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From Tony Adams to Ashley Cole, from Cesc Fabregas to Jack Wilshere, and from Bukayo Saka to Ethan Nwaneri, it’s safe to say Arsenal have spawned some of the best young talent in world football over the last three decades.

The Hale End academy is revered around Europe and they’re not slowing down.

The start of Mikel Arteta’s reign was dominated by that man, Saka, and now, a few years into his tenure, it appears as though Nwaneri is beginning to make a name for himself too, starring in the offensive line.

With 15-year-old Max Dowman also causing a stir at youth level, the Gunners certainly look like they’re set up for a bright future.

From the above list, we’ve missed off a few names, perhaps most notably Myles Lewis-Skelly. Sadly for him, Andrea Berta and Co could be about to sign some competition.

Arsenal targeting one of the finest young talents in Europe

A lot of the talk so far this window has been dominated by the elusive striker. Will Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres arrive? Only time will tell.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That said, it’s important that Berta doesn’t neglect other areas of the pitch, and probably to the dismay of Arsenal fans aplenty, the defence could be bolstered again.

Reports from the Athletic this week suggest that they are looking to sign someone who can play second fiddle to William Saliba and Gabriel with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi earmarked. We’ve also seen less concrete reports suggesting that Arsenal are looking at former Manchester City centre-back, Aymeric Laporte, who now plays in Saudi Arabia.

However, there’s a player who’s a great deal more exciting than both of them; Jorrel Hato.

Arsenal have a long-standing interest in the Ajax star and this summer, he could finally be on the move with a host of clubs interested in prising him away from Amsterdam.

The young Dutchman is attracting the interest of Chelsea, but recent reports from journalist Graeme Bailey this week suggest their London rivals have also held talks regarding a move.

Bailey revealed that Arsenal considered a move for £40m-rated defender last summer and are now considering making a formal bid following ‘successful talks’ with Ajax.

How Hato could replicate Arsenal's great young talents

It’s safe to say that when things have been tough for Arteta at Arsenal, the younger players at his disposal have come up trumps.

It was Saka and Emile Smith Rowe who combined so successfully during the Spaniard’s first year at Arsenal and with injuries decimating the squad in 2024/25, it was Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly who stood up.

The former ended up playing 37 matches in all competitions, scoring nine goals, most notably bagging against Manchester City in Arsenal’s remarkable 5-1 win at the Emirates.

Also on the scoresheet that day was Lewis-Skelly whose meteoric rise has been staggering. He hadn’t made his debut for the club before this season but ended the campaign having dominated Real Madrid, shone against PSG and even scored on his England debut.

Well, Hato, aged just 19, is very much cut from the same cloth as his fellow teenage stars.

Like Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, he made his senior debut as a boy. While Nwaneri was only 15 at the time of his Premier League debut, making him the youngest player in the competition’s history, Hato was only 16 when Ajax gave him his Eredivisie debut.

Since then, the defender – who can play at left-back and centre-back – has risen up the ranks remarkably swiftly.

He’s already played 111 times for the Dutch giants – making him the youngest member of Ajax’s 100 club, and has been described as “one of the most talented CBs of his generation in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig.

Also labelled as an “elite talent” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Hato evidently has the world at his feet. He’s making a stir just as Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have. He’s got the confidence and swagger they both have too.

Incredibly, he’s already got amazing leadership skills despite his tender age. He’s captained his boyhood club on several occasions, which is just one of many boxes Hato seems to tick.

Versatile? Check. Leadership skills? Check. Experience in Europe? Check. This would be an amazing deal if Arteta and Co can get it over the line.

He's a lot like Isak: Arsenal in talks to sign amazing upgrade on Sesko

Arsenal are turning their attention to a striker they tried to sign in the winter.

1

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 17, 2025

Birmingham Bears picked up a second win in three days to keep their place among the North Group contenders with a seven-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Derbyshire Falcons at the Incora County Ground.On a used pitch that yielded runs only reluctantly, the visitors restricted Derbyshire to 133 for 7, left-arm spinner Danny Briggs taking 2 for 23 with David Lloyd scoring 50 and Brooke Guest an unbeaten 38. Richard Gleeson took two wickets in the powerplay but it was the Bears spinners largely responsible for tying down Falcons.Derbyshire’s spinners threatened to do a similar job but Dan Mousley and Sam Hain (43) showed considerable patience and eventually reaped the rewards, their 93-run partnership across 13.3 overs effectively winning the match, Mousley closing it out with his seventh four with seven balls to spare.Having opted to bat first, Derbyshire suffered a setback when the in-form Aneurin Donald fell for just 2 but seemed to be heading for a satisfactory start until Gleeson removed Cam Fletcher and Wayne Madsen in the space of three balls in the last over of the powerplay to give Bears an early advantage.A boundary apiece from Guest and Lloyd off Jake Lintott’s opening over hinted at acceleration but Falcons’ progress was unspectacular at 65 for 3 from 10. Lloyd drove a soaring straight six off Lintott and repeated the blow against Briggs to complete a 36-ball half-century but was then caught aiming to clear the midwicket boundary.Samit Patel perished cheaply, pouched at backward point when he skied one from Briggs as the competition’s all-time leading wicket-taker on 229 dismissed his closest rival. At 103 for 5 from 16, Derbyshire had been properly strangled by Bears’ spinners. Mousley’s offspin was wicketless but conceded only 16 in his allocation.Ross Whiteley lifted Chris Woakes into the car park on the leg side but once the ball had been found Woakes promptly bowled him with a full delivery off an inside edge. The over cost 13 runs but was one of only three across the innings to yield a tally in double figures and, after Zak Chappell was run out in the last over, 133 looked too little.Daryn Dupavillon, the South African quick, angled one in to bowl Rob Yates with his fourth delivery. Mousley picked up three quick boundaries but Alex Davies, having uppercut Dupavillon for four and lifted Pat Brown for an audacious six on the leg side was caught at midwicket as Brown exacted instant revenge. Mousley slog-swept Madsen for six and the Bears were 50 for 2 from six.Patel and fellow spinner Mitch Wagstaff applied the brakes, conceding just 29 in six overs bowling in tandem, but with 55 needed after 12 overs, and eight wickets in hand, the Bears were still favourites, more so after Mousley and Hain plundered 21 from the next two before Mousley swept Patel to go to fifty from 42 balls.The requirement was down to six from 17 balls by the time Brown bowled Hain after a 42-ball innings containing only one boundary. Mousley cut Chappell for his seventh four to complete the win.

Manchester United’s wait for back-to-back Premier League wins continues, with the Red Devils having slipped to a 13th top-flight defeat of the season away to high-flying Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.

Frustratingly for Ruben Amorim, his side had largely put in an encouraging performance at the City Ground, albeit while being undone on the counter in the early knockings of the game, as former United man Anthony Elanga – perhaps inevitably – converted following a stunning surging run from his own half.

The visitors were largely untroubled otherwise, although – as has been the norm in 2024/25 so far – they simply failed to offer the cutting edge at the other end of the pitch, with the decision not to start Rasmus Hojlund having certainly backfired.

The Danish number nine did provide a much needed focal point when he was introduced as Joshua Zirkzee dropped into a deeper role, although it wasn’t until the last-gasp introduction of makeshift striker, Harry Maguire, that United actually came close to drawing level, with the towering centre-back having notably been denied on the line by opposite number Murillo.

As it is, Amorim will be left to reflect on another night of what might have been for his stuttering side, with the Portuguese simply needing to find a way to get his attacking unit, including Alejandro Garnacho, firing once again.

Alejandro Garnacho's game in numbers vs Forest

The Argentine starlet – who was awarded a remarkably harsh 2/10 match rating by Express journalist, Alex Turk – may not have been at his sparkling best, yet once again, he offered the only real threat in the final third for the away side.

Yes, the end product is lacking, having now scored just twice in 28 games since the change in the dugout, yet the 20-year-old was a real livewire in the second half, in particular, having notably racked up four key passes as he looked to make things happen for his side.

On another day, the United academy graduate could have got himself on the scoresheet more than once after lashing over the bar on a few occasions, having also seen one volleyed effort squirm agonisingly past the post late on.

Minutes played

86

90+

Touches

48

82

Goals/Assists

1

0

Pass accuracy

79%

94%

Key passes

0

4

Successful dribbles

6/9

2/5

Successful crosses

0/3

0/7

Duels won

9/15

4/13

Possession lost

18x

18x

Shots off target

0

3

Shots blocked

0

3

There remains a feeling that Garnacho “should be on the bench” once Amad Diallo returns from injury, in the words of writer Zach Lowy, yet at present, the ex-Atletico Madrid man remains the only spark in a lifeless United forward line.

Indeed, time and again the youngster was an outlet down the left flank, having notably taken the ball in his stride beautifully following a lofted pass over the top from Bruno Fernandes, only to see his eventual effort denied by the sliding Ryan Yates.

Nothing came off in the end for Garnacho, but he certainly wasn’t the major villain, having hardly been afforded much support by the sluggish Patrick Dorgu behind him.

The Man Utd star who had a night to forget

Considering that the promising Dane previously saw red and set up a goal for the opposition in the same half against Ipswich Town, it says a lot that this latest outing was perhaps his worst in a United shirt to date.

Indeed, that 45-minute showing against the Tractor Boys had shown signs of promise as he charged up and down the left flank, before being dismissed, although on his return from that suspension, the 20-year-old was far more muted.

Like Garnacho, the January arrival failed to keep pace with the electric Elanga for what proved to be the game’s only goal, having also been rather subdued going forward.

What was particularly frustrating on the night was Dorgu’s at-times casual and wayward passing, having given the ball away on 16 occasions – or every five minutes – including in the build-up to Leny Yoro’s perfectly timed challenge on that man Elanga.

As The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell noted, that breakaway for the hosts had come after Dorgu “gave [the] ball away sloppily”, a moment that only epitomised what was a disappointing 90 minutes for the £30m man.

The aforementioned Turk also agreed, after handing the wing-back a measly 4/10 match rating, albeit while suggesting that he was ‘snubbed far too often’ by Garnacho ahead of him.

Whether that is the case or not, Dorgu’s own performance certainly deserves scrutiny, with it perhaps surprising that Amorim did not introduce a potential replacement in Harry Amass off the bench, particularly considering the 18-year-old had been kept out of Monday’s FA Youth Cup semi-final defeat to Aston Villa.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With the Manchester Derby next on the agenda, it may not be too much of a surprise to see Dorgu find himself back on the bench, with either a change in role for Mazraoui required, or a bold first start for the teenage Amass.

Man Utd may have found the next Pogba who "belongs to a different era"

Man Utd could have the new Paul Pogba in their ranks at Old Trafford

ByRobbie Walls Apr 1, 2025

Even as runs were not easy to come by, the pair kept grinding through, before switching gears and accelerating

Hemant Brar11-Mar-2024Their shirts covered in dust, Ajinkya Rahane and Musheer Khan appeared to be in the middle of an advertisement for a detergent.At different points on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final, both batters had to dive to make their ground. In the process, they ended up staining their shirts, which told the story of their struggle.For the first half of their 107-run partnership, the runs were not easy to come by and they had to rely on quick singles and doubles. In fact, the first 22 overs of their stand produced only 40 runs and one boundary. But they kept grinding it out and, by stumps, had all but batted Vidarbha out of the contest.Earlier in the day, Mumbai had bundled out Vidarbha for 105, thus taking a lead of 119. But Vidarbha would not have been in the final had they not staged comebacks from such situations.Related

Dogged Karun Nair does his bit for Vidarbha's Mission Impossible

Musheer: 'I batted with motivation to impress Sachin sir'

Rahane, Musheer build Mumbai's lead after bowlers decimate Vidarbha

'Just a rough patch' – Thakur defends Rahane and Iyer

Heroic Shardul Thakur experiences his Ranji Groundhog Day

In the semi-final against Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha had conceded a first-innings lead of 82. But they bounced back in the second innings to register a comfortable victory. A similar turnaround in the final was not impossible, especially when Mumbai lost their openers with 34 runs on the board.That brought in the middle two batters at opposite ends of their careers: Rahane, a veteran of 85 Tests but no longer in the national selectors’ plans, and Musheer, fresh from an Under-19 World Cup and playing only his sixth first-class game.Their forms were equally contrasting. Coming into the final, Rahane had scored only 134 runs at an average of 13.40 this season. A strong performance might have kept him on the periphery of India’s Test squad, but those hopes evaporated more and more with every passing game.Musheer, meanwhile, was the second-highest run-getter at the World Cup, with 360 runs at an average of 60.00 and a strike rate of 98.09. He carried that form into the Ranji Trophy as well. Landing straight into the quarter-final, he scored 203 not out and 33 against Baroda. He followed it up with a 55 on a treacherous pitch in the semi-final. After just three innings, his run tally (291) was more than double of Rahane’s.But neither Rahane nor Musheer had an easy start on Monday. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey was weaving a web with the new ball. He got one to pitch on leg stump and turn square to beat Musheer’s outside edge. When the batter tried to use his feet, Dubey shortened the length to make him look silly.Rahane was on 1 when he survived an lbw appeal against Umesh. The on-field call of not-out saved him when the Hawk-Eye showed the ball just clipping the top of middle stump.Both batters had their outside edge beaten multiple times by Umesh and Aditya Thakare, but they managed to survive. They also benefitted from left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate, Vidarbha’s leading wicket-taker for the season, unable to bowl because of back spasms.Musheer Khan has brought his form from the Under-19 World Cup into the Ranji Trophy•PTI At tea, Musheer was on 13 off 55 and Rahane 9 off 39. Something changed after tea. Or perhaps just before it, and the effect was seen only after the break. In the penultimate over before the break, the ball had to be changed as its seam had come off.Or it could simply be that the two batters had spent sufficient time in the middle by then, and were primed to accelerate against an older ball.When play resumed, Thakare pitched one full around off and Rahane unleashed a gorgeous on-drive for the first boundary of the partnership.Sarwate finally came on to bowl in the 28th over but did not look 100% fit. Nor did he get the purchase Dubey was getting. When he overpitched one to Rahane, the batter used his wrists to hit against the turn and thread the gap between short midwicket and mid-on.In the following over, Rahane brought up the fifty of the partnership with a pulled four off Yash Thakur. It took the pair 140 balls but the next fifty would take only 76.Musheer stepped up by jumping out of his crease and smashing Sarwate down the ground. When the spinner shortened his length for the next delivery, Musheer was quick to go back and punch it through covers for four more.In his next over, Sarwate dropped one short and Rahane duly pulled it over midwicket for a six. And just like that, the biggest threat was taken for 35 runs in seven overs. That too on a day where no other frontline Vidarbha bowler conceded more than 2.7 per over.The acceleration meant that Rahane reached his fifty in just 88 balls. It was an emotional celebration. He kept his head down and held the bat high for a while, with Musheer giving him a hug and a pat on the back.When Musheer brought up his half-century, in the last over of the day, his dad gestured to him from the stands to stay there and carry on. Musheer gestured back in acknowledgement.At stumps, Rahane and Musheer walked off to a standing ovation from the sparse crowd, which included Sunil Gavaskar and Diana Edulji. They must be saying what a effort, or, perhaps, [Stains are good].

In Sharjah in 2020, Tewatia produced some of the most unbelievable hitting after surviving Bishnoi. In Mumbai, it happened again

Sidharth Monga28-Mar-2022Rahul Tewatia has shown his utility as a T20 player, but his fate seems to be forever used as a common noun thanks to that Sharjah game two IPLs ago. “Can he do Tewatia?” is often asked when a batter gets off to a desperately slow start in a difficult chase.That indeed was a once-in-a-lifetime turnaround after Tewatia had been 8 off 19, apparently sucking the life out of an exciting chase. He ended up with 53 off 31 that night, providing a counter argument against “retiring out” in T20s. Having said that, not even Tewatia will believe that can be repeated.At Wankhede, in his first match for a new franchise, albeit in a smaller chase, Tewatia found himself in a bit of a similar situation. The opposition captain was the same, KL Rahul. Tewatia was 6 off 10. The requirement was now 68 off the last five. Most importantly, Tewatia’s nemesis was the same: Ravi Bishnoi, who was the main reason Tewatia struggled on that night in Sharjah.Related

• Who is Ayush Badoni? (and where has he been hiding?)

• Archive: Tewatia and the romance of the struggle

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Bishnoi hardly ever spins the ball back in to the left-hand batter. Tewatia was wise to that fact in Sharjah too, which was apparent from how he kept looking to hit long-off and wide long-off, but he couldn’t adjust to the angle and the pace. After missing out on drives down the ground, Tewatia tried the slogs and the sweeps. It didn’t work. Then he tried that reverse-sweep, and his execution was not great. Eventually he managed to hit one six by running down at Bishnoi, but it was clear he couldn’t let Bishnoi dominate him again.Before getting to Bishnoi, though, Tewatia took a toll on Deepak Hooda’s non-turning offbreaks by targeting the shorter leg-side boundary. Now it was Tewatia against Bishnoi, already beaten outside off by the one that keeps going away, one off three the head-to-head. But there were a couple of things in Tewatia’s favour in Mumbai. One, Bishnoi had a wet ball to contend with, and two, he was bowling only his fourth over at the death in his IPL career.This was the first match that Tewatia was facing Bishnoi since that Sharjah game. He knew he couldn’t afford a repeat. Fairy-tales don’t happen again and again. This time he pulled out the reverse-sweep the first ball of the 17th over. It is a shot he sparingly plays. He played it seven times in the 2020 IPL, and four times in 2021. And yet he absolutely nailed it, which suggests he must have worked harder on that shot just for this kind of bowling.”Bishnoi bowled what he has been bowling to me, but after that reverse-sweep he was forced to think,” Tewatia told after the match. “He tried to use the bigger leg-side boundary, but I kept playing my shots.”That one six and the lure of the big boundary made Bishnoi veer from what had troubled Tewatia in the past. He even bowled one wide down the leg side. This innings was no common noun. This was not Tewatia. This was just a smart lower-order batter using whatever he has at his disposal to see through a chase. He will want more such innings to be associated with his name before he is done.

Cal Raleigh put an exclamation point on what has been arguably the greatest offensive season by a catcher in Major League Baseball by blasting his 60th home run on Wednesday night as his Seattle Mariners clinched the American League West with a victory over the Colorado Rockies. The feat is downright astounding when one considers the physical toll it takes to play baseball's most grinding position, how hard it is to be productive from both sides of the plate as a switch hitter and that he plays 81 games in a very pitcher-friendly ballpark.

As the team was in its opening minutes of celebration, Raleigh got on the loudspeaker via an interview with Root Sports and reflected on the moment. The man affectionately know as "Big Dumper" showcased the duality of man by being open with his emotions and also working blue.

"I love the city, I love my parents," Raleigh said. "Thank you for being here. I'm so happy for our guys. We're gonna celebrate tonight and we're not done yet."

Asked about the idea that the Mariners have more work to do, Raleigh directed people to his previous comments.

"I think most people heard what I said last night: might as well win the whole f—ing thing."

Nothing says October baseball like a player trying to get a catchphrase off the ground. It'll likely have plenty of time to catch on as Seattle will be awarded a by into the divisional round barring a sudden losing streak that would allow either the Cleveland Guardians or Detroit Tigers to catch them.

John Bacon was behind home plate for Sunday's game between the New York Mets and New York Yankees. Long before Bacon ejected Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, which kicked off an epic meltdown, the home plate umpire left Mets star Juan Soto absolutely perplexed by a late strike call.

Facing Max Fried and an 0-1 count, Soto took a pitch that looked both low and outside. As Soto turned, proud of himself for not chasing, Bacon called a strike and the immediate change on Soto's face was priceless.

Complete shock.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (05), os clubes 20 do Brasileirão aprovaram, durante evento do Conselho Técnico da CBF, o regulamento de competições para a temporada 2024. Em votação unânime por 20 votos a 0, ficou decidido que o limite de estrangeiros, por partida, será aumentado de sete para nove.

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Em 2023, os clubes já haviam votado uma expansão na utilização de estrangeiros, que havia passado de cinco para sete. Apesar da unanimidade na votação, a proposta de expansão não é vista com positividade de maneira absoluta. A Federação Nacional dos Atletas Profissionais de Futebol (Fenapaf), se manifestou de forma contrária à decisão.

O Presidente do Internacional, Alessandro Barcellos, comemorou a decisão tomada no evento da CBF: “É importante o aumento de estrangeiros, nós trabalhamos fortemente nisso. E a questão do gramado sintético, ficou definido que o Conselho Nacional de Clubes fará estudos para definir melhor a padronização dos gramados”.

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Além disso, outro assunto fortemente debatido foi o uso de gramados sintéticos. A expectativa é que durante a temporada, o Conselho Nacional de Clubes aumente os estudos sobre o uso dos sintéticos e estabeleça um padrão de qualidade para os gramados. O objetivo é minimizar as reclamações de outros clubes que entendem que esse tipo de gramado proporciona desnível técnico à competição.

Apesar disso, foi autorizado que os clubes que atuam em gramados sintéticos poderão passar a utilizar esse tipo de gramado em seus Centros de Treinamento. O evento contou com a participação de alguns atletas de clubes do Brasileirão, dentre eles, o lateral Tinga (Fortaleza),

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Everton have been left frustrated and short-handed after the Football Association rejected the club’s appeal against Idrissa Gueye’s red card, leaving the Senegal international sidelined for three crucial Premier League fixtures. The midfielder was dismissed in extraordinary circumstances during the Toffees’ gritty 1-0 win at Old Trafford, after he slapped teammate Michael Keane following a heated exchange on the pitch.

• Appeal dismissed as Gueye faces a lengthy lay-off

  Keane reacted angrily after Gueye surrendered possession dangerously close to the Everton penalty area, leading to a United attempt on goal. A war of words ensued, before Gueye appeared to strike a hand across Keane’s face. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford intervened to separate the pair, but referee Craig Pawson deemed the contact violent conduct and showed Gueye a straight red card. It was a moment that could easily have derailed Everton’s evening, yet the 10 men somehow held firm to earn a rare and morale-boosting victory at Old Trafford. Gueye was visibly remorseful at full-time and addressed his teammates in the dressing room before later issuing a public apology.

  "I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane," the player began, in a statement published as an Instagram story. "I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologise to my team-mates, the staff, the fans and the club. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I'll make sure it never happens again."

  The club lodged an immediate appeal, hopeful that mitigating circumstances might reduce the punishment. Instead, the FA turned it down without offering any detailed explanation, a decision manager David Moyes admitted has left the club perplexed.

  "We have appealed [against the red card] and our appeal was turned down," Moyes said. "We haven't been given any reason why it was turned down, but we did appeal it – immediately."

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  Immediate forgiveness in the dressing room

  Teammates were quick to draw a line under the matter. Speaking after scoring the decisive goal, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall praised the group’s unity in adversity.

  "Idrissa has apologised to us at full-time, said his piece and that's all he can do," Dewsbury-Hall told afterwards. "We move on from it. The reaction from us, was unbelievable. Top tier. We could have crumbled, but if anything, it made us grow."

  Moyes echoed the sentiment, insisting the episode was dealt with swiftly and internally.

  "There's another side to it," Moyes said. "I like my players fighting each other, if someone didn't do the right action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it."

  On the decision to send Gueye off in the first place, Moyes added: "If nothing happened, I don't think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised. I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. I got told that the rules of the game are that if you slap your own player, you could be in trouble. I'm disappointed we got the sending off. But we've all been footballers, we get angry with our team-mates. He's apologised for the sending off, he's praised the players and thanked them for it and apologised for what happened."

• Everton now critically short in midfield

  The timing of Gueye’s suspension could scarcely be worse for Everton. Having started every league match this season and acting as the side’s midfield anchor, he will now miss games against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. He is also set to depart for Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in December, which will remove him from club duties for an even longer stretch. Moyes is already stretched in midfield. German youngster Merlin Rohl is out until January after undergoing hernia surgery, and captain Seamus Coleman is nursing another hamstring complaint following a disrupted start to the season.

  Moyes said: "Yes, we are (short in midfield). Merlin [Rohl] having an operation has made us light, so we are quite short but we have other people who can play in there – Charly Alcaraz, Dwight McNeil if we need to as well. I think those players can do the job in there, if required.

  "Merlin probably isn't going to be back until the start of January and Idrissa's suspension [and forthcoming Afcon participation] leaves us pretty short in that area."

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  Everton look ahead to a pivotal run

  Everton’s Premier League programme continues on Saturday at Hill Dickinson Stadium, where they host an in-form Newcastle United side. Momentum is finally building after the Old Trafford upset, but Gueye’s absence complicates matters during a defining stretch of fixtures. As it stands, the midfielder will next be eligible for selection when Everton travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on December 13. 

Harvey Barnes has poured cold water on the chance of switching international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle winger is able to make the change as he has Scottish grandparents, even after making an appearance for the Three Lions. Barnes' sole Three Lions cap came in a friendly, meaning he is still able to turn out for the Tartan Army.

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  Barnes shines as Newcastle down Man City

  Barnes was instrumental as Newcastle returned to winning ways with a fine 2-1 victory over Premier League title contenders Manchester City on Saturday evening. He opened the scoring midway through the second half with a well-taken strike past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

  Newcastle's lead only lasted five minutes, however, as centre-back Ruben Dias fired City level after Eddie Howe's side failed to clear a corner. The Magpies were ahead again in the 70th minute as Barnes scrambled what proved to be the winning goal over the line after Bruno Guimaraes had hit the crossbar.

  Saturday's victory over City lifted Newcastle four points clear of the relegation zone in what has been an indifferent start to the season for Howe's team. Indeed, while they have shone at St James' Park, the away form has been poor, with Newcastle one of three sides yet to win a league match on the road in 2025-26.

  And talk of a potential change of international allegiance for Barnes came to the fore once more on Saturday night, with the former Leicester man keen to play down reports that he could eventually turn out for Scotland.

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• Scotland change isn't on Barnes' mind at present

  Having been praised by Micah Richards on following the 2-1 win over City, the former defender asked Barnes about a potential switch at international level. The winger laughed and made out their was an issue with his headphones in order to avoid the question. Host David Jones pressed on the topic, however, to which the the 27-year-old said: "No, listen, that obviously isn't on my mind at the minute. There's a long way to go until the summer.

  "The club form for us hasn't been there so, as you can imagine, the team are my only focus… It was about the game tonight, and the next period of games that we've got coming up. So yeah, I can't say that there was any thought in that, it was just getting the job done tonight, which we did.

  "I think someone said it, it was the gaffer's first win against Man City, I think it was."

  Richards jokingly decided to prod further, asking: "So, it's not a no, then?" while Jones added that a potential name in Scottish colours, 'Harvey McBarnes', has "a ring to it".

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  Barnes has previously stoked flames over potential switch

  Barnes has previously discussed the possibility of switching international allegiance from England to Scotland, which would be permitted under FIFA's rules. The winger's only appearance for the Three Lions came back in 2020 as a second-half substitute in a friendly meeting with Wales and football's governing body allows players to make the change as Barnes' only outing came in a non-competitive international fixture.

  When asked about a potential switch earlier this month, Barnes said: "It’s not something I’ve really spoken about or put thought into recently. There’s always been talk about it and a while ago there was bits and bobs about it. But recently it’s not cropped up.

  "It was great to see them win and get through last night, it was a crazy game, and I’m sure everyone in Scotland enjoyed themselves. Is it closed off? No, of course it’s not. I’ve obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side of it is still there so it’s hard to say either way but there’s been no real chats or progression in that sense."

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• Scotland booked 2026 World Cup spot in style

  Scotland booked their 2026 World Cup spot with a fine 4-2 win over Denmark, a result that means they'll play in football's showpiece for the first time since 1998. Scott McTominay acrobatically fired the Tartan Army ahead before a second-half Rasmus Hojlund penalty drew the Danes level.

  Lawrence Shankland restored Scotland's advantage with 12 minutes to play, only for Patrick Dorgu to net Denmark's second three minutes later. However, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean both scored in second half injury time to confirm a historic victory for Steve Clarke's men.