£25m player called the "new Pirlo" would like to join Tottenham in January

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to bolster their ranks in January, and it is now believed that one player in particular would be in favour of a switch to north London next month.

Tottenham reach Carabao Cup semi-finals after 4-3 Man United thriller

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was a very relieved man after his side scraped into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, with the Lilywhites beating Man United 4-3 in a thrilling clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham want "top" van de Ven alternative in January after price drop

The Dutchman has been sidelined again.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 19, 2024

Summer signing Dominic Solanke showed exactly why Daniel Levy gave the green-light for his £65 million transfer, as the striker bagged an impressive brace with two excellent finishes past Altay Bayindir in the Red Devils goal.

The ex-Bournemouth talisman wasn’t their only standout performer on a memorable night for Spurs, with this season’s superstar Dejan Kulusevski also getting on the scoresheet just after half-time and all but cementing their place in the next round.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Liverpool (Home)

Nottingham Forest (Away)

Wolves (Home)

Newcastle United (Home)

Arsenal (Away)

Postecoglou was given a major scare when United brought it back to 3-2, courtesy of two major errors from goalkeeper Fraser Forster, but Son Heung-min gave them some much-needed breathing room on 88 minutes with his first and Tottenham’s fourth of the game.

Veteran Jonny Evans grabbed a very late consolation for United, but it was too little, too late, with Spurs now set to face Premier League leaders Liverpool over two legs to determine who will make it to the final at Wembley next year.

“We played so well, well in control of the game,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 4-3 win over United, reflecting on the two errors which made things that bit more nervy.

“It’s the way our season has gone a little bit, we self-inflicted some pain on ourselves, and then we had to scramble to get a foothold again. Ended up getting a fourth and winning the game. It should have been a lot more comfortable than it ended up being, but having said that, I still can’t get away from the fact this group of players is doing an unbelievable job at the moment to get us through this. The fact we again scored four goals and played some outstanding football. We got tired in the second half because we have a small number of players we keep putting out there.

“Obviously made it tighter than the game should have been. So proud of the players efforts.”

Nicolo Fagioli would be keen to join Tottenham from Juventus

In the background, technical director Johan Lange and the Spurs recruitment team are thinking of ways to potentially back Postecoglou with fresh faces next month.

Some reports have previously suggested that Tottenham could be offered the chance to Nicolo Fagioli from Juventus in January, with the Italy international’s agents scouring for potential landing spots amid his lack of game time in Turin.

Now, Italian newspaper TuttoSport, as relayed by Il Bianconero and Sport Witness, have shared a fresh update on their links to the midfielder.

They write that Fagioli would prefer a move to a prestigious suitor like Tottenham, despite approaches from a trio of their London rivals, but it will cost Levy around £25 million to secure a deal for the player who has been likened to Italian footballing legend Andrea Pirlo.

“I have always admired Nicolò,” said Miralem Pjanic in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport last year.

“He must continue to work like this and remain humble. Allegri and his staff will help him become a top midfielder of international caliber. Fagioli is the present and future of Italy.

“Is he the new Pirlo? Well, if Andrea says so, I too had foreseen that Fagioli would become a protagonist at Juventus.”

The 23-year-old hasn’t exactly gone on to become a key player at Juve, but as with the likes of Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, perhaps Fagioli could reignite his career by moving to Tottenham.

Matthew Wade reprimanded for outburst after dismissal against RCB

Gujarat Titans’ Matthew Wade has been reprimanded by the match referee for his outburst after being dismissed.The Titans batter immediately reviewed an lbw call when given out off the bowling of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Glenn Maxwell. Replays suggested there might have been a deflection when the ball passed Wade’s bat. The commentators – Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith and Simon Doull – were convinced Wade had hit the ball.Ultra Edge, though, showed little evidence of it. There was a smidgeon, an extremely brief murmur, on the straight line of the audio signature, but that was not considered significant enough to overturn an on-field decision.Wade looked flabbergasted that the technology didn’t back him up. He walked off shaking his head. Upon reaching the dressing room, he was seen angrily throwing his bat and helmet around.After the match, he admitted to the offence and was let off with a reprimand. As per a statement from the IPL, it was a Level 1 offence, under Article 2.5 of the Code of Conduct.His captain Hardik Pandya did not seek to carry on about the decision. “I think it was a slight… on Ultra Edge it was there, right?” Pandya said at the post-match press conference. “I don’t know from the big screen it was not (clearly) visible. You can’t fault (anyone). If the technology is not helping, I don’t know who’s going to help. Obviously it is nothing personal from anybody. Most of the time it works and most of the time the right decision is taken.”Although Titans went on to lose the match by eight wickets, they had already secured a place in the top two, which gives them two shots at making the final should they lose the first qualifier. Pandya said he was proud that his side had kept finding different match-winners in different matches of the league stages.

'Just walking up the stadium stairs hurts' – Ex-Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen announces retirement from football amid fear of becoming 'dependent on painkillers'

Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen has confirmed he will retire from playing football at the end of the season at the age of 37 due to injuries.

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Vertonghen calls time on playing careerVeteran defender in pain due to injuriesHad successful spells at Ajax, Tottenham, Benfica & AnderlechtFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The centre-back revealed at a press conference on Tuesday he would hang up his boots at the end of the 2024-25 campaign having spent much of the last year sidelined with ankle and Achilles problems. He opened up on the daily struggle of simply walking and wants to call it quits while he is not "dependent on painkillers".

AdvertisementWHAT VERTONGHEN SAID

Vertonghen said: "During all those months on the sidelines, I had time to reflect. I quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to play a full year at the level I wanted. I constantly suffer from ankle pain, so the decision was quite easy to make.

"I've seen about 10 specialists this year who assured me the pain would go away. But the pain is daily, and just walking up the stadium stairs hurts. I have to warm up for a very long time before I can play.

"I take painkillers and have had several injections, but I'm not a fan of that kind of shock treatment. I don't want to be dependent on painkillers. I feel like I'll still be welcome at every club I've played for, and that makes me proud, as does the fact that I've been able to discover many different countries and cultures."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Vertonghen began his career in Netherlands with Ajax having been picked up by Dutch scouts as a schoolboy. He won four trophies in Amsterdam, including back-to-back Eredivisie titles in his final two years at the club, before joining Tottenham in 2012. The defender instantly became a fan favourite in north London and he made 315 appearances across nearly a decade of service at Spurs, during which time he formed a formidable partnership with compatriot and ex-Ajax team-mate Toby Alderweireld and helped the club reach their first-ever Champions League final.

Vertonghen's contract at Tottenham expired in 2020 and he joined Portuguese side Benfica on a free transfer. He spent two years in the Primeira Liga, winning the title once, before deciding to play in his home country of Belgium for the first time with Anderlecht. At international level, Vertonghen is Belgium's most-capped player of all time having made 157 appearances between 2007 and 2024. He was part of the 'golden generation' which finished third at the 2018 World Cup.

WHAT NEXT FOR VERTONGHEN?

Vertonghen made his return from injury for Anderlecht prior to the international break. The Purple & White have 11 games remaining this season and remain on the hunt for the Belgian Pro League title and Belgian Cup to give the 37-year-old a fairytale send-off.

'So funny' – Declan Rice reveals hilarious nickname he's been given at Arsenal because of his running style

Declan Rice has revealed he has been given the nickname "horse" by his Arsenal team-mates due to his running style.

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  • Rice given bizarre nickname
  • Arsenal team-mate came up with it
  • Gunners ace says it was "so funny"
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Gunners midfielder stated that Oleksandr Zinchenko called him a "horse man" because of his galloping-like running style. The 26-year-old said the whole thing is "so funny" and now that horse nickname has stuck at the club.

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  • Getty Images Sport

    WHAT DECLAN RICE SAID

    He said on the England Generations podcast: "I’ve never had a nickname until I went to Arsenal. Everyone at Arsenal calls me horse. In the morning, even the nutritionist says ‘morning horse’. Zinchenko started it all. He just started it off. He says ‘you are a horse man’. He was like ‘you run like a horse back and forth’. I was like ‘okay, fair enough’. Then Jorginho started it. It was so funny, I had a notification on Instagram the other day where Zinchenko sent me a video and I was like ‘what is that?’. He sent me this video of a horse running on a beach and was like ‘this is you’. Mate, it’s so random.”

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Rice swapped West Ham for Arsenal in the summer of 2023 for a fee worth up to £105 million ($136m). While that is a huge figure, the England international has arguably justified that amount off the back of his stellar performances. It appears he has the affection of many at Arsenal as well, going by this nickname.

  • Getty

    WHAT NEXT?

    Rice will return to Arsenal next week but before then he could feature for England in their World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on Friday and Monday respectively.

أرتيتا يوضح سبب تعثر آرسنال أمام كريستال بالاس.. ويؤكد: لدينا أهم مباراة في الموسم

أدلى مدرب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي آرسنال، ميكيل أرتيتا، بتصريحات صحفية بعد تعادل فريقه أمام كريستال بالاس في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتعادل آرسنال أمام نظيره كريستال بالاس بهدفين لكل منهما، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 34 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على ملعب “الإمارات”.

تعادل آرسنال، يؤجل تتويج ليفربول بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث رفع الجانرز رصيده إلى 67 نقطة، بفارق 12 نقطة عن الريدز الذي سيلاقي توتنهام هوتسبير مساءً الأحد.

يذكر أن ليفربول بحاجة إلى نقطة وحيدة لحسم لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بعد غياب خمس سنوات منذ آخر لقب حققه الريدز في موسم 2020.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | آرسنال يتعادل مع كريستال بالاس ويؤجل تتويج ليفربول بالدوري الإنجليزي

وقال ميكيل أرتيتا في تصريحات لـ”SKY SPORTS”: “نشعر بخيبة أمل على النتيجة والأداء. لم نحافظ على ثبات أدائنا بما يكفي للسيطرة على المباراة. هذا جزء من كرة القدم، وكلفنا نقطتين”.

وأضاف المدرب الإسباني: “قد يكون الأمر صعبًا. في كثير من جوانب المباراة، كان ينبغي أن نؤدي بشكل أفضل اليوم”.

وتابع أرتيتا: “نحتاج إلى الثبات، اليوم كريستال بالاس كانوا منظمين للغاية واستحقوا الإشادة، علينا أن نبذل جهدًا أكبر بكثير”.

وعن الأخطاء التي كلفت تعادل الجانرز، أفاد أرتيتا قائلاً: “بالتأكيد. كلفتكما نقاطًا، إنها جزء من كرة القدم، لكن لدينا أهم مباراة في الموسم ضد باريس سان جيرمان في دوري الأبطال، ولدينا أيضاً ست مباريات في الدوري، وعلينا استعادة طاقتنا”.

Shastri: Washington Sundar 'is the future' for India

“This guy is your premier allrounder across all three formats of the game. Hear what I am saying. Three formats of the game.”

Sidharth Monga22-May-20223:29

Shastri: ‘Washington is going to be one of India’s premier all-format allrounders’

Washington Sundar, who has not made to any of the India squads named today, is a future all-format allrounder for India, former coach Ravi Shastri has said. Shastri was effusive in his praise for Washington, whose Test debut came under Shastri in the 2021 series-decider in Australia, where he helped India complete an unbelievable series win.”He is going to be one of India’s leading allrounders,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show T20 Time:Out. “He is the future. You have [Ravindra] Jadeja today. Three years down the line, if Jadeja is still fit, he will play. There is Axar [Patel] around. But this guy is your premier allrounder across all three formats of the game. Hear what I am saying. Three formats of the game.Related

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“This guy is a serious cricketer. He is still very young, he has got to understand his own game, how good a player he is. Shot selection will come, especially for the white-ball format. [If he] works on his fitness so that he is not injury-prone, India have got a serious cricketer in him. Across all formats of the game. I think it is up to him really to do the hard yards on fitness. No excuse. He can’t depend on X, Y, Z. He has to look at himself in the mirror and say I want to work hard and I want to be the leading allrounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy.”Shastri said Washington, 22, was an easy fit in the Test side, but needed some work on his batting in T20s. “T20 is again shot selection,” Shastri said. “In Test cricket he can occupy that No. 6 position in the future, 6 or 7. He bats, where he goes as the batting allrounder. Overseas he can bowl you those overs in a specialist spinner’s place and gives that balance. In India he can bat at no. 6. You are allowed to play two extra spinners. That’s how important a player he is.Washington Sundar takes the inventive route to send Kagiso Rabada for six•BCCI

“In T20 cricket he can bowl. No problem with his bowling. It is just understanding which player, which lengths. Batting. It is his shot selection, the ability is there. Danny [Vettori] mentioned that strike off [Kagiso] Rabada. How many people can play that shot? I know Wankhede Stadium well. When it hits that top tier halfway through, on the off side, off a fast bowler, off the back foot, that is an unbelievable shot. The guy can play shots. When I saw that shot, I was thinking of the hook he played off Pat Cummins at the Gabba. That six when we were chasing. That shot went 10-15 rows back. This guy has the ability. He has to be properly groomed, educated on how good he is. Especially when it comes to shot selection,. He is a serious cricketer, that kid.”Vettori, the co-panellist, said Washington needed more time in first-class cricket to become that No. 6 batter. “He sometimes has the technique of someone who doesn’t back himself to hit the big balls,” Vettori said. “You see how much room he gives himself and backs away. But Ravi is right, the skillset is there. He can actually stay still and still have the power to hit it. I have a question around, see someone like Jadeja who has built his batting around first-class cricket. He has faced thousands and thousands of balls. Does Washington Sundar get enough first-class cricket to develop his batting?”Because all the tailender batters who have grown from say No. 8 or No. 7 to a genuine No. 6, it is on the back of thousands and thousands of runs in domestic cricket. And Jadeja is the best example. Maybe not runs, but the opportunity. And if Washington is always in the white-ball team, always in large squad, he may never get that opportunity. That will be to the detriment of his batting ability.”Shastri said Washington needed not just first-class experience but in the upper middle order. “I had a chat with Washy when I was coach,” Shastri said. “I said you can’t bat later than No. 4 for your state. You are good enough at that level to get hundreds. You know what domestic cricket dishes out. There are a lot of people trying to occupy 1, 2, 3, 4 who are not good enough. Here is a bloke who bats at 6, on debut, gets a 70 against Australia, then gets a 90 against England to win us the series. These are serious innings under pressure. If you can do it for India, at that number, he has to bat for his state no later than 4, okay latest 5, but no later than that.”Washington has played only 17 first-class matches, four of them Test matches. Even when he debuted for India, he had not played any first-class cricket in over three years. Since then he is yet to play a first-class match for Tamil Nadu, but he also spends a lot of time touring with the India white-ball teams. The last 18 months have been tough for him with an injury ruling him out of T20 World Cup and then a split webbing in the middle of the IPL possibly cost him a shot at India selection.

New rivals to Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney & Tom Brady? Wrexham & Birmingham's League One foes Leyton Orient close to £18m takeover with plans to start American football franchise in London

Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Tom Brady may soon have added competition, with Leyton Orient's takeover plan including an American football team.

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Hollywood co-owners in North WalesNFL legend involved with the BluesOrient drawing up ambitious projectFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The O’s are currently competing alongside Wrexham and Birmingham in League One. They have seen famous investors at SToK Racecourse and St Andrew’s enjoy considerable success, while attracting a global audience to EFL action.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Orient plan to jump aboard that bandwagon, with reporting that a US-based consortium are closing in on an £18 million ($23m) takeover. It has already been announced that exclusive negotiations have been opened regarding a potential change of ownership in east London.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

It is claimed that said proposal includes the option for an American football franchise to be formed, which would operate in the European League of Football. That 16-team competition does not yet include a side from Great Britain.

TELL ME MORE

Ambitious blueprints are being drawn up by TV executive David Gandler, a former Warner Bros executive and founder of fuboTV. Tech and sports entrepreneur Kit Hawkins, who owns a stake in the TMRW Golf League formed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is also involved. As is Neil Leibman, an executive at the Texas Rangers Major League Baseball franchise.

UCL giants want to sign him: Tottenham now at risk of awful Bale repeat

This season was supposed to be a campaign in which Ange Postecoglou ironed out the mistakes of his swashbuckling Tottenham Hotspur side and led them to a trophy of some kind.

Instead, the Australian has seen his team maintain their entertaining style of play, but if anything, become even more inconsistent and, thanks to a swathe of injuries combined with poor form, they find themselves in the second half of the Premier League table and desperately searching for their next win.

In the manager’s defence, there is still a chance for them to win some silverware this year, but based on their performances over the last few months, that feels like a distinctly distant prospect.

Moreover, one of the team’s best players this season, who has been genuinely brilliant at times, is now supposedly a target for a Champions League giant, and could leave in a move akin to Gareth Bale’s departure in 2013.

Gareth Bale's Spurs departure

Now, when it comes to the best Spurs players of the last 15 to 20 years, most fans might name stars like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Luka Modrić, but for us, Bale stands above the rest.

The utterly sensational Welshman endured a torrid start to life in North London that included a severe ankle injury and a brutal winless run that saw Sir Alex Ferguson tell Harry Redknapp to drop him, but after a few years and a shift from full-back to winger, he exploded.

Over his first stint with the club, the Cardiff-born superstar made 203 appearances, in which he scored 55 goals and provided 50 assists, but it was in the 12/13 campaign, his final one with the club before moving to Real Madrid, that he cemented himself as a world-class attacker.

Appeearnces

269

Points per Game

1.63

Goals

71

Assists

53

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

In just 44 appearances that year, the Welsh legend scored 26 goals and provided ten assists for the Lilywhites, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.22 games.

Such a rate of return saw Los Blancos spend a world record £85m on him that summer, and he went on to win everything there is to win at club level in Spain.

While fans didn’t begrudge Bale for his decision to leave them for such a giant of the game, it was a move that left them looking for a suitable replacement, which it could be said they never found, and now, based on reports, they could be set to lose another of their best players to a European giant.

The Spurs star who could leave

So, to get straight to the point, the Spurs star who could leave as soon as this month is none other than Dejan Kulusevski.

According to a report from the Italian publication MilanLive, the Swedish international has been in contact with his fellow countryman Zlatan Ibrahimović, who is a senior advisor to the UCL giants and is intent on bringing the 24-year-old to the San Siro this year.

The report has even more bad news for the Tottenham faithful, as it claims that the former Juventus ace is keen on the move as Postecoglou’s side continue to struggle this season.

The Rossoneri are supposedly keen to sign the dynamic attacker on a short-term loan this month before paying a fee in the summer, although Spurs are set to demand at least €50m, which is about £41m.

Now, akin to Bale’s move to Real over a decade ago, this would be a severe blow to the club’s attacking options as the “world-class” international, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has thrived in both midfield and on the wings this season.

Appearances

124

Points per Game

1.63

Goals

22

Assists

27

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Across all competitions this year, the Stockholm-born maestro has made 28 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists, meaning he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.86 games.

Ultimately, if this report is accurate, then this transfer could be just as damaging to the team as Bale’s was in 2013, as while Kulusevski is not quite on the same level as him, he’s arguably just as important to this current Spurs team.

Therefore, Daniel Levy and Co must do what they can to ensure this is a deal that does not happen.

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The “special” talent could develop into a world-beater with Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 2, 2025

Arsenal planning offer for "insane" Kai Havertz upgrade

If you had asked an Arsenal fan what the team needed to improve a year ago, they probably would have said a new striker.

If you were to ask that same question to a fan today, they would almost certainly say the same thing.

Mikel Arteta has helped transform Arsenal into one of the best teams in England over the last few years, but since Pierre Emerick Aubameyang left the club in 2022, he hasn’t been able to sign a prolific number nine.

However, that could be about to change as recent reports have linked the club with someone who could be the perfect upgrade on Kai Havertz.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool and Manchester City are keen to sign the Brazilian, while Chelsea have also shown interest.

Interestingly, while the Seagulls have set an asking price of €70m – £58m – for the striker, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are ‘planning to make an offer of around €55-65 million’, which converts to between £46m and £54m.

Southampton's Flynn Downes in action with Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro

It will be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Pedro’s ability, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could be an upgrade on Havertz.

How Pedro compares to Havertz

So, should Arsenal be successful in their pursuit of Pedro and get him for around the £54m mark, it seems incredibly unlikely that he’d come in to sit on the bench.

Brighton striker Joao Pedro

Therefore, the Brighton ace would be in direct competition with Havertz for a place in the starting lineup, but which one comes out ahead?

Well, regarding their raw output this season, it’s a little complicated, as the German has scored ten goals and provided two assists compared to the Brazilian’s four goals and three assists.

However, the “fantastic” Seagulls ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced his haul in just ten appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 1.42 games.

In comparison, the former Chelsea man has produced his goal involvements in 23 appearances, resulting in a significantly less impressive average of one every 1.91 games.

What about their underlying numbers then? Who comes out on top when we look under the hood?

Surprisingly, it’s the “insane” former Watford star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, who comes out ahead, and by a country mile at that.

Pedro vs Havertz

Statistics per 90

Pedro

Havertz

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.54

0.54

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.93

0.47

Progressive Passes

3.73

2.97

Progressive Carries

3.60

1.55

Shots

2.39

2.36

Shots on Target

0.93

0.88

Goals per Shot

0.22

0.14

Goals per Shot on Target

0.57

0.38

Key Passes

1.47

0.81

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.73

0.47

Shot-Creating Actions

2.78

2.36

Goal-Creating Actions

0.53

0.14

Successful Take-Ons

1.73

0.41

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

For example, the 23-year-old emerges victorious in every relevant metric, including but not limited to non-penalty expected and actual goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot and shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Havertz is a great player and has been a useful signing for Arsenal, Pedro’s statistics are far, far more impressive, and in a weaker side, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to sign the Brazilian striker as soon as possible.

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Kyle Jamieson to miss last Test in England with 'stress-reaction' in lower back

Pace bowler will return to NZ immediately, targeting return to action in September or October

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2022Kyle Jamieson, the New Zealand pace bowler, is set to return home with a stress-reaction in his lower back, meaning he will miss next week’s third and final Test at Headingley.MRI scans revealed the extent of his injury after Jamieson pulled up mid-over experiencing sharp pain in his lower back on the third evening of the second Test, which England won by five wickets in a thrilling final session at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.Jamison did not return to the field until the fifth morning after being passed fit to bat, coming into New Zealand’s second innings at No.10 but exiting for a six-ball duck after he was caught behind off Stuart Broad. Unable to bowl, however, New Zealand felt his absence as England chased down a target of 299, thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s onslaught in which he scored 136 off just 92 balls and Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 75 off 70 to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.It is expected that Jamieson, who was the pick of New Zealand’s bowlers during their five-wicket defeat in the first Test at Lord’s, will need four to six weeks’ rest before beginning a rehabilitation program targeting a potential return to play in September or October.Related

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Ben Stokes 'blown away' by rousing win at packed Trent Bridge

Tom Latham rues the moments that got away as depleted New Zealand are put to the sword

Pace bowler Blair Tickner, who was with the Test side in England for their early tour games, was called into the squad as Jamieson’s replacement and will arrive in the UK ahead of the third Test. New Zealand also have Neil Wagner in their squad who is yet to feature in the series.Meanwhile, Tickner’s domestic teammate, Dane Cleaver, received his maiden Test call-up as a replacement for wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher who was also ruled out of the tour with a grade-two right-hamstring strain, sustained while fielding as a substitute on day four of the second Test. Fletcher will need six to eight weeks to recover.”It’s always sad to see players forced to leave a tour early with injury,” Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, said. “Kyle had played such a big role in the first Test at Lord’s and I know how disappointed he was to have had his involvement in the second Test curtailed.”He’s obviously a huge asset for us and we’ll be making sure we are patient with his recovery to ensure he returns fully fit with plenty more important cricket still to come later this year.”Jamieson’s injury deepened a luckless run for the tourists, who were also without captain Kane Williamson after he tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the second Test.Jamieson has missed only one of the 17 Tests New Zealand have played since his debut, left out as part of his workload management during their victory over England at Edgbaston last year. After taking six wickets at Lord’s last week he rose to No.3 in the ICC men’s Test bowling rankings.

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