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Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka, on his home ground at Chester-le-Street, with Warwickshire allrounder Chris Woakes added to the 12-man squad as his replacement.

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-20161:20

‘First Pakistan Test a realistic return date for Stokes’

Ben Stokes is expected to undergo a knee operation on Tuesday afternoon, a minor procedure that is likely to rule him out of action until the tour of Pakistan in July.Stokes felt his left knee lock up while bowling on the second afternoon of last week’s Headingley Test, and though he returned to the field to bowl four more overs, he played no part in the closing stages of England’s commanding innings-and-88-run victory.His place in the squad for the second Test, at his home ground of Chester-le-Street, has been taken by the Warwickshire allrounder Chris Woakes, who is the only change to England’s 12-man squad.England squad

Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Nick Compton, Joe Root, James Vince, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Jake Ball, Chris Woakes

Stokes underwent a scan on Sunday and is booked in for further evaluation by specialists on Tuesday morning. However, an ECB spokesman confirmed to ESPNcricinfo the likelihood that he will require a minor operation to clean out his knee cartilage. Though he can expect to return to training within a fortnight, he is likely to be sidelined from international cricket for up to six weeks.That timescale would rule Stokes out of both of the remaining two Tests against Sri Lanka, at Durham and then Lord’s, starting June 9, as well as the five ODIs and one-off T20 that follow. Durham play Hampshire in a County Championship fixture on July 3, ahead of the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s on July 14.The second Test against Sri Lanka will be the first that Stokes has missed since being recalled against West Indies in April last year and is a blow to Durham, his county, who have struggled to sell tickets for the match and would have still been hoping for some late interest with the presence of a local star.

Devastated to be missing the rest of the series,this has been a ongoing issue for 2/3 years which I've managed to play through until now…

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) May 23, 2016

Woakes’ most recent of his six Tests came against South Africa, at Centurion, when he replaced the injured Steven Finn. He had a forgettable outing with match figures of 1 for 144, but England’s desire to replace Stokes with an allrounder and their consistency in the selection means he has earned the nod.He has 14 wickets at 26.64 in four Championship matches (to the start of the current fixture against Somerset, which he will now leave after two days) and also scored a century against Nottinghamshire.If England want to retain a similar balance to their side for the second Test then Woakes will come into the XI. However, England could still opt for Jake Ball, the uncapped Nottinghamshire seamer who has kept his place in the squad. Either routes would likely see Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali moving up a spot in the batting order.After the second Test there is a slightly longer gap before the final match of the series starts at Lord’s.

West Ham United have six fixtures of the 2022/23 Premier League season remaining as they look to pick up as many points as possible to avoid suffering relegation at the end of the term.

The Irons suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday night at the London Stadium so will be hoping to change their fortunes and get back to winning ways to create sufficient distance between themselves and the drop zone.

The E20 outfit also have an added bonus in the sense that they still have a game in hand on the majority of their fellow relegation-battling opponents that are around them in the table and that are also competing for survival, so David Moyes needs to use this to his advantage, and with that being said, here's how we think their final few matches will pan out.

West Ham fixtures

• 29 April: Crystal Palace (a)

• 3 May: Man City (a)

• 7 May: Man United (h)

• 14 May: Brentford (a)

• 21 May: Leeds (h)

• 28 May: Leicester (a)

Crystal Palace v West Ham

Following the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last night, the Irons will no doubt be wanting to get back to positive form when they make the trip to Selhurst Park to take on Roy Hodgson’s side on Saturday, with three points for the visitors vital in the race to avoid the drop to the Championship.

Moyes has to make sure that his outfit turn up full of confidence and self-belief that they can take at least a point out of the game, which is exactly what they might have to settle for in front of the away crowd with the Eagles boss having made an instant positive impact back in the dugout in SE25.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-1 West Ham

Man City v West Ham

The Premier League fixtures aren’t showing any signs of slowing down for West Ham, whose next away game after Crystal Palace is against Manchester City.

The Sky Blues have firmly put themselves in control of the title race following their 4-1 thrashing of league leaders Arsenal but they still have two games in hand, meaning that they will be crowned champions should they win all of their remaining games during the run-in.

From an Irons perspective, this match is likely to be considered one that’s pretty impossible to gain a positive result from and it will definitely be the most difficult task Moyes and his side come up against before the end of the season.

Prediction: Man City 3-1 West Ham

West Ham v Man United

On balance, Man City should be the hardest game left to play, but West Ham also won’t be faced with an easy task when they welcome Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United for their next fixture back at the London Stadium.

The Old Trafford outfit will be desperate to secure a place in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, but with the Irons crowd sure to make themselves heard, Moyes will believe he can take something from his former side having previously studied their strengths and weaknesses.

Prediction: West Ham 2-2 Man United

Brentford v West Ham

Following what is likely to be an entertaining home encounter versus Man United, West Ham hit the road once again, this time travelling to the Community Stadium to take on Brentford who are enjoying a remarkable season and are expected to nail down a top-ten finish.

Back in December’s reverse fixture, the Bees secured a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium, so Moyes will be hoping that he can turn the tables and gain revenge by securing all three points this time around which they are more than capable of doing.

Prediction: Brentford 1-2 West Ham

West Ham v Leeds

West Ham’s final home game and the penultimate fixture of the 2022/23 season sees them face Leeds United who are also hoping to escape relegation, therefore making them one of their biggest rivals.

The Whites, however, will be lacking in confidence having won just one of their last six top-flight games, so should this poor run of results continue between now and when they face the E20 side, a victory should seem comfortable.

Prediction: West Ham 2-0 Leeds

Leicester v West Ham

West Ham’s concluding match of the campaign sees them make the journey to Dean Smith’s Leicester who, once again, are another team giving their all to escape relegation and maintain their Premier League status.

The Foxes picked up a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the London Stadium back in November, and whilst Moyes will want to replicate that result at the King Power, the hosts will be fighting for their lives in what is set to be a definitive day at the bottom of the table.

Prediction: Leicester 1-1 West Ham

• Predicted run-in points: 9/18

• Predicted total points: 43

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton to the Premier League, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

Who is Adam Wharton?

Eddie Howe is reportedly on the lookout for central reinforcements this summer and has already been linked with the likes of Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Leicester City’s James Maddison, but the 18-year-old is a new, less high-profile name to have emerged.

The Lancashire outfit’s starlet is one of the club’s academy graduates having worked his way up through the ranks to become a regular feature of the first-team at Ewood Park, breaking into Jon Dahl Tomasson’s senior fold in July 2022, as per Transfermarkt.

During his debut season, the £962-per-week teenager has made 19 appearances to date and his impressive form has seen him receive an international call-up to England’s U19s, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the hierarchy at St. James’ Park.

According to Nixon (via Football League World), Newcastle, alongside top-flight rivals Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, are all “interested” in completing a deal for Wharton ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth “watched” his target in action just last week, and it’s stated that PIF are “seriously considering” the possibility of an approach. The Rovers ace only signed a new deal last year, but it’s currently “unclear” whether he will still be at the club beyond the upcoming window as a result of the building interest from the Premier League.

Would Wharton be a good signing for Newcastle?

Newcastle will be aware that Wharton hasn’t got much experience playing at the highest level but the encouraging signs he’s shown have seen him hailed a “brilliant young prospect” by journalist Josh Bunting, so he would be an extremely exciting signing for the long-term future of the club.

The left-footed midfielder has posted 13 goal contributions (nine assists and four goals) in 66 appearances throughout his career, including six in 25 across all competitions this season, and is averaging 3.66 shot-creating actions per game, which is higher than any other of his teammates in the Championship.

The OmniSports client is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game, ranking in the 93rd percentile for tackles, having won 18 from 27 players challenged this term, via FBRef, so for someone who has this ability to positively impact the game at both ends of the pitch, Wharton would be a promising recruit for the Magpies.

It seems as though referee Craig Pawson may have made a big mistake in the most recent Manchester United win as he neglected to hand Kaoru Mitoma a second yellow card.

What's the latest on Kaoru Mitoma and Man Utd?

The Red Devils were able to keep their hopes of doing the double this season alive as they progressed into the FA Cup final after winning a penalty shootout against Brighton on Sunday afternoon.

Indeed, having already won the Carabao Cup, Erik ten Hag's men came up against the Seagulls in what turned out to be a very even semi-final encounter.

In the end, after both teams drew blank in the regular 90 minutes as well as extra time, the game was decided when Solly March ballooned his penalty. He was the only one of Brighton's seven takers to miss, while all the United attempts found the back of the net.

Earlier on in the game, however, the Red Devils would have felt aggrieved that winger Mitoma was not sent off when he stretched for the ball and slid into goalkeeper David de Gea – as seen in this footage.

Did Mitoma deserve a yellow card?

The Brighton attacker had already been booked for an earlier foul on Casemiro which also involved him stretching for the ball after a slightly heavy touch.

Seeing as this challenge was nearly identical, then he surely deserved the same punishment: another yellow card.

Had the referee, Pawson, viewed it this way, that would have resulted in a sending-off for Mitoma. Inexplicably, though, the official opted against that even though he did blow for a foul.

What's more, as VAR can't get involved with yellow cards, the technology was not able to help guide the referee to make the correct decision on this occasion.

Of course, it didn't matter in the end as Man Utd still progressed and Mitoma didn't even end up taking a penalty.

However, the Brighton man was still on the pitch during the shoot-out and may well have been in line to take the next attempt had March not missed.

With that in mind, the decision could have been an even more highly contentious talking point this morning, had Mitoma successfully scored and helped knock the Red Devils out.

Still, that's all hypocritical now as United won and have set up a derby day encounter at Wembley Stadium against rivals Manchester City.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is believed to be searching for a manager who is solely focused on becoming the next Spurs boss.

What does Daniel Levy want for the new manager?

The Lilywhites suffered yet another crushing blow in their pursuit for a spot inside the top four on the weekend as they tasted dramatic defeat against Bournemouth.

Cristian Stellini has been offered the opportunity to see out the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign in north London but it seems the Italian is failing to change their fortunes.

Antonio Conte's final game of his tenure saw Spurs collapse against Southampton to concede the points as they were made to settle for a draw.

And the same has been seen in the weeks since his departure Spurs have capitulated against both Everton and now Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, the search for a new manager goes on and the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique believed to be on their radar.

However, it is also believed that those two are managers who are also on the list of their London rivals, Chelsea, who are also looking to see the campaign out with an interim manager.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed Levy is looking for a manager who would consider Spurs his number one choice not just an option to settle for if they do not get another job:

(1:11:00) "From what I understand, after digging around the whole managerial situation this weekend, is that one of the key aspects Spurs are looking for in this search for their next manager, is they want to appoint someone who sees Spurs as their first choice they want to go to not be a fallback option if, you know, another vacancy is filled, I guess."

Who should Spurs appoint?

Once again, large sections of the Spurs crowd made their feelings known in regards to a potential return for one of their former managers.

Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino is a name who has been linked with the vacancy in north London and his name was sung by Spurs fans on Saturday.

Levy was in attendance for the game on the weekend and will have heard the chants for both him to leave the club and for Pochettino to be reinstated in the dugout.

However, reports have since suggested the club do not consider the Argentine as a serious option at the moment with no contact made between the two parties.

What is interesting, though, is if this is the case and Spurs do not want a manager who is considering other jobs then perhaps that rules out the likes of Nagelsmann.

It is believed the German is open to the possibility of joining Chelsea over the coming months which would surely mean he will be crossed off Levy's list.

And if this is the case, then it could seriously deplete their options.

In summary, Spurs would like a manager who will form a great affinity for the club and bring the fans back together in what is very much a fractured relationship at the moment.

It does feel as if this criteria can be found in the form of a certain Argentine who the fans call "magic", however, that would mean Levy would have to swallow his pride and potentially acknowledge Tottenham's mistake in sacking him in 2019.

Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in midfield this summer and now a reliable source has revealed a new update on a potential transfer target this summer.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Nicolo Barella?

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool have short-listed several midfielders with Inter Milan ace Nicolo Barella named.

Plettenberg tweeted: "News LFC: Still on the shortlist and being discussed with Klopp confirmed: Rice, Caicedo, Barella, Gravenberch and Nunes.

"Klopp 100% involved in the decision not to buy Bellingham. Decision was taken with the owners."

Will Liverpool sign Nicolo Barella?

There is no doubt that the recent reports claiming Liverpool are no longer interested in Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Bellingham will be a huge blow for the Anfield faithful after months of mounting speculation surrounding the player's potential move to Merseyside.

However, when considering the £130m fee attached to the England midfielder and the multiple issues Liverpool have faced this season, it makes sense that the powerbrokers at Anfield are keen to secure the services of multiple players to significantly improve the performances instead of putting all of their eggs in one basket.

Indeed, there are not many young prospects in the world more exciting than Bellingham, however, the signing of Barella could provide Klopp with a midfielder who has a wealth of experience in a similar role and a player he is already a huge fan of.

Ahead of Liverpool's clash with Inter Milan in the Champions League last season, the German coach took to his press conference to lavish praise on a player who could cost £65m:

"He's a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That's a top-class player."

When comparing Bellingham's output to the 25-year-old Italian this season so far, Barella has outperformed his positional peer in several attributes, most notably goals and assists (11 v 8) and shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (4.12 v 4.07).

Interestingly, the Italian has received more progressive passes (143 v 113), as well as possessing a better take-on success rate (62.7% v 55.1%), proving that he is a complete midfielder who can both win possession and consistently impact the attacking threat.

Simply, Barella can be a huge game-changer from the centre of the pitch, which he proved again last night in Inter's Champions League clash with Benfica, scoring the opening goal to give his team the lead in their two-leg challenge to win a spot in the semi-final of the prestigious European competition.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Barella has the quality to significantly improve the midfield at Anfield, however, it would take something special for Liverpool to snap up his services should they fail to qualify for Champions League football next season.

Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has shared a potential boost for Tottenham Hotspur as they target Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

What's the latest on De Zerbi to Spurs?

The Italian, who has been a brilliant successor to former Seagulls manager Graham Potter, is rumoured to be a serious contender for the Spurs job after Antonio Conte's departure. Cristian Stellini took charge of his first game as interim boss on Monday night, squandering a one-man and one-goal advantage to eventually draw 1-1 – with Lucas Moura also sent off late on.

It was hardly the dream start for Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason with chairman Daniel Levy reportedly at work on finding Spurs' next permanent manager in the background. The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and even former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane are believed to be targets.

In-work managers are also on the agenda, with Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner and Feyenoord's Arne Slot being eyed from abroad. Closer to home in the Premier League, reports have suggested that Brentford's Thomas Frank and De Zerbi are attracting Levy's interest.

The latter man is on Tottenham's managerial shortlist with reliable outlets claiming he is a serious option. Now, as per Sky reporter Di Marzio, the north Londoners have may just been handed a boost in their pursuit of De Zerbi.

Speaking in the Sky Sports 24 studios, via FC Inter 1908.it, the 43-year-old is indeed 'on the list' at Spurs, and despite interest from Italy, Di Marzio claims he only wants to stay in England – thereby putting Tottenham ahead of suitors from Serie A.

He explained:

"De Zerbi is also on the list, who is doing very well at Brighton. I say for those who dream of him returning to Italy: apart from having a €13m release clause to release him, I don't think he wants to return to Italy. I think he wants to continue in the Premier League."

Should Tottenham appoint De Zerbi?

The attack-minded boss ticks many boxes for Spurs, not least his proven experience in the English top flight, brilliant work on a limited budget and growing reputation.

Brighton are currently challenging for Europe with only Arsenal, Man City and Spurs scoring more league goals than De Zerbi's side.

Jamie Carragher has also hailed the tactician's 'unbelievable' work and Brighton's free-flowing possession-based footballing philosophy.

If Spurs cannot get their hands on more prestigious candidates like Nagelsmann or Pochettino, De Zerbi stands out as a phenomenal candidate.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has tipped Xabi Alonso to replace Jurgen Klopp as manager at Liverpool amid the club's poor season.

What's the latest on Xabi Alonso and Liverpool?

It's safe to say things haven't really gone to plan for the Reds this term. Indeed, they currently sit sixth in the Premier League, seven points from the top four.

What's more, they were recently humiliated by Real Madrid in the Champions League, meaning they are now out of every cup competition.

With that in mind, some questions have been asked about Klopp and his future with the club and there is talk in the media that former Liverpool ace Alonso could be an ideal candidate to come in whenever the German leaves.

While talking about this on his YouTube channel, Talbot seemed to think the Spaniard would be a better fit than Steven Gerrard, who is currently out of work having been sacked by Aston Villa earlier this season.

He explained: "He's good because that's how you do it, he’s cut his teeth. I think he was at Sociedad, wasn’t he? He was like the [youth] manager at Real Madrid and he went to Sociedad, then he went to Bayer Leverkusen – he's done it properly.

"Rather than being like Frank Lampard: like Derby, then Chelsea! And then, you know, Steven Gerrard kind of similar. I know people are like, 'oh his Rangers phase', but apparently the Rangers stuff, that was all Michael Beale – he was like his second in command."

Would Alonso be a better manager for Liverpool than Gerrard?

The 41-year-old did indeed spend time with Real Sociedad and Real Madrid in Spain before arriving in Germany to become the senior Bayer Leverkusen coach.

And he's impressed in his current job, picking up an average of 1.79 points per game so far after 24 matches in charge. In comparison, Gerrard only managed 1.18 after 40 matches with Villa.

Klopp is at an impressive 2.05 per game after 419 matches in charge, which shows just how good he has been with Liverpool and whoever follows him will have a hard time living up to those standards.

And by the sounds of it, the German won't be leaving any time soon anyway. Indeed, he recently told the press: “I have too much responsibility and I want it and I want to sort it again.

“I am 100% committed. If we win I feel like I was part of it but if we lose I feel 100% responsible. I was always like this in my life, so you can imagine how big the responsibility at the moment is and how I feel now and we will do absolutely everything to get through this and prepare the very positive future again.”

Still, his contract is up in 2026, so perhaps Alonso will be considered in the near future if his stock continues to rise.

Liverpool's crop of youth talent is as vibrant as it has ever been, with a steady flow of touted prospects pushing for contention in manager Jurgen Klopp's thinking over the coming seasons.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the salient example, with 18-year-old midfielder Stefan Bajcetic breaking into the fold this season and shining as his senior peers flounder, while starlet Ben Doak is pushing for further opportunities after dazzling at youth level, scoring ten goals and supplying seven assists this season.

The projected influx of aspiring hopefuls bodes well for the Reds' future sustainability; with the Merseyside outfit currently languishing seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur, Klopp might fail to qualify for Champions League for the first time in any of his six full seasons in English football, and while progress on the pitch is not exactly fruitful, cementing a prolonged future at the forefront of European football would go far more seamlessly with academy graduates melding with the incomings on the transfer front.

One such talent who could very well find themselves at the centre of the club's future plans is talented centre-forward Keyrol Figueroa, with the talented 16-year-old already making an impression with Liverpool's U18s outfit.

Who is Keyrol Figueroa?

The precocious teenager has been making waves at the maiden stage of his career, with Liverpoolfc.com stating: "Blessed with great pace, Keyrol is capable of scoring spectacular goals, and he will feature for the U18s as a first-year scholar in 2022-23."

And despite his tender age, the Honduras-born prodigy has already forged nine appearances for the Reds' U18s, scoring one goal and supplying two assists.

Hailed as a "16-year-old goal scoring monster" by MLS specialist, Maximiliano Bretos, the feats that belie Figueroa's youth and inexperience leave him in good stead to stay ahead of the curve and indeed emulate the burgeoning rise of the likes of Doak, who has been dubbed "the pick of the bunch" by journalist Keifer MacDonald when discussing the Anfield youth ranks.

The "top talent" that is Figueroa – as remarked by Ben Bocsak – will possibly start featuring for Liverpool's U21s before his 18th birthday, which would represent a staggering growth to eclipse the standards demanded by the powers that be on the red half of Merseyside.

Figueroa is some way from prominence among the senior side at Anfield, but with such a 'monstrous' start to life at Kirkby, he could well find himself flourishing as one of the centrepieces to ensure success over the next decade on Merseyside.

Chelsea are expected to be in the running to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane this summer, according to talkSPORT pundit Stan Collymore.

The Lowdown: £100m price tag

The Premier League talisman has now entered the final 18 months of his contract in N17 and being Antonio Conte’s top-performing player, has caught the eye of Graham Potter.

The Mirror have recently reported that the England captain wants out and will be looking for a move elsewhere during the upcoming window, with The Times having since claimed that Daniel Levy would only consider selling him for a £100m up front.

The Latest: Collymore’s comments

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Collymore suggested that Chelsea will be firmly in the race to sign Kane alongside Manchester United. He said:

“The situation at Spurs is giving Harry Kane the perfect excuse to leave in the summer. He’s never had an easier way out. Seriously, who is honestly going to begrudge him a move elsewhere now?

“That man has done just about everything he can for Spurs but now, at the age of 29, soon to be 30, this summer is going to be possibly his last opportunity to move on and go to a club that stands a real chance of winning some major silverware – whether that is Chelsea or Manchester United, who knows, but I guarantee that they’ll both be in the running for Kane come to the summer window.

“If I were Kane, I would do everything in my power to get a move to Manchester United, but that’s me speaking as an older former pro, the fact Chelsea are based in London will probably play a big part as Kane’s family life may mean he doesn’t want to relocate too far away from where he has been for the majority of his playing career.”

The Verdict: Splash the cash?

Kane has been dubbed a ‘world-class’ striker by Conte and should the opportunity to sign him arise, Chelsea should definitely splash the cash to secure his services.

The Nike-sponsored ace has posted 334 goal contributions in 425 senior appearances for Spurs, where he’s currently averaging 3.6 shots per top-flight game.

The Walthamstow-born talent also ranks in the 95th percentile for most progressive passes per 90, which shows how strong his link-up play is even when he might not be on the scoresheet.

Kane has several Golden Boot and Player of the Year awards to his name, highlighting the significantly positive impact he has on a side, making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete.