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The batter collided with a boundary board during fielding practice ahead of the T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra has been ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee T20I series against Australia after suffering a major laceration to his face during training on Tuesday.Ravindra collided with the boundary boards during fielding practice at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. He passed initial concussion tests but his injury required significant stitching.Related

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Allrounder James Neesham, who was part of the New Zealand side for the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe during July where he played one match, has been called up as his replacement.”We’re all really disappointed for Rachin to be forced to miss the series,” head coach Rob Walter said. He sustained a major laceration to his upper lip and nose area which required specialist and intricate stitching and will take time to heal.”Rachin is obviously an important player for us, but his health and wellbeing is our top priority, and so the decision was made to send him home to recover with an eye to being available for the England series in two weeks’ time.”Ravindra has enjoyed his most successful run in T20Is during this year with scores of 69, 30, 3, 63 and 47 in his last five innings.He adds to an extensive list of absentees for New Zealand in this series. They are missing captain Mitchell Santner (abdominal injury), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) and Kane Williamson (unavailable).While Neesham has been added to the squad, top-order batter Tim Robinson is another option for the starting XI on Wednesday. The three matches against Australia take place across just four days.

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Leeds United were set to sign Swansea winger Daniel James until the final minutes of deadline day, but attentions are now turning to Burnley’s Aaron Lennon per The Sun.

What’s the word?

James had been identified as Marcelo Bielsa’s top January target from an early stage, but negotiations between Leeds and Swansea proved difficult for much of the month.

It was not until last Thursday’s deadline day that an agreement seemed to be reached. The winger held his medical early in the day, only for the Welsh outfit to pull the plug on a £1.5million loan with an obligation to buy should United secure promotion to the Premier League.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Rather than returning to the Swans star in the summer, though, The Sun are suggesting that Bielsa is looking to tempt Lennon into a homecoming.

Lennon began his career at Elland Road after emerging from United’s youth ranks, and is out of contract at Turf Moor at the end of next season. It would not have made sense to target the 31-year-old in January, as the former England international is currently sidelined with a potentially season-ending knee injury.

Who should Bielsa target?

Depending on James’ performances for the remainder of the season, Bielsa opting to favour the 31-year-old winger instead may prove to be the correct decision – although there is no explicit suggestion that Leeds won’t try to sign both.

The current roster at Elland Road does not boast a great deal of top-flight experience, whereas Lennon has been a regular feature in the Premier League for more than a decade and has recorded 67 appearances in the Champions League and Europa League combined.

The £4.5million rated winger has also shown that he still has a lot to offer any side in England’s top division since moving to Burnley.

James, on the other hand, has only managed 18 appearances in the Championship with the current campaign his breakthrough season.

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Aston Villa produced a remarkable comeback on Saturday night to cancel out a three goal deficit and claim a point against Sheffield United.

The Blades could have consolidated their place at the top of the table with a win, and Billy Sharp’s hat-trick set them well on their way to doing just that. However, three late goals, from Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham, and Andre Green, brought the Villans level in dramatic circumstances.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The result was a major setback for Sheffield United, but a positive outcome for Dean Smith’s side whose form has been decidedly average of late. The draw was also great news for Leeds United, as it prevented Sheffield United from pulling away from them at the top of the table.

Instead, the result meant that a point against Middlesbrough would be enough to restore Marcelo Bielsa’s side to first place. The Whites duly got that point via a late Kalvin Phillips equaliser.

After Villa’s comeback, plenty of Leeds fans took to Twitter to join in the celebrations of the Midlands club’s result…

Liverpool ended their recent slump with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bournemouth at the weekend.

Playing in front of a noisy Anfield crowd, the Reds duly delivered and took the lead after just 24 minutes when Sadio Mane dispatched a header past Asmir Begovic; his fourth goal in four consecutive matches. Liverpool weren’t finished before the interval with Gini Wijnaldum doubling their advantage with a wonderful chip finish that delighted Jurgen Klopp. After the break, Mohamed Salah wrapped up the points following a wonderful team move passing move.

The victory was an excellent response to claims that Liverpool were unable to cope with the pressure and Klopp will be glad to see his forward trio hitting form at the right time. The Reds posted excellent financial results last week and the German should have plenty of funds to add to his squad during the summer window. Further additions could be crucial to maintaining their challenge next season.

One man Klopp could look to when scouting for summer recruits sign is Tottenham maestro – Heung Min-Son. Valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, while Harry Kane and Dele Alli grab the headlines, the South Korea international has been a consistent top performer since joining from Bayer Leverkusen. The 26-year-old is enjoying one of his finest seasons to date and has shouldered the goalscoring burden in the absence of the England international.

Son has netted 11 goals in 15 Premier League starts this season as well as registering five assists for his team-mates in the process. A hard-working forward with an eye for goal – Son has all the attributes to be a success under the former Borussia Dortmund manager. The winger is comfortable right across the forward line and can be used as the central forward if necessary.

Now, we know Tottenham do sell when it comes down to it. Perhaps Son would be too expensive – even for this newly rich Liverpool – though he’s the profile of player Jurgen Klopp needs. If they can’t get him, someone who can perform a similar role to the South Korean would be ideal.

Someone like former Hamburg man would give Liverpool yet another world-class option in attack and allow Klopp to rotate his key men throughout the season. As he has proven at Spurs, he could prove to be a valuable member of the squad.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Liverpool could be set for another transfer window of lavish spending in the summer.

The Reds are currently fighting both Manchester City and Tottenham for the Premier League title but also performed exceptionally off the field last year. Their Champions League final run pumped enormous amounts of cash into the club leading to Liverpool posting record amounts of profits. This means that Jurgen Klopp is surely likely to be backed significantly in the upcoming transfer window to strengthen his squad even further.

One area the German will definitely look to strengthen is attack. Both Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge are widely expected to leave the club after falling out of favour in recent weeks. That would leave only Rhian Brewster to provide any sort of competition to Roberto Firmino and the youngster remains untested at the highest level.

One man Klopp could look to sign is Juventus superstar – Paulo Dybala. Valued at £99m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine has blossomed into one of the world’s finest forwards since swapping Palermo for Turin back in 2015. Dybala has consistently been one of the Serie A’s top performers and would be an excellent fit in the current Liverpool side.

The Argentina international is capable of playing both as the central striker or as a number ten – roles that Firmino has been rotated in this season. Dybala is a lethal finisher, but has scored just eight goals in all competitions following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. Dybala’s role has evolved as he is now the creative force for Juve. His arrival would allow Klopp to move Mohamed Salah back to the right wing and keep teams guessing as to who would lead the line.

Regardless of whether they lift the title this season, their chances would be significantly boosted next year if they broke the bank to lure Dybala to Anfield.

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Aiden McGeady is a thriving big fish in a small League One pond.

What’s the word?

The margins in League One football are often so minute that they’re practically intangible.

Barring the gulf in class between the top-six and the rest of the Premier League, the same principle can typically be applied throughout England’s top four divisions.

But in the midst of a bundle of evenly-matched football teams and an even bigger sample of evenly-matched players, there are always a handful of standout individuals.

At Sunderland, McGeady is one of those outstanding players who can produce moments of technical quality which others can only dream of.

The 93-cap international bagged his 10th League One goal of the season against Bristol Rovers with a delightful free-kick, which earned him esteemed praise from Black Cats boss Jack Ross in the aftermath of proceedings, per Sunderland Echo.

“Aiden’s pedigree and what he has achieved as a player shows the quality he has.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit for how good he is if I’m honest. Working first hand with him, he is a really talented footballer.”

As Ross has alluded to, McGeady is a supreme technician who stands out on the football pitch, but his reputation does not align with his ability.

The reasons for this perhaps lie in his failure to make the transition to Premier League football.

Never stepped up in the Premier League

England’s top-flight is often used as a tool from which to measure a player’s overall quality: only the very best players can hack the physical and technical demands of the division, so the theory goes.

McGeady failed the Premier League test during an unsuccessful spell with Everton, and that has served to tarnish his reputation.

When the then 24-year-old swapped Celtic for Spartak Moscow in a £9.5 million deal he was highly regarded as a truly exceptional product and a genuine star for the future; the move was merely the first step towards a much bigger challenge.

Pat McCourt, a player who struggled to fill the void left by McGeady, claimed that Celtic had “probably lost the best player in the league” when he departed for Russia.

The promise he showed during the formative stages of his career should have translated into a glowing career in one of Europe’s top leagues, whether it be in the Premier League or elsewhere, and the fact he underachieved at Everton after leaving Spartak can explain why he doesn’t get the credit Ross feels he deserves.

McGeady is merely a victim of his eye-watering success with Celtic and his subsequent struggle to live up to the hype which characterised the early stages of his career.

Perhaps he was always destined to be one of those players who flourishes as a big fish in a small pond.

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Sheffield United travel to Hillsborough to take on fierce rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby on Monday.

The Blades will arrive full of confidence and aware that a victory will keep them in the thick of the Championship title race. However, Chris Wilder will be prepared for a tough test and will have to get his team selection and tactical approach right.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

On the chalkboard

Such derby clashes are often feisty, fiery affairs. United will have to be prepared for an intense physical battle against the Owls. For that reason, Wilder should bring Gary Madine into the starting XI.

The 28-year-old striker arrived at Bramall Lane on loan from Premier League outfit Cardiff City in the January transfer window. He has since impressed for the Blades when he has been given first team chances by Wilder. 

The No. 14’s physicality and strength make him ideally suited for the upcoming trip to Hillsborough, and he should be full of confidence having notched a well-taken brace against Reading recently.

McGoldrick out

Of course, for Madine to come in someone else has to make way. To accommodate the Cardiff loanee, Wilder ought to pull David McGoldrick out of the firing line. The 31-year-old has been in fine form so far this season but wasn’t at his best against West Brom last time out.

Madine would certainly offer Wilder’s side more than McGoldrick in this particular upcoming fixture.

Ronaldo Vieira was just another player who was prematurely plucked away from the clutches of Leeds United as they languished in the second-tier of English football.

It has become an all too common theme for clubs sitting below the Premier League, like Leeds United, who are an incredibly iconic team in their own right, to see their best players poached by scouts from faraway lands.

Midfield talent Ronaldo Vieira continued this most unwanted trend, switching West Yorkshire for Genoa to join Serie A outfit Sampdoria.

Bielsa had actually admitted that the 20-year-old was a big part of his plans at the start of season, “He (Vieira) was a player involved in the project,” Bielsa said. “The club decided to sell him, and I adapt to this decision. I can’t say he is not a good player. He is a good player. If Sampdoria bought Ronaldo it indicates he is a good player.” (as per Yorkshire Evening News).

And he was a very good player with a bright future ahead of him. Despite being relatively young, like most of Leeds United’s current squad, he had an extremely good chance to continue his development in a more suitable environment under Bielsa.

He was physical and solid, which is just what is needed in the Championship, and had decent enough distribution to compliment the so-called ‘Bielsa-ball’.

These talents have not quite shined through yet at Sampdoria. Discussing his hurried transition into new surroundings, he told Yorkshire Evening News in December: “The Championship is a bit more physical and here it’s a bit more tactical, so I’ve been trying to work with the coach who’s trying to help me improve my game.”

Since then his situation hardly looks to have improved.

The young Englishman has only managed eight appearances so far this season, the majority of them coming off the bench, and although he put in a very impressive performance against SPAL at the weekend, there is clearly a long way to go before he earns the trust of his employers.

Leeds United fans, how disappointing was it losing Ronaldo Vieira at the start of the season? Let us know in the comment section below…

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Newcastle put in a phenomenal second half performance to beat Everton on Saturday, and it was thanks in no small part to the half-time introduction of Paul Dummett.

The Magpies looked somewhat shell-shocked when Everton raced out of the gates at St. James’ Park on Saturday, as the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin effortlessly glided into the spaces between Newcastle’s centre backs and wing-backs.

The aforementioned pair both got themselves a first half goal, but Rafael Benitez switched things up at the interval, bringing on Dummett and switching to a back four.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Not only was this a stroke of genius from Rafa, but it was also redemption for Dummett, who had previously fallen out of favour with the boss, making just 14 league starts this campaign.

The four-cap Welsh international is perhaps not as technically gifted as some of the other options in defence, but his introduction made a huge difference on Saturday.

The 27 year-old managed to earn a 7.18 rating on Whoscored.com, which is extremely uncommon for a player introduced from the bench, especially one who is not likely to get on the scoresheet.

He deserved that rating though, winning three aerial duels, two tackles and making four clearances.

The versatile ace was calm in possession too, completing 80 per cent of his passes. To put that in perspective, none of DeAndre Yedlin, Fabian Schar or Florian Lejeune completed more than 65 per cent of their passes.

Dummett’s toughness in the tackle and composure on the ball helped the Magpies turn the game on its head, and the second half performance from both him and the team was so dominant that it may just tempt the gaffer into veering away from his usual five-at-the-back system.

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Huddersfield Town’s relegation from the Premier League is becoming increasingly inevitable with each passing week. The Terriers are stranded at the bottom of the table, fifteen points off safety with just eight games left to play.

It has been a struggle for the Yorkshire club all season and now the squad look bereft of confidence. 

Manager Jan Siewert will endeavour to keep his squad motivated for the remainder of the campaign, and until relegation is a mathematical certainty he shall continue to hold out for a miracle. However, the German coach is also keenly aware of his team’s shortcomings.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Siewert has recently publicly highlighted Huddersfield’s greatest flaw.

What he said

In his press conference on Thursday, as quoted by The Examiner, Siewert said: “I think it’s important to know you cannot just win games with fight but we do have to fight. The team [has won] just four games in a year and there are reasons for it and we have to find solutions for it. We have to score goals.”

The crippling factor

Siewert’s assessment of the Terriers’ greatest shortcoming is accurate. Huddersfield have been woeful in front of goal all season. They only have fifteen league strikes to their name, by far the worst return in the top flight.

Their top scorer is centre-back Zanka, with just three Premier League goals. Centre-forward Steve Mounie has only netted twice in twenty-five outings, as per Transfermarkt’s stats.

A lack of firepower has crippled the club. Until Siewert’s side discover a cutting edge at the John Smith’s Stadium, then the only way is down.