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Liverpool are still considering a deal for Juventus ace Federico Chiesa this summer, and Jurgen Klopp's interest may now be piqued following recent revelations regarding the Italy international's transfer status.

What's the latest on Federico Chiesa to Liverpool?

That's according to newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport – via Paisley Gates – who claim that the Reds might now pursue a transfer for the winger after his €60m (£52m) valuation was slashed to just €40m (£35m).

It's claimed that Chiesa and manager Massimiliano Allegri do not have a good relationship and, as such, he is not considered indispensable; this is compounded by the Old Lady's financial problems.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Liverpool are focusing on the midfield and defence this summer, but if an apt opportunity arises, Klopp might be inclined to take a closer look at the feasibility of bringing the Italy international to Anfield.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

Liverpool's attack is the one area of the pitch that supporters do not seem to be concerned about at present, with Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and co looking set to bring goals in abundance for the Merseyside outfit over the coming months – and likely years.

Regardless, with Chiesa ostensibly available for a relatively small fee – especially in today's market – the powers that be at Anfield might decide to enter formal negotiations to secure his signature.

Chiesa spent the lion's share of the past two campaigns sidelined following a detrimental ACL injury last year, missing 62 matches of competitive club action.

However, the 25-year-old did start to find his feet again in the closing stages of the 22/23 season, scoring two goals and supplying two assists across the final five matches of the league term.

If the "wizard" – as praised by writer Roger Bennett – can find consistency in his fitness levels, Liverpool could boast a dynamic new wideman for years to come, with FBref ranking Chiesa across the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 15% for progressive carries, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

As such, the stats-led site have likened the £152k-per-week phenom to Arsenal's prodigious talent Bukayo Saka, with the 21-year-old one of the centrepieces of the Gunners' resounding revival over the past couple of years.

Arsenal qualified for the Champions League this year after seven seasons away and took Manchester City to the wire in the Premier League title race, looking set for their first league triumph since 2004 before a late blip put Pep Guardiola's imperious team in the driving seat.

Saka was described as "electric" by Statman Dave for his fantastic exploits for the north London side last year, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists from 38 matches in the English top-flight.

This season, Arsenal kicked off their campaign with victory in the Community Shield against the Citizens, with Saka providing Leandro Trossard with the assist to take the match to penalties in the dying embers.

As per FBref, the Hale End graduate ranks among the top 20% of positional peers for goals, the top 18% for assists, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 6% for touches in the attacking box per 90.

Chiesa's style is direct and aggressive, much like Saka's, and both players possess a knack for attacking with both direct goal threat and creativity, which could serve Liverpool well in the dynamism and flexibility of their frontline.

Chiesa would no doubt be a "potent" presence – as he has been called by Rio Ferdinand – for Klopp's side and while his signature might not be the priority, if the chance to sign him does arise, then the Reds must at least look into the prospect of snapping him up.

It began with only one team in mind. Nottinghamshire, needing 12 points for a promotion to Division One that should have been wrapped up with a bow on it by now. Sussex? Well, Sussex were just fulfilling their last fixture of the season. One that promised much: a tilt at promotion or a cup run of sorts with a blend of old, young and new. A neat run of results got them back on track but, ultimately, it has been a summer of four different first-class captains and little else of note.When play did get underway at 1pm, overnight rain and morning mizzle preventing an earlier start, Nottinghamshire did as Nottinghamshire have done. Even with key men missing – only Chris Read (playing in his last professional match) Samit Patel, Jake Libby and Riki Wessels played in the demolition of Sussex at Trent Bridge earlier this year – their alternates stepped up, as they have done all season.In Luke Wood and Brett Hutton, they have two bowlers who, were they not so wedded to Nottinghamshire, would be ever-presents in other attacks. As it happens, they make do as back-ups: waiting in the wings to come in when international call-ups and whatever else take their toll, as they have done this season, with just 13 Championship matches between them coming into this final round. Today, they shared the new ball.Inside 15 overs, Sussex were two down: Wood getting Harry Finch to edge behind from his left-arm approach, Hutton drawing an airy drive from Philip Salt to Cheteshwar Pujara at cover. Not long after, Steven Mullaney took over and Laurie Evans’ struggles against the red ball continued as he played across the line to be trapped in front to leave Sussex 52 for 3. And, more importantly, a first bowling point for Nottinghamshire. Just 11 more to go…For a moment, it looked like Mullaney was on a mission to accrue all the points himself. A spell from the Sea End of 15 overs, 3 for 24 cut through the middle order, as Chris Nash played to point and captain Luke Wells caught on the crease for a smartly crafted 46. Sussex were 107 for 5 in the 34th over. Never mind that a second bowling point was one away – victory was already in sight.By stumps, however, Nottinghamshire were still waiting for that second point and the win was a bit blurrier, thanks to a thrilling sixth-wicket partnership between Delray Rawlins and Michael Burgess that was uninterrupted on 123 at the close.Thrilling is probably the right word for it. The 20- and 23-year-old, respectively, went about their business with an attitude that only youth brings. They weren’t concerned that Notts had more to play for, nor were they coloured by the collapse of more experienced heads before them. That’ll be why Rawlins, on nought, walked down to Mullaney, third ball, and pulled straight to Pujara at catching midwicket, who put down a firmly struck chance. It would have been 107 for 6.It took a while for Rawlins to shake the skittishness. Every drive he attempted early on either plinked over the fielders down the ground or skewed off an inside edge, just past his stumps and away to fine leg. His wagon wheel for the beginning of his innings resembled an umbrella in the wind. Slowly but surely, he got his groove back – the sort of groove that Sussex tried to utilise at No.3 when the season began.Now in the middle order, with an older ball to deal with, he caressed through the off-side and began hooking with ease. When Patel was brought on for something different at the Sea End, Rawlins used his feet to thump him down the ground for the first six of the innings. Eventually, after 115 balls and seven fours, he had his first half-century of a testing summer that, while not a success, can be chalked up as “character building” for a very highly rated England U-19 player.By that point, Burgess already had his fifty to his name – his third in the Championship in his first season with Sussex. Much of Burgress’ career has been character building: a nomadic trail that started out at Surrey, where he is still spoke of in glowing terms, before three years spent at Loughborough, studying Sports and Exercise Science. It was for the university that he made his first class debut in 2014, against Sussex.Loughborough’s proximity to Leicestershire saw him taken on by the county from 2015, but despite scoring an accomplished 98 against the touring Sri Lankans at the beginning of 2016, no contract of note was forthcoming. When an opportunity arose at Sussex this summer, he was quick to take his chance, scoring runs in Second XI cricket and impressing when first-choice wicketkeeper Ben Brown fractured a finger during the Royal London Cup. Now, with Brown out for the season with a sore back, a steady run has seen Burgess build on his first-team cricket. Last week, he signed a deal with the club to keep him on until the end of the 2018 season.Surrey and Leicestershire’s loss looks to be Sussex’s gain. A slog sweep for six took Burgess to his half-century from 71 balls, but most of his scoring shots came through the covers. His judgement of length stood out most and, while he clubbed a few fours with full-blooded drives, he was able to show some finesse to pick gaps when Nottinghamshire reinforced the off-side.Sussex may have less to play for but Rawlins and Burgess have given them two knocks to give them some warmth over the winter. For Nottinghamshire – 11 more points.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada, as Unai Emery eyes more signings to elevate his squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Spaniard has recruited strongly already this summer, with himself and new sporting director Monchi welcoming Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby to Villa Park, with more activity anticipated.

Could Aston Villa sign Thiago Almada?

As reported by Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, the Midlands outfit have shortlisted Argentine attacker Almada as a target this window.

The report claims that the player is the ‘first on the shortlist’, adding that the club are working on ‘numerous market tracks’.

Valued by the MLS club at €20m (£17m), Villa could make a statement in signing the 22-year-old, who has been electrifying in the United States.

How good is Thiago Almada?

In just 21 MLS appearances this year 2023, the young Argentine talent has had a hand in 17 goals, scoring eight and assisting nine in an impressive feat in the final third.

Deployed primarily as an attacking midfielder, the World Cup winner can be played on the flanks also, proving to be a dangerous outlet wherever he is positioned along the front line.

Once hailed as “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 22-year-old gem could be a strong addition to Emery’s side, with Kulig identifying his “electric pace” and “superb dribbling skills” as the notable strong points to his game.

Born in 2001, the Argentine has recorded an impressive 65 goal contributions in 152 career appearances, representing both Atlanta and home club CA Velez Sarsfield.

If moved to the Premier League, the youngster could pose to be a strong asset for Emery to integrate into his attack, in a player that could threaten the positions of some individuals in similar positions already at Villa Park.

One player that could have his spot compromised by the potential arrival of Almada is compatriot Emiliano Buendia, who has struggled to live up to expectation since making the switch from Norwich City to Villa.

In his final season in the Championship, the Argentine scored 15 and assisted 17 in a monstrous individual campaign, however has only managed to score nine in his first two seasons at Villa Park.

The 26-year-old’s slow start to life in the Midlands could be detrimental to him maintaining his spot in Emery’s starting line-up, especially in the emergence of a talent as bright as Almada.

As per FBref, the 22-year-old has averaged an emphatic 9.44 progressive passes and 3.32 successful take-ons per 90 in the 2023 MLS, showcasing the threat he can cause from the midfield.

Such numbers blow away the averages recorded by Villa’s attacking midfield option in Buendia, who registered a far less impressive average of 5.15 progressive passes and 1.01 successful take-ons per 90 in the Premier League last term.

In obtaining the youngster, Emery could not only unearth a beast in nurturing the Buenos Aires-born marvel through his prime years but also provide his squad with a direct upgrade to those available at present, in a move that would ultimately improve depth.

At £17m, Monchi could pull another masterclass in his first transfer window at the club, in a move that could be fundamental to Villa’s growth.

Liverpool have wasted no time in getting their midfield rebuild started with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining this summer but now a fresh update has emerged on another potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Marcos Llorente?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are competing with Manchester United for the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente.

As per the report, it is claimed that the two Premier League giants and bitter rivals are both interested in snapping up Llorente's services ahead of next season and it would take an offer of €60m (£51m) for Atletico to part ways with their player this summer.

Is Marcos Llorente a good player?

Jurgen Klopp will be thrilled with the business that has already been completed at Anfield, however, there is definitely still work to be done and potential moves to be made during the summer transfer window to ensure Liverpool can get back to competing at the highest level.

Following the departures of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner it has paved the way for a full refresh in midfield, and it is not only the recent who Klopp will need to consider replacing in the near future.

Both Thiago Alcantara and club captain Jordan Henderson are well into their 30s at this point and reaching the latter stages of their careers, so if an opportunity arises to bring in worthy successors for the duo it should be taken.

As a result, the signing of Llorente could be a fantastic piece of business for Liverpool and would not only provide them with an experienced winner but an ideal heir for Henderson.

As per FBref, the 28-year-old – who has become an "incredible footballer" in the eyes football talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for progressive carries, progressive passes received and touches, as well as ranking in the top 25% for shot-creating actions too. Such a play style means he's a far more mobile asset than Henderson.

As it happens, though, when comparing the Spaniard's output last season to the Liverpool skipper, Llorente offered many similarities in key attributes to Henderson including pass completion rate (80.9% v 83%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.17 v 3.13), tackles and interceptions (49 v 53), successful take-ons (44.4% v 52.2%) and crosses (44 v 45), despite playing 13 fewer league games.

Not only that, Llorente is an incredibly versatile all-action talent who could be the perfect utility player for Klopp as the German coach tries to navigate the best way to deploy Trent Alexander-Arnold; who has become a revelation in a new role that has seen him play as an inverted right-back for Liverpool and also deployed successfully in a midfield three for England in recent months.

The 18-cap Spain international is experienced in several positions including defensive, central, attacking and right midfield, as well as also making 11 appearances at right-back too, demonstrating a similar diverse skill-set to that of Milner which would be a huge asset and attractive prospect to Klopp.

With that being said, a move for Llorente would certainly provide the club with an experienced and worthy heir to succeed Henderson, so if FSG could sanction a move this summer it could further improve Liverpool's midfield presence.

The Ange Postecoglou revolution is currently in full swing at Tottenham Hotspur, with the newly-appointed boss having already wrapped up deals for both Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison, while an agreement has also been reached for the signing of Israeli international, Manor Solomon.

The latter man is set to join on a free transfer from Ukranian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Fulham, scoring four goals from just four Premier League starts during his time at Craven Cottage.

According to recent reports, the 23-year-old could well be joined in north London by one of his ex-Cottagers' teammates, with The Sun (1/7; page 67) having suggested that the Lilywhites are in the running for the signing of Joao Palhinha, alongside rivals West Ham United.

The Portugal international only linked up with compatriot Marco Silva on a £17m deal last summer, although a promising debut campaign in English football has led to claims that he could now command close to £90m this summer.

As far as Spurs are concerned, the hope will be that a deal could be struck for around £50m – a fee that has been suggested by Football Insider – with the potential for the 27-year-old to provide Postecoglou with a stellar upgrade on academy graduate, Oliver Skipp.

Who could Palhinha replace at Tottenham?

It looks as if the ex-Celtic boss is keen to oversee a major midfield re-shuffle, with recent reports claiming that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be on his way, while talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has also suggested that the aforementioned Skipp "will be allowed to leave", if a suitable bid arrives.

While the latter man has shown signs of promise – having reportedly been earmarked for a role in the club's leadership group at the age of just 22 – he did endure a difficult campaign last time out, with pundit Perry Groves suggesting that both he and Hojbjerg "don't do anything" in the centre of the park.

As such, acquiring a player who was arguably "one of the signings of the season" in 22/23 – as per Sky Sports journalist Jamie Weir – in the form of Palhinha could allow Postecoglou to send Skipp on his way ahead of the start of next term.

The differing quality between the two holding midfielders is showcased by the fact that the Fulham titan finished first in the division for tackles made (147) and unsurprisingly ranks in the top 1% for that same metric among his European peers, outlining just how brutally effective he is as a dominant screen in front of the back four.

Skipp, by contrast, ranked joint 144th in the top-flight after making just 34 tackles last term, with the former Norwich City loanee thus ranking in just the top 40% in that regard as a marker of his ball-winning woes.

Also described as being as "strong as an ox" by Weir, Palhinha also offers a commanding presence due to his impressive 6 foot 3 frame, with the Lisbon native also ranking in the top 8% for aerial duels won, while the current Tottenham man in just the bottom 48% in that regard.

With the experienced ace also providing the benefit of his superior threat in attack – having scored three league goals last season in contrast to Skipp's solitary strike – it is evidently clear why Postecoglou could be considering slotting Palhinha into the base of his midfield.

If the north Londoners are to pull off that high profile swoop, then young Skipp may well be forced to pack his bags in search of pastures new…

Adam Voges has indicated that his days as an international cricketer are over

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-20170:50

Adam Voges retires with one of the highest averages in Test cricket

Adam Voges has indicated that his days as an international cricketer are over. A day before he is scheduled to lead the Prime Minister’s XI against the visiting Sri Lankans in Canberra, Voges said it would be his last game against an international team.”This will be it for me,” Voges said. “I’m certainly looking forward to getting out there and playing this game. I’ve had an amazing couple of years with Australia with the Test team and I’ve loved every minute of it.”I see this as a last opportunity to play against an international team and I’m certainly looking forward to that.”Voges, 37, has not played a Test match since suffering a concussion during Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in November. Having failed in the first two Tests against South Africa, this game served as a chance to score runs and keep himself in the reckoning for the third Test. Peter Handscomb took Voges’ spot at No. 5, scored a half-century on Test debut, and has established himself as a first-choice member of Australia’s line-up.Voges, who won his Baggy Green in 2015, aged 35, became the oldest debut centurion when he scored an unbeaten 130 against West Indies in Dominica. He struggled through the Ashes tour of England that followed but kept his place in the side and went on to enjoy a storming 2015-16 season that fetched him a century against New Zealand at the WACA, an unbeaten 269 against West Indies in Hobart and another double-hundred in Wellington.His batting average, after the tour of New Zealand, stood at 95.50 after 15 Tests. It fell to 61.87 after sub-par series against Sri Lanka away and South Africa at home, but he ends his career, nonetheless, with the second-highest average – behind only Don Bradman – among all batsmen with a minimum of 20 Tests.Voges’ stint in the Test side was the second half of a two-part international career. Between February 2007 and November 2013, he played 38 limited-overs games, scoring 870 ODI runs at 45.78 and 139 T20I runs at 46.33.

Burnley supporters can be forgiven for racing to Google to find out most of their transfer targets this summer, but that is nothing new since head coach Vincent Kompany's revolution started last year.

The Clarets have been linked with goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen and Jean Butez, both of whom are talented in their own right but are not exactly household names in England.

According to Belgian outlet HBVL, Royal Antwerp 'keeper Butez now looks the more likely option for Burnley to sign as Verbruggen is set to join Brighton and Hove Albion from Anderlecht.

Should the deal go through, Butez is expected to rival Arijanet Muric for the number one shirt next season on Burnley's return to the Premier League.

While some may be left wondering exactly who Butez is, Burnley have had great success in recruiting unheralded gems of late, thanks in large to Kompany.

Who is Jean Butez?

Much like Butez, many Burnley fans would not have heard of Anass Zaroury, Manuel Benson, Jordan Beyer or Ameen Al-Dakhil. As it is, each of those – the first three in particular – played an important part in the Clarets' promotion from the Championship.

Zaroury, for example, was signed from Jupiler Pro League side Charleroi and had never played outside of Belgium. Butez came through French side Lille's academy, but all 104 of his senior appearances have come just across the border in Belgium.

The Morocco international played in 34 of the Clarets' 46 league games last season and was given a rating of 6.95 by WhoScored – the sixth-highest of all Burnley players.

If Butez can make something close to the same impact, Kompany's side will stand a very strong chance of retaining their top-flight status beyond next season.

The 28-year-old, who measures in at 6 foot 2 and has previously been described as "very impressive" by football writer Josh Bunting, looks primed and ready to do exactly that at Turf Moor.

Butez kept the most clean sheets in the Belgian top flight last season – a league pretty much on a par with the Championship, according to Global Football Rankings – which goes a long way to explaining links with LaLiga side Villarreal.

As a goalkeeper who is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, as his 74.15% pass-completion rate showed last season, Butez may well be the next unheralded talent snapped up by Kompany. much like Zaroury was.

Jasprit Bumrah’s best, Punjab’s aggressive scoring rate and Madhya Pradesh’s lead highlights on the final day of the seventh round Group A matches in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2016Shreyas Iyer, on 191 overnight, stood between Gujarat and a first-innings lead. His early dismissal for 194 on the final day meant Mumbai fell 15 short of taking three points, despite Shardul Thakur’s half-century at No. 9. Mumbai were bowled out for 417, having begun the day on 328 for 6.The second innings was reduced to a mere formality as Gujarat’s openers scored 82 without loss in 45 overs when the captains shook hands in Hubli. Priyank Panchal, the opener who made 232 in the first innings, was unbeaten on 56. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was named Man of the Match for a career-best 6 for 71.Mandeep Singh struck a brisk century, and medium-pacer Manpreet Gony hammered an unbeaten 66 off 26 balls, in the drawn game between Punjab and Tamil Nadu in Nagpur.Punjab had conceded the first-innings lead thanks to Kaushik Gandhi’s career-best 164. In the second innings, they scored at 4.74 runs per over, before declaring for 375. Mandeep Singh’s 128 off 160 balls anchored the innings in which Uday Kaul (65) and Gurkeerat Singh (55 off 45) also got runs, before a promoted Manpreet Gony hit eight sixes.However, the timing of Punjab’s declaration left Tamil Nadu only 37 overs to negotiate in a chase of 306. They lost only one wicket, as Abhinav Mukund (67*) and Gandhi (21*) put on 78 for the second wicket and took them to stumps.Saurabh Wakaskar scored his second fifty of the game as Railways settled for a point after conceding the first-innings lead to Madhya Pradesh at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. MP took the lead early in the day, having begun on 356 for 5, just 15 behind Railways’ 371. Overnight batsmen Devendra Bundela and Shubham Sharma continued their remarkable partnership for the sixth wicket, taking it past 200 and finally being separated with the score on 406, having come together on 164 for 5.Shubham scored 119, his maiden first-class century, while Bundela scored a career-best 188. MP added 104 runs in the last 21 overs, before declaring on 510 for 8. In reply, Railways reached 150 for 1 at the end of play. Wakaskar was unbeaten on 71, after putting on 100 for the opening wicket with Shivakant Shukla, who scored 57.

Liverpool are set to submit a bid for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia should they miss out on Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone, according to reports.

Is Romeo Lavia leaving Southampton?

The Belgium international was Ruben Selles’ former side’s second best-performing defensive player last season so has been attracting interest following relegation, and one of the manager’s keen on securing his services is Jurgen Klopp.

Writing in his column for Football Insider, journalist David Lynch recently revealed that whilst the Reds have made contact with the 19-year-old’s representatives, they require assurances that he only wants to complete a move to Anfield over the likes of Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.

After signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Hove Albion, the Merseyside outfit have been heavily linked with Thuram and Kone as their next two potential targets, though if the hierarchy fail to get the duo over the line, FSG have decided where they will turn their attention to.

Are Liverpool signing Lavia?

According to The Transfer Room, Liverpool have “watched” Lavia for a “long time” and new transfer chief Jorg Schmadtke is ready to “approach” Southampton with a “reasonable offer” should they miss out on Thuram and Kone. The St. Mary’s midfielder is “keen” to return to the top-flight and the south coast outfit “won’t stand in his way” of leaving should they receive a bid of approximately £40m. However, it’s worth noting that should the two preferred candidates join, the board “will not act on their interest” in Lavia.

Should FSG table a bid for Lavia?

Liverpool will know that Lavia is still very much in the early stages of his career being just 19 years of age, but he’s got so much potential and has already been dubbed a “diamond” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so FSG could test the waters to see if an agreement can be reached.

The Elite Project Group client, who’s sponsored by Adidas, is much stronger in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game, ranking in the 96th percentile for blocks and winning 35 tackles last season, which was the second-highest success rate in his squad, via FBRef.

Lavia, who has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in centre of the park, can occasionally contribute to efforts in the final third having recorded one goal and assist apiece in a truly torrid Saints side, so for a player that’s as well-rounded as he is, Klopp would be gaining an exciting midfielder for the future.

South Africa’s captain AB de Villiers has been ruled out of the home ODI series and away Test series against Australia because of a persistent elbow injury. He will have surgery early next week and will need eight to ten weeks of recovery time.”AB has failed to come through his fitness test this morning,” Mohammad Moosajee, SA team manager said. “Although the physio strapped his elbow while he was batting and he did have some relief with some shots, the elbow pain has not gone away completely.”When the initial injury was discovered, the issue was that he was having impingement with certain shots. With that in mind, we advocated a period of rest, he has seen the physiotherapist for treatment, he received some bio-kinetics and rehab, and also saw an elbow specialist for the infiltration of cortisone. In most cases, you get resolving of symptoms within six weeks. This did not take place, so we gave him an extra week to see if it would recover.

Updated ODI squad for Australia series

Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn

“This morning, he had a couple of throwdowns. The elbow was strapped and he had some symptom relief. He probably felt about 80% better than without the strapping. But knowing AB, the complete cricketer that he is, he wants to make sure none of his shots are restricted. With that in mind, we decided on surgery and to give him adequate time to recover so he doesn’t hamper his career going forward.”The recovery is anything between eight to ten weeks and we are hopeful he will recover for the Sri Lanka series in December.”De Villiers will sit out the five home ODIs – beginning on September 30 – and the three Tests in Australia in November, one of which will be South Africa’s maiden day-night fixture. He also missed the two Tests against New Zealand in August and the one-off ODI against Ireland because of the injury.AB de Villiers has not led South Africa in a Test since he was named captain•Getty Images

Moosajee clarified that de Villiers’ injury was not a tennis elbow, a condition that former cricketers Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar had suffered from during their careers. He said that the workload for top players was a concern and Cricket South Africa was looking into how to manage them better.”In any sportsman’s life, he is going to encounter some form of injury. There is no doubt that sometimes it’s overload or overuse,” Moosajee said. “But the load of cricket there is, is something CSA is looking at seriously.”Generally, our season is eight to nine months. Most of the guys go and play in the IPL as well. We need to make sure the guys are injury free, that they have no niggles before we release them, and we need to make sure we restrict them from playing in the other leagues if they are carrying a niggle, or if workload dictates that they need a rest.”Rilee Rossouw will remain with the ODI squad for the series against Australia, while Faf du Plessis is likely to lead the Test squad in Australia. “Faf has led the team, he will do the same in the ODI series against Australia,” Moosajee said. “And I have no doubt he will carry on for another series.”