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Tactically, Mauricio Pochettino seems to have figured out the player pool – now it's about deciding who fits best in the system

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – In the hours after the U.S. men's national team's 1-1 draw with Ecuador, Mauricio Pochettino took to social media. He's not a frequent Instagram poster, but he does hop on every now and then.

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast," Pochettino posted.

A clear message, and one he's been preaching all along. Now, though, with the USMNT culture seemingly back in the right place, Pochettino is free to tweak strategy. That continues on Tuesday night against Australia.

Following the draw with Ecuador on Friday night, Pochettino told media how happy he was to be talking about tactics, formations and roles instead of passion, desire and commitment. It was a long summer of debating the latter, but Pochettino can now do what he was, ultimately, brought in to do: build for the World Cup.

Tactically, he's seemingly figured out how to get the most of his player pool. All that's left, then, is to figure out who fits best into this new system, and what tweaks he can make to maximize it by the time the USMNT kick off in Los Angeles next summer.

This Australia match is one of the final few left on the USMNT schedule before next summer's festivities. Wildly enough, there are only five left before Pochettino will really have to narrow down his World Cup roster. The clock is ticking. And the USMNT seem to bein a better place than they were even a month ago.

Can they build more momentum heading towards November? We'll find out on Tuesday as the USMNT takes its next test.

GOAL looks at five keys for the USMNT against Australia.

Getty Images SportThe fake wingback

Before the game against Ecuador, Tim Weah described his role as a "fake wingback." Pochettino laughed when asked about it postgame. It's true – Weah was a wingback in name only. By and large, he was a winger.

"When I said 'fake wingback' it really just meant that I would be doing less defending because Miles [Robinson] was covering the whole time," Weah said postgame. "That was pretty much it. When we attacked, I didn't really have to track back as much."

It's an interesting tactical wrinkle one that, ultimately, could keep Weah on the field in this 3-4-2-1 system. Weah is an accomplished wingback on the club level, yes, but there's no denying where his skill lies: bombing forward. In this setup, he can do that as much as he wants, knowing that he has that third back sliding to cover that area for whenever possession switches.

Will this be how things look when Sergino Dest is back? Will Weah or Dest be the starter when that time comes? That is a question for another day.

Tuesday's game is another chance to see what Pochettino does with his wingbacks. If it's Weah on that right side, you can expect more of the same. If it's Alex Freeman, he may stay a little deeper. But given his success with Orlando City, he may have freedom to bomb forward, too. 

The system is still somewhat new, but it's one that seemingly already has a few wrinkles that can be expanded on going forward.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportOptions for centerback

As Weah said, Miles Robinson did a lot of important work in that third centerback role. With Weah going forward, it was up to Robinson to keep control on that right-hand side of the field when Ecuador did get forward. However, Robinson isn't the only centerback in this squad fighting for a chance.

Mark McKenzie remains a candidate to start for the USMNT if this three-centerback system sticks. He plays there plenty with Toulouse, making him a natural candidate to start alongside Chris Richards and Tim Ream. The former Philadelphia Union defender will be eager to get back onto the field, though, as he looks to put a tough summer behind him.

Then there's Cameron Carter-Vickers, who is back in the team for the first time since March. A standout at Celtic for so long, Carter-Vickers still faces a fight to get into another World Cup roster after featuring in 2022. With Celtic out of European competition, that fight is even harder, and one that could really use a strong performance in defense.

So, whether it's Robinson, McKenzie or Carter-Vickers, that third centerback spot remains one to watch as the fight for World Cup roles continues.

"What we're looking for is the capacity to sustain what we want," Pochettino said. "We play with three central defenders sometimes. What we want is for them to adapt in different situations…The most important is communication and then can we build out being dynamic or how we play in the opposite half, depending on the opponent having one striker or two strikers? Right now, it's all about building the gameplan for every single game because the opponent is different, and then trying to find the best system for them to adapt."

Getty Images SportPulisic's status

Pochettino indicated on Friday that Christian Pulisic could be ready for Tuesday. 

"Christian didn't train yesterday. He's [been] suffering, from the preseason, a small issue in his ankle," Pochettino said at the time. "After training on Wednesday, his ankle was a little bit swollen. It's an important game, yes, but at the same time, it's important to not take risks. Of course, he's going to be on the bench, and we'll see. We will decide if maybe he can play. If not, the goal is to be ready next Tuesday."

Pulisic, of course, did play in the draw. He came in for a few minutes off the bench, showing that the injury is nothing to be particularly worried about. Throughout his tenure as USMNT boss, Pochettino has avoided risking players. But if Friday is any indication, there doesn't seem to be any overwhelming risk to giving Pulisic some run in the attack.

"Christian participated in the training session," Pochettino said on Monday. "I think the reaction after the 20 minutes of playing was good. He's arrived very well and, yes, we hope that tomorrow he can be available. We need to wait today and see the reaction,t oo, but I think it's much, much better than when we arrived."

How much does he play on Tuesday? Only Pochettino knows. Obviously, the USMNT will be better if he is healthy and available.

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Getty Images SportA free McKennie

Both Pochettino and McKennie used the word on Friday: "Freedom." It's something that a player such as McKennie needs. He can impact a game in so many ways on both sides of the ball, so giving him the freedom to do that is vital.

It was also interesting, though, how Pochettino described McKennie postgame, when he hinted that he sees him as more of an attacking midfielder than one competing for one of those holding spots.

"I think we have the capacity now to throw him in a higher position to interpret and read the demands of the game," Pochettino said. "What I wanted was to provide him with a little bit of freedom in the starting position. He was playing behind the striker like another 10 with Malik [Tillman] on the left and Tim on the right. He's a player that needs that freedom because he has the capacity to help in build up, dropping in, but also arriving and scoring goals."

That, of course, will have ramifications long-term. If he's seen as a No. 10, that means he's competing with the likes of Tillman, Diego Luna and Alex Zendejas, not Tyler Adams, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Johnny Cardoso. He, of course, could play in either spot but, when it comes time to choose a squad, it'll be interesting to see how Pochettino weighs up McKennie's position.

Speaking of weight, McKennie addressed his own fitness in candid fashion after Friday's match, telling TNT, "I had a long preseason with my coach back in Juventus, Igor Tudor, that really put pressure on me and said, ‘Hey, you’re getting older and your body is not going to be able to bounce back from games like you used to be able to. You need to cut down some weight. That’s the only way you’re going to be involved in this team.’

"I put my head down, worked like I usually do, got on a diet. I don’t snack as much any more and if I do, it’s healthy snacks. And I work out more often. And a lot of running. This summer is the first summer I didn't mind taking my shirt off at the pool."

As for the Australia game, McKennie remains one to watch as he looks to put in another good performance after missing out on the summer with Juventus in the Club World Cup. Making it all the more interesting is his position and how much freedom it comes with this time around.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Universitario-PER por 2 a 1, na partida de volta dos playoffs da Copa Sul-Americana, e garantiu vaga às oitavas de final da competição. Maycon abriu o placar para o Timão, Flores, após pênalti cometido por Biro, igualou o marcador, e Ryan Gustavo, nos acréscimos, sacramentou a vitória. No gráfico abaixo você confere as notas do Corinthians no duelo contra o Universitario.

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Pep Guardiola has explained how he keeps Erling Haaland motivated after the Manchester City striker took his season tally of goals to 18 in only 11 games for club and country. Haaland scored the only goal of Sunday’s 1-0 win away to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, showing an impressive amount of strength to fire home the winner.

Haaland downs Brentford with superb goal

With only ten minutes on the clock, Haaland took a pass from Josko Gvardiol in stride and managed to completely outmuscle Bees defender Sepp van den Berg, powering his way into the penalty area and firing beyond goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher for what proved to be the only goal of a close game in west London.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola tells GOAL about talks with Haaland

In a post-match press conference, GOAL asked Guardiola what his instructions even are for Haaland anymore given his near-guarantee of goals. 

"Always to try play better and better, to try and play more balls to him to score goals," he replied. "Phil [Foden] is the same. In the first half, there was two or three decisions that was not in the final third perfect, but his commitment was really good. Even defensively. We talked after Monaco, that was really good.

"Last season, I don’t know if we were in the position we are in right now, we’re a little bit away from everything. But listen, it’s just seven games in the Premier League. From my experience, it never ends. I would say three weeks ago, Liverpool had already won the Premier League, and now apparently not. So this is so long. The important thing is we see the team [getting] better and better. Liverpool is an incredible team, like Arsenal and Chelsea and Tottenham. Bournemouth is there, Brighton is. They’re very good teams. The question is [how to] improve, improve, improve. Winning helps to improve better, but the way we play, the way we defend, the way we do things to help us in the end, to make it close to try to fight like always, except last season."

Haaland working to become complete forward

Guardiola also expressed his desire to continue developing Haaland as an all-round striker and not only someone that can score ‘50 million goals’. He added: "I said one month ago he is the best and that year we won the Treble, I don’t know how many goals he scored – maybe 50 million goals.

"But now he signed a contract for many years – we have to find him more, but he is more involved in the game, not just in the finishing, he is more on the ball and he work a lot his ethic, pressing and I am really pleased and I hope this week with Norway he can score more and come back fit for the Everton game."

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Getty Images SportHaaland eyeing Golden Boot and European Golden Shoe

Haaland already has nine goals this Premier League campaign alone, three more than the closest challenger – Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth – in the race for the Golden Boot. The only match he has not scored in during 2025-26 was City’s 2-0 defeat at home to Tottenham on the second weekend of the season.

Only four players have won the Premier League Golden Boot three times or more. Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah have picked it up four times apiece, while Alan Shearer and Harry Kane have taken it home three times each. Haaland, victorious in 2022-23 and 2023-24, is looking to join an exclusive club and regain the top-scorer gong from Salah, who was triumphant for 2024-25. The Norwegian has also spoken of his wish to win the European Golden Shoe, awarded to the top scorer across the entire continent, with Kane, now of Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe seen as his closest challengers on that front.

U.S. legend Tony Meola voiced concern over Yunus Musah’s recent form, calling it part of a troubling decline dating back to his final year at AC Milan. Meola urged the midfielder to change course, regain confidence and aim to develop on his potential. Musah struggled mightily in Atlanta's 4-0 defeat by PSG in a midweek Champions League match.

• AFP
  

  'It was a tough test for Yunus Musah'

  Meola acknowledged Musah getting his first start for La Dea against the European Champions isn't ideal, but also insisted his struggles aren't isolated to that match. 

  “It was a tough test for Yunus Musah,” Meola said on the Call it What You Want podcast. “When you talk about performances, I’m still more worried about Yunus Musah because this, for me, isn’t a one off. Remember, he was at Milan. I watched him all year, I watched him all season, and the play just continued to decline and decline. 

  “So this is, for me, like an extension of what happened last year. And I get worried because at some point, I want it to turn around. And I don’t know if we should be judging in this game, because as [co-host] Charlie [Davies] mentioned, [Fabian] Ruiz, Vitinha, [Joao] Neves. Like you’re dealing with a midfield that is the best midfield in the world, arguably…but I’m a little bit concerned that Yunus Musah has to start turning this around.”

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• AFP
  

  Praise for 'phenomenal' Weah

  While Musah struggled in his Champions League debut for Atalanta, there was plenty of praise for Tim Weah's first Champions League match for Marseille.  Davies offered glowing praise for the winger's impressive showing for Marseille against Real Madrid in the Champions League, calling it one of the best performances of his career. 

  “Oh, [he was] phenomenal,” Davies said. “He absolutely torched the backline with his movement. He was running, and he was confident. The 1-v-1s, I was really impressed with his influence for Marseille. Remember, they signed Igor Paxiao. They have Mason Greenwood, and Igor Paxiao is just catching up. You have [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang there as well. 

  "So this is a talented Marseille team, and I think Weah proved that he’s got to be on the pitch. To do this against a Real Madrid side? Phenomenal! This was probably one of the best games I’ve seen from Timothy Weah in his career.”

• Musah and Weah's Champions League journeys

  Both players have some signature moments in the Champions League, arguably the best club competition in global football. Musah, 22, made his Champions League debut with AC Milan in September 2023 against Newcastle United and has since built steady experience, logging 13 total appearances in his career. While he has yet to register a goal or assist in the competition, the fact that he has now featured for two clubs in the competition showcases the value of his versatility to teams. Weah, who previously featured in Europe for Paris Saint-Germain and Lille, has made 13 total Champions League appearances and is on an upward trend in the competition, scoring in his last two games. 

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• AFP
  

  Big matches ahead

  Weah will likely feature in one of Marseille's biggest matches of the season when they host PSG in Le Classique. Musah will look to rebound when Atalanta take on Torino. 

Speaking in his first press conference during pre-season a few days ago, there was perhaps a sense of frustration from Mikel Arteta that Arsenal hadn’t strengthened more in the transfer window.

“We are short”, he said, even despite the fact that the Gunners have signed four players and are on the verge of adding two more this week in the form of Cristian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres.

Well, as their pre-season festivities kicked off with a 1-0 win over AC Milan in which they had 27 shots, it was perhaps evident why the Gunners have moved to land Gyokeres, a man with 54 goals in 52 matches last season.

Despite the fact that Gyokeres is yet to be officially confirmed, we did get to see a glimpse of the club’s new signings with Christian Norgaard starting, while Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arriazabalaga appeared for the second half as substitutes.

There was even a customary goal for Bukayo Saka who looked as though he’d never been away.

How Arsenal's new signings fared on debut against Milan

Noni Madueke, signed from Chelsea for £52m, is yet to join up with the squad following their Club World Cup exploits in America. As a result, the Gunners’ attack had a rather similar feel to it.

There was something different in midfield, however, with Norgaard handed his first Arsenal start on Wednesday evening in the Singapore heat.

While the Dane lost possession a few times, on six occasions in fact, there was a tidiness to his play that shone through in his pass completion of 88%. As far as £15m signings go, he will more than hold his own in central areas when acting as Zubimendi’s deputy.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Speaking of the Spaniard, his debut was certainly a bit more eye-catching. Supporters have longingly waited for their first glimpse and while he didn’t have too much to do, the former Real Sociedad man was also tidy, completing 89% of his passes and providing two key passes.

There were standout moments for a number of young stars, too. Max Dowman was given his first senior outing and was outstanding in his brief cameo.

His ability to pick up the ball and evade the opposition is already first-class. It’s astonishing to think he’s only 15 years of age.

There was also a debut for fellow 15-year-old Marli Salmon. The centre-back may have missed a penalty in the novelty penalty shoot-out that took place at full-time but he dazzled in possession during normal time, completing 94% of his passes.

That said, it wasn’t a positive runout for everyone in an Arsenal shirt.

The areas Arsenal must work on

While it’s still early in pre-season, the Gunners’ need for new recruits in their offensive line was blatant.

Saka was lively on the right-hand side and carved out a number of opportunities, but as usual, not too many in Arsenal blue were willing to get on the end of things.

You can excuse Kai Havertz who has returned from a lengthy injury lay-off but the need for a presence like Gyokeres is clear for all to see.

The need for a left winger was also rather obvious. Arsenal have been linked regularly with moves for Eberechi Eze and Rodrygo over the summer and the display for a certain Gabriel Martinelli will have left fans begging for their arrival.

We’ll excuse an early pre-season performance, but the Brazilian’s showing in Singapore was all too familiar. He was timid in possession on the left and lacked the explosiveness required to pose a constant threat to the Milan backline.

Minutes played

45

Touches

19

Accurate passes

6/8 (75%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0

Successful dribbles

2/4

Shots on target

0

Blocked shots

1

Ground duels won

3/6

Possession lost

x5

Fouled

x1

Playing the opening 45 minutes, Martinelli could only manage 19 touches and he completed just six passes. His only shot, one that was blocked, summed up that timid nature.

The winger got the ball on the left and looked to press into the area but his indecisiveness and lack of quick feet around the box meant that Milan found it easy to prevent a goalscoring opportunity from occurring.

His efforts on the night were well summed up by The Standard’s Simon Collings who handed Martinelli a 5/10 rating and wrote: ‘Had one mazy run, which included a cheeky nutmeg, but the final ball was lacking at times, especially with a chance late on in the first half.’

As a consequence, Arteta needs a more explosive figure to partner the likes of Gyokeres and Saka in his forward line this season.

If the board have any sense, they will look to replace Martinelli’s regular starting spot with someone like Eze or Rodrygo.

A better signing than Eze: Arsenal hold talks to land £52m "superstar"

The £52m ace would be a better signing for Arsenal than Eze.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 21, 2025

New Zealand vs Pakistan

Dubai, 6pm local time

New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.Pakistan squad: Fatima Sana (capt), Muneeba Ali (wk), Aliya Riaz, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Najiha Alvi.Tournament form guide: New Zealand recovered from a heavy defeat against Australia and registered an important eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka to remain strong contenders for the semi-final. As for Pakistan, they started their campaign with a win against Sri Lanka but slumped to defeats against India and then Australia.News brief: Thanks to Australia’s win over India, all New Zealand need to do is beat Pakistan to qualify for the semis. Their confidence will be boosted by Georgia Plimmer finding form as well as Amelia Kerr being among the runs and wickets. While the target of 116 they chased down against Sri Lanka was a modest one, it was a case of the batters bouncing back after being bundled out for 88 against Australia. They have resources to go in with six bowling options whether they persist with Fran Jonas or bring back Jess Kerr.Fatima Sana (in front) should return to the Pakistan XI•ICC/Getty Images

Pakistan will be buoyed by the return of their regular captain Fatima Sana, who returned to the UAE after going home upon her father passing away. However, Diana Baig, one of their strike bowlers, has been ruled out with a calf injury and Najiha Alvi, her replacement, could be in with a chance to play.Player to watch: Rosemary Mair, with six wickets in three games, is the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand going into the game. She went wicketless against Sri Lanka but bowled 14 dots and conceded at only 4.25 an over. She has dismissed key batters like Alyssa Healy, Harmanpreet Kaur and has been used both as a new-ball bowler and a first-change bowler. Sana was dearly missed in Pakistan’s game against Australia and is key for their prospects although they only have an outside chance of qualifying for the semis. Sana has scored at a strike rate of 153 and has taken four wickets with the ball, apart from leading the team competently.

In his first outing as a red-ball bowler in Asia, Will O’Rourke was a menace. In his first spell, when the pitch was at its bounciest, he was rapid – sometimes breaching 140kph, and generated uncomfortable bounce from his six-foot-four-inch frame.His first Test wicket in the continent came from a bouncer, with experienced opener Dimuth Karunaratne so shaken by the deliveries O’Rourke had bowled to him previously, that he fenced at one he could have left, and edged it to the wicketkeeper.Pathum Nissanka, a centurion in the last Test innings he played, barely 10 days ago, was dismissed by an even better ball, a rapid, yorker he brought his bat down too late on, and which ended up rattling his stumps.Related

• Southee pleased with depth, variety in New Zealand's attack

• Sri Lanka pull ahead with Kamindu hundred, Kusal fifty

• Yes, you're still inside the Kamindu Mendis fever dream

Often foreign seamers struggle in their first outings in dry conditions. O’Rourke crushed it.”Me and Tim Southee as the pace bowlers have the role to be aggressive and bowl quick and unsettle people – that’s what we’ve talked about with coach Gary Stead and bowling Jacob Oram,” O’Rourke said.In his first five-over spell, O’Rourke took two wickets for 26.”A lot of the talk going into the game was maybe that the pitch was a little bit flat and a little bit slow. We probably wanted to have a bat first. But we had a bowl, and Tim and I were getting good carry, so the communication was to run in hard and hit the deck hard. I probably scattered it around a bit more than I wanted to, but when I hit the right spot I was lucky enough to get a few edges.”O’Rourke’s third wicket was especially impressive. Not only did he get one to rise sharply to smack Angelo Mathews on the index finger late in the first session, causing Mathews to retire hurt at the time. But when Mathews – frequently a good player of fast bowling – returned to the crease, O’Rourke got his wicket with another short, sharp delivery, one that a seemingly muddled Mathews fended at from a bad position.”It’s very special being this early on in my career bowling to legends like Angelo Mathews,” O’Rourke said. “One ball maybe jumped and caught him on the finger and unsettled him a little bit. It’s special to be able to bowl to greats like him and lucky enough to get his wicket at the end.”O’Rourke, in his third Test, is also reveling in having Southee as a mentor. Southee has bowled several memorable spells in Sri Lanka, including in Galle on the morning of the second day in a 2012 Test. Southee also averages an impressive 18.46 against this opposition.”It’s been awesome having Tim as captain. Having another fast bowler as captain who has done as much for the game as he has – it can only be a good thing for a young guy coming through. Getting him at mid-on, or even third slip when he comes over and gives you a wee pointer – that’s a big part of our team and a big part of helping me out.”

Charith Asalanka is the new captain of the Sri Lanka men’s T20I team. The news was confirmed when Sri Lanka Cricket announced the 16-man squad to face India in a three-match series starting July 27.Asalanka, who takes over from Wanindu Hasaranga after the latter had stepped down from the role earlier this month following a six-month stint, is no stranger to captaincy, though. He had led Sri Lanka in two T20Is on the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year when Hasaranga, the captain at the time, was serving a suspension. He has also captained the Sri Lanka Under-19s and, most recently, led Jaffna Kings to the LPL title, after having taken over the reins from Thisara Perera at the start of the season.The other big news is the return of the 34-year-old Dinesh Chandimal to Sri Lanka’s T20I fold. He last played a T20I back in early 2022, but his form in the LPL this year, where he struck 287 runs across eight matches at a strike rate of 168.82 – far above his career strike rate of 123.03 – opening the innings, made a strong case for his inclusion. But with one stalwart entering another made way, with Angelo Mathews, now 37, left out of the squad despite also having had a good time in the LPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Included is another surprise inclusion, the uncapped Chamindu Wickramasinghe. The 21-year-old allrounder from Kandy, who has been putting in time at the MRF Pace Academy in India, caught the eye of selectors following a breakout LPL campaign this past month. A right-arm seamer who can also bat, he showed great maturity for his Dambulla Sixers franchise lower down the order, picking up seven wickets across eight games while also scoring 186 runs at a strike rate 131.91 – including two clutch fifties. His rise is all the more remarkable seeing that he went unsold during the LPL auction, but was signed by the Dambulla franchise after their forced ownership change had offered up the opportunity to bring in unsigned players.There are also returns for Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando and Binura Fernando, but this means there’s no room for Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva and Dilshan Madushanka.Madushanka’s omission might be the most surprising of the lot, but it’s also the position in which Sri Lanka now have the most depth. While his 21 wickets at the 2023 ODI World Cup might still be relatively fresh in the memory, he didn’t play a single game at this year’s T20 World Cup, and he picked up just two wickets over six games for the Dambulla Sixers in the LPL.Replacing Madushanka in the squad is Binura Fernando, largely on the back of an excellent LPL outing. The 29-year-old left-arm quick has been in the Sri Lankan system for quite some time now – he made his debut back in 2015 – but consistency eluded him, primarily down to a poor injury record. This year, though, has been a watershed moment, as an unencumbered Binura took the LPL by storm, his clever variations helping him pick up 13 wickets across eight games at a miserly economic rate of 6.81. Equally, he put his body to the test, ending the season having played four games across five days.Binura Fernando picked up 13 wickets from eight matches in LPL 2024•Getty Images

Two others staking their claims on the back of a solid LPL season are Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando. The former, like Wickramasinghe, found his way to the Dambulla franchise belatedly having initially gone unsold in the auction, which itself followed a surprise exclusion from Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad. But Perera grabbed this fresh opportunity with both hands, crashing 296 runs across eight games at a strike rate of 169.14 – this included two fifties and a maiden T20 century, all at the top of the order.As for Avishka, after the disappointment of missing out on the T20 World Cup amid healthy competition in the top two spots, he made the No. 4 role his own to help Jaffna Kings to the title. Across 10 LPL innings he struck 374 runs at a strike rate of 162.60, including five fifty-plus scores. He ended the season as the third-highest run-scorer, and might have even topped the charts had he got an opportunity to bat in the final.The rest of the side comes through as expected, with Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga completing a strong batting line-up.Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Wellalage will be the primary spin-bowling options with support from the ambidextrous Kamindu if needed. The seam-bowling contingent shows good variety with two slingers in Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana, Binura’s left-arm seam and Dushmantha Chameera’s right-arm pace, while Shanaka and Wickramasinghe can also roll their arm over when called upon.

Sri Lanka squad for T20I series vs India

Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Janith Perera (wk), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando

Derby County have now opened talks to sign an “unbelievable” defender, who is set to be available on a free transfer at the end of the month, according to a report.

Derby set to strengthen in defence

Derby survived the drop by the barest of margins last season, and they have their defence to thank, keeping clean sheets in four out of their last eight games to ensure Championship football will be played at Pride Park once again next season.

In the end, John Eustace wasn’t left to rue the decision to leave Blackburn Rovers for the Rams, but a club of their stature will have far loftier ambitions than merely surviving in the second tier, and the manager is looking to put his own stamp on his squad.

Despite the stellar defensive efforts at the back end of last season, one position in which Eustace appears to be particularly keen to strengthen is centre-back, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers’ Danny Batth and Birmingham City’s Dion Sanderson of interest.

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According to a report from Derbyshire Live, a League One centre-back has also been identified as a target, namely Lincoln City’s Paudie O’Connor, with Derby recently opening talks over a deal for the defender.

O’Connor’s contract is set to expire at the end of the month, meaning he is able to leave the Imps on a free transfer, and there are a number of clubs interested in his signature, with Huddersfield Town and Barnsley also being linked.

Wycombe Wanderers are currently believed to be in pole position for the Lincoln centre-back, but a move to Pride Park could be more appealing, given that Championship football will be on offer next season.

Derby need new centre-back after Phillips departure

The Rams’ defence was not the main problem last season, considering they shipped fewer goals than Coventry City, who reached the play-off semi-final, but it is clear they will need to bring in a new centre-back this summer, as Nat Phillips has returned to Liverpool.

Phillips was a regular starter whenever fit, making 32 appearances in the Championship last term, and he even scored a vital goal away at Hull City in the penultimate match of the season, which proved to be crucial in Eustace’s side avoiding the drop.

As such, it could be a difficult task to replace the 28-year-old, but there are some signs that O’Connor could be up to the task, having previously been lauded as “unbelievable” by teammate Jack Moylan.

The Lincoln captain was a key player for the Imps last season, making 45 appearances in all competitions, during which time he also proved himself to be a real attacking threat, picking up three goals and five assists in League One.

As such, the Irishman could now be ready to test himself at Championship level, and he would be a low-risk addition to the Derby squad on a free transfer.

Burnley will head back into the Premier League desperate to stay there for the long term, with Scott Parker also having plenty to prove as a top-flight worthy manager.

Parker has now impressively sealed three promotions up to the big time on his managerial CV, but he’s never looked like the most comfortable figure plying his trade in the top-flight away from the Championship, with a dire 30 defeats next to his name when managing at the elite level.

He will no doubt be eager to prove all his doubters wrong from the Turf Moor hot-seat, but he will be very aware that any chance he has of establishing himself as a top manager at the level will rest on the newly promoted side keeping talents such as Josh Brownhill around.

Why Burnley must keep Brownhill

Jumping up a division and staying put there is going to be a very difficult ask for Burnley, especially when you weigh up the ongoing fate that every newly promoted side that triumphantly tastes promotion immediately falls straight back to the EFL.

That’s before you further factor in the grim fact that Burnley could lose a large portion of their promotion-winning heroes this off-season, with 18-goal star Brownhill allegedly on the summer shopping lists of both Everton and West Ham United.

Losing their beloved captain to a top-flight rival would be nothing short of disastrous for Parker’s men, with Brownhill’s 18 strikes and six assists across 44 league games undoubtedly playing a huge part in Burnley’s push back up to the top-flight.

The in-demand 29-year-old has also shown he can perform up a level previously, with six goals and six assists next to his name in the Premier League to date, meaning he could be just the steadying presence the Lancashire club need to try and secure survival.

Away from Brownhill, Burnley will also need to ensure they keep their formidable defence around to try and stave off relegation, with one stern Clarets defender actually boasting a higher worth than the electric midfielder now after a breakout promotion-winning season.

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Remarkably, across the full 46-game marathon, Burnley would only ship a minuscule 16 goals in total, leading to first-choice goalkeeper James Trafford reprotedly being on the radar of Newcastle United.

He isn’t the only defensive star being eyed up by a higher suitor, however, with Crystal Palace also reportedly keeping tabs on Clarets number 16 Maxime Esteve, after the French colossus looked near faultless all season long alongside Trafford.

The former Montpellier man would deservedly slot into the Championship team of the season, with Esteve operating as both a classy performer on the ball with 60.5 accurate passes averaged per league game, but also acting as a forceful presence when needed by picking up a whopping 30 clean sheets.

Unsurprisingly, off the back of such a sterling individual season alongside his standout teammates, Esteve’s transfer value has shot up, with Burnley definitely winning themselves a golden bargain when purchasing the 22-year-old for around the £12.5m mark just last year.

Now, the in-demand centre-back is worth a far heftier £19.3m – as per Football Transfers – with Brownhill’s own value of £9.6m falling way short of Esteve’s bumped up valuation.

Therefore, it will likely have to be an astronomical offer put on the table for Burnley to consider parting ways with their “exceptional” – as he has been previously labelled by Parker – centre-back.

Further billed as possessing “undeniable” Premier League potential by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it will be intriguing to see if does become even more of an imperious defender next season, whether that be lining up for Parker’s men, for Oliver Glasner’s Eagles or moving elsewhere.

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