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The first day of India’s four-day non-first-class fixture against CA XI is expected to receive plenty of rain, and the second is not clear either

Sidharth Monga27-Nov-2018

India begin their only tour game before the Test series in Australia on Wednesday, but they do so in a manner similar to the one in England despite efforts to do it otherwise. They will play a non-first-class fixture against a weak side in a game that might not see more than three days’ play.In England, India had asked their only four-day match to be reduced to three days, a game in which every player of the squad played, ridding it of its competitive nature. In Australia, the BCCI seemed to have pulled off a modern coup of sorts, getting a tour game at a venue that will be hosting a Test later, the Sydney Cricket Ground. A further breakthrough was made when they got Cricket Australia to accommodate a late request to turn the three-day fixture into a four-day one, raising the possibility that India might buck the trend and play a proper first-class game.A day before the match, though, India announced this would not be a first-class fixture. That means everybody in the squad will get to bat and bowl with only 11 on the field at a given time. To choose between such a game and a proper first-class fixture has of late been the dilemma with tours – especially India’s – having time only for one warm-up match before the series begins.One school of thought is to decide your best XI in advance, and go hard to win a competitive match. Former Australia captain Ian Chappell, among others, is a fan of this approach. He wrote for ESPNcricinfo last weekend: “Many sides touring Australia have failed to observe the rule that should be etched on their boarding pass: try to win every game, especially those leading up to the first Test. The last touring side that obeyed that principle was Andrew Strauss’ England side in 2010-11. Their enterprise in the warm-up matches was an influencing factor in an eventual 3-1 Test series victory.”However, it is understandable that when you have only one game, you want to give some time in the middle to every batsman and bowler before you zero in on your best XI for the Test. India can’t be assessed harshly for taking this route.It is possible the wretched forecast for Sydney had some influence on this call. The first day of this match is expected to receive plenty of rain, and the second is not clear either. So if you are likely to get only three days of play, does it make sense to play it as a four-day competitive fixture?India captain Virat Kohli’s main grouse with warm-up fixtures is likely to stay. Even in England, he defended his decision to not play competitive tour games by saying it was rare to get an opposition that prepares you for a Test match. “A lot of people talk about tour games but where are those tour games happening and against what quality of bowling are very important questions to be asked,” Kohli had told Sky TV in England. “Because if you don’t get the preparation you need before a Test series, then it is actually not utilised well. Time is not utilised well if you don’t get the quality of opposition that you will face in Test cricket.”India’s opposition in this SCG match is a CA XI side, with only eight of those players having played first-class cricket. D’Arcy Short is the only one with international experience, but he is seen as a T20 specialist. Most of the players in Australia are busy playing the concurrent round of Shield cricket.Five Test specialists have had a better shot at acclimatisation. They reached Sydney early to train with Sanjay Bangar, India’s assistant coach. Ajinkya Rahane, M Vijay, Parthiv Patel, Prthivi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari have been working at the SCG from November 22. From among the T20 specialists, offspinner Washington Sundar will stay back till November 29 as a net bowler to help the Test batsmen prepare.From whatever time India get in the middle, they will look to sort out their best combination. They have to decide between the three openers on tour – M Vijay, KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw – and also need to decide whether they want an extra batsman or a spin-bowling allrounder in Hardik Pandya’s absence. If India do play an extra batsman, they have to pick between Rohit Sharma and Hanuma Vihari. R Ashwin should start as the lead spinner, but Kuldeep Yadav’s wristspin will always be part of the conversation.CA XI: Sam Whiteman (capt), Max Bryant, Jake Carder, Jackson Coleman, Harry Conway, Daniel Fallins, David Grant, Aaron Hardie, Jonathan Merlo, Harry Nielsen (wk), D’Arcy Short, Param Uppal

Zimbabwe finished day two on 25 for 1 after Mushfiqur’s unbeaten 219 helped Bangladesh post 522 for 7

The Report by Liam Brickhill12-Nov-2018Stumps Mushfiqur Rahim celebrates his double-hundred•Raton Gomes/BCBMushfiqur Rahim lit up the second day in Mirpur with a brilliant, unbeaten 219 that allowed his team to declare their innings at a massive 522 for 7. Mushfiqur’s was the first Test double-hundred of 2018 and the highest score recorded by a Bangladesh batsman in Tests, while he also became the first wicketkeeper in Test history to hit two double-tons.Having set a new Bangladesh record for the fourth-wicket partnership with Mominul Haque on the first day, Mushfiqur followed that up by setting a new record for his country the eighth with Mehidy Hasan. Together they added an unbeaten 144, Mehidy striking five fours and a six in an adventurous 68 before the declaration came 40 minutes after tea.Mushfiqur reached the landmark 15 minutes after tea, having batted for over nine hours, and his marathon knock meant that Bangladesh were able to weather a five-wicket haul from Zimbabwe seamer Kyle Jarvis. While Jarvis was probing in every spell he bowled, Zimbabwe were hampered by an injury to his seam-bowling partner Tendai Chatara. He pulled up short running up to bowl the third delivery of his 22nd over of the innings, clutching his left thigh and wincing in pain. He was stretchered off with a suspected grade 2 quadriceps muscle strain, and Zimbabwe lost a leader of their attack for the remainder of the match.In his absence, Jarvis struck twice in the first half-hour after lunch to pick up his third five-for in Tests, but Mushfiqur held firm. A slash over the slips brought up his 150, which took up 334 balls and five minutes short of eight hours at the crease.He greeted Sikandar Raza’s introduction for the first time in the day by twice using his feet to get down the track, driving inside out through cover and then clobbering the first six of the innings over midwicket. Mehidy brought up a 78-ball fifty by double-stepping and slamming Raza over long on for another six, and proved the perfect foil for Mushfiqur’s more level-headed accumulation.Mushfiqur’s acceleration in the afternoon stood in stark contrast to his morning go-slow, when he faced 55 deliveries in the first session before hitting his first boundary. There was no hint of the impatient, limited-overs batting style that blighted Bangladesh’s efforts in the first Test, and Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah progressed through the morning very much in Test mode.Mushfiqur had been the fortunate recipient of another missed chance in the field by Zimbabwe in the fourth over of the morning, when Chakabva tumbled to his right but failed to hold onto a thin inside edge that had ricocheted off the batsman’s pad. Mushfiqur doubled down his defence in response, taking an hour and a half to score his first ten runs of the day, but then unfurled the sweep shot to good effect against Zimbabwe’s spinners, collecting boundaries off Sean Williams and Brandon Mavuta.As he batted on and on through to tea and beyond, he found increasing momentum, picking the right ball to attack, and when the declaration finally came, a Zimbabwe line-up, fatigued by the better part of two days in the field, was faced with the prospect of surviving a tricky 18-over period before the close.Hamilton Masakadza survived a review for lbw after being hit on the pad by Mustafizur Rahman third ball, and was gifted a second life when he edged debutant Khaled Ahmed into the slips, where Ariful Haque dropped the chance. But in fading light, his battling knock came to an end when he edged Taijul Islam low to Mehidy at slip to fall for a 44-ball 14. Brian Chari and nightwatchman Donald Tiripano survived unscathed to the close, but Zimbabwe have been left with a mountain to climb after Mushfiqur’s epic.

Lamine Yamal revealed that he does not want to play both Euro 2024 and the Olympics and gave his reasons for picking his preferred competition.

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• Yamal a key player for Spain
• But youngster only wants to play in European Championship
• Does not want to risk overloading himself

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal, a cherished treasure of Luis de la Fuente, is faced with the possibility of participating in both the Euro 2024 and the Olympics. However, concerns have emerged within the Barcelona camp regarding the potential strain on the young player if he were to compete in both competitions in quick succession. The club is keen to avoid a scenario similar to 2021, where Pedri's fitness suffered due to the demanding schedule of multiple international tournaments.

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  WHAT YAMAL SAID

  In light of these concerns, Yamal recently addressed the issue himself in an interview with, acknowledging the challenges of participating in both the Euros and the Olympics.

  "It wouldn't be wise to participate in both tournaments," he said. "I've always tried to avoid overloading myself and playing excessively, so it wouldn't be logical to do both. But of course, representing Spain is a dream. It depends on how the Euro Cup unfolds, but I believe the priority would be the Euro Cup."

  However, Yamal, remains "definitely" open to reconsidering his stance if he is used scarcely in the Euro or Spain exit early from the competition.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal's decision marks a departure from his previous stance, where he had indicated openness to playing in both competitions. However, he now prioritizes the European Championship considering Pedri's erstwhile experiences. While speaking on the Pedri factor, he said: "It’s an example of what can happen because he’s the only one I remember doing it.“

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While the Spanish Football Federation has assured Barcelona that they would not overload their youngsters, the Catalans are likely to take measures to prevent their players from participating in both tournaments. Real Madrid have already taken a firm stance, prohibiting their players from competing in two competitions, signalling the importance clubs place on wellbeing and performance. Yamal will be back in action when Barcelona make a trip to Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.

India Blue needed just 10.4 overs on the fourth day to wrap up an innings-and-187-run victory against India Red in the Duleep Trophy final in Dindigul.Blue had won the toss at the NPR College ground and piled up 541 in 167.3 overs, riding on Nikhil Gangta’s 130 from No. 7 in a remarkable lower-order revival, after they were reduced to 284 for 6. Swapnil Singh then took 5 for 58 with his left-arm spin to shoot out Red for 182. Blue captain Faiz Fazal enforced the follow on, and Red fared just as poorly in their second innings.Resuming from an overnight 128 for 5, still trailing by 231 runs, Red lost three wickets inside the first four overs on day four, and any hope they might have had of mounting a fightback evaporated. Eventually, they were bowled out for 172 in 38.4 overs, with the spin duo of Saurabh Kumar and Deepak Hooda taking five wickets each.Left-arm spinner Saurabh’s 5 for 51 was his second five-wicket haul in two matches and took his tally to 19 wickets, the highest in the tournament. Hooda took 5 for 56 with his part-time offspin, his best innings figures in first-class cricket.When the match began on Tuesday, Blue had a somewhat wobbly start, losing their top four inside 42 overs to be 107 for 4. The first rebuilding effort was undertaken by Ricky Bhui (60) and Anmolpreet Singh, who added 144 before Anmolpreet fell for 96 just before stumps on the first day.Gangta then shepherded the lower order with all of Swapnil (69), Saurabh (36) and Jaydev Unadkat (24) making useful contributions as Blue put up a formidable total.Red then lost their captain Abhinav Mukund, bowled by Dhawal Kulkarni in the ten overs they had to bat on the second day, and unravelled quickly on the third day. B Sandeep’s 57 at No.3 was the only score above 20 among the top seven, with Kulkarni and Hooda taking two wickets apiece to complement Swapnil’s five.Red fared even worse in their second innings. Abhinav’s 46 was the highest score of the innings, and Ishan Kishan made 30 while Sandeep made 22, but no other batsman made more than 15.In addition to the highest wicket-taker in Saurabh, Blue also had the top run-getter of the tournament in Dhruv Shorey, who made 293 runs in five innings at an average of 58.60. Sanjay Ramaswamy, the Red opener, was second with 267 runs in six innings, while no other batsman totalled more than 200 in conditions where spinners thrived.

Premier League clubs fishing for new talent to add to their squads often look to faraway leagues in Europe to buy from, but looking a little closer to home often pays off with the Championship full of exceptional players worthy of a top-flight challenge if purchased. Everton are a club to have found notable success with such a strategy.

Players such as James Maddison, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ivan Toney all flourished into top players in the Premier League after finding their feet in the second tier of English football – Brentford signing Toney for a cheap initial £5m transfer fee from Peterborough United, a bargain looking back with the 27-year-old now an established goalscorer at top-flight level.

The Toffees have more than utilised this method of signing up-and-coming talents from the Championship effectively, acquiring the likes of Tim Cahill from Millwall and Joleon Lescott from Wolves in the past.

But, the standout name is John Stones, who Everton signed from Barnsley in a transfer around the £3m mark in 2013.

A decade on, Stones is now a key player for both Manchester City and England on the international stage.

Everton will hope that they can get their hands on another gem from the Championship, and in Adam Wharton from Blackburn, they could well replicate the Stones success story with the 19-year-old if he swaps Ewood Park for Goodison Park.

Are Everton interested in Adam Wharton?

Branded as an "outstanding talent" by football journalist Josh Bunting, Everton are very much interested in Wharton's services who continue to excel with Blackburn.

The young midfielder has made 33 appearances for his current employers to date, cementing his spot as a first-teamer this season after breaking through into the starting XI at the end of 2022/23 campaign.

Everton aren't the only interested party, with a whole host of top-flight teams from England sniffing around for Wharton's services – TEAMtalk reporting, via Alan Nixon, that Newcastle United, Manchester United, Brighton and four other Premier League clubs are all actively looking at Wharton for a possible January transfer worth around £10m.

But, Sean Dyche's men could have the upper hand. Nixon is reporting that the Toffees are 'preparing to launch a January bid' which proves Everton's interest is concrete for the young Blackburn star.

How good is Adam Wharton?

Adam Wharton is highly thought of in the Blackburn set-up, the Lancashire-born midfielder featuring in all but two of the Riversiders' games this season – dropping out of the side recently owing to injury.

On his first full game for Rovers, Wharton picked up a Man of the Match accolade – the homegrown talent's presence helping Blackburn get over the line in a narrow 1-0 victory, assisting the only strike of the contest versus the Tangerines.

His overall Sofascore rating for Blackburn sees him come in at a 7.0, his tenacity on the ball a standout attribute – recovering the ball an average of six times a game this season so far from ten matches played.

Everton could well look to Wharton as a useful buy to give the Toffees more energy and doggedness through the centre of the park, a spot freed up in the midfield too after Jean-Phillipe Gbamin was recently released by the Merseysiders.

The Toffees will further hope that they have unearthed a gem to the same level that they managed to obtain when purchasing Stones in 2013, Wharton drawing parallels by coming through at his hometown club and attracting plenty of interest from a whole host of Premier League suitors.

Arsenal are back in action this evening following the international break, and what better way to return than with a London derby at Stamford Bridge, as the Gunners visit Chelsea in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta’s side remain unbeaten in the 2023/24 league campaign, sitting in second place narrowly behind Tottenham Hotspur on the mere basis of goals scored, contrasting to Mauricio Pochettino’s start to life in west London.

The Blues currently sit in 11th having won three, drawn two and lost three from their opening eight fixtures, yet they have started to build some momentum of late, making this evening's affair just that bit more feisty.

What is the latest Arsenal team news against Chelsea?

Arsenal signed off before the international break with a statement win against Manchester City, beating Pep Guardiola’s side in the league for the first time since 2015 in a well-fought 1-0 win at the Emirates.

Arteta’s side will be hoping to build further from their stellar victory by beating Chelsea this evening, with the motivation there to replicate the win at Stamford Bridge against the Blues last term.

Arsenal beat City without their star man Bukayo Saka, who was sidelined due to injury, with the manager confirming that he can’t determine the Englishman’s fitness up until a pre-match fitness test.

Another scare has since surfaced with Arteta revealing in his pre-match press conference that William Saliba will also require a late fitness check, as he nurses a toe injury that saw him withdraw from international duty, with Leandro Trossard in a similar situation.

There could be some rotation evident from the squad that beat Manchester City 13 days ago, with positive news being the return of midfield enforcer Thomas Partey.

Should Thomas Partey start against Chelsea?

After missing four Premier League games due to a groin injury, Partey re-joined the squad as a second-half substitute against City, where Jorginho was given the nod ahead of him as he eases back into match fitness.

Lauded as a “difference maker” by journalist Eduardo Hagn, Arteta could finally unleash his best midfield combination against Pochettino's men with Declan Rice, Partey and Martin Odegaard theoretically posing to be the strongest trio in contention at the Emirates.

Former Blues forward Kai Havertz had been deployed in the middle of the park in place of Partey during his absence, however the former Atletico Madrid maestro has a presence that cannot be matched in Arsenal’s current options.

Considering the threat that Enzo Fernandez poses in building play from deep in Chelsea’s midfield, starting Partey from the off could be a decisive factor in Arsenal getting the win at Stamford Bridge.

The Argentine averages 10.89 progressive passes per 90 this season in the Premier League, the highest of any midfielder, as per FBref, highlighting the influence he can exert on those ahead of him from the engine room.

On the other hand is Partey, who if paired with Rice, could relieve the pressure of defensive duties on the Englishman, suggested by his average of 2.54 tackles per 90 last term, as well as his ball-carrying ability with 50.67 carries per 90, via FBref.

The combination of the Ghana international and Arsenal’s £105m man could smother any pressure hoping to be stemmed from Fernandez, with a pivot that can both be the anchor and progress effortlessly in transition.

Worcestershire’s batsmen are heading to the 2nd XI for recuperation after a third successive defeat extended a dismal return to Division One

Paul Bolton at New Road30-Apr-2018
ScorecardIt is only seven months these sides were promoted together from Division Two of the County Championship but the gulf in class between them was startling in a one-sided affair that was completed in just five sessions.Worcestershire, who went up as Second Division champions, were routed twice in the equivalent of just two sessions by a high quality attack who made expert use of a slow seaming pitch.Stuart Broad, playing his first match of the season, played his part, surviving a mid-pitch collision with Luke Fletcher along the way, but he was not Worcestershire’s chief tormentor. Instead it was Jake Ball, another member of England’s Ashes attack, who wrecked their second innings by taking his second five wicket haul of the season.Worcestershire have now lost all three matches since they were promoted for the sixth time and with a trip to the Oval this week followed by the visit of reigning champions Essex, things are unlikely to get any easier.Kevin Sharp, who was installed as head coach following the sacking of Steve Rhodes during the winter, had some difficult times during his time as Yorkshire’s batting coach but preventing Worcestershire from being relegated after just a season in the top flight for the fifth time may yet prove to be his biggest challenge.”We know that there are some really top sides in this division. Division One sides are more experienced and they have strength in depth but there lies the challenge. If we didn’t know before we certainly do now about what is expected,” Sharp said.After a lengthy post-match team Sharp announced that five of his punch drunk top six – Travis Head is the exception – will play in a Second XI Trophy match against Warwickshire at New Road on Tuesday in an attempt to find form and confidence..Brett D’Oliveira and George Rhodes have scraped together just 35 runs in 12 innings between them and Worcestershire’s only half centuries have come from Ben Cox and Ed Barnard at seven and eight in the order.”It hurts and it’s not nice. Someone asked me the other day if I was enjoying myself. I said sometimes because it’s not easy to enjoy yourself in such circumstances,” Sharp said.”I have been at this club for four years, I have seen these lads grow up and they are fine players but they have not performed as yet. But I have every confidence and belief they will come through and by September things will have turned round.”Jake Ball showed England form at New Road•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire have yet to play at Trent Bridge this season because of building work but they will return there to face Hampshire on Friday having won twice on the road.”We started this little block of five matches thinking of it like a Test series of five. We are 2-1 up at the minute and everyone is excited at going back to Trent Bridge,” Ball said.Ball already 21 wickets this season and with a new National Selector in Ed Smith, he remains hopeful of reclaiming his England place after he was dropped for the two Tests in New Zealand.”It’s nice to have had this start having had the winter I had. It’s something I wanted to do. Hopefully I can kick on again and see where we go from there,” he said.Ball was given the opportunity to pitch the ball up and attack here thanks to the early aggression of Tom Moores and Broad who accelerated Nottinghamshire towards their declaration. They pulled out after the last wicket pair of Luke Fletcher and Harry Gurney had scrambled the 12 runs they needed for a third batting point and then set about Worcestershire’s feeble batting.Daryl Mitchell, who has made only five of his 26 championship centuries in the First Division, was bowled by a full length ball for the second time in the match and only Tom Fell, who batted 28 overs for his 37, threatened to delay Nottinghamshire.Fell looked distraught when he was bowled shouldering arms to Gurney and Worcestershire’s version of Kwik Cricket meant it was all over long before a party of 150 schoolchildren arrived hoping to see some cricket before a presentation evening.

Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways after the first international break of the season as they beat St. Johnstone 2-0 away from Ibrox on Saturday.

It was a much-needed result for Michael Beale as the pressure was reportedly mounting on the English head coach after two disappointing results prior to this win.

The Light Blues had lost 5-1 to PSV as they failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and were then beaten 1-0 by Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

This win against St. Johnstone may have bought Beale more time to prove himself in the dugout but the match was not without any frustrations, as striker Danilo suffered a concerning injury blow.

What's the latest on Danilo's injury?

Beale confirmed after the match that the Brazilian centre-forward fractured his cheekbone in the collision that led to the opening goal and that it now remains to be seen how long he will be out of action for.

The summer signing from Feyenoord bravely competed for the ball from James Tavernier's cross and guided a fantastic header into the back of the net to put the Gers 1-0 up.

However, in doing so, the 24-year-old collided with the opposition defender and has now suffered a knock that could see him miss out on the clash with Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday night.

It has not been confirmed that Danilo will not be available for selection at Ibrox this week, but it could be difficult for him to make such a speedy recovery after having surgery.

Therefore, this could open the door for another player to be handed an opportunity to catch the eye in the huge clash with Betis.

Rangers will be hoping to kick off their Europa League campaign with a bang after being knocked out of the Champions League and a night under the lights at Ibrox is the perfect place in which to do it.

Who could replace Danilo?

Beale could ease the blow of potentially losing Danilo for the upcoming clash in Glasgow by unleashing electric forward Rabbi Matondo from the start after another impressive showing against St. Johnstone.

The Wales international was named on the bench on Saturday but made the most of his opportunity off the bench as he scored the second and final goal of the game.

As per Sofascore, the former Schalke prospect won three of his four ground duels, completed 100% (1/1) of his attempted dribbles, created one chance, and scored a goal in just 17 minutes on the pitch. This shows that he dealt with the physicality of the match and was effective with what he did on the ball.

Matondo brilliantly raced onto a superb through ball from compatriot Tom Lawrence, before opening up his body to slot into the bottom corner of the goal as he showcased his pace to get in behind as well as his composure with the calm finish.

How many goals did Matondo score last season?

The 23-year-old has stepped up his game this term after a difficult first season at Ibrox following his move from German side Schalke in the summer of 2022.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst brought him to the Scottish giants after the attacker had scored nine goals in 23 Pro League starts for Cercle Brugge on loan during the 2021/22 campaign.

The Gers winger, who was once lauded as "electrifying" by former manager Ryan Giggs, failed to score a single goal in 28 appearances in all competitions throughout the 2022/23 season for the Dutch head coach and Beale combined.

He averaged a disappointing Sofascore rating of 6.74, which placed him 26th within the squad. Matondo registered four assists in 19 Scottish Premiership outings, whilst the Welsh speedster only produced 0.8 key passes per game for his teammates.

12 players provided more key passes per match than Matondo, a number that suggests the 2022 signing did not offer consistent quality as a scorer or a creator out wide.

You could, therefore, forgive any supporters who came into this campaign with the expectation that the youngster would not play a significant role, if any, on the pitch for the club.

How many goals has Matondo scored this season?

However, the £28k-per-week earner has already found the back of the net twice in seven outings so far this term and finally looks to be finding his feet in Scotland.

Matondo has averaged an excellent Sofascore rating of 7.25, which is the seventh-highest within the squad, and contributed with one goal and one assist in four Premiership matches so far.

The Welsh wizard, who also bagged in the 2-2 first-leg Champions League draw with PSV earlier this season, has showcased his ability to provide a threat within the final third after failing to do so throughout his first year at Ibrox.

His recent form, and his cameo against St. Johnstone in particular, certainly suggests that he can ease the blow of Danilo's injury by coming into the starting XI.

The Brazilian attacker has scored twice in five Premiership outings so far, meaning that they have both contributed to the same number of league strikes this season.

This does not mean that Matondo would have to start through the middle of the park as a number nine, however. Indeed, he could come in and play in his natural position out wide, which would then allow Kemar Roofe to lead the line as a centre-forward and Sam Lammers could invert from the right into a number ten role to use his physicality.

His pace on the counter-attack could be particularly useful for the Glaswegians, as both of his goals this season have come from him running onto the end of a through ball after a quick counter.

Therefore, Beale must unleash the former Manchester City starlet on Thursday if Danilo is unavailable for selection.

Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling has had an excellent start to the new Premier League season under manager Mauricio Pochettino and it appears to be down to three key reasons.

What's the latest on Raheem Sterling and Chelsea?

Last term, after the Englishman arrived from Manchester City in a reported £50m deal, things did not go too well for the winger. After all, he finished the campaign with just six league goals – his lowest tally in seven years.

Already in the early stages of the current season, however, he has shown significant signs of improvement. For instance, in the 3-1 loss at West Ham, despite the defeat he was lauded for his efforts.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

As per the Evening Standard, he was the best performer for Chelsea, with an 8/10 player rating. In the same report, Nizaar Kinsella journalist added: "An incredible all-action dribbling performance in which he was Chelsea’s main creator and threat. Deserved an assist."

Most recently, he stole the show in the home win against Luton Town, scoring twice as the Blues picked up a first competitive victory under Pochettino. Jamie Carragher on commentary for Sky Sports noted the player's change in form.

He said (via Daily Mail): "Dancing feet from Raheem Sterling. He looked back to his best last week and this is more evidence of that.

"We're now seeing the real Raheem Sterling now in a Chelsea shirt."

Evidently, there has been a big change in the way the 28-year-old has performed of late and in a new report in The Athletic, it's noted that three reasons explain this change in form.

Why is Raheem Sterling now playing so well?

Firstly, his diet. Indeed, the article explains: "Key to his renaissance was a conversation with Chelsea personnel over what was going on. The club recommended a nutritionist to him and they have been working together ever since. A list of foods has been provided that help with muscle recovery and refuelling."

It's further explained that Sterling now records his daily meals and has them analysed by a nutritionist who tells him what to add or reduce from his diet – while a personal chef has also been employed to help cater to his needs at home.

Next, as evidenced by the video shared below, the 28-year-old has worked extremely hard in the off-season to help build up his explosive speed as well as his cardio fitness.

He trained hard over the summer, running up steep hills at Lightwater Country Park in Surrey with the Camberley Judo Club. As you can see in the footage, his ability to outrun other athletes on this uncomfortable terrain has helped him blitz past defenders with ease in the Premier League.

Finally, Pochettino's arrival at Stamford Bridge seems to have significantly helped improve Stelings' confidence. Sterling had never even experienced what it is like when a club sacks a manager in the past. And so it would have been difficult when Chelsea went from Thomas Tuchel to Graham Potter to Frank Lampard all in one season.

The article explains too, that the player's "bond with Pochettino is already a very close one" and that they are "very much on the same page". This is already yielding results on the pitch too.

After all, as per WhoScored, Sterling has the highest match rating from within the whole squad so far with a 7.6 rating. In that time, he's started three games, scored twice and picked up one man-of-the-match award.

Clearly, those three changes are making a world of difference.

Former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been gifted a Rolex watch after making his Al-Ittihad debut but then dropped it moments later.

What team did Fabinho go to?

The Saudi Pro League has taken on the European football world this summer, landing a number of shock signings.

It appears Neymar could be the next big name on the list amid reports that the Paris Saint-Germain star has agreed a two-year deal to join Al Hilal.

Many players are already over in the Middle East, though, and Fabinho is one of many to have made a combative debut over the past few days.

Read the latest Saudi Pro League completed Transfers and Rumours HERE

Indeed, the Brazilian – who joined Al-Ittihad from Liverpool last month for a reported £40m – played in a 3-0 win against Al-Raed.

He was partnered in the middle of the park by ex-Chelsea ace N’Golo Kante, with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge as first-team coach.

With Abderrazak Hamdallah scoring and Igor Coronado netting a brace, Al-Ittihad cruised to a comfortable win and this seemed to delight one fan in particular.

Indeed, as you can see in the footage shared on Twitter below, Fabinho was heading out of the stadium after full-time when he stopped to speak to an individual who presented him with a gift.

It wasn’t just any gift, though, as the 29-year-old was handed a Rolex watch which actually then slipped off his wrist and fell to the ground just moments later.

Thankfully, it appears the expensive present wasn’t damaged.

When did Fabinho go to Liverpool?

Liverpool signed Fabinho back in May 2019 from Monaco for a fee reported to be £39.3m, plus £4.4m in add-ons.

It’s safe to say the Reds got their money out of the midfielder as he departs having played 219 games during that time, while winning essentially everything on offer.

Indeed, he lifted the Champions League, the Premier League, the Club World Cup, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup under Jurgen Klopp.

Of course, Fabinho isn’t the only Liverpool midfielder to say goodbye to the Reds this summer as former club captain Jordan Henderson always swapped Anfield for Saudi Arabia.

The Englishman moved to Al-Ettifaq in a deal worth £12m plus add-ons and made his debut for Steven Gerrard’s side this week as well.

However, reports have noted just how intense the Saudi heat has been with Henderson supposedly left “on his haunches” just 30 minutes into his first appearance.

Paul MacInnes of The Guardian wrote: “It was surely, by far, the hottest football match Henderson had ever played in, but one recovery sprint, and a not entirely full-throttle one at that, had entirely done him in.”

While, in the same report, Gerrard remarked: “You don’t really appreciate that type of heat until you actually come and work in these conditions.

“The climate has definitely been tough and challenging. So I’m going to have to adapt, and so are some of the signings we’ve made from Europe. We don’t want to leave our energy on the training pitch.

Even so, Henderson and co still managed to come away with three points as Al-Ettifaq beat Sadio Mane’s Al-Nassr 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League fixture.

It will certainly be interesting to see how he gets on when he comes up against Fabinho and Al-Ittihad.