Is Matheus Cunha injured?! Man Utd star misses Altrincham Christmas lights switch-on in hint at potential fitness problem

Manchester United may have an injury concern on their hands after Matheus Cunha didn't show up at a planned Christmas lights switch-on. The Brazil forward was supposed to flick the switch on in Altrincham but the event organisers said he was unable to attend due to an incident in training. It remains to be seen if he will feature against Everton on Monday.

Cunha settling in at Man Utd

Cunha swapped Wolves for United this summer in a fee worth up to £62.5 million ($85m) and while he hasn't provided many assists or goals, few would say he has not been a valuable recruit so far. A return of one goal in 11 matches is not much to write home about but his work rate and quality on the ball has added an extra dimension to Ruben Amorim's attack. But according to BBC Sport, the 26-year-old may have been hit by a setback.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCunha a no show

Cunha was due to attend the Christmas lights event alongside Sam Aston, who plays Chesney on Coronation Street, on Saturday evening. But two days out from hosting Everton at Old Trafford, the former Atletico Madrid star was not there. Hours before the festive celebration, organisers Visit Altrincham said in a Facebook post that Cunha was absent due to "medical reasons" as he had an "accident in training".

The post reads: "Unfortunately, Matheus Cunha has had an accident in training today and will not be able to attend tonight’s Christmas Lights Switch on in Altrincham due to medical reasons. There’s lots of exciting performances to come including Luzahnn of Livin’ Joy and Sam Aston, winner of Dancing on Ice 2025, who is Chesney in Coronation Street will be switching on the lights!"

GOAL understands that Cunha sustained a knock in training but it is only seen as a minor issue and he remains in contention to play against Everton. 

Injuries mount up for Man Utd

On Friday, head coach Amorim said: "He [Sesko] is going to be a few weeks out. I don’t know how long but it is not that serious, we have to be careful with him. He is going to recover. He is doing the recovery and he is feeling better so we expect in a few weeks to have him back. I think it is going to be more or less he will be back at the same time as Amad [Diallo] and [Bryan] Mbeumo leave for AFCON. I don’t want to say for sure but when they are going to the camp I expect to have Ben back."

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Getty ImagesWhat comes next for Man Utd?

United have some important fixtures coming up, as they aim to rise from 10th in the Premier League. After hosting Everton, they travel to Crystal Palace next Sunday, before entertaining lowly West Ham and then heading to relegation-threatened Wolves in early December. If they win those, they will be right up there in the division.

Kings rise to No. 1 after Shamsi, Seifert and Charles make short work of Patriots

The defeat, despite Mohammad Rizwan’s battling unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, left St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at No. 5 on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Tabraiz Shamsi was tough to score off, and earned himself two opportunities to show off his familiar shoe-phone celebration. Despite his 2 for 17, however, St Lucia Kings had a big chase on their hands in their CPL 2025 game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – 178. That Kings got there with 18 balls and seven wickets in hand was down to their openers Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles. 115 runs between them, in just 62 balls, made the chase a canter.Just five runs came off the first over of the chase, bowled by Kyle Mayers. Charles took off after that, against Naseem Shah, and kept going. Kings got 13 off the second over, then 18 off the third, and 21 off the fifth, and finished the powerplay with 72 on the board. Seifert, who was slow to start with – having scored only a run-a-ball 15 by the fourth over – was now batting as quickly as Charles. It was all looking rather ominous for Patriots.Waqar Salamkheil got them the breakthrough – the wicket of Charles for a 17-ball 47 – in the seventh over, but with Ackeem Auguste, the hero of Kings’ previous match, for company, Seifert didn’t let the advantage slip.Auguste and Seifert added 60 for the second wicket, with Auguste contributing 29 in 20 balls. Though Seifert fell in the 15th over for a 45-ball 68, his opening blast had left Kings with very few to get with a lot of time.Johnson Charles smashed 47 in just 17 balls•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyRoston Chase (15*) and Tim David (16*) finished things off by the end of the 17th over.Earlier, after Patriots had been asked to bat by David Wiese at Kings’ home ground, the momentum they would have wanted never quite come. Theirs wasn’t a bad powerplay however, with Andre Fletcher especially showing enterprise as Patriots got to 57 for 1 after six overs.The brakes were applied soon after that, as Shamsi got Fletcher to miscue and attempted heave out of the stadium only to sky the ball to Charles behind the stumps. For his efforts, Shamsi was later named the Player of the Match.The fightback came from Mohammad Rizwan, batting at No. 3, who scored 60 not out in 41 balls, and put together partnerships of 71 in 52 balls with Mayers (27 in 25) and an unbroken 37 in 20 balls with Jason Holder (21* in 14). Still, neither Rizwan nor Mayers could score at the sort of rate Patriots would have wanted on a pitch that, as the outcome suggests, was good for scoring.The win took Kings to the top of the table with eight points from six games, while Patriots are now in fifth position with four points from seven games.

Dave Roberts Explains Why He Pulled Shohei Ohtani vs. Phillies Despite No-Hit Bid

For five innings, Shohei Ohtani perplexed the Phillies. The Dodgers two-way superstar, in an eventual 9-6 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday, struck out five batters and walked one over five no-hit innings, utilizing 68 pitches to do so. So when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts approached Ohtani, as he told reporters after the game, and asked him how he was feeling, Ohtani replied, "I feel ok."

But Roberts opted to remove him from the game and turn a 4-0 lead over to the Dodgers bullpen, which promptly blew the lead. Despite the less-than-desirable outcome, the Dodgers skipper made it clear that the decision to remove Ohtani was one he had made in lockstep with the Dodgers' plan for the three-time MVP, who is pitching in his first season since 2023 after recovering from shoulder surgery in September of 2023.

"We’ve been very steadfast in every situation as far as inning for his usage—from one inning to two to three to four to five. We haven’t deviated from that," Roberts said. "So I was trying to get his pulse for going forward, where he’s at, continuing to go to the sixth inning…

"…I’m not gonna have a plan for five innings, and then he pitches well and say, ‘Hey, now you’re gonna go for six innings.’ He’s too important," Roberts continued. "And if something does happen, then that’s on me for changing it. We haven’t done that all year, so I’m not gonna do that right now."

Since Ohtani's return to the mound on June 16, the Dodgers have gradually increased his workload. Tuesday's game marked just the second time he's pitched five innings this season, and his high mark in terms of pitches is 87, a number he reached during an August 27 win over the Reds.

So while it's easy to second-guess Roberts's decision after the fact—especially given that Ohtani was working on an increasingly-rare no-hitter—it makes sense given Ohtani's typical workload this season, as well as the fact that the Dodgers are postseason-bound and will need Ohtani's talents on the mound to defend the club's 2024 World Series win.

Ohtani will next take the mound on Sept. 23 against the Diamondbacks.

Tanveer Sangha drafted into Australia's T20I squad to replace Zampa

The legspinner played seven T20Is in 2023, including taking four wickets on debut, but hasn’t played since

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2025Legspinner Tanveer Sangha has been called into Australia’s squad for the T20Is against India with Adam Zampa unavailable for the start of the series due to personal reasons.Zampa’s wife Harriet is expecting their second child. He missed the first ODI in Perth due to travel distances involved before featuring in Adelaide, where he was Player of the Match, and Sydney. He is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in men’s T20Is.Sangha, 23, who plays for Sydney Thunder in the BBL, has seven T20I caps but has not played since 2023. He took 4 for 31 on his debut against South Africa.He took seven wickets in the three one-day matches for Australia A against India A on the recent tour and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the One-Day Cup with 10 wickets in four matches for New South Wales.If conditions warrant, Sangha could form a twin spin attack with left-armer Matt Kuhnemann.Australia have various moving parts in their T20I squad with multi-format players at various stages of their Ashes preparation. Josh Hazlewood will drop out after the first two matches in Canberra and Sydney while Sean Abbott will exit after the third game in Hobart.Mahli Beardman, the 20-year Western Australia and Perth Scorchers quick, who has yet to play a first-class match could make his T20I debut later in the series when he joins the squad from the third game onwards.

Super Mariu stops by for lessons in Chennai on journey to great things

Though just two international matches old, Rhys Mariu has given enough evidence of being a good fit for the highest level

Deivarayan Muthu23-Aug-2025Rhys Mariu was a run machine at the 2024-25 Plunket Shield, churning out 747 runs in 11 innings at an average of 74.70 for Canterbury.The 23-year-old Mariu’s remarkable consistency earned him a New Zealand ODI debut against Pakistan towards the end of the previous home summer. In his second match, he made a fairly smooth transition into top-flight cricket with 58 off 61 balls in Mount Maunganui.Mariu has always had the potential – he was New Zealand’s highest run-getter in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup. More mature now, he has found a method to pile on the runs in red-ball cricket too.Related

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“I think I found a good formula for batting last season,” Mariu told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of a camp at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Chennai in June. “Obviously, with cricket you go through patches of scoring runs and not scoring runs. But I think I just found a good base and sort of worked through that and managed to find some success through that.”Then it was just about staying level, I guess. I was understanding that I’m not always going to be scoring lots of runs, so just trying to stay consistent with it even if it’s not successful. But at that time, I was lucky that it went well.”Mariu credits mental-skills coach John Quinn, who has also worked with Rugby NZ and Black Sticks Men (hockey team), for his success in the previous season.”Yeah, I think it’s mainly down to my mental routines and all that I’ve been working on,” Mariu said. “I work closely with John Quinn back home – a mental skills coach – and he’s really helped me sort of find a routine that I can repeat, and it just keeps me consistent. And when I am tired or things are changing, then I can just go back to that. It’s helped me play long innings as well.”Rhys Mariu hones his skills at the Super Kings Academy•Super Kings AcademyMariu hails from a cricketing family. His father Marcus and older brother Josh represented Canterbury at the Hawke Cup level. When he was younger, Mariu had even operated the manual scoreboard for Canterbury matches at Rangiora’s Mainpower Oval. Years later, he’s troubling the scorers with his prolific batting for Canterbury.”Dad played a little bit and it’s good playing with my brother,” Mariu said. “Obviously, I sort of just followed him [his father] in terms of choices to play cricket, but I was always [watching cricket] on TV and playing in the backyard, so it was good fun.”We would just sit up on the balcony and spend most of the day, especially four-dayers, just watching games and putting the numbers and names up, which was cool at the time. We just got paid 50 bucks a day [for operating the scoreboard], but it was just really good fun spending days with him [my brother] and some of our mates would also come down.”Like most New Zealanders, Mariu played a lot of sports while growing up, cycling through cricket, rugby, football and hockey. He believes that his hockey background has had a positive effect on his cricket.

“At this camp, I’ve worked on hitting straight, which is what I wanted to do coming over here […] Just keeping everything a bit more square-on and finding ways of hitting down the ground. So, that’s been the main work here”Rhys Mariu on the experience in Chennai

“Yeah, I think I’ve always been decent at sweeping just because I think that comes from playing hockey at school. That [sweep] has always come naturally to me.”Given his long reach and strong base, there are shades of Daryl Mitchell in Mariu, especially when he sweeps and reverse-sweeps. It was only fitting that Mitchell had handed Mariu his maiden international cap.”Yeah, it was pretty special with Daz presenting me that,” Mariu said. “He’s been really, really helpful with Canterbury and then making the jump up. He’s always let me know that if I have any questions or need anything, I can go to him. So, it’s nice having someone like that in your corner.”Mariu’s golden run last season included a career-best 240 in just his ninth game for Canterbury and first as captain, against Central Districts at Saxton Oval. His mammoth score led Canterbury to a ten-wicket win.”Yeah, it was a decent CD attack,” Mariu recalled. “I think the conditions were sort of in the favour of the batting team on those couple of days. And I think we just found good partners through that. Like, [Matt] Boyle was really helpful. He obviously had a hell of a knock there as well [116 from No. 4]. It was a young team and there was a really good vibe around for the whole week. Things just sort of fell into place in that game.””I think I’ve always been decent at sweeping just because I think that comes from playing hockey at school”•Getty ImagesMariu, however, wasn’t satisfied. He’s always hungry for runs and improvement. During the New Zealand winter, he travelled to Chennai and focussed on holding his shape for long enough and hitting the ball down the ground.”At this camp, I’ve worked on hitting straight, which is what I wanted to do coming over here,” Mariu said. “Sri [Sriram Krishnamurthy, former NZ pathway coach and current CSK Academy head coach] has been really good. Just keeping everything a bit more square-on and finding ways of hitting down the ground. So, that’s been the main work here.”In the recent past, Canterbury have supplied a number of players to the Black Caps, including Will O’Rourke, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay and Chad Bowes. Mariu draws inspiration from his domestic team-mates and hopes to emulate them.”Fults [Peter Fulton] and Brendon Donkers [the Canterbury coaches] have created a good environment,” Mariu said. “With a lot of Black Caps being churned out, success breeds success. It’s cool seeing those guys go up to the next level. It makes it feel like it’s less of a jump because you spend a lot of time with those guys and then you go see them play up high. It’s cool and it doesn’t make it seem too far away.”Mariu’s next assignment is an A team tour of South Africa, which comprises three one-dayers and two four-dayers. If Mariu can maintain his consistency, he might not be too far away from breaking into the Test side either.

'A very bad night' – Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario apologises to Spurs fans after north London derby thumping as he rips into 'passive' tactics

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has apologised to the club's travelling fans after a "very bad night" in their 4-1 loss at Arsenal. A Leandro Trossard goal and an Eberechi Eze hat-trick condemned Spurs to a thumping defeat at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Richarlison's consolation did little to lift the mood of Vicario, who criticised his team's "passive" approach.

Arsenal heap misery on Spurs

For Tottenham, this was, arguably, their biggest game of the season. A chance to beat the Premier League leaders, and their biggest rivals, on their home patch and boost their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League. What played out on Sunday was quite the opposite. Arsenal ruthlessly cut apart a sorry Spurs side, who were far too tentative to threaten Mikel Arteta's team. The Gunners strove to claim all three points with an attacking display, whereas the visitors seemed content to come away with a point. In the end, they got nothing. The result saw Arsenal go six points clear at the top of the table, whereas Tottenham are now down to ninth.

AdvertisementAFPVicario rues match to forget

The Spurs keeper began by apologising to the thousands of Tottenham fans who attended the game after a horror night in enemy territory. He also said that the game plan they prepared was very different to the one they executed at Arsenal.

He told Sky Sports: "A very bad night for us. First of all we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football in this level. It's a tough night, a very bad defeat, but we have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday but we need to stick together. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of. The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and apologise to the people that support us and have travelled today. I think we waited too much to get into the game. We were too passive. The game plan we prepared was different. Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise first of all for this. But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night."

Vicario did appeal that Eze's first goal should have been ruled out as a couple of Arsenal players were in his eyeline and were offside. But he later said that it would not have mattered to the scoreline.

The 29-year-old added: "I think the way the game went it wouldn't have changed anything. There were three people in front of me so of course they impacted me. But we didn't lose the game for that."

Frank 'pained' by Arsenal rout

Tottenham boss Frank said he felt confident going into the north London derby but what he got was an "extremely bad" performance. He said he tried to replicate the tactics they deployed in their narrow UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain in August but these two displays were like night and day.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's extremely painful to stand here after an extremely bad performance. Against the worst team we could put a bad performance in against. It was the perfect storm. I think especially first half we lacked the ability to have pressure and get close to them and be aggressive enough in the duels. We had to absorb to much pressure throughout the first half. In the second half we got a little bit better but nowhere near the level we want.

"That's an extremely hard defeat to take. We are all emotional and frustrated and need to look at it with calm heads. I was very confident going into the game that we could be competitive and we weren't, which was disappointing. We tried to do something different that was very successful against PSG. Today it wasn't and I always take responsibility for my decisions and then when it doesn't go the way we want it to go, that's on me. We changed it at half-time but I am 1000% sure that no matter what formation you play if you don't win enough duels or are aggressive enough, it doesn't matter what formation you play."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Tottenham?

Tottenham will look to bounce back immediately from this thrashing when they return to Champions League action on Wednesday. Unfortunately for them, the fixtures don't get any easier as they take on defending champions PSG in Paris.

Asif Afridi finally gets his moment, 16 years and 90 deliveries in the making

Having made his first-class debut back in 2009, Afridi, now 38, dismissed de Zorzi and Brevis in successive overs, proving he can cut it at the top level in these conditions

Danyal Rasool21-Oct-2025At 38 years, Asif Afridi knows he doesn’t have much time left in international cricket, but he doesn’t let it hurry him. He came on to bowl in the 13th over of South Africa’s innings, but struggled to make an early impact in Rawalpindi. Aiden Markram charged at him eighth ball and deposited him back over his head for six. If Asif wanted to show he wasn’t just the relief bowler for when Sajid Khan or Noman Ali needed a break, he would have to prove it.But Asif has spent more time than Markram, South Africa, or indeed any of his team-mates on these surfaces. He made his first-class debut in this very city 16 years ago, before any player on either side had played international cricket. The wickets would come, but they’d be no use if they came too late. And so he ensured what Markram had done to him would not happen again.In the next over, he came around the wicket, and found a length that spat the ball up and away from Tristan Stubbs, who was only too grateful not to have settled in well enough to get too close. Soon after, he came around the wicket to the in-form, albeit newly arrived, Tony de Zorzi, spinning it away from off stump and clipping him above the knee roll. Pakistan, distracted by the appeal for a catch, did not review, though the technology suggested it would have given Asif his first Test wicket.And still his patience didn’t waver. He made sure he was finding the right lines, starving the South Africans of runs even if the wickets column remained barren for now. When Shan Masood finally took him off after an 11-over spell, he’d given away just 19 runs, the most economical bowler in the game.Related

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“Asif has so much experience, and we see how he uses it,” Saud Shakeel said after the second day’s play. “At one point he’d given away just 19 runs in 11. His control was indicative of someone who has played and had a lot of success in domestic cricket. When someone has built that base in domestic cricket, they don’t find it too difficult at this level.”But as the gulf between domestic and international cricket widens in Pakistan, Asif would have been keenly aware of how he’d be perceived if he walked away without making an impact on surfaces designed to give fingerspinners assistance. He looked set to be condemned to that fate as the shadows lengthened and stumps loomed, but still Asif held his lines, kept to the plan that may well have been hatched when he made his debut in 2009. He came around the wicket to de Zorzi, in that zone where neither using his feet or the sweep were realistic options.Asif Afridi became the second oldest to make his Test debut while playing for Pakistan•Getty ImagesAnd then, in the 58th over, cricket finally threw him a bone. He found a dent in the strip and the ball swooped on de Zorzi, hitting him halfway up the shin. Even now, this sport found a way to keep him waiting for just that little bit longer, with the umpire denying his anguished appeal. Mercifully, Pakistan reviewed this time. Asif’s wait would finally end among team-mates who mobbed him in congratulations, all appreciative of the journey he took, none quite able to understand just how bleak it can sometimes be.But Asif made sure his solitary Test wicket couldn’t just be put down to the bounce of a ball. Before the day was out, he had himself a picture-book orthodox spinner’s dismissal, four balls after he had sent de Zorzi packing. Dewald Brevis accounted for the turn and played accordingly, but Asif had found just a little bit more. It kissed his outside edge, and first slip made no mistake.Shakeel knows the feeling of falling to Asif’s wiles. “I’m very happy for Asif ,” he said. “It’s very late but at least he’s got to play Test cricket. When I play him in domestic cricket, I find it very difficult to handle him. In a Garde 2 match against FATA recently, I faced against Asif and got out to him in the first innings. Whenever we play against him he causes us problems.”By the end of the day, that Markram six was little more than a footnote. Of the 90 deliveries he sent down, 74 had been dot balls, his final economy rate nearly half that of the next best bowler. But Asif had trusted his plan, guided by his blind belief it was the right way to find success. That quixotic idealism is often not a natural fit in Pakistan cricket, but on this afternoon in the Pindi twilight for a man who in the sunset of his career, it was.

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri told he will soon be 'finished like Jose Mourinho' as Antonio Cassano brutally claims Serie A leaders play 'dreadful' football

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has been warned that he will soon be "finished like Jose Mourinho" by Antonio Cassano, who has brutally claimed that the Serie A leaders play "dreadful" football. Although the Rossoneri have lost only once this season, on the opening weekend against Cremonese, and have since collected eight victories and four draws to rise to the top of the table, Cassano remains entirely unconvinced with their style.

Getty ImagesCassano in fierce critique of Serie A leaders

Cassano drew a stark comparison between Allegri and Mourinho, arguing that both coaches have become relics of another era. He lamented what he views as a betrayal of Milan’s traditional values, which are attacking flair, elegance, and expressive football. In his eyes, the current iteration of Allegri’s Milan stands in direct conflict with those ideals.

Speaking on the podcast, Cassano issued a blistering assessment of Milan’s approach, suggesting the club’s identity is being eroded under Allegri’s watch.

"Remember what I said about Mourinho being finished and that sooner or later he would end up being forgotten. The same will happen to Allegri," he said. 

"I can’t imagine Milan in 2025 playing dreadful football because of their coach: Milan are history, beauty, aesthetics and quality. And what do they do? Everyone sits in front of the goalkeeper; there’s no depth, then you win the ball back, counter-attack and score."

For all the criticism, Milan’s numbers are strong. They have scored 19 goals and conceded just nine in their 13 Serie A fixtures. The team boasts of a defensive solidity characteristic of Allegri’s coaching style. But Cassano contends that results alone should not shield the manager from scrutiny, especially at a club built on decades of artistic football.

AdvertisementAFPMourinho's fall from grace

Cassano’s comparison to Mourinho arrives at a time when the Portuguese manager’s recent struggles remain fresh. Mourinho left Fenerbahce earlier this year following a difficult stint lasting just 62 games, as he was dismissed after a Champions League play-off defeat to Benfica. The former Chelsea and Inter boss, who has two Champions League titles to his name, endured a testing time in Turkey was fraught with frustration, particularly with officiating, and he openly admitted upon returning to Portugal that he had chosen the wrong project.

"My career so far has been rich; I've coached the biggest clubs in the world, in different countries," he said after taking the reins at Benfica for a second time. "I made the wrong choice; sometimes I don't have the right word in Portuguese… no regrets, because regrets don't help us at all in life, but the awareness of what we did well and what we did wrong exists. I made a mistake going to Fenerbahce; it wasn't my cultural level, it wasn't my football level, it wasn't my level. Obviously, I gave everything until the last day."

Former Fenerbahce president Ali Koc later shed more light on the separation, describing it as "painful" while insisting the club needed a more expansive style to suit the Turkish side’s expectations. 

He said: "Why did we let go of Mourinho? I'm explaining it here for the first time. It was a bitter parting. Our chemistry was perfect, and his accomplishments are evident. Just being able to bring him here was a great achievement. Above all, it was difficult to part with someone I was friends with. We knew our coach was a defensive player when we brought him in. But we talked about the need to play more dominantly at the end of the season. Earning 99 goals and 99 points is our genetic code.

"Being eliminated by Benfica wasn't a problem, but the way we were eliminated was unacceptable. This made me feel like last year's football would continue. We parted ways because we believed this squad would play better football at this point. This kind of football works in Europe, but in Turkey, we have to crush them in most matches. We're struggling to get ahead after falling behind in every match."

A bitter irony in Cassano’s accusations

Cassano himself won the only Serie A title of his career under the same man he now savages. His 2010-11 Scudetto triumph came with Allegri at the Milan helm, yet that shared success did little to soften his message. Mourinho, meanwhile, appears to be steadying himself at Benfica. After a shaky start back in Lisbon, his side have climbed to third place in the Liga Portugal, six points adrift of Porto, and now look far more competitive heading into their clash with Sporting on Friday evening.

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Getty ImagesAllegri unlikely to change his methods

For all the condemnation, Allegri's Milan team remain firmly in the Serie A title race and are defensively robust. Hence, the Italian manager might just stick to his guns, ignoring Cassano's criticism as noise. The Rossoneri resume their campaign on Thursday with a Coppa Italia Round of 16 trip to Lazio. 

Rohl must drop Rangers flop who “deserves as much criticism as Antman”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will be looking to mastermind his first-ever win in European football against Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday night.

After a 3-0 win against Kilmarnock away from Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night, the German boss will be hoping that his players are full of confidence and ready to secure that first win of the league phase.

Several players will need to raise their levels, though, because too many members of the squad have failed to perform on the European stage this season.

The worst Rangers performers in the Europa League this season

When looking at the worst performers for the Gers in the Europa League, it is impossible to look past Mohamed Diomande as the standout player for the wrong reasons.

The Ivorian central midfielder has been sent off two times in three appearances in the competition, remarkably, and it is hard to get much worse than that.

Youssef Chermiti, who was signed for £8m from Everton, has challenged Diomande for that spot, though, with no goals and four ‘big chances’ missed in five starts, per Sofascore, in the league phase.

1

Mohamed Diomande

2

Youssef Chermiti

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Oliver Antman

5

Jayden Meghoma

Summer signings Thelo Aasgaard and Oliver Antman also rank in the worst five performers, as they have both failed to deliver a goal or an assist and both average under one key pass per game, per WhoScored.

The attacking duo have also struggled in the Premiership, with one goal and two assists combined, but they are not the only attacking players who have underperformed, as Djeidi Gassama must be dropped for Thursday’s game.

Why Djeidi Gassama should be dropped by Danny Rohl

The summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday made an electric start to his career at Ibrox with four goals in six games in the Champions League qualifiers.

Since then, though, the French forward has found it tough to make an impact on a regular basis, with one goal in 15 Premiership games and one goal in five outings in the Europa League, per Sofascore.

At the end of last month, Rangers fan and scout Kai Watson posted that Gassama “deserves just as much criticism as Antman & Aasgaard”, which is a fair comment when you look at their respective performances in the Premiership.

As aforementioned, the Frenchman has not delivered much in the way of quality in the league for the Gers, and he blanked again in the 3-0 win over Kilmarnock, with no goals, assists, or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore. He also lost the ball a whopping 23 times.

Games

15

22

Goals

1

1

Big chances missed

3

3

Big chances created

1

2

Assists

1

2

As you can see in the table above, Aasgaard and Antman’s combined output in the Premiership is better than Gassama’s, which shows that he has not been at a level above the pair this season in the league.

These statistics show that all three of those summer signings have failed to provide goals and assists on a regular basis for the Light Blues, and that is also reflected in their combined return of one goal and no assists in the Europa League.

With this in mind, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Gassama from the starting line-up for Thursday evening’s clash with Ferencvaros because he has not offered enough quality in the final third of late.

Instead, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday manager should bring Mikey Moore back into the fold after he marked his return from injury with an impressive goal against Kilmarnock.

The Spurs loanee has scored two goals in his last two appearances for Rangers, and it would have been three if not for VAR ruling out his second goal against Killie for an innocuous foul in the build-up.

Moore is starting to show that he can be a difference-maker in the final third, with two goals and one assist in the league, and should be given an opportunity to shine from the start ahead of Gassama on Thursday.

Rangers dud was as "rotten" as Miovski, now he's Rohl's most improved player

This Glasgow Rangers flop who looked as bad as Bojan Miovski is now Danny Rohl’s most improved performer.

ByDan Emery 4 days ago

Phillies Make Nightmarish MLB History in Walk-Off Loss to Dodgers in NLDS

The Phillies exited the 2025 MLB postseason in one of the worst ways imaginable on Thursday night and made some history in doing so.

Philadelphia was locked in a tight battle with the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS, with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 11th inning. Reliever Orion Kerkering was on the mound with the bases loaded and two outs, facing L.A.'s ninth hitter, Andy Pages.

On an 0-1 pitch, the 24-year-old righty induced a grounder back to him and bobbled it. After recovering, he made the ill-fated decision to attempt to get an out at home plate, rather than the easier play at first base. He immediately regretted that decision. His throw to the plate sailed past catcher J.T. Realmuto, allowing Hyeseong Kim to score the winning run from third base, and sending the Dodgers to the NLCS.

That was just an awful sequence for Kerkering, his teammates, and Phillies fans everywhere. The error also made history.

The Phillies' loss to the Dodgers was the first postseason series in history to end in a walk-off error. That's a fact that adds insult to injury for everyone involved.

Los Angeles now moves on to its fourth NLCS in the last six seasons.

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