New Zealand women allrounder Sophie Devine has been ruled out of the upcoming home and away limited-overs series against Australia with a dislocated thumb

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2017New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine has been ruled out of the upcoming home and away limited-overs series against Australia due to a dislocated thumb. Devine, who suffered the injury during the recent Women’s Big Bash League, managed to avoid surgery, but her hand will be in a splint for four to six weeks in order for her to fully recover before the Women’s World Cup in England later this year.Northern Districts allrounder Anna Peterson has replaced Devine in the T20 squad that will travel to Australia, while Sam Curtis has taken her place for the ODIs at home.”Sam was unlucky to have missed out on the initial squad and is now coming off a match-winning unbeaten 111 off just 72 balls in the SKYCITY Hamilton NPL (Northern Premier League) on the weekend — the best innings I have seen her play,” head coach Haidee Tiffen said.”The way she combatted the threat of Holly Huddleston was a great sign of a player hitting her best form. Sam will bring her strength to our ODI middle order, while Anna Peterson’s versatility sees her get the nod for the Twenty20 squad.”In the same match that Curtis struck that century, Peterson took three wickets for 11 in four overs, apart from claiming a catch and effecting a run-out. Peterson has also been among the top six in both the batting and bowling charts in the domestic women’s Twenty20 competition, where she plays for Auckland. She last played for New Zealand in last year’s Women’s World T20.”Since her WHITE FERNS appearances last season, Anna has taken our feedback on board and worked on everything we have been looking for from her, as well as adding a further string to her bow by accepting the challenge of opening the batting for the Auckland Hearts,” Tiffen said.”That’s been tremendous to see and she has been performing well as an attacking batsman. Like Sam, she is also a strong fielder, important assets in the white ball format.”New Zealand travel to Australia to play three T20Is, starting on February 17, before the teams move back to New Zealand for a three-match ODI series that begins on February 26.

Tottenham Hotspur are now looking forward to a new era under incoming boss, Ange Postecoglou, with the 57-year-old set to take charge at N17 after catching the eye following his impressive work at Old Firm giants, Celtic in recent seasons.

Having won five trophies during a glittering two-year spell at Parkhead, the experienced coach has been tasked with the job of trying to revive the fortunes of the north London outfit next term and beyond, with the Lilywhites still reeling from a disappointing 2022/23 campaign that ended with a dismal, eighth-place finish.

Amid that search for improvement in his new home, recent reports have suggested that Postecoglou could be ready to spark something of a mass clearout at the club over the coming weeks, with the veteran duo of Ivan Perisic and Hugo Lloris leading the list of those who could depart.

Among those who may also be shown the door is long-serving defender, Ben Davies, with the Wales international – who signed from Swansea City back in 2014 – potentially set to be moved on if bids are to arrive this summer.

This follows a recent report that suggested Daniel Levy and co were willing to sanction the 30-year-old's exit for a fee of around £15m, with the 77-cap dud having formed part of a backline that shipped 63 Premier League goals this season – the sixth-worst record in the division.

As pundit Gabby Agbonlahor suggested, a departure for Davies could well be in the best interests of the club, with the versatile full-back having been "struggling to put in top performances", as he simply "just isn’t good enough any more."

With Postecoglou likely to need to find an "upgrade" – as per Agbonlahor – or a more youthful replacement for the £80k-per-week man, then the Greek-Aussie should look no further than reported target, Thierry Small.

Who is Thierry Small?

According to Football Insider, Spurs are set to make a fresh approach for the Southampton teenager ahead of next season, having previously seen an offer of around £800k rejected by the Saints back in January.

The piece adds that the newly-relegated side had been looking for closer to £1.2m at the time, with Levy and co now seemingly ready to make a 'new offer' in order to prise the 18-year-old from St Mary's.

The signing of the England youth international could well be the long-term solution at left-back that Spurs are in need of, with the "quality" gem – as previously hailed by ex-Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti – able to take Davies' place moving forward.

The former Toffees ace – who made the move to the south coast back in 2021 – showed his defensive prowess while on loan at St Mirren in the second half of the campaign after averaging 1.3 tackles per game, with that a superior record to what Davies averaged in the Premier League (0.9).

Equally, it is young Small who also appears to offer more in attack, with the 5 foot 10 starlet having averaged one key pass per game as a marker of his creative talent, while Davies averaged just 0.6 key passes in that time.

That would suggest that despite his inexperience, the youngster has the makings to be a real star of the future in the game, hence just why it would be wise for Postecoglou to push for a move.

As such, after 311 games for the club, it could be time for Davies to seek out pastures new…

Manchester United are showing interest in Juventus winger Federico Chiesa ahead of the summer transfer window, with Erik ten Hag looking to add some quality to his attacking department.

What’s the latest on Federico Chiesa to Manchester United?

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via TEAMtalk), the Red Devils are keen on making a surprise move for Chiesa, with the player looking for a move away from the Serie A side.

Juventus will consider bids in the region of €35m (£30m) for the Italian international, which considering his form before his horrific knee injury suffered in 2022, suggests Ten Hag would be securing a potential bargain, especially if he could get him back to his best.

Could Federico Chiesa improve Manchester United?

Before missing the majority of 2022, the 25-year-old had scored 18 goals and grabbed 14 assists since arriving in Turin at the start of the 2020/2021 campaign, underlining his attacking qualities from the left wing.

His form hasn’t been quite as sparkling since recovering, which is understandable, yet he has still managed four goals and six assists during 2022/2023, a decent enough return and a solid pre-season will surely have him back to his best.

Chiesa is statistically similar to Arsenal starlet Bukayo Saka according to FBref, with the Englishman the third-most comparable player to the Italian and given that he has been on fire over the previous few seasons, registering 44 goal contributions, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.

Indeed, this season has seen the pair register similar stats across a variety of attacking metrics such as shots per 90 (2.75 to 2.43), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.56 to 4.34) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.79 to 0.63), displaying their eye for creating scoring opportunities for both themselves and others.

Both Chiesa and Saka count crossing and holding onto the ball as key strengths according to WhoScored, while they both have a similar style of play as the pair like to cut inside on a regular basis, fashioning chance after chance and this must come into Ten Hag’s thinking if he is considering launching a bid for the player.

He was lauded as “incredible” by journalist Jack Gallagher and having also shone on the international stage, helping Italy win their first European Championship in 53 years after defeating England at Wembley in 2021, he has plenty of experience and a move to Old Trafford shouldn’t faze him in the slightest.

For just £30m, the move is a gamble that could be worth every penny should he recapture his previous form.

Alastair Cook’s decision to resign from the England captaincy stemmed from his reservations about “how much he had left in the tank”, according to Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricketSpeaking at Lord’s on the day it was confirmed that Cook, 32,

Andrew Miller06-Feb-20171:57

Dobell: Cook served England with distinction

Alastair Cook’s decision to resign from the England captaincy stemmed from his reservations about “how much he had left in the tank”, according to Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket, who says that the ECB expects to be able to name his successor within a fortnight, ahead of the one-day squad’s departure for the Caribbean on February 22.Speaking at Lord’s on the day it was confirmed that Cook, 32, would be standing down from the captaincy after a record 59 Tests in charge, Strauss praised the considered manner in which his former opening partner had reached his decision. The timing of Cook’s announcement leaves his successor – almost certainly Joe Root – a full four months of preparation before England’s next Test series against South Africa in July.”This wasn’t one of those situations when it was right for me to persuade him to carry on,” Strauss, from whom Cook inherited the captaincy back in 2012, told Sky Sports at Lord’s. “I’ve been there myself. You either know if you have got it in you to carry on, or, deep down, you know it’s time to step aside.”He did it the right way. He didn’t jump to conclusions, he allowed the dust to settle after the India tour, he took some time to speak to the people closest to him, whom he trusted. I support and understand that decision.”Cook’s resignation had been on the cards ever since the tour of India in December, which finished with back-to-back innings defeat for a dispiriting 4-0 scoreline. As he had indicated at the time, Cook chose not to make a snap decision, but instead took the opportunity to take stock before informing Strauss of his intentions when the pair met up in January.”When the India tour finished, Alastair said to everyone that he’d sit down with me and talk things through,” Strauss said, “both the learnings from the India tour and what the England team could do to get better, but also his own position.”We met up in January and I was interested to see how he had fared in India. I know how draining the England captaincy can be, especially on a long tour away from home when you are on the wrong end of the result.”So we had a conversation around that, and it was pretty clear that Alastair knew how much drive, determination and energy was going to be required of the England captain in the next 12 months or so.”He had some thoughts and reservations about how much he had left in the tank as England’s longest-serving Test captain, and it was right that we didn’t jump to conclusions, and let the dust settle. I allowed him to go away and think further. But, over the last ten days or so, it was clear his mind was made up.”Andrew Strauss discusses Alastair Cook’s decision to stand down as England captain•Getty ImagesDespite the speculation that has surrounded the role, Strauss insisted that the search for Cook’s successor would only now begin in earnest.”There is a process to go through,” he said. “It would have been entirely wrong for me to have spoken to other players about the captaincy before Alastair stepped down, and especially while two important white-ball series were going on in India.”Now’s the chance for myself and selectors, and the coach, to have conversations amongst ourselves and some players in the England environment, to get an understanding of who the right person is, what their philosophy is, and how they intent to take the team forward, so that when we come to announce the new captain, we are sure he’s the right man.”Although Root is the outstanding candidate to inherit Cook’s role, his lack of captaincy experience is a justifiable concern – he has led in only four matches to date in his first-class career. Strauss, however, played down that aspect of his candidature.”That is the reality in this day and age,” he said. “It’s very hard for England players to get a great deal of county captaincy experience. But on one level there’s only so much you can do to prepare yourself. I think playing in the set-up for a number of years and understanding the demands is more important.”[Cook’s decision] gives the new captain a huge amount of time to get used to the idea and have conversations about off-the-field stuff with the coaches and support staff, so that when he steps on the field for the first time as England captain in July, a lot of that stuff will already be taken care of.”He added: “Joe has done a very good job as vice-captain. He’s matured a lot over the last two years and there is absolutely no reason he won’t be one of the strong candidates.”For the time being, however, Strauss preferred to focus on Cook’s own contribution as England captain, which included 24 Test wins, two Ashes victories, and memorable series wins in India and South Africa.”I honestly believe he deserves to be looked upon as one of England’s great captains,” Strauss said. “I also think the great measure of a leader is what the people who played with you and under you feel about you. I’m certain that there isn’t a single player in that dressing room right now who doesn’t think Alastair has done an unbelievable job as England captain.”More than anything, he has had that personal touch. He has shown empathy for people and he’s understood just how difficult it can be to play for England. He’s had the time and inclination to help people through that. As he walks away he can do so with his head held exceptionally high knowing he gave absolutely everything to the role.”His record stands for itself as England’s longest serving captain and the longest serving one day captain as well. To combine that longevity with his individual performances is a testament to his drive and character. He was certainly never in it for personal glory.”

Jose Mourinho has used Romelu Lukaku’s goal-scoring exploits to aim a sly dig at his critics, with the Belgian striker continuing to deliver for Roma.

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• Belgian striker returned to Italy on loan
• Worked with Portuguese at Chelsea & Man Utd
• Coach has no concerns regarding future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Chelsea and Manchester United frontman – who worked with Mourinho at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford – made his way to Stadio Olimpico during the summer transfer window on an initial loan agreement.

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  Lukaku has found the target on four occasions through six appearances for Roma – with the former Serie A title winner from his days at Inter proving to be a rare bright spark for the Giallorossi through a testing start to the season that has delivered eight points from seven games.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Mourinho believes those exploits prove that he still knows what he is doing, as critics are quick to point at him enduring supposed third-season syndrome once again in a prominent coaching post, with the Portuguese telling after seeing Lukaku score in a 2-0 victory over Frosinone: “I thought that I could be held responsible for Lukaku not scoring! At the very least, nobody can accuse me of that, because Romelu keeps scoring. He scores here, he scores at Manchester United, at Inter. Romelu scores everywhere. Fortunately, I am not a coach who can remove Romelu’s qualities.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Questions continue to be asked of how long Mourinho will be sticking around at Roma – with a lucrative offer from the Middle East having already been snubbed – but he claims to have the full support of owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin. He added: “You keep talking about future, that is not something I need to worry about, my future is the promise I made until June 30. A coach must respect the club owners and not comment on anything. I am happy for them that we won today, because obviously the owners want to win. I work for them, I work for the Roma fans and I work for the players. When we do well, I am happy.”

Liverpool are in the market for reinforcements this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to freshen up a side that looks set for major changes heading into next term.

Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have already left the club upon the expiration of their contracts, signifying that both midfield and striking positions will need to be replenished in the summer window.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is set to sign for the Reds, as he updated his Twitter following, stating: "Liverpool have just signed Alexis Mac Allister for… £35m. Reds have now triggered the clause to sign the midfielder after medical tests completed with Brighton’s permission. Documents are being signed. Here we go confirmed."

Another man that Liverpool have been linked with to bolster their midfield is Southampton man Romeo Lavia and they are said to have contacted the South Coast club over the prospect of being able to acquire the 19-year-old, as per Football Insider.

What's the latest transfer news involving Romeo Lavia?

The Football Insider report also states that Lavia's former club, Manchester City, have a buyback clause worth £40 million to purchase the Belgium international; however, this doesn't become active until the summer of 2024.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Redmen TV pundit Ste Hoare has endorsed Liverpool signing Lavia to boost their midfield options and thinks that the talent would be a good fit at Anfield.

Hoare told FFC: "Manchester City have this buyback clause, don't they, in 2024, so you want to get him, you might have to do it now because they might be the only chance you can do. I don't think he's going to stay in the Championship. I think he's too good. My guess is he'll be on the move. Of all the players who went down, I think he'd be the one I would most like Liverpool to sign, he fits into what we do."

Liverpool definitely have the opportunity to get one over their Premier League rivals by signing Lavia, who gained plenty of first-team experience in 2022/23 with Southampton, making 35 appearances in all competitions, registering one goal and one assist apiece, as per Transfermarkt.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola paid tribute to the midfielder in April in an interview and detailed why he was let go at the Etihad Stadium to join Southampton, stating: “I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing. We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton."

As per WhoScored, Lavia showed plenty of promise at St Mary's during this campaign and managed to record a pass success rate of 86.4%, illustrating his reliability in possession.

FBRef also take into account that the £25k-a-week earner excels in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions regarding successful blocks, having made 1.90 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting him in the fourth percentile for this metric.

According to the same outlet, Lavia, who has been hailed as a "monster", has also made 93 tackles and interceptions combined in 2022/23, demonstrating his capacity to get stuck in and turn over phases of play for his side.

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes talked up Lavia's abilities as a deep-lying midfielder last year, as per BT Sport via The Daily Mail, saying: ‘He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in-front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there.’

Liverpool need young talent to help phase out some of their ageing midfielders and Lavia could be someone that could become a key player in the coming seasons at Anfield.

David Willey will miss England’s three-match ODI series against West Indies in the Caribbean next month

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2017

David Willey will miss England’s three-match one-day international series against West Indies in the Caribbean next month.The Yorkshire allrounder had surgery on his left shoulder on Friday to further assess the injury he sustained while bowling in the third ODI against India last month. He has suffered a partial tear of a tendon and will be out of action until April.Willey will be replaced in the England squad by Middlesex seamer Steven Finn, who is currently playing in the Pakistan Super League in the UAE.England fly to the Caribbean next Wednesday, where they play two warm-up matches and three ODIs against West Indies.Willey, lightly used throughout the one-day series against India – bowling over 13 overs in three matches – was only able to manage two overs in the final ODI in Kolkata before leaving the field.He has only completed a full 10-over spell in seven of his 25 ODIs, with his captain, Eoin Morgan, seemingly reluctant to use him beyond his threat swinging the new ball.He remained behind in Kolkata for scans when the rest of the squad travelled to Kanpur for a three-match T20 series, with England Cricket tweeting that “a scan didn’t show up significant damage to his left shoulder”.That initial diagnosis proved to be overly optimistic and he returned home for an operation, the extent of which has now been revealed.Willey’s latest injury also threatens to disrupt his involvement at the start of Yorkshire’s season and will not help him claim a place in the Championship side for a county where Ryan Sidebottom, a fellow left-armer, shows few signs of deterioration at 39 and, at the other end of the age scale, Matt Fisher, if he can shake off the injury worries that have curtailed his involvement in the England Under-19 tour of India, is ambitious to prove himself England’s brightest fast bowling prospect.

Matt Turner is heading out of Arsenal on the back of a Community Shield win, with a deal reportedly agreed with Nottingham Forest.

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American keeper in Community Shield squadHas made only seven appearances for GunnersReady to take on a new challenge at the City GroundWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international was among the substitutes at Wembley Stadium on Sunday as the Gunners got their hands on a trophy. Aaron Ramsdale played the full 90 minutes against Manchester City – playing a key role in a penalty shootout success – but Turner still got his hands on a winners’ medal.

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That looks like being his final act in north London, with reporting that a transfer to Nottingham Forest is now in place. Turner is set to undergo a medical at the City Ground on Monday, with the 29-year-old shot-stopper leaving Emirates Stadium after 12 months that delivered seven appearances.

AND WHAT'S MORE

Former USMNT star Eric Wynalda has told of Turner’s imminent move: "I think Nottingham Forest would be a good move for Matt Turner, especially if David Raya does end up at Arsenal. Forest are a Premier League club with ambitious plans, and they would be able to offer Turner regular playing time. He would also be joining a team with a strong American contingent, including his USMNT team-mate Ethan Horvath. Turner is a talented goalkeeper who has shown his quality at both the club and international level. He is a good shot-stopper with good reflexes and distribution skills. He is also a vocal leader who would be a good fit for Forest's young and developing team. If Turner does move to Forest, he will be looking to establish himself as the club's number one goalkeeper. He will have competition from Horvath, but I think he has the potential to be the first-choice keeper. Forest are a team on the rise, and Turner could be a key part of their success in the years to come."

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

While Forest are closing in on Turner, they also remain keen on Manchester United keeper Dean Henderson. He spent time on loan with the Reds last season and would be expected to be first choice in Steve Cooper’s plans once fully recovered from injury – meaning that Turner may be restricted to a back-up role once again.

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