Celtic will play Stuttgart and Nottingham Forest will face Fenerbahce in two-legged play-offs to reach the last 16 of the Europa League.
Martin O’Neill’s side could also have been drawn against Hungarian club Ferencvaros, managed by Robbie Keane, but will instead face the Bundesliga club.
The first leg will be at Celtic Park and the winners of the tie will play either Porto – who defeated O’Neill’s side in the 2003 Uefa Cup final – or another Portuguese side Braga in the last 16.
Forest, whose alternative tie was against Greek side Panathinaikos, will play Midtjylland or Real Betis if they progress past the Turkish club.
The play-off games will take place on 19 and 26 February.
Celtic booked their spot in the play-offs with a 4-2 win against Utrecht which secured 21st place in the league phase table.
Forest won 4-0 against Ferencvaros in their final league game to finish 13th and earn a home tie in the second leg of the play-off.
The top eight teams from the league phase – Lyon, Aston Villa, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg and Roma – have all qualified for the last 16.
Celtic will play Stuttgart and Nottingham Forest will face Fenerbahce in two-legged play-offs to reach the last 16 of the Europa League.
Martin O’Neill’s side could also have been drawn against Hungarian club Ferencvaros, managed by Robbie Keane, but will instead face the Bundesliga club.
The first leg will be at Celtic Park and the winners of the tie will play either Porto – who defeated O’Neill’s side in the 2003 Uefa Cup final – or another Portuguese side Braga in the last 16.
Forest, whose alternative tie was against Greek side Panathinaikos, will play Midtjylland or Real Betis if they progress past the Turkish club.
The play-off games will take place on 19 and 26 February.
Celtic booked their spot in the play-offs with a 4-2 win against Utrecht which secured 21st place in the league phase table.
Forest won 4-0 against Ferencvaros in their final league game to finish 13th and earn a home tie in the second leg of the play-off.
The top eight teams from the league phase – Lyon, Aston Villa, Midtjylland, Real Betis, Porto, Braga, Freiburg and Roma – have all qualified for the last 16.
Everton manager David Moyes says Jack Grealish “probably” needs surgery on his foot stress fracture and is expected to be out for the season.
The injury would likely end any hopes of Grealish making England’s World Cup squad this summer.
The 30-year-old, who is on a season-long loan from Manchester City, has made 22 appearances in all competitions for Everton this season.
He has scored two goals and provided six assists.
Last week Moyes confirmed the injury but did not give a timeline for a return.
Speaking on Friday, the Scot said: “We believe he’s probably going to need surgery, but that’s still not absolutely confirmed. It probably rules him out for the rest of the season, yes.
“It’s really disappointing for the player, and for the club and all of us. He’s such an important part, a big character, big experience for us.
Grealish sustained the injury during Everton’s 1-0 over his former club Aston Villa on 18 January.
Everton, who are 10th in the table, are away to Brighton on Saturday.
Asked if it was too early to think about Grealish’s long-term future given his success at Everton prior to the injury, Moyes added: “Far too early”.
Grealish’s recent form at Everton led to suggestions that he could earn a recall to the England squad and push for a place at the World Cup.
His most recent appearance came under caretaker manager Lee Carsley in October 2024.
Grealish won three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup after joining City from Aston Villa for a then British record £100m in 2021.
Israeli shelling and drone strikes across Gaza have killed at least five people and injured 11 others, according to Palestinian and Israeli officials.
The deadly strikes on Friday in central Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp and the southern city of Rafah came as Israel carried out continued targeted operations in the besieged territory, despite the ongoing ceasefire.
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Two Palestinian men were killed in Maghazi after they were targeted in a drone strike, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In Rafah, Israeli forces said in a statement that the air force had killed three “terrorists” as a group of eight had emerged from an underground location.
They said that further strikes were launched and that “soldiers continue to conduct searches in the area in order to locate and eliminate” the remaining people
Also in Rafah, Israeli naval gunboats pursued fishing boats and opened heavy machinegun fire on fishermen off the coast, according to Wafa. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The al-Mawasi refugee camp in Khan Younis, designated a ‘humanitarian zone’ by Israel, was hit by an Israeli strike on Friday [Bashar Taleb/AFP]
Rafah is the location of a strategic border crossing to Egypt. It is the only passage between the Gaza Strip and the outside world that does not lead to Israel, and is a vital conduit for humanitarian aid.
Palestinian authorities have demanded the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing, a stipulation of the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, saying the continued blockade has prevented the entry of necessary supplies for the tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the area.
Elsewhere in southern Gaza, six Palestinians were injured after Israeli forces shelled a tent sheltering displaced people in the al-Mawasi area, just west of Khan Younis, sources from al-Helal field hospital and Nasser Hospital told Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Hani al-Shaer.
Anadolu news agency reported that a pregnant woman was among those injured in the attack.
Israeli strikes and operations have killed at least 492 Palestinians and injured 1,356 since the ceasefire came into force in October, according to Palestinian authorities in Gaza.
The US-brokered ceasefire, which sought to halt the fighting between Israel and Hamas since October 7, 2023, has been in place for more than three months. Both sides accuse each other of repeated violations.
Earlier in January, Washington announced that the ceasefire had progressed to its second phase, intended to bring a definitive end to the war. However, signs of progress on the ground remain scant.
On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the need to fully implement the ceasefire agreement, including the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
Here is all the key injury news alongside essential Fantasy Premier League statistics prior to the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Gameweek 24 begins with three 3pm kick offs, including Arsenal’s trip to face Leeds United – here is the full fixture list.
Saturday
Brighton v Everton (15:00 GMT)
Brighton winger Brajan Gruda has recovered from a minor knock and defender Igor Julio could be included in the squad after his return from West Ham.
Diego Gomez has a small issue but will be available if he can make it through Friday’s training session.
Everton’s on-loan winger Jack Grealish will probably require foot surgery and is likely to be out for the remainder of the season, according to manager David Moyes.
Defender Michael Keane returns from a three-match ban but Charly Alcaraz and Tim Iroegbunam are unlikely to be involved this weekend.
Leeds defender Gabriel Gudmundsson missed the recent draw at Everton with an adductor strain but could return for this clash.
Dan James is back in training and could make the squad, but Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha are unlikely to be risked for this fixture.
Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber will return this weekend after the pair were rested for in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Teenager Max Dowman – who recently penned a new contract with the club – is only absentee.
Players out: Leeds – Bijol, Nmecha
Arsenal – Dowman
Doubts: Leeds – Gudmundsson, James
Key FPL notes:
Wolves v Bournemouth (15:00 GMT)
Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has been passed fit but Ladislav Krejci is a doubt because of illness.
Jorgen Strand Larsen had been linked with a move to Crystal Palace but head coach Rob Edwards has confirmed that he will be part of the squad this weekend.
Bournemouth’s new Brazilian forward Rayan is “in good shape” and “ready if needed”, according to head coach Andoni Iraola.
David Brooks is close to a return, but the Cherries are likely to be without up to seven first-team players, including Marcus Tavernier and Tyler Adams.
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer is “available to start”, according to head coach Liam Rosenior.
West Ham could hand a debut to new signing Adama Traore.
Midfielder Lucas Paqueta will not be involved as he finalises his move to Brazilian side Flamengo, while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is out.
Players out: Chelsea – Adarabioyo, Colwill, Essugo, Lavia, Mudryk
West Ham – Paqueta, Fabianski
Key FPL notes:
Liverpool v Newcastle United (20:00 GMT)
Liverpool duo Curtis Jones and Ibrahima Konate are both available.
This game will likely come too soon for Joe Gomez, while Jeremie Frimpong is out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes will be assessed in training on Friday but Joelinton’s groin issue will keep him sidelined for a number of weeks.
Players out: Liverpool – Bradley, Frimpong, Gomez, Isak, Leoni
Newcastle – Joelinton, Krafth, Livramento, Schar
Doubts: Liverpool – Gomez
Newcastle – Guimaraes
Key FPL notes:
Sunday
Aston Villa v Brentford (14:00 GMT)
Aston Villa’s latest signing Tammy Abraham could replace Ollie Watkins this weekend after the forward was forced off with a hamstring issue on Thursday night.
Further Villa team news will appear here later today.
Brentford pair Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard were were substituted with injuries last weekend but could recover in time for this clash.
Fabio Carvalho, Josh Dasilva and Antoni Milambo remain long-term absentees.
Players out: Aston Villa – Alysson, Barkley, Garcia, McGinn, Tielemans, Kamara, Watkins.
Brentford – Carvalho, Dasilva, Milambo
Doubts: Brentford – Ajer, Damsgaard
Key FPL notes:
Manchester United v Fulham (14:00 GMT)
Manchester United and Fulham team news will appear here later today.
Key FPL notes:
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (14:00 GMT)
Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace team news will appear here later today.
Key FPL notes:
Tottenham v Manchester City (16:30 GMT)
Tottenham team news will appear here later today.
Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku is out for a few weeks after suffering a calf injury during Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Galatasaray.
The likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones remain sidelined.
Players out: Man City – Dias, Doku, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Savio, Stones
Key FPL notes:
Monday
Sunderland v Burnley (20:00 GMT)
Sunderland team news will appear here later today.
Burnley duo Zian Flemming and Joe Worrall have both recovered from injury.
James Ward-Prowse is also likely to be involved after joining on loan from West Ham this week.
Israel plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing on Sunday, after nearly two years of closure.
However, the crossing that links Gaza with Egypt will only be opened to allow a “limited movement of people,” the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said in a statement on Friday.
The opening of the crossing – a key entry point for desperately needed humanitarian supplies for Gaza’s two million or so displaced people lacking food, shelter and medicines – is stipulated under the second phase of the United States-brokered ceasefire deal designed to bring a halt to the devastating war between Hamas and Israel, although no timeframe is set.
The core part of the first phase of the plan was completed after the return of the remains of the last Israeli captive in Gaza earlier this week.
Hamas then released a statement calling for Israel to complete the implementation of all the provisions of the ceasefire agreement, “especially the opening of the Rafah Crossing in both directions without restrictions”.
Israel, however, intends to keep tight control of the crossing.
“Exit from and entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah Crossing will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission, similar to the mechanism implemented in January 2025,” COGAT said.
The statement added that the return of residents from Egypt to Gaza will be permitted, “in coordination with Egypt, for residents who left Gaza during the course of the war only, and only after prior security clearance by Israel”.
It said an additional screening and identification process will also be conducted at a designated corridor under Israeli army control.
The crossing lies in territory still held by Israeli forces after they pulled back behind the so-called “yellow line” under the terms of the ceasefire.
Israeli troops still control more than half of Gaza, and their military operations and strikes continue to kill people across the enclave, despite the supposed halt to fighting.
Earlier on Friday, Hamas had once more called on Israel to immediately reopen the crossing, calling for the “immediate transition to the second phase” of the truce, which also includes the entry of a recently appointed technocratic Palestinian committee to administer the territory.
The Rafah crossing is a vital entry point for desperately needed humanitarian supplies [File: EPA]
The closure of the gateway continues to limit humanitarian supplies for a population now struggling through winter storms.
The United Nations and other international organisations have also repeatedly called for the reopening, given the dire humanitarian situation in the territory.
Israel had said on Monday that it would reopen Rafah when it received the remains of the last captive, which happened on the same day. Police officer Ran Gvili was laid to rest on Wednesday.
Earlier in January, the US had announced that the ceasefire had progressed to its second phase, intended to bring a definitive end to the war. However, Hamas and Israel accuse one another of truce violations on a near-daily basis.
Hamas on Friday repeated its call for the ceasefire’s guarantors – Egypt, the US, Qatar and Turkey – to exert “serious pressure” on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent him from obstructing the fragile deal.
Israeli strikes and operations, which its military says target “terrorists,” have killed more than 490 people since the ceasefire came into force, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
