Tottenham Hotspur now think a "special" member of Ange Postecoglou's squad will miss the rest of this season following an injury.

Spurs suffer injuries throughout Postecoglou's debut campaign

There is a very serious case to be made that Spurs would be higher up the table, if it wasn't for the plague of absences they've had to cope with throughout 2023/2024.

"Grafts and grafts" – Young Tottenham star getting rave reviews in training

He’s been putting in extra hours.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 26, 2024

Son Heung-min, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma travelled for the Asia Cup and AFCON respectively in mid-season, while Postecoglou has been forced to cope without a plethora of other players due to injury at various points.

Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, Giovani Lo Celso, Ashley Phillips, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Bentancur have all spent at least a month on the sidelines during Postecoglou's first season in charge, which is pretty ridiculous.

In light of van de Ven's latest injury, which arguably played a part in Tottenham's 3-0 slump away to Fulham, Spurs' head coach has admitted that they will look to sign another centre-back this summer.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, Postecoglou said.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Left-back Sessegnon is already missing the rest of Tottenham's season after another hamstring injury, and now Spurs think the same can be said of 2023 summer signing Solomon.

Tottenham expect Solomon to miss rest of the season after knee surgery

The Isreali international injured his meniscus all the way back in October, which required surgery, but a fresh setback in his recovery prompted minor knee surgery last week.

While he could return to training before the end of 23/24, journalist Wayne Veysey writes for Football Insider that Tottenham do not expect Solomon to play again this season, which comes as a hammer blow for the winger who has had few chances to showcase his quality.

Indeed, Solomon could've been a real asset if it wasn't for his bad luck with fitness issues.

“Manor is a special player; he was excellent at Fulham,” said Avram Grant to Ynet. “I spoke with him, and he’s thrilled to be at Tottenham; he has improved his killer instinct. What sets him apart is his amazing one-on-one ability; he’s among the best."

Fast bowler cites interference in 2015 World Cup semi-final as biggest regret after calling time on career

Firdose Moonda12-Feb-2020Vernon Philander has admitted that interference in selection ahead of the 2015 World Cup semi-final, and the recent crises at Cricket South Africa (CSA) both contributed to hastening his retirement, which took place last month. In an extensive interview with Afrikaans weekly , Philander confirmed he would have considered playing longer but opted to end his international career and sign a Kolpak deal, because “too many things went wrong” in the country’s cricket administration.”As a player you get to the point where you’ve had enough,” Philander said. “Cricket SA’s previous administration only looked after themselves; the players were the last people they worried about. Too many things went wrong and I had to decide what was the best way forward for me. I am 34 and have a good career behind me, but I would have considered playing longer if it wasn’t for the chaos in our cricket administration.”Though CSA’s long-running battle with the South African Cricketers’ Association, which centred on the now-scrapped proposed domestic restructure, ended last week, the relationship between players and administrators has been strained for several years. In 2015, trust between players and administrators severely broke down when, on the eve of South Africa’s semi-final against New Zealand, former CEO Haroon Lorgat contacted the national team selectors to remind them of their transformation commitments. Ultimately, that resulted in Kyle Abbott, South Africa’s best bowler at the tournament, being left out and Philander, who had nursed a hamstring injury throughout the competition, included in the starting XI.Speaking for the first time on the incident, Philander revealed he didn’t think he should have played. “It’s difficult for me to look back on that,” he said. “I blatantly and openly told the coach that the best player must play. He told me, ‘you’re the best man for the day, you play’. But they were clearly not open and honest with me and Kyle. There were things happening behind closed doors.”South Africa lost the match on the penultimate ball, ending what was considered by many to be their best chance to win a World Cup. Philander only played three more ODIs, later in 2015, and was not considered in the format again. And in early 2017, just as Abbott had nailed down a regular Test spot, he signed a Kolpak deal and ended his international career.Philander traces those repercussions back to what happened before the semi-final and although he and Abbott remain friends, neither felt the same about CSA since. “When I go to Durban, I have a beer with Kyle. There are no hard feelings between us two. But the point is: Cricket SA must sort out their stuff. What happened was a knock to both of us.”

I blatantly and openly told the coach that the best player must play. He told me, ‘you’re the best man for the day, you play’. But they were clearly not open and honest with me and Kyle

Performance-wise, they have both recovered, with Abbott dominating on the county scene – including 17 wickets in one match for Hampshire against Somerset last summer – and Philander finishing as South Africa’s seventh-highest Test wicket-taker, but South Africans may always wonder if there could have been more from both of them.Philander, in particular, struggled with his fitness towards the latter stages of his career and seems to have grown increasingly disillusioned with the way the team was handled during former coach Ottis Gibson’s tenure, which ran from 2017 to 2019. “The administrators became too involved with the game and the players,” he said. “It was also easier for them to target Ottis because he’s a foreigner. They could tell it him, “Do this, do that.”The transformation targets, specifically the black African component, has been highlighted in the last two years with former CEO Thabang Moroe understood to have wanted a significant say in team composition. Moroe currently faces allegations of mismanagement and his position is occupied by acting CEO Dr Jacques Faul, under whom large-scale changes have taken place.Former captain Graeme Smith is acting as director of cricket and is likely to accept the job permanently post a commentary stint at the IPL, Mark Boucher has been appointed head coach until 2023 and “credibility”, in Philander’s words, is returning, but too late for him to reconsider.ALSO READ: Philander – One of those good things we didn’t appreciate enough when we had him”Hopefully we will see a turnaround in the administration and on the playing field,” he said. “We must put out heads together and decide which direction we are going in. Hopefully we can make the path for younger players better.”That suggests Philander is still interested in staying involved in South African cricket in some capacity, something Smith was at pains to say he would welcome. Philander has committed himself to Somerset for the upcoming English summer but with Kolpak deals set to be nullified at the end of the year, he may be available for the South African set-up sooner than expected, if the money is right.”In successful teams like Australia, England and India, former players are involved but in South Africa, we lost our former players to other countries where they do coaching because the money is much better,” Philander said. “We have to decide what we are willing to pay to keep former players in the country and ensure that our cricket goes forward again.”Even if Philander is not absorbed into CSA’s systems, he will continue to do work through his foundation which seeks to use sport to provide alternatives to young people in previously disadvantaged areas of the Cape. Philander is from that part of South Africa and said his background of “learning to survive” is behind his drive to make a difference.”We try to give children other routes away from gangs, drugs and alcohol. I say to myself that I can’t help everyone in the whole world but if I can help one or two, it’s something.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ campaign has most definitely been a massive improvement on the whole, but they’ve certainly struggled in recent weeks.

Gary O’Neil has done a brilliant job, but the boss was slightly concerned about how the remainder of the season would unfold back in January, stating: "I was clear with the club in Jan that I feared we were overloading the players.”

On Tuesday, Wolves travelled to Turf Moor without a true attacker on the field, bar Pablo Sarabia, and they were held to a 1-1 draw.

During the tie against Vincent Kompany’s side, one player in particular shone above the rest, potentially even becoming Wolves’ best player over Matheus Cunha.

Matheus Cunha’s 23/24 campaign

Wolves’ most expensive signing of all time, Cunha, has certainly lived up to his £44m price tag this season after joining permanently in the summer.

The Brazilian’s profile fits absolutely perfectly into O’Neil’s 3-4-2-1 formation, which has seen Cunha thrive in the left-inside forward role over his 25 Premier League games.

The 24-year-old returned to the squad against the Clarets last night after spending a spell on the sidelines due to an injury he picked up against Brentford in February.

Prior to that setback, the former Atletico Madrid ace was fantastic, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in the league, which means he has the best output in the Wolves squad.

However, there’s been another reliable performer this season who’s really stepped up during the attacking injury crisis that’s seen Hwang Hee-chan, Pedro Neto, and Cunha all be unavailable.

The star who’s becoming Wolves’ best player

Rayan Ait Nouri has simply been excellent all season, but he’s really gone to a whole new level since being handed slightly more attacking freedom in recent weeks.

The Algerian has played 26 Premier League matches this season, usually playing as a left wing-back, but he played a slightly different role against Burnley.

Due to the attacking injuries, O’Neil was forced to field six defenders and four full-backs, which meant Ait Nouri started in a left-midfield role.

This tactical tweak made sense, especially with the 22-year-old displaying how he can impact the game going forward in recent weeks, scoring three goals and picking up one assist in his last four games for the Wanderers.

As you can see below, one of those goals came last night, latching onto a Pablo Sarabia free kick to head home just before the break, but it wasn’t just that goal that made his performance impressive.

Goals

1

Successful dribbles

5/6

Key passes

1

Shots on target

2

Possession lost

19

Tackles

2

Duels won

16

The former Angers ace was relentless throughout and was defensively solid down the left, contesting 27 duels and winning 16 of them while also making two tackles.

On the ball, Ait Nouri was as confident as ever in his ability to evade pressure, completing an astounding five dribbles and being fouled five times, which seems to be the only way to stop him.

Furthermore, the number three wasn’t afraid to take on creative responsibility or get forward to provide support in the final third, as shown by the fact that he lost the ball 19 times, had two shots on target, and produced one key pass.

What’s crazy is the fact that Ait Nouri has started to put these numbers up consistently, and given his reliability, he’s well and truly on his way to becoming Wolves’ best player this season.

Wolves in danger of losing a "top talent" who could replace Semedo

The loanee has not played a single minute for Wolves since joining in 2021.

ByTom Lever Mar 29, 2024

Pundit Stan Collymore is desperate for Aston Villa to sign a 21-year-old starlet who's been called an absolute "steal" for his club.

Aston Villa chasing top-four finish and Europe

The Villans take on title-contending Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon, in one of their biggest games of the season so far.

Related Monchi personally pushing Aston Villa move for "extraordinary" £18k-p/w man

The Villa director could use his contacts to land the move.

Posts ByBen Browning Apr 12, 2024

In terms of form, both sides come into the contest on very different streaks. Arsenal are flying with four victories from their last five in the league, while Villa are the opposite end of the spectrum, having won just once in their last five.

Tottenham's defeat to Newcastle on Saturday keeps Villa's hopes of Champions League qualification well and truly alive, and puts them slightly ahead, but Unai Emery's side must turn the tide of their dwindling form, and quickly.

Aston Villa's next league fixtures

Date

Arsenal (away)

Today

Bournemouth (home)

April 21st

Chelsea (home)

April 27th

Brighton (away)

May 4th

Liverpool (home)

May 13th

They could hardly ask for a tougher test than Arsenal, who have also scored a brilliant 38 goals in their last 11 league encounters, so Villa will need to be at the very top of their game.

"I think there’s personal pride going into this game against his old team. He’ll want to go back to the Emirates and make a statement because he’s still hurt by what happened to him at Arsenal. It’s a big game for Emery and it’s a big game for Villa as well," said journalist Dan Bardell to Villa News.

“I think it will be a similar team to what we saw on Thursday (11 April) with the exception of Douglas Luiz is going to have to come out. There’s been some speculation about Iroegbunam coming in alongside McGinn in central midfield to offer those legs and Tielemans goes in the number 10. It would suit Tim better playing in this kind of tie as one of the deep midfielders but I guess it will be Diaby and Watkins up top.”

While this promises to be a mouth-watering clash, NSWE are doing their work off the field ahead of an equally enticing summer transfer window. Villa are believed to be in the market for another defender, and Collymore has now urged them to go for one man in particular.

Collymore desperate for Villa to sign Mengi

Teden Mengi has been a revelation for Luton Town under Rob Edwards this season, with Stephen Warnock calling him a "top, top" player and a "steal" for the Hatters.

Writing in a CaughtOffside column, Collymore has now urged Villa to make a move for Mengi this summer, and even says he'd drive the former Man United youngster to Birmingham himself.

"I’ve been really impressed by his performances and i’m sure he’ll be on several “big clubs” radars," wrote Collymore this week.

"He’s played for England at every age level so will have had an A+ club and international grounding. Personally, I’d drive him to Villa Park tomorrow if Unai Emery fancies it."

Robinson, one of the top left-backs in the Premier League, is excited about Pochettino's reported arrival as U.S. manager.

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Robinson praised the reported hireRobinson: All eyes on 2026Fulham opened with loss to Manchester UnitedWHAT HAPPENED?

Antonee Robinson, one of the top players on the U.S. men's national team, is ready to give "everything" for the team's reported new hire Mauricio Pochettino.

The 27-year-old fullback praised Pochettino following Fulham's late loss to Manchester United in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford.

Robinson, widely seen as one of the top left-backs in the Premiership, has made 46 season appearances for the U.S. since making his debut in 2018.

AdvertisementWHAT ROBINSON SAID

"He’s a very good manager, so I’ll be interested to see obviously how he comes in," Robinson told NBC Sports in a postgame interview. "How he gets used to the boys. How we get used to him. It’s a fresh start now.

"Obviously eyes are going to be on the World Cup and he’s got two years to get the best out of us that we can and we got to give it everything for him, so that he can be successful with us."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Robinson is the first one of the first USMNT players to publicly acknowledge the reports of Pochettino's hiring. He's one of the team's elite players so his public backing is critical for the Argentine.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ROBINSON, POCHETTINO?

Robinson's Fulham will be looking to rebound from a heartbreaking season-opening loss in Manchester. After a grueling test with United, they might have more luck against a recently-promoted Leicester side at home on Aug. 24.

Pochettino's reported agreement still has finer details to resolve. The U.S. has upcoming matches against Canada and New Zealand, but it’s not yet confirmed if he will be managing in those matches.

Manchester United’s wage bill has been a problem over the years, with players earning ridiculous salaries despite not performing on the field.

Therefore, it’s not a surprise to see that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to move some of the highest earners on in the summer, as he looks to put a lid on wages.

Casemiro and Raphael Varane are rumoured to be on the list of potential sales, who are both the highest earners in the squad, with a weekly wage of £350k and £340k, respectively.

#1 Kevin De Bruyne

£400k

#2 Erling Haaland

£375k

#3 Casemiro

£350k

#4 Mohamed Salah

£350k

#5 Raphael Varane

£340k

#6 Raheem Sterling

£325k

#7 Rashford, B. Silva, Grealish

£300k

#8 Kai Havertz

£280k

#9 Gabriel Jesus

£265k

#10 Reece James

£250k

However, there are also some players in the mid-range of salaries who haven’t justified what they’re paid, with one player earning two times more than Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho's combined wage.

Victor Lindelof’s 23/24 campaign in numbers

Since signing for Man United in 2017 from Benfica for a fee of £31m under Jose Mourinho, Victor Lindelof has been a steady performer throughout the tenure of each manager.

However, he’s never really impressed enough to nail down a first-team spot, often being used as a backup option, and that’s been the case once again this season.

The Swedish defender has made 19 Premier League appearances this season, starting 14 of those, which is mainly due to the number of injuries that the backline has suffered.

His average Premier League statistics also aren’t particularly impressive, often struggling with the pace and physicality of the quality attackers in the league and lacking decisiveness in possession.

Tackles

0.8

Interceptions

0.6

Ground duels won

0.9

Aerial duels won

0.9

Pass accuracy

89%

Unfortunately, the 29-year-old is currently dealing with an injury himself, which he picked up against Brentford at the end of March, but his future at the club is uncertain.

What Lindelof earns compared to Man Utd's best players

Mainoo and Garnacho have been a breath of fresh air this season, with the duo being arguably the only bright light in a terribly dull season.

The Argentine winger has been immense all season, showing the courage and winning mentality of a seasoned prospect, while also scoring seven goals and three assists in the league.

Furthermore, the 18-year-old midfielder has also been so special this season, instantly impressing from the second he walked onto the field against Everton in November, and he’s now started 18 Premier League matches.

However, despite the talented duo both becoming irreplaceable as teenagers, when you combine their wage per week, they currently earn just £60k, with Garnacho contributing to £50k of that, according to Capology.

Raphael Varane

£340k

Harry Maguire

£190k

Luke Shaw

£150k

Victor Lindelof

£120k

Lisandro Martinez

£120k

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

£90k

As you can see, Lindelof actually earns two times more than both the youngster's wages combined and 12 times more than Mainoo’s £10k per week salary, which is rather ridiculous.

Considering Lindelof would be far from a frequent first-team starter had there not been so many injuries, for him to be earning the same wage as Andre Onana and Lisandro Martinez is a problem.

This is even more apparent due to his lack of consistency on the field, with journalist Rob Blanchette even describing Lindelof as a “nightmare” who “makes life so hard” for his defensive teammates.

With Ratcliffe looking to change the culture at the club, he most definitely won’t stand in the way of letting Lindelof leave in the summer, especially as a centre-half is arguably the Red Devils’ biggest priority in the transfer market.

Overall, the United number two has certainly rinsed the club in recent years due to his high wage, but he’s also been far from the worst player to wear the Red Devils badge on his chest. Either way, now is surely the time to cash in.

Weekly wages: Manchester United FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

We at Football FanCast have gathered all the information on exactly how much the wages of each player is at Manchester United.

ByLuke Randall Sep 4, 2025

Brighton have made contact with Mats Hummels after the Germany international's exit from Borussia Dortmund.

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• Seagulls open talks with Hummels
• Centre-back a free agent after Dortmund exit
• West Ham also among admirers

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hummels is a wanted man following his exit from Dortmund at the end of last season, and Brighton have joined the list of clubs to make contact with the 35-year-old. According to , Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler is keen to add experience to his squad and is a fan of Hummels, who made 508 appearances for Dortmund across two spells.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Brighton aren't alone in their interest of Hummels, though. The centre-back has reportedly received a number of offers, with Brighton's Premier League rivals West Ham also tracking him. Among the clubs to make an offer are Serie A outfit Bologna, but this has since been rejected.

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Hummels, who was left out of Germany's squad for the European Championship, is yet to rule out retiring from football this summer, although he said that's the "least likely scenario".

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• WHAT NEXT FOR HUMMELS?

  The experienced defender is currently mulling a number of options as he considers what's next. Taking on a Premier League challenge would be a clear indication of Hummels' confidence that he still has plenty left in the tank.

The hosts were bundled out for 129 before Imran and Ibrahim struck fifties to shrug off the target

The Report by Sreshth Shah in Kimberley17-Jan-2020

What began as a carnival in Kimberley, soon turned to a nightmare for the home fans as South Africa were bamboozled by Afghanistan’s wristspinners to lose their opening game by seven wickets. Shafiqullah Ghafari was Afghanistan’s wrecker-in-chief, taking 6 for 15 – the joint seventh-best figures in the tournament’s history – as South Africa collapsed from 62 for 2 to 129 all out in the space of 16.3 overs.For nearly that whole period of play, Ghafari bowled relentlessly from one end, troubling a batting unit that looked out of place against quality spin bowling. Once he put South Africa on the mat, Afghanistan’s experienced batting unit – led by Test player Ibrahim Zadran – helped the visitors claim victory with 150 balls to spare, handing them a massive net run-rate boost. For South Africa, their net run-rate went in the opposite direction, and are now looking at the prospect of an early exit from their home World Cup if they don’t defeat both UAE and Canada in their following games.Afghanistan’s victory should not come as a surprise. Two months ago, they lost 3-2 to India in a five-game series, but not before giving the defending Under-19 champions a scare in two of those games. Barring Noor Ahmad, the 15-year-old who recently became the youngest man to feature in an IPL auction, each of their players are regular members of their first-class teams. In Zadran, they even have someone who has played Test and ODI cricket for Afghanistan.On the other hand, among South Africa’s top six batsmen, only one – Jonathan Bird – has played first-class cricket, while their captain Bryce Parsons and Andrew Louw have played two and three senior-level T20s, respectively. Although their bowlers have more experience in senior-level cricket, they eventually had too few runs to play with. That gap in experience came to the fore, and has now made Afghanistan a favourite to progress to the next stage.The day had begun with the opening ceremony at the Diamond Oval, attended by children from local schools, who saw a traditional dance show performed by 130 men, women and children from the Galeshewe local township. It ended with most of those schoolkids engrossed in their own little games of cricket on the grass-banks as No.5 Abid Mohammadi struck the winning runs in the 25th over.Afghanistan’s celebrations were muted, however, perhaps a reflection of their self-belief and confidence, as the two captains shook hands and brought the first game of the tournament to a close, much to the disappointment of the locals who began to exit the arena long before the game’s conclusion.The toss was won by South Africa, and after that, they were given a pep talk from former international captain Graeme Smith and past U-19 captain Aiden Markram. The Afghan players, instead, were spotted practicing their fielding in the deep, taking boundary catches in combination with other players that are now common in T20 cricket, before taking the field for the game.For the hosts, their only bright spot was the third-wicket partnership between Parsons (40) and No. 4 Luke Beaufort (25). But it was sandwiched between a fiery fast-bowling spell delivered by left-arm seamer Fazal Haque – who took two wickets in his first two overs – and Ghafari’s magic. After Fazal’s early breakthroughs, Parsons and Beaufort put on 55 for the third wicket to restore some belief in the home crowd, but that ended when Noor was introduced into the attack.Once Noor dismissed Parsons, it opened one end up, and Ghafari removed Levert Manje and Jack Lees for ducks in his first two overs. Noor then dismissed the set Beaufort, the sixth South African wicket and after that, Ghafari removed the four lower-order batsmen across his next five overs. In all, seven South Africa batsmen were out for 8 or less, and if it wasn’t for Gerald Coetzee’s 23-ball cameo of 38 from No. 9, South Africa could well have been dismissed for less than 100.In their chase, Afghanistan found the gaps against the pace bowlers regularly to keep the scoreboard moving. Zadran’s experience as a member of the senior Afghnaistan team came to prominence, as he anchored his team’s innings with a 72-ball 52 while Imran Mir enthralled the crowd with some lofty shots, scoring 57 in 48 balls. Both reached half-centuries and fell only after bringing Afghanistan close to the target.

Sunderland have enjoyed quite the season of frustration, but the Black Cats will be looking to put any failure to bed this summer by turning to the transfer window and potentially welcoming a former Premier League gem.

Sunderland transfer news

If they could go back, it would be interesting to see whether Sunderland would have kept hold of Tony Mowbray instead of kicking off a nightmare Michael Beale spell. When the former lost his job, the Black Cats were in the race to reach the playoffs. Months later and after a short-lived Beale nightmare, they sit 13th and on course to note the current Championship campaign down as one to forget.

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ByKelan Sarson Apr 18, 2024

It will at least be a fresh start at the Stadium of Light this summer though, with a new manager set to take charge. As things stand, the main name linked with the job seems to be Paul Heckingbottom, who was sacked by Premier League side Sheffield United earlier in the campaign. Having previously had success in the Championship, however, he could represent a solid appointment.

Once they find their next manager, the transfer window becomes key and it seems as though the Black Cats are well aware of that. According to Chronicle Live, Sunderland are now eyeing a move to sign Amani Richards, whose Leicester City contract is set to expire at the end of the season, allowing the winger to leave as a free agent.

The 19-year-old has already had quite the career, having jumped from Chelsea's academy to Arsenal's as a highly-rated wonderkid. That wonderkid tag shouldn't go away just yet either, given how young Richards still is. A player who has no weak foot, Sunderland could help the former Arsenal gem discover his best form and realise his potential.

Richards could follow Jack Clarke path at Sunderland

One player who knows all about dropping out of the Premier League is Jack Clarke. The winger failed to make it at Tottenham Hotspur, before eventually finding himself at Sunderland where he is now a star earning reported interest from the likes of West Ham United. It is the type of path that Richards can use as inspiration to make Wearside the perfect destination this summer.

After struggling to break into Leicester's first team this season, senior minutes may well be the priority no matter what for Richards if he wants to step things up. With Sunderland's philosophy of handing young players ample opportunity, a move to the Stadium of Light could represent a wise decision by the teenager.

It's important that the Black Cats get this summer right off the pitch and they'll want to stick to how they do things in the process in a move that should see players of Richards' potential targeted once again in the coming months.

Dale Steyn believes Jofra Archer and the ECB will have to work together to manage his workload.While acknowledging that Archer would endure the “odd injury here or there,” Steyn said effective man management, based on good communication between both parties, was crucial in ensuring the England spearhead remained fit.”The most important thing is that people want to see him on the park, you’ve got to keep him on the park and they’ve got to work out how to do that,” Steyn said. “Everyone is different so they have got to work out something for him. He is fresh, he is new into the system so it’s going to take the odd injury here or there to work it out but they’ll get there.”ALSO READ: England may manage Archer’s workload differently – SilverwoodArcher, who bowled more than any other England bowler in 2019 but only played one match on England’s tour to South Africa, has been ruled out for at least three months with a stress fracture to his right elbow and Steyn is among many who want to see him back as soon as possible, despite joking that England should “bowl him into the ground so he doesn’t play”.”It boils down to man management and having good conversations with him and seeing where he is at and what he wants to do,” Steyn said. “He is still learning and bowling enough that he is getting his body strong,” Steyn said.Despite the significance of the injury, Steyn – who thought Archer was “phenomenal” when he first saw him bowling for Sussex under the guidance of South African-born then county coach Mark Davis – believes he has all the ingredients for a long career because of his style, particularly the effortless appearance of his run-up.”Fast bowling is extremely difficult, it’s not an easy thing to do and he makes it look so easy,” Steyn said. “He almost like waddles in a little bit, he doesn’t storm in and he bowls it extreme pace. And then he’s got good skill, he is able to change it up a little bit.”That’s what fascinates me. If you watch Mitch Johnson or Starc, they really run in to generate a lot of pace. Archer makes it look so much easier. For a batter that’s probably the most difficult thing in the world. You don’t know what’s going to come.”Dale Steyn during South Africa team training•Gallo Images

Asked how he managed to remain injury free for the first decade of his own career, before a spate of problems during the last three years, Steyn put it down to his on-field relationship with Graeme Smith.”I had a great captain. He bowled me when he felt we needed a wicket and I was able to deliver,” Steyn said. “When we got a wicket or if the spinner got a handy wicket, like Paul Harris would bowl his backside off and get a wicket and if he wanted one more over, Graeme would say, ‘No, Dale’s bowling,’ so I was able to bowl to the new batters.”I had a great captain and I had other guys that were around me that were really able to get the best out of me for a really lengthy period of time.”Joe Root, England’s Test captain, has denied suggestions that Archer had been overbowled since making his international debut ahead of the 2019 World Cup but conceded England would need to look at using him more efficiently on his return.Archer played four out of five Ashes Tests, bowling 44 overs on debut at Lord’s, and then 42 in one innings at Mount Maunganui on England’s New Zealand tour in November. Having taken the third five-wicket haul of his fledgling Test career in the series opener against South Africa, he missed the following two matches with elbow soreness and was ruled out of the fourth Test on match-day when he suffered pain during the warm-up.