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O zagueiro Michel, de apenas 18 anos, completou três anos vestindo a camisa do Palmeiras. Cotado para subir e ficar no profissional da equipe definitivamente, o jogador chegou ao clube em 2019 e imediatamente se tornou uma das maiores promessas das categorias de base.

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>Brasileirão: Google revela os times mais buscados nas últimas duas décadas
>Confira os jogadores da base que o Verdão utilizou nas últimas temporadas

Pelo Sub-17, logo em seu ano de chegada, o defensor foi campeão da Copa do Brasil e da Supercopa da categoria. Já no Sub-20, no ano seguinte, conquistou o Paulistão ao vencer o Corinthians na final, nos pênaltis. Ele, inclusive, marcou o gol que deu origem ao empate em 1 a 1 no tempo normal.

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Michel já teve a oportunidade de defender a equipe profissional do Palmeiras. Após estrear em 9 de maio de 2021, em vitória do Alviverde sobre a Ponte Preta por 3 a 0 no Paulistão, foram quatro jogos disputados, sendo três como titular. Além disso, no Brasileirão da temporada passada o jogador deu uma assistência.

– Fico muito feliz pela oportunidade de vestir essa camisa tão vitoriosa do futebol. É um sonho realizado jogar aqui. Quero continuar trabalhando forte para que eu evolua ainda mais e suba para o profissional e permaneça, que é meu grande objetivo no momento. Agradeço ao Palmeiras, a minha família, empresários, por sempre estarem comigo. Vou honrar essa camisa até o fim do meu ciclo por aqui – disse Michel.

Atualmente, o atleta segue como titular do Sub-20 do Verdão e acumula 24 jogos pela categoria. Visto como joia e grande promessa para os próximos anos do Verdão, o zagueiro agora se prepara para a temporada 2022 que começa no final de abril para as categorias de base.

Tottenham Hotspur technical director Johan Lange has been handed optimism by one club that he might be able to agree the signing of a highly-rated defender in January, with manager Ange Postecoglou in dire need of reinforcements.

Tottenham tell Ange Postecoglou they will be busy in January

Spurs’ squad has been ravaged by injuries to first-team players over the last few months, especially in defence, with Postecoglou not set to welcome back Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero or Ben Davies until late this month.

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Radu Dragusin, their only fit centre-back as things stand, was also forced to play through injury against Wolves, and Postecoglou recently confirmed that left-back Destiny Udogie will be out of action for six weeks.

“Destiny is his hamstring. Looks around six weeks for him,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham team news last Friday.

Arsenal (away)

January 15

Everton (away)

January 19

Leicester City (home)

January 26

Brentford (away)

February 2

Man United (home)

February 16

“We lose [Rodrigo] Bentancur suspended. None of the injured ones are back yet. We’ve had a bit of an illness bug with a few not training. At this stage, Richarlison and Mikey Moore are the next cabs off the rank, we’re hoping next week. Davies, Van de Ven and Romero all kind of around the same time, back end of January.”

Tottenham have already signed a new back-up for the injured Guglielmo Vicario, sealing a deal for Slavia Prague goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, and they’re certainly not done there, as Fabrizio Romano told GiveMeSport that the Lilywhites could make as many as three major signings in the coming weeks.

Postecoglou has apparently been informed by the club that Spurs will be very active in January, and they’re actively exploring opportunities.

“They have already told the manager that they will do something. So, I expect January to be busy for Spurs,” said Romano.

“I think it could be two signings, maybe three, I’m not sure, but it will depend on opportunities. But Tottenham are exploring options, Tottenham are actively working on scouting and following players. So I think for Tottenham it will be a busy month.”

A new defender is certainly on the agenda, with multiple reports suggesting that Tottenham are identifying centre-back targets.

Lange given hope Tottenham can strike January deal for Khusanov

According to GiveMeSport, RC Lens starlet Abukodir Khusanov remains on their radar, but the Uzbek is being courted by a host of other top sides – including Manchester City, Newcastle, Wolves, West Ham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

Alongside this plethora of interested clubs, Spurs also want to “strike a deal” for the £20 million centre-back this month, and they’re among the frontrunners for his signature.

Lange has also been given hope he can sign Khusanov for Tottenham in January, specifically because Lens are realistic over the possibility of having to cash-in on the 20-year-old.

A deal could be agreed before the February 3 transfer deadline, and it would be a prudent one considering Khusanov is a player of huge potential.

The 18-cap international stands out as Lens’ third-best performer by average match rating according to WhoScored, despite his young age, and has averaged more interceptions per 90 than any other player in their squad – as well as a higher passing accuracy than all other mainstays in the team with more than four Ligue 1 starts.

A white-ball series with India headlines West Indies’ cricket calendar over the next three months, with New Zealand and Bangladesh also scheduled to visit.According to a CWI statement on Wednesday, India’s white-ball tour will comprise three ODIs and five T20Is spread across four venues, including one in the United States. All three ODIs will be played at Queen’s Park Oval, in Trinidad on July 22, 24 and 27. The two teams will then face off in a five-match T20I series, the first of which will be played at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on July 29, the venue’s first-ever men’s T20I. The second and third T20Is will be staged at Warner Park, in St Kitts before the teams head off to Lauderhill, in Florida for the last two matches, on August 6 and 7.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The upcoming summer is expected to feature 30 days of top-quality entertainment for our fans as we look ahead to hosting three teams of differing styles in all three formats, which will sure to whet the appetite,” Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI, said.”This is the busiest year of cricket ever in the West Indies. In January, we hosted Ireland and England in white-ball formats, and also successfully staged the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022, which featured 16 teams traversing the region. We also witnessed the Apex Test Series, against England, which West Indies won in great style and with real fight.”West Indies are currently in Netherlands playing a three-match ODI series and will travel to Pakistan for three ODIs. They will then host Bangladesh in a two-Test series between June 16 to 28, with both matches part of the World Test Championship. The two Tests will be followed by a three-match T20I series, with the first two games being held at the refurbished Windsor Park, in Dominica, for the first time since the venue was damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The Bangladesh tour will conclude with a three-game ODI series, with Guyana staging all three matches.New Zealand’s tour to the West Indies, which was rescheduled from 2020 due to Covid-19, will comprise of three T20Is and three ODIs, from August 10 to 21. While the three T20Is will be played in Jamaica, from August 10 to 14, Kensington Oval, in Barbados, will host the three ODIs on August 17, 19 and 21.”We know our supporters will be delighted with the news that the matches are being played all across the region as well as those living in the USA will be able to see their favourite players in action,” Grave said.”We are mindful that Covid-19 is still present, and we again want to thank the various governments and other stakeholders who have worked with us to ensure the matches will be played in a safe environment.”All nine ODIs will be part of the Super League, which determines the chances of a team gaining automatic qualification to the World Cup in 2023. Only the top seven teams at the end of the season, and hosts India, will get direct entry. The remaining five teams will have to play in a qualifying tournament along with five associate teams. The top two from the qualifying tournament will then progress to the World Cup. West Indies are currently No. 10 on the Super League points table.

Jules Kounde expressed his anger over Barcelona's grueling fixture congestion and called out La Liga officials following his side's win over Osasuna.

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Kounde angry at La Liga officialsUrged them to schedule games with more restInsisted the players "are not machines"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde voiced his frustrations with La Liga officials following his team's 3-0 victory over Osasuna on Thursday evening. He urged them to be more considerate when scheduling fixtures, particularly after international breaks, emphasising that "players are not machines" and need sufficient rest to prevent burnout.

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Barca were originally set to face Osasuna earlier this month, but the match was indefinitely postponed following the tragic passing of first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia. La Liga later rescheduled the game for March 27, a decision that frustrated head coach Hansi Flick, as it fell just 72 hours after the conclusion of the international break. This left players who had been on national team duty with little to no time for rest and recovery.

Indeed, Flick confirmed ahead of the Osasuna game that he would not risk starting Raphinha, Ronald Araujo, or Pau Cubarsi, due to the lack of rest. "Rapha and Ronald will not play. They are out. They have a long flight. It's not the best way. They have to recover, train.

"And at centre-back, Eric [Garcia] and Inigo [Martinez] will start for us. Pau will be on the bench. I hope we won't need him because also it's better he has two or three days more. He needs it."

WHAT KOUNDE SAID

“I’m angry about the date. It is not something normal. We have spoken many times about the calendar, we play too many games," Kounde told reporters (h/t Football Espana). "I know there are people who don’t understand it. I consider myself lucky to live off our passion, but it’s a lack of respect and not only to the club.

“I’m also talking about Osasuna, who had players away on international duty too, like Budimir, who I faced and who hadn’t had the necessary rest. It doesn’t matter the club [involved]. Osasuna, Barcelona, Real Madrid… it is a lack of respect for the players, not only for the clubs. We are not machines and to produce our game and play a good game we need rest. All institutions – not just La Liga – have to understand this.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Kounde took to X to directly call out La Liga chief Javier Tebas and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). He reposted a video of his post-match press conference from Thursday, tagging both entities to highlight his concerns.

After confirming the arrival of defender Emmanuel Agbadou, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly set their sights on signing an experienced striker on loan this month.

Wolves transfer news

After failing to sign a central defender in the summer and suffering ever since, Wolves have instantly backed new manager Vitor Pereira by welcoming Agbadou from Ligue 1 side Stade Reims. 27 years old and providing the experience that the Midlands club have lacked at times, Agbadou and the rest of his new teammates will undoubtedly have their focus firmly fixed on Premier League safety.

Speaking to the club website after officially welcoming the Ivory Coast defender, chairman Jeff Shi said: “We’re delighted to welcome Emmanuel to the club. He’s a player our recruitment team have watched for a long time and Vitor agreed that he was the right player and the right character to strengthen our squad now.

“It was important we completed the transfer early in the window to help Vitor straight away, and, like all transfers, this one took a lot of hard work from a lot of people. I hope Emmanuel has a successful career at Wolves, and he’ll have the full support of everyone during his time here.”

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Agbadou may not be the last player to be welcomed with open arms at the Molineux this month, however, with the Midlands club instantly setting their sights on a reinforcement at the opposite end of Pereira’s side.

According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Wolves have now opened preliminary talks to sign Kelechi Iheanacho on loan from Sevilla, who will allow the Nigerian to leave for the rest of the season this month.

The former Leicester City striker – earning a reported £76,000-a-week – has struggled in La Liga, but could now receive the opportunity to rediscover his best form in a league he knows incredibly well all whilst keeping Wolves afloat in England’s top flight.

"Talented" Iheanacho can be Cunha fail-safe

Signing Iheanacho – an experienced striker who knows all about the Premier League – would certainly be an intelligent move by all involved at Wolves and not just for that knowhow. The Nigerian could also act as a fail-safe for Matheus Cunha’s potential decision to depart as early as the January transfer window.

Whilst the Brazilian’s exit seems unlikely at this stage amid Arsenal’s reported interest, Wolves would be wise to prepare for the worst and welcome a player who could go on and cover for the goals that they’d so desperately miss.

When at his best, Iheanacho is more than capable of stealing the headlines, having earned Brendan Rodgers’ praise for doing exactly that in 2021.

The former Leicester City boss told reporters as relayed by The Independent: “He’s a talented player and I think of the difference in him tonight than when we played Crystal Palace last time. When we played them around the Christmas period, he wasn’t playing so much, and when you are a striker in particular that rhythm of games is important.”

Glasgow Rangers are in festive action this evening as they return to Scottish Premiership action with a trip to face St Mirren away from Ibrox.

The Gers went into Christmas Day off the back of a 1-0 win over Dundee last weekend, thanks to a goal from Vaclav Cerny, and cut the gap to Celtic at the top of the table down to nine points.

Philippe Clement will be hoping that their rivals drop more points this afternoon and open up the door for the Light Blues to win again and cut the lead further.

The Belgian head coach is set to be without a few players for this clash with St Mirren, though, with a few injury issues in the camp for the Scottish giants.

The latest Rangers transfer news

Jack Butland was a late withdrawal from the starting XI against Dundee, with Liam Kelly stepping in to keep a clean sheet, to attend the birth of his daughter and could return between the sticks for this clash.

There are three players who certainly will not be involved, however, as Neraysho Kasanwirjo, John Souttar, and Tom Lawrence are all longer-term absentees and will not be available for selection today.

Wales international Rabbi Matondo, whose last appearance came against Celtic in September, has been back in training recently but has not been named in a matchday squad, and it remains to be seen whether or not today will be the day for his return.

With these pieces of team news in mind, and the performances against Dundee last time out, here is Football FanCast’s predicted Rangers line-up to take to the field against St Mirren this evening.

Predicted Rangers XI to face St Mirren

Firstly, vice-captain Butland should return to start in goal after he only missed the 1-0 win last weekend for the birth of his daughter, with Kelly dropping back down to the bench.

With Souttar still out through injury, Clement should keep the back four that kept a clean sheet, with James Tavernier, Dujon Sterling, Robin Propper, and Jefte making up the defence in front of the former England international.

The Belgian head coach should also keep the midfield dynamic the same, as Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, and Ianis Hagi provide a strong blend of combative play out of possession and forward-thinking, creative, play on the ball.

Vs Dundee	Hamza Igamane
Minutes played	84
Shots	4
Big chances missed	2
Goals	0
Dribbles completed	2/5
Possession lost	20x
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hamza Igamane struggled on the left flank last time out, missing the high-quality chances that came his way and losing possession far too often.

Clement should drop the Moroccan starlet off the back of that performance and unleash Nedim Bajrami, who Willie Miller claimed has “magnificent footwork”, in his place as part of the front three alongside Danilo and Cerny.

The Albania international has created four ‘big chances’ in seven league starts for the Gers and could provide a creative spark out wide, whilst dropping Igamane could be a good learning experience for the youngster and motivate him to push harder to win his place back.

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Full starting line-up: Jack Butland; James Tavernier, Dujon Sterling, Robin Propper, Jefte; Connor Barron, Mohamed Diomande, Ianis Hagi; Vaclav Cerny, Danilo, Nedim Bajrami

يسود اتجاه قوي داخل مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي نحو استعادة خدمات أحد اللاعبين المعارين، خلال الموسم المقبل، لتدعيم صفوف الفريق.

وعلم بطولات أن إدارة الأهلي تدرس استعادة المدافع الشاب أحمد عابدين، المعار حاليًا إلى نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، بداية من الموسم المقبل، في ظل الحاجة لتدعيم خط الدفاع.

طالع.. حكم مباراة الأهلي وحرس الحدود اليوم في الدوري المصري

وتفكر إدارة الأهلي، في استعاد عابدين لتدعيم الخط الخلفي، في ظل الإصابات المتكررة التي يتعرض لها المغربي أشرف داري، وزميله ياسر إبراهيم، إلى جانب تعثر مفاوضات تجديد عقد رامي ربيعة حتى الآن.

وارتفعت أسهم عودة اللاعب الشاب إلى الأهلي خلال الساعات الماضية، بعدما تألق مع منتخب مصر للشباب في بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية تحت 20 عامًا، ولفت الأنظار بقوة، خاصة بعد فوزه بجائزة أفضل لاعب في مباراة زامبيا ضمن منافسات البطولة التي تستضيفها مصر.

ويستعد عابدين، في الوقت الحالي للمشاركة مع منتخب مصر للشباب أمام تنزانيا في الجولة الأخيرة من دور المجموعات بالبطولة المقامة في مصر.

Liverpool are believed to have made contact with a Premier League club over the availability of an “outstanding” player in January, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds continue to be linked with new signings, whether that be this month or the summer transfer window, and Napoli stars Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have both been mentioned as options. The Nigerian is on loan at Galatasaray currently, but a permanent move away from the Serie A giants is on the cards for both players if they cannot find a way to extend their contracts.

Another report has claimed that Liverpool have submitted an offer for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, having been backed to sign him in 2022, prior to him opting to join the La Liga giants instead.

The Reds are thought to be plotting a move for Bayern Munich ace Joshua Kimmich, too, with the German now into the final six months of his contract there. He is able to sign a pre-contract agreement elsewhere this month, but could seal a move away in the coming weeks, in order for his club to avoid losing him on a free transfer.

There are also players who could leave Liverpool in the near future, one of whom is youngster Ben Doak, with the winger out on loan at Middlesbrough this season. The club need to weigh up if they see him as a big part of their future or want to cash in on him.

Liverpool make contact with club over "outstanding" midfielder

According to Galetti on X, Liverpool have “asked” for fresh information on Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, as have a number of other Premier League clubs.

The Reds may be well-stocked in midfield currently, but signing a true defence-minded option in that role could be ideal, giving the squad even more balance moving forward and offering an alternative to the smoothness of Ryan Gravenberch.

In the £30,000-a-month Gomes, Liverpool could have the perfect option there, with Danny Murphy lauding him and Mario Lemina’s relationship in the middle of the park last year: “The defensive work in central midfield is something that goes unnoticed sometimes, but you can’t win matches in the Premier League unless your midfielders do the hard yards and the dirty bits and they did it brilliantly. The pair of them, outstanding.”

At 23, Gomes is also a young player who should only continue to develop as he gets older, becoming even more mature and polished sitting in front of the defence.

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This season, the Brazilian has started 19 Premier League games for Wolves, averaging 3.2 tackles per game in the competition, which is more than any Liverpool player, with Alexis Mac Allister (3.0) leading the way.

Jos Buttler implored his England team to be “braver” after “timid” performances with the bat in their first two T20 internationals against India, Matthew Mott has revealed.England were bowled out for 148 and 121 in Buttler’s first two matches as their full-time limited-overs captain on Thursday and Saturday, losing by 50 and 49 runs respectively. Mott, their new white-ball coach, admitted they had been taken aback by the “ferocity” of India’s new attacking gameplan.Buttler addressed his squad after the second defeat in Birmingham on Saturday night and told them they should be “prepared to make some mistakes” rather than batting too cautiously. The response was a total of 215 for 7 batting first at Trent Bridge on Sunday, their highest T20I score since February 2020 and one which they defended by a margin of 17 runs despite Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliant 117.”We learned a lot of lessons in the first two games,” Mott said. “India obviously came out with a really attacking mindset and put us under pressure a lot. We expected that, but the ferocity of it took us by surprise a little bit.”After the second loss and the series loss, I thought he [Buttler] spoke exceptionally well in the group about these being the times where you learn about character. It’s easy when you’re dominating teams but we’re going to learn more about ourselves playing great teams like India and South Africa leading into a World Cup – we’re going to learn more about what we need in Australia when we’re put under pressure.”We talked about just being a bit braver. If anything, we could have been accused of being a bit timid with the bat. [On Sunday] we just went out there and thought, ‘it’s a great wicket, let’s put a score out there and hang on.’ We don’t like losing but I think there is plenty that we’ve taken out of this series already and it sets us up well for the summer.”England were without several first-choice players throughout the series including Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who have been pencilled in at No. 3 and 4 respectively for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. But, if he is available, Stokes could alternatively be used lower down in a finishing role, with Dawid Malan’s 77 off 39 balls on Sunday serving a reminder of his credentials after an early reprieve when Harshal Patel dropped a caught-and-bowled chance.Malan’s innings was his first T20I half-century in a year and came after a scratchy innings of 19 off 25 on Saturday. His attacking intent early in his innings was a notable departure from his usual template: “Malan was unbelievable,” Mott said. “In the last game he wasn’t that happy with the way he got going and he worked really hard this morning. He played a special innings.”Mott expects to have something approaching a full-strength squad available for the three T20Is against South Africa from July 27-31. They will be the final games England play before naming their T20 World Cup squad in mid-September, immediately before they travel to Pakistan for a seven-match series – though some multi-format players will be rested for that tour.Related

• Buttler's challenge is to find his own voice, and continue England's evolution

• Suryakumar Yadav's pyrotechnics leave Trent Bridge in awe, solidify spot for T20 World Cup

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• Virat Kohli's nine-ball buy-in shows India's new way is here to stay

• Attacking mantra, Bhuvneshwar's form and Suryakumar's consistency bode well for India

“I don’t think [the World Cup squad] is all locked in yet,” Mott said. “This far out, you’ve got so many things that could happen – whether it’s injuries or form, or whatever. We’ve got a fair idea of what we think the right make-up is, but you want players to come in and perform and really warrant that spot. It’s still open for a lot of players and that’s why we are having looks at different combinations and trying to learn.”Mott also took positives from England’s death bowling, which has been a problem area over the last two years. “It was an unbelievable experience for some of those bowlers,” he said. “[Reece] Topley was magnificent and [Richard] Gleeson has been a real find for us. All the intel that I’ve had is that it’s definitely been an area that we’re looking to improve, so to be under that sort of pressure and hold our nerve gives us a lot of confidence.”England will welcome Stokes, Bairstow, Joe Root and Craig Overton into their squad for this week’s ODI series against India, which starts on Tuesday at the Kia Oval. “They’re obviously world-class players,” Mott said. “As a coach, it’s a great opportunity to learn from probably some of the best players in this format of all-time.”They’ll bring some energy into the group and they’re really excited to be there. I don’t think they’ll have to change a hell of a lot from the way they’ve been playing but it’s a slightly different format. They come in pretty hot and we’re straight into it: that’s the modern game. We’ll see how everyone pulls up.”

Foakes fails to recover after positive Covid test, Overton omitted despite debut 97

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Jun-2022Sam Billings will make his third Test appearance against India on Friday after Ben Foakes was ruled out after having failed to recover from Covid-19. Billings is one of two changes as James Anderson returns after missing the final Test against New Zealand, regaining his spot from his replacement, Jamie Overton.Foakes had to be pulled out on the fourth morning of the previous Test at Headingley after returning a positive test, having complained of back trouble on day three. Kent captain Billings made the late journey up to Leeds on the third evening, arriving at the team hotel at 2am. He became England’s first Covid substitute a matter of hours later, taking a catch off Jack Leach between his knees as England won by seven wickets to seal a 3-0 series win.Billings was subsequently added to the squad for this fifth Test of this 2021 series at Edgbaston, primarily as cover to give Foakes every opportunity to play. Despite training on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Surrey wicketkeeper was unable to prove his fitness.”Unfortunately Foakesy has not recovered as well as we’d have liked to,” Stokes said. “Sam is going to stay in the team and be our keeper.”He [Foakes] just hasn’t really recovered from last week. He doesn’t feel like he could give the best account of himself this week, so we took the decision out of his hands and said, ‘get yourself better’.”It was Bairstow who initially covered for Foakes when he was unable to take the field on day three at Headingley. Stokes, however, said there was no thought given to doing so again.Much has been made of Bairstow’s affinity for the gloves, particularly given that all but one of his six Test centuries scored before the start of 2022 had come as the designated wicketkeeper. Since then, however, he has re-established himself as an engine-room destroyer, with four centuries and 774 runs already this year, at an average of 64.50.Under Brendon McCullum and Stokes, Bairstow has become a totem of their selfless, attacking cricket, and both are keen to keep it that way, with Stokes reiterating Foakes’ position as the first-choice keeper.”At the moment Jonny is in the form of his life. He’s our best middle-order batsman at the moment. Ben Foakes is our keeper going forward and we just want Jonny to concentrate on batting. Because however he is thinking about it at the moment is working, we just want Jonny to keep doing what he is doing with the bat.”The return of Anderson was expected, especially as he said on Wednesday that he could have played the last New Zealand Test had the series still been at stake. Perhaps Overton might count himself unlucky to be the man to make way, however. He bowled quickly and relatively well, but excelled with the bat, striking a remarkable 97 as part of 241-run stand with Bairstow, rescuing England from a precarious 55 for six.”That’s how sport at the top level can work sometimes,” Stokes said. “Obviously Jimmy didn’t feel he recovered as well as we would have liked to last week. So Jamie got his opportunity to show what you can do in a cricket field. He gave the best account possible of himself. And, he’s obviously someone that we see has a bright and long future for him going forward.”So yeah, it obviously must be very disappointing for him, but he can walk away knowing that he’s done everything that he possibly could have done last week to really put his name forward to have a look a good career for England.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWith the Edgbaston Test against India set to complete the five-match series that had to be postponed in 2021 due to a Covid outbreak, England have effectively made seven changes to the team that trails 2-1 in the series after last year’s Oval Test. Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed have since been replaced at the top of the order by Zak Crawley and Alex Lees, with Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson the other absentees.Stokes himself was one of the players who sat out last year’s matches, after taking a mental-health break from the game while recuperating from a badly broken finger. And while he said he had not watched much of the action last time around, he was under no doubt about the threat that India would pose, having also effectively switched captains mid-series, with Virat Kohli stepping down from the role.”We just beat the best team in the world 3-0,” Stokes said, referencing New Zealand’s status as World Test Champions. “India are obviously a completely different opposition, a different dynamic of team, but we are concentrating on ourselves. We understand what we do well, but we have also take into account who we’re playing against. Just because the opposition changes doesn’t mean that we’re going to change.”We still obviously know we need to win this Test to draw the series from a year ago. But as I said last week, at the moment this is bigger than results, bigger then what happens out on the field. There’s more to it than that. We obviously want to win every game that we play, but it’s bigger than that.”Asked if England had it in them to get even more attacking in their approach, after three dynamic displays against New Zealand, Stokes replied: “If there’s a team that can, it’s us.”Crawley is the one regular selection in England’s ranks who hasn’t produced a significant contribution to their run of three wins in a row. But Stokes was adamant that he would receive all the support he needs to rediscover his most imposing form, despite a top score of 43 in six innings.”Before we’d even played a Test match, the squad was picked on the basis that every player in every position is the best player in England to carry us forward in the way that we want to,” Stokes said. “This team, and this squad, is going to be given a lot of time to perform. Zak Crawley is still in my plans, and Brendon’s plans going forward, to make this Test team great again.”