Chelsea
Why 13 Established Names Missed the 2026 World Cup
Thirteen notable players omitted from 2026 World Cup squads, with omissions explained by form injury.
FIFA’s expansion to 26-man squads has not prevented a long list of high-profile absences from the 2026 World Cup. Managers cited form, fitness and tactical balance when leaving established players at home.
Cole Palmer failed to make England’s 26-man roster after a difficult season at Chelsea influenced by a nagging groin problem. Thomas Tuchel was blunt: “He [Palmer] was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons, throughout the whole season.” “Second of all, he was not very influential with us.” Palmer has scored twice in 14 caps and has appeared just three times for the national team since Tuchel took charge.
Phil Foden’s omission followed public criticism in March. Tuchel praised Foden’s training but warned he “struggles to show it on the pitch.” With Jude Bellingham established as undroppable, Tuchel opted against selecting the Manchester City playmaker after a quiet 2026.
Harry Maguire, despite a resurgent club campaign and a recall for March friendlies, was left “shocked and gutted” after being omitted. Tuchel instead trusted John Stones, while Jarell Quansah was a surprise inclusion and Marc Guéhi is likely to partner Ezri Konsa.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, used unsuccessfully in midfield at Euro 2024, has featured only once since Tuchel assumed control and was not picked. His passing range was noted, but the manager chose to avoid the potential tactical complications.
France left out Eduardo Camavinga amid concerns about injuries and focus, with Didier Deschamps selecting Adrien Rabiot and a 35-year-old N’Golo Kanté.
Jeremie Frimpong’s regular injury pattern and inconsistent role at Liverpool influenced Ronald Koeman. “It is the pattern of this season that he has been injured regularly. Against Ecuador, he came on as a substitute and was taken off again very quickly. “That is a physical issue, but I also chose someone else as right winger—[Crysencio] Summerville. That comes as no surprise to me, because I wanted to select him back in March. “I like those kinds of players, players who are reliable in their game. He can also play very well on the right side, but he is particularly good in his work ethic.”
Dean Huijsen, Mateus Fernandes, Franco Mastantuono, Paulo Dybala and João Pedro also missed out for a mix of competition for places, indifferent club seasons or limited national-team minutes. Carlo Ancelotti admitted Pedro ”probably deserved” to be included, but selected other options with Neymar returning and Igor Thiago given a chance.
Arsenal
October Premier League award nominees announced
Premier League October award nominees include standout performers and managers across the division.
The Premier League has named the contenders for its October 2026 Player and Manager of the Month awards, with eight players and six managers included on the respective shortlists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson enjoyed a productive month, finishing October with four goals and one assist from four appearances as his team beat Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United after a slow opening to the season.
Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson also reached four goals in the month. The former Chelsea player scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and also found the net in draws against Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal are represented by Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice after a perfect month. Konsa impressed in defence while William Saliba was absent, keeping two clean sheets in three outings and scoring his first goal for the club. Rice contributed two important assists at the other end.
Jack Rudoni’s form has helped Coventry City. The newly promoted side took two wins from four matches in October, with Rudoni scoring three times as they moved further away from the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur also had an unbeaten month, and Jan Paul van Hecke played a key role in wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutch defender last month.
Brighton have two nominees in Luka Vušković and Bart Verbruggen. Three clean sheets in four matches brought recognition for the Seagulls’ defence.
On the managerial shortlist, Chelsea scored more goals than any other team in October with nine, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta guided his side to the top of the table. Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Rose complete the list after strong runs during the month.
Month
Player
Club
August
João Pedro
Chelsea
September
Pascal Groß
Brighton
Month
Manager
Club
August
Sergej Jakirović
Hull
September
Arsenal
Opta Supercomputer Favors Arsenal After Anfield Win Reshapes Premier League Race
Arsenal’s Anfield win has transformed Opta’s 2026/27 Premier League forecast, boosting their title odds.
Arsenal’s visit to Anfield was supposed to expose the scars of a difficult week. Instead, it produced a result that changes the feel of the 2026/27 Premier League season after only nine matches.
The Gunners arrived with the memory of their defeat at League Two Fleetwood Town still fresh, but they handled the occasion with the sort of control usually associated with champions. Kai Havertz’s early strike gave them the platform, and although Liverpool tried to respond with pressure and noise from the Kop, Arsenal refused to bend. Their victory was built on discipline, patience and defensive resistance, and it leaves the look of a collapse far behind them.
Opta’s latest supercomputer forecast now places Arsenal firmly on top of the table. They are projected to finish with 81.21 points and hold a 68.23% title chance, while Manchester City sit second on 71.98 projected points and 18.86% title odds. Brighton are third in the model, Liverpool fourth and Chelsea fifth.
Arsenal’s surge has also pushed their probability of retaining the Premier League title to 68.23%, a sharp rise after Manchester City suffered a second straight defeat. City remain the nearest challengers, though even their prospects are listed below 19%, not including any possible points deduction. Liverpool, already nine points back, have only a 3.06% title chance, despite being considered the most obvious alternative challenger.
Brighton remain one of the stories of the season after beating both of the top two, but Opta still gives them just a 6.86% chance of winning the league. Their more realistic target is Champions League qualification, where they are the only side outside Arsenal and City with better than even odds.
Further down, Manchester United’s position is bleak. Their winless run in all competitions has reached nine games, and Opta now gives them just a 1.48% chance of qualifying for the Champions League. In the relegation projection, Tottenham have moved clear of danger after three wins in a row, while United are suddenly among those with the greatest risk of dropping into the second tier.
Chelsea
Martínez details lasting damage from finger injury and jaw setback
Martínez says his finger injury is permanent and explains why a transfer collapsed after the World Cup.
Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has explained the scale of the injuries that have marked the last few months of his career, saying he will never fully close his right hand again after suffering a fractured ring finger during the 2026 World Cup period.
Martínez said the problem began in the Europa League final, when the finger detached and later proved to be broken in half. The former Aston Villa goalkeeper recalled being in tears when he saw the scan, fearing he would not make it to the World Cup. Rather than undergo surgery, he and Argentina’s medical staff chose a different route. He played with a plastic cast, heavy bandaging and a special glove made by adidas, with the finger put back into place and protected throughout the tournament.
The decision allowed him to start every match of Argentina’s run, though he admitted the injury limited him badly. Even on the eve of Argentina’s opener against Algeria, he said he was “diving like a zombie, with just one arm.” He also revealed he trained with a volleyball for most of the competition. Despite that, the finger still prevented a move to a Serie A club, believed to be Juventus, after the World Cup. Martínez said the transfer collapsed when a fresh X-ray showed the finger had broken again.
He eventually completed a move to Chelsea in the final hours of the summer window, but another setback followed soon after. Seven games into his Chelsea career, he collided with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite while attempting to claim a free kick. The impact left him with a broken jaw and concussion, and he has no memory of the incident.
“I preferred the jaw than the head to be honest,” Martínez said. “It was one of the most beautiful knockouts, in the UFC that would’ve been the knockout of the night. I saw birds flying around for many days honestly.”
Martínez required four screws in his jaw and is still unable to eat purées. Reflecting on the twin injuries, he said the finger remained the worse problem.
