Aussies at the IPL 2024: Starc sizzles, Marsh flies home, Fraser-McGurk fires

As the IPL nears the halfway point, here’s a recap of the main storylines involving the Australians in the last week

Alex Malcolm15-Apr-20240:54

Starc: ‘Taken me longer than I would’ve liked to get back into rhythm’

Starc finally sizzles after early struggles

Five games into the IPL, Mitchell Starc is starting to roll after claiming 3 for 28 in Kolkata’s Knight Riders’ big win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday night. Starc’s form had been a major talking point after his expensive start to the tournament given his huge price tag at the auction. But it is worth remembering he had not played any T20 cricket since the 2022 T20 World Cup when Australia’s selectors dropped him for the final game. He bowled the tough overs against LSG including three in the powerplay and the final over of the innings and had a huge impact. He delivered 12 dots in 18 deliveries in the powerplay and took the wicket of Deepak Hooda to stall LSG on a decent batting strip. His last over was outstanding. He bagged the dangerous Nicholas Pooran and then blew out Arshad Khan’s stumps off the last ball. He conceded one boundary, a streaky top edge, and one single in the final over with the other run coming via a leg bye as LSG only managed to post 161 for 7 before KKR ran that down in 15.4 overs with eight wickets in hand. Starc said after the match he is starting to get back into the tactical groove of T20 bowling.”It’s T20 cricket; for the guys who have played a lot of Test cricket, this is definitely a lot easier physically,” he said. “It’s more [about] getting used to the tactical side of it. I haven’t played a lot of T20 cricket in the last couple of years, so it has probably taken me a little bit longer than I would have liked to get back into the rhythm of things and make a better impact. So today was nice in that regard.”Related

  • 'Everything's happening so quickly' – Fraser-McGurk on his rapid rise to stardom

  • Starc gets back into T20 groove ahead of World Cup

  • Marsh returns to Australia after tearing right hamstring

Another Australia multi-format quick who has found the T20 groove is Pat Cummins. He continued his phenomenal form last week with 1 for 22 from four overs in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s tight win over Punjab Kings. Cummins has been the second-best fast bowler in the IPL this season behind Jasprit Bumrah. The form of both Cummins and Starc bodes very well for Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Marsh heads home and injuries worries mount

Mitchell Marsh has suffered a hamstring injury•BCCIMitchell Marsh has headed home to Perth after suffering a partial hamstring tear at the IPL and it is unknown as to whether he will return to India before the T20 World Cup. Marsh missed Delhi Capitals’ last two matches after scans revealed the injury over a week ago. He will head home to rehabilitate the injury with Australia’s team physio Nick Jones, who is also based in Perth. Meanwhile, Marsh’s Delhi teammate David Warner was hit on the finger on Friday while attempting to play a lap over short fine-leg. It is understood that Warner experienced some swelling and underwent scans upon landing in Ahmedabad on Saturday.There were also some concerns over Glenn Maxwell’s right hand after he left the field and did not return during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s loss to Mumbai Indians last Thursday. Maxwell copped a blow on the right hand as he dropped a hot chance off Suryakumar Yadav at backward point. He immediately winced in pain and left the field holding his index and middle fingers. It is understood Maxwell had a scan that night in Mumbai and has been monitored ahead of RCB’s clash with Sunrisers on Monday night. RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat said on Sunday Maxwell is “okay at the minute” and “there’s no injury concerns”.

Maxwell’s batting misery continues, Green dropped

If the blow to the hand wasn’t enough, Maxwell’s batting woes have only added to the pain. He bagged his third duck of the tournament against Mumbai. After the extra pace of Mayank Yadav and Nandre Burger had brought him unstuck in his previous two games, he surprisingly fell to the legspin of Shreyas Gopal against Mumbai when he was trapped lbw failing to pick a wrong’ un. Maxwell has scores of 0, 3, 28, 0, 1 and 0 in the tournament so far. There is still a long way to go in the IPL and plenty of time to find some touch ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is also a long tournament that could feature plenty of fluctuations in form for individual players. But he will be hoping to find some form soon to build some confidence heading to the Caribbean.Meanwhile, Cameron Green’s hopes of making Australia’s T20 World Cup squad have taken another blow after he was dropped from RCB’s line-up for the match against Mumbai. Green had also failed to make his mark with both bat and ball in his first five games. He had been shuffled around in the order moving from No. 3 to No. 5. RCB opted to replace Green with Englishman Will Jacks at No. 3 against Mumbai Indians without success. Unless Green can regain his place in RCB’s XI and put some performances on the board, it will be tough for him to make Australia’s 15-man squad for the World Cup. His only other chance would be if Marsh was not able to recover from his hamstring injury.

Fraser-McGurk fires on IPL debut

Jake Fraser-McGurk started his IPL career with a bang•BCCIOne beneficiary of Marsh’s injury was Australian youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk who made a big statement on IPL debut for Delhi Capitals as he smashed 55 off 35 balls in their much-needed win over LSG. The 22-year-old had been a controversial replacement for Lungi Ngidi given Delhi’s bowling woes but he repaid Ricky Ponting’s faith and belief in his ability with a stunning innings that featured five sixes. He hit his second ball in the IPL for six and smacked another just three balls later to burst out of the blocks. He slowed down thereafter and was 25 off 23 at one stage but didn’t panic. He then proved he can hit spin as well as pace, clubbing Krunal Pandya for three successive sixes. Two of them were inside-out with the spin over cover and long-off. His 77-run stand with Rishabh Pant broke the back of the chase. Fraser-McGurk is still a fair way down the pecking order of Australia’s top-order options for the World Cup. But if he gets on a roll at the IPL and Australia have any injury concerns closer to the tournament, then he will be seriously considered as a power-hitting option in the top-order.

Stats – India's shortest ODI at home, SA's third-biggest defeat

All the stats highlights from the low-scoring third ODI between India and South Africa

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Oct-20223 Number of totals for South Africa in ODIs, lower than their 99 all out on Tuesday. South Africa have been bowled out for less than 100 in the ODI format, only on four instances, including twice in 2022. They were bowled out for 83 against England in Manchester earlier in July.ESPNcricinfo Ltd99 South Africa’s total in the third ODI is their lowest-ever effort against India in this format. Their previous lowest total against India was 117 all out in 1999 in Nairobi. 99 is also the lowest total by any team against India since New Zealand’s 79 all out in 2016.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 There are two first-innings totals against India lower than South Africa’s 99 in ODIs. Kenya got bowled out for 90 in the 2001 Bloemfontein ODI, while Sri Lanka scored only 96 runs in 1984 in Sharjah. It is also South Africa’s second-lowest first-innings total in ODIs, behind their 83 all out against England in 2008 in Nottingham.185 India reached the target with 185 balls to spare. They handed South Africa their third-biggest defeat in ODIs by balls. England chased 84 against them with 215 balls to spare in 2008, while Australia completed a chase of 107 with 188 balls to spare in 2002. The winning margin in Delhi is also the fifth biggest for India in balls remaining in ODIs.278 The third ODI in Delhi lasted only 278 balls, the shortest completed home ODI for India (excluding shortened games). The previous shortest match was 280 balls against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram in 2018. It was also the fourth-shortest completed match in this format hosted by India.

12 Number of wickets taken by Mohammed Siraj in the first ten overs in ODIs this year. Only Oman’s Bilal Khan (13) has taken more wickets in first ten overs in ODIs in 2022 than Siraj. His bowling average of 15.66 in the first ten overs this year is the best for any Indian bowler in a calendar year since 2002 (min: 10 wickets).8 Number of wickets taken by the Indian spinners in this match. It is only the 13th instance where Indian spinners took eight or more wickets in an ODI. The previous two instances were also against South Africa during their 2018 tour in Centurion and Cape Town.

3 Number of wickets for Kuldeep Yadav, of the batters from No. 8 position in this game. It is the third occasion in ODIs, where Kuldeep had dismissed three of the last four batters in a match. Since 2012, only Trent Boult, Amit Mishra and Rashid Khan have dismissed three or more lower-order batters (8-11 positions) in an ODI as often as Kuldeep.

World Cup pressure, an Ashes special, and toppling New Zealand – Meg Lanning picks her three best innings

The Australia captain goes down memory lane and into the heart of three distinctively match-winning Lanning hundreds

Annesha Ghosh23-Oct-2020As Meg Lanning, the Australia captain and premier top-order batter, approaches ten years in international cricket, we asked her to pick her three best innings. She took us down memory lane and into the heart of three distinctively match-winning Lanning hundreds, all accomplished away from home.152* off 135 balls vs Sri Lanka, Bristol, 2017 ODI World Cup
“Lanning 152* trumps Atapattu 178*” read the headline for ESPNcricinfo’s report on the league-stage match. That’s all the background you need to grasp the full impact of Lanning’s 11th ODI hundred that culminated in her personal ODI best.Lanning: “We were a bit stunned, to be honest. [Chamari] Atapattu had come out and whacked us all around the park. It probably wasn’t something we expected and that was part of the problem, I guess. They made 250-260; it wasn’t an outrageous score, but just the fact that perhaps it wasn’t a team we expected [to perform that way]. But she played unbelievably well. I remember saying to Ellyse Perry before we went out to bat, ‘We’ve got to do something here. It’s up to us to really win the game for us.’ A 150 not out chasing, in a World Cup game where we were under the pump a little bit – that was why that was special.”Lanning holds two of the top five highest individual scores in women’s T20Is•Getty Images133* off 63 balls, 1st T20I vs England, Chelmsford, 2019 Ashes
Lanning: “I hadn’t been hitting the ball too well, to be honest. It sort of came from nowhere (). I played some shots on that day that I wouldn’t usually play. Everything came out of the middle, everything went in the gaps. It just clicked. It was just one of those days when you feel you are one step ahead of what the bowlers are trying to do and the fielders. You’ve got to make the most of it when that happens. That was good fun.”Lanning made two back-to-back hundreds against New Zealand in the 2015-16 ODI series•Getty Images114* off 113 balls, 2nd ODI vs New Zealand, Mt Maunganui, 2016
Lanning: “It was the Rose Bowl series against one of our most familiar opponents. We were under the pump because they had smashed us in the T20s in Australia [in 2012-13]. We were heading into the 2016 T20 World Cup. We lost the first ODI, so we were struggling a bit. We came good in the last two. That century was a memorable one.”

Willson Contreras Gets Ejected, Hits Own Coach With Bat While Being Restrained

Cardinals designated hitter Willson Contreras didn't like a called third strike while he was at the plate against the Pirates on Monday night.

As he faced an 0-2 count in the bottom of the seventh inning in a tight game, he was called out on strikes following a pitch that landed down in the zone. From the replay, the pitch appeared to be a strike, clipping the bottom of the zone, but Contreras still took exception.

He looked back at home plate umpire Derek Thomas and was ejected from the game, which caused him to get incredibly heated as the Cardinals coaching staff tried to hold him back. As he was pushed back toward the dugout, Contreras tossed his bat toward the field as he continued to yell at Thomas, and the lumber hit one of his own coaches.

When he eventually got into the dugout, an entire bucket of Hi-Chew was thrown onto the field, creating a messy scene the team's batboys had to clean up. It's unclear if Contreras tossed the bucket of candy or not. You can watch the wild sequence below:

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was also ejected per MLB.com's John Denton. Also, according to Denton, the coach that was hit with Contreras's bat was Brant Brown—St. Louis' hitting coach.

A lot of fallout for what appeared to be a correctly called strike. Despite the situation, the Cardinals held onto their lead and defeated the Pirates 7-6 Monday. We'll see if there's any further punishment following Contreras's outburst.

Mohamed Salah returns! Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes huge recall decision for Brighton clash – but Egyptian is only on the bench

Mohamed Salah has been named on the bench yet again by Liverpool manager Arne Slot for Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at Anfield. The Egypt international has been recalled to the squad, after being left out against Inter in the Champions League in midweek following his critical comments, but has to make do with a place among the substitutes.

Salah returns for Brighton game

Salah is back in the Liverpool squad for the first time since claiming he had been "thrown under the bus" by the Reds and that his relationship with Slot has broken down following the team's draw with Leeds. The Egyptian's critical comments have thrown his future at the club into doubt and he was subsequently left out of the Champions League trip to San Siro. However, he is back in the squad for Saturday's match, although it remains to be seen if he will see any game time. Slot has gone with Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai in attack as he searches for victory against the Seagulls. Liverpool's fixture against Brighton is Salah's last before he is due to link up with Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations squad for the 2025 tournament.

AdvertisementSlot speaks out on selection decisions

Slot had little to say when quizzed about his decision to recall Salah to the squad for the match. He told ahead of kick-off: "Like you said, he is back in the squad and on the bench today."

The Liverpool boss also explained why big-money signing Alexander Isak was only on the bench: "Got a knock in both games. Games come quite fast and there is also not so much to choose from. Nice to have someone from the bench who can impact the game."

Slot was also critical of his team's fixture list as the Reds return to Premier League action after a midweek Champions League trip to Inter, adding: "Quite proud because playing four games in 10 days – that is almost criminal for football players. Especially if you have only 13-14 outfield players that are available. We accept playing a lot of games, but four in 10 days. That is a lot to take for players."

Getty Images SportWill Salah stay at Liverpool?

Salah's situation at Liverpool means it's still unclear if he will remain at the club for the rest of the season. Slot spoke about the situation before the Brighton match at his pre-match press conference, telling reporters: "I have no reasons not wanting him to stay, if that is a little bit of an answer." Yet Saudi Pro League clubs are believed to be circling and are eager to bring the Egypt star to the Middle East.

Saudi Pro League chief executive Omar Mugharbel has already admitted that Liverpool's talisman has emerged as a transfer target. He told the World Football Summit in Riyadh this week: "Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is one of them [a target]."

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What next for Salah and Liverpool?

Salah will depart Merseyside after Saturday's match and switch focus to international football. Egypt take on Nigeria in a friendly before AFCON starts and then face Zimbabwe, Angola and South Africa in the group phase. If Egypt make it all the way to the final, then Salah is set to be away from Liverpool until at least January 18. 

During his absence, his agent – Ramy Abbas – is set to hold talks with Liverpool over the 33-year-old's future at the club, according to . Salah signed a new two-year contract in the summer but it remains to be seen if he will now see that out.

In the meantime, Liverpool face a busy fixture list over festive period and into January with games against Tottenham, Wolves, Leeds United, Fulham, Arsenal and Burnley in the Premier League as well as an FA Cup third round tie against Barnsley.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool's 10 biggest under-performers during rotten Reds run – ranked

As Curtis Jones admitted on Wednesday, Liverpool are "in the sh*t" right now. The humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat at home to PSV means the ragged Reds have now lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions and the common consensus is that Arne Slot is only still in a job because he won the Premier League last season. But how have Liverpool gone from champs to chumps in just six months?

The impact of Diogo Jota's death on the friends he left behind certainly can't be overstated, with left-back Andy Robertson publicly disclosing his ongoing torment in the midst of the joyous celebrations that greeted Scotland's qualification for the World Cup last week. It's clear, though, that there are other factors at play – not least Slot's ongoing inability to come up with any tactical solutions to Liverpool's plethora of problems in every area of the pitch.

However, it certainly isn't all the manager's fault. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is among those presently pointing the finger at the players for a perceived lack of leadership and captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that they are letting themselves down at the moment.

Below, GOAL ranks the Reds' biggest under-performers during their rotten run of results…

  • Getty Images Sport

    10Virgil van Dijk

    For the first few months of the season, Van Dijk was the only thing holding Liverpool's brittle backline together. Indeed, after the fortuitous 3-2 win over 10-man Newcastle all the way back in August, Carragher admitted that he didn't even want to imagine where the Reds would be without their inspirational skipper.

    Unfortunately, we now have a little bit of an idea, because while Van Dijk is still there, at the heart of the defence, he's looking like a cheap imitation of the colossus that led Liverpool to the title last season. Indeed, judging by his ludicrous handball against PSV (the third penalty he's given away this season – more than any other Premier League player in all competitions), Van Dijk has become another victim of the general malaise on Merseyside.

    Nobody can fault Van Dijk's commitment – he's been visibly hurt by the Reds' rapid fall from grace – but he actually seems to be trying too hard to turn things around, which is why we're now seeing the captain making uncharacteristically rash challenges. If Van Dijk doesn't rediscover his composure, Liverpool really are done for.

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    9Florian Wirtz

    Florian Wirtz has been nowhere near as poor as many critics have tried so desperately to make out. Indeed, the Germany international was integral to arguably Liverpool's best three performances of the season so far, against Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Real Madrid. Wirtz's creativity was also seriously missed in the three-goal losses at home to PSV and Nottingham Forest.

    However, there is no denying that Liverpool supporters expected a hell of a lot more from the £100 million signing from Bayer Leverkusen than three goal involvements in 16 appearances in all competitions. Even allowing for the fact that it often takes time for overseas players to get to grips with the physicality and intensity of English football, Wirtz has often looked out of his depth.

    When he returns from injury, the attacking midfielder will be under immense pressure to prove that he can cut it in the Premier League – although it might help if he were given a regular run of starts in his preferred position behind the centre-forward.

  • AFP

    8Jeremie Frimpong

    Liverpool were never going to be able to find a like-for-like replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Kop idol has a unique set of skills for a right-back. Consequently, the Reds recruited Jeremie Frimpong, a diminutive Dutchman with different but no less dangerous attacking attributes.

    The problem is that we've seen very little of them, for two reasons. Firstly, Frimpong has proved worryingly injury-prone and is once again out of action after damaging his hamstring for the second time this season, in the Champions League win in Frankfurt. Secondly, even when he has been available for action, Frimpong has not looked a good fit for the right-back berth at all. He has instead looked like what he was at Bayer Leverkusen: an offensively-minded wing-back.

    So, whenever Frimpong returns to action, Slot really needs to show us what he intended to do with his compatriot, who has contributed one flukey goal and zero assists in nine appearances to date.

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    7Alexis Mac Allister

    One could easily make the argument that Alexis Mac Allister was Liverpool's most consistent performer during his first two seasons at the club following his 2023 arrival from Brighton. The World Cup winner never produced anything less than a seven-out-of-10 showing. He was Liverpool's multi-purpose midfield dynamo; no matter where he was placed, he drove the team forward with his mix of tenacity and technique.

    Mac Allister, though, is currently paying a heavy price for his slower than expected recovery from the injury issues that brought a premature end to his 2024-25 and ruined his pre-season preparations. We've seen flashes of the old Mac Allister and, as a result, the old Liverpool – most notably in goal-scoring displays against Aston Villa and Real Madrid – but he's regressed again over the past week. 

    It was genuinely startling to see how easily Nico Williams went through Mac Allister to set up Forest's second goal at Anfield last Saturday before he almost completely disappeared after Liverpool went 2-1 down against PSV in midweek. Mac Allister is far too good a player to struggle all season along, but one cannot help where the Reds will be by the time he gets back up to full match speed.

الصحافة الإسبانية عن أرنولد: جنى ثمار صبره مع ريال مدريد

سلطت تقارير صحفية إسبانية الضوء على الأداء الرائع الذي ظهر به الدولي الإنجليزي ترينت ألكنسدر أرنولد، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد في آخر مباراتين له.

وخاض أرنولد مباراة إلتشي في الدوري الإسباني أساسيًا والتي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 2/2، وقدم الفريق أداءً باهتًا في ذلك اللقاء.

فيما كانت المباراة السابقة أمام أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا واستطاع ريال مدريد أن يحقق فوزًا صعبًا بنتيجة 4/3.

ووفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، فقد كتبت أن أرنولد جنى ثمار صبره وظهر بمستوى أكثر من رائع وتعتبر بداته الحقيقية مع ريال مدريد كانت أمام إلتشي، كما أثبت أنه قادر على صناعة اللعب في مركز الجناح.

اقرأ أيضًا | بيتر كراوتش: محمد صلاح مُذنب.. وليفربول لديه مشكلة عميقة

أما صحيفة “ماركا” فقد أكدت أيضًا أن الظهور الأول الحقيقي لـ ترينت كان ضد إلتشي، حيث استخدم تشابي ألونسو مدرب الملكي خط الدفاع “واسع” بعرض الملعب حينما بدأ بتشكيل خماسي في خط الدفاع.

لعب أرنولد في تلك المباراة بمركز الظهير الأيمن لكنه تحرر كثيرًا من إلزامية العودة للدفاع، كما معروف أن طريقة الدفاع برباعي في الخلف ليست كما تبدأ بخماسي.

صنع أرنولد 4 فرص محققة وقام بإرسال 7 كرات عرضية دقيقة وناجحة وهو أعلى رقم من أي لاعب في مباراة دوري هذا الموسم.

كما كانت قدرته على التمريرات الطويلة ضد أولمبياكوس مثالية، سبعة من سبعة لكن في الدفاع ترك مرة أخرى علامات استفهام لأنه حدثت تحولات لم يُحسن إدارتها، مواجهات فردية خسرها، ومشاركة غير مباشرة في الهدف الثالث للفريق اليوناني.

Disaster for Cole Palmer! Chelsea star fractures toe following 'accident at home' as Enzo Maresca rules injured playmaker out of key games

Cole Palmer has suffered another unfortunate injury setback, in a serious blow to Chelsea’s plans, with the England international fracturing his toe following an "accident at home". The 23-year-old playmaker has made just four appearances this season, as he struggles for fitness, and has now been ruled out of the Blues’ next three fixtures across all competitions.

  • Injury frustration: Chelsea star Palmer ruled out again

    Palmer has not figured for Chelsea since being forced out of a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on September 20. He has been unable to represent club or country since then, with a groin problem being nursed.

    He was nearing the end of his recovery from that ailment, with Enzo Maresca looking forward to welcoming a talismanic presence back into his plans. An incident that could not have been predicted, or prevented, has now forced Palmer onto the treatment table once more.

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    Revealed: Chelsea games that Palmer will miss

    Maresca has revealed that Palmer will be unavailable for Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Burnley on Saturday, their Champions League home date with La Liga giants Barcelona on Tuesday and a derby date with London rivals Arsenal on November 30.

    Delivering an update on Palmer and the untimely knock that he has picked up, Blues boss Maresca said: "He is probably not available for tomorrow, for sure. Barcelona for sure. Arsenal for sure. Unfortunately, he had an accident at home two days ago.

    "He hit his toe. But it’s nothing important. But for sure he’s not back in the next week. The only thing we know is he’s not available for this week and next week.

    "He was very close, with the groin. He was back with us almost. Then he had this small problem. The last time I saw him was yesterday. Was he limping? No, not too much. We don't know it's fractured. The only thing we know he is not available for this week and next week."

    Maresca added on losing Palmer in the most unfortunate of manners: "I wake up many times in the night to go to the toilet, I hit my head and leg and everything. It can happen."

  • England recall: Palmer eager to make up for lost time

    Palmer is reported to have spent his enforced break working hard in the gym, allowing his overall physique and fitness to be improved. He is said to have been "bulking up", while remaining a regular in the stands for Chelsea games. He has observed training sessions while working on an individual programme.

    It is claimed that Palmer is “determined to make up for lost time with his country” after seeing England wrap up qualification for the 2026 World Cup without him. Maresca expects the talented No.10 to earn an immediate recall once in contention to do so.

    He added: "For me personally, Cole is one of our best players. No doubt that he can play in any international team. It’s [England head coach] Thomas [Tuchel’s] decision."

    One former Chelsea and England star that is looking forward to seeing Palmer return to action is Joe Cole. The Premier League title winner considers a talismanic figure at Stamford Bridge to be crucial to Maresca’s cause.

    He told ahead of seeing Palmer’s reintegration into the Chelsea squad delayed: "He can elevate them, and his return will give the lads a boost. What I will say is that the players who stepped up in his absence have been superb. They have spread the goals around the team, and the performances have been great. If you played against Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer in the 10 role, it’s as good as anything in world football."

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    Chelsea fixtures: When Palmer could return

    Palmer has endured a frustrating time since helping Chelsea to glory at the 2025 Club World Cup – a tournament that saw him awarded the Golden Ball. The former PFA Young Player of the Year has been restricted to just 145 minutes of Premier League football this term.

    If he is ready to return after the Blues’ next three games, then it could be that he plays some part in a Premier League clash with Leeds at Elland Road on December 3 – although no risks will be taken on his fitness.

Hannah Hampton a doubt for England matches as Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor gives update on goalkeeper's injury

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has revealed that Hannah Hampton could miss the rest of 2025 with a quad injury, potentially ruling her out of the Lionesses upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana later this month. The renowned shot stopper missed Chelsea's 6-0 win over St. Polten in the Women's Champions League, after picking up the injury during the Blues 1-1 draw with Arsenal last Saturday.

Hampton to miss big games for both Chelsea and England

Bompastor confirmed that Hampton will miss the next few weeks of action at the very least, ruling her out of key fixtures for both club and country. The 24-year-old completed her side's draw with rivals Arsenal despite the ailment, but was ruled out of their midweek demolition of the Austrian champions. 

Chelsea travel to Liverpool tomorrow in the Women's Super League, before hosting Barcelona in the Women's Champions League on November 20. The inaugural winner of the Women's Yashin Trophy would have been a nailed on starter for Sarina Weigman's side in the upcoming international window as the European champions work towards the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. 

Hampton was also absent from England duty last month with an elbow injury. She was replaced by Manchester City keeper Khiara Keating, who conceded twice in the first 20 minutes of her debut against Brazil. The Lionesses eventually fell to a 2-1 defeat to the Selecao. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBompastor: Hampton will be out for a "few weeks"

In her pre-match press conference ahead of the Liverpool clash, Bompastor said: "Hannah won't be here. She picked up a quad injury.

"She will be out for a few weeks. We'll see if we see her before the end of the year but I'm not sure."

When the French manager was asked if that would rule the 24-year-old out of international duty, she simply replied: "It could be the case, yes."

Hampton injury presents an opportunity for Peng and Keating

Hampton's extended absence opens the door for Livia Peng to show her potential in the Chelsea goal. The Swiss stopper joined the Blues in the summer following an impressive two year spell with Werder Bremen. She was named to 's team of the season in 2024-25, as she kept seven clean sheets in 21 league games. The 23-year-old has cemented her spot as Switzerland's no. 1, starting all four of her country's during this summer's European Championship as the host nation was knocked out at the quarter final stage by eventual finalists Spain. She made her club debut in Chelsea's dominant win over St. Polten earlier this week. 

City's Keating will also have the opportunity to stake her claim to be Hampton's clear backup at the very least. The 21-year-old has gone from strength-to-strength since supplanting Ellie Roebuck as the City No.1 during the 2023-24 season. She would go on to win the WSL Golden Globe at the end of that campaign, making her the youngest player to pick up the award. Keating has been in impressive form again this term, keeping nine clean sheets in all competitions. 

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Getty Images SportInjury comes at challenging time for Hampton

After last season's resounding successes: winning the Euros, picking up the award for the best female goalkeeper in the game and winning the WSL for the second time, the start of the 2025/26 season has been a tough ride for Hampton. 

The protracted fallout from Mary Earps autobiography, in which the former Sports Personality of the Year accused her understudy of being "disruptive and unreliable" has been an unwelcome distraction. Hampton presumably would have hoped to move on from that saga by letting her play do the talking, especially with the Three Lions on her chest. While she has been in impressive form for her club, conceding just four goals in eight league appearances this term, missing her second international window in succession with injury, is a cruel blow. Hopefully, she can recover before the end of 2025. The league phase of Chelsea's Women's Champions League campaign concludes with ties against Roma and Wolfsburg in December. 

USMNT x MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps' Sebastian Berhalter dominates and NYCFC's Matt Freese is unbeatable, but Diego Luna and Real Salt Lake miss opportunity

GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in MLS, including Freese helping NYCFC seal narrow playoff win

The MLS playoffs are here, and they haven’t disappointed. For matches decided in regulation, the average margin of victory is just 1.44 goals.

And American stars have been at the forefront. From Matt Freese strengthening his case to be the USMNT’s No. 1 goalkeeper ahead of the next World Cup to Diego Luna and Alex Freeman facing early playoff exits, Mauricio Pochettino is getting a look at key pieces of his national team pool in high-pressure moments.

How they respond will be critical, especially with the November friendlies just around the corner.

GOAL looks at the major takeaways from USMNT players in MLS.

ImagnWhitecaps send message in Game 1

FC Dallas beat the Whitecaps to secure the seventh seed on Decision Day, but the Canadian side ensured there would be no repeat. The Blue-and-White crushed The Toros 3-0, and while Thomas Muller got the headlines for shining in his first playoff appearance, Sebastian Berhalter deserves his due. 

Berhalter had a hockey-like assist, but he probably would have had more on the night if his teammates converted. He had four scoring chances created on the night, along with 18 passes into the final-third. He was also impressive with long balls, connecting on six accurate ones. And he added four defensive contributions. 

Vancouver's two other U.S. internationals, Tristan Blackmon and Brian White, have been out of action since September, with the club remaining mum about their potential returns. Blackmon admitted its been challenging to watch the postseason from the sidelines. 

“It’s tough. Obviously, you want to be a part of what’s going on on the pitch,” he said. “But it’s been super inspiring to have a different viewpoint. Watching the guys perform every single game since I’ve been out has been incredible. So it’s definitely making me want to get back sooner than later.”

Manager Jesper Sørensen stressed he's been cautious as he sees the team having a potentially long run, so he wants both his leading striker and defender to be in full fitness. Considering the scoreline against Dallas, it's a scary thought when both return.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLuna and Freeman miss out

Freeman narrowly beat Luna to capture MLS's top young player award announced on Thursday. Unfortunately, for both the players and MLS, the two rising American stars won't participate in the playoffs after being bounced out in the play-in stage. 

Luna's early exit was more expected. Real Salt Lake were in and out of the playoff picture for the entire season and struggled to find any consistency despite their No. 10's brilliance. Freeman and Orlando City SC's loss to the Chicago Fire should be more concerning, though. Orlando hovered near the top four all season, getting as high as fourth in May.

Yet, the team has been on a steady decline, atypical of a group coached by Oscar Pareja. Both RSL and Orlando's disappointing seasons raise questions. 

Pareja is likely safe after signing a new contract in April, but the same can't necessarily be said for RSL's Pablo Mastroeni, with even the former U.S. international stressing the need for change. And will either Luna or Freeman be around to see those changes? 

The pressure to jump to Europe isn't as high as it's been in the past, thanks to Pochettino viewing MLS as a strong league. But there's a lot more money outside of the U.S. Luna appears likely to stay, even though he mentioned during the All-Star game that he was open to a move. Yet, Freeman's future could be one to watch. 

Unless Orlando and the right back come to terms on an extension, the 21-year-old is essentially playing on a one-year contract next year, if the Lions exercise his option. Freeman made $104,000 according to MLSPA's salary release this week and has been linked with Villarreal, along with clubs from Serie A and the Premier League.

Getty Images SportFreese to the rescue

There were eight Game 1s played in the first round of MLS playoffs, and only one away team won their series opener. That team was NYCFC, and Freese played a significant part. 

Freese's four saves helped the Pigeons escape with a 1-0 win over Tim Ream and Charlotte FC. The 27-year-old's best stop of the night might have came early on, with the goalkeeper leaping in the air to stop an incredible chance by Brandt Bronico in the 17th minute.

Freese acknowledged that his breakout season has been a bit of a whirlwind.

"I love chaos. I think one of my strengths is that I'm able to weather storms and I'm able to stay composed under pressure. I can stick it out when a lot is going on, so I'm enjoying all of this," he told GOAL. "It's a huge honor to have this pressure and to have this chaos. It's a huge honor to travel for the national team, and a huge honor to be a part of this playoff run right now in New York."

Ream, Freese's international teammate, also featured on the night and was largely solid – with two tackles and two clearances. 

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Getty Images SportSoccer guy comes through

Growing up, Miles Robinson was called the "Soccer Guy" because he went to daycare rocking cleats. Considering how it's all played out for the U.S. international, it wasn't a bad call. 

The 28-year-old continued his strong run of form by helping FC Cincinnati seal a 1-0 win over their heated rivals, Columbus Crew, in Game 1 of the Hell is Real playoff edition. Robinson had two interceptions and five clearances. He was especially effective in the aerial part of the game, winning three heading clearances.

While Kevin Denkey got his due for scoring a dramatic game-winner, FCC don't win this game without Robinson's efforts. But as good as the centerback was, his U.S. international hopeful teammate, Roman Celentano, was even more effective. The goalkeeper had three saves, one clearance, and was impressive in passing, connecting on 88 percent.

The competition at goalkeeper for the USMNT is increasing, despite the fact Freese has been holding the No. 1 spot. Celentano's odds of getting a backup spot are slim, but if he keeps this up, he might be in the mix for a November call-up. 

Max Arfsten and Patrick Schulte also featured for the Crew. Schulte had a strong showing in goal, with five saves, while Arfsten provided creative spark for the visitors, completing two successful dribbles and creating a chance from his wing back position. 

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