Another Diangana situation is quickly emerging at West Brom

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Can West Bromwich Albion morph into genuine promotion contenders under Ryan Mason?

At the moment, Mason’s Baggies are wildly inconsistent in the Championship, with a middle-of-the-road finish looking likely if they can’t string together a consistent run of victories sooner rather than later.

The jam-packed December fixture schedule to come will be a big test as to whether West Brom can push up the league, or whether they will have to make do with Championship action for yet another season, having now been outside the Premier League since the close of the 2020/21 campaign.

Whatever does happen, West Brom still have several first-team players out of contract come next June, with West Brom veterans such as Jed Wallace and Josh Maja both at risk of walking away for nothing.

This isn’t new ground for the second-tier outfit, though, with Grady Diangana bringing his up-and-down Baggies career to a close this summer, when his deal expired.

Why Diangana was allowed to leave West Brom

Once upon a time, Diangana would cost West Brom a startling £18m to get through the door from West Ham United.

He demanded such a lavish fee back in the summer of 2020, too, having instantly stood out in the Championship for his new West Midlands employers, with his gung-ho performances in attack.

In total, the Congolese forward would chip in with a sturdy 26 goals and 22 assists from 202 appearances, with Carlos Corberan regularly relying on the magic of his former number 11 when his past Baggies sides were challenging for promotion.

Yet, after mustering up a standout 15 goal contributions under Corberan during West Brom’s promotion near-miss season of 2023/24 , it all began to become a bit pear-shaped for the ex-Hammers winger at the Hawthorns.

Indeed, last season saw Diangana bow out from West Brom as a bit-part figure, with only 14 starts coming his way across a campaign that saw the Baggies fall drastically short of the top six.

With the 27-year-old also reluctant to pen a fresh deal, it was, therefore, agreed that Diangana would walk away from his long-established home, bringing his extensive association with the club to a sad end.

In the here and now, with more contract situations up in the air at the Championship outfit, Mason could have a new Diangana situation unfolding.

West Brom star could be another Diangana

In a summer that saw some of the old guard, such as Diangana leave the building, Mason was also given the appropriate tools to instil some fresh blood into his ranks, with Aune Heggebo already up to six Championship goals for the season, after making the move to England from Brann.

While Mason will be impressed with the current goalscoring exploits of his Nordic recruit, he also has many relics from Corberan’s West Brom past still in his starting XI, with Karlan Grant managing to get minutes here and there under the new regime.

Much like Diangana before him, Grant was once seen as an eye-catching capture when the West Midlands outfit were regularly flirting between the Championship and the Premier League, with £15m dropped on his services in 2020.

In a similar fashion to his former attacking teammate, too, Grant became known as an explosive attacking talent in the EFL’s elite league during the early years of his Baggies career, with pundit Carlton Palmer also praising him for his versatile” edge, even when things weren’t always going his way under Corberan.

Grant’s league numbers at West Brom under Mason

Stat

Grant

Games played

12

Games started

6

Average minutes

54 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Stats by Sofascore

Yet, even with 31 goals and ten assists under his belt from 158 total contests, it does look as if the plug will be pulled soon on the number ten’s bumper Hawthorns stay, when you consider he has zero goals or assists from 12 outings under Mason.

With his contract also set to expire this approaching June, it does feel as if it’s a move that suits all parties for his deal to run out without a renewal coming his way, as his past best looks to be far beyond him.

He could, of course, still manage to chip in with a goal or assist this season, having collected seven goals across all of last campaign from inconsistent starting opportunities.

But, with Mason now infrequently starting him this campaign amid poor performances, he is unlikely to want to keep him around, whatever division West Brom end up in when contract renewals pop back up.

Mason must now bin West Brom star who earns more than Heggebo & Johnston

Ryan Mason must now axe this West Bromwich Albion high earner for good.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 26, 2025

'Job's far from done' – Conrad eyes series win

by csb10.top Uncategorized

South Africa have (again) proved to themselves that they can “mix it with the best” after winning their first Test in India in 15 years, in conditions they described as providing “a different experience” to what they are used to.Careful to stress that he doesn’t “have a problem with wickets like this”, South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad preferred to focus on what it meant to have triumphed over both the surface and the opposition. “There was prodigious turn, and the Indian quartet of spinners just don’t give you anything. You throw Jasprit [Bumrah] in there with a new ball and when it starts reverse-swinging, both him and [Mohammed] Siraj are obviously world-class,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “It makes our victory even sweeter that we were able to contend with all of that and come out on top. It gives you a belief that you can mix it with the best and do special things.”That South Africa, who are the current World Test Champions, feel the need to justify their abilities or defend their success may seem strange, but it is because they are not regarded in the same terms as other successful teams on the circuit. Not by themselves and not by others.Related

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Conversations about the best Test batters centre around Joe Root, Steven Smith and Shubman Gill, even though Temba Bavuma averages over 50 as captain. Though Kagiso Rabada does crop up in the same discussions on bowlers, Bumrah and Pat Cummins are usually top of mind. As for South Africa’s spinners? Nobody dreams of mentioning them in the same breath as Nathan Lyon, and that’s because they don’t have the same consistency in success.There is also the reality that the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar and the Anderson-Tendulkar trophies make more headlines than a contest involving South Africa. Perhaps for as long as the Big Three exist, South Africa will be the outside, noses pressed against the window, but now, they are leaving a print that cannot be ignored. “Whilst we might not have the ability that a lot of teams have, or we haven’t tapped that ability yet, what we lack in that, we certainly make up for in our ability to play as a unit and the resilience we show,” Conrad said. “We never give up.”South Africa’s determination to stay in games has seen them do some remarkable things over the last year, like post a match-winning ninth-wicket stand in the Boxing Day Test last year, complete the joint-second-highest successful chase at Lord’s and come back from defeat in Lahore to beat Pakistan in Rawalpindi. It also saw them go from conceding a 30-run first innings deficit to winning this Kolkata Test by the same margin and ensuring they cannot lose the series. The win means Bavuma is unbeaten in 11 Tests as captain – and South Africa have won ten of those – and Conrad, with a first-choice squad available to him, has not (and will not, irrespective of what happens in the second Test) lost a series.Temba Bavuma and Shukri Conrad hug after the game•AFP/Getty Images

Conrad has also chalked up a series of firsts. After overseeing South Africa’s first series win in the subcontinent in a decade (in Bangladesh last year), Conrad has now presided over their first win in Pakistan in 18 years and India in 15 years, which he rates as highly as their World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord’s.”This was right up there for us. Coming to India, playing at Eden Gardens, doing something we haven’t done for 15 years, this is right up there,” Conrad said. “We won a Test match in Pakistan, we’ve now won a Test match here but the job’s far from done. You don’t come to a country to win a Test match, you obviously want to win the series.”South Africa have not won a series in India since 2000, and that is the only one they have won out of seven, but they have every reason to believe they can add to that after “finding a way”, as Conrad puts it, in difficult conditions in Kolkata. “I’m so proud of the group in terms of the belief that they’ve got and how they pull together as a unit. It will do wonders for our psyche and it will do wonders for us going forward.”In what became a fight for batting survival, South Africa – and Bavuma, in particular – had more staying power than their opponents. There was also a battle of skill and without Rabada, who has a rib issue, South Africa’s attack, especially Simon Harmer, showed guile and grit to keep them in the contest. Harmer’s performance, both in this match and in Pakistan last month, also marks a turning point for how South Africa’s spin stocks could stack up in future. “Youngsters can now see there’s a line of sight that we’re keen on spinners as well,” Conrad said. “We’re not only a fast-bowling country.”Simon Harmer picked up eight wickets in the Test•BCCI

There is no word on whether Rabada will be available for the second Test and it seems the decision will be, at least in part, left to him as was the case in this match. Rabada was injured in training on Tuesday but only ruled out on Friday morning when he felt discomfort during a fitness test. “We wanted to give him the best chance of being ready, so we gave it up until the morning and when KG tells you ‘I’m not ready’, then you better believe him,” Conrad said. “It makes it so much sweeter that someone that we know can make a huge impact on the game is ruled out and we could still win.”Then he reeled it back in. “It’s important we stay nice and humble and not get too carried away with this. We want to create an environment and a belief in the side that they shouldn’t be surprised when they do certain things. They shouldn’t be surprised when you come to India and beat them. It’s tough. And it’s a massive achievement, but this is what we’re able to do.”The secret to how they did it is that there is no secret: they’re just being themselves.”We’ve really tried to create an environment where, with South Africa being a diverse country with diverse cultures, this change room embraces all of it,” Conrad said. “We’ve allowed players to be exactly who they are and do things how they want to do things. Obviously, we operate with a set of norms and ethics and values as to what’s expected of an elite side and a high-performance side but it’s like a bunch of mates that are playing together. They don’t give up. They practise hard. They’ll party hard. And more importantly, we’ve just allowed a culture to develop organically. I don’t think there’s a recipe or a magic wand. All you can ever ask of a team is to fight for every run and stay in the battle. And I think this side does that.”

The other Kerr: how a New Zealand allrounder is emerging from her younger sister's shadow

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A former top runner, Jess Kerr has repeatedly won battles against illness to fulfil her cricket dream

Deivarayan Muthu22-Sep-2025Jess Kerr never gives up. Both on field and off it.The 27-year-old seam-bowling allrounder has overcome a number of medical problems to become a New Zealand international. Growing up in the Wellington suburb of Tawa, she broke age-group records as a runner. She won the 800m and 1500m gold medals at the Colgate Games athletic championships for seven-to-14-year-olds in New Zealand, but then compartment syndrome in her legs halted her running career.When she was nine, she was suffered a bout of Bell’s palsy, which causes temporary weakness or paralysis on one side of the face. Later, when she entered her teens, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.Related

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New Zealand Women begin World Cup prep with Chennai camp

If not for her courage and resilience, Kerr would have been lost to sport. She had to let go of her dream of becoming a runner, but she took to cricket, following in the footsteps of her younger sister, Amelia Kerr, who she calls her “older sister/mentor” on the field.Cricket was in the girls’ DNA. Their father Robbie and mother Johanna represented Wellington, while their grandfather Bruce Murray played 13 Tests for New Zealand.”Growing up, Melie was the cricket prodigy and I was known as the running girl in Tawa,” Kerr says on a sidelines of a preparatory camp in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup, at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Chennai last month. “So that was always a dream of mine – to go as far as I could with that, and from a young age I was training every day with running.”Being diabetic and an athlete has its challenges. You’re constantly trying to make decisions. So, often before a game, I’m checking my levels, trying to predict how that will go in the future. But I think sport sort of saved me and has been my outlet. To be able to represent my country, despite having those things, that’s been a real saviour for me. So I’m just grateful that’s not sort of stopped me from doing what I love.”Kerr bats in the 2022 ODI World Cup•Getty ImagesBoth sisters won the T20 World Cup with New Zealand in Dubai last year, and came home to a rousing reception. They now have a shot at adding the ODI World Cup trophy to their T20 World Cup title.”The four of us White Ferns [Amelia, Jess, Sophie Devine, Georgia Plimmer] are living in Tawa, so to be able to visit our old school [during the trophy tour] where it all started was really awesome,” Kerr says. “The support we get in the Basin [Reserve] throughout the summer is amazing, so to celebrate with those back home who were watching us was just very surreal.”I think there’s something really special about 50-over World Cups – they obviously don’t come around as quickly. And to be able to play in India, too, where it’s a celebrated sport… so we are all really hungry and want to go as far as we can. We have been working really hard on all areas of the game, and yeah, to think it’s sort of coming a bit closer now is really exciting.”Kerr played just one game in last year’s T20 World Cup, but has certainly strengthened her all-round credentials ahead of the upcoming ODI tournament. In the 2024-25 Super Smash, New Zealand’s premier T20 competition, she reinvented her batting, scoring 326 runs in 11 innings at an average of 36.22 and strike rate of nearly 120, in Wellington Blaze’s run to the title. Only Amelia scored more runs in the tournament.

More recently at the Super Kings Academy, Kerr gave it a good whack against competitive bowlers, including India legspinner Asha Sobhana. She has always had the power – having played as a pinch-hitter in the past – and now she has learnt how to harness it.”I’m grateful for Cricket Wellington and the opportunity I got with the Blaze over the summer,” she says. “Just getting the opportunity to bat a bit higher and bat longer, and luckily had some performances go my way. I sort of learnt how to construct innings and now to try and do that at the international level and to be here in a batting camp is pretty special. Hopefully I can continue to develop that aspect of my game.”Ben Sawyer, the New Zealand head coach who travelled to Chennai to oversee the team’s prep, was impressed with Kerr’s progress as a batter. “She was obviously disappointed that she didn’t get to play in all the games [in the 2024 T20 World Cup] and in particular that final,” he says. “But we [team management] spoke to Jess about maybe [how] her batting could be a way into the team.”And to Jess’s credit, she worked really hard and put in huge performances in the Super Smash. She’s probably forced her way into the batting line-up, not to mention what she does with the ball. But credit goes to her for hearing a message, going away and working on it and then putting that into practice and getting the results in Super Smash.”Kerr’s bowling, of course, is her primary skill, and though pitches in India will likely favour spin more, she seems to have a reference point for what to do in these conditions. When New Zealand toured India for three ODIs late last year, she was their highest wicket-taker, with five strikes, despite sitting out one game.Sister act: the Kerrs after last year’s T20 World Cup title win•ICC/Getty Images”[Keeping the stumps in play] for as long as possible is going to be important in India, and I think we’ve seen that change of pace is of huge value as well,” she says. “So that’s something I’m always sort of wanting to work on, but I think just being as consistent as I can be with every delivery I bowl – that’s going to be of huge value for the team.”Kerr also wears another hat off the field – she teaches in the classrooms of Tawa Intermediate in Wellington, which she sees as an opportunity to give back to the community. “My family is also full of teachers, so I grew up around that, and it brings joy to give back to the community and all that,” she says. “I’m grateful for it as it’s given me a sense of the real world and grateful that I have come across people from those two jobs [teaching and cricket] as well.”Melie was a teacher’s aide, actually, when I was a teacher as well, so sometimes I got her to help with my math teaching when I was there; she’d take some of my kids out for a math lesson.”Who is the more popular White Fern in the Kerr extended family?”Ooh, tough question… Melie’s sort of won the boys’ support, and then I feel like the girls are a bit biased towards me,” Kerr laughs. “So I feel like each one probably has their favourites, but yeah, being the oldest maybe there’s a little bit of bias towards me. But who knows?”The loyalties won’t be divided for long as the Kerrs unite in India for ODI World Cup glory. Given the older sister’s development, she could now be a regular in the side and perhaps win another title, this time as a playing member. Who knows?

Stats – Kohli with back-to-back tons again; SA ace record chase

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Stats highlights from Raipur, where India racked up 358 for 5 against South Africa

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Dec-2025358 for 5 India’s total in the second ODI in Raipur, which is their second-highest total against South Africa, behind the 401 for 3 in Gwalior in 2010. India’s 349 for 8 in Ranchi in the previous match is now their third-highest.195 Partnership runs for the third wicket between Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. It is the highest partnership for any wicket for India against South Africa in men’s ODIs, going a run ahead of the 194-run stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik for the second wicket in Gwalior in 2010.Related

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  • Hardik back in India's T20I squad for South Africa, Gill to play subject to fitness

It is also the highest third-wicket partnership by any pair against South Africa in ODIs, bettering the 189-run stand between Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in Durban in 2018.11 Instances of Kohli scoring back-to-back hundreds in ODI cricket, easily the most by any batter. AB de Villiers is next on the list with six instances of hundreds in back-to-back innings.77 Balls Ruturaj needed to complete his hundred, the second-fastest for India in ODIs against South Africa, behind only Yusuf Pathan’s 68-ball effort in Centurion in 2011. The previous quickest at home was off 80 balls by Sanjay Manjrekar in New Delhi in 1991.ESPNcricinfo Ltd7 ODI hundreds for Kohli against South Africa; two more than any other batter. He has scored four hundreds in his last five ODI innings at home against South Africa, including three in his previous three outings.34 Venues where Kohli has scored an ODI hundred, with Raipur being the latest entry to that list. Tendulkar also scored ODI tons at 34 different venues.17 Hundreds in List A cricket for Ruturaj before scoring his maiden ODI hundred on Wednesday, the most for a batter at the time of their maiden ODI ton. Matthew Hayden’s maiden ODI hundred came in 2001 against India, after scoring 16 in List A. A total of 13 others have 17 or more List A hundreds without scoring one in ODIs to date.

33 Number of 150-plus stands featuring Kohli in ODIs, the most by any batter, going past Tendulkar, who was involved in 32 of them. Ruturaj was Kohli’s 14th partner with whom he has shared a 150-plus stand in this format.3 Instances of two batters scoring hundreds for India in a men’s ODI against South Africa. Ravi Shastri and Manjrekar at New Delhi in 1991 and Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly at Johannesburg in 2001 were the previous instances.Overall, this was the 44th instance where two Indian batters scored centuries in the same innings in men’s ODIs, but the first since Kohli and Shreyas Iyer managed it against New Zealand at Wankhede in the 2023 World Cup.Matthew Breetzke celebrates his fifty•Getty Images359 Target that South Africa chased down in Raipur, which is the joint-highest successful target chase against India in ODIs. Australia also won chasing a target of 359 against India in Mohali in 2019.It is also the joint-sixth highest successful target chase in ODI cricket and joint-second on Indian soil, only behind India’s 360-run chase against Australia in 2013 in Jaipur.3 Number of successful chases of 350-plus targets by South Africa in ODI cricket, including the top two highest chases ever. India and England also have three successful 350-plus chases in ODIs.720 Runs scored by India and South Africa in Raipur, making it the highest aggregate for an ODI match between the two teams, going past the 681 runs they scored in the previous game in Ranchi.The aggregate of 1401 runs in this series so far is the fourth-highest across the first two matches of a bilateral ODI series.7 Fifty-plus scores for Matthew Breetzke in 11 ODI innings. These are the most fifty-plus scores for any batter in men’s ODIs after 11 innings, alongside Sherfane Rutherford. Breetzke has 682 runs so far, the most in the first 11 ODI innings, going past Kevin Pietersen, who scored 668 runs.2 Number of bilateral ODI series where both teams made 330-plus totals in the first two matches. India hosted the previous such series in 2017, when both India and England went past 350 in the first two matches.4 Hundreds for Aiden Markram in ODI cricket; all have come since the start of 2023. Only Quinton de Kock (5) scored more centuries for South Africa in men’s ODIs in this period. All four centuries by Markram have been brought up in less than 90 balls, and his hundred against India was his first in a chase.

Bancroft, Green keep WA afloat against Queensland

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Neser and Bartlett impress with the ball on a day when Abbott was withdrawn from the Ashes squad

Tristan Lavalette12-Nov-2025
Michael Neser and Xavier Bartlett bowled with trademark accuracy on a day where Australia’s fringe quicks were in the spotlight. But wickets were hard to produce on a relatively sedate WACA surface as Cameron Green batted fluently to keep Western Australia afloat against Queensland.On a dramatic day in Australian cricket, Sean Abbott was withdrawn from the Ashes squad after scans on his left hamstring confirmed a moderate grade strain. If a replacement for Abbott is needed for the first Test squad, Neser would likely head the queue while Bartlett might also come under consideration.Neser probed away outside the off stump and was finally rewarded when he had Hilton Cartwright plumb lbw for 37. He finished with 1 for 37 from 15 overs. Even though he was wicketless, Bartlett similarly nagged away in his Shield season debut having played in the white-ball series against India.”You can’t look at those things too much,” Bartlett said about a potential Ashes squad call-up. “Hopefully perform for Queensland over the next couple of days and that’s all you can really do.”Related

  • Hazlewood cleared of injury, Abbott out of first Test after hamstring scans

WA were held together by opener Cameron Bancroft’s 76 and then Green, who finished 49 not out, until losing three late wickets.Josh Inglis, the reserve wicketkeeper in the Ashes squad, fell for 4 just before stumps after edging quick Gurinder Sandhu to second slip in a reckless dismissal having slashed hard at a delivery well outside off stump. It was a disappointment for Inglis in his first red-ball match since the West Indies Test series.Queensland’s late rally has them slightly in the ascendancy in a match that has see-sawed over two days.After a hard-fought opening day, Queensland resumed on 323 for 6 and faced a WA attack without the services of Green, who bowled two four-over spells on day one in his return to bowling following a side injury that ruled him out of the India ODI series.With a target of bowling 15-20 overs across the match, Green kept the powder dry until Queensland’s second innings but he was in the action after holding on to a stinging blow from Bartlett at midwicket.It was a relief for Green, who had uncharacteristically dropped a relatively straightforward chance in the gully late on day one. It was a desperately needed wicket for WA after Bartlett and Lachlan Hearne counterattacked to great effect to lift Queensland to a solid first-innings total.A cavalier Hearne appeared to be powering to a second century in as many Shield matches until being the last batter to fall for 87 off 134 balls.Michael Neser trapped Hilton Cartwright lbw for 37•Getty Images

Bancroft and skipper Sam Whiteman had to survive a testing period before lunch as Neser and Bartlett bowled an unnerving length outside the off stump. A confidence-boosting century against South Australia in the last match has rejuvenated Bancroft, who was again proactive and cleverly rotated the strike with quick singles.The openers were again under pressure after lunch, but Neser and Bartlett were left frustrated and could not create any clear cut opportunities as Whiteman and Bancroft notched a half-century stand.Skipper Marnus Labuschagne needed a spark and he turned to emerging quick Tom Whitney, playing in his fourth first-class match, who responded by trapping Whiteman for 26.Whitney on the next delivery had a big lbw shout against Cartwright turned down, but Bancroft steadied WA with calm batting punctuated by the occasional sweet drive through the off side.Bancroft had started the season slowly with just 21 runs from his first four innings, falling out of the Ashes selection race. But he has turned back the clock since and soon lifted his bat after notching a classy half-century.Neser’s luck changed after tea when he dismissed Cartwright before Bancroft uncharacteristically threw his wicket away after smashing a full toss from legspinner Mitchell Swepson straight to a jubilant Labuschagne at midwicket.But Green rattled along at swift pace. He was ruthless against Swepson, smashing a rank long hop that landed on the vacant grassbanks.Disaster struck for WA late in the day when Cooper Connolly was run-out at the bowler’s end after a mix-up with Green. Connolly had turned for the second run only to be sent back as a hustling Labuschagne fired a quick throw to Sandhu who effected the run-out.

Why Cole Palmer is set to miss Chelsea's Champions League clash with Atalanta having just made injury return – explained

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Cole Palmer is set to miss Chelsea’s Champions League trip to Atalanta despite only just returning from injury, with the Blues opting for a carefully controlled recovery plan after his long spell on the sidelines. The midfielder was absent from training at Cobham ahead of the flight to Italy, but his omission is precautionary rather than due to any new physical setback.

Palmer misses Chelsea training ahead of Atalanta

Chelsea finalised their preparations for Tuesday night’s Champions League meeting with Atalanta during an open training session, but Palmer was notably absent. His exclusion from the squad travelling to Bergamo is not related to a fresh issue, but instead part of a pre-planned recovery schedule after weeks out with a recurring groin problem and a fractured toe, as per various reports. Having only just made his first start since September in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, the medical staff opted to ease his workload to prevent aggravation.

The England attacker's recent return has been closely monitored, beginning with a 30-minute cameo in last week’s defeat to Leeds before starting against Bournemouth at the weekend. Chelsea want to avoid overloading him, especially given the two-month gap between competitive starts, and viewed the Atalanta fixture as one that could be safely skipped. Palmer is expected to resume full involvement ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Everton at Stamford Bridge.

With Palmer not featuring in training, the door opens for alternative No.10 options, including Facundo Buonanotte, who did take part in the session. The Brighton loanee has played only sporadically under Enzo Maresca but represents the most natural fit to replace Palmer behind the striker. Other creative attackers, such as Joao Pedro or Estevao Willian, may also be considered as Maresca reshuffles his forward structure.

AdvertisementAFPChelsea already contending with numerous injuries

Chelsea enter the Atalanta clash on 10 points, level with the Italian side, and know victory would go some way to helping them secure automatic qualification from the Champions League league phase. The Blues have shown signs of improvement in Europe, particularly during their convincing 3-0 win over Barcelona, but they remain inconsistent domestically as injuries continue to disrupt momentum.

The list of absentees is already significant, with Liam Delap out after sustaining a shoulder injury against Bournemouth and long-term casualties including Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, and Dario Essugo. Reece James may also be rested given Moises Caicedo’s return from suspension increases tactical flexibility.

Maresca has emphasised that building physical rhythm is essential for Palmer after missing more than two months of action. The Chelsea boss recently explained that the midfielder’s gradual increase in minutes is intended to stabilise his condition before restoring him as a permanent starter. With the Premier League schedule intensifying, the club’s sports science department is adamant that short-term caution will lead to long-term gain.

Palmer's disrupted season post Club World Cup

Palmer’s stop-start season has been defined by two separate injuries: the groin issue that first sidelined him in September and the fractured toe sustained in a freak accident at home. The latter setback delayed his planned comeback, leaving Chelsea without their chief creative outlet during a congested part of the calendar. His absence was felt sharply as the Blues struggled for goals and consistency, making his eventual return even more significant.

Despite missing 19 matches across competitions, Palmer remains central to Maresca’s tactical vision as the side’s primary playmaker. His performance in the No.10 role offers a unique blend of threat and creativity that few in the squad can replicate. That is precisely why the Blues are determined not to jeopardise his recovery by rushing him into high-intensity European matches too quickly.

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GettyPalmer to be ready for the Everton game

Palmer is expected to resume training in the coming days and is being prepared to start against Everton on Saturday. The Premier League fixture is viewed internally as the more important game for maintaining Chelsea’s domestic trajectory.

Looking further ahead, Palmer’s reintegration will be pivotal to Chelsea’s hopes in both Europe and the Premier League. If the club’s phased recovery plan succeeds, he should be able to return to the consistent match rhythm that makes him one of the most dangerous players on the planet on his day. A fully fit Palmer remains essential to Chelsea’s ambitions, and that is why missing Atalanta is seen as a necessary sacrifice rather than a setback.

Tests lost, India look to feel at home as ODIs against South Africa begin

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will remain in the spotlight while a big question remains on who replaces Shreyas Iyer in the middle order

Sidharth Monga29-Nov-20251:37

Saba Karim: ‘Expect Rohit, Kohli to do well in home series’

Big picture – India can’t be complacent despite recent dominance in ODIsWe can sometimes forget the unfortunate part injuries play in a team’s fortunes. India are now going into a third straight international match with a third different captain after Shubman Gill’s neck injury in the Kolkata Test forced him out of action following non-stop cricket for India’s newest three-format obsession. Their ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, is also out with a rib injury he sustained while taking a catch back in Australia.This format, though, is still the ideal sweet spot for India. Or at least this generation of players, up until the injured full-time captain and vice-captain. India have been dominant in ODIs, winning the last Asia Cup and the last Champions Trophy, and losing only the final in the last World Cup.Related

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South Africa prove they can win the hard way, anywhere

Watch out for Jaiswal's return, Bavuma and de Kock up top

Morkel: Gill is recovering well, Iyer has started rehab

However, they are careful not to be complacent because the next World Cup takes them to South Africa. So they are always going to be wondering if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will still be good to go in late 2027, how to find a seam-bowling allrounder, how to manage workloads. And this is the format teams play the least of.India’s opponents are nowhere near as dominant in ODIs in recent times but they will be riding the high of having beaten India 2-0 in the Tests. This is a rare full tour as nowadays home teams prefer to split Tests and shorter formats to allegedly maximise the earnings. However, all-format tours have their own charm of one side trying to dominate the other team completely and the other looking for some redemption in the other formats.Also, South Africa are closer to full strength now with the exception of Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. The return of Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma should add heft to their batting, and Keshav Maharaj should provide them the spin control they missed in Pakistan.These are just three ODIs and they will be forgotten quickly, what with more focus on T20Is right now, but they promise to be cracking contests while they last.Form guideIndia WLLWW
South Africa LWLLWMatthew Breetzke comes to India with a huge reputation to live up to•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlight: RoKo and Matthew BreetzkeKL Rahul will take over India’s leadership as the selectors have resisted the temptation to go back to Rohit Sharma, who returned to the ODIs, his only active international format, with a century in the third match against Australia. It is a clear sign that Rohit and Virat Kohli will forever remain under extra scrutiny just by the virtue of how old they will be by the World Cup in 2027.Matthew Breetzke comes to India with a big reputation to live up to. He is the only player to have scored 50 or more in each of his first five ODIs, and he averages 67.75 while playing the difficult role of batting in the middle order.Team news: Shubman Gill and Kagiso Rabada are outYashasvi Jaiswal should be the natural replacement for Gill at the top of the order with Ruturaj Gaikwad primed to take Iyer’s slot in the middle order. If Gaikwad gets the nod, Rishabh Pant, who is back in the squad, will struggle to make the starting XI because India will need two allrounders. It remains to be seen if one of those allrounders will be a seam bowler in Nitish Kumar Reddy. In Australia, they played all three while the series was live because they wanted batting depth. If they repeat the formation, all three will get in.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh Krishna1:09

Karim: An opportunity for Jaiswal ‘to cement his place’

Markram should slot back into the opening role, something South Africa have tried since the last World Cup where he batted at No. 4. Bavuma should take his No. 3 position.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Rubin Hermann, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditionsThis is only the sixth ODI Ranchi is hosting. There has been only one score of over 300, which was defended successfully, but chases of 270-280 haven’t quite been cakewalks either. The pitch generally is on the slower side; in the last ODI there, Washington Sundar opened the bowling for India. The weather will be perfect to play cricket in, but a lot will depend on dew. Without dew, batting first is not a bad shout in Ranchi.Stats and trivia Since 2006, India and South Africa have played ten bilateral ODI series against each other. The scoreline is 5-5. Bavuma needs 59 runs to become only the 22nd South Africa player to score 2000 ODI runs.Quotes”Rutu, obviously, is a top-class player. We have all seen it. With whatever opportunities, limited opportunities he has got [with India], he has really utilised it and shown what he can do. Unfortunately, in ODI cricket, the top six or top five is quite settled. And they are performing really well.”
“When you add those two names to the line-up, we expect to see a full house tomorrow and that’s exciting. I think obviously two vastly experienced and dangerous players and they can cause a lot of damage to us, but we tend to try to focus on what sort of damage we can cause the opposition.”

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