The fast bowler conceded his first return from injury was rushed and he has sought outside advice to help his latest comeback

Alex Malcolm02-Oct-2025As Australia allrounder Cameron Green takes his first tentative steps back to competitive bowling this week in the opening Sheffield Shield round ahead of the Ashes, a word of warning has been sounded from across the Tasman.When Green, and team-mate Lance Morris more recently, were discussing the possibility of back surgery with the medical staff at Cricket Australia, the staggering success rate of New Zealand-based surgeons Grahame Inglis and Rowan Schouten was a huge part of why both went down the path of having screws and titanium wire reinforced into their spine.But at the time of Green’s surgery a year ago, one of the very rare examples of a player suffering a setback out of 20-plus success stories globally was another two-metre quick in Kyle Jamieson.Related

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His fracture had reopened at one of the screws in February 2024. “They hadn’t really seen that before or at all, so they were pretty stumped,” Jamieson told ESPNcricinfo.Jamieson, 30, has fought his way back again without going back under the knife and is playing against Australia in Mount Maunganui this week in a T20I series that Green has been rested from to prioritise his bowling return in red-ball cricket.But it’s been a long process to get back to this point after having surgery in February 2023. “What I’ve learned is that just because you get a couple of screws and some wire and stuff in your back doesn’t make you bulletproof,” Jamieson said.”You’ve still got to respect the loading process. You’ve got to work through what the actual issues were and still address them. For me, it was none of that. It was just [a case of] have the surgery, sit and wait and then just go and never really adjust the stuff that was putting you at risk. Then you sort of start chucking loading and red-ball cricket and all these different dynamics into the mix, and it just ended up not being able to hold.”So whilst it gives you a better chance, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee you. So that would be probably be my advice, make sure you sort of dive deep and work out what are the things that are causing it, and what are the things you need to fix. If surgery helps with that process, then great, but it doesn’t give you the right to neglect the stuff that’s causing the issue in the first place.”Cameron Green is set to return to competitive bowling this weekend•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesJamieson’s second journey back has been slow and deliberate. He is still yet to play any red-ball cricket, having rushed back into international cricket only seven months post-surgery in August 2023 and into first-class and Test cricket only two months later. Following the recurrence in February 2024, he did a 10-month rehabilitation before playing again. Green, in comparison, will have gone more than 12 months without bowling a competitive delivery.”We just stripped back my whole body, the way I moved, and really took a deep dive into what are the things that were actually causing it and actually found a whole lot of stuff,” Jamieson said. “Obviously I had the surgery and had some time off, but never really addressed any of the issues around the way my body was sort of stacked up, how I was using it, how I actually activate the right things.”And then mechanically as well, just a couple of shifts to make sure I can actually make the most of my body and use it in the right way, rather than finding ways to compensate to execute the skills that you need.”I kind of got into a really bad pattern of finding a way to try and be effective. But that kind of led to my body not being able to hold up as well. So [it was] a long process, but I’m in a pretty good spot now.”

There was a point last year when the injury happened that I wasn’t playing cricket again. So to be able to, not just get back to playing, but also playing the highest form of the game would be just an achievement in itselfKyle Jamieson on his difficult time

The search for answers also took him away from New Zealand Cricket for advice. He found Auckland-based couple Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow. Lane, an Australian, was the head performance therapist for the Golden State Warriors during their NBA Championship winning seasons of 2015 and 2017, working with some of highest profile athletes on the planet including Stephen Curry. Dallow, Lane’s husband, competed for New Zealand in two winter Olympics in the bobsled before transitioning into being a performance coach in track and field.”They’ve done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly,” Jamieson said. “They advise on everything, right from how my body’s moving, what my gym program looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like.”I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl, my sort of weekly, monthly calendar is mapped out with them, my total load tracking is done through them. So I’m pretty much fully through them at the moment, and then apply it into the different cricket environments that I end up in.”It has worked so far. Jamieson got through the Super Smash and a domestic 50-over return last summer before four Champions Trophy matches and two T20Is in Pakistan. He also played two PSL matches and four IPL matches without any issue.Kyle Jamieson is still some way off a potential return to red-ball cricket•AFP/Getty ImagesThe beginning of the home white-ball summer against Australia and England are the next challenges to tick off but a red-ball return is still some time away.”I’m building up my loads towards red-ball cricket,” Jamieson said. “But we’re in a daily discussion around how are you pulling up, where are you at. With my history and where I’m at on the comeback trail, we probably just want to be a bit more respectful of that, and always analysing where I’m at.”A rare winter at home while fully fit, due to the birth of his first child Archie, has put him in a different head space about what his future may look like.”I’ve sort of been wrestling with that little bit of late over this winter now that I’ve moved from a returning athlete to now just a performing one,” Jamieson said. “And probably in the past I have looked far ahead with long-term goals but it’s something now that I feel like is quite hard for me to do.”If I get too far ahead of myself, I probably neglect the things that I need to do that make sure that tomorrow I’m safe and able to do my job. So at the moment, I’m very much only looking to the rest of this year with a little bit of an eye on that T20 World Cup.”Red-ball cricket would be nice. There was a point last year when the injury happened that I wasn’t playing cricket again. So to be able to, not just get back to playing, but also playing the highest form of the game would be just an achievement in itself. But I just want to play cricket really. That’s probably the biggest part. I’m not really too fazed on where it is or what form it is. I just want to be playing cricket and doing what I love.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية أن نادي ليفربول ينتظر رد الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، قبل اتخاذ أي قرار نهائي فيما يخص مشاركة النجم محمد صلاح في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتستضيف المغرب نهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا في الفترة بين 21 ديسمبر 2025 و18 يناير 2026.

وذكرت شبكة “thisisanfield” الإنجليزية أن هناك حالة من الترقب داخل أروقة ليفربول فيما يخص قرار الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم بشأن الموعد الإلزامي لإطلاق سراح اللاعبين المشاركين في كأس أمم إفريقيا، قبل اتخاذ قرار بشأن محمد صلاح.

وتضمن المشاركة في دور المجموعات وحدها غياب محمد صلاح عن صفوف ليفربول، عن ثلاث مباريات على الأقل، ولكن من المرجح أن تمتد فترة غيابه.

وسيخوض منتخب مصر مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 7 ديسمبر المقبل، حيث يأمل الاعتماد على الثنائي محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش في ذلك اللقاء الذي يعني بدء المعسكر التدريبي في وقت مبكر من الشهر المذكور.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كوناتي يوجه رسالة مهمة إلى جماهير ليفربول: سنتجاوز المحنة

وأوضحت أنه رغم رغبة حسام حسن، فإن ليفربول وكذلك مانشستر سيتي ينتظران ردًا من فيفا حول الموعد الإلزامي للتخلي عن خدمات محمد صلاح ومرموش لصالح منتخب مصر، والذي من المتوقع أن يكون قبل أسبوعين من انطلاق البطولة.

وأفادت أن ذلك يعني أن الموعد النهائي هو 8 ديسمبر، وفي حال تطبيق هذا، فإن محمد صلاح سيغيب عن مباراتي ليفربول ضد إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا، 9 ديسمبر، وبرايتون 13 ديسمبر في الدوري الإنجليزي، بخلاف المباريات الأخرى في فترة البطولة الإفريقية.

وسيسافر منتخب مصر إلى المغرب في 17 ديسمبر قبل مواجهة زيمبابوي (22 ديسمبر)، وجنوب أفريقيا (26 ديسمبر)، وأنجولا (29 ديسمبر) في المجموعة الثانية.

وإذا طٌلب من محمد صلاح مغادرة ليفربول والسفر مبكرًا، وفي حال وصول منتخب مصر إلى المباراة النهائية أو تحديد المركز الثالث، فإنه قد يغيب عن 9 مباريات رفقة كتيبة آرني سلوت.

وشرحت الشبكة الأمر على النحو التالي:

أقرب موعد محتمل لمغادرة محمد صلاح صفوف ليفربول: 8 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وإنتر ميلان خارج ملعبه، دوري أبطال أوروبا: 9 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وبرايتون على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 13 ديسمبر.

الموعد المتوقع سابقًا لرحيل محمد صلاح عن ليفربول (حال عدم إجباره على المغادرة مبكرًا): 14 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وتوتنهام خارج ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 20 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وولفرهامبتون على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 27 ديسمبر.

نهاية دور المجموعات في كأس أمم إفريقيا: 29 ديسمبر.

ليفربول وليدز يونايتد على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 1 يناير.

دور الـ16 من كأس أمم إفريقيا: 3/5/4 يناير.

ليفربول وفولهام خارج ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي: 4 يناير.

ليفربول وآرسنال خارج ملعبه، الدوري الإجليزي: 8 يناير.

دور ربع نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا: 9/10 يناير.

دور نصف نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا: 14 يناير.

ليفربول وآرسنل على ملعبه، الدوري الإنجليزي، 17 يناير.

مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث في كأس أمم إفريقيا: 17 يناير.

نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا: 18 يناير.

ليفربول ومارسيليا خارج ملعبه، دوري أبطال أوروبا، 21 يناير.

 

Chelsea have their finger on the pulse when it comes to talent around the world and they could now be set to fight off competition to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Milton Delgado.

The Blues have made their fair share of moves for young stars in recent windows, albeit patience has been a little here and there over their Premier League impact, with Enzo Maresca enjoying a mixed start to the campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Intriguingly, the Italian boss has come under some pressure this season and Juventus had shown interest prior to appointing Luciano Spalletti.

Simon Phillips explained: “Enzo Maresca has been at the top of Juventus’ list for their new manager, but they knew that he is not attainable mid-season.

“This has not stopped them making contact with Maresca’s people in recent days. However, the word from Maresca is that at the moment he is not looking to make any changes to his current situation right now.”

Undoubtedly, Chelsea will spend again in January and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr is a target at Stamford Bridge. Admittedly, BlueCo would need to show a sizeable level of ambition to pull off such a coup, but the Brazil international’s future in the Spanish capital appears uncertain with his contract up in 2027.

Juventus star Kenan Yildiz is also another player in the Blues’ sights, illustrating that they have their eye on developments across Europe when it comes to the window opening for business in January.

Keeping that fire lit, Chelsea may now be preparing to trigger the release clause of a talent who hails from South America.

Chelsea lining up bid for Milton Delgado

According to reports in his homeland via Sport Witness, Chelsea’s pursuit of Boca Juniors midfielder Martin Delgado has panicked his current club, while they are also braced for approaches from Sevilla and Inter Miami.

The Argentina Under-20 international has made 35 appearances in total for the South American giants, registering a solitary assist from his holding midfield role.

Starring in his national team’s run to the Under-20 World Cup final, he is set to be offered a bumper new contract by Boca that will raise his release clause value significantly, though his club are well aware they will receive an abundance of offers in January.

Chelsea also have a young star who is as exciting as Estevao

Chelsea have already concluded a number of deals ahead of 2026, namely the additions of Geovany Quenda, Denner and Emmanuel Emegha, hence why it would be a major surprise if Delgado was next in line to bolster Maresca’s squad depth.

Tottenham have set a mammoth price tag for star defender Micky van de Ven amid serious interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool, according to a new report.

Micky van de Ven continues to shine at Tottenham

Van de Ven has been an outstanding presence for Spurs in the opening months of 2025/2026, quickly establishing himself as a key figure under Thomas Frank.

The young defender has combined defensive solidity with a remarkable goal-scoring touch, already finding the net five times across all competitions – a striking return for a player primarily tasked with keeping things tight at the back.

Van de Ven has also scored twice as many goals as any other Premier League defender so far this term, including Arsenal’s highly-praised set piece weapon Gabriel, with the Dutchman involved in all but one of Tottenham’s seven clean sheets this season too.

The 24-year-old’s combination of pace, power and goal threat has made him an indispensable member of Frank’s starting eleven, and his ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch gives Spurs a unique edge.

Van de Ven’s importance to the Lilywhites is nothing new, as he bailed Ange Postecoglou’s high line out time and time again when he was fit and available to take part.

With Cristian Romero out injured and steadily working his way back to match fitness, van de Ven and Kevin Danso have helped to fill the Argentine’s shoes to great effect as Spurs now sit third in the Premier League table.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

22/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

08/11/2025

Cristian Romero

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01/11/2025

Destiny Udogie

Knee

08/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

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via Premier Injuries

Van de Ven’s brace against Everton, with both goals coming from set plays, sealed a crucial three points for Spurs last Sunday as they became the first away team to claim victory at the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Ever since van de Ven’s arrival in north London over two years ago, the Netherlands international has been linked with a high-profile move elsewhere.

Real Madrid have specifically been mentioned as suitors amid their reported search for new centre-backs, so much so that reports suggest Tottenham are prepared to double van de Ven’s salary to keep him away from the Bernabeu.

Spurs are in no immediate danger of losing the centre-half, considering he’s contracted until 2029, and Frank is convinced that he is happy in N17.

That being said, there is always a danger that Real could turn a player’s head, and if they manage to tempt van de Ven, Spurs are apparently clear in their demands.

Tottenham set 'historic' Micky van de Ven price tag as Real Madrid and Liverpool circle

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham have set an ‘historic’ price tag for van de Ven as Real, Liverpool and even Bayern Munich circle for his signature.

It is believed that Spurs want a minimum £88 million for van de Ven, which is described as an ‘historic’ sum and would make him the most expensive defender in football history — eclipsing the £80 million that Man United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.

Frank’s side are determined to keep hold of him and only a “massive offer” would see him leave, highlighting his growing importance both on and off the pitch.

This valuation could be part of a broader strategy reflecting Tottenham’s ambition and financial muscle, especially following a significant £100 million capital injection by the club’s owners, the Lewis family.

The investment underscores their long-term commitment to strengthening the squad and competing at the highest level, and stopping key stars like van de Ven from leaving will be pivotal as the north Londoners look to kick on from their Europa League triumph in May.

A whole lot of local knowledge went into a performance that brought him his tenth Player-of-the-Match award in Tests

Alagappan Muthu22-Sep-20242:52

Manjrekar: Ashwin as good as he was five years back

R Ashwin has a job on his hands. He fails on the first try. It’s not even close. There’s even a chance he isn’t as focused as he should be. His daughter forgives him and gives him a second go at opening what looks like a bottle of (rosewater soda) she’s carried down to the ground. But again it doesn’t go well. Dad’s not on his game. He’s facing too many distractions. This is the problem with scoring a century and taking a six-for and winning a Test match for your country on home soil.Ashwin remembers the first step he ever took into Chepauk. He vlogged about it on his YouTube channel, about attending trials at the Under-14 and Under-16 levels and waiting to see if he’d made the cut. He cherishes being part of this ground’s history; he was here when Sachin Tendulkar scored that epic hundred against Pakistan and he wouldn’t let his father take him home until he bought him pads just like the ones Tendulkar wore.He remembers the bus he took to get to the ground when he was younger. “12G [you have to catch bus No. 12G],” he said in an episode for in 2023. “It will go straight to Anna (road). There, if some uncle is nice enough to give you a lift, you can get to the ground in like 10 minutes. If not, (you have to trudge all the way with the kit bag).”Related

• India and Bangladesh brace for lower bounce on black-soil pitch in Kanpur

• Ashwin: 'Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game'

• Ashwin's double act of hundred and six-for secures 1-0 lead for India

• Stats – Ashwin equals Warne; Pant goes level with Dhoni

He has memories of being coached not just by those he went and trained with but people who just happened to see him play on the street. “Everybody loves giving advice, especially when it comes to cricket. Once when I tried to hit a ball and it took an inside edge and wandered away – no run. Leg side, no runs. One uncle who was going to the hospital – there’s a hospital near my place – he just came to me and said, ‘Pa, how many matches have you seen? You play with a straight bat and the ball will go beautifully down the ground. . Keep the bat-face straight.'”The century that he scored and the five-for that he took here against England in 2021 are still etched in his mind. “I’ve wondered if I would ever play on this ground and if people would turn out and clap for me,” Ashwin said two years ago. In truth, they went way beyond that, calling his name out to the tune of “Sachiiiiin-Sachin” even when all he did was take his cap off his head, because they knew this meant he was coming on to bowl.R Ashwin picked up 6 for 88 in Bangladesh’s second innings•BCCIIn that game, against England, his home crowd gave him a feeling he is very familiar with, having seen millions of masala movies, but for perhaps the first time, he was experiencing it from the other side. For those five days, he was Rajinikanth in or Shah Rukh Khan in or Tom Cruise in . And he doesn’t get that too often, if only because Test cricket in India doesn’t follow a set schedule like it does abroad. Melbourne knows it’ll get a Boxing Day Test. Lord’s knows it’ll be the biggest event of the summer. Ashwin and his beloved Chepauk don’t have that luxury. At 38, even he isn’t sure if he’s played his last Test here.”I don’t know,” he said in the press conference on Sunday. “What is a Chepauk swansong? Every time you walk out to the park, it’s a swansong. You are talking about a Test match, yeah. Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? Like I said, every day, every Test match I am playing is a big thing. Not only for me, you can ask any cricketer, to go through a Test match or a Test series is a grind. And you never really know what is next when it comes to Test matches. Because you put in that effort, everything, and then you need to be lucky enough to get those performances, also work hard and simultaneously manage your ups and downs. These are all huge challenges for any Test cricketer. So I haven’t thought so far ahead but if that was my swansong, what a swansong!”Rescuing India from 144 for 6 and on the way levelling MS Dhoni’s count of Test centuries. Sealing a 280-run win and on the way levelling Shane Warne’s count of five-wicket hauls. Being a threat on a pitch that didn’t necessarily take that much spin until the third morning. Walking away with a tenth Player-of-the-Match award. All of this was a result of painstaking preparation – Ashwin worked heavily on his batting prior to the TNPL – and a rapid assessment of the conditions he was faced with when he came on to bowl.”The beauty about a red-soil [pitch] is, you put revs on it, there is value [even if there is no turn]. Because there is bounce. You will get hit but there is bounce. You play on some black clay surfaces around the country elsewhere, without naming them, you have to do a lot of hard work. You put a lot of revs and see nothing come out of it. And sometimes, it’s better to not put revs on in certain places. So, to even understand all these things, to begin to understand and talk about it, is a fair amount of learning for me. And it’s happened over the years. Like I said, this one’s got solid bounce. And I love to play on a surface like this and get hit than play on another surface.”Knowing what the pitch will do is only one part of the challenge. The batter presents the other one and Ashwin has to find a way to get through them. On the third evening, he had seen evidence of the bite that was available to him if he dropped his pace right down. Mominul Haque went for a sweep and both he and the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant were beaten comfortably by extravagant bounce. That ball only clocked 80.4 kph.5:08

Ashwin: If it was my Chepauk swansong, what a swansong!

The bowler in him understood that he needed to be slow through the air to get purchase. The batter in him then augmented that piece of information. “Tamim [Iqbal] is standing next to you,” Ashwin told the host broadcaster. “He’ll tell you that if you keep going slower on these surfaces, you can go on the back foot a lot more.”Ashwin combined this knowledge to set his traps. At first, he would feed Bangladesh the quicker, flatter deliveries to keep them pinned on the crease. Then he’d toss one up and if everything went to plan, the batter, having been set up to expect a certain pace and a certain length, would be undone.”I was earning my right to bowl slower every now and then. Because on certain pitches where you get help out of surface, you can afford to toss the ball a little more, but this is a surface where need to change up your pace, change up your length, and then pull the one that’s slower. So very often the one that was reacting off the surface was really slow.”Three of his six wickets came off deliveries in the early 80s.Two others spoke of how good he is at picking apart a batter’s defence. He bowled around the wicket for virtually the entire Test match because there were a lot of left-hand batters and he was playing on their inside edge. He would bring them forward with his length and leave them stranded with his overspin, because the ball was primed to dip on them and then kick up off the pitch.Shakib was caught at short leg as this sequence played out.The best of the lot was Mominul, bowled on the outside edge. Ashwin was somehow able to get enough turn to beat the bat but not so much that he would miss the stumps. Going a little wider of the crease helped create the angle into the batter and make him play down the wrong line and then he did something with the seam to limit the help he would get off the track.Normally an offbreak bowler would have the seam pointing to first slip. This one was pointing a lot squarer. It also turned scrambled as the ball began its descent into the pitch. An upright seam is usually the driving force behind the turn and bounce that a fingerspinner gets. Here Ashwin put limits on both specifically so that what happened had a chance to happen – beating the batter but not the stumps. It doesn’t always work this way. Sometimes the turn might not be enough, and the angle takes the ball straight into the middle of the bat. But this was Chepauk and Ashwin knows it has always got his back. “Some energy just pulls me into this ground.”

Wolves have reportedly approached Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards after cutting ties with Vitor Pereira, whose nightmare reign ended with a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Fulham last weekend. The Portuguese manager produced no wins during this current Premier League campaign and was sacked less than 24 hours after the final whistle at Craven Cottage, which left them at rock bottom of the table.

• Rob Edwards: The comeback story in the making?

  According to , Edwards has emerged as the frontrunner to take over in the West Midlands. He has quietly built a strong reputation in the Championship and is one of three high-profile names on Wolves’ radar as they scramble to find a steady hand. The 42-year-old is currently under contract with Middlesbrough until June 2028, meaning Wolves would need to pay significant compensation to lure him back to familiar territory. Meanwhile, for Boro, who have climbed to third in the table under Edwards after 14 games and seven wins, losing him now would be a massive blow. However, the report mentions that the pull of returning to Wolves, the club where he spent a good amount of time as a player and coach, could prove irresistible.

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  From youth coach to potential saviour

  Edwards’ connection to Wolves runs deep. He made 111 appearances for the club during his playing days before turning to coaching, where he spent several formative years in their youth setup. His journey began with the under-18s in 2014, followed by a stint with the senior coaching staff a year later, and eventually led the under-23s in 2019. Edwards later took the managerial reins at Forest Green Rovers in 2021, guiding them to promotion, before moving up to the Championship with Watford. 

  However, his time at Vicarage Road was short-lived as he was sacked after just ten games. But redemption came swiftly when he joined Luton Town as he masterminded an incredible promotion campaign in 2022–23, dragging the Hatters into the Premier League against all odds. 

• Edwards plays coy, but doesn’t rule it out

  When asked about speculation linking him to a Wolves return, Edwards tried to steer clear of the gossip, but his words only added fuel to the fire.

  "You know my links to the club [Wolves]," Edwards said. "But my full focus is on this job here, which is a brilliant job, and trying to turn things around. Speculation is hard for me to comment about. We've done a decent job so far. It's all speculation anyway. I never get drawn on stuff that's all hypothetical and I don't want to get drawn on that.

  "I love being Middlesbrough manager and that's what I want to think about. All I can say is I've not given it a single thought because my focus is just on this. It's all the stuff that my daughter was telling me about."

  While Edwards remains the prime target, Wolves have also explored other options. Michael Carrick, who is currently without a club, is also said to be under consideration. However, his lack of Premier League experience could be a stumbling block. Former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil was also sounded out, but he reportedly withdrew from the race. 

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  Teti has also left Wolves

  The turmoil at Wolves goes far beyond the manager’s office. On Tuesday, the club confirmed that director of professional football Domenico Teti had left by mutual consent, just months after joining as part of the club’s leadership team. 

  Executive chairman Jeff Shi said: "Domenico approached his role with total professionalism and built strong working relationships across the club during his time with us. He made a positive contribution to our football processes and has carried himself with integrity throughout. We thank him for his efforts and support and wish him every success in the future."

  With just two points from ten matches, Wolves are fighting for survival. For now, interim head coach James Collins will step into the hot seat, taking Friday’s press conference before leading Wolves into a daunting clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It’s their final fixture before the international break, and potentially their final chance to avoid complete collapse before a new era begins. They are eight points away from safety, and if they are to claw their way out of the bottom three, the next appointment must be the right one.

With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, there's likely to be an influx of deals that come across the ticker over the next several weeks as teams attempt to load up—or unload—their rosters ahead of the postseason.

Occasionally, said deals will include a or PTBNL for short.

What's a PTBNL? I'm glad you asked. Here's a look at the often-used tactic in baseball trades, why they're employed, and a list of notable players who were once only dubbed a"player to be named later":

What Is a Player to Be Named Later?

A "player to be named later" is an unnamed player involved in a trade between two teams, allowing clubs to get deals done before officially finalizing it. PTBNLs are often chosen from a short list of players that the negotiating teams agree on prior to the trade being finalized. They are generally minor leaguers or journeyman MLBers.

Why Do MLB Teams Include Players to Be Named Later in Trades?

MLB teams include PTBNLs in trades for a multitude of reasons. Most commonly due to the team receiving the player either a) not being sure of the position they'd like to fill or b) giving themselves more time to evaluate the talent on the other clubs roster.

Having a PTBNL in your back pocket can help you deal with roster restrictions, as traded players must be placed on the receiving team's 40-man roster upon completion of the transaction. Additionally, players on the injured list cannot be traded, which allows teams to acquire them once they clear the list.

Ironically, on some occasions, a traded player has returned to the original team as the PTBNL of their own trade.

Who Are Some Notable Players That Were Named Later?

Some notable players in MLB history who were once acquired as a PTBNL include:

• David Ortiz
• Trea Turner
• Moisés Alou
• Michael Brantley
• Scott Podsednik
• Dmitri Young
• Marco Scutaro
• Jesse Orosco

Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters will already be fearing the worst regarding their side’s bottom-of-the-table position in the Premier League.

Only a sorry two points have been accumulated so far this season, with the Old Gold hierarchy ultimately left with no choice but to sack Vitor Pereira, after Wolves slipped to their disastrous eighth loss of the campaign already away at Fulham on Saturday.

Now, the hunt is on to appoint a miracle worker in the West Midlands, who can turn around this awful start, with a whole host of names being tipped to take on the vacancy.

The latest on Wolves' hunt for a new manager

The only certainty at the moment is that Gary O’Neil will not be re-entering the Molineux dug-out.

Indeed, rumours had begun to circulate that O’Neil was the favourite to take over from Pereira and return in dramatic circumstances. But, the ex-AFC Bournemouth head coach has since withdrawn himself from the race, after holding advanced talks.

Moreover, Michael Carrick is also on Wolves’ radar, with the former Middlesbrough manager still looking for work after being let go by Boro.

With three caretaker matches in charge of Manchester United also under his belt, he could potentially relish the chance of being a saviour for Wolves in the top division.

Carrick’s replacement at the Riverside Stadium in Rob Edwards is also high up the alleged priority list, having previously lined up for Wolves as a player, before earning his managerial stripes at Luton Town and beyond.

Yet, the most out-there name being linked to the Wolves vacancy right now could be viewed as Erik ten Hag, with reports from ESPN indicating that the Dutchman is ‘interested’ in holding talks with the Molineux outfit over the vacant job.

It’s stated that Ten Hag would like to return to the Premier League after his torrid spell at Manchester United, having had his already tattered managerial reputation put through the wringer again when axed three games into his Bayer Leverkusen stint this season.

Still, even with his back-to-back failures hanging over him, ten Hag has been a success in his career elsewhere, as Wolves potentially prepare to welcome a new Nuno Espirito Santo-style figure to Molineux.

How Ten Hag can be Wolves' new Nuno Santo

Despite his sketchy recent track record, the ex-Ajax manager would also be seen as an upgrade on O’Neil walking through the door.

Indeed, despite being the butt of many a Red Devils joke by the time of his dismissal, the 55-year-old guided United to 44 top-flight wins from his 85 games in charge. O’Neil has only 25 league wins next to his name on the contrary.

With other high-profile managers also struggling to get a tune out of the Premier League giants, since he left the Theatre of Dreams, it’s clear the problems run far deeper in Manchester than just who occupies the stressful dug-out.

Nuno has also been up against it in the top division since exiting Wolves, with spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest not exactly going to plan. But, having overseen 73 wins in charge of the Old Gold in the top-flight, he is still heralded as one of the finest bosses they have possessed in the elite division in recent memory.

Ten Hag’s managerial numbers
Games managed	568
Clubs managed	6
Wins	355
Draws	93
Losses	120
Trophies won	9
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Despite his wobbles, Ten Hag will hope he will be seen as a similarly ambitious appointment, like when Nuno entered the Wolves dug-out in the Championship after successful stints in La Liga and Liga Portugal, when taking in his glittering managerial numbers above.

The unemployed boss collected three Eredivisie titles as manager of Ajax, with a Champions League semi-final run also being spearheaded by the Dutchman, who has been noted as being a “world-class” operator by his former United midfielder in Fred.

An FA Cup success also came his way during his hot-and-cold reign in Manchester, as the 55-year-old attempts to become a much-loved name at Molineux by steering Wolves away from certain relegation.

If he pulls that unbelievable feat off, he will definitely be seen as the second coming of Nuno – with Ten Hag also regularly setting his teams up in the Portuguese’s preferred 4-2-3-1 make-up – as another bold coup of an appointment potentially goes down a treat.

After all, landing Ten Hag would surely be seen as a more exciting development than retreading old ground with O’Neil.

Wolves want Rob Edwards after Gary O'Neil snub, timeline of appointment revealed

Is the former Luton Town boss the right man for the job?

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 4, 2025

Top-order collapses before Hughes, Ibrahim come together in fourth-wicket stand

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) and 115 for 3 (Hughes 56*, Ibrahim 50*) trail Yorkshire 545 for 9 dec (Revis 152*, Lyth 115, Wharton 85) by 208 runsAll-rounder Matthew Revis continued his sparkling run-scoring form in the Rothesay County Championship, posting his third hundred in as many matches to help Yorkshire press for a crucial victory over Sussex at Scarborough.Dating back to late June, in Yorkshire’s last four Division One fixtures, Revis – 23-years-old – has posted scores of 93 not out, 150, 110 not out and a career best 152 not out.He hit the 150 in a victory over Essex at York, 110 not out in last week’s draw here against champions Surrey and now this 188-ball effort with 14 fours and two pulled sixes against spin.Yorkshire declared on 545 for nine midway through the afternoon, leading by 323 with 44 overs remaining in the day, and then restricted Sussex to 115 for three at close. Opener Daniel Hughes gave the visitors something to cheer with an impressive rearguard 56 not out from 131 balls.It would now be a significant surprise if Revis is not selected to tour Australia with the England Lions this winter. Another man who could be on that tour is George Hill, with whom Revis shared an entertaining seventh-wicket partnership of 140 either side of lunch.Fellow all-rounder Hill contributed a season’s best 75 off 93 balls. He has already had Lions exposure this summer, courtesy of his near 40-wicket campaign with the ball.For Sussex, off-spinner Jack Carson plugged away with three for 150 from 43 overs. But he was swimming against the tide.Revis, who started the day on 22, drove handsomely down the ground before pulling a couple of sixes off Carson just before Yorkshire declared minutes before 3pm.Before lunch, Hill lofted Carson over long-on for six and out of the ground at the Trafalgar Square End.Revis reached his fifty off 77 balls and his fifth career first-class century off 137, the latter on the stroke of lunch. Sandwiched in between, Hill’s fifty came up in 65 balls.Sussex started the day nicely by removing Harry Duke and Will Sutherland, leaving Yorkshire 320 for six in the 97th over, the day’s seventh.Duke was caught behind for 21 against an out-swinger from Fynn Hudson-Prentice – Sussex having taken the new ball immediately at the start of play – before Sutherland was bowled by his fellow Australian Gurinder Sandhu for two.Sutherland is playing his last match of the season for Yorkshire this week and had been surfing in the North Sea at the end of day two.Revis and Hill advanced Yorkshire’s cause in entertaining fashion. The aforementioned Hill six off Carson even landed in the back yard of the Air BnB which the county’s live streaming team are using this week.Revis became the first Yorkshire player to score three hundreds in successive first-class matches since Gary Ballance did it back in 2019 and the first non-capped White Rose player to achieve that same feat in 80 years.Unfortunately for Sussex, further trouble was around the corner at the start of their second innings.They faced 12 overs before tea, where they reached at 29 for three.New-ball pair Jack White and Matt Milnes struck once apiece added to the run out of Tom Alsop courtesy of a direct hit from Imam-Ul-Haq at the striker’s end from cover.White had Tom Haines caught and bowled off a lead edge and Milnes got James Coles caught at fourth slip for a golden duck the ball after Alsop had fallen in the sixth over.But just when all seemed lost, left-handed Australian Hughes stood firm with the help of fourth-wicket partner Danial Ibrahim.Hughes was understandably watchful but drove, cut, pulled and deflected 10 boundaries en-route to a 114-ball fifty. The pair have shared an unbroken 95, with Ibrahim 50 not out.Ibrahim reached 50 off 111 balls with the day’s final delivery. But the pair have plenty more work to do on a pitch which is showing increasing signs of turn.

Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 64 sets up hosts before three wickets apiece for Sonny Baker, Josh Tongue take Superchargers down

ECB Media17-Aug-2025Originals are right back in the shake-up of the Hundred men’s competition after an ultimately emphatic victory against in-form Northern Superchargers.Jos Buttler’s rich vein of form continued, registering his seventh fifty in the history of tournament to go top of this year’s run-scorers chart.He was ably supported by the classy New Zealander Rachin Ravindra, playing his first match for this year’s edition and striking 31 from just 14 balls, and then Heinrich Klaasen, who roared back into nick with a savage 25-ball 50.Only Matthew Potts offered much counter-thrust, picking up two wickets; but even he was helpless to halt the carnage at the death as Buttler and Klaasen combined for 27 runs from the final 11 balls. In all the Superchargers gave up nine sixes.Much then hinged on the Superchargers getting off to a flyer. Zak Crawley clattered two cover drives from the first set bowled by Sonny Baker, and then smashed a six off his England team-mate Josh Tongue. But a sharp catch at backward point from Matty Hurst saw Crawley depart for a nine-ball 16, and thereafter their chase flatlined.The key moment was the dismissal of Harry Brook, who top-edged an attempted sweep for 11 to give Ravindra his first wicket of this year’s competition.Originals have an enviably varied attack, with Tongue, Scott Currie and the effervescent Baker – last week called into England’s white-ball squads – providing the cutting edge and the Afghan mystery spinner Noor Ahmad offering the sparkle.Tongue and Baker shared three wickets apiece – Baker taking a hat-trick after bowling Dawid Malan for 19 off the 50th ball before returning to claim the final two dismissals, Tom Lawes caught by Lewis Gregory at deep midwicket and yorking Jacob Duffy next ball to wrap up victory.Tongue is now top of the wicket-takers’ list with nine, one ahead of his teammate Currie – while Ahmad was irresistible, taking two wickets and conceding less than a run a ball. Ravindra, with his left-arm spin, offered further control in the middle sets.For the Superchargers it was an afternoon to forget. Only David Miller, with 38, managed to make it past 19. They nonetheless remain in the mix, in a three-way tie at the top, ahead of a crucial week in this intriguing tournament.Meerkat Match Hero Buttler said: “It was hard work but I tried not to get frustrated. We built some partnerships and having guys set was crucial. We’ve played a couple of games here, and seen how the wicket can be. We tried to keep it simple and not to put pressure on our bowlers.”There’s nice variety in our attack, Josh and Sonny complement each other, and adding someone like Noor is a trump card. To put together a performance like that with bat and ball is very exciting.”Phil Salt, Originals skipper, was thrilled with the performance. “It’s been a chasing competition so far, so we’re really pleased with what the top order did today, batting first. Bowling-wise we’ve been pretty strong, with Sonny [Baker] and Scottie [Currie] and the rest doing really well.”Sonny’s brilliant as always, mad as a box of frogs. You just wind him up and let him go! In the last couple of weeks, he’s executed more often than not. It’s now about picking up momentum.”