India’s preparations for the fourth Test in Manchester have taken a hit with two of their fast bowlers, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh, picking up injuries that are likely to rule them out of the match. ESPNcricinfo has learned the selectors have decided to add Haryana fast bowler Anshul Kamboj as cover for the final two Tests of the five-match series.While Arshdeep hurt his bowling hand in his follow through during a training session in Beckenham on Thursday, Akash Deep has picked up a groin niggle. The fourth Test, which starts on July 23 at Old Trafford, is vital for both teams as India could either draw level with England or lose the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, in case there is a result.Related

• India mull option of Jurel as keeper, Pant as batter

• Chappell: Gill must define the sort of team he wants India to be

• India 'leaning towards' playing Bumrah at Old Trafford

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had pointed out on Thursday that Arshdeep’s injury would impact India’s planning, and the team’s concerns have now deepened with doubts over Akash Deep. The right-arm quick played a key role in India drawing level in Birmingham with a 10-wicket match haul. In the next Test at Lord’s, he picked up just one wicket, struggling to find rhythm from the Pavilion End. He also walked off the field on the fourth afternoon to get some treatment, though it could not confirmed at the time what the issue was.At training in Beckenham, Akash Deep did not bowl or bat, but did fitness drills under the observation of trainer Adrian Le Roux. Whether the injuries are serious or not will only be known by Monday when India will have a media briefing, but both Akash Deep and Arshdeep travelled to Manchester from London on Saturday.Arshdeep Singh has suffered an injury to his bowling hand•Bipin Patel

As he started to bowl at training, Arshdeep, who is still uncapped in Tests, was heard saying: “I’ll bowl a lot today, cover all the work of a week, and then go and shop.” A little while later, though, he walked out and had his bowling hand taped. It could not be ascertained if he has received stitches, but Arshdeep would have counted himself in contention for the Old Trafford Test in case Akash Deep was ruled out.India now find themselves in a tight spot, and the question of Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in Manchester becomes more critical. Ten Doeschate had admitted that, with the with the series on the line, India would be “leaning towards” playing Bumrah in the fourth Test, but his selection would come down to several other factors including the weather in Manchester and the fitness of the other bowlers.Mohammed Siraj, the only India fast bowler to have played all three Tests in this series, has already bowled the most overs for the visitors and ten Doeschate said his workload would need to be carefully managed too. Prasidh Krishna, who played the first two Tests, is the other specialist fast bowler in the squad, apart from the bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur who played the first Test in Leeds.Kamboj, 24, is a stocky right-arm fast bowler who can be skiddy as well as hit the deck hard on occasion. He was part of the India A squad that played two unofficial Tests prior to the England Test series and picked up four wickets in the second match in Northampton, including twin strikes in one over in the second innings. Prior to that, Kamboj also shared an unbroken 149-run stand with Tanush Kotian in the same match, which ended in a draw.England lead the series 2-1 after their thrilling 22-run win at Lord’s, sealed in the final session of the final day.

Manchester City continued to build this season as they defeated Villarreal in Spain to stretch to seven points from three Champions League outings this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side still aren’t at their rip-roaring best, but considering they are now nine matches undefeated across all competitions, they will take plenty of positives back to the Etihad before heading to Aston Villa for a Premier League clash on Sunday.

While the Citizens as a whole are not firing on all cylinders, they are certainly getting there. And when Erling Haaland is in such unstoppable, undefinably brilliant form, it raises the level of the unit and then some.

Erling Haaland's incredible Man City form continues

He can’t stop scoring. How many times have we heard that hackneyed football saying? Well, for Haaland, it’s a truism: the Norwegian striker truly cannot stop finding the back of the net, with his first-half goal against the Yellow Submarine extending his scoring streak to 12 consecutive fixtures for club and country.

With 18 goals from 14 recent Man City games, there’s no doubt that Guardiola wields one of the most devastating strikers in the world. But then we’ve all known that for a while.

Against Villarreal, he was at his trademark best. 12 touches, four successful passes. The 25-year-old lost all three duels (data via Sofascore).

He’s not an expansive striker, and he doesn’t need to be. Haaland is, quite simply, a world-class purveyor of goals.

He is fuelled by a hard-working and dynamic supporting cast, and there was one man in particular who continued his fine form at the Estadi de la Ceramica, surely enjoying his most colourful purple patch in a City shirt.

The Man City star in the form of his career

Guardiola once said Matheus Nunes is among the best players in the world.

He since amended that statement, but there’s no question that the sagacious Spaniard saw something special in the Portuguese talent and signed him when he could.

Refashioned from midfielder to right-back, Nunes has ebbed and flowed in a Manchester City shirt, but he’s been brilliant all season.

After impressing against Everton at the weekend, he put in a stunning showing against Villarreal, with reporter Simon Bajkowski noting he was “outplaying Villarreal every time” down the right flank.

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As per the norm, City dominated the possession, and they made their control count, with Nunes instrumental in the build-up, completing 97 of 99 attempted passes, taking 110 touches and recovering three loose balls. He won four of five duels.

The 27-year-old was handed an 8/10 match rating by the Daily Express, praised for the completeness of his performance. He defended well and combined neatly with Savinho throughout, showcasing a revival of concentration and rarely suffering the defensive lapses that had plagued him and kept him on the sidelines for much of his early Manchester career.

Nunes’ Man City career (all comps)

Season

Apps (starts)

Minutes

25/26

9 (6)

621′

24/25

43 (33)

2,914′

23/24

29 (14)

1,360′

Data via Transfermarkt

Though there will be some who continue to champion the arrival of a natural right-back in the future, Guardiola has always been an outside-the-box thinker, and he’s finally got Nunes playing to his tune.

Nunes is in the finest form of his Man City career, and with a continuation of this resurgence, he will only strengthen Pep’s fight for more silverware and the wider understanding that, no, in spite of Haaland’s brilliance, City are much more than a one-man team.

Related Man Utd star looks like their best signing since Bruno & it's not Mbeumo

Manchester United have struck gold on a player who could be more important than Bruno Fernandes.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025

Back in the summer of 2008, very few Tottenham Hotspur fans would have recognised the name of Luka Modrić as the club secured his signature from Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb.

The hierarchy forked out a reported £16m, with real hope and expectation on his shoulders to provide the goods in the midfield department in North London.

It’s safe to say his spell with the Lilywhites surpassed the expectations of everyone involved, with Modric going on to feature 156 times during his four years at the club.

However, his incredible displays in the Premier League attracted the attention of Real Madrid during the summer of 2012 – resulting in a £30m switch to the Santiago Bernabéu.

13 years on, the club are still searching for their next version of the Croatian superstar, with current boss Thomas Frank having two youngsters at his disposal who could reach such levels in the years ahead.

Spurs’ most impressive youngsters in 2025/26

Archie Gray may have cost the Spurs hierarchy a pretty penny at £40m, but it appears as though it’s an investment for the immediate and long-term future.

The 19-year-old has already racked up over 50 appearances for the Lilywhites, operating in various different positions such as right-back, centre-back, left-back and his natural central midfield role.

Given his tender age, he likely has a future ahead of him in North London, with Frank already having trust in the teenager to produce the goods – as seen by his start in the Champions League this week.

However, Gray isn’t the only youngster who’s already cemented himself within the new manager’s plans, with Lucas Bergvall thriving with valuable first-team minutes.

The Swede also arrived at the club last summer, with the Lilywhites hierarchy forking out a fee in the region of £8.5m for his signature from homeland club Djurgarden.

Many expected him to originally link up with the youth side, but he rapidly cemented his place in the first-team setup – registering a total of 57 appearances in the last 15 months.

He even netted his first Premier League goal earlier this campaign, scoring the superb 3-0 triumph over city rivals West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Despite showings of the aforementioned duo, one other player currently on their books could prove to be their perfect answer to former fan-favourite, Modric.

The Spurs star who could be their next Modric

As seen by the additions of Gray and Bergvall in recent years, the Spurs hierarchy have shifted their recruitment to land younger talents to decrease the age of the squad.

The current age of the first-team squad is 25.3, making Frank’s side one of the youngest in the division – but it’s not stopped them from making an excellent start to the new season.

His men currently sit in sixth position after eight outings and ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, just five points off pace setters and North London rivals, Arsenal.

However, their investment hasn’t stopped numerous academy talents from thriving and staking their claims for regular roles within the first-team.

Luca Williams-Barnett has already made his senior debut at the age of just 16, coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup triumph over Doncaster Rovers back in September.

Numerous of their impressive young talents are currently out on loan, with attacking midfielder Tyrese Hall gaining valuable first-team action at League Two side Notts County.

The 20-year-old has spent numerous years in the youth setup, but he’s taken his first leap into professional football with the Magpies in the 2025/26 season.

Games played

9

Goals & assists

5

Pass completion rate

81%

Chances created

1.2

Successful dribbles

1.9

Shots on target

1.2

Tackles won

3.4

Duels won

6.8

He’s wasted no time in impressing for Martin Patterson’s side, subsequently scoring five times and registering one assist across all competitions to date.

Hall has already netted three match-winning goals during his temporary stint in Nottingham – already cementing himself as a key member of the squad during their promotion push.

As a result of his impressive form in recent years, former Lilywhites star Jermaine Defoe has been singing his praises, claiming that he has a “Luka Modric sort of vibe” to his current playstyle.

Given the jump between League Two and the Premier League, it will certainly take time for the youngster to make his impression on Frank’s first-team squad.

However, his recent form is evidence that he has bags of talent within his game at present, with the midfielder having the chance to prove Defoe right in the coming years.

Better than Kudus: Paratici plots Spurs move for "one of the best" PL stars

Tottenham Hotspur are already drawing up potential targets for the upcoming January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 24, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Muita coisa mudou no São Paulo e Palmeiras desde que se enfrentaram pela última vez, há pouco mais de três meses, pelas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Enquanto o Tricolor terminou a competição nacional com o título, o Verdão atravessou uma crise até então inédita na “Era Abel Ferreira”. Uma coisa, no entanto, permanece: os laterais Piquerez e Caio Paulista seguem como destaques em seus respectivos times.

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+ Acompanhe o dia dos atletas brasileiros no Pan-Americano de Santiago

Ambos marcaram gol no último encontro entre equipes e, além do bom rendimento, são unidos por um fato curioso: vivem a temporada mais goleadora da carreira. O uruguaio marcou seis gols (sendo um deles no Brasileirão) em 46 jogos disputados no ano, enquanto Caio balançou as redes quatro vezes (nenhuma no Campeonato Brasileiro) em 2023, igualando os números da temporada 2021, quando ainda atuava como atacante no Fluminense. Mas as semelhanças não param por aí.

Em campo as funções dos jogadores também são parecidas, se levarmos em consideração a maneira com que cada equipe atua: ambos são responsáveis por abrir o campo do lado esquerdo, triangular com os meias e atacantes, e chegar ao fundo. As características individuais, entretanto, são bem diferentes.

+ Veja tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

Piquerez já chegou a atuar como terceiro zagueiro no Palmeiras – a final da Libertadores de 2021 é um exemplo. Devido a sua estatura e força física, também costuma levar vantagem na maioria dos duelos defensivos que participa. Em outras palavras, o uruguaio defende e ataca na mesma proporção, é um jogador mais equilibrado.

O mesmo não pode se dizer de Caio, que até pouco tempo atrás – julho de 2022 – atuava como atacante de velocidade. E mesmo ‘efetivado’ na posição de lateral, o jogador preservou as características de ponta e deu ao técnico Dorival Júnior uma alternativa tática interessante para deixar o time mais ofensivo: Rodrigo Nestor, que em tese é o meia-esquerda do Tricolor, cai pelo meio e libera o corredor para as subidas do camisa 38.

Essas diferenças são facilmente notadas no mapa de chutes de cada jogador. Se Piquerez acumula mais conclusões de fora da área, Caio invade a área mais vezes para finalizar a gol.

Outro dado que deixa explícita a diferença entre cada jogador é a média de dribles certos no Brasileirão: o lateral do Tricolor é o jogador do elenco com mais fintas certas por jogo, enquanto o uruguaio não figura nem no top 10 do Palmeiras, ficando atrás até mesmo de jogadores que já não estão mais no Verdão, como Bruno Tabata.

Em um futebol cada vez mais coletivo, a responsabilidade dos gols vai deixando de ser exclusividade de atacantes para ser dividida entre todos os jogadores de um time. Nesse caso, sorte de Palmeiras e São Paulo, que podem contar com seus laterais-esquerdos para mudar o placar de um jogo.

England have slipped from second to third place on the WTC table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-20254:06

‘Couldn’t take your eyes off it’ – Lord’s Test among the most engrossing

England have been docked two World Test Championship (WTC) points for their slow over rate during the slim 22-run victory in the third Test against India at Lord’s. England’s tally has, as a result, fallen from 24 points to 22 on the WTC points table, and the percentage points have slipped from 66.67% to 61.11%, taking them down a spot from second to third, behind Australia and Sri Lanka.England were also fined 10% of their match fees for falling short of the allotted time for over rates.As per Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short after time allowances are taken into consideration.England captain Ben Stokes pleaded guilty to the offence, which meant there was no need for a formal hearing.The third Test, which England won to edge ahead in the series with a 2-1 lead, was a high-octane and thrilling game full of heated battles in which players often came face to face, intensity that surged towards the end of the day, individual brilliance that saw one of the fastest spells from Jofra Archer in Tests, centuries from Joe Root and KL Rahul, and a five-wicket haul from Jasprit Bumrah.The intensity of the Test went up soon after the teams went toe to toe with identical first-innings scores of 387 that reduced the Test to a second-innings showdown. Once India were set 193 to win, they took the the game to the last session with vital lower-order partnerships that Ravindra Jadeja stitched with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj before Shoaib Bashir, with a broken finger on his left hand, dismissed Siraj in dramatic fashion to spark off England’s celebrations as Indian hearts were left broken.Bashir has now been ruled out of the series, and replaced by Liam Dawson for the fourth Test, which begins from July 23 at Old Trafford.

Karun Nair has been granted the NOC to return to the side he played most of his domestic cricket for

Shashank Kishore22-Jul-2025Karun Nair, currently with the India team playing Test cricket in England, is set to return to Karnataka three seasons after his last appearance for the team. Nair, who was with Vidarbha the past two seasons, received a no-objection-certificate (NOC) from the Vidarbha Cricket Association on Monday evening, allowing him to turn out for his original state team.”I’d like to thank VCA for everything they’ve done for me in the last two years,” Nair said in a statement. “Whatever I’ve achieved in the last two years is credit to how they managed me and took care of me like I was their own. Grateful to the VCA, and all the players and support staff.”As a team, we achieved special things. The atmosphere was so positive. The opportunity to lead such an amazing bunch during the Vijay Hazare and achieving success in the Ranji Trophy is something I’ll look back on very fondly.”Nair’s return to Karnataka comes at a time when his stocks have risen considerably from the time he had left. Having been a central figure in Vidarbha’s run to their third Ranji Trophy title earlier this year, Nair earned a recall to India’s Test squad after more than eight years on the back of his 863 runs in 16 innings with four centuries at 53.93. This included a match-winning century in the final against Kerala – Kerala, interestingly, had been keen on signing Nair around the time he was left out of the Karnataka squad in 2021-22.Nair also had a record-breaking run in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he captained Vidarbha to a runners-up finish. He made a chart-topping 779 runs in eight innings, with five consecutive hundreds, while striking at 124.01. During the tournament, he set a new List A record of scoring the most runs (542) without being dismissed.Related

Nair takes his long-awaited chance to light up big stage again

He hasn’t produced anything near the same volume of runs on tour in England so far. Having warmed up for the series with a double-century for India A against England Lions in Beckenham, Nair has so far produced scores of 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 in the three Tests; his four most recent knocks coming at No. 3.Nair returns to a Karnataka set-up teeming with talented batters. R Smaran, KL Shrijith and KV Aneesh all had breakout seasons in 2024-25. Smaran topped the runs tally for Karnataka, hitting 516 runs in ten innings during the Ranji season, while Shrijith hit a century on first-class debut. With Mayank Agarwal likely to continue as captain and Devdutt Padikkal a definite starter, there could be a healthy selection dilemma for the team management. There might also a slight deviation from the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s stance of looking to the future, something the departure of senior players K Gowtham and Manish Pandey were examples of.Meanwhile, seamer V Koushik has obtained an NOC from Karnataka to shift to Goa for the upcoming season. A late bloomer who gave up a corporate job to make his Ranji debut in 2019-20 at 27, Koushik emerged as one of the key members of Karnataka’s pace attack following the retirements of R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind. Koushik was Karnataka’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy; his 23 wickets across seven matches came at 18.73. This included two five-wicket hauls.

Lionel Messi has hinted that he will form part of Argentina’s squad at the 2026 World Cup, with the all-time great expecting that event to be “extraordinary”. Questions have been asked of whether Messi, who will turn 39 next summer, will grace another international tournament. He is, however, excited about what the United States, Canada and Mexico have to offer.

Messi's international record: Caps & goals for Argentina

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi helped his country to global glory at Qatar 2022. He completed his medal collection there, with the most prestigious of trophies being hoisted aloft in the Middle East.

Ever since that triumph, speculation has raged regarding how much longer the South American GOAT will make himself available to Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni. Messi has reached 195 international caps, scoring 114 goals along the way.

He is considered to have taken in a final competitive outing on home soil, but is expected to remain in contention for selection through to next summer. That will allow him to lead the Albisceleste into a World Cup title defence as captain of his nation.

AdvertisementGettyWorld Cup hint? Messi excited about 2026 finals

Messi has been playing cards close to his chest when it comes to potential involvement at that tournament, but he has now spoken of his excitement at seeing the World Cup head to America – where he is currently plying his club trade for MLS side Inter Miami.

Speaking at the American Business Forum in Florida, Messi said: “I have very high expectations that the World Cup is going to be something extraordinary. There are going to be some great matches. Teams from all over the world are coming, and some of them are very big.”

Having previously suggested that he would not make another appearance at FIFA’s flagship event, Messi said after bidding an emotional farewell to Argentina supporters during a qualification clash with Venezuela in September: “I said it at the time. I don't think I'll play in another World Cup. Due to my age, it's logical that I won't make it, but we're there and I'm excited. I'm taking it day by day, feeling the sensations. And what's clear is that today was the last game here.”

Last dance: Messi urged to join Ronaldo at World Cup

Messi has been urged to take in a last dance with eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2026 finals, with both men entering the latter stages of their record-shattering careers. Cope journalist Tomas Guasch has said: “We were all very calm until Leo Messi appeared, questioning his presence at next year's World Cup. He says it's normal for him not to be there. But if that World Cup had any appeal, it was the final dance between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, in what would be one of the most tremendous and grandiose epics in the history of football and world sport. But Leo casts doubt on that.

“I hope he plays in the World Cup even if he's embalmed. Because there are 48 teams playing, hundreds of players, and only Messi is missing? I think it would be a joke for football, and someone should intervene. You can't leave us alone.”

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GettyInter Miami contract: Messi committed through 2028

While international retirement appears to be imminent, Messi has extended his contract at Inter Miami through 2028. He is looking forward to helping the Herons move into a new stadium next year, with Sir David Beckham and Co drawing up ambitious plans for the future.

Messi said of penning a new deal: “The fact of renewing goes hand in hand with how well we are doing, how well the family is doing and being able to continue helping in the growth of the club.”

Messi and his wife Antonela have felt settled in South Florida since moving to the United States in 2023. Inter Miami have savoured Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield triumphs since then, with a crucial playoff decider with Nashville set to be taken in on Saturday as the Herons look to chase down ultimate MLS Cup glory in 2025.

كشف الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي، المدير الفني لمنتخب البرازيل الأول لكرة القدم ما قاله للاعب ريال مدريد خلال الفترة الماضية من أجل المشاركة مع السيلساو.

ويضم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد رباعي برازيلي وهم فينيسيوس جونيور وإدير ميليتاو وإندريك وروديجو.

ويواصل الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي مشواره مع منتخب البرازيل بعدما حسم التأهل إلى كأس العالم المقبل 2026 بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

وتطرق الإيطالي للحديث عن إندريك الذي أصبح دوره مُهمشًا للغاية في تشكيل ريال مدريد تحت قيادة تشابي ألونسو إذ خاض ما يقارب 11 دقيقة فقط هذا الموسم.

اقرأ أيضًا | نادٍ فرنسي يبدأ محادثات مع ريال مدريد لضم إندريك

وقال أنشيلوتي، حول ذلك في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “من المهم أن يعود إندريك إلى اللعب مرة أخرى قريبًا”.

وأضاف: “تحدثت مع إندريك في بداية الموسم، كان مصابًا لكنه الآن بخير وقد عاد وعليه التفكير مع عائلته فيما هو الأفضل له، عليه التحدث مع النادي لمعرفة ما يناسبه”.

وأتم: “إندريك صغير السن جدًا، لن تكون هذه آخر مشاركة له في كأس العالم، قد يلعب في 2026 لأنه يمتلك الكفاءة اللازمة ولكن أيضًا في 2030 أو 2034 أو حتى 2038، المهم أن يلعب مجددًا ويُظهر كفاءته”.

Fan of the Philadelphia Phillies didn't have much patience on Sunday.

It didn't take long for Phillies fans to jump on their team during Game 2 of the NLDS against the New York Mets. After their team fell behind 2-0 early, Philadelphia's fans began booing their own players after they went scoreless in the first four innings. The boos were not subtle and came on every at-bat.

Nick Castellanos seemed to get it the worst.

Say what you want, but it appeared to work. The Mets were up 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth when Bryce Harper launched a two-run home run and Castellanos followed that up with a solo shot to tie the game at 3-3.

The Phillies led 1-0 for most of Game 1, but a five-run eighth inning rally helped the Mets take the lead for good in a 6-2 victory. Game 2 is still up for grabs.

James McClean has explained how and why he ended up punching a Cardiff fan during a car park altercation. The veteran winger was put in an uncomfortable position as Wrexham faced fierce Welsh rivals in a Carabao Cup derby clash. With emotions running high at the Racecourse, tempers boiled over behind the scenes – leading to McClean being forced to lash out.

• What happened? How McClean was confronted in car park

  The 36-year-old former Republic of Ireland international is no stranger to unwelcome attention from opposition supporters. He is often the subject of terrace taunts and has never been the kind of character to back down from a challenge.

  Much of the abuse that he endures can be shrugged off, with angry words often being aimed in his direction during the heat of competitive action. Things were, however, taken a step further when Wrexham played host to Cardiff as a group of Bluebirds supporters gained access to the car park used by Red Dragons stars. An investigation into how that happened has been opened, with McClean having to put his boxing skills to good use as he responded to a “hostile move” that was made against him while being left outnumbered.

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• Getty
  

  Why did McClean punch a fan? Wrexham star explains

  Explaining the unfortunate events, McClean told : “What happened was I got out of my car in the players’ car park. Somehow, there were four male Cardiff fans, also late 20s, early 30s. They recognised me, [and] immediately started running their mouths off at me. I ignored the first jibe. The second, I responded to, and I confronted them about it. Words were said. One of them, a tall chap with glasses, made a hostile move towards me.

  “Like I’ve told you in previous interviews, I’m in my workplace and I feel I should never feel threatened in that workplace. So instead, I wasn’t waiting for him to make the first swing. So I did. Four men, one of me.”

• Should know better: McClean hits out at fan behaviour

  Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson said of the incident, with McClean having played no part in a 0-0 draw with Portsmouth on Wednesday: “I had a chat with James on the evening and it has been dealt with and that’s it. No more to say on that tonight.

  “James has had an injection in his hip and has been playing on for weeks with it. We needed to get that right and we took the decision to do that yesterday – to get him available for the weekend.”

  McClean added on having to deal with problematic behaviour from fellow adults that should know better: “People need to understand that just because we play football doesn’t mean people can try and take liberties without their actions having consequences. That was it. Nothing further happened. And the situation was dealt with. I hope that helps.”

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• Getty
  

  Special EFL rule that benefits McClean

  McClean, who joined Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at Wrexham in 2023, has been granted special treatment by the EFL due to the attention that he attracts from rival fans. Since 2024, he has been allowed to leave the pitch by the shortest route to the tunnel when being substituted – rather than stepping off the field at the nearest point.

  He has said of that ruling: “It's not something I've asked for, so it was quite a shock to see it, to be honest. It's definitely welcome because, not just for me, but for anyone. I find that a very stupid rule anyway – leaving the pitch at the nearest exit – you're putting yourself in a situation where players have to walk around the outside of the pitch, and, especially, players playing away…and you can get idiots.

  “It's very hard to control thousands of idiots if you're a steward or police if people wanna throw things, if people wanna shout abuse – not everybody can be controlled. It just takes away the [chance of] anything stupid happening really, common sense has prevailed let's say!”

  Wrexham, who sit 14th in the Championship table at present, have one more fixture to take in before reaching the November international break – with that contest set to see them play host to Charlton on Saturday.