Thomas Tuchel warned Chelsea cannot afford to trim their squad before the transfer window closes after losing hamstring injury victim N'Golo Kante for "several weeks".
The head coach would be prepared to consider player exits if he can bring in top-class replacements, but until then the likes of Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi will be staying.
That was the firm message from the Blues boss on Friday, two days out from his team's trip to Leeds United in the Premier League.
He said Kante's injury, sustained in last week's thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham, was "quite serious".
"We're talking about weeks, which is not good news," Tuchel said. "We're disappointed and sad because N'Golo was super important and super fit, and he will be out for several weeks."
Armando Broja and Mateo Kovacic are also out of contention this weekend, and while it has been mooted that Chelsea are open to loaning out some first-team players, Tuchel is adamant that should not happen at the moment. Pulisic has been linked with Manchester United.
"We will not comment on our players and will not encourage our players to go out in the moment," Tuchel said
"If I put the chin a little bit up and look at the schedule which is coming, with Southampton during the week and two Champions League matches ... it's coming, it's in front of the door, we will need a lot of quality players to be competitive."
Tuchel's outlook will change if Chelsea can corner their targets and bring them to Stamford Bridge.
"We work together about the reinforcements, but it's never easy," said the German. "It's not that we can wish for something and it will happen. As long as the transfer window is open, there are always possibilities."
Having loaned out Romelu Lukaku to Inter, Chelsea are lacking a proven striker in the number nine mould. The likes of Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz could do a job there, and may have to on a regular basis if Chelsea cannot sign a targetman.
"I believe we can compete with this group, but to be very honest it's one thing to compete once a week and another thing to compete 60 times in a year and three times in a week," Tuchel said.
"For this you need a strong group, and you need players who challenge for their place and their minutes and push each other to the highest level.
"We are very happy about the performance, and we are still active in the market, and we know what can be possible, but if not we will make the very best out of it.
"If we are looking, we're looking for high quality, and we're looking for personality that suits our group and suits our club, and nothing has changed."
Chelsea won 3-0 at Elland Road last season but surprisingly have never won consecutive away league games at Leeds. They were last beaten by the Yorkshire side in December 2002, when a 2-0 loss at Leeds was incurred after an own goal from William Gallas and a strike from a 16-year-old James Milner
Chelsea hoped Broja would be making an early-season impact after returning from his loan to Southampton, but the 20-year-old Albanian striker is on the injured list for now.
"We know enough about him, but it's one thing to perform on a loan and another to perform in a club like Chelsea," Tuchel said. "He's injured again, and that does not help his own ambitions and does not help us in having a clear view of what he can give us.
"Given the size of the squad at the moment, I would say it's a huge chance for Armando to have an impact at Chelsea. I understand this is his clear ambition, his clear goal to make this step here. He has our support, but unfortunately it's the second time he's injured in a short period of time, and he's held back for that reason."
Pep Guardiola reiterated he is hopeful of keeping hold of Bernardo Silva and suggested Manchester City's transfer business is finished for the year.
Silva has been repeatedly linked with a move to Guardiola's former club Barcelona this window after spending five successful seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
City manager Guardiola made clear once again on Friday that he wants the playmaker to stay at the club, although he cannot guarantee that will be the case.
"He's our player and he knows our wishes, me as a manager and even his mates." Guardiola said at a press conference. "What is going to happen? I don't know."
Reigning Premier League champions City have been busy this window, which shuts in a little under two weeks' time.
Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and Sergio Gomez have joined, while Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko have all departed.
Asked if City's transfer activity is finished, Guardiola said: "Apparently, yeah. If someone moves on or there is a problem we don't expect, then we'll see."
Haaland and Alvarez have featured in all three of City's matches this season, while Phillips has managed just one minute of action as he recovers from an injury issue.
However, Guardiola confirmed ahead of Sunday's trip to Newcastle United that Phillips is available again after missing the Bournemouth win, while Gomez is part of the squad.
The Citizens have lost just one of their past 29 Premier League games against Newcastle, with that solitary loss coming at St James' Park in January 2019.
United have been steadily strengthening their squad ahead of an expected battle for a European spot this term, and Guardiola is expecting a tough test this weekend.
"Newcastle away is always an incredible environment," Guardiola said. "I think what they have done with their spending is because they believe it's the best strategy.
"In the winter window they bought players because they were in trouble, then they got a lot of good results.
"Newcastle is a project not just for one or two seasons. We've seen in this window everyone spends a lot. I think they are here to stay here."
Guardiola has won all 10 of his Premier League meetings with Newcastle counterpart Eddie Howe – the best 100 per cent win record between managers in the competition.
While Guardiola has always got the better of Howe, the Catalan coach has been impressed by his opposite number's work in his nine months at the helm.
"Their numbers and style of play speak for itself," Guardiola said. "He arrived in a difficult position last season. When the owners took over he went on an incredible run of games.
"They have exceptional players in terms of how direct and aggressive they are. They have important players."
Christophe Galtier has warned any further delay in bringing new players to Paris Saint-Germain could scupper his team's chances of glory this season.
Head coach Galtier wants to usher away a number of fringe members of his squad and upgrade the overall quality ahead of a Champions League mission.
Alongside the defence of their Ligue 1 title, the priority for PSG is to land European glory this season, and Galtier has players in mind who he feels can help the capital club achieve their goals.
"Two weeks ago, I said we were expecting three new players," Galtier said on Friday.
The likes of Vitinha, Hugo Ekitike and Renato Sanches have already arrived during the transfer window, while Arnaud Kalimuendo, Thilo Kehrer, Angel Di Maria and Georginio Wijnaldum have left the Parc des Princes.
However, Galtier sees room for further strengthening of his squad, and despite saying he has seen promising signs of progress, the September 1 deadline is looming large. He and football advisor Luis Campos are in close contact, looking for solutions.
Inter defender Milan Skriniar has been strongly linked with a switch to PSG in recent weeks.
Ahead of Sunday's trip to Lille in Ligue 1, Galtier said: "We have identified players who could really help us out. Then there is the reality of the transfer market and both the financial and commercial aspect.
"We have lots of players under contract. That is why the club is looking to the ability to loan players out to different clubs, to reduce the number of contracts at the club.
"That is the first thing. With Luis Campos, we talk every few days about the squad, but there is a time delay between the financial, commercial and sporting sides."
Although PSG have made a rollicking start in Ligue 1, scoring 10 goals across two games so far, Galtier knows they have areas where improvements can be made.
"We are in a rush," he said. "In a week's time, we will be playing every three or four days. The schedule will be very busy. It is not easy to integrate a player when you're playing every three or four days.
"Delaying their arrival could affect our sporting plans. We don't want the squad to be the biggest possible, but with as much quality as possible. We don't want the quality to suffer."
Gabriel Agbonlahor responded to Jurgen Klopp's criticism of his "mentality" on Friday with a Twitter post remembering his winner against Liverpool at Anfield.
Agbonlahor's analysis of Manchester United's 4-0 defeat to Brentford last week so frustrated Klopp he almost rang in to talkSPORT to talk to the former Aston Villa striker, the Liverpool manager revealed.
Agbonlahor's scathing review of United's poor performance was "unbelievable" coming from an ex-player, Klopp suggested.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Liverpool facing rivals United, the Reds boss said: "[Agbonlahor] lost against us 6-0 my first year [Villa v Liverpool, Feb 2016].
"I couldn't remember him as a mentality monster on the pitch, but what he said about United on that show, I was close to calling in!"
Yet Agbonlahor appeared to enjoy that barb, as he posted an image of his celebration in a 1-0 win against Liverpool in September 2014 – a year before Klopp's appointment at Anfield.
"Flashback Friday – mentality to win 1-0 at Anfield," read Agbonlahor's caption.
That was one of only three Premier League wins Agbonlahor enjoyed against Liverpool in 18 attempts, scoring twice and providing three assists.
Oleksandr Usyk has claimed "expectations are not met every time" after the Ukrainian surprisingly came in light at his pre-fight weigh in ahead of the rematch with Anthony Joshua.
The heavyweight champion was widely reported to have been bulking ahead of going toe-to-toe with Joshua in Saudi Arabia but, clocking in at 15 stone and 11 pounds, was only marginally heavier than his weight in north London last year.
Usyk, always keeping his cards close to his chest, refused to confirm whether it was a ploy for people to think he would be showing a heavier weight for Sunday's bout and was not drawn into pre-fight verbal jabs when interviewed after the scales.
Joshua also downplayed the significance of the weigh-on and face-off, having clocked in four and a half pounds heavier than last September, and remains focused on getting it done in the ring.
"For me, personally, the face-off doesn't mean anything. It's about throwing leather, the face off doesn't win fights. All of this stuff, weight, none of it matters to me, I'm just looking forward to the fight," he said.
The Brit has been preparing for the fight to go the full distance, just as it did at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he lost his belts, adding: "I'm 100 per cent ready for 12 rounds and anything less than that is a bonus."
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have patched up their differences at Paris Saint-Germain, but coach Christophe Galtier has not ruled out the prospect of a sensational departure before the transfer window closes.
Asked whether Neymar might move on before the September 1 deadline, Galtier indicated it was highly unlikely but not entirely out of the question.
A spat between Mbappe and Neymar became apparent during PSG's 5-2 Ligue 1 win over Montpellier last Saturday, with the pair seeming to disagree over penalty duties.
Mbappe missed an early spot-kick but thought he would have a chance to make amends when PSG were awarded a second penalty, only for Neymar to take over responsibility and make no mistake. It was clear Neymar considered he was next in line, but Mbappe may have thought the duty remained his.
It has led to suggestions of a rift between the star pair that could prove disruptive in the dressing room, with Mbappe looking best placed to win any such tug-of-war after signing a bumper three-year contract in May.
He scored later in the Montpellier game but refused to celebrate, to the frustration of a number of team-mates.
Galtier said the matter was put to bed during training this week, saying: "There's no malaise. We have been making plans, saying what we need to say to one another. I can confirm that in all honesty it's been a good week with everyone working hard to prepare well for the game against Lille.
"I have been involved in every session this week and any incidents from the Montpellier game were over from the following day onwards."
PSG travel to face Lille on Sunday as Galtier returns to the club he led to the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title.
Galtier warned that his players have to show maturity when considering who should take free-kicks and penalties.
"We have to show respect," he said. "There are situations in matches when the coach is far away, and my players have to show intelligence to know at which point they can give a present to a team-mate or make things easier for someone else to gain confidence by taking a penalty."
When the topic of Neymar and a possible departure was raised in Friday's press conference, Galtier did not entirely close the door on the idea.
"There are always surprises in the transfer window," the head coach said. "I haven't heard anything about Neymar asking to leave. I can see him training and working hard every day. He is performing well in the games so far.
"There is no feeling that he is on standby. But the transfer window is the transfer window."
For now, Neymar remains firmly in Galtier's plans, and the coach is planning on having Neymar, Mbappe and Lionel Messi as a front three this season, the coach's first campaign since joining from Nice.
If PSG get a penalty at Lille on Sunday, there seems sure to be no squabbling over who takes it.
"Who will take the penalty?" Galtier said. "The players will know it."
Chelsea have confirmed the capture of teenage midfielder Cesare Casadei from Inter Milan, as reports suggest the Blues are preparing another bid for Everton's Anthony Gordon.
The Blues have signed the 19-year-old on a six-year deal, and becomes their latest signing of a busy maiden transfer window for the Todd Boehly era at Stamford Bridge.
An Italy youth international, Casadei was named to the Inter senior squad for the first time in February, but ultimately did not make an appearance for the club as they narrowly missed out on a successful Serie A title defence.
Casadei becomes Chelsea's second piece of business with the former Scudetto holders this transfer window, after striker Romelu Lukaku returned on loan to the San Siro outfit following a disappointing year in London.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel's side are expected to table another offer for England youth international Gordon, having been rebuffed twice already by Everton.
The Toffees are keen to hang on to one of their most prized young talents, particularly following the loss of Richarlison to Tottenham earlier in the window, but may well concede and accept the Blues' latest anticipated offer.
Liverpool new boy Darwin Nunez must manage his temper after his sending off against Crystal Palace, according to fellow Uruguayan and former Red Luis Suarez.
Nunez was dismissed on his home debut for Jurgen Klopp's side after retaliating to a shove by headbutting Palace defender Joachim Andersen during Monday's 1-1 draw in the Premier League.
It was Liverpool's first red card for violent conduct under the German, and drew comparison with Suarez, whose fiery presence was frustrating as it was fantastic during his own time at Anfield between 2011 and 2014.
The forward, who has returned to Uruguay with Nacional after a two-year spell with Atletico Madrid, spoke to Nunez after his dismissal to offer some advice on how to cope in future and learn from mistakes, with Suarez describing himself as an "idiot" when he was in England.
"With what happened to him the other day, I was talking to him because he is just starting out and to make him aware that from now on, opponents will be seeking him out twice or three times more often," he told Telemundo.
"Even more so in England, he's hearing this from an idiot who makes mistakes and suffers for them, but falling down and getting up again made me stronger. Don’t give them any more chances, [or] it will only get worse."
Suarez also hailed Nunez as an intelligent footballer who will take his lessons to heart, adding: "Darwin is someone who listens a lot. He is very smart that way. I think he will try to turn this situation around
"It is not a big deal, we have all made mistakes, we have all been sent off. The problem is that he has only just arrived over there and in England, to put it lightly, they make a big deal out of everything."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is "very confident" of Bukayo Saka signing a new contract with the Gunners.
England international Saka has established himself as a core member of the Arsenal side, while also making his impact in Gareth Southgate's national set-up.
Having last signed a long-term deal in 2020, Saka's situation at Arsenal was starting to cause concerns amongst the fanbase, with it widely reported that his terms were set to expire in 2024.
That would mean the Gunners could find themselves in a vulnerable position at the end of the 2022-23 season, as Saka would have just one year before becoming a free agent, and would be able to discuss a pre-contractual agreement with clubs outside of England in January 2024.
Naturally, Arsenal are pushing to secure Saka to a fresh contract and, speaking ahead of the Premier League clash against Bournemouth on Saturday, Arteta revealed he was confident new terms could be agreed.
"I am very confident that we as a club and Bukayo and his family and agent are all aligned and now it's about putting that on a piece of paper," he said in a news conference.
"I would like that to get done because I don't want players to be distracted in the season. But these things take time."
While Saka looks set to stay in north London, there could be numerous departures before the close of the transfer window on September 1 with Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Hector Bellerin among those touted for an exit.
When asked about potential exits, Arteta replied: "What we can communicate we always do when it's the right moment.
"We discussed that we have a big squad and we've allowed some players to leave. Until the end of the window anything can happen."
Arsenal are currently one of only two Premier League sides to have won their opening two league matches this season, alongside reigning champions Manchester City.
Andre Russell has once again demonstrated why he is among the most sought-after players in short-form cricket when has blasted a quick-fire half-century and took a wicket as Manchester Originals crushed Southern Brave by 68 runs in Southampton on Thursday.
Russell, 34, smashed an unbeaten 23-ball 64 that included six fours and five sixes in Manchester Originals' mammoth score of 188-2. He was given the perfect platform after openers Joss Buttler (68) and Phil Salt (34) gave the side a solid start with a stand of 64.
Buttler clubbed three fours and five sixes in his 42-ball knock while Salt found the boundary ropes on four occasions and cleared it once is his innings that lasted 22 balls. However, while both knocks were impressive, they paled in comparison to the mayhem that Russell produced scoring at a rate of 278 per cent to drive Manchester to within 12 runs of the 200 mark.
Jake Lintott, who dismissed Salt was the best of the Brave bowlers with 1-28 from 20 balls while Michael Hogan took Buttler’s wicket to finish with 1-48 from his 20 ball allotment.
Faced with a daunting target, Southampton crumbled under the scoreboard pressure, capitulating to 120 all out.
Openers Quinton de Kock (21) and James Vince (20) gave them a good enough platform with an opening stand of 36 but Southampton Brave were simply unable to maintain the scoring rate of 1.88 runs per ball.
George Garton’s 25 from 14 balls and Ross Whiteley 21 from 12 attempted a short-lived late-order revival that would invariably come to nought.
Russell picked up the wicket of the dangerous Tim David, who made a run-a-ball 10 to finish with figures of 1-7 from five balls.
It was Paul Walter, though, who did the most damage with 3-20 from 15 balls. Mark Pattinson and Tristan Stubbs took two wickets each for the Manchester Originals.
For his heroic efforts with bat and ball, Russell was named Player of the Match.
Tottenham must "feel the blood" of their opponents in order to improve, says Antonio Conte.
Spurs played out a thrilling, full-blooded 2-2 draw with London rivals Chelsea on Sunday, with the visitors twice coming from behind at Stamford Bridge.
Harry Kane's stoppage-time equaliser was overshadowed by a touchline fracas at full time, with both Conte and his Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel sent off.
Conte and Tuchel had both previously been booked, and the Spurs boss seemed to have taken issue with how Tuchel shook his hand after the final whistle.
While hopeful he will be allowed to take to the touchline for Tottenham's meeting with Wolves on Saturday, Conte has no regrets about the fierce nature of his side's display against his old club Chelsea.
Indeed, the former Inter coach wants to see more of it.
"Nasty? It's a step that I continue to ask to my players," Conte said.
"We did a little step forward, but we need to compete this because to be nasty is very important.
"You have to feel the blood of your opponents. You need to win."
One example of that aggression possibly boiling over came when Cristian Romero clearly pulled the hair of Chelsea's new signing Marc Cucurella while the pair competed at a set-piece.
Fortunately for Spurs, referee Anthony Taylor and the VAR failed to punish the infringement.
"I speak a lot with him," Conte said of Romero, who will miss the Wolves game through injury.
"He's really strong physically and has no fear. He has to be really focused to understand the situation. But I speak a lot with him, we have to be strong in the right way."
Tottenham have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games (W9 D3), having lost five of their eight before this run.
They look well set to continue that strong form, given Wolves are winless in their last nine Premier League matches. However, since they were promoted back to the top tier in 2018, at no side have they won more away league games than they have against Spurs (three).
Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard insisted Diego Carlos has "a part to play" for the team despite being set for a long injury absence.
The Brazilian ruptured an Achilles tendon during last weekend's 2-1 victory over Everton and could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Signed for an initial £26million from Sevilla in June, the Brazilian's injury is a significant blow to both the club and the player – who will have hoped to push his way into Brazil's World Cup squad in November.
Gerrard believes there is still a role for the defender to play for Villa this season, however, and intends to use his experience behind the scenes.
"It's certainly a blow to lose a player of his importance. He had successful surgery yesterday, so it's important that we look forward and try to be positive," Gerrard said ahead of Villa's trip to Crystal Palace.
"Each day that passes he's closer to a return, and we'll give him all the patience and support he needs from a medical point of view.
"It's important that he stays in amongst the group because he's still got a part to play. That's something which is forgotten in football: injured players taking a back seat. I don't want that to be the case. I want him to be very much involved in the dressing room and to show his leadership skills."
There has been speculation Villa could dip into the transfer market for a replacement, given the injury, and Gerrard said the club are weighing up their options.
"It's something we are analysing, we still have three fully fit centre-backs and Kortney Hause is back in full training," Gerrard said. "We have time to decide if we need more support in that area."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was close to phoning into a radio show when he heard criticism of Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag has got off to a dismal start at Manchester United, who head into Monday's clash with rivals Liverpool on the back of two defeats in their opening games.
A 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion was followed by a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brentford last weekend.
But Klopp, whose team have hardly set the world alight in their two matches so far, drawing to both Fulham and Crystal Palace, said he has been angered by the harsh criticism of Ten Hag.
Using the example of talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor, Klopp suggested the reaction from some in the media has been overblown.
"It was obviously not nice for United after the Brentford game. We forget in these moments how good Brentford are, to be honest," he said in a press conference.
"I drove home and listened to talkSPORT and Gabby. He lost against us 6-0 my first year [Villa v Liverpool, Feb 2016], I couldn't remember him as a mentality monster on the pitch, but what he said about United on that show, I was close to calling in!
"I was close to calling in and telling him 'you have forgotten completely you used to be a player', it was unbelievable, and if ex-players are talking like this, you can imagine how everyone else is going.
"You then have to ask yourself 'how would you want to react in this situation?' You would of course fight back, that's completely normal and that's what we expect. The good news is when we play United it's always the same."
Klopp also believes Ten Hag, who oversaw a 4-0 win over Liverpool in pre-season, has a clear plan that he is attempting to implement.
"It's obvious what he wants to do, he wants to build out from the back. We played them in the pre-season [4-0 defeat in Bangkok], you could see and feel the high-press idea," Klopp added.
"We were for sure not ready for that game... we made some mistakes but they used them really well. The quality of United up front is ridiculous, I heard [Anthony] Martial can play probably, he played against us a really good game. Another boy with technique and speed.
"Football quality in midfield, who is it? [Christian] Eriksen, [Bruno] Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Fred – Gabby doesn't like him I think but I think he's a really good player – and [Scott] McTominay so there's real quality there and it's just about how we deal with that, but again, these one, two games they played in the league, I saw them both and we have to try to figure out if he will change and if we will change and we go from there."
United might well have a new signing to debut against Liverpool, with the Red Devils closing in on a deal for Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.
Nottingham Forest shattered their transfer record with a deal for Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White that could cost the Premier League newcomers up to £42.5million.
The eye-watering move was completed on Friday, with Forest reportedly paying £25million up front and the rest being dependent on performance-related add-ons.
Forest announced 22-year-old Gibbs-White has signed a five-year contract and been handed the number 10 shirt.
It represents a spectacular show of belief in his talents by Forest boss Steve Cooper, who had Gibbs-White in his England team that won the Under-17 World Cup in October 2017.
Phil Foden was also in that side, with both the Manchester City star and Gibbs-White scoring in the final as England beat Spain 5-2 in Kolkata.
Gibbs-White had already made his first-team debut for Wolves at that point, having faced Stoke City as a 16-year-old in January 2017, but his Premier League career record shows plenty of room for improvement.
In 48 top-flight games, including 36 substitute appearances, Gibbs-White has scored just once and managed only one assist.
He was much more productive in the Championship with Sheffield United last season, hitting 12 goals and adding 10 assists from 60 chances created in 37 games, and must show he can carry that form into the Premier League.
Everton were among clubs interested in Gibbs-White before Forest agreed a deal with Wolves, and it has been reported Frank Lampard's side made a late move to try and hijack the deal.
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said on his club's website: "After his successes last season, it was no secret that Morgan declined to sign a new contract at Wolves, but despite that he has always acted with the utmost professionalism and gave everything for the team.
"Morgan leaves as the most valuable Wolves academy graduate in the club's history and will be an inspiration to the next generation of young players in our academy today."
Gibbs-White, who could be in line for a Forest debut against Everton on Saturday, had started both of Wolves' matches this season, though Bruno Lage's team have reinforced their attack with the signing of Goncalo Guedes from Valencia, while midfielder Matheus Nunes arrived from Sporting CP in a club-record transfer on Wednesday.
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