England have been dealt a blow ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers after Manchester City defender John Stones was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. The 31-year-old, who was back in the national setup for the first time under new head coach Thomas Tuchel, will now miss both fixtures against Andorra and Serbia. His absence continues a difficult run of fitness concerns.
England coach Thomas Tuchel has likened playing Andorra to chewing gum as the Three Lions prepare to face the minnows three months after their scrappy 1-0 win.
Kylian Mbappe equalled Thierry Henry's scoring record for France as he netted against Ukraine on Friday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The Real Madrid star now has 51 international strikes to his name and is Les Bleus' second-highest goal-scorer of all-time, only behind former Arsenal and Chelsea star Olivier Giroud.
Real Madrid star Arda Guler opened up on being compared to Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal as the young midfielder is preparing to take on Spain with Turkey in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game on Sunday. Twenty-year-old Guler, who joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2023, has finally established himself as a first-team starter under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Cristiano Ronaldo was seen consoling an emotional Portugal mascot ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Armenia. One little boy, overwhelmed by the gravity of the occasion, broke into tears as he realised he was walking beside his idol.
Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has admitted that leaving Alexander Isak out of Friday’s 2-2 draw against Slovenia was purely down to caution. The striker, who shattered the British transfer record with his £125 million move to Liverpool on deadline day, has barely trained and hasn’t kicked a ball in competitive action since forcing his way out of Newcastle United this summer.
Conor Bradley is looking forward to playing against his new Liverpool team-mate Florian Wirtz, as Northern Ireland are all set to clash against four-time world champions Germany in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game. Bradley spoke highly of Wirtz, while also claiming that he wants to make the German sensation's night difficult with a solid defensive display.
Christian Eriksen remains a free agent after leaving Manchester United, with the Danish midfielder training with Malmo to stay fit. The 33-year-old reportedly turned down Wrexham and has now been criticised by Thomas Gravesen, who called his decisions 'incomprehensible' and questioned whether he still has the ambition to play at the highest level.
England are sweating on Marc Guehi's fitness ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifying game against Serbia. The Three Lions have maintained a 100 per cent win record in qualifying so far, including the victory over Andorra on Saturday, where Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was on target, but they could be without Crystal Palace star Guehi on Tuesday night.