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West Indies will be without the injured Andre Russell in their must-win game against the new No.1 ODI side

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu26-Jun-20194:11

Kartik: India’s middle order not a cause of concern

Big PictureThirty six years after India sprung a surprise on West Indies in final, the two sides meet again with plenty on the line at Old Trafford. Carlos Brathwaite fell inches short on Saturday, but it’s not quite the end of the road for West Indies, who have just won one of their six matches and are placed just above South Africa and Afghanistan, who are both out of contention for the semi-finals.England’s back-to-back defeats come as soothing news to West Indies, who can still sneak into the knockouts, provided they win their last three league matches and the stars align for them. Should Jason Holder’s men lose tomorrow, though, their dream will be over and India will take a big step closer to the semi-finals.West Indies will have to do without Andre Russell whose utterly wonky knees have given up. There’s also an injury cloud over Evin Lewis, who had hurt his hamstring in the field against New Zealand and later did not open the batting. Instead, he batted at No. 8 and bagged a three-ball duck.Chris Gayle and Shai Hope have blown hot and cold, compounding West Indies’ top-order troubles. They are the only side in the tournament without a fifty opening stand and they have the worst average for the opening partnership (11.2). Sunil Ambris, who has been drafted in as Russell’s replacement, could help remedy this and bring some attacking enterprise at the top while Brathwaite seamlessly fits in as a like-for-like replacement for Russell.Sheldon Cottrell: taking wickets and having fun•Getty ImagesWest Indies’ new-ball bowlers ditched the bang-it-in plan and hit much fuller lengths on Saturday, and Sheldon Cottrell was immediately rewarded with a double-wicket first over. His left-arm angle coupled with an awkward round-arm action could pose a threat to India’s batting line-up that still has some cracks in the middle order. Vijay Shankar is still feeling his way into the middle order, and he had his first – and only crack – at No. 4 on Saturday. Kedar Jadhav made a scrappy fifty, but he could not find a gear high enough to hurt Afghanistan.That brings us to MS Dhoni. As is his wont, he simply blocked the spinners and set up for the late burst. However, it never came and Dhoni fell in the most un-Dhoni fashion: jumping out to slog Rashid Khan against the break in his last over and getting stumped.Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury has also messed with India’s balance. Mohammed Shami bowled a fiery first spell and later closed out the game against Afghanistan with a hat-trick, but his inclusion has lengthened India’s tail. Against West Indies whose batting drips with power and depth, India could consider recalling Ravindra Jadeja in place of one of the wristspinners.ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra on what India need to do against West Indies’ key playersForm guideIndia: WWWWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: LLLLW
In the spotlightManchester is a special place for Vijay Shankar. He’s a die-hard fan of Manchester United and he enjoyed a tour of the football’s Old Trafford before pinning Imam-ul-Haq lbw with his first World Cup delivery at cricket’s Old Trafford, against Pakistan. The batting allrounder had a bright start against Afghanistan, but he threw it away, chancing a sweep just after fine leg had been whisked in. Can he make the No. 4 spot his own upon his return to Manchester?ALSO READ – Gollapudi: What Vijay Shankar brings at No. 4Shimron Hetmyer started the tournament quietly and then eased himself into back-to-back fifties against Bangladesh and New Zealand. That Hetmyer is a fine player of spin makes him one of the key figures in the middle order against Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav or Jadeja. Remember his rousing hundred in Guwahati last year, India?4:42

Ganga wants Bravo, Allen in WI’s XI

Team newsIndia are set to give Vijay another shot at the middle order. But, the big question is will they throw Jadeja into the mix at the expense of a wristspinner? Bhuvneshwar has resumed bowling at the nets, but India are unlikely to risk playing him on Thursday.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (captain), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Kedar Jadhav, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal/Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit BumrahWest Indies are likely include Ambris if Lewis is unfit, and Kemar Roach might keep his place ahead of the erratic Shannon Gabriel.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis/Sunil Ambris, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Carlos Brathwaite, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane ThomasChris Gayle has a hit in the nets•AFPPitch and conditionsThe Old Trafford track is likely to be flat as usual, and there’s no rain forecast for Thursday.Strategy punt Keep your inswinger ready against Gayle in the Powerplay. The opener has struggled against incoming deliveries in the first ten overs, managing only 19 off 30 such balls while being dismissed twice. Gayle sized up Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin on Saturday, and West Indies have more left-handers in Lewis, Nicholas Pooran and Hetmyer, but India could still take a punt on Jadeja for his athleticism in the field and the batting cover he provides. Even if Jadeja, the bowler, is taken to the cleaners, India have an extra bowling option in Vijay.Stats and trivia Jasprit Bumrah has bowled 15 yorkers in four matches this World Cup. Only Mitchell Starc has bowled more yorkers (16) although he has had the benefit of playing three more games. Gayle is 59 runs away from surpassing Brian Lara as West Indies’ top run-getter in ODI cricket Tomorrow’s ODI will be Hardik Pandya’s 50th. He needs two wickets to reach 50 ODI wickets In ODIs since 2017, at Old Trafford, spinners have managed only 15 wickets in 10 innings as opposed to 56 taken by the seamers.

Our writers debate what the USMNT will – and should – look like during the June camp, the striker spot, Gio Reyna and more.

U.S. men's national team boss Gregg Berhalter on Monday released his preliminary Copa America roster for a pair of June friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, with 27 players called into camp in advance of what will eventually be a 26-man roster for this summer's marquee event.

But questions loom.

Who slots into the XI to replace an injured Sergino Dest? Does Berhalter need to tweak his tactics and formation without his star defender? What about out-of-form stars such as Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun?

And then there's the roster itself: were the right choices made, and has anyone been snubbed?

All valid questions, and our GOAL US writers weigh in with the latest edition of…

Getty Images Who is the biggest snub from the June camp roster?

Tom Hindle: To be fair, I think Berhalter has got this mostly right. He’s kept the big guns around, and although there’s no obvious Dest replacement, Scally is a decent – if underwhelming – shout.

If anyone can feel aggrieved, it’s Auston Trusty. A Premier League center back, with 30 plus starts this season – albeit for statistically the worst defense in history – he certainly knows how to play against the best.

Respect where it's due to Miles Robinson and Cameron Carter-Vickers, but Trusty should sneak in over one of those guys. Still, as major issues go, we’re talking about fourth-string center backs.

Ryan Tolmich: There are two players that immediately come to mind: Trusty and Lennard Maloney.

Both logged big minutes in top leagues, and neither had their names called for this squad. Of the two, Trusty's slight is the toughest. Maloney has more experienced players ahead of him, while Trusty is very much part of a big battle for a centerback spot. Unfortunately for him, he was Berhalter's sixth choice in a five-horse race despite playing the most games at the highest level in the competition.

Overall, though, it's splitting hairs. The USMNT's fate won't be determined by players 23-26, even if there is plenty of reason to debate those spots.

Jacob Schneider: Someone has to be the odd one out here: Trusty has not been snubbed. Though he's a talented defender, being a part of the worst defense in Premier League history essentially puts you in a hole. Maloney, meanwhile, should be upset that Timmy Tillman has been called up ahead of him.

And the name that we have not been talking about – don't quite understand why – is Alejandro Zendejas. He's been lights-out in Mexico for Club America, arguably the most storied and talented franchise across North America.

The U.S. winger pool is deep, but things are bleak in terms of right-wing depth. With 26 players on the roster, was there really not room for someone like Zendejas in the attack?

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFolarin Balogun, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi: Who do you start at striker?

TH: None of them? All of them?

Ask nine months ago, and it’s Balogun, pretty much without doubt. The dude can put the ball in the net, and banged in 20-plus in Ligue 1. Farmer’s league jokes aside, average strikers don’t accidentally hit those kinds of numbers. Today? It gets a bit more complicated, especially after Balogun's middling season.

It feels like Pepi had his moment two years ago, and hasn’t delivered since. Not quite convinced he’s all that – at least not yet. Form suggests that Sargent is the right choice, but he never made it happen in the Prem, either. On balance, you probably go with the guy who can do it at the highest level.

Pop Balogun up there, but I don’t think Sargent is too far behind.

JS: If Sargent is healthy, he's the pick. He's long been the most naturally talented striker in the U.S. pool. He has excelled in all situations for Norwich City this year, and at one point, had the most headed goals across the top-two divisions in England – even more than Erling Haaland.

Then again, you don't just casually score 20+ goals in Ligue 1. Balogun is a sensational striker, but his form is woeful, and he's lacking confidence.

Pepi is better suited to represent the U.S. at the Paris Olympic Games this summer. However, for Copa America, he will be able to provide an electric presence off the bench.

Berhalter should start the forward who can bag goals at the moment, and that's Sargent.

RT: It's conditional, isn't it?

It feels like it's between Balogun and Sargent, but the answer could be both. Sargent could be the guy against Bolivia and Panama, inferior teams that bunker down. Balogun could be the guy against Uruguay and some of the late-tournament heavy-hitters due to his pace and intelligence in making runs.

All of this depends on Sargent's health. If he's healthy, a split of the two is best for business.

Getty ImagesWithout Dest available, should Berhalter tweak his system?

TH: In theory, sure. In practice, probably not. Dest is a very good attacking full back, who has proved that he can deliver for the USMNT.

Yet he's not such a major loss that Berhalter – a manager so tactically inflexible it physically hurts – has to tear the whole thing apart. Injuries are always going to be a problem for national teams. And you can see why changes need to be made to account for missing superstars. France would have to change without Mbappe, Argentina without Messi, etc.

Not quite convinced that a pretty good full back doing his knee is worth scrapping your system. Then again, it might be fun for the manager to try something new – for once.

JS: If Joe Scally isn't your man, yes, change the system. If he is, no.

There's only one reason you'd tweak anything, and it would be to move Tim Weah to RWB in a back-five system with Antonee Robinson opposite.

It sure as hell would be fun to see, but the point of those two matches against Brazil and Colombia isn't to test things out. It's to nail everything down. The testing window was March, and that time has passed.

That said, the U.S. should tweak their front-three to move Christian Pulisic to the right side of the pitch if they do opt for a back-five. He has excelled there for Milan, and Haji Wright has more than earned a chance to start on the left with him.

RT: They're going to have to adjust, in some ways. No player can do what Dest does, which is going to change how the U.S. approaches the right-hand side. Weah's job is made easier by Dest's attacking skills and, without that, it'll all look different.
But a big formation tweak? Probably not. Berhalter has his ideas and style and, even without Dest, this is a team suited to them. No need to reinvent the wheel for one player, even if that wheel could use a bit of adjusting.

Getty ImagesWhich player needs the June camp most to impress?

TH: The logical answer here is Brendan Aaronson. A couple of years ago, it seemed he might be a crucial part of this team through 2026 and beyond.

This next month figures to be a good opportunity for him to get back on track, and show that he can compete for minutes among a squad that has approximately 56 attacking midfielders and no real wingers. But he’s probably not getting in this team.

Realistically, then, it’ll be Gio Reyna.

He didn’t get a kick at Forest, and he’s quite comfortably the most talented footballer Berhalter has at his disposal. He’s not going to be dropped altogether, but Reyna has to show he is at least sharp enough to earn a spot.

JS: There's two obvious answers: Matt Turner and Scally. The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper may truly be getting his last hoorah as the starting shotstopper at Copa America. He lost his starting spot at the club level, lost the support of their fans, and isn't even a consensus starter for the national team. With the likes of Patrick Schulte, Gaga Slonina and Diego Kochen all on the rise, Turner needs this June to cement his status.

Scally, meanwhile, has more expectations than anyone else in this camp. The assumption is he will start at right-back in place of the injured Dest, and as such, he has shoes unlike any other to fill. The Gladbach defender had a rough moment in the March international window against Jamaica, and was arguably slammed too much for it. However, it was a much-needed learning moment for the 21-year-old.

For someone who started 25 of 31 Bundesliga games for his club this season, he sure gets a lot of stick from USMNT fans. This June is his chance to respond.

RT: There's a clear answer here, and that's Scally. With Dest gone, Scally is next up and, thus far, hasn't shown he's ready. Scally is yet to have a true breakout USMNT performance, partly because his chances have been somewhat spread out.

He'll get his opportunity this summer and, if he seizes it, who knows what happens after the Copa? First, he'll need to prove that he's up for the challenge by performing against Colombia and Brazil. If he does that, he could earn Berhalter's trust and prevent any of the big tactical tweaks mentioned above.

Berhalter can also use Weston McKennie or Weah as a right-back but, the US will be better if Scally makes it so he doesn't have to.

Since the 2015 World Cup, Afghanistan have won more ODIs than Sri Lanka despite playing 22 fewer games

The Preview by Ankur Dhawan03-Jun-20193:16

Dilshan wants Mathews to bat at No. 4

Big PictureBookmakers are offering near-equal odds on the Sri Lanka-Afghanistan contest in Cardiff, and although there was no way of calling this four years ago, when Sri Lanka were contenders until being blown away by South Africa in Sydney, things are a little different now, especially after their walloping at New Zealand’s hands last week.And don’t forget what happened last year, when Afghanistan knocked Sri Lanka out of the Asia Cup.And if you stopped watching cricket after the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene and have just tuned back in, here’s another staggering statistic: Afghanistan have won more ODIs than Sri Lanka since the last World Cup, despite having played 22 fewer games.While Dimuth Karunaratne, the Sri Lanka captain, is realistic about his side’s chances in the tournament, he is hopeful they can put on a better show than they did against New Zealand. They’ll have to script a quick turnaround at a venue where they have never won a cricket match, in six attempts, and on the same pitch on which they were decimated by New Zealand.For all the progress Afghanistan have made, they haven’t really been tested against top sides that often, and a clearer idea of their standing in ODIs will emerge only at the end of this tournament. In their only match so far, they went for broke, perhaps hoping to catch Australia by surprise and get lucky, an approach likelier to succeed in T20s. Over 50 overs, they need their batsmen to exercise a little more caution, though without going into a shell, and give their bowling attack a better opportunity to showcase their skills.Form guideSri Lanka LWLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LWLWLIn the spotlightRahmat Shah is Afghanistan’s leading run-scorer since the start of 2015, and at No. 3 he provides an old-school solidity. In 26 of his 52 innings during this period, he has had to come in inside the first five overs, which isn’t surprising given the gung-ho approach of some of their openers. But as often as he has been able to hold the innings together after the fall of an early wicket, he has been equally guilty of squandering starts, with 47% of his dismissals coming between the scores of 10 and 49. Afghanistan need him to become more consistent and add to his four hundreds and 14 fifties.Should Angelo Mathews have been the captain of this Sri Lanka side? Should he be batting higher up the order? He certainly needs to be getting his runs at a faster clip. For all middle-order batsmen (Nos. 4 to 7) who have played a minimum of 30 innings since 2016, Mathews has the third worst strike-rate behind Ireland’s Gary Wilson and Afghanistan’s Asghar Afghan.Rashid Khan celebrates trapping Usman Khawaja LBW•AFPTeam newsLasith Malinga has said he is fully fit and Nuwan Pradeep, who was surprisingly left out against New Zealand, bowled quite a bit in the nets on the eve of the match. Sri Lanka might consider bringing in Pradeep for Isuru Udana, whose style of bowling is more suited to drier surfaces than the one expected in Cardiff, particularly with rain around.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kusal Perera (wk), 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Jeevan Mendis, 9 Isuru Udana/Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Lasith MalingaGulbadin Naib defended Mohammad Shahzad despite a duck in the tournament opener, so he should keep his place. But given the conditions at the venue, Afghanistan could consider playing an extra seamer in Aftab Alam instead of Mujeeb ur Rahman, who was taken apart by Australia. Asghar Afghan missed the Australia game with a calf strain, and it is unclear if he is fit to play.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Hazratullah Zazai, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Gulbadin Naib (capt), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb-ur-Rahman/Aftab Alam , 10 Hamid Hassan, 11 Dawlat ZadranPitch and conditionsCardiff has been a good chasing ground over the years with teams batting second winning 15 of the 22 completed ODIs here. The average first-innings winning score here is 322 for 8, exemplifying the difficulty in setting totals. There’s a possibility of thunderstorms on Tuesday, which should make it even easier for captains to decide whether to bat or bowl if the statistics alone weren’t enough.Strategy puntKusal Mendis has shown a vulnerability against right-arm pace and legspin: 43 of his 54 ODI dismissals have come against those two types of bowling. He also struggles to get past the Powerplay, failing to do so 19 of the 41 times he has batted during that phase. Afghanistan should ideally target him with Hamid Hassan and Rashid Khan in tandem. Since 2015, Thisara Perara has fallen 9 out of 21 times to right-arm legspin and his strike-rate against right-arm offspin is just under 65. That suggests that Afghanistan would benefit by attacking Sri Lanka’s big-hitting allrounder with the combination of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi.Stats and trivia From 2010 to 2015, Lasith Malinga’s economy rate in the death overs was an exceptional 6.3, but since returning to the side in 2017, it’s risen to 8.3.Sri Lanka have lost all their internationals in Cardiff, five ODIs and one Test.Quotes”Players need to get confidence, we need to get mentally tough – at this point you can’t change skill. We have to play with a free mind and do our best in tomorrow’s game.”
“Sri Lanka have been struggling in one-day matches in the last one or two years, we have [an] opportunity to do well against them. If we played 50 overs in batting maybe we will beat them but they are also a good team, Sri Lanka, [so] we cannot take [it] easy. Especially for the batters, if we play 50 overs, it could be difficult for them.”

Rasmus Hojlund delivered a message for his critics as he outlined how he became a "killer" goalscorer, despite criticisms over his finishing ability.

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Hojlund has changed his approach to the gameThe Dane has netted 15 times this seasonHas been targeted for missing chancesWHAT HAPPENED?

As he approaches the end of his first season in English football, Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund has discussed how he has changed his approach to the game and why he can block out his critics amid what has been a turbulent season for the Red Devils.

AdvertisementWHAT HOJLUND SAID

Hojlund told France Football: "When I was little I scored a lot of goals. I always did. But it’s by working a lot that you become a killer, by repeating the drills: right foot, left foot, volleys, shoulder positioning. And then as you grow up, you also become much better off the field.

"Here in Manchester that’s what happened, my approach to the game became a lot more professional. I learned one thing you have to be very fresh on the match day. I know my level, I know that I can play very well. But if I recover badly, with the matches that we have every three days here then it can be complicated."

He added: "Manchester United is so big, the Premier League is so huge… people are obviously more focused on you than before. It was hard at the beginning. Now, I am much calmer, I no longer worry too much about what is said. I know that I am a good player and that if I get chances, I will score a lot of goals."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Hojlund will be looking to end his first season at United on a high, when the Red Devils take on their local rivals Manchester City in next weekend's FA Cup final.

Going into Sunday's final match of the Premier League, Hojlund has netted 15 times in 41 games, to mark a steady, if unspectacular, start to life at Old Trafford following his £72 million ($92m) move from Atalanta last summer. It is clear from these quotes, however, that Hojlund takes improving his game seriously and he can be hopeful of improving next season.

WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Manchester United have endured one of their worst-ever Premier League seasons and while a win next weekend over their biggest rivals would always be welcome, the club face a summer of transition.

New head of football operations Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces a decision over manager Erik ten Hag, while there is likely to be major surgery to the playing squad, with plenty of deadwood set to be discarded if the club are to sign the kind of young, dynamic players that they have been linked with in recent weeks.

The forward has finally confirmed that he's leaving Parc des Princes this summer, thus bringing a long overdue end to the drama

Not long after the news first broke that Kylian Mbappe had confirmed his intention to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, Aurelien Tchouameni dropped a social media post featuring nothing but a couple of popcorn emojis. No words were necessary.

The message was as clear as it was concise: Tchouameni can't wait to see what happens next in the football world's longest-running soap opera. The midfielder's excitement is perfectly understandable, of course. Mbappe will soon be joining him at Real Madrid.

It's long been the worst-kept secret in football, of course, inevitable for about six months at this stage, and arguably probable ever since Mbappe first burst onto the scene as a teenager at Monaco. Because the Frenchman has wanted to move to Madrid since he was a kid. His upcoming free transfer is, thus, the realisation of a dream. For PSG, though, it's the end of a nightmare.

(C)Getty ImagesColossal damage done

The French champions may actually end up getting some sort of financial compensation – Mbappe may give up certain bonuses owed to him or even hand over his signing-on fee to PSG – but the club is set to pay an incredibly heavy price for losing the best player in the world in terms of sponsorship deals, commercial opportunities and social media followers.

Even when both Neymar and Lionel Messi were on the books, Mbappe was still PSG's most valuable player in every sense. He wasn't just one of the game's great talents, he was a homegrown hero. In their ideal world, the boy from Bondy would have led PSG to a first Champions League title. But this Parisian fairy tale has long since descended into farce.

AdvertisementGetty PSG promise playing time

Madrid's interest in Mbappe – and vice versa – has been long standing. Los Blancos first invited the kid with the posters of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane on his bedroom wall to the club's training ground in 2012. Madrid also agreed a deal with Monaco to sign Mbappe in the summer of 2017, only for the teenage sensation to surprisingly plump for PSG instead.

"It wasn't just about money," Luis Ferrer, who was part of PSG's recruitment team for 10 years, told GOAL. "It was totally different, it took time, months and months. He had just had an amazing campaign with Monaco and everyone knew he was a jewel, but we also knew he was Madrid's priority.

"So, Madrid were there and there was no way to stop that. [Madrid was Mbappe's dream too] – that's why we knew there was a lot of work to do.

"We had to think of brilliant ideas. Everyone collaborated to make it work. But my idea was to tell Mbappe to join PSG first, that the (2018) World Cup was coming, and offer him a guaranteed spot in the starting XI that perhaps Madrid could not promise him.

"We made that promise because we believed in his talent. It's something very rare, I've only ever promised a footballer once that they would definitely play. Normally it's the coach who does that, but because [former PSG boss] Unai [Emery] was involved in the talks…"

Indeed, Emery played a pivotal role in convincing Mbappe and his parents that PSG was the best option for him at that stage of his career.

'Write history in my city'

The idea of returning to Paris also appealed enormously to Mbappe, though. "I've always said that I wanted to write history in France, in the capital, in my country, in my city," he told . It would certainly be difficult to underplay the importance of Mbappe's upbringing in Bondy on his entire worldview.

"I think that football is just different for us. It is essential," he wrote in the Players' Tribune. "It is every day. It is like bread and water… In Bondy, you learn values that go beyond football. You learn to treat everyone the same, because you’re all in the same pot. You all dream the same dream."

Consequently, he returned to Bondy after being officially unveiled as a PSG player in September 2017 to meet and greet the next generation of kids dreaming of following in his footsteps.

The event may have been organised by Mbappe's primary sponsor, Nike, but it was also hugely beneficial from PSG's perspective. Bondy was just one particularly productive banlieue in one of the best breeding grounds for footballing talent in the entire world. So, having Mbappe as the poster boy was priceless PR for PSG.

'Came for collective accomplishments'

Of course, Mbappe also delivered on the field. He is just about to be confirmed as Ligue 1's top scorer for the sixth consecutive season and has already usurped Edinson Cavani as the most prolific player in PSG's history.

However, as Mbappe pointedly stated at the time, "It's a personal accomplishment, but I also came for collective accomplishments" – and, by that stage, Mbappe's dissatisfaction with PSG's progress and inability to challenge consistently for the Champions League was obvious.

He had looked set to leave on a free transfer for the first time in 2022. Madrid were convinced that they had finally got their man, but Mbappe performed a dramatic U-turn by electing to stay in Paris after being promised even more money and even more power.

PSG denied making Mbappe a de facto sporting director but Nasser Al-Khelaifi said he would be "the cornerstone of the club's project". That particular project is now on the verge of collapse – which may not be such a bad thing, as it would allow the club to move on from Mbappe but also its unhealthy obsession with superstars.

Ruth Strauss Foundation to raise funds for cancer research and counselling services

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2019Andrew Strauss has launched a foundation in the name of his late wife, Ruth, who died last year after battling a rare form of lung cancer.The Ruth Strauss Foundation will raise funds to research rare forms of lung cancer and to provide emotional and psychological support to patients and their families.Ruth Strauss died last December, just over a year after being diagnosed with rare disease ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.In an interview with The Sunday Times, former England captain Strauss, who stepped down as director of England cricket last year as his wife underwent treatment, said he and Ruth had undergone counselling during her illness, which helped them to deal with their situation and to support their sons, Sam (13) and Luca (10). The couple decided they wanted to help other families access similar counselling services.”We spoke about her experience and asked ourselves, what can we do, given what we know now, to make other people’s journeys easier? I talked about my ambition to create a foundation in her memory and we thought there were two things that we would focus upon,” Strauss told the .”Number one was that in dealing with death people need support, even if they don’t know it. This support is not freely available.”Most of the funding goes into the treatment, which is understandable. Psychological and emotional support is very haphazard in terms of its availability. Preparing for a death is a horrible thing and you need a lot of support when going through it. So one of the aims of the foundation is going to be to raise funds to provide that support for as many people as possible.”The second aim relates to the cancer that took Ruth’s life. There is an assumption there that if you get lung cancer you were a smoker. Ruth never smoked a cigarette in her life. ALK-positive non-small- cell lung cancer is said to be very rare but anecdotally there seems to be an increase in the number of young women who have never smoked contracting it.”Nobody knows what is causing it. The unfortunate thing is that it tends not to be diagnosed until stage four, when it is incurable. There needs to be a lot of work done on the research side to understand these cancers better and provide better treatment and to ensure that knowledge is being shared both in this country and worldwide. That will be another focus of the foundation, to provide the funds for this to happen.”To help raise funds, the foundation will hold a golf day in partnership with the Lord’s Taverners at Stoke Park Country Club on June 11.The Ruth Strauss foundation: www.ruthstraussfoundation.com

Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong was sent a message by Reece James after making his senior debut on Thursday in the Blues' victory over Tottenham.

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Chelsea defeat Spurs 2-0Two Cobham grads make senior debutsAcheampong's crazy 12-minute statWHAT HAPPENED?

Goals from Nicolas Jackson and Trevoh Chalobah secured three points for the Blues against Spurs on Thursday, but it was a momentous occasion late on for two youngsters – who both made their senior Premier League debuts.

Josh Acheampong and Jimi Tauriainen came on with minutes to spare, and the former was congratulated by James on social media.

AdvertisementWHAT JAMES POSTED

On his Instagram story, the Blues' captain posted that he's buzzing for the youngster.

Instagram/reeceTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Acheampong came on late for Chelsea, helping close down the match with their 2-0 lead. The Cobham graduate came on in the 85th minute, yet somehow managed more blocks than any other Chelsea player across the entire match in his 12 minutes on the field.

With the Blues' since Under-8s, the youngster shined in his moment.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The Blues take on West Ham Sunday in Premier League action. They'll look to build on the morale from Thursday's victory.

Everton manager Sean Dyche has made a special appearance in indie band Blossoms' music video.

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Dyche features in music videoEverton boss a fan of Indie band BlossomsToffees on three-game winning streak WHAT HAPPENED?

Stockport-based indie rock band Blossoms are set to release a new music track on May 1 where the Everton manager will make a special appearance. The band released a teaser of their latest track on X on Monday, and Dyche was spotted in the video.

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The Toffees manager is known to be a fan of the British rock band as he recently expressed his admiration for the group while speaking on The Overlap podcast. He said, "I was with the lads from the Blossoms recently who are just great, there are so many."

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The Merseyside club are on a three-game winning streak in the league which includes a remarkable victory over rivals Liverpool. They will be next seen in action against Luton Town on Friday away from home.

Jalaj Saxena, Avesh Khan, Ricky Bhui and Mayank Markande have earned call-ups for the first game against England Lions, which begins on February 7

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2019Ankit Bawne will lead India A in their first four-day game against England Lions, which is scheduled to begin on February 7 in Wayanad. Bawne led India in the fourth unofficial ODI against Lions in Ajinkya Rahane’s absence on Tuesday. KL Rahul finds a place in the squad, as does long-time domestic performer Jalaj Saxena, who gets into an India A squad for the first time since 2013. The Kerala allrounder averages 44.00 with the bat and 20.41 with the ball over his last two first-class seasons, with 73 wickets in 17 matches.Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal (898 runs in nine matches) and Bengal’s Abhimanyu Easwaran (861 runs in six matches) are the two openers besides Rahul, and are the batsmen in the squad with most runs in the ongoing Ranji season.Other players rewarded for their Ranji form are Andhra’s Ricky Bhui (775 runs in eight matches), Madhya Pradesh fast bowler Avesh Khan (35 wickets in seven matches), and Punjab legspinner Mayank Markande (29 wickets in six matches). This is the first India A call-up for all three of them.Karun Nair, who captained India A in their last red-ball series in New Zealand, has been dropped from the squad, as have his Karnataka team-mates R Samarth and K Gowtham, who were among the top performers on that tour. The trio endured poor bouts of form after returning to the Ranji Trophy. Other notable names not in the squad are Vijay Shankar and Shubman Gill, who are currently with India’s ODI squad in New Zealand.India A squad for first four-day game: Ankit Bawne (capt), KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Priyank Panchal, Ricky Bhui, Siddhesh Lad, KS Bharat (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Markande, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Varun Aaron

Mikel Arteta provided updates on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard's condition ahead of crucial Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich.

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Arteta's update on Saka and Odegaard Arsenal skipper left the pitch against Aston Villa First leg against Bayern ended in a 2-2 draw WHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal captain had to be subbed off around the 80th-minute mark due to a leg injury in the club's 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Premier League during the weekend, while Saka was found limping towards the end of the match.

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Now ahead of the club's crucial second-leg encounter of their Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena, the Gunners boss opened up on the condition of the duo and whether they would be able to play on Wednesday.

WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Arteta said, "Yeah hopefully. Today we had only less than 48 hours to recover from the game. We have done very little training. We will assess them tomorrow and see how they are."

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After facing the Bavarian giants in the midweek, the North London club will be back in action in the Premier League on Saturday as they take on Wolves in a crucial game.