England Test captain Ben Stokes will not play in the 2025 Indian Premier League, after deciding not to put himself in the auction.

While there are 52 English cricketers who have registered for the auction – including James Anderson and Jofra Archer – Stokes will not be among them when it is held on November 24 and 25.

Under new rules announced by the IPL last month, it also means that Stokes will not be eligible to play in the 2026 competition.

But 42-year-old Anderson, who is England's all-time leading wicket taker, will be among the names alongside Archer.

Anderson does so having not played since his final Test against West Indies at Lord's in July, while it is 10 years since he has played T20, and he has never played in a franchise league.

Archer, meanwhile, was the IPL's most valuable player in 2020 and is on the comeback trail following back and elbow injuries this year.

While it is still hoped that he could feature against India next summer and the 2025-26 Ashes series, the 2025 IPL will clash with the beginning of the County Championship and could potentially prevent Archer from proving his Test fitness.

George Furbank thinks England are "starting to create a DNA" as they prepare to face Australia on Saturday.

Steve Borthwick's side are gearing up for their second match of this year's Autumn Nations Series, which began with a narrow 24-22 defeat against New Zealand last weekend.

Borthwick has named an unchanged starting XV to face the All Blacks, with Furbank set to earn his 12th cap.

The Northampton Saints full-back believes that consistency is key for England, who are targeting an 11th win from 12 meetings with the Wallabies. 

"We wanted to win all four of these autumn games," Furbank told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We put ourselves in a great position to win the first one, but didn't, so now the focus is on the next one.

"It is now about creating a new energy and a new drive against fresh opposition. Australia play differently to New Zealand, so it will be a different challenge.

"I don't think we are going to change our gameplan too much. We are starting to create a DNA in the way we want to play in attack and defence.

"Australia are definitely building as a side, like we are, and I have never played Australia before, so I'm quite excited about that."

The only tweaks from last weekend come in the centre partnership with Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence swapping places, while Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ollie Sleightholme replace Theo Dan and Ben Curry on the bench.

"Ollie [Lawrence] and Sladey have been interchangeable in the way they play from an attack and defence point of view," Borthwick explained.

"The number of Test matches they have played together in a row as a centre partnership is also very high in terms of frequency.

"They have a good understanding of how we wish to play, so I'm looking forward to seeing them go in their slightly tweaked roles this weekend."


 

Paulo Fonseca saluted AC Milan's "courage" during their 3-1 victory over reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata and Tijjani Reijnders were on target as the Rossoneri condemned Madrid to successive home defeats for the first time under their former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Milan became the first side in the history of the competition to score three times against Los Blancos at Santiago Bernabeu on two occasions, also achieving the feat in October 2009.

And Fonseca was delighted at the way the players executed his game plan, which he acknowledged was slightly different to normal.

"We won because the players had the courage to come here and not be afraid of anything, playing the game we wanted," he told reporters during his post-match press conference.

"We prepared for a match in which we wanted to keep the ball. In the first half, we did important things and, in the second half, we suffered more. But we deserved to win, no doubt about it.

"Today, we showed that an Italian team came to the Bernabeu to play and not to defend alone. We can still grow a lot. I have to be honest. This type of game is totally different to what we have in Serie A. 

"In Italy, perhaps, we don't have the chance to play with this aggressiveness. I don't think it's possible to do what we did today. Here, there are no teams that press man-to-man all over the pitch."

Carlo Ancelotti has said he was worried about Real Madrid's level of performance in their 3-1 home defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The result marked the first time in three years that they have suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions, having been hammered 4-0 by Barcelona at the Bernabeu last time out.

Following the match, Real Madrid are 17th in the Champions League table – just three points off dropping out of the play-off positions – with Wednesday's games to come.

"We have to be concerned, the team is not playing well," Ancelotti told a press conference on Tuesday.

"The team is not compact, we need to be more compact, more organised, we've conceded a lot of goals ... The team is not well organised on the pitch and we need to work on this.

"We have to focus on what we have today, which is a team that is not at its best, and get back to our level so we can fight for all competitions."

Real Madrid have conceded nine goals in their last three matches, while a Vinicius Junior penalty on Tuesday was their only goal in their last two. Players such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, were booed by fans.

"It is not an issue of motivation or attitude, it's a collective thing that we need to fix quickly," said Ancelotti.

"On the pitch, something is missing and we have not been able to show our best version. We have to fix this, but the nights are going to be very long and we have to recover the solidity that we are lacking.

"That's the problem above all, we've conceded too many goals for a team that is built on solidity.

"We have to accept criticism and accept reality. We want to do better because it's very difficult to get to the end of the season like this. We have to defend better and we have to look for solutions, without going crazy after drastic changes.

"It's good that the players are down like I am. We can all think about how to improve our version. We are confident that this team will improve." (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Bernardo Silva acknowledged Manchester City are "in a dark place right now" following their disappointing 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP.

Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick inspired the Primeira Liga leaders to a commanding victory at Estadio Jose Alvalade, where Ruben Amorim was overseeing his final home game before taking over the reins at Manchester United on November 11.

Injury-hit City, who were without the likes of Rodri, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones, have now suffered three successive defeats in a season for the first time since April 2018.

Having been knocked out of the EFL Cup by Tottenham, the Citizens also saw their 32-match unbeaten run in the Premier League ended by a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.

And Silva knows he and his team-mates must address the slump quickly.

"At the beginning of the second half, we just gave them too many opportunities to be there and to score goals," the City winger said.

"[It's] disappointing because we're a bit in a dark place right now, and everything looks to be going the wrong way - even when we play well.

"Definitely, we need to look inside, check what we're not doing well and start being better very quickly. Otherwise, it will be difficult to come back from these losses.

"It's football, it's difficult to find reasons for what's happening right now to us.

"Obviously, we need to do better. Our injured players need to come back because we need them. It's just not good enough at the minute."

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola insists he is "not giving up" with the Spaniard relishing the opportunity to put things right.

"It is a tough challenge, but I am here," the head coach added. "It will be a tough season - we knew that from the start. But this is what it is. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players.

"I have to try and find an explanation. Sometimes, it is just football. We have to accept it. Life is that, sport is that. Sometimes, we have bad moments, but we face the reality.

"Everyone has to try to be better. We are still alive in all competitions, and we continue. I am not giving up."

After gaining “belief” from Southampton’s narrow defeat at Manchester City, Russell Martin will hope to build on his side’s subsequent first win of the season against fellow relegation candidates Wolves.

Martin’s side secured a first win and first clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 victory over Everton last time out, lifting them above this weekend’s opponents in the league.

Wolves, on the other hand, remain one of just two teams in the league, along with Ipswich Town, yet to register a win having drawn 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Southampton are riding a wave of momentum that started with a narrow defeat to the defending champions as the Saints gave City a scare at the Etihad 10 days ago.

"Today has given me even more belief. But we have a massive two weeks ahead, starting on Tuesday,” Martin said on Saturday.

While the hosts remain favourites against Martin’s newly promoted side, Southampton will now travel to Molineux with their self-belief reinforced.

"It's a big relief, I have happiness, pride and gratitude with the players, the staff, owners and the board. It's been a tough period,” Martin confessed following their first victory.

"The guys stuck with it, the way they work, the way they train, they're an amazing group, I love being here and I want to drag it out for as long as I can.

"It's huge for us as a team, as a group, as a club, and the clean sheet as well. We played some beautiful football, some brilliant football and had to dig in at times.”

If there is a winner in the West Midlands, that side will end the weekend off the foot of the table, with Wolves having just three points to their name after squandering a 2-1 lead against Palace.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves – Rayan Ait-Nouri

Ait-Nouri currently boasts the second-most goals in the Wolves squad (three) and the joint-most assists (two), being level with Nelson Semedo for the latter.

But his services in defence will be equally crucial if the hosts are to get a result. Wolves have now conceded at least twice in nine of their 10 Premier League games this season, including each of the last seven in a row.

It’s their longest run of conceding multiple goals in consecutive league games since a run of nine between February and April 2012, when they went on to finish bottom.

Southampton – Jan Bednarek

As the visitors have not proved prolific in attack so far this season, they will need a fine showing in defence if they are to take points away from the West Midlands, having earned just one clean sheet so far this term.

Bednarek leads the Southampton squad for clearances (56), blocks (14), and interceptions (15) so far this season.

Having featured in all 10 of the Saints’ games, he has also provided a crucial aerial presence in the defensive third, having won the most aerial duels in the squad (12).

MATCH PREDICTION: WOLVES WIN

Wolves have won each of their last five Premier League games against Southampton, their longest winning run against any opponent in the competition.

Despite keeping a clean sheet in their first-ever Premier League meeting with Wolves in September 2003 (2-0), Southampton have now conceded in each of their last 11 against them in the competition.

Yet momentum is possibly on the visitors’ side. Southampton’s 1-0 victory over Everton last time out ended a run of 22 Premier League games without a win, and a run of 21 without a clean sheet in the competition.

They last won consecutive top-flight games in February 2022, the first of which came against Everton.

Wolves, meanwhile, remain winless in their 10 Premier League games so far this season (D3 L7) – only in 1983-84 have they ever had a longer run without a win from the start of a league campaign (14), going on to finish bottom of the top flight that season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves – 54.3%

Draw – 23.5%

Southampton – 22.2%

Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham.

Everton suffered a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, as the Saints claimed their first Premier League win of the season.

That defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run in the league, albeit Everton are still only on nine points after 10 games.

Saturday's trip to West Ham, whose coach Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after a poor run of form, represents a big game for both clubs.

And Lindstrom, who joined Everton on loan from Napoli in July, said there are few excuses for the Toffees.

"We want to win games, we want to win points, we want to win games like this. It's not good enough," he said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

"Overall we have to demand more of each other. We have to train hard, we have to keep going.

"The first half especially was not good enough, was not what we expected. We are a much better team than we showed.

"The second half was better we were running more, fighting more, creating chances. I think we deserved at least a point with all the chances but on the other hand I don't think we deserved it because I know we can play much better than we did.

"In the first half, we were too far from each other. From my perspective, my touches were not great.

"It was better in the second half. We created good chances of receiving the ball high but didn’t have the last part, the shot."

West Ham lost 3-0 to in-form Nottingham Forest last time out.

After that match, Jarrod Bowen told Premier League Productions: "We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

West Ham - Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has scored in his last two Premier League home games for West Ham, last scoring in three in a row at the London Stadium in February 2022.

The England forward has also had a hand in five goals in his last six league games against Everton (three goals, two assists).

Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin

All three of Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goals against West Ham have come at the London Stadium, with the last two coming in 1-0 wins for Everton.

Only against Newcastle United (five) has he scored more away goals in the competition than he has at West Ham.

MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

West Ham have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games so far in 2024, the most such goals any side have conceded in a single calendar year in the competition. Five of those have come so far this season, a joint-league high, along with Ipswich Town.

However, having lost their first three Premier League home games this season, West Ham have now won their last two at London Stadium. They last won three in a row in May/August 2023, while they last did so in the same campaign in October 2022.

Everton, meanwhile, have lost their last three Premier League away games against London sides by an aggregate score of 12-1. They last lost four in a row in the capital between January and September 2018.

West Ham have won five of their last eight Premier League games against Everton (L3), as many as they had in their previous 30 against them (D9 L16).

However, the Toffees - who won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season - have taken more Premier League games in total (29) and away from home (13) against West Ham than they have against any other opponent.

Dyche's team have lost their first four Premier League games this season, conceding 13 goals in the process. However, they have lost just one of their subsequent six (W2 D3), with their four goals conceded the fewest of any side in that time.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

West Ham - 50.2%

Everton - 24.6%

Draw - 25.2%

Arne Slot insisted he will continue to look at "one game at a time" after leading Liverpool to a 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Luis Diaz's second-half hat-trick along with Cody Gakpo's 63rd-minute strike spoiled Xabi Alonso's Anfield return, moving the Reds top of the 36-team standings. 

Liverpool have now won all four of their Champions League games under Slot. It’s only the second time that they have won all four opening games in a single season. 

The Reds are now top of both the Premier League and Champions League, though Slot was keen to focus on the next task, which comes in the shape of Aston Villa on Saturday.

"I don't know if it was that much to do with intensity, but we took more risk," Slot said. 

"They overloaded the midfield a lot, and we adjusted at half-time and took the risk to play one v one all over. We had better chances in the first half and they weren't a goal threat.

"As much as this time, how good they are in Europe, sometimes a strong target man is better than someone a bit faster.

"Curtis Jones did an incredible pass, and then you have someone with the pace of Lucho to finish it off. The pass was as good as the goal, in my opinion.

"You don't look ahead as a manager in the next three months. You're always one game at a time. We've got Aston Villa on Saturday, another tough game."

Diaz's treble saw him become only the second Colombian player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, after Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle against Barcelona in 1997. 

And he insisted that things have started brightly for Slot at Anfield, but said his team-mates must continue to perform to have something to show for it at the end of the season.

"The most important thing is the three points in this edition of the Champions League so we can keep progressing in the competition," Diaz said. 

"Things have gone so well with the new manager, it wasn't easy for him to come in and fill Jurgen Klopp's shoes.

"Hopefully, we'll have something to show for it at the end of the season.

"We have top-quality players all over the pitch and I really enjoyed playing in that position today. I'm just happy to be on the pitch.

"I need to go and find that ball now because I need to keep it somewhere special at home."

For Alonso and Leverkusen, meanwhile, it marked a first Champions League defeat since 2022, while also conceding four or more goals in an away match in the competition since 2013 against Manchester United.

"It's painful the result more than the performance, probably," Alonso told Amazon Prime.

"But this is the Champions League, this is the highest level, and today it wasn't enough for us."

"It's too early to tell, but I can see that Liverpool have a very good balance, a very complete team.

"They work with 11 players, and they have the power to hold a clean sheet, which is important in the Champions League.

"In the Premier League, let's see. It's early to tell but it's looking good."

Alonso, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, was serenaded by the home supporters at Anfield during the contest. 

"I tried to separate the game and the pain from the result from the nice feelings to come back. I'm really happy and thankful for that reception," he added. 

Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer scored a late goal to earn a 1-0 Champions League victory for his side at Bologna on Tuesday.

Monaco captain Kehrer, left unmarked in front of goal four minutes from time, stretched out a leg to poke the ball home from a flicked-on corner to snatch the points.

The visitors maintained their unbeaten start to this season’s Champions League while also dealing Bologna their first-ever home defeat in European competition.

Both sides saw goals chalked off in the first half, Monaco's Wilfried Singo being penalised for a foul on Lukasz Skorupski before Santiago Castro saw a curling strike disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

The two Polish goakeepers, Monaco's Radoslaw Majecki and Bologna's Skorupski, both made several fine saves to keep the game goalless until Kehrer got the all-important touch on an inswinging corner late on.

The win puts Monaco in third place with 10 points, while Bologna are down in 30th spot with one point after four games.

Data Debrief: Long-awaited shutout for Monaco 

Monaco have now won consecutive games in the Champions League for the first time since a run of three in 2017, also ending a 23-game run without a clean sheet in the competition.

Bologna, meanwhile, are the only side in this season's Champions League to play four matches and fail to score, despite registering 48 shots in total and an xG tally of 3.19. 

Sheffield United staged a late turnaround to win 2-1 away to Bristol City and go second in the Championship, one point behind leaders Sunderland who play on Wednesday.

The game started slowly, with the hosts not opening the scoring until a 75th-minute Anis Mehmeti penalty after a foul on Sinclair Armstrong by goalkeeper Michael Cooper.

The Blades showed great character to haul themselves back into the game, with 18-year-old Ryan One scoring the equaliser in the 86th minute.

But things went up a notch in stoppage time when Robert Dickie was given a straight red card for a cynical foul on Callum O'Hare 35 yards out.

The drama wasn't finished yet and with seconds to go, Harrison Burrows smashed home a left-foot rocket to win the game for the Blades.

At the bottom of the table, Plymouth opened a four-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone with a 1-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth.

The victory means that Wayne Rooney's side have dropped just two points in their last five games at Home Park, having lost six on the bounce in all competitions away.

It is now four without a victory for Portsmouth, who have earned just nine points in their opening 14 matches back in the Championship.

Elsewhere, Middlesbrough responded to their 3-0 defeat at home to Coventry City last weekend by beating second-bottom Queens Park Rangers 4-1 on the road.

That was a first victory in three for Michael Carrick's side, who are one place below the play-off positions and trail only by goal difference.

QPR are four points behind fourth-bottom Preston North End, having failed to win any of their last 10 league games.

West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope has once again stressed the importance of executing efficiently in order to clinch the series decider against England in a crucial contest at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday.

Scheduled for a 1:00 pm start, the day-night match has stirred excitement among fans, with Hope rallying his side to draw from their recent performances and focus on building momentum for a strong finish in the three-match series.

The series is currently locked at 1-1 after the West Indies won the opening contest by eight wickets, before England topped the second by five wickets.

“It’s the biggest game of the series because we unfortunately conceded the last game, but this is a great occasion for us; we understand that we have a lot in front of us and we understand that we have to play good cricket to get over the England team,” Hope said in a pre-game interview.

Reflecting on the second ODI, where he led by example with a brilliant 117, Hope underscored the significance of consistency in both batting and bowling.

His century, along with half-centuries from Sherfane Rutherford (54) and Keacy Carty (71), were standout moments in a match that tested the resilience and skill of the West Indies lineup. However, the bowling department failed to deliver as England’s captain, Liam Livingstone, struck an unbeaten 124 to get his team across the line.

“I’ll continue to preach that we need consistency in order for us to consider ourselves an elite team. We have to string performances together; it can’t always be one game or two games in a series; we have to seal it,” Hope said.

“We have to play good cricket all the way through, and it is important that we understand the condition, the times of the game that we are supposed to be pressing and supposed to be relaxed. So, we have to be more consistent disciplined with our skills and make sure when we get to those crucial points of the game we press on,” he stressed.

That said, Hope believes that his team is mentally primed for the challenge.

“We are always mentally ready; I think that these most recent months we have been playing some really good cricket. We’ve had our ups and downs yes, but we can definitely see some improvements in the different stages in the game. For us, we have to ensure that we always have that positive mindset regardless of what we do in the field,” the Barbadian said.

“We have to believe in our skills both inside and outside to ensure we have all the capable assets to go out there and perform for the West Indies. But the feeling is always good; the guys are raring and ready to go; we understand what is at stake, and this is basically a final for us,” Hope added, emphasizing that while the rivalry adds an edge to the contest, they are not letting it overshadow their approach.

West Indies are currently 3-2 ahead in the head-to-head of the last five ODI meetings between the two teams dating back to December 2023.

“You have an understanding of the history, but the past is the past because you have to go out there and play what is in front of you. You have to stay in the present, but we know what we are playing for. We know the amount of history that there is in our rivalry, so it is something that we have in the back of our minds, but not something we let get the better of us,” Hope ended.

Celtic's Nicolas Kuhn scored twice as the Bhoys fought back to clinch an impressive 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Coming off a goalless draw at Atalanta on matchday three, Celtic recorded their second home win in the Champions League this season, moving up to 13th in the standings on seven points.

They had to do things the hard way, falling behind to Christoph Baumgartner's close-range header after a corner came off Cameron Carter-Vickers in the 23rd minute.

However, Kuhn levelled in the 35th minute with a superb curling effort from the edge of the box, then tapped into an open net for his brace shortly before half-time.

Benjamin Sesko and Baumgartner went close to equalising after the break but Celtic's birthday boy, 38-year-old goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, pulled off a couple of fine saves before Reo Hatate sealed victory with a close-range finish in the 72nd minute. 

Leipzig's wait for a first point in the Champions League this campaign continues, with their chances of reaching the knockout stages fading after four defeats in as many games.

 

Data Debrief: Celtic flying high

Celtic may have been humiliated in a 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on matchday two, but that was a mere blip in what has so far been an impressive European campaign.

Their total of seven points is already their most in a Champions League campaign since 2012-13, when they collected 10, while they last netted more goals (currently nine) in a Champions League/European Cup campaign in 1977-78 (13). 

Donyell Malen netted an 85th minute winner to hand Borussia Dortmund a narrow 1-0 victory over winless Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

A dominant showing from Nuri Sahin's side made it three wins from four games so far in the competition, moving them up to fourth in the new 36-team league. 

Dortmund started brightly at the Westfalenstadion but were unable to find a breakthrough, with Marcel Sabitzer, Maximilian Beier and Serhou Guirassy going close. 

They recorded 13 shots in the first half, their most in the opening 45 minutes of a Champions League match without scoring since Opta recorded this data (since 2003-04).

But Sturm Graz offered a threat on the break after the interval, with Jusuf Gazibegovic curling an effort narrowly wide before Mika Biereth missed a header from close range.

However, Dortmund left it late to seal the win as Malen pounced on Emanuel Aiwu's loose pass before being sent through by Guirassy, with the Dutchman rattling the ball beyond 
Kjell Scherpen to seal another Champions League home win.

Data Debrief: Home comforts

While Sahin has come under fire for Dortmund's displays away from home, there is no arguing with his record at the Westfalenstadion.

He became the first Dortmund coach since the Bundesliga was founded to win each of his first seven home matches in charge (all competitions), while BVB are now unbeaten in 13 consecutive Champions League home games (W9 D4) - an extended club record. 

Malen’s winner was timed at 84:56, Dortmund’s latest winning goal in a Champions League match since Kevin Groskreutz netted against Marseille in December 2013.

Lille held firm to hold Juventus to a 1-1 draw at home on Tuesday in the Champions League, extending their unbeaten run to nine matches.

Jonathan David had fired the French club ahead in the first half, before Dusan Vlahovic scored a second-half penalty to level things up and leave both sides on seven points after four matches.

Things didn't start well for the home side, with Teun Koopmeiners thinking he had scored the opener for Juventus only for it to be disallowed for offside.

David put Lille ahead just three minutes later with their first chance of note in the match. The Canadian turned home to convert from a slick counter-attacking move.

Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier had to be on form to keep the home side ahead before half-time, sensationally saving a Vlahovic half-volley 10 minutes before the break. Koopmeiners, meanwhile, had another effort chalked off in the 42nd minute.

Juventus upped the pressure in the second half, with Chevalier also upping things and pulling off two impressive saves in quick succession.

But ultimately, the Lille resistance was broken by a Vlahovic penalty on the hour after Francisco Conceicao had been fouled by Benjamin Andre.

The result leaves Juventus 10th and Lille 12th in the Champions League table.

Data debrief: Lille looking good for qualification

After drawing 1-1, Lille are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions and three matches in the Champions League.

The French side had beaten Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in back-to-back European games.

They now have a seven-point buffer between themselves and the bottom eight in the league table.

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