أعلن آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول، عن تشكيل فريقه لمباراة وست هام يونايتد اليوم الأحد، وذلك لحساب منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ليفربول سوف يحل ضيفًا ثقيلًا على نظيره وست هام على ملعب لندن الأوليمبي، وذلك لحساب الجولة ال13 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويسعى ليفربول إلى تحقيق الفوز على وست هام، وذلك من أجل العودة إلى سكة الانتصارات في ظل نتائج الريدز السيئة خلال الفترة الأخيرة.

وشهد تشكيل ليفربول مفاجآة كبيرة، حيث بقى محمد صلاح على دكة البدلاء، وتم الدفع بفلوريان فيرتز بدلًا من الدولي المصري.

اقرأ أيضًا.. الأسباب الحقيقية لسقوط ليفربول.. جماهير تضغط على الجرح وحيرة الصفقات

كما تواجد ألكسندر إيزاك بشكل أساسي في هجوم ليفربول، مع وجود شكوك حول جاهزية هوجو إيكتيكي البدنية.

وسوف يتكون هجوم ليفربول في لقاء اليوم بثلاثي مكون من فيرتز، وإيزاك، إلى جانب كودي جاكبو.

وعلى الجانب الآخر دفع سلوت بجو جوميز بصفة أساسية لأول مرة منذ فترة طويلة، حيث سيشارك في مركز الظهير الأيمن. تشكيل ليفربول لمباراة وست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: جو جوميز، إبراهيما كوناتي، فيرجيل فان دايك، ميلوس كيركيز.

خط الوسط: دومينيك سوبوسلاي، أليكسيس ماك أليستير، ريان جرافنبرج.

خط الهجوم: فلوريان فيرتز، ألكسندر إيزاك، كودي جاكبو.

ويجلس على دكة بدلاء ليفربول كلًا من: مامارداشفيلي، محمد صلاح، إندو، كييزا، كورتيس جونز، إيكتيكي، روبرتسون، نيوني ، نجوهوما.

She has changed her game, and the five-match T20I series in England could be Shafali’s way back into the ODI side in a World Cup year

S Sudarshanan27-Jun-2025This will be Shafali Verma’s third tour of England, but a lot has changed since the previous ones. For starters, she is not a teenager anymore.When Shafali first toured England for the multi-format series in 2021, she was only a T20I cricketer. She made her debut in ODIs and Test cricket on that tour. Around the time of the England tour – for the Commonwealth Games followed by the bilateral series – in 2022, India were happy with the high-impact knocks she produced despite her inconsistency. It was a risk-versus-reward trade-off that worked for both India and Shafali.Cut to mid-2025, and Shafali has just earned a recall to the T20I side and is still out of favour in ODIs in a home World Cup year. After India crashed out in the league stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, Shafali’s place in the team seemed untenable. Not that India found other batters who could attack from get-go like she could – there aren’t many who can do it anywhere in the world, let alone in India. She was dropped anyway.Related

• Harmanpreet embraces 'happy headache' with India's depth on the rise

• Mandhana: 'Shafali deserves this comeback and I'm really excited to open with her again'

• Home World Cup in Beaumont's radar after three-year absence from England T20I side

• India's road to T20 World Cup 2026: what's right and what's not

• She gets knocked down but she gets up again – Sneh Rana

In hindsight, the timing of her exclusion perhaps worked well for Shafali, in that she was able to play the whole of the 50-over domestic competitions. She captained Haryana to a quarter-final finish in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy and topped the run-scoring charts – 527 runs at an average above 75 and a strike rate of 152.31. Only one other batter (Kiran Navgire) batted at a higher strike rate in the entire competition, but she scored only 116.Shafali then played the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy, a competition in which best performers in the one-dayers are picked by the national selectors. She topped the charts there, too, as captain of Team A – 414 runs at an average of 82.80 and a strike rate of 145.26. She had scored close to 200 runs more than the next best, and no one else scored at a higher pace in the competition.In WPL 2025, Shafali was the leading run-scorer for runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) – and fourth-best overall – and she could no longer be left out of India’s T20I side. That India played only one T20I series since her axing did not matter, they have their premier opener back as the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup starts.But what has changed in Shafali’s game in the intervening period? How is she scoring with such regularity, which she couldn’t earlier?

“Her power game is natural, no one hits sixes at will like her in the women’s game. I told her to not leave behind the qualities that have brought her here. She is a different cricketer, I selected her for the first time based on that”DC assistant coach and former India chief selector Hemlata Kala

“She has worked on keeping herself cool,” DC assistant coach Hemlata Kala told ESPNcricinfo. “In the WPL, she tried to play longer innings and not getting out inside the powerplay.”Everyone said she only bats for 10-15 overs [in one-day cricket]. But she batted for longer in [the domestic] one-dayers, struck back-to-back hundreds. Even in multi-day (Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy) she played well. She has now consistently started playing longer innings. It is not that she didn’t do it before – she has hit 130-140 in Under-23 cricket. She has the ability, but in T20s she tries to make best use of the powerplay.”Former India international Kala was the chief selector when Shafali, aged 15, made her international debut. Apart from being with DC, Kala was also part of the coaching staff for teams in the one-day and multi-day Challenger Trophy and witnessed the damage Shafali could inflict as an opposition player.”I keep telling her, no one has the mindset she has – of hitting sixes from ball one,” Kala said. “Whenever I talk to her, I tell her, ‘don’t leave your game’. Her power game is natural, no one hits sixes at will like her in the women’s game. I told her to not leave behind the qualities that have brought her here. She is a different cricketer, I selected her for the first time based on that.”Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol have been in India’s top-three in ODIs in the recent past•SLCConsciously, though, Kala also instilled in Shafali the importance of rotating strike and not getting bogged down while going for big hits. She has worked on finding gaps when the field spreads.”As you all know, my starts are good but building an innings has been an issue,” Shafali had said earlier this year. “But now, I am focusing on how to get those singles, how to build the innings, how to do well for the team.”Some of that was on display in the WPL, where she did not seem desperate to power deliveries away. She showed restraint even in the powerplay. But she did not let it affect her overall strike rate (152.76 in 2025 vs 156.85 in 2024) much.The five-match T20I series in England could be Shafali’s way back into the ODI side. After the three games in England, India have one more series before the World Cup – a three-ODI series against Australia at home. Whether Shafali makes it there and what the implications on the other top-order batters – Pratika Rawal has been the ODI opener and Harleen Deol the No. 3 – is anybody’s guess.Third time could indeed be a charm for Shafali.

Thomas Tuchel has revealed that he plans to phone 60 unselected England players as the Three Lions boss has a blueprint set for the 2026 World Cup squad. Fresh from completing a flawless Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, with eight wins and no goals conceded, the German coach has revealed his next task is not tactical, but conversational. Tuchel is known for his meticulous planning and almost forensic attention to detail, and now he will personally contact over 50 England players in the coming months to explain their status and outline what they must do to force their way into contention.

• Tuchel opens communication drive

  Tuchel’s openness has given hope to a significant group of players who find themselves hovering on the fringes. Luke Shaw, Jack Grealish, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker, and Alexander-Arnold, all seasoned tournament figures, are among those expecting a call. Even Danny Welbeck, whose last England appearance came in 2018, is making a fresh push to return, helped by a campaign of revived domestic form. 

  "First of all, it's my job now to make contact with everyone, players like Trent," Tuchel said when asked about Alexander-Arnold. 

  The reference to Alexander-Arnold was no accident. The Real Madrid defender did not feature in Albania, with former Liverpool teammate Jarell Quansah handed a full debut at right-back. It was a decision Tuchel justified by praising the youngster’s athleticism, build-up quality and consistency since the Under-21 Euros.  

  "Of course I have a lot of trust in Jarell," he said. "I see his talent, but I see the package. He is tall, he is fast, he is strong in build-up. He is strong in the air. I saw him playing very strong for Liverpool in this position [right-back], so I always wanted to try. And he plays every minute for Leverkusen since the Under-21 Euros, so he is at the moment a tiny bit ahead."

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  Veterans waiting by the phone

  Tuchel laughs at the length of his "to-call" list, but insists it is necessary. 

  "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."

  However, the manager is not a fan of making calls and added: "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, training grounds. We can do group visits. We can do Jude [Bellingham] and Trent. 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."

• England’s camp leaves Tuchel emotional

  The England manager appeared almost wistful as he reflected on the end of their final camp of the year, describing how deeply he has connected with the squad.

  "It hurts me honestly," he said after sending the squad off on Sunday. "I told the players, 'I have to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year now, I cannot believe it and in my heart, everything in me wants to be with you guys in Wednesday again on the sidelines and fight on Saturday again' and they sucked me into all of this. This is just amazing. It will be very, very tough for me to not have a match until March."   

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  Bellingham’s world cup role still taking shape

  Bellingham’s place in Tuchel’s long-term plans is not in question. The issue is not inclusion, but impact. The Real Madrid playmaker, making his first England start since rejoining the squad under Tuchel, was seen waving his arms in frustration after being substituted for Morgan Rogers against Albania. Tuchel has an abundance of creators, from Phil Foden to Cole Palmer to Bukayo Saka, and determining who starts in a major tournament knockout match is a decision he is happy to delay. The next four months and the next England camp will help clarify that picture. For now, Tuchel is focused on communication and accountability. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar da maratona enfrentada nos últimos jogos, o Botafogo não deve poupar jogadores na partida contra o Vitória, na noite desta quinta-feira (2), às 19h, no Nilton Santos.

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As únicas novidades da equipe devem ser as laterais, com Mateo Ponte e Cuiabano. Entre os desfalques da equipe estão: Rafael, Pablo, Marçal, Tiquinho Soares e Matheus Nascimento. Tchê Tchê não joga por estar internado para investigação de dores abdominais.

Com isso, o Glorioso deve ir a campo com: John; Damián Suárez (Mateo Ponte), Lucas Halter, Bastos e Hugo (Cuiabano); Gregore, Marlon Freitas, Luiz Henrique e Savarino (Jeffinho); Eduardo e Júnior Santos.

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Fourteen wickets fell and Liam Haskett was the surprise spark for Western Australia as they finished day one on top in their Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania in Hobart.Ashes batting contender Jake Weatherald missed a chance to push his case for a Test debut, before Tasmania unravelled when third-change WA left-arm quick Haskett was introduced.Related

• Konstas' Test hopes fade with a duck on 13-wicket day

The paceman took 3 for 26 in 10 overs, having Tim Ward flashing an edge behind then spearing deliveries through Caleb Jewell and Nivethan Radhakrishnan.A bright, unbeaten 41 from Jake Doran that included three sixes salvaged things somewhat in an otherwise horror middle session for Tasmania. Australia white-ball allrounder Aaron Hardie also played a key role with three wickets.WA were 107 for 4 at stumps, having missed a chance to be in a more dominant position when the well-set Jayden Goodwin and Hilton Cartwright were late casualties.Riley Meredith found pace and bounce in his eight overs, while former Test quick Jackson Bird took the early scalp of Cameron Bancroft for just 3 when he edged to slip.

Hong Kong field an unchanged side in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20251:27

Can Bangladesh maintain their aggressive batting approach?

Bangladesh captain Litton Das elected to bowl in their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.Litton said he decided to bowl since they were not aware of the pitch conditions at the venue. He confirmed that Bangladesh were playing three seamers, two spinners, and six batters.Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza was happy despite losing the toss because he wanted to bat first anyway. Murtaza said that the batters made some mistakes against Afghanistan and that they wouldn’t want to repeat them. There were no changes to the Hong Kong side, with Murtaza backing the same XI to come good tonight.The pitch report sugges a dry surface with some cracks opening up but remains run friendly. The shorter boundary on one side of the ground could interest the battersOne losing record promises to come to an end tonight. Bangladesh have never won a T20I in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong are yet to win an Asia Cup match.Bangladesh XI: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Tanzim Hasan, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Hong Kong XI: 1 Zeeshan Ali (wk), 2 Anshy Rath, 3 Babar Hayat, 4 Nizakat Khan, 5 Kalhan Challu, 6 Kinchit Shah, 7 Yasim Murtaza (capt), 8 Aizaz Khan, 9 Ayush Shukla, 10 Ateeq Iqbal, 11 Ehsan Khan

India go into the next T20I World Cup as strong favourites, but their captain isn’t fully buying into that talk

Sidharth Monga08-Nov-20254:36

It was fire and fire today: Abhishek on his stand with Gill

India have now won each of the seven T20I series they have been part of since winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. They hold a 26-4 win-loss record over this period. They still have two bilateral series at home, where they will defend their crown in about three months. Surely they are favourites given their strengths, experience and current record, but their captain Suryakumar Yadav is aware you can never say all the bases are covered.”I’m very lucky to have all these boys with different-different skills,” he said after the Brisbane washout when asked if India had all bases covered. “They bring very different-different things to the table. When we chat around about the bowling, batting, and fielding… You must have seen a lot of energy on the ground. People enjoy when they go together on the ground.”But yeah, from a batting point of view, definitely what we’ve been doing in the last six to eight months, I think we’re sticking to that, not changing anything. These guys are doing it really well. The way they bat at the top of the order, it puts a smile on everyone’s face when they’re batting together.Related

• India seal T20I series 2-1 after Brisbane washout

“And also from a bowling point of view as well, people are taking responsibility. Having an experienced bowler like [Jasprit] Bumrah around in the team and everyone chatting with him, learning a lot of skills, tricks and trade of the game, I think that’s a good thing. So there’s good friendship building up in that as well.”So we are trying to get there. There’s never anything like all bases covered. We always learn from this game, every game we play. Yeah, till now things look good, touch wood, let’s continue that.”Abhishek Sharma became the fastest batter to 1000 T20I runs by balls faced•AFP/Getty Images

One of the top-order batters responsible for putting said smiles on faces sat next to Suryakumar as the Player of the Series. During the course of this Australia tour, Abhishek Sharma became the quickest to 1000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced. He also played a more sedate innings when he judged the pitch to be a tricky one. India defended 167 successfully in that match.Suryakumar was impressed with that aspect of Abhishek’s game, joking that sometimes even a tiger has to turn herbivorous. “If the wicket is difficult, the quicker you adapt the better it is,” Suryakumar said. “The wicket was good today so they went back to normal, scoring 50-plus in four-and-a-half overs. But it was important in the last game to read the wicket well. These two [Abhishek and opening partner Shubman Gill] did that well. At this level, you only learn from experience. The way he adapted so quickly, if in the future also if we get such a wicket in the subcontinent, it won’t be something new for him.”They communicate well. They run well. They are learning quickly. Yes, there are just 120 balls, but often you have more time than you think. Sometimes if they take four-five balls extra to figure out the conditions, they are so skilled they can cover up easily.”Abhishek credited all his success to the absolute freedom given to him by the team management, who, he said, told him he will still be in the side if he scores 15 consecutive ducks. “I knew there’s gonna be extra bounce and pace, but, from a team point of view, I had a plan that I have to play the same way I’ve been playing. Because as an opening batter, it’s very easy for you to understand your role.”But I feel when you’re playing like this, when you want to dominate the opposition, you have to have that confidence and that ability. I think the captain and coach always backed me in that. I practised really hard on this because it’s not easy to come to Australia and beat them in white-ball cricket as well. So I wanted to play the same brand of cricket because we have been following that since before the Asia Cup.”

Marcus Rashford has been told that he can steal Lamine Yamal’s crown as Barcelona’s best player, with the England international proving during a loan spell in Catalunya that he remains a “fantastic player”. Dwight Yorke expects the Manchester United outcast to create his own “legacy” with La Liga giants, much like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Xavi once did.

Lost spark: Why Rashford finds himself at Barcelona

Rashford is a long way from occupying that talent pool at present, but has enjoyed a productive start to his spell with Barcelona. He showed signs of rekindling a lost spark during a loan stint at Aston Villa last season.

With no slate being wiped clean at Old Trafford in the summer of 2025, the 28-year-old was forced to find another new challenge. He stepped out of his comfort zone when doing that, with the decision taken to join Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri in Spanish football.

AdvertisementGettyJust like Messi: Rashford tipped to eclipse Yamal & emulate icons

Rashford has registered six goals and eight assists through 16 appearances for Barca, with the expectation being that a purchase option will be triggered in his loan agreement. Once a permanent transfer is completed, Yorke believes that Rashford will go from strength to strength.

The 1999 Treble winner has told of the United academy graduate potentially rising above teenage wonderkid Yamal at Camp Nou: “I'm surprised they haven't already paid that £35 million ($46m), as he’s a really good player.

“I think it’s great for Rashford. I’ve defended him. There’s a whole saga around him and after some people questioned his role at United, credit to him for doing well at Barcelona. I think he became very unhappy at United, it’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re in an unhappy place, how can you perform? He’s gone over to Barcelona, he’s enjoying his football again, he’s in a happy place, and we see the impact on his performances.

“He’s not become a fantastic player at Barcelona. He is a fantastic player. He has always been a fantastic player. But if you’re unhappy, you’re not going to perform. I don’t think he has covered himself in glory either, but man for man there was no player more talented than Rashford in the United ranks. Now we’ve got a happy Rashford playing the way he can, he’s showing at Barcelona that the rest is history, and now he has some big boots to fill.

“Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, these are the types of guys that came before him like Romario and those types of players. I don’t think Rashford is quite in that bracket yet but he can create his own legacy in the Barcelona shirt.

“Apart from Lamine Yamal, he’s not going to have much competition in this team. He's now got a chance to believe: 'I can be the number one player here', even ahead of Yamal. Yamal is still in that development stage. Rashford is at his peak right now as a player and he is that good. He can be that good but he must want to have it."

Transfer poser: Man Utd already made a mistake with McTominay

United could be wondering whether selling Rashford is the best option, having seen him thrive outside of Manchester. The likes of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho have done likewise, while Scott McTominay is now a Serie A title winner at Napoli.

There has been talk of the Red Devils trying to bring the Scotland international back, with Yorke saying on that topic: “You know they would have to pay some serious money to go and get him back. It would be difficult to admit they made a mistake, but having said that, he would relish the fact he’s now being backed by the club if they did go back in for him.

“He wouldn’t answer the problem of not having a number six though. They’d probably get him playing even further up the park which would only make things more confusing. That’s why he wouldn’t come back. In hindsight, like with all these things, he could have been in a top position at United one day but it’s never that easy.”

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Getty Images SportSpend again: Amorim & Man Utd still searching for consistency

Ruben Amorim will be looking for the United board to spend again in January, with the Red Devils still searching for consistency. They have positioned themselves back in the Premier League top-four race this season, but questions continue to be asked of whether defensive and attacking reinforcements are required in order for former glories to be fully recaptured.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente revealed that Lamine Yamal was "very sad" to withdraw from the Spanish national team after an invasive radiofrequency therapy this week ruled him out for over a week. The Barcelona youngster has been diagnosed with pubalgia and has struggled with fitness recently, while De la Fuente's latest words add another chapter to the feud between the Catalans and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

• Yamal undergoes therapy, sidelined from Spain squad

  The Spanish national team suffered a major setback on Tuesday morning after Yamal was released from the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey on November 15 and 18. The Barcelona winger recently underwent invasive radiofrequency therapy to address his ongoing pubalgia issues and is expected to be sidelined for seven to 10 days.

  According to an official statement from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), the medical procedure came as a “surprise,” as it was “carried out without prior notification to the national team’s medical staff,” who only learned of the details upon receiving a report at 10:40 p.m. the previous night.

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  Yamal sad after withdrawing from Spain squad

  De la Fuente, speaking on , confessed that Yamal was extremely sad over his release from the national camp. “Lamine is sad. He’s a player deeply committed to the national team and very well-liked," he said. "He left very sad; he was looking forward to playing these matches. He wants to have a great season with his club, and he also has the Finalissima and the World Cup etched in his memory. He’s the one who suffers the most. He always wants to come. He left sad and hurt. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or has bad intentions.

  “I spoke with him. When we received the report last night, we let him rest. We went to his room and I spoke with him. I told him it was the first news he'd heard from the national team; I don't know if he had any information about Barcelona. He was incredibly sad and hurt. He was fine when he arrived. We didn't know anything until last night.”

• Relationship between Barca and RFEF can be improved

  During the September international break, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick sparked tensions between the club and the Spanish national team – including De la Fuente – by accusing them of "failing to take care" of Yamal as he suffered a knock on international duty. Flick's words triggered a war of words between the involved parties, with Barca and the RFEF engaging in a tense back and forth. Even De la Fuente claimed that he wasn't "interested" in what the German boss had to say.

  However, on Tuesday, he reflected on the matter. He started by revealing that Barca had not given prior notice regarding the medical procedure Yamal underwent. “Nothing more has happened than what was stated in the RFEF press release," he said. "Relations are good. I have a very good relationship with Barcelona, its president, and the board of directors. What was stated in the press release is what happened.

  "At least they should have communicated what they planned to do to him. After that, they're free to do whatever they think is appropriate for their player. Ask them (on why Barca aren't communicating). It's something that is, to say the least, surprising."

  He addressed the criticism faced by the RFEF and said that he "missed Flick's empathy." “Nothing could be further from the truth. The priority here is the person, the footballer. When that's mentioned, I'm surprised, shocked," he conceded. "There are cases of players who have been here and then had to go home. We don't take that risk with any of them, because we prioritize the footballer and we also work with a great youth academy.

  "I would do the same with Lamine; he was fit to play those matches. What we do is assess his condition, the communication he gives us… and we make the decisions.

  “Those of us who have been footballers know that taking Voltaren or a painkiller is normal. There is nothing worse than ignorance and lack of knowledge. Bad faith, too. Barca wants to defend its player, and so do we.

  “If I had something to say to a colleague, I would do it privately. I don't do it publicly because I might be wrong. I've missed Flick's empathy, because he was a national team coach. Otherwise, I have no problem with him.”

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  De la Fuente determined to be cautious with Yamal

  Yamal’s diagnosis with pubalgia presents a significant challenge, given that the chronic groin condition is resistant to quick recovery and can persist for extended periods. 

  "They hadn't told us anything. The footballer didn't mention any pubalgia discomfort either, only lower back pain," said De la Fuente when asked when he found out about the injury. 

  “Unfortunately, there will be other injuries. That's football. Football is high-risk and you can get injured. We're seeing injuries in all kinds of situations. That's what worries me. 

  “You can have a plan to rotate players, give them rest and opportunities, but football takes you in other directions. In theory, we try to manage their minutes carefully, keeping in mind that we have two matches where everything is at stake. But not just today, always.”

Cameron Green says he could play Shield cricket instead of ODIs and T20Is in the lead-up to the Ashes to build his bowling loads on return from his back injury

Alex Malcolm21-Aug-2025Australia allrounder Cameron Green is unsure if he will bat at No. 3 in the upcoming Ashes series, but confirmed his return to bowling is likely to come in Sheffield Shield cricket in the lead-in rather than at the ODI or T20I series against India that comes before into the Test summer.Green, 26, has been Australia’s No. 3 in each of their last four Test matches across the World Test Championship final and the three-Test tour of the Caribbean, which he played as a batter-only as he continues his rehabilitation from back surgery in October last year.He looked increasingly assured in the No. 3 role after a very difficult start, making scores of 4, 0, 3, 15, 26, 52, 46 and 42. While the overall returns appear lean, the last four innings were highly valued within the Australia camp, especially the 46 and 42 in Kingston, which were the second- and third-highest scores in a game where there were only four individual scores higher than 24.Related

• Webster happy to scrap for Ashes spot

• Konstas trusting advice of his 'inner circle' ahead of Ashes push

• Bailey declares Weatherald 'in the mix' for Ashes

But speaking in Mackay on Thursday ahead of the second ODI against South Africa, Green said he was unsure if he would continue at No. 3 for the first Ashes Test in Perth in November as the make-up of Australia’s top three remained uncertain.”You never know,” Green said. “I think there’s certainly a lot of guys that can fill that role. I’m really proud that I was able to do a role up there. But, yeah, wait and see.”If he does not bat No. 3 in the Ashes, it would completely change the dynamic of Australia’s top six.With Steven Smith and Travis Head locked in at four and five, allrounder Beau Webster has noted that his spot at No. 6 would come under pressure when Green’s is back to bowling. Usman Khawaja appears certain to open in the Ashes but Sam Konstas knows his place is far from guaranteed with Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald “in the mix” according to chairman of selectors George Bailey, while all eyes are on Marnus Labuschagne to see if he can regain to some form ahead of the Ashes.The scrutiny on Konstas has come following a torrid tour of the Caribbean, but Green said there wasn’t a lot to glean from the West Indies series given the nature of the pitches.”It was such tough wickets, especially for the batters, so to try and get out the series unscathed I think was a good effort,” Green said. “There wasn’t much to take away from that. I think it was just trying to survive, really, and find a way to score some runs. Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be playing on many wickets quite like that.”Green is set to be available to bowl in the Ashes. He has slowly been building his bowling loads back up at training since June after having not been allowed to bowl following his back surgery.He has not been available to bowl in either of the T20I series against West Indies or South Africa, and is also playing as a batter-only in the current three-match ODI series.Australia’s next international assignment after the third ODI on Sunday is not until October 1 when they will play a three-match T20I series in four days in New Zealand. Thereafter, Australia play three ODIs against India at home from October 19 to 25 before starting a five-match T20I series against India that runs from October 29 to November 8 with the Ashes starts on November 21.Green said it was more likely that he would focus on red-ball cricket in the lead-up to the Ashes series with Western Australia set to play three Sheffield Shield matches starting on October 4 against New South Wales at the WACA Ground, October 15 against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval, and October 28 against South Australia.Cameron Green has not bowled since injuring his back on the ODI tour of England in 2024•Getty Images

“In the past, it’s worked really well when I focused on Shield cricket,” Green said. “So I think that potentially might be the way to go down, especially with working my way back with bowling. Potentially get a few more overs over a few more days might be the best way to go about it.”I’m not quite certain on what match [I’ll return to bowling], but I’m feeling really good, in a really good spot. It’s exciting being back bowling at a reasonable intensity.”It’s been a long road back.”WA host Queensland in a fourth Shield game on November 11 but it is unlikely Green would play that close to the start of the Ashes. Green had success in 2024 when he was held out of a T20I series in New Zealand ahead of the Test series in order to remain in Australia to play Shield cricket. He scored a century for WA against Tasmania in a game that coincided with Australia’s three T20Is in New Zealand before making his highest Test score of 174 not out in the first Test in Wellington.Meantime, Green and Australia’s batting are searching for some runs ahead of the second ODI in Mackay on Friday. Green was one of five Australia batters spun out by Keshav Maharaj in game one in Cairns. But Green said the team had not dwelt on the dismal batting display.”Obviously Maharaj bowled beautifully, a couple of their batters batted really well,” Green said. “We didn’t want to debrief it too much. I think we know we’re a good team. We’ve had a lot of success the last few months. So to deep dive into it is probably not the right way to go about it. There’s certainly things we need to improve on. I think we just had a reasonable off day, but there’s plenty of one-day cricket coming up, so hopefully we can turn that around.”