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Enzo Maresca has revealed that star midfielder Moises Caicedo was forced to start from the bench for Saturday's Premier League tie against Burnley due to the player's late arrival in London after the international break. The Ecuadorian played every minute of his country's two friendlies against New Zealand and Canada, reporting back to the west London club on Thursday evening.

Maresca protects Caicedo from punishing workload

The Blues boss would always prefer to have his destructive midfield enforcer on the field, but it appears the Ecuadorian's punishing workload has forced the decision. The Italian revealed that Caicedo only arrived back in London late on Thursday evening, leaving him with just a light session on Friday to prepare for the lunchtime kickoff in Lancashire. 

Speaking ahead of the game, Maresca rebuffed suggestions he was looking ahead to a tricky week of fixtures for the Blues. Chelsea square off with Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal next Sunday. While the Blues would be excused in prioritising those marquee fixtures, it appears the strenuous travel schedule for the 24-year-old was the only factor in his starting today's game from the bench. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'The reason he is not playing is that it's impossible'

When asked if he was resting Caicedo, with an eye on those upcoming fixtures, Maresca told TNT Sports "Nothing [to do with Barcelona and Arsenal]. The reason he is not in the first eleven is that came back Thursday night from Ecuador, from the national team, then just a light session with us yesterday, and the reason he is not playing is that it is impossible. To protect him a little bit."

Caicedo a vital player for club and country

Caicedo's brilliance in the Chelsea engine room has won him even more admirers of late, prompting pundits to suggest he could be a target for Real Madrid in the summer. His importance to the team has been noted by teammates too; Robert Sanchez said the 24-year-old is the best "midfielder in the world" after his influential display in Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier this month. 

Obviously, the former Brighton man is just as important to his international side. Caicedo has been the main man for a side that has punched above its weight in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers. Ecuador finished second in the league table behind a ferocious defensive effort. La Tricolor conceded just five goals in their 18 qualification games. 

Such is Caicedo's influence, that manager Sebastian Beccacece saw fit to play the Chelsea man for all 180 minutes in Ecuador's 0-0 draw against Canada and 2-0 victory over New Zealand earlier this week. 

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Getty Images SportKeeping Caicedo fresh over busy festive period crucial to Chelsea's season

While Maresca may not have considered the immediate future in his decision to bench the energetic midfielder, keeping Caicedo fresh over the next month will be crucial. December is English football's busiest period. The Blues have eight games on the slate next month, including a Carabao Cup quarter final against Cardiff City and a Champions League clash away at Atalanta. To be without Caicedo for that intense period would present Maresca with a real selection headache. 

The Dodgers withstood a late Phillies comeback to take a 2-0 lead in their National League Division Series on Monday night. Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a single and drove in what ended up being the game-deciding run to cap off a four-run seventh inning for Los Angeles.

Ohtani also had some priceless reactions that were captured on film during his five plate appearances.

For example, the reigning NL MVP made a pained face after fouling off a 2-2 pitch in the first at-bat of the game. That's a man who feels like he missed his pitch.

When he was punched out by the home plate umpire Adrian Johnson on the very next pitch, he held up his hand in disagreement, but decided it best to just give a little wave as if he were saying hello again. Perhaps he realized that Johnson had gotten the call right.

During his huge at-bat in the seventh, he provided another priceless reaction to a call he didn't seem to agree with. Either that or he was holding his helmet with all his might so that it would not fly off.

Ohtani and the Dodgers will attempt to finish the series at home on Wednesday night.

انتقد محمد أبو العلا، لاعب الزمالك السابق، الوضع الحالي داخل القلعة البيضاء، مؤكدًا أن النادي يُستخدم – بحسب وصفه – كدور ثانوي في مسرحية تهدف لإبراز بطل واحد فقط على الساحة الرياضية.

وكتب أبو العلا عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع “فيس بوك”: “إصرار أن نادي الزمالك يصبح بطلاً لا ينجو ولا يُدفن في المسرحية، يستمر في الوضع المعلق، ليقدم دور السنيد لشرعنة البطل الأوحد، وبكده المشاهدين يتبسطوا ويسقفوا”.

وتابع في منشوره: “وبعد كده يبدأ دور الهري الإعلامي لوهم الناس أن مشاكل الزمالك فنية، دون تقديم حلول حقيقية تُنفذ لحل الأزمات المزمنة”.

واختتم محمد أبو العلا تصريحاته برسالة حاسمة: “المخرج عايز كده.. الحلول التقليدية أصبحت لا تفيد!”.

طالع أيضًا | شيكابالا: الزمالك يمر بأسوأ فتراته على الإطلاق.. وأطالب المجلس بالرحيل

ويعيش نادي الزمالك واحدة من أصعب مراحله المالية في تاريخه، حيث يواجه أزمة خانقة أدت لتراكم الديون بصورة كبيرة، سواء مستحقات متأخرة للاعبين الحاليين أو مبالغ واجبة السداد لمدربين ولاعبين سابقين لدى “فيفا”، ما وضع النادي تحت ضغط قانوني متزايد.

وتسببت هذه الأوضاع في لجوء بعض اللاعبين لفسخ عقودهم من طرف واحد بالفعل، بينما يستعد آخرون لاتخاذ الخطوة نفسها خلال الأيام المقبلة بسبب غياب مستحقاتهم المالية لفترات طويلة، الأمر الذي ينذر بمزيد من الاضطرابات داخل الفريق ويهدد استقراره الفني.

Zinedine Zidane’s long-awaited comeback to management is finally taking shape with France preparing to appoint the former Real Madrid boss as their next head coach after Didier Deschamps steps down following the 2026 World Cup. The move is poised to end months of speculation and ignite fresh excitement around Les Bleus, who have recently faced criticism for lacking innovation.

Zidane’s return takes shape as France prepare for a new era

Zidane’s anticipated return to the sidelines may finally become reality. As reported by AS, France intend to appoint him as their next national team manager once Deschamps completes his final tournament at the 2026 World Cup. For months Zidane has hinted that he is ready to coach again, and France have been waiting for the right moment to bring him home.

The timing aligns with France’s need for renewal. Critics have increasingly lamented Deschamps’ recent handling of the squad, arguing that his approach has turned predictable, conservative and overly dependent on earlier experiments. Many felt the team had stopped evolving in key areas such as tactical flexibility, attacking variety and squad rotation.

Zidane’s arrival is therefore viewed as a chance to inject new flavour into a team rich with talent but in need of a fresh tactical lens. 

AdvertisementAFPDeschamps’ era

Deschamps’ contract is nearing its end, closing a monumental chapter in French football. Appointed in 2012 after Laurent Blanc, Deschamps took France to heights that cemented his legacy. He guided the nation to the Euro 2016 final, delivered World Cup glory in 2018, reached another World Cup final in 2022, and maintained consistent competitiveness throughout more than a decade in charge.

But his reign was not without low points. The round-of-16 exit at Euro 2020, tactical rigidity at times, selection decisions that raised eyebrows, and an increasingly repetitive approach left the impression that France were not fully maximising their extraordinary talent pool. 

Zidane’s resume signals a new direction for Les Blues

Recent years have seen a growing consensus among critics: France under Deschamps had become predictable. Analysts repeatedly pointed to the same issues — conservative game plans, slow in-game adjustments, and a reliance on ideas that once worked but no longer fit a squad bursting with dynamic, attack-minded talent. In several matches, France looked like a team playing within themselves, constrained rather than liberated.

Commentators argued that even with Kylian Mbappe, and emerging talents like Eduardo Camavinga and Warren Zaire-Emery, France often played with unnecessary caution, absorbing pressure instead of dictating games.

That is where Zidane’s profile stands in sharp contrast, as he won three Champions League titles in three seasons and a La Liga crown in Madrid.

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AFPWhy France will still miss Didier Deschamps

Even with the excitement surrounding Zidane’s expected arrival, France will deeply miss Deschamps. France will miss the unique personal bond Deschamps built inside the dressing room, a connection rooted in trust, continuity, and genuine care for his players. He wasn’t just a tactician; he was a stabilising force who understood how to manage personalities across generations. His reliance on experienced leaders like Hugo Lloris created a mentoring culture that helped young players settle quickly under the pressure of international football. 

A dank, grey morning in South London, a packed crowd at the Kia Oval, and 53 of the most extraordinary deliveries in Test-match history… all of which culminated in the inevitable, indefatigable redemption of Mohammed Siraj, whose gut-busting five-wicket haul trumped a very different, but every bit as heroic, intercession from England’s incapacitated Chris Woakes, in one of the greatest climaxes in all of Test history.Twenty years ago, on this very day, the legendary Edgbaston Ashes Test of 2005 got underway, but even that match’s breathless two-run finish paled against the agonising drama that spanned a solitary hour of play of this, the 25th and final day of another all-timer of a Test series. By the end of it all, India had landed their closest victory in Test history, by six runs. Their players were doing a lap of honour in front of a sea of their jubilant fans, grins beaming out from their battle-weary bodies, safe in the knowledge that they had earned every drop of the acclaim.Related

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• 'Devastating' – Brook expresses regret after dismissal triggers England's Oval collapse

• Six-run thriller – India script their narrowest win in Tests

This final act had been forced upon the series by the chaotic thunderstorm that had ended the fourth day early, arguably to England’s benefit in that moment, given the hot vein of form that Siraj had located to drag the contest, kicking and screaming, back in India’s direction after Harry Brook and Joe Root had, at one stage, threatened to rampage to their target of 374.With one last burst of Lee Fortis’ heavy roller before play, and with the potential for Siraj and his crucial sidekick Prasidh Krishna to resume with an adrenaline hangover, England were arguably favourites when play resumed, with 35 runs needed and three (and a half) wickets in hand. When Jamie Overton duly cracked two fours from Prasidh’s first two balls of the day – the latter, admittedly, very streakily past his leg stump – that equation was in danger of being settled in a matter of minutes.Siraj, however, was not letting this one slip. Of all the extraordinary moments in the course of five breathless Tests, nothing had threatened to have a more lasting legacy than his own crestfallen face-palm at deep fine-leg on the fourth afternoon, in the moment that he stepped on the boundary triangle to turn a regulation top-edge from Brook into a momentum-shifting six.2:02

Harmison: Woakes put his career on the line by coming out to bat

Coupled with his cruel luck with the bat in a similarly tense finale at Lord’s, it was an error that had drawn Siraj’s heart ever more fervently onto his sleeve. It had been his mission to make amends every step of the way of his exhausting 30.1-over effort, and the deliverance would prove to be exquisite. The winning moment came with a pinpoint yorker to uproot Gus Atkinson’s off stump, as he swung lustily once more – knowing that Woakes, his left arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder in the field, could not be asked to do more than just be there. However, that snapshot hardly scratches the surface of the drama he ignited.Siraj’s final act began with 27 runs left to defend, and England’s most likely matchwinner, Jamie Smith, in his sights on 2 not out from 17 balls. Right from the get-go, he located that crucial old-ball movement, and got his pace cranked up into the high-80s in the process. But, with Smith inevitably itching to get this done quickly – as is the Bazball ethos – Siraj cunningly kept his line wide, forcing the batter to come looking for his drives, and duly hitting paydirt with his third ball of the day – a palpable nick through to Dhruv Jurel that the umpires, under extraordinary pressure themselves, took upstairs to double-check.In an instant, the momentum lurched violently in India’s direction, and Atkinson, the new man, might have gone first ball as he was squared up by Siraj’s tighter line only for the ball to reach KL Rahul on the half-volley at second slip. At the other end, Overton’s long levers – which have attracted the interest of England’s white-ball teams in recent years – were stymied by six men back on the rope, one of whom, Ravindra Jadeja, pulled off a tigerish stop at deep cover to save a priceless boundary as Atkinson drove Prasidh firmly.3:49

Bangar: Series result proves India is growing in stature

Siraj, however, was still the main man. With the old ball still talking, a big inswinger crunched into Overton’s pad as he was pinned on the crease, and it was the voracity of the appeal that prised the crucial decision. Umpire Dharmasena waited an eternity before deciding that the appeal was worthy… and Overton’s desperate review duly confirmed that the ball would have been clipping leg stump.Moments later, umpire Ahsan Raza was similarly convinced by the inswinger, as Josh Tongue was pinned by Prasidh, but this time his review was clearly shown to be missing leg. In his next over, however, Prasidh didn’t need the umpire’s assistance. A piledriver of a yorker burst through Tongue’s defences for a 12-ball duck, and at 357 for 9, the die was cast for an extraordinary contest to receive an immortal climax.This was a match that burgled plotlines from a host of memorable predecessors – not least Trent Boult’s boundary-catch-that-wasn’t in the 2019 World Cup final. But now, 40 minutes into the day’s play, out strode Woakes, one arm completely encased by a sling beneath his jumper, charged with the task of hanging in there as best as he could, as Atkinson attempted to hack away the 17 runs still needed for victory.1:19

Sanjay Bangar picks his moment of the series

Sixty-two years have elapsed since Colin Cowdrey did likewise at Lord’s in 1963, returning to the crease with a broken arm, with England six runs from victory and with one wicket still standing. In those less chaotic days, David Allen opted not to go for broke against Wes Hall with two balls of the match to come, and Cowdrey was not required to do more than lean on his bat. Woakes, on the other hand, had a significantly more torrid role in store.The onus, though, was on Atkinson to score the runs. Two balls into Siraj’s next over, he connected magnificently with a launch across the line, as Akash Deep – in off the rope in the deep – could only palm the ball across the rope as he leapt in vain to intercept. Three air-shots ensued, whereupon – from the last ball of the over – Woakes hurtled off for a bye to the keeper, his arm bouncing out of his sling in the process, leaving him wincing in agony as umpire Raza helped swaddle him back into position.There was no respite, however. “Two!” was Atkinson’s instant call one ball later, as he found rare space in the deep off Prasidh to take the target into single figures. And though he could not make further inroads from the next four balls, the sixth was a gift, tight and full on the stumps, and a calm nudge to mid-on to keep the strike once more, and take England to within one blow of tying the scores.Siraj, however, wasn’t letting this cause slip now. In he hurtled for one final effort ball. Back went Atkinson’s off stump as he swung for the hills once again. Out came Siraj’s “siu” celebration as his team-mates swamped him in adulation. Off went the celebrations all across a nation that had no doubt come to a standstill on an otherwise nondescript Monday afternoon. So ended one of the most breathless hours ever witnessed in 148 years and 2598 Tests. And one of the most compelling series in living memory.

In the series of mis-steps in Australia, Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions India have made

Sambit Bal03-Jan-20252:03

Manjrekar: Secrecy diminished Rohit’s selfless act

We could have done without the intrigue, and after it has happened, we can do without the absurd soft-pedalling around the words. Rohit Sharma hasn’t rested himself, just as Shubman Gill wasn’t rested for the previous Test. He has stood himself down, and call it courageous, selfless or plain pragmatic, it certainly counts as extraordinary.In the series of mis-steps for India in Australia – confounding selections, batting-order shuffles, ill-chosen strokes at vital moments – Rohit dropping himself, if you strip it of emotion, is among the most clear-headed decisions during this tour. Cricket accords massive allowances to the captain, but it was clear that Rohit didn’t make it to India’s best possible XI, and a struggling batting line-up couldn’t afford carry a non-performing captain in a must-win game. Irrespective of what happens in this Test, and whether Gill goes on to make a contribution of significance or not, this will remain the right decision for India.What makes it extraordinary, though, is that such things just don’t happen in cricket. MS Dhoni gave up captaincy and Test cricket altogether during the course of a series on these very shores, and Kim Hughes and Nasser Hussain both resigned mid-series. But for an instance of a captain dropping himself for a Test – there is every indication Rohit did this of his own volition – we need go back to England’s tour of Australia in 1974-75, when Mike Denness left himself out after a wretched run with the bat (65 runs in six innings) and with England 2-0 down.Elite athletes are hard-wired to believe in themselves. They become successful because they don’t give up, because they believe they can overcome failure and can battle through tough times. Hard-nosed obstinacy, mongrel spirit, and the ability to shut out noise are among the things that separates them from all those who can play a pretty stroke or bowl a ripping outswinger or legbreak.The last couple of months in Rohit Sharma’s career underlines the fickleness of sport.•Getty ImagesIn a fickle art like batting in which one moment, or every moment, can be a turning point, how can you blame batters, particularly those who have travelled the course, from believing that a run of scores is just an innings away? How can they, left to their own devices, give up without another tilt?In the normal course of events, the decision is out of their hands. It’s those who pick the team – selectors before and after a series, and captain and the coach during series – that make the call. It might vary from team to team and people to people, but the accepted protocol is that the captain has the last word on the ten that walk alongside him to battle.We don’t know what Rohit’s been thinking. There have been leaks suggesting disquiet in the dressing room. It would have been unusual if words hadn’t been spoken after the last-day implosion that cost India the Test in Melbourne. It was his absence due to paternity leave at the beginning of the series that necessitated the batting-order reshuffle in the first place, and forcing Gill out to accommodate a batting allrounder – the runs from Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar shouldn’t obscure the fact that together they bowled fewer overs than Jasprit Bumrah’s 28.4 in the first innings alone – might have weighed heavy on him too.

****

If anything, the last couple of months in Rohit’s career underlines the fickleness of sport. It’s now almost forgotten that 2024 was among Rohit’s greatest in India colours. Coming on the back of him leading India to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, where his scorching starts not only gave India the momentum for big scores but set out a marker for the brand of cricket for his team, he started the year with a come-from-behind series win against England, to which he contributed two match-defining hundreds, and went on the win India’s first ICC world title since 2011 at the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, where his runs in difficult conditions were vital.He began the home season in September with Test wins against Bangladesh, one of which was manufactured with breathtaking audacity, led by Rohit himself.Just the other day, Rohit Sharma’s leadership was seen as transformational•Associated PressSo it was not long ago that Rohit’s leadership was seen as transformational. He was hailed as a calming and uniting presence off the field, engaging with players, involving himself alongside Rahul Dravid in the players’ wellbeing, and communicating with selectors in planning for the future. And on the field, he rallied them to the cause of team over personal milestones.It’s remarkable how the wheels have come off for Rohit. It began with choosing to bat on a greenish pitch under murky skies in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, and since then India have spiralled downhill, the only thing further south being Rohit’s own returns with the bat.So, did Rohit come to that point where the abyss felt too deep to climb out of, where an upturn seemed impossible, and as a leader, his own baggage seemed too much a burden for the team? Denness had later described his decision to opt out as the lowest point of his life. It’s hard to imagine it being any different for Rohit. It is understood he had contemplated sitting out at Melbourne too, and this incredibly tough decision must be seen in the light it merits: a decent man doing the decent thing.But it must be said that he has done himself a dis-service by cloaking the decision in such secrecy that it led to fervent speculation. Denness had the chance to come back and sign off from the series with a 188. Rohit would have been painfully aware that this might be his last act as a Test player, so why sign off this way?Why is the word “dropped” such a stigma in Indian cricket when it’s a such a fundamental part of a team game? Why the charade at the pre-match press conference? It is inconceivable that the team didn’t know, so what was there to protect? And what’s dishonourable in fronting up when the truth is honourable?

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CRB e Fortaleza se enfrentaram neste domingo (9), pelo jogo de volta da final da Copa do Nordeste. O Galo venceu por 2 a 0 no tempo normal e igualou o placar agregado, mas perdeu por 5 a 4 nas penalidades e viu o Laion levar o tricampeonato.

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
CRB X Fortaleza
Final – Copa do Nordeste
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 9 de junho de 2024, às 16:30 (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Rei Pelé (AL);
📺 Onde assistir: SBT (Nordeste); ESPN e Star+.
🟨 Árbitro: Emerson Ricardo de Almeida (BA);
🚩 Assistentes: Alessandro Álvaro Rocha (BA) e Daniella Coutinho (BA);
🖥️ VAR: Pablo Ramon Gonçalves (RN).

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

CRB (Técnico: Daniel Paulista)
Matheus Albino, Hereda, Saimon, Fábio Alemão e Matheus Ribeiro; João Pedro, Falcão e Gegê; Facundo Labandeira, Léo Pereira e Anselmo Ramon.

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Fortaleza (Técnico: Juan Pablo Vojvoda)
João Ricardo, Brítez, Kuscevic e Titi; Yago Pikachu, Matheus Rossetto, Zé Welison, Moisés e Bruno Pacheco; Lucero e Pochettino.

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As Tom Verducci eloquently put it, there is nothing normal about Blue Jays rookie phenom Trey Yesavage’s incredible rise to World Series stardom. 22-year-old rookies simply aren’t supposed to dominate big league lineups that just so happen to include three former MVPs. Add in the fact that Yesavage, who struck out 12 Dodgers without issuing a walk in Toronto's Game 5 win, did so on the game's biggest stage and it makes it even clearer that he's no ordinary rookie.

What‘s perhaps even more astounding is the fact that Yesavage began the year in Class A ball and didn't pitch in the majors until September. He became just the 10th rookie since 2005 to have gone through Single A, High A, Double A and Triple A in the same season as his MLB debut. So with Yesavage fresh off of one the most impressive rookie performances in World Series history, let's take a look at every team the Blue Jays rookie pitched for in 2025 on the road to the Fall Classic.

Every team Trey Yesavage has pitched for in 2025Dunedin Blue Jays

After being drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft, Yesavage didn't pitch that season, so his assignment in Dunedin was his first test as a professional baseball player. He aced it. The 6’ 4” righthander pitched to a sparkling 2.43 ERA, striking out 55 batters across 33 1/3 innings pitched.

Even at the Single A level, Yesavage‘s uniquely high delivery was giving opposing hitters fits, just as it would prove to do to big league batters later on.

“All his pitches look the same out of the hand,” MLB‘s No. 1 overall prospect and Pirates minor leaguer Konnor Griffin said. “That’s what makes him so tough. The slider looks like it’s going to be down the middle, you go to swing and then it’s in the dirt…”

And immediately, Yesavage caught Dunedin manager Gil Kim‘s attention for, not just his talent level, but also for his intangibles.

“What Trey stands out for, obviously, is his talent, his ability and his stuff,” Kim said. “But with that being said, he’s been just as impressive to watch how he attacks hitters, how he makes adjustments, how resilient he is when maybe things aren’t flowing as smoothly as you would expect.”

And so after just seven starts, Yesavage on May 16 earned a promotion to High A ball. He was Vancouver-bound.

Vancouver Canadians

Yesavage‘s time in Vancouver was even shorter than his stint in Dunedin. The Pottstown, Pa., native who grew up in the Boyerstown area, made just four starts for the Canadians, but took his game to another level. At a more difficult level of professional baseball, Yesavage allowed almost an entire earned run less on average and continued to strike out more than a batter per inning. He tossed 4 1/3 no-hit innings in a May 31 start for Vancouver, leading to another quick promotion for the phenom. On June 9, he was headed to Double A New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

It was in New Hampshire with the Fisher Cats where Yesavage experienced his first taste of big league adversity. Yesavage walked four in four innings but only yielded one earned run in his Double A debut. New Hampshire pitching coach Austin Bibens-Dirkx told MLB.com that he and his staff made some “minor physical tweaks” during Yesavage’s stint with the club but emphasized one thing.

“The biggest thing is trying not to screw him up, honestly,” he said.

At that task, they certainly succeeded, as Yesavage continued to showcase his elite swing-and-miss stuff with the Fisher Cats, striking out 46 batters over 30 innings pitched, even though his ERA was north of 4.00 in seven starts with New Hampshire.

To this point, Yesavage had largely worked roughly four innings and thrown 70–75 pitches per outing. But the Fisher Cats, in perhaps the first real sign of an organization preparing a youngster for meaningful innings later on, had Yesavage work out of the bullpen in his final appearance with New Hampshire, handling an 89-pitch workload over five innings.

On August 11, Yesavage was called up to Triple A Buffalo.

Buffalo Bisons

Yesavage isn't just tough on opposing hitters. He can be tough on his own catchers, as backstop Brandon Valenzuela quickly discovered during an Aug. 27 outing, in which the Blue Jays righthander's unique delivery literally threw him for a loop.

“It was really, really bright, and I told him, ‘Bro, I don’t see the ball well, and I’m the one catching it,’” Valenzuela said. “We’re just going to keep spamming and spamming splitters because they couldn’t see it either.”

It turns out that not many were seeing the ball well out of Yessavage’s hand during his Bisons tenure, as he recorded 26 more strikeouts in 17 1/3 frames along with a 3.63 ERA. Yesavage was utilized out of the bullpen briefly during his time with Buffalo, but his final Triple-A appearance was as a starter.

On Sept. 14, he got the call: He was heading to the show.

“We expected him to be good,” Blue Jays pitching coordinator Ricky Meinhold told MLB.com in September. “But I’d be lying to you if I told you we expected what he’s done.”

Toronto Blue Jays

Despite pitching 98 innings in the minors—more than he had during his final college season—Yesavage was given no workload limitations by Blue Jays manager John Schneider. It was same old Yesavage in his first big league start against the Rays on Sept. 15. The 22-year-old fanned nine batters, a franchise rookie record for a debut, over five innings, yielding just one earned run in the process.

And even though Yesavage endured a rough outing in his second appearance, the Blue Jays had seen enough through his three total starts at the big league level to make him a part of their American League Division Series roster against the Yankees.

And in each round of the postseason, he has rewarded the Blue Jays for their faith in him, from his 11-strikeout playoff debut against New York, to his gritty Game 6 American League Championship Series victory over Seattle to his 12-strikeout World Series gem vs. the Dodgers in Game 5.

Of his incredible story and ride to the majors, Yesavage said it best.

“Crazy world,” Yesavage said. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market over the summer was largely successful, with numerous of their additions already making a huge impact in the Premier League.

Mohammed Kudus was the most expensive addition during the recent window, joining the Lilywhites in a £55m transfer from London rivals West Ham United.

The Ghanaian has already adhered himself to the supporters, with his tally of one goal and four assists the highest tally of any player in Thomas Frank’s first-team squad.

However, not all of their big-money additions have hit the ground running in North London, with Xavi Simons only able to register a single league assist after his £52m switch from RB Leipzig.

At just 22, he will have bags of time to adapt to life in England’s top-flight, but the same can’t be said for another first-team member who will likely be on borrowed time in the near future.

The total cost of Spurs’ deal to land Richarlison

Back in the summer of 2022, Spurs paid a reported £60m for the signature of striker Richarlison, with the Brazilian moving to North London from fellow Premier League side Everton.

Many supporters were excited upon his arrival, no doubt due to the size of the fee, but it’s safe to say the 28-year-old’s spell at the club has been nothing be plain sailing.

During his three years with the Lilywhites, he’s racked up a total of 108 appearances across all competitions, but has only scored a total of 24 goals in such a period.

However, he’s also taken home a small fortune in wages, with his £90k-per-week wages seeing him earn a total of £18.72m in wages alone since his transfer.

When combining his transfer fee with his wages, Richarlison has cost the hierarchy a total of £78.72m – a simply staggering amount of money given his lack of impact.

Given his tally of 24 goals, he’s cost around £3.28m per effort – further highlighting how much money the board have wasted on his signature over the last few seasons.

The cost of Richarlison’s move to Spurs

Statistics

Tally

Games played

108

Cost per appearance

£728k

Goals scored

24

Cost per goal

£3.28m

Assists

11

Cost per assist

£7.15m

Stats via Capology

The player who could end Richarlison’s Spurs career

The numbers behind Richarlison’s deal at Spurs are nothing short of mind-boggling, but his underlying stats from the current campaign further indicate his lack of positive impact.

The Brazilian has only scored four times in the Premier League to date, but he has missed six big chances in the process, which has no doubt hindered his ability to provide the goods.

He’s also registered the least amount of touches of any player on the pitch in four of his 11 league appearances, often being unable to make a real impact on proceedings.

When in possession, the 28-year-old has struggled to find a teammate, only completing 63% of his passes – a tally which ranks him in the bottom 12% of all players in the division.

His lack of quality, coupled with his staggering cost, should see the club look to move him on in the near future, with Frank desperately needing to drop him from his starting eleven.

However, that may be a tricky task given the recent injuries to Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani, but the Dane does have an excellent option in the form of Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman originally joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich last campaign, but he made such a move permanent in the summer – costing a fee in the region of £27m.

However, he’s found minutes hard to come by under Frank, with the 20-year-old only starting three matches out of a possible 11 in England’s top-flight to date.

Tel, who’s been labelled “one of the best finishers in Europe” by Ben Mattinson, has managed to impress despite his limited minutes, as seen by his tally of two goals.

Such a tally is all the more impressive when delving into his minute per goal ratio, with his 124-minute goalscoring record the best in the current squad in North London.

Mathys Tel – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Minutes per goal

124

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribble success

50%

Touches in opposition box

3.9

Possession won in final third

1.1

Shots taken

2.2

Stats via FotMob

The youngster has also caught the eye with his dribble success, often taking the ball past the opposition and handing the side a more nimble and off-the-shoulder type of centre-forward.

Despite his small frame, Tel has managed to make a nuisance of numerous backlines, even impressing out of possession and winning the ball back 1.1 times per 90 in the final third – which places him in the 95th percentile.

There’s no disputing that Tel is still a young and raw talent, but he’s already demonstrated glimpses of his quality, which should see Frank hand the Frenchman a consistent run of starts.

As for Richarlison, he could find himself on the fringes in the coming months, with the hierarchy needing to cash in as soon as possible to avoid losing a small fortune on their investment.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 13, 2025

This will be Netherlands’ first bilateral series in the country

Mohammad Isam04-Aug-2025Netherlands will play their first bilateral series in Bangladesh when they arrive in the country later this month for three T20Is. The series will give Bangladesh some competitive cricket leading up to the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9.Netherlands will land in Dhaka on August 26 before heading to Sylhet, where they will train for three days before the first T20I on August 30. The second and third T20Is are also in Sylhet, on September 1 and 3. All three matches will start at 6.00pm local time.The BCB arranged the Netherlands series after India postponed their tour to Bangladesh, which was to feature three ODIs and three T20Is from August 17 to 31. It had left Bangladesh with a month of no international cricket before the Asia Cup. Initially, the BCB were also in talks with the Nepal board.Netherlands have played in Bangladesh once before, in the 2014 T20 World Cup where they won a memorable game against Ireland to confirm their progress to the main round.Bangladesh and Netherlands have played only five T20Is against each other, with Bangladesh winning four of them. In 2012, Netherlands had hosted Bangladesh for two T20Is, their only bilateral series against them before the upcoming tour.