Trinidad and Tobago will be missing two of their key players when they tackle Puerto Rico in their return-leg Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifier on Tuesday evening.

Maria-Frances Serrant and Chrissy Mitchell, both failed to make the trip to Puerto Rico due to visa issues. This serves as another major blue to twin island republic's chances, as the Richard Hood-coached team is intent on overturning the 1-2 loss they suffered, to the same opponents at Hasely Crawford Stadium, last Friday.

Eddie Howe denied Newcastle are on a revenge mission against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup as the Magpies boss weighs up his diminishing options for the fourth-round clash.

Newcastle’s long wait for a first domestic trophy since 1955 was extended by Erik ten Hag’s United, who claimed a 2-0 victory in last season’s final between the teams at Wembley in February.

United have been in patchy form this season and come into Tuesday’s encounter at Old Trafford reeling from being outclassed in the Manchester derby at the weekend as City walked away with a 3-0 win.

But Howe anticipates Premier League form can be parked to one side for now, with both sides set to ring the changes, and he was adamant vengeance for eight months ago is not a motivation ahead of the trip.

Howe said: “That’s not our emotion as I sit here now. Our emotion is just to try to prepare and win the game. One win and we’re into the quarter-final of the competition. We loved our run in it last year.

“Manchester United are a top team with top players. One of the key tests of any team is how you respond to setbacks. That’s always what you’re looking to do when you’re in the manager’s position.

“They’ve got some very good results lately and have won some games late. Whenever you play Manchester City, as we know they’re very, very difficult games.

“When you go into a cup tie, to a degree you leave that form behind. This is a one-off game and I’m sure both teams will be motivated to try and win.”

Injuries to several first-team players – including Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy – have been exacerbated by Sandro Tonali being handed a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules.

Joe Willock has made a couple of substitute appearances since a long injury lay-off and Callum Wilson and Joelinton have shrugged off issues of their own, but Howe is wary of overburdening some players.

Howe admitted he is uncharted territory as the Champions League has increased Newcastle’s workload – they play Borussia Dortmund next week after welcoming Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

He said: “You just have to roll with the punches, absorb the hits and that’s what we’re going to try to do. It’s not ideal for us, especially with the season to last year – it’s a totally different feel.

“We’re not in that position now so we’re going to need everybody in the squad to step up. The key message is everyone has to give a bit more. To not use our squad (on Tuesday) would be really foolish.

“(Last season) whet the appetite for us, we want this on a more regular basis, we’re determined to get back there. That’s the challenge for us – can we? Tomorrow will dictate what we do in this competition.

“It’s going to be a bit of a juggling act for us, but we do have the players that can be flexible and can play different positions. It’s one of the strengths of our squad.”

Anthony Gordon could be up front in place of Wilson while Lewis Hall may start, having struggled for minutes since moving to Tyneside, initially on loan with an obligation to buy, from Chelsea.

Howe added: “He has a big role. He’s a talented player, he can play various positions for us which in our current position we’re going to need. The best is yet to come, without a doubt.

“He’s been training well and adapting to quite a big change in his life so for such a young player to move from London and settle in here, I think he’s done it well.”

Paulo Bernardo believes he can follow in the footsteps of friend Jota and create his own history at Celtic.

The on-loan Benfica midfielder made his first start for the club in Saturday’s goalless draw against Hibernian after playing the bulk of the midweek Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid following an early hamstring injury to Reo Hatate.

With the Japan midfielder likely to missing for the next two months, Bernardo has a chance to make his mark.

The 21-year-old watched on as Jota became a Celtic fans’ favourite, firstly on loan from Benfica and then after making a permanent deal to Glasgow before sealing a big-money move to Saudi Arabia in the summer.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s cinch Premiership encounter with St Mirren, the Portugal Under-21 international said: “I am working hard to make my impact. Jota made his impact and I want to make my impact.

“We are friends, I speak to him a lot, but now I have to make my own history and hopefully it’s good like him.

“He told me Glasgow was good and that Celtic is a really big club like we are used to in Benfica. He told me that it’s not too different. The big difference is the weather. But I am really enjoying Glasgow like Jota said I would.”

With Celtic facing 14 games before the end of 2023, Bernardo is confident he can make his mark.

“I have to feel it because we are professional players and it’s our job to make an impact,” he said.

“It was really good to make my first start at this big club. The game was not so good but we have a game on Wednesday and we will get better.

“It was a little hard to start these sequence of games, but I will respond well.

“You can work hard in training and this gave me an opportunity to play, but game time is the most important time for a player.

“When we play one game, we improve a lot more than one or two training sessions.

“I am feeling confident. I like the way the coach thinks and plays the game, and I feel comfortable with the tactics.”

Bernardo is enjoying the relentless nature of Scottish football.

“It’s a bit different to Portugal, but I really like it here and Celtic really support me,” he said. “The players have welcomed me and the staff support me really well.

“The game here is more intense. The game never stops.

“In Portugal, we lose a little bit of the time of the game because players go down on the floor and the referee stops the game. It’s a little bit boring compared to here. That’s the biggest difference.”

Mikel Arteta believes Declan Rice’s potential return to West Ham will be “beautiful” – if the Arsenal manager decides to play the midfielder in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash.

The 24-year-old England international moved across London in the summer, the Gunners paying a club-record £105million to prise him away from the Hammers.

Rice, who captained West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League final in the last of his 245 games for the club he joined at the age of 14, could be in line for his first return to east London having shone in the opening months of his fledgling Arsenal career.

“It will be his first time back at his old club and a beautiful moment for him, I think,” Arteta said on the eve of the fourth-round tie.

“I think it is beautiful. I had a chance to do it a few times and then you really see what they think of you and what you left at the club.”

Arteta feels Rice will receive a warm welcome from the West Ham fans, adding: “Every time you hear him talk about West Ham and what they did for him and everybody at the club, he cannot talk any higher of them, so hopefully they will be the same way towards him.”

While Arteta suggested it was “likely” Rice would be involved in the game in some way, he was rested entirely for the 1-0 win at Brentford in the previous round.

The Spaniard made a total of eight changes for the victory in west London but insists the Carabao Cup – which he won twice as a coach at Manchester City – is still a major honour.

“It’s a competition that we have the chance to progress and win a trophy and our mindset has to be focused on West Ham,” he said.

“I live it exactly the same as the Premier League (on Wednesday). I have the same thing in my tummy and the certain thing and same way to prepare and I’m going to be there, closer to the game, and I just want to win the game for sure.

“Even if you are doing rotations, I think the role of the players that are now committed to challenge for this trophy or for this game, I think it’s critical for them to show what they can do.”

Gabriel Jesus will not feature despite Arteta revealing the striker is “already pushing” to return from a hamstring injury suffered in a Champions League win at Sevilla last week.

Captain Martin Odegaard is again likely to be rested as he recovers from a hip complaint, while Arteta admitted to “concerns” over Thomas Partey’s most recent setback.

The Ghana midfielder missed just seven games in five years at Atletico Madrid but has been plagued with issues since joining Arsenal in 2020 – sitting out 53 fixtures for club and country in that time.

“I think that he will be out for weeks,” Arteta said of Partey’s latest injury.

“It is a big concern because, when Thomas is fit and available and he’s been part of the team, we have seen what the results and the impact that he has on the team.

“This season we have more protection, especially for that reason as well because we know in the past two seasons what has happened and the impact that it had on the team, so we had to address that.”

Colombian police are searching a mountain range in the north of the country for the kidnapped father of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz.

Diaz’s mother has been rescued but the Colombian authorities have stepped up the search for his father, with the player having returned home to be with family members.

Police have been carrying out aerial patrols across the Perija mountain range, which straddles the border with Venezuela and is covered by a forest.

In a post on social media, Colombian police director general William Salamanca was shown visiting the operation in order to “recognise our commandos for their bravery and commitment to rescue him safe and sound”.

Police have offered a reward worth around £39,000 for information leading to the rescue of Luis Manuel Diaz.

On Monday Salamanca urged caution with regards to reports that Luis Manuel might already have been taken into Venezuela, pointing to the difficulty of crossing the Perija mountains.

Both FIFA and the Colombia Football Federation have offered support to Diaz, 26, while Liverpool allowed the player to return home.

Speaking after Sunday’s 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said preparation for the game had been “the most difficult I’ve ever had in my life”.

Klopp added: “I didn’t expect that, I wasn’t prepared for it. I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but definitely, we tried to help Luis with the fight we put in because obviously we want to help and we cannot really help.

“So the only thing we can do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.”

Liverpool said in a statement: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia.

“It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”

Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5million in add-ons.

What the papers say

Real Madrid are keen on making Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan move from Chelsea permanent, according to the Sun. The LaLiga giants reportedly want to pay no more than £17.5million for the 29-year-old Spain goalkeeper, who cost the Blues £71m five years ago.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, 30, is being eyed by Juventus as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba, reports the Mirror. The Italian club are said to be looking at a loan deal in January, using the wages saved with Pogba reportedly facing a lengthy ban over a failed drugs test and Nicolo Fagiolo suspended for at least seven months over betting breaches.

Liverpool have been given a lift in their interest in Brazilian midfielder Andre according to the Mirror. A previous bid for the 22-year-old from Fluminense was reportedly rejected, but he has now indicated he would be open to a move in January.

Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz is catching Chelsea’s eye at Bayer Leverkusen, reports the Express. But the Blues are said to face competition from Manchester City for the 20-year-old.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Trevoh Chalobah: Borussia Dortmund are interested in the 24-year-old Chelsea defender, 24.

Giorgi Mamardashvili: Chelsea have reportedly watched the Valencia and Georgia goalkeeper, 24.

Australia has opted against a bid to host the 2034 World Cup with Saudi Arabia on course to stage the tournament.

With FIFA’s deadline for declarations of interest on Tuesday, Football Australia issued a statement saying it had “explored the opportunity” of a bid but had decided against it.

“Having taken all factors into consideration, we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” the statement said.

“Football Australia is ambitious to bring more major tournaments to our shores. We believe we are in a strong position to host the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.”

It said hosting those events, in between the 2023 Women’s World Cup and 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, would complete a “truly golden decade for Australian football”.

Saudia Arabia announced its declaration of interest within hours of FIFA outlining the process for hosting the 2034 tournament.

The awarding of the 2026 finals to the United States, Canada and Mexico followed by Spain, Portugal and Morocco being set to host the 2030 finals – subject to formal approval by FIFA’s congress – means that only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be considered for the 2034 finals.

Saudi Arabia confirmed on October 4 that it would bid for the showpiece tournament in 2034 when Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said in a statement via the Saudi Press Agency: “Hosting a FIFA World Cup in 2034 would help us achieve our dream of becoming a leading nation in world sport and would mark a significant milestone in the country’s transformation.

“As an emerging and welcoming home for all sports, we believe that hosting a FIFA World Cup is a natural next step in our football journey.”

Carlos Corberan was delighted after his West Brom side secured a 2-0 win against Coventry at the CBS Arena.

Grady Diangana pounced on a Ben Wilson error to slot home in the first half before Brandon Thomas-Asante fired in a second amid calls for offside from the Sky Blues’ back-line.

“The result of course was excellent,” said Corberan. “We know that Coventry is one team that didn’t lose at home so far, during the game we realised how difficult it was to win here tonight.

“The first goal was a collective action, Grady was showing how connected he is with the game because normally not every player will go for the second ball.

“The second was a very good action, very good pass of (Matt) Phillips, good running of Asante and the level of finish was excellent.

“I am very pleased to have the three points for the level of effort the players have put into the game tonight. In defence in the first half we need to defend much better. In attack we need to attack more, in the second half we improved in the counter attack but there are still things we need to do better to improve as a team.

“I didn’t watch the action (possible offside) so it’s impossible for me to make any decisions. You need to pause, to see with VAR to make the decision but on live, some actions are impossible.

“I think in one action if there is a clear offside it’s easy to see, if there is no clear offside it’s very difficult, and if there is no clear offside there is no advantage. I think VAR shows us sometimes that they disallow the goals in the action that you don’t see an advantage of the striker with the position of the defender.

“If there was an advantage I think the referee would have been watching. I hope it wasn’t offside because I always like to win with the results being fair.”

Coventry boss Mark Robins bemoaned a lack of belief within his side, who were handed their first home defeat since April and sit 20th in the Championship after three consecutive defeats.

Robins said: “The negative is obviously the result. We’ve got to a situation where we’ve lost the last three and we’ve conceded really poor goals and made some poor decisions.

“We’ve had plenty of the ball and got into good positions, but what I would say is we need to be more positive when we’ve got positions to shoot.

“We moved the ball well, we played through the midfield area pretty well and there are areas that we clearly need to be better in.

“There were some good things we did in the game but we can’t concede goals that give us a mountain to climb.

“Belief is a bit lacking in certain individuals but we made a lot of bad decisions as well.

“Ultimately they’ve got the win off the back of a goal we’ve given to them and an offside goal that wasn’t seen by the officials.

“I saw it live and it looked offside and then I went to have a look at the monitor and he was offside. But the action that led to it wasn’t right either. We tried to play offside, that was a major decision because we were still in the game, we had chances to equalise having gone a goal down.

“It’s poor by Ben Wilson. We can’t give people chances like that and expect people to keep the ball out of the net. It’s poor. We all make mistakes and it’s just how you deal with them and how you put those forward.”

Lionel Messi was crowned Ballon d’Or winner for a record eighth time after leading Argentina to World Cup glory.

The 36-year-old scored twice in the final as Argentina saw off France to win the tournament for the first time in his illustrious career.

Messi has since moved to Inter Miami having left Paris St Germain at the end of last season – but it was his imperious form for his country in Qatar which saw him crowned Ballon d’Or winner by France Football once again.

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or following a trophy-laden campaign for the 25-year-old.

Messi beat Manchester City’s hot-shot striker Erling Haaland into second place for the men’s award on a night where Pep Guardiola’s treble winners were well-represented.

Kylian Mbappe – just the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick – was third after starring in France’s run to the final.

Kevin De Bruyne finished fourth while Rodri came fifth, Julian Alvarez – also a team-mate of Messi at international level – was seventh, and Bernardo Silva was ninth as City players dominated the top 10.

Messi was presented with the award by David Beckham, owner of Inter Miami and runner-up in the 1999 Ballon d’Or, and was in a reflective mood.

“I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had,” he said.

“Everything that I’ve achieved. The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies. To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing.”

City were also crowned the men’s team of the season after winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup last term.

Haaland’s fine season saw him win the Gerd Muller Trophy for the world’s top-scoring striker after hitting a record 56 goals last season.

Women’s Ballon d’Or winner Bonmati won a league and Champions League double before playing a pivotal role in Spain’s World Cup success, where she was also awarded the Golden Ball.

“This is a dream for me,” she said.

“I have really good players by my side. To reach three straight Champions League finals as a club is special. Let’s hope there’s much more to come.”

Bonmati beat Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr into second place, with her Spain and Barcelona team-mate Salma Paralluelo coming third.

Two of England’s Lionesses who reached the World Cup final made the top 10, with Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps fifth and Rachel Daly of Aston Villa 10th.

Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez won the Lev Yashin Trophy for goalkeeper of the year after his starring role in his nation’s World Cup win.

England international Jude Bellingham’s meteoric rise continued as he was voted the Kopa Award winner for the best under-21 player in the world.

The Real Madrid and England midfielder picked up the trophy after the 20-year-old finished 18th for the main award.

Bellingham has hit 13 goals in 13 appearances since moving to Madrid in the summer, including a double to lead Real to victory in his first El Clasico against Barcelona on Saturday, but his success was for last season – where he shone for Borussia Dortmund and England.

England captain Harry Kane was 19th, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka coming 24th – while Mohamed Salah of Liverpool just missed out on the top 10 as he was 11th.

Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati has won the women’s Ballon d’Or, France Football has announced.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a fine year for club and country – winning a league and Champions League double before playing a pivotal role in Spain’s World Cup success, where she also won the Golden Ball.

Bonmati beat Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr into second place, with her Spain and Barcelona team-mate Salma Paralluelo coming third.

Two of England’s Lionesses who reached the World Cup final made the top 10, with Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps fifth and Rachel Daly of Aston Villa 10th.

Manchester City were crowned the men’s team of the season after Pep Guardiola’s side delivered the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Meanwhile, City’s Erling Haaland won the Gerd Muller Trophy for the world’s top-scoring striker after hitting a record 56 goals last season.

Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez won the Lev Yashin Trophy for goalkeeper of the year after his starring role in his nation’s World Cup win.

England international Jude Bellingham was voted the Kopa Award winner for the best under-21 player in the world.

The Real Madrid and England midfielder picked up the trophy after the 20-year-old finished 18th for the main award.

Bellingham has hit 13 goals in 13 appearances since moving to Madrid in the summer, including a double to lead Real to victory in his first El Clasico against Barcelona on Saturday, but his success was for last season – where he shone for Borussia Dortmund and England.

Jude Bellingham’s meteoric rise continued as he was awarded the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21 in world football.

The Real Madrid and England midfielder picked up the trophy at the Ballon d’Or event in France, where the 20-year-old finished 18th for the main award.

Bellingham has hit 13 goals in 13 appearances since moving to Madrid in the summer, including a double to lead Real to victory in his first El Clasico against Barcelona on Saturday.

The Kopa Trophy was awarded for his form last season, when Bellingham helped Borussia Dortmund to finish second in the Bundesliga and starred for England at the World Cup in Qatar.

“I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point – from Birmingham to Dortmund and now Real Madrid and the national team,” he said.

“Thanks for the support, it means a lot – and more to come.”

Former winners Gavi and Pedri – both of Barcelona – were in the top five, as was Bellingham’s Real Madrid team-mate Eduardo Camavinga.

Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala came second, having roomed with Bellingham during their time together in the England youth set-up.

Bellingham had finished second in 2021, with Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho the only other England player to ever finish in the top three – taking second place in 2019 while at Dortmund.

Anwar El Ghazi is set to play for Mainz again after the German club said he has “distanced” himself from a social media post about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The former Aston Villa forward was suspended on October 17 by the Bundesliga club, who called the now-deleted Instagram post “intolerable”.

It was widely reported that El Ghazi would have his contract terminated, but Mainz have confirmed that the 28-year-old Dutchman will be staying.

A club statement read: “Anwar El Ghazi is warned by 1. FSV Mainz 05 for publishing a post on social media two weeks ago.

“After the publication, the club immediately released its player from training and games.

“Since then, in several conversations with the club’s board, El Ghazi has distanced himself from his post on his Instagram channel, which he himself deleted after just a few minutes.

“He regretted the publication of the article and its negative impact, especially for the entire club.

“In this context, El Ghazi also clearly distanced himself from terrorist acts such as those by Hamas, which led to a renewed escalation of violence in the Middle East two weeks ago, to the board.”

The club added: “He (El Ghazi) emphasised his sympathy with the victims of this attack as well as with all victims of this conflict. He made it clear that he did not question Israel’s right to exist.

“The club’s board clearly emphasised to Anwar El Ghazi in the discussions that it requires its employees to commit to the club’s values.

“This implies a special responsibility towards the State of Israel and the Jewish people, which derives from German history, but also the history of the club with its Jewish club co-founder Eugen Salomon.

“Against the background of El Ghazi’s commitment and the remorse he has shown, the club’s culture of dealing with mistakes requires that the player be given a chance for rehabilitation.

“Anwar El Ghazi will therefore return to training and games at 1. FSV Mainz 05 as soon as possible.”

El Ghazi joined Mainz on a free transfer last month from PSV Eindhoven and has made three substitute appearances.

He played for Lille and Ajax before moving to Villa in 2018. He made nearly 120 appearances in four years at Villa and also had a loan spell at Everton during his time in England.

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate is unlikely to play again before Christmas.

The Japan international suffered a hamstring injury in the first minute of last week’s Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid, and tests have revealed significant damage.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “Reo, we are not 100 per cent on the exact timings, but he is certainly going to be out until after Christmas, we think, so that’s a shame.”

The 25-year-old will miss a major chunk of the season with Celtic playing 12 games before Christmas, including three in the Champions League.

The Hoops travel to Dundee on Boxing Day before hosting Rangers four days later and Hatate may face an extended period out given the winter break follows Celtic’s trip to play St Mirren on January 2.

Rodgers added: “It’s a disappointment for him. He has had a bit of a broken start to the season and obviously this will take him over the halfway point in the league.

“So it is very frustrating for him, especially someone who really commits himself to his game and his professionalism. Everything he does, he tries to do right.

“But he is in a great place for that support, from the coaches, the manager to the medical team, the whole staff here will support him like we do with all the players. And hopefully we will get him back sooner rather than later.”

Hatate had a six-week spell out with a hamstring injury in his other leg towards the end of last season, and missed a month with a calf injury earlier this term. So Celtic will explore all avenues to ensure Hatate’s return to fitness is lasting.

“That’s the ideal scenario,” Rodgers said. “It’s just investigating everything he is doing outside of here as well as here and trying to piece it all together.

“There are also unfortunately players that, sadly, their collagen means they pick up lots of injuries and how their body is, and they can just maybe sometimes never stay fit.

“He is a guy that has come into the game late. He has done fantastic when he has been fit and available for Celtic.

“It’s just a case of trying to look deeper into everything around his development and what he is doing here and what he is doing away from here, just to see if there is anything that we can find out.

“Because ideally you want your best players available, and he is certainly one of our top players.”

There was better news for Rodgers ahead of Wednesday’s cinch Premiership meeting with St Mirren after Alistair Johnston was passed fit after taking a clearance to the face during Saturday’s draw with Hibernian.

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham continued their stunning starts to life at their new clubs with multi-goal performances over the weekend.

Bellingham’s brace fired Real Madrid to victory over Barcelona in El Clasico while Kane hit a hat-trick in Bayern Munich’s 8-0 rout of Darmstadt in the Bundesliga.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the England duo’s season to date.

Goals galore

Kane kick-started the second-half scoring in Bayern’s wild win on Saturday, in a game which at half-time was goalless with Bayern playing with 10 men to Darmstadt’s nine.

His eventual treble, completed in the 88th minute and including one from his own half, sees him one ahead of Bellingham in the scoring stakes this season but the latter’s contribution on Saturday stands out as all the more impressive.

With Real trailing to Ilkay Gundogan’s early goal for Barca, Bellingham blasted a stunning 30-yard equaliser midway through the second half before popping up with a close-range volley in stoppage time to give his side the Clasico spoils and a four-point lead over their rivals in LaLiga.

It is the third time this season he has scored twice in a game, following the wins over Almeria and Osasuna, giving him a goal-a-game record in his first 13 games for the Spanish giants.

Kane, in the same number of matches, has 14 goals, including another hat-trick in a 7-0 win over Bochum and a brace against Augsburg.

Both men scored in England’s 3-1 win over Scotland, one of three appearances this season for the national team as they sat out the friendly with Australia. That gives Bellingham 14 goals in 16 games for club and country and Kane, who added a brace against Italy, 17 in 16.

Bellingham, of course, has produced those numbers from an attacking midfield position and while acclimatising to a more advanced role than he had been used to with former clubs Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham, or with England. Kane leads the line and has already benefitted from four penalties for Bayern and another against Italy.

Brits abroad

Kane and Bellingham are already on their way to establishing themselves among the most prolific English or British players overseas.

Gary Lineker scored 20 goals in his debut LaLiga season with Barcelona, and 52 in 138 games for the club across three seasons in all competitions.

Michael Owen netted 16 times in his one season at Real, where David Beckham won a league title in his fourth and final season and Steve McManaman won two Champions Leagues, scoring in the 2000 final.

Wales’ record scorer Gareth Bale was another British star to ply his trade at the Bernabeu and scored over 100 goals for Real, with nine in his first 13 games – while often operating from the bench – setting up a tally of 22 in his debut season.

Kevin Keegan scored 12 in his first season at Hamburg in 1977-78, a total already surpassed by Kane and Bellingham, while Wales forward Mark Hughes managed only five goals alongside Lineker at Barca and seven in a season on loan at Bayern. Mark Hateley’s most prolific seasons at AC Milan and Monaco brought 11 and 14 goals respectively.

Jadon Sancho, a team-mate of Bellingham at Dortmund, took time to establish himself after moving from Manchester City’s youth academy. He did scored 13 goals in his first season as a regular starter, though eight of those came from December onwards. Tammy Abraham got 27 in his first season at Roma, albeit with nine in the unheralded Europa Conference League.

Bellingham himself scored only 12 league goals in three years with Dortmund – he is only two away from that already with Real, and more than halfway to his 24 in all competitions for the German side.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has stressed that Barcelona’s Gavi was not to blame for the injury he suffered in El Clasico.

Tchouameni sustained a fracture in his foot during Saturday’s contest at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium.

Replying to a social media post showing footage of a coming together between him and Gavi in the game, the France international wrote: “It’s not Gavi’s fault. I was injured at the end of the first half.”

Real had said on Sunday: “After the tests carried out on our player Aurelien Tchouameni by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with an incomplete stress fracture in the second metatarsal of his left foot.”

A dramatic encounter saw the visitors came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace, with the England midfielder’s second goal coming in stoppage time.

Calo Ancelotti’s Real lead LaLiga on goal difference from second-placed Girona, while Xavi’s defending champions Barca are four points behind in fourth.