Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca seems to have pulled a major U-turn over one of his axed stars as a photo from Cobham training reveals his surprise change of heart.

The Blues are back to winning ways after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland in October, with Chelsea winning three out of their last four in all competitions and briefly climbing to second in the Premier League table.

Chelsea’s best-performing players so far this season	Match Rating
Moises Caicedo	7.30
Joao Pedro	7.21
Trevoh Chalobah	7.16
Pedro Neto	7.08
Marc Cucurella	7.00
via WhoScored

The in-form Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s only goal of the game to seal a dominant 1-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham, maintaining Chelsea’s impressive derby record, and followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over bottom-side Wolves in their last match before the international break.

The victory came despite Maresca making eight changes from their midweek 2-2 draw with Qarabağ in the Champions League, continuing his rotation policy that has seen a grand total of 93 starting eleven changes in all competitions so far this season — the most of any Premier League side.

Their plethora of injury problems throughout the campaign, which has seen Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all sidelined at various points, has forced Maresca’s hand in this regard.

Chelsea also have 25 players in their squad who’ve been given at least 45 minutes of playing time this term, with only Nottingham Forest and West Ham (24) coming anywhere close to that number.

Two of the only Chelsea players who’ve not seen a single minute thus far are ‘bomb squad’ outcasts Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi.

Both men, after failing to secure moves away in the summer, are training in isolation, with Sterling causing quite a stir when he posted an image of him training alone and very late at night in what looked like a barren training complex.

This social media post even prompted the PFA to intervene and ensure that Chelsea weren’t treating the duo unfairly, coming after Maresca previously stated there was no way back for either man and they’d continue training away from the group.

When asked if they could play their way back into the first team, Maresca’s reply was brief, and it was a resounding ‘no’ (The Mail).

Sterling, who spent last term on a failed loan spell at Arsenal, has been linked with a move to Celtic ahead of the January window. Disasi, meanwhile, was surprisingly spotted training with the first team this week — despite Maresca previously saying there was no way.

Enzo Maresca pulls U-turn over axed Axel Disasi as Cobham photo reveals surprise call

In a twist, The Mail have shared a photo from Cobham of Disasi tussling with Liam Delap in an international break session, with Maresca now going back on his word and allowing the Frenchman to compete with his squad after all.

While there was still no sign of Sterling, Disasi’s recall to first-team training makes for an intriguing development, and one which will make on-lookers wonder whether he’s done enough to earn back Maresca’s favour.

After playing only 18 per cent of available Premier League minutes under Maresca last term, Disasi failed to establish himself as a regular starter domestically, despite captaining them in the Conference League and largely playing as an emergency right-back.

Aston Villa sealed his loan signing for the remainder of 2024/2025 last January, coming after Disasi reportedly rejected a loan to Tottenham, insisting on competing with Unai Emery’s side in the Champions League instead.

Disasi’s brief flashes ultimately failed to convince Villa to make the move permanent, and when the summer transfer window opened, Disasi found himself back in Chelsea’s notorious bomb squad alongside Sterling.

Having rejected moves to Crystal Palace and West Ham among others, and despite rumoured interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Disasi snubbed multiple opportunities, leaving him stranded at Stamford Bridge.

With the January window looming, Maresca could well be planning to hand the 27-year-old some minutes as a way to drive up interest from suitors, but we’re purely speculating here.

علق أحمد حسن، قائد منتخب مصر السابق، ومدير المنتخب المشارك في كأس العرب، على التصريحات الأخيرة للكابتن حسام حسن مدرب المنتخب الأول، مؤكدًا أنها أثارت جدلًا واسعًا غير ضروري، وأن الأمر يحتاج إلى ضبط وتحكيم العقل والفن في التعامل مع اللاعبين والجهاز الفني.

وقال أحمد حسن في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الكابتن” على قناة “dmc”: “تصريحات حسام حسن أثارت جدلًا كبيرًا جدًا، هنا أود أن نتكلم بشكل هادئ، لأنني لست متأكدًا هل سيتم تصنيفي كجزء من المشكلة؟ ربما صنف الكابتن حسام الناس إلى مؤيدين وضد، ومن يحب ومن يكره”.

وواصل: “وأنا أرى أنها كرة قدم في النهاية، ولا أحد فوق النقد، طالما كان النقد صحيًا فهو مقبول للكابتن حسام، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، ولا توجد أي ضغينة، لم يتلق كابتن حسام دعمًا كبيرًا فحسب، بل الكل كان داعمًا له، كلنا كمحللين ونقاد، كنا في حالة دعم كبيرة جدًا له، ولكن دائمًا بعض التصريحات هي التي تضخم الأمور”.

وتابع: “الكابتن حسام بدأ يلوم الجميع، عندما تتحدث الناس عن الأداء الفني، الأفضل أن يكون الموضوع عاديا، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، أفضل المدربين الذين تولوا منتخبات مصر وحققوا نجاحات، كانوا يتعرضون للانتقاد، ومنهم الكابتن محمود الجوهري رحمه الله، أنا أتذكر في 1998 تم انتقاد الكابتن الجوهري لاختياره الكابتن حسام حسن، وكان هناك حملة كبيرة جدًا، ولكننا حققنا البطولة دون أي مشكلة”.

وأضاف: “في 2006 عندما تم اختيار الكابتن حسن شحاتة، كان هناك انتقاد كبير جدًا، لكن الكابتن حسن حقق ثلاث بطولات، وكان يتم انتقاده، وناس كانوا يقولون (ده بياخدوها بالبركة)، وهذا طبيعي، حسام البدري عندما تولى منتخب مصر تم انتقاده، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، رحمه الله عليك كابتن إيهاب جلال عندما تولى المنتخب تم انتقاده أيضًا، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، طالما الأمر في الإطار الفني فهو طبيعي ولا توجد أي مشكلة”.

وواصل: “ولكن في بعض الأوقات يكون الإنسان عدو نفسه، أخشى أن يكون الكابتن حسام عدو نفسه في وقت هو مقبل على بطولة مهمة، وكل الناس تدعمه، ولا توجد أي مشكلة، بعض تصريحاته لم أفهمها، مثل (أنا لا أملك لاعبين محترفين مثل باقي الدول)!”.

واستدرك: “نحن دائمًا نحقق كأس الأمم الإفريقية بدون لاعبين محترفين، وشهد التاريخ على ذلك، في 1986 لم يكن لدينا لاعبين محترفين، وحققنا البطولة، وفي 1998 كان لدينا ثلاثة لاعبين محترفين فقط، هم الكابتن هاني رمزي، ياسر رضوان، وحازم إمام، وحققنا البطولة”.

طالع أيضًا | سيد معوض ردًا على تصريحات حسام حسن: أنت حر في وضع التشكيل.. و”من حق الناس تنتقدك”

وأضاف: “في 2006 و2010 لم نتجاوز ثلاثة أو أربعة محترفين في كل البطولات، نحن كمصريين نتميز بأننا نحقق الإنجازات بلاعبينا المحليين، لأنهم في النهاية محترفين، وهذا من ضمن الأمور، لدينا لاعبين جيدين، من ضمن هؤلاء مصطفى محمد، وتصريح الكابتن حسام ربما لم يكن مقصودًا، وأنا أتفق معه، قد يقصد أن عدد اللاعبين المحترفين قليل، هو نفسه يريد أن يلعب مصطفى بشكل أساسي، ولكن التصريح أثار الجدل وأثر على اللاعب، فقد يفقد ثقته في نفسه، فأتمنى أن يكون الموضوع قد انتهى”.

وتابع: “الفترة القادمة تحتاج إلى احتواء وكسب ثقة اللاعبين، أتمنى أن يذهب الكابتن حسام إلى مصطفى محمد، يكلمه، يوضّح له قصده، أن يريد مشاركته، أن يكون أساسيًا، قويًا، ويخدم المنتخب، أنا أثق فيه كثيرًا، فهو المهاجم رقم واحد، ويجب أن تحتويه”.

وأضاف: “بعض الأحيان يكون لدينا لاعبين ليسوا في أعلى مستوى، فنقول عنهم أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، هذه الجزئية مهمة جدًا، تحتاج إلى احتواء كبير، ويجب في بداية المعسكر أو قبله، أن يقوم الجهاز الفني، سواء الكابتن حسام أو كابتن إبراهيم أو كل الجهاز، بجمع اللاعبين، الاجتماع معهم، دعوتهم حتى خارج المعسكر، لتعزيز روح المجموعة، والروح الجميلة والترابط بين الجهاز واللاعبين، فهذا ما ينجح المنظومة”.

وأردف: “2006، 2008، 2010، وما زلت أقول 1998، ليس لأننا كنا أفضل منتخب في إفريقيا، ولكن لأننا كنا مترابطين، ولذلك حققنا البطولات، سواء لاعبين مع جهاز فني، أتذكر الكابتن الجوهري في 1998 كان هناك انتقاد شديد، وقال لنا لن نأخذ سوى المركز الثالث عشر، وفي النهاية الروح بيننا هي التي جعلتنا نفوز”.

واختتم: “كنا نلعب من أجل بلدنا، من أجل أسماءنا، من أجل كابتن الجوهري، وكابتن حسن شحاتة في 2006، 2008، 2010، الجميع كان يعلم أن نجاح هذا الجيل بسبب الترابط بين اللاعبين والجهاز الفني، هذه الجزئية هي التي تنجح أي منظومة، نصيحة من أخ صغير للكابتن حسام: الفترة القادمة تحتاج إلى احتواء وذكاء، ونتمنى له التوفيق خلال الفترة المقبلة مع منتخبنا”.

Sri Lanka are on the brink of elimination in the Asia Cup after sliding to their second successive defeat

Madushka Balasuriya23-Sep-20251:39

What went wrong for Sri Lanka’s batters?

An unbroken stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan’s blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi.Having been set a target of 134, on a ground where the average winning total batting first was 183, Pakistan collapsed from 43 for 0 in five overs to 57 for 4 in the ninth over. Not long after it was 80 for 5 in the 12th over, but Talat and Nawaz got the job done for Pakistan without any further scares.Related

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Talat finished on 32* off 30, while Nawaz struck 38* off 24, while for Sri Lanka the wickets were spread between Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera.Talat had earlier made his initial impact with the ball, in a double-wicket over, removing both Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka. It had followed a powerplay that saw Shaheen Shah Afridi pick up two wickets in the powerplay – he would end with three in total – as Sri Lanka lost their top three for the addition of 53 in the first six overs.From that point on Pakistan strangled Sri Lanka’s innings, as they only mustered 63 runs across the final ten overs. Kamindu Mendis’ 50 off 44 was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable innings.The result means that Sri Lanka have lost two games, and are now dependent on Bangladesh beating India to keep their hopes of making the final alive.1:26

Aaron: Pakistan using three pacers up top made the difference

Afridi’s early impactPakistan got the best of the bowling conditions when the won the toss and elected to bowl, but it still needed to be utilised. Both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf found big movement early on, but that did not deter the Sri Lankan batters.Kusal Mendis clipped one in the air to short midwicket first ball, but Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera both found the boundary. Afridi then accounted for Nissanka as well, with the opener edging behind an attempted heave down the ground – one he had executed efficiently just a ball prior.Kusal Perera fell in the final over of the powerplay, miscuing one off Haris Rauf to mid-on. Sri Lanka had 53 runs in the powerplay, but Pakistan kept chipping away.2:09

Chopra: Talat holding one end up was important

Talat sets up the middle-overs squeezeDespite the loss of three wickets, Sri Lanka were still looking to attack – presumably reading that conditions were more than adequate for batting. However the two dismissals as a result of this approach, perhaps bordering on reckless at points, greatly reduced Sri Lanka’s ability to post a competitive total.The first was from Asalanka, who was batting well during his 19-ball 20, but ended up top-edging a short-arm pull to deep square leg. A ball later Dasun Shanaka nicked behind. Both those wickets came in Talat’s first over, and he went onto finish with 2 for 18 in his three overs.Sri Lanka’s scoring slowed to a trickle after that point, as they scored just 34 runs between overs six and 16. During this period Abrar Ahmed trotted through four overs, giving away just eight runs while picking up the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Talat and Nawaz finish it offSahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman seemingly broke the chase with a 45-run opening stand, but when Theekshana picked up both batters in the final over of the powerplay – the latter courtesy an outstanding one-handed grab at mid-off by Hasaranga – Sri Lanka felt they had a sniff.Two Hasaranga overs later though and Pakistan had lost two more, and suddenly Sri Lanka were well and truly in it.A 23-run stand between Talat and Mohammad Haris briefly brought back some control of proceedings for Pakistan, but when Chameera burst one through Haris to peg back the middle stump, Pakistan still needed 54 more with half their side back in the dugout.Thankfully for them, Talat and Nawaz navigated the chase shrewdly, taking minimal risks to take the game deep. It was only in the death overs that they opened up, with Nawaz looking to take on Hasaranga and then finally Chameera. A trio of sixes off the latter brought the game to a rapid close.

Abhishek Sharma hit 61 off 31, Tilak Varma struck 49 not out off 34, and India cruised to the highest score of the tournament, posting 202 for 5 without ever looking like they were breaking a serious sweat.Sri Lanka too, made no serious errors. In fact they caught well – Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera taking outstanding catches off their own bowling – while the groundfielding was in good shape. None of their bowlers leaked more than 15 runs in an over, and the frontline bowlers all completed their quota.And yet, India kept finding the boundary, first through Abhishek, before Varma and Sanju Samson set themselves up in the middle overs to hit 66 runs off 42 balls together. Wickets fell too, but such are India’s riches, and so in control were they of this innings, that dismissals did not lead to major hits to the scoring rate.Sri Lanka’s bowlers did pose threats. In fact, five bowlers took wickets. But none took more than one, and not a single bowler of the six used went at less than six an over. Whatever Sri Lanka threw at India, the India batters negotiated with measured aggression.

Juan Soto belted two home runs—his first round-trippers as a New York Met at Citi Field—in the club's 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. After the game, Soto was asked if the dingers "take any weight or pressure" off of him. The Mets slugger needed just two words to dismiss the notion.

"What pressure?" Soto asked.

"I don't have any pressure," Soto continued. "Mendoza [Mets manager Carlos Mendoza] has been really clear with me to make me feel comfortable going out there and playing. I don't have any pressure at all so, they're just two homers that weren't enough to get the win."

Soto in December of 2024 signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets. His career in Queens has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, as his .379 On-Base Percentage and .443 slugging percentage are well below his career marks.

Soto himself even admitted that hitting in the Mets lineup results in pitchers approaching him differently than when he was a member of the New York Yankees batting order. Faux controversy that ensued from his comments aside, Soto, in making such a remark, was acknowledging his early-season struggles.

But neither he nor the Mets have shown any signs of panic. Manager Carlos Mendoza has been insistent that Soto is turning the corner. Mets owner Steve Cohen, the man who cut the check for Soto's historic contract, is "not worried" about the four-time All-Star, pointing out the subtle ways in which he impacts New York's batting order.

Given his track record and the support he has within the Mets organization, it's no wonder that Soto himself says he isn't feeling pressure.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was seemingly robbed of his eighth home run of the season on Sunday afternoon during his team's 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. After the 32-year-old launched what looked to be a fair ball to deep left field in the top of the 8th inning, the umpire crew ruled the hit foul and, upon further review, upheld it.

Judge's manager, Aaron Boone, ripped the blown call after the game, calling it "remarkable" that they missed it. Judge himself—while bluntly summing up what had happened—decided to take a more measured approach.

"It was a fair ball," he told reporters. "It's just tough in a situation like this, in a Minor League park where the foul poles aren't that high."

For context, the Rays are playing at Tampa's George M. Steinbrenner Field this season due to damage at Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton. The park typically serves as the Yankees' spring training facility as well as the home to the Rays' Single-A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.

"They missed it and we're just got to move on," Judge said.

With their win on Sunday, New York moved to 14-8 on the season as they sit in first place in the American League East. They're now headed to Cleveland on Monday to take on the Guardians, with first pitch from Progressive Field set for 6:10 p.m.

Newcastle United’s wait for a first away win of the season is now over.

On Saturday night, the Magpies demolished Everton 4-1 on Merseyside, enjoying their first-ever visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Malick Thiaw broke the deadlock inside 60 seconds, with Lewis Miley lashing home a second and then Nick Woltemade making it three in first half stoppage time, before Thiaw bagged his second shortly after the interval, rubber stamping victory.

Before this, Eddie Howe’s side had failed to win any of their six Premier League away games this season, losing each of their last three on the road, their most recent away league victory coming at a hopeless Leicester in April.

Now, ahead of back-to-back home games this week against Tottenham and Burnley, which Newcastle player put in an excellent performance at Bramley-Moore Dock, suggesting he may be the club’s best young talent?

Can Lewis Miley break into Newcastle's midfield?

For so long, the backbone of Newcastle’s rise, twice qualifying for the Champions League and winning last season’s EFL Cup, has been their midfield trio of Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.

However, attempting to balance both domestic and continental commitments, Howe has started to rotate his team a bit more, ahead of a jam-packed December featuring eight fixtures, so could Lewis Miley force his way into the starting lineup on a more regular basis?

Still a teenager, Miley started in the Premier League for just the second time this season on Saturday evening, scoring his first goal since netting during a 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest in February.

Dominic Scurr of the Shields Gazette awarded him a 9/10 for his performance against Everton, stating that it was ‘so good to see him shining’ having been handed a rare start, getting the nod over Tonali.

For a long time now, Miley has been viewed as the brightest young talent in this Newcastle squad, becoming the second-youngest player in the club’s Premier League history to both score and record an assist in a single match, behind only Charles N’Zogbia.

Meantime, almost two years ago, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserted that he is a “special talent”, labelling him “technical, elegant, composed, and hardworking” who is an “absolute unicorn in midfield”, emphasising that he’s been in the spotlight for quite a while.

However, did another player come to the fore at Hill Dickinson Stadium and underline that he is Newcastle’s brightest young thing?

Newcastle's bigger talent than Lewis Miley

Given their side’s inconsistent form, the Geordie faithful have been calling for Howe to tinker with his lineup, and they may be getting their wish.

Aaron Ramsdale displaced Nick Pope this weekend, while full-back is the other positions supporters have wanted to see a change, with Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall both starting too, and the latter certainly caught the eye.

The 21-year-old has now started back-to-back Premier League games, having been included in the lineup only twice this season in any competition beforehand, and underlined why supporters have been eager to see more of him, as the table documents.

Assists

1

1st

Successful dribbles

3

1st

Passing accuracy

91%

7th

Key passes

2

1st

Accurate crosses

2

2nd

Big chances created

2

1st

Ground duels won

5

1st

Tackle win %

100%

1st

Touches

87

3rd

Match rating

7.8

4th

As the table notes, Hall ranked first in a wide variety of statistics on Merseyside on Saturday evening.

He registered an assist, created two big chances and completed 91% of his 55 passes, while also winning five ground duels and 100% of his tackles.

For the majority of this season, Dan Burn has been the first-choice left-back, but the 6 ft 7 in hometown hero has been massively exposed in recent weeks.

This was particularly the case when he met Dango Ouattara of Brentford earlier this month, conceding a penalty and being sent off for fouling the Burkinabé winger during a 3-1 defeat in West London.

Thus, against both Man City and now Everton, Hall has proved he has to be Howe’s first-choice going forward, while the same may not yet be the case for his namesake in midfield.

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Tottenham’s miserable form under Thomas Frank continues following a lacklustre 2-1 loss at home to Fulham on Saturday night, with the home side subjected to a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle.

Tottenham 1-2 Fulham as tepid Spurs form piles pressure on Frank

The visitors delivered a devastating early double blow to extend the North London club’s torrid run and raise fresh questions about Frank’s ability to arrest their alarming slide.

Fulham raced into a commanding two-goal advantage within the opening six minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, capitalizing ruthlessly on defensive frailties that continue plaguing Spurs despite their manager’s persistent tactical tinkering.

Kenny Tete opened the scoring after just four minutes when his speculative effort took a wicked deflection off Destiny Udogie’s leg, completely wrong-footing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and nestling into the bottom corner. The Italian stopper, helpless against the deflection, barely had time to recover before Fulham doubled their advantage.

Harry Wilson compounded Tottenham’s defensive nightmare just two minutes later, capitalizing on catastrophic goalkeeping from Vicari

The Welshman caught Vicario in no man’s land with a long-range chip from distance, and given there were no defenders there to clear it off the line, the ball floated into a completely empty net.

Tottenham dominated possession throughout the opening period but created virtually nothing of substance, managing just two shots and accounting for a paltry 0.01 expected goals during the first half.

Frank introduced attacking reinforcements during the second half, withdrawing Joao Palhinha, Richarlison and Archie Gray for Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons and Rodrigo Bentancur around the hour mark.

The changes provided brief encouragement when Mohammed Kudus lashed home a powerful half-volley in the 59th minute — his first at home in a Spurs shirt — which reduced the deficit and offered fleeting hope of a comeback.

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Spurs need more creativity.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

However, Fulham expertly managed the remaining half-hour, introducing Sasa Lukic and Emile Smith Rowe to shore up midfield and nullify Tottenham’s increasingly desperate attacking thrusts.

Despite introducing forwards Mathys Tel and additional creative players, Spurs lacked the quality and conviction required to salvage anything from another disappointing home performance.

The defeat represents Tottenham’s fourth loss in their last six matches across all competitions, following humiliating setbacks against Arsenal (4-1) and PSG (5-3) in the last week.

The pressure is now seriously on Frank, who is attracting real scrutiny as critics question whether he is really the right man for the Spurs job.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons in Tottenham defeat to Fulham

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, pundit Jamie O’Hara picked out substitute Simons for criticism alongside Frank, despite the fact he only had half an hour to make an impact.

The former Spurs midfielder was livid with Simons following repeated failed flick attempts when the north Londoners were chasing the game at 2-1, with O’Hara expressing his outrage at the wasteful attacking play.

After his disasterclass in goal, keeper Vicario was also booed by supporters nearly every time he touched the ball, with the tension among fans now reaching breaking point as Spurs continue to underperform.

Simons, who could end up costing the club £125 million over a potential seven-year contract when you factor in wages, agent’s fees and add-ons, needs to find his feet in England soon or risk being seen as a major flop.

The Dutchman has scarcely been given a chance by Frank lately, but the fact he’s only been given a few minutes here and there should send a pretty clear message.

Simons was often bullied off the ball against Fulham and failed to make the desired impact, even despite all of his efforts to get into dangerous positions.

For Spurs, the home curse continues, and no other ever-present Premier League side boasts a worse record on their own turf than Tottenham in 2025.

He is the only addition to their squad from their last series, which they lost 1-0 in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2025

Mahmudul Hasan Joy made his Test debut in December 2021•PCB

Top-order batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy has returned to the Bangladesh squad that will face Ireland over two Test matches in Sylhet and Dhaka later this month.Joy has played 18 Tests and was seen as a highly promising addition to the team after scoring the first-ever Test match century by a Bangladesh batter in South Africa, in 2022. He lost his place in the side after averaging 14.92 in seven Tests since the start of 2024 but good form in the new season of the National Cricket League, during which he scored 127 and 51 for Chattogram Division against Rajshahi Division, has helped him mount a comeback.Najmul Hossain Shanto leads the 15-member team. He had quit as captain at the end of Bangladesh’s last Test series in June, which they lost 1-0 to Sri Lanka, but the BCB has reinstated him and said he will remain in charge until the end of this World Test Championship cycle in 2027. Anamul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon and Nayeem Hasan, who were part of that Sri Lanka tour, have been left out.Related

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Shanto reinstated as Bangladesh Test captain until end of WTC cycle

Mushfiqur Rahim, should he play both matches against Ireland, will become the first Bangladesh cricketer to play 100 Tests. The 38-year-old made his debut back in 2005 and is already their most capped player and their highest scorer in the format. He is also in form having made 115 for Sylhet Division at the same ground where the first Test against Ireland will take place.Bangladesh have picked four fast bowlers in Ebadot Hossain, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud and Khaled Ahmed to complement their three spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam and Hasan Murad, who is still awaiting his Test debut. Murad picked up a match haul of 9 for 135 for Chattogram in the NCL in October. Taijul, meanwhile, is 10 short of going past Shakib Al Hasan and becoming Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in Tests.The two matches against Ireland are scheduled for November 11-15 in Sylhet and November 19-23 in Dhaka. They are not part of the WTC.Bangladesh Test squad for Ireland seriesNajmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Hasan Murad.

The role of a central defender has changed over time, with those at the very top now not just world-class in the air and in a tackle, but also brilliant in possession with the ball at their feet.

The new generation of centre-backs are crucial to their team’s build-up play and, in some cases, pass more than most midfielders, but who is the best in the world at the back at this moment in time?

Ranking factors

To help rank the centre-backs in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has been performing Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others are saying about them 15 Willian Pacho PSG and Ecuador

Willian Pacho has gone from strength to strength after joining PSG from Frankfurt in 2024 and now appears to be a regular at the Parc des Princes.

The Ecuador international is still only 23 years of age and has been described as the ‘wall nobody saw coming’ next to Marquinhos.

The €40m fee PSG paid for Pacho is now looking like a smart piece of business, with the player’s market value already increasing to €65m.

Champions League

2025

Ligue 1

2025

UEFA Super Cup

2025

French Cup

2025

French Super Cup

2025

Belgian Pro League

2023

Belgian Cup

2023

Belgian Super Cup

2023

Copa Sudamericana

2019

Ecuadorian Serie A

2021

14 Antonio Rudiger Real Madrid and Germany

Antonio Rudiger has gone from strength to strength after joining Real Madrid from Chelsea back in 2022, so much so that he was linked with a return to Stamford Bridge.

Over the last 18 months, Rudiger has been praised by Carlo Ancelotti and Mesut Ozil, who have said the German “is playing at his best” and in his “prime”.

However, he has missed the majority of the 2025/26 season so far with a hamstring injury which has dropped him down the rankings.

La Liga

2024

Champions League

2021, 2024

Europa League

2019

FA Cup

2018

Copa del Rey

2023

FIFA Club World Cup

2022, 2023

UEFA Super Cup

2021, 2022, 2024

FIFA Intercontinental Cup

2024

Spanish Super Cup

2024

Confederations Cup

2017

13 Eder Militao Real Madrid and Brazil

Dropping down the list due to serious injuries in recent years is Real Madrid’s Eder Militao. The Brazilian was dubbed the “best in the world” at the back by Carlo Ancelotti in 2023 and has won multiple honours at the Bernabeu since 2019.

At the age of 27, Militao should still have plenty of high-level years ahead of him and will be looking to remain fit over the coming seasons.

Champions League

2022, 2024

La Liga

2020, 2022, 2024

Copa America

2019

Copa del Rey

2023

FIFA Club World Cup

2023

UEFA Super Cup

2022, 2024

FIFA Intercontinental Cup

2024

Spanish Super Cup

2020, 2022, 2024

12 Dayot Upamecano Bayern Munich and France

Transformed into Bayern Munich’s Mr. Reliable under Vincent Kompany has been Dayot Upamecano, who has partnered Kim Min-jae at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund has said in 2025 that the Frenchman “has become a leader” who “plays strongly and consistently at a high level.” At the age of 26, Upamecano appears to be entering his prime.

Nations League

2021

Bundesliga

2022, 2023, 2025

Austrian Bundesliga

2016, 2017

Austrian Cup

2016, 2017

German Super Cup

2021, 2022

11 Josko Gvardiol Man City and Croatia

Josko Gvardiol stars as a centre-back and sometimes as a left-back for Man City and Croatia.

Used as a centre-back in the Nations League for his country, Gvardiol turned out centrally under Pep Guardiola in the latter stages of the 2024/25 season, with City winning five out of six Premier League games with the 23-year-old at the heart of the defence.

Premier League

2024

HNL

2020, 2021

FIFA Club World Cup

2024

UEFA Super Cup

2023

DFB-Pokal

2021, 2022

Community Shield

2024

Croatian Cup

2021

Croatian Super Cup

2019

10 Alessandro Buongiorno Napoli and Italy

At the top of his game with a career-high €45m Transfermarkt valuation is Napoli and Italy’s Alessandro Buongiorno.

The 25-year-old is “extraordinary in one-on-one situations” and has been key for Napoli under Antonio Conte, winning the Serie A title in 24/25. Should his rapid rise continue, Buongiorno could climb up this list in years to come.

9 Dean Huijsen Real Madrid and Spain

One of the most in-demand defenders of the 2025 summer transfer window was Dean Huijsen, with Real Madrid winning the race to sign the Spaniard from AFC Bournemouth.

Wanted all across Europe, Huijsen starred in the Premier League after leaving Juventus and Tiago Pinto even said he “will be the best central defender in the world in two years”.

Coppa Italia

2024

8 Marquinhos PSG and Brazil

Paris Saint-Germain icon Marquinhos has been leading a new generation of stars at the Parc des Princes under Luis Enrique and has still remained at an extremely high level himself.

Now 31, Marquinhos continues to be a regular in a young PSG side and even became the first player in the club’s history to start 100 matches for PSG in the Champions League.

Ligue 1

2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Copa America

2019

Champions League

2025

Coupe de France

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024

Coupe de la Ligue

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020

French Super Cup

2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

Copa Libertadores

2012

7 Ruben Dias Man City and Portugal

Ruben Dias is coming up to five years as a Man City player and continues to be a regular under Pep Guardiola, with Transfermarkt having the Portugal starvalued at €65m.

Rated as good as Virgil van Dijk by Jamie Carragher 12 months ago, Dias’ displays have dipped slightly at the Etihad in 2024/25, however, there is no denying his quality.

Premier League

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Nations League

2019

Champions League

2023

FA Cup

2023

League Cup

2021

UEFA Super Cup

2023

Community Shield

2024

FIFA Club World Cup

2024

Liga Portugal

2019

Portuguese Super Cup

2020

6 Marc Guehi Crystal Palace and England

Marc Guehi is becoming one of the most in-demand centre-backs in world football after his move to Liverpool from Crystal Palace collapsed in the summer of 2025.

Now a regular for England and starring at Selhurst Park, Guehi is on course to become a free agent in 2026 and is being linked with the biggest clubs in Europe.

It shows just how good Guehi has been under Oliver Glasner, lifting the FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace in 2025.

FA Cup

2025

Community Shield

2025