Category Uncategorized

Liverpool need to put their troubles to rights this month.

You might say that Arne Slot has reached a critical juncture in his Anfield tenure, having spearheaded a nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions after losing nine of 12 beforehand.

However, the mood is still sour, with Reds supporters discontented by the Premier League champions’ absence of identity and colour in their playing style.

It can’t go on like this, so FSG may want to make a change or two in the January transfer window, with persistent defensive struggles calling for a centre-back to ease the burden on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool plan to sign defender in 2026

It’s clear that Liverpool need more depth across a range of areas, even after spending a record-breaking £450m on new recruits during the summer transfer window.

Long-term planning has already been advanced, with a deal agreed for Austrian teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who is considered one of the brightest young defensive prospects in the world.

But Ndukwe is not going to be ready for the big time for quite a while yet. Liverpool, with Van Dijk ageing and Konate unconvincing, need instant relief.

Well, according to BBC transfer reporter Sami Mokbel, Liverpool have been issued a sobering reality check in their long-standing bid to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, with Manchester City now ready to strike this month after injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

Liverpool have what is described as a strong interest, but they would prefer to land the 25-year-old on a free transfer at the end of the year.

Guehi has emerged as one of the best defenders in the Premier League over the past several years, and it’s felt that Eagles chairman Steve Parish will be looking to get as close to £35m as possible if he is to leave mid-season.

Why Liverpool have to sign Marc Guehi

Guehi is a proven Premier League star who was extensively profiled last summer. He would have signed for the Anfield side save for Palace pulling the plug at the eleventh hour on deadline day after failing to find a sufficient replacement.

The England international is “a monster in defence”, as has been claimed by Palace correspondent Bobby Manzi, but he’s also a crisp and enterprising on-the-ball defender, having created four big chances in the league this season, averaging a key pass every two matches, as per Sofascore.

Should Liverpool get this one over the line, Guehi has the potential to dynamise and synergise Liverpool’s entire team, potentially reviving one of Liverpool’s most sunken stars in Alexis Mac Allister, who is a pale shadow of his one-time self at the moment.

Mac Allister has been immense, an influential leader, over the past two-and-a-half years at Anfield, leading Liverpool through a trophy-laden period.

Subscribe to our newsletter for deeper Liverpool transfer analysis Get deeper insight by subscribing to our newsletter for in-depth Liverpool transfer analysis, scouting reports and tactical breakdowns like the Guehi discussion — plus wider coverage of major Premier League moves and signings.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

But he’s been horribly out of sorts this year. One Reds-focused content creator has even gone as far as to say that the 27-year-old “looks like Fabinho in his final year”, having “physically fallen off a cliff”.

To be sure, the Argentina international needs some external support, having deteriorated so shockingly this season.

Mac Allister’s Premier League Decline

Stats (per 90)

24/25

25/26

Goals

0.17

0.00

Assists

0.17

0.14

Touches

64.41

62.22

Pass completion (%)

83.5

84.8

Shot-creating actions

4.16

2.49

Progressive passes

6.13

4.50

Progressive carries

1.25

1.59

Successful take-ons

0.55

0.28

Recoveries

5.13

3.67

Tackles won

2.01

0.69

Interceptions

0.76

0.62

Aerials won

0.66

0.55

Data via FBref

In Guehi, Slot could land the kind of confident and progressive centre-half to not only rekindle Liverpool’s defensive verve but settle the wider equilibrium, providing more stability for the midfielders ahead of them while supplementing them on the ball.

After all, the Eagles centre-back is “really calm on the ball”, says former Three Lions goalkeeper Joe Hart, while maintaining an ambitious sense of creativity that hasn’t been channelled securely on Merseyside this season.

Related Their new Xabi Alonso: FSG want to sign £61m "cheat code" for Liverpool

Liverpool are in dire need of fresh quality amid a laborious campaign in Arne Slot’s system.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

Glasgow Rangers are back in action once again at Ibrox this evening as they prepare to welcome St Mirren in the last Scottish Premiership match of 2025.

The Light Blues beat Motherwell 1-0 last time out at Ibrox, thanks to a goal from Thelo Aasgaard, and they will be looking to end the year with back-to-back wins in front of their own supporters.

Danny Rohl could make several changes to his starting line-up with the short break between the two matches, and one player who should be dropped is Youssef Chermiti.

Why Rangers should drop Youssef Chermiti

It seems to be a recurring theme that the Portuguese centre-forward is given a chance to start as the main number nine for Rangers, and then he puts in a performance that could see him dropped from the side.

The £8m summer signing from Everton scored a consolation goal off the bench in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts earlier this month, which earned him a start against Motherwell last time out.

Chermiti played the opening 77 minutes of the clash with Motherwell on Saturday, per Sofascore, and failed to score from any of his six efforts, which included one ‘big chance’, and did not create a single chance for his teammates.

The former Premier League striker has only scored one goal in his last 12 appearances in all competitions for club and country, per Sofascore, and he is yet to score a goal as a starter, with both of his goals for the Gers so far coming as a substitute.

Bojan Miovski, meanwhile, has scored three goals in his last four appearances, starting three of those games, and could offer more of a threat in the final third this evening.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

Chermiti is not the only Rangers flop who should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting line-up for this clash with St Mirren, though, as there is another dud who must be taken out of the side.

The Rangers flop who must be dropped by Rohl

Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, and Connor Barron started in midfield against Motherwell with the latter two at the base of the midfield and the Ivorian talent in the number ten position.

Rohl must ruthlessly ditch Diomande from the starting line-up, alongside Chermiti, because he produced another fairly underwhelming display in the middle of the park for the Gers.

The left-footed dud, who was given a 5/10 player rating by GlasgowWorld, failed to register any shots on target and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates during his time on the pitch, per Sofascore, which shows that he had little impact at the top end of the pitch.

Scottish writer Michael McEwan went as far as to say that the central midfielder is “offering nothing” to Rangers as he “continually gives the ball away”.

Unfortunately, Diomande offering little to the team has become a theme in the Premiership for the Light Blues this season, as he has struggled in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

25/26 Premiership

Mohamed Diomande

Appearances

15

Goals

1

Minutes per goal

826

Key passes per game

0.7

Big chances created

1

Assists

1

Ground duel success rate

46%

Aerial duel success rate

31%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old flop is rarely contributing at the top end of the pitch and has been a liability out of possession, losing the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air.

Subscribe for sharper Rangers lineup analysis Crave clearer player and lineup breakdowns? Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper tactical analysis, stats-driven player evaluations and lineup recommendations focused on Rangers and Scottish Premiership coverage.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

These statistics illustrate why Diomande should not be a regular starter for Rangers on current form, because he is not doing enough on or off the ball to justify his inclusion in the XI.

Mikey Moore, meanwhile, has scored two goals in his last five appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, and could offer more of a threat in the final third.

Rohl could play Thelo Aasgaard off the left, Moore centrally, and Djeidi Gassama on the right from the start, whilst giving them all the freedom to interchange positions, as they are all versatile players who can play in different roles.

This could improve the fluidity and the potency of the team’s attack, given Moore’s recent form, and that is why Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Diomande from the XI in favour of the 18-year-old attacking midfielder.

Related The new Morelos: Rangers "myth" has seen his value plummet by £12m

This Glasgow Rangers star is in danger of becoming Alfredo Morelos 2.0 because of his plummeting value.

Posts ByDan Emery

Group A

	Shahid Afridi smashed 84 off just 27 balls to power HBL to a five-wicket win (file photo) © AFP

A 27-ball blitz from Shahid Afridi, scoring 84, powered Habib Bank Limited (HBL) to a five-wicket win over the Quetta Bears in Peshawar. Chasing 214, HBL were struggling at 76 for 4, but a 109-run stand between Afridi and Sulaman Qadir set up the win.Afridi did the bulk of the scoring, his runs coming at a strike-rate of over 300. Naseer Khan suffered the most, conceding 61 runs off 4.3 overs as Afridi blasted eight fours and seven sixes in his knock. Fifites from Shoaib Khan jnr and Nasim Khan, and an unbeaten 41-ball 46 from Faisal Irfan has helped Quetta Bears post 213, a score that was chased down in just 28.2 overs.In Islamabad, a century (109) by Umair Khan, and an unbroken 67-run stand for the seventh wicket between Naeem Anjum and Rauf Akbar sealed a four-wicket win for the Islamabad Leopards over the Peshawar Panthers, with ten balls to spare.The Panthers top order chipped in with useful scores as they posted 255, with Nawaz Ahmed top scoring with 56. However, they suffered a collapse going from 190 for 3 to 255 all out in 49.5 overs. Raheel Majeed did the bulk of the damage with his legbreaks, taking 4 for 47.Azhar Ali’s hundred and an all-round performance from Saeed Anwar jnr sealed a thumping 107-run win for Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) over the Lahore Lions in Rawalpindi.KRL chose to bat and their batsmen took full advantage. The openers added 98, with Anwar jnr going on to score 71. Bazid Khan scored a patient 45 while Azhar needed only 89 balls to score an unbeaten 106. Set a score of 289, the Lahore Lions lost wickets at regular intervals, and were bundled out for 181 in 37.2 overs. Anwar jnr finished with figures of 8-0-28-3.

Group B

At the Sheikhupura Stadium, the Hyderabad Hawks coasted to a comfortable seven-wicket win over the Multan Tigers.Opener Hammad Tariq top scored for the Tigers with 68 after they chose to bat, but the rest of the batsmen didn’t do much as they ended their 50 overs at 217 all out. Nauman Ali, the left-arm slow bowler, took 3 for 26.The Hawks made easy work of their target; Faisal Athar’s 90-ball 98 saw them home in 40.5 overs, and seven wickets remaining.In Sialkot, both Tariq Aziz and Aamer Sajjad scored unbeaten 78s to guide Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to an eight-wicket win over Sialkot Stallions.Left-arm medium-pacer Sarfraz Ahmed took 4 for 39 as the Stallions were bowled out for 219. Opener Naeemuddin top scored with a run-a-ball 76.

Group C

Khalid Latif’s 156 went in vain in a high-scoring affair in Lahore; the Karachi Zebras put on 291 after being asked to bat by the Lahore Eagles, who chased the target with 3.3 overs left in their innings.Latif’s 156 took 150 balls, and included 14 fours and four sixes, but only three other batsmen reached double figures, as the Zebras failed to go past the 300-run mark. Wasim Naeem contributed with 56, while the next-best scores were 32 and 13. Junaid Zia took 4 for 46 off his ten overs.In reply, the top order of the Eagles failed to capitalise on their starts, but Junaid capped a fine day with the ball with an unbeaten 59 off 37. Junaid, along with Arsalan Mir, who scored 73 off 68, steered the Eagles to a five-wicket win.National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) also successfully chased a big score in Faisalabad: they overcame their target of 272 off the third ball in the final over against Pakistan Customs. Fawad Alam’s unbeaten run-a-ball 122 saw NBP home after Kamran Akmal built a foundation with his 62; the team were at a precarious 71 for 4 at one stage.Pakistan Customs scored 271, thanks to a 71-run opening stand. The openers came up with contrasting knocks: Hasnain Abbas scored 42 off 42, while Imran Qadir needed 100 balls for his 57. Asif Iqbal, the captain, chipped in with 47. Qaiser Abbas, the left-arm bowler, took 4 for 45 off his ten.

Group D

Fahad Iqbal’s unbeaten 92, supported by Kamran Sajid’s 69 not out, helped Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) complete an eight-wicket win over the Karachi Dolphins at the National Stadium. Opener Shadab Kabir made 66 for the Dolphins, who chose to bat, but two wickets apiece for four PIA bowlers ensured they were dismissed for 245 in 49 overs.In Hyderabad, the Rawalpindi Rams edged out a close one-wicket win over Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC).SSGC were down to 45 for 3 after deciding to bat, but an unbeaten 90 from Mohtashim Ali, aided by Mohammad Zafar’s 51, helped them score 244 for 8. Fifteen-year-old Mohammad Aamer, who contracted dengue during Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup campaign, was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 35 from ten overs.Another U-19 player, Umar Amin, made 51 as he and Babar Naeem put on a 120-run partnership for the first wicket during SSGC’s reply. However, the rest of the batsmen fell after making starts, and a late flurry of wickets saw them collapse from 212 for 5 to 235 for 9. However, Aamer and his U-19 team-mate Mohammad Rameez held their nerve to clinch the win with one over to spare. Sohail Khan and Adnan Malik grabbed three wickets each for the Rams.The Abbottabad Rhinos were shot out for 61 by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in Karachi. They were chasing 267, but fell over 200 runs short.Only the top four went past ten, and all the six bowlers employed by ZTBL picked a wicket. Earlier, Inam-ul-Haq’s 71 and Wajahatullah Wasti’s 72 guided ZTBL to 266 after they were put in by the Rhinos.

Ireland have every intention of building on their achievements in the Caribbean © Getty Images

Buoyed by their success in the World Cup, Ireland are preparing to ask the ICC for financial help to take the game forward.Ireland beat Pakistan to reach the Super Eights, and added a victory over another Test side – Bangladesh – to their list of victims in the second round. Now Warren Deutrom, the Irish Cricket Union’s CEO, has said he will be looking to the ICC for support.The top six Associates – including Ireland – receive an annual High Performance grant of around £125,000 from the ICC as well as the same allowance of £70,000 paid to all Associate members. That aside, all money to run the sport has to come from sponsors and other fund-raising events.”I shall certainly not be backward in asking ICC in what ways it might assist in ensuring that Ireland’s performance curve improves consistently over the next few years,” Deutrom told Reuters. “This would be in the same way the ICC pumped in significant funding to both the USA and Kenya to move forward. After all, it’s what the HPP is for.”After the 2003 World Cup, Kenya, who reached the semi-finals, were fast-tracked by the ICC and given considerable additional financial backing. But that money was almost all squandered as the country’s cricket administration descended into chaos. And Project USA, the ICC’s initiative to boost the game in the US, was scrapped after rows over governance with the country’s board. The ICC is likely to be very cautious about making the same mistake again.”My goal is to create a small team of professionals focused on the commercial and administrative side that can ensure we have a firm foundation for all areas of the game in Ireland,” explained Deurtrom, a former events manager for the ICC. “That’s all that any administration should be about … providing the best possible environment for the game of cricket to thrive.”Ireland have high-profile ODIs against India and South Africa at Stormont later this year, and they hope to attract other major countries. That will give the ICU a chance to exploit the lucrative broadcast market. “There is no doubt that developing a broadcast partnership is the key to a secure long-term future finance and profile for the sport in Ireland,” Deutrom said. “In terms of properties, there are domestic internationals and the possibility of creating new properties attractive to television. I will certainly be keen to cultivate relationships with the heads of sport at all of the broadcasters in Ireland and with overseas broadcasters that might have a footprint in Ireland.”I have to say, though, our achievements in the 2007 World Cup have somewhat accelerated the timetable.”

Sean Williams chats to the media during last month’s Under-19 World Cup © ICC

Sean Williams has revealed that he is not signing a contract with Zimbabwe Cricket after getting offers to play in South Africa and England.Williams, a 19-year-old left hander who captained the Zimbabwe Under-19 side in the recent World Cup, turned down the board’s offer last week after meeting with ZC Players Welfare and Technical committee chairman Crispen Pyswarai.”I am not signing a contract with Zimbabwe Cricket,” Williams said. “Let me emphasise that it was my own decision. The moment I walked out of Pyswarai’s office I made up my mind not to sign, he mentioned huge figures to me like a ZW$100 million (US$1000) appearance fee, but for how long are the players going to get that money?”Williams admitted that he did not entirely agree with his father Colin’s views on the issue, as he does not want any confrontation with Zimbabwe Cricket, but wants to move on peacefully with his cricket career.He has not picked up a bat since returning from the World Cup after he developed three boils on his right elbow that have since been lanced.Williams could have walked into the Zimbabwe team when senior players went on strike in April 2004. However, his father told him to concentrate on his studies, but he subsequently realised that his son’s talent was as a cricketer. Williams has since made four ODI appearances for Zimbabwe.

Melbourne Cricket Ground: fears for its turnstiles © Getty Images

The Melbourne Cricket Club could take legal action to protect their gate revenue in response to the new seven-year deal to broadcast international cricket. The agreement between Cricket Australia and Nine, which begins next April, does away with the old ruling that coverage would be denied to a host city unless the ground was sold out. The new condition applies only to Sydney and Melbourne.The MCG has recently undergone a major phase of rebuilding and can now house in the region of 100,000 spectators, and officials fear they could lose millions of dollars in ticket sales if the cricket goes live on TV. “There are major concerns from the MCC over loss of revenue and we are certainly awaiting a response,” a senior official told The Herald Sun newspaper. “It may result in legal action.” The official’s fears were shared by the general manager, Stephen Gough, who added: “We have built a brand-new stadium and we expected more people to be able to enjoy the new facilities.”The concerns come on the back of a disappointing VB Series in which few spectators could be bothered to witness Australia’s effortless supremacy over West Indies and Pakistan. However, Cricket Australia’s chairman, James Sutherland, dismissed the MCC’s problems, and ruled out any prospect of compensation for loss of revenue. “If we do things right and continue to promote the game in the right way, cricket will continue to be a fantastic event for spectators to come to or watch on TV,” he said.

New Zealand have appointed Michael Sharpe as coach of the SouthIsland team, and Vaughn Johnson will take charge of the North Island side forthe State of Origin match on February 8.Sharpe is currently coach of the State Canterbury Wizards, who areplaying in the State Shield final this Friday against the StateCentral Districts Stags.Johnson, meanwhile, is the current coach of the State Wellington Firebirds, last year’s finalists in the State Shield, and winner of the title in 2001-02.Martin Snedden, the board’s chief executive, said they were continuing to look for opportunities for the country’s best coaches to gain experience at higher levels of the game. “NZC recognises the need to offer our top coaches fresh challenges and experiences to further their development," he said. “Both Michael and Vaughn are successful coaches at domestic level and this type of experience at another step up is beneficial to them and theplayers in their respective domestic teams.”The South Island team received a boost with the news that Nathan Astle will be fit to play in the match, even though an MRI-scan revealed he has some damage to the cartilage in his right knee.Lindsay Crocker, the New Zealand team’s manager, said the scan had beenreviewed by Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Paul Armour. “Nathan has had a cortisone injection to help settle the knee," he said. "These two games will give medical staff an opportunity to see how his knee holds up to a game situation loading requirements. He will be reviewed again on Monday by Mr Armour and thenNathan and the New Zealand Cricket Medical panel will decide on an appropriate treatment programme and his availability for the South African Series.”

Sarandeep Singh has done nothing wrong after making his Test debutagainst Zimbabwe at Nagpur in November 2000 where he claimed sixwickets. The young Punjabi off-spinner though finds himself out of thenational team. Sarandeep Singh should have been the one to playagainst Australia but sadly due to a quirk of fate, Harbhajan Singhgot the nod ahead of him. What followed in that series is a part ofcricket folklore.Having said that, no credit should be taken away from Sarandeep Singh,for he has done what he is supposed to do – claim wickets. Nationalselector Madan Lal is more than impressed with this young bowler’sperformance in the domestic circuit, “Sarandeep Singh should play forIndia very soon, the boy has taken a lot of wickets, what else can weask him to do?”Earlier this year, Sarandeep bowled exceedingly well in the IraniTrophy against Baroda claiming eight wickets. He has followed that upby picking wickets in good numbers, playing for his adopted state NewDelhi during the current Ranji season; the shift from Punjabnecessitated as he is employed by ONGC which is based in the Indiancapital. The young spinner is also excited by the opportunity thisgives him to be with the legendary Bishen Singh Bedi.Sarandeep Singh, who flew in very late on the eve of the three-daymatch against England in Hyderabad, picked up five English wicketsgiving away 98 runs on day one, a feat witnessed by the five nationalselectors. In an exclusive interview to , Sarandeepsaid, “I was very nervous flying in to Hyderabad, I did not have anychance to prepare for such an important match in my career. I knewthat nothing other than performance would do me any good in my effortsto make a comeback into the Indian team.”I kept thinking about it, planning how to bowl against the Englishbatsmen. I decided it would be a good thing to bowl a good line, as Ihad not seen the wicket. When I saw the pitch on the match-day, itlooked a good pitch for batting. There was a little bit of turn andbounce early on as the pitch was fresh.”Soon it became very easy for the batsmen, the pitch was definitelyslowing down and I had to think of new strategies. I tried changing myline a bit and also varying my pace. You can get easy wickets indomestic cricket by bowling on one side of the wicket but againstinternational batsmen, you have to do that extra bit. They don’t giveaway their wickets that cheaply.”Sarandeep was thankful to Board President’s XI skipper Jacob Martin,who bowled him in short spells. Martin also made sure that his bowlersbowled from both ends, and by the end of the first day Sarandeep hadclaimed five wickets while Murali Kartik had three.When asked about how he felt being left in the wilderness after a gooddebut, Sarandeep replied in a voice filled with sadness, “Reallynothing is in my hands. I had hoped to play against Australia, butthen it is all for the selectors, all I can do is keep giving goodperformance and hope for the best.””I always send my best wishes to Harbhajan Singh for he isrepresenting the country. I believe in working hard and performingwell. I am working on my batting too; if I could contribute 30-40 runsin the lower order, it will brighten my chances of winning an Indiacap. It is going to be a challenge to bowl with Harbhajan Singh andAnil Kumble, they are such great bowlers. I will give more than my 100percent for India,” he added.About his stint at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, he said,”I had never seen Erapalli Prasanna before I went to the NCA. It was agreat experience for me to spend time with him. He taught me about theimportance of bowling on different types of wickets, to be mentallyprepared always as most of the game is actually played in the mind. Ilearned new tricks and understood the importance of having a strategybowling to different batsmen. I was taught to never bowl what thebatsman thinks that you are going to bowl. Prasanna is my idol.”Sarandeep Singh might soon be playing for India, if one goes by whatMadan Lal says. Given the fact that the tracks in India will favourspinners and the distinct inability of most of the English batsmen totackle spin, the coming days should finally bring good news for thishumble lad from Amritsar.

ScorecardFile photo: Haryana’s seamers played a containing role, allowing the spinners to trigger Karnataka’s collapse in Mysore

Haryana took control of their fixture against Karnataka in Mysore after the defending champions were bowled out for 221 to concede a 110-run lead. Rahul Dewan and Nitin Saini then saw off nine overs late in the day as Haryana ended the day at 27 without loss, ahead by 137, to take pole position, one from where they can entertain thoughts of forcing their first outright win of the season.KL Rahul top-scored with 63 to steady Karnataka after the early loss of Robin Uthappa, but his run-out soon after lunch triggered a slide. Jayant Yadav, who struck his second first-class century on Thursday, broke Karnataka’s back in the middle. He had the vital strikes of the well-set R Samarth (30) and Karun Nair (28), before part-time offspinner Rahul Dagar ran through the tail by picking up three wickets in an over as Karnataka’s innings came to a grinding halt in 75.4 overs.CM Gautam, the vice-captain, tried to resurrect the innings but regular loss of wickets at the other end prevented Karnataka’s late quest towards parity. Vinay Kumar, the captain, resisted for 65 deliveries and made 34 during the course of a 67-run stand for the seventh wicket, the highest of Karnataka’s innings. Earlier in the day, HS Sharath, who picked up a hat-trick on Thursday, picked up his first five-wicket haul of the season, finish with figures of 5 for 48.
ScorecardA lower-order collapse undid all the good work done by Sudip Chatterjee (116) and Wriddhiman Saha (72) as Bengal collapsed from 286 for 4 to 357 all out at Feroz Shah Kotla. Delhi then overcame a top-order wobble before Nitish Rana (30*) and Milind Kumar (20*) repaired the early damage, with the unbroken third-wicket stand of 54 taking them to 100 for 3 at stumps.Bengal looked set for a bigger score than they eventually finished with as they lost both set batsmen – Chatterjee (116) and Saha (72) – in the first half hour to hand Delhi the advantage. But Ashok Dinda dismissed Gautam Gambhir early to give Bengal an opening. Pragyan Ojha then got into the act to dismiss the in-form Unmukt Chand. Before long, Delhi were in trouble at 56 for 3, and in dire need of a partnership, which Rana and Milind came up with.
ScorecardAnother lackluster batting performance from Vidarbha resulted in them conceding a 52-run lead to current table toppers Assam in Nagpur. As many as 12 wickets fell in the day, with spin accounting for 10 of them. Swarupam Purkayastha, the highest wicket-taker last season among the slow bowlers, led Assam’s dominance with four scalps.Vidarbha briefly challenged Assam when Wasim Jaffer (40) and Ganesh Satish (67) kept the bowlers at bay, but a lower-order implosion resulted in Vidarbha losing their last six wickets for 53 runs. Assam then lost the openers in their second dig to end the day at 36 for 2, the overall lead standing at 88 with two full days to play.Rajasthan v Maharashtra – Maharashtra’s slide tightens contest for first-innings points

Luton Town manager Nathan Jones has claimed that the injury to on-loan Aston Villa goalkeeper Jed Steer is not good, as per Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Steer stretchered off

The 29-year-old made the move to Kenilworth Road on loan during the January transfer window and was finally getting a run of starts after serving as backup to Emiliano Martinez at Villa Park.

Unfortunately, he had to be stretchered off against Chelsea in the FA Cup last week after going down off the ball with what appeared to be an Achilles problem.

Micah Richards labelled it as ‘devastating’ and Gregg Evans was gutted reacting to the injury on Twitter, with Villa now set to share details of the setback.

The Latest: Jones’ update on Steer

As per Birmingham Live, Jones was talking to the media on Saturday as the Hatters fell to a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

When it came to an update on Steer, the Luton manager said that Villa will ‘come out’ and address the injury, but revealed that it does not look good for the goalkeeper.

Jones stated: “It’s not a good injury. We won’t divulge too much as it’s confidential and it’s Villa’s player, so they will come out and say, but it’s not a good injury.”

The Verdict: Nightmare for Steer

Steer, who former Villa team-mate Tammy Abraham labelled ‘brilliant’, has previous when it comes to Achilles injuries, so this ominous update from Jones isn’t a good one.

The shot-stopper had to remain patient for a first-team chance and was impressing in the Championship, helping Luton to three straight wins and keeping two clean sheets.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, it seems as if he now has a long road ahead when it comes to recovering from this injury, but we’re sure that Villa will provide the best possible support over the coming months as he enters the final 12 months of his contract in the summer.

In other news: Reliable journalist reveals Villa and Lange have now struck out-of-window agreement for this signing