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Prices in phase one of the ticket sales start at INR 100 and LKR 1000

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2025

Jasprit Bumrah with the trophy after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Tickets for the 2026 T20 World Cup will go on sale at 18.45 IST and Sri Lanka time (13.15 GMT) on December 11, with the tournament slated to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.Prices for phase one of the ticket sales start at INR 100 (USD 1.1) at some venues in India and LRK 1000 (USD 3.2), the ICC said on Thursday. The dates for phase two of the ticket sales will be announced soon. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.cricketworldcup.com.”Phase I of ticket sales is an important milestone in our journey towards delivering the most accessible and global ICC event ever staged,” ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said. “Our vision for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is clear: every fan, regardless of background, geography or financial means, should have the chance to access an in-stadia experience of world-class marquee cricket.”With tickets starting from just INR 100 and LKR1000, we are putting affordability at the centre of our strategy. This is about opening the gates wide and inviting millions to be part of a global celebration of cricket, not as spectators from afar, but as active participants in the energy, emotion and magic that only a stadium can offer.”The 2026 T20 World Cup will be contested by 20 teams and comprises 55 matches. The games start at 11am (0530 GMT), 3pm (0930 GMT) and 7pm IST (1330 GMT). The format for the tournament is the same as the previous edition in 2024, where the teams were divided into five groups of four each.The first-round groups are as follows:
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE
The top two teams from each of the groups progress to a Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each.The Super Eight groups are as follows, assuming these teams qualify from the first round; if another team qualifies, they will take the place of the team from their group that failed to make it:
Super Eight Group 1: X1 (India), X2 (Australia), X3 (West Indies), X4 (South Africa)
Super Eight Group 2: Y1 (England), Y2 (New Zealand), Y3 (Pakistan), Y4 (Sri Lanka)
Each team will play the other three in their Super Eight group, with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. The two semi-finals are in Kolkata – or Colombo if Pakistan qualify – on March 4, and Mumbai on March 5. The final of the tournament will be played in Ahmedabad on March 8 – if Pakistan qualify, it will be held in Colombo..

They say form goes out of the window for a derby, but Arsenal proved that to be entirely untrue on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta’s side played host to Tottenham Hotspur, and instead of wilting under the pressure, they made the most of Liverpool and Manchester City dropping points by demolishing their bitter rivals.

The gulf in class was so vast that it looked like the Gunners were playing a League One side, and summer signing Eberechi Eze, who almost moved to the white side of North London, was unplayable.

The Englishman was untouchable from the first minute to the last, and therefore, fans should be delighted that Arsenal are already brewing a homegrown version of him.

Eze's performance vs Spurs

While it was a joke, Thomas Frank must regret asking “who” when asked a question about Eze in the buildup to the game, as while the entire Arsenal team played well, the former Crystal Palace star was nothing short of spectacular.

It almost felt as if the Englishman was on a mission to make the Spurs boss eat his words, as just three minutes in, he played an exceptional ball over the top that Declan Rice should have finished.

Then, 39 minutes later, with the Gunners already a goal to the good, he added a second thanks to some tidy footwork and a low-driven shot.

Just 30 seconds into the second half, the 27-year-old scored his second goal, once again driving the ball into the bottom corner, only this time with his weaker foot.

Now, for most players, a derby-day brace is more than they could even dream of, but the Greenwich-born maestro is not like most players, and in the 76th minute, he scored a third to make it 4-1.

It’s the first time a player has scored a hat-trick in the North London derby since Alan Sunderland in December 1978.

Overall, it would be fair to say Sunday’s game will always be remembered as the Eze derby, and should act as a springboard for the midfielder to really kick on this season.

And in more good news, the club might already have another homegrown version of the international ace brewing.

Arsenal's homegrown Eze

Arsenal have long been a team that prioritise and promote youth from within, with the greatest example of this in recent years being, of course, Bukayo Saka.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The club now have another group of incredible youngsters coming through, including one who could develop into a homegrown Eze: Ethan Nwaneri.

Yes, while the 18-year-old might not develop to be just like the former Crystal Palace star, there are some unmistakable similarities.

For example, the Hale End gem is an incredibly skilful player who can and has played out wide, but is ultimately seen as someone who will develop into a sensational number ten.

Moreover, while he hasn’t been getting the minutes that so many expected or hoped he would this year, he’s still very young with plenty of time to develop and even then, he proved how talented he is last season.

For example, the “phenomenal” prospect, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.

That works out to a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which would be incredibly impressive if he were a seasoned professional and helps to justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”

Appearances

37

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

Finally, on top of his output, the Enfield-born gem put up some sensational underlying numbers last year.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for successful take-ons, the top 6% for total carrying distance, the top 8% for crosses and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while he is still so young, Nwaneri’s ability to play out wide and as a ten, combined with his output and technical ability, means he could be Arsenal’s next Eze.

Forget Eze: £32m Arsenal star looked like prime Ozil and Odegaard vs Spurs

Eberechi Eze is not the only Arsenal star who deserves his flowers after north London derby win.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 24, 2025

A win will take Afghanistan to the top of the Group B points table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-20252:26

Abhinav Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup clash in Abu Dhabi.Bangladesh captain Litton Das said the pitch looked a bit on the slow side, despite the Abu Dhabi surface having been better for batting recently. Rashid Khan said Afghanistan would have liked to bat first as well.Bangladesh made four changes with Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed coming in. Mahedi Hasan, Pervez Hossain Emon, Shoriful Islam and Mahedi Hasan missed out. Afghanistan, meanwhile, named an unchanged XI.Related

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A win for Afghanistan On Tuesday will take them to the top of the Group B points table.Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan Tamim, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Nurul Hasan, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Shamim Hossain, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin AhmedAfghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 AM Ghazanfar, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pete Alonso played the hero on Thursday night as the New York Mets won Game 3 of their Wild Card series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Alonso's three-run shot was literally historic and caused Mets fans to feel something they haven't felt in October in years—joy.

One particular Mets fan was seated just beyond the fence in right field when Alonso hit his slump-busting shot. Not only was he recording when Alonso went yard, but he also apparelty managed to pick up the ball.

We can't be sure, but there is one fan in the picture of Sal Frelick watching the ball clear the wall who is holding a phone and wearing what appears to be a Mr. Met shirt.

According to his post, he was one of two Mets fans in the area where the ball landed. It's hard to imagine a better souvenir from a trip to the ballpark. Except maybe a pumpkin.

Unbeaten 105 the mainstay as quick finishes with four wickets for hosts

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Lancashire 290 for 6 (Hurst 105*, Zaman 4-64) vs Gloucestershire Matty Hurst registered a career-best innings of 105 not out to keep Lancashire afloat on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.On a day when a majority of the recognized batsmen played themselves in but failed to go on, the 21-year-old right-hander from Billinge proved the exception to that rule, facing 165 balls, striking 10 fours and two sixes and sharing in a revitalizing unbeaten stand of 81 with Chris Green for the seventh wicket as Lancashire reached stumps on 290 for 6. Hurst surpassed his previous highest score of 104 made against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in May 2024, while Green offered staunch support, reaching the close on 28 not out.Although Gloucestershire deployed spinners for 43 of the 91 overs possible on a rain-affected day, it was pace bowler Zaman Akhter who enjoyed most success, the England A international claiming 4 for 64 as the home side took wickets at regular intervals to maintain pressure on their opponents. Making his first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, Australian Test spinner Todd Murphy also caught the eye in returning figures of 1 for 53 from 25 overs.Charged with the unenviable task of creating wicket-taking opportunities with the Kookaburra ball, Gloucestershire’s bowlers were further inconvenienced by the tight hamstring that forced pace fulcrum Merchant de Lange out of the attack after just two overs. His replacement at the Chapel End, Akhter extracted sufficient movement to locate the thinnest of edges and have Luke Wells caught behind for 18 as an opening spell characterised by much playing and missing culminated in Lancashire losing their first wicket with 28 on the board.With the ball already softening and becoming less responsive, Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft called upon Todd Murphy’s off breaks in the fourteenth over, the advent of spin serving to slow the rate of scoring as Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon both treated the Australian Test bowler with the utmost caution. Murphy eventually lured Jennings, who had chiseled a patient 32 from 79 deliveries, into front-foot indiscretion, Miles Hammond taking a superb diving catch at slip to remove the former England opener with the score 75 for 2 shortly before lunch.The stage then appeared set for a period of uninterrupted accumulation as Bohannon produced the shot of the day so far, pulling de Lange through mid-wicket for a thunderous boundary to raise three figures. He and Marcus Harris advanced the score to 105 for 2 without incident and it seemed that only rain could impede northern progress.Sure enough, a prolonged shower forced the players off and, having finally lost de Lange to injury following a further three tentative overs from the Chapel End, Gloucestershire were glad of an opportunity to regroup. Certainly, the home side profited from a 45-minute break in play, which caused the loss of five overs, striking a crucial blow immediately following the resumption. Without having added to his score of 39, Bohannon succumbed to a loss of concentration, giving Graeme van Buuren’s slow left arm the charge and being comprehensively stumped by James Bracey as Lancashire slipped to 106 for 3.Lancashire continued to be their own worst enemies thereafter, Hurst surviving a run-out chance to Joe Phillips, whose throw from extra cover narrowly missed, following a moment of confusion with Harris. The incident may well have been playing on Harris’s mind when he attempted to pull the next ball, only to top-edge a return catch to Akhter and depart for 29 with the score 142 for 4.Making his first Championship appearance since September 2023, Phil Salt announced himself with a brace of off-driven fours at the expense of Akhter to suggest a change in tempo. But his stay proved short-lived, the England T20 international pursuing an Akhter delivery outside off stump and falling to a brilliant one-handed diving catch from Bracey as Lancashire further declined to 160 for 5. Overcoming the loss of his fast bowling spearhead, Bancroft marshalled his resources with no little skill as Gloucestershire took the session. Lancashire only had themselves to blame.Sorely in need of a partnership of substance, the red rose county were indebted to Hurst and Balderson, who applied themselves diligently to the task of redressing the balance after tea. Balderson lifted van Buuren over the long-on boundary rope to serve notice of forthright intention, while Hurst went to a workmanlike half century from 96 balls, with 6 fours and a six as the partnership began to blossom, aided and abetted by an old ball and tiring attack.When Akhter, returning at the Chapel End, located Balderson’s outside edge and the dependable Bracey held onto another catch behind, it felt as though Gloucestershire had accrued a bonus. Balderson contributed 26 in a stand of 49, the biggest of the innings so far. With the new ball due in another nine overs and Lancashire occupying uncertain territory at 209-6, the home side again had a spring in their step.Akhter and Ajeet Singh Dale strained every sinew to make further inroads with the new ball, only to be met by obdurate resistance from Hurst and Green, these two posting a 50 partnership from 91 balls for the seventh wicket and securing a batting bonus point into the bargain.There was just time remaining for Hurst to go to his hundred via 162 balls, hitting Ollie Price through long-on for four to bring an appreciative Festival audience of more than 2,000 to their feet.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin is in desperate need of a positive performance and result for the latest Scottish Premiership clash this afternoon.

The Light Blues have had their worst start to a league season in 47 years, with four draws and one defeat, and the manager is coming under plenty of pressure.

Martin, who arrived in the summer, has overseen four wins in 14 competitive matches in charge of the Scottish giants, which is simply not where the expectation level is.

The former Scotland international’s side were beaten 1-0 by Genk on Thursday night in their first match of the Europa League campaign, and it is safe to say that some supporters are not expecting him to be in post for much longer.

It is clear that Martin needs to win the fanbase back at Ibrox. To do that, his side needs to string together strong performances and results on the pitch to show the supporters that the team is heading in the right direction.

This afternoon’s clash with Livingston could be the first step on the path to winning the fans back, and that is why the manager must finally drop Mikey Moore from the starting line-up.

Why Mikey Moore must be dropped by Rangers

The 18-year-old forward has failed to impress since signing for the Scottish giants on a season-long loan from Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.

Despite his lack of impressive performances on the pitch, the England youth international has started all four of the club’s last four matches in all competitions, either on the left or the right flank.

His form in the Premiership, starting two of his three appearances in the division, has been particularly disappointing since his move to Ibrox from Spurs, as the youngster has been unable to provide the spark that Martin’s team needs on the flank.

25/26 Premiership	Mikey Moore	Percentile rank vs wingers
xG	0.04	Bottom 10%
Goals	0.00	Bottom 3%
xA	0.10	Bottom 21%
Assists	0.00	Bottom 3%
Chances created	1	Bottom 3%
Dribble success rate	33.3%	Bottom 23%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Moore ranks incredibly lowly among his positional peers in the Premiership in a host of attacking metrics as a winger, with no goals or assists and only one chance created in his three outings to date.

The young attacker, as heard in the clip above, claimed that he wants to be one of the best players in the world in the future, but he has yet to show such potential on the pitch for Rangers.

Against Genk, Moore was substituted at half-time after failing to register a single key pass or shot on target in 45 minutes, per Sofascore, in that loss to the Belgian outfit.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Therefore, Martin must ruthlessly ditch the teenage talent from the starting line-up in order to unleash fellow summer signing Oliver Antman on the right flank against Livingston.

The former Southampton boss needs a positive result and performance to regain some faith amongst the fanbase, and the Finland international could contribute to both of those things.

Why Oliver Antman should start for Rangers

With Djeidi Gassama on the left flank and Bojan Miovski, potentially coming in for Youssef Chermiti, through the middle, Antman could line up on the right to create an exciting front three for the Gers.

The winger was signed from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer transfer window and has shown glimpses of the quality that he can provide out wide on the right flank.

Rangers supporters got an instant look at the kind of creative quality that he can offer on his debut against Viktoria Plzen in August, as he whipped in a fantastic cross for Gassama to score in a 3-0 win for the Gers at Ibrox.

Unfortunately, the right-footed attacker is yet to get off the mark, for goals or assists, in the Premiership for the Scottish giants, but his performances have shown signs of promise.

Whilst Moore’s displays have been overly underwhelming and lacking in redeeming features, Antman’s performances in the Premiership suggest that he is heading in the right direction.

25/26 Premiership	Oliver Antman per 90	Percentile rank vs wingers
xA	0.27	Top 16%
Pass accuracy	89.3%	Top 8%
Chances created	2.73	Top 14%
Successful crosses	0.45	Top 50%
Assists	0.00	Bottom 3%
Shots on target	1.36	Top 16%
Goals	0.00	Bottom 3%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Finland international is doing the right things. He is testing goalkeepers with shots on target and creating chances for his teammates at an impressive rate, but the goals and assists are not there yet.

The promising thing for Antman is that the input – shots on target and xA – are there, which suggests that the output – goals and assists – will eventually follow if he keeps it up in the final third.

The 24-year-old star, who reporter Chris Jack claimed has “feet like drumsticks”, delivered six goals and 15 assists in 32 appearances in the Eredivisie for his former club last season, per Sofascore, which shows that he can contribute with goals and assists on a consistent basis.

That suggests that his impressive input is not a flash in the pan and that Antman is likely to consistently do the right things in the final third, which is why it is just a matter of time before the goals and assists follow.

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By
Dan Emery

Sep 27, 2025

With this in mind, Martin must brutally ditch Moore from the starting XI to play Antman on the right against Livingston, in the hope that today is the day that it all comes together for the Finnish maestro.

Board secretary Devajit Saikia says there has been no communication from the BCCI to the ACC regarding upcoming events

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2025Amid growing speculation over whether India will play in this year’s Asia Cup, in the wake of tensions with Pakistan, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has downplayed reports that India were pulling out, insisting that the issue was yet to be “discussed”.India are due to host the six-team event in the T20 format but the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which runs the Asia Cup, has not yet announced the schedule or the venue. September has unofficially been pencilled in as the window.”The Asia Cup matter or any other ACC event issue has not come up for discussion at any level,” Saikia said in a statement on Monday. “… till now, BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding ensuing ACC events, leave alone writing anything to the ACC. At this stage, our prime focus is on the ongoing IPL and subsequent England series, both men and women.”Related

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Saikia said the BCCI had not communicated any decision to the ACC concerning India’s participation in the Asia Cup as well as the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in June.However, ESPNcricinfo has learned the women’s Emerging Asia Cup has been postponed though the reason could not be confirmed. The ACC has not yet made any formal announcement on the postponement.Speculation about India’s participation and the fate of this year’s event has arisen as tensions between India and Pakistan soared this month after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The two countries engaged militarily briefly, temporarily halting both the IPL and PSL. Both leagues resumed on May 17 after the countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, though bilateral relations remain fraught.India head coach Gautam Gambhir recently said there should be “absolutely no” cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. Speaking in his personal capacity, Gambhir said: “Till all this [terrorism] doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”The BCCI has normally sought permission from the Indian government to play Pakistan in multinational events. In 2023, when Pakistan were the host of the Asia Cup, a precursor to the ODI World Cup, the BCCI said it did not have the Indian government’s permission to travel to Pakistan. Consequently, PCB adopted a hybrid model to conduct the tournament in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the latter hosting all of India’s matches including the final. Earlier this year, India did not travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy for similar reasons, and played all their matches including the final in Dubai.India-Pakistan contests are among the most-watched cricket matches and play a significant role in the valuation of broadcast rights both for the ICC (at World Cups) and ACC (Asia Cup). Several editions of the Asia Cup have been hit by strained political ties between the countries, leading to withdrawals and the entire tournament being shelved in the past.

Looking to ease Nuno Espirito Santo’s recent concerns, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly on the verge of signing a Juventus defender ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Nuno laughs off Nottingham Forest doubts

Who could have seen this coming? Nuno and Nottingham Forest seemed a match made in heaven after a fairytale campaign saw them qualify for European football last time out.

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Nottingham Forest could soon sign a dream teammate for Dan Ndoye by purchasing another £10m talent.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 28, 2025

Since then, however, things have rapidly changed. Evangelos Marinakis has invited a third man into the partnership in the form of Edu Gaspar, transfers are no longer so agreeable between all parties, and the boss has made his feelings publicly clear.

So, what now? Nuno, for all his complaints, has laughed off the idea that he could resign as Nottingham Forest manager and a meeting is reportedly scheduled between Edu, himself and Marinakis in an attempt to clear the air. Yet, reports have continued to arrive that any damage done to the relationship between the manager and sporting director may be irreparable.

Whether things are salvageable at this stage is the big question. Nuno does want “harmony”, but that may only come courtesy of further arrivals before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Nottingham Forest agree Savona deal

Italian media revealed on Thursday morning that Nottingham Forest were readying a bid to sign Juve defender Nicolo Savona, and Fabrizio Romano now reports the Reds have agreed a deal worth at least €15m (£13m).

Marinakis was personally keen to sign the youngster, and given the Italian club reportedly valued their right-back closer to the €20m (£17m) mark, this looks like quite the coup depending on what add-ons are included.

Nuno outlined Forest’s need for fullbacks last weekend and Savona would certainly tick that box, capable of playing anywhere across the defence. The 22-year-old wouldn’t just be any option, either. He’s full of potential and earned plenty of praise from Juventus boss Igor Tudor, who said last season: “He understands what is happening on the pitch, and he has great speed.

“So we’re talking about a player with so many skills. He is a humble guy who listens to advice. These are things that may seem obvious, but they are not at all. He has those values ​​that are getting a bit lost, so they are precious now.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers stated on August 1st that his squad needed attacking signings to replace the quality that has been lost this year, through Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Jota.

The Northern Irish boss said: “I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”

19 days later and the Hoops started their Champions League play-off tie against Kairat at Parkhead with James Forrest, Adam Idah, and Daizen Maeda as their front three, with Hyun-jun Yang as the only natural winger in reserve.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, despite the level of opposition, the match ended in a 0-0 draw with few chances for either side, and some home supporters decided to voice their concerns with boos.

Adam Idah's toothless performance for Celtic

The Ireland international failed to score in the opening two games in the Scottish Premiership, missing three ‘big chances’, but was rewarded with another opportunity to impress on Wednesday night.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Unfortunately, Idah did not impress at Parkhead in the first leg clash and was substituted at half-time in favour of Yang, which allowed Maeda to play through the middle.

In his 45 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, the former Norwich marksman registered zero shots, created zero chances, and only completed five passes. Toothless.

However, Idah was far from the only Celtic attacker who failed to perform. Rodgers should also ruthlessly ditch James Forrest from the starting XI for the second leg.

Why James Forrest should be dropped

As aforementioned, Rodgers wants more attacking players in the building and that is why it feels harsh to criticise the veteran Scottish winger too badly, as he may not have been playing if the manager had his way with transfers already.

However, you have to deal with the situation at hand and that is why the manager should drop Forest, who was given a 5/10 player rating by the Scotsman, for the second leg, as he was just as ineffective as Idah at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst the Irish striker did not do himself any favours with some of his touches, the lack of quality in the wide positions also meant that the forward was starved of service most of the time.

Minutes

45

70

Touches

12

48

Shots

0

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

1/4

Big chances created

0

0

Crosses completed

1/2

0/0

Duels won

3/7

1/3

As you can see in the table above, Forrest had 36 more touches than Idah yet did not attempt a single cross into the box in an attempt to create a chance for his teammates.

His lack of quality in his attempted dribbles played a part in that because his failure in three of his four attempts limited the space he had to put crosses into the box, as he was unable to beat his opposing full-back to create the space that was needed.

Ultimately, Celtic should not want to be relying on the 34-year-old, who scored one goal in all competitions last season, to win them matches in the Champions League, but that is the situation they have found themselves in.

It did not work on Wednesday night and that is why Rodgers should roll the dice with Yang out wide on the right for the second leg, unless the club are able to wrap up a move for a new winger in the days leading up to the trip to Kazakhstan.

Yang upgrade: Celtic have serious interest in deal for "flamboyant" winger

Celtic reportedly have a serious interest in a star who would be a big upgrade on Hyun-jun Yang.

ByDan Emery Aug 20, 2025

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has a plethora of star players in his squad, and some have been reduced to fewer minutes than they’d like.

BlueCo are spearheading another major reshuffle of the squad, and perhaps even more so this summer, with the expectation being that Chelsea are poised to offload many more squad members as new players fill their spaces.

Carney Chukwuemeka, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist could all still leave Stamford Bridge before the summer transfer deadline on September 1, as UEFA pressure Chelsea to produce a positive transfer balance by next month.

The aforementioned seven could follow a host of players out the door, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu parting company permanently.

For most of a portion of this window, defender Benoit Badiashile has also been linked with exit door, but the Frenchman’s future has proved more complicated.

While Badiashile isn’t exactly at the forefront of Maresca’s plans, starting just three Premier League games last season, he did play in all but two games of their Conference League campaign.

The 24-year-old was a firm regular of their ‘B team’ last term, so to speak, but remains behind the likes of Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill in the pecking order.

Unfortunately for Maresca, Colwill is now set to miss most of the new campaign after damaging his ACL in training, with Chelsea thought to be exploring new centre-back options in the transfer market as a result.

Chelsea could even sign a new defender on an emergency loan, according to some reports, but any deal for the right player will be hard to do considering how late it is in the window.

They also remain in ongoing talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho respectively, and bringing in the attacking duo would take Chelsea’s summer spending to well past the £300 million mark.

Maresca could well be forced to consider more internal solutions to their centre-back shortage, with Badiashile now receiving plenty of support at Cobham.

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile praised by staff behind-the-scenes

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on the London is Blue podcast this week, the former AS Monaco man is earning real admiration from members of the Chelsea staff.

Those within the club are convinced that Badiashile can develop into a consistent and reliable player for Chelsea, with Maresca told to take note of the ex-Ligue 1 star as a potential option – even if he’s currently injured himself right now.

Badiashile is expected back around September, though, so he could soon come in as cover for Colwill if Maresca opts to head in that direction.

In another interview on Playback, Jacobs also revealed that Badiashile has a fierce work ethic, with there being a growing sense that his signing has “slipped under the radar”.