Aston Villa have submitted a £26m bid for a “world-class” forward, with the move receiving the green light from manager Unai Emery.
Villa return to form in victory against Forest
Villa’s 11-game winning run was brought to an end by Arsenal in their final match of 2025, but they kicked off 2026 in very promising fashion, securing a 3-1 victory against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Ollie Watkins continued his improved form in front of goal, scoring for the fourth time in his last three Premier League outings, and Emery was clearly impressed by the performance, saying: “For him it is much, much better. Even when he wasn’t scoring, others were scoring. We need every player focused like him, and doing his task like him.”
The Spaniard then went on to describe the centre-forward as “fantastic”, while Donyell Malen, who has also been utilised at striker this season, has impressed too, chipping in with seven goals in all competitions.
However, with Aston Villa potentially looking to bolster their hopes of making a title push, they are keen to bring in another striker this month, and a €30m (£26m) offer has now been submitted for Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia.
That is according to a report from Spain, which reveals Emery has now given the green light for Villa to make a move for the Spaniard, as he believes the Madrid ace is capable of making an immediate impact at Villa Park.
The Villans want to finalise a deal as quickly as possible, as they are keen to avoid being dragged into a bidding war, and they are confident the offer is high enough to tempt the La Liga club into a sale.
"World-class" Garcia may need to leave Real Madrid
When given the opportunity at Real Madrid, the 21-year-old has often impressed, most recently scoring a hat-trick as his side demolished Real Betis 5-1 in La Liga, while he also caught the eye at the Club World Cup in the summer.
Indeed, the youngster picked up four goals and one assist in six games in the USA, and journalist Zach Lowy believes his performances were top drawer.
However, consistent game time has been hard to come by for the centre-forward, who has largely been used as an impact sub late on in games this season, which suggests he may need to leave Madrid for the good of his career.
Aston Villa making "fascinating" move for £295k-per-week Man City star
The Villans mean business.
ByEmilio Galantini
Although Watkins has returned to form as of late, the England international recently turned 30, which means it may be a savvy move to start thinking about potential long-term replacements, and Garcia has proven he could be up to the task.
What a whirlwind start to 2026 it has been for Chelsea Football Club.
In what is perhaps a surprising turn of events, Enzo Maresca has left after a string of poor results and has been relieved of his duties at Stamford Bridge with immediate effect.
As is the done thing when a manager is removed from his post, the Blues released a club statement to confirm the news. It clarified that the club “believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” with half of the season still to go.
A new manager has yet to be confirmed, but rumours are already flying around.
Chelsea target Premier League manager to replace Maresca
One of the names flying around to replace the Italian in West London is Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior. Of course, the two clubs are linked, with the French side also under the same BlueCo ownership as Chelsea.
However, those owners might instead look within the Premier League to find their new boss.
According to a report from the Mail, Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola is ‘being considered’ by the club, with Chelsea set to have an interim manager this weekend against Manchester City, and thus more time to find a manager.
Iraola is clearly one option that the Blues have as they hunt for Maresca’s replacement. What makes things slightly easier is the fact that he is out of contract down on the South Coast this summer.
That might reduce the compensation fee if he were to switch to Stamford Bridge mid-season.
Why Iraola would be a good appointment
There is no doubt that Cherries boss Iraola, a close childhood friend of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, is one of the most highly rated managers in the top flight. Journalist James Horncastle even went as far as saying that he is the “best coach in the Premier League,” which is huge praise indeed.
Well, whether or not you agree with that statement, there is no denying that the Spaniard has impressed at the Vitality Stadium. In 107 games in charge of the club, he’s won 40 of them, and has a positive goal difference, with his side scoring 166 times and conceding 160.
Iraola key stats at Bournemouth
Stat
Number
Games
105
Wins
40
Draws
27
Losses
38
Goals for
166
Goals against
160
PL points per game
1.35
Stats from Transfermarkt
Across the board, the 43-year-old has managed to get the Cherries somewhat punching above their weight. There have been some memorable results in there, which included a wonderful 3-0 win away from home against Manchester United.
It would certainly be a different appointment compared to if the Blues were to go and get Rosenior. The former Hull City gaffer has also impressed at Strasbourg, helping them to reach the Conference League this term.
The ex-Brighton and Hove Albion player certainly has a good record in charge of Le Racing out in Ligue 1, winning 51.61% of his games so far. He has also helped guide his side to some iconic wins along the way. In the Conference League this term, they beat Crystal Palace 2-1.
However, there is one thing that might swing it in Iraola’s favour, and that is the fact that he has Premier League experience. Rosenior, of course, has never managed in the top flight of England, just like Maresca hadn’t done before.
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Perhaps BlueCo will not want to risk making the same mistake which has ultimately led to Maresca’s demise despite success on a more global scale. Even though the Strasbourg manager would be easier to appoint, there might be a view that it’s a riskier move.
Provided Iraola adapts and plays more of a possession-based game as Maresca looked to implement, rather than focusing on quick vertical transitions, this might be a masterstroke of an appointment from the Blues.
Rosenior might be a more logical appointment, but Iraola could be the dream alternative. One thing is for sure, it is going to be a fascinating few days down at the Bridge.
Chelsea could finally sack Maresca & hire "one of the best coaches ever"
Chelsea could finally get rid of Enzo Maresca by appointing this standout replacement.
Sachin Tendulkar has said he was not yet fully recovered from his groin injury, leaving him a doubtful starter for the Mumbai Indians’ opening IPL match on April 20.With just three days left for Mumbai’s first match, Tendulkar said he was still following a rehabilitation regime and was not 100% fit yet. “I am a little disappointed that I was not able to play in the two important matches against South Africa. I am yet to recover fully from the injury,” he told reporters.”The physiotherapist and the doctor had earlier advised me rest and now they have given me the exercises and I am following their advice,” he said. “There are two more days for the match. No decision has been taken as yet [whether he will play or not]. It will be decided before the 20th.”The Bangalore franchise has also been hit with a few injury concerns, with Anil Kumble set to miss their opening match on April 18. Nathan Bracken, the Australian left-arm seamer, has already been ruled out for at least four weeks and it would make the selection of the final XI a tricky process.Bangalore’s opponents for the first match of the IPL – Kolkata Knight Riders – have announced a 14-member squad for the opening match. The side, led by Sourav Ganguly, includes five foreign players – Ricky Ponting, David Hussey, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Mohammad Hafeez.The second match of the tournament features Chennai taking on Kings XI Punjab in Mohali. Yuvraj Singh, the captain of the Punjab side, has already spoken of the mini-battle that the contest is likely to throw up between him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai franchise.”It’s a good way to build the hype (around the competition) by pitching it as Yuvraj versus Dhoni contest,” Yuvraj said. “Maybe, I will share a joke with him after the game.” Dhoni, however, will play in the side as a specialist batsman with Parthiv Patel set to keep wicket. “Dhoni has bruised fingers. We’ll see how things shape up in the next couple of days, but with Parthiv there, we don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on the Indian captain,” said Kepler Wessels, the coach of the Chennai franchise.
The general raison d’etre of any trade union or association is to act in the best interests of its membership. The recent behaviour of Dinanath Ramnarine, the president of the West Indies Players Association, appears to suggest that it does not adhere to that school of thought.Ramnarine’s own playing career ended prematurely when he quit after it was made clear his international future was bleak, and he quit to relaunch WIPA, originally set up in the 1980s, a little more than a year ago. The intention was admirable, and brought West Indies into line with most other countries in having a body representing their players.But fairly soon it became apparent that Ramnarine did not intend to workquietly behind the scenes and that he wanted a far more high-profilerole than that. The current contract crisis thrust him into the limelight,and his increasingly erratic behaviour has raised questions as to whoexactly he is representing.Those who have crossed him speak of him being a fiery and egotistical figure. In the infamous leaked report on the recent Australian tour, Richard Nowell, Digicel’s representative, described WIPA a “a terrorist organisation”. That was clearly over the top, but it highlighted just how much the association was perceived to be interfering and troublemaking.The behaviour of some individuals in Australia – and that relates to their contractual obligations rather than other non-cricketing incidents – made it clear to the board that it could not just ignore the Cable & Wireless situation and that it had to protect its new deal with Digicel. But rather than trying to broker a solution, WIPA just seemed to be out to fan the flames of unrest.It is now fairly obvious that six of the seven personal contracts with C&W – the exception being Lara’s which is a long-standing arrangement – were signed once it became clear that Digicel would replace them as the WICB’s sponsor. It was fairly blatent ambush-marketing in a bitter, pan-Caribbean battle between the two telecommunications giants.And the terms of those deals stipulated that they would be deemed void if the player was dropped from the side for two consecutive matches. C&W did not want the individual so much as a member of the West Indies squad, thus ensuring maximum potential for embarrassment.But WIPA have consistently backed C&W and those six players – often, it would appear, to the detriment of all its other members. WIPA has been instrumental in presenting the dispute as a clear battle: themselves and C&W in one corner, the WICB and Digicel in the other. Caught in the middle have been the very people that Ramnarine should be representing – players – and they have been treated little better than cannon fodder in an increasingly personal battle.It is widely reported that this week’s unrest and talks of strikes inside the West Indies camp have largely been engineered by Ramnarine. With cricket in the Caribbean in a far-from-healthy state, what is to be gained by a strike which would massively dent the game’s profile and cost the WICB millions? And all to supposedly back six players who signed deals to benefit nobody but themselves? One senior figure told me that “WIPA has been looking to lead rather than represent,” adding that Ramnarine had “done the players a great disservice”.And former West Indies fast bowler and now TV commentator Michael Holding was equally outspoken, accusing Ramnarine of “fighting his own private battles and using the WIPA to do so.”Just who Ramnarine represents is further clouded by reports that, last spring, he was acting on behalf of certain players in negotiations with potential sponsors, raising the question of whether he is a representative or an agent?Digicel’s deal with the board appears to be a good one, and will actuallyresult in the players receiving more from their central contracts. Commonsense suggests that a trade union would welcome that. So why haven’t WIPA?Today’s scattergun attack on the board, Digicel and the region’s politicians could be a rant too far from Ramnarine. It has made people sit up and ask what and who exactly is he speaking on behalf of. But an answer is unlikely to be forthcoming. While Ramnarine is willing to spout vitriol, he is less inclined to sit down and face more direct questioning.But his head has now popped too far above the parapet. He is in the sniper’s sights and likely finally to be called to account. People have a right to know just why the C&W contracts are deemed important enough to jeopardise the future of West Indian cricket, why the players were encouraged to strike, and exactlywho WIPA represents.
Tom Moody, Sri Lanka’s coach, refused to be dispirited by the thumping 10-wicket defeat his side suffered at the hands of England A at New Road.”There are two ways of looking at it,” Moody said. “It would have obviously been great to have a few hundreds scored and a few wickets taken, but that wasn’t to be. We didn’t go into this match with any real indication of what our final XI or batting line-up is going to be – we’ll assess that over the next few days, but there are opportunities within the squad to step up to the mark. The batting line-up isn’t settled but that hasn’t changed just because of a poor batting performance.”Moody explained that the players remained upbeat. “This team is a young team and they’re going into any situation bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and looking forward to the challenges. That’s certainly the way I’m trying to express it to them that these conditions and challenges that we face are opportunities for us to learn and opportunities for us to challenge ourselves as individuals and step up to the mark.”He went on to say that the Duke ball, which many of the batsmen have not faced before, was another factor that had to be taken into consideration. “It’s been a good eye-opener because this is the first time we’ve used the 2006 Duke ball in a match. We’ve had a good look at it and we’re going to have to work very hard between now and Thursday as bowlers and batsmen to familiarise ourselves with the differences.”The seam’s a little bit more elevated and it’s bound to help if there is a bit of seam movement. From our point of view that’s not a problem because we’ve got a couple of bowlers that can really exploit that and a spinner that doesn’t mind wrapping his fingers around a big, heavy seam.”
Children are taught to walk before they run, but it’s a lesson Australia’s cricketers quickly forgot. A couple of extra runs were always more important than truth when it came to taking the thick edge with the thin.Until Adam Gilchrist, the country’s most famous walker was Jane Saville, an athlete disqualified at the Sydney Olympics within a Brett Lee run-up of a gold medal. There will now be more uproar after Gilchrist took the decision into his own index finger for the second time in two Tests. Jason Gillespie also joined his stand-in captain, Michael Kasprowicz volunteered himself at 8 for 228, and then Yuvraj Singh burst off without a glimpse towards the umpire. Australia’s delicate tummies expect 24-hour bugs in India, but this dead-man walking is becoming an epidemic.English gentlemen will insist it’s always been the right thing to do, but uncouth Australian club cricketers will sit in their pubs yelling them down. The international game has become breathlessly entertaining but ethically unconscious. Helped by the television cameras, Steve Waugh recognised the problem, started the repairs by instilling a good-behaviour bond with his team and downscaled the sledging. Gilchrist is continuing the crusade. He started the charity walk in the World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka in 2003 and brought the same boots to India.For Gilchrist it is clearly not a fad. Anil Kumble was the beneficiary both times today, and he didn’t look half as confused as the poor umpire David Shepherd when Kasprowicz, a genuinely honest man, drifted off to the dressing-room despite a “not out”. Shepherd is getting close to the pension, but he’s got a few sound judgments left and was still shaking his head – in disbelief rather than decision – as Kasprowicz neared the boundary. He was not the only one asking ethical and trivial questions.Would they walk if the first series win in India since 1969-70 rested on it? Imagine the text messages from Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell then.Is it disrespectful to ignore the umpire in the same way a bowler does when running down the pitch appealing to the wicketkeeper? Will a batsman be allowed to stay if he swears he didn’t touch it? And could a walking coach one day sit next to the team’s physio and security officer?Honesty has a place in the game, and it should be applauded. Nobody thought it possible to score consistently at four runs an over, win 16 Tests in a row or have a wicketkeeper belting 11 centuries either. Gilchrist has helped bring many fine habits to the game. This one might take the longest to get used to.Peter English is Australasian editor of Wisden Cricinfo.
Hampshire continued their preparations for the start of the 2004 season with the visit of Warwickshire to the Rose Bowl today.In between the showers, Hampshire batted first in a 50 overs match, played under championship conditions.The heroes of the truncated match the previous day at Hove, Derek Kenway and Michael Brown both made starts, but fell in quick succession. James Hamblin was then bowled without scoring.Will Kendall and Lawrence Prittipaul restored the innings as both achieved half centuries. Kendall finished on 57 not out, hitting 10 fours, and Prittipaul 7 fours in his 59 not out. Hampshire’s innings closed on 158 for 3 after their allotted 50 overs.Alan Mullally dismissed Mark Wagh with the score on 10, but Nick Knight and Ian Bell held on till the close. Knight a patient innings of 29, and Bell a more belligerent 63 not out. At the close Warwickshire were 106 for 1 after 33 overs.The practise continues on Thursday with Warwickshire, with the captains deciding the format of the contest in the morning.
An Englishman is set to try his hand at saving the West Indies’ fledgling cricket fortunes.Bob Woolmer, the former England allrounder, believes he could be the man selected as new West Indies coach at the end of the ongoing World Cup.He confirmed yesterday he was interviewed by highly-placed West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) officials in Kimberley, South Africa, last week."I had been told by good friend Dr Rudi Webster [former West Indies team performance enhancer and current director of the West Indies Academy] the job would soon be vacant and he asked whether I wanted to submit my CV, which I did," Woolmer was quoted by BBC Online.The BBC also quoted a source as saying: "The WICB has progressed to the point of talking dollars with Woolmer, so it’s a safe bet he is the man they want."Along with Woolmer, three other candidates – Australian academy coach Bennett King, former Leeward Islands West Indies allrounder Eldine Baptiste, and former West Indies batsman Gus Logie, who coached Canada at the World Cup – were interviewed.The interviewers will report to the WICB and a board meeting is expected to to be held a few days after the March 23 World Cup final. The key item on the agenda will be to discuss and ratify the nominations of the interviwers."It is a case of sooner rather than later," a source close to the matter told the DAILY NATION yesterday. "Time is of the essence as we have the Australian (Tests and One-Day) series upcoming and we want to be well prepared."Woolmer was the man behind South Africa’s return to prominence after their readmission to international cricket. At present he is the International Cricket Council’s high performance manager with responsibility for non-Test playing teams.He also told the BBC: "I had a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with the West Indies selection panel in Kimberley early last week. I am not sure what will come of it. It is up to them to call me now. But it goes without saying, for the meeting to last as long as it did means it was encouraging on both sides."He added: "The one thing I did make clear was if I was going to coach a national side again, I would expect to be able to implement the various techniques that I have developed over the years."But I am interested in the job. Otherwise I would not have expressed my interest."Guyanese Roger Harper has not re-applied for the position which expires after the World Cup.When contacted yesterday, WICB president Wes Hall had little comment, only saying it was being dealt with by interviewers in South Africa who would then send their report to be considered at the upcoming board meeting.
It was New Zealand’s 380th and Sri Lanka’s 356th match- 48th betweenthese two sides. The record now reads : Sri Lanka 19, New Zealand26,tied one and abandoned 2.
It was the 100th match on Sri Lankan soil. Sri Lanka became countryafter Australia (386), India (219) ,England (202), United ArabEmirates (174), New Zealand (161), Pakistan (132) and South Africa(105) to host 100 or more ODI matches.
Umpires LV Jayasundra and DN Pathirana were officiating in their fifthand 10th match respectively.
Sanath Jayasuriya, leading Sri Lanka for the 54th time in his career,completed his 2000 runs as captain. He became second Sri Lankan afterArjuna Ranatunga and 13th captain in ODIs to achieve this landmark.The accompanying table has details :
Captain
For
M
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
100s
50s
0s
A Ranatunga
SL
193
183
34
5606
131*
37.62
4
37
14
M Azharuddin
Ind
174
162
29
5239
153*
39.39
4
37
6
AR Border
Aus
178
165
27
4439
127*
32.17
2
27
6
WJ Cronje
SA
138
128
20
4070
94
37.69
–
31
6
Imran Khan
Pak
139
122
29
3247
102*
34.91
1
18
2
IVA Richards
WI
106
92
11
3203
181
39.54
2
23
3
SR Tendulkar
Ind
73
70
5
2454
186*
37.75
6
12
4
SR Waugh
Aus
98
82
14
2398
120*
35.26
2
15
8
SP Fleming
NZ
93
88
9
2356
116*
29.82
2
14
5
MA Taylor
Aus
67
65
1
2098
105
32.78
1
15
2
ADR Campbell
Zim
76
74
8
2075
102
31.44
2
13
3
RB Richardson
WI
87
83
13
2042
122
29.17
2
10
–
ST Jayasuriya
SL
54
54
1
2029
189
38.28
5
14
4
Craig McMillan , on 5,completed his 2000 runs in ODIs. He was playinghis 89th match and 83rd innings. He became 12th New Zealander and 94thbatsman in all to do so.
The wicket of Vincent was 50th for Muttiah Muralitharan on Sri Lankansoil. He became second Sri Lankan after Sanath Jayasuriya (74 wicketsin 60 matches) to do so.
Adam Parare was scoring a fifty after 61 matches. His last fifty hadalso come against Sri Lanka (54 at Dhaka on October 26,1998). It wasthe fourth fifty by a New Zealander wicketkeeper against Sri Lanka.All four have been scored by Parore !
During his innings, Parore also completed his 2000 runs in `away’matches for New Zealand. He became fourth New Zealander to do so afterMartin Crowe (2820 runs in 86 matches), John Wright (2752 runs in 106matches) and Stephen Fleming (2344 runs in 90 matches).
The two wickets in this match has taken Muralitharan’s tally to 32 inthe year 2001 which makes him the bowler with most wickets in onedayers along with Pakistan’s Waqar Younis (32 in 16) and Australia’sShane Warne (32 in 18). This was Murali’s 18th match in year 2001.
The defeat was New Zealand’s 50th under Stephen Fleming’s captaincy.Fleming became first New Zealander and fifth captain in ODIs toachieve this dubious distinction. Others to do so are Sri LankanArjuna Ranatunga (95 losses in 193 matches), Indian MohammadAzharuddin (76 losses in 174 matches),Australian Allan Border (67losses in 178 matches) and Pakistani Imran Khan (59 losses in 139matches). However all other four captains had won more matches thanthe matches they lost.
Sanath Jayasuriya was winning his 26th Man of the Match award. Withthis he equalled West Indian Desmond Haynes’ tally of awards. Now onlyIndia’s Sachin Tendukar (41),West Indian Viv Richards (31), PakistaniSaeed Anwar (27) and former teammate Aravinda de Silva (27) are aheadof Jayasuriya in this form of cricket.
Wilfried Nancy will soon have the opportunity to make his first signings as Celtic manager when the January transfer window opens for business next week.
The French head coach has lost four of his five matches in charge of the Hoops in all competitions so far, although he did win his first game against Aberdeen last weekend.
He will have learned a lot about his squad in those five matches and that could shape what he wants the club to do in the next transfer window, which is why Johnny Kenny may be in trouble.
Why Celtic need to replace Johnny Kenny
The Ireland international’s performances in the Scottish Premiership this season suggest that Celtic need to replace the striker when the January transfer window opens for business.
Celtic’s biggest xG underperformers
25/26 Premiership
xG
xG performance
Johnny Kenny
7.45
-3.45
Hyun-jun Yang
2.14
-2.14
Shin Yamada
1.47
-1.47
Kelechi Iheanacho
3.41
-1.41
Adam Idah
0.98
-0.98
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, Kenny has been the most wasteful finisher in the entire squad, by some distance, with four goals from 7.45 xG this season.
The 22-year-old star has started the last two matches in the Premiership against Dundee United and Aberdeen, with Kelechi Iheanacho missing through injury, and struggled in both games.
In those two outings, the young Celtic centre-forward missed a whopping four ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, from nine shots in total, and failed to score a single goal, per Sofascore.
Ultimately, Kenny has been incredibly unreliable in front of goal as the main man for the Hoops in the number nine position, which is exactly why the Scottish giants must replace him in January.
Transfer Focus
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Now, Celtic can ensure that the Irish flop does not have to start another league game for the club by adding a reported target to their squad next month.
Why Celtic should sign Evan Ferguson
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Scottish giants have been offered the chance to sign Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, as his loan from Roma may be cut short.
Whilst it is not yet confirmed that the Irishman will be available next month, the Hoops should be pushing hard to bring him in if that aforementioned report is accurate and his loan in Italy does come to an end.
Ferguson, who has a £34m purchase option in his loan, has only scored one goal in 12 Serie A matches for Roma, per Sofascore, in what has been a frustrating spell for the young centre-forward, but he did showcase his quality in the Europa League against Celtic.
The Ireland international proved to be too hot for the Celtic defence to handle on the night, with the clip above showing that he was too sharp for Liam Scales to deal with.
Vs Celtic
Evan Ferguson
Minutes
69
Shots
3
xG
0.81
Goals
2
Touches
28
Passes completed
10/16
Key passes
1
Stats via Sofascore
Ferguson scored two goals from just 0.81 xG against the Scottish giants, which shows that he can be a clinical finisher, and that is backed up by his Premier League record with Brighton.
Prior to loan spells with West Ham and Roma, the 21-year-old number nine scored 13 Premier League goals from 10.30 xG for the Seagulls, per Understat.
The Roma loanee, who was hailed as “absolutely mustard” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has shown that he can finish chances at an impressive rate at the top level, in the Europa League against Celtic and in the Premier League.
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Unfortunately, it has not quite worked out for him at Roma, with intense competition from the likes of top-quality forwards Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala, but he has shown enough in his career so far to suggest that he could be a phenomenal signing for Celtic.
Ferguson is a striker who has the finishing qualities to come in and take advantage of the high-quality opportunities that the Hoops have been creating for Kenny this season.
This means that he could come in as an instant upgrade on his international teammate, who has been far too wasteful in front of goal, which would provide Nancy with a new regular starter up front.
Bad news for Scales: Celtic opens talks to sign "immense" star in January
Celtic have reportedly opened talks to sign a star in a deal that could spell bad news for Liam Scales.
ByDan Emery
If Celtic can agree a deal to sign Ferguson on loan and manage to keep Iheanacho fit for the second half of the season, Kenny may never get the chance to start again if he ends up being the third-choice option, which would be fair based on his struggles this season.