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• Rodri 'will have to start playing', says Spain boss De la Fuente

  Luis de la Fuente asserted that Rodri "will have to start playing" ahead of Spain's Nations League clash with Switzerland.

  Rodri is yet to feature for Manchester City in the Premier League this season after being substituted at half-time during the Euro 2024 final due to a hamstring injury.

  The Spanish defensive midfielder made 34 appearances for City in the Premier League last season, scoring eight goals, and is a crucial cog in their midfield.

  Despite Pep Guardiola erring on the side of caution to not use Rodri, De la Fuente believes he is ready to play again.

  "We always prioritise the player's health. [But] Rodri is perfectly trained and at some point he will have to start playing, either here or with his club," he told the media.

  "If we understand that tomorrow he has to start, then he will start without any risk. But then, football is the way it is and anything can happen."

  Despite Rodri playing for both a domestic and international side that have recently reached a number of finals, De la Fuente is keen not to treat any players differently.

  "Our duty is to represent our country, to put out the best players, to compete to win. We have a huge responsibility, a great prestige to defend and the only way I would know how to do it is to put the players I think are the best,” he added.

  "Besides, we have to be fair, and I would not be fair if I protected some more than others because of their club."

  Across all competitions, Rodri made 50 appearances for Man City last season, racking up a total of 4,325 minutes, more than any of his team-mates.

  He went on to feature in six of Spain's seven Euro 2024 matches, with the fifth most minutes played in the Spanish squad at the tournament (521).

  It is an evidently packed schedule, but De la Fuente was keen to point out national teams are thwarted by the congestion just as much as domestic clubs are.

  "We think of the players first. But they also have to play with the national team," De la Fuente said.

  "The calendar is agreed, we comply with it, nothing else. (But) it's our country, our national team, and I think we should give it the importance it has.

  "All the players want to go to the national team and the clubs - without exception - want their players to be internationals. We are victims of this calendar, not the culprits."

  The European Champions will hope to defend their Nations League title but De la Fuente did not want to underestimate a Swiss team he felt were only bettered by Spain at the Euros when it came to their level of performance.

  "We'll have a very tough opponent in front of us. I think that during the European Championship we were the teams that played best," he suggested.

  "Tomorrow we will see two teams of a very high level, perhaps in one of the most important games that could be currently played in Europe. We are planning to try to enhance our strengths and minimise those of our opponents."

• Ronaldo's 900 goals 'an inspiration for football' – Martinez

  Portugal boss Roberto Martinez sees Cristiano Ronaldo's "incredible" achievement of 900 career goals as an "inspiration for football".

  Ronaldo netted his landmark goal on Thursday, scoring Portugal's winner in a 2-1 Nations League victory over Croatia.

  The 39-year-old was already the leading goalscorer in the history of the game.

  And Martinez feels nobody can put a limit on what Ronaldo is still able to achieve.

  "I don't think scoring 900 goals is easy. It's a historic achievement, incredible, an inspiration for football," Martinez said ahead of Portugal's clash with Scotland.

  "I don't think anyone can say that Cristiano can't do something. It's incredible what he's achieving, what he's doing in football.

  "For us, the goal is collective. That he helps the national team."

  Scotland lost 3-2 at home to Poland in their Nations League opener, but Martinez is expecting a fierce test on Sunday.

  "Our players know the intensity of British football. Scotland have that. A lot of intensity, fast attacks, experience. We know the difference, but Scotland are objective, vertical, but have the quality to keep the ball," Martinez said.

  "The last two games have shown that they want to win. They've lost their last few games after the 90th minute, they're objective, they've got top-class players. They're experienced and talented.

  "It's not just a British team, a physical team, but a team with lots of skills and the game will be very competitive. We've prepared for that."

• Leon Bailey's injury update emerges with surgery a possibility

  Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey could be ruled out for over 10 weeks due to a hamstring injury picked up recently.

  This according to injury expert Dr. Rajpal Brar, who explained the best and worst-case scenarios for the Jamaican international, as he pointed out that surgery could also be on the cards.

  Manager Unai Emery was reluctant to put a timeline on Bailey’s return, and Dr. Brar, a physical therapist and sports scientist, agreed as he explained that the 27-year-old’s return will be determined based on the extent of the injury.

  “His return timeline remains TBD, so that leads me to believe it’s not just a low Grade 0 or 1 injury, which would be the best-case scenario. The worst case would be a Grade 4 hamstring rupture, which means over 10 weeks out depending on if surgery is needed or not, and that possibility cannot be ruled out yet,” Dr. Brar told Villa News.

  “One confounding variable with Bailey is that he’s a high-pace player, which puts more stress on the hamstrings, so you have to make sure he can handle those demands before being reintroduced,” he added.