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Whereas Australia’s bugbear has been their inability to push past the 300-run barrier twice in a row

The Preview by Shashank Kishore17-Jan-20190:49

Agarkar: Would be great if India pick Chahal

Big PictureShaun Marsh can’t buy a run in Tests these days, but has four centuries in his last eight ODI innings. MS Dhoni couldn’t score a single ODI half-century in 2018, but has begun 2019 with back-to-back ones, also finishing the second ODI with a six in the final over. Twitterverse thinks this is a roll back to 2009, their version of the #10yearschallenge in action: scoring runs then, scoring runs now.The reality is Marsh needs these runs to stave off competition after losing his Test spot, while Dhoni continues to receive firm backing from his captain, even as the clamour for Rishabh Pant’s inclusion in the shorter formats reaches fever pitch. The concerns for both teams, though, are elsewhere.Australia’s is their inability to push past the 300-run barrier twice in a row. In Adelaide, a clutch of middle-order wickets on the face of superb death bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar denied them a final kick. In Sydney, they had a middle-overs lift courtesy Peter Handscomb, but couldn’t capitalise on it. Can Glenn Maxwell be that man?Justin Langer believes he is best suited at No. 7 presently. This puts the onus equally on Marcus Stoinis to do the heavy lifting. This could be tricky at times, if the top order takes its time to consolidate. In the first two games, Australia made 138 for 3 and 141 for 4 at the 30-over mark. This leaves the lower order little breathing space if they are to push towards 330, quite the norm in ODIs these days – most-certainly will be at the World Cup in England.Another headache that is growing with every passing game is Aaron Finch’s form and his shortcomings against the incoming delivery. His return to form will give the middle order some breathing space.ALSO READ: Finch just ‘needs a few breaks’ to turn form around – LangerIt’s not all hunky-dory for India. They need to find an ideal sixth bowler, and have Vijay Shankar, the seam-bowling allrounder, and Kedar Jadhav’s round-armish offspin to choose from. Desperation forced Virat Kohli to turn to Ambati Rayudu, who was reported for an illegal action in Sydney. In Adelaide, he had to bowl out the expensive Mohammed Siraj for a lack of options.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWLWL
India WLWWLIn the spotlightOne of Yuzvendra Chahal’s hallmark was his wicket-taking ability, but they’ve dried up in recent times. He has featured just once in India’s last 10 limited-overs matches, when Kuldeep Yadav was rested. In his last 11 ODIs since June 2018, Chahal has managed just 13 wickets at an average of 37.84. MCG’s big boundaries could tempt the team management into bringing him back. That said, from once being touted one half of India’s new wristspinners’ combine, he finds himself on the crossroads.Adam Zampa hasn’t been a limited-overs regular, but he’s spent time in various franchise-based T20 competitions while away. He was Essex’s top T20 wicket-taker in the 2018 season, claiming 12 scalps at an average of 20.75. At the BBL this season, he’s been in steady wicket-taking form, conceding a highest of 32 in his four-overs quota across five games, while going wicketless in only one outing. Friday presents him a big chance to stake a claim as the first-choice tweaker.Aaron Finch’s lean form continued when he fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar•Getty Images

Team newsJason Behrendorff has pulled up with a sore back and will rest, while Nathan Lyon has been left out after going wicketless in the first two ODIs. Billy Stanlake and legspinner Adam Zampa will slot into the XI. Kane Richardson will join the squad as fast bowling cover.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Alex Carey (wk), 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Billy StanlakeKedar Jadhav or Vijay Shankar could come into the fray at No. 6, with MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik moving up a spot. If India do bring in an allrounder to shore up their sixth-bowler quota, Ambati Rayudu is likely to miss out.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 MS Dhoni (wk) 5 Dinesh Karthik, 6 Kedar Jadhav/Vijay Shankar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Mohammed ShamiPitch and conditionsIt’s a drop-in surface, as is the norm. That means there will be true bounce and some zip for the fast bowlers. Spinners will come into the picture owing to large boundaries. Weather-wise, it promises to be nowhere near as hot as Adelaide, where it touched 41 degrees. A high of 27 and a low of 16 degrees should make it that much more comfortable to run the extra twos and threes.Stats and trivia Aaron Finch has had a woeful home season across formats. In 15 innings, he’s managed just one half-century, and made 228 runs at an average of 15.20. Eight of these have been single-digit scores, with two ducks. India have lost each of their last three ODIs at the MCG against Australia. Overall, India have lost nine of their 14 ODIs at this venue against the hosts. Their last win was in the CB series in 2008, when they won by five wickets, chasing 160. Kuldeep Yadav’s strike rate drops to a wicket every 65 balls in final games of bilateral ODI series, a far cry from his career strike rate of roughly 26 balls per wicket. This is an indication that batsmen tend to work him out as a series nears completion.Quotes”It’s been a while since we’ve won a series either home or away. Coming up against a really powerful line-up, there’s been some real positives, particularly with the bat in these two games. There’s been a lot of improvement over the last eight to 10 months to be really proud of in these two games.”
Aaron Finch, Australia’s captain“It’s not a worry. They’re young blokes. They just came in and, of course, we back them. That’s how they are going to learn. When they play against a good side, if they go for runs, that’s when they lift up themselves because they think more about the game and strategies and that’s how they will be become more mature players.”

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A Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2020 está chegando ao fim. Nessa sexta-feira (29), dez partidas fecham a 38ª rodada e, consequentemente, a competição. Até o momento, América-MG e Chapecoense, já classificados para a divisão de cima no próximo ano, brigam pelo título.

QUEM SERÁ CAMPEÃO? ACESSE A TABELA DA SÉRIE B E SIMULE RESULTADOS

O Cuiabá não pode mais ser campeão, mas também já garantiu o acesso. A última vaga está sendo disputada por Juventude, CSA e Avaí. Em busca da taça, a Chapecoense recebe o Confiança, às 21h30, na Arena Condá. Enquanto isso, o América-MG , outro postulante ao título, enfrenta o Avaí, em casa, às 21h30.

Além disso, o dia também será agitado pela rodada do Campeonato Italiano e pela Copa do Brasil Sub-17, com o duelo entre Fluminense e São Paulo.

Confira abaixo os principais confrontos do dia e a programação de transmissão:

16h – Figueirense x Ponte Preta
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

16h45 – Torino x Fiorentina
Campeonato Italiano
Onde assistir: TNT Sports

Rojas com futuro indefinido: Veja os jogadores do São Paulo que têm contrato somente até 2021

17h – Sampaio Corrêa x Oeste
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

17h15 – Fluminense x São Paulo
Copa do Brasil Sub-17
Onde assistir: SporTV

19h15 – CRB x Cuiabá
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

19h15 – Botafogo-SP x Operário
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h30 – Náutico x CSA
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h30 – Chapecoense x Confiança
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h30 – Guarani x Juventude
Série B
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

21h30 – Brasil-RS x Vitória
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h30 – Paraná x Cruzeiro
Série B
Onde assistir: Premiere

21h30 – América-MG x Avaí
Série B
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

Debutant Nayeem Hasan took five wickets to help Bangladesh go 78 ahead, but West Indies fought back with five wickets in the last session

The Report by Mohammad Isam23-Nov-2018Imrul Kayes is bowled trying to drive•Getty Images

All the ingredients of an exciting Test match, that is often the case on a spicy pitch, frothed out in the last two sessions in Chattogram. After Shimron Hetmyer and Shane Dowrich made 63 each to give West Indies some breathing space, 17-year old Nayeem Hasan became the youngest ever debutant to take a five-wicket haul. But Bangladesh’s tendency to collapse was sparked in the final hour and 15 minutes of an absorbing second day.West Indies spinners Jomel Warrican and Roston Chase took two wickets each as the home side crawled to 55 for 5 at stumps, extending their lead to 133 runs. But they have plenty of rebuilding remaining on the third day with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan the unbeaten batsmen at the crease.Warrican removed Imrul Kayes in the second over of the innings, bowled with a left-arm spinner’s classic that spun between bat and pad. Soumya Sarkar had a second failure in the game, caught at first slip where Kraigg Brathwaite took a juggling catch off Chase. He then removed Mominul Haque, who made his eighth Test hundred in the first innings, with a delivery that spun back into his pads. Mominul opted out of a review after discussion with Mohammad Mithun.Shakib Al Hasan’s dismissal was the biggest moment, though. With his side reeling on 35 for 3 with more than 11 overs remaining in the day, the Bangladesh captain slog-swept Warrican straight to deep midwicket off the second ball he faced.After a little resistance, Devendra Bishoo removed Mithun for the second time in the game, this time the Bangladesh No. 4 played back to a fullish delivery, and was bowled.Spin was the order of the day as Nayeem’s 5 for 61 had earlier headlined Bangladesh’s dominance over West Indies. He took three wickets after the tea break, removing Bishoo, Kemar Roach and Warrican, to add to his two wickets in the middle session.Nayeem beat Pat Cummins’ record as the youngest Test debutant to take a five-wicket haul, and became the fourth youngest of all time to take a five-for.After Bangladesh added just nine runs in 4.4 overs in the morning, West Indies had made a nervous start to their innings. Opener Kieran Powell survived an lbw decision and a close stumping chance before being dropped by Mushfiqur off the last ball, although the outside edge was detected much later. Taijul Islam finally put him out of his misery in the 11th over, when he was given lbw after missing a sweep shot on the stumps.Shakib then got into the act with the wickets of Shai Hope and Brathwaite, the most important batsmen in the West Indies line-up. Hope missed a delivery that pitched outside the leg stump but spun back to hit the leg stump, while Brathwaite edged to first slip where Soumya took an easy catch.Chase, who was taken by Imrul at short leg, became Nayeem’s maiden Test wicket before he had Ambris playing back to a delivery that ripped back into his pads from outside the off stump, the lbw decision an easy one.But from 88 for 5, Hetmyer counterattacked his way to 63 off 47 balls with five fours and four sixes. He added 92 for the sixth wicket with Shane Dowrich, who remained unbeaten on a fighting 63. Dowrich struck two fours and three sixes during his 101-ball stay.It was mostly Hetmyer who hit back, starting with a pull over mid-on off Nayeem, and two sixes off successive balls off Taijul, both on the leg side. His third six came off Nayeem over long-off, after he had struck him for a four through point. Hetmyer reached his fifty off 42 balls before blasting Shakib over mid-on twice in the same over, the first going for four and the next for a six.

The former selector has backed Maxwell as a good player of spin who could take the attack to the bowling side

Daniel Brettig10-Oct-2018

Mominul Haque leaps to evade a sweep from Glenn Maxwell•Associated Press

As a strong player of spin and a batsman capable of changing a game’s momentum, Glenn Maxwell should have been chosen for Australia’s UAE tour in the absence of the banned Steven Smith and David Warner, according to former selector Mark Waugh.As Australia were drifting towards defeat against Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai after a horrendous first-innings collapse in which all ten wickets fell for 60 to the spin of Bilal Asif and the medium pace of Mohammad Abbas, Maxwell was part of the Victoria team that won the domestic limited-overs tournament with a comfortable win over Tasmania at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Waugh, who resigned as a selector earlier this year to commentate full-time for Cricket Australia’s new host broadcaster Fox Sports, stated ahead of the fourth day of the Test that he would have picked Maxwell to better combat Pakistan’s bowlers in the sorts of conditions in which the allrounder made his only Test century – against India in Ranchi last year.”It’s tough because we’ve lost our two best batsmen, haven’t we? And three counting [Cameron] Bancroft, so there’s only a certain pool of players that are good enough to play Test cricket,” Waugh said when assessing Australia’s batting stocks. “It’s not the time to panic, I don’t think there are many players there that would make a big difference – the only player I would have picked is Glenn Maxwell, that’s not there.”I think he’s a guy with ability, can change the game, he’s a good player of spin, he can actually take the attack to the bowling side. So that’s the only guy I would have that’s not there, and maybe you can bring back Matt Renshaw for the second Test. But all the other guys? That’s about the best we’ve got at the moment.”Maxwell and his fellow Victorian Peter Handscomb were two curious omissions from the Test squad, the latter after struggling for runs on the Australia A tour of India as he underwent a process of technical changes with the help of the batting coach Chris Rogers. Maxwell, however, was denied the opportunity to play on that tour, having been left with the impression he was going to be picked for the Test side. As a result, he knocked back offers to play in England also.”I had a few offers to play county cricket in England and they were initially knocked back with an opportunity to go and play in India in the A series,” Maxwell told SEN Radio last month. “To get told not to play in the A series and have a rest, and I was understanding of that and their reasoning behind that… I was hoping that was a positive note to go to Dubai [to play Pakistan]. But obviously that wasn’t the case.”Posed the question of whether or not he had been misled by the selectors in terms of their plans for him this year, Maxwell said, “Maybe a little bit. I feel like there were other guys who were able to get a full off-season of cricket into them and hit the A series up and running or be able to put their names forward.”Running his eye over Australia’s flurry of wickets on day three, Waugh said the rush of dismissals indicated a lack of close attention to the spinning or reverse-swinging ball. “To me, they’re not watching the ball closely enough. They’re thinking about other things, they’re not focusing on that delivery. Abbas is a good bowler, but he should not get 4 for 29 bowling at that pace,” Waugh said. “If it’s Waqar Younis or Brett Lee, okay… 4 for 29 is acceptable. But not a medium-fast bowler.”

Fast bowler believes eight-week break until Sri Lanka Tests will be ample time to recover from exertions in India series

George Dobell12-Sep-20182:08

Anderson: Cook is an idol to me and the team

James Anderson, who became the highest wicket-taking pace bowler in history when he passed Glenn McGrath at The Oval, has urged the England selectors to resist the temptation to rest him for either of this winter’s tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies.Anderson claimed 24 wickets at 18.12 in the course of the five matches against India, and went past McGrath’s tally of 563 wickets by bowling Mohammed Shami with the final ball of the Test series against India. His performance defied pre-series reports that both he and Stuart Broad might need to be rested to cope with the demands of five Tests in six weeks, and it suggested that, at the age of 36, he is still operating at something close to his physical peak.The England team management is considering blooding a couple of young fast bowlers with a view to planning for life beyond Anderson and Broad, who is expected to be out of action for a month after suffering a broken rib while batting at The Oval.Anderson felt the natural break in the schedule – there are about eight weeks until England’s next Test starts in Sri Lanka on November 6 – provides time for them to rest, recover and prepare, even though he may yet be made available by the ECB to play for Lancashire in their final County Championship fixture, starting on September 24, depending on whether the club is still in with a chance of avoiding relegation.Key players rested for final county rounds

Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes have all played their final matches of the 2018 season.
Cook has been stood down from Essex duty in the wake of his England farewell at The Oval, while the others have been rested ahead of next month’s tour of Sri Lanka.
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson, Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings (all Lancashire) have been made available for T20 Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston on Saturday, with Moeen and Jennings both available for the final round of Championship games.
Sam Curran and Ollie Pope can play for Surrey as they seek to cement their title bid against Essex and Somerset, but a decision on Stuart Broad will be taken after an assessment of his rib injury.

“Myself and Stuart don’t play white-ball cricket so we have that time to be able to get ourselves in the right frame of mind and the right physical condition to cope with what’s ahead of us,” Anderson said. “I think I have enough time in between Test series to prepare myself well and get myself in good physical shape.”We came into this five Test series in six weeks with question marks: will the bowlers get through? Will we need resting or will we get injuries? And we’ve done it. We pride ourselves on working hard.”Anderson, who has now been playing Test cricket for more than 15 years, also refused to be drawn on a retirement date following the emotional scenes at the end of The Oval Test as his close friend Alastair Cook brought the curtain down on his England career.”I don’t really think about it,” he said. “I play my best when I focus on what’s ahead of me: the next game, the next series, whatever. I’ll go away now – we have a decent break before Sri Lanka – and I’ll try to get myself in the best condition possible to cope with the rigours of bowling seam in Sri Lanka, which could be tough. Then we’ll see how it goes.”I read something that Glenn McGrath said that he went into the 2006 Ashes with no intention of retiring and by the end of it he thought his time was up. That could happen to me. Who knows? I don’t like looking too far ahead. I don’t think it helps me or the team either, when we look too far ahead, whether it’s in a session or a day or a game. If you look too far ahead, you take your eye off the here and now and that’s what I like to focus on.”Meanwhile, Anderson has hailed Sam Curran as “a diamond of a player” following England’s victory in the Test series over India.Curran, aged just 20, was named Player of the Series and singled out for praise by India captain Virat Kohli in the post-match presentations at The Oval. He claimed 11 wickets at 23.54 and made a couple of vital half-centuries – including an aggressive 63 at Edgbaston which helped England recover from a precarious 87 for 7 – in averaging 38.85 with the bat.After Kohli noted Curran’s “important contributions” as a defining feature in the result, Anderson was full of praise for both Curran’s skill and character, suggesting the all-round depth he provided would prove a huge asset for England.”I think we’ve found a gem there,” Anderson said. “He’s an absolute diamond of a player to be able to score runs in crucial situations or to be given the ball in any situation. He’s extremely skilful with the ball and he loves the battle and the fight that Test cricket brings. He offers us that left-arm option as well.”I think we’ve made really good strides in this series. We’ve had a really inconsistent period in Test cricket and it’s something that we’ve really tried to do something about and make sure we improve and put in more consistent performances. I think we’ve done that.”We always knew we had a pretty strong team and some really exciting talent in there. We’re lucky that we’ve added to that this series.”

A US-based private equity firm has acquired a 40% stake in Premier League promotion-chasers Ipswich Town as part of a £105m investment.

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Ipswich announce £105m investmentUS-based private equity firm joinsTractor Boys eyeing Premier LeagueGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Championship club have revealed that Bright Path Sports Partners have pumped £105m ($132.3m) into the club, which will go towards infrastructure projects such as redeveloping the training ground at Playford Road. This is the latest example of a US firm investing in an English football side, with Hollywood actors and Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney a prime example of how to effectively run a club.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This is another big step in the right direction as Ipswich – whose most famous fan may be Ed Sheeran – seek to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002. They have a well-respected manager in Kieran McKenna at the helm, are playing an attractive brand of football, and the signs seem positive they will be backed in the way they need to financially in the years to come. Incidentally, ORG remains the majority and controlling shareholder of Ipswich with a 50% stake, with the remaining 10% made up of smaller investors such as the Three Lions Fund.

Ipswich TownWHAT THE NEW INVESTORS SAID

Sam Simon, the lead investor in the Bright Path-Ipswich investment, told the club's website: “We are excited to be making this investment in a brilliant football club. We love the history, the potential for the future, the passionate fans and the management of the Club, who are amazing people. We invest in people and this is perfect for us. We believe in investing for the future in order to give the team and management the tools to do their jobs and we’re excited to be working together.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Ipswich, who sit third in the Championship after earning automatic promotion from League One last season, return to action away to Blackburn Rovers on Friday, March 29, before hosting fourth-placed Southampton on Easter Monday.

The England allrounder said that he doesn’t mind some confrontation on the field but his exchange with Bhuvneshwar was “something of nothing”

Andrew McGlashan and Nagraj Gollapudi05-Jul-2018David Willey has questioned the tactics of India’s bowlers repeatedly pulling out of their delivery stride during the first T20I at Old Trafford. Kuldeep Yadav did it at least twice against Jos Buttler and then Bhuvneshwar Kumar followed with the final ball of the innings to Willey.It led to a sharp exchange of words between Bhuvneshwar and Willey with the England allrounder saying he did not agree with the bowler doing it.”I’m guessing, but I think he [Bhuvneshwar] was looking to see what I was going to do,” Willey said. “They did that a few times. The spinners did it a couple of times. I’m not sure what the rules are on that. I don’t particularly like it. I don’t think it is necessarily in the spirit of cricket. It’s not my job to comment on that too much on what they should or shouldn’t be doing. Personally, I don’t think I’d do that. I don’t think it is great.”However, KL Rahul believes that the T20 format is so weighted in the batsman’s favour that anything a bowler can do to try and even the contest should be permitted and also questioned how far England’s non-strikers were backing up.”It will frustrate me as a batsman, it did I guess frustrate the English batsmen but the margin for error for bowlers in T20 cricket is very little so whatever tactics they can come up with and whatever they try to do to upset the batsmen is only fair,” he said.”You know you can do it as a bowler, you can run a batsman out, he was taking few strides too many and it is a long boundary and if he gets that much start he can keep rotating the strike and keep getting two runs which will frustrate the bowler in return, so it’s only fair.”The fact that it has only taken until the first match of the tour for the first signs of some tension suggests it won’t be the last occasion that tempers rise. Willey spoke about the exchange with Bhuvneshwar in the final over of the England innings, but said that it was nothing unpleasant.”It was something of nothing. I think with all the microphones and cameras people get a bit giddy about this sort of thing,” he said. “I don’t think they got under our skin particularly. They have a few fiery characters and that is part and parcel of cricket. It has gone on for years, mostly unnoticed because of the lack of cameras and microphones. There is more attention drawn to it now. There is far less of it now.”I don’t mind a bit of confrontation. I have had my fair share of it in the past. If it comes my way I am quite happy to get involved. We are advised to play cricket and leave those antics to other people.”More than India’s bowlers occasionally pulling away, though, England’s biggest challenge appears to be picking the left-arm wristspin of Kuldeep. In an effort to mimic his skills they employed the Merlyn spin-bowling machine during their net session in Cardiff and Willey – who struck the only six Kuldeep conceded at Old Trafford – has backed the batsmen to decipher the variations.”People come in, a little bit of unknown, or you’re maybe not 100% sure how someone’s going to bowl or how they approach their bowling. It can baffle you a little bit,” he said. “But our numbers against spin are brilliant, and we’ll come back. No doubt tomorrow will be a different outcome.”When Rahul, the centurion in Manchester, was asked whether playing wrist-spin was an inherent weakness in England batsmen, he said that it was challenge globally. “I don’t think it is just England. A good wrist spinner is a good wrist spinner against any opposition. And with the kind of skill and quality that Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal have, it’s always going to be hard for a team that doesn’t play spin a lot.”What Kuldeep did was special, getting a five-for in a T20 game isn’t easy,” Rahul said. “You can be bowling well but most times he could get away for two or three wickets and go for 30 runs. But he kept at it. To get balls like that against Bairstow and Root, it is always hard for a middle-order batsman.”That’s something we’re very confident with, to play two wristspinners and do most damage for us. We are missing Bumrah up the order a little bit, but the way Chahal and Kuldeep are bowling, they’re going to be dangerous throughout the series.”

Burnley have been handed a boost as one of their first-team players is set to return for tonight’s game vs Luton Town in the Premier League.

What's the latest team news at Burnley?

This evening, Vincent Kompany’s side are set to travel to Kenilworth Road to take on Rob Edwards’ outfit, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30pm UK time, but the boss could be without two of his senior stars due to injury.

At Turf Moor, Johann Berg Gudmundsson missed the previous 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United alongside Manuel Benson who has a swollen ankle, and it’s been reported that Nathan Redmond isn’t expected to return to action until after the international break later this month, as per BBC Sport.

The Clarets have also been without the services of Lyle Foster but due to suspension rather than fitness problems having received a straight red card during the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest last month, meaning that he had to serve a three-match ban.

In Lancashire, the striker has been the boss’ top-performing offensive player so far this season which shows just how much of an integral role he has in the starting line-up, hence why it’s hugely positive news that the 23-year-old can once again return to the pitch.

What has Vincent Kompany said about Lyle Foster?

Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Monday, Kompany was asked to comment on Foster being able to stage his comeback vs Luton. As quoted by The Morning Star, he said:

“It’s massive. Zeki [Amdouni] and Jay Rodriguez have done well with the time they’ve had up top and in every game we’ve had at least two or three big chances. We’re not lacking goals for the lack of creating chances, we just don’t put them away. We have to believe performances are good and we keep creating chances but playing top sides is difficult. But we have to believe we’re on the right track to get results.”

How much does Lyle Foster earn at Burnley?

At Burnley, Foster currently pockets £25k-per-week which he has more than earned since joining back in January from KVC Westerlo, and especially considering the positive impact he’s had so far this season, it will be a massive boost for Kompany to have him back at his disposal to face Luton.

The South Africa international has three contributions (two goals and one assist) to his name in four appearances this term, form which has seen him hailed a “quality” centre-forward by his teammate Josh Brownhill, and he also provides a different type of threat up top.

The Soweto native was averaging two aerial wins per game in the top flight prior to his absence, displaying the excellent physical presence he brings to the final third and the handful he is for the opposition’s defence to deal with.

Furthermore, Foster has the ability to operate out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside his usual role leading the line through the middle, so his versatility makes it easy for him to adapt to the boss’ demands when it comes to formation and team selection.

Sunderland return to action in the Championship this evening as they travel away from the Stadium of Light to take on winless Sheffield Wednesday.

The Black Cats are hoping to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Cardiff City last time out, which had ended a five-game unbeaten run for Tony Mowbray's side.

Meanwhile, the Owls are still in search of their first win of the league campaign after eight matches, following their return to the second tier from League One.

What's the latest Sunderland team news?

Midfielders Pierre Ekwah and Bradley Dack, who have been out with a dead leg and a hamstring issue respectively, are both doubts for today's clash and are said to be more likely to return against Watford next week.

Jewison Bennette and Aji Alese are also set to be out of action, whilst Dennis Cirkin and Timothee Pembele and are also longer-term absentees, as per The Chronicle.

Mowbray could now look to switch up the team after the loss to Cardiff in order to bounce back with a positive result tonight and a player who must finally be unleashed is summer signing Nazariy Rusyn.

Will Rusyn start against Sheffield Wednesday?

The Sunderland head coach should finally unleash the Ukrainian talent for his full debut after he made his first appearance off the bench in the defeat last weekend, as Mason Burstow has failed to score or assist a goal in his first three starts.

Rusyn could form an exciting partnership with first-team star Jack Clarke, who has enjoyed a terrific start to the campaign and is a wizard who is capable of conjuring the chances that the 24-year-old ace needs to find the back of the net.

The former Zorya dynamo was hailed by U21 coach John Hewitson as a player with "genuine pace" after he featured for the club's youth side against Derby County.

Rusyn seemingly caught the eye in the 3-1 win as he registered one assist and won a penalty for the side in 70 minutes of action alongside the young Black Cats.

He arrived at the Stadium of Light this summer off the back of 14 goals and six assists in 31 league games for Zorya in his home country since the start of last season. Meanwhile, no current Sunderland player produced more than nine Championship goals during the 2022/23 campaign.

The 5 foot 10 ace, who was hailed as "sharp" by Mowbray, has the potential to be an outstanding scoring option for the Black Cats and he could thrive alongside Clarke, who has the quality to regularly create chances.

During the 2022/23 season, the former Tottenham Hotspur prospect produced 12 assists, which was five more than any of his teammates managed, and created seven 'big chances' for his teammates.

The 22-year-old magician, who has created three 'big chances' in eight Championship matches this term, can split open the opposition's defence on a regular basis to provide his fellow attackers with opportunities to find the back of the net.

This is why Clarke could be the perfect player to play alongside Rusyn in attack as his presence on the left flank could allow the former Zorya ace to thrive in the final third, if he can translate his finishing ability in Ukrainian football over to England.

Manchester United and astute transfer dealings are two things that don't appear to belong in the same sentence, with the Red Devils having erratically splashed the cash over the last decade or so.

With Erik ten Hag currently in charge of the most expensively assembled squad in Europe – totalling almost £1bn – the Old Trafford outfit look little closer to closing the gap on treble-winning rivals, Manchester City, with it now ten years since the club last tasted Premier League title glory.

What has perhaps been even more frustrating than the scattergun nature of United's transfer business is the fact that there also a number of figures who the club's hierarchy passed up the chance to sign, only to be forced to watch them blossom elsewhere.

The most blatant example of that fact was the failure to land Erling Haaland for a fee of just £4m during his time at Molde, with the Norwegian powerhouse now spearheading Pep Guardiola's City side to devastating effect, after hitting 52 goals in his debut season last time out.

Those woes were also laid bare with regard to fellow striker, Benjamin Sesko, with United having reportedly deemed the Slovenian's £2.5m fee as 'excessive' back in 2019, albeit with the 20-year-old having only recently sealed a £55m move to RB Leipzig.

Those two cases will likely have supporters tearing their hair out, although perhaps the most infuriating example of a player who got away is World Cup-winning superstar, Kylian Mbappe, with the Red Devils having failed to strike while the iron was out in the recent past.

Did Man United want to sign Kylian Mbappe?

While some reports may at times need to be taken with a pinch of salt, in the case of the dazzling Frenchman it would appear that there was genuine interest from those at the Theatre of Dreams, amid his promising career beginning at AS Monaco.

According to club legend Ryan Giggs, the Welshman had seemingly recommended that United make a move for the the-teenager – as well as current Arsenal man Gabriel Jesus – with the pair likely to have cost just £5m apiece at the time.

As per the Times, the 13-time title winner revealed: "I watched Mbappe play. I was watching him and Gabriel Jesus with the chief scout and it was a no-brainer. It was just like, Get them. It would have cost £5million or something – get them, loan them back and that's where the recruitment could have been better.

"I know what a Manchester United player looks like."

At a time when United notably splashed out an initial £36m on Anthony Martial from the Ligue 1 outfit back in 2016, to have fluffed the potential opportunity to sign the striker's compatriot is a blunder that the Premier League giants will likely never be able to recover from.

Why didn't Man United sign Mbappe?

United's failure to get snap up the promising forward for such a lowly fee was made even more apparent in the summer of 2017, with The Guardian reporting at the time that Jose Mourinho and co had launched a £72m bid in an attempt to prise the then-18-year-old from Stade Louis II.

That ultimately unsuccessful offer had coming following a breakthrough 2016/17 campaign which saw the Paris native score 15 times and register 11 assists in just 29 Ligue 1 outings as Monaco claimed the title.

It was on the European stage that a young Mbappe truly announced himself, however, after scoring six goals in just nine appearances in that season's Champions League, memorably running Man City ragged with a goal both home and away against Guardiola's men in the last-16 stage.

That lightning start to his senior career had ensured that Monaco were able to easily fend off the £72m approach from those in Manchester, with the selling club having been holding out for more than £100m at the time.

As it proved, the fleet-footed speedster did eventually depart in that same window on an initial loan move, joining rivals Paris Saint-Germain on a deal that included an option to make the switch permanent for an eyewatering £165m fee – blowing any rival interest out of the water.

What is Mbappe worth now?

What has followed since that move to the Parc des Princes has been glittering success for the 24-year-old, with the seemingly "unstoppable" talent – as described by compatriot Rio Mavuba – now boasting a haul of 219 goals and 98 assists in just 264 games for his current side.

Arguably the "best player in the world" when in full flow, according to Mavuba, the 5 foot 10 whiz has been a dominant force both domestically and on the international front, despite still longing for that elusive Champions League crown.

2015/16

1

5

2016/17

15

5

2017/18

13

7

2018/19

33

10

2019/20

18

17

2020/21

27

11

2021/22

28

4

2022/23

29

17

2023/24*

7

1

Total

171

77

Now the captain of his country despite his relative youth, the one-time Bondy youth asset already has 40 goals in just 71 appearances for Les Bleus to date, having previously been integral to his nation reaching the final of the last two World Cups.

In 2018 in Russia, the explosive wideman became the youngest player to net in the tournament's showpiece since Brazilian great, Pele back in 1958, memorably scoring in the 4-2 thrashing of Croatia.

The PSG talisman then hit even bigger heights in Qatar last year after scoring eight times in the competition in total, including a breathtaking hat-trick in the final against Lionel Messi's Argentina side to help take the game to extra-time.

While it was ultimately the South American outfit who emerged victorious during the subsequent penalty shoot-out, Mbappe yet again illustrated why he is a possible successor to the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at football's top table.

Such a talent is thus worthy of a sizeable valuation, with the player having only recently been the subject of a £259m offer from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal – a stunning increase of 5080% in relation the reported £5m fee that United could have signed him for years prior.

While Ten Hag's side may still have lingering hopes of snapping up the £1.1m-per-week asset next summer when his current contract reaches its expiry, a move to Real Madrid looks to be the most obvious scenario, ensuring that Mbappe is likely to remain 'one that got away' for the Red Devils.