Ashley Cole will reunite with interim England head coach Lee Carsley for the Three Lions' upcoming Nations League fixtures next month. 

The pair led England to success at the European Under-21 Championships in 2023, with Curtis Jones on target in the final versus Spain to secure their third success in the competition. 

Joleon Lescott will also join Carsley's temporary backroom staff alongside the FA's head of coaching Tim Dittmer, who also worked with Carsley last year. 

At the tournament in Romania and Georgia, the Three Lions won all six of their fixtures, scoring 11 goals and overperforming their expected goals (xG) figures by 2.5. 

Averaging a 56.4% possession share, Carsley's side scored the most build-up goals (seven) in the competition, with France a distant second with three. 

But not only were their attacking statistics a standout, the Young Lions also remained resolute at the back, not conceding a single goal from the 79 shots they faced. 

Carsley takes England on the road for his first fixture against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League, before returning to Wembley to face Finland. 

With the Premier League season now underway, Carsley will have the opportunity to assess his options before picking his squad for his first two fixtures at the helm.

Of the players to earn 10 or more caps during his time in charge of the under-21's, only Anthony Gordon (14) and Cole Palmer (13) were selected by Gareth Southgate for Euro 2024. 

Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis (21), Chelsea's Noni Madueke (19) and Liverpool's Harvey Elliot (18) top that list and could potentially eye a place in the squad next month.

With Cole and Lescott stepping up, some pivotal figures in England's recent successes have left their positions with the Three Lions. 

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who was reunited with former Middlesbrough team-mate Southgate in 2023, leaves after 17 months with England, having being brought in to help with their preparations for Euro 2024. 

Goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson also leaves the FA after eight years, having worked closely with Jordan Pickford for much of his time with the Three Lions. 

Jude Bellingham is set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in training.

The Real Madrid star will definitely miss the next three Los Blancos matches, and England's games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League.

In a statement, Madrid confirmed Bellingham was suffering with a calf issue.

Bellingham missed 13 games in all competitions for Madrid last season, but they did not lose a single one, winning 11 and drawing twice, while their goals per game also lifted from 2.2 to 2.7.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who usually talks to the media one day before each game, decided to change the schedule so he could hold his final training session behind closed doors at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Los Blancos host Real Valladolid on Sunday.

But this unusual move had nothing to do with Madrid's display in a 1-1 draw at Real Mallorca last weekend.

"It's nothing special, I'm doing it just to test the pitch, because it has changed compared to last year," said the Italian, who was unhappy with the effort his side showed against Mallorca.

"I want the players to try the new pitch to see how they feel there. There is nothing superstitious or anything else behind it."

The Italian insisted, however, that he needs to see a better performance in order for him to deploy an attacking quarter of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Bellingham ahead of only two conventional midfielders.

"It was a pretty clear game to evaluate, we lacked balance, it's not very complicated. There is a clear solution," Ancelotti said.

"With such an attacking team, the forwards have to work a bit harder. We have tried to fix it with a lot of work this week."

Ancelotti expects a warm welcome by Madrid's fans for Mbappe's home debut.

"It's going to be a beautiful day for Mbappe, playing for the first time at the Bernabeu wearing Real's jersey... The fans are going to enjoy it a lot, I'm sure of that," Ancelotti said.

Jamie Smith and Harry Brook made half-centuries as England ended a rain-affected second day with a slender advantage over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford.

Having bowled the tourists out before avoiding any late wickets on an enjoyable opening day, England were made to wait on Thursday as rain washed out the morning session.

When they were able to pick up the bat, England lost Ben Ducket (18) and stand-in captain Ollie Pope (6) to Asitha Fernando within the space of two overs, the Sri Lanka paceman sending the latter packing with an emphatic delivery.

The wicket of Dan Lawrence (30) left England teetering at 67-3 before Brook (56) and Smith (72 not out) took charge.

Brook saw his knock brought to an end by a ripping turner from the impressive Prabath Jayasuriya, who also accounted for Chris Woakes (25) and ended the day 2-58 from 21 overs bowled.

Playing in just his fourth Test, Smith remained unbeaten when play was abandoned due to further rain and diminishing light with 22 overs unused. 

Having reached 259-6 by that point, England hold a lead of just 23 runs and will hope for further progress on Friday, with both teams' hopes threatened by further rain being forecast throughout the next three days. 

Data Debrief: Smith closes in on century

Moving up a place to number six in the batting order, Smith showcased his potential with an assured performance on Thursday, slamming five fours and one maximum with a strike rate of 74.22.

If England are to build a more commanding first-innings advantage, they may need more of the same from the 25-year-old on Friday.

A first Test century is within his sights, having fallen five runs short against West Indies at Edgbaston last month.

Chris Woakes is eyeing a place on England's tours of Pakistan and New Zealand before the end of the year, having led their attack impressively on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.

Woakes finished with figures of 3-32 on Wednesday as England bowled Sri Lanka out for 236, with the hosts – captained by Ollie Pope with Ben Stokes out injured – reaching 22-0 by stumps.

He took on the role of attack leader after England chose to move on from their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson, taking his tally to 14 wickets in four matches this summer.

However, Woakes has not played an away Test in over two years and is not considered a shoo-in to tour Pakistan in October or New Zealand in December.

The seamer enjoyed taking up a new role on Wednesday, though, and is positive regarding his prospects, telling BBC's Test Match Special: "I'll play for England where I'm picked to play for England. I certainly wouldn't rule myself out.

"The selectors will have their plans, but I'm certainly not going to turn down a tour if selected. We shall see.

"The more Test cricket you play, you pick up new skills and have more experience to fall back on. 

"I haven't played an away Test for a little while, but that might be a good thing because it can give you a fresh look on things. I wouldn't shy away from it."

Woakes also heaped praise upon stand-in captain Pope, adding: "Obviously it feels different not having Ben out there.

"I thought Ollie was good. He probably found himself having to switch on a little bit more than he would normally.

"He communicated with the bowlers well, talking about options and field settings. For an inexperienced captain, I thought he did a great job.

"I firmly feel we've had a great day. To bowl a team out on day one and then be none down at the close, that's always really pleasing."

Chris Woakes led the way as England took control on day one of their first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.

The tourists showed some fight as the day drew to a close before being bowled out for 236, but England's turn with the bat was cut short due to bad light.

Sri Lanka got off to the worst possible start as England ripped through them 6-3 in the first seven overs, with Woakes (3-32) getting a double-wicket maiden, dismissing Nishan Madushka and Angelo Mathews.

Shoaib Bashir (3-56) kept up the pace after lunch, as Sri Lanka slumped to 113-7, but they soon found their footing.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva dug deep, racing to 74 off 84 balls, while Milan Rathnayake added 72 before Bashir dismissed them both. Stand-in captain Ollie Pope then ran out Vishwa Fernando to end Sri Lanka's innings.

With the light already poor, Sri Lanka were forced to open the bowling with spin - Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence moved to 22-0 before the umpires intervened, leaving 12 overs unbowled. 

Data Debrief: Pope makes strong start

Pope is the 82nd man to captain England in Test cricket, and the 12th this century. Despite losing the coin toss, he could not have asked for a better start after taking over from the injured Ben Stokes.

For Sri Lanka, Rathnayake impressed on his debut after helping to drag Sri Lanka towards the 200 mark - his tally of 72 is the highest score ever made by a number nine on Test debut. 

Rodri predicted Phil Foden could go on to become England's greatest-ever player after he was crowned PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday.

Foden added the top men's PFA prize to the Premier League Player of the Season award he won in May, having inspired Manchester City to their fourth straight league title last term.

He scored 19 league goals and added eight assists in 2023-24, including vital hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston Villa and a stunning final-day strike versus West Ham.

Rodri was also considered among the contenders for the PFA prize after going unbeaten through all 34 of his Premier League appearances last season (27 wins, seven draws), but the Spaniard believes his team-mate was a worthy victor. 

"I'm so, so happy about Phil. To be honest he's a very good kid, a very shy kid. For me, he has the ability to be the best English player in history when he finishes his career," Rodri said at Tuesday's award ceremony. 

"He needs to keep the level up in his game, already he's one of the best players in the league and in Europe.

"I think he could get even better. The quality, ambition and hard work he has every day listening to old people like me is very important. 

"He was outstanding last season and it's the first season I saw him carrying the team on his back."

Foden is the first Englishman to win the PFA Player's Player of the Year award since Wayne Rooney in 2010, and the first to do so in the same year as winning the Premier League title since John Terry in 2005.

Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland, who joined Rodri and Foden in being voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, was also effusive in his praise for the England man.

"He's a great guy, I really enjoy playing with him and joking with him," Haaland said. 

"Phil is unbelievable, some of the stuff he does in training that no one sees is also incredible, I'm lucky to play with him."

Ollie Pope believes Ben Stokes will let him "do his own thing" when he steps up as England captain in the all-rounder's absence.

Stokes suffered a hamstring injury playing in The Hundred earlier this month, ruling him out of their three-Test series against Sri Lanka.

England are looking to build on their 3-0 sweep of West Indies in July, in which Pope shone, scoring a sixth Test hundred and two half-centuries.

The 26-year-old, England's usual vice-captain, will still have Stokes' guidance if needed as he is due to be in the dressing room for the Tests despite his injury.

Pope admitted he had already turned to the 33-year-old for advice but is ready to step into the role for the first Test.

"It is still Stokesy's team and if I want to lean on him, I can, but I think he will let me do my own thing. He has said he is happy to do that," Pope said.

"He will be watching and chat with Baz [Test coach Brendon McCullum] so I can have those conversations in the intervals if I think something needs to change.

"I know how well he has managed our bowlers, especially, so I have picked his brains on it, but it will be a lot of the same messages with a different voice and in my own way.

"It's about not overcomplicating it for me. I think I read the game fairly well and Stokesy and I have often been of the same mindset. As the series goes on, it will let itself out for me.

"Brooky has a great cricket brain, [Joe Root] too, so there is plenty of experience out there to bounce a few ideas off.

"Everyone is pretty clear how they want to go about this week and the series in general."

England have won their last three Test series against Sri Lanka, one at home and two away, but were beaten by the tourists in 2014.

"We don't underestimate any of the teams that come over here," Pope added. "Our target is to win 3-0, but we realise Sri Lanka have got some good experienced guys who have played a lot of Test matches.

"The main focus is on ourselves. We will just play our best cricket and try and put on a good performance. Hopefully, the scoreboard at the end reflects that."

England’s first Test against Sri Lanka will begin on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

Matthew Potts has been called back into action for England after a year-long absence from the squad for this week's first Test against Sri Lanka.

The Durham seamer had not featured for England since June 2023 but returns in the absence of skipper Ben Stokes, who remains out through injury.

Surrey batter Dan Lawrence, who has not featured for England since March 2022, will replace another absentee, Zak Crawley, at the top of the order.

Stokes’ injury has also caused a captaincy conundrum. Ollie Pope has been announced as captain in his absence, while Yorkshire batter Harry Brooks will become vice-captain.

The Test will start at Old Trafford on August 21, with the series then heading to Lord's for the second Test and The Oval for a third match.

England XI to face Sri Lanka: Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.

Australia will celebrate the 150th anniversary of their first Test match by welcoming rivals England to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 2027.

The MCG played host to Australia's first-ever red-ball contest in March 1877, with the hosts beating England by 45 runs before losing a second Test at the same venue.

Australia celebrated the 100th anniversary of their inaugural Test by beating England at the MCG in 1977, and Cricket Australia has confirmed plans are in place for another celebration to cap the team's 2026-27 season.

"The 150th anniversary Test match at the MCG in March 2027 will be a wonderful celebration of the pinnacle format of the game at one of the world's great sporting arenas and we can't wait to host England on that occasion," said Nick Hockley, chief executive of Cricket Australia.

The plans were announced as Cricket Australia locked in venues for a series of key fixtures until 2030-31, with the MCG continuing to host the traditional Boxing Day Test and the Sydney Cricket Ground staging the New Year's Test.

England interim head coach Lee Carsley has said he is looking to put "his own stamp" on the England squad as he prepares for his first game in charge. 

Carsley, who was previously the England's U21 manager, was confirmed as the Three Lion's interim boss for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures. 

The 50-year-old replaced Gareth Southgate who stepped down from his position following England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024. 

England face the Republic of Ireland on September 7 before returning to Wembley to take on Finland as they aim to make a winning started in Group 2.  

Speaking to the Football Association's in-house media channel, Carsley is relishing the opportunity of taking charge of the squad, but acknowledged the importance of finding a blend of competitiveness and balance. 

"It's a very prestigious job following Gareth and [assistant manager] Steve [Holland] and the great job that they have done," Carsley said. 

"First and foremost, it's getting the squad together and picking the right players while trying to get a balance between making sure it's fresh and competitive but understanding that there are games that we need to do well in and win, so that's what I'll be looking to do.

"It's important that we put our own stamp on the squad and make some adjustments, but also to realise that a lot of the players have done really well in the past and we have to acknowledge that."

Carsley has been within the England coaching set-up since 2020, first being appointed as head coach of England's U20 side in which he won one of his two matches. 

A year later, he replaced Aidy Boothroyd as the manager of the U21's and would go on to lift a major honour during his three years at the helm. 

Carsley helped his team win the European Under-21 Championship - their first title in the competition since 1984 - beating Spain 1-0 in Georgia. 

Cole Palmer scored the decisive goal that day, with Anthony Gordon also starting the game, both of whom were involved at Euro 2024. 

"I've got a relationship with those players and have known them quite a few years," Carsley said.

"There's players that I don't know as well, but I'm very much aware of them and I think we've got some outstanding players in the senior team.

"In the pathway, the level of players over the years has really improved and you can see that by the way we've done in major tournaments. The next step is winning, and that's got to be the objective."

Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England's upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka after tearing his left hamstring while playing in The Hundred on Sunday.

Stokes pulled up after running a single and was carried off the field before later being seen on crutches after appearing for the Northern Superchargers.

Originally thought to be a doubt for the first of England's Tests later this month, scans on Tuesday revealed the injury will keep him out for the remainder of the summer.

Ollie Pope will take over Stokes' role as captain during his absence, with the all-rounder aiming to return to fitness before their Test tour of Pakistan in October.

England will also be without opener Zak Crawley for the Sri Lanka series due to a finger injury he sustained against the West Indies at Edgbaston.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka have appointed Ian Bell as their batting coach for the upcoming tour.

Bell, who played in 118 Tests for England between 2004 and 2015, will work under former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya.

"We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there," Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said.

"We believe his input will help our team in this crucial tour."

The first Test in the series will take place at Old Trafford in Manchester on August 21.

West Ham’s new signing Max Kilman has not given up hope of representing England one day, hoping his consistent performances earn him a debut call-up. 

Kilman left Wolves after six and a half years to join the Hammers in a £40m deal earlier in the transfer window, becoming Julen Lopetegui's third signing. 

The Englishman was one of just two defenders, along with Arsenal's William Saliba, to play every minute of the 2023-24 Premier League season. 

He was left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024, with the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk and Ezri Konsa preffered. 

Interim manager Lee Carsley will choose his first squad for the Three Lions' upcoming Nations League games against the Repbulic of Ireland and Finland next month. 

“It’s definitely a big aim for me. I have been competing against other Premier League central defenders in the last couple of years and I have been consistent.," Kilman told BBC Sport. 

“I want to get as high as I can as a player so playing for England would be a huge honour.”

Kilman admits he did not expect to be leaving Wolves but a return to London, the place where he grew up as a boy, has helped him to adjust to his surroundings.

“I never thought I would leave Wolves," Kilman started. "I was there for so long, so this is something a bit unusual, but I was born and raised in London, which makes it a bit easier and I am really happy to be at West Ham.”

The defender also said new boss Lopetegui, a manager he worked under at Wolves, was a major reason why he made the move to the London Stadium.

He said: “The manager is obviously a big factor. He did a really good job at Wolves. There are not many teams who have started bottom of the league at Christmas and stayed out of it.

“He had really high standards and wanted every player to reach the top of their game. He has pushed players to their limits. He helped me improve so much.”

James Anderson is considering a U-turn on his international retirement just a month on from playing his final Test match against West Indies at Lord's. 

Anderson, who took 704 wickets in 188 games for England, did not officially call time on his career and is now considering a return to the white-ball format. 

He recently joined the England coaching staff as a fast-bowling mentor following his retirement, and is helping Ben Stokes and the side ahead of their Test series with Sri Lanka next week. 

However, the 42-year-old is now pondering potential avenues for a return to the T20 Arena or even in next season's Hundred competition. 

Anderson has dedicated the last 10 years to red-ball cricket, not featuring in a 20-over game since 2014, but feels "still fit enough" to prolong his illustrious career. 

"I might be in a bit of denial because I'm well aware I won't play for England again, but I've still not made a decision on my actual cricket career," Anderson told the Press Association.

"There's definitely a bit of intrigue with the shorter formats because I've not played any franchise stuff before.

"Watching The Hundred this year, seeing the ball swing around, it makes me feel like I could do a job there.

"I know it's a while since I played it and my age will get brought up again but I really feel I'll be good enough to play that form of cricket."

An inspired spell of bowling from New Zealander Tim Southee and some good batting from Barbados-born Jacob Bethell propelled the Birmingham Phoenix to a six-wicket win over Rovman Powell’s Trent Rockets in Men’s Hundred action at Edgbaston on Monday.

The Phoenix restricted the Rockets to 118 all out off their 100 balls after winning the toss and putting them in to bat.

Southee, along with fellow pacers Adam Milne and Chris Wood, started brilliantly for the Phoenix as Tom Banton (5), Alex Hales (9), Joe Root (2) and Rovman Powell (1) all fell within the first 30 balls to leave the Rockets 22-4.

Tom Alsop and Imad Wasim steadied the ship with a 77-run fifth wicket partnership but the innings came to an end quickly after the wicket of Alsop and Wasim being retired out.

Southee was brilliant on his way to figures of 5-12 from his 20 deliveries while Wood took 2-30 off 20 balls.

The Phoenix then needed 93 balls to reach 120-4. They got a good start from England opener Ben Duckett who made 30 off 16 balls before he fell to Luke Wood 17 balls into the reply.

The wickets of Jamie Smith (0), Moeen Ali (13) and Dan Mousley (0) followed soon after bringing Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell to the crease together.

The pair then saw their team home, with Bethell finishing 38* off 29 balls and Livingston finishing 30* off 32 balls.

Luke Wood and John Turner took two wickets, each for the Rockets.

With one game left before the knockout rounds, the Phoenix are third with 10 points, just one ahead of the Northern Superchargers, while the Rockets are fifth with six points.

Shimron Hetmyer’s 44 wasn’t enough to prevent the London Spirit from going down by 12 runs to the Manchester Originals in the Men’s Hundred at Lord’s on Friday.

The Originals, after being inserted by the Spirit, made 135-5 from their 100 balls thanks to 58 from Captain Phil Salt and 38 from Max Holden.

Pacers Richard Gleeson and Olly Stone took two wickets, each, for the Spirit while Andre Russell went wicketless while conceding only 14 from his 10 deliveries.

The Spirit then fell just short of their target, reaching 123-5 from their 100 balls.

Opener Keaton Jennings led the way with 61* off 50 balls while Hetmyer, batting at five, made 44 off 35 balls including three fours and a six.

Fazalhaq Farooqi took 3-24 from 20 balls for the Originals.

This result means the Spirit, like their opponents, have no chance to advance to the knockout phase of the tournament.

This was the Originals’ first win in six games while the Spirit have a similar record and are one spot above them in the eight-team table.