“We will continue exploring a window for organising the age-group tournaments post the IPL 2021,” secretary Jay Shah said

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2021

“Our players’ health, safety and well-being are our primary concern”•BCCI

A fresh surge in the number of Covid-19 cases around the country has led to the BCCI suspending the proposed 50-over inter-state Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Under-19 men at least till the end of IPL 2021, which is scheduled to get over on May 30.”While our endeavour was to get in as many matches as was practicable across different age groups in the season, prevailing circumstances have now forced us to suspend all age-group tournaments,” Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said in an email sent to the various state associations on Tuesday. “This is on account of the fact that active COVID cases are on the rise and organising tournaments requires intercity travel, strict quarantine measures and the creation and maintenance of bio-secure bubbles for the participants. Moreover, the situation is presently not conducive in some states.”Related

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On January 30 this year, the BCCI had announced its plans of hosting the domestic 50-over competitions for men, women and Under-19 men despite the Covid-19 situation. The men’s national T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, was nearing completion at the time.That meant no Ranji Trophy for the first time since its inception in 1934-35, and, along with a number of other cancelled tournaments, no Cooch Behar Trophy for the Under-19 men or any of the boys’ Under-16 or Under-23 competitions. Similarly, there would be no age-group tournaments for women cricketers either.The postponement of these tournaments assumes greater significance than usual because there is the next edition of the men’s Under-19 World Cup scheduled for 2022 in the West Indies, and also the inaugural women’s Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh tentatively slotted for later this year too.”Considering the fact that the 10th and 12th Board Examinations are also around the corner across India, it is prudent that our young athletes have the opportunity to prepare and focus on these crucial examinations. Furthermore, our players’ health, safety and well-being are our primary concern,” Shah wrote. “I assure you that we will continue exploring a window for organising the age-group tournaments post the IPL 2021.”The BCCI had earlier asked the state associations to give their suggestions on the domestic calendar, which has had to be curtailed in a major way because of the pandemic and could only start in January this year.The 2020 edition of the IPL was held in the UAE, with the four-match Women’s T20 Challenge held alongside the playoffs of the men’s event, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was played across seven centres in India in January. That was followed by the all-format series between India and England – currently in progress – and the men’s 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, which ended on March 14. The women’s 50-over competition is currently on (final on April 4) and the 2021 edition of the IPL is slated to take place in India – only in Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata – between April 9 and May 30.

da cassino online： It is hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl after he watched his team ship three goals for the second time in four matches, albeit after extra time.

da bwin： The Ibrox giants were beaten 3-1 at Hampden Park by their Glasgow rivals in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday, but it was fairly impressive that they even took the game to extra time after going 1-0 down and down to ten men.

Rohl, who arrived to replace Russell Martin in the dugout, will have learned a lot about his group of players after his first four games in charge, with two wins and two defeats.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss should be pleased with the fight this team showed on Sunday, although his side seemed to lose their legs in extra time, as shown by how slow the defenders were to react to Callum Osmand’s goal in the clip below.

Celtic’s young striker scored his first goal for the club in his second senior appearance, both of which have come under interim manager Martin O’Neill.

That shows that a fresh pair of eyes in the dugout can unearth a talent that was overlooked by the previous management team, which should be a lesson to Rohl, with the players in the Rangers youth ranks.

The academy problem Rangers have at Ibrox

The Light Blues have a problem with their academy at Ibrox because there has not been enough of a reward for the work being done with their youth teams.

Most valuable former Rangers academy stars

Player

Market value

Rangers first-team games

Billy Gilmour

£18m

0

Nathan Patterson

£11m

27

Greg Taylor

£5m

0

Ross McCrorie

£2m

55

Lewis Morgan

£2m

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the five most valuable former Rangers academy players all play for other clubs, and none of them made more than 55 appearances for the first-team before they left.

Only two of them, Nathan Patterson and Billy Gilmour, being worth more than £5m suggests that the club are not doing enough to bring in or develop high-value players in their academy.

On top of potentially not bringing the right players through their academy system, an issue could also be the lack of a pathway to first-team football at Ibrox.

Osmand for Celtic is the perfect example. He did not play a single minute under Brendan Rodgers for the Hoops, after signing in the summer window, and he made an instant impact in a huge match when brought in by O’Neill.

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If Rodgers had stayed in post and continued to ignore the striker, Osmand’s development may have stalled, and he could have gone on to leave Glasgow and thrive or fail elsewhere.

Instead, O’Neill provided him with a chance to shine and, after his goal against Rangers, he may kick on to become a star for the Hoops in the coming months because of the opportunity that he has been given.

Now, on the other side of Glasgow, Rohl could unearth his own version of Osmand by finally unleashing Findlay Curtis as a starter for the Ibrox giants.

Why Danny Rohl should unleash Findlay Curtis for Rangers

The Gers academy graduate was given a chance by Martin at the start of this season, with starts against Panathinaikos, and he showed real promise, with an excellent first goal for the club.

It was a terrific run and finish from the “Boy Wonder”, as shown in the clip above, but he has not started a game in any competition since those two games against the Greek side.

Curtis added to his goal tally for the club with goals against both St Mirren and Alloa Athletic, in the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup. Both of those strikes, though, came as a substitute.

Findlay Curtis’ appearances this season

Opposition

Minutes

Goals

Panathinaikos (H)

75

1

Panathinaikos (A)

59

0

Viktoria Plzen (H)

5

0

Dundee (H)

13

0

Alloa Athletic (H)

6

1

St Mirren (A)

14

1

Club Brugge (A)

45

0

Celtic (H)

8

0

Hibernian (H)

13

0

Dundee United (H)

14

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old attacker has only made ten appearances in all competitions this season, starting two games, and has scored three goals in that time.

Per Sofascore, Curtis has been an unused substitute in seven of his last eight appearances in the matchday squad, with his only outing in that time coming off the bench against Dundee United in Stevie Smith’s game as interim head coach.

Despite his frustrating lack of game time on the pitch, only Djeidi Gassama (five) and James Tavernier (six) have scored more goals for Rangers in all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, than the teenage winger.

Curtis has scored one goal in 49 minutes of action in the Premiership, across four appearances as a substitute, so far this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has been effective with the minutes that he has had.

The Scottish forward, who produced four goals and three assists in eight matches for the B team, has delivered quality in the Premiership, in Europe, and in a domestic cup. He has shown that he can make an impact with the first-team.

Yet, as has seemingly been the case for academy players for far too long at Ibrox, Curtis has not been rewarded with regular game time to develop and improve in the senior team.

Rohl must change that by providing the 19-year-old attacker, who can play on the left or the right flank, with more chances to show what he can do on the pitch as a starter for the Light Blues.

Rangers saw firsthand what can happen when a young player is finally given a chance when Osmand found the back of the net against them, and they should learn from that lesson by finally unleashing Curtis.

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Tottenham Hotspur dropped points for just the second time this season on home soil last night, with their meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers ending 1-1.

Santiago Bueno looked as though he had secured Vitor Pereira’s side their first league win of the Premier League campaign, but Thomas Frank’s side managed to stage a late fightback.

Joao Palhinha’s effort deep into stoppage time saw the Lilywhites claim a late point, extending the side’s unbeaten run to five games across all competitions.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage showing in North London, but it’s certainly a sign of a good side if they can avoid defeat even when not producing one of their best displays.

However, if Frank’s side are to be a success in the near future, the Dane desperately needs to address one issue that arose in the meeting with the West Midlands outfit.

Spurs’ biggest issue against Wolves last night

In front of goal this season, Spurs have been largely impressive, scoring 11 times in their six league outings – averaging nearly two goals per game in 2025/26.

However, their showing against Pereira’s side last night was a somewhat toothless one, subsequently being unable to break down the opposition, who have failed to win a single top-flight outing.

Whilst the Lilywhites had 51% of the play, completing 111 passes into the final third, but could only muster a total of three shots on target during the 90 minutes.

Even when managing to get a shot off, Frank’s men struggled with their accuracy, only managing to get 30% of their shots on target – undoubtedly leading to their inability to secure all three points.

Their subsequent chances only accrued an xG of just 0.87, with the visitors achieving a higher total of 1.15 – subsequently doing so despite managing fewer efforts on goal.

The Lilywhites’ attack was made up of over £150m worth of talent last night, but numerous of such players failed to make the desired impact in forward areas.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Wolves

Xavi Simons joined Spurs in a £52m transfer from RB Leipzig late in the summer window, but as of yet, the Dutchman has struggled to hit the ground running in North London.

The 22-year-old has made five appearances in all competitions, but has only registered one goal contribution, with his assist for Pape Sarr against West Ham United his only tangible reward.

In his showing against Wolves yesterday, Simons only managed a 25% dribble success rate, whilst only completing 27% of the crosses he attempted – highlighting his lack of impact in North London.

In the majority of his matches to date, the youngster has operated in an unnatural role off the left-hand side, which has no doubt contributed to his lack of success since his big-money move.

However, the same can’t be said for Richarlison, with the Brazilian striker being Frank’s first choice number nine in the absence of Dominic Solanke since the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Whilst the 28-year-old started the season in superb fashion, netting two goals in the opening day triumph over Burnley, he’s ultimately struggled to hit such heights in recent weeks.

He’s now only managed to find the back of the net once in his last seven outings across all competitions, hitting a blank against Wolves once again last night.

Richarlison – stats against Wolves
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	90
Touches	20
Passes completed	5
Possession lost	8x
Duels won	33%
Dribbles completed	0
Shots on target	0
Chances created	0
Stats via FotMob

Despite not scoring, Richarlison may have been able to save himself with his all-round showing, but it was an evening to forget for the talisman in North London as he looked way off the pace throughout the draw.

His lack of impact was highlighted by his tally of just 20 touches, a figure lower than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who managed 29 throughout the contest.

Richarlison’s dismal showing was further reflected in his tally of just five passes completed, at a success rate of just 56%, whilst also losing possession eight times – losing the ball 40% of the time he touched it.

His further tallies of 0% dribbles completed and 33% duel success rate also indicate how alien he was during the meeting with Pereira’s men, often being dominated by the opposition backline.

As a result of his showing, the £50m forward was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold – topping off what was a disappointing performance from the Brazilian.

After such a showing, boss Frank has no choice but to make a change at the top end of the pitch, with such a position becoming an issue given the lack of tangible rewards produced in recent games.

The Champions League clash at Bodo Glimt could present an excellent opportunity to try something slightly left field in an attempt to try and rectify the problem currently apparent at the top end of the pitch.

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A hugely encouraging transfer update has now emerged regarding Manchester United’s attempts to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.

The 25-year-old has developed into one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, and is also looking highly likely to start for England at the 2026 World Cup next summer. For now, he has remained coy about his future, with his Palace deal expiring at the end of this season.

“For me, it doesn’t really matter, to be honest. As long as I’m playing well and helping Palace, there’s definitely an opportunity for me to be here as I am today.

“Whether it’s sorted or not, it’s not really the most important thing to be honest. Personally, I don’t know if I can think that far ahead. I like to just take it step by step, and that is just focusing on the games that I have at Palace and any upcoming opportunities I have here.”

United’s rivals Liverpool were extremely close to signing Guehi on deadline day, with a £35m fee even agreed, while Real Madrid have also been mentioned as potential suitors.

Man Utd want to hijack Real Madrid's move for Guehi

Now, Defensa Central report that Manchester United are looking to hijack Real Madrid’s move for Guehi, seeing the England international as a great option to bring in.

The Red Devils are willing to offer a “huge sum” of money for his services, in what looks set to be an auction for his signature in 2026. This presumably applies to wages rather than a transfer fee, though, considering he will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season.

It is no wonder that Guehi is a man in demand currently, with the Englishman’s performances for Palace proving to be immaculate in recent years, helping the Eagles win the FA Cup last season.

There is such an unruffled nature about him, and while he is far from the biggest, he uses great positional sense and intelligence to his advantage, being lauded by Stephen Warnock recently, who also talked about the idea of him joining Liverpool over United, which may not go down too well with Red Devils fans.

“Marc Guehi is a magnificent player. My concern for him is I hope he still gets that move to Liverpool. He deserves to play on the bigger stage, which is Champions League football. He has the ability to play at a club like Liverpool.”

With all due respect to Palace, next summer is the right time for Guehi to enjoy a new challenge at a bigger club, and if United were able to sign him, it would feel like a major coup.

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It does feel as though they will need Champions League football to attract him to Old Trafford, though, considering the likes of Liverpool and Madrid will likely be able to offer him that.

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Rahane says he had a conversation with Kohli after running him out in Adelaide

Sidharth Monga25-Dec-2020One bad hour. Two good days. Back yourselves to keep doing the same things that brought you those two good days, and avoid that bad hour. That is the import from India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane, who picked an XI with five bowlers for the second Test before attending the pre-match press conference.It is a rare opportunity to captain India – only 33 men have done so in Tests – but Rahane’s position is not exactly enviable with India coming off their 36 all out nightmare and missing three of their frontline players. On top of that, Rahane still holds responsible for not batting Australia out of the game when he ran Virat Kohli out in the first innings and followed it up with a disappointing lbw dismissal.”It was really tough,” Rahane said of the run-out, which became part of India’s fall of 17 wickets for 92 runs. They had been 188 for 3 before that. “Obviously we were going really well, the partnership was really good, and I could actually see that momentum go towards Australia after that run-out. After the end of the day, I went and said sorry to him [Kohli]. He was okay about it because we understood that the situation we were in, we were going really well at that point, but such things happen in cricket. You have got to respect that and move on from there.”Related

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Rahane said Kohli addressed the team before leaving for India for the birth of his first child. “Virat spoke to all of us. We had our team dinner in Adelaide so he spoke to all of us about being positive, playing to our strength and just play as a team and as a unit. That is what we have been doing all these years. It is all about that, all about staying in the moment, playing for each other and enjoy each other’s success and help each other out in the field.”Rahane said while Kohli’s presence was important he won’t be sliding into the captain’s messengers for tips while he is in India. “He spoke to all the boys. He said just be yourselves and back yourselves and play as a team. I don’t want to disturb him now because obviously this time is really special,” Rahane said.This is not the first time Rahane has filled in for Kohli at a crucial time. The last time he did so the opposition was the same, and India were playing the series decider in Dharamsala in 2016-17. Rahane earned plaudits for his captaincy in the match, which started with an aggressive selection of Kuldeep Yadav as the third spinner, continued with field sets and bowling changes, and culminated in an attacking innings to kill a potentially tricky chase.”I felt [I learnt] backing your instinct, remaining calm under pressure, backing your own strengths and methods, which I really focus on,” Rahane said. “I really learnt a lot during that Test.”Rahane reiterated that neither the openers nor he himself needed to take any pressure for the second Test even though their roles were crucial. “We have got to back our basics, back our plans,” Rahane said. “We just had one bad hour so it is all about staying positive, backing your own ability and batting in partnerships. As a batting unit, that matters a lot: communication and batting in partnerships. We are focussing on that.”It is a proud moment for me to lead India. It is a great opportunity and responsibility. I don’t want to take any pressure. What I want to do is back my team-mates, back my team. And as a team we want to do well. The focus is not on me but on the team.”The openers’ role is crucial anywhere. I don’t want to put any pressure on our openers. Just want to give them freedom to play their game. But having said that openers’ role is very crucial. When you have that foundation, it becomes easier for the coming batsman.”

Jules Kounde was the unlikely hero for Barcelona on Tuesday in the Champions League. Eintracht Frankfurt silenced the Camp Nou by taking a shock lead in the first half through Ansgar Knauff. but were pegged back after the break. Marcus Rashford was the catalyst for the hosts, coming off the bench and teeing up Kounde to level matters minutes after the break, and the French full-back then sealed the 2-1 win with his second of the game from a Lamine Yamal cross.

Barcelona have made a habit of conceding first this season and did so again at Camp Nou midway through the first half. Nathaniel Brown clipped a superb ball over Barca’s backline to find Knauff running through on goal, and the winger managed to fend off Alejandro Balde and fire past Joan Garcia to hand Eintracht a shock lead.

Hansi Flick's side enjoyed plenty of possession after the goal, but struggled to create clear-cut chances, meaning it was no surprise to see the German coach tweak his side at the half-time break. The ineffective Fermin Lopez was replaced by Rashford as Flick sought more cutting edge and threat in attack.

The England international made an instant impact after being played through by Pedri down the left. Rashford could have gone for goal himself, but cut the ball back to Raphinha, who could only blaze wildly over the crossbar. Minutes later and Rashford's impact really was felt by the visitors, as the Manchester United loanee's deep cross from the left was headed home by Kounde to make it 1-1.

Kounde may have been an unlikely goal-scorer for Barcelona, but the France international was celebrating again just three minutes later. This time it was Yamal who swung in a cross from deep for Kounde to head Barcelona in front. The goals seemed to drain the belief out of Eintracht as Barca went on to dominate proceedings and secure the win that keeps alive their hopes of automatic qualification from the league phase.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Joan Garcia (7/10):

Couldn't do too much about the goal but dealt confidently with everything else thrown at him.

Jules Kounde (8/10):

Still looks miles below his best form but popped up with two crucial headers to seal the win. He also becomes the first Barca player to score two headers in a Champions League match.

Pau Cubarsi (7/10):

Looks far happier with Martin alongside him. Put in a super challenge to deny Eintracht midway through the second half.

Gerard Martin (6/10):

Stretched out a leg but couldn’t block the pass to Knauff for the opening goal. Had a great effort in the first half which flew just over.

Alejandro Balde (6/10):

Chased back desperately with Knauff but could not prevent him opening the scoring.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Eric Garcia (6/10):

Should have closed down Brown quicker for the opener, but otherwise put in another solid shift. Much better in the second half.

Pedri (8/10):

The classiest operator on the pitch by some distance and helped Barcelona take control of the game after half-time.

Fermin Lopez (5/10):

Looked lost on his return to the team. Struggled to connect with his team-mates and his usual goal threat was missing. No surprise to see him hooked at half-time.

Getty Images SportAttack

Lamine Yamal (7/10):

Looked isolated in the first half and lost the ball in the build-up to Frankfurt's goal. He was better after the break and grabbed an assist for Kounde to make it 2-1, but picked up a booking which rules him out of Barca's next Champions League game.

Robert Lewandowski (5/10):

Scored an early goal which was ruled out for offside but otherwise offered very little. Taken off for Ferran just after the hour.

Raphinha (6/10):

Back in the starting XI but never really got going and was hooked early in the second half.

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Marcus Rashford (8/10):

Made the difference off the bench at half-time. Was really lively throughout and bagged an assist for Kounde. Could have scored himself but saw an effort deflected over the bar.

Ferran Torres (7/10):

Added more energy and invention to the attack. 

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

Came on to firm things up and help Barcelona see out an important win. Not afraid to attack the box.

Andreas Christensen (N/A):

Late sub for Yamal.

Roony Bardghji (N/A):

Another late sub.

Hansi Flick (7/10):

Made changes to his team and they simply didn't pay off as Barca struggled in the first half. Made the right decision to send on Rashford at half-time which helped spark the comeback.

Manchester United have improved drastically in the forward areas this season, though they could now be prepared to offer a platform for Real Madrid star Endrick to shine ahead of the World Cup if circumstances align.

Benjamin Sesko has endured a mixed time since joining the Red Devils. Two goals in 11 matches haven’t exactly set the house on fire, though he has been an impressive presence within build-up play under Ruben Amorim.

Nevertheless, his recent performances have not escaped Gary Neville’s attention, who told NBC Sports that the ‘jury is out’ on whether he will be the right fit through the middle long-term.

He said: “I’m no further forward with him. The jury is out. He’s well off it compared to the other summer signings that Man United made up front in Cunha and Mbeumo.

“He looks awkward, he had a couple of really good opportunities in the first half – when balls got played over the top. And his touch wasn’t quite right.”

Quite clearly, Sesko has the potential to come good. Other than him, Joshua Zirkzee has had limited minutes at Manchester United this season, and he is now reportedly in the sights of Everton with the World Cup taking place next summer.

At this point, it is unclear whether he will be allowed to leave in January. If he is permitted to go, the Red Devils will likely target another forward to pick up the shortfall for the second half of the campaign, even temporarily.

As the transfer window draws closer, Manchester United may now have a plan in place to land a world-renowned talent to bolster their attacking options.

Man Utd target Endrick tells agent he wants loan from Real Madrid

According to The Daily Star, Manchester United target Endrick has told his agents that he will seek a loan move in January, with the only way of that being likely to change if his minutes improve at Real Madrid.

The Brazil international has been frozen out by Xabi Alonso and has played in a single match this season. Aston Villa have also come to the table if uncertainty over his future is set to linger.

Endrick since joining Real Madrid

Appearances

38

Goals

7

Assists

1

West Ham United and Juventus have been mentioned in dispatches as alternative suitors, with the 19-year-old fearful that a lack of games may prohibit his chances of going to next year’s World Cup.

In the scenario where any deal is concluded to send Endrick on loan, Real Madrid want his next club to pay his wages in full for the duration of a spell away from the Spanish capital.

Man Utd are also pushing hard to sign an England international

Mid-season always promised to be an important time of year at Old Trafford, and it now remains to be seen whether they can secure the youngster in a deal that would make headlines across the world.

New Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has a huge job ahead of him after the club officially confirmed his Ibrox appointment on Monday.

The German boss arrives just days before a trip to Brann in the Europa League, and is taking over a team that won five of their 17 matches under the previous manager.

Russell Martin was unable to get a tune out of the squad that was built by the 49ers during the summer transfer window, as evidenced by his statistics in the graphic above.

The Martin signings most at risk under Rohl

The first thing that Rohl needs to do as the new head coach of Rangers is assess the squad to get a rough idea about what his preferred XI and usual set of substitutes will be.

As shown in the graphic above, Martin made plenty of additions to the team during the summer transfer window, but not all of them hit the ground running, as evidenced by the results.

Youssef Chermiti, who has not scored a competitive club goal since he left Sporting in 2023, may be at risk, as he has failed to deliver a goal or an assist for the Gers. Max Aarons, on loan from Bournemouth, may also be at risk as he has fallen down the pecking order in both full-back positions.

Joe Rothwell, per Sofascore, has lost 53% of his duels in midfield in the Scottish Premiership this season, and he could be at risk if the manager wants more robustness in the middle of the park.

One of the summer signings that Rohl must bin when the next window opens, though, is central defender Nasser Djiga, who should be sent back to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Why Danny Rohl should let go of Nasser Djiga

Martin swooped to sign the centre-back on loan from the Premier League side in the summer, but he has failed to prove his worth in the opening three months of the campaign.

Djiga’s worst moment so far, which was described as “disastrous” by Heart & Hand’s David Edgar, was when he inexplicably left the ball to allow Romeo Vermant to score for Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off.

There have been other contenders, though, as he was sent off against Dundee for a last-man foul in August, and Michael Stewart claimed that he “has not helped his team out” after the defender stayed on the floor calling for a foul in the build-up to Alloa Athletic’s first goal in the League Cup.

This shows that the centre-back has failed to perform on multiple occasions across multiple competitions for the Gers since his move to the club on loan.

A loan player for a club the size of Rangers should either be a player who fills a gap, which you could argue Max Aarons does as a back-up full-back, or has the quality to make an immediate impact on the pitch.

Djiga, unfortunately, does not hit either of those criteria at the moment. Whilst you could say that he fills a gap as a back-up centre-back, it is at the expense of Emmanuel Fernandez, who has not made a matchday squad since August.

Dundee United

0

Falkirk

90

Sturm Graz

0

Livingston

0

Genk

0

Hibernian

0

Hearts

45

Celtic

90

Club Brugge

90

Club Brugge

90

As you can see in the table above, Djiga has largely been an unused substitute across all competitions for Rangers since he was hauled off at half-time against Hearts.

The Gers reportedly paid a fee of £3.5m to sign Fernandez from Peterborough United in the summer, and sporting director Kevin Thelwell claimed that he “can have a big future” at Ibrox.

It does not seem prudent to spend £3.5m on a promising young centre-back only to exclude him from matchday squads in favour of a loanee defender, with no option to buy, who has made several costly mistakes this season.

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ByDan Emery Oct 21, 2025

Therefore, Rohl should axe Djiga from the squad, if there is an early release clause in the loan deal or if Wolves are willing to take him back, in January and should look to afford Fernandez more chances to prove that he was worth the £3.5m investment in the summer.

A phone call from Brian Lara was the catalyst for Andre Fletcher to burst out of his BBL form slump, but he revealed he may not be available for the finals if the Melbourne Stars progress that far as they also prepare for life without Haris Rauf.Rauf was named in the Pakistan Test squad for a two-Test of South Africa starting on January 26 and left Melbourne today after bowling just one over in the Stars’ thumping win over the Adelaide Strikers at the MCG.Fletcher also said he may not see the tournament out. He has signed to play in the Abu Dhabi T10 League for the Bangla Tigers, with the 10-day tournament starting on January 28, two days after the Stars’ last home and away game and a day prior to the BBL eliminator. The BBL finals run from January 28 to February 6. The Stars have already released Ben Dunk from his contract and he is listed to play for the Qalandars in the T10 competition, which is also his PSL franchise.Related

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Fletcher said he would like to stay in Melbourne if it’s possible after receiving tremendous support from the Stars during his lean run of form.”I signed a T10 deal a few weeks before the BBL so I’ll have a think about it, speak to my agent and hear what he says,” Fletcher said. “I would love to stay to be honest.”Fletcher was Player of the Match for his stunning 89 not out, having not passed 18 in his first nine BBL innings this season, and having not passed 50 in his last 30 T20 innings dating back to December 2019.On Wednesday he received a phone call out of the blue from Lara, who is Australia commentating on the BBL for Australian broadcaster Channel Seven, to give him some advice.”He called me and I was surprised, to be honest,” Fletcher said after his match-winning innings. “He was telling me that, looking from the outside, I’ve been striking the ball cleanly and he just told me to give myself that opportunity. Giving myself that chance and playing each ball on its merits.”I’m an aggressive player so there’s no need to go out there and look to [over] power the ball. To be honest, that’s what I did today.”I’ve met him before. He’s a great guy. I told him over the phone, after what he told me I was like, ‘So Brian, now I understand the reason you were so great’.”He told me, feel free to call him any time I wish to, he’s there, he’s open for anything and willing to give me advice.”Captain Glenn Maxwell gave Fletcher a warm and long embrace after he came off the ground.”You could see what it meant to him after the game,” Maxwell said. “He was obviously pretty emotional. He got the phone call from the Prince during the week. Just to have that support behind the scenes was really crucial for him. We know how hard he’s been working in the nets. He’s a great team man as well.”The Stars vaulted back into finals calculations with their huge win over the Strikers and play their last four matches in Melbourne, including three at the MCG, but losing Rauf is a blow to the balance of their side. Maxwell was hopeful that Nathan Coulter-Nile would return from his calf injury soon to bolster their bowling stocks.”We’re equal third but also equal sixth,” Maxwell said. “It’s nice and tight at the moment. Obviously Haris is a big loss but he gets to play Test cricket for his nation and that’s a big achievement. We wish him all the best.”We’ve got Coults coming back from injury really soon so it’s probably good timing if there is a good time to lose Haris.”Coulter-Nile hasn’t played since he damaged his calf on December 26 in the loss to the Sydney Sixers.

After leaving Tuesday's game early, Juan Soto will be held out of the New York Mets' lineup for Wednesday's matchup against the San Diego Padres. On Tuesday, Soto fouled a pitch off his foot in the third inning and was immediately in visible pain. He finished his at-bat, but was limping and would be replaced at right field in the bottom half of the inning.

X-rays on Soto's injury came back negative. He was diagnosed with a left foot contusion, and is expected to be playing for the Mets again in the coming days, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Soto will not play Wednesday, and the Mets are off Thursday, meaning that he could at the earliest return for Friday's game versus the San Francisco Giants.

"I think it’s going to be good,” said Soto, via DiComo. “We’ve just got to get the swelling down. Whenever the swelling is down, I think we’re going to be fine.”

With Soto out, Jeff McNeil will play right field for the Mets in their final game of the series at Petco Park. The Mets are looking for their first win of the series, and to keep their narrow lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East.