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Manchester City are now “leading” the chase for a “special striker”, who is keen on a move to the Etihad Stadium, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey.

Guardiola looking to trim squad ahead of new campaign

The new Premier League campaign is a matter of days away, with Man City set to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home this Saturday, and Pep Guardiola will travel to Molineux with a new-look squad.

City have not been afraid to splash the cash this summer, bringing in new options in attacking midfield and between the sticks, given that Kevin De Bruyne left upon the expiration of his contract, while Ederson is also expected to depart.

New signing

Transfer fee

Position

Tijjani Reijnders

£46.5m

CM

Rayan Ait-Nouri

£36.3m

LB

Rayan Cherki

£34m

AM

James Trafford

£31m

GK

Sverre Nypan

£12.5m

CM

Marcus Bettinelli

Undisclosed

GK

To make way for the new arrivals, there have also been plenty of departures, with Jack Grealish becoming the latest player to leave, joining Everton on a season-long loan deal.

Guardiola has also suggested he is looking to trim the squad even further, saying: “A lot of players should leave. New players, I don’t think so. We need a little bit less. I don’t like (lots) of players. One reason we sent Vitor Reis to Girona is for that.”

However, there may be room for Man City to make one last statement signing, having recently entered talks over a deal for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, which could amount to around £86m.

He's like Rodrygo: Man City make approach to sign "exceptional" £61m talent

As Manchester City target a move to sign Rodrygo, have they also entered the race, up against a rival, to sign a “fascinating” talent valued at £60m?

ByBen Gray Aug 12, 2025

Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey has now revealed that Man City are “leading” the chase for the Madrid star, alongside Arsenal, with the reporter adding: “Both clubs really appeal to him – they are both Champions League contenders and look like a good fit.”

Bailey also suggests the Spanish side are willing to part ways with the Brazilian, adding: “Rodrygo has been told the situation – Real love him but they are ready to move on, and the player is in full agreement with them, he also believes that the situation needs resolving.”

Rodrygo could be "special" signing for City

It would be difficult for any centre-forward to compete for Erling Haaland’s starting spot, but Carlo Ancelotti has waxed lyrical about the Brazil international in the past, saying: “He is a special striker, he can play in all positions. He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes.”

However, the former Santos man has predominantly featured on the wing throughout his career to date, indicating that he could be brought in as a direct replacement for Grealish.

Given his exploits in a Madrid shirt, there is every indication the 24-year-old would be an upgrade on Grealish too, chipping in with 68 goals and 51 assists in 270 appearances for the Spanish club.

Guardiola seems hesitant to make more additions to his squad, but he should make room for Rodrygo, as the Brazilian could take his forward line to the next level.

A target of 181 was too little against the might of the Lucknow Super Giants batting line-up

Deivarayan Muthu12-Apr-20252:34

Jaffer: Bishnoi’s spell brought LSG into the game

Despite the absence of Mitchell Marsh, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bested Gujarat Titans (GT) in the battle of top orders and moved up to third on the IPL 2025 points table.After Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan forged a 120-run opening stand, GT managed only 60 off their last eight overs while losing six wickets. The variations of Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi (8-0-66-3) helped LSG regain lost ground on a black-soil pitch at Ekana Stadium.Aiden Markram and Rishabh Pant, who was opening the batting for the first time in the IPL in nearly ten years, then maximised the powerplay to put LSG further ahead. Markram fell for 58 off 31 balls but Nicholas Pooran rushed LSG towards the finish line with a six-laden 61 off 34 balls. LSG completed the job with three balls to spare, snapping GT’s four-match winning streak.

The Sudharsan-Gill opening act

After being asked to bat first, Gill and Sudharsan added 54 for 0 in the powerplay. Sudharsan had kicked off the innings with a slapped four off Shardul Thakur and then when Akash Deep pitched one too full, he drove the ball straight past him for four more.Related

• Despite the loss, Gujarat Titans believe in #NehraMaths

• Markram turns away from Pooran model, backs his strengths to find form

• The unconventional journey of the unconventional Digvesh Rathi

T20 isn’t Sudharsan’s strongest format, but he keeps finding ways to score at a brisk pace with a low-risk approach. At the other end, Gill took more risks, often stepping out or manufacturing swinging room. When LSG tried to burgle an over from Markram, Gill and Sudharsan spoiled their plan by taking the part-time offspinner for 15 runs.Sudharsan’s knock could’ve been cut short on 46 had Abdul Samad held onto a catch at cover off Rathi. He went onto bring up his fourth half-century in six innings in IPL, soon after Gill had raised his own fifty.1:36

‘Not long before Sudharsan is an India regular’

GT’s slide

The dismissals of Gill and Sudharsan in successive overs, however, brought LSG back into the contest. While Avesh Khan had Gill caught at the long-on boundary with a cutter, Bishnoi had Sudharsan caught at cover with a skiddy wrong ‘un. Bishnoi also had Washington Sundar chopping on for 2 with the wrong ‘un.Mystery spinner Rathi, who had two catches dropped off his bowling, eventually wrote his name into the wickets column when Thakur held onto a tough chance at short fine leg to dismiss Jos Buttler for 16 off 14 balls. Thakur then closed out the innings with his nifty variations, which fetched him the wickets of Sherfane Rutherford and Rahul Tewatia in the final over. From 120 for 0 after 12 overs, they finished on 180 for 6.

Markram, Pant start well for LSG

LSG rattled off 61 for 0 in the powerplay, with Markram claiming 38 of those. Pant, who had bumped himself up the order, got off to a more sedate start and was in discomfort after being struck on the knee by left-arm seamer Arshad Khan.Pant was happy to ride in Markram’s slipstream before he attacked Rashid Khan in the last over of the powerplay, slog-sweeping the wristspinner for four over midwicket. In the next over, though, when he charged at Prasidh Krishna, the bowler shifted his line wide of off stump and had Pant slicing a catch to deep third for 21 off 18 balls. Markram, meanwhile, mixed orthodox strokeplay with T20 innovation to bring up a 26-ball fifty.

Pooran power

Pooran had already hit two sixes by the time GT introduced R Sai Kishore into the attack in the tenth over. The first delivery, which seemed like the carrom ball, was whacked over midwicket for six. He then smoked the left-arm fingerspinner for two more sixes off the next three balls he bowled to him and dumped him out of the attack. With his big hits, Pooran brought the asking rate down to a run-a-ball. He ended up with seven sixes on the day, extending his tally to 31 sixes this IPL. The next best on the list hasn’t even hit half as many.On the day, Pooran alone hit four more sixes than the entire GT team.By the time Rashid removed Pooran in the 16th over, LSG needed 26 off 28 balls. Ayush Badoni, LSG’s Impact Player, helped knock off those runs with an unbeaten cameo.

Todd Greenberg, the new Cricket Australia chief executive, says the game must find a solution to bad light stopping play, stressing that the paying fans need to be put at the forefront.Greenberg has recently been involved in his first round of ICC meetings, held in Harare, since replacing Nick Hockley at CA last month.While there are a range of significant issues in Greenberg’s inbox, watching players walk off the field when the light starts to fade is something that does not sit well with him as cricket competes for attention.Related

• ICC considering change to existing two-ball rule in ODI playing conditions

“My view has always been we are in the entertainment business and so if we’re in the entertainment business that means we’re trying to make sure as many fans can enjoy their cricket as possible,” he told the Daily Telegraph.”The frustration that goes when we walk off with bad light is we may be one of the last industries left that would do that. We need to find ways to innovate and figure out solutions so that doesn’t happen in the future.”The issue of bad light has been brought more into focus in the era of day-night Test cricket, which use pink balls, although they are only regularly played in Australia. Various solutions have been thrown around to combat poor light including switching between different coloured balls although that has generally been viewed as a step too far.Traditional daytime Tests can continue under floodlights where they are available, which has seen more play possible than would have been the case in the past, but umpires will take the players off when artificial light takes over too much from natural light – a rough guide often used is when the shadows of the light towers are clearly visible on the field.Greenberg, who was previously in charge at the Australian Cricketers’ Association, acknowledged that players would have to be a key part of coming up with a new approach to poor light.”I’m a realist and I understand why [play stops for bad light] and I understand the difficulties, but ultimately we want to give fans the best outcomes and there is nothing more frustrating than having to go off for bad light, particularly in an environment where we can play under lights be it with different coloured balls or different technologies,” Greenberg said.”The players are part of the solution and we need to communicate really well with them. I’m a realist to know that it won’t be solved overnight, but geez, it’s 2025 and we can play in different conditions, I’m certain we can come up with a way to solve some of those challenges.”

Giants will be looking to sort their batting order while Warriorz will want to turn their luck around at home

Srinidhi Ramanujam02-Mar-20252:35

‘Gardner and her leadership firing on all cylinders’

Who’s playing

UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants
Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, 7.30pm IST

What to expect: Little room for error

UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants enter a crucial phase of the tournament with little room for error as the playoffs race heats up. Warriorz are set to play their first home game across seasons with Lucknow hosting its first WPL clash on Monday. Both Giants and Warriorz will be seeking consistency, having played five matches and winning only two of them so far. Currently, three teams are on four points with net run-rate keeping Warriorz in third position and Giants at the bottom of the table.Warriorz are playing their last three league games of this season at the Ekana Stadium and will be keen to maximise the home advantage. Their last match against Mumbai Indians saw Warriorz rejig their batting line-up with Grace Harris opening with Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh moving down to No.3. The move seemed to work with both Harris and Dinesh chipping in with crucial 46 and 33 respectively. However, they have struggled to capitalise on the starts with the bat and have either left it too late for some lower-order hitting from Chinelle Henry and Sophie Ecclestone or ended up with below-par totals. The middle overs is the phase where they are most vulnerable and Giants might look to exploit that. Warriorz have lost the most wickets (24) in the middle overs (7 to 16) in this WPL so far and have been the slowest (6.72) in that phase too.For Giants, while the bowling department looks largely sorted in terms of role clarity, there are still question marks over their top order. They have used three different opening pairs in five games with only Beth Mooney remaining the only constant at the top. D Hemalatha batted at No.3 in the first three matches in Vadodara was dropped after low scored before being promoted to open against RCB. Harleen Deol started this season in the middle order and then opened with Mooney before she was asked to bat at No. 3 in their previous game. Giants, however, have strengthened their middle order by having left-hander Phoebe Litchfield along with two star allrounders Ash Gardner and Deandra Dottin. Litchfield also played at No.3 for one game before moving down to No. 5 against MI where she looked at ease, scoring an unbeaten 30.

Form guide

UP Warriorz LWL (last three matches, most recent first)

Gujarat Giants WLL

Team news and likely XIs

The Lucknow surface is generally known to assist slower bowlers. Warriorz might be tempted to play an extra spinner in Alana King and drop Tahlia McGrath, who has been struggling with both bat and ball this season.UP Warriorz (likely XI): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Grace Harris, 3 Vrinda Dinesh, 4 Deepti Sharma (capt), 5 Shweta Sehrawat, 6 Uma Chetry (wk), 7 Chinelle Henry, 8 Saima Thakor, 9 Alana King, 10 Sophie Ecclestone, 11 Kranti GoudGiants are likely to stick to the same XI.Gujarat Giants (likely XI): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 D Hemalatha, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ash Gardner (capt), 5 Phoebe Litchfield,6 Deandra Dottin, 7 Kashvee Gautam, 8 Bharti Fulmali, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 Priya MishraKashvee Gautam has been among the brightest young talents at this WPL•BCCI

Players to watch: Grace Harris and Kashvee Gautam

It took her four matches and a move to the top of the order but Grace Harris finally lit up the tournament with an entertaining knock of 45 off just 26 against MI though it went in vain. Having found her mojo back, Harris will be determined to contribute more to help Warriorz win in the Lucknow leg.Kashvee Gautam has been among the brightest young Indian fast bowlers not just for Giants but at the tournament as well. With six wickets in five matches, she has also been the most economical bowler in this edition with an economy rate of 5.58. While she fared well in helpful conditions in Bengaluru, how she adapts to Lucknow will be something to keep an eye on.

Key stats

• Gardner has hit 15 sixes in this WPL, the most by a batter so far.
• After amassing 295 runs in eight matches last year, Deepti Sharma has not found her feet this season – she has hit a total of 88 runs in five matches.
• Not a single batter from Warriorz features in the top ten list of highest run-getters in this WPL.

da aposte e ganhe： Burnley are believed to be eyeing up a move for an experienced Championship manager to replace Vincent Kompany.

Kompany joins Bayern Munich

da blaze casino： After two years in charge and despite signing a five-year extension at Turf Moor last year, Kompany has now departed Burnley for Bayern Munich, with a move being announced on Wednesday. The Belgian has penned a three-year deal to take over from Thomas Tuchel at the Allianz Arena, leaving Alan Pace and Burnley on the hunt for Kompany’s long-term successor.

Two names that have already been linked with the vacant post are Kompany’s former assistant Craig Bellamy and ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard. Reports have claimed that Bellamy is very keen on the prospect of stepping up and becoming manager, having the backing of chief executive Paul Fletcher.

However, Pace doesn’t seem to be so sure about the idea and wants a big name such as Lampard to come in. Now, a new name has emerged from former Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness.

Burnley eyeing Carlos Corberan move

Talking to Football Insider, Wyness reacted to the news of Kompany leaving with Burnley receiving around £10m in compensation, before naming Corberan as a “potential candidate”.

“The number I’ve heard is around £10million, which is a very good compensation number for Kompany. Certainly, that deal has shocked a lot of people. It’s a good payout, and together with the parachute payment – Burnley should be very competitive.

“They’ve got experience at coming back up and I’d be very surprised if them and Leeds aren’t the bookies’ favourites. I’ve heard that Carlos Corberan could be one of the potential candidates. He came close in the playoffs with West Brom.

“I think with the resources Burnley could have, hiring him could be enough to get them back up into the Premier League. Burnley have the chance to go up, invest a bit more – and stay up.”

Corberan gained his first taste of senior management with Huddersfield Town in the Championship, leading the Terriers to a playoff final against Nottingham Forest back in 2021. Since then, the 41-year-old, who plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, had a short spell in charge of Olympiacos and has been at The Hawthorns since October 2022.

Carlos Corberan managerial stats

Games

220

Wins

89

Draws

53

Losses

78

Goals scored

298

Goals conceded

277

Points per game

1.45

He guided the Baggies to a Championship playoff semi-final last season and is under contract with the club until 2027. Corberan has also recently been linked with taking over from Enzo Maresca at Leicester City, so if Burnley do want the Spaniard, they may have to make their move relatively quickly.

da bet7k： Glasgow Rangers have the chance to win a domestic cup double in a couple of weeks as they aim to win the Scottish Cup for the second time in three years at Hampden.

da betsson： Celtic stand in their way, but if Philippe Clement could steer the Gers to a famous victory, then surely it would have been a successful season.

In terms of picking up the club from the doldrums under Michael Beale and giving them some hope, then, of course, having the chance to add a Scottish Cup trophy to the League Cup from earlier this term is a wonderful effort.

However, with several of the senior players in the squad letting the rest of the side down, dropping points when it mattered most, it is certainly a feeling of deja vu, as this scenario has occurred a few times in recent seasons.

The Belgian must undertake a total revamp of the playing squad, getting rid of those who lack the mental capacity to perform when the pressure is on, bringing in his own targets instead in the hope that they can inspire the club to succeed.

The 50-year-old has a lot of credit in the bank for the way he has steered the club away from a crisis, yet if the same players let him down next season after he fails to sell them, could his position become at risk?

Who could succeed the former Club Brugge manager if he was to lose his job? Here are seven candidates who have been linked with the club at one stage or another, including a former Chelsea icon and one who knows what it's like to play for Rangers…

Potential managerial candidates for Rangers

Manager

Current role

Career win %

Kevin Muscat

Shanghai Port

51%

Frank Lampard

Unattached

39%

Pascal Jansen

Unattached

53%

Graham Potter

Unattached

37%

Kjetil Knutsen

Bodo/Glimt

52%

Derek McInnes

Kilmarnock

45%

Oliver Glasner

Crystal Palace

46%

1 Kevin Muscat Shanghai Port

After seeing Celtic achieve plenty of success under Australian coach Ange Postecoglou, it looked as though Rangers were going to go down the same road when Beale was sacked last October.

Muscat succeeded Ange at Yokohama F. Marinos in 2021, winning the J1 title in 2022 with the club.

Despite Clement getting the job, Muscat claimed that he did speak to the club regarding the vacant role.

2 Frank Lampard Unattached (last full-time job: Everton)

The former Chelsea manager was one of the names linked with a move to Rangers following the sacking of Beale.

His last stint in management came at Everton, where he was removed from his duties in January 2023, still without a club at the time of writing.

Despite reportedly holding talks with the Ibrox chiefs about a return to management, Lampard wasn’t offered a formal interview, thus not getting the job. Might he ne offered one the next time, however?

3 Pascal Jansen Unattached (Last job: AZ Alkmaar)

The Dutchman worked wonders with AZ Alkmaar during his four-year spell in charge of the club, leading them to three successive top-five finishes in the Eredivisie and this clearly attracted attention from the Ibrox side last year.

Before Clement arrived, Jansen was one of the names linked with a move to Glasgow in order to succeed Beale.

Nothing materialised, and he was “surprised” to be in consideration for the role during an interview after it was filled by the Belgian.

Jansen was sacked by AZ in January 2024 after nearly four years in charge of the club.

4 Graham Potter Unattached (Last job: Chelsea)

The Englishman reportedly turned down the chance to manage Rangers back in October after being approached about succeeding Beale, but the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager was clearly in no rush to get back into management.

Following a few successful seasons on the south coast, Chelsea paid a reported £21.5m to bring him to London in order to succeed Thomas Tuchel.

Graham Potter's managerial career

Club

Games managed

Points per match

Chelsea

31

1.42

Brighton and Hove Albion

134

1.28

Swansea City

51

1.45

Ostersunds

224

1.71

Via Transfermarkt

Seven months later, he was gone and has been out of work since, although there have been plenty of offers.

While he may be at another club by the time Rangers are looking for another new manager, could he still be a realistic candidate?

5 Kjetil Knutsen Bodo/Glimt

The Norwegian coach has worked wonders at Bodo/Glimt since taking over in 2018. Not only has he led the club to three league titles, but also made progress in Europe, beating Celtic 5-1 on aggregate in the Europa Conference League during the 2021/22 campaign.

Journalist Alan Nixon stated in October that the Light Blues would speak to Knutsen regarding the vacant managerial role at Ibrox.

Clement was appointed soon after, however, and this may have been the final chance for the club to sign him, as if he keeps impressing in Norway, his next move could well be to England.

6 Derek McInnes Kilmarnock

Towards the end of 2017, Rangers were looking for their third permanent manager in the space of 12 months after Pedro Caixinha was sacked.

McInnes, then working wonders at Aberdeen, was offered the post, but ended up rejecting the chance to manage the team he had played for between 1995 and 2000.

His name did crop again when Beale was sacked last year, but nothing came to fruition, despite his excellent worth with current side Kilmarnock, who he has led to fourth spot in the top flight this season.

7 Oliver Glasner Crystal Palace

Glasner took over at Palace back in February and, since his appointment, the Eagles have been on a solid run of form.

Recently, they have defeated Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United, with the future looking bright indeed under the Austrian.

He was also a name linked with the Rangers job in October. Glasner was the man in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt when they defeated the Light Blues in the Europa League final in 2022, clearly proving he knows how to succeed on the big stages.

It looks as though Glasner is another name that has slipped through the net, as reportedly Bayern Munich have shown an interest in the current Palace manager, but it looks as though he will remain with the London side after enjoying a strong start to life at the club.

أعرب عمر جابر وأحمد سيد زيزو ثنائي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن سعادتهما بعد الفوز على الأهلي، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما مساء أمس ببطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي.

والتقى الأهلي مع الزمالك، على أرضية استاد “المملكة أرينا” في الرياض بالسعودية، في نهائي كأس السوبر الإفريقي 2024، ونجح الأبيض في التتويج باللقب بالفوز 4-3 بركلات الترجيح.

وقال عمر جابر في تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “بطولة كنا نستحقها وهامة في بداية الموسم أمام فريق كبير، مباراة كانت مليئة بالتفاصيل الصغيرة”.

طالع أيضاً.. شيكابالا: الزمالك “كبير على أي حد”.. طالبونا بعدم السفر واللاعب عندنا بـ20

وتابع: “عندما دفع جوميز بـ ناصر منسي وهو يلعب برأسه، كان علينا أن نرسل عرضيات كثيرة، وهذا ما حدث الحمد لله”.

وأكمل: “كلنا تفاجأنا بركلة الجزاء، لاعبو الأهلي نفسهم لم يعترضوا، لم نريد الانسحاب، بل كنا نجمع أنفسنا لكي ندخل في المباراة من جديد”.

وأتم: “الصفقات الجديدة ممتازة جدًا، أول مرة يلعبوا معنا في مباراة قمة وقدموا أداءً جيدًا وإن شاء الله يكونوا إضافة لنا”.

وفي نفس السياق، قال زيزو في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “كان كل همنا أن جمهور الزمالك يفرح، فوز كبير أمام فريق كبير في إفريقيا، أهم شيء أننا نفوز بالبطولة (مش مهم مين يسجل أو مين يسدد الركلة الأخيرة)”.

واختتم: “أي قرار أخذته ببقائي في الزمالك سيكون الأعظم في حياتي، لأنه عندما كنت أقول أن الزمالك نادي بطولات ويعتاد على البطولات القارية والمحلية الناس لم تصدق، لكن الحمد لله على البطولة في بداية الموسم وستعطينا دفعة قوية”.

أسفرت نتائج قرعة الدور الرابع “دور الـ16” من بطولة كأس كاراباو، كأس الرابطة الإنجليزية لموسم 2024/2025، عن مواجهات نارية بين الأندية الصاعدة من دور الـ32.

وصعد لتلك المرحلة من البطولة كلًا من ليفربول، مانشستر سيتي، آرسنال، أستون فيلا، ليستر سيتي، تشيلسي، توتنهام، مانشستر يونايتد، بالإضافة إلى 8 فرق أخرى.

وجاءت نتائج قرعة منافسات دور الـ16 لتشهد مواجهتين ناريتين لكل من ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي. نتائج قرعة منافسات دور الـ16 بـ كأس كاراباو 

برينتفورد ضد شيفيلد وينزداي.

سازثهامبتون ضد ستوك سيتي.

توتنهام ضد مانشستر سيتي.

ويمبلدون أو نيوكاسل يونايتد ضد تشيلسي.

مانشستر يونايتد ضد ليستر سيتي.

برايتون ضد ليفربول.

بريستون ضد أرسنال.

أستون فيلا ضد كريستال بالاس.

Nottingham Forest have endured an up-and-down spell under boss Nuno Espírito Santo, with the Reds still right in the middle of a relegation battle.

The former Wolves boss took over from Steve Cooper on 20th December last year, with Nuno making an instant impact, winning two of his first three Premier League games with victories against Newcastle United and Manchester United.

Those two victories were undoubtedly the peak of his time in charge so far, with the Reds' form dropping as they entered 2024.

Forest have only won one league game so far this calendar year, which came in the 2-0 home win against West Ham United back in February, with the Reds suffering back-to-back defeats since.

Nuno will be wanting a response to the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend as they travel to face Brighton this afternoon, with the Reds head coach needing to unleash one member of the Forest squad.

Why Ryan Yates should be dropped to face Brighton

Midfielder Ryan Yates came through the Forest academy, with the 26-year-old being a consistent part of the Reds' squad so far this campaign.

He took the armband for the game against Jürgen Klopp's side last weekend and brought a needed physical presence to the midfield. However, his clumsy playstyle saw him commit four fouls during the 90 minutes, with Yates often overstepping the line with his tenacious attitude.

Yates failed to win a single tackle against Liverpool and was poor in possession, completing just 20 passes at a success rate of only 69%.

He's a solid player to have in games against sides who like to control possession, but with the return of one Forest player, he should make way and take his place on the substitutes' bench.

The man to replace Yates this afternoon

Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare joined the Reds in a £35m move from PSV last summer. His time at the City Ground has been a stop-start one, with Sangare having a good start, but his progress was halted with the Ivorian joining up with his nation for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

His last game for Nuno's side came in the away victory at Newcastle on Boxing Day, with the 26-year-old given extended time off after the Elephants' triumph last month. He's yet to feature since his return, with his ball-winning abilities potentially the difference in what could be yet another tough away trip for the Reds.

Despite his up-and-down start to life with the Reds, Sangare has shown glimpses of what he's capable of out of possession, with the midfielder brilliant at regaining possession, as demonstrated by his tally of 3.5 tackles per 90 – ranking him within the top 4% of midfielders in Europe this season.

The "unstoppable" midfielder, as dubbed by Dutch journalist Roger Schmidt, cost the Reds a lot of money in the summer, with the Forest fanbase yet to see the best of the former Toulouse man, with the trip to Brighton a great opportunity to kickstart his career on Trentside.

New Zealand put on an opening stand of 63 after dismissing the last five Australia batsmen for 44 runs

The Report by Daniel Brettig04-Jan-2020Better than Sir Donald Bradman, better than Steven Smith, better than Neil Harvey. Marnus Labuschagne’s astonishing home summer was crowned by a double-century at the SCG that vaulted him to 837 runs for the home Test summer, the highest tally for five matches by any Australian, bettering Harvey’s 834 more than 60 years ago.Australia, however, did not have day two of the New Year’s Test all their own way, as New Zealand conjured the capture of Australia’s last five wickets for 44 runs and then watched Tom Blundell and their stand-in captain, Tom Latham, put together a determined unbeaten opening stand of 63 in the day’s closing 29 overs.Labuschagne’s first Test double-century had helped him form the backbone of Australia’s first innings against a New Zealand side that was reduced to dressing up assistant coach Peter Fulton as a substitute fielder as illness stretched further across the squad.Matthew Wade and Travis Head were tempted into errors in the morning session, but Labuschagne was content to take his time as only 71 runs were compiled by the hosts before lunch. He then waited patiently in the 190s opposite the captain, Tim Paine, who made 35 in a sixth-wicket stand worth 79 runs.But from the moment of Paine’s dismissal, bowled between bat and pad by Colin de Grandhomme, New Zealand fought well to restrict the Australians to 454, with the wristspin of Todd Astle looking particularly dangerous on a pitch that is starting to take some turn for the slow bowlers.Latham and Blundell then weathered the new-ball bursts of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, before Nathan Lyon gained some disconcerting spin out of a wearing pitch. The tourists’ stocks had been thinned even further by the news that Jeet Raval was now struggling with flu-like symptoms, forcing Fulton into the whites to augment the touring team’s options for fielding and running drinks out to the middle.Their diligence in the field and with the ball was laudable in not allowing the Australians to get away, even as Labuschagne found the occasional boundary. There was one DRS referral by the tourists against Paine in the morning session, but Astle’s suspicion of some pad before bat was proven a long way from reality by replays.Wade had suggested on the first evening he might be the one to push the game forward, but the day was not yet an over old when he knelt down to sweep Will Somerville, misjudged the flight and was bowled. Once he heard the sound of the off stump knocked back, he angrily swatting his bat into the ground.Head was a little more patient, corralled steadily by New Zealand from around the wicket, but he had made only 10 from 42 balls by the time he tried to cut a Matt Henry cross-seam delivery that was too close to his body and offered a thin edge behind to BJ Watling.Labuschagne, though, was not deterred, cruising through to his third 150-plus score of the Test season, and looking good for plenty more. He had one nervous moment near lunch when he inside-edged Astle just past the off stump, but otherwise radiated an air of security that has been rare for Australian cricket in recent years.The scoring rate was lifted by Labuschagne and Paine in early afternoon, as the SCG avoided the worst of hot temperatures of more than 45-degree C in western Sydney. But with Astle gaining extra turn and Wagner and de Grandhomme offering tight spells, Labuschagne was forced to slow right down in the 190s, with Paine even facing boos from the SCG crowd when he was unable to rotate the strike.Eventually, Labuschagne was able to squirt an edge past Watling’s gloves for the first double-century of his Test career. The innings brought a standing ovation from those in attendance and underlined just how much he had grown as a batsman and a cricketer since he first batted at No. 3 for Australia in the corresponding Test at the SCG against India last year.Whatever hopes Paine may have had for extending the partnership were ended when he failed to cover a de Grandhomme offcutter, and Astle soon followed up a sharply bouncing googly by flighting a legbreak nicely enough to coax Labuschagne into offering a leaping return catch.Pattinson was bounced out by Wagner, and Cummins flicked another Astle googly to Glenn Philips at short leg, before some brief Starc entertainment was ended by Wagner. This meant Australia’s last five wickets had gone down for 44, a reminder that Labuschagne’s feats were not achieved in a vacuum.Australia’s fielders were given plenty of reasons to be interested when Cummins’ first ball kept low and beat Blundell, before his second jumped up to hit the opener on the arm from a good length. There was remarkably calm progress form there until closer to stumps when Blundell looked to drive a fuller ball from Cummins and a noise saw Paine use the DRS after Aleem Dar denied the caught-behind appeal. A mark on the HotSpot looked visible but escaped the attention of Nigel Llong, and New Zealand reached stumps unscathed.