Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has provided a major update on Liam Delap's injury as he revealed when the striker would return to action. Delap joined the Blues from Ipswich Town in June, immediately after the 2024-25 campaign was over. He participated at the Club World Cup and played a key role in the English giants' triumph in the competition, but he picked up an injury at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

Delap's early injury blow

Delap picked up an injury in just the third match of the 2025-26 campaign as he limped off in the first half of the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30 in the Premier League. Following this injury, Maresca confirmed that the striker is expected to be out of action for nearly 12 weeks. Delap's injury led to Chelsea initially cancelling Nicolas Jackson's loan move to Bayern Munich after giving the green signal. However, they eventually sanctioned the move on the deadline day as they brought Marc Guiu back from his loan spell at Sunderland. Tyrique George's transfer to Fulham also fell through after initially approving the move. 

In Delap's absence, Joao Pedro served as the club's only recognised striker, who has enjoyed success in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, having scored two goals and provided three assists in eight Premier League appearances thus far. 

AdvertisementAFPMaresca provides update on Delap's return

Speaking on Delap's present condition and his possible return date, Maresca told reporters on Tuesday, "Liam is very close. He is not working with us yet, he is still out but hopefully he can start in the next days to take part in the session with us."

Chelsea will miss the service of the suspended Pedro for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Ajax on Wednesday. When asked about his plans to replace the Brazilian forward, Maresca added: "We have him [Guiu], we have also Tyrique who has played games as a nine in the past. He did well. He played I think against Benfica as a nine. We have different options. We have one more session this afternoon and then we decide. We trust Marc. We trust already last year, he was always playing in the Conference [League]. We also gave him some Premier League games so we show in the past that we trust Marc. Now he is again with us and he is going to play games for sure."

Maresca denies Chelsea's discipline problem

Defender Malo Gusto became the fourth Chelsea player, after Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro, to be sent off in the club's last six matches across all competitions as he was given his marching orders in the 87th minute of the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest last week after he pulled off a mindless challenge on Neco Williams.

Maresca, after the game, had claimed he wasn't worried about the red cards and ahead of the Ajax clash, he reiterated his statement as he added: "For sure it is something that we can do better. I think some of the red cards, we could avoid that. For example, the Malo one is completely avoidable. It is 3-0, the game is finished. But also, the other side, they don't want to concede, they want to continue to be aggressive. For sure, when you concede five or six red cards, there is something we have to improve and it is something we are for sure going to improve.

"[But] personally, I'm not that kind of manager to punish players. I don't think in my view it is the right way to do things. I prefer to help them understand and then from there to do the right things. Joao Pedro was [in the] last minutes of the game. Malo was [in the] last minutes of the game. So it depends, they are all different kinds of red cards. But if you concede four or five, it is something you have to do better. I have four kids. When they do something wrong, I don't punish them. I try to push them to do the right things and I try to treat the players in the same way: try to help them to understand and not to punish them. This is the way I see things – it can be right, wrong, I don't know – but it is the way I like to do things."

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Getty ImagesChelsea's Fernandez boost

While Delap will still take some time before he fully returns to action for the Blues, the club have received a major boost on Enzo Fernandez's fitness after the midfielder missed the Forest clash last weekend. The Argentine international has returned to training and is expected to be part of Chelsea's matchday for the European clash.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s spell at Tottenham Hotspur was certainly one to forget for the manager and the supporters after the dismal form endured during his tenure.

In the 17 matches he was in charge of the Lilywhites, the 51-year-old only won 52% of the matches he was in charge of – subsequently only being in the role for a total of four months.

Such an appointment raised eyebrows at the time, with the former Wolves boss tasked with the responsibility of taking the side to the next level after José Mourinho’s tenure.

The aforementioned period may not have been enough to make the desired changes, with Daniel Levy arguably making a harsh decision in cutting ties so early into his spell in North London.

The decision allowed the former Portuguese goalkeeper to make an impact elsewhere in the Premier League – subsequently making himself a success at Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Gibbs-White’s time under Nuno at Forest

Nuno joined Forest back in December 2023, leading the club back to European football for the first time in 30 years – but was handed his marching orders earlier this week after a fall-out with owner Evangelos Marinakis.

He was overseeing the progress of attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White at the City Ground, once again linking up with the Englishman after their previous spell together at Wolves.

The 25-year-old enjoyed an incredible campaign throughout 2024/25, subsequently registering his highest tally of combined goals and assists in the Premier League under Nuno’s guidance.

He ended the year with 15 goal contributions, a tally which saw the Lilywhites even make a £60m bid for his services during the recent summer transfer window.

Such a deal was agreed between all parties for Gibbs-White to join Thomas Frank’s side, but Marinakis voiced his displeasure at the transfer and publicly threatened legal action against the club.

As a result, a deal hit a stumbling block, leading to the Englishman penning a new three-year contract at the City Ground and putting a deal off until January at the earliest.

There’s no denying that the failure to secure his signature would’ve been a disappointment to the fanbase, but they needn’t worry, given the talent already on their books in North London.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Gibbs-White

Whilst Nuno was only in the role for a short period of time, he managed to have a positive impact that has been showcased in recent months – arguably laying some of the foundations for the recent Europa League triumph.

He oversaw the arrival of centre-back Cristian Romero, with the Argentine now a key member of the first-team squad four years on from his switch to England from Atalanta.

The 27-year-old has been named the club captain in recent months, highlighting the importance to the side, with Frank putting huge faith in the defender to lead the club forward.

However, he wasn’t the only first-team member brought in during Nuno’s tenure, with midfielder Pape Matar Sarr also making the move to North London in the summer of 2021.

Whilst he spent his first year back out on loan at Metz, the Senegalese international has established himself as a key member of the side over the last couple of months.

The 22-year-old has started all three of the Lilywhites’ Premier League outings this campaign, showcasing the backing he has from Frank to make an impact in their quest for added success.

Sarr’s importance is further highlighted by his tally of 55 appearances in all competitions last campaign, starting and playing the vast majority of the Europa League final in Bilbao.

Despite being a deeper-lying option than Gibbs-White, he’s also operated in a number ten role in recent months – even managing to outperform him in numerous areas, subsequently making him a bigger talent at present.

Sarr, who’s been labelled “incredible” by journalist Umir Irfan, managed to post a higher shot on target accuracy rate (38%) than Gibbs-White in the Premier League last season.

How Sarr & Gibbs-White compared in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Sarr	MGW
Games played	36	34
Goals & assists	5	15
Shot on target accuracy	38%	34%
Pass accuracy	86%	78%
Passes into final third	4.2	4.1
Carries into final third	1.7	1.6
Tackles made	1.7	0.7
Aerials won	1.6	1.2
Stats via FBref

Such a tally showcases the threat the youngster possesses in attacking areas, arguably making him more of a goal threat when in possession of the ball in attacking areas.

The main responsibility of a number ten is creativity, but Sarr managed to complete more passes into the final third per 90 (4.2), along with a higher tally of carries into the final third per 90 (1.7).

The aforementioned tallies once again highlight the quality the youngster possesses in dangerous areas – something which will develop further given his tender age.

Many supporters will have been bitterly disappointed by the failure to land Gibbs-White, but it’s clear they already have a top-level talent on the books with the Senegalese international.

Nuno’s time at the club may have been one to forget, but the fanbase certainly must be thankful for his dealings in the market, which have given the Lilywhites the chance to compete with Europe’s elite once again.

Worth more than Kudus: Spurs have hit the jackpot on Postecoglou signing

Tottenham Hotspur’s excellent work in the market has previously been evident during Ange Postecoglou’s reign.

By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 11, 2025

It feels like it’s a bit late to say the wheels have come off for West Ham United.

The Hammers were knocked out of the League Cup in the second round and have lost four of their five Premier League games, by a combined score of 5-13.

It felt like it was more a matter of when, rather than if, Graham Potter was replaced in the London Stadium dugout.

Lo and behold, despite being put in front of the press on Friday afternoon ahead of their clash with Everton on Monday, he was given the boot on Saturday morning.

Nuno Santo was quickly announced as his replacement but with only a couple of days of training before the clash with the Toffees, it will be interesting to see if the Portuguese makes many widespread changes.

James Ward-Prowse could be one player who drops out as Nuno chases a debut win.

Why Ward-Prowse has to be dropped

West Ham spent around £30m to bring Ward-Prowse to the London Stadium in the summer of 2023, and considering he was sent on an unsuccessful short-term loan to Nottingham Forest last year, it’s been a failure of a move.

However, while the fans were desperate for Potter to drop the former Southampton star from the lineup, he continued to persist with the Englishman, something that arguably played a hand in his sacking.

The 11-capped Englishman has had a brilliant career in the top-flight, and there was a point at which his deadball abilities made him a genuine threat for the Saints, but those days are long gone.

Instead, the 30-year-old is now more of a hindrance in the middle of the park than anything else, unable to offer much in attack and not being anywhere near mobile enough to help out in defence.

We saw this duel problem on full display against Crystal Palace, as even though he took 61 touches and completed 41 passes, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.25.

Minutes

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Accurate Passes

41/48 (85%)

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Shots on Target

0

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

3 (0)

Lost Possession

14

Fouls

3

Dribbled Past

2

On top of that, he lost five out of six ground duels, all three aerial duels, was dribbled past twice, lost possession 14 times and gave away three fouls.

It was a horror show, and one that should see him nowhere near the starting lineup for quite some time, especially as West Ham have a new midfielder who could come in and surely do a better job.

West Ham's ideal Ward-Prowse replacement

While there are a few options Nuno could go with on Monday evening, he has to start Soungoutou Magassa in place of Ward-Prowse.

Chalkboard

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The former AS Monaco ace is certainly still young and somewhat inexperienced compared to the Englishman, but he deserves a chance to show the fans what he can do tonight.

More importantly, though, he offers something the former Saints star no longer can: dynamism and quality.

According to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, the 21-year-old is blessed with a combination of “pure athleticism” and an ability to “spray passes wide out to the wings” because his “passing range is top.”

Moreover, Mattinson has claimed that “defensively there’s a high potential” in the youngster, which is borne out in his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of midfielders in Ligue 1 last season for dribblers tackled, tackles plus interceptions, and ball recoveries, as well as the top 5% for tackles won and more, all per 90 minutes.

He also put up some promising attacking numbers as well, ranking in the top 9% for successful take-on percentage and the top 17% for passes into the final third, also per 90.

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

2.37

Top 1%

Dribblers Tackled

2.20

Top 1%

Dribbles Challenged

4.04

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

5.97

Top 1%

Ball Recoveries

7.90

Top 1%

Tackles

4.13

Top 2%

Interceptions

1.84

Top 4%

Tackles Won

2.20

Top 5%

Successful Take-On %

65.2%

Top 9%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

45.57

Top 12%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.53

Top 16%

Passes into Final Third

5.88

Top 17%

Switches

0.61

Top 17%

Aerials Won

1.14

Top 12%

In short, while he is nowhere near the finished product, the “elegant” Frenchman, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, already appears to be a better player than Ward-Prowse.

Therefore, for Nuno to elevate the chances of claiming all three points, he should drop the 30-year-old and start Magassa.

England rookie proves his time at IPL was well spent as he dominates first ODI with 82 from 53 balls

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-May-2025″He’s definitely got that… whatever they say nowadays… ‘aura’.”The “they” Jacob Bethell refers to when searching for the term used to describe someone who commands attention and keeps it, is “kids”. The “he” is Virat Kohli, of course, his recent Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate.Mentions of Kohli are always good for business, but in this case it is a little less transactional. Bethell, only 21 but not with modern online slang, was speaking after a devastating innings of 82 off 53 deliveries that killed Thursday’s first ODI against West Indies as a contest, even if it was not the sole difference in the eventual 238-run margin.A player-of-the-match turn – he also took 1 for 18 with the ball – had come after close to two months of bench-warming at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In that period, he had played just twice, though that included a maiden IPL half-century in the last of those against Chennai Super Kings. It added up to a very small part in RCB’s qualification for their fourth IPL final, and their quest for that elusive maiden title.Yet there were evidently no splinters or rust to shake off, just a bit of strain from hotel-hopping which – even for someone with a nomadic upbringing that involved swapping Barbados for Birmingham at the age of 12 – still takes some getting used to.”The only thing I struggle with is the beds,” Bethell said. “A lot of these hotel beds are way too soft. I’ve got a bad back and I’m only 21, so we need to sort that out!”Not that there were any signs of a creaking body as he blammed all but 20 of his runs in boundaries. Five of them were crisp sixes – as many as the five ahead of him in the top six – with four of them coming in a final 10-over blitz that carried England, eventually, to 400 for 8.Bethell and Virat Kohli opened the batting together at RCB•Getty Images”I feel like I’m a better player now than I was a couple of months ago,” Bethell said, lauding the practice facilities and the quality of net bowlers he had encountered on a day-to-day basis at the IPL. It’s a sentiment that is now commonplace among Engish players who need to justify getting paid decent money not to play cricket in India, rather than play County Cricket in April and May.His innings against West Indies, however, adds an important undertone of sincerity, particularly when Bethell elaborates on his learnings against spin in particular, a usual sticking point for England’s 50-over team. Gudakesh Motie emerged from England’s onslaught broadly unscathed, with 0 for 39 from 7 overs. However, Bethell was able to strike 10 off four balls from the left-arm spinner, including the only boundary off Motie – a slog-sweep into the stands at midwicket.”I don’t want to give away everything,” Bethell said. “It’s just the way those batters go about playing spin, they’re clinical in how they pick length and the deliveries they try to hit for four and six.”That was nice, to have more of a power-game input into my game, rather than a bit of touch around spin as well. So then, just trying to mesh the two together would help a lot.”As for his interactions with Kohli and that exposure to the “aura”: that included invaluable time spent with the cricketer and the man. They opened together during Bethell’s twin appearances, sharing a 97-run stand on the second occasion as they pocketed half-centuries in an RCB win.Bethell may have re-opened the No.3 Test debate with his exploits at Edgbaston•AFP/Getty Images”I think he quite enjoys the overseas boys because we’re just pretty chill around him,” Bethell said. “He’s definitely got that feeling. And when he walks out to bat, it’s pretty electrifying to walk out with him.”It (advice) was just like an accumulation over the couple of months of just chatting to him. You get information that keeps coming in ways that you don’t really know, and it’s kind of just drip-fed.”It was just nice to speak to him off and on the field, away from cricket, so yeah, it was just cool to experience someone of his calibre and how he goes about doing things.”He’s got a certain intensity with him that just kind of… he flips that switch on, as soon as he crosses that line, which is pretty cool to see.”As far as mimicking Kohli’s career path, Bethell’s already playing catch-up. He may only turn 22 in October, but he’s trailing on a number of fronts, not least the century count. By 21, Kohli had eight of the 101 he currently possesses across formats, including four in first-class cricket. Bethell is still without one in 119 innings, with Thursday’s knock his fourth-highest score as a professional.Squint, however, and you could make out the merest hint of Kohli in the shifting of gears and manner in which Bethell was imposing himself on an admittedly wayward West Indian attack. Even in these early stages, it is clear Bethell’s approach to batting focuses on heaping pressure on others rather than feeling it himself.That may even include his own teammates. Just as the dust had settled from Ben Stokes’ double-speak at last week’s Zimbabwe Test – when he was quizzed on what Bethell’s eventual reintroduction might mean for Ollie Pope’s spot in the XI – the left-hander’s firm-wristed flourishes have stirred the pot once more, even after Pope had seemingly secured his India starting berth with 171.Related

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With Brendon McCullum wowed in Birmingham, as he was on last year’s Test tour of New Zealand when he said Pope versus Bethell was something they would have to work out, the No.3 for next month’s Headingley opener is not set in stone.Bethell, as the disruptor, is not worried. He remains the chaser rather than the chased, pre-occupied by the day-to-day establishing of himself in the white-ball sides to focus squarely on what Test cricket might hold for him this year. Nevertheless, this season’s highest-profile challenge is next month’s five-Test series against India, which leads into the winter’s Ashes. As for any awkwardness that his precocity may have caused his Test captain and vice last week, the IPL gave him the perfect alibi.”I was pretty far away to be honest,” he said. “I tried to stay pretty clear of social media anyway, so me not even being in England, I didn’t really hear a lot of it until I think one of my friends messaged me and said the whole thing was going on. But I haven’t really followed it.”I obviously played in New Zealand as a replacement for a replacement (replacing Jordan Cox in the XI, who was covering for Jamie Smith on paternity leave). So whatever happens, it’ll be, and when the time comes, it’ll be fine.”

أكد سيد عبد الحفيظ، مدير الكرة السابق بالنادي الأهلي، أن الفريق يسير بخطى ثابتة نحو مرحلة جديدة من التنظيم والاحتراف، مشيرًا إلى أن منظومة العمل داخل النادي تضم كوادر مميزة قادرة على قيادة الفريق نحو مزيد من البطولات.

وقال سيد عبد الحفيظ عبر برنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “MBC مصر”: “غرفة الملابس تُعد من أهم الملفات داخل أي نادٍ كبير، ولكن لدينا الآن مدير كرة ومدير فني جديد يتمتع بشخصية قوية، ونسأل الله أن يوفقنا في البطولات المقبلة”.

وأشار إلى أن: “اسم النادي الأهلي وحده يفرض التزامًا كبيرًا على الجميع، وإن شاء الله لن تكون هناك أي مشكلات في هذا الجانب”.

وعن إمكانية تعاقد الأهلي مع ثنائي الزمالك وبيراميدز، حسام عبد المجيد وفستون مايلي، أوضح عبد الحفيظ: “اللاعبان يرتبطان حاليًا بعقود مع أنديتهما، ونتمنى لهما التوفيق، أما نحن فلدينا فريق قوي ونجوم مميزون، وبما سيضاف إليه في يناير، سنكون قادرين على تقديم أداء مميز”.

طالع أيضًا | سيد عبد الحفيظ ردًا على إمكانية ضم لاعبين من الزمالك: هذه مدرستهم والاحتراف مختلف

وأضاف: “لدينا لجنة تخطيط، ومشرف على الكرة، ومدير رياضي، ومدير كرة، ومدير فني، وهذه منظومة عمل متكاملة، هناك خيارات واحتياجات محددة، وإن شاء الله ننجح في تنفيذها خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة”.

وتابع: “خط دفاع الأهلي مر بظروف صعبة وإصابات متعددة، لكن الأرقام تشير إلى أن عدد الأهداف التي استقبلناها مرتفع، ونسعى لتصحيح هذا الوضع من خلال تدعيم الصفوف في يناير”.

وعن الأنباء المتداولة بشأن إمكانية تعاقد الأهلي مع محمد صلاح، قال عبد الحفيظ: “محمد صلاح نجم كبير حقق إنجازات عظيمة، وهو يسير في طريق الاحتراف الخارجي، ما يُتداول عن انتقاله إلى الأهلي ربما يكون مجرد حديث إعلامي، لكنه بالتأكيد نجم عالمي وتشرف أي نادٍ مشاركته، ومع ذلك لم نعقد أي اجتماع كمجلس إدارة لنتحدث عن ضم أي لاعب”.

واختتم: “عودة محمد عبد المنعم مطروحة دائمًا، فهو أحد أبناء النادي، لكن حتى الآن لم نجتمع لمناقشة احتياجات المدير الفني أو تحديد الأسماء المطلوبة للمرحلة المقبلة”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Barcelona também tem interesse na contratação do volante Gabriel Moscardo, do Corinthians. A equipe catalã entrará na disputa com o Chelsea, da Inglaterra, pela contratação do jogador. A informação foi publicada inicialmente pelo ‘Diario Sport’, da Espanha, e confirmada pelo Lance!. 

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Conforme antecipado pela reportagem no último dia 5 de setembro, a diretoria corintiana definiu em 30 milhões de euros (R$ 159,7 mi, na cotação atual) o valor para liberar o meio-campista, que está com a seleção brasileira pré-olímpica para a disputa de dois amistosos contra o Marrocos. O valor da multa rescisória do atleta para o exterior é de 100 milhões de euros. 

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Mesmo com o Barça na jogada, a tendência é que Moscardo seja negociado com o Chelsea ainda nesta temporada. A boa relação entre a direção do clube inglês e o estafe do jogador é fundamental para isso.

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Na semana passada, os Blues fizeram uma proposta de 21 milhões de euros (R$) pelo atleta. O valor poderia chegar a 25 milhões de euros (R$) em caso de premiações por desempenho, mas, mesmo assim, a investida foi recusada pela direção corintiana. De toda forma, os londrinos não desistiram e seguem conversando com os representantes do jogador e pretendem enviar uma nova oferta em breve. 

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A intenção do Chelsea em sair na frente pela contratação de Gabriel Moscardo tem a ver justamente com a concorrência que a equipe sabia que teria em relação a esse jogador, que é monitorado desde cedo por diversos clubes da Europa, inclusive o Barcelona. 

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+ Veja tabela e confira os jogos do Timão no Brasileirão

No elenco profissional corintiano há pouco mais de dois meses somente, o camisa 44 é tido como joia pelo Corinthians desde as categorias inferiores, quando já era observado por equipes importantes do exterior, como Arsenal e Manchester City. Após a ascensão meteórica à equipe principal, as sondagens e monitoramentos pelo volante aumentaram.

A ideia no Timão é negociar o jogador ainda neste ano, para ajudar no fechamento das contas, recebendo a maior parte possível do pagamento à vista. O clube alvinegro tem 80% dos direitos econômicos do atleta, que é dono do percentual restante. 

They’ve won just two of their last five games at a time when the playoffs race is heating up

Abhimanyu Bose07-May-20253:52

Moody: No evidence Fraser-McGurk has ‘turned a corner’

Big picture: Have DC sorted out their openers?There have been two washouts in IPL 2025. One denied Punjab Kings (PBKS) a potential win, and the other handed Delhi Capitals (DC) a lifeline. And on Thursday, two of four teams with an odd number of points will face off in a crucial encounter in the race to the playoffs.While a win for PBKS will boost their hopes for a top-two finish, two points for DC will see them back in the top four, ahead of Mumbai Indians on points and level with PBKS — and with very little to separate the two teams on net run rate right now, DC might just shoot ahead of them as well and go third.DC also need the win to wrestle back momentum. After winning their first four matches, they have won just two of their last five games, with one of those wins coming through a Super Over. At the heart of their struggles has been the lack of stability in their batting order.Unlike their opponents, who are among three teams to have stuck with the same opening partnership, DC have tried six at the top of the order — the most for any team this year. With Jake Fraser-McGurk dropped, DC shuffled their line-up in the last game to bring Abishek Porel down to No. 3, pushing Karun Nair to the top, but the move didn’t help as they only managed 133 against Sunrisers Hyderabad before rain saved their blushes.Playing in Dharamsala, where Arshdeep Singh blew Lucknow Super Giants away with new-ball swing, the focus on DC’s top order will only be further intensified.Form guidePunjab Kings: WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Delhi Capitals: LLWLW2:51

Fifth bowler a concern for PBKS?

The big questionIn the spotlight: KL Rahul and Marcus StoinisDC’s downward spiral has coincided with a drop-off in KL Rahul’s returns. Rahul opened in du Plessis’ absence against Chennai Super Kings and made 77, and then scored an unbeaten 93 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru from No. 4, but since then his form has dwindled, and even when he has got runs, it’s been with sub-par strike rates. With DC’s batting looking shaky in recent times, the onus will be on the experienced Rahul to stand tall and deliverWith Glenn Maxwell ruled out of the IPL, Marcus Stoinis is set to play a more important role for PBKS. He was left out of the team for two matches after the defeat to RCB, but hit an unbeaten 15 off 5 when he came back against Lucknow Super Giants. PBKS will hope Stoinis can find his form with the bat since he is one of the team’s primary overseas batters.Team news: Nigam surplus to DC requirements?After a resounding win in their last game in Dharamsala, PBKS are unlikely to tinker with their combination.Punjab Kings (likely XII): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Azmatullah Omarzai, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Vijaykumar VyshakDC have opted to leave Ashutosh Sharma on their bench even when they batted first in the last few games, bringing him on only if needed. But with the conditions better suited to pace, they could look to playing him ahead of Vipraj Nigam, and keep the option of bringing on an extra seamer in Mohit Sharma or Mukesh Kumar.DC also signed Sediqullah Atal as a replacement for Harry Brook, although it is unsure if he will be immediately available.Delhi Capitals (likely XII): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 T Natarajan, 12 Mohit Sharma/Mukesh Kumar2:00

Decoding Mitchell Starc’s wobble seam delivery

Pitch and conditions: Seam and swing on offerIt rained in Dharamsala on the eve of the game, delaying the teams’ practice and there is a chance of rain on match day as well. With tensions escalating between India and Pakistan, the Dharamsala airport has been closed, but the match is set to be held as planned.In the first game there this season, there was plenty of swing available, so new-ball bowlers are likely to play an important role, while spinners will have to deal with little assistance.Stats and trivia: PBKS’ in-form openers Mitchell Starc enjoys bowling against PBKS, with seven wickets in four matches at an average of 13.28 and economy of 6.64. However, all these matches came before 2015 DC have suffered nine run-outs in IPL 2025, while no other team have more than five Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have the third-most partnership runs this year in the IPL (406), only behind Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan (634) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (453) Arya has a strike rate of 188.05 in the powerplay, the best among all batters having faced 100 balls. Yuzvendra Chahal has dismissed Faf du Plessis three times in 12 T20s and the South African strikes at just 88 against the legspinnerQuotes”I think Yuzi has been very consistent. He is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL and he is one such magician who has come back very strong every time people have raised their eyebrows at him.”
PBKS spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi on Yuzvendra Chahal