International
Carrick urges England to reassess Maguire after Manchester United resurgence
Carrick says Maguire’s return to Man Utd starting XI warrants England consideration for 2026. period
Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick has signalled that Harry Maguire deserves fresh consideration for England as the national side prepares for its final pre-World Cup fixtures.
England will name a March squad next week ahead of friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at the end of the month. Those matches are the last opportunities before England manager Thomas Tuchel selects his official 26-man World Cup roster in May.
Maguire has not played for England since September 2024, when he won his 64th cap in a Nations League match at Wembley. He was a regular starter under Sir Gareth Southgate during England’s runs to the respective semifinal and quarterfinal stages of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but absence from the national team has followed a spell hampered by injury.
Carrick pointed to the defender’s recent return to form at club level as a reason to reconsider his international prospects. Maguire reestablished himself in Manchester United’s starting lineup in January after a thigh injury and a series of knocks last autumn. Carrick emphasised that the club have managed the defender’s reintroduction carefully while building his fitness and match sharpness.
“Considering you look back not too long ago, he was out for a considerable period of time injured,” Carrick said. “So he came straight back in when we came, kind of arrived really, and there’s been a little bit of managing him as well through the weeks, in the games and getting him right up to speed physically.”
Carrick’s comments frame Maguire’s situation as one of recovery and renewed availability rather than past form alone. With Tuchel due to finalise his World Cup squad in May, the March friendlies will offer a final runway for players returning to fitness to make their case for inclusion in the 26-man squad.
Arsenal
Why the Premier League has another three-week wait for its return
The Premier League is paused for three weeks as international football takes over until October 10.
The first chapter of the 2026/27 Premier League season has already been completed, but there will be no league football for the next two weekends. An international break has taken over, and the domestic calendar will remain on hold until October 10.
That pause comes after a strong start from Arsenal, whose perfect record drew talk of a potentially one-sided title race. Yet Brighton & Hove Albion halted that run before the break, a result that offered a reminder that the leaders are not beyond reach.
For now, though, attention shifts away from club football and back to national teams. This is the first time sides have come together since the 2026 World Cup, and the next couple of weeks will be filled with fixtures that should keep supporters occupied.
The Premier League’s return is set for Matchday 6, when Arsenal open the weekend at Emirates Stadium against Leeds United. It will mark the restart of a schedule that has been interrupted by an extended pause created by the international calendar.
That calendar was changed by the FIFA Council in 2023, leaving only three international breaks this season. September and October have effectively been combined into one longer window, with further breaks still due in November and March.
The stoppage is not limited to England’s top flight. Club football across Europe has also been paused until the second weekend of October, while the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League begins to take centre stage.
Teams will play four times during this window, and several matches stand out. League A includes a rematch of the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain on Sept. 26, Germany against the Netherlands on Sept. 24, France at home to Italy on Oct. 2, and Portugal facing Norway on Oct. 4.
International
Townsend escapes serious harm after Thailand pitch roller incident
Townsend was run over by a pitch roller in Thailand, but escaped with minor injuries.
Former Premier League winger Andros Townsend was involved in an unusual accident in Thailand on Saturday after being run over by an out of control pitch roller.
The 35-year-old escaped relatively lightly, and he was well enough to make light of the incident on social media afterwards. “It turns out Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all,” he wrote on Instagram.
Townsend was struck and briefly trapped when the roller rode up onto his left leg. What could have been a far worse situation ended with only minor cuts and bruises on his left thigh, with luck clearly on his side.
He did go on to feature in the match, although only as a substitute in the final minute. Before that, he had started both of Prachuap’s matches in Thai League 1 in 2026/27. His late appearance did not affect the outcome, as three goals and a clean sheet were enough to see off Pattani.
Townsend has now been based in Thailand for a little over a year. He left England in 2024 after 12 straight seasons in the Premier League, having played for Everton and Luton Town. His move abroad began with Antalyaspor in Türkiye before he headed to Thailand and joined Kanchanaburi Power at the start of 2025/26.
That club had only just been promoted, but later went down from the top division, prompting Townsend’s switch to Prachuap.
Chelsea
Balogun’s collapse set off a transfer-day chain reaction
Balogun’s stalled Everton move triggered a deadline-day chain reaction involving Monaco, Chelsea and United.
Folarin Balogun’s deadline-day move looked close to completion before it unravelled into one of the window’s most complicated sequences. Everton had already agreed a $54.1 million (£40 million) deal with Monaco on Monday, and the striker was due to undergo a medical at Finch Farm.
That routine check did not go smoothly. Vague issues emerged, although the draft does not make clear what caused Everton’s concerns. Balogun had not featured in Monaco’s matchday squads in any of their first four games of the new season, and his last competitive outing had come against Belgium in Seattle.
Even so, the situation did not shut the door. Everton returned to Monaco to revisit the fee, while attention shifted elsewhere. The uncertainty around Balogun also prompted a late approach for Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, who was open to the idea after turning down Fiorentina. United were not prepared to lose him, with only one natural senior centre forward, Benjamin Šeško, available and little time left in the window.
Monaco’s handling of Balogun also affected their negotiations over Lamine Camara. Romain Molina said Thiago Scouro had been “bragging and demanding” more than $80 million for the midfielder until Balogun’s future became unclear. With one major sale needed to balance the books, Monaco eventually accepted $63.7 million (£47.1 million) from Chelsea for Camara, who had been identified as Enzo Fernández’s replacement.
Chelsea, however, were then left frustrated when Monaco reversed course after Balogun’s move appeared to be back on. Everton had already submitted a deal sheet signed by the player, giving them a two-hour grace period beyond the 11 p.m. BST deadline to complete the paperwork. Chelsea had not done the same for Camara, so no similar late rescue was possible.
The sequence did not end there. Balogun later changed his mind, did not report for Monaco training the next morning, and talk of a move to a league with a still-open window began to circulate. The fallout also affected Erik Lira, with Monaco needing Balogun’s departure before the Cruz Azul midfielder could occupy the club’s non-E.U. roster slot.
