Jesse Lingard's long wait for a return to football may be over as the former Manchester United star has been linked with a move to South Korea.
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Arsenal are in talks to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and sell USA international shot-stopper Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest, according to reports.
Who will Arsenal sign?
Mikel Arteta has been seriously backed in this summer transfer window, with Arsenal spending over £200 million on three major signings so far.
The big one is England international star Declan Rice, who swapped West Ham for the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth a club-record £105 million (including £5 million in add-ons).
He joins both winger Kai Havertz, who signed for £65m from Chelsea, and versatile Netherlands international defender Jurrien Timber following his £38m Ajax transfer.
Despite their huge outlay, reports have suggested that the possibility of further signings is very likely, and it is believed sporting director Edu is looking firm up Arsenal's goalkeeping options.
Reliable media sources, like transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, have claimed that Brenford's Raya has already reached an agreement with Arsenal on personal terms.
Fellow reporter Pete O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, echoes Romano's point that the Gunners are in talks to sign the Spaniard.
However, it appears Arsenal are plotting a one in, one out double transfer, as they're also in simultaneous negotiations to offload Turner to Nottingham Forest.
"Arsenal are in talks to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and sell backup shot-stopper Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest," wrote O'Rourke.
"It is believed the framework of each deal is close to being agreed."
The report adds that Brentford have placed a £40 million price tag on Raya's head, while Turner comes as a Forest alternative target to Dean Henderson.
Despite being the USA's number one, Turner has been exclusively used as a backup option to Ramsdale, meaning Arsenal are happy to let him depart for the City Ground.
What's been said about David Raya?
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, commenting on Raya's first ever Spain call up last year, revered his keeper's "very aggressive" style of play and mentality.
"I think that mentality we all know, or mental state in the game, the mindset is so important," said Frank.
"So that's one thing you know you're only building stronger with your setbacks. You can't have a strong mentality if you don't have any setbacks.
"I know setbacks are different to a lot of people, but his clear and obvious abilities in terms of playing with his feet, high position, very aggressive in terms of his positioning and going for crosses, he definitely deserves this.
"He's been on the radar from the Federation of Spain, I'm pleased to see him there. I think it shows definitely a lot of credit to him because there's a lot of good goalkeepers for Spain."
According to WhoScored, the "exceptional" Raya stood out as one of Brentford's best-performing players per 90, all while playing more league minutes than any other Bees player.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was also full of praise for the keeper's distribution in late 2021, coming after Raya wreaked havoc with some of his balls in behind the Reds.
“The goalkeeper could have the shirt with No 10,” the Liverpool manager said.
“He played a few incredible balls but it was the right thing to do against us today.”
Aston Villa are eyeing a move for a former player, as reports link Adama Traore with a potential return to Villa Park.
Unai Emery and Monchi have teamed up in the Midlands to orchestrate a stellar transfer window so far, however, the duo could face their first summer disaster by opting to secure the services of the Spaniard well known in the area.
Is Adama Traore a free agent?
Following the expiration of his contract with Wolves, the winger is officially a free agent this summer.
As reported by Football Insider, the 27-year-old could be part of a ‘surprise move’ for the Villans, who look to obtain another attacking talent following the addition of Moussa Diaby.
Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…
Valued at €9.6m (£8.2m) by FootballTransfers, the Spaniard’s value has decreased significantly since his £18m move to Molineux in 2018, which should be a red flag for Villa’s pursuit.
How good is Adama Traore?
Described as a “beast” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the winger is one of the most challenging figures for defenders to come up against in one-versus-one situations on the flanks, however, his threat tends to end prematurely.
In 157 appearances for Wolves, the 5 foot 11 graduate from the infamous La Masia set-up netted just ten goals in the Premier League, highlighting his inefficiency in producing from his take-on efforts.
The Spaniard made just ten Premier League appearances for Villa during his time at Villa Park, ending a lacklustre stay with a move to Middlesbrough after just a year.
A return for the winger could be detrimental to the project that Emery is building with the club, with the player providing very little in his end product throughout the years in the top tier.
Earlier this year, pundit Jason Cundy posed the question on talkSPORT whether Traore was the “most frustrating player a manager could have”, with his poor form in registering goals and assists being a recurring theme for the explosive winger.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the Villans have obtained the services of a lacklustre player with sufficient talent, with Philippe Coutinho’s future in doubt after failing to live up to expectations at Villa Park.
The Brazilian has netted six times in the Premier League in 39 appearances for Villa, making for frustrating viewing for the side who expected to capture the once magical aura of the winger.
Emery could avoid a repeat of the disaster of the Coutinho transfer by swerving a move for Traore, who, unlike the former Liverpool ace, doesn’t have past accolades to fall back on to support his claim to form.
Throughout his career, the Spaniard’s highest-scoring season in England came in the 2017/18 campaign, in which he netted five times for Middlesbrough in the Championship.
For Villa, the ambition showed already in the window and on the field last term should be continued throughout the entirety of the summer, making a move for the dud could halt the tempo.
The club are reported to have the finances to bring in a further winger of moderate value, giving Emery and Monchi further options beyond exploring a deal to restore Traore’s stay in the Midlands.
The former captain suffered a grade one tear to his calf muscle during training
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2017Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi later this month with a calf strain. He had sustained the injury during training on Tuesday, before undergoing scans on Wednesday.SLC cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha confirmed Mathews’ unavailability.This is the latest in a long history of leg injuries for Mathews – the last 12 months having been particularly problematic. He had suffered a torn hamstring during Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa in January, and did not play international cricket again until June. He had also missed a tri-series in Zimbabwe late last year due to “multiple injuries” in his legs.Given the recurrence of these injuries, Mathews’ workload has been closely managed over the last few months. In fact, he was only required to deliver a few overs per game in the ODIs against India, and did not bowl at all in the Tests. Nevertheless, he finds himself unable to play again, just as Sri Lanka attempt to put the torrid series against India behind them. Mathews had been excellent during Sri Lanka’s last Test series the UAE, in 2013-14, hitting 412 runs at an average of 103.Sri Lanka’s two-Test series against Pakistan begins on September 28 in Abu Dhabi. The second match will be a day-night Test, in Dubai.
Luis Rubiales refuted claims he 'inappropriately' touched England's players before his non-consensual kiss on Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final.
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Manchester City appear to be looking at a possible summer move to sign Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada.
What’s the latest Man City transfer news on Thiago Almada?
Pep Guardiola and those at the Etihad have made a start on their transfer business shortly after completing a historic treble last season.
Midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been confirmed as the first addition of the summer and looks set to replace Ilkay Gundogan, joining from Premier League rivals Chelsea. Kovacic could soon be joined by compatriot and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, with reports suggesting that a move to Manchester is on the cards, with personal terms already agreed.
After Gvardiol, attentions could once again turn to midfield, but this time in a more advanced role. Talks have been held with the agent of Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga ahead of a possible move, and another young attacking midfielder in Almada appears to be of interest to the Sky Blues.
According to Argentine reporter Bruno Gonzalez Garcia, both City and rivals Manchester United have seemingly made an approach to Atlanta for Almada. Taking to Twitter on Monday he said:
“Manchester United and Manchester City consulted Atlanta United for Thiago Almada.”
Who is Thiago Almada?
Almada is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing if required and is under contract until 2025. Sponsored by Nike and valued at a career-high €20m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine won the World Cup with his country in Qatar last year, although he only played in six minutes of action.
However, he appears to be a star of the future, as he was named as one of five rising stars to watch in the MLS in 2023 and has already made 49 senior appearances for Atlanta, scoring 15 times and registering 16 assists.
Almada has even caught the eye of Lionel Messi, who heaped praise on the 22-year-old last year, labelling him as a “very fast” and “clever” player.
“Thiago is very fresh. He’s a very fast player who can play 1v1. He's clever and isn’t afraid of anything.”
Should he complete a move to the Etihad, he would provide Guardiola with another versatile option in the final third who can pay out wide or in behind a centre-forward. Therefore, he could provide competition to the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and many more both this season and in years to come, as you’d expect he will only improve on his already impressive game.
As per FBref, Almada ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for touches, passes attempted, carries, progressive passes and shot-creating actions, showing how he could fit in perfectly with Guardiola’s fluid attacking system.
City are once again set for another busy domestic campaign, playing in four separate competitions, and should Bernardo Silva leave as has been speculated, Almada could be viewed as a possible long-term replacement for the Portugal international, however, City may need to pip their closest rivals to a deal relatively quickly, making this one to watch.
Kevin O’Brien fought through a hamstring injury and launched a fine counter-attack to give Ireland a come-from-behind win that helped them level the series
The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan22-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKevin O’Brien hit eight fours and two sixes in his 60-ball knock•Associated PressKevin O’Brien fought a hamstring injury to club an unbeaten 72 that helped Ireland chase down a 221-run target with three wickets in hand in the fourth ODI against Afghanistan.O’Brien had limped off on 9, with Ireland having lost ground after a solid start. When he returned, they were reeling at 130 for 6 with Afghanistan ready to apply the choke through spin. But he responded with a half-century, built on brute force, to help Ireland draw level in the five-match series in Greater Noida.The effort followed on from his four wickets, three of them in an opening burst that broke Afghanistan’s back after they won their fourth successive toss in the series. That they were lifted to 220 was down to handy contributions from Mohammad Nabi and the lower order.Crippled by the injury, O’Brien struggled to run between the wickets, leaving him with the sole option of clearing the fence. He did that to great effect on a slow surface no less. He particularly favoured the leg-side boundary with his muscular slog sweeps.Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s best bowler of the series, bore the brunt of a few such hits in an 18-run over off the 35th to swing the momentum in Ireland’s favour. Rashid ended up suffering the worst of Kevin O’Brien’s onslaught, conceding 28 runs in the 17 balls he bowled to him.With Gary Wilson buckling down at the other end, the duo ate into the target with a 66-run seventh-wicket stand that took Ireland to the brink. Wilson picked out deep midwicket off one that skidded on from Rashid with Ireland still 25 away. It could still have been Afghanistan’s game but for Usman Ghani letting one burst through his hands at short third man to reprieve Kevin O’Brien. Unsurprisingly, Afghanistan did not get lucky after that, and Kevin O’Brien sealed the game with successive fours off Dawlat.Before the late charge, Nabi scythed through the middle order with four wickets. Paul Stirling closed the bat face early and tamely chipped a catch to mid-on off the leading edge to end a 48-run opening stand. Mohammad Shahzad’s lightning reflexes then had William Porterfield stumped after Nabi got one to turn outside off. Balbirnie lost his stumps to one that refused to sit up and McBrine played down the wrong line to one that straightened.Mohammad Nabi’s regular wickets troubled Ireland•Associated PressLike Ireland, Afghanistan lost wickets in the early exchanges. With the ball keeping low, Ireland’s bowlers reaped the benefits of sticking to accurate lines and lengths.Returning from injury, Kevin O’Brien found seam movement and made telling inroads. Off the fourth ball, he pinged the pad of Shahzad, who paid the price for playing across the line of an in-dipper. In his next over, he got one to shape the other way to Rahmat who edged behind for zero, before Usman Ghani, playing his first ODI since 2015, stepped out to a short ball and slashed it to extra cover.He was denied a fourth wicket when Wilson missed a regulation catch, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s outside edge flying to the right of him. Shahidi was yet to get off the mark, but Afghanistan hardly found respite. The presence of cracks meant it didn’t take long for the spinners to find turn. With the ball occasionally stopping on the batsman, Afghanistan could not play to their boundary-hitting strengths.Shahidi and Asghar Stanikzai had just about begun to stem the rot with a 46-run fourth-wicket stand when a sharp legbreak from Jacob Mulder sent back the former. Mulder had done a nice job of drawing the batsman into the drive and exploiting the cracks. Shahidi, playing the angle, did not account for the sharp turn from outside off and was bowled.Mulder then had Gulabdin Naib in two minds and trapped him lbw, and with Andy McBrine sending back Stanikzai and Rashid off successive deliveries in the 24th over, Afghanistan were 83 for 7.But Shafiqullah mounted a late fightback, dominating an eighth-wicket stand of 59 with Nabi. He dealt with McBrine’s hat-trick ball with a four down the ground to get off the mark, and benefitted from cuts, sweeps, pulls and drives that ensured the score moved along briskly.Nabi and Dawlat Zadran then joined hands for a ninth-wicket stand of 57 to further frustrate Ireland. Dawlat took his time, scoring 9 off his first 21 balls before breaking loose with a straight six off the left-arm spin of George Dockrell. He was handed a reprieve on 20 when Ed Joyce spilled him at long-on. He used the life to score an unbeaten 41 that pushed the score past 200, but in the end, Kevin O’Brien’s carnage proved too much.
Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper, has announced his decision to retire from cricket at the end of the 2017 season
George Dobell28-Mar-2017
Chris Read has become one of Nottinghamshire’s most consistent batsmen in the latter half of his career•Getty Images
Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper, has announced his decision to retire from cricket at the end of the 2017 season. Read, aged 38 and with a professional career that stretches back to the mid-90s, will take up a position as director of cricket at Uppingham School.While Read’s career started in his native Devon and included a brief stint as understudy to Jack Russell at Gloucestershire, it is his two decades at Nottinghamshire for which he will be best remembered. He was part of Championship-winning teams in 2005 and 2010 as well as helping the side to the YB40 title in 2013. He was capped by Notts in 1999 and has been club captain since 2008. The prospect of finishing with promotion will, no doubt, be ample motivation for his final season.He also represented England 52 times, including 15 Tests. Picked too early and discarded too soon – he was selected for a Lions tour before he had played a first-class game – he was memorably bowled ducking into a fine Chris Cairns slower ball at Lord’s as a 20-year-old who was still learning his trade. In mitigation, the Lord’s sidescreen was later extended, but five of Read’s first 13 Test innings were ducks.But if some recall him as that naive young player, they missed his development into an excellent keeper and a fine middle-order batsman. He has averaged 43.57 in first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire since the start of the 2006 season and developed into one of the most destructive ‘finishers’ in the white-ball game. If James Foster was the best England keeper of his generation – Russell rates him as perhaps the best of all time – Read was not so far behind. And his run-scoring record suggests he could have made it as a specialist batsman.His England career was curtailed, in part, by disagreements with the coach, Duncan Fletcher. Fletcher felt Read was reluctant to go for chances wide to his right while it was also suggested he could be a little quiet on the pitch at a time when the keeper was expected to drive the team forward with vocal encouragement.In a 2009 interview with magazine, Read responded by saying: “I’m exceptionally happy with the way I kept wicket for England. I’m well aware of my technique and I feel I’m a lot more proficient in judging wicketkeeping than Duncan Fletcher is.”I like to think of myself as a thinking cricketer and I’m not sure that screaming and shouting gets you anywhere. Do you have to scream and shout to be a good cricketer? I don’t think so.”I had numerous chances to establish myself in the England team and I have to accept that I didn’t fully take them. I’m very happy with the way I kept wicket for England, but I’m very disappointed with the way I batted.”He won a brief recall towards the end of 2006, registering his only international half-century against Pakistan at Leeds, but it was his and Foster’s misfortune that their careers coincided with those of Alec Stewart and Matt Prior, among others, and an age when keepers were judged at least as much by the runs they scored as the chances they took. “I think the standard of wicketkeeping generally has gone down over the last few years,” he said in 2009. “It’s less good than when I started. When I started out there were very few poor ones and loads of good ones, people like Steve Rhodes or Keith Piper, who was awesome. Now there are some good ones around, but the emphasis is on batting.”Announcing his decision to retire, he said: “I feel very content with my career. It’s my 20th season at Trent Bridge and it’s been a wonderful experience. All good things must come to an end. After this season, it’s time for me to move on and start the next phase of my career with a fantastic opportunity at Uppingham School.”I’m going to really enjoy this last six months of my playing career. I’ve set myself high standards throughout my career and this season is no different. I’ll be putting everything into Nottinghamshire, into driving us forward and making sure that, when I do leave at the end of September, the club is in the best possible position.”
GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers for the 2023-24 season
Football transfer windows are exciting periods during the sporting calendar every year, with fans drooling at the prospect of a new signing arriving at their club and making an impact. The summer transfer window is an opportunity for clubs to restart and build something new or add to their winning juggernaut.
The Bundesliga is a hotbed of talent and each season witnesses plenty of transfers, with high-potential youngsters arriving and seasoned pros heading off the new pastures.
Reigning champions Bayern Munich are expected to strengthen their side with quality additions while the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have players with star quality attract interest from everywhere.
GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers this season so far.
Last updated:
Transfer INs and OUTs for all Bundesliga clubs
Club
2022-23 position
Bayern Munich
1st
Borussia Dortmund
2nd
RB Leipzig
3rd
Freiburg
4th
Union Berlin
5th
Wolfsburg
6th
Bayer Leverkusen
7th
Mainz 05
8th
Eintracht Frankfurt
9th
Borussia Monchengladbach
10th
Koln
11th
Werder Bremen
12th
Hoffenheim
13th
VFL Bochum
14th
Augsburg
15th
Stuttgart
16th
Darmstadt 98
2. Bundesliga winner
Heidenheim
2. Bundesliga runner-up
AdvertisementGhana Sports OnlineAugsburg transfersNew signings
Player
Nationality
Previous club
Fee
Mergim BerishaGermanyFenerbahce€4.00mTim BreithauptGermanyKarlsruhr€2.50mPhillip TietzGermanyDarmstadt 98€2.20mMasaya OkugawaJapanArm. BielefeldFree transferSven MichelGermanyUnion Berlin€950k
Finn Dahmen
Germany
Mainz 05
Free
Patrick Pfeiffer
Germany
SV Darmstadt 98
Free
Frederik Winther DenmarkBrondbyEnd of loanTim CivejaAlbania/GermanyIngolstandtEnd of loanRaphael FrambergerGermanySandhausenEnd of loanMaurice MaloneGermany/USAWolfsbergerEnd of loanHenri KoudossouGermanyLustenauEnd of loanRicardo PepiUSA/MexicoGroningenEnd of loanFelix GotzeGermanyEssenEnd of loanLasse GuntherGermanyRegensburgEnd of loanJozo StanicCroatia/GermanyVarazdinEnd of loanDepartures
Player
Nationality
New club
Fee
Daniel Caliguiri
Germany
Without club
End of contract
Ricardo PepiMexico/USAPSV Eindhoven€11.00m
Rafal Giekewicz
Poland
Without club
End of contract
Tobias Strobl
Germany
Retired
–
Felix GotzeGermanyRW Essen €100kKelvin YeboahItaly/GhanaGenoaEnd of loanBenjamin LeneisGermanyFSV ZwickauFree transferTim CivejaAlbania/ Germany SaarbruckenUndisclosedLasse GuntherGermanyWehen WiesbadenLoan transferHenri KoudossouGermanyADO Den HaagLoan transferDaniel KleinGermanySV SandhuesenLoan transferAndre HahnGermanyWithout Club-Julian BaumgartlingerAustriaWithout club RetiredMergim BerishaGermanyFenerbahceEnd of loanGetty ImagesBayer Leverkusen transfersNew signings
Player
Nationality
Previous club
Fee
Granit Xhaka
Switzerland
Arsenal
€25.00m
Arthur
Brazil
America Mineiro
€7.00m
Alex Grimaldo
Spain
Benfica
Free
Gustavo Puerta
Colombia
Nuremberg
End of loan
Sadik FofanaGermany/TogoNurembergEnd of loanVictor BonifaceNigeriaUnion SG€20.00mJonas HofmannGermanyBorussia Monchengladbach€10.00mPaulinhoBrazilAtletico MGEnd of loanLennart GrillGermanyUnion BerlinEnd of loanDepartures
Player
Nationality
New club
Fee
Moussa Diaby France/ MaliAston Villa€55.00mMitchel BakkerNetherlandsAtalanta BC€10.00m
Daley Sinkgraven
Netherlands
Without club
End of contract
Sadik FofanaGermany/ TogoNurembergLoan transfer
Karim Bellarabi
Germany
Without club
End of contract
Ayman Azhil
Germany
Without club
End of contract
Andrey Lunev
Russia
Without club
End of contract
Paulinho
Brazil
Atletico Mineiro
Free
Lennart Grill
Germany
Union Berlin
Undisclosed
Callum Hudson-Odoi
England
Chelsea
End of loan
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Bayern Munich transfersNew signings
Player
Nationality
Previous club
Fee
Min-jae Kim
South Korea
Napoli
€50.00m
Konrad Laimer
Austria
RB Leipzig
Free
Alexander Nubel
Germany
Monaco
End of loan
Malik Tilman
USA
Rangers
End of loan
Gabriel Vidovic
Croatia
Vitesse
End of loan
Marcel Sabitzer
Austria
Manchester United
End of loan
Raphael Guerreiro
Portugal
Borussia Dortmund
Free
Bright Arrey-Mbi
Germany/ England
Hannover 96
End of loan
Departures
Player
Nationality
New club
Fee
Lucas Hernandez
France/ Spain
PSG
€45m
Marcel Sabitzer
Austria
Borussia Dortmund
€19m
Alex Nubel
Germany
Stuttgart
Loan (€1m)
Joao Cancelo
Portugal
Manchester City
End of loan
Bright Arrey-Mbi
Germany
Hannover 96
Free
Daley Blind
Netherlands
Without Club
–
MCA and TNCA believe the rescheduling of two Group A fixtures to after the final round of matches would be unfair on the other teams, and have expressed their displeasure to the BCCI
Arun Venugopal27-Nov-2016Mumbai Cricket Association and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association have opposed BCCI’s decision to reschedule two postponed Delhi fixtures (due to pollution and smog) to after the completion of the ninth and final round of matches in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.The Group A clash between Gujarat and Bengal and the Group C fixture between Hyderabad and Tripura will now be played four days after the completion of the final round, from December 15 to 18, in Visakhapatnam and Kolkata respectively.The MCA has already lodged an official protest against the rescheduling of the Group A clash, and the TNCA is expected to follow suit on Monday. Mumbai are currently group toppers with 26 points, while Gujarat, with 21 points, are two points behind second-placed Tamil Nadu.While Tamil Nadu and Mumbai only have one and two games respectively, Gujarat have three by virtue of the rescheduling. According to , MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar had stated in his letter to the BCCI the rescheduling was unfair to the other teams.”The rescheduling of the said match after the completion of all matches gives unfair advantage to the participating teams with respect to their qualification the knockout phase,” Khanvilkar wrote. “This would be unfair for the rest of the teams who would have finished all the matches by then.”TNCA secretary Kasi Viswanathan said the matches in question shouldn’t be rescheduled, and that the points should be shared retrospectively. “In a league stage you cannot do this; it will be a disadvantage to the other teams. It is an act of God, and you should have only shared points,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Last year we lost almost four days due to rain against Gujarat; so many matches have been affected by fog, nothing was done then.”We are saying the matches should not be rescheduled and that points should be shared like in any match that is washed out. We have orally conveyed [our displeasure] to the BCCI. We will have a meeting with our president and office bearers, and then we will file an official protest tomorrow mostly.”Viswanathan said they should have waited till the fourth day before calling the games off in Delhi. “After all, only two days of play had elapsed; they could have still completed the game on the third and the fourth day,” he said. “It has happened in so many games in the past; it is not something new.”He also contended the technical committee wasn’t empowered to reschedule the games. “The BCCI press release says that the two matches were called off by the technical committee,” he said. “I would like to point out that the technical committee has no jurisdiction over it. Only the senior tournament committee has the powers to decide this.”In Group C, the top-three teams are separated by only three points. While table-topper Andhra and third-placed Haryana have two more matches remaining, Hyderabad, who trail Andhra by only two points, have an extra game against Tripura, who are in the bottom half. Andhra coach Sanath Kumar admitted Hyderabad would have the advantage of knowing what they need to do in the last match, but said there was no point worrying about it.”All we have to do is our two games we have to focus and have to do our best. If we win one of the games and take the first-innings lead in the other we are anyway through,” he said. “These things we can’t do anything about. It is not intentionally done or something like that. Definitely it is an advantage, but you can’t avoid it; you can’t do anything else.”The BCCI had also pushed back the knockout matches to accommodate the two games. The quarter-finals, initially scheduled to begin on December 17, will now be held from December 24 to 28. The semi-finals were moved from December 27 to January 3, while the final, originally set to be played from January 7, will now take place from January 12 to 16.