It doesn't matter how Chelsea pick up their wins at the moment, so long as they do, with a trip to Brentford to come later today.

Mauricio Pochettino's Blues beat fierce rivals Leeds United on Wednesday night to progress to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, but it was hardly a vintage performance.

The west Londoners went behind early on before pulling one back of their own and relied upon a 90th-minute winner from Conor Gallagher to get them over the line.

While there were a few decent performers on the night, such as Enzo Fernández and Gallagher, there were plenty of underwhelming ones, with Noni Madueke being one of them.

Noni Madueke's performance in numbers

Now, the former PSV Eindhoven winger didn't start in Chelsea's League Cup Final defeat at the weekend, but he has started two of the previous four league games, although he was hooked at half-time on both occasions.

While his form certainly doesn't suggest he should've been starting against the Peacocks, his performance away to Aston Villa in the last round, where he picked up an assist, was probably the reason he did get the nod.

Unfortunately for Pochettino and Madueke, it was a decision that backfired, as he was practically anonymous during his 61 minutes of action.

This sentiment was echoed by the Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, who gave the Barnet-born attacker a 4/10 on the night and described him as 'ineffective and rushed in the final third' and his overall display as 'having made little impression.'

While that might sound harsh, it's an assessment backed up by the numbers, as during his time on the pitch, the 21-year-old managed just two shots, which were off target, 26 passes, zero key passes, and he missed one big chance.

Simply put, it wasn't a performance worthy of starting this afternoon against the Bees, and it's doubtful that Poch will give him that opportunity. However, one of the other starters on Wednesday could well start again today, which would be a mistake.

Mykhailo Mudryk's game in numbers

Yes, the other starter from Wednesday night's clash who probably shouldn't start against Thomas Frank's side is Mykhailo Mudryk, which might not be the most popular opinion given he scored on the night.

However, in a game against stronger opposition – such as against Chelsea's London rivals this afternoon – it would make sense to bring Gallagher back into the attacking midfield role, even if it would be no surprise to see Mudryk retain his place.

Moreover, while the Ukrainian certainly wasn't terrible against the Whites, he wasn't brilliant either, with the Standard's Kilpatrick giving him a 6/10 on the night, claiming that while he 'took his goal really well' he 'faded and overran the ball' in the second half.

His numbers from the game also don't paint the picture of a player who should be starting in the Premier League this afternoon, as in his 89 minutes of action, he only completed 17 passes, was accurate in one of his five crosses, completed two of his four long balls, failed in his one attempted dribble, lost four of his five duels and lost possession 20 times.

Minutes

89'

Goals

1

Passes Completed (Accuracy)

17/23 (74%)

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Long Balls (Completed)

4 (2)

Attempted Dribbles (Completed)

1 (0)

Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Lost Possession

20

In all, the "dribbling monster", as U23 scout Antonio Mango described him, may have looked better in a more central role, but it wasn't a performance good enough to displace Gallagher from the ten position – who has hit ten goal involvements this season – in the more intense top-flight matches to come.

Ex-Chelsea gem has made over £350m & outperformed Sterling in 22/23

The former Blues star has been raking it in since leaving Stamford Bridge.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 1, 2024

Ultimately, Mudryk's performance was encouraging, and perhaps Pochettino can make the most out of the situation by using him as an impact sub in central and wide areas going forward.

Leeds United are back at Home Park for the second time in February as they travel away from Yorkshire again to take on Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

The Whites face off against Ian Foster's team for the third time in 2024 but for the first time in the Championship since a 2-1 win over the newly-promoted outfit in November 2023.

After a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in January in the FA Cup, the two sides were forced to play a replay earlier this month and Leeds ran out 4-1 winners after extra time.

Since that match, Daniel Farke's men have won two Championship matches by an aggregate score of 7-0, against Rotherham United and Swansea.

Leeds smashed the Swans 4-0 in Wales on Tuesday night and the German head coach could make some alterations to the starting XI from that win as games come thick and fast.

With this in mind, here is FFC's predicted Whites line-up to take on Plymouth at Home Park once again this weekend…

1

Illan Meslier

Illan Meslier should keep his place between the sticks for Leeds as he has been Farke's number one choice throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

He made one save to keep a clean sheet against Swansea last time out and will be looking for another shutout in this clash with Plymouth.

2

Connor Roberts

The first change to the starting XI could come at right-back with Connor Roberts, who joined on loan Premier League side Burnley on deadline day, coming in for Archie Gray.

Archie Gray	Vs Swansea
Minutes played	77
Key passes	One
Assists	One
Duel success rate	100%
Sofascore rating	7.6
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 17-year-old academy graduate produced an excellent performance in Wales with strong defending to win all of his duels and an assist to set up Wilfried Gnonto's first goal.

However, the busy fixture list could make dropping the teenage whiz to the bench to provide Roberts with an opportunity to impress a good decision.

It would provide Gray with a rest and allow the Wales international to build up his match fitness, so that he is not short of it in a future games if Farke needs him.

3

Joe Rodon

Joe Rodon produced a sublime performance against his former club on Tuesday night, and you can read about his superb display in the FFC article below.

Leeds titan who won 100% duels was as good as Gnonto & Summerville v Swans

The former Swans star enjoyed a wonderful visit to his former club on Tuesday.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 14, 2024

4

Ethan Ampadu

Another Wales international should line up at the heart of the defence alongside his fellow countryman – Ethan Ampadu. He has been a revelation at centre-back in 2024 after an enforced change due to an injury to Pascal Struijk.

The pairing have played seven matches at centre-back together and Leeds have won all seven and kept six clean sheets, with one goal conceded, in that time.

They have been imperious at the back and should, therefore, start once again to keep out the likes of Morgan Whittaker and Ryan Hardie on Saturday.

5

Junior Firpo

At left-back, Junior Firpo should keep his place in the starting XI after Sam Byram missed out on the matchday squad through injury on Tuesday.

The former Barcelona full-back has assisted four goals in 12 Championship appearances this season, and could provide a creative threat against Plymouth.

6

Ilia Gruev

Another player who should keep their place in the starting XI is former Werder Bremen central midfielder Ilia Gruev, who produced a fine display on Tuesday.

The impressive gem assisted Crysencio Summerville's opening goal on the night and completed 93% of his attempted passes in midfield for Leeds.

7

Glen Kamara

Farke should start Glen Kamara alongside Gruev once again as the superb partnership helped the Whites to control the match against Swansea.

The Finland international completed an eye-catching 96% of his attempted passes and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that both of the team's midfielders rarely gave the ball away with their passing.

8

Dan James

The second and final change, in terms of personnel, to the XI could come on the right side of the attack with Dan James coming in to replace Georginio Rutter.

Of course, this is not a direct replacement as the French whiz is typically deployed in the number ten position, which was the case against Swansea.

Rutter did not have the best evening against the Swans as he failed to create a single chance for his teammates and did not find the back of the net from any of his four shot attempts, which came to an xG of 0.32.

James returned from injury to make an appearance off the bench against his former club and could, now, return to the starting XI this weekend.

The Wales international, who former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed has the "X-factor", has produced ten goals and six assists in 23 Championship starts this season, which shows that he has the quality to be a match-winner for the Whites.

9

Wilfried Gnonto

Rutter being boldly ditched for James would allow Gnonto to move into a central position, which would provide the versatile gem with more opportunities to make runs through the middle to threaten the opposition goal.

Last four appearances	Wilfried Gnonto
Bristol City	Goal
Plymouth Argyle	Goal
Rotherham United
Swansea City	Two goals and one assist
Stats via Sofascore

10

Crysencio Summerville

Summerville is another player who should keep his place in the starting XI as the Dutch whiz has been a constant threat to opposition defences this season.

The 22-year-old talent has racked up 15 goals and eight assists in 29 appearances in the Championship so far this season for Farke's team on the left flank.

The opener admitted, however, that some players who were part of the 3-0 defeat on the previous India tour might be carrying ‘a bit of baggage’

Liam Brickhill25-Sep-2019South Africa might still be carrying “a bit of baggage” from their last trip to India, opening batsman Aiden Markram has said. Markram wasn’t in the set-up last time around, but several members of the current touring party were part of the team that lost the Test series 3-0 four years ago. Despite the challenges ahead, Markram insisted that South Africa would not be dwelling on the difficulty of the conditions in India.”I remember watching that series a few years ago and it looked incredibly difficult,” Markram said. “I’m sure there’s a bit of baggage that certain players that were on that tour might still be carrying but that’s completely fine. I think it’s never an easy tour coming to anywhere in the subcontinent, let alone India. It’s full of challenges, but if we can conquer those challenges it will be really rewarding.”Watch cricket on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the three Tests.

Fresh from a hundred against India A, Markram is aiming to “nit-pick at those positives” that come from time at the crease, but expects conditions in the upcoming Test series to be very different.”There’s always a couple of positives from spending time at the crease. I’m trying to nit-pick at those positives and take as much as I can from those knocks,” Markram said. “Preparation going into this series is gonna be massive and each little bit that we can take going into the series will help.”Markram is likely to open the batting for South Africa in the upcoming three-match series against India, starting on October 2 in Visakhapatnam, He tuned up for that challenge by top-scoring with 161 in Mysore last week.Aiden Markram lets one go•AFPHis runs meant South Africa A were able to draw the game, having slumped to a seven-wicket defeat in the first four-day game in Thiruvananthapuram.”From a personal perspective, it was nice to spend time out in the middle,” Markram said. “I think the wickets we get [in the Tests] will be a lot different to the wickets we got in the A series. But like I said, it’s nice to spend time out there. And in the field as well, it was nice for us as fielders to be on our feet for long periods of time and for our bowlers to bowl plenty of spells in these hot conditions. We took a lot from the A side games and we’re ready to go in the Test matches.”The guys are positive and upbeat and we’re maintaining really good language in the change room, really strong language. At the end of the day, we’re not going to harp on about conditions. We pretty much know what to expect and we just need to get the job done.”Markram is returning to a Test squad that has been shaken up by the retirements of some high-profile personnel, with Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn both bowing out. While players of that calibre undoubtedly leave a massive hole to fill, Markram said that the changes have been invigorating for the team environment.”It’s nice to be back in the camp,” he said. “There’s a lot of new faces and it’s exciting times with the change of staff and quite a few new players as well. There’s lots of new and refreshing energy in the camp and the guys look to be in good spirits so we’re looking forward to the series.”Before the three-Test series begins in October, South Africa will play a three-day warm-up match against a Board President’s XI starting on Thursday in Vizianagaram.

Whilst much of the focus is centred around David Moyes' West Ham United future, the Hammers could be set to face an additional blow with one player's future at the club now in doubt.

West Ham transfer news

As things stand, Moyes' current contract is set to expire this summer, leaving West Ham scrambling for replacements. So far, reports have seen the Hammers linked with the likes of Gary O'Neil and Steve Cooper. O'Neil, currently in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, has taken the Midlands club from a side in fear of relegation to a side now competing in the Premier League's top half.

Cooper, meanwhile, has been without a job since his Nottingham Forest sacking earlier this season. After keeping them up in their first season back in the Premier League, Cooper failed to kick on, but could now have the opportunity at redemption in the form of the West Ham job.

If Moyes does depart, West Ham's transfer picture will become far clearer on the incoming front when the next manager takes up the hot seat. On the departure front, however, the rumour mill has already started, with one player's future now in doubt at the London club.

According to Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, Flynn Downes could yet leave West Ham this summer after an impressive loan spell at Southampton. The central midfielder only joined West Ham in 2022 for a reported £12m, but may now be heading for the exit door just two years later.

West Ham wasted £41m on a flop who earned more than Kudus does

This talented player was even worse than Sebastian Haller for the Hammers.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 3, 2024

Moyes, if still in charge, will be well aware of the potential exit blow, having praised Downes' progress whilst at Southampton in a recent press conference. The manager said via The Athletic: "We’ve been watching Flynn and he’s playing in a good, successful team.

"We paid £12million for him and if you look at the boy (Adam Wharton) who joined Crystal Palace from Blackburn Rovers for £18m, sometimes you think it might be good value in the end. For Flynn, it would’ve been hard for him to get game time this season, but I’m really pleased he’s doing well at Southampton.”

"Brilliant" Flynn has earned a permanent move

Whilst out on loan at Southampton, Flynn has done exactly what's needed to earn a permanent move this summer, perhaps to the frustration of West Ham. If the Saints go up, he could quickly become their first signing. As things stand in the Championship, Southampton sit fourth and five points adrift of Ipswich Town in the final automatic promotion spot, meaning that anything is still possible.

What's more, manager Russell Martin is certainly a fan, saying via The Athletic: “He is a big player for us, he is important. He’s a brilliant character, he’s a winner, someone who’s aggressive and a brilliant athlete too.”

So, with that said, when the transfer window swings open, West Ham and potentially their new manager could face an instant battle to avoid a frustrating exit. The last thing those at the London Stadium will want, however, is to lose money on Downes, having spent £12m for his signature just two years ago.

Barcelona’s financial struggles are well-documented, but Joan Laporta claims they have the funds to sign Spain and Athletic Club star Nico Williams.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Exciting winger starring at Euro 2024
• Wanted by clubs across Europe
• Blaugrana have funds to make a move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 21-year-old winger is currently catching the eye for his country at Euro 2024. A collection of impressive performances, which have helped La Roja into the semi-finals of that competition, are attracting admiring glances from across Europe.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Williams has stated that his intention is to remain in Bilbao for the foreseeable future, but that has done little to quieten the speculation that he continues to generate. Leading sides in the Premier League are said to have the youngster on their recruitment radar, while Barca are also in the mix.

• WHAT LAPORTA SAID

  The Blaugrana have struggled to complete important business in recent times – with Lionel Messi departing Camp Nou in 2021 as the money was not there for a new contract – but Laporta insists that the Catalan giants can afford Williams. He has told : “It is Nico's responsibility. We are working on the operations that [Hansi] Flick asks of us. Today we can afford to sign Nico Williams. We can deal with a signing like Nico's.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Any move for Williams, who has emerged as one of the most exciting forwards in Europe, would see him united with Spain team-mate Lamine Yamal in Barcelona – with the 16-year-old wonderkid another of those to be making plenty of headlines on the European Championship stage.

A potential wildcard appointment as Liverpool's next manager has spoken of his delight at being linked with the soon-to-be-available job at Anfield.

Who will replace Jurgen Klopp?

This may be a thrilling season for the Reds currently, with a quadruple not out of the question, but with each passing week, they edge closer to Jurgen Klopp's exit. His decision to leave this summer sent shockwaves across Merseyside and the football world, and replacing him is going to be almost impossible.

There is a growing list of potential successors to the German, however, but as has been the case for a while now, Xabi Alonso looks to be the standout candidate. He is now within touching distance of winning the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen, and victory away to FC Koln on Sunday would take his side 10 points clear at the top of the table.

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi has also been linked with taking over from Klopp in the summer, with the Italian on the verge of title glory himself in Serie A, while Julian Nagelsmann is another option, with the 36-year-old potentially leaving his role as Germany boss after Euro 2024.

A more left-field choice has also emerged in recent days, with Lens manager Franck Haise seen as a surprise candidate to arrive at Anfield once Klopp is gone.

Franck Haise flattered by Liverpool links

With quotes relayed by RMC Sport [via Sport Witness], Haise discussed being linked with the Liverpool job, failing to hide his delight.

"What can I say? It’s a good thing. It’s recognition for a job well done. A job that I don’t do alone, by the way. If we’re talking about the data, the work on the data, the results, the principles of the game."

Haise would certainly be an interesting choice by FSG to fill the void left by Klopp, with the 52-year-old similarly data-driven to former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, who has been linked with a return to Anfield this summer, but wanting to have more control than before.

Lens

157

1.73

Lens B

80

1.23

Lorient

2

0.50

Lens have adopted a 'Moneyball' approach under Haise, which is something Edwards did so effectively during his excellent stint with the Reds, making the most of the underlying numbers of players and turning them into huge assets, from Sadio Mane to Mohamed Salah, for example.

Liverpool have already scouted "incredible" £80m star ahead of the summer

This would be the perfect start to the Reds’ post-Klopp era.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 1, 2024

Not only is the 42-year-old excelling as a manager, coming so close to sealing title glory with Leverkusen, but he also understands Liverpool as a club after spending five years there between 2004 and 2009. Like Klopp, he respects the values of the city, and considering he is still a young boss, he is the natural choice to come in for years to come.

Three days ago, they were on the brink of elimination. Now, they’re within touching distance of their first final since 2015

The Report by Peter Della Penna03-Oct-2019After finding themselves in a do-or-die match against St Lucia Zouks on Sunday, Barbados Tridents kept their hopes of a top-two finish alive after completing a rare sweep of Trinbago Knight Riders. Back-to-back wins over the Zouks and Knight Riders – by seven wickets at Queen’s Park Oval – vaulted Tridents from fifth into second place on 10 points, holding a net run rate edge over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.Another superb night from the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Hayden Walsh Jr. and Player of the Match Harry Gurney – who bowled brilliantly at the death – to pick four wickets together and another via a run out restricted Knight Riders to 134 for 8 after they elected to bat. Then, Johnson Charles piloted a cool chase with 55 off 47 balls.The defending CPL champions have gone ice cold after starting off with four straight wins. Knight Riders now must beat the undefeated Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence in the final match of the league phase or else they’ll be forced into an elimination playoff match against Patriots.American success at Queen’s Park Oval
A year after USA fast bowler Ali Khan sparked the Knight Riders run to a second straight CPL title, legspinner Walsh Jr left his mark. After ripping through Knight Riders in the first match-up between the two sides at Kensington Oval with 5 for 19, Walsh Jr. was at it again.Brought on in the seventh over, he. struck with his first ball in the ninth to break up a 52-run stand with a lovely flighted googly to dismiss Colin Munro for 23. The ball to dismiss Darren Bravo in the 11th was just as good. Set up the ball before with a flighted delivery that had him in two minds, he followed it up with a flatter one that skidded through to cramp him for room and crash into the stumps off an inside edge.Walsh Jr.’s night wasn’t done though. After missing a clear run-out chance off Lendl Simmons in the fourth over from backward point, he wouldn’t blow another opportunity from the same position in the 18th, firing a direct hit at the non-striker’s end after Javon Searles was slow responding to a call from Denesh Ramdin. This came on the back of Gurney dismissing Kieron Pollard.The double-strike killed momentum at the end of the Knight Riders innings after Simmons had set them up with 60 off 45 balls. Gurney struck again on the penultimate ball of the innings, trapping Ramdin lbw as part of a marvelous five-run 20th over that left Knight Riders flummoxed.Charles in charge
The opener scored his third fifty off the season with a show of restraint, not typical of him. He started briskly though, slapping Ali Khan twice through cover and then slashed one over the slips for three boundaries in the second over of the chase.From then on he was content to let Alex Hales take charge in the Powerplay. The England star has struggled through most of CPL 2019 but produced his best score of the season, making 33 off 27 as part of a 54-run opening stand with Charles before driving Mark Deyal’s offspin to Searles at extra cover.Charles picked up his pace once Hales departed. After being given not out gloving a short ball off Jimmy Neesham to the wicketkeeper on 38, he rubbed salt into the wound in the same bowler’s next over by clubbing six and four off the first two balls to go to 50 off 41 deliveries. He was finally yorked by Chris Jordan in the 16th over, but by that stage he had put Tridents on course for victory.Good night, Nurse
TV commentators have frequently debated Ashley Nurse’s spot for Tridents because he hasn’t bowled much. Here, he had a job to do with the bat, and although he struggled, saw his team home. Coming in with 25 balls remaining, at No. 5, he failed to time the ball. But with seven needed off the final over, he struck Pollard for a crucial boundary over midwicket off the second ball of the 20th over to bring the equation down to three off four balls. A single and a two by JP Duminy through wide long-off clinched victory.

كشفت قرعة الدوري المصري الممتاز، للموسم الجديد 2024-2025، عن منافس النادي الأهلي في الجولة الأولى للمسابقة المحلية.

وأقيمت قرعة الدوري المصري، اليوم السبت، لتحديد مواجهات الأندية في مواجهات الدور الأول.

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، نهاية شهر أكتوبر الجاري.

وتقام بطولة الدوري المصري الموسم الجديد، من دور واحد كمرحلة أولى، ثم يتم تقسيم الأندية إلى مجموعتين، بداية من المركز الأول حتى التاسع ينافسون على لقب الدوري.

طالع | موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري 2024-2025

بينما الأندية من المركز العاشر حتى الثامن عشر، يتنافسون على البقاء والهبوط، على أن يهبط فريقان فقط بدلًا من ثلاثة إلى دوري القسم الثاني (دوري المحترفين). منافس الأهلي في الجولة الأولى من الدوري المصري 2024-2025

الأهلي يواجه سيراميكا كليوباترا في الجولة الأولى على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

Jose Mourinho claims Portugal’s Euro 2024 campaign “didn’t smell good”, with Cristiano Ronaldo & Co only making it to the quarter-finals.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Star-studded squad were among favouritesLost to France in a penalty shootoutPotential to unlock ahead of 2026 World CupWHAT HAPPENED?

A star-studded squad were considered to be one of the favourites for ultimate glory in Germany, with head coach Roberto Martinez looking to emulate the efforts of Fernando Santos from 2016 – when a continental crown was captured on French soil.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

France proved to be Portugal’s undoing this time around, as they prevailed in a penalty shootout, with Ronaldo bowing out of what will be his last European Championship. The all-time great generated plenty of headlines, without scoring a goal, and must now decide what his international future holds at 39 years of age.

WHAT MOURINHO SAID

Mourinho believes that Portugal will be stronger by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around – with CR7 potentially still at their disposal – but has told of their latest Euros efforts: “There is always frustration when you feel that you could do better. The team’s potential was extremely high. I wasn’t far off the mark when I said that Portugal, France and England were the favourites. Two of them are in the semi-finals. Spain is the biggest surprise for me, in the way the team has evolved, they are practically a new team. For me, at the moment, they are the team that plays the best and the one that has played the best throughout the tournament.

“Portugal wasn’t fantastic, despite reaching the quarter-finals. We expected more. I was at the National Stadium for the Portugal-Croatia [friendly] match and it didn’t smell good. I didn’t get a great feeling. During the tournament we were the team that was making progress, but we weren’t convincing. Often, when the moment of truth comes, these teams are stronger. This wasn’t the end of Portugal, there wasn’t any improvement in the team. But it’s a young team, apart from the two veterans [Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe], a team with years ahead of them. The World Cup is just around the corner.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Nations League action is next on the agenda for Portugal, with that campaign set to get underway in September. Ronaldo has hinted at forming part of that quest, with the Al-Nassr superstar not ready to call it a day after earning 212 caps for his country and scoring 130 goals.

The match will involve a considerably weakened Sri Lanka squad, but what is important is that the tour is on and that it goes well

The preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-2019Big PictureIt has been ten years since Karachi saw its last ODI. In that time, three World Cups have been staged, a generation has grown up, and the one-day game has been through a revolution. Sure, this is only a tender sapling of a tour, containing only limited-overs fixtures, with 10 Sri Lanka players having refused to travel. But we are at the start of the longest trip an international side has made to Pakistan since 2009, and the PCB hopes that top-flight cricket will really set about putting its roots down in the country this time. Could a home Test series be on the horizon?It is difficult to put into words how much the resumption of a regular schedule could mean to Pakistan. Whole cities coming alive for matches, packed stadiums gasping at withering spells of fast bowling and spin-bowling wizardry, while tense battles play out in storied venues. Forget Pakistan; cricket this. It would also be fitting, of course, if Misbah-ul-Haq, who shepherded Pakistan so masterfully through their nomad years, gets this chance to shape the team’s long-ached-for return home.But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. Sri Lanka have sent a substantially weakened team, owing to 10 players’ continued doubts over the security situation. Against a side missing the likes of Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews and designated captain Dimuth Karunaratne, the hosts start as strong favourites. What’s more important than the runs or wickets, though, is that the tour is . And that it goes well.Form guidePakistan WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri LankaWWWLWIn the spotlightThe old coach is gone, as are selectors and support staff, but Sarfaraz Ahmed is still around as captain, despite Pakistan’s failure to make it to the World Cup semi-finals. But will it be the same old Sarfaraz? Will he still bat in the lower middle order? Will he employ the same tactics? How much will Misbah, in his powerful new avatar, change the way Sarfaraz approaches his job? And after a modest World Cup personally, can Sarfaraz lift himself into good form again?Sri Lanka’s top order is among the most brittle in ODIs at the best of times, and it is the batting that has been most weakened by the withdrawals. Their captain for this series, Lahiru Thirimanne, struggles to make the first-choice XI, for example. Nevertheless, Thirimanne is the most experienced batsman on tour, and if Sri Lanka are to make competitive totals here, he will probably be required to play the sorts of long, measured innings he specialised in at his best.Avishka Fernando looks to make his ground•AFP

Team newsIt is difficult to predict Sri Lanka’s XI, but Nuwan Pradeep may get a game owing to his experience. Lakshan Sandakan, the only specialist spinner in the squad, is also likely to play.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Lahiru Thirimanne (capt), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), 5 Oshada Fernando, 6 Shehan Jayasuriya, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Wanindu Hasaranga, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Nuwan PradeepPakistan batsman Asif Ali played only two World Cup matches, but may get an opportunity in this game. Left-arm seamer Usman Shinwari, who last played an ODI in March, could also get a game.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Asif Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Usman ShinwariPitch and conditionsIt has been raining heavily in the lead-up to the match, which means that there is a chance a wet outfield could frustrate play. When the game does start, a potentially undercooked surface could also be conducive to seam bowling.Stats and trivia Pakistan’s most recent ODI in Karachi was also against Sri Lanka, in January 2009. Pakistan have won their six most recent (completed) matches against Sri Lanka – a streak that goes back to 2017. Thirimanne last captained Sri Lanka in ODIs in 2015, in New Zealand. Sri Lanka won one and lost two matches under his leadership. Babar Azam is ranked 3rd on the ODI batting charts, while Imam-ul-Haq is joint-11th. To find the best-ranking Sri Lanka batsman involved in this series, you have to go all the way down to No. 80 – Avishka FernandoQuotes”Since I came back into the team this year and my average has been over 40 and strike rate over 90, if you talk about the stats. I am right up there in the Sri Lanka team. It’s about performing when I get the chance. It doesn’t matter where I bat – if the team needs me to bat higher up the order I can do that, if the team needs me to bat in the middle, that’s up to me to get that challenge and perform.”
Sri Lanka captain Lahiru Thirimanne on his recent performances“Whoever is part of the squad of 16 at the moment are all first-team players. We’ll try to get the best 11 playing given the circumstances in every game, but any of them could step up when required.”
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed