Things are starting to go wrong for Chelsea this season.

Just a few weeks ago, Enzo Maresca’s side looked like one of the best teams in the Premier League and a serious rival to Arsenal.

However, with two losses and two draws in their last four games, it feels like the Blues have hit a wall, and a number of their summer signings are struggling to make an impact.

One player who has had a particularly poor start to life at Chelsea is Liam Delap, and if he’s not careful, he could be replaced by a hugely exciting striker set to join the squad ahead of next season.

Delap's 24/25 vs 25/26

He might be getting pelters this season, but when Chelsea paid £30m to sign Delap in the summer, it looked like a good move for the club.

After all, the former Manchester City gem was one of the only bright sparks in a dire Ipswich Town side and, in his first proper season of Premier League football, put in a good account of himself.

For example, while he wasn’t the most prolific forward around, his tally of 12 goals and two assists in 40 appearances, 37 of which came in the league, was impressive, and came out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.85 games.

However, his form, at least in terms of output, seems to have fallen off a cliff this season, with him scoring a single goal in 11 games so far.

Unfortunately, his underlying numbers have also dropped off massively this year.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.34

0.21

Progressive Carries

2.12

2.05

Key Passes

0.73

0.00

Passes into the Final Third

0.59

0.26

Shot-Creating Actions

2.15

0.52

Goal-Creating Actions

0.24

0.00

Tackles Won

0.28

0.00

Blocks

0.28

0.00

According to FBref, the Englishman is doing worse in the majority of relevant metrics this year, like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, key passes, passes into the final third, shot- and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, and multiple defensive statistics, all per 90.

Add to this the fact that he has already suffered two significant injuries and been sent off, and it’s not hard to see a world in which Delap fails to make the grade at Chelsea.

Especially as the club already has another exciting youngster set to join the summer who’s coming for his place.

The Chelsea youngster coming for Delap

Chelsea have made a real habit of signing some of the most exciting young talents from around the world of football, be that Estevao or Geovany Quenda.

Chalkboard

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

Another name that should be added to that list of incredible prospects, and someone fans will become far more familiar with next season, is Dastan Satpaev.

The Blues signed the sensational prospect from the Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty in February of this year for a fee of around €4m, which is about £3.5m.

However, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters, the teenager has to wait until next season, when he’s 18, to join up with Maresca’s squad.

Forcing the young phenom to stay in his home country for another year or so looks like it has been hugely beneficial, though, as he’s had plenty of senior game-time and, by all accounts, has been unreal.

Appearances

29

Starts

21

Minutes

2081

Goals

15

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

94.59′

For example, in 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, the dynamic game-changing forward scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

In other words, the young striker averaged a goal involvement every 1.31 games, or every 94.59 minutes, which is a rate of return that should worry Delap.

As if that wasn’t enough, one Kazakh scout even told the press that in one campaign for Kairat’s under-17 side, the superstar in the making produced a frankly astounding tally of “54 goals with 50 assists in just 19 matches.”

Finally, on top of impressing at the junior level and in the domestic league, the future game-changer has also made 12 appearances in the Champions League this season, seven in the qualifying rounds and five in the competition proper, where he became the youngest goalscorer in its history.

Ultimately, Delap is a talented footballer, but he’s had a poor season so far, and if he doesn’t improve quickly, he could see himself replaced by Satpaev next year.

The end for Tosin: Chelsea ready £52m bid to sign "outstanding" titan

The hugely exciting star could be just the Tosin upgrade that Chelsea and Enzo Maresca have been crying out for.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 4 days ago

MatériaMais Notícias

Para os mais supersticiosos, o Vasco tem um trunfo histórico importante para superar o Flamengo. Em 2015, dois técnicos estrearam no comando do Cruz-Maltino e venceram o rival. No caso, Celso Roth e Jorginho. Relembre com o Lance! abaixo como foram os clássicos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVascoVasco enfrenta o Flamengo no retorno do Brasileirão com a estreia de Álvaro PachecoVasco02/06/2024VascoVocê sabia? Desde 2017, o Vasco só venceu o Flamengo duas vezesVasco01/06/2024VascoRelembre a última vez que o Vasco venceu o Flamengo pelo BrasileirãoVasco01/06/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

⚽ CELSO ROTH: VASCO 1 X 0 FLAMENGO – BRASILEIRÃO (9ª RODADA)
O primeiro a vencer o Flamengo em 2015 foi Celso Roth. No dia 26 de julho, o rival foi superado por 1 a 0, na Arena Pantanal, em partida válida pela 9ª rodada do Brasileirão.

Na época, Rodrigo, Guiñazu e Gilberto estavam no elenco. Quem balançou a rede foi Riascos de peixinho, após cruzamento do lateral-direito Madson pela direita.

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⚽ JORGINHO: FLAMENGO 0 X 1 VASCO – COPA DO BRASIL (OITAVAS DE FINAL)
Jorginho foi o segundo técnico a vencer o Flamengo na estreia no comando do Vasco. O técnico chegou para substituir justamente Celso Roth.

No dia 19 de agosto, em jogo válido pelas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil, no segundo tempo, Riascos cruzou rasteiro, e Jorge Henrique completou para abrir o placar no Maracanã. Com a vitória, o Cruz-Maltino levou a vantagem para o segundo jogo, que culminou com a classificação depois do empate em 1 a 1.

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Agora, Álvaro Pacheco faz sua estreia no retorno do Brasileirão após a tragédia no Rio Grande do Sul. O Clássico dos Milhões será às 16h deste domingo (2). A bola rola no Maracanã.

Tudo sobre

Álvaro PachecoBrasileirãoFutebol NacionalVasco

Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap, losing their last nine wickets for 30 before Babar and Ayub’s steady 30s took Pakistan over the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Nov-2025

Pakistan thundered to victory in the final of the tri-series, their attack blazing through the last nine Sri Lanka wickets for 30 runs, before their batters carried them without major drama to a target of 115. The victory came in the 19th over.Earlier, it had been three-wicket hauls for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz, and two wickets for Abrar Ahmed, that had seen Pakistan produce the definitive passage of the game – the second half of Sri Lanka’s innings.Sri Lanka had been 84 for 1 in the 11th over when Nawaz had Kusal Mendis caught athletically by Babar Azam, on the boundary. They would nosedive spectacularly from there, losing wickets to spin mainly, but pace too, until they were all out for 114 in 19.1 overs.The chase was low-tempo, but mostly smooth. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub put on 46 together. Babar then produced a steady 37 not out to guide the team home in plenty of time. They never hit a high gear. But they didn’t need to.Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up 3 for 18 as Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap•Associated Press

Sri Lanka’s epic plungeHow do you go from a 64-run second-wicket partnership to 114 all out? Let Sri Lanka show you how.The spinners drove the collapse. After Nawaz dismissed Mendis, Abrar and Ayub ran riot, Abrar having Kusal Perera and Pavan Rathnayake caught attempting big shots within three balls of each other. Ayub had Sri Lanka’s top-scorer Kamil Mishara caught, before Nawaz came back to rattle the stumps of Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga.To give you an idea of how quickly wickets were falling, Sri Lanka had seven consecutive partnerships worth six runs or fewer.Babar keeps coming backA score of 37 not out off 34 isn’t exactly stellar T20I material, but in the context of having to guide the team to a low target, Babar’s innings was sensibly-paced. It may not deter his critics exactly, but it might hold them off.In a stretch in which Babar has been suggesting that the best version of himself might be back, it was also significant that he had such a good outing in the field in this match. The catch to dismiss Mendis was a nicely-judged overhead take, balancing to keep himself inside the boundary. The catch to dismiss Mishara was taken on the run, coming in from the straight boundary, diving forward. To get Rathnayake, he leapt up inside the circle to hold the catch with outstretched fingers.Kamil Mishara struck a quick half-century to keep Sri Lanka going•Getty Images

Mishara sets a foundationAlthough Sri Lanka would fail spectacularly to build on it, their young opener Mishara had set a launching pad with his 59 off 47 balls. He had a powerful aerial game inside the powerplay, his three sixes in that phase coming in the arc between long off and deep midwicket. After the field went back, he settled into a rhythm of singles. With this being his second successive half-century, Sri Lanka are likely to persist with him.

Victoria batter Oliver Peake will captain Australia Under-19s at next year’s World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe as they look to defend their title.Left-hand batter Peake was the youngest member of the side that defeated India in the 2024 final, where he made an unbeaten 46, and has already represented Australia A, and travelled with the Test squad to Sri Lanka earlier this year as a development player.He made 92 against Sri Lanka A in Darwin in July and guided Victoria to victory in their first Sheffield Shield game of the season with a composed 70 not out against South Australia. He is also contracted to Melbourne Renegades for the BBL but the World Cup means he will miss the second half of the tournament.Peake is the only player from the previous World Cup to be part of this edition.The Australia squad includes three uncapped players: Naden Cooray, Nitesh Samuel and William Taylor, who are all from New South Wales. Samuel was Player of the Tournament at the recent U-19 National Championships where he was the leading run-scorer with 364 at 91.The squad will be coached by Tim Nielsen, the former Australia head coach, with support from Luke Butterworth and Travis Dean.”We’re delighted to announce a strong and well-balanced squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup,” Nielsen said. “Our focus has been on selecting a group with complementary skill sets that provide the best chance of success in tournament.”The players named have impressed with their performances during the U-19 series against India in September and at the recent National U-19 Championship in Perth.”It’s an exciting group, some have already experienced senior training environments, while others are progressing rapidly through our pathway. The World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for these young cricketers to showcase their talent and test themselves against the best in the world.”From Australia’s 2024 U-19 World Cup squad, Sam Konstas has already played Test cricket while fast bowler Mahli Beardman has been part of ODI and T20I squads.Australia’s most recent one-day series saw them lose 3-0 to India in September. They have been grouped with Ireland, Japan and Sri Lanka for the first round of the World Cup.

Australia Under-19 World Cup squad

Oliver Peake (capt), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Ben Gordon, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, John James, Charles Lachmund, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, William Taylor, Alex Lee Young

Barcelona are keen to 'tempt' Kobbie Mainoo away from Manchester United but face stiff competition in the race for the midfielder. The England international had pushed to leave Old Trafford over the summer but was rebuffed in his efforts to leave the Manchester powerhouse. A January transfer has been mooted, though United need reinforcements before sanctioning his exit.

• Mainoo keen to leave Old Trafford

  United boss Ruben Amorim had hoped to bring in a new central midfielder over the summer, and the Premier League powerhouse were heavily linked with a move for Brighton star Carlos Baleba. However, United failed to agree a fee with the Seagulls for the Cameroonian ball winner, and a transfer failed to materialise.

  Baleba continues to be linked with a move to United, as does Crystal Palace youngster Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest sensation Elliot Anderson, though United would face stiff competition from a number of Premier League rivals for the latter pair.

  While a January move for any of the three midfielders would be difficult to complete, Mainoo is eager to leave the club as he looks to reignite his England chances ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League match this season, and United's lack of European action means Amorim sees little need to rotate in the middle of the park.

  And according to Spanish publication , Barcelona are ready to make their move for Mainoo.

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• Competition rife for United midfielder

  The report states that Barcelona are looking to 'tempt' Mainoo away from United as the consider bolstering their midfield options. That being said, the same report also claims that competition for the United outcast is rife, with Real Madrid sniffing around the youngster.

  After a flying start to the season under Xabi Alonso, are struggling and are now seven points behind league leaders Barcelona, albeit with a game in hand, following a run of one win in their last five. Even so, the Spanish giants are prepared to sanction a move for Mainoo to not only improve the squad, but to also strike a blow to their fierce rivals.

  Real Madrid are not the only European heavyweight in for Mainoo with Serie A giants Napoli and Premier League outfit Chelsea also monitoring the United midfielder. A move to Napoli would see Mainoo tread the same path as Scott McTominay, who was rebuilt his career following his move to Italy last summer.

  The Blues, meanwhile, are renowned for hoovering up the best young talent on the continent and would jump at the chance to sign a player of Mainoo's calibre and scope for improvement. A separate report states that Chelsea are leading the race for Mainoo, though the player's preference is to move to Napoli. 

• Zirkzee also pushing for January exit

  Mainoo isn't the only United outcast pushing to leave Old Trafford in January. Joshua Zirkzee has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford following the summer arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.

  The Dutchman is another who is keen to garner minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup and recently scored his first goal of the season in United's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace last month.

  Amorim's side, though, are refusing to green-light Mainoo and Zirkzee's respective January exits. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently shed light on the situation at Old Trafford, with the United head coach wary about allowing the pair to depart next month.

  With Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui all expected to link up with Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Morocco, respectively, for the Africa Cup of Nations, Amorim "does not want to weaken the squad further in January".

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• 'United have not made a decision yet' on Mainoo and Zirkzee

  Speaking on his podcast, Romano said: "Two important situations to monitor: Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee. With several players leaving for AFCON, Ruben Amorim does not want to weaken the squad further in January. This is a key factor in United’s thinking. Roma have strong and genuine interest in Joshua Zirkzee. They have spoken to his representatives and consider him a priority target. However, this deal depends entirely on Manchester United, and as of now, there is no green light.

  "Kobbie Mainoo is also pushing to play more and would like a loan move. There are more than ten clubs interested, including Napoli, who have been pushing for weeks. But again, United have not made a decision yet. The message from Old Trafford is clear. Because of AFCON and squad depth concerns, no exits will be approved unless United feel fully protected. The desire of the players is there, but the final decision belongs to the club."

No team has lost a Test in India after scoring as many as South Africa’s 489

Sidharth Monga23-Nov-20253:14

Philander: ‘Muthusamy deserves all the accolades coming his way’

A maiden hundred for Senuran Muthusamy and a career-best 93 from Marco Jansen went a long way to take South Africa close to batting India out of the Guwahati Test and the two-match series. No team has lost a Test in India after scoring as many as South Africa’s 489. If South Africa can keep that record intact, they will have pushed India to a second home-series loss in 12 months after they went 12 years without any.At the start of the second day, 489 looked like a million miles away. And while Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne steadied the ship from the overnight 247 for 6, if South Africa had continued at that scoring rate, they would have barely crossed 400 in the 151.1 overs that they batted.Related

India confront the steepest of challenges

Muthusamy comes out of the wilderness and stuns India

However, Jansen’s 93 off 91, including a record seven sixes against India in India, knocked the wind out of India’s sails when they would still have been hopeful despite having bowled 120.1 overs for seven wickets. With Jansen, Muthusamy also upped the intent as the two put together the highest partnership of the series: 97 in 17.4 overs. Muthusamy became the ninth centurion for South Africa this year, but Jansen fell seven short of equalling the world record of ten different centurions in one year.Even before Jansen, Muthusamy and Verreynne had done enough to frustrate India. The pitch, which had kept the bowlers interested on day one, was flatter because the early moisture had completely dried off. Even then, South Africa lost wickets on day one only when they tried to force the pace. On day two, now six down, they seemed to have decided to take time out of the game, not necessarily for a draw in mind but to deny India batting when the pitch was still good.Marco Jansen didn’t let scoring opportunities go•AFP/Getty ImagesFor nearly 40 overs on the second morning, India weren’t able to build any wicket-taking threat. When they thought they had Muthuswamy lbw on the sweep against Ravindra Jadeja, a faint murmur on UltraEdge reversed the decision. Muthusamy especially looked in complete control, playing only 13 false shots in his 205-ball stay at the wicket. Eventually, it was Verreynne charging at Jadeja too early that allowed India a wicket.Still, it was only mid-afternoon, and South Africa were only 334 for 7. If India could bowl them out for under 400, they were still in with a good chance to force their way back into the match.Out came Jansen and hit a no-look six off Jadeja. Then he slog-swept him for a four and a six. India tried Kuldeep Yadav to look to beat him in the air, but he stepped out of the crease and lofted him nonchalantly over long-on. Muthusamy also grew bold and began to slog-sweep whenever he got a chance.Muthusamy was 67 off 160 when Verreynne got out, but added 43 off 47 after that. India’s frustration grew as they now tried to bounce these batters. Jasprit Bumrah drew a top edge that fell just short of fine leg, resulting in a dirty look from Bumrah to Mohammed Siraj, who was asked to bend his back after Bumrah had done so.It was a tiring and frustrating day for Mohammed Siraj and the other India bowlers•AFP/Getty ImagesFirst ball after tea, Siraj induced the top edge to get rid of Muthusamy, but the strategy didn’t work against Jansen, who lobbed him over mid-on with a pull shot and then hooked him for a six. That the pitch was still good to bat on showed in how Rishabh Pant now asked both his fast bowlers to bowl in tandem. Bumrah hit the top of off of Simon Harmer, but even that didn’t bring much respite.Jansen and Keshav Maharaj added 27 for the last wicket. Jansen’s reach remained the feature of his innings, messing up the idea of a good length, but he batted with the mindset of a specialist batter even though his strike rate of over 100 might suggest a cavalier approach. Finally, he was dismissed as he followed a Kuldeep wrong’un and chopped on, disgusted with himself for getting out so close to a hundred.Kuldeep ended up with four wickets, but this was his first on day two. Jadeja, Bumrah and Siraj got two each. This was only the fourth time since the end of 2016 that India had been kept on the field for 150 overs.Tired bodies and minds were now looking at a long and adventurous route to save the series, but first they had to survive the awkward half an hour before stumps in fading light. While they had to face only 4.1 overs before bad light ended the day’s play, this trend of having time only for 80 overs or so in India’s eastern-most venue only strengthened South Africa’s chances of holding onto the series lead.

Premier League title winner Jamie Vardy has made history in Italy by becoming the first English player to win the Serie A Player of the Month award. The evergreen striker, who is now 38 years of age, is currently on the books of Cremonese. He linked up with them over the summer and has enjoyed a productive start to life outside of his comfort zone.

Italian job: Vardy to star in documentary alongside wife Rebekah

Vardy became a free agent when seeing his contract at Leicester expire. He helped them to a stunning title triumph in 2016 and took in 500 total appearances for the Foxes, scoring 200 goals and earning 26 England caps.

With no plans to hang up his boots any time soon, Vardy has embraced a new challenge alongside wife Rebekah and their children. They are set to star in their own documentary series, which will lift the lid on a surprising Italian job.

Vardy will have plenty to smile about on camera as he has landed a top prize in Serie A. He starred across the month of November, with a memorable goal being recorded against Turin-based giants Juventus. He was nominated for a monthly gong alongside AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, Napoli winger David Neres, Genoa's Leo Ostigard and Nicolo Zaniolo of Udinese.

AdvertisementHistory made: Vardy lands top Serie A prize

Vardy topped the poll, with Serie A chief executive Luigi de Siervo saying: "Vardy is truly a player from another era. One of those talents who, with their history, their achievements and the indomitable spirit with which they live every match, best express the romance of football.

"His arrival at Cremonese was greeted with great enthusiasm by all Serie A fans, and Vardy is repaying them with top-level performances, innate leadership and important goals, the result of the competitive spirit and shooting skills that have always distinguished him."

Vardy has become the first Englishman to win a prize that was first handed out in 2019. Since then, countrymen such as Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ashley Young and Tammy Abraham have graced the Italian top-flight.

Just like Ronaldo: Vardy tipped to play into his 40s

He has four goals in total for Serie A new boys Cremonese through 10 appearances. Vardy is just the second player, after Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola, to net more than three goals for a promoted team at the age of 38 or over – with Zola achieving that feat for Cagliari prior to ending the 2004-05 campaign with nine efforts to his name.

Vardy may go on to better that total, allowing another entry in the record books to be secured. He has been showing no sign of slowing down, with his game all about high energy and clever movement.

It is being suggested that Vardy could have several seasons left in him yet, with there every reason to believe that he can emulate the efforts of Portuguese GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo – who is still playing at the age of 40 with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

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GettyVardy contract: When deal at Cremonese expires

European football expert Andy Brassell has told : "There's still plenty in there, I feel. To have that sort of pressure off, I suppose in a way it must make him feel like going back and achieving stuff with Leicester.

"Leicester, who were never fancied to stay up. Then they were never fancied to be in the European mix. Then they were never fancied to win the league, win the FA Cup. And I guess, obviously, Cremonese is very different.

"Culturally, he's at a different point in his career. But I do think there's a little bit of him that feels, yeah, this is the perfect fit for me. With Serie A as well, it's got an incredible history of strikers in their mid to late 30s scoring a lot of goals.

"I mean, straight away, if you're Vardy, and you know anything about Italian football history, you're thinking I'm modern-day Antonio Di Natale or Fabio Quagliarella or any of those guys. Why can't I keep going until I'm 40, 41?"

Vardy only signed a one-year contract when heading to Italy, which is due to expire in the summer of 2026, but Cremonese have a performance-related extension option that can be triggered at any stage.

After almost two years, Shohei Ohtani made his return to the mound on Monday. Ohtani threw one inning in his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his first time pitching in a game since suffering a torn UCL in August of 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels.

In one inning against the San Diego Padres, Ohtani allowed two hits, one earned run and did not record any strikeouts. Though he planned to hit around 95-96 miles per hour with his fastball, he ended up reaching a high of 100.2 mph and threw multiple pitches in the high 90s during the inning. After pitching, Ohtani continued to help his team earn a 6-3 win by notching two hits and two RBIs on offense.

"Not quite happy with the results overall," Ohtani said through an interpreter after the game, via Alden Gonzalez of , "but I think the biggest takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to go out for my next outing."

“My arm was moving a little too fast, so pitches were going more to the glove side than I anticipated,” Ohtani said, via Jack Harris of .

Ohtani additionally noted that the adrenaline heading into the game allowed him to reach 100 miles per hour, but by the end of his outing, he was able to dial in his pitches to the 95-96 mph range he was seeking heading into the game.

When asked if he plans to pitch again in a week, Ohtani said that that's the plan, but he will first see how his body reacts after the outing.

"That's my expectation, but I did hit 100 today, so I want to see first where my body feels and how it reacts," Ohtani said, via Gonzalez. "But the expectation is for me to go once a week, hopefully to be able to go a little longer every time I'm out there so that the bullpen won't be so taxed."

The New York Yankees will be operating without right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt for a significant amount of time.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday that Schmidt will likely undergo Tommy John surgery. That would rule him out for the rest of the 2025 campaign and the majority of the '26 season as well.

The 29-year-old Schmidt was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday due to right forearm tightness. Schmidt only lasted three innings during his start Thursday in the Yankees' 8-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He told reporters after the game that he has been dealing with tightness in that right forearm since June 4, a 4-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in which he allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings.

A first-round pick by New York in 2017, Schmidt has been a steady member of the rotation over the last three seasons. In 2025, Schmidt logged a 3.32 ERA and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 14 starts.

The Yankees fell out of first place in the AL East on Thursday and now sit two games behind the Blue Jays in the division. They are back in action at 4:10 p.m. ET Saturday against the New York Mets.

England seamer shows she belongs after four-year wait to make her England debut

Valkerie Baynes23-May-2025Em Arlott’s player-of-the-match performance in just her second game for England felt like a long time coming, but the two well-documented false starts to her international career are just part of the story.Arlott took 3 for 14 in a remarkable four-over spell at Hove, including 18 dot-balls that helped reduce West Indies to 81 for 9 in the second T20I. After their nine-wicket victory, however, she revealed that she had been battling anxiety for years. So much so that, had she been handed her cap on either of the two previous occasions she was called into the England squad, she wasn’t sure how she would have handled it.”Everything’s kind of happened at the right time,” Arlott said. “With where I was at before, it’s probably not quite a publicly known thing, but I’ve struggled with anxiety in the past and probably, if I played before, I think I would have been a different person and player on the pitch. Whereas now I feel like I’ve really worked on that away from the game. I am coming into this with a lot more confidence and actually believing that I’m good enough to be here.”Arlott made her international debut aged 27 on Wednesday, taking 1 for 28 in the first T20I in Canterbury.In her latest match, she accounted for West Indies’ strongest batters, Hayley Matthews – who scored 100 of her side’s 146 in that opening game – and former captain Stafanie Taylor, returning from injury to bolster the line-up. At one point in her spell, Arlott had three wickets for seven runs in the space of 14 balls, with the two big names falling either side of Zaida James, well caught by Sophia Dunkley at short midwicket.Arlott also took a catch off spinner Charlie Dean to remove Shemaine Campbelle, who was also returning from injury as West Indies tried to find support for Matthews with the bat.Her debut had come after call-ups to England’s squads to face India in 2021 and South Africa the following year, when she had to leave the camp before the series began because she was suffering the after-effects of Covid. That last near-miss left her fearing that the chance to play for her country might have passed her by.Arlott’s latest call-up came off the back of a strong start to the domestic 50-over competition. Her 14 wickets for Warwickshire has her joint-second on the Metro Bank One Day Cup wicket-takers list, while her pivotal 130 against Essex didn’t go unnoticed by Charlotte Edwards, the new England Women’s head coach who has placed increased emphasis on domestic form as a selection tool. Personally, Arlott said a stint with Western Australia in the WNCL over the winter had also played a key role in getting her to this point, along with a lot of work to manage her anxiety.Related

• Charlotte Edwards banishes 'F-word' in bid to turn England's image around

• The names in the frame as England women's new era begins

• Charlotte Edwards to introduce new fitness standards for England Women

• Dunkley, Knight seal redemptive win as England outdo Matthews' brilliant 100*

• Em Arlott makes up for lost time as England romp to nine-wicket rout

“I had to reflect a lot on what I could control in my life,” she said. “The last time I came into this environment, I don’t think I believed I was good enough so I didn’t really expect anybody else to believe that I was good enough. I’ve always struggled going into newer teams and not knowing people and having to adjust. The teams that I’ve played for at regional level have both been based in Birmingham, so I’ve been quite fortunate that I haven’t really gone anywhere else.”I just challenged myself. In the winter, I went to Perth and I didn’t know anybody and just made myself have to do something uncomfortable. Actually it’s been really nice that a lot of people have come up to me being like, ‘you’re a different person than you were 12 months ago’, I think in terms of confidence and – not necessarily cricket, but just as a person – I think I’m more content with who I am, and not really caring how people take that.”I’m really proud of myself getting to this point. It has been a long old journey to get here and it was never promised that I would even get here. I’ve just tried to control what I can in my life, my career. I felt like if I just kept working hard, then hopefully when I got that break I would take it with both hands, and run with it and not look back.”Arlott paid tribute to her team-mates for their support, as well as Edwards after a slightly awkward phone call to confirm her selection to both the T20I and ODI squads for West Indies’ visit .”I’ve just bought a puppy and he was being a nightmare, and bit me two minutes before she called me, so I was a bit flustered,” she said. “I’m not going to lie, I cried because he bit me really hard. So he was being a nightmare and then she obviously popped up on my phone and I was like, ‘what the hell is this about?’ She said some really nice things about how I’ve been going. I didn’t really respond, I was a bit flustered because of the dog, but I didn’t want to tell her that. It was all just a wild five minutes.”But she’s been great and it was nice that I’ve been rewarded for being consistent. I just kept chipping away at regional level because, for a long time, I felt like it went unnoticed no matter how well I did or didn’t do it. It was really nice that she’s come in and I’ve had a couple of years to almost prove myself and actually be able to sit there and go, that’s enough, which is nice.”Arlott said the focus on domestic form was a marked turnaround under Edwards’ leadership.”It makes people feel like, ‘why can’t it be me?’,” she said. “It’s always been contracted players and you can guess the squad that’s going to get picked and probably one or two extras that are doing well. It just means that people are getting picked that are in form, rather than necessarily contracted, which can only be good for us. Maybe squads look different from series to series, but I think that’s great and it shows how far we’ve come.”The true test of how far England have come since the Ashes defeat that sparked so many changes – including Edwards’ appointment as Jon Lewis’s successor – might have to wait until India arrive later in the season. But the distance Arlott has travelled is now clear to see.