Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine and vice-captain Pat Cummins have admitted to spending most of their professional lives in blissful ignorance of racism in the society around them. Cummins revealed he had at times been guilty of making the sorts of hurtful “one liners” to players of colour that the national team have pledged to stamp out.Paine and Cummins were speaking as part of a series of videos put together by the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) and Cricket Australia (CA), under the banner of “Reflect Forward” as Australia’s national sport reckons with a long history of misdeeds in terms of inclusiveness. CA’s efforts to recognise Aboriginal Australia have been demonstrated by how both men’s and women’s teams now commence every series with a barefoot circle acknowledgement of first nations people, while the Johnny Mullagh Medal will be presented to the player of the MCG Test.The Australian women’s team have already broken down numerous barriers in their openness to discussing such issues, and it has taken time for the men to follow suit. The national team coach Justin Langer has conceded more should have been done earlier in enhancing his players’ understanding, something underlined by how Paine and Cummins spoke. Cummins, articulate and well-rounded, spoke volumes when he admitted to making comments he now regrets.”Just taking that extra second to think about what you say or do,” he said when asked about how he counselled young people to handle racism. “You might try to throw in a joke and I’ve definitely done this in the past, you say a little one liner or something off the top of your head and then just making sure you actually reflect on that and go actually ‘that’s not me’ or ‘I’ve said the wrong thing there, I don’t believe that, I don’t know why I’ve said that, and I hate how I’ve made that person feel’.”So try and fix that, try to make it a learning experience, but as a kid, just make up your own mind, your own opinions, don’t just go with the flow of other people around you. And if you do something you’re not comfortable with or you see something you’re not comfortable with, try and find a way you can get your message across to them that hang on, I don’t think this is acceptable, I hope you can think about that and reflect on that and maybe be better next time.”While Paine’s leadership has been strengthened by his own worldliness, having experienced life outside the elite end of the game to the point of considering retirement in 2017, he also spoke of how little he had actually considered issues of racism for the vast majority of his career.”Mine has only shifted in the last 12 months since the whole Black Lives Matter thing started to take off,” Paine said. “I was probably someone who, if I am totally honest, had my head in the sand a little bit and because it probably wasn’t a part of my world I didn’t have it as a big issue. That’s really opened my eyes to things and issues our Indigenous people, black people and people of all sort of different cultures around the world go through.Tim Paine says his awareness around BLM has greatly increased since the movement has gathered steam•Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

“For me, again, I probably just turned a blind eye to it a little bit, but since this has sort of got going I have taken time to speak to teammates — whether it’s in Tasmania or Hurricanes or club cricket — about how they feel about it and how it affects them. I probably didn’t realise how bad it was for people in our day. You saw it as something that was a long time ago and almost that attitude of ‘what can I do to help that anyway’. For me my learning has come from speaking to teammates, understanding more how it affects them and how I can help them through that.”The platform we have now as Australian cricketers, not that we can fix every issue, but we can use that platform to make more of us aware of it and hopefully more people who are like me that it doesn’t affect on a day to day basis, to realise there’s a lot of people out there that it does and we can help them in a small way. My learnings are how much it affects some of my teammates and me being unaware of that for probably 15 years as a professional cricketer. So just the shift in that now.”Cummins spoke of how he had recently read the seminal Bruce Pascoe book , which has helped raise fresh perspectives on the intricacies of Aboriginal Australia in the years before European settlement of the continent.”The biggest shift I have had in the past year or so is just around our Indigenous culture here in Australia,” Cummins said. “Obviously at school you learn a little bit about it, I remember reading about the Stolen Generation, small parts; the boomerang, the didgeridoo, dream time, but never really in depth. It was always ‘that’s the past’, that’s what that culture was, not that it still exists.”But the biggest shift for me was . It’s a great book that came out a few years ago and it talks about how productive, how intelligent and how incredible the culture was at not only surviving, but thriving. How closely they were intertwined with the land. It kind of shifted my perspective. I guess I had just thought a lot of Indigenous people were foragers and just surviving off the land, but I found out they would burn certain fires to make sure the bush survived, they would look after certain flora and fauna.”They had this whole eco system that was so finely tuned over 60,000 years. It shifted my perspective to wow these cultures are absolute experts on this land we live in, and we don’t really tap into it nowadays. Just huge admiration and respect for the history. Australia has all this history I didn’t even know about a year ago and I feel real proud to be an Aussie.”Paine added that in his experience, the calling out of racist language needed to be done in a way that would reduce, wherever possible, the amount of hurt felt by the victim. “I’ve heard a few throwaway lines in the gym or at training over the years. The simple thing is to call it out,” Paine said. “For me it is just going over to them, rather than making a big scene over it, which can make the situation worse for the person that’s had the comment made to.”A couple of times it’s been literally going over to a teammate one-on-one. The ones I have been around haven’t meant to insult the person, it’s been a throwaway line, someone thinking they have been funny because it is something that’s been in sports change rooms for a long, long time.”Tap them on the shoulder and let them know the comment has probably been hurtful and harmful to the person it was aimed at. A quiet conversation and make them aware it is not on and make sure they speak to the person it was aimed at.”

There’s a lot to like about Manchester United at the moment. Of course, many more improvements are needed before Ruben Amorim’s project hits the desired level, but recent results and, perhaps more importantly, performances, suggest a page may have been turned.

Amorim has stuck to his guns in the Old Trafford hot seat and received more than a measure of criticism and question marks in return. But are the signs of vindication just about appearing for the thought-filled tactician?

A summer well spent has seen first-team outliers cast away and upgrades in the form of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha arrive and work their stuff under the Theatre’s lights.

Benjamin Sesko is a talented striker, but the jury remains out in regard to his potential as the leading man for many years to come.

What Sesko has to prove at Man Utd

Sesko joined Man United from RB Leipzig for a £74m fee this summer, ending a protracted search for a new striker.

So far, the 23-year-old has only scored two goals and provided one assist across 11 matches, but his link-up play and presence in the area offer much promise.

Podcast host Adam Joseph noted that the Slovenian “needed a better touch” during Saturday’s hair-raising draw to Forest, unable to capitalise on the wizardry of Mbeumo. But this will come.

Mbeumo and Cunha, after all, are seasoned Premier League stars, whereas Sesko is only a few months into his career in English football and younger besides.

Bryan Mbeumo

11

5

Casemiro

9

3

Bruno Fernandes

11

2

Benjamin Sesko

11

2

Harry Maguire

8

2

We know he can score goals. But Man United’s finest strikers in modern times have proved they have many more strings to their bow.

Take Robin Van Persie. The iconic centre-forward was hailed by Sir Alex Ferguson for his “sensational” shooting and for having “an impact as big as anyone” at Old Trafford after joining from Arsenal for £24m in 2012.

His movement and intelligence in the final third set him apart from the masses, and Sesko, tall and well-built, could emulate the Dutchman in that regard.

But there might actually be an up-and-coming Carrington talent with more potential than the summer recruit.

Man Utd's biggest striker talent since RVP

Last week, Amorim acknowledged JJ Gabriel publicly and confirmed he has been paying attention to the 15-year-old forward’s progress, even handing him an opportunity to train with the first team.

Hailed for his “exceptional skillset” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, “combining flair and confidence on the ball”, Gabriel hasn’t yet developed positionally, capable both on the left and in a central striking berth, but there’s so much to like and he could even make his debut in the not-too-distant future.

Already a regular for the U18s, Gabriel has shattered expectations with his prodigious technical ability and fleet-footed work on the ball. He’s too good for the youngsters around him, and journalist Nathan Salt confirmed that “one insider thinks ‘he’s already better than Premier League players'”.

Correspondent Steven Railston has even suggested that Gabriel “the best talent United’s academy has ever seen”.

Sometimes, you can just tell. Gabriel is a one-of-a-kind dribbler and is the top goalscorer in the U18 Premier League this season, with seven goals (and one assist) from just eight matches. Darren Fletcher has predominantly used him centrally, despite being schooled out wide, but the prolific potential of this young star suggests this might be a wise call.

Though he’s not physically developed, nor has he tried his hand on the senior stage, Gabriel has so much potential, and there’s no question that his ceiling reaches higher than Sesko’s.

Could the teenager turn out to be United’s best since Van Persie? It is far too early to tell, but the signs so far are more than promising, to be sure.

Man Utd's "anonymous" flop is rapidly becoming a bigger problem than Dalot

Ruben Amorim has a job on his hands to put one Manchester United player on the right track.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 3, 2025

Real Madrid's defensive crisis has escalated into a full-blown emergency for manager Xabi Alonso after Sunday's chaotic 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo, where star centre-back Eder Militao suffered a serious hamstring injury and defenders Fran García and Alvaro Carreras were both sent off, leaving Los Blancos decimated ahead of their critical Champions League clash against Manchester City.

Bernabeu nightmare: Militao injury and red cards spark panic

The 2-0 scoreline against Celta Vigo was a difficult result for Madrid, but a major talking point was the injury suffered by star centre-back Militao. The Brazilian pulled up clutching his hamstring midway through the first half, confirming an increasingly alarming situation at the heart of Madrid's defence. He could be out for around four months with a torn biceps femoris muscle in his left leg, according to , and the blow comes as a significant setback, coming just as Alonso needed his most dependable defenders available for a demanding run of fixtures.

Militao’s importance to the side cannot be overstated. His pace, aerial dominance, and recovery skills are central to how Madrid defend, allowing the full-backs and midfield to operate higher up the pitch. His early departure immediately unsettled the side, a fragility only compounded later in the game by the rash decisions that led to red cards for both Garcia and Carreras. This trio of incidents has exposed a severe lack of cover and discipline, turning a potential speed bump into a major crisis of availability. As the team look ahead to crucial La Liga and Champions League clashes, the loss of Militao changes the entire complexion of their defensive strategy.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAn unprecedented shortage: Key defenders simultaneously sidelined

Militao’s hamstring issue adds him to a treatment room already overflowing with world-class talent. Trent Alexander-Arnold, the high-profile summer arrival who was meant to revolutionise the right flank, remains sidelined with a persistent thigh injury that has severely disrupted his debut season. Veteran leader Dani Carvajal is out for the long term following knee surgery, removing a vital voice from the dressing room. Meanwhile, David Alaba remains a major doubt as he battles recurring muscle problems that have kept him out for weeks.

The depth options are equally ravaged. Ferland Mendy is unavailable with his own fitness concerns, and young centre-back Dean Huijsen is struggling with a muscle strain picked up in training. When you factor in the suspensions of García and Carreras, the manager is left with Antonio Rudiger as his sole fit, senior centre-back. It is a defensive crisis that leaves the squad bare bones exposed, forcing the club to look at emergency measures just to field a starting XI.

Alonso must move midfielders into defence

The manager now faces the most difficult puzzle of his career so far. With no natural partners for Rudiger, Alonso must improvise radically against elite opposition. The balance of the entire team is now at risk.

The most likely solution involves dropping a midfielder into the heart of the defence. Aurelien Tchouameni has filled the role before, but moving him out of the engine room deprives Madrid of their primary ball-winner. The Frenchman is uncomfortable with the positional nuances of the last line, and exposing him there is a significant risk. Alternatively, Alonso could deploy Federico Valverde in a deeper right-back or centre-back role, but this sacrifices the Uruguayan's relentless energy and goal threat further up the pitch.

Reports suggest the coaching staff may even be forced to field a "Frankenstein" back four, potentially utilising academy product Raul Asencio alongside Rudiger. The lack of cohesion is the primary fear; a defensive line that has never played together relies on communication that simply has not been built yet. In the high-pressure environment of La Liga and Europe, one misstep or miscommunication between strangers at the back usually results in a goal.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportCan Los Blancos survive the Man City test?

The timing of this crisis is merciless. Real Madrid are staring down the barrel of a pivotal Champions League clash against Manchester City. The prospect of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden running at a patched-up Madrid defence is enough to keep any supporter awake at night. Guardiola will undoubtedly instruct his team to press the inexperienced or out-of-position defenders, looking to force errors in the build-up. Without Militao’s recovery speed or Carvajal’s experience, the Blancos backline will be vulnerable to City's rapid transitions.

Alonso will at least have Carreras and Garcia available for selection against the English club, but his options remain depleted and both players will be out for their next La Liga match, causing further concern for a side sitting four points behind Barcelona in the Spanish top-flight.

Trea Turner accomplished an impressive feat on Monday night, recording the 1,500th hit of his MLB career. It’s a tribute to his longevity, his talent at the plate, and his consistency year after year.

But there’s another reason that Turner was likely even more excited about the hit that cleared the milestone—it was his first home run of the year at Citizens Bank Park.

In the second inning, with two men on and the Phillies already holding a 2–0 lead over Seattle, Turner took Logan Gilbert out of the park.

It was the 13th home run of the season for Turner, but somehow, the first 12 of his year had all come on the road. While Turner has been having a stellar year at the plate—he leads the NL in hits—Phillies fans had grown somewhat concerned that his power had apparently stalled at home.

Turner had himself a full day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with five RBIs and two runs scored. He wasn’t the only Phillie to tee off, as teammate Bryce Harper hit two dingers of his own against the Mariners, and the team finished with 21 hits—the most they’ve had at Citizens Bank Park in more than 15 years.

While the team awaits news on pitcher Zach Wheeler’s health, the Phillies' bats are going to have to be extra active to keep them in the hunt for a title.

Sheffield Wednesday’s joint administrator has confirmed there are “already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal” as the club head toward new ownership.

The Owls, bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, went into administration on Friday and have been handed a 12-point deduction by the English Football League.

The EFL is also currently investigating further breaches of its financial regulations and has not ruled out another points deduction this season, the PA news agency understands.

Sheffield Wednesday administrator reveals buyers and criteria

Kris Wigfield, joint administrator with insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, told BBC Five Live’s Wake Up to Money programme that new owners could be in place by the end of the year.

Wigfield said: “As always, you get a lot of interested parties that probably aren’t going to meet the criteria, but within the numerous inquiries we’ve had, we certainly think that there are already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal.

“There are two criteria that new owners basically need to satisfy to then open dialogue and there to be an opportunity where they can make an offer.

“The first thing is they need to show the administrators that they could make the football club viable. So they’ve got to show that they’ve got sufficient funds to be able to fund it for the next few years.

“And secondly, we have to be satisfied that they will pass the EFL fit and proper persons test, and if they can satisfy both of those, then we’ll start talking to them seriously.”

Wigfield, a Wednesday season ticket holder since 1984, said that under EFL rules the club have to stay on the market for 28 days, adding: “I’m hopeful that by the end of November, if things go well, we might know who’s going to buy the football club.”

Wednesday’s financial problems under former owner Dejphon Chansiri, who bought the club in 2015, reached crisis point in the summer and they were placed under various embargoes amid tax debts and failing to pay players and staff on time.

The club were bottom of the Sky Bet Championship even before going into administration, with just one league win this season, and are now on minus six points, 16 from safety.

A tough battle to avoid relegation now appears to be nigh on impossible but it is understood the EFL does not think a possible further points sanction would deter potential new owners as it would also be applied this season.

PA also understands that the government’s new Independent Football Regulator, due to formally take office this autumn, is shadowing the EFL throughout Wednesday’s administration process.

And by resting Rohit and Kohli from the white-ball leg, have the selectors deferred a big decision?

Sidharth Monga30-Nov-2023Most big calls deferred but has one been made?
The real focus right now is on the direction the T20I side will take with just six matches to be played from the start of the South Africa series till the World Cup in June. The selectors had avoided the thorniest topic from the 2022 T20 World Cup till now by “resting” Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for T20Is in order for them to focus on the other two formats. To a lesser extent, KL Rahul fell in the same bracket.Related

• Bumrah, Rahul and Shreyas back in India's Test squad

• Kohli and Rohit rested for white-ball games in SA; Suryakumar to lead in T20Is, Rahul in ODIs

You can hardly be faulted if you thought the selectors had moved on from the old guard that anchored the innings before it set sail, but it is not so straightforward. Hardik Pandya is injured with no timeline on his return. Rohit has shown he has thrown away the anchor. And a side needs a captain. If Rohit seems the straightforward choice to you, please put yourselves in the selectors’ shoes and try to justify to emotional fans the retention of Rohit but not of Kohli.However, by asking to be rested, the two stalwarts of Indian batting have left this call for another day. But by not selecting Rahul for the T20I leg of the South Africa tour, the selection committee might just have sent a strong message: there is no place for your methods in this new-age top order, and if you want to bat in the middle order, you might have to show us the willingness to do so with the right intent.Having said all that, don’t rule out one or two or all three of them making the T20 World Cup squad.More room to test youngsters
In an ideal world, India would have been figuring out whether Jitesh Sharma, the explosive wicketkeeper-batter in the IPL and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, is ready for the big time during the Australia series at home. But Rahul Dravid and Suryakumar Yadav can try him against a hopefully first-choice South Africa XI on the bouncier tracks there. It will also be a test for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rinku Singh, who have emerged as frontrunners for the first XI.T20I bowling looks thin
Blame it on the lack of multi-dimensional players, but India will likely struggle to manage all three of the following in an XI: a designated finisher in Rinku, a swing bowler, a hit-the-deck bowler. As things stand, if India play Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, they will have to forego Rinku; if they play Rinku as a finisher and Jadeja at No. 8, they will have to sacrifice a seamer.Jasprit Bumrah is back in the Test squad, and could be partnered by Prasidh Krishna if India are looking for a tall, hit-the-deck option for South African conditions•PTI Even given that scarcity, India seem to have further restricted themselves by not picking Mohsin Khan, who has shown he can swing the new ball, hit the deck, and has the temperament to bowl difficult overs. However, it is possible he is not fully fit.As things stand, though, India are heavily reliant on Hardik bowling his overs as the third seamer if they are to deepen their batting order by playing Rinku at No. 7 and Jadeja at 8.End of the road for Axar Patel?
You would hope not. He lost out to Jadeja in the ODI line-up because ODIs resemble Test cricket more than they do T20s. In T20s, though, Axar can claim to be a batter better able to maximise favourable match-ups than Jadeja, who almost needs to be hidden away from spinners. Axar will hope he will get a chance to present his case in the future after being omitted from the T20I squad for the South Africa tour. As of now, it might appear that Jadeja is in pole position and might need to perform badly to miss out on the World Cup.Rahul in the Test middle order?
Rahul has only ever started one first-class match as a designated wicketkeeper. And yet, the BCCI release announcing the squads has him marked as a wicketkeeper in Tests. Now, you wouldn’t expect him to keep and then go straight out to open in Test cricket, especially when he is not used to doing the former at all. But this could be a revival of sorts for Rahul if he can make a middle-order slot his own, for which he might be competing with either Ishan Kishan as wicketkeeper or Shreyas Iyer as a specialist batter.Bumrah the Test bowler is back
When Jasprit Bumrah was diagnosed with a stress reaction of the back, which needed surgery, one feared for his Test career, but his selection in the squad for the Tests is great news for fans of fast bowling as he is too good a bowler to be lost to Test cricket. Surely the medical team is confident Bumrah is ready once again to take on the rigours of Test cricket?Also India have made it a point to include a tall, hit-the-deck fast bowler in the Test squad after that height seemed to have been the difference between the two attacks when India toured South Africa last and lost 2-1. Prasidh Krishna might just be the third quick for India to capitalise on the indentations South African pitches tend to develop as Tests wear on.The ODI squad
Like T20Is were for the last year or so, ODIs are likely to be on the backburner until the T20 World Cup in June. This is where India will experiment with their ideas: Rahul as captain, Sanju Samson as middle-order batter, and the rehabilitation of Yuzvendra Chahal.

Manchester United drew 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime. It took a late Matthijs de Ligt goal to secure a point, after being 1-0 up at half-time. Not only did United let the three points slip out of their grasp, but striker Benjamin Sesko picked up an injury.

The Slovenian didn’t start the game in North London, coming on in the second half. He suffered a knee problem late in the clash after a tackle by Mickey van de Ven prevented him from getting a shot off.

Ruben Amorim said after the game that he is “concerned” about the striker’s issue.

It is currently unclear how long the 22-year-old will be out injured for, but Amorim has three different options to replace him.

1 The logical option

There is only one other number 9 in the United squad: Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman is a superb technical player who is brilliant at bringing his teammates into the game with holdup play and silky footwork.

He ended his debut campaign at United strongly, with ten goals and assists, including a crucial header in the Europa League away from home against Lyon. However, he’s fallen out of favour under the Portuguese manager this term.

It certainly hasn’t been easy for the Dutchman in 2025/26. He’s only made five appearances across all competitions, playing 90 minutes in total and not starting a game. He hasn’t even had a chance to prove himself this term.

However, with his ability to link play together and facilitate the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, the 24-year-old could be a game-changer for United. He’s their only other senior number striker and has shown great promise when given a chance.

2 The wildcard option

The suggested wildcard shout is, ironically, something Amorim has done more often this season than the logical option. That consists of bringing Mason Mount into the starting lineup and playing a flexible front three consisting of the Englishman, Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Although he has been struck down with injury a lot for United, the 26-year-old clearly has an abundance of quality. When fit, he has been a trusted lieutenant under Amorim, playing 29 games for the Red Devils boss, scoring four times and assisting one.

In fact, those strikes certainly highlight the quality the number seven brings to United’s side. Look at his finish against Athletic Club in the Europa League last season, taking the ball on the half turn and curling his effort home. That is classic Mount.

This solution would offer Amorim lots of energy up front, with all three players excellent pressers. United fans would also witness fluid rotations in possession, although the lack of a natural number 9 might make them less of a threat in the box.

3 The academy option

Using players from the academy has always been a huge part of the DNA at Old Trafford. Well, in light of Sesko’s injury, Amorim could turn to 17-year-old Chido Obi to help fill the void left at centre-forward.

The former Arsenal youngster has played first-team football in the red of United since his move to Manchester last summer. He’s featured eight times under Amorim, even starting away to Brentford in the Premier League.

It is at academy level that the former Gunners star has made a real impression. Obi has scored six goals for United’s U21 side and has bagged 12 times in ten games for the U18s. It is no surprise that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta previously described him as a “massive goal threat.” Gunners podcaster Will Balsam once even described the prodigy as a “homegrown Osimhen”.

Obi has played against senior sides in the EFL Trophy this season and has made a real impression, grabbing three goal involvements in as many games. Against Barnsley, he got a goal and an assist, having two shots on target, creating one chance and winning three duels.

Touches

20

Shots

3

Shots on target

2

Ground duels won

3

Key passes

1

Goals

1

Assists

1

Picking the Denmark U20 striker to replace Sesko could be seen as a risk from Amorim. Yet, the Red Devils boss clearly trusts and rates the striker, having given him regular minutes in the top flight last season.

There are a few options for the United boss, and it will be fascinating to see which route he takes if Sesko is sidelined for a long period.

Forget Mbeumo: "Phenomenal" Man Utd star was the real player of the month

Bryan Mbeumo has won the Premier League Player of the Month, but one other Manchester United star may feel hard done by.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 7, 2025

Fans in attendance at Wednesday's Pirates-Dodgers game in Pittsburgh will have the chance to see Shohei Ohtani, but the three-time MVP will only take part in one facet of the game for Los Angeles.

Ohtani was in line to make his 12th start on the mound for the Dodgers on Wednesday, but has instead been scratched in favor of Emmet Sheehan, per L.A.'s lineup announcement. Ohtani will instead serve as designated hitter and bat first in the Dodgers' lineup.

Ohtani made his pitching debut for the Dodgers in June, after missing nearly two seasons on the mound following an elbow injury suffered late in the 2023 season with the Angels. Because he has been an everyday part of L.A.'s lineup, he hasn't had the chance to ramp back up on the mound in the minor leagues, as is traditional, and has instead done so at the big league level, leading to some shaky outings. His last start, on Aug. 27 against the Reds, was his best of the year so far—Ohtani went five innings allowing a single run on two hits, with a pair of walks and nine strikeouts.

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Says Shohei Ohtani Is 'Under the Weather'

A few hours after news broke that Ohtani would not make his scheduled start Wednesday, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts updated the star's status, saying that he has been feeling a bit "under the weather" since Tuesday, per 's Fabian Ardaya. Ohtani is feeling well enough to hit, but was uncomfortable throwing during a recent side session, leading to the decision.

The fact that Ohtani will still appear at the plate—and the Dodgers' understandable conservatism around his return to two-way status—certainly makes this scratch less concerning than it could be.

First pitch between the Dodgers and Pirates—and Ohtani's first at-bat of the game—will take place at 6:40 p.m. ET.

يواجه فريق ريال مدريد، بقيادة المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي، مشكلة معقدة عند مواجهة مانشستر سيتي، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا هذا الموسم.

وأجرى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، ظهر اليوم الجمعة مراسم قرعة مرحل دور الـ16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2024/25.

وأسفرت القرعة عن نهائي مبكر بين فريقي ريال مدريد الإسباني ومانشستر سيتي.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد ارتباطه بـ الدوري السعودي.. فينيسيوس يحسم موقفه من مغادرة ريال مدريد

وستُقام مرحلة ذهاب ملحق دور الـ16 يومي 11/12 فبراير المقبل، على أن تُقام مرحلة الإياب يومي 18/19 من الشهر نفسه.

وحسبما ذكرت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، فإن ريال مدريد سيتوجب عليه توخي الحذر في مباراة الذهاب ضد مانشستر سيتي، بسبب 6 لاعبين.

وأوضحت أن هناك 6 لاعبين من ريال مدريد قد يُجبرون على الغياب عن مباراة الإياب ضد مانشستر سيتي، حال حصولهم على بطاقة صفراء في الذهاب.

وأشارت إلى أن هؤلاء اللاعبين هم، جود بيلينجهام، أنطونيو روديجر، لوكا مودريتش، تشواميني، إندريك وإدوارد كامافينجا.

وأفادت أنه عند النظر إلى الجهة الأخرى، مانشستر سيتي، سنجد أن لاعبًا واحدًا فقط مهدد بالغياب حال حصوله على بطاقة صفراء وهو روبن دياز، والذي قد لا يدفع به بيب جوارديولا في الذهاب.

وتُقام مباراة الذهاب بين ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي على ملعب “الاتحاد”، في حين أن الإياب على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

The trick to being a successful fast bowler in the subcontinent is not just express pace and good intent, but also to work with straighter angles. That’s what Anrich Nortje, who made his debut in India and took his first five-for away from home in Rawalpindi in his 10th Test match, has learned.”At home, if you run in hard, bowl fast and get the ball in the right areas, you’ve already sort of taken a wicket a lot of the time. But, particularly in the last while, I try to keep my angles – even where I start running from – as straight as possible. That’s helped me a lot, particularly in the subcontinent,” Nortje said after the second day’s play of the second Test against Pakistan. “Sometimes, when I go a bit wider, because there’s not a lot of bounce here, it’s an easy cut shot most of the time. In South Africa you’re trying to get into that channel. Here you’re trying to hit the stumps most of the time, and you also don’t want to be bowling on leg stump. It’s one thing I’ve focused on a lot.”Nortje has become known for consistently bowling in the upper 140s and for using the bouncer to good effect, but in this innings he also showed his ability not to veer wide outside off or down leg. It helped that he could operate in short spells – he bowled six in total of which only two consisted of five overs each – and could give each delivery his all.”We had a chat about the energy of the fast bowlers and trying to create something in our spells – to not bowl too long and when we do come on try and create something,” Nortje said. “That’s what happened in this game. We didn’t bowl long spells and we tried to dig it in as much as possible and hit the wicket as much as possible. That was the plan, to bowl short spells and try to have as much energy as you can.”That may make it sound like all was nothing but hard work, but Nortje confirmed there is some assistance for the seamers in Rawalpindi, and definitely more than there was in the first Test in Karachi. “With the hard ball there is some bounce,” he said. “I don’t think the fast bowlers will be completely out of it, I think there might be different opportunities and different ways of taking wickets like we saw the ball keeping low, so that might come into it.”Still, to prosper on the subcontinent for a South African quick is something special. For previous bowlers, like Dale Steyn, who took two of his first three five-fors in Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively, it signalled a coming-of-age and an ability to adjust to unfamiliar terrain and still have a decisive say. “Getting a performance in the subcontinent definitely means a lot,” Nortje said. Hopefully I can just grow as a fast bowler.”At 27, Nortje is older than the then-24-year-old Steyn was when he took 5 for 56 to bowl South Africa to victory in Lahore in 2007, and he also occupies a more senior role in the transitioning Test side. After Kagiso Rabada, Nortje is the second-most capped Test bowler in the squad and he has become a go-to for Quinton de Kock when matters are meandering and he needs to make something happen.In Karachi, it didn’t work and Pakistan’s last four-wickets put on 202. In Rawalpindi, it did, and Nortje plucked the last two wickets in three balls to keep Pakistan to under 275, although the last five wickets added 123 between them. Does he think the South African attack lets tails, and the Pakistan one in particular, get too far ahead? “I don’t think it’s become a problem,” he said.”In the previous game they had a lot of partnerships. It’s not something we can really control. Our energy, line and lengths are the controllables and are doing our best when we do get a sniff to try and make an impact. We bowled well and even if we didn’t get the wickets, to control the rate was really good. We’ve restricted them to a good total. It’s manageable for us to exceed their score. By no means do I think they got too much.”