Celtic have been searching for their next permanent head coach since Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation from his position at the start of last week.

Martin O’Neill has taken charge of the Scottish giants for the two matches since the Northern Irish manager moved on from Parkhead, and has overseen wins over Falkirk and Rangers.

The experienced manager’s instant impact at Parkhead has provided the board with a cushion of time to find the right man for the job, rather than needing to rush a decision because of a need for results in the short-term.

One thing the next manager needs to be able to do is to coach a team to score goals on a consistent basis, because that was the area of Rodgers’ performance that was most lacking this season.

Matches managed

50

57

16

Goals scored

121

167

25

Goals scored per game

2.42

2.92

1.56

Points per game

2.24

2.26

1.78

Games without a goal scored

8

5

6

Games per goalless performance

6.25

11.4

2.66

As you can see in the table above, Celtic failed to score in more games in Rodgers’ 16 matches this season than they did in 57 outings in the 2025/26 campaign, which is a big cause for concern.

The Hoops need to find their next version of Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou, whose side rarely had trouble finding the back of the net.

Why Celtic need to find their next Ange Postecoglou

During his two seasons at Celtic, the former Spurs and Nottingham Forest manager made sure that the Scottish giants were goal machines across all competitions.

Postecoglou won five trophies in two years at Parkhead, including three domestic cups and two Scottish Premiership titles, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he was successful as well as being able to coach exciting and attacking football.

The 60-year-old head coach had the perfect blend of results and style, which is why he was the perfect manager for the club at the time, before his move to Tottenham in 2023.

Matches managed

60

53

Goals scored

137

147

Goals scored per game

2.28

2.77

Points per game

2.22

2.42

Games without a goal scored

7

4

Games per goalless performance

8.6

13.3

As you can see in the table above, Celtic only failed to score in 11 of their 113 matches with Postecoglou as their head coach in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.

Whereas, the Hoops failed to score in 11 of Rodgers’ last 73 matches in charge since the start of last season, which shows that the Australian boss was far more successful at coaching a consistent attacking unit.

This is why the Celtic board should currently be looking for a manager who can be their next version of Postecoglou, to bring attacking football back to Parkhead this season.

With the search for the permanent successor to Rodgers ongoing, the Scottish giants have been told to consider an international manager by a former player.

Celtic told to hire attack-minded international manager

Ex-Celtic central midfielder Joe Ledley has urged the Premiership champions to swoop for Wales head coach Craig Bellamy as their next head coach.

He told the Celtic Way: “There have been a lot of links down here with Craig Bellamy. He’s had a fantastic start to his managerial career at Wales.

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“There’s a lot of hype around him. The way Wales are playing has been fantastic – really attacking minded, always on the front foot. He’d be a perfect option for Celtic.

Ledley added: “I’ve told people up there he’d be a fantastic candidate for the Celtic job because of the way he plays. He’s always attacking-minded, enthusiastic, and lives and breathes football.”

Sky Sports reported last week that Bellamy is one of the names in the frame for the role, which suggests that there is a chance that the club make a move for him.

Why Celtic should move for Craig Bellamy

The 46-year-old tactician is a really interesting managerial option because he has never managed a club at first-team level, which means that he would be stepping into a high-pressure environment at Celtic for the first time as a club manager.

This means that it is hard to say with any degree of certainty that Bellamy, who typically plays a 4-2-3-1, as Postecoglou did, would be a success at Parkhead, as he does not have a track record of coaching first-team clubs to fall back on.

However, his work with Wales at international level does suggest that he has the ability to coach a team to attack well, as Ledley suggested with his comments.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast in September, Bellamy rubbished claims that playing out from the back is a “risk”, saying that he does not feel it is a “risk” to play under pressure when you have a number advantage around your own box.

Games managed

45

14

Goals scored

55

22

Goals scored per game

1.22

1.57

Points per game

1.33

1.57

Games without a goal scored

14

4

Games per goalless game

3.2

3.5

That mentality and way of coaching his team, as shown in the table above, has improved Wales both in terms of results and goals scored, as they are winning more points and scoring more goals than they did under the previous manager, Rob Page.

This shows that he has demonstrable success in improving a team as an attacking force, which is what Celtic need after their struggles in front of goal at the start of the season under Rodgers.

Last year, Welsh forward Harry Wilson explained that Bellamy’s way of playing is about taking more risks when playing out from the back, which helps to build an attacking style of play that creates more chances for the forwards.

Therefore, Bellamy could be the next Postecoglou at Parkhead because of his desire to play front-footed and attack-minded football that is full of ‘risks’, even if the manager does not view them as risks.

Rodgers upgrade: Celtic could go far in Europe by hiring "unbeatable" manager

Celtic could upgrade on Brendan Rodgers in a key area by hiring this head coach.

ByDan Emery Nov 4, 2025

However, it still remains to be seen whether or not the former Celtic winger would be willing to move on from the Wales job before the World Cup next summer.

Elly De La Cruz is back to making baseball look really easy, and we're all better for it.

The Cincinnati Reds' 23-year-old phenom shortstop kicked off spring training last weekend by hitting home runs from each side of the plate in a game against the Cleveland Guardians.

Then on Wednesday, he once again showed off his ridiculous speed while cruising around the bases for one of the most nonchalant triples you'll ever see.

Look at how quickly he got to third against the Los Angeles Angels:

Too good.

Fans loved it:

Juan Soto is trading the Bronx for Queens.

Late Sunday night, Soto broke the news—and the hearts of Yankees fans everywhere—that he had signed the largest contract in North American professional sports history with the New York Mets. Yes, those Mets.

Soto won't be in pinstripes. He won't be lacing balls off the Green Monster. He won't be joining a lineup that also features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. No, he's joining the Mets. And he'll immediately become the most talented player in franchise history.

Landing Soto was a monumental task for owner Steve Cohen and his franchise. They're paying the five-time Silver Slugger $765 million over the next 15 years. It's an audacious contract that announced to MLB that New York's other team means business. Now here comes the difficult part: building a championship roster.

APSTEIN: Juan Soto’s Self-Confidence Pays Off With Record MLB Contract

The Mets reached the National League Championship Series this year. It was an unexpected run that saw them oust the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies along the way. But in the NLCS they collided into a brick wall that was decked out in Dodger blue. Ohtani, Betts & Co. sent the Mets packing in six games and sent a clear message that the NL will run through L.A. for the foreseeable future.

The Mets must change that.

Soto is now locked up for a long time, as is NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor, while outfielder Brandon Nimmo is signed through the 2030 season. Third baseman and postseason hero Mark Vientos won't even hit arbitration eligibility until 2027, and Jeff McNeil is inked through at least 2026. Other key players like closer Edwin Diaz and starter Kodai Senga can opt out of their deals after next season, and outfielder Starling Marte is a free agent after the 2025 campaign.

Lindor and Vientos were New York's only hitters on the team to play in 100 or more games and post an OPS over .800. On the mound, the team's top three starting pitchers are all free agents. Luis Severino already signed with the Athletics, while Sean Manaea and José Quintana are exploring the market.

There are a lot of gaps on the roster and general manager David Stearns needs to get to work filling them.

HOT STOVE TAKES: Juan Soto’s Record-Breaking Deal Isn’t Just About the Money

Already this offseason New York has signed pitchers Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes, but first baseman Pete Alonso remains a free agent. It's possible the Soto deal means Alonso's time with the franchise is over. If so, the Mets need to find replacement bats.

The Mets didn't sign Soto to be content with making the postseason. It's a move designed to put the franchise in World Series contention every year. As currently constructed, they can't do that. Soto has already been to the World Series twice and won once. He has a championship pedigree and needs to be surrounded by players who can help him get there again.

Stearns needs to take advantage of Cohen's comically large checkbook and find the pieces to build a championship squad around his shiny new star.

The Mets landed the greatest player their franchise has ever seen. Now the hard part begins.

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have been handed a fairly concerning injury update on the condition of Kai Havertz, who was rumoured to be in contention for this weekend’s looming North London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.

After losing star defender Gabriel Magalhaes to a thigh injury earlier this week, which cut short his international tour of duty with Brazil, the last thing Arteta needs is another injury setback.

Arsenal, who top the Premier League table after a sensational run of form and haven’t lost a single game since their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in August, have done extraordinarily well to cope without a plethora of key attackers lately — including Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus and Havertz.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Odegaard, Madueke, Havertz and Jesus have been on the treatment table for extended periods, with the latter last in line to return to action after he ruptured his ACL against Man United at the start of 2025.

Madueke is racing to be fit for this weekend’s clash with Tottenham after impressing Arsenal rehab staff in his recovery from a knee problem, with Odegaard in the same boat according to reliable media sources like Standard Sport.

Havertz was believed to be in contention as well, but an update from Nagelsmann threatens to cast some doubt over his involvement against Spurs on Sunday.

The 26-year-old was sidelined in the opening week of the Premier League campaign and required surgery on a knee issue, having only just returned from a hamstring injury which kept him out for months.

It’s been a frustrating time for Havertz, and while reports suggest he’s been excelling in his Arsenal rehab similar to Madueke, Nagelsmann has actually made a suggestion to the contrary.

Julian Nagelsmann makes Kai Havertz injury claim in worry for Arsenal

Speaking to reporters this week, the Germany boss made an interesting prediction, stating that he expects Havertz to return “towards the end of the year”.

This comes after the £280,000-per-week star also suffered a “minor relapse” of his knee injury, though Nagelsmann has moved to say that Havertz is “doing well” all things considered.

While this doesn’t mean that Havertz is definitively out for this weekend’s all-important derby clash, it doesn’t exactly paint a certain picture of his involvement either, so Arsenal could have another injury worry on their hands here after a few scares over the international break.

Luckily for Arteta, while Gabriel is a major doubt to face Tottenham, Riccardo Calafiori has been given the all-clear to play this weekend, according to Fabrizio Romano.

If Havertz does turn out to be ready for Sunday, with uncertainty surrounding him right now, it would come as an almighty boost.

Gyokeres is another Arsenal player who could miss the derby, so a return for Havertz would undoubtedly do wonders to alleviate the Swede’s absence, otherwise Mikel Merino is in line to start his third successive game as Arteta’s makeshift striker.

كشف الدكتور أحمد جاب الله، طبيب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن نتائج الفحوصات الطبية التي خضع لها لاعبو الفريق بعد مباراة الجولة الأولى لدوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام شبيبة القبائل الجزائري.

وأوضح جاب الله في تصريحاته عبر الموقع الرسمي، أن محمد الشناوي، حارس مرمى الفريق وقائده، يعاني من شد من الدرجة الثانية في العضلة الضامة، والتي تعرض لها خلال اللقاء، مؤكداً أن حالته تستلزم برنامجاً تأهيلياً دقيقاً قبل العودة إلى المشاركة في المباريات.

وفي سياق متصل، أشار الطبيب إلى إصابة أحمد عبد القادر بمزق جزئي في العضلة الخلفية، بينما تعرض محمد شكري لشُد من الدرجة الأولى في عضلة السمانة، وهو ما سيحتاج أيضًا إلى متابعة وعلاج متخصص.

طالع أيضًا | غيابات الأهلي أمام الجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وأكد طبيب الأهلي أن كل لاعب سيخضع لتدريبات تأهيلية مخصصة بحسب طبيعة إصابته، وذلك ضمن برنامج شامل لتجهيزه طبيًا وبدنيًا قبل العودة للمشاركة مع الفريق في المباريات المقبلة.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الأهلي نظيره الجيش الملكي في المغرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مواجهات المجموعة الثانية لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. موعد مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

تقام مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي، يوم الجمعة المقبل، 28 نوفمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، 8 بتوقيت المغرب على أرضية ملعب مولاي الحسن بالعاصمة المغربية، الرباط.

First win at Sophia Gardens since 1981 can’t make up for disappointment of missing out on promotion

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025

Keaton Jennings helped Lancashire hunt down a small target•Huw Evans Picture Agency

Lancashire 374 (Wells 78, Jones 62, Balderson 51, van der Gugten 5-85) and 134 for 3 (Jennings 47) beat Glamorgan 265 (van der Gugten 53, Bailey 5-51) and 241 (Cooke 52, Balderson 4-75) by seven wicketsLancashire wrapped up their 2025 Rothesay County Championship campaign with a three-day win over Glamorgan thanks to a one-day style evening session.Stand-in captain Josh Bohannon oversaw his side’s first County Championship win at Sophia Gardens since 1981 against Glamorgan, whose promotion was confirmed last week. It was also Glamorgan’s first red-ball defeat since April, in departing captain Sam Northeast’s last appearance.After controlling the game from day one, Lancashire took eight wickets, including 4 for 75 for George Balderson before Keaton Jennings’ top-order blaze of 47 from 33 balls set the visitors on their way to chasing 133 inside 26 overs remaining in the day.The north-west county provisionally rise to third in an unsuccessful attempt to gain promotion from their first season back in Division Two while Glamorgan will play in Division One for the first time since 2005 next year.Resuming with the intention and requirement to bat all day, Northeast and Zain-ul-Hassan kept Lancashire’s bowlers at bay for a 58-run partnership before the former’s dubious lbw for 21 in his last Glamorgan innings, and Zain’s reckless reverse sweep on 45 chalked the hard work off.Balderson’s impressive stint of 25 overs all told gave a feel of him nagging at Glamorgan batters for the whole innings. On a varying pitch, his skiddy medium-pace with Matty Hurst stood up to the stumps for the majority saw Billy Root and later Mason Crane pinned, the latter putting up a good fight with half-centurion Chris Cooke before being undone by the new ball straight after tea.Despite single-figure scores prominent, every other wicket seemingly kept day four in contention for Glamorgan – Colin Ingram and Cooke held things together before the wicketkeeper’s hard-fought 50 came up with a counter-attacking six while in the company of No. 11 Ned Leonard.Lancashire made no changes to batting order, seemingly happy to see through day three on a pitch that provided plenty of turn for Tom Hartley – promising signs for Crane – as well as bounce variety for seamers. The assumption was wrong. Luke Wells together with Jennings in white-ball mode belted the new-ball around to take all the pressure off.Twenty from James Harris’ fourth over left wickets of no concern before Bohannon, George Bell and Hurst continued the momentum despite two consolation wickets for Crane.With five to win, Northeast stepped up to bowl as the final act of his four-year captaincy stint.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been dealt another injury worry ahead of his side’s looming North London derby clash with Arsenal this weekend.

Spurs travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face their table-topping rivals in what promises to be a pivotal encounter, but Frank faces a mounting injury crisis that threatens to derail his side’s chances.

While it is still early doors, The Lilywhites appear to be pushing for a top-four place, and are currently sitting fifth with five wins, three draws, and three losses from 11 Premier League matches. Their form has been inconsistent, especially in a creative sense, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in their last six fixtures, with Frank still yet to get the best out of his squad on a consistent enough basis.

The injury situation ahead of the derby is particularly concerning. Frank confirmed that Cristian Romero should be available after being substituted late on against Man United due to fatigue, with the Dane stating he was “just done physically” after recently returning from injury.

Even more positively, Frank expressed real belief that Mohammed Kudus will be available, saying he is “very confident” despite missing recent matches against FC Copenhagen and Man United with a minor knock. Kudus even elected to stay in London and not represent Ghana in friendlies against Japan and South Korea to focus on his recovery.

However, they still face significant absences elsewhere.

James Maddison’s ACL injury may rule him out until summer 2026, while Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma continue rehabilitation from knee and ankle problems respectively. Radu Dragusin took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly over the international break as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, so it’s very unlikely he’ll be fit enough to take part, and there are numerous other concerns.

Injury-plagued striker Dominic Solanke is also ‘unlikely’ to feature this weekend, according to reports, as he carries on battling an ankle problem after minor surgery.

Tottenham absentee list	Problem	Estimated return date (subject to change)
Dejan Kulusevski	Knee	29/11/2025
James Maddison	ACL	01/06/2026
Radu Dragusin	Knee	22/11/2025
Ben Davies	Thigh	23/11/2025
Kota Takai	Ankle/Foot	23/11/2025
Mohammed Kudus	Knock	23/11/2025
Randal Kolo Muani	Jaw	23/11/2025
Yves Bissouma	Ankle/Foot	23/11/2025
Lucas Bergvall	Concussion	23/11/2025
Dominic Solanke	Ankle	23/11/2025
Archie Gray	Calf/Shin/Heel	23/11/2025
via Premier Injuries

Excluding their Carabao Cup win at the Emirates in 2018, Tottenham have won away to Arsenal just twice since the Premier League’s inception, with their last one in the top flight coming 14 years ago.

Tottenham’s torrid record against Arsenal on enemy turf makes for pretty grim reading as a Spurs supporter, so Frank will be hoping to have as many key players fit for the derby as possible.

Tottenham dealt another injury worry as Pape Sarr picks up 'knock'

On international duty, midfielder Pape Sarr dealt Frank another worry after he was taken off in Senegal’s 2-0 defeat to Brazil at the Emirates.

Initially, Senegal boss Pape Thiaw predicted that it wasn’t a ‘big deal’, but he’s since provided another update.

Thiaw has confirmed that Sarr did not travel with the squad to Turkey for their friendly against Kenya, instead remaining in the English capital. The manager explains that Sarr has in fact picked up a ‘knock’, which prompted them to leave him in London to undergo treatment at N17.

The midfielder’s potential absence this weekend would represent another significant blow for Frank, who already faces being without numerous key players for the derby. Sarr has already played 16 matches for Tottenham this season, bagging two goals and two assists in the top flight whilst establishing himself as a regular in Frank’s setup.

The timing of the injury is far from ideal for Spurs, and it remains unclear whether the 23-year-old will be fit in time for their clash against the Gunners.

Tottenham’s medical team will now assess the extent of the knock, with Frank hoping for positive news as he prepares his depleted squad for one of the season’s most important fixtures.

Half-centuries from Nathan McSweeney and Jack Edwards, and Manav Suthar’s five-wicket haul, headlined the opening day of the second four-dayer between India A and Australia A in Lucknow. Picked as the lone specialist spinner, Suthar took 5 for 93, reining Australia A’s middle order in, on a mixed-soil pitch.After Shreyas Iyer, who had led India A in the first four-dayer withdrew from the second, Dhruv Jurel took over as captain and shared the wicketkeeping load with N Jagadeesan. Both wicketkeepers are likely to be picked in India’s squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies starting October 2. Allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was playing his first competitive game since suffering a knee injury on the England tour, bowled eight overs and went wicketless on the first day.Incumbent Australia opener Sam Konstas, who scored a 122-ball century in the first four-dayer, played a more subdued innings in the second, scoring 49 off 91 balls before falling to Mohammed Siraj, who had been drafted into the team for this game along with KL Rahul, in the lead-up to the West Indies Test series. Siraj had Konstas nicking behind, with Jagadeesan taking the catch having just switched keeping duties with captain Jurel three overs ago.This was the second time in two matches during this series that Jurel and Jagadeesan had switched keeping duties in the middle of an innings, with the latter taking over the gloves from Jurel at the beginning of the second day’s play in the previous four-day game.Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas played out most of the first session•Tanuj Pandey/UPCA

Ollie Peake made 29 off 39 balls before Suthar breached his defences in the 45th over. When Suthar also dismissed Cooper Connolly, for a duck in his next over, Australia A were wobbling at 150 for 4. Their captain McSweeney, though, brought up his first half-century of the tour, in humid conditions, and moved to 74 before Punjab’s towering quick Gurnoor Brar, who has had a stint with the senior India team as a net bowler, had him caught by Ayush Badoni, who had replaced Iyer.”The pitch is playing quite nice,” McSweeney said after stumps on day one. “I think it has a little bit more pace in the wicket than last game, so you get great value for shots. The ball swung around a bit more than probably anticipated. But I thought the way Sammy [Sam Konstas] and I were able to play during that first session set up a decent day. Sammy’s playing beautifully, continuing on from last week. A pretty solid day at cricket.”Suthar was consistent with his lines and lengths. He had an economy rate of 3.32 while all of India’s frontline seamers went at over four an over.”I thought their left-arm spinner [Manav Suthar] bowled beautifully,” McSweeney said. “He bowled quite slow in the first session and the way he was able to be really consistent in the second, changing his pace, he got a few wickets. He was building pressure today. It’s a great template we can follow going into the next innings.”Josh Philippe and Edwards counterattacked, with both batters having strike rates of over 100. While Suthar cut Philippe’s innings short on 39 off 33, Edwards ran away to 88 off 78 balls, including 11 fours and a six. Todd Murphy, batting at No. 10, gave Edwards good company and ensured the innings did not slide to a premature end.Their ninth-wicket partnership ended on 55 when Brar removed Edwards in the 82nd over. Murphy and No.11 Henry Thornton survived the remaining 2.4 overs on the day and took Australia A to stumps.

Cole Palmer has suffered another unfortunate injury setback, in a serious blow to Chelsea’s plans, with the England international fracturing his toe following an "accident at home". The 23-year-old playmaker has made just four appearances this season, as he struggles for fitness, and has now been ruled out of the Blues’ next three fixtures across all competitions.

• Injury frustration: Chelsea star Palmer ruled out again

  Palmer has not figured for Chelsea since being forced out of a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on September 20. He has been unable to represent club or country since then, with a groin problem being nursed.

  He was nearing the end of his recovery from that ailment, with Enzo Maresca looking forward to welcoming a talismanic presence back into his plans. An incident that could not have been predicted, or prevented, has now forced Palmer onto the treatment table once more.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Revealed: Chelsea games that Palmer will miss

  Maresca has revealed that Palmer will be unavailable for Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Burnley on Saturday, their Champions League home date with La Liga giants Barcelona on Tuesday and a derby date with London rivals Arsenal on November 30.

  Delivering an update on Palmer and the untimely knock that he has picked up, Blues boss Maresca said: "He is probably not available for tomorrow, for sure. Barcelona for sure. Arsenal for sure. Unfortunately, he had an accident at home two days ago.

  "He hit his toe. But it’s nothing important. But for sure he’s not back in the next week. The only thing we know is he’s not available for this week and next week.

  "He was very close, with the groin. He was back with us almost. Then he had this small problem. The last time I saw him was yesterday. Was he limping? No, not too much. We don't know it's fractured. The only thing we know he is not available for this week and next week."

  Maresca added on losing Palmer in the most unfortunate of manners: "I wake up many times in the night to go to the toilet, I hit my head and leg and everything. It can happen."

• England recall: Palmer eager to make up for lost time

  Palmer is reported to have spent his enforced break working hard in the gym, allowing his overall physique and fitness to be improved. He is said to have been "bulking up", while remaining a regular in the stands for Chelsea games. He has observed training sessions while working on an individual programme.

  It is claimed that Palmer is “determined to make up for lost time with his country” after seeing England wrap up qualification for the 2026 World Cup without him. Maresca expects the talented No.10 to earn an immediate recall once in contention to do so.

  He added: "For me personally, Cole is one of our best players. No doubt that he can play in any international team. It’s [England head coach] Thomas [Tuchel’s] decision."

  One former Chelsea and England star that is looking forward to seeing Palmer return to action is Joe Cole. The Premier League title winner considers a talismanic figure at Stamford Bridge to be crucial to Maresca’s cause.

  He told ahead of seeing Palmer’s reintegration into the Chelsea squad delayed: "He can elevate them, and his return will give the lads a boost. What I will say is that the players who stepped up in his absence have been superb. They have spread the goals around the team, and the performances have been great. If you played against Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer in the 10 role, it’s as good as anything in world football."

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  Chelsea fixtures: When Palmer could return

  Palmer has endured a frustrating time since helping Chelsea to glory at the 2025 Club World Cup – a tournament that saw him awarded the Golden Ball. The former PFA Young Player of the Year has been restricted to just 145 minutes of Premier League football this term.

  If he is ready to return after the Blues’ next three games, then it could be that he plays some part in a Premier League clash with Leeds at Elland Road on December 3 – although no risks will be taken on his fitness.

At an extravagant White House state dinner honouring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), U.S. President Donald Trump announced the presence of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Acknowledging his youngest son Barron's admiration for the Al-Nassr and Portugal striker, Trump joked that the meeting had increased his son’s respect for him. Ronaldo was joined at the black-tie event by his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez, and they both posed for a selfie with Elon Musk at one stage.

Superstar guests at White House event

Ronaldo attended the high-profile event alongside a host of world business and technology leaders, including Tesla and X boss Musk. The black-tie affair was organised to deepen ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and it was Ronaldo's first known appearance on American soil since 2016. His attendance with the Saudi delegation highlights his role as a public face for the kingdom's recent diplomatic and sports investments. Trump began the dinner with a speech, recognizing the gathering of "unbelievable dignitaries" such as FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a number of billionaires, and prominent business leaders. 

The United States are joint-hosts of next year’s World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, and Portugal qualified for the event earlier this week without CR7, who sat their final game against Armenia out through suspension following his first-ever international red card during the qualifier with the Republic of Ireland. However, Trump still singled out Ronaldo with a special tribute in his speech.

AdvertisementPresident Trump: 'Really an honour'

President Trump said: "You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is here. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you. So I just want to thank you both for being here. Really an honour."

Getty ImagesGrowing friendship between Ronaldo and Trump

Ronaldo recently interacted with the President, sending him a signed jersey with the inscription, "To President Donald J. Trump, Playing for Peace". The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star said at the time: "He is one of the guys who can help to change the world. One of the most important guys is the U.S. President. If we can help each other to make this happen… He is one of the guys I wish to meet to sit and have a nice talk. If it is here, or in the U.S., wherever he wants, I know he was here in Saudi Arabia with our boss, MBS. I wish one day to meet him."

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GettyWorld Cup worry for Portugal

Ronaldo was among the first to congratulate Portugal on their World Cup qualification after seeing his international colleagues complete a nine-goal rout of Armenia and will get to grace yet another major international tournament. Portugal boss Roberto Martinez faces missing his talisman for their World Cup opener when the tournament kicks off next June, because Ronaldo still has two games left to serve of his suspension for elbowing an opponent, but an appeal will reportedly be launched.

Martinez said: "After the game it’s a difficult time because emotions can be unclear. I saw his reaction to a provocation. It started at the beginning of the game, in every play in the penalty area. It even started the day before in the press conference. And it was a reaction of trying to continue playing. Others might fall to the ground and look for a penalty. It’s not a violent action, it’s not a red card for violence, but a reaction to a provocation. We need to try to show the case and prepare well. I would say it would be very unfair to impose a long suspension." 

Ronaldo has already made it very clear that, at the age of 41, the 2026 World Cup will be his last.