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Allrounder moves on from Hampshire at age of 37 to fill hole left by Steven Mullaney

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025Nottinghamshire have signed the veteran allrounder Benny Howell from Hampshire on a two-year, T20-only contract and charged him with filling the role that Steven Mullaney played for them during their years of dominance in the Blast.Mullaney, who has since moved into a coaching role at Trent Bridge, was a two-time Blast winner with Notts in 2017 and 2020, and head coach Peter Moores believes that Howell has similar attributes and can spearhead their bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three seasons.”We saw some really good examples of the progress that we’re making as a side last year, and bringing Benny in will only serve to continue that,” Moores said. “If you look back into recent history, we feel he can take on the role that Steven Mullaney played for many years in our T20 side, not just as a quality allrounder, but also as that link between players with different levels of experience.”He feels like the perfect fit for where we are as a side right now, where we’re trying to bring together our more experienced players, and those that are still emerging. We’re really excited to welcome him to Trent Bridge, and we can’t wait to see the impact he has both on and off the field.”Howell forged his reputation as one of the canniest white-ball bowlers in county cricket during his 11-season stint with Gloucestershire before returning to Hampshire, his first club, in 2023. They reached Blast Finals Day twice during his three seasons with them and were losing finalists last season but, at 37, he is on the move again.”It’s a real honour to sign for Notts Outlaws. The club have a rich history, a great fanbase, and play at a fantastic ground in Trent Bridge. I’m looking forward to calling it home,” Howell said. “With the way the club is run, with the coaching staff and group of talented players that are there, I was immediately excited when this opportunity first came up.”I’m constantly looking to improve my game and I believe this is the perfect environment to do that. With my skill set and experience, I hope to contribute to the team’s success in the Blast, and ideally lift that trophy.”

Everton’s good form continued with an impressive 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium over Nottingham Forest.

The Toffees move into fifth in the Premier League, taking their record since the start of November to four wins, one draw and one loss.

It was a fast start for David Moyes’ side. Just two minutes into the clash with the East Midlands outfit, Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic headed a cross into the back of his own net, to give Everton the lead almost immediately.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time before half-time, the Evertonians doubled their lead. It was a significant moment for Thierno Barry, who got off the mark in that famous Blue shirt after some impressive performances of late.

Iliman Ndiaye carried the ball to the edge of the Forest box before laying it into the path of Barry, who slotted home.

The perfect day for Moyes’ side was capped off in the 80th minute when another summer signing, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, drilled home a volley after the ball bounced to him from a corner. Everton ran out deserved winners to continue their excellent form.

It was a day to remember for the Toffees, with some standout performances.

Everton’s standout players vs. Forest

This will certainly be a day that Thierno Barry remembers. The Frenchman bagged his very first goal in an Everton shirt, showing the sort of quality in front of goal that earned him the big move to the Premier League from Villarreal in the summer.

What a tidy finish it was from the Toffees’ number 11, too. Ndiaye drove towards the penalty box, with Barry making a good diagonal run to find space.

The finish was composed, slotting it past Matz Sels.

Speaking of Ndiaye, the Senegalese attacker was in imperious form once again. So often the source of everything the Merseysiders do well in attack, he was a handful for the Forest defence and, of course, set Barry up.

One person who was impressed by Ndiaye’s efforts was Chris Beesley, Everton reporter for the Liverpool Echo. He gave the attacker a 7/10 rating, praising him for ‘always providing an outlet for his side’ throughout the night.

However, neither Barry nor Ndiaye were the stars of the show for Moyes’ side in a fantastic win.

Everton’s best player in their 3-0 win

What a performance it was from another of the Everton summer signings, Dewsbury-Hall.

The Englishman was at the heart of the Toffees’ midfield today, scoring his excellent goal late on, putting in the cross for the own goal, and offering plenty more on the ball.

The stats reflect just how well Dewsbury-Hall performed against the East Midlands outfit. He had 56 touches and 86% of his passes.

Off the ball, it was a masterclass from the former Leicester City star. He won an exceptional 8/13 ground duels and made five ball recoveries.

Touches

56

Pass accuracy

86%

Opposition half passes

16/20

Ground duels won

8/13

Ball recoveries

5

Tackles won

3/4

Goals

1

Dewsbury-Hall left thousands of Toffees fans impressed with his performance against Forest. Well, the same can be said for journalists, with Beesley giving him a 9/10 for his efforts, explaining he was ‘bright from the start’.

There is a case to be made that Dewsbury-Hall, described as the club’s “most important and best” player by journalist John Merro, is their best signing since Ndiaye.

The Senegalese attacker has been sensational since moving to Merseyside last summer, racking up 17 goals and assists in 54 games.

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As for the English midfielder, he has brought creativity and final third threat to Moyes’ side in just 15 games, with four goals and two assists so far.

However, the tenacity off the ball, on full show against Sean Dyche’s side, has been crucial this season too. It is certainly easy to see why Merro is of that opinion.

After paying just £28m for him this summer from Chelsea, it is looking like one of the biggest bargains in 2025. The all-action midfielder has shone so far, just like Ndiaye has on Merseyside.

£47m spent; CF "monster" replaces Beto: Everton's dream XI after January

Everton manager David Moyes will be looking to strengthen his team in the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

Suffice it to say, Orlando Hernández faced some heavy challenges in his life before coming to America to become a reliable MLB player and four-time World Series winner. Hernández defected Cuba in 1997 after becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in the country.

The details of his defection are hard to hear. He boarded a boat on Christmas Day in 1997. As the story has been told, he and others went from Cuba to Anguilla Cay on a 30-foot fishing boat after attending a wedding earlier in the day. A small transfer boat was supposed to take them the rest of the way, but it never showed, and he and the others had to survive on minimal food and with makeshift shelter for days before a helicopter spotted them. A boat finally showed, but took them to the Bahamas and were detained, not America where they intended to go. To make a long story short, Hernández was able to gain some press thanks in part to his brother's status as a pitcher in America and eventually got to America as a free man. The full story is wild, told well by Russ Speiller of SABR.

Thursday night, the Yankees broadcast on YES looked back on one of his most famous plays on its anniversary: When Hernández threw his entire glove to first base for an out because a ball got stuck in it.

YES play-by-play voice Michael Kay reminisced a bit on the pitcher, specifically telling a story about when he was on a baseball cruise with him. The seas were rough, and someone asked Hernández whether he was scared.

"[Hernández] goes, 'Do you know my story?'" Kay said of the response to the question.

Yeah, a choppy cruise is probably a cake walk compared to what Hernández had to go through to to get to America and start his successful MLB career. Quite the silly question in retrospect, but who can blame a nervous cruise passenger for trying to spark some conversation to distract from the rough waters?

And what an awesome answer from Hernández.

Nicolas Jackson will return to Stamford Bridge at the end of his loan spell at Bayern Munich, as it is impossible for the Chelsea striker to reach the requisite number of appearances to trigger the obligation to buy clause in his deal. The 24-year-old joined the German champions this summer on a year-long loan, after forcing his way out of the west London club.

AFPJackson automatic permanent deal impossible

The Senegalese striker joined the German champions on a year-long deal for an initial fee of £14.2m at the end of the summer transfer window. A further fee of £56.2m, initiating a permanent switch for Jackson, would be triggered as soon as the ex-Villareal man hit a minimum number of starts or appearances of at least 45 minutes for the club. Earlier this season, Bayern president Uli Hoeness revealed the threshold was 40 starts in the Bundesliga and Champions League. Jackson has made just six qualifying appearances thus far. 

With Bayern able to play in just 33 more games in both competitions for the remainder of the season, the Rekordmesiters are under no obligation to make Jackson's transfer permanent. Furthermore, Jackson's temporary tenure with Bayern will also be broken up by the Africa Cup of Nations, with the 25-year-old an integral member of Pape Thiaw's squad. The continental tournament will take place between December 21 and January 18, potentially ruling Jackson out of five games should Senegal reach the final. 

AdvertisementJackson's acrimonious Chelsea exit

Jackson's departure from west London took an acrimonious turn, as the Blues attempted to block the player's move to Germany at the last moment. Recent signing Liam Delap's hamstring injury left Chelsea short in attack, prompting the Premier League outfit to cancel the deal. Jackson's agent, the former Portsmouth, West Brom and Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara, and Bayern's top brass managed to push the deal through. 

Comments made by Kamara suggest the relationship between Jackson and his parent club are irredeemable, and a permanent deal with Bayern is still on the cards despite his lack of starts. The agent suggested his client's relationship with Enzo Maresca has hit the rocks, with the Italian manager unimpressed by Jackson's ill discipline. The Senegalese striker entered the 2025/26 season suspended in the Premier League, while he also picked up a red card during Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign in the summer. 

Kamara's comments over Jackson's future

When asked if he could see Jackson returning to west London, Kamara told Canal+ Sport: "Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

"Today at Chelsea, the relationship with (Enzo) Maresca isn't necessarily the best. We're never going to bite the hand that feeds us because Chelsea allowed him to find the European level.

"He was there for two years and scored 30 goals, so he always had a good relationship. After, it's true that the red cards complicated it at Chelsea. Today, we're looking towards Bayern having a good season. We will see what is best for him. But it's true that Bayern is a priority for him for a long time."

On Hoeness' comments regarding the 40 appearance clause, Kamara said: "It's a war of egos between the two clubs. He even rowed back on his comments. It's true that there is a saga around the transfer.

"It was a loan without an obligation to buy. We did a little pushing and said he did not want to return to Chelsea. The clubs reached an agreement. There was talk around how many matches Nico would have to play for an obligatory option.

"Nico's objective isn't to play 40 matches. If he scores 15 goals by December, they're not going to say play 40 matches."

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AFPJackson's future up in the air

Kamara is obviously projecting a bullish picture for the betterment of his client's future prospects, however, there is scant evidence to back up his confidence. Jackson is very much second fiddle to Harry Kane in Munich, and as long as the England captain is fit, he will fall well short of the number of appearances or goals that will make him an attractive permanent proposition for the Bavarian giants. 

Sai Sudharsan picked up the injury when he “caught” John Campbell’s slog-sweep at forward short-leg, the slog-sweep hitting him in the helmet grille before the ball lodged itself in his arms

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2025There will be no B Sai Sudharsan on the field for India on the third day of the ongoing second Test against West Indies in Delhi after he suffered “an impact injury” on the second day of the Test. The good news for India is that “the injury is not serious, and he is doing fine,” as a BCCI media statement on Sunday morning said.Sai Sudharsan, fielding at forward short-leg on the second day, picked up the injury when he “caught” John Campbell off Ravindra Jadeja – the big slog-sweep from the West Indies opener hit Sai Sudharsan in the helmet grille before the ball lodged itself in the crook of the fielder’s arms.That was in the eighth over of West Indies’ first innings after India had declared on 518 for 5, and Sai Sudharsan stayed off the field for the remaining 35 overs that were bowled on the day. “He continues to be monitored by the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said. There was no update on whether Sai Sudharsan would bat – at his No. 3 spot or at all – on Sunday’s third day if the West Indies first innings were to end.Sai Sudharsan had earlier made an important contribution when India batted, scoring 87 in 165 balls with 12 fours. He put on an 193-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the second wicket and was dismissed when trying to flick Jomel Warrican across the line in the 69th over. Jaiswal’s 175 and Shubman Gill’s 129 not out put India in the driver’s seat to make it 2-0 in the series.

Celtic are reportedly closing in on the appointment of Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy as their next permanent manager to replace Brendan Rodgers.

The French tactician is in ‘advanced talks’ to join the Scottish giants, but it remains to be seen exactly when he will be in post to start the job, with Martin O’Neill currently in interim charge.

Once Nancy is in the job and looking at what his priorities need to be, the new Celtic boss must find a way to get more out of central midfielder Arne Engels in the coming weeks and months.

Why Wilfried Nancy must revive Arne Engels for Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions smashed their club record transfer fee to sign the Belgium international from Augsburg for a fee of £11m in the summer of 2024, and he showed plenty of promising signs in his first year at the club.

Engels delivered a return of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he offered a decent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old star has been frustrating to watch this season because he has only produced one goal and four assists in 20 outings in the 2025/26 campaign.

This is why Nancy must make getting the best out of Engels one of his top priorities, because he is evidently capable of contributing far more than he currently is.

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Along with the Belgian starlet, the French boss must also unleash summer signing Benjamin Nygren, who has become Celtic’s most frustrating player since Engels.

Why Benjamin Nygren is a frustrating player for Celtic

Like the £11m club-record signing, the Sweden international is an incredibly frustrating player for the Hoops because you can see that the talent is there, but it does not always work out for him.

The left-footed central midfielder has scored six goals and provided three assists in 18 appearances for the club this season, per Sofascore, yet he has found himself on the bench for the last two league games under O’Neill.

Nygren is such a frustrating player because he can do the hard bits, scoring and creating goals, but he lets himself down at times with some of the simpler parts of the game in the middle of the park.

xG

4.76

Top 1%

Goals

5

Top 1%

xA

2.77

Top 5%

Assists

2

Top 14%

Dribble success rate

29.4%

Bottom 17%

Duel success rate

49.5%

Bottom 44%

Dribbled past

6x

Bottom 35%

As you can see in the table above, he is exceptional at making an impact in the final third, yet is among the worst of his positional peers when it comes to competing in physical duels on and off the ball.

This explains why O’Neill has dropped him from the starting line-up in recent matches, because the midfield star has not proven that he can be reliable enough out of possession to go along with his attacking qualities.

The 24-year-old gem’s attacking output, though, suggests that he is a player who has a lot to offer to Nancy once he is in the building, as is also the case for Engels, which is why he must unleash the Swedish whiz from the start.

It will then be down to Nygren and Nancy to work together on the training pitch to either minimise the effects of his physical struggles, or to improve his work off the ball, to make him as effective as possible.

£1.5m Celtic flop has been an even bigger waste of time than Balikwisha

This Celtic flop has been an even worse signing than Michel-Ange Balikwisha for the Scottish giants.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

The Atlanta Braves took another gut punch on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, as the club squandered a 5-0 lead and lost to the defending-champion Dodgers on a walk-off home run by Shohei Ohtani. The defeat dropped the Braves to an MLB-worst 0–7 to begin the season.

But that's not all.

In beginning the '25 campaign 0-7, Atlanta’s postseason hopes have entered the danger zone. According to MLB analyst Ryan Spaeder on X, no team has ever made the postseason after starting the year 0-7.

Just four years removed from winning the World Series and two years since winning 104 games, Atlanta entered the '25 season with championship aspirations. Making the playoffs for an eighth straight time was already going to be an arduous task though, given that '23 National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace pitcher Spencer Strider are both sidelined as they continue to recover from season-ending surgeries this past season.

The Braves are also without All-Star catcher Sean Murphy, who has been on the Injured List since spring with a cracked rib, and '24 breakout pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on IL earlier this week with shoulder inflammation.

And just when it seemed like things couldn't get worse, Jurickson Profar, the team's $42 million free agent pickup this offseason, was suspended 80 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

But the Braves aren't 0-7 simply because of injuries and a suspension. The club is 0-7 because, surprise, they simply aren't playing well.

Atlanta has scored just 14 runs, the third-fewest in the majors, and ranks dead-last in MLB with a team OPS of .485. Braves pitchers have surrendered the fourth-most earned runs in the sport. Fully whole or not, that's not a recipe for winning.

But all hope is not lost. According to MLB.com, 14 teams have started the season with four or more losses and still advanced to the postseason. Three of those teams started the season 0-6. The Braves can also look to a division rival for an example of a recent success story. The New York Mets started the '24 season 0-5 and proceeded to make a run to the National League Championship Series.

All this to say, it's a long season. Teams can flip a switch. The Braves know that better than anyone. The '21 team that won the World Series? That club didn't have a winning record until Aug. 6 of that season.

So yes, the Braves are facing an unprecedented road to the playoffs. But there's a first time for everything.

There is only a two-day gap between the South Africa and Sri Lanka ODI series, and then only a day’s gap before the T20I tri-series

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2025Pakistan are set to host Sri Lanka for three ODIs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in the nine-day gap between the end of the South Africa tour and the T20I tri-series with Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in November.Once Pakistan conclude their series against South Africa with the third ODI on November 8 in Faisalabad, they will head to Rawalpindi with just a two-day gap before facing Sri Lanka on November 11, 13 and 15 – all matches separated by just a day’s rest. The hosts will remain in Rawalpindi as the T20I tri-series also begins there, on November 17 against Afghanistan before the action moves to Lahore after the first two games.This will be the first time Pakistan host Sri Lanka for an ODI series since 2019, when the hosts had beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 in a three-match series under Sarfaraz Ahmed after the opening game was washed out in Karachi. Sri Lanka’s last visit to Pakistan was just before the 2023 ODI World Cup, when they had flown to Lahore for the Asia Cup.Related

Pakistan to host SL, Afghanistan for T20I tri-series

SA to open WTC 2025-27 campaign against Pakistan in Lahore

The ODI series is the latest addition to a busy home season for Pakistan, which starts with two Tests against WTC champions South Africa from October 12 to 24 in Lahore and Rawalpindi, followed by three T20Is and as many ODIs against them. The T20I tri-series will run from November 17 to 29.Pakistan recently won the T20I tri-series involving Afghanistan and hosts UAE in the lead up to the T20 Asia Cup, which begins on September 9. Pakistan’s first match is on September 12 against Oman, followed by a clash against arch-rivals India on September 14.

Callum Wilson insisted that he can force his way into Thomas Tuchel's England squad despite not playing for the Three Lions since 2023. At 33, many would assume his international career has ended. But Wilson has never been one to accept the limitations and has that same self-confidence that took him to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, despite widespread scepticism at the time.

A journal full of targets

Wilson keeps a daily notebook filled with ambitions. One of them is 100 Premier League goals. It is that stubborn self-belief that saw him turn down eye-watering offers from Saudi Arabia last summer. Instead of chasing the last big contract, he joined West Ham, determined to reach the century mark in English football and extend his Premier League legacy. And his more pressing target is to catch the attention of Tuchel. 

Wilson said: "I have 100 goals, that’s written down. Personal targets that I want to achieve in terms of what’s happened over the last few years, not playing as much as I like, games I want to be involved in and how many that is and being available. There’s a World Cup coming up. I still, in my head, will believe until the final squad that if I have a run of games, I can put my best foot forward.

"The last time we went to the World Cup, I’d written there about that. Everyone said, ‘Oh, what are you doing in the winter break when the World Cup’s coming?' My journal says I’m going to the World Cup. Because some people think I’m deluded. That’s the problem. When you actually believe in yourself so much, people think you’re borderline delusional. But there’s people that have been with me throughout my career that have seen me say something and I’ve then done it. I achieve these things. And every time I get written off, I’ve come back from it."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA return to Bournemouth: The club that shaped him

Wilson now sits on 90 Premier League goals. His first 41 came during his years at Bournemouth, and he is set to visit the Vitality Stadium this weekend for the first time since 2020. 

He said: "I’m looking forward to that on a personal level in terms of just being in a place where that was the next step for me where I managed to build my name and help the team get great success over the years. I’ve scored many goals in both nets for Bournemouth, so obviously I’ll be able to do it against them. It’s the same arena."

Wilson needs 10 more Premier League goals to enter the hundred club and he insists he stayed in England last summer for that exact reason.

Wilson added: "I had a tricky few years previously with injuries and then Alex Isak getting in great form and then basically finding myself playing second fiddle to him. It wasn’t really how I seen my last few years in the Premier League going. I’m a fighter. I didn’t want to just give up and say, OK, it’s easy for me to just go and do a different country, collect a little bit of money and things like that. But that’s not my motivation.”

Tuchel’s to-call List: A manager with a mission

If Wilson is to revive his England career, the man he must impress is the meticulous Tuchel. Fresh from guiding England to a perfect World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign, eight wins, zero goals conceded, Tuchel has now set himself a new task of speaking personally to every England hopeful. The number hovers between 55 and 60 players. Tuchel laughed at the length of the list, but insisted the calls are essential.

"Players that are on our long list, 55, 60 players, to reach out to them, be in touch with them, explain to them why they were not here," he said. "Explain to them what they have to do, where they can improve. Can they even do something, or is it just a choice, so this is my job in the next weeks and months.

"Yeah, and I hate phone calls. Better on FaceTime. Then I see the expression, at least, and get a feeling for the person. Or I need to visit them, visit training grounds. We can do group visits. We can do Jude (Bellingham) and Trent (Alexander-Arnold). And visit the clubs. And some of them we will call. Let's see. Listen, we've just finished this camp and I think it's important that I reach out to everyone, even to the guys we didn't pick so regularly, to tell them where they are and give them honest feedback."

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Getty Images SportWill Wilson’s phone ring?

That is the question Wilson smiles at. He knows his age will be used against him and his injury history will be raised. But he refuses to surrender his belief that a late surge of form, coupled with his relentless self-discipline, could force Tuchel’s hand. 

Everyone seems to have a different opinion on international breaks. Any Scotland-supporting Glasgow Rangers fans may be loving them at this moment in time, after Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for next year’s World Cup.

However, some supporters may not like the break from club football or may not be happy with watching their country play, for whatever reason that may be.

Another reason as to why someone, and possibly Danny Rohl, may not enjoy international breaks is that it means that Rangers stars can pick up injuries without playing for their club.

For example, the German head coach will currently be sweating over the availability of central defender John Souttar, after he was forced out of the starting line-up against Denmark during the warm-up.

The Scotland international picked up an unknown injury before kick-off, after initially being named in the starting line-up, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be available this weekend.

On the same night, Derek Cornelius was forced off after just 30 minutes for Canada in their clash with Venezuela, with what is suspected to be a thigh injury, which makes him a doubt for the clash with Livingston at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.

Ranking Rangers centre-backs this season

Losing both Souttar and Cornelius would be a blow for Rohl ahead of Saturday’s match because they were the starting centre-back pairing in the 3-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park last time out.

The Canadian centre-back, who is on loan from Marseille, missing the match would be a significant blow because he has been in impressive form for the Gers this season, particularly since Rohl came through the door.

Cornelius has started all three of the new manager’s league matches and won 21 of his 32 duels, per Sofascore, in those matches, helping Rangers to keep two clean sheets and concede just one goal.

The Marseille loanee, with those dominant displays, has been the top-performing centre-back at the club this season, whilst Souttar has started all 11 of the club’s league matches, under Russell Martin, Stevie Smith, and Rohl, per Sofascore.

1

Derek Cornelius

2

John Souttar

3

James Tavernier

4

Emmanuel Fernandez

5

Nasser Djiga

6

Clinton Nsiala

As you can see in the table above, we have placed James Tavernier in third place because he has filled in at centre-back, most recently against Kilmarnock and Roma, and done a reliable job.

Emmanuel Fernandez has started two matches for Rangers since his move from Peterborough. He scored in his start against Alloa Athletic and won 12 of his 15 duels, per Sofascore, in his only Premiership start against St Mirren, which makes it hard to put him too high or too low, as he has impressed in limited game time.

Nasser Djiga, meanwhile, ranks below him in fifth because the Wolves loanee has played 17 times for Rangers this season and was recently described as “rotten” by Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar.

The Burkina Faso international has made several costly errors, including a red card against Dundee in August and an inexplicable mistake, letting his man race clear through on goal, against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off tie.

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Finally, Clinton Nsiala has to rank sixth out of the six first-team centre-back options, including Tavernier, simply because he has not played a single minute of football for the Gers this season.

However, if Souttar and Cornelius are both unavailable for selection against Livingston on Saturday because of the injuries that they picked up on international duty, it could finally be time to unleash the left-footed star.

Why Rangers should finally unleash Clinton Nsiala

The former AC Milan centre-back was seemingly not in Russell Martin’s plans at Ibrox, as he did not feature in a single matchday squad, but Rohl has the chance to change that this weekend.

As aforementioned, Djiga has not had the best of starts to life at Ibrox, hence why Edgar dubbed him “rotten”, and his mistakes for the Gers suggest that another player should be given an opportunity to shine.

If Souttar and Cornelius are both unavailable, Fernandez could come in to replace the former as the right-sided centre-back, after his dominant display last time out in the Premiership against St Mirren earlier this season.

That would leave Rohl in need of replacing Cornelius against Livingston and Nsiala could be the ideal player to step in for the Canada international, as he is the only other left-footed senior centre-back option in the squad.

The 21-year-old centre-back played 11 times in the Premiership under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign, and rarely let the Light Blues down with his performances.

Dundee

1-1 draw

St Johnstone

3-1 win

Aberdeen

3-0 win

Dundee United

3-1 win

Ross County

4-0 win

Hearts

3-1 win

St Mirren

2-0 loss

Kilmarnock

4-2 win

Celtic

3-2 win

Aberdeen

2-2 draw

St Mirren

2-2 draw

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish giants only lost one of those 11 matches in the division, which shows that he was far from a disaster in the senior team.

In fact, former teammate Ross McCausland admitted that he and some of the other players in the squad had described him as “a left-footed Van Dijk” when watching his performances on the pitch for the first-team.

Nsiala, though, has not been given a chance to build on that respectable start to his senior career with the Light Blues, as he has not played a single minute this season.

That is why Rohl should finally unleash the left-footed defender against Livingston if Cornelius is unavailable for selection, as he is a left-footed defender who has proven that he can perform in the Premiership.

Thelwell let Rangers star go for £0, now he'd walk into the XI over Aasgaard

This former Rangers star who was released by Kevin Thelwell would walk into the current team over Thelo Aasgaard.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

The 21-year-old, given these new injury blows and Djiga’s disappointing form, deserves an opportunity to show that he can play a role for Rohl moving forward, starting with the game on Saturday.