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EspañolChelsea boss gives update on Cole Palmer fitness ahead of Aston Villa clash
Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Cole Palmer hasn’t suffered another groin injury and said the Chelsea midfielder is ‘absolutely fine’ to face Aston Villa.
Palmer was substituted during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday, with concerns that he has sustained another issue.
The 23-year-old has endured an injury-interrupted campaign, starting just 15 Premier League games due to toe and groin issues.
Chelsea take on Aston Villa in a clash with huge implications for the top-five race on Wednesday and Rosenior has confirmed Palmer is fit to feature. He also provided an update on Marc Cucurella, who is nearing a return to first-team action.
“It wasn’t that (another groin issue). He took a knock but he is absolutely fine,” Rosenior said on Palmer on Monday.
“He is looking really good and I think you can see the way we’ve managed him over the past six weeks. He played 83 minutes [against Arsenal], that was tactical. He is absolutely fine to start the game on Wednesday.
“Marc [Cucurella] is getting closer and looking really good. Hopefully we can get him back involved soon, if not for Wednesday then Saturday for sure.
“Estevao is back on the pitch and running which is great. Jamie Gittens is doing really well and it has been great to see Romeo Lavia get his first minutes in a long time as well. Reece [James] is also absolutely fine.”
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Report: Lions trading David Montgomery to Texans
Sonic and Knuckles will not play together in 2026.
The Detroit Lions are reportedly trading running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. In return, the Lions will get:
- Texans’ 4th-round pick
- OL Juice Scruggs
- Texans 7th-round pick
There was clearly some tension between Montgomery and the Lions after the 2025 season, in which Montgomery saw his usage decline with the rise of Jahmyr Gibbs. Just last week, Lions general manager Brad Holmes suggested that there were still 0ngoing talks between the Lions and Montgomery.
“Obviously, look, we love David. He’s a great player. We would love to have him. Kind of want to put last year in the rearview and just move forward. But a player has to want to be at a certain place as well, so those conversations are still fluid and we’re just kind of seeing how it goes,” Holmes said last week.
With the move, the Lions will clear up just north of $3.5 million in cap space, but now they have a significant need at the second running back position.
'Enough pampering': PCB to fine Pakistan players PKR 50 lakhs each after T20 World Cup exit?
Pakistan’s early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup has led to financial penalties for the players, with the PCB deciding to impose fines after the team failed to reach the semifinals.
Led by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan were knocked out at the Super 8 stage of the tournament. They could not restrict Sri Lanka below 147 in a chase of 213, which meant they were unable to move ahead of New Zealand on net run rate and missed out on a semifinal spot. It was the fourth straight ICC tournament in which Pakistan did not reach the last four.
Instead of announcing structural or administrative changes, the PCB has fined each player PKR 50 lakhs. According to a report in the Pakistan-based news outlet Express Tribune, the decision followed Pakistan’s exit from the tournament, though the move to impose fines was taken after their loss to India in the group stage match on February 15.
The report, quoting sources, said the board has adopted a strict stance on financial incentives and that future monetary benefits will depend on performance. The team played the entire tournament in Sri Lanka, where conditions were considered suitable for them.
"Officials have clearly told the players that enough pampering has been done — from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance," the report says.
There has been no official statement from the PCB on the matter.
Pakistan reached the Super 8 stage after beating Namibia in the group phase. Their first Super 8 match against New Zealand was washed out. A defeat to England then left their semifinal hopes dependent on other results. England’s win over New Zealand kept Pakistan in contention, but their narrow victory against Sri Lanka did not improve their net run rate enough. New Zealand progressed to the semifinals, ending Pakistan’s campaign.
Former captain Babar Azam, current skipper Salman Ali Agha, and senior players Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz have faced criticism. Agha is expected to step down as captain after returning home.