Tag Futebol

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Raphael Veiga foi bem direto ao falar do atual momento vivido pelo Palmeiras. Com a derrota de virada por 2 a 1 para o Santos, o Verdão colecionou o seu terceiro resultado negativo consecutivo no Brasileirão e agora vê o líder Botafogo ainda mais distante. Na zona mista após o duelo, na Arena Barueri, o camisa 23 alviverde admitiu o cansaço físico e mental dos jogadores principalmente depois da eliminação na Libertadores para o Boca Juniors-ARG.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoAssista aos melhores momentos de Palmeiras x SantosBrasileirão08/10/2023SantosMarcos Leonardo é decisivo mais uma vez e garante vitória do Santos diante do PalmeirasSantos08/10/2023Fora de CampoDupla do Palmeiras vira alvo de torcedores após derrota: ‘Não merecem titularidade’Fora de Campo08/10/2023

Ainda, Veiga disse que nos últimos jogos o Palmeiras tem deixado a desejar na eficácia, principalmente no segundo tempo. Com a derrota para o Peixe, a equipe de Abel Ferreira estacionou na 4ª colocação, com 44 pontos. Veja a declaração completa de Raphael Veiga no vídeo acima.

+ Santos vence o Palmeiras de virada pelo Brasileirão e quebra tabu de quatro anos

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoPalmeirasRaphael Veiga

Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat against Brentford was the “worst” of their four-game losing streak in the Premier League, according to manager Arne Slot. The Reds were unable to build on their thumping Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, with the Dutchman saying their latest reverse was more damning than the defeats against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Frankfurt win proved to be false dawn for Slot and Liverpool

Having come from behind to record an impressive win in Frankfurt on Wednesday, the result ultimately proved to be a false dawn for Slot’s side. The reigning league champions were put to the sword by Brentford trio Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago as Keith Andrews’ men earned all three points at the Gtech Community Stadium. Milos Kerkez and Mohamed Salah responded in either half for Liverpool but they were unable to find a third goal as they slipped to another defeat in the top flight.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot labels Brentford defeat as the 'worst' in Reds' losing run

In a loss which has brought further question marks regarding Liverpool’s title credentials, Slot has since labelled the Brentford defeat as the most concerning in his side’s poor run of form.

"You cannot compare all of them [the four league defeats] but the most concerning thing is that you lose four times in a row,” Slot told after the game. “Afterwards you can judge the performance and today was the worst in my opinion from all the four. Again, conceding a set-piece and not scoring one makes it hard to win a game of football.

"We didn't do the basics right in the first half and parts of the second.

"They won more duels than us, they won more second balls than us and if you come here and you know if you are going to concede goals then one of them may be a set-piece and a counter-attack is also one of their biggest strengths and that's how we conceded two goals.”

Dutchman felt Liverpool were 'unlucky' to concede penalty

Despite branding the defeat as the worst in what is a troubling period for Liverpool, Slot felt his team were unlucky to concede the penalty which led to Thiago’s all-important winner for Brentford. The Bees were awarded the spot kick after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) adjudged defender Virgil van Dijk had fouled forward Ouattara inside the box, with replays showing the incident occurred on the line of the penalty area.

Slot said: ”We were unlucky with the penalty we conceded. I'm not sure the referee would have given them the penalty if he thought it was inside the box at the time. He thought it was a soft contact, but it was outside the box. Let's give them a free-kick, but it turned out to be inside, so the VAR had to overturn it, as that's his job.

"After going 3-1 down, we tried, made some substitutes, but maybe if I am completely honest, them scoring at that moment in time was more likely than us to make it 3-2.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportEx-Liverpool man McManaman tells Slot what he should do next

In a summer which saw Liverpool attempt to build on last season’s title victory by signing a host of new players, including the eye-catching arrivals of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, Slot’s new-look side have struggled to click of late. And speaking after the final whistle at Brentford, former Reds midfielder Steve McManaman urged Slot to go back to the players he trusts in a bid to arrest the club’s sudden slide.

"They have to get back to what they did last year, playing as a unit and together,” McManaman told “It's all hit-and-miss at this moment in time. Everybody is running around all over the place, and they're not solid in midfield.

"They're trying to jam players in there when they should probably be taken out of the side and left at the moment. Slot has to go back to the players he really trusts and knows can do it.

"Liverpool have home games coming up and they have to turn this around. They had all the platitudes last season, when they were winning the league easily. Now, they have to take the criticism on the chin and they have to respond.”

Despite losing eight matches chasing out of nine, Rajasthan Royals (RR) decided to chase one last time and came out victors with 17 balls to spare. Unlike earlier games, though, their bowlers did well against fellow laggards Chennai Super Kings (CSK), leaving them just 188 to get on a good batting pitch. Akash Madhwal reversed the ball to restrict CSK in the end to just 17 runs off the last three overs, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi then aced the chase with a measured 57 off 33 deliveries.R Ashwin took two wickets in the 14th over to remind observers of RR’s poor chasing record, but it proved to be nothing more than a stutter. Dhruv Jurel made sure it never got close with a sparkling 31 from 12 balls. The unbeaten batters at the end were Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer, who have been in the middle in some of the past fluffed chases.As a result of the win, RR were momentarily off the bottom of the table, but their season was done. CSK were left needing a big win in their last match to avoid finishing at the bottom for the first time in their history.

CSK lose early wickets

The start of the game was action-packed, but not easily explained. CSK lost five wickets in 7.4 overs to length balls that didn’t swing or seam. They were not off-pace deliveries either. Of these, one was not even an attacking shot. It was just one of those days when the risks were not coming off, and Yudhvir Singh ended with a haul of three wickets.Yudhvir Singh ended with three wickets•BCCI

For a while in between, the risks did come off for a 56-run stand between Ayush Mhatre and new No. 4 Ashwin. Mhatre scored 43 off 20 balls, mostly just clearing the infield for eight fours and one six. This meant CSK were going at over 10 runs an over even though they lost five early wickets.

Brevis continues to impress

The second half of CSK’s season has been all about identifying a core for the next IPL. Two triumphs in that regard have been their replacement batters, Mhatre and Dewald Brevis. Both shone in Delhi. Brevis scored 42 off 25 deliveries as he and Shivam Dube added 59 runs for the sixth wicket.

The reverse curse

In three of their five tight losses, RR have had to contend with the reversing ball. This time, though, they got the ball reversing themselves. Madhwal, who started bowling as late as the 12th over and went for ten runs in his first two balls, quickly realised that the ball was ready for reverse swing, and started going for the yorker.In his four overs, Madhwal nailed at least eight of them to go with plenty of low full tosses that were difficult to get away. The one that got Brevis off the inside edge was a half-volley, but it did tail away, thus causing the mis-hit.3:08

Chopra: Suryavanshi has already shown maturity

Dube, meanwhile, took care of the spin threat that was reserved for MS Dhoni, thus maintaining the run rate of 10 till the 17th over. But Madhwal and Tushar Deshpande were excellent in the last three overs. For once the RR batters were not going to have to chase an above-par total.

Jaiswal gets RR off to a flying start

The target this time was exactly what RR scored to tie the game against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the same venue, but this was a better batting pitch. For the 13th time in the IPL, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit the first legal delivery of the innings for a boundary – a record. This one, though, came off the glove in an over in which he hardly middled the ball. By the time he started his second over, though, Khaleel Ahmed had lost the movement, and Jaiswal raced away to 36 off 19 balls.

Suryavanshi, Samson assured in chase

This time, Suryavanshi and Sanju Samson had the opportunity to get a sighter or two thanks to their bowlers and the quick start provided by Jaiswal. It didn’t take Suryavanshi long, though. He hit six, four and four in Noor Ahmad’s first over, and took sixes in Ravindra Jadeja’s first.1:26

Bangar: If I was Dhoni I would say ‘enough’

The one spinner that Suryavanshi couldn’t hit was negotiated by Samson. He hit a six in each of former team-mate Ashwin’s overs to make sure RR stayed ahead of the asking rate.

Jurel overcomes jitters

By the time Ashwin gave CSK a glimmer of hope, getting the better of former captain Samson and Suryavanshi in the 14th over, the ask had already come down to 50 runs. Suryavanshi had again dazzled observers, this time with his measured approach to go with his hitting prowess.Jurel, though, didn’t let CSK consolidate their gains. He hit Jadeja for a six and a four, Noor for a four, and then Ashwin for a six. In perfect symmetry, it was an 18-run Ashwin over that ended CSK’s brief comeback.

أعلنت رابطة الليجا عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ريال مدريد وخيتافي، حيث التقى الفريقان مساء يوم الأحد في إطار مواجهات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

واستقبل خيتافي خصمه ريال مدريد في مباراة بالجولة التاسعة لبطولة الدوري الإسباني “الليجا” موسم 2025-2026.

وتمكن ريال مدريد من تحقيق الفوز بهدف دون رد، ليرفع رصيده للنقطة 24 في صدارة الدوري الإسباني.

وحصل الفرنسي كيليان مبابي مهاجم ريال مدريد، على جائزة رجل المباراة أمام خيتافي، وقد أحرز هدف اللقاء الوحيد.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد مباراة ريال مدريد القادمة بعد الفوز على خيتافي في الدوري الإسباني

وسجل مبابي الهدف في الدقيقة 80 بعد تمريرة من أردا جولر، وجاء هدفه عقب طرد آلان نيوم لاعب خيتافي والذي تلقى بطاقة حمراء عقب 30 ثانية من مشاركته كبديل في الدقيقة 77.

ويتصدر مبابي ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني للموسم الجاري، ويملك في رصيده 10 أهداف بعد مرور 9 جولات.

Manchester United are in the market for late deals and could be set to earn some much needed capital to invest into their squad by sanctioning a key departure, according to reports.

Manchester United look for Ruben Amorim turnaround

To put it bluntly, Ruben Amorim hasn’t endured the tenure he would’ve liked at Old Trafford so far and his misfortune was only compounded further courtesy of a disastrous EFL Cup exit to Grimsby Town in midweek.

Losing out on penalties, the Red Devils boss has been left under pressure by club chiefs, with reports emerging that Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner could be in the frame to take over at Manchester United if results don’t improve.

Wayne Rooney has been critical of the former Sporting boss and claimed that the defeat at Blundell Park could prove to be a ‘breaking point’ for Amorim, citing his belief that he will find it difficult to turn around the malaise at the club.

He stated on his own show: “There’s a pressure at Manchester United which he will never have felt before. When you’re not winning games it can start to get to you, and it looks like it was a breaking point for him.

“There’s just a little bit too much rotation going on and players getting a little bit lost. When they lose the ball there’s massive gaps and spaces and it’s a carry on from last season. If it carries on like that, then unfortunately I don’t see how it moves forward.”

Man Utd now seriously considering late move for "wonderful" £32m midfielder

INEOS may not be done just yet…

2

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 28, 2025

Transfers could be pivotal to a turnaround, and Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher could be set for an Old Trafford move, albeit sales will be necesarry to pulling any further moves off.

If recent reports are to be believed, they could now be set to hasten that process.

Rasmus Hojlund set for Napoli medical

According to Il Mattino, Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is set to undergo a medical at Napoli in a deal that will see the Red Devils inherit around £37.2 million once his initial loan move goes through.

If the Serie A champions secure qualification to next campaign’s Champions League, the agreement will convert into an obligation to buy, meaning Amorim’s men will receive the full amount quoted.

Across his time at Old Trafford, Hojlund has struck 26 times in 95 appearances in all competitions. Nevertheless, Benjamin Sesko’s arrival has pushed him down the pecking order and an exit has been all but ratified.

Alejandro Garnacho’s move to Chelsea for £40 million will offer Manchester United the chance to make another marquee signing, if they can push negotiations over the line at this late stage, though it remains to be seen when both deals officially go through.

Either way, Amorim is in need of help to bolster his squad and funds generated from Hojlund’s exit will go a long way to achieving that feat.

Ipswich Town are now racing to sign a new midfielder, who looks set to leave this summer, with his club open to a sale.

Ipswich keen on more new signings after poor start

Kieran McKenna is looking to secure an instant return to the Premier League, but it would be fair to say his side haven’t gotten off to the best of starts, picking up just two points from their opening three Championship matches.

However, despite his side running out 1-0 winners on Saturday afternoon, Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom was left impressed by what he saw from Ipswich, saying: “They’ve got very good individuals, you can see that with the bench and also with the players who didn’t get on.

“But they’re a very good team without the ball as well, which you could see today. They’re going to be up there without a doubt.”

It is certainly true that McKenna has some real quality at his disposal, having set out to bolster his options in the engine room considerably, with defensive midfielders Azor Matusiwa and Jens Cajuste arriving earlier this summer.

However, Ipswich still remain keen on bringing in another central midfielder, according to a report from The Sun, which states they are in the race for Rennes midfielder Jordan James, although there could be fierce competition for his signature.

James is also being targeted by Wrexham, and Parma, with the Welsh club looking to outbid the Serie A side for the midfielder, who joined Rennes from Birmingham for a fee of £4m last summer.

Rennes are willing to sell the former Birmingham man to the highest bidder, despite featuring regularly in his debut campaign in Ligue 1, and he now looks set to leave.

Ipswich Town now in race to sign "untouchable" defender with 20 int'l caps

The Tractor Boys have set their sights on a new target.

ByDominic Lund Aug 17, 2025 James could be exciting addition to McKenna's midfield

The 20-time Wales international has certainly impressed for his country in the past, having been hailed by podcast host Jordan Webber after performing well against a Croatia midfield consisting of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovavic and Marcelo Brozovic.

Despite being just 21-years-old, the Hereford-born midfielder is also vastly experienced at Championship level, having been one of the only shining lights for Birmingham during the 2023-24 campaign, chipping in with eight goals in 42 league outings.

While Rennes’ willingness to sanction a departure suggests James wasn’t quite as impressive in Ligue 1, the experience of playing in a new country should stand the youngster in good stead to be a success at Portman Road, and joining promotion-chasing Ipswich should be an attractive proposition.

“I fully went for the bluff,” England quick says of his hat-trick ball to Tim Southee, trapping him lbw

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Dec-2024Gus Atkinson says he is “greedy” for more milestones after taking England’s 15th Test hat-trick to leave New Zealand reeling on day two of the second Test at the Basin Reserve.Atkinson became the 14th Englishman to take a Test hat-trick – Stuart Broad has two – and the first since Moeen Ali against South Africa in 2017. He is also the 50th man or woman to achieve the feat.Nathan Smith was bowled off the bat while trying to leave, Matt Henry was caught at gully fending a bouncer before Tim Southee was trapped plumb in front, which finished New Zealand’s innings on 125, 155 behind England’s 280. That lead is now a mammoth 533, with the tourists closing day two in Wellington on 378 for 5 in their first innings.Related

Southee's extended farewell epitomises New Zealand's stasis

Atkinson hat-trick, Bethell 96 highlight England's day of dominance

Saturday’s exploits, which has England in the driving seat for a series-clinching win, joins a growing list of remarkable achievements Atkinson has ticked off in his short Test career to date.Gus Atkinson spreads his arms after pinning Tim Southee for his hat-trick•Getty ImagesHe took 12 wickets on debut at Lord’s against West Indies in July, in James Anderson’s final Test, with 7 for 45 and 5 for 61. He then returned to the Home of Cricket to take another 5 for 62 and score a maiden Test century against Sri Lanka.Atkinson, whose only other hat-trick came at school in 2016 while playing for Bradfield College against Radley College, was buoyed by the achievement but says he is hungry for more memorable moments in an England shirt.”You always want to get more and be greedy,” said Atkinson at the close of play. “You want to take as many as you can and that’s something I want to try and do in the future.”It was great. It’s not something as a bowler you think about. you think about five-fors and ten-fors, those sort of things.”Obviously it’s been a great year for me personally and hopefully I can get a few more milestone and help the team.”

[Southee] is someone who, even on a hat-trick ball, might take it on. I was thinking about bowling a yorker, getting it full and straight. I missed a bit but thankfully it still ended up straight and relatively full when it hit him on the pad.”Atkinson on his hat-trick delivery

Atkinson had a chance for a hat-trick on debut when he removed Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder in successive deliveries in the first innings. Joshua Da Silva kept out the hat-trick ball, before the West Indies’ keeper-batter was snared the very next delivery via an inside edge.This time, Atkinson’s third delivery in the set was carefully planned. With Southee on strike, England set a field for the short-ball, a nod to the his penchant for a big shot, regardless of the occasion. Atkinson, however, went full, striking the pad and wheeling away celebrating as the umpire raised his finger.”I fully went for the bluff,” said Atkinson. “He [Southee] is someone who, even on a hat-trick ball, he might take it on. That was the feeling: even though it’s a hat-trick ball he might take this on.”I was thinking about bowling a yorker, getting it full and straight. I missed a bit but thankfully it still ended up straight and relatively full when it hit him on the pad.”Atkinson currently boasts 47 wickets at an average of 21.31 in the format, with an innings remaining in his 10th Test. Though he had played 12 while-ball internationals ahead of his Test bow, he credits Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for giving him room to thrive, and for taking a punt on him in the first place. At the time of his selection, he had played just 19 first-class matches for Surrey, taking 59 wickets at 27.38.Both Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett missed their hundreds•Getty ImagesThe 26-year-old is one of a number of such punts selectors have made in the last nine months, the latest being Jacob Bethell, who fell four runs short of what would have been his first century in professional cricket. Bethell’s 96 – a new first-class best – follows his maiden 50 from 37 deliveries that took England over the line against New Zealand last week at Hagley Oval. Atkinson credits the environment curated that has allowed the Warwickshire batter to thrive at the age of 21.”It was great viewing,” said Atkinson of Bethell’s innings, which came in a 187-run stand with Ben Duckett, who also fell short of a century with 92.”Both played exceptionally well and it’s a shame neither of them got to a hundred but I’m sure Beth will take a lot of confidence from that. He’ll have more chances in the future.”There’s no pressure on any of us. It’s just to go out and play our natural game. I probably didn’t have the stats for Test cricket before I played. I know Beth hasn’t scored a first-class hundred or anything, but the way he bats and the way he’s played in the ODI and T20 series as well just shows how much of a quality player he is. The way he plays fast bowling and spin also, he’s just a class player all-round.”I just think the environment of no pressure and go and play your own game, and don’t worry too much about the outcome, has helped myself and I’m sure it’s helped the others as well.”

How did Mumbai Indians (MI) manage to retain their core group of four superstars in Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav – as well as Tilak Varma – within INR 75 crore, the minimum retention amount assigned by IPL for five players?ESPNcricinfo has learned that while MI’s senior management, including Mahela Jayawardene, who recently returned as head coach, was thinking of paying Rohit, Bumrah, Hardik and Suryakumar equal amounts, the players decided the retention order themselves.But the details, as well as the individual amounts, were far from finalised when Jayawardene, along with Mumbai’s senior management including owner Akash Ambani, met the players in early October to review what was a poor IPL 2024, where the five-time champions finished last.Related

• Takeaways: Indians and batters dominate retentions

• LSG wanted to retain 'players who have a mindset to win'

• IPL 2025 – MI retain their big four; Klaasen retained for INR 23 crore

• IPL 2025 retentions: Pant, Rahul head to auction; Russell retained by KKR

The players and the management met twice during this period. The idea was to talk openly about how the previous season had gone. Part of the conversations involved everyone opening up on what they felt had worked and what hadn’t. The players in question were also asked to seek clarity on whatever they wanted before the retentions were finalised.It is understood that Suryakumar wanted to know what plans the franchise had for him for the future. Having replaced Rohit as the India T20I captain after the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar is keen to lead MI, too, at some point. The franchise has told him that when Hardik replaced Rohit as captain ahead of the 2024 season, the plan was to see him continue in that position at least for the foreseeable future.The franchise is believed to have asked Suryakumar if he had any conditions before retention and also that they wouldn’t be able to promise him anything. Suryakumar told the franchise, later, that he wanted to stay with MI. He is also believed to have told the franchise that he does have captaincy aspirations. This was on October 4, about four weeks before the retention deadline.1:01

Hardik to continue as Mumbai Indians captain

It is understood that the senior group was told at these meetings that the franchise would retain Hardik as the captain as it would be unfair to judge Hardik on last season’s performances where he struggled with form both with bat and ball and made questionable strategic calls in the field. The understanding was that if the right sort of environment was created, it would help both Hardik and Mumbai succeed. The players agreed.Rohit, along with Hardik and Suryakumar, agreed that Bumrah deserved the top retention as well as the top price. Rohit also said he was happy to be the fourth retention behind Bumrah, Suryakumar and Hardik considering he had retired from the T20I format.At the meetings, it was agreed that if the team’s fans were not given clarity about the future the franchise was headed in, there was a danger of the team losing its support base. At one of the meetings, Suryakumar is understood to have said: ” [I will create the atmosphere].”

Test captain awaits scan on hamstring as he works his way back to full fitness for Pakistan tour

Andrew Miller24-Sep-20243:18

Matt Roller on the big challenges ahead for England coach Brendon McCullum

Ben Stokes says “it’s definitely going to be a yes” if Brendon McCullum asks him to come back to play for England’s rebooted white-ball teams, but insists that no such conversations have happened yet, as he focusses first on regaining full fitness in time to lead next month’s Test tour to Pakistan.Stokes, 33, famously played matchwinning innings in each of England’s World Cup final victories across formats, at Lord’s in 2019 and at Melbourne in 2022, but he has not featured in a white-ball international since the ODI team’s ignominious title defence in India in November last year. However, with the next major ICC event, the Champions Trophy, fast approaching in February, Luke Wright, England’s selector, recently admitted that both Stokes and Joe Root remained in consideration.Stokes had previously retired from ODI cricket in 2022, citing the risk of burn-out in an increasingly crowded international schedule, while he withdrew his availability from the most recent T20 World Cup in June, in order to focus on regaining full fitness following an operation on his long-standing knee issue.Now, however, with Stokes’ bond with McCullum well established by their captain-coach partnership in the Test team, he says he is open to a cross-format comeback, but only if it is in the best interests of the white-ball squad that has begun to pivot to a new generation, among them this month’s new cap Jacob Bethell, whom Stokes believes is going to be a “superstar”.”It’s an amazing opportunity for the white-ball team to experience what Baz has brought to the Test team,” Stokes told Sky Sports during the third ODI at Chester-le-Street. “He’s an incredible coach who speaks with utter commitment, and it’s nice to have all three teams now with the same messaging and the same philosophies towards playing cricket.Stokes tore his hamstring while batting during the Hundred•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“If I get the call and [Baz] says, ‘do you want to come and play?’ Then obviously, it’s definitely going to be a yes, but I’m not going to be too disappointed if I don’t, because I can just sit back and watch everyone else go out and smack it.”I’ve played a lot of white-ball cricket for England, and I’m very happy with what I’ve achieved in that form of the game,” he added. “But to be honest, we’ve not even spoken about anything like that whatsoever. I think he’s just letting me concentrate on what I need to concentrate on, especially around the Test team.”The next challenge for Stokes’ Test team is fast approaching next week, when they embark on another three-Test tour of Pakistan – a venue where they famously won 3-0 in December 2022, in one of the most notable triumphs of the Stokes-McCullum regime to date.After some weeks of uncertainty, Multan has now been confirmed as the venue for the first Test, beginning October 7. And while Stokes expects to be fit enough to lead his team in that match, having missed the Sri Lanka series following a hamstring tear in August, he says he will be cautious about fulfilling his bowling duties after a lengthy period on the sidelines.Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum celebrate England’s series win on their last tour of Pakistan in 2022•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Speaking ahead of a six-and-a-half week scan, which confirmed on Wednesday that his recovery is on track, Stokes said that he was feeling optimistic about the prognosis. “It was a hamstring tear that just sneaked into my tendon, so that’s why it’s taken a week or two longer, but my rehab has gone really well, so hopefully tomorrow everything gets the all-clear, and we can start pushing it a bit more.”There’s a lot more than just my hamstrings that I need to get back firing again, in terms of bowling, because you use everything,” he added. “So I need to get that all right to make sure that I don’t do any more damage to any other parts of my body.”Although England’s experience from the 2022 tour will stand them in good stead on this visit, Stokes admits that there are plenty of unknowns about the conditions they will face in Pakistan, and not simply because it has taken so long for the venues to be confirmed.”It’s probably not until we get out there that we’ll have a real understanding of it,” he said. “I know that Shan Masood [Pakistan’s captain] has been asking for quicker, more lively wickets for their fast bowlers. Obviously, last time we were there, they were slow, dry and spun a bit. So, we’ve got to go there with an open mind about what we’re going to get.”This story was updated at 5.53pm BST on Wednesday, September 25, following the results of Stokes’ scan