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Manchester City have been dealt a blow with Andree Jeglertz confirming Lauren Hemp will be sidelined with the ankle injury she suffered last time out against Tottenham. The Lionesses winger, who has already endured long injury lay-offs in recent seasons, was seen emotional and in a protective boot after the Spurs game, but the damage is not as bad as first feared.

Hemp suffers ankle injury against Spurs

Hemp picked up the ankle issue during Manchester City's 5-1 victory over Tottenham last week and there were initial fears of a potentially lengthy absence. But scans have now confirmed she will be unavailable for the next few weeks only, with Jeglertz ruling her out of Sunday's WSL clash against London City Lionesses. The 24-year-old had missed five months last season with a knee problem, so a matter of weeks this time is a sigh of relief.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesJeglertz confirms Hemp timeframe

"She has an ankle injury and is out for a couple of weeks," Jeglertz told the media. "Of course, it's a tough situation for her. She wants to play and we want her to play but injuries happen. She is doing everything she can to get back as quickly as possible and she needs to support the team in another way. Hopefully, she will be back soon."

Getty ImagesGrace Clinton offers cover for Hemp

While losing Hemp is a setback, Grace Clinton's versatility could be crucial in softening the blow. The summer signing marked her debut with a goal and was deployed in a wide role, offering Jeglertz an extra option in Hemp's absence. Although typically more of a No. 8 or No. 10, Clinton's ability to adapt and contribute in attack could prove decisive as City aim to mount a serious Women's Super League title challenge over the course of the season, even after Hemp returns.

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Getty Images SportHemp-less Man City to face London City Lionesses next

Manchester City face London City Lionesses this weekend as they look to continue their positive start to the season since putting an opening defeat to Chelsea behind them. Clinton may be handed more minutes to cover for Hemp, giving her the chance to build on her impressive debut following a short hop over from Manchester United. For Hemp, the focus will now be on recovery and ensuring she avoids another extended spell on the sidelines.

RR made one change from their previous game, with Yudhvir Singh coming into their pace attack in place of Tushar Deshpande, who was out with a niggle

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20251:44

Boucher: Punjab middle order might be the strongest in IPL 2025

Playing at their home ground for the first time in IPL 2025, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have chosen to bowl against Rajasthan Royals (RR). While conditions are something of an unknown in Mullanpur’s first game of the season, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer expected dew to have an effect.Bowling first for the second game in a row, PBKS made one change from their starting XI in their previous game, with Nehal Wadhera coming in for Priyansh Arya. Wadhera had come in as anImpact Sub in that game and scored an unbeaten 25-ball 43, but he nonetheless received a new cap before this game. Arya is on their subs bench, and could come in for the second innings.Sanju Samson was back as RR’s captain and wicketkeeper after a finger injury had restricted him to an Impact Sub’s role in their first three games. He was happy to be back after feeling “restless and helpless” watching his team from the dugout until now.Other than the captaincy going back to Samson from Riyan Parag, RR made one change from their previous game, with Yudhvir Singh coming into their pace attack in place of Tushar Deshpande, who was ruled out with a niggle.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Yudhvir Singh, 11 Sandeep Sharma.
RR bench: Kunal Singh Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash MadhwalPunjab Kings: 1 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 3 Nehal Wadhera, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Suryansh Shedge, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.
PBKS bench: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Pravin Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak

Liverpool have had some extraordinary players throughout their history, but who are the most underrated Reds individuals of the Premier League era?

So many players have become legends at Anfield, from Kenny Dalglish to Steven Gerrard in the past, to present icons Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

While Liverpool fans love a club legend, they also admire those players who go under the radar, not always receiving the acclaim they deserve.

Here are our choices for the Reds’ 10 most underrated footballers in the Premier League.

10. Didi Hamann

Didi Hamann was a superb and consistent midfielder for Liverpool in the 2000s, not least because of his game-changing cameo in the 2005 Champions League final.

The German was introduced at half-time when the Reds were 3-0 down to AC Milan, bringing more balance to the team and helping inspire one of the greatest comebacks in the history of football.

Hamann was an unflappable figure who never did anything too spectacular, but he was a shield in front of the defence and possessed underrated quality on the ball. He was also the last player to score at the old Wembley, coming in a 1-0 win for Germany over England.

9. Fabio Aurelio

Had it not been for injuries, Fabio Aurelio could be seen as Liverpool’s best left-back in the Premier League era, perhaps barring Andy Robertson.

The Brazilian had a wonderful left foot, as displayed when he scored an inch-perfect free-kick in the 4-1 win away to Manchester United back in 2009, and there was an intelligence about him that stood out, too.

John Arne Riise often received more acclaim, due to his penchant for scoring long-range stunners, but Aurelio was the more competent player overall, and he was sadly robbed of playing time too often because of fitness issues.

8. Steve Finnan

There was nothing flamboyant about Steve Finnan, but what a safe pair of hands he proved to be after joining Liverpool from Fulham in 2003.

The former Republic of Ireland international was rarely below a seven-out-of-10 in his performance level, combining solid defensive work with sporadic overlapping quality in the attacking third. He may have been sacrificed for Hamann in the aforementioned Champions League final, but his reliability was vital en route to glory that season.

7. Yossi Benayoun

Yossi Benayoun played for Liverpool at a time when Gerrard and Fernando Torres were purring alongside one another, so it’s only natural that he didn’t earn as many column inches.

That said, he was an influential figure in his own right, possessing trickery in tight areas and providing a good level of end product from his wide or attacking midfield role.

Most famously, Benayoun scored the only goal of the game away to Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2009, as well as a vital last-gasp winner at Fulham in the same year, and 47 goal contributions in 134 appearances is a good return for the Reds.

6. Jordan Henderson

Few players have divided opinion at Liverpool more in the past 30 years than Jordan Henderson, but what he achieved at the club now speaks for itself.

Never the most gifted of footballers, Henderson got every ounce out of his ability, but most importantly, he grew into a wonderful captain who skippered the Reds to Champions League and Premier League glory.

The Englishman was a better technician than he was given credit for, and his industry and ability to cover endless ground made him a vital player for Liverpool during both the Brendan Rodgers and Jürgen Klopp years.

5. Dirk Kuyt

Barring Gerrard, has there been a better big-game player for Liverpool in the Premier League than Dirk Kuyt?

Like Henderson, the Dutchman wasn’t always the most aesthetically-pleasing player, but his ability to pop up in key moments was invaluable, and he was a hugely intelligent footballer in a tactical sense.

Kuyt scored a late winning penalty at Everton, as well as goals against the likes of United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Inter Milan down the years, and he excelled on the right wing after being changed from a striker by Rafa Benitez, netting 71 times in 285 matches.

4. Alexis Mac Allister

Of the current crop of Liverpool players, Alexis Mac Allister is the most underrated, even though he is still rated highly by many Reds supporters.

The Argentine World Cup winner has been a magnificent signing since arriving in the summer of 2023, knitting everything together in midfield, and his brilliance is arguably noticed more when he isn’t playing.

Mac Allister is elite in possession, works his socks off out of it and possesses a winning mentality, and while he deserves to be regarded as one of the best midfielders in Europe, he arguably isn’t.

3. Joel Matip

Joel Matip has a strong argument for being Liverpool’s greatest free transfer in history, having enjoyed eight trophy-laden years at Anfield.

An incredibly likeable player with that rare ability to be funny without trying to be, Matip was bordering on world-class when he was fully fit and not injury-plagued, thriving alongside Van Dijk.

He was Liverpool’s best player in the 2019 Champions League final win over Tottenham, and he was a lovely mix of calm and class, bringing the ball out from the back and getting stuck in defensively when he had to.

2. James Milner

Like Matip, James Milner is among Liverpool’s greatest free pieces of business, becoming one of the most versatile and dependable figures in the club’s recent history.

A perfect professional whose dedication and leadership rubbed off on those around him, Milner wasn’t always a regular starter under Klopp, but he was worth his weight in gold so often.

Nerveless from the penalty spot, capable of shining in four or five positions and highly intelligent, Liverpool’s former vice-captain played a massive role in the Reds’ past success. The fact that he is still playing in the Premier League at the age of 39 speaks volumes about him.

1. Gini Wijnaldum

Picking a No.1 was tough – Liverpool fans will always have their own choice and many above are worthy of topping this list – but we’ve gone for Gini Wijnaldum.

Klopp’s Champions League and Premier League-winning teams were full of players who got constant attention, whether it be Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino, but Wijnaldum was a more unnoticed but vital cog in the machine.

The Dutchman never stopped running in midfield, had superb positional sense and was so difficult to shrug off the ball, and he was a huge reason for that Liverpool team being so dominant.

Then there was the famous double against Barcelona at Anfield in 2019, allowing Wijnaldum his moment in the sun, but more often than not, he was underrated beyond belief.

Seven games into the new Premier League season, this already represents a breakout campaign for Fulham academy graduate Josh King. The 18-year-old midfielder has swiftly surpassed the total number of senior minutes he managed last term, and he has been one of the standout young players in the division in the opening weeks – catching the eye with his dynamism, fearlessness and composure.

Capitalising on an otherwise frustrating summer for his club as they struggled to make additions in the transfer window, King has made himself a bona fide first-team player and, having taken everything in his stride to this point, he will now be more concerned about keeping his place in the starting line-up than worrying about his status in the squad overall.

The teenager has caught the eye with his technique, guile and age-defying confidence as the Cottager's starting No.10, as well as finding himself at the centre of a number of highly-contentious incidents – largely through no fault of his own.

After more than a decade with the club, King's hard work is paying off as he earns regular minutes under Marco Silva, but just who is the gem of Fulham's academy and how far can he go?

Getty Images SportWhere it all began

Born and raised in south-west London, King has always been Fulham. He joined the academy at the age of eight in 2015, with his parents driving him to training and away games. It's clear he was earmarked for success very early, too; after progressing through the junior age grades, King was fast-tracked into the Under-18s at 15, earning regular minutes in the 2022-23 season and even collecting a goal and assist across nine appearances in the U18 Premier League.

After beginning the next campaign with the U18s he was swiftly bumped up again, punching well above his weight as he mixed it with the U21s in PL 2, again making a tangible impact as he bagged three goals under the tutelage of ex-Crystal Palace and West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins, whom he credits for his development.

By early February 2024, King had done enough to earn first-team recognition as Silva included the midfielder in his squads for Premier League clashes against Burnley and Bournemouth, although he wouldn't make it off the bench.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe big break

Given his swift progress through the ranks, King will have long been in the consciousness of Fulham fans who have been excitedly awaiting his first-team breakthrough. He took a significant stride towards that goal at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, as he studied for A-levels in French, maths and psychology, as he was handed his professional debut as a substitute against Birmingham in the Carabao Cup.

The youngster would have to be patient for an opportunity in the Premier League, but Silva handed him his bow in a 10-minute cameo against Brighton in December and a full debut soon followed when struggling Southampton visited the capital just before Christmas, as King played more than an hour in a goalless draw.

Although he would make a number of other brief first-team appearances and started the FA Cup fourth round win over Wigan, this wasn't a precursor to a mid-season breakthrough as Fulham pushed on to a record Premier League points tally under their Portuguese tactician, but it's clear there was a plan. "Josh is a top talent we have on our hands that we have to keep giving these experiences to," Silva said in February. "I think he showed his quality, his bravery and the way he can play between the lines."

Getty Images SportHow it's going

This season, though, has been a different story. A frugal transfer window (which was described as "passive" by Silva), where the Cottagers only made one permanent signing and long-serving midfielder Andreas Pereira returned to his native Brazil, opened the door for the 18-year-old – and it's an opportunity he has seized with both hands.

A new long-term contract in July preceded an impressive pre-season where he started all three of Fulham's friendly matches and even scored against Saudi giants Al-Ittihad. Now, King is enjoying a breakout having started every single Premier League game so far in the No.10 role, remarkably keeping club-record signing Emile Smith Rowe out of the XI. Having played for England throughout the age grades, he's already earned a call-up to the U21s.

Not only has he caught the eye with his performances, but he's already been at the centre of a number of contentious and unfortunate moments, too – most notably having a dream first competitive goal ruled out against west London rivals Chelsea following a hugely controversial intervention by the VAR, who adjudged that there had been a foul in the build-up. The teenager has also been booked twice in two games for simulation and he was bizarrely denied a penalty when his shot was clearly blocked by Matty Cash's arm against Aston Villa.

Against Brentford, his stray pass was pounced upon to gift the Bees the opening goal, but he responded by playing a key role in a comeback victory. "I was very pleased with the way he reacted," Silva said afterwards. "Again, for a difficult moment when he made a mistake like he did in that moment, of course, that is normal; it was a bad moment for him for sure, but the reaction pleased me really well because it is not easy. It doesn't surprise me, to be honest. Football is going to test him, and the response from him was very good and I am very pleased."

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GettyBiggest strengths

It's clear that King's mentality and levelheadedness are two of his key attributes, beyond his obvious technical prowess. "For a young player that is 18 years old, it is always nice to see some maturity in that moment, that composure, to keep doing the good things that you were doing before," Silva continued.

"It is another thing that is natural. Josh is very young and everybody recognises the quality that he has and everybody is supporting him, not just the technical staff, his teammates as well, and it just was a natural reaction."

When it comes to pure footballing ability, King has already proven himself to be a wonderful ball-carrier, boasting the kind of cultured technique and calmness under pressure that belie his tender years. Describing himself as a "pocket player" who "likes to receive the ball on the back foot" and "drive", he is able to drift past opponents and manipulate the ball almost effortlessly, making him a natural fit for the attacking midfield role.

However, he also has the versatility to play both deeper or out wide, even wearing 24 on his back because it is the sum of the numbers six, eight and 10.

Tottenham Hotspur might not have secured all three points away to Brighton & Hove Albion, but Thomas Frank must be satisfied with the way things are taking shape.

The Spurs boss replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer and was tasked with creating a more stable project. Tottenham won the Europa League last year, but also languished to a 17th-place finish in the top flight.

Signings have been made, and while he’s an imperfect player, Mohamed Kudus has offered much to the Lilywhites cause after signing from West Ham United for £55m in July.

Mohammed Kudus' start to life at Spurs

Kudus’ shot somewhat fortuitously found Richarlison before the break, and so the Brazilian converted and halved the deficit, scoring a crucial goal that would lead to late parity.

The Ghanaian winger still needs to bring his clinical output into focus, but there’s no denying he is a talented and effective winger, adding a dimension to Frank’s project.

According to Sofascore, Kudus won eight duels and completed six dribbles across the afternoon, causing all sorts of problems for his opponents and whipping in the ball that ricocheted off Jan Paul van Hecke.

With three assists from five Premier League appearances for Tottenham, Kudus is coming into his own, bouncing back from a difficult campaign last year with the Hammers.

However, this isn’t the biggest revival within the Spurs squad, with Destiny Udogie rising back up to the fore in a manner not dissimilar to that of Djed Spence last season.

Frank's own Djed Spence revival

When Spence was called up to Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad, it was a landmark moment in the 25-year-old full-back’s development.

While Spence has revived his career over the past year, reinventing himself last year under Postecoglou’s wing, Udogie’s performance against Brighton underscored the importance of having a natural left-footer at left-back, working wonders for the side’s progression.

Awarded an 8/10 match rating by football.london, the statistics perhaps don’t tell the full story, with Udogie shackling – for the most part – the bright Yankuba Minteh and working effectively to build up patterns of offensive play down the left flank.

They also considered Udogie to have been the standout performer against the Seagulls.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

86

Accurate passes

58/65 (89%)

Key passes

1

Possession lost

14x

Dribbles

1/3

Tackles + interceptions

2

Clearances

1

Ground duels won

3/7

Having struggled with injury and subsequent dips in form last year, the Italy international made his first start of the season here, with Frank hailing his “absolutely exceptional” performance and continuing to remark that he was “almost unstoppable going forward”.

With Udogie fit and firing on all cylinders, Tottenham’s backline will begin to look far more fluent, not just solidifying when facing the ball but opening up a more coherent build-up process too.

This is not to the discredit of Spence, who continues to go from strength to strength at the club, but instead highlights the quality of the 22-year-old, who now provides his manager with the very best kind of selection headache.

Kudus might have been directly involved in both of Tottenham’s goals, but Udogie proved his worth as one of the most exciting full-backs in the Premier League, and under a new manager in Frank, this might just prove to be the start of something special.

Worth even more than Kudus: Spurs have struck gold on "sensational" talent

Tottenham Hotspur have once again shown their impressive work in the transfer market given one player’s rise.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 19, 2025

Sussex captain stars with another century to set up likely fourth-day win

Alan Gardner13-Apr-2025Sussex’s imperious form continued into the third day at Hove, led by yet another commanding performance from their captain, John Simpson. His unbeaten 110 from 117 balls bludgeoned Somerset into submission, setting the visitors a notional target of 595 to win, and Sussex made strides towards finishing the contest as Sean Hunt added to his first-innings five-for by dispatching four of the top five across two fiery spells.Hunt, who has the frame of a rugby union second row and facial hair straight from Aussie rules, hammered the ball into what had been a relatively benign surface to land potentially the decisive blows during the evening session. His third delivery snagged Sean Dickson’s outside edge and flew to fourth slip, and Hunt then surpassed his previous best match haul of six wickets by having Archie Vaughan caught on the hook at deep backward square leg.The 23-year-old’s golden match continued when he returned to break a 63-run stand between Tom Lammonby and Tom Abell with his first ball, plunging to his right in his follow through to hold a spectacular return catch. He finished the over by uprooting Tom Banton’s off stump, and should have notched ten for the match soon after, putting down a much simpler caught-and-bowled chance when James Rew had made 1.Abell played punchily during an unbeaten half-century that saw Somerset to the close, giving them a glimmer of hope – Worcestershire, after all, escaped Taunton on Monday having gone into the final day five down. But the scale of the likely challenge here was encapsulated by Jack Carson’s sixth ball, which ripped past Rew’s outside edge into the gloves of Simpson; Sussex were convinced of a nick, but replays suggested it had done too much.Hove isn’t the sort of ground where you would be likely to see a banner lauding Simpson as “Captain, Leader, Legend”, but it’s fair to say his tenure has been nothing short of inspirational. Having never officially captained a side during his 14-year career at Middlesex, his elevation to the role on joining Sussex was initially confirmed only for the first half of the 2024 season. Come the end of it, he had guided them to promotion and the Division Two title, racking up five hundreds and more than 1000 runs in the process.As one of the few Sussex players to have previous experience of the top tier, he went into the new campaign impressing on his team-mates the need to be “better for longer” – and straight away set the tone with an unbeaten 181 in a strong showing away to Warwickshire. His efforts in the second innings against Somerset lifted his first-class average for Sussex to 86.50, with seven hundreds in just 16 matches (all with the added burden of captaincy). Contrast that with an average of 33.07 for Middlesex, with 10 centuries in 200 appearances, and it’s hard not to conclude that Simpson has found the sea air to his liking.The only conceivable grumble about how he has overseen Sussex’s efforts in this match centred on the declaration, which came at tea on the third day and with Somerset having given up on the pursuit of wickets in order to post eight men on the boundary.With the pitch continuing to play well, Sussex were clearly wary about leaving the door ajar. They were given a scare here last season, when Leicestershire fell 19 runs short of chasing 464 in the fourth innings, inspired by Louis Kimber’s brazen double-century. Doubtless the team analyst would have been able to inform Simpson and Paul Farbrace that Somerset successfully hunted down a target of 415 on the last day against Warwickshire at Taunton, too.Proceedings therefore began with Sussex content to shore up their position, wary of making early missteps on returning to Division One after a ten-year absence. Tom Haines resumed with a century under his belt, his partnership with Tom Clark ticking over towards three figures until the latter was drawn into a push outside off and edged Josh Davey behind. Haines was next to go, adjudged lbw playing across the line to Vaughan, before Tom Alsop feathered behind off Jack Leach. Simpson survived edging to slip off Vaughan on 3, Gregory missing a catchable chance, and at lunch Sussex’s total had advanced by 88 runs in 32 overs, the lead already 427.With Somerset content to sit in while bowling their spinners in tandem, the onus was on Sussex to raise the tempo. As the seagulls swooped, a healthy crowd, encouraged by free entry on Sunday, waited patiently for the martlets to do likewise. Simpson immediately swept and drove eight runs from Leach’s first over back, though his partnership with James Coles was one of steady accumulation rather than all-out attack.Coles brought out the reverse-sweep but fell playing its orthodox counterpart, Rew scrambling back to take a big top edge. There followed a period of stalemate, Sussex seemingly wavering about exactly what sort of target they wanted to set, Leach adding his third and fourth wickets – before Simpson finally flicked the switch and started lumping sixes towards the Shark Stand. Carson followed suit, as the eighth-wicket pair piled on 84 in 9.1 overs before Simpson decided he had enough. Few of a Sussex persuasion were looking to quibble come the close.

Marcus Rashford has lined up a permanent move to Barcelona next summer after a prolific start to his life in Barcelona. After being put in Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' this summer, Manchester United outcast Rashford was sent out on a loan move to Barcelona. The Catalan giants have the option to make the transfer permanent next year for a fee of £26million ($34m).

Rashford off to a flying start at Barcelona

Rashford, who struggled for form in the last two seasons at Old Trafford, looked like a completely different player once he signed for Barcelona on a loan deal. Under Hansi Flick's tutelage, the English forward rediscovered his game and has already established himself as a regular starter. Rashford has appeared in 10 matches across all competitions for Barcelona, where he scored three goals and provided eight assists. Out of the three goals he has scored, two of them came against Newcastle United in the Champions League to help them beat the Magpies.  

After the game, Flick had heaped praises on the loanee as he had said: "I am not surprised [by his goals]. I think he's a fantastic player. His skills are unbelievable and his finishing is unbelievable. I think also in the first half, he tried to create chances, but the finishing wasn't there. In the second half, it was. For a striker, it's always good to score. I am really happy. He is an important player. When we spoke before the season about what we needed in the team, we felt we needed a player like him. When we had this chance [to sign him], I said we have to do it. He's an outstanding player." 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRashford ready to continue at Barca permanently

After displaying tremendous form at the Catalan club in the last one month, Rashford has attracted interest from several top European clubs, including reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are keen on signing the Englishman. However, according to , Rashford is happy at Barcelona and would love to sign a permanent deal and realise a childhood dream of playing for the reigning Spanish champions.    

Rashford has impressed Tuchel

After completing the loan move to Barcelona in the summer, Rashford regained his place in the England national team, as he has now been called up to the Three Lions squad in the back-to-back international windows in September and October. During last month's international break, Rashford scored a stunning goal in England's 5-0 drubbing of Serbia and in their latest 3-0 win over Wales in a friendly earlier this week, Rashford impressed with his performance as a second-half substitute. He will now hope to make it to Tuchel's starting lineup in their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Latvia in Riga on Tuesday night. England could very well secure a place in next year's World Cup if they beat Latvia and other results in the group go in their favour. Rashford would want to contribute to his nation's qualification to the World Cup and also remain in contention to earn a place in Tuchel's squad for the tournament next summer.      

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New role for Rashford at Barcelona

Once Rashford returns from national duty, the United outcast could be utilised in a new role by Flick at Barcelona. reported earlier this month that the 27-year-old is set for a key new role at the Catalan club as the German coach is determined to make a tactical change after back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla. Flick’s blueprint involves Rashford spearheading the attack instead of an ageing Robert Lewandowski, with Raphinha on the left, Lamine Yamal on the right, and Fermín Lopez just behind them.  

That trio, though, has all been nursing injuries, and their fitness will determine when the new system debuts. The manager is already eyeing Barcelona’s next fixtures as a testing ground. The first could be Girona on October 18 at Montjuic, followed by a crucial Champions League clash against Olympiacos on the 21st. If all goes well, the real test will come a week later, El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. 

John Terry has revealed his confusion at the fact he does not receive more job offers, while seemingly giving up on his ambition to manage Chelsea. The former England captain has not held a first-team coaching position since working as an assistant at Leicester City in 2023, as offers do not appear to have materialised.

Terry's bitterness

Terry enjoyed a world-class playing career in which he captained Chelsea to five Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League and five FA Cups. He retired after a short stint at Aston Villa, having also won 78 caps for England, and then appeared set to head into coaching. In 2018, fresh from hanging up his boots, he was appointed as Villa's assistant head coach, working with manager Dean Smith, but left after three years. Since, he worked with Chelsea in a coaching consultancy role, before returning to Smith's staff at Leicester City. After his time with the Foxes, which came to an end in July of 2023, he has not held a role in first-team football, and he has expressed his confusion at the state of affairs he finds himself in, having seen former international team-mates Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Wayne Rooney all bag managerial roles. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTerry's dream fading

Quoted by the Daily Mail, Terry revealed his dream is to manage Chelsea, but he accepts that he may well have to admit defeat on that fantasy. 

He said: "I'm not sure it ever happens, to be honest. It's my one last dream I have at the football club. I've done everything at Chelsea. And for me now, the one thing that is missing is being the manager of the football club. 

"That's why I went into coaching when I finished playing. My idea and dream was to learn my trade a bit. As a player, you retire after 22 years… Listen, 100 per cent, you learn enough to go into management. 

"The level I played at and the managers I played under. But it doesn't give you the right you go into management at a certain level. You still have to learn and understand what it takes. 

"There's a lot more that goes into the coaching side of it. So I went away and learnt my trade, I had some unbelievable times at Villa, I left Villa to be a number one, I thought I was ready. I think I'd be a really good number one, I enjoyed the coaching side of it. 

"I want people around me that are better coaches than me. Then I could lead the dressing room and the team like I did [as a player]. That's what I did for 22 years at the club. I know I'd be good at it. Will I ever get the chance? I'm not sure, without doing the other bits. But when people tell you you've not got the experience, it's difficult to fathom."

Not eyeing a Premier League club

Terry says he is not trying to take a job in the top-flight of English football, and instead says he would be willing to drop into a League One club as he looks to kick-start his managerial career at the age of 44. 

He added: "When I went into Villa I got great experience under Dean Smith and we got promotion, which was incredible. As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I've had as a player and an individual captain in both Chelsea and England, I thought that would be enough to get me a job.

"I'm not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship – but a job at League One level."

Terry concluded: "I didn't even get a sniff. I had interviews and it was just 'you have no experience'. When I see some people managing today, it baffles me, it really does. 

"In terms of 'am I frustrated', yes, absolutely, because I have a lot of good attributes to be a really good coach or a really good manager but, unfortunately, that's not happened."

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Terry is clearly ready and willing to jump into the dugout but it is unclear if a League One club will be willing to test him out. He will surely be keeping a close eye on managerial movements up and down the Football League, although the Blues job looks a long way off for the former skipper. 

Liam Livingstone dropped, Jos Buttler included for Harry Brook’s first engagements as full-time captain

Andrew Miller13-May-2025Liam Dawson is set to play his first T20I for almost three years, while Tom Hartley has been picked as the frontline left-arm spinner in the 50-over format, as England name their squads for the forthcoming white-ball series against West Indies, which will be Harry Brook’s first as captain since taking over full-time from Jos Buttler.Brook’s tenure will begin with the first of three ODIs, at Edgbaston on May 29, with England looking to regroup after their calamitous Champions Trophy performance in Pakistan earlier this year, in which they were eliminated with three defeats out of three in the group stage.He will have Buttler alongside him in both formats, with the former captain back to form with the bat during a productive IPL campaign for Gujarat Titans. However, Liam Livingstone – who also stood in as England captain last year while Buttler was recovering from a calf injury – has been dropped from both squads after managing just 33 runs in three innings in the Champions Trophy.On the fast-bowling front, England have recalled Brydon Carse to both squads, after he was forced to undergo surgery on an injured toe, sustained during his hard-toiling efforts for the Test team in Pakistan and New Zealand last winter. Matthew Potts, who is in the Test squad for next week’s one-off match against Zimbabwe, is also named in both parties.ESPNcricinfo LtdJofra Archer has also been named in the ODI squad, alongside fellow quicks Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood and Jamie Overton. However, Archer has been omitted for the three-match T20I series, which begins on June 6 – the same day as the second of two England Lions’ four-day fixtures against India at Northampton, in which he could feature as part of a potential return to Test action later this summer.Luke Wood, the Lancashire left-arm seamer, is instead named for the T20Is, his first return to the set-up since September 2023.Will Jacks, a notable omission from the Champions Trophy plans, is the beneficiary of Livingstone’s absence, as he returns to both squads, while Tom Banton, who was a surprise replacement for the injured Jacob Bethell for that tournament, is also named in both.ESPNcricinfo LtdPhil Salt has been cut from the ODI squad, after struggling to convert his explosive 20-over batting into the longer format, but on the whole England have opted for 50-over continuity rather than a complete overhaul. Joe Root is retained as the senior batter, while Adil Rashid keeps his place as England’s premier legspinner, even at the age of 37. Rehan Ahmed, his heir apparent, is included alongside Rashid for the T20Is only.Although he is only set to feature in the T20Is, Dawson’s return at the age of 35 is significant. His allround form across formats has been outstanding in recent seasons, including at South Africa’s SA20 where he has been a title-winner with Sunrisers Eastern Cape in each of the first two editions, and he was last month named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year for his county exploits with Hampshire in 2024.However, Dawson had not featured in England’s plans since November 2022, when he played the most recent of his six ODIs at Melbourne, in the immediate aftermath of the T20 World Cup win at the same venue a week earlier. He had been overlooked for that campaign, having also been a non-playing squad member for the 2019 win, and subsequently opted out of selection for England’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh in early 2023 to honour his PSL commitments with Lahore Qalandars.The timing of the series could create further club versus country dilemmas for three members of the squad, however. Following last week’s suspension of the IPL, due to escalating border tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament final has now been pushed back to June 3 from its original May 25 date, meaning that Buttler (Gujarat Lions), Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Jacks (Mumbai Indians) – all of whom are involved in squads with realistic play-off ambitions – could conceivably miss the first two ODIs at least.England Men’s ODI squad: Harry Brook (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie SmithEngland Men’s T20I squad: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood