England quick suffers another injury setback after Champions Trophy exertions

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Mar-2025Mark Wood will miss four months of cricket following an operation on his left knee, effectively ruling the fast bowler out of England’s Test series against India this summer, while keeping him in the hunt for the Ashes this winter.The 35-year old underwent surgery on Wednesday morning in London after scans confirmed medial ligament damage, which came to the fore during England’s Champions Trophy group stage defeat to Afghanistan in Lahore at the end of last month.Wood was forced to leave the field after pulling up midway through his fourth over after experiencing “locking” in his knee. He returned 38 minutes later but could only bowl four of his remaining six before leaving the field for good. The Durham quick’s left knee was heavily strapped throughout the tournament, as it had been since the start of 2024.The timeframe for Wood’s recovery means it is highly unlikely he features in the five-match series against India, which begins at Headingley on June 20. A seamless rehabilitation could see him available for the final Test at the Kia Oval (starting July 31), with Durham’s County Championship fixture against Somerset (July 22) a potential return to competitive action. That round begins a day before the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford.At this juncture, the ECB believe Wood will be fully fit to tour Australia this winter. Speaking at Lord’s last week, men’s managing director Rob Key stated England will “work back from the Ashes” regarding decisions around the fast bowler’s fitness.”I’m gutted to be out for so long after representing England across all formats since the start of last year,” said Wood in a statement released on Thursday. “But I’ve got every confidence that I’ll be back firing on all cylinders now that I’ve been able to sort my knee out.”I want to thank the surgeon, the doctors, staff, my England teammates and coaches for their support – and, of course, our fans. I can’t wait to get back and contribute to what is going to be a huge 2025 for us as a team.”This latest setback joins a litany of previous injuries suffered by Wood since debuting for England in 2015. It is the eighth operation of his career, and his second in the last eight months alone, after an elbow stress fracture discovered last August kept him out of action for the rest of 2024.Though there is ample time ahead of this winter’s tour of Australia, England will be sweating on this latest hitch as far as their fast bowling stocks are concerned. Brydon Carse’s impressive winter was curtailed by a left toe injury, while there remains a degree of trepidation around Jofra Archer’s impending return to Test cricket despite strong showings off the back of his own series of injuries given he has not played a first-class match since May 2021. Josh Tongue’s appearance for England Lions against Australia A at the end of January was his first competitive outing since August 2023.Wood remains the standout of those quicks, and his recent record against Australia underlines how vital he is to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in their pace-focussed quest to reclaim the urn for the first time since 2015.Wood was the sole bright spot during England last Ashes tour Down Under in 2021-22, with 17 wickets at 26.64 in a 4-0 loss, and took 14 at 20.21 in the drawn 2023 series having arrived with Australia 2-0 up. It was also against Australia in the recent Champions Trophy that Wood bowled England’s quickest ever ODI opening spell.McCullum leant on Wood after assuming control of the white-ball teams at the start of year, picking him for nine of his first 10 matches in charge before injury struck. Having blocked Wood from entering the IPL auction for the upcoming edition with a view to preserving him for the high-profile engagements of an India Test series and the Ashes, the ECB are likely to impose further restrictions on his workload moving forward.Though Wood’s central contract, which expires in October 2026, includes limited-overs cricket and has so far covered three tournaments (including the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup), it seems unlikely he will feature in white-ball cricket for the remainder of this year.

On transfer deadline day, Liverpool celebrated the record-breaking acquisition of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, ending weeks of speculation and animosity over his future.

Isak had been desperate to sign for the Anfield side, and he has got his wish at the final hour. Liverpool have got themselves a gem, with pundit Alan Shearer remarking earlier in 2025, “Everything about his game is of the highest quality.”

However, it didn’t all go the Reds’ way, with their protracted summer pursuit of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi ultimately leaving them empty-handed.

It all looked like it was ready to be green-lit, with the Three Lions star having completed his medical with the Premier League champions, but external issues have left the 25-year-old stranded at Selhurst Park.

Why Liverpool wanted Marc Guehi

With Ibrahima Konate having entered the final year of his contract at Liverpool and skipper Virgil van Dijk having turned 34 in July, thus edging closer to the twilight of his career, it was crucial that fresh defensive faces were welcomed.

And sporting director Richard Hughes came ever-so close to making that arrival Guehi, having tracked the England international all summer and respectfully awaited the green light from Eagles chairman Steve Parish, which never quite came following Oliver Glasner frustration at having not signed a suitable replacement.

Remarked to have been “England’s best player” during the 2024 European Championship by analyst Ben Mattinson, Guehi’s cool and collected defensive presence merges with an effortless ball-playing game that suggests he would dovetail right into Slot’s Liverpool squad – or indeed any elite team worth their salt.

Though FSG will retain confidence in their rearguard options, Guehi would have added icing on the cake, especially with Slot looking to defend his Premier League title while challenging for silverware across further fronts too.

League Stats 24/25 – Guehi vs Leoni

Stats (* per game)

Guehi

Leoni

Matches (starts)

34 (34)

17 (14)

Goals

3

1

Assists

2

0

Touches*

64.9

46.9

Pass completion

84%

89%

Key passes*

0.5

0.1

Ball recoveries*

4.3

2.0

Dribbles*

0.4

0.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

1.7

Clearances*

4.6

3.6

Duels (won)*

4.9 (59%)

2.5 (61%)

Errors made

2

1

All data via Sofascore

Leoni is a top talent, and the hope is that he will one day stand where Van Dijk stood as a long-term star at Liverpool. However, he’s not the only teenage prospect the club boast, with an existing member of Slot’s squad perhaps ready to cover for the gap where Guehi should be.

Liverpool have already got their own Guehi

Make no mistake, Leoni is one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the business, and, only 18, has so much room for improvement over the next few years.

However, the Italy international will also need time to develop his skills over the next few years, ultimately reaching a level that will see him thrive as a regular starter.

With Joe Gomez having stayed put despite transfer interest from elsewhere on deadline day, his experience will help Leoni ease into the way of things, and the same could be said for fellow teenager Amara Nallo.

Nallo hasn’t had a flawless start to life in Slot’s senior side, it must be said. In January, Nallo was sent off on his professional debut, entering the fray in the closing stages and hacking down Johan Bakayoko. It was unfortunate, but Slot said post-game that the youngster “will learn” from his mistake.

Though that remains Nallo’s sole senior showing for Liverpool, he sat three further first-team games on the bench across the 2024/25 season, and given his obvious quality in emerging from the academy, so strong and powerful and technically adept for one of his level, he could prove to be Liverpool’s own version of Guehi.

Admittedly, getting sent off on your big bow isn’t very Guehi-like, but the Palace man received an indirect card suspension himself last season, showing that he too has the capacity to make a blunder.

And Nallo won’t let a simple mistake define him, having been described by West Ham coach Carlton Cole in the past as being a “Rolls-Royce of a centre-back”.

Curiously, Nallo is two-footed and so could conceivably cover for Van Dijk and Konate across the course of the campaign. The England U19 international has also racked up 53 appearances for Liverpool’s youth sides across the two years he has been on Merseyside.

Liverpool wanted to sign Guehi for his quality and experience at the highest level, of course, but perhaps his ability on both sides of the central defence also captured Hughes’ attention. After all, the England star was described as “one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably” by the aforementioned analyst Mattinson.

While Liverpool’s failed attempt to sign Guehi will have frustrated the Reds fanbase, who came so close to seeing the defender wearing red, the likes of Leoni and Nallo will perhaps have given a silent cheer as they find themselves with a clearer pathway toward playing time over the months ahead.

Nallo might be something of a forgotten man at the moment, but he was entrusted with a first-team role on the big stage last season, and there’s every chance he could now take that next step.

In The Pipeline

Expand Collapse

Given his Guehi-like tactical tendacies, perhaps this is the big opportunity he needs to take that leap and prove himself worthy of a long-term role in Liverpool’s first team.

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Glasgow Rangers dropped points for the second time in as many Scottish Premiership matches with a 1-1 draw at Ibrox against Dundee on Saturday.

The Light Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell on the opening day of the league campaign, and now have two points to show after two games and are already four points off the top of the table.

Russell Martin will not be happy with the way his team have started the season, and may want more signings to bolster his squad before the end of the summer transfer window to ensure that they are in the best place to kick on and get more points on the board.

Rangers closing in on new defender

The Light Blues are putting plenty of work in behind the scenes to add to the manager’s options across the park, and are reportedly on course to bring in a new defender.

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According to Rangers Review, as relayed by IbroxNews, the Scottish giants are closing in on a deal to sign Real Betis centre-back Nobel Mendy for a fee of £2m.

The report claims that the 20-year-old defender, who typically plays on the left side of the defence, has his heart set on a move to Ibrox, which now appears to be coming to fruition.

It adds that the left-footed defender is poised to put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Ibrox, with an option to extend by a further year, and that his arrival will mean that Ben Davies, Clinton Nsiala, and Leon King are all free to move on.

Why Mendy could be a good signing for Rangers

The Real Betis youngster, who spent most of last season with the B team, could be a shrewd addition to the squad as a talented young player who needs regular game time, much like when the club plucked Mikel Arteta away from Barcelona B.

Back in 2002, the Light Blues signed the Spanish midfielder from Barcelona B after he failed to make a single first-team appearance for the Catalan giants, although he did have two loan spells at PSG.

Arteta failed to make the breakthrough in the first-team in Spain, but then went on to score 14 goals in 65 games for Rangers. He also won the domestic treble in his first year at the club, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the Spaniard, who moved to Real Sociedad in 2004 before going on to play for Everton and Arsenal most notably, was a big success with what he achieved at Ibrox despite arriving as a player from a B team in Spain.

Appearances

2

13

Starts

1

12

Pass accuracy

87%

85%

Ball recoveries per game

3.5

7.9

Clearances per game

4.5

2.0

Duel success rate

100%

41%

As you can see in the table above, Mendy spent the majority of last season with Real Betis B, starting just one match in LaLiga, which shows that he did not quite make the grade there.

His failure to make a breakthrough as a regular starter for Real Betis does not mean that he is a bad player, though, as evidenced by the success that Arteta had at Ibrox after his move from Barcelona B.

Writer and analyst Kai Watson described Mendy as a “powerful” player with “athletic” qualities, similar to Nasser Djiga, which makes it seem like the Gers are signing a mobile and combative young central defender.

However, it is hard to make predictions on how he will perform for the Gers because, as aforementioned, the majority of his performances have come at B team level, and it remains to be seen how he will adapt to senior football at Ibrox.

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The Light Blues can, though, look to the masterclass that they once played by snapping Arteta up when he failed to make the grade in LaLiga, and know that they may have found their next version of the current Arsenal manager in Mendy, who is another young talent with the potential to develop and enjoy success in Glasgow.

Erling Haaland scripted more history with his brace against Burnley on Saturday as he beat former Manchester United star Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's record. The Norwegian goal machine starred with two goals and an assist as City thrashed Burnley 5-1 at home. The brace took Haaland's tally to nine goals this season in seven matches across all competitions.

Haaland sets new record at Man City

The brace against Burnley took Haaland's total goals tally for Manchester City to 133 in 153 appearances across all competitions, which helped him move up to the ninth position in the club's all-time highest goal scorers. He has now overtaken Billy Gillespie and Fred Tilson in the list.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHaaland smashes Solskjaer record

Haaland also took his Premier League goals tally to 92 in 103 matches as he went past United legend Solskjaer to become the highest scoring Norwegian in the history of the English top-flight. The former United striker and manager had scored 91 league goals in 236 appearances. 

Second-highest scorer at Etihad Stadium

Haaland has now scored 52 Premier League goals in 51 appearances at City's home Etihad Stadium, as he surpassed Raheem Sterling's total of 51 goals, which the winger achieved in 109 games. Only Sergio Aguero now has more league goals at home than Haaland, as the Argentine's figure stands at 106 in 142 matches.

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Apart from Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell, no other Australian batter in the top seven has faced Varun before

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-20251:42

Kumble: Varun has been exceptional over the last year

India could field a four-pronged spin attack again in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia in Dubai on Tuesday, after Varun Chakravarthy “did everything that was asked for” in the last group game, according to Rohit Sharma.Playing only his second ODI, Varun took 5 for 42 in ten overs against New Zealand as India defended their total of 249 by 44 runs. He had not played the first two group games against Bangladesh and Pakistan, but replaced Harshit Rana for the third one.”He [Varun] just showed what he is capable of. So now it is up to us to think and see how we can get that combination right,” Rohit said. “He did everything that was asked for… he’s got something different about him. And when he gets it right, he knocks people over and he takes five wickets. So it is very tempting.”Related

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Varun’s variations and unusual action make it hard for batters to pick him, and of Australia’s likely top seven, only Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell have faced him before. Smith also last faced Varun in 2021; he has reinvented himself as a bowler since then.”We just want to go back and think about what the Australian batting line-up will look like,” Rohit said. “And try and see what kind of bowling options will go against them.”After dismissing New Zealand opener Will Young, Varun ended any chance of a successful chase by dismissing Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell in the 35th and 38th overs. Four of his five wickets were bowled and lbw, a testament to his relentless attack on the stumps.”I think he has become more accurate now,” Rohit said, adding that there was “a little bit of inexperience” about Varun when he made his T20I debut for India in 2021. “But right now, in the last two or three years, he has played a lot of cricket. Whether it is domestic cricket, IPL and for India in the T20s. And now the ODIs as well.Varun Chakravarthy is pumped after taking a wicket•Associated Press

“He understands his bowling very well. There is definitely something about his bowling which he is using to his advantage. Some of our batters also couldn’t figure him out [in the nets], which is also nice.”Varun was a surprise and late inclusion in India’s Champions Trophy squad, having played just one ODI in the preceding home series against England. That selection came after an impressive performance for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy – 18 wickets in six innings with an average of 12.16 and an economy rate of 4.36.”You want to try and fast-track him as quickly as possible and give him a go,” Rohit said about the selection. “Certain formats require certain skillset. And I thought whenever we look at these kinds of players, if the talent is there, then you don’t want to shy away from Varun.”There will be questions asked, there will be a few eyebrows which will be raised. But I think as a team, you want to do certain things which can help you win games. As simple as that.”

Celtic are in Champions League action this evening as they prepare to welcome Kairat Almaty to Parkhead for the first leg of their play-off clash.

The Hoops have already won their first three competitive matches of the campaign, beating Aberdeen and St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership and Falkirk in the League Cup.

Irrespective of those results and whatever happens in the match this evening, Brendan Rodgers will want more recruits in the building to bolster the squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

It is fairly obvious that the Scottish giants are short in the wide areas. They have lost Jota to a long-term ACL injury and sold Nicolas Kuhn to Como, yet they have yet to bring in a winger.

At this moment in time, Daizen Maeda is the only natural left winger in the squad, and James Forrest and Hyun-jun Yang are the only right wingers in the group. This highlights the need for reinforcements in those positions.

There should also be a concern over the quality of the options in the wide areas as it stands, as neither of Celtic’s right wingers have shown that they can deliver consistently.

Why Celtic need a new right winger

In the 2024/25 campaign, Kuhn racked up an eye-catching haul of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops on the right flank, per Transfermarkt.

The German forward provided a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals, cutting in from the right to cause havoc on his favoured left foot week-in-week-out.

Unfortunately, Forrest and Yang do not look very likely to replicate that level of output at the top end of the pitch for the Premiership champions, when you consider their performances last season and in the first few games of the current campaign.

Neither player has registered a goal or an assist in the opening three games of this season in all competitions, and they will be hoping to change that in this evening’s Champions League match.

They also both struggled to deliver consistent performances in the final third in the 2024/25 Premiership campaign, as it took Forrest until the final moments of the last league game of the season against St Mirren to grab his only goal.

24/25 Premiership	Hyun-jun Yang	James Forrest
Apearances	23	23
Goals	5	1
Minutes per goal	196	911
Big chances missed	5	4
Big chances created	3	5
Key passes per game	0.8	1.1
Assists	2	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Yang and Forrest combined for six goals and seven assists in 46 appearances between them in the top-flight, which is far from an impressive return in comparison to what Kuhn produced.

This is why Celtic need to bring in a player who can offer more quality in that position this season, and they are reportedly keen on a star who would fit the bill.

Celtic have interest in Eredivisie forward

According to Voetbal Zone, Celtic have a ‘serious’ interest in Feyenoord’s right-sided attacker Calvin Stengs, as they look to bolster their options out wide.

The report claims, though, that they have yet to make an approach to the Eredivisie side to discuss a potential transfer fee for the Netherlands international.

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It adds that there are doubts over his injury history, after he missed 35 games through injury last season, per Transfermarkt, and that it remains to be seen how much money it will take to convince Feyenoord to cash in on him.

MLS side Charlotte FC, home to former Hoops star Liel Abada, were reportedly set to sign Stengs for a fee of £6.4m last summer before the player turned them down, which offers an insight into the kind of fee it could take.

It was recently reported that Celtic have made contact with the Feyenoord star’s representatives to speak about a possible move, and this latest report from the Netherlands shows that they are serious about bringing the player to Glasgow before the end of the window.

Why Celtic should sign Calvin Stengs

The Hoops should now be pushing to reach an agreement with Feyenoord to land the left-footed star because he could arrive as the big upgrade on Yang that Rodgers needs for the 2025/26 campaign.

As aforementioned, the South Korea international has yet to prove that he can deliver consistent quality in the final third, which is why he may not be suited to starting week-in-week-out for the Hoops. Forrest, meanwhile, should be expected to be a back-up option at the age of 34, as he is now in the latter stages of his career.

Stengs, meanwhile, has previously shown that he has what it takes to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch from a right wing position, although he missed most of last season through injury.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the Dutch magician showed what he is about with a return of eight goals and 17 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

23/24 Eredivisie	Calvin Stengs
Appearances	29
xG	5.22
Goals	6
Big chances created	13
xA	8.59
Key passes per game	2.5
Assists	12
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Stengs was an incredibly creative star for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie that term, whilst also finishing the chances that came his way efficiently.

Meanwhile, Yang has only created nine ‘big chances’ and assisted six goals in 58 appearances in the Premiership and the Champions League combined in the last two seasons, per Sofascore, which suggests that Celtic would significantly improve the creativity in their side with this potential transfer.

Stengs, who was described as a “flamboyant” winger by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has shown that he can provide consistent quality in front of goal when fit, which is why he could be an excellent addition to the team.

Of course, his aforementioned injury issues are a concern. However, if Celtic believe that he has overcome those problems and will be available most weeks, the 26-year-old star would arrive as a big upgrade on Yang from a quality perspective.

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This is why the Premiership giants should be pushing to get a deal done for Stengs, who scored against Celtic in 2023, because he has the potential to solve their problem on the right flank.

Tottenham remain in the market for key additions before deadline day on September 1, with the clock against Daniel Levy who has just five days to make three major signings for Spurs.

Thomas Frank has made an excellent start to life in his first ever job managing one of the Premier League big six, overseeing impressive wins against Burnley and Man City with a hamstrung squad.

However, the new manager bounce is unlikely to continue indefinitely, and it is inevitable that Spurs will suffer new injuries amid their task of competing on four different fronts.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are two big attacking absentees for Frank, and it was made worse by club legend Son Heung-min’s departure to the MLS. Radu Dragusin also won’t be back for a while, meaning Tottenham would ideally like to sign a new centre-back, number 10 and winger in the next few days (Sky Sports).

Of course, with time against the Lilywhites, this could change, and their main priority right now is bringing in a playmaker.

This has resulted in Tottenham now making a last-gasp attempt to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, and they could hijack Chelsea in the process after their lengthy talks for the Dutchman.

Credible reports suggest that Simons is open to joining Tottenham, despite reportedly agreeing personal terms with Chelsea, so a north London leapfrog in the race for his signature is very much alive.

The former PSR sensation is in London right now amid Spurs and Chelsea’s race to sign him, with talks ongoing behind-the-scenes as a late battle ensues.

In terms of their wide targets, a player they’ve been struggling to land thus far is Man City winger Savinho.

The Brazil international was subject to a £42 million bid from Spurs, which was rejected out of hand, and Frank’s side were reportedly prepared to make another bid closer to the £60 million mark.

However, City are clear – Savinho is not for sale.

This has resulted in Tottenham being forced to go back to square one in pursuit of a Son replacement, but Savinho himself hasn’t exactly thrown the towel in.

Savinho "really" wants to join Tottenham and hopes for Man City deal

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The former La Liga forward, who City value at £69m, was a key member of the Girona side that surprisingly challenged for a 23/24 title, with Savinho also registering 13 assists in all competitions for City last season.

He hasn’t been able to feature so far this term due to injury, but Pep Guardiola believes he is an extraordinary player.

Antonio Conte has warned Kevin De Bruyne that he will not escape punishment if he has another angry reaction to being substituted after the Napoli playmaker was taken off in the weekend's 2-1 loss to AC Milan. The Italian coach insists the issue has been resolved as he insisted his sentiments were aimed at the entire squad.

The Substitution and loss to Milan

De Bruyne scored Napoli’s only goal in their 2-1 defeat to Milan on Sunday. With Milan reduced to 10 men following Pervis Estupinan’s red card, Napoli were expected to push for an equaliser, with De Bruyne’s experience potentially proving crucial. However, in a surprising decision, Conte substituted De Bruyne for Eljero Elmas in the 72nd minute, leaving the Belgian visibly frustrated as he appeared to express his dissatisfaction toward Conte from the dugout. The player's reaction earned a warning from the Italian coach

AdvertisementAFPConte's clarification to Sky Sport

In an interview with , Conte said that corrective measures were taken and mistakes once made will not be repeated: “It's not a question of a specific player's situation. Those who know me know very well what my views are on management, on certain behaviours that should be adopted. Sometimes those who don't know me make mistakes. It's up to me to correct the situation, to reiterate certain concepts to the entire group, so that once you give it a try, the second time you don't.”

Conte's message to the group

According to , Conte did not address De Bruyne privately but spoke to him as part of the group of players present at training on Monday. He reiterated that the team is always bigger than any individual and that certain behaviours will not be tolerated twice. Conte emphasised that a player of De Bruyne’s experience should serve as a model for others in the dressing room, and that incidents like this, which happen in the heat of the moment, should remain isolated.

Conte faced a similar situation during his time at Inter when Lautaro Martinez showed displeasure after being substituted. In that case, the squad acted as peacemakers, even organising a mock boxing match between Conte and Lautaro to humorously resolve their differences.

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Travis Head top-scored with 47 for SRH

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2025

Shardul Thakur celebrates a wicket with Ravi Bishnoi•Associated Press

Many expected Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to post the first 300-plus total of the IPL, and that was not without reason. SRH had posted 286 for 6 in their previous game and LSG were missing a couple of first-choice seamers.Forget 300, SRH could not even post 200. They finished their innings on 190 for 9 as Shardul Thakur picked up 4 for 34, his best figures in the IPL. Mind you, it’s still a big total.After Rishabh Pant put SRH in, Shardul dismissed Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan off successive balls in the third over of the innings. Abhishek pulled a short ball down the throat of deep square leg, while Kishan was caught down the leg side.Head tried to put the pressure back on LSG with two sixes and a four off Avesh Khan in the next over. In the last over of the powerplay, he tried to take on Ravi Bishnoi but ended up skying a slog sweep towards long-on where Nicholas Pooran put him down. Later in the over, Bishnoi himself failed to latch on to a tough return catch.Head was on 35 at the time of the first drop but it cost LSG only 12 as Prince Yadav made a mess of Head’s stumps soon after for his first wicket in the IPL. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen took the side past 100 in the 11th over before Klaasen was run out in a bizarre fashion. Nitish hit a full toss from Prince to the bowler’s left. Prince went for the catch but ended up dropping it. The ball, though, ricocheted onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Klaasen well outside his crease. Soon after, Bishnoi castled Nitish for 32 off 28, leaving SRH in a spot of bother.Aniket Verma smashed Bishnoi for two back-to-back sixes before repeating the feat against Digvesh Rathi in the following over but he fell for 36 off 13 on the last ball of the 16th over. Two balls later, Abhinav Manohar holed out to deep point off Shardul.Pat Cummins went 6, 6, 6 on the first three balls he faced before getting out on the fourth. But only ten runs came from the last two overs.

Win at Turf Moor and Liverpool remain in pole position four matches into the Premier League campaign. While it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, Arne Slot’s side have collected nine points from nine thus far.

Burnley might be newly promoted, but they gave Manchester United a tough game before the international break and won previously against Sunderland on home ground. But Slot’s Redmen are different beasts, and will expect to secure victory once again.

With an opening foray into the Champions League looming on Wednesday evening, when Liverpool will host Atletico Madrid, subtle rotation is to be expected, and Curtis Jones will play no part after picking up an injury in his last outing.

However, Jeremie Frimpong has returned to team training and will hope to challenge Dominik Szoboszlai, the hero two weeks back, for a starting berth at right-back.

There is also, of course, the anticipation of Alexander Isak’s arrival. Isak joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in a record-breaking deal on transfer deadline day, and many across the country will keep an eye on the striker’s potential debut.

However, the 25-year-old is likely to be benched, having played little football for several months. Hugo Ekitike will deputise in his stead, and Florian Wirtz will target the match as one which seems fit to get him up and running after his £116m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.

Why Liverpool should relocate Wirtz

Wirtz has so far played in a central role for Liverpool, standing proud of the deeper-lying midfielders and looking to weave together the different lines for Slot’s side. It’s been a steady start, but not the barnstorming introduction many anticipated after his British record move from Germany.

However, the 22-year-old is clearly one of the most talented footballers in the world. You can see it in the way he deftly touches the ball, you can see it in his snappy, seamless movements, his vision and artistry in creation.

But the opening games of Wirtz’s Premier League career left plenty to be desired, and Liverpool might find that their expensive recruit has more success in a wider berth, taking on defenders and creating and cutting inside and shooting.

Stats via Sofascore

Against Arsenal, improvements were made. Especially in the second half, Wirtz started to loosen up, moving with an ease of gait that gave rise to his fleet-footedness and ability to take on and beat his man.

Such skills are transferable, of course, not just limited to a central attacking midfield role. And for that reason, perhaps Liverpool might want to unleash Wirtz from a left-sided position this term, with £45m man, Cody Gakpo, shifting into the number nine spot that will soon become Isak’s.

Slot should unleash Gakpo in the Isak role

With Isak unlikely to start from the beginning at Burnley, Slot might fancy solving his Wirtz problem by fielding Gakpo in a more advanced attacking position, alongside Ekitike.

Then the German playmaker could shift out to the left, with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch working in the middle (should Szoboszlai reprise his right-back role, he could advance to the middle in possession, thus compacting the midfield).

Gakpo scored 18 goals across all competitions last season and is one of the most accurate shooters in the Premier League, with pundit Peter Crouch even remarking last year that he had “gone up a level” in Slot’s system.

Isak rocks the boat somewhat, and Liverpool’s forwards will be dished out varying degrees of match action across the season. Gakpo won’t start every match, but he should start here, against Burnley.

For much of August, Isak wandered across the cold tundra of footballing No Man’s Land, having rebelled at Newcastle and removed himself from Eddie Howe’s pre-season preparations. Many times did it seem that the Sweden international would be kept from his dream move to Merseyside.

But he’s here now, and Liverpool are much better for it. However, the fact that Slot has such strength in depth bears testament to FSG’s determination, and indeed the longer-spanning reach of their quiet tenacity, with Gakpo also a showcase in that regard.

Liverpool signed Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in late December 2022 after his exceptional performances with the Netherlands at the Qatar World Cup. Man United thought they were signing him, but Liverpool swooped and landed their man.

And he’s improved by the season, with a goal and two assists from three Premier League appearances this term, further evidence that Slot has created a version of the player who is capable of getting better and better.

Early though the term is, Gakpo has been a menace, with data from Sofascore revealing him to have averaged an absurdly high 9.3 duels across his top-flight fixtures so far, also making six key passes and all the while through a heat map that highlights a deeper starting point than was typical last season.

And what does that mean? Well, Wirtz’s involvement is likely a defining factor. Last year, Szoboszlai played a more industrious role from number ten than the German, working overtime to pack energy and initiative into Slot’s hard-working team.

Wirtz is a more advanced player, flashier and full of flair. Liverpool are recalibrating. Lopsidedness and unfluent motions have been pinpoints of criticism for the Reds across their opening matches, and yet they have nine points from nine. They stand atop the pile and have beaten Arsenal and Newcastle and Bournemouth.

Perhaps moving Wirtz out wide, where he has played and starred before, would help this imperious outfit hit an even stronger stride. Gakpo, after all, is a natural goalscorer and would still be able to work from outside to in in a duel-striking role with Ekitike.

Attacking midfield

163

48 (55)

Centre-forward

15

7 (7)

Right winger

11

4 (3)

Left winger

9

2 (3)

Central midfield

5

0 (3)

Has Slot envisaged such a scenario? It certainly seems likely, else why would Liverpool have broken the bank for forwards such as Isak and Ekitike?

When fitness permits, Isak will play many matches from the number nine berth, leading the line for Liverpool. There he will score goals in their droves, adding not just goalscoring potency but a unique take on the centre-forward’s craft.

However, with Ekitike firing on all cylinders and Isak in need of soft integration for the time being, Liverpool might want to avoid throwing caution to the wind, especially when someone like Gakpo would be ready to stand in and help shape a new system.

The Dutchman is his own player; he is not Isak. Gakpo would not play Isak’s positional role in mimicry, but offer his own take, thus allowing Slot to create a new style from which multiple players can settle into the same seat and keep it all afloat.

To put it all in a nutshell: Liverpool are rather good, and have so many different ways to achieve their title-winning ambitions.

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