The club versus country row between Barcelona and Spain has escalated after Luis de la Fuente called up Lamine Yamal for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The Spain boss fired back at Hansi Flick's complaints about player welfare, expressing surprise at the Barca manager's comments and defending his decision to include the teenager.

De la Fuente vs Flick continues

The Spain manager has hit back at Flick’s criticism over the handling of Yamal after naming the teenager in his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria. During a press conference, De la Fuente expressed his surprise at the Barcelona manager's complaints, escalating the club-versus-country row over the 18-year-old's fitness.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDe la Fuente 'surprised' by Flick's criticism

The conflict ignited last month when Flick accused the Spanish setup of mismanaging Yamal, but De la Fuente has now fired back directly. When questioned about the Barca boss’s comments, he responded: "I was simply surprised by those statements because he was a national team coach, and I believed he had that empathy." 

He doubled down on his stance, adding: "Likewise, I say that he was a coach and knows how we players behave. That's what surprises me, that a former coach would have that opinion." 

De la Fuente attempted to steer the focus away from the dispute, stating, "We're playing for the World Cup, that's what's really important. The rest isn't important."

The background to the Barcelona vs Spain row

Flick’s anger stemmed from the previous international break in September, where Yamal aggravated a groin injury after reportedly being given painkillers to play for Spain against Bulgaria and Turkey. The Barcelona manager was left seething, as the injury subsequently ruled the winger out of four key club matches. "He went with the national team in pain and did not train. They gave him painkillers to play," Flick said last month. "He played 73 minutes and 79, and between matches he couldn't train. That is not taking care of the player. I am very sad about this.”

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Yamal's workload and current status

Despite reports that Barcelona intended to block the call-up, Yamal has been included in the 26-man squad. The situation is being monitored closely, with De la Fuente confirming the federation is in contact with the club. "We talk to all the players; we know how they're doing firsthand," he said. "We'll see how Lamine develops this weekend and see how much participation he has." The winger's workload has come under wider scrutiny, with a recent FIFPRO report highlighting the "alarming" number of minutes he has played at such a young age.

Despite picking up both the FA Cup and Community Shield in quick succession, Oliver Glasner might well feel somewhat defeated from the Crystal Palace dug-out currently.

All of that recent success wasn’t enough to keep Eberechi Eze at Selhurst Park, who is now a £67.5m superstar at Arsenal, with Marc Guehi’s exit from East London also still looking to be on the cards as we head nearer to transfer deadline day.

With the clock ticking ever closer to September’s abrupt cut-off, the Austrian will be praying some positive additions come into the building, as a new midfield target now appears on their radar.

Crystal Palace lodge enquiry for £40k-p/w star

Away from all the talk about departures, it has been a rather subdued window to date at the Eagles.

Indeed, only Borna Sosa has actually cost Palace a fee this summer, and with the Selhurst Park bank account rising courtesy of Eze’s dramatic move to the Gunners, there will be hope that a major move or two is in the offing.

Of course, the main name taking up a large chunk of Palace transfer discussion at the moment is Conor Gallagher, with it being speculated that the ex-Chelsea midfielder could return to the Eagles shortly, having once experienced a formative loan stint at the club.

This would get the fanbase on side after Eze’s exit, considering Gallagher is known to have an eye for a goal and assist. He might well be joined by another creative asset in the middle of the park, too, in the form of RB Leipzig star Christoph Baumgartner.

Sky Sports Germany is reporting that Palace have lodged an enquiry for the £40k-per-week midfielder, as Glasner and Co. keep their options wide open to try and replace the star quality that has left East London behind.

Whilst the report does further elaborate that Glasner’s fellow Austrian compatriot isn’t pushing to leave Leipzig, the pull of the Premier League could well prove to be a tempting one, particularly if he is given the freedom to strut his stuff, alongside a potential teammate in Gallagher.

Why Baumgartner could shine with Gallagher

After all, Baumgartner has shown he has a moment of quality like this up his sleeve for his nation regularly, with a stunning 19 goals amassed from 51 caps for Austria.

His well-known reputation for delivering the goods for his country even saw his national team boss in Ralf Rangnick, declare that he is a “difference-maker”, with the number ten spot looking a lot less depleted if the exciting 26-year-old were to walk away from Leipzig for a shot at Premier League glory with the Eagles.

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33

7 + 7

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29

7 + 1

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31

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26

7 + 4

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It will all rest on whether the Leipzig number 14 can show off his Bundesliga best consistently under Glasner’s wing in England – with a mightily impressive 54 goal contributions under his belt playing in Germany – but that transition could be made to feel a lot easier if he has the experience of Gallagher by his side.

Much like Baumgartner, the 25-year-old has garnered a reputation for being a lively presence centrally, as seen in him collecting eight goals and five assists during his first stint at Palace, but he is also well-equipped to sit back and be an anchor for his team, which will gift the 51-time Austria international the immediate freedom to express himself.

Away from collecting five goals and seven assists during his final Premier League season with Chelsea, Gallagher also stood out as a relentless livewire willing to get stuck in, with a hefty six ball recoveries averaged per clash, on top of also averaging a high 5.7 duels won.

Baumgartner has also displayed similar levels of vigour plying his trade in Germany, with 4.9 duels won on average for Hoffenheim during his breakout 2019/20 campaign.

The pair working alongside each other in the Palace midfield really could end up being a match made in heaven, with Glasner’s side hopefully looking revitalised with these new additions arriving through the door, even with Eze nowhere to be found.

Crystal Palace want to complete £40m double deal to replace Eberechi Eze

The Eagles are ready to plough their summer budget into attacking reinforcements.

1 BySean Markus Clifford Aug 25, 2025

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are hurting after losing five games in a row for the first time in an IPL season, but they are “not putting the white flag up” just yet. That was batting coach Mike Hussey’s reaction soon after CSK were blown away by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2025 match at Chepauk on Friday.”Well, this one hurts a lot. I mean, it really does,” Hussey said at his post-match press conference. “The players are hurting, and the support staff are hurting. And, as I said earlier, the fans, I’m sure, are hurting with this one as well. This is a time where you really find out who are your true supporters.”We’re certainly not putting the white flag up just yet. You only have to get in to scrape into that fourth [and final playoffs] place. And in a big, long tournament like the IPL, it is about momentum. Now, certainly the momentum is not with us at the moment whatsoever. We haven’t been playing good cricket consistently. We definitely acknowledge that, put our hands up, and say that is a fact at the moment. But that’s not to say things can’t turn around and can’t turn around quickly.”Related

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• CSK's lowest totals: where does the collapse against KKR rank?

Before Friday, CSK had never lost three successive games in Chennai in an IPL season, but Hussey has backed their leaders to navigate the team through the unfamiliar terrain.”I just know Stephen Fleming, obviously, he is a great coach,” Hussey said. “And MS Dhoni… he’s been a great captain for a long time as well. Ruturaj [Gaikwad] is still going to be around the team. I think they’ll really try and bring this team as tight and as close together.”They will make sure there’s no fractures, make sure we’re still sticking tight because I’m sure we’re going to cop plenty of criticism from the outside and, look, we deserve it. We haven’t performed as well as we would have liked so far in the tournament. But from an inside, internal side of things, we’ve got to stick really tight.”CSK have cycled through 18 players this season, including all their overseas players, but are still searching for a winning combination. On Friday, they hit a new low by struggling to 103 for 9 in 20 overs, their lowest IPL total at Chepauk. Even before KKR began their chase, parts of the stadium began to empty out. Hussey hoped CSK would be able to change the mood of the fans and give them some joy.”The fans we have for the Chennai Super Kings have been absolutely phenomenal ever since day one, really,” Hussey said. “We hope they continue to keep turning out and supporting us. And I know the guys will be really hurting from this and will want to turn it around for the fans as much as for the dressing room and for each other as well, but more for the fans. Because they have stuck tight with us for a lot of the good times. And we hope they stick with us now when things haven’t quite gone to plan just yet.””The guys will be really hurting from this and will want to turn it around for the fans as much as for the dressing room and for each other”•Associated Press

Hussey disagreed with the suggestion that some of CSK’s Indian players were past their prime, and hoped to bring the best out of them in the upcoming games. He pointed out that a number of players had previously enjoyed late-career T20 revivals at CSK.”I don’t agree with that,” he said. “You know, we’ve had players in the twilight of their career come and play at CSK in the past. I think of Shane Watson. I think of Ajinkya Rahane. And they’ve performed really well for CSK. So I still think that the players that we’ve got still have some good cricket in front of them and can still offer us a lot. So, I don’t necessarily agree that, you know, they’re beyond their best. I still think we can find their best and see some great performances from them.”Despite considerably low output from Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda, CSK have preferred them over IPL rookies such as Delhi’s Vansh Bedi and Tamil Nadu’s C Andre Siddarth. While Hussey acknowledged that CSK had some talented youngsters on the bench, he said the team management wouldn’t fast-track them into the team until they were ready for the challenge.”With regards to blooding youngsters, we want to pick guys when they’re ready to perform as well,” Hussey said. “We’ve got some very good players that are waiting for their chance. No question about that. But sometimes I think when teams give up the ghost and think, ‘oh well, we can’t win the tournament anymore; well, we’ll just try the youngsters now’. We’re still here to try and progress in the tournament as far as we can.”

Attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic departed the club late in the season, but the front office has restructured on the fly

Colorado Rapids did not want to let Djordje Mihailovic leave. After all, he was their star player, the center of the franchise. A creative No.10 with a true eye for goal, he was the spark, the guy that made things tick. 

But he walked into Team President Padraig Smith's office all the same, and made it clear: he wanted out. Smith didn't want to sell him, of course. And there were conversations, he said. But Mihailovic's mind was made up. Their main man was out the door. That was early August, and it left the Rapids in a difficult situation. The guy who was supposed to lead a postseason charge had one foot out of the door – effectively waiting for the Rapids to execute the right deal to move him on. And even in those circumstances, Smith was eager to come to an agreement that would keep him there until at least the end of the campaign.

"We felt it was going to be in his best interest and our best interest at the time that he did stay, and at least saw out the season," Smith told GOAL. "But he had made his mind up."

There were fewer than three weeks left in the transfer window. They did not necessarily plan to have to buy a attacking fulcrum. Meanwhile, they were in the thick of a playoff hunt, picking up pieces here and there, but confronting the fact that they might have to navigate the final few weeks of the season without the guy they rely on the most. 

Fast forward to now, and the results are a little inconsistent. But the outlook is far sunnier in Commerce City – a Denver suburb where the Rapids call home. Mihailovic is gone. But they continue to focus on USMNT talent as the core of the team, with a shiny new franchise player in Paxten Aaronson, and the pieces of a plan that might just come together in time. What might have been a disaster has instead pivoted. The Rapids aren't perfect – they might not even make the playoffs – but they have reacted wonderfully to what, for most teams, would be a season-ruining scenario with an eye to building a strong future for the club. 

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  'Getting the best return you can'

  This is not, it must be emphasized, the perfect scenario. Squad building tends to take time, pieces layered into place to form a cohesive unit. When Smith peered over the team he had assembled for head coach Chris Armas at the start of the 2025 season, he did not foresee it potentially operating without his best player. 

  But sometimes, Smith emphasized, you simply have to react.

  "At that point in time, from our perspective, you're focused on two things. You're focused on getting the best return you can from him in the transfer. And then secondly, make sure that you're replacing him with players that are going to help the team get better. Ultimately, we achieved on both of those fronts," he said.

  There were a few options out there for Mihailovic, scattered talk of MLS clubs interested here and there. Eventually, Toronto was the right fit, agreed by the club and player. But perhaps the biggest appeal? The up to $9 million of his sale to the Canadian club represented a club record fee for the Rapids – something that would come to be significant going forward. 

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  'A player that we felt was better'

  And it wasn't like they were short of options. This is modern football, of course. Clubs have to have targets here and there, players in mind. MLS scouting goes far beyond laptops and football manager. And the Rapids were no different. Their network was ready to react immediately, Smith said. 

  "I'll give real credit to our our kind of front office, our scouting team, and the guys there, you know, to make sure that we had targets that were lined up to replace [Mihailovic] in that situation, and that we were able to go down a number of different paths concurrently and ultimately identify a player that we felt was better," Smith said. 

  The man they settled on was Paxten Aaronson. He was in something of a state of flux in his career. A star season on loan at Utrecht would figure to have him in the mix at Frankfurt, his parent club. But his pathway into the first team was blocked by Mario Gotze. 

  "I just couldn't do 15-20 minutes a game because, as a person, for my headspace, it wouldn't have been good for another year," he told GOAL. 

  So, he started exploring options. Other clubs in Europe were interested, compelling options that many other players might have chosen. But Aaronson had something of an MLS connection already. A product of the Philadelphia Union academy, there were reasons for him to come back to America. His family still lives here. Europe was kind to him, but there was something to be said for a homecoming.

  "Coming back to MLS, it's something I'm familiar with," he said. "I'll have friends and family close by. I haven't been anywhere where I could really establish a home or a lifestyle. I've been on the road every year for the three and a half years I was in Europe."

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  'The option of coming back is appealing'

  There was also, Smith explained, the appeal of the model Colorado had built. A look over the roster shows a mixture of foreign and domestic talent. But the Rapids, in particular, have made a conscious effort to find value in American players coming back from Europe. Starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen – someone Smith hails as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league – is perhaps the perfect example. He played at four European clubs, including Manchester City, with varying degrees of success, before returning to play for Colorado in 2024. The same goes for Mihailovic, as well as former USMNTer Reggie Cannon. 

  "We think there's just a wealth of talent that's going over to Europe from the U.S. and Canada at the moment. But we're also acutely aware that as MLS continues to grow and as this league continues to improve, the option of coming back is one that's more and more appealing to some of these young players," Smith said. 

  They're not alone in this sense. Transfers are far more back-and-forth over the Atlantic than they used to be. But Aaronson is the perfect case study as to how it might all work. It was, in the end, part of the pitch to the player. After all, it had worked before.

  "Steffen and Mihailovic mentioned it when we brought them in… They kind of ran each other and asked, Hey, are you going to Colorado? I'm thinking about it. And then it snowballs. It's a wonderful thing," Smith said. 

  Smith sees it as an ideal way to continue to attract talent.

  "There are other players as well that have had maybe the opportunity to go to Europe; we were able to show them that there's a real pathway here to an incredible career for each of them, both on and off the field, by staying here in MLS and ultimately staying here in Colorado. And I think it's going to be a big part of our strategy going forward," he said.

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  Adding center back help

  As the story goes, Rob Holding really liked country singer Zach Bryan. 

  The former Arsenal defender had fallen out of favor at Crystal Palace. New manager Oliver Glasner had made it clear that the one-time England youth international was not part of his plans. Holding was looking for a new home. The Rapids had checked in a few years before, hoping to use their affiliation with as a way to attract Holding to the States (both franchises are principally owned by the Kroenke family). At the time, he said no, hoping to fight for his place in the Premier League (still in his mid-20s, it made sense).

  But this summer, when they checked in again, the center back was far more eager. He loved country music. He had been to the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater for concerts. Somehow, there was a bit of Colorado in this bruising defender from Greater Manchester. 

  "He had a really strong desire to come to the U.S. and to play in MLS," Smith said. "He was 29 when we signed him, a player with still plenty of time left and plenty of good career left. It was just a really interesting opportunity for us to bring someone like that in, a leader who's played in FA Cup final-winning teams, played in really talented Arsenal groups at the very highest level." 

  And so they added Holding, a fine defender turned country boy primed to perform at this level. 

He breached Article 2.2, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2025Gujarat Titans (GT) bowler Ishant Sharma has been fined 25% of his match fees and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday.A statement from the IPL said that Ishant breached Article 2.2, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match”. It was a Level 1 offence, for which Ishant admitted to and accepted match referee Javagal Srinath’s sanction.Ishant was taken for 53 runs in four wicketless overs against SRH in Hyderabad. He was subbed out 13 overs into GT’s innings and was replaced by Sherfane Rutherford.Ishant has had an expensive IPL so far. He has conceded 107 runs across eight overs in three games, and has taken just one wicket.GT’s win against SRH was their third in four games, taking them to No. 2 on the points table. It was their third victory in a row after they started the season with a defeat against Punjab Kings.

يخوض فريق ريال مدريد مباراة قوية ضد خصمه فريق يوفنتوس، مساء يوم الثلاثاء، في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا موسم 2025/26.

ويلتقي ريال مدريد الإسباني مع يوفنتوس الإيطالي في خضم لقاءات الجولة الثالثة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري، وذلك على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

ويسعى ريال مدريد إلى مواصلة نتائجه المميزة في النسخة الحالية من دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث يمتلك 6 نقاط من مباراتين، بعدما فاز على مارسيليا وكيرات.

وتُعد تلك المباراة البروفة الأخيرة لـ ريال مدريد قبل لقاء الكلاسيكو ضد برشلونة، يوم الأحد المقبل، في معقل الملكي في الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإسباني.

(محدث) تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام يوفنتوس اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: فيدي فالفيردي، ميليتاو، راؤول أسينسيو، ألفارو كاريراس.

خط الوسط: تشواميني، كامافينجا.

خط الوسط الهجومي: ماستانتونو، أردا جولر، فينيسيوس جونيور.

خط الهجوم: كيليان مبابي. 

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Arsenal managed to offload out-of-favour midfielder Fabio Vieira by the skin of their teeth at the end of the summer transfer window.

The Portuguese was once tipped for a big future by manager Mikel Arteta, after former sporting director Edu orchestrated a £34 million deal to sign Vieira from FC Porto in 2022.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

However, while the 25-year-old came to north London with plenty of promise, things didn’t quite go to plan.

Vieira failed to play his way into Arteta’s plans, making 19 of his 22 Premier League appearances off the bench during his debut campaign, even if he did impress at times with a goal and two assists in eight Europa League starts that year.

His game time was even more limited in 2023/2024, thanks partly to groin surgery. Vieira started just two top flight matches all season, and it soon became apparent that the playmaker wasn’t at Arsenal’s required level for their quest to become English champions.

Vieira was sent back on loan to Porto in 2024/2025, where he managed to impress in parts with eight goal contributions in 26 league appearances.

However, it was nowhere near the kind of form which originally prompted Arsenal to splash the cash on him, with the player’s best season to date still that exceptional 21/22 season in the Primeira Liga.

Vieira racked up six goals and 14 assists in the top flight alone that year, and he’s now been given another chance to rediscover that level of quality on another loan spell at newly-promoted Hamburg in the Bundesliga.

In a last-minute summer deal, Arsenal managed to agree a loan exit with Hamburg for Vieira, and the versatile creative ace once very similar to club captain Martin Odegaard is now in danger of becoming a real waste of club funds.

Vieira’s Arsenal contract expires in 2027, but luckily for the Gunners, sporting director Andrea Berta made sure there was a way to make some money back off him in 2026.

Arsenal could be set for record-breaking Fabio Vieira windfall after news

According to German news outlet BILD, Hamburg’s deal for Vieira includes an option to buy worth £17 million, and if activated, it would break a record.

Indeed, Vieira could become Hamburg’s most expensive signing in history, but the caveat is that Merlin Polzin’s side might not have to pay their £346,000 loan fee if he becomes a regular starter for them.

In any case, Arsenal could still recuperate half of the transfer fee they paid for Vieira, but it depends on Hamburg making a big decision. The deadline for Polzin and co to take up his £17 million buy option is the middle of May in 2026, right after the end of the Bundesliga season, and Arsenal will be hoping he can impress in the meantime.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Jorge Sampaoli se deparou com mais dores de cabeça para definir o Flamengo que encarará o América-MG. No encerramento da preparação para o confronto deste sábado (22), às 16h, no Maracanã, o comandante teve a confirmação de que não poderá contar com Erick Pulgar.

RelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo tem novo desdobramento em sua negociação com Wendel; atleta vai à Rússia para tentar acordo com ZenitFlamengo21/07/2023FlamengoPela segunda vez, Flamengo é multado pela Conmebol na Copa LibertadoresFlamengo21/07/2023FlamengoFlamengo vê De La Cruz mais distante e entra em cena por Wendel; entenda atuação no mercadoFlamengo21/07/2023

O volante, que sentiu dores no aquecimento do confronto com o Athletico-PR, pela Copa do Brasil, teve constatada uma grave lesão no bíceps femoral da coxa direita. Com isso, precisará de duas a três semanas para se recuperar e a expectativa é de que retorne apenas para disputar a Copa Libertadores.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Mengão!

+ Flamengo vê De La Cruz mais distante e entra em cena por Wendel; entenda a situação no mercado

Além do chileno, Thiago Maia cumpre suspensão por cartão amarelo. Allan, Victor Hugo e Gerson são os únicos volantes para suprir o lugar vago no meio-campo do time, mas apenas Gerson atua mais avançado. Outro jogador que não atuará é Luiz Araújo, que foi expulso no clássico diante do Fluminense.

O técnico manteve mistério e treinou diferentes formações. Sampaoli teve à sua disposição Pedro e Bruno Henrique, que se recuperaram, e Matheuzinho tem chance de ser relacionado. Fabrício Bruno e David Luiz também participaram bem dos treinos. O Rubro-Negro se reapresentará no sábado (22), onde se concentrará e fará a preleção antes do jogo.

O Flamengo deve ir a campo com: Matheus Cunha, Wesley, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira e Ayrton Lucas; Allan, Victor Hugo, Gerson, Everton Ribeiro e Arrascaeta; Gabigol.

Jaffer said that CSK shut shop too quickly if Shivam Dube falls in chases

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20252:46

Jaffer: ‘If top order doesn’t fire, CSK shut shop early’

Wasim Jaffer believes Chennai Super Kings (CSK) look “rattled” in IPL 2025, adding that their batting order doesn’t even “look like they’re trying” once Shivam Dube gets out. Mark Boucher, meanwhile, feels things are not “happening the way it used to before” for the side. In the 184-run chase against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Chepauk, CSK’s batters once again misfired as they suffered their third consecutive loss of the season.”They’re losing too many wickets upfront,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “Whether it’s form or poor shot selection, whether it’s selection alone, and maybe throwing around too many players and those players might be feeling like, ‘I don’t know if I’m in or out’, and that could be something we’re not used to when looking at a Chennai team. Usually, they’re stable, a good decision-making team and franchise. The team is like they’re a bit rattled at the moment.”With captain Ruturaj Gaikwad dropping himself to No. 3, CSK opened with Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi in the first three games. But with Tripathi making a total of just 30 runs, he was replaced by Devon Conway. The move did not pay off against DC, with the top-three batters falling inside the powerplay, which brought in Shivam Dube while they needed 143 runs at an asking rate close to ten runs an over. But after Dube fell for 18 in the tenth over, CSK found it hard to get going.Related

Rayudu: 'CSK will come back strong once they get their combination and personnel right'

KL Rahul: 'Back to enjoying my cricket, not thinking about taking it deep'

Worried Fleming says CSK are still 'grappling' to find their best line-up

KL Rahul shines as DC outclass CSK in Chennai

Stats – CSK go six years without chasing a 180-plus target

“If their top order doesn’t fire and Dube gets out, it looks like they shut shop very quickly,” Jaffer said. “They feel really, really behind the game and it doesn’t even look like they’re trying. That approach has been the most surprising to me; it’s twice in two games, where they shut shop too early. That’s a major concern for CSK.”Dube’s dismissal was followed by an 84-run stand between MS Dhoni and Vijay Shankar, but they didn’t look like they would get close to chasing down the target. They were risk-averse, scoring just three fours and a six between overs ten and 18.This was CSK’s second faltered chase at home. They suffered a 50-run loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), where they were reduced to 26 for 3 in the fifth over after conceding 196 for 7. They also failed to chase 183 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati, falling six runs short after batting out 20 overs.They have also used 17 players this season – more than they did in the entirety of the 2015 (14) and 2021 (16) IPL editions.”Their top order is really struggling,” Boucher said. “And we talk about your lower order which has been historically very strong and finishing off games, the [Ravindra] Jadejas, the Dhonis – the Dhoni little cameos that they usually have – they’re walking in just after ten overs. So, there’s a lot left to do from just a batsmanship perspective, and that’s where they’re getting it wrong.””The players that they had picked in the auction before – they picked Ajinkya Rahane, Robin Uthappa, [Ambati] Rayudu who are way past their prime – and they came and performed,” Jaffer said. “But that is not happening with this CSK: they picked Tripathi, they picked Deepak Hooda, and even Vijay Shankar. But things are not happening the way it used to.”

Crystal Palace’s transfer business has not finished despite the closure of the summer transfer window, with a talented star set to sign on the dotted line at Selhurst Park in the coming hours.

Crystal Palace move on from late window fallout

Without a doubt, Marc Guehi’s proposed move to Liverpool breaking down was one of the stories of Deadline Day and his saga will undoubtedly rumble on over months to come. Despite looking poised to complete a transfer to Anfield, Eagles supporters were left delighted that their captain will now stay for the forthcoming season after their side failed to secure a replacement.

England boss Thomas Tuchel opted to address the matter publicly during the current international break, complementing Guehi’s “brilliant” attitude after a hectic week for the defender on a personal level.

He explained via BBC Sport: “Of course we had a chat with him. He looks absolutely fine and impressive on the field. He has had a good couple of weeks behind him on the performance side.

“He has continued like that in camp and he handles it (the broken down move to Liverpool) with respect and with a brilliant attitude.”

Related Crystal Palace made club-record £37m bid for "commanding" Guehi replacement

The Eagles made a huge offer for a centre-back, but they were unsuccessful in their approach.

Posts ByDominic Lund Sep 3, 2025

In bizarre fashion, Crystal Palace saw a move for Brighton & Hove Albion star Igor Julio collapse as he ended the window at West Ham United.

Creating a chain of events, the Eagles now want to sign Axel Disasi from Chelsea in January, something that again could come with complications due to the nature of players swapping clubs within a similar proximity.

Nevertheless, Crystal Palace are now on the verge of signing a talent from one of their Premier League rivals and he could be announced imminently.

Dan Casey set for Crystal Palace medical

Taking to social media platform X, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Crystal Palace have agreed a compensation package with Arsenal to sign talented youngster Dan Casey, even if the window is officially closed.

Given he is technically a free agent after leaving North London in the summer, the 19-year-old midfielder, who is eligible for England, Italy, or the Republic of Ireland, can move at his own pace and is set for a medical in the next 24 hours.

Last term, Casey registered 20 goals and two assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, most frequently featuring in the ten role, but also as a central striker and out wide.

Oliver Glasner has an exciting blend of youth and experience to choose from at Crystal Palace, and the London-born man may well be a candidate for first-team football further down the line.