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Barcelona have confirmed a fresh injury setback as midfielder Fermin Lopez has been ruled out for around two weeks with a soleus problem in his right leg. The midfielder, who has been key for Hansi Flick this season, will now miss crucial La Liga and Champions League clashes. His absence arrives just as Pedri nears his return, reshaping the midfield picture during a demanding run of fixtures.

Barcelona lose midfield mainstay

Barca have confirmed that midfielder Lopez will miss the next two weeks after suffering a minor injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg during Thursday’s training session. It is a major setback for Hansi Flick, who had only just received good news with Pedri cleared for a return against Alaves. 

The club explained in a statement that the midfielder "has a small injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg, and his estimated recovery time is around two weeks.”

The timing is damaging for Flick, as this lay-off rules Fermin out of key La Liga and Champions League fixtures after a heavy 3-0 defeat against Chelsea. And, now the midfielder is expected to miss matches against Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt, and it remains uncertain whether he will recover in time to face Osasuna on December 13, only two days after the predicted recovery window ends.

AdvertisementAFPInjury sustained in Athletic Club clash

Fermín had been enjoying a strong season and recently reached 100 appearances for the first team. While highlighting his contribution. His availability had been particularly valuable at a moment when Barca are visibly struggling in the midfield marked with injuries, making this injury even more disruptive for Flick’s squad planning.

Beyond the medical report, the context of Fermin’s injury offers insight into why his absence could weigh heavily on the team. reported that the midfielder is still dealing with the effects of a forceful challenge suffered against Athletic Club, a tackle from Oihan Sancet that resulted in a red card for the Bilbao player. Despite continued discomfort, Fermin pushed himself to start Barca’s Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, where the team suffered a heavy defeat.

He played just over an hour before being substituted, and the accumulated strain appears to have contributed to Thursday’s setback in training. This latest issue marks his second injury of the season and arrives at a time when Barca’s injury list had finally begun to shrink, with only long-term absentees Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi still out.

Pedri returns but midfield still a challenge for Flick

While the loss of Fermin is a concern, Barca did receive a boost in the form of Pedri’s recovery. The midfielder trained normally on Thursday and is expected to be available for the Alaves clash. His return offers Flick more options and could allow the club to manage workloads more carefully, particularly after the intense calendar that has carried the squad into physical fatigue.

Pedri’s return also opens the door for Dani Olmo to reclaim a starting role in attacking midfield, especially with Flick keen to rotate and protect key players. Fermin’s absence had already influenced Tuesday’s lineup in London, where Barcelona struggled without midfield balance and control.

This period demands careful squad management, with Barca chasing ground in La Liga following their Champions League setback. Flick must now rely on the depth of his midfield, including Pedri, Olmo and Frenkie de Jong to navigate the next two weeks.

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Fermin is expected to miss at least four matches, most importantly a key matchup when Atletico Madrid visit Camp Nou, and the crucial Champions League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Should recovery go as planned, the midfielder could return around December 13, which places Osasuna at home as his earliest realistic comeback match. However, Barcelona will not rush him, especially given the recurring nature of soleus injuries. But, the club will hope the setback lasts no longer than the two-week window and that the young midfielder returns in time for a crucial December period.

She’s now the No. 1 allrounder, the No. 2 batter and No. 3 bowler in the ICC rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2025Ashleigh Gardner’s storming Women’s World Cup 2025 has put her at a level seldom, if ever, attained by any allrounder, of any gender, in any format, in the history of the sport. She sits, following the latest update to the ICC rankings, among the top three batters, bowlers and allrounders in Women’s ODIs.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

Gardner has been one of the most important drivers of Australia’s unbeaten run in the tournament so far, scoring 265 runs at an average of 88.33 and a strike rate of 128.01, and taking seven wickets with her offspin at 30.00. Four visits to the crease have brought her two hundreds, both coming in tense situations.When she walked in against New Zealand, Australia were 113 for 4, which soon became 128 for 5. She smashed 115 off 83 balls to lead them to a total of 326.Then, in a chase of 245 against England, Gardner entered with Australia 86 for 4. She scored an unbeaten 104, off just 73 balls, and put on an unbroken 180 with Annabel Sutherland to clinch victory with a whopping 57 balls to spare.Those knocks have propelled Gardner up six slots, from No. 8 to No. 2, in the latest update of the ICC’s ODI rankings, with only India’s Smriti Mandhana above her. Gardner has, meanwhile, kept hold of her top spot among allrounders and the No. 3 spot among bowlers.England’s Sophie Ecclestone sits on top of the bowlers’ chart with Australia legspinner Alana King, who took a World-Cup-record 7 for 18 against South Africa, in a career-best second place, having shot up five spots.

Josh Naylor had the best season of his career in 2025. After starting the year with the Diamondbacks, Naylor was dealt to the Mariners at the trade deadline, where he played a big role in the team’s run to the ALCS. Now, he’s set to hit the open market for the first time in his career, and he figures to have plenty of teams interested in him in free agency.

Naylor racked up a career-high 3.1 bWAR in ‘25, including 2.2 in just 54 games in Seattle. He recorded a .812 OPS with a .295 batting average, and launched 20 home runs with 92 RBIs. In addition to his prowess at the plate, Naylor was an extremely effective baserunner, racking up 30 stolen bases despite never having swiped more than 10 bags in any previous season.

The Mariners will certainly be hoping they can work out a deal to keep Naylor in Seattle on a new contract, but with free agency awaiting the 29-year-old, they’ll have to fend off some staunch competition for his signature.

Naylor is projected by ESPN to be in line to receive a contract worth around $52.5 million over three years. That feels a bit low, and it’s certainly possible that price tag would rise, potentially dramatically, if multiple teams got in the mix.

So, what are some possible landing spots for Naylor when he hits the open market?

Seattle Mariners

Naylor was an outstanding fit for the Mariners after being acquired at the trade deadline. Bringing him back should be a top priority for Seattle this offseason. That much has been echoed by the organization’s front office, as GM Justin Hollander has expressed his desire to keep Naylor in the PNW.

The Mariners enjoyed their longest stay in the postseason in franchise history this year, despite finishing just one win shy of a World Series berth. They’ll be determined to finish the job in 2026 and try to punch their first-ever ticket to the Fall Classic. Naylor was fantastic during the team’s run in October, registering a .957 OPS in 12 games, and bringing him back feels like a must for Seattle.

San Diego Padres

The Padres have a glaring need at first base, and after a disappointing showing in the postseason, San Diego will be determined to bounce back in 2026. Offense was hard to come by for the Padres last year, and without an established first baseman currently on the roster heading into the ‘26 campaign, Naylor feels like an excellent fit for the organization.

The Padres were 28th in MLB in home runs last year (152) and were in the middle of the pack in OPS (.711). Those are both areas where Naylor could make an instant impact. Naylor started his career in San Diego, playing 94 games for the organization as a rookie in 2019 before getting traded to Cleveland the following season. He could return to the team where he got his first taste of MLB action, while providing the Padres with a much-needed boost on offense.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds have been linked to Naylor in the past, and after failing to bring him aboard in recent seasons, they could stage another attempt during free agency. Cincinnati narrowly missed out on the postseason last year, but adding a player of Naylor’s caliber could help them get over the hump.

Cincinnati ranked in the bottom half of MLB in home runs, batting average, OPS and hits. Spencer Steer had a decent season at first base, but Naylor would certainly be an upgrade over him and also has the flexibility to move into the outfield or even be used at DH. Only two players on the Reds hit 20 or more home runs last year and no one had more than 22. Naylor could achieve those numbers in the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park with ease.

New York Mets

If the Mets and Pete Alonso are truly parting ways this offseason, with the veteran slugger destined for free agency, New York will be in the market for a new first baseman. Naylor could be a great fit, providing the team with some more consistent hitting as opposed to pure power.

The Mets ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of batting average in 2025, though their OPS was among the best in the league. Getting another reliable hitter in the middle of the order, one who flirts with a .300 batting average, would be a great way to replace one of the league’s biggest sluggers.

Pitching will be one of the main focal points for New York this offseason, but if Alonso doesn’t return, they’d be hard pressed to find a more suitable replacement at first base than Naylor.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is looking to follow in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps by steering the club clear of relegation in their first season back in the Premier League.

After a run of four straight losses, the Whites have picked up four points and scored six goals in two matches against Chelsea and Liverpool in the top-flight, which has pushed them out of the bottom three.

Farke has needed his players to step up in recent games to climb back out of the relegation zone, and several stars have shown that they have what it takes to deliver in the Premier League.

Ranking Leeds United's top performers this season

Joe Rodon, who has started all 15 games, has proven to be a reliable option at the heart of the defence, winning 69% of his ground duels in the top-flight, per Sofascore.

Gabriel Gudmundsson, signed from Lille in the summer, has also caught the eye at left-back, with 3.1 tackles and interceptions and 1.3 dribbles completed per game, per Sofascore, whilst exciting fans with his bombing runs down the left flank.

£17.4m signing Anton Stach has been one of the top three performers for the Whites, though, with his return of two goals and two assists as a box-to-box midfielder.

1

Ethan Ampadu

2

Sean Longstaff

3

Anton Stach

4

Gabriel Gudmundsson

5

Joe Rodon

As you can see in the ranking above, we have placed Sean Longstaff in second place. He leads the team in ‘big chances’ created (six), but he has also only started ten of the 15 league games, per Sofascore.

That leaves the captain, Ethan Ampadu, in first place as Leeds United’s best Premier League performer since they sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City in 2022.

Why Ampadu is Leeds United's best Premier League player since Phillips

After Phillips was sold to City for £45m, after emerging as an England regular at Elland Road, the Whites were relegated from the top-flight in the 2022/23 campaign. No other player was able to step up and save them from trouble.

The English star was particularly impressive with Marcelo Bielsa, as shown in the graphic above, and he averaged 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game in midfield in his last Premier League season with Leeds.

Ampadu, now, is looking like the club’s best top-flight performer since Phillips departed. He was judged as an “indispensable” part of Leeds’ midfield in the words of scout Jacek Kulig when promotion was being eyed up, and since moving up a division, he has been a rock on the pitch in the middle of the park. It’s safe to say he could be the first player to lead the team to safety since the Man City midfielder was at the club.

Off the pitch, teammate Karl Darlow described him as a “brilliant” person who has “handled the pressure” of captaining Leeds in the Premier League, which speaks to the qualities that he provides as a leader within the group, and perhaps explains how the team pulled off the last two results despite such a poor run of form that preceded them.

On the pitch, his performances have been impressive. Ampadu lined up in the middle of the park in the games against Chelsea and Liverpool and caught the eye with his defensive nous.

Minutes

90

87

Pass accuracy

86%

87%

Tackle success rate

100%

100%

Duels won

6/11

3/6

Interceptions

2

1

Dribbled past

0x

0x

As you can see in the table above, the Wales international was perfect in his tackles and did not allow an opposition player to dribble past him a single time, which shows how combative and reliable he was in midfield.

Ampadu has started all 13 of his appearances in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, and averaged an eye-catching 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, which is just shy of the 3.9 that Phillips averaged in his final season with the club.

The former Chelsea starlet offers a similar presence to the England international at the base of the midfield for Leeds, sitting in front of the back four and screening play, making vital defensive interventions to regain possession and start attacks for his side.

He has won 60% of his ground duels and 53% of his aerial duels, per Sofascore, whilst only being dribbled past 0.6 times per match, which shows that Ampadu has been efficient and reliable in the middle of the park for Farke, as an ever-present when fit.

The new Rutter: Leeds open talks to sign £21m star in "the last few days"

Daniel Farke could win himself a new Georginio Rutter by securing this £21m star at Leeds United.

ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

Overall, the Welshman may well be the club’s best Premier League player since Phillips, not just for the quality that he clearly provides as a holding midfielder, but also for his leadership skills and how he handles the pressure of leading a Premier League side.

The ESPNcricinfo team of the tournament has players from five countries – find out if your top pick made the squad of 12 or not

Yash Jha03-Nov-20258:05

‘What dream? We’re living it’

Getty ImagesSmriti MandhanaSo rich was Mandhana’s vein of form coming into the competition that a quiet start – 54 runs in the first three outings – had left viewers perplexed. But she dialled things up once the big games arrived: 80 versus Australia, 88 versus England, and 109 in the high-stakes clash against New Zealand. She added 45 in the final to finish with the highest tally for an Indian in a women’s World Cup.AFP/Getty ImagesLaura Wolvaardt (capt)Wolvaardt, too, had a slow start, but more than made up for lost time, scoring 30 or more in seven consecutive matches – including half-centuries in wins against India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and then hit centuries in both knockouts. Her 101 in the final versus India may have ended in a losing cause, but the 169 against England to take South Africa to their maiden ODI World Cup final will go down as one of the all-time great performances. Her tally is, by some distance, the highest at an edition of the ODI World Cup.Getty ImagesJemimah RodriguesSpeaking of iffy beginnings… Rodrigues found herself on the bench three weeks into her maiden ODI World Cup, after two ducks and two 30s. She celebrated her return – and a promotion to No. 3 – with a sparkling 76 not out off 55 balls versus New Zealand, before the career-defining 127 not out to end Australia’s reign with a record chase in the semi-finals.ICC/Getty ImagesMarizanne KappContinuing the trend of peaking at the right time was Kapp, whose first big contribution (aside from a chase-stabilising half-century against Bangladesh) came in the sixth game of the campaign: 68 not out off 43 balls followed by three new-ball wickets against Pakistan. She then demolished England’s hopes of chasing 320 in the semi-final with a double-strike in the first over, finishing with 5 for 20, having earlier chipped in with a 33-ball 42.Getty ImagesAnnabel SutherlandSutherland’s consistent mastery at the death, fuelled by a lethal back-of-the-hand slower ball, meant she was the joint-highest wicket-taker before the final. She started with a three-for against New Zealand, triggered an Indian collapse with 5 for 40 in Visakhapatnam, and added another three versus England – a game where she also had her only significant outing with the bat.Getty ImagesAshleigh GardnerPrior to 2025, the World Cup had seen only three hundreds from batters coming in at No. 5 or lower; Gardner hit two in this edition, both stunning recovery acts. She turned 128 for 5 into 326 against New Zealand by smashing 115 off 83 balls, and then turned a tricky chase versus England into a cakewalk – Australia were 68 for 4 in pursuit of 245 – with 104* off 73. There was a fifty in the semis too, and she chipped in with the ball all along.ICC/Getty ImagesRicha Ghosh (wk)Ghosh takes the wicketkeeping gloves in our team owing to her finishing prowess. She was the tournament’s fastest scorer as well as its highest six-hitter. Her unbeaten 20-ball 35 pushed India closer to 250 against Pakistan in Colombo; she played cameos in both the games versus Australia, including a handy 16-ball 26 in the record semi-final chase; she added 34 off 24 in the title clash against South Africa, and her 94 off 77 against the same opponents was an early contender for the knock of the tournament…AFP/Getty ImagesNadine de KlerkDeepti’s tournament started with a fifty and a three-for, and ended with a fifty and a five-for – the first such achievement in any World Cup final, women’s or men’s. The leading wicket-taker of the tournament, Deepti became the first player to do the double of 200+ runs and 15+ wickets in an edition of the women’s ODI World Cup. The Player of the Tournament recipient also contributed a four-for and fifty in the loss to England, and injected vital momentum in the semi-final chase against Australia with a 17-ball 24.Getty ImagesAlana KingKing delivered the spell of the tournament, claiming the first seven-for in World Cup history, to bamboozle South Africa in Indore. But don’t discount the rest of her tournament: two key wickets in the opener versus New Zealand, miserly returns against Bangladesh (2 for 18) and England (1 for 20), and the first fifty from a No. 10 in a women’s white-ball international to stitch a rescue act against Pakistan.ICC/Getty ImagesSophie EcclestoneEcclestone began the tournament playing second fiddle to fellow slow left-arm spinner Linsey Smith’s hero act against South Africa, but finished as strongly as ever. She proved too strong for Bangladesh (3 for 24) and Sri Lanka (4 for 17), and despite tougher outings in Indore, and an injury scare ahead of the semi-final, she was England’s standout performer in the defeat to South Africa with 4 for 44.ICC/Getty Images12th: Sophie DevineIn the final chapter of an illustrious ODI career, Devine was the lone star of New Zealand’s campaign, top-scoring in defeats to Australia (112) and South Africa (85), and scoring 63 in the win over Bangladesh. That meant Devine had 260 runs after three outings, but New Zealand didn’t bat for another two weeks, and Devine didn’t get a perfect swansong with low scores against India and England.

John Campbell, Brandon King, Shai Hope and Roston Chase offered resistance for West Indies, but they slipped from 153 for 3 to 205 all out

Sreshth ShahUpdated on 10-Dec-2025Stumps New Zealand’s patchwork fast-bowling attack delivered a strong show on the opening day of the second Test in Wellington, dismissing West Indies for 205 inside 75 overs at Basin Reserve. But the sight of Blair Tickner being stretchered off late in the afternoon with a suspected dislocated left shoulder took some sheen off their day of dominance.Tickner, playing his first Test in two years and leading the bowling with 4 for 32, was central to turning a bright West Indies start into yet another collapse, while Michael Rae, the 30-year-old debutant drafted into a severely depleted pace unit, complemented him with 3 for 67 in an energetic outing that gave New Zealand the bite they had lacked in the opening hour. That bite mattered because the first hour had belonged entirely to West Indies despite losing the toss, in a match where the hosts announced five changes and the visitors three.On a pitch far milder than the traditional green seamer, John Campbell and Brandon King put on 66 for the opening wicket. Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes, burdened with heavy workloads from the first Test after the injuries to Matt Henry and Nathan Smith in Christchurch, bowled honest but ineffective spells that allowed scoring opportunities.Campbell drove through the line, King played compactly, and West Indies looked assured.Michael Rae picked up three wickets in his first innings in Test cricket•Getty ImagesBut once New Zealand turned to Tickner and Rae – fresher workload-wise, and sharper in pace – the difference was visible. They operated either full or short but always at the stumps or the body, and the tone of the innings shifted dramatically.Tickner was the first to strike when he prised out King in the 17th over. King, playing the Test after Tagenarine Chanderpaul picked up a side strain on the eve of the Test, and opening for only the second time in his Test career, was pinned lbw when Tickner’s delivery from a short-ish length jagged in and hit him on the pad. One over later, Kavem Hodge was undone for a duck by a fuller ball from Tickner that tailed in late and struck him in front of middle and leg. The double-blow helped New Zealand quickly erase an indifferent start heading into the lunch break.Rae, who had leaked runs in his first spell in Test cricket, made an impact after lunch. Coming around the wicket, he angled a full ball across Campbell, who leaned into a drive with firm hands and edged to first slip, and at 93 for 3, West Indies’ position was slipping.Shai Hope and Roston Chase attempted to restore stability with a 60-run stand for the fourth wicket. Hope scored freely but never convincingly; Tickner and Rae repeatedly hurried him with the short ball, and he took two blows to the helmet with concussion checks following as the afternoon surface grew livelier. Hope reached 48, but Tickner finally cracked him with another rising delivery that he tried awkwardly to fend off, gloving a catch to Kane Williamson at third slip. That, Tickner’s third wicket, had seemed almost inevitable given the sustained discomfort he had caused the batters, and Chase followed soon after, cramped by a Tickner delivery that jagged in sharply to catch the inside-edge on to leg stump for 29.Justin Greaves, West Indies’ double-centurion in Christchurch, lasted 52 balls before Rae drew a faint outside edge with a tight off-stump line. Mitchell Hay completed the catch behind the stumps, leaving West Indies’ lower order exposed. Rae then trapped Kemar Roach lbw with a fuller delivery that kicked enough to beat the bat and straighten into middle stump, and at 184 for 7, the innings was in freefall.Blair Tickner had to be stretchered off after he hurt his shoulder•Getty ImagesBut New Zealand’s mood would sour dramatically in the next over. Tickner sprinted across from fine leg to stop a boundary-saving flick from Tevin Imlach and dived full-length near the rope. He landed awkwardly, stayed down, and the players signalled urgently as medical staff from both New Zealand and the venue rushed to him. After several minutes of treatment, he was stretchered off – sitting up, but in pain – to warm applause from the Basin Reserve crowd. He later left the ground in an ambulance, with early indications pointing to a suspected dislocated shoulder.Glenn Phillips, the most prolific wicket-taker in New Zealand’s XI with 31 strikes coming into the game, then removed the last recognised batter, bowling Imlach with a fuller ball that straightened just enough to beat the inside edge.Anderson Phillip was run out soon after attempting a risky single – first surviving a throw from Devon Conway but then succumbing when an alert Kristian Clarke broke the stumps on the rebound. Duffy ended West Indies’ innings by having Ojay Shields edge to third slip to end the innings at 205. West Indies lost their last seven wickets for just 52 runs.New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Conway batted nine overs before stumps, with West Indies’ seamers asking questions occasionally and inducing a couple of edges that didn’t carry to the slip cordon. The 24 runs they added before stumps gave New Zealand the firm upper hand, now behind by only 181 behind going into the second day where batting promises to be easier.