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The New York Red Bulls confirm 16-year-old Colombian prospect Eder Smic Valencia has died in a car accident just days before a trial with the club.

• Teenage starlet killed in car crash
• Was due for trial with New York Red Bulls
• Also part of Colombia's youth ranks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Smic Valencia tragically died in a car crash in Colombia while on holiday, as reports. The accident occurred just days before he was due for a trial with the New York Red Bulls II. The teenager had previously played as a guest for the club's Under-16 side and had been tipped to join Colombia’s Under-17 national team for the 2026 South American Championship.

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• ACADEMY CLUB ANNOUNCES TRAGIC NEWS

  Smic Valencia's club Academia Alemana Popayán announced the news and paid tribute to the 16-year-old in a statement: "It is with deep sorrow that we report the passing of our player Éder Smic Valencia Ambuila (2009) in a car accident while on vacation in Guachené. We, along with his family, will honor his memory at the AAFP. He will forever be in our hearts."

• NEW YORK RED BULLS ISSUE STATEMENT

  The New York Red Bulls posted on X: "Our thoughts are with all of Éder’s family, friends and teammates. Rest in peace."

• FATHER PAYS TRIBUTE

  Smi Valencia's father, Eder, has spoken of the family's sadness at his son's passing. He told : "He had achieved nearly 80% of his goals. He was a top scorer for every team he played for, was on the Colombian national team, and was about to travel to North America. It’s very sad that my son lost his life in a car accident at 16."

West Ham United have been pushing for signings over the late stage of the January transfer market, and having completed the loan addition of centre-midfielder Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, will now look to make a last-gasp move for a winger.

David Moyes is eager to sign a striker but will bide his time until the summer, now focussing on strengthening the flanks following the likely departures of Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma.

Al-Ittihad's Jota has been on the radar but with that one stuck in the mud, one journalist believes the Hammers could delve down a different road…

West Ham plotting late bid for EFL star

According to transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – West Ham could return for Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto after Jota and Ibrahim Osman deals stall.

West Ham offered last-gasp chance to sign £47k-p/w Coufal upgrade

The Hammers have the opportunity to sign the Ligue 1 defender before the deadline.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 1, 2024

He said that it's been a "frustrating" week for the Hammers and that a move for the Italy international would "appeal", having been linked with a transfer earlier in the window.

Wilfried Gnonto is a Benrahma upgrade

Sixth in the Premier League and with a game in hand on Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion below, West Ham have been impressive once again this season but have stagnated slightly since the new year and a player such as Gnonto would be a great fit.

Jarrod Bowen has missed the past two matches because of a setback while playmaker Lucas Paqueta is out till March with a calf injury.

Gnonto has not played a prominent role under Daniel Farke in the Championship this season, starting just seven times in the league, but he was praised as a "pocket rocket" by pundit Tam McManus for his exploits in the Premier League last season, making his mark and proving one of the bright sparks as the Whites fell into the abyss.

Clinching four goals and four assists apiece despite his side's woes, the 13-cap Italy international would be a big Benrahma upgrade given that the Algerian has only landed a single assist from 22 matches this term, though more importantly, he is failing to contribute effectively in the defensive sequences.

Gnonto, in comparison, ranks among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 21% for blocks and the top 14% for clearances, as per FBref.

Not only is he a barrelling outlet down the left flank, stretching defences and driving the ball into the danger area, but the £20k-per-week starlet is more than willing to get stuck in and this is an attractive proposition for Moyes and his system.

An "electric" – as described by pundit Sam Parkin – figure on the pitch who will only improve over the coming years, West Ham must complete a swoop for Gnonto in the next few hours, with the 20-year-old's skill set well suited to improve Moyes' side.

Portuguese winger Jota has indeed been touted with a move away from the Saudi Pro League but there have been concerns about his staggering salary and the league champions are also now willing to re-integrate him into the squad, having ostracised him following restrictions to foreign players available for inclusion.

Some reports in the player's homeland have speculated that a £13m offer would be enough to prise Gnonto away from Elland Road, and if this is the case, an official bid will surely be forthcoming.

Raheem Sterling's exit from Stamford Bridge reportedly fuelled a boardroom war at Chelsea between Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

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• Sterling was forced out as he joined Arsenal
• Behdad Eghbali allegedly spearheaded winger's exit
• Todd Boehly reportedly against axing of attacker

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  While the new ownership at Chelsea initially presented a united front, tensions between Boehly and Clearlake have surfaced in recent months. The American businessman has reportedly been at odds with Behdad Eghbali, creating friction over how the club should be managed. These disputes have grown to the point where Boehly is reportedly exploring the possibility of buying out Clearlake Capital’s 61.5 per cent of shares in the club to consolidate his power at Stamford Bridge. However, Eghbali and Jose Feliciano, the driving forces behind Clearlake Capital, are allegedly not interested in selling their stake and have no intention of relinquishing control of Chelsea.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to one of the key events that exacerbated the growing tensions between Boehly and Clearlake was the handling of Sterling's future at Chelsea. Sterling, who was Boehly's first major signing after taking charge of the club, was a marquee addition from Manchester City. The England international was seen as a crucial player for the Blues, and Boehly had high hopes for his success at Stamford Bridge. However, the England international failed to live up to expectations and ultimately found himself out of favour under Enzo Maresca which forced a deadline-day move to Arsenal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The report mentions that the decision was heavily influenced by Eghbali, who apparently pushed for Sterling’s exit despite Boehly’s desire to keep him at the club. The latter was reportedly furious with how the ex-Liverpool star's situation was handled, feeling that the club had prematurely given up on the player he had worked hard to bring in – which further contributed to the breakdown in the working relationship between Boehly and Eghbali.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While the Sterling saga is a notable contributor to the discord between Boehly and Clearlake, it is far from being the only issue fuelling the mounting tensions. According to multiple sources, a series of disagreements over the club’s strategic direction and management decisions have strained relations between the two camps. Hence, the struggle for control of Chelsea has now reached a critical juncture and is on the "brink of civil war."

Another challenging question about retention for RCB is around fast bowler Yash Dayal, who has not played any cricket since IPL 2025 final

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-20258:48

Chatter: Will ownership change result in new name for RCB?

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to release England allrounder Liam Livingstone ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Livingstone, who was picked for INR 8.75 crore (US$ 1.04 million approx.) at the 2025 auction, scored 112 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.33 with just one half-century. He also picked up two wickets in the nine overs he bowled at an economy rate of 8.44. Since then, Livingstone captained Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, and was their leading run-scorer (241 at a strike rate of 155.48) and took the second-most wickets for them (seven at an economy rate of 7.36). He also scored 260 runs at a strike rate of 176.87 and returned six wickets in Lancashire’s run to the semi-finals of the T20 Blast.The presence of Australian power-hitter Tim David along with West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd means RCB already have enough options for the finisher’s role. David had a strike rate of 185.14 for his 187 runs last IPL, while Shepherd scored 70 runs off the 24 balls he faced (strike rate 291.66) in IPL 2025. Releasing Livingstone, as a result, could help RCB head into the auction for the next season with a stronger purse.Related

• IPL 2026 live – Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Pathirana, among big releases

• LSG set to retain Mayank, release Bishnoi

• Maxwell among players PBKS are set to release

The other potentially challenging question for RCB about retention concerns fast bowler Yash Dayal. The left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, who picked up 13 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.59 last IPL, played a major hand in RCB pulling through high-pressure moments across the season. In the final, Dayal finished with impressive figures of 3-0-18-1. However, he has not played any cricket since then and skipped the UPT20 League recently.The deadline to finalise releases is November 15.

Celtic are flying this season. Not only are the Hoops undefeated at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but they are also, aside from a thumping at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, doing well in the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have won two of their four games so far, most notably beating German outfit RB Leipzig, and currently sit 15th in the new-look league phase table, ahead of the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.

As a result of their good form, Premier League teams are now understood to be tracking a number of Celtic’s biggest stars, most notably forward Nicolas Kuhn.

The German wing has been the Hoops’ standout player this season, providing 10 goals and 11 assists from the right-wing. According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, he’s now been the subject of inquiries from multiple teams from England’s top flight.

Celtic want young duo

According to a report from reliable reporter Alan Nixon of The Sun, Celtic are keen on Airdrie midfielders Cole and Dylan Williams.

The 16-year-old twins, described as sensations, who were on the books at Celtic Park as youngsters, have played for Airdrie’s U18s and have appeared on the bench for the first-team on three occasions this season, but are yet to make senior debuts for the Scottish Championship side.

Nixon claims that Premier League clubs West Ham United and Southampton are also interested in the duo, and currently have the edge in the race to sign them. The two clubs have had people watching the Williams twins in recent weeks, though it’s unlikely that either player would be a major part of the squad were they to join.

Amid the interest in them, Cole and Dylan are free to quit the Diamonds as they are on short-term agreements and it looks as if Celtic are ones to watch in a potential transfer race.

Everton and Crystal Palace are also interested

A separate report from Football Insider earlier this month claimed that both Crystal Palace and Everton are also eyeing moves for the Williams twins.

The publication reported that both clubs want the young midfielders to join their academy setups, which have been responsible for producing a number of Premier League stars in recent years.

Anthony Gordon, Lewis Dobbin, and Ellis Simms are among the most high-profile graduates at Goodison Park. Meanwhile, Tyrick Mitchell, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi all came through the ranks at Selhurst Park.

Football Insider reported that Airdrie are desperate to keep hold of both the Williams brothers, and want to tie them down to professional contracts to avoid losing them for free.

North Lanarkshire outfit Airdrie finished fourth last term in the Scottish Championship, but are currently bottom this term having lost 11 of their 14 games so far. Despite their poor start, however, manager Rhys McCabe believes it won’t be long until his side return to form.

“We’re not a million miles away,” McCabe said following his side’s 2-0 defeat to Bairns at the weekend. “Anybody can see that we have got 10 injuries at the moment.”

“It has been frustrating because you are not having the full squad to pick from every week, but there’s no excuses,” he added.

England allrounder cites mental wellbeing after difficult run with injuries

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Feb-2023Surrey and England allrounder Tom Curran has taken the decision to step away from red-ball cricket, citing his physical and mental health along with a desire to focus on limited-overs cricket.Curran, 27, has played 61 first-class matches, including two Test caps picked up during the 2017-18 Ashes series. However his appearances in the longer format since have been infrequent of late, in part because of injuries. He was ruled out of the first four months of 2022 with a stress fracture of his lower back.Curran has played just two first-class matches since the end of the 2019 season, both of which came in Surrey’s successful 2022 County Championship campaign. The first of those, against Northamptonshire, saw him register his maiden first-class century. The move to focus solely on limited-overs cricket is in keeping with Curran’s general direction of travel. Though he made the last of his 58 ODI and T20I appearances in July 2021, he is regarded globally as an accomplished franchise cricketer. As well as representing Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, he has played for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and is currently with Desert Vipers in the ILT20. He is also due to experience the Pakistan Super League for the first time with Islamabad United.With opportunities opening up around the world in the winter, cutting out red-ball cricket altogether is a move he hopes will have a positive effect on mind and body.”The last couple of years have not been easy for me,” Curran said. “I have had a lot of time and this isn’t a decision that I’ve taken lightly.”Some choices in life I don’t think you will ever be 100% sure and this is definitely one of those. But where I find myself at this exact moment, I feel like it is the right decision for my body and for my mental health.”I’m definitely not ruling out playing red-ball cricket again in the future, and I feel like I have unfinished business in this format for both Surrey and England. But until I can feel 100% committed and confident in my body to be performing day in and day out for Surrey in the County Championship, I feel that putting all my time and focus into on our Vitality Blast campaign this year is the right thing to do.”I know it is not ideal news for everyone at Surrey and our fans. But I wanted to say a truly heartfelt thank you to Alec Stewart for the support and understanding of my decision. Surrey has given me everything and is my home. I love it very much and my hope is everyone else will see and understand my decision as he has done.”Surrey’s director of cricket, Alec Stewart, said: “Obviously when you lose a player of Tom’s quality from your County Championship squad it is a blow, but I have spoken to him at length about his decision and understand why he has made it.”He has suffered with injuries in recent years and if this can help strengthen his body and keep him on a cricket field more regularly over the coming years, I fully support the decision.”I look forward to seeing him back in May for our own T20 season.”

Kyle Walker made a surprise visit to Manchester City's training ground amid a tumultuous time for the right-back.

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• Walker on loan at AC Milan from Man City
• Right-back returned to England over weekend
• Paid a visit to old team's training ground

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A day after playing in AC Milan's 3-2 comeback win against Lecce in Serie A at the weekend, the England international returned to his homeland and made an unexpected trip to his parent club to catch up with his former team-mates.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Walker left City in January to join Milan on loan for the rest of the season after he fell out of favour under Pep Guardiola, starting just nine Premier League matches in the first half of the season. The 34-year-old continues to make headlines off the field, too, having been spotted with two women after his wife Annie Kilner returned to England with the couple's children.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WALKER?

  The former Tottenham star will soon return to Italy as his Milan team prepare to face Cesc Fabregas' Como in Serie A on Saturday.

Celtic booked their place in the final of the League Cup on Saturday with an emphatic 6-0 win over Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the semi-finals.

The Hoops will now face off against Rangers in the final at the national stadium before the end of the year, with an opportunity to seucre their first piece of silverware of the season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side were beaten 1-0 by Kilmarnock in the competition in August last year, which meant that they had to watch on from afar as the Gers went on to win the League Cup against Aberdeen.

The Northern Irishman is now looking to secure the trophy for the first time since his return to Parkhead in 2023 and is well on his way to doing so, with them now being one match away from glory.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Nicolas Kuhn scored the goals for the Scottish giants against the Dons on Saturday, with Maeda scoring a hat-trick.

Kuhn was one of the top performers for the Hoops, with a goal and an assist, and earned himself a staggering player rating of 10/10 from GlasgowWorld.

Nicolas Kuhn's current market value

At the time of writing (03/11/2024), Transfermarkt currently values the German forward at just €3m (£2.5m) after his relatively slow start to life in Glasgow.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

After arriving from Rapid Vienna in January, Kuhn produced two goals and two assists in 14 appearances in the Scottish Premiership in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

This season, however, the 24-year-old sensation has been on fire for the Hoops and has taken centre stage for the Hoops after Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The left-footed magician has fired in seven goals and provided ten assists in just 15 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants this term, including four goals and four assists in three League Cup outings.

Kuhn has been a constant threat across all competitions and has proven his worth in the Premiership on the right wing, with his ability as a scorer and a creator of goals.

As you can see in the table above, the German ace has been directly involved in eight goals in seven starts in the division for the Hoops so far, which speaks to how consistent and dangerous he has been in the final third.

These statistics suggest that his value will not remain at just €3m if he can continue to perform like this, as his value will surely rise alongside his sublime performances on the pitch, given his goal and assists numbers have improved significantly in comparison to last season.

However, there is a former Celtic winger who is currently worth millions more than Kuhn, as his value has soared since moving away from Glasgow earlier in his career – Ben Doak.

How much Celtic recieved for Ben Doak

The youngster came up through the ranks at Parkhead and, remarkably, made his first-team debut in the Premiership under Ange Postecoglou during the 2021/22 campaign.

Doak made two appearances in the top-flight that term as a 16-year-old, making his debut just one month after his 16th birthday, and that speaks to how highly the Australian head coach rated his potential. Postecoglou hailed him as a “fantastic” kid and offered him two chances to experience senior football at such a young age.

However, that was not enough to convince Doak that his future was at Parkhead. The winger opted to move on from the club at the end of the 2021/22 season, signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2022.

His agent revealed that the Scottish forward did not want to stay at Celtic and was not content with playing B team matches in Scotland, which is why he opted to try his luck in the English academy system. This suggests that the Bhoys had little chance of convincing him to stay, no matter how hard they tried.

It was reported that Liverpool had to pay a compensation fee of just £600k to the Scottish giants to secure his signature, which has turned out to be a huge bargain for the Premier League giants.

Ben Doak's current market value

The teenage gem initially linked up with their academy and caught the eye with his performances at youth level, scoring six goals and providing six assists in 13 appearances in the U18 Premier League and UEFA Youth League combined.

Doak also scored four goals and provided two assists in 12 outings in the Premier League 2 for the U21s, whilst also being handed five first-team appearances by Jurgen Klopp – two of which came in the Premier League.

He then made five appearances in the senior team during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign before suffering a meniscus tear that kept him out for 41 matches for club and country between December 2023 and June 2024.

That disrupted his progress under Klopp, after emerging as a genuine first-team option, and new Liverpool boss Arne Slot decided to send him out on loan to the Championship for the current season.

Second tier side Middlesbrough swooped in to sign the 18-year-old forward on loan for the campaign, and he has been in impressive form for Michael Carrick, who has described him as a “real threat”.

As you can see in the table above, Doak has created 15 chances and scored one goal in six Championship starts for Middlesbrough, but has not been rewarded with an assist, as his teammates have been wasteful in front of goal.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt currently has the left-footed star’s value at €10m (£8.4m) and this shows that his value has soared by a whopping 1,300% since making the move down south for a compensation fee of £600k, which suggests that he made the right decision to move on from Parkhead.

Doak is currently worth millions more than Kuhn, with both players being left-footed right wingers, and Celtic may rue that they did not get the chance to see him flourish in Glasgow.

Celtic thought they had dream Scott Brown heir, then he left for nothing

The former Celtic defensive midfielder made a strong start to life at Parkhead.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 22, 2024

Agent Jorge Mendes has provided an update on Lamine Yamal's contract situation after a meeting with Barcelona chiefs Joan Laporta and Deco.

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• Mendes provides Yamal contract update
• Current deal expires in 2026
• Has become a key player for Barcelona

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal's current deal is set to expire in 2026 but Mendes has put Barca fans' fears at ease by revealing everything is on track for a renewal to be agreed soon. It was recently reported by Mundo Deportivo that the brilliant youngster's new contract will run until 2030.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal, aged just 17, has developed from an exciting youngster into one of the world's best players in the last 12 months, scoring 11 goals and producing 16 assists in 35 appearances this season. Tying him down to a new long-term deal is a priority for Barcelona, who will do everything to avoid the nightmare scenario of losing the academy graduate on a free transfer.

• WHAT MENDES SAID

  After meeting with club president Laporta and sporting director Deco, Yamal's agent Mendes told COPE: "We've talked with Lamine and everything's fine. He's going to renew, he's going to renew."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL AND BARCELONA?

  Yamal's new deal would keep him at Barcelona for another five seasons, during which he would team up with Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and other fellow La Masia stars in what looks like the club's best influx of academy players since Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi emerged. For now, full focus is on Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first-leg clash away to Benfica.

Real Madrid have confirmed that captain Dani Carvajal will be sidelined for up to three months after sustaining a right knee injury during Sunday’s fiery Clasico against Barcelona. The 33-year-old defender, who was involved in a heated post-match confrontation with Lamine Yamal, will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair the damage, the club announced on Monday.

• Carvajal to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery

  Carvajal is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after Real Madrid confirmed that their captain suffered a right knee injury during the 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu. Medical examinations revealed a loose intra-articular body in the knee joint, requiring arthroscopic surgery to remove and repair the tissue. In an official statement, Madrid said: “Following tests carried out on our captain Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a loose joint in his right knee. Carvajal will undergo arthroscopy.”

  The veteran full-back felt discomfort following the final whistle on Sunday, where he was a late substitute in Real Madrid’s win, sealed by goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. The injury could sideline him for around three months, potentially ruling him out until early 2026 as per El Partidazo de COPE.

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  Carvajal’s injury nightmare continues

  Carvajal’s setback represents a major blow to Real Madrid, who had only just welcomed their skipper back from a calf injury sustained against Atletico Madrid in September. The defender’s latest issue affects the same knee in which he ruptured ligaments and a tendon last October, forcing him to miss most of the 2024-25 season. This recurring problem will likely force Madrid to take an especially cautious approach to his rehabilitation to avoid further complications.

  Madrid’s right-back options are now limited heading into the middle phase of the campaign. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has only recently recovered from a muscle injury, is expected to step in as the primary replacement, while Fede Valverde could once again provide cover in that position. The reshuffle will demand tactical flexibility from Xabi Alonso’s side, as both Alexander-Arnold and Valverde naturally prefer more advanced or central roles, respectively.

  For Carvajal personally, the injury halts his efforts to regain form and consistency after a difficult period plagued by fitness setbacks. Having worn the armband since Nacho Fernandez’s departure, the Spain international had been eager to re-establish his leadership role in a squad undergoing transition. Instead, his latest absence leaves Madrid once again relying on short-term adjustments to preserve their early-season momentum.

• Injury comes after clash with Yamal

  The injury comes on the back of his clash with Yamal: Carvajal’s involvement in post-match tensions has added further intrigue to an already explosive El Clasico. The right-back was spotted exchanging heated words with Lamine Yamal moments after full-time, with Spanish media reporting that he told the teenager: “You speak too much. Speak now.” The altercation followed remarks made by Yamal days before the match, when the youngster suggested on Twitch that “Real Madrid steal,” a comment that reportedly angered several Los Blancos players ahead of the showdown.

  Multiple Madrid stars appeared to confront Yamal during the melee, with Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham also drawn into the argument before being separated by officials. Frenkie de Jong later defended his Barcelona team-mate, accusing Madrid players of overreacting and “trying to provoke” the 17-year-old forward. While no disciplinary action has been announced, the incident has fueled media debate in Spain about respect between senior and junior internationals, especially with both Carvajal and Yamal sharing the Spain national team dressing room.

  Despite the controversy, Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory was an important result that extended their lead at the top of La Liga to five points and snapped a four-game losing streak against their Catalan rivals. Mbappe and Bellingham’s goals proved decisive, while Fermin Lopez scored Barcelona’s only goal from Marcus Rashford’s assist. The win demonstrated Madrid’s growing composure under Alonso, but Carvajal’s injury has now cast a shadow over their momentum heading into November.

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  Real Madrid to miss captain until January 2026

  Real Madrid’s immediate focus will be managing without their captain through the busy winter schedule, with fixtures piling up in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Alexander-Arnold is expected to make his first start since recovering from injury in Madrid’s next league match against Valencia on November 1, while Valverde will remain on standby to fill in as needed. The club’s medical staff will oversee Carvajal’s surgery and rehabilitation closely, with hopes that he can return to training early in 2026 if recovery progresses smoothly.

  For Carvajal, the coming months will be another test of endurance and patience as he battles to return stronger once again. His professionalism and influence in the dressing room remain highly valued, and Madrid’s medical team will ensure he receives every resource to complete his recovery. Until then, Los Blancos will need to navigate the challenges ahead without their leader on the pitch — and hope that his latest setback does not linger beyond the new year.