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In the absence of Rohit, Hardik and Jadeja, India’s long-standing problems were amplified in South Africa

Hemant Brar24-Jan-20224:15

What went wrong for India against South Africa?

India went into the ODI series against South Africa with the mindset of starting to build the team for the 2023 World Cup. But not only did they lose the series 3-0, they are also probably no closer to finding solutions for what ails them in the format.Over the last couple of years, India haven’t had a wicket-taking threat in their bowling, their middle order hasn’t come to the fore when needed, and they haven’t had a regular sixth bowling option. All these issues haunted them in South Africa as well.The wicket-taking threat issue is worth looking into a little deeper since it’s an aspect that helped their ODI game between 2017-2019. Since the 2019 World Cup, though, they have the worst average and the worst economy in the powerplay.One possible reason for that is Bhuvneshwar Kumar blowing hot and blowing cold in his appearances between injuries. The teams, meanwhile, have also found ways to negotiate Jasprit Bumrah without giving him wickets upfront.Related

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New-ball and allrounder issues haunting India

The knock-on effect of not striking in the powerplay is that when the spinners come into the attack, there are usually two set batters in the middle. With Kuldeep Yadav losing his form and place, and Yuzvendra Chahal losing his novelty, India have struggled to pick up wickets in the middle overs as well.R Ashwin made an ODI comeback in South Africa, after more than four years, but he didn’t present the point of difference India might have been after.India, however, did seem to show some awareness of the need to hit the wicket harder – something England and Australia tend to do for wickets in the middle overs – and went for the tallest bowler in Prasidh Krishna when it came to experimenting. They fared slightly better in the third ODI with change of personnel and strategy.Deepak Chahar came in for Bhuvneshwar and struck early with the new ball. In the middle overs, the Indian seamers bowled much shorter lengths as compared to the first two ODIs. With the ball holding into the pitch, they picked two wickets with the short ball. It will be interesting to see in the coming ODIs if India are going to implement this strategy more consistently.In the batting department, KL Rahul opened the innings in the absence of Rohit Sharma despite having achieved great success at No. 4 and 5 in the last two years. The move, though, opened up a middle-order slot and India tried Shreyas Iyer there.Shreyas Iyer made scores of 17, 11 and 26 in the three ODIs•AFP/Getty ImagesShreyas batted at No. 5 in all three ODIs and on each occasion had the time to build his innings. India would have hoped for better than the scores of 17, 11 and 26, especially in the first and the third match when they needed him to steer the chase. Dravid said after the series that if the players were being given an extended run, he expected “really big performances” from them. Shreyas failed in that aspect.As far as Rishabh Pant is concerned, his 85 off 71 balls in the second ODI was arguably the best knock by an Indian in the series. With India having lost Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli in quick succession, Pant presented a rare case of rebuilding an innings at a strike rate of almost 120.Once Rohit returns, Rahul can move down the order, lending the middle order a bit more experience and stability. Once he and Pant get together there, they promise a solution.Another long-standing issue is that India’s batters don’t bowl, and their bowlers cannot be relied on for runs. During this series, Shardul Thakur and Chahar showed promise with the bat, but is Thakur a first-choice bowler or does he get in because he bats? Also, the first problem remains unsolved, and Hardik Pandya’s lack of bowling fitness has a part to play in that.In Pandya’s absence, India tried Venkatesh Iyer as their sixth bowing option but didn’t give him a single over in the first ODI. He bowled five in the second before being left out for the third.India tried Shreyas as their sixth bowling option in the final ODI. He bowled legspin to right-handers and offspin to left-handers but lacked control. Still, it’s an option that hasn’t been explored so far and if Shreyas can work on his bowling, it could provide India some relief. But India will also be hoping for Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to regain their fitness and form by the time the World Cup arrives.So while you wouldn’t want to read too much into one series where the team went in with the intention of trying out a few things and also had a couple of key players missing, Rohit and Dravid will know there is still quite a bit of work to do.

Anthony Volpe has had a rough go of it manning shortstop for the Yankees this year.

That continued Saturday in New York's home series against their bitter rival. He airmailed a throw to first base in the ninth inning to try and beat Red Sox second baseman David Hamilton in an attempt to end the inning. In what was already a blowout, the throw sailed well over Ben Rice's head and let another Boston run score, widening their lead to eight runs.

New York let up three more runs before they could get out of the inning and lost to Boston 12–1 for their third loss in a row as the Red Sox will play for a four-game sweep at Yankee Stadium Sunday.

The missed throw resulted in Volpe's 17th error of the season, which is the most across the American League and tied with Reds star Elly De La Cruz for the most in Major League Baseball. In his defense, the throw was off-balance and there was a force out available at second base, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. couldn't get there in time to cover the bag. Nevertheless, the fans at Yankee Stadium let their shortstop and entire team hear it after the play, anything but thrilled with the Yankees' performance thus far against the Red Sox.

Volpe committed 16 errors last season and 17 the year before, and now has over 30 games left to eclipse his unfortunate career-high total. With the big loss, the Yankees (69–60) fell 1.5 games back of the Red Sox for the top wild-card spot in the AL. They have a three-game advantage on the Royals, who are the first team out of the AL's current wild-card picture.

India go into the next T20I World Cup as strong favourites, but their captain isn’t fully buying into that talk

Sidharth Monga08-Nov-20254:36

It was fire and fire today: Abhishek on his stand with Gill

India have now won each of the seven T20I series they have been part of since winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. They hold a 26-4 win-loss record over this period. They still have two bilateral series at home, where they will defend their crown in about three months. Surely they are favourites given their strengths, experience and current record, but their captain Suryakumar Yadav is aware you can never say all the bases are covered.”I’m very lucky to have all these boys with different-different skills,” he said after the Brisbane washout when asked if India had all bases covered. “They bring very different-different things to the table. When we chat around about the bowling, batting, and fielding… You must have seen a lot of energy on the ground. People enjoy when they go together on the ground.”But yeah, from a batting point of view, definitely what we’ve been doing in the last six to eight months, I think we’re sticking to that, not changing anything. These guys are doing it really well. The way they bat at the top of the order, it puts a smile on everyone’s face when they’re batting together.Related

India seal T20I series 2-1 after Brisbane washout

“And also from a bowling point of view as well, people are taking responsibility. Having an experienced bowler like [Jasprit] Bumrah around in the team and everyone chatting with him, learning a lot of skills, tricks and trade of the game, I think that’s a good thing. So there’s good friendship building up in that as well.”So we are trying to get there. There’s never anything like all bases covered. We always learn from this game, every game we play. Yeah, till now things look good, touch wood, let’s continue that.”Abhishek Sharma became the fastest batter to 1000 T20I runs by balls faced•AFP/Getty ImagesOne of the top-order batters responsible for putting said smiles on faces sat next to Suryakumar as the Player of the Series. During the course of this Australia tour, Abhishek Sharma became the quickest to 1000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced. He also played a more sedate innings when he judged the pitch to be a tricky one. India defended 167 successfully in that match.Suryakumar was impressed with that aspect of Abhishek’s game, joking that sometimes even a tiger has to turn herbivorous. “If the wicket is difficult, the quicker you adapt the better it is,” Suryakumar said. “The wicket was good today so they went back to normal, scoring 50-plus in four-and-a-half overs. But it was important in the last game to read the wicket well. These two [Abhishek and opening partner Shubman Gill] did that well. At this level, you only learn from experience. The way he adapted so quickly, if in the future also if we get such a wicket in the subcontinent, it won’t be something new for him.”They communicate well. They run well. They are learning quickly. Yes, there are just 120 balls, but often you have more time than you think. Sometimes if they take four-five balls extra to figure out the conditions, they are so skilled they can cover up easily.”Abhishek credited all his success to the absolute freedom given to him by the team management, who, he said, told him he will still be in the side if he scores 15 consecutive ducks. “I knew there’s gonna be extra bounce and pace, but, from a team point of view, I had a plan that I have to play the same way I’ve been playing. Because as an opening batter, it’s very easy for you to understand your role.”But I feel when you’re playing like this, when you want to dominate the opposition, you have to have that confidence and that ability. I think the captain and coach always backed me in that. I practised really hard on this because it’s not easy to come to Australia and beat them in white-ball cricket as well. So I wanted to play the same brand of cricket because we have been following that since before the Asia Cup.”

Gerald Coetzee picked up a pectoral muscle injury during the one-off T20I against Namibia

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2025

[File photo] Gerald Coetzee has been set back by a series of injuries in recent times•AFP/Getty Images

Gerald Coetzee, the South Africa pace bowler, suffered a pectoral muscle injury in the one-off T20I against Namibia, which could put his participation in the white-ball leg of South Africa’s tour to Pakistan in doubt. Coetzee bowled 1.3 overs – but 13 balls all told with four wides – before he left the field after delivering one with extra zip.Cricket South Africa confirmed that Coetzee would take no further part in the match and would be assessed on his return home from Windhoek, where the match is being played.Coetzee has had a spate of injuries, especially recently. He was ruled out of the Champions Trophy with a groin injury but made his return to the national side in Zimbabwe in July. He has since played for South Africa A against New Zealand A and has been named in both the T20I and ODI squads for the Pakistan tour – the white-ball leg starts in late October after the two Tests. He has not played a Test since November last year, when he injured his groin and was ruled out of the rest of the Test summer.He is the second prominent South African fast bowler to be injured in the last week. Left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka was ruled out of the Namibia match and the Pakistan tour with a hamstring strain, which he sustained while playing in a domestic first-class match last weekend.Despite those setbacks, South Africa have a strong pace contingent at their disposal. Both Nandre Burger and Lizaad Williams have made successful comebacks after recovering from a lower back stress fracture and knee surgery respectively. Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder are their seamers for the Tests in Pakistan, the first of which starts on Sunday, while Lungi Ngidi will play in the white-ball matches. Ngidi has not been selected for the Tests, with South Africa anticipating spin-friendly conditions as they begin their World Test Championship title defence.

Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Celtic’s clash with Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night will be his final game as the interim manager.

The experienced Northern Irish coach has revealed that Wilfried Nancy will take charge for the clash with Hearts at the weekend, ending his time in the dugout.

Speaking after the 2-1 win over Hibernian, O’Neill said: “He (Nancy) is the man that will be coming in. I thought it was over on Sunday, but there’s some paperwork still to be dealt with. Wednesday will definitely be my final game.

The interim boss has won six of his seven matches in his second spell with the Hoops, winning all four of his league games, and there have been several players who have been big winners from the change in manager.

The biggest winners from Martin O'Neill's time as interim Celtic manager

Callum Osmand, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, was one of the early winners from Brendan Rodgers’ departure, after he scored one goal in three games for O’Neill, having not played a single minute under the previous boss.

On the topic of strikers, Johnny Kenny was another winner of O’Neill’s tenure because the Ireland international scored four goals in the manager’s first four matches in charge, per Sofascore, which has shown that he can deliver quality at first-team level for the Hoops.

Reo Hatate has also improved under the interim boss. He has provided two goals and three assists in seven games for the Northern Irishman, per Sofascore, after a return of one goal and no assists in 13 games for Rodgers.

The biggest winner of O’Neill’s tenure, however, has been centre-back Auston Trusty, who has played every single minute of the seven games, having only made two appearances as a substitute in the league for the last manager this season.

Why Wilfried Nancy may drop Auston Trusty

Despite playing every single minute of the last seven Celtic games, the USA international is one of the players who could be on the chopping block when Nancy finally comes through the door.

Chalkboard

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

Trusty has been playing as a right-sided centre-back because of the injury to Cameron Carter-Vickers, and the French tactician may want a naturally right-footed option in that position.

If Nancy wants that natural balance at the back, whether that is by signing a centre-back in January or giving a chance to another player in the squad, then Trusty could have to compete with Liam Scales for a starting berth as the left-sided centre-back.

Appearances

28

39

Clean sheets

13

22

Dribbled past

11x

8x

Error led to shot

5

2

Error led to goal

1

0

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international has been the more reliable performer for the Scottish giants at the heart of the defence in the Premiership since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

Trusty, who was hailed as a “powerful” player by Rodgers, made an error leading to a shot with a loose pass on Sunday, and that was his fifth in just 28 league games for the club.

He has also been dribbled past three more times than Scales, despite the Irishman playing 11 more games, which shows that opposition players find it easier to play against him than his fellow left-footed defender.

Trusty, to his credit, has been solid in his duels in the Premiership this season, winning 62% of his physical battles, per Sofascore, but his errors over the past 18 months or so and the fact that he is currently a left-footer playing on the right may come into consideration ahead of the January transfer window.

Nancy may want to bring in a naturally right-footed player to start games in that role, leaving Trusty and Scales to compete for one place. That is why he may end up dropping the American, who has been the biggest winner from O’Neill’s tenure, once he has a right-footed defender available to select.

His performances at Premiership level since his £6m move from Sheffield United suggest that Scales would be the better option for the new boss at left-centre-back, but we will have to wait and see how it plays out in reality.

Celtic flop who was "really shaky" v Hibs is the first player Nancy must bin

This Celtic flop is the first player who should be sold by incoming manager Wilfried Nancy in January.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025

Karim Adeyemi has reportedly made his choice between Manchester United and Arsenal as the Borussia Dortmund star is tipped to leave the Bundesliga next summer. The 23-year-old, whose contract runs until 2027, has stalled on extension talks with Dortmund and has privately accepted that a fresh challenge awaits him.

• United’s hopes fade despite early contact

  According to United have been tracking Adeyemi closely for months, even speaking to his agent Jorge Mendes to gauge his appetite for a Premier League switch. But optimism quickly evaporated once it became clear that the forward favours Arsenal’s project. Moreover, the German club have set a £75 million ($98m) valuation, significantly higher than what United were prepared to pay, and Adeyemi has already told intermediaries that a move to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is his first choice. His preference leaves United searching for alternatives and further highlights the challenge Amorim faces in persuading top-tier forwards to join a rebuilding side.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Weapons scandal looms Over Adeyemi

  Adeyemi issued a public apology following a €450,000 fine for possessing prohibited weapons, a knuckleduster and a taser, which he had received unknowingly as part of an online “mystery box”.

  In a candid Instagram statement, he explained: "You have probably seen the headlines about me in the last few days. It is not easy for me to talk about this. At the beginning of 2024, out of carelessness and without really thinking about what I was doing, I ordered a so-called ‘mystery box’ on the internet. It contained items that are not permitted under weapons legislation. Many months later, the package was delivered and ended up unopened at the police station.

  "Nevertheless, it was a huge mistake. One that I am very sorry about, that cost me dearly and that I deeply regret. I know that I am in the public eye and have a role model function. I did not live up to that. That is precisely why it hurts me all the more that I acted so recklessly. I have learned more from this than I can put into words. And I promise you that I will avoid such mistakes in the future. Thank you to everyone who still trusts and supports me."

• No penalty imposed by Dortmund

  The case could have resulted in up to three years in prison under German weapons law, or ten if brass knuckles were involved, but Adeyemi escaped with a financial penalty. The fine was calculated based on his income, leaving him with an entry in the federal register but not a criminal record.

  Dortmund have opted against further sanctions. Manager Niko Kovac made that clear: "It is no reason for me to ban him for the next few weeks. I am not his father, but his coach. People should put things into proper perspective. Everything has now been said about it. The focus is clearly on the Bundesliga. He will get our full support for that.”

  Managing director Lars Ricken also defended the player’s character, emphasising his remorse and their belief in his promise to avoid future lapses.

  "We naturally took the matter very seriously and have since been able to speak with Karim Adeyemi at length and clearly about his behaviour," Ricken told Sky Sport. "He deeply regrets his mistake. However, it must also be taken into account that he had to pay a hefty fine, no one was harmed, and the player continues to be considered to have no criminal record. Karim Adeyemi has firmly promised us that he will not make such a mistake again. We trust him to keep his word."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  German federation also weighs in

  DFB sporting director Rudi Voller admitted to being blindsided by the situation but urged perspective: "Yes, of course we didn't know [about Adeyemi illegally possessing weapons]. The day after the game in Luxembourg, Lars Ricken called me and told me. He didn't know everything either. Then Julian [Nagelsmann] and I grabbed Karim. We wanted to hear his side of the story. He then tried to explain it to us, more or less.

  “We still have the feeling that the lad is developing exceptionally well in the national team. We also live a bit in a time of outrage culture here in Germany…Everyone is always quick to complain, not that I want to sugarcoat it. It's naive or stupid, no matter what you call it."

  With contract renewal talks effectively dead, Dortmund now expect a summer sale, and hope the £75m price tag will hold. Arsenal believe he could be a long-term solution for their wide forward positions, especially with Mikel Arteta keen to add pace and penetration to his attack. For United, frustration is familiar. They have pushed hard to identify a forward who can grow alongside Rasmus Hojlund, yet Adeyemi has chosen the red of London instead of Manchester.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras recebe o América-MG nesta quarta-feira (29), pela 36ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A bola vai rolar a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), na Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP). Veja a seguir onde assistir e as prováveis escalações do confronto!

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
PALMEIRAS X AMÉRICA-MG
36ª RODADA – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Data e horário: quarta-feira, 29 de novembro de 2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP)
Onde assistir: Premiere e Globo
Arbitragem: Wilton Pereira Sampaio (árbitro); Leone Carvalho Rocha e Lehi Sousa Silva (assistentes); Jefferson Ferreira de Moraes (quarto árbitro); Rodolpho Toski Marques (VAR)

➡️Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
PALMEIRAS (Técnico: Vítor Castanheira)
Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Naves e Murilo; Piquerez, Zé Rafael, Richard Rios, Raphael Veiga e Gustavo García; Breno Lopes e Endrick.

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Desfalques:Abel Ferreira [técnico], Mayke e Gómez (Suspenso); Luan (lesionado)

AMÉRICA-MG (Técnico: Diogo Giacomini)
Jori; Daniel Borges, Ricardo Silva, Júlio e Marlon; Alê, Martínez e Kal; Everaldo, Mastriani e Felipe Azevedo

Desfalques:-

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Ollie Pope is determined to “kick on” and put “runs after runs after runs” on the board against India, after securing his place as England’s No. 3 with his ninth Test century at Headingley.Pope hit 196 in Hyderabad at the start of the reverse series 18 months ago but tailed off after that, failing to reach 40 in the final four Tests. He believes that a calmer mentality and technical work on his defence have helped him defy his reputation as an anxious starter, but admitted that he had found it impossible to ignore the scrutiny over his position ahead of this series.”I’ve tried not to let it affect me too much,” Pope said. “I’ve just been trying to make sure my game’s in as good a place as possible and when I get in, try to make sure I make the most of it. I’ve tried to let the outside noise do its thing and make sure my game keeps improving, and that I get my headspace in as good a place as possible too.”Related

• How Brook's onslaught changed the Headingley Test

• Stats – Harry Brook gets lucky again

• Brook 99 and Bumrah five-for set up one-innings thrash

• Ollie Pope's century buys him the summer at No. 3

Pope came into the series under pressure from Jacob Bethell, who impressed at No. 3 in England’s tour to New Zealand late last year when Pope batted down the order and deputised as wicketkeeper. He said that he believed that series – in which he scored 194 runs in five innings – was the start of his improvement early in his innings.”It’s almost just trying my game a little bit more: not feeling like I’ve got to rush to 30 to then really feel ‘in’,” Pope said. “It’s trying to enjoy the process of building an innings, rather than just, ‘I want to get to 30 to then make a big one’… It’s something I’ve been working hard on, just generally putting my game in a better place and making sure my defence is as good as it can be.”Pope did rush to 30 on the second afternoon, hitting six early boundaries to reach 31 off 25 balls after walking out at 4 for 1, but his fast-scoring was primarily the result of a fast outfield and some attacking bowling. His tempo changed as the field spread: his second fifty contained fewer boundaries than the first, but also took fewer balls as he rotated strike with ease.He has never previously scored more than one hundred in a Test series – in fact, his previous eight centuries had all come against different opponents. But after starting the summer with 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, Pope has scored back-to-back hundreds and is chasing more runs.Pope is a picture of poise as he drives straight•Associated Press

“It’s a long series, and there’s a lot to be done in this game still as well,” he said. “It’s definitely [an innings] that I really enjoyed. It was disappointing not to kick on this morning, but I’m really happy with how I went about it and played, and I’m happy with where my game’s at – so hopefully, I can kick on.”The first Test is in the balance after three days, with India’s top order building on a slender first-innings lead on Sunday evening. Pope said that England’s lower-order contributions were “really important”, with cameos from Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse helping them reduce the deficit to only six runs.”[A deficit of] 40 or 50, just from a mindset, might have given them a little bit more confidence, knowing that they’ve got that head-start, but playing the game from an even playing field felt quite important. We got those two wickets; they played nicely. KL Rahul batted really well. It’s important for us to get some early breakthroughs.”It obviously would’ve been nice to get maybe one or two more wickets this evening, but I think the pitch is still playing really well. It’s obviously such a quick-scoring ground, with the lightning [fast] outfield. It’s obviously an important session tomorrow morning, and the game is poised in a pretty nice position.”

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank could be backed with further signings in January, coming after the Lewis family bankrolled the Lilywhites with a £100 million capital injection last week.

Lewis family make Tottenham statement with £100m windfall

This extra funding will be used for the ‘day-to-day’ running of Spurs, according to reports, with CEO Vinai Venkatesham and non-executive chairman Peter Charrington now poised to decide how this cash will be spent.

Frank and technical director Johan Lange will also have a say, according to reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, with the two Danes and Tottenham’s new-look boardroom finalising their financial requirements for on-pitch success.

This follows an intriguing claim from Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol last month, who reported all the way back then that ENIC were intending to pump money into the club, and these funds could be used on new transfers or to heighten their wage budget.

With January around the corner, there is every reason to believe that a portion of his new capital could be used to attack the transfer market, and there are a few key areas of the squad that need addressing.

It is believed that Tottenham still want a centre-back and another winger, after failing to sign Savinho and another defender in the summer window. Meanwhile, there are multiple reports now surfacing that Spurs are keen to sign a new number nine as well.

Dominic Solanke hasn’t featured since Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Man City in August, and hasn’t played more than 20 minutes in any of his three appearances so far this term as the England international continues his comeback from minor ankle surgery.

Richarlison, meanwhile, is a cause for concern amid some criticism surrounding his lack of consistency, with Mathys Tel given the starting nod against Leeds United and opening the scoring in place of the Brazilian.

Frank has made a solid start to life in the Spurs dugout, after ex-chair Daniel Levy handed him a lucrative three-year contract which made him the Premier League’s joint-third highest paid manager, but the Dane arguably needs a reliable goalscorer up top.

2025/26 Premier League managers’ salaries

Rank

Manager

Club

Wage per year

1

Pep Guardiola

Man City

£20m

2

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal

£10m

3=

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

£8m

3=

Thomas Frank

Tottenham

£8m

5

Arne Slot

Liverpool

£6.9m

Find the rest here…

Randal Kolo Muani can play as a centre-forward, but he’s only on a straight loan, which is highly uncharacteristic for Spurs, as Lange and co may well be forced to return to the market for a more long-term target.

The France international, once he’s back fully fit, could eventually prove that he’s worth negotiating for a permanent deal, but for now, Tottenham are considering their options.

Journalist responds to "whispers" about Ivan Toney joining Tottenham

Al-Ahli star Ivan Toney, who worked with Frank at Brentford and scored 20 Premier League goals in 2022/2023, has been linked with a January move to N17 recently.

Some reports claim that Frank has even contacted Toney about joining Tottenham on loan in the winter, and reporter Dean Jones has responded to “whispers” he’s heard about the £40 million forward’s potential return to England.

Since his move to Saudi in the summer of 2024, Toney has played just two minutes of action for England and was omitted from the Three Lions squad for nearly a year, before appearing on the bench against Andorra in June and featuring in a shock loss to Senegal.

The 29-year-old might have one eye on a place in Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup side, but despite scoring for fun in the Middle East, he isn’t getting much of a look-in bar that one summer call.

Taking this into account, the prospect of a return to England could tempt him, but Toney would also have to give up a seismic £426,000-per-week pay packet to come home.

Dominic Solanke was again absent from training ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt.

Solanke last played for Spurs on August 23 against Manchester City and, even though he recently returned to training after a troublesome ankle injury disrupted his pre-season, he was conspicuous by his absence on Monday morning in Enfield.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank played down concerns over Solanke’s fitness on Friday ahead of the visit of Wolves, but with the England forward not able to feature in open training before the club fly to Bodo for Tuesday’s Champions League clash, the squad are short of attacking options.

Paris St Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani was also absence as he deals with a dead leg, but Ben Davies did take part in the session after a minor knee issue.

Summer recruit Kota Takai also featured after a plantar fascia problem in recent months and Yves Bissouma was back.

Tottenham willing to make £50m+ offer to sign Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner

Spurs are prepared to make a big bid for a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Sep 29, 2025

Bissouma has not played for Tottenham this season after he was dropped from the Super Cup squad for being late on multiple occasions. He then suffered a knee injury in training days later.