Travis Head was in the middle of a rescue job with Peter Handscomb for Australia A when the senior team’s squad was announced for the Test series against Pakistan next month. The news broke just as lunch was taken in Alur on the final day, and Head had to do his best to keep his composure when he found out.”I was concentrating on batting and trying to get as many runs as I could. So I was in a bit of batting focus [when] I got the good news. It was difficult to make sure I’m adjusted to continue to bat and get the result that we wanted today,” he said.Head couldn’t build on his start and fell soon after lunch for 47, but for the third time in four innings in this series, he had come in early at No. 3 and bailed Australia A out of a difficult situation.In that sense, it has been a perfect series for Head, who finished with 206 runs at an average of 51.20 and was the highest run-scorer for the Australians. It comes at the end of a long push for Test selection, which had begun with the Sheffield Shield in 2017-18, where Head was the sixth-highest run-scorer. Along the way, he captained the Adelaide Strikers to the BBL title, and endured a disappointing season with Worcerstershire – two fifties and no hundreds in 11 innings – with whom he had signed to play a full season in a bid to boost his chances of a Test selection.But it has all come together well for the left-hander in the end, even if the big scores have been elusive.”It’s been nice to have some consistency and be able to do it for a period of time. I feel like I’m playing really well, I’ve been batting probably the best I have been.”Would’ve been nice to get a hundred but hopefully that’s to come. I feel like I’m in really good form and it’s just about continuing to do that and not change anything; go there and keep working, keep learning and developing my craft and continue to get better.”Head was among a slew of new faces in the Australia Test squad that was announced to great clamour on Tuesday, particularly because of the selectors’ decision to leave out Glenn Maxwell. It was Australia’s first squad announcement since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal and the vacuum left by the three banned players meant there were batting slots up for grabs.Head was picked for having “improved his game immensely over the past 12 months,” said Trevor Hohns, the selection chairman, also adding that Head was the “type of player we want in this environment.””I’m ready for the challenge,” Head said. “Again, I haven’t really thought about it too much over this tour. It was just about going out doing what I really want to do and bat really well and have solid plans and do it for a long period of time.”I was able to do it for the one-dayers and the four-dayers. So I go in confident that I can do a job and perform and win games for Australia. I’m really excited about that. I’m looking forward to getting my phone, seeing a couple of text messages and then make a few calls at the airport. I’m sure they [friends and family] are all going to be really happy and excited. It’s a great few days to get home and relax and see everyone, and then go to Brisbane and get back to work.”Head is one of nine players from the Australia A squad who will be headed to Brisbane from Bengaluru, before the team flies out for a two-match series against Pakistan. Under Mitchell Marsh, Australia A had done impressively in a come-from-behind win in the first unofficial Test, and running India A close in the second before losing in fading light on the last day. The confidence from this series is something that could come to good use in the UAE.”Yeah a little disappointed today not to get the series win,” he said, “but I think as a team we’ve played some really good cricket. We’ve come over here in some challenging conditions and been able to execute our plans and do that at a pretty good standard. So as a team it’s been a really good tour.”We’ve got some good momentum from the guys over here going into UAE so if we continue our plans and continue to do it over a period of time then we’ll continue to do better.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo joga diante do Ceará, às 19h15 desta quarta-feira (25), querendo ser líder do Campeonato Brasileiro. Com três jogos a menos, sendo um desses diante do Vozão, o Tricolor precisa vencer os cearenses e torcer para o Atlético-MG perder do Botafogo, em Minas Gerais. O São Paulo é o terceiro colocado com 37 pontos, dois a menos que o Galo.

>>VEJA O QUE O SÃO PAULO PRECISA PARA SER LÍDER NESTA RODADA

O torcedor são-paulino tem motivos para acreditar em um triunfo na noite desta quarta. O mês de novembro vem sendo muito bom para o Tricolor Paulista.Até agora foram sete jogos disputados nesse mês, com seis vitórias (Flamengo, Lanús, Goiás, Flamengo, Fortaleza e novamente o Flamengo) e apenas um empate (Vasco), aproveitamento superior a 90%.

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Grande parte disso deve-se a fase do ataque, principalmente da dupla Brenner e Luciano. Dos dezenove gols que o time fez nesse período, dez foram dos atacantes. Além disso, como visitante em novembro, o Tricolor venceu todas as partidas, diante do Flamengo, duas vezes, e do Fortaleza, no Castelão, local da partida de hoje.

Vale destacar também que o ataque terá mudanças. Brenner, principal artilheiro da equipe, com 17 gols. está suspenso nesta rodada. O seu substituto deve ser Pablo, que marcou onze gols na temporada, sendo quatro nos últimos dez jogos. Resta saber se o São Paulo dará continuidade neste bom momento da equipe e conseguir a liderança em um mês que vem sendo fundamental para os objetivos.

SEQUÊNCIA DE INVENCIBILIDADE DO SÃO PAULO EM NOVEMBRO
​
1/11 – Flamengo 1 x 4 São Paulo – Maracanã – Brasileirão
4/11 – São Paulo 4 x 3 Lanús (ARG) – Morumbi – Sul-Americana
7/11 – São Paulo 2 x 1 Goiás – Morumbi – Brasileirão
11/11 – Flamengo 1 x 2 São Paulo – Maracanã – Copa do Brasil
14/11 – Fortaleza 2 x 3 São Paulo – Arena Castelão – Brasileirão
18/11 – São Paulo 3 x 0 Flamengo – Morumbi – Copa do Brasil
22/11 – São Paulo 1 x 1 Vasco – Morumbi – Brasileirão

* Sob supervisão de Marcio Monteiro

Leeds United have bounced back from a dismal relegation season impressively this campaign, third in the Championship standings after dropping out of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Leicester City a statement victory from Daniel Farke's men.

Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been miles ahead of the promotion pack – both sides only losing a combined three games – but the Whites will take some pleasure in the fact that they've managed to unsettle the Foxes with that win which could begin to worry Ipswich in the second automatic promotion spot.

Crysencio Summerville has stood out as a key performer for Farke's galvanised group over recent weeks, helping himself to six goals and four assists from 13 appearances in all competitions.

The sensational Dutch talent spearheaded his side to a recent comprehensive victory over Darren Moore's Huddersfield Town off his own back, Leeds' number 10 scoring twice at Elland Road and assisting twice in a fantastic 4-1 win.

Summerville would make the opposition defenders on the day look amateur, scared stiff of the winger's presence whenever he bombed forward.

That said, there's a former Whites player who is matching Summerville's impressive goal total in his new surroundings, Billy Sharp impressing out in the United States with LA Galaxy after calling time on his career with Sheffield United.

Billy Sharp's time at Leeds

Playing for a whole host of EFL clubs – predominantly calling Yorkshire his home with celebrated spells at Doncaster Rovers and the Blades – Sharp also resided in Leeds for a short stint.

The now 37-year-old would get off to the best possible start wearing a Whites strip after a move from Southampton, netting on his debut versus Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season to secure a narrow 1-0 win for his side.

Sharp would, however, only muster up four more goals for Leeds before a £500k move back to boyhood club Sheffield United would materialise – the 5 foot 9 attacker a hero to the Bramall Lane faithful, a temporary source of the odd goal on the contrary at Elland Road.

Billy Sharp's career in England

Club

Games

Goals

Reading

10

2

Rushden & Diamonds

16

9

Southampton

18

10

Leeds United

35

5

Nottingham Forest

40

11

Scunthorpe United

93

55

Doncaster Rovers

102

45

Sheffield United

377

129

Stats via Transfermarkt.

The Sheffield-born striker will see out his career unexpectedly in America now, where the veteran attacker has been terrorising MLS defences with his know-how in front of goal.

Billy Sharp's numbers this season

Since swapping Sheffield for the United States, Sharp has been in a rich vein of goalscoring form – scoring six times for his new employers in 12 games for LA Galaxy to date, including a hat-trick against Minnesota United to help the Galaxy to a thrilling 4-3 win.

His opening goal in this MLS clash was reminiscent of so many of Sharp's EFL strikes over the years, instinctively responding to his teammate spurning a chance by seizing the initiative and firing home himself.

The other two goals saw Sharp positioned in the right place at the right time to simply tap home, the former Blades man an instant hero in America.

His effectiveness for Galaxy has dried up in recent weeks – with the 37-year-old showing signs of his age by not scoring for his side in their last six matches – but his blistering start to life in the MLS means he's still an attacker defenders are apprehensive to face.

Sharp will hope he can find his shooting boots once more, whilst his former club Leeds will pray that they can keep hold of Summerville in January with fears that the Whites could be raided again for their top talents by Premier League poachers.

With Gareth Southgate closing in on naming his 23-man group for the tournament in Germany, GOAL has tried to steer him in the right direction

The road to Euro 2024 is almost over for England. The next time the Three Lions convene, they will do so for two pre-tournament friendlies before heading off to Germany, most likely as tournament favourites. It's been a long time since the pressure was so great.

It's not clear exactly how Gareth Southgate will go about naming his final squad for the Euros, but March's friendlies against Brazil and Belgium were likely the final chance for certain players to impress, at least in an international setting. As such, the England boss surely has an idea of which 23 players he will be selecting this summer.

But what would your England Euro 2024 squad be right now? That's the question nine GOAL writers and editors (Stephen Darwin, Krishan Davis, Mark Doyle, Richard Martin, Tom Maston, Matt O'Connor-Simpson, Amee Ruszkai, Joe Strange and James Westwood) have been grappling with in recent days, with each having individually put together the 23 players they would choose to take to Germany, as well as the line-up they would select for England's opening match against Serbia on June 16 if they were in Southgate's shoes.

We've tallied the results to put together GOAL's ideal England Euro 2024 squad – but have we got it right? Check out the selections below, and let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page…

GettyGoalkeepers

Jordan Pickford may have his doubters, but the Everton man has rarely let England down at big tournaments, and it should come as no surprise that all nine of our voters had him in their squads.

The battle for the back-up goalkeeper spots was more intense, but in the end it was two men who have barely played for a number of months who got the nod. Aaron Ramsdale's (five votes) demotion by Arsenal certainly doesn't seem to have done his standing any harm among our voters, while Nick Pope (four votes) also gets the nod despite having been out since December with a shoulder injury. The Newcastle man is scheduled to return in April, thus giving him just enough time to prove his fitness to Southgate ahead of the Euros.

AdvertisementGettyFull-backs

Southgate has a wealth of full-back options to choose from this summer, but right now there is no shortage of uncertainty surrounding many of them due to concerns over both fitness and form.

Right-back has long been a position of enviable depth for England, and three specialists were selected by all nine GOAL voters, as Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold made the cut. All three currently have injury clouds hanging over them, however, and Southgate will hope they all recover in time to be in contention this summer.

The same can be said of Luke Shaw, who snuck into our squad with five votes, despite there being fears that he might not play again for Manchester United this season. Southgate has voiced his concern over the left-back's injury issues, but enough of our voters are confident Shaw can be involved in Germany.

Ben Chilwell, meanwhile, garnered six votes despite some indifferent performances for both Chelsea and England in recent months, with Shaw's long-term absence having perhaps played a part in that thinking.

It should also be remembered that both Trippier and Alexander-Arnold have shown positional versatility in the past, while Walker and Shaw can also play as part of a back-three if required. Certainly, having players who are comfortable in a variety of positions is crucial for any tournament squad.

Getty ImagesCentre-backs

Harry Maguire's place in the England hierarchy continues to be a topic for debate, and there were three of our voters who decided against selecting the Manchester United centre-back in their final squad. That wasn't enough, however, to keep him off our overall roster.

He is joined on there by John Stones, who received the maximum nine votes, as well as uncapped Everton youngster Jarrad Branthwaite, who has clearly done enough in the eyes of the five voters who picked him to leapfrog some of the more experienced options despite him having never played for his country.

That aforementioned versatility surely came into play, meanwhile, with the selection of Joe Gomez, who had been in the international wilderness for four years before being recalled by Southgate for the recent round of friendlies. Though nominally a centre-back, the Liverpool defender has excelled at both right and left-back this season, and thus could be a valuable asset this summer.

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Getty ImagesMidfielders

It should come as no surprise that both Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice both received the maximum nine votes from our team, with the midfield duo having developed into two of the best players in their respective roles in world football.

Slightly more surprising is that James Maddison was also named on every single one of our voters' squads, though the Tottenham man has been a regular around the squad since the 2022 World Cup and has been enjoying a fine debut campaign in north London.

Perhaps the most eye-catching selection of our whole squad, however, came in the shape of Kobbie Mainoo, who also received votes from all nine of our team. The Manchester United teenager only earned his first senior call-up just over a week ago, but his performances against Brazil and Belgium, coupled with his displays for Erik ten Hag's side since breaking into the United first team in November, were enough to convince all involved that he needs to be on the plane.

Chelsea's Conor Gallagher rounds out our midfield group, as he earned six votes having been one of the Blues' more consistent performers over the course of the campaign.

Jurgen Klopp's midfield rebuild has breathed new life into his Liverpool side, who are attempting to write another historic chapter in what has been an era full of success under the German. In many ways, the Reds have benefitted from enduring a season away from the Champions League with the Europa League handing them a fresh chance to rest key players.

As a result of that rotation, Liverpool are firing on all cylinders and have lost just once all season – and even that came in controversial fashion. One of the many reasons for that form has been the avoidance of injuries to key players. The Reds have been fortunate to keep hold of the likes of Virgil van Dijjk, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, who have all remained fit throughout the Premier League campaign so far.

Klopp hasn't been entirely without his fitness issues, however, with one particular player set to miss even more action than expected.

Liverpool injury news

Liverpool have suffered small knocks throughout the season but nothing to bring their momentum to a crashing halt. Much of that could be down to the fact that they've reduced the age of their squad significantly in the last few years, showing Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner, Fabinho, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the exit door in favour of Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.

One player who survived the rebuild is Thiago Alcantara, who has perhaps shown his age with his struggle to get back to full fitness after a hip surgery. And now, Klopp has suffered a fresh injury blow, with Thiago set to be out until the new year, as confirmed by James Pearce of The Athletic. The former Bayern Munich star is yet to play this season and, despite looking on course to return at the end of last month, will now miss two more months.

Back in October, Klopp clearly expectd Thiago's return to come a lot sooner, saying: “I don’t know, I will not put pressure on that (his return). If they will be back after the (October) international break, we will see. Hopefully, it would be cool."

"Outstanding" Thiago out until 2024

Thiago's return would undoubtedly add the cherry on top of Liverpool's new-looking midfield, given the mouth-watering prospect of the Spaniard's potential partnership with Mac Alister and Szoboszlai. Those at Anfield will seemingly have to wait until the new year to see that trio line up together, however, as the veteran continues to struggle with injuries.

Thiago is, of course, in the final year of his contract at Liverpool, making his injury issues all the more frustrating. It remains to be seen whether he'll be handed a new deal, but if he continues to be sidelined, questions must be asked whether it would be a worthwhile move from the Reds to keep hold of their midfielder.

Klopp is certainly a fan of Thiago, previously telling TalkSport: “Haha, yeah he probably wants to be a Bentley, rather than a Rolls Royce, so he’s a bit quicker! But no, he’s an outstanding player – wow.

“I knew that when he arrived here, of course. He was unlucky with injuries and stuff like this at the start, but when he is fit he can give the game a real rhythm. He’s got an eye for that, he calms the game down in the right moments, he has a sensational overview of the game. I saw that a lot in football games, too, I just didn't have the feet to use it. So thank God he does! I can imagine you enjoyed it, I did as well.”

استقر البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، على اللاعب البديل الذي يعوض غياب التونسي حمزة المثلوثي مدافع الأبيض في المباراة القادمة أمام بيراميدز.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب الزمالك ضد بيراميدز، يوم الجمعة المقبل 26 يوليو، في إطار المباراة المؤجلة بين الفريقين من الجولة الـ 18 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وحصل حمزة المثلوثي على بطاقة صفراء في مباراة الزمالك والداخلية الأخيرة بالدوري، لتكون الثالثة له ويتأكد غيابه عن مواجهة بيراميدز للإيقاف.

طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز الأهلي والزمالك أمام بيراميدز والداخلية

وعلم “بطولات”، أن جوميز استقر على الدفاع باللاعب مصطفي الزناري لقيادة دفاع الزمالك أمام بيراميدز.

وقام المدرب البرتغالي خلال مران اليوم بالحديث مع الزناري عن بعض التعليمات الفنية المطلوبة منه.

ويحتل فريق الزمالك المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 48 نقطة من 27 مباراة، بينما بيراميدز يتصدر الدوري برصيد 68 نقطة من 29 لقاء.

The former New Zealand allrounder, who was Scotland’s coach till recently, will fill the void left by Steve Rixon’s departure

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2018Former New Zealand allrounder Grant Bradburn has been appointed Pakistan’s fielding coach, filling the position left vacant by Steve Rixon, who had opted against renewing his contract, citing disagreements with the PCB.Bradburn’s first assignment with Pakistan will be in the UAE for the Asia Cup 2018, which starts on September 15. He was appointed for a period of three years, subject to reviews in between.Bradburn said he was looking forward to being part of the journey of Pakistan becoming a dominant force and working with head coach Mickey Arthur. “It is a great honour to be joining the Pakistan cricket team and their high-quality coaching staff,” he said in a statement. “I have seen the progress that has been made under Mickey Arthur and the opportunity to work with a leading Full-Member team on the rise in world cricket, is a real privilege. Against Scotland in June, we saw the impressive changes that have been instilled, noticeably with the physical stature and fielding abilities of Pakistan’s players. I look forward to adding my experience to the players and staff, while being an integral part of the exciting and dominant team, Team Pakistan is becoming.”His appointment ends PCB’s search for Rixon’s successor. Last month, the board had almost finalised Darren Berry as the new fielding coach before Berry pulled out because of personal reasons.Bradburn was the head coach for the Scotland till recently, having joined them in 2014. Under Bradburn, Scotland beat Hong Kong in the World T20 in 2016, securing their first victory at a world event. He had also coached Scotland to ODI victories against Full Members Afghanistan and England.”Grant leaves the Scotland team in a very good position to qualify for, and compete strongly in, the next two World T20 finals in 2020 and 2021,”Malcolm Cannon, CEO of the board, said. “To us, Grant will always be considered a Scot and we wish him the very best of luck and good fortune in his new role as we each move onto a more exciting future.”Bradburn played seven Tests and 11 ODIs for New Zealand between 1990 and 2001.

Lucas Paqueta has refused to rule out a move to Manchester City in the summer but held off on commenting on speculation out of respect for West Ham.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• City reportedly dropped pursuit of midfielder
• English champions said to remain interested
• Paqueta refused to comment on possible transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The midfielder was linked with an £80 million ($102m) move to the reigning European and English champions but no move materialised. The Football Association has been investigating the Brazil international over allegations of suspicious gambling activities and that is said to have played a role in City's pursuit ending.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT PAQUETA SAID

  Asked about the reported City interest, Paqueta said at a press conference: "I have a lot of respect for West Ham. I've had a very good season and this has helped me a lot in my evolution in the Premier League. Out of respect for them, I have to remain focused on my work."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City are said to be considering reigniting their interest in the 26-year-old in the summer window but the outcome of the FA's investigation could determine whether or not they make an offer for him at the end of the season.

  "It’s been seven months since it’s been happened and I’m co-operating, doing what’s in my power so that it can be resolved," Paqueta said of the investigation.

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• (C)Getty images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PAQUETA?

  The former Lyon star has been a key figure for the Hammers this season while the investigation has continued since August. He has, however, been absent from the national team since summer 2023 until he was brought back into the fold ahead of their friendly against England.

Sean Dyche will face off against his former side in Burnley tomorrow evening in the Carabao Cup with Everton, the Toffees' confidence boosted after a 1-0 win away at West Ham – Dominic Calvert-Lewin the match-winner in London.

Burnley, on the other hand, find themselves submerged in a relegation battle with only one win to their name after ten games played in the Premier League.

Dyche is likely to change up his starting XI for this match under the Goodison Park floodlights with freshness needed, but who could start tomorrow evening?

1 GK – Jordan Pickford

It's likely that Everton's number one will retain his spot in net for this Cup clash, the former Sunderland man ever-present for the Blues in both Cup and league – notching up 12 appearances this campaign, shipping 14 in the process.

His recent performances for the Toffees have been pivotal in ensuring his side have the platform to secure a much-needed victory, his display in a 3-0 win over AFC Bournemouth saw Pickford receive an 8.0 Sofascore rating with the shot-stopper making three key saves to keep a deserved clean-sheet.

2 RB – Nathan Patterson

Signed by Everton after bursting onto the scene as an exciting talent at Rangers, Patterson is now starting to cement a regular starting spot in the first-team fold at Goodison Park and make the right-back position his own on Merseyside.

Playing the full 90 minutes last time out against West Ham, Patterson was solid in defence and helped his side along their way to an impressive 1-0 win with four clearances registered on top of three tackles keeping the Hammers at bay.

3 CB – James Tarkowski

Now 30 years of age, Tarkowski is an experienced figure at the heart of the Toffees defence and should start this match against his former employers Burnley.

Everton's captain has been fantastic for the Blues so far this season, averaging a highly impressive 7.35 rating on Sofascore. He was a colossus for his team away at Brentford in the middle of September, winning eight of his nine aerial duels.

4 CB – Jarrad Branthwaite

The 21-year-old has been a revelation for Dyche's men in recent weeks, maturing on loan with PSV Eindhoven and returning to Merseyside ready to battle for the Blues.

His resilience and desire to get stuck in will be key to advancing at the expense of Burnley, averaging two tackles and 4.50 clearances per 90 minutes in the last year via FBRef.

5 LB – Vitaliy Mykolenko

Everton's Ukrainian full-back could be presented with an opportunity to impress in the Carabao Cup, the 24-year-old sparingly used by Dyche at the start of the season but is now a regular at left-back.

His display against West Ham shows to everyone why Dyche has faith in his number 19, winning six of his ten ground duels whilst also launching into six tackles as the Blues travelled back up north with three points and a clean sheet for their troubles.

6 RW – Arnaut Danjuma

The ex-Villarreal man could be in contention for a start against Vincent Kompany's Clarets, eager to help his side progress further in the Carabao Cup.

Only playing for 16 minutes across Everton's last four Premier League encounters, Dyche will give Danjuma some much-needed game-time you expect versus Burnley to up his confidence.

Scoring against Doncaster Rovers in Everton's first Carabao Cup match of the season in September, he'll hope he can conjure up another goal on Wednesday evening.

7 CM – Idrissa Gueye

Frozen out of Dyche's first-team plans since a 45-minute spell against Luton Town, the 34-year-old could be welcomed back to the starting XI by his manager for the game against Burnley.

Featuring in both prior Carabao Cup ties for the Toffees, the experienced central midfielder looks set to be given a run-out on Wednesday with his know-how a major plus if Kompany fields a second-string Clarets side when travelling to Merseyside.

His display against Doncaster helped Everton overcome a minor scare in South Yorkshire, Gueye's calming presence on the ball key against the League Two opponents with 86% of his passes accurate on the night.

8 CM – James Garner

Once a Manchester United hot prospect, James Garner is now a crucial cog in the Toffees machine and an established first-teamer through the centre of the park – not missing a minute of football for his team in their last five Premier League matches.

Garner's energy could be crucial in this one, especially if fatigue as a collective is a factor with fixtures coming thick and fast.

Everton's number 37 was fantastic in the Toffees' last Carabao Cup victory over Aston Villa, Garner firing home the opener at Villa Park to set his team up for an impressive 2-1 victory.

9 LW – Lewis Dobbin

This would be the boldest inclusion in Dyche's starting XI if he does go ahead and give Lewis Dobbin a start versus the Clarets, the young prodigy with the Toffees infrequently featuring for his side so far this campaign.

Staying on the bench against Aston Villa last time in the Cup, the one-time Derby County loanee could be the fresh pair of legs the Blues need down the wings to catch a less-than-confident Burnley team off-guard.

Scoring 14 times for the Everton U18s when progressing through the youth ranks at Goodison, this could be his opportunity to impress in the senior side on Wednesday night.

10 CAM – Abdoulaye Doucoure

Switched to a more attacking role this season under Dyche, Doucoure has become a goalscoring hero for his side when strikers at Goodison have fired blanks – the former Watford man netting three goals from ten Premier League starts.

The 30-year-old therefore feels like he can't dropped for this night under the lights against Burnley, with his manager hoping he can be a match-winner again.

Manchester United are a club in crisis at the moment, given their lofty expectations and vast underperformance this campaign.

Sitting tenth in the Premier League and in serious peril of crashing out of the Champions League at the group stages, it was expected that Erik ten Hag would build on last season's impressive run which saw them claim third and win the EFL Cup. However, if anything they have regressed.

That is not without investing heavily too, as the Red Devils often do, seeking to take the foundation forged by the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez, and take it to the next level.

Acquisitions such as Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat were all expected to do that, supplemented by arguably the safest bet of them all, Mason Mount.

Although the £55m expended marked a huge fee, given his entire career had been played in England it was expected that he would fit seamlessly into a new system and become as integral for them as he was for his boyhood club Chelsea.

However, that has unfortunately been far from the case.

How good is Mason Mount?

Whilst he has never been famed for the stellar figures he posts with regard to goals and assists, although he has enjoyed some standout years, the rate at which he has kickstarted his career at Old Trafford has been more than disappointing.

After all, the key facets of the England international's game have largely been his tactical dexterity, and ability to fit into most attacking roles. The 24-year-old is a facilitator, and is meant to make those around him better.

Given where they stand across numerous competitions, floundering in both the Premier League and Champions League, it is clear he is failing in such a task.

It was only two years ago that Mount was lighting up the former division, having scored 11 and assisted ten, with former manager Thomas Tuchel noting: "It is always a pleasure to work with Mason because he is the kind of guy who comes with a smile on his face to every single training session. It is always 100 per cent in matches, he accepts every challenge and that is why it is so nice to work with him."

However, that hard-working creator that the German tactician lauded is yet to be found following that summer switch, which has seen even the most positive of midfielders dragged down into the mire that the great club seems to emanate.

A visual outliner of his downturn in form is showcased through his 1.4 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.4 tackles he made per game last campaign in the league, having seen the first two drop to 0.8 and 1.0 per game in the new term, via Sofascore. Whilst his roles may be ever-changing as Ten Hag seeks to find a new winning formula, there is no excuse for such a dramatic change in his attacking impetus.

What makes this especially frustrating is how one of their recent sales is performing since departing the club, with James Garner having left in 2022, and now grown into a fine Premier League ace.

Why did Manchester United sell James Garner?

As an academy graduate, his departure was never likely to be well-received, especially after the stunning loan campaign he had enjoyed with Nottingham Forest.

The 22-year-old had surely done enough to merit a potential emergence into the first team, and yet Ten Hag instead saw fit to cash in on the young maestro, with Everton the more than willing recipient.

After all, from defensive midfield, the classy enforcer had managed to feature in 41 Championship games, recording 12 goal contributions whilst recording 1.1 shots, two key passes and 1.8 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

His work in helping the Tricky Trees return to the top flight was nothing short of monumental, with Steve Cooper rushing to praise him: "He’s good for a goal. He’s around the set-pieces a lot and he’s a good technician. His out-of-possession game might go under the radar, but that’s been really good as well. He reads and intercepts some really important passes and that’s as pleasing for me as the other stuff.”

Then, Arsenal legend Martin Keown would laud his set-piece play further, noting: "Again, set-piece, the ball in from Garner is an absolute beauty, look at the whip on that. You can’t underestimate the quality that Garner is putting into this box. He’s on loan from Manchester United – they need to be thinking about getting him back there quickly!"

Despite this, he had not done enough to impress the Dutch manager, with The Athletic reporting the thought process when sanctioning his £15m sale: 'Ten Hag was the key voice in allowing James Garner to leave. He judged Garner not at the level to play every week and United decided to bank cash rather than send the midfielder on loan where there was no guarantee his value would rise.'

How is James Garner playing?

Whilst his first year on Merseyside was a troubled one – as the youngster was hampered by injury, perhaps seemingly vindicating their decision to offload – Garner's start to the current one has been exceptional, and directly coincided with United's own struggles.

Creative yet combative in numerous positions for Sean Dyche, the £30k-per-week workhorse is easily outperforming Mount despite being two years his junior, having scored one and assisted one whilst averaging 1.6 shots, 1.5 key passes and 4.1 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

What makes this even more impressive is that Garner too shares that tactical flexibility that Mount boasts, yet has not allowed it, or a negative atmosphere within their respective clubs, to hamper his form.

Dyche would laud that adaptability: "I think it gives us more options for Jimmy, I think he’s applied himself to anything we’ve asked of him, which is terrific of him from a young player in the Premier League.

David De Gea

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“Playing wide, playing wing-back, in certainly one of our main hours of need at the end of last season, doing a very good job. I thought he played very well down at Brentford in a wider position – I think he can perform there because of his delivery and the power he’s got."

With Mount struggling and Garner thriving, and the huge price attached to the former, perhaps Ten Hag could have saved himself millions had he removed his biases and kept faith in the youth. Instead, it is the Toffees now profiting.