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I guess we’re now in peak ruled-out-of-the-World-Cup-through-injury season. The Jordanian FA have just revealed that defender Issam Smeeri will miss the tournament because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, Reuters report.
The 26-year-old sustained the injury during individual training with the national team, the association said in a post on X, and will now miss the tournament, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The right back joins Yazan Al-Naimat and Adham Al-Quraishi on the list of absentees, after both players were also ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover in time from anterior cruciate ligament injuries sustained while representing Jordan at the Arab Cup last December.
Bayern Munich’s sporting director, Max Eberl, has warned that Alphonso Davies is struggling to be fit for the World Cup, but pledged that the club will do everything they can to give him a chance to be play for Canada on home soil, reports AFP.
“Our hope is that we can all work together to do what’s best for Phonzy,” Eberl told a press conference before Bayern’s final Bundesliga game of the season against Cologne.
Canada play all three of their group games at home starting with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.
“It’s tragic enough that he’s picked up an injury ahead of the World Cup on home soil,” said Eberl. “We’ll all work together to ensure he might have a chance – but for that to happen, he needs to get fit. He has to accept that, and he does.”
Since returning in December following a long absence after a knee ligament tear, the 25-year-old has suffered a series of muscle injuries, the most recent after he came on as a substitute as Bayern were eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on May 6.
Davies suffered an injury to the back of his left thigh, which will keep him out for “several weeks”, said Eberl, meaning he will miss not only Saturday’s home game against Cologne but also the German Cup final against Stuttgart in Berlin on May 23.
Canada plan to announce their 26-man World Cup squad on 29 May.
China’s CCTV to show 2026 and 2030 World Cups
Morning! We start with an update to a story we ran on Tuesday about Fifa’s troubles shifting World Cup TV rights in India and China:
Well a deal has now been agreed with China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, for them to show both this year’s World Cup and the 2030 tournament in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. They will also show the next two Women’s World Cups, in 2027 and 2031.
The agreement between FIFA and CCTV’s parent company, China Media Group, covers TV, internet and mobile broadcasting, it added.
The time has come for me to hand over the Friday football blog reins to Simon Burnton. I’ll leave you with The Talk – our rundown of the latest Premier League news as it stands.
Over to you, Simon!
Hearts: Derek McInnes took home the Scottish Football Writers Association manager of the year award last night and will collect the award on Sunday … but I suspect it will mean very little to him if Hearts cannot get over the line and win the Scottish Premiership.
There will be just 752 Hearts fans at Celtic Park tomorrow hoping to see their side grab the draw or victory that will be enough to clinch a historic title success… the first time (potentially) a club outside the Old Firm has won the Scottish top tier since Aberdeen in 1985 under Sir Alex Ferguson. Hearts lead Celtic by a single point going into the final game.
“We’re going to have to put in a big performance against Celtic,” said McInnes. “Because they aren’t title winners who win titles year after year without reason. We’re going to have to beat what has been the best team for the last wee while. Not beat them on the day, but beat them to the title.”
And his message to those travelling fans from Edinburgh?
“Sing as loud as you can. It’ll be hard to hear them, but we know they’re there. We know who we’re representing. We know how many people will be watching. It’s not just about who’s there but actually getting into that lion’s den still being an underdog. Even though we’ve been top of the league since September, we’re still the underdog. For us to be competing with Celtic, with the money they’ve got and everything they’ve got at their disposal, it’s a huge effort for our team. We look forward to it.”
Sound the transfer klaxon: Brentford have announced their first summer signing in the shape of teenage defender Jannik Schuster.
The Austrian has agreed a deal from RB Salzburg on a contract until June 2031 with Keith Andrews calling Schuster, 19, “a player with a lot of potential… we see that as something we can develop.”
“I really like him as a young man; he’s determined to maximise his potential. He’s going to fit in well with the first-team squad.”
Schuster, who will arrive once the summer window opens, said of moving to Brentford: “It’s maybe the best club in the world at developing players. Every conversation I had gave me a good feeling and confidence about the transfer.”
Speaking of nervous fans, as per Krishnamoorthy’s earlier email anyone top Martin Cordiner?
Any fellow fans of both Arsenal AND Hearts out there? It has so far been simultaneously incredible and excruciatingly nerve-wracking to have both (pretty unexpectedly) going for it and now both being so close.
Might have to have a year off next year, a fallow year so I can do whatever soil does in a fallow year.
You fear for Martin’s fingernails, you really do.
Coleman to end 17-year playing stint with Everton
Seamus Coleman has announced he is bringing his 17-year stint as an Everton player to an end.
The Republic of Ireland international joined Everton as a 20-year-old from Sligo Rovers for just £60,000 but has become a legend with the Toffees. He will now leave the club when his contract expires before taking a break and then deciding on his next move.
“The club have been unbelievable with me,” he told Everton’s website. “They’ve offered me an opportunity to stay on at the football club. The manager and staff have been great, and I think with it being such an important decision over my future, I’m going to take a nice, long holiday and look back on what has been an amazing time as an Everton footballer.”
If Coleman features in his final home match for Everton against Sunderland on Sunday, it will take his tally in all competitions to 434 appearances for the club.
It it thought he may move into coaching, either with Everton or Ireland, although it remains to be seen what the 37-year-old does in the summer and beyond.
Who are we backing to win the race for Senesi, then? Spurs will have to avoid relegation to stand a chance of landing the 29-year-old. Liverpool have long needed a ball-playing central defender of course …
Bournemouth confirm Senesi to leave this summer
Bournemouth have announced that defender Marcos Senesi is to depart the club when his contract expires in the summer.
The centre-back has spent four seasons with the Cherries since arriving from Feyenoord and there will likely be a scramble for his signature on a free transfer, with Liverpool and Tottenham linked with a move.
Senesi has made 124 appearances for Bournemouth and has become a mainstay under Andoni Iraola.
Speaking to the club’s website, the Argentina international said: “AFC Bournemouth will always hold a special place for me and I will look back at my time here with fond memories. For now, there are still two big games left of the season and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Nominees for major Premier League awards
The Premier League revealed the nominees for three awards yesterday, namely the Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and Manager of the Season. The young player award still allows those aged 23 to enter, which is a bit silly, but here are the nominees.
Player of the Season
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Bruno Fernandes
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Gabriel
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Morgan Gibbs-White
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Erling Haaland
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David Raya
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Declan Rice
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Antoine Semenyo
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Igor Thiago
Young Player of the Season
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Rayan Cherki
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Matheus Fernandes
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Lewis Hall
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Michael Kayode
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Eli Junior Kroupi
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Kobbie Mainoo
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Nico O’Reilly
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Alex Scott
Manager of the Season
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Keith Andrews
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Mikel Arteta
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Michael Carrick
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Pep Guardiola
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Andoni Iraola
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Régis Le Bris
If you’re asking for my personal picks, I’m going: Fernandes, O’Reilly and Andrews. Drop me an email with yours.
It’s Friday quiz time. Can you beat my score of 10/15? Probably.
The Hull City Supporters Club have released a statement regarding the ongoing and unresolved ‘spygate’ allegations hanging over Southampton. Hull are due to meet Saints in the Championship playoff final on Saturday 23 May, but no decision has yet been taken over the punishments the south coast club may face for allegedly spying on a Middlesbrough training session.
The EFL warned “disciplinary proceedings may yet result in changes to the [playoff final] fixture”, with Hull and their fans unhappy over the uncertainty. Here’s what they said:
The Hull City Official Supporters Club are currently liaising with other supporters groups to register our concern over the possible moving of the playoff final with the EFL.
This is a situation in which we have had no influence but in which we are, both as a football club and supporters, being penalised. Any decision to move the date of the final will result in many of our supporters not only losing out financially but then facing the prospect of being unable to attend the rearranged fixture.
Given that this is a situation which has largely resulted from the EFL’s own error in failing to publish the sanctions for a breach of the rule regarding ‘spying’ on opposition teams we feel this is manifestly unfair.
A couple of Scottish Premiership bits for you to read here. Surely Celtic cannot snatch the title from under Hearts’ noses on the final day? Surely not? That’s not the outcome the neutrals want to see, anyway.
A first email of the morning has dropped from Krishnamoorthy:
I often feel the supporters of the mid-table teams have a simpler life. Imaging being a Gunner this season. The usual euphoria around Christmas times, fate lurking behind you with a lead pipe in February and March, the insane capacity to self-implode in April and the nerve shredding May where a bald assassin hangs you upside down and inflicts one small cut after another till you drain out completely. Reset and repeat all over again next season. Better be a Leicester fan who can celebrate a random Premier League win and then vanish happily into the Championship and go further down.
I was going to say, Leicester have been anything but mid-table in recent years. And some Foxes’ fans might disagree with that notion.
Mbappé denies Arbeola rift but says he is ‘fourth choice’ at Madrid
Kylian Mbappé says he is now the fourth-choice forward at Real Madrid after manager Álvaro Arbeloa left him out of the starting lineup for their 2-0 win over Real Oviedo last night. The Frenchman, who missed Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Barcelona and was booed by his own fans on his return from a hamstring injury, came off the bench in the 68th minute after Arbeloa opted to play Vinicius Junior and Gonzalo Garcia in attack.
Mbappé told reporters fitness was not an issue. “I’m 100% fine. I haven’t played because for the coach I’ve been the fourth striker in the squad behind [Franco] Mastantuono, Vini and Gonzalo,” he said. “I was ready to start, it’s his decision and it always has to be respected. I have no problem at all with Arbeloa. You have to accept the coach’s philosophy and I have to do better to play ahead of Vini, Gonzalo and Mastantuono.“
Mbappé has faced criticism from fans for travelling to Sardinia while recovering from his injury, though he said Real authorised that trip. Arbeloa said there was no way he could start Mbappé after he missed the Barcelona match and dismissed the suggestion he had told the Frenchman he was fourth choice.
“I had a conversation with him before the game and I don’t know what he could have interpreted,” said Arbeloa. “For me it is very clear that a player who four days ago could not be on the bench [against Barcelona], today should not start. Especially because it’s not a final, it’s not a game of life or death.” Arbeloa added that Mbappé would start Real’s next match at Sevilla on Sunday.
Fletcher slams FA Youth Cup final as ‘Man City parade’
Manchester United under-18s manager Darren Fletcher has launched a fresh complaint over the staging of the FA Youth Cup final, describing the post-match trophy celebration as a “Man City parade”.
United were already deeply unhappy that the game, which City won 2-1 last night, was played at the Joie Stadium, home of City’s women’s team and academy sides, with City saying the Etihad Stadium was unavailable due to construction work. And after seeing his side lose to a late Reigan Heskey strike, Fletcher was seen complaining during the trophy presentation as City revelled in their fifth FA Youth Cup success.
City’s backroom staff were invited to step up to the podium before the players were individually introduced to the crowd as they went to collect their medals. Fletcher felt it went too far. Responding to a question over the lessons his players will take from watching rivals celebrate, he said: “Not only to watch a team lift a trophy, but to be a Man City parade when it’s an FA Youth Cup final.
“I’ve never heard individual coaches be shouted out, every individual player be shouted out. That doesn’t happen in Cup finals. So I’m disappointed in the FA for everything that’s gone around this game, for the location, for everything. And then our players having to deal with that. But as you say, it’s disappointing. You have to stand there. You have to respect the opposition. But not when Man City take over an FA Youth Cup. It’s an FA competition. It should never have been like that.”
Asked if the FA needed to take more ownership of this 74-year-old competition he said: “It’s an FA competition and it felt like it was a Man City competition for this whole buildup to the game in terms of how we had to deal with that at the end there.”
We’ll start with a plug to our 10 things to look out for this weekend, which of course includes the FA Cup final. Manchester City have lost the last two cup finals, while Chelsea were runners-up on three successive occasions in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Something’s got to give.
Preamble
What a week it’s been in football. We’ve got the playoff ‘spygate’ scandal, some genuinely superb on-field playoff drama in the EFL, and the small matter of the closest Premier League title race in years going on as well, by the way.
Last night Bolton booked their spot in the League One playoff final after beating Bradford 2-0 over two legs; they’ll face Stockport in an all-Greater Manchester Wembley showpiece. Who knows who Hull will face in the Championship equivalent …
Tonight in the top flight, Aston Villa host Liverpool in a game that may determine who finishes fourth, while Newcastle v West Ham and Arsenal v Burnley on Sunday are games that will have huge ramifications at the top and bottom ends of the Premier league table. Sandwiched between on Saturday is the small matter of the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City, while the Scottish Premiership is primed to come to a thrilling denouement with an effective title playoff between Celtic and Hearts. Good grief that will be some game.
As always on Fridays, we’re here with all your buildup, which includes team news, press conference bits and bobs and all our preview pieces. Please do drop me an email to join the conversation. It should be a busy ol’ day.
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