Sports
Pace Bowler Atkinson to Make England Test Debut Against West Indies
Pace bowler Gus Atkinson is set to make his Test debut for England in the series opener against the West Indies at Lord’s on Wednesday. The 26-year-old will join Chris Woakes and the retiring James Anderson as the specialist seamers in the squad.
Atkinson, who has previously played nine one-day internationals and three T20s, was part of the England squad for the Test tour of India earlier this year but did not feature in any matches. His Surrey team-mate, Jamie Smith, will also make his Test debut behind the stumps, having been named in the squad ahead of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, selected ahead of his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach, will play his first home Test after winning three caps on the tour of India.
England XI:
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (c)
- Jamie Smith (wk)
- Chris Woakes
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- James Anderson
Atkinson, capable of bowling at high pace, has taken 59 wickets in 19 first-class matches. He was preferred over Matthew Potts and the uncapped Dillon Pennington, who are the other seamers in the squad.
Smith, an attractive stroke-maker averaging over 40 in first-class cricket and more than 56 in the County Championship this season, has long been touted as a future England prospect.
Batter Harry Brook returns at number five after missing the tour of India to be with his ill grandmother, who passed away in March. Captain Ben Stokes is expected to play a full part as a bowler after recovering from a long-term left-knee injury. He had surgery in November and has been accelerating his rehab in three County Championship matches for Durham.
Stokes bowled a substantial spell in the nets at Lord’s on Tuesday, with the team able to practice outside despite the mixed weather in London.
Sports
Curtis Jones and Tino Livramento Added to England Squad for Nations League Matches
Uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones and Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento have been called up to the senior England squad ahead of this week’s crucial Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.
Jones, 23, had his first taste of senior selection in May when Gareth Southgate included him in a provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, though he didn’t make the final cut. His impressive performances for the Under-21s, especially during England’s triumph in the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under interim manager Lee Carsley, have earned him another opportunity at the senior level.
Livramento, who was part of last month’s squad but didn’t feature in the games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, has once again been called upon by Carsley, who is serving as England’s interim manager.
Meanwhile, captain Harry Kane trained separately from the rest of the squad at St George’s Park but is expected to be fit for Thursday’s game against Greece at Wembley. Manchester City’s Jack Grealish also missed training as a precaution due to a minor knock, but his status for the upcoming matches remains hopeful.
The Three Lions will aim to secure key victories as they face Greece at home before traveling to Finland on Sunday to complete their Nations League fixtures.
Sports
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire Sidelined for ‘A Few Weeks’ with Injury
Manchester United and England defender Harry Maguire has confirmed he will be out of action for several weeks due to an injury sustained during United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday. Maguire, 31, was forced to leave the match at half-time after getting injured in the first half and was later seen leaving Villa Park in a protective boot.
In a social media post, Maguire expressed his frustration, saying, “Frustrated to pick up an injury at the weekend, will be a few weeks on the sideline for me but I’ll come back stronger.”
The injury means Maguire will miss England’s upcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland, after being left out of Lee Carsley’s squad. Maguire has made nine appearances for Manchester United this season, with his most recent goal coming in the 3-3 Europa League match against Porto on October 3.
This is another setback for the centre-back, who also missed Euro 2024 due to a calf problem.
Sports
Chelsea and Nottingham Forest Charged for Failing to Control Players in Premier League Clash
Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have been charged by the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players after a heated confrontation during their 1-1 Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The clash occurred toward the end of the game and involved multiple players from both sides, resulting in a mass altercation.
Despite the intense nature of the incident, no action will be taken against Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, who appeared to slap Forest’s Morato during the fracas. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the altercation but decided against further punishment for Jackson.
The confrontation began when Forest’s Neco Williams seemingly pushed Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella off the pitch, igniting tensions between the teams. Following this, players from both sides were involved in the clash, which saw three yellow cards issued—Williams for Forest, and Cucurella and Levi Colwill for Chelsea.
In a statement, the FA said, “It’s alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 88th minute.” Both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have until Thursday to respond to the charges.
In addition to the altercation, Chelsea faces a separate £50,000 fine for receiving six or more bookings during the match, a threshold they have reached for the second time this season.
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