Jadon Sancho reportedly has two conditions for "starting again" at Manchester United after his loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.
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Sancho returned to BVB after falling out with Erik ten HagWinger keen to head back to Old TraffordTen Hag stand-off a potential stumbling blockWHAT HAPPENED?
Erik ten Hag's tenure at United has been a turbulent one, with Sancho having fallen foul of his wrath after allegedly allowing his standards to drop in training. Sancho criticised Ten Hag on social media, and was exiled until he issued an apology, but it has yet to arrive. The relationship between Sancho and Ten Hag is described as "irreparable" by insiders, implying that the manager's exit is essential for Sancho's potential comeback.
According to , the English forward would only consider a fresh start at United should the Dutch manager depart in the summer. While United are reportedly set to plan for the 2024-25 season with Ten Hag at the helm, that could change if the team fails to qualify for the Champions League or win the FA Cup.
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Jason Wilcox, who is reportedly set to be appointed as technical director at United, is said to be inclined to give Sancho another chance. His arrival is the second condition Sancho has laid out for a return to Old Trafford. Having previously worked with Sancho during his time at Manchester City's academy, Wilcox holds a favourable opinion of the player and is open to facilitating his return to Old Trafford.
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite Sancho's desire for a United resurgence, the club's priority remains selling him as part of a broader squad overhaul. Ineos, the club's minority owners, are contemplating a fire sale to revamp the underperforming squad, with Sancho being one of the players likely to be offloaded to generate funds.
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Sancho's loan spell at Dortmund has been modest, with only two goals scored across all competitions, which has potentially diminished his market value. Consequently, Dortmund may not pursue a permanent deal if there isn't an upsurge in form, leaving the door open for a United return if no alternative suitors emerge – but whether or not Ten Hag will be the one to make a final decision remains to be seen.
ExWHUemployee has shared some important January transfer news on West Ham and their budget for the winter window.
Steidten's task to sign new forward for West Ham
As reported by Ex last week, technical director Tim Steidten is growing more and more influential at the club and his "main focus" is signing a new striker for manager David Moyes.
Michail Antonio limped off on international duty recently, and he is expected to be out for around a month (Evening Standard). While his prognosis isn't as bad as first feared, losing the Jamaican comes as a bitter blow for Moyes and highlights West Ham's lack of number nine options.
Danny Ings appears out of favour at the club, having played just 68 minutes in the Premier League this season, with recent reports stating the Hammers are very eager for a few new options ahead of January.
West Ham striker Danny Ings.
Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke is a target for West Ham, while rumours suggest that Steidten could go back in for Hugo Ekitike of Paris-Saint Germain.
Dominic Solanke's style of play (via WhoScored)
Gets fouled often
Likes to dribble
Does not dive into tackles
Moyes has used the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen in more central roles this term, but an injury to the latter could make West Ham's next starting eleven look very interesting. Signing a new number nine could be an all the more pivotal task for Steidten. While Antonio and Bowen could be back and firing by the time January comes around, their injury woes have drawn attention to West Ham's serious lack of depth going forward.
ExWHUemployee shares January budget news
Speaking on his Patreon, as shared by West Ham Way, reliable club insider Ex says West Ham are "struggling" with their transfer budget this winter. He claims that while there is indeed money in the pot to potentially bring in a new forward, it isn't seen as a large amount, and West Ham must be careful not to "do an Everton".
“I have spoken to the person who would be best placed to answer on our January transfer budget,” said Ex.
West Ham United manager David Moyes.
“What I was told is that Under Financial Fair Play we are struggling. We overspent in 2021 and we have to be careful to not ‘do an Everton’.
“So although there is money there in the pot, it isn’t a huge amount as the club are being understandably careful. We only need to look at the situations at Everton, Man City and Chelsea to know how serious it can be if not keeping within the parameters.”
The three aforementioned sides are in trouble with the Premier League over alleged FFP breaches, with the Toffees in particular being docked 10 points and now facing a hefty compensation bill.
It is believed Southampton, Leicester, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Burnley are attempting to sue Everton for around £300 million, as they all believe they're entitled to compensation after Sean Dyche's repeated avoidance of relegation to the Championship.
Therefore, West Ham absolutely cannot find themselves in the same precarious situation, but it will be interesting to see how they use their limited budget when the window reopens.
Time is running out for players to prove themselves ahead of Paris 2024, with places in Emma Hayes' squad still up for grabs
For the U.S. women's national team, the Olympics seemed so far away when they were treading water post-World Cup. They're just over three months away now, though, and there's still so much to figure out before Paris 2024.
New coach Emma Hayes hasn't yet arrived, but her fingerprints are all over the roster that has been selected for the SheBelieves Cup. The U.S. will begin the tournament on Saturday with a clash against Japan, with a meeting with either Canada or Brazil coming up the following Tuesday. It'll be two big tests that should give the U.S. some more insight into where they stand heading into the summer.
The squad features returning stars, some new faces, and a bunch of players on the bubble that could use some big moments before a final Olympics squad is selected.
But who has the biggest point to prove over the next week? GOAL takes a look at the USWNT stars who are under the most pressure heading into the SheBelieves Cup:
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Korbin Albert
Korbin Albert's situation is certainly awkward right now, and it will be for some time. For now, all she can do is keep her head down and put in strong performances on the pitch as she deals with a storm off it.
Albert came under fire last week for anti-LGBTQ social media posts. In the hours that followed, many current and past USWNT stars – including Megan Rapinoe – came out to condemn those posts. For a player like Albert who is still so new to this program, it's not a good look.
After a strong start to life with the national team, it seemed that the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was on the path towards an Olympic spot. Now, that doesn't feel so sure. With just 18 roster spots available and chemistry a big, big focus, it wouldn't be too hard to leave Albert out. There are other options with similar resumes and without the social media disasters.
For Albert, the first goal of this camp will be to earn back whatever trust was lost, and she'll have to do that privately and personally. The second goal will be to not let her level drop on the field as she looks to prove that, despite what happened, she's still deserving of an Olympic spot.
Can she do that? That will ultimately be up to Hayes. All Albert can do now is make things right as best she can.
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Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan's certainly made progress since the start of 2024, but an Olympic spot isn't guaranteed just yet. Her performances in the Gold Cup got her back in contention, giving her a chance at a roster spot this summer. To say that comes as a surprise would be an understatement, though, as Morgan went from being left off the Gold Cup roster to being a key contributor as an injury replacement.
Strikers are measured in goals, though, and Morgan will need to score a few more to stay in contention, especially with more attacking options being added to the mix. If she can stay hot, she'll have a chance to get one last tournament run.
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Mallory Swanson
She's finally back! Almost a year after seeing her World Cup dream cruelly end due to a serious knee injury, Mallory Swanson is back in the USWNT squad. She did train with the group prior to the Gold Cup as she worked her way back to full fitness, but now she's ready to go.
Swanson has already opened her goal-scoring account for the season in the NWSL for the Chicago Red Stars and has shown signs of being that player she was before her injury. Prior to that, you could have made the argument that Swanson was the USWNT's most dynamic attacker; now, she'll need to prove she can still claim that title if she wants starting minutes in France this summer.
The U.S. attack is deep, with young superstars like Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Jaedyn Shaw currently holding down starting spots. Swanson will need to put in a big shift to unseat any of those three, but she obviously has the talent to do just that.
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Catarina Macario
Speaking of players back after a long injury absence… Catarina Macario is finally fit after her ACL injury, and it's been two years since we've seen her in a USWNT shirt.
Incoming USWNT boss Hayes has been overseeing her recovery at Chelsea, so she'll know exactly what Macario can do. The forward has been in fantastic form since making her return in London, too, which makes it seem like she's more than ready to step back into the national-team spotlight.
When she's fit and firing, there's no player in the USWNT pool like Macario. It almost hurts to imagine how much of a difference she could have made at the World Cup last summer. If Macario was healthy, the creativity she would have added to the team could have sent the U.S. much further in the tournament.
She's re-entering a new USWNT, though, and she'll once again have to prove where she stands in the pecking order. It's all about fitness and confidence, which Macario will need to build this camp if she is to make it onto the Olympic roster.
Celtic remain rooted to the bottom of their Champions League group after they were hammered 6-0 by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.
The Hoops were not helped by an early red card for energetic forward Daizen Maeda, after his raised studs gave the referee a decision to make – with the help of VAR.
Antoine Griezmann had made it 1-0 before that point but Brendan Rodgers, despite his side being down to ten, may not be pleased with how easy it seemed for Atletico to open his defence up as they went on to score another five.
Alvaro Morata and Griezmann both collected two goals each, whilst Saul Niguez and Samuel Lino also got themselves on the scoresheet for the hosts.
It would be harsh to single out one player as the reason for the result as it was such a dominant display from Atletico. However, one player, in particular, who must be ditched after this game is centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi.
The Japan international has struggled in recent matches and, again, failed to impose himself on the match with an anonymous display at the top end of the pitch.
Kyogo's performance against Atletico Madrid in numbers
Celtic's starting number nine could blame the lack of support or service up to him, particularly after Maeda's sending off, but his lack of involvement through his time on the pitch let Rodgers down.
Across 61 minutes of action against Atletico, the former Vissel Kobe star had just eight touches of the ball in total and made a staggering zero passes from one attempt.
Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi.
Hoops goalkeeper Joe Hart even had more touches (51) than the striker and the Japanese dynamo's lack of physicality played a huge part in his struggles as opposition players beat him in 75% (3/4) of his duels.
Hyun-gyu Oh, Rodgers' alternative number nine option, came on at half-time and completed two passes to go along with winning seven of his nine duels in 45 minutes.
The South Korea international utilised his physicality to provide Celtic with an outlet at the top end of the pitch, which is something that his teammate was unable to do.
The statistics that show why Rodgers could ditch Kyogo
Rodgers must now brutally ditch Kyogo against Aberdeen at the weekend as his recent form, including Tuesday night's display, has left a lot to be desired.
Over his last three starts in all competitions, the right-footed whiz has played 216 minutes of football and made three passes in total – out of seven attempted.
Along with that, he has failed to contribute with a single goal or assist to make up for his lack of involvement outside of the penalty box, which puts his impact, or lack thereof, on matches in the spotlight.
Statistic
Kyogo's last four Celtic appearances (via Sofascore)
Goals
Zero
Assists
Zero
Passes completed
11
Big chances missed
Two
Key passes
Zero
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old attacker has been in dismal form in front of goal over the last four matches for the Scottish giants.
He has not provided an attacking threat or a physical presence to bring his teammates into the match and Rodgers must now take him out of the XI in order to start Oh, who showcased his physicality off the bench on Tuesday, against the Dons.
Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted working out in a gym with partner Georgina Rodriguez as he gears up for a return to the Portugal national team.
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Ronaldo filmed performing kettlebell squatsGeorgina hilariously posed beside RonaldoRonaldo omitted from Portugal squad for Sweden friendlyWHAT HAPPENED?
Georgina Rodriguez shared a video clip on her Instagram story from a gym, where she filmed her partner and Al-Nassr striker Ronaldo performing kettlebell squats while she hilariously posed in front of a mirror in ultra-casual fashion.
After being left out of the Portugal squad for their first friendly match of the March international break against Sweden, Ronaldo took a short trip to a beach in Saudi Arabia with his family. With the Saudi Pro League on hold, the 39-year-old enjoyed a well-earned rest period.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ronaldo's compatriot and Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo recently claimed that the Portuguese national team is not entirely dependent on the Al-Nassr star, who he considers to be well past his prime. Despite those comments, Ronaldo is now beginning to prepare for his return to the national team fold, with Euro 2024 only a few months away.
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The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star is expected to return to Roberto Martinez's side ahead of Portugal's second friendly game against Slovenia on March 26.
تحدث أحمد سامي المدير الفني لنادي سموحة، عن خسارة فريقه أمام بيراميدز، في المباراة التي استكملت بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء، على ملعب برج العرب بالإسكندرية.
واستكملت مباراة بيراميدز وسموحة، التي لعبت ضمن مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 28 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري، بعد أن توقفت يوم الجمعة الماضي بسبب حريق في أحد مدرجات استاد الإسكندرية.
وفاز فريق بيراميدز على سموحة، بنتيجة 3-2، ليحصد 3 نقاط جديدة تضاف إلى رصيده في صدارة جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز.
طالع.. فيديو | بيراميدز يفوز على سموحة في المباراة المستأنفة ويبتعد بصدارة الدوري
وقال سامي خلال تصريحات عبر قناة أون تايم سبورت بعد المباراة: “هدفا بيراميدز اليوم أخطاء مننا، وكان لدينا فرصة لـ حسام حسن سهلة جدًا، لكن لا يوجد توفيق”.
وأضاف: “جربنا أشياء جديدة لعبنا 41 دقيقة اليوم، الأمر انتهى ولن أقدر على الحديث، نريد أن يمر الموسم بعد كل ما مر به”.
وأكمل: “أتمنى أن يحدث نظام جديد ومختلف في الموسم المقبل، المسؤولون يأخذون قرارات، لا يقلقون من شيء ونحن داعمين لأي قرار”.
وأتم: “أتمنى أن اللائحة تكون واضحة ولا يكون هناك أحاديث أو بيانات، أتمنى الدوري المصري يعود لقوته في الموسم الجديد”.
Manchester United have become synonymous with missing out on star players on the cheap in recent times, with the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe having been just two of the high-profile names that could have ended up at Old Trafford for next to nothing.
The Red Devils' inability to pull the trigger with regard to signing up-and-coming talent has certainly come back to bite them more than once, with that having been evident with regard to a player who has already impressed against Erik ten Hag's side this season, in the form of Pedro Neto.
Why didn't Man United sign Pedro Neto?
The current Wolverhampton Wanderers star – who has spent the last four years in English football – could have arrived in the Premier League much sooner had United not foolishly passed up the chance to sign him back in 2016, with the then-teenager having been taken on trial during Jose Mourinho's time at the helm.
As it proved, however, the young Portuguese sensation seemingly did not do enough to impress the powers that be in Manchester as he promptly returned to Primeira Liga side, Braga, missing out on a potential dream move to the Theatre of Dreams in the process.
It did not take long for Mourinho and co to realise their mistake, however, with reports in the summer of 2017 indicating that the club were interested in making a move for the emerging talent, following his fine start to life in his homeland.
Pedro Neto and Max Kilman
It was Serie A side Lazio who ultimately won the race as Neto made the move to Italy on a two-year loan deal in that same window, prior to joining Wolves alongside Bruno Jordao for a combined fee of just £18m.
That figure was soon dwarfed amid reports that United were among the clubs keen on signing the £50m-rated winger in 2021, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer viewing the 5 foot 8 speedster as an alternative option to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish – while a £50m move to Arsenal was also mooted last year.
That valuation has since dropped to £9m – according to CIES Football Observatory – following an injury-hit last few years for the 23-year-old, yet on the evidence of his form so far this season, the four-cap international is looking back to his best.
How has Pedro Neto performed this season?
Although the Old Gold currently find themselves in 16th after picking up just four points from their opening six league games, the fleet-footed "superstar" – as hailed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher – has been a real shining light on the flanks, scoring once and registering four assists already this term.
The player with the second-most chances created in the division, Neto was particularly impressive in the defeat to Liverpool earlier this month, producing a simply 'majestic showing' – as per 90min's James Cormack – after running the Reds ragged in the first half.
Such devastating quality was also on show at the weekend as the £50k-per-week asset produced a breathtaking solo goal against newly promoted strugglers, Luton Town, helping almost single-handedly earn a point for the ten-man visitors at Kenilworth Road.
The promising wideman had also looked rather electric prior to that against the Red Devils on the opening weekend, with opposition full-back Luke Shaw having had 'his work cut out' due to Neto's pace, as per 90min's Jamie Spencer.
The latter man was a constant thorn in the side of the Englishman as he attempted 15 crosses on the day down the right flank, registered four key passes and completed four of his six dribble attempts, as 'some of Wolves best chances came down [Shaw's] left side' – according to GOAL's Richard Martin.
With Ten Hag currently without the likes of Anthony and Sancho, having a figure like Neto on the right flank would have been a perfect fit due to his creative quality and relentless, direct nature, with it looking like another case of 'one that got away' for those at Old Trafford.
It is hard to think of too many undoubted transfer success stories at Manchester United in recent times, with the Red Devils having far too regularly been made to pay for their seemingly scattergun approach in the transfer market.
A club with the highest net spend in Europe across the last decade, United have regularly sought out the marquee, big-money arrivals in their quest to close the cap on rivals Manchester City, albeit with those expensive outlays regularly coming back to bite them.
Among the current crop of first-team assets, for example, the Old Trafford outfit are now stuck with £80m dud Harry Maguire – despite Erik ten Hag's apparent desire to sell the Englishman – while £73m enigma Jadon Sancho also faces an uncertain future at the club after publicly biting back at his manager.
With exorbitant wages also dished out to boot on such underwhelming figures – with Maguire and Sancho raking in £190k-per-week and £250k-per-week, respectively – the United hierarchy have simply been bled dry far too often in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
That is also no doubt the case with regard to polarising midfielder, Paul Pogba, with the World Cup-winning Frenchman having arguably been something of a disastrous addition such were his on-field woes, controversies and overall cost throughout his time at the club.
Why did Pogba leave Man United in 2012?
It is almost easy to forget that the 6 foot 3 menace had begun his senior career on the books at Old Trafford after joining from Le Havre as a teenager, with the all-action maestro notably part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2011, alongside the likes of Jesse Lingard and Ravel Morrison.
As club legend Paul Scholes has stated, the then-youngster had hoped to kick on in the following season and force his way into the first-team reckoning – particularly with Ferguson's side enduring something of a midfield injury crisis – yet the towering asset simply "wasn't doing well enough", hence the Englishman himself stepping out of retirement instead.
That may have been a final straw for Pogba as he subsequently opted to depart on a free in the summer of 2012 after making just seven first-team appearances, with a disappointed Ferguson stating that the emerging talent had shown "a lack of respect" amid his move to Serie A side, Juventus.
The legendary Scotsman was also seemingly furious at the time with the player's agent, Mino Raiola, for helping to engineer the switch to Turin, with the 13-time Premier League winner stating that he and the Italian were like 'oil and water' such were their differing views.
That somewhat controversial and sour exit should well have been the end of Pogba's association with United, yet the powers that be deemed it wise to bring him back to England just four years later…
How much did Man United pay for Pogba?
There was likely a sense of widespread frustration among those back in Manchester that the blossoming talent had managed to adapt so quickly to life in Italy, with Pogba going on to win four successive Scudetto's – notably registering 18 goals and assists in Serie A in 2015/16.
That standout form subsequently led then-boss Jose Mourinho to sanction the £89m return of the playmaking powerhouse in the summer of 2016, with that having been a world-record transfer at the time.
Max-Meyer-tussling-with-Paul-Pogba
To have had to fork out so much for a player previously on the books at United represented something of an embarrassment, although those blushes were spared initially amid a strong debut campaign for the midfielder as the club won the League Cup and the Europa League.
Those early highs were as good as it got for the 91-cap international, in truth, with it quickly descending into a toxic period over the next few years as the player – and Raiola – regularly angled for a move away from the Theatre of Dreams.
How much did Pogba earn at Man United?
Reports as early as 2018 indicated that the enigmatic asset was intent on leaving the club in the hope of joining La Liga giants Barcelona, with things coming to a head with Mourinho after the pair were captured in a heated training ground bust-up in the early knockings of that 2018/19 campaign.
While Pogba outlasted the Portuguese tactician – memorably posting a cryptic Instagram post following the former Chelsea's man sacking – rumours of a possible departure continued into 2019, while Raiola again publicly stated in 2020 that a move away would be best for his client.
Such controversies off the field were not helped by the player's woes on it, with Pogba failing to inspire the club to further silverware as he proved a "big disappointment" overall, as per the aforementioned Scholes.
Although the Lagny-sur-Marne native did score 13 goals and register nine assists in the league in 2018/19 after finding a new lease of life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that hot streak was not maintained across an injury-disrupted final few years.
2011/12
3
0
0
2016/17
30
5
4
2017/18
27
6
10
2018/19
35
13
9
2019/20
16
1
4
2020/21
26
3
5
2021/22
20
1
9
Stats via Transfermarkt
Things notably came to a head as the under-fire dud was booed off during the 3-2 win at home to Norwich City in April 2022, while his time at the club ebbed out with a whimper as he limped off in the eventual 4-0 defeat at Anfield at the tail-end of that miserable campaign.
Despite reports that United were bizarrely keen to hand him a new deal, Pogba returned to Juve that summer following the expiry of his contract, having hardly justified the £290k-per-week wage that he was taking home for much of his time in Manchester.
What was the total cost of Pogba's time at Man United?
Not only did United have to suffer the embarrassment of twice allowing the 30-year-old to leave on a free, the club were also forced to cough up a sizeable salary to a player who seemingly didn't want to be there for much of his six-year stay.
As per Capology, the experienced asset was a true financial burden as he commanded roughly £85.1m in wages prior to departing last year, which when added to his initial £89m transfer fee makes for an eye-watering total of £174.1m.
With just a Europa League and a League Cup to show for that investment, it is easy to suggest that such funds were rather squandered – particularly with the all-round baggage that Pogba provided – with former boxer and United fan Anthony Crolla describing the saga as "one of the worst pieces of business financially in history".
Paul Pogba plays for Juventus in Serie A.
Now back in Italy, that return to the Allianz Stadium has not proven a happy one, however, as the under-fire figure has barely featured due to persistent injury woes, while he is also facing a potential ban from the game amid reports that he allegedly failed a drugs test last month.
For an undoubted "world-class", albeit problematic talent – as described by Scholes – that would be a sad way to bow out, yet for those of a United persuasion, they will likely just be thankful that he is no longer their problem.
The arrival of the South African fast bowler on a two-year Kolpak deal will invite hopes of a Championship challenge
Subhankar Bhattacharya10-Apr-2018Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has signed a two-year contract with Surrey. Morkel will slot into Surrey’s setup as a Kolpak registered player and will be available to play in all three formats of the game.Having retired only a few weeks ago from international cricket, several English counties had expressed their interest in roping in the big South African, but Surrey possessed the most financial muscle and his presence will encourage hopes that they can press for their first Championship since 2002.Morkel called time on his international career at the end of what was a controversial Test series against Australia, but one in which he became only the fifth South African bowler to bag 300 Test wickets. He also took the Man of the Match award in his penultimate Test, fittingly on his home ground at Cape Town, for his match-winning figures of 9 for 110.Known for generating genuine pace and bounce, Morkel is likely to extract the best out of The Oval’s otherwise gentle surface. The presence of another South African Kolpak in county cricket will invite criticism, but Surrey are rightly proud of their largely homegrown staff.”It is a real honour that Surrey asked me to join after my retirement from international cricket,” Morkel said. “I’ve got fond memories of playing at the Kia Oval and am looking forward to settling into London with my family for the summer.”Although he arrives on Wednesday, Morkel is not expected to take to the field in Surrey’s opening home fixture against Hampshire which begins on April 20. With his deal with Surrey confirmed, the paceman joins a list of current South African cricketers who will feature in this year’s county season, including Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.
New Zealand opener Colin Munro is set to return for the first T20I against Australia on February 3 in Sydney, following his recovery from a hamstring niggle that ruled him out of the series-deciding T20I against Pakistan. The tri-series that also features England, starts in Australia but concludes across the Tasman sea in New Zealand.Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell got the nod ahead of Glenn Phillips, while fast bowler Lockie Ferguson – who was part of the squad for the last two T20Is against Pakistan – missed out on a spot in the 14-man squad.
Squad for first T20I against Australia
Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler
Munro, who was bought by Delhi Daredevils in the IPL auction on Saturday, suffered the injury during the second game against Pakistan and was rested for the final match of the series, with selector Gavin Larsen citing, “a busy schedule” as the reason behind his omission. With Munro at the top, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will drop back down at No. 3.”Colin has been assessed and we’re optimistic he will be fine by Sunday,” Larsen said. “We’ve seen how big an impact Colin has in white-ball cricket, so we’re looking forward to having him back.”Keeping the Sydney surface in mind, New Zealand packed their squad with four spin options, with part-timers Williamson and Anaru Kitchen to assist Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner. “Historically we’ve seen that the SCG can spin a little bit, so it’s important that we have options in that area,” Larsen said. “Mitchell and Ish are our key guys, but having the likes of Anaru and Kane to do a job if need be is important as well.”New Zealand return home following their first T20I match, and will play the remainder of the series at home. Their second game of the series, against England, is on February 13 in Wellington.