After three years away from managing, Dusty Baker is back—and his return will take on an international flavor.

Baker will manage Nicaragua in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the country's baseball federation announced Monday afternoon. It will be the 76-year-old's first managerial gig since his retirement from the Houston Astros.

Nicaragua is currently ranked No. 16 in the World Baseball and Softball Confederation men's baseball rankings. The team finished 19th in its first ever appearance in the tournament in 2023.

Baker managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Astros during his long Major League Baseball career. He won 2,183 games in 26 seasons, along with three pennants and a World Series title in 2022.

The 2026 edition of the WBC is scheduled to begin on March 5. The Nicaraguans will be grouped with the Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands and Venezuela in pool play in Miami.

Celtic have been meticulously assessing options to succeed Martin O’Neill in the dugout and may now have identified a new figure that could become a serious contender to take the Scottish Premiership champions forward.

At 73 years of age, O’Neill deserves plenty of plaudits for taking a step out of his comfortable stable of punditry work for another spell in charge of his old side, even if he may only be around for a brief period of time.

The victories over Falkirk and Rangers brought back some much-needed morale to the Celtic dressing room. However, the Bhoys’ defeat to FC Midtjylland in midweek prompted the former Republic of Ireland boss to make his stance clear on a longer stay in Glasgow.

He told TNT Sports: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that. That could be at the end of the week, it could be after the Kilmarnock game. I just don’t know.”

Later, he added after being asked if he was in constant discussions with the hierarchy, fuelling speculation that he may not be in charge beyond the international break: “No I’m not and I don’t really want to be. I just want to be told when my time is up.”

Kjetil Knutsen continues to be in the Celtic running as his Bodo/Glimt contract comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is a Parkhead candidate due to his sterling work at Portman Road.

With speculation bound to continue over the coming days, a new name has entered the picture as a potential successor to interim coach O’Neill.

Celtic place Brian Barry-Murphy on manager shortlist

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Celtic have shortlisted Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy as a managerial candidate to take over permanently at Parkhead.

Middlesbrough are also on the hunt for a new head coach as Rob Edwards completes a controversial move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, though the Scottish champions appear ready to throw a spanner in the works amid their links to the City Football Group.

Brian Barry-Murphy at Cardiff City – 2025/26
Wins	13
Draws	2
Losses	6
62% win ratio from 21 matches this season.

Previously, he was head coach at Rochdale before a spell in charge of Manchester City’s elite development squad, and he has also further coaching experience in a technical role at Leicester City.

Celtic could land an alternative manager with a secret release clause

Cardiff City find themselves fourth on 26 points and could go top of the table should they win their game in hand. Predominantly adopting a 4-2-3-1, the Bluebirds have been an attacking force this campaign, scoring the joint-third most goals in League One.

Nevertheless, managing Celtic is a whole different kettle of fish due to the pressures associated with the role. It remains to be seen who will be trusted to lead their bid to retain the Scottish Premiership title.

Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from ODI cricket and has been included in both ODI and T20I squads for the Pakistan tour in October as well as a one-off T20I in Namibia before that.De Kock had retired from 50-over cricket after the 2023 ODI World Cup, and his last white-ball game for South Africa was the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados. While he never officially retired from T20Is, he was not included in any of South Africa’s squads and former coach Rob Walter was unsure of his long-term plans. In the meantime, he has been active in T20 leagues around the world, including the recently-concluded CPL.Shukri Conrad, the current head coach, has had a discussion with de Kock and said he has committed to the national team again.Related

• De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

• Bavuma out of Pakistan Test series with calf strain; Markram to lead

• 'Strange things happen in life' – de Kock is done with ODIs, or is he?

“Quinton’s return to the white-ball space is a major boost for us,” Conrad said. “When we spoke last month about his future, it was clear that he still has a strong ambition to represent his country. Everyone knows the quality he brings to the side, and having him back can only benefit the team.”At the time of his ODI retirement, de Kock had hinted that he might be convinced to come back, with South Africa’s home World Cup in 2027 on the horizon. “At this point, I don’t foresee it happening. But you never know. Strange things happen in life. It could be a possibility but I don’t think so,” he had said.De Kock has played 155 ODIs, in which he has 6770 runs at an average of 45.74 and a strike rate of 96.64. In 92 T20Is, he has 2584 runs at a strike rate of 138.32. He has played three ODI World Cups – 2015, 2019 and 2023 – and the only ICC tournament he missed after his retirement was the Champions Trophy earlier this year where South Africa were knocked out in the semi-final.

The Premier League season is now starting to take shape as we head into a busy festive period, and there have already been plenty of surprises.

Whether it be Sunderland’s return or Liverpool’s struggles, there have been numerous talking points so far, and FootballBlog have transformed the top flight table to a cost per point basis.

Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

This table is made up of each of the 20 Premier League sides’ total summer transfer spend in 2025, divided by points they have earned in the first 11 games of the season.

Premier League table cost per point

Rank

Club

Summer spend

Cost per point

1

Aston Villa

£28m

£1.56m per point

2

Crystal Palace

£49.9m

£2.94m per point

3

Fulham

£35.1m

£3.19m per point

4

Brighton

£67.7m

£4.23m per point

5

Brentford

£92.8m

£5.8m per point

6

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£7.59m per point

7

Everton

£124m

£8.27m per point

8

Man City

£185.8m

£8.45m per point

9

Leeds

£103.1m

£9.37m per point

10

Tottenham

£171.2m

£9.51m per point

11

Sunderland

£183.4m

£9.65m per point

12

Burnley

£97.7m

£9.77m per point

13

Arsenal

£267m

£10.27m per point

14

Man Utd

£232.4m

£12.91m per point

15

West Ham

£131.3m

£13.13m per point

16

Chelsea

£296.5m

£14.83m per point

17

Nottingham Forest

£182.5m

£20.28m per point

18

Newcastle

£256.3m

£21.36m per point

19

Liverpool

£446.5m

£24.81m per point

20

Wolves

£105.6m

£52.8m per point

20 Wolves £52.8m per point

Based off the fact they only have two points from a possible 33, it is no surprise to see Wolves rock bottom of this table as well.

The Old Gold spent over £100m in the summer, so their cost per point so far is extortionate.

19 Liverpool £24.81m per point

Defending champions Liverpool were the biggest spenders by far over the summer, spending just under £450m on the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez.

Aside from Ekitike, the Reds’ new additions have struggled massively and as a result, every point Arne Slot’s side have picked up has cost them just shy of £25m.

18 Newcastle £21.36m per point

Pressure is building on Eddie Howe and Newcastle after a poor Premier League start, with the Magpies forking out more than £250m in the summer.

Record signing Nick Woltemade started brightly, but Newcastle are in the relegation zone in this cost per point table at more than £21m for each of their 12 points.

17 Nottingham Forest £20.28m per point

Now onto their third manager of the season, Nottingham Forest are showing positive signs under Sean Dyche and are out of the bottom three in this table.

The Reds spent just under £185m after qualifying for the Europa League, meaning Evangelos Marinakis has spent over £20m per point so far.

16 Chelsea £14.83m per point

Chelsea were the second-biggest spenders in England over the summer, with Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens their three most expensive additions.

The Blues have started in solid fashion after their Club World Cup triumph, so a cost of just under £15m per point so far isn’t terrible for Enzo Maresca’s side.

15 West Ham £13.13m per point

This could have been so much worse for West Ham if they hadn’t picked up back-to-back wins prior to the international break.

Now on 10 points from 11 games, the Hammers spent £131.3m over the summer under Graham Potter, but now have Nuno Espirito Santo in charge.

14 Man Utd £12.91m per point

Unbeaten since September, Man Utd are seemingly beginning to find some form under Ruben Amorim, with marquee signings Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha impressing.

The Red Devils spent more than £230m in the summer, and their haul of 18 points works out at just shy of £13m per point.

13 Arsenal £10.27m per point

Top of the Premier League table after a brilliant first 11 games, Arsenal are mid-table in this cost per point league after forking out £267m on new players as they aim to finally lift the title under Mikel Arteta.

Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were the marquee additions in attack, although it has been the Gunners’ defence that has impressed.

12 Burnley £9.77m per point

Newly promoted Burnley are just above the relegation zone but sit clear of it in the cost per point table.

The Clarets brought in the likes of Kyle Walker over the summer, and he’s so far helped them to 10 points in 11 games.

11 Sunderland £9.65m per point

The big success story of the season so far has been Sunderland’s return to the Premier League. After eight years away, the Black Cats signed 13 new players at a cost of £183.4m, many of which have made an instant impact.

Sitting in the top four, Regis Le Bris’ side sit down in 11th here, but that won’t bother them one bit.

Foot fracture may delay first-class debut, but Smeed targets trophies after club’s triple near-miss last year

Valkerie Baynes29-Mar-2025Will Smeed’s plans for a first-class debut – three years after his retirement from red-ball cricket – have taken a minor stumble, but that has done nothing to deter him from targeting a major role in Somerset’s Championship campaign this year.A foot fracture suffered in South Africa, where he played four games for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 at the start of the year, could rule him out of the first match of the Division One season, home to Worcestershire from Friday.”I got it scanned when I got back and I’m just trying to make sure it heals properly before we up the workloads,” Smeed told ESPNcricinfo during Somerset’s pre-season media day. “I should be back playing in no time. I might miss the first week, but it should be fine.”It feels fine. I managed to play on it in South Africa so it’s a case of it would be fine to play on, but they just want to make sure I don’t do any proper damage though.”Related

• Archie Vaughan: Famous offspring happy to be 'own man' at Somerset

• Will Smeed signs groundbreaking white-ball deal with Somerset

• Will Smeed signs new deal to play red-ball cricket for Somerset

Those workloads are indeed set to increase after it was revealed earlier this month that Smeed had backflipped on his fledgling career move to become a white-ball specialist.Smeed announced in 2022 that he would play only white-ball cricket as franchise opportunities beckoned, a move considered groundbreaking given that he had just turned 21 at the time. But after a hamstring injury ruled him out of last year’s Hundred, he found himself playing for Somerset in the Second XI County Championship and enjoyed it which, along with opening the door to more cricket, made a reversal “a bit of a no-brainer”.An explosive batter, who became the first player to score a century in the Hundred three years ago, Smeed doesn’t want to smother that part of his game too much when he finally makes his first-class debut. So far, he has played 105 T20s and just one List A game.Smeed is set for a first-class debut this summer•Getty Images”I definitely think keeping [aggression] as part of your game, but you probably have to be a bit smarter with how you use it and when you use it and obviously then tightening up my defence and things like that,” Smeed said. “A lot of red-ball cricket is about adapting to the ebbs and flows, figuring out when to put your foot down, when to hold back and soak up a bit of pressure. So there needs to be a big learning experience this year, but I’m really looking forward to it.”From a mindset, I’m just more keen to score runs now. I’m just desperate to spend time in the middle and I think that’s why the games at the end of last summer went okay. I think I just put more value on my wicket. I’m still figuring out my game in white-ball stuff, so that’ll be even more prevalent in the red-ball stuff. There might be a technical tweak here or there, but I think a lot of it’s just going to be the way I approach it and the mindset and the options I take and figuring out what works for me.”Somerset came close to a trophy in all three competitions in 2024, but ended up with none. Their loss to Lancashire in the penultimate round of the Championship ensured Surrey finished top of Division One and then Hampshire won their final-round game to seal second place, leaving Somerset in third.On Blast Finals Day, Somerset beat Surrey in the semi-finals but then lost to Gloucestershire in the final, with Smeed scoring a duck and 8 in those games respectively. Somerset also lost the final of the One-Day Cup to Glamorgan.Smeed was the first batter to make a hundred in the Hundred•ECB/Getty ImagesNow, Smeed says his main aim is to win trophies with Somerset, with their 2023 Blast title “still the highlight of my career”, while scoring plenty of runs, with four-day cricket offering ample opportunity for that.”It means I’m here all summer,” Smeed said. “That was a big thing I made clear to Somerset, that I wanted to commit to the whole summer here and I wasn’t going to flip off somewhere if the opportunity came about. I’m here now and it means I can just get stuck into the English summer and really get my head down and try and win some games for Somerset.”The last couple of years with my contract, I’ve been able to take anything that came my way, whereas now, having just fully committed to the summer with Somerset takes that distraction away I guess – or it’s one more decision that I don’t have to make should something come up.”It’s just going to be I’m here with Somerset and that’s me for the summer. Then in the winter hopefully there’s opportunities to go away again and play some stuff overseas.”And if the Blast doesn’t fully satisfy those white-ball urges, there is always the Hundred window in August, when Smeed will return to Birmingham Phoenix, who are still searching for their first title.Having gone all-or-nothing down one career path, perhaps now Smeed really can have it all.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has done very well to navigate the club’s list of injury problems this campaign, particularly in attack.

Arsenal are currently sweating over the fitness of Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres as they prepare for the North London derby against Tottenham right after the international break.

Arteta, depending on developments, faces another potential selection headache in the final third, but makeshift number nine Mikel Merino has once again done well to fill the void left by Gyokeres since his injury against Burnley.

Most of the aforementioned stars are racing to be fit for their clash with Tottenham on November 23, with Havertz and Madueke believed to have impressed Arsenal rehab staff in their recoveries from knee problems.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Unfortunately for Jesus, the derby comes too soon for him, despite returning to full training, and he’ll be the last Arsenal star to make his comeback after rupturing his ACL against Man United in January (Simon Collings).

Even without a large number of their attacking contingent, Arsenal have still marked themselves out as the team to beat — thanks largely to their imperious defence and set-piece dominance.

The Gunners have scored eight goals from corners in their opening 11 top flight games this season, the most ever recorded by any team at this stage of a Premier League campaign. Their 36 corner goals since the start of last season tops all of Europe too, with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover largely credited for Arsenal’s superb dead ball threat.

They also recorded eight consecutive clean sheets before the 2-2 draw with Sunderland last weekend, equalling a club record that had stood for 122 years since 1903, and they still boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues, having conceded just five in all competitions so far.

While Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have taken a lot of the credit for being two of world football’s best centre-backs right now, you cannot underestimate the impact of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori in the full-back areas.

Ray Parlour has described them as two of Arsenal’s players of the season so far, with Calafiori’s form even prompting reports that Myles Lewis-Skelly could leave in January due to a lack of game time.

The last thing Arteta needs is an injury concern for the Italian, but according to TUTTOmercatoWEB, that’s exactly what he’s got.

Riccardo Calafiori nursing hip injury as Arsenal learn recovery timeline

According to the Italian news outlet, Calafiori is managing a hip problem on international duty, raising concerns ahead of Tottenham.

The Italian national team are preparing for two critical World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Moldova and Norway, but the versatile defender’s availability has been called into question.

During Italy’s training session under manager Gennaro Gattuso, Calafiori was spotted completing individual work away from the main group due to discomfort in his hip.

The 22-year-old is being carefully managed by the medical staff as they assess the severity of the issue and determine the best course of action, but there is optimism for Arsenal, as Arteta learns his expected recovery timeline.

Calafiori remains with the Italy squad rather than being sent home, suggesting the injury is not considered serious enough to warrant an immediate return to Arsenal. While the former Bologna star is expected to miss their clash with Moldova, Azzurri officials are targeting a return for Calafiori against Norway instead — allowing him time to recover.

Arsenal will be praying this doesn’t turn out to be more serious and he can in fact feature against Spurs, but all the signs appear good so far.

Arteta will be monitoring the situation closely, hoping Calafiori can avoid aggravating the injury during Italy’s fixtures. With the North London derby looming, Arsenal cannot afford to lose the key defender, particularly given the importance of maintaining their excellent defensive record that has underpinned their phenomenal start to the season.

Leeds United reportedly have no plans to part ways with head coach Daniel Farke after the club’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out in the Premier League.

Sky Sports recently claimed that there is ‘growing discontent among supporters’ over the German manager’s position at Elland Road, but the Whites are not planning to fire him.

The West Yorkshire outfit are sat on 11 points from 11 matches and are one point above the relegation zone, which means that they are currently on course to achieve their goal of survival.

However, the Whites play Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea in three of their next four matches and may find themselves in the bottom three heading into the festive period.

Aston Villa

Elland Road

Manchester City

The Etihad

Chelsea

Elland Road

Liverpool

Elland Road

Brentford

GTech Community Stadium

Crystal Palace

Elland Road

Sunderland

Stadium of Light

Whilst one reaction to a bad run of form in that tough run of fixtures could be to remove the manager, another could be to back him with the right tools in the January window.

Adding more attacking quality to the squad should be one of the board’s priorities, because Leeds have not had enough of that in the Premier League so far this season.

Leeds United's biggest xG underperformers

The Championship champions have underperformed their xG of 12.7, scoring just 11 goals, per FBref, which shows that Farke’s players have let him down in front of goal in the top-flight.

Ultimately, the German boss cannot score the goals for them. If his coaching is creating high-quality chances on a consistent basis, as the xG suggests that it is, then it should be the players who are looked at if they are not taking those chances.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

2.89

1

-1.89

Jayden Bogle

0.88

0

-0.88

Brenden Aaronson

1.79

1

-0.79

Joel Piroe

0.73

0

-0.73

Pascal Struijk

0.65

0

-0.65

Dan James

0.47

0

-0.47

Jack Harrison

0.41

0

-0.41

As you can see in the table above, five of the seven players who have underperformed their xG the most in the squad this season have not scored a single goal, including attackers like Joel Piroe, Jack Harrison, and Dan James.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s significant underperformance in front of goal is possibly the most frustrating, as he was signed from Everton in the summer as an experienced Premier League operator.

The £100k-per-week centre-forward, whose only goal for the club so far came against Wolves in September, has scored one goal and missed ten ‘big chances’ in ten appearances in all competitions for the Whites, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that the former England international has been incredibly wasteful in the final third, which is why it would have pleased Farke to see Lukas Nmecha score with a clinical finish against Forest before the start of the break.

Calvert-Lewin’s underperformance is a cause for concern and may be why the Whites are reportedly looking at another striker to potentially add to their squad.

Leeds keeping tabs on star with club-record price tag

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds United are showing an interest in FC Midtjylland centre-forward Franculino ahead of the January transfer window.

Bailey told LeedsUnitedNews: “He’s (Franculino) got a lot of teams looking at him. West Ham like him a lot, they looked at him in the summer. Midtjylland have put a £40m price tag on him.

Transfer Focus

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“Teams will possibly try to soften that by putting in lesser offers. He’s got an awful lot of interest; I’m told over 20 clubs across Europe like him. Leeds have looked at him, he’s on their radar, they’ve watched him.”

A £40m move for Franculino would be a club-record fee for the Whites, as it would eclipse the £35.5m deal they agreed to pay Hoffenheim for Georgino Rutter in January 2023.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the 49ers are prepared to break the club’s record transfer fee to bolster Farke’s squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Why Leeds United should sign Franculino in January

The Whites should break the bank to sign the Guinea-Bissau international in the January transfer window because he could come in as a big upgrade on Calvert-Lewin in the centre-forward position.

Since his move from Benfica in 2023, the left-footed marksman has racked up an eye-catching 52 goals and 13 assists in 99 appearances in all competitions for Midtjylland, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has averaged a goal more than every other game for the Danish side.

Three of those 52 goals have come in his four appearances in the Europa League so far this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he can deliver quality in front of goal at a respectable level.

Whilst there may be question marks over how the Danish Superliga translates to the English Premier League, there is no denying that his form for Midtjylland is incredibly eye-catching.

Appearances

9

14

Goals

1

14

Minutes per goal

615

76

Conversion rate

6%

38%

Big chances missed

6

7

Big chances created

1

3

Assists

0

3

As you can see in the table above, the Guinea-Bissau international has averaged a goal every 76 minutes, with a goal every game, in the Danish top-flight, whilst Calvert-Lewin has only managed a goal every 615 minutes.

Franculino, who was described as “simply unstoppable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has offered significantly more to his team this season than Calvert-Lewin has in the final third, as both a goalscorer and a creator.

The 21-year-old star’s all-time statistics for Midtjylland also suggest that it is not a flash in the pan, as he has a terrific overall record, and that is why he could be an exciting addition to Farke’s squad to solve their finishing problems.

Calvert-Lewin’s form for Leeds since his move from Everton has not been good enough, as evidenced by his xG underperformance, and Franculino appears to be a player who could come in and be the clinical finisher that the Whites lack, which is why he may be worth paying a club-record fee for.

Leeds have a Gelhardt upgrade out on loan who's 'similar to Summerville'

Leeds United might need to recall at least one of their loan stars…

ByRobbie Walls Nov 14, 2025

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis lashed out at FIFA and UEFA over the number of players picking up injuries on international duty as he called for extra transfer windows and compensation for clubs. The debate of releasing players for international duties has intensified in recent years with many arguing that clubs are being unfairly impacted by the number of games players are being forced to endure.

• Anguissa blow for Napoli

  The Serie A champions were rocked by a fresh injury blow as in-form midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa picked up a hamstring injury during a training session with Cameroon ahead of their World Cup qualifiers. Zambo Anguissa has displayed great form for Antonio Conte's side, having already scored four goals for the Italian champions and has appeared for the club in 10 out of their 11 Serie A matches thus far. He has since been ruled out for months, which comes as a major blow for Napoli.

  In September, Amir Rhahmani suffered a similar hamstring injury while playing for Kosovo, which kept him out of action until the start of November, when he returned to action against Como in the Serie A. 

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• Getty
  

  Napoli chief blasts FIFA and UEFA

  Napoli president De Laurentiis slammed FIFA for the club's losses as he told Motore Italia: "I loaned Rrahmani, and he came back in a wreck, Anguissa came back in a wreck. We can't go on like this. When the championships are on, I have to get to the end without interruptions. We need fewer teams, fewer matches.

  "Players earn a salary from their clubs, and clubs should be able to decide whether or not to send them to their national teams. If a player gets injured on international duty, a transfer window should be reopened and we should be compensated. But it seems FIFA and UEFA don't care about national leagues."

• Yamal's injury blow created tension between Spain and Barca

  Earlier this week, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal pulled out of the Spain national team for the November games, citing injury problems, which irked the Spanish Football Association (RFEF). Following Yamal's decision, the RFEF released a statement expressing their surprise.

  "This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days," the statement released on Tuesday read. "Given this situation, and prioritising at all times the health, safety and well-being of the player, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current call-up. We are confident that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery."

  Before naming Yamal in his squad for the November games, Spain boss Luis De La Fuente had justified his decision to pick the teenager because of his recent appearances for Barcelona, claiming that he was in "perfect condition". With Yamal facing fitness issues this season, the RFEF's insistence on calling him up has sparked reports of tension between the organisation and Barcelona. 

  A similar issue has occurred in France, where Paris Saint-Germain saw Ousmane Dembele ruled out for several weeks after playing for his national team, causing another public feud between club and national association. France coach Didier Deschamps left Dembele out of his latest squad after the Ballon d'Or winner was hit with another injury while playing in the Champions League for PSG.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  How is it going for Napoli?

  Napoli started their title defence campaign on a bright note, but have now failed to win in their last two Serie A games. Conte's side are now fourth in the league after their latest loss to Bologna as Inter overtook them to climb to the top of the Serie A table with 24 points from 11 games, two more than the reigning champions. They will be back in action after the international break on November 22 as they host Atalanta in a crucial Serie A clash. 

Celtic appear to be inching ever closer to finally appointing their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers, who resigned last month after a loss to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the Hoops since Rodgers left the club, and oversaw three wins in four matches before the international break, including a 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out.

The experienced boss may not manage another game for the Scottish giants, though, as Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy appears to be on his way to Parkhead.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that the French manager has been given permission to speak with the club this weekend to discuss a move to Glasgow.

If Nancy does take over at Parkhead, he will be looking to build on the success that Rodgers, as shown in the graphic above, achieved during his second stint at the club.

The Columbus Crew tactician should also look to build on some of the good work that O’Neill has done in his interim spell, as the experienced boss has got the best out of Johnny Kenny.

How Johnny Kenny could fit in Wilfried Nancy's set-up

The Ireland international has scored four goals in four matches under O’Neill in recent weeks, having only scored two goals in his first 17 appearances for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the former Shamrock Rovers star has stepped his game up since Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a hamstring injury last month, as he has shown that he can be relied on to score goals for the Hoops.

Kenny has been playing as the sole number nine in a 4-2-3-1 system for O’Neill, after playing a similar role in a 4-3-3 set-up for Rodgers, but Nancy’s preferred formation, per Transfermarkt, is a 3-4-2-1.

Diego Rossi, who is a similar profile of player to Kenny in terms of his build and attributes, has typically been deployed as one of two second strikers operating behind a focal point centre-forward in that 3-4-2-1 shape, although he has also played as part of a front two in a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2.

Appearances

48

37

Shots

112

123

xG

13.14

15.54

Goals

21

19

xA

5.60

6.46

Big chances created

14

11

Assists

7

5

As you can see in the table above, Rossi has thrived in that role under Nancy in the last two seasons, racking up 40 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Kenny, therefore, could look to thrive as one of the two players behind a starting number nine, as he perhaps lacks the physicality to play as the focal point on his own in that system.

With this in mind, the Hoops could land an upgrade on him as an out-and-out centre-forward by signing a Premier League player who is a reported target.

Celtic eyeing move for Premier League striker

According to 67HailHail, Celtic are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson ahead of a potential swoop for his services in the January transfer window.

The report claims that he was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer transfer window before the Ireland international, understandably, opted to sign for Serie A side Roma on loan.

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It adds that his loan spell with the Italian giants could be cut short, though, in January because of his struggle for form, with no goals in ten matches so far.

Celtic are keeping tabs on his situation with a view to chasing a deal to sign him on loan for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Despite his struggles with Roma this season, which is why he may become available in January, Ferguson could arrive as a dream first signing for Nancy at Parkhead.

Why Evan Ferguson would be a dream first signing for Wilfried Nancy

The Ireland international would come in as a dream first signing because he could be the focal point that the French head coach needs to play his 3-4-2-1 formation with the Hoops.

Celtic, since they sold Adam Idah in the summer, do not have a physical and imposing centre-forward who can act as a focal point, as Kelechi Iheanacho and Johnny Kenny are both more suited to playing with another striker or as a second striker behind a number nine.

Ferguson, standing at 6 foot 2, can provide that natural number nine presence to lead the line as the centre-forward in a 3-4-2-1, acting as an upgrade on Kenny as the main number nine.

In fact, former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker once likened him to Manchester City’s monstrous forward Erling Haaland. He said: “I do see a hint of Haaland about him, his stature, his movement, his youth and stuff like that.”

He has a physically imposing presence that could make him a handful for Premiership defenders to deal with, whilst his career so far also suggests that he could offer more quality than Kenny as an out-and-out number nine.

Age

21

22

Height

6 ft 2

5 ft 8

Senior Ireland caps

26

0

Senior Ireland goals

8

0

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL games

75

15

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL goals

13

5

As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has 26 more caps and eight more goals than Kenny, who is older than him, for Ireland, whilst he has also scored eight more top-level goals.

The Brighton loanee has struggled in the Serie A this season, undoubtedly, but he managed six Premier League goals each season as a teenager in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, per Sofascore, which is no mean feat.

The 21-year-old marksman, whose finishing was hailed as “phenomenal” by James Milner, has shown incredible promise in the Premier League and at international level for Ireland, whilst Kenny has never played at a level above the Premiership and is yet to be capped by Ireland, although he is in the current squad.

This suggests that Ferguson would be an upgrade on his international teammate as an out-and-out centre-forward, potentially taking his place or forcing Nancy to unleash him in the Diego Rossi role behind Ferguson.

"I will step aside" – O'Neill says no talks with Celtic board over permanent role

He’s had his say.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

Overall, the Brighton striker would be a dream first signing for the French boss, should he take over at Parkhead, because of the role that he could play in the team, and the quality that he could bring to the pitch.

Australia’s captain has been sidelined for the next two months after scans showed a back problem

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-20251:10

Bailey: ‘Expect Cummins to be fit for first Ashes Test’

Australia captain Pat Cummins has admitted he might be “aggressive” to prove his fitness from a back injury for the start of the Ashes.Cummins will miss upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India due to lumbar bone stress. Although chair of selectors George Bailey expects Cummins to lead Australia out for the Ashes opener in Perth on November 21, there are no guarantees.Speaking for the first time since the extent of his injury was revealed, Cummins wants to avoid watching the highly anticipated series from the sidelines.Related

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“That would be devastating, so we’ll be doing everything we can to try to be right for that and try to make a few decisions a little bit closer, but confident” Cummins told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday. “Do the rehab right and give it a good crack.”It’s a big Ashes series. It doesn’t get much bigger, so I think you’re willing to take a few risks and be a little bit aggressive to try and play as much Test [cricket] as you can.”Echoing Bailey’s comments from Tuesday, Cummins backed himself to be able to prepare for the first Test without any match practice.”At this stage of my career I feel like I can probably get up to speed a bit quicker than when I was 18 or 19,” he said. “Back then you probably feel like you need to play a few [Sheffield] Shield games or one-dayers.  I’m pretty confident even if I don’t get a chance to play a Shield game, I’ll can get up to speed.”Cummins pulled up sore following Australia’s 3-0 demolition of the West Indies in July, despite only bowling a combined 60 overs across the three Tests.Pat Cummins started to feel some soreness during the West Indies tour•Associated Press

“Gave it kind of another month [after the tour], have had a pretty quiet month to help settle it down and had another scan on Monday which [was] not terrible, but kind of enough to know that there’s a little bit there and kind of got to be careful for the next little bit,” Cummins said.”It doesn’t feel too bad, but I’m obviously not bowling or doing too much at the moment. With bone injuries, you really just want to settle it down.”I’m still doing a bit of gym, but no real running, no bowling.  Get that right and then we’ll build up to the summer. We’ve got loads of time, there’s about 12 weeks until the first Test.  We’ll see how the next little bit pans out.”If Cummins isn’t fit, Australia have captaincy and bowling options to cover him. Scott Boland would almost certainly be called into the pace attack after spectacularly taking a hat-trick in Australia’s previous Test against West Indies in July.”We always talk about we need a lot of depth,” Cummins said. “We’ve been lucky in the last couple of years. We kind of haven’t had to go past the four guys really, but guys like Sean Abbott…Doggy [Brendan Doggett], there’s about four or five guys. Ness [Michael Neser] has obviously been around, Jhye Richardson.”There’s guys who have been in and around the Test team over the last few years and haven’t had too many opportunities, but we know they’re going to be good enough if they’re needed. But hopefully the other three are going to be fighting fit, plus me, and we’ve got plenty of resources.”Former skipper Steven Smith has also covered for Cummins numerous times since he became Test captain in November 2021.