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Kusal Mendis said the prospect of raising his average from the low 30s, and the goal of being among the world’s best batsmen, provided motivation to hit a big score on the first day in Galle.Like many in the Sri Lanka top order, Mendis endured an awful tour of South Africa in which he struck only one Test fifty and averaged 23.00 across six innings. That series was preceded by a lean run in Zimbabwe, where he averaged 19.75.His first Test knock at home in six months brought more luck. He edged his first ball to the wicketkeeper but was reprieved when the bowler was shown to have overstepped on review. From there, he played a largely chanceless innings and, thanks to being 166 not out at the close, his average has risen to 37.70. It will not drop below 35 even if he gets out first ball on day two.”When I played Australia at home, I had an average of about 42, but then it deteriorated little by little,” Mendis said. “People told me it’s hard to push it back above 30 if it goes below that. After I failed in South Africa, I wanted to get it back above 35, and you need a big innings to do that. People told me that when you get set, make sure you hit a big innings. I want to be among the best ten batsmen in the world, and to get my average to 40 or 45 eventually.”The return to form was not down to a specific technical change, Mendis said, though perhaps the early reprieve did help. In previous innings, Mendis has been out driving loosely, but following that first shot, he was largely watchful through the first session. Only later in the day did he adopt the positive approach that is more familiar to his game.”I practised hard after Zimbabwe and South Africa,” he said. “The coaches, senior players and captains all told me that I can handle this level – they didn’t put much pressure on me despite my failures. I corrected my backlift a bit after watching previous videos, but there weren’t any major changes. Those little things I tried to change.”I must have played a bad shot to get out first ball, but I was keen to stay there for the team after that.”Mendis’ 196-run partnership with Asela Gunaratne was instrumental to Sri Lanka’s strong position in the match. The two had come together with the score on 92 for 3, and batted with freedom over 43 overs to transform the game’s outlook.”Asela’s in really good form after doing well in the Australia series. I had a feeling he’d get a good score, given the way he was playing. When he was at the other end, it became easier for me as well. At one time, he batted well at the other end and took the pressure off me when I was feeling a bit tired. Unfortunately he got out towards the end of the day. It was easy to bat with him.”While Galle can often be a spin-bowling paradise, so far this surface has been as lifeless as any seen at the venue over the past three years. The previous Test here, against Australia, ended in two-and-a-half days, though Mendis was also impressive in that game, top-scoring with 86.”Last year when we played Australia here, the ball really turned,” Mendis said. “This time it’s easier for the batsmen, and it won’t be a big difference tomorrow – maybe late in the day the ball will spin a bit more. The wicket does seem hard though, so it’s hard to predict what will happen.”

ضاعف فريق برشلونة تقدمه أمام نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويستضيف أتلتيكو مدريد خصمه برشلونة، على ملعب “ميتروبوليتانو” في إطار لقاءات الجولة التاسعة والعشرين من الليجا 2023/24.

ونجح برشلونة في تسجيل الهدف الثاني مع بداية الشوط الثاني، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 47، عن طريق البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

الهدف جاء بعد تمريرة من رافينها، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى ليفاندوفسكي الذي سددها بطريقة أكثر من رائعة في شباك لينو. هدف ليفاندوفسكي أمام أتلتيكو مدريد

كان جواو فيليكس قد تقدم بالهدف الأول لصالح الضيوف، في الدقيقة 38 من الشوط الأول.

Tamil Nadu struck quickly in the final session of play to prise out three Mumbai wickets, achieving some parity after being limited to 305 on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Rajkot

Arun Venugopal in Rajkot02-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Suryakumar Yadav’s 73 helped Mumbai bounce back after the early wicket of Prithvi Shaw•PTI

For three-fourths of the day, Tamil Nadu were run ragged and faced the risk of being dispirited, but a burst of energy in the early part of the final session, led by Vijay Shankar and Aushik Srinivas, produced three wickets to leave Mumbai on 171 for 4 at stumps. Tamil Nadu have at best achieved only a semblance of parity considering they haven’t posted a big total themselves – they added only 44 runs to their overnight score of 261 for 6.However, with Suryakumar Yadav (73) and Praful Waghela (48) counter-punching their way to 121 runs after the fall of debutant opener Prithvi Shaw in the first over, it’s an outcome Tamil Nadu won’t mind.That Mumbai didn’t slip any further was thanks to an unbroken 41-run partnership between captain Aditya Tare and Shreyas Iyer, who came into bat at the fall of the fourth wicket instead of his customary position at No.3. But before their sensible approach and the team’s wobble, it was Suryakumar and Waghela who ensured Tamil Nadu couldn’t exploit the advantage of the early wicket.Both batsmen were unforgiving when the seamers bowled full, and Suryakumar, in particular, wasn’t afraid of hitting the ball in the air. When Aswin Crist banged one in short, Suryakumar simply swivelled around and swatted it over fine leg for six. Mumbai hit high gear and stayed there – they were 39 for 1 in 10 overs, 60 for 1 in 15 and 81 for 1 after 20 – but not once did they attempt to over-reach. Suryakumar, though, had a lucky break in the ninth over when B Indrajith couldn’t time his jump well to pluck a forceful slash at first slip off Crist’s bowling. He then survived a close shout for lbw off the next ball. Suryakumar had volunteered to bat at No.3 and realised the need for him to dominate the bowling.”I told the coach I would take responsibility at No.3 and play the way he does rather than just look to stay out there,” he said. “That’s what I did because runs were important. I didn’t do anything extra, but got an opportunity to bat at No.3 so I had to try to emulate him.”Tamil Nadu’s seamers were being carted around, which prompted R Ashwin to tweet that the “seam on the ball is not standing up, the wrist position or the ball is surely not right.” Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu had introduced left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas in the 19th over, and it proved to be a defining change. He bowled eight overs for 11 runs in an uninterrupted spell before tea before switching ends after the break when Shankar was given the ball.Suddenly there was a conspicuous buzz in the field, especially with Shankar was getting the ball to reverse, like how Mumbai’s seamers had done in the final session on Sunday. This time Ashwin tweeted that the “seam is sitting up when Vijay Shankar is bowling and things are happening.” With runs being dried up – only 14 runs had come in eight overs after tea – something had to give and Suryakumar went for an expansive drive outside off and was caught behind. In the next over, Waghle responded to Tare’s call for a run, but despite a dive and a mediocre throw from Abhinav Mukund, he found himself short by inches. Two balls later, Siddesh Lad drove Aushik uppishly only for Abhinav to complete the catch at short extra cover.Suryakumar rued his shot selection, but credited Tamil Nadu’s disciplined bowling. “They were planning to bowl on one side and I had to play out that half-an-hour period,” he said. “Vijay Shankar was bowling well at that time. He was bowling around 120-125. On such wickets, bowlers who move the ball at that pace trouble the batsmen.We were trying the same thing yesterday and they were probably trying the same thing. During that 40-45-minute period they showed very good energy and intensity after my wicket.”Much of the energy Suryakumar referred to came through some colourful chatter from Dinesh Karthik which was almost exclusively in Tamil. When someone bowled at a good pace, for instance, he would refrain from saying as much in English and instead use “azhagana vegam (that’s the right pace), a phrase that is hardly used in casual conversation. Shankar admitted that sometimes the team stuck to Tamil to ensure the opposition didn’t understand what they were discussing. “It is mostly just to get everyone together,” he said. “Most of the time we speak in Tamil. It’s a great opportunity for everyone playing semifinals, so we just want to enjoy it.”Shankar played a key role with the bat as well in the morning, but he was out chasing a ball outside off soon after his fifty. His dismissal led to the lower order unravelling quickly. “I was really disappointed with the way I got out,” he said. “My intention as to build partnerships with the tail-enders and it was my mistake. Maybe I played a bad shot.”

Roma chief Tiago Pinto "flies to London" with Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid "above all" in the race for defender Roger Ibanez, according to reports out of Italy.

Who could join Tottenham this summer?

The arrival of new manager Ange Postecoglou has brought with it a wave of fresh transfer rumours as the Australian seeks to reshape the team in his own image.

Recent claims have suggested that the 57-year-old, despite not officially starting work until July 1, is already earmarking transfer targets behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way.

Indeed, Postecoglou has apparently given the green-light for his side to sign a star centre-back this summer as Spurs begin undergoing a major overhaul, with Leicester City star James Maddison also of serious interest.

As well as this, long-serving number one goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could well depart north London by his own admission, meaning Spurs must source a capable replacement. Resultingly, it is believed Spurs are seriously pushing to sign Brentford's David Raya, with AC Milan star Mike Maignan also on their radar as an alternative.

Going back to the central defensive area, a cause of real concern for Spurs for the last season, Roma's star defender Ibanez has been linked with a move to N17 recently.

According to Italian publication Calciomercato, there has been a fairly promising update on their pursuit, with both Tottenham and Atletico "above all" in the race to sign Ibanez this summer.

The Brazilian is up for sale as Roma need to balance their books, and what's more, they're offering a discount and have to "slightly lower" their valuation for him. Once around £30m, it is now claimed Roma will offload for a fee around £21m-£24m.

In their headline, it's added that Roma chief Pinto "flies to London" as he aims to negotiate both a move for Gianluca Scamacca and the possible sale of Ibanez.

Who is Roger Ibanez?

Going by the numbers, Ibanez was one of Jose Mourinho's star defenders over the 2022/2023 Serie A campaign.

According to WhoScored, he ranked among their top four best-performers overall, whilst making more interceptions per 90 than any other Roma player. He also came second in their squad for successful tackles and clearances made.

The 24-year-old has also been tipped for stardom by former Roma fullback Vincent Candela who, despite being error-prone on occasion, can become "one of the world’s best defenders" (Corriere dello Sport via romapress.net).

Given Roma are now attempting to sell at a discounted price, it could be an interesting opportunity for Spurs to strengthen their defence.

A round-up of all the Group B matches from the third round of 2016-17 Ranji Trophy matches

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016

As many as 13 wickets fell in Kolkata as Karnataka took the opening-day honours, taking a 41-run lead with seven wickets intact after bowling Delhi out for 90 in less than a session in their Group B fixture at Eden Gardens.Stand-in captain Karun Nair’s decision to bowl first was vindicated by the new ball bowlers. S Aravind, the left-arm seamer – who replaced the injured captain Vinay Kumar – triggered the meltdown, taking 4 for 12 in 11 overs as Delhi slumped to their lowest score against Karnataka. Their previous-lowest was 138 in the 2005-06 season.Aravind was complemented by Abhimanyu Mithun and offspinner K Gowtham, who returned to the state side after four years during Karnataka’s season-opener last week. Mithun took two wickets, and Gowtham took three, including that of the in-form Rishabh Pant (24) who had been put down twice – once by Gowtham himself at backward point, and once by Mayank Agarwal at slip.While the surface had a green tinge, it was far from menacing as the scorecard suggested. This was in evidence as the Karnataka openers added 87. While R Samarth, coming off a double century against Jharkhand, exuded confidence in his 53, Agarwal buried flamboyance for discipline for his 56, before fending a Vikas Tokas bouncer to third slip. Karnataka ended on 131 for 3, with Nair and Mithun at the crease.The effectiveness of Karnataka’s seamers may have encouraged Ishant Sharma, who was returning to competitive cricket after chikungunya kept him out for more than a month. But he was ineffective for the most part, as his length erred on the shorter side. On the odd occasions where he bowled full, he was driven comfortably. In comparison, Aravind proved that minute deviations on a helpful surface are just as effective as raw pace.Delhi’s only highlights came towards the ends of the day, when Robin Uthappa (5) and Agarwal (56) were caught in the slips.Cheteshwar Pujara carried forward his good form from the New Zealand Tests•Associated Press

Saurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara (79 not out) and Sheldon Jackson (105) made Maharashtra rue their decision to bowl first in Vizianagaram. The pair’s 164-run third-wicket stand helped Saurashtra recover from the loss of their openers in the first session and post 285 for 3 at stumps. Jaydev Shah, the captain, was unbeaten on 35.Jackson, who walked in to bat at 67 for 2, struck 10 fours and five sixes in his 12th first-class ton, a 155-ball 105, before Akshay Darekar, the left-arm spinner, dismissed him in the final session. Sagar Jogiyani (24) and Avi Barot (28) were the other batsmen to be dismissed, falling to Rahul Tripathi and Mohsin Sayyad respectively.Ganesh Satish (93 not out) and Sanjay Ramaswamy (83) were the architects for Vidarbha, who went into stumps on Day 1 of their clash against Assam in Trivandrum on 254 for 3. The base was built during the course of a 131-run second-wicket stand between the pair, after Faiz Fazal, the captain, elected to bat. Offspinner Swarupam Purkayastha, picked up two wickets in four deliveries to briefly spark a revival, but Ganesh and Ravi Jangid ensured there was no further damage.Pankaj Singh’s second five-wicket haul this season put Rajasthan in a strong position against Jharkhand in Vadodara.Kaushal Singh top scored with 56 in Jharkhand’s 209 all out after electing to bat. Kaushal’s 96-run sixt-wicket stand with Ishank Jaggi (49) helped Jharkand climb out of a hole at 69 for 5. Pankaj Singh took three of those first five and ended with 5 for 60 off his 21 overs, while Nathu Singh and Ajay Singh took two wickets apiece.Rajasthan were 26 without loss at stumps.

Andrew McDonald, the former Australia allrounder, has been confirmed as the new coach of the Melbourne Renegades

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2016Andrew McDonald, the former Australia allrounder, has been confirmed as the new coach of the Melbourne Renegades. McDonald has impressed as coach of Leicestershire over the past two seasons and has been linked with the job of Victoria coach, which like the Renegades position has been vacated by Australia’s new assistant coach David Saker.”I’m delighted to have been appointed head doach at the Melbourne Renegades and it’s a role I’m very much looking forward to,” McDonald said. “The Big Bash League is extremely competitive and you do need some luck in this league but you create that as well. The smarter we play as a team and the more pressure we can put on our opposition, the more we’ll find ourselves in winning positions.”McDonald, who played four Tests for Australia during 2009, began his BBL career with the Renegades before moving to the Sydney Thunder. He played one game for the Thunder last summer but at 35, coaching appears to be the future for McDonald.”We had a good field of people who were very interested in this role and we’re really pleased Andrew has agreed to come back to the Melbourne Renegades as our next coach,” Stuart Coventry, the Renegades CEO, said.”Andrew has a wide breadth of experience playing for Australia and from a T20 perspective in the Indian Premier League, the BBL and now in his coaching role at Leicestershire. He obviously knows plenty of the players in our squad so he’ll be a great fit to inspire our team towards a finals appearance this season.”

Even though the result of the first Test between New Zealand and Zimbabwe was decided before Sunday, captains Kane Williamson and Graeme Cremer did not expect the match to end without a fight

Firdose Moonda in Bulawayo31-Jul-2016Even though the result of the first Test between New Zealand and Zimbabwe was decided before Sunday, captains Kane Williamson and Graeme Cremer did not expect the match to end without a fight. Williamson already saw signs of it on the first day; Cremer was preparing to be in the thick of it on the fourth.The Zimbabwe captain had already bowled 53 overs, including a marathon spell of 26 on the second day, batted for half an hour to drag the game out a little longer at the end of the third but he knew the fourth day would bring it’s greatest challenge: to ensure that even though Zimbabwe were going to lose, they would lose with some respectability.”We spoke about it after the first innings. We thought we were a little bit soft upfront but being in the field for so long, we realised what Test cricket is about,” Cremer said. “We watched them (New Zealand) bat. They didn’t play any shots out of frustration or anger and we wanted to do the same.”Despite the frustration of being so far behind the game and the anger that his men had not executed themselves as well as they could have, Cremer did not let that bleed into his batting. For five minutes short of three hours, he stoically saw off a New Zealand attack that was pushing for a quick result. He accepted the body blows that included being hit in the ribs, on the shoulder and on the arm he broke just before the World T20, which still has a plate in it. He let his team-mate Sean Williams, who had spent the past two days in the grip of a flu that has spread to more than half the Zimbabwean squad, have his moment in the sun.”I knew batting with Sean, he scored quite freely anyway, so I knew I had to play the supporting role. He was hitting a boundary an over and we didn’t need to score quicker than that. I just needed to stay there,” Cremer said. “He was feeling quite ill but credit to him. He was a little bit loose when he got out to bat and got a bit lucky but there he dominated. The player that he is, he can do that on wickets like this. He has got good hands and good eyes.”Williams’ century, the fastest by a Zimbabwean in Tests and decorated with 21 fours that included cover drives, sweeps and a ramp shot, will overshadow Cremer’s silent resistance at the other end, Craig Ervine’s first fifty, Donald Tiripano’s unbeaten 49 and Prince Masvaure’s impressive 42 on debut, and it should. But collectively, all those performances speak to a Zimbabwean batting line-up that is not as fragile as it looked when twin collapses saw it fall to 72 for 8 in the first innings and a top-order meltdown reduced them to 17 for 4 in the second.As the game progressed, the batsmen’s long-format muscle memory kicked in. At the same time, the New Zealand attack could not sustain the level of aggression that had seen them surge into the advantage earlier. Neil Wagner could not keep banging in the short ball, the hint of movement Tim Southee found was eventually lost and Trent Boult reached a top speed of 132kph but kept his average at 128.2kph. Williamson had expected all of that to happen.”The way we bowled in the first innings was a huge part of how we got ahead. When you are tying to bowl that again, it’s going to be extremely challenging,” he said. “Sometimes, on surfaces like this one, you need to try and be a little bit creative. You want to try and make things hostile and difficult but you also need to be patent and build pressure. It was a very good effort to get 20 wickets. We knew it was going to be tough. We had to fight very hard to pick up the wickets that we did.”Williamson had to use creative field placings, his spinners and a lot of patience while he waited for Wagner to find reverse-swing as the ball reached the end of it’s lifetime. He understood that things would happen slower than they had in the first innings but trusted that they would eventually happen. “Neil has showed us he can be pretty creative with the older ball which is useful on surfaces that are not offering swing,” Williamson said.Ross Taylor was preferred as the Man of the Match over Wagner but it was clear that even Williamson thought his left-armer was the man who changed the game. “That first innings put us ahead of the game. It was extremely important to have some hostile bowling on a surface that didn’t offer much,” he said.In the end, Zimbabwe lost the real fight on the first morning but they will take heart from knowing they picked themselves out to compete in the smaller battles that came later on.

Reporter Dean Jones has described Sheikh Jassim’s Manchester United transfer plans to target moves for Kylian Mbappe, Kingsley Coman and Eduardo Camavinga as “outrageous”.

What’s Jassim got planned for Man United in the transfer market?

Jassim is still in the running to complete an Old Trafford takeover from the Glazers, however, Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to be leading the race as things stand. Reports have suggested that the Qatari group, fronted by Jassim, could make an 11th-hour bid for the Red Devils.

Previous speculation from Christian Falk claimed that Jassim wants to look at moves for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Mbappe as well as Bayern Munich winger Coman and Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga, should he take charge in Manchester.

Talking to GiveMeSport regarding those rumours, Jones labelled the “leaks” as “outrageous” but admitted they tend to have an “element of truth”.

“It sounds pretty outrageous and far-fetched. But most leaks do have an element of truth to them.

“Even if this is just a pipe dream, I'm sure this has been mentioned somewhere along the line.”

Hugely expensive…

Jassim first needs to somehow pip Ratcliffe to a deal for United, something which appears to be difficult at this moment in time with the British businessman leading the takeover race at this stage.

However, if he is able to do so with an 11th-hour bid, Jassim seemingly has huge plans for the Red Devils, something which could be music to Erik ten Hag’s ears. Previous reports suggested that Jassim wanted 'things done quickly' so they could help Ten Hag in the transfer market, with Jude Bellingham also mooted as a former target.

Jassim clearly wants the best players on the books at Old Trafford, and signing the French trio could help take United back to the top. Mbappe holds a whopping €180m Transfermarkt valuation, whereas Coman’s stands at €65m and Camavinga a respected €60m.

Moves for the three could therefore be extremely expensive but would surely appeal to the majority of United supporters, especially Mbappe. The forward ‘has the club stature to become the top player in the world’ and could eventually become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, so it would certainly be a statement signing, but as Jones says, they do seem ‘pretty outrageous and far-fetched’.

They could be ones to keep an eye on if Jassim manages to get his way and take control in Manchester, however, they could be drams in the past if it is Ratcliffe who gets the nod from the Glazers.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has been handed a significant boost ahead of Sunday's Old Firm tussle at Hampden Park, with the Greek-Aussie confirming that Reo Hatate, Jota and LIel Abada are all set to be in contention to make their return from injury.

In the case of the latter man, the Israeli international has not featured in any of the Parkhead outfit's last four Scottish Premiership games, having previously racked up ten goals and five assists in 29 top-flight appearances so far this term.

Clearly a real "handful" and a "goal threat" – in the words of his manager – the 21-year-old has unsurprisingly attracted significant interest as a result of his standout displays, with recent reports suggesting that the winger could be set for a summer exit, with a fee of around £10m having been mooted.

This comes amid claims that the former Maccabi Petah Tikva ace has turned down a new contract at the club, with that only serving to heighten the belief that the £3.6m addition could be on his way at the end of the season.

Any concern with regard to the prospect of losing the £15k-per-week man could well be eased, however, by the fact that the Hoops could have already identified a dream replacement, with The Scottish Sun reporting that AEK Athens marksman, Levi Garcia, is of interest to the Glasgow giants.

The report suggests that Postecoglou and co are 'keeping tabs' on the Trinidad and Tobago international ahead of the summer window, amid the 'ongoing uncertainty' surrounding Abada's future at Paradise.

What is Levi Garcia's style of play?

While Garcia has typically operated in a centre-forward berth so far this season, the 25-year-old would also represent a fine replacement for Abada due to his ability to feature on the flanks, having been hailed for his "great speed" and "powerful shot" by former US soccer star Earnie Stewart.

Much like the current Celtic wide man, the £3m-rated speedster also possesses a real goal threat having bagged 18 goals and six assists in 33 games across all fronts this term, taking his overall tally for the Greek side to 51 goal involvements in just 107 outings.

The former AZ Alkmaar man – who boasts a haul of eight goals in 37 games for his country to date – has seemingly been a figure to look out for in recent years, having been included in Four Four Two's list of the 100 best teenagers in the world back in 2017 – ranking 37th on the list.

As the publication noted at the time, the then-youngster was said to have been 'tipped for greatness' by Dutch legend Marco van Basten, having also been lauded for his 'sprinter's pace' and 'hypnotic trickery'.

Although Garcia may not have quite hit the heights that may have been expected of him, the 6 foot ace has begun to flourish in his current home, ensuring he could represent a real coup as far as Postecoglou is concerned.

While there may be fears about just how effectively the title-winning coach will be able to replace Abada, the case of Josip Juranovic, for instance, should ease those concerns, with the former Celtic Park star having been swiftly forgotten about due to Alistair Johnston – the latter man proving a "definite upgrade", according to club legend Stiliyan Petrov.

As such, Postecoglou could again showcase his "exceptional" recruitment – as hailed by ex-Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – by showing Abada the door for a profit, before plugging that gap with the addition of the lively Garcia.

Todd Boehly has resembled a child in a sweet shop when deciding upon his transfer business at Chelsea but has arguably now made the club sick after overindulging himself.

A recent report from The Athletic claimed that the dressing room was too small to accommodate the huge number of players in Chelsea's squad, with some forced to sit on the floor.

It begs the question of why Boehly opted to bring in certain names, with several players failing to make any real impression in their time at Stamford Bridge thus far.

One such example is Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria, as the Juventus loanee has struggled to show much in his limited appearances for the Blues thus far.

How has Zakaria performed at Chelsea?

Zakaria joined the Blues on loan from Juventus in the summer transfer window, a deal which went under the radar given the excessive spending by Boehly in his first transfer window at the club.

Since then, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man has gone on to make just seven appearances in the Premier League, averaging a shocking 6.37 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The presence of players such as N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher suggested that Zakaria was always going to be a stop-gap signing, and the addition of Enzo Fernandez in the January window has only solidified his role as a backup at Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old's woeful average rating remarkably sees him ranked as the 26th-best performer in Frank Lampard's squad, which suggests that the chances of his stay becoming permanent are slim, to say the least.

The defensive midfielder was handed his first minutes under Lampard in the 2-1 defeat at Brighton but failed to reward the faith shown in him to start, earning a 5.8 rating from WhoScored for his performance, which saw him labelled a "non-factor" by sports writer Gabe Henderson.

As a defensive midfielder with experience at the top level with Monchengladbach and Juventus, you would have expected a lot more from Zakaria, but he fails to rank in the top ten in Chelsea's squad for tackles, interceptions or passes per game.

Therefore, while the finger has been pointed at young, big-money signings such as Mykhailo Mudryk, the Ukrainian has arguably offered a lot more than Zakaria thus far, with no player contributing more assists in the Premier League this season.

There is, at least, a long-term future for the exciting winger at the club too, while his Swiss teammate will merely slip into the shadows once his temporary stay comes to an end, outlining him as an entirely anonymous character at Stamford Bridge.

Boehly must make better decisions next summer, and ensure that Zakaria heads back to Juventus if he wants the Blues to be challenging towards the top in the 2023/24 campaign.