Trio of middle order fifties see hosts recover from 46 for 3, with Tom Banton unbeaten on 57

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jun-2025Somerset 275 for 6 (Abell 64, Rew 58, Abbas 2-45) vs NottinghamshireHalf-centuries from James Rew, Tom Abell and Tom Banton dug Somerset out of trouble on a compelling first day of the Rothesay County Championship match with Division One leaders Nottinghamshire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.A crowd of just under 3,000 saw the home side slip to 46 for three after winning the toss before Rew (58), Abell (64) and Banton (57 not out) guided them to 275 for 6 at the close. There were two wickets each for Mohammad Abbas and Brett Hutton.All the Notts bowlers displayed commendable accuracy to ensure their opponents could never cut loose and the pitch offered them just enough assistance to ensure an absorbing contest between bat and ball.Somerset opted for a new opening partnership of Sean Dickson and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but were soon in trouble as, with only ten runs on the board, Dickson fell lbw to Hutton for a duck, advancing down the pitch.Soon it was 22 for 2 as Tom Lammonby, on two, played forward and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan to give Hutton a second wicket. Kohler-Cadmore had begun positively and hit five fours in scoring 31 off 55 balls before getting a good delivery from Mohammad Abbas that left him off the pitch, forcing an edge that was again snapped up by Kishan.At 46 for three in the 15th over, Somerset were in hole. But there was no great movement in the air or off the pitch for the seamers and Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was soon introduced from the River End as Rew and Abell went about rebuilding the innings.By lunch they had taken the total to 100 for 3 from 31 overs, Rew looking the more fluent in moving to 41, while Abell had battled for his 17. The afternoon session saw Rew move to a half-century off 86 balls, including 8 fours, making good use of the sweep against the spinners.Abell had gradually found his timing and placement, but when the stand had progressed to 99 from 34.4 overs, Rew straight drove a delivery from seamer Lyndon James, who stooped to take a sharp return catch.It looked an important breakthrough for the visitors, although Abell was looking an increasing threat as he moved to fifty off 126 balls, with five fours. Banton, struggling for form since a triple century in the opening game of the season against Worcestershire, was given a life on two when Patterson-White spilled a relatively straightforward chance at first slip off James.Patterson-White quickly atoned by taking the valuable wicket of Abell, who spared the umpire a decision by turning to walk off after feathering a catch to Kishan down the leg side. At 179 for 5, Somerset were back under pressure and just six runs had been added when tea was taken.Notts had bowled well all day, giving little away, and that continued in the final session, which saw Banton and Archie Vaughan made to fight for every run on the normally fast-scoring ground. Both displayed exemplary concentration and careful shot selection to put together a half-century stand from 83 balls.Despite a short boundary on the town side of the ground, the scoring rate was only fractionally above three an over when the second new ball became available at 243 for 5. The impressive Abbas struck with it in the 83rd over, as Vaughan, on 35, aimed a back-foot forcing shot and was caught at a wide third slip by Jack Haynes.Banton, who loves nothing more than dominating a bowling attack, showed the required degree of restraint to reach fifty off 103 balls, having hit five fours. Kasey Aldridge, recalled to the Somerset team, proved an equally determined partner in taking Somerset through to the close, scoring just four off 34 balls.

Netherlands joined Italy in securing qualification but Scotland were knocked out

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2025Italy have secured qualification for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, despite losing to Netherlands at The Hague. Next year’s tournament will mark Italy’s first appearance at a cricket World Cup. Netherlands also qualified for the event after comfortably chasing 135.Scotland, who have featured in the last four editions of the T20 World Cup, were knocked out after suffering a last-ball defeat against Jersey earlier in the day. Despite pulling off a one-wicket heist, Jersey were also knocked out after Netherlands beat Italy. Both Italy and Jersey were level with five points, but Italy ended up progressing to the 2026 T20 World Cup, by virtue of a superior net run-rate.Italy only needed to avoid a heavy defeat, which they did by stretching Netherlands’ chase to 16.2 overs. They confirmed their place in next year’s T20 World Cup in the 15th over before Netherlands completed their job and joined Italy in the event.After having opted to bat, Italy lost both their openers, Justin Mosca and Emilio Gay, within three overs and when their captain Joe Burns (22) fell in the seventh over, they were 41 for 3. Wicketkeeper-batter Marcus Campopiano also fell cheaply, leaving Italy at 46 for 4 in the ninth over. Ben Manenti then rallied along with the lower order to help Italy post a relatively competitive 134 for 7. Left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe was the pick of the bowlers for Netherlands, returning 3 for 15 in four overs, including the key wicket of Burns.Manenti found support from No. 7 Grant Stewart (25 off 16) and No. 8 Anthony Mosca (13* off 14). Italy took 33 off the last three overs, including 15 off the penultimate over bowled by allrounder Bas de Leede.Netherlands celebrate their tournament win•International Cricket Council

Netherlands then dashed out of the blocks, hitting 66 for no loss in the powerplay in their chase. Max O’Dowd and Michael Levitt extended their opening stand to 71 before Crishan Kalugamage struck in the eighth over to dismiss Levitt for 34 off 25 balls, an innings which included five fours and a six. O’Dowd and captain Scott Edwards then put on an unbroken 64-run partnership for the second wicket to see Netherlands home.Kalugamage finished with figures of 1 for 25 in his four overs and though Harry Manenti didn’t strike on the day, he ended the Europe regional final as its top wicket-taker. He took eight wickets at an average of 9.62 and economy rate of 7.70 in three matches.As for Jersey, they sealed their first-ever win against Scotland, but their joy was short-lived with the result of the Italy-Netherlands fixture not going in their favour. In pursuit of 134, Jersey were cruising at 81 for 1 in the 12th over, but the wicket of Nick Greenwood triggered a collapse. Jersey lost 8 for 48 and were left needing five off four balls. Captain Charles Perchard and No. 11 Jake Dunford picked off 2,1,1,1 to keep Jersey in the race before Netherlands and Italy qualified at their expense.Fifteen teams have qualified for the men’s T20 World Cup 2026 so far. The East-Asia Pacific qualifier will see three more sides qualify from the competition while two further teams will make it through from the Africa qualifier.

Pakistan opener’s 117 helps make light work of Lancashire’s paltry total of 294

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 12-Aug-2025Yorkshire 295 for 3 (Imam 117, Luxton 77, Shetty 1-35) beat Lancashire 294 for 7 (Jones 102, White 2-66) by seven wickets Group B leaders Yorkshire maintained their 100 percent winning start to this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup as they confidently chased 295 to beat Lancashire by seven wickets at Clifton Park in York thanks to a second successive century for in-form overseas opener Imam-ul-Haq.The White Rose won their third successive game, beating the previously unbeaten Red Rose, who had won one and had the other washed out.Lancashire posted a 294 for 7 total thanks largely to an entertaining opening 102 off 88 balls from Michael Jones in front of a sell-out 4,500 crowd.But Imam was the cornerstone of Yorkshire’s reply with 117 off 124 balls and shared a defining 153 for the second wicket with Will Luxton, 77 off 63. They won with 19 balls remaining.Classy Pakistani left-hander Imam is now the leading run-scorer in this season’s One-Day Cup with 331 having hit 10 fours and five sixes. He hit a career best 159 in victory at Northamptonshire last Friday.Ormskirk-born ex-Red Rose Jones posted his first century since rejoining from Durham over the winter. Inserted, Lancashire started well as Jones reached a 33-ball fifty and helped them to 100 for one in the 18th over.Either side of losing George Bell lbw playing to leg against two-wicket seamer Jack White – 43 for 1 after seven – Jones hoisted three sixes over long-on and long-off and hit one arrow straight off Ben Coad’s seam.He later pulled successive sixes off Matthew Revis towards the latter stages of a 92-run stand with his captain Marcus Harris, who was the first of two wickets to fall in as many overs as the score fell to 136 for 3 in the 24th.Harris was caught behind driving at Revis for 32 before Ben Coad trapped Josh Bohannon lbw without scoring. Jones reached his century off 79 balls and hit seven sixes in all. But the visitors were checked impressively through the middle of their innings.They were limited to 40 runs from the end of the 25th over – 143 for 3 – to the end of the 35th, where they reached at 183 for four having lost Jones slicing White out to deep cover.Replays suggest George Balderson was reprieved on 18 as he pulled Dan Moriarty for four. Him stepping on off-stump in the process went unnoticed by the umpires. Balderson made a dynamic 70 off 48 balls as Lancashire fell just short of 300 in excellent batting conditions.Tom Bailey had Adam Lyth caught behind driving early in Yorkshire’s chase, which fell to 16 for 1. But Luxton kicked things into life by taking three fours and six – all through leg – off Will Williams’ first four balls, in the 11th over, as the score moved to 57 for one.From there, Luxton and Imam cruised along against a Lancashire attack lacking depth, understandable with half a dozen bowlers on Hundred duty.By the time Luxton reached his fifty off 42 balls, Yorkshire were 107 for one after 20 overs. Imam’s third in as many matches – this off 72 balls – followed shortly afterwards.When Luxton miscued Charlie Barnard’s left-arm spin to long-on, Yorkshire were still a long way ahead at 169 for two in the 30th over.Imam reached his latest hundred off 118 balls by pulling Bailey for his third six before falling caught at midwicket on the pull against Arav Shetty’s spin – 220 for three in the 37th. This was the fourth time in his career he has scored List A centuries in successive matches.James Wharton and Revis wrapped things up with 41 apiece in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 75.

Sciver-Brunt scored century in a game where India’s batting collapsed in the absence of senior players

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025Without Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Pratika Rawal, India’s batting order crumbled against England at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence ground in a warm-up fixture ahead of the ODI World Cup. Chasing 341, India were all out for 187, with Arundhati Reddy not coming out to bat due to a leg injury she sustained while bowling.Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who was included in the squad in place of the injured Yastika Bhatia, made a promising 45, while captain Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with 66 off 68 balls. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana combined to make just 43 runs in the middle order.Related

• Reddy suffers blow to knee during warm-up match against England

Sent in to bat, England, propelled by captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s brisk 120 and Emma Lamb’s 84, piled up 340. India’s pace spearhead Renuka Singh struck in her first over to remove Tammy Beaumont, and the hosts had both Amy Jones and Heather Knight back before the halfway stage. However, Sciver-Brunt and Lamb’s 173-run stand put England in front, despite Kranti Goud’s three-wicket haul later in the innings.Shafali Verma notched up 70 off 49•Getty Images

Shafali Verma, left out of India’s World Cup squad, scored a blistering 49-ball 70 in India A’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected fixture.After New Zealand posted 273 for 9 on the back of Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 101 at No. 7, multiple rain interruptions left India chasing a revised target of 225 in 40 overs. Shafali’s brisk knock – which included 11 fours and a six – gave the innings early momentum. Captain Minnu Mani remained unbeaten on 39, while wicketkeeper Madiwala Mamatha contributed a crucial 56 not out off 60 balls at No. 8.Earlier, Sayali Satghare, the reserve seamer for India at the World Cup, picked up three wickets. India A had New Zealand reeling at 146 for 7, but Gaze’s counterattacking century helped the Sophie-Devine-led side post a competitive total.In Colombo, both the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game and South Africa’s match against Bangladesh were washed out. Sri Lanka were 33 for 1 in 7.3 overs when play came to an end, while in the other contest, South Africa had reached 45 for 3 in nine overs before rain intervened. Bangladesh’s young pacer Marufa Akter dismissed both Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen, while Nahida Akter bowled Marizanne Kapp – a dream start for Bangladesh.

Charlton take on Middlesbrough this weekend in what is a huge game for both sides at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship table.

Neither side won last time out, though Boro had a much better time of things compared to the Addicks.

Whilst the men from Teesside were unlucky to not win against Nottingham Forest last night, Charlton were beaten comfortably by Huddersfield in a result that has really hit Addicks fans.

Even so, a raucous Valley could well put things right for the run in and fans will be hoping that the players help them generate such an atmosphere.

They’ll be working hard this week in training, then, and it seems as though Lee Bowyer is getting as hands on as possible with him taking part in yesterday’s session:

The former Leeds midfielder played at the highest level and probably still has a bit in the locker with Addicks fans reacting to it on Twitter.

Let’s take a look at the best of what has been said:

It seems almost an eternity since Alex Ferguson was leading Manchester United’s dominance of the Premier League.

Ferguson is the greatest manager the Premier League has ever seen. During his time at Old Trafford he won a remarkable 37 trophies, including 13 Premier League and two Champions League titles.

When the Scot decided to retire, everyone knew it was going to hit the club hard, but they underestimated how far backwards the side would go.

David Moyes was his initial replacement, but unfortunately he endured a very slow start and the board decided to cut their losses and get rid of the former Everton boss.

Louis van Gaal is the man at the helm now, and the no nonsense Dutchman has certainly made some strange decisions during his reign. Decisions that have often reflected badly on United.

It is as if the experienced manager is on a personal mission to ruin Manchester United. The most recent area of focus has been towards the former Holland manager’s dealings in the transfer market.

The Dutchman has lived by the phrase ‘quantity not quality,’ embarking on a spending sprees in each of the two summer windows.

It appears his main aim has been to remove all the remaining pieces of the Fergie title winning squad from 2013. Only nine players still remain at the club from that side.

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Since he took over he has spent over a quarter of a billion pounds. Big money signings like Anders Herrera, Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay should have put the Red Devils in line with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.

Unfortunately it hasn’t worked out that way. The side couldn’t be further from their rivals and look involved in a battle just to qualify for the Champions League, let alone trying to challenge for the title.

Angel Di Maria was meant to be the big marquee name that was going to lead United to glory, but the player just didn’t fit into the van Gaal regime, the Argentine struggled to replicate anywhere near the form he showed at Real Madrid. He was shipped out to PSG after just one year for a £20million loss.

Now he has made another risky big money signing in Anthony Martial from Monaco.

At 19-years-old the Frenchman is in the very early stages of his career, he is still learning and now is moving to Old Trafford with a crazy amount of pressure to succeed on his shoulders because of that ridiculous £36million fee.

There could be a feeling of deja vu next summer if Martial fails to make an instant impact.

Of course transfers aren’t the only area that needs to worry United fans. Tactically Van Gaal doesn’t have a clue what is best for his side.

He has bought in a dull, direct style of football that has no impetus on attack.

It is often painful to watch and is ruining some of the side’s best players, including Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.

Rooney is struggling to make any kind of effect as a lone striker. He is often left completely isolated and finds himself coming deep to win the ball but instead of having someone to aim for up front like in the past.

As for Mata he is one of the best number 10’s in the league, but he finds himself forced out on the wing where he Spaniard struggles to have the impact we all know he is capable of.

It is a lose/lose situation. Van Gaal is likely to be too stubborn to realise where he is going wrong and if the players become frustrated they can find themselves on the long list of high profile names he has had bust ups with.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Rivaldo, Luca Toni and Hristo Stoichkov are just some of the players that have found themselves at war with the United boss in previous years.

Stoichkov has made no secret of his spat with the former Barca boss, telling the media how he nearly ruined Barcelona and is going to do the same thing to Manchester United.

Despite not being at United all that long we have already seen several players endure a run in with the veteran manager.

Victor Valdes has become and outcast thanks to Van Gaal and their run in over his apparent refusal to play in the reserves. It was only a couple of years ago Valdes was the main man at Barcelona. He is too good to be left in the reserves.

Now Marcos Rojo is the latest casualty. His time at United looks close to ending with the Argentine falling to the bottom of the pecking order after his row regarding the passport issues on the club’s pre-season tour.

It is not just the members of the current squad that suffer because of the negative atmosphere following the arguments. It has been rumoured Pedro turned down United because he didn’t like the treatment his friend Valdes had received.

The list of players who don’t want to play for the experienced manager is continuing to grow and when it deprives United of one of their top transfer targets, then you can see there is a massive problem.

United are never going to move forward with Van Gaal in charge, the board need to realise this soon before the Dutchman gets let loose in another transfer window.

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Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas has publicly denied have a rift with manager Jose Mourinho amid the club’s current crisis, according to reports from the Telegraph.The Blues have had a miserable season so far this term, with the champions sitting in a disappointing 15th place on the Premier League table.WANT MORE? >> ChelseaÂTransfer News | Latest Transfer NewsReports have circulated that one of Chelsea’s stars would rather lose for the current manager than push for a victory, indicating a huge rift in the dressing room.And Fabregas is one of the names being mentioned, however the Spain international has come out on Twitter to publicly deny these suggestions that he is at heads with the former Real Madrid boss.He wrote: “I would like to clarify that contrary to a few reports from some online websites, I am extremely happy at Chelsea and have an excellent relationship with the manager. There maybe certain individuals from the outside trying to destabilise this club but I strongly believe that we will bounce back and come good again.â€Several other players have also expressed their loyalty to Mourinho despite his recent silly rants at referees and his opponents, but the Portuguese’s job security is in major doubt due to the trigger happy Chelsea hierarchy.It looked as if Mourinho was set to be fired after their loss to Liverpool last weekend, yet it seems as if he has been given one last chance to turn things around.

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Guillermo Varela has made his way into Louis van Gaal’s starting XI for tonight’s key clash with Wolfsburg. LVG, in an ideal world, would not really want to be thrusting a 22-year-old rookie into the deep end in a game his side cannot lose and get away with (unless they’re very lucky), but injuries have taken their toll, and the Uruguayan faces a 90 minutes that could define his United career.

Although highly-rated prior to his move to Old Trafford in 2013, Varela faces a stiff task in keeping Julian Draxler quiet on his full debut. It’s likely that the South American will be up against the German attacking midfielder, who possesses the sort of close control and technique, as well as power and pace, that have had some of Europe’s biggest teams sniffing for quite a while.

Aaaaaaaand the worries are being broadcast on Twitter by anxious RedDevils fans…

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We’re now just over a month away from Christmas, New Year’s and perhaps most importantly of all, the opening of the January transfer window.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has now enjoyed the best part of two months at the Anfield helm, allowing him to adequately assess the quality of player at his disposal, but the German gaffer won’t truly be able to imprint his own ideals onto the squad until he signs a few recruits of his own choosing.

Resultantly, Liverpool are the club to look out for in the coming transfer window. Although it seems unlikely a major overhaul will be instigated midseason, the Reds look set to make at least a few additions to kickstart the Klopp era.

And we could see the 48-year-old revert back to his old stomping ground to achieve that aim, namely the Bundesliga. He won the division title in successive seasons during his spell at Borussia Dortmund and certainly knows where its brightest and cheapest gems are stashed away.

Just in case Klopp is short on a few ideas, however, here’s a list of FIVE Bundesliga stars Football FanCast think Liverpool should target in the January window…

KARIM BELLARABI

A natural winger is one of the glaring omissions in Liverpool’s current squad and Karim Bellarabi represents one of the Bundesliga’s best in that regard.

He was nothing short of sensational for Bayer Leverkusen last season, bagging an impressive twelve goals and six assists in 33 Bundesliga outings whilst averaging the most successful dribbles per match, 4.7, of any player in the division.

The 25-yea-rold is yet to rekindle that form this season, finding just two goals and one assist in 13 league appearances. But sixth-place Bayer have been below par as a collective and through his explosive power and pace on the counter-attack, the German international seems particularly befitting of Premier League football.

ESPN rate Bellarabi at around the £15million mark, which should be well within Liverpool’s financial reach. But under contract at the BayArena until 2020, Leverkusen will feel under no obligation to sell midseason.

NEVEN SUBOTIC

Since taking the Anfield helm last month, Jurgen Klopp has repeatedly insisted that he won’t attempt to raid former club Borussia Dortmund for their best players. But if there’s one Black-Yellow who’d certainly consider a move to Merseyside, its defender Neven Subotic.

The somewhat more passive partner to Mats Hummels, the Serbian international has been overshadowed by the German World Cup winner for much of his Black-Yellows career. But he’s a highly-talented defender in his own right and particularly on the deck, with a sharp turn of pace, a strong reading of the game and a penchant for last-ditch tackles.

The 26-year-old signed a contract extension until 2018 in May but much has changed at Westfalenstadion since then. There’s a new manager at the helm and Subotic has spent almost the entirety of the season injured due to a recurring back problem, with Hummels and Greek international Sokratis excelling in his absence.

Resultantly, the 6 foot 2 defender could find starting opportunities hard to come by when returning to full fitness and Liverpool certainly need another option at centre-half with £20million man Dejan Lovren still struggling to convince. Having also worked under the Liverpool gaffer at former club Mainz, Subotic would be the ideal signing to kick off the Klopp era at Anfield.

JOEL MATIP

Another Bundesliga-based centre-back option worth Liverpool’s consideration ahead of the January transfer window is FC Schalke’s Joel Matip.

The 24-year-old is enjoying a fantastic start to the season at the Veltins Arena, featuring in every minute of their league campaign thus far whilst averaging 1.5 tackles, 3.5 interceptions, 5.5 clearances and 3.8 successful aerial duels per match. He’s also claimed two goals, one assist and two Man of the Match awards according to Whoscored.com.

Klopp likes his teams to build from the back and the Cameroon international would be ideal in that regard, having spent as much of his Schalke career in midfield as at the heart of defence. Indeed, in addition to boasting an incredibly athletic and agile 6 foot 4 frame, Matip offers composure, quality and occasional flair on the ball.

Perhaps most appealingly of all, his Miners contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Despite murmurings of an improved deal, nothing has materialised just yet and should the situation remain the same in January, Liverpool have a fantastic chance to prize away a talented, young and versatile defender on the cheap.

GRANIT XHAKA

Liverpool were linked with Granit Xhaka earlier this month and the Borussia Monchengladbach star would certainly be an impressive addition to their midfield.

The Switzerland international has been compared to Steven Gerrard in the past and even dubbed ‘young Schweinsteiger’ by former manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, sharing the duo’s blend of robust upper-body strength, mixed-range passing and the ability to find the net from distance.

The 23-year-old has often caught the eye since joining Die Fohlen in summer 2012 and indeed for ex-employers FC Basel, but he’s been in exceptionally good form this season; notching up three goals in eleven appearances whilst averaging 2.2 tackles, 3.2 interceptions, 1.5 shots and 1.1 successful dribbles per match.

He’s also been amongst Gladbach’s best performers in the Champions League, awarded an average rating of 7.46 by Whoscred.com.

Xhaka seems destined to ply his trade at a higher level but under contract until 2019, it will take a considerable offer to convince his club to sell in the coming transfer window.

MARIO GOTZE

Mario Gotze may have scored the winning goal in a World Cup final, but his career at club level has taken a significant hit since moving to the Allianz Arena in summer 2013.

Indeed, the German international was deemed one of the most promising youngsters in world football when tipping the midfield of Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund side, but has gone on to see just 4476 minutes’ worth of action in the Bundesliga under Pep Guardiola, which works out at just shy of 50 full appearances from a possible 81, and often finds himself benched for Bayern Munich’s most important Champions League fixtures.

The 23-year-old’s agent made plenty of noise about leaving during the summer due to a lack of game time and having made just six starts across all competitions so far this time, the issue will undoubtedly rise up again in the new year.

A supremely natural talent who previously flourished under Klopp and has proved effective in a variety of roles throughout the middle and final third, Gotze represents an ambitious albeit plausible coup for the Merseysiders.

Likewise, his contract will be into its final 18 months come the January transfer window, so a decent bid could convince the Bavarians to cash in.

‘And now, the end is near’, sang Frank Sinatra.

And so it probably is at Anfield for the talented footballer with seemingly glass legs. It’s a shame because Daniel Strurridge is damn good player, and Liverpool and England need a Sturridge.

However, his fitness, or lack of it, is the concern. There’s a feeling that Jurgen Klopp is running out of patience and Sturridge will be replaced, handed his P45 by the start of next season. If that’s the case, then there will be a few clubs lining up to take him, but with one very wary eye on his injuries.

So, where did Sturridge come from and what’s up with one of the best strikers we have?

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After being on the books at Aston Villa, he moved to Midlands neighbours Coventry City before joining the Manchester City academy at the age of 13. He signed pro forms aged 17 and trained with the City first team at the beginning of the 2006-07 season.

His first goal for The Citizens came against Sheffield United in the FA Cup and his first league goal arrived his full debut against Derby County.

It was going to be tough for the young Sturridge to break into the first team on a regular basis and in the summer of 2009, he joined Chelsea, despite City fans voted him best young player of the season.

Having signed a four year deal with Chelsea after the fee was agree by a tribunal, he once again scored on his debut in a friendly, but his first goals in a blue shirt didn’t come until the FA Cup in January 2010, when he scored a brace against Watford in the third round. As for league goals, they didn’t appear until April that season, as Chelsea beat Stoke City 7-0 at Stamford Bridge. Sturridge appeared in the 2010 FA Cup Final and finished that season with four goals, but his striking prowess had been noted, as he scored goals en route to the FA Cup Final.

Despite showing some promise, he wasn’t getting the games he needed and in January 2011, Sturridge went on loan to Bolton. Once again, this happy knack of scoring on his debut continued and in twelve appearances for Bolton, he scored eight goals. Andrea Villas-Boas was the Chelsea manager for the 2011-12 season and he gave Sturridge his chance in the first team.

It was all he needed and Sturridge provided 11 goals throughout the season and a few notable assists as well. The 2012-13 season was to be his last at Stamford Bridge as Rafa Benitez took the reigns. In January 2013, Sturridge signed a long-term contract with Liverpool for around £12m.

His goal-scoring stats for Liverpool are extremely good. According to Liverpool FC, Sturridge has scored 44 goals in 73 appearances, so despite the persistent injuries, he is still, when fit, a top player. We’ve only seen him make six appearances this year, but he has scored four times. Although he is seemingly another Andy Carroll in terms of a plague of injuries (is it a Liverpool curse?), Liverpool and England need a fit Sturridge.

On the international arena, Sturridge has played 16 games with a return of five goals.

So we have a quality player, that’s for sure, and the plaudits for Sturridge are many, but where is he now in the plans of Jurgen Klopp?

WANT MORE? >> Liverpool transfer news | Latest transfer news

Well, firstly, Jurgen Klopp hasn’t a clue when Sturridge will play again. The 26-year-old has only played 106 minutes under Klopp and there is still no clear return to action for the player. In an interview with Sky Sports, Klopp said: “He is still working. Sometimes it is better, sometimes it is a bit worse because of other issues.”

“His injury history means this [slow progress] is normal. It is no coincidence. Some things are not right if you are injured so often. We have to be really sensitive with all the information we get. That is what we try to do. We’re trying to find a point from which we can train and build up fitness.”

Rumours that West Ham were looking to buy and then make a loan bid for the player are a little ridiculous. Liverpool don’t appear to want to lose Sturridge in the January window. The transfer opening is too small to identify a potential replacement and let’s face it, if Sturridge was fit, there wouldn’t be the need for the speculation over his future.

There are also thoughts that Klopp is too harsh on Sturridge. Klopp has gone on record to suggest that Sturridge needs a long period of uninterrupted training before he plays in the first team again, but the patience at Anfield is a clock that is ticking down. Klopp says he is frustrated, but then maybe Sturridge is too. The player has a chance of going to France in the summer, but not if he’s not playing and that’s bad news for England as well.

Sturridge may have to play and put up with some pain to please Klopp and to be considered for the European Championships this summer. However, doubts still surround a talented but crocked Daniel Sturridge.

West Ham have shown incredible patience with Carroll and Arsenal with Wilshere, maybe Liverpool just need a little more patience, too?

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