Nottingham Forest are making headlines with one of the most eye-catching transfer pursuits of the summer.

Fresh from securing Europa League football, the Midlands club have intensified efforts to strengthen their squad, targeting several high-profile young talents from across Europe.

Forest have already confirmed the signings of Dan Ndoye, Igor Jesus, and Jair Cunha, with deals for James McAtee and Omari Hutchinson also nearing completion.

The package for McAtee is worth around £30m, while Hutchinson’s deal could break Forest’s transfer record at £37.5m.

Talks are also ongoing for Rennes forward Arnaud Kalimuendo, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is close to agreeing fresh terms at the City Ground.

This ambitious activity comes after manager Nuno Espírito Santo publicly voiced concerns about a lack of progress in the transfer market earlier this summer.

The club’s hierarchy appear to have responded.

With Europa League football guaranteed after Crystal Palace’s unsuccessful appeal to CAS demoted them to the Conference League, Forest should see this as the perfect moment to cement their status as one of the Premier League’s rising forces.

Among their boldest moves has been a bid for one of Manchester City’s most highly regarded academy graduates.

Nottingham Forest working to sign Man City talent

The target in question is 20-year-old Rico Lewis, a versatile full-back and defensive midfielder who has been with Manchester City since childhood.

His progress through the ranks has been notable.

A player already described by Pep Guardiola as “exceptional”, Forest submitted an opening offer of £25.8m, which was swiftly rejected.

According to Fabrizio Romano, negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs as the Tricky Trees work on a deal to snap him up from the Cityzens this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Debuting at 17, Lewis soon became a regular part of Guardiola’s treble-winning squad in 2022/23, demonstrating maturity far beyond his years.

Last season, he made 48 appearances across all competitions, starting 37 of them, per Transfermarkt. Along the way, he scored twice and provided five assists, while his positional flexibility proved invaluable for City. Capable of operating at right-back, left-back, or stepping into midfield, Lewis embodies the modern tactical demands of top-level football.

For Forest supporters, the pursuit of Lewis evokes memories of another bold move for a Manchester United academy graduate – Anthony Elanga.

Signed in 2023 for £15m after struggling for opportunities at Old Trafford, Elanga quickly became a star at the City Ground.

Over two seasons, the winger contributed 11 goals and 21 assists in 82 appearances, per Transfermarkt, his form earning him a big-money switch to Newcastle United earlier this summer worth £55m.

Why Lewis could be the next Elanga

The data, as per FBref, reinforces why Lewis is regarded as one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Europe. Among positional peers last season, he ranked in the 99th percentile for pass completion (91.9%), highlighting his composure under pressure and his ability to maintain possession even in tight areas.

He also ranked in the 91st percentile for progressive passes (5.93 per 90 minutes) – evidence of his willingness to advance play rather than simply recycling possession. His attacking instincts are further illustrated by his ranking in the 87th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area (2.45 per 90).

Matches played

28

Starts

21

Minutes

1,893

Goals

1

Assists

2

Progressive Carries

39

Progressive Passes

107

Such numbers place him in the company of players like Andrew Robertson, Jules Koundé, and Malo Gusto – names that underline the calibre of Lewis’ performances despite his relative infrequency in the starting line-up.

With five international caps already to his name and a market value of around £35m, he is a player who would normally be well beyond Forest’s reach. Whether they can prise Lewis away from the Etihad remains to be seen.

His contract runs until 2028, and City are under no financial pressure to sell. The rejected bid of £25.8m may have been opportunistic, testing the waters to see whether limited playing time in a stacked City squad could make Lewis or the club open to a move.

But even if the pursuit proves unsuccessful, it is another signal of Forest’s intent to continue their rapid rise.

Their business so far this summer already paints a picture of a club determined to compete on multiple fronts. Ndoye, Jesus, and Cunha have added depth, while the potential arrivals of McAtee, Hutchinson, and Kalimuendo would give Nuno a squad brimming with energy and creativity.

Lewis would represent a statement signing that underlines Forest’s ambition to attract players capable of starting for Europe’s elite.

Just as Elanga helped elevate Forest during his time at the club, the arrival of Lewis could usher in another era of growth and excitement at the City Ground.

Jansen and Mulder shared six wickets before van der Dussen and Klaasen hit fifties in the paltry chase

Firdose Moonda01-Mar-20251:39

Do South Africa have the best attack in the tournament?

South Africa confirmed their spot in the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a commanding victory over a hapless England, who ended the tournament winless, captain-less, and on a seven-match losing streak.After choosing to bat first in Karachi, the most run-laden venue of the event, England played like a side that would rather not. They were bowled out for the lowest total of this Champions Trophy and gifted South Africa wickets in a display of carefree and sometimes careless strokeplay. South Africa were hit by both illness and injury-enforced absences and were not always at their best, but they caught particularly well in the field, paced their chase perfectly, and have plenty of positives to take into the knockouts.From a bowling perspective, the form of Marco Jansen, who picked up the first three wickets, continues on an upward curve while Keshav Maharaj was effective through the middle overs and Wiaan Mulder cleaned up the tail. South Africa’s batting line-up was without regular openers Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi (both unwell), and Aiden Markram (hamstring injury in the field). Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen both scored half-centuries in a match-winning third-wicket stand of 127. If anything, it gives South Africa a good selection problem going forward while England just have problems.Lungi Ngidi covered good ground to pull off a diving catch•Associated Press

Having already exited the tournament after their defeat to Afghanistan and with Jos Buttler announcing he would step down as captain, England had nothing to lose and were expected to play with freedom. They showed their intent early when Phil Salt cracked Jansen’s second ball over backward point and smashed the fourth one over midwicket to open the scoring with fours. But, instead of closing out the opening over quietly, he tried to pull the final ball – a short one – also but top-edged it to van der Dussen at midwicket to end his tournament with a total of 30 runs from 25 balls.Ben Duckett picked up from where Salt left off and scored two boundaries in three balls off Lungi Ngidi but Jamie Smith repeated Salt’s mistake and tamely pulled Jansen to Markram at mid-on. Duckett settled as he was fed balls on the pads but when he tried to clip Jansen fine, he got a leading edge back to South Africa’s destroyer-in-chief. England were 37 for 3 in the seventh over.That could have become 38 for 4 when Joe Root cut Kagiso Rabada to backward point and though Mulder got both hands to it, he could not hold on. Root went on to nail the drive and the pull and formed a 62-run stand with a confident-looking Harry Brook and England were building solidly. But they could not keep Jansen out of the game. When Brook belted Maharaj over midwicket, Jansen ran to his right from long-on and slid on his knees to take a wonder catch. Four balls later, Root was bowled when he missed a leg-side flick off Mulder and the ball hit his back pad on its way on to the stumps.At that stage, Buttler, playing his last innings as England captain, had only faced a ball and had a big job on his hands. He received little help from Liam Livingstone, who charged down the track to meet a Maharaj ball but South Africa’s left-arm spinner saw him coming, tossed it up and had him stumped. Livingstone has only made more than 20 runs once in his last seven innings.By then, England’s effort looked mostly a case of marking time while South Africa stayed focused on searching for wickets. Rabada was brought back at the halfway stage. He beat Jamie Overton first up, then kept him in check by forcing a defensive shot, and then had him caught at mid-on as the batter tried to attack. He looked to whip Rabada over the leg side but chipped the ball towards mid-on where Ngidi ran back and took a one-handed stunner as he hit the ground.Heinrich Klaasen was in fine hitting form•Associated Press

South Africa continued to catch well: Jansen took a low catch at midwicket to see the end of Jofra Archer and Maharaj made a tumbling grab at mid-off to end Buttler’s innings on 21 and give Ngidi his 100th ODI wicket. England were bowled out in the 39th over, and took South Africa’s concerns about a slow over rate with them.At that stage, South Africa’s semi-final qualification was assured because even if they lost the match, their net run-rate could not dip below Afghanistan’s. That took pressure off the chase but not necessarily off South Africa’s batters, who all wanted runs ahead of an important week. Tristan Stubbs, playing his ninth ODI and first in an ICC event, didn’t get any as he tried to play an Archer ball late but deflected it on to his stumps.Though his first over lasted ten balls as he struggled to find his line, Archer quickly improved and delivered the rest of his opening spell with good pace and better accuracy. He was rewarded with a second wicket, too, when Ryan Rickelton, who looked confident in his 25-ball 27, was bowled by a delivery that nipped back into him and smashed into middle stump.From there, it was all South Africa. While van der Dussen appeared at times frustrated by his slower scoring rate than Klaasen’s, the pair complemented each other well. Van der Dussen scored largely through the leg side while six of Klaasen’s 11 fours came through the covers. Klaasen reached his fifty with one of those shots off the 41st ball he faced. It was his fifth successive half-century in the format, which is the joint-highest for South Africa. Van der Dussen’s came off 72 balls as he rocked back to send Adil Rashid through square leg and bring up a second fifty in the competition. Klaasen departed when he tried to smash Rashid over fine leg but outside-edged to short third. David Miller hit the winning runs off the second ball he faced when he smoked Livingstone over the sightscreen for six.This is the third successive tournament for which South Africa have qualified for the knockouts, after the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup. Their semi-final opposition and venue will only be confirmed after the match between India and New Zealand on Sunday. They will play the loser of that match either in Dubai on Tuesday (if it’s India) or Lahore on Wednesday (if it’s New Zealand).

Matthijs de Ligt has defended Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim following their 3-1 defeat to Brentford, insisting the players must take responsibility for the Red Devils' poor form. With pressure mounting after another early-season setback, the Dutch defender hit back at critics who continue to blame Amorim’s “system” for United’s struggles.

Man Utd can't seem to muster any form

Manchester United suffered their third defeat in six Premier League games after losing 3-1 to Brentford on Saturday. The result leaves Amorim’s side in the bottom half of the table and extends their run without back-to-back league victories. Adding to the lack of league form, the Red Devils also fell to a Carabao Cup loss to League Two side Grimsby Town, further intensifying speculation over the Portuguese manager’s future.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDe Ligt launces staunch Amorim defence

De Ligt, who has been one of United’s few consistent performers this season, dismissed claims that Amorim’s tactical setup is to blame for the team’s struggles. He told reporters: “Of course, I mean it's always easy to look to the manager, but in the end the players on the pitch have to do it. We can't say the goals we conceded, or the chances we conceded, are because of what… I don't know, you guys always talk about the system. That also has a lot to do with focus, concentration, and, if that's lacking in key moments, it's going to make a difference.”

The centre-back also reflected on United’s inconsistency, saying: “[We are] really disappointed because all week we were speaking about keeping the momentum going, getting another win under our belt. If you lose this game, it's a big blow, obviously. A lot of time it's the same song, but we have to stick together — it’s the most important thing.”

He added: “We lost against City, we won against Chelsea, so for the next game we have to analyse what went wrong in this game because a lot of things went wrong. We were short in key moments where we made the wrong decisions. That makes a big difference in football. We were quite unlucky also with some chances, but overall, it was not good enough. That's a fact.”

Is the dressing room standing behind Amorim?

Amorim’s United have yet to deliver the consistency expected from a top-six side, with only two Premier League wins this season. However, De Ligt’s comments highlight growing frustration among players over external criticism focused solely on tactics. The defender’s defence of his manager suggests the dressing room remains united despite earlier reports claiming that players aren't happy with Amorim's 3-4-3 system.

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Getty Images SportSunderland clash this weekend could be crucial

Manchester United face a must-win clash against in-form Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday before a daunting trip to league leaders Liverpool after the international break. Amorim will be desperate for his players to back up De Ligt’s words with a response on the pitch. Another poor result could leave the manager’s position under even greater scrutiny.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية تطورات جديدة بشأن الحارس الألماني الدولي مارك تير شتيجن وتعافيه من الإصابة حيث يواصل تدريباته حالياً.

ووفقاً لصحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية فإن شتيجن والذي خضع لعملية جراحية لآلام أسفل الظهر في يوليو، بدأ التدريب في صالة الألعاب الرياضية حيث يمارس تمارين ركوب الدراجات لتقوية ركبته اليمنى.

ويعيش حارس مرمى وقائد برشلونة كابوساً كبيراً منذ تعرضه لإصابة قوية ضد فياريال في سبتمبر 2024 والتي أبعدته عن الملاعب طوال الموسم تقريباً.

ولم يتمكن تير شتيجن سوى من اللعب في مباراتين ضد بلد الوليد وفياريال بعد تعافيه من الإصابة الأولى، وتمكن من اللحاق بمباريات منتخب بلاده في نصف النهائي ومباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع في دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

أقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب برشلونة مدافعًا عن دي يونج: ما يقال عنه “كذب”.. وفاجأني في التدريبات

ورغم اختفاء آلام الركبة فإن مارك تير شتيجن يواصل أداء التمارين البدنية في صالة الألعاب الرياضية لتقوية نفسه بعد فترة طويلة من الانقطاع وعدم قيامه بأنشطة.

ولا يزال مستقبل شتيجن في برشلونة غامضاً ومن المرجح أن تجبره الإصابات وتعاقد البلوجرانا مع خوان جارسيا على جلوسه على دكة البدلاء بعد تعافيه.

ومع ذلك لن يستسلم تير شتيجن ويريد البقاء في النادي والقتال لاستعادة المركز الذي سيضمن له مكاناً كحارس مرمى لمنتخب ألمانيا في كأس العالم 2026.

ويحظى تير شتيجن بثقة مدرب منتخب ألمانيا جوليان ناجيلسمان حيث قال: “إذا كان شتيجن يتمتع بصحة جيدة فإنه سيكون الحارس الأول لدينا”.

Matt Beard passed away earlier this month, with news of his death rocking the football world and prompting outpourings of emotional tributes. Beard was known to have taken his own life following a devastating social media post from his son urging that suicide is "never the answer". The cause of death has now been confirmed at a coroner's court hearing in north Wales.

• Initial evidence heard at inquest

  At the coroner's court, it was heard that paramedics were called to Beard's home in Flintshire when the two-time WSL-winning manager was found hanged. He was taken to hospital in Chester, where he later died at 9:15pm on September 20, after his family agreed for life support to be turned off. Proceedings have now been adjourned and a full coroner's inquest will be held at a future date to establish more detailed circumstances of Beard's tragic passing.

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• Getty Images
  

  A legend of women's football

  After starting his coaching career in men's and women's football in and around London, Beard got his first managerial gig at Millwall Lionesses in 2008. From there, he moved to Chelsea, ultimately laying the foundations for the success that Emma Hayes would later have, before being appointed by Liverpool in 2012. The Reds won the WSL title in both 2013 and 2014, with Beard then trying his hand in the United States with Boston Breakers.

  A return to English football saw him take West Ham to their first ever FA Cup final in 2019, with the team's overall journey captured in a BBC reality series. Beard went back to Liverpool in 2021, taking over a side that had by then been relegated from the top flight, restoring them to the WSL and overseeing a hugely impressive fourth place finish in 2023-24. That saw him named Manager of the Season. Beard left Liverpool a second time in February 2025, with his final job a short two-month spell at Burnley over the summer.

• Beloved by many

  The football community collectively stood together to mourn Beard. Liverpool's WSL fixture the day after his death was postponed out of respect, while his picture was shown on big screens at the league's other games that day and a moment's silence was observed prior to kick-offs.

  Former Liverpool player Fara Williams became tearful during the BBC's live broadcast of Manchester United vs Arsenal, saying that "he meant so much to all of us". United boss Marc Skinner referred to Beard as an "incredible human" and "iconic". Hayes, his successor at Chelsea, referred to him as "absolutely one of the best humans" and "one of the good guys". Ex-West Ham forward Alisha Lehmann recalled that he believed in her when no one else did.

  Liverpool captain Grace Fisk said in a tribute from the club: "It's rare for a football manager to be so loved by so many players. He coached hundreds of players but had interactions with many more and he just had this way of drawing people to him."

  Liverpool returned to WSL action for the first time since Beard's passing on Sunday, with banners honouring Beard displayed in the stands for the visit of Manchester United, and fans putting on another tribute with applause in the 13th and 14th minutes to commemorate his WSL titles.

  A fundraising page set up by football broadcaster Jacqui Oatley to support Beard's wife and children has received more than £54,000 from well over 1,000 donors.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Celebrating Beard's life

  A service of commemoration for Beard will be held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on October 17, where fans and well wishers will be able to celebrate his life and the impact he had on so many.

Chelsea chiefs are plotting ways to cope without defender Levi Colwill after his serious ACL injury, which is expected to keep him out for the majority of 2025/2026.

The Cobham academy graduate will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, around six to nine months, as is the case with most ACL problems – leaving Enzo Maresca a key centre-half short ahead of what is an imperative Premier League campaign for him.

Expectations are high after their Champions League qualification, Conference League triumph and victory at the Club World Cup, with a solid central defensive pairing key to their potential success.

Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana will most likely start their opening Premier League game against Crystal Palace this weekend, considering Benoit Badiashile is also out injured, Axel Disasi remains surplus to requirements and summer signing Jorrel Hato is viewed more as a left-back.

Fofana’s suffered from extensive injury problems of his own since making a £75 million move from Leicester City in 2022, so it is highly debatable whether the Frenchman can really be relied upon for long periods of the season.

Taking this into account, Maresca has reportedly asked Chelsea for a new centre-back in light of Colwill’s injury.

“At the moment, Chelsea have still not sold Axel Disasi, so we need sales at the back really if they are to pursue a new centre back. Trevoh Chalobah still remains a player who could be sold by the club if an offer comes in because he represents pure profit,” wrote journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack.

“A solution is to potentially loan in a new centre back which as reported, they have been considering as well.

“But Chelsea are exploring all options internally and externally and SPTC Sources learned yesterday that Maresca has asked the club to sign a new centre back ideally.”

Time is running out for the Blues to bring in a new central defender with just over two weeks to go before the transfer window slams shut, so Chelsea will need to operate quickly in terms of both identifying a top target and making room for him – amid their ongoing talks for Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho.

Given Chelsea’s links to PSG outcast Gianluigi Donnarumma too, this could be a hectic end to the window at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea plan direct offer for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate

According to a report from Chelsea News, the west Londoners could turn to Anfield in search of defensive cover.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has entered the final year of his contract, and Arne Slot’s side face the very real prospect of losing their France international star for nothing in 2026.’

This has resulted in mounting speculation over his future and Real Madrid are widely reported to be serious admirers, but Liverpool have apparently quoted a seismic valuation of around £60 million, according to some media sources.

Nevertheless, it is now believed that Chelsea are planning a direct offer for Konate, and are prepared to test both Real and Liverpool’s resolve by bidding “serious money” for the 26-year-old.

Konate is arguably one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs, but his potential price tag and age doesn’t exactly fall in line with Chelsea’s traditional recruitment philosophy, so this would be a head-turning move to say the least.

MatériaMais Notícias

Bruno Melo foi procurado pelo Goiás, no início da temporada, para reforçar o elenco do Esmeraldino. E o hoje zagueiro de 30 anos, porém lateral-esquerdo de origem, vem acumulando bons números em sua passagem por empréstimo do Fortaleza apesar da campanha ruim da equipe no Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Titular absoluto, o zagueiro disputou nove partidas no Brasileirão, atuando durante os noventa minutos em todos os compromissos. Ao lado de Lucas Halter, o defensor forma a dupla de zaga integralmente por empréstimo, já que Lucas também está cedido ao clube por parte do Athletico-PR.

A alta minutagem é resultado dos bons números individuais do defensor que se destaca pela participação na saída de bola da equipe, tendo 32 passes no setor defensivo por jogo e com uma precisão de 95%. Bruno é um dos pilares do Alviverde na hora de iniciar suas jogadas, sendo uma das opções do goleiro Tadeu para armar o time.

Entretanto, quando pressionado, a equipe aposta na velocidade de seu ataque e, com isso, Bruno também utiliza de lançamentos e bolas longas. Com 54% de precisão nas jogadas com bola esticada, o zagueiro costuma efetuar quatro tentativas corretas por jogo. Por outro lado, nos lançamentos, são dois corretos por jogo.

Com a experiência conquistada durante a carreira, o zagueiro também se destaca pelo bom posicionamento em campo, conseguindo assim antecipar jogadas do oponente. Em média, são três cortes do defensor por jogo. Além disso, o bom posicionamento evita com que Bruno precise cometer faltas, tendo em média menos de uma falta por jogo no Campeonato Brasileiro.

A próxima oportunidade que as boas estatísticas de Bruno Melo serão colocadas à prova ocorrerá na próxima quinta-feira (22). Jogando fora de casa, o clube do Centro-Oeste visita o Vasco, às 20h (de Brasília), pela rodada 11 do Brasileirão. O duelo em questão coloca, frente a frente, dois times que brigam para sair da zona de rebaixamento, já que o Goiás está em 17° lugar, com oito pontos, enquanto a representação carioca está duas posições abaixo, tendo seis unidades conquistadas.

Ipswich Town have had a torrid start to life in the Championship following last season’s Premier League relegation. Kieran McKenna’s side currently sit 18th in the Championship and were knocked out of the first round of the League Cup following the loss of a number of star players.

Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap both secured their Premier League futures with moves to Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, respectively. So far this window, Ipswich have actually made a profit of over £50 million.

They have brought in some players such as Kasey McAteer and Azor Matusiwa on permanent deals, Ashley Young on a free transfer and Chuba Akpom on loan. However, these signings are yet to bring McKenna’s side a win.

While there is still time left in the transfer window, Ipswich are pushing to bring in another signing to help reinforce them defensively.

Ipswich close to finalising Furlong

Ipswich Town are close to signing a deal with West Bromwich Albion for Darnell Furlong. The deal for the defender will initially cost the Tractor Boys £3.5 million.

The agreement also includes a unique clause that means Ipswich will be required to pay West Brom a further £500,000 if they secure promotion. However, given their start to the season, this clause currently looks unlikely to be achieved. West Brom are set to make an impressive profit on Furlong as he only cost them just over £1.4 million when he joined from QPR back in 2019.

Ipswich have recently worked with Furlongs agency, New Era Global Sports Management Limited, as they represent Corbin Mthunzi, who joined their academy from Brighton in April.

"One of the best full-backs of the Championship"

With Furlong, Ipswich will have a capable defender on their hands who ranked highly among his peers in the second tier last season. In the 2024/25 campaign, Furlong ranked in the top 3% of players for both aerial duels and ground duels won.

A unique area in which Furlong shines is winning fouls. Furlong won 72 free kicks last season, putting him in the top 3% of similar players. These fouls were often won in his own defensive third and are the result of his nous when dealing with pressing opposition players.

These achievements are part of the reason that Furlong has left positive impressions on coaches he’s worked with in the past. Valencia boss Carlos Corberen, who managed Furlong for two years as West Brom boss, was full of praise for the full-back when he was his manager:

Based on these defensive stats and his former manager’s praise for him, Ipswich might be about to recruit the catalyst that can kick-start their season and get them climbing up the table.

Big picture: Both teams coming off series defeats

Would you believe it, not only have Australia and England been drawn in the same group at a global tournament, but their Champions Trophy returns also start against one another. Universe (ICC), you’ve done it again! And yet, amid such predictable money-grabbing comes a bit of shameful excitement. Even without mentioning the “A” word, these are two bitter rivals in unique states. A champion Australia side shorn of some of those champions, and an England side increasingly desperate to rediscover former glory.The lack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood gives the ODI World Cup holders a less intimidating feel, and subsequently shifts the onus on a batting line-up led by Travis Head’s brand of “Ah, we’ll have a go”. Quite how that responsibility will manifest itself to what is more or less an established group of batters remains to be seen particularly as captain Steven Smith, standing in for Cummins and the injured Mitchell Marsh, who would have likely deputised, weighs up the right combinations for his top seven.That Australia can call upon Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshius to fill big bowling boots reflects the enviable depth of Australian cricket, even if those bowlers’ most notable successes – Abbott aside – have come exclusively in T20s. Extrapolating that to 50-over cricket will be its own challenge. Australia are not putting much stock in the fact they arrive off the back of a 2-0 ODI series loss against Sri Lanka. The same could be said of England, even if their 3-0 defeat to India elicited far more anger and ridicule.Related

• Smith, Australia hope champion DNA outweighs big-name absences

• Buttler: Smith has 'free hit' at No. 3 in reshuffled England batting order

Not training enough and golfing too much were the main takeaways outside a group that actually seems in good spirits considering they have now lost all four ODI series since the 2023 World Cup. To be expected, of course, as negative vibes have no place in Brendon McCullum’s house.In keeping, England’s break to the UAE came with a view of shedding the baggage from a travel-and defeat-heavy month in India, with added benefit of escaping the press hysteria around focusing on the wrong kind of white ball. But McCullum’s task requires a more hands-on and technically focused approach with a group which continues to look uneasy with bat and ball in this format.How much of that McCullum can change in such a short space of time – he has only been in charge of the limited-overs set-up for a month – will be determined over the coming weeks. Right now, it probably helps to have a familiar foe on the horizon to drum up a little extra heart and vigour.As for Jos Buttler, the next fortnight will go some way to determining whether he sticks with the captaincy. A promise to smile more at the start of the year felt optimistic at the time, and has proved as much. But after missing all of England’s ODIs in 2024, he will be better for the three ticked off earlier at the start of February.Of those Buttler missed last year due to a calf injury was the five-match series against Australia at the end of the home summer, which ensures greater familiarity at international level between the players, even if many of them have rubbed shoulders as team-mates or opponents at domestic level.Australia, made up of a few of the alternates substituted into their Champions Trophy squad, triumphed 3-2 on that occasion, having been 2-0 up before taking their foot off the gas. All five results were blowouts of one kind or another. And just as it was for India, Australia’s spinners made hay against England’s batters, with Adam Zampa doing the brunt of the damage, supplemented by handy contributions from Glenn Maxwell, Marnus Labuschagne and Head.Spencer Johnson replaces Mitchell Starc as the left-arm quick in Australia’s squad•Associated Press

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Australia: LLLLW
England: LLLLW

In the spotlight: Spencer Johnson and Harry Brook

Starc is as close to irreplaceable a bowler as you can get in white-ball cricket. But if you’re going to try, a bloke who is six-feet-four and also bowls left-arm rockets is a great place to start. The best of Spencer Johnson has come in the shortest format, and with only three ODI caps spaced out over more than a year, the burden of replacing Starc at the front and back of an innings will weigh heavy on his broad shoulders. After taking his maiden wickets in Sri Lanka earlier this month, much more will be required of Johnson in Pakistan.Speaking of Pakistan, is there a better place for Harry Brook to rediscover his groove? This country’s pitches have been kind to him, albeit in the Test format, where he averages 84.10 courtesy of four hundreds – the most recent being a triple. England’s newly-appointed vice-captain left the India tour in a funk, with a lowly average of 16.66 in the ODIs brought about by an inability to attack spin effectively. But he will take heart from flatter decks and skippering with distinction against Australia last year, which included registering his maiden ODI century in the 3rd ODI at Chester-le-Street.

Team news

Given the absences, Australia’s pace attack pretty much picks itself. Allrounder Aaron Hardie, the immediate beneficiary of Marcus Stoinis’ retirement from the 50-over format on the eve of the tournament, could sit out for Labuschagne to play as an extra batter. Dwarshius’ left-arm/left-hand option may see him pip Abbott to the bowling allrounder slot.Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Sean Abbott/Ben Dwarshius, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer JohnsonEngland’s batting reshuffle will see Jamie Smith at No. 3 and Joe Root at No. 4•Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

England announced their XI two days out from the match – early by their unusually prompt standards – with Jamie Smith not just back fit from a calf injury, but also batting at No. 3 while also playing as wicketkeeper. It is not quite a nuclear option, but it does involve pushing Joe Root to No. 4 and taking the gloves from Phil Salt, who kept throughout the ODIs in India. With just four frontline bowling options, Root and Liam Livingstone must join forces effectively to provide a serviceable fifth. The pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, playing his first 50-over tournament since his Super Over heroics in 2019’s World Cup final, will present Australia’s starkest challenge.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

ODI pitches at the Gaddafi Stadium are almost always flat belters. The venue hosted two matches in the recent tri-series, with New Zealand posting 330 for 6 to beat Pakistan, and then chasing down 305 with six wickets and eight balls to spare. Lahore is expected to be slightly cooler than it was for the tri-series, partly because of rain this week, which ended up hampering England’s preparations on Thursday. Dew is very rarely a factor at this time of year.5:44

Knight questions idea of Root, Buttler coming down the order

Stats and trivia

• Australia and England have a tight head-to-head record in the Champions Trophy, with England ahead just by a 3-2 margin.
• Maxwell and Buttler are the only members available from the two teams’ squads from the 2013 edition of the tournament.
• Archer is two wickets away from 50 in the ODIs.
• Jamie Smith has only previously batted at No. 3 once in 18 List A innings – for Surrey against Kent in 2019.

Quotes

“I’m going to have my work cut out for me with some of that fast bowling England have got. They’re high quality, highly skilled and high pace. I’ve got to make sure I start well, earn the right, and see where the game takes us. I’m just worried about making sure I start well for the team.”
“He’s been fit and firing now for 18 months or so since being out of the game for a while. He’s really excited to put together that kind of length of time back on the field, and he’s obviously a superstar of the game for us. He is someone, as a captain, you always know you can turn to and throw the ball. He’s obviously going to be really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”

It’s now a three-way battle for semi-finals qualification from Group B, with two games to go

S Rajesh26-Feb-2025If Australia and South Africa winAustralia and South Africa will qualify with five points each. The top spot in the group will be decided by the win margins, with South Africa favourites to finish first, given their comprehensive win over Afghanistan. Assuming a one-run win for South Africa after scoring 300, Australia need to win by 87 runs (with the same first-innings total) to go past South Africa’s NRR.If Australia and England winAustralia will top the group with five points, while South Africa will still finish second on three.If Afghanistan and South Africa winSouth Africa will top with five points, while Afghanistan, with four points, will finish second ahead of Australia.If Afghanistan and England winAfghanistan will finish on top with four points. The second place will then go to either Australia or South Africa, who will both finish on three points. South Africa are well ahead on NRR currently, which means they will have to suffer a big loss to England for Australia to move ahead on NRR. So, if Australia lose by just one run after Afghanistan score 300, South Africa will have lose by 87 chasing the same target for their NRR to slip below Australia’s.If Afghanistan vs Australia is washed outThere’s a possibility of showers in Lahore on Friday. If points are shared in that game, Australia will go up to four points and will be assured of qualification.If South Africa beat England, they will top the group with five points, but if England win, then South Africa and Afghanistan will finish on three points each, which will bring NRR into the equation. Afghanistan (NRR -0.99) will almost certainly be eliminated then, as they need South Africa to lose by at least 207 runs (chasing 301) to move up to second place and qualify.