Brentford striker Ivan Toney is serving an eight-month ban after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.
The 27-year-old – who has scored 68 goals in 124 appearances for Thomas Frank’s side – will not be able to play again until January 17, 2024.
Here, the PA news agency assesses the significance of his loss for Brentford and England.
Bees’ talisman
Toney is enjoying the best season of his career so far, having scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances and making his long-awaited England debut.
His tally represents 37 per cent of Brentford’s total of 54 goals, the third highest share behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (39 per cent) and Tottenham’s Harry Kane (42 per cent).
Toney’s importance to the Bees is clear – as well as being the leading scorer this season, he is top for shots (94), third for assists (four) and fourth for minutes played (2,953).
He has been the club’s top scorer in all three seasons since joining in 2020, netting 31 goals to help them gain promotion from the Championship in his first season and backing that up with 12 in the Premier League last term.
Mbeumo to step up?
It is difficult to assess Brentford’s prospects without their talisman because he has started the vast majority of league games – 109 out of 120 – since his arrival.
The Bees have won 46, drawn 33 and lost 30 matches when Toney has been named in the 11, averaging 1.57 points per game.
Their record without Toney in the starting line-up is not as good, with four wins, three draws and four losses equating to 1.36 points per game.
Frank’s men appeared to have coped better in his absence this season, albeit across a small sample size, having recorded wins over West Ham and Liverpool and a draw with Nottingham Forest.
Bryan Mbeumo scored in each of those matches, despite contributing only four goals in 33 appearances with Toney alongside him.
The Bees’ performance against the Hammers in Toney’s absence on Sunday was especially encouraging, with an impressive attacking display producing a total of 24 shots – the most they have managed in a single game this season.
Plenty of options for Southgate
Toney’s form had moved him into pole position as England’s second-choice centre-forward behind Harry Kane, but manager Gareth Southgate will have no shortage of alternatives in his absence.
The 27-year-old made his international debut against Ukraine in March, becoming the first Brentford player to be capped by England since Les Smith in 1939.
However, with fellow strikers Callum Wilson (17), Marcus Rashford (16) and Ollie Watkins (14) also ranking in the top 10 for Premier League goals this season, Toney could face an uphill struggle to regain his place in the squad.
Simeone insists Atletico 'cannot stop pushing' after narrow Mallorca win
Diego Simeone insists Atletico Madrid "cannot stop pushing" in their pursuit of Champions League qualification after a narrow 1-0 victory over Mallorca.
Los Rojiblancos tightened their grip on fourth place in LaLiga, with Rodrigo Riquelme's fine individual effort in the fifth minute enough to secure back-to-back wins.
With four games remaining, Simeone's side moved onto 67 points, six clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who they beat 3-1 last weekend.
The Atleti boss was thrilled by his players' performance levels, but has urged them not to rest on their laurels.
"The team interpreted the plan very well," he said. "The commitment was incredible from [Angel] Correa to [Jan] Oblak to play an intelligent game from a defensive point of view.
"After the goal, we controlled the game. We defended as a team and did a great job. We need to continue improving, and we can't stop pushing until the season is over."
Echoing his manager's thoughts, defender Axel Witsel told Movistar Plus+: "It was very important to win. We wanted to win and stay six points ahead. We have to keep it up.
"After Riquelme scored a fantastic goal, we managed to stay well-organised to secure the result."
'It hurts to lose' - Inzaghi apologises after Sassuolo defeat
Simone Inzaghi admits "it hurts to lose" following Inter's surprise 1-0 defeat by relegation-threatened Sassuolo.
The newly crowned Scudetto winners suffered only their second loss of the season in Serie A, as Armand Lauriente's first-half goal was enough to give the 19th-place hosts victory at Mapei Stadium.
Sassuolo, who boosted their survival hopes, subsequently completed the league double over the Nerazzurri, having also prevailed 2-1 at San Siro in September.
Meanwhile, Inter were beaten by a team in the bottom two for the first time since November 2014, with Inzaghi urging his players not to be distracted by their title triumph.
"We started sluggish and didn’t have the right approach to the game," he told Sky Sports Italia. "I'm sorry for the defeat, but credit must be given to Sassuolo for a performance of great effort and sacrifice.
"It's right to enjoy [our Scudetto victory], but there are still three games to go and we have to focus. It hurts to lose, and it should hurt."
After guiding Inter to their 20th Serie A crown, Inzaghi is hopeful he can keep the majority of his squad intact ahead of next season.
However, the Nerazzurri boss did emphasise the club's need to strengthen before launching their Scudetto defence.
"I already told the club that I want to go into next season with all the players I had this term, not losing a single one," he said. "Considering all the games we need to play and the length of the season, we do need a bigger squad."
Inter Miami 6-2 New York Red Bulls: Messi makes more MLS history as Suarez scores hat-trick
Lionel Messi had a hand in all six goals while Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick as Inter Miami overcame the New York Red Bulls 6-2 at Chase Stadium.
The Eastern Conference leaders were on a three-match winning streak in MLS, but fell behind to Dante Vanzeir's opener in the 30th minute.
However, the hosts turned the match on its head after the break, with Messi assisting a brace for half-time substitute Matias Rojas either side of getting on the scoresheet himself.
Suarez then took centre stage with a hat-trick inside 13 minutes - all assisted by his former Barcelona team-mate - while Emil Forsberg's stoppage-time penalty was a mere consolation for the visitors, who are now without a win in four.
Data debrief
Messi broke two more MLS records following yet another inspirational display for the Herons.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's six goal contributions and five assists were both the most recorded by a player in a single game.
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