Tottenham Hotspur are now seriously considering a move for an “incredible” manager to replace Thomas Frank, following the 2-1 defeat at home against Fulham on Saturday.

Thomas Frank's future in doubt after another home defeat

Tottenham’s extremely concerning home form continued on Saturday afternoon, with the Cottagers consigning Frank’s side to a third loss in their last four Premier League games, and the lack of creativity, particularly in the first half, will no doubt be of particular concern to the manager.

It was not the first time this season Spurs have struggled from an attacking point of view, having recorded an xG of just 0.07 against Arsenal in the North London derby, the lowest figure of any side in the Premier League during the 2025-26 campaign.

As such, the pressure is mounting on Frank, who has just one home win to his name in the Premier League this season, with Jamie O’Hara expressing doubts over the Dane after the most recent setback.

As such, ENIC & co have started thinking about potential replacements, and according to a report from Spain, Tottenham are now seriously considering a move for Barcelona legend Xavi, with the board tempted to make a change if results don’t improve by the end of next month.

The 45-year-old is ready to return to management, having been out of work since being sacked by Barcelona back in May 2024, and there is plenty of interest from within the Premier League, with Manchester United also considering him as a replacement for Ruben Amorim.

The north Londoners are yet to make contact with the Spaniard, but they are planning to do so if results don’t improve in the near future, and there are signs he could be an excellent replacement for Frank…

"Incredible" Xavi could be ideal Frank replacement

With O’Hara concerned the Tottenham job may be too big for the 52-year-old, it would make sense to bring in a manager with experience managing at the highest level, and the legendary former midfielder certainly fits the bill in that regard, having led Barcelona to the 2022-23 La Liga title.

Lauded as “incredible” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, the Terrassa-born manager, who prefers to implement an attacking 4-3-3 system, has won eight trophies across his managerial career, while Frank is yet to lift any silverware.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons after what Tottenham star did in Fulham defeat

The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 29, 2025

As such, Xavi could be an ideal replacement for Frank, who should be on very thin ice, given that recent performances have been way below standard from an attacking point of view.

Arsenal star Gabriel aimed a dig at Richarlison on Instagram after the 4-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s North London derby.

The Gunners capitalised on Manchester City’s slip-up at Newcastle United by defeating Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, solidifying their place at the top of the Premier League table by moving six points clear of nearest-rivals Chelsea.

With just under a third of the campaign played, it is still very early days for Mikel Arteta’s side, but they will no doubt be starting to believe they can finally go all the way this season, having finished second for three years on the spin.

After blitzing Spurs at the weekend, the north Londoners are now the joint-highest scorers in the Premier League, while they also have the best defensive record, having shipped just six goals this term, four fewer than any other side.

Gabriel has been key to the solid record at the back, having formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba, although the centre-back was forced to miss the North London derby after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty with Brazil.

Gabriel takes swipe at Richarlison on Instagram

Despite recently linking up with Richarlison on international duty, with Brazil suffering a 3-2 defeat against Japan, before going on to defeat Senegal 2-1, Gabriel couldn’t resist having a dig at the striker, tagging him in his celebratory Instagram post after the match.

Although the defender was ruled out for Sunday’s game, he had a dig at his compatriot, who was arguably one of Spurs’ better performers, having scored their only goal of the game, catching out David Raya with a strike from distance.

However, that long-range effort was the centre-forward’s only major contribution, having struggled to make an impact on proceedings, completing just five of the ten passes he attempted throughout the match.

Piero Hincapie, on the other hand, looked solid in Gabriel’s absence, making four clearances, one interception and one tackle to keep Spurs at bay, with the visitors being limited to very few chances.

Arteta will no doubt be hoping to have the Brazil international back soon, having recently said: “It’s clearly a blow. It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.”

However, having recruited well in the summer, signing Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera to bolster squad depth, Arsenal should fancy their chances heading into a congested run of fixtures.

Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world Related The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

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West Ham United’s return to Premier League football didn’t entirely go to plan on Saturday afternoon.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side looked on course to win their third game on the bounce when Callum Wilson made it 2-0 against Bournemouth in the 35th minute. However, the Cherries fought back, and thanks to a penalty and a goal from Enes Unal, came away with a point.

With that said, in the context of the season at large, it’s still a good point for the Hammers, especially as they had to make do without dynamic Crysencio Summerville and Lucas Paqueta.

Unfortunately, the Dutchman won’t be fit for the Liverpool game, but Nuno might have the perfect solution, one that involves dropping Luis Guilherme.

Guilherme's game vs Bournemouth

Now, the first thing to say is that Guilherme is still a promising talent and someone who could develop into a real star for West Ham.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, what is equally true is that he failed to make a case for why he should be in the starting lineup in place of the injured Summerville next time out.

The young Brazilian wasn’t terrible on Saturday, but he was almost entirely ineffective, looking unable to create chances for his teammates or get himself into positions where chances could be supplied to him.

Moreover, the 19-year-old still looks as slight as ever and lacks any real power or pace, which are two traits becoming increasingly important for attackers in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, the manager decided to take him off at the break, which only made his dire statistics even more pitiful.

Minutes

45′

Expected Goals

0.00

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots

0

Passes

10

Touches

21

Lost Possession

9

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

8 (1)

Dribbled Past

1

In his 45 minutes of inaction, the Brazilian registered an expected assists figure of 0.01, failed to take a single shot, took just 21 touches, failed in 66% of his dribbles, lost the ball nine times, completed ten passes, was dribbled past and lost seven of eight duels.

In short, Guilherme proved he cannot come in for Summerville again, so Nuno has to bring in one of the club’s most exciting prospects instead.

West Ham's Summerville solution

The player Nuno should bring into the squad to replace Guilherme and help solve the blow of Summerville’s injury is George Earthy.

Now, that might sound bold, and perhaps it is, but the academy gem has long been talked about as one of the club’s next stars, and his time at youth level and out on loan suggests as much.

For example, in 60 appearances for the u18s, totalling 4804 minutes, he scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.39 games, or every 111.72 minutes.

Then, during his time with the u21s, he scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 appearances, totalling 3618 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 113.06 minutes.

In other words, the Havering-born gem is a dual threat: a goalscorer and a creator.

Appearances

60

55

Minutes

4804′

3618′

Goals

25

18

Assists

18

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

111.72′

113.06′

Moreover, with 40 appearances for Bristol City last season, during which he was named young player of the year, he has plenty of genuine first-team experience under his belt already.

With all of that said, the “priceless” youngster, as dubbed by coach Steve Potts, is primarily an attacking midfielder, and so it would make sense to play him there against Liverpool, which means the man who’d actually outright replace Guilherme is actually Paqueta.

Yes, the Brazilian is also primarily a central player, but has made 36 club appearances on the left-hand side in his career, as well as six for the Brazilian national team.

Anyway, having the former Lyon gem further forward could help make the team more dangerous in attack, while also allowing the 21-year-old to get up to speed in a more familiar position.

Ultimately, it is not ideal, but Guilherme made it clear against Bournemouth that he cannot start games at the moment. Therefore, bringing the incredibly talented Earthy into the middle and allowing Paqueta to play on the left could be the answer to Summerville’s absence – at least for now.

West Ham dealt Jarrod Bowen blow as Nuno faces fresh concern about star winger

The England international is their most crucial man by some distance.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 21, 2025

It’s understood that the MPCA was keen on an expanded role for Patidar following his recent success

Shashank Kishore07-Oct-2025Rajat Patidar has been handed Madhya Pradesh’s all-format captaincy ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season that begins with the Ranji Trophy on October 15.Patidar got the job to replace Shubham Sharma after getting from MP director of cricket Chandrakant Pandit. It’s understood that the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association was keen on an expanded role for Patidar following his recent success.The 32-year-old Patidar was first trialled as captain during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season after he had spoken to Pandit over a similar possibility arising in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He was given the job and repaid the faith by leading MP to the final, where they lost to Mumbai.Related

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Patidar hails spinners Kartikeya and Jain in Duleep Trophy victory

Patidar has since led RCB to their maiden IPL title and recently helmed Central Zone to a title win in the Duleep Trophy, for the first time since 2014-15.Last week, Patidar led a strong Rest of India (RoI) squad, comprising big names like Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran – all state captains – at the Irani Cup in Nagpur, where they lost to Vidarbha by 93 runs.He made 529 runs in 11 innings at an average of 48.09 in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, with one hundred and two half-centuries. This was the second-highest runs tally for MP that season, behind Shubham’s 943 runs at 104.77.Patidar has been in excellent form already this season, hitting two centuries and three half-centuries in seven innings. One of his hundreds was in the final of the Duleep Trophy that helped Central Zone set up a massive first-innings lead, and eventually a six-wicket win, over South Zone.MP open their Ranji Trophy campaign with a home game against Punjab in Indore. The Ranji season will be played across two phases – the first will be played from October 15 to November 19, before the season takes a break for the white-ball tournaments. The second leg will be played from January 22 to February 1 next year, with the knockouts from February 6 to 28.

وجه فيرجيل فان دايك قائد ليفربول رسالة لجماهير الفريق بعد الخسارة الثقيلة أمام آيندهوفن برباعية لهدف واحد، على ملعب آنفيلد في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأكد المدافع الهولندي المخضرم أن فريقه لن يستسلم، وأن ليفربول سيسعى لقلب سلسلة هزائمه الكارثية التي بلغت تسع هزائم من أصل 12 مباراة خاضها الفريق.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة وست هام يونايتد على ملعب لندن يوم الأحد في الدوري الانجليزي الممتاز، وقد اعترف فان دايك أن الفريق يمر بأصعب فترة في مسيرته.

أقرأ أيضاً.. وارنوك: محمد صلاح سيعود لحالته في ليفربول.. ولكن بشرط

وكتب فان دايك عبر “إنستجرام” في رسالة نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية: “نواجه واحدة من أصعب لحظات مسيرتنا”.

وأضاف: “لكننا نرفض أن نسمح لهذا بأن يحدد مسارنا، سننهض من هذه المحنة، أؤمن بهذا الفريق بكل ما أوتيت من قوة”.

واختتم فان دايك: “لن نستسلم، كل تحدي هو فرصة، علينا أن ننمو معاً وندعم بعضنا البعض ونظهر قوتنا، إلى الجماهير استمروا في دعمنا، كلنا بحاجة لبعضنا البعض أكثر من أي وقت مضى”.

Middlesbrough’s search for their new manager looks set to be over, with a significant update emerging regarding the club’s process to replace Rob Edwards.

The exit of Edwards to Wolves has hurt Boro at a key point in the season where they are sitting second in the Championship table and pushing for promotion. He sent a message to the supporters upon leaving for Molineux, wishing the club well.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions of my career. In truth, I wouldn’t have considered leaving Middlesbrough for any other club. Wolves is a special club for me. It’s where I grew as both a player and a coach, it’s still where my family calls home. It has always been my dream to come back and these opportunities do not come around too often.

“Middlesbrough is an incredible club, with a fantastic owner, staff and passionate supporters. I want to thank everyone at the club for the opportunity to lead this squad, it is a great group of players that I genuinely hope and believe will deliver success this season. I could not be prouder of the environment we built together and how it all gelled together so quickly – the players, the staff, and the fans, who drive it all. I sincerely wish everyone at Middlesbrough all the very best for the rest of the season and beyond. Rob.”

It’s now a case of Boro nailing Edwards’ successor at the Riverside Stadium, and it looks as though their new boss may have been found, following a big new claim.

Middlesbrough reach verbal agreement with Kim Hellberg

According to Fotboll Skanalen, Middlesbrough have now reached a verbal agreement with Kim Hellberg over a move to the club, seeing him as the right man to come in for Edwards.

Boro look set to swoop in from under the noses of Championship rivals Swansea City, with the club having a meeting with Hellberg’s representatives in London.

Hellberg may be something of an unknown to some Boro supporters, considering he is only 37 and hasn’t managed in Europe’s top leagues yet, but he looks like an exciting young choice.

IFK Varnamo sporting director Enes Ahmetovic, who worked with the Swede in the past, has said of him: “An incredibly skilled football coach. He spends a huge amount of time on every detail. I’m completely convinced that Hellberg will coach much bigger clubs than IFK Varnamo.”

"Impressive" manager now interested in taking Middlesbrough job after talks

Would he be the right man to replace Rob Edwards?

ByHenry Jackson Nov 16, 2025

The 4-2-3-1-playing Hellberg is something of a gamble, at a time when promotion has to be the aim for Boro, but assuming he is the choice to come in, it will be fascinating to see how he fares.

How Middlesbrough feel about Raphael Wicky as Swiss manager holds Riverside talks

Mikel Merino was the hero yet again for Arsenal, picking up a goal and an assist as the Premier League leaders saw off a stubborn Brentford side 2-0 at the Emirates to restore their five-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City. The Spain international, still playing as Mikel Arteta's makeshift striker, scored a fine header early on to open the scoring and then set up substitute Bukayo Saka in the closing stages to wrap up a crucial win for the Gunners.

Arteta took the opportunity to make some changes following Sunday's draw at Chelsea, with Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Ben White coming in for Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber. And it was Madueke and White who combined superbly to set up Merino for the opening goal, with the Spaniard smartly heading home the former's cross at the near post.

Gabriel Martinelli had a chance to double Arsenal's lead before half-time but fired over, while at the other end David Raya produced a wonderful point blank save to tip Kevin Schade's header onto the crossbar. 

Arsenal had to endure some nervy moments in the second half as Brentford looked for a leveller, but they made sure of the win late on when Saka – who had replaced Madueke – finished off Merino's pass to restore Arsenal's five-point advantage at the top of the table.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (8/10):

Outstanding save to tip Schade's point-blank header onto the bar and his handling was good throughout.

Ben White (8/10):

Back in the starting XI and reminded everyone just how good he is in the first half. Excellent down the right, linked up really well with Madueke. Lovely assist for Merino's early goal.

Cristhian Mosquera (6/10):

Arsenal's latest injury victim. Forced off before half-time after an awkward landing.

Piero Hincapie (7/10):

Solid enough. Coped pretty well with the pace and direct style of the Brentford attack.

Riccardo Calafiori (7/10):

A typically strong showing, popping up all over the pitch. Did well defensively and almost scored late on.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Martin Zubimendi (7/10):

Calm and steady as always. Just kept things ticking over nicely.

Declan Rice (7/10):

Made some driving runs into the box and was so close to providing a great assist for Madueke before Henry's last ditch block. Limped off late on with what Arsenal will hope was cramp.

Martin Odegaard (6/10):

Positive signs on his first start since his return. Heavily involved, linked up well down the right and looked fit. Important minutes as he looks to get back to his top level.

AFPAttack

Noni Madueke (7/10):

Really lively when on the ball in the first half and caused Henry so many problems. Lovely flick to release White in the build up to the early goal. Set-piece delivery needs work though. Faded after half-time.

Mikel Merino (8/10):

Brilliant centre-forward play to open the scoring. The run and header were superb. Good display, covered so much ground and added an assist for Saka late on.

Gabriel Martinelli (6/10):

Fired one shot over in the first half. Willing runner, but was on the fringes of things before being replaced by Eze.

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Jurrien Timber (7/10):

Replaced the injured Mosquera at centre-back in the first half. Solid.

Bukayo Saka (7/10):

Made sure of the points in stoppage time from Merino's pass. 

Eberechi Eze (6/10):

Saw quite a bit of the ball, but Brentford dealt with him well.

Viktor Gyokeres (N/A):

On for the closing stages.

Mikel Arteta (7/10):

Made some changes to give some players a rest. Unlucky that Mosquera picked up an injury which forced Timber on early.

The defending champions had looked like taking a strong lead, but ended up in trouble themselves later in the day

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2025

Peter Handscomb reminded Test selectors of his talents, scoring another Sheffield Shield century against South Australia.After the Victoria captain top scored with 103 on Monday at Adelaide Oval and declared seven runs behind the home side, a crucial sixth-wicket stand rescued the day for SA.Related

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Daniel Drew (42 not out) and Harry Nielsen (41 not out) took SA from a precarious 82 for 5 to 169 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 176 going into the last day.Resuming on 38 with the score 167 for 3, Handscomb anchored the Victorian innings on day three. In reply to SA’s 350, they were in trouble at 199 for 6 before Handscomb combined with Fergus O’Neill for a seventh-wicket stand of 125.Spinner Lloyd Pope had O’Neill caught-and-bowled for 64 and Pope dismissed Handscomb, caught by Jordan Buckingham in the deep for the eighth wicket.Handscomb, whose most recent Test was in March 2023, faced 180 balls and hit seven fours and two sixes. Half of his 18 Shield tons have been against SA.SA steadily lost early wickets in their second innings. After a duck on the opening day, No.3 and Test hopeful Nathan McSweeney was dismissed for 6 when he edged a pull against David Moody.Opener Henry Hunt and Jake Lehmann starred with centuries in SA’s first innings. But when impressive Victorian left-arm spinner Doug Warren dismissed them in successive overs – Hunt top-edging a sweep and Lehmann bowled through the gate on the drive – the home side was five down for not nearly enough.That brought together Drew and Nielsen, who grew in confidence as they batted through to stumps.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras encara o Flamengo neste domingo (21), no Allianz Parque, em jogo válido pela 3ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024 e o duelo entre Abel Ferreira e Tite é um dos ingredientes principais da partida.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O técnico do Flamengo volta a encarar o Palmeiras no Allianz Parque após oito anos e o torcedor palmeirense espera que Tite saia da casa do Verdão igual após a sua última visita no estádio: derrotado.

Comandando o Corinthians pelo Brasileirão de 2016, Tite perdeu por 1 a 0 para o Palmeiras de Cuca, que terminaria aquele Brasileiro como campeão nacional após 22 anos.

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Aquele foi o último jogo de Tite pelo maior rival do Palmeiras antes do técnico confirmar que seria o novo comandante da Seleção Brasileira, onde ele ficou por seis anos e comandou o Brasil por duas Copas do Mundo.

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Este será o segundo duelo entre Tite e Abel Ferreira na carreira dos dois treinadores. O primeiro encontro foi pelo Brasileirão de 2023, quando o Flamengo saiu vencedor no Maracanã, por 3 a 0.

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Tudo sobre

Allianz ParqueFlamengoPalmeirasTite

Big picture: Ghosts to bury for South Africa

We often have poignant memories of certain places that come rushing back when we return to them. As much as they would want to avoid it, South Africa could experience this on their return to Guwahati, where they began their World Cup 2025 campaign by being dismantled for 69 in just 20.4 overs. On Wednesday, they will play a semi-final at the same ground, against the same opponents, England.South Africa’s batters had seemed to overcome that opening-match shock, firing in five successive wins, until they ran into Australia in their last match of the league stage. If they had succumbed to Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean in the game against England, it was spin again that undid them now, the magic right wrist of Alana King sending them hurtling to 97 all out.Related

• Tactics board: Kapp vs Knight and Sciver-Brunt and SA vs spin

• For Nonkululeko Mlaba, cricket was a means to a better life but then she fell in love with it

• South Africa take hurt, hope and hard lessons into the semi-finals

• Powerplay Podcast: Can anyone stop Australia?

If their net sessions on Tuesday were anything to go by, South Africa will look to counterpunch, whether England throw spin or pace at them. Their batters had a hit in the sun, hitting uninhibitedly in the air, getting plenty of appreciative yells and thumbs up from head coach Mandla Mashimbyi.It isn’t just spin demons that South Africa must exorcise to reach their maiden ODI World Cup final. Their only semi-final appearances so far came in the last two editions of the tournament, and England shattered their dreams both times, heartbreakingly in 2017 and more comprehensively in 2022.At the start of this year, England themselves wouldn’t have expected to be the second-best team at this World Cup, having changed their captain and coach after a 7-0 blanking in the Ashes. But they buried their own ghosts, overcame wobbles against Bangladesh, snatched a game from hosts India, and crashed Sophie Devine’s farewell party before flying to Guwahati.Despite their volatile results in recent times, England have a lot more World Cup pedigree: they are four-time champions, they have made the semi-finals in each of the last six editions, and have turned out in all but one of the last four finals. If South Africa want to beat their nemesis, they will hope to make the most of a helpful Guwahati strip to break open England’s middle order. This is perhaps the only base England haven’t covered yet; they tried to fix it in their last league match, bringing in the experienced Danni Wyatt-Hodge.2:33

Kapp vs Knight, and other key match-ups to watch out for

Form guide

England WLWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWW

In the spotlight: Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Marizanne Kapp

Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 34 and in her fourth ODI World Cup, brings a wealth of experience that she finally brought to the XI when she came in for Emma Lamb well after England had booked their semi-final berth. She got all of seven balls to face in a modest chase of 169 against New Zealand, and will hope to channel the 2022 semi-final, which she dominated with a 125-ball 129 as opener. She has since moved down the order, hasn’t scored another hundred yet, and has gone past 50 just twice in 24 innings. She will hope she can put her hand up on Wednesday and put behind her an English summer during which she was dropped from the ODI set-up.Marizanne Kapp has hardly been herself at this World Cup, at least in terms of numbers. Barring her two half-centuries against Pakistan and Bangladesh, she hasn’t gone past 20 yet, and her seven wickets so far don’t quite reflect her body of work and skills with the ball. Having finished the 2017 edition with 13 scalps and the 2022 one with 12, she would definitely want to get into double-digits in her fifth ODI World Cup.

Team news

Sophie Ecclestone bowled just four balls against New Zealand and hurt her left shoulder while fielding. An MRI scan showed a “minor injury” close to her collarbone, and she trained on Tuesday evening, but bowled for barely 15 minutes before she switched to batting. While Ecclestone may not yet be 100% fit, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said she would be “wanting to get out onto that pitch regardless of how she’s feeling.” If she doesn’t make it, England could bring in legspinner Sarah Glenn, who has so far only featured in the rain-hit match against Pakistan.England (possible): 1 Amy Jones (wk), 2 Tammy Beaumont, 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 6 Sophia Dunkley, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell.South Africa may not feel the need to make any changes to their XI from the Australia game, unless they want to bring in a third frontline spinner for the slower conditions in Guwahati.South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luus, 4 Annerie Dercksen, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba.2:55

‘SA will be confident in their batting unit’

Pitch and conditions

Guwahati has not had a game in over two weeks, which effectively makes the pitch for the semi-final a fresh one. The surfaces here so far have offered plenty of purchase for the spinners, with grip, turn and a lack of pace that has made run-scoring more challenging than it has been in Indore, Visakhapatnam and Navi Mumbai. The weather in Guwahati looked ominous a few days ago, but has mostly cleared since.If there’s not enough time to complete the game on Wednesday, the reserve day will come into effect on Thursday.

Stats and trivia

• Marizanne Kapp needs four more wickets to go level with Jhulan Goswami (43) at the top of the overall list of wicket-takers in ODI World Cups. Kapp and Megan Schutt are on 39, along with the retired Australian Lyn Fullston.
• England dominate the head-to-head between these two teams, with a 36-10 win-loss record.
• Laura Wolvaardt is 48 runs away from becoming the first South African woman to reach the 5000 mark in ODIs.
• Nonkululeko Mlaba needs just one wicket to reach 50 in ODIs
• Heather Knight (944) Tammy Beaumont (897) are closing in on 1000 ODI World Cup runs.

Quotes

“I think we were a totally different-looking side. They’ve got a lot of different players as well. So I think it’s sort of a fresh opportunity and it starts from zero. So I’m looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we’re able to learn from those semi-final victories that we’ve got and maybe stay a bit calmer under pressure.”
“That was obviously a long time ago in the tournament and I guess since then we’ve played a lot of games. But, yeah, South Africa obviously have had some brilliant games since then and are a dangerous side.”