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The shot gives batsmen a huge unfair advantage. Bowlers will take matters into their own hands if the officials don’t step in

Ian Chappell06-Dec-2020The switch hit has attracted a lot of attention in cricket circles in the last week, fuelled mainly by Glenn Maxwell’s amazing exploit in depositing a ball in the back of the Bob Hawke stand at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.In this case, Maxwell faced up in his normal manner as a right-hander, but before Kuldeep Yadav delivered the ball, he altered his stance and grip on the bat to effectively become a left-hander. Maxwell’s shot was an amazing example of skill and superb hand-eye coordination, but was it fair? The answer is a resounding no, as far as I’m concerned.One of the main tasks of a cricket administrator is to frame laws that maintain a reasonable balance between bat and ball. If the laws or playing conditions favour one or the other unfairly then the game becomes a diminished contest.ALSO READ: Glenn Maxwell on the switch hit: It’s up to the bowlers to evolveIn the case of the switch hit, the batsman has one prime objective in mind: to make the bowler’s field placings redundant. Considering the bowler – in consultation with his captain – places his field taking into account the batsman’s style, how can it then be fair that the batsman becomes the opposite type of player with the bowler having no recourse to a change of field? This obviously hands a huge advantage to a highly skilled switch-hitter.The respected former international umpire Simon Taufel suggested the already heavily burdened on-field officials would find it difficult to adjudicate on any switch of the hands or feet. With all due respect to a man who has done the job very effectively, I disagree.The square-leg umpire is already paying close attention to the batsman’s feet in case there is a stumping, so he’ll notice any change of order. If a batsman changes the order of his feet, then the square-leg umpire ought to simply declare the ball dead and no runs result.

Don’t worry, Glenn, history shows bowlers will move to combat the switch hit, but will it be in a manner that benefits the game?

If this became the law then batsmen would have no incentive to switch-hit and balance would be restored in that individual contest.Referring to the switch hit after the game, Maxwell said: “It’s within the Laws, batting has evolved in such a way that it’s just got better and better over the years. [I] suppose it’s up to the bowlers to try and combat that.”There’s one sure way for bowlers to combat the switch hit. They can simply refuse to deliver the ball every time a batsman starts to make a move to change his feet. This would further slow over rates that are already approaching glacial pace, but it would also send a strong message to any reluctant administrators.If the administrators’ prime concern is to favour hysterical commentary and please fans who only want to see a bowler’s head on a spike then they won’t budge. However, they should do so in the knowledge that bowlers will eventually say enough is enough and take the law into their own hands.The history of the game provides administrators with multiple examples of what happens when the balance between bat and ball gets seriously out of whack. Go back to the gradual evolution from underarm to sidearm to today’s overarm bowling. These changes were forced on the game by bowlers determined to be involved in a fair contest.There are plenty more examples where bowlers have become fed up and declared war. These include the Bodyline series, chucking and ball-tampering, all of which were strong protests against a game that had become lopsided in favour of batsmen.Don’t worry, Glenn, history shows bowlers will move to combat the switch hit, but will it be in a manner that benefits the game?If batsmen want to reverse-sweep or play a ramp shot without changing the order of their feet, that’s fine. By playing in that manner, the contest remains roughly a fifty-fifty proposition.However switch-hitting greatly favours batsmen and therefore alters the balance of the contest. It’s very skillful, but it’s not fair.

Manchester United are fighting to bring a talented Premier League star to Old Trafford and may face a straight shootout with Manchester City and Arsenal for his services.

Ruben Amorim looks ahead to Crystal Palace vs Man Utd

There has been plenty of noise at Old Trafford following Manchester United’s bitter defeat to Everton on Monday night, something supporters will hope can be rectified when their side take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this Sunday.

More than anything, a lack of penetration going forward led to a subdued atmosphere as proceedings rolled on, albeit Ruben Amorim has now urged his side to improve as they look to get back to winning ways against the Eagles.

He said in his pre-match press conference: “They are a different club (Crystal Palace) and they are doing things better than us so that is quite simple.

“We play in a different way and they are just doing things better than us. They are doing things really well and they play more in transition than us. We have to look at all of these things when we compare our teams but of course, in every position, we can do so much better.”

Shades of McTominay: Man Utd star is now their "most underrated player"

Manchester United now have a player who has certainly gone under the radar over the last couple of months.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2025

Looking ahead to January, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Andre could answer the Manchester United call for a midfielder, though it would be naive to think that is the only area of the field Amorim wants to bolster ahead of the run-in.

With that in mind, the Red Devils and INEOS have put themselves in a direct fight with the elite to sign an England international who is becoming an interesting commodity in the Premier League.

Man Utd eyeing move for Newcastle's Tino Livramento

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are keen on Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, and they could rival both Arsenal and Manchester City to land the England right-back.

The outlet shed some light on the situation, which read: “City would love to sign Livramento in January. That currently looks unlikely, but it could be a major saga next summer, when we can also expect United and Arsenal to come into the conversation.”

Capable of playing in either full-back position, Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle, scoring once and registering three assists in total.

Fresh back from his latest injury setback, he is valued at around the £80 million mark by the Magpies and could be tempted by the possibility of switching clubs, even if he isn’t exactly agitating for a move elsewhere.

Manchester United have begun to improve under Amorim and will hope they stand a fighting chance of completing a deal. Nevertheless, they may need to fend off some stiff competition to land their man, who is coincidentally six matches unbeaten against the Red Devils.

After the Mariners lost to the Athletics in Sacramento on Wednesday night, Seattle conducted one of the biggest trades ahead of the MLB deadline by securing third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Diamondbacks.

Suarez competed in a game vs. the Tigers in Detroit Wednesday afternoon, then seemingly hopped on a plane with his family to Sacramento to join his new squad. The Mariners' team plane was stationed at the airport in Sacramento for quite some time waiting for Suarez and his family to arrive. The Mariners players had no idea what the team was waiting on before leaving for Seattle.

Then Suarez and his family showed up. The entire plane cheered and Suarez went and hugged every player on the plane, Mariners insider Shannon Dryer, who was on the plane, detailed later. It was an emotional time for Suarez and the Mariners, especially as he was reuniting with many of his former teammates since he played in Seattle from 2022-23.

Suarez is already expected to be in Thursday night's Mariners lineup when the team faces the Rangers. Suarez will surely hear more cheers when he arrives at T-Mobile Park in front of thousands of fans.

Viktor Gyokeres knows exactly what Arsenal need to do in order to get their season back on track. The Gunners lost ground in the title race as they fell to just their second Premier League defeat of the season at Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon. Combined with Manchester City's win over Sunderland, Arsenal's lead at the top of the table has been cut to just two points.

• AFP
  

  Arsenal crashed to second league defeat of the season

  Villa went ahead with 10 minutes of the first half to play at Villa Park in Saturday's lunchtime kick off as Matty Cash rifled past David Raya from close range. Arsenal were level shortly after the restart as Leandro Trossard scored his fourth league goal of the season having been introduced at the break in the Midlands.

  However, the Villans threw a spanner in Arsenal's title pursuit as Emiliano Buendia scored a last-gasp winner for Unai Emery's side to condemn Arsenal to just their second league defeat of the season.

  The result means Arsenal have now won just two of their last five league matches, and the dip in form has seen their lead at the top of the Premier League table cut to just two points, with Manchester City hot on their heels. Star striker Gyokeres, meanwhile, has issued his demands to his teammates after Saturday's Midlands reverse.

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• Arsenal 'disappointed' with Villa defeat, claims Gyokeres

  After the game, Gyokeres delivered his verdict on the game and admitted that the dressing room was downbeat following the loss at Villa. "We are of course disappointed with the result," the Swede said after Saturday's defeat.

  "It’s not a great feeling right now, but it’s only December and there are a lot of games to play. You can always find some positives, but it’s still a very difficult way to lose a football game. It’s tough right now, but we’ll look forward to the next one soon."

  Gyokeres, who has endured a spell on the sidelines recently owing to a hamstring injury, has netted just four league goals following his arrival from Portuguese giants Sporting CP over the summer.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'We have to keep creating chances'

  The 27-year-old last scored in Arsenal's 2-0 win at Burnley last month, but insists that if the Gunners continue to create chances then the goals will flow.

  "We have to keep creating chances and get shots on goal because then you’ll eventually score more goals. So yes, that’s of course a positive and we just need to do things in between also a bit better," Gyokeres added after the Villa reverse.

  "It’s football. If you score in the last few seconds or minutes, that is an unbelievable feeling, so it goes both ways. Today, unfortunately, it was the other way. It’s tough, but you learn from it. If we focus on what we can control and do in our favour and focus on the next game, we’ll be better, I think."

  Arsenal now turn their attention to the Champions League as they take on Belgian side Club Brugge in midweek before they face winless Wolves at Molineux next weekend as the Gunners seek to get their title push back on track.

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• 'That's the league'

  Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, spoke about the impact of the defeat at Villa on Saturday, which combined with City's 3-0 win over Sunderland means the north London side sit just two points clear at the top of the table. "That's the league," Arteta started following the 2-1 defeat.

  "You go to Old Trafford, you go to St James Park, you go to Chelsea, you come here – we've been in a lot of difficult grounds and today the result could have been different.

  "The reality is not, and that's the step that we have to make. We've been 18 games unbeaten and still we are there, very close to each other. That's the level of the league and we know that.

  "That's the opportunity that we have ahead of us and that's it. Now it's time to bounce back. They have given me all the right reasons to think that we're going to continue to perform at the same level, because what the boys tried to do today, again, with the schedule that we had, it was amazing. So, [we] move on."

Mohamed Salah cannot tackle Liverpool’s crisis “head on” because he is not the same type of “leader” as former captain Steven Gerrard, according to ex-Reds striker Emile Heskey. The Egypt star has received criticism for not speaking to the media during a difficult run of form which has seen Arne Slot's men win just one of their last five games in all competitions.

• Liverpool have won just four of last 10 following Sunderland draw

  Hoping last Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win over West Ham could represent a new dawn, Liverpool were stopped in their tracks once again in a disappointing 1-1 draw with high-flying Sunderland on Wednesday.

  Regis Le Bris’ visitors took the lead thanks to winger Chemsdine Talbi’s 67th-minute strike, before Slot’s side rescued a point late on when Reds midfielder Florian Wirtz saw his strike deflect in off Black Cats defender Nordi Mukiele.

  The result means Liverpool have now won just four of their last 10 games in all competitions, with the Merseysiders currently sitting eighth in the Premier League table and 13th in the Champions League standings.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Star forward Salah questioned for lack of post-match interviews

  Looking to find the right balance to resurrect his side’s fortunes, manager Slot has started Salah on the bench for the last two league games against West Ham and Sunderland.

  While Liverpool have collectively dropped off in what has been alarming 2025-26 campaign so far, Salah has been a shadow of the player who sparkled in the previous season, inspiring the club to a 20th league title after scoring 29 goals and recording 18 assists in 38 glittering appearances.

  And while Salah’s uncharacteristic performances have raised eyebrows, the 33-year-old’s leadership has also been questioned in recent weeks. 

  Having sought out the media to express his disappointment at not initially being offered a new contract by Liverpool last season, Salah is yet to address supporters amid the club’s sharp decline this term, with captain Virgil van Dijk handling the majority of post-match interviews.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Reds legend Carragher criticises Salah's silence amid poor form

  And that is something which has not gone down well with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, who told in November: "I think Virgil van Dijk, after the game, has come out again and spoke, as he should do as a captain, he's called Liverpool a mess. 

  “I must say, on the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out. And as I said, the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club. A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn't shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. 

  “I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain.

  “But, obviously, the manager is the one in the firing line. Any manager with results like that, as you said, if they were part of the bottom four or a promoted team, they would be under pressure. So there's no doubt the manager is under pressure now with results like that, on the back of being champions, but also on the fact of what Liverpool spent in the summer.”

  Carragher – who made 737 appearances for Liverpool, winning 11 trophies – called Salah "selfish" for publicly voicing his frustration over his contract saga last season. He subsequently went on to sign a new two-year deal in April.

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  Ex-Liverpool striker says Salah is not cut from same cloth as Gerrard

  However, one man who doesn’t quite agree with Carragher is his former Liverpool team-mate Heskey, who represented the club between 2000 and 2004. 

  While acknowledging that Salah should “stand up and face the criticism”, Heskey says he expects the former Chelsea and Roma forward to do so on the pitch, insisting he is not cut from the same cloth as Van Dijk and Gerrard, who captained the club from 2003 to 2015.

  Speaking to sports betting site Heskey said: “Liverpool are preparing for life after Mohamed Salah. I’d be surprised if they haven't been preparing for that since the beginning of the season. Because he’s probably got just under two years left in his contract and he’s well into his thirties.

  “It will be a big change for Liverpool when Salah no longer features on a regular basis. Arne Slot will be looking at different formations and styles once he’s phased out of the starting XI.

  “On the criticism he’s received recently about not coming forward to the media about the poor run of form, you’ve got to remember he’s not the same type of leader as perhaps Jamie Carragher or Steven Gerrard were. 

  “The likes of Virgil van Dijk or even Curtis Jones will come out and speak and tackle the situation head on – that’s not Salah. Even when he was flying, I don’t think he spoke much. But as senior player, it’s his role to stand up and face the criticism.”

If there is to be one major criticism of Daniel Farke and the squad that both he and the Leeds United hierarchy have assembled at Elland Road, it is the lack of quality and creativity in the final third.

The sight of Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson lining up on the flanks in recent weeks, in particular, perhaps illustrates that point best, with Harrison’s days in Yorkshire looking to have been over after spending the previous two seasons on loan at Everton.

From the delights of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in the recent past, there is a real void now in the Whites’ forward line. Where will the magic come from? Which player will truly get the crowd off their seat?

Such concerns have stemmed from a side that has scored just ten goals in 11 Premier League games this season, with centre-back Joe Rodon currently the joint-highest scorer with two goals, alongside Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor.

Stodgy and scrappy, there is little to get behind with regard to Farke’s football right now, with a change in the dugout, or January investment, likely to be required.

On the latter point, the Whites could save themselves by reintegrating a handful of forgotten stars, with Joe Gelhardt among those currently thriving out on loan.

Can Leeds recall Gelhardt from Hull City?

At 23, there is a sense that the ship has sailed for Leeds’ former wonderkid, with Gelhardt having burst onto the scene under Marcelo Bielsa, following his arrival from Wigan Athletic in 2020.

Lauded as a “human wrecking ball” by the Argentine genius, the then-teenager did score twice in the Premier League during the 2021/22 campaign, although that was about as good as it got, having since spent recent years on loan at Sunderland and Hull City.

The rampaging left-footer – who has scored three goals in 57 total games for Leeds – initially joined the Tigers in January, before sealing a season-long loan return over the summer, having not been included in Farke’s pre-season plans.

Finally settled and afforded a consistent run of games, the Englishman is relishing his role as Hull’s new talisman, scoring seven goals in just 15 Championship games so far in 2025/26. Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović is among those dishing out the plaudits.

With his parent club currently struggling to fire, there might be a temptation to bring Gelhardt back into the Elland Road fold, not least if there were to be a change in manager.

As reported by Leeds Live last week, however, there are no plans to end the forward’s stay at the MKM stadium, despite the presence of a recall clause, with the 5 foot 9 star expected to see out the campaign with the second-tier side.

As noted by The Athletic’s Beren Cross – who corroborated those claims – the hope is that such a fruitful loan will enhance his transfer value, with the 23-year-old’s existing Leeds deal set to expire in 2027.

Gelhardt – 25/26 Champ stats

Stat (*per game)

Record

Games (starts)

15 (13)

Goals

7

Mins per goal

159

Big chances missed

4

Goal conversion

19%

Assists

2

Key passes*

0.9

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles*

1.3

Stats via Sofascore

A return might not be on the cards then for Gelhardt, but could it be for arguably an even bigger talent?

Leeds loan star has "similarities to Summerville"

Among the criticisms of Farke’s tenure of late is the treatment of Largie Ramazani, with the Manchester United academy graduate having been restricted to a bit-part role following his arrival from Almeria in the summer of 2024.

A player lauded as having “so many similarities to Summerville” – in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson – due to his blistering pace and trickery on the flanks, the fleet-footed forward was restricted to just seven starts in the Championship last time out.

That limited role may have come amid issues with injury, although even when fit and firing, Farke tended to look elsewhere, despite the fact that the 24-year-old still managed to chip in with six goals and two assists from his 29 total league appearances.

That matches the eight goals involvements he chalked up in LaLiga the year prior for Almeria, have already proven – unlike Gelhardt – that he can flourish in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Also hailed as “the mini-Vinicius” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, during his first stint in Spain, the diminutive winger is an undoubted talent, with Leeds unfortunately yet to truly see the best of him.

Frustratingly for Ramazani too, neither have his current loan club, Valencia, with his return to LaLiga yielding just a solitary assist thus far, having again been pushed out to the periphery at the Mestalla.

Perhaps that suggests Farke was right to send him on his way, although at a time when Leeds are missing a spark, a player to bring a renewed level of excitement, the Summerville-esque speedster could well have provided just that.

Thankfully, as Cross reported, the Whites do have the option to end Ramazani’s temporary stay and bring him back to England, albeit with the most likely outcome set to be the forward then heading back out on loan for the remainder of the season.

Farke – or a potential successor in the dugout – will hopefully have a change of heart, with the forgotten Belgian arguably the player that Leeds should be looking to reintegrate, despite Gelhardt’s continued brilliance.

Related Farke has "wrecking ball" out on loan who can end Aaronson's Leeds career

Leeds could turn to this player to help solve their attacking issues

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 11, 2025

New Zealand’s sixth-wicket pair helps put a strong total which proved to be 21 too many for South Africa

Firdose Moonda16-Jul-2025

New Zealand’s new coach Rob Walter – who is also South Africa’s old white-ball coach – began his tenure with a win but his previous team made his current one work for it.Chasing 174, South Africa were 111 for 7 in the 14th over before George Linde struck 30 from 20 balls and shared a 37-run stand with Gerald Coetzee. South Africa needed 31 runs from the last three overs but Linde holed out against Jacob Duffy who ended the contest with two wickets in two balls.That meant New Zealand’s joint second-highest score against South Africa of 173 proved to be enough on a surface where short balls proved to be the most challenging. Three of New Zealand’s top five were undone by back of a length deliveries and they were wobbling on 70 for 5 in the 10th over before Tim Robinson and South African-born debutant Bevon Jacobs put on 103 – New Zealand’s second-highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is. Their stand, which included 43 runs off the last three overs, is also only the eighth century stand in a men’s T20I for the sixth-wicket or lower.South Africa did not have a partnership anywhere close to that. Their highest was 39 between Dewald Brevis and Linde, also for the sixth wicket, in a shortened line-up. With Senuran Muthusamy in at No.4 and the all-rounders starting from Linde at No.7, South Africa may want to tinker with their combination ahead of Sunday’s clash against Zimbabwe.New Zealand, who were without Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra as they were involved in the MLC final, will be pleased with Matt Henry’s return to the side after injuring his shoulder at the Champions Trophy. He finished with 3 for 34.Gerald Coetzee played his first international game since November 2024•Zimbabwe Cricket

Jury’s out as Coetzee hits the comeback trail Coetzee last played for South Africa in a Test against Sri Lanka in Durban in November last year, where he injured his groin. He made a brief comeback in the SA20 but hurt his hamstring and spent more time on the sidelines. After returning to fitness at the IPL, a lack of long-form bowling meant he was not considered for June’s World Test Championship final but the plan was always to bring him back in white-ball cricket.He made his comeback after nine months and was given the ball in the final over of the powerplay. His first three balls were pacy (without Hawk-Eye it was not possible to tell exactly what speed) and on a good length before he went fuller and then to his signature back-of-a-length. He only gave away a wide in the first over. Robinson pulled the second ball of his second over in front of square but when Daryll Mitchell tried to repeat the dose two balls later, he top-edged and Kwena Maphaka, at deep square leg, did the rest.Coetzee was too short in his third over which cost 13 runs and then lost his lengths in his final over to finish with figures of 1 for 39, which was South Africa’s most expensive.Tim Robinson launches a six•Zimbabwe Cricket

Robinson’s career best powers New Zealand over 170Robinson announced himself when he advanced down the track to meet the last ball of Linde’s first over and launch it over his head and the sightscreen for the innings’ first six. His first three partners – Mitchell, Mitchell Hay and James Neesham – were dismissed in single figures (Neesham for a duck), but when debutant Bevon Jacobs joined him, runs came easier. The pair saw off Muthusamy and took on the seamers. They were particularly severe on Coetzee, against whom Robinson reached fifty with the shot of the innings. Coetzee banged it in short, Robinson backed away and hit him over backward point for six off the 42nd ball he faced. He was equally adept at taking on the full delivery and sent two Corbin Bosch yorkers for four before finishing with a flourish and pulling Coetzee over square leg for his third six.Pretorius comes out swingingAfter a golden duck in the series opener, Lhuan-dre Pretorius came out with good intent in his second T20I, determined to get some runs. He creamed Henry’s second ball – too full and too wide – through the covers for four and gave the next one, which was much better in line and length, the same treatment. Duffy’s overpitched and Pretorius hit him back over his head for four and then finally went leg-side when he pulled Duffy for his fourth four. Pretorius faced 13 of the first 14 balls in the innings and scored 21 runs from them, including five boundaries. He managed one more when he drove Henry aerially toward mid-on, where Duffy parried it away for four, but then guided a Henry delivery that angled away straight into Tom Seifert’s gloves to end an energetic knock.Mitchell Santner celebrates a wicket with his team-mates•Zimbabwe Cricket

New Zealand’s fielding to the foreNew Zealand threatened to find a South African batter short of the crease when Reeza Hendricks, on 13, only just made it in as a direct hit came in. Three overs later, Rassie van der Dussen was not quite as lucky. He was on 6 when he nudged Mitchell Santner into the leg side and Brevis called him through for a single. Van der Dussen hesitated while Seifert ran around to throw the ball to the stumps at the bowler’s end and missed. Santner had to clean up and was still on the ground when targeted the stumps again and hit. New Zealand did not think they had reacted quickly enough to get a wicket but replays showed van der Dussen was short of his ground. South Africa were 62 for 5 in the ninth over and needed 112 runs from 68 balls to win. Brevis’ 35 and Linde’s 30 took them close but South Africa were bowled out for 152 inside 19 overs to lose by 21 runs.

As they look to maintain their impressive form against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Coventry City may have to do so without two players following the latest injury news.

Lampard: Coventry "spot on" in Millwall thrashing

Frank Lampard is doing an excellent job at Coventry. The former Chelsea manager is reviving his career in the technical area and has transformed the Sky Blues from a frustrated mid-table side into serious play-off hopefuls, and that transformation was on show for all to see against Millwall.

Hagi Wright’s brace, followed by goals from Ellis Simms and Kaine Kesler-Hayden from the bench saw the visitors secure a 4-0 rout of their London opposition and move into the automatic promotion spot after eight Championship games.

Still unbeaten and not slowing down, Lampard was full of praise for his side in his post-match reaction – saying: “A really good performance because that’s a tough place to come – it’s a strong squad, strong team they have and the feeling is the stadium is hard to come here and get tight wins, let alone finish the way we did.

“Everything was spot-on from the lads in a busy week – to come here in the middle of the week is a tough challenge. It was great how we started the game, great how we dealt with everything in between, great how we finished the game.”

Up next for Coventry is a trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday. The Sky Blues will be hoping to avoid any upset against a side dominated by struggles away from the pitch rather than any progress on it.

This time around, however, Lampard’s side may have to maintain their unbeaten run without two of their star players following the latest injury news.

Update on Torp and Eccles' injuries

As revealed by Lampard, Coventry could be without Victor Torp and Josh Eccles against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. The duo were forced off through injury in the second half and face a race against time to travel to Hillsborough.

Lampard seemed fairly relaxed about both injuries in his reaction. Whether that’s a good indication as to how serious they are will be interesting to see, but it would come as no surprise if Saturday came too soon for both Torp and Eccles. The big task that the Sky Blues manager now has is finding replacements for two fresh injury concerns.

England Men’s managing director unconcerned about throwing fast bowler straight back into Test cricket

Andrew Miller27-Jun-2025

Jofra Archer will be ready to hit the ground running, as and when his return to Test cricket comes, despite having bowled just 18 overs for Sussex against Durham in his long-awaited comeback to first-class cricket at Chester-le-Street last week.That is the view of Rob Key, England Men’s managing director, who is confident that Archer’s slow but steady return from a series of career-threatening injuries means he’ll be ready to slot straight back into England’s starting XI, either in next week’s second Test against India at Edgbaston, or – perhaps more likely – in the subsequent third Test at Lord’s, beginning July 10.Archer was this week named in England’s 15-man squad for the second Test, meaning he is in line to play the format for the first time since the tour of India in February 2021. England have played 52 Tests in the intervening years, during which time Archer’s career was left in limbo due to multiple operations on his right elbow, and a stress fracture of the back.However, he made a successful return to white-ball cricket for England in May last year, with appearances at each of the last two ICC global events: the T20 World Cup in June 2024, and the Champions Trophy in February this year.Related

Archer strikes on first-class return as Sussex edge the second day

Jofra Archer: 'I know my body can hold up to red-ball cricket'

Jofra Archer added to England squad for second Test

Though a broken thumb sustained at the IPL delayed his return to red-ball cricket, Archer himself confirmed this week that his body was ready to hold up to the demands of the longer format, having returned figures of 18-8-32-1 on a flat deck against Durham in the County Championship.”To see him back will be brilliant,” Key said at a Rothesay media event in London. “He’s an unbelievable talent, and it’s been such a long road. For two years now, [we’ve] mapped it out: from T20s and four-over spells, into 50-over cricket to build up his robustness, to now. He has been doing so much work in the lead-up – even when he’s not playing – to building up that resilience to being able to play, because he’s a serious talent.”England’s impressive victory in the series opener at Headingley, allied to the nine-day turnaround between games, might persuade the selectors to stick with an unchanged frontline seam attack of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. That could also enable Archer to be released for at least two days of Sussex’s next County Championship fixture against Warwickshire, after his county coach Paul Farbrace suggested he might benefit from more red-ball overs under his belt.However, Key liked what he saw of Archer’s rhythm at Chester-le-Street, having tracked his performance on the county live stream, and insisted he was ready for selection, come what may.Rob Key, England Men’s managing director, speaking at a Rothesay media event in London•Getty Images

“Jofra is such a talent,” Key said. “He was straight on the money. Bowling on a slow pitch, with good pace. He ain’t gonna forget how to bowl, so when we have that call, we’re not concerned. He will be fit and available for both [Tests]. Whether he could play both, we’ll find that out afterwards, if he did play at Edgbaston.”Despite his long absence from red-ball cricket, Key likened Archer to Mark Wood – currently injured, but on course to be available for next month’s final Test of the series – for his ability to pick up from where he left off, without the need to build up his workloads.”The spectrum for that is Mark Wood to other guys who you feel need a longer [lead up],” Key said. “You saw those guys playing in the last Test; they got better the more they bowled. Mark Wood is someone that could just turn up after bowling a bit in the nets, like he did at Headingley in the Ashes, and bowl 96mph, swinging in and hitting a length.”On that sort of scale, Jofra is close to the Mark Wood end. He’s a pretty pure talent. There’s not a lot of moving parts to his action in terms of complications, and he’s 30 years old now, so he knows exactly what he’s doing and what he’s about. So it’s more of a question of him just getting back into red-ball cricket.”We’ve picked him in the squad, and we’ll see how the conditions are. We’ve got decisions to make because these next two Tests are very close together, and you want to be able to sustain that pressure throughout these back-to-back Test matches. So we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. At the moment, he’s in the squad [but] any of those players can go back to county cricket as well.”With Jamie Overton and Sam Cook also in England’s Test squad, plus last season’s break-out star Gus Atkinson likely to come into contention later in the series, Key was upbeat about the state of England’s bowling stocks – both for the remainder of this summer, and the Ashes tour to follow.”There was a time where you thought it was all about Wood and Archer, and we needed that X-factor pace – but now we’ve got a few of them,” Key said. “It’s so encouraging. You need bowlers for all conditions, [and] not just the Ashes. You need a pack of bowlers that all complement each other.”Jofra is another piece in that puzzle as Woody will be if he comes back at the end of the series. We don’t know who’s the next great England opening partnership – the next Broad-Anderson – because there’s a number of those options that could be the mainstay of England bowlers for years. I can’t wait to see who that will be.”

Dayot Upamecano lavished praise on Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany and hailed the former Manchester City captain as "an example" to follow. Kompany’s Bayern Munich juggernaut is tearing through German football: ten games, ten wins, and not a single sign of slowing down, and Upamecano has now lifted the lid on his manager's methods amid their fine start.

The Kompany effect: From City legend to Bavarian master

When Kompany walked into the Allianz Arena, there were murmurs that Bayern had taken a gamble, a relatively inexperienced coach at the helm of one of the world’s biggest clubs. However, those critics have been silenced in stunning fashion. The Bavarians reclaimed the Bundesliga title last season, and Kompany has wasted no time in pushing them even higher. Bayern began the current campaign by lifting the DFL-Supercup after beating Stuttgart 2-1, setting the tone for a near-flawless run. New arrivals Jonathan Tah and Luis Díaz have slotted into the starting XI seamlessly, while younger players are emerging as stars, and no one embodies that more than Tom Bischof.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportUpamecano has found a leader to follow

Upamecano has impressed under Kompany. In an interview with he said: "We all watched him when we were young; he was a legend for Belgium and Manchester City. He was a very aggressive defender in duels, a leader on the pitch too, a good example for me. He helps me a lot; we do a lot of videos, he talks to me about my positioning. With him, it's always very intense."

Bischof, 20, has also made his way into the starting XI. Having missed the start of the season due to appendicitis, Bischof’s first Bundesliga start came on September 26, and he immediately made his mark, setting up Konrad Laimer’s late goal in a 4-0 demolition of Werder Bremen. 

In an interview with , he said: "I've rarely seen a coach who has the team so under control and, at the same time, brings so much fun to training sessions and the team as he does. The first three weeks were truly crazy. He told me something about practically every move. I almost thought: 'Please, that's enough.' I was annoyed, but I have to say that, looking back, it's helped me tremendously. I constantly think of his words in my actions. Run after them, always keep up! He drilled that into my head. And it's stuck there forever."

The young German has since made seven appearances.

Bayern board backing Kompany for more success

It’s not just the players who have been impressed by Kompany’s work, as Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund believes the club has struck gold by appointing the Belgian. 

Speaking on , Freund said: "He's extremely ambitious, but so are the players. They want to win games, they want to win titles, and he knows how they feel in different situations and how to approach them. He simply has a really, really good relationship with the guys and lets them play attractive football. The foundation of everything is that they work hard, but also that they have fun. I think there's never been so much running or sprinting at Bayern Munich. But the boys don't mind because they have fun together. In the end, we found the perfect coach, who will hopefully stay at Bayern Munich for a very long time."

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Getty Images SportThe Champions League is the real test

While domestic dominance is Bayern’s trademark, Kompany’s eyes are already locked on a bigger prize: the Champions League. The Belgian never won Europe’s top honour as a player but is clearly determined to find a way to lift the trophy as a coach. Last season, Bayern fell short, bowing out to eventual finalists Inter Milan in the quarter-finals. This year, they’ve started their continental campaign in style, brushing aside Chelsea 3-1 at the Allianz Arena. The dream of conquering Europe again, for the first time since 2020, feels closer than ever. With Kompany’s impressive work thus far, and his players clearly buying into his vision, Bayern Munich might just be on the verge of something historic.