Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be hoping to bolster the squad with firepower boasting Champions League credentials after securing top four, and Mohammed Kudus could be the perfect acquisition.
What's the latest on Mohammed Kudus to Newcastle?
According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Newcastle – alongside divisional rivals Arsenal and Manchester United – have earmarked Ajax attacker Kudus following recent revelations over his availability this summer.
The Ghanaian World Cup star is contracted to the Johann Cruyff Arena until 2025 but rejected his outfit's proposal of a contract extension, sparking fresh life into rumours that a deal could be achieved.
Valued at £40m, the 22-year-old would be an affordable option with proven pedigree on the biggest stage both for club and country, offering dynamism and cutting edge that will only serve to enhance the thriving crop at St. James's Park.
Who could Kudus replace at Newcastle?
The aforementioned report states that Kudus might not be the first choice pick for the ambitious Premier League outfits, though this is something that could play into the hand of Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth as he charts a course for success at the recruitment table.
This season, the prolific gem has plundered 18 goals and six assists from 41 matches for Ajax, starting just 28 times; in the Champions League, Kudus has netted four goals and provided two assists, hailed as a "monster" by journalist Muftawa Nabila Abdulai.
Having scored seven times for his nation – including twice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – the 21-cap Ghanaian would be a brilliant addition to the Newcastle set-up, with one tactical report illustrating his incredible versatility, the ace flourishing in a deeper midfield role, the false-nine position and as an inverted forward out on the right flank.
Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus
Per FBref, the "electric" phenom – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Men's Next 8 divisions – the leagues beneath the top European five – for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 3% for touches in the attacking box, underscoring his brilliance both as an assured passer and a direct presence, unflinching and destructive in swift transitions.
He would be the dream replacement for Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin, who boasts fleet-footed excellence himself but is certainly lacking potency in front of the net.
Saint-Maximin has only scored once in the top flight this season from 30 appearances, despite his side's resounding and resurgent success, and he has actually failed to get past the five-goal mark across all four of his campaigns on Tyneside.
With Kudus' versatility and 'electric' presence on the ball partnering an innate knack for sniffing out goals in abundance, securing his services could come at a providential time for Howe and co, who could certainly do with a player boasting success in the Champions League.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has enjoyed a fantastic first season with the club and remains in contention to secure a place in Europe by the end of the month.
The Villans are currently eighth in the table and only behind Tottenham Hotspur in seventh on goal difference with two matches left to play.
Emery has won 14 of his 23 Premier League games in charge of the club since arriving from Villarreal to take over from Steven Gerrard with the Spaniard having engineered a seriously impressive revival.
One of his biggest achievements so far has been the wonders he has worked with centre-forward Ollie Watkins, who has been in phenomenal form.
Prior to Emery coming in, the England international had scored two goals and provided two assists in 14 matches in all competitions for Villa. Since then, the 27-year-old has racked up 13 goals and four assists in 24 appearances – more than one goal contribution every other game.
Watkins' terrific turn in form shows that the Villans head coach knows how to get the best out of a mobile striker who enjoys getting in behind by using his pace on the shoulder of the last defender.
Who could be Emery's next Villa striker?
Emery could now unearth his next version of the former Brentford man by securing a deal to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.
Juventus attacker Dusan Vlahovic.
Football Insider recently reported that the club are interested in a deal to sign the Serbian at the end of the season as they attempt to bolster their forward department.
The £220k-per-week centre-forward has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 21 Serie A starts for the Old Lady in the 2022/23 campaign.
This comes after the 23-year-old plundered 24 goals and three assists in 33 starts in the Italian top-flight for Fiorentina and Juventus combined last term.
FBref coincidentally lists Watkins as the most similar player in world football to Vlahovic based on their respective statistics over the last 365 days. Both strikers accumulate between 0.40 and 0.42 non-penalty expected goals and between 0.11 and 0.12 expected assisted goals per 90.
These statistics show that both attackers offer a similar level of threat in their positioning to create chances for themselves and their creativity for their teammates in the final third. Like the Villa star, the Serbian marksman has proven himself in front of goal and could be a prolific frontman for the club in the years to come, using Emery's expertise in offensive play to better his and Villa's attack.
Vlahovic, who journalist Carlo Garganese described as "scary" and a "monster", has showcased his potential to be a lethal goalscorer at the top level, with his 24 strikes in 2021/22, and Emery's coaching – given his work with Watkins – could get him back to that standard next season.
There were reasons for Sri Lankan fans to cheer at the third ODI in Dambulla. But the result wasn’t one of them. On a day when Tillakaratne Dilshan was farewelled from one-day international cricket, and Dinesh Chandimal scored his fourth ODI hundred, Australia held on for a tense victory that gave them a 2-1 series lead with two to play – and gave David Warner a 100% success rate as an international captain.Not that it was all smooth sailing. Chasing 227, Australia relatively cruised most of the way. At 187 for 4 they needed only 40 more runs, with George Bailey and Matthew Wade both well set, but suddenly Sri Lanka’s spinners came into the game. Four wickets fell in quick time and it was beginning to look like Australia might find a way to throw it away. It was Adam Zampa who struck the winning runs, a boundary behind point off Amila Aponso, and a single five balls later.It wasn’t any old single – it was cut in the air towards extra cover, where Dilruwan Perera hurled himself into the air to try for a one-handed catch. The ball didn’t stick, and the result was sealed: a two-wicket win, though with four overs remaining. That Sri Lanka came that close to pulling the rug out from under Australia was a fine effort, given the solid way the chase unfolded through two key partnerships.In the absence of captain Steven Smith, who had flown home for a rest, Australia needed a leader to steer the chase. It would not be Warner, who fell in the fifth over to a terrific diving catch from Dilshan at point off Mathews. Nor would it be Aaron Finch, lbw to Aponso for a brisk 30, nor Shaun Marsh, caught by a diving Chandimal at mid-off off Mathews for 1.The man was Bailey, the most experienced ODI player in the side. He set about building a 62-run partnership with Travis Head, and then an 81-run stand with Wade that took Australia to within sight of their victory. It wasn’t always easy; Sri Lanka’s spinners were always a threat, but they needed more runs to defend, their own batting having been disappointing earlier in the day.Head played a mature innings of 36 that ended when he went back to cut Dilruwan, only to see the ball skid on to his stumps. And Wade, a consistent performer this series, contributed 42 before he missed a sweep and was stumped off the same bowler. That was the wicket that precipitated Australia’s collapse, though as it happened they were by then just close enough to get over the line.The Sri Lankan crowd came alive as the spinners crowded Australia’s batsmen. Bailey simply missed a legbreak from Seekkuge Prasanna and was bowled for 70, then in the next over James Faulkner holed out to deep square leg off Aponso. The Finisher was finished, but Australia weren’t quite yet. Mitchell Starc sent Prasanna over long-on for six but was caught in the next over trying for another off Dhananjaya de Silva. Zampa walked to the crease with five runs still needed, and he got them, with John Hastings unbeaten at the other end.Sri Lanka’s own innings – all out for 226 in the 50th over – never quite looked like enough. Wickets fell regularly throughout the innings, the only half-century partnership a 73-run combination between Chandimal and Dilshan. Zampa was again a key weapon, collecting 3 for 38 from his 10 overs, and there were two victims each for Starc, Faulkner and Hastings.The innings was built around Chandimal’s fourth ODI hundred. Of late in one-day cricket, Chandimal has been batting like he’s Keanu Reeves in , afraid something terrible will happen if he drops below 50. He did so, marginally, in the second ODI in Colombo, where his 48 ended his hopes of becoming the first Sri Lankan to make six consecutive one-day international fifties. But in Dambulla he was back. His last seven ODI innings now read: 52, 62, 63, 53, 80*, 48 and 102.Chandimal’s approach was simple: push the ball into the gaps and rotate the strike. Repeat, and repeat. That method brought him 56 singles, although he managed seven boundaries as well, driving when the fast men overpitched or punishing them for bowling too straight. His half-century came up with a deft dab for four wide of the wicketkeeper off Hastings from his 66th ball.His primary support came from Dilshan, the retiring hero who struck five fours on his way to an enterprising 42. But the dream of a big farewell innings ended when Dilshan whacked a Zampa full toss to midwicket and was well caught by Bailey. To the applause of players and fans, Dilshan walked off with a bow fitting for the entertainer that he was, the owner of 10,290 ODI runs, the 11th-highest tally in history.Sri Lanka’s other batsmen were disappointing. For the second time in the series Starc struck in the first over of the innings, bowling Danushka Gunathilaka, and the total wobbled to 23 for 2 when Kusal Mendis edged Josh Hazlewood to slip for 4. The wickets fell with regularity again after Dilshan departed.Mathews was lbw for 2 to Zampa, who had pitched the ball on leg and straightened it just enough. Marsh ran and jumped to his left at mid-on to snare de Silva for 12 off Faulkner, and also held one in the deep when Thisara Perera holed out off Hastings for 9. In between those takes, Starc’s brutal inswinging yorker accounted for Kusal Perera, who kept one out but could not manage two and saw his stumps rattled on 11.Prasanna picked out deep midwicket off Zampa and Dilruwan added 17 before chipping a catch to midwicket off Hastings, which left Chandimal nervously hoping the No.11 Aponso could help him reach triple figures. He did so, and the Sri Lankan fans roared. The final result was not so pleasing for them.
Tottenham Hotspur could well be eyeing a raid on a fellow Premier League club this summer in their search for a new permanent head coach, according to the latest reports.
What's the latest on Tottenham's manager search?
As per Football Insider, the Lilywhites are reportedly eyeing a 'stunning' move to prise newly-appointed Wolverhampton Wanderers boss, Julen Lopetegui from Molineux, with the Old Gold's sporting director Matt Hobbs also under consideration to fill that respective position.
The north London outfit are still seeking to find permanent replacements for both Antonio Conte and the recently departed Fabio Paratici at N17, with the report suggesting that Daniel Levy and co are 'in talks with intermediaries and senior figures in football' regarding those two vacancies.
In the case of Lopetegui, the former Sevilla and Real Madrid boss only made the move to his current side back in November after replacing Bruno Lage in the hot seat, although the 56-year-old has clearly already made a strong impression during his brief time in English football.
Would Lopetegui be a good appointment for Tottenham?
The one-time Spain head coach has certainly made his presence felt in the Midlands after guiding Wolves to safety in recent months, with the Mirror's Ben Husband stating that the experienced figure had done an "unbelievable job" in such a short space of time.
There will, however, be potential concern among Spurs supporters at the prospect of poaching another manager from Molineux, following the dismal and disastrous spell in charge for Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Portuguese coach was handed the reins back in the summer of 2021 following the sacking of compatriot Jose Mourinho, with Levy and co ultimately settling on the one-time Porto boss after missing out on a string of other targets.
Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui
Like Lopetegui, Nuno had done a fine job at Wolves after notably leading the club into Europe, although the pragmatic coach appeared to struggle to make the step up to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with particular "fears over his style of play" – according to Sky Sports' Adam Bate.
As it proved, the 49-year-old was dismissed just a few months into the 2021/22 campaign after a rather grim start to the season, having lost seven of his 17 games in charge of the club.
While Lopetegui typically adopts a different approach to that of Santo as he has a preference for a 4-3-3 formation, there may also be concerns over the Spaniard's style of play, with Wolves still the lowest-scorers in the division this season with just 30 goals in 36 games.
With Levy having previously outlined his desire to bring back "free-flowing, attacking and entertaining" to Spurs, as was the case with Santo, the appointment of Lopetegui could well be at odds with that ambition.
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Julen Lopetegui may not grant Fabio Silva an opportunity to impress him once he returns from his loan at PSV Eindhoven, according to journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
What's the latest news involving Fabio Silva?
As per Voetbal International via Sport Witness, youngster Silva has signalled his intention to spend another campaign on loan at PSV, stating in an interview: “If it’s up to me, I’ll definitely stay here for another season because I think it’s good for my development.”
The £35 million signing joined Anderlecht on loan at the start of this season before completing a move to PSV on a temporary deal in January for the remainder of this term. This could indicate that he is seen as out-of-favour at Molineux by Lopetegui.
In his time at the Philips Stadion, the £80k-a-week ace has registered five goals and two assists in all competitions for his loan club, as per Transfermarkt.
TalkSPORT also understand that Wolves are plotting a move to bring in Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres, which could push Silva even further down the pecking order in the West Midlands upon his return to the club in pre-season.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Sheth has suggested that Lopetegui and Silva may go in a 'different direction' rather than trying to revive his career at the Old Gold next term.
Sheth said: "It's interesting what has happened this season because Silva went out on loan under Bruno Lage. Bruno Lage allowed him to go out on loan to Anderlecht. PSV Eindhoven were then interested in January. Lopetegui was already in situ. So he actually would have been part of the process that would have said 'Yes, you can make that move to PSV'.
"I just wonder whether that's a sign of Lopetegui saying, 'Yeah, we're moving on in a different direction'. Or whether it's to see what Fabio Silva does when he comes back, if he does do preseason with Wolves, or whether he's moved on immediately.
"I just think that Lopetegui allowing him to go to PSV on loan might be a sign to say, 'Okay, we're going to move in a different direction.'"
Should Wolverhampton Wanderers look to move on Fabio Silva this summer?
If possible, both parties shaking hands and moving on may be the best option come the summer as Silva looks to get his career back on a steady path.
Across his time at Wolves, the 20-year-old has hit the net just four times and provided six assists in 62 outings, as per Transfermarkt, showing that he has not had the best of luck in his spell at Molineux.
Fabio Silva in action for PSV Einhoven pictured with Luuk De Jong in their Europa League clash against Sevilla.
Silva has excelled in the art of touches in the opposition penalty area and has fared well in comparison to his positional peers in the next eight divisions outside of Europe's top five leagues, managing an average of 7.53 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, as per FBRef.
Wolves look set for an off-season of upheaval and Silva moving on either on loan again or permanently may be a wise choice by Lopetegui.
Indeed, with Sasa Kalajdzic possibly back for the start of next season, there is already a striking option people may have forgotten about, although, Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez look set to leave.
The PCB has revamped Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 Cup into a format that features eight teams instead of 18
Umar Farooq30-Jul-2016
Misbah-ul-Haq, who used to captain Faisalabad Wolves, will play for Karachi Whites under the leadership of Akbar-ur-Rehman•Pakistan Cricket Board
The PCB has revamped Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 Cup into a format that features eight teams instead of 18. The old format, which had been in place for 11 years, was city-based; the new format will feature the top seven grade one regional teams from last season, and the top regional team from grade two.Squads for Twenty20 Cup
Lahore Blues: Ahmed Shehzad (c), Saad Nasim, Nasir Jamshed, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Zafar Gohar, Hassan Ali, Naveed Yasin, Rahat Ali, Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Akhlaq, Ahmed Bashir, Farhan Khan, Asif Raza, Raza Ali Dar Lahore Whites: Kamran Akmal (c), Umar Akmal, Salman Butt, Hussain Talat, Kashif Bhatti, Shahid Yousuf, Zia ul Haq, Ehsan Adil, Kamran Ghulam, Imran Khan, Qaisar Ashraf, Arsal Sheikh, Ayaz Tasawar, Ammad Butt, Imran Butt Fata: Fawad Khan (c), Muhammad Usman, Mohammad Irfan, Asif Ali, Amir Yamin, Umar Siddique, Bilal Asif, Yasir Hameed, Muhammad Imran, Khushdil Shah, Adnan Raees, Asif Afridi, Irfanullah Shah, Sameen Gul, Sohrab Khan Islamabad: Umar Gul (c), Imad Wasim, Sarmad Bhatti, Naeem Anjum, Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan, Sami Aslam, Abdur Rehman, Adil Amin, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Zohaib Ahmed, Raheel Majeed, Ali Sarfraz, Shehzad Azam Karachi Blues: Khalid Latif (c), Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Asghar, Ruman Raees, Bilawal Bhatti, Shahzaib Hasan, Usama Mir, Fawad Alam, Saifullah Bangash, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Waqas, Ali Khan, Zohaib Shera, Fazal Subhan Karachi Whites: Akbar ur Rehman (c), Tariq Haroon, Mir Hamza, Azam Hussain, Asif Zakir,Sohail Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Ahsan Ali, Ramiz Raja Jr, Tabish Khan, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Hasan, Danish Aziz, Faraz Ahmed Khan, Zain Abbas Peshawar: Rifatullah Mohmand (c), Musadiq Ahmed, Imran Khan Jr, Zohaib Khan, Anwar Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khalid, Israrullah, Waqas Maqsood, Gauhar Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ghulam Mudassir, Shah Faisal, Akbar Badshah Rawalpindi: Sohail Tanvir (c), Yasir Arafat, Umar Amin, Mohammad Nawaz, Zulfiqar Babar, Awais Zia, Asif Ali, Aizaz Cheema, Mukhtar Ahmed, Hammad Azam, Zahid Mansoor, Zeeshan Malik, Shahdab Khan, Jamal Anwar, Naveed Malik
The city-based feature was a defining one of the competition, with Sialkot Stallions being a major feeder of T20 players to the national set-up, along with Faisalabad Wolves. Also, the city-based format sparked rivalries and interest in the tournament without any major marketing. “The main idea is to make it more competitive and this model is more commercially viable,” head of domestic cricket committee Shakeel Sheikh told ESPNcricinfo.”We were playing with too many teams earlier and quality was suffering. But now with having lesser teams we can enhance the quality and this new model is attracting more sponsorship and is much stronger to sustain for long.”In the coming season, the tournament will be held at two venues with the group stage in Rawalpindi from August 25 and the latter stages in Multan. The final will take place on September 16. The timing of the tournament stands odd as Pakistan’s limited-overs team will be in England and all the top cricketers will be away. “We have allowed the teams to select their national cricketers once they return and they will be added in the later stage of the tournament,” Sheikh said. “We are actually struggling to find a window for the T20 Cup and this available window is the only one we can utilise.”The PCB has also done away with the traditional selection system for the tournament, introducing a draft process instead. The teams’ regional heads, the head coaches of the regions, and the respective captains were involved in various rounds to pick their 15-man squads. A second draft will happen before the semi-final stage as, according to the PCB, the top limited-overs players will return by then and can be picked by the top four teams.”This draft is temporary as we are just assessing the impact of it,” Sheikh said. “This selection process is vital for a marketing point of view as sponsors want to have competitive teams and with the draft we can make well-balanced teams. I don’t think we have left out any good cricketers and even every region has its own local captain. We have also selected at least four local cricketers per team as a compulsion so that the cycle of new players coming for the respective regions can benefit the regions.”In their 15-man squads, from the completed draft, Islamabad named Umar Gul as their captain, while Ahmed Shahzad and Kamran Akmal are to lead Lahore regions. Misbah-ul-Haq, who used to captain Faisalabad Wolves, will play for Karachi Whites under the leadership of Akbar-ur-Rehman, while Saeed Ajmal will play for Karachi Blues, and Shahid Afridi will represent Islamabad.
Manchester City are edging closer to reaching an agreement with Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Is Kovacic linked with Man City move?
The 29-year-old has been part of a Blues side that has struggled enormously in 2022/23, eventually finishing a lowly 12th in the Premier League. He certainly didn't find his best form during the season, although injuries didn't help at times, with only 17 starts coming his way in the competition.
Kovacic is out of contract at Chelsea next year and it has become increasingly clear that he will move on to pastures new before the start of next season. It's City who have emerged as the strong contenders to snap him up, as Pep Guardiola looks to further bolster his midfield options.
With the in-form Ilkay Gundogan not yet agreeing an extension at the Etihad, a void could appear in the middle of the park that needs to be filled moving forward, and it looks as though the Blues star could be that man.
Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic
Are Citizens closing in on Kovacic signing?
Taking to Twitter, Romano provided an update regarding City's pursuit of Kovacic, saying that personal terms are now "close" to being agreed and that the move could happen very soon:
"Kovacic and Man City, personal terms agreement is close as revealed days ago — more will follow next week. Nothing has changed despite reports."
Kovacic, who has won four Champions League titles, could be a really effective signing by City this summer, with the £100,000-a-week midfielder someone who could easily adapt to Guardiola's style of play. He enjoyed an 86% pass completion rate in the Premier League this season while he ranks in the 98th percentile for passes into the final third – and at 29, he still has a number of years left in him at the top level.
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel once described the 93-cap Croatia international as "outstanding" during his time at Stamford Bridge, and he is the type of player who could excel even more surrounded by players who are on his wavelength technically.
The hope is that Gundogan also stays put, of course, but either way, Kovacic could represent a great option who wouldn't necessarily start every week, but be more than capable of coming in and doing a good when called upon. The fact that he has played for Real Madrid in the past, spending four years there, also says so much about his quality.
West Ham United captain Declan Rice has an informal agreement with his club which means they will not stand in his way of an exit if a suitable offer arrives, Sky Sports News presenter Vicky Gomersall has revealed.
What's the latest on Declan Rice?
The England international looks set to depart the club this summer in search of Champions League football, and Arsenal are currently the frontrunners for his signature.
The 24-year-old has made 243 appearances for the club since progressing through the youth teams, and could lead West Ham to European glory as they prepare for the Conference League final against Fiorentina.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Gomersall revealed that Rice has a gentleman's agreement with West Ham which means that if a suitable offer arrives from a Champions League club, they will allow him to leave.
"We're told there is an informal agreement between the player and the club, that he can leave this summer," she stated.
"Rice played in West Ham's final game of the season at home in the victory over Leeds yesterday [Sunday]. West Ham will allow Rice to go if they receive an offer worth £120m from a Champions League club."
How can West Ham move on from Rice?
The midfielder has been a crucial part of West Ham's side for the last five seasons, and his loss will be a significant blow for David Moyes.
Given his price tag, West Ham will have funds to spend if the £60k-per-week stalwart departs, and they have been linked with former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.
West Ham United'sDeclanRicecelebrates
Guendouzi, 24, currently plays for Olympique Marseille, but could return to London with West Ham, as they seek to replace both Rice's quality off the pitch as well as his leadership off it.
If West Ham win their upcoming final in Prague, they will qualify for the group stages of the Europa League, and this could provide a further boost to their finances and status as they aim to strengthen their squad in the summer.
As things stand, it seems likely that Rice could move to Arsenal, and it will suit all parties if a deal can be done early in the window. Rice will have a full pre-season to settle at his new club, and West Ham can avoid a drawn-out process, whilst also having more time to land their targets as they seek to replace him.
Chris Lynn and Aaron Finch are the latest Australians to be injured on the Sri Lanka tour. They joined Shaun Marsh (broken finger) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (back injury) on the injury roster, and will not be available for the two T20Is later this week.”Chris dislocated his left shoulder whilst diving during a fielding drill at training today,” Australia’s physiotherapist David Beakley said. “Consequently he will be unavailable for the remaining matches and instead will return to Brisbane to undergo further investigation to determine the full extent of the injury.”Aaron was hit on the right index finger when fielding a ball [during the fifth ODI] and subsequent x-rays have shown a fracture.”The injury to Lynn’s left shoulder continues a disastrous trend for the batsman, who in the lead-up to the 2014-15 season had surgery to fix a rotator cuff problem in his left shoulder. As a result, he missed the entire Matador Cup campaign and the first half of the Sheffield Shield summer.Then in September 2015, Lynn dislocated the same shoulder during a fielding drill and once again missed the entire Matador Cup season, in which he was set to captain Queensland, and the first half of the Shield summer. The 2016-17 Matador Cup season is to begin in less than four weeks.Although the seriousness of the latest injury to Lynn’s left shoulder remains to be seen, given his history the possibility of a third consecutive curtailed season would be a major blow. Lynn’s entire international career so far consists of five T20s, but for some time he has been considered one of the most promising batsmen in the country.Lynn had been in prime form in the Caribbean Premier League, topping the run-charts with 454 runs at an average of 45.40 and strike-rate of 133.13. Finch had been one of Australia’s most dominant batsmen in Sri Lanka, striking a record-equalling 18-ball fifty in the fourth ODI.With Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith having left for home to rest, Australia were almost in danger of not having XI fit men to put on the park for Tuesday’s T20 until they asked wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and batsman George Bailey to remain in Sri Lanka after the ODI series that ended today.Wade, who will stay on for both T20s, and Bailey, for one of them, have also handled Sri Lanka’s spinners in dry and dusty pitches excellently. Usman Khawaja had been added to the squad when Marsh was forced to leave last week. Finch will perform 12th man duties during the T20s.Australia squad: David Warner (capt), George Bailey, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, John Hastings, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa