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The transfer window might still be closed for another two months, but that hasn’t stopped the rumours circulating Arsenal.

Unless they can beat Real Madrid over two legs in the Champions League next month, Mikel Arteta’s side look likely to end the season empty-handed yet again, and a big reason for that is a lack of firepower up top.

Now, injuries have played their part as well, but when the club’s most productive player – Bukayo Saka – is someone who hasn’t kicked a ball since December, you know there is a problem.

So, it’s unsurprising to see the team being linked with a whole host of extraordinary strikers at the moment, like Victor Gyokeres, but centre-forwards are not the only players being touted for moves this summer.

Arsenal's search for new attackers

So, while Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, and Alexander Isak all continue to be linked with Arsenal due to their acute need for a prolific number nine, a whole host of wingers have also had their names connected with the club.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané, who will be a free agent in the summer, keeps popping up in connection with the Gunners, as is Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who is already Premier League-proven.

However, when there is one winger who the North Londoners seem to be prioritising above all others and he might just be the most exciting of the lot.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal are determined to add another wide player to their ranks in the summer, and both Arteta and new Sporting Director, Andrea Berta, have a top target: Nico Williams.

The Spanish international has a €58m release clause in his current contract, which is about £48m, and while that isn’t an egregious sum of money, it would need to be paid upfront, which could complicate matters.

Interestingly, though, the report has revealed that the Gunners could offer Bilbao a higher fee to structure payments more favourably.

It looks like it will be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line this year, but given his immense ability and potential, one well worth fighting for, especially as he could sensational alongside Gyokeres, should Arsenal be able to secure his services as well.

Why Williams would be incredible for Arsenal and Gyokeres

So, let’s say Arsenal are successful in their pursuit of Gyokeres this summer. Why would Williams be an incredible addition to the team, particularly for him?

Well, it comes down to two things, the first of which is his output. For example, in 37 appearances last season, totalling 2729 minutes, the young Spaniard racked up a sensational tally of eight goals and 16 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.54 games or every 113.70 minutes.

This season, he’s not been quite as devastating but has nonetheless maintained an impressive level of output, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2689 minutes.

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

37

38

Minutes

2729′

2689′

Goals

8

9

Assists

19

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.72

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvements

113.70′

168.06′

This comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.37 games, or 168.06 minutes.

Now, just imagine what the Bilbao ace’s output would look like playing alongside the Swede, who has racked up a tally of 111 goal involvements in 92 games for Sporting CP.

His already impressive assist record would explode next to a striker that prolific, and in return, the former Coventry City star would almost certainly see his own goal tally continue to impress with such a reliable provider to his left.

The second reason the “world-class” winger, as journalist Zach Lowy has dubbed him, would be such a dream teammate for the 26-year-old is that he occupies defenders so effectively.

Due to being a reliable source of goals and assists, the Pamplona-born star forces opposition defenders to expend time and energy keeping him under wraps, which in turn should free up space for his teammates.

Moreover, with FBref placing him in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, he’s capable of making things happen regardless of how much an opposition player tries to stop him.

Ultimately, Arsenal need some attacking reinforcements this summer, and while it might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, they should be going all out for Williams, especially if they also sign Gyokeres.

Arsenal's "special" teen was meant to be Ramsey 2.0, then Arteta sold him

The talented midfielder never made it at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 29, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： O Nova Iguaçu recebe o Vitória nesta quarta-feira, às 16h30, pela Copa do Brasil, consciente da importância da competição. O lateral-direito Léo Fernandes, um dos destaques do time no Campeonato Carioca, fala das vantagens do torneio nacional.

– É uma competição de enorme visibilidade e retorno financeiro para o clube. O Vitória é uma equipe tradicional e que certamente vai impor bastante dificuldade. Teremos que realizar uma partida próxima da perfeição para passarmos de fase – declarou.

+ Confira a tabela de jogos da Copa do Brasil de 2023

RelacionadasListasFluminense dá chapéu no Vasco por atacante, carrasco do Flamengo acerta com novo clube… O Dia do Mercado!Listas28/02/2023Futebol InternacionalAutor de gol em clássico, brasileiro celebra vitória do Ararat-Armenia e projeta sequênciaFutebol Internacional28/02/2023Futebol InternacionalEm retorno de Pogba, Juventus vence clássico contra o Torino com gols brasileiros no Campeonato ItalianoFutebol Internacional28/02/2023

da betano casino： Mandante, o Nova Iguaçu precisará vencer o jogo para avançar no torneio. Segundo Léo, o regulamento influenciará diretamente na forma de jogar do time da Baixada.

– Nessa etapa da Copa do Brasil uma equipe tem a vantagem do mando de campo e a outra de poder empatar. O Nova Iguaçu entrará em campo ciente de que apenas vencendo atingirá o seu objetivo e procurará jogar com inteligência – concluiu.

It is understood a group of players wrote to CSA wanting to see change following Moreeng’s lengthy tenure

Firdose Moonda11-Aug-2023Hilton Moreeng will stay on as coach of the South African national women’s team, extending his tenure beyond 11 years. Moreeng has been in charge since 2012 and was expected to move on after the home T20 World Cup, in which South Africa reached the final, but will continue for at least the 2023-24 season.ESPNcricinfo understands that a group of players are unhappy with Moreeng’s continuance and some of them took their complaints to Cricket South Africa via email. This move stems from what sources have called a desire to see a change in the coaching style following Moreeng’s lengthy tenure. However, the players have been unable to get CSA to see eye-to-eye with their thinking and Moreeng has been rewarded for a string of good results which includes qualifying for the last two 50-over World Cup semi-finals and becoming the first coach to take a senior South African team to a World Cup final.”It was never going to make sense not to extend (Moreeng’s deal) because of the back-to-back tours we have coming up now,” Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s CEO told ESPNcricinfo.Related

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Although South Africa have not played since the T20 World Cup in February, they have a full schedule over the next few months, starting with a trip to Pakistan in August. They will then return home to host New Zealand and also have visits from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka already penciled in on the Future Tours Programme (FTP) before an all-format trip to Australia in early 2024. The time between the end of Moreeng’s contract in April and this season’s fixtures was deemed too short to replace him. “It would have not been fair to ask a new person to take over and have only a month or so to prepare the team for the Pakistan series [which begins on September 1],” Moseki said.Instead, CSA has turned its attention to creating a new position in the women’s game: head of women’s cricket. Applications for the post closed on July 14 and ESPNcricinfo understands that the process of finalising the appointment is ongoing. The head of women’s cricket will report to the current Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe, who has been in meetings with the women’s team management this week.At the time of writing, Nkwe was unavailable for comment.

da dobrowin： Manchester City are now showing concrete interest in a defender, whose price tag has now dropped by £12.5m, but there may be competition for his signature from Real Madrid, according to a report.

Man City keen to strengthen at full-back

da leao： Kyle Walker joining AC Milan on loan last month could spell the end for the right-back at the Etihad Stadium, and Pep Guardiola has started to work on finding a replacement, with widespread reports linking Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento with a move.

Not only is Pep looking to strengthen at right-back, but the manager is also keen to bolster his options on the opposite side, with Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso remaining on the list of targets, having been interested in signing the Italian during the January window.

Other left-backs to be considered by City in recent times include Paris Saint Germain’s Nuno Mendes and AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez, with Pep seemingly looking to bring in competition for Josko Gvardiol.

Related Man City want to sign "insane" £83m star who Pep loves; he's a key target

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Posts ByDominic Lund Feb 26, 2025

There has now been a new update on the Sky Blues’ pursuit of Hernandez, with TEAMtalk revealing the left-back is now likely to leave AC Milan this summer, with the Italian club slashing their asking price from £41.5m to £29.5m.

Amid the £12m price drop, Man City are now showing concrete interest in the left-back, who is now climbing higher on their shortlist, with the £29.5m fee considered a fair price.

The only potential issue is the fact Real Madrid have also expressed an interest in the Frenchman, and he would be open to a return to the Bernabeu, having spent two years with the Spanish side earlier in his career.

Hernandez is a top attacking left-back

Throughout his career, the Milan defender has consistently provided an attacking threat, despite almost exclusively featuring at left-back, providing seven goals and six assists in the Serie A during the 2020-21 campaign.

Freelance Ben Mattinson has described the former Madrid man as “electric fast”, while also branding him “the best attacking LB in the world”, so it is promising news he could be available for just £29.5m this summer.

Although the report states the France international’s form has dipped this season, he has remained a key player for Milan, and he has continued to provide a consistent attacking threat over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.10 (82nd percentile)

Progressive carries

3.51 (93rd percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.14 (85th percentile)

Not only does the defender impress on the front foot, but he has also received praise for his defensive work in the past too, being lauded by CBS’ Marco Messina.

As such, Hernandez could be a fantastic signing for City this summer, and given that his price tag has fallen significantly, they should definitely pursue a move.

India offspinner available for four games, starting with Essex at Chelmsford

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2023

Jayant Yadav will be playing for Middlesex in the County Championship run-in•PTI

Jayant Yadav, the India offspinner, has joined Middlesex on a short-term deal for the last four LV= Insurance County Championship matches of the season.Yadav, 33, has taken 16 wickets at 29.06 in six Test matches for his country, the most recent of which came against Sri Lanka in March 2022. His best figures, 4 for 49, were against New Zealand in December 2021, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.However, his stand-out performance in Test cricket arguably came on England’s Test tour of 2016-17, where he made his highest score of 104, batting at No.9 in the fourth Test at Delhi and adding 241 with the then-captain, Virat Kohli, in an innings victory.”I am honoured and excited to join the prestigious Middlesex County Cricket Club for the upcoming Championship games and be a part of its rich cricketing history,” Yadav said in a club statement.”I enjoyed my experience of playing county cricket last year,” he added, having played two matches for Warwickshire in their Championship run-in in 2022, “and am eagerly looking forward to the new stint with Middlesex and contributing to the club’s success.”Yadav’s first outing is set to be against Championship challengers Essex at Chelmsford next week, prior to contests against Lancashire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire. In his first-class career to date he has taken 205 wickets, with best bowling figures of 7 for 58 for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy in 2019-20.Middlesex’s Director of Cricket, Alan Coleman, said: “With Pieter Malan returning home to South Africa, we wanted to bolster the squad with another quality signing ahead of four crucial matches that lay ahead of us in September.”We feel that spin will be an important factor in September and the opportunity to sign an international spinner of Jayant’s quality was too good an opportunity to turn down.”He brings us that extra bit of something you get from an international cricketer, experience, quality, know how – all attributes that will prove hugely valuable to us in the coming games.”We can’t wait to have him with us and wish him every success here over the coming month.”

No team had made 300 against Surrey this season, and that record threatened to stretch into a seventh consecutive innings at Chelmsford. Essex were coasting towards uncharted territory at tea on the first day, 204 for 3 and with Tom Westley, the captain, and Matt Critchley ensconced in an unbroken hundred stand, only for a clatter of wickets to leave the scoreboard reading 245 for 8, and cries of “C’mon the ‘rey” drifting across the county ground.In the end, the home side pocketed their second batting point fairly comfortably, thanks to an enterprising partnership of 62 in 12 overs between Simon Harmer and Sam Cook. Both benefited from misses in the field – Harmer put down by Rory Burns at slip on 5, while Kemar Roach at fine leg completely failed to pick up a top-edged hook when Cook had 8 – and Surrey were left to repent at leisure before Gus Atkinson returned to cap a fine display with his maiden first-class five-wicket haul.By then Essex had carved out a position from which they could hope to remain competitive. Alastair Cook has endured a lean start to the season but produced a first half-century, and his efforts were matched by Westley and Critchley; but after toiling through the afternoon Surrey girded themselves in the manner of champions. Their response, on what looks a dry surface, against Harmer, who had men crowding the bat in his one over before stumps, could determine whether they maintain their position at the top of Division One after the conclusion of this round.These two counties have won four of the last five Championship titles, and this fixture featured 13 players with international experience. There might not have the attendant fanfare of Steven Smith’s debut for Sussex at New Road, but Sean Abbott bowling to Dan Lawrence offered up a proto-Ashes duel (even if both are some way off being selected at this stage) while Ben Foakes produced a reminder of what England would miss were he overlooked behind the stumps – even as Jonny Bairstow was doing his best a few hundred miles to the north to state a convincing case for why the selectors should do just that.Surrey, whose motto might be “never knowingly under-resourced”, were able to leave out their leading wicket-taker, Dan Worrall, and still produce the sort of concerted bowling performance that eventually found a way through the cracks in Essex’s batting. And despite the presence of Abbott and Roach, their most-impressive performer was Atkinson, the 25-year-old playing his first match of the season.His best figures in any format for Surrey included the prize wicket of Cook, that venerable warhorse of Ashes summers past, as well as both Essex tail-end miscreants to finish with fine figures of 6 for 68. There was also an important contribution from the returning Will Jacks, whose flighted offbreak was responsible for ending Essex’s fourth-wicket stand at 114, Critchley’s outside edge snapped up one-handed by a flying Burns in one of the better moments of Surrey fielding. Foakes, immaculate as ever, claimed five catches behind the stumps.The morning began with Essex opting to bat, the home XI bolstered by returns for Lawrence and Sam Cook after injury. Surrey omitted Worrall as part of the planned rotation of their seamers, while Jacks made his first appearance since suffering a hip injury while on England duty that scuppered his chances of playing in a maiden IPL.Essex’s openers negotiated the early exchanges without too many alarms, although Cook did enjoy an early let off – Jamie Smith failing to latch on to a sliced drive off Abbott that looped tantalisingly towards backward point when he had made 13. Cook’s front foot was soon lunging forward, Hungry Hippos-style, to clump the ball through cover as he went past 50 for the 193rd time in this, his 21st season as a first-class cricketer. He was dropped again shortly after, Ollie Pope only able to get a hand on a diving chance at second slip.Atkinson had been the bowler to end a 62-run opening stand, finding lift and movement from back of a length with just his second ball to have Nick Browne taken at third slip, and he produced an even better one-two combination to see off Cook. Having switched to round the wicket, Atkinson jagged one past the outside edge, missing the top of off stump by a whisker, then brought his next ball back to graze the inside edge – Foakes completing the dismissal with an athletic leg-side take.A third wicket went down straight after lunch, Abbott curving one past Lawrence’s outside edge for another Foakes catch – although whether the ball came off bat or thigh pad was less clear. Essex’s fourth-wicket pair then settled into a steady rhythm as the pendulum swung back towards the hosts. There was even the chance for fans of the home side to enjoy the glovework of Foakes, an Essex boy who has gone on to greater things with Surrey, who acrobatically held on to an in-dipping Roach yorker that beat Westley all ends up only to miss leg stump.The grumbles began after Critchley and Westley departed in consecutive overs, and may have increased a notch when Michael Pepper was caught behind attempting to reverse-sweep Jacks, having made 6 off six balls with one scoring shot. A collapse of 5 for 27 undid some of the hard work but few teams will tangle with Surrey this season and emerge completely unscathed.

As a marathon Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays stretched into the sixth hour, the pitching options for both clubs were dwindling. So much so that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Fox's and 's Tom Verducci that if the game went beyond 17 innings, he would have opted to let a position player pitch.

Not on Yoshinobu Yamamoto's watch

If Roberts was serious, Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn't about to let it happen. Yamamoto, just two days removed from throwing 105 pitches in a complete game gem in the Game 2 victory, "volunteered" to pitch in the marathon game on Monday night, according to Verducci.

As Verducci chronicled, Yamamoto approached Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior and offered his services in relief, even though he was coming off back-to-back complete games in his last two outings.

And so there was Yamamoto, to the shock of baseball fans, warming up in the bullpen in the top half of the 18th inning, mere minutes before first baseman Freddie Freeman belted a walk-off home run to lift Los Angeles to victory.

Dave Roberts lauds Yamamoto for his willingness to pitch

Even though, he ultimately didn't need to turn to Yamamoto, Roberts praised the hurler for his willingness to enter the game after just expending so much energy on the mound two days ago.

"…And Yamamoto with a day off potentially taking the baseball—he was in the next inning," Roberts said after the Dodgers' 6-5 win. "And so it just speaks to, guys will do anything to win a championship. And they're laying it out there."

But that begs the question.

How long would Yamamoto have pitched had he entered the game?

"He would have gone as long as we needed," Roberts said. "He would have been the last guy."

The legend of Yamamoto continues to grow.

Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly remain interested in Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani after ruling out signing Alexander Isak.

• Man Utd & Chelsea rule out Isak pursuit
• Remain interested in PSG's Kolo Muani
• Face competition from European giant

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Juventus are expected to send a new offer for Kolo Muani but United and Chelsea could provide stiff competition for the 26-year-old. This comes days after the Premier League sides ruled themselves out of trying to recruit Newcastle talisman Isak.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds that PSG value Kolo Muani, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Juve, between €40-45 million (£35-39m) – although Tuttosport, via Football Italia, believe they could hold out for 50m (£43.7m). Whether United, who are still in search of a number nine, and Chelsea, who have signed forwards Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, are willing to pay that much for him remains to be seen.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Italian press adds that if former Nantes striker Kolo Muani, who appears to not have a future at PSG, didn't move to Juventus, then the Old Lady would strike out for United's Rasmus Hojlund. Incidentally, the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt man scored 10 goals in 22 appearances for the Italian giants last term.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Despite these reports suggesting United and Chelsea are interested in Kolo Muani, ESPN has claimed that the Blues and Arsenal turned down the chance to sign the PSG attacker. With just over a month to go of the transfer window, the potential suitors are likely to be revealed.

da betway： Take out Erling Haaland from the equation, and it’s likely most clubs in European football, Arsenal included, would choose to sign Alexander Isak this summer.

da dobrowin： The Gunners have had a long-vested interest in the Swede, dating back to before he was even a Newcastle player.

Sadly, after a campaign in which the Toon’s star man bagged 27 goals in 42 games, he looks like he’s staying in the north east.

Asking prices from £150m to £200m have been touted, making this move nigh on impossible for anyone, let alone the Gunners.

Liverpool are reportedly at the table too and if Arne Slot’s men were to prise the forward away from Newcastle, it would be a colossal kick in the teeth for Arsenal.

Still, there are alternatives, and alternatives that share similar traits to the Swedish superstar.

The latest on Arsenal's hunt for new attackers

With moves for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi set for completion in the not-too-distant future, Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta are getting a move on with their summer business.

Still, a new forward continues to elude them amid ongoing talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal have also been looking at wingers, namely Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa and Crystal Palace’s playmaking sensation, Eberechi Eze.

Well, what if they could find a player with the ability to play on the flanks and through the middle? That fact is certainly true of Ademola Lookman.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to Caught Offside, the Gunners are now in active negotiations to sign the Nigerian attacker from Italian outfit Atalanta.

After previous spells in England with Charlton, Everton, and Fulham, Lookman has more than proven himself in Italy and appears to be keen on coming back to the Premier League.

While Arsenal will face competition from Liverpool for his signature, the 27-year-old is said to be valued at around €45m to €50m (£38m – £43m) plus add-ons.

How Ademola Lookman could improve Arsenal

Let’s take you back to the year of 2020 for a moment. Football is being played behind closed doors due to the pandemic and Lookman has just missed one of the worst penalty attempts you will ever see.

A panenka looks great when it comes off, but in this instance, it disgraced and embarrassed a young Lookman.

Since then, the attacker has become “one of the best prospects in Europe”, in the words of former Man City defender-turned pundit Nedum Onuoha.

Why? Well, who could forget the Lookman final, a game where Atalanta won the Europa League in 2024 courtesy of the Nigeria international who scored a stunning hat-trick to seal a 3-0 win over Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.

It was genuinely one of the best individual performances you will see on a big stage and he’s not slowed down since that moment.

During the 2023/24 campaign, Lookman scored 17 goals and supplied ten assists in all competitions. In 2024/25, he was even better in front of goal, netting 20 and registering seven assists.

Undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in Serie A, his rate of productivity in the final third is captivating, but the player’s versatility is also an enormous plus point. Capable of playing on the flanks, as a striker or behind the leading no.9, that versatile nature should be a big box tick for Arteta.

Such an ability to play in a plethora of positions has led data-led website FBRef to proclaim that Bukayo Saka is the third-most similar winger in Europe to Lookman, while Isak is the third-most similar striker. Not bad indeed. But, what makes them alike? We’ve crunched the numbers.

Lookman vs Isak & Saka: 2024/25 league

Stat (per 90 mins)

Lookman

Isak

Saka

Goals

0.60

0.75

0.31

Assists

0.20

0.20

0.52

Shots

3.24

3.10

3.44

Key passes

2.44

1.34

3.02

Progressive passes

2.98

2.88

3.65

Shot-creating actions

5.41

3.01

6.09

Succesful take-ons

1.48

1.37

2.14

Progressive carries

5.68

2.71

5.00

Stats via FBRef.

Blessed with pace, fleet-footedness and low centre of gravity, Lookman possesses a very similar style on the flanks to Saka and his ability to dart in behind and run the channels can draw comparisons to Isak.

That’s certainly seen in the numbers, where the former Fulham man combines the best of both players here.

He’s more potent than Saka in front of goal per 90 minutes but he creates a similar number of key passes. He’s also very progressive with his actions, only slightly falling behind Arsenal’s number 7 for progressive passes but actually ranking higher for progressive carries.

Like Isak, he completes a similar number of take-ons and they’re almost equal for shots taken as well.

So, if Arsenal are not willing to break the bank to sign someone like Sesko or Gyokeres this summer, Lookman could be the next best thing.

It’s a rare opportunity to find someone who combines the best attributes of two of the best players in the Premier League.

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Posts ByMatt Dawson Jun 29, 2025

The visitors have Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Agar and Todd Murphy as spin-bowling options, even as they ponder replacements in their pace battery

Alex Malcolm06-Feb-20232:20

Ravi Shastri: ‘I want the ball to turn from day one’

Does Green play as a pure batter?Green broke his right index finger during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa last December, and thus required surgery. He did not pick up a bat for the next four weeks, with another seven days having passed since the injury. Australia coach Andrew McDonald has already confirmed that Green is currently unable to bowl, although he admitted that he was surprised at how well Green was batting given the short recovery time.Green is pushing to play as a pure batter in Nagpur, but the short turnaround from the injury and the obvious need to be protected in the field means it might be touch and go. If Green is not fit, Australia will almost certainly pick a specialist batter at No. 6, as they did against South Africa in the Sydney Test after Green’s injury. It was Matt Renshaw who had got the nod there, and he has been in tremendous form in all formats recently and has experience in India as an opener.Related

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Will Todd Murphy get a chance to shine in India?

Battles to watch: Lyon vs Pujara, Kohli; Ashwin vs Warner, Smith

But if Renshaw plays, Australia will have five left-handers in the top seven. Peter Handscomb is a realistic option if the selectors prefer a little more right-left balance to not give R Ashwin a chance to settle against a bevy of left-handers. Hanscomb is one of Australia’s better players of spin, and had the experience of playing all four Tests in 2017. He is also coming off two back-to-back big-run-scoring seasons in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s premier first-class competition.Two spinners or three quicks?It seems highly likely that Australia will play two spinners as they have only three fit quicks to choose from following the injury to Hazlewood. Starc doesn’t arrive until after the first Test, as he continues to recover from his finger injury, while Green can’t bowl even if he does play. Australia did win at the old Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur in 2004 with three quicks and one spinner, but that was with Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz and Shane Warne.Scott Boland has hardly bowled on a flat pitch in international cricket so far•Getty ImagesScott Boland looks set to play in place of Hazlewood, and has a good record on very flat, low pitches in Australia in the Shield, although he has hardly bowled on a flat pitch in international cricket so far. Australia have one other quick option in Lance Morris, who has made a name in Shield cricket as Australia’s fastest bowler, and has proven himself to be more than capable of reversing an old ball at high pace and troubling batters on slow surfaces.But Morris regularly plays in a five-man attack for Western Australia and is used in short impact spells. Thus, handing him a Test debut in a four-man attack – especially with Starc and Hazlewood missing, and Boland low on experience – would be a huge risk, especially on Indian pitches.Who partners Lyon?It was Ashton Agar in Australia’s previous Test in Sydney, as McDonald went on record stating that they wanted left-arm orthodox to complement Lyon, particularly with Travis Head’s improvement as a part-time offspinner heightening the need for a different skillset in the attack. Agar went wicketless and battled for control, which was understandable given he has worked tirelessly at becoming one of Australia’s best T20 bowlers in recent years at the expense of playing very few first-class games; before Sydney, his last Test had come back in 2017, while since 2021 he has played only four first-class games.Todd Murphy has emerged as arguably Australia’s second-best red-ball spinner but, like Lyon, he too is an offspinner, albeit a different one. The desire for a left-arm spinner is strong, though, given that in the previous game played at the venue of the first Test, Vidarbha bowled Gujarat out for 54 when defending only 73 in the Ranji Trophy, India’s premier first-class competition. Granted, that match was played on a side pitch while the Test between India and Australia will be held on one of the centre pitches, but it was left-arm spin that did most of the damage.Ashton Agar’s last Test in Asia had come in 2017•Getty ImagesNine of the ten wickets in Gujarat’s second innings – which happened to take place on the third day of the match itself – had fallen to left-arm orthodox spin, while 23 of the last 30 in the game also went to the same kind of bowling. The pitch for the first Test is expected to be very dry, and India are certain to have at least four right-hand batters in their top seven; that number could rise if they play one or both of Suryakumar Yadav and KS Bharat.But Murphy’s record against right-handers in seven first-class matches – with 14 wickets at 26.7, and a strike rate of 62.2 – far outweighs Agar’s in his last 12 matches (10 wickets at 75.9, while striking at 171.5).Legspinner Mitchell Swepson is also in the squad, having played four of Australia’s five Tests in Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year. But Australia’s selectors have flagged a clear preference for a fingerspinner offering more control in India, with even India not preferring Kuldeep Yadav at home in recent times; although the fact that all three of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are better batters than Kuldeep might have also played a part.Eventually, Australia must decide between trying Agar for the first time in Asia in the last six years, or handing a debut to Murphy, which would leave them with two specialist offspinners, and a part-time offspinner in Head with very little rough to exploit outside the right-handers’ off stump given there will be no left-arm quicks playing in either team to create any footmarks to exploit.