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A Manchester City star on £150,000-a-week is in a protective boot and set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Pep Guardiola celebrates 1,000th game as manager in Man City win over Liverpool

Prior to the international break, Pep Guardiola took charge of his 1,000th game as a manager as his City side defeated Premier League rivals Liverpool 3-0.

Jeremy Doku was the star of the show on the pitch at the Etihad, rounding off his performance with a goal in the second half after first half strikes from Erling Haaland and Nico Gonzalez.

Talking after the win at the Etihad, Guardiola reflected on his managerial career, which began at Barcelona B in 2007.

“I think my period at Barcelona B is the foundation for many things. To realise that I was able to do it and learn a lot.

“I will never forget the guys in that first season. For me, it has been so special to make 1,000 games in front of my family and especially against Liverpool. I have a huge respect for that club.”

Over the last 18 years, Guardiola has won 716 games in charge and looks set to lead City in another title battle with league leaders Arsenal.

Wins

716

Draws

156

Losses

128

Trophies

40

Goals scored

2,445

Goals conceded

813

However, he will have to do that for large parts of the season without one of his trusted midfielders.

Injury update on Man City’s Mateo Kovacic

According to reports relayed by Sport Witness, Mateo Kovacic underwent successful surgery last Friday on ‘calcifications’ that had grown in his heel.

The midfielder, who has made just one Premier League appearance all season following Achilles surgery in the summer, is now set to travel down to London next week to have stitches removed.

Now in a protective boot, a rehabilitation programme usually lasts four months, so Kovacic, on £150,000-a-week, will hopefully return by March as he looks to get minutes before the World Cup with Croatia.

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Between now and March, Man City currently have 22 games scheduled in all competitions plus the FA Cup third round tie that has yet to be drawn.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is hoping to have Kovacic recovered in time for the World Cup next summer, recently saying: “I hope Kovacic won’t miss the World Cup. He has similar problems to those he had four or five months ago.

”We believe he’ll be with us at the World Cup. I’d like him to be back in March. It must be tough for him. The injury and the surgery are taking a psychological toll on him. I hope Kovacic gets through it all.”

Man City leading race for Rodrygo with Real Madrid future now in major doubt

The Phillies are making moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Thursday evening.

Philadelphia is finalizing a trade to get Twins outfielder Harrison Bader, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Thursday afternoon. The Twins will receive outfield prospect Hendry Mendez and pitching prospect Geremy Villoria in return for Bader, 's Matt Gelb reported.

Bader will join his former Twins teammate closer Jhoan Duran, who was traded to the Phillies on Wednesday. The Twins received two of the Phillies' prospects in return for Duran.

The Phillies were in need of a strong outfielder either in left or center field, and Bader could be the answer to that issue. Philadelphia needs all the help they can get as the season gets closer to winding down. They sit in fifth place in the National League in a very tight race for the top with a 61-47 record.

This was Bader's first season in Minnesota. Through 96 games this season, Bader's averaging .258/.339/.439, which are his highest averages since 2021 when he was with the Cardinals. He's totaled 70 hits, 31 runs and 12 home runs this season.

Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph miss out due to injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2025

Kemar Roach will be playing his first Test since January•AFP/Getty Images

Kemar Roach has been recalled to the West Indies Test squad for their tour of New Zealand in December this year. Roach was part of a 15-member squad for the three matches, but Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph are still missing, due to injuries.Roach last played a Test in January, in Multan during their tour of Pakistan, and his 85-Test record will balance out a relatively inexperienced pace attack, which also includes 29-year-old Ojay Shields, who has received his maiden call-up.Allrounder Kavem Hodge, who also made his last Test appearance during the Multan match, has been recalled to the side. However, Khary Pierre finds himself and his left-arm orthodox spin bowling out of favour – he has been dropped from the squad.Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said, “New Zealand has traditionally been one of the toughest places for any touring side… The recent high-performance camp here in Antigua was designed to replicate, as closely as possible, the conditions we expect to face, particularly the pace-friendly surfaces.”Khary Pierre finds himself out of the Test squad•AFP/Getty Images

Shields and Roach, among other players named in the squad, have completed a two-week high-performance camp in the region. They will also be joining the rest of the squad – already in New Zealand for the ongoing ODI series – on November 20, to be part of a two-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Christchurch.The series will be a part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. West Indies sit at the bottom of the table among the teams who have played at least one Test in the cycle – they have lost all five of the matches they have appeared in so far. New Zealand, on the other hand, are yet to play a match in the cycle, and this series against West Indies will get their WTC campaign belatedly off the mark.West Indies squad for tour of New ZealandRoston Chase (Captain), Jomel Warrican (Vice- Captain), Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields

Callum McGregor’s stunning winner for Celtic against St Mirren on Saturday night in the Scottish Premiership looks even more important with the benefit of hindsight.

Hearts went on to lose to Aberdeen on Sunday in their match, which means that the Hoops are only four points adrift of the Jam Tarts and have a game in hand over them.

Martin O’Neill has done a terrific job in interim charge, winning all of his Premiership matches so far, but some of the players who struggled under Brendan Rodgers have also struggled under him, including Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

Why Balikwisha looks like a misjudged signing by Celtic

The Hoops signed the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp in a deal worth up to £5m during the summer transfer window, but it was an odd piece of business because Sebastian Tounekti, who plays in the same position, was also brought in from Hammarby.

Tounekti has since started all 12 of his appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League, per Sofascore, whilst Balikwisha has started twice in the Premiership and is yet to start in Europe.

In fact, the former Antwerp star has been an unused substitute for O’Neill in the last two league games against Kilmarnock and St Mirren, which suggests that he has failed to impress the Northern Irishman in training.

Chalkboard

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

Balikwisha has, therefore, been a bad signing for the Hoops because he has failed to earn a place in the team on a regular basis, and it was an odd move by the club given the deal they then clinched for Tounekti in the same area of the pitch.

The 24-year-old flop was not the worst attacking signing made by the Scottish giants in the summer, though, as that award may go to centre-forward Shin Yamada.

Why Shin Yamada was a worse signing for Celtic than Michel-Ange Balikwisha

He was a curious signing by Celtic in the summer transfer window because the Japanese forward only scored two goals in 21 J1 League matches in the 2025 campaign for his previous club, after a return of 19 goals in 38 matches in 2024, per Sofascore.

This suggests that the Hoops were signing a player who was on the decline, given his poor goalscoring record this year, and that made it a slightly puzzling move.

His time at Parkhead so far this season has done little to answer any questions around why the club decided to sign him on a permanent deal, as he has rarely featured or made an impact when given the opportunity.

Appearances

4

7

Minutes played

137

236

Goals

0

0

Big chances missed

2

0

Big chances created

0

1

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has played more matches and more minutes in the league, delivering one assist, than the former J1 League marksman.

Shin was also left out of the squad for the league phase of the Europa League, as Johnny Kenny, Kelechi Iheanacho, Daizen Maeda, and Callum Osmand were picked ahead of him in his position, whilst Balikwisha has made three appearances in that competition.

Brendan Rodgers said that Shin was a “strong player who can score goals and create for others” in his unveiling, but a return of two goals and one assist in 27 games for Kawasaki Frontale and Celtic combined, per Sofascore, in 2025 does not back that up.

The 25-year-old striker is yet to deliver a goal or an assist for the Hoops in six appearances in his first three months at the club, and appears to be well down the pecking order after being left as an unused substitute against St Mirren last time out.

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ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025

Therefore, as it stands, Shin is looking like an even worse signing for the Scottish giants than Balikwisha, who has at least provided an assist in the league and been included in the European squad list.

Manchester United are now reportedly racing Arsenal to sign Serhou Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund amid rumours that he has a release clause worth just £45m for selected clubs.

The Reds Devils successfully overhauled their frontline last summer, but could now be aiming to add that extra bit of quality now that Ruben Amorim’s side have found form. Before the international break, they stretched their unbeaten run to five games and will be desperate to continue that run when they play host to David Moyes and Everton on Monday night.

Despite their cost-cutting measures elsewhere, INEOS have shown a willingness to spend big on improving Amorim’s side and 2026 is unlikely to be any different. Those at Old Trafford are already reportedly eyeing a move to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and after his recent rise, no one’s doubting that he’d be an excellent addition.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has also been full of praise for the Man United target during the November international break, telling reporters: “Anderson is a key player for us at the moment. He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League – that’s why he is with us and starting for us.

“He deserves it because he has been nothing but impressive. He has to keep on going now though. He is a very complete and mobile midfielder, and that’s what he keeps showing me.”

It would be an incredibly positive sign if United managed to welcome such a promising player next year, before then potentially shifting their focus towards signing yet another attacker. Having already welcomed Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig and the Bundesliga last year, reports are claiming that INEOS could be heading back to Germany.

Man Utd racing to sign Guirassy

As reported by Caught Offside, Man United are now racing to sign Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund alongside PSG and Premier League rivals Arsenal. The forward has been a late bloomer, but is now one of Europe’s most clinical strikers. And with reports claiming that his release clause is worth just €50m (£45m) to a selection of clubs, the Red Devils should go all out.

Minutes

788

621

Goals

5

2

Assists

1

1

Expected Goals

5.6

2.1

Although Sesko is very much the future of United’s attack, Guirassy could quickly ease the pressure on the forward’s shoulders in 2026. The 29-year-old could guarantee Amorim goals in the here and now, with five to his name already in the Bundesliga this season.

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ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

Just how stubborn Dortmund will be amid interest in Guirassy is the question. Former German international went as far as to dub the forward one of the “most complete” he’s ever seen in incredibly high praise. For Dortmund to lose that would be a major blow, but as January approaches their star man could be one to watch.

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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be chewing on his pencil over the November international break as he works toward solutions that are so badly needed.

Fortunes have gone somewhat askew at St. James’ Park this season, with the club’s away form laying waste to Howe’s hopes of progress after a testing summer transfer window.

But it may be that the ramifications of that Alexander Isak-dominated summer are still being felt. However, tactically, things aren’t right, and the wider struggle of the summer market has led to the current issues which must be overcome if the Magpies hope to make it another positive campaign.

Where PIF have gone wrong in the transfer window

Newcastle have fallen by the wayside, but it’s hardly too late for them to pick themselves back up. But there’s no question that PIF have to learn from their recent transfer struggles, with those brilliant windows of Howe’s early reign something of a distant memory.

In 2024, Newcastle failed to sign a right-sided forward, a glaring gap in the squad. That has now been amended through the £55m addition of Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, but Elanga has blanked across 16 matches for the club, and with concerns over his form, questions must be raised over the extensive scouting that led to his signature being obtained.

Interestingly, Nick Woltemade’s fine form at centre-forward has eased the Isak blow, and before the season, that would have been viewed as the biggest issue. Newcastle’s attacking problems stretch more toward the creative side, with Anthony Gordon joining Elanga in having failed to register a goal contribution in the Premier League this season.

For a team whose 97 big chances created were bettered only by Liverpool in 2023/24, this is a real concern. This year, United have only created 14 from 11 matches, placing them 12th for that statistic. Gordon and Elanga must be doing a lot more, with the recruitment having felt they had hit the jackpot when shaping this wide duo.

While Newcastle have added exciting talents to their ranks this summer, Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey among those with plenty of scope for growth, this is frankly an ageing squad and one whose freshen-up needs to go a lot further.

Tactical issues this season have been suggestive of this, and considering the company Newcastle are keeping in regard to the average age of their starting 11, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that younger profiles are needed for balance and continuity.

Everton

13th

28.0

Aston Villa

6th

27.9

Newcastle

14th

27.6

Fulham

15th

27.6

Burnley

17th

27.1

The need for depth and quality on the defensive flanks is alarming. Kieran Trippier at right-back is 35 years old and out of contract at the end of the season, and Tino Livramento has been unfit at times and deployed as a makeshift left-back at others.

This is largely because of Lewis Hall’s own unavailability this season. But with the 22-year-old drawing strength and fitness once again, we are turned toward the situation of one of Howe’s mainstays.

The Newcastle star now on borrowed time

Newcastle comprise players of myriads shapes and sizes and skills. Some are renowned as being among the best in the world, but some are of a shrewder nature, like Dan Burn, who returned home from Brighton for around £12m at the start of the manager’s reign and has since become one of his mainstays.

After all, it is only the skipper, Bruno Guimaraes, who has featured more prominently for Howe’s Newcastle than him.

1

Bruno Guimaraes

170

2

Dan Burn

165

3

Fabian Schar

163

4

Jacob Murphy

150

5

Joelinton

145

The 32-year-old has done more than endear himself to the Toon fanbase since arriving, but he’s getting on a bit and has been guilty of some suspect performances at left-back this season.

Naturally a central defender, Burn ranks against Premier League full-backs this term among the bottom 6% for shot-creating actions, the bottom 29% for progressive passes and the bottom 4% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

In the first five matches of the season, he was in the centre. Six appearances since have seen the England international deployed as a left-back, and this is inhibiting Newcastle’s flow and overarching connectivity.

Quite simply, Burn is not a natural left-back, even though he has played ample football in the moonlit role. He is a centre-back. 6 foot 6 and cool and composed.

Hall is far more dynamic and energetic in his role, and this will not only widen and add a dimension to Newcastle’s backline, but it could revive the likes of Gordon up ahead.

The boy from Blyth has been a revelation at Newcastle, and, pound for pound, “one of Newcastle’s best signings” since Howe arrived, as has been said by reporter Andy Sixsmith. A small fee and an immortalising contribution at Wembley last season have made sure of that.

But Howe will be putting a spoke in his own wheel if he continues to persist with Burn on the flank, limiting his side’s progression and mobility and dynamism at the back.

With this in mind, the modern legend might find himself slipping into his obscurity over the coming months, and perhaps that will lead to a departure to make way for this new chapter on Tyneside.

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