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A last-minute captaincy switch, late changes to the squad, top-order exodus and doubts over Lasith Malinga’s fitness have all left Sri Lanka in disarray, heading in to their World T20 defence

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Mar-20164:27

Arnold: SL bowlers skillful, but need confidence

Big pictureAfter arriving in India, Angelo Mathews had said he hadn’t been prepared to take up the captaincy, but as a senior, he mused, “How can [he] say no?” It is a strange situation. Sri Lanka have chosen their leader for the defence of a major international trophy the same way most people would nominate a sober driver for a night out. Expectations are also suitably low. Mathews may have taken plenty of chases home safely in the past, but this time it’s believed someone slicker will pick up the trophy.If T20 is the format of helter-skelter mayhem, then Sri Lanka’s approach to the tournament has set the standard. In eight matches played against Full Member oppositions this year, Sri Lanka have lost seven, and been captained by three different men. In the 24 hours before the team departed to India, they not only got a new captain and two fresh players, but a whole new selection committee as well (fans, though, might have been more at ease if Kumar Sangakkara had been rather than made a selector). The top order has been a jumble. The bowling spearhead’s joints seem to be in full-scale revolt. And Tillakaratne Dilshan may have gone overboard with his hair dye – though, you have to admit, it will go nicely with the new team kit’s warm colour palette.The outlook, however, is not totally hopeless. If Lasith Malinga can somehow recover in time to be a force in the campaign, Sri Lanka will still have the attack that was the bedrock of their T20 wonder years. Rangana Herath makes slow-motion dives in the outfield, but, on a good day, may still set rapid collapses in motion as well. Nuwan Kulasekara has lost his big inswinger, which is a bit like Coke not making their cola. Yet he is still gleaning profit from slower balls, yorkers and the away-seamer. They also have new kid Dushmantha Chameera. He may be built like the poles he is trying to knock over, but plenty of top batsmen have found out in recent months that his bouncer doesn’t mess around.Sri Lanka will also be hoping to rediscover that big-tournament mojo that spurred so many of their campaigns between 2007 and 2014. It would be fair to say that Sri Lanka have been the most dominant World T20 side, over the tournament’s five iterations. This time, though, they are grappling with a top-order exodus and a propensity to crumble to defeat from strong positions. They will need to spring a surprise to get to the semi-finals. A tournament triumph may require a string of small miracles – the first of which would ideally be performed on Malinga’s left knee.At the helmBecause being the most accomplished batsman and opening the bowling are not big enough jobs, Angelo Mathews has been given the captaincy as well. Among Sri Lanka’s concerns though, is his recent batting form. He had hit 81 not out against New Zealand in January, but was quiet through the Asia Cup. If he can return to his best in this tournament, Sri Lanka’s middle order may become formidable again.On the strategy front, Mathews’ conservatism has played a role in matches slipping away from Sri Lanka. Perhaps this is something that can be addressed by new coach Graham Ford – in whose first tenure Sri Lanka had played dynamic, attractive cricket.Key stat4
This is the number of T20Is Sri Lanka have won since the 2014 World T20 final, losing 10 in the same period. By comparison, in the two years up to that final, Sri Lanka had won 19 T20Is and lost just eight. It has been a dramatic slide.Leading menDinesh Chandimal had lost his place in the team during the last World T20, but is among the few players stringing together good performances ahead of this tournament. He does have his critics. Chandimal is aggressive in the longer formats, but is the kind of batsman who needs a few quiet overs in the middle before the boundaries flow. As such, there were questions as to why he would open the innings in T20s, but he helped alleviate those concerns with scores of 50, 37 and 58 in the Asia Cup. His glovework is on a steady incline as well, though sadly his appeals haven’t been as watchable recently.T20 is not a format made for Rangana Herath. Arguably, cricket was not a pursuit made for him either. Yet, through sheer power of will, he has excelled at both. Last time, in Bangladesh, Herath delivered arguably the greatest T20 spell so far. Though his limited-overs hauls have not been so dramatic in the years since, he has nevertheless been effective through the middle overs. Look for bowling figures like 1 for 21, or 0 for 18, and know that “Rangana was here”.Angelo Mathews will have to juggle multiple responsibilities as Sri Lanka look to regroup•AFPBurning questionThere are many questions this team needs to answer and almost all of them are burning. Let’s pick a few out of the inferno:Can Thisara Perera come good with bat or ball? In recent months, he has often been out cheaply, before delivering expensive overs.Is Tillakaratne Dilshan too slow at the top of the order now? His wiles have certainly grown sharper as his reactions have slowed, but those breakneck starts are becoming more infrequent.Can Sachithra Senanayake be a reliable second spinner? A pre-remodeled Senanayake was instrumental to Sri Lanka’s 2014 triumph, but how will the straight arm go this time? If pitches wear towards the end of the tournament again, Sri Lanka will need him to play a big role.Can the team cover for the lack of fielding quality from the big bellied? Herath and Malinga are vital to the attack, but may get around the field quicker if they rolled around horizontally.How can Dushmantha Chameera be used effectively? He has shown himself to be a wicket-taking bowler, but occasionally Sri Lanka have looked to him to contain.World T20 historyDespite the bleak outlook this year, Sri Lanka have had a knack of getting their act together when the tournament starts. They didn’t make huge waves in the 2007 edition, but have made the semi-finals in each of the four World T20s since then, and been finalists in three of those. Unsurprisingly, the tournament’s highest scorer (Mahela Jayawardene) and highest wicket-taker (Malinga) are Sri Lankan.In their own words”We found it really hard to even compete in the Asia Cup sometimes, and that is the truth we admitted. We didn’t play good enough cricket to get to the finals. But this is a fresh tournament for us. We have learnt so many things from the Asia Cup and we will take that experience going forward.”
– Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews

Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are each getting close to Chelsea debuts after training ahead of the Blues' Newcastle clash in the Premier League.

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Nkunku & Lavia train ahead of Newcastle matchBoth still waiting for Chelsea debutBlues unbeaten in last three matchesWHAT HAPPENED?

With Chelsea team-mates involved in international games elsehwere, Nkunku and Lavia were pictured training together at Cobham on Monday evening. Following earlier reports that both are at last nearing full fitness and their respective debuts, it raises the possibility that either could feature against Newcastle.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Signed in the summer, both Nkunku, who cost £53 million ($67m), and £58m ($74m) Lavia are yet to play for Chelsea. The former, who scored 58 goals for RB Leipzig in the previous two campaigns alone, had impressed in pre-season before suffering a knee ligament injury in a friendly against Borussia Dortmund. The Blues later beat Liverpool to Lavia's signature but an ankle problem has kept him out of action.

WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

Mauricio Pochettino said prior to facing Manchester City recently: "I had a conversation with Christopher and he said to me he wanted to be involved after the international break, against Newcastle. I think he's close and he is doing really well. We are so happy with him in the way that he is doing his recovery. He is very professional. Romeo Lavia is also close."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

After a dire start to the season, Chelsea finally seem to be finding some rhythm and have only lost one of their last eight games in all competitions, winning five of them. Having pushed Manchester City all the way in a 4-4 draw last time out, they need to keep that momentum going into upcoming fixtures against Newcastle, Brighton, Manchester United, Everton and Sheffield United over the next four weeks.

After a disappointing draw against the Netherlands, questions are being asked of the coach and whether he can deliver success Down Under

Some advice to Vlatko Andonovski: now isn't the time to search your name on Twitter. Social media isn't a friendly place for the head coach of the United States women's national team right now. It's safe to say that the team's last game has brought out the coach in everyone embedded in American Soccer Twitter.

Andonovski did not have his best night during the USWNT's 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. His line-up decisions were questionable and his tactics weren't adjusted in time. When they were adjusted with the introduction of Rose Lavelle, they were never touched again. Andonovski made just that one substitution in the draw, an almost inexcusable oversight at this level.

The USWNT coach will have learned from that decision, which has been widely criticized in the days since. However, the draw with the Netherlands showed that this USWNT side is very, very beatable. It also showed that there are some tweaks to be made to limit that fact, and the defending champions' fate may very well be determined by how Andonovski handles those tweaks.

GOAL takes a look at what Andonovski can do to get the USWNT back on track, starting with their final group-stage clash against Portugal…

Please enable Javascript to view this contentGettyUnleash Rose Lavelle

If the Netherlands draw proved anything, it's that Lavelle is irreplaceable. That game can be broken down into two segments: pre-Lavelle and post-Lavelle. Before she came into the game, the USWNT midfield was helpless, totally outplayed by their Dutch counterparts. After she came on, the U.S. found some level of control and, by the end, looked like the more likely team to score.

This, though, is where Andonovski has a decision to make. The coach claimed that Lavelle was deemed fit to play for just 45 minutes against the Dutch, and it remains to be seen if that changes pre-Portugal. The most important thing is, of course, to have Lavelle as close to 100 percent as possible for the knockouts because, from what we saw against the Dutch, the U.S. won't win this tournament without her.

Lavelle needs to be on the field against Portugal one way or another. Maybe that's another 45-minute run-out, maybe it's a 60-minute start or perhaps a true return to fitness with a 90-minute effort. Whatever it is, the U.S. needs to keep building her up for the bigger challenges ahead.

AdvertisementGettySort out the No.6

For years, Andonovski has been trying to find some sort of answer at the No.6 position. The USWNT were looking for a Julie Ertz replacement for so long that the program ended up looking towards… Julie Ertz. Fresh off giving birth and after an extended time out of the game, Ertz was brought back into the fold this spring, mostly because the U.S. hadn't figured out how to play without her.

And then the World Cup started. Ertz wasn't deployed in that No.6 spot, but rather at center-back, with Andi Sullivan – who has failed to convince this cycle – starting in defensive midfield. Against the Netherlands, it didn't look great, with Sullivan at least partially at fault for the goal.

So how does the U.S. fix it? Well, Andonovski could move Ertz into midfield and bring Alana Cook in at center-back, as everyone expected he would from the start. He could turn to the bench to, say Kristie Mewis, to see if she can offer something different. Or he could mess with the midfield altogether and appease some USWNT fans by finally putting Crystal Dunn in that spot next to Lindsey Horan, with Lavelle ahead.

There could also be some kind of tweak, like having Horan sit just a bit deeper with Sullivan or Ertz while Lavelle plays higher up, inverting the midfield triangle a bit like they did in the second half against the Netherlands.

Regardless, teams have all seen the USWNT's weakness is their midfield, and some of the more technical teams in this tournament will be able to dominate in that area. The question is how the U.S. intends to counteract that, with Andonovski needing to figure out something that will allow his midfield to survive against the world's best.

GettyUse your depth!

There probably isn't a team in this tournament with as much depth as the USWNT. Even without the likes of Mallory Swanson, Becky Sauerbrunn, Catarino Macario, Sam Mewis and Tobin Heath, this team still has so much talent.

And yet, it doesn't appear that Andonovski actually trusts it. If he did, he would have turned to some of his other players against the Netherlands.

He didn't in the name of continuity, he said, as his side looked more likely to score toward the end. Fair enough, but wouldn't they have been even more likely with fresh legs? He had Megan Rapinoe, Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams and Ashley Sanchez all just sitting there – any one of them could have come on and changed that game.

Andonovski has to trust his players… all of them. He's already started the same XI twice and, given the age of some of those involved, there's a real concern that players could be burnt out by the end of this tournament. And, even if they aren't, it never hurts to use substitutes to add new wrinkles and new ideas to a game that needs opening up.

The Netherlands game was dying for that, for one player to come in and add just that little something different. Andonovski didn't see it that way, but the U.S. may not be so lucky in the latter stages if he doesn't trust his players to come into games and make a real impact.

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Getty ImagesAdd something to the attack

For years, the U.S. attack has been one that plays as less than the sum of its parts. Throughout his tenure, Andonovski just hasn't quite found a way to get a group of world-class stars on the same page. Injuries have certainly hurt, but that doesn't matter now, does it?

The U.S. attack just hasn't looked right through two games, failing to pass both the eye test or the statistical one. Just watching, the front three of Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman so rarely moved together with purpose., which is something legendary striker Carli Lloyd has pointed out on .

“I don’t think you saw that fluidity with the U.S. in the first game,” Lloyd said. “Why would you? That line-up had never played together. The first goal Sophia Smith scored was really the only moment where you saw three players — Lindsey Horan, Alex Morgan and Soph — have that movement off of one another where it was synchronized.

“Everything else was just these Hail Mary balls that were being lumped into the box. Those aren’t effective often.”

Statistically, it hasn't been great either. Rodman completed fewer than 50% of her passes against the Netherlands, routinely turning the ball over in important areas of the field. U.S. attacks were routinely halted by bad giveaways, making life a bit easier for the Dutch.

Figuring this out now is easier said than done. The good news is that the trio of Morgan, Rodman and Smith all do so many things well that they can, at times, simply overwhelm teams individually. Rodman's pace, Smith's smoothness in front of goal and Morgan's veteran guile… all valuable assets that should produce goals.

That trio will likely be the one leading the U.S. into the knockouts, and getting them on the same page will be key to any deep run.

Jason Gillespie said that if it had been up to him to choose from the candidates on England cricket director Andrew Strauss’s shortlist then he would also have picked Trevor Bayliss

Jon Culley25-May-2015Jason Gillespie took the news that he has apparently been snubbed for the vacant England head coach’s job with typically jocular sangfroid and said that if it had been up to him to choose from the candidates on England cricket director Andrew Strauss’s shortlist then he would also have picked Trevor Bayliss.He said that in his final telephone conversation with Strauss before play began on the second morning of Yorkshire’s match at Taunton he had been told only that there was a “preferred candidate” and had been given to understand that his fellow Australian Bayliss was the ECB’s choice to succeed Peter Moores.But he exonerated Strauss from any blame in what appears to have been another embarrassing leak, with news that Bayliss had accepted the job gathering pace even with no official announcement.”I knew before the news came out,” Gillespie said. “That’s one thing the ECB may need to work on because things do seem to be coming out but I spoke to Straussy early this morning and one thing I was impressed with is that Andrew was able to contact me and let me know. So I’ve absolutely no problem with that.”He fully endorsed Bayliss as the best man for the position following his successes in Australia with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers, with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and with Sri Lanka, whom he took to the 2011 World Cup final.”England wanted a coach with a proven track record, and if it is Trevor, as it appears likely, his track record’s absolutely unbelievable,” Gillespie said. “I’ve got absolutely no qualms about that. If I put myself in Andrew’s shoes, I’d probably make the same decision if I’m honest.”He is a very good operator and I’ve only heard good things about him. Farby [England’s interim head coach Paul Farbrace] speaks very highly of him from the time he worked with him in Sri Lanka so I can’t say anything negative. I wish him well.”Gillespie, the 40-year-old former Australia bowler, admitted he would have almost certainly taken the job had it been offered but found plenty of positives to balance his disappointment.”I have always seen it as a win-win from my end,” he said. “I have got two great jobs – here with Yorkshire and with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash. If I had have got offered an international job I would have had to have seriously considered it, that’s for sure. Either way, I don’t see any negatives.”My thoughts were: ‘what is the worst that can happen?’ Go and sit for an interview, which is another experience for me. I can only be better for that, I saw I had nothing to lose.”Straussy said to me, ‘You interviewed very well, but we have made a decision that we are going to go with another candidate.’ I said, that’s fine, mate. I wish you well. You’ve got to believe in your decisions and this is what your job is.”Gillespie admitted there were elements of the job as it was presented that were not ideal, but that the ECB’s refusal to readmit Kevin Pietersen to the fold was not one of them.”They made it very clear they’ve got a stance with Kev,” he said. “I didn’t have a problem with it. That certainly wasn’t any issue.”Where he might have had second thoughts was over the length of time he would have been required to stay away from his young family. “It is a massive commitment and you are away from home a lot. It would have been something I would have had to consider, but I think if I did get offered it I would have jumped at it.”

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has blamed the WICB for failing to resolve internal issues, which resulted in the tour being called off

Amol Karhadkar17-Oct-2014BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has blamed the WICB for failing to resolve internal issues, which resulted in the series being called off with an ODI, a Twenty20 and three Tests still to be played. The players, Patel said, had to be “convinced” to take the field for the Dharamsala ODI, though he still sympathised with their situation.According to Patel, he, on behalf of the BCCI, had given the WICB president Dave Cameron a deadline of Thursday, the eve of the Dharamsala ODI, to confirm that the West Indies will respect the commitment of the full series despite the dispute between WICB, West Indies Players Association and the team members. The duo met on the sidelines of the ICC Business Corporation Board meeting in Dubai over the weekend.”After I spoke with the West Indies players in Kochi, the players agreed to play but everyone knew that the dispute was still unresolved. We were hearing that someone from WICB was to meet the players in Kolkata [ahead of the fifth ODI on October 20],” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “We needed clarity and reaffirmation of their commitment about the tour, so I told Mr Cameron to confirm to us by Thursday that the series will not be interrupted.”Patel said Cameron tried to explain to him that he was “trying his best” to resolve the issue, but his hands were tied. “I told him you cannot put an international series in jeopardy due to internal issues,” Patel said. “No board should let internal issues affect international cricket, after all.”BCCI seeks legal advice

The BCCI has called an emergent working committee meeting in Hyderabad on October 21 to discuss the consequences of West Indies’ decision to pull out of the India tour after the Dharamsala ODI. The working committee will decide on whether the BCCI will take legal action against the WICB.
“We have referred the matter to our legal cell and asked them to let us know by the 21st about how we can pursue the issue legally,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “They have entered into a bilateral agreement with us, and they have abandoned the tour due to their internal issues, so we will have to seek compensation. But depending on the legal advice, the working committee will decide the future course of action.”

Instead of receiving any communication from the WICB, though, Patel got a call “very early in the morning” on Friday from a “support staff member of the Indian team”. “I was told that the West Indies players have refused to play any further part in the series. It came as a shock.”Patel then asked Anurag Thakur, the BCCI joint-secretary whose home association was to stage the Dharamsala ODI, to convince the West Indies players to take the field. He felt calling a match off on the morning of it would have been detrimental to the BCCI, the broadcasters and the fans, Patel said. “All the tickets had been sold out, so it wouldn’t have been fair to the public. Anurag managed to convince them and they agreed to play the match around noon.”Thakur confirmed that he had spoken to the players but, he said, it was not easy to convince them to play. “Despite [attempting] every bit of convincing, they were hell bent on not playing,” Thakur said. “Before the BCCI decided to prepare a formal announcement [on the status of the tour], I personally went up to the players in order to talk them into not pulling out [of the Dharamsala ODI] and fortunately succeeded in my quest.”Given the time difference, Patel said he thought he would hear from the WICB once the day started in the Caribbean. Instead, just when the match was about to start, he received an email from Richie Richardson, the West Indies team manager, that said “the team will not be in a position to continue with the series”. “You cannot call a tour off unilaterally. It is not just unprofessional but is also detrimental to the game at large,” Patel said.Patel insisted he did not blame the players, though. “Whatever is the case, the onus is on the board to not let things slip up to such lows. We are extremely disappointed with the unilateral decision.”Thakur was not as forgiving to the players. He said the BCCI should seek ICC action against them and the WICB, as well as compensation for the losses caused by the tour being called off.”First, the BCCI should file a complaint with the ICC about the behaviour of players and the West Indies board,” Thakur said. “Second, in order to have successful future tours, BCCI should not play with the Windies. Third, it should also file a claim for compensation with the WICB – the amount of revenue it is going to lose. And fourth, also the local associations, those that have spent truckloads of money to get everything in place only to have one of the teams pull out, should take necessary actions.”I do sympathise with the West Indies cricketers but this is no way to deal with a matter or to take a decision. They could have made up their mind before coming to India – they may have some valid reasons but at the same time this is not the way to behave.”

The holders weren't the only ones to underwhelm in what has been a continental campaign full of surprises

This season's edition of the Champions League may have been one of the best in recent memory, but it has certainly come with its fair share of disappointments.

Managerial casualties, players wanting out and the absence of many big names in the latter stages have all come as a result of this campaign's unpredictability, with the fall-out only continuing as the end of the season and the transfer window approach.

Including leagues, teams and much more, here are the 10 biggest disappointments of the 2018-19 Champions League season.

GettyMassimiliano Allegri

When Juventus, Champions League finalists twice in four years, completed the summer signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, it looked like they had found the missing piece of their European glory puzzle.

But Massimiliano Allegri’s defensive approach to European football ensured otherwise, with him unable to get the best out of a plethora of attacking options – including Mr Champions League himself, whose six-goal return was his worst since 2010-11.

Juventus were eliminated by Ajax in the quarter-finals – resulting in Allegri eventually losing his job – with the Bianconeri needing a more expansive coach if they are to end their 23-year wait for another European triumph.

AdvertisementGettyReal Madrid

Real Madrid’s bid for a fourth successive Champions League triumph ended in the most embarrassing fashion.

They just about kept their dignity coming out of the groups, where they lost twice to CSKA Moscow, before Sergio Ramos’ arrogance set up a last 16 exit.

His deliberate booking and suspension was felt significantly as, after VAR had rescued Los Blancos in Amsterdam, a Dusan Tadic-inspired Ajax ripped the champions to shreds in Spain.

The consequences? Madrid’s biggest ever home defeat (1-4) in the knockouts of European competition, their second managerial sacking of the season and the return of Zinedine Zidane; some impact.

GettySerie A

After Roma’s incredible semi-final run last season, just two Italian teams escaped the group stages this term – and both were eliminated in disappointing fashion.

Juventus’ quarter-final defeat to underdogs Ajax resulted in Allegri’s departure, while Roma were unable to navigate a very kind last 16 tie against Porto.

Still, both performed better than Inter and Napoli – the former failing to beat winless PSV to progress and the latter letting a firm control of Group C slip.

This season once again demonstrated the huge gulf in quality between Juve (who romped to their eighth successive Scudetto) and the rest of Serie A, as well as the league’s general low quality.

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GettyDefensive football

The shortcomings of conservative football were exposed this season, as protecting a lead in this season’s Champions League just didn’t work.

Ajax's comeback against Real Madrid, Juventus' against Atletico Madrid, Manchester United's against PSG, Tottenham's against Ajax and, of course, Liverpool's against Barcelona, made this the campaign for attacking football and nothing else.

With an average of over three goals per knockout game, the failures of more defensive coaches, such as Massimiliano Allegri and Diego Simeone, were damning.

The value of the away goal only encouraged attacking coaches more and helped produce one of the greatest Champions League seasons yet.

Goal looks at the form for each team in the knockouts for the last 10 games in all competitions…

Getty/Goal composite16. Roma | 12 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Shakhtar Donetsk

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 40/1

Roma's form has tanked in the last couple of months. They are no longer Serie A contenders and arrested a run of six winless league games only last weekend against Verona. 

Edin Dzeko might have stayed but Roma are a long way away from the team who put six past Chelsea in the group stages. 

AdvertisementGetty/Goal composite15. Chelsea | 15 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Barcelona

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 25/1

Time appears to be running out for Antonio Conte as Chelsea coach and the ties that could bring the axe down on his reign are against runaway Liga leaders Barcelona in the Champions League last 16. 

Failure to finish ahead of Roma in the group stage condemned Chelsea to a knockout tie against a top tier team. They got the worst possible outcome. 

Barca are powerful, fluent and in possession of the great Lionel Messi. Chelsea are in disarray. Consecutive three-goal defeats in the Premier League have left Conte on the brink; key players like David Luiz and Alvaro Morata are underperforming and last summer's transfer failures are haunting them at every turn. 

Getty/Goal composite14. Real Madrid | 18 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Paris Saint-Germain

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 8/1

Anything less than a third Champions League title in succession will cost Zinedine Zidane his job, the equation is that simple. Already out of La Liga's title race and the Copa del Rey, Europe is the only domain in which Real Madrid can salvage this wreck of a season.

They have made a habit of defying expectations in this competition in recent years and along the way proven themselves to be the most consistent side at this level in decades. They need to draw upon all of that experience and know-how though as they have neither collective nor individual form to fall back on.

Zidane simply can't get a tune out of his men while poor domestic form bled into their European campaign with a damaging 3-1 loss to Tottenham at Wembley. Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his regular European output though and his scoring potential could mean the difference between success and failure against PSG. 

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Getty/Goal composite=12. Shakhtar Donetsk | 19 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Roma

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 100/1

Paulo Fonseca's side have proven their mettle with wins against Manchester City and Napoli in a group stage campaign which saw them pip the Italians to a knockout berth. 

A long, inactive winter won't have helped their cause but there is enough quality – and enough of a plan – for them to edge Roma. 

Napoli star Victor Osimhen has launched a furious rant towards Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's agent, after he claimed the striker will move to Saudi Arabia.

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Kvaratskhelia's agent made claim about Osimhen futureStriker responds on InstagramSent furious messageWHAT HAPPENED?

Kvaratskhelia's agent gave an interview earlier this week in which he claimed that Osimhen "will go to Saudi Arabia next summer". The striker signed a new contract at the Serie A club in December, extending his stay until 2026 with a release clause worth around £113m ($144m), and he did not hold back in his response to Mamuka Jugeli.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT OSIMHEN SAID

Osimhen wrote on his Instagram stories: "Dear Mamuka Jugeli, you are a piece of filth and a disgrace. I'm embarrassed at your sense of reasoning. Dumbf*ck! KEEP MY NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Osimhen remains a key player for Napoli and has scored eight goals in 18 games in all competitions this season. He has been linked with a potential exit from the Serie A club, and both Arsenal and Chelsea have been credited with an interest.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR NAPOLI?

The Italian champions may need to mediate between their two star players as they prepare for a clash with Salernitana this weekend. Napoli are currently ninth in Serie A and have not won any of their last three games.

Ian Bell has risked the displeasure of England’s team director Andy Flower by joining Kevin Pietersen as the only regular England Test player to put his name forward for the auction for this season’s IPL

David Hopps29-Jan-2014Ian Bell has risked the displeasure of England’s team director Andy Flower by joining Kevin Pietersen as the only regular England Test players to put their names forward for the auction for this season’s IPL.Pietersen’s Test career is held to be in doubt with both Flower, the team director, and Alastair Cook failing to pronounce that he is a part of England’s “new era” – and the usual mutterings have been heard in some quarters about his passion for playing IPL.That can hardly be held against him, however, when Bell, often presented as a model of professionalism, has also entered the auction – at a tempting price of only $160,000.Bell, who was England’s most successful batsman against Australia last summer, clearly feels that he can get his Test game into shape without the benefit of early season Championship matches. As England’s season starts with limited-overs cricket against Sri Lanka, it is hard to fault his logic. It is also pertinent to note that he shares the same agents, Mission Sports, with Pietersen.Ian Bell has joined his Test team-mate Kevin Pietersen and put his name forward for the IPL•Getty ImagesDuring negotiations about England’s new central contracts, it was agreed in principle that the ECB would be supportive where possible of England players’ ambitions to play IPL, which legitimises the ambitions of Bell and others to play in the tournament.That has not stopped England from having meaningful discussions with their best younger players about where their responsibilities should lie. That has resulted in the absence of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler from the IPL hopefuls.Both players would have been good IPL acquisitions but Stokes is at the start of what promises to be a successful and gruelling England career in all three formats and Buttler, whose T20 talents are already known, has ambitions to prove himself in the longer format of the game with strong Championship form with Lancashire.Stuart Broad, England’s T20 captain is another absentee, while Graeme Swann’s brief mental dalliance with a season in IPL during his retirement media conference has not translated into action; his retirement now seems confirmed for good, with a media career lying in wait.Arguably the two most aggrieved players in England’s list could turn out to be Samit Patel and Alex Hales. The Nottinghamshire pair were released by their county as long as they earned a minimum of $400,000 – an attempt to measure their argument that they could not financially afford to ignore the tournament.That figure has turned out to be high and has been cut to the auction ceiling of $320,000, but that still leaves Patel, in particular, seeming overpriced. Hales, one of the leading T20 batsmen in the world, should surely sell at that level.Eleven England-qualified players are in the list, with Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright looking certain to pick up deals.England players in IPL auction: Ian Bell (Warks), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Alex Hales (Notts), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Azhar Mahmood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Eoin Morgan (Middx), Samit Patel (Notts), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Luke Wright (Sussex)

Michael Clarke and Mitchell Marsh will be hoping to prove their fitness for the first Test against Pakistan during this week’s four-day warm-up game, while David Warner will nurse his groin problem on the sidelines

Brydon Coverdale in Sharjah14-Oct-2014Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, and allrounder Mitchell Marsh will be hoping to prove their fitness for the first Test against Pakistan during this week’s four-day warm-up game, while opener David Warner will nurse his groin problem on the sidelines. Australia beat Pakistan in the T20 and all three ODIs, but that momentum has been counterbalanced by injury clouds over key players.The squad trained in Sharjah on the eve of the their practice match against Pakistan A. With only eight days before the first Test in Dubai, the warm-up game looms as an important fitness test. Most important will be how Clarke comes through the match, having not played since the one-day tour of Zimbabwe, where he injured his hamstring.Clarke has only once missed a Test through injury, in Delhi in 2013. Two days out from the Pakistan A match, he said there was still “a long way to go before I’m 100% fit for the Test match”. A day later, his confidence appeared to have risen a little, but he will still need to show the physio Alex Kountouris over the next four days that his body is up to the rigours of a Test match.Michael Clarke will test out his injured hamstring during the four-day practice game against Pakistan A•AFP”I feel a lot better now than I did after Zimbabwe when I tore my hamstring,” Clarke said. “So I’ll be playing tomorrow in the four-day practice match. I’m just trying to take every single step along the way, and listen to the experts.”As soon as I walk onto that ground, I’m a hundred miles an hour. That’s an area that probably hasn’t been great for me … since coming back from Zimbabwe, Alex has had to hold me back in regards to trying to push myself too quickly to get back on the park. If I can prove to Alex that I can do everything that he asks [I’ll be fit for the Test].”I’ll play the way I’ve played over the past 12 years. If the ball is there to chase to the boundary, I’ll be sprinting after it. If I’ve got to run between the wickets as quick as I can, then that’s what I’ll be doing. That’s why I think it’s really important I take his [Kountouris] advice and guidance.”There were questions over whether Clarke came back into the side too soon in Zimbabwe after injuring his hamstring at the first training session of the trip. He came back for a game against Zimbabwe but was forced to retire hurt, and the Australians have been extra careful to avoid any such repeats in the UAE, where he has sat out of all three ODIs.While Clarke is Australia’s most important batsman, Marsh could be critical to the team’s team balance. He had appeared a certainty to make his Test debut in Dubai as a like-for-like swap for the injured Shane Watson, until he hurt his hamstring during the Champions League T20.Marsh bowled in the nets, but mostly worked of a shortened run-up and will not bowl in the first innings of the tour game. The match against Pakistan A is not a first-class encounter, so the Australians are free to use all members of their Test squad at different times during the match.”Mitch definitely won’t bowl in the first innings,” Clarke said. “Hopefully he can bowl in the second innings. His progress is slow and steady, but he was bowling in the nets today so that’s a real positive sign for us. The other side is I think his workloads are very good. He’s played a lot of cricket for this time of year. He’s played a lot of the Australia A stuff and got a lot of cricket under his belt.”I think as long as he’s fit to bowl, I don’t think he necessarily needs to go and bowl 10 or 15 overs to prove that he’s fit enough to do that. That’ll be dictated by Alex and the doctor and we’ll try and make the most of his batting in the first innings and then in the second innings, hopefully he’ll have an opportunity to bowl.”If Marsh plays in the Tests, his bowling will be important as he will offer an extra seam option in the UAE heat, which in turn would allow the frontline fast men like Mitchell Johnson to work in shorter and sharper spells. The make-up of Australia’s bowling line-up might not be apparent until shortly before the Dubai Test, with the potential for two spinners, or even a third if allrounder Glenn Maxwell is picked.Maxwell was among a group of Australia’s ODI players who did not train ahead of the practice game, while Warner was also not present. Warner suffered a groin strain during the third ODI in Abu Dhabi and will not play in Sharjah, although a Cricket Australia spokesperson said he was to be rested from the warm-up game in any case.On Monday, Warner said on Sydney radio that he was confident of being fit for the Test and a similar groin injury he had suffered in the past had taken only a week to heal. His absence from the tour game will provide another opportunity for the batsmen Phillip Hughes and Alex Doolan, who appear to be competing for the No.3 position for the first Test.As the incumbent from the tour of South Africa earlier this year, Doolan seems the most likely candidate to play in Dubai, but should Hughes score heavily in the tour game he might come into contention. Left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe will be another player to watch against Pakistan A as he auditions for a possible debut, alongside Nathan Lyon.