The Portugal international arrived to much fanfare over the summer, but has only found the net in one game thus far and fallen out of the line-up

After just about surviving his first season at Paris Saint-Germain, all eyes were on how Luis Campos would rebuild at one of Europe's most demanding clubs. The French champions' lead football advisor relieved manager Christophe Galtier of his duties and sold Neymar, while he did not stand in the way of Lionel Messi departing either.

After hiring Luis Enrique, his reported fourth choice to replace Galtier, Campos went about assembling a new-look squad. One of his first moves was to sign Goncalo Ramos on a loan deal from Benfica with an obligation to buy. Although they didn't send the Portuguese side a cent this summer, Ramos will someday cost the Parisians up to €80m.

On the surface, it made some sense. PSG were rife with uncertainty in regards to Kylian Mbappe's future, but knew they were moving on from Messi and Neymar. A forward — of any description — was necessary. However, Ramos wasn't the only attacker to walk through the entrance door at Parc des Princes during the transfer window.

Of the 11 signings Campos sanctioned in a that three-month period, six were attacking players who would be made available to Luis Enrique in 2023-24. That doesn't include Xavi Simons, who was immediately loaned out to RB Leipzig but is expected back at some stage. Factor in that Mbappe eventually opted to stay, and suddenly the cupboard was far from bare.

Someone was bound to become a spare part, and right now that looks to be Ramos. The obligation to pay an initial €65m (£57m/$70m) already feels like an unnecessary financial burden that will need to be dealt with in the coming months, and is a sign that despite claiming to be more sensible spenders, PSG remain prone to the odd reckless investment as they search for a winning formula that will work outside of France.

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  Signing that made sense

  In the summer of 2022, when PSG drew up their summer target list, they included a number of big names. Manchester City's Bernardo Silva was reportedly in there. So too was Gianluca Scamacca, who eventually joined West Ham. With both players off the market, PSG turned to Ramos.

  And in many ways, it made sense, as the Parisians needed a central striker. With Messi and Neymar no longer out-and-out goalscoring threats, and Mbappe insisting on having a No.9 to play alongside rather than be deployed there himself, Ramos, who had scored seven goals as a 21-year-old in the shadow of Darwin Nunez for Benfica, seemed an investment for both the present and future.

  Campos, who had deep connections to Portuguese football, pushed for the move. But it never materialised, and the Parisians instead bought Hugo Ekitike — a talented but raw striker who had bagged 10 Ligue 1 goals for Reims the previous season.

  That sequence of events eventually benefitted Ramos immensely. The forward was handed another year of development in his homeland, and scored 27 goals, leading the Primeira Liga in non-penalty goals, and averaging 0.79 non-penalty xG per 90 minutes.

  But it was at the World Cup where he really turned heads. Portugal famously benched misfiring captain Cristiano Ronaldo for their last-16 clash with Switzerland in Qatar. In his stead, Ramos exploded, bagging a hat-trick that included a thumping near-post finish for one of the goals of the tournament.

  That showing made him one of 2023's hottest transfer targets. At various points, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were all said to be interested. PSG, though, had already done the groundwork, and were always likely to beat the other interested parties.

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  A poor start

  Ramos' start to life at PSG has been mixed, at best. His full debut, the Parisians' 0-0 draw with Lorient to open the season, was marred by missed chances and underwhelming sequences. The striker was handed his side's best opportunity of the day, but nodded wide in the 78th minute to spoil what would have been a dream beginning in Paris.

  He started the next fixture, another draw in which he failed to score, and has since drifted in and out of the starting XI. His only goals in a PSG shirt have come in the 4-0 thrashing of Marseille. In his first Classique, the Portuguese replaced the injured Mbappe, and was arguably more effective than the France captain on the day, bagging a brace and leading a famous rout of their old rivals.

  This isn't a player who has forgotten how to score altogether, though. Ramos has been effective for his national team, fitting into the same side as Ronaldo — the man he once replaced — to great effect. He has found the net three times in his last two games for the Selecao, showing the kind of cutting edge that saw him become so coveted by most of Europe's best just six months ago.

  Still, for all of this success in a national-team shirt, domestic goals have proved elusive. Ramos has put just 31 percent of his shots on target, putting him in the 19th percentile among Ligue 1 forwards, according to while he is also slightly under-performing his expected goals. Something just isn't clicking.

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  Competition up front

  Ramos' struggles have only been amplified by the depth in the squad that has been built around him. Luis Enrique's initial flirtations with Marco Asensio, a free signing from Real Madrid, as a No.9 seemed guaranteed to budge the glut of PSG's other striking options out of contention. But when the Spaniard picked up an injury, a chance emerged.

  It was, at first, Ramos' spot to lose, but he swiftly played himself out of contention. Randal Kolo Muani now appears to have the central spot nailed down, with Mbappe on one wing, and Ousame Dembele on the other. And when Luis Enrique shifts to a 4-2-4 formation — something he has experimented with to varying degrees of success — both Bradley Barcola and Lee Kang-in have had their names called before Ramos.

  And while none of the Parisians' attackers have truly hit a groove in front goal, the Kolo Muani and Mbappe link seems to be working. There is, of course, the French connection there, as Mbappe and Kolo Muani have formed a solid partnership up front for the national team, and Mbappe made it clear that he wanted to play alongside a more recognisable central striking force.

  Additionally, the Kolo Muani is slightly more suited to that need than Ramos. He is more comfortable drifting into wide areas, or running channels, while he is also a sharp passer, and tidy with the ball at his feet, especially given his size.

  Things get even trickier for Ramos when the manager opts for an extra attacking player. That system typically requires Mbappe and Kolo Muani to occupy the two central roles, leaving four players to fight for spots out wide — an area of the pitch in which Ramos simply doesn't excel.

  Luis Enrique will, of course, have few complaints about the depth of his squad — and Ramos has not been frozen out entirely. But, for now at least, he finds himself far down his manager's pecking order.

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  Not playing to his strengths

  Many attacking players tend to have their favourite spots in the final third. For Mbappe, it's the left corner of the 18-yard box, ideally cutting onto his right foot. For Mohamed Salah, it's the same space, but on the right side. Cristiano Ronaldo typically drifts to the far post. Erling Haaland sort of makes the whole penalty area his, such is his size, tenacity, and general obsession with finding the net.

  Ramos' favoured area is highly-specific. He, in fact, scores the same goal a lot of the time. Of his 27 goals in all competitions last season, 19 came from inside the six-yard box. A large chunk of those resulted from runs across defenders, and ensuing one-touch finishes at the near post. It was a near-perfect formula for Benfica, who utilised the pace and crossing ability of Alex Grimaldo to find Ramos as he made that signature dart in front of opposition centre-backs. Portugal caught on, too, with one of Ramos' treble against Switzerland coming in a similar manner.

  Unfortunately for him, it's not the kind of move that PSG piece together. In general, the full-back on the left side of the pitch offers cover for Mbappe — and is seldom asked to get forward. And if there is any space at the near post, it is Mbappe's to exploit. That run, Ramos' go-to dart, is almost impossible for him to make. His preferred spot is rendered unavailable by the very nature of his most talented team-mate's playing style.

  Luis Enrique has admitted that Ramos isn't always the best fit for his team, either. "He moves very well. It's true that we're not a team that crosses a lot so maybe we don't see his best statistics, but he's a top player, who does a spectacular job," he said before PSG's recent win over Brest. In the most measured way possible, his own manager admitted that his big-money signing simply isn't the right fit.

It was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’

George Dobell at Edgbaston22-Apr-2017
ScorecardIt was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’Whether they have or not*, the fact that the question came up provides a fair reflection of the mood around Warwickshire at present. Kumar Sangakkara had just reached his 50 with a pull so dismissive you half expected him to ruffle the bowler’s hair and ask him what he wanted to be when he grew-up and Mark Stoneman had just reached his second Championship century against Warwickshire this season. Warwickshire still had a first innings lead of almost 100 but the sense persisted that, if Surrey decided to make pelts from the Warwickshire players before the end of this match, there wasn’t much to stop them.In the grand scheme of things, the Warwickshire performances this season don’t even register in a ‘top 10’ of their shockers of the last 20 years or so. And, in a way, that is more of a worry. Because it’s not that they’re playing that badly. They’re just up against sides that are substantially better than them.The second day here exemplified it. Presented with a flat pitch and a strong batting line-up, Warwickshire’s bowlers might have been a fraction tighter. But, basically, they put the ball in pretty good areas, they showed their variations and they demonstrated their heart. But they lacked the pace, the skill or the assistance to break through against a strong side and might reflect that, playing against Sangakkara with one boundary as short as this is like covering yourself in bacon and going to pet a tiger.The truth is, Warwickshire failed to make use of a good batting surface in their first innings. While they undoubtedly had the more testing conditions on the first day, it is worth remembering that they were 126 without loss at one stage. And it’s worth remembering, too, that they were 290 for 4 when Surrey took the second new ball. The final six wickets added only 42 and that included a tenth-wicket stand of 28.Why? Because Surrey’s bowlers – younger, hungrier and yes, a bit quicker – gained a little bit more from the surface and in the air. And Warwickshire’s batsmen, all too often crease-bound and flirty, were not equal to it. Surrey will bowl much better than this in much more helpful conditions.Perhaps Warwickshire were a bit unfortunate. The weather was substantially brighter on the second day and there was no need for floodlights. But by losing their final seven wickets for 69, they pretty much forfeited the opportunity to bat in such conditions. Besides, they still had four wickets in hand when they resumed on Saturday.Most of all, they were unfortunate to come up against two fine batsmen. Stoneman, who has now scored three centuries in his last five Championship innings (he finished his Durham career with one against Hampshire), looked terrific. Having made 165 against Warwickshire on his Championship debut for the club a couple of weeks ago, he dealt with Keith Barker’s swing expertly and looks hungry to ensure this move to Surrey brings the rewards he wants. That career average – in the low 30s – is no reflection of his class.Maybe, on another day, he might have been dismissed without scoring. Certainly his first scoring stroke was his least convincing with Ateeq Javid, at point, flinging himself to his right but finding the sliced drive just out of reach, while later, on 83, William Porterfield at gully should have held on to a sharp chance offered off the admirably persistent Chris Wright.Those moments apart, he looked wonderfully solid and unhurried. He played within himself and, when the bowlers strayed, either picked them off with deflections – he took 18 off one Barker over without needing to play a shot in anger – or cut or drove without fuss or trouble. He added 116 with Scott Borthwick, the pair of them running so fast that it proved impossible for Warwickshire to stem the flow, and then 140 with Sangakkara. It was some surprise when he was adjudged to be leg before and not just because it seemed a little high.As for Sangakkara… to see him skip down the pitch and thread his drive off Jeetan Patel between the fielders in the covers; to see him pull and upper cut sixes when the seamers dropped short; to see him somehow cut Patel behind square so that the ball gained speed as it split the field… however many times you’ve seen him bat, however many centuries you’ve seen and whatever you think of the standard of county cricket, it was refreshing, it was classy, it was beautiful. If you’re in the Edgbaston area on Sunday – hell, if you’re anywhere near the Midlands – it may be worth coming to witness him reaching the 58th first-class century of his career. There won’t be too many opportunities and they really don’t come along like this very often.Not that Warwickshire will be thinking in those terms. They have to believe they can turn around this match – they do still lead by 33, after all – and this season. We’re not even in the last week of April. The sense from those watching, though, is that while they may not have sunk yet, they have struck the iceberg.*Admit it, you were wondering about sides which had started the season with a hat-trick of innings losses, weren’t you? Well, thanks to statistician Andrew Samson we know that Somerset (in 1899) and Glamorgan (in 1922) both lost their first four Championship matches in a season by an innings. But no team has ever lost three by an innings before the end of April. Warwickshire supporters will be hoping they are not on the cusp of history.

Mahela Jayawardene, the Mumbai Indians coach, used the phrase ‘wake up call’ thrice, and with good reason, at the pre-final press conference. On the surface, it might have seemed more for effect, as the question to him was about Mumbai Indians’ consistent run in IPL 2017. But, Jayawardene’s iteration was for the three losses they’ve been handed by Rising Pune Supergiant this season.After Rising Pune had nutmegged them off the penultimate ball in their opening fixture, Mumbai went on a six-match winning spree before they were halted again by – no surprises there – Rising Pune. This, too, was a close defeat following which Mumbai went unbeaten in all but two games, but who do they run into in the first Qualifier? Rising Pune.The stakes were higher this time as the winner would get a direct passage to the final. Given how things had panned out, the result wasn’t hard to predict. The consolation for Mumbai, if any, is that they have been comprehensively bested and not handed out a last-over heartbreak. As for Rising Pune, they have now won all their games at the Wankhede. In fact, so absolute has been their dominance over Mumbai that you will have to ferret out a scorecard from last May to look up their only defeat in five games.After a disappointing 2016 season, Jayawardene said Mumbai had made it a point to address their notoriously sluggish starts to IPL campaigns. He also suggested that Rising Pune was the bogey team his team needed to sharpen their competitive edge against. “The first game was against Pune and they gave us a wake-up call,” he said. “We realised that we had to play better cricket than that. We got a little bit of momentum….we won some close matches, made sure we kept going and again they gave us a wake-up call in the middle of the season.”We made sure we regrouped and didn’t slack as a group towards the later part of the tournament. It’s been a good team effort and a lot of boys put their hand up in tough situations and won matches. I think it’s a tough tournament because any team could beat you on the day, home and away conditions are different. But credit to the boys, they have really performed well. And again they gave us a wake-up call in the knockout stages. We had to go to Bangalore, regroup again and play a good game of cricket which is good because it keeps everyone on the toes going into the final.”The Rising Pune question, specifically the defeat in the first Qualifier, was put forth to captain Rohit Sharma as well. Should Mumbai win, this will be their third title – after 2013 and 2015 – with Rohit at the helm. His response to the two questions was a potpourri of processes, results and focus. But eventually, he made the point that Mumbai had never lost a Maharashtra derby, in Hyderabad.”It’s true we haven’t played well against Pune. But now we’re playing them in a neutral venue,” he said. “They have been playing some really good cricket and it’s just that we haven’t been playing too well on those days. Conditions will be different for both teams. The aim is to avoid whatever mistakes we have done in the past against them. Hopefully, we’ve learnt from the mistakes and don’t repeat again tomorrow. We’ve got to make sure we’re better and we play good cricket and focus on what we need to do.”3:37

Tait: Having beaten Mumbai last game, Pune should go in unchanged

Sitting on the other side of the table, Rising Pune coach Stephen Fleming and captain Steven Smith flashed knowing smiles when their counterparts were talking. Fleming said they would continue to stay low-profile in the final like they have all tournament.”We’ve faced a lot of challenges throughout this tournament and we’ve faced them well,” he said. “We’re quietly confident, pretty much like our entire campaign where we have flown under the radar and done things quietly. I don’t think we’ll do anything different when we get up. If we get up because there’ll be a couple of wily foxes [Rohit and Jayawardene] who’ll be trying to stop us. They’re well awake now,” he added for good measure with a laugh.While Rohit conceded there wasn’t much individual brilliance that contributed to Mumbai’s success this year, he saw that as a positive in how the team has collectively pulled its weight. “Whenever they had an opportunity they put their hand up, taken the responsibility and obviously made sure that team crossed that line,” he said. “Guys have come at different points and taken up the responsibility and goes to show that teamwork is so much important whether it’s batting or bowling.”Not everyone can have a good day every day, so it’s important guys coming at different points deliver.[I am] honestly not really worried about the key players not delivering consistently because they have not had opportunities consistently. A lot of the game if you see, the first half was batted by the top three batsmen and the middle order has delivered whenever it had the opportunity.”Rising Pune share a similarity with Mumbai, especially in the way young players have come to the fore. Two of their key youngsters – Rahul Tripathi and Washington Sundar – are playing their first IPL. Washington, in fact, was the thorn in Mumbai’s flesh in the first Qualifier. Smith felt their callowness might actually work in the team’s favour in a high-profile final.”That can play into your favour sometimes because you can just come out and play with freedom,” Smith said. “I thought Washington was absolutely fantastic against Mumbai the other night, for a 17-year old to come out on the big stage against some quality players and to do what he did was outstanding. Those guys, the young guys, have been a real big part of our success throughout this tournament. Hopefully, they can have a bit of success tomorrow night too. “For Fleming, the dynamic between Smith and MS Dhoni, who captained Rising Pune last year, was an integral part of the team’s success. “They’re both fine leaders with their performance. Arguably both are the best in their position. Certainly, MS for a period of time [has been up there with the best wicketkeeper-batsman] and Steve is right up there if not the best batsman in the world at the moment,” he said. “It’s just good communication between the two of them.”Much has been made of their relationship but certainly sitting with them it’s nothing but influential to the younger players and beneficial for the senior players and for me. It has been a great dynamic to be a part of. This is the first time I am working with Steve and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.”As for the coaches, how do they stay insulated from the pressure of producing results on the big night? Fleming felt most of the work was done at the start of the tournament and at the auction, and that this was the time to enjoy the fruits of the labour. “Then you bring the team together and find the right combination. If you’re lucky enough to find that in time, then it pretty much rolls along itself,” he said. “The finals should ideally be a time when you sit back because if you’re in the finals things must’ve gone right at the start. You don’t have to start over-analysing and make changes because it might not be beneficial to the team. Two of the most consistent teams are there and some great players on show. From a coach’s point of view, just a good seat in the house.”Jayawardene concurred with his counterpart’s assessment and said there was plenty of mutual respect between the teams. “You just have to be consistent throughout the tournament. For us as coaches, it’s good that whatever we planned from January onwards, how we wanted to have backups, a lot of boys were leaving, England boys and all that, so to plan all that and to get everything right and for us to be in this position is just brilliant. Right now, it’s just about having a good day tomorrow and letting the boys enjoy themselves.”

Delhi Daredevils travel to Hyderabad to try and return to winnings way, but the Sunrisers are yet to lose a game at home this season

The Preview by Varun Shetty18-Apr-2017Match factsSunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Start time 2000 IST (1430 GMT)
3:18

Hogg: Daredevils among the best bowling attacks in IPL

Head to headLast season: Delhi Daredevils beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in both matches they played last season. They were the only team Sunrisers didn’t beat during their title campaign.
Overall: Sunrisers lead 5-3 on wins overall against Daredevils. At this venue, the teams have both beaten each other once.
Recent form

Sunrisers: (third) beat Kings XI by five runs, lost to Knight Riders by 17 runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by four wickets

Daredevils: (fourth) lost to Knight Riders by four wickets, beat Kings XI by 51 runs, beat Rising Pune by 97 runs

In the newsCorey Anderson made way for Angelo Mathews in the last match because he was unwell. The New Zealand allrounder had won the Man-of-the-Match award in Daredevils’ previous win against Kings XI Punjab. He is understood to have recovered and is available for the game. We might see a reverse-swap from the Daredevils.Likely XIsSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 David Warner (capt), 3 Moises Henriques/Kane Williamson, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Naman Ojha (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi/Bipul Sharma, 8 Siddarth Kaul, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Rashid Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra/ B Sran/ Mustafizur Rahman
Delhi Daredevils: 1 Sanju Samson, 2 Sam Billings, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Angelo Mathews/Corey Anderson, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Mohammed Shami/Shahbaz Nadeem
Strategy punt- Sanju Samson has scored 125 runs against pace at a strike-rate of 176.05 this season. In contrast, he has scored only 48 runs off 47 balls against spinners. Sunrisers legspinner Rashid Khan has taken eight of his nine wickets this season in the first half of the innings. Four of those are inside the Powerplay. We could see him bowl early in the match as Sunrisers look to stop Samson’s destructive form in the Powerplay.- Daredevils might perform another reverse-swap in their XI to bring back Shahbaz Nadeem in place of Mohammed Shami. He will better suit the conditions in Hyderabad.Stats that matter Sunrisers (39) and Daredevils (33) are among the top teams on the table for most wickets taken this season. Daredevils’ position is especially impressive considering they have played only four games so far this season Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s ‘worst’ spell this season has been 2 for 27 in the first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Since then, he has conceded fewer than 21 runs in all matches. For further context on his impact – 19 out of his 20 overs this season have been bowled inside the Powerplays or in the slog overs Shikhar Dhawan has the lowest strike-rate among openers to have faced fifty balls this season – 112.50. The next lowest is Parthiv Patel’s 121.33 Daredevils have been the most effective bowling side this season – 20 of the 26 wickets they’ve taken are top-order wickets, at an average of 17.50 and an economy of 7.31 Dhawan has managed only 43 runs off 42 balls against Zaheer Khan across IPL seasons, and has been dismissed by him on four occasions The match against Kings XI on Monday was the first occasion in this season when Rashid Khan did not get a wicket off his first over of a spell Sunrisers have not lost a single game at home this season

The playmaker scored on her first Lionesses start since last October, completing another remarkable comeback after missing the Women's World Cup

There wasn’t a great deal for England to cheer about in Belgium on Tuesday. The Lionesses were sloppy, conceded three goals for the first time under Sarina Wiegman and suffered a defeat that took their UEFA Women’s Nations League and Olympic destinies out of their own hands. But there was still one really big positive from an otherwise difficult camp – the return of Fran Kirby.

Over a year since her last appearance in her country’s colours, the playmaking midfielder came off the bench on Friday in Leicester, and four days later she marked her first start for England since last October with a brilliantly taken goal that briefly gave the Lionesses the lead in Leuven.

The smile on Kirby’s face said it all, as did the glee with which her team-mates approached her to celebrate once the net had rippled. For someone who has been through injury hell this year, a knee problem forcing her to miss the summer’s Women’s World Cup, this meant so much.

Patience is going to be so important with Kirby given the length of time she has been out for, but after a promising start to the new season, this was the biggest reminder yet of what she can offer as she works her way back to her best level.

That’ll certainly be a comforting thought for an England side in a desperate situation in the Nations League, and it will have whet the appetite of all those associated with Chelsea, too, with the Blues’ chances of a fifth-successive Women’s Super League – and success beyond that – only to be increased by their No.14 being fit and firing.

Regardless of your nationality or which club you follow, if you love football then Kirby’s return is good news for you, too. Because to watch the fleet-footed forward in full flow is pure joy.

GettyOn top of the world

No season better illustrated what Kirby is all about quite like 2020-21. Forming the deadliest of partnerships with Sam Kerr, the pair ran defences ragged to help Chelsea clinch a domestic treble for the first time in a season that also saw them reach their first Women’s Champions League final.

In the WSL, she racked up 16 goals and 11 assists in just 18 games. In the FA Cup final, she broke the deadlock and teed up Kerr to double the lead over Arsenal. In the Continental Cup final, she was involved in all six of Chelsea’s goals in their thrashing of Bristol City. She was absolutely unstoppable.

But there’s another layer that makes these feats all the more impressive. In the previous season, Kirby was diagnosed with pericarditis, a heart disease which would keep her away from the game she loves for nine months. She even wondered whether she’d ever play again. To come back in such fashion, then, was absolutely incredible.

“She's been instrumental in the history we have created here,” her manager, Emma Hayes, said. “Her relentless pursuit of excellence and winning, two things I love the most, have meant that she strives for more all of the time – not even more, she just strives for better. I think that's been mirrored by who she has grown into as a person. She'll probably say the same, Chelsea and Fran Kirby are a perfect match, in every way, shape and form.

“This is probably, for me, her proudest achievement, this season, because to recover after what she went through and to produce even better performances, you have to have unbelievable character to do that, and she's shown it day in, day out.”

AdvertisementGettyCan’t catch a break

But sadly that story of having to battle back and overcome some kind of obstacle is a familiar one for Kirby. After the pericarditis, and that amazing season, she was plagued by extreme fatigue that almost prevented her from being able to help England win the European Championships in the summer of 2022.

And then, earlier this year, came the knee injury. Kirby has had pain in her knee – and problems with it – since she was 12 years old, but the feeling she had on February 9, in Chelsea’s Conti Cup win over West Ham, was different.

As each week passed, Hayes was asked in every press conference about Kirby, how she was doing and when she would be back. The answers were vague, without much information of a timeframe, and that’s because the situation was changing so much.

When it felt like she was making progress, Kirby would then be hit with a setback. This went on and on for three months until, in early May, she announced that she would be undergoing surgery to fix the issue. It meant she would miss the Women’s World Cup.

"Unfortunately after a few months of rehab the decision has been made that I will require surgery on my knee," Kirby posted on Instagram. "I have been trying my best to not have to undergo this, but unfortunately my progress has been limited due to the issue in my knee. I'm absolutely gutted to announce that this means my season is over and I will not be able to make the World Cup in the summer.”

Getty'First time in 18 years that I haven’t had pain'

While that meant Kirby couldn’t play her part in the Lionesses’ historic run to the final in Australia, it was by far and away the best decision she could’ve made.

“I couldn’t walk down the stairs, I couldn’t do normal things, couldn’t take the dog for a walk,” she told in September. “The first month was really hard because those things were taken away from me. If I can’t walk my dogs and I go home and I have to get up in the night to take painkillers because [I’m] getting woken up by [my] knee, it’s not a life. It got to the stage where I knew my knee was impacting my life. I had to fix it.

“I knew I was going to miss the World Cup but, for me, it wasn’t about that anymore. If I had surgery and it didn’t go well, at least I knew I’d be able to walk my dogs. If I can’t play anymore, at least I tried.

“I had a tripartite patella, which means that I had two pieces of bone that were connected by tissue, but they weren’t actually connected to my patella bone. I had those pieces of bone removed. A few days later, I had no pain in my knee. It was literally like the pain had just been taken away. That was a really nice moment, probably the first time in 18 years that I haven’t had pain.”

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GettyPromising signs

Taking such a decision, which will have certainly been difficult even if Kirby’s comments suggest she was thinking very clearly when she did so, is now paying dividends. It meant she could get a full pre-season under her belt, and the way she’s built on that has been quietly impressive in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

Despite only starting two of Chelsea’s first four league games, racking up just 172 minutes of a possible 360, Kirby ranks in the top five in the Blues’ squad for chances created, successful passes in the final third, dribbles completed, possession won – generally and in the final third – and for touches in the opposition’s box. That’s not a bad start from someone who Hayes is keen to stress is still “building”.

Kirby’s goal for England this week was the moment that really underlined all the good work she’s been doing. Having gone towards Lauren Hemp on the left wing for a pass, she quickly realised the better option was for her to drop off to the edge of the box to receive a cutback, and Hemp did brilliantly to disguise her intentions, not even looking at Kirby but knowing exactly where she was when she teed her up to finish.

A first goal from an England midfielder in five games, it was a reminder of what the Chelsea star brings to the table for the Lionesses.

Fulham are now targeting Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer and Mauricio Pochettino's side are open to selling him, according to reports.

Who will Fulham sign this summer?

In the past week, Whites transfer rumours have been seriously hotting up, both in terms of potential departures and signings for Marco Silva.

Fulham enjoyed a successful first full campaign back in the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship, comfortably avoiding relegation and finished mid-table.

While they couldn't quite do enough to seal European football for next season, the foundations to build are there, and it is believed the west Londoners are looking at strengthening a variety of positions.

Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, Japan international Ao Tanaka, Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres, Fenerbache defender Ferdi Kadioglu and Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez have all been linked in the past 10 days.

Meanwhile, it is believed top flight rivals are eyeing moves for star Fulham players Joao Palhinha and Antonee Robinson, with Leicester City also apparently looking to steal away club captain Tom Cairney.

If these rumours come to fruition, it could well be a busy summer at Craven Cottage, with news emerging of another target on their radar.

Hudson-Odoi, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, is apparently being targeted by Fulham.

That is according to The Guardian and reliable journalist Jacob Steinberg, who claims Fulham, Milan and Nottingham Forest have registered interest in the £120,000-per-week forward.

Chelsea are prepared to sell Hudson-Odoi, and could do so for just £15 million, with the winger looking likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

He's out of contract next year, and with just 12 months remaining on his current deal, Fulham could offer him the chance to remain in west London.

Hudson-Odoi has offers from the Middle East, though it is thought his preference is to remain in Europe at this stage.

What's been said about Hudson-Odoi?

Frank Lampard once tipped the 22-year-old for stardom at Chelsea, calling him an "incredible" player back in 2019 whilst claiming he could be "huge" for the Blues.

Fast forward to now, and that hasn't quite worked out, but Lampard isn't the only person to have seriously endorsed the winger.

FourFourTwo writer Mark White, taking to Twitter just last year, called Hudson-Odoi a "special" player and drew particular attention to his "unbelievable vision" and "sheer mentality".

Given he is available for just £15m, and Fulham are in need of forward depth, he could be a prudent option.

Chelsea "really, really like" AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and are interested in bringing the player to the Premier League, but the deal itself is "really tough" to get done, claims journalist Ben Jacobs.

Chelsea transfer news – what's the latest on Mike Maignan?

The Blues have been having something of a fire sale in recent weeks, with players like N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly joining the Saudi Pro League, whilst Mason Mount and Kai Havertz have moved to Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively.

Among the players bidding farewell to Stamford Bridge is Champions League-winning goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who has also opted to join the Middle East's burgeoning super league, joining Al-Ahli.

That move has left Kepa Arrizablaga as the club's undisputed number one, but based on recent reports, it appears that the club does not have the most faith in the Spaniard.

According to the Telegraph, Chelsea are 'considering a move' for the French international, despite manager Mauricio Pochettino's 'willingness to start the season with Kepa.'

If the Blues are serious about securing the keeper's signature, they will have to stump up some serious cash, as transfers expert Fabrizio Romano revealed earlier this month that Milan have priced their player at over €55m.

What has journalist Ben Jacobs said about Mike Maignan to Chelsea?

Jacobs explained that the interest and admiration from the West London club is genuine.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "Mike Maignan is someone that Chelsea really, really like, but it's a really tough deal to do with Milan."

Would Mike Maignan be a good signing for Chelsea?

While Kepa has certainly improved for Chelsea over the last 18 months, Maigan would be a brilliant signing for the Blues and a real step up in terms of quality.

According to WhoScored, Milan's shot-stopping extraordinaire had a brilliant season in Serie A last year, averaging a rating of 6.64 across his 22 games.

The Cayenne-born "monster" – as described by journalist Robin Bairner – looks even more impressive when you look at his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Frenchman is in the top 8% for saved penalty kicks, the top 11% for goals against, and the top 22% for clean.

If that wasn't enough FBref also considers both Alisson and Ederson to be within the five most similar goalkeepers to Maignan, hardly bad company to keep.

If Chelsea can, they certainly should get this deal done, even if AC Milan want a king's ransom.

India captain Virat Kohli described Yuvraj Singh’s 32-ball 53 as a game-changing innings in what eventually became a comfortable 124-run win over Pakistan at the 2017 Champions Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston 04-Jun-2017

Yuvraj Singh’s “game-changing” innings is the reason India were able to numb Pakistan with a “clinical” performance. That was the conclusion arrived at by India captain Virat Kohli, who said Yuvraj transformed the match and his team-mates’ mindsets completely with his presence and his skills in a 124-run win over Pakistan in their 2017 Champions Trophy showdown on Sunday.Yuvraj’s 53 off 32 balls was full of eye-catching strokeplay and helped India break free from a sluggish phase towards the back end of their innings. After a stable but steady start provided by the opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, India failed to press the accelerator, partly because of intermittent disruptions caused by the frequent rain at Edgbaston.Yuvraj, however, launched himself as soon as he arrived at the crease – an approach that lifted Kohli’s confidence.”The way Yuvi batted, it was the game-changing innings, to be honest,” Kohli said after the victory. “That gave all of us the confidence to start striking the ball well.”Despite playing an ODI in England for the first time since 2007, Yuvraj showed no signs of struggle. He had missed both the warm-up matches as he was recovering from a bout of viral fever which had laid him low as soon as he arrived from India. Kohli has been a firm backer of Yuvraj, who, he believes has the game suited for big occasions like Sunday.”The way he batted was the way only he can strike the ball,” Kohli said. “Hitting low full-tosses for fours and sixes, and even digging out yorkers for fours, was outstanding.”When Yuvraj joined Kohli in the 37th over, the Indian captain was on 29 off 37 balls having just been involved in the run-out of Rohit Sharma and struggling to find a rhythm. He had started off neatly, but then got stuck – partly as a consequence of a rain delay that stopped play in the 34th over – something not often seen with Kohli, even during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s rough campaign in IPL 2017. Kohli admitted that he was never fluent until he reached the half-century mark and that the rain breaks muddled his thought process.”I think till 40, I was easing into the game, taking my ones and twos like I always do,” Kohli said. “I could not go for the big ones because it was tricky. We went off about four times. And we came back in, and so as a player who likes to play the long innings till the end and usually plays like that for the team, it becomes very difficult to find momentum every time you come back and all you got to do is play yourself in again.”However, Yuvraj, who struck 150 against England on January 19 in the last ODI series India played, imposed himself on Pakistan quickly.”When Yuvi came in, we didn’t go back out again,” Kohli said. “So, he started striking from ball one and, as I said, that took pressure off me, and maybe I should have given him strike.”That really deflated the opposition and that gave me a bit of time to settle in from the other end. When he got out, I took over. But I think his innings was a difference in the game.”Kohli said that Yuvraj’s success always rubs off positively on the rest of the team.”If he plays like that you know the team is always in a good space because you can really rely on him to come in and just play a match-changing innings, more often than not,” Kohli said. “And he will end up doing it three out of five times. That’s why we back him at that spot.”Yuvraj departed 10 deliveries before India’s innings closed. Kohli and Hardik Pandya then stroked 34 runs off the remaining 10 balls to take India to a formidable total. Kohli said that by then he had found his mojo – he scored 36 runs off the last 11 balls of his innings – and Pandya’s big hitting came in handy towards the end.”I decided to stay still and just back the strokes that I have, and a few connected, and that’s what happens in this sport,” Kohli said. “Momentum comes your way, it goes away, but you’ve got to stay patient. And when it comes back, you’ve got to capitalise on it. So I believe in myself, I can get 30 of 10 balls as well in the end. And it was just showing a bit more composure.”

Arsenal are among the sides willing to pay Fenerbache star Arda Guler's release clause and he wants a transfer away immediately, according to reports.

Who will join Arsenal this summer?

As widely reported, the Gunners have agreed a £105 million total fee for the transfer of West Ham United star Declan Rice, who is now expected to make the move to north London.

Arsenal, though, don't appear to be done there after also sealing a £65 million deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Indeed, Southampton's Romeo Lavia is firmly on manager Mikel Arteta's radar this summer, with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber coming as another who Arsenal are currently in talks for.

This could end up being one of Arsenal's busiest transfer windows in recent memory, with reports suggesting they may spend north of £200 million on fresh faces.

New targets are appearing on a consistent basis too, as Emirates transfer chief Edu is credited with an interest in signing Fenerbache's Guler.

The in-demand Turkish wonderkid, who is already capped at international level, has attracted a plethora of suitors both abroad and domestically.

Spanish outlet Diario AS expand on this, claiming Guler is wanted by "half of Europe", with Newcastle United, Manchester United, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Sevilla, Barcelona and even Real Madrid chasing his signature.

It is believed that the 18-year-old wants to leave Fenerbache "right away", which is where Arsenal come in, as AS state that the north Londoners are "willing to pay" his €17.5million (£15m) alongside the aforementioned sides.

If Arsenal are to make a move for Guler, they will need to hurry, as both Barca and Real will soon make attempts to convince the player.

Who is Arda Guler?

Branded the "Turkish Messi", Guler is amassing quite the reputation, having stood out as one of Fenerbache's best-performing players per 90 as a teenager last campaign (WhoScored).

The talent racked up seven goal contributions in 20 league appearances over 22/23, all while averaging making more key passes per 90 than any Fenerbache player (WhoScored).

Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo, commenting on Guler recently, even said he has the potential to play anywhere in the world.

"Arda Guler is a very talented player,” Pirlo said.

“He has the potential to play anywhere in the world. He has quality, he can read the game well, and he has great technique. If he keeps developing his game, there is no limit to his potential.”

USMNT star Weston McKennie has issued a rally cry for Juventus ahead of their match vs Inter on Sunday.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mckennie issues rally cry for Juventus
• USMNT star fit to start after injury scare
• derby D'Italia on Sunday vs Inter

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In an interview with SkySports Italia, the USMNT midfielder spoke at length about the past year he has had at the club level – from relegation with Leeds United to uncertainty over his Juventus career – McKennie now believes he's found his footing in Italy. Beyond that, he's now become a voice for the team, and issued a rally cry for their supporters and his fellow teammates ahead of their most crucial match of the season so far.

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• WHAT MCKENNIE SAID

  "Juventus-Inter is really an important match, although it has to be said that here in Italy all matches are very competitive, and even more so the match against them… and this year even more so given the standings, and given that Serie A is the most important competition we play."

  McKennie added that "If we manage to take the three points, we would be back at the top of the standings, but the point is that all the other matches after that will also be crucial, if you go in the lead after that you have to stay in the lead," he continued. Juventus is ready for this challenge, to try to win. It's too early to say at this time of the season, but it could be an opportunity to put the opportunity to bring the Scudetto back to Turin in the crosshairs again. It would be nice…"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mckennie has become a regular on the teamsheet under Massimiliano Allegri this season, playing in both his midfield in in a wide wingback role. Despite the USMNT star being better central, he's expressed versatility in both roles, making him even more essential to the Italian manager. Now, ahead of their biggest match of the season so far, he's being used as a voice for the team – something nobody expected based on 2022.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MCKENNIE AND JUVENTUS?

  The Bianconeri return to the pitch on Friday, Decmber 1 against Monza – but before they can even attempt to think about that match, their focus is entirely on Sunday's contest. Juve host their rivals in a top-table clash, with the Turin side being handed a chance to climb atop the Serie A leaderboard, while Inter can make the gap five points.