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Aston Villa’s wonderful run of form came to a stuttering end on Sunday as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest and Unai Emery will have to go back to the drawing board ahead of a tie against AZ Alkmaar this week.

It was an uncharacteristic loss for Villa, who lost just twice in the Premier League prior to their visit to the City Ground, yet they are still in the race for a Champions League berth and Emery will be hoping it was a mere blip.

The Villa Park side didn’t play particularly badly as they dominated possession throughout the tie while also having more shots than Forest, but they just could not take their chances which led to their third league defeat of the campaign.

A few players underperformed as the phenomenal Ollie Watkins managed just one shot on target, yet it was Nicolo Zaniolo who was perhaps Emery’s weakest link in the 2-0 loss.

Nicolo Zaniolo’s game vs Nottingham Forest in numbers

The Italian was deployed once again on the left-hand side of the midfield, a position Emery has utilised him in a few times already this term, yet he did not have much of an impact.

The on-loan Roma gem did have the perfect opportunity to put Villa ahead in the 36th minute as he raced on to a Moussa Diaby pass, yet he saw his shot saved and this was his only meaningful attacking input.

He completed just seven passes, which was 18 fewer than Emiliano Martinez in goal, proving how little he saw of the play, while the midfielder also lost possession 12 times and took just 23 touches, meaning he ceded the ball nearly every two touches.

His physicality was also tested frequently as the 24-year-old managed to win just one duel out of nine contested, being brushed off the ball far too easily, and he was subbed off at half-time, replaced by Leon Bailey.

The player to replace Nicolo Zaniolo

Bailey not only managed more touches (36) and completed passes (12) than Zaniolo, but he also made one key pass and succeeded with two dribble attempts against Forest.

It was hardly a spellbinding performance, yet his displays this season should give the edge over Zaniolo for a berth on the left-hand side against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar this week.

Indeed, the Jamaican winger has shone under Emery this term, scoring six goals and registering four assists across all competitions, certainly justifying why he should be given the nod in the starting XI on Thursday rather than the Italian, who lacked any sort of attacking threat.

Villa defeated AZ 4-1 away from home just a couple of weeks ago and the former Villarreal coach will be hoping for a repeat performance which would allow them to gain some confidence back after their underwhelming loss to Forest.

It’s clear that Zaniolo should be dropped to the bench for the more efficient Bailey and another big win over the Eredivisie side will suggest the weekend defeat was just a one-off.

Bailey, who has three goals and two assists in European competition this term, could be key to the final result.

John Murtough has stepped down from his position as Manchester United's football director following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's partial takeover.

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• Murtough set to leave Man Utd
• Red Devils hoping to appoint Wilcox and Ashworth
• Ten Hag's position also uncertain

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Murtough has called time on his career at Old Trafford after 10 turbulent years with the Red Devils. The football director's exit has been expected for some time, with Ratcliffe anticipated to make changes following his arrival at the club. United hope to replace Murtough with Dan Ashworth, who is currently on gardening leave from Newcastle United. The Red Devils are also aiming to appoint Southampton's Jason Wilcox as the club's new technical director, while Omar Berrada is due to start work as the club's CEO in the summer after being lured away from Manchester City.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A summer of sweeping change is on the cards as Ratcliffe aims to bring glory back to United and turn the club back into title-contenders. Murtough has often been criticised for his work at Old Trafford after overseeing a transfer policy that has failed to pay off. Murtough also played a key role in bringing Erik ten Hag to United, but the manager's position also appears uncertain after a difficult campaign that sees the team currently down in sixth place in the Premier League table.

• WHAT RATCLIFFE HAS SAID

  Ratcliffe said, in a statement released by the club: "We want to thank John for his loyal service over many years, and for his support and integrity during this period of transition. "He leaves with our best wishes for the future."

  Joel Glazer, co-chairman of United, added: "After 11 years of tireless work for the club, John has mutually agreed with us that now is the right time to step aside and allow the new football leadership structure to be put in place. He will always be welcome back at Manchester United as a friend of the club."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD

  There is likely to be plenty of scrutiny on Ten Hag in the final weeks of the season as United aim to finish on a high. The Red Devils face an uphill battle to qualify for next season's Champions League but have made it through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and a Wembley date with Coventry City.

Glasgow Rangers have signed an up-and-coming teenager on trial as they consider offering him a professional contract, according to a fresh report.

Rangers transfers

The Scottish Premiership outfit recruited nine fresh faces over the summer, including the likes of Jack Butland, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers on a permanent basis, whilst Abdallah Sima put pen to paper on loan for the remainder of the season from Brighton and Hove Albion.

Looking at exits, Philippe Clement’s side – albeit under Michael Beale – sanctioned the sales of 12 stars, with Glen Kamara, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos being some of the bigger names to leave for good, and following the mass clearout, this has created space for the boss to bolster his ranks further in January.

Manchester United’s left-winger Adam Berry has emerged as a potential target, though with the talented prospect only being 17 years of age, it’s unknown whether he would be viewed as a player who would join the academy or be given a chance to prove his worth in the senior fold should he put pen to paper.

The Old Trafford starlet is a regular feature of his club’s U18s side but is yet to feature for the U21s or the first-team, so he is lacking experience at a highly competitive level (Transfermarkt – Berry statistics), but with bags of potential to offer, the teenager has been handed a lifeline by the board at Ibrox.

Rangers taking a closer look at Adam Berry

According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers have placed Berry on trial with a view to tabling him a contract at the end of it should he impress his admirers enough to deserve it.

“Rangers are running the rule over a Manchester United youngster who once scored a stunning David Beckham-style goal from his own half. But with his future with the Old Trafford club unclear, Rangers have moved fast to offer him a trial.

"He's thought to have been involved in the B team's match with Icelandic side Breidablik last midweek and the clash with Hearts B.”

At Man United, Berry only pockets £220-per-week (Manchester United salaries), so he’d be a more than affordable option for Rangers to take on board, and he’s already started to show plenty of promising signs as to what he’s capable of achieving.

The Ashton-under-Lyne-born talent has racked up seven contributions, five assists and two goals, in 27 appearances since the start of his career, highlighting the positive impact he can make in the final third, which will only improve with increased minutes under his belt.

Furthermore, Berry is a versatile operator having been deployed in four various positions across the pitch since first bursting onto the scene, including out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside in two roles in the centre of the park, so his ability to provide injury cover in areas outside of his own could make him a fantastic option for the manager to have at his disposal in Glasgow.

Bastian Schweinsteiger has revealed how Jose Mourinho kicked him out of the Manchester United dressing room and was forced to train with the U-16s.

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• Schweinsteiger joined Man Utd in 2015 under Louis van Gaal
• Failed to impress Mourinho when he took charge in 2016
• Reveals unfair treatment Mourinho meted out to him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arriving at Old Trafford in 2015 with a decorated career at Bayern Munich, Schweinsteiger's transition to Manchester United happened under then-head coach Louis van Gaal. However, his fortunes took a dramatic turn for the worse upon Mourinho's arrival at the club in the summer of 2016.

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  WHAT SCHWEINSTEIGER SAID

  In a recent interview with Gary Neville on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Schweinsteiger shed light on the turbulent conclusion to his Manchester United career, particularly highlighting his strained relationship with Mourinho.

  "It was 2016 and I was with the German national team, we went far in the competition (the European Championship) reaching the semi-finals, so I stepped in a little later (at Manchester United) and the team were in the US for a pre-season tour," Schweinsteiger recalled.

  "When I arrived on the first day, I trained with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and thought it was great, a player who has the vision and is amazing to play with. The next day, on my birthday, when I walked into Carrington, John Murtough was there and said that I wasn't allowed to walk into the dressing room, the coach had said so. No warning, nothing. I don't know (why he told me). Someone could have told me there (on my first day of training) or explained it to me in a normal way, but okay, I went to the youth dressing room and trained with the under-16s."

  Schweinsteiger further shared that John Murtough had to "bring him his cleats and training gear."

  "I asked him who I was training with, and he said there was the under 16 team, so I went and trained with the under 16s,' Schweinsteiger continued. 

  "I asked him whether I could talk to the manager in the afternoon, so when I came back from training with the under 16s, where I trained so bad because I didn't know what was going on or it was a joke, I then had a meeting with (Mourinho) in the afternoon. 

  "He explained to me that he didn't see me happy here at United because when I had my injury, I did my rehab with German doctors, spending time in Germany.  Of course, I came back to United and was in contact with doctors and watched the games – I had a conversation with Louis van Gaal when he was coach, and he said to come on the weekends to United and remain in contact with the doctors, they needed me fit and there was an FA Cup final which I almost played. That was our agreement and I kept to it.  For me, I just wanted to get healthy and wanted to be able to play – I stuck to the agreement with Louis van Gaal but obviously the board thought a little differently about that."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The German midfielder expressed his frustration at being ostracized from the first team, emphasizing that he was effectively isolated from his teammates for a prolonged period. Schweinsteiger revealed that he underwent individual training sessions under a fitness coach for three months, devoid of interaction with the main squad.

  "I was training alone for at least three months with a fitness coach," he added. "I trained before and after the (first) team. (Mourinho) never let me train with the first team. I guess they wanted to get rid of me. In that moment, I was still super happy at United, I loved to wear the jersey, I loved it. I was thinking that maybe it was just a period, I will train now and keep myself fit and maybe one day they'll change their mind. My dream was to always step back out into Old Trafford. sometimes I'd pass by a few or get a message. They said that they didn't understand the decision, but I didn't see them. I had to train in the morning or after their session to not see them."

  Gary Neville, a former Manchester United player and PFA Union Representative condemned the treatment meted out to Schweinsteiger, labelling it as "illegal" and expressing dismay at the club's handling of the situation.

  "I was the PFA Union Representative, and you’re not allowed to do that, you can’t dismiss someone like that, it’s constructive dismissal in some ways,' he said. "It’s probably a few years too late, you should have come and seen me at the time. I’m stunned and embarrassed at what I’m hearing because I always think, players leave clubs and people fall out, but there is a way to do things and a way to behave and act."

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• DID MOURINHO APOLOGISE?

  Although Mourinho eventually extended an apology to Schweinsteiger, the damage caused by the episode had already taken its toll.

  "After three months of training on my own at Manchester United, one day Mourinho or his assistant came to me and said that I could train with them (the first team), and I trained with them. I think I trained well, and I liked to play with Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic," Schweinsteiger added.

  "Later, I got my minutes but when you see other players playing in your position, you think, "I'm better than this guy." We had Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick, Morgan Schneiderlin, and Marouane Fellaini – I thought that I wasn't the last one in that group, for that position," he said.

  "Sometimes you'll be sitting there after the game and then people come in (to the dressing room) from the board and come to shake your hands – for me this wasn't easy because I was thinking, that my heart was broken and that it wasn't full of red anymore. The first time someone apologised was when I decided to leave United for America, and asked Jose if I could do that, he then apologised for the way he treated me in the beginning and he had to let me go because he could not say no to me in that moment."

Everton are in great form in the Premier League and could now be set to welcome back a familiar face after the international break, according to an injury expert.

Everton's flying form under Dyche

Despite a frustrating start to the campaign that culminated in a Merseyside Derby defeat against arch-rivals Liverpool last month, Everton have since recovered in impressive fashion and are now four games unbeaten under Sean Dyche. Last weekend, the Toffees earned a dramatic 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with goals from Vitaliy Mykolenko, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye ensuring all three points made their way back up the M6.

Everton midfielder James Garner has indicated that the Toffees have started to make real progress under Dyche's stewardship, stating via official club channels when asked about the Crystal Palace triumph: "The manager speaks all the time about having that winning mentality. We were under pressure for parts of the game but it was all controlled. As a team, we knew what we were doing."

He then added on his recent form: "The subs who came on knew their job and we got the game over the line. From a personal point of view, I’ve been pleased with how I’ve been playing in recent weeks. I was waiting for my chance to show what I can do in the middle of the park and I’d like to say I’ve done that."

Enjoying a well-deserved break, Everton's stars are on international duty and will return to Premier League action against Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United side on November 26th at Goodison Park. Ahead of the tie, it has been claimed that the Toffees could now be set to welcome back a key man who has been missing for the entirety of this campaign.

Seamus Coleman set to finally return from injury

Speaking to Goodison News, football injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has given an update on Everton captain Seamus Coleman's potential return from injury, claiming that the Republic of Ireland international could be back in "contention" for the visit of Manchester United.

Brar told the outlet when asked about Coleman's injury: "If he’s responding well to the matches, the next step would be bounce matches with the first team. If that checks out, then he will be greenlighted for longer stretches. He could be back in contention after the break if things go as per plan for Everton."

Coleman has returned to match action with Everton's second string; however, Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has opted to leave him out of his side's double-header against the Netherlands in EURO 2024 qualification, which will be followed with a friendly against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium, as he stated: "We'd love to have him here but he has been out for seven-and-a-half months. The Netherlands game, it is probably a bridge too far to jump into an international game straight from there."

Nevertheless, £55k-per-week Coleman, who has previously been labelled a "warrior" by former boss Frank Lampard, will soon be ready to make his comeback at first-team level, which will come as a major boost to everyone connected with Everton.

Jude Bellingham sat out Real Madrid’s latest training session, with the Blancos counting down the days to a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

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• England star under the weather
• Will still travel to Sociedad
• Should be ready for European tie

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Liga giants are set to face Bundesliga heavyweights in the first leg of their semi-final showdown next Tuesday. Said contest will be staged at the Allianz Arena, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side hoping to establish a lead that can be taken back to Santiago Bernabeu.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  England international Bellingham will have a crucial role to play against Harry Kane and Co, with 21 goals registered by the talented 20-year-old this season. He may be well rested for that challenge, with illness forcing him out of training heading into Madrid’s trip to Real Sociedad on Friday.

• WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

  Ancelotti told reporters when delivering a fitness update on his squad, with Ferland Mendy still missing with the leg soreness that kept him out of a Clasico win over Barcelona: “Bellingham had a stomach problem and Rodrygo had the flu, but they can still travel. Mendy won’t travel, he’s fine but I prefer him to stay and work for the Champions League.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Real have no need to risk Bellingham, or Rodrygo, against Sociedad as they have opened up an 11-point lead at the top of the Liga table. They are now in the fortunate position of being able to rotate and place greater emphasis on a bid to collect a 15th European Cup.

Newcastle United are believed to be willing to splash out £26m on the signing of an "extremely agile" midfielder, according to a fresh transfer update.

Newcastle eyeing Sandro Tonali replacement

The Magpies had such high hopes going into the new season, with another top-four finish in the Premier League possible, not to mention the excitement of returning to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

Injuries have hurt Newcastle badly, however, and one of the biggest setbacks that they have suffered is the 10-month ban handed to Sandro Tonali, who was found guilty of breaching betting rules, ruling him out for the rest of the season in the process.

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The absence of the Italian means that a replacement ideally needs to be brought in during the January transfer window, whether that be a loan signing or a permanent transfer.

A host of different players have been thrown into the hat as options for Newcastle, with Kalvin Phillips emerging as a strong contender to move to St James' Park, having fallen out of favour at Manchester City and rarely managing to be a key man under Pep Guardiola.

The England international isn't the only player to have been backed to complete a move there, however, with Ruben Neves another in the mix to sign for the Magpies. Now, another contender has emerged following a new update from abroad.

Newcastle could pay £26m for Fabian Ruiz

According to a fresh transfer report from Tutto Juve, Newcastle are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz, with the Magpies willing to pay £26m for his services.

A move in January is mooted, with PSG potentially happy to part ways with the Spain international, who hasn't always managed to be an important player for the Ligue 1 giants this season.

In fact, the Newcastle transfer target has only started six league matches in total, so he could jump at the opportunity for more regular minutes elsewhere.

Ruiz could prove to be such an astute signing given the experience he possesses and his technical ability in the middle of the park, with Hoffenheim's Diadie Samassekou rating him incredibly highly as an opponent, once saying of him:

"It was incredibly difficult to defend against him because he is extremely agile and only ever needs two touches. I sometimes try to show my friends why it’s so hard to defend. I’ve played against a lot of good teams and players, but people will be talking a lot about Ruiz in the next few years."

Meanwhile, former manager Quique Setien has noted how Fabian Ruiz has "developed immensely" over the last few years.

In truth, £26m seems like a reasonable amount for a player who has represented two European giants in Napoli and PSG, not to mention winning 21 caps for a Spain squad littered with elite players all over the pitch. He is at a great age to come in and hit the ground running, too, and there is no reason why he can't remain at his peak for another four or five years.

Granted, Tonali's return could then leave lots of top midfielders battling for playing time at Newcastle next year, but great depth is essential for Eddie Howe moving forward, so it shouldn't be seen as a bad thing, even though keeping everyone happy wouldn't be easy.

Matias Rojas has explained what it is like to be a team-mate of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi, with it a case of “sink or swim” for many.

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• Argentine icon strutting his stuff in MLS
• Maintaining remarkable standards
• Those around him look to raise their game

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  World Cup winner Messi is not the type to shout and scream at colleagues, as unrealistic demands are put in place, with the talismanic 36-year-old all about leading by example. His mere presence does, however, lump added pressure onto those around him – as they seek to avoid falling short of the required standard.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Paraguay international Rojas has taken on that challenge, with a transfer completed from Corinthians to Inter Miami. He has enough experience under his belt at 28 years of age not to wilt in the Florida sunshine and netted his first goals for the Herons – both assisted by Messi – last time out against the New York Red Bulls.

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  WHAT ROJAS SAID

  Magical Messi had six goal contributions in that MLS fixture, with Rojas telling afterwards of what it is like to work with the all-time great: “It’s a big responsibility. There are two ways to approach playing with him, you can either sink or you can swim. In my opinion, he is the best in history. You can either play with the fact he will not understand your pressure or you let it go, and he solves all that with what he does. That pass to me for my second goal was something I didn’t expect, but it makes it easier for you. You need to take advantage of that chemistry, and me and the team did just that.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  Inter Miami sit at the top of the Eastern Conference, three points clear of the chasing pack, and are hoping to see Messi maintain his current form – which has him generating MVP buzz – as they seek to secure a play-off spot in 2024 and a shot at MLS Cup glory.

Manchester City currently find themselves in somewhat unchartered territory. Pep Guardiola's side haven't won in four Premier League games and defeat against Aston Villa left them fourth and six points adrift of league leaders Arsenal. Of course, the treble winners shouldn't be ruled out of the title race just yet, with plenty of time to turn things around, but for the first time in three seasons, City's crown looks up for contention in England's top flight.

Now, with January approaching, one particular player could potentially be heading for the exit door.

Man City transfer news

Manchester City are rarely away from the headlines during transfer season. Even after their treble win, the Citizens welcomed the likes of Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes, as they looked to improve even further. That improvement is yet to come, however, with City instead struggling to reach their usual standards and falling behind in the title race as a result. Now they could be set to suffer an exit blow in January.

According to The Athletic, Colorado Rapids are in advanced talks to sign Zack Steffen, who has endured several loan spells away from the Etihad over the years, before suffering a knee injury which sidelined him for the first half of the current campaign and put an end to the potential of another short stint elsewhere. The goalkeeper could be set for a permanent move this time, however, and a return to his home country, as Colorado Rapids attempt to rebuild after a disappointing MLS season last time out.

Whilst Steffen's potential exit is not a major blow for City, they will want to ensure that his transfer is the only one they have to deal with during the January window.

"Excellent" Steffen impressed when given the chance

Whether it be through loan moves away or in domestic cup competitions, Steffen impressed when given the chance at Manchester City. Steffen's Premier League clean sheet rate stands at 50%, whilst only conceding 16 goals in 21 games for Guardiola's side in all competitions. The American's longest loan spell came at Middlesbrough, where he kept 10 clean sheets in 45 games and earned plenty of praise.

This includes from former teammate Darragh Lenihan, who said: "He's been excellent since he came to the club. He made some really good saves in the second half (against Stoke). Sometimes you have to rely on the goalkeeper to make those saves which thankfully he did. We'll need everyone in the squad chipping in from now until the end of the season to contribute and hopefully do well and win games."

Should he complete his move to Colorado Rapids, Steffen will hope to do enough to earn his place back in the USA team, having missed out on a spot at the 2022 Qatar World Cup in heartbreaking fashion, leaving City with Ederson and Stefan Ortega as City's senior options.

Bayer Leverkusen's comeback draw with Roma ensured they broke Benfica's 59-year-long record for the longest unbeaten run in European football.

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• Leverkusen reach Europa League final
• Secure 2-2 comeback draw against Roma
• Break Benfica's record for longest unbeaten run

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leverkusen kept their treble hopes alive with a last-gasp comeback 2-2 draw at home to Roma in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday. The result meant Xabi Alonso's side stretched their unbeaten run to 49 matches, surpassing Benfica's long-held record.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After Leverkusen romped to the Bundesliga title last month – their first-ever triumph in that competition – attention turned to winning a treble. They are now in the Europa League final, where they will face Atalanta, and take on FC Kaiserslautern in the final of the DFB-Pokal. They are so close to sporting immortality and after securing another stunning late comeback, not many would bet against them from achieving this feat.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Josip Stanisic's 97th-minute equaliser, which came after Gianluca Mancini's own goal and two Leandro Paredes penalties, was Leverkusen's 17th stoppage time goal this season as the German side won the tie 4-2 on aggregate.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Leverkusen face off against Serie A side Atalanta in the final of the Europa League in Dublin on May 22. A mere three days later, Alonso's team taken on Kaiserslautern in their domestic cup final as they aim for treble glory.