Didier Deschamps backed Luis Enrique's decision to bench Kylian Mbappe at PSG as he also opened up on Real Madrid's Olympic Games stance.

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Deschamps spoke about Mbappe's benching at PSGWeighed in on Real Madrid's Olympic stanceFrance to face Germany and Chile in friendliesWHAT HAPPENED?

There has been speculation over a rift between Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique and Mbappe after the Spaniard left the star attacker on the bench on three occasions in the last month. Now, France manager Deschamps has weighed in on Mbappe's reduced role, backing Luis Enrique's decision because of the potential benefits for his own team.

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Speaking to reporters, the World Cup-winning coach said when quizzed on Mbappe: "It's important to be physically fresh for a major competition. In any case, all the players will arrive at the end of the season feeling a little tired. If that fatigue can be reduced a little [all the better]."

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Les Bleus also want their star player to compete at the Olympic Games, which will be hosted by Paris this year. But Mbappe's dream of winning an Olympic gold could be shattered if he eventually moves to Real Madrid in the summer as expected, with Los Blancos reluctant to let the player leave at the start of the new season.

Speaking on the Spanish giants' Olympic stance, Deschamps added: "Real Madrid's stance on the Olympic Games is a bit outdated. But business people are the ones who decide. If it's not on an official FIFA date if they say no, the answer is no."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KYLIAN MBAPPE?

The 25-year-old is all set to take the field for France on March 23 against Germany, with Deschamps' side set to face Chile three days later as they warm up for Euro 2024 with their final set of friendlies.

Everton will be "absolutely delighted" with some exciting off-field news that has emerged, according to football finance expert and Sky Sports pundit Kieran Maguire.

Everton stadium updates

It's fair to say that it has been a taxing period at Goodison Park in recent years, with not much success to enjoy on or off the pitch and a number of Premier League relegation battles coming their way.

The Blues have got through various managers who have tried and failed to turn the tide, while off-field issues surrounding owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright have also led to plenty of unrest, and even protests outside the ground.

The hope is that things at Everton are gradually changing for the better, however, with Sean Dyche starting to pick up more positive results and a huge change arriving at the end of the season.

A move to Bramley Moore Dock is planned at that point, as the Blues move into a shiny new home on the River Mersey, heralding the start of an exciting new era at the club. It should generate more funds for signings and potentially attract better players, assuming Dyche's men remain in the top flight beyond the current campaign.

Bramley Moore Dock hosts Euro 2028 matches

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire claimed that the Blues could be boosted hugely when Everton's new stadium is used as one of the ten grounds at Euro 2028, as was confirmed last week:

"I think Everton are looking to make a big statement with their new stadium. Being part of the Euro 2028 stadium shortlist will help to deliver that statement – and what a statement. We’ve seen the same in Manchester in the sense that the Etihad is going to be used instead of Old Trafford despite it having a smaller capacity.

"So I think Everton will be absolutely delighted and it will give them an opportunity to showcase the new stadium. On the back of that, they will earn other contracts for concerts and alternative uses for the Bramley Moore Dock stadium."

This is such a big coup for Everton, and perfectly outlines the importance of their stadium move, in terms of the club's growth moving forward, rather than simply staying at Goodison and being left behind.

Wembley

England

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham

Etihad Stadium

Man City

Villa Park

Aston Villa

St James' Park

Newcastle

Bramley Moore Dock

Everton

Hampden Park

Scotland

Principality Stadium

Wales

Aviva Stadium

Republic of Ireland

Casement Park

Northern Ireland

The fact that the new ground has even been picked ahead of Anfield speaks volumes, and is no doubt something that will aid local bragging rights with Liverpool supporters. As Maguire alludes to, the Blues could also become a venue for various other forms of entertainment, as the likes of Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium currently are, hosting music concernts, NFL matches and boxing events

This is all in the future for now, though, and it is essential that Everton's Premier League status is preserved this season, with relegation to the Championship having the potential to hold them back horribly.

The current signs are arguably promising, even though there have clearly been poor results so far in 2023/24, and fans should feel buoyed by one of football's biggest tournaments being featured in their new home in five years' time.

Across Sir Alex Ferguson's 26-year Manchester United career, the 13-time Premier League winner has tutored a plethora of talented players and coaches.

Many of his former players have become managers themselves, like Wayne Rooney for example, who was appointed Birmingham City boss this week.

So today at Football FanCast, we've decided to list and rank 15 of Sir Alex's pupils who became managers.

They'll be ordered by win percentage…

15 Paul Scholes – 27%

Kicking off the list is 11-time Premier League winner Paul Scholes, whose managerial record has been far less fruitful than his playing career.

However, in fairness, it must be noted that he has only taken charge of 11 games throughout his brief managerial career, winning three of those.

The legendary United midfielder got his first gig in the dugout with Oldham at the beginning of 2019 but resigned after seven games due to 'interference' from the chairman.

Scholes' second role came in October 2020, when he took over as caretaker manager at Salford City – the club he part-owns. His record at the Ammies was pretty decent, winning two of his four games in charge and only conceding defeat once.

14 Wayne Rooney – 28%

United's all-time top goalscorer, Wayne Rooney, has opted against the popular route of a career in the media – post-retirement – and instead has chosen a life in the dugout.

Rooney has certainly not had it easy during his fledgling managerial career, having first received his breakthrough with Derby County, who were in dire straights on and off the pitch.

The Rams entered administration during his 19-month reign and were handed points deductions, leaving the Liverpool-born head coach with a mammoth task of avoiding relegation from the Championship.

Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort, Derby suffered relegation to the third tier in May 2022, and Rooney departed for D.C United that summer.

Having managed in the MLS for 15 months, the former Everton forward is now back in England with Birmingham City, where he'll be hoping to improve his pretty underwhelming 28% win rate.

13 Mark Hughes – 38%

Mark Hughes was part of Sir Alex's first title-winning side in 1993 and was a fabulous servant for the Scotsman.

Having been inspired by the former United boss, the Welshman decided to try his hand at management following his retirement in 2002 and he's gone on to take charge of a whopping 690 matches.

Though, across his eight different jobs, the 59-year-old's win rate doesn't exactly make for good reading. He was recently sacked by League Two outfit Bradford City, leaving the club in 18th after a run of three wins from 11 games.

Perhaps his most notable role was with Stoke, where he managed 200 games, guiding the club to three consecutive ninth-placed Premier League finishes.

12 Roy Keane – 38%

The former United skipper began his managerial career with Sunderland, helping the club return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Keane's second season saw his side retain their top-flight status, finishing 15th, three points clear of the drop zone. However, he opted to resign mid-way through his third campaign after a poor run of results, leaving the North East club in 18th.

A job at Ipswich beckoned for the Irishman shortly after departing the Black Cats, and after 20 months in charge, having won 29 of his 81 matches, he was sacked by Town.

Since Keane's Portman Road exit in January 2011, he hasn't returned to management, though speaking on the 'Stick to Football' podcast, he admitted a desire to get back in the dugout.

11 Mark Robins – 40%

The current Coventry City boss, Mark Robins, is adored by the Sky Blue faithful. Across his six-and-a-half-year second spell at the club, the former United forward has overseen two promotions and stabilised the club during unsettling times off the field.

Coventry reached the Championship play-off final last term before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Luton Town but his side appears well-placed to once again challenge for a spot in the Premier League this season.

Robins is widely considered as one of the best managers in the second tier and is certainly the best pupil of Sir Alex's up to this point.

10 Paul Ince – 40%

Paul Ince hasn't exactly inspired many with his managerial abilities.

His win rate of 40% could be a lot worse though, and his first spell as MK Dons manager was probably his most successful role, winning an impressive 35 of his 55 matches in charge, prompting Premier League side Blackburn to appoint him as manager.

Ince only lasted 21 matches in post at Rovers, having won just six of his 21 games before receiving the sack.

9 Gordon Strachan – 41%

Gordon Strachan has taken charge of just shy of 600 games throughout his 27-year career as a manager, with his first role coming at Coventry City.

A trophy-laden spell in Glasgow saw him win three Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic whilst collecting three domestic cup trophies.

Following his departure from The Hoops in 2009, the former United and Leeds midfielder managed Middlesbrough and Scotland.

Strachan now operates as a technical director for Dundee F.C.

8 Darren Ferguson – 43%

Whilst Darren Ferguson didn't play under Sir Alex, he of course received an extensive amount of tutelage from the former United boss by being his son.

Darren hasn't reached the heights his father did, but he has enjoyed a successful career in the lower leagues of English football, most notably with Peterborough United.

He's managed an astounding 483 games for the Posh across four different spells and is currently in post with the League One outfit.

The 51-year-old's side currently sit fifth after winning six of their opening 12 matches this season.

7 Steve McClaren – 45%

Steve McClaren was Sir Alex's assistant for 149 games and was on the touchline at the Nou Camp when the Red Devils beat Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final to complete the treble.

McClaren has managed a whole host of clubs and was even in charge of England at one point, though that tenure was short-lived after his side failed to qualify for EURO 2008.

The veteran coach now serves as an assistant to Erik ten Hag and has been in the post since the Dutchman's arrival last summer.

6 Ryan Giggs – 50%

Now we get into the impressive win rate territory of 50% and beyond.

The Ex-United winger, Ryan Giggs, took caretaker charge at Old Trafford following David Moyes' sacking in April 2014. The Welshman managed the remaining four games of the season, winning two, drawing one and losing one.

His first permanent role came with the Wales national team in 2018, managing a total of 24 games and winning 12, before stepping down due to a court trial, which has since been dropped.

Giggs' return to management is close, according to reports.

Glasgow Rangers face a different sort of challenge this evening as Philippe Clement takes charge of the Ibrox side for the first time in European competition.

A trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague will prove to be a slightly more difficult task than what Hibernian offered at Ibrox on the weekend, as the Easter Road outfit slumped to a 4-0 defeat.

The early signs certainly look positive from the Belgian and another win this evening will buy him more credit with the supporters as a new era in Glasgow has well and truly begun.

The 49-year-old could perhaps likely make some changes from the starting XI that took on Hibs just a few days ago and rotation will be key to keep the players fresh.

What is the Rangers team news vs Sparta Prague?

One problem the former Club Brugge boss has is who will start at left-back. Borna Barisic was substituted off during the early stages of the Hibs clash with what appeared to be a thigh problem, and he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.

Due to Michael Beale’s incompetence, Yilmaz is not included in the Europa League squad, leaving the Gers extremely light in this area and this could prompt Clement into a reshuffle at the back.

He could perhaps slot Ben Davies into the left side of defence, and this will probably be the logical thing to do ahead of the vital tie.

There could also be changes to the attacking setup and despite Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers enjoying solid performances against Hibs, will Clement start the duo or give opportunities to others who are keen to shine?

How has Sam Lammers performed for Rangers this season?

Although positive on the weekend, Lammers has failed to really convince the Ibrox faithful that his £3m transfer fee is fully justified.

Since joining from Atalanta in the summer under Beale, the Dutchman has found the back of the net only once across 17 matches, yet this was to be expected considering the forward scored just six goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

This isn’t due to a lack of trying as the forward currently ranks first for shots per game (3.2) across the whole squad in the Premiership, yet he ranks seventh for goals and assists (two) and third for big chances missed (three) during the opening nine games of the season.

This form suggests he has yet to make the desired impact at the Glasgow side and Sparta Prague will prove to be a much more difficult opponent to break down compared to Hibs, giving Clement the licence to ditch Lammers.

The question is, who could replace him in the starting XI? With Todd Cantwell returning from injury on the weekend, he could be ready for his first start since the Old Firm clash against Celtic at the start of September.

Could Todd Cantwell start against Sparta Prague?

After missing five matches due to a knee injury suffered against Celtic, Cantwell made his return on Saturday and his 32-minute cameo was an effective one.

The midfielder replaced Scott Wright with just over half an hour left and he not only grabbed an assist, but also made two key passes, took one shot on target, and completed 88% of his attempted passes.

2-1 win vs Servette

2-0 win vs Sparta Prague

2-0 win vs FC Shkupi

1-0 win vs Progres Niederkorn

1-0 defeat to Malmö

It was a profitable return for the former Norwich City gem, and it may have opened a door for him to be unleashed from the first whistle against the Czech side.

How much did Todd Cantwell cost Rangers?

During Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Light Blues, he managed to secure the signing of Cantwell from Norwich City for a fee believed to be around £1.5m and despite suffering a poor start to the season with the East Anglian side, it has proved to be a bargain so far for the Gers.

Gary Cockaday, his former youth coach, hailed him previously when discussing his talents as he made his way through to the first team at Norwich, saying: “At one point, two of them had Todd up against the line and you could see them thinking, ‘Gotcha!’

“Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

His first few months at Ibrox were a major success as he finished the 2022/23 season having scored six times while registering five assists and his displays were one of the few bright sparks in a relatively poor season for the club.

The 25-year-old has yet to score so far this term, but this could be down to Beale’s lack of a proper tactical system rather than Cantwell’s ability suddenly diminishing.

Indeed, across the squad for his league displays, he currently ranks fifth for shots per game (1.8) along with ranking in the top five for interceptions per game (1.2) and while he has yet to hit the heights of last term, he could thrive under Clement.

A tie against Sparta will provide a perfect challenge for Cantwell, and he could certainly stake a claim to be a regular starter by putting on a solid performance.

Lammers has looked out of sorts since arriving in Scotland and although the Hibs tie indicated he could still have some sort of role under the Belgian, a European tie represents an ideal chance for him to rest a few players.

Cantwell may not be fit enough to last the full 90 minutes, yet his inclusion from the start could only benefit the Gers as they go chasing their second group stage win of the current season.

Aston Villa have recently agreed an off-field deal at Villa Park, with one finance expert labelling it as “excellent timing”.

Aston Villa update – off-field deal agreed

It has been a busy year in the Midlands, with Unai Emery transforming the club’s fortunes on the pitch and leading Villa into the Europa Conference League. As a result, NSWE backed the Spaniard in the transfer market over the summer, with the likes of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres arriving in big-money transfers.

However, Villa have also been busy in recent months and announced a new collaborative partnership with Japanese club, Vissel Kobe. Villa shared the news last week, saying on their official website:

“As part of this exciting step forward for both clubs, Villa and Vissel Kobe will work to create a bilateral development framework for players and staff which will enhance youth development, alongside the cooperative sharing of ideas, techniques and best practice. The partnership will look to further open up pathways for talented Japanese players to play in Europe and, ultimately, at Aston Villa.”

Kieran Maguire has claimed that Aston Villa will want to emulate Brighton & Hove Albion’s success with Kaoru Mitoma going forward, and he has made another claim on the deal. Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider about the off-field agreement and labelled it as “excellent timing for Aston Villa”.

“I think this Vissel Kobe partnership is excellent timing for Aston Villa. They have ambitious owners. They want eventually to be in a position where they can challenge the ‘Big Six’ in terms of qualifying in the Champions League places.

“Therefore in order for them to be able to do that, they need to be able to increase income streams. Having a good tie-up with a senior Asian market such as Japan makes logical sense.

“Combining that with the expansion of Villa Park it makes even more sense. Football is leaning more towards prawn sandwiches, which as a fan you loathe. but as a financier you understand.”

Aston Villa and Vissel Kobe deal

Not only will Villa work with Vissel Kobe ahead of some potential players moving from Japan to England, but the club confirmed that exchanges of “technical knowledge and coaching methodology”, looking to improve areas of “performance, scouting and recruitment, data analysis and overall squad management” will also be on the agenda, so there appears to be an in-depth plan in place.

It could benefit both clubs in years to come, and as Maguire claims, the deal may also help Villa as they look to break into the ‘Big Six’ under Emery with an improved income in Asia both on and off the pitch. It will be interesting to see who the first player could be to make the move from Vissel Kobe to Aston Villa, but with Emery’s side once again flying during the current campaign, additions may well be limited to start with.

Fading away in the Premier League title race last season – the juggernaut of Manchester City unsurprisingly crowned as top-flight champions once more after the Gunners had battled toe-to-toe – Arsenal have not let any festering disappointment from that collapse impact their performances in the infancy of this new campaign.

Mikel Arteta's North Londoners are currently unbeaten in the league to date, only suffering one defeat in all competitions so far this season when travelling to France to face off against RC Lens in the Champions League and leaving empty-handed in a 2-1 loss.

Their most impressive victory of the season so far has to be their 1-0 victory over Pep Guardiola's Man City, Guardiola's understudy in Arteta – Arsenal's Spanish boss once assistant to Pep at the Ethiad – masterminding a gritty win as boss over the side that pipped them to the top-flight honours in May.

Still, not everything is rosy with the Gunners to date. New recruit Kai Havertz has yet to get going in an Arsenal strip, concerns surrounding the German's quality growing with fellow midfielder Martin Odegaard also underperforming of late.

How is Odegaard performing this season for Arsenal?

Compared to last season's high standards, the Norwegian midfielder – who now has the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband for the Gunners – hasn't been quite as instrumental for Arsenal in games this campaign so far.

Scoring a career-best 15 goals during the 2022-23 league season, assisting a further eight, the one-time Real Madrid starlet has matured into an elite talent in England.

It is why his current performances feel so underwhelming in contrast and might be why Arteta didn't even use him as a substitute against Sheffield United last time out, the Gunners convincingly dispatching of the Blades 5-0 even without their main creator centrally.

His displays in recent matches show a player running somewhat on empty, Odegaard nowhere near his best in Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Chelsea in their last away outing – not even registering a single shot on goal at Stamford Bridge all game per Sofascore, the Gunners bailed out by late impact man Leandro Trossard who netted the crucial equaliser.

Yet, even with his three goals and one assist from nine contests, the 24-year-old ace is still head and shoulders above Havertz who is frustrating another set of football supporters in London after departing Chelsea.

How is Havertz performing this season for Arsenal?

Raising eyebrows at the time, Havertz's move to the Emirates for £67.5m felt make or break for the misfiring German after a poor couple of seasons at Stamford Bridge.

"Underwhelming for far too long" in a Chelsea shirt before moving on, according to football journalist Jai McIntosh, Havertz is yet to prove his critics wrong for Arteta's men with his recent performances for the Gunners just giving his naysayers more ammunition.

Averaging a sub-par 6.89 rating for the Gunners from their first 10 games per Sofascore, his only goal so far for his new employers came from the penalty spot versus AFC Bournemouth – Arsenal cruising at 3-0, Havertz afforded the opportunity to convert the penalty to boost his wavering confidence.

Against Sheffield United, Havertz could not capitalise on the Blades' frailties in defence and help himself to a second goal in Arsenal colours.

The German attempted one shot all game and missed a 'big chance', per Sofascore, hitting his effort wide as an Eddie Nketiah hat-trick helped Arteta's men seal an emphatic win versus the Premier League's basement club.

Arteta will still have everything crossed that Havertz can kickstart his career in North London soon, the 24-year-old finding life in the Premier League hard.

But, as was the case with Granit Xhaka and many more that Arteta improved last season with the Gunners, all hope should not be lost that the dud can reach new heights and live up to his billing as the next best thing after starring with Bayer Leverkusen as a youngster.

However, for now, the ex-Chelsea man is worse than Odegaard and is yet to prove that he has the ability to score or assist goals on a regular basis in the way that the Norwegian ace did last season, which is why he must be ditched from the XI for now.

Aston Villa have found phenomenal form in 2023 under Unai Emery. The wins have arrived, and, therefore, so has a place in the Europa Conference League, leading to an exceptional summer landing players like Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo. It has been a near-flawless tenure for Emery, but success is not without its negatives in football, and when the transfer window swings open, the Midlands club may find that out the hard way.

Whilst players continue to reach new heights at Aston Villa, other clubs, be it in the rest of Europe or in the Premier League, will begin to come calling, with one top manager already setting his sights on one particular star player.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans did well to not only recruit the right players during the summer, but also keep hold of those who earned a place in Europe in the first place. The likes of Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins stayed put, rightly convinced that Emery's project is the place to be. They may not be so lucky when the January transfer window opens, however, given the latest Douglas Luiz transfer news.

According to reports in Spain, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has never been so interested in Luiz, and believes that the addition of the Brazilian would strengthen his squad in January. It won't be an easy deal, and Villa are in a strong position with Luiz's contract not expiring until 2026, but the Villans will be on high-alert.

From Emery's perspective, he will surely be desperate to keep hold of his defensive midfielder, who would be hard to replace mid-way through the campaign, with fixtures coming thick and fast, including a potential European knockout tie. The winter window could certainly test the resolve of the star players currently plying their trade at Villa Park.

Douglas Luiz's stats

It's been another impressive season when it comes to Luiz's stats. The midfielder has played a vital part, helping Villa get off to a strong start, leaving them fifth in the table and just four points adrift of table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur. Compared to current Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, Luiz stands out even more, as per FBref.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Tackles Won

Blocks

Interceptions

Douglas Luiz

13

46

13

10

4

Rodrigo De Paul

9

26

6

4

0

The former Manchester City man has earned plenty of praise during his time at Villa, too, including from Emery, who said, via The Birmingham Mail: “His improvement is to be strong in the structure I am creating. Offensively, strong structure trying to occupy good spaces, trying to take passion to get the ball to them.

"Don’t lose this structure offensively then, when we have to react defensively as well, he’s in very good positions to start pressing against them. Of course, sometimes we can have more possession of the ball, sometimes less.

“The idea is to try and keep ball possession for a long time. If we are not doing it, we have to keep our structure defensively strong. We’re being very competitive starting in our structure. Away from home we’re showing it. At home, there’s not the balance I want.”

Fast bowler seeks sustained run of match fitness ahead of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2018Mark Wood hopes that a new lengthened run-up could be the secret to a sustained run of match fitness, as he prepares for the start of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Wood’s ability to generate sharp pace from a short and explosive run-up has been a key reason why he has been considered a point-of-difference bowler in recent seasons, but it has also contributed to a spate of injuries, not least in his troublesome left heel, on which he has undergone numerous bouts of surgery.And now, with the World Cup looming next year, and his fitness restored after another interrupted summer, Wood hopes that a longer, smoother run-up could lead to a longer and smoother run in the England team.”It’s something I’ve worked on in the second half of the season in England and brought it here,” Wood told . “It’s a trial, something I can go back to if I want to do the step-back run-up.”I spoke to Kevin Shine, the head bowling coach, and Chris Silverwood, who’s out here, and said that off my short run-up I felt I was having to force it all the time. That meant I was putting more stress on than I needed to, having to ramp it up to get my top speed.”So pushed my run-up back, so that it felt like I could cruise into it a little more and look for more rhythm, rather than trying to be at the top end all the time, and putting more stress on my body.”Wood hasn’t had much of a chance to put any stress on his body just yet, however. England have faced monsoonal conditions since their arrival in Sri Lanka, and their planned two days of practice in Colombo was reduced to a single contest against a Board XI. It did at least give the bowlers an inkling of how the pitches might behave come the start of the series.”We’ve had a lot of rain so far. Some days are red hot, sweaty humid conditions, and quite nice to bowl in and there are some days when it’s rained a lot and it’s coming from the ground up. It’s different conditions to deal with.”The pitch didn’t feel as subcontinental like as you might think,” he added. “It’s subtropical here in Sri Lanka, not like India or the UAE. It’s more humid and a lot greener than you might expect. The one-day wickets have had a bit of tennis-ball bounce and have swung a bit for England for three or four overs, so we have to use that to our advantage.”Thanks to their plethora of allrounders, England’s one-day squad is packed with seam-bowling options, which means that Wood envisages being used in short, sharp bursts to conserve energy and mix up the modes of attack.”It is ridiculously hot, so coming from a seam bowling point of view, it’ll be two or three overs, smash it as hard as you can, then get off. The spinners are the ones who are going to attack here, but that new ball is key for us. If we can get wickets up front when it’s doing a bit, that’ll be brilliant, but if not, we’ll sit in, try to dot up and make it hard, then let the spinners attack from the other end.”Reverse swing is a traditional factor in Asian conditions, but Wood said that England may need to adapt their methods to obtain the contrast between the rough and smooth sides of the ball to unlock that particular weapon.”Being quick through air will be key with reverse swing, but this ground at Dambulla looks lush and green, so I’m not sure how much reverse there’ll be. But the Sri Lankans tend to wet one side of the ball, and keep it smooth. They know better than anyone in their own conditions, so maybe we can take a leaf out of their book.”

A pundit has told Sky Sports that Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has now drilled one Spurs star into working very hard.

Spurs form and results this season

The Lilywhites look transformed by Postecoglou's arrival; winning seven out of a possible nine Premier League games while remaining unbeaten in that period. Victories over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley, Sheffield United, Liverpool, Luton Town and Fulham have helped table-topping Tottenham to their finest start since they clinched a double in the 1960/1961 campaign.

Postecoglou has also broken a record, overseeing the best start made by a new manager in Premier League history. The mood around north London is one of real positivity and jubilation right now, and alongside their popular head coach, supporters have a key players to thank for their meteoric early-season rise. Son Heung-min, who's already scored seven top flight goals this season, has formed a very fruitful partnership with summer signing James Maddison in the forward areas.

Indeed, Maddison joined Spurs from Leicester City for £40 million over the last transfer window (BBC) – a fee which now looks like one of the bargains of 2023. His three goals and five assists, not to mention overall performances, have attracted real praise. The midfielder has also dazzled at international level, with England manager Gareth Southgate praising Maddison as a player who brings the "sunshine".

“He is in a really good vein of form," said Southgate at an England press conference.

"A really good character around the group. He connects people well. We have got the more steady, serious guys & we have a lot of guys who bring a lot of sunshine."

Aaron Lennon praises James Maddison

It's one of English football's worst kept secrets that Maddison is a serial creator going forward, having also notched a brilliant 10 goals and nine assists in the Premier League for Leicester last campaign. Now, he's found a new set of fans to entertain with his quality on a weekly basis, and it appears the sky may very well be the limit.

Former Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has lavished Maddison with praise on Sky Sports as well, but it's for an aspect for his game you wouldn't usually associate that often with the star playmaker. Lennon has spotted something different which Postecoglou has drilled into his game – namely that he's now working very hard out of possession.

“Yeah, at the minute he’s on absolute fire," said Lennon to Sky (via Football Daily) after their 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday.

"I was watching him and he completely dictated the game. He was working hard off the ball, I think the new manager has got that into him. He must be a joy to play with, as one of those front players with him behind you, if you make the run he’ll find you. He’s the man of the moment at the minute."

Gets fouled often

Likes to cut inside

Likes to dribble

Plays the ball off the ground often

Likes to do lay-offs

Likes to play long balls

Maddison will next be in action against Crystal Palace on Friday, as Spurs look to maintain their incredible run and remain top of the table.

Celtic picked up their first point of the Champions League season as they were held by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid to a 2-2 draw at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

The Hoops were twice in front during the first half, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma, but Diego Simeone's star-studded frontline produced the goods as goals from Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Mortata secured a point for their side.

Whilst it was disappointing for Brendan Rodgers' team not to walk away with all three points after going 1-0 and 2-1 up, there were plenty of positives to take from the game; including performances from Matt O'Riley and Liam Scales.

Matt O'Riley's statistics against Atletico Madrid

The Denmark U21 international was an influential figure in the middle of the park for Celtic as he showcased his ability at both ends of the pitch.

He provided a sublime assist for the opening goal from Kyogo with a perfectly-weighted first-time pass through to the Japan international, which split open the Atletico defence.

The former Fulham man went on to create one more chance and enjoyed 70 touches of the ball in total as he displayed his creativity in midfield.

O'Riley also made an impact out of possession. The left-footed whiz won six of his 11 duels and made three tackles and two interceptions in total, which shows that the central midfielder also worked hard to win the ball back for his team with a number of defensive interventions.

Liam Scales' statistics against Atletico Madrid

One player who stood out alongside O'Riley and caught the eye with his immense display at the back for Rodgers was central defender Scales.

The Ireland international, who started the game alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the defence, produced an impressive performance to keep Atletico quiet for large spells during the match.

Firstly, the former Aberdeen loanee displayed superb composure in possession of the ball with 103 attempted passes from 114 touches, which was 44 more than O'Riley had, and completed 86% of those passes.

He also dominated the opposition in his individual duels against the Atletico forwards. As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old machine won 70% (7/10) of his battles, which included six of his eight aerial contests, and this shows that the Spanish side found it difficult to get the better of him.

Scales also made two blocks, three clearances, and one tackle to help out Joe Hart to keep him as quiet as possible outside of the two Atletico goals.

His performance resulted in a Sofascore rating of 7.1 and this was 0.3 higher than any other starting member of the back four, and 0.6 higher than both of the full-backs – Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor.

This shows that the Irish colossus was Rodgers' standout performer in defence for Celtic with his fantastic play in and out of possession over the course of the 90 minutes.

Therefore, Scales was immense for the Hoops and the Scottish giants may need him to maintain that level over the remaining three group stage games in order to stand a chance of securing qualification for the knockout stages.