سعى نادي برشلونة خلال السنوات الأخيرة لجذب أبرز المواهب الشابة لتعزيز الأكاديمية بمواهب شابة على المستوى المطلوب.
وعلى الرغم من ضم نجوم من العيار الثقيل للفريق الأول مثل ليفاندوفسكي وأولمو وكوندي ورافينيا ولكن الإدارة الرياضية أصبحت تهتم بالتركيز على الشباب ليكونوا جوهر عملية إعادة البناء.
اقرأ أيضاً.. برشلونة يتضامن مع ليفربول وينعى ديوجو جوتا وشقيقه
ويمثل التعاقد مع المواهب الشابة استراتيجية ناجحة للفريق الكاتالوني وقد استفاد البارسا من هذه المواهب إما بتصعيدها للفريق الأول أو بالحصول على الأموال من بيعها.
ويبدو أن برشلونة يقترب من الإعلان عن التعاقد مع روني باردجي لاعب كوبنهاجن الدنماركي، وينتظر معرفة ما إذا كان هانز فليك سيعتمد عليه في الفريق الأول أم في الرديف.
وبحسب صحيفة “السبورت” الكاتالونية فإن ديكو قد حدد بالفعل هدفه القادم من نادي بودو جيلمت الدنماركي.
ويرغب برشلونة بضم الدنماركي الشاب صاحب ال16 عاماً برو هانسن والذي لعب أربع مباريات مع الفريق الأول لبودو جيلمت في سنه الصغيرة.
وعلق هانسن على اهتمام برشلونة دون الكشف عن أي تفاصيل: “إنه لأمر مذهل لكني أعرف كيف أتعامل مع هذا الضغط، يحفزني وجود أشخاص يثقون بي ويؤمنون بقدراتي”.
Newcastle United got back to winning ways on Saturday, and in some style, smashing Leicester City 4-0 at St James’ Park.
Jacob Murphy bagged a brace as the Magpies enjoyed their most-emphatic victory since April, ending a four-match winless streak, as Eddie Howe’s team climbed up to 12th in the table.
When the Magpies travel to Ipswich on Saturday, they’ll be targeting back-to-back Premier League victories for just the second time since September and, if their key players continue to perform, they’ll be firm favourites for victory at Portman Road.
Newcastle United's star men coming to the fore
Both Bruno Guimarães and Alexander Isak scored at the weekend, doing so within three minutes of one another, which was symbolic considering they are the Toon Army’s two most high-profile players.
Isak, in fairness to him, has been generally excellent this season, taking his tally to eight goals for the campaign at the weekend, while the Swede has now bagged 15 goals in 16 appearances on Tyneside since Boxing Day last year.
Since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Isak, which isn’t bad company to keep, hence why the striker has been attracting countless admiring glances.
Guimarães meantime, has started all 16 Premier League matches so far, only 16 players across the entire division have played more minutes, featuring for more minutes than any other Newcastle player both this season and last too.
Saturday though saw the Brazilian score for the first time since the final day of last season, yet to be at his dominating best, as the midfield trio alongside him continues to chop and change.
Market Movers
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Of course, everyone knows about the qualities of Isak and Guimarães, but their less-heralded teammate is currently outperforming both.
Newcastle's new star in the making
According to Sofascore, Lewis Hall is Newcastle’s highest-rated player this season, above Anthony Gordon and the aforementioned duo of Isak and Guimarães.
Hall arrived from Chelsea for a fee of £28m, plus potentially £7m in add-ons, making him the club’s ninth-most expensive signing of all-time, all of which have come during the PIF-era, but that’s still a significant outlay considering the PSR-constraints under which Newcastle continue to operate.
During his first campaign on Tyneside, the left-back made just 22 appearances, starting a mere eight Premier League matches, scoring two goals both of which, coincidentally, came in front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford, most notably firing home during a memorable EFL Cup victory over Man United.
However, since both Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman suffered ACL injuries in March, Dan Burn has been required at centre-back, allowing Hall to start 19 of the last 21 Premier League fixtures, including all 13 since 1 September.
Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette described Hall as Newcastle’s “star man”, noting that he “had the most touches, chances created and passes” on Saturday, claiming he could become Premier League’s best left-back, if he isn’t already.
So, how does the 20-year-old compare to some of the division’s best left-sided full-backs?
Appearances
16
15
14
16
16
15
Minutes
1,228
1,174
1,041
1,301
1,165
1,277
Assists
2
1
0
1
2
2
Expected assists
3.1
0.9
2.2
1.2
2.9
2.4
Progressive carries
26
15
23
36
11
38
Touches
1,128
884
893
946
756
746
Tackles
30
25
18
44
31
22
Avg SofaScore rating
7.29
6.90
6.69
7.00
7.01
7.09
As outlined, Hall has played more minutes and touched the ball more frequently than any of the other selected left-backs this season, while his expected assist figure of 3.1 underlines his creativity too.
With Sofascore rating Hall as the best left-back in the Premier League to date this season, considering he’s only 20 years old, he’s only likely to get better, elevating his transfer market value to something rather considerable considering the priciest left-back above was Cucurella’s £60m fee.
New England manager Thomas Tuchel handed Hall his senior debut at Chelsea so, given the Three Lions’ recent issues at left-back, the Newcastle man will feel that spot is up for grabs, having earned his first two senior caps in November.
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Everton managed to reveal a layer of attacking quality in midweek, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 in the Premier League.
It was the perfect fuel for Sean Dyche’s side to send the Toffees fanbase into rapture, with Liverpool travelling the less-than-a-mile distance from Anfield for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Storm Darragh had other plans. Howling winds and lashing rain precluded the match from taking place, with Saturday morning bringing about the dreaded news that the contest had indeed been called off.
It’s certainly frustrating, for Everton have entered a good moment and were ready to take on a Liverpool side contending with a host of injuries. Dyche was given a glimpse of attacking quality that has scarcely been on show throughout the term.
Orel Mangala
To be sure, the Blue Merseysiders need more from their frontal members.
Everton's attacking failures
Dyche has got a task on his hands to overturn the misery that has threatened his place in the Everton dugout. The Toffees might have earned a reprieve through their statement victory against Wolves but consistency has been lacking and that needs to change.
14th
Ipswich Town
23
14=
Newcastle United
23
14=
Nottingham Forest
23
14=
Nottingham Forest
23
18th
West Ham United
22
19th
Southampton
20
20th
Everton
19
While it’s true that Dyche has been let down by his forwards, namely Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has failed to register a direct goal contribution across his past nine Premier League outings, creativity has been negligible, with the Blues indeed the division’s bottom-placed side when it comes to creating chances.
Pretty damning – let’s hope the Wolves victory doesn’t prove to be a lonely outlier. Whether the club will have the financial power to strengthen in January remains to be seen, but they could certainly do with the booster.
Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but it’s also a useless thing. Even so, it’s a real shame, in hindsight, that Everton allowed Ademola Lookman to leave at the start of his career.
His dynamic qualities would be perfect for Dyche’s team.
Why Everton sold Ademola Lookman
Everton were the team that gave Lookman his first opportunity at the highest level, signing him from Charlton Athletic for an £11m fee in January 2017, when he was aged only 19.
Though he is now regarded as a top-class player, the versatile winger failed to establish himself with the Toffees, totalling just four goals across 48 appearances before being sold to RB Leipzig in 2019 in a deal worth £22.5m.
While Everton succeeded in turning a profit for their fringe prospect, it’s rather poignant to watch him do so well now, having finished 14th on the Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings after an incredible year with Serie A side Atalanta.
Aged 27, Lookman is established and ensconced in the prime of his career, and given that Atalanta wanted €70m (£59m) for their dynamic star this summer when high-ranked outfits such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were circling, Farhad Moshiri and co must surely feel a little bit rueful, having let a potential blinder slip through their fingers.
Ademola Lookman's performances in 2024/25
Lookman achieved continental acclaim at the final stage of the 2023/24 campaign, blasting in a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen to claim the Europa League crown.
He’s continued to make headway this year, having posted ten goals and five assists across 17 matches in all competitions, very much backing up the praise that he is Piero Gian Gasperini’s “superstar” – so journalist Sean Walsh has said.
As per FBref, Lookman ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, denoting elite-level potency and an effective ball-carrying quality that shapes him into the complete package.
As you can see, he’s not just a one-trick pony, emerging to spearhead Atalanta’s trophy-lifting triumph. No, Lookman has found a stunning vein of consistency in the final third over the past several years and is now reaping the rewards of his hard labours.
FBref record the Nigeria international to be an exceptionally prolific force, but perhaps more curious is the fact that he has been compared to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Jamal Musiala as a result.
Two heavyweights, Saka and Musiala set the gold standard in the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively, with the pairing considered to be among the most valuable players in the world, as per the CIES Football Observatory.
Goals scored
0.76
0.49
0.45
Assists
0.38
0.36
0.18
Shots taken
3.32
3.39
3.49
Shot-creating actions
5.71
5.68
5.57
Progressive passes
3.98
3.70
5.45
Progressive carries
5.09
4.98
5.15
Successful take-ons
1.97
1.62
3.91
Ball recoveries
4.08
4.37
4.24
Whether Lookman is actually at the same level as a player such as Saka is debatable; the Arsenal sensation is arguably the best right winger in the world right now, barring maybe Mohamed Salah and Barcelona’s Raphinha.
But it’s still a mark of his prowess and a frustrating reminder to Everton that they let him go before he had time to nurture his natural-born talents and bloom.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
While a player like Lookman would be a welcome addition to Dyche’s cause right now, let’s hope that the Toffees have learnt from their past mistakes and ensure that the up-and-coming stars of the present day are allowed to rise to the fore over the coming years.
Dyche's "new hope" could be Everton's answer to Mo Salah
Everton meet Liverpool in the rivals’ final Premier League contest at Goodison Park.
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2016Stiaan van Zyl had to fend off a few short deliveries early on•AFPBen Stokes broke the opening stand when he struck in his first over•Getty ImagesHe thought he had another wicket but his call to review an lbw shout against Hashim Amla did not pay off, but it was mighty close•Getty ImagesMoeen Ali did what England’s quicks couldn’t and broke the second-wicket stand by removing Dean Elgar•Getty ImagesSteven Finn produced a magnificent spell which included the wicket of Hashim Amla•Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis lazily flicked a catch to deep square leg•AFPJonny Bairstow, who had an excellent day, did superbly well to gather the throw to complete Temba Bavuma’s run out•Getty Images
Arshdeep has linked up with the main squad, while Hooda, Hardik and Bhuvneshwar are at the NCA for different reasons
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2022Shreyas Iyer, a travelling reserve for India for the upcoming men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, has been drafted in as a replacement for the injured Deepak Hooda for the three-T20I series against South Africa starting later today in Thiruvananthapuram.Related
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Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are also out of the series, with the BCCI confirming that they will undergo “conditioning-related work” at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Hooda is also at the NCA for what the BCCI called “further management of his injury”.Hooda, part of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad, is understood to have picked up a back injury at training during the recent T20I series against Australia. He was unavailable for the series decider in Hyderabad last Sunday as a result.Arshdeep Singh, who was rested for the three T20Is against Australia, has linked up with the India T20I squad in Thiruvananthapuram.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami misses out as he has just recovered from Covid-19*, and will need to undergo the BCCI’s mandated fitness tests before he can be eligible for selection again. Having missed the Australia T20Is, he will miss the South Africa T20Is too. Umesh Yadav, who was named Shami’s replacement for the Australia series, has been included in the squad for the T20Is against South Africa.Shahbaz Ahmed, the uncapped left-arm-spin-bowling allrounder, has been added to the squad too. This will be his second stint with the national team, after he had been called up earlier during the Zimbabwe ODIs in July in place of the injured Washington Sundar.He heads into the series on the back of a short stint with India A during the home series against New Zealand A. Prior to that, he was part of East Zone’s Duleep Trophy squad, where he picked up a five-for and scored a half-century in his team’s only appearance in the first-class competition.1030GMT The copy has been updated to reflect Shami’s recovery from Covid.
The runners-up will collect $800,000 and the two losing semi-finalists $400,000 each, just like in the last edition
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2022The winners of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia will take home a prize money of US $1.6 million, the same amount as the last year’s edition, the ICC announced on Friday. Similarly, the runners-up will collect $800,000 and the two losing semi-finalists $400,000 each.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
The 16-team tournament, starting October 16, will be played in two rounds.The eight teams – Namibia, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, UAE in Group A and West Indies, Scotland, Ireland and Zimbabwe in Group B – will play the first round. For any win in this round, a team will receive a prize money of $40,000.Four teams – the top two from each group – will qualify for the Super 12 round. They will join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa there. The ones who get knocked out in the first round will get $40,000 each.In the Super 12 phase too, each win will fetch a team $40,000. The eight teams who exit at the Super 12 stage will receive $70,000 each, just like the 2021 edition.The total prize money for the tournament is $5.6 million.
Ipswich Town just about find themselves above the Premier League bottom three at this moment in time, but that could all change on Monday evening if Crystal Palace pick up three points away at Nottingham Forest, resulting in Oliver Glasner’s Eagles potentially leapfrogging the Tractor Boys.
There will need to be major improvements going forward as the magic of being in the top flight begins to wear thin for Ipswich, with back-to-back defeats to West Ham United and Everton unsettling the feel-good mood in Suffolk.
Kieran McKenna will especially want more from Omari Hutchinson, who cost £20m to get in through the door this summer but has offered very little since making the step up to the top division.
Hutchinson's numbers so far this season
Hutchinson’s flat form for the Tractor Boys is a far cry away from his Championship heroics, with the ex-Chelsea man thriving in the league below as an exciting loanee, notching up an impressive ten goals and six assists as automatic promotion was secured.
Now, his displays are passive in contrast as the once wild and energetic attacker looks frightened by the prospect of the Premier League, with just one paltry assist allied up this campaign from nine appearances in all competitions.
Of course, it is still early days and the Ipswich number 20 could suddenly burst into life, but the £20m price tag next to his name is starting to look slightly extortionate.
His showing against Everton last match did see him flirt with being back to his explosive best, with three key passes amassed and two shots registered on Jordan Pickford’s goal, but more will be needed from Hutchinson over the games to come to justify a starting spot week in week out.
Ipswich will be annoyed that they didn’t try to keep a firmer grip on one former youth player now, who could have added to the firepower of Liam Delap nicely if he was still on the books at Portman Road.
Marcelo Flores' time at Ipswich
Marcelo Flores would never go on to make the cut in Suffolk, poached by Arsenal at a very young age away from the Tractor Boys where his story all began.
The 5 foot 7 winger was in and around the youth set-up at Ipswich for three years but was allowed to leave for the Gunners in 2019 on a free transfer, a switch that will irritate those at Portman Road now when viewing what Flores has gone on to do in 2024.
Arsenal U18s
32
10
5
Arsenal U21s
16
5
1
Real Oviedo
15
0
1
Tigres
42
9
2
Flores made a slight impression at the Emirates after arriving on a free transfer, with 15 goals registered playing on youth pitches in North London, but would never go on to leap up to the first team.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Still, there were outlandish comparisons in 2020 that even stated the Ontario-born attacker modelled his game on the likes of Eden Hazard and Phillippe Coutinho and he could well be the next iteration of those talents, after being included on the esteemed Next Generation list by the Guardian.
He has since made a name for himself playing for Tigres, where he has two goals and one assist next to his name from his last 13 games for the Mexican side.
Those numbers better Hutchinson’s current output for this season, with Ipswich potentially left to ponder whether they could have turned Flores into a first-team star if he didn’t up and move to Arsenal as a promising teenage talent.
Once hailed as “incredible” by Oviedo president Martínez Peláez when out on loan in Spain earlier in his career, Flores will hope he can keep those top performances coming for Tigres.
Back in England, Hutchinson will aim to reignite his own form as Ipswich pray that a first win in the Premier League comes imminently.
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Plays of the day from the Group B game between Ireland and Zimbabwe in Hobart
Brydon Coverdale in Hobart07-Mar-2015Drop of the day There were so many to choose from on a miserable day in the field for Zimbabwe, but the really costly miss came when Ed Joyce top-edged a pull off Tawanda Mupariwa in the 20th over. The ball flew high out towards midwicket and the bowler was the man with the best chance of making it; Mupariwa did just that, but misjudged slightly and the ball ricocheted off his fingers and into the turf. Despite the distance he had to cover it was very catchable. It was also very costly; Joyce was on 34 at the time, and went on to make 112.Catch of the day The contrast in the fielding of both sides was stark until a few nervous fumbles from Ireland later in the chase. It was particularly notable when William Porterfield clasped a much harder skied chance than the one that Mupariwa had put down. Porterfield had to run back from point, with the flight of the ball, and he judged it perfectly as the ball sailed down over his left shoulder and straight into his hands.Anti-climax of the day There were a few aborted cheers and mystified faces in the Bellerive Oval crowd when Tinashe Panyangara yorked Joyce in the 29th over. The stumps splayed, the bails lit up, but Joyce was going nowhere. The umpire had signalled it was a free hit for Joyce after Panyangara overstepped on the previous delivery, which, incidentally, Joyce had slashed over cover for four.Sub of the day Stuart Matsikenyeri must be sick of the sight of Ireland. At the 2007 World Cup, it was Matsikenyeri who failed to connect to the last-ball full toss that resulted in a tie between the two teams. In the 2015 World Cup, Matsikenyeri was not picked, but was on the field as 12th man when Kevin O’Brien drove uppishly to cover on 5. Matsikenyeri not only spilled a chance he should have taken, he also suffered the indignity of his shoe falling off in the process. At the end of the over Chamu Chibhabha came back on to the field and a disappointed Matsikenyeri jogged off.Kick of the day As the chase entered the tense final five overs, it looked like Regis Chakabva and Sean Williams might have misjudged a leg bye. Chakabva tried to work Alex Cusack to leg but the ball flew off his pad out to cover. Niall O’Brien ran in and soccered the ball at the stumps at the non-striker’s end but missed by a large margin, allowing two important overthrows, or overkicks.
The South Africa team left for the 2015 World Cup amid a merry celebration and words exhorting them to win the title
Firdose Moonda04-Feb-2015Thousands of people gathered at the piazza of a popular shopping complex in Johannesburg for South Africa’s World Cup send-off. In addition to a moving rendition of the national anthem sung by Grammy Award winners, the Soweto Gospel Choir, this is some of what they heard:”Greatness. We’re all capable of it.This is the moment where you find out who you really are.Beyond the ball lies your destiny.It’s time for you to look within yourselves and what you will realise is that you are more powerful than you can ever begin to imagine.You have to hate losing more than you love winning.You have to control the situation, don’t let the situation control you.Be true to the game and the game will be true to you.Success is often the result of not being afraid of accomplishing anything you want to because anything is possible.” “I am very scared because I get the feeling the Proteas are going to win the World Cup.” “The closest we came was 1999 and I think after that is now. We’ve got the make-up, the ingredients of a team that is totally all-round. If they all perform to their true potential and skill, they will win.” “Forget about the final but win each and every game until the end of the tournament. You represent more than 50 million hearts. These hearts deserve to be given hope.” “Every World Cup has expectation. It’s nice to know we’ve got a quality side going there. We are confident. We understand the expectation. We want to go there and do well.” “I am part of history. It’s just about going down and giving it horns.” “We have always had a lot of support but in the last two months we can feel a support we’ve never experienced before. I cannot guarantee to you the cup but we can guarantee you we will fight for every single inch. We will fight for every run, for every wicket. We owe a fight out there. To my boys: it’s not going to be easy. We are going to have to overcome a few obstacles. Forever we will keep the fire burning.” “I couldn’t fall asleep last night. I was so excited. I’m ready to knock these guys out. I’m extremely nervous, extremely excited. We are going to do everything we can. We will fight ’til the very end.” “We’ve got a reputation as one of the best bowling attacks in the world. It’s important for us to put that aside and really focus on doing well.” “This is the best send-off ever. The guys can feel the fire, the enthusiasm, the energy.” “This team is primed to do something special. I think they are ready to do it. It’s going to be a collective effort.” “We got it right. We will only be judged after the World Cup but we think we’ve got it right.” “We’re excited to get on that plane now. It’s a long tournament. A lot has to happen before we get to the knockout stages. All our focus is on the first game. We’re looking for some big fish while we’re over there.” “You represent the soul of this nation. Sport is not a useless business. We call it the RDP of the soul – reconstruction and development program of the soul. Please win it for us. South Africans are accustomed to winning because we are the children of warriors. Nelson Mandela. Kepler Wessels.We don’t want you in the World Cup to add numbers and just become a bunch of losers. You are not going to be playing with robots, you are playing with people. You are the special ones. You are the chosen ones. It does not mean you are irreplaceable but all of you are capable of doing the duty for us.Forget about 1992. Forget about what happened in Bangladesh. When Allan Donald and Lance Klusener could not get us over the line [sic]. To AB and your bunch of winners: you are not playing against cows. You are not playing against donkeys. Don’t undermine any of them. Go and win it for us. Winning is a statement of courage. We are releasing you to go and win it for South Africa. (Beat them/Smash them up).” No Pressure.
Kane Richardson the latest quick to the sidelined with injury in Sri Lanka
Andrew McGlashan13-Jun-2022
Pat Cummins had his hip issue for a considerable time according to Aaron Finch•AFP/Getty Images
Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch revealed that Pat Cummins had been carrying his hip problem for more than a year as the injury list among his squad in Sri Lanka continued to grow.Cummins, who was rested from the T20I series, left the IPL early to recover and is primed to return in the opening ODI in Pallekele on Tuesday, but he has played a significant amount of cricket, including his first two Test series as captain, while troubled by his hip.”He’s very keen to go,” Finch said on the eve of the ODIs. “[He’s] fresh and recharged after getting over that hip injury. That had been lingering around for 12-14 months so for him to be able have a good solid recovery period and a training block, he looks like he’s up and running,”It’s been something that’s been ongoing for a little while. Just causes him a lot of discomfort at times, there hasn’t been one particularly incidence, it’s just a gradual build-up and he hasn’t really had the time to really recharge and recover. So to have the time off at the back end of the IPL and these T20s was important for what is such a huge 18 months of international cricket.”Related
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None of Australia’s frontline quicks are expected to play all five of the ODIs which come in the space of 11 days although the spate of injuries could increase workloads. Finch was hopeful of having Mitchell Starc back from his badly cut finger for the third game, but Kane Richardson has been ruled out of the series after suffering what was termed a “severe” hamstring injury before the final T20I, although how bad it was only emerged after the match in which he played.”I wasn’t aware of [it] during the game so that was pretty big of him to be able to get through a T20 game at that intensity,” Finch said.Kane, himself, had been an injury reinforcement to the squad for the first two matches following Starc being ruled out while Jhye Richardson had previously been called up as well.Scott Boland has been brought across from the A-squad as cover after other fast-bowling options were unavailable. The selectors had considered Nathan Ellis, but he has picked up a groin injury playing for Hampshire, while Riley Meredith was not in a position to be called up following the IPL and Wes Agar, who played in West Indies last year, is still on his way back from injury problems.Allrounder Sean Abbott was previously ruled out of the T20I series with a broken finger sustained at training early in the tour while Mitchell Marsh (calf) is out for at least the start of the ODIs. Cameron Green is not a bowling option for the first two matches as he builds up his workload.Australia have still gone with three frontline quicks for the opening ODI – Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson – but are expecting to alter the balance of the side later in the series.”It’s certainly testing at the moment,” Finch said. “Getting back to Colombo the wickets will be probably be a bit drier and we’ll look to play an extra spinner or potentially an extra allrounder to be able to get through the 50 overs. Not ideal but that’s a part of touring life.”