Cole Palmer is set to miss the next six weeks for Chelsea with head coach Enzo Maresca warning that the club’s medical staff are “not magicians”.

The 23-year-old has been struggling with a groin injury for much of the season and has not played since being taken off 20 minutes into the 2-1 defeat by Manchester United on September 20.

Maresca shares Chelsea injury blow on Palmer

Prior to the international break Maresca said he had hoped to have Palmer back for Saturday’s game at Nottingham Forest but, when asked about the progress of the injury, he admitted:

The injury, which first presented when he was forced to withdraw from the line-up minutes before kick-off in the 5-1 win over West Ham in August, will not require surgery.

“He looks relaxed,” said Maresca. “He’s doing all the therapy that he needs to do. He looks good.”

Caicedo, Fernandez and Neto also Chelsea injury concerns

There was mixed injury news elsewhere in the squad with Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto, who featured against Liverpool, all doubts for the trip to the City Ground.

However Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana are set to return to ease Maresca’s selection issues in defence while Andrey Santos is also back.

Everton battled well at Anfield on Saturday, but – unfortunately – the unbelievable quality of Arne Slot’s Reds in attacking positions would be the Toffees’ undoing in the Merseyside Derby.

Hugo Ekitike – who cost a bumper £79m to sign – would gift his new Premier League employers a two-goal cushion in the first half with a calm finish under pressure, with Ryan Gravenberch also opening the scoring in style with a first-time finish that beat the usually formidable Jordan Pickford.

Idrissa Gueye would try to get David Moyes’ men back into the contest with a late long-range effort, but the damage had already been done at a rain-soaked Anfield.

Iliman Ndiaye would set up the 35-year-old for that consolation strike, with the former Marseille attacker standing out once more, even if his Toffees side were largely second best in the overall clash.

Why Ndiaye is so important to Everton

Indeed, while the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto faded into the background versus the Reds, Ndiaye was a vibrant livewire throughout for Moyes’ underdogs.

Staggeringly, away from assisting Gueye’s second-half effort, the gung-ho 25-year-old would also come away from his 86 minutes on the pitch with a mighty 14 ground duels won, on top of a blistering nine successful dribbles being completed that constantly kept the hosts on their toes.

Unfortunately, despite his constant willingness to get stuck in and be involved, Ndiaye would fail to join Gueye in catching Alisson out, despite having two Premier League strikes next to his name heading into the fierce contest.

With 13 strikes now in total for the Toffees, it’s clear that the 25-year-old was the original trickster down the flanks, before Jack Grealish’s emergence onto the scene.

Yet, Grealish and Ndiaye might not be the only slick wingers Moyes has at his disposal shortly, with a homegrown version of the Senegal international amazingly being brewed in the U21 picture.

Everton's homegrown Ndiaye

Ndiaye will know all too well the trials and tribulations of the men’s game, having once been a rising youngster at Boreham Wood, before embarking on a formative adventure at Sheffield United that eventually led him to Everton.

Justin Clarke will hope he can make similar waves in the first team in the near future, having also been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, considering he made his senior debut for ex-employers AFC Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.

That record-breaking debut for the Dons would clearly catch Everton’s eye, leading to Clarke swapping South West London for the daunting environment of Merseyside last year, with the early signs pointing in the direction that the teenage sensation could be Ndiaye 2.0 if everything goes to plan.

The U21s breakout star has now even penned a senior deal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Clarke also already powering home 14 strikes for both the U18s and U21s from just 25 appearances, which is one more effort than Ndiaye has managed to put away in the men’s ranks.

RW

9

4 + 2

LW

7

3 + 0

CF

3

6 + 0

LM

1

0

The similarities don’t end here between the hotly tipped Englishman and his Senegalese counterpart, however, with Clarke also showing off an adaptability that Ndiaye is well-known for when looking at the table above.

Amazingly, from just three career appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, Clarke has a lethal six goals next to his name. Ndiaye isn’t quite at the same level of clinical finishing himself, but he does have 22 goal contributions to shout about from 42 career appearances up top.

But, while he does have this versatile edge up his sleeve, Clarke is also well-equipped to cause full-backs problems with mazey darts forward, much like the ex-Blades attacker, with one surge into the area in Premier League 2 action recently seeing him tee up fellow starlet Braiden Graham for a goal.

Once branded as a “fantastic” talent for the future by former Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, it will be intriguing to see if Clarke can reach Ndiaye’s insane heights down the line, knowing that he is in the same esteemed academy set-up that one produced the likes of Wayne Rooney.

As bad as Beto: Moyes must finally ditch 6/10 Everton man after Anfield

David Moyes must now ponder whether this Everton star is worth keeping in the starting XI.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 20, 2025

With Ibrahima Konate’s contract yet to be resolved, Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on signing a Premier League star to replace the towering Frenchman.

Update on Liverpool's centre-back search

In less than nine months, Konate will become a free agent and follow in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s footsteps by leaving Anfield without a transfer fee. It will be yet another frustrating blow for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, who should be desperate to keep hold of their central defender for years to come.

Whilst talks are ongoing about a new deal, the Reds are already planning for the worst and have reportedly identified a number of defenders who could arrive to replace Konate.

Top of that list is likely to be Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace star came within hours of becoming a Liverpool player on deadline day before the Eagles pulled the plug amid their failure to land a replacement.

When next summer arrives, however, those at Selhurst Park will be powerless to stand in the way of the defender’s departure, with his contract set to come to an end.

Related Liverpool recruitment team eyeing Arteta-esque centre-back full-back hybrid

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That should allow Liverpool to land a bargain deal, but it’s unlikely to be that simple. This time around, they’ll reportedly have competition from around the Premier League and familiar foes Real Madrid, which may force those at Anfield to expand their search.

The same can be said for Dayot Upamecano. Another centre-back who’s set to become a free agent if nothing changes before next summer, both Liverpool and Madrid are reportedly interested in securing his signature in a bargain deal from Bayern Munich.

Competing with Madrid in the transfer market rarely goes well for any club and Liverpool could be left with no choice but to look at another Premier League rival to replace Konate.

Liverpool now targeting Sven Botman

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are now targeting Sven Botman among others as they look to add a centre-back to their ranks next summer. The Newcastle United defender has often impressed during his time at St James’ Park and has found himself on the Reds’ radar as a result.

Convincing the Magpies to sell is unlikely to be an easy task, however, following the Alexander Isak saga in the summer. Eventually, Liverpool got their man and it’s easy to see a world in which Newcastle are still hurt by that lengthy ordeal.

There should also be concerns about Botman’s injury history. As impressive as the Dutchman is, the last thing that Liverpool need is another injury-prone defender alongside the likes of Joe Gomez.

Botman’s knee history

Days missed

Season

Knee problems

48

24/25

Broken kneecap

30

24/25

Cruciate ligament surgery

269

23/24

Knee injury

79

23/24

So, whilst Eddie Howe went as far to describe Botman as “transformative”, there’s certainly a number of issues for Liverpool to think about before they make their move.

Newcastle United have endured a challenging start to the 2025/26 season, particularly in attack.

While their defence has been a relative bright spot – with six clean sheets already and one of the lowest expected goals conceded (4.9) in the Premier League – the Magpies’ forward line has struggled to consistently convert opportunities.

Through the early fixtures, Newcastle rank near the bottom of the league for expected goals, highlighting difficulties in creating high-quality chances despite controlling possession in several matches.

Injuries have compounded the challenge.

Both Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, the team’s starting full-backs, are set for extended layoffs, forcing manager Eddie Howe to rotate personnel and disrupt the attacking rhythm.

Dan Burn has deputised at left-back, a position in which he is frequently exposed, impacting the team’s build-up play from wide areas.

Even so, there have been flashes of attacking promise.

Newcastle produced a 4-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League, generating 3.45 xG, and followed it up with a 2-0 league victory against Nottingham Forest.

While these results have boosted confidence, the Magpies still need greater consistency to complement their defensive solidity.

Amid this challenging start, fans are increasingly turning their attention to the team’s new attacking options.

Assessing Nick Woltemade's fine start at Newcastle

One player who has immediately impacted Newcastle’s attack is 23-year-old Nick Woltemade, the 1.98m forward signed from the Bundesliga.

Woltemade impressed in his previous campaign, scoring 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances and earning six caps for Germany.

His combination of size, technical ability, and goal-scoring instinct makes him a potent addition to Newcastle’s frontline.

Since joining, Woltemade has quickly shown he can handle the pressure of Premier League and European football.

He scored on his home debut against Wolves, then followed up with goals against Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Nottingham Forest.

His penalty against Forest, placed with clinical precision into the top corner, earned him a standing ovation from the home crowd.

Across these games, Woltemade has displayed strong all-around attacking metrics: high work rate, intelligent positioning, and a pass completion rate hovering around 78%, as per Sofascore, demonstrating his ability to link up with teammates effectively.

Even beyond scoring, Woltemade’s presence transforms Newcastle’s attack.

His 1.98m frame allows him to dominate aerial duels, while his movement stretches defences and opens space for wide players like Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy.

With a goal whilst away on international duty Germany duty, Woltemade continues to develop chemistry with teammates and is becoming an essential piece of Howe’s squad.

For a club competing in the Champions League, he provides a reliable attacking outlet and a reference point for younger forwards to learn from.

Why Sean Neave can be the next Newcastle sensation

While Woltemade provides an immediate solution, Newcastle also have a homegrown talent in waiting: 18-year-old Sean Neave.

Born in Newcastle, Neave began at the famous Wallsend Boys Club before joining the Magpies’ academy, a pathway that has produced several Premier League players.

A 6ft 1in centre-forward, Neave has already impressed at youth level, scoring 17 goals in his first 30 U18 appearances, demonstrating natural finishing, positioning intelligence, and an eye for goal.

He has also been gradually introduced to first-team action, featuring in pre-season against Atlético Madrid, replacing Anthony Gordon in the 84th minute, and being included in the FA Cup fourth-round squad at Birmingham City.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Neave – lauded as a “top talent” by Magpie Media – was an unused substitute as Newcastle lifted the 2025 Carabao Cup, their first major trophy in seventy years.

An England U18 international, Neave made his debut against Poland in 2024.

Premier League 2

5 (2 goals)

EFL Trophy

2 (1 goal, 1 assist)

UEFA Youth League

2

Coaches praise his high work rate, intelligent movement, and composure in tight spaces.

His physical presence allows him to compete effectively in the box, while his goal-scoring instinct ensures he is always a threat to opposition defences.

Howe now faces the task of integrating Neave into a first-team setup that can compete on multiple fronts.

With Woltemade offering immediate attacking firepower, Neave represents Newcastle’s long-term vision: a local player who could become a regular first-team contributor, bringing energy, composure, and finishing ability.

Should he adapt to Premier League intensity, Neave could provide competition for Woltemade, cover during injury crises, and ultimately become the next academy success story to shine on Tyneside.

Newcastle are brewing a bigger talent than Gordon who's "similar to Mbappe"

One youngster could surpass Anthony Gordon as Newcastle’s next star under Eddie Howe

ByWill Miller Oct 16, 2025

تحدث الدولي الإنجليزي جود بيلينجهام، لاعب خط وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد حول خسارة الفريق أمام ليفربول ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وواجه ريال مدريد نظيره ليفربول مساء أمس، الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

واستطاع ليفربول أن يحقق فوزًا غاليًا على نظيره ريال مدريد بهدف نظيف سجله أليكسيس ماك أليستر بضربة رأس رائعة سكنت شباك الحارس كورتوا الذي ظهرر بمستوى مميز ورائع للغاية في المباراة.

وقال بيلينجهام، في تصريحات عقب المباراة ونقلتها “بي بي سي سبورت”: “أعتقد أن النتيجة تعكس أداء المباراة، لقد تفوقوا قليلًا في الشوط الثاني وقدموا أداءً أفضل”.

وأكمل: “في الشوط الثاني، استمر ضغطهم علينا وكان لديهم زخم وصخب كبير في المباراة، لقد تفوقوا علينا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كورتوا يكشف خطة تصديه لكرة سوبوسلاي.. ويشكك في هدف ليفربول

وأردف: “بعد أن سجلوا شعرنا أننا أردنا الضغط أكثر من اللازم، هناك أمور يجب تعلمها لا تزال في بداية الموسم، ولا تزال في بداية مباريات دوري أبطال أوروبا، كنا أسوأ بكثير في الموسم الماضي ومع ذلك تمكنا من التأهل”.

عن ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، قال: “من الواضح أن حدث معه الأمر الشائع في كرة القدم، صيحات الاستهجان من الجماهير لا تعكس مشاعرهم تجاهه أبدًا”.

وتابع: “أعتقد صافرات الاستهجان الهدف منها هو منح فريقهم الأفضلية وإبعاده قليلًا عن مستواه، أنا متأكد من أنهم يُقدرون ما قدمه للنادي، أتذكر أنهم ودعوه وداعًا حارًا في نهاية الدوري الموسم الماضي”.

وبسؤاله عن احتمالية استدعائه لمنتخب إنجلترا، أتم: “أتمنى ذلك لكن القرار ليس قراري”.

Mohamed Salah has been left out of Liverpool's starting line-up to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, as Arne Slot has taken action following the Premier League defeat at home to Manchester United last Sunday. Hugo Ekitike has replaced the Egyptian winger in the Reds' XI after starting on the bench against the Red Devils.

• Salah dropped amid poor form

  Salah has finally been dropped from the Liverpool team after a series of poor performances in the 2025-26 campaign. Since the start of the new season, the Egyptian goal-machine has scored only three goals across all competitions and provided as many assists. The loss against United at Anfield after nine years last Sunday was the final straw for Slot, who took the tough call of starting Salah on the bench in the crucial Champions League fixture against Frankfurt.

  Ekitike returned to the line-up, replacing Salah in the attack, while another underperforming star Florian Wirtz also made it into the team. Defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Andy Robertson have also been drafted into the 11 in Germany

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  Carragher wanted Salah to be dropped after United defeat

  After going seven games in the English top flight without registering a non-penalty goal – his longest barren run in that department since joining Liverpool in 2017 – Reds legend Jamie Carragher had urged Slot to drop Salah from his starting line-up.

  Following the loss at Anfield at the weekend, Carragher said on : “I think we're at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn't be a guaranteed starter every week. I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward."

  The former defender then said on the : "I don't think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like 'first name on the team sheet'. Liverpool have got two away games – in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don't think Salah should start both of those games. He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today.

  "But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don't think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he's in. Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you're not playing well, where's your argument? It's different if you're banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you're frustrated. I don't think Mo Salah's in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games."

• Slot isn't bothered about slump in form

  After winning their first seven matches across all competitions, the reigning English champions have experienced a sudden slump in form as they have now lost four successive matches, including three in the Premier League. However, despite the poor run, Slot isn't too worried, as he insisted to "It should not matter if we win or lose a game of football for the next one. The aim is if you play for Liverpool if you wear this shirt, the aim is to win every single game. So if we win seven in a row, how we started this season, then we want to win the next three. And we didn’t, now we’ve lost the last four, so now of course we want to see Liverpool winning again. But like I said, that is not different than when you’ve lost four in a row or won four in a row."

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  Wirtz under the scanner

  After failing to make the Reds' starting line-up in their last two Premier League outings against Chelsea and United, Wirtz has finally made a comeback. The German midfielder has made a slow start to his journey in the Premier League, having just one assist across all competitions. The former Bayer Leverkusen star will be eager to start delivering for the English champions, starting with the Champions League fixture against an opposition from the Bundesliga. 

MatériaMais Notícias

PalmeiraseFluminensese enfrentam na terça-feira (26) às 15 horas (de Brasília), na Arena Barueri, em Barueri (SP), pelo jogo de volta das quartas de final do Brasileirão Sub-17.Até a publicação dessa nota, não foi confirmado transmissão ao vivo em nenhuma emissora.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalSão Paulo x Internacional: onde assistir ao vivo e horário do jogo pelo Campeonato Brasileiro sub-17Futebol Nacional26/09/2023Futebol NacionalCorinthians x Santos: onde assistir ao vivo e horário do jogo pelo Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17Futebol Nacional25/09/2023Futebol NacionalCom direito a gol olímpico, Palmeiras bate o Corinthians pelo Paulistão sub-20Futebol Nacional22/09/2023

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que Pet, Dante e outros craques da bola participaram também. Cupom: LANCE400

As equipes empataram o jogo de ida por 2 a 2, no Rio de Janeiro. Portanto, quem vencer o jogo de volta está classificado às semifinais da competição. Empate leva a decisão da vaga para a disputa de pênaltis.

O Palmeiras avançou para o mata-mata por ter ficado em segundo do grupo B da competição, com 22 pontos em nove jogos disputados. O Fluminense, por sua vez, se classificou para as quartas de final da competição na 3ª posição do Grupo A, com 17 pontos nos mesmos nove jogos disputados.

A fórmula de disputa do Brasileirão Sub-17 prevê confrontos entre times do mesmo grupo na primeira fase, com o cruzamento entre equipes dos dois grupos distintos no mata-mata.

A arbitragem do jogo ficará por conta de Pablo Rodrigo Soares de Oliveira, que será auxiliado por Rafael Tadeu Alves de Souza e Leonardo Tadeu Pedro. Os três integrantes do trio de arbitragem são da federação Paulista de Futebol.

O jogo entre Palmeiras e Fluminense pelas quartas de final do Brasileirão Sub-17 não será transmitida pela televisão (aberta ou paga) e nem na internet.

Fifties from Luke Procter and Lewis McManus help steady hosts after Middlesex post 413

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 23-Jun-2025

Saif Zaib resumed his rich vein of Rothesay County Championship form by passing 50 for the fourth time in as many red-ball innings to spearhead Northamptonshire’s recovery against Middlesex at Wantage Road.Despite Luke Procter’s knock of 62, the home side were under pressure at 132 for 4 when Zaib arrived at the crease, but the left-hander struck an unbeaten 83 to guide them to 308 for 5 at stumps. Spinner Zafar Gohar prised out four of Northamptonshire’s top five before Zaib and Lewis McManus, who finished 55 not out, guided their side towards a position of parity with an unbroken partnership of 111.Middlesex had earlier posted 413, with overnight centurion Joe Cracknell dismissed for 112 as left-arm seamer Liam Guthrie registered career-best figures of 7 for 94.Beginning the day just three runs short of a fourth batting bonus point, Middlesex quickly secured that when Toby Roland-Jones hooked Procter to the boundary – and a fifth even looked within the realm of possibility. Those hopes were dashed when Calvin Harrison pouched an outstanding one-handed catch at point, leaping to his right to cut off Cracknell’s robust drive and Lloyd Pope’s maiden Championship wicket in the next over castled Tom Helm to end the visitors’ innings.Northamptonshire started well in reply, with Procter dispatching both Roland-Jones and Helm to the fence as he and Ricardo Vasconcelos – who looked scratchy at the outset – built an opening stand of 69. The visitors tried a range of tactics without success, including the deployment of a heavily leg-side field for Ryan Higgins that included four men clustered around midwicket at one stage.It was Gohar who eventually stifled Northamptonshire’s progress, switching ends prior to lunch and immediately tempting Vasconcelos to sweep him straight into the hands of deep square leg.Promoted to three in the batting order, Harrison looked lively as he thumped Helm over midwicket for six, but Middlesex’s spinners soon established control and captured three further wickets during the afternoon.Harrison was caught behind off an inside edge, playing back to Gohar, while Luke Hollman struck with his fourth delivery, deceiving James Sales with flight and hitting him on the toe to secure a leg before decision. Procter, who completed his fifth half-century of the campaign, proved harder to dislodge but the captain was neatly snapped up at short leg off Gohar to leave Northamptonshire in some difficulty.Displaying a tendency to play the spinners late, Tim Robinson began their fightback in tandem with Zaib, though a dreadful mix-up between the pair should have seen the New Zealander run out but for Leus du Plooy’s fumble in the field.Robinson, signed on a short-term deal at Wantage Road, looked on course to mark his debut with a half-century, advancing to 43 before he was harshly given out leg before attempting to sweep Gohar.However, Zaib maintained his side’s momentum, striking the ball cleanly on both sides of the wicket and passing 5000 runs across all formats for Northamptonshire en route to his half-century from 87 balls. McManus weighed in with a string of attacking strokes, cutting Gohar for two to post his fourth 50 of the season and take the partnership beyond three figures shortly before the close.

Glenn Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 49-ball 106 to set up Washington Freedom’s comfortable 113-run win over Los Angeles Knight Riders. His innings from No. 6 helped Freedom post 208 for 5, after which their bowlers skittled LAKR for only 95.With a second win in three outings, Freedom are third on the MLC 2025 points table. LAKR are fifth with three defeats in three games, with only net run rate keeping them away from last spot.Maxwell walked in at 68 for 4 after Freedom opted to bat and pumped 13 sixes and two fours to score his eighth T20 century. It gave momentum to the Freedom innings with Mark Chapman (17 off 21) and Obus Pienaar (14* off 15) playing second-fiddle to the seventh T20 century in the tournament’s short history. Freedom scored 124 in the final ten on the back of Maxwell’s six-hitting.Freedom opener Mitchell Owen, who scored an 11-ball 32, produced a three-wicket haul in the chase to wreck LAKR’s middle order, which only compounded their woes after they lost their top three of Alex Hales, Sunil Narine and Unmukt Chand all for ducks. It was only the fourth time in franchise T20 history for the openers and the No. 3 to all be out without scoring.Middle-order batter Saif Badar scored 32 and captain Jason Holder scored 23, but they couldn’t bring the margin of defeat to under 100. Jack Edwards – who dismissed Chand, Rovman Powell and Holder – collected a three-for too, while Saurabh Netravalkar took the first and last LAKR wickets to finish the game in the 17th over.

KL Rahul says he has learned the lesson of not linking preparation with results

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-20253:12

Rahul: ‘I’ve forgotten what my batting position actually is’

Not many will know better than KL Rahul that outcomes in cricket – Test batting in particular – are not always proportional to your skill, preparation, fitness and application.Rahul has had an anomalous Test career to back it up. He came into this Test having scored hundreds in some of the most difficult conditions during his career – seven out of eight away from home – but never having become the dominant Test batter his game suggests he should be. He averaged 33.57 before Headingley, which is quite underwhelming for a player of so many great innings.”The sooner you learn that there is no connection [of your game, preparation, etc] with the outcome and the results that you get, the calmer you can be,” Rahul said after scoring 137 in an India third innings that threatened to go off the rails in the morning session of the final day. “And I feel like that’s the only thing that gives you the best chance to play at this level for a long period of time. And that’s something that I’ve consciously done as well.Related

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“Having learned this from the seniors that I looked up to, it’s something that I’ve understood and try and do, not just in Test cricket, but in cricket overall. Just all you can do is your best in terms of preparation and giving yourself the best chance to succeed. But again, there’s no guarantees. When you have a good day, you are happy. When you have a bad day, you’re still happy that you had the opportunity. That’s how I look at the game.”The latest in Rahul’s career was the Australia tour where he was called upon to open in Rohit Sharma’s absence and scored 26 and 77 in Perth followed by 84 in Brisbane. At the end of the series, though, his average read 30.66. It left him bitterly disappointed.”It’s always disappointing for a batter when you get starts and don’t convert it and get a big score for the team,” Rahul said. “I was happy with the way I was batting in Australia, but very disappointed at the end of the series that I couldn’t convert. I think I had opportunities in every game, I got starts in every game, and in an ideal world, I would’ve wanted to convert all of those innings into big knocks.”But, unfortunately, I couldn’t do that. And that’s how the game goes sometimes. Sometimes you get a good ball, sometimes you play a bad shot. It’s part of the game, so you learn from the mistakes, and that’s something that I learned from that series, just to make sure that once I get a start, try and make it count and transfer as many runs as I can.”1:32

Draw off the table? – Tongue and Rahul on day five possibilties

This has been a trend in Rahul’s career. He has never had a series in which he has scored 400 runs. That is part of the reason why he has never nailed a position in the batting order.On his last tour of England, he got to play only because of an injury in the nets to his good friend Mayank Agarwal. Then he got the opportunity to open in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because Rohit was on paternity leave for the first Test.Rahul has taken batting in different positions in his stride. “The last couple of years I’ve forgotten what my position is and what I’m comfortable doing,” Rahul said. “I’m happy to be given different responsibilities and different roles. Makes the game exciting and makes me want to challenge myself and train that much harder and work on my game a little bit more. So I’ve quite enjoyed doing that.”And the last couple of series, my role has been to open the batting, and I’ve enjoyed doing that as well. Yeah, I mean that’s something that I did growing up and all my early years as a cricketer was me opening the batting. So yeah, I’m happy that I’m back doing that, and I’m happy that I’m doing the job for the team.”