Browsing: selection

Xabi Alonso has said Trent Alexander-Arnold is now “in better form” after working hard in training during the international break, giving Real Madrid “more options” at right-back.

Alexander-Arnold was omitted from the England squad by coach Thomas Tuchel this month, after injury limited his involvement so far in his debut LaLiga season, despite rival Dani Carvajal being another long-term absentee.

Alexander-Arnold’s contributions this month have been restricted to nine minutes in Madrid’s 1-0 Champions League defeat at former club Liverpool on November 4 — when he was booed by fans at Anfield — and seven minutes in a 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano five days later.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is ‘in better form,’ Xabi Alonso said. Getty

“In this [international] break we’ve worked with Trent, collectively and individually, after the injuries he had,” Alonso said in a news conference on Saturday, ahead of Madrid’s game at Elche.

“Trent being in better form gives us more options in that position, and we have other players too. Fede [Valverde] is still there. [Eder] Militao played right-back with Brazil the other day, and Raul [Asencio] can play there too.”

Madrid’s performances against Liverpool and Rayo were criticised, after the team failed to score in either game, with star forward Kylian Mbappé unable to register a single shot on target in either match.

“We didn’t score at Liverpool or in Vallecas, but it isn’t just about Kylian, it’s about the team,” Alonso said. “When we don’t score we have to look for alternatives: the wingers, the midfielders, set pieces… The goals will return, I have no doubts.”

Alonso — who took over from Carlo Ancelotti last summer — described criticism, despite topping the LaLiga table, as “normal.”

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“We know where we are, the demands at Real Madrid,” he said. “We’re demanding of ourselves after every game. We don’t have to give it any more weight than that.”

Militao’s injury on international duty was a blow, but Alonso said the team have been boosted by the impending return of another centre-back, Antonio Rüdiger.

“It’s very good news that [Rudiger] is close,” Alonso said. “Probably not for tomorrow, but we’ll see for Athens [against Olimpiacos]. With his level, and his personality, it’s important to have him.

“Militao’s injury isn’t serious but we’ll miss him, and having Toni as soon as possible is very good news.”

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Shubman Gill, Indiaâ€s recently appointed Test captain, has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, his recovery from a neck spasm judged insufficiently stable to risk a recurrence. Rishabh Pant, vice-captain, will lead in his absence.

Gillâ€s injury, sustained in the Kolkata Test while batting, had already forced him to retire hurt and withdraw from the remainder of the match. He was later hospitalised for observation. Though he has made progress, medical advice recommends additional rest, raising doubts over his participation in the ODI leg beginning November 30 as well.

India, 1-0 down after a calamitous collapse for 93 on a spiteful Eden Gardens surface, must now consider the shape of a top order that grows ever more left-handed. Candidates to replace Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy, pose contrasting possibilities, though only Reddy offers a right-hand option in a line-up that already featured six left-handers in Kolkata. That imbalance played neatly into the hands of Simon Harmer, South Africaâ€s match-winning offspinner.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, for his part, dismissed the hand-orientation debate as “a little overrated,†reminding observers that Keshav Maharaj, a left-arm spinner, also operated effectively against Indiaâ€s right-handers. But the contrast between Kolkataâ€s raging surface and the more forgiving Guwahati pitch has already altered Indiaâ€s early training patterns. Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel and Sudharsan were among the first to bat in the nets, while Padikkal spent the early session bowling part-time offspin.

Reddyâ€s return to training, after being released temporarily for India A duties, gives the selectors latitude. On a surface carrying a healthier thatch of grass, his seam-bowling could restore balance in a side unlikely to field a fourth spinner or a second left-arm orthodox option.

Axar Patel bowled sparingly in the early portion of training, rejoining the group later; Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep worked their usual spells in the fast-bowling nets. Yet as ever with Indiaâ€s pre-Test rhythms, little is firmly prescriptive: players guard their routines, and practice order is only loosely predictive.

IND vs SA 2nd Test: Will Rishabh Pant Give India A Win?

What is certain is that India, unsettled by a loss that exposed both their fragility and their over-reliance on Gill, now enter Guwahati not only without their captain but without the clarity that comes from form or continuity. Pantâ€s stewardship arrives sooner than expected; whether it steadies India will be known soon enough.

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NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA. – Pace University freshman Kadence Ackmann has been named to the Northeast 10 Conference All-Rookie Team, as announced by the conference on Wednesday afternoon. The outside hitter earned the honor after emerging as one of the league’s most productive first-year performers on the volleyball court.

Ackmann finished an impressive freshman campaign with 214 kills, 193 digs, 23 total blocks, and 258.5 points over 77 sets. She also added 19 assists, four service aces, and provided steady work in the back row. Her all-around consistency resulted in seven double-doubles, the most among Pace newcomers and one of the top totals for any freshman in the NE10 this fall.

Throughout the season, Ackmann delivered double-digit kills in 12 matches, including standout showings of 16 kills vs. Felician, 15 kills and 10 digs at Assumption, and 14 kills with 12 digs against Southern Connecticut State. The McKinney, TX. native added nine matches with ten or more digs, reinforcing her role as an anchor defensively as well as a primary offensive option.

Her impact was immediate, with several of her top outings coming during the heart of NE10 competition. Ackmann’s combination of power and ball control made her one of the conference’s most complete first-year outside hitters.

Ackmann becomes the latest Setter to receive NE10 All-Rookie honors, giving the program a strong foundation moving forward as Pace continues to build momentum within the conference.

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NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has joined the debate surrounding Dhruv Jurel’s red-hot form and his potential inclusion in India’s playing XI for the upcoming Test series against South Africa, starting November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Ganguly, speaking at an event, praised the young wicketkeeper-batter’s purple patch but admitted that breaking into India’s settled Test line-up will be a challenge.“He’s playing well, isn’t he? Rishabh is back and I don’t know what the selectors are thinking. Basically, the spots are taken — two openers, (Shubman) Gill at four, Pant at five, KL (Rahul), (Ravindra) Jadeja are there. Players have performed. How easy will it be to open up a slot for Dhruv Jurel at this stage, I wouldn’t know,†Ganguly said.

No off days as captain Shubman Gill, coach Gautam Gambhir arrive in Kolkata for Test series

“But it depends on whom they want to send at No. 3 — whether they want to go with Sai Sudharsan, or bring in our in-form Dhruv in. We’ll find out.â€The 24-year-old Jurel has made headlines with back-to-back centuries against South Africa A in Bengaluru, making a compelling case for selection. His remarkable consistency in red-ball cricket — over 1,000 runs in nine matches at an average above 80 — has turned him into one of India’s most promising batting talents.

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Should Dhruv Jurel be included in India’s Test XI against South Africa?

The former skipper also tipped India as overwhelming favourites at home, highlighting the team’s formidable spin attack and recent form.“Because India’s spin attack is very good. And this young team went to England three months ago and played exceptionally well. It was a fantastic series — exceptional performances by Gill, Yashasvi (Jaiswal), Rahul, Pant. India are a bundle of talent,†Ganguly said.The two-match Test series will conclude in Guwahati from November 22 to 26, followed by a three-match ODI series.With Rishabh Pant returning from injury and Jurel in scintillating touch, the Indian selectors now face a happy headache — a contest between stability and form.

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Daniel Farke has been the subject of a not terribly veiled dig from one of his former Leeds United players.

The German manager has been in charge at Elland Road since 2023 and led Leeds to promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking last season.

Leeds have made a decent enough start to life back in the top flight after a two-year absence and go into Saturday afternoon’s trip to Brighton and Hove Albion sitting 15th in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone.

That line of argument rather ignores the fact that, for instance, league leaders Arsenal are fielding a 15 year old, or that over the past year 11 players younger than Cresswell have played for England’s senior team, nine of whom play for English clubs.

Nonetheless, Cresswell told French outlet Footballogue: “For young foreign players, I think it’s a great time to come to France and play in Ligue 1. Here, many clubs trust young players.

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“Coaches have no problem playing young players, no problem at all – whereas in England, it’s harder to break into the first team because they really see you as a kid at 18, 19, or 20 years old.

“In France, if they think a player is good enough, he will play. He’ll be given opportunities and full confidence.

Charlie Cresswell helped England to victory at the 2025 U21 Euros (Image credit: Getty Images)

Cresswell refutes the suggestion that maybe, just maybe,he is finding it easier to get minutes in France because the standard is not as high as in the Premier League. He said: “Ligue 1 is not a farmers’ league. In France, there are very good teams, big clubs. Here, it’s battle every match and it’s really very challenging.

“I was talking about it the other day with Tyler Morton. He was telling me how suprised he was at how high quality Ligue 1 is.

“It’s really the opposite of a farmers’ league. You have to only look at the talent that Ligue 1 has produced. The quality of the football played and the players, it’s really top-notch.”

It might say something that Ligue 1 has ‘produced’ those players only to go elsewhere, but hey.

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The Germany World Cup 2026 squad is shaping up.

The four-time winners are looking to get their World Cup 2026 qualification truly underway with fixtures against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side went winless for four consecutive games earlier this year, with their last loss coming against Slovakia in their opening qualifying game.

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Every member of their squad for their October qualifiers, bar two, currently play their football in Germany.

Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, who both moved to the Premier League this summer for a combined £180 million, are the only two members of the squad who play outside of Germany.

They’ve both had contrasting starts to life in England, with Wirtz yet to show his full potential and Woltemade hitting the ground running and being named Newcastle’s Player of the Month for September.

There’s no space for Leroy Sane, who has not been called up for two squads in a row. Antonio Rudiger also doesn’t make the squad, after picking up a muscle injury in September that will keep him sidelined for an extended period.

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He is ranked at no.18 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers in the world right now, and will be looking to add to the three trophies he won with Bayern Munich in his two-year stint.

Ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now, Wirtz will undoubtedly find his form eventually, and when with Germany, he usually performs some of his best stuff.

With no Jamal Musiala for the foreseeable future, Wirtz has the opportunity to cement himself and Germany’s main number 10 ahead of the World Cup.

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Former Delhi cricketer Mithun Manhas has been officially elected as the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the Annual General Meeting at the boardâ€s headquarters on Sunday.

The BCCI presidency became vacant after Roger Binny stepped down in August 2025, with Rajeev Shukla serving as interim president. With this election, Manhas joins the exclusive list of former cricketers, including Sourav Ganguly and Binny, to assume the boardâ€s top position.

Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh took to X, celebrating Manhasâ€s election, stating:

“A momentous occasion to celebrate! Mithun Manhas has been officially declared as the new President of the BCCI. A proud moment for Doda, one of the remotest parts of Jammu & Kashmir, which also happens to be my home district.”

A momentous occasion to celebrate!
Mithun Manhas has been officially declared as the new President of the ‘Board of Control for Cricket in India†#BCCI.
What a providential Sunday for the erstwhile district of Doda, one of the remotest parts of Jammu & Kashmir, which incidentally… pic.twitter.com/I6PpEMtH2T

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) September 28, 2025

Nominated by the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), Manhas emerged as the leading candidate after a key informal meeting of Indian cricket decision-makers last Saturday.

The 45-year-old former cricketer had an illustrious domestic career, representing Delhi before moving to Jammu & Kashmir, where he also served in coaching roles. Known for his calm demeanor and grassroots-level insight, Manhas has remained actively involved in cricket development post-retirement.

A former all-rounder, Manhas had an extensive domestic cricket career spanning from 1997-98 to 2016-17. He played 157 first-class matches, scoring 9,714 runs at an average of 45.82, including 27 centuries and 49 half-centuries. In List A cricket, he accumulated 4,126 runs from 130 matches at an average of 45.84, with 5 centuries and 26 half-centuries.

Additionally, he represented three IPL franchises – Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Pune Warriors India, and Chennai Super Kings – scoring 514 runs in 55 matches at a strike rate of 109.36.

Alongside Manhasâ€s election, the AGM also saw the appointment of former Indian bowler Amita Sharma as the chairperson of the womenâ€s national selection committee, succeeding Neetu David. Sharma, who played 116 One-Day Internationals, five Tests, and 41 T20Is for India, claimed a total of 108 wickets.

The new womenâ€s selection panel also includes former players Shyama Dey, Sulakshana Naik, Jaya Sharma, and Sravanthi Naidu. Their tenure will commence after the upcoming Womenâ€s World Cup, scheduled in India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2.

Other office-bearer elections included Rajeev Shukla and Devajit Saikia being re-elected as vice-president and secretary, respectively, Prabhtej Singh Bhatia replacing Rohan Gauns Desai as joint secretary, and Raghuram Bhat being elected treasurer.

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File photo of Sports Minister Mandaviya. The Sports Ministry of India has released strict selection criteria for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, focusing on medal prospects and continental rankings. The new five-page document, unveiled on Wednesday, states that only athletes ranked in the top six for individual sports and top eight for team sports at the Asian level will be eligible for participation, with a clear emphasis on medal-winning potential.The selection criteria will also apply to other major events including the Commonwealth Games, Para Asian Games, Asian Indoor Games, Asian Beach Games, Youth Olympics, Asian Youth Games, and Commonwealth Youth Games.The ministry has made it clear that additional coaches and support staff will not be permitted, even at no cost to the government.”The aim is to ensure that the athletes who have real chance of winning medal are only considered for participation in multidisciplinary sports events,” the ministry stated in the document.The ministry further emphasised its stance on participation standards: “If it comes to notice of the Ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) that the aim is just for participation and not aiming for excellence (medal winning), names of such sportspersons and teams will not be approved after giving proper justification.”Athletes must have matched or bettered the sixth-place performance from the previous Asian Games within the past 12 months at recognised international competitions to be eligible for nomination.For events not contested at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, athletes must achieve a top-six finish at the Senior Asian Championships within the preceding 12 months.The policy specifically excludes the Olympics and other international competitions where qualification standards are set by international federations.The ministry has established specific ranking criteria for Asian Championships. For events with less than six teams, Indian athletes must finish in the top two, while in competitions with six to 12 teams, they must place within the top four.”Only those sportspersons, coaches and support staff will be part of the contingent, whose names have been cleared at cost to the government and no additional sportspersons, coach and support staff will be included even at no cost to government,” the ministry clarified.The guidelines address championships held at different intervals. Championships conducted beyond 24 months from the Asian Games date will not be considered for eligibility.The ministry warned against attempts to circumvent rules through irregular championships or those with low competition standards.For team sports, Asian rankings will be determined based on the latest global rankings, potentially affecting teams like Indian football, currently ranked 24th in Asia.The ministry has included a relaxation clause allowing recommendations for participants who don’t meet the criteria, based on expert opinion from specific sports or SAI.The new framework aims to establish a transparent and equitable selection process, following India’s record-breaking performance at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, where they secured 106 medals, including 28 gold.The Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026, where these new selection criteria will be implemented for the first time.

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Match Of The Day pundit Danny Murphy believes Manchester United do not have the personnel needed to play Ruben Amorim’s…

England’s meeting to select an Ashes squad will be “short”, according to head coach Brendon McCullum.The group for the tour…