Liverpool
Jacquet setback raises Liverpool doubts before Manchester City meeting
Liverpool face uncertainty over Jeremy Jacquet after he missed France duty with a hamstring strain.
Liverpool’s build-up to their meeting with Manchester City has been disrupted by uncertainty over Jeremy Jacquet, after the defender missed France’s squad for Monday’s match with Belgium.
Jacquet had been expected to start again, but the national team confirmed a muscular issue days before Liverpool return to Premier League action against the current leaders on Sunday. The French federation described the problem as a “strain to his left hamstring,” while Zidane played it down as “a knock.”
The timing is awkward for Liverpool, with Andoni Iraola potentially forced to prepare for the visit without his preferred partner for Virgil van Dijk. Jacquet has started all six of Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League matches this season, quickly establishing himself in the side.
His rise has not been entirely straightforward. The former Rennes defender has previously dealt with minor muscular problems, including a calf issue that ruled him out for two games in the middle of 2025. More significant was the shoulder injury that ended his Rennes spell early. After agreeing to join Liverpool, he needed surgery and was sidelined for four months.
Liverpool have taken care to manage his workload since then. Last month, Iraola said: “In the first games, he was feeling the change of rhythm physically. He was finishing with cramps and really tired so we had to sub him,” while after the win over Bournemouth he added: “He looked solid until the end and I think he’s finished physically also in a good place.”
For now, though, the concern is the latest setback. The limited information makes the outlook hard to judge, and a hamstring strain can vary widely in recovery time. Jacquet completed both of his international appearances over the break, which may point to a precautionary withdrawal rather than something more serious.
Van Dijk has already pointed to the defender’s promise, saying: “So far, it is good,” the wary veteran warned last month. “He is 21 years old and very promising, but it is up to him to keep working hard and staying calm. It’s a big credit to him how he started his Liverpool career, but we are in September. Hopefully there are years of his Liverpool career left.”
Liverpool will now wait on Jacquet’s condition before the next run of fixtures.
Arsenal
Noni Madueke’s Next Move: Four Routes Away From Arsenal
Madueke’s Arsenal situation has prompted January links with Juventus, Atlético Madrid and more.
Noni Madueke’s unsettled start at Arsenal has opened the door to January speculation, with several clubs already being linked. Juventus and Atlético Madrid are among those reportedly tracking the situation, while the winger’s place in the current pecking order looks increasingly fragile.
Madueke is presently the back-up to Bukayo Saka on the right, and he is also facing competition from 16-year-old Max Dowman. On the other side, he provides cover for Christos Tzolis, although he has not featured there this season. Tzolis was injured while playing for Greece last week, but Eberechi Eze had been taking those minutes before that.
His early-season form has also had international consequences. England manager Thomas Tuchel left Madueke out of the September-October squad, despite the winger making five appearances at the 2026 World Cup. The message is clear enough: club performances matter, and they matter quickly.
Atlético Madrid are one possible landing spot. Diego Simeone has used a 3-4-2-1 system this season, which could leave Madueke operating as a wingback or narrow winger. Marcos Llorente and Lee Kang-in currently hold the right-sided roles, with Giuliano Simeone another option. Simeone Sr. has previously taken Kieran Trippier and Conor Gallagher to Spain, but breaking into the side would still be difficult.
Liverpool are another theoretical fit, though the mechanics of any deal would be complicated. The club spent heavily in the summer to replace Mohamed Salah, yet the right side remains unresolved. Rio Ngumoha and Víctor Muñoz have struggled there, while Cody Gakpo has handled the role best so far. Madueke is a natural right winger, but Arsenal’s fee and Liverpool’s status as a direct rival would make negotiations awkward.
Juventus remain a serious possibility. Francisco Conceição owns the right flank, but depth behind him is thinner, especially compared with the left, where Kerim Alajbegović arrived in the summer. Madueke has already shown a willingness to leave London, having joined PSV Eindhoven at 16. A permanent move would likely require movement elsewhere first, while even a loan could depend on the numbers.
Aston Villa
Endrick’s January Options at Real Madrid, Ranked
Endrick may be heading for a January exit, with several loan options on the table.
Carlo Ancelotti summed up the issue bluntly during the international break: “The problem for Brazilian boys is that they do not improve because they do not play,”
That warning now hangs over Endrick, who has gone from being cast as the face of Brazil’s next wave to becoming a case study in the risks of a move abroad before regular first-team football is secured. The 20-year-old has found minutes hard to come by since his high-cost switch to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, and that lack of exposure has slowed his rise from wonderkid to established attacking talent.
A productive loan spell at Lyon in the second half of 2025-26 offered a reminder of his ability. In 21 matches, he scored eight and assisted eight, while also adapting to a new role on the right flank. Yet that momentum has not carried back to Madrid. With Yan Diomande and Carlos Espí arriving, and José Mourinho now in charge, Endrick has slipped further from the picture. He has made only one substitute appearance so far this season.
Madrid declined to loan him out in the summer, but a January departure now looks increasingly likely, with multiple clubs understood to be interested in a temporary move.
A return to Lyon would make sense on footballing grounds, although he would still have to compete with Ernest Nuamah and Loïs Openda for playing time.
Real Sociedad remain a credible option after previous links over the summer. Their need is obvious, with only Athletic Club scoring fewer goals than La Real among the current top 10 in La Liga, and Mikel Oyarzabal’s form has dipped post-World Cup.
Aston Villa are another possibility. Their start to 2026-27 has been difficult after a summer rebuild, but Unai Emery’s track record offers a degree of reassurance. Endrick could help on the flanks and provide another option while also learning under one of the game’s more respected coaches.
Liverpool also enter the discussion. They signed two mostly left-sided wingers in the summer and still lack a natural right-sided choice beyond Federico Chiesa. Endrick would not be replacing Mohamed Salah, but he could offer useful depth on the wing or up front, particularly with Alexander Isak needing careful management and Hugo Ekitiké still working back to full rhythm after long-term injury.
International
Klopp’s Wirtz praise overlooks the bigger Liverpool question
Klopp praised Wirtz, but his Serbia display did not solve the Liverpool puzzle or explain it.
Jürgen Klopp urged Liverpool supporters to “be happy” after Florian Wirtz delivered a standout display for Germany against Serbia, but that reaction papers over the reason the midfielder has looked short of his best on Merseyside.
Klopp was glowing in his assessment. “He was bursting with joy and worked incredibly hard,” he said. “That was exceptional; he played a fantastic game. Our style of play suits him.
“I don’t know what he has to do to make everyone happy, but everyone in Liverpool should be happy today.”
There is no doubt Wirtz was influential. He scored once, created six chances, and registered more key passes than anyone else on the pitch. He also finished with more chances created than misplaced passes, a sharp contrast to his return across six Liverpool appearances this season, where he has managed only one assist and is still waiting for his first goal.
But the national-team context matters. Wirtz has not been dominant every time he has played for Germany. He failed to score at the World Cup when Germany were knocked out by Paraguay in the round of 32, and he was anonymous in last weekend’s defeat to Greece. Serbia, too, offered favourable conditions. They are on a five-match losing streak after failing to qualify for the largest World Cup ever, and have conceded at least two goals in each of those defeats.
Wirtz himself acknowledged the space he was given. “The opponent gave us more space because they were a bit more disorganized and perhaps looked to counter more,” he said. “That created more spaces that we utilized well.”
He also admitted his preference: “What do I need to be at my best?” Wirtz shrugged. “Ideally, a lot of space in every game so I can do what I want!”
That is the problem. Liverpool do not regularly offer that kind of freedom. The player also looks more effective when allowed to roam, yet this season he has largely been confined to the left wing. Against Serbia, he moved across the attacking third and benefited from the movement around him. “The players around me also made it very easy for me today,” Wirtz explained. “There was a lot of movement in our game, and we were all eager to play football. That makes it easier to shine.”
