It seems like Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has settled on his first-choice midfield pivot. His infamous 3-4-2-1 system has sparked plenty of debate, but with United now five games unbeaten, perhaps it is a sign of things improving.

Indeed, one of those reasons could be continuity in team selection. The midfield is one of those areas, with Amorim choosing captain Bruno Fernandes and the experienced Casemiro as the two pivot players. It has meant the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte cannot get a look in, with the United boss sticking to that pair.

However, the Red Devils might well dip into the transfer market in January to add to the depth in the centre of the park.

Man United's new midfield target

There are reportedly a few names on United’s list for a new midfielder. One of those is Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes, who could cost upwards of £44m, with a deal said to be in advanced stages.

However, the Brazilian is not the only midfielder United are looking at this winter with the likes of Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba high-profile targets from within the Premier League.

Alongside those players, Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher has once again emerged as a target for Amorim’s side, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Indeed, talking to The United Stand, via TEAMtalk, he claims the former Chelsea man is a “definitive” target ahead of the transfer window opening in just over a month. The player is thought to be keen on returning to England in 2026.

This isn’t a deal that would come cheap, though. Atleti could demand a fee of up to £52.4m, as reported back in September, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace also interested.

How Gallagher compares to Gomes

It has certainly not been the easiest season for Gallagher in La Liga. He has struggled to break into Atleti’s starting lineup, playing 17 times in all competitions, but featuring for just 566 minutes in total. That is an average of just 6.2 full 90-minute games.

The 22-cap England star was more important under legendary Atleti boss Diego Simeone last season. He made 50 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with four goals and six assists and earning himself the nickname “Pitbull” for his energetic performances.

Of course, the Chelsea academy graduate has plenty of Premier League experience. He’s played 136 times in the top flight, becoming an established player for the Blues after a couple of loan spells. Gallagher certainly knows where the back of the net is and has 18 Premier League goals and 13 assists to his name.

If United were to bring Gallagher to the club, he might prove to be a better option than Gomes, the other top target in midfield. Of course, the Brazilian is currently plying his trade in the Midlands for rock-bottom Wolves, for whom he has played 15 times this season.

The Rio de Janeiro-born midfielder has played 104 times for the Old Gold, in a similar system to the one United play under Amorim. He’s even been known to chip in with a goal, bagging seven times in a Wolves shirt.

Yet, despite the familiarity the 24-year-old has with United’s system, Gallagher may well prove to be the better option. His on-the-ball quality exceeds that of Gomes, whilst he still offers plenty without the ball, to succeed in Amorim’s pivot.

Described as an “intensity monster” and as “one of the best midfielders in the sport when it comes to running long distances” by one notable analyst on social media, a look at the stats paints a more vivid picture of what to expect from Gallagher.

Analysing the data from the Englishman’s last season in the Premier League, compared to Gomes’ from last term, highlights the differences. For example, Gallagher created 1.5 chances on average and won 50.68% of his ground duels. In comparison, the Wolves man created 0.7 chances and had a ground duel win rate of 48.01%.

Gallagher vs Gomes
Stat (per 90)	Gallagher (23/24)	Gomes (24/25)
Chances created	1.5	0.7
Opposition half passes completed	29.1	22.2
Take-ons completed	1.1	1
Ground duel success rate	50.68%	48.01%
Interceptions	1.3	0.8
Ball recoveries	6.4	6.1
Stats from Squawka

Described as a “relentless” midfielder by Statman Dave, 25-year-old Gallagher would provide tenacity off the ball and progression and final third quality with it.

That is certainly something he has over Gomes, and, thinking ahead, could be important for United as they hopefully start dominating games and have the ball more.

A fee of £52.4m is sizeable given it is the January window, but the Cobham graduate could help add quality to the United midfield, as they look to push up the Premier League table.

Man Utd now "leading the chase" to sign "special" Casemiro replacement

He has a massive future ahead of him.

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 22, 2025

Little known fact. Joe Root has never made a hundred in Australia.It will be the sub-genre of the summer. A much anticipated Ashes series, in which one of the greats of the game has the chance to complete a caveat-free career. An away win, and a full set of centuries in every Test-hosting nation he has played. Except for Bangladesh and the UAE. They don’t rate him in Dhaka.Matthew Hayden confidently made the claim that if Root didn’t end the Aussie summer with a Test ton, he’d strip nude to run around the MCG. But others aren’t so sure.”Wrists limper than a French handshake,” former Aussie legspinner and broadcaster Kerry O’Keeffe said on Fox Sports. “It doesn’t work in Australia.””The first two Tests are huge for Joe Root. They’re nickers’ Tests. Perth? They nick for fun there. And Brisbane day-night? Everyone nicks in Bris.”Joe Root is a nicker. When he was last here, in his first eight innings he nicked off. Australia knows this. What will be his defensive set-up? I’m very bearish about Joe Root.”O’Keeffe’s argument is that Root previously chose to stay inside the ball, as he was of the belief they wouldn’t target him with the offcutter, only for a different weakness to appear, that meant he was playing away from his body.It is a rare technical examination of a player who has averaged 58.00 since Brendon McCullum took over, but a prescient one given Australia’s recent tendency to produce pitches that favour their seam bowlers. Since the start of the 2021-22 Ashes, top-seven batters in Australia have averaged 30.22 per dismissal, compared to 38.14 in the four-year cycle before that. By contrast, England’s pitches have gone the other way. The average in the four years before McCullum’s appointment was 30.90; it has since been 38.94.”England play pretty well on the flatter wickets, the way they play,” Steve Smith said recently. “So, if there’s a bit in it like there has been the last three or four years, with our bowling attack, it certainly makes things a lot more difficult for their batters.”Nevertheless, Root sees no need to tamper with his technique. Arriving in New Zealand ahead of England’s three-match ODI series, it will be the final three hits he has before lining up against Australia in Perth.”A lot of that prep’s already started back home,” Root said, explaining how he’s balancing his preparation for an ODI series today with the carrot of the Ashes starting tomorrow.”I think how I’d prepare now is different to how I would have done 10 years ago. A lot more mental. I’ve clearly played against a lot of their guys now. Know how they operate, know what they’re likely to try to bring to the series.”I used to be very technical in how I prepared. I’d want to make sure that everything felt lined up and my feet were in the right place, my head was in the right place, whereas now I’m a little bit more concerned about how I’m looking at the game, how I’m going to approach different situations, whether that be the surface, whether that be different bowler types, different angles, and being able to manage those different angles when they come wide of the crease. Things like that.”Related

• Joe Root relishes chance to make history as latest Ashes shot looms

• England seek clarity for seam attack as ODI reboot gathers pace

• Switch Hit: Rainy, phoney, baloney

• Kyle Jamieson out of ODIs against England with side stiffness

• Williamson and England's Ashes players in focus as ODI series kicks off

This will be Root’s fourth Ashes tour. His individual record is respectable, averaging 35.68, but not befitting of a player of his own calibre. England’s record across that time, however, is diabolical: 15 matches, 13 defeats, two draws, zero wins.”They’re all different,” Root said of how the build-up to this series has compared to previous tours. “I look at it at this time and I’m in a completely different stage of my career. I’m no longer captain, I’m playing some really good cricket, and so are we. We’re playing in a really exciting way. We’ve got a great group of players that we can go there and hit them with different tools than we’ve had on previous tours, so when you look at it like that, it’s a really exciting prospect.”Clearly, Australia are really good in their own conditions, with a great record at home, especially against us, but that’s the exciting bit right? There’s an opportunity there to do something a bit different and hopefully achieve something really special.”Despite the ODI World Cup being two years away, these three matches against New Zealand are not without complete jeopardy. England are currently ranked eighth in the world after winning only eight of their last 23 fixtures. Failure to automatically qualify for the World Cup remains unlikely, but only if they nip in the bud a continued slide in the format.”I don’t think that’s necessarily anyone’s fault of what happened before,” Root said of the ODI group’s relative stability under Brook and McCullum, compared to previous leadership.”You look at the number of crossovers of Test series and one-dayers, it was physically impossible to get there. There was a one-day series against the Netherlands when we were playing a Test match at Old Trafford. You think how can that happen?”New Zealand themselves haven’t played an ODI since April, but remain ranked third in the world. The weighting of points in the ICC rankings is such that it presents a major opportunity for England to win some matches, and lift themselves away from any potential future problems.”I don’t think it’s arrogant to say you look at the quality that’s within our squad, and we’re not an eighth-in-the-world team,” Root said. “We should be competing and jostling for that top spot.”New Zealand are a very good team and if you try to sleepwalk into it or you’re preoccupied with what’s around the corner, then they’ll hurt us really badly. We want to keep making strides under Brooky after what was a difficult Champions Trophy. This is a great opportunity to build on what we started over the summer.”

India are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI, but West Indies might be tempted to bring in the left-arm pace of Jediah Blades

Sidharth Monga09-Oct-20253:13

Gill outlines the challenges of being an all-format player

Big picture: Series sweep on India’s mindThe late Khushwant Singh, one of the more illustrious lovers and residents of Delhi, called October in the city the “pleasantest” of all the months in the northern hemisphere. Like with most things Khushwant, the statement sparks lively debate, especially with lovers of spring in late February and March.This is all relative now: with rampant urbanisation and climate change, it is now more about which months are less unpleasant and less harmful to your health. The BCCI has just about winged the most harmful time for elite athletes to undertake high-performance activity – not before being called out for it – and the early snowfall in the hills has cooled the temperatures to the usual October levels to tease those given to wistfulness for the Delhi of old.Related

The art of Jadeja: subtle genius hiding in plain sight

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India trying to ready Reddy for greater challenges

Brian Lara asks West Indies players to 'find a way'

West Indies' Test-match batting a symptom of deeper issues

Those given to wistfulness also yearn for the West Indies of the old. Not the one that lasted just 89.2 overs in the first Test. More importantly, not the one that looked unthreatening with the ball in an effort of 5 for 448. Not the side whose coach Daren Sammy has to hope a player will “accept” the opportunity when he calls to inform them they have been selected for West Indies.There is not a lot West Indies can hope to change between the two Tests. Ahmedabad, with an early-season greenness on the pitch, was their best chance, but they were without the Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar. In Delhi, the onus will be more on the slower bowlers.It doesn’t help that India are somewhere close to their best after the blip against New Zealand last year. With the exception of Rishabh Pant, whose fractured foot hasn’t fully healed yet, they are at full strength. They are keen on making this a clean sweep, which will take their WTC points percentage to 61.9, still in third place.Form guideIndia WWDLW
West Indies LLLLW1:33

Chopra: ‘West Indies batters need belief on better batting pitch’

In the spotlight: Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jomel WarricanTest cricket is not where you prepare players for the future, but like Hardik Pandya almost a decade ago, India want to give Nitish Kumar Reddy a proper workload in slightly lesser challenges so that he can be the seam-bowling allrounder India need not just in away Tests but also the ODI World Cup in South Africa in 2027. Ryan ten Doeschate, their assistant coach, said just that two days before this Test. In Ahmedabad, he got to bowl only four overs and didn’t get to bat at all. It remains to be seen if India go out of their way to involve him more in this Test.Jomel Warrican is the vice-captain of the side, their most experienced specialist spinner, and joint-most experienced bowler. But he averages 54.25 in four Tests against India, two each at home and away. He will want to do way better in Delhi than the 29-5-102-1 he returned in Ahmedabad.0:49

Chopra: ‘Sai Sudharsan needs runs or the pressure will mount’

Team news: Could Devdutt Padikkal get a game?India have no reason to change their XI. However, is B Sai Sudharsan feeling any heat, and is Devdutt Padikkal breathing down his neck?India (possible): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajIt doesn’t make a lot of sense to change the batting on such a short trip. The one change West Indies might consider is bringing in Jediah Blades to give themselves a left-arm seam option.West Indies (possible): 1 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 2 John Campbell, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Brandon King, 5 Shai Hope (wk), 6 Roston Chase (capt), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Khary Pierre, 10 Johann Layne/Jediah Blades, 11 Jayden SealesPitch and conditionsDelhi is likely to be a typical Indian track, good for batting on the first two-and-a-bit days before bringing the spinners into the game. The drop in temperatures should make it difficult for the pitch to break up suddenly. The week in the lead-up to the Test has brought some rain, but the Test is not likely to be affected.3:31

Sammy: ‘Our problems are rooted deep into our system’

Stats and trivia India haven’t lost a Test in Delhi since November 1987, which, incidentally, was to West Indies. Since then, they have won 12 and drawn 12. Ravindra Jadeja is ten short of 4000 Test runs. Only Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Daniel Vettori before him have achieved the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets.Quotes”We think it would be unfair on the guy [Reddy] if we only play him overseas. Because that doesn’t give him that many opportunities. In the next year and a half, we aren’t playing that many matches outside of India, so to be able to back a guy who can bowl 10-15 overs in a day and can bat as well – we sat his ability and potential in Australia – so we want to give him as much game time in India to help him.”
India captain Shubman Gill doesn’t feel Reddy is an option only for overseas Tests“If we complain about not having the best facilities, not having enough manpower like the other teams, not having the best technology, all these things which the other teams are superior to us [in], then why the hell are they still outworking us? The only way we could match up [and] compete at a consistent level is if we as the coaches and the players are prepared to outwork the opposition, and we’re not doing that.”

Sai Sudharsan picked up the injury when he “caught” John Campbell’s slog-sweep at forward short-leg, the slog-sweep hitting him in the helmet grille before the ball lodged itself in his arms

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2025There will be no B Sai Sudharsan on the field for India on the third day of the ongoing second Test against West Indies in Delhi after he suffered “an impact injury” on the second day of the Test. The good news for India is that “the injury is not serious, and he is doing fine,” as a BCCI media statement on Sunday morning said.Sai Sudharsan, fielding at forward short-leg on the second day, picked up the injury when he “caught” John Campbell off Ravindra Jadeja – the big slog-sweep from the West Indies opener hit Sai Sudharsan in the helmet grille before the ball lodged itself in the crook of the fielder’s arms.That was in the eighth over of West Indies’ first innings after India had declared on 518 for 5, and Sai Sudharsan stayed off the field for the remaining 35 overs that were bowled on the day. “He continues to be monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said. There was no update on whether Sai Sudharsan would bat – at his No. 3 spot or at all – on Sunday’s third day if the West Indies first innings were to end.Sai Sudharsan had earlier made an important contribution when India batted, scoring 87 in 165 balls with 12 fours. He put on an 193-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the second wicket and was dismissed when trying to flick Jomel Warrican across the line in the 69th over. Jaiswal’s 175 and Shubman Gill’s 129 not out put India in the driver’s seat to make it 2-0 in the series.

It’s become a running joke that players who arrive at Manchester United with a notable reputation tend to see their stock plummet, with Old Trafford having been a graveyard for the best and brightest over the last decade or so.

From Angel Di Maria to Alexis Sanchez, the signings of perceived ‘world-class’ talent have spectacularly backfired, with the pursuit of glamour names and marketing opportunities rarely equating to on-field glory.

Thankfully, it does appear that there has been a change in tack under the new INEOS regime, with Jason Wilcox and co having gone for young and hungry figures like Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko, alongside Premier League-proven talents in Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

With potential future captain Matthijs de Ligt now starting to shine at the heart of the defence, while veteran warrior Casemiro is enjoying a midfield renaissance, a strong spine is finally beginning to emerge under Ruben Amorim.

As defeats to the likes of Grimsby and Brentford have showcased this season, however, this new-look United side are far from the finished article, with it likely to take a succession of transfer windows for Amorim to be able to build a title-challenging squad again.

Investment in new recruits is certainly needed, although there is also a sense that there still remains plenty of ‘deadwood’ to be shifted too.

The players Man Utd need to sell in 2026

Whether it is in January or next summer, United face another pivotal year with regard to squad-building, with ruthless decisions needing to yet again be made in order to take this club where it needs to go.

In the most recent window, for instance, Amorim oversaw departures for the likes of Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, with the Portuguese having taken a particularly strong stance on those latter two names.

When next summer rolls around, it would be no surprise to see further peripheral figures also sent packing, with both Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte surely at risk, amid reports that Omar Berrada wishes to implement a two-year rule for new signings.

In essence, those brought in have a maximum of two years to make their mark or face the axe, with Zirkzee – who has played just 90 minutes this season – certainly out in the cold right now, while Ugarte was reportedly the subject of a dressing down from his former Sporting CP boss at the end of last term.

Question marks also remain over the futures of the aforementioned Casemiro and Harry Maguire, amid their expiring contracts, with the Brazilian – for all his importance – regularly unable to last the 90 minutes, having been subbed off on seven occasions in the top-flight this time around.

Long-serving defender Diogo Dalot also appears another player at risk, amid the change to a 3-4-2-1 system, with the orthodox right-back having come under fire this season for his struggles on either flank.

What is clear is that the likes of Amorim and Wilcox aren’t afraid to make the big decisions, a fact that was also evident with the handling of another former world-beater over the summer.

The Man Utd flop who finally needs to be sold

Signed for just £18m, Lammens looks like one of the bargains of the season in Premier League terms, with the Belgian ‘keeper still yet to taste defeat in his new surroundings, following a near faultless five games in the United goal to date.

The 23-year-old Belgian will, as is the fact of life for a goalkeeper, make a mistake at some stage, although his strong early impression has already won over the Old Trafford faithful, with supporters and pundits alike willing him to be the second coming of Peter Schmeichel.

Getting people onside early on is particularly key in a position that Gary Neville regularly describes as the “most difficult position in English football”, with Lammens’ predecessor Andre Onana having failed to do just that upon his arrival in 2023.

Formerly part of Erik ten Hag’s famed Ajax side that reached the Champions League last four in 2019, Onana was reunited with the Dutchman four years later, joining from Inter Milan on a £47.2m deal.

The Cameroon international – who was actually available on a free transfer in 2022 – departed the San Siro having starred amid their surge to the Champions League final in his solitary campaign in Italy, producing an eye-catching display even amid defeat to Manchester City in the showpiece.

Speaking ahead of that eventual 1-0 win for the Etihad side, Pep Guardiola even hailed Onana as “one of the best in the world right now”, with it looking as if United had acquired a perfect replacement for the departed David De Gea.

Frustratingly for all concerned, the erratic ‘keeper looked a poor fit from the off, memorably lobbed from the halfway line on his Old Trafford debut against Lens in July 2023.

The sight of the £120k-per-week stopper tangled in his own goal set the tone for what was to follow, having also escaped punishment for a late punch against Wolverhampton Wanderers on his Premier League bow, before producing a string of blunders during United’s dismal European run.

In that 2023/24 Group stage alone, he made two errors leading to a goal, having followed that up with a further five errors across the 2024/25 season in the Premier League and Europa League, as per Sofascore.

Onana vs Lammens – 24/25 League

Stat

Onana

Lammens

Goals against

1.29

1.10

Save percentage

68.9%

81.3%

Save % (penalties)

25%

66.7%

Clean sheet %

26.5%

20.7%

Touches

40.32

41.59

Launch %

29.7%

32%

Crosses stopped

5.5%

11.2%

Defensive actions (outside area)

0.68

0.72

Stats via FBref

Perhaps the final straw came away at Lyon last term, with Onana engaging in pre-match verbals with Nemanja Matic, who branded him one of the “worst keepers in Manchester United’s history”.

Desperate to prove him wrong, United’s number 24 went on to play his part in both of Lyon’s goals, the second coming at the death just minutes after he had appeared to rile the home crowd by taking an age over a goal-kick.

The woes of Altay Bayindir did ensure he was subsequently reinstated, but the die was cast, with Amorim shipping out his previous first-choice stopper to Turkish side Trabzonspor late in the window.

With no buy option included as part of that deal, the 29-year-old – who has actually conceded just seven goals in eight Super Lig games in Turkey – will have to return to Manchester next summer, with INEOS swiftly needing to find a buyer for their exiled flop.

The problem is, the Red Devils will likely have to take a sizeable hit on their initial investment, with CIES Football Observatory deeming him to be worth a maximum of just €15m (£13m), even less than what United paid for Lammens.

Getting something for him is better than nothing, however, with the Red Devils needing to try and swiftly move on from this costly transfer mistake.

Related Joshua Zirkzee chooses club he wants to leave Man Utd for in January

He wants out of Old Trafford in the New Year.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Nov 18, 2025

Nationals center fielder Jacob Young is finding a routine of making incredible catches in the outfield.

He continued that trend Monday evening when he came up with a wild grab against the Braves where he bobbled a liner off the bat of Atlanta shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Young dove for the ball and got in front of it, but the ball popped out of his glove and he miraculously made the catch with his bare hand.

He made an eerily similar catch just a day ago against the Mets in New York where he tracked down a ball on the warning track that fell out of his glove, but he kicked it back up off his foot and brought it in for a wild out.

In an MLB talent show, Young may take the cake with his impressive juggling and hacky sack skills. The catch off his foot Sunday is one you rarely ever see, and then he follows it up with a similar play the next day. Incredible.

The Nationals' season will come to a close Sunday against the White Sox as they sit at the bottom of the NL East. Maybe we'll see some more new skills from Young with just five games to go.

MatériaMais Notícias

O RB Bragantino recebe o Racing-ARG nesta quinta-feira (9), pela quarta rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. A bola rola a partir das 21h (de Brasília), no estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista, com transmissão do Star+.

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➡️ Assine agora e assista esse e mais jogos da Sula pelo Star+

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
RB Bragantino x Racing-ARG – Copa Sul-Americana
4ª rodada – Fase de grupos

🗓️ Data e horário: quinta-feira, 9 de maio de 2024, às 21h (hora de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista (SP)
📺 Onde assistir: Star+

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

RB BRAGANTINO (Técnico: Pedro Caixinha)
Cleiton; Nathan Mendes, Pedro Henrique, Eduardo Santos e Juninho Capixaba; Jadsom, Eric Ramires e Gustavo Neves; Vitinho, Henry Mosquera (Helinho) e Eduardo Sasha.

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Ariás; Di Cesare, Sosa e Basso; Mura, Zuculini, Almendra e Rojas; Solari, A. Martínez e Salas.

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Futebol NacionalOnde assistirRB BragantinoSul-Americana

Los Angeles Dodgers star third baseman Max Muncy was placed on the injured list on Friday after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain.

Muncy felt a pull in his side during batting practice on Wednesday and the soreness caused him to become a late scratch to the lineup. The soreness did not subside on Thursday's off day, so the Dodgers placed him on the injured list.

Muncy missed most of July after hyperextending his knee, but returned to the lineup earlier this month. Since returning from injury, Muncy was 8-for-23 with four home runs in eight games. The sputtering Dodgers are 12-21 since July 3rd when the franchise held a nine-game lead in the NL West. The Dodgers now trail the San Diego Padres by a game in the division race.

The Dodgers are hoping to have Muncy back prior to the end of the regular season.

حسم التعادل السلبي نتيجة المواجهة القوية التي جمعت بين الجزائر والسودان، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى للمجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في دولة قطر، في مباراة اتسمت بالندية والإثارة على مدار شوطيها.

ودخل المنتخبان اللقاء برغبة واضحة في تحقيق انطلاقة قوية بالبطولة، حيث تبادلا السيطرة خلال الشوط الأول، مع محاولات هجومية خجولة لم تُترجم إلى أهداف، وتألق حارس المنتخب السوداني منجد النيل الذي كان العامل الأبرز في الحفاظ على نظافة شباكه بعدما تصدى لأكثر من محاولة جزائرية خطيرة.

طالع أيضًا | رئيس الاتحاد الكويتي: كنا نأمل الفوز على مصر.. وسأتواصل مع وزارتي الدفاع والطيران

ومع نهاية الشوط الأول، شهدت المباراة لحظة مفصلية حين أشهر الحكم المصري أمين عمر البطاقة الصفراء الثانية ثم الحمراء في وجه لاعب المنتخب الجزائري آدم وناس بعد تدخل قوي، ليُكمل “الخضر” اللقاء بعشرة لاعبين، وهو ما أثّر على الأداء الهجومي للمنتخب في النصف الثاني من المباراة. طرد آدم وناس خلال في مباراة الجزائر والسودان بـ كأس العرب

واستغل منتخب السودان النقص العددي في صفوف الجزائر، وبدأ في فرض سيطرة أكبر على وسط الملعب، مع ارتفاع معدل الاستحواذ ومحاولات متكررة لتهديد مرمى الخصم، ورغم تلك الأفضلية، إلا أن الدفاع الجزائري ظهر متماسكًا ونجح في احتواء الهجمات السودانية، لتنتهي المباراة بالتعادل السلبي.

ويأتي التعادل ليمنح كل من الجزائر والسودان نقطة واحدة في بداية مشوارهما بالبطولة، في انتظار المواجهة المرتقبة بين العراق والبحرين المقرر انطلاقها بعد قليل ضمن الجولة الأولى من المجموعة ذاتها، والتي قد تعيد ترتيب الحسابات مبكرًا.

Can Rangers continue their Premiership winning run?

Well, the Gers did bring to an end their seven-match losing streak in Europe on Thursday, albeit a 1-1 draw with ten-man Braga at Ibrox did little to boost their hopes of reaching the Europa League knockout phase.

Back in the Premiership, Danny Röhl has won four out of four since arriving in Glasgow, albeit his team will kick off down in fifth place when Falkirk visit Ibrox on Sunday.

This is followed by clashes with Dundee United at Tannadice and then Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the next week, presenting the Light Blues with a golden chance to climb up the standings, so which forgotten summer signing should Röhl unleash in these matches?

Can Rangers rely on Mohamed Diomandé?

Most would agree that, in a squad that otherwise lacks quality, the strongest part of this Rangers team is their midfield pairing of Nicolas Raskin alongside Mohamed Diomandé.

However, while the Belgian continues to impress, the same cannot be said of the Côte d’Ivoire international.

On Thursday, Diomandé was sent off in the dying embers of the underwhelming 1-1 draw with Braga, a pretty harsh dismissal in fairness, but this was his second red card of the Europa League already, having also been dismissed for a tackle on Zakaria El Ouahdi when Genk were 1-0 winners in Govan.

Thus, having now been sent off twice, the Ivorian will miss the next two Europa League fixtures against Ferencváros and then Ludogorets Razgrad.

That aside, he more broadly is not showing his best form this season, scoring his first goal of the campaign to snatch victory against Livingston last weekend.

Nevertheless, as a reflection of this, Diomandé has not been called up by les Éléphants manager Emerse Faé since June, putting his participation at both next month’s Africa Cup of Nations and the summer’s World Cup in doubt, unless his form improves.

Thus, searching for solutions as he attempts to configure a winning team, perhaps Röhl should leave Diomandé on the bench against Falkirk on Sunday, instead starting Rangers’ forgotten summer signing.

Rangers' forgotten new recruit deserves an opportunity

Given that Rangers brought in 13 new recruits during a busy and expensive summer, the first of those new recruits has been overlooked.

Back in January, 23 year old midfielder Lyall Cameron agreed to join Rangers on a pre-contract from Dundee, thereby arriving in the summer for mere compensation, having established himself as one of the Premiership’s most outstanding young players.

Of course, at the time he put pen to paper, Philippe Clement was still the manager, with a lot of change happening during the intervening six months, later admitting that the knowledge Russell Martin “didn’t sign” him was being used as extra motivation to prove his worth.

During his final season at Dundee, Cameron scored 14 goals across all competitions, an impressive return considering the Dark Blues finished tenth, narrowly avoiding relegation, certainly showcasing his talent.

Kai Watson was very much impressed, noting that “ball carrying, chance-creation, tenacity and vision” are his primary attributes, praising his “ability to be in the right place at the right time” in the penalty area, calling the signing a “no-brainer”.

Well, towards the start of the season, Cameron appeared set to be a key figure, starting three Champions League qualifiers and two of the first three Premiership matches, scoring his first goal for the club against Viktoria Plzeň on the road.

Overall, the Scotland under-21 international accumulated 409 minutes of action across July and August, but has seen a miserly ten minutes on the park subsequently, introduced as a late substitute by Röhl during home Premiership wins over Kilmarnock and Livingston.

Nevertheless, he surely deserves more of an opportunity, so let’s compare his statistics to those of Diomandé.

Cameron 24/25 vs Diomandé 25/26
Stats	Cameron	Diomandé
Goals	0.3	0.2
Assists	0.2	Zero
Shots	1.2	0.7
Shots on target	0.7	0.4
Chances created	1.8	0.9
Big chances created	0.19	0.17
Passes completed	32.1	39
Forward passes	16.3	10.4
Duels won	4.1	4.9
Ball recoveries	5.8	4.9
Tackles	1.2	1.4
Ground duels won %	44.5%	45.5%
Touches	63.8	65.4
Average rating	7.12	6.54
Note: all stats are Premiership only and per-90.
Stats via Squawka and SofaScore

As the table documents, Cameron’s Premiership statistics last season are pretty much universally more impressive than those of Diomandé this time round, all on a per 90 basis, the Scotsman doing so for struggling Dundee, making it all the more impressive.

Cameron scored more goals and registered more assists, as well as coming out on top for a wide variety of underlying metrics, including shooting, chance creation, passing and ball recoveries.

Thus, considering Rangers’ lowly league position and, at best, mixed form, it is frankly baffling that Cameron has been given pretty much no playing time by Röhl, a fact that the German head coach should rectify against Falkirk on Sunday.

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Rohl must bin Chermiti for Rangers star who was the SPFL's "best player"

After another anonymous performance by Youssef Chermiti against Braga, Danny Röhl must start the “best player in the league” against Falkirk on Sunday

By
Ben Gray

Nov 29, 2025