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Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes were on target as Manchester United drew 2-2 with Everton to claim the Summer Series title in Atlanta

Red Devils lift Summer Series despite Everton drawMbeumo impresses on his debutMount & Fernandes find the netFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE

United couldn't sign off their pre-season tour of the US with a third win out of three but they still took the trophy after an entertaining match against Everton which showed the exciting things the team are capable of producing in attack but also served as a reminder that they are still a work in progress. 

With new signing Bryan Mbeumo making his debut, United played some high-octane football in the first half and took the lead with a penalty from Bruno Fernandes after Amad Diallo had been felled by James Tarkowski following a lightning-quick transition. United had threatened to score earlier in the game but Matheus Cunha lacked the cutting edge from inside the box.

Ruben Amorim's side were thrilling to watch on the break but, unlike in their previous wins in the Summer Series against West Ham and Bournemouth, they looked vulnerable at the back. Jake O'Brien hit the post for Everton before Fernandes' opener after sloppy goalkeeping from Altay Bayindir and the Toffees soon equalised through the excellent Iliman Ndiaye, who pounced in the area seconds after Manuel Ugarte had been robbed of the ball.

Substitute Mount put a much-changed United side back in front in the second half at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta but Everton came right back at them and levelled through a bizarre own goal, the ball deflecting into the net off Ayden Heaven after Amad had tried to cut out a cross.

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Mount produced a moment of class to put United back in front, controlling a pass from Fernandes and then switching on to his right foot and curling into the far bottom corner. The strike was reminiscent of Mount's stunning first goal against Athletic Club last season and was a timely reminder of his ability to conjure something magical from thin air. His position in the squad might have looked undermined by the signings of Cunha and Mbeumo but the player who Amorim has declared his love for showed he can still have an important role in the team.

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Mbeumo had an encouraging debut, linking up well with Cunha and Fernandes with some slick passing moves. And yet he failed to mark his first game with a goal as he fired straight at Jordan Pickford after the England No. 1 had spilled a shot from Fernandes into the new man's path. 

Cunha sparkled in the first half and really should have given United an early lead but he toe-poked the ball wide, albeit from a tight angle, when he faced down Pickford. The Brazilian has only been at the club for a couple of weeks but he already has a strong understanding with Fernandes and with Amad, who he kept releasing down the right flank.

Everton's Carlos Alcaraz, who completed a permanent move this summer after joining on loan from Flamengo in January, was left red-faced when he accidentally nicked the ball from team-mate Beto inside the area just as he was about to fire at goal in the second half.

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Amorim didn't try any experiments here and every player he picked either from the start or off the bench was already well-known to fans. Leny Yoro, however, stood out and gave another demonstration that he is going to handsomely pay off his big transfer fee. The 19-year-old Frenchman played on the front foot, dancing around Everton players in the opposing box as well as starting several transitions by swiftly working the ball out from defence.

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Neste sábado (29), às 15h, no Sesc Protásio Alves, em Porto Alegre, o Internacional recebe o Juventude pelo jogo de volta da semifinal do Campeonato Gaúcho Feminino. Depois de vencer o Jaconero na ida por 2 a 0, o Colorado deve confirmar a vaga na final do torneio estadual. Na fase de classificação, o Alvirrubro obteve a segunda melhor colocação da competição, com 11 pontos em 5 partidas.

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Fora das quatro linhas, a diretoria do Inter tem buscado patrocinadores para fortalecer a modalidade. Com cinco parceiros comerciais para as camisas de jogo – Banrisul, Marquespan, Unimed, Estrela Bet e Vero -, o Colorado tem conseguido verba para manter um elenco de alta qualidade e lutar pelos principais títulos da temporada.

Leonardo Menezes, gerente de futebol feminino do Internacional, celebrou os investimentos recebidos pelo Colorado na modalidade feminina.

– Os patrocínios que conseguimos captar para o futebol feminino são essenciais para podermos otimizar nossa estrutura organizacional. Essas parcerias são fundamentais para atingirmos nossos objetivos e termos equipes cada vez mais competitivas.

Dentro de campo, o projeto do Internacional tem alcançado diversos resultados positivos. Em setembro, as Gurias Coloradas foram vice-campeãs do Campeonato Brasileiro Feminino na categoria principal. Além disso, em julho, a equipe venceu o São Paulo na final e ficou com o título da modalidade Sub-20. Em abril, o time bateu o Santos e levantou o caneco do Sub-17.

Em relação ao duelo da volta contra o Juventude, Leonardo completa: – O Internacional tem expectativa de vitória, classificação e evolução permanente da equipe no Campeonato Gaúcho Feminino. Esperamos poder unir isso tudo com uma boa apresentação, que brinde nosso público com uma grande atuação coletiva – finalizou.

استفز أشرف حكيمي، نجم نادي باريس سان جيرمان، فريقه السابق ريال مدريد، وذلك قبل بداية الموسم الجديد وبالحديث عن بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

باريس سان جيرمان خرج من موسم أسطوري للتو، حيث حقق ثلاثية تاريخية (لقب الدوري وكأس فرنسا ودوري أبطال أوروبا لأول مرة في تاريخه).

اقرأ أيضًا.. خليفة كروس ومودريتش.. ريال مدريد يراقب لاعب باريس سان جيرمان

وفي تصريحات لـ”Canal+”، أبدى حكيمي أمله في أن يتمكن باريس سان جيرمان من تحقيق لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل، وللمرة الثانية على التوالي.

ويرى حكيمي أن مهمة باريس سان جيرمان ليست سهلة مع تواجد ريال مدريد بجانب عدد من الفرق الكبرى الأخرى.

وقال حكيمي: “لا أعتقد أننا المرشحون الأوفر حظًا للفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا بصفتنا حامل اللقب، نحن أقوياء، لكنني أعلم أن هناك العديد من الفرق التي تعاقدت مع لاعبين رائعين، لكننا سنبقى مركزين، وسنواصل طريقنا، ونريد الفوز باللقب الثاني على التوالي”.

وأضاف عن الفوز على ريال مدريد في نصف نهائي كأس العالم للأندية 4-0: “في المرة الأخيرة التي واجهنا فيها ريال مدريد، كنا أفضل استعدادًا، جماعيًا، وبدنيًا، وقد أظهرنا ذلك على أرض الملعب”.

وعن رد فعل نجم ريال مدريد، كيليان مبابي، على الخسارة الثقيلة لفريقه ضد باريس سان جيرمان بكأس العالم للأندية، اختتم حكيمي: “شعر كيليان بخيبة أمل بعض الشيء، لكننا لم نتحدث كثيرًا عن الأمر، مجرد بعض النكات أثناء العطلة”.

Newell's Old Boys have unveiled a new Lionel Messi stand, with the Argentina superstar following in the footsteps of Diego Maradona.

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• Lionel Messi stand unveiled
• Newell's Old Boys honour superstar
• Receives Maradona treatment

• GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi was initially a member of the Newell's Old Boys academy before leaving to join Barcelona aged 13, and the Argentine club have moved to honour their boyhood star after his 38th birthday by naming a new stand after him at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Lionel Messi stand is the club's latest tribute to a legend of Argentinian football, with the stadium named after the club's former player and coach Bielsa, and another stand bearing the name "Pelusa", the nickname of Diego Maradona.

• WHAT NEWELL'S OLD BOYS SAID

  Newell's Old Boys posted a video on social media showing the new stand, with the caption: "The Colossus adds a new chapter. For the first time, two football legends share the same home: ours."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Newell's Old Boys still hope to persuade Messi to finish his professional career at the club, with club president Ignacio Astore claiming recently that he knows how much the World Cup-winning skipper "wants to come". A potential return may depend on whether Messi decides to renew his current contract at Inter Miami, which is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.

Maurizio Sarri rejected big offers from Saudi Arabia and rejoined Lazio, saying he chose passion over money.

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Sarri reappointed as Lazio coach after 15-month sabbaticalItalian rejected big offers from Saudi ArabiaVows to make the best out of the situation in RomeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sarri is one of the coaches who has risen from the bottom and has been deeply involved in the intricacies of the game. The Italian's spell with Empoli, which saw them gain promotion to Serie A, was a significant achievement in his career that eventually led him to join Napoli. After a spell away from the game, he recently returned to the Lazio hot seat after rejecting lucrative offers from the Middle East, with Sarri saying his motivation stems from chasing passion rather than material gains.

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When Sarri wanted to end his sabbatical, many Italian clubs tried to hire him, but his heart was set on Lazio. There were multiple offers from the Saudi Pro League as they sought to bring in more big names in the transfer window. However, for Sarri, it has always been his passion that has taken centre stage in his decision-making, and as a coach, he believes even if champions are moving to Saudi, he'll train the so-called 'less talented' ones at his disposal.

WHAT SARRI SAID

Sarri said to Alfred Pedulla: "This year too I had a negotiation with a Saudi team, where I would have earned in a month as much as Lazio would have earned in a year. Since last year I said that I would go where my heart would take me, not money. I’m not interested. I’ve always played football for passion, I wouldn’t want to start doing it now for money."

Asked why he rejected Saudi money, the Lazio manager said: "I don’t know, it’s something that, if I think about it, doesn’t provoke emotional reactions in me and doesn’t give me motivation. It would be difficult for me to coach there. If they bring the champions there, I will train the bad ones here."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LAZIO?

With Sarri's reappointment, the focus of the club shifts to bringing in players for their upcoming campaign. The Italian's first move was to extend Pedro's contract with the club. The Italian club will focus on bringing a balance of young and seasoned talent to Stadio Olimpico before the league kicks off in August.

GOAL looks at the top contenders for the Golden Boot at the CWC, with some of the biggest names worldwide in the mix

No one knows exactly what to expect from the Club World Cup. Will strongest lineups be deployed? What will the tempo be? The quality of the product is up in the air.

But one thing is certain: there will be goals. There can't be. Put some of the best strikers in the world in one tournament, ask them to play against a bunch of teams with slightly weaker defenses, and the result should be the ball hitting the back of the net. Often.

Who will actually win it? Certainly, Kylian Mbappe is the favorite – just by nature of showing up. But Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, and a few others will all be strutting their stuff in the States this summer. Talent in front of goal is not lacking .

GOAL US looks at the top contenders for the Golden Boot at the Club World Cup.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Harry Kane

  Kane missed time due to injury, strolled through a few games, and had a humming attack around him, and still managed to walk the Bundesliga golden boot race last year, averaging nearly a goal per game and beating second placed Patrik Schick by five goals. This is, of course, Harry Kane's thing: he scores you goals – it's up to you to do what you want with them.

  If these were any other Bundesliga games, you'd back Kane to win the whole thing. And he will certainly bang them in against the likes of Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica. But he also has a pretty miserable record in big games, and has a knack of disappearing in knockout football. Odds are that he will be the tournament's top scorer at the end of the group stage. The key will be keeping it going after that.

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  Kylian Mbappe

  Did Mbappe's goals mean anything this season? Sure, the Frenchman finished as Europe's top scorer, bagged a hat-trick in the Clasico, and spent a lot of time looking very happy celebrating. But after Madrid went trophyless, it all looked like a man content to be celebrating alone, enjoying individual success rather than team-wide accomplishment.

  That, of course, has been the story of much of Mbappe's career. He is an immensely effective goalscorer, but he should have a more lush trophy cabinet. Few can refute that.

  And so that same player will arrive at the CWC, no doubt hungry for goals. It will make for captivating viewing. Odds are, Mbappe will score a fair few. The question is: can Madrid remain in the competition long enough for it to matter in his golden boot quest? If they win it, then Mbappe will have enough time to bag the goals he needs. If not, it's up in the air.

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  Erling Haaland

  Haaland endured something of a disappointing second season with Man City. He picked up a few knocks, Pep Guardiola's side lost their attacking flow, and the Norwegian didn't really know where he fit in among it all. There was talk that City are better off without him.

  That's nonsense. In a well-balanced system, he turns a very good team into an unstoppable force. Issue is, that takes tactical tweaks and, crucially, time.

  If City were in form, Haaland would be a lock here. Remember, this is the guy who broke the Premier League goalscoring record without really looking like he was trying in his debut campaign in England. Instead, this seems a lot like a team in transition, and a No. 9 still figuring out where he fits in.

  No one really knows what to expect from the Cityzens – which leaves Haaland's golden boot prospects equally uncertain.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

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  Luis Suarez

  One last time, eh lads? For the memories, yeah? Get the Uruguayan a few goals, feed him consistently. Remind the world, for a wonderful final few handful of fixtures, that Luis Suarez is one of the best strikers to ever kick a ball.

  Issue is, Suarez can't really move anymore – but still tries to play like a younger version of himself. The Uruguayan hasn't adapted to MLS in the right way, which is ironic considering he found the net 20 times in his debut season in the league.

  This campaign, though, his age has shown. He has scored just five in 13 games, and even if the seven assists make for good reading, Suarez's legs are catching up to him. That said, this is tournament football, and a smarter Miami could offer a different system.

  A Suarez simply asked to function as a poacher could yet be deadly, and if Miami are to do anything, he will have to adapt his game. If he does, there could be some individual silverware as a reward.

Brush off the disappointment from midweek’s defeat; Liverpool meet Newcastle United at Wembley tomorrow for a first shot at silverware under Arne Slot.

Though falling in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain stings, the Reds have the chance to spark a stunning closing run to 2024/25 with victory in the Carabao Cup final, having won the domestic competition last term.

Liverpool have been the best team in England this year, 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, but Newcastle are desperate for a slice of silverware after several years of progress and hard graft under Eddie Howe.

They do meet the Merseysiders with a raft of absentees left on Tyneside. Anthony Gordon is suspended after his red card against Brighton in the FA Cup; Lewis Hall’s season is over following a foot injury and Sven Botman has suffered another setback and will not feature.

However, Slot has a fair few concerns of his own at Liverpool.

Liverpool's mounting injury concerns

Cody Gakpo bounced back from injury to feature in extra-time against PSG, though his impact was negligible and he did not take any of the three opening spot-kicks, suggesting fitness is not yet brim-full.

He is back though, and so too Ibrahima Konate is expected to feature despite hobbling off late on in midweek.

The same, however, cannot be said for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who jarred his ankle in the second half of Liverpool’s Champions League exit and now faces an anxious wait pertaining to his availability before the end of the season, where Real Madrid will look to snap him up on a Bosman.

Further injuries to backliners suggest Slot may have something of a defensive crisis on his hands; with Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley both sidelined, Jarell Quansah will be forced to deputise in an unnatural right-back berth at Wembley, albeit one he is performing admirably this season. Tyler Morton is also out.

Chalkboard

With Gakpo back, you’d think it might be time for Diogo Jota to be returned to the bench, with the Portugal forward really struggling to impress in recent months.

How Slot could replace Diogo Jota

PSG successfully nullified Liverpool’s frontline for the vast majority of the two-legged Champions League tie. At Anfield, Slot’s side had far more joy but failed to breach French defences and ultimately fell on penalties.

But Jota’s struggles were a continuation of the luckless fortunes he’s had across the campaign, beset with more injury issues that have now affected his once unerring shooting boots.

Last season, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher remarked Jota might be Liverpool’s “best finisher” in the Premier League. Ever. In terms of pure ball-striking quality, composure, anticipation, this might have substance, but the 28-year-old surely can’t accept such praise at the moment, for he has gone eight games without a goal for the Reds.

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28

15

23/24

32

23

22/23

28

24

21/22

55

4

20/21

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Shackled in both legs against PSG, Slot needs to put Jota on the bench and open up the floor to someone else. It might feel like Luis Diaz is the obvious answer, having played 11 matches as Liverpool’s centre-forward this year, bagging six goals.

However, Gakpo’s uncertain fitness might mean it’s best to bring him on in the second half, especially with the prospect of a second shootout in a week a very real possibility.

As such, Slot might want to bite the bullet and unleash Darwin Nunez from the outset. Now, Liverpool’s Uruguayan nine may not be enjoying his football all that much, consistently struggling to hit the heights expected after joining from Benfica for £85m in 2022, but he’s a frenzied and difficult-to-defend-against player.

Moreover, he might find that opportunities come his way across the opening hour of the fixture, with his impact often negligible after entering the fray in the closing stages of matches.

Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott called the 25-year-old an “utterly infuriating and incredibly chaotic” striker after the Reds beat Southampton in the Premier League last weekend. Sounds about right.

However, he is of course capable of providing an outlet for Liverpool, with his defensive application also sure to come in handy as his side look to take control in the early stages.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 14% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 1% for tackles per 90, illustrating that point.

Gakpo’s cool-headedness and expertise from the spot suggest he should perhaps be unleashed in the second half, especially given his recent fitness blows and the intensity Newcastle will look to bring to the clash in the early stage.

In an ideal world, a fully-fit Gakpo would flank an on-form Diaz from the outset. But as Tuesday evening’s Champions League showdown proved, this is not an ideal world.

The Dutchman may not be fit enough to play from the outset; the fact he wasn’t among the first to take a spot-kick against PSG does insinuate as much.

Nunez keeps on flattering to deceive in the later stages, albeit with a few seat-raising moments to his name. Maybe Slot should surprise a few Magpies and give him the nod at number nine, charging the Reds with frenetic energy.

Gakpo’s cool-headed finishing may be called upon, but it could be a difference-making weapon in the final stages, when tired legs abound on Wembley’s green grass. Anyway, plenty for Slot to think on.

Liverpool struck gold on "extraordinary" star who's worth more than Dembele

Liverpool have hit the jackpot with the impressive forward who is worth more than Ousmane Dembele.

ByDan Emery Mar 12, 2025

For the first time in a T20 league, players will be allowed to review wide and no-ball decisions using DRS. The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is the first competition to introduce this modification to the DRS, and it will be implemented in the upcoming IPL too.”A player may request a review of any decision taken by the on-field umpires concerning whether or not a batter is dismissed, with the exception of ‘Timed Out’ (Player Review),” the WPL playing conditions said. “A player may also be allowed to review any decision taken by on-field umpires concerning wide or no-ball.”Until now, players could only review on-field decisions for a dismissal but that will not be the case in the WPL and IPL going forward. These reviews – for wides and no-balls – will be a part of the two unsuccessful reviews that each team is entitled to per innings. Leg-bye decisions, however, cannot be reviewed using DRS.The first two games of the WPL have already had players use this new feature. In the tournament opener between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants, a delivery from Mumbai spinner Saika Ishaque was called a wide down the leg side by the on-field umpire. Mumbai reviewed the decision using DRS and it was overturned because replays showed the ball had brushed the batter Monica Patel’s glove.”Smriti went to the captain’s meeting and told us that was the case,” Mumbai’s Heather Knight said. “I think it’s quite an interesting dynamic, often in T20s you don’t get a huge amount of chances to review so trying to work out the tactics of when to use it, the back end of the innings or when you are certain that it’ll be overturned. I do think it’s a good thing, in close games those sort of calls can have an effect on the match.”On Sunday afternoon , Delhi Capitals batter Jemimah Rodrigues also used such a review. Soon after she pulled a full toss from Megan Schutt for four and saw the on-field umpires had not signalled a no-ball for height, Rodrigues called for a review using DRS . This decision was, however, not overturned as replays and ball-tracking showed the ball was dipping on the batter and Rodrigues had also crouched a fair bit, almost down on her back knee.Simon Taufel, the former ICC Elite Panel umpire, was not in favour of wides and height no-balls being reviewed in T20 cricket, when he spoke to ESPNcricinfo last year.”I’m really conscious around trying to turn the art of officiating into a science and seek perfection, whatever that looks like, with decision making,” Taufel had said. “So with wides for example, and here we’re going to, potentially according to you, or according to the player or the debate, take a wide call and throw that back to the third umpire for them to judge on something that might be marginal and is still a judgement call.”Contentious waist-high no-ball decisions have led to controversies in the IPL•BCCI

“Are you going to be able to overrule as a third umpire what a leg-side wide might look like? That’s a really interesting proposition to throw to a third umpire and say: I definitely think you got that wide wrong. If you look at a ball that cuts across a right-hander from a left-armer (fast bowler), that cuts the wide guideline – that’s a pretty big call to overrule. Can you clearly define for me what conclusive evidence is to overturn a wide both leg-side, off side and height?”And where do you then draw the line as to what a wide is? Because with wides, for example, you still got this opinion around: either could the batsman have played a shot? Has the batsman brought the ball sufficiently within reach? And you are putting them (under) a lot more stress and pressure around those definitions. Of course, if the ball has flicked the bat or the pad, and an umpire’s called a wide – yeah, that’s quite clearly an error. (But) I worry about where this is going to end up. Is everything that an umpire does likely to fall under the Decision Review System?”Contentious no-ball decisions for height have led to controversies in the IPL in the recent past. Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni had once walked onto the field from the dugout in a game against Rajasthan Royals in 2019, after Ben Stokes bowled a high full toss. Umpire Ulhas Gandhe first signalled a no-ball for height, only for his square-leg colleague Bruce Oxenford to overrule him. That led to heated arguments on the field, with batters Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner getting involved before Dhoni also marched onto the field to discuss the matter with the umpires.There was a similar incident in another last-over finish involving Royals last year. Rovman Powell pulled a full toss from Obed McCoy for six but on seeing that the umpires did not signal for a waist-high no-ball, the batters got involved in a discussion with the on-field umpires before Capitals captain Rishabh Pant asked assistant coach Pravin Amre to go in and speak to the umpires.

The issue is thought to be a virus or bug rather than food poisoning, as half of England’s playing squad in Pakistan falls ill

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Nov-2022

England and Pakistan officials are in discussions about a possible 24-hour delay to the first Test in Pakistan, after 13 to 14 members of the England squad – including half the 16-man playing pool – were struck down by illness on Wednesday.The issue is thought to be a virus or bug rather than food poisoning, with England taking particular care over what they eat with the help of a chef, Omar Meziane, who has travelled with the team for this tour. However, on Tuesday, some players reported feeling unwell and were told to stay in their rooms to limit the risk of spreading the virus.Ben Stokes, England captain, and James Anderson are understood to be two of those affected. Jack Leach, who lives with Crohn’s disease and takes immunosuppressant medication, which weakens his immune system, is suffering from symptoms but is said to be fine. Joe Root had symptoms on Tuesday but recovered well enough to train on Wednesday. Likewise, Mark Wood, who was already set to miss the first Test through injury, has shown signs of improvement after missing training on Tuesday and being confined to his room.Related

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England in Pakistan: A history of controversy

An ECB spokesperson confirmed that the illnesses were not Covid-19 related, with players experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea. There is a hope the virus passes in 24 hours, though with the first of the three-match series due to begin in Rawalpindi on Thursday, England’s chances of getting off to a strong start have been severely hampered.Root, speaking to the media on Wednesday, acknowledged that discussions were underway about a rearranged start to the match, with officials from the two boards – PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, and the ECB’s Rob Key and Neil Snowball – meeting to consider all options. A final decision is expected to rest with the England team doctors, who are due to assess the players by 8am local time, two hours before the scheduled start of play.With the hours of play already cramped by the fast-setting winter sun, a delayed start to Thursday’s play has already been ruled out. The playing conditions for the World Test Championship require all matches to be staged across a five-day window, therefore ICC dispension will be required if the game is to be rearranged as a four-day Test. However, an ECB spokesperson confirmed that play would not have got underway in the current circumstances.”It is unfortunate we are in this situation, but we don’t think it is food-related,” Root said. “I don’t think there is any correlation between the two and in fact the chef is ill as well, so I don’t think it is the food.”The thing is we have been trying to bring a chef away with us for a couple of years now. This is the first opportunity we have had to do it. Look at all the other international sporting teams around, even Premier League and Championship teams have their own chef, so we think from a nutrition and performance side of things, we are trying to do everything we can to optimise ourselves and be in the right position to perform.”Joe Root talks to media ahead of the First Test in Rawalpindi•Getty Images

Apart from Root, only Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook of the players named in the starting XI, and Keaton Jennings trained at the ground on Wednesday in a session that was anyway optional before the bug spread. The team named by Stokes on Tuesday, with a debut for Liam Livingstone and a return to the fold for opener Ben Duckett, may now have a very different look.”There’s going to have to be Marcus Trescothick, Rob Key and Brendon McCullum as the new top three for tomorrow,” Root joked. “As far as I’m aware there are a few guys not feeling 100 percent but – I didn’t feel great yesterday but I woke up better today – so hopefully it’s just a 24-hour virus and I don’t think it’s food poisoning or Covid or anything like that.”I think it’s just one of those things that we’ve unfortunately picked up as a group – we’ve tried to do absolutely everything, we’ve prepared really well for this game and sometimes life throws things at you but we’ll do everything we can to be right tomorrow and be right and ready to go.”Asked if he believed everyone will be fit for selection come Thursday morning, Root said: “It’s hard to say, I’ve not seen anyone this morning, we’ve literally got straight on the bus so the guys will do everything we can to be right in that aspect, so time will tell really.”The outbreak has taken place at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, where both England and Pakistan have been staying along with members of the UK media. England have taken over a wing of the second floor and an executive lounge on the sixth floor, which is operating as their team room. They have not been restricted in their movements around the hotel, beyond being able to leave the heavily-guarded 14-acre complex.