All posts by h716a5.icu

Former India allrounder says Rohit and Kohli retiring will create a leadership vacuum

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-202513:14

Gill or Bumrah – the only decision selectors need to make?

R Ashwin has said the sudden retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have created a significant leadership vacuum in India’s Test team and that Jasprit Bumrah is a deserving candidate for the captaincy.”I didn’t have an idea both [Rohit and Kohli] would retire together,” Ashwin said on his Youtube show . “This will a testing time for Indian cricket, and I’ll say this is truly now the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era.”The team that will tour England will be a completely new team, a transformed team where Bumrah will probably be the senior-most player. He is obviously one of the captaincy options; I think he deserves the captaincy, but the selectors will take a decision based on his physical capacity.”Their retirements will definitely create a leadership vacuum. You can’t buy experience, especially on tours like this. Virat’s energy and Rohit’s composure will be missed.”Related

High peaks, imperfect bookends: Rohit, the Test batter

Virat Kohli has been Indian cricket's most influential figure

Kohli and Test cricket gave each other their best

Shubman Gill is considered the frontrunner to succeed Rohit despite Bumrah having been vice-captain until the tour of Australia earlier this year. He was the stand-in captain during the victory in the Perth Test and also led the side when Rohit stood down for the fifth Test in Sydney.The primary consideration around whether Bumrah should be captain or not is the managing of his workload, given his recent injury concerns. He had trouble with his back during the Sydney Test and had to miss the home bilateral series against England, the Champions Trophy, and the start of IPL 2025.Reflecting on the timing of Rohit and Kohli’s retirements, Ashwin said he thought both players had more to offer. “There will be a sense of fulfilment, but I honestly feely Kohli definitely had one-two years of Test cricket left in him,” Ashwin said. “Rohit, I felt would at least go on till the England Test series, because there’s a leadership vacuum in the team.”Tests has been the finest [format for India] in the last 10-12 years, but just for the sake of leadership, Rohit should’ve played till the England series, and if he’d performed, he could’ve carried on and given some more leadership.”My favourite piece of batsmanship of Rohit for India was when he played in England [2021],” he said. “When he and KL Rahul opened, we were 2-1 ahead because of Rohit. The opening partnership was gun, strong.”Between 2018-19 to 2022-23 was Rohit’s best phase as a Test batter. Even the Covid series in Australia which we won, his batting was top notch. Then also he was looking very good, didn’t get big runs but batting was top notch.”Ashwin picked Kohli’s twin centuries in Adelaide during his Test captaincy debut in 2014 as one of the finest performances he had seen.”Kohli the Test cricketer was box office, he was brand ambassador of Test cricket in many ways,” Ashwin said. “Some of his best knocks haven’t always resulted in wins, but that’s taking nothing away from those knocks. The twin hundreds in Adelaide in 2014 – that knock not finishing in a win is a shame. The 153 in Jo’burg, the pink-ball Test when we were all out for 36, the 74 he made in the first innings – some of the knocks are incredible.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made an interesting comparison between Cityzens midfielder Bernardo Silva and Lionel Messi, claiming after the Portuguese's goal against Villarreal on Tuesday night that both him and the great Argentine have a "hammer in their necks", capable of scoring great headed goals despite their comparatively short stature.

Silva receives strange Guardiola praise after Villarreal goal

Silva scored his side’s second goal as City won 2-0 away to the Spanish side, the inevitable Erling Haaland scoring the opener as Guardiola’s men climbed into the Champions League top eight, three matches into the league phase, despite the continued absence of Rodri.

Bernardo powered home a header from the centre of the penalty area to double the scoreline for his side, leading to Guardiola’s comparison between his neck muscles and a “hammer”, a trait the Catalan believes is shared by Inter Miami superstar Messi, whom he famously managed during both men’s illustrious spell with Barcelona.

Considering the substantial power behind the header, Guardiola’s comparison makes some sense, though it was a unique one to make, nevertheless.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola describes Silva's powerful goal

“I’m pleased that Erling scored again; and pleased that Bernardo made an incredible header again. It’s a little bit like [Lionel] Messi, it’s a hammer. They have a hammer in their neck, they are so good. They are small but they are so good with their head contact.”

Social media reacts to Guardiola's comments

The commenters on Sky Sports News’ video of the clip in question from Guardiola’s post-match press conference had a field day, as football fans enjoyed the creative comparison made by the City manager.

“Pep just be inventing anatomy at this point,” said @MaxRakeBitCom, alongside a laughing face emoji.

“Only Pep could make heading sound like an art form,” laughed @Only1Justus.

Another user, @0xa1_, added: “Bro’s built like a USB stick but headers like prime Ronaldo.”

“Pep just compared a neck header to Messi? Try that with Ronaldo and the ball enters orbit,” added @olisaemekalum2.

Another, @BavuFunzo, joked: “Always finding a point to involve Messi.”

Another user questioned Guardiola’s use of vocabulary, @xwordz: “Ain’t the hammer, it’s the flexibility and the elastic strength.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Guardiola and Rico Lewis speak after Villarreal win

"Tough place to come. We played really good. At the end they had one or two chances but we played a fantastic game. A good step for us in this tournament," said Guardiola.

"It's good that not just Erling [Haaland] scored and we had more chances for others. Impact from Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders good too. Little disappointed with result in Monaco, we created chances and didn't win and played the same as today but today got the goals. Teams in La Liga are really tough and a top-class manager.

“Spanish people know it, maybe English people don’t know it, Villarreal is a top, top team. So I know how difficult it is to come here. Indeed, in the way we played, I have the feeling that, in many ways, we are coming back to what we were in the past.

"Our numbers in the Champions League in the last year are not bad. Personally my numbers are not bad. But last season was tough for us, the vibe and how the team are playing now make me feel fine."

City’s Rico Lewis, who assisted the game’s opening goal for Haaland, told TNT Sports: "We felt in control for most of the game. There's always better things we can do and there were a few spells they had that we could've prevented but we have to be harsh on ourselves if we want to win the competition.

"We've got some confidence back. When you're playing with confidence there's nothing to stop you but yourself. Everyone trusts each other as well and there's nothing better than us having each other's backs."

Speaking about Haaland, he added "Impossible, amazing. To play with him in the team, he helps us more than people realise. He draws defenders to free other people and then that frees him up to score. He's impossible to defend. He's such a hard worker and never stops wanting to score."

Crystal Palace have now expressed an interest in signing an “extraordinary” forward, who has made a fantastic start to the 2025-26 campaign.

Palace looking to sign another top-level forward after Pino

It was always going to be a tall order to replace Eberechi Eze, after losing the attacking midfielder to Arsenal in the summer transfer window, but the statement signing of Yeremy Pino from Villarreal went some way to allaying Palace fans’ fears about losing the talisman.

Pino led the Eagles to victory in their opening Europa Conference League match, chipping in with two assists in the 2-0 victory, and the Spaniard is not the only forward off to an impressive start, with Ismaila Sarr already on three Premier League goals.

Despite Oliver Glasner already being blessed with a number of top-quality attacking options, however, it has now been revealed the Eagles have expressed an interest in another forward, with Steve Parish proving he means business.

According to a report from Spain, Crystal Palace are now keen on signing AS Monaco star Ansu Fati, following his impressive start to the season, but there could be competition for the 22-year-old’s signature, with Everton and Newcastle United also keen.

It is unclear what sort of fee Monaco would be looking to receive for Fati, but FC Barcelona have a buy-back clause of around €28m (£24m), which provides a potential reference point.

Palace are said to be looking to bolster their squad with young talent, meaning the Monaco forward would be an ideal addition, and his displays in Ligue 1 this season suggest he could make a real impact at Selhurst Park…

Crystal Palace now eyeing move to sign "incredible" Marc Guehi replacement

The Eagles have joined the race for a new centre-back, with their captain expected to leave on a free in the summer transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Oct 12, 2025 "Extraordinary" Fati fulfilling his potential at Monaco

Once widely regarded to be the next big thing, the former Barcelona man flattered to deceive at the Camp Nou, but he has since gone on to prove he still has the potential to become one of the best wingers in the world since signing for AS Monaco.

Indeed, the Spaniard has made a flying start to the 2025-26 campaign, scoring six goals in five matches in all competitions, including his side’s only goal in a 4-1 defeat against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

The left-winger has also received high praise from Xavi in the past, with the ex-Barca manager once lauding him as “extraordinary”, which suggests he has the ability to be a real difference-maker for Palace.

With it being widely reported that Parish has held talks with Glasner about a contract extension, making a statement signing in January could play a major role in convincing the Austrian to stay, and Fati could be an excellent addition to the squad.

The result kept Orcas winless after four games

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2025Unmukt Chand’s unbeaten 86 off 58 balls and Andre Russell’s 3 for 30 helped Los Angeles Knight Riders end their three-match losing streak in MLC 2025, as they beat Seattle Orcas by six wickets in Dallas. The result kept Orcas winless after four games.Opting to bat, Orcas posted a formidable 177 for 6 with useful contributions from their top three. Shayan Jahangir scored 26 off 15 as he and David Warner gave them a brisk start of 33 in 3.3 overs. LAKR captain Jason Holder provided the breakthrough by having Jahangir caught behind.Warner and Aaron Jones then took the side to 85 in the 11th over before Russell had Warner playing on. He made 38 off 28.Jones was on a-run-a-ball 29 at one point. But he hit a six each of Corné Dry and Russell to finish on 44 off 36. However, with Kyle Mayers and Heinrich Klaasen failing to capitalise on the platform, Orcas could manage only 39 in the last four overs.Despite a slow start, Saif Badar brought up his fifty off 30 balls•MLCRussell was the pick of the bowlers. Bowling wide and slower yorkers, he kept a lid on the scoring rate. In his final over, the 20th of the innings, he gave away just two runs and dismissed Shimron Hetmyer.LAKR didn’t have a great start and were 7 for 2 in the third over. But Chand, almost singlehandedly, steered them to 45 for 2 after six. He smashed Cameron Gannon for back-to-back fours in the fifth over before hitting a six and a four off Harmeet Singh in the sixth.Still, LAKR were lagging behind at the halfway stage, at 72 for 2. Chand was on 42 off 36 and Saif Badar on 17 off 16. But then Chand shellacked Gerald Coetzee for two sixes and two fours in a 20-run over to shift the momentum. Badar also joined in with two sixes and a four across three balls.Chand and Badar reduced the equation to 40 needed from 30 balls. Their stand of 139 off 79 balls came to an end when Badar fell for 54 off 32. Rovman Powell lasted only three balls, but Chand, in the company of Sherfane Rutherford, took LAKR over the line with ten balls to spare.

The Wednesday MLB slate brings plenty of games and plenty of betting opportunities.

Let's venture over to the home run prop bets to attack Wednesday's card, which sets up to be another strong one for All-Star Yordan Alvarez, who is set for another home run as he continues to heat up in the month of June.

Meanwhile, there are two other surging young bats that are worth a bet on Wednesday, check it out below!

Best MLB Home Run Prop Bets on Wednesday, June 26thYordan Alvarez (+310)Colton Cowser (+600)Francisco Alvarez (+520)

Yordan Alvarez

Alvarez is hitting .333 in the month of June, best mark of the season, while cracking seven home runs. He is in the 97th percentile in xSLG while ranking in the 78th in hard-hit percentage. 

He is an effortless power hitter, who is a threat to go deep at all times. 

Alvarez will face Ryan Feltner and a lowly Rockies bullpen. For Feltner, he has been destroyed by lefties, who has allowed eight home runs in 186 batters faced, setting up for Alvarez to go deep. 

Colton Cowser

Cowser hit the rookie wall this season, now hitting only .226 this season, but was able to go deep on Tuesday, his 10th homer of the year. 

I think he may have busted through the wall and home runs may come in bunches. Looking at his MLBStatcast profile, Cowser should be due a serious uptick in play. 

He is in the 95th percentile in barrel percentage and 92nd percentile in hard-hit percentage. He has an xSLG of .502 (90th percentile), which is far higher than his .429 mark.

Against soft-tossing Carlos Carrasco, who has a 5.40 ERA and is 27th in average exit velocity, Cowser can keep his fine play up. 

Francisco Alvarez 

Alvarez has returned with a vengeance from injury that cost him about a moth and a half. He has hit .368 in 38 at bats in June with two home runs, and I like him to go yard on Wednesday as it appears Luis Gil has hit the rookie wall. 

Alvarez has hit righties very well, .299/.356/.448 slashes, but only one home run. On a humid day in Flushing with the wind blowing out at nearly 13 miles per hour, I like Alvarez at long odds. 

Bayern Munich legend Mario Basler has told GOAL why he would still pick Robert Lewandowski ahead of Harry Kane, despite seeing the England international star in German football. Kane has become a trophy winner and maintained remarkable individual standards with Bayern as he follows in the illustrious footsteps of prolific Polish sensation Lewandowski – who hit 344 goals for the Bundesliga giants.

Kane vs Lewandowski: Goal returns for Bayern

Lewandowski spent eight memorable years with Bayern between 2014 and 2022. He achieved his stunning goal contribution through 375 appearances – finding the target on at least 40 occasions across seven successive campaigns. He left a sizeable void when leaving for La Liga heavyweights Barcelona.

Bayern spent 12 months mulling over their options on the striker front before eventually prising Kane away from Tottenham. He stepped out of his comfort zone in north London after growing tired of waiting on elusive major honours. Kane has been a revelation at the Allianz Arena, netting 107 goals through 111 games.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWhy Bayern great Basler would pick Lewandowski over Kane

Kane, who is into his third season as a Bayern player, is matching Lewandowski in the strike rate stakes. He is, however, yet to eclipse the Poland international’s legacy. With that in mind, the iconic No.9 of the recent past is considered to be held in higher regard than the free-scoring performer in the present.

Speaking in association with , Bayern legend Basler told GOAL when asked to pick between Kane and Lewandowski: “Oh, that's a very difficult question. The comparisons have been made a lot in recent days and weeks. Robert Lewandowski was also an exceptional striker at FC Bayern. So, ideally, I'd like to avoid the question altogether or take both of them. But if I really had to choose, I would go with Robert Lewandowski.”

Pressed further on whether Lewandowski’s longevity in Bavaria gives him the edge, Basler added: “Yes, he played for FCB for many years and scored his goals; he was an exceptional striker. You don't really want to hurt either of them, but if I had to choose, I would go with Robert Lewandowski.”

Similarities & differences between Kane & Lewandowski

Basler, who won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern and scored in the 1999 Champions League final against Manchester United, has previously said of the differences between two superstar strikers that have passed through Munich: “Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski are similar in some ways. They are rarely injured and they always score goals, but I believe Kane is more of a team player – Lewandowski is sometimes a very selfish striker.

“I watch Kane play and notice that he also tracks back in midfield and distributes the ball quite well. I think he is more important for Bayern than Lewandowski was. He adds more to the team than Lewandowski ever did because he also works defensively and is more involved in the team’s build-up.

“I hope he doesn’t leave Bayern and I also believe that he knows exactly what he has at the club. Above all he is also of a certain age now, I’m not sure he’d be keen to make another change at this stage. I believe he feels very comfortable in Bayern, and I hope he stays there until he ends his career.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyPremier League return & Barcelona: Kane transfer speculated on

Questions have been asked of how long Kane will be sticking around at the Allianz Arena. He is tied to a contract through to 2027, but said deal includes exit clauses that can be triggered next summer. It has been suggested that an offer of £57 million ($75m) would be enough to enter into transfer talks.

Fresh terms for the 32-year-old frontman have also been mooted, given his importance to the collective cause, but rumours of a return to England being made refuse to go away. It has also been claimed that Kane could follow in Lewandowski’s footsteps again by heading to Spain, potentially to Barcelona where he could be a direct replacement for his counterpart as they allow their Polish striker’s contract to run down towards free agency. Kane has been giving little away when it comes to his future plans.

Bruno Fernandes has for so long been Manchester United’s shining light, often being the man to get themselves out of trouble during the Ruben Amorim tenure.

The Red Devils may have finished in 15th place last campaign, but it didn’t stop the Portuguese international from ending 2024/25 with a total of 37 combined goals and assists.

However, the £200m spending spree during the recent summer window has seen some of the responsibility taken off his shoulders – as seen by the goals scored by Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo against Brighton.

As a result, the 31-year-old has since dropped into a slightly deeper midfield role, resulting in Bruno only registering two goals and one assist from his first nine Premier League outings in 2025/26.

Amorim could be utilising the club captain in such a role to try and bridge the gap to one player who has prematurely offloaded during the tenure of the previous management team.

Man Utd’s mammoth mistake in selling McTominay

To combat their heavy spending in recent years, the United hierarchy have had to offload numerous players from their books to prevent any financial problems.

Midfielder Scott McTominay was one of the players sacrificed by the board, with the Scottish international leaving in a £25m deal to join Napoli in the summer of 2024.

Such a deal was seen as excellent business at the time, with the midfielder often receiving a fair amount of criticism from the supporters over his displays at Old Trafford.

However, he’s taken his career to the next level in Naples, thriving under Antonio Conte’s guidance in 2024/25 as the Italian outfit claimed the Serie A title.

The 28-year-old scored 12 times and registered four assists in Italy’s top-flight, subsequently winning the division’s MVP award, whilst also being nominated for the Balon d’Or.

The former Red Devil has continued his phenomenal form into the current campaign, with his sensational strike against Inter Milan on Saturday securing the club all three points.

His £25m departure now appears to be a huge mistake, but Amorim shouldn’t be worried with the manager already stumbling upon his next version of the Scotsman.

The United star who’s becoming their next McTominay

Whilst Bruno has largely operated in the role vacated by McTominay, numerous other talents have also shared the responsibility at the heart of the United side.

Manuel Ugarte joined a £50m transfer from PSG last summer, with the hierarchy seeing him as the perfect player to fill the void left by the departing academy star.

However, the Uruguayan has subsequently fallen way below the expectations of the fanbase, with Amorim only starting two of the club’s nine Premier League outings in 2025/26.

Kobbie Mainoo was a first-team mainstay before the 40-year-old’s arrival last year, but like Ugarte, he’s found minutes extremely hard to come by within the starting eleven.

The Englishman has failed to start a single game and only appeared for a total of 138 minutes off the bench in England’s top-flight during the current campaign.

The aforementioned duo’s lack of impact is largely due to the performances of Casemiro, with the Brazilian international nailing down a starting role to the surprise of many.

He’s previously been slated by numerous figures over the years, with Jamie Carragher infamously stating ‘the football has left him’ and that he needs to move to Saudi Arabia.

Such a situation is similar to that of McTominay, with the former United star taking his career to unimaginable heights after his own switch out of Manchester.

However, Casemiro has managed to turn his Red Devils career around in recent months and subsequently shut up a lot of his doubters along the way in the process.

The “world-class” star, as dubbed by Gus Poyet, has started seven times in the Premier League this year, registering two goals and an assist within his recent outings.

His latest showing against Brighton was arguably his best of 2025/26, scoring once and teeing up compatriot Cunha for his goal for the Red Devils.

Minutes played

70

Touches

48

Passes completed

25

Passes into final third

7

Tackles made

3

Clearances

1

Interceptions made

2

Recoveries

5

Casemiro’s underlying stats further showcase how impressive he was against the Seagulls, with the 33-year-old having a huge effect at both ends of the football field.

Tallies such as three tackles and five recoveries made highlight his importance without the ball – arguably being the perfect all-round option at the heart of the side to allow Bruno to express himself in attacking areas.

Such a turnaround in form is huge credit to the experienced midfielder, with his recent outings making him one of the club’s most important players at present.

His partnership with Bruno has allowed for the recent impressive form – potentially saving Amorim’s job and allowing him to reach new heights in his tenure.

Forget Cunha & Mbuemo: Man Utd star was the shining light against Brighton

Manchester United secured their third win in a row against Brighton & Hove Albion last night.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 26, 2025

43-year-old and 17-year-old the standout picks ahead of next month’s tournament

Matt Roller15-Jul-2025James Anderson will play in the Hundred for the first time this summer after earning a ‘wildcard’ contract with Manchester Originals, while 17-year-old Rocky Flintoff has been picked by his father Andrew’s Northern Superchargers despite never having played a professional T20 match.Anderson, who turns 43 this month, returned to T20 cricket this year after an 11-year absence and has taken 14 wickets in eight appearances for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast, operating as a new-ball specialist. He initially went unselected in March’s Hundred draft but will now play for the Originals in August after he was picked up in Tuesday’s ‘wildcard’ draft on a £31,000 deal.Flintoff’s selection will raise eyebrows given he is yet to play in the Blast and his father is Superchargers head coach. But he has already shown his obvious promise with a century for England Lions in Australia this winter and a recent hundred for England’s Under-19s against India.Rocky Flintoff will play under his father Andrew at Northern Superchargers•ECB via Getty ImagesElsewhere, Southern Brave became the first team to sign an overseas player as a wildcard – Australia’s Hilton Cartwright – after replacing Faf du Plessis with Jason Roy last week. They have also picked up the young Hampshire batter Toby Albert, who could keep wicket for them amid injury concerns around Finn Allen and Laurie Evans.Ben Kellaway, the Glamorgan allrounder and ambidextrous spinner, has signed for Welsh Fire after a breakout season at county level, while Ben Sanderson, who has enjoyed his best-ever T20 season for Northamptonshire this year, will play for Trent Rockets.The Rockets took left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson with the first draft pick and have also signed Dillon Pennington as a replacement for the injured John Turner.Yorkshire’s James Wharton and Will Luxton were both overlooked despite their form in the T20 Blast.Esmae MacGregor has signed for Manchester Originals•Getty ImagesIn the women’s wildcard draft, Esmae MacGregor earned a deal with Manchester Originals after taking 21 Blast wickets for Essex, while Hampshire’s Mary Taylor joins her twin sister Millie at Birmingham Phoenix.The Hundred runs from August 5-31, opening with London Spirit’s double-header against Oval Invincibles at Lord’s.Men’s Hundred wildcards (all £31,000):Trent Rockets: Callum Parkinson, Ben Sanderson
Birmingham Phoenix: Liam Patterson-White, Louis Kimber
Welsh Fire: Ajeet Singh Dale, Ben Kellaway
Northern Superchargers: James Fuller, Rocky Flintoff
Manchester Originals: James Anderson, Marchant de Lange
London Spirit: Sean Dickson, Ryan Higgins
Oval Invincibles: George Scrimshaw, Zafar Gohar
Southern Brave: Toby Albert, Hilton CartwrightWomen’s Hundred wildcards (all £10,000):Birmingham Phoenix: Mary Taylor, Phoebe Brett
London Spirit: Abi Norgrove, Kate Coppack
Manchester Originals: Esmae MacGregor, Darcey Carter
Northern Superchargers: Katherine Fraser, Sophia Turner
Oval Invincibles: Daisy Gibb, Rebecca Odgers
Southern Brave: Phoebe Turner, Amara Carr
Trent Rockets: Grace Thompson, Sophie Morris
Welsh Fire: Charley Phillips, Alex Griffiths.

Lamine Yamal believes that "special nights" are coming ahead of Barcelona's long-awaited return to Camp Nou. The teenager has become a Blaugrana sensation in recent years and he has done that while barely playing at the Catalan outfit's iconic stadium. But the countdown to being back at their hallowed home ground has very much begun, and the Spaniard is clearly very excited.

Yamal excited for Camp Nou return

In May 2023, Barcelona said goodbye to Camp Nou as the stadium began a huge redevelopment initiative. After many delays and some controversies involving workers, the giant ground is preparing for a staggered reopening later this month. The defending La Liga champions have been given the light by the local council to host around 23,000 fans when competitive games return to this venue, which has already seen 23,000 supporters watch an open training session earlier this month. Incidentally, Yamal has played just a handful of times at Camp Nou after making his first-team Barca debut in April 2023. Now, the 18-year-old has taken to social media to express his delight about playing at this famous stadium.

In an Instagram story, he wrote: "Special nights are coming," before zooming in on Camp Nou with his phone camera.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhen will Barcelona play at Camp Nou again?

For much of the past two years, while the Camp Nou works have gone on, Barcelona have played at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, which holds upwards of 50,000 fans. Reports suggest that Barca are waiting for a 1B license to be granted to them, which will allow them to open up another stand and host 45,401 supporters at Camp Nou. Now, Barcelona executive Joan Sentelles says he is hopeful they can play at their iconic home, with its reduced capacity of under 30,000, against Athletic Club on November 22 in La Liga.

He told Esport3: "Our goal is to have it ready in time for the match against Athletic Club. As soon as we obtain the 1B license, we’ll open the Lateral Stand, which will already give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium. At that point, it wouldn’t make sense to continue playing there – all our matches will be here."

Sentelles added that they hope to nearly triple their current limit by the end of 2025.

"The goal is to have the entire stadium open to 62,000 spectators before the end of the year," he revealed.

Yamal an injury concern

While it will be an emotional return to Camp Nou for Barcelona players and fans alike, there is no guarantee that Yamal will line up for this upcoming fixture. The youngster has been suffering with a groin problem known as pubalgia, something he has played through for club and country for a while now. There has been a war of words between Barca boss Hansi Flick and Spain manager Luis de la Fuente over Yamal's playing time, with the former concerned about him being overplayed. Moreover, in the past week, the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) expressed its "surprise and dismay" at seeing Yamal undergo an "invasive procedure" that led to his withdrawal from the latest La Roja squad. 

After he was released from the national squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, the RFEF said: "The Medical Services of the RFEF wish to express their surprise and discomfort after learning at 13:47 on Monday, November 10, the day of the start of the official training camp with the national team, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure for the treatment of his pubic discomfort that same morning. This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days. Given this situation, and prioritising at all times the health, safety and well-being of the player, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current call-up. We are confident that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)GettyImagesWhat comes next for Yamal and Barcelona?

Meanwhile, De la Fuente said Yamal was "very sad" to not take part in these games for his country.

"Lamine is sad. He’s a player deeply committed to the national team and very well-liked," he said. "He left very sad; he was looking forward to playing these matches. He wants to have a great season with his club, and he also has the Finalissima and the World Cup etched in his memory. He’s the one who suffers the most. He always wants to come. He left sad and hurt. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or has bad intentions. I spoke with him. When we received the report last night, we let him rest. We went to his room and I spoke with him. I told him it was the first news he'd heard from the national team; I don't know if he had any information about Barcelona. He was incredibly sad and hurt. He was fine when he arrived. We didn't know anything until last night."

When the international break ends, Barcelona take on Athletic Club, Chelsea, and Alaves in the space of a week to round off the month. It is hoped that Yamal will feature in those encounters despite his ongoing pubalgia issues.

The annual fixture will be played between the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2025An England XI will face the Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day pink-ball match in Canberra in late November ahead of the day-night Ashes Test at the Gabba.The match at Manuka Oval will take place on November 29 and 30, starting four days after the opening Test in Perth and finishing three days before the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, which this season is the venue for the day-night encounter instead of the traditional Adelaide Oval.It will provide England’s players a chance to acclimatise to the pink ball in match conditions in what was traditionally a one-day fixture before becoming a multi-day game in 2022-23 when West Indies were the opposition.Last season the game was reduced to a two-dayer against India but became a one-day contest due to rain. However, it still had a major bearing on the Test series with Sam Konstas flaying a century which played a significant part in him earning a call-up for the MCG.The PM’s XI match will be England’s only fixture outside of the five Tests once the Ashes begins. They will prepare for the series with a three-day game against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth, although that is expected to consist more of centre-wicket practice scenarios rather than being a fully-fledged match. However, tickets for the opening day have already sold out.Unlike the two matches England Lions will play – against a CA XI and Australia A – that run concurrently with the first two Ashes Tests, the PM’s XI contest does not clash with the Sheffield Shield.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “An Ashes series is something every cricket fan looks forward to. Like many Australians I grew up admiring, and begrudging, the brilliance of players like Ian Botham, David Gower, and Graham Gooch.”I look forward to meeting with the selectors to finalise a PM’s XI squad that showcases the best available talent from across Australia to take on the strong English team.”