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Pitcher Cade Horton has been one of the Cubs' most consistent performers in recent months, but Chicago will not be able to start the rookie against the Padres in the National League wild-card series.

The Cubs are putting Horton on the 15-day injured list with a right rib fracture, they announced Saturday afternoon. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Horton would potentially be able to return for Game 5 of the NLDS should Chicago make it there.

Horton, 24, has gone 11–4 with a 2.67 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 118 innings this season. More specifically, he's 7–3 with a 1.28 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings since Aug. 1.

The Cubs are scheduled to play San Diego in the teams' second-ever playoff matchup next week, though its location is still to be determined.

Chicago is hosting the Cardinals in a three-game set this weekend; Jameson Taillon is starting Saturday while Sunday's starter is to be determined.

Chinelle Henry will lead the team in the injured allrounder’s absence

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2025Barbados Royals have suffered a significant blow on the eve of their WCPL title defence, with a shoulder injury ruling out their captain Hayley Matthews for the entire season.Allrounder Chinelle Henry will lead Royals in Matthews’ absence.Related

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Matthews is the WCPL’s leading run-getter (424 at a strike rate of 113.06) and wicket-taker (23 with an economy rate of 5.79), and a key player in Royals’ title-winning campaigns of 2023 and 2024. She was Player of the Match in the 2023 final against Guyana Amazon Warriors, scoring a 59-ball 82 and taking two wickets, and Player of the Series in the 2024 season.Royals announced the news of Matthews’ injury via X, formerly Twitter. They have not announced a replacement yet.

Our two-time WCPL Champion and skipper has been ruled out of the season with a shoulder injury.

Wishing you a smooth recovery, Hayley. We can’t wait to see you back stronger!pic.twitter.com/9T7xcmb0HW

— Barbados Royals (@BarbadosRoyals) September 6, 2025

Royals are set to play their first game of WCPL 2025 against Amazon Warriors on Sunday night.Matthews had picked up a shoulder injury on the England tour and opted for surgery during the WBBL. She was the Melbourne Renegades’ pre-draft pick but pulled out before the WBBL draft. She played the home series against South Africa and then the Hundred and was slated to undergo surgery after the WCPL.NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Trishan Holder and Steffie Soogrim were among a select group of emerging West Indian players who tuned up for WCPL 2025 with a stint at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Chennai last month.Barbados Royals squadChinelle Henry (capt), Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Kycia Knight, Steffie Soogrim, Shamilia Connell, Sheneta Grimmond, Qiana Joseph, Trishan Holder, NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Chamari Athapaththu, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Webb, Shreyanka Patil

January is looming, with all the talk at Manchester United centred on the prospect of potential midfield moves for the likes of Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, with Ruben Amorim in desperate need of reinforcements in that department.

As Class of 92 hero Nicky Butt recently suggested, however, if – like that young pair – Kobbie Mainoo was operating for another Premier League side, he is the type of talent that the Red Devils would be dishing out £50m or £60m for.

The youngest of the trio, it was of course Mainoo who was England’s midfield golden boy just 18 months ago, starting every knockout stage game at Euro 2024, including the final.

Wharton, meanwhile, watched on as an unused member of Gareth Southgate’s squad that summer, while Anderson had not yet entered the conversation, having remained with the U21 set-up until this season.

It’s funny and also frustrating just how things can change, with Mainoo now seemingly staring down the barrel of a World Cup omission and a perhaps inevitable 2026 exit from Old Trafford.

Manchester United lodge bid for new midfielder

It’s become a familiar sight this season, with the 20-year-old merely introduced as a late second-half substitute under Amorim, just as he was again in the dying embers against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Yet to start a single league game in 2025/26, questions continue to be asked regarding the Portuguese’s treatment of the academy graduate, with rumours rife over a January departure.

Whether it be on loan or on a permanent basis, the forgotten talent has routinely been linked with an exit, with a reunion with Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund at Napoli having been mooted.

Back in Manchester, Mainoo’s hopes of game time might be dented even further if reinforcements are added next month, with reports in Spain suggesting that INEOS have already begun to make moves, amid their reported interest in Conor Gallagher.

As per the report, United are said to have lodged an offer of around £30m in order to sign the Atletico Madrid man, with the LaLiga side said to be willing to sanction a sale.

The suggestion is that the £30m bid is close to what Atleti would deem to be a ‘reasonable price’, ensuring that a relatively routine deal could be struck when the new year rolls around.

Why Gallagher's signing would be bad news for Mainoo

Whether it is his ideal position or not, Bruno Fernandes – who moved above Paul Scholes on United’s Premier League assist list at the weekend – is nailed on to start in one of the two midfield roles under Amorim.

Transfer Focus

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That has left Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Mainoo to fight it out for that remaining starting berth, with the former Sporting CP boss thus far putting his faith in the 33-year-old Brazilian, who has started 11 league games this time around.

Mainoo, for what it’s worth, does appear to have nudged ahead of Ugarte in the pecking order, considering the Uruguayan hasn’t even got off the bench in the last two outings, although Gallagher’s addition could again knock him back down the list of priorities.

Despite the former Chelsea man’s limitations in possession – notably ranking in the bottom 30% of European midfielders for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref – he does appear to be a ready-made Amorim midfielder, such are his physical capabilities.

Previously hailed as like “[N’Golo] Kante with goals” by talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino – while also dubbed a “monster” as per Tom Dutton – the England international is simply relentless in the centre of the park, representing arguably the perfect fit for this 3-4-2-1 system.

Games (starts)

37 (37)

Goals

5

Assists

7

Big chances created

11

Key passes*

1.4

Pass accuracy*

92%

Total duels won*

50%

Balls recovered*

6.0

Tackles & interceptions*

3.5

Indeed, compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues, he also ranks in the top 4% for interceptions made per 90, while Mainoo, remarkably, ranks in just the bottom 1%.

The beauty of Mainoo is of course what he can do at the top end of the pitch, ranking in the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area, although Gallagher is no slouch in that regard too, ranking in the top 9% for that same metric.

Also in the top 12% for non-penalty goals, the one-time Crystal Palace loanee has recorded 12 goals and assists in 70 games during his stint in the Spanish capital. For comparison, Mainoo has recorded just ten goals and assists in 82 senior games at United.

All-action but with an end product to match, as was evident during his time at Stamford Bridge, Gallagher – at £30m – could represent a wise, bargain choice heading into 2026, at a time when fresh legs are desperately needed in the centre of the park.

In an ideal world, Mainoo would be leading the charge as the centre-piece of United’s midfield, but sadly for the youngster, Amorim’s demands and requirements might lend themselves to a more physically suitable asset like Gallagher instead.

Amorim can fix Man Utd's midfield by axing Casemiro for "future £100m" star

This Man Utd ace could be the solution to their midfield issues

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 3, 2025

Maharaj produced his best ODI figures yet to help down Australia, showing he still has plenty to offer

Firdose Moonda19-Aug-2025If you thought Keshav Maharaj was done trying to make a point about his ability, think again. And watch how he responded to being left out of South Africa’s T20 squad.In his first white-ball game since being overlooked in the shortest format, Maharaj scooped career-best figures of 5 for 33 and his entire haul came in the first 17 overs of Australia’s innings. In helpful conditions, Maharaj produced some of his best work: a consistent stump to stump line, clever use of his angles especially from around the wicket and just the right amount of spin to show off his skills. Asked if that performance was good to remind the coaches of what he can do, Maharaj giggled awkwardly but could not hide that he “definitely,” enjoyed the statement he made.”I want to play all three formats, so I was a bit disappointed (to be out of the T20Is). But I think the coaching staff felt a certain way,” he said to reporters after the first ODI in Cairns. “It’s nice to put in a performance to show that I can do it in the shorter formats of the game. Whatever is meant to be, will be at the end of the day, I’m just focussing on my cricket and enjoying my cricket and I want to try to win games for my country.”Related

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The “certain way” head coach Shukri Conrad (who was operating as sole selector but will now choose squads with convenor of selectors Patrick Moroney) felt was that he needed bowlers who could also offer something with the bat. As a result, allrounders George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy made the T20 squad with the understanding that Maharaj does not have the same batting ability, more so recently. Since rupturing his Achilles in 2023, Maharaj has been open about how his batting may have suffered further, because of the work he needed to put into recovering enough to bowl. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be a better batter, he has just had to prioritise where he puts his focus.For the last year, that has largely been on the longest format, where he played a key role in South Africa’s run to the World Test Championship (WTC) crown. In the 2023-2025 cycle, Maharaj was South Africa’s second highest wicket-taker (41 wickets at 20.95) and is also the only South African spinner with more than 200 Test wickets to his name.

“A lot of people ask me what’s next? And even though I’m 35 years old, I believe in my journey. I’m always learning. The day I stop learning is the day that I have to walk away from the game”Keshav Maharaj believes he is a ‘scholar of the game’

Those numbers make it easy to forget what he does with the white ball, so let’s remind you. At the 2023 ODI World Cup, he had South Africa’s best economy rate of 4.15 and was their third highest wicket-taker. At the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was their joint third-highest wicket-taker and he was in the top five wicket-takers in the SA20 last season, when he led Durban’s Super Giants to the final.It might be that because he has already done all these things, and is now 35 years old that it seems as though Maharaj’s career is winding down but he has always rejected that. He previously told ESPNcricinfo, he’d like to consider the age of 40 as the time to step away but was willing to push that further out as long as he was still contributing. His first ODI five-for, which came in his 49th match is proof of what he still has to offer and that he has it in him to keep improving.”There’s a lot more that I want to learn and a lot more for me to sort of achieve in my career, especially with the team. I want to try to win more trophies together as a nation,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep raising that bar for spinners coming through in our system. A lot of people ask me what’s next? And even though I’m 35 years old, I believe in my journey. I’m always learning. The day I stop learning is the day that I have to walk away from the game. I’d like to think I’m a scholar of the game. I watch a lot of cricket. I’m always bouncing ideas, even from the younger generation. Because it’s nice to see how the difference in thinking works. I’d like to think I’m getting better as age goes on.”How Keshav Maharaj went through Australia•ESPNcricinfo LtdThere’s no better a place for Maharaj to have done that than Australia, the country where he made his international debut in the Test side, nine years ago. Then, his rise was a credit to seasons of commitment to fitness and a fine-tuning of his craft and his first match in Perth marked the start of an incredibly successful long-format career. Now, he hopes being back in Australia is a new beginning of sorts as he also tries to re-establish his white-ball credentials amid changes in thinking.”Australia is the place where I came to debut, so it’s a wonderful, nostalgic feeling coming back here and getting my first ODI five-for,” he said.While he celebrated his first four wickets with the usual gusto of screams and prayers for his late grandmother, his fifth – Aaron Hardie, who was bowled – was commemorated in a less demonstrative way. Maharaj eventually bowed to the earth, in his own time, and allowed himself to fully absorb the significance of what he had done.”I’m not someone who bowls for five-fors. I’m a process-driven person, so I judge myself on my consistency and my length so it was more a sigh of relief to finally tick the box,” he said. “You dream of playing international cricket, you dream of putting in match winning performances, and the dreams keep building. But to be able to tick the box of getting a five-for will always be special.”It may also be one of the reasons South Africa turn back to Maharaj when their T20 World Cup planning resumes.

Wrexham star James McClean delivered a shock message to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side amid a lack of game time. The winger has dropped a stunning revelation, claiming that his passion for boxing has eclipsed his love for football, and he’s planning to hang up his boots for gloves sooner rather than later.

When football turned feisty for McClean

McClean’s tempestuous edge boiled over as tensions flared behind the scenes during Wrexham’s Carabao Cup derby clash against fierce Welsh rivals, Cardiff City. Emotions were running hot at the Racecourse Ground, and after the match, an incident in the players’ car park threatened to turn ugly. A group of Cardiff City fans reportedly breached a restricted area and confronted McClean, forcing him to defend himself. Witnesses claimed that he stood his ground and handled himself well. An internal investigation is now underway into how rival supporters gained access to the secured zone. But for McClean, the encounter only deepened his belief that he might be better suited to a ring than a pitch.

AdvertisementAFPMcClean is a fighter at heart

Over the past year, McClean has been training intensively in boxing. He has been posting workout clips to his Instagram that show sharp jabs and fierce combinations. 

Speaking in an interview with Westlife star released on Thursday, he said: "I'll be honest, I've really enjoyed it [at Wrexham] up until the last two or three months. It's not been ideal, I've not been playing as much as I'd like, which is never a good thing. You want to be playing and you want to be in the mix. I've never dealt really well with not playing."

The Republic of Ireland international, who joined Wrexham from Wigan Athletic in August 2023, has helped guide the club to back-to-back promotions. But the step up to the Championship has brought new realities. And it seems to have bruised his pride.

"Nowadays, I just channel that frustration and annoyance and do my training. Before, I'd throw my toys out of the pram," he said. "Now, I just channel that frustration into the punch bag and it seems to blow off a bit of steam. You kind of feel better for it afterwards."

Taste of the big stage for McClean

McClean isn’t just shadowboxing, but he has already dipped his toes into the professional world. On September 5, the Wrexham winger walked out with Michael Conlan for his high-profile bout against Jack Bateson at Dublin’s 3Arena. Now, he confirmed that talks have already taken place about entering the Misfits Boxing circuit. It is an influencer-led crossover promotion that’s given everyone from YouTubers to ex-footballers a shot at the spotlight.

"I do want to box," he admitted. "Misfits (boxing company) is opening up opportunities for a lot of people who aren't professional boxers to give them the opportunity to step in and experience what it's like to be a boxer. Absolutely, it's something I want to do and there has been background chats about it, but I'm contracted at the moment. It's definitely something I want to do in the near future.

"A lot of my training now is boxing training. I have a bigger passion now for boxing than I do for football. I would rather watch boxing than watch football. It's something I want to do and it's something I want to experience to tick off my bucket list. I've done the ring walk for Mike Conlan in Dublin. Being on the stage that night and doing the ring walk was unbelievable. I was thinking, imagine doing that, where this is for you and you're going into the ring for a tear up. I get goosebumps."

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GettyWhat comes next for McClean?

McClean was once seen as one of the dressing room’s emotional leaders. But he has now found himself watching from the sidelines more often than not this season as he has made just 10 appearances across all competitions. Wrexham currently sit 14th in the table, comfortably clear of the relegation zone but well off the play-off pace. Their next test is a home tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which will be their final game before the international break.

Rangers aren’t doing too much to keep the supporters happy right now, and an official club announcement has not gone down too well at all.

Rangers boardroom receiving endless criticism

Thursday’s 3-0 defeat away to Brann in the Europa League was the latest dire result for the Gers, bursting Danny Rohl’s bubble in his opening game in charge, on a night when it was hoped they would turn a corner.

Rangers legend Ally McCoist was one of many not remotely amused by the performance of the players, not holding back in his criticism of the team, on Friday morning: “Last night is probably as depressed as I have been during this whole debacle, because I actually feel for the manager. I don’t know what he is going to do.

“He might improve them in terms of a little bit of organisation – set plays, you can do all that, bits and pieces, but I do not think there is anywhere near the level of improvement in that team that will even be required to get them up the league domestically, to tell you the gospel truth. There are just absolutely miles off it. They are getting outfought, outrun, outmuscled – I mean, it’s actually very sad to watch.”

It isn’t a happy time at Rangers, so it is important that those within the club cause further unrest, but they aren’t helping themselves at the moment.

Rangers kit announcement slammed

On Saturday, Four Lads Had A Dream reacted angrily to Rangers announcing their 2025/26 fourth kit, saying the timing was bad after such a poor run of form: “Great launch. Smashing kit. Timing & awareness of wider feeling, completely ignorant.”

It certainly isn’t the best timing from the Gers, who need to be aware of how frustrated the fans are at what has gone on so far this season, making this a bizarre time to market a chance for fans to invest more of their hard earned money into the club.

While supporters often like new kits, many fans feel that the players aren’t even worthy of wearing it this season, given the nature of the results and performances on show. Hopefully, things change for the better for Rangers from this weekend onwards, with Rohl’s side facing a must-win home clash against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.

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Yet more dropped points would only further see momentum dropped, and their new boss will be praying that he can mastermind a positive result.

The New York Mets enjoyed a scalding start to the 2025 MLB season but finally hit some road bumps earlier this month and are in the midst of their roughest stretch yet. Entering Saturday afternoon the Mets had lost 11 of their past 14 games but were hoping a date with the Pittsburgh Pirates might snap them out of the slump. It did not; New York lost 9-2 at PNC park to fall to 48-36 on the year and make it 12 losses in the last 15 games.

Frustrations apparently peaked at that point and several players, including star shortstop Francisco Lindor, acknowledged they held a players-only meeting following Saturday's defeat. It turns out Juan Soto delivered a five-word message of encouragement and hope to his teammates at that meeting, per Mets insider Mike Puma of the New York Post.

"Juan Soto was among those who spoke during the players' only meeting, according to a source," Puma wrote on his X account. "Soto's message? 'Keep going. Believe in it.'"

It is a simple message but it may be all the Mets need. They were easily one of the best teams in baseball in the first two months of the year. June has not been kind but there are still a ton of games left to be played. Just keeping at it is as good advice as any before the All-Star break.

Soto should know given his rollercoaster of a season so far. The superstar slugger, signed to a massive $765 million deal this past offseason, hit only three home runs and posted a .241 batting average through March and April. Since the start of May, though, Soto has hit .262 with 17 homers. He kept at it, believed in his process, and is looking far more like the historically great hitter New York believed it was signing over the winter.

The Mets' next chance to turn it around will come on Sunday against the Pirates as they try to avoid an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the third-worst team in the National League.