Although Arsenal went top of the Premier League with victory over West Ham United, it was another afternoon to forget for Martin Odegaard as his injury woes continued.

Arteta admits Odegaard injury "not positive"

It was a season of injury woes for Arsenal as a whole last season. So much so that much of their summer spending centred around adding quality in depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad. But whilst that has helped put an end to several concerns, Mikel Arteta still has one major Odegaard concern after the Norwegian left the pitch injured for a third-consecutive game on Saturday afternoon.

It looked as though Arsenal’s summer spending was all coming together against West Ham. Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres all shared the stage and any concerns that Arteta hadn’t let go of the handbrake seemed destined to end before Odegaard’s injury spoiled the party.

Arteta, as frustrated as anyone, provided an update on the midfielder in his post-match reaction – saying: “With Martin it was a clash, knee to knee. It’s not looking very positive at the moment. Immediately he was uncomfortable. I just spoke to him, he’s not positive about it, he’s got a brace on, we’ll have to wait and see from the doctors.”

Jack Wilshere says £90k-a-week star is the "key" for Arsenal's title hopes

The former Arsenal star has had his say.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 5, 2025

Arsenal shared an update on Odegaard on Sunday, revealing he has sustained ‘a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee’ and has withdrew from international duty with Norway.

The big question will be just how long Odegaard misses. He’s already been forced to sit out of three games in all competitions and an injury expert has now revealed the worst-case scenario for the Arsenal captain following another setback.

Injury expert reveals worst-case Odegaard scenario

Reacting to the injury, injury expert Physio Scout took to X to reveal Odegaard could miss up to six weeks of action with a Grade 2 MCL injury, believing a Grade 3 is unlikely.

Should Odegaard miss six weeks of action, he would miss seven games up until the next November international break, including Champions League fixtures against Atletico Madrid.

Fulham vs Arsenal

October 18

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid

October 21

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

October 26

Arsenal vs Brighton

October 29

Burnley vs Arsenal

November 1

Slavia Praha vs Arsenal

November 4

Sunderland vs Arsenal

November 8

Not an ideal situation, but Arteta and Arsenal have shown they have the squad to cope.

West Ham United have replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espírito Santo after agreeing a deal with the ex-Nottingham Forest boss earlier this week, but there was another intriguing option on the free agent market they ultimately failed to consider.

West Ham appoint Nuno Espírito Santo on a multi-year contract

Chairman David Sullivan had been in favour of appointing ex-manager Slaven Bilic on an interim basis until the end of the season (Pete O’Rourke), and the Croatian was even planning his coaching staff in the event he was chosen for the Hammers hot seat (ExWHUemployee).

However, despite some concerns surrounding the finances of a deal for Nuno (Sport Boom), the Portuguese has now won the West Ham job race and took charge of his first training session on Saturday afternoon — just hours after the club announced Potter’s departure.

He’s also put pen to paper on a multi-year contract, showing West Ham’s faith in the tactician.

The arrival of Nuno comes after his fairytale 2024/2025 season at Forest, where he transformed the Tricky Trees from relegation contenders to Europa League participants in under two years.

This culminated in Evangelos Marinakis handing the 51-year-old a new three-year contract in June, but a tense public fallout with the Forest chief meant that Nuno was forced to wave goodbye to the City Ground much sooner than he anticipated.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League

Win percentage

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Forest’s loss was West Ham’s gain, and there are many reasons why Nuno could end up being a very smart appointment.

Under Nuno, Forest became a lot more robust defensively and adopted a clear counter-attacking style, all whilst fixing their set-piece issues — which is something West Ham have been a real victim of this season.

Having conceded 7 of their 13 Premier League goals so far from corners, Nuno’s arrival could work wonders to solve this very concerning problem, and the fact he was a free agent meant the east Londoners didn’t have to pay a compensation fee.

Out of the fellow free agents linked with a move to the London Stadium — a list including Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Michael Carrick and Sean Dyche — Nuno’s name was clearly the most appealing, both internally and outside Rush Green.

However, Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board failed to consider one name — Sergio Conceicao.

West Ham missed out on appointing Sergio Conceicao

The 50-year-old left AC Milan at the end of June and is still a free agent now, meaning he was potentially up for grabs.

According to some reports, Conceicao privately expressed a preference to join West Ham last year, back when he was mentioned as one of the candidates to succeed Julen Lopetegui, and was regularly linked before the club went for Potter.

It begs the question, why didn’t West Ham consider him this time around?

Conceicao has 12 major trophies to his name after a glittering career abroad, including an Italian Super Cup triumph from his time at Milan, with the Portuguese also winning 11 pieces of silverware during his famed FC Porto era.

The coach, who once drew comparisons to José Mourinho, won three Primeira Liga titles with Porto and the 21/22 Manager of the Year award. Ultimately, his failure to qualify for Europe with Milan last season, combined with losing the Coppa Italia final to Bologna, cost him his job.

Nevertheless, he was definitely an option worth looking at, and Conceicao has attracted praise for his fast and aggressive style — which embodies the ‘West Ham way’ far more than Nuno’s pragmatic approach.

West Ham did have more candidates like Conceicao available to them, but perhaps the major worry of relegation among shareholders motivated the club into making a swift, and perhaps trigger-happy, decision.

Lionel Messi has another record to add to his collection, with the history books being rewritten in MLS. The Argentine GOAT continues to deliver magical performances for Inter Miami on a regular basis. The most recent of those saw him net a hat-trick against Nashville, with those heroics earning the South American icon a historic Player of the Matchday award.

• Messi lands MLS Golden Boot

  Messi stole the show in a regular season-ending 5-2 victory for the Herons against Nashville, as he walked away with the match ball. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also added an assist to his impressive tally in that department. He finished the 2025 campaign with 48 goal contributions in total – one short of Carlos Vela’s record haul for LAFC in 2019.

  Messi’s 29 goals saw him to the MLS Golden Boot, becoming the third man since 2005 to reach that mark after Vela (34 in 2019) and Josef Martinez (31 in 2018). Having sat out the odd game through injury, the evergreen 38-year-old finished with a 1.03 goals-per-game average – the second best return in history.

  Of Messi’s 29 efforts, 28 came from open play – which is another record in MLS circles. Having passed up a number of penalties over the course of the season, as he allowed others to pad their own stats, his solitary strike from the spot came against Nashville at GEODIS Park.

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• Getty
  

  Argentine GOAT makes more history

  Another piece of history that Messi has claimed in 2025 relates to multi-goal performances. He finished the regular season with 10 of those – with nobody having got close to double figures before. He shared top playmaker honours with Anders Dreyer of San Diego FC after posting 19 assists. Messi is the second player – after Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto FC in 2015 (22g/16a) – to lead MLS in both goals and assists across a single campaign.

  With there seemingly no stopping the all-time great, he has become the first player in MLS to win six Player of the Matchday awards in consecutive seasons. He has 12 to his name in total, putting him level with Bradley Wright-Phillips for the third-most in MLS history. Jeff Cunningham (14) and USMNT legend Landon Donovan (19) sit ahead of Messi on that chart.

• MVP award next for 'exceptional' Messi?

  Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano, who once lined up alongside Messi for Barcelona and the Argentina national team, is in no doubt that his illustrious countryman continues to cement a standing as the GOAT.

  Mascherano has said during the 2025 season: “After the World Cup, Messi has already settled any debate. Messi is the greatest player my eyes have seen. Messi looks very happy in Miami, not only enjoying his football, but in life and with his family, and that’s something that might have been difficult in another place.”

  Mascherano said after witnessing Messi’s masterclass against Nashville, with the Argentine superstar on course to become the first player to win back-to-back MVP awards in MLS: “The reality is that Leo has been exceptional, as he usually is. I think if anyone had doubts about his regular season, he has cleared them all. He will surely be awarded the MVP.”

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  MLS Cup playoffs up next

  Messi and Inter Miami are now readying themselves for the start of the MLS Cup playoffs. They suffered heartache in that department 12 months ago, having landed the Supporters’ Shield with a record-setting tally of points. They are to be reunited with Nashville this time around, with the first fixture in their round one best-of-three series set to take place at Chase Stadium on Friday.

  Messi is already the most decorated player of all-time, but he is determined to add more trophies and medals to his glittering CV. It has been suggested that, even if he were to miss out on MLS Cup honours this season, there will be more bids for that crown to come. That is because a new contract is reportedly close to being signed in South Florida. Messi’s current deal is running down, but he has no plans to follow Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba into retirement – meaning that fresh terms will take him towards, and potentially beyond a 40th birthday in 2027.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo chooses to remain silent in a WhatsApp group comprising ex-Red Devils stars because he fears the Englishman's status as a "journalist". Following his retirement from professional football, Ferdinand has kept himself busy by working as a pundit for various broadcasters. He also hosts his own podcast on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents.

Ronaldo's journey at Old Trafford

Ronaldo spent six glorious years at United during his first stint with the club between 2003 and 2009 as he won multiple trophies, including three Premier Leagues, a Champions League and a Club World Cup title. It was the Red Devils who gave the Portuguese icon a launchpad, and at Old Trafford, he established himself as one of the best players in the world. Ronaldo even won the first of his five Ballons d'Or as a United player. He came back to Manchester in the summer of 2021, but his second stint at the club did not run nearly as smoothly, and his contract was mutually terminated in November 2022.

Despite ending his ties with the Premier League giants, Ronaldo continues to remain in touch with many of his ex-colleagues, including former defender Ferdinand. The two even caught up for a chat after Ronaldo launched his own YouTube channel last year.  

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRonaldo wearing of speaking in front of Rio

A group of United stars, including Ronaldo and Ferdinand, continue to remain in touch in a WhatsApp group, although the Al-Nassr star mostly remains silent, according to Ferdinand.

Speaking to , Ferdinand said: "It’s funny because Cristiano [Ronaldo] calls me a journalist now. He messaged me saying, ‘Now I can’t say too much in the United WhatsApp group, Rio’s in there. Rio the journalist!"

Ronaldo's success mantra

During Ferdinand's chat with Ronaldo on the Portugal legend's YouTube channel last year, the Portugal striker revealed the secret to his success and how he still continues to dazzle for both club and country in the twilight of his career.

Ronaldo said when quizzed on what keeps him motivated to continue playing: "Last night I was having dinner with my family and my mum and we spoke about some situations that happened in the Euros. It's the enthusiasm that I still have for the game. I'm [an] addict for football, I'm addicted to scoring goals, and to playing at a good level even at my age because I love it."

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Getty Images SportRonaldo aiming for 1,000 career goals

At 40, Ronaldo continues to exhibit exceptional form for Al-Nassr and Portugal. He has kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a high note, already registering five league goals in as many appearances and six overall across all competitions. He has played a pivotal role in Al-Nassr maintaining a 100 per cent record in the Saudi Pro League as they continue to enjoy a two-point lead at the top of the table. In the October international break, the veteran frontman scored a brace in Portugal's 2-2 draw against Hungary in World Cup qualifying and smashed yet another record in the process. 

With the double against Hungary, Ronaldo went past former Guatemala star Carlos Ruiz's tally to register his 40th and 41st World Cup qualifying goals, which is now the most in history. The Al-Nassr star has 143 international goals to his name in total, while his all-time tally has reached 948 for club and country, following his stunning strike against Al Fateh in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. With only 52 goals left to score, Ronaldo is on course to realise his dream of achieving 1,000 goals before bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta sexta-feira (18), Fernando Diniz convocou pela primeira vez a Seleção Brasileira sob o seu comando. A lista não trouxe grandes novidades e acabou decepcionando muita gente que apostava em surpresas como Lucas Perri e Adryelson, do Botafago, neste primeiro momento. Pensando nisso, o LANCE! elaborou uma escalação com jogadores que poderiam ser lembrados, mas foram esquecidos pelo treinador da Amarelinha.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Além da dupla do Fogão, os ausentes da convocação são provenientes do futebol brasileiro e do futebol europeu e, de alguma forma, fariam sentido nessa listagem de estreia de Diniz. Assim, entram também figuras como Vitor Roque, Arthur Cabral e até mesmo Ganso.

Confira a lista abaixo:

Goleiro – Lucas Perri (Botafogo): É o melhor goleiro do Brasileirão e tem a seu a favor a juventude pensando nos próximos anos de Seleção.

Lateral-direito – Samuel Xavier (Fluminense): Tem se destacado no futebol brasileiro e é de uma posição que tem sido problema na Seleção, além disso trabalha com Diniz no Fluminense.

Zagueiro – Adryelson (Botafogo): Outro que é o melhor de sua posição no futebol brasileiro e também teria a seu favor a juventude. Poderia entrar como novidade.

+ Com Neymar e quatro jogadores que atuam no Brasil, Fernando Diniz convoca Seleção para início das Eliminatórias; Paquetá é cortado

Zagueiro – Robert Renan (Zenit): É um dos melhores de sua geração, se destaca no futebol europeu e fez parte do grupo da pequena passagem de Ramon pela Seleção.

Lateral-esquerdo – Ayrton Lucas (Flamengo): Nesta temporada irregular do Flamengo, é o jogador mais constante e talvez seja o melhor brasileiro da posição. Esteve na última convocação.

Volante – João Gomes (Wolverhampton): Saiu do Brasil como uma grande promessa e hoje já está bem conceituado na principal liga de futebol do mundo. É jovem, poderia entrar na lista pensando no futuro.

Volante – Danilo (Nottingham Forest): Destaque no Palmeiras, foi para a Europa e demorou um pouco a despontar, mas está crescendo de produção e seria uma novidade interessante para próximos anos.

Meia – Ganso (Fluminense): É um oásis em uma posição que praticamente está extinta no futebol brasileiro e trabalha com Diniz, responsável pelo seu “ressurgimento”. Na ausência de Paquetá, poderia ser lembrado.

Atacante – Vitor Roque (Athletico-PR): Contratado pelo Barcelona, está em contagem regressiva para deixar o Athletico-PR, mas já é uma realidade no futebol brasileiro. Poderia ter uma chance como novidade na lista.

+ ‘Paquetá estava na lista’: Diniz explica ausência de jogador em convocação da Seleção Brasileira

Atacante – Malcom (Al Hilal): Talvez tenha sido o melhor brasileiro na Europa na última temporada e trocou o Zenit pelo Al-Hilal recentemente. No momento, pode estar em melhor fase do que outros que foram chamados.

Atacante – Arthur Cabral (Benfica): Um dos principais centroavantes brasileiros na Europa, acabou de trocar de clube e poderia fazer parte deste novo momento de renovação da Seleção.

Hesson replaces Aqib Javed, who was interim head coach for five months

Danyal Rasool13-May-2025Mike Hesson has been announced as head coach of the Pakistan white-ball team. The former New Zealand head coach, who is currently with PSL defending champions Islamabad United, will join the PCB from May 26, the day after the conclusion of the PSL 2025. The PCB have not officially revealed the length of Hesson’s contract, but ESPNcricinfo understands he has been appointed on a two-year deal.Hesson replaces Aqib Javed, who was interim head coach for five months, taking over after Gary Kirsten abruptly resigned six months into a two-year contract as head coach. Javed, meanwhile, has been appointed director of High Performance. ESPNcricinfo understands he will continue to remain in position as one of five voting members on the PCB selection committee, a position he continued to hold while serving as head coach.”I am pleased to announce the appointment of former New Zealand cricketer and renowned coach Mike Hesson as the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s team,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. “Mike brings with him a wealth of international experience and a proven track record of developing competitive sides. We look forward to his expertise and leadership in shaping the future of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket. Welcome to the team, Mike!”Related

BCB in 'active discussions' with PCB over upcoming Pakistan tour

PSL 2025 to resume on May 17, final scheduled for May 25

The PCB pursued Hesson as their first priority as soon as the position became vacant in April. His first assignment is likely to be a five-match T20I series against Bangladesh at home, should it go ahead according to schedule.Hesson, 50, was appointed head coach of New Zealand in 2012, enjoying a highly successful six years in the position with the national side. Under Hesson, New Zealand became a dominant force at home and reached their first World Cup final in 2015, when they lost to Australia.He was appointed director of cricket for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL in 2019, before they parted ways in 2023.Pakistan do not currently have a red-ball coach, with no details on when one is expected to be appointed. Javed served as interim Test coach for Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and home series against West Indies at the turn of the year after Jason Gillespie quit the role six months into his stint. Pakistan’s next Test series comes at home against South Africa in October.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي مباراة الأهلي وبتروجيت، بهدف لكل فريق، والتي جمعتهما اليوم الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى الأهلي مع بتروجيت على استاد الكلية الحربية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري بعد هدف جراديشار في مباراة الأهلي وبتروجيت

وجاء هدف بتروجيت في الدقيقة 11 عن طريق اللاعب حامد حمدان بعد عرضية قابلها اللاعب برأسه مستغلًا تأخر محمد الشناوي في الخروج من المرمى.

وسجل نجيك جراديشار هدف تعادل الأهلي أمام بتروجيت في الدقيقة 60، من كرة رأسية داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد تمريرة من محمد علي بن رمضان.

ورفع الأهلي رصيده إلى 22 نقطة في المركز الثاني من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري، بينما بتروجيت في المركز الثاني عشر برصيد 15 نقطة. أهداف مباراة الأهلي وبتروجيت اليوم

Two Premier League clubs are reportedly weighing up a controversial move for Mason Greenwood as the former Manchester United forward continues his dazzling form in France for Marseille. Greenwood left Old Trafford under a dark cloud in September 2023 after serious criminal allegations were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. He initially joined Getafe on loan before making a permanent switch to Ligue 1 giants Marseille last season.

Greenwood’s career renewal

Greenwood's career has seen a revival following a loan spell in Spain and a permanent move to France. After seeing charges of attempted rape and assault dropped in February 2023, he joined Getafe and began to regain form, scoring eight goals and providing six assists in 33 league appearances.

He then joined Marseille in July 2024 for £26.6 million ($35.3m) and enjoyed an outstanding debut season, scoring 21 goals in Ligue 1 and providing six assists. This performance made Greenwood the joint-top scorer in the league, alongside Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele, and helped Marseille qualify for the Champions League. Greenwood has transferred his prolific form to the 2025-26 campaign, adding another eight goals to his Marseille tally.

AdvertisementAFPPotential Premier League return

According to , Tottenham and West Ham have now joined the race to sign Greenwood in 2026, exploring a possible return to the Premier League for the one-cap England international. While Spurs seek a dynamic, energetic player, West Ham see him as a potential game-changer and are desperate for new additions while languishing in the relegation places after a shocking start to the season, which has seen them change managers.  

The challenge for the London clubs is not only the public perception of bringing him back to England, but also convincing Greenwood, who wants to play in top-tier competitions. Barcelona are reportedly leading the pursuit for Greenwood, with the club's scouts having recently watched him play. The Catalan giants view him as a dynamic addition to Hansi Flick’s attack and could set up a reunion with Marcus Rashford, who is currently impressing on loan from Manchester United.

However, also indicate that Atletico Madrid were impressed with Greenwood during the loan spell at Getafe and are keen to bring him back to La Liga. Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League clubs like Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are said to be preparing lucrative offers, though Greenwood's current preference is to stay in Europe and compete in the Champions League.

Champions League hopes with Marseille

Greenwood has rarely spoken to the press in recent years, but at the end of last season he made clear his desire to make a success of his time on the south coast of France. 

He said: "I hope to be here next year for the Champions League. I feel at home here. I recently had a baby here with my girlfriend. Not a lot of people get to experience that kind of thing here and with all my team-mates and coaches I would like to thank them all."

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Getty Images SportInternational decision for Greenwood

Greenwood's senior international career consisted of a single cap. He made his England debut in September, 2020, as a late substitute in a Nations League match against Iceland. However, his time with the squad ended immediately afterward when he and Phil Foden were sent home for breaching COVID-19 quarantine regulations. The pair invited women to the team hotel, violating the bio-secure bubble. The FA launched an investigation and both players were fined by Icelandic police, later apologising for their "serious lack of judgement".

Greenwood's strong start to this season has reignited speculation about his international future. Though he received clearance to switch his international allegiance to Jamaica, he has not yet closed the door on playing for England again.

Wednesday night saw Arsenal pick up their second win in as many Champions League games this season.

Was it the perfect performance? No, probably not, but Mikel Arteta made a slew of changes to the lineup, and on another night, they could have scored a handful more goals.

Moreover, several starters really shone, including David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, and, even though he didn’t score, Viktor Gyokeres looked lively.

However, when it comes to the man of the match, it’s hard to look past Martin Odegaard, who, unlike one of his teammates, has undoubtedly played himself into the lineup for West Ham United.

Arsenal's best player vs Olympiacos

It would be fair to say that, following his ankle injury, last season was one to forget for Odegaard.

The Arsenal captain looked a shell of his former self for the best part of a year, so much so that plenty of fans and pundits alike began to doubt his quality and ability to get back to his best.

Now, it’s certainly still early doors in that respect, but the Norwegian looked great in his cameo against Newcastle United on Sunday, and then took things up another level against Olympiacos on Wednesday.

According to content creator Connor Humm, the Gunners’ number eight showed a version of himself that “has been absent too long” and was “sensational.”

It would be hard to disagree, as for much of the first half and moments of the second, he seemed to be constantly playing perfect balls through the Greek side’s defence and got his rewards with an assist for Bukayo Saka’s strike.

The Drammen-born star was so effective that the Standard’s Simon Collings gave him a 9/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘looked so sharp and played some majestic through-balls’.

Such high praise is more than justified by his statistics, as in his 95 minutes of action, the 26-year-old amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 1.65, took 86 touches, played four key passes, was accurate in seven of ten long balls, took one shot on target, completed 100% of his dribbles and made one clearance.

In short, it was the kind of performance that has to see him keep his place for the weekend, which is the opposite for another starter.

Arsenal's worst player vs Olympiacos

While most of the team played well, some starters, such as Ben White and Gabriel Martinelli, were not particularly impressive, despite the latter’s goal.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, it would be hard to deny that the most disappointing display in red and white on Wednesday night came from Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian international retained his place in the starting lineup from the Newcastle game, but unfortunately, he was even less effective than he had been in that match.

In fact, if there is one word to describe the 30-year-old’s display against the Greek outfit, it would be frustrating.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion star kept finding himself in promising positions, but time and time again, he’d waste the moment, either through a wayward shot or a poor pass.

Collings felt similarly about the winger, giving him a rather generous 6/10 match rating and writing that he ‘wasted’ his fair share of chances.

Unsurprisingly, his statistics tell a similar story: in 73 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.48 but failed to produce either, took 48 touches but completed just 17 passes, lost 50% of his duels, lost the ball 14 times, and was dribbled past twice.

It was a performance that did little to dispel the idea that the 5 foot 8 ace is far better coming off the bench than starting games.

Therefore, while it might seem harsh, Arteta should look to drop Trossard for the upcoming game against West Ham.

Not Mosquera: Arsenal have signed a Gabriel & Saliba hybrid in £45m "beast"

The international star could be a game-changer for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 30, 2025

Celtic are currently back in training and preparing to return to action in the Scottish Premiership with a trip to face Dundee away from home on Sunday.

The Hoops beat Motherwell 3-2 at Parkhead before the international break, thanks to a last-gasp winner from Daizen Maeda, and will be hoping to follow that up with another victory.

However, Brendan Rodgers may have some injury issues to contend with ahead of selecting his starting line-up to chase the three points against Dundee.

The latest Celtic team news before Dundee

Starting with the positive news, Alistair Johnston has returned to first-team training this week for the first time since he suffered a hamstring injury in August.

He was initially ruled out until November, per the Daily Record, but the Canada international is now in line for an early return against Dundee on Sunday.

There was more positive news out of the camp earlier this week when Sebastian Tounekti played for Tunisia against Namibia, having missed his country’s first match through injury.

Whilst the Tunisian whiz, who scored his first goal for the club against Partick Thistle, may be available for selection, Celtic’s right-sided winger may not be.

Daizen Maeda had to withdraw from international duty with Japan due to a foot issue, not playing a single minute in either match, and his injury has left Rodgers concerned, per Football Insider, ahead of Sunday.

How Celtic could replace Daizen Maeda

Football FanCast recently suggested that unleashing 18-year-old winger Rhys Dargie could be one way for the Hoops to replace Maeda if he is unavailable for selection against Dundee, because the output from the manager’s other options has left a lot to be desired.

Daizen Maeda (first-team)

13

3 + 2

Michel-Ange Balikwisha (first-team)

6

0 + 2

Hyun-jun Yang (first-team)

8

1 + 0

James Forrest (first-team)

12

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Hyun-jun Yang, and James Forrest have struggled to deliver consistent quality in the final third.

If Rodgers does not want to bring in Dargie, as he has not featured in a matchday squad for the first team, he could solve his Maeda problem by unleashing Callum Osmand for the first time.

The summer signing from Fulham has made the bench for the senior side on two occasions, both against Kairat in the Champions League, which shows that he is in the manager’s thoughts.

Osmand is a centre-forward by trade, but he has played on the right wing before, per Transfermarkt, scoring two goals in one game. He was also hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, which suggests that he has the mobility and speed to play out wide.

24/25

22

11

4

23/24

29

21

6

22/23

21

11

2

21/22

1

0

0

Total

73

43

12

The 19-year-old attacker’s form for Fulham at youth level, as shown in the table above, shows that he has the potential to deliver quality in the final third, particularly as a goalscorer, which is what the Hoops are lacking.

Maeda is Celtic’s top scoring winger, with three goals, which is why it would be a blow to lose him for any number of games through injury, but Osmand is a young talent who could ease that blow.

The Wales U17 international has scored two goals in three Challenge Cup games for Celtic, per Transfermarkt, which also shows that he has carried his goalscoring form over to Scotland.

This Sunday could be the perfect opportunity to provide him with a chance to impress on the right wing, even if it is not his preferred position, with a first-team debut for the Hoops, if Maeda is unavailable.

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Osmand may be a more viable short-term option for Rodgers than Dargie, who does look like an exciting prospect, because of his first-team involvement earlier this season.

Whether it is Dargie or Osmand, who could both be intriguing options to call upon on the right wing, Celtic may have to do something different on the right flank if Maeda is out, due to how underwhelming their senior alternatives have been.