Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is poised to be without a key man for their upcoming Champions League clash against Barcelona, with the Italian facing a selection headache.

Maresca has already been forced into 93 first team rotations this season, the highest number of any team in the Premier League, and it is safe to say his squad depth has been stretched to the bare bones at times.

There were major worries surrounding fitness repercussions after Chelsea’s involvement in the Club World Cup last summer, which saw them play a grand total of 65 matches in a 53-week season.

This was an unprecedented number of matches for the Blues, with Chelsea also reaching the Conference League final beforehand and going on to win Europe’s third-tier tournament.

While they became the first club in history to win all five UEFA club competitions, and took home north of £80 million in prize money from the CWC, their extensive schedule appears to be having a dire effect on the players.

So far, Chelsea have lost Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong to injury or suspension at various points this season, and a few absences have been seriously felt.

This all being said, Maresca deserves praise for navigating this storm of injuries and guiding Chelsea to third in the Premier League table, where they’re just six points off league leaders Arsenal and could be considered outside contenders for the title this season.

One player they will be very eager to welcome back at the earliest opportunity is superstar forward Palmer, who’s been battling a niggling groin injury all campaign.

The England international hasn’t featured at all since he limped off in a 2-1 defeat at Man United nearly two months ago, with Maresca stating back in mid-October that he’d be out for another six weeks.

Optimism then followed that he could actually be back and ready to start against Barcelona next week, but according to journalist Simon Phillips, hopes of a return against the La Liga champions have all but diminished.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer now likely to miss Barcelona through injury

According to Phillips, via his Substack, Palmer is now likely to miss Chelsea’s clash with Barça, and a more realistic timeframe for his return could be their London derby at home to Arsenal at the end of this month.

The 23-year-old has been cut and above their superstar man since joining from Man City for what now feels like an absolute bargain fee.

Gus Poyet and others have even tipped Palmer for an eventual Ballon d’Or, highlighting his meteoric rise since leaving Eastlands.

Palmer spearheaded Chelsea to a double (CWC and Conference League) and Champions League qualification with 18 goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances for the west Londoners last season, and once he returns, the forward will provide Maresca with an almighty boost.

However, it appears they could now have to cope without him for one of their biggest games of the season so far against Hansi Flick’s Spanish giants.

“Every player out here, the way they play in the nets is quite similar to the way they play in the game,” says Nehal Wadhera about the PBKS batting approach

Sidharth Monga18-May-20250:55

Chawla: The way Wadhera paced his innings was most impressive

A bit of reverse swing and a three-for for Harpreet Brar helped Punjab Kings (PBKS) survive the double-barrelled onslaught of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. But that these things were even a factor after Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) biggest powerplay ever in the IPL was because PBKS had put on over 200 for a record-equalling sixth time in a single IPL season.If that by itself is not remarkable enough, on Sunday, they did so from three down in 3.1 overs: their 219 was the highest any IPL team has got to from three down inside the first four overs. If you have watched the IPL for long enough, you know how the commentators talk about taking three wickets in the powerplay as a big indicator that you are going to win.More often than not, that happens because the batting team bats like it have lost three wickets. PBKS didn’t. They batted like a side that had seven wickets in hand. Shreyas Iyer and Nehal Wadhera, both of whom started the fourth-wicket stand on 0 off 0, hit a boundary off the second balls they faced. Both with aerial shots.Related

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Shashank Singh: 'I'll tell you we are at the top of the world on June 3'

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Wadhera is making waves by being a T20 floater

Nehal Wadhera and Harpreet Brar take Punjab Kings closer to playoffs

When Riyan Parag was brought on in the seventh over, Wadhera, a left-hand batter, didn’t let him just bowl, making room and chipping over extra cover. There was no period of rebuilding, which in T20 parlance means accepting what the opposition is happy to give you. No. 6 batter Shashank Singh, who walked in as early as the 11th over, followed in the same vein.In IPL 2025, PBKS have all but made their first playoffs in 11 years*, but their coach Ricky Ponting will be especially pleased that they have done so with a match where they lost their big hitters early and were missing their entire Australian batting contingent.”Talks have been pretty clear,” Wadhera said during the break between innings. “No matter what the situation is, you need to punish the loose ball. That is what we have been doing, and that is the only reason we have been scoring above 200. That is the positive mindset among all the team-mates that is helping us cross the line every time.”Nehal Wadhera took a different approach to rebuilding after three early wickets•BCCIRR head coach Rahul Dravid said PBKS were 20 above par for the conditions. The 70 off 37 that Wadhera scored, hitting five sixes and five fours, not letting the spinners sneak in a cheap over despite the early loss of wickets, didn’t sound like he had done something out of the ordinary. “The preparation of such things happens in the nets,” Wadhera said. “Every player out here, the way they play in the nets is quite similar to the way they play in the game.”This is, of course, only Wadhera’s fourth score of 50 or more in three years of the IPL, but it should be no surprise that he is enjoying his best IPL in a line-up that gives him more to do than Mumbai Indians (MI) did. He is averaging 35 and striking at 157.3 this year. Wadhera and Shashank have come good at a time when PBKS were dealing with uncertainty wrought in by the break in the IPL. A slip here can be the difference between the top two and just a playoffs finish.For a rare side wanting to bat first, this was a crucial game to win with a completely uncapped batting core. The only international in that top six, Iyer, made only a small contribution. The leadership will now feel confident of sticking with the way they have been playing.

In years past, Arsenal fans would have to watch an England team full of players from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

It was a damming indictment of where the club was at that time, but over the last four or five years, things have changed.

It’s not unusual to see three or four of Mikel Arteta’s players in the Three Lions squad these days, and few from the white side of North London, which might explain the team’s uptick in quality and performances.

Thursday was another example of how important Arsenal have become for the national team, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze scoring the goals and Declan Rice marshalling the midfield.

There is no sign of this relationship between club and country slowing down either, especially as Hale End could be brewing England’s next superstar, who could follow in the footsteps of Rice and Saka.

Rice and Saka's England careers

So, while Arsenal fans would love to take the credit for moulding Rice into one of England’s most important players, West Ham United should get more of the credit.

Chalkboard

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

After all, he made his debut for the Three Lions in 2019, while playing for the East Londoners, and was still a Hammer for the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup the following year.

However, he has arguably become more instrumental to the national side since his move to the Emirates, and wore the captain’s armband for the first time in March 2024.

So far, the all-action midfielder has won 71 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored six goals and provided six assists and nine of those goal involvements have come since his £105m in the summer of 2023.

Now, an England star Arsenal can take full credit for is, of course, Saka, who is Hale End’s greatest product in a generation.

The 24-year-old made his debut for the national team against Wales in October 2020 and has since gone on to amass an impressive tally of 47 caps, in which he has scored 14 goals, provided nine assists and been named England’s Player of the Year twice in succession.

Moreover, he has played a significant role for the country in every major tournament since, despite receiving horrific abuse after the 2021 Euros final.

In all, so long as they remain fit, Rice and Saka should, and will, be two of the first names on Thomas Tuchel’s teamsheet at the World Cup, and in a few years, they could be joined by another Arsenal star, someone who could even surpass them in importance.

Arsenal's next England star

While the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are surely going to become regular starters for England, the Hale End gem who could well become a superstar for Tuchel and Co is Max Dowman.

Despite still being just 15 years old, the teenager has been one of the most talked-about players at Arsenal this season, although for those in the know, he has been a subject of interest for longer than that.

For example, in September of last year, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig boldly proclaimed him as the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

As if that wasn’t praise enough, just a couple of months later, Hale End expert Will Balsam called him “the biggest talent in England” and described him as “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Now, while that all sounds somewhat hyperbolic, and perhaps to an extent it is, it’s not hard to see where they were coming from, considering he was just 14 at the time and destroying defenders in the U18S and even the U21S that season.

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

For example, he ended last season with a tally of 19 goals and five assists in 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this saw him included in the club’s pre-season tour, where he made his first appearance in front of the fans against a physical Newcastle United side, but instead of shying away, he, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, started “humiliating Premier League players.”

Since then, he has made his Premier League debut, become the youngest ever starter for Arsenal, and broke the record as the youngest player in Champions League history.

In other words, the Hale Ender is looking like a generational talent, and he’s already making his impact felt on the international scene as well.

Even though he’s not turning 16 until New Year’s Eve, the Chelmsford-born gem is already a regular feature for England’s U19S, making six appearances for them, in which he’s scored one goal and provided two assists.

With his incredible performances, it feels like a matter of when, not if, he is handed his first senior England cap.

Ultimately, Saka and Rice are currently two of England’s most important players, but in a few years from now, Dowman could be up there with them, if not more important.

Carragher gave Arsenal star a grilling last season, now he's undroppable

The international star has rediscovered his form for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 14, 2025

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson must have learned a thing or two from all his experience getting tags down on runners at the plate.

In a Sunday matinée against the Colorado Rockies, he striped a ball to left field that may have gotten to Rockies outfielder Yanquiel Fernández a little too quickly. Stephenson rounded first and dug for second as Fernández fired the ball in for a bang-bang play at the bag.

The one-hopper slightly beat Stephenson to second, but he popped up just after he started to slide in an effort to avoid second baseman Kyle Farmer's tag. He had to put his hands in the air and throw his body back as much as he could in the awkward maneuver to remain untagged. Remarkably, Stephenson was safe and got up with a one-out double.

Definitely one of the best slides of the season just one day before the MLB pauses for its All-Star break. Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. pulled a similar move last week to avoid a tag from Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh at the plate to score a run. Maybe Stephenson took some notes.

Tottenham chiefs are believed to be assessing their options ahead of the looming January transfer window, which opens in just over a month’s time, and Thomas Frank reportedly wants to reinforce his attacking options.

On the pitch, all eyes turn towards this weekend’s looming North London derby as Frank’s side dream of their first Premier League win at the Emirates Stadium since 2011.

Frank also heads into his first derby clash as Spurs boss in testing circumstances, nursing a crippling injury crisis as he also navigates an inconsistent run of form. With as many as 11 first-team players currently sidelined, the Dane’s squad depth is pretty stretched for one of the Premier League’s most high-stakes fixtures.

Tottenham absentee list

Problem

Estimated return date (subject to change)

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

His preparations took another worrying turn when midfielder Pape Sarr limped off during Senegal’s friendly against Brazil, though his international manager, Pape Thiaw, then provided a reassuring update which suggested the knock wasn’t serious.

The injury list makes for grim reading. Randal Kolo Muani, Archie Gray, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai are just some of the names on Tottenham’s large absentee list, with a good few not expected back in time for the Arsenal clash.

Solanke is apparently “unlikely” to make his return against Mikel Arteta’s side as the striker continues his recovery from minor ankle surgery, while Kolo Muani fractured his jaw against Man United, and it remains to be seen how long the summer signing will be out for.

Mohammed Kudus should recover from a knock to face Arsenal, offering some attacking relief, while Lucas Bergvall could return after completing concussion protocols following his head injury against Chelsea — even if he was sent home from Sweden international duty after a ‘setback’.

Taking into account the club’s fitness issues which have plagued the Lilywhites since the start of Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge, it is no surprise that they’re considering moves in the winter transfer market to reinforce Frank’s options.

Tottenham tried and failed to sign Man City winger Savinho in the summer, and it is believed that another wide-forward is very much still on the agenda at N17.

Takefusa Kubo could be tempted to join Tottenham in January

Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo is a player who’s long been linked with a move to Spurs.

Some reports even suggest that the north Londoners have made ‘several’ failed attempts to sign the Japan international, but they’ve been given some encouragement in the build up to January as it is claimed that Kubo is keen on Spurs as a landing spot.

His contract reportedly includes a £52 million release clause, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that Kubo could still be intrigued by a move to Tottenham this winter amid Sociedad’s worrying form which sees them hovering just three points above the relegation zone.

O’Rourke also calls Kubo a “top player” who’d tick a lot of boxes for Frank.

The 24-year-old, who left Real Madrid after successive loan spells away to join Sociedad permanently in 2022, averaged more successful take-ons per 90 than any of his teammates in La Liga last season (WhoScored), and more than any Tottenham player managed in England that campaign too.

Predominantly a right-winger, Kubo appears unlikely to threaten Kudus’ place in the side given his exceptional start, but can operate as both a central attacking playmaker and even a second-striker, which may well appeal to Frank.

The presence of a release clause means that Spurs can bypass negotiations with Sociedad by triggering it and entering talks with the player himself.

Kubo’s signing could also open up commercial opportunities in the Asian market, something which Tottenham have missed since club legend and South Korea icon Son Heung-min departed for Los Angeles FC in the summer.

Make no mistake, this could be one to keep an eye on, and Kubo has been tipped to become an eventual superstar by those who’ve worked with him.

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has praised the influence of striker Harry Kane and head coach Vincent Kompany, lauding the English forward as the embodiment of how the team should play. Hoeness also revealed a recent conversation he had with Kompany over dinner, telling the manager that he doesn’t want Bayern’s matches to end because of how enjoyable the team is to watch at the moment.

Bayern playing like the best team on the planet

It has been a rip-roaring start to the 2025-26 season from Bayern Munich. The reigning Bundesliga champions won 16 consecutive games to begin the campaign, breaking AC Milan's record of 13 wins out of the opening 13 games of the 1992-93 season across all competitions. Kompany's men have dominated and obliterated their opponents. The only game they've not managed to win was their most recent outing, a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin.

It all began with a closely-contested 2-1 win over last season's DFB-Pokal winners Stuttgart in the DFL-Supercup. A statement 6-0 win over RB Leipzig helped them carry early momentum in the Bundesliga. Wins over Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain – last season's Club World Cup and Champions League winners, respectively – have sent a dangerous warning to the rest of Europe, while domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen's efforts have been in vain, too.

Speaking at a health-related event at the FC Bayern Museum on Thursday, honorary president Hoeness expressed his delight over how well Bayern have started the season and revealed what he recently told Kompany over dinner.

"We are, of course, very, very satisfied with what we're seeing," he exclaimed in euphoria. "I've always said that when you have a team you're very happy with, you can finally relax in the stands. I recently met Vincent Kompany for dinner and told him: 'It used to be that in the 80th minute, you hoped the game would end soon.' And now, in the 80th minute, you say: 'I hope they keep playing for a long time, because it's so much fun!' The players are having fun. The fans are having fun. And we in the stands are having fun too. And that's actually the ideal situation right now, the way you want to imagine FC Bayern."

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Top-notch' Kane just what the doctor ordered at Bayern

Hoeness went on to wax lyrical about Kane, who has already scored a staggering 23 goals in 17 games this season. He also became the quickest player in history to reach 100 goals for a single club in Europe's big five leagues, taking just 104 games to achieve the feat.

"What Harry Kane has produced here in the last year or two is absolutely top-notch," said Hoeness. "And what I like best about him: In the beginning, he was a goal scorer who played in his box, who waited for the balls to come. But today he's long since become a playmaker, he's a finisher, and above all, he's a player with a personality who inspires others on the pitch, who sets the direction, and that's exactly what we were looking for."

Kompany compared to his Bayern predecessors

Hoeness heaped further praise on Kompany, who has been doing a ridiculously phenomenal job at the Allianz Arena. The honorary president explained what sets the Belgian manager apart from previous Bayern coaches such as Thomas Tuchel. 

"He has two or three advantages. For example, as a journalist, you actually have to work again. The previous coaches here always gave you the go-ahead to discuss for weeks. That's not the case with him, because he wants to talk to them about football, and that's good for the whole of FC Bayern," he said.

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gettyKane sets his sights on the Ballon d'Or

In a recent interview, the red-hot Englishman claimed that his individual numbers would be worthless as long as he fails to help his team win titles. "I could score 100 goals this season but if I don't win the Champions League or the World Cup, you're probably not going to win the Ballon d'Or," Kane said.

"It's the same with Erling Haaland, it's the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies. With the way the season is going as a team with Bayern Munich, it looks like we're in great shape.

"It looks like we're one of the favourites for the Champions League, for sure. So that maybe makes the odds a little bit more in my favour. Same with England. I think we're going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites. Whenever you are going into a year, like a World Cup year, there is a lot of excitement, a lot of talk, a lot of noise around everything. You have to try and stay focused on the now.

"From my point of view, I've got six more weeks before I get a nice break. I am feeling good. And that break will help for us but hopefully if things go my way for club and country then I'm definitely going to be in the conversation for a trophy like the Ballon d'Or."

MatériaMais Notícias

O jornalista Paulo Vinicius Coelho, o PVC, colunista do UOL, alertou nesta quinta-feira (14) que a guerra do Choque-Rei (o clássico entre Palmeiras e São Paulo) cresceu nas redes sociais e que se ninguém der um basta, há risco real de a briga acabar em morte. Ele disse que ouviu de pessoas de dentro dos clubes que “se a final for Palmeiras e São Paulo, nós vamos brigar”.

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– Alguém precisa parar com isso. O Choque-Rei precisa ter nobreza, porque a frase que eu ouvi ontem é: ‘Se a final for Palmeiras e São Paulo, nós vamos brigar’. É quase inevitável, senão fizer mais um café, senão der a mão e falar chega dessse negócio. O jogo acabou no dia 3 de março. Porque esse populismo digital, de você não poder dizer que pede desculpas pelo seu erro, seja de um lado, seja do outro, vai causar uma morte real. Quando você diz que o Julio Casares e o Carlos Belmonte (presidente e diretor do São Paulo, respectivamente) ‘não têm que baixar o tom, têm que mostrar firmeza’, isso não é firmeza, é grosseria. Tem um limite entre a firmeza e a grosseria, e esse limite já passou faz muito tempo – afirmou PVC, acrescentando:

Tem que parar. Tem que parar dos dois lados. Se ninguém parar, vai acontecer uma coisa muito mais grave nas ruas, porque a violência saiu das diretorias, que deveriam ser o exemplo da cordialidade, para os torcedores.

➡️ Revanche? Ganhe mais de R$450 na vitória do Corinthians sobre o São Bernardo

O diretor do São Paulo, Carlos Belmonte, se desculpou com o técnico Abel Ferreira e o Palmeiras por ter chamado o treinador alviverde de “português de merd*”, após o clássico entre as equipes, no dia 3 de março, mas o Palmeiras se incomodou com o acordo feito entre São Paulo e o Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF). As partes definiram o pagamento de multas para dirigentes e jogadores do Tricolor envolvidos na confusão, evitando punições aos são-paulinos.

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➡️Siga o Lance! Fora de Campo no WhatsApp e saiba o que rola fora das 4 linhas

O diretor de futebol do Palmeiras, Anderson Barros, afirmou que o acordo abre um precedente no futebol brasileiro, e questionou a ausência de punição aos envolvidos no lado do São Paulo.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalPalmeirasSão Paulo

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.

Seamers run through Warwickshire to pave way before County Championship trophy presentation

ECB Reporters Network26-Sep-2025Nottinghamshire 374 (Hameed 122, Verreynne 83, Patterson-White 70) and 20 for 0 beat Warwickshire 258 (Mousley 74, Hutton 4-46) and 133 (Hain 42, Abbas 3-18, Hutton 3-30, Pennington 3-52) by ten wicketsA day after collecting enough bonus points to put themselves out of reach of Surrey, newly-crowned Rothesay County Champions Nottinghamshire finished their season in style by completing a 10-wicket victory over Warwickshire with a day to spare.With a first-innings lead of 116 giving their potent seam attack ample licence to attack in conditions still making batting difficult, Nottinghamshire dismissed Warwickshire for 133 in 54 overs.Brett Hutton finished with 3 for 30. Mohammad Abbas, in what may or may not be his last appearance for the county, took 3 for 18 to total 32 in nine matches, with Dillon Pennington lifting his tally to 28 with 3 for 52.It left Nottinghamshire needing just 18 runs to complete the victory, which they achieved in just 22 deliveries at 3.30pm, time enough for Ben Slater to score the 15 runs he needed to total 1000 for the season before Haseeb Hameed won the match with a glorious cover drive off Nathan Gilchrist for four.Nottinghamshire were docked a point for slow bowling-rate but it mattered not one bit to a large gathering of supporters who stayed on for the trophy presentation – staged in front of the Hound Road stand with the pavilion currently hidden behind sheets and scaffolding.Hameed’s team win the title with 224 points and seven victories under their belts. The skipper led the way with the bat, totalling 1258 runs.Six Nottinghamshire bowlers took 26 wickets or more in the course of the season but none more than Hutton, leading wicket-taker with 38, seven of them in this match.It is a contrast with the 2010 season – the last time Nottinghamshire claimed the Championship pennant – when 109 wickets were shared between Andre Adams (68) and Paul Franks – now assistant head coach at Trent Bridge – who took 41.As it happens, another member of the 2010 team, Alex Hales, was on the ground to receive an award to mark his 18 years with Nottinghamshire. Hales, who last played first-class cricket in 2017, cut his ties with the club after the 2024 season, having scored more than 14,500 runs in their colours across all formats.Having been on the ropes overnight, three down for seven in their second innings and still 109 behind, a Warwickshire side with only a slim chance of improving on fourth place in the Division One table might have been been rolled over even more rapidly under a cloudy sky on the third morning.Nottinghamshire had been eager to start their full-blown Championship celebrations a day early after making sure of the title on Thursday.As it was, Will Young was Warwickshire’s only casualty before lunch, falling into what looked like a trap laid by his former county as he clipped a ball from Abbas straight into the hands of Lyndon James at square leg.Zen Malik took four boundaries in a single over against Pennington but rode his luck at other times, edging the same bowler between second and third slips before surviving a difficult caught-and-bowled chance to James on 16. Warwickshire were 79 for 4 at the first break.There seemed a case for tossing Liam Patterson-White the ball to add some variety to Warwickshire’s diet but the left-arm spinner remained stationed in the slip cordon as Hameed kept faith with his seamers, justifiably as it turned out.There was still something in the pitch, as Sam Hain discovered four overs into the afternoon, caught behind off a ball from James that left him enough to take the edge. It felt like the key wicket for Nottinghamshire and one well deserved by allrounder James for a consistently testing spell.Yet it was Pennington who hastened Warwickshire’s demise in short order, taking three wickets in five balls in his 12th over of the innings.He dismissed Malik leg before with a ball the batter could do little about and had Ed Barnard caught behind from a lifting delivery that took the glove before benefitting from some good fortune as Michael Booth looked to have kept out his first ball before it rolled into the stumps, as a consequence of which Warwickshire were eight down and still 12 behind.They managed to get their noses narrowly in front before Hutton finished them off, still finding movement to pin Tazeem Ali leg before and bowl Gilchrist, who shouldered arms to a ball that swung away and then jagged back to bowl him – handing the stage to Slater and Hameed to finish the job.

Will Arsenal’s winning streak continue?

On Tuesday night, the Gunners swatted aside Slavia Prague 3-0 in the Champions League, with Bukayo Saka breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot in the Czech capital, before makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino scored twice to rubber stamp the points.

That made it ten successive victories for Mikel Arteta, as well as being an eighth consecutive clean sheet, equaling Arsenal’s club record set in 1903, a sequence ended by Glossop North End all those years ago.

Only once before has a top-flight English club won eight games in a row all without conceding, this achieved by Liverpool in February 1920, a record the Gunners can break with victory at the Stadium of Light when they take on Sunderland on Saturday evening.

However, if they’re going to leave Wearside victorious, they will need to silence a familiar foe.

Granit Xhaka's roller coaster Arsenal career

Few players in football history have ever enjoyed quite the character arc at one club experienced by Granit Xhaka during his seven seasons at Arsenal.

The Swiss international was a key figure in the team that won the FA Cup under Arsène Wenger in his first season, but was then part of a team in decline, which ultimately led to Wenger’s departure and Unai Emery’s, at best, mixed reign.

This came to a head in October 2019 when Xhaka was infamously jeered off against Crystal Palace but, as someone who was in attendance that afternoon, it was all a massive misunderstanding.

Arsenal had raced into a 2-0 lead inside nine minutes only to, in trademark fashion under Emery, sit back, allowing Palace to grow into the game and equalise shortly after half time.

Thus, Emery decided to introduce a teenager by the name of Bukayo Saka, whatever happened to him?, and as fourth official Tim Robinson raises his board with a red number 34 on it, Xhaka trudged off the pitch at the speed of a naughty schoolboy sent to the head teacher’s office.

Having seen their side relinquish a two goal advantage, at first, supporters began shouting “get off”, meaning get off the pitch so we can resume this match and beat Crystal Palace, but Xhaka interpreted this as a personal attack, thereby emphatically cupping his ear and removing his shirt before angrily storming down the tunnel.

At this point, it appeared as though the midfielder would never play for the club again, but Emery was sacked later that month and everything changed following the appointment of Arteta.

Xhaka would go on to make 297 appearances for the club, only 12 men have made more for Arsenal in the Premier League, departing a hero, having been a key figure in the 2022/23 side that unexpectedly came so close to winning the title, laying the foundations for where the team is now.

After helping Bayer Leverkusen claim a first-ever Meisterschale, winning the unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, Xhaka surprisingly returned to English football this summer, joining newly-promoted Sunderland, playing every minute of every game with the Black Cats flying high, sat fourth in the Premier League table, scoring his first goal for the club against Everton on Monday night.

Barry Glendenning of the Guardian asserts that the Swiss international has been the ‘most influential’ member of Régis Le Bris’ team so far this season, meaning stopping Xhaka will surely be key to Arteta’s game plan, so which current member of the Arsenal team is best equipped to do just that?

Arsenal's "aggressive" star who can silence Granit Xhaka

A concern for Gooners is their growing injury list, given that Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will all miss this weekend’s trip to Wearside due to injury.

Others, such as Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice are having to take on a high workload while, in contrast, it has been a quiet week for Martín Zubimendi, so he will be raring to go at the Stadium of Light.

Having been booked in each of the first three Champions League matches, the Spaniard did not travel to Prague due to suspension, with Christian Nørgaard deputising at the base of midfield.

Largely because it was finalised right at the start of the window, Zubimendi’s arrival in North London was not met with the fanfare it deserved, but he has pretty inarguably been the Gunners’ most impressive summer recruit so far, with the table below supporting this assertion.

Minutes

1,099

4th

Goals

2

6th

Completed passes

721

3rd

Pass completion %

88.5%

3rd*

Key passes

11

5th

Passes into final 3rd

59

2nd

Progressive passes

79

2nd

Shot-creating actions

30

4th

Tackles

21

2nd

Interceptions

13

1st

Distance covered per 90

11kms

6th

Touches

917

3rd

Average rating

7.31

4th

*minimum 300 passes completed.

As the numbers highlight, Zubimendi ranks highly for pretty much every metric this season, most notably when it comes to passing, defending, distance covered and touches.

The Spaniard opened his account against Nottingham Forest in September, actually scoring twice that afternoon, this jaw-dropping strike named the Premier League’s goal of the month.

His performances have led to Football Transfers believing his estimated market valuation has increased to around £48m.

Meantime, Adam Keys notes that Zubimendi both “positions himself perfectly for second balls” while also orchestrating play when in possession, while Hand of Arsenal adds that he is a “sublime” player who is “deceptively aggressive” and “knows how to control the tempo and when to break lines and progress”

All of this is going to be needed if the Gunners are going to beat Sunderland on Saturday, thereby moving nine points clear of Manchester City, for 23 hours at least.

With the Black Cats likely to set up in a low block to start, while also posing a threat, often through their midfield general Xhaka, Zubimendi’s overall quality will be vital, with Tuesday acting as a timely reminder, without wanting to denigrate Nørgaard, of how important the Spaniard is, this crystallised in his absence.

Forget Rice & Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" deserves to win PL Player of the Year

The outrageous international has been even better than Rice and Gabriel for Arsenal this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 6, 2025