Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe says he does not hold power over the future of boss Erik ten Hag, amid the Red Devils' woeful start to the season.

United have taken just seven points from their first six Premier League matches, only beating Fulham and Southampton while suffering back-to-back 3-0 home defeats versus Liverpool and Tottenham.

That is their joint-worst return through six games of any season in the competition, having made identical starts under David Moyes in 2013-14 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020-21.

In the Europa League, meanwhile, United were pegged back in a 1-1 draw at home to Feyenoord on matchday one then squandered a 2-0 lead in Thursday's 3-3 draw at Porto.

Those results have led to fierce criticism coming Ten Hag's way, but Ratcliffe says United's new football hierarchy will make any decisions regarding the Dutchman's future.

Asked if he retained faith in Ten Hag, who signed a new contract in pre-season, Ratcliffe told BBC Sport: "I don't want to answer that question.

"I like Erik. I think he's a very good coach but at the end of the day it's not my call.

"It's the management team that's running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.

"But that team that's running Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren't there in January, February, March or April – [CEO] Omar [Berrada], [sporting director] Dan Ashworth – they only arrived in July.

"They've only been there… you can count it in weeks almost - they've not been there a long time, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions.

"Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it's not there yet, obviously – that's very clear."

United go to Aston Villa for their next Premier League game on Sunday, having won 40 Premier League games against the Villans, with only the Red Devils themselves beating an opponent more often in the competition's history (41 versus Everton).

Villa have won just one of their last 25 Premier League home games against United (eight draws, 16 losses), with that victory coming in Unai Emery's first game in charge of the club in November 2022 (3-1).

Pat Noonan said his FC Cincinnati side must become a team again in order to return to winning ways after their winless MLS run extended to three games in midweek.

The Orange and Blue were on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller, losing 3-2 to New York City FC as another slow start was punished at the Red Bull Arena.

While having already secured their spot in the playoffs, Noonan expressed the importance of team cohesion for the final two games of the regular season, starting this weekend against Orlando City.

"We need to be more of a team on the field. I think we have too many individual moments where we're not doing what is in the best interest of the team," Noonan said.

"It's a lot of players at a lot of different times. It's not a singular thing. We're making too many decisions where guys want to be the playmaker, they want to be the goalscorer, they want to be the assist man.

“We need to do simple things better. We overcomplicate the game right now."

Orlando, meanwhile, come into the encounter at the TQL Stadium having won five of their last six MLS games, the latest of which came in a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union.

Over that period of success, the Lions have scored 16 goals, conceding only six as they continue to build momentum ahead of their upcoming playoff campaign.

Head coach Oscar Pareja was pleased with his side’s display against the Union last time out, believing his side are currently the best team in the division at this moment in time.

“We are obviously very happy and satisfied with the way the team has found ways to win games and put us in a decent spot in the standings at this time of the season,” Pareja said.

“Another hard game, well played by us. We could’ve had more precision in certain moments when we could have put the game away from Philadelphia [Union], but we ended up just finishing with the 2-1 [win].

“Very tight plays at the end with them pushing and really making us feel that it could be a tight game. But all in all, I thought we were the best team on the pitch, and we have been one of the best teams in the league for me."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta has recorded a goal contribution in each of his last three matches, including scoring on Wednesday night.

This is the Argentine’s 11th different streak of three or more consecutive regular-season games with a goal contribution since the start of the 2022 season.

Orlando City – Facundo Torres

Torres scored in Orlando City’s win on Wednesday, his sixth straight match with a goal contribution, equalling the club record.

The Uruguayan is the third Lions player to record such a streak, after Martin Ojeda and Sacha Kljestan.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

While Cincinnati are favoured to win by Opta’s data-led simulations, they have lost five of their last nine regular-season home matches (W3 D1) dating back to late May. Cincinnati had lost only three of their previous 31 home league matches dating back to June 2022.

Orlando, meanwhile, have enjoyed games away from home. Their win over Dallas last time out was their seventh road win of the season and 16th overall since the start of the 2023 campaign. Only Cincinnati (17) has more away wins since the start of last season than Orlando.

However, the last seven meetings between Cincinnati and Orlando have all been either drawn (two) or decided by a one-goal margin (Cincinnati W3, Orlando W2). There have been three total goals scored in the last four games between the sides.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 43.7%

Draw – 26.8%

Orlando City – 29.5%

Ashley Westwood believes Charlotte FC are clicking at the right time, with an MLS Cup Playoff spot already secured ahead of their weekend clash with CF Montreal.

Charlotte made certain of a playoff place by edging a seven-goal thriller against the Chicago Fire in midweek, Karol Swiderski netting twice in a 4-3 win for Dean Smith's men.

They face Montreal, who are one place and five points below them in the standings, at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, as they gear up for a second playoff run in as many years.

Captain and former Aston Villa midfielder Westwood believes Charlotte's run of seven points – and nine goals – in three matches has come at the ideal moment. 

"It all comes with us starting to know people's movements," Westwood told WFNZ Sports Radio. 

"It's not easy to come straight into a team and people expect things to click straight away, but everyone has different movements. Finally, it looks like it's clicking at the right time."

Montreal are looking to make certain of a wild-card place, having clinched a huge 2-1 victory over Atlanta United last time out – courtesy of former Five Stripes hero Josef Martinez.

"We fought for this win and it is a very important one for us," Martinez said. "Of course, coming to this stadium with these fans, to play against this club was tough. 

"It's always hard and I have a lot of love for them but I am professional and I need to fight for my colours.

"We are happy with this victory, but we need to focus on Charlotte now. Now we fight for one reason and it is to make the playoffs. The team is on the same page and this is why we are scoring goals."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Charlotte FC – Karol Swiderski 

Swiderski scored twice on Wednesday with his first strike coming in the eighth minute, the fifth time he has scored in the first 10 minutes of an MLS match for Charlotte. 

Only one other player in team history has scored multiple goals within the first 10 minutes of matches in MLS play (Yordy Reyna, with two).

CF Montreal – Josef Martinez

Martinez scored two goals against his former club Atlanta on Wednesday, his 24th career multi-goal MLS match. 

Only Landon Donovan (32) and Chris Wondolowski (25) have more such games in league history.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN

Montreal are unbeaten in five all-time meetings with Charlotte in MLS (four wins, one draw), including a 2-1 home win on September 14. Charlotte's only point against Montreal came in the teams' last meeting at Bank of America Stadium, a scoreless draw in June 2023.

However, that could change here. The Crown have scored four goals in each of their last two home matches, in wins over the New England Revolution and Chicago Fire. They previously had just two MLS matches (home or away) with four or more goals in their history.

Montreal's midweek triumph over Atlanta was their first road win in 13 attempts in MLS (four draws, eight defeats), and a repeat looks unlikely here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Charlotte FC – 52.7%

CF Montreal – 23.1%

Draw – 24.2%

Lionel Messi says breaking the single-season MLS points record is a secondary concern for Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami as they approach the playoffs.

Miami clinched their first Supporters' Shield triumph by beating the Columbus Crew – the reigning MLS Cup holders – 3-2 on the road on Wednesday, with Messi scoring two goals including a wonderful free-kick.

With two games remaining in the regular season, versus Toronto on Saturday and the New England Revolution two weeks later, Miami could yet set a new points record for the league, with two victories enough to overhaul the Revs' 2021 mark of 73 points.

Messi, however, says achieving that feat will mean nothing if the Herons cannot back it up in the postseason.

"The points record is secondary, the main thing is what is coming up with the playoffs," Messi told Apple TV after Miami's Supporters' Shield triumph.

"First, we have a best-of-three series, but then it's elimination games and anything can happen. 

"We have a big advantage now, being able to play at home. We are very strong at home, but still have to prove we can win."

Toronto, meanwhile, are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention following their 4-1 midweek defeat to the New York Red Bulls.

John Herdman's Reds currently occupy the final wild-card place in the Eastern Conference, but Saturday's game is their last of the campaign while all of their direct rivals have two more to play.

That means Toronto must beat Miami and pray for favours from elsewhere to keep their season alive, leaving Herdman to lament his team's tame display on Wednesday.

"It was not good enough, there was no excuses. Not good enough with the setup and not good enough on the pitch," Herdman said.

"Even as a tactical staff, not being able to find the right solutions... We've got to own this, the whole group.

"It was a team that was too passive, in a game where we had to be strong, we had to have character, personality, fight. It just wasn't there, in big moments under pressure."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Toronto FC – Prince Osei Owusu 

Owusu scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season against the Red Bulls on Wednesday. 

No Toronto player has scored 10 goals in a single regular season in MLS since Alejandro Pozuelo (12) and Jozy Altidore (11) both did so in 2019.

Inter Miami – Lionel Messi

Messi's two goals on Wednesday took him to 32 goal contributions this season (17 goals, 15 assists) despite playing just 17 league matches in 2024. 

The Argentine great is averaging 2.02 goal contributions per 90 minutes this season, on pace to shatter the record of 1.62 set by Carlos Vela in 2019 (min. 1000 minutes).

MATCH PREDICTION – INTER MIAMI WIN

Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Inter Miami have recorded eight wins in nine meetings with Toronto in all competitions (one defeat). 

The only MLS team to record more wins over another in that time is the LA Galaxy over the San Jose Earthquakes (nine).

Toronto suffered their 18th defeat of the regular season in midweek. This is the fourth straight campain in which the Reds have lost at least 18 times, making them the first team in MLS history to have four consecutive seasons with 18 or more defeats.

Miami, meanwhile, are unbeaten in nine matches in MLS, winning five and drawing four, scoring 21 times during that run.

On their travels, they are unbeaten in four matches since the Leagues Cup break, winning two and drawing two, while also plundering 10 goals in that span. Unless they take their eye off the ball ahead of the playoffs, expect a similar result here.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Toronto FC – 19.9%

Inter Miami – 59.1%

Draw – 21%

Xabi Alonso hopes to mark his 100th game in charge of Bayer Leverkusen with a victory, but the Spaniard is not underestimating bottom club Holstein Kiel. 

Alonso led his side to a win over Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the Bundesliga champions one of only seven teams with a perfect record in the competition so far. 

But their fortunes in the league have been much different, taking 10 points from their opening five games, the latest of which ended in a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich. 

Leverkusen's start to the campaign is the worst by a reigning champion in 12 years since Borussia Dortmund managed eight points after the first five games in 2012-13. 

But Alonso, who has won 67 of 99 games in charge of Die Werkself, is wary of the threat this weekend's opponents provide despite their league position. 

"Every league match is tough, and we have learned that this season already," Alonso said.

"We expect the same tomorrow. They only have a point but deserve a bit more than what they have at the moment."

"In our heads and our preparation, it is only Kiel. We have full respect. They are a good opponent, very flexible in their lineup.

"I expect to see my team to be mature and intelligent. We have to show that we are fully prepared.

"My team plays with the same motivation in every game, so I have no reason to doubt them, and we will hopefully show it tomorrow."

Many of Leverkusen's problems this term have come from defence, a part of their side that was crucial in their domestic double last season. 

Die Werkself conceded just 24 times last campaign, 15 less than Stuttgart in second place. 

Leverkusen have already conceded six goals in their last two Bundesliga games at the BayArena, as many as they let in across their previous 12 home matches combined.  

Only 1. FC Koln in 1964-65 conceded as many goals in their first two home games as champions.

And with a total of 10 goals conceded from their first five games, Leverkusen has the worst defence of a reigning champion since Wolfsburg in 2009/10 (11).

Alonso stressed the importance of improving defensively, and he is confident that a win and a clean sheet will give his side a solid foundation to build on after the international break.

"If we win then we will have had a good phase (until the international break)," Alonso said. 

"Then we can prepare for the next block of matches. It was important that we are defending a bit better than we had been last month.

"That is something we need. Without it, we are not competitive, and we want to be competitive."

Jamaica’s Cavalier FC and Haitian outfit Real Hope FC confirmed their spots in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-finals after comfortable 4-1 and 2-0 wins over Jamaican clubs Arnett Gardens and Mount Pleasant FA in their final Group A fixtures on Thursday.

A brace from Jalmaro Calvin (35th and 71st) and one each from Shaquille Stein (29th) and Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson (59th) brought Cavalier from behind to top Arnett Gardens, who took an early ninth-minute lead through captain Shai Smith.

With the win, Cavalier, the reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions, consolidated the top spot with nine points, one ahead of Real Hope, who had a brace from Angelo Exilus (12th and 77th) to deny Mount Pleasant in the battle for the runner-up position.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Police FC (five points), Mount Pleasant (four points), and Arnett Gardens (one point) completed the table.

Cavalier will square off against Dominican Republic’s Moca FC in one semi-final, while Real Hope will lock horns against the other Dominican Republic outfit, Cibao FC, in the other. The semifinal date is yet to be confirmed.

Despite already having a spot in the final four, Cavalier FC were in no mood to relent and duly took apart Arnett Gardens at the National Stadium.

It was Arnett Gardens though that showed more purpose at the start as they sought to salvage some pride to end their campaign on a high. The ‘Junglists’ seemed on their way to achieving that feat when Smith connected with a pass from Marlon Allen and fired past Vino Barclett inside 10 minutes.

However, Xavier Gilbert’s side lost focus after taking the lead and were completely outplayed by Cavalier, who pulled level through Stein, who met Atkinson’s corner kick and slotted home at Roje Williams’ near post.

Real Hope's Angelo Exilus celebrate one of his two goals against Mount Pleasant.

Calvin then put Cavalier in front six minutes later with a tidy header past Williams from Jaheem Frazer’s weighted cross as they went to the break 2-1 up.

Cavalier picked up where they left off after the interval as Atkinson won possession deep in Arnett Gardens quarters and rounded the hapless Williams to slot home his team’s third.

Calvin later completed his brace with a tidy right-footed finish to cap Cavalier’s victory.

Meanwhile, a short distance away at Sabina Park, Mount Pleasant were also slow to get into stride, but unlike Cavalier, they couldn’t get back to Real Hope.

After Daniel Saint Fleur’s fourth-minute effort came back off the left upright, Exilus eventually broke the deadlock for the visitors with an easy tap-in from Watz Leazard’s pass.

Mount Pleasant tried to mount a comeback and had two decent efforts through Devonte Campbell and Sue-Lae McCalla in the 33rd and 49th minutes, but Real Hope’s custodian Gooly Elien came up big on both occasions to deny their host.

Raheem Edwards also went close for Mount Pleasant in the 70th, but he too failed to beat Elien’s glove.

With the equaliser proving elusive for Mount Pleasant, Exilus eventually found another open and made no mistakes from close range to secure the crucial win for his team.

Fabian Hurzeler said Brighton will learn from their first loss under him as they aim to bounce back against Tottenham in the Premier League.

The Seagulls had enjoyed an unbeaten start under the German in all competitions, going unbeaten in his first seven matches.

However, after winning their opening two Premier League games, they drew three in a row before suffering that 4-2 defeat to Chelsea last weekend.

Hurzeler was not shying away from the poor result though, instead looking for the positives they can build on before the international break.

"It's very important after defeat that you are honest to yourself, you reflect on yourself, what was good, what was not good in the game," Hurzeler said.

"If you lose a game, of course, there are more negative points.

"But there were also some positive things. In the end, we have to learn from it; I have to learn from it because I was the responsible person for the match plan and the match plan wasn't good enough. Now we try to show a reaction."

Meanwhile, Spurs have won their last five matches in all competitions, impressively brushing aside Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League last weekend before beating Ferencvaros 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday.

They will most likely be without captain Son Heung-min again for the trip to Brighton, but Ange Postecoglou believes Spurs are settling into the style of play.

"It is always a shifting measurement," he said. "Any time you go on a consistent run of form - and I think we have been consistent all year, but the results in the past five games have rewarded the performances.

"We are a developing side, still very much a young side. The squad is still developing together, so it suggests whatever markers we set we should be able to exceed.

"We have had belief, the energy accelerates, and the key is to keep it going. You don't want to let it go."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brighton – Carlos Baleba

After not scoring or assisting in any of his first 31 Premier League appearances, Carlos Baleba scored and assisted in their 4-2 defeat to Chelsea.

He is the youngest Cameroonian to both score and assist in a Premier League match (20 years, 269 days).

Tottenham – Dominic Solanke

Since the start of last season, the only Englishmen with more Premier League goals than Dominic Solanke (21) are Cole Palmer (28) and Ollie Watkins (23).

The Spurs forward is looking to find the net in three consecutive appearances for the first time since December 2023 before heading to meet up with England during the international break.

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

Just one of the 14 Premier League meetings between Brighton and Tottenham has finished as a draw (1-1 in April 2018), with Spurs winning nine to the Seagulls' four.

However, after losing consecutive Premier League home games against Spurs without scoring in 2021-22 and 2022-23, Brighton won this exact fixture 4-2 last season.

Brighton won six of their first 10 Premier League games in October (D2 L2) between 2017 and 2019 but have since won just one out of 16 October games since 2020 (D9 L6), a 4-1 win over Chelsea in 2022.

And given recent form, that run may continue, as the Seagulls have drawn their last two home Premier League matches, last drawing three in a row in November 2023. Indeed, since the start of last season, no side has drawn more home games than Brighton (8).

Tottenham, meanwhile, have won their last two Premier League games, last winning three in a row in December last year. Spurs have netted three goals in each victory (3-1 vs Brentford, 3-0 vs Man Utd), but have not won three consecutively while scoring 3+ goals since April 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brighton – 34.2%

Draw – 23.9%

Tottenham – 42%

Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful Real Madrid can bounce back from their shock Champions League loss to Lille, despite the short turnaround before Villarreal.

Madrid return to LaLiga action on the back of the 1-0 defeat to the French side, with Jonathan David's penalty enough to deny the holders a victory.

It also ended their 36-match unbeaten run in all competitions and was their first Champions League group-stage defeat since October 2022 against RB Leipzig.

Ancelotti's side have now failed to win their last two, having also conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid last weekend, but he is confident the team will be back to winning ways soon.

"[Villarreal] are doing really well. Saturday, it's an opportunity for us to reconnect, to get back to playing good football," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

"[The mood] is fine, as always. [Wednesday's] defeat is an opportunity, if we take it and react well. We are self-critical. There are times when you have to reconnect and you need to do it quickly.

"Sometimes a good run makes you think you're invincible, but a defeat brings you back to reality. We are still not at our level, we have players who are not at their best.

"We are not far from where we want to be. There is a lack of defensive intensity and, offensively, a lack of ball circulation."

Coming off a remarkable 2023-24 season in which they won the LaLiga and Champions League double, Madrid are second in the Spanish top-flight standings on 18 points, three behind leaders Barcelona and one ahead of Villarreal.

Ancelotti expects to get Kylian Mbappe back into the starting team after the forward missed last weekend's derby against Atletico and came off the bench at Lille due to a hamstring injury, which led to France manager Didier Deschamps leaving his captain out of the squad for next week's Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium.

"He has had a problem that seems to have been solved. He has trained normally," Ancelotti said.

"I don't get involved in what national coaches do. Deschamps has decided not to call him. We need to get the ball to the strikers quicker and we lack defensive intensity."

Enzo Maresca has been delighted with Chelsea's attacking prowess in the early weeks of his reign but says they have much to improve at the other end ahead of hosting Nottingham Forest. 

Maresca has made a strong start to life at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues unbeaten in five Premier League matches (four wins, one draw) since a matchday one defeat to Manchester City.

No team's Premier League games have produced more goals than Chelsea's so far in 2024-25, with Maresca's men scoring 15 times and conceding seven.

Forest's games, meanwhile, have contained the fewest goals of any side in the top flight (11, six for and five against).

Chelsea edged another goalfest on Thursday as they beat Gent 4-2 in the Europa Conference League, leading Maresca to call for defensive improvements. 

"I think we are performing very positively, especially in attack, it's going very well so we are happy," Maresca said.

"As I said many times already, for sure there are always things we can do better. We can attack better, we can defend much better.

"But the most important thing we can learn is that we cannot switch off. For their second goal, we saw that the game was already finished. 

"If we want to take a step forward, even when you the game is almost finished, you have to continue and not give away another goal, but it was a good performance and result. 

Forest, meanwhile, saw their unbeaten start to the campaign halted by Fulham last time out, losing 1-0 in the absence of star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who was suspended after being sent off at Brighton one week earlier.

The England international has told BBC Sport he is working on controlling his temperament, saying: "If I'm at 70% or 60% going into a game, I can't play like that. 

"I have to be 150% all the time. I always have to be on it and I like the feeling of having control in a game.

"Sometimes when we're having none of the ball I get frustrated, but that's when the control comes in and to understand what the manager wants from this moment."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Chelsea – Cole Palmer

Palmer became the first player in Premier League history to score four times in the first half of a game as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 last week. 

Since his debut for Chelsea in September last year (a home defeat to Forest), Cole Palmer has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other player (43 – 28 goals, 15 assists). 

Nottingham Forest – James Ward-Prowse

Forest may need some dead-ball magic if they are to earn a result, and specialist Ward-Prowse has a fine record against the Blues.

Ward-Prowse has been involved in four goals in his last five Premier League starts against Chelsea (two goals, two assists), netting the winner on his last start at Stamford Bridge with Southampton in April 2023.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN

Forest won this exact fixture 1-0 last season – only once have they ever won consecutive away league games against Chelsea, doing so on their first two visits to Stamford Bridge in 1907 and 1908.

Indeed, Chelsea have won just one of their four Premier League meetings with Forest since the latter returned to the top-flight in 2022 (two draws, one loss), though it was a 3-2 victory in the teams' last such game in May.

However, since their return to the competition, no team has lost more Premier League away games in London than Forest (10). 

They have lost each of their last four in the capital, conceding three or more goals each time, which will give an in-form Blues attack plenty of confidence.

Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League games (one draw, one defeat), netting at least twice in eight of those nine victories. Indeed, the Blues are the top scorers in the league this season (15) and also have the highest shot conversion rate (20.3%).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chelsea – 62.3%

Nottingham Forest – 17.8%

Draw – 19.8%

Rob Valentino questioned Atlanta United's mentality after their recent drop in form and hopes to find a solution before meeting the New York Red Bulls in MLS.

The Five Stripes are winless in their last four matches, drawing three in a row before falling to a disappointing 2-1 loss to CF Montreal in midweek.

Sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference, they can still mathematically clinch a playoff spot, but they have to win their final two matches and hope other results go their way.

Valentino was not happy with what he saw from his players against Montreal though, questioning their desire.

"We should always be fighting to win the game, and you just can't give up," Valentino said.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat things, but at the end of the day, I also see that it looks like it doesn't really matter [to the players]. It should look different.

"It's about recovering and going again, but there's no easy solve."

Borussia Dortmund will be without Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville for several weeks after they were injured in Tuesday's 7-1 Champions League victory over Celtic, coach Nuri Sahin has revealed.

The Ruhr valley club earned their biggest-ever European win in midweek, crushing the Scottish champions with Germany international Adeyemi scoring a hat-trick before being taken off with a muscle injury and replaced by 18-year-old Belgium international Duranville.

Duranville later sustained an injury of his own and both players will be absent until late November, missing Saturday's trip to Union Berlin as well as seven further games.

"We will be without Karim and Julien for some time. They are expected to be back after the international break in mid-November," Sahin said at Friday's pre-match press conference.

He added Giovanni Reyna, sidelined since last month, will also delay his comeback after suffering a setback in his recovery.

Dortmund, who are currently fifth in the Bundesliga on 10 points, three behind leaders Bayern, are seeking their first pair of back-to-back league wins under Sahin at Union.

BVB have struggled for consistency so far, suffering a 5-1 defeat at Stuttgart two weeks ago then bouncing back with a 4-2 win over Bochum and cruising past Celtic in Europe.

"When something is supposed to grow together you need time," Sahin said. "Every day in this development is important. I am not looking for excuses.

"I know well how to rank the Celtic game. It is not that we are hugging each other saying 'we are the coolest' because we won 7-1.

"We are expected to deliver such performances every three days and if we win on Saturday then the world may look a bit cooler." 

Kevin De Bruyne has asked to skip Belgium's remaining Nations League fixtures for 2024 in order to manage his workload, coach Domenico Tedesco has revealed.

On Friday, Tedesco named his 23-man squad for the Red Devils' upcoming games against Italy and France in Group A2, with De Bruyne the headline omission. 

De Bruyne played both of Belgium's games in the September international break, as they beat Israel 3-1 before losing 2-0 to France in Lyon.

After that latter match, he made headlines by questioning the mentality and fighting spirit of Tedesco's team, but he has reaffirmed his commitment to continuing on the international stage until at least the 2026 World Cup.

With Manchester City facing a gruelling schedule this term after qualifying for the first 32-team Club World Cup, the midfielder has taken steps to protect his fitness.

"I had a long phone conversation with Kevin. He has an injury, but he is very motivated to continue with the Red Devils and to play the World Cup in 2026," Tedesco said when announcing his latest squad.

"He has asked to skip this camp and also November, to take care of his body. The schedule has become even busier due to the Club World Cup. 

"That is why he is not there now and in November. But when it really counts – the World Cup – he will be there."

Tedesco was also asked if De Bruyne's comments last month had led to any negative repercussions in the squad, but he insisted the controversy surrounding them was unwarranted. 

"Kevin is a big player, but also a big personality," he added. "We talked after what happened in the last match. Of course he was emotional, he always wants to win. But he never mentioned names in the media. We just have to deal with it.

"In the media it has become a big item, just because it was Kevin who said it. But in the dressing room it is not a big topic."

Romelu Lukaku is the other big-name absentee from Belgium's latest squad, with the Red Devils' all-time leading scorer failing to win a recall after being dropped last month, despite recording four Serie A goal involvements for Napoli in a positive start to the season.

Belgium squad: Koen Casteels (Al Qadsiah), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoordt (RB Leipzig), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Matte Smets (Genk), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Arne Engels (Augsburg), Orel Mangala (Lyon), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Johan Bakayoko (PSV), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Malick Fofana (Lyon), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig) Cyril Ngonge (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

Interim England boss Lee Carsley says he will not "copy and paste" his squads, with players to be rewarded for strong club form with Three Lions call-ups.

Carsley oversaw 2-0 Nations League victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland last month, having taken the reins on a temporary basis after Gareth Southgate's resignation.

The former under-21 boss announced his latest 25-man squad for upcoming matches against Greece and Finland on Thursday, making four changes from last month's party.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke won his first call-up in seven years, with Eberechi Eze, Harry Maguire, Tino Livramento and Jarrod Bowen all left out.

Predecessor Southgate was often criticised for sticking with a trusted core of players during his eight-year spell with the Three Lions, but Carsley says nobody is guaranteed a place under him.

"In the back of my mind, I wanted to make sure it feels fresh," Carsley said.

"When you get that email or WhatsApp to say that you've been called up, it's an achievement because it shouldn't be something that is taken for granted.

"I thought it was important that it was not just a copy and paste. I want them to feel like they have earned their place in the squad."

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford – both of whom were left out of Southgate's Euro 2024 squad – were among the players to be overlooked. 

Carsley said he had been left with several tough decisions to make but had prioritised those in form in order to build rhythm before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers start next year.

"The players I've left out, I could make a case for them being in, but ultimately I have to make those decisions," Carsley said.

"The reality is you want a player to be coming in in top form and fighting for a position in the team.

"Getting out of this Nations League is important for us in terms of setting up World Cup qualification. Whether I'm here or not, it's important we are in a favourable pattern and in a position to win the World Cup."

Erik ten Hag has insisted Marcus Rashford's half-time withdrawal during Manchester United's draw with Porto was down to a need for rotation, not a statement on his performance. 

United are still searching for their first Europa League win of the campaign, after Harry Maguire's late header salvaged a 3-3 draw in Porto on Thursday.

After the Red Devils went 2-0 up through early goals from Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, a strike from Pepe and a brace from Samu Omorodion had put them on the brink of another humiliating defeat.

To cap United's frustrations, captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a red card for a second successive game after also being dismissed in Sunday's 3-0 loss to Tottenham, having never previously been sent off in any of his first 241 games for United.

It was the decision to substitute Rashford for Alejandro Garnacho, though, that dominated post-match talk, with no United player matching Rashford's eight touches in the Porto box or three successful dribbles all game, despite his early withdrawal.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Ten Hag said: "We have to rotate. Garnacho, we didn't start him, but he had a great game not only Sunday but the whole season.

"We go quickly with a turnaround to Villa and they have had a day longer to recover and we have an away game."

Rashford now has 14 goals in the Europa League, moving him outright fourth in the all-time UEFA Cup/Europa League charts among English players, behind only Martin Chivers (22), Alan Shearer (21) and Jermain Defoe (19).

Asked about the substitution again in his post-match press conference, Ten Hag added: "Yeah, but Garnacho was my best player on Sunday by far and also in many other games.

"I think in the season, as I assess it so far, he is bringing us so far the offensive threat by creating chances, assists, also scoring.

"Garnacho we also have to play as well and we have two very good players over that side."

Pushed on whether the decision had anything to do with Rashford's role in Porto's first goal, which came down the England man's flank, Ten Hag said: "I have to watch it back and I think over the left side definitely we didn't defend well tonight.

"Marcus also played a part in this but, as I say, it had to do with Garnacho and nothing against Rashy."

Manchester United are in desperate need of a Premier League win when they take on Aston Villa on Sunday.

The pressure has piled on Erik ten Hag after last week's sorry 3-0 loss at Tottenham.

United have lost three of their six league fixtures this season, winning just twice - against Southampton and Fulham - while they have lost their last two home matches in the top flight by an aggregate score of 6-0.

Their tally of seven points is their joint-fewest after six games of any Premier League season (two wins, one draw, three losses), having made identical starts under David Moyes in 2013-14 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020-21.

They now face another of the league's top teams when they take on Villa, who are fresh from their Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich and unbeaten in four league matches.

United, meanwhile, were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League, with Harry Maguire's late leveller doing little to ease the pressure on Ten Hag.

Here, we crunch the numbers and dive into the Opta insights ahead of Sunday's clash.

What's expected?

As far as home defeats in the Manchester rain go, last week's capitulation against Spurs was as bad as they get.

Ten Hag looked on miserably as United, who were reduced to 10 men when Bruno Fernandes was sent off late in the first half (that red card has now been rescinded), were carved open time and time again.

Spurs generated a huge expected goals (xG) figure of 4.59 on Sunday – the third-highest United have allowed a Premier League opponent since such records began in 2009. Only versus Arsenal in December 2017 (a 3-1 win) and against Man City in October 2011 (a memorable 6-1 loss at Old Trafford), have United given up a greater quality of chances in a Premier League match.

United also saw their opponents have nine big chances – only in five previous games in Premier League history has a team had more big chances in one game (Man City v Watford 2019-20, Man Utd v Sunderland 2012-13, Arsenal v Fulham 2018-19, Arsenal v Stoke City 2015-16, Man City v Crystal Palace 2017-18 – all 10).

Villa, on the other hand, have won both of their Champions League games without conceding a goal, and though Ipswich Town fought back to draw 2-2 with them last weekend, Unai Emery's team have enjoyed a fine start to the campaign.

They have picked up 13 points in their opening six Premier League matches this season (four wins, one draw, one defeat), their best start to a season since 2008-09 under Martin O’Neill (also 13 points).

As such, it's no surprise to see Opta's supercomputer makes Villa the favourites with a 42% win probability, albeit the gap is perhaps not as big as one might expect. United came out on top in 33.2% of the model's simulations, while the threat of a draw is 24.8%.

And it is worth noting that United have a great record against the Villans.

United have won 40 Premier League games against Villa, with only the Red Devils themselves beating an opponent more often in the competition's history (41 vs Everton).

Villa have won just one of their last 25 Premier League home games against Manchester United (eight draws, 16 losses), with that victory coming in Emery's first game in charge of the club in November 2022 (3-1).

Duran's hungry like a wolf

Forgive the quite abysmal Duran Duran reference, but Villa's fans are surely going to be pulling out the 1980s hits this season if their super-sub forward Jhon Duran continues to thrive as he is right now.

Duran scored a brilliant lob to see off Bayern in midweek, taking his tally of goals for the season to five in all competitions - all of those have come from the bench. His four league strikes have come from just 2.1 xG.

He has also netted four league goals in his last four league appearances at Villa Park, all as a substitute.

The 20-year-old averages a goal every 43 minutes at Villa Park in the competition, the second-best ratio by a player at a single venue (250+ minutes played there), behind Luis Suarez at Carrow Road (a goal every 38 minutes).

Duran is averaging a goal every 39 minutes this season in the league - in comparison, 10-goal Erling Haaland averages one every 54 minutes.

The Colombian has had just 10 shots in the league this term, so he has a 40% shot-conversion rate, the best rate in the competition of any player to score more than three times.

With such a quality talent in reserve, Villa's attack will surely be licking their lips if they can get at United's defence in the same way Spurs did.

Since Emery's first Premier League game in charge, only Man City (85), Liverpool (84) and Arsenal (81) have picked up more home points than Villa (74).

Among Villa managers to take charge of five or more home top-flight matches, only European Cup-winning boss Tony Barton (70%, won 37/53) has a better home win percentage than Emery (66%, won 23/35).

Leaking like Old Trafford's roof

United have actually kept successive away clean sheets in the league, winning 3-0 against Southampton and drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace. They last kept three away clean sheets in a row in March 2021.

However, United have lost eight Premier League matches by a margin of three or more goals under Ten Hag. Since the start of 2022-23, the only current Premier League managers to suffer more 3+ goal defeats are Gary O'Neil and Sean Dyche (nine each).

United so often leave wide open spaces in midfield and huge gaps in defence, with defenders isolated in one-v-ones. 

Despite conceding only eight goals, United have an xG against of 11.04 so far in the league this season – that is the fifth-worst total in the league, lower than only the three promoted clubs and Brentford.

That is despite United allowing just 74 shots, which ranks ninth in the top flight. However, United’s average per-shot xGA is 0.14, which is the second-worst in the league, after Brighton (0.17).

Ten Hag has to find a defensive formula that works if United are to get something out of this game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aston Villa - Ollie Watkins

While the limelight is on Duran, it is worth mentioning that Watkins has also scored four Premier League goals this term.

Watkins has been involved in 55 goals in 67 Premier League appearances under Emery for Aston Villa (36 goals, 19 assists), with only Erling Haaland (65) and Mohamed Salah (60) scoring or assisting more goals in that time. The former Brentford attacker is looking to score in four games in a row for the first time since April 2023.

Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes

United will be delighted Fernandes will be available for this game. He was set to miss just his eighth match for the club since his debut in February 2020, with the Red Devils winless in their last four (one draw, three losses) and failing to score in their last three without the Portuguese international in the team.

Fernandes has had 17 shots in the Premier League this season, but is yet to score.

That tally of shots is the most any player who is yet to score this season has had across the entirety of Europe's top five leagues this season.