Benjamin Šeško, the 22-year-old summer signing, is close to returning from an injury that has kept him out for almost a month, his agent Elvis Basanovic has said. Basanovic told Arena Sport that the striker’s rehabilitation is progressing well and that a comeback could be only days away.

“Benjamin [Šeško] is feeling very good, his rehab is going as planned,” Basanovic said, via ESPN . “He’s really eager to return to the pitch, he misses playing.

“He’s missing games and he’s a bit impatient, so hopefully he’ll be back soon and be where he feels most comfortable. But I think we’ll see him very soon on the field, perhaps even sooner than it might seem at this moment.”

Šeško had been in the early phase of adjusting to the Premier League when the setback interrupted his momentum. His imminent availability comes at a timely moment for Manchester United, with fellow attacking summer signing Bryan Mbeumo bound to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations within the next week.

United face a congested winter programme and the return of Šeško would increase manager Amorim’s options during a demanding period on the calendar. Having another forward fit and ready would help the manager rotate and cope with absences across competitions.

Basanovic also urged patience while praising the manager who played a role in the transfer. “I must say he [Amorim] received Benjamin excellently,” Basanovic said. “I think Ruben first of all is an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing.

“It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and intelligence. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world , if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time.

“He is a manager with his own vision to bring United to the top, but he definitely needs time.” The Portuguese manager has also asked fans to be patient after Šeško’s difficult start to life in England.

Arne Slot kept the focus on Liverpool’s result but left the resolution of the Mohamed Salah situation squarely with the player after the Reds’ 1–0 Champions League victory over Inter Milan.

Slot conceded “everyone makes mistakes” when pressed about Salah and said he had told the forward in a “short” conversation at training that he is “not weak”. Dominik Szoboszlai converted a late penalty in place of the Egypt international to secure the win.

The manager emphasised that recognition of an error and the initiative to move on are matters for the squad and the individual. He said: “Well, you say everyone makes mistakes in life but the question is should the players also recognise that as well? And should the initiative come from the player or me? That’s another question. Ibou Konaté has had some difficult moments lately but he played an outstanding game [against Inter].”

Slot pointed to a change in trajectory after he left Salah out of the team, noting the results since that selection decision. “After PSV and Forest games, where we conceded seven goals in two games, it was time for us to concede less and that’s what we did against West Ham,” he outlined. “Then we played Sunderland and their first chance came in the 86th minute. Their first goal wasn’t even a chance and then came Leeds.

“We showed character in the second half and changed the tactics a little bit.”

On how public scrutiny affected the squad, Slot added: “There was a lot of things been said,” Slot added. “Normally, that affects players as well because he’s [Salah] been so influential for the club and the players so it’s never nice when something happens to their teammates.”

Captain Virgil van Dijk declined to assign blame and described the matter as collective. “It’s not up to me to say who should apologise,” Van Dijk said. “It’s [Salah] airing his feelings. The club has to deal with it and him as well.

“It’s a collective situation. Things between Mo and the club are going on and he is obviously not here today helping us get three points.

“I know Mo a long time. He is a friend. We have had highs and lows. We speak, those type of things will stay indoors. We have to brace ourselves and be against the outside noise.”

It is unclear whether the 33-year-old will be included in Slot’s squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League match with Brighton & Hove Albion, with Salah due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next week.

Real Madrid and Manchester City have met ten times on the Champions League stage in the last five years, producing a sequence of tightly contested and decisive encounters.

The 2024–25 knockout playoff produced a standout second leg at the Bernabéu, where Kylian Mbappé scored in the fourth minute, doubled his side’s lead just after the half hour and completed a 61st-minute hat trick. He became the first player in Champions League history to score thrice at the Bernabéu and the Camp Nou. Nico González scored late but Madrid advanced on the night.

That tie had begun at the Etihad with both sides out of form. Erling Haaland and Mbappé traded early blows. Haaland thought he had sealed the game from the spot in the 80th minute, but Brahim Díaz and Jude Bellingham responded with two goals in six minutes to give Real Madrid the advantage heading to the return leg.

On Apr. 17, 2024 at the Etihad, Rodrygo opened in the 12th minute and Kevin De Bruyne levelled in the 76th. The match remained tied after extra time and was decided on penalties, where Andriy Lunin saved spot kicks from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovačić to eliminate the defending champions.

The Bernabéu first leg of the 2023–24 quarterfinal featured an early Bernardo Silva strike, a Rúben Dias own goal and Rodrygo’s response. Phil Foden and Joško Gvardiol put City ahead before Federico Valverde forced a draw.

On May 13, 2023, City overwhelmed Real Madrid in the second leg of the 2022–23 semifinals. Bernardo Silva scored twice in the first half, with Manuel Akanji and Julián Alvarez adding further goals to seal a comprehensive victory that propelled City to the final.

The 2022–23 first leg saw Vinicius Junior score in the 36th minute and De Bruyne equalise from nearly the same area. The 2021–22 return in Madrid produced Rodrygo’s two late goals to force extra time and Karim Benzema’s penalty in extra time completed a memorable comeback.

Their 2021–22 first leg at the Etihad finished 4–3 after a flood of goals from both sides. In 2019–20, the round of 16 ties were split: the first leg ended 2–1 to City after a De Bruyne penalty and a late red for Sergio Ramos; the second leg at empty stands saw Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus secure a 2–1 win following Raphaël Varane errors and a Benzema reply.

Across these ten matches, small margins and dramatic swings repeatedly decided who advanced.