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According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City defender Nathan Ake has agreed personal terms to join Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The Lowdown: Ongoing negotiations

The Dutchman still has three years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, but has been consistently linked with a move away after reportedly being told that he is free to leave and find a new club this summer.

Sky Sports first revealed last month that the 27-year-old had opened talks with the west London club over a potential move to Stamford Bridge, with the Evening Standard since suggesting that negotiations had become more advanced, and it now sounds like the player is ready to return to the capital.

The Latest: Ake agrees personal terms

Taking to Twitter, Romano stated that Ake has reached a verbal arrangement with Chelsea, although City are yet to have been approached with an offer.

The Italian wrote: “Chelsea have full agreement with Nathan Ake on personal terms. Man City are aware of the situation on the player side, but still waiting to receive the official bid.

“City want around £40/45m for Ake and plan is to replace him with a new centre back in case he leaves.”

The Verdict: Bit-part player

Raheem Sterling is already close to putting pen to paper at Chelsea, and it appears that Ake will soon be following the England international to west London.

The centre-back was a bit-part player under Guardiola last season, making just 14 appearances in the top flight, with only ten of those coming from the start (via WhoScored), trailing behind the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones in the manager’s defensive pecking order.

Ake used to play for Chelsea in his younger days but ended up leaving the club in 2017 to join Bournemouth.

However, a return to his former stomping ground is now on the cards as Guardiola possibly looks elsewhere to bolster his defensive ranks once the Dutchman’s likely departure is announced.

Liverpool are reportedly still interested in signing Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry as a replacement for Divock Origi this summer.

The Lowdown: Gnabry superb for Bayern

The German has excelled in a Bayern shirt in recent years, winning the Champions League and scoring 64 goals in 171 appearances for the Bundesliga champions.

Gnabry scored 14 goals and registered five assists in the league alone last season, while he will also be hoping to star for Germany in the upcoming World Cup.

His current Bayern deal expires next summer, however, and it could be that a fresh challenge comes his way before then.

The Latest: Reds still in the mix

According to Sport, Julian Ward and Co are keen on acquiring Gnabry’s signature this summer, seeing him as the right man to come in for the departed Origi and also Sadio Mane.

He is also seen as an alternative to Marco Asensio, who the Reds have also been linked with recently.

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The Verdict: Ideal fit, but is he needed?

Gnabry is a fantastic player who has been hailed as ‘world-class’ by Rio Ferdinand, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is undoubtedly exciting.

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That being said, the former Arsenal man does turn 27 this summer and wouldn’t necessarily be a long-term acquisition – something Jurgen Klopp often looks for in his signings.

On top of that, Gnabry would surely be expecting to start every week but he would have Luis Diaz ahead of him in the pecking order in his left-sided attacking role. For that reason, it feels unlikely that a move happens immediately, but perhaps he could arrive and switch to the right flank if Mohamed Salah leaves next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur could swoop for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, according to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Antonio Conte is intent on strengthening his defence ahead of his first full season in charge at Tottenham. The Italian is particularly keen to recruit a left-sided centre-half for his back three, and while Bremer is right-footed, The Athletic reported that he’s still under ‘serious consideration’.

Torino offered Bremer a route into European football, signing him from Atletico Mineiro for £5.2m in 2018.

The 25-year-old, who has since made 110 appearances for the Serie A club, signed a new contract as recently as February. Howeverm it only runs until the summer of 2024, and his manager Ivan Juric has already confirmed that the defender will be leaving the Turin outfit this summer.

The latest

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Tottenham ‘have strongly entered the race’ to sign Bremer, along with newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan.

The report advises readers to ‘watch out’ for a ‘serious assault’ from Conte and Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

The north Londoners are ‘ready to invest’ as much as €50m (£42.6m) to get this prospective deal done.

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The verdict

Spurs do have other options in mind. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke and Charlie Eccleshare, Conte is a big admirer of both Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.

However, they claimed that the Italian will cost around £50m, and the Croatian even more, so Bremer could be the cheapest candidate.

The Brazilian is an ‘incredibly aggressive’ defender, even ‘more so than [Cristian] Romero’, in the words of European football expert Alex Barker. He clearly defends on the front foot, ranking in the 98th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for pressures per 90 minutes.

On top of that, he records exceptionally high volumes of interceptions (98th perecentile), blocks (99th), clearances (96th) and successful aerial duels (99th), as per FBRef. He is also someone who backs himself to carry the ball, slotting into the 79th percentile for dribbles completed.

Bremer won the Serie A Defender of the Year award even though Torino finished 10th, and that’s a glowing reflection of his talents.

Indeed, journalist Maxi Angelo has billed him a ‘monster’, perhaps a fitting summary of how huge a presence the 25-year-old could be in Conte’s defence if he comes to north London.

In other news, a journalist has shared a transfer update on Ronnie Edwards.

Liverpool have maintained a long-term interest in Jude Bellingham, and a new update has emerged on their pursuit of the player following speculation that the Reds have made an approach this summer.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has given an insight on the 18-year-old’s immediate future and an update on Liverpool’s interest in his column for Caught Offside.

The transfer insider claimed in the report that the Borussia Dortmund star won’t be leaving the Bundesliga this year, although the Reds remain interested for the summer of 2023.

Romano added that, despite the interest Liverpool have shown, it will be an open race for the player to all interested parties, as there has been no official or definite move made by the Merseyside club as of yet.

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Supporters will be disappointed

Liverpool are in the market this summer to strengthen in the middle of the park, with a number of midfielders linked with a move to Anfield including Aurelien Tchouameni and Ibrahim Sangare, but supporters will surely be disappointed that Bellingham won’t join for at least another season.

The 18-year-old has been drawing attention to himself for a while now and did not disappoint for Borussia Dortmund this season, dominating the centre of the pitch and offering a solid presence in his team, impressing with both his defensive and attacking play.

As per SofaScore, the English youngster scored three goals and contributed eight assists, in addition to creating 10 big chances and recording 1.3 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 67.7 touches on average per game. He also won the majority of his duels (51%) and was successful with most of his dribbles (57%).

For a player who is so young, Bellingham already has an overwhelming amount of experience under his belt, with 134 senior club career appearances (61 in the Bundesliga, 16 in the Champions League). He was also part of the England squad which made it to a first major final in 55 years as they finished runners-up at Euro 2020, making three appearances at the tournament.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has been full of praise for the youngster, telling SPORTbible; “He’s a great lad, a fantastic player and I’m sure he’ll go from strength to strength as he gets older and matures. When I watch him, he plays with such maturity even now. The sky is the limit for him really.”

Signing Bellingham would be a major coup for Jurgen Klopp if it were to happen, as the teenager will surely only develop even further while he is still at Dortmund, but Liverpool must not squander their opportunity to sign him and lose out to another club. That would really leave Kopites feeling very disappointed.

AND in other news: Liverpool plot £42.5m bid for “spectacular” gem with “no ceiling”, he’s Bellingham 2.0

West Bromwich Albion are now facing another season in the Championship after failing to maintain a consistent run of promotion-worthy form throughout the current campaign.

With Steve Bruce at the helm and the summer transfer window set to open for business in the coming weeks, it seems as though the Baggies may have identified one man for a potential swoop.

According to journalist Alan Nixon (via Birmingham Mail), the Midlands club are eyeing up a move for Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell.

Since arriving at the Lancashire club in 2018 from Oxford United, the 27-year-old has gone on to make 161 appearances across all competitions. In that time, the midfielder has scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists, showing that he can be effective in front of goal.

According to WhoScored, in addition to having three goals and 10 assists to his name in the current Championship campaign, the Englishman has an overall performance rating of 6.95/10, making him the third-highest rated player in Blackburn’s squad to start more than two league games.

With his current contract at Ewood Park set to expire in the summer, the Baggies could theoretically land Rothwell on a free transfer, as they did with Alex Mowatt during the summer 2021 transfer window.

Rothwell is better than Mowatt

To compare the two midfield maestros, the Blackburn man has recorded more interceptions (48) than Mowatt (35) and has a higher percentage for shots on target. Also, despite playing seven more games than the West Brom midfielder, Rothwell has committed nine fewer fouls than his fellow countryman this season.

This all suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on last summer’s midfield recruit for Bruce’s side if they bring him to the Midlands.

Described by his manager Tony Mowbray as a player who has “Premier League talent”, he could be just what the Baggies need in their side to make a strong push to get back into the top flight in 2023.

With Bruce discussing a possible transfer overhaul at The Hawthorns during the upcoming window, adding Rothwell to their ranks could be a perfect way to start.

In other news: West Brom dealt another big injury setback, it’s worrying news for Bruce

A far-from-perfect country has enjoyed remarkable sporting success over the last two years. The men’s cricket team have now given themselves the opportunity to do what so many before them yearned to

Firdose Moonda28-Jun-2024They don’t know what we know.This phrase was made famous by UFC champion Dricus du Plessis, turned into a song by Afrikaans pop sensation Kurt Darren, used as a mantra by the world champion Springboks, and is now a South African proverb.. Sounds arrogant, right?It’s not. It’s pain.South Africans don’t believe the world understands us and everything we go through as a nation that has chosen to continuously open and redress our wounds. Of course, South Africa was not the world’s only colony, or the only place to suffer from exploitation of its natural resources and the resulting poverty. It is not the only place where race-based segregation was legal; where crime is rampant and increasing and where there are shortages of electricity, water and understanding. But it is one of few places where none of that is hidden away.Related

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The problems South Africans endure are on display for all to see, to unpick, and to attempt to piece together. It is a nation that speaks out, not always kindly, about everything that is wrong (and there is a lot wrong, and sometimes there are different wrongs for different people) while also marvelling at how many things have gone right. South Africa, which could have fallen apart so many times, is still, somehow, in a sporting sense, stunning on the world stage. So no, they don’t know what we know, and that means, according to Dricus and the Boks, that they won’t know what this means to us.A men’s team in a cricket World Cup final – 18 months after the women got there, a year after the women’s football team reached the last 16 of the World Cup, six months after the men’s football team finished third at the African Cup of Nations, seven months after the Springboks won a record fourth Rugby World Cup – means we are rising, relevant and ready to show the world that sometimes, even in the briefest of moments, shared success is possible. But for once, we’re not screaming about it. We’re holding our breath, because cricket has not given cause for much else.The disappointments of seven World Cup semi-finals defeats is one reason that South Africans are cautious when it comes to cricket, but there are others. Cricket South Africa’s recent history of managerial turmoil, financial malaise and social justice introspection was received by fans as a betrayal. They like their sport to pretend it can stay about sport, and not get enmeshed with the mess that is everything else even if, deep inside, they know it is enmeshed with everything else. Still, escapism is important and most of our sporting codes provide it at some level.It’s why the SA20 is better supported than international cricket in South Africa. The SA20 is seen as untouched by administrators, it does not have a transformation target, it doesn’t carry CSA’s branding and it attracts international stars who praise it and the South African experience. The national team is not.It hasn’t been easy for the average South African to watch the T20 World Cup back home•Getty ImagesAs recently as six weeks ago, there was a transformation furore over the fact there is only one black African in the current T20 World Cup squad and the bulk of complainants were politicians. Ordinary South Africans see the ruling African National Congress (ANC) fingerprints all over things like the national team and don’t like it, so much so that for the first time since democracy the ANC has not secured 50% of the vote. The results of May’s election will bring a coalition government and news on the composition of the cabinet is what’s making headlines.Visit any South African news website and that will be the top story. Open any newspaper, and you’re living somewhere else because the media industry has shrunk to the point where the only dailies in circulation are largely being given away (not bought) and one media group is closing four papers next month. Like much of the world, South Africans get their news through social media so a scroll through X, Facebook or Instagram will show you what the algorithm has designed for you but in general, there is more interest on those streets than the actual ones.Around the country, it was a fairly normal Friday, perhaps slightly quieter than usual because of school holidays. It’s a South African thing to turn Fridays into national team days when there is a major tournament, and though rugby is more successful at getting people to buy in, cricket has tried. This Friday, CSA held an event at a popular shopping mall in Johannesburg and handed out flags. That was the extent of CSA’s awareness-creation and that’s not a slight on them. The short turnaround between the semi-final early on Thursday morning and the final on Saturday afternoon has made it tricky to do much but there have been some last-minute plans.In Johannesburg, the Wanderers is hosting a watch-party, for anyone who wants to enjoy the final with other fans. In Durban, the Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union have teamed with South African Breweries to do something similar at Crusaders Sports Club, about eight kilometres north of Kingsmead. Both events have free entry, which should tell you about the number of people the organisers expect to attend. It’s not that people don’t care, it’s that the sports watching culture is different.In South Africa, people tend to watch sport in their homes, invite friends and family over, have some drinks and a braai. Doubtless, many people will be doing exactly that on Saturday, helped by the fact that the final is more than likely to be available on free-to-air television. The T20 World Cup until now was not.Only those with a Multichoice subscription (essentially cable television) could watch all the games and that is an ever-decreasing number. Multichoice has seen a 400,000 subscriber dip in the last year, which amounts to 5% of its audience, as disposable income decreases. That means fewer South Africans have regular access to cricket on television. Considering both domestic and international cricket is only shown on pay-television, that means people simply don’t watch enough to become properly invested. Instead, there seems to be more attention on the Euros (also only available on the paid service but more likely to be screened in bars or cafes with regularity) and on the Springboks, whose international season starts properly next week.And that’s what makes South Africa, as a sporting nation, different to their opposition in the final: India. Where cricket has often been described as religion in India, it isn’t in South Africa, and certainly not the main one. Where cricket, along with Bollywood, makes up both social fabric and celebrity culture in India, it is seen as a small part of myriad options for entertainment in South Africa. That’s why the hype has been hushed and there is no nation-wide rallying cry, and no big noise led by former and current players, who are one of the groups that will have more invested in this final than most.The South African women’s team are playing a Test in Chennai and might watch the final with the Indian players•PTI The classes of 1992, 1999, 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 (apart from Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who are at this tournament) had to accept they would not be the generation that would win a World Cup. Many of them described it as the biggest disappointment of their careers. They will be watching and living this final as though it was their own, albeit most from a distance and one not at all.Allan Donald, who was involved in that run-out in 1999, is back in the UK preparing for a coaching stint in the Legends League and will watch the final from there. He told ESPNcricinfo he regards it as the “biggest cricketing day of my professional career as an ex-player and now coach,” because reaching the final “puts to bed a lot of things.” What about his partner in that run-out, Lance Klusener? “Haven’t watched a ball,” he admitted from a hunting trip. “Will catch the result some time.”Graeme Smith, South Africa’s most successful Test captain who played in 2007 and 2009, is holidaying with his children on the Greek island of Skiathos. He tried to get flights for all of them to Barbados but could not find any availability and is now trying to gather a group of South Africans to watch the game with. Makhaya Ntini, South Africa’s first black African player, will be working on isiXhosa commentary in the television studios. Dale Steyn and Shaun Pollock, will be on commentary in Barbados but AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, both former captains, are likely to be watching from afar.The South African women’s team, who were the first national cricket side to get to a World Cup final, are in the middle of a Test match against India in Chennai. They are aiming to get together with their opponents to watch the final but the inside track is that they will see how their own match is poised before deciding whether they want to spend more time together.When the current South African squad talk about what this means to them, they speak first about wanting to win the World Cup for these players, who laid the foundation but did not experience the building going up. Then they speak about wanting to win the World Cup for South Africans – for those who know what they know – because that is what matters.

This leg of the tournament features two rounds; the next three will be played in May

Matt Roller09-Feb-2022Nearly 700 days after the curtain of Covid-19 brought a premature end to the 2019-20 season, the West Indies four-day Championship returns on February 9, marking the resumption of regional first-class cricket in the Caribbean.Cricket West Indies (CWI) suspended the 2019-20 edition after the eighth of ten rounds of fixtures, crowning Barbados champions when it became clear that it would not be possible to complete the season. The 2020-21 edition was deemed logistically impossible, so its return on Wednesday after a hiatus of nearly two years is a significant moment.Johnny Grave, CWI’s chief executive, said that six months of “detailed planning” had made the competition possible. “We know the teams have been putting in hours of hard work in the nets, patiently waiting for the matches to be confirmed and are looking forward to being back on the field and entertaining their fans,” he said.The first two rounds of the tournament are set to be played exclusively in Barbados and Trinidad. The final three rounds will follow in May as the teams play each other once.First-round fixtures, February 9-12:

Barbados vs Leeward Islands (Kensington Oval)

Windward Islands vs Guyana (Queen’s Park Oval)

Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica (Brian Lara Cricket Academy)

Some young players in the Caribbean have been involved in ‘best vs best’ games before Test series or part of enlarged Test squads but have had limited opportunities to improve in a competitive environment. “This competition plays a critical role in our player-development pathway,” Jimmy Adams, CWI’s director of cricket, said. “After almost two years, we are delighted to have our regional players back playing competitively in this format.”Much of the intrigue around the first two rounds surrounds selection for March’s Test series against England. Desmond Haynes, the new lead selector, showed when recalling Kemar Roach for the ongoing ODI series in India that he is willing to make bold calls and impose his mark on the national team, and he will keep a close eye on early-season performances.Kraigg Brathwaite, the Test captain, will lead Barbados in their title defence, though they have several players missing due to the white-ball tour of India. Shane Dowrich, who has been succeeded by Joshua Da Silva as West Indies’ wicketkeeper, returns to professional cricket after a 14-month absence while Chemar Holder and Jomel Warrican will be in the conversation for selection ahead of the England series.Blackwood’s runs in the 2019-20 season won him a Test recall•Getty ImagesTheir first fixture is against the Leeward Islands at Kensington Oval, who are captained by Anguilla’s Jahmar Hamilton. Rahkeem Cornwall is their key bowler, looking to press his case for the England series, while Kieran Powell could be in the frame after winning a recall for the home Tests against South Africa and Pakistan last year.Guyana – rebranded as the Harpy Eagles after several years as the Jaguars – were champions for five seasons in a row between 2014-15 and 2018-19, and look like a strong side on paper. In Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul, they have two reliable left-arm spinners, while seamers Nial Smith and Keemo Paul have shown promise.With the bat, there is always intrigue around the progress of Tagenarine Chanderpaul – Shivnarine’s son – but the involvement of Shimron Hetmyer is particularly notable. Hetmyer’s fitness has been a major talking point this year after he missed out on limited-overs selection, but Haynes clarified recently: “Hetmyer is in our plans – there is no question about it.”Related

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He has been named in the squad after recovering from illness, and opted to play for Guyana rather than joining Quetta Gladiators in the PSL; fitness-depending, he could come into contention for the England series.Guyana’s season starts at Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, where they play a Windward Islands side like by Kavem Hodge and featuring West Indies Under-19 batters Ackeem Auguste and Teddy Bishop.Trinidad and Tobago will host Jamaica at the Brian Lara Academy ground in Tarouba, with Jayden Seales – the 20-year-old fast bowler who has already played four Tests – set to play his first red-ball game for them. Jeremy Solozano, who played against Sri Lanka in November, has recovered from the concussion he suffered on debut, while Da Silva and Shannon Gabriel are also involved.Jamaica will expect Jermaine Blackwood, who won his Test recall after finishing the 2019-20 season as the leading run-scorer in the competition, to score heavily, while their captain John Campbell may retain hopes of a call-up after a year out of the national team.

MLB’s winter meetings continue to deliver, as another blockbuster piece of news broke on Wednesday.

The Orioles shocked the baseball world by agreeing to a five-year, $155 million deal with Pete Alonso. It’s the latest in a series of huge moves from the week that have altered the free agency landscape.

What follows is a look at the latest rumors coming out of the winter meetings as the event enters its final day.

Dodgers aren’t done

After making a huge splash by signing former Mets closer Edwin Diaz to a massive deal, the Dodgers aren’t done. Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo are reporting that Los Angeles is willing to continue adding as it tried to complete a three-peat in 2026.

While stars like Kyle Tucker and Tarik Skubal are unlikely to end up in L.A., the Dodgers do need outfield help and could swing big to acquire it. If a free agent doesn’t emerge, L.A. has one of the deeper farm systems in baseball to trade from. Outfielders Josue De Paula and Zayhir Hope are both at least a year away, so they won’t provide immediate help. There have also been whispers that Teoscar Hernandez could be moved in the right deal, though that seems unlikely at this point.

The Dodgers could opt to pursue Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran or Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan. They definitely have the ammunition to land either player, the question will be if they’re willing to part with the prospects to do it.

Marlins discussing Edward Cabrera trade

The Marlins have been popular at the winter meetings, mostly because of righty starter Edward Cabrera. The 27-year-old is coming off an outstanding season in which he went 8–7, with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and 150 strikeouts against 48 walks in 137 2/3 innings. Making things even more enticing, he’s under team control through the 2028 season. Cabrera features an upper-90s fastball, backed by an excellent curveball and a really effective changeup.

Fresh off adding Pete Alonso, the Orioles are a fit for Cabrera. The Orioles are reportedly in the mix, but so are several clubs. Elite arms with cheap salaries and years of team control don’t come around often, so expect most MLB teams to at least check on Miami’s price tag.

Blue Jays chasing Brad Keller

The Blue Jays already splashed out a ton of money to land Dylan Cease this offseason, but they are not content to sit still after that move. Toronto is pursuing Kyle Tucker and attempting to retain Bo Bichette, but the club also wants to add more starting pitching. It appears a target has emerged.

Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are free agents, and Jose Berrios appears to be out of the team’s immediate plans. One name connected to the Blue Jays at this point is free agent Brad Keller. While he was a reliever for the Cubs in 2025, Keller has starting experience. He’s coming off a season in which he went 4–2, with a 2.07 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts against 22 walks in 69 2/3 innings. As recently as 2022, Keller made 22 starts for the Royals.

With Cease, Cody Ponce, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage already batting for rotation spots, it’s possible Keller could represent a swing arm similar to what Eric Lauer was for Toronto in 2025. That could be valuable given Bieber’s health issues.

Reds are willing to spend on a bat

The Reds missed out on hometown boy Kyle Schwarber, but their search for a bat hasn’t ended. Cincinnati has reportedly engaged the Diamondbacks about second baseman Ketel Marte, who has been one of the more popular names at the winter meetings. Marte is one of the more consistent infield bats in the big leagues, and the 32-year-old is owed an affordable $102.5 million over the next six seasons.

Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 in 2025, with 28 home runs, 72 RBIs, a wRC+ of 146, and produced 4.6 fWAR. He was good, but took a step back from his outstanding 2024 campaign.

Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe is also a potential target. He’s owed $11.5 million next season before hitting free agency. The 31-year-old Lowe slashed .256/.307/.477 last season, with 31 home runs, 83 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 114. His 1.7 fWAR was his lowest total since 2022, but it’s likely his power would play up at Great American Ballpark.

Cincinnati needs offense, and after years of refusing to spent, it looks like times have changed for the franchise.

India have a training session in Kolkata on Tuesday morning but Gill is not expected to take part in that

Sreshth Shah16-Nov-20253:39

Bangar: Sai Sudharsan should have played instead of a fourth spinner

India Test captain Shubman Gill has been discharged from the hospital where he was receiving treatment for neck spasm sustained during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. He, however, remains in doubt for the second Test in Guwahati starting Saturday.India have a training session in Kolkata on Tuesday morning but Gill is not expected to take part in that. The team is expected to fly to Guwahati on Wednesday, but with commercial air travel not advised for people recovering from neck issues, Gill is unlikely to fly with the team that day.Head coach Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference that Gill was “still being assessed”, with another assessment to be carried out by the physio and team soon. Gill’s absence in the fourth innings left India a batter short in their 30-run loss in a low-scoring game.Related

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“It was tough because we always knew we were one down,” Gambhir said after India were bowled out for 93 in their chase of 124. “Obviously, Shubman wasn’t there, and then losing two before lunch, we were literally three down. But we always felt that if we got those partnerships, a 50-run partnership or two 40-run partnerships, we would’ve been in the game.”If Gill is unavailable for the next Test, potential replacements are left-hand batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. Sudharsan made 87 and 39 against West Indies in Delhi but had a top score of 32 in four innings for India A against South Africa A earlier this month. Padikkal, who played one Test each in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the home series against England, returned three single-digit scores and a 24 against South Africa A.If that’s the only change India make for the Guwahati Test, it would leave them with seven left-hand batters in their XI. In Kolkata, India fielded six left-hand batters for the first time. Of the eight wickets offspinner Simon Harmer took in the Kolkata Test, six were of left-hand batters, while part-time offspinner Aiden Markram also dismissed one left-hand batter.Gill was admitted to the hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test, following the decision to retire hurt after facing only three balls in India’s first innings. On the morning of the third day, the BCCI said Gill would take no further part in the Test.Gill missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm too. His injury scare comes at a time when his workload has been under constant monitoring. He has played cricket non-stop across formats since IPL 2025 and was among four Test players who flew to Kolkata straight from Australia after the T20I series.

Joshua Kimmich was not too impressed by the style of play imprinted by Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta into his team after Bayern Munich slumped to a 3-1 defeat against the Gunners in the Champions League on Wednesday. The German international explained that Bayern simply couldn't deal with the "sheer number of corners" they conceded, playing right into Arsenal's set-piece supremacy.

Arsenal outclass Bayern in the Champions League

Arsenal proved they mean serious business this season after defeating Bayern 3-1 in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, with the defeat bringing an end to the German heavyweights' 18-game unbeaten run across all competitions in the ongoing campaign. 

Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, but wonderkid Lennart Karl made it all square 10 minutes later. The two teams matched each other in intensity in the first 45 minutes, although the hosts seemed to be in better control of the proceedings. 

However, Bayern were all over the place in the second half. Hampered by an attack that failed to impose their influence on the game, Bayern could only muster six shots in the 90 minutes, only two of those on target. Harry Kane's return to north London didn't go as planned, as he cut a frustrating figure against his former rivals. 

Arteta's men tightened the screws in the second half, thanks to their dominance in midfield and immaculate pressing structure. Bayern finally succumbed to the pressure after keeping the hosts at bay for the first 23 minutes of the second half, with substitute Noni Madueke converting Riccardo Calafiori's brilliant delivery in the 69th minute. Gabriel Martinelli put the tie to bed eight minutes later and will be thankful to Manuel Neuer for making a mess just outside the Bayern box.

The result not only cemented the Gunners’ status as the only team in this season’s Champions League with a perfect record, but also strengthened their reputation as arguably the favourites to go all the way.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKimmich undermines Arsenal's victory

Speaking to reporters after the game, Kimmich admitted that Bayern deserved to lose, but also claimed that Arsenal weren't their toughest opponents yet. 

“It was definitely a deserved defeat. I thought we didn't do well at all with the ball. We weren't brave enough, we weren't active enough, we didn't give ourselves enough options," said Kimmich.

"We weren't physically up to par against the ball, although it was clear what kind of game it would be. It was clear that it wouldn't be a game like the one against Chelsea, where it's mostly about playing football. It was clear that it would be a lot about fighting, lots of long balls. Arsenal then naturally made every ball dangerous.

"I think the main problem today was the sheer number of corners we conceded. At some point, it simply becomes difficult to defend against that over and over again.

"This is an extremely important game for us. I'm convinced that we'll take a lot away from it, that we'll learn a lot from it. There were many aspects that we need to improve. Last season we had a few games, like the Barca game [from last season], which also weren't good, but we learned a lot from those as well."

Having beaten Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain already in the competition, Kimmich was asked if the London club have been the toughest opponents so far.

"No, I don't think so! PSG was our most difficult opponent… Arsenal is completely different. They rely a lot on set pieces. Against Paris, it was more of a football match," he said.

Arteta 'extremely proud' of Arsenal's display

Arteta was thoroughly delighted with what he saw from his players on Wednesday. The win stretched their unbeaten streak to 16 games across competitions.

"Well, I'm extremely proud to what I've seen tonight. I think, we've seen a team that, in my opinion, playing against the best team in Europe has behaved with a real presence, authority, determination, and belief, and that's what I wanted," Arteta explained. "You need some huge performance individually. We certainly had that. We took our moments, and I think overall, we just have to win the game.” His summary highlighted not only the collective strength on display but the individual excellence that fueled the win.

Arteta also spoke about the impact of his substitutes, who played an important role in the win. He added: “Yes. I mean, everybody's ready. Whether it's a starter and a finisher, the impact that the boys are having is tremendous because we have dealt with a lot of injuries, this season already. But, the fact that everybody's raising the level is hiding a lot of those issues, and I'm very pleased because, everybody's important. We're gonna need them, and I'm happy that the ones that even given the chance, they're constantly taking it."

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Getty Images SportBayern's next opponents – St. Pauli

While the defeat to Arsenal is sure to raise several questions, Bayern can nullify the external noise by returning to winning ways this weekend. The Bundesliga table-toppers will welcome St. Pauli at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.