IN ENGLAND
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England stars Tino Livramento, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice have all pulled out of England’s squad for forthcoming Nations League matches.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton’s James Garner have been called into the squad by manager Thomas Tuchel and will join the squad on Tuesday.

Palmer had been recalled by Tuchel after being controversially left out of England’s World Cup squad but has withdrawn with a minor injury.

The Three Lions face World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday, 26th September, then travel to the Czech Republic on 29th September and Croatia on 3rd October before hosting the Czechs on 6th October in an extended international break.

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Switzerland captain, Granit Xhaka is under investigation by Swiss prosecutors over allegations he obtained a forged Covid-19 vaccination certificate.

The 33-year-old is alleged to have obtained the certificate in 2022, when it was a requirement in Switzerland for some travel abroad.

The public prosecutor’s office of the city of Lucerne confirmed the investigation was under way to determine whether any criminal behaviour took place in obtaining a false or forged certificate.

The Sunderland midfielder, who was playing for Arsenal at the time, posted a statement on social media on Monday saying he had a mistrust towards the vaccine and had been influenced by worries and uncertainty.

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Meanwhile, the Swiss Football Association said Xhaka, the country’s record appearance holder with one hundred and fifty-two caps, had withdrawn from the Swiss camp for their upcoming Nations League matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Slovenia following his statement.

It added the decision to withdraw had been made jointly by the player and management and that they would discuss Xhaka’s future with the team after the international window.

Switzerland have away fixtures against North Macedonia and Scotland on 26th and 29th September, before facing Slovenia and North Macedonia at home in early October.

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Former Manchester City striker, Sergio Agüero has thrown his weight behind Cristiano Ronaldo, expressing absolute confidence that the Portuguese icon will reach the historic milestone of one thousand career goals.

Despite fierce rivalry on the pitch during their respective playing days in England and Spain, Agüero has frequently voiced deep admiration for Ronaldo’s unmatched work ethic and goalscoring instinct.

Speaking on Ronaldo’s relentless pursuit of history, Agüero emphasised that sheer determination and physical maintenance make the milestone entirely

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Former Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah has been handed a six-month driving ban and ordered to pay a one thousand, forty-four pounds fine following a court case in the United Kingdom.

The legal proceedings stem from an incident on 27th March, when a Rolls-Royce registered to the Egyptian star was caught by a speed camera traveling at thirty-six metre per hour in a thirty metre per hour zone in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

Court documents at the Warrington Combined Court, the matter escalated because notices regarding the prosecution sent to his address went unanswered, and no plea was entered.

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Former Birmingham City winger Jordan Graham is in hospital after being involved in a serious road traffic accident.

A statement issued by the Professional Footballers’ Association, on behalf of Graham’s family, said the 31-year-old was receiving specialist treatment after the incident earlier this month.

Graham played forty-nine times in the Championship for Birmingham between 2021 and 2023 after joining from Gillingham.

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IN NIGERIA
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Nigeria’s Flamingos, have continued their impressive campaign at the 2026 WAFU B Under-seventeen Girls Cup with a hard-fought two-nil victory over Burkina Faso.
The Flamingos dominated possession and applied sustained pressure from the opening whistle, but Burkina Faso’s disciplined defence kept Nigeria at bay throughout a closely contested first half.

Nigeria’s persistence eventually paid off in the 82nd minute when Mary Dunstan produced a composed finish to give the Flamingos the lead.

The result was sealed deep into stoppage time when Oluwakemi Adegbuyi found the net to make it two-nil and secure all three points for the Nigerian side.

The victory means the Flamingos have collected a perfect nine points from three matches while maintaining their unbeaten record in the competition.

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Super Eagles forward, Tolu Arokodare says he is not yet fully fit as he joins the national team ahead of their crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Arokodare who has been recovering from the lingering physical effects of a recent bout of fever, said he was working hard to return to his best form and match sharpness.

Speaking on his current physical state, Arokodare noted that the transition back to full training has been demanding.

His candid assessment comes as a minor concern for the Super Eagles coaching staff, who are carefully managing player workloads ahead of the intense double-header.
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The Barea of Madagascar have arrived in Uyo ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The Madagascar delegation, comprising 28 players and officials, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo.

Additional members of the delegation are expected to arrive in Uyo on Tuesday.

Corentin Martins’ side will face the Super Eagles in a matchday one encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday.

The Barea will then return home to host Tanzania’s Taifa Stars in their matchday two fixture four days later.
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Nigerian striker, Kingsley Eduwo has joined Tunisian giants Etoile Sportive du Sahel on a permanent transfer.

Eduwo returns to Tunisia after previous spells with Espérance and Club Africain, where he scored 16 goals and provided four assists in seventy-one appearances.

The 30-year-old’s experience will be valuable to Etoile du Sahel, who have recorded just one win from their opening three matches of the season.

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OTHER LEAGUES
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Fifa President, Gianni Infantino has proposed an external review of how world football’s governing body operates, and says he is open to reform.

In a letter sent to members of the Fifa Council and all of its national associations, Infantino said the process would recommend potential improvements.

Before a meeting of the Council next month, Infantino said he is also suggesting a consultation on how Fifa’s decision-making can be further strengthened.

This would include proposals on the role of the president, as well as practical ways to strengthen transparency, participation and accountability in major strategic initiatives.

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Atletico Madrid have hit back at Jose Mourinho after the Real Madrid boss arrived at his post-derby news briefing carrying printouts of screenshots displaying two incidents he believed should have resulted in red cards for Atletico.

Atletico posted twice on their X account, the first being a video showing a sheet of paper coming out of a printer with the words, stop referee harassment now.

Alongside Mourinho’s post‑match claims, the match report published on Real’s website said the derby loss was decided because of dreadful refereeing, external by Ortiz Arias.

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Wales star, Jordan James has insisted depleted Wales will not be overawed when they line up against the best players in the world in their Nations League A opener against Portugal on Thursday.

James said Wales will have no fear as they go in search of a first win since last November’s World Cup qualifying triumph against North Macedonia.

A Wales squad already missing the likes of Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor has been hit by the withdrawals of Karl Darlow, Nathan Broadhead and star man Harry Wilson.

Having returned to the top tier of the Nations League by winning their League B group in 2024, Wales begin what looks like being a demanding campaign as they meet a star-studded Portuguese side in Lisbon.

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The Blackburn Rovers midfielder star, Kristi Montgomery has been given a first call-up for Scotland after Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean dropped out of the Nations League squad.

Montgomery has been promoted from the Under-21s by new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli for the games against Slovenia (twice), Switzerland and North Macedonia.

Celtic defender Tierney and Norwich midfielder McLean have 119 international caps between them, while experienced trio Scott McTominay, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland were unavailable before Pocognoli made his picks.

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OTHER SPORTS
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British boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn has moved quickly to ease mounting anxiety among boxing fans, addressing rampant speculation regarding the expected start time for the blockbuster heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

With talks surrounding the massive domestic showdown centering heavily on accommodating global broadcast schedules, rumors had run wild on social media suggesting that British fans might face an exhausting 3 AM main-event ring walk.

Hearn pushed back firmly against those extreme projections, reassuring supporters that a graveyard shift start is unlikely.

Addressing the scheduling complexities, Hearn noted that while a slightly later slot is under discussion to satisfy international streaming and US audiences, organizers remain mindful of those traveling to the venue.

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Formula 1 has announced the maximum race distance for grands prix will be reduced by fifteen kilometres from three hundred and five kilometres to two hundred and ninety kilometres for the 2027 season.

Grands prix are limited to a maximum of two hours of racing, but when there are interruptions caused by rain or accidents, a hard stop time will replace the current maximum three-hour duration to finish the event.

This will allow for greater flexibility to complete disrupted races.

A statement from governing body the FIA said the changes were introduced to ensure that the spectators have the best possible chance to enjoy a full race if disruptions occur.

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In Cricket, England white-ball captain Harry Brook said his very good mate Brydon Carse needs time away from international cricket.

Pace bowler Carse was arrested then de-arrested on a night out in Derby in August.

Derbyshire Police confirmed an investigation into an alleged assault has ended, with no further action taken.

Carse now faces an investigation by the Cricket Regulator.

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In Rugby, Wales prop Sisilia Tuipulotu says selection for next year’s inaugural British and Irish Lions women’s tour is among her top rugby priorities.

The in-form tight-head scored two tries in Wales’ emphatic 50-19 victory over South Africa on Friday, under the watchful eye of Lions head coach Jo Yapp.

With Yapp saying she will only take the best players in each position, most of the touring party to New Zealand is expected to be made up of England’s world cup-winning stars.

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In Golf, Scotland’s Sandy Scott has put a career-threatening wrist injury behind him to earn promotion to the main PGA Tour for the first time by winning the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Columbus, Ohio.

The 28-year-old’s one-stroke victory on Sunday was his first on the Korn Ferry Tour and lifted him to second spot on the development tour’s points list.

It came a week after he finished runner-up at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation in Franklin, Tennessee.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

It is not just about the money, it is about what you achieve on the pitch…words from Ronaldinho.
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