Coaches from over 35 colleges and universities in the United States are scheduled to scout for players and offer scholarship opportunities, through the Caribbean Premier Showcase (CPS), that will be held over three days at three locations across the island come January 2025.

The Caribbean Premier Showcase was founded two years go with the goal of connecting soccer players with college coaches in expanding opportunities for Jamaican athletes. The showcase began under another name and started only at St. Elizabeth Technical High School for all male soccer players in Jamaica.

That same year the Caribbean Premier Showcase team was invited to the islands of Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago to bring the same opportunities for their high school soccer athletes. Shortly after these stagings the showcases were rebranded to Caribbean Premier Showcase (CPS) reflecting the organizations commitment to the Caribbean.

Rajay Maragh, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner at CPS, said the major objective is mainly bringing players and coaches together to create opportunities for recruitment. Players he said get to see show their skills live, interact with coaches, gather information and processes all with the intention of securing a scholarship to study and play overseas.

“The process is heavily based on the coaches whereas the showcase is not limited to anyone local school or conference but rather each athlete is given the same access, playing time and information to showcase their talent. Once completed coaches will reach out after, gather additional data and also create a player profile of they wish to proceed,” Maragh said.

“There is also the academic check with takes place after, each school have their own admission processes and requirements which crates the second stage of follow up to make sure the student is eligible for recruitment,” he added.

All the members of the CPS team received academic and sports scholarship at some point to attend and or player soccer overseas. Maragh said they understood the value, the complexity and the opportunities showcase like CPS can create and felt the need to pass it on, as it is important for the continuity and development of the region.

Colleges confirmed so far include Iowa Western College CC, Wright State University NCAA DI, Eastern Kentucky University NCAA DI, Pearl River CC, Tougaloo College CC, NYU, UCON NCAA DI, Comberland University NAIA, Lincoln University NCAA DII, Concordia NCAA DII, Missouri Valley NAIA, New College Florida NAIA, ⁠Baker University NAIA, ⁠Johnson County CC, ⁠Lindenwood University NCAA DI, ⁠Missouri State University, ⁠Keiser University NAIA, ⁠Hampton University (Womens Soccer) NCAA DI, ⁠Maine Maritime University (Women Soccer) NCAA DIII, ⁠Ruben Gap (High School), ⁠Broward College CC, Hill College CC, ⁠Ranger College CC, ⁠Allen CC, ⁠Southeastern CC, ⁠NIU (NCAA DI), ⁠Fairleigh Dickinson University NCAA DI, ⁠Daytona Beach CC, ⁠North Eastern Community College CC, ⁠Daemen College CC, ⁠Central Community College CC.

Professional coaches include Atlanta United, ⁠Houston Dynamo and CSF Spartanii Sportul (Moldovan Super League).

The Caribbean Premier Showcase will be held on January 8, 2025 at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School; on January 9, 2025 at the Horace Burrell Facility in Kingston and on January 11, 2025 in association with the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), All DaCosta Cup versus All Manning Cup teams.

Maragh said their team while focused on the Caribbean have been invited to help with other showcases; this past May in Athlone, Ireland and next year in Portugal, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda.

The application process is now open and athletes can register online at carribeanpremiershowcase.com:

https://www.caribbeanpremiershowcase.com/event-page
Persons interested in being apart of the project can email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Goals from Felipe Carballo and Dante Vanzeir settled the New York derby as New York Red Bulls defeated New York City 2-0 at the Citi Field to enter the Eastern Conference final of the MLS Cup. 

Uruguayan Carballo blasted an effort into the top corner in the 16th minute to give the visitors the breakthrough in the 16th minute before Vanzeir drilled an Emil Forsberg corner in off the post nine minutes later.

City probed for a way back into the game as they enjoyed about 70% of possession and attempted 25 shots. But failing to produce a goal despite an xG of 2.8, the 2021 champions crashed out. 

Meanwhile, it was a clinical and well-organised display from the Red Bulls, who generated an xG of 0.88 with nine shots and were happy to sit back and protect their two-goal advantage for the majority of the game. 

"It's a big win today, but in the end, it’s the next step. We have to continue this hard work and next week take the next step,” said Red Bulls boss Sandro Schwarz after the game. 

Michel puts Girona's rediscovered form down to the energy of the returning players from injury after they thrashed Espanyol in LaLiga on Saturday.

Girona had endured a shaky start to the season but moved up to fifth in the standings on 21 points after a superb home victory featuring a Bojan Miovski brace and goals by Bryan Gil and Ladislav Krejci.

Michel's side have now won their last three LaLiga matches, going on their best such run since between April and May 2024, the last time they recorded three victories on the bounce.

"Today's victory, which is our third [in a row], it's due to the fact we got people back, because we've rested, because we've had a very good week of training and because that energy today was noticeable," Michel told a press conference.

"The only thing I hope is that we continue to recover people, that we continue to have the necessary minutes for everyone and that, as we have very tough games coming up every three days, we need everyone to be at 100%; we'll see if we can achieve this without any problems."

Yaser Asprilla and Krejci, back from injury, combined for the fourth goal, but it was the pairing of Miovski and Gil who made the night with lethal attacks for the second and third goals.

"I am very happy for Miovski, he is a player who gives everything in training," Michel added. "I was worried because he wasn't scoring goals.

"He always tries to do his best for the team, he needs time. I am happy for him.

"Bryan is a very important player for everyone, his best version is yet to come. Right now, the process with him is what we all expect."

Last season's surprise package Girona face Austrian side Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Wednesday and the manager hopes they can repeat Saturday's performance in the European game.

"This is the Girona I want, 100%. We started the game very well, that's the reality," Michel added.

"The first half hour was spectacular, with and without the ball... We had a presence up front. The first half hour is what we want to do this season." 

Defending champions Glenmuir High kept their title defence alive with a 2-1 win over Kingston College in a keenly contested ISSA Champions Cup quarterfinal clash at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Saturday.

A late winner from substitute Nyron Allen (90+1) broke Kingston College’s hearts and sealed Glenmuir’s semifinal berth after Denzil Watson’s 41st-minute goal gave the Clarendon-based team the lead. Demario Dailey (61st) found Kingston College’s goal in the encounter played in testing rainy conditions.

Glenmuir will square off against Ocho Rios High in one semifinal, while Jamaica College and Hydel will cross swords in the other to determine the finalists.

Winning coach Andrew Peart was pleased with how his team navigated the conditions and, by extension, a disciplined Kingston College defence.

“We got a lot from the substitutes; throughout the game we were always wondering how we could get a stronger foothold on the game because KC were really disciplined, but we made some adjustments to try and attack the game instead of waiting on a goal to come. So the lesson is to never give up and always fight until the end, and today was testament to that,” Peart said.

Both teams approached the encounter with energy and intent, despite heavy rain making conditions challenging. Players struggled to maintain footing on the wet turf, but the intensity of the game never wavered.

The breakthrough came in the 41st minute when Glenmuir’s O’Neil Headley delivered a well-placed corner to the back post. The ball was headed back across the goal, where Watson reacted quickest to fire home, giving Glenmuir a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

Though down, Kingston College, true to their motto, came out more purposeful on the resumption, and their persistence paid off a minute past the hour mark when Dailey unleashed a speculative shot from distance. The ball skidded off the wet surface, deceiving Glenmuir’s goalkeeper Justin Murray, who was left flat-footed as the ball nestled into the net to make it 1-1.

The equalizer ignited the match further, with both sides creating chances. In the 66th minute, Watson broke through Kingston College’s defense, but goalkeeper Malique Williams charged off his line to make a crucial block.

Minutes later, Watson had another opportunity, but Williams once again stood tall, denying Glenmuir’s talisman.

Kingston College came close to taking the lead in the 81st minute when Dailey found space inside the box, but his effort hit the sidenetting, leaving the Glenmuir bench breathing a sigh of relief.

As the game edged toward extra time, Glenmuir found a moment of brilliance as substitute Ricardo Binns orchestrated a flowing move down the right flank. His precise pass across the face of goal caught Kingston College’s defence off guard, allowing Allen to dart in ahead of his marker and fire home from close range in time added.

Kingston College’s Head coach, Vassell Reynolds, was gracious in defeat.

“It was a good game from both teams. We had a plan, and right down to the T, the boys executed well. It is just unfortunate that we conceded when we couldn’t get back but really proud of what the boys delivered today based on what we planned. So I am pleased with the performance but not the result,” Reynolds noted.

Hydel High School booked a spot in the ISSA Champions Cup semifinals after they came from behind to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory over Garvey Maceo in their quarterfinal clash at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Saturday.

Goals from Dontae Brooks (20th), D’Sean Henry (58th), and Keyanni Jackson (75th) proved decisive for Hydel, who overcame early and persistent pressure from a spirited Garvey Maceo side, led by standout performances from Omarian O’Brian (12th) and Delano Thompson (60th).

The win ensured Hydel remained on course to lift the prestigious all-island knockout title as they joined Jamaica College and Ocho Rios High at the business end.

Winning coach Devon Anderson praised his team’s grit and character to bounce back after falling behind early.

“It was a workmanlike performance, we dug deep to pull off this victory. It was a hard-fought game from both teams so we went out there and did what we had to, as you can see the conditions wasn’t conducive but we don’t complain, we are always ready to deliver. We tweaked one or two things to seal a bit of loophole and the boys pulled it off,” Anderson said in a post-game interview.

After a fairly cagey start by both teams, the contest exploded into life in the 12th minute when O’Brian made a surging run down the left channel and rifled a right-footed shot in from close range to put Garvey Maceo in front.

Hydel, undeterred, pushed for the equaliser which they found just eight minutes later. A perfectly weighted cross from Henry found Brooks in a pocket of space, and the forward made no mistake from close range, calmly slotting home to restore parity at 1-1.

Ronaldo Barrett tried to give Hydel the lead in the 24th minute with a speculative left-footed shot from distance, but Garvey Maceo goalkeeper Garfield Tomlinson handled it comfortably.

From there, both teams exchanged a few half-chances for the remainder of the first half, but neither side could convert, leaving the score locked at 1-1 heading into the break.

A sudden downpour, which came just before the break, made the pitch slippery and slowed play at the start of the second half, but the intensity on the field remained undiminished.

In the 58th minute, Hydel seized the initiative when Jackson whipped in a pinpoint cross for Henry to head past Tomlinson and put Hydel 2-1 up.

However, their joy was short-lived, as Garvey Maceo responded immediately after. This, as O’Brian delivered a defence-splitting pass to Thompson, who made an overlapping run and smashed the ball home to level the score once again at 2-2.

The defining moment came in the 75th minute when Hydel launched another telling buildup in which Barrett played a clever pass back to Jackson at the edge of the six-yard box and the latter, with time and space, unleashed a clinical strike that gave Tomlinson no chance.

Despite Garvey Maceo’s efforts to find another equaliser, Hydel’s defence held firm to seal their place in the semifinals.

Garvey Maceo’s Head coach Lester Hibbert lauded his team’s valiant effort but rued lapses in concentration that cost them the game.

“It was a good performance but we made some errors in the backline and that cost us the game. We just had to get used to the conditions and play some football but at the end of the day, if you make mistakes and don’t score your chances it is going to hurt you and Hydel did put away their chances,” Hibbert said.

Paulo Fonseca urged Milan to take more risks in future and sympathised with the fans who booed his players after an unexciting goalless draw with Juventus.

The two sides played out a game that included just three shots on target - one fell to Milan and two to Juve - while a chorus of boos greeted the full-time whistle.

Milan have not scored in two home matches in a row in Serie A for the first time since October-November 2023 (vs Juventus and Udinese in that case).

"When you don't win, and after a match like this, maybe if I was a fan I'd do the same," Fonseca told DAZN.

"I'm not a defender of this and I understand the fans perfectly."

Milan's only real chance before the break came through Emerson Royal, who headed wide of the near post after a corner, while a weak Theo Hernandez header straight at Michele Di Gregorio in added time was their only effort on target.

They registered just two shots in the first half, and only three times before have they managed less (on record from 2004-05), with two of those instances also coming against Juve.

"It was a very tactical match. The team had too much respect for Juve and Juve too much respect for us," Fonseca said.

"We know that Juve defend very well, it is not easy to have opportunities against them and those we had to attack we did not exploit well.

"We could have done something more offensively, we made a mistake in the last pass and we never took risks. It is not easy against Juve, but when we have the opportunity, we have to do better in the final decisions.

"The team always had the will to play safe but, if we want to score, we have to take more risks. Normally, we always create different situations. Today the team didn't take any offensive risks."

When asked if seventh-placed Milan - on 19 points with a game in hand - still stood a chance in the title battle, Fonseca responded affirmatively.

"It's difficult for other people, but I still believe. There are still many games and other teams can lose points," he said.

Nuri Sahin praised Borussia Dortmund for getting "a fully deserved victory" over nine-man Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Dortmund remained perfect on home soil this season as they cruised to a 4-0 win at Signal Iduna Park after Patrick Osterhage and Junior Adamu were both sent off for the visitors.

Maximilian Bieier and Felix Nmecha scored in the first half before Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens secured the points in the second during a dominant display as they limited Freiburg to just three shots on target at the other end.

Dortmund have now won 11 home games in a row in all competitions. Since the Bundesliga was founded, they have won more consecutive home matches in a row only once, winning 14 in a row at home in 1994.

Sahin has come under pressure recently for the Black and Yellow's less impressive away form, but he was delighted with the showing he saw from his side.

"We started very well. We controlled the spaces. We allowed very little," Sahin said.

"Overall, it was a mature performance from my boys. We scored great goals, showed good energy.

"We kept them away from our goal throughout. It was a fully deserved victory and I, as a coach, am very satisfied."

Dortmund were, however, without Serhou Guirassy, who is their top scorer in the Bundesliga with six goals, as he pulled out of the game due to a virus.

Next up for Sahin's side is a trip to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, and the head coach is hopeful he will be available for that tie.

"[Saturday] morning again, we got the bad news. Serhou tried everything to play today, but it did not work," Sahin added.

"I hope it will be enough for Zagreb. He is a very important player for us." 

Brendan Rodgers says it is an "exciting period" for Celtic as they moved three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a 4-1 win over Hearts.

Celtic made a sluggish start to the match and were lucky not to find themselves behind at the break as Blair Spittal and Lawrence Shankland spurned glorious chances for Hearts.

However, they came out revitalised in the second half as Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn scored twice in five minutes to put them 2-0 up on the hour mark.

Adam Idah scored twice, netting on either side of Musa Drammeh's consolation, with his second coming from the penalty spot in the 94th minute.

Celtic have now won all seven of their away league games this season by an aggregate score of 22-2.

After Aberdeen's first loss of the season earlier on Saturday, Celtic gave themselves some breathing space at the top of the league, while also moving 11 points clear of rivals Rangers, who sit third.

Rodgers was delighted with Celtic's response to the first half, praising the players' adaptation.

"I'm really pleased. Tynecastle is a really tough place so to win 4-1 was really pleasing," Rodgers said.

"Second half, we figured out their press. They have normally been pressing in 4-4-2 but changed it slightly. It just meant we had to drop a man in our build-up play.

"We had some good moments in the first half, but once we were able to play through that pressure, I thought in the second half we were excellent.

"It's a very exciting period for us. All the players know they will play, they just need to be ready."

Celta Vigo scored two goals in two minutes late on to earn an entertaining 2-2 draw with Barcelona in LaLiga at the Estadio Abanca-Balaidos.

League leaders Barca appeared to be cruising towards victory when they opened up a two-goal lead thanks to captain Raphinha and leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.

Raphinha cut inside before tucking home for the opener 15 minutes in, then Lewandowski got his 15th league goal of the season with a simple finish in the 61st minute.

However, the script changed when Blaugrana midfielder Marc Casado was sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the 82nd minute.

With Barca down to 10 men, the home side piled on the pressure and it told in the 84th minute, substitute Alfonso Gonzalez converting following an error from Jules Kounde.

The comeback was complete two minutes later, with Hugo Alvarez drilling past Inaki Pena to deny Flick's visitors victory.

Despite the result, Barca top LaLiga with 34 points, five ahead of Atletico Madrid in second and seven ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who have two games in hand.

Data Debrief: Blaugrana finally held

Going into Saturday's game, Barcelona had gone 24 matches without a draw in LaLiga, winning 20 and losing four. 

When they entered the final six minutes with a two-goal advantage, it appeared certain they would match their longest streak without a draw in the competition's history, recorded between February and October 2017 (25 games, 23 wins and two draws).

However, Hansi Flick's side were stunned at the death as they dropped points for a second game in succession following a 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad prior to the international break.

While Juventus' 0-0 draw with Milan offered little entertainment at San Siro, Thiago Motta was happy with his side's performance. 

The scoreless draw brought little in the way of chances for either side but it allowed Juventus to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, where they have kept 10 clean sheets in 13 games.

Motta became just the fifth Juventus manager to not lose any of his first 13 matches on the Bianconeri bench in Serie A history (W6 D7) – after Jesse Carver, Cestmir Vycpalek, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri.

The match only included three shots on target, with only one of those falling to Milan as they struggled to trouble their visitors.

"I am satisfied with the work we have done, especially defensively," Motta told DAZN.

"We didn't concede anything to the opponents; open play is their strong point, and we managed to block them."

Juve have drawn seven of their league games already this season but Motta was content to take another point considering the growing injury list he has to contend with.

Dusan Vlahovic missed the trip to Milan with a muscle problem picked up while on international duty and Juve were already without Arkadiusz Milik, Nicolas Gonzalez, Douglas Luiz, Juan Cabal and Bremer.

"This point can give continuity to us for our work. I'm proud of my players because in the situation we are in we put in a good performance," Motta added.

"I am satisfied with tonight's work and many things. So far we have to be happy, the path is the right one."

Simone Inzaghi says Joaquin Correa "showed what he can do" as he inspired Inter to a 5-0 win at Verona on Saturday.

The Argentine made his first start of the season, scoring a goal, registering two assists and striking the woodwork twice, as he stepped in for the absent Lautaro Martinez and helped Inter move top of the table.

Each of Correa's three away goals for Inter in Serie A have come at the Bentegodi against Verona, while he both scored and assisted in a single Serie A match for only the second time, after July 2020, for Lazio against Brescia.

"Correa deserved this chance for how he's been working since June, he showed what he can do," Inzaghi told a press conference.

"I'm happy for him. In addition to being a great player, he's a good guy who continued with his work despite some mistrust."

Inter scored at least five goals in the first half of an away league game for only the second time in their history in Serie A, after their 5-1 win against Sampdoria in the first 45 minutes of play back in March 1964.

Last season, Correa was sent on a one-year loan to Marseille and was expected to leave Inter for good as the French club had an option to buy the player.

Upon his return, the 30-year-old made three appearances in the first 12 league games, entering from the bench at Monza, Udinese and Roma before he was selected to pair up with Marcus Thuram from the start against Verona.

Correa opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a chipped finish after a precise pass from Thuram. He then returned the favour and teed the Frenchman up to double the lead in the 22nd, before setting up Yann Bisseck for the fifth before the break.

"It wasn't difficult because my team-mates helped me and were happy when I scored," Correa said.

"I wanted to do the back heel for Bisseck, but there was also a bit of luck. There are a lot of good guys here, we have to continue like this."

Inter next host RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday, and they may still be without Martinez, who fell sick when he returned from international duty.

"We need to see how the virus evolves," Inzaghi said. "Last night he had chills and this morning he had a fever of almost 38 degrees.

"I had [the same virus] too, skipping training on Monday and Tuesday. In any case, he would have been [resting] on the bench today even if he had been here. We'll see."

Martinez scored in both of Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay (2-1) and Peru (1-0).

Bojan Miovski scored twice as Girona thrashed Espanyol 4-1 in LaLiga at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Saturday. 

Bryan Gil and Ladislav Krejci were also on the scoresheet as the home side raced to a 4-0 lead inside the first half hour, with Javi Puado scoring the visiting side's only goal after the break. 

After the match was halted because of a fan being taken ill in the crowd, Gil opened the scoring when he unleashed a stunning long-range strike into the bottom corner with four minutes on the clock. 

Gil was behind the second goal for Michel's side too, as he capitalised on a defensive error and crossed to Miovski, who made it 2-0 in the 16th minute before the pair combined again for a third five minutes later.

Donny van de Beek's header from Yaser Asprilla's corner was pushed in by Krejci for Girona's fourth in the 27th minute.

Espanyol got a consolation goal 10 minutes into the second half when Puado hit a long-range strike that found the back of Paulo Gazzaniga's net.

Girona, last season's surprise package, climbed to fifth in LaLiga with 21 points, while Espanyol are 19th and in the relegation zone with 10 points.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged that he is in new territory following their 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, which was their fifth on the bounce.

But despite that, he was not going to hit the panic button, with his side second in the Premier League table and five points behind leaders Liverpool.

"We are fragile at the moment, we could not defend properly. We started well, struggled to score and then conceded. Then the situation is more difficult," he told Sky Sports after the match.

"I've been here as a player, maybe not as a manager, first three games at Barcelona we lost. [In the] last eight years, the results have been there, it would be a mistake to change the approach.

"There are no fairytales in life and sport, sometimes you have to live through these situations. You have to accept it. You can't blame each other, stay together, continue to do what we have done.

"Run away? Absolutely not, we have to stand up more than ever. What will define us is when we fail, we stand up and face it."

Guardiola is by some distance City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies at the club, including each of the last four Premier League titles.

His side visit league leaders Liverpool next week and could trail them by eight points by the time kick-off comes, with Arne Slot's side playing a day after City this weekend.

"I don't know what will happen this season, but not for one second will I not believe in these players," said Guardiola.

"There is no team in the world that can sustain success for eight, nine, 10 years in a row.

"Of course, everything is not fine, but what we try to do is analyse it, let's go to next game and see what happens."

On the individual performances of his players, Guardiola lamented the fitness issues that his side has faced in recent weeks.

"Chances were there. The moment they create the chances, the build-up, we couldn't handle the duels like normal. Now we're struggling a little bit," he told BBC Sport.

"It cannot happen. When you play top level teams, we can concede chances but it's part of process. In our situation, it's a bit tougher.

"The players came back late [from international duty]. There were a few reasons we're not able to be consistent.

"Of course, Rodri is important, but we knew that for many months. But [John] Stones can only play 45 minutes, Jack [Grealish] has been injured many times, Kevin [de Bruyne] two months and five months.

"We have to come back and freshen our minds. The season is so long, many things can happen."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged that he is in new territory following their 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, which was their fifth on the bounce.

But despite that, he was not going to hit the panic button, with his side second in the Premier League table and five points behind leaders Liverpool.

"We are fragile at the moment, we could not defend properly. We started well, struggled to score and then conceded. Then the situation is more difficult," he told Sky Sports after the match.

"I’ve been here as a player, maybe not as a manager, first three games at Barcelona we lost. [In the] last eight years, the results have been there, it would be a mistake to change the approach.

"There are no fairytales in life and sport, sometimes you have to live through these situations. You have to accept it. You can't blame each other, stay together, continue to do what we have done.

"Run away? Absolutely not, we have to stand up more than ever. What will define us is when we fail, we stand up and face it."

Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies at the club including each of the last four Premier League titles.

His side visit league leaders Liverpool next week and could trail them by eight points by the time kick-off comes, with Arne Slot's side playing a day after City this weekend.

"I don’t know what will happen this season, but not for one second will I not believe in these players," said Guardiola.

"There is no team in the world that can sustain success for eight, nine, 10 years in a row.

"Of course everything is not fine, but what we try to do is analyse it, let’s go to next game and see what happens."

On the individual performances of his players, Guardiola lamented the fitness issues that his side has faced in recent weeks.

"Chances were there. The moment they create the chances, the build-up, we couldn't handle the duels like normal. Now we're struggling a little bit," he told BBC Sport.

"It cannot happen. When you play top level teams, we can concede chances but it's part of process. In our situation it's a bit tougher.

"The players came back late [from international duty]. There were a few reasons we're not able to be consistent.

"Of course Rodri is important, but we knew that for many months. But [John] Stones can only play 45 minutes, Jack [Grealish] has been injured many times, Kevin [de Bruyne] two months and five months.

"We have to come back and freshen our minds. The season is so long, many things can happen."

Milan and Juventus shared the spoils following a dour goalless draw at San Siro.

The Bianconeri maintained their unbeaten start to the Serie A season, but missed the chance to go second behind leaders Inter after a game lacking in quality and chances.

With the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik out injured, Juventus began the game without a recognised striker, as Teun Koopmeiners and Weston McKennie led the line.

Koopmeiners hit the side-netting from a tight angle after 10 minutes, while Kenan Yildiz grazed the post following a fine individual run midway through the half.

Alvaro Morata had Milan's best chance at the other end, but the former Juventus striker could only head wide from Rafael Leao's free-kick.

Opportunities did not fall as freely in the second half either, and both teams left the field to a chorus of boos on the referee's final whistle.

Data Debrief: Stubborn Juve take clean sheet tally into double figures

Juve are the first team to register 10 clean sheets in their opening 13 matches of a Serie A season since Roma (also 10) in 2013-14.

The Bianconeri have also kept five clean sheets in their first six away league games in a campaign for only the fourth time, also achieving the feat in 1967-68, 2004-05, 2023-24.

Meanwhile, Thiago Motta is only the fifth Juventus manager to go unbeaten in his first 13 league matches in charge (won six, drawn seven), after Jesse Carver, Cestmir Vycpalek, Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri.