Archive November 7, 2025

Autumn Nations Series: Ireland v Japan

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin Date: Saturday, 8 November Kick-off: 12:40 GMT

For a long time, it seemed like Caelan Doris was heading for the biggest summer of his life with the British and Irish Lions.

The checkpoints along the way were all met. Six weeks after his appointment as Leinster captain in September 2024, Andy Farrell chose the back-rower to lead Ireland before their autumn Tests, taking over from Peter O’Mahony.

Farrell’s decision to elevate Doris established him as the frontrunner for the Lions captaincy and that remained the case until the 27-year-old went off injured during Leinster’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton in May.

Having not had much experience with shoulder issues, Doris hoped it wasn’t too serious. A scan the following day, however, confirmed his worst fears: he would miss the Lions tour to Australia.

It was a cruel blow, especially considering he effectively ruled himself out of the 2021 Lions tour when he opted to skip the Six Nations to address concussion symptoms.

Now, though, he feels “mentally stronger”.

“[I was] gutted initially,” said Doris, who returns to the Ireland starting line-up for Saturday’s Test against Japan after coming off the bench in last week’s defeat by the All Blacks.

Just five days after Doris sustained his injury Maro Itoje was confirmed as Farrell’s Lions skipper, leaving the Irishman facing into a very different summer.

As it turned out, while a sizeable cohort of his Ireland team-mates battled the Wallabies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Doris was some 7,000 miles away, getting away from it all in the United States.

“The second two, I was doing a bit of a retreat and a digital detox, I didn’t have access to the games,” he explained.

“I watched them in retrospect. It was a funny one because there’s obviously the pain of it, but some of my best mates are over there playing and I’m a rugby fan as well. I was keen to keep an eye on it at the same time.”

While only 27, Doris has a lot of miles on the clock. Before his injury, he played in 44 of Ireland’s past 45 games, 43 of which were starts.

With a busy domestic season contributing to an unforgiving playing schedule, it is perhaps unsurprising to hear that Doris “loved” being detached from screens and rugby.

“The first day was a little bit challenging, you kind of miss the evening scroll,” he admitted.

“By day two, it was great, I didn’t miss it at all. I was reluctant to go back on my phone.

“I suppose separating who I am from what I do was an overarching goal for the period, building more self-awareness and exploration around that kind of thing.”

After a summer spent refreshing his mind and body, Doris is ready to lead Ireland again.

Having returned in two separate substitute appearances off the bench against the All Blacks, he will skipper a much-changed Ireland team for Japan’s visit to Dublin.

The Irish are wounded after losing to New Zealand, with Doris admitting that the team is going through a “reset”.

“There’s been some positives over the last year or two, we’ve had some big wins and big performances, but we’ve probably been inconsistent and not operating where we want to be operating,” he added.

“There’s recognition of that and recognition of a bit of a reset. There’s no lack of belief or doubt in our potential and what we can do.

Jude Bellingham’s return to the England squad for their final World Cup qualifiers is only the first phase of his reintegration by head coach Thomas Tuchel.

England’s games against Serbia, at Wembley, and in Albania are dead rubbers, with qualification for next summer’s showpiece already assured, but for Bellingham the stakes are still high.

Tuchel’s message was loud and clear when he made the contentious decision to exclude him from the last England camp, despite the player’s desire to be included, when victory in Latvia confirmed their World Cup place.

No star system. No automatic recalls. Not even for the brilliant 22-year-old, who has assumed superstar status since his move to Real Madrid.

Bellingham’s return for this camp was inevitable. The notion of England going to the World Cup without such an outstanding talent is unthinkable, but Tuchel’s comfort at leaving him out made it clear to the player and his camp that he is a vital squad member – but no more.

Tuchel’s, and England’s, world will not be revolving around Jude Bellingham.

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, although more subdued in England’s 5-0 win in Riga, has made an outstanding impression on Tuchel, while the deserved return of Manchester City’s Phil Foden to the squad after an outstanding start to the season also adds intrigue in the number 10 position.

Tuchel outlined his plans for Foden when he said: “Where Phil played against Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City is where I see him the strongest.

“He is close to the opponent’s box and a mix between a number nine and a 10. Phil scores and assists more from the 18-yard box, where he scored against Dortmund. He’s in the pockets and assists.

“The main thing about him is that he gets a role in the central part of the pitch. I don’t see him as a winger any more. He should have a central role that will bring out his strengths most. We’ve talked about this already with him.”

In other words, Bellingham’s place in the squad is clear-cut. His place in Tuchel’s starting line-up is not.

The smart money will be on Bellingham starting the World Cup as England’s number 10 but he still has work to do, beginning with these next two games.

And this is why, after making his return to the Real Madrid side after shoulder surgery, Bellingham will have even greater motivation to deliver in England’s upcoming internationals, despite the wider outcome effectively being meaningless.

Tuchel said: “Jude accepted the decision in the last camp. He did what he does best, competed at the highest level and shows he deserves to be in the squad. This is why he is here.

“I think it’s not a surprise for him to compete for us in the number 10 position. He knows from me, and he sees himself as a number 10.

Tuchel’s squad, as is his habit, contains a surprise in the shape of Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, but the ominous noises he has made previously about Myles Lewis-Skelly’s lack of game time at Arsenal, where he has played only 463 minutes this season, have been confirmed by his exclusion – even though he started in Latvia.

This will give Arsenal’s talented 19-year-old food for thought if he has designs on playing for England at the World Cup.

Crystal Palace’s outstanding midfielder Adam Wharton may finally get the chance to show his quality at England senior level, with injuries and Tuchel’s previous decisions to exclude him meaning he has still only had 28 minutes as a substitute against Bosnia-Herzegovina in June 2024.

The speculation about a recall for Brighton’s Danny Welbeck did not result in his inclusion. The 34-year-old’s form is testimony to his endurance, quality and superb professionalism, but a comeback after seven years away from England would not have reflected well on the alternatives to captain Harry Kane.

The cupboard is still not overflowing with ready-made alternatives for England’s record goalscorer. Tuchel has left out Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, although he stressed he is playing through pain at present.

Marcus Rashford, undergoing a renaissance on loan at Barcelona, has the potential to play centrally, although Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon – who may still miss out with a hip injury – has been used in that position by club manager Eddie Howe but never looked a good fit.

Tuchel’s latest squad does not spell good news for two England internationals who will harbour hopes of going to the World Cup, Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and on-loan Everton forward Jack Grealish.

To cap a miserable week for Alexander-Arnold, who was given a vitriolic reception on his return to Anfield when Liverpool beat Madrid in the Champions League, he is again left out. His World Cup hopes fade further with every squad missing his name.

The same applies to Grealish, who has performed with credit at Everton, but not yet with enough sparkle to convince Tuchel he should force his way into a wide area where England are well blessed.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has won the Premier League manager of the month award for October, the first time he has won the accolade.

Amorim, who became United boss in November 2024, led his side to three top-flight wins last month as he eased the pressure on himself following a slow start to the season.

United started October with a win against Sunderland before they claimed three points at Liverpool – their first Anfield victory since January 2016 – and then went on to beat Brighton 4-2.

“The credit is not mine, the credit is for my players,” said Amorim, whose side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Grimsby Town in August.

“They did really well, and our goal is to win the next one [award], because it means we win football matches and that is our goal.”

It is the first time the Old Trafford club’s manager has won the award since Erik ten Hag in November 2023.

Amorim’s side drew with Nottingham Forest in their last game on Saturday, 1 November and are eighth in the Premier League.

Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth says he is “fixed and ready to go” after heart surgery, but the initial diagnosis came as a “total surprise.”

The 52-year-old recently underwent a procedure after a routine check by the League Managers’ Association (LMA).

“I’m all fixed now which is the main thing and I’m ready to go,” Ainsworth told BBC Radio Kent.

“I have to still take it easy and unfortunately I’m not going to be able to be in the dugout for a few games but I’m pleased to be back.

“I won’t be able to be as animated as usual while I fully repair but I’ll be in the stadium and doing the team talks, I’m really pleased to be back.”

Ainsworth has been at Gillingham since March and has previously managed Wycombe, QPR and Shrewsbury.

He had the surgery in Southampton and while he was away from the Gills, long-term assistant Richard Dobson took over.

After the heart murmur was picked up, Ainsworth initially suggested to wait until the end of the current season before undergoing any procedure, but the idea was rejected.

A heart murmur is an extra, unusual sound in your heartbeat – sometimes described as a whooshing or swishing sound – and happens when your blood does not flow smoothly through your heart.

“It was a total surprise when it came up,” Ainsworth added. “I had my annual check up with the LMA and they said I had a murmur and it was picked up by a Stethoscope.

“I thought a Stethoscope was just a bit of a tick box exercise but it does pick up some pretty serious stuff, when they told me I had a heart murmur I said there was no chance.

“My valve was damaged and needed fixing, I suggested waiting until the end of the season which raised a few eyebrows, they told me to go and get it done because it sometimes goes bang and you don’t want that to happen.

“I would urge everybody to go and get checked, thankfully all is good now and I’m back in and the boys have been absolutely brilliant, I’m looking forward to getting going again.”