A major injury update has now emerged on Gabriel ahead of the North London Derby, with Arsenal set to host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, four points clear of nearest-rival Manchester City, but injuries once again risk derailing their title charge, with Mikel Arteta being forced to contend with a number of setbacks already this season.

Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz have all spent time on the sidelines in recent weeks, and there has been more bad news during the international break, with defender Riccardo Calafiori being forced to drop out of the Italy squad.

Fortunately, Calafiori is expected to be available for the big game against Tottenham at the weekend, but a more concerning injury update has now emerged on one of Arteta’s other key players.

Gabriel now a major doubt for North London Derby

As reported by The Guardian, Gabriel is now a major doubt for the North London Derby, with recent scans revealing the defender suffered a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil, and there are concerns he may be facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old has returned to London for treatment, having not travelled with Brazil for their upcoming friendly against Tunisia, with the Gunners planning to take their time to assess the extent of the injury.

There are concerns the Brazil international could be sidelined during a busy period, with a number of tough fixtures on the horizon for Arteta’s side over the next few weeks.

Should the centre-back be unavailable for quite some time, it would be a major blow for Arteta, given that he has been one of the manager’s key players so far this season, with the Spaniard saying: “I adore Gabriel: his attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he’s willing to do for the team.”

The £150k-a-week defender has formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba at the heart of defence, with the Gunners shipping just five goals in the Premier League this term, the fewest of any side.

That said, Piero Hincapie has proven he could be a solid replacement for Gabriel, having impressed in the 2-0 EFL Cup triumph against Brighton & Hove Albion, receiving an 8.2 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player, after winning six duels and recording a 94% pass-completion rate.

Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world

The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 20, 2025

Somerset skittled for second-innings 99, leaving Essex with 95 target

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025

Somerset 433 and 99 (Thomas 39, Porter 4-18) lead Essex 438 (Walter 158, Elgar 118, Overton 6-88) by 94 runsJamie Porter ripped through some fragile batting with four wickets to help skittle Somerset for 99 and put Essex on course for only their second home Rothesay County Championship victory of the season.Ably supported by debutant seamer Charlie Bennett, and latterly spinner Simon Harmer, Porter took his season’s tally to 49 wickets with figures of 4 for 18 from a dozen overs. It left Essex requiring 95 to win before bad light ended play on day three 17 overs early.At one stage, when Dean Elgar and Paul Walter were putting on 277 for the first wicket the day before, it had looked as if Essex would gain a sizeable first-innings advantage. In reality, that lead turned out to be just five runs as they lost all 10 wickets for an additional 161 runs inside 45 overs. But that was before Somerset went in for a second time.Much of the damage in Essex’s first-innings 438 was down to some naggingly accurate bowling from Craig Overton, who passed 500 first-class career wickets while posting figures of 6 for 88. What had been a docile, one-paced wicket suddenly turned into a seamer’s dream and Overton capitalised with his second six-wicket haul of the season.Essex’s seamers were also quickly among the wickets in Somerset’s second innings. Porter beat Archie Vaughan for pace and then Bennett had Tom Lammonby lbw to 1 that stayed low.James Rew appeared to be repairing the initial damage, harvesting four boundaries in his run-a-ball 19, until he skied a leading edge to midwicket off Bennett.Then in the next over, Tom Kohler-Cadmore may have lost the ball in the gathering gloom as Doug Bracewell bent back his off-stump. The floodlights came on soon after.Josh Thomas had been immune to the carnage around him, hitting seven fours in his 39 from 65 balls, but he became Porter’s 550th first-class wicket for Essex when one kept low and trapped him lbw. In the same over, Kasey Aldridge tickled one through to substitute wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes.With Somerset disappearing down a rabbit hole at 89 for 6, Essex announced free admission for all spectators on the final day. Overton then made a swift exit, playing all around one from Porter. And it became worse when Jack Leach set off for a run, pushing Porter into the covers, but could not recover his ground before Charlie Allison’s throw enabled Fernandes to whip off the bails.Lewis Goldsworthy dug in for 58 balls, but he was undone by a spectacular delivery from Harmer that pitched well outside off-stump and turned square to bowl him. And Jake Ball followed to one from the spinner that went straight on and disturbed his stumps, Somerset all out inside 34 overs.Under dirty grey clouds in the morning, things had looked brighter for Somerset when Overton claimed a second wicket in 10 balls, separated by overnight rest and recuperation. He dug in a short delivery and Tom Westley hooked obligingly to deep square leg.Elgar lasted just another half-an-hour. He added just seven runs to his day-two total before he was lbw for 118 playing all around the second ball of an Aldridge spell.Overton, returning for another spell with the second new-ball already four overs old, struck with his 13th delivery, slanting one in at pace and flattening Allison’s middle stump.Lewis Gregory had looked the most lively of the Somerset attack, beating the bat on a number of occasions, and finally received some reward, Matt Critchley lbw playing down the wrong line.On the stroke of lunch, Michael Pepper became Overton’s fifth victim when he was lbw trying to force the ball through midwicket.Gregory lasted eight deliveries in the afternoon session before pulling up injured and briefly leaving the pitch. He, therefore, missed Overton’s sixth wicket when Bracewell looked to swing lustily to leg but ended up dollying a catch to wide mid-off.Bennett produced some aggressive hitting with five fours in a 26-ball 22 before he gave a tame return catch to Leach. Porter smashed his first ball straight for six to take Essex into the lead but perished when he skied Leach into the covers.

Jamie Redknapp has urged Liverpool to be patient with Arne Slot despite a dismal run of form and a thumping weekend defeat to Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees produced a stunning 3-0 victory at Anfield, plunging the Premier League champions into a full-blown crisis and prolonging a run of form that has raised serious questions over Slot’s second season in charge.

• Forest humble Liverpool again as crisis deepens

  Forest’s win, their second triumph at Anfield in the space of 14 months, was clean and clinical. Sean Dyche’s side were disciplined, aggressive and, crucially, ruthless from set pieces, exposing once again Liverpool’s most glaring tactical weakness. The opener arrived in the 33rd minute when Murillo lashed in from the edge of the box after Liverpool failed to clear a corner. VAR ruled that Dan Ndoye did not obstruct Alisson’s line of sight, despite protests from the Liverpool players and bench. Minutes later, the hosts received an unexpected reprieve when Igor Jesus’ strike was controversially disallowed for handball. Forest doubled their advantage just after half-time with a composed finish from Nicolo Savona before Morgan Gibbs-White swept home a painful third in the 78th minute, prompting a mass exodus from the home stands.

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  Redknapp calls for calm as Slot comes under fire

  Despite the scale of the collapse, Jamie Redknapp has urged Liverpool supporters, and the club’s hierarchy, not to abandon Slot after a brutal October and November spell. Speaking on , Redknapp insisted: "They [Liverpool] need to be patient, Arne Slot deserves that after last year."

• Injuries force improvisation as Liverpool struggle to cope

  Liverpool’s mounting injury list worsened on Saturday. Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley both missed the game with fresh muscle issues, while Jeremie Frimpong remains sidelined. Their absence forced Slot into a patchwork solution, with Curtis Jones filling in at right-back. Alexander Isak returned up front but lacked sharpness and was replaced in the 68th minute by Hugo Ekitike. Neither forward made a meaningful impact.

  As boos echoed around the stadium and supporters streamed out early, captain Virgil van Dijk did not hide from Liverpool’s failings. Speaking with rare bluntness, the 33-year-old condemned the team’s defensive organisation and suggested deeper issues behind the slump.

  "We concede too many easy goals. They scored obviously from a set piece again," he said. "You can ask if he was in front of Alisson, but it counted, so we're 1-0 down. We were not good in terms of battles, challenges, the fight, too rushed. It's a very difficult situation at the moment. There was nervousness after we conceded, but not before. We tried to rush things and that's human when you're in a difficult moment. We cleared the ones before and in the end, we'te in a very difficult moment. We don't get out of it by just speaking about it. It will take a lot of hard work.

  "It's a problem. Everyone in the team has to take responsibility as well. Football is a team and everyone has to take responsibility. We have to digest this and take it on the chin. We need to work harder. We have to keep going. Everyone is disappointed, like they should be, because losing at home to Nottingham Forest is, in my eyes, very bad. That's the least I can say about it. Those goals we conceded are far too easy and we all have to look in the mirror. I've been at this club so long now and we've been through adversity. We will bounce back but it doesn't happen overnight. I'm not a quitter and we will keep going. I can't decide what the supporters are doing if they leave early. I know the fans have been through thick and thin with us. They will be there with us when we come out of this because we will come out of this."

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  Set-piece collapse exposes structural weakness

  Liverpool’s fragility from set pieces is now undeniable. According to Opta, the Reds have conceded nine goals from dead-ball situations this season, the third-worst record in the Premier League. They are letting in 1.81 goals per game, a dramatic drop from the discipline that defined last year’s title-winning campaign, when they conceded only 41 across the entire season. Four of their last six matches have seen Liverpool ship three goals, a staggering statistic for a team that spent heavily last summer on attacking reinforcements but neglected defensive recruitment. 

  Their failed pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has quickly become one of the major sliding-door moments of the summer window. With the England defender still high on their January shortlist, Liverpool may attempt to revive negotiations. But until then, Slot must rely on a strained, out-of-form back line to stop the rot.

Nissanka’s ton got Sri Lanka within sight of victory but the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-20252:05

Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?

India won the Super OverIn regular play, Pathum Nissanka’s 107 off 58 balls and Kusal Perera’s 58 off 32, cancelled out a rapid 61 from Abhishek Sharma, and a 49 not out off 34 from Tilak Varma. India hit 202 for 5. So did Sri Lanka.In the Super Over though, Sri Lanka were very clearly out of steam on all fronts. First, they didn’t send Nissanka out to bat, choosing Kusal Perera (who sliced one to deep backward point first ball), Dasun Shanaka (who struggled with Arshdeep Singh’s wide yorkers), and Kamindu Mendis (who has never been an explosive T20I batter) out instead.Between these three, they managed a total of two runs. Suryakumar Yadav would almost laughingly put the first ball of their Super Over – bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga – through cover, to claim three first ball. This meant India went through to the Asia Cup final undefeated, and were really only tested in this match, in which they rested Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube.Perhaps their aura had lost a little of its shine, but India pushing through to a victory even when Sri Lanka’s top order was batting beautifully, will be something India will take heart from ahead of the final against Pakistan.India’s innings, meanwhile, had gone smoothly. Abhishek produced another spectacular start, striking up a 59-run partnership with Suryakumar who contributed only 12 off 13 to that stand. Later, Tilak and Sanju Samson would put on 66 together.Pathum Nissanka celebrates his maiden T20I century•AFP/Getty Images

Nissanka’s 127-run partnership off 70 balls, however, was the biggest of the tournament. It got Sri Lanka within sight of victory. But the remaining batters couldn’t quite get them across the line.What happened in the Super Over

• Sri Lanka are required to bat first in this Super Over, but Nissanka, their best batter of the tournament, is not picked to come out straight away. (We’re sure, at this stage, that he will come in if a wicket falls, though.)
• Perera and Shanaka are sent in instead, with Arshdeep tasked with bowling this over, in the absence of Bumrah.
• Perera slices the first ball, a wide yorker, to deep point, where substitute fielder Rinku Singh takes a good running catch.
• Kamindu Mendis, who does not have a track record of scoring quickly against high-quality opposition comes out next, even though Nissanka is just sitting there in the dugout. Predictably Kamindu struggles to get more than an edge to the next Arshdeep ball, and they scramble a single.
• Shanaka can’t really hit Arshdeep’s wide yorkers either, and attempts a bye off the fourth ball.
• Arshdeep appeals for the caught behind while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson runs Dasun Shanaka out at the striker’s end.
• But because Arshdeep has appealed for the catch, the umpire gives Shanaka out. (The umpire’s finger is raised only after the run out is completed, but according to the rules, the out decision effectively overturns the run out.) Shanaka awake to this loophole, immediately asks the umpire: “It’s a dead ball, right?”, just after he reviews the caught behind decision.
• It turns out Shanaka is correct as per the laws. Because he had been wrongly been given out caught behind, he is exonerated from the run out, even though the stumps were broken before the umpire’s finger was raised.
• Shanaka gets to live another ball and perhaps propel Sri Lanka to a competitive Super Over score.
• Shanaka top edges one to deep third very next ball, ending Sri Lanka’s Super Over.
• India score three first ball and win.

Abhishek Sharma rocks the powerplayAlthough opening partner Shubman Gill was dismissed off the ninth ball of the innings, the tournament’s best batter still scythed his way through the powerplay. His best powerplay over came against Dushmantha Chamera. Abhishek came down the track and crashed him over long off off thifd ball, before raising the fifth ball over short fine leg’s head, then slicing the next one over short third.Abhishek Sharma brought up his third successive fifty•Getty Images

It only took Abhishek 22 balls to get to fifty. By the end of the powerplay, India were 71 for 1. Abhishek eventually miscued a Charith Asalanka half-tracker to deep midwicket, in the ninth over. His 61 came off 31 balls.Nissanka’s sublime inningsNissanka had scored heavily in the group stage, but had been quiet in the first two Super Four games. In this match, he exploded. He hit Hardik Pandya through point for four first ball, lifted other seamers over deep midwicket, and hooked others over backward square leg. He hit his fifty off 25 balls, and just continued to attack through the middle overs, as Perera also scored rapidly.Nissanka became Sri Lanka’s fourth T20I centurion (among men) at the end of the 17th over, when he thumped Arshdeep into the sightscreen. He got there of 52 balls. His eventual 108 off 58 is Sri Lanka’s highest individual T20I score.

The New York Yankees are sleepwalking through the dog days of summer.

The club looked to be turning a corner to close a disappointing month of July, as they had won four of five games, then imported seven players at a busy trade deadline, seemingly adding even more muscle to the roster and excitement into the clubhouse.

But the Yankees have fallen flat since, blowing two leads in a series-opening loss against the Miami Marlins, getting swept by those same Marlins and then losing the first game of the series in walk-off fashion to the Texas Rangers.

So, after four straight losses and a 12–16 stretch since July 1, are the defeats wearing on the Yankees players?

"Yes," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters after Monday's loss. "Doesn’t matter though. It doesn’t matter. Weigh on us. Stress. We gotta win. Period. We know that. Nobody cares how stressful it is. That’s all just noise, excuses, whatever. We’ve got to go play better and we’ve got to win, and we know that."

What might help the struggling Yankees turn things around is the return of captain and two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge, who is slated to be available for Tuesday's game after being sidelined since July 25 with a flexor strain in his right elbow.

Whether through the presence of Judge, or other means of turnaround, change needs to come soon for the Yankees. Once alone in first place in the AL East, New York is now 5.5 games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays and is tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second AL wild card spot.

MatériaMais Notícias

De maneira épica, o Palmeiras derrotou o Independiente del Valle por 3 a 2, de virada, fora de casa, e segue invicto na atual edição da Copa Libertadores.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Herói do Verdão no duelo, Luis Guilherme saiu do banco de reservas para marcar o gol que garantiu a vitória nos acréscimos da segunda etapa.

No vestiário, o técnico Abel Ferreira pediu concentração para os jogadores que iniciaram o confronto no Equador e cobrou atenção para aqueles que entrariam no decorrer da partida, caso de Luis Guilherme.

Confira no vídeo acima os bastidores do discurso do treinador português antes da virada histórica do Palmeiras.

➡️ Luis Guilherme, do Palmeiras, atrai o interesse de gigantes do futebol europeu

PALMEIRAS ENTRE OS CLUBES BRASILEIROS NA LIBERTADORES

▪️ Brasileiro com mais finais disputadas: 6 (1961, 1968, 1999, 2000, 2020 e 2021) ao lado do São Paulo;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais títulos: 3 (1999, 2020 e 2021) ao lado de Flamengo, Grêmio, Santos e São Paulo;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais gols marcados: 458 gols;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais vitórias: 134 triunfos;
▪️ Brasileiro com mais participações na história: 24 edições disputadas.

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San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller achieved one of the rarest feats in baseball on Wednesday, as the flamethrowing 27-year-old recorded the 119th immaculate inning in league history.

Even more impressive, Miller did it all using the same pitch; his devastating slider, and didn't have a single Orioles hitter make contact, even a foul ball, with any of his nine sliders in the inning.

Miller benefitted from a called strike on the very first pitch of the inning, and he followed up by throwing eight devastating sliders in a row, attacking various parts of the plate.

There have been more than twice as many no-hitters as immaculate innings in MLB history, some evidence as to just how rare the feat is. Even more rare is an immaculate inning in which every pitch is a slider and there wasn't a single foul ball, making Miller's accomplishment even more impressive.

Miller has been fantastic since joining the Padres at the trade deadline in a deal with the Athletics. He's logged a 1.64 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 11 innings.

The tournament is not perfect, but it’s not the disaster England have often tried to paint it as being

Matt Roller19-Jun-2025The World Test Championship might be fundamentally flawed but after three missed attempts to reach the final on home soil, it is time for England to take it seriously. Ben Stokes believes it is “utterly confusing” but he must have looked on with envy as Temba Bavuma lifted the golden mace at Lord’s last week, capping a comeback victory that was celebrated throughout South Africa.The third WTC final was the best yet, one that underlined the significance of a concept that has added plenty to Test cricket despite its flaws. The quality of cricket was incredibly high, embodied in the performances of Pat Cummins, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada, and the occasion was clearly enhanced by the jeopardy created by a one-off final.But England’s attitude towards the WTC has been ambivalent. The ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket believes it is “hard to understand”, the chairman has called for it to be “fairer and more competitive”, and the chief executive said last week that it is “not the be-all and end-all” when compared to the results of five-Test series against India and Australia.Related

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Markram: Playing two-Test series throughout WTC cycle could help us in the final

These are not just sour grapes from a team that has finished fourth, fourth and fifth in the first three cycles. Even the WTC’s most vocal proponents would accept that it is a long way from perfect: no sporting league with any competitive integrity should be superimposed onto a fixture list decided between individual boards, as this one effectively is.The uneven, unequal fixture list has been a clear frustration for England: the percentage-point system effectively penalises them for playing longer series against high-quality opponents. Still, Australia and India have overcome similar scheduling to reach two finals each out of three; England, by contrast, have never come close.But the reality is that for all its flaws, the WTC has been a success: it has created a showpiece final for the Test format, which in turn has provided context and incentives that did not previously exist for smaller nations. For New Zealand’s and South Africa’s players, winning the WTC was a bigger achievement than any single series win of their careers.England must accept that they will have to adapt accordingly. The ECB has made the case that the over-rate penalties they have faced have been outsized, considering that they have only drawn one of their last 36 Tests, but every other team has been able to get through their overs more quickly. Their complaints will be taken more seriously from a position of strength.They have also developed a bad habit of ending series poorly: in four of their last five series, they have won the first Test but lost the last. Stokes has attributed that to mental and physical fatigue, but there have been hints of complacency too, not least against Sri Lanka at The Oval last year.England have been the perfect hosts for the first three WTC finals, but as a team they have been ambivalent towards the tournament•Gareth Copley / GettyIt was a series that England needed to win 3-0 to retain realistic ambitions of reaching the final, but their performance suggested a team who considered the match to be a dead rubber: they handed a debut to an incredibly raw fast bowler, and were bowled out in 34 overs in a frenetic second innings. It was anything but ruthless.The great curiosity of England’s position is that they appear to have taken a sudden interest in the ICC’s Test rankings, despite the WTC rendering them almost irrelevant. Stokes texted Brendon McCullum and Rob Key to say, “One more place to go,” when England briefly rose to second last month, and Key has publicly targeted the No. 1 spot.It is a strange focus as a new WTC cycle starts, akin to an international football team talking about the FIFA rankings at the start of a World Cup. England’s public stance is that they focus on winning every Test match they play in, and that winning enough will get them into the final: “As a group, we’re probably not looking that far ahead,” Brydon Carse said on Wednesday.England’s fixture list in the 2025-27 cycle is frontloaded. If they emerge from their next ten Tests – five against India, five in Australia – with a winning record, then they should be well positioned for their four remaining series: three Tests apiece against Pakistan and New Zealand at home, three in South Africa, and two in Bangladesh.The ECB is keen to retain hosting rights for the WTC final, and the indications are that it will do so at next month’s ICC conference in Singapore. If that happens, it will provide their side with yet another prime opportunity to reach the final in home conditions; to do so, they must engage with the WTC’s oddities rather than fighting against them.

Head coach believes 50-over struggles are in a category of their own as attention shifts to Perth

Cameron Ponsonby01-Nov-2025

Brendon McCullum conceded that England “clearly need to improve” in one-day cricket after they fell to a 3-0 clean sweep against New Zealand. ‘Go harder’ has been the mantra of this England team, with Harry Brook imploring his side to double down in their efforts with the bat after his side’s first collapse in Mount Maunganui a week ago. Two matches and two further batting failures later, however, McCullum has reset the party line and called for England to adopt a more considered approach.”Harry’s said before that we need to put pressure back on the bowlers, and there are times when we do need to be a little braver and put some pressure on the bowlers,” McCullum said following the defeat in Wellington. “And then there are other times where we’ve got to adjust to their lengths and lines.”Not necessarily in a high-risk sort of way but just by being brave enough – whether that’s coming down the wicket or moving around the crease – just get things going a little bit more and bounce off one another.”Across the series, England lost 11 wickets in the opening 10 overs of the innings, compared to New Zealand’s four, and were bowled out in all three matches. Their innings in Wellington was their longest of the trip, batting for 40.2 overs before they were all out.”I think when we’re confronted with good, flat wickets, we’re a very, very good cricket team,” McCullum said. “I think we play a high-octane style of cricket and those conditions suit us. When the wickets have a little bit in them and they’re a bit more challenging, whether that be spin or seam or swing, we probably can’t quite adapt our tempo quick enough.Fewest runs by a team’s top four•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We’ve got some talented players but, unfortunately, our performances at the moment in this form of the game aren’t quite up to scratch and we need to rectify that.”England’s top order combined for an historically poor series, managing just 84 runs between the top four, the lowest tally in one-day international history. Of the top six, only Brook, Joe Root and Jos Buttler made a score of 20 across the three matches.McCullum, however, does not believe it is a concern heading towards the Ashes, where Australia are expected to serve up similar styles of wickets. In the longer format, he argues that England have been able to counter different conditions well.”I like to separate it,” McCullum explained. “I think in T20 cricket we’re going really well and in Test cricket we have a pretty decent idea of where we’re at – and I think we’ve performed reasonably well, albeit we have a huge challenge ahead of us.Related

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“One-day cricket is clearly the area we need to improve, and my comments are more directed at one-day cricket. I think when we do come across the trickier conditions in Australia and Test cricket, we have a pretty good understanding of how we’re going to go about it. It doesn’t guarantee us anything but it gives us a level of confidence going into that series.”He also believes that, despite a number of players experiencing a poor run of scores, the likes of Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Root will be “better for the run” after getting a number of games under their belt.”They’ve marked centre a few times and gone through the process and I’m sure they’ll be better for it. With the prep that we’ve had with the other Test guys who’ve been here for a while too, we’ll have no excuses come Australia.”McCullum identified Jamie Overton as England’s “huge win” for the tour, after the bowling allrounder contributed with the bat in all three matches and put together his finest performance in ODI cricket in Wellington, scoring 68 runs and taking two for 32 with the ball.”I think there’s times when we think he’s a better player than he does,” McCullum said. “And on this tour he’s fully believed in the player he can be at this level. There’s not too many players around the world who can bowl 140kph, field the way he does and hit the ball as cleanly. It’s been a huge series for Jamie…he’s incredibly well liked within the group and we’re all delighted for him.”England’s next competitive fixture will now be in Perth, with the long-awaited Ashes series finally around the corner after years of build-up.”I’m proper excited,” McCullum concluded. “We’re incredibly respectful of the challenge Australia is going to present us and we know how hard that tour is going to be.”It’s going to require a team to stay together right throughout, to be as strong as we can to try and block out any of the outside noise. But we’re very respectful of who we’re coming up against, we’re so excited to get over there and we can’t wait to get started.”

Diego Simeone has fuelled speculation about his long-term future after openly admitting he can “imagine coaching Inter one day." The Atletico Madrid boss, now in his 14th season, made the confession ahead of a crucial Champions League meeting with the Nerazzurri – a moment that has reignited old ties and sparked fresh questions about what comes after his successful era in Spain.

Simeone stirs future talk before high-stakes Inter clash

The build-up to Atletico's Champions League showdown with Inter was already intense but Simeone turned it into global headline material. Speaking on the eve of the match at the Metropolitano, the Argentine coach revisited his emotional bond with the Nerazzurri, where he spent two seasons as a player between 1997 and 1999.

His comments arrive during a turbulent European campaign for Atletico, marked by strong wins against Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Saint-Gilloise but also damaging defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal. With qualification still uncertain, the club’s margin for error is slim, making the Nerazzurri's visit a defining moment in their season.

And yet, instead of cooling the atmosphere, Simeone chose to heat it up, hinting at what could be his next chapter. That set the stage for his most eye-catching admission of the night.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSimeone admits he imagines coaching Inter

Before addressing tactical matters, Simeone was asked directly about rumours linking him to Inter. The 55-year-old didn’t hide behind diplomacy and gave one of the clearest answers of his managerial career.

Introducing his remarks with calm assurance, Simeone acknowledged both his past at the club and his long-term ambition. “It doesn’t depend on just me, but in my coaching career I can imagine myself managing Inter one day. I think it will happen one day,” he said.

The statement echoed a sentiment he has carried privately for years, but rarely expressed aloud. In Madrid, it landed like a bombshell; in Milan, it was heard like a promise.

Praise for Inter and deeper implications for Atletico

The Argentine didn’t stop at expressing affection he went on to shower praise on Inter’s current squad and project. He highlighted how strongly the San Siro side have developed, stressing their consistency, structure and attacking clarity. “They play very well, they have personality and they have a clear idea of how to attack. The squad is incredible. Against Milan they were proactive. They didn't finish, but they could have won. They deserved it. We have to take the game to a place where we know we can beat them.”

He then underlined their recent pedigree in Europe, placing them at the top of the continent’s contenders, adding: “In the Champions League, the numbers speak for themselves. They've played two finals. They're one of the favorites to win and demonstrate their strength, as they have done so far.”

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AFPLong contract at Atletico, but a future with Inter remains open

On paper, there is no immediate drama. Simeone is tied to Atletico until 2027, and Inter are thriving under their current manager. No short-term change is expected. But sentiment matters and Simeone has now publicly outlined what could be his next step after closing his long chapter with the Rojiblancos. 

The Spanish side have spent big on transfers in recent years and those above Simeone believe it is time to deliver trophies, having failed to do so since 2021, with the club's president saying in the summer that they are aiming to win the Champions League. Failure to beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to another domestic title, at least, could see pressure build on the Argentine as the season wears on.

For the time being, though, he remains the undisputed leader of Atletico’s most successful era. He has coached the club for nearly 15 consecutive years, delivering league titles, Champions League finals, and a modern identity built on emotional intensity and structure. Yet after this press conference, one thing feels clearer than ever: whenever the Inter bench becomes available, Simeone already sees himself there.