London: Kevin De Bruyne has been left out of Manchester City’s squad for the Uefa Super Cup game with Sevilla after the midfielder suffered another hamstring injury in the opening league game of the season. The Belgium international left the field in the 36th minute of City’s 3-0 win at Burnley on Friday.
De Bruyne had previously limped off during the Champions League final win in June and manager Pep Guardiola had confirmed it was a recurrence of the same injury.
“It’s the hamstring again, same position. I don’t know (how long he will be out), it depends on the magnitude of the injury but it will be a few weeks,” Guardiola said after the game at Burnley.
Guardiola named a 22-man squad for the Uefa Super Cup game which takes place in Athens on Wednesday. The game is played between last season’s Champions League and Europa League winners.
Real Madrid’s Guler undergoes knee surgery
Real Madrid’s new 18-year-old signing Arda Guler has been sidelined after undergoing knee surgery, the LaLiga club said on Monday, making him the third player they have lost to a knee problem.
Guler, who was signed by Real in July from Fenerbahce, returned home early from the club’s pre-season tour in the United States due to the injury.
The midfielder’s surgery comes after Real lost goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Eder Militao to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
“Arda Guler has today undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, performed under the supervision of Real Madrid’s Medical Services,” Real said in a statement.
“Guler will start his recovery programme in the coming days.” Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in their opening LaLiga game over the weekend and will next play away at Almeria on Saturday.
Villa defender Mings set for knee surgery
Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings will undergo surgery after he sustained a ‘significant’ knee injury during their 5-1 defeat by Newcastle United on Saturday, the Premier League club said on Monday.
The 30-year-old was taken off on a stretcher in the first half after picking up the injury while challenging for the ball with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
“Aston Villa can confirm that Tyrone Mings has sustained a significant knee injury. The defender has undergone scans and will unfortunately require surgery ahead of a lengthy rehabilitation process,” Villa confirmed in a statement.
Villa had already lost midfielder Emiliano Buendia to a knee ligament injury on Thursday and manager Unai Emery said he was disappointed with his side’s heavy loss and the injury problems.
“This week has been very tough. We lost Emi Buendia and today we lost Tyrone Mings, two important players in the squad,” he told the BBC after the game.
Mings, who has been at Villa since 2019, played 35 league games for the club last season.
Real sign Arrizabalaga on loan
Real Madrid and Chelsea have reached an agreement for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s season-long loan to the Spanish club, the clubs announced on Monday.
The 28-year-old Arrizabalaga will arrive as a temporary replacement for Thibaut Courtois, who will be sidelined for several months after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during a training session last Thursday.
Arrizabalaga joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 for a record €80 million fee for a goalkeeper but fell out of favour in the London club, who signed goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion this summer.
He has reportedly been targeted by Bayern Munich as the German side are seeking to replace their own injured goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, but Real Madrid moved faster to secure the deal.
Courtois’ injury is a major blow for Real as they will have to make do without the services of one of their key players for the foreseeable future.
Courtois joined Real from Chelsea in 2018 after winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
He was named Player-of-the-Match following the 2022 Champions League final after producing one of the greatest goalkeeping performances in a European Cup final.
Courtois recorded nine saves to deny Liverpool in Paris, leading his club to a record extending 14th European title after a 1-0 win.
Real Madrid had only one other goalkeeper in their first team squad, Ukraine’s Andriy Lunin.
The 24-year-old Lunin has made only nine Spanish league appearances for the club since signing from Zorya Luhansk in 2018. He spent his first two seasons in Spain on loan spells with Leganes, Valladolid and Oviedo.
West Ham sign Ward-Prowse from Southampton
West Ham United signed midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton on a four-year deal on Monday, the clubs confirmed, with the transfer fee reported to be around £30 million ($38.08 million).
The 28-year-old made over 400 appearances for Southampton and captained the club last season when they were relegated from the Premier League after finishing bottom.
“I’m buzzing to be here,” Ward-Prowse told West Ham’s website. “It’s great to be here and I’m looking forward to getting going.” Ward-Prowse, who has 11 caps for England, spent two decades at Southampton. He joined the south coast club’s academy aged eight and made his senior debut at 16 in 2011.
He has scored 17 goals directly from free-kicks in the Premier League, one fewer than his childhood hero — former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham, who holds the record.
“This is a club that has been on the rise for a number of years now,” Ward-Prowse said. “Coming off the success in the Europa Conference League last year, you can feel there is real momentum around this club.
“It’s great to be a part of it and I can’t wait to play my role in the games to come.” Ward-Prowse is West Ham’s second signing of the transfer window following the arrival of fellow midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax.
West Ham have also been linked with a move for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, with British media reporting the London club had agreed a deal worth around £30 million for the centre back.
Maguire must fight for place or leave United: Ten Hag
Harry Maguire should leave Manchester United if he is not confident enough to fight for his place, manager Erik ten Hag said, amid reports that the defender is on the verge of completing a transfer to West Ham United.
Ten Hag stripped Maguire of the captaincy last month after the 30-year-old made only eight Premier League starts last season, with Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof preferred in central defence.
British media reported that West Ham had agreed a deal worth £30 million ($38.01 million) for Maguire, who became the world’s most expensive defender when United signed him from Leicester City for £80 million in 2019.
“He has to fight for his place and he has the abilities to be a top-class centre back,” Ten Hag told reporters. “He is the best for England and I assume he will be best for us, but he has to prove it.
“When he is not confident enough to go in and fight, then he has to go. He has to make a decision. But I am happy with him ... You need high-level players who are maybe not starting, but that can change.” United host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League opener later on Monday.
Asian confederation boosts prize fund
The Asian Football Confederation will revamp its continental club competitions next year with an increased prize fund and will also launch an Asian Women’s Champions League, the regional body announced on Monday.
Kicking off in September 2024, the leading 24 club sides from across the continent will play in the new AFC Champions League Elite, with the winners earning $12 million.
That sum is a three-fold increase in the maximum amount available to previous winners of the competition.
The AFC Champions League Elite headlines a new three-tier set-up and replaces the existing format, in which clubs complete in either the AFC Champions League or the secondary AFC Cup.
The three new competitions will feature a total of 76 teams from across Asia, with 32 teams also taking part in the AFC Champions League 2 while a third strand, to be called the AFC Challenge League, will comprise of 20 clubs. “Today the AFC is embarking on a new and historic era with these forward-looking initiatives in both men’s and women’s Asian club football,” AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said in a statement.
“The AFC has outlined its ambitions to ensure our teams and players continue to shine through world-class competitions and a major part of this ambition is anchored on our promise to reinvest in our competitions.” Details about the AFC Women’s Champions League, including start date, prize fund and the number of clubs involved, have yet to revealed.
The playoff rounds of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League, the last under the current model, are due to kick off on Tuesday.
