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• Belgium must be 'given time' to emulate Golden Generation, says Onana

  Amadou Onana is happy to accept leadership responsibilities for Belgium's upcoming Nations League fixtures, but called for patience with the Red Devils' current crop of players.

  Onana has become an integral part of Belgium's midfield since making his debut in June 2022, appearing a further 19 times, including at Euro 2024 earlier this year. 

  The 23-year-old has also impressed since his arrival at Villa Park from Everton in July, starting 12 of his 14 outings in all competitions for Unai Emery's side. 

  Onana has registered the most interceptions (16) for the Villans in the Premier League this season, while only Youri Tielemans has won more tackles (18) than the Belgian midfielder (15) in the top-flight. 

  But his importance has now transferred to the international stage, and with two must-win Nations League encounters on the horizon, Onana is happy to lead his side from the front. 

  "Many players see me as a leader and I have to show that on the pitch. That won't change," Onana said.  

  "The coach expects the same from me. I have a good understanding with him."

  Onana's influence on the national side has increased in recent months, as the Red Devils aim to emulate the 'Golden Generation' that impressed at major tournaments. 

  Kevin De Bruyne has taken over as the captain of the team but has since asked for time off from the national team due to managing his workload. 

  Domenico Tedesco, however, has recalled Romelu Lukaku to his latest squad, with the Napoli striker missing Belgium's opening four games of the Nations League. 

  Along with De Bruyne, Lukaku played a huge role in Belgium's rise on the international stage, becoming the nation's all-time record goalscorer in the process. 

  Belgium, however, fell at the round of 16 stage at Euro 2024 against France in another disappointing major tournament campaign, though Onana said supporters should give the new-looking side time to gel. 

  "We cannot be compared, it is a different era. We have to be given time to make our mark," said Onana. "Personally, I think there should be a bit more patience.

  "Everyone is talking about that golden generation, but success in 2018 was not created in 2018, but rather long before that, in 2010.

  "Do you understand? We also need time to make our mark.

  "I think you cannot compare these youngsters with the stars of that time. There are a lot of young boys coming in. That's good for Belgian football. We can be quite satisfied."

  Belgium know defeat to Italy on Thursday will end their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Nations League, with the Red Devils currently on four points in Group A2, five points behind second-placed France. 

• Upamecano: Mbappe shown 'lack of gratitude' in latest France omission

  Dayot Upamecano believes a "lack of gratitude" has been shown towards France team-mate Kylian Mbappe after his latest omission from Les Blues' Nations League squad. 

  Mbappe was not included for France's upcoming fixtures against Israel and Italy as a "one off", according to Didier Deschamps. 

  The France captain also missed Les Bleus' last two matches, being rested despite his return to fitness in time for the October international break, with Mbappe coming under scrutiny for his absence.

  The 25-year-old played the duration of Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Osasuna at the weekend, but was unable to find the target for the fourth game in a row. 

  Mbappe has netted six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances since his move from Paris Saint-Germain, but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.

  He has also scored 48 goals in 86 outings for his nation, along with helping them claim the 2018 World Cup and 2020-21 Nations League title. 

  Despite the recent speculation about Mbappe's absence from the side, Upamecano leapt to the defence of his team-mate and is hopeful for a swift return to the France set-up.

  “Am I worried [about Mbappe]? No. You can’t forget what he’s done for the France national team. We lack a bit of gratitude towards him," Upamecano said. 

  "I hope to see him again quickly. You can’t forget that he is our captain."

  When asked if Mbappé’s absence could be due to physical or mental fatigue, Upamecano expressed understanding for his team-mate’s situation.

  “There are many games, and I mentioned this at the start of the season. We’re human, and mental well-being is a big factor for us.

  "I won’t go into details, but as I said, he’s our captain, and I hope he’ll be back with us soon. He’s very important to us.”

• Former Soca Warriors stalwart Shaka Hislop points to lack of talent, depth in T&T squad as Dwight Yorke's biggest test

  Though Dwight Yorke is committed to throwing his best efforts into his new role as senior Soca Warriors Head coach, former teammate Shaka Hislop believes it is the talent within Trinidad and Tobago’s setup that will ultimately determine the success of his tenure.

  Yorke, the former Manchester United and Soca Warriors striker, was given a mandate by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) to qualify the Twin Island Republic to the 2026 Fifa World Cup or face the boot and the 53-year-old has declared his readiness to give of his best.

  “Rest assured, I will give 100. I feel very calm, very excited at the same time, but fully aware of the challenge that is lying ahead. There’s lots of hard work to be done,” Yorke told TTFA media interview shortly after arriving in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday.

  “Not just me, the backroom stuff, the players to get where we want to get... obviously, trying to qualify for the World Cup. And yes, along the way, I’m sure they’re going to be some testing times for us. But that’s the challenges that lies ahead. So once we embrace it, once we are fully aware of it, and once we get the support, I fully believe, I’m fully confident that we can get the job done,” he added.

  However, Hislop, while welcoming Yorke’s appointment, knows all too well that coaches coach but the results will ultimately come from how the players perform on match days.

  In fact, Hislop, who along with Yorke represented the Soca Warriors at the 2006 global showpiece, was not shy to admit that the current squad lacks depth and sufficient talent, which he believes represent the toughest aspect of the puzzle at this point. This, as aside from AEK Athens striker Levi Garcia, Yorke’s current crop is made up of mostly lower leagues or home-based players.

  “We’ve kind of stumbled from coach to coach over the last four or five years, probably dating back to Stephen Hart when he was in charge. But I think the TTFA got it right this time. That’s with the greatest respect to our teammate Dennis Lawrence and Angus Eve, who have both been in charge of the team, but results really didn’t go their way,” Hislop shared during a podcast.

  “I think the big challenge for Dwight coming in with this squad is it’s not a very talented squad, if I may say so... certainly, on paper, and results would bear that out. How he’s able to find the right pieces for this puzzle is going to be Dwight’s biggest test,” the ESPN analyst added.

  That said, Hislop also pointed to the significance of match fitness and, as such, urged the TTFA to ensure Yorke and his players consistently engage warm-up games during the November 2024 and March 2025 international windows.

  Trinidad and Tobago currently sit second in Group B on four points, two behind Costa Rica, with St. Kitts and Nevis (three points), Grenada (one point), and the Bahamas (zero point) completing the group. Qualifying action will resume in June 2025.

  “We’ve got some games during the international window as well. We’ve got the November window, which will be Dwight’s first time on the sidelines. So we have opportunity to see the squad, to make adjustments, to try to bring in players before things get very serious in terms of qualifiers,” Hislop noted.