Manchester City ran riot against Newcastle to rubber-stamp their place in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. Pep Guardiola again rang the changes but still watched his side ease to a 3-1 win on the night to complete a 5-1 drubbing on aggregate over last year's winners. Omar Marmoush scored two quick-fire goals while Tijjani Reijnders added another in a clinical first-half display from the hosts.
The January transfer window is notoriously tricky for buying clubs to manoeuvre in. Sure, willing teams may have the money to spend and financial wiggle room to squeeze some deals in, but their rivals may be less inclined to do business midway through the season with trophies and other honours still up for grabs.
Manchester City star Jeremy Doku has been ruled out of the club's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Brentford and is set to miss the bulk of the festive programme. Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Belgian winger is still recovering from the leg injury that kept him out of City's win at Crystal Palace over the weekend, while also discussing the future of back-up goalkeeper James Trafford ahead of the January window.
Out-of-favour Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford reportedly wants to leave the club, just five months after returning to the Etihad Stadium. The 23-year-old played a crucial role in helping Burnley earn promotion to the Premier League last season, but he has struggled to gain regular minutes following his summer switch to Pep Guardiola’s side.
Having already booked their tickets to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer, England will wrap up a very successful World Cup qualifying campaign with dead-rubber fixtures against Serbia and Albania in the coming days - but for certain members of Thomas Tuchel's squad the games will be far from meaningless, with everything on the line as the clock ticks down.
Thomas Tuchel has called up two new players to the November England squad after seeing Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope withdraw with injuries. Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is also a major doubt for the World Cup qualifying matches against Serbia and Albania, though he has reported to the camp. Gordon did not travel to Brentford for Newcastle's last Premier League game, while Pope had to be substituted in the second half.
James Trafford found himself in the bizarre situation where he was both bought and replaced by Manchester City during the same transfer window this past summer, starting the 2025-26 season as the main man between the sticks but promptly dropped. Pep Guardiola is still an admirer, though, ultimately tipping the goalkeeper for a big role with England in the future.
In another world, James Trafford would be making an emotional and triumphant return on Saturday to Manchester City with Burnley as the Clarets' shot-stopping extraordinaire. But instead he will be watching his former side take on City from the bench, watching the recently crowned Yashin trophy winner Gianluigi Donnarumma keep goal instead.
Manchester City have James Trafford and Ederson to call upon but remain linked with Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is no longer wanted by Paris Saint-Germain.
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