The Philadelphia Phillies played their first home game of the season on Monday against the Colorado Rockies, giving fans their first look at some of the new aspects of Citizens Bank Park.

While there was far from an overhaul at the Phillies home stadium since 2004, this year’s alterations did go a little bit beyond expanding the ballpark menu.

One of the most noticeable changes is one that opposing teams will undoubtedly love—the bullpen bench, which had previously been in the open just below a bustling section of the stadium, has been enclosed. While opposing pitchers warming up will still have to face jeers from the stands, those not preparing to enter the game will be spared by the new design.

Phillies fans were, understandably, disappointed that their ire would no longer be able to be as broadly directed as it once was, but vowed to find a way to continue getting under the skin of the opposition.

Luckily for Phillies fans, any opposing pitcher that wants to get loose before taking the mound is still going to have to feel the wrath of the crowd.

On Monday, Philadelphia’s home field advantage showed no signs of slowing down due to the new bullpen layout. The Phillies beat the Rockies 6–1, with all six of their runs coming against the Colorado bullpen.

The Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, on Tuesday in a game played at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Tampa Bay left fielder Christopher Morel came incredibly and frustratingly close to changing the result of that game.

During the second inning, L.A.'s Kyren Paris hit a home run. Morel almost robbed Paris of the two-run homer at the fence, but instead he ended up getting robbed by notorious ballhawk Zach Hample.

Later in the game things got weird with Morel at the plate. In the bottom of the seventh, with the Rays trailing 2-1 with no outs and a runner on second, Morel hit what he thought was a home run. He walked out of the box as the ball soared toward the fence. Then, right after a rather enthusiastic bat flip/bat spike, Morel realized that the ball hit the wall.

Luckily, his failure to hustle didn't result in the Rays losing a run as Kameron Misner tripled on the very next pitch to drive in Morel and give the Rays a 3-2 lead.

After the Angels tied the game in the top of the eighth, Morel came up again in the bottom half of the inning. After jumping out to a 3-0 count, Morel watched the next two pitches get called for strikes. On the payoff pitch Morel took a big cut and missed. He then slammed his bat into the dirt and got an immediate ejection.

It was the perfect ending to a game that Morel will probably want to forget.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell was provided the funds to splash on a host of new signings for Russell Martin during the summer transfer window.

The former Everton surpremo was shaping the squad for the first time since his move to Ibrox in April, and there was plenty of movement in and out of the club.

As you can see in the graphic above, Thelwell was backed by the board when it came to incoming signings, as he splashed the cash on several significant additions.

The most expensive signing of the summer window was centre-forward Youssef Chermiti, who arrived from Everton in an £8m deal. So far, the Portugal U21 international has scored one goal for Rangers.

Bojan Miovski was also brought in for a reported fee of up to £4.2m to bolster the club’s attack. The former Aberdeen man has only scored two goals in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Another Thelwell signing who has been underwhelming since his move to Ibrox in a £3.5m deal from Luton Town has been attacking midfielder Thelo Aasgaard.

Where Thelo Aasgaard ranks among Thelwell's Rangers signings

Thelwell signed eight players on permanent deals in the summer, on top of the Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron deals that were agreed before his tenure, and the bulk of them failed to make much of an impact.

Djeidi Gassama has been the best addition to the squad out of those eight players. The French winger has scored six goals and provided two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which is more than any other summer signing has managed.

Oliver Antman, who joined from Go Ahead Eagles for £3m, has the most assists in the squad of any summer signing, with three, per Transfermarkt, and still has plenty of time left to improve at the age of 24.

Chermiti ranks just above Miovski, despite the fee, because he is five years younger than the Macedonia international and has more time ahead to develop and reach his potential at Ibrox.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Oliver Antman

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Youssef Chermiti

5

Bojan Miovski

6

Emmanuel Fernandez

7

Joe Rothwell

That is also why Emmanuel Fernandez, who has started two games, ranks above Joe Rothwell, who is 30 and did not even make the bench for the 3-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.

That leaves Thelo Aasgaard in third place. That may sound like praise at face value, but it really paints a picture of how underwhelming Thelwell’s signings have been.

The Norway international has produced one goal and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and the assist was a short pass to Gassama before his wonder goal in the earlier clip.

Aasgaard was also sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park for Danny Rohl’s side, which means that he has as many red cards as goals for the club so far.

At the age of 23, the former Luton star has time ahead of him and may develop into a future star for the Gers, but his current performance level has been underwhelming, at best.

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That is why there may be some regrets over their decision to part ways with attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi, who was released by Thelwell at the end of his contract in the summer.

Why Rangers must regret releasing Ianis Hagi

The Light Blues chief may regret releasing the Romania international because he would walk into the starting line-up over Aasgaard based on his form for Rangers and his performances for his new club this season.

Hagi currently plays for Analyaspor in Turkey after moving on from Ibrox as a free agent in the summer, despite showing some impressive displays in the Scottish Premiership last term.

After working his way back into the squad under Philippe Clement after a contract issue, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder scored four goals, created six ‘big chances’, and registered five assists in 16 league starts for the Light Blues, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that the playmaker, who former Romanian international Ilie Dumitrescu dubbed “sensational” last term,provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants, whilst being utilised as a number ten or as a winger.

As aforementioned, Aasgaard has not shown consistency as either a scorer or as a creator since his £3.5m move from Luton, which is why the decision to release Hagi in the summer looks like a misjudged one.

Appearances

9

8

Goals

1

2

Conversion rate

7%

13%

Key passes

7

17

Big chances created

0

2

Assists

1

1

Fouls won per game

1.4

2.5

As you can see in the table above, Hagi’s form in the Turkish top-flight is also vastly superior to the Norwegian midfielder’s for Rangers, as he has scored ten more chances and scored twice as many goals in fewer appearances.

These statistics show that the Romania international has taken the threat that he provided on the pitch for Rangers last season and carried it into his form in Turkey for his new club.

Hagi only turned 27 in October and is not a player who is heading into the final years of his career or is regressing as a player, as evidenced by his form this season, which makes it all the more surprising that the Gers allowed him to leave for nothing.

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Their respective statistics suggest that the Romanian star would walk into the current Rangers team over Aasgaard, and that says it all about Thelwell’s recruitment in the summer, as it stands.

Eddie Howe has finally got the better of Pep Guardiola now in a Premier League environment.

At the 19th time of asking, Howe managed to get one over on the highly successful Manchester City manager, as Newcastle United romped back into top-flight action with a 2-1 win at St James’ Park.

Newcastle were good value for the win, too, as Harvey Barnes chipped in with a double to steer the Toon to another memorable victory on their own patch.

How Harvey Barnes downed Manchester City

The former Leicester City winger is now up to six goals for the season in all competitions, despite his appearance against Guardiola’s men only being his fifth Premier League start of the campaign.

With a brace under his belt, though, he’s surely a shoo-in for more starts as the congested winter fixture schedule hits. Journalist Henry Winter simply described his display as “clinical” when powering two quickfire efforts past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Barnes would manage to put away those two efforts confidently, with just four shots registered in total. But, away from stylishly getting the better of the new City number one with his opener, the 27-year-old also managed to win three duels and attempt three mazy dribbles as a constant livewire.

The only worry will be whether Barnes can stay fit to keep up this electric form, with three Premier League goals now next to his name from limited starts. Across the last three seasons on Tyneside, he has missed a concerning 38 games via injury.

Thankfully, though, Newcastle have a rising star in their ranks who could go on to be a bigger talent than the Toon winger.

Newcastle's 18-year-old Barnes replacement

Howe has shown frequently throughout his time as Newcastle boss to date that he is willing to chuck a starlet into the first team picture if they’re deemed ready for the challenge of senior action.

Indeed, Lewis Miley first made his senior debut under Howe when he was just 17 years of age, while another budding homegrown prodigy in Sean Neave, occupied a space on the bench against City, all while still being a wide-eyed 18-year-old prospect.

Could Seung Soo-Park be the next to bridge the gap between the U21s and the first team?

The future certainly looks bright for the South Korean attacker, who excelled for Suwon Bluewings back in his native Korea at just 17 years of age, becoming the youngest ever player in the history of Korean league football.

One goal and three assists came his way from 28 appearances for Suwon, with Barnes reduced to playing all the way down in League One at around the same age with Milton Keynes Dons, out on loan from then parent side Leicester City.

Park has even been described as a “similar [player] to Mbappe” by Asian football expert John Duerden for his frightening speed when bombing forward, which was seen in the summer when Park was handed opportunities in pre-season, with three dribbles successfully completed up against Espanyol.

With two duels won against Tottenham Hotspur in another pre-season test, it might not be the wildest suggestion in the world to state that Park could be gifted some senior minutes in the bread and butter of the Premier League soon, with the Korean sensation hailed for showing a “maturity beyond his years” by academy coach Steven Harper when first joining.

Gordon

13

4 + 1

Elanga

18

0 + 1

Barnes

18

6 + 2

Of course, the ex-Suwon winger does have both Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga in his way, too, down the left-hand side, but if he can manage to live up to all his early hype, he should be able to surpass those in front of him down the line.

Indeed, Elanga is yet to get up and running with zero goals for the season. Moreover, Barnes is also prone to a hit-and-miss performance in Newcastle black and white, having only managed five goals during the entire 2023/24 season.

For the time being, Howe will rely on Barnes, who is thankfully in a purple patch right now.

Yet, in the long term, don’t discount Park leapfrogging the Englishman, with a stunning Mbappe-style talent potentially on Howe’s hands.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Romário, presidente do América-RJ, anunciou a contratação do próprio filho para compor o elenco da equipe carioca. O jogador, de 30 anos, foi anunciado na quarta-feira (6), e chega para a disputa da Série A2.

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

Nas redes sociais, o meia-atacante comemorou o acerto e revelou estar cumprindo uma promessa feita para seu avô há 16 anos.

– Muito feliz em poder anunciar que agora sou jogador do @americarjoficial! Quando meu avô Edevair faleceu, há 16 anos, fiz uma promessa para ele e para Deus que um dia vestiria a camisa do time do coração dele e do meu pai, chegou a hora – comentou o jogador.

O América-RJ será a décima terceira equipe de Romarinho. O filho do Tetracampeão Mundial começou sua carreira nas categorias de base do Vasco, onde permaneceu por 6 temporadas.

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Posteriormente, acumulou passagens por Brasiliense, Tupi, Figueirense, Maringá e Joinville, no futebol nacional, e Zweigen Kanazawa, do Japão, e Destroyers, da Bolívia.

Tudo sobre

contrataçãoFutebol NacionalRomário

Carlo Ancelotti has warned Neymar and Vinicius Junior that they must be at "100 percent" to make Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad. The manager delivered his clearest message yet to Brazil’s biggest names, insisting that neither reputation nor past achievements will secure anyone a seat on the plane to the United States, Canada and Mexico. His comments arrive at a particularly delicate moment for Neymar, whose turbulent return to Santos has been overshadowed by persistent physical setbacks.

• Neymar faces fresh injury concerns

  After leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Al-Hilal in 2023, Neymar ruptured his ACL while playing for Brazil and spent nearly 18 months fighting to get back onto the pitch. His move to the Saudi Pro League never materialised into the success story many had hoped for, and by January 2025, he had opted for a homecoming, returning to Santos with the ambition of both reviving the club and salvaging his international career. 

  The reality has proved far more punishing. Neymar has managed only seven goals in 25 outings for Santos, with his second spell at the club dominated by rehabilitation instead of resurgence. The forward’s repeated niggles and setbacks have prevented him from gaining rhythm and have stalled his hopes of earning a recall to the national team. With just one international window remaining before Brazil’s World Cup campaign begins, the clock is now ticking loudly over his future.

  Santos manager Juan Pablo Vojvoda confirmed on Monday that Neymar was sidelined once again after feeling acute discomfort in his knee both before and during the recent 1-1 draw with Internacional. The 33-year-old did, however, play through pain to inspire Santos to a 3-0 victory against Sport in their latest Serie A outing, with the final result allowing the club to jump out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

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  Ancelotti will not take an unfit Neymar to the World Cup

  Ancelotti has been careful not to offer special treatment to any player. When asked directly about Neymar’s situation, the Italy legend was unequivocal, and also issued a warning to Real Madrid forward Vinicius, who has struggled to produce his best form so far this season.

  "He has to be 100%," Ancelotti told . "There are many players who are very good, I need to choose players that are 100%. It's not just Neymar, it could be [Real Madrid forward] Vinícius. If Vinícius is at 90%, I'll call up another player who is at 100%, because it's a team that has a very high level of competence, especially up front. Up front, we have really many good players."

  Ancelotti acknowledged Neymar’s extraordinary natural ability but conceded his career has been repeatedly derailed by untimely injuries.

  "I think he's a great talent," Ancelotti said. "He's had the bad luck of having injuries. He couldn't be in good physical condition because of the injuries he's had."

• Neymar speaks out on his injury

  Neymar insists he is determined to keep pushing despite his latest physical setback. Speaking after his most recent appearance for Santos, he admitted the emotional toll the injuries have taken but remained hopeful he can still contribute in the final weeks of the season.

  "I'm feeling better and better," Neymar said after Friday's game against Sport. "This injury is sad, it's annoying. But it's nothing that will stop me from doing anything. That's why I keep playing. Now it's time to think about Santos, to think about putting Santos where it deserves to be, which is in the top flight. And then we'll see what to do."

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  Race against time for a fourth World Cup

  Whether Neymar can still fight his way into the World Cup squad is becoming increasingly uncertain. Not only is he a major doubt for the remainder of Santos' 2025 season, but the Brazilian football calendar means he will have limited opportunities for competitive minutes before March. Without regular football, it is highly unlikely that Ancelotti will make an exception for the 33-year-old forward, no matter his past contributions to the national team.

  One option being considered is a temporary move back to Europe, where clubs would still be mid-season in early 2026. Playing on the continent could provide Neymar with the continuity he needs to convince Ancelotti that he remains capable of performing on the sport’s biggest stage.

Eddie Howe is now set to be without one of his Newcastle United mainstays following another injury blow, according to recent reports.

Howe admits he needs "to think" about Pope decision

Defeat against Marseille in midweek was a setback, but Newcastle have the chance to at least make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League against Everton this weekend. The Magpies were excellent against Manchester City last week and will be desperate to commence a domestic resurgence.

If they are to do that, however, then Howe may have a big decision to make regarding his starting goalkeeper. Following yet another mistake from Nick Pope in midweek, many have been calling for the Newcastle boss to turn to Aaron Ramsdale and the Newcastle boss has now had his say.

Since signing Ramsdale from Southampton in a deal worth £27m in the summer, the Magpies have handed the shot-stopper just one appearance in the Premier League, which came from the bench following Pope’s injury against Brentford.

Now, however, the England international could finally get the chance he’s been waiting for following one mistake too many from Newcastle’s No.1.

He won’t be the only defensive change if he comes in, either. Newcastle will be without Kieran Trippier against Everton this weekend after he picked up an untimely injury.

Kieran Trippier set for spell on Newcastle sidelines

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Trippier will now miss the next four weeks of action after suffering a hamstring injury. The Newcastle mainstay has started eight of 12 Premier League games this season, but will now miss his side’s next seven fixtures in all competitions as the chaos of festive football arrives.

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The biggest of those seven games will undoubtedly be the Tyne-Wear derby in December. It’s the first time that Newcastle and Sunderland will meet in the Premier League since 2017, but the Magpies will be without one of their most experienced men.

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Dubbed “incredible” by Howe last season, Trippier is still one of the leaders in the Newcastle dressing room and has done well to keep hold of his place at times, but will now ultimately miss a crucial stage of the campaign.

Bigger liability than Pope: Howe must finally bin Newcastle "legend"

The pitch in Colombo isn’t expected to allow free-flowing batting

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-20252:07

Preview – Should Australia play Megan Schutt?

Big picture: Pakistan 0, Australia 16Pakistan have never beaten Australia in any format of women’s international cricket. And if that trend continues on Wednesday, their path forward in the ODI World Cup will become very complicated given they have already lost their opening two matches to Bangladesh and India.What might be even more concerning for Pakistan is that in 16 ODIs against Australia, they’ve not even come close to victory, with the narrowest margins of defeat being 37 runs and four wickets, both way back in 2014.Pakistan’s most recent contest against Australia, a three-match rubber in 2023, had these results: eight-wicket defeat, 10-wicket defeat, 101-run defeat. And while they are also yet to beat India (12 tries) or England (15 tries) in women’s ODIs, their 16 defeats to Australia make them, statistically, the toughest opponent.Related

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All this is to say that Pakistan have a considerable mountain ahead of them. As for Australia, their opening game against New Zealand was an ultimately comfortable win, and their second against Sri Lanka was washed out. They are also a team in near-invincible form. In 32 matches since the last World Cup, they’ve won 27 and lost just four. Pakistan in that same period have played 34 ODIs, won 13 and lost 18.So what exactly are the straws Pakistan might look to clutch here? One, Australia haven’t played since October 1 as a result of their washout against Sri Lanka. They are also yet to play at the R Premadasa stadium, where conditions don’t necessarily seem conducive to free-flowing batting. With Pakistan already having experienced these conditions in their defeat to India, there could be an advantage to be exploited.Finally, Pakistan will be hoping the law of averages catches up and gives them the crucial win and points that they need.2:40

Australia exude an attitude of ‘we know how to win this’

Form guideAustralia WWLWW (last five ODIs most recent first)
Pakistan LLWLLIn the spotlight: Sandhu and MooneySince the 2022 World Cup, no Pakistani bowler has picked up more wickets than spinner Nashra Sandhu – her 42 strikes in this period coming from 28 matches. But more interestingly her 248.1 overs are the sixth-most bowled by any bowler in the last three and a half years. This serves to highlight just how much Pakistan lean on Sandhu. This year has also been her most impactful one – she’s picked up 17 wickets in 10 games, including a six-wicket haul against South Africa. The only thing is, in her past five matches, she’s gone wicketless three times. Pakistan will need her at her best if they are to upset Australia.You’d be hard pressed to find a team Beth Mooney doesn’t like batting against, but even so, her ODI record against Pakistan is better than most. Across eight innings she’s struck 279 runs at an average of 69.75, an average that has been boosted by the fact that she’s only been dismissed four times. Mooney’s recent form too has been ominous, with a century and two fifties across her last five innings.Megan Schutt has a good record against Pakistan: 10 wickets in nine ODIs•Getty ImagesTeam news: Will Schutt get a look in?With a week’s break since their last game, Australia will be itching to get out on the field. Their biggest dilemma is down to healthy competition, as it remains to be seen if Darcie Brown continues to keep Megan Schutt out of the XI.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Darcie BrownOmaima Sohail was replaced at the top of the order by Sadaf Shamas last time out, but with both openers struggling Sohail might find herself back in the side.Pakistan (probable): 1 Muneeba Ali, 2 Sadaf Shamas, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Aliya Riaz, 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Fatima Sana (capt), 7 Rameen Shamim, 8 Diana Baig, 9 Sidra Nawaz (wk), 10 Nashra Sandhu, 11 Sadia IqbalPitch and conditions: Tricky batting conditionsRain has been pestering Colombo and its surrounding suburbs over the past week, but Wednesday should arrive with clear, if cloudy, tidings. The pitch at the Khettarama has stayed true to form in the first two games its hosted at this World Cup, making life tricky for batters – expect that to stay the same.Stats and trivia: Australia’s return to Colombo This will be Australia’s first women’s ODI in Colombo since 2016 Only against Ireland (17-0) do Australia hold a more dominant ODI record than the one they have against Pakistan Australia have won their last 10 completed Women’s World Cup matches Annabel Sutherland is four away from 50 WODI wicketsQuotes”We do have an edge but it all depends on what the team does with this advantage. We were unlucky to have our warmup game against Sri Lanka washed out but we’ve also played two games here and know the conditions very well.”

India must win this contest to avoid making their next two games a knockout

S Sudarshanan18-Oct-20254:09

India face another challenge vs left-arm spin

Big picture – High stakes for IndiaPeople selling replica jerseys outside a stadium is one of the signs that a big game is coming up. Outside Holkar Stadium in Indore, vendors selling caps, flags and jerseys with “Smriti 18” and “Harman 23” among others, were spotted as early as Friday afternoon, a full two days before the India vs England match of the Women’s World Cup 2025.India must win this contest to avoid making their next two games a knockout. They go into it on the back of successive defeats to Australia and South Africa, with just four points in four games. England, on the other hand, are yet to lose a match in this tournament (although Pakistan did give them a mighty fright)India have had a week-long break since their last match. After they reached Indore on Monday, they had one day off when they went to Ujjain and attended full-tilt training sessions on Wednesday and Friday. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana opted to train on optional days in between as well.Related

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Going by the intensity and the meticulousness of their practice, India are aware of how big this game is with only two of the four semi-final spots still up for grabs. But their recent record against England should act as a confidence-booster. Since the 2022 World Cup, India have won five of the six ODIs the two sides have played against each other.Under the new leadership of head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England have punched above pre-tournament expectations. Their spinners have picked up 24 of the 30 wickets the team has at this World Cup. The batting though remains a problem with only Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt showing the kind of mettle needed to win these events.England’s batters have not coped with conditions at the World Cup as well as the bowlers have•ICC/Getty Images

Still “if someone had said to me a few weeks ago, we’d be in the position we are in, having been unbeaten, I would have taken it,” Edwards said on Saturday. “Our best cricket is in front of us. These are the occasions you want to play or be a part of as a player and as a coaching staff.”A sellout crowd in Indore is about to be treated to a high-profile game with lots of jeopardy.Form guideIndia LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWLWIn the spotlight – Mandhana and Harmanpreet vs Smith and EcclestoneIn this World Cup so far, India have lost 15 wickets to left-arm spin. That is the most by any team. They have also faced the most overs against this style of bowling. And England have two left-arm spinners in Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith.Ecclestone has dismissed Smriti Mandhana four times in 12 innings while Smith dismissed her in the rain-affected ODI at Lord’s in July. Harmanpreet has also fallen three times in ten innings to Ecclestone and once to Smith.Some of these numbers may stem from India’s preference to attack left-arm spin (5.01 runs per over). Only England (5.44) and Australia (5.25) have scored quicker against this type of bowling since 2023. However, those two teams appear to be managing the risks that come with this kind of aggression better. Australia (45.63) and England (37.19) average much higher than India (27.79)One of the India top order’s focus in their training on Friday was hitting with the spin and using their feet. A delicious contest awaits us on Sunday.Team news – Renuka in for India?There were questions raised about the absence of the sixth-bowling option after India’s defeats to South Africa and Australia. But they are set to go into Sunday’s clash with the same balance, with Harmanpreet chipping in with a few overs if needed. India could also bring in Renuka Singh for Amanjot Kaur, who did not train on each of the two days before the game.India (possible XI): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Pratika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Renuka SinghBoth Ecclestone and Lauren Bell have recovered from the illness that ruled them out of the Pakistan game and are available for selection. So expect them to slot back into place ahead of Sarah Glenn and Em Arlott.England (possible XI): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Alice Capsey, 7 Emma Lamb, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell2:41

Edwards: ‘Ecclestone is bowling as well as I’ve seen’

Pitch and conditions – Red-soil pitchThe game will be played on a red-soil pitch, which tend to have bounce and carry. This will be a fresh pitch as well and given the 13-day gap between games in Indore, the curator has had enough time to prepare it. The surface had a greenish look to it two days out but on match eve, a lot of the grass was shaved off.The weather on Sunday is expected to be hot and humid. No rain is in forecast, although it did drizzle a little on Friday and Saturday. Expect a high-scoring contest.Stats and trivia: Deepti eyes 150 ODI wickets Since the 2022 World Cup, no player has scored more ODI runs against England than Harmanpreet’s 347. She has hit two centuries and a fifty in this period. Mandhana is third on the list with 296 runs Deepti Sharma is just one wicket away from being just the second Indian bowler with 150. Deepti has dismissed Sciver-Brunt four times in 12 ODI innings. Only Jess Jonassen and Afy Fletcher have dismissed her more often (five times) Mithali Raj is currently the only Indian with 1000 ODI runs against England; Harmanpreet and Mandhana are 45 and 58 runs away from the mark Since 2024, Tammy Beaumont has been especially vulnerable to dismissals inside the first 10 overs of an ODI. She’s been out 12 times in this period – same as Mandhana and Alyssa Healy – but her average (36.25) and strike rate (81.61) are the lowest among the three. Beaumont also averages 19.29 in 29 matches against India, much lower than her ODI career average of 40.69.Quotes”It is not that if we lost, we should keep talking about that game. Even before that we played a lot of good games. Had we won [against Australia], our small errors would not have been magnified like this. We have trust in our team and are backing everyone.”
“We’ve been lucky to have played a lot against India in the last 12 months. But this is a one-off game in a World Cup in India. A massive game which we are looking forward to and we will be preparing for it like any other game. We know the threats of India but equally we have got some wonderful players in our group.”

Everton have been left frustrated and short-handed after the Football Association rejected the club’s appeal against Idrissa Gueye’s red card, leaving the Senegal international sidelined for three crucial Premier League fixtures. The midfielder was dismissed in extraordinary circumstances during the Toffees’ gritty 1-0 win at Old Trafford, after he slapped teammate Michael Keane following a heated exchange on the pitch.

Appeal dismissed as Gueye faces a lengthy lay-off

Keane reacted angrily after Gueye surrendered possession dangerously close to the Everton penalty area, leading to a United attempt on goal. A war of words ensued, before Gueye appeared to strike a hand across Keane’s face. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford intervened to separate the pair, but referee Craig Pawson deemed the contact violent conduct and showed Gueye a straight red card. It was a moment that could easily have derailed Everton’s evening, yet the 10 men somehow held firm to earn a rare and morale-boosting victory at Old Trafford. Gueye was visibly remorseful at full-time and addressed his teammates in the dressing room before later issuing a public apology.

"I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane," the player began, in a statement published as an Instagram story. "I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologise to my team-mates, the staff, the fans and the club. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I'll make sure it never happens again."

The club lodged an immediate appeal, hopeful that mitigating circumstances might reduce the punishment. Instead, the FA turned it down without offering any detailed explanation, a decision manager David Moyes admitted has left the club perplexed.

"We have appealed [against the red card] and our appeal was turned down," Moyes said. "We haven't been given any reason why it was turned down, but we did appeal it – immediately."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportImmediate forgiveness in the dressing room

Teammates were quick to draw a line under the matter. Speaking after scoring the decisive goal, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall praised the group’s unity in adversity.

"Idrissa has apologised to us at full-time, said his piece and that's all he can do," Dewsbury-Hall told afterwards. "We move on from it. The reaction from us, was unbelievable. Top tier. We could have crumbled, but if anything, it made us grow."

Moyes echoed the sentiment, insisting the episode was dealt with swiftly and internally.

"There's another side to it," Moyes said. "I like my players fighting each other, if someone didn't do the right action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it."

On the decision to send Gueye off in the first place, Moyes added: "If nothing happened, I don't think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised. I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. I got told that the rules of the game are that if you slap your own player, you could be in trouble. I'm disappointed we got the sending off. But we've all been footballers, we get angry with our team-mates. He's apologised for the sending off, he's praised the players and thanked them for it and apologised for what happened."

Everton now critically short in midfield

The timing of Gueye’s suspension could scarcely be worse for Everton. Having started every league match this season and acting as the side’s midfield anchor, he will now miss games against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. He is also set to depart for Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in December, which will remove him from club duties for an even longer stretch. Moyes is already stretched in midfield. German youngster Merlin Rohl is out until January after undergoing hernia surgery, and captain Seamus Coleman is nursing another hamstring complaint following a disrupted start to the season.

Moyes said: "Yes, we are (short in midfield). Merlin [Rohl] having an operation has made us light, so we are quite short but we have other people who can play in there – Charly Alcaraz, Dwight McNeil if we need to as well. I think those players can do the job in there, if required.

"Merlin probably isn't going to be back until the start of January and Idrissa's suspension [and forthcoming Afcon participation] leaves us pretty short in that area."

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Getty Images SportEverton look ahead to a pivotal run

Everton’s Premier League programme continues on Saturday at Hill Dickinson Stadium, where they host an in-form Newcastle United side. Momentum is finally building after the Old Trafford upset, but Gueye’s absence complicates matters during a defining stretch of fixtures. As it stands, the midfielder will next be eligible for selection when Everton travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on December 13.