New Zealand have been boosted by the return of all-rounder Mitchell Santner for the Test series against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday.

Santner, 34, the Black Caps’ white-ball captain and key spinner, was initially ruled out of the first Test by a shoulder injury suffered last month in the Indian Premier League.

New Zealand had hoped he would recover for the second or third Tests but he will now join the squad before the first Test next week.

All-rounder Dean Foxcroft, who received his first call-up as cover, will return home.

New Zealand beat Ireland by an innings and 79 runs in this week’s one-off Test in Stormont.

They already have a strong bowling line-up featuring seamers Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, Kyle Jamieson and Blair Tickner with Santner’s return a further boost.

He has taken 78 wickets in his 32 Tests and also made his one Test century against England in 2019.

New Zealand squad to play England: Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears (traveling reserve), Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain following his loan spell at Barcelona

Marcus Rashford has issued a clear message as his future at Manchester United remains unclear, with his loan spell at Barcelona about to come to an end.

Rashford spent the campaign on loan at the Camp Nou from United, having expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford last summer.

The England international enjoyed an impressive season at Barca, scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists across all competitions, with such form helping him earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.

However, Rashford’s future remains uncertain as the summer transfer window nears. The 28-year-old played the final game of his loan spell with Barcelona earlier this month, and it now remains to be seen where he will be playing his football next season.

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Barcelona have the option of signing Rashford on a permanent deal for £26million this summer, but are running out of time to activate that clause before it expires.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Rashford has posted a message on social media. The United loanee has posted a series of photos on Instagram to his 22.2 million followers of himself taking part in an individual training session, along with a three-word caption which read: “Keep it moving”.

It remains to be seen what Barcelona have planned for this summer when it comes to Rashford’s future, having already invested in signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.

Gordon officially became a Barcelona player on Friday, with the England international moving to the Camp Nou from St James’ Park in a deal reported to be worth €80million (£69.3m).

Barcelona’s decision to sign Gordon has created uncertainty about whether they will now look to bring Rashford back on a permanent basis, with both players typically operating in the same position on the pitch.

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There have also been reports that Barcelona are looking to sign Bernardo Silva on a free transfer, with the Portugal international leaving Manchester City this summer.

A report in Spanish publication Sport claimed that if Barcelona were to move for Silva, they would then choose not to pursue a permanent deal for Rashford this summer.

If that were to happen, it would leave United with a decision to make on Rashford’s future, which could include looking for another club to sign the forward or look to bring him back into the first-team squad under head coach Michael Carrick.

Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum gestures during Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals against Ginebra.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Rain or Shine guard Adrian Nocum had his best game of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals on Friday, but even his numbers weren’t enough to give the Elasto Painters a crucial 3-2 lead.

Instead, it was Barangay Ginebra which came out on top, 111-104, to move one win closer to a return trip to the PBA Finals.

The Gin Kings didn’t get there easily, though, especially since Nocum waxed hot from the field.

The Rain or Shine rising star is hoping to do that again in Game 6.

“Coach (Yeng Guiao) told us that if you face Ginebra thrice, you’ll know how they play,” Nocum told the Inquirer in Filipino.

READ: PBA: Tempers flare anew in Ginebra-Rain or Shine Game 5 clash

“We just need to be smarter so we can get past the semifinals. We have to work on our things and watch out for our mistakes. We fell short. We just have to see where we lacked and made mistakes so that when Sunday comes, we’ll fix our mistakes.”

Nocum paced Rain or Shine on offense with 25 points, while import Jaylen Johnson finished with a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds.

The Elasto Painters look to stay alive and force a deciding Game 7 on Sunday at Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

“We really have to watch what we have to adjust. We have to be smarter. Coach told us, whoever’s smarter will advance. We just need to stick together.”

“It’s on us if we want to win and no one else.”

A very fun and surprisingly competitive Chicago White Sox season continued Friday night with a come-from-behind win over the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field (CWS 4, DET 3 in 10 innings). In his fifth MLB game, rookie Rikuu Nishida squeeze-bunted in the tying run in the ninth thanks to a throwing error from first baseman Spencer Torkelson. An inning later, Miguel Vargas hit a walk-off homer.

“First in my career, in my life,” Vargas said about the walk-off homer (via MLB.com). “… I tried to drive in the runner and put the team in position to where we can win the game. I got lucky. I got the right pitch and put a good swing on it, and we got good results.”

It was not all good news for Chicago, however. Star slugger Munetaka Murakami exited the game with what the White Sox called right hamstring tightness after running hard to beat out a double play ball in the third inning. On Saturday, manager Will Venable announced Murakami has a Grade 2 hamstring strain and will miss 4-6 weeks. He has been placed on the 10-day injured list.

“Looks like a little hamstring strain on the initial evaluation,” Venable said after Friday’s game (via MLB.com). “He’ll get some imaging tomorrow, but probably a couple weeks. Nothing official, got to continue the evaluation, but it might be a couple weeks.”

Murakami went 0 for 2 in Friday’s game and is hitting a stout .240/.378/.560 with an AL-leading 20 home runs this season. Only Kyle Schwarber (22) has gone deep more times. Murakami has 20 homers in 246 plate appearances and the rest of Chicago’s left-handed batters have 24 homers in 987 plate appearances. His injury will leave a big lefty power void in the lineup.

The White Sox summoned infield prospect Jacob Gonzalez to replace Murakami, the team announced. Gonzalez, the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft, is hitting .317/.419/.668 with 19 home runs in 52 Triple-A games this year. It is by far his best season. Gonzalez entered 2026 as a career .232/.310/.335 hitter with 17 home runs in 298 minor-league games.

Baseball America ranked Gonzalez as the No. 23 prospect in Chicago’s system in their May update, noting he “projects as a backup infielder with versatility to handle multiple spots.” Murakami’s production makes him close to irreplaceable, and the step down to Gonzalez could be enormous unless Gonzalez’s Triple-A breakout is for real.

MLB two-month grades for every AL team: Way more F’s than A’s to go around

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Friday’s win improved the White Sox to 30-27. It is the latest into the season they’ve had a winning record since being 81-80 on the second-to-last day in 2023. Chicago sits in the second AL wild card spot and has a three-game lead on a postseason berth. They’re three games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

Vargas, Sam Antonacci, Chase Meidroth, and Colson Montgomery give the White Sox a strong offensive foundation both this year and long-term. There’s no doubt, though, that losing Murakami for 4-6 weeks is a devastating blow to the team’s postseason hopes. Few players are as important to their team as he is.

Chicago signed Murakami, 26, to a two-year, $34 million contract in December. He hit .270/.394/.550 with 265 home runs in parts of eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows in Japan. That includes 56 homers in 2022, the record for a Japanese-born player.

Made from 298 LEGO pieces, the FIFA World Cup set is perfect for fans of all nations

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is just weeks away from kicking off, with football fans all over the world gearing up to cheer on their nation’s team. While the World Cup begins on June 11, starting with a kick-off between Mexico and South Africa, those who can’t wait can get in the spirit early by creating their own Lego memorabilia.

Better yet, shoppers can save close to £18 in the process due to a special deal. Argos is offering the LEGO Editions FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Emblem for £20, giving kids and adults alike the opportunity to recreate their own FIFA World Cup symbol.

However, a deal from TopCashback for customers who are new to the cashback platform and new shoppers at Argos will allow some to grab the LEGO set for £2.84. Meanwhile, those who are new to TopCashback but existing customers can still grab the set for only slightly more at £2.85 after cashback.

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The LEGO Editions FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Emblem provides the perfect opportunity for anyone aged 10 and over to put together their own FIFA World Cup merch that they can proudly display across their house in time for the world tournament. The set, which is made of 298 LEGO pieces, features a base formed of colourful 26 digits.

This is paired with a semi-3D version of the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy alongside a FIFA-branded tile. Once finished, the model kit can either be placed freestanding across the house or hung up on a bedroom or living room wall for decoration.

If you would prefer to get a building set celebrating a local team, you could also opt for the FOCO Officially Licensed BRXLZ Bricks Football Construction set, which is available on Amazon from £27. This building set allows you to make your own 3D football complete with branding from various clubs of your choice, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic, Paris Saint-Germain, and more.

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If you want something more cheerful, you could opt for the PUPULU Teddy Football Bear Building Blocks Set, which is available on Amazon for £29.99. This building block set consists of 4,500 micro building blocks and allows you to build a teddy bear mascot in football gear and holding a trophy.

Those who have already purchased the LEGO Editions FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Emblem set hailed it as a great-looking set, with one customer on Argos writing: “I am so excited to be able to gift my son some of the 2026 World cup memorabilia in the form of Lego, 2 of his favourite things combined. Wonderful collection.”

Another added: “Great little build I really enjoyed it the colours just pop.” A third said: “Bought as a gift but looks great!” A fourth shopper on the LEGO site added: “With FIFA just about to begin this is such a great set to get kids engaged and have the rhythm started for the games.

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“This set is perfect for kids to build and play easily. It’s easy to assemble with clear instructions. I really love the bright colors and so nice resemblance.”

A fifth said: “My uncle- who an adult loved this Lego set because he’s a huge World Cup fan. The pieces were easy to assemble, and it’s incredible because it doubles as a decorative piece. True artistry.”

A sixth added: “This Lego FIFA set has been so fun and easy to put together with my son. The directions are step-by-step and so easy to follow.. We got this done together in a half an hour. It was so cool to see how the steps fit together like a puzzle to create the FIFA World Cup.. It looks very realistic! He was so proud of himself and excited to show everyone and display it for all to see. If you’re a soccer fan or even a LEGO fan, this is a must have to add to your collection.”

However, another customer wrote: “Amazing build I think the colour should be all black like the World Cup logo there was a missing part but Lego sorted.” A second added: “Well i ordered 2 and it did not warn me that only 1 was in stock. Frustrating as they are gifts for people abroad. Hoping the other comes in on Wednesday as stated before my flight on Thursday.”

How to get the LEGO FIFA World Cup 2026 Emblem set for £2.84 at Argos via TopCashback

• Sign up as a new member at TopCashback for free via this link.
• Search for Argos on the site, click through and buy the item normally.
• Get £15 cashback when you spend £15 or more on an item.
• The cashback will track to the TopCashback ‘Earnings page’ within seven days of purchase.