards to make any immediate decisions and last year’s title has certainly bought Slot plenty of time to turn things around.

What could change instead is the personnel on the pitch. Despite spending big in the summer, Liverpool could yet welcome further reinforcements in 2026 after Slot complained about squad depth in midweek.

This could finally see Marc Guehi arrive as well as teenage sensation Bouaddi in what would be two excellent moves.

Liverpool learn placement in Bouaddi race

According to reporter Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are now battling Real Madrid to sign Boauddi from Lille, who are readying themselves for the inevitable sale of their 18-year-old star.

Compared to Camavinga by Football Transfers, Bouaddi has become the most “talked-about player in Europe”, according to Bailey, and it’s now Liverpool who are “most interested” alongside Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Liverpool have been left burned by Real Madrid in past transfer windows, so they should be desperate to avoid a repeat and land one of Europe’s most promising stars.

Every Liverpool game that Jeremie Frimpong will now miss after latest injury

More bad news for the Reds

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 31, 2025

Their midfield is far from set these days, either. Alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Gravenberch, there has been a missing piece as of late that Bouaddi could provide for years to come.

Forget Endo: Liverpool star is looking like Fabinho in his final season

India’s T20I captain has not been in good form in T20 internationals this year

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has been named in Mumbai’s squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starting on November 26. Allrounder Shardul Thakur will lead the 17-member squad, which also includes Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Ajinkya Rahane and Ayush Mhatre.Suryakumar’s inclusion in Mumbai’s T20 side comes ahead of India’s T20I series against South Africa from December 9. Despite a prolific IPL for Mumbai Indians – 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.91 this season – he hasn’t been among the runs in international cricket, scoring only 184 runs in 15 innings in 2025 at an average of 15.33 and strike rate of 127.77.India play ten T20Is at home – five each against South Africa and New Zealand – ahead of a T20 World Cup they will be co-hosting with Sri Lanka in February and March 2026.Related

• Varun named Tamil Nadu captain for Mushtaq Ali Trophy

• 'Rocket Raheja' prepares for IPL and Ranji lift-off

Like Suryakumar, Dube will also be looking for match practice. He has batted in only six out of 11 T20Is across the Asia Cup and the series in Australia, scoring 76 runs off 60 balls in those games.Mumbai are the defending champions of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, having beaten Madhya Pradesh in the final in 2024-25. This season, they start their campaign against Railways in Lucknow.

Mumbai squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26

Shardul Thakur (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Sairaj Patil, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Atharva Ankolekar, Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Tushar Deshpande, Irfan Umair and Hardik Tamore (wk)

Max Cleworth emerged as the saviour for Wrexham as the defender grabbed a dramatic late equaliser to maintain an unbeaten run for Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side in the Championship. The hosts fell behind through an early goal from former Barcelona star Eidur Gudjohnsen's son, Andri, and it was only in the final minute of stoppage time that Cleworth found the equaliser to salvage a point for the hosts.

Cleworth to the rescue for Wrexham

Wrexham began the afternoon with confidence and control, stroking the ball around with composure and keeping Blackburn penned in for much of the first 10 minutes. But that early promise counted for little as the visitors struck with their very first meaningful attack to take a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. A quick move down the right opened Wrexham up. Ryoya Morishita found space to thread a pass into Ryan Alebiosu, who had been given far too much room to measure his delivery. The winger floated a teasing cross into the box, where Gudjohnsen rose above his marker to guide a looping header beyond Arthur Okonkwo. The goal stunned the home crowd after what had been a positive Wrexham start. Blackburn almost doubled their advantage moments later when Alebiosu again surged forward. His clipped cross found Yuki Ohashi arriving at the back post, but the Japanese forward miscued his volley badly and dragged it wide.

Despite falling behind, Wrexham recovered their structure and continued to probe. Their best moment of the half came from a move down the right when Ryan Longman sent in a precise delivery toward the far post. Captain James McClean met it cleanly with a firm header, only to crash it into the side-netting. But aside from that scare, Blackburn defended with discipline, shutting down space in midfield and forcing Wrexham to play in front of them rather than through them. As the interval approached, the visitors increasingly slowed the tempo, happy to protect their single-goal advantage. By half-time, Phil Parkinson’s men were left frustrated, trailing 1-0 and struggling to turn possession into genuine chances.

The second half began with Blackburn carrying the greater threat. Wrexham’s attempt to build momentum was abruptly interrupted at 57 minutes when a loose pass was intercepted high up the pitch. Ohashi darted into the penalty area, chopped onto his right foot, and forced Okonkwo into a strong save at his near post. Gudjohnsen, sniffing his second of the afternoon, pounced on the rebound but blazed over from close range. It was a massive let-off that kept Wrexham alive. Sensing the game slipping away, Parkinson made a bold triple substitution just before the hour mark. Josh Windass, George Dobson and Callum Doyle were all introduced in place of Lewis O’Brien, Ben Sheaf and Dan Scarr. However, the substitutes struggled to make an impact, and instead Makhtar Gueye could have scored the insurance goal for Blackburn after his cross took a wicked deflection and almost trickled into the near post. 

In the final quarter, the hosts, backed by a roaring home crowd, found a spring in their step. Blackburn were living dangerously, and Kiefer Moore, who had been an anonymous figure for most of the afternoon, came close to equalising in the 84th minute. The referee added five minutes, and from a set-piece, Wrexham finally found the leveller in the 95th minute. Dobson delivered a teasing cross into the box, which was headed back into the danger zone by Moore. The loose ball fell kindly for Broadhead, who unleashed a powerful volley towards goal. The shot took a deflection off Cleworth and nestled into the net to bring down the roof at the Racecourse. Following the draw, Wrexham climbed to the ninth spot with 26 points from 18 matches and will be back in action against Preston on December 6.

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Although Cleworth's goal helped secure a point for Wrexham, it was a fortuitous effort that went in. On the other hand, Gudjohnsen's finish was a typical poacher's goal. He timed his run to perfection, crept behind his marker, and had little trouble putting his header into the back of the net. 

The big loser

Makhtar Gueye was introduced as a substitute in place of goalscorer Gudjohnsen in the 70th minute. He had a golden opportunity to double his team's lead, within a minute after coming on, but his attempt found the wrong side of the net. To make matters worse, he was on the goal line in the dying seconds but was a fraction late to react to Cleworth's deflection, and could only watch as the ball rolled across the line. An unlucky 20 minutes for the Senegalese!

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Paul Scholes has shared details on how Manchester United have treated club legends at Old Trafford in what he described as a “very different” club under INEOS.

The Old Trafford legend retired in 2013 and has since watched on as both a pundit and fan as the Red Devils continue to struggle. Whilst his generation stole headline after headline by winning Premier League title after Premier League title, current stars are simply hoping to take United back into the top four.

Mbeumo upgrade: INEOS want to sign "best player in the world" for Man Utd

Manchester United could be about to target another elite-level talent for Ruben Amorim in the months ahead.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 25, 2025

There’s no doubt that Ruben Amorim would love to have a player of Scholes’ calibre these days. Where there was a big occasion, there was so often a big moment from the legendary midfielder.

Legends don’t get much bigger than Scholes at Old Trafford, but as Nicky Butt revealed, the Red Devils haven’t always treated their former players well in recent years.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Butt revealed: “I’ve had an email saying ‘you’re having your ticket taken off you’. So I rang them up and said can I speak to somebody about this please? And they go ‘who am I speaking to please?’, and I go Nicky Butt and they go, ‘OK, well who’s that?’”

It’s not the first time that Man United have cut former players off, either. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS reportedly cut an annual £40,000 charity donation to the Association of Former Manchester United Players last December in a controversial decision.

INEOS then went and spent over £120m on reinforcements in the summer transfer window to add insult to injury for those former players.

Now, Scholes has shared a problem that he’s had with the club to follow on from Butt’s admission and INEOS’ decision to end United’s charity donation.

Scholes shares disappointment at "very different" Man Utd

Also speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes admitted that he has to use ticket touts for some Man United games after running out of season tickets to use.

Some would argue that the midfielder’s goal against Barcelona should have been enough to ensure free entry for life, let alone his 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League wins, but his struggles beg a greater question.

If a club legend is struggling to attend games, then how much are the fans struggling? The last thing that INEOS need is to potentially shut their own fans out, and that includes the likes of Scholes and Butt.

Man Utd surge into race against Liverpool and Arsenal to sign £123m superstar

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza repudiou as acusações do dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor, em nota oficial divulgada na madrugada desta terça-feira (2). Na noite de segunda-feira (1º), o bilionário afirmou, por meio de publicações em seu site, que jogadores do Leão do Pici participaram de manipulação partida contra o Palmeiras, pelo Brasileirão de 2022, terminada em 4 a 0 para o Verdão.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Via redes sociais, o Tricolor afirmou que “tomará todas as medidas judiciais cabíveis” sobre a questão. Apesar das fortes declarações, John Textor não apresentou nenhuma prova de manipulação de resultados nas partidas que apontou fraude, como cita o Fortaleza em seu texto.

Confira, na íntegra, a nota publicada pelo Fortaleza contra as acusações do dono da SAF do Botafogo:

O Fortaleza repudia de forma veemente as declarações do Sr. John Textor, dono da SAF do Botafogo, que acusa atletas do tricolor de estarem envolvidos em esquema de manipulação de resultados.
Lamentamos que essas afirmações proferidas, sem a apresentação de quaisquer provas, possam macular a reputação de nossa instituição centenária, gerando assim danos na imagem do clube. Não acreditamos nessa forma de fazer futebol, preferimos o caminho da verdade, e caso o Sr. John Textor tenha provas, que as apresente para que os culpados sejam punidos.
O Fortaleza Esporte Clube espera que tudo seja esclarecido de forma legal, e caso necessário, tomará todas as medidas judiciais cabíveis.

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➡️ Palmeiras campeão garantido e goleada no São Paulo: relembre jogos que Textor cita manipulação

Além do Leão do Pici, o São Paulo também foi alvo das acusações de John Textor. Segundo o empresário, cinco jogadores do Tricolor Paulista teriam feito parte de manipulação na goleada do Palmeiras por 5 a 0, no Brasileirão do ano passado. Há meses, o dono do Botafogo vem afirmando que o Verdão vem sendo favorecido pela arbitragem.

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Sunderland are now reportedly in pole position to sign a midfield star who Regis Le Bris already knows well ahead of rivals Newcastle United.

Le Bris eyes Sunderland reaction vs Bournemouth

It’s not often that Sunderland have been handed setbacks this season, but defeat against Fulham last time out was exactly that for Le Bris’ side.

Whilst it was just their third loss of the season and there’s no reason to think that last week’s result could derail their strong start, the Black Cats will be eyeing a reaction against Bournemouth.

Three points could take the Black Cats to as high as third if other results also go their way and after 13 games that would simply be remarkable. In many ways, those at the Stadium of Light are replicating the impressive work that Bournemouth have gradually enjoyed since their own promotion.

Le Bris admitted his admiration for the Cherries, saying: “Bournemouth are a good model for us. They way they have built in the last four seasons in the league is really interesting for us.”

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It must be said, however, that Sunderland’s model has so featured more investment and the type of investment that could see them land Matteo Guendouzi ahead of Newcastle in January.

Sunderland leading Newcastle in Guendouzi race

According to TeamTalk, Sunderland are now ahead of Newcastle in the race to sign Guendouzi in 2026 in a deal that could be worth up to £26m. Le Bris knows the Lazio midfielder well from their time together at Lorient and admitted that he’s still in contact with his former midfielder a few weeks ago.

It would be a statement move if the Black Cats landed a transfer target ahead of their rivals, who are backed by the extensive riches of PIF. But that’s the position they find themselves in after such an impressive start to the Premier League campaign.

Minutes

888

1,080

Progressive Passes

45

66

Tackles Won

5

13

Ball Recoveries

43

55

It’s easy to see why Sunderland are chasing a reunion between Le Bris and Guendouzi, given how the Frenchman has compared to star man Granit Xhaka so far this season. The transfer report even states that the Black Cats view Guendouzi ‘as the perfect midfield partner for Xhaka, adding experience and bite to their engine room’.

Previously dubbed a “great professional” by former Hertha Berlin sporting director Arne Friedrich, Guendouzi also has unfinished business in the Premier League after leaving Arsenal under a dark cloud in 2021 and could earn redemption at Sunderland.

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