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MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City miss Rodri very much and the presence of the Spanish midfielder could solve their defensive problems even without touching the ball.

The City manager doubts whether Rodri, 29, will be able to return before Christmas after suffering a hamstring injury during the win at Brentford two months ago.

Since then, Rodri has played just one minute in 11 games and City are aware he returned to action too quickly after an ACL injury last season.

Guardiola insisted City needed to be careful with the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, but admitted his absence had a major impact on the team.

City have conceded six goals in their last two games, against Leeds and Fulham, before facing Sunderland tonight.

“Rodri is a player on another level. If Rodri came on in the last 20 minutes against Fulham, in the middle, you know the effect?

“Just his presence, without even touching the ball, the other ten players feel safe, play better. We haven’t had him for a year and a half.

“I want him back. There are players who cannot be replaced, not only because of their play, but what they do for their teammates.

“They said, ‘Rodri is there,’ and gave him the ball because they knew he wouldn’t lose. He knows when there’s space to change the game, he’s unique,” Guardiola said.

Nico Gonzalez’s performance offered some hope, but the former Barcelona man looked tired, while Guardiola was short of other options, including trying John Stones in the position during the dramatic 5-4 win at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.

Guardiola believes City will not see the best version of Rodri until next season.

“He has started training sessions on the field. Hopefully in a few weeks, he can start playing.”

“He needs to be more careful. He can’t play 90 minutes every game. When you have an ACL injury, your body is completely different,” he said.

BILBAO: Real Madrid ended their winless run in LaLiga after Kylian Mbappe produced a brilliant performance with two goals to lead his team to a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao early this morning.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a solo move from midfield before firing a beautiful shot into the top corner of the goal.

Eduardo Camavinga added to the score in the first half after heading in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross. Madrid’s third goal was completed by Mbappe in the 59th minute.

The victory kept Real Madrid in second place with 36 points from 15 matches, one point behind leaders Barcelona, ​​ending their three-match winless run in the league.

Real coach Xabi Alonso described the victory as important to restore the team’s momentum.

“It’s an important match because we want to end the negative streak. The team is prepared and plays calmly, it’s our most complete match so far in a challenging stadium. Now we have to continue our efforts,” he said.

Real started the game brightly, but Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon denied early chances from Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. on several occasions.

Athletic tried to respond in the 24th minute through Gorka Guruzeta and Alex Berenguer, but Thibaut Courtois showed excellent ability to deny the chances.

The second half saw Madrid maintain control of the game as Mbappe continued to be the main threat.

His second goal proved the Frenchman’s brilliance this season, with 16 goals in 15 LaLiga matches, double the tally of Robert Lewandowski, who is second in the league’s scoring charts.

The convincing win gave Real the momentum they needed ahead of their clash with Celta Vigo at the weekend and their Champions League clash with Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu next week.

LONDON: Arsenal’s preparations ahead of their home clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday are marred by a question mark over a thigh injury that is expected to rule out their main centre-back, Gabriel Magalhaes.

Gabriel has been a mainstay of Mikel Arteta’s defence all season but was forced off during Brazil’s friendly against Senegal last week and his absence will leave the Premier League leaders without their most dominant player in the air.

Arsenal returned from the international break with a four-point lead over nearest challengers Manchester City, but Arteta’s side dropped points in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland earlier.

They have conceded just five league goals this season but Gabriel’s injury, with some media reports suggesting he could be sidelined until January, plus fitness concerns for Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli, could potentially test the team’s current strength in what is always an intense fixture.

“Gabriel is a world-class defender and I don’t care who comes in to replace him, it’s still tough,” England legend Alan Shearer told Betfair.com.

“Defensively he is very solid and plays a big part in what Arsenal have achieved. From set pieces too, he is a vital component whether it is scoring goals or making it difficult for the opposition’s defence.

“Even though Arsenal have a replacement, they are actually losing perhaps the best central defender in the Premier League.”

Arsenal are expected to fill the void with Ecuadorian stalwart Piero Hincapie or Spaniard Cristhian Mosquera while Riccardo Calafiori, if fit, could move from left-back to centre-back.

Tottenham, on the other hand, appeared stronger under new manager Thomas Frank with the best away record in the league.

Spurs are in fifth place and have proven their ability to threaten any team on the opposing field, including beating Manchester City this season.

However, long-term injuries to James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke have affected their attacking firepower, leaving winger Mohammed Kudus also expected to return to shoulder the creative burden this season.

Arsenal have dominated recent meetings, unbeaten in their last six, but Spurs’ high-pressing style makes them difficult opponents to predict.

A victory for the visitors could close the championship race and inject new drama into the fight for the top four.

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands confirmed their place in the 2026 World Cup after recording a stylish 4-0 victory over Lithuania in Group G action in Amsterdam, early this morning.

The Oranje squad – three-time runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010 – will be making their 12th appearance at the World Cup finals after finishing as group winners, beating Poland who won 3-2 over Malta, and now have to play in a play-off next March to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

With a goal difference advantage of +13 over Poland before kick-off, the Netherlands could actually qualify even if they lose.

However, Ronald Koeman’s men still entertained 50,000 fans at the Johan Cruyff Arena with a high-intensity game, too fast for Lithuania who were often forced to defend in their own area.

Despite facing a solid opposition defence, the Netherlands finally broke the deadlock in the 15th minute through Tijani Reijnders who finished neatly after a pass from Frenkie De Jong.

The hosts only led 1-0 at half-time despite completely dominating, thanks to the brilliant performance of Lithuanian goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas.

However, just before the hour mark, Gertmonas could no longer withstand the pressure when Cody Gakpo doubled the lead to 2-0 via a penalty after a handling offence.

Two minutes later, Xavi Simons kicked in from close range to make it 3-0.

Donnyell Malen completed the big win two minutes later before Koeman made five substitutions.

Luciano Valente made his Oranje debut for the final 10 minutes, greeted by thunderous cheers from the Amsterdam crowd as the 22-year-old Feyenoord midfielder entered the pitch.

LONDON: Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford have been called up to the England squad to replace the injured Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope.

The English Football Association (FA) confirmed the participation of the two players yesterday, ahead of the final two matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

“Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah and Manchester City’s James Trafford have been added to the England squad.

“This follows the withdrawal of two Newcastle United players, Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope, due to injury and concussion,” the FA said in a statement.

The FA also announced that Marc Guehi will continue to be monitored after injuring his leg while playing against AZ Alkmaar.

Chalobah, 26, previously got his first chance with the senior England squad under Thomas Tuchel, who is also a former Chelsea manager in 2021. Under Tuchel’s guidance, he helped the club win the Champions League.

The player, however, has rarely been used by Tuchel in the national squad, and this is his first recall after two international breaks.

This season, Chalobah has played in 10 of Chelsea’s 11 Premier League games, scoring twice, but has also come under fire after being shown a red card in a 3-1 defeat to Brighton in September.

This consistent performance was seen as enough to attract the attention of Tuchel, who has attended several Chelsea matches at Stamford Bridge to monitor several England stars such as Reece James, Cole Palmer, and Liam Delap.

Meanwhile, Tuchel’s England squad has confirmed its place in the 2026 World Cup, after winning all six group matches without conceding, while scoring 18 goals.

England are expected to field a mixed line-up against Serbia and Albania, with the main focus on assessing new players including Chalobah and Trafford.