Celtic right-back Alistair Johnston revealed he was “getting close” to a return as he provided a positive update on his recovery from a hamstring tear.

The influential Canada international suffered his injury in the first half of the goalless first leg of the Champions League play-off against Kairat Almaty on August 20.

Johnston was initially told he would be out for 12 weeks, which would have meant mid-November, but he has been progressing well and could be back sooner than that.

“It’s been a couple of months since I’ve been out there but the recovery’s been good,” the 27-year-old said in a club interview.

“I haven’t had any real setbacks, which has been nice. I’ve been doing tons of work behind the scenes with our medical staff and I’m feeling really good.

“It’s been difficult watching all the matches from the side. As a player, that’s probably the hardest thing to do, not being able to affect the game and not really feeling like you’re completely a part of the group.

“But that’s just fuelled that fire to get back as quickly as possible, so we’re getting close now. We’re not going to put a timeline on it, but I’m feeling really good and I’ve been keeping well.

“We’ve checked off all the boxes that we need to check and we’re definitely ticking towards getting back out there. I’m just looking forward to getting back out there and being with the team again.”

Johnston heaps praise on Colby Donovan

In Johnston’s absence, Anthony Ralston and Colby Donovan have shared the right-back berth. Johnston has been impressed with the way 19-year-old Donovan has performed in his six outings – three as a starter – since his debut at home to Livingston in August.

“Colby’s been great,” said the Canadian. “From what I’ve heard talking to the gaffer and knowing Colby, I think the biggest thing that’s stuck out to everyone is his personality. I don’t think that was ever in question.

“Now that I’ve been in this changing room for the past couple of years and been out, played at Celtic Park, I know what it takes and what a Celtic player looks like at this point and he looks like one in terms of the personality, the confidence that he has on the ball.

“That’s something you need, especially as a young kid, to go into those kind of environments like he did in Belgrade and be able to handle the moment, not look overwhelmed. It’s been really impressive. He’s been really just like a duck to water.

“He’s done so good so far at taking it all on board and I think he’s going to be a great player. We’re really lucky to have him here at Celtic.”

Manchester United delivered a much-needed victory over Chelsea at the weekend and one of their stars has now delivered his response in the wake of some fierce criticism from club icon Roy Keane.

Manchester United hope to turn corner after defeating Chelsea

Truthfully, it has been hard not to be critical of Manchester United and Ruben Amorim at times this term after a turbulent start and mixed results, albeit they may now have started to turn a corner after consigning Chelsea to defeat at Old Trafford.

Admittedly, the Red Devils never make it easy for themselves, but they have been entertaining to watch in recent times and the former Sporting boss refused to blame goalscorer Casemiro after his sending off put their lead in jeopardy.

He stated post-match: “It’s because Casemiro cares – we scored one and then he has that tackle. Then they have maybe one time that they passed the half of the pitch and we want to win the ball right away. So I think sometimes it’s a little bit, not the pressure, they want it too much in that moment. That is not a bad thing.”

Plenty of criticism has been thrown at his group over the time Amorim has been in the Manchester United dugout, so it is only fair his players earn their fair share of credit for winning a pivotal fixture that has greatly enhanced their Premier League prospects.

Before their victory over Chelsea, Luke Shaw was heavily criticised by Roy Keane for his display against Manchester City after the England international failed to prevent Phil Foden’s opener in the 3-0 derby loss.

Now, the England international has delivered an honest response to the Irishman’s words as the mood begins to lighten a little at Old Trafford.

Luke Shaw responds to Roy Keane criticism

Making a surprise admission, Shaw expressed his agreement with Keane’s comments and vowed to keep his consistency moving forward at Manchester United.

He told BBC Sport: “Sometimes you just have to take it on the chin. Of course it hurts. He was one of the best captains ever for Manchester United. I think he was right. Last week, I wasn’t at my level at all. I don’t need Roy Keane to tell me.

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Later, he added: “I’m always in the team and I’m always playing, so there must be something the managers believe in. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but for me now, it’s about keeping that consistency at a high level. I know I can do that. That’s why last week hurt me a lot.”

Manchester United is a club that demands accountability and Shaw has been gracious in his assessment, taking ownership and looking to improve his performance rather than hiding away from critique. Fotmob show that the Three Lions star took Keane’s advice on board against Chelsea, winning three tackles, making three blocks and completing 34 of his 38 attempted passes.

Given he is playing on the left-hand side of a back three, which isn’t his natural position, Shaw performed admirably over the piece and will hope to strike up a convincing run of displays that coincides with Manchester United getting points on the board.

Manchester United have now devised a masterplan to sign an “elite” midfielder, with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell “definitely” a fan, it has been revealed.

Man Utd looking to bolster options in the engine room

After missing out on a new central midfielder in the summer, it is becoming increasingly evident that Man United will look to strengthen their options in the middle of the park this January, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton recently being named among the targets.

However, Palace owner Steve Parish has recently revealed he has no intention of selling Wharton to the Red Devils, and with the 21-year-old contracted until the summer of 2029, the Eagles remain in a strong negotiating position.

It has previously been suggested the South Londoners could look to hold out for £100m for the England international, meaning Ruben Amorim’s side may need to fork out a club-record fee to get a deal over the line.

As such, given Man United’s well-documented financial issues, it could make sense to switch their focus to more affordable targets, and they have now devised a masterplan to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states United are now considering a move for Bouaddi, who has started to make a name for himself in France, and transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed that Vivell is personally keen.

Jones said: “I think he is a very interesting player to keep an eye on. He played a full 90 minutes in midfield recently against PSG and plenty of scouts were at the game watching him.

“Man Utd and Christopher Vivell [in charge of identifying new, upcoming talent] definitely like him.”

It has previously been suggested that Lille are looking to receive £40m for the 18-year-old, which would be affordable, albeit a huge fee to pay for such a young player.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Oct 13, 2025 "Elite" Bouaddi could be future star for Man Utd

Despite his age, the youngster has already emerged as a first-team regular for Lille, and scout Ben Mattinson has been left very impressed by his performances this season.

The Frenchman has featured in all seven of Lille’s Ligue 1 games up to this point, although arguably his best performance came in the 1-0 victory over AS Roma in the Europa League, during which the starlet showcased both his defensive and attacking quality.

Statistic

Number completed

Duels (won)

18 (13)

Clearances

3

Tackles

2

Dribbles (successful)

4 (4)

Given that Bouaddi is already catching the eye in the Europa League, he may be able to slot into Man United’s midfield straight from the off, so it is exciting news that Vivell & co are considering a move.

نشر الإعلامي البريطاني الشهير بيرس مورجان، الجزء الأول من حواره الشيق مع النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو، حيث تطرق خلاله للعديد من الأمور، أبرزها مسألة اعتزاله لعبة كرة القدم.

ويبلغ كريستيانو رونالدو من العمر حاليًا 40 عامًا، ولكنه لا يزال يؤدي بأفضل شكل ممكن على مستوى فريق النصر السعودي وكذلك منتخب البرتغال.

وسُئل رونالدو عن توقيت اعتزاله، حيث رد في حواره مع بيرس مورجان: “سأعتزل قريبًا، أعتقد أنني سأكون مستعدًا لذلك، سيكون الأمر صعبًا بكل تأكيد، ربما سأبكي، فأنا شخص يبكي بسهولة، لا أكتم مشاعري، أنا صادق وشخص منفتح”.

وأضاف: “لكنني أخطط لمستقبلي منذ أن كنت في الخامسة والعشرين أو السادسة والعشرين من عمري، لذا أعتقد أنني سأكون قادرًا على تحمل هذا الضغط”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كريستيانو رونالدو يكشف عن النادي الأقرب إلى قلبه طوال مسيرته

وعندما سُئل عما سيمنحه سعادة خارج كرة القدم، اعترف: “لا شيء، لا شيء يُضاهي حماس تسجيل هدف، لكن لكل شيء بداية ونهاية، لذلك أعتقد أنني سأكون مستعدًا، لكن لدي شغف آخر، سأخصص وقتًا لنفسي ولعائلتي، لتربية أطفالي”.

وفيما يخص موعد حفل زواجه من صديقته جورجينا، قال: “ليس بعد، نخطط لما بعد كأس العالم، مع الكأس، لكنها لا تحب الحفلات الكبيرة، تفضل الأمور الخاصة، سأحترم قرارها”.

ونشر بيرس مورجان مقتطفًا من الجزء الثاني للحوار الذي سينُشر الثلاثاء المقبل، حيث سُئل خلاله رونالدو عن كأس العالم، حيث قال: “لا، الفوز به ليس حلمًا بالنسبة لي”.

وعندما قيل له إن ذلك يمنحك صفة كونك أفضل لاعب، قال رونالدو: “لا، ماذا؟ تعريف بماذا؟ من أفضل اللاعبين في التاريخ؟ الفوز ببطولة واحدة، 6 مباريات، 7 مباريات؟ هل تعتقد أن ذلك أمرًا عادلًا؟”.

Jamie Carragher has ignored England as he named his favorites for the 2026 World Cup. Thomas Tuchel's side were the first European team to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and head into their final two qualifiers already assured of their place; Carragher, though, has picked Argentina, Spain, and France as his favorites.

• Tuchel's men overlooked

  England have enjoyed a flawless qualification campaign, winning all six of their six qualifiers thus far. As a result, their November qualifiers against Serbia and Albania offer Tuchel the opportunity to experiment with his starting XI, as well as his squad composition, ahead of the tournament next summer. 

  Nevertheless, Tuchel has insisted that England will arrive at the showpiece as "underdogs", despite their sterling progress in tournaments since 2018. Under Gareth Southgate, they reached two finals – Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 – and also reached the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals. 

  He said: "We will arrive as underdogs in the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades, and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time, so we need to arrive as a team otherwise we have no chance.”

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  Carragher overlooks Three Lions

  Carragher was asked to pick his favourites for the tournament and backed champions Argentina to harness the support of the US, following Lionel Messi's impact in MLS, while favouring Spain and France from Europe, instead of Tuchel's side. 

  He told CBS Sports, via the Independent: “You have to look at Argentina, the holders, will it be the last time we see Messi play football? They’ll probably have great support, especially if they play in Miami, with his impact on MLS and playing for Inter Miami. 

  “From the European side of things, the European champions, Spain with Lamine Yamal and then France with Kylian Mbappe, arguably the two best players in the world right now, alongside obviously Ousmane Dembele with France as well.

  “I find it very difficult to ever look at a tournament and not have France at the back of my mind. [England are in] the next level of teams, alongside Portugal, those teams I’ve mentioned are probably the favourites and then they’ve got an outside chance.”

• Tuchel's praise

  After England's most recent outing, a crushing 5-0 win over Latvia, Tuchel was fulsome in his praise of his players, as they continue to develop an understanding under the German manager's system. 

  “Brilliant, such a good mood in the dressing room," he said. "It feels very different because it's our dream to go to [North] America and now we've made it, another good performance and a top result. We now have six wins and six clean sheets so we're very happy.

  “We're dominant in games, we're hungry, we invest against the ball, we have a lot of ball wins in the opponent's half.You look at our last goal, Harry Kane controlled the way back in his own half after a mistake from a teammate, helps defend the ball and wins the ball for the goal for Ebs (Eberechi Eze).

  “It's good and we're on our way.”

  He added: “It's a club feel because we play very aggressive, we play a high press. It's a very physical game that we play. It's very demanding but it gets everyone going. Everyone needs to go and buy into the idea because otherwise we can't press so high so we have a lot of ball wins.

  “The guys train on a high level and the group is a very good group. It's a pleasure to coach them. That's the result, it's step by step and we're getting there.”

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  What comes next?

  England have two more qualifiers before they head to the United States and are also likely to schedule warm-up friendlies beforehand. England will head to the States with the hopes of finally finding a way to end 60 years of hurt, and if qualification is anything to go by, they will be right up there. Tuchel has actually only overseen one defeat thus far, a 3-2 friendly loss to Senegal. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Localizado em Cariacica, o Estádio Estadual Kleber Andrade foi construído pelo Rio Branco Atlético Clube e inaugurado em 1983. Em 2008, foi comprado pelo Governo do Estado do Espírito Santo. A capacidade atual do estádio é de aproximadamente 22 mil pessoas, e tem mais de 43.425,54 m² de área construída. Contudo, o público recorde registrado foi de mais de 50.000 torcedores, e aconteceu em um partida entre Rio Branco e Vasco, pela Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro de 1986.

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Outros dois jogos que levaram um grande público ao Kleber Andrade foram os duelos entre Flamengo e Cruzeiro em 1995, que contou com 21.700 pagantes, e entre Rio Branco e Estrela do Norte em 1985 pelo Campeonato Capixaba, com 20.753 presentes.

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Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach also backed “young superstar” Nahid Rana to come good despite having an off day

Mohammad Isam19-Jun-2025

Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach Shaun Tait feels that his seamers could not make the best use of the first new ball against Sri Lanka on the third day of the Galle Test.After Bangladesh finished their first innings on 495, Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana opened the bowling but couldn’t make a breakthrough. Mahmud bowled six overs with the new ball and Rana seven in two short spells as Bangladesh had a fast bowler operating from one end till the 20th over. But it was Taijul Islam who got the first wicket, in the 13th. By stumps, Sri Lanka had sped to 368 for 4, reducing the deficit to 127.”It is a good batting wicket, and it was difficult conditions for fast bowlers today,” Tait said. “They toiled hard. They gave effort. We could have started better with the first new ball. We probably missed out. They know that. That’s all you can ask for. You bowl on a different day on a different wicket, you get a different result. We batted for two days. It is one of those good batting wickets.Related

Nissanka 187 leads SL's strong reply to Bangladesh's 495

“I think they batted really well. Sri Lanka are no pushovers. This is the team that was competing for the WTC final. They are a good side with good batters. The pacers missed a trick with the new ball. It would have been nice if they had taken a couple of wickets with the new ball but I am not going to be negative.”Sri Lanka forced the issue, particularly Pathum Nissanka with a career-best 187. He struck 23 fours and a six in his 256-ball stay. The Galle pitch typically starts helping spinners from the third day but that was not the case in this Test.”I think the wicket is pretty good,” he said. “It hasn’t changed a great deal. Today was a good batting day, we saw that. It probably hasn’t spun as much as maybe people thought it would on the third day.Pathum Nissanka’s century was his third in Test cricket•Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

“Normally, Galle starts to turn a bit more. It turned a little but nothing significant. There are still a couple of days left. Test cricket can change pretty quickly. There’s hard work to be done.”With Mehidy Hasan Miraz out with illness, Bangladesh played just four frontline bowlers, which has made their task difficult. Rana, who is playing only his eighth Test, was particularly expensive as he tried to bowl attacking lines and lengths. He went for 80 from his 16 wicketless overs, but Tait said it was up to him to work with the youngster.”Anyone who bowls that pace should get the new ball from time to time,” he said. “I don’t know, going forward, who is going to take the new ball. This is my first Test [as fast-bowling coach]. We have two fast bowlers. He has to take the new ball. He is absolutely fine [taking the new ball].”It is early in his career. He burst onto the scene. There’s a lot of attention and expectation on him. I don’t know if Bangladesh have ever had a fast bowler as exciting as him. There’s a little bit of pressure on him from the media and public. It is up to me to work through that with him as the bowling coach. It is not just about the bowling all the time. It is also how you deal with the extra pressure of being a young superstar.”Towards the end of the day, Mahmud made some amends by dismissing Nissanka with the second new ball. He set up Nissanka with the one that went away before bowling him through the gate with a big inswinger.”He struck the middle stump – it was a good ball,” Tait said. “You have to take little wins to the shed on this wicket. At the end of the day, it is a positive.”

Black Caps quick restricted Sussex to 166, which was chased down with two overs to spare

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Jun-2025Somerset 169 for 3 (Kohler-Cadmore 64, Carson 1-22) beat Sussex 166 for 8 (Simpson 58, Henry 3-29) by seven wicketsSomerset maintained their 100% record in the Vitality Blast after cruising to a seven-wicket win over previously unbeaten Sussex Sharks at Hove.Having restricted them to 166 for 8 after putting Sussex in, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Lammonby broke the back of Somerset’s chase when they added 89 off 45 balls for the second wicket after Will Smeed departed in the first over.Kohler-Cadmore top scored with 64 – his 42nd fifty in the format – while Lammonby made 35 and Tom Abell an unbeaten 36 as last season’s beaten finalists sealed their third victory in this season’s competition with 12 balls to spare. Once again they look the team to beat in the South Group, although strangely this was only their third win at the 1st Central County Ground in T20 history.Somerset laid the foundations with good bowling at the start and end of the Sussex innings. The Sharks could only score 36 in the powerplay and lost three wickets, and they couldn’t regain momentum when skipper John Simpson, who top scored with 58, was dismissed in the 16th over, the first of four wickets to fall for 26 as Somerset’s seamers, led by Matt Henry (3 for 29) turned the screw.Sussex had already lost openers Dan Hughes and Harrison Ward cheaply when Henry had James Coles caught at wide mid-on off a leading edge, leaving Sussex 29 for 3 in the sixth over.Simpson led a spirited response, first in partnership with Tom Alsop with whom he added 63 off 35 balls. Somerset only bowled one over of spin by Lewis Goldsworthy which went for 13 and were in need of a breakthrough, which Henry provided in the 11th over when Alsop was caught behind off an under-edge for 23.Simpson, promoted to No3 for Sussex this season, logged the tenth T20 fifty of his career from 34 balls and found another useful ally in Tom Clark, who helped his captain add 41 for the fifth wicket after being dropped in the deep by Riley Meredith when he’d made just four.Simpson was trying to clear the rope for the seventh time when he was caught at deep backward square off Craig Overton’s bouncer and when both Jack Carson and Clark failed to clear long on as the innings gently declined.Somerset suffered an early blow in their reply when Smeed, having hit two boundaries, lost his off stump to Ollie Robinson. But Kohler-Cadmore and Lammonby displayed impressive power and placement in their ball striking. They took 68 from the powerplay to lay the platform for victory.Lammonby (35) was caught at extra cover in the 11th over giving himself room to hit off-spinner Carson over the top and Kohler-Cadmore, who was dropped on 59, played on to Tymal Mills in the 14th over for 64 off 43 balls (7 fours, 3 sixes). But Somerset only needed a further 34 at that stage and two more Toms – Abell and Rew – got the job done with a minimum of fuss, Abell hitting Coles to the extra-cover boundary off the final ball of the 18th over to seal victory.

“I don’t know which arm I’ve taken more wickets with,” says Tharindu Rathnayake of his wicket tally in domestic cricket. “I’ve never looked at it properly. I’ve bowled a lot with both my arms.”If this seems like bragging, Rathnayake continues to speak as if being able to bowl with either arm is a normal experience to which anyone could relate. It must seem natural to him, though – he has 337 first-class wickets, and 122 List A dismissals.”When I started first-class cricket, I bowled a lot with my left arm. But later, after a couple of years, it became about 60% right arm, and 40% left arm.”Related

• Shanto, Mushfiqur hundreds headline Bangladesh's dominance

• 'These are not easy runs' – Mushfiqur reflects on 'special' century

Right, so why, on day one of his debut Test, against Bangladesh in Galle, did Rathnayake bowl 15.5 overs of right-arm offbreaks before he tried his first ball of left-arm spin?”I just felt that the ball that turns into the batter is harder for them to face because this wicket is suited to the batters. When you bowl right-arm offspin against right-handed batters with the red ball, it’s not easy for them to play. When I bowl offspin, I also have more options with the fields I can set. With left-arm spin, because the wicket is not behaving as we want it to, they can put the ball into gaps, and they have more scoring options.”To what extent Rathnayake knows this unusual craft is not clear yet. Unlike Kamindu Mendis, the other ambidextrous spinner in the side, Rathnayake is primarily a bowler. In the match-ups age, though, being able to bowl with either arm could be a supremely useful skill. Rathnayake seems to be aware of that potential.”Before we come to the match, in our planning, we talked about what each batsman is better at facing, and which sides they hit to,” he said. “So I try to create plans around their weaknesses, and change which arm I’m bowling with according to that.”Though Rathnayake claimed two wickets – both left-handers caught at slip against his offbreaks – in his first session of Test cricket, he said the Galle pitch got better to bat on through the day.”There was a little moisture early on, but it dried out. There wasn’t much spin. I’m expecting it to stay good until day four.”

Nottingham Forest chief Evangelos Marinakis is set for crunch talks with under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou over the tactician’s long-term future, coming after a dismal start to life for Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement at the City Ground.

Ange Postecoglou's job under threat after 2-0 Newcastle defeat

Reports in the build up to their 2-0 loss to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park claimed that Postecoglou’s job could be under threat if Forest tasted defeat up north, and this could now be realised.

Second-half goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade slapped Postecoglou with his fifth loss from seven games in charge, and the Australian remains winless after making the worst start of any Forest manager for 100 years.

The pressure is well and truly on Forest’s new manager after stepping into the shoes of fan favourite Nuno, who guided the Tricky Trees back to Europe for the first time since 1995 last season.

Since Nuno’s departure, Forest have been on a downward trajectory, with Postecoglou confirming that he’s set for crunch Marinakis talks over the international break.

It is believed that Marinakis already has potential replacements in mind for Postecoglou, who could become the shortest-reigning manager in Premier League history if Forest decide to take action immediately after Newcastle.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is emerging as a “prime candidate” to succeed the 60-year-old, according to TEAMtalk, but it is very debatable whether the Austrian would leave Selhurst Park midway through 2025/2026 for what appears to be a volatile project.

Glasner is out of contract at the end of this season, as is Fulham’s Marco Silva, and The Mail’s Tom Collomosse also reports that the latter is a long-term target for Forest.

However, any approach for Silva is apparently unlikely to happen before the conclusion of 2025/2026.

Marinakis pictured close to Benitez amid Nottingham Forest manager search

That being said, another coach who’s readily available now and wants a return to England is former Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton boss Rafael Benitez.

As reported by Collomosse, Marinakis was spotted in “close proximity” to Benitez during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over OIympiacos last week, and while the Spaniard was there in his role as a technical observer for UEFA, he’s apparently keen on coming back to Britain for work.

Benitez also has good relations with the Marinakis family, so this could be one to watch, even if the Champions League-winning boss hasn’t worked in management since leaving Celta Vigo in 2024.

His last job in the Premier League was also his disastrous spell at Everton, though you can make a case that it was always doomed to fail given Benitez’s ties to Liverpool.

Benitez, after a glittering career at some of Europe’s top clubs, is regarded as a “world-class manager” by his peers, but he’d be taking on an almighty task to steer Forest back up the table amid the toxicity right now.