Welcome to 2020! Missed any of the action around Europe this weekend? Have no fear: Gab Marcotti is here to catch you up with all the talking points in the latest Monday Musings.

Jump to: Another wake-up call for Barca | Everton humiliated | Balotelli abused again | Fede Valverde the key for Real | Solskjaer shows spine | Roma's luck runs out | Son must seize chance for Spurs | Atleti still work in progress | Cup magic in France

Alarm bells should be ringing at Barcelona

Barcelona's 2-2 away draw to Espanyol ought to be the umpteenth wake-up call for Ernesto Valverde. It's not just the fact that they failed to beat a team that are dead last in the table and have not won at home in La Liga since last season. It's the listlessness of their play, the way they only come to life for brief moments and only down to individual quality rather than sustained buildup.

Usually, it's Lionel Messi; on Saturday it was mostly Luis Suarez and, after coming on, Arturo Vidal. The fact that the Chilean midfielder has started just four league matches all season and still has managed to score more than the rest of the midfielders combined is one of those Camp Nou mysteries. Yes, he's streaky and at times undisciplined, yet even the latter is overblown to the point that you wonder if a different haircut might lead Valverde to view him differently: His disciplinary record this season is better than that of Frenkie de Jong (who was sent off on Saturday) or Sergio Busquets.

But it's not as if Valverde is keeping Vidal out of the side because he's got Xavi and Andres Iniesta running the show. He has de Jong, who is still a work in progress, and Ivan Rakitic, whose limitations are evident. With Arthur sidelined since early December, Carles Alena now on loan at Real Betis, and Busquets not getting any more mobile, you'd think Vidal might squeeze onto the pitch a little more often, particularly because (and this is the real issue) Barca simply create very little. They have scored 46 open-play goals off of an open-play xG of 28.98. Expected goals only tell part of the story, of course, and superstars like Messi tend to outperform xG, but that's still an enormous gap of the sort you expect to regress over the season.

- Barca ratings: De Jong 4/10 in woeful team effort

Vidal remains the subject of transfer rumours, too, which is doubly disconcerting. Unless they're planning to bring somebody in this January (and, if so, they're keeping it uncharacteristically quiet), you simply don't have enough bodies to let him go. It's easy to take potshots at Valverde, but it feels increasingly as if he's bringing it upon himself. And while the focus remains on defensive issues and how Antoine Griezmann hasn't yet lived up to his billing (or his price tag), the main issue is a midfield that simply doesn't create enough for the front three. Well, along with Barcelona's recent addiction that is only deepening: Messi-dependency.

Cup humiliation for Everton

The FA Cup is chock-full of upsets, especially in the third round: That's a big part of the appeal and mythology of the competition. We've had lower-league and non-league sides upsetting higher-ranked opposition and it has been great. But what to make of Liverpool's 1-0 win over Everton?

Whoever those guys in red were, they're not the European champions -- not as we know them, anyway. A total of zero players who started for Liverpool also started the Champions League final. Adrian had the most league starts (eight) in Sunday's lineup, but that's only because he's the reserve keeper and Alisson was injured earlier this year. James Milner is next up in terms of playing time this season, but his game lasted all of eight minutes before an injury, which leaves Joe Gomez, Adam Lallana and Divock Origi as the most established outfield players. The rest had a grand total of 16 Premier League minutes under their belts this season.

- Ogden: Merseyside derby as lop-sided as ever before
- Liverpool ratings: Jones 8/10 in dream performance

That's who defeated Everton. A bunch of kids, a couple second-stringers and Takumi Minamino, who was making his club debut. If you want to play the wage-bill game, it's probably safe to say Liverpool's XI after Milner went off earned perhaps a tenth as much as their opponents.

For Everton, that's what you call a psychological blow, the kind that, if not addressed immediately, requires serious therapy. They had started well, created three decent chances and then simply melted away in the second half, like snowflakes on the hood of a warm car. It's now up to Ancelotti to sort it out and, as I've written before, this will be an entirely new challenge.

Mark Ogden on the Gab + Juls podcast suggested that Klopp's decision to play the kids was consistent with his attitude on the FA Cup, meaning he's got bigger fish to fry. They have a huge lead in the Premier League, but can still go undefeated (and break the 100-point barrier), and are chasing a repeat in the Champions League. Something's got to give and maybe he wouldn't have minded going out in the FA Cup.

But this is even better. He can send the kids out again in the next round, arguing that they earned the right to do so and nobody will bat an eyelid. Or, if the domestic lead remains this big by next month, he can rest guys in the Premier League to keep them fresh for Europe and the FA Cup. The world is his oyster right now.

A final thought for Curtis Jones, whose stunning, curling strike (the finish itself reminded me of this Alessandro Del Piero goal...) gave Liverpool the win. I had never heard the guy speak, but I was struck by his confidence and the fact that postgame he talked about wanting more playing time. It's not what you often hear from an 18-year-old.

It can mean one of two things. Either he's a deluded big-head who had best learn some humility in double-quick time. Or he's cocky in a good way, confident in his ability and willing to do what it takes to give Klopp a selection dilemma.

Racism the topic again in Serie A

Lazio's 2-1 win away to Brescia ought to be all about Ciro Immobile's prodigious goal scoring -- he's up to 19 for the season -- and whether they can turn Serie A into a three-way title dance. Instead, it was overshadowed by the racist abuse directed at Mario Balotelli by a portion of the Lazio support.

It was encouraging that the referee immediately stopped the game in accordance with the Serie A protocol, making it clear that if it did not cease immediately, the match would be abandoned. But now you need follow-up.

Lazio condemned the abuse, but that can only be a starting point. It would be helpful if they took steps to help identify those responsible. Relations between the club and the main Ultras groups are awful and have been for a long time, which is why Lazio president Claudio Lotito travels with bodyguards, but the fact that it was a minority and not a coordinated action by the Ultras could work to their advantage. Lazio's Ultras have no interest in having their stand shut down or being banned from away travel. It needs to be made clear to them that they either cooperate or they'll be watching on TV.

As for Balotelli, kudos for the goal, kudos for speaking out (not everybody is comfortable enough to do so, which means it's important that those who are, do) and kudos for taking the message to social media. The issue is now quickly becoming more about those who run the game than those who racially abuse, and that's not a bad thing if you want lasting change.

Fede Valverde the key for Real Madrid

It took Real Madrid a while -- and some big Thibaut Courtois saves -- to get the better of Getafe on their way to a 3-0 win that was less comfortable than the scoreline suggests. It's simply further evidence that this is a work in progress, though there are two elements that augur well.

- Real ratings: Varane 9/10 in impressive win

One is that Federico Valverde is arguably Real Madrid's most important midfielder. His absence was certainly felt in terms of keeping the ball and recirculating it. Not coincidentally, Madrid looked a lot better after he came on, and the good news is that he's still just 21.

The other is that for all the difficulties Real's front men encountered on Planet Bordalas, it's worth reminding ourselves that they're still without their record summer signing. In other words, they're nowhere near their ceiling and if Zidane can get Eden Hazard back, with Valverde running the middle of the park, business will pick up very quickly.

Solskjaer shows spine in United's 0-0 draw

That stat about how Manchester United failed to register a single shot on target against Wolves in Sunday's FA Cup third-round 0-0 draw -- the last time that happened was five years and two managers ago -- is somewhat overblown. Marcus Rashford did hit the crossbar and as chances go, it's a better indicator than some tame long-range effort that is easily collected by the keeper. Yet it doesn't mean that there's much to cheer in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer household. Nemanja Matic showed why he probably shouldn't be starting three games in seven days (and arguably shouldn't be starting at all), Tahith Chong showed he's still green and Juan Mata showed that without the right pieces around him, he can only do so much.

- Dawson: Replay stretches tired United even further
- Man United ratings: Romero to the rescue

Where does it leave Solskjaer? Those who see him as too much of a "nice guy" will be encouraged by his spat with Robin Van Persie. After the Dutchman criticised him for "smiling too much" after the Arsenal game, he said: "I don't know Robin and Robin doesn't know me. He probably doesn't have the right to criticise my management style and I won't change."

Bickering with Van Persie is largely irrelevant to United's fortunes but for the record, he has every right to criticize Solskjaer's management style, as does anyone. And no, it doesn't matter if he "knows" Solskjaer or if Solskjaer knows him.

That said, Solskjaer is right when it comes to management styles. You have to be true to yourself. Some use a stick, some use a carrot. Some rant and rave, some smile away, at least in public. How Solskjaer presents himself to the outside world is nearly entirely irrelevant to United's plight right now.

Luck goes against AS Roma

When you go unbeaten for nine games, grabbing 22 of a possible 29 points and flying up the table into fourth place, expectations tend to rise. So it's not surprising that Roma's 2-0 defeat at home to Torino was a bit of a body blow.

It really shouldn't be. Luck and moments of brilliance sometimes go against you. Roma created plenty of chances, went a goal down to a wonder goal from Andrea Belotti and then conceded again following one of those handball decisions that continue to flummox observers.

The ball hits Chris Smalling's arm when it is directly alongside his body, which suggest it shouldn't be a handball. But his instinctive reaction as the ball hits him is for his arm to shoot out to his side and that carries the ball away from him. Simply put, you can't do that. This is where, as I see it, a bit more discretion for referees wouldn't be a bad thing. Unless you believe Smalling is so sneaky and devious that he faked it all to get the ball to safety, there's no way this handball is intentional.

Spurs need the most out of Son

Win if you can or lose if you must, but whatever happens, you have to avoid a replay. I'd imagine that was Jose Mourinho's thinking away to Middlesbrough. He put out a strong lineup -- the injured Harry Kane was one of the few notable omissions -- but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. That means replay, and with an already congested fixture list and a number of players in the "red zone" physically, he needs it like a hole in the head.

While Kane is out, the focus has to be on ensuring Son gets the right service up front. He has played that position before but will inevitably interpret it differently than Kane. Some players thrive when given more responsibility. Others wilt. Time for Son to Carpe Diem.

Atletico still a work in progress

Atletico Madrid's 2-1 win over Levante was more laboured than it should have been and, again, required some Jan Oblak heroics to secure the three points. The conventional wisdom is that Diego Simeone needs another striker and the Edinson Cavani rumour mill continues unabated, but frankly, I'm unconvinced. With Angel Correa, Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata (plus Diego Costa, who should return as early as next month) you should have enough fire power.

What they need right now is for someone to take Thomas Lemar off their hands (to free up capital) and time for the aforementioned trio to build further chemistry.

And finally... cup magic in France

The best piece of cup magic came not from the FA Cup this past weekend, but rather from across the channel in France. Saint Pierroise, a team from Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, upset second-division Niort to reach the last 32 of the competition.

It's one of the quirks of the French Cup to include teams from the country's overseas territories and the islanders made a 6,000-mile round trip. They are only the second club from an overseas territory to make it this far. I just hope they get drawn against Marseille at home in the next round. Not only would it be a homecoming for Dimitri Payet, who used to play for them, but it might be a big enough story to persuade my boss to send me over there to get some winter sun.

Dean Elgar, South Africa's opening batsman, remains adamant that he did not hit the ball that led to his dismissal on the fourth evening in Cape Town, a moment that could yet prove to be pivotal in his side's bid to defend their 1-0 series lead.

Elgar, who admitted to a first-innings "brain-fart" after falling to Dom Bess when well set on the second afternoon, had been resolute in his defence second-time around, as he and Pieter Malan compiled a first-innings partnership of 71, South Africa's first fifty-plus opening stand since they played Pakistan, also at Cape Town, last January.

However, on 34, Elgar pushed forward with hard hands to the legspin of Joe Denly, who had been troubling him with big turn out of the left-hander's rough. Umpire Paul Reiffel responded to England's appeal for caught-behind, though not before a long pause for thought, and though Elgar instantly reviewed, the decision was upheld when a thin spike was detected on Ultra-Edge.

It was a contentious moment - the murmur on Ultra-Edge might have been small enough to discount had the on-field decision not already been given - and speaking to Sky Sports shortly after the close, Elgar maintained that he and his team had been hard done by.

"No," he said, when asked directly whether he had hit the ball. "I wouldn't waste the referral, knowing that I've nicked it. I don't play cricket like that. I'd like to see myself as someone who will take the outs when they are definitely out, and like I said, I wouldn't waste it on this.

"It's a little bit of an emotional time when those kind of things happen, but obviously having simmered down and watched the footage, I can still say right now I didn't hit it."

Asked whether he trusted the technology that reached the decision in England's favour, Elgar added: "I'm going to reserve my comments because I don't want to get into trouble via the ICC, but as a player, I can say that I'm very confident that I didn't hit it.

"It is what it is, and it's what creates the theatre of Test cricket, I guess," he said. "Sometimes you have those things go your way and sometimes you don't, and unfortunately today, when I was feeling a million dollars, it didn't work out for us, but saying that, we've still got guys in the shed."

One of those is Elgar's new opening partner, Malan - a player making his debut after a finger injury curtailed Aiden Markram's series. He reached the close on 63 not out, after a doughty start to an innings that has now spanned more than three hours.

"It's awesome to see him performing," said Elgar. "I know he's spent a lot of time on the sidelines - not playing for South Africa A, and maybe not cracking into the Test side. It's been hard work for him but I know he's putting a lot of hard yards in and it's awesome to see him perform like he did today."

As for the match situation, Elgar said that South Africa would be taking the final day of their rearguard "ball by ball", when they resume 312 runs adrift with eight wickets standing.

"I think we've about 540 balls and we're going to try and break it up per the batsman," he said. "We just need maybe two or three guys to come in and really grind it out. We've got batters in the shed that can do it and the wicket's playing quite nicely. The biggest thing you've got to do is start well on this wicket and once you back your defence. I think you can negate most things."

Jacques Kallis, South Africa's batting consultant, also recognised Elgar's dismissal as a potentially crucial moment in the contest.

"He was disappointed but that's the rub of the green. He thought he was a little bit unlucky," Kallis said.

When asked whether Elgar was disappointed because he thought he hadn't hit the ball or because the edge had been found, Kallis said: "If I tell the truth, I might get into trouble. Or I might get a fine."

Until all is said and done on Tuesday, whatever it is that may be said and done, it's difficult to say anything definitive about this South African batting performance. They might go on to score more than 300 for only the fifth time in 18 innings since January 2018, or they might not. They might have their first centurion of the new decade, or they might not. They might, and it is a very small might, bat out the day for a memorable draw, or they might collapse.

Whatever happens, they have already given themselves plenty to think about, a little to be a pleased out and a problem they won't mind having from their performance on the fourth afternoon.

With 71, Pieter Malan and Dean Elgar gave South Africa their second-highest opening stand in the last two years after Elgar and Aiden Markram put on 85 against India in Centurion. Malan and Zubayr Hamza then gave the team a second-wicket partnership of 52, providing top-order stability that has been a stranger to the South African line-up over the past year.

In India, five of South Africa's six innings started badly: 63 for 4, 70 for 8, 53 for 5, 16 for 3 and 36 for 5. At SuperSport Park, they were 32 for 2 and 29 for 3, so 126 for 2 is a much better position than South Africa have become used to and they have Malan to thank for that.

ALSO READ: 'I wouldn't waste a referral like this' - Elgar

From the first over, Malan made it clear that he knew exactly where his off-stump is. He left extravagantly, shuffling across, shouldering arms and jutting out a hip almost every time. But he also defended confidently, came down the wicket to dead-bat James Anderson and was not rattled when he was forced back to shorter balls from Stuart Broad. He used his feet well against the spin of Joe Denly and Dom Bess and weathered the late storm served up by Ben Stokes.

Malan fronted up to a nasty end to the day, when Stokes bent his back, turned up the pace and aimed for the body. The result was Malan being hit on the chest. No matter. He reached his first Test fifty in the next over, off 144 balls, with only two boundaries. Temperament, more than anything else, was what stood out about Malan.

"The fight that he has shown today - he knows his game pretty well. He played the situation perfectly this afternoon," Jacques Kallis, South Africa's batting consultant, said. "He knows how to switch on and switch off. He is very organised and I was very impressed with the mental capabilities that he has got."

Kallis' endorsement will go a long way to ensuring Malan has a decent run in the XI, something that seemed a distant possibility a week ago. Malan would not have played if Markram hadn't fractured a finger while fielding at Centurion, but there's an argument to be made that that should not have been the case. Like most of the South African line-up, he had a tough tour of India, with 44 runs in four innings, including a pair in Pune. Unlike Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma, Markram did not pay the price for his poor form.

The three half-centuries he scored in early 2019 (one against Sri Lanka and two against Pakistan) saved him, but if Markram had been benched too, he couldn't really complain. His latest injury has forced him to spend some time thinking about his approach, which, as was apparent at SuperSport, is positive but sometimes too risky.

It also provided an opportunity for a more experienced first-class opener to make the step up, and Malan, on his home ground, has shown the value of his years. He has already done an impressive enough job to merit a place for the rest of this series, and perhaps even the winter tour to West Indies. Markram may have to work his way back in, through the domestic structures, and that's no bad thing. Bavuma and de Bruyn are currently doing that and if Malan is anything to go by, they will return better players.

That's something for South Africa to think about in the months to come. On Tuesday, their only concern is to get through each ball. Not the runs, not the series situation, not the record that could be within reach. Just the next ball. "We're going to face as many balls as we can and have a look at tea," Kallis said.

If they get there. Though batting on days three and four in cool, cloudy conditions was significantly easier than on days one and two in bright sunshine, that could change. Usually overhead cover assists the seamers but here the clouds kept the full-strength summer sun from opening up the cracks, specifically the one outside the right-handers' offstump at the Kelvin Grove End. With warmer weather forecast for the final day and a second new ball due just before lunch, the smart money will be on the contest ending in England's favour at some point in the afternoon.

Even Kallis seemed to agree as he called it a "tough ask," to chase down the target of 438, from which South Africa are still 312 runs adrift. But he wouldn't be a professional sportsman if he didn't also think it could be done. It was Kallis who, after Australia hit 434 against South Africa in that ODI at the Wanderers, joked that the opposition were 10 runs short and the bowlers had done their job. If he offered anything similar here, it hasn't been made public yet but what he did say is, at the very least, there is a chance for someone to make a name for themselves and the rest to see how it's done.

"It's an opportunity for guys to put their hands up and become heroes," Kallis said. "It's in situations like this where you see what guys are made of and how good they are and how far we can go. No matter what happens, the team will learn a lot from this game and that's exciting, especially with this young batting line-up that we've got."

The Foreshore Freeway Bridge was designed to cut through the centre of Cape Town, linking the eastern and western suburbs of the city.

But in 1977 construction work stopped. The bridge was never completed and instead of joining the roads, it ends in a couple of precipices; a real road to nowhere, complete with tarmac and traffic markings, hanging eerily over the city. It's used regularly in film sets. There are various explanations for the unfinished bridge. The most likely is that the city simply ran out of money. But another, perhaps apocryphal, suggests that a ferociously stubborn business owner simply refused to sell-out to the developers and halted building work for so long the project eventually became unsustainable.

It is this explanation that might appeal to Dom Sibley. For he is that business owner, refusing to budge, refusing to acknowledge the demands of time or fashion, insisting - despite the world telling him that all young batsmen are T20 specialists - he has the patience and desire to grind out the sort of contribution that might have Chris Tavare nodding his head in appreciation. Sibley's hundred was achieved in the 93rd over of England's innings and, by the time he was done - both chanceless and unbeaten - he had faced 247 dot balls. In all, the marathon affair lasted nearly 500 minutes and occupied 311 deliveries.

ALSO READ: 'I wouldn't waste a referral like this' - Elgar

This is probably exactly what England need. For as their second innings progressed, the benefits of Sibley's foundation work were plain to see. First Joe Root (who came to the crease in the 44th over) and then Ben Stokes (who came to the crease in the 80th) were able to settle against a tiring attack and safe in the knowledge that much of the hard work had been done. We must just have been given an outline template of the new England; an opening partnership of Sibley and Rory Burns just might see England into the next Ashes and beyond. They could, at last, be the replacement for Cook and Strauss for which England have searched for so long.

Certainly that's the view of Sibley's sometime batting coach, Gary Palmer. And while you might expect him to speak warmly of his client, it does have to be acknowledged that Palmer also played a role in the late-career rehabilitation of Cook. He's seen successful opening batsmen before; he knows what it takes.

"I thought he gave a masterclass on opening the batting in a Test," Palmer told ESPNcricinfo. "He is very patient and disciplined in his shot selection and has all the qualities to become a top international opening batter. There's no reason he can't have a long successful Test career."

Sibley admits he did not quite do himself justice in New Zealand. Caught in the media spotlight, he concedes that talk of his technique - and the army of former players who rubbished it - may have unsettled him a little. So instead of simply leaving ball after ball, over after over, and forcing the bowlers to adjust and come to him, he found himself chasing deliveries he would normally have left. 'Poor technique' was the cry from the commentary boxes, but it may have been a case of nerves more than anything. Even on Sunday night, he admits he was too nervous to sleep. At 2am he stopped trying and turned on the TV.

"You're never quite prepared for the spotlight you're going to be under," Sibley says now. "When you start playing for England, there are people writing about you and picking apart your technique and it's tough to avoid.

"In New Zealand I probably put myself under a lot of pressure to get that big score. You want to prove to yourself you're good enough for this level.

"But on this trip it was a case of taking the pressure off myself and playing the way I did last summer for Warwickshire. I just tried not to worry too much about what anyone else was saying. And while I didn't get runs in the first Test, I felt I spent some time at the crease and got myself in. I haven't changed anything; I've just worked hard on doing what worked well last summer."

The reason Sibley can work in this England side is that the middle-order - Root, Stokes, Jos Buttler, Ollie Pope et al - is currently stuffed with stroke-making batsmen. So however much time he occupies - while Tests remain five days, anyway - his teammates can make up later. But there will also be times, as there were here, when they are reliant upon him (and Burns, for whom many of the same things could be said) for seeing the shine off the ball and putting miles in the bowlers' legs. It's a template that can work and did here.

The other benefit of Stokes' aggression - and for a while it seemed he may match his deeds of 2016 - was that it took all pressure off Sibley. For while Stokes was thrashing the bowling to all parts - he added 72 of the 92 the pair put on - Sibley was able to play his way.

"Stokes took the pressure off me," Sibley says. "It made it easy for me to go at my tempo. He kept saying 'play at your own tempo; don't change what you've been doing.' That meant I could just go about it in my own way."

But as Sibley's innings progressed - and, notably, before he completed his century - he demonstrated a wider range of strokes than has been apparent in his international career to date. Out came the sweeps - reverse, conventional and slog - suggesting that he is not so much a limited player, but one who plays within himself with a view to taking the minimum amount of risk possible. At one stage, one of his slog-sweeps carried well over mid-wicket for six. "Ahh, no," the watching Jonathan Trott said with a wry smile. "Now even he's hit more sixes than me."

Trott, incidentally, has also spent many hours coaching Sibley and was so delighted to see his former teammate make a hundred that he recorded the moment for posterity on his phone. "I'd have given my double-century against Sri Lanka for him to do this," he said.

It was another sweep, this one out of the foot holes outside his leg stump, that brought up the boundary that registered Sibley's first Test century.

"I didn't want to play the sweep when they had the field back," he explained, "because if I top-edged I thought I could be caught. But they brought the field up when I was on 99 and I figured that even if I did top-edge it, it would fall safe. I thought 'fortune favours the bold' and luckily it did."

And the feeling?

"Even better than I dreamed," he says with the broad smile of a man who has achieved a lifetime ambition. "That moment when I saw the ball go for four, that's what I've been working towards since I was 13 or 14. Stokesy told me to stop and take it in; enjoy it for a second. It already seems like a bit of a blur now, but it was a great moment. Hopefully there will be more to come over the next few years." There's no reason why there shouldn't be.

So, that technique. After all the criticism of recent weeks, it's probably worth delving a little deeper into what Sibley - and Cook before him - do when they work with Palmer. The key would seem to be opening the stance a little to ensure the front foot does not impede the flow of the bat and enabling, Palmer says, batsmen to play straighter. He then grooves that technique with notoriously long sessions - hundreds or even thousands of balls at a time - against bowling machines placed at four different angles (basically from both over and round the wicket) to ensure that 'muscle memory' is ingrained. When it's combined with the patience and judgement to leave outside off stump as well as Sibley and Cook have shown, it clearly works. Indeed, it works so well, you wonder why Palmer isn't used in a more formal capacity by the ECB.

"I'm not worried about that," Palmer says. "I'm just pleased for Dom, who has put in a lot of work and deserves this success. I honestly believe he can be the rock England have required for some time."

Whether that story about the bridge is true or not, you can imagine Sibley admiring the determination of the businessman.

January 7: India v Sri Lanka - 2nd T20I in Indore

Our XI: Kusal Perera, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Isuru Udana, Dasun Shanaka, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini

NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about a late injury (or other relevant) updates.

Captain: Virat Kohli

With no Rohit Sharma in the squad, Kohli is expected to take some added responsibility when he comes in to bat. That could mean more runs, and in case India are chasing - which they should if they win the toss - then Kohli is your man to lead.

Vice-captain: Kusal Perera

The opening batsman has the opportunity to bat the most number of balls for Sri Lanka. He has the most runs among his Sri Lanka team-mates and is a wicketkeeper too; has a strike rate upwards of 135 in T20Is.

Hot picks

KL Rahul

You can see the trend. Stock up on batsmen because Indore's surface is one of the best in the country for scoring runs. The bounce and pace will be true, and Rahul - facing the new ball - will bat when the conditions are the best.

Jasprit Bumrah

Fresh after recovering from an injury, Bumrah will lead the India bowling attack against a fairly inexperienced Sri Lankan batting unit. He will bowl with the new ball, and then again at the death - both prime phases to collect wickets.

Dasun Shanaka

Over the last year, Shanaka has travelled around the world playing franchise cricket, even captaining a Bangladesh Premier League side in December. A partnership-breaker with the ball, he can hit big too.

Value picks

Isuru Udana: Playing against his future IPL captain, there'll be some extra motivation for Udana to impress this series. His variations at the death can get the better of batsman trying to go for the big shots while he can clear the boundary with ease while batting.

Avishka Fernando: Pleasing on the eye and, when he starts to play his strokes, there are few who look as ravishing as Fernando. Bats at the top of the order and enters the match with 72, 48 and 26 in his last three T20s.

Point to note

Not only is the Indore pitch one of the best in India for batting, it is also the smallest international ground - in dimensions - in the country. That means we could expect a run fest. Also, since the first T20I was washed out, expect both sides to field the same XIs as the Guwahati match.

Jorge Masvidal would rather take a big-money fight against Conor McGregor in his next bout than get a title shot against welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.

"I know my management without a doubt would say, and I would also say, the Conor fight," Masvidal said on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on Monday. "We'll go get the money, because the Conor fight is not always going to be there. [Usman] is always going to be there. Somebody is always going to have that belt."

McGregor returns to the Octagon on Jan. 18 to take on Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas, and Masvidal said there's a better-than-90% chance he'll be there.

"Yeah, why not, if he's a future opponent, why not study him in a live format, see little things that maybe on the camera are not apparent," Masvidal said. "There's different things I can definitely pick up in the real world."

Masvidal had a breakthrough 2019, his 16th year in MMA, and he plans on parlaying that into the most lucrative fights he can find in 2020.

"[McGregor] is a two-time division champion, he has an impressive record and he comes to fight, so in that aspect, yes [I want that fight]," Masvidal said. "And we're both going to sell out wherever we fight and there's going to be violence. But if the dude doesn't want to fight, I'm not a bully, so go do your thing. If he doesn't want this, I don't give a f--- then. You want to fight, you don't want to fight, but don't flirt with me. You want it or you don't. Leave me alone if you don't."

McGregor told TheMacLife.com recently that he would fight Masvidal, but that's not the only reason he's fighting Cerrone at the welterweight limit of 170. McGregor also talked about possibly going after Usman's belt.

"And he's talking about he wants the title fight with Usman, no, at [170]? I'm the way," Masvidal said. "I decide when Usman will fight, who he will fight, all of that. Everybody knows that. He might be the one with the f---ing belt, but I'm the one calling the shots."

But if the McGregor fight doesn't materialize, Masvidal would be more than happy to go after Usman's belt. He said he wants to show his peers that he's the best in the division.

Masvidal said as far as possibly fighting Nick Diaz, he's not sure of Diaz's status.

"I always wanted to fight Nick, but here's the thing, is Nick cleared from USADA, is he good on the UFC terms, all these things have to spin in motion," Masvidal said. "When they tell me all these things are right and he's ready to go, I'm ready to go. I'm here to fight."

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Wade Phillips will not return next season as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams.

Phillips signed a three-year contract with the Rams after Sean McVay was named coach in 2017. The 72-year-old coordinator said last month amid rumors he would not be retained that he wanted to continue coaching, something he reiterated Monday in confirming reports of his exit.

I have been informed by the Rams that my contract will not be renewed.
I want to thank them for the opportunity to be a part of their success the last 3years. Most of all I want to thank the players who I loved workings with. I still want to coach and feel I can contribute.

— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) January 6, 2020

Running backs coach Skip Peete, who was hired in 2016 by Jeff Fisher and then retained by McVay, also was let go, according to sources.

A season after winning the NFC championship and playing in Super Bowl LIII, the Rams were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 and finished 9-7.

The Rams' defense ranked 17th in points allowed, giving up an average of 22.6 points per game. While often stout, the unit also suffered several lapses, evident in Week 16 when the San Francisco 49ers converted twice on third-and-16 to kick a game-winning field goal that eliminated the Rams from postseason contention. In losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, the defense experienced a total meltdown, allowing more than 40 points in each game.

In mid-October, the Rams added cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Phillips' defense, which already included two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Because of Ramsey's addition, the secondary moved to playing more man coverage, which enabled the front to accumulate more quarterback sacks in its 3-4 scheme. The Rams' 50 sacks ranked fourth in the league.

However, Phillips' unit ultimately did not play with enough consistency.

McVay asked Phillips to become his defensive coordinator before he interviewed for the Rams' head-coaching position in 2017. Phillips, who knew McVay through his son, Wes Phillips, initially chuckled at the idea, given that McVay was 30 years old at the time. But when McVay was named the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, Phillips -- whose contract had not been renewed by the Denver Broncos following a head-coaching change -- did not hesitate to join him.

In their first season together, McVay and Phillips transformed a four-win team into an 11-5 division champion. The defense ranked 12th in the league, allowing 20.6 points per game.

The Rams' playoff berth that season marked the continuation of an impressive streak in Phillips' career. Since 1989, every team he has joined -- the Rams, the 2015 Broncos, 2011 Houston Texans, 2007 Cowboys, 2004 San Diego Chargers, 2002 Atlanta Falcons, 1995 Buffalo Bills and 1989 Broncos -- made the playoffs in his first season there.

Last season, as the Rams' offense outpaced opponents, the defense (which allowed 24 points per game, ranking 20th) made several late-game stops that contributed to a 6-1 record in one-score games and helped the team to a 13-win season, a second consecutive division title and the NFC championship before a loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

Phillips began coaching in the NFL in 1976, serving as linebackers coach of the Houston Oilers, where he was hired by his father, legendary coach Bum Phillips.

He served as the defensive coordinator of the 2015 Broncos, who won Super Bowl 50.

Phillips has coached 20 Hall of Famers and has had 101 players, including 35 on defense, selected to the Pro Bowl, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a projected top-10 pick who missed the Crimson Tide's final three games while recovering from hip surgery, will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

The former Heisman Trophy runner-up made the announcement during a news conference on Monday at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility on campus, calling it a "difficult decision" he made after consulting with his parents, pastors, doctors and coaches.

Tagovailoa, who did not use crutches, as he had in recent weeks, said he met with Alabama coach Nick Saban five times in the past week and had conversations with multiple NFL executives.

"It's a unique situation," he said. "With my hip, a lot of the guys and general managers and owners that I've gotten to talk to have said the same thing. They kind of look at this injury as a knee injury almost, even though it's not, in a way that, 'Are we going to take a chance on this guy or would he be able to possibly do a pro day before the draft?' The biggest thing they want to see is that we can move and be back to how we were playing prior to the injury."

As to whether he'll be physically fit enough to participate in a pro day, Tagovailoa said he would leave that up to the advice of doctors, citing a recheck of his hip surgery around the three-month mark.

"I don't think any of the doctors can tell the foreseeable future," he said. "None of the guys rehabbing me can tell that. From what they've seen in New York, everything looks good. But you can't really tell until the three-month mark or the four-month mark. That's the gauge."

Despite those medical concerns, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had him rated third overall in his latest Big Board. The Miami Dolphins are expected to show great interest in Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in the draft if he slides that far.

Tagovailoa's status as a draft prospect has been in question since he dislocated his hip during a Nov. 16 game against Mississippi State. He has surgery shortly thereafter and has been rehabbing with the team since. Alabama team orthopedic surgeon Lyle Cain told ESPN that Tagovailoa wouldn't be able to resume athletic activity until around mid-February and won't be ready to begin throwing until sometime in the spring.

Tagovailoa was still feeling the effects of a surgery to repair a high ankle sprain at the time of his hip injury. He had surgery to repair a similar high ankle sprain in his other foot the previous season.

Tagovailoa said he did not consider waiting and entering the supplemental drafts, which would have allowed him extra time to recover from surgery.

Saban, who spoke prior to Tagovailoa's announcement, lauded the impact the quarterback has had on the entire program. Saban said Tagovailoa's "spirit" has changed him in a positive way.

"Tua has probably had as much of an impact on the program here as any player we've ever had," Saban said.

Tagovailoa burst onto the scene as a true freshman when he came off the bench and led Alabama to a win in the 2017 CFP National Championship Game against Georgia.

He went on to beat out Jalen Hurts for the starting job and throw a combined 76 touchdowns and nine interceptions the last two seasons. He was the runner-up to Oklahoma's Kyler Murray in the 2018 Heisman Trophy race.

A few weeks after undergoing hip surgery, Tagovailoa spoke with the media about his future, saying there would be "risk-reward" whether he returned to school or entered the draft. At the time, he said being a top-10 or top-15 would be "tough to pass up." Regardless, he said his goal was to play football in 2020, wherever that might be.

"I'm optimistic I'll be able to play this coming season," Tagovailoa said on Monday.

Tagovailoa made a point to thank everyone within the organization, from coaches to trainers to the public relations staff to academic advisers, as well as athletic director Greg Byrne.

Speaking of his teammates, Tagovailoa said, "I'm going to miss you all, from the starting lineup to the scout team."

Tagovailoa did make a point to tell everyone in attendance that despite him leaving, there will still be a Tagovailoa on campus. Younger brother Taulia, who played sparingly as a true freshman, will be part of the competition to replace Tagovailoa next season.

Alabama has several options, including redshirt sophomore Mac Jones, who started four games in place of Tagovailoa. Jones was 3-1 in games he started, throwing a combined 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Incoming freshman Bryce Young, the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2020 according to ESPN, arrived on campus this week.

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr. have already declared as early entrants for the draft.

Middle linebacker Dylan Moses and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood -- both possible first-round picks -- have announced that they will return to the Tide next season.

Shortly after Tagovailoa's announcement, wide receiver DeVonta Smith posted on social media that he would be returning for his senior season. The junior from Louisiana caught 14 touchdown passes this season.

Alabama has a few high-profile games to start next season, including the opener against USC in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 5, and a Week 3 game at home against Georgia on Sept. 19.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama will move on next season without its star quarterback and leader, Tua Tagovailoa, who announced on Monday that he will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

A generational talent with a flair for the dramatic, he leaves behind an unrivaled legacy that began in the most unimaginable way: the lefty from Hawaii coming off the bench as a true freshman and leading his team to a come-from-behind win over Georgia for the national championship two seasons ago. That game-winning touchdown in overtime set off a career of jaw-dropping moments.

And while there's no doubt this farewell stings for Crimson Tide fans, it's not one that is either sudden or unexpected. Even considering the long recovery from major hip surgery that awaits him, Tagovailoa is projected to be a top-10 pick.

Moving on won't be easy for Alabama, but it's a process that began the moment Tagovailoa fell to the turf at Mississippi State seven weeks ago. Redshirt sophomore Mac Jones took the reins at quarterback that afternoon, and everything changed.

Losing the Iron Bowl to Auburn and missing out on the playoff hurt, but the team didn't fold.

If you tuned in on New Year's Day, you saw that.

The Vrbo Citrus Bowl in Orlando last week was meant to be a statement game for Alabama, but not necessarily a statement directed at Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who has been something of a pain in the side of Nick Saban ever since he returned to college football five years ago.

OK, so maybe that last-second touchdown by Najee Harris, running up the score rather than running out the clock, felt a little personal. But don't get too hung up on that right now. In the greater context of the season and the future of the program, it meant absolutely nothing.

Rather, go back and watch a video Alabama's social-media team shared just before kickoff. The clip showed Thomas Fletcher on the field, encircled by teammates, including Jones. The veteran long-snapper is calm and resolute as he tells everyone to play for one another one last time and, "Prove to everybody we ain't supposed to be here."

"We ain't never going to be here again," Fletcher said. "Prove that to 'em right now."

Family. #RollTide pic.twitter.com/mkj6k5gmn5

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) January 1, 2020

This was a game about re-establishing a culture that had slipped in losses to Auburn and LSU, Saban told reporters afterward. While a lot of people might think going 10-2 during the regular season was an accomplishment, Saban said, "That's not necessarily our standard."

Instead, the Alabama standard is about making the playoff and competing for a national championship, as it had for five straight seasons until now. And by beating Michigan 35-16 and dominating both sides of the ball during the second half, there was the sense leaving Orlando that the program had just taken a step back in that direction.

"How they finish the season ... that culture carries over into next season," Saban said.

But which players would be around to carry it?

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr. have already announced they will not return for their senior seasons. And like Tagovailoa, those decisions weren't altogether unexpected.

What was unexpected is that Alex Leatherwood wouldn't be joining them, as the All-SEC first-team offensive tackle and projected top-25 draft pick announced he would be coming back to school. Another surprise: middle linebacker and former Butkus Award finalist Dylan Moses said he was in for one more year, too.

Moses' return solidifies a defense and specifically a linebacker corps that was in desperate need of his talent and leadership this past season as he was out recovering from knee surgery.

"Next season isn't about draft stock or money," Moses wrote in his draft announcement, "it's about grinding with my brothers and winning another national title.

"We have unfinished business to take care of," Leatherwood wrote.

Those words must have been music to the ears of Jones, who replaced the injured Tagovailoa at quarterback, starting four games. The redshirt sophomore whom many had forgotten played well when thrust into action, going 3-1 and throwing a combined 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.

He's no Tua Tagovailoa, but come on. Who is?

Jones won't have to be Superman next season if he indeed retains the starting job. And there are other options if he fails, whether that's Tagovailoa's younger bother, Taulia, or incoming freshman Bryce Young, who is the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 Class. Maybe the transfer portal comes into play.

Whoever is at quarterback, he'll have some experience on the offensive line thanks to Leatherwood's return, at least one running back coming back with experience in Brian Robinson, and he'll have an older, wiser Jaylen Waddle to throw the ball to.

Waddle didn't get the hype of Jeudy for most of the past two seasons, but he's every bit as electric with the ball in his hands. His performance (four touchdowns) against Auburn is a scary sign of things to come for the SEC next season.

Shortly after Tagovailoa's announcement, wide receiver DeVonta Smith posted a video on social media saying he would be returning. It was another huge win for Alabama as Smith caught a team-high 14 touchdowns this season. Fellow star WR Henry Ruggs III had yet to make an announcement.

Helping the passing game will be the likely return of quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who led the team to the No. 2 scoring offense in the country at 47.2 points per game.

In fact, the lack of turnover on the coaching staff compared to the past two seasons can't help but be a positive for the program.

Each of the last two offseasons Alabama has had to replace its offensive and defensive coordinators, along with a number of assistants. And you started to see that wear on Saban. In a documentary by HBO, he lamented to Bill Belichick the way his former assistants have gone on to become head coaches at places like Tennessee and Georgia only to then turn around and hire guys from his staff.

"When they get those jobs -- and in most cases you helped them -- that they have a hard time understanding why they can't take your people," he said. "I'm going to help you get a job so you can take what I've tried to build here and destroy the continuity of what I have. And it's amazing how some of the assistants don't understand why that's not a good thing."

Even with former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin coming back to the SEC as the head coach at Ole Miss, there hasn't been a mass exodus from Tuscaloosa.

Whether that continues, time will tell.

For now, though, the dynasty Saban has built and maintained over the past decade is still standing.

Losing Tagovailoa hurts, but he leaves behind a roster that's still talented and eager for more. It's a team that, despite its faults, clearly feels it has something to prove.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kevin Porter Jr. is expected to miss two weeks because of a sprained left knee, the team announced Monday.

Porter suffered the injury in Sunday night's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. His knee buckled awkwardly in the third quarter when he tried to change directions, and he had to be helped to the locker room.

The Cavaliers said that Porter will be reevaluated in about two weeks.

Porter, the 30th overall pick in the draft, is averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season.