midfielder

Napoli midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on the thigh injury he sustained while scoring a penalty against Inter Milan.

The 34-year-old clutched the back of his right thigh after opening the scoring in the 33rd minute on Saturday and was substituted a few minutes later.

The Belgium playmaker was taken to hospital where scans revealed a high-grade tear to his bicep femoris, a hamstring muscle at the back of the thigh.

Napoli confirmed that De Bruyne underwent successful surgery on Wednesday in Antwerp, Belgium, and will begin the first phase of his rehabilitation in Belgium.

Reigning champions Napoli, who beat Inter Milan 3-1 to return to the top of Serie A, have not put a timeline on his return to action.

De Bruyne joined Napoli on a free transfer from Manchester City in June.

He has scored four goals in eight league appearances and made a further three appearances in the Champions League.

Robertson’s absence has been a big talking point for Cardiff fans, who have been perplexed as to why a player who cost the club a seven-figure fee when he joined from Manchester City in the summer of 2024 has not been used.

He was in Australia’s squad for their friendly matches in the United States and Canada earlier this month, but did not feature in either game.

“I think it’s fine for the supporters to talk about him in whatever way they want,” said Barry-Murphy.

“Alex is somebody who I know really well from long before he was at this club [when Barry-Murphy coached Manchester City Under-21s], so all I want for all the players is to be at their best.

“My duty is then to get them into that condition where they can compete against each other. But I have to be very fair and consistent in the way that I judge all the squad once they reach that level.

“That’s the same for Alex as it is for everybody else. If he was in the shoes of the other players, he’d want the exact same thing.”

Meanwhile, centre-back Dylan Lawlor could be back for Saturday’s League One trip to Bolton Wanderers having missed last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Reading with a groin injury.

Fellow centre-back Will Fish is also managing a knee issue, which limited him to 45 minutes against the Royals last weekend.

“Will Fish has an ongoing knee issue which is getting better, particularly when he hits longer passes,” said Barry-Murphy.

“He’s had some discomfort in his knee. But the amount of discomfort is getting less and less, so he’s making good progress.

“Dylan has had a good week of training so far. I think it’s important that he can do certain things that we want from later on this afternoon [Thursday] when we train, and then hopefully he can be available for Saturday.”

That is not meant as a slight on the community Shelvey has left behind.

Though Shelvey has uprooted from the UK, the 33-year-old said the north east was “the only place there he would want to live”.

“There’s this debate about whether Newcastle are able to attract the big players compared to the Manchester clubs and the London clubs but, until you go there, you don’t understand what it does to you,” he said.

“There are loads of things to do. I don’t care what anyone says. If players are going to listen to this, it’s a no-brainer to go there and play football.

“You will not find love at a football club like I found at Newcastle, with how they take to their players and how much they back you.”

Shelvey spent longer at Newcastle than any other side – seven years in total following his move from Swansea City – and said he was “honoured” to have represented the club and worn the captain’s armband on occasion.

As well as sticking around following relegation, in 2016, and playing his part in taking Newcastle straight back up, Shelvey also helped ensure the club then stayed in the top flight.

He even scored what proved to be a “massive” goal against Leeds United as Newcastle started to pull away from danger three and a half years ago.

It ended up proving a turning point in head coach Eddie Howe’s reign.

“If I had not scored that, the club would have gone down!” he said. “I’m joking. Looking back at it, you don’t realise how big a goal it was and, to be fair, the keeper [Illan Meslier] chucked one in for us. I scuffed the life out of it.

“But I’ve only got good things to say about my time at Newcastle. I loved it. Even when I first got the call about going there, I drove 12 hours from Swansea because of the traffic. I just wanted to get up there, get my medical done and get signed.

“I had experienced playing against Newcastle at St James’ Park and you get a real buzz, but you never understand how big the club is until you are there.”

Former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere has been named manager of League One side Luton Town.

The 33-year-old succeeds Matt Bloomfield, who was sacked earlier this month having spent less than a year in charge at Kenilworth Road.

It is Wilshere’s first full-time managerial role, taking over a Luton side 11th in the third tier following back-to-back relegations.

He beat Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens to the role and is believed to have signed a three-year deal.

Chris Powell has also joined Luton as Wilshere’s assistant – the former England left-back had been at Walsall for just two weeks as interim first-team coach, coming in to cover for Gary Waddock as he recovers from ankle surgery.

“It’s a huge honour and a privilege to be named Luton Town manager,” Wilshere told the club’s official site, having left the Hatters aged nine to join Arsenal.

“It feels like a full-circle moment for me. I was eight when I first came to Luton as a boy, so I guess you could say it’s fate that my first full-time club managerial position is at this club.

“This club’s story inspires me. Built on belief, unity, and hard work.

“The club have shown incredible character on and off the pitch in recent times, and I’m honoured to lead to take the responsibility to lead this group into the future.”

When Kostas Tsimikas swept in Greece’s goal on 62 minutes, it followed a passage of play that involved Greece making 54 almost unchallenged passes over three minutes during which Andy Robertson’s glancing header to clear a cross was the only Scottish touch.

It typified the passiveness of the first hour.

“I wonder whether Steve will look at bringing Billy Gilmour on,” McCann had already said at the break.

“I don’t think it’s worked with Ryan [Christie] and Lewis [Ferguson] playing really narrow and deep, because they’ve not got on it. We’ve not been able to build the game going through.”

Gilmour did not come on and suddenly grab the game by the scruff of the neck and change things on his own, but nonetheless his influence was there after Christie’s equaliser.

His first real opportunity to get his head up and pass was on 69 minutes and he fired it through a tight space to Ferguson, whose first-time pass round the corner just evaded Che Adams as Scotland sprung forward quickly.

Gilmour’s clever free-kick also teed up Adams for a good chance at 1-1 and he ended up with five passes into the final third during his half hour on the pitch.

Only Robertson and Ferguson had more – and they played nearly the full game.

“I think Billy Gilmour coming on was pivotal in terms of us getting hold of the ball,” McCann said at full-time on BBC Scotland’s Sportscene.

“He was instrumental in the cross-field pass which Tsimikas takes out Ferguson when he eventually scores.”

As McCann described, Gilmour’s prints were on the build-up to the second goal as his positioning allowed Grant Hanley to find a pass to him between two Greece players.

He turned and moved it forward to Christie, got it back, moved the ball to Robertson, before executing the crucial pass once McTominay returned it to him.

Tsimikas fouled Ferguson and the Bologna man did brilliantly to take his chance in the box from the free-kick as Scotland hit the front.

Thomas Tuchel may have expressed public displeasure with England’s fans after the emphatic Wembley win against Wales, but the performance of his players will have left him feeling only the warm glow of vindication.

Tuchel delivered a highly-critical and unusually blunt verdict from any coach in the direction of his own “silent” supporters after a 3-0 stroll was effectively wrapped up inside the first 20 minutes.

It was, however, another message delivered by the German manager that will carry wider significance as England gather momentum towards next summer’s World Cup.

Tuchel’s words stretched way beyond the shockwaves that greeted Jude Bellingham’s exclusion when he named his latest England squad.

He made it crystal clear that England’s star system was over, that players in possession could cement their places by sheer weight of performances, the biggest names no longer guaranteed an automatic recall.

England victory in the Wembley friendly must be placed in the context of Welsh opponents with eyes seemingly fixed on their vital World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Monday, but this was still a night with a large measure of satisfaction for Tuchel’s strategy.

Tuchel made it clear he is picking an England team, not individuals. He even stated: “We are not collecting the most talented players. We are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else.”

Bellingham’s superstar status meant Tuchel’s selection was laced with risk, even though it was shaped by common sense as he had only started one game for Real Madrid following shoulder surgery.

He may have wanted to be included, but on this occasion Tuchel was happy to do without Bellingham, keeping faith with the players who produced the best result and performance of his reign by winning 5-0 against Serbia in the World Cup qualifier in Belgrade.

And, to add further credibility to Tuchel’s decision-making process, England’s outstanding player against Wales was Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, excelling in Bellingham’s number 10 role, as he did in Belgrade.

Rogers, on the evidence of England’s past two games, is fast becoming the poster boy for the new identity Tuchel wants to create.

And if Tuchel’s measure is applied, the England shirt is now Rogers’ to lose, with a further opportunity to cement his place against Latvia in Riga on Tuesday.

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva says he knows “exactly” what he is going to do when his contract ends, but “now is not the right time to talk about it”.

The 31-year-old midfielder, whose deal expires at the end of the season, said it is a “big honour and responsibility” to wear the armband.

The Portugal midfielder, in his ninth season with City, has been linked with a move, with reported interest from Juventus and Benfica this month.

Silva has won every major trophy with City, including the Champions League and seven Premier League titles.

He was linked with a move away earlier this year, but opted to stay.

“I know exactly what I’m going to do but it’s not the time to focus on it,” he said.

“It’s to do my best, to put the club back to where it belongs. We’ve had a lot of captains who’ve left but it’s for the guys who have the most experience to pass it on to the young guys.”

Silva was speaking in a pre-match news conference before he faces his former club Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 BST).

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, asked about what Silva brings to the team, said “he cannot do better as a captain”.

Silva succeeded Kevin de Bruyne in wearing the armband after the Belgian left in the summer before joining Napoli on a free transfer.

“He is one of the best in training. He is an extraordinary player – so intelligent and smart. He can play in so many positions. We’re really happy to have him,” Guardiola said of Silva.

Ingle – who left in 2015 for a three-year spell at Liverpool before swiching to west London – previously captained the Bristol side in her first spell with the club.

“It’s about feeling valued as well,” said Ingle. “Bristol City want the women’s team at Ashton Gate and that for us as a women’s team is really important.

“For someone like myself who’s been through different teams and not always had that representation from a football club, those small things mean a lot to me.”

Bristol City will play all their home games at Ashton Gate this season, following the conclusion of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Ashton Gate hosts both semi-finals as New Zealand take on Canada on Friday night and England take on France on Saturday afternoon.

Ingle is one of more than 10 new signings for the club as they target a return to the Women’s Super League.

“When I first spoke to Charlotte [Healy, head coach] her demands and standards were very high which linked with mine.

“It’s obviously going to be hard, WSL2 is always such a tight league, each team can take points off everyone, so it’s never set in stone that team A is going to win.

“It’s going to be a long season and we’re going to have to find ways to keep digging in and getting points on the board.

“Come the business end of the season we want to be in a position where we can get promoted.

“This football club deserves to be in the top division and I think we can get there.”

He scored 15 goals in 58 games last season, with Los Blancos losing the league title to Barcelona and knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.

Bellingham’s fellow Englishman Trent Alexander-Arnold is also in the squad for the visit of the Ligue 1 side.

Former Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold played the last eight minutes of their 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend having struggled to displace experienced Spain full-back Dani Carvajal in the starting line-up.

Alonso said Carvajal’s “competitive spirit” and “the influence he holds as a captain” are a vital asset for Real.

“He [Carvajal] was still recovering while we were in the United States, but now he’s fit enough to play, you can see what a positive impact he has on everyone around him,” added Alonso.

“We need to have those kinds of leaders in a dressing room, they’re crucial. Carva is an example of that. There are lots of others and we need that strong core to guide the rest.”

Manchester United and England midfielder Grace Clinton is closing in on a move to Manchester City before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

The 22-year-old has attracted interest from several clubs this summer with just a year remaining on her contract and no renewal agreed.

Local rivals City are in talks to reach a deal with United before 23:00 BST on Thursday, while England midfielder Jess Park is set to move the other way.

Park, 23, who was also part of England’s Euro 2025-winning squad, was set for a medical at Carrington on Wednesday evening.

United see Park as a high-quality addition and while the deals are separate, she is considered a strong replacement for Clinton.

United were keen to keep Clinton, but they would rather cash in on the England international and avoid losing her for free next year.

In previous seasons United lost striker Alessia Russo and goalkeeper Mary Earps after the expiry of their contracts following failed contract renewal negotiations.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek says he “completely forgot” about playing for England and was “just a fan” during his near seven-year absence from the national team.

Loftus-Cheek’s last appearance for the Three Lions came in a friendly against the United States in November 2018 after he had been part of Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad that reached the semi-finals in Russia the same year.

The 29-year-old midfielder ruptured his Achilles in 2019 playing for Chelsea in a friendly in the USA before the Europa League final, and subsequently dropped out of the England reckoning.

He joined AC Milan in 2023 and has made 71 appearances for the Rossoneri in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and registering three assists.

“When I ruptured my Achilles, I was on such a high [before it happened], so after that I had a hard time mentally,” said Loftus-Cheek.

“But I was still young, I still had time to come back, so I wasn’t too low.”

He added he had “got used” to not joining up with England because he had been away for so long.

“You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff,” he said.

“But I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead.”

Loftus-Cheek said it took about two years for him to feel himself again after the injury.

“If you have got good people around you it is going to help you so much, but the main thing comes from your self drive,” he said of his recovery.

“That belief, to overcome challenges, is paramount in sport and in life – that you have this mentality in overcoming challenges.”

Manchester United are in talks with local rivals Manchester City over a potential move for England midfielder Jess Park.

The 23-year-old has 20 appearances for England and was part of the squad who retained their title at Euro 2025.

She has been at Manchester City for eight years, impressing in a loan spell at Everton during the 2022-23 season.

Park has become a regular for City but United are looking to strengthen their squad as they prepare for a season in the Women’s Champions League main stage if they win their two-legged play-off against Brann this month.

Elsewhere, there has been reports of interest in Manchester United midfielder Grace Clinton, including from Manchester City, with a year remaining on her contract.

As it stands, there is no indication England international Clinton will leave United before Thursday’s 23:00 BST transfer deadline but the club may have to consider significant offers if it remains unlikely she will sign a contract extension.

City have been weighing up options in midfield throughout the summer and have enquired about a few players in that position.

Brentford have had two offers rejected for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joey Veerman.

The Dutch club responded to Brentford’s second offer, believed to be in the region of £25m, with the message that Veerman is not for sale.

The Bees are now considering whether to return with a new offer for the 26-year-old, who has 16 caps for the Netherlands.

Brentford remain keen to strengthen their squad before the transfer deadline on Monday but are having difficulty in landing their top targets.

The west London club have also had a £45m bid rejected for Borussia Dortmund forward Max Beier.

Whether Brentford can strengthen in attacking areas could have a bearing on whether DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa joins Newcastle.

Wissa has told the club of his wish to move to St James’ Park this summer.

Newcastle have seen two offers for Wissa turned down – the latest worth £30m plus £5m in add ons.

It was in Chicago that Amorim first said Mainoo would be in competition with Fernandes this season.

Although he was also keen to stress both men could play in different positions, Amorim clearly feels the pair are best suited to the advanced midfield role in his system, which for Mainoo is a clear problem.

How realistic is it that he can oust the captain from the United side, at least in the short-term?

In truth, Mainoo is a victim of his own success.

The Stockport-born player emerged so quickly and came into a team struggling so often, he was almost a totem.

Yet the fabulous end to the 2023-24 campaign masked positional deficiencies in Mainoo’s game that were apparent as United’s midfield was routinely overrun. At the Euros, he had Declan Rice covering him.

As last season began Mainoo’s confidence and form dipped, and he was injured when Erik ten Hag was sacked and Amorim took his place.

Mainoo was prominent in Amorim’s starting line-ups from December onwards, but that meant he was involved in a string of damaging defeats.

He was injured again in February and, by the time he returned, Amorim was targeting the Europa League – meaning his only starts to the end of the season were in the Premier League. Three of those games were lost, the other, at Bournemouth, was a draw.

It was against that backdrop Amorim made his summer call on Mainoo.

He feels the competition for places will help his side and the midfielder, who he says boasts quick feet, an excellent passing range and invaluable speed in tight spaces, will benefit.

Evidently, Mainoo feels the evidence of the opening two league games only points to extended spells on the sidelines, frustration and stunted progress.

West Ham have signed midfielder Mateus Fernandes from Southampton in a deal worth more than £40m.

The 21-year-old Portuguese joins on a five-year contract and becomes West Ham’s third-biggest signing, behind Sebastien Haller (£45m) and Lucas Paqueta (£51m).

Fernandes moved to Southampton from Sporting for £15m in 2024, so the Saints have made a substantial profit after one year.

He made 46 appearances for Southampton, scoring four goals and providing seven assists.

“I’m very excited to play for West Ham,” said Fernandes.

“I think it’s a big step for me. It’s a big club, a massive club. The project, the stadium, the city, everything.”

The move should be a boost for under-pressure Hammers manager Graham Potter, whose side have lost their first three matches of the season in all competitions.

They were beaten 3-0 by newly-promoted Sunderland in their first Premier League outing before being thrashed 5-1 by Chelsea, and lost to Wolves in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

West Ham are also close to completing the signing of Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassa, 21, for a fee of about £17.3m.

Borussia Dortmund have signed England youth international Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea on a five-year contract.

The 21-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at the German club and joins in a deal that could be worth about £24m.

The attacking midfielder made 32 appearances for Chelsea after a £20m move from Aston Villa in 2022.

Blues defender Aaron Anselmino has also agreed to join Dortmund, on a season-long loan, and has flown to Germany to complete the deal.

The Chukwuemeka transfer means Chelsea’s income from player sales this summer is more than £270m, almost balancing out the £277m spent on incoming transfers.

Jacob Ramsey is a player Newcastle United’s coaching team “loved” from afar.

Ramsey is athletic, versatile and hungry to get better – and it is not hard to envisage the 24-year-old developing further under Eddie Howe.

This will have been an emotional move for Ramsey, a boyhood Aston Villa fan who had been on the club’s books since the age of six.

But it felt instructive that the midfielder referenced the pull of working with Howe after completing his move to St James’ Park.

Anthony Gordon, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento have all become full England internationals after an extended period working with Howe and his staff.

Do not rule out Ramsey following in the quartet’s footsteps.

Newcastle may be well-stocked in the middle of the park and out on the left, but it is not hard to envisage Ramsey playing his part given the depth the club will need to fight on four fronts this season.

It was a frustrating start to the window for Newcastle, but Howe has now brought in Ramsey, Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw and Aaron Ramsdale to increase competition in some key areas.

The one position that still needs to be addressed, though, is up front.

Newcastle already needed a goalscorer following Callum Wilson’s departure last month and it fell to Anthony Gordon to lead the line in Alexander Isak’s continued absence on the opening day.

Brentford star Yoane Wissa remains one to watch.

Nick Mashiter, BBC Sport

It is a deal Aston Villa and Unai Emery would have preferred not to have done in an ideal world.

However, this is not that world but one in which teams must abide by profit and sustainability rules, and finances are tight at Villa Park.

A youth product like Ramsey would always be the asset to sell to generate pure profit and £40m will undoubtedly help Villa comply with the rules.

It was the same last year when they had to sell Douglas Luiz despite qualifying for the Champions League.

It would be churlish to call Villa purely a selling club now but they are not immune to financial pressures, as has been obvious over the past 18 months, and the failure to reach the Champions League this season will naturally have an effect.

Emery was a fan of Ramsey – he would have like to have kept him – but the manager is living in reality. He knows the landscape Villa must navigate, even if it may seem rocky.

Striker Evann Guessand has joined from Nice and there are likely to be more arrivals, perhaps even the return of Marco Asensio after his successful loan last season, but Villa must continue to outthink the bigger spenders.

Newcastle are in advanced negotiations with Aston Villa over a move for midfielder Jacob Ramsey, who will hold key talks with the Midlands club in the next 24 hours.

The two clubs are in negotiations over a deal for Ramsey to move to St James’ Park before the transfer deadline, with an agreement described as close.

The 24-year-old will hold talks with Villa before making a decision on his future, with Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe keen to secure his signature.

If the clubs reach an agreement and the ex-England U21s midfielder decides he wants to leave, he will enter into talks with the Magpies over personal terms.

Ramsey has also courted serious interest from West Ham this summer, but if he does leave Villa Park then Newcastle is believed to be his preferred destination.

He has scored 17 goals in 167 appearances for Villa since earning his senior debut in 2019 and was a regular for Unai Emery’s side last season.

Newcastle have made two permanent signings this summer with winger Anthony Elanga arriving from Nottingham Forest and defender Malick Thiaw joining from AC Milan, while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has also linked up with the Magpies on loan from Southampton.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has suffered an injury setback and is unlikely to be “really fit” until after the September international break, says manager Pep Guardiola.

The Spain international spent most of the 2024-25 season sidelined as a result of suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury last September.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner returned to action when he came on as a late substitute in City’s penultimate Premier League game of last season against Bournemouth.

The 29-year-old was also part of Guardiola’s squad at the Club World Cup in the United States during in the summer when City went out at the last-16 stage to Al-Hilal.

Rodri came on as a second-half substitute against the Saudi Arabian side but went off early in extra time with what is thought to have been a groin issue.

“Rodri is getting better but he had a big injury in the last game against Al-Hilal,” said Guardiola.

“He has trained better in the last few days. Hopefully after the international break, he will be really fit.”