The hosts were forced to make two changes to their team in Jaipur

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20252:55

‘Jaiswal playing the senior opening partner role well’

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bowl against Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2025 fixture in Jaipur. Coming into this game from the high of their 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi scoring a match-winning century, they had to deal with a significant setback. Sandeep Sharma, one of their key players, has been sidelined with injury (broken finger), much like their regular captain Sanju Samson (abdominal strain) leaving the team under-strength at an important time.RR need to win all of their games to stay in playoff contention. Riyan Parag, who is standing in as captain, confirmed another change as well with Wanindu Hasaranga (niggle) out for Kumar Kartikeya. He preferred to chase because he expected some dew later in the night.Hardik Pandya felt the same way. He will be leading MI at a ground where they haven’t won since 2012 but they are on a hot streak, they kind they often get on during the business end of the IPL. Should they turn five wins in a row to six on Thursday, they will go top of the table. Pandya also confirmed an unchanged XI.MI batting-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit BumrahMI’s Impact Player options: Karn Sharma, Raj Bawa, Reece Topley, Robin Minz, Satyanarayana RajuRR bowling-first XI: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Jofra Archer, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Kumar Kartikeya, 10 Akash Madhwal, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiRR’s Impact Player options: Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Kunal Singh Rathore, Yudhvir Singh, Kwena Mphaka

AUSTIN, Texas – Antonee Robinson acknowledged that he's not quite at 100 percent, but he is ready to contribute to the U.S. men's national team in his first camp in nearly a year. Robinson rejoined the team this week for matches against Ecuador and Australia, where he could appear for the USMNT for the first time in 2025 after undergoing knee surgery in May.

Getty Images SportRobinson's injury

The injury, Robinson said, occurred last fall. During one of the USMNT's friendlies, he sustained a "dead leg" on the top of his knee. That ended up splitting his tendon, leading to severe pain beginning in November. He played through the rest of the season with Fulham, but wasn't deemed fit enough for March's Nations League Finals and, ultimately, the Gold Cup after undergoing surgery.

Last week, when Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his latest USMNT roster, Robinson's name was on it for the first time this year, signaling his long-awaited national team return. He isn't fully fit, though, and Pochettino acknowledged that his minutes will need to be managed this camp.

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So far this season, Robinson has played 90 minutes just once. Otherwise, he's come off the bench for cameos as Fulham look to rebuild his fitness. As a result, he's yet to rediscover his form after emerging as one of the Premier League's best fullbacks during the first few months of last season.

"I'm still getting used to post-surgery," he said. "I'm doing all right. I've been in full training and been in full contention to play matches back at Fulham. I had a few spells coming on here and there and played 90 minutes in a cup game and got through it pretty well. I'm still not feeling 100 percent on it or how it felt a year ago before the injury first happened, but I'm getting there slowly."

Getty Images SportThe mental side

While the physical side of the injury was challenging, so, too, was the mental component. Robinson was able to finish the season with Fulham, but he had to watch as the USMNT lost at both the Nations League and Gold Cup.

"It was really difficult, to be honest, especially because we had some disappointments this year with not winning the Nations League and the Gold Cup," he said. "They're trophies that we take pretty seriously, so not being able to bring them home was disappointing. The fact that you have to watch and can't contribute, I'd always rather be here and be the one taking responsibility on the field, win or lose, then to have to watch and not help out

"Mentally, it's been nearly a year away from the national team after not missing too many camps and being with the national team for so long. It was very difficult."

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AFPWhat comes next?

The USMNT will face Ecuador on Friday in Austin before then hosting Australia on Tuesday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids.

West Ham are weighing potential replacements for under-pressure boss Graham Potter behind-the-scenes, and chairman David Sullivan favours one man in particular amid difficulties surrounding Nuno Espírito Santo.

Nuno tipped as West Ham favourite to replace Graham Potter

Nuno is currently the favourirte to replace Potter at West Ham, owing to his availability and obvious suitability to the role.

A public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis cost the Portuguese his last job, but before his unceremonious departure, Nuno helped to transform Nottingham Forest into a European outfit for the first time since 1995.

Nuno first went to the City Ground with Forest in major danger of a drop back down to the Championship, but the 51-year-old avoided relegation, solidified their leaky defence, gave them an identity and got the very best out of his squad.

On paper, Nuno’s appeal to West Ham is there for all to see, and he is by no means a one-club wonder, having achieved similar feats with Wolves, where he first made his name as a noteworthy Premier League manager.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

His brief stint at Tottenham is one to forget for all involved, and he was sacked by Al-Ittihad just months after winning the Saudi side a league title.

However, you can make a serious case that Nuno is the best available manager for West Ham right now by some distance, with Potter on the verge of being sacked with looming games against Everton and Arsenal poised to decide his future.

ExWHUemployee is among the reliable media sources to state that Nuno is the favourite for West Ham’s hot seat, and he says that talks have already been held with both Sullivan and Karren Brady as the tactician considers joining them.

Other top contenders include Gary O’Neil, following his “respected” work at Wolves and Bournemouth (Miguel Delaney), while former West Ham defender Slaven Bilic is also reportedly very keen to make a return to east London (GiveMeSport).

Bilic was in charge between 2015 and 2017. He guided West Ham to one of their highest ever Premier League finishes (7th), earning them a place in the Europa League qualifying rounds, before he was sacked at the start of 2017/2018 with his side languishing in the relegation zone.

Sullivan in "regular contact" with Bilic as West Ham dealt Nuno roadblock

While Nuno is still the managerial favourite, journalist Pete O’Rourke has now said that West Ham have been dealt a roadblock regarding his potential appointment.

In a piece for Football Insider, the reporter claims that ‘legal issues’ are delaying a move for Nuno, so much so that they could even be forced to push back Potter’s sacking, with it now being unlikely he’ll leave before the October international break.

The legalities around Nuno surround his departure from Forest, and until they’re resolved, the race to replace Potter remains open.

Sullivan is apparently in regular contact with Bilic as a West Ham alternative to Nuno, and the Croatian would be the Irons chairman’s first choice.

However, Bilic would only be given the job on a short-term basis, even if insiders like ExWHUemployee have claimed that the former West Brom boss is already plotting a major backroom reshuffle.

Manager

Bilic

Potter

Games

109

25

Wins

42

6

Draws

30

5

Losses

37

14

Points per Game

1.43

0.92

Goals Scored

160

30

Goals Conceded

167

41

Mark Noble could come in as his assistant coach if he gets the job, with Julian Dicks also potentially joining Bilic’s would-be team of staff.

In terms of whether Bilic is the right man, even just for the season, the jury is very much still out — as best encapsulated by a confused Simon Jordan.

Can Celtic start to build some momentum?

Last Sunday, the Hoops, just about, beat Kilarmnock 2-1 at Rugby Park, awarded a very controversial penalty deep into injury time by referee John Beaton, duly dispatched by debutant Kelechi Ịheanachọ.

Coming up on Wednesday, Brendan Rodgers’ side will commence their Europa League campaign, having been ignominiously dumped out of the Champions League in the play-offs by Kairat.

The Celts will take on Crvena zvezda in Belgrade this week, with games against Braga, Sturm Graz, Midtjylland, Feyenoord, Roma, Bologna and Utrecht to come thereafter.

How will they do? Who knows! Probably not great, but we’ll see.

Following the late-August trolley dash to bolster attacking options, would Celtic have been better off simply keeping hold an “astonishing” attacker now impressing overseas?

What will Michel-Ange Balikwisha bring to Celtic

Having chased him for over a year, Michel-Ange Balikwisha finally joined Celtic for a reported fee of £5m at the end of August.

The Belgian was thrown in for his debut during the drab Old Firm just a few days later, before also starting last weekend’s trip to Ayrshire, albeit he was replaced shortly before the hour mark by James Forrest.

Thus, it is very early days, but the 24-year-old is yet to showcase the full extent of his talent.

Balikwisha is clearly a player of great potential, but the biggest concern Celtic supporters had following his arrival is his injury history.

Last season, he made just 18 appearances for Royal Antwerp due to a torn thigh muscle, having also had knee problems in the past.

So, while the jury firmly remains out on Balikwisha, an ex-Celtic attacker is helping his current side make history in another continent.

Former Celtic winger thriving in America

Liel Abada joined Celtic from Maccabi Petah Tikva in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £3.6m, and he would go on to be an integral figure to Ange Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

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The winger scored 15 goals during his debut season at Parkhead, thereby named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, before adding a further 13 goals during the following campaign.

He memorably netted during 3-0 and 4-0 annihilations of Rangers in 2022, meaning his name will always be etched into club folklore.

However, after tensions between Israel and Palestine escalated in 2023, he reportedly no longer felt comfortable at the club, given the public displays of support for Palestine from sections of Celtic supporters.

Thus, in March 2024, following an elongated spell on the sidelines due to a thigh injury, Abada departed for MLS side Charlotte FC for around £10m, representing a decent profit.

Still only 23 years old, the winger has continued to impress in North Carolina, scoring 13 goals in 60 appearances for the club, part of an attacking unit that also contains Wilfried Zaha; bet you didn’t know he was there!

Last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Inter Miami was Charlotte’s ninth successive win in Major League Soccer, equaling the competition’s record, with Abada featuring in all but one of these wins.

The table below documents the Israeli international’s goal scoring record, when compared to that of current Celtic winger Balikwisha.

Abada vs Balikwisha

Year

Abada goals

Balikwisha goals

2025

6

5

2024

7

2

2023

5

14

2022

16

7

2021

19

8

Total

53

36

Stats via Transfermarkt

As the table documents, Abada has proven himself to be a far more reliable goal scorer over an extended period of time than Balikwisha, even if the Belgian has spent a large percentage of this period in the Antwerp treatment room.

At his best, Kieran Devlin of the Athletic described Abada as “astonishing”, noting that his “all-round game has improved dramatically” and he was, at the peak of his powers, simply “undroppable”.

According to Global Football Rankings, MLS is the 14th strongest league in the world, with the Scottish Premiership down in 27th.

Thus, still only 23 years old, he is proving his quality at a high level, and would unquestionably improve the current Celtic forward line.

Related Now worth 1291% more: Celtic sold a homegrown O'Riley who Rodgers loved

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Posts ByBen Gray Sep 19, 2025

Both of them say they would have preferred Nitish Rana, who scored 51 off 28 in regular time, as one of the Super Over batters

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-20251:16

Pujara surprised by RR’s Super Over line-up

Did Rajasthan Royals (RR) get their choice of batters wrong in the Super Over against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi?After Mitchell Starc tied the game for DC in regular time, RR sent in Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag – a left-right combination – for the Super Over, with Yashasvi Jaiswal as the third batter. Starc once again took the ball for DC and conceded only 11, with Parag and Jaiswal run out on the fourth and fifth deliveries, respectively. KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs needed just four balls to chase it down against Sandeep Sharma.Could RR have sent in Nitish Rana, who scored 51 off 28 in the regular time? Cheteshwar Pujara and Ian Bishop think so.Related

DC win an IPL classic in Delhi after Super Over drama

Axar hopes to have du Plessis back for DC's next game

Reverse in fast forward – Starc's three overs of yorker mayhem

“I think Nitish should have been there in those three,” Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut. “But I don’t know whether he should have started. I would want Jaiswal to start because of the way he bats against Mitchell Starc – his record [against Starc] has been phenomenal across formats [26 runs from 15 balls without a dismissal in T20s and 133 from 203 with three dismissals in Tests].”I know it was the Super Over and Starc was just trying to execute his yorkers, but there’s a psychological advantage. If Yashasvi had faced a few balls, then Starc would have been under some pressure.”Bishop, Pujara’s co-panellist on the show, agreed. “I like Jaiswal at the top there, but I am biased towards Nitish Rana as well,” he said. “I would not mind Rana’s silky skill to come in there, not necessarily raw power.”DC captain Axar Patel was surprised to see Hetmyer come out too. “Hetmyer wasn’t able to connect in the match either,” Axar said after the game. “So I felt Jaiswal and Riyan would come out. But it worked out well for us, whoever they sent out.”2:32

Are RR overdoing the left-right combination?

When Rana himself was asked about it, he defended the team management’s decision.”The team management, the captain, and senior players decide it and I think it was a correct decision,” he said at the post-match press conference. “Had Hetmyer hit two sixes, this question would not have been there. Hetmyer is our finisher and he has delivered for us in the past.”I think we were one big shot short. We were targeting 15 runs in the Super Over because we know if you have 15 runs and you get one wicket, there’s a chance because then the batting team is under pressure. I think credit goes to Starc. We saw this type of death bowling in the IPL after a long time.”With the ball, RR preferred Sandeep over Jofra Archer, who famously bowled the Super Over in the 2019 ODI World Cup final.”Sandy has bowled such overs for us previously,” Rana said, “and I think he was most likely the best bowler we had for this situation.”

Football legend Michel Platini believes Juventus star Kenan Yildiz is being played out of position. The former Juventus midfielder says the young Turkish talent, who now wears the club’s iconic No. 10 shirt, should be operating through the middle rather than on the wing. Platini says it is a common issue in modern football that doesn't just apply to Yildiz.

• Yildiz emerging as one of Serie A’s brightest young stars

  The 20-year-old Turkish international joined Juventus as a free agent from Bayern Munich’s youth academy in 2022. Since then, he has developed into one of Serie A’s brightest young stars, scoring goals, creating chances, and handling the pressure of wearing the No.10 jersey once worn by club icons like Platini, Alessandro Del Piero and Paul Pogba.

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• AFP
  

  Platini questions Yildiz’s role

  Platini, one of Juventus’ greatest-ever playmakers, admitted he doesn’t understand why both former coach Thiago Motta and current boss Igor Tudor have deployed Yildiz on the wings. Speaking at the Trento Sports Festival, the 70-year-old said: "He's a number 10 and for me he should play in the center. I don't know why Motta and Tudor have him operating on the wings. Unfortunately, in today's football there's this tendency to move quality players to the flank, when they should play in more central positions. I've been saying it for years, but nobody listens to me."

• Contract talks dragging on

  Juventus are still working to finalise a new deal with Yildiz, whose current contract runs until 2027, but talks have hit a slowdown. Both sides want an extension until 2030, yet negotiations have been slower than expected. The delay has opened the door for European giants, including Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United, who are closely monitoring the situation. Reports claim Chelsea are ready to bid again after having a €70 million (£61m/$81m) bid rejected in July, while Arsenal are reportedly preparing an offer worth €60m (£52m/$70m) plus Gabriel Jesus to tempt the Serie A giants into a sale.

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• AFP
  

  What's next for Kenan Yildiz?

  Despite being pushed out wide, Yildiz has been one of Juventus’ bright spots this season. He has two goals and four assists in eight appearances across Serie A and the Champions League. While he has gone four games without a direct contribution, the Turkish youngster still stands out. Juventus, meanwhile, have made a mixed start to the campaign, winning just three of their first six matches and sitting fifth in the table. They will look to get back on track when they face Como after the international break on October 19.

The loss to Liverpool has certainly made things more complicated, but Arsenal still have a great chance to win the Premier League this season.

Moreover, despite the narrative some in the media are seemingly desperate to spin, Mikel Arteta’s side were just as good as the defending champions, and were it not for a freak free-kick, would be level on points with them.

That said, while the Gunners were defensively excellent against the Reds, they were a little underwhelming in attack, although Viktor Gyokeres didn’t really get the service he needed to make an impact.

Fortunately, the team will only grow more familiar with his fame in the coming weeks and months, and if his form over the last few seasons is anything to go by, he should be scoring for fun in no time at all.

With that said, Arsenal may well have been able to save the £68m they spent on him had they not sold a youngster a few windows ago.

Why Arsenal splashed the cash on Gyokeres

While there were several problems Arsenal had to contend with last season, from chance creation to a never-ending list of injuries, one of the big ones was simply putting the ball in the back of the net.

So, if you were Andrea Berta and you wanted to help solve that problem, you’d probably go out and sign the most prolific player in the world last year, which is precisely what he did.

From January 1 to December 31, 2024, Gyokeres scored a staggering 36 goals in the league alone, more than any other player in any other top-flight league around the world.

Perhaps even more impressive than that, though, is the fact that the Swedish “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a staggering 54 goals and provided 13 assists across 52 appearances last season.

In other words, the 27-year-old international averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, which is nothing short of miraculous.

In all, it’s not his build-up play nor his passing ability that caused Arsenal to splash the cash on Gyokeres; it was his unreal ability to wallop the ball in the back of the net.

Yet, while his transfer will probably work out, it might not have been necessary had Arteta and Co shown faith in a former youngster at the club.

The Arsenal youngster who could have been their homegrown Gyokeres

For all the talents that have made it into the first team over recent years, such as Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skell and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal have let their fair share of young stars leave.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

The likes of Donyell Malen and Eberechi Eze were let go as youngsters, but in this instance, we are talking about Mika Biereth.

The Danish poacher joined the club’s youth setup from Fulham in the summer of 2021 and, within a few years, had been out on several loans, the most successful of which was at Sturm Graz, who he was sold to for around £4m in the summer of 2024.

To say the 22-year-old hit the ground running upon making the permanent move would be a massive understatement, as in the first half of this season, he ended up scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in 25 appearances.

Such an awe-inspiring start to the campaign was more than enough to convince AS Monaco to spend just north of £10m on him in the winter window.

Despite now playing in a top-five league for the first time, the “outrageous” talent, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, thrived on the French Riviera, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists in 19 appearances, totalling 1366 minutes.

In other words, the free-scoring forward, whom Arteta sold for a pittance, scored 27 goals and provided eight assists in just 44 appearances, totalling 3337 minutes last season.

Appearances

44

Minutes

3337′

Goals

27

Assists

8

Goals Involvements per Mat

0.79

Minutes per Goal Involvement

95.34′

That comes out to a monstrous average of a goal involvement every 1.25 games, or every 95.34 minutes across the 24/25 campaign.

Now, we are not claiming that Biereth would be as good a striker for the Gunners as Gyokeres could end up being this summer, but it’s clear that they probably would have been better off keeping him around.

After all, his output last season was undeniably Gyokeres-esque.

Berta must axe "clunky and indecisive" Arsenal dud who earns more than Eze

It’s time for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to move on from the big-earner.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 2, 2025

Keith Barker, the Hampshire left-arm seamer, has been suspended from all cricket for 12 months – backdated to July 2024 – after testing positive for a prohibited substance during a routine drugs test last summer.In what was described by the club as an “administrative error”, Barker tested positive for Indapamide in May 2024, and was provisionally suspended by the Cricket Regulator in July 2024. He subsequently accepted a violation of two of the ECB Anti-Doping Rules at a hearing on March 5, and will return to competitive cricket from July 4.Although Indapamide is listed as a diuretic and masking agent on WADA’s 2024 prohibited list, it is also used in the treatment of hypertension. It was prescribed to Barker as a like-for-like alternative to his previous long-standing medication, but because it was not declared to UK Anti-Doping at the time of use, a request for a retrospective Therapeutic Use Exemption was rejected.The review panel accepted that Barker had no intention of breaching anti-doping rules and was not seeking any performance advantage, but he was hit with a 12-month ban by the National Anti-Doping Panel.Barker, 38, claimed 16 wickets at 24.37 in four County Championship fixtures last summer, including a best of 6 for 74 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in June. Due to the nature of his case, neither he nor the club has been able to make any public comment about his subsequent absence from the team.”Over the last nine months I have been part of a very tense, gruelling process leading to the results of my hearing,” Barker said in a statement issued by Hampshire. “Having been forced to step away from my career and the sport I have loved since I was a young child due to a genuine administrative error has been mentally taxing and left me fearing for the loss of my career that is very dear to me.”I’d like to thank the support of the PCA, all the professionals involved in working on my case, Hampshire Cricket and family and friends for helping me get through this difficult time,” Barker added.”I’m looking forward to getting back to playing the game that I love. My hope is for any young professionals to look at my case with a renewed sense of vigilance around medication and anti-doping procedures in professional sport.”Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said: “This is a regrettable incident, which is the result of a genuine mistake, Keith is an exceptional professional and everyone at the club is focused on supporting him to return to first team action from July.”Keith’s performances over the last six years have made him a firm favourite with fans and we are grateful to members and supporters for their patience while this process has been ongoing.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo anunciou nesta segunda-feira (7) o início da parceria com a Vitafor Suplementos Nutricionais. A empresa será responsável por fornecer produtos considerados de alta qualidade nas linhas esportivas, saúde humana, longevidade, e proporcionar bem-estar, hábitos saudáveis e alto rendimento dos atletas.

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O vínculo da empresa com o Glorioso tem previsão de durar dois anos.

Nutricionista do futebol profissional do Botafogo, Rodrigo Vilhena destacou.

– Recebemos com grande felicidade a parceria com (…) uma marca amplamente reconhecida e recomendada por profissionais de saúde em todo o Brasil. Os suplementos (…) serão utilizados para diversas finalidades, tais como melhorar a performance, saúde, ganho de massa muscular e/ou perda de gordura e também na recuperação muscular dos nossos atletas – disse.

Coordenador comercial da empresa de suplementos nutricionais, Rodrigo Vergilli destacou.

– Sabemos da história e o peso da camisa do Botafogo. Com essa parceria esperamos agregar ainda mais no desempenho dos atletas, buscando fazer parte dos novos capítulos vitoriosos da história do Glorioso – disse.

Chelsea and BlueCo are reportedly making some transfer plans ahead of 2026 already, but for Enzo Maresca, his focus is entirely on the pitch.

Bayern Munich deal Chelsea their first defeat of the season

The Blues’ 23-man Champions League squad — which now includes summer signing Facundo Buonanotte who’s replaced the injured Dario Essugo — travelled to Bavaria to take on Bayern Munich last night in their opening game of the league phase.

Maresca could’ve hardly asked for a tougher first challenge of Chelsea’s European campaign, and Vincent Kompany’s side were on top form to deal the Blues’ their first defeat of 2025/2026.

A Trevoh Chalobah own goal and two strikes from Harry Kane — one from the penalty spot — cancelled out an excellent finish from Cole Palmer, who briefly grabbed one back from 2-0 down on the counterattack.

Palmer’s first full start after coming back from a groin injury was unfortunately marred by Chelsea’s loss at the Allianz Arena, with their return to the Champions League after a two-year absence ultimately spoiled.

That being said, the forward is adamant that Chelsea did enough to earn something from the 90.

Maresca was forced to start a centre-back pairing of Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo again, who were ultimately undone by the talismanic Kane, with Chelsea believed to be in the market for a star defender once the window reopens.

Chelsea eyeing new centre-back after summer transfer failure

It is believed that Chelsea wanted to sign a centre-back in the summer window, but ultimately couldn’t find the right profile (Simon Phillips).

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

Instead, BlueCo are expected to reserve that transfer plan for 2026, and the prospect of Chelsea bringing in a star man for the heart of their backline is very much alive for January.

Reports have suggested that Chelsea are admirers of ex-player Marc Guehi, even if his preferred destination is Liverpool (Simon Phillips), with reporter Graeme Bailey now claiming that they’re still expected to make him an offer.

Chelsea to make offer for Marc Guehi next summer

Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, Bailey says he is convinced that Chelsea will make an offer for Guehi, and believes that they can win the race for the ex-Cobham starlet, who left Stamford Bridge in 2021 after making two senior appearances.

In terms of potential centre-back targets, Guehi stands chief among the most appealing potential signings — both in terms of cost and quality.

The 25-year-old is now an established England international and Premier League stalwart, branded “sensational” by Palace chairman Steve Parish, and he’s likely to be one of the most in-demand free agents of 2026.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also eyeing a move for Guehi (The Mirror), among others, so the battle for his signature will be intense.