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AC Milan duo Christian Pulisic and Adrien Rabiot have recovered from their respective injuries but are expected to be rested for Sunday’s clash against Roma as a precautionary measure. The club’s medical team and coach Massimiliano Allegri are keen to ensure both players regain full match fitness before returning to action, with their comeback likely to take place in next week’s fixture against Parma instead.

Pulisic and Rabiot get new return date

According to , Milan have also reached an agreement with the United States national team and coach Mauricio Pochettino to exclude Pulisic from the national team’s two friendlies during the November international break. Similarly, the club are in talks with France coach Didier Deschamps to ensure Rabiot is not called up for France’s upcoming World Cup qualifying matches.

The Milan duo of Pulisic and Rabiot have completed their respective recovery programme but will not feature in the upcoming clash against Roma, with the club opting to rest them as a precautionary measure to prevent any recurrence of injury. Both players are expected to be named on the bench when the Rossoneri travel to face Parma on November 8, as the additional week of preparation is seen as crucial for building match fitness and avoiding rebound injuries.

Pulisic sustained a hamstring injury during the USMNT’s friendly against Australia last month, a decision that reportedly angered Milan officials, as Pochettino fielded the winger despite concerns over a minor knock. Meanwhile, Rabiot suffered a soleus muscle tear in his left calf while representing France in their qualifier against Azerbaijan.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAC Milan eager to have star duo back

Pulisic and Rabiot have been instrumental in Milan’s impressive rise to the top of the Serie A table this season, becoming vital components in Allegri’s tactical setup. Deployed as a second striker alongside Santiago Gimenez, Pulisic has flourished in a freer attacking role. His pace, creativity, and intelligent movement between the lines have been essential in unlocking compact defences, while his improved decision making in the final third has resulted in decisive goals and assists. His standout display against defending champions Napoli, where he scored and assisted, showcased his growing influence and helped propel Milan to the top of the league. Before sustaining his hamstring injury, the USMNT forward was joint top scorer in Serie A with four goals, underlining his growing importance to the Rossoneri attack.

Rabiot, meanwhile, has brought balance and stability to Milan’s midfield since his arrival from Marseille on deadline day following a dressing room altercation with Jonathan Rowe. The French midfielder has perfectly embodied Allegri’s philosophy of tactical discipline, combining technical quality with defensive awareness. Playing as a box to box midfielder, Rabiot has been crucial in connecting defence and attack. He drives the ball forward confidently while keeping the team organised and balanced. His calmness on the ball and control of the game’s tempo have helped Milan handle tough matches. 

Milan endure slump in form

Pulisic’s and Rabiot’s absence has taken a toll on Milan, with the team struggling to maintain consistency in recent matches. Since the international break, Milan have managed just one win in their last three outings, underlining how vital both players are to Allegri’s system. After a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Fiorentina, Milan were held to a 2-2 draw and followed it up with a 1-1 stalemate against Atalanta on Wednesday.

Coach Allegri was quick to tone down growing expectations, dismissing talk of a Scudetto challenge. He stressed that Milan’s main goal this season is to secure a top-four finish rather than target the league title. Allegri outlined clear objectives, explaining that Milan should aim for around 76 points while conceding no more than 20 to 25 goals if they are to meet their target. 

However, Milan fans will take comfort in the news that Switzerland midfielder Ardon Jashari has fully recovered from injury and is expected to be named on the bench for the upcoming clash against Parma.

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Getty Images SportRossoneri take on Roma next

Milan and coach Allegri will aim to get the job done without Rabiot and Pulisic when Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma visit the San Siro for a top-of-the-table clash. The match promises to be a major test for Milan’s depth and resilience as they look to maintain their position at the summit and extend their lead over their closest challengers.

Through the many storied decades of MLB postseason history, there's only been a few recorded instances of no-hitters or perfect games.

There have been just two no-hitters in MLB playoff history, while there's only been one perfect game—and it happened nearly 70 years ago. These are two very rare occasions in baseball in general, so it's even more difficult to achieve under the pressure of the playoffs.

A no-hitter is when the pitcher allows zero hits over the course of the game, while a perfect game is when the pitcher doesn't even allow a runner to reach base (no hits and no walks). It's extremely tough for pitchers to accomplish these feats because the game has so many talented batters nowadays.

The First No-Hitter in MLB Playoff History

The MLB postseason's first no-hitter actually happened to be a perfect game, too. New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen allowed no hitters and no walks against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1956 during Game 5 of the World Series. Jackie Robinson was the closest Dodger to reaching base in the game. Larsen threw 97 pitches to accomplish this difficult feat.

Perfect Games in MLB Playoff History

Larsen's perfect game in 1956 remains the only perfect game in MLB postseason history to this day. That just shows how tough it is to achieve this piece of history. There's been just 24 perfect games in all of MLB history.

No-Hitters in MLB Playoff HistoryRoy Halladay – NLDS, Phillies vs. Reds, 2010

There's only been two no-hitters in MLB history. The first sole no-hitter in MLB postseason history didn't happen until the 2010 season when Philadelphia Phillies starter Roy Halladay accomplished the feat in the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Phillies went on to sweep the series and advance to the NLCS, but lost to the San Francisco Giants before the World Series.

It was Roy Halladay's first postseason start at 33 years old. Halladay had thrown a perfect game during the MLB regular season in 2010, too. He won the Cy Young Award that year. Additionally, Halladay was inducted into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame, and his No. 34 jersey was retired by the Phillies.

Astros Combined – World Series, Astros vs. Phillies 2022

The Houston Astros pitchers in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series combined for a no-hitter vs. the Phillies. Starting pitcher Cristian Javier first had six no-hit innings to begin the game. The relief pitchers Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly followed up by continuing the no-hitter.

It was the second combined no-hitter that Javier was involved in during the 2022 season. This time, it was during the World Series when the Astros were down 2–1. It helped propel them to become the eventual champions.

The two most recent playoff no-hitters were both thrown at Citizens Bank Park, the first being thrown by a Phillies pitcher, and the second being against the Phillies. Coincidentally, Dusty Baker was involved in both no-hitters in these games—first with the Reds, then with the Astros.

Near-Misses: Almost No-Hitters and Perfect Games in the MLB Playoffs

There's been 10 close calls in MLB playoff history. Here's a quick rundown of all of those games.

Braves Combined – World Series, Braves vs. Astros, 2021

During Game 3 of the 2021 World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros, the combined pitchers of Ian Anderson, A.J. Minter, Luke Jackson and Tyler Matzek went seven innings with no hits. Starter Anderson had walked three batters during his five innings. When Matzek took over in the eighth, Aledmys Díaz hit a single to end the Braves' no-hitter campaign.

Aníbal Sánchez – NLCS, Nationals vs. Cardinals, 2019

Washington Nationals starter Aníbal Sánchez was on track to record a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals until Jose Martinez hit a single in the eighth inning with two outs.

Michael Wacha – NLDS, Cardinals vs. Pirates, 2013

Michael Wacha almost recorded a no-hitter in his postseason debut during his rookie season in the 2013 NLDS vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wacha, who is currently in the playoffs with the Kansas City Royals, had no hits until Pedro Alvarez hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. The Cardinals still won Game 4.

Tigers Combined – ALCS, Tigers vs. Red Sox, 2013

The Detroit Tigers' pitching staff of Aníbal Sánchez, Al Alburquerque, Jose Veras, Drew Smyly and Joaquin Benoit attempted a combined no-hitter. Starter Sánchez walked six through six innings. The relief pitchers closed out the innings until Daniel Nava hit a single off of Benoit in the ninth inning.

Jim Lonborg – World Series, Red Sox vs. Cardinals, 1967

Jim Lonborg had bids for a perfect game and a no-hitter, until he gave up a walk in the seventh inning, and then a double in the eighth inning. The Red Sox won Game 2, but the Cardinals ended up winning the World Series.

Bill Bevens – World Series, Yankees vs. Dodgers, 1947

Bill Bevens walked 10 batters during his no-hitter campaign during Game 4 of the 1947 World Series. The ninth inning was where it all went wrong for Bevens and the Yankees—Cookie Lavagetto hit a walkoff double and brought in two of the batters Bevens had walked earlier in the inning. The Dodgers won the game, but the Yankees went on to win the World Series.

Red Ruffing – World Series, Yankees vs. Cardinals, 1942

Yankees starter Red Ruffing walked five batters, including two in the first inning, but didn't allow a hit until the eighth inning when Terry Moore hit a single.

Monte Pearson – World Series, Yankees vs. Reds, 1939

Monte Pearson fulfilled a shutout in Game 2 of the World Series, but his no-hitter bid ended when Reds' Ernie Lombardi hit a single in the eighth inning. Pearson only walked one batter during the game.

Burleigh Grimes – World Series, Cardinals vs. Athletics, 1931

Burleigh Grimes walked three batters, but his no-hitter campaign ended in the eighth inning when Bing Miller hit a single. It happened to be the first time Miller ever got a hit off of Grimes.

Herb Pennock – World Series, Yankees vs. Pirates, 1927

Herb Pennock was close to recording the first perfect game in MLB playoff history as he entered the eighth inning—that was, until Pie Traynor hit a single. The Yankees still won the game and the World Series.

Arsenal confirmed on Monday that young centre-back Katie Reid has been hit with a devastating injury blow and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The Lionesses prospect is set to undergo surgery shortly after becoming the latest player to suffer a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a serious knee injury that continues to plague women's football.

Arsenal issue statement on Reid

Arsenal shared the devastating injury news about Reid in an official statement that read: "We can confirm that Katie Reid has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury during a recent training session. Katie will undergo surgery in the coming days and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. Katie had enjoyed an impressive start to the season, making seven appearances for us and winning our Player of the Month award in September. Her fine form was rewarded with a first call-up to the England senior squad in October. Katie is being closely supported by our medical team at Sobha Realty Training Centre, and everyone at Arsenal looks forward to seeing her return to action as soon as possible."

AdvertisementGOAL ACL injuries the plague of women's football

The news continues the worrying trend of ACL injuries within women's football. Reid is the seventh WSL player to suffer such a problem this season, and it's still only November. Arsenal team-mate Manuela Zinsberger, Lionesses star Michelle Agyemang, and Tottenham's Maite Oroz have also been ruled out for the long term with ACL injuries and it's a problem that remains a major issue in the game. Reid's Arsenal team-mate Beth Mead has also previously suffered an ACL tear and spent almost a year on the sidelines before making a successful return.

Reid's injury comes at a time when she has been impressing for the Gunners. The 19-year-old won Arsenal's player of the month award for September and saw her impressive performances rewarded with a first call up to Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses squad. However, she subsequently withdrew due to a "small injury" and has now suffered a serious problem that will keep her out of the game for a long time.

Reid 'devastated' by injury setback

Reid has revealed her devastation at her injury in a post on social media. She posted on Instagram: "I am devastated to share that I have ruptured my ACL. There's been lots of tears and I am sure there will be many more to come, but I am extremely grateful for the love and support around me. The road to recovery starts now and I'll give my all to be back stronger."

The Arsenal star's friends and team-mates have been quick to offer support. Alessio Russo replied "the comeback will be incredible," while Leah Williamson added "you got this" and Agyemang wrote "with you all the way, my girl."

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What is being done about the rise in ACL injuries?

The prevalence of ACL injuries in women's football had led FIFA to fund research into whether hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles could be a factor. Female footballers are two to six times more likely than men to suffer an ACL injury and Simon Augustus, senior lecturer in sport biomechanics at Kingston University, is hoping to find out why.

He told : "We want to examine whether athletes may be more predisposed to injuries because of the functional changes in terms of their anatomy and physiology during the menstrual cycle. We know hormones fluctuate during different phases of the cycle but we don't yet know how much of an influence that may have on the risk of injury.

"We know some injuries are unavoidable, but we're attempting to help those individuals who injure their ACL outside of impact actions. Those are the ones where we might have more chance to intervene and prevent them from taking place by utilising strength training or tweaking technique. There are so many different factors involved with ACL injuries. We are starting to research this from an individual approach and look at an athlete's whole profile and putting protocols in place to reduce risk."

As is the case with every club of their size, Arsenal have had some truly special players represent them in the Premier League era.

The likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pirès terrified defenders, while Sol Campbell and Tony Adams did the same to opposition attackers.

The Gunners have also been blessed with some incredible midfielders over the last 25 years or so, such as the legendary Patrick Vieira.

Nobody has quite been able to live up to the Frenchman since, but there is one player in Mikel Arteta’s side who’s starting to emulate him.

Arsenal's best midfielders in the Premier League

As the list of Arsenal’s best Premier League midfielders could be a long one, this top three includes only central and defensive midfielders.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Additionally, the players must no longer be at the club, as currently, Arteta’s side are yet to win anything significant.

With that out of the way, coming in at number three has to be the incredible Gilberto Silva.

The Brazilian monster joined the club in the summer of 2002 and went on to make 244 appearances over the next five years, scoring 24 goals and providing 14 assists.

Once described as the man who “carried the piano for Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo to play their tunes on” by the outlet Veja, the often underappreciated titan carried out a similar role in North London that saw him leave with one league title, two FA Cups and two Community Shields.

Just pipping Gilberto into second place is Cesc Fàbregas, as while he was no stranger to playing higher up the pitch, he spent most of his time in North London playing centrally.

The Spaniard may have left on poor terms, but he did so with an incredible record of 57 goals and 95 assists in 303 games, in which he won one FA Cup and one Community Shield.

Finally, first place simply had to be for Captain Fantastic himself, Vieira.

Arriving from AC Milan in the summer of 1996, the French international would go on to help transform the Gunners’ midfield and leave as a bona fide legend.

In addition to captaining the side during the Invincible season, the monstrous midfielder eventually left the club after making 405 appearances, during which he scored 32 goals, provided 47 assists, won three league titles, five FA Cups, and three Community Shields.

The Arsenal star becoming Arteta's Vieira

While they need to win something significant first, there are several stars in this Arsenal team who could easily become legends in their own right over the coming years.

However, when it comes to the player who could, and looks like they will become Arteta’s own Vieira, it has to be Declan Rice.

The Gunners’ £105m has been a brilliant player for them since his mega money move in the summer of 2023, but over the last year, and especially this season, he has really stepped it up and is now starting to emulate some of the Frenchman’s best qualities.

For example, while he is no longer an out-and-out six, he remains a defensive and physical powerhouse and someone who is more than happy to throw his weight around to disrupt opposition attacks.

For example, Fbref still ranks him in the top 16% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for the percentage of aerial duels won per 90 minutes.

Moreover, while he does not have the armband for the club, he is still one of the most vocal players on the pitch and is one of the five players in the manager’s leadership group.’

Finally, in addition to possessing the attitude and physical characteristics of the Gunners legend, the former West Ham star is also comparable in terms of footballing ability.

Appearances

118

Starts

107

Minutes

9442′

Goals

18

Assists

24

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

224.80′

Whether it’s a dead-ball situation or during play, the Englishman is one of “the best in the world,” per Thomas Frank, and has the ability to ping the ball exactly where he wants it, and over the last couple of campaigns has become far more of a goal threat.

Both of these traits were on full display against Burnley at the weekend and will undoubtedly be again for the next game.

Ultimately, while the comparison won’t be truly appropriate until he lifts a title with Arsenal, it is clear that Rice is becoming Arteta’s own Vieira.

Better than Rice: Arsenal "colossus" is having a Ballon d'Or level season

Just like Declan Rice, the incredible Arsenal star is having an unreal season under Mikel Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 3, 2025

Rashid Khan takes three wickets in a set as Southern Brave suffer third straight defeat

ECB Media18-Aug-2025An all-action display from Sam Curran and another eye-catching half-century from Jordan Cox eased reigning champions Oval Invincibles to a seven-wicket win over Southern Brave and extended their lead at the top of the table.Set 134 to win, Invincibles lost their openers cheaply, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye both falling to Craig Overton, but Cox continued his red-hot form with a classy 37-ball 56 and Curran capped a fine all-round performance by making an unbeaten 50 from 32 deliveries.Cox fell to Tymal Mills with 15 still required but captain Sam Billings struck three boundaries to ensure there were no further alarms as the visitors sealed the win with 11 balls to spare, their fourth victory in five.Invincibles overcame Brave in last year’s final and they made an impressive start at Utilita Bowl, Australia left-armer Jason Behrendorff making early inroads when he had both James Vince and Leus du Plooy caught at short third by Tom Curran, who then knocked back Laurie Evans’ off stump to leave the Brave 32 3.Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Rashid Khan was thrown the ball. Six days ago, the Afghan leggie returned figures of 0 for 59 at Edgbaston but he was irrepressible against Brave, striking three times in his opening set to send Jason Roy, Michael Bracewell and James Coles on their way. Those scalps took Rashid to a competition-high haul of 10 in the Hundred this summer.With the Brave sinking fast at 44 for 6, Hilton Cartwright and Jordan Thompson counterattacked, the latter making a sprightly 13-ball 24 before nicking off to Sam Curran, who then castled Cartwright (42 off 30) with a pinpoint yorker.Curran struck again to dismiss Jofra Archer with a super-slow delivery before Mills was the last man out, run out by the live-wire Curran, to end the Brave innings on 133 from 98 balls, not enough to prevent last year’s runners-up slumping to a third straight defeat.Sam Curran, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was a really big win. The way the table is at the moment, we knew it was such a big game, they’re a really good team.”I’m just really enjoying it. It’s a lovely bunch of guys. We’ve been together a while and turning up to work and playing with your mates and having coaches who know you is great.”On sharing a 101-run partnership with Cox, he said: “He’s special, the way he’s playing is incredible. The way he’s striking the ball is so clean and so skilful. Our partnership took the pressure off early. We knew they had some key bowlers and thankfully we saw them off and got the win.”

Kuldeep, Varun give Pakistan back-ten nightmare again

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2025Nine wickets for 33 runs. Pakistan collapsed from a position of strength in the Asia Cup final. They had no business being bowled out for 146 when they were 113 for 1 with 44 balls left in the innings. Sahibzada Farhan had hit a half-century. Kuldeep Yadav went for 23 in two overs. India were feeling the pressure, missing the services of Hardik Pandya who was out with a quad niggle.But an inexplicable rush of wickets – there was (at least) one every over between the 13th and the 18th, including three in Kuldeep’s final over as he ended his day with a big broad smile – brought a quick and untimely end to their efforts of stringing the perfect game together in the Asia Cup final.Jasprit Bumrah, who was moved to have a few words with the Pakistan batters after they came at him during his first spell, wrapped things up and even included a riposte. He brought down Haris Rauf’s off stump and celebrated it by miming something going down, much like Rauf himself was doing on the boundary last Sunday, seemingly referring to the military conflict between the two countries earlier this year.Varun Chakravarthy was the pick of India’s bowlers. He bowled the high-pressure overs – one in the powerplay, one after Kuldeep was put under pressure, where he picked up Farhan for 57, and later when the collapse was in full flow, he dismissed Fakhar Zaman for 46 as well. Those two were the only Pakistan batters able to score more than 15 runs

Thierry Henry has anointed the side most likely to challenge Arsenal for this season's Premier League title. Mikel Arteta's men have finished second for three seasons in a row but this term, they look ready to finish at the top of the pile. But the Gunners legend says there is one rival you "don't want on your shoulder".

Arsenal await Tottenham test

This weekend, the north London derby returns, as Premier League pacesetters Arsenal host rivals Tottenham – who sit eight points back in fifth. While Spurs have struggled at home this season, they have the best away record in the division. As a result, Henry is wary of Thomas Frank's team.

He told Betway: "I never used to like to come back and have a tough game after international duty. Thankfully, Arsenal are playing a team who also have a lot of international players. Sometimes you play a team who stayed for the whole 10 days and they’re waiting for you. It’s a north London derby, so the intensity will be there. And you’re playing against a team who hasn’t lost away from home. Against Sunderland, Arsenal encountered something that they usually do to teams. They played the long ball, and it reminded me of my time in the Premier League, where you couldn’t put pressure on any team. Any free kick, throw in or goal kick was in your box, and suddenly you have to win those balls, and they didn’t when Ballard and Brobbey challenged them. So we will see what’s going to happen against Tottenham. I’m sure that the team is going to be ready. You don’t need anyone to tell you what to do in these games. You know what time it is. You need to wake up. If you don’t know that, that means you don’t understand who you’re playing for."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesArsenal warned about Man City

In two of the last three years, Manchester City pipped Arsenal to the Premier League title, with Liverpool coming out on top last term. This season, it seems Arsenal are primed to end their long drought for a league crown, which stretches back to 2004. But Henry is wary of Pep Guardiola's City, who appear to have tweaked their tactics and seem to be rejuvenated. 

The former Barcelona ace said of City: "Very impressed. I never thought he would have allowed his wingers to come inside so early in the build-up like they do. I never thought he would allow his left winger to go on the right. That would never have happened with Pep in the past – two wingers on the same side of the ball, like against Man Utd at home. Pep has found a way. He had to find his starting 11, and you can see now that Jeremy Doku is clearly the guy on the left, while on the right it changes sometimes with Cherki or Savinho. When you have Phil Foden coming back in form, it changes things, although I think he’s better in that No. 10 position on the right, where he can come back on his left foot and punish you. We’re still waiting for Rodri to get back to a certain level. I think that’s a tiny bit missing, although Nico Gonzalez played well against Liverpool. 

"Now he has Nico O’Reilly starting to look like the player that everyone thought he was going to be, and they have a freak up front who can score in his sleep. So if you’re an Arsenal fan, that’s exactly the team that you don’t want on your shoulder, because they know how to win. It’s not great as an Arsenal man to see them coming back to their level. They look like a team about to go on a run. I think Pep had to deal with having two new assistants and a new way of playing. What you were hoping for while City made that adjustment is that Arsenal could go ahead and take some points, and that’s exactly what happened. But it was always going to be a battle."

'Never lost a north London derby'

During his eight years at Arsenal, Henry never lost a north London derby. In fact, in 11 appearances, he won seven, drew four, and lost none. Plus, he scored five goals and added two assists. 

When asked if he thought about his excellent record for Arsenal against Tottenham as a player, he said: "Hell yeah, I thought about it. I didn’t grow up as an Arsenal fan, and when I arrived I didn’t understand how important it was for the fans to beat Spurs. But then in the building you have Pat Rice, Paul Johnson, and all the guys who were Arsenal fans telling you, 'You have to beat them'. I was focused on Man Utd, like, 'Why is the derby so important? You want to catch first place, so don’t look at people that are behind you'. But then I started to realise how important it was to beat Tottenham, and then you want to keep that record. That’s why I celebrated like I did when I scored in the last north London derby at Highbury. I was on the bench because we had a Champions League semi-final, and the boss said he was going to rest me. I said, 'What? You’re gonna rest me against Tottenham?' I came off the bench and scored the equaliser, controlling it with the inside of my foot and toe-poking it straight away into the far corner, and that’s why my celebration was crazy – I didn’t want to lose to Tottenham for the first time in the last derby at Highbury. It became a thing for me because I became an Arsenal fan, and not losing against them is something I’m always going to cherish."

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Getty Images SportCrunch games for Arsenal

After Sunday's game against Tottenham, Arsenal entertain the seemingly unstoppable Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday in what will be a huge test of their credentials. Then they travel to third-placed Chelsea to round off November. Over that period, City will likely be snapping at their heels, waiting for the Gunners to slip up.

They have received plenty of criticism for it over the years, but Chelsea’s transfer strategy of investing heavily in young players has yielded some real stars in recent years.

The most obvious example is Cole Palmer, who was just 21 when he moved to Stamford Bridge and now has a tally of 73 goal involvements in 101 games for the club.

Even younger than the Englishman is Estevao, who, in just a couple of months, has already amassed a haul of five goal involvements for the club.

The conveyor belt of talent looks set to continue with Chelsea striking a pre-contract agreement with Ecuadorian wonderkid Deinner Ordonez, although he could be upstaged by another incredible prospect set to join up with Enzo Maresca and Co in the summer.

Who is Deinner Ordonez?

On Friday evening, seemingly out of nowhere, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano broke the news that Chelsea had reached an agreement to sign Ordonez, beating out three other top sides in the process.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, due to rules surrounding foreign players under the age of 18, the Ecuadorean gem won’t actually be joining the Blues until January 2028.

So why did the club go all out for someone so young?

Well, despite not even making his senior debut for Independiente del Valle, the promising defender has made quite the splash in the South American side’s youth system.

For example, he was promoted to the u17s when he was just 14 years old, and then at 15, after impressing for the u15s and u17s, he was promoted to Ecuador’s u20s.

He became the youngest player to represent the side at the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year and has now made four appearances for the team.

Como scout Felix Johnstone has described the youngster as “an absolute alien of a talent” who is “so good in the air” and someone who will “be one of the best CBs in the world.”

Likewise, analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “huge potential CB with physicality and athleticism way beyond his age.”

In all, while it is early, it certainly looks like Chelsea have a future superstar on their hand with Ordonez, although they also have another gem who’ll join up in the summer, someone who is an even bigger talent.

Chelsea's bigger star than Ordonez

The good news for Chelsea is that they have more than a few young talents on their way to Stamford Bridge in the summer, but the most exciting of all has to be Dastan Satpaev.

The Blues signed the incredibly exciting prospect from the Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty in February of this year for a fee of around €4m, which is about £3.5m.

Yet, as he’s still just 17 years old, he is not allowed to join up with the club until next season, but spending an extra year in his homeland might’ve been the best thing for him anyway.

After all, he has played far more senior football than he ever would’ve in England, but he’s not just making up the numbers for his side; he’s one of their leading figures.

For example, the dynamic game-changing forward made 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, in which he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

Appearances

29

Starts

21

Minutes

2081

Goals

15

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

94.59′

That works out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.31 games, or every 94.59 minutes, which is a truly sensational rate of return for anyone, let alone a 17-year-old and helps lend credence to one analyst who has described him as “a future Ballon d’Or winner.”

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he has also made 11 appearances in the Champions League this season, seven of which were in the qualifying rounds and the other four in the competition proper.

He also played the full 90 away to Inter Milan, and while he came out on the wrong side of a 2-1 defeat, he didn’t look out of place against last season’s finalists.

Ultimately, it’s notoriously difficult to predict the future of young players, but Chelsea look like they have a handful of hugely promising ones, with Satpaev being the most exciting of all.

Caicedo 2.0: Chelsea frontrunners to sign "generational" £100m England star

The incredible England gem could be another game-changer for Chelsea like Moises Caicedo.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 15, 2025

Matt Strahm was scheduled to appear Monday in the Philadelphia Phillies' spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays but was unable to give it a go due to fingernail irritation on his throwing hand. The good news is that it's not considered anything serious. The bad news is that this is becoming a pattern for the reliever, who seems to run into problems whenever he needs to do any packing.

This is the second time Strahm has hurt himself boxing things up. This time he was attempting to fit all of his daughter's toys in a box and rammed his nail right into a sharp edge. It's a frustrating situation and it may inspire Strahm to make some serious real estate reconsiderations.

The lefthander has been a valuable weapon out of the Phillies bullpen during his two years with the team, compiling a 15-7 record and 2.69 ERA over 122 games. He should remain one as long as some sort of unexpected packing-up situation arises before October.

Tottenham Hotspur have not been good enough this season, and it’s clear that Thomas Frank needs to find a solution both in regard to results and the excitement factor that has been lacking.

Having lost each of their past three matches in all competitions, including the miserable home loss against Fulham on Saturday evening in the Premier League, a response is sorely needed, but Newcastle United at St. James’ Park has hardly been a happy hunting ground for the Lilywhites in recent years.

Frank’s tactics have yet to click together, but the players also need to take responsibility for their shoddy showings, with Pedro Porro among the guilty members to have flattered to deceive all term.

Pedro Porro's Spurs form this season

Porro, 26, is one of the most talented right-backs in Europe. He has played 126 matches for Tottenham, scoring 11 goals and supplying 23 assists.

The Spaniard’s gloomy, incensed demeanour at full-time on Saturday was indicative of the wider malaise at the club, but he surely must hold his hands up and acknowledge that he wasn’t good enough, with Sofascore recording that he found the mark with only three of 16 attempted crosses, losing eight of 11 duels and being caught out numerous times.

It was, frankly, a pitiful first-half performance, with Porro utterly toothless in his creative role and more than susceptible against the rampant Samuel Chukwueze and beaten far too easily in the build-up to Kenny Tete’s opening goal after just a few minutes.

He was hardly the only one to hang his head in shame, though, with his counterpart on the left serving up an equally frustrating performance.

Spurs defender is now becoming a liability

At his best, Destiny Udogie is a machine. Ferociously athletic, fleet-footed on the ball and attuned in crucial defence phases, he took the Lilywhites faithful’s breath away when he charged the left side of Postecoglou’s system during the halycon days of 2023/24, before things went wrong.

Indeed, when he burst onto the scene as a teenager under Postecoglou’s wing, journalist Hunter Godson remarked that he was “sickeningly good” and would get into “nearly every team in the world already”.

Such was his power and pace and balance down the left lane that he was considered by Clinton Morrison on BBC Sport to be “the best left-back” in the country during that first foray into English football.

But it might be fair to say that Udogie has yet to raise his game in the Premier League. Sure, he’s been unfortunate with injuries, but this is now his third season in English football and he is no longer an up-and-coming prospect but a talented member of the first team who is expected to provide an outlet while protecting his box.

Goals scored

0.08

0.00

Assists

0.11

0.17

Shot-creating actions

2.15

2.25

Touches

66.81

69.71

Pass completion (%)

85.8

85.0

Progressive passes

5.83

5.72

Progressive carries

3.12

3.47

Successful take-ons

0.90

0.52

Ball recoveries

6.36

5.72

Tackles + interceptions

3.95

2.43

Clearances

3.01

Aerials won

0.83

0.69

It may take a moment to look at the various elements of Udogie’s game, but it’s worth a closer inspection, with Udogie yet to raise his creative levels and indeed provide greater security at the back.

In fact, as per Sofascore, he has only completed 30% of his dribbles and won half of his duels in the Premier League this year.

This remains a talented full-back with the capacity to perform as one of the best in the division, but Udogie is not pulling his weight right now, and it’s clear to see that Frank’s system is being hindered by the lackadaisical performances of Udogie and Porro, two wide players who are considered among the most talented in the country, if not the continent.

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