Elche’s 2-2 draw against Real Madrid erupted into controversy after Vinicius Junior collided with goalkeeper Inaki Pena in the build-up to Jude Bellingham’s equaliser. Pena was left bleeding after the incident and furious that no foul was given. What began as a brave Elche performance turned into a storm of complaints, shifting focus from their impressive display to referee decisions.

Pena left bleeding amid controversial goal decision

Elche had Madrid on the ropes, leading twice and defending with discipline, when a late scramble inside the box changed the shape of the night. As Vinicius attacked a loose ball in the 87th minute, he crashed knee-first into goalkeeper Pena’s face, sending the keeper to the turf with a bloody nose. Play continued, Madrid recycled possession, and Bellingham buried the rebound for 2-2, sparking immediate protests from Elche players.

At first, Pena himself downplayed the incident, still dazed as he spoke minutes after the final whistle. “He shoots, I stop it, and with the momentum, it hits me in the nose. Bad luck. It’s part of the game. It was just a blow, nothing more,” he said in his initial interview.

Elche manager Eder Sarabia, however, made it clear he believed the referee missed a decisive moment. “Vinicius doesn’t touch the ball, it hits Pena in the face. It’s a clear foul,” he insisted.

What looked like a moment of misfortune soon spiralled into a larger debate as Pena’s own assessment changed once he saw the replay.

AdvertisementAFPPena reverses his verdict as he claims Vinicius foul

Back in the dressing room, after watching video of the collision, the Elche shot-stopper realised what had actually happened and that the blow he received was not incidental.

In his press conference he corrected his earlier remarks stating: "He shoots, tries to go for the rebound, but on the second play he doesn't let me participate because he knocks me out. For me, it is a foul, but if the referee goes to VAR and says it's not a foul, there's nothing we can do," the 26-year-old said.

The change in tone reflected the frustration in the Elche camp. They believed they had earned more than a point and that Madrid’s equaliser should never have stood.

The draw, however, keeps Elche steady in the standings. After 13 matches, they sit 11th in La Liga, continuing to exceed expectations despite the disappointment of dropping two points so late. Their organisation, fight and attacking efficiency once again underlined why many consider them one of the most exciting newly promoted sides in the league.

Elche coach Sarabia’s anger boils over

Sarabia's frustration with the officiating was immediate. He pointed to two moments that he believed “conditioned the final result” – a missed foul in the build-up to Madrid’s first equaliser, and the collision involving Vinicius.

“No, I’m not happy, not at all,” he said. “I already told the players I was gutted, and when I saw the decisive calls, I’m even more so.”

He further added: “The foul before the second goal (for Madrid) wasn’t a foul at all. What’s more, it was a counter-attack that could have made it 3-1. And then Vinicius doesn’t touch the ball, it hits Inaki Pena in the face. Inaki Pena didn’t see the play. Vinicius hits him in the face, that’s why his face is like that. It’s a clear foul.”

Sarabia’s irritation extended beyond a single decision. "When you play against Real Madrid, you do so many things, you take the lead twice, and then you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result, it makes you angry.” 

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AFPElche's stunning return to La Liga under Sarabia

Sarabia's newly-promoted side have delivered some impressive results: draws against Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Sevilla, competitive performances against every top-six side, and a current mid-table position far above preseason expectations.

As Sarabia himself puts it: “Everything starts from bravery… we have an idea, and we will die with that idea.”

His players share the same conviction. Captain Pedro Bigas says the team finally feels “in control, even against the biggest teams,” while striker Rafa Mir highlights the “freedom within structure” that has allowed Elche to thrive, and allowed him to net four goals this season.

With upcoming fixtures against Girona, Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano, Elche have the chance to consolidate their impressive start and push closer to the top half.

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Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd have been rested for the Nepal series, while Shimron Hetmyer had made himself unavailable

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025The West Indies team management is looking to expand the bowlers’ pool ahead of the T20 World Cup early next year in India and Sri Lanka.Their next T20I assignment is against Nepal at the end of this month for which the selectors have picked five uncapped players, including legspinner Zishan Motara, left-arm quick Ramon Simmonds and legspin-bowling allrounder Navin Bidaisee, apart from batters Ackeem Auguste and Karima Gore, who played international cricket for USA until 2021 but is yet to get his West Indies cap.They have also picked a support staff heavily stacked with former bowlers to accompany the 15-man squad to Sharjah, with Rayon Griffith as the head coach, Ottis Gibson as fast-bowling consultant, and Nikita Miller and Jerome Taylor as assistant coaches.Related

'Not tactics, just team belief' – Pooran toasts TKR's spirit after CPL glory

Nepal, WI to play first bilateral T20I series in September

Five uncapped players in Akeal Hosein-led WI T20I squad against Nepal

“The tour of Nepal is quite strategic for us,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said in a press meet. “We have recognised that probably over the last few years, our bowling has been a little bit of the Achilles’ heel in our white-ball team. So we have tried to bolster the support for the bowling group.”After touring the UAE, West Indies will tour Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in October and then fly to New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs.Full-time head coach Daren Sammy explained that some of the first-choice players like Gudakesh Motie, the second-highest wicket-taker in the ongoing CPL, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd had been rested for the games in Nepal to manage their workloads. Except Shimron Hetmyer, who blew hot and blew cold this CPL and was unavailable for the tour.Ottis Gibson’s presence raises the profile of the West Indies support staff•Getty Images”If you look at the workload of these guys, Rovman for sure, he has been battling a wrist injury that prevented him from playing in the Pakistan series,” Sammy said. “I mean, he pushed it through this CPL. He requested a time off for him to further look at it. Motie and Shepherd, because of their workload over the last few months, we gave them a time off for that. Sherfane was also [rested] because of his workload.”Hetmyer also requested that he was unavailable for that Nepal trip. So again, like I said, it’s not always a bed of roses. Some things we don’t see, but it’s always a challenge. I’ve said that when I call somebody and tell them, ‘you’ve been selected for some of the series’, and I have to ask to everyone, do you accept the selection to play for West Indies? It’s something that I must do because we don’t own the players. We could only select from what’s available to us. Hettie has been one of our promising, talented players from the Under-19 level. However, the scope of things that now… we could only select and hope guys accept this selection. But he’s always available for selection from our side.”Sammy further said that the selectors and coaches also looked at the performers from the inaugural Breakout League – a new T20 league launched earlier this year to spot talent from across the Caribbean – and the CPL to pick fresh players for the upcoming T20Is.Nathan Edward is a rare left-arm quick in West Indies cricket•ICC/Getty Images”You look at the Breakout [League] and again, I will emphasise the need for continued avenues for us to showcase and unearth talent,” he said. “And the Breakout, maybe some people were against it because it was a T20 format, but if you see this year, the amount of players that came through – Bidaisee was one of them that came through and show his skillset in the Breakout. And, he reminds me of Samuel Badree, who probably could bowl in the powerplay, bowl in the middle, very consistent around that good-length area that brings challenges to batsmen.”And two areas that I’ve spoken about in our bowling department in T20s is the need for a wristspinner. And every single team I could remember in World Cup T20 cricket, has had a left-arm seamer. Just the angle they bring and the difficulty, especially in the back-end of an innings, or whether the ability to swing. I don’t think in the history of West Indies cricket we’ve actually even had two left-arm seamers playing together, much less three. And we also, from the Breakout, you see a young Nathan Edward, who’s been quite quality as well. So again, you put that and you’re hoping that one or two will graduate so quickly that they could be into the senior team.”We gave Jediah [Blades] the exposure, but the way Ramon Simmonds has been bowling in all phases of the game gives me, and I’m pretty sure the selection group, confidence. It makes us excited about the prospects, the promise he’s shown. And then to top that, having somebody like an Ottis Gibson working with them, it’s a win-win situation for us. And hopefully that experience that they will gain or learn from getting the skillsets and the technical aspects of fast bowling or seam bowling from Ottis on that short trip could be a step…”Matthew Forde was still not fit to be considered for selection after he dislocated his shoulder in August, which made him miss the ODIs against Pakistan. CWI is, however, hoping he will be “up and running again” by the Bangladesh series.

أعلن الألماني هانز فليك، تشكيل الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة لمواجهة أتلتيك بلباو، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويواجه برشلونة نظيره أتلتيك بلباو مساء اليوم، السبت، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، في تمام الساعة الخامسة والربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، السادسة والربع بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

ويمتلك برشلونة 28 نقطة، حيث يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإسباني في الوقت الحالي، في حين أن أتلتيك بلباو لديه 17 نقطة في المركز السابع.

ويعود فريق برشلونة للعب مجددًا على ملعب سبوتيفاي “كامب نو” بعد عامين ونصف من التجديد، في لحظة انتظرها جميع عشاق الفريق الكتالوني.

اقرأ أيضًا | زوجة لاعب برشلونة ترفض اتهامه بالتمرد على هانز فليك

وعاد الحارس الدولي الإسباني خوان جارسيا لتشكيل الفريق مرة أخرى بعد غيابه لعدة أسابيع بسبب الإصابة العضلية التي عانى منها.

وتسلم رافينها التصريح الطبي بعد تعافيه من الإصابة التي اضطرته للغياب عن صفوف الفريق في الفترة الماضية قبل فترة التوقف الدولي ويجلس على دكة البدلاء. تشكيل برشلونة لمواجهة أتلتيك بلباو في الدوري الإسباني

في حراسة المرمى: خوان جارسيا.

في خط الدفاع: جول كوندي – باو كوبارسي – إريك جارسيا – بالدي.

في خط الوسط: فيرمين لوبيز – داني أولمو – جيرارد مارتن

في خط الهجوم: لامين يامال – روبرت ليفاندوفسكي – فيران توريس.

Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have had numerous opportunities to witness numerous elite-level forwards in their first-team squad in North London.

Harry Kane will undoubtedly be the first that springs to mind, after the Englishman netted a total of 280 goals during his decade-long spell as a regular starter.

His tally is the highest in the Lilywhites’ history, but he will no doubt have to hand a huge amount of credit to the direction of former teammate Heung-min Son.

The South Korean often featured alongside Kane in the final third, which saw the duo register 47 goals in the Premier League for one another – a tally making them the best pair in the division’s history.

However, Thomas Frank has been unable to call upon either of the aforementioned talents, with the Dane currently facing a struggle with the options at the top end of the pitch.

Spurs number nine struggles under Thomas Frank

Before a single ball was kicked in 2025/26, many of the Spurs supporters would have anticipated Dominic Solanke to be the club’s starting centre-forward under Frank.

However, it’s been a season to forget for the Englishman to date, with the 28-year-old massively struggling with an ankle issue – even going under the knife to fix the issue.

As a result, he’s been restricted to a total of just 31 league minutes to date, with his last senior appearances for the Lilywhites coming back in August.

Due to the injury issues of Solanke, Richarlison has been handed the responsibility of leading the line in recent months, with the Brazilian making a phenomenal start to the season.

He netted a double in the opening day victory over Burnley in North London, but he’s since only found the net twice in the following ten outings in England’s top-flight.

Prior to netting against Manchester United, the 28-year-old was on a run of ten games without a goal in all competitions, with his previous effort coming way back in the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in September.

His lack of form has allowed Randal Kolo Muani to have the opportunity to stake his claim at the top end of the pitch, with the PSG loanee starting in all of the last three outings, including in the meeting with United.

However, he’s also struggled to make the desired impact, with the Frenchman yet to find the back of the net in any of the eight games he’s played in under Frank.

Frank clearly needs to address the issue in such an area of the pitch, but elite-level talismen certainly don’t come cheap in the current climate – with the boss potentially wishing he had his own version of one other Premier League forward.

The Spurs star who is becoming their very own Haaland

Erling Haaland is a player who has constantly tormented countless backlines in the Premier League, often leaving supporters wishing they had a player of his calibre in their side.

The Norwegian international has registered a staggering record of 142 goals in his 160 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men – cementing himself as one of Europe’s deadliest talismen.

He’s scored four goals in his seven appearances against the Lilywhites, often coming up with the goods and getting one over Spurs since his move to England.

This season alone, the 25-year-old has taken his goalscoring prowess to the next level, already finding the net on 21 occasions in just 18 appearances for the Citizens.

Should Spurs want to land their own version of Haaland, it would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with very few players able to replicate such levels.

However, Frank may already have a similar player in his ranks in the form of centre-back Micky van de Ven – a claim that may come as a surprise given the difference in position.

The Dutch international has been a key member of the Dane’s squad in 2025/26, featuring in every single Premier League and Champions League outing to date.

However, despite his defensive role, he’s thrived in attacking areas, as seen by his tally of six goals in 15 appearances – a tally which has made him the club’s top-goalscorer.

His latest strike came against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night, with the 24-year-old running the entire length of the pitch before firing home expertly – just as Haaland would do at the Etihad.

Van de Ven’s performance led to one analyst dubbing him the “Haaland of centre-backs”, something which is surprisingly accurate given the Dutchman’s freakish pace and power.

The defender, who’s been labelled “world-class” by another analyst, clocked the fastest speed of any player in the division – which is similar to the Norwegian, with the forward having bags of pace despite his huge frame.

Games played

16

Goals scored

6

Pass accuracy

92%

Chances created

0.6

Tackles won

1.1

Aerials won

1.3

Dribble success

50%

Recoveries made

3.6

His aerial ability has also made him a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the pitch, with his tally of 1.3 aerials won per 90 helping him score a double against Everton earlier this season.

Players like Van de Ven don’t come around very often, with the Lilywhites hierarchy conducting phenomenal business, landing the centre-back for just £40m.

His comparisons to Haaland in 2025/26 are there for all to see, with the Spurs star the closest thing Frank currently has to the Premier League’s leading goalscorer.

Johnson upgrade: Paratici working on Spurs deal to sign £48m "world-beater"

Tottenham Hotspur are working on a deal to land a star who could send Brennan Johnson packing.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 6, 2025

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been urged to dig deep once again, with calls growing for Wrexham’s Hollywood hierarchy to make a decisive financial splash in the January transfer window. The Red Dragons arrive at the third international pause of the season in 13th place in the Championship, a mere four points shy of the play-off picture in what has become one of the tightest second-tier campaigns in recent history.

• A rocky start gives way to belief

  Despite investing around £33 million ($43m) in fresh talent following their dramatic rise from League One last season, Wrexham began life in the Championship with uncertainty hanging overhead. Early stumbles suggested the learning curve would be steep. But that perception has shifted in recent weeks, and the feeling around North Wales is that momentum is finally starting to build. Even so, the pressure on Reynolds and McElhenney has quietly intensified. Their long-stated ambition is to propel Wrexham all the way to the top flight, and with several traditionally strong Championship clubs, Southampton and Leicester among them, struggling to impose themselves, observers believe the coming window could be crucial. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goodman: 'This might be their best chance'

  Sky Sports analyst Don Goodman has been forthright in his assessment. Speaking to the former Wolves and Sunderland striker urged the club to act decisively but intelligently. 

  "What you are seeing at the minute is loads of teams that are evenly matched and that gives a real opportunity. It could be that Wrexham might not get a better opportunity," he opined. 

  Goodman suggested that while the club’s summer activity was sizable, particularly given the volume of new arrivals with Championship experience, January should be about precision, not bulk.

  "With that in mind, I think there probably will be money available in January, if necessary," he said. "Their summer recruitment was massive in terms of Championship experience and quantity, a lot of new players came in. If they go and spend money in January, I would expect it to be quality over quantity. I would expect maybe it would be a couple of players brought in that would go straight into the starting eleven and improve them rather than players brought in for the squad.

  "When I look at that table, they are one of four teams, from 11th to 14th, on 21 points, which is four points off a play-off spot. I would expect them to have a real go, and spend some money in January."

  However, Goodman also warned about the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), and added: "I don't know whether financial fair play will kick in and play a part so they'll have to really be careful and get some out before getting some in. But I would expect them to have a go."

• CEO Williamson confirms January backing

  Any concerns that the owners might hesitate in January were quickly dismissed by Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson, who recently set out the club’s strategy. 

  Speaking to , he said: "When you bring in a player in January, you're bringing them in hoping that they have an impact on your current season, but you're also thinking about if they will be ready for the next season. We brought in [Ryan] Longman and [Sam] Smith during the last January transfer window. We did that knowing that Longman had experience in the Championship already, and we felt Smith was a player who was going to be ready for the Championship and to have an impact there.  

  "You see him coming off the bench having an impact and Longman having some starts and also coming off the bench. That's the type of approach that you would take in January [looking at] who can help us in the Championship but also help us for when we arrive to the Premier League."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next?

  Under Phil Parkinson, Wrexham have become one of the most progressive clubs in the EFL. Three promotions in quick succession have transformed expectations, with Reynolds and McElhenney eyeing the Premier League as their long-term destination. The Championship’s congested mid-table has kept Wrexham in touch with the frontrunners, quietly helping sustain belief. They resume their league journey on November 22 against Ipswich. 

The 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA is creeping up on us, and with England already booking their spot in North America, the talk now is who will be on that plane.

Thomas Tuchel will need to select a 26-player squad as he looks to end the Three Lions’ 60-year wait for a World Cup triumph.

Some are guaranteed to be in the squad, but there are others who still need to impress. Here’s a look at who is best placed to be included.

Rank

England 2026 World Cup Power Rankings

Position

Club

1

Harry Kane

Forward

Bayern Munich

2

Declan Rice

Midfielder

Arsenal

3

Jordan Pickford

Goalkeeper

Everton

4

Marc Guehi

Defender

Crystal Palace

5

Bukayo Saka

Forward

Arsenal

6

Jude Bellingham

Midfielder

Real Madrid

7

Elliot Anderson

Midfielder

Nottingham Forest

8

Reece James

Defender

Chelsea

9

Anthony Gordon

Forward

Newcastle

10

Phil Foden

Midfielder

Man City

11

Djed Spence

Defender

Tottenham

12

John Stones

Defender

Man City

13

Morgan Rogers

Midfielder

Aston Villa

20

Cole Palmer

Midfielder

Chelsea

15

Adam Wharton

Midfielder

Crystal Palace

16

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Defender

Real Madrid

17

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

Crystal Palace

18

Marcus Rashford

Forward

Barcelona

19

Ezri Konsa

Defender

Aston Villa

20

Dan Burn

Defender

Newcastle

21

Eberechi Eze

Midfielder

Arsenal

22

Jordan Henderson

Midfielder

Brentford

23

Jarrod Bowen

Forward

West Ham

24

Morgan Gibbs-White

Midfielder

Nottingham Forest

25

Nico O’Reilly

Defender

Man City

26

Conor Gallagher

Midfielder

Atletico Madrid

1 Goalkeepers

Rank

England Goalkeeper Rankings

Club

1

Jordan Pickford

Everton

2

Dean Henderson

Crystal Palace

3

James Trafford

Man City

4

Nick Pope

Newcastle

5

Aaron Ramsdale

Newcastle

Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one since 2018 and the Everton star looks set to remain first choice heading into 2026, providing he stays fit.

With two more spots open for ‘keepers, there looks set to be a battle between Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale.

Of the four, Henderson and Pope are getting regular minutes for Crystal Palace and Newcastle, whereas Trafford and Ramsdale are finding minutes hard to come by. Tuchel has been picking Trafford, though, so Pope could miss out.

2 Full-backs

Rank

England Full-Back Rankings

Club

1

Reece James

Chelsea

2

Djed Spence

Tottenham

3

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid

4

Nico O’Reilly

Man City

5

Tino Livramento

Newcastle

6

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Arsenal

7

Kieran Trippier

Newcastle

Top of the full-back charts are Chelsea’s Reece James and Tottenham’s Djed Spence, who have been regulars in Tuchel’s squads recently, with the former working under the England boss at Stamford Bridge.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out by Tuchel earlier this year following his move to Real Madrid, but his technical ability will surely see him selected even if it isn’t as a starter.

Elsewhere, Tuchel has warned Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly he needs more minutes at club level to be considered for selection. Nico O’Reilly is in a good position after starring under Pep Guardiola at Man City, whereas Tino Livramento is set to return to regular action with Newcastle soon.

3 Centre-backs

Rank

England Centre-Back Rankings

Club

1

Marc Guehi

Crystal Palace

2

John Stones

Man City

3

Dan Burn

Newcastle

4

Ezri Konsa

Aston Villa

5

Jarell Quansah

Bayer Leverkusen

6

Trevoh Chalobah

Chelsea

7

Jarrad Branthwaite

Everton

8

Levi Colwill

Chelsea

9

Harry Maguire

Man Utd

With Tuchel potentially going with a back four, Marc Guehi is on course to take one of two starting centre-back spots if he continues to star for Crystal Palace.

John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Trevoh Chalobah have all been in Tuchel’s squads and could battle it out to partner Guehi.

Meanwhile, Jarrad Branthwaite and Levi Colwill could make a late push if they can get enough minutes under their belt when they return from injury in 2026.

There may not be a place for Harry Maguire, though, who appears to have fallen out of favour at international level.

4 Central midfielders

Rank

England Central-Midfielder Rankings

Club

1

Declan Rice

Arsenal

2

Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

3

Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace

4

Jordan Henderson

Brentford

5

Alex Scott

Bournemouth

6

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

AC Milan

7

Conor Gallagher

Atletico Madrid

8

Curtis Jones

Liverpool

Right now, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson look set to be the two starting central midfielders in Tuchel’s England side, allowing the Three Lions’ attacking stars freedom to shine.

Adam Wharton appears to be next in line to come in for either Rice or Anderson, whereas Jordan Henderson has also made a few of Tuchel’s squads.

Alex Scott of Bournemouth was also handed a maiden call-up and AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been in Tuchel’s squads in 2025.

5 Attacking midfielders

Rank

England Attacking-Midfielder Rankings

Club

1

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

2

Phil Foden

Man City

3

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

4

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

5

Eberechi Eze

Arsenal

6

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

Further forward in an attacking midfield role, Tuchel will surely select Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Real Madrid star Bellingham appears to be getting back to his best, whereas Tuchel sees Foden as a central player over a winger.

Cole Palmer has been injured at Chelsea and may have some work to do in 2026 to make the 26-player squad ahead of Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White.

6 Forwards

Rank

England Forwards Power Rankings

Club

1

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

2

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

3

Anthony Gordon

Newcastle

4

Marcus Rashford

Barcelona

5

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham

6

Noni Madueke

Arsenal

7

Jack Grealish

Everton

8

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

9

Danny Welbeck

Brighton

Captain Harry Kane will lead the line for England in North America, providing he stays fit, after starring once again for Bayern Munich, and Tuchel could select a number of versatile forwards instead of another striker to back up the Bayern Munich star.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen can play out wide or through the middle, whereas Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are currently first-choice wingers.

Players with work to do to make the squad include Ollie Watkins and maybe even Jack Grealish, despite his positive start at Everton. A surprise name to keep an eye on could be Brighton’s Danny Welbeck following his fine form in the Premier League.

Joe Buck was back in the baseball booth for Thursday’s Opening Day game between the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers, marking his first time calling a national baseball game in four years.

Buck, who joined the ESPN crew on a one-off assignment Thursday afternoon, didn’t have to wait long for a big moment as Yankees’ Austin Wells homered as the leadoff batter, becoming the first catcher with a leadoff home run on Opening Day.

Buck paid Yankees broadcasting stalwart Michael Kay a sweet nod on Wells’s homer, lending his voice to Kay’s signature call:

“Here’s a 2-0… That is ripped into right, back at the wall… See ya! Home run!” Buck said. “What a start. Yankees on top 1-0.”

Kay mentioned on the YES Network pregame that Buck was going to say that for him if the Yankees hit a homer, so it doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Still, it was nice to see Buck tip his hat to the longtime broadcaster.

The Yankees have gained an early lead over the Brewers and are currently up 2-1 in the third.

The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the San Francisco Giants, 10-4, at home on Monday night and one bad call by the home plate umpire in a key moment had everyone, including the announcers of both teams, in utter disbelief.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto had a full count with two outs and two runners on in a four-run game in the bottom of the seventh. He thought he had drawn a walk on a pitch that was well outside the zone but was then stunned to hear Tony Randazzo ring him up with a called third strike.

The Phillies' announcers did not hold back on Randazzo:

"Oh my goodness, that's an awful call," Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "That is not a good call."

"That is way off the plate…That was as egregious a miss as you will see from a home plate umpire," Tom McCarthy added.

This call was so bad even the Giants' announcers were shocked:

Not great!

The Phillies fell to 9-7 on the season while the red-hot Giants improved to 12-4.

If this is to be the end of Martin O’Neill’s brief return, what a way to sign off.

On Thursday night, Celtic ended a 16-match, four-year-long winless streak in European away games by beating Feyenoord 3-1 at De Kuip, coming back from a goal down to do so; Yang Hyun-jun, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren all on target.

This means O’Neill has won five of six matches since being parachuted into the role following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation.

The 73-year-old, alongside Shaun Maloney, is set to remain in charge when the Celts visit Easter Road to take on Hibernian on Sunday lunchtime, but there is optimism that Wilfried Nancy will take over soon, potentially in time for the visit of Dundee on Wednesday.

Once the Frenchman does swap Ohio for Glasgow, one of Celtic’s breakout stars from this season could well become a key figure, currently on course to replicate an active club legend.

Callum McGregor's importance at Celtic

While players, managers and board members come and go, Callum McGregor remains a constant, the heartbeat in both the team and the club as a whole.

Thursday saw the captain make his 540th appearance for the club, starting 21 of 22 matches so far this season, accumulating 1,939 minutes out of a possible 2,040 so far (95%).

When Scott Brown departed in 2021, his leadership and all-around brilliance was supposed to be impossible to replace, but McGregor has transitioned into this role seamlessly, lifting 24 major trophies to date, and it is incomprehensible to imagine a Celtic side without him.

As well as winning back the ball and keeping the team ticking in possession, McGregor continues to produce key moments, lashing home a 95th-minute winner at St Mirren last Saturday night, having scored a similar rocket against Rangers in the League Cup semi-finals earlier this month.

Having joined the club as an eight-year-old, McGregor continues to set an example to all those in the Celtic academy dreaming of representing the first team one day, but who is currently on course to follow in his footsteps?

Celtic's next academy star

Celtic have endured rotten luck in terms of injuries this season.

Cameron Carter-Vickers could be out for the rest of the season following achilles surgery, Jota remains sidelined after rupturing his ACL in April, while Alistair Johnston suffered a torn hamstring against Kairat in August, only to aggravate the issue 26 minutes into his return when Sturm Graz visited Parkhead.

With Johnston, who has been so excellent since joining the club, having started only five matches all season, most would have expected Anthony Ralston to deputise, but it appears as though Colby Donovan has leapfrogged him in the pecking order.

After featuring sporadically during pre-season, scoring against Cork City at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in July, the 19-year-old made his competitive senior debut against Livingston when Rodgers made wholesale changes in between the two legs against Kairat.

Well, since then, he hasn’t really looked back, starting just two Premiership matches, but included in the lineup for four of the five Europa League fixtures, these against Crvena zvezda, Braga, Sturm Graz and now Feyenoord, putting in an excellent display in Rotterdam.

The table below documents how well he has played in Europe so far.

Minutes

283

9th

Assists

1

2nd

Completed passes

151

7th

Key passes

3

6th

Big chances created

2

3rd

Passes into final 3rd

14

5th

Progressive passes

18

4th

Passes into box

4

3rd

Shot-creating actions

6

7th

Goal-creating actions

3

1st

Successful dribbles per 90

1.8

3rd

Tackles

7

2nd

Touches

227

6th

Average rating

7.10

2nd

As the table documents, Donovan has been excellent in the Europa League this season, contributing in a wide variety of ways.

The teenager ranks highly for all the in possession metrics, recording an assist for Liam Scales’ crucial equaliser against Sturm Graz, while only Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren have created more big chances, ranked first in terms of goal-creating actions.

Given that incoming manager Nancy deploys a 3-4-2-1 formation, his Columbus Crew side featuring flying wing-backs Max Arfsten and Andrés Herrera, his imminent arrival could be great news for the youngster.

Speaking ahead of the clash with Braga, then-manager Rodgers praised Donovan’s “outstanding” performances, labelling him a “real bright spark” as well as heralding his “personality” and “mentality”.

Well, these all feel like compliments that could be thrown the way of a certain McGregor, whose leadership is as invaluable as his quality to this team.

Thus, it is certainly still early days, but all the signs suggest that Celtic supporters are rightly excited about Donovan, who will go on to have quite the career should he manage to match McGregor’s achievements and make 500+ appearances for the club.

Celtic man was finished under Rodgers, now he can be undroppable for Nancy

Celtic’s wait for a European away win is over, beating Feyenoord 3-1, with a star Brendan Rodgers once labelled “sloppy” playing like an £100m man.

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025