Pau Cubarsi, Marcos Llorente and Aleix Garcia have been cut from Luis de la Fuente Castillo's Spain squad for Euro 2024.
De la Fuente named a 29-man party last month, with a youthful look to it, as Spain aim to regain European glory in Germany.
Cubarsi started Spain's friendly win over Andorra, setting up Ayoze Perez, who is a surprise inclusion in the final squad, for his debut goal.
Despite impressing in his breakout season in LaLiga, there is no place for the 17-year-old as De la Fuente opts for a more experienced group of centre-backs in Robin Le Normand, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte and Dani Vivian.
Llorente also misses out, with Cubarsi's fellow Barcelona youngster, Fermin Lopez, keeping his place after impressing with an assist in his first international appearance on Wednesday.
Garcia is the other midfielder not to make the cut despite drawing attention with Girona as they finished third in LaLiga, scoring three goals and adding six assists in the league in 2023-24.
Spain will begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Croatia in Group B on June 15, before playing Italy and Albania in their other group matches.
Final Spain squad: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad), David Raya (Arsenal), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr), Nacho (Real Madrid), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad), Dani Vivian (Athletic Bilbao), Alex Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), Rodrigo (Manchester City), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), Pedri (Barcelona), Alex Baena (Villarreal), Fermin Lopez (Barcelona), Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid), Joselu (Real Madrid), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Ayoze Perez (Real Betis), Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona).
Gianluigi Buffon revealed Nicolo Barella will undergo further tests ahead of Euro 2024, but believes the injured midfielder could replicate Gennaro Gattuso's exploits during Italy's 2006 World Cup triumph.
The Inter midfielder, who has been named in Luciano Spalletti's final squad for the forthcoming European Championship in Germany, was absent from Tuesday's goalless draw with Turkiye with a minor muscle problem.
Former goalkeeper Buffon, now Italy's head of delegation, played a key role in the side that triumphed at the World Cup 18 years ago, and what was the last major international tournament to be played on German soil.
Meanwhile, after missing the 2-0 victory over Ghana in their tournament opener through injury, Gattuso was a constant in the middle of the park thereon as Marcelo Lippi's side landed their fourth World crown.
And while he could still make Italy's first game in Group B against Albania on June 15, Buffon feels Barella could play a similar role to the former Milan central midfielder.
"I hope he will be like Gattuso at the [2006] World Cup," Buffon said. "He missed the first game, but then he became a protagonist. Yet, in the beginning, they wanted to send him home!
“Nicolo will undergo further tests, but he could already be available against Albania.”
Italy, who will also play Spain and Croatia in Group B, complete their preparations for the tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday.
The Azzurri have already seen Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini withdraw from the squad through injury, while Lorenzo Pellegrini limped off against Turkiye and was seen on the bench with an icepack strapped to his knee.
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer.
Tosin signed a four-year contract with the Blues, completing his medical earlier this week to become the first signing under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
The centre-back rejected a new contract earlier in this season, and Fulham announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.
Newcastle United and Manchester United were also in the race for his signature, but Tosin, who worked with Maresca at Manchester City in the past, decided on the switch to Chelsea, with the lure of European football supposedly drawing him to the club.
After joining the Blues, Tosin said: "Chelsea is a huge club and this is a full-circle moment for me. I was born three miles away from Stamford Bridge and made my professional debut there [for Manchester City].
"I'm here to win. I want to win. It's as simple as that really. I just want to keep working and pushing the team and the club in the direction we want to go in. I'm excited to get going."
Tosin made 132 appearances for Fulham in all competitions after joining in 2020, helping them win the Championship title in 2021-22.
The 26-year-old made 20 appearances for the Cottagers in the Premier League last season, scoring two goals.
Jaylen Brown hailed Kristaps Porzingis after the Boston Celtics power forward returned from injury with a "monster game" against the Dallas Mavericks.
Porzingis, who has been absent for five weeks with a calf strain, played a starring role from the bench against his former side, as the Celtics drew first blood in the NBA Finals with a 107-89 win in Game 1.
Having not played since Game 4 in the first round against the Miami Heat, the Latvian marked his return with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks at TD Garden.
And Brown, who top-scored for the Celtics with 22 points, paid tribute to his team-mate.
"Kristaps had a monster game for us," he said. "Just his presence shooting the ball and then him being able to attack those switches and mismatches, he made them pay every time, and that's what we need going forward in the series."
Porzingis was understandably thrilled to make up for lost time with his inspired display for top seeds Boston, who are targeting a record-breaking 18th NBA title this year.
"The adrenaline was just pumping through my veins," he said. "Obviously, it wasn't ideal that I was out for such a long time.
"But, I did everything I could to prepare mentally for this moment coming back, and it paid off, and we got the job done tonight and had a good game, and happy about the result.
"Tonight was an affirmation to myself that I'm pretty good, you know? Maybe I'm not perfect, but I'm pretty good and I can play like this and I can definitely add to this team."
P.J. Washington urged the Dallas Mavericks to "stay connected and together" following defeat to the Boston Celtics in their NBA Finals opener.
The Mavs' first championship series since they were crowned champions in 2011 began with a 107-89 loss against the top seeds of this postseason at TD Garden.
It was Dallas' lowest scoring total during the playoffs, while their tally of just nine assists was the fewest in any match this term as they struggled against a strong Boston defense.
"We just have to stay connected [and] stay together," said P.J. Washington. "We are a great team. They are a great team at the end of the day. We're all right. It's only one game. We'll be better for Game 2."
"The ball has got to move a little bit more," added Kyrie Irving, whose 31.6 per cent shooting from the floor was his lowest in 14 career Finals games.
"That starts with me just being able to push the pace, get us some easy opportunities, and just adjust to what they are throwing at us.
"It's a fun series. It was fun going into the game. It's still going to be fun. But there's going to be a level of chess that still has to be played."
Mavs coach Jason Kidd also issued a rallying cry to his players, who he insisted must not be held back by the occasion.
"Give the Celtics credit," he said. "They did a great job defending, making it tough on us.
"I think this is the best team in the NBA, and they are good for a reason. They play their style of basketball at a high rate. Nerves or not being in this situation, we can't use that as an excuse. It's just basketball."
Jofra Archer's countless injury struggles in recent years left the bowler feeling like he was "a burden" to England.
The fast bowler announced himself to the cricketing world five years ago, with an inspired display helping England to World Cup glory.
However, a string of injury issues - notably stress fractures in his right elbow and back - has seen his appearances limited and prevented him from truly building on that momentum.
Nevertheless, throughout his rehabilitation, England have stuck by Archer, who said he was hurt by the widespread criticism he received during his absence, handing him a fresh two-year contract in the latter part of 2023.
The 29-year-old hopes to repay that faith during the T20 World Cup in his native West Indies, where the reigning champions resume their title defence against Australia on Saturday.
"Sometimes, you feel like a burden not playing," he said. "I've seen a few comments as well, people saying, 'He's on the longest paid holiday I've ever seen'.
"You try not to let it get to you, but you can ignore 100 of them and then sometimes the 101st is the straw that breaks the camel's back.
"I found it a little worrying, not about my body, just the external stuff. I've changed a lot of my social media stuff just so you don't see a lot, but there's a little that always filters through. You've just got to keep going.
"I've got a PDF file of every single game I'm supposed to play from now until next summer, they've really planned out almost everything.
"Probably the only thing they haven't planned out is the showers I take! Even when I wasn't playing, they gave me targets that I'd keep trying to tick off, and it's really nice that they're actually falling into place."
Trent Grisham doubled his season totals with a home run and three RBIs and the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with their eighth straight win, 8-5 on Thursday night.
Yankees slugger Juan Soto left the game with left forearm discomfort following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning.
Gleyber Torres had a two-run double and Giancarlo Stanton walked three times as New York broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors at 45-19. The Yankees have won 25 of 31 and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022.
They went 6-0 this season against the Twins and outscored them 36-12. New York is 123-44 in the series since 2002 – including playoffs.
Carlos Correa homered and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which had won nine of 12 before getting to the Bronx.
De La Cruz homers for surging Reds
Elly De La Cruz belted a three-run homer and Hunter Greene pitched into the seventh inning as the Cincinnati Reds won their fifth straight, 8-4 over the Chicago Cubs.
After Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer staked the Cubs to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, De La Cruz followed Will Benson’s single and TJ Friedl’s walk with his 11th home run, a shot to right field that came off the bat a3t 114.7 mph.
Christopher Morel’s two-run homer in the sixth gave Chicago a 4-3 lead, but Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half on Jonathan India’s RBI single and Friedl’s run-scoring double.
Greene allowed four runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks to win his fourth straight decision.
Red Sox hammer lowly White Sox
Tanner Houck pitched seven strong innings and was backed by home runs from Jarren Duran and Emmanuel Valdez as the Boston Red Sox handed the Chicago White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, 14-2.
The White Sox, who have lost 18 of 19, surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team and dropped to a major league-worst 15-48.
Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela each had four of Boston’s season-high 24 hits, including two off White Sox infielder Danny Mendick in the ninth inning.
Houck didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning and allowed two runs and three hits with nine strikeouts.
Trent Grisham doubled his season totals with a home run and three RBIs as the New York Yankees completed a season sweep of the Minnesota Twins with their eighth straight win, 8-5 on Thursday night.
Yankees slugger Juan Soto left the game with left forearm discomfort following a 56-minute rain delay before the sixth inning.
Gleyber Torres had a two-run double and Giancarlo Stanton walked three times as New York broke a tie with Philadelphia for the best record in the majors at 45-19. The Yankees have won 25 of 31 and extended their longest winning streak since a nine-game run in June 2022.
They went 6-0 this season against the Twins and outscored them 36-12. New York are 123-44 in the series since 2002 – including playoffs.
Carlos Correa homered and drove in two runs for Minnesota, who had won nine of 12 before getting to the Bronx.
De La Cruz homers for surging Reds
Elly De La Cruz belted a three-run homer and Hunter Greene pitched into the seventh inning as the Cincinnati Reds won their fifth straight, 8-4 over the Chicago Cubs.
After Seiya Suzuki's two-run homer staked the Cubs to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, De La Cruz followed Will Benson's single and TJ Friedl's walk with his 11th home run, a shot to right field that came off the bat at 114.7 mph.
Christopher Morel's two-run homer in the sixth gave Chicago a 4-3 lead, but Cincinnati scored twice in the bottom half on Jonathan India's RBI single and Friedl's run-scoring double.
Greene allowed four runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks to win his fourth straight decision.
Red Sox hammer lowly White Sox
Tanner Houck pitched seven strong innings and was backed by home runs from Jarren Duran and Emmanuel Valdez as the Boston Red Sox handed the Chicago White Sox their franchise-record 14th straight loss, 14-2.
The White Sox, who have lost 18 of 19, surpassed a mark set by the 1924 team and dropped to a major league-worst 15-48.
Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela each had four of Boston's season-high 24 hits, including two off White Sox infielder Danny Mendick in the ninth inning.
Houck did not allow a hit until the sixth inning and allowed two runs and three hits with nine strikeouts.
Jaylen Brown led six players in double figures with 22 points and Kristaps Porziņģis had 20 in his first game in over a month as the Boston Celtics pulled away for a 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Derick White scored 15 for the Celtics, who improved to 13-2 in the playoffs with their eighth straight win as they seek their 18th NBA title.
Game 2 is Sunday night in Boston.
Porzingis came off the bench and provided an immediate spark in his first game since April 29 due to a strained right calf. He had six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.
Luka Dončić had 30 points and 10 rebounds, but former Celtic Kyrie Irving managed just 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
Dallas totalled just nine assists on 35 field goals and its scoring total was its lowest of the postseason.
Boston started fast and led by 29 in the first half before Dallas opened the third quarter on a 22-9 run to pull within 72-64 on Doncic’s 3-pointer.
The Celtics responded with the next 14 points, capped by 3s from Tatum, Al Horford and Brown for an 86-64 advantage.
A 16th minute strike by Shamar Nicholson proved the difference as Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz edged Dominican Republic 1-0 to open their Concacaf World Cup qualifying account on a positive note at the National Stadium on Thursday.
Nicholson’s strike, his 17th international goal and third in World Cup qualifiers, highlighted an unsatisfactory evening for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side, as the defence was at times vulnerable, while the wasteful attacking front was marred by a lack of composure and poor decision-making in the final third. This was much to the disappointment of the sizeable crowd which surprisingly turned out despite the early kickoff and rainfall.
Still, for Hallgrimsson, the most important outcome was securing the three points, which propelled the Boyz to second in Group E on three points, same as leaders Guatemala, who hammered Dominica 6-0 in their opening clash on Wednesday.
“We should have finished it off, but when you are winning 1-0, it's always uncomfortable because then it only needs a corner or a freekick and the ball goes in. So you never kind of feel relaxed, but we should have killed the game off with the chances we got. Apart from that, it (our performance) was below par, and we can do much better than we did today,” Hallgrimsson said in a post-game interview.
“But given a lot of these players are coming back from not playing, it was kind of given that some of them would not be ready for a competitive match right away. We can for sure improve from this performance, but the most important thing is that we got the win and we kept a clean sheet,” he added.
After a cagey start by both teams, the Jamaicans eventually showed some attacking intent in the 12th minute through the fleet-footed Renaldo Cephas, who utilised his pace to good effect to breach Dominican Republic's defence, but he couldn't get on target at that point.
Dominican Republic tried to play their game, through steady and penetrative build ups, and it was one of those attempts to open up in attack that allowed the Jamaicans to break the deadlock on the counter. This, as Cephas won possession on the break and left the last defender in his wake on his way into the 18-yard box where he played a pass across goal to Nicholson, who applied a cool finish beyond custodian Miguel Lloyd.
The Boyz tried to press the ascendancy from there, but were unable to make their dominance in possession count, as their star man Michail Antonio was subjected to heavy physical treatment throughout. In fact, the Jamaicans next best chance of the first half was courtesy of Bobby Reid's 33rd-minute freekick from just outside the 18-yard box, which went just wide of the left upright.
Much like they did at the start, both teams were again slow into rhythm on the resumption, as both lacked enterprise in their build ups, and as such, failed to create anything meaningful in the attacking third.
It was until the 72nd minute that the Jamaicans again came to life when Cephas’s blistering pace down the left channel forced Luiyi De Lucas to take fell him inside the danger area and gift the Jamaicans a penalty. However, Reid couldn't make the 12-yard kick count as his effort went at a decent height for Lloyd to parry.
Eight minutes later, Reid again unleashed Cephas, who had Deshane Beckford alongside him in a two-on-one counter, but the former selfishly hogged possession and inevitably had his tame effort blocked by the advancing Lloyd.
Though they continued to threatening in a sustained attacking spell in the latter stages of the contest, the Jamaicans were found wanting in the decision-making which robbed them of any real opportunity to add to their tally.
Hallgrimsson, obviously under no illusions, acknowledged some flaws that he hopes to address heading into Sunday’s encounter away to Dominica.
It should be placed in the context that the Icelandic coach was without a number of his first choice players –Demarai Gray, Amari’i Bell, Joel Latibeaudiere, Ethan Pinnock, Andre Blake and Dujuan Richards –due to injury, while Leon Bailey remains unavailable. Hence, the Boyz looked unimpressive.
“We were very slow. Everything that we did was low tempo. I think in the second half it got better, we created more chances with buildup play and creation, but in general, it was too slow for my taste. These strikers, for example, with all their individual quality, are not used to playing in a two striker formation,” Hallgrimsson reasoned.
“So we just need time to get them to sink a little bit better. But in general with the ball, we were not good. Slow tempo, even defending first half was slow tempo, so we gave them the time that they needed to be good. So I would just say we need to up the tempo in everything that we are doing. But you are correct, attacking decision-making is not good enough,” he noted.
Monank Patel lauded the United States' "complete performance" after holding on for a dramatic all-time upset against Pakistan in Dallas on Thursday.
In their T20 World Cup debut, the US have two wins from two and top Group A after beating Canada in their opener before following it up with another statement victory.
The US opted to let Pakistan bat first, limiting them to 159-7, and chased down the target exceptionally well, with Nitish Kumar hitting a four on the final ball to force a super over.
Pakistan still had no answers, falling to a five-run defeat in their opening game at the tournament.
Patel did not play in their opening game against Canada but came in to get 50 off 38 balls, including two fours and two boundaries, but quickly shifted the focus to the whole team.
"Playing in the World Cup, you don't get a chance to do it every year," he said. "We knew we had to be fully committed [to] every single ball against Pakistan. It was a complete effort from the team.
"It's a big achievement - beating Pakistan while playing for the first time. Complete performance. We used the conditions well. Kept them to 160, which was chaseable. Happy with my contribution, happier to have won.
"Plan was to have a big partnership among top three and then to take it deep. [Andries] Gous played cricketing shots and took pressure away. As a player and captain, you want to show off your talent on the big occasion. Wanted to score in a winning cause."
Pakistan struggled to get going, with captain Babar Azam finishing on 44 after a slow start to the game saw them struggle to build any momentum.
Despite eventually finishing the first innings strongly, Pakistan struggled to limit the US' chase, with errors creeping into their game to keep the tournament co-hosts in with a chance.
Azam highlighted their slow starts to both innings as their shortcomings in the loss.
"First six overs while batting, we couldn't capitalise. We took momentum but back-to-back wickets hurt us," he said.
"We were not up to the mark in the first six [while bowling]. Didn't take wickets, spinners didn't either. We came back in the end but couldn't finish well. Hope to do well in the future.
"[Result makes it] very hard. All credit to USA who did well in all three departments. That's why they won. There was moisture in the pitch. It was two-paced. As professionals, we had to assess conditions better."
Julian Nagelsmann announced he has "basically" made a decision about his final Euro 2024 squad but would not be revealing it until Friday.
Germany face Greece in their final warm-up game on Friday before their home tournament, which they will kick off against Scotland on June 14.
Nagelsmann initially named a provisional squad of 27 and needs to reduce that by one, confirming the official 26-man group by Friday.
The former Bayern Munich manager conceded that places will still be up for grabs depending on performances against Greece but would not give any hints about whom the player likely to drop out would be.
"We have our starting 11 in our heads but the performance in the match and in training must fit," Nagelsmann told a press conference on Thursday.
"Overall, the squad decision has been taken, but I won't announce it, nor talk with those affected, because in the worst case, someone is injured tomorrow, and the player affected needs to slip back in, and it would be silly to have that chat now.
"The decision has basically been made. We'll announce it after the game tomorrow.
"The roles are clear. If Kai [Havertz] performs, he will have the edge. He has to perform. [Niclas Fullkrug] will get his playing time and will be able to score goals and cause a furore.
"Nothing is set in stone. You have to perform to get it set in stone."
One of those included in the preliminary squad is Bayern's Leroy Sane, who sustained a bone injury in May that kept him out of Germany's friendly draw with Ukraine on Monday.
Nagelsmann provided a positive update on the winger's availability, which could be a boost if he stays in the squad for the tournament.
"He is an option for tomorrow. He has done two training sessions," he added.
"However, we cannot calculate him in for 90 minutes of every match. He has found a good way when the tension is there [in his injury] to take it out."
Jasmine Paolini says she started to "dream step by step" before making it to her maiden grand slam final at Roland Garros.
The Italian saw off Mirra Andreeva in straight sets on Thursday to book a showdown against world number one Iga Swiatek as she aims to win her first major title.
Paolini has already pulled off one major upset at the tournament, knocking out Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals over three sets in impressive fashion.
No matter what happens in the final, Paolini is already assured of breaking into the top 10 in the WTA rankings on Monday and will be ranked, at minimum, number seven at the end of the tournament.
Asked if this was a moment that she imagined when she was young in training, Paolini admitted that was not the case.
"I was watching grand slam finals. I was watching the other Italians make it in the finals, and also won grand slams, but imagining that can be myself was tough," she said.
"Of course, I wished, but now it's something crazy for me. I'm really happy. Also surprised.
"I never dreamed to be number one, grand slam champion. Never dreamed so big. Never.
"Never maybe dream to be in the top 10, but I was hoping, but not really believing it. I think step by step I started to believe, but to dream for closer things.
"I think it's important to dream, but I started to dream, I think, step by step. Not too far away."
Swiatek is chasing a third consecutive French Open title and is a heavy favourite to win it going into the final.
Paolini was full of praise for the Pole but said she would not be intimidated by her opponent.
"Iga is an unbelievable player. So young, but so many achievements and grand slams. Here she won three times," she added. "She's doing well week by week, and that's not easy. So I have huge respect for her.
"My goal is to step on the court on Saturday and try to enjoy the match and to enjoy that moment and to try to play a good match and to make a good performance on the court."
Jesse Marsch's first game in charge of Canada ended in disappointment as the clinical Netherlands scored four second-half goals to win 4-0 on Thursday.
Both sides had good chances in a fairly even first half - Georginio Wijnaldum saw an effort cleared off the line, while Cyle Larin squandered a brilliant chance, sending it wide.
The Netherlands came out of the blocks quickly in the second half though, with Memphis Depay poking in five minutes after the restart before Jeremie Frimpong doubled their lead with a lovely curling effort.
Wout Weghorst made an instant impact off the bench as he latched onto Dayne St. Clair's spill, and fellow substitute Virgil van Dijk headed in late on to ensure an emphatic victory for the hosts.
The Netherlands' final friendly before Euro 2024 is against Iceland on Monday, while Canada travel to France for another warm-up before the start of the Copa America.
Data Debrief: Netherlands too strong in Rotterdam
Just five players have reached 25 goal involvements under a single manager for the Netherlands since 1978, with Depay's goal today moving him to 25 under Ronald Koeman.
In the first half, Oranje managed an xG of just 0.83 from their nine shots but improved on that after the break. Canada had no answers as the Netherlands hit four, creating an xG of 2.08 from their 11 efforts, eight of which were on target.
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