The Cityzens have refreshed their squad but doubts remain over their ability to finish top of an ever-more competitive pile

Manchester City fans used to sing "City are back, whoa, whoa" when the team's fortunes began to look up after a period in the doldrums but the chant has been heard less and less amid the seemingly never-ending cycle of success of the last 12 years. However, last year's disappointing season, which Erling Haaland called "horrific" and "boring", has seen the motto return.

It was how the club marketed their recent open training session, and if Pep Guardiola's side get off to a good start this season you can bet those three words will reverberate around the Etihad Stadium and in away sections. There is certainly a huge desire among City players to make a statement after last season, when they finished outside the top two for the first time since 2017 and also failed to win a trophy for the first time in eight years.

"Definitely, I think everyone wants to make up for last season, we all want to come to our best and winning titles," said Phil Foden. "We have got all the experience and we have done it before. That’s a positive when you have done it before, you know how to do it and what it takes so hopefully we can get back there."

But have City really strengthened enough to get back to what they used to be?

Getty Images SportMood around the Etihad

Despite all the success they have had over the last 12 years, City fans are naturally pessimistic and the general feeling is that regaining their title will be extremely difficult. The drop-off from last season is still fresh in the memory and the competition has never been more fierce. 

Although some exciting new recruits have arrived, they pale in comparison to the scale of the influx of top talent at Liverpool, while Arsenal have been growing more consistent and have at last added a top striker to their ranks with Viktor Gyokeres. It is hard to imagine that City will not miss Kevin De Bruyne's ability to conjure something out of nothing and how well they do will also inevitably rest on whether Rodri returns to his best, which is far from guaranteed after suffering such a brutal injury last year and then hurting his groin in June.

The mood among players, though, is clear. They have not forgotten what happened last season and the only way to make things better is to stage a resurgence. "There's a lot of guilt among the players, in the manager, in everyone for not doing better last season," said new captain Bernardo Silva. "A team with our experience, with our quality, even with the injuries, we cannot go down as easily as we did. We should have done better to overcome this situation. About competing for the title, we didn't even give it a try."

But the Portuguese midfielder, who could be heading into the final stage of his nine-year career with City as he runs down his contract, also stressed that things will be different. "I think emotional-wise we're definitely back. In terms of being hungry again, we're back."

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City's new sporting director Hugo Viana has certainly not been shy about making his presence felt since switching over from Sporting CP to replace Txiki Begiristain. The Portuguese has made five signings in the summer to the tune of £153 million ($206m), after Begiristain bowed out of his final transfer window in January by splurging £180m.

Tijjani Reijnders, who joined from AC Milan for £46m, is an energetic box-to-box merchant who looks set to score many goals. Rayan Ait-Nouri, a smart £31m buy from Wolves, will make the team much more threatening out wide even if he might lead to them ceding possession more often. 

Rayan Cherki has a licence to thrill but his uneven career progression since making his debut for Lyon aged 16 invites some caution. He felt like a slightly underwhelming successor to Kevin De Bruyne after he left following a golden decade at the club and later joined Napoli as a free agent. There is little risk with Cherki though as he only cost £30m.

City have bought two new goalkeepers in third-choice Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea and James Trafford, who has rejoined the club from Burnley for £27m. Trafford has vowed to battle Ederson for the No. 1 jersey, although there is still a chance that the Brazilian departs for Galatasaray and talks taking place with Paris Saint-Germain over Gianluigi Donnarumma. Norwegian teenager Sverre Nypan's £12.5m switch from Rosenborg has flown under the radar, largely because he is expected to be sent out on loan right away.
As well as De Bruyne's departure, it has been something of the end of an era for City's treble winners as Jack Grealish has moved to Everton on loan while Kyle Walker has also departed, for Burnley after a mixed loan spell at AC Milan. James McAtee is expected to also leave permanently for Nottingham Forest, bringing in £30m in pure profit as an academy graduate. 

Yan Couto and Maximo Perrone have made permanent moves to Borussia Dortmund and Como respectively after spending last season on loan. January arrival Vitor Reis has gone on loan to Girona while Juma Bah, who is yet to play for City, has gone out on loan to Nice after previously playing for Lens. Goalkeeper Scott Carson has left City after four years in which he made just two appearances. Savinho could yet join the exodus after Tottenham opened talks with City over the Brazilian winger.

Getty ImagesPre-season performances

City have had highly unusual preparations for the coming season due to their participation in the Club World Cup in June. They treated the rebooted tournament a bit like a pre-season tour, with Guardiola rotating his side between matches and still seeing City top their group by winning three games. But their campaign came crashing down in the last 16 when Joao Cancelo's Al-Hilal beat them 4-3 in an extra-time thriller.

City's early exit to the SPL side was embarrassing given they were one of the favourites to win the competition while Rodri picking up a groin injury – which derailed his progress after missing almost the entire season with a torn cruciate ligament – rubbed salt into the wounds. The silver lining was that they got to take their break earlier and had an extra two weeks to prepare for the campaign than if they had reached the final. 

Guardiola's side only returned to training on July 28 and the only glimpse fans have had of them was in their opening training session and in their friendly against Serie B side Palermo, who also belong to the CFC stable. They easily beat the Italians 3-0, with Reijnders playing a starring role and netting twice after a first-half strike from Erling Haaland. The Norwegian scored in four of the five matches, firing another ominous warning to defences ahead of the new campaign.

Jeremy Doku looked lethal during the Club World Cup while Ait-Nouri impressed too. Foden also took a step back towards his best in the U.S., scoring three times and getting an assist despite only starting one match. But an ankle knock in training prevented him from facing Palermo and could lead to him missing the opener at Wolves along with Rodri and Mateo Kovacic.

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Guardiola admitted last season that he had delayed overhauling his squad out of loyalty to the players who had won so much with him only to admit the error of his ways. He has also revealed that feeling a sense of responsibility for the team's problems last years is what motivated him to sign a two-year contract last November, explaining: "I didn't want to let the club down."

There is not a single City fan who does not believe Guardiola is still the right man for the job and it is worth remembering that the year after that drab 2016-17 campaign, the Catalan's first in England, City swept to the title by amassing 100 points. And the last time they surrendered their Premier League crown, in 2020, they ended up going on a historical winning streak of four consecutive titles. 

And yet there is also a sense that Guardiola is exhausted and on the brink of burn out. Remember how he scratched his head so hard that it left him with scars during the 3-3 draw with Feyenoord. He underwent surgery in 2023 to treat a back problem that he had suffered from for 12 years although he stressed in a recent eye-opening interview with that the most important thing is his mentality, saying "the mind is everything". 

It was a little bit concerning, then, to hear him also say: "The job of a coach, and I'm not just talking about myself, but all my colleagues, is a 24/7 one. Otherwise, you can't do it. The weight on your shoulders is enormous. You have a responsibility to a lot of people who put their trust in you: the players, the president, the sporting director. It's that fear of letting them down that drives me."

Guardiola is constantly evolving and it will be intriguing to see whether the arrival of Ait-Nouri makes him embrace high-flying full-backs again after moving towards inverted, more narrow full-backs. How he seeks to get the best out of Haaland will be another fascinating subplot, particularly with a new cast of players brought in to help feed the Norwegian goal machine.

The head coach has freshened up his team of support staff, recruiting Jurgen Klopp's former number two Pep Lijnders and another former Liverpool employee in set-piece specialist James French. Former City defender Kolo Toure has also joined as an assistant coach.

Stars of the England, Scotland and Wales national sides are gearing up for another campaign overseas after plenty of success last term

Not so long ago, the concept of a British player opting to ply their trade abroad was seen as something of an anomaly. While the likes of Kevin Keegan, David Beckham and Gary Lineker tasted success in continental Europe, they were outliers rather than trendsetters despite their respective profiles.

Times, however, have changed, and some of the world's biggest clubs are now looking to England, Scotland and Wales for talented individuals who can add quality to their squads. As such, more and more Brits are now packing their bags and heading overseas in pursuit of both on-field glory and new life experiences away from the pitch.

British players picked up plenty of foreign trophies in the 2024-25 campaign, and the stage is set for many more to contribute to strong campaigns this time around. But who are the Brits abroad who you need to be tracking over the next 10 months or so? GOAL has 30 to keeping an eye out for in 2025-26:

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid)

  Once again, Real Madrid's biggest signing of the summer looks likely to be one that barely cost them anything, apart from the nominal £10 million ($13m) fee they paid to bring in Liverpool contract rebel Trent Alexander-Arnold in time for the Club World Cup – a decision that probably backfired in the short-term despite two assists in five games showing what he is capable of.

  Given the scrutiny Alexander-Arnold has often faced for his perceived defensive deficiencies in England, the 26-year-old right-back will want to make a strong start in his new surroundings, with the fans and media in Spain notoriously impatient when a big-name new arrival fails to hit the ground running.

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  Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

  Trent won't have his good mate Jude Bellingham to help him settle in initially, on the pitch at least. The midfielder has finally undergone surgery on a long-standing shoulder injury, probably with the 2026 World Cup in mind, and he is unlikely to even return to training until mid-October in a blow to club and country.

  Once he is back, Bellingham will want to recapture the form of his debut campaign at Santiago Bernabeu, when he emerged as an instant hero playing in a more advanced role. He was more subdued in 2024-25 despite still having a decent season, but with his shoulder problem finally behind him, we might see the England dynamo back at his best.

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  Marcus Rashford (Barcelona)

  England, of course, now has another representative in Spain, with Marcus Rashford having moved to the other side of the Clasico divide as his exile from Ruben Amorim-led Manchester United continues. In truth, this is a journey into the unknown for the attacker as he looks to get his career back on track.

  As much as it is a huge opportunity, the expectation and pressure will be ramped up tenfold compared to Rashford's relatively successful loan spell at Aston Villa, which was curtailed by injury. There is a sense that he is effectively playing for his own future at an elite-level club, whether that's at Barcelona or elsewhere. It's a chance he simply has to seize.

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  Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid)

  Elsewhere in La Liga, Conor Gallagher is heading into his second season at Atletico Madrid after a solid debut campaign in the Spanish capital. However, even though he seems like the archetypal Diego Simeone player, he wasn't the main man in Atleti's midfield last term, often shunted out wide to accommodate others or having to settle for coming off the bench.

  Rodrigo De Paul's departure to Inter Miami should change things, though, and after a period of adaptation, Gallagher will want to make himself a guaranteed starter in 2025-26 with the World Cup fast approaching and his place in the England squad not necessarily guaranteed.

يستعد نادي نيوكاسل يونايتد لتدعيم صفوفه بصفقة هجومية جديدة خلال الساعات المقبلة، وذلك من أجل تعويض رحيل ألكسندر إيزاك عن صفوف الفريق.

إيزاك سوف يغادر صفوف نيوكاسل في وقت لاحق من اليوم الإثنين، وذلك من أجل التوقيع لصالح نادي ليفربول مقابل صفقة ضخمة ستتجاوز ال120 مليون يورو.

تابع .. بعد اتفاق إيزاك وليفربول.. نيوكاسل ينقض على هدف بايرن ميونخ

وذكر صحفي شبكة سكاي سبورتس، فابريزيو رومانو، أن نادي نيوكاسل نجح في التوصل إلى اتفاق مع برينتفورد، وذلك من أجل التعاقد مع يوان ويسا خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.

ومن المقرر أن يتم إغلاق فترة الميركاتو الصيفي بنهاية اليوم الإثنين، حيث سيشهد اليوم العديد من الانتقالات.

وأضاف رومانو في حديثه، أن الاتفاق تم شفهيًا بين نيوكاسل وإدارة برينتفورد على صفقة ويسا، والتي سوف تصل إلى 55 مليون جنيه إسترليني بالفعل.

وأوضح الصحفي الإيطالي، أن برينتفورد قبل عرض نيوكاسل للتعاقد مع ويسا ، حيث سيجري الدولي الكونجولي الفحوصات الطبية في وقت لاحق من اليوم تمهيدًا للإعلان الرسمي عن الصفقة.

وبذلك سيكون ويسا هو ثاني مهاجم يتعاقد معه نيوكاسل هذا الصيف من أجل تعويض رحيل إيزاك إلى ليفربول، بعد ضم نيك فولتيمايدي من صفوف نادي شتوتجارت، وذلك مقابل 80 مليون يورو.

وانقطع ويسا عن تدريبات برينتفورد ولم يشارك اللاعب مع الفريق اللندني في أي مباراة هذا الموسم بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حرصًا منه على التوقيع مع نيوكاسل.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após emendar três vitórias seguidas, o Botafogo volta a campo nesta quarta-feira, às 19h, para medir forças com o Nova Iguaçu, no Estádio Luso-Brasileiro, pelo Campeonato Carioca. O confronto é válido pela sexta rodada da competição estadual e não terá o Nilton Santos como palco, pois passa por uma reforma com a troca para o gramado

+ Veja as novidades do Botafogo no mercado da bola

Os comandados de Luís Castro chegam com moral depois de ter vencido o primeiro clássico da temporada. No último domingo, o Alvinegro bateu o Fluminense por 1 a 0, no Maracanã, com gol de Victor Sá. Sendo assim, a equipe tem o melhor aproveitamento do campeonato, visto que tem um jogo a menos que a dupla Fla-Flu e o Volta Redonda.

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Com nove pontos em quatro jogos, a diferença do Botafogo para os rivais é pequena e ainda terá pela frente os confrontos diretos. O Flamengo lidera com 11 pontos, enquanto o Fluminense e Voltaço têm 10, porém ambos já estiveram em campo em cinco oportunidades. O jogo a menos que resta para o clube de General Severiano será contra o Vasco, no dia 16 de fevereiro.

Desde o início do campeonato, Luís Castro tem rodado a equipe para dar tempo de jogo a todo elenco. Como a equipe titular esteve em campo no domingo, a tendência é que o português utilize os reservas diante da Laranja da Baixada.

O Nova Iguaçu, por sua vez, soma apenas cinco pontos, porém o mesmo número do Madureira, atual oitavo colocado. A equipe tenta uma vaga na Taça Rio, que será disputada entre os times que terminarem o campeonato entre o quinto e oitavo.

FICHA TÉCNICA

Botafogo x Nova Iguaçu
Campeonato Carioca 2023 – Taça Guanabara
Sexta rodada
​
Data e horário: 01 de fevereiro de 2023, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Luso-Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Árbitro: Rafael Martins de Sá
Assistentes: Thiago Henrique Neto Corrêa Farinha e Hugo Filemon Soares Pinto
Onde assistir: Cazé TV e Tempo Real do LANCE!

PROVÁVEIS TIMES

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Luís Castro)
Douglas Borges; Daniel Borges, Philipe Sampaio, Segovia e Hugo; Danilo Barbosa, Marlon Freitas e Patrick de Paula (Gabriel Pires); Gustavo Sauer, Matheus Nascimento e Carlos Alberto.

Desfalques: Gatito Fernández, Joel Carli, Kayque, Lucas Fernandes e Eduardo

NOVA IGUAÇU (Técnico: Carlos Vitor)
Max; Léo Fernandes, Gabriel Pinheiro, Michel e Bruninho; Paulo Henrique, Gustavo Nicola, Luã Lucio e Ícaro; Nathan e Andrey Dias.

Max O’Dowd showed the patience required to get the job done in the chase, even as Nepal’s bowlers applied significant pressure of their own

Ashish Pant04-Jun-20245:43

Moody: The depth of Netherlands’ seam-bowling challenged Nepal

Tim Pringle and Logan van Beek’s three-wicket hauls backed up by Max O’Dowd’s patient half-century got Netherlands over the line in a nervy chase in their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2024, against a spirited Nepal in Dallas.It was a rude welcome for Nepal in their first T20 World Cup in a decade, with the Netherlands bowlers putting up a fine show and bowling them out for a mere 106 in 19.2 overs. But Nepal weren’t done yet. They squeezed the Netherlands batters in the middle overs and took the chase into the 19th over. O’Dowd, however, held his own with an unbeaten 54. He rode his luck and made sure to take his side over the line by six wickets and eight balls to spare.Early-morning rain and overcast conditions delayed the toss by 30 minutes and Netherlands captain Scott Edwards had no hesitations in bowling after winning the toss. The bowlers backed up their captain’s decision with Pringle, van Beek, Paul van Meekeren and Bas de Leede all getting among the wickets.In reply, Nepal put up a fight but dropped a couple of crucial chances at key intervals.Dallas turns blue and red, but Orange holds swayThe Grand Prairie Stadium can seat 7000 but the vocal Nepal fans made it feel a lot bigger, flocking in nice and early getting behind their team. But the overcast conditions assisted the Netherlands seamers and they got their first wicket through left-arm spinner Pringle, whose decision to keep giving the ball flight paid off as Aasif Sheikh’s thick outside edge found short third in the second over. Pacer van Beek then struck with his first ball, angling a length ball sharply back into Kushal Bhurtel and catching him plumb in front.Nepal’s players appreciated the lively support they got in Dallas•ICC/Getty ImagesFast bowler Vivian Kingma also found big movement as the Nepal batters found putting bat to ball an arduous task. In the first six overs, Nepal played and missed 17 of the 36 balls (47.22%), which is the highest for any team in a men’s T20I (for which ESPNcricinfo has ball-by-ball data available). They hit five fours but could only manage three singles and a two in the first six overs, as Nepal managed only 29 runs in the powerplay for the loss of two wickets.A stranglehold in the middle and at the deathRohit Paudel, the youngest captain at a T20 World Cup at 21, kept his composure but lost partners at a steady rate. He pumped Kingma for a four over covers in the seventh over, but Pringle came back in his second over to remove Anil Sah, his attempted sweep only going as far as deep backward square leg. Kushal Malla hammered van Meekeren for a four over mid-off but fell three balls later trying a repeat of that shot, deceived by the slower offcutter and spooning the ball straight up.Bas de Leede then got rid of Dipendra Singh Airee caught at slip as Nepal slipped to 53 for 5 after 11 overs. Paudel was busy during his 35 off 37 but ultimately perished giving Pringle his third wicket. Karan KC and Gulsan Jha added 22 off 17 balls for the eighth wicket – the second-highest stand of the innings – to push the score past 100. Van Beek ended the innings with a two-in-two.Rohit Paudel was resilient but fell right before the death overs started•AFP/Getty ImagesNepal apply the chokeEarly wickets was the need of the hour, and Nepal managed that with Sompal Kami getting rid of Michael Levitt with his second ball, caught by the cover fielder. Both Kami and Karan kept the bowling tight conceding only four runs in the first 15 balls. Vikramjit Singh broke the shackles with two back-to-back fours but run-scoring remained slow. Nepal bowled 19 dot balls in the powerplay as Netherlands reached 36 for 1 after the first six.It was going to get tougher for Netherlands in the middle overs, with the spinners coming into the equation. Airee conceded just a single in his first over after the powerplay, before taking out Vikramjit with a length ball that beat the batter’s attempted slog sweep and caught him in front. An over earlier Vikramjit was dropped at deep backward square leg by Kami, but he couldn’t cash in.O’Dowd and Sybrand Engelbrecht tried to steady to ship in a 28-run stand before a run out brought about the latter’s end. O’Dowd struck a straight drive back at Kami, who expertly deflected the ball back onto the non-striker’s stumps and caught Engelbrecht short. Nepal conceded just 48 runs in the middle overs (6 to 15) making Netherlands fight for every run.Max O’Dowd took Netherlands home with an unbeaten 54•AFP/Getty ImagesComposed O’Dowd steers Netherlands homeWhen Edwards fell cheaply, it felt Netherlands’ chase could go astray, but O’Dowd brought all his experience into play. He curbed his natural aggressive instincts and made sure he kept his end secure even when Netherlands went 40 balls without a boundary between the 12th and 18th overs. O’Dowd had a huge slice of luck when Paudel spilled a straightforward chance in the 18th over at long-off. He was on 40 at the time and Netherlands still needed 18 off 17, but the dropped chance seemed to ease his nerves. In the penultimate over, with Netherlands requiring 13 off 12, he smashed Abinash Bohara for a four and six to reach his 13th T20I fifty. De Leede then finished the chase with a four through covers, triggering a sigh of relief in the Netherlands camp and securing two crucial points.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras tem sua classificação encaminhada para as quartas de final do Paulistão, mas o plano do clube está focado em algo maior, que é garantir a melhor campanha da fase de grupos para ter vantagem de decidir em casa os confrontos do mata-mata. Contra o Corinthians, vale a vitória no clássico pela rivalidade, mas será mais um passo rumo ao objetivo maior. Aliado a isso, Verdão e Abel Ferreira têm uma série de marcas a serem alcançadas se conseguirem bater o rival no Dérbi.

> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2023 clicando aqui

Adversário que mais venceu na Neo Química Arena, o Palmeiras pode igualar o retrospecto contra o Timão na casa do rival. Atualmente, as equipes acumulam 17 jogos no local, com seis vitórias para o Verdão, sete para o time alvinegro e quatro empates. O Alviverde soma 18 gols marcados e 17 gols sofridos. Pode ser a chance para alcançar um feito significativo para um visitante em Itaquera.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras tem início de Brasileirão com clássicos e reencontros; confira a lista de jogosPalmeiras15/02/2023PalmeirasMarcos Rocha revela planos do Palmeiras para vencer o Dérbi: ‘Resultado será consequência’Palmeiras15/02/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras faz atividades táticas pensando no Dérbi; veja provável timePalmeiras15/02/2023

O Verdão não perde um clássico estadual há seis partidas: são quatro vitórias e dois empates nos últimos duelos com Corinthians, São Paulo e Santos. Se pegarmos o confronto com o Alvinegro do Parque São Jorge, são três vitórias consecutivas dos palmeirenses, as três em 2022. Se chegar a conquistar a quarta seguida, o time de Abel Ferreira vai igualar um feito atingido em 2008,quando vinha de três resultados positivos seguidos em 2007 e completou o quarto no ano seguinte.

>Corinthians x Palmeiras: saiba onde assistir ao jogo pelo Paulistão

Recentemente, o retrospecto do Palmeiras tem sido melhor nos Dérbis.O Verdão perdeu apenas um dos últimos 11 clássicos contra o Corinthians, somando três vitórias consecutivas: 2 a 1 no Allianz Parque, pelo Paulista 2022; 3 a 0 na Arena Barueri, pelo Brasileiro 2022; e 1 a 0 na Neo Química Arena, novamente pelo Brasileiro 2022. No total, são seis triunfos e quatro empates no período.

Muito disso é pelo trabalho de Abel Ferreira nesses últimos anos, que enfrentou o rival oito vezes, com cinco vitórias, dois empates e uma derrota, resultando em quase 71% de aproveitamento. A cada dez pontos disputados contra o Corinthians nesse período, Abel conseguiu conquistar sete.

E o técnico palmeirense pode atingir uma marca pessoal histórica nesta quinta-feira caso vença o Timão. Abelestá a apenas uma vitória de chegar ao seu 100º triunfo pelo Palmeiras. São 169 jogos, com 99 vitórias, 38 empates, 32 derrotas, 281 gols marcados e 134 gols sofridos.Apenas Oswaldo Brandão e Luiz Felipe Scolari ultrapassaram a marca de 100 vitórias em uma única passagem pela equipe.Com isso, ele é o 6º treinador com mais vitórias na história, atrás de Rubens Minelli (117).

> Veja as principais transferências no Mercado da Bola do LANCE!

Único invicto no campeonato, o Palmeiras é o time com melhor campanha no geral (20 pontos), mais vitórias (seis), mais gols marcados (12, ao lado do São Paulo), menos gols sofridos (dois) e melhor saldo de gols (dez). O Verdão pode garantir classificação antecipada para as quartas de final já nesta rodada, caso vença e o Santo André seja derrotado pelo Santos nesta quinta.

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The Argentine star trained separately from his teammates all week but was ruled out just hours before the match

• The Herons advanced with a Luis Suárez brace.
• Morales gave no further details on Messi’s fitness
• Jordi Alba also picked up an injury

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano was sent off in the Herons' 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Tigres. As a result, his assistant, Javier Morales, handled the post-match press conference and addressed Lionel Messi’s absence.

  "Everyone talked with Leo, we’re always present. We rely on how Leo feels, and it wasn’t the best. We preferred not to take risks, not to go backward in his recovery, and to play it safe by not having him in the match," Morales said.

  Messi had just returned from injury, featuring for 45 minutes in Inter Miami’s win over the LA Galaxy the previous weekend.

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  WHAT JAVIER MORALES SAID

  The assistant coach also reflected on Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Tigres, which secured their spot in the Leagues Cup semifinals. 

  "We played a good first half, the way that we wanted to," Morales said. "We scored, created chances. In the second half, they adjusted, but we found a way to keep fighting and win the game."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Inter Miami extended their unbeaten run at home to nine matches, with seven wins and two draws. Meanwhile, Luis Suárez is now up to 13 overall goals in 2025 for the Herons, marking his second brace of the year.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  The Herons visit D.C. United this Saturday in MLS action.

Paul Mullin has said he wants to "prove himself right" on loan at Wigan Athletic, while opening up on his "sad" Wrexham exit.

Mullin joins Wigan on loanStriker embracing "fresh start"Aims to move on from "sad" Wrexham exitFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mullin swapped Championship new boys Wrexham for League One side Wigan on loan for the season, potentially signalling the end of his Red Dragons career. The striker was on the fringes of the Welsh side last term, with the 30-year-old watching from the sidelines as Phil Parkinson's team secured promotion. Now, he has spoken about his goals for the campaign and hit back at his detractors.

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He said on : "Nothing really changes for me. I’ve always said that I never want to prove anyone wrong; I always want to prove myself right. There’s many reasons why I haven’t played at League One level through my career, that was purely due to choice a lot of the time, and obviously last year didn’t go the way I wanted. I think that was from a personal point of view, but many people will say ‘oh you didn’t score goals last year’, and they will be the same people that rely on xG, which, to be honest, I don’t believe in, but if that was the case, then I only had an xG of four and managed to score three, so it weren’t such a bad season for those people. I probably started 12 games and scored five goals, so I can spin it any way you want. For me, it wasn’t a successful season. I want to play games, never mind scoring goals, I just want to play and be part of a team that’s successful, that’s the most important thing to me, being successful as a team, and last year we were."

Mullin added on his decision to join Wigan: "It is a fresh start. People could be sad about it, like, obviously, a lot of Wrexham fans, but for me, I’m excited about the next chapter of my book. In life, you have many opportunities to change paths and go in different directions, and sometimes you’ve got to be brave to go and take the next step and see what’s next for you. I’m really looking forward to the future; it’s something I’m really excited about, and yeah, I’m fully excited about what’s to come."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite Mullin being surplus to requirements at Wrexham, the forward will go down as one of the club's greatest ever players. He was instrumental in two of their promotions from the National League and scored 110 goals in just 172 games for the club. Now, he is embarking on a new journey at Wigan.

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Mullin, who sent an emotional message to Wrexham fans following his move earlier this summer, will hope to feature more regularly for Wigan this term after being on the bench for three of their five games in all competitions so far. He scored his first goal for the Lancashire outfit last week in the Carabao Cup, but drew a blank in a League One defeat to Luton on Tuesday night after being trusted to start.