Tom Bellwood

Kylian Mbappe limped off the pitch late on during France’s clash with Azerbaijan and will now miss Les Bleus’ World Cup qualifier with Iceland after he was sent back to Real Madrid to recover. Mbappe scored a stunner at the Parc des Princes, but scenes towards the end left fans of Real Madrid and France waiting anxiously for test result updates on the injured ankle.

Thomas Tuchel has told English players they can’t expect special treatment and must earn the right to play for Premier League clubs. The number of homegrown players has dipped alarmingly in recent years, but the Three Lions boss believes domestic clubs aren’t to blame as players must fight harder to earn a place in their team.

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres were signed for a combined £185 million ($247m), becoming two of the most controversial transfer stories of the summer, but the pair flopped spectacularly when it mattered most for their country after they failed to hit the target during a damaging 2-0 defeat by Switzerland. The defeat leaves Sweden’s World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

Portugal remain focused on landing the greatest prize in world football after Bruno Fernandes vowed the team are playing to win the World Cup for the entire nation. Portugal have a 100 per cent record heading into the Group F qualifier clash with Ireland, and Fernandes has spoken of the emotion he and his team-mates feel ahead of the tournament.

Kylian Mbappe’s stunning solo goal helped France ease to a comfortable 3-0 victory and take another giant step towards qualifying for next years’ World Cup with victory over Azerbaijan in Paris. Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thavin were also on target, but there were worrying scenes towards the end as talisman Mbappe signalled to come off with what looked like an ankle injury.

Liverpool’s record signing striker Alexander Isak has been hammered for his behaviour during the protracted move away from Newcastle this summer. Isak effectively went on strike, refusing to train for the Magpies, but finally completing his switch to the Premier League champions in a £125 million ($166.7m) deadline day move. And the Sweden striker’s conduct has now been called out by former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison.

Jack Grealish has been told he is now at a club where his undoubted talents can flourish and finally bring an end to his Manchester City nightmare. Grealish has made a thrilling start to his loan spell at Everton and can become a “maverick again” following his “sour spell” at Man City, according to former Toffees midfielder Don Hutchison.

Chelsea fans will be relieved to hear their talismanic forward Cole Palmer faces weeks, not months, on the touchline as he recovers from a groin injury. But fears persist Palmer may need surgery to avoid the injury becoming chronic and hampering him for the long-term, with England manager Thomas Tuchel admitting his concern after the player missed out on another of his squads.

Liverpool may have to wait weeks before they begin to see the best of their record signing Alexander Isak following his protracted move from Newcastle. The disappointing projection has been blamed on that drawn-out transfer which saw Isak sidelined while the two clubs negotiated for almost two months, meaning he missed pre-season and was left well short of match sharpness.

Russell Martin needed a significant police police presence to whisk him safely away from Falkirk’s ground after his Rangers team were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw, heaping more pressure on beleaguered boss. The Glasgow club have had a shocking start to the season and Martin has since been sacked, per new reporting.

Free-scoring Man City striker Erling Haaland has revealed he’s feeling the pressure from rivals Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the race to be Europe’s top goalscorer. Haaland bagged another against Brentford to take his total for the season to nine, but accepts the battle to win the top prize will be fierce.

Marcus Rashford's stunning volley proved to be a consolation goal for Barcelona, who were hammered 4-1 in Seville. The defeat was compounded after Robert Lewandowski missed a penalty, but Sevilla were well worth the scoreline and it was only a fine performance from Wojciech Szczesny which kept the scoreline down.

Toon boss Howe has delivered a simple rebuke to rumours linking him with the Manchester United job, confirming his commitment to the Magpies. Amorim’s job is seemingly hanging in the balance with Man Utd languishing in 14th place after a woeful start to the season, one point and one place above Newcastle. But Howe has moved quickly to squash any potential link.

The Blues boss has spoken of his admiration for Liverpool players and fans for their reaction to the shock events which took the life of Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in Portugal this summer. Maresca revealed details of the disaster which saw his Sevilla team-mate Antonio Puerta die following a heart attack.

Tuchel's England squad announcement has been met with shock, derision and and hefty dose of incredulity by many after the Three Lions boss made some contentious squad selections for the forthcoming matches against Wales and Latvia. Bellingham has returned to fitness for Real Madrid following shoulder surgery, but misses out, Adam Wharton has been overlooked, but Jordan Henderson has been included and there's no place for Grealish or Foden.

Tottenham were rattled by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League clash courtesy of two goals from Jens Petter Hauge, a player Thomas Frank once tried to sign at Brentford. And the Spurs boss has refused to rule out the possibility of reigniting his interest in the 25-year-old midfielder when the transfer market reopens next year.

Free-scoring Harry Kane continued his exceptional run, bagging a brace in the Champions League clash with Pafos, and subsequently claimed his Bayern Munich side "made it look easy". Kane has already scored 21 goals for club and country this season, including four in the Champions League, and enjoyed an easy ride during the clash in Cyprus where the German giants dominated throughout.

Florian Wirtz endured a torrid evening for Liverpool against Galatasaray as the Reds fell to a 1-0 defeat in the Champions League. Wirtz played the full 90 minutes but struggled to make a significant impact on the game, and he is still waiting for his first goal contribution for the Reds after eight appearances. His latest performance has led to criticism from fans and pundits, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher among those who believe he should be dropped from the starting lineup.