Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was understandably unhappy with how his team played in the 0-0 draw with Falkirk at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

In his post-match press conference, as relayed by the Heart & Hand podcast, the German boss cited decision making as one of the key reasons why his side failed to claim all three points.

Rohl also noted that too many of the players opted to turn back and slow the game down at times, which is why Max Aarons should be dropped from the starting line-up in the coming games.

Why Rangers should stop playing Max Aarons at left-back

The Bournemouth loanee did not put in a terrible performance against Falkirk at left-back, as he won six of his seven duels and both of his attempted tackles, per Sofascore.

However, Rangers will always have a problem when Aarons plays at left-back because he is a right-footed player who, naturally, wants to cut back onto his right foot where possible, which can slow down attacks and affect the fluidity of the team.

This heavily contributes to the problem that Rohl spoke about with too many players turning back to play negative passes, because he is not a left-footed full-back who can open up and bomb on down the flank.

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Journalist Jonny McFarlane said at half-time that the “issue down left flank is glaring”, but it took until the 57th minute for Rohl to take Aarons off for Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma.

That may be because the English youngster has been even worse than Aarons, despite being a natural left-back, and he should be replaced in January.

Why Rangers need to replace Meghoma in January

In his aforementioned comments, Rohl mentioned that he already has an idea of what he needs in the January transfer window, and a new left-back should be on the agenda.

In the summer, Kevin Thelwell sanctioned the sales of Ridvan Yilmaz and Jefte whilst only signing Meghoma as a natural left-back option, after he had played just 12 times on loan at Preston in the Championship last season as a teenager.

It was a big ask for the Brentford youngster to step in at Ibrox as the first and only choice natural left-back with his inexperience in the game, and his performances have looked like those of a player who is still learning and developing in senior football.

Vs Falkirk

Aarons

Meghoma

Minutes

57

33

Key passes

1

0

Shots

0

0

Crosses completed

1

0

Dribbles completed

2

0

Pass accuracy

84%

78%

Duels won

6/7

2/3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Aarons, despite being right-footed, offered more to the team on the ball in his time on the pitch than Meghoma, as a natural left-footer, did after he came on in the second half.

On top of being even worse than Aarons in possession against Falkirk, the 19-year-old full-back’s overall defensive work this season has left a bit to be desired, as he has lost 77% of his aerial duels in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

His defending was also called into question against Brann in the Europa League in Rohl’s first game in charge, as Ally McCoist dubbed his failure to mark Jacob Sorensen from a set-piece as “remarkable” in that 3-0 loss.

Overall, Meghoma has failed to prove that he can be relied upon to start week-in-week-out for the Gers domestically or in Europe, which is why Rohl must replace him when the January transfer window opens for business by recruiting a senior and experienced left-back.

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Bringing a natural left-back who can provide reliable performances for Rangers would allow Meghoma to learn his trade as a back-up, whilst it would also allow Aarons to compete with James Tavernier for a starting berth in his natural role at right-back.

There’s no denying that Chelsea employed a scattergun spending approach in the early days of BlueCo’s ownership, but that has since been streamlined over the past few years, with Enzo Maresca proving the perfect man for the job.

Sunday’s Premier League clash is a big one, with Stamford Bridge playing host to a top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Arsenal. The second-place Blues will narrow the deficit to just three points with a win.

This is a team building toward a period of sustained success, and the tactical readings suggest that Chelsea are already one of the most exciting attacking outfits in the division, even if there is a sense that there are several levels still to be scaled.

Chelsea

2nd

22.1

Man City

3rd

21.8

Arsenal

1st

20.7

Crystal Palace

5th

20.2

Man Utd

10th

19.9

However, a question mark lingers over number nine, with Liam Delap yet to prove he is the answer. Could Chelsea be looking to sign an upgrade?

Why Chelsea are searching for a striker

In fairness, Delap has spent a sizeable portion of his first months in west London in the infirmary. Still, since returning from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for much of the autumn, the English striker has started twice in the Premier League and failed to break his duck on both counts.

That said, he did net his first goal of the campaign for the Blues against Barcelona in midweek, coming off the bench and coolly converting to seal the 3-0 win after neat interplay between Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

However, the £30m summer signing from Ipswich Town has yet to prove he has what it takes to nail down a berth at the front of Maresca’s system, and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are searching for a potential upgrade.

They may have found one. According to Sky Germany, Chelsea are among the outfits to have been informed that Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is worth about €50m (£44m), applicable for a number of top European outfits.

Chelsea are in the mix, and though Delap and Joao Pedro make up a dynamic central strike force in west London, Guirassy’s clinical record suggests he could add an interesting dimension to a title-challenging side.

What Guirassy would bring to Chelsea

Guirassy, 29, might not fit the age profile Chelsea have focused on targeting in recent years, but his experience and maturity in the final third would serve as a neat counterpoint to the younger generation.

Delap caught the eye for Ipswich last season, a shining light as he scored 12 goals across 37 Premier League outings. Kieran McKenna’s side were relegated, but so many teams swarmed for Delap’s signature, and Chelsea won the race.

The 22-year-old has a future at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca’s side need someone in the now who can maintain a fight against Arsenal, while pushing deep into the Champions League too.

Guirassy is “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to German legend Lothar Matthaus, and he ranks among the top 11% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

25/26

10

5 + 1

24/25

30

21 + 2

23/24

28

28 + 2

22/23

22

11 + 0

He’s hardly just a mindless poacher, with silky footwork and intelligent positioning that allows him to roam around the attacking half and link up with teammates.

But, at his core, Guirassy is indeed a goalscorer, and Chelsea may find that Delap earns fewer minutes with the Guinean striker in the mix.

It’s a tough one, but given the promising position Maresca’s side have placed themselves into, it might just be the move to make.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Palmeiras eInternacionalse enfrentamnesta quarta-feira (17), pela segunda rodada doBrasileirão 2024. A bola vai rolar a partir das 20h (de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, em São Paulo (SP), com transmissão do Premiere (pay-per-view).

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Palmeiras e Internacional (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Palmeiras x Internacional
2ª rodada – Brasileirão

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 16 de março de 2024, às 20h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Arena Barueri, em Barueri (SP)
📺 Onde assistir: Premiere
🟨 Árbitro: Lucas Paulo Torezin 
🚩Assistentes: Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos e Rafael Trombeta; Wagner Reway (VAR)

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⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

PALMEIRAS (Técnico: Abel Ferreira)
Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno; Zé Rafael e Raphael Veiga; Lázaro, Flaco López e Endrick.

INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Eduardo Coudet)
Sergio Rochet; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Fernando, Maurício, Thiago Maia e Wanderson; Wesley (Lucca) e Rafael Borré.

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Tudo sobre

InternacionalOnde assistirPalmeiras

SA’s wicketkeeper has backed her team to bounce back after they folded for 69 against England

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20252:03

Jafta: ‘We were a bit rushed against England’

South Africa’s wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta has welcomed the change in venue – they have moved to Indore – after being skittled for 69 against England in Guwahati on Saturday. South Africa will meet New Zealand in Indore on Monday, nearly a year after the teams had faced each other in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Dubai. New Zealand have already played a game in Indore in this World Cup.”We always knew coming into a tournament like this, games like this happen,” Jafta said. “Because it’s such a long tournament, we just have to accept what has happened. Laura [Wolvaardt] capped it off nicely and said, we don’t become a bad batting unit overnight. Obviously, homework was done, and now we’re just looking forward to the next one.”We had to leave the town [Guwahati] behind us. When you look and you’re coming into Indore, the people have been fantastic. For us, it’s like a fresh perspective. We saw the first game they had – it was a high-scoring day. For us as a batting unit, it’s just to knuckle down and bat. Don’t think too much about the outcome. Just take it one ball at a time.”Related

Wolvaardt: 'We are much, much better than 69 all out'

New Zealand and South Africa meet after a year with both teams needing a pick-me-up

While Jafta admitted that South Africa had erred with their approach against England, she said her team “won’t dwell’ on the batting collapse.”We were a bit rushed,” Jafta said. “We weren’t really present in that moment. When I went back, I realised I wasn’t really present in the delivery I went out. It wasn’t a good day, but we won’t dwell on it. We’ve got another opportunity.”That opportunity comes against a New Zealand side, which is also coming off a defeat, against Australia. Jafta said that South Africa will not underestimate New Zealand whom they have not faced in an ODI since October 2023.”You have the likes of Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine – players who’ve been playing for a really long time,” she said. “But also, you’re not underestimating your Georgia Plimmer, your [Maddy] Greens, your Izzy Gaze – she came off. For us as a bowling unit, it’s about being very disciplined in how we go about our things.”Laura Wolvaardt tunes up for the match against New Zealand in Indore•ICC via Getty ImagesExecution, Jafta said, will be crucial, something the team has focused on during their recent tours of the subcontinent. South Africa won a T20I series 2-1 in Pakistan before the World Cup and took part in a tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, where they lost three out of four matches, in May.”We’ve been playing in these conditions – it’s nothing new,” she said. “I always make a joke, we’ve probably faced all of these deliveries in net sessions. Why can’t we just go into a game and execute? We had a blowout, but we’ve got New Zealand ahead of us.”We know that when it comes to being tactical, they [New Zealand] are probably high up there, so we have to bring in full intensity. Coach has said, ‘Leave everything behind. Tomorrow is another opportunity.’ A lot of different individuals will put up their hands in tomorrow’s game.”

After returning to club action following the final international break of 2025, Liverpool needed to find a remedy for their issues.

A defeat to Manchester City two weeks ago is hardly something to be ashamed about, but after consecutive wins across league and European action, it was a return to the doldrums of the previous month.

In truth, Arne Slot’s men have been way off it in 2025/26. The Anfield outfit are severely lagging behind in the race for the Premier League title and they can probably already forget about any hopes of retaining England’s biggest prize, but for a major miracle.

The nadir of the campaign so far came on Saturday. Nottingham Forest, sat inside the relegation places, visited Mersyeside and swatted aside Slot’s troops with ease, winning 3-0.

It was a ghastly defeat and one that was epitomised by the performance of club-record signing Alexander Isak.

The issues behind Alexander Isak

2025 has been a peculiar old year for Mr Isak. He began the year in career-best form and took Newcastle United to a Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley against his new employers.

Yet, he ruined his legacy. He chewed it up and spat it back in the faces of Newcastle supporters.

He didn’t go on the club’s pre-season tour in Asia and from that moment he was never seen in first-team training again.

Isak trained on his own at Newcastle’s complex and then after missing the opening weeks of the season, finally got his British record move to Liverpool. FSG shelled out a jaw-dropping £125m to sign him but he has not been worth that fee in the slightest.

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The Swede has struggled with fitness and injury since moving, hardly surprising given he didn’t have a proper pre-season. That, however, is the player’s fault and he’s now paying the price.

The striker has now played nine games for his new side but has only scored once, a solitary goal in the EFL Cup.

He’s gone five Premier League matches without scoring and all four of his Liverpool starts in top-flight action have ended in defeat.

His performance against Forest on Saturday was the epitome of what he’s gone through on Merseyside to date.

As Slot’s side lost 3-0, Isak was nowhere to be seen. BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty described his afternoon as a “symbol of one of the most limp Anfield displays in recent years.”

As a consequence, the attacker only lasted 68 minutes on the pitch, amassing just 14 touches of the football and winning zero of his duels.

Minutes played

68

Touches

14

Accurate passes

5/7 (71%)

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

0

Shots

1

Shots on target

0

Ground duels won

0

Aerial duels won

0

Before this game had even taken place Liverpool correspondent David Lynch had suggested the Swede was “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did”. Still, while Nunez never really got up to speed, there is a belief that Isak will eventually come good.

The same cannot be said for someone who plays further back than Isak.

Liverpool star is becoming this season's Darwin Nunez

What a puzzling character Mr Nunez was. The Uruguayan arrived in a £85m move from Benfica back in June 2022 but failed to ever really set the world alight.

He missed a catalogue of big chances. In January 2024, he set a Premier League record when he hit the woodwork four times in one game against Chelsea. No one has ever hit the bar or post on as many occasions in one match as that.

Furthermore, back in 2023/24, only Erling Haaland (34) missed more big chances than Nunez (27) in the top-flight. The trouble is, while the Norwegian powerhouse scored 27 that term, Liverpool’s leading number nine only found the net on 11 occasions in league action.

Then, last season, the South American netted just seven goals in 47 fixtures, prompting his exit from English football. He has since moved to Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal, where he has netted five times in nine appearances.

Isak will likely have a better Anfield career than that, but he is arguably not the main scapegoat right now. That honour is in the hands of Ibrahima Konate.

The Frenchman, as Nunez did, has become the but of the jokes at Anfield this term and is the most under-fire player in Slot’s squad.

Yes, Florian Wirtz and Isak continue to disappoint, a huge problem given their price tags, but Konate has had one too many chances now and his Liverpool career is heading in a similar way to a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season and with Real Madrid allegedly chasing his services, it looks like the best option for all parties that he leaves on a free transfer.

Liverpool would love a fee, of course they would, but they just need to get him off their books now. He’s simply too error-prone. It’s not just one error either, something football analyst Raj Chohan outlined on social media during Saturday’s game.

Having made a dreadful mistake, beaten all ends up by Forest striker Igor Jesus, the Frenchman was extremely thankful that the goal that followed that sequence of events was ruled out for handball.

Writing afterwards, Chohan simply said, “every time he makes one error, he makes multiple.”

Tactical writer Dharnish Iqbal, further noted that Konate’s form at the moment is “shocking”, outlining him as one of the biggest problems at Slot’s disposal right now.

According to the official data, supplied by Sofascore, he has made three mistakes leading to a shot in league action alone this term. In the Champions League, he has made a further one. This is particularly bad as in the whole of the 2024/25 Premier League season, he made two. He’s already up to that number now from 12 starts.

He might not be like Nunez in the sense that he’s a striker, but he’s the new club scapegoat, and like Nunez, he needs to leave as soon as possible.

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Ibrahima Konate was not the only culprit during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

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He put on a dominant performance in his first innings of the season while Kurtis Patterson also made an excellent century

AAP29-Oct-2025

Steven Smith issued an ominous warning to England ahead of the Ashes, slamming 118 for New South Wales in his first game of cricket in more than two months.Fresh off a six-week stint in New York where he didn’t pick up a bat, Smith looked in imperious touch as he helped NSW to 349 for 5 in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland.Related

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After the opening day’s play at the Gabba was washed out through rain, Kurtis Patterson also hit 122 while youngster Will Salzmann impressed with 65 while opening.The only sour point for NSW was Sam Konstas being bowled middle stump for 10, leaving a ball from left-armer Hayden Kerr that angled straight into his wickets.Konstas is now essentially no chance of retaining his spot as Australia’s opener, and could benefit from a summer out of the spotlight in the Shield.But there is no question mark over Smith’s form heading into the first Test in Perth on November 21, where he will captain Australia in place of the injured Pat Cummins.Smith played out 21 dot balls to start his innings on Wednesday, but from the moment he on-drove Sam Skelly to the boundary to get off the mark, the right-hander looked on.A flurry of drives and pull shots followed, with the 36-year-old treating the Gabba as his playground and looking every bit at his best three weeks out from the first Test.Sam Konstas was bowled by Hayden Kerr•Getty Images

Some 86 of his runs came in boundaries, including a big six down the ground of Mitchell Swepson when he charged the legspinner and took him on.Three boundaries came in three balls at one stage off quick James Bazley, with the first two crunches through the covers and the last a classic straight drive.Once renowned for being a cricket nuffy who perhaps trained too much, Smith insisted last week he now needed only two hits in the nets to prepare for a summer.And by the time he drove Tom Straker to bring up his century off 158 balls on Wednesday, the proof of that was clear and England had been put on notice.Smith was eventually well caught by Matt Renshaw at gully, but by then he looked well placed to set himself up for a big Ashes summer.Arguably Australia’s best-performing batter in Ashes history aside from Don Bradman, Smith has hit 12 career centuries against England and averages 56.01.His runs on Wednesday came as England’s ODI side collapsed on Wednesday across the Tasman, all out for 175 in a five-wicket defeat to New Zealand.Smith’s century also overshadowed the superb innings of Patterson. The former Test batter found form following a lean start to the Shield season, after his late-career revival last summer was one of the best stories of Australian cricket.Patterson cover-drove superbly and hit 14 boundaries in total, before being caught behind trying to drive Marnus Labuschagne late in the day.For NSW to win this match they will likely need to score big and only bat once, while Queensland’s hopes are effectively gone through Smith and Patterson’s 202-run third-wicket stand.

Mikel Arteta has shared his belief that Chelsea deserve to be in the Premier League title race, ahead of Arsenal's showdown with the Blues on Sunday. The Spanish manager reiterated his admiration for Enzo Maresca's side, sharing that he enjoys watching them play in his pre-match press conference. The Gunners head to Stamford Bridge with a six point lead over the London rivals.

Arteta praises Chelsea ahead of London derby

Arteta has not been shy in heaping praise over one of his club's fiercest rivals. When the sides last met in March, the 43-year-old described Chelsea as the "best attacking team in the league by a mile", despite the Gunners coming out on top with a 1-0 home win. 

Those comments were put to Arteta in his pre-match press conference earlier today. The FA Cup winning manager reiterated his assessment of his next opponents', while also confirming the Blues as credible contender to the Premier League crown this term. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArteta: Chelsea "deserve" to be in the title race

When asked if Chelsea are worthy title challengers, Arteta said: "I think we are all there, and they are there because they fully deserve what they have done in the last few years. I think the squad that they assembled, the numbers that they have, the quality that they have, the number of coaches they have it makes sense that what is happening there is very, very positive and they deserve to be there."

In reply to a question about whether he still views Chelsea as the league's best attacking force, he replied: "They were [the best last season], the sample now this season is early so it's difficult to say.

"But it is one of the teams that I enjoy the most watching and they have a lot of fluidity, they have a lot of threat, they have a lot of individual talent, they are very clear what they want to do and that's why they are very tough."

Arteta provides injury update ahead of Chelsea game

The Spaniard was also pushed on the current injury status of a number of his squad. 

Leandro Trossard is awaiting another test of a calf problem he sustained in the Gunners midweek win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz's return could depend on the results of repeat scans on hamstring and knee issues respectively. 

Asked whether either of those attacking options returned clear scans, Arteta replied: "Clear, not yet, but they are getting closer and closer. We are very positive with both of them and that's it."

The Arsenal boss also gave an update on the return of Gabriel Jesus. tofirst team action. The Brazilian striker took part in a behind-closed-doors game at Arsenal's training ground against Watford on Thursday. Jesus had not played since undergoing knee surgery in January.

While Arteta said the 29-year-old was "very close" to return to first team action, he addedd: "We see every single day how he's reacting to the change that he had in load and then he needs to get into the chemistry of the team, understanding the things on match time which are very different to anything that he tried to replicate in training obviously and those gaps try to make them as short as possible."

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Getty Images SportChelsea and Arsenal in white-hot form ahead of crucial London derby

The depth of Arsenal's squad has allowed them to weather a mini-injury crisis over the past few weeks. Arteta heralded his players preparation after their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday. That triumph was the most impressive win in a 16-game unbeaten run that dates back to their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool back in August. 

Chelsea also enjoyed a statement win in Europe this week, beating Barcelona 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The Blue have quietly asserted themselves over the past few weeks, scoring eight goals and conceding goals in their past three games in all competitions. 

Sunday's game feels like a crucial juncture in the title race. If Chelsea can play up to Arteta's assessment, it could trigger a three-way title race with Pep Guardiola's side also entering the fray. However, if the Gunners can take all three points, they will establish a nine point gulf. With the league's best attacking and defensive record, that's an imposing lead even with so much football still left to play. 

تسبب المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، هانز فليك، في إثارة حالة من القلق والحيرة لدى جماهير النادي الكتالوني بسبب سوء حالته عقب مباراة الأمس ضد ديبورتيفو ألافيس في بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

واستضاف ملعب “كامب نو” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وألافيس، في الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، حيث حقق حامل اللقب فوزًا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

وبعد المباراة، شوهد هانز فليك وهو في حالة سيئة على مقاعد البدلاء، حيث ظهرت على وجهه علامات الإرهاق والضيق، وكان في حالة أقرب إلى البكاء، وتبادل حديث سري مع رافينها (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية أنها تواصلت مع مصادر داخل النادي التي نفت وجود أي مشاكل، حيث أكدت أن فليك كان منزعجًا ببساطة بسبب موقفين حدثا خلال المباراة.

وأوضحت أن فليك كان منزعجًا من الحكم الرابع، ألفارو كانوفاس، لطرده مساعده ماركوس سورج ومدرب حراس المرمى خوسيه رامون دي لا فوينتي، لاحتجاجهما من مقاعد البدلاء.

وقد أثار طرد أعضاء جهازه الفني إحباط مدرب برشلونة، حيث سيغيب عن مباراتي الدوري ضد أتلتيكو مدريد وريال بيتيس.

إلى جانب ذلك، شعر فليك بالغضب بسبب ضربة جزاء غير محتسبة لصالح لامين يامال في الشوط الأول، بعد تدخل من جانب بارادا لاعب الخصم داخل المنطقة، ولكن الحكم تجاهل احتساب أي شيء، ولم تتدخل تقنية الفيديو.

نتيجةً لذلك، استشاط فليك غضبًا رغم الفوز على ألافيس، ووجد في رافينيا سنيدًا له للتعبير عن استيائه خلال حديثه مع أحد لاعبي الفريق الأساسيين.

Sarfaraz Khan doesn’t need India A exposure tours to play international cricket as he can find his way back into the Test side with runs in domestic cricket, Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur has said.Sarfaraz, who made his Test debut against England in early 2024, was a part of India’s tour of Australia late last year but he has since been left out of the Test side. Out of his six Test appearances, his last was against New Zealand in Mumbai in October 2024, when India were blanked 3-0 at home. He has since toured Australia and England as part of the India A sides but he was recently left out of the squad for the India A series against South Africa A.”Nowadays, for the India A side they look at boys, who they want to prepare for international cricket,” Thakur said in Mumbai ahead of the second round of Ranji Trophy starting on Saturday. “Sarfaraz doesn’t need India A game to play international cricket. If he gets back to scoring again, he can straightaway go and play Test series also.”Related

• Pant to lead India A against South Africa A at home

Mumbai’s first round fixture was against Jammu and Kashmir, which they won by 35 runs, and Sarfaraz got starts in both innings with 42 and 32 but failed to convert them into bigger scores.”He is coming from injury layoff. But before that, he scored two-three centuries in the Buchi Babu Trophy before getting injured,” Thakur said of Sarfaraz. “Coming back against J&K in the previous match, he had a nice 40 (42). It was very unfortunate to have been run out. But for him, I don’t think playing India A is important. He is a senior pro and whenever we put him in there in the 22 yards, he is someone who always delivers in crunch situations.”He has big scores of 200-250s and those innings have come when the team was two or three down quite early in the innings. To play that kind of innings under pressure, you have to have something special in you. He is one of the special players who never disappoints to perform and put up big scores. He has done it for years and years. Regardless of which number he bats, I think he will deliver.”Mumbai’s next match is at home against Chhattisgarh, who lost their first-round match to Rajasthan by nine wickets.

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso insists he has a “very good relationship” with midfielder Jude Bellingham amid speculation suggesting there is growing tension between the pair. The Spaniard is adamant he has no issues with the England international, who has been in fine form since returning from the shoulder injury which disrupted his 2025-26 campaign.

• Bellingham has been in good goalscoring form following return

  Missing a large part of the opening period of the season, Bellingham made his return to La Liga in Real’s 2-0 victory over Espanyol on 20 September, emerging from the substitutes bench as goals from Eder Militao and Kylian Mbappe earned all three points for Alonso’s men. 

  Former Borussia Dortmund ace Bellingham has since been in good goalscoring form for Los Blancos, scoring the winner in October's Clasico victory over rivals Barcelona before netting a last-gasp equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Elche last weekend.    

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  Report claims England international is frustrated with Alonso

  However, while Bellingham has impressed in his first few matches under Alonso’s stewardship, Spanish publication reported earlier in the week that there is believed to be friction between the two. The report claims midfielder Federico Valverde and forwards Rodrygo and Endrick are also unhappy with ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso, who took over the reins from Carlo Ancelotti in the summer.      

• Real head coach Alonso insists he has good rapport with Bellingham

  But ahead of Real’s trip to Girona in the league on Sunday, Alonso has rubbished talk surrounding his rapport with Bellingham, saying they have "excellent" communication with one another.

  When asked if he had any problems with Bellingham, Alonso said: “Absolutely not. I have excellent communication and a very good relationship with Jude. He's a world-class player; he has that drive to improve, learn, and become more efficient with the great potential he has.    

  “I like players who are curious and proactive enough to come and ask what we can do better. He fits in with different profiles and heights because he's very well-rounded, and we also need to be aware of what's going on around him.” 

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  Ex-Leverkusen boss also defends relationship with Vinicius

  It is not the first time Alonso has had to come out and clarify his relationship with a player, having also faced questions over his decision to start Vinicius on the bench for Real’s trip to Elche.

  Explaining he and the Brazil international had planned the move before the game, Alonso said after the final whistle: “No, we had discussed it. We talk about it often. He understands; he knew the role he could play. We've done it before, like in Getafe. Today we're not happy, but everyone is eager to get back on track.”

  Insisting he and the rest of the Real squad are growing closer, he added: “We haven't fallen apart. We're still competing; the context of each match is different. The result is what matters, and we're aware of that and self-critical. The spirit is good; we have to respond to adversity. This is Real Madrid. We live with criticism; we want to improve.

  “The connection is improving; we have more time and interact more, we know each other better. We're all in the same boat, we celebrate victories. We suffer if we don't win. The connection is good. We need to turn this situation around, starting with Athens [against Olympiacos].”