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Already planning ahead for life without loanee Marcus Rashford, Monchi is now battling to sign an alternative option for Aston Villa in a deal that could be worth just £35m this summer.

Aston Villa keep pressure on Champions League places

With just three Premier League games remaining, Aston Villa ensured that they kept hold of a glimmer of hope in the race to secure Champions League qualification by defeating Fulham 1-0. Coming courtesy of Youri Tielemans’ header, those in the Midlands have kept the pressure on Chelsea and Nottingham Forest as they desperately await a crucial slip.

Manager Unai Emery had his say on what was a narrow but all-important victory at Villa Park, telling reporters: “Today we wanted to be closer to qualifying for European football so it is fantastic. If we had not won, forget it (Champions League) completely.

“The best gift we can achieve is the Champions League and we are not the favourites to get it, but we will fight for it. We must now focus on Bournemouth next weekend which is so, so difficult. Villa Park is very important and we feel so strong here. The supporters are fantastic and we can feel that it is our fortress.”

Aston Villa now prioritising move to sign "fantastic" Real Madrid player

The Villans could make their move…

ByTom Cunningham May 3, 2025

There remains plenty of questions to be answered away from the action as well as on the pitch in the Midlands and one of those centres around Rashford. Following an impressive loan spell at the club, Aston Villa could look to land the winger’s signature on a permanent basis. It remains to be seen whether Rashford feels the same way about Villa Park, however, leaving the club to find an alternative option.

Monchi battling to sign Hutchinson for Aston Villa

According to Caught Offside, Monchi and Aston Villa have now joined the battle to sign Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town this summer in a move that would see Villa welcome their Rashford alternative. The deal could yet be a routine one to seal too, given that the winger reportedly has a release clause of just £35m after Ipswich suffered Premier League relegation.

In a difficult campaign, the 21-year-old has only been able to show glimpses of his quality – scoring three goals and creating another two – but will be desperate to stay put in the top flight.

Despite a disappointing output, Hutchinson still found himself at the centre of praise from manager Kieran McKenna, who told reporters earlier this season: “I think its enjoyable seeing a hungry, talented, young player getting to grips with the league and trying to make his impact – discovering the things that are different, the things that are an increasing challenge for him. And also finding the things that work for him and where he can have his impact.”

A player who Aston Villa’s recruitment team ‘rate Hutchinson highly and consider him a smart investment for the future’, so he could be one to watch if the Villans fail to sign Rashford this summer.

The battle at both ends of the Championship is going down to the wire this season, but there may also be a transfer tussle involving three clubs currently fighting it out in England’s second-tier.

Championship run-in heats up as Blackburn thrash Millwall

Only three matches now remain for most teams in the Championship and there is a high level of jeapordy surrounding both the race for promotion and the battle to avoid the drop. Leeds United and Burnley look likely to enter the Premier League automatically, but there is an intriguing battle for the playoff slots.

Emerging as a surprise late contender, Millwall have put together a decent run of results under Alex Neil and still have a shot at entering the picture for top-flight football, but those hopes were damaged badly by a 4-1 defeat at Ewood Park on Friday.

Neil is a specialist in this type of environment, as exemplified at Sunderland and Norwich City in previous years, though there is an acknowledgement that the Lions will now need to be flawless to stand any real chance.

Looking ahead to the summer, Millwall could strengthen their defence by signing Charlton Athletic’s Thierry Small on a free transfer once his contract at the Valley comes to an end.

Related Millwall leading race to sign "excellent" winger to finally replace Esse

He’s enjoyed an impressive season…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Mar 27, 2025

Preston North End are also in hot pursuit of the versatile star, signifying that a number of transfer battles could be about to take place between Championship clubs looking to beef up their pool of talent.

Continuing this theme, Millwall could now face competition from Friday’s victors Blackburn to sign a star who is actually on the books of one of their London rivals, per recent developments.

Millwall and Blackburn fight to sign Morgan Fox from QPR

According to EFL Analysis, Millwall and Blackburn both want to sign Morgan Fox from Queens Park Rangers as the veteran edges closer to leaving his current employers on a free transfer.

Out of contract this summer, the versatile 31-year-old has been offered extended terms at Loftus Road, but it remains to be seen if he signs on amid further interest from Hull City.

Morgan Fox’s key Championship statistics – 2024/25

Tackles won

13

Successful duels

61

Aerial duels won

36

Interceptions

4

Blocks

1

Primarily a central defender, Fox is also capable of playing at left-back and has registered a solitary goal in 23 appearances this season across all competitions.

He has previously been labelled a “warrior” by Gareth Ainsworth, giving an insight into his valiant skillbase. With the end of this term on the horizon, you get the impression Fox will take his time before making a decision on where to commit his future.

Millwall earning promotion could be a decisive factor in potential negotiations, and for now, the quartet of clubs involved will focus on their respective duties until the off-season arrives, which could pave the way for plenty of movement in either direction regarding key assets.

Darwish Rasooli will once again lead Afghanistan A team at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, previously the Emerging Teams tournament, to be played in Doha from November 14 to 23. The squad includes 10 players from last year’s tournament, which Afghanistan won, including Sediqullah Atal, AM Ghazanfar and Qais Ahmad.Atal will have fond memories of the tournament, having scored a half-century in the final to beat Sri Lanka A last year. He is a regular presence in the Afghanistan senior team as well, with 22 T20Is, 12 ODIs and one Test to his name.Abdollah Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut in September and was part of all three games in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe, will lead the Afghanistan A fast bowling attack.

ACC Rising Stars tournament schedule

Nov 14 – Oman vs Pak; Ind vs UAE
Nov 15 – Ban vs HK; Afg vs SL
Nov 16 – Oman vs UAE; Ind vs Pak
Nov 17 – HK vs SL; Afg vs Ban
Nov 18 – Pak vs UAE; Ind vs Oman
Nov 19 – Afg vs HK; Ban vs SL
Nov 21 – Semi-finals: A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2
Nov 23 – Final

Mystery spinner Ghazanfar, 19, came through as a bright prospect and has played all formats for Afghanistan since his debut last year. But he was left out of the T20I squad against Bangladesh in September after average returns. Qais, meanwhile, last played for the Afghanistan national side in 2024. The likes of Bilal Sami, Zubaid Akbari, Mohammad Ishaq and Nangeyalia Kharote, who have all played for the senior side, also feature in this squad.Afghanistan A have been placed in Pool B, alongside Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A and Hong Kong. Their campaign will begin on November 15 against Sri Lanka A, followed by matches against Bangladesh A on November 17 and Hong Kong on November 19.

Afghanistan A squad

:Darwish Rasooli (capt), Sediqullah Atal (vice-capt), Noor Rahman (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Zubaid Akbari, Imran Mir, Rahmanullah Zadran, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Nangeyalia Kharote, Farmanullah Safi, Qais Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Sediqullah Pacha, Yama Arab

Rajput hopes his team can bounce back and push for T20 World Cup qualification

Shashank Kishore10-Sep-20252:21

Can UAE take away anything from this thrashing?

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput has said that they were overawed by India’s spin twins after they suffered a nine-wicket defeat in their Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy picked up a combined 5 for 11 in 4.1 overs as UAE were bundled out for 57, their lowest T20I total.”To be very honest, it wasn’t a turning track,” Rajput said. “It was a good wicket to bat on, but the skill level these bowlers have got, and especially the wristspinners, they will always turn on any type of wickets. And the way they were bowling, the length they were bowling [did the trick].”Related

• Bruised Pakistan take on UAE in knockout clash

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• Kuldeep bags four as India demolish UAE in 17.4 overs

• Stats – The shortest T20I that India has ever played

Openers Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem made 41 of their 57 runs, and the rest of their batters crumbled, failing to read Kuldeep both in the air and off the pitch. Varun, meanwhile, troubled them with the skid when he bowled length deliveries into the pitch.”For our batsmen, to be very honest, they were playing [against this quality of spin] for the first time,” Rajput said. “They were overawed by India’s big names. We should have batted 20 overs. But nevertheless, I think this is a learning process for us.”While taking stock of their defeat, Rajput said the team will be better for the experience. “See, this is a big platform for them,” he said. “It’s a learning process for our players as well. I’m sure these matches will give them a lot of confidence. We just have to move on from here.”While admitting the “batters weren’t patient enough to play out 20 overs that could have got them to 130-140,” Rajput didn’t want to be critical of his team after just one loss. He underlined how they’d shown decent application against spin during the recently concluded tri-series against Afghanistan and Pakistan.”We hardly got out to the spinners,” he said. “It was just one spinner that we got out and that was Abrar [Ahmed, Pakistan legspinner] in the second game [he picked up 4 for 9]. But we really played well in the tri-series. So yes, I think as I said earlier, these spinners are rare because wristspinners, like Varun Chakravarthy, even top players struggle against them.”Alishan Sharafu made a cameo for UAE•AFP/Getty Images

For UAE, every game at the Asia Cup is another opportunity to build towards their immediate goal, which is to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Asian qualifiers are lined up hot on the heels of this tournament, and Rajput hoped his team would be able to pick up the pieces from a crushing loss quickly.It’s keeping this in mind that the team decided to experiment with their squad, and give fringe players a chance on their recent tour where they were beaten by Uganda. Prior to that, though, they beat Bangladesh 2-1 at home, and ran Pakistan and Afghanistan close in the tri-series, even though they lost each of their four matches.”It’s a process that we always carry forward. And we were really looking forward to the Asia Cup because we qualified after a long time,” he said. “And then we beat Bangladesh, that was a very good series for us. Then we went to Uganda. It was a series where we tried some more players. We beat other teams, but lost to Uganda.”The important thing for us is the T20 World Cup qualifier. We don’t have any much time in between. So Uganda was a series where we could try. And then the tri-series, we should have won a couple of games.”But again, crossing the line, something the better teams always do, we came close but could not. But definitely the players have started believing in themselves. But still I feel that we are a much better team and you will see in the coming matches as well. I’m sure we’ll improve because from here we can’t go low down. We are only going to go up.”

Liverpool are prepared to splash the cash on two Premier League stars in January in a bid to derail Arsenal's title charge. Defeat at Manchester City last weekend means the Reds sit eight points behind the Gunners after the opening 11 matches of the season. However, the club seem willing to back Arne Slot in the New Year as they look to make up the gap on Mikel Arteta's men.

• Liverpool's title defence faltering

  Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku compounded a miserable afternoon for Liverpool as they crashed to a 3-0 loss at Manchester City earlier this month. The result means the Reds have already lost more league games this season than they did last, with their title defence already faltering.

  Liverpool spent big to bolster the squad over the summer, signing Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni. The club also convinced star men Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to extend their star at Anfield, though were unable to retain Trent Alexander-Arnold's services, the right-back opting to leave his boyhood club for Real Madrid.

  Despite a summer of hefty investment, Liverpool are struggling and return to domestic duties this weekend eighth in the table, level on points with rivals Manchester United, having lost five of their last six league matches. Slot will hope to return to winning ways when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Merseyside on Saturday.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Reds no stranger to investing in January window

  And while Liverpool were reluctant to splash the cash in the January market following a summer spending spree, the Merseyside powerhouse are prepared to back Slot in the New Year as they look to get their title push back on track and halt Arsenal'w push for silverware. According to DaveOCKOP Liverpool have two Premier League stars on their radar as they seek to close the eight-point gap between themselves and the Gunners.

  Liverpool have previously invested in the squad in the winter window, notably signing Van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in 2017, 2022 and 2023. And another winger signing may be on the cards in January.

  DaveOCKOP revealed that "Liverpool will conduct preliminary talks with Bournemouth this weekend over the signing of Antoine Semenyo. Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes, who played a key role in signing Semenyo at Bournemouth from Bristol City for a modest £10.5 million back in 2023, is believed to remain a strong admirer of the 25-year-old. It is thought that the Cherries would demand around £75 million for the Ghana international should Liverpool decide to formalise their interest."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Semenyo and Wharton targets for champions

  Semenyo has been a revelation for Bournemouth this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists for the Cherries, though he has failed to directly contribute to a goal in his last four league outings. The Ghana international was linked with a move away from Bournemouth over the summer but instead put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the south coast side.

  Liverpool aren't the only side believed to be interested in Semenyo, with Premier League rivals City, Tottenham and United also credited with an interest in the winger. And Semenyo isn't the only top-flight player the Reds are looking into signing in January if reports are to be believed.

  "DaveOCKOP can exclusively reveal that Liverpool are holding initial talks to discuss signing Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton in 2026," a separate report read. "Just like Semenyo, Wharton has also been a player whose profile has exploded over the past couple of seasons.

  "During a period of unprecedented success for Crystal Palace, including both an FA Cup and Community Shield wins for the first time ever, Adam Wharton has been a key part of the club winning those trophies."

  Wharton has been a key man for Palace since his arrival from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024 and his form for the Eagles hasn't gone unnoticed. United have been credited with an interest, while City and Real Madrid are also believed to be keeping tabs on the England international, who made just his second senior start for the national team against Albania on Sunday night.

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• Liverpool out to bounce back from City loss

  Liverpool are back home on Saturday as they take on Nottingham Forest to Anfield in a navigable run of games as the Reds look to build up some momentum. Indeed, they follow up their game against the Tricky Trees with a Champions League tie against Eredivisie outfit PSV before they round off the month with a trip to the capital to take on West Ham.

  Slot's side then kick off December with a home game against high-flying Sunderland before back-to-back away games against Leeds and Inter in the Premier League and Champions League, respectively. 

Aston Villa are now seriously considering a January move for an “incredible” striker, who has been in fantastic form this season.

Villa looking to sign new striker this winter

It is becoming increasingly clear that Villa want to bring in a new centre-forward in the upcoming transfer window, having identified a number of targets over the past week or so, namely Brentford’s Igor Thiago, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Bologna’s Santiago Castro.

Target

League goals in 2025-26

Igor Thiago

11

Joshua Zirkzee

1

Santiago Castro

4

On the face of it, pursuing a move for Thiago would appear to make the most sense, given that the Brazilian has emerged as one of the best strikers in the Premier League this season, with only Manchester City star Erling Haaland scoring more goals.

However, Aston Villa have now joined the race for another striker who has been prolific in front of goal so far this season, according to a report from Spain, which states they are seriously considering a January move for Strasbourg star Joaquin Panichelli.

Unai Emery’s side are said to be closely monitoring the striker, and hold a genuine interest, off the back of Panichelli impressing in the first half of the Ligue 1 season, with Chelsea and West Ham United also joining the race for his signature.

With the Argentinian’s contract not due to expire until 2027, the French club should be in a strong negotiating position, which complicates a deal, and finalising a move in the January transfer window could be difficult.

Panichelli has made "incredible" start in Ligue 1

Given that Ollie Watkins has just three Premier League goals to his name this season, Emery could do with bringing in a more prolific striker next month, and the Cordoba-born marksman has regularly been amongst the goals for Strasbourg, scoring ten times in all competitions.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also praised the former CD Mirandes man for the start he’s made to life at the Ligue 1 side, having only arrived at Strasbourg from the Spanish side in the summer.

The one-time Argentina international is the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1, behind only Mason Greenwood, and at 23-years-old, he is at the right age to be a long-term replacement for Watkins.

Aston Villa could launch attack to sign £44m striker who's outscoring Watkins

The Villans are looking to bring in a new centre-forward.

ByDominic Lund 4 days ago

That said, with Panichelli tied down to a long-term contract and yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s top leagues over a sustained time period, it may be worth Villa continuing to monitor him, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer.

Former Manchester United, Newcastle, and Tottenham Hotspur striker Louis Saha has warned Lamine Yamal that he won't match the legacy of Lionel Messi because he doesn't have the same "obsession" with football as Cristiano Ronaldo. The Barcelona youngster has often been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons this season, with Saha the latest to fear that his potential could be wasted.

Lamine listless as Barca slump to defeat at Chelsea

Yamal lost his duel against Spanish national team-mate Marc Cucurella comprehensively on Tuesday evening at Stamford Bridge, with the left-back keeping his word. "I'll try to make things as difficult as possible for him," the left-back joked in September when talking about the matchup. 

Even with his steady return of goals and assists, there’s been a subtle – but unmistakable – dip in the influence Yamal exerts on games this season. Granted, his performances have been affected after being diagnosed with pubalgia, with has prevented the 2025 Ballon d'Or runner-up from gaining the necessary rhythm. 

However, over the past four months, he has made headlines for the wrong reasons more often than the right ones. He received severe backlash for his wild 18th birthday bash in July. Then, he accused eternal rivals Real Madrid of stealing and complaining.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportYamal warned of wasting his talent

Saha, a Premier League icon, recently spoke to and warned that Yamal's "talent could be wasted because we are starting to see too many things in the papers about him."

“I think only PSG or Man City could afford to pay £300m for Lamine Yamal. I still think that if you look at his trajectory, it would be sad to see him go so early for a big move," said Saha.

“For the sake of the football we love, we want to see him develop in Barcelona, do well for Barcelona and be stable in Barcelona. I'm scared that this talent could be wasted because we are starting to see too many things in the papers about him.

“That's going to be a sad story because he's such a big talent for the next 15 years and I want to see the best from him so I want to protect this kid. Moving around is not good. I think Neymar left Barcelona for this kind of hype. He wanted to be the one big player at PSG.

“Neymar is such a waste because I think at Barcelona he will have really enjoyed himself and show that there was a complementary way to play with Messi over the years. Sometimes the management it's not easy to do because you have ego and you can find yourself dragged into something that is not very useful to your game.”

Yamal won't reach the heights of Messi & Ronaldo, says Saha

Yamal's meteoric rise to superstardom, all while being only 18, has drawn comparisons to Barcelona legend Messi. Recently, former Netherlands international Wesley Sneijder even claimed that it was "possible" for Yamal to supersede the heights scaled by Messi. However, Saha disagrees, explaining that it's likely he will follow the footsteps of a Neymar rather than a Messi or a Ronaldo.

“Could Lamine Yamal one day overtake Lionel Messi? It would be good for him but I don't think so," the ex-Manchester United forward opined. "I doubt that he can achieve that because I see Lamine Yamal’s quality as a player but I don't see an obsession where you really focus on your football that Cristiano Ronaldo also has.

“These guys are absolutely insanely obsessed. Some distractions are already around Yamal, that's not good. I think you’ll find him dragged away from the game like Neymar, who has, for me, maybe better quality.

“Over the years, I've never seen anything like Neymar. Even if Yamal is incredible, I think Neymar was just at another level but he did not have the best lifestyle and over the years he got injuries and was dragged into things that are not helpful for his career.

“This is where I'm very scared that Yamal will try to choose the same kind of trajectory. That would be sad for football.”

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AFPYamal in it to win it all

While onlookers and naysayers may try to diminish Yamal's light, the youngster continues to remain a highly ambitious and motivated individual. The Barca academy graduate has laid the gauntlet for himself, targeting a treble of Champions League, World Cup, and the Ballon d'Or. "I want it all. I hope I achieve it all, and as long as we can play, it's possible," he stated to .

"All the individual titles indicate that it has been a great season for the team. For me, it brings me happiness and pride. Accumulating awards at my age is very positive. I'm going to keep working and fighting to achieve things like this."

Leeds United made it three defeats in succession in the Premier League when they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

The Whites had the lead at half-time thanks to a goal from Lukas Nmecha, who bundled the ball in from close range after Anton Stach competed with Emi Martinez for a high ball.

Unfortunately, though, the away side struck twice in the second half, both goals coming from Morgan Rogers, and walked away from West Yorkshire with all three points.

Daniel Farke only made one change to his starting line-up from the side that lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest before the break, and it backfired on the Leeds boss.

The Leeds change that backfired on Daniel Farke

The German head coach opted to take Jaka Bijol out of the team, after he won four of his six duels against Forest, and brought Pascal Struijk back into the side, possibly to have a natural left-footer in that position.

Whilst the Dutchman certainly opens up more passing angles as a left-footer on the left side of the defence, his defensive work left far too much to be desired against the Villans, and that is why the change backfired on the manager.

Per Sofascore, Struijk only won three of his eight duels, losing both of his ground duels, and did not complete a single tackle in the game, which shows that he struggled with the physicality of the match.

The one tackle that the former Ajax man did attempt was his late lunge on Ross Barkley, which resulted in the free-kick from which Rogers scored the winning goal.

Struijk was far from the only poor performer on the pitch, though, as Brenden Aaronson is another player who should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up.

Why Leeds must drop Brenden Aaronson

The USA international had delivered a goal and an assist in the three Premier League matches prior to the international break, which made his inclusion in the side an understandable call from Farke.

However, the return to fitness of Dan James has thrown his place in the line-up into doubt, and their respective performances against Aston Villa on Sunday suggest that the Wales international deserves a chance from the start.

Aaronson, who was awarded a 4/10 player rating by LeedsUnitedNews, lower than Struijk’s 6/10 rating, failed to create a single chance for his teammates in 80 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, as he came inside and got crowded out all too often.

Minutes

80

19

Shots

3

3

xG on target

0.15

0.15

Crosses attempted

1

5

Key passes

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

1/5

1/1

Possession lost

12x

6x

As you can see in the table above, James offered more to the team on the right flank in 19 minutes than the American lightweight did in his 80-minute outing against the Villans.

The fact that the Welshman attempted five times as many crosses as Aaronson, in roughly an hour less on the pitch, speaks to the difference Leeds could make to their attack by bringing him into the starting XI.

Aaronson, for all his hard work, is not a natural winger who is going to hug the byline and test teams consistently with runs in behind and crosses into the box.

James, however, is that player and almost made an instant impact when his brilliant run and ball across the box led to Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the back of the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a handball by the striker.

Raphinha repeat: 49ers keen on signing "generational" £79m star for Leeds

Leeds United are lining up a January swoop for a star who could be as exciting a signing as Raphinha once was.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

The Welshman deserved an assist for his play. Now, he deserves a place in the starting line-up because Aaronson was even worse than Struijk in the defeat to Villa, as he offered little to the team in or out of possession, whilst Struijk, at the very least, completed 95% of his passes and made five clearances, per Sofascore.

Raúl Jiménez did not hold back after Mexico’s scoreless draw with Uruguay, calling out the Torreón crowd for repeatedly booing goalkeeper Raúl “Tala” Rangel and the rest of the squad. The Fulham striker said the atmosphere left the team “sad,” underscoring the growing disconnect between El Tri and its supporters.

Getty Images SportA frustrating night on and off the pitch

Mexico’s friendly against Uruguay offered little excitement on the field, but the stands became the center of attention. From the opening minutes, fans at the TSM Corona booed goalkeeper Raul Rangel, upset that local hero Carlos Acevedo was not in the starting lineup. The tense atmosphere overshadowed the match itself, turning the night into a reflection of current struggle to reconnect with its supporters.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportJiménez lashes out at fans

After the final whistle, Jiménez spoke bluntly about the treatment his team received. 

“What’s sad is playing at home and getting booed – the ‘Fuera Vasco’ chants, and people shouting insults at our keeper. That’s what hurts,” he told reporters. “Maybe that’s why they always take us to the U.S.” 

His remarks underline a growing frustration within the squad over fan hostility.

Getty Images SportWider implications ahead of the 2026 World Cup

Beyond criticism, Jiménez urged the squad and supporters to move forward.

 “We have to keep going, work hard,” he said. 

The team now travels to Houston for a friendly against Paraguay, aiming for a calmer atmosphere and a chance to reset before competitive fixtures ramp up. Jiménez’s remarks also revive the broader discussion around fan behavior, coming as the Mexican Football Federation continues to face fines for discriminatory chants. With the World Cup set to begin in Mexico next year, the episode adds renewed scrutiny to supporter culture and matchday environments.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

The Mexican national team has arrived in San Antonio ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Paraguay at the Alamodome.

Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies has made an emotional return to competitive action after a torturous nine-month injury nightmare. After coming off the bench during the Champions League victory over Sporting CP to rapturous applause from the Allianz Arena faithful, his team-mates lined up to praise the Canadian's mental resilience during his 261-day rehabilitation.

Fonzie is back!

The 3-1 victory over the Portuguese champions will be remembered for Lennart Karl's record-breaking goal, but for the squad and the supporters, one of the night's biggest cheers was reserved for the 88th minute. Standing on the touchline, ready to replace Serge Gnabry, was Alphonso Davies – a sight many feared might not happen until 2026 given the severity of his knee injury.

The 25-year-old had not featured for the Bavarians since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty with Canada in March 2025, and his senior team-mates were quick to highlight the extraordinary attitude the full-back maintained during his darkest days.

AdvertisementKimmich: 'I wouldn't have managed it'

Speaking to reporters in the catacombs of the Allianz Arena after the final whistle, captain Joshua Kimmich offered a candid insight into the mental toll such an injury takes on a player. The midfielder admitted that he was unsure if he would have possessed the same fortitude as his team-mate to remain positive throughout the ordeal.

"The way I experienced him, how he went through rehab, that is exemplary. I wouldn't have managed it like that with this energy," Kimmich enthused, clearly moved by the return.

The German international went on to reveal details of how the Canadian kept himself integrated with the squad despite being unable to train, highlighting a specific role he played alongside fellow injury-hit star Jamal Musiala.

"He also always tried to be close to the team," Kimmich continued. "He has been with us in the dressing room for months, comes to the games, comes into the dressing room together with Jamal, turns on the music, tries to create a good mood. That is not something to be taken for granted."

It was 'a hard time for everyone' – Neuer

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who knows all too well the pain of long-term injuries having battled back from a serious leg break himself in the past, was equally effusive in his praise. The veteran shot-stopper emphasised that the defender's absence was felt not just tactically, but emotionally within the dressing room, and offered some sage advice for the next steps of his recovery.

"It is naturally a hard time," Neuer reflected. "I know that because I have also had severe injuries and I believe for him it is now very important that he stays cool and appreciates this joy of playing football and that he is with us in the team."

Neuer added: "We obviously also hope that he will remain healthy, but he did it superbly, even during that time."

Defender Jonathan Tah, who marshalled the backline effectively against Sporting, pointed to the unseen hours of work that made the comeback possible. Speaking in the mixed zone, he summarised the collective relief felt by the squad.

"I am very happy for him that he is back," Tah stated. "I believe it was a hard path of suffering that he had to walk and we are all happy that he is there again."

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AFP'Good to be back', says Davies

For the man of the moment, the reaction was simple and heartfelt. Taking to social media after the game, Davies posted a message on Instagram, capturing the relief of finally doing his job again.

"Good to be back! Doing what I love the most," he wrote.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon – a tournament his nation is co-hosting – his return to fitness is a massive boost not just for Bayern, but for Canadian football as a whole. For now, however, he will simply enjoy the feeling of grass under his boots and the applause of the Allianz Arena. The "injury hell" is over; the comeback has begun.