Former Manchester United star Scott McTominay scored a superb goal for Napoli as his impressive spell in Italy continued.
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Leeds United’s transfer business has yet to take off in January, but it’s to be expected with many in and around the club anticipating a quiet window this month.
Outgoings have started to gradually take place at Elland Road, with Charlie Crew joining League Two Doncaster Rovers, alongside Joe Gelhardt, who’s joining Hull City on loan for the remainder of the season.
The moves for the aforementioned pair are vital, handing them valuable first-team minutes to continue their development, and opening the door to new arrivals to provide added quality and depth.
Various names such as Bali Mumba have surfaced in recent days, but as of yet, no progression has been made on any potential incomings for Daniel Farke.
However, that being said, one name continues to be mentioned with a move to Yorkshire this month, with the player now wanting to leave his current side for a new challenge.
Leeds remain in the race for player who wants to leave
According to German outlet BILD, Leeds are still monitoring the progress of Borussia Mönchengladbach centre-back Nico Elvedi over a potential move this window.
The 28-year-old Swiss defender has previously been touted as an option for Farke’s side, but the latest update could give them a potential boost in their pursuit.
The report states that Elvedi would want a move to England in the near future, with his current side in the market for a new central defender by the end of the month. Previously valued at around ÂŁ8m, this could be a rather big deal for any second-tier side to complete.
Such links could provide the Whites an edge in their hunt for reinforcements, with the international star undoubtedly bolstering the club’s current promotion ambitions.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It would also allow the hierarchy to complete a deal for a player who may be able to follow in the footsteps of a former fan-favourite should he complete a move to Elland Road.
Why Elvedi could be Leeds’ next Georginio Rutter
French attacking midfielder Georginio Rutter joined Leeds back in January 2023 for a club-record ÂŁ35.5m, looking to provide added ammunition in their quest for Premier League survival.
However, he was unable to do so, failing to make a real impact – registering just one assist in his first 11 outings following his big-money transfer to the club.
The drop-down to the Championship would be the turning point of his career under Farke, starring as the club managed to reach the play-off final – notching a tally of eight goals and 16 assists, forming a deadly partnership with Crysencio Summerville.
Rutter would depart the Whites last summer, with Premier League side Brighton triggering his ÂŁ40m release clause, allowing the club to make a profit despite his wobbly start to life in England.
The fanbase will always cherish him for his magic moments at Elland Road, with the club having an opportunity to replicate such business with a move for Elvedi.
On the face of it, the comparison may seem far-fetched, but the similarities between the pair, both moving from the Bundesliga in a winter window, could see Farke land a player who could play a pivotal role in their title ambitions in the coming months.
The Swiss star, who’s been dubbed “one of the best defenders” by one scout and analyst, has impressed in Germany this campaign, producing numerous defensive figures that would improve the options currently at the manager’s disposal.
Games played
11
Goals & assists
2
Pass accuracy
91%
Duels won
4.3
Aerial battles won
2.4
Interceptions
1.1
Recoveries made
4.1
Whilst no deal is near any form of completion, an opportunity to land a player of his calibre is something the hierarchy can’t turn their noses up at – having all the tools to ensure this season is one to remember for the fanbase.
Dubbed a “tremendous player” by German football expert Chris Williams, if he were to follow in Rutter’s footsteps and have a similar sort of impact, it would be an unbelievable addition and one that could massively boost Farke’s chances of ending the club’s two-year Premier League exile.
The next Dan James: Leeds strongly pushing to sign "sensational" PL talent
Daniel Farke is pushing to make reinforcements to his Leeds United squad.
ByEthan Lamb Jan 14, 2025
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ good momentum under new manager Vitor Pereira stalled on Monday night after a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest. It was a disappointing result for the Old Gold who had previously won two and drawn one under their new boss.
It was the worst possible start for the home side, with former star Morgan Gibbs-White giving Forest the lead. It is fair to say there is no love lost between the Molineux faithful and the Forest number 10, who was greeted with boos from the terraces. It was a poor goal to concede from Wolves, letting Gibbs-White gallop into acres of space in the leadup to his goal.
The Old Gold nearly had their equaliser on two occasions through Jorgen Strand Larsen. His first shot was cleared off the line after some great play by Hwang Hee-chan, and Mats Selz made a brilliant point-blank save to deny him again.
On the stroke of half-time, Forest scored again this time through the in-form Chris Wood. The New Zealand international found space in the penalty box and fired home a cross. Forest got their third late in second-half stoppage time, hitting Wolves on the counterattack with Taiwo Awoniyi scoring.
It was certainly a disappointing night for Pereira’s men, with some poor performances throughout the side.
Wolves’ worst performers vs. Forest
One of the most frustrating performers for the Old Gold on Monday night was the experienced Matt Doherty. The Irishman struggled to cope with the pace and power of Callum Hudson-Odoi, which led to Wood’s goal.
Indeed, that was noted by Birmingham World journalist Charlie Haffenden. The football correspondent gave Doherty a 4/10 rating, explaining that he ‘defended appallingl’” for Wood’s strike just before halftime.
Another player who struggled for Periera’s side was midfielder Tommy Doyle. Starting in place of Andre, the Manchester City academy graduate struggled to make much of an impact in the centre of the park on and off the ball.
That is something that is reflected in his stats on Sofascore at the end of the game. The 23-year-old had 38 touches of the ball but did not create a chance and lost possession six times. He also won just won out of two ground duels and did not win any of his duels in the air.
As disappointing as Doherty and Doyle were for the Old Gold on Monday, there was someone who was arguably even more disappointing. That player was Goncalo Guedes.
Guedes’ stats vs. Forest
It was a frustrating night for the Portugal international, but not for lack of effort. Guedes worked hard but to little avail, running tirelessly all night without any end product. However, he was perhaps to blame for Gibbs-White’s opener, with his poor header the reason Forest could regain possession in the first place.
His grim night at the office was certainly reflected in the stats at full-time. The 28-year-old, who was substituted after 75 minutes, had 42 touches of the ball and lost possession a disappointing 11 times, also failing to complete either of his two dribbles. Guedes also lost all seven of his attempted duels.
Stat
Number
Touches
42
Pass accuracy
84%
Passes completed
26/31
Number of times possession lost
11
Ground duels won
0/5
Aerial duels won
0/2
Dribbles completed
0/2
His performance earned him a 5/10 rating from Haffenden. The journalist was critical of Guedes’ error for Forest’s first goal, citing his ‘poor header’ as a reason for the goal. He also explained he was ‘unsuccessful with many of his dribble attempts’, which is certainly what the stats say.
Wolves’ next Premier League assignment sees them face a tough trip to Newcastle United, days after an FA Cup clash with Bristol City. It seems as though Periera could drop Guedes from the side after his performance against Forest.
If he does drop the winger, he will not be short of options. Carlos Forbs and Pablo Sarabia are both players who could step into that number 10 role, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde can also pay further forward.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Dropping Guedes would be a bold call given he has started three out of four games under Pereira so far. However, something needs to give after a poor 3-0 defeat to Forest, and perhaps that is the change the new Old Gold boss needs to make.
MatĂ©riaMais NotĂcias
De olho na Série B, o Grêmio começa a fortalecer o seu elenco e anunciou nesta terça-feira a chegada do atacante Gabriel Teixeira.
– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B
Aos 21 anos, o jogador desembarca no Rio Grande do Sul com a indicação de Roger Machado, que comandou o atleta na época de Fluminense.
Contrato
Gabriel Teixeira foi contratado pelo Grêmio por empréstimo e o acordo é válido até dezembro.
ConcorrĂŞncia
No Tricolor, Gabriel Teixeira vai lutar por uma vaga no time titular com Campaz, Ferreira, Janderson e Elias.
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It wasn’t a flawless performance, but Arsenal more than steadied the ship with their Champions League win over Monaco last night.
Mikel Arteta’s side were almost perfect in the first half, and had the likes of Gabriel Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus been at the races, they could’ve gone in with a three or four-goal lead at half-time.
Fortunately, while the Ligue 1 side offered more of a threat in the second half, the Gunners pounced on mistakes and lapses in concentration to extend their lead and eventually ended the game at a canter.
Arsenal vs Monaco
Arsenal
Statistics
Monaco
55%
Possession
45%
1.89
Expected Goals
0.38
3
Goals
0
6
Big Chances
0
16
Total Shots
7
3
Corners
1
12
Fouls
7
532
Passes
439
All Stats via Sofascore
While several players put in good performances for the North Londoners, two really stood out, one of which was, of course, Bukayo Saka.
Bukayo Saka's game vs Monaco
Yes, Arsenal’s talismanic winger once again stepped up and led from the front in a Champions League game and was entirely deserving of his Man of the Match award.
The Hale End icon was a threat throughout the encounter, opening the scoring in the first half, doubling the lead in the second half, and then providing the assist for Kai Havertz’s effort in the closing moments to secure all three points.
Unsurprisingly, the mercurial number seven seriously impressed football.london’s chief Arsenal writer, Kaya Kaynak, who awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time and praised him for producing ‘the difference-making moments’ for the team.
The 23-year-old’s statistics from the game more than justify the praise he received after the game as well.
In his 93 minutes of action, the sensational winger produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.48, took two shots on target, had one shot blocked, took 48 touches, played three key passes, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, created one big chance and made three interceptions and two tackles.
Saka’s game in numbers
Minutes
93′
Expected Goals
0.41
Goals
2
Expected Assists
0.07
Assists
1
Shots on Target
2
Shots Blocked
1
Touches
48
Key Passes
3
Big Chances Created
1
Long Balls (Accurate)
1 (1)
Interceptions
3
Tackles
2
All Stats via Sofascore
Overall, it was an utterly superb performance from someone who is now his team’s most important player, although there was another starter who was arguably just as impressive, albeit for a slightly different reason: Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Myles Lewis-Skelly's game vs Monaco
Yes, the Gunners’ other stand-out performer from last night’s brilliant win was undoubtedly Lewis-Skelly.
Now, it’s true that, with no goals and no assists to his name, it would be fair to say the 18-year-old was less influential on the result than Saka, but the reason his display was just as impressive is that it was his first start in the Champions League, and he looked right at home.
The Hale End graduate had to start due to the club’s current injury crisis, but from the very first minute, he looked entirely comfortable on Europe’s biggest stage, confident in defence, and decisive in attack.
For example, while Jesus played the ball across the box for Saka’s goal, he only had the opportunity to do so thanks to an incredible defence-splitting pass from the Islington-born gem, whom Arsenal podcaster Will Balsam fairly described as a “different beast” for a similar pass he played in the game against Bolton.
The exciting gem, whom former U18 coach Jack Wilshere proclaimed is capable of doing “things you can’t coach” left an impression on football.london’s Kayak as well, with the journalist awarding him an 8/10 rating and writing that he ‘showed composure beyond his years.’
Lewis-Skelly’s game in numbers
Minutes
64′
Passing Accuracy
45/47 (96%)
Touches
53
Lost Possession
2
Dribbles (Complete)
2 (2)
Ground Duels (Won)
5 (4)
Fouls Committed
1
Fouls Won
1
All Stats via Sofascore
Such composure is visible in some of his statistics, as he maintained a passing accuracy of 96%, took 53 touches, lost the ball just twice, completed 100% of his dribbles, won four of five ground duels, committed a single foul and won one himself.
Ultimately, it was an extremely impressive full European debut from Lewis-Skelly, and as former professional turned pundit Karen Carney said, it’s “scary how good he’ll be”.
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Manchester City are ready to aggressively attack the January transfer window in a bid to rescue their season, with Pep Guardiola personally demanding at least three new faces, according to a fresh report.
Man City make unwanted Champions League history
So used to being Champions League heavyweights, Manchester City made history for all the wrong reasons against Feyenoord as they became the first side in the competition’s history to lead 3-0 at the 75-minute mark of a game and fail to win, collapsing to allow the Dutch side to claim a famous 3-3 draw.
It continued a woeful run of form for Guardiola’s side, who have not won a game in over a month and lost each of their last three Premier League games, leaving them eight points behind Liverpool, who they face at Anfield on Sunday.
Thrashed 4-0 at home by Tottenham in their last top-flight outing, Guardiola later admitted that his side were “fragile” and said the same after the draw with Feyenoord.
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“The game was fine at 3-0, playing good, but then we concede a lot goals because we were not stable. We gave them the first and then the other one, that is why it was difficult.
“We have lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course we needed a victory. The game was good for the confidence. We were playing a good level but the first time something happened we had problems.”
One way to fix that is by fresh faces, and now Manchester City are reportedly determined to be active in January, with three men specifically requested by Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola demands Man City to sign trio in January
That is according to a report coming out of Spain, which claims that Guardiola has asked the Manchester City board to sign three new players in the winter window, with the club planning an aggressive move.
The first of those is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has been the subject of interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in recent transfer windows and is seen as Rodri’s replacement, having done so at the final of Euro 2024.
There is a ÂŁ50m release clause written into his ÂŁ49,000 a week deal in San Sebastian, but, as Liverpool found over the summer, it may not be that simple.
Another transfer that Guardiola is thought to be pursuing is Leverkusen jewel Florian Wirtz, who is seen as the future of the Manchester City attack as Kevin de Bruyne enters the twilight of his career.
Wirtz has been on fire so far this season, and scored twice against RB Salzburg to take his tally to nine for the season. With no release clause in his contract at the Bay Arena, he could be a record signing for Manchester City, while his ÂŁ120,000 a week wages would also likely need to be hiked up to move to the Etihad.
Appearances
19
Goals
9
Assists
4
Minutes per goal/assist
107
Finally, the report also claims that Manchester City are keen to add another winger to their ranks, and have pointed to Sporting CP’s Maximiliano Araujo as the player in question.
The Uruguayan is also under long-term contract until 2029, but a series of strong outings have sparked widespread interest in the 24-year-old and it is claimed that City “are looking to get ahead of the competition”.
With Wirtz and Zubimendi likely to be mega-money signings, securing deals for the trio would be a massive statement of intent in the unlikely scenario that Manchester City pulled it off midway through the campaign. They may be able to agree deals in advance of the summer though.
Everton had an extra-man advantage for almost an hour on Saturday. Brentford had been reduced to ten after Christian Nørgaard was dismissed for a high challenge on Jordan Pickford.
Three Premier League games have come and gone since Everton last scored a goal, albeit Sean Dyche’s side have kept clean sheets across their past two matches too.
Things need to change, and with The Friedkin Group looking to take over the Merseyside outfit, change is certainly going to be afoot. What, though, needs to happen for positive growth?
The things TFG need to change at Everton
While Everton’s defence is largely up to scratch, the frontline has flattered to deceive all season. Dwight McNeil is the shining light in terms of potency, and the electric Iliman Ndiaye has proved to be a promising signing, but still, the Toffees fail to bring it all together.
The tactics and attacking intent (or lack thereof) have led to an incensed fanbase that demand change. The board will point toward a steelier recent record that has bred just one defeat from eight matches, but the discerning supporters will reject any notion of tangible progress, and rightly so.
The manager, then. Dyche is losing more of Goodison Park each match, and you have to wonder how much more bland football needs to be played out before the bullet is bitten and the wheel is turned.
15.
Newcastle
10th
13
15=
Man United
12th
13
17=
Ipswich Town
18th
13
18.
Everton
16th
10
18=
Crystal Palace
19th
10
20.
Southampton
20th
9
The goals are not coming, and while Dyche must take the responsibility, he’s being let down by his star centre-forward. Indeed, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is struggling, and though he’s out of contract next summer, perhaps it would be wise to get rid of him this winter.
Why Everton need to get rid of Calvert-Lewin
Everton have enjoyed Calvert-Lewin’s talents for many years, joining as he did from Sheffield United for just ÂŁ1.5m in 2016. The 27-year-old striker has had his share of injury troubles but has spent most of the past two seasons fit, albeit lacking a clinical edge.
This season, his inefficacy at number nine has been emblematic of Everton’s struggle, of Dyche’s rust-spreading system. He’s started each of the Blues’ 12 Premier League fixtures but has now blanked across eight games, failing to assist too, having missed seven big chances and completed a rather shocking 59% of his passes, as per Sofascore.
It would appear his head is elsewhere.
It’s time for Everton to get rid. As per Football Insider, Everton are getting ready to peruse the market for a striker this January, and this might mean that the England international needs to be sold for a small sum before he can leave on a free.
AS Roma and Juventus are interested in a potential January deal, according to sources relayed by Sport Witness, and he’s clearly not going to hit his erstwhile heights again at Everton this season.
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It was once so different. Talent scout Jacek Kulig had hailed Calvert-Lewin as an “absolute monster” during his free-scoring exploits of the past, with his former teammate, Richarlison, even heralding him with the loftiest of praise.
Having been called up to the Three Lions squad in 2020, Calvert-Lewin’s efforts led Richarlison to make quite the declaration: “He must be a nightmare to play against and he has an incredible leap on him like Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Transfermarkt record that Ronaldo has scored 120 headed goals at club level, which makes up about 15% of his career total (excluding Portugal). Calvert-Lewin, conversely, has only scored 22 headed goals at club level but then has bagged far less than one of the greatest forwards of all time, with his own headed strike rate equating to a rate of 0.25.
Oh, look at that. Stay in line, Cristiano.
Just kidding. But it does show why Richarlison made that remark once. Unfortunately, Calvert-Lewin has lost his way on Merseyside, and must be sold promptly to help TFG rewrite the narrative at Everton.
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Looking to compete with some of Europe’s best both on and off the pitch, Monchi now reportedly wants Aston Villa to sign a player who’s been compared to John Obi Mikel ahead of Chelsea.
The Villans proved in the summer that they’re here to stay when it comes to competing for a European place in the Premier League and they’ve since backed that up in the form of results. Losing just once in their opening seven league games – sitting fifth as a result – and even defeating European giants Bayern Munich in between in the Champions League, things can’t get much better for those at Villa Park.
They won’t want to stop there under Unai Emery, however. Whilst they’ve got the chance, there’s no doubt that Aston Villa will want to put their Champions League status to good use by adding further reinforcements to their side in 2025.
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According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi now wants Aston Villa to sign Mario Dorgeles ahead of Chelsea after scouts compared the Nordsjaelland midfielder to former Premier League star John Obi Mikel. It’s not just Chelsea that the Villans will be competing against, however, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Brentford also reportedly keeping tabs on the 20-year-old in a busy battle for his signature.
Having won the race to sign Amadou Onana from Everton a few months ago, Aston Villa should be confident in their pursuit of yet another reinforcement and perhaps one that will complete Emery’s midfield once and for all. When 2025 arrives, Dorgeles will be one to watch.
After making an excellent start to the campaign at Danish side Nordsjaelland, Dorgeles has become a man in-demand around European football. At just 20 years old, his best is still to come in what is an exciting thought given that only four midfielders in world football managed better ball retention than the Ivorian in the 2023/24 season.
What’s more, if he is to follow in Obi Mikel’s footsteps, then swapping Scandinavia for the Premier League certainly makes sense with Villa left hoping that he decides to add a fresh twist by moving to the Midlands instead of Stamford Bridge.
It’s in the Midlands that Dorgeles could form an impressive partnership with current Villa star Onana. The Belgian has got off to the perfect start at Villa Park, quickly becoming one of Emery’s most important players, and could now receive a boost in the form of a midfield partner when 2025 arrives.
With so many of Europe’s top clubs keeping tabs on his progress, Dorgeles has the ultimate decision to make next year. Whether that ends in another vital addition to Emery’s ever-advancing Aston Villa project remains to be seen, however, as they continue to take strides on and off the pitch.
The two had missed training on Wednesday after coming down with “light flu and low fever”
Umar Farooq11-Nov-2021Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik have been declared fit by Pakistan’s medical team to take part in the T20 World Cup semi-final game against Australia in Dubai on Thursday, after they had stayed away from training on the eve of the game with mild flu and fever.Related
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The two, both first XI regulars at the tournament for Pakistan, have tested negative for Covid-19 twice in three days. Both woke up on Wednesday morning with what a team official described as “light flu and low fever”, and were advised to stay back in the hotel and remain under observation. The rest of the squad members and support staff went ahead with their usual pre-game plans, including a full-fledged training session at the ICC Academy premises. ESPNcricinfo understands that all of them had cleared their regular Covid-19 tests throughout the tournament, including the last one a couple of days ago.There was no Covid-19 scare in the team anyway, and it is understood that the team management had expected Rizwan and Malik to be available for the game. Despite that, medical professionals travelling with the team continued to assess them at regular intervals through Wednesday and Thursday.Both players, especially Rizwan, have been key to Pakistan’s plans and performances in the tournament so far, where they have run up a 5-0 record, having swept the Group 2 matches on their way to the semi-final.Rizwan, one half of a tremendous opening pairing with captain Babar Azam, has scored 214 runs in five innings so far, his runs coming at an average of 71.33 and a strike rate of 127.38. Earlier in the tournament, he also went past Chris Gayle’s record of most T20 runs in a calendar year; he now has 1676 runs in 2021, at an average of 57.79 at a strike rate of 132.59.Malik, who got into the squad as a late replacement for the injured Sohaib Maqsood, didn’t have too big a role to play with the bat in the first few games, but he starred in Pakistan’s win over Scotland in the last group match with an 18-ball 54*.Pakistan have so far fielded the same playing XI in all their matches. With Rizwan and Malik now available for selection, they could well do the same in the knockout fixture too.
The series, if it goes through, will mark the tourists’ first bit of international cricket in over a year
Annesha Ghosh and Madushka Balasuriya01-Oct-2021
Sri Lanka were last seen in action in early March last year, during the T20 World Cup•Getty Images
Sri Lanka are in talks to tour Pakistan for a series of three ODIs which will be vital preparation for both teams ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup global qualifier that starts on November 21 in Zimbabwe. If the tour goes ahead the matches will be Sri Lanka’s first in 18 months, since the T20 World Cup in February-March last year.Talks for the bilateral series have happened as an eleventh-hour arrangement after the ECB pulled their men and women’s teams from a tour of Pakistan in mid-October citing concerns over the players’ “mental and physical well-being” as well as security.ESPNcricinfo understands that Harshitha Madavi will likely lead Sri Lanka given Chamari Athapaththu, the regular captain, had taken the SLC’s permission months before this series was ever in the works to go and play the WBBL. She is currently in Adelaide, undergoing quarantine with the Perth Scorchers.If these three ODIs are confirmed – and the PCB said it is still a “work in progress” – Sri Lanka will fly out to Pakistan on October 15, following a seven-day self-isolation period. A practice game is also on the schedule.Related
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Considering they may be coming out of an 18-month break from international cricket, newly-appointed women’s head coach Hashan Tillakaratne has been focused on doing what he can to get rid of the players’ ring rust.”From October onwards we’re trying to play at least nine games with the Under-17 side boys,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “We also finished a three-week practice program in Dambulla, which went off very well. So what we’re trying to do is go through the process and give them more challenges in due course.”SLC say the lack of playing time for the women’s team has not been for want of effort. Ashley de Silva, the board CEO, said they had been trying to get a home series against Pakistan since the start of the year but could never figure out the timing.”There was a time that we wanted to get them [Pakistan] down to Sri Lanka, but due to the fact that we were playing so many tournaments, we couldn’t create so many bubbles at the same time,” he said. “We were also having problem with the resources; we couldn’t find the necessary amount of doctors to handle so many bubbles.”We were going to host them here, but then we had two tours (for the men’s side) with the South African team and then the Indian team. On top of that there were bubbles and training for some other teams as well, such as the A team. So we couldn’t find the resources to handle so many bubbles.”But we were on the lookout for a window. Now that the window has opened up, and they invited us, we jumped at the idea.”The SLC had announced a four-team 50-over women’s invitational tournament set for October, but that is unlikely to happen now, with the turnaround between the team’s return from Pakistan and their flying out again to Zimbabwe on November 15, a little over two weeks.