Category Sports News

Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans has been ruled out for up to 10 weeks to deepen their midfield injury crisis.

The Belgium international, 28, came off in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Newcastle with an ankle injury and checks have confirmed he is unlikely to return until April.

He is the latest key midfielder for the side currently lying third in the Premier League to suffer a serious injury in recent weeks. John McGinn has been sidelined for two months and Boubacar Kamara is out for the season, both with knee injuries.

Villa are close to signing their former midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus to add cover.

“Tielemans is eight to 10 weeks out,” said manager Unai Emery on Wednesday. “Kamara is not going to play this season. McGinn is six to eight weeks out.

“After those updates of those players we need to manage the centre midfield in the matches we are going to play.”

Emery described the move for Luiz, who played for Villa between 2019 and 2024, as “close”.

Another midfielder, Ross Barkley, who last played in November, is “coming back in a few days,” Emery said. Defender Andres Garcia is set to be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Tammy Abraham joined Villa in an £18.5m deal on Tuesday and winger Leon Bailey has returned after spending the first half of the season on loan at Roma, while Donyell Malen signed for Roma earlier in the window.

Manager David Martindale has said Livingston have written to the Scottish FA over an alleged racial comment made to striker Jeremy Bokila during their defeat against Aberdeen on Saturday.

Martindale said after the game that the 37-year-old was in tears in the changing room following a comment made to him on the pitch during the 6-2 loss at Pittodrie.

The former Democratic Republic of Congo forward was sent off after a second-half melee between the players.

Martindale said on Wednesday: “There was an incident. I think the incident’s now with the SFA, and that’s really all I can enlighten you with as far as I know.

“I think Bokila has been speaking to the club secretary. I don’t know any more than that.

“I just know the incident’s been referred to the Scottish Football Association.”

In a statement following the game, Aberdeen said: “The club is aware of an allegation that racist language was used. The player concerned has been informed of the allegation and vehemently denies it.

“Aberdeen FC condemns any and all forms of discrimination and we will co-operate fully with all relevant authorities during any investigation.

Full-back Hugo Keenan has returned home from Ireland’s Six Nations training camp in Portugal after sustaining a fractured thumb.

Keenan, who has established himself as Ireland’s first-choice full-back over the past few seasons, had been expected to return during the championship from the hip injury which has kept him on the sidelines since the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in the summer.

Ireland are currently in Portugal preparing for their Six Nations opener against France in Paris on 5 February before facing Italy at the Aviva Stadium on 14 February.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is yet to name a replacement for the 29-year-old Leinster player, who has won 46 caps for Ireland and scored 13 tries.

When Keenan was absent for the autumn series in November, Jamie Osborne and Mack Hansen started two games each.

Osborne has not played since the game against Japan that month because of a shoulder injury, but was named by Farrell in last week’s initial squad announcement, while Hansen is currently out with a foot problem.

Jacob Stockdale and Ciaran Frawley have played at 15 plenty of times for Ulster and Leinster respectively this season, while there is also the option to deploy one of the squad’s three fly-halves, most likely Sam Prendergast or Jack Crowley, in the position.

News of Keenan’s injury follows the announcement that Bundee Aki did not travel to the training camp following a ‘disciplinary issue’.

Aki faces an independent disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.

Keenan’s latest setback is the third injury issue since Farrell named a 37-man squad for the Six Nations on 21 January with prop Jack Boyle and Tom Ahern also having withdrawn.

The Women’s Super League is approaching the business end of the season and a number of high‑profile names find themselves at a crossroads.

It’s a familiar dilemma – should a player approaching the end of their contract stick with what they know or twist and take on a new challenge elsewhere?

Khadija Shaw is the leading scorer in the WSL this season and reached a century of goals for Manchester City by scoring four against Aston Villa in December.

But despite her helping City to lead a title charge this season, the Jamaica international is into the final months of the contract she signed in 2023.

Fara: “The fact that you are going into the final five months of a contract with your top goalscorer for the past three years is bizarre. That should have been wrapped up ages ago. There will be options for her come the end of the season. Every team across Europe and the world will want to sign her.

“Name a better goalscorer in Europe at this moment – I reckon you can’t.

“If she was doing the same at Barcelona, she would get the recognition [she deserves]. But because Man City haven’t won for a long time, that’s why she doesn’t get the recognition.

“Twist – go and win some trophies somewhere else.”

Ellen: “The reason Man City haven’t pushed Chelsea as much as they would have liked to in recent seasons is because Shaw has been injured. She creates goals and she scores goals. They have to sign her.

Considered one of the best midfielders in the world, Georgia Stanway joined Bayern Munich from Manchester City in 2022 but will leave the German club upon the expiry of her contract at the end of the season.

The 27-year-old, who has won two European Championships with the Lionesses, is permitted to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club this month, with Arsenal among the suitors.

Ellen: “Not surprised [about the rumours linking Stanway to Arsenal. I thought she would stay at Bayern for another couple of seasons but she wants to try another challenge.

“She would offer something different in Arsenal’s midfield and it would be an exciting opportunity for her. Bring her back to the league. Twist.”

Fara: “Stanway loves to make challenges and is a smarter player than we give her credit for. At Bayern, she controls central areas and gets goals. She would be a fantastic signing. A potential replacement for Kim Little in the long term.

Two-time European Championship winner and England international Ella Toone was set to become a free agent this summer until Manchester United triggered a one-year extension on her contract earlier this month.

The 26-year-old joined the club as part of its inaugural senior squad in 2018 and remains one of United’s most important players on and off the field.

Ellen: “It’s clever from the club. They’ve lost some massive players in previous seasons on free transfers. They want to keep her and this means other clubs would have to pay big money to get her out of the contract.

“She is a phenomenal talent and United through and through. You want her in the WSL but she wants to play in the Champions League. United are bringing in a lot of new faces as well, so it feels exciting for her. Twist, maybe?”

Fara: “Miss Manchester United. You need players who know the club inside out. They need someone who really understands what it means to represent the club. It’s key for them to re-sign Toone and hopefully she stays there and has that legacy with United.

After two seasons in Spain with Barcelona, Lucy Bronze returned to England with Chelsea in 2024 and helped them to win the WSL, Women’s FA Cup and League Cup.

Now 34, Bronze’s two-year deal with the champions is about to run out but she remains a serial winner, having won five Champions League titles across her career as well as Euro 2022 with England.

Fara: “Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor knows how important Lucy’s mentality is and what her levels are. I would suggest Sonia offers her a new contract.

“We have played with Lucy and you know how competitive she is. She wouldn’t want to take a bit-part role. She would want to end her career at the top, competing in every minute of every game. Stick.”

Ellen: “Chelsea have brought in Ellie Carpenter but they seem to be working well together. Bronze still wants to play – she looks fit and she wants to dominate all the trophies.