Manchester City defender John Stones will miss the champions’ Premier League trip to Chelsea on Sunday, manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed. The England international was forced off at half-time of Tuesday’s Champions League win over Young Boys with a muscular problem. Guardiola has revealed the injury is not as bad as feared but there is no prospect of him travelling to Stamford Bridge. It is also not clear whether Stones will be available for England this month or the November 25 clash with Liverpool. Guardiola said at a press conference: “He is injured. He is not ready (for Sunday) and we will see when we come back from the international break. “The doctor said to me it’s not as bad (as first thought) but I still don’t know when he’s going to be fit.” Guardiola also delivered a positive update on Kevin De Bruyne, who could return before the end of the year, but he will not rush the Belgium playmaker back into action. De Bruyne has been sidelined since undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury in August. Guardiola said: “I spoke to him two days ago and he said, ‘I feel really good’ but still he is not training with us and not running much. Kevin’s was a tough injury with surgery, so step by step. Pep Guardiola “I don’t know but it is the last time (period) before he comes back to train with us. “I would like to say in two weeks or three weeks, but these type of injuries are better not to put any pressure on. When he feels good, the doctors and physios say go to the next step, then he is coming. Like John Stones, recover without pressure. “Kevin’s was a tough injury with surgery, so step by step.” City head to Chelsea fresh from securing their place in the Champions League knockout stages for an 11th successive year. The holders have hardly been troubled as they have cruised through with two games to spare – an achievement that, compared to last year’s treble success, seems relatively modest. Guardiola, however, insists it is something that should be savoured because – as this week’s opponents Chelsea, the 2021 European champions, have discovered – the good times will not last indefinitely. He said: “I can’t make any comment about Chelsea because I’m not there but always we remind ourselves. Last Tuesday we qualified and I told the players to celebrate because, maybe one day, if we stop doing what we do or the opponents are better than us, we will not be there. “What we have done is the past. If we are not doing well we will go down, and the down may never end. You can go down more. “So, take perspective, be calm and (enjoy) good moments. For every team around the world, not just the fact that we are Man City and the last years have been good, (it does not mean) it will happen in the future. “If you are aware of that, you are closer to still being consistent in Europe for many years.” Read More Mauricio Pochettino learned lessons from famous battle to mature as manager Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl split for a third time Mikel Arteta warns Aaron Ramsdale not to rush decision over Arsenal future Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target

Manchester City face an anxious wait to see if John Stones will be fit to face Liverpool later this month. The England defender, who has only made six appearances in an injury-hit season, came off at half-time in Tuesday’s win over Young Boys of Bern and manager Pep Guardiola has ruled him out of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea. Guardiola said Stones’ muscular problem is not as serious as he initially feared but is unsure when the 29-year-old will be fit again and he has a race against time to be available for the clash with Liverpool on 25 November. The City manager explained: “He’s not ready for tomorrow [game against Chelsea on Sunday] and we will see when we come back from the international break. I don’t know. “The doctor said to me it’s not as bad [as feared] but I still don’t know. I want to create tempo. When he’s going to be fit again, he’s going to come back.” Stones was reinvented last season to operate partly as a midfielder in addition to his duties at the back and Guardiola believes summer signing Josko Gvardiol is not yet ready to take up a similar role, coming forward in possession. “Still he didn’t prove it in training sessions and drills that we do to see how you move in more central positions,” he said. “Still I didn’t see it. Maybe in future, because he is still young and at the beginning we didn’t expect John could do that but he can do that because he has been here eight years.” Rico Lewis is able to play both as a full-back and in midfield and Guardiola believes that, were he bigger, the teenager would be one of the outstanding footballers in the division. He added: “If he was a little bit taller, we would consider him one of the best players in the Premier League. He is so small but he is an exceptional player.” Kevin de Bruyne, who has been out since August and has undergone an operation on his injured hamstring, has had a further scan this week. The Belgian is expected to be out for the rest of the calendar year but Guardiola has not put a timeframe on his comeback. He added: “I spoke with him two days ago and he said he feels really good but it’s not necessary to take bad decisions or wrong decisions in coming back early and getting injured again. Kevin was a tough injury, a surgery.” Read More Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Rumours: Man United could sell duo in January and Newcastle target midfield pair How can Man United qualify in Champions League?

Mikel Arteta has warned Aaron Ramsdale not to rush any decision over his future after England manager Gareth Southgate told the goalkeeper he could not promise him a place at Euro 2024 if he remains on the bench at Arsenal. Ramsdale has been called up by Southgate for England’s final two qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia and will be aiming to add to his four senior caps. However, the 25-year-old has been ousted as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper since the arrival of David Raya from Brentford and has played just twice since the September international break. Speaking after naming his latest squad, Southgate said of Ramsdale’s plight: “I think longer-term, we’re just going to have to see how it is. I had that conversation with him in the last camp. “He’s still battling to be the number one at Arsenal, and his profile and the way he can use the ball with his feet, we like, we think that’s important. “But there is a reality as a keeper, if we get to March and he’s six months without playing regularly, then I’m never going to promise things that I couldn’t guarantee delivering.” Arteta has not spoken to Ramsdale about the issue but warned against a January move in a quest to find first-team football. So making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all Mikel Arteta “First of all my door is open to speak about any player,” he said. “We just want the best for our players and we try to do that, and we know the influence that we can have – sometimes positively, sometimes not so positively, towards them. “We will always try to do our best to help them, but this is a team sport that needs 24 players that have to fulfil a role. And the role that you have in August, it might be very different to the one you have in March. “So making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all and as well because the team has certain needs that has to be accomplished. And in order to do that you cannot do it with six, 10 or 14 players. It is impossible. So you need everyone and Aaron has a really important role in the team. “I have no messages for any clubs (who may look to sign Ramsdale). I can talk a little bit about my players, how much I like my players, how much I like Aaron and that we want Aaron with us, that’s for sure.” Ramsdale is likely to once again be among the substitutes as Arsenal host Burnley on Saturday night looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League. Arteta, though, could be without as many as eight first-team players for the visit of the Clarets as captain Martin Odegaard is “still racing” to be fit, while Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu both came off injured in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Sevilla. Forwards Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah could miss out with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, while Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Jurrien Timber are definite absentees. “Some of the injuries that we had, they are some bad luck, some of them have been long-term injuries with some special players and when we didn’t have a lot of depth,” he added. “We can talk about the depth, but after you have to talk about the specific positions or certain units where we are a little bit shorter. “But it is the challenge of the season and other people have to step up, and that as well is a good test for the team – how we take those moments and how we actually respond to that. So far, the team is doing well.” Read More Erik ten Hag ‘not happy’ with Marcus Rashford’s form at Manchester United Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach Chicago Bears edge out Carolina Panthers in three-point win

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted he is “not happy” with Marcus Rashford’s form but he remains convinced the England forward will get back to his best this season. Rashford’s disputed red card in Copenhagen on Wednesday night contributed to a dramatic United collapse as they blew a 2-0 lead and conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes to lose 4-3, dropping to the bottom of Group A in the Champions League with two games left. Gareth Southgate kept faith with Rashford by naming him in his England squad on Thursday, but a player who scored 30 goals for United in all competitions last season has only one from 15 appearances this term. “I think he’s not happy, we are not happy,” Ten Hag said of Rashford’s performances. “We have an expectation. He has high expectations from himself. In this moment he is not in the best form but I know he will be back. “I know when the team is playing better he will play better. He will go and score goals. I am confident of that. This season he will improve and score goals. He is totally in the team, he is aware of everything so I think he will be back on track. “It can happen very quickly and sometimes you only need one game. I’m sure he will get there.” The defeat in Copenhagen was United’s ninth from 17 games in all competitions so far, and they go into Saturday’s match at home to Luton eighth in the Premier League. Asked if results had been acceptable this term, Ten Hag said: “It is about the end result and we have to win every game, so we are very disappointed to lose any game but finally it is about the end result. “It is always about being in a process, thinking about a process and then it’s about managing the process. That’s the only thing I focus on. “I think we have often proved we can, like at Fulham, like Brentford, that we can overcome big setbacks.” United’s midweek defeat came at a cost too as Jonny Evans limped off early after pulling up off the ball. The 35-year-old, who has been a regular starter in recent weeks, has been ruled out of the Luton match and may now also miss next week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers for Northern Ireland in what would be another blow for Michael O’Neill’s injury-hit squad. “So we don’t have in this moment the full assessment and all the details but tomorrow he is out,” Ten Hag said. “I can’t say (if he can go away with Northern Ireland) as we don’t have the finished assessment.” Mason Mount has been another player in the spotlight, with the 24-year-old struggling to make an impression since his £55million summer switch from Chelsea. Mount made his first start since early October in the 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle on November 1 but was back on the bench against Fulham and Copenhagen, with questions being asked about his role in the side. However, Ten Hag said there had been no change in his expectations of the player. “It hasn’t changed at all,” Ten Hag said. “He started the season and then he got injured. It’s the worst moment for a new player to get injured because it stops the integration process. That was definitely a setback for us all and for him now he has to fight to get his place back.” Read More Dawid Malan: I want to play on but I don’t know what my England future holds Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach Chicago Bears edge out Carolina Panthers in three-point win Unai Emery acknowledges good fortune opened the door for Villa’s victory

In one of Europe’s biggest three-horse races, an unexpected fourth leads the way. Where usually Barcelona, Real Madrid and, on sporadic occasions, Atletico Madrid reside, there’s an altogether less-expected club sitting top of LaLiga after a third of the campaign – a free-scoring, attack-minded team who spent a net of barely £4m in the summer, have a stadium capacity of under 15,000 and whose best-ever season in LaLiga to date saw them finish 10th. Welcome to Girona FC. The story of their rise is a tale in itself, but their opening 12 games of this campaign might yet make for the stuff of local legend. As recently as 1999 the club was playing in the Catalan regional leagues, the fifth tier of Spanish football, but after achieving their first-ever top-flight campaign in 2017-18 and surviving for a second, they returned to LaLiga for 2022-23 and ended 10th last year – just as they did five years earlier, in fact. There appears to be no danger of season four emulating season two, though. Where then they were relegated, this term they top the table, two points ahead of Real Madrid, four clear of champions Barcelona and a full six ahead of Atletico. Between Girona and fifth is a massive 10 points, after just a dozen matches. Masterminding this unexpected rise is head coach Michel Sanchez Munoz, better known just as Michel, a former Rayo Vallecano and Real Murcia player who has been in the dugout at Estadi Montilivi since 2021. Michel has the team playing offensive football – they’ve not only won more games than anyone this term, they’ve also outscored everyone in LaLiga– and the manner of it is even more impressive given the turnover of the squad: 10 in, three out, another half a dozen loaned away. That new group has been quickly moulded into a cohesive unit with a very identifiable approach to matches, as one of those new arrivals, former Manchester United and Ajax defender Daley Blind, told The Independent. “It’s always difficult to compare managers, each one has his own ID and way of playing. But what stands out is the manager is really clear in how he wants to play football, he has a really clear idea about every game we play and having a real tactical plan,” Blind says on a call. “He tries to give that to the team and make sure we understand the gameplan. “The story he told me before I came to Girona was really intriguing and I can’t say anything other than he did not lie – I got excited and wanted to play here after speaking to him. “You can’t know it for sure beforehand but we’re really happy with how it’s going and it’s always important for a coach to be clear about that.” Blind is happily effusive about Michel’s man management as well as his tactical acumen. Having spent most of his career under the likes of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, father Danny Blind and others, he’s well placed to talk about who is impressive or otherwise on the coaching ground. And while he won’t directly look at matching up Michel’s attributes to anyone else’s, he makes the point that there’s a real connection between coach and squad. “I don’t want to compare [to others] but, for me, he’s a manager who is human, who connects on a personal level as well. He joins in the rondo [training game of keep-ball] and is part of the guys; at the moment training really starts he’s then really on top of it and not holding back,” the centre-back explains. “He expects every training [session] to be the best but there’s always time for a joke here and there. He has a good connection with every player – that’s very special.” Blind freely admits that his spell in Spain came at the second time of asking. He got the call from Girona last year after leaving Ajax; while considering his next move, Bayern Munich swooped in and he felt he needed to go. This summer, though, he was confident Girona was the right move. While the Dutchman has been a mainstay at the back this term, central midfielder Aleix Garcia has caught the eye, while in attack young winger Savio has been impressive and new centre-forward Artem Dovbyk has not so much hit the ground running as thundering through defences, scoring six in eight starts or one every 109 minutes. Among LaLiga’s best goal-getters, only Gerard Moreno (105), Alvaro Morata (105) and top scorer Jude Bellingham (95) can beat the Ukrainian’s strike rate. So has the fast start by Girona altered their season aims, made them aim higher than might have been the objective at the start of the campaign? Not for Blind, who maintains the “one game at a time” mantra. “For me, it hasn’t changed, you want to finish as high as possible in the league and that’s what we aim for. We’ll see where that is at the end of the season,” he says. “You always be ambitious and have an aim but in the end, you look game by game because the next one is most important and you want the three points. But you see which games are in the next couple of weeks and be ambitious about it. It’s not for me to reveal what we say about [those runs] but it always comes back to the next game.” For Girona, the next game is away on Saturday to Rayo Vallecano, Michel’s oldest and most closely linked club. Beat them and the Catalan club will remain top across the international break, the envy of not just smaller clubs around Europe hoping to improve their own fortunes and challenge higher in the league but of every club in Spain – including the very biggest and the supposed best. Perhaps, just perhaps, they won’t be this year. Watch LaLiga on Viaplay, available in the UK on Sky, Virgin TV, Amazon Prime Video and via streaming Read More Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Ange Postecoglu gives injury update for Tottenham star James Maddison Football stadium plunged into darkness after rivals turn off lights during title win Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Ange Postecoglu gives injury update for Tottenham star James Maddison Football stadium plunged into darkness after rivals turn off lights during title win

Over the past few months, as Chelsea’s hierarchy started to settle into the club, they became fixated on a specific idea relevant to this weekend’s game. They began to study what makes 100-point seasons and record-breaking sides. That might seem some way off, to an almost comic degree, but you’ve got to have goals. Manchester City are the obvious case study, since they are the only club to manage a centurion season and they still break records. As regards what made that possible, the usual explanation might be “one of the most lavishly expensive football projects in history” but Chelsea’s owners also have huge resources and are clearly willing to spend them. Their outlay on transfer fees so far, if not quite wages, has recalled the dizzy days of Roman Abramovich between 2003 and 2006 and the first few years of the Abu Dhabi ownership at City. And Chelsea might have a more specific reason to look at the European champions for inspiration. Chelsea’s own grand project, which is an unprecedented football experiment, is based on bringing in young players of a similar talent profile to Jeremy Doku. That raises the obvious question of whether Doku would have the same impact if he was at Chelsea? Or, would he be just another young signing showing potential but requiring shape and direction? Recent form suggests the latter. There are caveats, of course. It is early days and, as good as Doku has been, the real tests will come later. Clubs like Manchester United and Newcastle had also looked at him, but felt he wasn’t yet developed enough. There was a sense he was too erratic as a player. However, his impact under Pep Guardiola, especially when contrasted with Raheem Sterling’s influence on Chelsea, speaks volumes about the two clubs. One significant difference between Doku and so many similar young players at Chelsea is the roles they’ve been signed for. The London club have attempted to overhaul their entire squad, and players of talent have just been thrust into the fray. It has been up to Mauricio Pochettino to make sense of it. City, from the benefit of over a decade’s planning, can be much more forensic. Their succession plans are so well defined and far-thinking, with most signings settled on at least 18 months in advance - barring any unseen changes like the sudden impact of Saudi Pro League money, which delayed this summer’s business. Doku was supposed to be next in line in City’s attack but, as occasionally happens in teams that are so high-functioning, a player of his talent has been able to slot right in. It has even gone a little bit in the other direction, in how Doku’s livewire play actually gives City’s smoothness something different. It’s hard not to have some sympathy with Jack Grealish. When he was signed, Guardiola worked on him for weeks, seeking to change his thinking on the game and add much more control to it. Grealish was still talking about how he needed to evolve by the end of a season where he’d won his first title. Doku, by contrast, has just been put in the team and let loose to also leave Grealish on the bench. This isn’t to say the English playmaker should be overly worried about his medium-to-long-term role. As Sterling knows better than anybody, Guardiola goes on and off players all the time. It is partly his way of keeping them on their toes, partly tactical experimentation, partly man-management and partly what fits at any given time. Sterling ultimately felt he didn’t have that time, and sought to be a more influential player at another major club. There is something of an irony there, though. While Sterling is Chelsea’s senior attacker, who has a huge burden in leading the play, his best role is probably as someone who works off other stars and does real damage there. That is when his running on the ball and off it can be devastating. The farcical match against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday showed how much focus there can be on Sterling in this Chelsea team, although it had the effect of releasing Nicolas Jackson for so many chances that he eventually got a hat-trick by sheer force of numbers. While there will be an obvious comparison between that and Doku’s impact against Bournemouth, they were very different types of performances. They are very different types of roles. At Chelsea, attackers like Jackson and Cole Palmer already have a huge responsibility, which increases the burden on Sterling. At City, Doku is able to play off a series of stars who know precisely what their job is. It means he can figure out his own game, as defences try to figure him out. Read More The future of football: Why the U-17 World Cup highlights an evolving game One point: Is this the worst score of the Fantasy Premier League season? Are England’s Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham the best strike force in world football? 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Ange Postecoglou has revealed Tottenham are set to be without Micky van de Ven and James Maddison until January. Centre-back Van de Ven and midfielder Maddison suffered hamstring and ankle injuries respectively in Monday’s 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea. Spurs also had Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie sent off during their first defeat of the season, which means Postecoglou will be without several key players for Saturday’s trip to Wolves. “Fair to say a fair bit happened after Monday,” boss Postecoglou reflected. “Micky obviously with that hamstring injury, we knew it was fairly significant, probably a couple of months for him looking into the new year. “Madders is a lot worse than we thought. He came off with an ankle injury and the next day wasn’t great, so we sent him for a scan. Again probably into the new year for him. “Richy (Richarlison) should only be a month so not too long after international break, so they are the main ones, but we’ve got a couple of suspensions as well. “Ben Davies is back and available. (Pedro) Porro is fine, he trained no problem.” Read More Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has softened his opinion over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s versatility as a potential midfielder but still believes he best serves the team from his natural right-sided role. Just over two years ago, after the 25-year-old was deployed in a central position against Andorra by England boss Gareth Southgate, Klopp said there was no need to change the defender into a midfielder. Those lines have been blurred since Alexander-Arnold started performing the hybrid role of stepping into central areas when Liverpool are in possession and Klopp took it one step further in last month’s Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth when he brought him on to replace holding midfielder Wataru Endo for the final half-hour. Alexis Mac Allister has been performing the number-six role in the Premier League despite it being an unfamiliar one to him but the Argentina international is suspended for Sunday’s visit of Brentford after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. Endo, who was a late addition to the squad in August, has started only one league game in the role but was already off the pitch by the time the side forged a late comeback at Newcastle. His starts have mainly come in the Carabao Cup and Europe but he was one of a number of players who underperformed in the 3-2 defeat by Toulouse and his display was not the best preparation – he was replaced at half-time – to step in for Mac Allister at the weekend. Klopp was asked whether Alexander-Arnold was a potential option, considering how thin the midfield resources are with Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic long-term absentees, Curtis Jones out till after the international break and Ryan Gravenberch doubtful with a knee problem. “(A) possibility, depends on the situation and the opponent, on a lot of things,” said the German. “We know he can play there but if we just put him there we lose one of the best right-backs in the world so we should not forget that completely. “Of course he is an option for that position.” We know he can play there but if we just put him there we lose one of the best right-backs in the world Jurgen Klopp on Alexander-Arnold's midfield capabilities Mac Allister was one of only two players retained from Sunday’s draw at Luton to start against Toulouse as Klopp knew he would get an enforced rest this weekend. But, even in his preferred position slightly further forward, the World Cup winner struggled like many of his team-mates as Liverpool’s three-match winning run in the competition came to an end and placed greater significance on their final two games – even though they are still group leaders. “We were not good enough defensively. We missed so many challenges and that cannot happen when we play with the high line,” Mac Allister told liverpoolfc.com. “It is what it is, we will try to improve and go again on Sunday because we have a very important game.” Mac Allister was involved in the most contentious incident of the night when Jarell Quansah’s last-minute equaliser was ruled out for a handball by the Argentinian after a VAR referral. “It’s a weird one because the referee said goal and then 10 seconds later he changed the decision,” he added. “I don’t know exactly how the rule is but it first hit my chest so it’s weird. But it’s not an excuse, we didn’t play well.” Read More Jurgen Klopp reacts to release of Luis Diaz’s kidnapped father: ‘Really happy’ Jurgen Klopp reveals his ‘main issue’ after VAR denies Liverpool in Toulouse Liverpool angered by VAR as Jarell Quansah goal ruled out in Europa League defeat Joe Cole splits opinion after VAR denies Liverpool late equaliser Luis Diaz ‘happy’ to start Liverpool match hours after kidnapped father’s release Toulouse v Liverpool LIVE: Latest Europa League updates

Universitario Deportes have called for sanctions to be imposed on Alianza Lima after their Peruvian league title celebrations were plunged into darkness at their rivals’ stadium, preventing the award ceremony from going ahead. Universitario claimed a record-extending 27th league title after a 2-0 win at city rivals Alianza on Wednesday had wrapped up a 3-1 aggregate victory. But before the celebrations could get underway the lights went out at the Alejandro Villanueva stadium, an incident Universitario labelled both disgraceful and dangerous. “We call on the authorities to punish those responsible,” Universitario said in a statement. “A sporting celebration should not be tarnished by disgraceful events. “Our players, staff and entourage were exposed to danger in the derby ... The lights were turned off to prevent the award ceremony, and during the blackout, Alianza Lima’s staff tried to attack members of our team who were celebrating the victory”. The club added that the award ceremony will be held at their home Monumental U stadium on Sunday. Alianza said they had turned off the lights “to encourage the rapid evacuation of the stands and preserve the safety of the public and the teams”. “Alianza Lima is an institution that respects the sporting spirit and always aims to provide safe entertainment for fans, athletes and sports professionals,” the 25-time champions said. “We understand that this measure may have been interpreted in different ways, but the club’s only motivation was to avoid unfortunate situations... We regret any inconvenience caused to spectators and fans in general.” Alianza added that they will cooperate with the authorities after the Peruvian Public Prosecutor’s Office said on their account on Twitter/X that they had opened an investigation into the blackout. Universitario later poked fun at their rivals’ move on social media and issued a reminder about the league title count. “Say goodbye to unforeseen events, don’t be left without electricity in the middle of your celebrations,” the club wrote. “Purchase our anti-blackout bulb and avoid embarrassment at home. Remember that it is 27 times more powerful than a traditional one.” Reuters Read More Sir Jim Ratcliffe closing in on deal to become minority shareholder at Man Utd Jurgen Klopp reacts to release of Luis Diaz’s kidnapped father: ‘Really happy’ Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029 Sir Jim Ratcliffe closing in on deal to become minority shareholder at Man Utd Jurgen Klopp reacts to release of Luis Diaz’s kidnapped father: ‘Really happy’ Evan Ferguson signs new Brighton contract until 2029

Highly-rated striker Evan Ferguson has signed a new contract with Brighton which ties him to the club until 2029. The 19-year-old Republic of Ireland international has extended his existing deal with the Seagulls, amid reports that other Premier League clubs were tracking his progress. “Evan deserves this new contract and he has a very big future ahead of him,” Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi said. Ferguson joined Brighton from Irish side Bohemians in January 2021 and made his first-team debut later that year in a Carabao Cup tie against Cardiff. He has scored 15 times for the first team since then, having opened his account against Arsenal last December. Brighton technical director David Weir said: “Evan is a brilliant young talent and we are delighted for him. “He’s shown his ability at club and international level, after breaking into the team at the start of the year, and we are looking forward to working with him and watching his continued progress.” Ferguson made his senior Ireland debut in March, scoring in a 3-2 win over Latvia. Read More Naomi Osaka to make her return to tennis at the Brisbane International Football rumours: Tottenham identify Lloyd Kelly as January transfer target On this day in 2014: David Moyes appointed Real Sociedad head coach

Sir Jim Ratcliffe could finalise a deal to become a minority shareholder at Manchester United during the upcoming international break. Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group is expected to pay in the region of £1.25billion for a 25 per set stake in the Old Trafford club, while also acquiring significant control over footballing operations. There is no a firm timetable for the deal to be finalised, but the PA news agency understands it could come as early as next week, with Ineos optimistic it will be done before the Premier League campaign resumes on November 25 after the international break. Reports that the deal could come as soon as Monday have, however, been dismissed as that is the date of Sir Bobby Charlton’s funeral. It is almost a year since the Glazer family announced, on November 22, 2022, that they were considering “strategic alternatives” to help the club grow, which included consideration of a sale. Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Ratcliffe emerged from a large field of interested parties, and made offers in the region of £5bn for a complete takeover, but that fell short of the Glazer family’s valuation. Sheikh Jassim then withdrew from the process last month, while Ratcliffe continued to pursue a minority shareholding which could later be increased. The 71-year-old, who tried to buy Chelsea last year, grew up in the Manchester region and describes himself as a lifelong fan of United. The deal is expected to lead to a major shake up of United’s football operations. Sir Dave Brailsford, the former performance director of British Cycling, is expected to take on significant influence in his role as Ineos’s director of sport. The group already owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne, as well as the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team and Ineos Britannia – the sailing team led by Sir Ben Ainslie. They also have a stake in Formula One team Mercedes, whose team principal Toto Wolff last week said he would also consider investing in United once Ratcliffe’s deal is completed. Ongoing speculation and uncertainty over the club’s ownership has come at a time when United are struggling on the pitch. Wednesday’s stunning 4-3 defeat to Copenhagen has left Erik ten Hag’s side bottom of their Champions League group, while they are eighth in the Premier League, having lost nine of 17 games in all competitions.

James Maddison has withdrawn from the England squad due to injury, less than 24 hours after Gareth Southgate selected him for two upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. The 26-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was taken off during the first half of Spurs’ 4-1 Premier League defeat to Chelsea on Monday with an ankle injury, and his club have now confirmed he is unavailable for England’s last two qualifiers, at home to Malta on 17 November and away to North Macedonia on 20 November. Southgate had sounded confident that Maddison would be available despite some “doubt”, suggesting that he was withdrawn from the Chelsea game as a precaution while Spurs struggled with only 10 players following the sending off of defender Cristian Romero. “He seems positive,” Southgate had told reporters on Thursday afternoon. “There’s clearly an element of doubt. But I think at the time of the decision [substitution against Chelsea], they had just gone to 10 [players], maybe the manager was thinking, ‘I’ve got a player who might have a knock and we’ve only got 10 players anyway’.” Maddison’s withdrawal points to the challenge for Southgate of getting accurate injury updates from clubs, something he had bemoaned immediately after naming his squad, when he suggested Newcastle’s Callum Wilson was the player most at risk of missing out through injury. “You would be amazed at how complicated it is picking a squad because all clubs are sensitive to information. I couldn’t be certain that everyone in that squad will be there on Sunday night and Callum Wilson is the biggest doubt, but equally I am pretty confident the others can get through.” Spurs said in a statement that Maddison would continue his rehabilitation at their Hotspur Way training centre under the supervision of club medical staff. England sealed qualification for next summer’s Euros in Germany in their last qualifier, a 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley last month. Read More Gareth Southgate ponders defensive options ahead of naming latest England squad Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Spurs went down with flag held high but loss hurts a lot Son Heung-min hails Guglielmo Vicario for ‘unbelievable saves’ in win at Palace