Aston Villa are keen on signing a “spectacular” Champions League striker, who is now considering working under Unai Emery.

Villa want to sign new striker amid Watkins' struggles

Ollie Watkins has fallen below his usual lofty standards so far this season, with the striker finding the back of the net just once in eight Premier League matches, and he could find it difficult to reclaim his spot in the starting XI.

Emery may choose to persist with Donyell Malen at centre-forward, given that the Dutchman has impressed in recent weeks, scoring a brace in the 2-1 victory against Burnley at the beginning of the month.

Watkins was benched for the 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur due to fitness concerns, but the Englishman did manage to impress on international duty, scoring in the Three Lions’ 3-0 victory against Wales.

Emery will be hoping that goal will be a real confidence-booster for the 29-year-old, but it has now emerged that the Villans are looking to sign a new striker, who could push for Watkins’ starting spot.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are now keen on signing Real Madrid striker Endrick, and there are signs the Brazilian could be tempted by the move, with it being revealed that he is considering working under Emery.

There is widespread interest in the Real Madrid centre-forward from within the Premier League, however, meaning there could be fierce competition for his signature, with Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United and West Ham United also in the race.

Not only that, but it could take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, given that the 19-year-old joined the Spanish side for around £53m, in a deal that eventually went through in 2024.

"Spectacular" Endrick could flourish at Villa Park

The 14-time Brazil international has found it very difficult to break into the Real Madrid team this season, failing to play a single minute of football in all competitions, despite emerging as a first-team player last season.

Aston Villa now overtake Liverpool in race for "outstanding" £43m defender

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During the 2024-25 campaign, the youngster was used sporadically by Carlo Ancelotti, but he achieved some important milestones, scoring his first goals in both La Liga and the Champions League.

Ancelotti is a keen admirer of the former Palmeiras man, having once lauded him as “spectacular”, but the starlet clearly needs first-team football if he is going to fulfill his potential, so a move, at least on a loan deal, would make sense.

With Watkins reportedly frustrated with Emery, the manager may also need to start thinking about long-term replacements, and Endrick has the ability to flourish at Villa Park.

Mikel Arteta has built a superteam at Arsenal over the last five years.

While the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba were signed under Unai Emery, and Bukayo Saka made his debut under the former manager, the Gunners’ former captain has signed a host of world-class players since taking the job.

Arguably, the best player to join the North Londoners over the last few years has been Declan Rice, who is now undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, if not the world.

So it’s encouraging that Arteta already looks to have his ideal heir for the Englishman in the squad today.

Rice's development at Arsenal

This season is Rice’s third at Arsenal, and while he’s been a crucial member of the team since his first, his role has changed year-on-year.

For example, he spent most of the 23/24 campaign playing at the base of midfield, as the club’s go-to six, making 31 appearances there, 19 in central midfield and just one at centre-back.

However, towards the end of that first year and most of last season, Arteta decided to move him slightly further up the pitch, into the left-eight.

In all, the Englishman ended up making 37 appearances in the middle of the park and just 15 in defensive midfield, which helped him end the campaign with an impressive tally of nine goals and ten assists, although plenty of the latter came from set-pieces.

Going into this season, most fans and pundits alike expected Arteta to keep playing his £105m further up the pitch, especially as he proved himself to be a brilliant box-crasher last season.

Rice’s Arsenal career

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

CM

64

12

16

DM

51

5

8

CB

1

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, while his statistics do show him starting more games in central midfield – eight to five – he is actually now playing that little bit deeper again, often interchanging with the sensationally gifted Martin Zubimendi.

The former West Ham United captain has even said as much, telling reporters after England’s game against Wales earlier this month that the manager has “adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year to give me a bit more freedom to drop deeper but to also get in the box when I can.”

You can see evidence of him playing that little bit deeper at times this season in his underlying numbers.

For example, according to FBref, he is completing 7.47 progressive passes and 2.91 progressive carries this year, compared to 6.11 and 2.87 last season.

In all, Rice remains one of Arsenal’s most important players and an archetypal all-action midfielder, so it’s good news that Arteta and Co already have his perfect heir in the squad.

Arsenal's Rice heir

Now, upon first glance, it might not be immediately apparent who the Rice heir in Arsenal’s squad is.

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After all, Christian Nørgaard is 31, and Zubimendi is the same age as the Englishman at 26.

However, instead of being among the club’s current crop of midfielders, the ideal long-term replacement for the former West Ham United captain is down as a defender, and it is, of course, Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The Hale End gem, whose “talent is scary” according to one content creator, might play almost exclusively as a left-back for the first team, but he spent much of his time in the junior game playing in the middle of the park, and the skills he picked up there have shone through for the senior side at times.

For example, against Atlético Madrid, he picked up the ball in the middle of the park, drove past half the side and delivered the ball into Gabriel Martinelli’s feet for the Gunners’ second goal.

That run demonstrated several skills needed to make it as a top-quality central midfielder, such as the physicality to hold off defenders, the close control to get past them, the understanding of space, and, crucially, the weight of the pass at the end.

Moreover, the ability to drive with the ball like he did is one of Rice’s best traits, so while Arteta and the coaching staff will have to work on transitioning the teenager from full-back to midfield over the coming years, they can rest easy knowing he’s already an elite ball player.

There are other reasons why the Islington-born gem could become as sensational an eight in the future, though, such as his mentality.

For example, it’s so easy to forget that he is still so young, as it seemingly does not matter who he is up against, be it Real Madrid or Manchester City, the Hale Ender is, as Rice put it himself, utterly “fearless.”

It’s this willingness to challenge any attacker or try to beat any defender without hesitation that has also led club insider Hand of Arsenal to label the young gem a “future captain,” a title many have also given the former West Ham star.

Ultimately, given Rice’s age, Arsenal do not need to worry about replacing him just yet. Still, when they do eventually have to, they’ve already got the perfect candidate in Lewis-Skelly.

Related Arteta's £120k-p/w "wild horse" looks like this season's Timber at Arsenal

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Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was spotted close to a trophy-laden manager recently, and the tactician is now reportedly open to talks over replacing Ange Postecoglou at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest consider Ange Postecoglou replacements after poor start

Postecoglou’s tenure at Forest has been nothing short of a nightmare so far, putting the Australian’s future at the club under intense scrutiny.

Appointed with the aim of instilling a vibrant, attacking style, Postecoglou instead finds himself navigating a storm of poor results, mounting criticism, and growing fan unrest just weeks into his reign.

Since taking charge, Postecoglou has become the first permanent Forest manager in over a century to go six games without a win. His side have struggled to translate his high-intensity, possession-based philosophy into results, often appearing disjointed and lacking cohesion on the pitch.

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

Defensive frailties have been brutally exposed, and the team has conceded goals at an alarming rate, compounding the pressure on a manager desperate to turn things around.

Fans openly chanted for his dismissal when Forest fell to a shock 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, with many questioning the club’s decision to appoint him.

Postecoglou, if he is sacked inside the next 10 days, could become the shortest-reigning manager in Premier League history — breaking former Charlton Athletic boss Les Reed’s record — who was shown his P45 after just 41 days in the 2006/2007 season.

It may not be during this international break after all, according to reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, but Sky Sports have reported that Marinakis isn’t afraid to be ruthless and pull the trigger if Postecoglou doesn’t turn things around quickly.

Should the club decide to part ways with Postecoglou, a shortlist of replacement candidates is already emerging in the media.

Leading the pack among rumored successors is Fulham’s Marco Silva. The Portuguese is respected for his experience navigating the Premier League with limited resources, and Silva also boasts a good relationship with Marinakis following their successful period at Olympiacos together.

Silva is a long-term target for Forest, so this is apparently one to keep an eye on, while Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is also a “prime candidate” to replace Postecoglou, according to TEAMtalk.

There is another option too — former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

Rafael Benitez open to Nottingham Forest managerial talks

The Spaniard, who guided Liverpool to a Champions League title in 2005, also won La Liga twice at Valencia and led Chelsea to a Europa League triumph 12 years ago.

Benitez also boasts a Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Club World Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup on his illustrious CV, with the 65-year-old’s last job in management coming at Celta Vigo in 2024.

He hasn’t coached in England since leaving his lacklustre spell at Everton in 2022, but the tactician’s undoubted experience could be appealing to the Tricky Trees.

Benitez was spotted in “close proximity” to Marinakis during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League last week, and a report from GiveMeSport has now shared an update on the prospect of his potential move to Forest.

Clubs

Tenure

Matches in charge

Titles/achievements

Real Valladolid

1995-96

25

Osasuna

1996

9

Extremadura

1997-99

92

Segunda promotion

Tenerife

2000-01

46

Segunda promotion

Valencia

2001-04

162

La Liga X2

UEFA Cup

Liverpool

2004-12

350

Champions League

FA Cup

UEFA Super Cup

Internazionale

2010

25

FIFA Club World Cup

Supercoppa Italiana

Chelsea

2012-13

48

Europa League

Napoli

2013-15

112

Coppa Italia

Supercoppa Italiana

Real Madrid

2015-16

25

Newcastle United

2016-19

146

EFL Championship

Dalian Professional

2019-21

38

Everton

2021-22

22

Celta de Vigo

2023-24

33

GMS report that Benitez would entertain an approach to manage Forest, as he’s keen to manage in the Premier League again, and the former Newcastle boss is under genuine consideration as an option.

Known for his tactical discipline and ability to organize teams defensively, Benitez could help to stabilize a struggling Forest side. His proven track record of guiding teams through relegation battles and achieving promotion — like he did during his spell at Newcastle — shows that he can thrive under pressure.

However, his inactivity lately is perhaps a cause for concern, especially given the increasing demands and pressure on managers to succeed.

Aston Villa were steadily getting back to their best across October.

Indeed, five straight wins had been collected by Unai Emery’s men, with three of those victories falling in October, before a trip to Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles fell on the calendar in the Europa League.

Yet, even with Evann Guessand netting after just four minutes had been played, the Eredivisie hosts would collect a surprise 2-1 win come full-time, as Emery and Co. cursed their luck away from Villa Park.

On another night, Villa might well have at least collected a share of the points. Unfortunately, though, Emiliano Buendia noticeably underperformed throughout, with a second-half missed penalty from the ex-Norwich City midfielder only further confirming that it was the hosts’ lucky day.

Buendia's poor showing against Go Ahead Eagles

Before his Europa League hiccup, Buendia had very much shown Emery why he was deserving of more consistent first-team minutes.

It was widely reported this summer that Buendia was on the brink of a move away from the West Midlands, with his future at the club still remaining uncertain if Villa need to cash in on an asset here and there to satisfy PSR troubles.

Despite all this distracting chatter, Buendia had managed to let his football do the talking as of late, with a standout haul of three goals and an assist from 11 appearances.

However, his poor day at the office in the Netherlands does have the potential to trouble his concrete starting position.

The out-of-sorts number ten would spurn another big chance away from missing that vital spot-kick, with Buendia also uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball at his feet, with possession surrendered a worrying 17 times.

Off the back of this individual showing, leaving a sour taste in Emery’s mouth, the Spaniard could look to alternate options in the number ten spot when Premier League action returns, with Morgan Rogers an easy fix here.

He might not be afforded a spot down the left wing, either, with Guessand scoring from this spot on the pitch against Melvin Boel’s hosts, as the ex-OGC Nice forward was in the right place, at the right time, to poke home a rebound.

Emery will want all of his attackers to be as instinctive as the Ivorian when Manchester City come to town next, with this other notable Villa first-teamer fearful of his starting spot subsequently, after another quiet game passed him by mid-week.

Emery must axe Villa star who is "off it"

The former Arsenal boss isn’t blessed with plentiful options in the centre-forward department anymore, with super sub Jhon Duran now plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League, after once being seen as an ideal second-in-command figure.

This has ramped up the pressure on Ollie Watkins’ shoulders, arguably, with his forgettable season so far displaying a striker in clear decline, with talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney even calling out the England international as being way “off it” back in September, when his goal output had already begun to disastrously dry up.

Games played

12

Minutes played

822

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Since this scathing assessment from the former Watford centre-forward, Watkins has only gone on to pick up an unsatisfactory one strike for the Villans from 12 matches, with Emery clearly losing patience with his usual reliable starter when benching him last time out in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa didn’t look lost without their 88-goal man leading the line, either, with ex-Borussia Dortmund man Donyell Malen filling in as the main marksman somewhat competently, as the likes of the aforementioned Rogers and Buendia stole the show with goals from the midfield areas.

Watkins didn’t exactly bang the door down to reclaim his top-flight starting spot with his shoddy showing against Go Ahead Eagles, with what should have been a confidence-boosting night only sapping the 29-year-old’s belief even more, as three shots failed to find the back of the net from his minimal 17 touches of the ball.

Guessand might even be the face that Emery chooses to start up top against Pep Guardiola’s challengers, if he wants to experiment away from a goalless Malen, with eight goals actually collected by the versatile Ivorian from this position for Nice, as Watkins fears another spot warming the bench is going to come his way later today.

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يستعد فريق ليفربول لمباراة قوية ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، اليوم الأحد، حين يواجه خصمه مانشستر سيتي، بمواجهة يترقبها عشاق كرة القدم حول العالم.

ويستقبل مانشستر سيتي نظيره ليفربول ضمن مباريات الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج” لموسم 2025-2026، وذلك على ملعب “الاتحاد”.

يدخل مانشستر سيتي المباراة وهو في المركز الثالث بجدول الترتيب برصيد 19 نقطة، حيث تراجع من الوصافة بعد فوز تشيلسي أمام ولفرهامبتون بالجولة الحادية عشر.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز السادس في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ويملك في رصيده 18 نقطة.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا في الجولة الماضية بالبريميرليج على حساب أستون فيلا، بعد سلسلة من الهزائم التي تلقاها خلال الموسم الحالي، كما حقق انتصارًا ثمينًا في دوري أبطال أوروبا بهدف نظيف أمام ريال مدريد.

ومانشستر سيتي تغلب على بورنموث بثلاثية لهدف في الجولة الماضية، وتغلب على بوروسيا دورتموند برباعية لهدف بدوري أبطال أوروبا. موعد مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول اليوم

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة السادسة ونصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر، السابعة والنصف بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول اليوم

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports 1. معلق مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول اليوم

يعلق على المباراة، حسن العيدروس.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا.

Liverpool star Mo Salah risks causing huge anger in his native Egypt as he prepares for showdown talks with national boss Hossam Hassan to discuss missing a key warm-up match ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Pharaohs have a friendly with Nigeria planned in early December, but lands in the same week as key matches for the Reds setting up a potential club-v-country row, which Salah hopes to avoid.

• Liverpool braced for Salah exit

  Hassan would be expected to call-up Salah for the training camp and friendly match which has been scheduled for December 12th. But Liverpool face vital Champions League and Premier League fixtures against Inter Milan and Brighton that same week. The Liverpool talisman has endured a tricky season for the champions and is understood to prefer staying with his club for these competitive matches, according to a report in the . This follows a previous disagreement two years ago when Liverpool successfully requested Salah's delayed release, angering some fans in Egypt. The upcoming talks aim to find a resolution that satisfies both parties and prevents a repeat of past tensions. 

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• AFP
  

  Fixture congestion for Liverpool during AFCON

  Salah's upcoming meeting carries significant weight, as the two parties look to finalise the player's release date for the tournament in Morocco which runs from December 21st to January 18th. The talks follow the Egyptian King’s controversial early departure from the last tournament due to injury, which caused frustration among Egyptian fans. The forward, who is just six goals shy of Hassan's own national team scoring record, could miss crucial games for Liverpool. If Egypt, one of the tournament favourites, reach the final on January 18, Salah could be unavailable for up to ten matches, including Tottenham (a), Wolves (h), Leeds (h), Fulham (a), Arsenal (a) and Burnley (h) plus a Champions League game at Marseille and an FA Cup third round tie. These negotiations aim to prevent a repeat of past tensions and find a resolution that works for both the club and country.

• High praise from Reds boss

  Salah has struggled at times this season, seemingly struggling in a new playing system and a number of key new players in attacking positions at Anfield. But boss Slot was clear in explaining why Salah remains so important to his team after reaching the incredible milestone of 250 goals for the Merseysiders.

  Slot said: "It is huge. It's almost unbelievable he has scored 250 goals at one club. Scoring 250 goals is already unbelievable, let alone at one club. You don’t see it that much in football anymore. Apart from the goal he scored tonight he had a very good performance. When we had to play long we played mainly long towards him and he could hold the ball and because of that the rest of the team could come to him and we could keep playing. 

  Slot added: "What I also liked is that he didn’t only do his offensive work really well, but he helped the team out defensively as well. After the 1-0 he was helping Virgil (van Dijk) around the halfway line and this combination of things led to me liking his performance tonight. It’s special for him to score 250 but for him to score is not special as we always know he will score."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Man City boss relaxed about AFCON

  City boss Pep Guardiola isn't worried about losing Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri for an extended period of time. Marmoush only returned to the starting XI following injury in the recent 3-1 win over Swansea, a game the 26-year-old scored in. Asked about the scheduling of the tournament, Guardiola said: "This competition (is) for their countries so they have to go. Always I try to solve the problem when the problem is in front of me. Right now I don’t think (about it). I have to use them for Sunday and next Wednesday and next Sunday before the international break. When it is going to happen they cannot be here and we will see the situation and take the decisions."

He has handed the role of leading the victory song to Carey but that doesn’t mean he’s retiring anytime soon

Andrew McGlashan30-Jun-20251:07

Lyon claims two wickets in two balls to clinch victory

Nathan Lyon has handed over the role of leading the Australia victory song to Alex Carey but has no thoughts on winding down his Test career with ambitions to win series in India and England.Lyon had been the song-master for longer than any other player – a tradition started with Rod Marsh – having been handed the duty by Mike Hussey in 2013 when he retired against Sri Lanka. Lyon was 18 Tests into his career. It briefly went to Carey during the 2023 Ashes when Lyon was injured, but Australia did not win a Test in the remainder of that series.In the 119 Tests Lyon played as holder of the song – – he registered 67 wins. Among the renditions he most remembers were the one the first Test after Phil Hughes’ death in 2015, after beating India at Adelaide Oval, and when they won the Ashes 5-0 in 2013-14.Related

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Lyon, though, hopes to add plenty more victories to that tally in the years to come with two marquee series in his sights.”I’ve been very honoured to first lead the song, but to have it for 12, 13 years, it’s been one of the biggest highlights of my career,” Lyon said. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but this definitely doesn’t mean I’m retiring anytime soon. There’s no talk about me retiring or even thoughts coming in my head.”I’ve always said I want to win away in India, and I want to win away in England. Obviously, we’ve got that opportunity in a couple of years’ time, but we’ve also got to take it Test by Test and make sure we’re doing everything here and getting the games here in West Indies right. Then we’ve got a massive summer at home with the Ashes. But also, another World Test Championship final will be on my cards.”At his current rate of wicket-taking, Nathan Lyon will fly past 600 wickets•Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Lyon would have handed the song over to Carey at the World Test Championship final had Australia won, but South Africa’s victory meant the baton passing waited until Barbados when he dropped a letter to Carey’s room after the second day’s play.”It’s more about the team environment and making sure that I get the opportunity to pass it on to someone who I look at and absolutely love and the way he goes about it on and off the field,” he said. “I just feel like Alex is the perfect candidate. I feel like I ran my race with it and it’s time for someone else to put their touch on it.”Such has been Lyon’s longevity that he is one two survivors from Australia’s 2012 visit to the Caribbean, alongside Mitchell Starc who could play his 100th Test in Jamaica. “There’s been a lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see,” he said. “But I was sitting on the balcony this morning thinking, s**t, I was here in 2012.”A byproduct of Lyon hoping to play for at least two more years, and potentially even more, is that he will likely surpass 600 Test wickets and could even challenge Shane Warne’s iconic tally of 708. Lyon averages four wickets per Test and with 21 more to play in this embryonic WTC cycle, plus the 150th anniversary Test against England in March 2027, he could be nudging 650 by the time of the next away Ashes in 2027.”Warney’s a long way away,” Lyon said. “And in my eyes, he’s the greatest to ever play the game. I’m just lucky to be part of a pretty special cricket team at the moment. We’re on our way to becoming a great cricket team, we not there [yet] as I always say. But to be part of this bowling attack and play my role is special. That’s the reason why I keep playing.”

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Australia coach Andrew McDonald believes it is difficult to draw too many long-term conclusions around the team’s batting from the West Indies tour given the often hazardous conditions they faced, particularly at Sabina Park which he termed at times “didn’t even look like cricket”.McDonald, who questioned the future of the pink Dukes ball in Test cricket, was confident Sam Konstas wouldn’t suffer negatively from the experience of the tour as he slips back into the pack of opening contenders ahead of the Ashes. He also does not expect Marnus Labuschagne to be out of the side for long having already seen encouraging signs during his training since being dropped in Barbados.”It’s really difficult to make accurate judgments on both batting units based upon the surfaces that we played on,” McDonald told on SEN Radio. “And you take that into the third Test, which is a pink-ball Dukes on that surface, that game just moved way too fast and at times, it didn’t even look like cricket.Related

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• Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

“…That cricket was borderline impossible to play at certain stages. Some of those deliveries from Mitchell Starc, the way that ball behaved under lights. So it’s a bigger question for what the pink Dukes looks like for Test match cricket, really.”He conceded, though, that the series had left questions rather than answering them. “It feels as though we’ll still be a little bit unsettled in terms of what our combinations look like at the top of the order with the way that the performances have gone here,” he said. “In saying that, there’s a lot of cricket still to come to be able to gather that information.”Konstas ended the series averaging 8.33 having only once made it past 20 and he cut a forlorn figure in the closing days of the series, dropping a couple of catches during West Indies’ 27 all out and misfielding to allow them to escape equaling the lowest Test total.There remains a chance he could still open against England in Perth when the Ashes starts in late November, but that will likely require a surge of runs in the early part of the Sheffield Shield season which shapes as a bat-off to open alongside Usman Khawaja, who retains the selectors’ backing for the home summer.It has been questioned whether Konstas’ series did him more harm than good, but McDonald did not buy into that perception.McDonald on Marnus Labuschagne: “We feel as though this wasn’t going to be a huge gap before he does return because of the quality, but the start of the Shield season will really shape that”•Getty Images

“I don’t think anyone’s damaged by being exposed to Test cricket because I think what it does do is it gives you a taste of what that level is like,” he said. “All the things that come around being a Test cricketer, not just purely going out there, marking centre and going about your business.”There’s no doubt he’s got some things to work on, like all our players do, and they continually work on. He’s clear on what they are. We feel as though across the journey, he’s a highly talented player, and I hate to use that word talent, but his skillsets over time, I think we’ll see the real Sam Konstas.”At the moment he’s juggling his aggressive nature, he’s juggling his technique and the way he really wants to go about playing it. But when you’ve got up-and-down seaming wickets, it can force you into those corners a lot quicker than some surfaces that potentially are batter friendly, which we were expecting to get here.”Konstas replaced Labuschagne at the top of the order after the latter had been given a chance to open in the World Test Championship final. Labuschagne was then dropped for the first time since 2019 but there is a sense the selectors are already looking at how they can get him back in the side.Opening would appear Labuschagne’s likely route to return given Cameron Green’s strong finish in the Caribbean at No. 3 although there is also a scenario where Green slips back to the middle order. McDonald reiterated that there wouldn’t be a need for Labuschagne to open for Queensland to be considered for the Test role.”I think towards the end there [before being left out], and Marnus won’t mind me saying this, that there was a little bit of going backward and forward on plans and at certain stages he wasn’t clear,” he said. “He’s got great clarity leaving here, which is a successful tour, albeit he hasn’t played a game…and [we] look forward to what he does coming into the early Shield rounds and then putting his hand up for selection for Perth.”But he’s a quality player. He averages 46 in Test match cricket. We feel as though this wasn’t going to be a huge gap before he does return because of the quality, but the start of the Shield season will really shape that.”Meanwhile, McDonald confirmed that Starc will join Pat Cummins in sitting out the white-ball matches against South Africa in the Top End during August.

Owen also revealed that his game plan in an unfamiliar role at No. 6 was no different to when he has dominated as a franchise opener

Alex Malcolm21-Jul-2025Mitchell Owen says he was more nervous with the ball than he was with the bat in his dream T20I debut against West Indies in Jamaica, revealing that his game plan in an unfamiliar role at No. 6 was no different to when he has dominated as a franchise opener.Owen, 23, joined Ricky Ponting and David Warner as the third Australian man to score a half-century on T20I debut, clubbing 50 off 27 balls to help Australia to a three-wicket win over West Indies in the opening match of a five-game series at Sabina Park.He earlier took his maiden T20I wicket in his first and only over, removing Shai Hope for 55 at a crucial moment in the innings which sparked a West Indies collapse of 6 for 30 that was critical in Australia’s win.Related

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Owen admitted he was very nervous in his first over, especially after Shimron Hetmyer launched his first ball for six.”I thought I was on 36 off the over there when he smacked me for six first ball,” Owen said after the match. “But I was lucky Shai hit one up the shoot and got my first wicket. I was pretty nervous running in those first six balls, but nice to get it out of the way.”Owen’s innings with the bat was even more remarkable given it was his first half-century in T20 cricket batting in a middle-order position. He had earned his call-up to the Australia squad on the back of stunning returns as an opener in the most recent BBL where he made two centuries for Hobart Hurricanes. Prior to Sunday, in 16 career T20 innings batting from No. 3 to 8, he had scored just 174 runs at 14.50, with a strike-rate of 148.71 and a highest score of 34, and had only twice batted at No. 6.Owen said he was unperturbed by starting against spin with five men on the rope.”I honestly tried not to look at the field too much and just sort of react to each ball, which I think held me in good stead,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a little bit different, but I think my process, my game plan, wasn’t too different to opening the batting coming in at six. We had to strike at 10s or nines when I came out. So I still had to be nice and positive. If I took my time to sort of try and get into innings, I feel like I sort of dig myself a hole. So, yeah, just try and get after them from ball one.”With captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head likely to be Australia’s first-choice openers for T20 World Cup next year, and Matthew Short the first-choice back-up, the selectors were keen to trial Owen in the middle-order and will be delighted with the early returns.

“I’ve been on the receiving end of this bowling to him over the past nine months, and he’s just in a different world at the moment. I think anything that’s remotely missed the mark from a bowling point of view, he seems to to clear the rope. You see zero fours and six sixes. I think that shows that he’s ultra aggressive and if you miss your line and length, he’s going to make you pay.”Ben Dwarshuis on Mitch Owen’s debut

His fearlessness against spin would have pleased them most given Australia’s middle order has often been bogged down by left-arm spin and legspin through the middle stages in the past. Owen blasted three sixes in four balls off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the 12th over. He also launched two sixes off Andre Russell and one off Alzarri Joseph.Owen combined beautifully with new No. 4 Cameron Green, who himself worked two twos of Gudakesh Motie in the middle phase before smashing him for a six and a boundary to go with the four other sixes he hammered off Joseph and Jason Holder. The pair added 80 off 40 balls after coming together at 78 for 4 in the ninth over.”It was a lot of fun,” Owen said. “It’s the first time I’ve been on the same side as Greeny. So it was nice to be out there with him and contribute to a pretty good partnership. We kept each other nice and calm and just stuck to our processes.”Mitchell Owen and Cameron Green put up a match-winning stand•Getty ImagesBen Dwarshuis, who starred with the ball in Australia’s win taking 4 for 36, told ESPN’s Around the Wicket that Owen’s batting is on a different planet at the moment.”I’ve been on the receiving end of this bowling to him over the past nine months, and he’s just in a different world at the moment,” Dwarshuis said. “I think anything that’s remotely missed the mark from a bowling point of view, he seems to clear the rope. You see zero fours and six sixes. I think that shows that he’s ultra aggressive and if you miss your line and length, he’s going to make you pay.”It capped a dream debut for Owen after he received his T20I cap from close friend and Hobart Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis, with his parents and his partner at Sabina Park to watch it.”Really special,” Owen said. “He had some really nice words for me. I was obviously stoked to get the hat and stoked to have my parents over here. Obviously, it’s a bit of a messed up travel getting to the West Indies, but yeah, they’ve sacrificed a lot my whole life, and this trip’s only just another one. So super grateful that they got to experience that.”