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Josh Hazlewood is set to miss the second Test against England in Brisbane but there is confidence he will be able to play a role later in the Ashes series while Pat Cummins is closing in on a return which could come next week at the Gabba.Hazlewood was ruled out of the opening Test in Perth after picking up a hamstring problem in the Sheffield Shield with an initial scan not showing the injury. It’s understood he will join the squad in Brisbane to continue his rehab with coach Andrew McDonald expecting him to be available later in the series.”He’s working through the first week of his rehab,” McDonald said. “I’m not sure that we need to give an update on that. Once he gets further down the track and [we] have some rough timelines, then we’ll be in a position to communicate that.Related

• Hazlewood suffers Achilles soreness during hamstring rehab

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• Flattened by Archer, lifted by Head: Weatherald's wild Test debut

• Switch Hit: Travball 1-0 Bazball

“I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series. We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”The rapid two-day finish to the opening Test has forced a minor change in plans to Cummins’ bowling schedule after he had trained impressively in the lead-up to the first Test. He had been due to bowl on the fourth day of the Test on Monday, but after traveling home to Sydney that has been pushed back a day.However, the signs continue to be encouraging for Australia’s captain although McDonald said it could be a late call whether he plays the day-night Test in Brisbane. If Cummins was to return and the second Test went all five days – and unlikely proposition if Perth is any guide – there would be an eight-day gap to the third in Adelaide.Cummins has previously said that playing back-to-back Tests in the series may be a challenge for him, although short games could work in his favour.”Once we see him again we’ll be able to then join the dots as to what that potentially looks like,” McDonald said. “But for those who saw him in Perth, I did say this a while back that he’ll be up and bowling…and people will be sitting there questioning why he’s not playing.”It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation. The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There’s a lot of positives, but now it’s just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we’re not putting him in harm’s way in terms of accelerating it too much.Brendon Doggett took five wickets on debut•Getty Images

“But it will be a genuine discussion leading into this Test match. That may be one that eventuates late for us. A little bit to work through but it’s nearing completion, which is really, really positive.”In the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc led the attack magnificently with a 10-wicket match haul including a career-best 7 for 58 in the first innings. Scott Boland bounced back from a poor opening-day display where England took him at a run-a-ball with a game changing burst in the second innings while debutant Brendan Doggett picked up five for the match. McDonald took the blame for Boland’s opening day performance saying there had been a directive for him to bowl very full before returning to his natural lengths in the second.In Australia’s high-octane run chase, Jake Weatherald put together a valuable hand alongside Travis Head after a first-innings duck to ensure both debutants had played a role in the match”It’s always that unknown when you jump up from Shield level into the Test match arena and they looked right at home, the skill level, the composure, it was a fit,” McDonald said. “It’s always nice to see that in a Test when you’ve got those unknowns.”I thought Brendan Doggett, his ability to execute the bouncer plan when we needed him to and [then] to pitch the ball up get in the right areas. And Jake in the second innings, I thought the way he was able to put pressure back on, we want to be that type of batting unit that has that intent and looks to score, and he most certainly did that.”Australia have retained the option of adding a 15th player to the squad for Brisbane. When Hazlewood and Sean Abbott were ruled out of Perth they only called up Michael Neser as cover.

تمكن فريق اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري، من تحقيق الفوز على أولمبيك أسفي المغربي، في دور المجموعات من بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

وواجه فريق اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري نظيره أولمبيك أسفي، في التاسعة من مساء اليوم، على ملعب المسيرة بأسفي بالمغرب، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

طالع.. الزمالك يواجه كايزر تشيفز في مهمة صعبة خارج الديار بـ الكونفدرالية

ويقع فريق اتحاد العاصمة في المجموعة الأولى في مجموعات الكونفدرالية رفقة اندية أومبيك أسفي وسان بيدرو ودجوليبا المالي. 

وتمكن فريق اتحاد العاصمة من تحقيق الفوز بهدف دون رد، على فريق أولمبيك أسفي، أحرزه اللاعب زكريا دراوي في الدقيقة 84 من الشوط الثاني والمباراة. 

ويهذه رفع فريق اتحاد العاصمة رصيده إلى 6 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة، بينما تجمد رصيد فريق أولمبيك آسفي عند 3 نقاط في المركز الثالث.

وفاز فريق سان بيدرو الإيفواري على نظيره دجوليبا المالي، 2-0 ليحتل المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 3 نقاط. ترتيب مجموعة اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري في الكونفدرالية 

1- اتحاد العاصمة – 6 نقاط 

2- سان بيدرو – 3 نقاط.

3- أومبيك آسفي – 3 نقاط 

4- دجوليبا – بدون نقاط 

December 2024 was a strange month for Joshua Zirkzee. It began with a two-goal salvo against Everton, but ended in humiliation as he was hauled off 33 minutes into United’s defeat by Newcastle, his substitution greeted with mocking applause from his own fans.

Twelve months on, and Zirkzee continues to have a strange status at Manchester United. He had not started a game until the home defeat at the hands of Everton at the end of November, when his abject performance against David Moyes’ 10 men seemed to justify Ruben Amorim using him so little. When United fans subsequently learned that Zirkzee was starting the next game against Crystal Palace, some joked in WhatsApp groups that they no longer wanted to watch. 

But by full-time, the fans in the away end at Selhurst Park were adding Zirkzee’s name to the chorus of Daft Punk’s ‘One More Time’ as the hit tune blared out around the stadium after the Dutch striker had played a massive part in turning a certain defeat into victory.

It was not the first time Zirkzee had delivered a show-stopping moment when the least was expected of him, and it was a reminder that United cannot afford to let him leave in the January transfer window despite his overall status in the squad.

AFPFrom zero to hero

Zirkzee's performance against Palace summed up his career at United thus far. He had offered very little in the first half, registering zero shots and losing most of his aerial duels while his opposite number Jean-Philippe Mateta upstaged him. 

But everything changed in the second half. Zirkzee's goal, surely his finest in a United shirt, was the standout moment, but it was also indicative of a much-improved overall display. Zirkzee’s passing accuracy increased from 57 per cent to 77%, and the forward ended the game having played six lay-offs, the most since that win over Everton 12 months previously. 

He was also more combative, winning double the amount of aerial duels in the final half-hour than in the first 60 minutes. One of those duels saw United win the free-kick from which Mason Mount struck the winner.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportShort-lived revival

Zirkzee has previous for turning the narrative, given he managed to do so following that harrowing episode against Newcastle. Two weeks later, he scored the winning penalty in the FA Cup third-round shootout win over Arsenal and was being serenaded by the 9,000 United fans who had crammed into the Emirates Stadium away end, evidently keen to make him feel valued again after the way he had been treated at Old Trafford. 

A few weeks later, Zirkzee completed his journey from being a figure of derision to an almost cult-like figure for supporters when his name was chanted to the tune of the Cranberries smash hit 'Zombie' after scoring against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian. He then scored in another Europa League away game when he gave United the lead in Lyon with a late header. 

But in the following game at Newcastle, his season effectively ended when he injured a thigh muscle. He did manage to recover in time to come off the bench in the Europa League final, but it was no triumphant return as he was unable to stop United slumping to a costly defeat to Tottenham. 

It must have been a frustrating summer for him, then, as he watched £200 million worth of new attacking players arrive. Having struggled to hold down a starting berth last season even when Rasmus Hojlund was toiling, Zirkzee wasn't called upon early into the new campaign as Benjamin Sesko settled into the side. 

Getty Images SportHigh risk, low reward

Zirkzee was very clearly the second-choice centre-forward behind Sesko, and fifth-choice for one of the two No.10 roles behind the striker. As early as October, reports began to emerge that he was frustrated with the lack of opportunities and wanted an exit in January.

With a World Cup on the horizon, Zirkzee has not been picked by Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman for more than a year, and no one can blame him for wanting to start afresh.

Everton and West Ham have emerged as potential Premier League destinations, but the strongest interest has come from Italy, where Zirkzee kickstarted his career at Bologna after being let go by Bayern Munich. AC Milan and Como were first suggested, but Roma, who are vying to win a first Serie A title since 2001, are making the biggest push for Zirkzee amid the struggles of Artem Dobvyk and Evan Ferguson up front. 

Roma are, however, only interested in a loan with an option to buy which hinges on them qualifying for the Champions League. In other words, it is a deal with plenty of risk and not much reward for United.

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Getty Images SportLethal touch

United know how hard it is to sign a striker in January, having only managed to get Wout Weghorst in the winter of 2023 when they needed to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. And despite Zirkzee's struggles in a stop-start United career, it is clear that he is worth keeping around until the summer at least.

Zirkzee’s goal against Palace was a much-needed reminder of how lethal he can be when he gets in the right positions. For a player who is known much more for bringing others into play than scoring himself, the Dutchman can still pack a mean punch with his right foot.

His Selhurst Park strike was his best in a United shirt, showing impressive composure to take Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick down on his chest and then fire into the net from the narrowest of angles. He had also shown his deadly touch on his debut against Fulham, when Erik ten Hag was in charge, producing a deft first-time finish to decide the game. His goal against Real Sociedad, a thumping strike from outside the area which left goalkeeper Alex Remiro completely flummoxed, was another reminder of his shooting prowess.  

Despite being right-footed, Zirkzee is equally comfortable shooting with his left, using his weaker foot to score against Palace and land a first-time finish from a similar position for Bologna against Cagliari, the first of 12 goals he scored in his final season in Serie A.

Rangers are now on red alert in the transfer race to sign Shea Charles from Southampton, who are set to make their decision on selling the Manchester City graduate, according to reports.

Danny Rohl has settled well at Ibrox, much to the 49ers’ relief, and for the first time this season there is reason to be optimistic at Rangers. Their recent victory over Dundee made it three league wins from three for the new manager, who has already earned more points than predecessor Russell Martin in the Scottish Premiership.

Any talks about a potential title comeback are still incredibly premature, but the Gers are at least up to fourth and now just five points behind Celtic in second. For the first time in forever, both Old Firm sides have the task of catching alternative leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

There will be no one more relieved than Kevin Thelwell after Rohl’s solid start. The transfer chief has come under fire for his decisions over the summer and the role he played in hiring Martin.

There’s no doubt that he’s got plenty of making-up to do and that may well start in the January transfer window. On that front, Rangers are already reportedly interested in signing Lennon Miller from Udinese and Mujaid Sadick.

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A move for Miller would particularly make sense. He’s struggled since leaving Motherwell in the summer and a return to Scotland would certainly help turn his recent fortunes around.

He’s not the only name on Rangers’ reported shortlist, however. The Scottish giants have also set their sights on reuniting Rohl with former Sheffield Wednesday star Charles.

Rangers on red alert in Shea Charles race

According to Sports Boom, Rangers are now on red alert in the race to sign Charles from Southampton, who could look to sell the Man City academy graduate as part of a winter clear-out.

The Northern Ireland international has started 12 of Southampton’s 15 Championship games so far this season, but has failed to prevent a slump which has featured just four wins.

If an exit is now on the cards for the 22-year-old, then Rangers should take full advantage of their Rohl connection. The German manager worked with Charles at Sheffield Wednesday last season as he proved his worth in England’s second tier. Full of praise for his midfielder at the time, the Rangers boss described him as “fantastic”.

If Rangers want to hand Rohl an instant show of confidence in the winter window, then they should go all out to reunite him with a player who he rates so highly and worked so well with just one season ago.

"Huge potential" Rangers star can become the new Sima & Cerny under Rohl

A Paul Skenes card that is out in the wild waiting to be ripped has caused pandemonium among avid collectors and casual observers of the hobby alike. Every rookie player in their first game wears an "MLB Debut" patch on their jersey that is then put in a 1-of-1 card commemorating their debut. It's rookie card of all rookie cards.

Skenes, who made his pitching debut this past season and ran away with the Rookie of the Year award, is already the most sought-after player in this drop, but the Pittsburgh Pirates upped the ante on Friday when they announced they would give away season tickets behind home plate for to anyone who found the card and donated it to the Pirates so it can be enjoyed by the entire fanbase.

Then, Skenes's girlfriend—LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne—said that she would host the person who gives the card up in her suite.

After that, Seth Meyers, the host of and a noted Pittsburgh fan, said he would give away VIP tickets to a taping of his show if someone just let him at the card.

Waiting to see who rips the grail and what decision they make as far as keeping the card versus giving it up will be an exciting chapter in hobbyist baseball card trading.

The only change is Usman Hashmi replacing Hassan Cheema as the data analyst

Danyal Rasool12-Jun-2025The PCB has quietened speculation about wholesale changes to the current selection committee, with four of the five men retaining their posts. These are Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Aaqib Javed and former umpire Aleem Dar.The only change is Usman Hashmi replacing Hassan Cheema as the data analyst. Unlike Cheema, Hashmi will not be a voting member and will only assist the selection committee.Reports of significant changes, or even a complete disbanding, of the committee were widespread enough for the PCB to issue a statement denying it. Notably, the statement also appeared to open the door for the head coach and the captain to begin having a say – if not an explicit voting right – on matters of selection. “The selection committee is bound to discuss with the head coach and captain of [the respective] formats before finalising the team,” the statement said.In October, when the selection committee was announced, the PCB revoked the captain and coach’s right to vote on selection matters, leading to some frustration. It was given voice most notably by Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s Test coach then, who complained he had been reduced to the role of “match-day analyst”, stating it was “not what [he had] signed up for”. Both he and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten exited in the following weeks.That there was no significant change to the committee is almost notable in itself, given the frequency with which the PCB has changed the selectors in recent years. Since August 2021, Pakistan has used 26 different selectors for the men’s national side.Pakistan’s next international assignment is in July, when they travel to Bangladesh for a T20I series.

Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has made a grovelling apology for his behaviour after being substituted during the 2-1 Clasico victory over arch-rivals Barcelona. The Brazil international stormed off the pitch, headed straight down the tunnel and was heard saying he was going to "leave the team" after being taken off, but has now apologised to everyone except boss Xabi Alonso.

• High drama in El Clasico

  The flashpoint came in the 72nd minute when the assistant referee indicated Vinicius was coming off, to be replaced by Rodrygo. He was seen gesticulating towards the bench and broadcaster even picked up Vinicius' comments as he stormed off the pitch, as he said: "Always me! I'm leaving the team! I'm leaving! It's better if I leave, I'm leaving." He marched straight down the tunnel, ignoring manager Alonso, but eventually returned to take his place among the substitutes before the game ended. He has now apologised for his actions, but 'deliberately' left out any mention of Alonso and is 'hurt' over his treatment by the coach this season, according to .

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• AFP
  

  Vinicius branded 'a disgrace'

  Speaking after the match, former Uruguay defender Diego Lugano branded Vinicius' behaviour a "disgrace" and told show Round Review: "This mess at this level is very difficult to witness. Inevitably, his prestige within Real Madrid, within Spanish football, will drop significantly. Every weekend he has a problem, he fights with opponents, he fights with the team. He has a personality, a guy who likes this fight, this confrontation… I don't know what's going on in his head, but his prestige at Real Madrid will definitely drop."

  Former Brazil star Luis Fabiano added: "Totally wrong, a lack of respect for whoever is coming on. You can get angry, you can't like the substitution, but you have to respect your teammate and leave quietly."

  And ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid star Steve McManaman was similarly angry, telling after the match: "It's not about you, it's about the team. It's about the collective. It's about winning. It is about going five points clear. It's about beating Barcelona after they beat you four times last year. It's about winning Xabi Alonso's first Clasico as coach. We shouldn't be talking about someone getting substituted after 75 minutes. It drives me mad."

• 'Sometimes passion gets the better of me'

  After a period of reflection, Vinicius Jr said: "Today I want to apologise to all the Madridistas for my reaction when I was substituted in the Clasico. Just as I have already done in person during today’s training, I also want to apologise again to my team-mates, the club, and the president. Sometimes passion gets the better of me because I always want to win and help my team. My competitive character stems from the love I feel for this club and everything it represents. I promise to keep fighting every second for the good of Real Madrid, as I have done since the first day."

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• Getty
  

  So, is all now forgiven? 

  Vinicius has the international superstar profile, but Alonso holds all the cards. Los Blancos sit pretty at the top of La Liga, they’ve won all three games in the Champions League and other key stars like Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are now firing on all cylinders. The Brazil international's performances have been inconsistent so far this season and his standing in the Spanish capital is strained. He has scored five goals and assisted four in 10 La Liga appearances, but has yet to register a goal in the Europe. His reported frustrations are linked to a contract dispute, where talks over a new deal have stalled, and Vinicius is reportedly considering leaving the club next summer if he doesn't feel his status has improved. While his popularity with fans remains high, recent reports indicate tension that is raising doubts about his long-term future in the Spanish capital.

Manchester United could surprise everyone by mounting a Premier League title challenge this season, according to Rene Meulensteen, who was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's staff during six dominant years between 2007 and 2013. Ruben Amorim's side have put together back-to-back league wins for the first time under the Portuguese and have enjoyed statement victories over Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks.

Why Man Utd can't be ruled out of race

Meulensteen was speaking to , who offer the latest online casinos, and said that the margins in the Premier League are so fine, a bit of momentum for his former club, combined with injuries potentially affecting the likes of Arsenal, could alter how everything pans out.

"There will be little twists and turns around the corner. If Arsenal lose maybe one or two players and maybe they lose one or two games, everything changes," the Dutchman said.

"That could easily happen in a run-in. So I still think Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool are going to be fighting for the Premier League and we can't rule out Man Utd if they go on this run we are hoping for. It could be three wins in a row and suddenly the whole momentum shifts into a positive power."

"Then suddenly it could be wide open because they're only two points off Liverpool despite how the season has started," Meulensteen added.

AdvertisementGetty/GOAL'Project 150' at Man Utd

Winning the Premier League this season would be ahead of schedule for United, who are undergoing a major rebuild on the pitch following a disastrous season in 2024-25. A rebuild behind the scenes has already taken place since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired his minority stake and control of sporting decisions, with chief executive Omar Berrada outlining to staff in 2024 the idea of 'Project 150'.

The United hierarchy are targeting Premier League glory by 2028, the year which will mark the club's 150th anniversary, since the foundation of Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878. In recent days, Ratcliffe has publicly thrown his support by Amorim, despite the external pressure that had been mounting on the head coach, insisting the former Sporting CP boss will be given the patience of three years to get it right. It suggests that if United are to make good on achieving the objectives set out in 'Project 150', which also includes winning the Women's Super League for the first time, Amorim will still be around.

Amorim: Prepare every game like it's a final

Amorim said in August that his team is not ready for an open title challenge, calling on "small" positive changes and improvements to get them to the point of becoming a genuine challenger by the time 2027-28 rolls around. But the philosophy he preached at that time, treating every game like a one-off final, could also lend itself to building momentum and ultimately launching a challenge under the radar.

"Success is to win titles and we don't know if we are going to achieve that, we are not in the moment where we can say that we are clearly fighting for the league. We just need to make small steps," he explained. "Small steps means to prepare every game like it is a final. For us, it is a final, we have that pressure in this club. In the end, I don't know what is going to be success. It depends the way you are seeing the team.

"We just want to be really competitive, trying to dominate games, trying to score goals, not to get fans bored to see our games! So we have small things – if we put check, check, check, in the end it is going to be better. That is the most important thing. I think everyone knows that we have a goal, not for this season, but in three years to win the Premier League. We are going to get these steps done to reach that goal but, of course, in this club, every week the narrative is going to be different. So we need to be prepared for that, block the noise, do the job and try to win games."

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Getty Images SportThe chance to build momentum

Momentum is the key behind whether United can, or cannot, challenges the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool this season. Consistency has been almost impossible to come by during Amorim's reign to date, hence why The United Strand has been allowed to become a thing, but back-to-back Premier League win for the first time since May 2024 is at least a big step in the right direction.

This is where not competing in Europe this season, and early Carabao Cup elimination, might actually be a blessing disguise. While rivals are stretched across multiple competitions right now, United have no other distractions outside the Premier League this side of Christmas. It's a single game each week for the foreseeable future, starting with the visit of Brighton on Saturday and then a trip to Nottingham Forest as November begins.

Manchester United did some impressive business on paper during the summer transfer window as they brought Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko in to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

Mbeumo has hit the ground running since his move from Premier League rivals Brentford, with goals against Grimsby and Burnley in recent weeks.

The summer transfer window was not perfect, though, as the Red Devils were unable to get a deal done for Brighton & Hove Albion central midfielder Carlos Baleba.

There was also a scare late on in the window when Fabrizio Romano revealed that Kobbie Mainoo had told the club that he wanted to leave on loan for the season.

The England international wanted to go out on loan, but was not entertaining any permanent transfers away from Old Trafford, in order to play regular minutes ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

However, Manchester United were unwilling to lose the academy graduate, even on loan, so close to the end of the window, which means that he remained at the club.

Why Man Utd need to get the best out of Kobbie Mainoo

Ruben Amorim must find a way to get the best out of Mainoo now that the player is staying at Old Trafford, because he has proven himself to be an exciting young talent.

His only start of the season so far came against Grimsby in the League Cup. It was an awful night for the club, losing on penalties, but the midfielder showed his quality in and out of possession in midfield.

There should be little doubt over whether or not Mainoo is good enough to be starting matches for Manchester United when you consider his form prior to Amorim’s arrival.

Take-ons attempted

2.71

Top 20%

Take-ons completed

1.42

Top 18%

Take-on success rate

53.4%

Top 28%

Goal-creating actions (take-ons)

0.09

Top 4%

Goal-creating actions (shot)

0.09

Top 2%

Goal-creating actions (fouls drawn)

0.05

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old starlet was one of the most impressive central midfielders in the Premier League at driving with the ball and making things happen in possession in the 2023/24 campaign under Erik ten Hag.

Now, at the start of this season, Mainoo was an unused substitute in the first two matches of the Premier League season, against Arsenal and Fulham, and Amorim explained that it was because he is competing with Bruno Fernandes for a place in the team.

Whilst you can rationalise what the manager says in the quotes above, as his midfield two typically has one creative player and one enforcer to complement each other, it seems like a waste of the talent that he has available to him.

Mainoo is capable of producing quality in the Premier League, such as the goal in the clip above, whilst Manuel Ugarte has made more appearances in the league than him this season, despite his disappointing performances.

The Uruguay international, who was signed from PSG in 2024, has not done enough to suggest that he should be prioritised over Mainoo, and INEOS must finally cash in on him when the transfer window opens again in January.

Why Man Utd should sell Manuel Ugarte

Per Capology, Ugarte currently earns £120k-per-week at Old Trafford. That is over four times as much as Mainoo earns per week (£25k), but his performances do not justify that expense.

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The former Sporting star is a midfield destroyer who ‘suits’ Amorim’s system as a partner for Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount because he is naturally defensive-minded.

However, Ugarte was dribbled past 1.3 times per game in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, whilst Mainoo was only dribbled past 0.6 times, which shows that opposition midfielders found it too easy to get the better of him.

He also won 53% of his duels and made two errors that led to shots or goals. Mainoo, meanwhile, won 45% of his duels and made one error that led to a shot or goal, per Sofascore, which suggests that they were both fairly indifferent in physical contests.

Ugarte is, therefore, not enough of an upgrade, if at all, in a defensive sense, to rationalise him playing in the first two Premier League games off the bench ahead of the England international.

These comments on Sky Sports from last October still ring true to this day, as the Uruguay international’s ‘lackadaisical’ play on the ball was an issue for him throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Non-penalty goals

0.05

Bottom 41%

xAG

0.06

Bottom 30%

Shot-creating actions

1.56

Bottom 16%

Progressive passes

3.08

Bottom 18%

Progressive carries

0.81

Bottom 23%

Passes into the final third

2.96

Bottom 36%

Passes into the penalty area

0.45

Bottom 20%

As you can see in the table above, Ugarte was one of the worst central midfielders in the Premier League last season when it came to progressing play and making an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, the ex-PSG man has flopped at Old Trafford because he has not been reliable defensively, given how easy it has been for players to dribble past him, and he has struggled badly in possession.

In fact, a former Netherlands international claimed in October of last year that Ugarte was “walking” around the pitch and criticised Ten Hag and the club for signing players who are “not even good”, referring to the midfielder.

INEOS must, therefore, cash in on Ugarte when they next get the chance to, because he is standing in Mainoo’s way, despite not being better than the English starlet, and has been a big flop since his move from PSG with his underwhelming performances on the pitch.

Man Utd tipped to join race for Premier League star who's an "absolute gem"

What a coup this would be for the Red Devils.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 6, 2025

Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli bagged his best first-class figures as Western Australia dominated Queensland on day one of their Sheffield Shield game.Rocchiccioli snared 7 for 52 as Queensland were bowled out for 147 at the Gabba in Brisbane. WA cruised to 112 for 1 in reply, with Sam Whiteman making 67.Related

• 2.1 overs, 30 for 1: Konstas involved in wild Shield start

• Doggett sparks South Australia fight back as 20 wickets tumble

• Konstas under the microscope as Boland, Davies shine

WA (24.91 points) are in last place, with Queensland (27.75) third on a table topped by South Australia (36.93). But with three games including this fixture remaining, Rocchiccioli’s feats have given WA a superb opportunity to jump up the ladder.The 27-year-old had never previously taken five wickets in a first-class innings but spun his way to a career-best day. He captured seven of the last nine wickets to fall as the Queensland batsmen struggled.Ben McDermott top-scored with 37 from 112 balls. Next best were No.10 Mitchell Swepson (20 not out) and No. 8 Xavier Bartlett (20).Matthew Renshaw, Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser were among those to fall cheaply against Rocchiccioli and paceman Cameron Gannon.Neser fell to a superb one-handed catch from Rocchiccioli, diving to his right from his own bowling. He also took a smart, diving return catch to dismiss Renshaw.WA’s openers Whiteman and Sam Fanning then cashed in for the visitors with their unbroken partnership. Whiteman set an aggressive tone, smacking seven fours and three sixes in his 88-ball innings before being bowled by Tom Whitney about 25 minutes before stumps. Fanning was more circumspect, striking two fours from his 107 deliveries.