Chelsea have been handed a clear setback after Emiliano Martínez required emergency surgery on a fractured jaw suffered against Everton last weekend. Xabi Alonso stopped short of offering a firm comeback date, saying the goalkeeper should be back in “a few weeks.”

Martínez also posted from the hospital after the operation and gave the same broad assessment of his recovery, saying he would be “back in a few weeks.” Alonso confirmed that the injury was not limited to the jaw issue, adding that Martínez suffered a concussion. Under English Football Association rules, that means he is ruled out for at least 14 days.

Speaking on the eve of Saturday’s London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, Alonso said the goalkeeper was progressing well but still needed time.

“He’s doing better,” Alonso said. “He had the surgery, and day by day, he’s feeling better, but we still need to wait.”

“Few weeks, few weeks,” he repeated about Martínez’s projected return. “Hopefully less than more, but we need to wait. The good thing is that he’s feeling better and that he wants to listen to his feelings, the opinion of the doctors, the specialists, the surgeons. Considering it was a bad one, he’s doing good.”

With Martínez unavailable, 21-year-old Mike Penders is set to take over for Chelsea in the coming matches. The Belgian made his first Premier League appearance when he replaced Martínez late against Everton, producing one save as Chelsea recorded their first clean sheet of the league season.

Penders began the campaign as Robert Sánchez’s deputy and remained second choice after Martínez arrived and Sánchez moved on to Como. Chelsea have long viewed him as a major talent after signing him as a teenager in the summer of 2024, and Alonso believes he is ready for the step up.

“He’s ready,” Alonso stated. “He’s been training well, he’s played a couple of cup games where he showed that he has a good level, even the day when he came on against Everton, in a few minutes he showed his personality, his qualities. That’s why we have a squad to be ready for these kinds of situations, and we are fully convinced that Mike can play very well.”

Alonso also said Penders is a goalkeeper for both the present and the future, and noted the support he has received by working alongside Martínez. The comparison to Thibaut Courtois has also been made before, with Alonso again underlining the similarities in size, style and left-footedness.

Manchester United are weighing up a broad list of options as pressure grows on Michael Carrick, with Eddie Howe among the most credible names in the frame.

At 48, Howe has spent much of the last decade on shortlists across England. His work at Bournemouth first drew wide attention, before he guided Newcastle United into the Champions League. For a United side searching for a manager with Premier League pedigree, that background would carry obvious appeal.

Should United decide to move on from Carrick and open the door to Howe, one possible line-up begins with Senne Lammens in goal. United are said to have no wish to part with him, and his composure would suit almost any manager.

At right back, Jules Koundé is a logical fit. United are expected to prioritise defence in upcoming transfer windows, and Howe would likely value a defender who can push on but also step into central areas when required.

The centre of defence would have Leny Yoro alongside Castello Lukeba. Howe has long favoured athletic defenders, and Yoro’s development could accelerate under him. Lukeba fits the profile United would want, particularly with Lisandro Martínez expected to leave. A move for Newcastle’s Dan Burn, to add experience, would not be surprising.

Lewis Hall at left back also stands out. United want him, and Howe was the manager who handed him his chance at Newcastle, which would make that route especially straightforward.

In midfield, Kobbie Mainoo would suit Howe’s need for a tempo-setter, with Carlos Baleba offering the box-to-box running the system demands. Bruno Fernandes would also remain involved, even if he is not an obvious Howe player. As the draft notes, he would be given freedom to advance rather than stay in a deeper role, where he struggled under Ruben Amorim.

The attacking shape would include Bryan Mbeumo on the right. He was a player Howe wanted at Newcastle in 2025, and his athleticism and work rate make him a natural fit for the role.

Antonio Conte has moved to cool speculation over an immediate return to management, insisting he is not in advanced negotiations with any club despite renewed talk linking him with a move to Manchester United.

The 57-year-old has been out of work since leaving Napoli by mutual consent at the end of last season, having guided them to the Serie A title in 2024-25. His availability has naturally attracted attention, but Conte used a statement on Friday to set out his position clearly.

He wrote that there are “currently no negotiations at an advanced stage.” Conte also said he intends to “take the time to consider how and when to return to management,” adding that any comeback will only happen when the “conditions are right.”

He went on to reject reports about his supposed financial terms and demands for control. Conte said: “I have read reports of financial demands and requests for full control that I have supposedly already made to the clubs mentioned, as well as reservations about what has been described as my ‘strong personality.’ These reports are unfounded.

“Should a concrete opportunity arise, that will be the time to hold discussions with the club concerned and jointly consider the terms of a potential agreement, with due regard for both parties’ needs and the qualities and approach that define my work as a manager.”

Conte added that any “assumptions” about his “demands and professional future” are exactly that for now and “cannot be treated as fact.”

The broader conversation around him is unlikely to stop there. Manchester United have been warned that Conte can deliver results, but that his methods can be demanding. He is also seen as more of a short-term solution than a long-range planner, usually spending no more than two full seasons at a club. Juventus remains the lone exception over the past 20 years.

His last spell in the Premier League, at Tottenham Hotspur between Nov. 2, 2021 and March 26, 2023, ended in turmoil after he labelled his own players “selfish” following a poor result against Southampton, then bottom of the table. “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players. I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [into it],” he said at the time.