Archive August 29, 2025

Real Madrid’s Alexander-Arnold Dropped By England For World Cup Qualifiers

By in News, sport-news

  

Trent Alexander-Arnold was dropped by England as coach Thomas Tuchel on Friday handed first call-ups to Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

Alexander-Arnold was part of England’s most recent squad at the end of last season, but Tuchel opted to leave him out of the September matches.

The right-back quit Premier League champions Liverpool to join Spanish side Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer.

However, Alexander-Arnold was left out of Madrid’s starting team for last weekend’s win against Real Oviedo in favour of Dani Carvajal.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Liverpool, Man City Face Real Madrid In Champions League (FULL DRAW)

Speaking about his decision to leave out Alexander-Arnold and Everton winger Jack Grealish, Tuchel said, “First of all, we decided on a bit more competitive squad.

” There is no doubt that I’m a big fan of Trent and Jack because of their talent and their personalities. They are big players. They will always be big players, and they will always be in the mix to be called up.

“I know that both of them are desperate to come back, which is really important. So competition is up, then they will stay in the mix. I know how desperate they are to come back, but they can maybe have a bit more rhythm”.

Tuchel has named a 24-man squad for the qualifiers, with Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson involved with the senior side for the first time.

England’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel speaks during a press conference at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 29, 2025, ahead of England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia (Photo by Toby Shepheard / AFP)

Anderson starred in England’s Under-21 Euros triumph over the summer, while uncapped Tottenham full-back Spence fills the gap left by Alexander-Arnold’s absence.

“Elliot Anderson, very physical, a lot of volume, very precise, clean passing, it is a good package.

” A regular player for Nottingham Forest and had a fantastic season. He is excited to come join us and hopes he can make his mark, “Tuchel said.

Marcus Rashford, now on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United, returns after missing June’s fixtures through injury.

Adam Wharton is included in Tuchel’s squad for the first time, but there is no place for Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, or Ivan Toney.

Due to injury, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Levi Colwill have been ruled out, as well as Harry Maguire, who Tuchel also chose to ignore.

John Stones, who was with the group in Spain during a camp in June, is back in his running shoes after Tuchel took over the organization for the first time since then.

Jordan Henderson, 35, who started three of Tuchel’s games as manager, is once more included.

Before the Group K leaders travel to Belgrade for Serbia on September 9, The Three Lions will host Andorra on September 6.

England Squad&nbsp ,

Goalkeepers: Crystal Palace, Jordan Pickford (Everton), and James Trafford (Manchester City).

Reece James (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), John Stones (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), and Djed Spence (Tottenham) are the defenders.

Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), and Declan Rice (Arsenal) are the midfielders.

Forwards: Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), and Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

England drop Alexander-Arnold; Spence & Anderson called up

By in News, Sports News
Reuters
Mokbel, S.
Senior football correspondent
Neil Johnston
journalist for BBC Sport
  • 917 Comments

Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence’s uncapped duo have been called up for the England squad, with Trent Alexander-Arnold not included in Thomas Tuchel’s most recent England squad.

Alexander-Arnold, a right-back, left Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer and was chosen for Tuchel’s previous team.

He will not be included in the squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Andorra.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, was not in the starting lineup for Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Real Oviedo on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford and Adam Wharton have been calleds, but Jordan Henderson, age 35, who has played in three of Tuchel’s four games as manager, is once more included along with Morgan Gibbs-White.

However, Ivan Toney, Ivan Toney, and his former Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden, or Kyle Walker, 35, will not have a place there. Since Tuchel became in charge, Tino Livramento and John Stones have received their first calls.

Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, and Bukayo Saka, all miss out due to injury.

On Saturday, September 6 at Villa Park (17:00 BST), England take on Andorra, who are ranked 174 in the world.

The senior team’s first visit to Aston Villa’s grounds since 2005’s goalless draw with the Netherlands.

Tuchel’s side then travels to Belgrade on September 9 (19: 45) to face Serbia.

England squad in its entirety

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, James Trafford, and Jordan Pickford.

Reece James, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, and Djed Spence are the defenders.

Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Adam Wharton, Morgan Rogers, and Declan Rice are the midfielders.

I hope Anderson can leave a lasting impression.

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Anderson, 22, has been given a boost for his impressive form since joining the City Ground from Newcastle in July 2024.

Bellingham is replaced by him in Tuchel’s 24-man squad.

Anderson also participated in England’s summer Under-21 World Cup triumph.

When asked why Anderson was chosen, Tuchel responded, “A regular player for Nottingham Forest and had a fantastic season.”

He looks forward to making his mark by joining us and is excited to do so.

Based on these observations, “Tino Livramento is also with us because they had a very successful Under-21 Euros tournament.”

Spence, 25, has a chance to play senior level and has previously represented England at under-21 level seven times between 2022 and 2023.

Alexander-Arnold’s bad week, in my opinion.

Alexander-Arnold, a Liverpool-born player, surprised the audience by saying his move was “a dream come true” in Spanish when he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player in June.

He has now accepted that he has only had a bench position for his new club for a week and that he has to accept that he hasn’t won any of his 34 England caps since September.

Nine months before the 2026 World Cup starts, his Three Lions omission is made.

On the BBC Euro Leagues podcast, Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague stated, “The Spanish media has a narrative about Trent: Dani Carvajal will surpass him. He’s too shy, he doesn’t fit in,” the journalist said.

I’m hoping he hears this.

He presents a significant challenge. Can he quickly and consistently adapt to a Xabi Alonso team and go up and down [the right-hand side]?

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  • Nottingham Forest
  • Real Madrid
  • Football
  • Men’s football teams from England

Israeli military says it has begun ‘initial stages’ of attack on Gaza City

By in News, World News

Published On 29 Aug 2025

The Israeli military claims that the first “combat zone” has been set up for its offensive against Gaza City, with the government declaring the largest urban center in the besieged territory a “combat zone” and suspending daily fighting pauses there that allowed the flow of humanitarian aid there.

“We don’t wait,” the statement read. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee stated in a post on X on Friday that “we have started preliminary operations and the initial stages of the attack on Gaza City.”

He claimed that “we are currently operating with great force on the city’s outskirts.”

The Israeli military announced that it had suspended its “tactical pauses” in its attacks on the city in northern Gaza, which had previously limited humanitarian operations there.

The military said on X that the tactical-local ceasefire of military activity will not apply to the Gaza City area, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone.

The Gaza governorate, a region that includes Gaza City, was the subject of a famine report released last week by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative.

Palestinian children who have been taken from Gaza City walk in a section of a school that has been converted into a shelter on August 27, 2025.

The UN’s Children’s Agency warned on Friday that staff members at a Gaza City nutrition center are having trouble adjusting to a rise in malnourished kids.

During a visit to the facility, where desperate parents bring their children to be screened and treated, it is obvious on the ground that Gaza City is ravaged by famine. She claimed to have met “so many” parents who were “in complete despair because they had exhausted all options.”

As a preventive measure, health workers at the center use fortified, high-energy biscuits to measure children’s upper arms while measuring children’s upper arms. Prepared therapeutic food, a concentrated paste that helps severe malnourished children recover over the course of several weeks, is provided for them.

According to Ingram, “It’s basically a medicine that’s given to kids like a paste.” However, “we simply don’t have enough; supplies are low, and the demand is high.”

As Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on humanitarian aid in Gaza as a result of a growing hunger crisis, the IPC also warned that the situation may soon spread to other areas.

At least five people have died in Gaza over the past 24 hours from starvation and malnutrition, according to a report from the Palestinian Ministry of Health on Friday.

Since the start of the war, there have been 322 deaths, including 121 children, in total.

Israeli offensive against Gaza City

As the military prepares for a larger assault on Gaza’s largest urban center, which could force a million Palestinians to be forced to live in concentration camps in southern Gaza, Israeli forces have been bombarding Gaza City frequently since early August.

Residents of the city have been forced to flee to the western regions of the city as a result of the constant bombardment, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Since August 6th, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, more than 1, 000 residential buildings have been flattened in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City.

Residents praised constant bombardment and helicopter attacks. Only 150 meters (500 ft) away from us, they launched a firebelt attack. According to Sheikh Radwan’s Nihad Madoukh, who lives in northwest Gaza City, “they scorched the entire area.” The bombardment was “very frightening.”

Ahmed Moqat, a resident who has been relocated, claimed he had been moving frequently to avoid Israeli attacks. He said, “Here’s the debris that fell last night next to my head.” Only God knows where I’ll go when I leave the house.

Numerous fatalities occur in Gaza.

According to medical sources, at least 41 Palestinians were killed in attacks on Friday across Gaza, including six aid workers.

Palestinian health workers reported to Al Jazeera that on Friday, Israeli forces shot three aid seekers dead close to the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.

At least five people were killed and dozens were hurt in the so-called “safe zone” of al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, according to medical sources who spoke to the Israelis who were sleeping in tents.

A man who cares for his grandchildren, whose father was killed two months ago, said, “We were sleeping when the bombing happened.” Before the ambulances arrived, we took the injured ourselves to Nasser Hospital. “The strike hit our area. Stop fighting us against us. Have mercy on the children.

Forest to face Malmo – see British teams’ Europa & Conference League draws

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty
Paul Battison
Journalist for BBC Sport
  • 232 Comments

In their first European campaign in 30 years, Nottingham Forest will face Malmo in the Europa League league phase.

The game is a replay of the 1979 European Cup final, when Brian Clough’s side won by 1-0.

Aston Villa will face Feyenoord, Fenerbahce, and Bologna, while Forest will also face Real Betis and Porto.

Roma will be played by Celtic and Rangers, both of whom were eliminated from this week’s Champions League qualifying.

Last season, the 36-team league phase was introduced. In the Conference League, teams play six opponents, three at home and three away, while in the Europa League each team plays eight teams, four of which are at home and four away.

Up until the knockout stages, teams from the same league can play each other.

After the Eagles broke multi-club ownership regulations, Forest placed seventh in the Premier League last year to qualify for the Conference League. However, after the Eagles went seventh, Forest was promoted to the Europa League.

Dynamo Kyiv, Shelbourne, and Strasbourg have been drawn in the Conference League against Palace, who qualified for Europe by winning the FA Cup, the first trophy in the club’s history.

In the Conference League, Aberdeen will face AEK Athens, Strasbourg, and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Conference League will begin on October 2 and the first Europa League games will take place on September 24.

In the upcoming days, precise scheduling for the fixtures will be available.

The British teams will face who?

Europa League

Aston Villa: Red Bull Salzburg (home), Feyenoord (away), Maccabi Tel Aviv (home), Fenerbahce (away), Young Boys (home), Basel (home), Bologna (home), and Go Ahead Eagles (away)

Celtic: Roma (home), Feyenoord (away), Braga (home), Red Star Belgrade (away), Sturm Graz (home), Midtjylland (away), Utrecht (home), and Bologna (away)

Nottingham Forest: Porto (home), Real Betis (away), Ferencvaros (home), Braga (away), Midtjylland (home), Sturm Graz (away), Malmo (home), and Utrecht (away).

Rangers: Roma (home), Porto (away), Braga (home), Ferencvaros (home), Ludogorets (home), Sturm Graz (home), Genk (home), and Brann (away)

Conference League

Aberdeen: Shakhtar Donetsk (home), Sparta Prague (away), Strasbourg (home), AEK Larnaca (home), and Noah (away).

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  • Aberdeen
  • Nottingham Forest
  • Celtic
  • Rangers
  • Football in Europe
  • Europa League
  • Aston Villa
  • Crystal Palace
  • Football

Norris heads Piastri in Dutch GP first practice

By in News, Sports News
Reuters
Andrew Benson
F1 Correspondent at Zandvoort
  • 93 Comments

Grand Prix of the Netherlands

Dates: 29-31-Aug, 2018 Start time: 14:00 BST on Sunday

Lando Norris led McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by 0.292 seconds in first practice at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands as the Formula 1 season restarted after its summer break.

With 10 races left in the championship, Norris looked more comfortable than Piastri on their fastest laps with the soft tyre midway through the session.

On the race simulation runs McLaren ran in the final stages, the Briton appeared to have a similar advantage.

Stroll and the other leading cars would have been on the track much faster, so he set his lap much later in the session than Alonso and the others.

Mercedes’ George Russell and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull finished fifth, with Alex Albon’s Kimi Antonelli missing the majority of the session after falling off the track at Turn Nine and causing a red flag early.

Ferrari appeared to be struggling, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both occupying 14 and 15th positions. Leclerc once alleged that the team was “nowhere” over the radio.

Yuki Tsunoda, the 16th fastest Red Bull product, had another off when he spun into the gravel at Turn 12 and rejoined.

Verstappen and Hamilton also had spins during the session, but they were unharmed. Verstappen, however, lost control of his brakes after the chequered flag and then went off at the corner after starting his practice from the grid.

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  • Andrew Benson