da dobrowin： Na manhã desta quinta-feira, no CT Joaquim Grava, o Corinthians realizou o penúltimo treino preparatório para o duelo diante do Sport, que acontece no próximo sábado, às 16h30, na Arena Pernambuco, pela 25ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Willian será desfalque para o Alvinegro.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansSem Willian, Corinthians divulga relacionados para pegar o SportCorinthians07/10/2021CorinthiansRenato Augusto diz se inspirar em Elias e Paulinho no Corinthians: ‘Têm o feeling do gol’Corinthians07/10/2021VídeoVÍDEO: Assista aos bastidores da vitória do Corinthians sobre o BahiaVídeo07/10/2021
da dobrowin： TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
GALERIA >Confira as fotos da nova terceira camisa roxa do Corinthians
Os atletas que atuaram por mais de 45 minutos na vitória por 3 a 1 do Timão sobre o Bahia, na última terça, realizaram apenas o aquecimento e uma movimentação com bola no gramado. Depois, retornaram para a parte interna do CT e fizeram mais algumas atividades regenerativas.
Enquanto isso, os demais jogadores participaram de um treino de passes e marcação pressão em espaço reduzido. Em seguida, o técnico Sylvinho comandou um trabalho de finalizações e cruzamentos com os jogadores.
Vale lembrar que os jornalistas não podem acompanhar as atividades in loco por conta dos protocolos de saúde em decorrência da pandemia de Covid-19. As informações são fornecidas pela assessoria de imprensa do clube.
O meia-atacante Willian, com um desconforto no músculo posterior da coxa esquerda, ficou em tratamento com a equipe de fisioterapia e será preservado da viagem a Recife. Seu substituto deve ser Jô, que voltaria ao time titular.
Um provável Corinthians é: Cássio; Fagner, João Victor, Gil e Fábio Santos; Cantillo; Gabriel Pereira, Giuliano, Renato Augusto e Róger Guedes; Jô.
A delegação corintiana viaja na tarde desta quinta-feira para a capital de Pernambuco. Nesta sexta, o elenco finaliza a preparação para encarar o Sport. Atualmente, o Timão é o quinto colocado do Brasileirão com 37 pontos.
اعترف لوكاس باكيتا لاعب خط الوسط البرازيلي الدولي بأنه عانى من ضغوط نفسية بعد فشل صفقة انضمامه إلى مانشستر سيتي.
وكان مانشستر سيتي قد ضغط بقوة في عام 2023 للتعاقد مع لوكاس باكيتا، حيث كان بيب جوارديولا مدرب الفريق يرى أن اللاعب الخيار الأمثل في صفوف الفريق بعد فوز السيتيزن بالثلاثية.
وعلى الرغم من قرب إتمام الصفقة، إلا أن المحادثات قد انهارت بعد أن فتح الاتحاد الإنجليزي لكرة القدم تحقيقاً في مزاعم انتهاكات متعلقة بالمراهنات لدى باكيتا في مباريات متعددة بالدوري الانجليزي.
أقرأ أيضاً.. ريندرز عن قرار جوارديولا بجلوسه بديلاً أمام ليفربول: كنت مدللاً
وقال باكيتا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية: “يعلم الجميع أنني كنت على وشك الانتقال لمانشستر سيتي، كنت سأوقع في الأسبوع الذي تلقيت فيه الرسالة من الاتحاد الإنجليزي”.
وأضاف :”مهنياً، خسرت هذه الفرصة، فرصة الانتقال التي كانت ستشكل قفزة نوعية في مسيرتي”.
وواصل :”من الناحية النفسية، أعتقد أن هذا هو أكثر ما أثر بي، الخوف من هذا التردد وعدم اليقين بشأن مستقبلي، رغم معرفتي بهويتي وما أفعله وما فعلته، ولكن نظراً لظروف التحقيقات وطريقة تعامل الاتحاد مع كل شئ، فقد تولد الخوف في نفوسنا”.
da bet7： Fortaleza recebe o CRB nesta quarta (04), pela 1ª partida da final do Nordestão 2024. A bola vai rolar a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), na Arena Castelão, em Fortaleza, com transmissão da ESPN, na TV fechada, pela SBT, na TV aberta, e pela plataforma de streaming Nosso Futebol+.
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da bet esporte： ✅ FICHA TÉCNICA FORTALEZA x CRB FINAL (JOGO DE IDA) – COPA DO NORDESTE
Data e horário: quarta-feira, 05 de junho de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília) Local: Arena Castelão, em Fortaleza Onde assistir: ESPN, SBT e Nosso Futebol+. Arbitragem: Paulo Belence Alves dos Prazeres Filho (PE) e Gilberto Rodrigues Castro Junior (PE) no VAR.
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES FORTALEZA (Técnico: JUAN PABLO VOJVODA) João Ricardo; Tinga, Brítez (Kuscevic), Titi, Felipe Jonatan; Pedro Augusto, Hércules, Pochettino; Yago Pikachu, Lucero e Moisés.
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Desfalques: Calebe, Marinho e Sasha
CRB (Técnico: DANIEL PAULISTA) Matheus Albino; Hereda, Saimon, Fábio Alemão e Matheus Ribeiro; Falcão, João Pedro e Gegê; Labandeira, Léo Pereira e Anselmo Ramon.
Desfalques: Willian Formiga, Caio César, Heron e Vitinho
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da premier bet： Everton’s mini-unbeaten run continues, albeit not quite in the way they would’ve hoped.
da betsul： On Saturday, David Moyes’ men were held to a goalless draw by Aston Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium, neither team ever looking particularly likely to make the breakthrough.
Nevertheless, this means the Toffees are still yet to lose or even concede a goal at their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock, beating both Brighton in the Premier League and Mansfield in the EFL Cup on Merseyside so far.
The 3-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux a fortnight ago underlined the array of exciting attacking midfielders and wingers at Moyes’ disposal, but this team could’ve been even more frightening, had they not sold a “phenomenal” centre-forward.
Jack Grealish's impact at Everton
Jack Grealish did not take long to rediscover his best form after joining Everton on loan from Manchester City.
Having bagged a pair of assists during the victories over Brighton and Wolves, the England international leads the way in the division in that regard, albeit at this early stage.
Nevertheless, as recognition, he was named Premier League player of the month for the very first time in August, with Patrick Boyland of the Athletic describing his impact as ‘instantaneous’, labelling him a ‘symbol of hope’ for ‘success-starved supporters’.
However, he would be even more scintillating if he was able to feed top-quality strikers.
Beto scored against both Mansfield and Wolves last month, but Thierno Barry is yet to get off the mark since arriving from Villarreal for £27m, having bagged 11 La Liga goals during his solitary season with the Yellow Submarine.
Thus, the Frenchman could certainly come good, while Beto has proven what he can do, scoring seven Premier League goals after Moyes’ re-appointment in January, but just how much would Grealish have enjoyed playing with a forgotten Everton forward?
Everton's forgotten centre-forward
Back in the summer of 2019, Everton signed a striker by the name of Moise Kean for around £25m from Juventus but, suffice to say, he did not leave much of a lasting impression at Goodison.
The striker scored just four goals in 39 appearances for the Toffees, on target in the Premier League against Newcastle and Bournemouth, while also netting during EFL Cup victories over Salford and Fleetwood.
Thus, he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, actually scoring 17 times for les Rouge-et-Bleu, before returning to Everton the following August, fittingly marking his final game for the club by being sent off against Huddersfield.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Soon after, he rejoined Juventus on a two-year loan deal, with la Vecchia Signora paying around £28m to eventually make the move permanent.
Nevertheless, across two spells in Turin, Kean scored a mere 22 goals in 123 appearances for the Bianconeri, only really bursting to life after moving to Fiorentina for around £15.5m last summer.
Fiorentina'sMoiseKeancelebrates
During his debut campaign at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Kean scored 25 times across all competitions, 19 of which came in Serie A, making him the division’s second-highest scorer, behind only Capocannoniere winner Mateo Retegui.
As a result, Inter legend Christian Vieri labelled his form “phenomenal”, reflected by the fact that Football Transfers believe his current market value to be around £48m, by some distance the highest it has ever been, more than three times more than what Fiorentina paid to recruit him and more than the £28m the same source values Grealish at.
The table below underlines Kean’s exponential increase in terms of scoring output.
Moise Kean season scoring stats
Seasons
Club(s)
Goals
2016/17
Juventus
1
2017/18
Juventus
4
2018/19
Juventus
7
2019/20
Everton
2
2020/21
Everton & PSG
19
2021/22
Juventus
6
2022/23
Juventus
8
2023/24
Juventus
Zero
2024/25
Fiorentina
25
Stats via Transfermarkt
As the table documents, it is quite the turnaround for Kean, having scored no goals in one season before bagging 25 in the next, having only ever managed more than eight in a campaign once beforehand.
His form has caught the eye of both recent Italy managers, first Luciano Spalletti and subsequently the newly-appointed Gennaro Gattuso.
Before the start of this year, Kean had scored just one international goal since September 2021.
Now though, he has bagged five in 2025 already, notching a brace against Germany in the Nations League quarter-finals at Westfalenstadion in March, before netting three times during the most-recent break, scoring a towering header when Estonia visited Bergamo, before a brace during Monday’s bonkers 5-4 victory over Israel at Nagyerdei Stadion.
So, while no one at Everton could’ve forecast how good Kean would become, he is proof that development and progress are not linear, but just imagine the Blues had a striker capable of scoring 25 goals a season, and how good he would be in tandem with Grealish.
Just as bad as Beto: Moyes must now drop Everton's 6/10 "passenger"
Everton will rue missed chances as they played out a goalless draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Michael Bracewell took two wickets in his first five balls•Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Southern Brave cruised to a nine-wicket victory and sealed their second win of the season in The Hundred, making it a double for both women’s and men’s teams over Birmingham Phoenix at Utilita Bowl on Sunday.Brave won the toss and chose to bowl, which looked to be a good decision early on, with Phoenix struggling to get the ball away and score freely. Facing 90mph bowling from Jofra Archer, who was sporting a Brave bucket-hat when not charging in, Joe Clarke was the only Birmingham batter to offer some resistance with 36 from 27 balls.Archer finished with 2 for 16 from his 20, with Michael Bracewell taking the starring role with his off-spin on a tricky pitch claiming three wickets for 16 runs from 15 balls. Phoenix finished on a below par 106 for 7.Southern Brave opened with the right-hand, left-hand combination of James Vince and Leus Du Plooy and the pair rarely looked troubled, rotating the strike and picking up boundaries.Although Brave finished the powerplay on the same score as Phoenix, they had the time to build through their innings, which Vince capitalised on and passed the milestone of 1,000 runs in The Hundred in the process – the third player to do so this season, after Nat Sciver-Brunt and Phil Salt.When Vince was caught behind for 41 only 32 runs were needed, and Du Plooy, top-scoring with 48 from 39, and Jason Roy saw Brave home for a comfortable win.Meerkat Match Hero Bracewell said: “Two from two and more of a complete performance. We played some great cricket and it is nice to get another win. We spoke as a spin group about how to bowl. There are big boundaries here which is nice.”The Hundred is fantastic, the crowds are amazing. Cricket has a long history here in England so it is great to be here. The weather is not what I was expecting, but I’ll certainly take it. It’s a beautiful day and we’re happy with the result.”
Heinrich Klaasen was the only batter to resist as Orcas were bowled out for 82, which took Freedom just 9.2 overs to overhaul
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2025
Glenn Maxwell had three wickets inside the powerplay•Sportzpics for MLC
Shimron Hetmyer had done it three games in a row for Seattle Orcas, but couldn’t on this occasion, against Washington Freedom. That Orcas batting line-up, which had stuttered and stumbled to five losses in a row before Hetmyer took charge, went back to being incompetent as Hetmyer had an off-day, putting up a paltry 82. It took Freedom just 9.2 overs to complete the chase and climb back to No. 2 on the MLC 2025 points table.Freedom won the toss, bowled, and Saurabh Netravalkar struck first ball, sending back Shayan Jahangir. Next over, Glenn Maxwell had Aaron Jones’ number. Netravalkar got rid of Sikandar Raza in the third over. First ball of the fourth, Maxwell sent back Steven Taylor. And Maxwell then finished the powerplay with Kyle Mayers’ wicket, leaving Orcas at 21 for 5 after six overs.Those three wickets gave Maxwell, who finished up by bowling the tenth, figures of 3 for 12 from four, while Netravalkar, who came back to bowl the 16th and got the wicket of Jasdeep Singh, the ninth of the innings, returned 3-13. Jack Edwards was the other major wicket-taker for Freedom, finishing with 3 for 19, including the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, the only Orcas batter to put up a fight before becoming last man out for a 39-ball 48.The chase was a straightforward one even though Raza saw the back of Mitchell Owen in the third over. By the end of the powerplay, Rachin Ravindra and Mukhtar Ahmed had taken Freedom to 50 for 1, leaving just 37 runs to get from 14 overs. They needed just 3.2 more, as Ravindra scored 32 from 23 before becoming the next batter out, and Mukhtar remained unbeaten on a 21-ball 36.For Orcas, despite the big defeat, the three-match winning run has kept them in the fray for the playoffs. They are still at No. 4, though after nine games, as opposed to fifth-placed MI New York, who are one win behind but with a game in hand.
da stake casino： O São Paulo rapidamente se manifestou sobre as acusações de John Textor. Sem apresentar provas, o sócio majoritário da SAF do Botafogo afirmou que a derrota tricolor por 5 a 0 para o Palmeiras, em outubro do ano passado, foi manipulada.
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da apostaganha： ➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
O empresário explicou que chegou à conclusão através de análises de “grandes especialistas e inteligência artificial”. Repudiando a afirmação, o Tricolor classificou o caso como “infundadas acusações” e acionou seu departamento jurídico para cuidar da situação.
➡️ Textor cita jogos do Palmeiras em que houve suposta manipulação e acusa jogadores
– O São Paulo Futebol Clube tomou conhecimento e repudia veementemente as graves e infundadas acusações de participação de atletas do elenco tricolor em manipulação de resultado feitas pelo dono da SAF Botafogo. Tal afirmação sem nenhum vestígio de prova ataca a idoneidade de jogadores do elenco profissional masculino e a lisura da instituição São Paulo FC em seus 94 anos de história. O clube já acionou seu departamento jurídico, que estudará e tomará as medidas cabíveis na esfera legal – afirma o comunicado do São Paulo, sobre Textor.
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O empresário vem acusando de que o Palmeiras teria sido o clube brasileiro mais beneficiado por um esquema de manipulação de resultados nos últimos anos. Entre as partidas do Verdão, Textor também cita um confronto com o Fortaleza, em 2022.
O QUE TEXTOR DIZ
– A vitória de 5 a 0 do Palmeiras, que foi o começo de aparentemente uma retomada impossível (e agora histórica) sobre uma equipe do Botafogo que tinha um recorde de pontos do primeiro turno do Brasileirão, após 14 vitórias em 17 jogos, foi manipulada.
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O jogo entre Palmeiras e São Paulo em outubro de 2023 foi, de acordo com especialistas e inteligência artificial, manipulada por ao menos cinco jogadores do São Paulo. Um total de sete jogadores mostraram desvios anormais em situações cruciais de gols, apesar de que apenas cinco foram julgados de terem ultrapassado limites que deixam claro e convincente a manipulação. É preciso deixar claro que a prova não estabelece motivos, e também não sugere que nenhum clube foi responsável pela manipulação além dos jogadores identificados.
O relatório match-fix nível II que prova, após conclusão do match-fix nível III, manipulação da partida em Palmeiras x São Paulo foi enviado ao STJD no fim de 2023, mas o STJD teve uma decisão clara de não investigar mais a fundo. Nomes dos acusados são, e sempre deverão ser, redigidos e não mostrados a uma justiça desportiva. Tamanhas provas devem ser apresentadas apenas para procuradores constitucionais e investigadores governamentais. Eu não tenho intenção de prejudicar os acusados antes de eles conseguirem se proteger.
أبدى رافينها، نجم فريق برشلونة، تعجبه من عدم تواجده في التشكيل المثالي لعام 2025، والذي نُشر من جانب الاتحاد الدولي للاعبين المحترفين، فيفبرو، أمس الإثنين.
ونشرت فيفبرو، مساء أمس، التشكيل المثالي للعام الحالي، 2025، حسب التصويت، حيث شهد غياب المصري محمد صلاح وكذلك البرازيلي رافينها (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة من هنا).
ولم يخف رافينها تعجبه الشديد من غيابه عن التشكيل المثالي المُعلن عنه، بالنظر إلى ما قدمه رفقة برشلونة في الموسم الماضي، 2024/25، حيث لعب دورًا محوريًا في تحقيق الثلاثية المحلية.
وتمكن برشلونة من تحقيق ثلاثية الدوري الإسباني، كأس ملك إسبانيا والسوبر الإسباني، في الموسم الأول للمدرب الألماني هانز فليك.
وكان رافينها عنصرًا أساسيًا في إنجازات برشلونة في الموسم المنصرم، حيث سجل 34 هدفًا وصنع 26 في 56 مباراة في مختلف المسابقات.
ولجأ رافينها إلى حسابه الشخصي بموقع إنستجرام حيث أعرب عن غضبه جراء غيابه عن التشكيل المذكور، ولكن بدون كلمات، حيث اكتفى بنشر 17 منشورًا متتاليًا عبر خاصية ستوري.
وتضمنت تلك المنشورات جميع إنجازات رافينها، الموسم الماضي، الفردية والجماعية، إلى جانب إحصائيات وضعته كأحد أفضل لاعبي العالم لموسم 2024/25.
كما نشر صوره مع جوائز أفضل لاعب، والألقاب التي حققها مع برشلونة والثلاثيات (هاتريك) التي سجلها، بالإضافة إلى ملخص لجميع أهدافه من الموسم الماضي، كجزء من حججه التي تثبت استحقاقه مكانًا في تلك التشكيلة المرموقة.
da roleta： With the summer transfer window now closed, Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank now knows the players he will be reliant upon for the next stage of the 2025/26 campaign.
da blaze casino： The Dane has been handed a little over £100m to splash on new additions, in an attempt to bolster various areas of his first-team squad during his maiden campaign in the role.
Mohammed Kudus was the most expensive addition made by the hierarchy, costing around £55m from Premier League rivals West Ham United – with the player already making an immediate impact in North London.
The Ghanaian international has registered two assists in his first three league outings for the Lilywhites, helping Frank’s side sit fourth going into the international break.
However, the 25-year-old could be aided in his attempts at the club in the coming months, especially after the late business conducted by the hierarchy in the market.
Xavi Simons’ move to join Spurs this summer
Throughout the summer transfer window, Spurs made signing a new attacking midfielder a priority – especially after the long-term injury suffered by James Maddison.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze were the two main targets, but the Lilywhites failed to complete deals for the pair – with the latter joining arch rivals, Arsenal.
However, the club managed to complete a £52m deal for the signature of Xavi Simons from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig – securing the player’s services until the summer of 2030 with a two-year option to extend.
Such a move has undoubtedly generated excitement among the fan base and understandably so, given his tally of 11 goals and eight assists in Germany’s top-flight last campaign.
At just 22 years of age, the Dutchman has bags of time to try and build on the impressive start to his career, potentially being Frank’s key man in such a role for the foreseeable future.
The Spurs player who’s worth more than Simons
Despite Spurs’ measly 17th-placed finish in the Premier League, the club’s frontline managed to impress throughout 2024/25 – racking up 64 goals in their 38 outings.
Dominic Solanke celebrates for Tottenham
Such a record saw the Lilywhites average 1.7 goals scored per 90, with their tally of goals the seventh highest of all sides within England’s top-flight throughout last campaign.
Winger Brennan Johnson finished the season as their top scorer, netting 11 times in the league, even scoring the winner in the Europa League final against fellow English side Manchester United.
After the recent summer window, the addition of Kudus and Simons has added further depth and quality to the attacking department – helping the likes of Dejan Kulusevski reach the next level.
The Swedish international joined the club originally on loan for an 18-month spell in 2022-2023, racking up 57 appearances in all competitions – before subsequently completing a permanent transfer.
The hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £29m for the 25-year-old’s signature – a fee that now appears to be a bargain given his form over the last couple of years.
He’s racked up 89 appearances across the last two seasons in all competitions – with last year being his best to date, notching 10 goals and 11 assists under Ange Postecoglou’s reign.
Combined goals & assists (Spurs PL 24/25)
Player
Tally
1. James Maddison
16
= Heung-min Son
16
2. Brennan Johnson
14
3. Dominic Solanke
12
4. Dejan Kulusevski
11
5. Pedro Porro
8
6. Pape Sarr
5
= Richarlison
5
Stats via FotMob
Kulusevski, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by Rio Ferdinand, managed a run of five games in a row in which he scored – which has certainly bolstered his price tag in recent months.
As a result of his performances in North London, the Swedish star is now valued at £58.6m by FootballTransfers – a figure that is £6.6m higher than the fee paid for Simons.
Both players have showcased their talents over recent months, potentially having a huge part to play in any of the success endured during the Frank era in North London.
If the duo can operate alongside one another, it’s a prospect for the fanbase to be excited about, with their versatility and consistent quality potentially able to help the side build on their recent European triumph.
Sold for £6.7m: Spurs must regret selling star who's outscoring Kolo Muani
After Tottenham signed Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day for a €5m loan fee, should Spurs regret selling a striker who has outscored the Frenchman?
Visitors will have Mehidy Hasan Miraz back and could go with three spinners at SSC
Madushka Balasuriya24-Jun-2025
Dhananjaya de Silva hinted that three seamers were likely for Sri Lanka at SSC•AFP/Getty Images
Big Picture: WTC points at stake for both sidesAfter a draw in the first Test in Galle, the action moves to Colombo with more World Test Championship (WTC) points on the line for a Test arguably more important for Sri Lanka than Bangladesh. As their remaining two home series in this cycle are against India and South Africa, two Tests without a win against a lower-ranked Bangladesh might leave the hosts feeling like they left points on the table.As for the visitors, they were the closer of the two sides to getting a positive result in Galle, and will be heading to Colombo with the belief that they can go one better. And with their remaining two away series this cycle against WTC 2025 finalists Australia and South Africa, the points might prove more valuable than most.It is also Sri Lanka’s first Test of the post-Angelo Mathews era, with the search for his replacement now moving into full gear. The first to get a go looks likely to be spin-bowling allrounder Sonal Dinusha, whose slow left-arm spin makes him a handy option – particularly in home conditions. With no Tests on Sri Lanka’s cards until next year, he’ll be itching to make this opportunity one to remember.Related
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Focused Shanto regains form despite instability all around him
If Sri Lanka opt to throw all their spin eggs in the Prabath Jayasuriya basket, then one of Pavan Rathnayake, Pasindu Sooriyabandara or even Oshada Fernando could come in.Bangladesh, meanwhile, welcome Mehidy Hasan Miraz back after he missed the first Test with fever. You would expect the No. 2-ranked allrounder in the world to be welcomed back with open arms. But his replacement Nayeem Hasan was arguably the best bowler on show in the first Test.With the SSC surface expected to be dry and batter-friendly, both teams will be trying to decipher the ideal combination. Dhananjaya de Silva hinted that three seamers were likely for Sri Lanka – which could potentially mean a debut for Isitha Wijesundara – but if Bangladesh were to follow suit, it might mean Nayeem misses out.Bangladesh, though, have the seam options to go with a three-pronged spin attack, with both Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain available for selection. With Ebadot just returning from an injury layoff, Khaled could get the nod, particularly owing to his proficiency with the new ball.Form guideSri Lanka: DLLLL Bangladesh: DWLWLLAnamul Haque fell for 0 and 4 in the Galle Test•Associated Press
In the spotlight: Dhananjaya de Silva and Anamul HaqueFor most of his career, Dhananjaya de Silva has batted at No. 6 or lower. He was tried at No. 5 for the entire 2021 as well, and to some success. But with Mathews retired, Sri Lanka’s Test middle order is getting its first real shake-up in over a decade. The biggest beneficiary of that might be the Sri Lanka captain himself. Dhananjaya looks set to slot into that No. 4 role – at least initially – a position he has batted in on only six prior occasions, and one where he averages just 20.33. DDS, as he’s commonly known, has always been the man for a crisis in Sri Lanka’s lower order, and Sri Lanka will be hoping that crisis-management mode kicks in upon the retirement of one of the country’s stalwarts.Anamul Haque’s Test career hasn’t been one to write home about. Having made his Test debut back in 2013, he was in the wilderness from 2014 to 2022. Anamul’s return to the national team was brief, though, as he was dropped after a single Test for another three years. At 32 years of age, his return against Zimbabwe this April was less comeback, and more a reintroduction. He scored 39, his highest Test score, the only time he batted in that game. The Galle Test brought Anamul scores of 0 and 4, not ideal either. But on an SSC track that is expected to be as batter-friendly – if not, more – now, if ever, is the time to deliver.Mehidy Hasan Miraz will be back in action after a fever•AFP/Getty Images
Team newsSri Lanka will be pondering Mathews’ replacement, as well as whether to play three seamers. Milan Rathnayake’s injury has left open a spot for a bowling allrounder, and Dinusha seems likely to fill that role. Tharindu Ratnayake will be the one to make way if Sri Lanka go for an extra seamer.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Lahiru Udara, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Sonal Dinusha, 7 Kusal Mendis (wk), 8 Prabath Jayasuriya, 9 Vishwa Fernando, 10 Kasun Rajitha/Isitha Wijesundara, 11 Asitha FernandoBangladesh will have to decide how to slot in the returning Mehidy, while also pondering whether to go with three seamers or an extra spinner. It could be Nayeem who misses out if the extra seamer does come in. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto also picked up a finger injury at training, but it doesn’t look likely to rule him out.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Jaker Ali (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nayeem Hasan/Khaled Ahmed/Ebadot Hossain, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Nahid Rana, 11 Hasan MahmudOf active Sri Lanka players, Prabath Jayasuriya’s ten wickets are the most at SSC•AFP/Getty Images
Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost four of their last eight Tests at the SSC. Prior to that, they had gone 21 Tests without defeat at the venue. Of active Sri Lanka players, Jayasuriya’s ten wickets are the most at the SSC. Bangladesh have beaten Sri Lanka just once across 27 Tests.Quotes”Runs in the first innings is the key. Then we can try and take 20 wickets in the game. Toss will not be a major factor. Even in Galle, we were able to score the same number of runs as them.” “To leave Naeem out is difficult. But we make sure everyone is on the same page, and if a decision has to be made, people understand that it’s what’s best for the team.”