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ESPNcricinfo understands the board is displeased with his recent slew of public comments and has reportedly placed a gag order on him

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2018It’s only been two weeks since a four-member cricket committee came into being to oversee Pakistan’s cricket affairs, and though they may not have begun their work properly just yet, they’ve been in the news every single day. That is almost entirely down to Mohsin Khan, the head of committee, who’s made a number of public statements that have put the PCB in an awkward position and have raised tensions with other stakeholders.This, ESPNcricinfo understands, has compelled the PCB to start rethinking its decision to appoint him, and it has reportedly placed a gag order on his public comments. The PCB has refused to confirm or deny whether it has asked him to stop talking so publicly.”My statements are wrongly being taken and few people who are against my appointment are doing propaganda,” Mohsin told ESPNcricinfo. “I am here to serve my country and I have had never a discipline issue ever in my entire career. I don’t want to go into details and want to ignore all the negative stuff. I am directly reportable to chairman and he is perfectly fine with me.”Mohsin has riled up coach Mickey Arthur as well as captain Sarfraz Ahmed in his short tenure so far. In comments made just before his appointment, Mohsin called Arthur a “stupid donkey” on a TV channel. Soon after he argued that Sarfraz should be relieved of the Test captaincy.All that came after his very appointment had forced the PCB into an apparent disowning of the Qayyum Report on match-fixing – something it was then keen to insist was not the case. Arthur is understood to want an apology from Mohsin – the pair, according to the terms of the committee, officially meet three times a year – though the PCB chairman Ehsan Mani has said only that all parties should move on from the matter.Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq is also thought to be annoyed by Mohsin’s public comments on selection matters. He has reached out and sought clarity from the board about the committee’s role and suggested that he will not be happy with any intervention in selection affairs. ESPNcricinfo understands that Mohsin’s role and behaviour has been discussed among senior board officials, discussions that have also brought up names of who could replace him should he continue as he has done.All of Mohsin’s comments have been made to TV channels, a few of them to to whom he is contracted as an expert for this home season. It is not clear what officials think of his TV commitments though, as his PCB role is honorary, it is unlikely they can get him to stop them.

He didn’t return to bat after tea on the fourth day with Sri Lanka facing a fight to save the Test and the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch29-Dec-2018Sri Lanka’s chances of saving the Christchurch Test was dealt a major blow after Angelo Mathews pulled up lame late in the second session on day four, with apparent hamstring trouble.Although not out, he did not take the field after tea, and will undergo scans at some point in the day before it is decided whether he can bat again in the match. At first glance, however, the injury appeared fairly serious.Mathews was batting on 14 off 38 balls when he drove Trent Boult through mid-off and called partner Dinesh Chandimal through for two runs. Halfway through jogging the second run however, Mathews pulled up and began to hobble on his right leg, then clutched the back of his left thigh as soon as he had crossed the popping crease.He was treated on the field and continued to bat, but was seemingly unable to put much weight on his left leg through final overs of the second session. He literally hopped a single – using his right leg exclusively – before hobbling off the field at tea.Sri Lanka manager Jeryl Woutersz confirmed that a “hammy” was suspected, and that he would be “sent for scans” before a further prognosis was made.Mathews has had recurring injuries in his hamstrings and calves over the past two years, and had missed entire tours because of them. He had only just returned to the bowling crease for the first time since January 2017, delivering four overs in the first Test in Wellington, as well as in the ongoing Test.A hamstring tear now, would not only keep him out of the forthcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand, they could also put him in doubt for the Tests against Australia, which begin in late January.Sri Lanka’s World Cup plans could be affected as well, after team management had hoped he could start bowling a few overs in one-day cricket before ramping up the workload in the months approaching next year’s global tournament, in June.Mathews has been Sri Lanka’s best batsman in New Zealand, and had made 120 not out off 323 balls in Wellington to help save that first Test. For now, it seems unlikely that he will have the chance to repeat those heroics in Christchurch.

LAFC have reportedly secured the signature of AC Milan star and France international Olivier Giroud on a free transfer.

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LAFC to officially sign GiroudFrance star to join on free transfer in summerWill join Hugo Lloris at LAFCGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

After reports surfaced earlier this spring that the 38-year-old was weighing his options, from MLS to Saudi Arabia and even staying in Europe, it now appears he's made his mind up. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that the France international will officially become a member of the Black and Gold this summer.

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Giroud will slot in perfectly with the LAFC XI, as a striker is their biggest need in 2024. The 2022 MLS Cup Champions and 2023 finalists lost stalwart and club legend Carlos Vela in the offseason, and have yet to replace him.

Mateusz Bogusz has filled in valiantly, but has struggled to consistently look the part this season. The 38-year-old, who has 13 goals and eight assists in Serie A this season, will look to fill the shoes of Vela while also providing Bogusz with center-forward competition.

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Giroud will link-up with former France teammate Hugo Lloris with the Black and Gold, after the goalkeeper joined LAFC during the winter transfer window.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LAFC AND GIROUD?

LAFC are in action this weekend against the Timbers in a Western Conference showdown. Giroud and Milan, meanwhile, are set to clash with U.S. internationals Weston McKennie and Tim Weah as the Rossoneri take on Juventus on Saturday.

Liverpool can go one step closer to reaching the knockout stages of the Europa League this evening with victory over LASK.

As it stands, the Reds need four points from their remaining two matches to guarantee their passage into the round of 16, however, if Union Saint-Galloise manage to grab all three points against Toulouse, their qualification will be confirmed on matchday five.

Whilst the Thursday night jaunts to rogue destinations have supplied Jurgen Klopp with a busy fixture schedule, it has allowed him to heavily rotate his squad and keep competition for places strong.

The German tactician is expected to make wholesale changes once more to the side that salvaged a draw against Manchester City with Harvey Elliott looking poised to replace Dominik Szoboszlai, who has featured off the bench in all three appearances in the competition.

Dominik Szoboszlai's season in numbers

Liverpool's midfield needed an overhaul after looking devoid of energy and dynamism last term, but since Szoboszlai arrived at the club, he's provided Klopp with those attributes and more.

The Hungarian superstar has impressed across so many aspects, from his ball retention to his press resistance and ability to drive forward, possessing every ingredient in his locker to become a world-class midfielder.

Hailed as "incredible" by Liverpool legend John Barnes while drawing comparisons to Steven Gerrard, such praise has been directed towards the youngster because he can do everything on the pitch and that has been reflected across an array of his attacking and defensive metrics this term.

Appearances

13

Shots per game

1.9

Big chances created

5

Key passes

2.2

Accurate passes per game

51.4 (88%)

Expected Assists (xA)

2.95

Balls recovered per game

7.1

All stats via Sofascore

Szoboszlai's importance to the squad shouldn't be understated, as showcased by the table above, with the 22-year-old supplying the third most key passes in the Liverpool squad (2.2), second most big chances created (5) and the most fouls drawn in the box.

Much like Mohamed Salah, however, his minutes are restricted in this competition and that is a blessing to Elliott, who should get his chance to impress Klopp once more this evening.

Why Elliott should start against LASK

If competition for places in Liverpool's midfield wasn't so high, Elliott would be starting every week and that is a testament to how good he is.

At 20 years old, Elliott is maturing into a sensational footballer and although his performances warrant more first-team action in the Premier League, he's used the Europa League as an opportunity to showcase his talents.

Dubbed by Jamie Carragher as "special", the fleet-footed midfielder has thrived in the pocket of space in the right channel, slaloming in between defenders with his exceptional ball control and low centre of gravity.

Across four matches in the competition, he's completed a whopping 75% of his dribbles, which underscores how difficult he is to tackle when the ball is stuck to his foot like glue.

Whilst he is adept at gliding past his opponents, Elliott is also a menace out of possession, utilising his boundless energy to make two tackles, win possession 1.5 times and recover six balls per game.

If the Europa League is a stage, the England under-21 star – who scored twice in the 3-0 victory over Northern Ireland – has certainly performed with Reds bracing themselves for another exceptional display from the talented youngster this evening.

Play was suspended for eight minutes in Mirpur after umpire Tanvir Ahmed made wrong no-ball calls off Oshane Thomas

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur22-Dec-2018West Indies’ T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite reacted strongly to on-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed erroneously calling a no-ball off Oshane Thomas and even said that he was prepared to risk sanctions for protesting against it and holding up play for eight minutes.The incident occurred in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s 191 chase, when Tanvir wrongly pulled up Thomas for overstepping. Replays later confirmed that Thomas had some part of his foot behind the line.After Liton Das miscued the ball to mid-off, West Indies wanted to review the on-field not-out decision, only to be told by match referee Jeff Crowe that they couldn’t opt for it, as it was confirmed that the delivery wasn’t a no-ball only after they had heard from their dressing room.What the laws say about reviewing

3.1.1 A player may request a review of any decision taken by the on-field umpires concerning whether or not a batsman is dismissed, with the exception of ‘Timed Out’ (Player Review)

3.1.2 No other decisions made by the umpires are eligible for a Player Review with the exception of Fair Catch/Bump Ball (even after the third umpire has been consulted and the decision communicated).

The incident came minutes after Tanvir had called another no-ball off Thomas erroneously, off the fifth delivery in the fourth over. The free-hits of both no-balls were hit for sixes.”Sanctions may come and go, but if you don’t stand for something, you fall for everything,” Brathwaite said at the post-match press conference. “If the sanctions are to be handed, I would gladly take it. My team-mates need to be stood up for and as the captain of the ship, I will stand up for them.”Brathwaite said that he had already informed Crowe about the dubious umpiring decisions during the series after the second T20I on Thursday. During that game, umpire Tanvir and Gazi Sohel had given one lbw decision each, though both were off inside edges. West Indies managed to overturn the on-field calls successfully both times after opting for reviews.”I went to the match referee after the second game. I didn’t think the 50-50 decisions were going in our favour,” Brathwaite said. “Those decisions went for Bangladesh. I never ever want to accuse someone of cheating. I will stop short of that. They are professionals as well. I don’t think they would go out there to be biased or, for lack of a better word, cheat.”I didn’t accuse them of cheating but I made my point clear to the match referee that every 50-50 decision in the ODI series and T20I series up to that point went against us. Traditionally, we haven’t played the best cricket, whether red or white ball. But I found that every time I have been playing for the West Indies, the decisions have hampered us. It happened earlier in the fourth over, so a point needed to be made.”Brathwaite explained that he was asking Crowe about what the laws say about reviewing in that intense discussion and said that he had to take the responsibility by taking a stand for his team.”Everyone saw that it was not a no-ball,” he said. “For a young man who is inexperienced, Oshane Thomas was under the pump. To finally get a dismissal but the ball has gone to your name as free-hit, to bowl the extra ball with an extra run, obviously it messed his mindset. As captain I had to take fall for the team. I had to make a stance not just for myself or the team but for West Indies cricket.”Brathwaite also clarified that he had not planned to take his team off the field and had instead asked Crowe for five minutes to allow his team to regroup. “I must commend the match referee,” he said. “After we had some stern words, it was resolved. We worked too hard for my team to walk off the field or forfeit the game or series. The decision was to stay on, fight on and finish the game.”But I also asked the match referee for five minutes that our team can get their head around playing a cricket game, forget the debacle that has just happened, get past the event and let us just finish the remaining 16 overs. Thankfully it was allowed.”While Brathwaite said that making the third umpire check every delivery for a no-ball will “hamper the pace of play”, this incident in Mirpur has reopened the debate about laws.”I think the pace of play is important. As teams we often take longer to finish the overs,” he said. “I haven’t given it a serious thought but off the top of my mind, if we check every single ball, it may hamper the pace of play. There must be more strategic ways to do these things.”I don’t know what all the rules are pertaining to reviews so I don’t want to tell them how to do their job. But it can be looked at. The laws may be put into question after this incident.”

Tottenham Hotspur's winless run in the Premier League stretched to four matches after an enthralling encounter at the Etihad Stadium. Still, Dejan Kulusevski's late leveller against Manchester City underscored the newfound mindset under Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs, let's be frank, were abject last year, slumping to an eighth-placed finish in the English top-flight and letting Harry Kane slip through the floorboards and away to Bayern Munich in August, hampering the maiden stage of Postecoglou's reign, with the Australian striving to re-energise and restore the languishing side.

But England and Tottenham's record scorer was scarcely missed across the opening weeks of the campaign, with newly-appointed captain Heung-min Son firing the London side into the ascendancy, bolstered by the creativity of James Maddison, the ferociousness of Yves Bissouma and the dynamic defending of Micky van de Ven.

It was as if the formerly rusty mechanisms had been neutralised, with the clicking together resulting in eight victories and two draws from the opening ten matches of the league term; Postecoglou, for his labours, claimed a three-peat of Manager of the Month awards.

But Spurs' injury-ravaged squad have found their thinness to be their undoing across recent weeks, with a calamitous, if gallant, defeat against Chelsea preceding losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Among the biggest setbacks of this period have been the injuries inflicted on van de Ven and Maddison, with the influential summer signings both taken off against the Blues and ruled out until after the new year.

The defence is the priority for transfer reinforcements in January, but Maddison's void appears to have been filled by Argentinian midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who appears to be salvaging his career on English shores.

Giovani Lo Celso's Tottenham career so far

Everyone loves a resurgence, and Lo Celso may well be enjoying one of the Premier League's most exciting comebacks of the season, having now scored in successive matches for Spurs after sitting on the fringe for the opening phase of the term.

It's hardly surprising; Maddison, who signed from Leicester City for £40m in the summer, posted three goals and five assists before his injury and was awarded August's Premier League Player of the Month, leading pundit Jermaine Jenas to claim that he is "on the verge" of becoming world-class.

But the England international's troubles are Lo Celso's gains, and he truly looks to have pounced on the chance to impress and will play a central role over the December period.

This is after a struggle to break into stardom at the club after signing from Real Betis for £55m in 2019, having made just 90 appearances to date (which technically translates to about 24 appearances per season), and spending the past 18 months on loan with Villarreal.

Player

#1 James Maddison

#2 Paulo Dybala

#3 Florian Wirtz

#4 Isco

#5 Jamal Musiala

#6 Julian Brandt

#7 Suso

#8 Jonas Hofmann

#9 Riyad Mahrez

#10 Dominik Szoboszlai

As the table above clearly portrays, Lo Celso is comparable to some of the most creative and effective playmakers across Europe, and while he had failed to impress across previous seasons on English shores, his recent return to Spain has been most beneficial for his career.

Indeed, the 27-year-old ebbed and flowed from fitness last season but showcased his ball-playing skills during his time with Villarreal, ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 11% for assists per 90, as per FBref.

Such skills have come in handy in Maddison's absence, with Lo Celso complementing his recent goals in the Premier League with a 93% pass success rate, averaging 3.4 ball recoveries per game and winning 58% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Giovani Lo Celso's performance vs Manchester City

In the lion's den last weekend, Lo Celso produced a commendable display of crispness and intent, with Sofascore highlighting the player's incredible 100% pass completion (40/40) against Manchester City, with the £70k-per-week ace also scoring and winning three of his five contested ground duels.

According to football.london's Alasdair Gold, Lo Celso was worthy of an 8/10 match rating after the event, with the correspondent claiming that he 'started strongly but gave away the free-kick City took the lead from. However, he more than made up for that with a low curling effort in the second half to make it two goals in two games and his second goal against City. Worked hard in his 77 minutes or so and is making a difference for Spurs.'

This newfound difference-maker is serving well in Maddison's absence, and he could even prove to be Tottenham's next Christian Eriksen, hailed as a "master of the last pass" by reporter Milena Gimon.

How Giovani Lo Celso compares to Christian Eriksen

Eriksen chalked up 305 appearances for Spurs and clinched 69 goals and 90 assists across all competitions, leading erstwhile Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino to state that: "He is so special and we always call him Golazo, because he is capable of scoring unbelievable goals. The recognition from us is massive. It is true he is so quiet, so calm. He is a very relaxed person but he loves football."

After a lengthy stay in north London that established him as one of Europe's premier playmakers, Eriksen was sold to Inter Milan for £17m in January 2020 and Lo Celso was lined up as the replacement, and while the South American failed on that account, he might now be rekindling his Spurs career.

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

G/A Rate

19/20

20

2

2

0.20

18/19

35

8

12

0.57

17/18

37

10

11

0.57

16/17

36

8

16

0.67

15/16

35

6

15

0.60

14/15

38

10

2

0.32

13/14

25

7

9

0.64

Now occupying a deeper-lying role for Manchester United, Eriksen has only scored three times from 59 appearances for Erik ten Hag's side but has racked up 12 assists, underlining that unceasing creative brilliance.

The Dane ranks among the top 3% of midfielders for assists, the top 14% for passes attempted and the top 15% for progressive passes per 90; Lo Celso offers the tools to craft a season of similar influential effect under Postecoglou's wing.

While Maddison will surely be among the first names on the starting teamsheet when he recovers from his issue, Lo Celso is proving his worth with some big, crucial moments this season and will now hope to sustain his match action and performance over the forthcoming period.

Ahead of week nine of the MLS season, the league announced that three major competitive initiatives are set to be implemented this weekend.

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MLS implementing new competitive initiativesOff-field treatment, timed subs & in-stadium VAR announcements arriveDetails on nine-week delayGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowUSA Today Sports What are the three initiatives?

Prior to the start of the 2024 MLS season, the league announced that three new competitive initiatives would arrive for the campaign. However, they were delayed as a result of the months-long lockout of the PSRA officials.

With PRO, MLS and the PSRA all working together again, the following three competitive initiatives will be implemented starting this weekend: In-stadium VAR announcements, an off-field treatment rule and timed substitutions.

GOAL breaks down each rules below.

AdvertisementOff-field treatment

If a player is suspected to have an injury and remains on the pitch for more than 15 seconds, medical staff will be waved onto the grass for treatment. When it's deemed safe, the player and the medical staff will leave the pitch for further evaluation, and the player will not be able to return to the pitch for a minimum of two minutes.

Exceptions to the rule are moments where there may be a potential head injury, goalkeeper injuries, serious medical events, and fouls resulting in yellow or red cards. The goal of the rule is to reduce time-wasting by players for non-serious injuries while also creating a safe space for medical staff to evaluate players in a less-pressurized environment.

Getty ImagesIn-stadium VAR announcements

In-stadium VAR announcements by the center official are set to arrive in week nine. The announcements will be announced to fans in the stadium and to fans watching via the broadcast at home. The goal of the new rule is to share transparency between players, staff and fans with the referees when making a decision using Video Review technology.

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Timed substitutions rule

When a substitution between a player on the field and one on the bench is being made, the active player will now only have 10 seconds to leave the pitch after his number is raised on the board by the fourth official. The player is expected to leave at the closest, safest and most convenient part of the pitch.

If the active player fails to leave the pitch within 10 seconds, the player being substituted into the game will be forced to wait for a 60-second 'holding period' until entering at the next moment of stoppage. As a result, the opposition team will have a man advantage during the short time span. The rule is being implemented in hopes that it will reduce time wasting during substitution periods at any point during a match.

Lionel Messi is "making every opponent look amateur" in Major League Soccer after joining Inter Miami, according to ex-USMNT star Herculez Gomez.

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Messi has fired Inter Miami to top of standingsIn prolific form in MLSTold he's making rivals look 'amateur'WHAT HAPPENED?

Messi has made a superb start to his first full season in Major League Soccer, scoring nine times in just seven games and helping fire The Herons to the top of the Eastern Conference. The Argentine helped secure a first Leagues Cup triumph after arriving from PSG but will be aiming for more silverware in 2024 with Tata Martino's side.

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Messi's displays at the start of the 2024 MLS season have drawn regular praise from commentators and opponents alike. Former USMNT star Herculez Gomez has joined the list of admirers by explaining just how impressed he has been to see the 36-year-old more than live up to the hype after arriving in the United States.

WHAT GOMEZ SAID

He told ESPN: "He's the best player I've ever seen play Major League Soccer. I don't think it's a secret, I don't think it's debatable. You look at this guy's numbers: he's got 11 goals, nine assists in his last 10 games in all competitions. Nine league goals in the last six games. He's played 24 games in Major League Soccer since he signed with Inter Miami. He's got 22 goals, 11 assists. I'm talking primary assists, not the hockey assists that MLS adds to pad the stats. This guys has been as good as advertised. He's been that player.

"This is his playground and he's making every single player, every single opponent look amateur. It's been that good and when he's not been good there's been a reason for it, it's been injury-related. But when he's healthy, when he's fit, when he's on the pitch, he's unstoppable."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Messi has recorded a goal contribution in his last 10 straight club matches in all competitions for the seventh time in his career and the first since September-December 2018, when he was still on the books at Barcelona.

There was only one winner in the battle between India’s opening bowler and Australia’s opening batsman

Andrew McGlashan18-Jan-2019Aaron Finch is having a season to forget and is now on a run of one half-century in 23 international innings across all formats. He has admitted he needs a break, but at the moment that won’t come until April after the away series against India and Pakistan.His ODI summer ended with a tally of 83 runs in six innings against South Africa and India and it came to an end in a manner that has become very familiar in this one-day series: dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Here’s a recap of a contest that has only gone one way.Bhuvneshwar Kumar v Aaron Finch this series•ESPNcricinfo LtdSydney: b Bhuvneshwar 6Adelaide: b Bhuvneshwar 6Melbourne: lbw Bhuvneshwar 14After this match Finch will be available for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash. Whether he regains form or not, it won’t be long before battle is rejoined with Bhuvneshwar when Australia travel to India in late February.

Tottenham Hotspur ended a dismal run of form in the Premier League with a convincing 4-1 victory over Newcastle United last weekend, but must now follow this up with a big performance at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest.

Despite losing four times in that period, also drawing against Manchester City, Ange Postecoglou's side have benefitted from an electric start to the campaign and remain just three points off Pep Guardiola's fourth-placed side.

With Forest manager Steve Cooper under fire after his team's own struggles, the hosts will be desperate to secure a statement victory to wipe away the malaise, so Postecoglou will need to get his selection right to prevail.

Tottenham team news vs Forest

Tottenham's mountainous injury list is slowly shrinking, with Pape Matar Sarr and Heung-min Son both starting last weekend after different injury concerns; Richarlison also scored twice from centre-forward after a period of convalescence following groin surgery.

However, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur remain long-term absentees, meaning Spurs' squad remains without three essential components.

While Tottenham's fragile squad precludes heavy rotation, the win over Newcastle highlights the riches that can be reaped from the current crop.

Brennan Johnson's season in numbers

One player who might return to the bench is Brennan Johnson, who has recently come into his own over recent weeks after signing from Forest for £47.5m in the summer.

Perhaps Postecoglou will opt to unleash him on his former stomping ground, but with Richarlison bagging a brace last time out and Son posting a goal and assist apiece back on the left wing, it's unlikely that the Australian will disrupt such freshly braided harmony.

While Johnson has started four Premier League matches in succession, three of such appearances coming from the right, this has been to accommodate the shifting of Dejan Kulusevski to the No. 10 position.

Principally a right-sided winger, Kulusevski has started every league fixture this season and it's unlikely that that will change tonight; the Swede brings so much energy and creativity to the team.

Johnson is very talented and has even been described as a "nightmare" for opposition defenders by content creator HLTCO, but Tottenham will need to control the flow of what will be a fiery encounter against the Tricky Trees, and Kulusevski should move back out wide.

This would allow space in the centre for Giovani Lo Celso to reclaim a starting spot, with his skill set perfect to solve the task ahead.

Why Giovani Lo Celso must start vs Forest

Lo Celso was an outcast at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before bagging twice in as many games for the Lilywhites in recent weeks, having spent the past 18 months on loan with Villarreal.

The 48-cap Argentina international signed for Spurs from Real Betis for a staggering £55m fee back in 2019, but he's never quite acclimatised to the Premier League and was even branded a "flop" by The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke.

The £70k-per-week ace has proved his worth in Maddison's absence this season though, scoring against Aston Villa and then Manchester City, starting three of the past four league clashes.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Passing

Finishing

Ball retention

Crossing

Defensive contribution

Aerial duels

Dribbling

*Sourced via WhoScored

Hailed as a "master of the last pass" by reporter Milena Gimon, Lo Celso ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, passes attempted and progressive passes, and the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

This fantastic control and creativity in the centre of the park could be crucial for Postecoglou's squad in Nottingham, especially when buttressed by Yves Bissouma and Sarr in the engine room.

With so much at stake, Postecoglou must enforce the alteration, providing his team with the requisite control to subdue the cacophonous City Ground support and ensure that Tottenham take all the goods back to London.