Liverpool rebuilt incredibly well during the summer transfer window, welcoming Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to replace the likes of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Fabinho in a midfield overhaul. Reaping the rewards ever since, the Reds now find themselves in a Premier League title race, leading the way against both Arsenal and Manchester City.

Even when in the middle of that title race, however, Liverpool have turned some of their attention towards next summer, when they could reportedly look to repeat their transfer trick by landing one particular European star and submitting a "monstrous offer" to his current club.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are undoubtedly back to their best under Jurgen Klopp after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season. But that's not to say they couldn't do with further improvements.

Liverpool's rumoured centre-mid targets for January	Latest update
Kalvin Phillips	19th December
Khephren Thuram	15th December
Joao Palhinha	10th December
Piotr Zielinski	2nd December
Joao Neves	29th November

If they are to add trophies to their returned form, then Liverpool may well need to return to the transfer market for even more midfield talent. The last thing that those at Anfield will want is to endure a summer of panic once again in pursuit of reinforcements, and it appears FSG are already tempted by a big move.

According to Milan-based outlet Linterista, translated by Sport Witness, Inter are worried that Liverpool will come in with a "monstrous offer" to sign Nicolo Barella, forcing their hand to reach a new deal with the midfielder sooner rather than later.

The Italian's current contract is set to expire in 2026, meaning that he currently has just two years before he can leave the club on a free deal. The last thing that Inter want is to be backed into a corner and left with little choice but to accept an offer for Barella, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in landing his signature.

"Great" Barella would be an instant upgrade for Liverpool

There are not many players who could instantly make an incredible impact on Liverpool's new midfield, but Barella is certainly one of the few who could. There's even an argument that he would be the Reds' best option in the middle of the park. Barella's stats this season compared to the current options at Anfield certainly suggest as much.

Player	Progressive Carries	Progressive Passes	Passes into final third	Goals + Assists
Nicolo Barella	35	152	113	5
Alexis Mac Allister	15	80	57	2
Dominik Szoboszlai	51	108	65	4
Curtis Jones	10	31	28	1

Even when not at his best, Barella has earned the praise of those in Italy, with Christian Vieri telling Bobo TV via FCInterNews: "Barella isn’t at his best. But that’s okay, I don’t see this as a big problem. Inzaghi now has a very strong bench. So this season, if Barella is tired, he gets to rest and Frattesi plays in his stead. I always considered Barella a great midfielder. In my opinion, he remains a point of reference for the manager.”

With that said, it's no wonder Inter are concerned over the possibility of the likes of Liverpool presenting an offer for their midfielder, given his clear ability in the middle of the park.

Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy by extension are indeed keen to sign a club's 21-year-old star, as per recent reports, with a move described as in the "early" stages.

Spurs making early January moves

In what has been the most eventful January transfer window at Spurs in recent memory, the club have officially confirmed two major signings already for manager Ange Postecoglou.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Timo Werner joined from RB Leipzig on a six-month loan earlier this week, and Tottenham swiftly followed up the German's arrival by putting pen to paper on a deal for defender Radu Dragusin.

In the space of a week, Spurs impressively moved to strengthen Postecogolou's attack and defence, with centre-back Dragusin in particular coming as a much-needed new addition.

The Lilywhites have been forced to deploy both Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as makeshift centre-halves in recent months, with first-choice stars Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero often unavailable through injury or suspension.

According to reports, Postecoglou is now keen to sign a new midfield number eight for Spurs, and one who can alternate with playmaker James Maddison when required.

This has resulted in many links to Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, who has enjoyed a brilliant season under Mauricio Pochettino. The west Londoners could be forced to sell Gallagher in January to fund their own transfer activity, as per rumours last month, so this transfer may well be one to watch.

Elsewhere, new targets are occasionally emerging, including Napoli defender Leo Ostigard despite the club's signing of Dragusin. Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney has also been linked with a move to Spurs, and journalist Dean Jones has provided an update on the situation.

Spurs move for Hackney at "early" stage

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter backed Tottenham's interest in the 21-year-old as genuine. However, a possible Spurs move for Hackney is said to be at the "early" stages.

"Hayden Hackney is the talk of the town after his goal against Chelsea, and it might not be too long before he is testing himself against teams of that quality every week," said Jones.

"Spurs are the side being talked about as the favourites to sign him, but that is not quite the case because Middlesbrough refuse to consider anyone as likely to sign him at this moment in time.

"It is true that Spurs have interest, but this is a very early stage of that process, so there is scope for plenty of other teams to challenge for his signature."

Hackney has starred for Boro this season, making 16 Championship appearances, so it's little wonder Levy and the Spurs recruitment team are keeping a watchful eye. Indeed, their manager and ex-Tottenham midfielder Michael Carrick described him as Boro's "shining light".

Aston Villa will be hoping to wrap up some deals over the next month and have reportedly run the rule over an exciting Serie A star after several scouting trips.

Aston Villa transfer news

2024 is upon us and everyone will be looking forward to a prosperous New Year; but for football fans up and down the country, the change from December to January only represents one thing – the opening of the January transfer window. Aston Villa fans will be no different in that respect and will be excited to see who Unai Emery and Monchi could look to bring in over the course of the next month as their side continue their impressive season in the Premier League.

Aston Villa could land dream Zaniolo upgrade in £50m "jewel"

This £50m “jewel” could be perfect for Aston Villa beyond January.

ByAdam Scully Dec 31, 2023

The Villans have been linked with a move for Celtic playmaker Matt O'Riley and journalist Dean Jones sees similarities between the Denmark international and club captain John McGinn, as he stated to GIVEMESPORT: "I think you can make comparisons between O'Riley and McGinn in terms of their profile and what you get from them within a team. I think that O'Riley's personality would probably fit very well with where Aston Villa are right now."

Hellas Verona forward Cyril Ngonge has also emerged as a cost-effective target for Aston Villa and could be available for as little as £13 million following his bright start to proceedings in Serie A this term, according to reports.

Rumours will continue to intensify over the next weeks as Emery's men look to strengthen in key areas ahead of a crunch second-half of the campaign that could yield Champions League qualification or even a title charge. Now, another striker is believed to be on the radar at Villa Park, though he may be more likely to arrive in the summer of 2024.

Aston Villa monitor Albert Gudmundsson

According to reports in Italy, cited via Football Italia, Aston Villa have scouted Genoa forward Albert Gudmundsson on several occasions as they plot a swoop for the Iceland international.

Albert Gudmundsson's impressive 2023/24 campaign – Serie A (Sofascore)

Shots per game

1.7

Shots on target per game

0.7

Expected goals

3.07

Goal conversion

26%

Expected assists

3.39

Average match rating

7.49/10

The outlet claim that the 26-year-old is also attracting interest from Premier League pair Brentford and Crystal Palace following his exploits in the Italian top flight this campaign. Nevertheless, they also moot that a summer move is more likely from the Villans' point of view than a January transfer pursuit. Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup is also being tracked at close quarters by the West Midlands-based outfit.

Compared to Mohamed Salah by teammate Kevin Strootman, Gudmundsson has been in excellent form this term, registering nine goals and three assists in 18 appearances across all competitions (Gudmundsson statistics – Transfermarkt).

Capable of playing as a number ten or up front, Aston Villa need someone to provide competition for Ollie Watkins in the striker position, and Gudmundsson's versatility means he could be useful in midfield when Watkins is fit and firing as well.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na véspera da estreia do Flamengo no Campeonato Carioca, Hugo Moura e Ronaldo tiveram os seus respectivos contratos com o clube reativados no Boletim Informativo Diário (BID) da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF). No entanto, apenas o primeiro deve ser utilizado na competição estadual.

RelacionadasFlamengoBruno Viana desfalca o Flamengo na estreia e deve ficar à disposição para segunda rodada do CariocaFlamengo01/03/2021FlamengoMichael mostra inconformismo e se disponibiliza em prol da redenção no FlamengoFlamengo28/02/2021FlamengoMichael, novo reforço e molecada: Flamengo divulga a relação para os primeiros jogos do CariocaFlamengo28/02/2021

Hugo Moura, que estava cedido ao Coritiba e atuou no Brasileiro como titular, está na lista de relacionados para os primeiros jogos do Flamengo no Carioca, cujo time será treinado por Maurício Souza (do sub-20), enquanto Rogério Ceni e grande parte do grupo principal estão de recesso – até o dia 15 de março.

O volante de 23 anos, que realizou 28 jogosno Coxa (sendo 24 como titular), se reapresentará no Ninho do Urubu nesta quinta, ficando à disposição de Mauricinho para a 2ª rodada do Estadual – contra o Macaé, no fim de semana.

Já Ronaldo tem a sua permanência incerta e, a princípio, tende a ser negociado – consequentemente, não defenderá o Fla neste início do Carioca. O meio-campista de 24 anos estava emprestado ao Bahia, onde atuou em 52 jogos, de 2019 a 2021.

+ Veja a tabela e o regulamento do Carioca

Ainda sem Hugo Moura,a estreia do Flamengo no Estadual será já nesta terça-feira, às 21h35, em duelo contra o Nova Iguaçu, no Maracanã.

أعلن السويسري مارسيل كولر المدير الفني لفريق الأهلي، عن التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة جورماهيا الكيني، بعد قليل، في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع جورماهيا على أرضية استاد “نيايو” في ذهاب دور الـ32 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

طالع..رسميًا | الأهلي يعلن قيد 5 لاعبين جدد في القائمة الإفريقية

وكان الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم قد أعفى الأهلي، من المشاركة في دور الـ64 من البطولة كونه الأعلى تصنيفًا في القارة.

بينما جورماهيا وصل إلى دور الـ32 بعد الفوز على المريخ جوبا بنتيجة 5-2 بمجموع المباراتين.

ويستهل الأهلي، مشواره في النسخة الحالية من دوري أبطال أفريقيا بمواجهة جورماهيا من أجل الحفاظ على اللقب ورفع رصيده من الألقاب إلى 13 بطولة، حيث توج بالنسخة الماضية على حساب الترجي الرياضي التونسي.

وظهر في تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام جورماهيا، الصفقة الجديدة يحيى عطية الله، الظهير الأيسر المغربي المنضم حديثًا للمارد الأحمر. تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام جورماهيا في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

الدفاع: رامي ربيعة – ياسر إبراهيم – محمد هاني – يحيى عطية الله.

الوسط: مروان عطية – أكرم توفيق – إمام عاشور.

الهجوم: حسين الشحات – بيرسي تاو – وسام أبو علي.

After playing out an impressive draw away at Anfield and spending Christmas Day atop the Premier League table, Arsenal have been seriously out of sorts over the last few weeks.

Mikel Arteta's men followed up their impressive draw with back-to-back league losses to West Ham United and Fulham before they crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 home loss to Liverpool.

With the side's main problem of late being the frontline's inability to finish their chances, the club have unsurprisingly been linked to several strikers this month, including Getafe's in-form Borja Mayoral.

The Spaniard has been impressive for the Deep Blues, but the Gunners would be better served signing the latest forward touted for a move to N5: Ajax's Brian Brobbey.

Arsenal transfer news – Brian Brobbey

According to the Mirror, Arsenal are in the market for a new striker and have 'cast an eye' over Ajax's 21-year-old goalscorer.

There has not been a reliable report as to how much a move for the young forward might cost the Gunners, but Football Transfers' Expected Value model has placed the Dutchman's worth at around €17.9m, which is about £15m.

While the price – if accurate – shouldn't be a problem for the Gunners, the other interested party might be.

According to the Mirror, alongside Arsenal, Manchester United are also fans of Brobbey, with Erik ten Hag personally 'keeping tabs' on his situation in Amsterdam.

While the interest of the Red Devils could complicate matters for Arsenal and even lead to a bidding war, Brobbey's form this season suggests that it might just be a war worth fighting.

Arsenal can forget about Borja Mayoral with Brian Brobbey

Now, with the north Londoners managing just one goal from their 63 shots since Christmas, either of these in-form frontmen would likely come into the side and have an immediate impact.

Still, with Mayoral being five years the Dutchman's senior and set to cost potentially over £20m more than him – with a fee of £39m suggested – a move for the "insane" Ajax man, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, just makes more sense.

The argument for the 5 foot 11 forward is further strengthened when comparing the pair's underlying numbers, as despite still being quite impressive, Mayoral's numbers pale in comparison in most relevant statistics.

For example, in his 15 matches, Brobbey has scored eight non-penalty goals and provided four assists from a non-penalty expected goals and assists figure of 13.5. In contrast, Getafe's talisman has played 19 games and scored eight non-penalty goals while providing just one assist from a non-penalty expected goals and assists figure of 6.7.

So, while the numbers might suggest that the Spaniard is a better finisher, they also heavily indicate that his current hot streak is unsustainable, something borne out in his season-by-season goal tally – having only once previously reached double figures for league goals in his senior career.

Brian Brobbey vs Borja Mayoral

Stats per 90

Brobbey

Mayoral

Matches Played

15

19

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.99

0.40

Goals

0.58

0.71

Non-Penalty Goals

0.58

0.47

Progressive Passes

1.09

2.78

Progressive Carries

2.34

1.30

Shots on Target

1.61

1.01

Passing Accuracy

77.7%

74.8%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.95

2.20

Goal-Creating Actions

0.51

0.36

Successful Take-Ons

1.09

0.83

Aerial Duels Won

2.77

2.43

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

Other areas in which the Amsterdam-born "goal machine", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, outshines his competition include progressive carries, shots on target, aerial duels, shot and goal-creating actions, and he is a more accomplished dribbler as well.

Related Arsenal could sign dream Onana alternative in £50m ace who's like Kroos

The 24-year-old could take Arsenal to the next level.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 12, 2024

Ultimately, with the Gunners said to be slightly hamstrung by FFP concerns, it would have made sense to target Brobbey over Mayoral even if he was ever so slightly less talented than the Spaniard, so the fact that he appears to be a more well-rounded and impressive forward on top of costing potentially £20m or so less makes this deal a no-brainer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in the market to add some quality additions this month and have now opened talks with an experienced Premier League operator who could arrive before the end of the window, according to a report.

Wolves scour the market…

The month of January can sometimes prove to be a complex time for clubs looking to seal deals; however, the Old Gold have already completed one developmental signing in the form of Fletcher Holman, who joins from National League South outfit Eastbourne Borough and will link up with Wolves' Under-21 set-up.

Academy chief Jon Hunter-Barrett has shared his delight at being able to bring Holman to the West Midlands, stating via the club's official website: "Once again our recruitment team have done a fantastic job in unearthing a talent playing in non-league football who is capable to come into our building.

"The big thing with Wolves is we’re a football club and academy that provides opportunities for players who have been here a long time and also players who have come from a different environment into ours."

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Nonetheless, Gary O'Neil will be keen to acquire players equipped to join his first-team squad and contribute for the remainder of the campaign. Financial prudence is a central feature of the Old Gold's approach to the mid-season market and Paris Saint-Germain outcast Hugo Ekitike is reportedly a target to add some offensive impetus in the final third.

Conversely, new information has come to light claiming that a striker with significantly more experience could instead be brought in to spearhead O'Neils's attack.

Wolves open Danny Ings talks…

According to Football Insider, Wolves have opened talks with West Ham United over a loan deal for striker Danny Ings, who has fallen out of favour at the London Stadium. The Old Gold are believed to be in the market for a poacher after letting Sasa Kalajdzic move to Eintracht Frankfurt this month.

Danny Ings' career goals – club level (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

390

Goals

123

Assists

39

Danny Ings' international record

England – 3 appearances, 1 goal

England Under-21 – 14 appearances, 3 goals

Hwang-hee Chan has departed for the Asian Cup and left a void to be filled at the top end of the field; nevertheless, Wolves don't have the financial muscle available to bring in a permanent reinforcement and have turned to Ings as a known operator with goalscoring ability. If he arrives at Molineux, they will need to cover his wages and pay a loan fee for his services.

Labelled "brilliant" by former teammate Matty Cash, the 31-year-old has made 18 appearances across all competitions this season, though he is yet to put himself on the goal trail.

Despite this, his record over the course of his career speaks for itself and Ings would be an ideal short-term solution for Wolves as they look to maintain their impressive exploits in the Premier League.

Leeds United comfortably progressed through to the next round of the FA Cup against Peterborough United last weekend, Ethan Ampadu playing further back in a centre-back role and even scoring twice in the resounding 3-0 win despite the positional switch for the day.

The ex-Chelsea youngster turned dependable Whites star could be utilised more often in a back four as a result, especially with Pascal Struijk's recent injury woes troubling Daniel Farke and his Championship side.

Sammie Szmodics

Blackburn

25

16

3

Adam Armstrong

Southampton

26

13

9

Morgan Whittaker

Plymouth

26

13

5

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds

23

12

6

Jack Clarke

Sunderland

26

12

2

Jonathan Rowe

Norwich

24

10

2

With Struijk's return date from a slight knock unknown at this point – the Dutchman sitting out the contest in Cambridgeshire as a result – Farke could well be tempted to add another centre-back to his promotion-chasing group to ease any growing concerns with this wantaway Premier League defender potentially taking his fancy.

Leeds transfer latest – Chris Mepham

When speaking to GIVEMESPORT recently, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook opened up about what the January transfer window could look like from a Leeds perspective.

Crook boldly stated that the promotion-hungry Whites could be 'quite ambitious' this month to help in their pursuit of promotion glory come the end of the season, with Chris Mepham one name the Leeds hierarchy allegedly admire as one potential incoming.

The current AFC Bournemouth centre-back would be up for leaving the South Coast behind as well according to recent reports, the 26-year-old is disheartened by his lack of minutes at the Vitality Stadium under Andoni Iraola and is 'open to all options' about a move away according to the Bournemouth Echo.

Signed by Bournemouth for a reported fee of £12m from Brentford in 2019 – the Bees saddened to see their young star go at the time – the Welshman could well view a move down a division to Leeds as a way to reignite his stuttering career and prove doubters at the Cherries wrong.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024 Why Chris Mepham would be a good signing for Leeds

Signing Mepham would see Leeds have an invasion of Welsh defenders in their first-team ranks, with Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu fellow compatriots of the solid 26-year-old alongside murmurs of Leeds being in for Connor Roberts this month from Burnley.

Farke will hope those links can see Mepham come in and do a job in the defence at Leeds alongside his familiar teammates, with the 6 foot 4 titan a trusty defensive option to rely on in the Championship.

At the level previously under ex-Bournemouth boss Scott Parker, Mepham played a key role in the second-tier club achieving promotion with the sternest defence in the division – leaking only 39 goals across the 46-game season.

This even saw Parker describe Mepham as "fantastic" when praising his team after a Championship contest versus Coventry City that season, selecting the towering centre-back boldly after months out in the treatment room but helping his side all the same to a confident 3-0 victory.

Despite only starting two games this campaign in the Premier League under new management, Mepham has proven himself to be a reliable defender in the top flight when selected regularly before the arrival of Iraola.

Looking at FBRef, over the last year, Mepham excels in his basic defensive duties with an astounding 6.17 clearances averaged per 90 minutes on top of registering two tackles.

Selected by Iraola against Swansea City in the EFL Cup earlier this season the 26-year-old show signs of his class against second-tier opposition too, winning eight of his 12 duels against the Swans alongside notching up two key passes.

Thankfully for Mepham, despite giving away a penalty in the game, Bournemouth ran out 3-2 victors in Wales.

Minutes played

90

Clearances

8

Duels won

8/12

Touches

88

Key passes

2

With the slow and steady approach Leeds like to play when coming out from the back before breaking with pace in attack, Mepham could slot into the Leeds first team without looking out of his depth as a ball-playing centre-back and make Struijk's absence feel less obvious.

Only conceding 25 goals at the time of writing in the league, Mepham's arrival could see Leeds tighten up their back four even more and steer the Whites to more decisive wins in the fierce promotion battle near the top of the division.

Batsman returns to make 89 against Sri Lanka after hobbling from the field when he was struck on the knee while fielding

Melinda Farrell in Southampton27-May-2019

Usman Khawaja left the field after taking a blow to his left knee•Associated Press

Usman Khawaja staked a late claim to one of Australia’s top-order batting slots despite an injury scare during their five-wicket victory in their World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka in Hampshire.Khawaja hobbled off the field after a ball struck him flush on the left kneecap. He was fielding at mid-off when he dived to his left to stop a ball that had been driven firmly by Jeevan Mendis off the bowling of Steven Smith. Khawaja limped off the field after receiving treatment from the medical staff but was cleared to bat in Australia’s innings.”It’s fine, embarrassing more than anything,” said Khawaja, after the match. “It just hit the side of my knee and I couldn’t put any weight on it. I’d try to get up, Gaz [Nathan Lyon] was telling me to just lie down, but I was saying I’m not going to lie down, I’m going to get up, but I’d try to get up and I couldn’t. My knee collapsed underneath me because of where it hit, I went off, iced it and after about 25 minutes I felt all right, it’s a bit sore now but nothing structurally wrong.”When I walked off I was laughing, I was in pain but I knew there was nothing serious about it. It was the same knee I had a reco on, so we were a bit careful about going back on the field just because it was collapsing a little bit but I was alright when I went back out there.”PLAY: Who will win the World Cup? Play Cricket Picks and win prizesOpening the batting with Aaron Finch, Khawaja went on to comfortably steer Australia towards Sri Lanka’s total of 239 for 8 in the 45th over with an innings of 89 off 105 balls.Coach Justin Langer has rotated Khawaja, David Warner and Shaun Marsh in their World Cup warm-up matches, as they attempt to settle on their best batting line-up. Warner was left out of the team against Sri Lanka, amid reports he had complained of tightness or soreness to his upper leg, giving Khawaja one last chance to impress selectors before the World Cup kicks off.Warner’s absence during the year-long ban for his involvement in the Newland’s ball-tampering scandal allowed Khawaja to cement his place at the top of the order, forming a formidable opening partnership with captain Finch.But after six warm-up matches played since Warner’s return, the final makeup of Australia’s batting order is still very much open to interpretation. Khawaja has opened four times and Warner on three occasions, although Warner may have had another opportunity at the top in Hampshire if he hadn’t been forced to sit out the match. Khawaja has batted at No.3 once and Warner twice while Marsh – who made 34 off 46 balls before holing out in the deep – has floated between batting at No.3, 4 and 5.”I do love opening, absolutely,” said Khawaja. “That’s where I’ve batted my whole life in one-day cricket. But at the end of the day it is about winning games and doing the best for your team.”I’d much rather get a duck and win then me get 100 and lose. It doesn’t matter what happens, where I play, if I play, if I don’t play, if I’m running the drinks, I’m going to try and contribute to the squad.”I know what the changeroom feels like when you’re winning and what it feels like when you’re losing and the winning one I’ll take any day of the week.”Australia have now won 13 of their their past 14 matches, a streak that began during their tour of India in March and continued through their series against Pakistan in the UAE, and then in their warm-up games against New Zealand in Brisbane and the West Indies, England and now Sri Lanka in England. While Pakistan were not at full strength and the following matches were not official ODIs, such a run will give them welcome confidence as they head to Bristol for their opening World Cup game against Afghanistan on Saturday.”I thought the Indian series in Australia was, from what I saw from the outside coming into that series – obviously we’d lost a lot of one-dayers before that, was a turning point for us because we probably should’ve won that series and we didn’t,” Khawaja said. “But they’re one of the best sides in the world and we gave them a real run for their money.”Then we went over to India and lost the first two games and won the series. We all had that confidence even though we lost the first two games that we could compete and actually beat these guys.”Once we started doing it we got that winning feeling back. Winning is a habit, we say that a lot amongst the team, hence why we try to win all the (warm-up) games we’re playing in, just to keep that habit going. We might’ve lost that habit before but hopefully we’ve found it again leading into the World Cup.”

A day that began with the Northamptonshire captain sidelined by a freakish concussion injury suffered nowhere near the field of play ended with another of their number possibly ruled out of the game after a more conventional blow to the head.Luke Wood, the left-arm pace bowler on loan from Nottinghamshire, ducked into a short, quick ball from Chris Jordan at the start of the final scheduled over and reeled away from the impact, which looked to be on the side of the the helmet.He stayed on his feet and seemed prepared to continue with new headgear but after an examination by the Northamptonshire physio it was deemed sensible not to expose him to anything else with close of play so near and he was led from the field.”He is a bit groggy and we are hoping he will be okay but it was a pretty hard blow and he will be assessed for concussion in the morning,” the county’s assistant coach, Phil Rowe, said.Alex Wakely’s absence was in altogether more freakish circumstances, the captain having left the ground in fine fettle on Monday evening only to walk into a low beam in his house. He drove to the ground to prepare for the second day as normal, but began throwing up in the dressing room, a classic symptom of delayed concussion.He went to hospital for assessment later but doctors are confident he has done no serious damage to himself and he was allowed home, although he will take no further part in this match. Josh Cobb has replaced him as a concussion substitute under ECB rules, even though his injury was not incurred during play.Cobb, who had made way for Adam Rossington in the original XI, took his unexpected chance well enough, sharing a stand of 137 for the second wicket with Ricardo Vasconcelos, but might have made more of it, which could also be said of his partner.Vasconcelos, a South African with a handy Portuguese passport among his possessions, is a decent young player, well organised and with some shots in his armoury, and already with a couple of centuries to his name this season.He might well have had another here had the excitement not gone to his head with the last ball before tea when, for reasons he could not explain even himself given the way he threw his head back at his foolishness, other than perhaps the couple of lovely cover drives for four that had taken him to 86 in the same over, he went for an ambitious sweep against Danny Briggs and was leg before.”I felt like I was playing well and I know I should have blocked it really,” he said afterwards. “It was a shame because the session had gone well for us up to that point.”Sussex would argue that he was lucky to be there are all, having survived a fairly routine chance to second slip off David Wiese on 7 just before lunch, but a hundred looked his for the taking nonetheless.Cobb had some way further to go before he could start thinking along similar lines but will feel he could have made more than 63. Facing the first delivery of a new spell from Abidine Sakande after tea, the right-hander was tempted into a hook, the ball going a long way up but finding the safe hands of Mir Hamza at long leg when it came down.Hamza, the Pakistan left-arm seamer, was tidy and testing every time he bowled, claiming the wickets of Ben Curran and South Africa Test batsman Temba Bavuma, both caught at slip. Wickets for Jordan and the legspin of Luke Wells late on left Northants 180 adrift at the close.It was the Vasconcelos dismissal that created an opportunity for Sussex, who took maximum batting points despite Jordan and Ben Brown being unable to add substantially to their 302-run partnership and will believe they can press on from here to claim a second win of the season.