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• Maresca feels regret at Joao Felix's lack of Premier League game time

  Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has admitted that he is struggling to keep all of his talent happy ahead of their game against Leicester on Saturday.

  The Blues' first-team squad page listed 43 players at the start of the season, with 10 players having joined over the summer.

  As a result, this has meant limited game time for some of the club's more senior players, such as Joao Felix who is yet to start a Premier League game since joining permanently in summer.

  Despite this issue, Chelsea have started the season well and currently sit third after 11 matches, but Maresca feels a tinge of regret at not being able to involve everyone.

  "I feel a shame for Joao and I would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League but we need defensive balance and we cannot play with Joao, Cole [Palmer], Christo [Nkunku]," he said.

  "I’d like to put all of them on the pitch but then you need to defend, and you need the right balance.

  "I don’t have any doubts that if Joao keeps working well, he will find his moment in the Premier League."

  Leicester manager Steve Cooper, meanwhile, will have to pick his team up following a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United prior to the international break. He will have to do so without key player Ricardo Pereira, who is out for four months with a hamstring injury.

  "It's a real blow for everybody, and especially him. We'll all be with him now in his recovery," he told BBC Sport.

  Having kept just one clean sheet in 11 league games, Cooper is also aware of where his side need to improve.

  "We're not going to hide away from the chances and goals we're conceding, and we'll keep showing intent to improve that," he said.

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Leicester – Jamie Vardy

  Vardy is 37 years old, but tops the scoring charts at Leicester having netted four goals in the Premier League.

  He has opened the scoring on one occasion this season and has a conversion rate of 33.33% having scored his goals from 12 shots on goal.

  Chelsea – Cole Palmer

  Palmer ranks fifth in the Premier League top scorers so far this season, having scored seven goals. He also ranks equal-second for goal involvements, having added five assists alongside his goals.

  The Chelsea forward has had at least three shots in five of his last six league games and ranks fourth for total shots in the Premier League with 36.

  MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN

  Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal in their last match before the international break, which left them third in the table and four points behind second-placed Manchester City

  That draw means that Chelsea have lost just one of their last 10 league games (W5 D4), which came against league leaders Liverpool in October.

  Chelsea have lost just one of their last seven away games against Leicester (W4 D2), winning four of their last five meetings overall.

  Leicester are winless in their last 13 Premier League games against sides starting the day in the top four of the table (D3 L10). They come into this with three defeats in their last four matches in all competitions (D1).

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Leicester – 19%

  Draw – 21.6%

  Chelsea – 59.5%

• Crystal clear: Sunshine Girl Plummer sets sights on series, future success after stalemate with England in Horizon Series opener

  Sunshine Girl Crystal Plummer is no stranger to high-pressure situations, but Jamaica’s dramatic 49-49 draw against England in the opening game of the four-match Horizon Netball Series was an experience that even she found exhilarating.

  Still, as the Sunshine Girls look to improve in the second match on Sunday, Plummer is focused on channeling the lessons from Saturday’s thrilling contest into consistent success for the remainder of the series and, by extension, her career.

  “It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Plummer told SportsMax.Tv as she reflected on the match played at the AO Arena in Manchester.

  “There were moments when we should have had the upper hand and allowed England to slip. But that’s what makes netball so exciting—it’s a constant test of resilience and focus. All in all, I’m super excited to be back on the international stage, and I am just looking to build on the lessons as they come,” she added.

  Plummer, who started at centre before being substituted at the beginning of the second quarter, acknowledged the intense pace of the match. Both teams traded turnovers early on, but it was England who managed to pull away in the second quarter to establish a 26-20 halftime lead. 

  

  Despite sitting out portions of the game, Plummer remained a vocal presence on the sidelines, urging her teammates to push through their challenges.

  Though they eventually rallied in the last two quarters, it was the comeback from two goals down in the closing seconds of the final quarter to level the game that really took the prize.

  “Our team showed so much heart. We made some errors, but we also demonstrated how capable we are of bouncing back, so basically it is a case of all the hard work we put in that paid off. The way we rallied in the third and fourth quarters was truly inspiring,” Plummer opined.

  “Those last few minutes were nerve-wracking. Again, we had chances in which we could have opened up big leads, but we let it slip. That’s something we’ll address as a team because we know we have what it takes to win these tight games,” she noted.

  That said, Plummer believes consistency will be the key to victory as the Sunshine Girls look to gain the upper hand in the second game of the series on Sunday.

  “We’ve shown that we can match England in every aspect, but it’s about sustaining that level of play for all four quarters. If we can clean up our errors and stay composed under pressure, I’m confident we’ll come out on top. We just have to take things one quarter at a time,” Plummer stated.

  

  The talented 22-year-old, who has been a pivotal player for Jamaica since her debut at the Americas qualifiers on home soil in 2022, is also eager to step up her individual performance.

  “As a midcourt player, my role is to connect the defence and attack seamlessly, so I want to be sharper in my decision-making and ensure that I’m providing the best support to my teammates on court,” said Plummer, who was a part of the bronze medal-winning Netball World Cup team.

  “I always tell myself that I am a hard cookie who will battle to the very end, and I am very confident in my abilities, which is why I consistently set goals and then put in the mental and physical work to ensure I fulfil them. So my goals for this series have already been locked in, and so I just want to put my best foot forward for myself and the team,” she declared.

  While her immediate focus is on helping Jamaica secure a series win, Plummer also has her eyes set on long-term goals. With the next Netball World Cup scheduled for 2027, she is determined to elevate her game and contribute to Jamaica’s quest for global dominance.

  “This series is a great opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the world, but it’s also a stepping stone for bigger things. We want to keep building and ensure that when the World Cup comes around, we’re ready to challenge for the title. For now, it’s about putting it all together because I believe our best is yet to come, and I’m excited to be part of this journey,” the jovial Plummer ended.

• Sunshine Girls rally to secure thrilling 49-49 draw with England in Horizon Netball Series opener

  Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls rallied from six goals down at halftime to secure a dramatic 49-49 draw with England’s Roses in a nail-biting opening contest of their four-game Horizon Netball Series at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday.

  Latanya Wilson, showcasing her versatility and tenacity at wing defence, earned the Player of the Game award for her outstanding performance, which included critical interceptions and relentless pressure on England’s attackers.

  While proud of her team’s effort, Wilson, who represents Adelaide Thunderbirds in Australia’s Suncorp League, acknowledged that they had much work to do, especially with this being their first international outing since last year’s Netball World Cup.

  “I think it was pretty much a close game; we knew that we were in it, and we came to win it, so I am proud of myself and the team’s effort to at least draw the game, so well done to us. So I am very pleased, but there is a lot more work to get done, and we are going to do things step-by-step, and we are going to give it our all,” Wilson said in a post-game interview.

  

  Jamaica's Latanya Wilson tries to disrupt England's play.

  The match began with both teams showing flashes of brilliance but also committing early turnovers. England’s match-fitness from their recent series win over New Zealand—to move to number two on the ranking chart—was evident as they displayed better composure and consistency for the most parts.

  Still, the Jamaicans, who won bronze at last year’s Netball World Cup, did well to disrupt England’s fluency in patches but struggled to capitalize on opportunities as both teams ended the first quarter locked at 13-13.

  Abigale Sutherland replaced Crystal Plummer at centre for Jamaica at the start of the second quarter, but an early turnover from their centre pass set the tone for a challenging period.

  England, bolstered by sharp passing and disciplined shooting from Helen Housby, took charge of the contest in the second quarter as they outscored the Jamaicans 13-7.

  The hosts were also aided by tidy defensive work from Imogen Allison and Funmi Fadoju, who were effective against the towering Romelda Aiken-George in the shooting circle for Jamaica.

  In fact, England-born Rhea Dixon’s introduction at wing attack provided some creativity for Jamaica, but their inconsistency allowed England to maintain control for much of the quarter, and they opened up a six-goal lead, 26-20 at the interval.

  

  Jamaica's Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and England's Olivia Tchine challenge for possession. (Photo: Skysports)

  Jamaica came out spiritedly in the third quarter, forcing a few turnovers, but in the same push, returned possession by virtue of unforced errors. England capitalized and extended their lead to eight goals. 

  However, the Sunshine Girls gradually found their rhythm and rallied to cut the deficit. By the five-minute mark, they trailed by just one goal, 33-32, but missed opportunities kept England in the driver’s seat, as the Roses again pulled away to lead 38-35 entering the final quarter.

  Jamaica knew they needed a flawless fourth quarter to mount a comeback, and they responded with resilience. They leveled the score at 39-39 with over 11 minutes left and ignited a thrilling end-to-end battle.

  The Sunshine Girls surged ahead 44-42 with less than eight minutes to play, but a sloppy centre pass allowed England to claw their way back.

  A crucial offside turnover by Jamaica with less than three minutes remaining presented a chance to seal the game, but the opportunity went begging and England capitalized to go up 49-47 with less than a minute remaining.

  Just when it seemed as England had the first win in the bag, up came Jamaica’s ever-reliable goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey to snatch possession from Lois Pearson in the dying seconds.

  

  Though Aiken-George missed her two attempts, goal attack Shanice Beckford showed steely nerves to secure the dramatic equalizer. 

  Sunshine Girls head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry praised her team’s determination but stressed the need for improved consistency.

  “We showed great heart today. I think the first time playing in 15 months is really a big thing for us as it starts our journey (to the next World Cup), so I am quite pleased with what we saw. We still have some rough edges to fix, but England gave us a fair contest; we knew they were going to come hard, and I am glad that our girls stood tall to the task,” Henry said.

  With the series finely balanced, both teams will head into Sunday’s second game with renewed determination, eager to gain the upper hand ahead of the Jamaican leg scheduled for November 25 and 26. 

  Sunday’s game is set for 9:00 am Jamaica time.

  NB: The Horizon Netball Series can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app.