Jamaican International Ravel Morrison has been convicted of fraud after he was caught using a deceased person’s blue badge to park.

According to a report in The Guardian, Morrison, during his interview under caution, claimed he bought the badge from “someone in Old Trafford” for £50. The former Manchester United representative was subsequently charged with one count of fraud.

Morrison, 30, who currently represents DC United in Major League Soccer (MLS) appeared before Manchester magistrates court to plead guilty to the offence on Thursday. He was fined £1,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £508.32 and a victim surcharge of £400.

Manchester city council enforcement officers began their investigation in May into a white Audi S3 parked in Bridgewater Street which was displaying a blue badge.

Blue badge permits are given to people with disabilities or health issues, whose mobility is limited. It entitles those individuals to park free of charge in spaces that are often closer to shops and destinations.

The police discovered that the badge’s holder died in February 2022, and was no longer valid. The vehicle was issued with a penalty charge notice and was removed to the Manchester vehicle pound. Morrison reclaimed his vehicle later the same day.

“This ruling shows that the law is applicable to everyone, with no exceptions. I am grateful for the diligent work of our investigating officers, as well as legal counsel, who were able to successfully prosecute this case,” a spokesperson for Manchester city council said.

“Our officers patrol the streets daily to ensure that blue badges are used legitimately, and we will not hesitate to take action if we discover people trying to circumvent the law,” they added.

Morrison’s topsy-turvy career, playing for 13 clubs around the world after leaving Manchester United in 2012. He has so far made 18 appearances for Jamaica with three goals to his credit.

Harry Kane’s pursuit of more Bundesliga goals will have to wait after Bayern Munich’s game with Union Berlin was postponed due to snow.

There was a heavy downfall in the Munich area overnight and it is expected to continue throughout the day, meaning the decision was made to call the game off.

Kane has been insatiable for Bayern, bagging 18 goals in 12 games and last week became the highest-scoring Englishman in a single season in the Bundesliga.

Bayern were looking to regain top spot in the table ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who play Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

A statement from Bayern read: “Bayern’s Bundesliga game against Union Berlin, originally scheduled for 15:30 CET today at the Allianz Arena, has been postponed due to heavy snow overnight.

“The snowfall is also not forecast to end until Saturday evening. Even if it had been possible to get the pitch at the Allianz Arena in a condition that would have allowed the match to go ahead by the afternoon, safety risks and the traffic situation made cancellation unavoidable.

“Snow falling from the roof at the Allianz Arena poses an incalculable risk for spectators. In addition, it is almost impossible to get to the stadium.

“Countless buses and trains are cancelled, many roads and motorways are completely closed, the underground line U6, which runs to Frottmaning and the Allianz Arena, has been suspended.

“The Munich police recommend that people do not leave their homes. Under these conditions, it cannot be guaranteed that the necessary security personnel will be able to reach the Allianz Arena.”

Liverpool summer signing Wataru Endo has found the Premier League more difficult than he expected but is confident he can improve and contribute more.

The 30-year-old Japan international, a £12million arrival from Stuttgart, was viewed as something of a stop-gap solution to the club’s lack of defensive midfielders following Fabinho’s unexpected departure to Saudi Arabia.

Of his 15 appearances so far, only two have been Premier League starts (against Newcastle and Brentford), with manager Jurgen Klopp preferring to utilise Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister in an unfamiliar holding role.

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Endo has gained most of his game time in the Europa League and Carabao Cup and his late arrival – he was signed in mid-August – did not help his integration.

“Yes, it’s harder than I thought, but I’m very happy to be here,” he said when asked about his experience of the Premier League so far.

“Physically, it’s speedy, so it’s very hard to adapt but it’s the Premier League and I keep trying and keep playing and I’ll get better.

“I’m already 30 years old but I feel I have a chance to grow as a football player so I’m so happy to be here and I can improve.

“After I got here I had a talk with the boss about how Liverpool play. After that I just try to do that and he talks a lot with me about it.

“Every time I try to help Liverpool play and of course I always watch what they do from the bench. I think it is an important thing and I am getting better and better.”

Endo’s start to life at Anfield was not helped by the fact as the only holding midfielder there was a lot of attention on him to slot straight into the side and perform a similar role to the one that 30-year-old Fabinho did for five years.

In addition, Liverpool’s midfield underwent a complete overhaul in the summer with Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch now looking like the established first choices.

But with nine matches to come this month, Endo is likely to get more opportunities.

“I’m always ready to play every game, that’s the most important thing. We need all the players so I try to be ready every game and try to win every game,” he added.

“Liverpool has a very winning mentality so we always need to win, need to get three points, and it’s a very difficult thing but that’s why I came here. I’m enjoying the pressure.

“I’m a defensive midfielder so I have to make a difference in defence but also to take up good positions and play good football. I’m enjoying playing with amazing players.”

Ange Postecoglou is excited to welcome Yves Bissouma back into the fold for Sunday’s trip to Manchester City, but admits Tottenham must improve their discipline.

Bissouma is available again after serving a one-match ban against Aston Villa for receiving five yellow cards before the halfway point of the Premier League season.

The former Brighton midfielder enjoyed a superb start to the new campaign but has only played three times since being sent off for two bookings at Luton in early October.

Bissouma is not alone in missing matches due to suspension, with Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie also seeing red this term.

“Really pleased to get Biss back. He is such an important part of our set-up with the way he plays in that role,” Postecoglou said.

“If you look at the first third of the season, from a results perspective I reckon we are still on the positive side of the ledger.

“Performance-wise, I still think we are on the positive side of the ledger, even though we’ve had some disappointments, but an area we need to improve is discipline. He is part of that.

“That has let us down in this first half of the year. Not just in terms of cards, but being really focused in our approach and these are the things we need to learn as a team.

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“I am sure Biss probably feels himself a bit frustrated with the fact he had such a great start and now it’s been disrupted, but great to have him back. Particularly against a team like City, he is going to be really important for us.

“It is kind of a lesson for him and us as a group. If you want things to run a bit more smoothly, you have to be really disciplined in your approach and really focused in what you do.

“Hopefully he comes out of this knowing for him to maintain becoming a really important part of our team, he needs to have that discipline and focus.”

The return of Bissouma is welcome for Postecoglou, who remains without Pape Sarr (hamstring) and this week discovered Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle) will be out until February

Spurs’ list of absentees has now reached double figures, which contributes towards the visitors being long odds to upset City on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Tottenham boast an excellent record against the Premier League champions, albeit previously playing in a pragmatic way, and Postecoglou knows his markedly different attacking approach will bring questions.

He added: “That’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing. We need to be scrutinised. I need to be scrutinised, I need to be questioned. That’s what tests my resolve.

“I ain’t gong to change, but bring it on. It doesn’t just test me, it tests the players, it tests the club. How resolved are we about doing this?

“Look at all the top teams, they’ve all been through the process, through the tough times. They’ve all got questioned, they’ve all got scrutinised, they’ve all had criticism.

“How did they handle it, the ones that are through the other side? The ones who handled it differently, where are they now?

“I have a real strong belief in what I do and where the team is heading and I’m just not going to waver from it.

“There’s a reason I’m sitting here and the reason is the end game is not to beat City. If that’s the end game, that’s been done.

“It’s a hell of an achievement to knock them off, absolutely, but it’s not why I’m here.

“I’m trying to set up a team to be successful.”

Police have charged 46 men after Legia Warsaw supporters attacked police outside Villa Park in Birmingham on Thursday.

West Midlands Police said five officers, two police dogs and two police horses were injured when missiles were thrown by visiting fans during the Europa Conference League fixture.

In a statement confirming details of the charges, the force said 43 men have been charged with a public order offence, two with assaulting police officers and another with possession of a knife.

The statement added: “Those charged are aged between 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents.

“All apart from one of the men is due in court today. He has been bailed to appear at a later date. A special court has been set up at Birmingham magistrates and will begin hearing the cases this morning.”

Officers are continuing to review CCTV and body-worn video footage to identify further suspects after “what was an appalling and violent public disorder”.

Two West Midlands Police officers, two from West Mercia and one from Derbyshire Police suffered minor injuries during the violence.

Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, who is overseeing the criminal investigation, said: “Our investigation is very much continuing and we’ll be reviewing footage and speaking to witnesses over the coming days.

“To charge this number of people so soon after such a major disorder has taken a huge effort by staff who have been working around the clock.

“We’ve had a number of messages of thanks from the club and fans who were present on Thursday night and saw the policing operation first hand, and we are really grateful for that support.”

Police said fans of the Polish side were not allowed into the stadium after missiles were thrown at officers before the start of the match.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street has called for European football chiefs to take “strong action” as he thanked the “brave officers” and criticised the “deeply unpleasant scenes”.

In a previous statement, Chief Inspector Tim Robinson said: “This should have been a great evening of football which was enjoyed by fans from both clubs. Unfortunately, there were appalling scenes which saw away fans dangerously throw flares and other missiles at our officers.”

He said the “extreme violence” left police with no other choice but to prevent away fans entering the stadium, adding: “The safety of everyone is our priority and clearly we had no other option.”

Pep Guardiola expects Tottenham to come at his Manchester City side at full throttle this weekend.

Spurs caught the eye playing dynamic and attacking football in a strong start to the Premier League season under new manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Londoners have come unstuck in recent weeks, losing their last three games and suffering injuries to key players, but their Australian manager has determinedly stuck to his principles.

“He’s been there from day one, from the first game of the Premier League,” said City boss Guardiola, whose treble winners host Spurs at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

“I have the feeling it doesn’t matter the result, it doesn’t matter the opponent, home or away – they do what they have to do.

“I like that. I think that is so incredible an advert for our game, for our sport. When two teams (decide it) doesn’t matter what happens, I do my game, I go forward, there are always nice things to watch, all the time.

“It’s impossible you don’t see an interesting game where both teams want to try to do it.”

City midfielder Mateo Kovacic is back in contention after injury and John Stones, and unused substitute for the last games, is also close to returning to action.

Kyle Walker, who has taken over the City captaincy so far this season with Kevin De Bruyne out injured, will face his old club.

“I’m really, really pleased about what he’s doing,” said Guardiola of the 33-year-old right-back.

“He’s the same guy who was involved before, when he wasn’t captain, but now the players decided to pick him, so he now has a little more responsibility.

“When there’s some problems in the locker room or whatever, captains tend to solve it.”

England boss Sarina Wiegman maintained full faith in her side to stage the stunning second-half comeback that lifted the Lionesses to a 3-2 win over the Netherlands in their penultimate Women’s Nations League group-stage clash at Wembley.

Needing a victory to remain in contention to finish top in group A1 and advance in the tournament, which serves as a qualifier for next summer’s Olympics in Paris, England quickly dug themselves a hole after Lineth Beerensteyn netted twice before the break.

But the Lionesses battled back after the restart on a frigid night in London, Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp stoking the crowd back into a frenzy by the hour mark before substitute Ella Toone sealed a dramatic victory in stoppage time.

Wiegman said: “I was actually pretty calm. I was very disappointed they scored the second goal because I didn’t think we played bad. The second goal we were a little bit unlucky, it was an unnecessary goal. We didn’t play bad but we needed some more. We truly believed we could turn it around. We never lost trust.

“At half-time we said the game was absolutely not over and that if we score a goal they can become a bit shaky.

“They were struggling with the defence with how we played in attack. We also did a tactical thing we needed to do better in defence. We said everyone needed to step up and bring something extra. You could tell the players gave everything because they were really tired.”

It leaves England in second place in the group, level on points with the Netherlands and one in front of Belgium, ahead of concluding their group matches by playing Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday. Belgium drew 1-1 with Scotland in Friday’s other Group A1 contest.

England and the Dutch are level in terms of head-to-head record, with the latter – who face Belgium at home next week – having a goal difference superior by three, while England will finish their group stage away at relegated Scotland on Tuesday.

Despite the victory, England’s keeper Mary Earps was left in tears as she spoke post-match about the two goals the Lionesses conceded, the second of which saw her get her glove to the ball only to see it slip past her and trickle in – something that left the Manchester United stopper beating the turf in frustration.

Knowing England needed to win by two goals to take over at the top of the group, Earps told ITV:  “I thought the girls were unbelievable to come back into the game. I thought they were unbelievable, the subs that come on impacted the game.

“I am just sorry that my performance has cost the team tonight.

“That [second goal] will haunt me for a long time today, I am really gutted because it could have been a really special night.

“The team were unbelievable, don’t get me wrong, the goals are unbelievable, the way that they played and moved it around showed great patience at times, real tenacity, real intensity to the play.

“I am a competitor but when it is not good enough, it is not good enough and I can only apologise to my team-mates and to the fans, I take that fully with my whole chest.”

The apology was utterly unnecessary for Wiegman, who said: “I spoke to her very shortly and I don’t want her to talk like that.

“We win as a team and lose as a team. That is part of the game. Of course she didn’t like the team down, everyone does her best. You only let the team down when you don’t put effort into the game and we never don’t put effort in.

“Everyone stepped up. We needed to step up as a team. I think everyone did that.”

Wigan manager Shaun Maloney admitted he was determined to reach the third round of the FA Cup for chairman Mike Danson following a 1-0 win at York.

Maloney, who was a member of the Latics’ 2013 FA Cup final-winning team, is desperate to repay Danson with a money-spinning run in this season’s competition after he saved the club from financial ruin when he took over in the summer.

The Latics had to start their League One campaign with an eight-point deduction due to the off-pitch issues Danson inherited, meaning a good cup run would prove a perfect fillip given the handicap they were given in the league.

After Stephen Humphrys’ goal sealed victory at the National League outfit, Maloney said: “I am very happy to be in the third-round draw.

“The chairman literally saved the club so I want to repay him for that and I know, with what happened in the summer, how important the finance you can get from this competition can be.

“We wanted to be at our best in this tie which I showed with my team selection,” added the former Scotland forward, who picked an unchanged starting XI following Tuesday’s 3-0 home win against Fleetwood, “and I was reasonably happy with the performance, although the last three or four minutes were a bit nervy.

“It was a brilliant finish by Stephen, though, to win the game and he’s got so much talent in one-on-one situations with his speed.

“I’m always confident that our attacking players will take a chance at some point in a game. The only criticism I would have in this game is that we could have been more clinical but, to be fair to York, they had a couple of good chances as well.”

York boss Neal Ardley was left to reflect on what might have been after a mistake by defender Tyler Cordner led to Humphrys’ goal and captain Lenell John-Lewis missed two great chances to force a replay late on.

“I thought our game-plan went really well,” Ardley said. “We wanted to still be in the tie after 70 minutes and then look to bring the two wingers off the bench.

“But the outcome has been settled by one mistimed header. It just came down to that one moment and, then, Lenny (John-Lewis) had two great chances that haven’t gone in and, if we were going to get through tonight, we had to be mistake free and take our chances when they came.

“But the effort of the players and their execution of the game-plan was really good because a team who are causing problems for a lot of teams in League One struggled to break us down.

“We nearly nicked an equaliser after throwing caution to the wind and people will say why didn’t you start like that? But it doesn’t work like that.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes was thrilled with how Ilias Chair channelled his frustration at not starting by creating both goals in the 2-0 win over Preston at Deepdale.

Struggling Rangers have now won two in a row for the first time all season, under recently-appointed boss Cifuentes, who feels his side are starting to find their feet.

And it was the half-time introduction of Moroccan international Chair that made the difference at Deepdale, as the midfielder set up Paul Smyth and Chris Willock in the second half.

The manager said: “I spoke to Ilias at half-time and told him we desperately needed fresh legs out there.

“He wasn’t happy that he hadn’t started the game of course, but that’s what I want.

“I want players here who are disappointed to be on the bench.

“He’s got lots of really strong attributes and he was terrific. I felt confident at half-time that he could contribute.

“The identity of the team is really coming on.

“It’s great to be winning, and though it is small steps at this stage of the season, I can see real progress since I came to the job.

“I’m not looking at the league table at the moment.

“It’s far too early for that.

“Maybe in April we’ll look and see where we are, but for now, it’s just about trying to pick up as many points as possible.

“The team is performing well right now, and we don’t necessarily have to be dominant all the time.

“I’m pleased that I can see a clear picture now of how we want to play.

“I’ll be using all the players, and that can be the difference as we move further into the season.”

Preston missed the chance to move back into the top six as they slumped to a third straight loss, despite Ched Evans having the best chance of the opening stages, tamely shooting straight at Asmir Begovic from Mads Frokjaer’s cross.

Duane Holmes also looked lively for Preston, but one of his dangerous crosses was just beyond Will Keane as neither side could find a way through on a bitterly cold evening.

The introduction of Chair proved the difference, his dangerous in-swinging cross poked home from close range by Smyth.

Freddie Woodman then denied the Moroccan a goal of his own, but he ensured they would come away with all three points, crossing for the unmarked Willock to seal the deal three minutes from time, leaving Preston boss Ryan Lowe with plenty to ponder.

He said: “It’s a tough one to take.

“Both teams were a little bit flat I thought, especially in that first half, but we needed to raise our game maybe 10 or 15 per cent, and we just didn’t do that over the course of the rest of the game.

“They raised their game in the second half, and this is what happens.

“Overall we’re all very disappointed, but I’m scratching my head a bit right now.”

Federico Gatti hit a last-gasp winner to send Juventus top of Serie A with a battling 2-1 victory at Monza.

The hosts had looked like rescuing a point when Valentin Carboni struck at the start of stoppage time to cancel out Adrien Rabiot’s opener.

But Juve would strike back deep into added time as Gatti’s effort sealed the three points to take Massimiliano Allegri’s side top.

Dusan Vlahovic saw an early penalty saved by Michele Di Gregorio after Andrea Cambiaso had been upended in the box but Rabiot headed in soon after before the late drama saw Juventus go top.

In the Bundesliga, Davie Selke hit the only goal as Cologne won at fellow strugglers Darmstadt 1-0 to leave both sides on nine points.

Selke struck on the half-hour mark to seal what could prove to be a vital victory for the visitors.

Las Palmas beat 10-man Getafe 2-0 to move up to eighth in LaLiga.

Julian Araujo hung in the air to head the home side ahead moments before the break, with Getafe’s hopes of battling back suffering a blow when Omar Alderete was sent off.

With just three minutes of the second half gone, Alderete was initially booked after catching Enzo Loiodice on the ankle but the yellow card was upgraded to red after a VAR review.

Substitute Cristian Herrera wrapped up the points for Las Palmas as he tapped in from close range late on.

Meanwhile in Ligue 1, Reims moved level on points with fourth-placed Lille courtesy of a 2-1 home win over Strasbourg.

Amir Richardson opened the scoring for the hosts early on and the lead was doubled courtesy of Mohamed Daramy’s strike before the break.

Strasbourg pulled a goal back through Kevin Gameiro’s late penalty but Will Still’s side held on for the points.

Federico Gatti scored a last-gasp winner to send Juventus top of Serie A with a battling 2-1 victory at Monza.

The hosts had looked like rescuing a point when Valentin Carboni struck at the start of stoppage time to cancel out Adrien Rabiot’s opener.

But Juve would strike back deep into added time as Gatti’s effort sealed the three points to take Massimiliano Allegri’s side top ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

Dusan Vlahovic saw an early penalty saved by Michele Di Gregorio after Andrea Cambiaso had been upended in the box.

The visitors would not be kept at bay for long, though, as Rabiot broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when he headed home a corner.

Allegri’s men could not build on their lead however, with Di Gregorio rarely tested.

The Monza goalkeeper kept out a driven Rabiot effort with ease while Gatti fired over from distance with chances at a minimum.

Monza thought they had made Juve pay for not doubling their advantage when substitute Carboni scored.

His ball into the box evaded everyone and drifted in past Juve stopper Wojciech Szczesny as the home side scored with their first effort on target of the night.

Despite their celebrations, Monza could not hold on for a point as, with Juventus throwing men forward, Rabiot crossed low for the unmarked Gatti.

The defender fluffed his lines with his first chance but thrashed the ball home at the second attempt to seal a dramatic win for the visitors.

The victory takes Juventus top of the table, moving a point clear of Inter Milan, who face a tough trip to fourth-placed Napoli on Sunday evening.

Shrewsbury boss Matt Taylor praised his side for overcoming their injury crisis to reach the third round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 win over Notts County.

Ryan Bowman’s hat-trick sealed victory as the striker opened the scoring in the first minute and, following Richard Brindley’s equaliser, netted twice more in the second half before James Sanderson’s late consolation.

“I think what sums up the evening and the week we have had for me is the players celebrating with all of the supporters,” Taylor said.

“The supporters have seen how hard they worked, but what they’ve done again is put their bodies on the line. Elliott Bennett is playing with eight stitches and you must look at the state of the squad – their effort and application was fantastic.

“We got beaten 4-0 at Blackpool and I questioned the players a lot and in the space of seven days we have picked up four points in the league and are through to the next round of the FA Cup, all with 11 injuries, and that is the reality. We have left 11 first-team players in the treatment room today.

“I’m really pleased because 674 Shrewsbury fans have travelled and it’s cold, it’s a lot of money to get here and to share that moment with the players is what this football club is all about.”

County’s defenders endured a night to forget and boss Luke Williams was unimpressed in the manner of all three goals his side conceded.

“I’m disappointed, very disappointed,” he said.

“It’s not a disgrace to concede goals against a really good team, but the manner in which we concede those goals is the problem. To lose 3-2 in the cup leaves me with a really horrible feeling.”

There was, though, a moment to remember for young academy star Sanderson, who made his professional debut the day after his 17th birthday and scored with almost his first touch of the game with a fine finish from just outside the area.

Williams has high hopes for him but wants him to keep his feet on the ground.

He said: “He came to train with the first team straight and we saw straight away that he has a few traits like a senior player – more than you would expect from a young guy.

“He took the goal brilliantly, but then I realised he had his socks low like as if he was a £100million player like Jack Grealish, so we had a quick conversation about that one. But I am really impressed with him and we need make sure that he remember that he’s still got a long way to go.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has insisted he has full confidence in Andre Onana and said there would be nothing to be gained from taking his under-fire goalkeeper out of the spotlight.

Onana’s form is once again under scrutiny after the Cameroon goalkeeper was culpable for two of Galatasaray’s goals in Wednesday’s costly 3-3 draw in Istanbul, as United surrendered a two-goal advantage to leave their Champions League fate out of their hands.

But Ten Hag has strongly defended his £47million summer signing, a player he previously worked with at Ajax, and pointed to statistics showing that Onana is second in saves made, save percentage and goals prevented in the Premier League.

“Players always need trust,” Ten Hag said. “After Alisson he is the best stopper in the league from preventing expected goals. You deserve to play.”

Onana has played in every game for United this season, with Ten Hag opting not to rest him even in the League Cup. That means Turkish stopper Altay Biyindir, a summer signing from Fenerbahce, is still awaiting his debut.

Asked if Onana might benefit from a break, Ten Hag said: “It won’t help him. I have trust in Tom (Heaton) and Altay, clear. But Andre, you see after Alisson, he prevented the most expected goals in the whole league.

“In the Champions League, he has so much experience with Ajax and last year with Inter Milan. Last year he was with (Manuel) Neuer and (Thibaut) Courtois the best goalkeeper, so he is a great keeper.

“He has the potential, so we have to work on him so that he does it consistently and we will work with him and we will support him. The manager, coaches and players all support him.”

That support was not obvious in Istanbul, when United players did not go over to Onana at the final whistle as he threw his gloves to the floor in disgust at his own performance.

But Ten Hag insisted that was not a sign that his players might be losing confidence in their goalkeeper.

“That will not happen,” he said. “This dressing room is together. Football is a game of mistakes and everyone can make mistakes. But this team has to cover that so we will operate.

“Nobody is undroppable, that is also clear. We have a strong belief that he will help us win trophies.”

Onana is expected to be called into Cameroon’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, having resolved a dispute with head coach Rigobert Song that saw him quit international football following last year’s World Cup.

Onana could miss four Premier League matches if he is called in, with some reports suggesting the 27-year-old is now concerned he could lose his place in the United side during that time.

Asked if any decision had yet been taken over his participation, Ten Hag said: “When they call him, he has to go. But we are in talks.”

Marcus Rashford will be available again for United’s trip to Newcastle on Saturday after missing the midweek drama through suspension.

Alejandro Garnacho, who has been in electric form with two goals in two including last weekend’s outstanding bicycle kick against Everton, prefers playing off the left side in the same position as Rashford, but Ten Hag said it was no problem to accommodate players in his side.

“Against Copenhagen they were both in the team, against Everton they were both in the team and now ‘Rashy’ was suspended,” he said.

“‘Rashy’ can play from the right and he likes to play from the right, but he can also play through the middle and he can play from the left, so he is really multi-functional.”

Mauricio Pochettino admitted Moises Caicedo’s international commitments with Ecuador have complicated the midfielder’s early Chelsea career.

The club paid a British record £115million to sign the 22-year-old from Brighton in August but frequent trips to South America to play for his country have limited the time he has been able to spend working with coaching staff at Cobham.

He has played 14 times in all competitions since his arrival, recovering from a red card on his first appearance against West Ham to become a steady if not yet spectacular performer in the heart of midfield.

Since joining Chelsea he has been called up three times by Ecuador and played in six matches, with each international window requiring a more than 11,000-mile round trip, sometimes not arriving back in London until the early hours of the day before Chelsea’s next game.

He revealed in an interview with the club’s website this week that he spent much of his first 10 days in England alone in a hotel room in tears and suffering from homesickness, after joining the Seagulls from Independiente del Valle in his home country in January 2021 during the Covid pandemic.

Restrictions on movement for people arriving into the UK meant he was unable to meet his Brighton team-mates until completing a period of quarantine, during which he phoned his parents in Ecuador asking to return home.

He recovered to become one of the standout successes of the team that Roberto De Zerbi led to a club-best sixth-placed Premier League finish last campaign, sparking a bidding war between Liverpool and Chelsea in which Pochettino’s side were victorious.

The manager reiterated a call for patience as Caicedo navigates life at Chelsea amid a hectic World Cup qualifying schedule internationally.

“When we signed him we knew what is going to happen,” said Pochettino. “He’s an emotional guy, an emotional player that needs time to recover.

“It didn’t help also the international games, travelling to Ecuador, to South America. That is really tough every single month, two or three weeks then go 10, 12 days away, then come back sometimes with some injury.

“It’s not an excuse but it’s the reality. Now we need time. Of course I say (the team) always need to perform. That is our mentality. But in some situations like his, we need to give time and not to be unfair in the way that we assess him.”

Caicedo has formed a reliable partnership in midfield with Enzo Fernandez, who the club paid a then-British record £107m to sign from Benfica in January while Graham Potter was in charge.

Pochettino revealed that the Argentinian World Cup winner asked for extra time off during the summer due to fatigue and was granted permission to join up late with the squad on their United States tour.

“It’s different because Enzo arrived last January, he was with different coaches here,” said the manager. “He asked when we arrived for a period of holiday because he was tired after the World Cup and everything. He joined us in North Carolina.

“I cannot judge the past. Only I can talk from when we arrived (at Chelsea). We expect all, not only (these two), all the players, even the ones not too much involved, to push their level.”

Ange Postecoglou has cited the early part of Manchester City’s journey under Pep Guardiola as a reason why he has total conviction in his ideas at Tottenham.

Spurs have hit their first real rough patch under the Australian with three straight defeats coupled with a list of absentees which has reached double figures.

Postecoglou remains determined to stick with his attacking approach and could again line up with no recognised centre-back or defensive midfielder at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

While many would adopt a more pragmatic style against City, the Tottenham boss will double down on his philosophy and believes the best clubs stick to the plan when faced with hurdles.

“I’m sure the players are thinking ‘is this really going to work against Man City?’ And those are justifiable questions that they need to ask,” Postecoglou explained.

“My role is to show them that this is still the way forward for us as a group. If we’re ever going to bridge that gap to being a successful side, we have to believe in the football we want to play.

“Even though the last few results haven’t been great, I don’t think the players have felt like they struggled out there.

“They still felt there were parts of the game when we were dominant, so they can see when we’re on it and we’re doing things right, even with so many absences, we’re still a very good football team. I don’t feel like it’s at a point where I’m losing people.

“There are plenty of coaches that coach very differently to me, but they’re at that club for four or five years and they have that success. That’s what I’m talking about with a plan.

“It’s not about just playing one way or having a clear identity. Having a plan means getting the right people involved in the club who you believe will take you where you want to go.

“Then you invest in them, in the club, in the squad and you stick to that plan. It doesn’t mean that’s just exactly the same as anyone else.

“City are different to Arsenal, Arsenal are different to Liverpool, Liverpool are different to both of them but as far as I can see they have the same managers and they’ve gone through tough times.

“They saw something in them. You have to show something, it’s not just about blindly appointing someone and saying you’ve got five years, but those managers have shown they have a plan and the club have said ‘let’s back these people.’”

Postecoglou is no stranger to difficult periods, especially at the beginning of his tenures after exiting the Champions League at the start of his Celtic reign, while he faced a relegation battle with Yokohama.

He reiterated how much he enjoys these challenges ahead of this weekend’s trip to last season’s treble-winners.

Postecoglou added: “I think I enjoy it after when you come out the other side! Nah, I love it, mate. I love it. I don’t think anyone goes into management, or anything you do in life, thinking it’s going to be smooth.

“There’s going to be some rough moments and you’ve got to be prepared for that, you’ve got to enjoy that. The alternative is I’m not in a job and I’m sitting on my couch with no pressure on me and no one questioning anything.

“I’m at a fantastic football club, I’m in the best league in the world, getting challenged every week. Why wouldn’t I be enjoying it? The reason I think I really relish them is because my belief gets tested on a daily basis, whether internally or externally.

“Even internally people will always ask those questions, ‘can you do this? Are you able to continue playing this way?’ or ‘is it working or is it not working?’ All those kind of things.

“When I lay my head at night, I just believe in it. I get up the next day thinking I feel strongly about it. Maybe I’ll end up in a heap, mate, I don’t know, because there are no guarantees. But my gut tells me that I won’t. I enjoy it.”