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Manchester United have now reportedly received a boost in their potential efforts to sign an England international at the end of the season.

Rooney discusses Man Utd's decline

The Red Devils have made a disappointing start to the season, although victory away to Brentford on Saturday lunchtime would be a big step in the right direction, having won at home to Chelsea last weekend.

Ruben Amorim is trying to mastermind United’s return to the top of English football, and opening up to former teammate Rio Ferdinand, attacking legend Wayne Rooney has discussed when he felt the club was declining after decades of glory.

“I think that question I asked then, in 2010, it still hasn’t been answered, been addressed, from 2010. And I think fans have seen… I don’t think, if fans look back, they’d be like, you know what, he actually seen what was coming a little bit. And I don’t think it’s been fixed since 2010.

“We obviously won the league in 2013, but lots changed, obviously. Commercially, social media, everything changed. But I still think when we lost Ronaldo and Tevez, from that moment, we got Robin in, obviously, for a couple years, but from that moment the club has never had a group of forwards like that.”

Top-quality new signings will aid United in their quest to bring back the glory days, and a positive update has emerged regarding one transfer target.

Man Utd boosted in pursuit of England international

Speaking to The United Stand [via The Peoples Person], journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that Manchester United target Adam Wharton has a “gentlemen’s agreement” to leave Crystal Palace next season.

“My understanding with Wharton is there’s kind of a gentleman’s agreement in place allowing him to leave Crystal Palace next summer, so that’s clearly going to be one to watch.

“At this stage it is simply wait and see; you’re not going to get the answers to January this early, but there is concrete possibility that if the right name becomes available, Manchester United will add a senior midfielder this season, and as I said before, it could be two midfielders.

“There’s other names that could be available mid-season if Manchester United have the funds from potentially a Kobbie Mainoo exit; we’ll have to wait and see what transpires.”

The £100m-rated Wharton is exactly the type of player United used to sign with relative ease, in terms of being a highly-rated young homegrown player with a massive future.

The 21-year-old is a fantastic prospect, playing with so much maturity in front of the defence, possessing technical quality, but also a strong defensive brain.

Man Utd now expected to make £60m offer for "physical beast" in January

The Red Devils are showing the strongest interest in a defender, with a bid planned for the upcoming transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Sep 25, 2025

Former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze has hailed Wharton as an “incredible” player and United should be viewing him as the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.

Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid have been repeatedly linked with a move for Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez, who’s become a vital cog in the Blues’ system, and it is now reported that Enzo Maresca’s side could green-light his exit to the Bernabeu.

When Chelsea splashed out a then-British record fee of roughly £107 million to sign from Benfica in January 2023, the expectations were sky-high.

Signed with the intent of being a midfield leader, a creative spark, and a metronome in possession-heavy games, the Argentine arrived amid fanfare — but early returns were mixed to say the least.

Fernandez attracted serious criticism over his first year and a half at Stamford Bridge for his inconsistent performances on the pitch, and was at the centre of a racism scandal during the summer of 2024, after the midfielder uploaded a video of Argentine international teammates singing a controversial song about French players.

Fast-forward to now, and the 24-year-old has worked his way to being a crucial star under Maresca, as Fernandez begins to justify his mammoth price tag from over two years ago.

Last season, Fernandez finished the campaign as Chelsea’s third-best performer by average match rating according to WhoScored – behind only Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer – whilst scoring six goals and registering a further seven assists in a more advanced midfield role.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Maresca also made Fernandez captain last season, a decision which was seen as controversial at the time, but the midfielder is repaying faith by enjoying a stellar last 12 months on the field.

His goals against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Liverpool were only overshadowed by a match-winning performance against Real Betis in May’s Conference League final, with Fernandez shining at the Club World Cup too.

Thus far, the South American has kickstarted 2025/2026 with real aplomb — notching a goal and assist in Chelsea’s 2-0 London derby win over Fulham whilst also getting on the scoresheet against West Ham.

Fernandez looks like a completely different player since Maresca took charge in the summer of 2024, and his form is attracting serious interest from Real.

Chelsea ready to let Enzo Fernandez join Real Madrid on three key conditions

Now, according to Defensa Central, it is believed that Chelsea could actually be ready to let Fernandez join Los Blancos — but on three key conditions.

Firstly, the player must openly request a move to Spain. Secondly, Real must include midfielder Eduardo Camavinga — a player they’re seriously targeting for 2026 — in a part-exchange deal.

Thirdly, Real must offer ‘at least’ an extra £44 million alongside Camavinga — so it appears Florentino Perez knows exactly what is required to tempt Chelsea’s rejuvenated star with a move to La Liga.

Chelsea must not sell Enzo Fernandez to Real Madrid

Selling Fernandez to Real would be a huge mistake for Chelsea.

The in-form ace has become one of the heartbeats of Maresca’s midfield, and after a rocky start to life in England, he now looks like the player BlueCo invested over £100m in.

Fernandez is entering his prime years. Letting him leave now would not only rob Chelsea of a midfield general but also undermine the long-term project built around youth and elite potential.

In terms of Camavinga as a replacement, the Frenchman missed large portions of 24/25 through injury in what was a difficult campaign for him, so this potential swap would be a very risky one to say the least.

أكد خالد سليمان وكيل أعمال يانيك فيريرا المدير الفني لفريق الزمالك، أن المدرب سيقدم شكوى في نادي الزمالك بعد رحيله عن صفوف الفريق مؤخرًا. 

وكان نادي الزمالك قد أعلن في وقت سابق، عن توجيه الشكر إلى يانيك فيريرا لتراجع النتائج، وتعيين أحمد عبد الرؤوف بدلًا منه.

طالع.. طريق الزمالك في كأس مصر 2025-2026

وقال سليمان في تصريحات لـ بطولات: :”أرسلنا خطابًا رسميًا إلى نادي الزمالك صباح اليوم السبت، من أجل الحصول على مستحقات فيريرا المتأخرة”. 

وأضاف: “مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك تجاهل اتفاقنا المسبق معهم حول تسوية المستحقات المتأخرة لدى فيريرا، واتفاق التسوية كان يقتضي بحصول فيريرا على 4 أشهر من عقده مع التنازل عن 3 أشهر من باقي عقده”. 

وتابع: “أبلغنا نادي الزمالك بالحصول على كافة مستحقاتنا المتأخرة وسيتم التقدم بشكوى لدى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم فيفا، حال عدم ارسال المستحقات المتأخرة” 

وواصل: “يانيك فيريرا غادر بالفعل في الساعات المتأخرة القاهرة متجهًا إلى بلجيكا”. 

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is hoping he is not the man between the posts when the Catalan giants take on Real Madrid in the highly-anticipated Clasico later this month. Instead, the veteran shot stopper hopes that the injured Joan Garcia is fit in time for the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu as he talked up the world-class potential of the summer signing.

• Garcia becomes Barcelona's latest hero

  Having completed his much-anticipated €25 million (£22m/$29m) transfer from local rivals Espanyol under controversial circumstances, Garcia wasted no time endearing himself to the Barcelona faithful. His performances proved why the defending La Liga champions fought tooth and nail to acquire the promising goalkeeper's services. Szczesny, who renewed his deal at Barca for another season, has already stated in the past that he vows to do everything in his capacity to help the 24-year-old reach the pinnacle of football.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Szczesny aims to make Garcia 'the best goalkeeper in the world!'

  In a recent interview with Polish publication , the ex-Arsenal and Juventus keeper spoke of his admiration of the summer signing. "I saw him last year at Espanyol and he made a huge impression on me," he said. 

  "After three days of training together in Barcelona, I decided that I could contribute in my own small way to the development of possibly the best goalkeeper in the world! I'm not saying that he is there now, but I see incredible potential in him. And if I can help him in any way — not only for the good of the team, but also to feel that I was there for this exceptional talent, because he is an exceptional talent, and even if I helped him develop by just a tiny percentage — it is already a great satisfaction for me."

• Szczesny in no mood to play against Real Madrid

  Garcia's dream start, however, turned into a nightmare. During a training session on the morning of September 26, the 24-year-old suffered a torn meniscus. The custodian underwent a successful arthroscopic surgery the same day, but was effectively sidelined for four weeks, putting his participation in the Clasico against arch-rivals Madrid on October 26 in jeopardy. 

  Szczesny wishes that Garcia recovers in time for the blockbuster clash. "I sincerely wish him a speedy recovery. And I'm not counting on playing in El Clasico myself," Szczesny told . 

  "I value the clarity of our relationship with Joan. He knows perfectly well what my role is, and I want to have an influence on him playing at his best. I have no doubt who will be, and who should be, the number one goalkeeper at Barcelona. I think he's a guy with great potential. I'll be immodest to say I can help him a little . I accept this role with great responsibility. I don't want anyone to have any doubts. There will never be a competition for the number one jersey here."

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• Getty
  

  When do Barcelona return to action?

  After suffering their first La Liga defeat of the season, a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Sevilla last week, Hansi Flick's men squandered top spot to Madrid. They will return to action on October 18 against fellow Catalonian outfit Girona. 

Birmingham City's relegation down to League One at the end of this season was many years in the making, the Blues often surviving by the skin of their teeth, with the relegation trapdoor finally getting the better of them this campaign.

Not finishing above 17th in the Championship the last eight seasons, the Blues falling to the third tier for the first time in 29 years will still obviously sting, even if it's not come as an overall shock considering the club's gradual decline.

Birmingham had some hope when Tony Mowbray came in that things were going to be brighter, but with his stay cut short owing to health issues, interim boss Gary Rowett couldn't inspire his group from the sidelines to stay put in the second tier either.

It'll be up to yet another new manager in the St. Andrew's dug-out to try and breathe life back into the faltering club now, as the Blues embark on an unusual quest to win promotion instead of striving to keep their heads above water.

Birmingham eyeing promotion hero

If the underperforming Blues desire a promotion hero, it's no real surprise to seem they're targeting former Sunderland manager Alex Neil for the hot-seat, as has been reported by journalist John Percy.

The Daily Telegraph journalist further revealed that talks have taken place between the relegated side and Neil over the vacancy, with the Scotsman high up their list presumably after winning promotion back up to the Championship for Sunderland in 2022.

Able to breathe life back into one sleeping giant means Neil could be up for the task of doing the exact same in another new location, with the 42-year-old boss also boasting a promotion up to the Premier League with Norwich City on his impressive CV.

Why Neil can be a perfect Rosenior alternative

Described as being a "magnificent" manager by ex-Sunderland great Peter Reid off-the-back of his heroics on Wearside, before his career slumped somewhat at Stoke City after the Black Cats with only 21 wins amassed from 66 games, Neil could now fancy bouncing back with Birmingham to show his time with the Potters was nothing more than a blip on his glittering resume.

Neil's managerial record
Club	Games managed	Wins	Draws	Losses
Stoke City	66	22	13	31
Sunderland	24	12	9	3
Preston North End	191	73	46	72
Norwich City	108	45	21	42
Hamilton Academical	77	43	15	19
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Able to come in and transform a club's fortunes quickly as seen with Sunderland in the table above, or consolidate a club in the second-tier as he did at Preston, Neil could be an ideal alternative to Liam Rosenior who looks to have rejected the Blues' advances, according to reports.

As much as Rosenior's stock is high now, Neil would, arguably, be a safer pair of hands for Birmingham in the here and now over the ex-Hull City boss.

Not cowering under the weight of immense expectation at the Stadium of Light, the Scotsman could thrive under the same pressures again here with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation set-up also suiting the relegated Blues.

Birmingham won 1-0 on the final day of the season set up in that exact arrangement, with Paik Seung-Ho squeezing the ball into the net, and so Neil could find he doesn't have to completely rip everything up next season to get the best out of his new troops.

Neil could also be enough for the likes of John Ruddy to stay situated at St Andrew's ahead of next season, with talk that Blackburn Rovers are after the experienced goalkeeper's services this summer, having managed him during his hay-day at Norwich.

Rosenior might well be viewed as the flashier and on-trend name, having just narrowly missing out on the Championship playoffs with Hull, but Birmingham could do far worse than opting to go for Neil instead to stabilise the ship.

Birmingham could land dream Mowbray successor who's "one of the best"

Birmingham City fans would hope this appointment would see an instant return to the Championship happen.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 22, 2024

Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead late in Jurgen Klopp's penultimate match as the club's manager as Aston Villa fought tooth and nail to secure a draw in the Premier League and step closer toward Champions League qualification, eventually drawing 3-3.

There's been an acute drop-off within this talented Liverpool side in the past few months, who, let's be honest, were performing above expectations for much of this emotional campaign, turbo-charged by the brilliant guiding light of Klopp's swansong.

Frailties were glaring at Villa Park, but so too were the strengths and the style of a team still developing, yet to enter its new era under Arne Slot.

The future of vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold remains up in the air, out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season and reportedly attracting ominous attention from Real Madrid, and while he's a world-class player, he will be displeased with his effort against Unai Emery's side.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance vs Villa

Alexander-Arnold has endured a bit of a frustrating campaign for Liverpool, producing some resounding performances when Klopp's team was at its best throughout the opening half of the campaign before falling prey to injuries that have disrupted much of the latter half of the term.

Still, he's bagged three goals and nine assists in all competitions and has started Liverpool's past five top-flight fixtures, but he flattered to deceive against the Villans.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: Stats vs Aston Villa
Stat	#
Minutes played	90'
Touches	82
Accurate passes	49/58 (84%)
Shots on target	1
Shots off target	1
Key passes	1
Possession lost	16x
Tackles	1
Interceptions	2
Error leading to shot	1
Duels won	1/7
Dribbled past	5x
Sourced via Sofascore

It wasn't a dreadful display but it did leave plenty to be desired, with The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle handing the creative full-back a 6/10 match rating, noting his early attempts to push forward and affect the play but gradual shift into a more defensive role to deal with the hosts' advances.

The reporter wrote: 'Regularly drifted into a central midfield position early on but forced into more defending before break and second half more one of attrition. Denied by Martinez with one thunderbolt.'

But Doyle's thoughts do not hone in on the dismal defensive efforts that allowed Villa to slice through the Reds' defence with ease at times, winning just one duel out of seven battles all night and also being dribbled past five times.

The 25-year-old also made an error and created just one key pass. He might have fired a ferocious strike at Emiliano Martinez but this was not a good demonstration of his superabundance of talent.

As The Athletic's James Pearce aptly puts it: "Defensive issues for Slot to address this summer. One clean sheet in the last 16 PL games tells a story."

Last season, a horribly substandard and disjointed Liverpool side shipped 47 goals in the Premier League; this term, if a clean sheet is kept against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the closing day of the campaign this weekend, that figure will have been bettered only by six.

There is much work to do, and while Slot and all involved at Liverpool would despair at the thought of Alexander-Arnold plying his trade elsewhere, he will need to improve in the defensive third – this felt like something of a regression.

Darwin Nunez axed, £180m trio sign: Arne Slot's dream XI at Liverpool

Things could be looking rather different at Anfield come August.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 9, 2024

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers arrived at the club last summer for a second stint in Glasgow after former boss Ange Postecoglou decided to move on.

The Australian head coach enjoyed a terrific two seasons at Parkhead, winning five trophies with the Scottish giants, and did some exceptional work in the transfer market.

He made use of his knowledge of Asian football to recruit the likes of Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi, among others, whilst also landing signings such as Jota and Alistair Johnston.

However, one slip-up the now-Tottenham boss made came when he decided to make use of the British market to bring in James McCarthy in the summer of 2021.

How much Celtic paid to sign James McCarthy

The Hoops swooped to sign the central midfielder on a free transfer ahead of the 2021/22 campaign after his contract with Crystal Palace had expired earlier that summer.

Celtic signed Joe Hart and McCarthy on the same day and Postecoglou described both players as "top-class" operators, although only one of them has gone on to prove that to be true.

The former England international shot-stopper has kept 61 clean sheets in 148 appearances for the club in all competitions, and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year last season.

20/21 Premier League	James McCarthy
Appearances	16
Starts	10
Sofascore rating	6.66
Pass accuracy	76%
Duel success rate	51%
Goals + assists	0
Stats via Sofascore

McCarthy, as you can see in the table above, arrived at Parkhead off the back of an unimpressive season in the Premier League with Palace, with unremarkable statistics in and out of possession.

His poor form translated over to his time in Scotland and Celtic have been rinsed by the midfielder since his move to the club in 2021, with his wages going down the drain with little coming back in return.

How much James McCarthy is set to cost in wages

By the end of this season, the Hoops will have paid McCarthy roughly £2.18m in wages – £728k-per-season – on a weekly wage of £14k-per-week.

In that time, the 33-year-old veteran has only made 27 first-team appearances for the Scottish side, and has started just four Scottish Premiership games.

The former Ireland international was described as looking "lost" and not match "fit" by former Celtic man Frank McAvennie in October 2022, and that is reflected in his lack of action on the pitch – with two league outings and zero starts since the start of last season.

His £14k-per-week is more than Tomoki Iwata (£7.6k-per-week) earns at this moment in time, despite the Japanese midfielder emerging as a key player for Rodgers.

The 27-year-old ace has made 20 appearances for the club in all competitions this term and started nine league matches, which suggests that he is far more integral to the team than McCarthy, who has not played a minute of Premiership action during the current campaign.

Rodgers must now drop 2/10 Celtic star alongside McGregor

The Hoops boss should take the attacker out of the starting lineup against Hearts.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 29, 2024

Therefore, Celtic have been rinsed by the midfield dud, who has zero goals and zero assists in 12 league games for the club, as he has not contributed much on the pitch to justify the millions sent down the drain on his wages over the last three years.

With one year left on his current contract at Parkhead this summer, the Hoops may want to look to move him on for good to avoid paying him another £728k over the next 12 months.

The BCB’s anti-corruption officials and the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League’s technical committee are looking into a controversial stumping incident from a match between Gulshan Cricket Club and Shinepukur Cricket Club at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.The incident took place in the dying moments of the game, when Shinepukur batter Minhajul Abedin was out stumped even though he had enough time to make his ground. Minhajul stepped out against offspinner Naeem Islam. The ball was delivered wide. Mihajul withdrew from his shot. Wicketkeeper Alif Hasan collected the ball wide of the stumps, and failed to break the stumps with his first attempt. Minhajul stood still, bat grounded just outside the crease. He even seemed to pull the bat further away from the crease. Alif broke the stumps on his second attempt.On Thursday, the BCB said in a statement* that it had “taken note of the concerns”.”The BCB Anti-Corruption Unit and the League’s Technical Committee have promptly initiated an investigation into the alleged irregularities associated with the match,” the BCB’s statement said. “The BCB remains committed to ensuring fairness and discipline in all cricketing activities under its jurisdiction and will take the necessary actions based on the findings of the investigation.”The timing of the dismissal raised eyebrows. Shinepukur, battling for survival in the tournament with just two points in nine outings, needed just six runs in seven overs to beat Gulshan, who were on 11 points. Minhajul’s dismissal ended their innings on 173, and they lost by five runs.On-air commentator Mazhar Uddin Omi expressed astonishment, saying, “This is shocking, I have never seen anything like this before.”On Wednesday, the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), the BCB body that organises the league, had said that it had informed the board’s anti-corruption body about the incident, and were waiting for the umpires’ report on the incident.”We saw the footage. It was the last dismissal of the day. This sort of thing is usually the match referee’s responsibility,” CCDM’s league coordinator Sabbir Ahmed said. “We are aware of the TV umpire sitting next to him also, so they must have studied the footage. They are supposed to give a report on the incident.”The Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League is Bangladesh’s premier List A competition, on top of the Dhaka league pyramid. The last round of this season’s competition concludes next week, before the top six teams battle for the title in the super league. The bottom three teams will fight for survival, as two teams are relegated every season.

The allrounder, whose ban ended on October 29, has urged cricketers not to take corrupt approaches lightly

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2020

Shakib Al Hasan looks on•Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Shakib Al Hasan has urged cricketers not to take any corrupt approach lightly, and to report them to anti-corruption officials as soon as possible. Speaking in a Youtube video where he took questions from fans and journalists, Shakib repented his failure to report an approach, for which he was banned for 12 months by the ICC. The ban came to an end on October 29.At the time of his sentencing last year, the ICC’s anti-corruption unit published evidence that Shakib had been in contact with bookie Deepak Aggarwal (who was later banned for two years by the ICC) and had exchanged Whatsapp messages with him since November 2017.”I regret getting suspended, and I was repentant,” Shakib said. “I shouldn’t have made this mistake. I think I will get a great lesson out of it. I would urge everyone not to make this mistake. Whenever a similar situation arises, you should abide by your responsibility according to the ICC code of conduct.”You should inform an anti-corruption officer, whether local or international. We are all well aware of the procedure. Don’t make this mistake of not informing them. Don’t take it lightly. Rather than getting influenced by it, you must report it immediately.”Shakib said it had been a mental challenge for him to play the 2019 World Cup with the investigation hanging over his head. It wasn’t known publicly then, but Shakib was in regular contact with the ICC’s anti-corruption unit six months before the World Cup. “I think it was very challenging,” Shakib said. “The investigation was going on for a long time, and they were in continuous contact with me. It was an uncomfortable situation for me. It is nothing nice for any cricketer, and its not great to go to sleep on.”I knew something was going to happen, although I did consider that nothing might happen. I wasn’t sure of the punishment. By the time I knew about it, you were also aware of it. The investigation period wasn’t certainly an easy one for me.”600-plus runs, 11 wickets: Shakib Al Hasan put up numbers no player had done in a World Cup before•Getty Images

When the World Cup came around, Shakib turned in a record-breaking all-round performance, scoring 604 runs at an average of 86.57 and taking 11 wickets at 36.27. It was the first time an allrounder had completed the double of 500 runs and 10 wickets at a World Cup. Shakib said his performance wasn’t a response to the investigation.”It had nothing to do with my World Cup performance,” he said. “I could have been banned before the World Cup because the investigation began in November or December (2018). I never thought that I had to do well because of the investigation.”I wanted to do well in the World Cup because I didn’t do well in previous World Cups, I didn’t live up to my reputation previously. I thought it was the perfect time and age for me. [Batting at No. 3] was a suitable position for me, so I tried to maximise it.”After getting past the initial sorrow of being banned, Shakib said he made peace with the fact that he could come back in a year’s time. He said the suspension and the Covid-19 pandemic had given him a new perspective to life.”When I heard the news it was a shock to me. I was upset and sorry,” he said. “At the same time, I was thinking that ‘okay, life has given me a chance. I have one year to prepare myself and when I come back, I need to prove again.’ This is the courage I got when I got suspended.”Corona and my suspension have taught me to think differently about my life. I believe only a struggle can make a person think in this way. When a person comes back from such circumstances, they do it strongly. I think very differently now, and that’ll help me in my life.”Shakib was welcomed back by his teammates with warm statements from the likes of Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and a host of others, but the allrounder said that he’d understand it if anyone still doubts him.”It is not easy to know about everyone’s feelings,” he said. “They may doubt me or not trust me, I am not denying it. But I have been in touch with almost everyone so I haven’t felt it among them. I am hopeful it won’t be a problem, and they will keep believing in me like they used to. But it is not impossible for them to have a bit of doubt. There wouldn’t be any regret about it.”

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said he is not concerned about Lamine Yamal's playing time while on Nations League duty.

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Yamal played 90 minutes against SerbiaBarca reportedly worried about his playing timeSpain coach not bothered by club's concernWHAT HAPPENED?

Yamal, 17, played the full 90 minutes as Spain opened their Nations League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Serbia on Thursday. The winger started all four of Barca's La Liga games this season, too, racking up 356 minutes already.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Yamal played an important role in Spain's Euro 2024 success, starting all but one of La Roja's games as they went on to beat England in the final. Since he did not have a proper summer break, there are concerns about his workload at such a young age, but De la Fuente remained defiant when asked about him.

WHAT DE LA FUENTE SAID

He told reporters: "It's a blessing to have a player like Lamine Yamal who has the ability to play so many games. Lamine is perfect."

When asked about clubs' hoping their players will be given a rest, he said: "Well, if we can't play 180 minutes in September, then let me know. We put our best players in because we have the great responsibility of representing our country. Besides, it would be very unfair to give minutes to players based on their origin. I won't do that."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

It appears Yamal can expect to be included in the starting XI when Spain take on Switzerland in their second Nations League game on Sunday.