Lionel Messi could miss Argentina's upcoming international fixtures after suffering a hamstring injury while in action for Inter Miami.

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Messi has active hamstring injuryCould miss Argentina windowTata Martino reveals ideal return dateWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Argentine sports newspaper Diario Olé, the Herons talisman could miss out due to the right hamstring injury he suffered in Inter Miami's CONCACAF Champions Cup victory over Nashville SC. The same injury kept him out of their Saturday victory over D.C. United, that saw Luis Suarez come off the bench to score a brace. Tata Martino delivered an update on Messi postgame, though, and it appears the Herons' boss wants to take ease him back.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT TATA MARTINO SAID

“We’ll continuously evaluate what he’s doing. The objective is for him to arrive to be able to play in the quarterfinals of Concacaf Champions Cup. We don't want to take a risk,” Martino said.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Argentina's two international friendlies this March will be against El Salvador and the Nigeria national team, with contests respectively on the 21st and the 26th. The Herons, however play straight-through the international break as MLS doesn't stop during the FIFA window.

Martino's comments revealed that Miami wants their Argentine superstar to be ready for their CONCACAF Champions Cup match against CF Monterrey on Tuesday, April 2. Until then, it's unknown whether or not he will be playing on the international stage next week or rehabbing at the training ground.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIONEL MESSI?

It will be the decision making process of whether or not he plays for Argentina, and whether or not he travels with his squad even if he does not play. The Herons want him to take it easy and push for 100% health, but, could the draw of representing his country again be too much?

Sheffield United are expected to appoint a familiar face imminently, with a fresh report revealing that Paul Heckingbottom could be sacked as early as this weekend.

Sheffield United results and fixtures

In the Premier League, Heckingbottom’s side have had a hugely disappointing start to the new campaign and find themselves at rock bottom of the table having won zero, drawn one and lost eight of their opening nine games, having followed the 8-0 humiliation against Newcastle with defeats to West Ham, Fulham and Manchester United.

The Blades boss recently admitted that he wishes that he and the hierarchy had made better, more impactful signings over the summer when talking to Yorkshire Live about the club’s financial situation, but regardless, his position is becoming more and more in jeopardy with every match that passes.

The Bramall Lane outfit assessing their options as to who they could replace their current boss with, ahead of fixtures against Arsenal, Wolves and Brighton.

And it appears that they have set their sights on one of their ex-leaders in the form of Chris Wilder, who was previously at the helm from May 2016 to March 2021. The 56-year-old was last in a dugout at Watford, but having left his role there earlier this year in May could soon be back in action.

Chris Wilder wanted back at Sheffield United

According to Football Insider, who have shared a Sheffield United manager update, Wilder has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Heckingbottom if he is to be relieved of his duties this weekend.

“Sheffield United are expected to sack Paul Heckingbottom if they lose against Arsenal on Saturday and replace him with ex-manager Chris Wilder, sources have told Football Insider. Wilder has been sounded out by club chiefs and is believed to be waiting in the wings to take over from Heckingbottom.

"A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Sheffield United’s owners have patched up their relationship with the 56-year-old after he was sacked as Blades manager back in March 2021.”

Chris Wilder's record at Sheffield United

During his time at Sheffield United, Wilder took charge of 227 games in total, winning 106, drawing 44 and losing 77 of those, whilst averaging 1.59 points per match, so it’s clear for supporters to see what a positive impact he had over the full course of his reign (Transfermarkt – Wilder statistics).

The Stocksbridge-born coach has also achieved three promotions during his managerial career so he knows exactly what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level, not to mention the existing relationship he will have with several of the club's current squad members and staff.

The board appointing Wilder once again would be completely the right decision considering what an “excellent” boss he is, as per journalist Josh Bunting, so this could be one to keep a close eye on in the extremely near future.

A strong start, an afternoon collapse and a spirited recovery. The strength of Sussex’s promotion ambitions are hard to gauge against bottom club

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2018

Phil Salt and Luke Wells started strongly•Getty Images

ScorecardSussex, attempting to boost their promotion ambitions with a third straight win against bottom of the table Glamorgan, needed a spirited last wicket partnership between Jofra Archer and Danny Briggs to gain the upper hand on the opening day of their day-night Specsavers County Championship Division Two fixture at Hove.Sussex had the better of the opening session but the Glamorgan bowlers proved tenacious and took five wickets in a 20-over spell, assisted by a pink ball that swung after lunch. Sussex, however, have a Manx cat’s tail and the partnership of 61 between Archer (19) and Briggs (46) saw them to a third batting point for passing 300.Openers Luke Wells and Phil Salt built a decent foundation to the innings, with an opening stand of 73. Salt was in particularly impressive form, striking eight fours in his 52-ball 48 before he was dismissed by a fine delivery from Michael Hogan, which straightened and lifted to have him caught behind in the 19th over.Sussex were still well set at 114 for 1 at lunch. But they lost Tom Haines to the first delivery after the interval and the Glamorgan bowlers remained on top for the rest of the session. Haines, playing his first championship game since scoring a century on debut against Durham at Arundel last month, came into the side for the rested Luke Wright. But, attempting to work the ball to leg, he edged Lukas Carey to Nick Selman at second slip.Wells, who had been more sedate than his opening partner, leg-glanced Michael Hogan to reach his fifty from 100 deliveries. But Sussex lost third wicket at 139 when the in-form Harry Finch, driving without any foot movement, was caught behind off Hogan. Finch’s solitary run occupied 32 balls. And one run later Wells hooked Hogan to long-leg for 71 from 142 balls.Michael Burgess was dropped first ball at third slip but Glamorgan were not made to pay for their aberration. The batsman was caught behind having a swing at a wide delivery from Jeremy Lawlor for 13 – the first of three wickets for Lawlor as he acieved a career-best. And it became 171 for 6 when David Wiese swung wildly to give the busy keeper Chris Cooke another catch.Ben Brown and Chris Jordan revived the faltering innings with a seventh wicket stand of 83 in 24 overs. Both batsmen failed to reach deserved half-centuries. Brown (49) was caught behind attempting to cut a ball that was too pitched up for the stroke, and in the next over Jordan (46) was bowled by Hogan.Sussex were 254 for 8 and Glamorgan were on top once more, even more so when Ollie Robinson was caught at second slip at 266 in the first over with the new ball.But in Briggs Sussex have a first-class century maker batting at No 11 and he and Archer hit merrily under the floodlights until Briggs fell in the last over of the day.

West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor has signed for Somerset for the rest of the Vitality Blast. He is expected to be available for nine South Group games, as well as the knockout stage if Somerset qualify.Taylor was a member of the West Indies squad that lifted the 2016 World T20, and played his most-recent T20I in January. He has previously appeared in county cricket for Sussex and Leicestershire.”We are delighted to have secured such a high-quality player for the business end of the Vitality Blast,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He brings with him a wealth of international T20 experience and is a player who can really impact games with the ball, both with the new ball and especially at the end of an innings.”Taylor is set to debut in next Friday’s game against Surrey at The Oval. Once one of West Indies’ fastest bowlers, he claimed 5 for 11 as England were bowled out for 51 in Jamaica nine years ago and has played more than 150 times for his country across all formats. In T20, he has taken 104 wickets in 89 games, with an economy of 8.12.”I’m really excited to be joining Somerset for the Vitality Blast,” Taylor said. “It’s a real honour to join such a prestigious club and I hope that I can help bring my experience to what looks like a really exciting group of young players.”

Sir Alex Ferguson has posed for pictures with Eintracht Frankfurt that look suspiciously like a manager unveiling, but all is not what it seems.

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• Iconic Scottish coach retired in 2013
• Enjoys watching former clubs
• Always had a soft spot for Eintracht

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The legendary former Manchester United boss has been enjoying retirement since walking away from the stresses of life in the dugout back in 2013. He stepped down at Old Trafford with 13 Premier League titles to his name and a historic Treble triumph from 1999.

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• Eintracht Frankfurt (@Eintracht)
  

  THE EXPLANATION

  Ferguson also enjoyed considerable coaching success at Aberdeen, having been a prolific forward in his playing days, and a surprising bond with German outfit Eintracht has been struck up down the years. He is now a lifelong member of the Bundesliga side, having accepted their invitation to fill such a role, and has explained an emotional link that was put in place between Glasgow and Frankfurt.

• WHAT FERGUSON SAID

  After posing for pictures that appear on Eintracht’s , with a club scarf and shirt in hand, Ferguson has said of first experiencing the German outfit in 1960 when they faced Rangers in the European Cup: “It was unbelievable. In the away game, Frankfurt beat Rangers six to one. I was at the home game, when they came to Ibrox, with 70,000 people in attendance. Rangers scored first and of course you then get hopeful, saying that Rangers could come back. They ended up losing by six again. I was a Rangers fan, living only some 200 metres away from Ibrox. I went to the final in 1960 as well, hoping that Frankfurt would win, since they knocked out Rangers. I was 17 years old at the time, playing for FC Queens Park. It was an amazing game. Kress scored the first goal. We said: ‘Wow! A great German team’. But then there was Puskas, Di Stefano, Gento. I don’t think there will ever be another team as charismatic as that Real Madrid team at the time. Puskas scored four goals and Stefano scored three. They were fantastic players. And the 7:3 was an amazing game. It was no disgrace to lose that game. They proved themselves in the semi-final against Rangers. It was unfortunate because it was the fifth final in a row that Real Madrid won.”

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• Eintracht Frankfurt (@Eintracht)
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ferguson added on keeping an eye out for Eintracht despite never facing them during his time in charge of Manchester United: “Frankfurt’s most successful time was during my career at Aberdeen in the 70s and 80s, when they won the UEFA Cup in 1980. Recently, they beat Barcelona, right? I saw that. I always hope to see the underdog win. Bayern fans may not agree with that, but like all the neutral fans in Germany, I really hope to see someone else win the league again.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Os jogos deste sábado do Brasileirão da Série C definiram a vida de mais dois times nos grupos A e B.

Confira um resumão deste sábado da Série C, lembrando que Jacuipense e Santa Cruz ainda jogam na segunda-feira (30).

GRUPO A

Treze-PB 1 x 1 Vila Nova-GO

Penúltimo colocado, o Treze vai para a última rodada para decidir se permanecerá na Série C ou fará companhia ao Imperatriz na Série D. Os paraibanos se beneficiaram da derrota do Botafogo-PB ontem para o Paysandu.

Ferroviário 3 x 0 Imperatriz

Os cearenses chegaram aos 22 pontos e escaparam do rebaixamento com a vitória sobre o Imperatriz, que só conseguiu somar um ponto em 17 rodadas.

Manaus 0 x 2 Remo

No confronto direto entre o quinto e quarto colocado, respectivamente, antes do duelo começar, quem levou a melhor foi o Remo. A equipe paraense jogou fora de casa e venceu os rivais por 2 a 0. O resultado fez o time da Nação Azul recuperasse as duas posições que havia perdido na abertura da rodada e garantisse classificação após quatro anos. Com isso, o Manaus deu adeus a chance de classificação.

GRUPO B

São José 2 x 0 Criciúma

O duelo da parte de baixo da tabela deu um respiro ao São José para a fuga do Z-2, já que com a vitória o time subiu para 20 pontos. O Criciúma ainda corre risco para a última rodada.

Brusque 1 x 8 Volta Redonda

Os cariocas foram até Santa Catarina e aplicaram uma senhora goleada nos rivais. Apesar disso, não há mais chance de classificação do Voltaço para a próxima fase, mesmo com derrotas de Tombense e Ituano.

Ituano 1 x 2 Ypiranga

Dentro de casa, no Novelli Júnior, o Ituano perdeu para o Ypiranga e também deixou escapar a garantia de classificação com uma rodada de antecedência.

Boa Esporte 0 x 1 São Bento

No confronto decisivo contra o rebaixamento, o Boa Esporte perdeu para o São Bento por 1 a 0 e está matematicamente na Série D em 2021. O time de Sorocaba conseguiu um último respiro para se salvar ainda na última rodada.

Londrina 2 x 1 Tombense

Os paranaenses não estão matematicamente classificados, mas a vitória deixou o time com um pé na próxima fase. O Londrina assumiu a ponta do grupo B com 28 pontos. O Tombense, com 26 pontos e na quinta colocação, vai para o tudo ou nada na 18ª rodada.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalNo Barradão, Vitória bate o CRB de virada e se afasta do Z4Futebol Nacional28/11/2020Futebol NacionalSérie D: jogos deste sábado definem duelos da próxima fase; veja os confrontosFutebol Nacional28/11/2020Futebol NacionalCSA vence Ponte Preta de virada e cola no G-4 da Série BFutebol Nacional28/11/2020

A rejuvenated Chelsea showed more signs of improvement in their performance against Arsenal, racing into a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge before the Gunners battled back late on to salvage a point.

The Blues will have been bitterly disappointed to have dropped two points from a strong position, however, the result did see them avoid a record fourth-straight Premier League loss at home to their North London rivals.

It also saw plenty of their stars rise up to the occasion and put in a sublime performance on Saturday evening.

Who were Chelsea's standout performers v Arsenal?

A revived Mykhaylo Mudryk sent out a huge statement on his return to the starting XI and put in a complete performance.

The 22-year-old earned the spot kick which Cole Palmer dispatched before getting the name on the scoresheet himself as his suspected cross looped into the net over goalkeeper David Raya.

It's been an underwhelming start to his career in West London but the Ukraine international, who was described by those close to him as a "sleeping superstar" in the Chelsea squad, as per TEAMtalk, has certainly showcased those star-like qualities against Arsenal, lighting up the crowd with his pace and trickery while helping his side out in a defensive capacity.

In his 66 minutes on the pitch, Mudryk's all-action performance saw him attempt two crosses, record a shot on target and draw two fouls, but also track back for his team, winning two of his four ground duels, blocking one shot and making one interception, as per SofaScore.

He wasn't the only player to shine in the defensive third for the Blues as Mauricio Pochettino lavished praise on left-back Marc Cucurella for his impressive display against the Gunners.

The Argentine said: “He is training really well, that is why he playing like today, against a very good player like Saka."

Indeed, Cucurella limited one of the most dangerous wingers on the planet through his tough tackling and tenacious defensive work, recording the most tackles in the match (5), winning seven of his 13 ground duels, making two clearances, and blocking one shot, as per Sofascore.

After impressive performances against Fulham and Burnley, in which he completed at least 90% of his attempted passes, it was his best display against Arsenal that has begun to show why he deserves more respect and certainly a place in the starting XI.

How has Marc Cucurella performed this season?

Pochettino has significantly improved Conor Gallagher but it is the form of Cucurella, who turned down the chance to move to Newcastle United and Manchester United in the summer, that has caught the eye.

The 25-year-old ace has flourished while playing as a right or left back and Chelsea are yet to lose a game that the Spaniard has started this season, shutting out the noise that came from his £62m price tag and reminding many why the Blues and Manchester City were neck on neck to sign him after his sensational performances for Brighton.

With first-choice left-back Ben Chilwell sidelined till December, Cucurella has taken his opportunity to impress Pochettino while the manner of his performance against Bukayo Saka, who failed to get any loose change out of his opponent, has accentuated that point further.

Described by Pochettino as "super professional", Cucurella's transformation from being on the brink to leaving the club as a flop to now one of Chelsea's most influential players is a testament to the dedication and perseverance that the Spaniard has shown.

During his renaissance at Stamford Bridge, the £175k per-week dynamo has been outperforming Chilwell in a defensive capacity, averaging more balls recovered than the Englishman (7.0/3.0), tackles (3.7/0.8), interceptions (1/3/0.5) and clearances (3.0/0.5) per game at league level this term, as per Sofascore.

Although Chilwell has been deployed in a more advanced role under Pochettino, it is no coincidence that Chelsea have performed significantly better in a defensive capacity since throwing Cucurella into battle with the Spanish international now undroppable due to his impressive displays.

Manchester United have failed to build on an encouraging debut season under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, winning just half of their Premier League matches so far in 2023/24.

The Old Trafford side have found the Champions League rather more difficult than first expected following their return to the elite competition, losing to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray across their opening two matches, and it means Ten Hag is the first United boss to achieve this.

Although the Dutchman managed to recruit the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat during the summer transfer window, it wasn’t the window that many of the supporters expected.

Combine this with the fact he still has players such as Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Anthony Martial in his squad, who have been at United for 18 years combined, and the depth of his squad is hardly ideal.

Another player who is still at the Red Devils despite a lack of playing time and potential future is Donny van de Beek and if Ten Hag wants to establish his side as one of the best in England and lead them to their first league crown since 2013, this deadwood simply has to go.

Van de Beek in particular has been a dreadful signing and another case of United splashing the cash on a talented gem who has failed to live up to expectations while seeing their market value decline rapidly.

How much did Man United sign Donny van de Beek for?

Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first full season as manager, where he led the Old Trafford side to a third-place finish in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign – their second highest since last winning the title – and he was looking to continue the momentum which had been gathering.

Edinson Cavani was lured to Manchester on a free transfer, while Alex Telles and Facundo Pellistri were also signed as promising youngsters who could become a part of the senior side in the years to come.

It was the arrival of Ajax starlet Van de Beek however which looked as though it could be their best signing that summer, especially judging by his performances for the Dutch side over the previous 12 months.

The Dutchman joined for a transfer fee in the region of £39m and the 23-year-old signed a five-year contract with the club had all worked out well, the move would have turned out to be an excellent bargain.

Fast-forward three years though, and the midfielder has struggled majorly with football in the Premier League and his value has diminished rapidly during that time period.

How much is Donny van de Beek worth now?

When he joined United, his market value stood at €39m (£33.6m) according to Football Transfers and this meant they had overpaid slightly, yet with his relatively young age plus his experience on the biggest stage, there was no doubt his value would increase rapidly.

2022/23

7

0

0

2021/22

15

2

0

2020/21

19

1

1

Stats via Sofascore

Just six months later, his market value had risen to €55m (£47.5m) and it certainly looked as though this upward trend could continue.

Unfortunately, that was the highest figure it would reach and two and a half months later, he is now worth only €8.4m (£7.2m), representing an 81% decline from the initial transfer fee paid to sign him in September 2020.

He becomes just another expensive cog in a faltering machine and is it any wonder they haven’t reestablished themselves at the summit of English football in recent years?

Why has Donny van de Beek’s value dropped?

During his spell at Ajax, the Dutchman mainly operated either in a central or attacking midfield role and this allowed him to burst forward often and showcase his creative talents.

Indeed, across 175 games for the Dutch giants, he scored 41 goals and grabbed 34 assists, making him an attractive option for many European clubs and United obviously won the race for his signature.

During his first full season, he made 30 appearances for United, yet managed just one goal and one assist, a staggering drop from his often excellent totals at Ajax.

His performances didn’t get better during his second term either as he made only eight appearances for the Red Devils in the league before being loaned out to Everton and across the whole Premier League season, he started just five games.

Not only that, but the Dutchman succeeded with just 29% of his attempted dribbles, averaged just 25.5 touches and made 0.3 key passes per game, hardly the sort of form that was going to establish him as a regular at Old Trafford.

Injuries haven’t helped his cause either, and he has missed a grand total of 48 games under Ten Hag, indicating that he hasn’t been able to really get any sort of form to prove to his former boss why he should be in the starting XI.

When he was given a chance, Van de Beek ranked way down in 26th position across the United squad for Sofascore rating (6.49) while ranking 15th for key passes per game (0.4) and 17th for successful dribbles per game (0.3) and his performances were criticised.

Journalist Steven Railston lamented his display against Aston Villa last November, saying: “MUFC never recovered after conceding two early goals and they were second-best all over the pitch. A really disappointing performance. Donny van de Beek was anonymous again and he shouldn't be anywhere near the starting XI. Bruno Fernandes couldn't return quick enough.”

The Red Devils have certainly endured a transfer howler on the 27-year-old as he has simply failed to live up to any sort of early promise when joining.

It’s a shame as he could have developed into one of the finest midfielders on the continent had he continued his rapid upward trajectory at a club like United, yet it clearly hasn’t panned out well.

Due to injury problems and a lack of squad depth, Ten Hag has still given him two appearances this term, albeit he has played only 21 minutes, but it looks as though his career at United is basically dead in the water.

What next for the 6-foot Dutchman is anyone’s guess, but if he doesn’t return to some kind of form sooner rather than later, he could end up forgotten about almost as quickly as he appeared on the scene, that’s for sure.

The finger injury that the allrounder had sustained in January flared up before Bangladesh’s knockout clash against Pakistan in the Asia Cup

Mohammad Isam26-Sep-2018Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the Asia Cup and has subsequently returned home after condition of his fractured finger worsened. BCB’s cricket operations chairman Akram Khan said that the team was trying to get Shakib ready for the knockout clash against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, but the pain had increased to the point where he couldn’t take part in the game.”He will be out for four to six weeks,” Akram said. “The pain had increased over the last few days and physio Thihan Chandramohan tried his best to get him on the field, but the pain was too much. I would like to thank Shakib for playing the first four matches with the pain he had.”Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud had earlier said that Shakib’s latest scan, taken on Monday, wasn’t encouraging. “He actually can’t grip the bat. The report was not good,” Mahmud had told . “There has been inflammation of the finger [since he last played] and the pain has also increased.”Shakib had sustained the injury on January 27, during a tri-series final against Sri Lanka in Dhaka. After some confusion over his recovery, Shakib ended up playing the Nidahas T20 Trophy in March, where Bangladesh lost to India in the final. Shakib then led Bangladesh in a T20I series against Afghanistan in June, and then played every match in Bangladesh’s tour of the West Indies – two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.But, after returning home in August, Shakib said that he needed surgery, and would determine the timing after consulting the doctors. However, a few hours later, BCB president Nazmul Hassan asked Shakib to postpone his surgery till after the Asia Cup, since he had played with the injury till then, and Shakib agreed.Ahead of the Asia Cup, Shakib had said that he was “20-30 percent fit” but later sent a clarification to the BCB, saying his words on his fitness were “misinterpreted”.Shakib, like Tamim Iqbal who sustained a fracture on his knuckle during the opening match of the Asia Cup, is likely to miss much of Zimbabwe’s tour of Bangladesh, which starts on October 21.

Big Picture

When the Test series began in England, there were murmurs about this Indian side being well equipped to end their horror overseas run – they had last won a Test series outside Asia and the Caribbean in 2009.After India had lost the first two Tests and then bounced back to stun England at Trent Bridge, there were murmurs of a Bradman-esque comeback: from a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2 series victory. Then, when it mattered the most in a one-innings shootout at Ageas Bowl, India’s premier spinner R Ashwin struggled to loop the ball into the rough on a bone-dry pitch that was more MA Chidambaram Stadium than Ageas Bowl. The killer blow then came when the batting line-up folded against Moeen Ali, again. All-new series. Same-old story for India.The series is dead now, but this is by no means the deadest of dead rubbers. Alastair Cook, who made his Test debut against India in 2006, is set to bow out of international cricket against the same team. Since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, in 2012, the England selectors have been endlessly searching for the other opener. Post-Oval, their problems will be doubled. And what’s with Joe Root’s reluctance to bat at No. 3? Word has it, Moeen Ali will continue at one-down at The Oval.India’s top order is in no healthy shape either. KL Rahul hasn’t produced an innings of note and has looked as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs against the inswinger. He has been dismissed bowled or lbw in six of his eight Test innings here. Shikhar Dhawan has shown greater restraint outside off, and has moved into double figures in each of his six innings, but hasn’t passed 44. So, will 18-year-old Prithvi Shaw, who has been racking up runs and records in domestic cricket and A games, make his international debut at The Oval?The visitors could also be pondering handing a debut to Andhra batsman Hanuma Vihari, who, like Shaw, has been prolific in domestic cricket and has the experience of playing club cricket in England. And if Wednesday’s net session is anything to go by, Ravindra Jadeja could get his first international game on tour, in place of Ashwin.

Form guide

England WLWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
India LWLLW

In the spotlight

Sam Curran has played only five innings in this series, but only Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler have made more runs than him. A bulk of Curran’s 251 runs have come when his team has been been in a mess. His blazing 65-ball 63 hauled England from 86 for 6 to 180 in Birmingham and he staged a similar rescue act with the bat in England’s series-clinching victory in Southampton. As for his bowling, he has found sharp swing into India’s right-handers, his awkward angle making things even more difficult for the batsmen. Whatever happens at The Oval, Curran, arguably, will be remembered as the player of the summer for England.Undoubtedly, Virat Kohli has been the player of the summer for India. After managing only 134 runs in 10 innings in 2014, while getting out to James Anderson four times, the India captain has firmly put the boot on the other foot four years later, with 544 runs so far in two innings fewer. And he hasn’t been dismissed by Anderson in this series though every other England bowler has reeled him in. Kohli v Anderson: who will win round five?Getty Images

Team news

Jonny Bairstow, who had played the Southampton Test as a specialist batsman after fracturing a finger while taking a catch behind the stumps at Trent Bridge, is now fit enough to take back wicketkeeping duties from Jos Buttler. England have named an unchanged XI, which means the recalled pair of Chris Woakes and Ollie Pope will sit out.England: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonKohli named an unchanged team for successive Tests for the first time ever at Ageas Bowl, but it’s time to spin the wheel again. India are likely to beef up their batting with the inclusion of Vihari at the expense of an allrounder in Hardik Pandya, who has played all of India’s Tests in the overseas cycle so far, starting with his debut in Sri Lanka last year. Jadeja, meanwhile, is likely to play his first overseas Test since the SSC game in August 2017.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Hanuma Vihari/Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja/R Ashwin, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

There was some live, green grass on the pitch on the eve of the Test match, but it seemed dry underneath – possibly the reason why England have chosen to stick with two spinners. Expect some of the grass to come off before the toss, leaving the captain winning the toss to make the easy decision of batting first. The weather is likely to be fair on day one, with more overcast conditions expected later in the match.

Stats and Trivia

• Kohli needs 56 runs to make 600 in a series for the fourth time. He needs 88 runs to surpass Mohammad Yousuf’s tally of 631 and own the record for most runs in a Test series in England.
• Cook needs one run to 1000 Test runs at The Oval. Having made over 1000 Test runs at Lord’s, Cook is in line to become the second England player – after Graham Gooch – to reach 1000 Test runs at two different venues.
• Ishant Sharma is four wickets away from becoming the top wicket-taker for India in Tests in England. Kapil Dev currently leads the list with 43 wickets in 13 Tests while Ishant has 40 wickets in 11 games.
• Stuart Broad needs four wickets to become the fourth-highest wicket-taker among seamers in Test cricket. His team-mate Anderson, Glenn McGrath, Kapil Dev and Richard Hadlee are ahead of him currently.
• England’s lower order (Nos. 7-11) has contributed 697 runs in this series as opposed to India’s lower-order tally of 351.
• Cook will join Andrew Flintoff, Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers in officially retiring from international cricket at The Oval.