Man Utd chief now in contact to sign £25m "supertalent" ahead of Liverpool

Manchester United have been in contact over the 2026 signing of a “supertalent” ahead of Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Man Utd’s midfield search after update on Casemiro contract

The Red Devils and Ruben Amorim look set to be on the hunt for a midfield refresh in the New Year, with Casemiro’s contract set to expire in 2026.

The Red Devils hold an option to extend the Brazilian’s stay by an additional year, but that may not happen, with Amorim and INEOS seemingly clashing behind the scenes in regards to Casemiro.

Amorim thinks he is still needed at Old Trafford, whereas executives are asking for a wage cut instead of triggering the extension option until 2027, something which Casemiro, the top earner at Man Utd, is unlikely to accept.

1

Casemiro

£350,000

£18,200,000

2

Bruno Fernandes

£300,000

£15,600,000

3

Matthijs de Ligt

£195,000

£10,140,000

4

Harry Maguire

£190,000

£9,880,000

5

Matheus Cunha

£180,000

£9,360,000

United arguably need midfield additions even if Casemiro remains in Manchester, especially with Kobbie Mainoo down the pecking order and Manuel Ugarte likewise falling out of favour under Amorim.

Man Utd chief makes contact for Smit

According to CaughtOffside, Man Utd have made their first move to sign AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit.

Christopher Vivell, United’s director of recruitment, is the one who has reached out over an Old Trafford move, with the Red Devils looking to get ahead of Liverpool in the race for the £25m midfielder.

“Everyone at AZ is aware that Smit is likely to attract offers, and they’re open now to letting him go for the right price next summer.

“£25m is the figure I’m hearing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a deal ends up initially being agreed in January to then go through in the summer.

“Christopher Vivell has been internally discussing Smit for some time now, and he’s also contacted the player to sound him out about a move.”

Hailed as a “supertalent” in the past by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Smit has already reached 50 senior appearances for AZ Alkmaar and is catching the eye in the Netherlands.

Former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has even compared the 19-year-old to Pedri, who is arguably the best midfielder in the world right now.

“I almost regret mentioning his name again [Pedri], but he’s a guy who plays in the same position. The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness… I saw that in Pedri too. If he gets half his career, we’ll be very happy in the Netherlands.”

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Capable of playing in defensive or advanced midfield alongside his regular box-to-box role, Smit looks like he’ll be one to watch in 2026.

Man Utd now very keen on signing "amazing" midfielder likened to N'Golo Kante

MLB Announces Finalists for MVP, Cy Young, Other Top Awards for 2025 Season

MLB announced the finalists for its award races after the 2025 season officially concluded on Saturday, with the Dodgers winning their second consecutive World Series title.

Members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, who vote for the league’s annual awards, narrowed down the list of finalists for each honor to three players. Those players were revealed by MLB on Monday, and the official awards will begin getting announced later this week, concluding with the reveal of the league MVPs on Nov. 13.

Let’s take a look at who is in contention for each award, as well as a brief look at the numbers they put up in 2025.

AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz is an AL Rookie of the Year candidate / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics – 5.4 bWAR, 1.002 OPS, 36 HR, 86 RBIs
Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox – 3.1 bWAR, .859 OPS, 8 HR, 32 RBIs
Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics – 2.9 bWAR, .800 OPS, 151 hits

NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year

Drake Baldwin, C, Braves – 3.3 bWAR, .810 OPS, 19 HR, 80 RBIs
Caleb Durbin, 3B, Brewers – 2.9 bWAR, .721 OPS, 18 SB
Cade Horton, RHP, Cubs – 2.0 bWAR, 118.0 IP, 97 K, 2.67 ERA

AL Manager of the Year Award

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider is a finalist to win AL Manager of the Year. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

John Schneider, Blue Jays – (94–68, won AL East)
Stephen Vogt, Guardians – (88–74, won AL Central)
Dan Wilson, Mariners – (90–72, won AL West)

NL Manager of the Year Award

Terry Francona, Reds – (83–79, 3rd in NL Central)
Pat Murphy, Brewers – (97–65, won NL Central)
Rob Thomson, Phillies – (96–66, won NL East)

AL Cy Young Award

Hunter Brown, RHP, Astros – 6.1 bWAR, 2.43 ERA, 206 K, 185.1 IP
Garrett Crochet, LHP, Red Sox – 6.3 bWAR, 2.59 ERA, 255 K, 205.1 IP
Tarik Skubal – LHP, Tigers – 6.6 bWAR, 2.21 ERA, 241 K, 195.1 IP

NL Cy Young Award

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes is an NL Cy Young finalist. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cristopher Sánchez, LHP, Phillies – 8.0 bWAR, 2.50 ERA, 212 K, 202 IP
Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates – 7.6 bWAR, 1.97 ERA, 216 K, 187.2 IP
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, Dodgers – 5.0 bWAR, 2.49 ERA, 201 K, 173.2 IP

AL MVP Award

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is an AL MVP finalist. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees – 9.7 bWAR, 1.144 OPS, 53 HR, 114 RBIs
Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners – 7.3 bWAR, .948 OPS, 60 HR, 125 RBIs
Jose Ramirez, 3B, Guardians – 5.8 bWAR, .863 OPS, 30 HR, 85 RBIs, 44 SB

NL MVP Award

Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Dodgers – 7.7 bWAR, 1.014 OPS, 55 HR, 2.87 ERA, 62 K, 47 IP
Kyle Schwarber, DH, Phillies – 4.7 bWAR, .928 OPS, 56 HR, 132 RBIs
Juan Soto, RF, Mets – 6.2 bWAR, .921 OPS, 43 HR, 105 RBI, 38 SB

The official award announcements will trickle out starting next week. On Nov. 6–7, the Silver Slugger award winners will be revealed, followed by the Platinum Glove winners on Nov. 7. Then, Rookie of the Year awards are announced on Nov. 10, and Manager of the Year awards are revealed on Nov. 11. Finally, the Cy Young winners will be named on Nov. 12, and MVPs are officially announced on Nov. 13.

"نُحبه بشدة ولكن!".. ردود أفعال متباينة لجماهير ليفربول على تصريحات محمد صلاح ضد سلوت

أثار محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول، ضجة كبيرة في النادي، بتصريحاته الحماسية التي أطلقها بعد التعادل مع ليدز يونايتد، بثلاثة أهداف لكل فريق في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتعرف جماهير ليفربول جيدًا ما قدمه النجم المصري للنادي، منذ انضمامه عام 2016، وقد أجرت شبكة “بي بي سي” البريطانية حوارات معهم، للتعليق على تصريحاته بعد مباراة ليدز يونايتد.

وكانت جماهير ليفربول في مثل هذا الوقت من العام الماضي، قد أظهرت لافتة تحمل صورة صلاح، وعبارة: “نادي ليفربول، إنه يطلق سهمه، والآن اعطوا مو ماله!”.

وقد احتفل محمد صلاح في أبريل الماضي بعقده الجديد وبعد أسبوعين قاد ليفربول لتحقيق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ووجد صاحب الـ33 عاماً نفسه بعد ثمانية أشهر خارج التشكيل الأساسي ودخل في صراع داخلي مع النادي وآرني سلوت.

اقرأ أيضاً.. جارديان: محمد صلاح “الأناني” يخون زملاءه ويُسرّع نهاية حقبته مع ليفربول

وكان هذا الصراع بين محمد صلاح وليفربول وسلوت قد أصبح محل اهتمام جماهير النادي، حيث ذكر المشجع ستيف هيوز صاحب الـ48 عاماً: “آمل أن يكون هذا توقيت مناسب ولكن إن لم يكن كذلك فهو خارج الخدمة”.

وأضاف: “لا يمكن القول إن هذا هو مكاني نظرًا لما قدمته للنادي، إنه أمر محزن لأننا نحبه بشدة”.

وواصل: “كان سيخلد اسمه كواحد من أعظم اللاعبين الذين لعبوا لهذا النادي على الإطلاق إلى جانب أمثال كيني دالجليش وإيان راش”.

وذكر مشجع آخر: “على الرغم من عظمته كلاعب، لا يمكن قول ما قاله أبداً، عليك أن تكسب حقك في اللعب في هذا المركز في كل مباراة، من الواضح أن هناك خلافًا بينه وبين سلوت، لذا أعتقد أن أحدهما يجب أن يرحل”.

ودافع عدد قليل عن صلاح لتعبيره عن أرائه وألقوا اللوم على سلوت، حيث ذكر أحد المشجعين: “لقد جعلوه كبش فداء، لا أتخيله يلعب لليفربول مرة أخرى”.

وقال مشجع آخر: “إنه بالتأكيد في دوامة هبوط، لكنني أفضل صلاح على سلوت”.

Torcedores do Fortaleza vão à loucura após gol de joia venezuelana: 'Ballon D'or'

MatériaMais Notícias

Boca Juniors e Fortaleza se enfrentaram nesta quarta-feira (15), pela quinta rodada da fase de grupos da Sul-Americana. Após sair perdendo, o Leão achou, com Kervin Andrade, o gol de empate na partida. Depois de boa jogada de Marinho, a bola sobrou para o jovem, que empatou a partida já nos minutos finais. Nas redes sociais, os torcedores do Fortaleza enlouqueceram após o gol! Confira as reações!

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➡️ Assine agora e assista esse e mais jogos da Sula pelo Star+

➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOCA JUNIORS X FORTALEZA
SUL-AMERICANA – GRUPO D – 5ª RODADA

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 15 de maio de 2024, às 21h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio de La Bombonera, em Buenos Aires (ARG)
📺 Onde assistir: ESPN4 e Star+
🟨 Árbitro: Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
🚩 Assistentes: Jorge Urrego (VEN) e Tulio Moreno (VEN)
📺 VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

BOCA JUNIORS (Técnico: Diego Hernán Martínez)
Sergio Romero; Luis Advíncula, Cristian Lema, Nicolás Figal e Lautaro Blanco; Pol Fernández; Cristian Medina, Ezequiel Fernández e Kevin Zenón; Miguel Merentiel e Edinson Cavani.

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FORTALEZA (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo; Emanuel Brítez, Pedro Augusto, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; Yago Pikachu, Zé Welison, Matheus Rossetto e Emmanuel Martínez; Juan Martín Lucero e Imanol Machuca.

Tudo sobre

Boca JuniorsFortalezaSulAmericana

Dodgers Player Avoided Disastrous Mistake on Game-Winning Run Off of Phillies Error

The bottom of the 11th inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series between the Phillies and Dodgers will be remembered largely for one reason: Phillies relief pitcher Orion Kerkering's throwing error that led to the winning run scoring in the form of Hyeseong Kim, ending Philadelphia's season and sending Los Angeles to the National League Championship Series for the second straight year.

But it very nearly could have been remembered for a different sort of mistake, one that was quickly remediated despite being missed in all of the end-of-game chaos.

In his haste to hurry home and score the winning run, Kim seemingly failed to touch home plate.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Kim quickly realized what had occurred and, after Kerkering's throw sailed past catcher J.T. Realmuto's head to the backstop, doubled back to touch home plate.

It was another what-if moment in an eventful inning filled with them.

Man Utd copying Chelsea model as INEOS line up double new signing

Manchester United owners INEOS are taking a page out of Chelsea’s book as they swoop to secure two of the brightest talents in South America ahead of the January transfer window.

BlueCo's transfer strategy finally bearing fruit at Chelsea

Todd Boehly was heavily criticised during the early days of his reign at Chelsea, with Jamie Carragher among his most vocal opponents, questioning the sheer volume of signings made under the American.

The Blues have seen a major success story emerge from their flock of young signings however, with Estevao Willian becoming a key member of Enzo Maresca’s first team, scoring crucial goals against Liverpool and Barcelona this season.

The Brazilian is just one of several South American recruits made under BlueCo’s ownership, with the likes of Andrey Santos, Kendry Paez and Aarón Anselmino all out on loan.

The Red Devils have begun to follow the path trodden by BlueCo since INEOS’ arrival, with 18 year-old Paraguay left-back Diego Leon signed in the summer and two more South American gems now seemingly on the way.

Indeed, Manchester United have agreed a deal for midfielder Cristian Orozco and a report from AS has revealed United ‘have already begun negotiations’ for Brazilian centre-back Luis Eduardo, with a bid expected in the coming days and weeks.

Eduardo could be the next Thiago Silva

Eduardo turns 18 in January and has very liittle senior experience, making just one appearance so far for Gremio’s first team.

However, the teenager captained his country to the semi-finals at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last month, which is where he caught the eye of scouts from both United and Chelsea.

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Standing at 6 foot 1, he is not the tallest central defender around, but has been a weapon at set pieces for Brazil’s youth side, scoring three times in just 13 caps.

Similar to the 5 foot 11 Thiago Silva, the Gremio defender has been praised for his leadership, pace and timing, using his reading of the game to break up play rather than pure physicality.

United are expected to reinforce the first team in the January transfer window, but adding quality to the youth ranks can only boost their chances of returning to past glories.

Stokes: Calling England arrogant is a step too far

The England captain attempted to reset the tone for the tour as the team begins preparations for the second Test

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-20253:04

Should England fans be worried about Root?

Ben Stokes is willing to accept criticism of England’s performance in the first Test as “rubbish” but feels labelling his side “arrogant” is a step too far.Australia’s victory in Perth has seen the tourists come under heavy fire, after succumbing to defeat inside two days. Despite holding a strong position on day two – 105 in front, with nine second innings wickets in hand – England capitulated, losing 9 for 99 through questionable shot selection, before Travis Head completed the rout for an eight-wicket victory.With an 11-day gap between the end of the first and the start of the second Test at The Gabba next Thursday, there has been ample space for postmortems, particularly in the Australian media. Publications and pundits have lined up to take shots at not just England’s approach in the match, but around it, too. Mitchell Johnson was the latest former Australian cricketer to seek his pound of flesh with his column on Friday. Such critiques have also come from the UK.Related

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England are not panicking – yet

The Khawaja debate: for and against his Test career continuing

A lack of an intense warm-up ahead of the series, with a three-day match against the Lions at Lilac Hill, has been followed by a decision for all but three unused squad members to miss the Prime Ministers’ XI match in Canberra this weekend – a two-day pink-ball fixture ahead of Brisbane’s day-night Test. Factor in paparazzi shots of the team playing golf and an unflattering picture has been painted of an unserious team not committing wholly to one of the most anticipated Ashes tours in recent history.Stokes, however, was keen to set the record straight in England’s first official media engagement since the end of the Perth Test. Prior to an additional training session at Allan Border Field on Saturday morning – the first of five ahead of the second Test – England’s Test captain ceded they must wear what comes their way, but stressed not all of it was valid.”Look, you can call us rubbish, call us whatever you want,” Stokes said. “We didn’t have the Test match that we wanted to. We were great in passages of that game… but I think arrogant might be a little bit too far.”But that’s okay. We’ll take the rough with the smooth. I’d rather words like ‘rubbish’, but ‘arrogant’, I’m not so sure about that.”Ben Stokes speaks to the media as England resume training•Getty ImagesStokes also defended England’s decision not to send more of their first-string to join the Lions for the PM’s XI match, which starts on Saturday afternoon. Only Jacob Bethell, Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts are at Manuka Oval, with the remainder of the Ashes squad in situ in Brisbane since Wednesday.It left Lions captain Tom Haines in the uncomfortable position of fielding questions from local media on Friday at the captain’s press conferences, asking if England had disrespected the match – and by association – prime minister Anthony Albanese.”I do understand it,” said Stokes of the blowback to shunning the fixture. “We have a pink-ball match coming up in Brisbane, and we have an opportunity to play some pink-ball cricket. When you look at it just like that, I don’t want to say it makes sense, but I totally understand it [that view].”But there’s obviously a lot more to it than just that. There’s where it is, in Canberra, which is a different state from Brisbane. The conditions are going to be completely different to what we are going to have coming up.”You take all the factors into consideration, the pros and cons, whatever it may be. We then discuss that and decide what we think is the best preparation. We have a few more days off than we planned after that Test. We had to go away and ask how we use these next few days wisely in order to be prepared for what it will be like in Brisbane.”We schedule everything as if the Test match is going to go five days. It didn’t go five days, so we had three days planned of training, and that obviously had to change. That’s why now we have a longer build-up for this pink-ball game.”Saturday’s session lasted close to three hours before rain arrived in Brisbane. The week has been punctuated by thunderstorms, with more expected in the next few days that could hamper both team’s preparations and the Test itself although the forecast does become more settled.Pink ball in hand: Jofra Archer prepares for the day-night Test•Getty ImagesRegardless of the weather, Australia will be seen as the dominant force coming into next week. They boast an impressive 13 wins from 14 in day-night Tests, suffering their first defeat against West Indies at the Gabba in 2024. Mitchell Starc, fresh from 10 wickets in the first Test, is the standout with the pink ball, with 81 dismissals at an average of 17.08.With the odds stacked against England, Stokes issued a rallying cry to his team – and supporters – as he seeks to right the wrongs of Perth.”We did some amazing things in that Test match,” he said. “The way we bowled in the first innings, and we were [effectively] 100 for 1, and put a score on the board that we felt was definitely defendable. We all know, and have looked back on it, that there were moments in that game where we could have been a lot better to help us gain even more of an advantage.”The important thing we need to do as a team and individuals is learn from it. We have identified those moments, spoken about them as a group, that’s what we need to do. In terms of execution, could we have been better at executing what we want to do, definitely. But again, we have a mindset of playing the game which is looking to put the opposition under pressure, but also absorbing pressure.”Sometimes when you go out there and make a decision, it doesn’t always pay off, or work the way you want it to. That’s the key for the rest of this tour, staying true to the beliefs of how we play our cricket. But also we do know we could have been a lot better in certain ways.”We know that there’ll be a lot of disappointed fans in England after that first defeat. But it’s a five-game series, we’ve got four games to go, we’ve lost the first one – we’re absolutely desperate to come home with that goal from before we even started the series, which is to win the Ashes.”

AC Milan contact Nottingham Forest to sign £26m Nuno signing who wants to leave

AC Milan have made contact with Nottingham Forest over a deal for a £26m Nuno signing who now wants to leave.

Forest on the up under the helm of Dyche

Ange Postecoglou didn’t last long after replacing Nuno earlier this season, but Sean Dyche has really managed to turn things around, with his side now four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, after defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.

The Tricky Trees edged out a 1-0 victory against the bottom-placed side, courtesy of an Igor Jesus goal with just under 20 minutes left to play, meaning they finally have some breathing room, and survival is looking increasingly likely.

Dyche praised his side’s mindset in the narrow victory, saying: “They kept going and throwing things at us. I’m pleased with our mentality. You saw the way we dug it out, they threw a lot at us second half and we dealt with it well.”

In fairness, given that Forest qualified for the Europa League last season and spent heavily in the summer, relegation shouldn’t be on the cards, but it would be fair to say some of their recent additions haven’t hit the ground running at the City Ground.

Arnaud Kalimuendo, who arrived from Rennes for £26m, has particularly struggled to make an impact, having failed to score in his opening seven Premier League games, predominantly being utilised as a substitute.

According to a report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the striker could be offered an exit route soon, with it being revealed that AC Milan have made contact with Nottingham Forest CEO Lina Souloukou over a potential deal.

Kalimuendo now wants to leave Forest, amid a lack of game time, featuring for just 81 mintues across his seven Premier League appearances this season, and clubs from Italy are lining up to sign him, with AS Roma also being named as potential suitors.

Forest should sanction Kalimuendo departure this January

In truth, it is probably best for all parties if the centre-forward moves on this summer, given that he clearly hasn’t managed to impress all three of Forest’s managers this season, given the lack of game time in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old has impressed at times in the Europa League, most recently scoring in the 3-0 victory over Malmo FF, but he was unable to make an impact as a substitute against Brighton in the following match, failing to register a single shot.

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In fairness, it is difficult to have a major impact coming on late in the game, and Kalimuendo may need to be given a Premier League start if he is to prove himself.

However, with Jesus recently scoring his first Premier League goal, and Chris Wood still to return from injury, opportunities are likely to be even more limited going forward, and it may be worth Forest cutting their losses in the January transfer window.

Crystal Palace could now sign £80k-a-week “warrior” in “good value” January deal

There has now been a new update on Crystal Palace’s pursuit of a “true warrior”, with it being revealed a “good value” January deal is possible.

Palace on course to push for Europe

Palace remain in a strong position to push for European qualification, having taken 20 points from their opening 13 Premier League games this season, although they will be frustrated about Manchester United coming from behind to win at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The Eagles fell to a 2-1 defeat against Ruben Amorim’s side, but they will have the opportunity to put things right tonight, when they travel to Turf Moor to take on an out-of-form Burnley side, who have lost their last four Premier League matches.

However, with the likes of Sunderland, Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion all in European contention after impressive starts to the campaign, it is getting congested at the top of the table, and Oliver Glasner’s side are now looking at new additions for the January window.

Last week, it was revealed that a concrete offer had been made for Bayern Munich’s Sacha Boey, who Glasner is a big fan of, according to a new update on their pursuit of the defender from TEAMtalk.

In an interview, journalist Dean Jones said: “Palace have been made aware that there could be a possibility for this one on a permanent deal and it actually could be a good value one. I’m told that is the preference at the moment.

“They [Bayern] don’t have much interest in letting him out on a loan. In the case of a loan offer they may well just hold on to him until the summer instead.

The journalist also went on to clarify that negotiations aren’t currently at an advanced stage, saying: “At this stage I think Palace are just feeling out the terms and understanding the player’s situation.”

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"True warrior" Boey could be exciting addition for Palace

The right-back certainly caught the eye during his time with Galatasaray, having been hailed as a “true warrior” by members of the Turkish media, and he is very assured in possession of the ball, as displayed by his performance across some key metrics over the past year.

Sacha Boey’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Passes attempted

73.18 (97th percentile)

Pass completion %

90% (99th percentile)

Progressive passes

6.31 (95th percentile)

That said, the 25-year-old, who rakes in £80k-a-week should probably seek a move this winter, given that he has fallen down the pecking order considerably, being benched for the last three Bundesliga games.

With Palace competing in Europe this season, it would be a smart move to bring in additional strength in depth at right-back this January, and a long-term replacement for Daniel Munoz may be needed regardless, amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona.

As such, Glasner’s side should make a move for Boey, and it is promising news that a deal could be possible for a reasonable price.

England pick Bashir in 12-man squad for Perth

England have deferred their decision on whether to hit Australia with an all-pace attack in the first Ashes Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium after confirming a 12-man squad featuring both Mark Wood and Shoaib Bashir.Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum still have designs on letting their fast bowlers loose on what is expected to be the fastest pitch of the series. Wood is deemed fit, having recovered from a tight hamstring sustained in the warm-up match with the Lions last week. While he is expected to make the final XI, England are giving themselves time before deciding whether to go all-in with their seamers.Wood bowled for 40 minutes at the Perth nets during Tuesday’s training session, and sent down just two overs on Wednesday afternoon, before taking part in light fielding drills on the outfield with physical preparation coach Pete Sim. He then had a long look at the pitch with stadium curator Isaac McDonald.Wood would be one of five players in the XI with previous Test experience in Australia, along with Stokes, Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope. The 35-year old was also the standout quick on the 2021-22 tour, taking 17 wickets at 26.64.Related

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That includes a career best 6 for 37 in the last Test of that tour, a day-nighter in Hobart, when England also opted to field an XI without a specialist spinner. It was the second time they had done so in that series after the second Test in Adelaide (also a pink-ball match), which was acknowledged as an error in hindsight when seamer Ollie Robinson resorted to sending down a few overs of offspin.You have to go back to Boxing Day 1998 for the last time England fielded an XI for a red-ball match in Australia without a specialist spinner. They also did not field one in their last Test in July, against India at the Kia Oval, with Bashir out with a finger injury and Liam Dawson, his replacement for the fourth Test, dropped.Bashir’s characteristics – a high release point and knack of overspin – suits Australian pitches, something Stokes and McCullum raved about when bringing him into the set-up at the start of 2024 for the tour of India.It is worth noting that Nathan Lyon averages 20.86 at this ground, with 29 dismissals from five Tests, though is obviously a far more accomplished and seasoned operator than Bashir, whose 68 dismissals have come at 39.00 in his 19 Tests so far. The 22-year old struggled during the match between England and the Lions, bowling in three of the four innings and returning figures of 2 for 151 from 24 overs.

England squad for Perth Test

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood

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