أعلن تشابي ألونسو، المدير الفني لنادي ريال مدريد، عن قائمة فريقه لمباراة مانشستر سيتي، والتي سوف تلعب ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وسوف يستضيف ريال مدريد مانشستر سيتي على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو مساء اليوم الأربعاء، وذلك لحساب بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا ضمن الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري.
ويسعى ريال مدريد إلى الفوز على مانشستر سيتي واستعادة الثقة، وذلك في ظل النتائج السلبية التي ضربت الميرنجي بشكل متتالي خلال الفترة الأخيرة.
وتعتبر مباراة اليوم بمثابة عنق الزجاجة لمدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، والذي ورد أنه قد تتم إقالته من تدريب النادي الإسباني حال الخسارة أمام مانشستر سيتي.
طالع .. أسطورة ريال مدريد مدافعًا عن ألونسو: تعرض لظلم كبير .. والإصابات أثرت على مستوى الفريق
وشهدت قائمة ريال مدريد تواجد كيليان مبابي، رغم التقارير العديدة التي أكدت أن مشاركة الدولي الفرنسي ضد مانشستر سيتي صعبة للغاية، بسبب الإصابة.
وعلى الجانب الآخر غاب العديد من اللاعبين عن قائمة ريال مدريد، مثل دين هويسن، وداني كارفاخال، وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، وديفيد ألابا، وإدورادو كامافينجا، وإيدير ميليتاو، وفيرلاند ميندي، وذلك بسبب الإصابة.
ويتواجد جود بيلينجهام بجانب أردا جولر في وسط الملعب، في حين يزين خط هجوم ريال مدريد، فينيسيوس جونيور، ورودريجو جوس. قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة مانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا
More than any other location, Wembley perhaps marks the turbulent nature of Casemiro’s Manchester United stay best.
Indeed, in February 2023, United’s emerging talisman nodded home the opener as Erik ten Hag’s side went on to claim Carabao Cup glory, with the Brazilian proving to be the “cement” in the team that season, in the view of his manager.
Roughly 15 months later, however, and the ex-Real Madrid man merely watched on as the Red Devils shocked Manchester City to win the FA Cup, with the much-maligned Sofyan Amrabat acting as the midfield pillar on the day.
Confusion remains over just why Casemiro was absent, having initially been included in the matchday squad, before pulling out due to a reported tight hamstring.
Was he merely perturbed by being axed for Amrabat, or was there a genuine issue? Either way, that day – like the debacle at Selhurst Park a few weeks earlier – appeared to mark the beginning of the end for the veteran’s Old Trafford career.
2024 FA Cup Final – Starting XI
Position
Player
GK
Andre Onana**
RB
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
CB
Raphael Varane
CB
Lisandro Martinez*
LB
Diogo Dalot*
DM
Sofyan Ambrat
DM
Kobbie Mainoo*
RW
Alejandro Garnacho
LW
Marcus Rashford
CF
Bruno Fernandes (C)*
CF
Scott McTominay
*Still at the club
** out on loan
Remarkably, with 2026 looming, the 33-year-old has defied the odds to recapture his starting berth under the Ruben Amorim regime, even if his long-term future remains murky.
Why Man Utd still need to let resurgent Casemiro leave
Had his legs given up on him, or did the midfielder merely give up on Ten Hag, with the five-time Champions League winner looking so out of sorts when deployed as a makeshift centre-back in that 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
With Amorim in the door, the ageing talent has looked like a different player, it must be said, with the Portuguese coach among those seemingly surprised at the manner of his resurgence.
While Casemiro did start alongside Christian Eriksen for Amorim’s first game at Portman Road, he initially faded from view, having been “behind every midfielder, even Toby [Collyer]” at one stage, according to his manager.
A firm fixture of last season’s Europa League run, the £70m signing has since started 13 Premier League games in 2025/26, scoring key goals against Chelsea, Brighton and Nottingham Forest.
He is a man on the rise, but should that cloud the judgment of Amorim and INEOS? A player whom Sir Jim Ratcliffe pointed to as a problematic signing, prior to his arrival at Old Trafford, there must surely be a willingness to get such an expensive asset off the books.
On a reported £350k-per-week, it is difficult to see the merit in extending Casemiro’s deal, with just six months left to run on his current contract.
The suggestion is that INEOS will indeed look to let him leave for nothing, and for all his recent uptick, that should seemingly be the correct course of action, not least considering the midfield warrior will turn 34 in February.
That process of transitioning Casemiro out of the side could be made far easier too if Amorim looks to a forgotten United figure – and no, it’s not Manuel Ugarte.
Man Utd's forgotten star can replace Ugarte & Casemiro
Upon his move to Manchester in the summer of 2024, there was a sense that Ugarte would be the ready-made Casemiro replacement, emerging as something of a tackling machine during his stint at Sporting CP, albeit less so at Paris Saint-Germain.
18 months later, while he does still rank in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles made per 90, as per FBref, the Uruguayan has drifted into the periphery, starting just two league games all season.
The subject of criticism from his manager at the end of last term, the 24-year-old is staring down the barrel of his own swift exit heading into 2026, amid reports he too could be let go either in January or next summer.
Again, the decision to allow him to leave in the New Year could be made far easier if Amorim does decide to reintegrate the aforementioned Collyer, with there a debate to be had over recalling the Englishman from his spell on loan at West Bromwich Albion.
Currently back in Manchester receiving treatment for a fresh injury, which could keep the 21-year-old sidelined for eight weeks, there could be merit in keeping the former Brighton and Hove Albion man on board when he is back to full fitness, not least considering the lack of midfield depth at Amorim’s disposal.
The player whom Ten Hag made a beeline for during those FA Cup final celebrations, as he had done with Kobbie Mainoo in the Carabao Cup a year earlier, Collyer went on to make 13 first-team appearances last term, following his debut off the bench in the Community Shield loss to Man City.
Now, he may not be the glamorous, Mainoo-style ball player that United are also in need of, but what he does possess is a real engine and work ethic, with such athleticism distinctly lacking from the experienced pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.
Indeed, in the view of his former Brighton coach Mark Beard, he almost “plays like two men sometimes”, such is the ground he can cover, having been hailed as arguably the “best in the country” in that department at his age group.
Also noted as being “like a Kante” by Beard, Collyer showed flashes of that defensive nous last season, memorably producing a remarkable goalline clearance against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Of course, it hasn’t been a fruitful loan spell due to injury and a lack of game time, after starting just three Championship games for the Baggies, although when fit and available again, the two-footed talent could be deserving of a chance to stake his claim back in Amorim’s first-team set-up.
Ugarte, among the worst signings of modern times, just isn’t cutting it, while Casemiro is surely heading toward the climax of his United stay.
Collyer, albeit while a wildcard option, might just represent the perfect replacement to help nudge them out the door.
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When Shohei Ohtani stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and the game tied at 5 against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, he wasn't just facing the pressure of the moment.
The weight of fan expectations, heightened in light of the fact that Wednesday was his bobblehead night, were also bearing down on the three-time MVP.
But Ohtani delivered, crushing a first-pitch changeup into the center field seats for a walk-off home run to keep the undefeated Dodgers' record unblemished. After the game, Ohtani, speaking through interpreter Will Ireton to Dodgers reporter Kirsten Watson, joked that a fan made certain that he knew what was at stake before he dug into the batter's box.
"You know, just looking for a really good pitch to hit," Ohtani said when asked what he saw in the at-bat. "But one of the fans was telling me, 'It's your bobblehead night, so you better get a hit.' So, I'm glad I was able to do that."
Now, that's pressure. Dodgers fans, for the second straight season, showed up hours before the game to ensure they'd get their hands on the bobblehead, which featured a miniature Ohtani holding the National League MVP trophy he won in '24, his first season with the club.
Not only did they go home with a bobblehead, they went home after having witnessed a signature moment from the man himself.
Leeds United had a standout away record to thank for Championship promotion last season, with only three losses picked up all campaign long on the road.
Worryingly, this season, the Whites have already lost four games on their travels in the unnerving environment of the Premier League, despite only being away from Elland Road a slim total of five times.
The well-oiled machine Daniel Farke had at his disposal in the second tier is now nowhere to be found, with Leeds fortunate to only lose 3-0 at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion last time out.
Some of Leeds’ summer pick-ups have still impressed, though, as Farke hopes the blistering exploits of Noah Okafor down the wings can be one overwhelming positive that steers the West Yorkshire outfit to safety.
Okafor's impressive Leeds start
There would have been a lot of pressure on Okafor’s shoulders to instantly impress, too, having come in as Leeds’ most expensive capture this summer at the £18m mark.
Thankfully, even if the collective hasn’t always clicked, the Swiss has managed to stand out as a bright, forward-thinking spark on the left wing.
Two goals have already come the forward’s way, with his front-foot approach – which saw him complete a tricky five dribbles versus Brighton – also earning him various plaudits, while other Leeds attackers have receded into their shells, trying to valiantly compete in the daunting division.
Indeed, ex-Leeds defender Aidy White has singled out Okafor for praise for being “so direct” in his style, which – in tow – has gifted the Elland Road side a “massive threat” going forward, according to the Irishman.
Of course, the £18m winger can’t do everything on his own, with his risky style of play sometimes backfiring.
But, he could be crucial in the long run, especially if Leeds need a moment of split-second magic to unlock a tiring defence in a basement battle clash.
Chalkboard
The U21 ranks in West Yorkshire could even be brewing another Okafor-like ace in an exciting 18-year-old sensation.
Leeds' next Noah Okafor
Leeds has a rich recent history when it comes to unearthing some exceptionally talented young gems, with Farke directly responsible for Archie Gray’s crazy ascent to first-team greatness.
While Archie’s brother, Harry, looks like the most exciting prospect in the Thorp Arch academy right now, another teenager by the name of Harvey Vincent will hope he’s the next off the homegrown conveyor belt to make an instant impression in the senior ranks when he’s handed an eventual chance.
He has already been described as an “unpredictable” attacker to keep tabs on – much like Okafor – by Pure Football writer Trent Gaffney and looks like a genuinely exciting young talent.
Lining up in the same set-up as the highly-rated Gray regularly this season, Vincent has still managed to stick out as a talent noted for being able to “tear you apart in seconds” as Gaffney further elaborates, with his late effort (video above) last time out against Brighton U21s securing a 2-2 draw.
In total, now, lining up for both the U18s and U21s, Vincent has 14 goals and eight assists next to his name, with his tricks and flicks thankfully backed up by some impressive output, much like Okafor has managed in the senior Leeds ranks, since moving to England.
Vincent’s numbers for Leeds
Position
Games
Goals + Assists
LW
15
5 + 1
RW
12
2 + 1
RM
12
5 + 1
CF
2
0
LM
2
0
DM
1
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Vincent could also be useful to Farke in the near future when studying his adaptability for the cause, with the two-time England U16 international even lining up as a defensive midfielder and a striker on occasion.
Okafor can also be equally as malleable, having lined up across all of the forward positions for former employers AC Milan, from slotting in as a second striker or coming into the side down the alternate right wing.
The electric Leeds number 19 even stated, while still at the San Siro, that he is at “the coach’s disposal” as to where he can line up.
Having recently penned a professional deal to keep him at Leeds until 2027, too, the future certainly looks bright for Vincent in West Yorkshire.
It will now rest on Vincent being able to live up to his potential, with Leeds potentially gaining another Okafor-like menace in the process.
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South African expected to be available across formats for the entire season
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2025Keith Dudgeon, the South African seamer, has signed as one of Kent’s overseas players for 2026. The 29-year-old will be available across formats for the full season.Dudgeon joined Kent on a short-term deal at the start of the 2025 summer and played one match – against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road, in which he claimed career-best innings figures of 7 for 36 – before a knee injury ruled him out.He will return next April for the start of the County Championship and is also expected to be involved in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup competitions.”It’s a huge case of unfinished business for me, and I’m sure it seems that way for the Kent fans – I’m so pleased to be a Kent player again for the whole of next season,” Dudgeon said.”Everyone at the club made me feel so welcome in my short time in Canterbury and I have been avidly watching the lads as much as I can from South Africa as I continue to work hard to get back to full fitness. I wish them all the very best for the rest of this year.”I’m looking forward to making more appearances for Kent next summer – including my home debut.”I’d like to thank Adam [Hollioake], Simon [Cook] and the board at Kent for putting their faith in me coming back for 2026.”Although Kent won their first two Championship games, they have since drawn three and lost four to sit bottom of Division Two. Their Blast campaign has been more successful, with four wins and five defeats, but they currently sit outside the qualification spots with four games to go.Simon Cook, Kent’s director of dricket, said: “Keith made a lasting impression on us during his short but sweet time earlier in this season.”He is progressing well in his rehab work after successful knee surgery, and is due to start playing again before Christmas for his domestic side in South Africa, Boland. We’re all looking forward to welcoming back to the group for the whole of 2026.”
تحدث الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن حقيقة وجود مفاوضات بين الأهلي وحامد حمدان لاعب فريق بتروجيت من أجل التعاقد معه خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة.
وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير “أون سبورت إف إم”: “لا تقول لا لمن يتحدث عن مفاوضات الأهلي مع حامد حمدان، لا تنفوا الأمر، لأن اللاعب بالفعل ضمن حسابات الأهلي، وهذا حقيقي وليس مزاحًا”.
وتابع: “نحن تواصلنا مع محمد أيمن، عضو مجلس إدارة بتروجيت، وأكد أنه حتى الآن لا توجد مفاوضات رسمية من الأهلي بشأن اللاعب، ولم يحدث أيضًا أي جس نبض من جانب إدارة الأهلي، ولكن بعض الوكلاء بدأوا يستفسرون عن موقف اللاعب مع الزمالك”.
وأردف: “بالنسبة لنادي الزمالك، فقد تقدم بعرض في الصيف الماضي بلغت قيمته 40 مليون جنيه، إلا أن بتروجيت لم يرد عليه، ثم عاد الزمالك بعرض آخر بلغت قيمته 20 مليون جنيه خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة”.
وواصل: “ردّ بتروجيت بطلب مبلغ أكبر، وقد تم التوصل إلى اتفاق بين بتروجيت والزمالك واللاعب، أي اتفاق ضمني غير مكتوب، دون توقيع رسمي على أي أوراق”.
طالع | حقيقة إقامة مباراة ودية بين الأهلي والأهلي السعودي
وأوضح: “الزمالك حتى هذه اللحظة لم يُرسل أي مبالغ مالية، وبتروجيت ليست لديه مشكلة في تفعيل الاتفاق مع الزمالك بالقيمة المطلوبة، لكن مع تعديل نظام السداد، لأن النادي بحاجة إلى سيولة مالية في الوقت الحالي”.
وأكمل: “محمد أيمن أوضح لفريق الإعداد، أنه إذا تقدم أي نادٍ بعرض رسمي أكبر من عرض الزمالك، سواء الأهلي أو بيراميدز أو أي نادٍ آخر، فسيتم أولًا إخطار الزمالك بالعرض، وإذا وصل الأبيض لنفس القيمة، فستكون الأولوية له، ثم يتم اتخاذ القرار بناءً على رغبة اللاعب”.
وأتم: “عقد حامد حمدان مع بتروجيت ينتهي في يونيو 2027، ويبدو أننا مقبلون على قصة جديدة ومثيرة خلال الفترة المقبلة”.
The great rivalry of the early 2000s was Arsenal vs Manchester United. It was Arsene Wenger against Sir Alex Ferguson. They loved to hate each other.
That’s understandable too. Before Chelsea arrived on the scene with Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich, the two red-draped teams traded blows, re-claiming the Premier League title from each other on countless occasions.
So, in the modern era, you can forgive certain pundits for having an element of bias about Manchester United and Arsenal.
Gary Neville is one who has been particularly scathing of the Gunners in recent years. Arsenal have been set-piece kings but the former defender slated them for being too “rigid” and “obsessed” with scoring from set-play scenarios.
Well, while they are still brilliant from those phases, their now larger squad means they look better set up to take advantage of other goalscoring opportunities.
He’s not been afraid to criticise players either. He claimed David Raya was a “nervous wreck” during his debut season at the club but he is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Rio Ferdinand, of course, has also fallen victim to getting things wrong.
When Ferdinand slated Arsenal's big-money star
Let’s set the scene for you. The year is 2022/23. Arsenal are playing arguably the best football of the Arteta era. They should win the title.
Yet, a draw in April 2023 was perhaps where things started to go wrong. The Gunners took on Declan Rice’s West Ham at the London Stadium and really should have walked away with all three points.
Arsenal raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of strikes from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard but they were pegged back and eventually drew the game 2-2.
A penalty was conceded by Gabriel Magalhaes who slid in on Said Benrahma and the match, and perhaps Arsenal’s season changed from there. It wasn’t the first time the big Brazilian had given away a penalty either, notably giving one away against Manchester City earlier in the campaign.
Bemoaning that moment against the Hammers, Ferdinand was very vocal about what he thought about the central defender.
“They had the game in a stranglehold, they had West Ham where they wanted them, going into half time 2-0 up, you coast that game. But rash… and I’ve said this about Gabriel a few times. He’s rash, he makes mad, wild decisions. As a defender, you’ve got to be calm. There’s no need for him to do what he did. It was a rush of blood, he needs to eradicate that, get that out of his game quick.”
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Ferdinand continued: “As a manager you don’t want to see that. Because those types of things ruin the head too many times, it starts becoming part of their make-up, and you’re going, ‘hold on, can I rely on this guy?’. I think he’s had a fabulous season, Gabriel. But those types of decisions can be very costly, he’s in the run-in now. That will hurt, the way they dropped points.”
Why Gabriel is now the best in the Premier League
Well, it’s safe to say that Gabriel has certainly eradicated those mistakes in recent years.
It’s true that during the embryonic stages of his career at the Emirates Stadium he was rash and wild with some of his play. Yet, over the last few seasons, the £65m-rated defender has become a genuine monster at the back.
Not forgetting his astute defending, he is the best goalscoring defender in the Premier League.
After scoring that header against Newcastle United in the dying embers a few weeks ago, it meant that he has scored 18 Premier League goals, at least six more than any other defender since he made his English top-flight debut back in September 2020
Meanwhile, in the last three seasons, Gabriel has scored eight goals in the Premier League. No centre back has managed more.
But, let us remember that he is indeed a defender. First and foremost, he will be judged on that and he’s pretty damn good in that department too.
In fact, he may well have become more important than William Saliba to the cause. The Frenchman has been earning considerable hype for a number of years now but Gabriel – a man who has now captained Arsenal on a few occasions – looks like the glue that binds things together.
1. Bukayo Saka
250
2. Gabriel Magalhaes
219
3. Gabriel Martinelli
216
4. Martin Odegaard
204
5. Thomas Partey
166
6. Ben White
162
7. Eddie Nketiah
149
8. Granit Xhaka
147
9. William Saliba
142
10. Kieran Tierney
132
Jamie Carragher outlined that last season when the former Lille man was out injured with a severe hamstring injury.
“I think he [Saliba] is one of the top centre-backs in European football. As a partnership, him and Gabriel is as good as anything in the Premier League. I think Saliba is the better player but Gabriel is the better leader, and Saliba needs to bring that to his game if he wants to get to the levels we talk about with Virgil van Dijk.”
A leader of men, a dogged competitor, a true fighter and a player who now makes very few rash mistakes, he is right up there with Saliba and Van Dijk as the best centre-back in the English top-flight.
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The Orange Cap table wears a different look, but there is no major change on the Purple Cap table after Prasidh Krishna got to the top spot on Saturday
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-20251:13
Pujara: SKY put a lot of pressure on spinners
Orange Cap leaderboardVirat Kohli (RCB) became the third-ranked batter on the run-getters’ table when he was done for the day, the fifth batter to top 300 runs for the season, but Suryakumar Yadav (MI) got there later in the day, too, and went past Kohli to third spot.Kohli has been scoring consistently without setting the tournament on fire all this while, and has been there and thereabouts on the leaderboard. In the day game on Sunday, Kohli was faced with a moderate chase of 158 and led the way for his team as they pulled off a seven-wicket win.He scored 73 not out off 54 balls, and that has taken his tally for the season to 322 runs. For Kohli, it was the fourth half-century of the season, and he now averages a remarkable 64.40 – the highest for batters with over 150 runs and only behind Tim David’s 142.00 in the tournament overall. His strike rate of 140.00 is the poorest among the top five, though.Suryakumar then scored 68 not out off 30 balls as MI beat CSK by nine wickets to take his aggregate to 333, ending the weekend only behind Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Nicholas Pooran (368 runs) and B Sai Sudharsan (365) of Gujarat Titans (GT). GT take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday, and Sai Sudharsan needs just four runs to take the Orange Cap.Behind Suryakumar and Kohli, also past the 300-run mark, are GT’s Jos Buttler (315) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (307) of Rajasthan Royals (RR). LSG’s Mitchell Marsh, for so long only behind Pooran and Sai Sudharsan, has fallen to No. 7 with 299 runs.7:26
Pujara: Kohli is the best when it comes to chases
Purple Cap leaderboardA number of bowlers who had a shot at getting close to GT’s table-topper Prasidh Krishna’s 14 wickets on Sunday, but none of them got a wicket. Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed of CSK, Josh Hazlewood (RCB) and MI captain Hardik Pandya went wicketless in their respective games, while Arshdeep Singh’s lone strike against RCB has now put him in the mix, but he is still some way away.Prasidh Krishna leads the table, followed by Delhi Capitals’ (DC) Kuldeep Yadav, Noor, Hazlewood and LSG’s Shardul Thakur at 12 wickets each, followed by the five bowlers with 11 wickets: GT duo R Sai Kishore and Mohammed Siraj, Hardik, Arshdeep and Khaleel.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match
O Botafogo não dará descanso aos seus titulares na partida contra o Patronato. A lista de relacionados divulgada pelo clube às vésperas do jogo de volta do playoff das oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana deixa à disposição boa parte do elenco principal do Glorioso.
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Mesmo com a possibilidade de um time misto ir a campo nesta quarta-feira (19), às 19h, no Nilton Santos, boa parte dos atletas tende a entrar em campo no decorrer do jogo.
As únicas baixas são o volante Marlon Freitas, que cumpre suspensão, e o goleiro João Fernando, que foi submetido a uma cirurgia na mão.
Atletas relacionados para o jogo deste sábado, no Nilton Santos, com o RB Bragantino. ???????? #VamosBOTAFOGO pic.twitter.com/sGa7YdUabj
— Botafogo F.R. (@Botafogo) July 15, 2023
Lista de relacionados:
Goleiros: Gatito Fernández, Igo Gabriel e Lucas Perri
Laterais: Di Placido, Hugo e Marçal
Zagueiros: Adryelson, Philipe Sampaio e Victor Cuesta
Volantes: Breno, Danilo Barbosa, JP Galvão e Tchê Tchê
Meias: Diego Hernández, Eduardo e Lucas Fernandes
Atacantes:Carlos Alberto, Gustavo Sauer, Janderson, Júnior Santos, Luis Henrique, Matías Segovia e Tiquinho Soares
The start of 2025 is a period in Matt Kuhnemann’s career that he will never forget. From fears a broken thumb would scupper his chances of a Test recall, he then bowled Australia to victory in Sri Lanka only to be faced with his action being reported.But he came through the ICC process with flying colours, finished the season with a five-wicket haul and has now earned a maiden central contract which cements him as Australia’s No. 2 red-ball spinner behind Nathan Lyon.Related
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Kuhnemann took 16 wickets in the two Tests against Sri Lanka taking his overall tally to 25 in five matches at 22.20.He will be part of the Test tour of West Indies in June and is a strong chance of featuring with Lyon in at least some of those matches in Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica depending on the surfaces.”He’s shown an incredible amount of resilience,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “Performing as well as he did in Sri Lanka and then having the scrutiny around his action, and having to go through that process, to bouncing back and finishing the year really well with Tassie.”Looking at what’s coming up, we don’t have any subcontinent tours but we think his skill set could be useful in the West Indies. Someone who’s not had a whole heap of international exposure, we’ve been really pleased with the way he’s performed when he’s got his opportunities.”Lyon, who towards the end of the Sri Lanka series termed Kuhnemann the team’s best bowler, recalled being heartbroken as he sat next to him on the flight home after the news of his action had emerged.”I’m happy it’s all cleared, it’s all done and doesn’t need to be spoken about any more,” Lyon said earlier in the week. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. I thought he’s been absolutely exceptional, especially the way he went out there and really bowled us to victory.”I was pretty heartbroken in a sense. I actually flew home with him. He was pretty gutted when he was talking to me about what he had to do and he was pretty nervous. For him to have his name cleared, I could be nothing but proud for Matt and the way he’s gone about it.”After West Indies, Kuhnemann’s international opportunities are likely to be limited but he shapes as a crucial figure for the 2027 Border-Gavaskar series in India – it was on the corresponding tour in 2023 where he made his Test debut and bagged 5 for 16 in his second Test at Indore.However, he is also a potentially intriguing option for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka should Australia want a specialist left-arm spinner. “I think he can play other formats,” Bailey said. “The contract side of things is probably a lens to where he sits in our eyes at the moment, in the red-ball space he’s done incredibly well.”Australia are unlikely to consider two spinners for a home Test, but even if Lyon was injured during next summer’s Ashes Kuhnemann may not necessarily be next in line in those conditions. The selectors could consider an offspinner, either Todd Murphy, who was dropped off the contract list, or Western Australia’s Corey Rocchiccioli, who might be a better fit on bouncier surfaces.Rocchiccioli finished the Sheffield Shield season strongly with a career-best seven-wicket haul at the Gabba and eight wickets in the final game against Victoria at the WACA.All three spinners – Kuhnemann, Murphy and Rocchiccioli – will likely get the chance to tour India later this year with Australia A understood to have a series lined up that will include a pair of four-day matches against India A.