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There’s no denying that Chelsea employed a scattergun spending approach in the early days of BlueCo’s ownership, but that has since been streamlined over the past few years, with Enzo Maresca proving the perfect man for the job.

Sunday’s Premier League clash is a big one, with Stamford Bridge playing host to a top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Arsenal. The second-place Blues will narrow the deficit to just three points with a win.

This is a team building toward a period of sustained success, and the tactical readings suggest that Chelsea are already one of the most exciting attacking outfits in the division, even if there is a sense that there are several levels still to be scaled.

Chelsea

2nd

22.1

Man City

3rd

21.8

Arsenal

1st

20.7

Crystal Palace

5th

20.2

Man Utd

10th

19.9

However, a question mark lingers over number nine, with Liam Delap yet to prove he is the answer. Could Chelsea be looking to sign an upgrade?

Why Chelsea are searching for a striker

In fairness, Delap has spent a sizeable portion of his first months in west London in the infirmary. Still, since returning from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for much of the autumn, the English striker has started twice in the Premier League and failed to break his duck on both counts.

That said, he did net his first goal of the campaign for the Blues against Barcelona in midweek, coming off the bench and coolly converting to seal the 3-0 win after neat interplay between Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

However, the £30m summer signing from Ipswich Town has yet to prove he has what it takes to nail down a berth at the front of Maresca’s system, and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are searching for a potential upgrade.

They may have found one. According to Sky Germany, Chelsea are among the outfits to have been informed that Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is worth about €50m (£44m), applicable for a number of top European outfits.

Chelsea are in the mix, and though Delap and Joao Pedro make up a dynamic central strike force in west London, Guirassy’s clinical record suggests he could add an interesting dimension to a title-challenging side.

What Guirassy would bring to Chelsea

Guirassy, 29, might not fit the age profile Chelsea have focused on targeting in recent years, but his experience and maturity in the final third would serve as a neat counterpoint to the younger generation.

Delap caught the eye for Ipswich last season, a shining light as he scored 12 goals across 37 Premier League outings. Kieran McKenna’s side were relegated, but so many teams swarmed for Delap’s signature, and Chelsea won the race.

The 22-year-old has a future at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca’s side need someone in the now who can maintain a fight against Arsenal, while pushing deep into the Champions League too.

Guirassy is “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to German legend Lothar Matthaus, and he ranks among the top 11% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

25/26

10

5 + 1

24/25

30

21 + 2

23/24

28

28 + 2

22/23

22

11 + 0

He’s hardly just a mindless poacher, with silky footwork and intelligent positioning that allows him to roam around the attacking half and link up with teammates.

But, at his core, Guirassy is indeed a goalscorer, and Chelsea may find that Delap earns fewer minutes with the Guinean striker in the mix.

It’s a tough one, but given the promising position Maresca’s side have placed themselves into, it might just be the move to make.

Maresca must finally sell Chelsea "passenger" who was like Estevao at 18

The international superstar may have once played like Estevao, but he’s now a problem for Chelsea.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo still justifies his place in the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, highlighting not only his recent goalscoring form at international level but also the "hunger" that drives the 40-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo is set to play at his sixth World Cup tournament, which is likely to be his last.

Ronaldo's record is 'incredible'

Appearing as a guest analyst on , Martinez spoke at length about Ronaldo and why he remains an important asset for Portugal, even at an age when most players are long retired.He will be 41 by the time the World Cup comes around and has a contract with Al-Nassr that runs until after his 42nd birthday in 2027.

"Obviously, everybody has an opinion [on Ronaldo]," Martinez said. "What I've been seeing is that, when we win and Cristiano scores the goal or two goals, the question in the press is, 'What are you going to do when Cristiano is not there? The team depends on Cristiano too much.' When Cristiano doesn't score, it's 'How are you going to win when you've got a 40-year-old in the team?'

"For us, it's easier than that. He plays because he's scored 25 goals in the last 30 games. His record is incredible. When he walks into the training camp, he's an example of professionalism, looking after himself, and using every day to become better. Then it's that pride of playing for the national team. He's the only [male] player in the world, in history, to play 227 [international] games.

"There are aspects that go down to the behaviour now. Nobody has anything given in international football. Every player has got an incredible competitive edge and what Cristiano brings alongside goalscoring – he's changed as a player, he's not the 18, 19-year-old winger that we saw – is his attitude and hungry feeling for the national team. So, while he has that, he's an incredible source of contagious positivity in the dressing room."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRonaldo has the 'biggest hunger' of any player

After everything he's achieved in his career, Martinez noted that Ronaldo is still determined to get better. His physical body is serving him well and it’s only his mindset that will change that.

"He's become a specialist in the box as a finisher, and it's this desire to carry on improving," the Portugal boss continued. "I always believed that the body retires the player. When I've seen Cristiano work, I'm convinced it's the brain that retires the footballer. His body follows his focus and mindset.

"He doesn't do it for anybody [else], he does it for himself. When we're analysing players, we can speak about any aspect, [but] we never analyse the hunger. He's got the biggest hunger that I've seen in a player. Normally a player wins a trophy and there is not the same hunger the next day in their way of working. He has that. I don't know if it's natural or something he works hard at, but he's got that hungriness not to let himself down.

"I don't think he needs to show anything. I think he's got to a point now that he plays for himself and the people he loves because he doesn't need to prove anybody wrong. What he's achieved already is enough to leave a legacy."

Ronaldo's recent lack of tournament goals

But even with Ronaldo continuing to score goals for Portugal at a prolific rate, including in the summer's UEFA Nations League final against Spain, his record in major international tournaments has been surprisingly poor by his overall career standard.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar has only found the net eight times across his five previous World Cups, spanning 22 appearances. His European Championship record is better, 14 goals in 30 games, but it's still only 22 goals in more than 50 tournament games for a player who holds the world record for goals in men's international football.

Ronaldo found the net only once at the 2022 World Cup and was actually dropped from the starting XI by ex-Portugal coach Fernando Santos after the group stage. At Euro 2024, it was no goals at all.

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AFPRonaldo's exemplary fitness record

Ronaldo has never missed an international tournament because of injury, nor has he ever suffered any kind of significant absence during 23 years as a professional player – it's a major factor why he's been able to play more than 1,000 career games for club and country.

Keeping himself fit over the next six months, whilst also aiming to win a first piece of major silverware at club level since leaving Juventus in 2021, is going to be crucial.

The New Zealand allrounder is closing in on 20 years of international cricket, but is yet to represent her country in the longest format

Vishal Dikshit04-Sep-20251:33

Bates: Will be ‘over the moon’ to play a Test match

Closing in on 20 years in international cricket, New Zealand allrounder Suzie Bates is still keeping her dreams alive of playing a Test match before she retires. Bates has represented New Zealand in 171 ODIs and 177 T20Is, captained them full-time from 2012 to 2018, has featured in nine T20 World Cups and is ready to play her fifth ODI World Cup starting later this month.But she remains without a Test cap as New Zealand last played one 21 years ago, against England at Scarborough. Bates made her international debut 19 months later and has gone on to become the top run-scorer in T20Is and sits third on the list in ODIs, behind Mithali Raj and Charlotte Edwards.New Zealand are not scheduled to play a women’s Test as per the current FTP that runs until April 2029, but Bates keeps her hopes alive while watching the other women’s teams play Test cricket, as was the case even 10 years ago, when she had said she “felt cheated”.Related

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“The feeling [of not having played a Test] is just like I’m envious,” Bates told ESPNcricinfo. “Like I think I’ve said this in another interview when I watch the [women’s] Ashes and even when I watch men’s Test cricket and they talk about it being the toughest game, it tests your skills, it tests you mentally, it tests you physically as an athlete and a sportsperson I want to be tested. So you sort of watch when there are women’s Test matches on and you’re like, ‘oh I wonder what I’d do in this situation or how I’d go about it’, and to not have that opportunity when others are playing it, you do want to experience it.”But I understand the decisions and the politics of it at times but just as a player I’m like, ‘I’d love to have a taste of how I would handle that mentally and physically’. If it happens and I’m still playing I will be over the moon. I do just think for the future of the game – I think Virat Kohli’s talked about it saying that is still where you learn the most about the game and where you are tested and if young players, if a young New Zealand player gets to go over and play a four or five-day Test match in India in those conditions with the ball turning, the amount of learning that you do and that compared to a 20-over game is you just can’t compare. So yeah, I think there’s space for it, but those decisions aren’t up to me.”171 ODIs, 177 T20Is, and nearly 20 years of international cricket, but Suzie Bates is yet to play a Test•ICC/Getty ImagesEven if Test matches aren’t scheduled for New Zealand Women in the current FTP, extra bilateral matches can be added to the schedule if there is an agreement between two boards. Bates will be 38 later this month before the World Cup starts, but was willing to work further on her fitness, tempted by the possibility of playing a Test match, if the chance came in the next year or so.”Yes, it would motivate me but there is a long time between now and then and I am just focused on contributing at this 50-over World Cup and then we will see what happens after that.”New Zealand begin their World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia on October 2 in Indore before taking on South Africa (October 6, Indore) and Bangladesh (October 10, Guwahati). They will then fly to Colombo to face Sri Lanka (October 14) and Pakistan (October 18), before returning to India for their final two league games in Navi Mumbai, against India on October 23 and England on October 26.

The Blue Jays are signing starting pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Cease was one of the most sought-after arms on the market this winter. Just two years after striking out on a frontline starter in Shohei Ohtani, the Blue Jays have struck big time with Cease.

Last season, Cease went just 8–12 with a 4.55 ERA in 168.0 innings pitched. However, Toronto is banking on the former Cy Young runner-up returning to form to help solidify the starting rotation.

The Blue Jays went 94–68 last season and lost to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. Toronto is expected to be in the mix in the American League pennant race once again in 2026 with Cease figuring to be a major part of the rotation.

Pasi’s 114 was the joint-highest individual score by a T20 debutant; Punjab seal Super League spot

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2025Debutant Pasi’s 114 propels BarodaBaroda’s wicketkeeper-batter Amit Pasi scored 114 off 55 balls against Services in Hyderabad to equal Bilal Asif’s record for the highest score on T20 debut. Pasi’s knock, featuring ten fours and nine sixes, propelled Baroda to 220 for 5. However, it was not enough for Baroda to progress to the Super League as they finished on 16 points. Services gave a tough fight but fell short by 13 .Opening the innings, Pasi reached his fifty off 24 balls, and his hundred off 44. He and Vishnu Solanki (25 off 12) added 75 in 5.2 overs for the fourth wicket. Bhanu Pania also contributed 28 not out off 15 towards the end.Kunwar Pathak and Ravi Chauhan gave Services a start of 84 in 8.2 overs, with both openers scoring 51 each. Captain Mohit Ahlawat’s 41 off 22 kept the chase going, but apart from Nakul Sharma, he didn’t find much support. Services finished on 207 for 8, their sixth loss in seven games. For Baroda, Raj Limbani was the most successful bowler, picking up 3 for 37.File photo: Ajinkya Rahane is now Mumbai’s highest run-getter in T20s•AFP/Getty ImagesSai Sudharsan’s hundred helps TN beat SaurashtraTamil Nadu and Saurashtra were well out of the race for the next stage, but B Sai Sudharsan single-handedly lifted TN from bottom place to fourth spot with an unbeaten 55-ball century for a tense three-wicket win. Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya had reduced TN to 29 for 3 in the chase of 183, and Sai Sudharsan was running out of partners after Rithik Easwaran’s 29 off 17 balls. But he kept hammering from one end, racing to a 28-ball fifty as he smashed the ball all around the park with his flicks, pulls, aerial cuts and drives.The seventh-wicket stand of 37 runs in just 13 balls between Sai Sudharsan and Sunny Sandhu pretty much sealed the game for TN as it brought the equation down to six to win from 12 balls. Sai Sudharsan was on 97, and TN needed three to win when he drove the ball elegantly and over the bowler’s head for his century and a boundary. Unadkat valiantly finished with 3 for 30.MP lose to J&K but qualify for Super LeagueMadhya Pradesh narrowly lost to Jammu & Kashmir by 13 runs in their final game, but managed to finish on second spot in Group B for their Super League qualification along with table-toppers Hyderabad. Batting first, J&K stumbled to 150 for 9, with Abdul Samad (27 off 24 balls) and Auqib Nabi (32 off 21) making the major contributions.MP’s only partnership of promise was between opener Harsh Gawali (33 from 32 deliveries) and No. 4 Harpreet Singh Bhatia (32 off 29) worth 68 off 51 balls. But they soon went off track after the stand was broken, and the experienced Rajat Patidar (2) and Venkatesh Iyer (23) could not contribute much. Three wickets each for Nabi and Sumit Kumar soon bowled MP out for 137.File photo: Naman Dhir hit 61, with four fours and three sixes•BCCIDhir, Harpreet help Punjab seal Super League spotNaman Dhir’s rapid 61 off 36 and Harpreet Brar’s all-round show propelled Punjab to a competitive total of 188 for 8 to seal their 75-run win over Gujarat and earn them a Super League berth. Dhir blasted four fours and three sixes at No. 4, followed by cameos from Salil Arora (30 off 19) and Sanvir Singh (30 off 17) before Harpreet smashed 24 off just eight balls at No. 9.Harpreet was particularly belligerent in taking apart Harshal Patel for 24 runs from his six balls, as the pacer leaked 57 runs from his four overs. Ravi Bishnoi was also expensive, conceding 36 runs from his four. Gujarat crumbled to 113 in 16.1 overs in reply, with opener Urvil Patel bagging a duck, and only one of their top nine crossing 15. Ashwani Kumar, Ramandeep Singh, Harpreet, Sanvir and Gaurav Chaudhary took two wickets apiece.Haryana knock Bengal outHaryana were the other team to progress from Group C, as their top-four batters led them to 191 for 9 against a Bengal attack led by Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep and Shahbaz Ahmed. Bengal fell short by 24 runs, and were knocked out. Haryana captain Ankit Kumar (46 off 30), Nishant Sindhu (48 off 31) and Yashvardhan Dalal (31 off 22) led the charge with the bat to see off Shami’s spell of 4-0-30-4 while Akash Deep went for 4-0-32-2. Haryana scored 99 runs in the second half of the innings, which proved to be pivotal as Bengal’s lower order floundered after Abhishek Porel’s 47 off 24 at the top and Writtick Chatterjee’s 44 off 33 at No. 4. Only one Bengal batter went into double-digits after their top five.File photo: Virat Singh scored 69 off 36 balls•PTI Rahane 95* leads Mumbai to big win against OdishaMumbai, who had qualified earlier from Group A, along with Andhra, finished the league stage on a high by chasing down 168 against Odisha, as Ajinkya Rahane’s unbeaten 95 off 56 balls led them to the win. Medium-pacer Suryansh Shedge picked 3 for 46 to keep Odisha to 167 for 7.In reply, Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan smashed 74 runs in the powerplay in the absence of regular opener Ayush Mhatre. Angkrish Raghuvanshi then joined Rahane to finish unbeaten on 38 off 26 deliveries for a nine-wicket win with four overs to spare. Rahane became the top-scorer for Mumbai in T20s with 1727 runs, going past Suryakumar Yadav’s tally of 1717.Virat, Kushagra and Minz help Jharkhand beat RajasthanRajasthan and Jharkhand had already made it to the Super League from Group D, and they faced-off in a top-of-the-table clash in Ahmedabad. Jharkhand’s batting might, led by Virat Singh (69 off 36 balls), captain Kumar Kushagra (55 from 37), and Robin Minz (58 off 27) charged them to 215 for 5, which proved to be too much for Rajasthan, who were all out for 179, with three wickets each for left-arm spinner Anukul Roy and left-arm quick Sushant Mishra.

She isn’t used to batting too early in the innings in ODIs, but it’s happened two games in a row now, and Chloe Tryon has come good on both occasions

Vishal Dikshit14-Oct-20253:33

Review – South Africa find ways to win under pressure

“We like the challenge, we like the pressure.”South Africa have flipped the script in this World Cup more than once since being rolled over for 69 in their opening game against England. And even though the routes they have taken to get to two points in their last two fixtures haven’t been cruises, they have almost started to enjoy the obstacle-ridden paths, as their latest hero Chloe Tryon put it.If stumbling to 142 for 6 in a chase of 252 against India was not enough, South Africa tottered to 78 for 5 chasing 233 against Bangladesh on Monday. Nadine de Klerk smashed the winning six on both occasions, but what will really soothe South Africa’s nerves heading into the second half of the league stage is that they have had a new batting star in each game since Tazmin Brits’ century against New Zealand, South Africa’s only convincing win so far. After de Klerk silenced the home crowd the other night, half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Tryon against Bangladesh have given their batting a new lease of life.Related

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Despite the staggering form Brits has been in this year – a record five centuries so far – such was her fate that on one of the best batting tracks of the tournament, she bagged back-to-back ducks and couldn’t even get the ball past the bowler. Against Bangladesh, the lower order would have felt the glare of the spotlight even more after Laura Wolvaardt fell for 31 – Sune Luus sat out with a hip flexor strain. When they were five down, Tryon joined Kapp, who has batted from No. 3 to 8 and turned out in more than 20 ODIs in India. Tryon, a lower-order specialist, found herself in the middle in the 23rd over, not too far from her entry point in the 20th over against India.Tryon is not used to batting so early in the innings: she had faced more than 70 deliveries only twice before in 96 ODI innings. It was not just an unfamiliar situation but unknown territory too. While the crowd against Bangladesh was sparse, she had been in front of over 12,000 vocal home fans in the fixture against India.As much as the WPL in particular and the women’s game in general have seen crowds of over 50,000 on occasion in India in recent years, Tryon has hardly been part of the party. She has been in the Mumbai Indians squad in all three WPL seasons but somehow never got a game. She last toured India in July 2024 for three T20Is but barely faced 35 deliveries in the whole series, and her last ODI assignment in the country was over ten years ago. It didn’t matter as she put her head down and narrowed it down to spending time in the middle to get South Africa closer.

“Yeah, I wish I could stay in for the last couple of runs and actually take the team over the line, but yeah, I’ve just been taking that responsibility”Chloe Tryon

“I was still quite positive the way I wanted to go about it, and so really good intent,” Tryon said after the Bangladesh game – she scored a 69-ball 62 to go with Kapp’s 56 in 71 balls. “I think, the other day with India, the crowd can play into it a lot and you can kind of put pressure on yourself for no reason. So, I think for me, it’s just cutting all of that out and just going, sticking to my plans and what works best, but still trying to be really positive and just building really good partnerships.”In both games, Tryon had the advantage of stitching stands with more experienced batters – Wolvaardt and Kapp – but she had to grind it out for over an hour-and-a-half on both occasions, battling a fitness issue that has left her left leg completely strapped; she even needed some attention in both chases.”It’s just something that’s there,” she said of her leg. “But, yeah, I don’t think too much about it, whether I’m batting or bowling.”I feel like, in a tournament like this, you want to be batting as long as you can and getting good partnerships and once you get a really good partnership going, it can thrive off that. And yeah, we then got finishes at the back end, that make it look nice and easy. But I think, for me, just making sure that I’m taking the responsibility. You know, I’ve been at my third or fourth World Cup, so a lot of experience on that, but just knowing that the longer you bat, the easier it can get. So just grinding a little bit more in the beginning.”Chloe Tryon did not let the momentum slip for South Africa at any stage•Getty ImagesThat grinding paid off most against Bangladesh – although with a slice of luck – when Kapp fell with 70 to get from 58 and de Klerk was fresh in the middle. Tryon soon whacked legspinner Rabeya Khan to wide long-on but knew she didn’t get enough to clear the rope. Once she saw the catch slip through Sumaiya Akter’s hands for a four, she added more muscle for the slog sweep the next ball and this time sent the ball sailing for six.When she ended the over with a four on the other side of the pitch, the equation had come down to nearly a-run-a-ball, which tilted the scales heavily in South Africa’s favour. Even though she was run-out trying to pinch a single in the next over, she knew most of the job was done.”Yeah, I wish I could stay in for the last couple of runs and actually take the team over the line, but yeah, I’ve just been taking that responsibility,” she said. “And now coming in really early in the India game and today as well, myself and Marizanne just spoke about taking it as deep as we could and just take it over. We knew we had time on our hand and we knew we had Nadine in the back end. We didn’t want to bring [her] in too early, so we kind of went low risk and still kind of chipped away at the runs as much as we could. And I’m just happy we still find ways to get over the line.”Tryon and South Africa know they “haven’t played our perfect game yet” but for now they sit third on the points table and such is their tried-and-tested batting depth that their remaining three oppositions have to start finding new ways to put pressure on this batting order.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that an injured Spurs star won’t be back in action for a ‘long time’, with the Dane currently minus a few key first-team players.

Tottenham battle Slavia Prague in the Champions League

Spurs welcome Slavia Prague to North London tonight seeking to reignite their automatic Champions League knockout round hopes with a victory that would edge them closer to securing a coveted top-eight finish.

Frank’s side need all three points against the struggling Czech outfit to maintain momentum after Saturday’s morale-boosting 2-0 win over Brentford ended their miserable six-match winless streak.

The Lilywhites currently sit 16th in the Champions League standings with eight points from five matches, sitting just two points behind the automatic qualification places.

Saturday’s Premier League victory will give Spurs more confidence following the chaotic 5-3 defeat to PSG in their previous European outing, with Richarlison and Xavi Simons securing all three points against Frank’s former employers last weekend.

Despite their lacklustre home form overall this year, the hosts actually boast a formidable home record in European competition, remaining unbeaten in 22 consecutive European games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Spurs have won both their Champions League home matches this campaign without conceding, defeating Villarreal and FC Copenhagen.

History also favours Frank’s side, having never lost to Slavia Prague in four previous European meetings, recording three victories and one draw.

Slavia arrive in desperate circumstances, languishing in 31st with just three points from five matches and facing the genuine prospect of early elimination.

The Czech champions have endured a torrid European campaign, failing to register a single victory while remarkably going four consecutive Champions League fixtures without scoring.

Their attacking struggles represent their most significant weakness, with just two goals across the entire league phase.

Despite domestic dominance — sitting five points clear atop the Czech First League following Friday’s 2-1 victory over Teplice — Jindrich Trpisovsky’s side have repeatedly failed to translate that form onto the continental stage.

Their 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal highlighted the gulf in quality when facing elite opposition, while goalless draws against Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao demonstrated defensive resilience without much threat going forward.

Frank faces several selection concerns heading into the clash, though.

Destiny Udogie is sidelined with a hamstring injury which will keep him out until January, while Randal Kolo Muani is doubtful after limping through Saturday’s victory.

Brennan Johnson is also ‘touch and go’ for the encounter, according to Frank, but one significant positive looked to have emerged from Monday’s training session.

James Maddison was spotted working on the grass for the first time since rupturing his ACL during August’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle, with Frank providing an update on the Englishman.

Thomas Frank shares James Maddison update out of Tottenham

Regrettably, while the £170,000-per-week playmaker sparked excitement when he was clocked in training, Frank has confirmed in quotes relayed by The Press Association, that Maddison still won’t be back for a ‘long time’.

The 29-year-old, who bagged 22 goals contributions in all competitions last term (12 goals, 11 assists), has been a sore miss for Spurs as they heavily rely on the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Simons for their creativity.

Simons’ phenomenal solo run and goal against Brentford will have done the Dutchman a world of good for his confidence following real criticism since his marquee move from Leipzig in the summer.

The pressure is on him to deliver in the ongoing absence of both Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, with Frank also remaining vague about the latter’s recovery timeline.

After Slavia, Tottenham travel to struggling Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and only a win will do there too.

Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has become the latest pundit to weigh in on Mohamed Salah's remarks after being left on the Liverpool bench for the 3-3 draw against Leeds United. Salah accused the club of throwing him "under the bus" and was subsequently left out of Arne Slot's squad for the 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Salah left out of Liverpool squad for Inter win

In the wake of his outburst, Salah was omitted from Slot's squad for the trip to Inter on Tuesday night. The Reds managed to put the drama to one side and delivered a crucial win for their under-pressure manager, claiming a 1-0 victory thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai's late penalty which was awarded after Alessandro Bastoni pulled Florian Wirtz's shirt in the penalty area. The Egyptian's absence was still a major talking point in the aftermath of the victory, with Slot indicating he needs the legendary forward to make the first move and show some contrition before he can be reintegrated into the matchday squad. Captain Virgil van Dijk struck a similar tone, indicating he will talk to Salah ahead of Saturday's clash with Brighton, which would be the last chance Liverpool fans get to see the 33-year-old in action before he leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHenry insists Salah criticism was 'wrong'

Henry is widely regarded as one of the Premier League's greatest ever players, having won the league title twice during his time at Arsenal. He has since held managerial positions with Monaco, the Montreal Impact and France's Under-21s side and their team for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The former striker also enjoyed assistant roles with Belgium and has now entered the discourse surrounding Salah, insisting the forward should have known his position would be under threat following a series of below-par performances in comparison to his incredible showings in 2024-25.

Henry told CBS Sports: "You need to protect your team at all costs, all the time. I can understand you want to speak. I can understand the frustration. I don't [understand] the how and the when. That doesn't make sense to me. That was wrong and when people talk about relationships, the only relationship a coach wants to have with a player is for him to perform. 

"If you're not performing, then your position is in danger. It's not [your] due to have a position, especially at a club like Liverpool…It has nothing to do, again, with what he has achieved. I repeat – I love Mo Salah. I love what he has done in the game. That's a different topic. There, that's not how you go about stuff."

Pundits continue Salah criticism

Henry is the latest pundit to give his take on the controversial situation currently engulfing Salah. He was labelled a "disgrace" by Jamie Carragher in the immediate aftermath, being criticised for causing "maximum damage" with the timing of his remarks. The former Reds defender then took another pop at the former Roma star after Salah posted a selfie of himself training in Liverpool's gym alone, having been left at home as the rest of the squad jetted across Europe to Italy.

Danny Murphy also wasn't too happy with Salah's antics, insisting the claim he was "thrown under the bus" after another starting XI omission "doesn't stack up". Michael Owen was similarly unimpressed, insisting the star forward should have "bitten his lip" instead of going to the media with his complaints.

Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Salah and Liverpool?

The next few days will be critical in whether Salah is brought back into the squad for the game against Brighton on Saturday. It seems Slot is keen for Salah to apologise first but he has been open to welcoming Salah back into the squad, though whether that happens before he leaves for the AFCON remains to be seen. Right now, it's unlikely that he will be gifted a starting XI place barely a week after his outburst, but a position on the bench could give the attacker the opportunity to wave goodbye – either temporarily or permanently – before he leaves for international duty.