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Albeit from a limited number of matches, England’s T20I form has been less consistent than their 50-over exploits. What might come up for debate during the tri-series?

Andrew McGlashan04-Feb-2018

.Reserve No. 3Joe Root was eventually persuaded to take a rest from this series (although that was perhaps with a focus on the IPL only for him to be overlooked for that) which means there is a vacancy at No. 3. Presuming Alex Hales and Jason Roy are fit to take the opening positions – and Roy is rated ’50-50′ by Eoin Morgan for Hobart due to a back spasm – that is likely to leave James Vince and Dawid Malan vying for first drop unless England get funky and utilise David Willey. Malan made an impressive 78 on debut against South Africa last year and would provide another left-handed option at the top of the order. Vince made his T20 debut in 2015 and was named Man of the Series against Pakistan in the UAE but has played just two matches since. His pretty 30s may not go a long way to winning Tests, but can certainly influence a T20.Buttler’s best positionThere is the potential for so much flexibility with England’s batting order, but that also needs to be weighed against players knowing their roles. Without doubt Jos Buttler is a player capable of scoring T20 hundreds were he to bat the majority of an innings – Hales remains England’s lone century-maker in the format – but he is among the finest closers, batting first or second, of an innings in the world. Thirty-nine of his 49 T20I innings have been at No. 5 or 6, but two of his five half-centuries have come in the top four: an unbeaten 73 opening against Sri Lanka and an unbeaten 66 against the same opposition at No. 4 in the World T20. If an innings is beyond the 10-over mark when the second wicket falls there is a strong case for Buttler being the next man in.The captain’s formIt’s a change of formats, so it’s unwise to draw too many conclusions come success or failure, but there will be a focus on Morgan’s run-scoring in this series. He was the least convincing of the top order in the one-dayers against Australia. As with the 50-over side, there is a clamour for spots in the top order with Root and Ben Stokes to slot back in at some point in the future. Morgan’s leadership carries a lot of weight but at some point the conversation may need to be had as to whether he sees himself in the role for the 2020 World T20 or if the 2019 World Cup could be an end-point. Morgan has occasionally left himself out of the T20 side to give Jos Buttler captaincy experience, most notably in the deciding match against South Africa last year.Horses for coursesMorgan has said that England will adjust their plans – particularly around the bowling attack – dependent on each ground during the tri-series, taking particular note of the varying dimensions. England’s series takes them to Hobart, Melbourne, Wellington, Hamilton and potentially Auckland for the final, the latter with some of the shortest straight boundaries in the world. It could be that England don’t always employ two spinners, particularly in the continued absence of Stokes to balance the side.Pace-bowling squeezeThere is certainly no shortage of quicks in the squad to mix-and-match with – seven if you include Jake Ball who stayed with the party as injury cover. Among them is the uncapped 19-year-old Sam Curran, but Stokes and Chris Woakes are surely in England’s best XI. While plenty of rotation can be expected over the next two years – and names not in the squad, or even in the frame, could feature – there won’t be room for them all going forward and there is plenty to play for among the pace-bowling unit.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to sign West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell this summer, and a new report has revealed when the deal is likely to happen.

Is Aaron Cresswell leaving West Ham?

The Premier League veteran’s contract is set to expire in less than a year meaning that the ongoing window is David Moyes’ final big opportunity to cash in should he not want to lose his longest-serving player for free, and he’s been heavily linked with a move to Molineux.

The Old Gold reportedly offered a contract to the left-back after holding positive negotiations, and whilst a deal was never agreed, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor spoke to GiveMeSport to deliver an update on the situation. He said:

“Obviously, from Cresswell's perspective, he wants to get a longer contract. At Wolves, it was a two-year contract on offer, so I can see why he probably wants to move. I do expect him to leave, but West Ham need to bring in some players.”

Reporter Alan Nixon has since claimed that the 33-year-old has asked to be sold so that he can move up north and be closer to his family, and despite Fosun having so far only tabled a £2.5m bid when his price tag has been set at £4m, club chiefs sound confident that an agreement will be reached before September 1.

Are Wolves signing Aaron Cresswell?

According to Football Insider, Wolves are "expected to complete the signing" of Cresswell in the "final weeks" of the summer transfer window.

The Midlands outfit are "keen to up their bid" regardless of Julen Lopetegui being replaced by Gary O'Neil, and it's stated that members of the hierarchy have personally "targeted" the defender as a result of the experience he has in the top-flight.

England's former international is "being pushed towards the exit door" by West Ham, who will enter the market for a new left-back no matter whether their player stays or goes before next month.

Wolves will know that Cresswell isn’t getting any younger, but as stated above, his vast experience is an attribute that the board appreciate, and having been dubbed an “unsung hero” by talkSPORT pundit and former professional footballer Tony Cascarino, the left-back would be an excellent addition for O’Neil, regardless of whether he'd be a regular starter or not.

The Liverpool-born talent is extremely strong in the attacking aspect of his game having posted 92 goal contributions (69 assists and 23 goals) throughout his career, alongside whipping 133 crosses into the opposition’s box in the top-flight last season, which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef, showing his desire to burst down the flank and create chances for his teammates.

Cresswell, who recently won the Europa Conference League, also shares the same agent, Unique Sports Group, as both Craig Dawson and Daniel Bentley, so this existing connection that his representative has to the club could give them a small advantage should they continue to try and get a deal over the line in the coming weeks.

Himachal Pradesh pulled ahead on a 14-wicket day in Delhi, while Punjab marched towards an innings victory in Porvorim

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017A century from captain Faiz Fazal and a fifty from Wasim Jaffer led Vidarbha’s reply to Chhattisgarh’s 489 in Nagpur.Fazal added 105 to his overnight score of 20, before being dismissed by legspinner Jatin Saxena. Fazal’s 12th first-class hundred contained 19 fours and a six. He added 114 with Jaffer, who struck seven fours during his 104-ball 50. Shrikant Wagh (38) and Ganesh Satish (39) also pitched in with useful contributions to help trim the deficit to 158 by stumps. Seamer Prateek Sinha and left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar took two wickets each for Chhattisgarh.Legspinner Raghu Sharma – playing only his second first-class match – and left-arm spinner Vinay Choudhary bagged seven wickets between them to put Punjab on course for an innings victory against Goa in Porvorim. In response to Punjab’s 635, Goa were dismissed for 246, and ended the day on 67 for 2 after being asked to follow on.Goa, resuming on 94 for 1, lost Swapnil Asnodkar in the second over of the day to Choudhary, who then combined with Raghu and seamer Siddarth Kaul (2-41) to cut through the rest of the batting line-up. At 176 for 9, a counterattacking 70-run partnership for the last wicket between Rituraj Singh (22) and Amit Yadav (52*) dragged the side to 246.The slide seeped into Goa’s second innings as well, with Choudhary and Kaul dismissing the openers. Captain Sagun Kamat and Amogh Desai then saw off the day without any further damage.Akash Vasisht and Pankaj Jaiswal starred with both bat and ball to help Himachal Pradesh pull ahead on a 14-wicket day against Services at the Palam A ground in Delhi. They first took six wickets between them to dismiss Services for 215 and earn a 149-run first-innings lead for Himachal Pradesh. Vasisht and Jaiswal then hit 44 and 33 respectively to extend the lead and set Services a target of 326.Resuming on 153 for 6, Services lost their last four wickets for 62 runs to be bowled out in 76.3 overs, in their first dig. Debutant Nitin Tanwar top scored for them with 55 for 67 balls.Himachal Pradesh began shakily in their second innings, and were pinned down to 58 for 6 by the 31st over. Rishi Dhawan, Vasisht and Jaiswal then cracked 17 boundaries between them to lift the score to 176 for 9 before they declared. In pursuit of 326, Services lost opener Navneet Singh early, and closed the day at 28 for 1.

A standout feature of Jasprit Bumrah’s young career thus far has been his willingness and ability to learn and evolve. While “learning” rolls off many cricketers’ tongues as a stock cliché, Bumrah means it. Last year, when he said he had learnt something new in each of his first three seasons in the IPL, it wasn’t tall talk. In 2013, Bumrah was schooled in the art of pre-game preparation and managing different situations. When he became one of Mumbai Indians’ lead bowlers next year, he absorbed the lessons of carrying good form and sustaining it over a length of time. Even his injury was an opportunity to learn: ahead of the 2015 edition, he sought out senior bowlers to understand how to prepare for a comeback.At 23, Bumrah has already made strong strides towards becoming a more rounded bowler. From someone who relied heavily on an amalgam of a whippety, awkward action, inch-perfect yorkers and slower deliveries, he has now proven to be adept at taking wickets with length deliveries. During India’s 5-0 ODI thumping of Sri Lanka recently, Bumrah emerged as the leading wicket-taker on either side with 15 scalps at an economy-rate of less than four and was named Man of the Series. Nine of those wickets came via deliveries that were pitched either on good length or on the shorter side of it. The yorkers made an appearance only on eight occasions, thus retaining their shock value. He also straddled the twin roles of opening the bowling and operating at the death.Bumrah’s rapid growth wasn’t lost on his captain Virat Kohli, who called him India’s “most effective short-format bowler” in the last year and a half. “He has really worked on his bowling a lot – especially his length ball, which has picked up more pace,” Kohli said at the end of the series. “It’s not only about yorkers and slower balls anymore. He can bowl a good length ball and nick you off as well, which I think is the biggest improvement in his bowling. Credit to him for shaping his game in that way.”By his own admission, Bumrah has had many mentors right from Sachin Tendulkar to Ricky Ponting and Lasith Malinga to Shane Bond. He feels much of his improvement is down to relentlessly picking another bowler’s brain – be it a peer or a senior. “We just want to improve all the time,” Bumrah said on the eve of the first T20I against Australia in Ranchi. “We keep asking questions to each other and we keep learning from the senior players – what else we can do, how to improve ourselves, how to adapt to different conditions and different wickets. So, our main focus is that. We don’t focus on the results. We just want to focus on the training and we want to get better and better after each and every game.”With Ashish Nehra’s return, Bumrah will also have another familiar mentor to lean on for advice. Earlier this year, Bumrah and Nehra combined to throttle England by five runs in Nagpur. Despite an age difference of 15 years, Bumrah enjoys a great comfort level with his senior partner. “He is a very experienced player and I have played some cricket with him during the T20 World Cup,” Bumrah said. “It’s always great fun playing alongside him. He has got plenty of experience to share and is very helpful. As a youngster, I keep asking him questions and seek his advice. The team atmosphere also becomes very good with his presence, so it’s very nice to see him back.”With rain thwarting India’s training session on Friday, some of the players, including MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, tried their hand at foot-volley in the dressing room balcony. Bumrah appeared to stand in a corner and watch them in action. Don’t be surprised if he learns a few tricks there and masters those, too.

Raza also acknowledged continuity, a theory endorsed by head coach Heath Streak and chief selector Tatenda Taibu, for their recent upswing

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jul-2017On a track that has now begun to produce unplayable balls, Zimbabwe’s key to victory on day five will be discipline. So says Sikandar Raza, whose maiden Test century played a pivotal role in transforming the match situation.Zimbabwe are seven wickets away from history, and have 218 runs to defend. Though the overnight pair – Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews – have each produced great rearguard innings before, there isn’t much experience to follow. Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne have played only 12 Tests between them; Gunaratne is carrying a hamstring injury in any case.”I think patience and discipline will play a huge role,” Raza said. “If we can stay disciplined and patient, I think there is enough for Sean Williams, Graeme Cremer and the other spinners as well – for balls to misbehave. You could get a jaffa that you can’t do much about. I think on a track like this, once you get the senior players out, with the way their batting is at the moment, it could open a door for us to sneak through.”As was seen with the dismissal of Dimuth Karunaratne, the pitch can also occasionally produce big-turning deliveries out of the rough. Karunaratne had in fact left a Williams delivery that pitched wide but leapt back at him to clip off stump. Williams persisted with a legside line, trying to find the same patch of rough, for many of the remainder of his overs in the day.”We discussed with Sean, and because there was a lot of turn with that dismissal,” Raza said. “The moment they try and get greedy to score, the slip could come into play, the off stump could be exposed, and we could sneak in a wicket there. We wanted to hold one end so that Cremer can attack from the other. While we are holding it, we’re still creating a few chances.”Of his knock, Raza partly credited the inspiration he derived from batting coach Lance Klusener. Zimbabwe had been 23 for 4 at lunch on day three, then 59 for 5 not long after. But by the time Raza departed, they had a lead greater than 300 and were running the match. Along the way, he had forged partnerships worth 86 with PJ Moor, and 144 with Malcolm Waller.”Yes, the heads were down for a little while during that lunch break when we were 23 for 4. Klusener had a word with us and said that it’s up to us – the guys who were still to bat – whether we go down without a fight, or we show some heart.”Zimbabwe have used the sweep shot to excellent effect throughout the tour, and Raza – in particular – combatted the spinners with a range of cross batted strokes. Almost all the batsmen have contributed at some point in the tour, and Klusener has played a role in the run-making, Raza said.”The batting plans come from us. Then we discuss and share our plans with Klusener and then he has his input. Of course he has a world of experience. If I have a plan which I think is too risky, Klusener will always advise me and say you could have a better plan – do XYZ. It’s quite a nice relationship all the batters have got with our batting coach.”If you look at the Sri Lanka tour, everyone has scored runs. In the ODI series we started with Solomon Mire, then Hamilton Masakadza. Then we had Tarisai Musakanda, who is a young guy who got into a team, batted in a difficult place, and did exceptionally. Craig Ervine, has been performing. Sean Williams had been performing.All the guys heading into the Test had runs behind them. Everyone has a different plan. Everyone has their own plan. All our plans worked around being positive. Some were around being aggressive. My plan was certainly like that.”Zimbabwe had not had the happiest year before coming to Sri Lanka, having lost a home ODI series to Afghanistan, and one ODI to Scotland as well. But in keeping the same players around since the start of the year has begun to pay dividends, Raza said.”I think since Heath Streak has become head coach and Tatenda Taibu has been chief selector, we have kept the same group of players. So, certainly it has been about six months that we’ve been together – this core of players.”We haven’t had a lot of changes in our touring 15 or playing XI either. Every time someone has got a chance in the playing XI, they’ve stepped up as well. We’ve had a very consistent squad, and I think that goes hand in hand with consistent performances as well.”

ScorecardThis series of games was meant to be about the future but, at Edgbaston at least, it was a couple of faces from the past that made the greatest impression.Shiv Chanderpaul, who seems to have been scoring runs since the invention of electricity, dominated the first day of pink-ball Championship cricket here with the 76th century of a remarkable first-class career.Lancashire were 55 for 4 not long after he reached the crease. Haseeb Hameed, a year younger than Chanderpaul’s son, Tagenarine, had already fallen – a torturous innings ended by an uppish drive to a short, straight mid-of – and Jos Buttler had gone, too, a 20-ball 2 ended by an attempted pull against a delivery too full for the stroke.But Chanderpaul reacted with the same imperturbable calm that has characterised so much of his career. It wasn’t especially pretty – of course it wasn’t – but it wasn’t slow (his century took only 129 balls) and it was, in its way, a masterful demonstration of how to compile runs on a slow wicket against an accurate attack. This was his third Championship century of the season and, aged 42 and averaging 76.42, he has proved himself a successful short-term signing.He survived, perhaps, one chance to Tim Ambrose off Jeetan Patel on 47. But while others poked and prodded (Steven Croft poked at Boyd Rankin’s first ball and was outstandingly well caught by Rikki Clarke in the slips), Chanderpaul was compact but severe on anything short or over-pitched and showed more patience than Buttler and co. could manage. Liam Livingstone, who is due to join the Lions on Wednesday, was given a couple of days off.A glance at the scoreboard might convince the casual observer that the pink ball provided copious assistance, but it isn’t really so. The new pink ball moved for Keith Barker, but so does the new red one. The older ball moved for him a little, too. But so does the red one. The rest of the Warwickshire bowlers found it harder to gain any lateral assistance and most of the wickets that fell owed more to admirable control from the bowlers and a little lack of patience from the batsmen.There was little sign that the experiment with day-night cricket attracted more spectators. Quite the opposite, really. While about 1,300 attended during the day, most had departed long before stumps at 9.30pm. Sales for the Test here are very strong, though, with a sell-out predicted for the first three days. Without the novelty of the day-night factor, it is hard to imagine that would have been replicated.There was another familiar face at Edgbaston on Monday. Dermot Reeve, not so long ago captain of a side here that won six trophies in little more than 24 months, was also back. He was invited to work with the Warwickshire squad on Sunday and (to address the club’s members on Monday) made a strong impression on the squad with a presentation on the benefits of a positive mental approach. He returns to Australia and Grade coaching duties later this week, but he may well be back next year. He declined the club’s offer to buy his personalised copy of Wisden, instead preferring to take his chance on the open market.One man who was not at Edgbaston was Ian Westwood. He had been due to play (William Porterfield was the man to come into the side in his place; Andy Umeed is being given a chance to establish himself), but went to see Ashley Giles a day or so ahead of the game and said there was simply nothing left in the tank. Years of forcing himself through the uneven battle against the new ball have taken their toll and he decided he simply didn’t have the requisite hunger to force himself through it once more.Good enough to have played a part in two Championship-winning sides, selfless enough to have captained Warwickshire through some tough years and to have dropped himself before a Lord’s final, he was also good enough to have scored more than 8,000 first-class runs against some fine attacks, including memorable centuries against Surrey and Yorkshire. He has served Warwickshire well.There will be another new face at Warwickshire shortly. A batting allrounder who is currently struggling for first team opportunities at his strong county, had his medical on Monday. His signing is likely to be announced on Tuesday.Warwickshire supporters might also be encouraged by the first-team debut of 19-year-old George Panayi. A seam bowling allrounder, Panayi developed through Shrewsbury School and has played for England U19. While he didn’t gain a lot of movement, he bowled at a decent pace – just above 80 mph, you’d think – and was admirably tight in his lines and lengths.Having helped earn the wicket of Hameed – fortunate to survive a leg before appeal on 0 and perilously close to being bowled by two deliveries he left – who struggled over 63 balls for his 17 (he now averages 19.10 for the campaign), Panayi was rewarded with the second new ball and claimed the wickets of Tom Bailey and James Anderson with successive, full deliveries.Dane Villas helped Chanderpaul add 96 for the fifth-wicket but, once he was caught off the shoulder of the bat as he attempted to turn one into the leg side – reward for Rankin’s bounce – Barker swung his way through the middle-order. Lancashire’s total is probably some way short of par on a true surface which also saw action in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final.In reply, Anderson bowled immaculately. He produced a beauty that swung in late to account for Porterfield and later hit Jonathan Trott a crashing blow on the helmet with a fine short ball. But there was no extreme movement or obvious vision problems. Indeed, for most of the day, as Chanderpaul manoeuvred the ball around the field, it was as if nothing had changed.

Liverpool remain attentive to Celta Vigo prodigy Gabri Veiga's situation, and could look to swoop for the ace over the coming weeks.

What's the latest on Gabri Veiga to Liverpool?

That's according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who has taken to Twitter to reveal his latest update on Veiga's situation, with Liverpool interested in meeting the player's €40m (£34m) release clause this summer.

The Italian journalist said: "Liverpool are informed on Gabri Veiga but they have submitted NO bid — and it’s not something imminent, again.

"Veiga remains in Chelsea list, they had direct contacts and will discuss internally think about it."

While an official offer is seemingly not forthcoming right now, Liverpool will need to bolster their midfielder further following the £35m signing of Alexis Mac Allister, and Veiga could fit the bill.

What is Gabri Veiga's play style?

The £3k-per-week ace has enjoyed as good a breakout season as any after plundering 11 goals and four assists across all competitions for Celta Vigo this season, dubbed a "dangerous" midfielder by journalist Euan McTear.

After such remarkable success, he already ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 20% for assists, the top 12% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 11% for touches in the attacking box per 90, as per FBref.

Clearly the "top talent" that Romano describes him as, Veiga is silky and elegant, clinical and expeditious, and at just 21-years-old there is an avalanche of success awaiting him over the next decade or more as he continues his ascent and makes the improvements to his game to craft himself into a first-rate maestro.

This could be achieved at Liverpool, and given his particular set of skills, he could be the dream heir to Philippe Coutinho's position in the team.

The fleet-footed Brazilian's lucrative £146m sale to Barcelona served as a watershed moment for Jurgen Klopp's dynasty at Anfield, with the money gleaned reinvested into the likes of centrepieces Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk.

However, the industrious nature of the Reds midfield lost its touch last season as Liverpool plummeted from prominence and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and Veiga's dynamism and forward-thinking exuberance could rekindle their verve.

During the peak of his powers on Merseyside, Coutinho scored 13 goals and supplied seven assists from 31 matches during his final full Premier League season, averaging 3.4 shots, 2.4 key passes and 2.1 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored, and was praised as "one of the very best in the world" with "magical powers" by compatriot and former teammate Roberto Firmino.

Given the "very electric" Veiga's aforementioned statistics, as he was called by Romano, he could emulate such success and provide a dimension unseen since the 31-year-old plied his trade under the Anfield lights, and his acquisition could illustrate the rebirth of Liverpool as they chart a course for success once again.

Glasgow Rangers have already made four new signings, with Jack Butland, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, and Kieran Dowell all arriving at the Ibrox side.

Michael Beale will know that getting a head start on their Old Firm rivals, who are still currently searching for someone to replace Ange Postecoglou, could be the difference between winning their first Premiership crown since 2020/21 or finishing in second for the third year on the spin.

But in order to make more signings in the transfer window, Beale will surely have to move a few players on to generate funds. Scott Wright and Jon McLaughlin already look as though their futures lie away from Ibrox, while striker Antonio Colak could also make way.

The Croatian only moved to the Light Blues last summer and enjoyed a decent enough debut season, scoring 18 goals, yet his appearances were limited under the 42-year-old, starting just five matches during the second half of the season, and according to The Scottish Sun, the club are open to bids for the striker.

If he did depart, Beale could replace him with Kenyan striker Michael Olunga, who has been scoring for fun recently.

Could Michael Olunga join Rangers?

With Dutch attacker Lammers only recently joining, the Gers should still sign another striker or two this summer as they target silverware – and Olunga could be an excellent signing having been linked with a move to Ibrox.

The 29-year-old is a machine in front of goal, scoring a total of 159 club goals while also adding in 21 across 48 appearances for Kenya, even scoring twice at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, indicating that he can perform at the highest level.

Beale wouldn’t need to spend any money on the player as he is soon to be available for free, while he is reportedly only wanting a weekly salary of around £7.5k per week, and he could therefore become an ideal option for the club without having to splash the cash.

His stay in Qatar for Al-Duhail has been the most productive of his career, scoring a remarkable 83 goals in 83 appearances, while he particularly impressed in the AFC Champions League in 2022, netting six goals from eight matches and finishing as the third-best performer in the squad as per Sofascore. He also ranked second for goals and shots on target per game, further highlighting his clinical nature in front of goal.

Following his two-goal salvo against Tanzania in 2019, he was dubbed a “match-winner” by Squawka, while former boss Sabri Lamouchi said he was “special”, and if Beale wants some more goals in his side, signing Olunga would be a cheap yet reliable option.

The winger made his international debut aged 18 after a stunning breakthrough with Borussia Dortmund, but a hugely promising career has hit a wall

Manchester United had tried to sign Jadon Sancho for years. And who could blame them? The winger was a generational talent, and after leaving the English game in search of first-team football, he had taken the Bundesliga by storm, averaging more than a goal contribution in every game for Borussia Dortmund.

After tracking him from 2018 and then opting against a move in 2019 after haggling over his transfer fee, United finally got their man in July 2021, paying £74 million for an England regular and one of the most coveted players in Europe. But fast-forward two years and Sancho has gone from being English football's next great hope into a ghost-like figure.

He was absent from the United squad for several months last season and when he did return, he often gave anonymous performances, looking shorn of the pace, power and invention that had made him such a thrilling prospect. And after only being given cameo roles in United's opening three games of the 2023-24 season, he was completely absent from the squad for the trip to Arsenal.

Fans assumed he must have been injured, but after the match Erik ten Hag gave a surprisingly honest response when asked about Sancho's absence. "On his performance on training we didn't select him," he said. "You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game, he wasn't selected."

Sancho was quick to bite back and defend himself, claiming he had been made "a scapegoat for a long time". Sancho risked getting himself into trouble with his response, but it was actually refreshing to see him fight back. For too long it has felt like his career has stalled, that the fire he used to have has burned out.

GOAL charts the rise and fall of one of England's brightest talent, who went to Germany and conquered but appears lost back in his homeland.

Raised on the mean streets of South London

Sancho was born and raised in Kennington, South London. The capital's south has turned into a footballing hotbed in the last decade, with a 2021 study revealing that 10 per cent of Premier League players all hailed from the same, 10-mile stretch below the River Thames.

Joe Gomez, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eberechi Eze and Tammy Abraham are just some of the players to have emerged from South London's football scene, which was the centre of , a TV series presented by Rio Ferdinand. And Sancho, whose skills were honed in the unforgiving concrete pitches dotted around the area, known as cages, was the area's biggest star.

AdvertisementGettyEducated at Watford

Despite being from south of the river, Sancho's first experience of organised football came north of the capital with Watford, where he moved at the age of seven, remaining until he was 15. Even though he left before he could turn professional, he has very fond memories of his time with the Hornets.

“Watford was a lot of fun,” Sancho told United's website in 2022. “I was happy when I was there and I had a lot of freedom when I was playing. That’s what makes me happy and makes me the best player I can be when I’m just free, doing what I love. At Watford I used to work on a lot of skills and I wanted to show people what I can do."

Getty ImagesMoving to the other side of Manchester

Word of Sancho's talents spread across the country and Manchester City came calling in 2015. Sancho said moving to the Blues "was a good opportunity to get out of the hood. There were a lot of bad influences."

He played in the same Under-18s side as Phil Foden and current Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz, but was itching for a shot at first-team football. When he was left out of Pep Guardiola's squad for the pre-season tour of the United States in 2017 while Foden travelled, Sancho kicked up a fuss and stopped attending training.

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Getty ImagesHopping on a plane to Dortmund

While Guardiola did not think Sancho was ready for first-team football, the player thought otherwise and immediately sought a move. Borussia Dortmund were willing takers, snapping him up for around £8m ($10m) in the summer of 2017 and putting him straight into the first-team squad.

Sancho's belief in his own ability was vindicated when he made his first-team debut against Eintracht Frankfurt in October. His first goal came in a 4-0 win against local rivals Bayer Leverkusen in April 2018, the winger setting up two more on the day.

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was removed from Los Blancos' starting XI against Atletico Madrid due to an injury sustained in the warmup.

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Vinicius was set to start against main rivalsSustained an undisclosed injury minutes before the gameBrahim Diaz replaced him in the starting XIWHAT HAPPENED?

Madrid suffered a major blow prior to kick off of their clash with Atleti, as they had to make do without their star man. The Brazilian was withdrawn just minutes before kick-off, leading to mass confusion among fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Brahim Diaz replaced Vinicius in the lineup, and made an immediate impact, bagging the opening goal of the game within 20 minutes. Vinicius was included on Carlo Ancelotti's bench, but the Real boss decided against throwing him into the game in the second half, and the La Liga leaders were eventually pegged back in stoppage time by an equaliser from Marcos Llorente.

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Real fans will hope Vinicius does not face any more time on the sidelines, with the Brazilian having struggled with his fitness in the first half of the season. The 23-year-old has been vital for Ancelotti's side since his return, most notably scoring a hat-trick in Real's 4-1 Super Cup final win over Barcelona.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR

Vinicius will be determined to be available next Saturday, when his side take on Girona in a potential title decider. Real are favourites for the La Liga title after pulling clear of arch-rivals Barca, but Girona have been the surprise package of the season so far and won't go down without a fight with only two points currently separating the two teams at the top.