Antony claims to have “found” himself at Real Betis, with the Manchester United flop scoring another spectacular goal during a productive loan spell.

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Struggled for a spark with Red DevilsRediscovered best form in SpainFan favourite & has full support of bossFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazil international struggled for a spark across 96 appearances for Premier League heavyweights at Old Trafford, registering just 12 goals. He has already found the target on seven occasions for Betis.

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His latest strike was the best so far, as he curled a stunning effort into the top corner as Betis claimed a last-gasp 2-1 victory away at Espanyol. That result has kept the Andalusian outfit sixth in La Liga and in contention for Champions League qualification.

WHAT ANTONY SAID

Antony told of his match-winning performance in Catalunya: “Very happy with the win, with the amazing goal at the end of the match. We knew it would be very difficult, and now we can enjoy the victory because it's very important.”

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The South American has quickly become a fan favourite at Betis, while boasting the full support of head coach Manuel Pellegrini. Antony added: “It's very important because I've said in many interviews that I've found myself because I'm happy, things are going well. The coach joked with me because I scored great goals with my right foot, but he asked me when I'd do it with my left foot. I gave him a hug after scoring because he's someone I care deeply about and I'm grateful for his trust.”

Manchester United have made a 21-year-old wing-back a top transfer target for the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils were quite active during January, but more to do with players leaving Old Trafford rather than them arriving. Antony, Marcus Rashford and Tyrell Malacia have all left the club to join Real Betis, Aston Villa and PSV Eindhoven on loan, respectively.

INEOS working on new contract for Man Utd star who wants huge 1,000% raise

As the transfer window is now closed, Man Utd are turning their attentions to securing the long-term future of a key player.

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Brett Worthington

Feb 5, 2025

The exits may not stop there, as according to a report from Turkey, Besiktas have placed midfielder Casemiro at the top of their transfer list, as their window doesn’t close until next week. Ole Gunnar Solskjær has tasked his new side to sign the Brazilian, who has fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim, and Casemiro is said to be keen on leaving and joining the Turkish giants.

United are keeping a close eye on Sunderland’s Chris Rigg, as scouts took a fresh look at him during the Black Cats’ recent win over Middlesbrough. United are among the teams looking to sign Rigg, as INEOS see the 17-year-old as a young player who is available for a reasonable price, perhaps even as a direct replacement for Casemiro.

Man Utd identify £24m ace as top transfer target

Sunderland’s Rigg is not the only player on United’s summer radar, as according to a report from Spain, Man United have made Flamengo’s Wesley Franca a top target ahead of the summer transfer window opening. The likes of Brighton have shot up the English football ladder in recent years by scouting lesser known players in the Americas, and it looks like INEOS want to follow suit.

The Red Devils are still looking to strengthen their defence and have made Wesley, a right-back who can also play further forward, a top target. But United are not alone in their pursuit, as Zenit St. Petersburg have made a 30 million euro (£24 million) offer for the 21-year-old already, and Flamengo are aware that it is difficult for them to keep hold of the player much longer.

Wesley is under contract in Brazil until December 2028 but has emerged on several clubs’ radar for his speed and his ability to attack, meaning he should fit into Amorim’s style at Old Trafford. Wesley has established himself as Flamengo’s main choice at right-back, playing over 30 games in each of the last two seasons, chipping in with goals and assists in the process.

United do have Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and Amad as right-wing back options, but given Amorim may want Amad further forward, Wesley would add competition and a different option to Dalot and Mazraoui. The Premier League side have just added Patrick Dorgu to the squad to play as their left-wing back, so Amorim clearly wants to do the same on the other side, as he slowly changes the United team into a side that fits his style.

This season has been defined by several things for Arsenal.

The first is the seemingly constant stream of injuries to key players and the suspension of others.

The second is their supposed lack of firepower up top and the criticism that has followed Kai Havertz for that very reason.

Finally, although they have quieted down somewhat, there have been almost constant links to Newcastle United star Alexander Isak over the last few months, as fans have been desperate for frontline reinforcements.

Unfortunately, no signings of any kind arrived last month, and we reckon the club might wish they still had a former player who has previously been compared to Isak and Havertz.

Why Arsenal would want to sign Isak

You’d have to be living under a rock not to notice the near-constant links between Arsenal and Isak this season, and while we can never fully know what’s going on behind closed doors – there is no smoke without fire.

With that said, why would the Gunners want to spend what would be an incredible sum of money on the Swede when they already have a striker in Havertz who, prior to his injury, racked up 15 goals and five assists this season?

Well, even though the German can put up decent enough numbers, the Newcastle star is the far superior centre-forward, and it’s not particularly close either.

For example, in just 30 appearances this season, totalling 2367 minutes, the Solna-born monster has scored 21 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games, or every 91.03 minutes.

In contrast, the German’s 20 goal involvements have come in 34 appearances, totalling 2776 minutes, which comes out to a far less impressive average of one every 1.7 games, or every 138.8 minutes.

Appearances

34

30

Minutes

2776′

2367′

Goals

15

21

Assists

5

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.86

Minutes per Goal Involvement

138.8

91.03′

Moreover, according to Understat, the former Real Sociedad star has scored his 19 league goals from an expected goals figure of just 15.11, while the Arsenal ace has scored his nine league goals from an expected goals figure of 11.76,

In all, even though the former Chelsea ace is a talented footballer, the Toon star is on another level entirely, although with the former out of action until next season, we bet the Gunners would be happy with just about any Premier League striker right now.

So, it’s interesting that one they let leave for nothing was compared to both Isak and Havertz not that long ago.

The former Arsenal star likened to Havertz & Isak

Arsenal have seen a lot of talented strikers leave the club in recent seasons, from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to Olivier Giroud and even Eddie Nketiah.

However, the player we are talking about is Danny Welbeck.

The former England international joined the Gunners from Manchester United for around £16m in September 2014 and, over the next five years, would go on to score 32 goals and provide 13 assists in 126 appearances before leaving for nothing in the summer of 2019.

After spending an unsuccessful season with Watford, the 34-year-old joined Brighton & Hove Albion, again on a free, and has been there ever since, racking up a reasonable enough tally of 33 goals and 12 assists in 149 appearances.

However, we are interested in his performances across the 22/23 campaign, as that was the season he was compared to Isak and Havertz.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.66

0.52

0.51

Expected Goals

0.46

0.49

0.41

Goals per Shot

0.10

0.16

0.09

Passes into the final third

1.55

1.72

1.72

Expected Assists

0.08

0.08

0.10

Interceptions

0.24

0.24

0.25

It stemmed from FBref, which compared players in similar positions across the Premier League and, by the end of the year, concluded that the Swede was the number one most similar forward to the Englishman, while the German came in at number eight.

The best way to see where this comparison came from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the trio ranked closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, goals per shot, expected goals, interceptions, passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

On top of that, all three players produced a similar number of goal involvements in the league that season, with the Magpies ace reaching 11, the then-Blues star eight and the Seagulls “top” talent, as dubbed by Rio Ferdinand, producing ten.

Ultimately, Welbeck is most certainly not the answer to Arsenal’s longterm need for a striker, but given their lack of any options at all at the moment, we reckon Arteta would welcome his former teammate back to the club with open arms.

Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must now axe Arsenal's 6/10 "wild horse"

The talented international was poor for Arsenal last night…

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 27, 2025

The batter is still trying to get better and will take it “one tour at a time”

Andrew McGlashan05-Jan-2023On the day Steven Smith went past Don Bradman with his 30th Test century, he admitted to being uncertain about how long his international career will continue.Smith’s 104 in Sydney was just his second hundred against South Africa in 12 matches – for an opponent he has played more than twice he holds his lowest average against them – yet it ended in frustration as he missed out on “happy hour” by giving Keshav Maharaj a return catch.While there is no doubt Smith will be in Australia’s plans for their upcoming series against India and England during the first half of this year, he said he was taking his career in small stages now.Related

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“I don’t know, we’ll see,” he said when asked about his future. “I’m enjoying it at the moment. I really can’t say how long I’ll play for, I’m not sure. Take it one tour at a time, enjoy it, enjoy training and trying to get better. Whilst I’m doing that I’m happy playing, but don’t know how long it will last.”While personal success remains a major driver for Smith, he is equally motivated to help Australia’s next generation for when he and David Warner are no longer around – which may be sooner rather than later.”It’s [about] trying to get better, help the team win games of cricket,” he said. “Think we’ve played some really good cricket the last 12 months…we’ve got two really big hurdles in front of us with India and the Ashes. For me, it is trying to get better and trying to help some of the other batters coming through.”I still try to help Marnus [Labuschagne] as much as possible, [Travis] Head, Cameron Green, Matty Renshaw, Marcus Harris…try to impart as much knowledge of conditions and ways to go about. If I can say something and you see that lightbulb go on and someone figures something out I get a big thrill out of that. I’ll try and help them as much as I can.”Smith said he was not worried about being beaten on the outside half of the bat and went back and across to balls coming back in•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesSmith’s personal drive to improve has been evident in the last 12 months as he has re-engineered his technique back to an earlier model where he moves less in the crease. This century followed the double he made against West Indies in Perth, although it was not an entirely fluent affair and after 55 balls he had 12 runs.”It’s not going to be perfect every time,” he said. “So when you aren’t feeling as good as you’d like you just try to grind it out, get through that initial period then hopefully things get easier. I didn’t feel great my first 60-70 balls, I reckon, then things started to click and feel a lot better. Pleased I was able to get through that initial period.”Yet, even within the innings itself Smith was making adjustments, reverting to the jump across the crease when facing Marco Jansen’s reverse swing from around the wicket. “Went back to my old set-up, [or] my old, old set-up,” he joked.”I didn’t feel overly threatened on the outside of the bat,” he added. “I was getting back and across just to cover the ball coming back in at me. I’d rather do it out there…rather than come back in the sheds and wonder why I didn’t do that. Felt I could still get my weight back through the ball.”After a cheeky celebration involving a chainsaw aimed at Labuschagne, Smith was ready to reset himself but fell three balls later to a leading edge. Disappointment was writ large over his face which he later explained was the frustration at missing out on a chance to experiment with some more aggressive strokeplay with an eye on the India tour.”I just missed out on happy hour, was time to go playing some shots as Heady just did,” he said. “Was time to have some fun. I was actually going to start practicing a few things, potentially like sweeping and things like that, with our upcoming Indian tour. I know that sounds bad in a way, but felt like it was an opportunity to do that against some good spinners.”For Smith that tour represents one of the pinnacles to reach this year. How much more there is to follow for him, only time will tell.

Appointment follows resignation of predecessor for alleged use of racist language in 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2022

Essex have appointed their first minority-ethnic chair, 12 months after a racism scandal led to the ousting of the former incumbent.Azeem Akhtar, a former chair of Active Essex who has also served as a board member at Sport England, was ratified by the club on Thursday, having been one of eight candidates elected to the board at this year’s AGM. He is currently lead customer chief technology officer at BT Global, while in 2016 he was named in the UK’s Top 100 Most Influential BAME Business Leaders.He takes over from John Stephenson, the chief executive who had been Essex’s interim chair since November 2021, after John Faragher was forced to resign following allegations that he had used racist language in a board meeting in 2017, a claim that he continues to deny.Essex were fined £50,000 by the Cricket Discipline Commission in the wake of that incident, but last summer the club were also found to have fallenb”significantly short” of the diversity targets set by the ECB, which stipulated that county boards needed to feature 30% female representation and “locally representative ethnicity” by the end of April 2022.In the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s whistleblowing testimony about his treatment at Yorkshire, Essex had also been implicated in separate racism allegations, with former players Maurice Chambers, Zoheb Sharif and Jahid Ahmed all stating that they were victims of abuse during their playing days.And while the findings of an independent report into those cases have yet to be made public, Akhtar’s appointment is a major step for Essex, which said in a statement that his tenure would “signal the beginning of a new era for the club”.”I am extremely proud to be elected as the chair of Essex County Cricket Club,” Akhtar said. “From someone who is born and raised in Essex and a lifelong supporter of the club, I understand the importance of this great club to members, supporters, commercial partners and the wider community.”I’m looking forward to working with the newly formed board and taking positive steps for the future of the club. Our ultimate aim is to make Essex the premier red- and white-ball cricketing county in England, whilst continuing to enhance and grow the game through our fantastic work in the community.”Stephenson added: “Azeem was the standout candidate from a very strong field of potential candidates for the position of chair.”Aside from his strong all-round skills set, since childhood he has been a regular visitor to the Cloud County Ground, being a lifelong Essex fan. He will bring vast experience and his passion for Essex cricket and I’m looking forward to working with him and the newly formed board.”

Chelsea are now preparing a £25m offer for a “brilliant” forward who could be brought in to replace Christopher Nkunku, according to a report.

Chelsea looking to strengthen in attack

After a very strong start to the season, the Blues’ form has started to deteriorate over the past few weeks, losing three of their last four Premier League games.

Most recently, Enzo Maresca’s side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat away at Aston Villa in what could be a real blow to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

As such, Maresca may feel some reinforcements are necessary in the summer, if his side are going to compete for major honours, and a number of attacking targets are currently being assessed.

Viktor Gyokeres is one of the strikers of particular interest, with the Sporting CP star’s price tag dropping by £25m recently, while the west London club are also prepared to pay £58m for Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface.

Chelsea now join Barcelona in race to sign £67m Liverpool player

The west Londoners are looking to potentially poach their Premier League rivals.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 23, 2025

The need to bring in a new striker may be exacerbated by the potential departure of Nkunku, who received widespread links to different clubs during the January transfer window.

According to a report from Spain, the Blues are now looking at replacements for Nkunku and Joao Felix, and Chelsea have now set their sights on Ferran Torres, with a €30m (£25m) offer for the Barcelona forward currently being prepared.

The former Manchester City man has failed to reach the heights expected of him in Spain since his arrival, and a return to the Premier League could now be on the cards.

Torres has fallen down the pecking order at the Camp Nou, indicating a deal could be possible this summer, although his current contract runs until 2027, which could complicate things.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Southampton (h)

February 25th

Leicester City (h)

March 9th

Arsenal (a)

March 16th

Tottenham Hotspur (h)

April 2nd

Brentford (a)

April 5th

"Brilliant" Torres has impressed in England before

Pep Guardiola lauded his compatriot as “brilliant” during his time at the Etihad Stadium, with the Spaniard scoring 13 goals in all competitions in the 2020-21 season.

Guardiola also insisted the 24-year-old is capable of playing as a 9, but he has most commonly been deployed as a winger throughout his career, and his goal record for Barcelona is not that of an out-and-out striker.

Season

Appearances

Goals

2021-22

18

4

2022-23

33

4

2023-24

29

7

2024-25

18

5

As such, while Torres could be a solid addition to the squad, he is unlikely to solve Chelsea’s issues in the striker department, and Maresca should pursue a proven top-level forward as a priority in the summer.

Nicolas Jackson made a flying start to the campaign, but the Senegal international has now gone eight games without a goal in the Premier League, so it is clear a replacement is needed, and Torres could be that man.

أعلن الفرنسي هيرفي رينارد، المدير الفني لـ منتخب السعودية، التشكيلة الأساسية التي سيخوض بها مباراة اليوم أمام أستراليا، والتي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات التصفيات الآسيوية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

ويلتقي المنتخب السعودي مع أستراليا، على ملعب مدينة الملك عبد الله الرياضية، في الجولة العاشرة والأخيرة من المرحلة الثالثة، من التصفيات الآسيوية.

ويحتل المنتخب السعودي المركز الثالث في المجموعة الثالثة برصيد 13 نقطة، بعد فوزه الأخير على البحرين بهدفين دون رد. بينما يأتي المنتخب الأسترالي في المركز الثاني بـ 16 نقطة، متفوقًا على “الأخضر” بثلاث نقاط.

طالع أيضاً.. موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة السعودية وأستراليا في تصفيات كأس العالم.. والمعلقين

ويحتاج المنتخب السعودي، إلى الفوز على أستراليا من أجل التاهل بشكل مباشر للمباراة بينما الأخير يكفيه نقطة واحدة فقط لحسم التأهل. تشكيل السعودية أمام أستراليا في تصفيات كأس العالم

حراسة المرمى: نواف العقيدي.

خط الدفاع: علي مجرشي- عبد الإله العمري – حسن كادش- نواف بوشل.

خط الوسط: محمد كنو- زياد الجهني- مصعب الجوير.

وفي الهجوم: سالم الدوسري- فراس البريكان- عبد الرحمن العبود.

خيارات مدربنا " @Herve_Renard_HR " لمواجهة منتخب أستراليا 📝⬇️. #السعودية_أستراليا pic.twitter.com/30z3Ir7Sy4

— المنتخب السعودي (@SaudiNT) June 10, 2025

Lionesses star Georgia Stanway is one of several big names who are back in the England squad, despite not playing since December due to knee surgery.

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England to play final two Nations League group gamesCan welcome back Stanway, Hemp & GreenwoodBut Lionesses star James misses out with injuryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Stanway is one of three Lionesses to have knee surgery this season, with Lauren Hemp doing so in November and Alex Greenwood just a month later. None have played for England since but are back in Sarina Wiegman's squad this month for games against Portugal and Spain, with Hemp and Greenwood having made their returns to action with Manchester City in recent weeks. Stanway, though, is behind them in her recovery, as she has not been able to get back on the pitch for Bayern Munich yet.

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There are plenty of other changes to Wiegman's last squad before she reveals her 23-player list for this summer's European Championships, too. Ella Morris, the England youth international full-back, earns her first senior call-up, while Missy Bo Kearns is included with the Lionesses for just a second time. It means that, despite an expanded squad of 27, there is no room for Millie Turner, Lucy Parker, Maisie Symonds or Jess Naz, with Lauren James also still absent due to injury.

LIONESSES SQUAD IN FULL

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (PSG), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)

Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Ella Morris (Tottenham), Leah Williamson (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa), Fran Kirby (Brighton), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Chelsea)

Forwards: Michelle Agyemang (Brighton, on loan from Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, loan from Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Nikita Parris (Brighton & Hove Albion), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

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WHAT WIEGMAN SAID

"We have reflected upon two different performances against Belgium in April and although there were positives to take, there is more we want and need to improve on," Wiegman said.

"We have the possibility of seeing 27 players in our environment and that’s a real positive. It will give us more good information to make important decisions in the near future. Also naming the squad 12 days before the window begins gives all the players clarity as the season ends for some and carries on for others. The hard work continues from the moment we arrive at St. George’s Park on Monday 26 May.”

Beth Mooney hadn’t been well since reaching India for Australia’s five-T20I series. She turned up for training for the first time on the eve of the opening T20I, but wasn’t sure if she would be fit to play.A combination of going out sightseeing with “leader and mentor” Kirby Short, her former Brisbane Heat captain who is in Mumbai as part of the broadcast crew, and the efforts of the support staff in the first few days, helped Mooney “turn a corner” and make the XI. And, at the floodlit DY Patil Sports Academy, she played a steady, unbeaten knock of 89 off just 57 balls to help Australia hunt a 173-run target with nine wickets in the bank to go 1-0 up in the series.”I didn’t anticipate to be out there for the whole 40 [38.1] overs but I managed to get enough suss in me today,” she said after her Player-of-the-Match performance. “I was flaying in the end and telling TMac [Tahlia McGrath] to hit a few boundaries. I had just enough in the tank to get us over the line.”When Australia lost Alyssa Healy after a 23-ball 37, Mooney was on 34 off 30. In McGrath’s company, she kept the scorecard ticking but runs were not very easy to come by on a track that was pretty good for batting with the outfield lightning quick.”My communication with TMac was we need one big over to break the back of the chase,” she said. “[We wanted to] try and make them do something different to what their initial plans were. India had some pretty good plans upfront – to Midge [Healy] and me and to TMac and me – through the middle. So we had to think ahead and disrupt that a little bit to get a big over.”The big overs came on cue. Australia took 14 off Deepti Sharma in the 13th over and 60 in the next four overs. They then cruised home with Mooney and McGrath finishing with an unconquered 100-run partnership.”That’s the mindset,” Mooney said. “You have to take a few risks as long as they are within reason and within your own game.”Mooney, who now averages just a shade under 50 in T20Is against India, also gave a peep into the mindset that has made Australia – who have not lost a T20I since March 2021 – the pre-eminent team in the game.”I think landscape of the game is changing,” she said. “Gone are the days when [the asking rate of] ten an over seems out of reach. That shows where the game has gone globally in the last couple of years. Chasing 170 or trying to get ten an over three or four years ago seemed almost unattainable.Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy gave Australia’s chase a strong start on Friday evening•Getty Images

“These days. as long as you have belief in the dressing room – which we undoubtedly have in ours – nothing’s out of reach [as long as] you have the mindset.”Mooney, like Healy in the post-match presentation ceremony, also said that India, who posted their second-highest T20I total against Australia, finished with a total that was under par.”Stats tell us 185 was winning total. We didn’t think they were quite at par,” Mooney said. “We knew good cricket shots and a couple of big partnerships were going to win the game. They cashed in at the back-end with wickets and Deepti gave us a bit of a blueprint. Whilst it was a daunting score two or three years ago in T20 cricket, it was about par on this wicket. Batting in the second innings with dew meant the ball skipped on.”Playing a match after recovering from sickness and putting in a match-winning performance is now routine for Mooney. Ask Sydney Sixers’ Class of 2019. Or, if you are in Navi Mumbai, Harmanpreet Kaur’s Indians will tell you.

Nico and Inaki Williams are both set to miss the second leg of Athletic Club's Europa League semi-final clash against Manchester United.

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• Williams brothers set to miss Man Utd clash
• Inaki picked up an injury against Real Sociedad
• Man Utd won the first leg 3-0

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The La Liga side will miss the services of the Williams brothers as they look to stage a miraculous comeback at Old Trafford on Thursday after losing the first leg 3-0 against United in Bilbao. Nico has been out of action since last week and missed the Basque derby against Real Sociedad on May 4. Inaki, on the other hand, started in the Sociedad game, but was subbed off in the 62nd minute.

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  reports that the Spanish side have confirmed in a statement that Inaki remains out of action due to a thigh injury, but they did not provide an official update on Nico's condition. The siblings have been left out of the matchday squad for the trip to Manchester.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Athletic Club boss Ernesto Valverde will also miss the services of star No.9 Oihan Sancet, who is the club's top scorer, with 17 goals across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign. Sancet also missed the first leg at home.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ATHLETIC CLUB?

  After facing United on Thursday, Athletic Club will be back in action in La Liga on May 11 as they host Alaves, where a win will take them closer to sealing a top-four finish.