Real Madrid have confirmed that both Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo will miss their upcoming Clasico encounter against Barcelona through injury. 

The LaLiga champions revealed that Courtois had sustained an injury to the adductor in his left leg during their 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. 

Madrid also said that Rodrygo, who was replaced by Aurelien Tchouameni in the 85th minute against Dortmund, will undergo an MRI scan later this week. 

The Brazilian was seen holding the back of his leg shortly before playing a role in Lucas Vazquez's goal seven minutes from time. 

Rodrygo has impressed for Carlo Ancelotti's side this term, notching five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in 13 appearances in all competitions. 

His 16 chances created is a total only bettered by Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior (both 21), though Madrid are not without their reserves at the top end of the pitch. 

Real are already without Dani Carvajal and David Alaba for the visit of their fierce rivals, but have welcomed Brahim Diaz back into training after a month-long lay-off. 

Michael Keane believes Everton have made themselves hard to beat and is looking forward to testing that theory against Fulham in the Premier League.

The Toffees started the season with a run of four consecutive losses, but have since turned things around, going unbeaten in their last four in the top-flight.

Their 2-0 victory over struggling Ipswich Town last weekend helped move them five points clear of the relegation zone in the early standings.

And Keane is delighted with the uptick in their form as they look to extend that run at Goodison Park on Saturday.

"We've become hard to play against," Keane told evertontv.

"Obviously, against Newcastle, it wasn't our best performance but we grinded it out by doing all the ugly things really well and [last week], I think we played a lot better than we did and we got a deserved win.

"To have four games unbeaten now, it gives you that momentum and that confidence going into the next games."

Meanwhile, Fulham have suffered back-to-back losses against Manchester City and Aston Villa in recent weeks, following a five-match unbeaten streak in the league.

Marco Silva is looking to get back to winning ways against his former club and has won his last two away games against Everton in the Premier League.

However, the Cottagers went down to 10 men against Villa, having given up their lead, and Silva was left bemused by the decision that will leave him without Joachim Andersen for the trip to Merseyside.

"[Villa was] not the best performance from us," Silva said.

"But we're all confused [about the red card], we all don't understand, even for you, for fans for staff, managers and players, we're all confused because when things happen, we try to understand why and respect."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Dwight McNeil

Dwight McNeil has been involved in six goals in his last six Premier League appearances (three goals, three assists) for Everton.

He is only the third Toffees player with three goals and three assists in the opening eight games of a season, after Francis Jeffers in 1999-00 and James Rodriguez in 2020-21.

Fulham – Raul Jimenez

Raul Jimenez has scored or assisted in each of his last five Premier League appearances for Fulham (four goals, one assist).

No Cottagers player has done so in six games in a row, while only three players have scored or assisted in six in a row aged 33 or older: Gus Poyet aged 34 in 2001, Dennis Bergkamp aged 35 in 2004, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic aged 35 in 2017.

MATCH PREDICTION: EVERTON WIN

Since losing their first four Premier League matches this season, Everton are unbeaten in four games (W2 D2). Only once have the Toffees gone five unbeaten under Sean Dyche, doing so in April and May this year.

And their record in October is impressive - Everton have kept six clean sheets in their last seven such Premier League games (W4 D2 L1), including both games this season. Since 2022-23, the Toffees have averaged 0.75 points per game in August and September (P20 W3 D6 L11) compared to 1.55 points per game in October (W5 D2 L4).

Since Dyche's first Premier League games in charge of Everton, only Arsenal (33) have scored more goals via set pieces (excl. pens) than the Toffees (27).

However, Everton were unbeaten in their first 27 home league games against Fulham between 1949 and 2018 (W23 D4), winning each of the last 22 of those. Since then, they have lost their last three at home to the Cottagers.

In fact, Fulham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games against the Toffees (W3 D2), keeping four clean sheets in the process. All three of those wins in that run have come at Goodison Park.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Everton – 40.9%

Draw – 26.7%

Fulham – 32.4%

Under pressure Wolves manager Gary O'Neil is confident his team will stay in the Premier League, despite picking up just one point from their opening eight matches.

Wolves were beaten 2-1 by second-placed Manchester City last weekend, having initially taken the lead, and were seconds away from a draw before a stoppage-time winner from John Stones.

It was the third time this season Wolves opened the scoring in a Premier League game but finished empty-handed.

"We're good enough to stay in the league, and we will stay in it," Gary O'Neil told BBC Sport.

"It isn't a lot to turn around."

Their defeat to Manchester City was Wolves' sixth on the bounce in all competitions, which left them bottom of the league and three points from safety, but O'Neil remained optimistic about their predicament. 

"I'm absolutely fine. I bumped into quite a few people around the town as well and everyone is unbelievably supportive," he said.

"They understand the difficulties, and they know the full situation with the fixtures and the transfer funds."

Brighton, meanwhile, climbed to fifth in the table last weekend with a 1-0 victory away to Newcastle United, with Danny Welbeck scoring the winner in that match, netting his fifth league goal of the season.

However, the striker was later stretchered off the pitch at St. James' Park, giving Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler another issue to think about in a growing injury list.

Another player struggling for fitness is midfielder James Milner, who has not featured since starting the opening three matches of the season.

"[Milner] had a small setback," Hurzeler told Sussex Live. "It's not that positive as it was before the international break.

"We have to be patient. It's not a thing that will be solved in one or two weeks. It will take several weeks. We can't give a clear schedule when he will be back, but before the break, we were more positive. I can be honest about that."

Milner and Welbeck are alongside Solly March, Matt O'Riley, Adam Webster and Joao Pedro in the Brighton treatment room, while Yankuba Minteh remains a doubt for this weekend.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brighton - Georginio Rutter

Georginio Rutter will be one of Brighton's most senior attackers who is not injured or doubtful for this match.

The 22-year-old has scored two goals and supplied an assist in his last three appearances in the Premier League.

Wolves - Jorgen Strand Larsen

Jorgan Strand Larsen is tied with Matheus Cunha at the top of Wolves' scoring charts, having opened the scoring at home to Manchester City last time out.

He has been involved in four goals in his last seven Premier League appearances (three goals, one assist), although he has ended on the losing side in all four games he has scored or assisted.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN

Brighton have already beaten Wolves 3-2 at home this season, albeit with a much-rotated side in the EFL Cup third round. 

Brighton are looking to win three successive Premier League games for the first time since September 2023, while the Seagulls are also looking to win two in a row without conceding in the competition for the first time since April-May 2023 – one of which was against Wolves.

And after winning just one of their first seven Premier League meetings with Wolves (D4 L2), Brighton have now won four of their last five against them (D1).

The pressure is on bottom-of-the-league Wolves coming into this fixture. They have picked up just one point in their last 11 Premier League games, losing more games (10) and conceding more goals (33) than any other side in that time.

Wolves have lost their last five Premier League matches, despite finding the net in each match. The last team to lose six top-flight games in a row while scoring in every game were Manchester City in November-December 1960.

And a trip to the Amex is not what O'Neil would have wanted, as Wolves have won just three of their 20 away league games against Brighton (D8 L9), with all three victories coming by a 1-0 scoreline (September 2004, January 2016 and December 2021).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brighton - 57.1%

Draw - 22.1%

Wolves - 20.8%

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery insisted that there is no issue between him and Jhon Duran after the striker reacted angrily to being substituted against Bologna on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old was taken off almost immediately after scoring the second goal in their Champions League victory and was visibly angry, punching the back of a dugout seat.

Duran's 64th minute strike saw him become the first Aston Villa player since Gary Shaw in 1982-83 to score in successive games for the club in the competition. 

The Colombian has notched four goals from his eight Premier League appearances this season, despite not starting in the top-flight so far under Emery, though the Spaniard has been impressed with his displays.

"I have no problem with his reaction. Every message we send in the dressing room is about respect and having our values," Emery told The Independent.

“Some young players can react a little bit but it is under my control... Always it is more difficult to start when the opponents are fresh."

“He played very well and he scored a good goal. It was fantastic the way he accelerated," he said.

“We will play both strikers sometimes and when they play individually as well as today – with Ollie Watkins – it is best for the team."

That result maintained Villa's 100% start in Europe, while they are also currently fourth in the Premier League and four points off top.

But the Villa manager did not want to get carried away despite what he and his team have achieved thus far.

“We are going to focus on each match and how we are in the moment,” he added.

“There are other contenders, bigger favourites than us but we are improving and we will see how we continue.”

Bournemouth, meanwhile, arrived in the Midlands on the back of their most impressive win of the season to date.

Their 2-0 victory over Arsenal was their third of the campaign, and came at a time when they had lost three in their last four games in the Premier League.

Bournemouth's opening goal in that victory came from an ingenious set-piece routine, with Ryan Christie firing in a wonderful finish.

It is something that Villa will have to be wary of ahead of this Saturday's game, with manager Andoni Iraola confirming they had worked on it in the week.

"The advantage they have at set plays is they are taller than us so we had to find another way to make a difference," he told BBC Sport.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aston Villa - Youri Tielemans

Tielemans has created 17 chances for Aston Villa so far this term, which is more than any of his team-mates.

He is currently creating an average of 2.1 chances per 90 minutes - his best ratio in the Premier League - while also supplying three assists.

Bournemouth - Antoine Semenyo

Semenyo has been Bournemouth's leading attacking threat this season, with three goals and one assist in the Premier League.

The Ghana international has had a league-high 37 shots, which is at least two more than any other player.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Aston Villa have carried on their impressive form from last season into this. They have picked up 17 points in their eight Premier League games this season, which is just the third time they’ve had that many points at this stage. 

And having lost their first two Premier League home games against Bournemouth in 2016 and 2019, the Villans have won the last two by an aggregate score of 6-1.

But Emery's men have also showcased their powers of recovery this term. Only Manchester City (13) have won more points from losing positions in the Premier League this season than Villa (10), who have won three games despite conceding first so far this campaign.

Bournemouth, however, have won 50% of their eight Premier League games against Aston Villa (W4 D1 L3) – of those they’ve faced as many times, against no side do they have a higher win rate in the competition.

But the Cherries have struggled away from the Vitality Stadium. They have lost six of their last nine away Premier League matches (W2 D1), losing their last two without scoring since their late 3-2 comeback victory against Everton at the end of August.

No team has scored more goals from the 70th minute onwards of games in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth (six). The average minute of their goals has been the 63rd minute, the latest average by a team in a single Premier League campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Aston Villa - 48.8%

Draw - 23.9%

Bournemouth - 27.3%

Nuri Sahin cited his substitutions as a "mistake" in Borussia Dortmund's 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens had given the Bundesliga side a two-goal advantage heading into half-time, but they were unable to hold on to their lead.

Madrid came out firing after the interval, with a hat-trick from Vinicius Junior along with goals from Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez sealing the triumph. 

But Sahin's decision to replace both Malen and Gittens for defender Waldemar Anton and holding midfielder Pascal Gross proved to be Dortmund's undoing.

Five minutes after Gittens' substitution, Madrid halved the deficit through Rudiger, and were level 105 seconds later when Vinicius struck beyond Gregor Kobel. 

"It's not easy to explain, of course. We, who I thought played well with the ball, really had a lot of solutions," Sahin said. 

"The boys did well, scored two goals and then went into half-time and we knew it would be very long. The second half very, very long. 

"We noticed in the second half that we were being pushed back, we had defensive problems and I thought we should go to the three-man defence, and that didn't work out for us.

"It's my mistake and I have to live with it. There will be criticism, but that's something I have to face.

"We defended very, very badly. But also we have to factor the individual class of Real, a complete team."

However, Sahin insisted his side can take positives from the way they played in the first 45 minutes at the Bernabeu. 

Dortmund registered six shots, with five of those on target, entering the interval with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.49 compared to Los Blancos' 1.14. 

The visitors also boasted 52% possession, while also playing 158 passes in the opposition half to Madrid's 133 in the first half.

"It's an extremely bitter loss today, it hurts because we go out with the feeling that it was possible to go out with a better result," Sahin said.

"But tomorrow we also have to take the positives from this game with us.

"If we can play football like this against Real Madrid, then we have to do it against everyone and that has to be our benchmark. We're doing well up front."

Thiago Motta shouldered the blame for Juventus' first defeat of his tenure after they lost 1-0 to Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Motta, who took charge of Juventus in June, had won six of his first 10 games in charge, but watched on as his side were outplayed by the Bundesliga outfit on home soil. 

The contest was decided by El Bilal Toure, who notched the winning goal in second-half stoppage time, though the outcome should have been sealed much sooner.

Ermedin Demirovic struck the post while Enzo Millot saw his penalty saved by Mattia Perin, who was comfortably Juventus' standout player at the Allianz Stadium. 

Perin made nine saves, with no Juventus goalkeeper making more in a single Champions League match on record, equalling Christian Abbiati's nine stops against Bayern Munich back in 2005.

Motta lamented his side's attacking display, not helped by the absences of Nico Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners, Gleison Bremer, Arek Milik and Douglas Luiz through injury.

"I agree we need to do more in attack to compete with a team like Stuttgart, but in order to play well we need to be much better in defending than tonight," Motta said.

"We struggled to build anything and were not in a condition to do well. A team has to defend well so it can recover the ball and then use it well.

"We suffered out of possession, while the most we managed in attack was a few counters. I take responsibility for that, we must improve for the next games."

Juventus had just one shot on target against Stuttgart, their fewest in a Champions League game since a 1-0 win against Chelsea in September 2021 (also one).

When questioned about Juventus' physical condition, Motta denied there was any difference in the pace of Serie A compared to the other top five leagues in Europe. 

"I don't think we go slow in Italy. Certainly today in this match, we struggled with their rhythm and their game," Motta said.

"There are many things to analyse about Italian and international football ... teams that want to have the ball, high rhythm and low rhythm. This is the level."

Juventus now turn their attentions to league action, hoping to return to winning ways at the home of champions Inter, who are a point ahead of them in the table.

Thomas Frank insists he “needs more” from his Brentford players after a sloppy second half display saw them lose to Manchester United last time out.

The Bees had taken the lead through Ethan Pinnock’s header in first-half stoppage time but were pegged back by goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund after the break.

Brentford welcome Ipswich Town to Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, knowing a victory could push them back into the top half of the Premier League standings.

Their next five league games are against teams currently around them, and Frank wants to see more character from his side in the coming weeks.

"It was a good first half, I was very happy with that, I thought we were the better team in that period of the game against a good team," Frank said.

"We went 1-0 up, but it's so frustrating and annoying that they scored after two minutes of the second half - if they don't do that, you don't know what would have happened. 

"I thought that we were way too passive. But we are at Old Trafford, they have some top players. After the first goal, I felt like we lacked a bit more character.

"If we want to win here, we need more. Unfortunately, not enough of our players hit a high enough level in the second half.”

Ipswich, meanwhile, were handed a fourth defeat of the season against Everton at Portman Road, leaving them without a win since their return to the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys are one of four sides in the division yet to taste victory, the first season in top-flight history to see as many as four different sides all fail to win any of their first eight games of the campaign.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna expected difficulties in adapting to the Premier League, though said his players must do better in overcoming the fine margins they have experienced.

"We knew it would be a challenging season and the step up into the Premier League was always going to be a big challenge,” McKenna said. “In eight games we've got a result in four of them.

“We know where we need to improve and it's up to us to turn those margins in our favour. The last two games have got away from us.

“The balance of the game was really fine, and we didn’t manage to find enough to change the game in the second half against a good, experienced side. We had a go before the end, but it wasn’t enough.” 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brentford - Mikkel Damsgaard

Damsgaard has assisted three goals in his last two Premier League appearances, more than he had in his first 55 games in the competition (two).

He has assisted via a corner in his last two games, with only Ashley Williams for Everton in April 2017 assisting a goal from a corner situation in three consecutive appearances in Premier League history.

Ipswich – Omari Hutchinson

Despite failing to notch a goal this season, Hutchinson has been a threat for the Tractor Boys.

In the Premier League, only Mohammed Kudus (28), Jeremy Doku (22) and Adama Traore have completed more dribbles than the Englishman (18).

Ipswich have also applied the second-most pressures to opponents in the Premier League this season (1,736) with Hutchinson top among all players for those pressures (316).

MATCH PREDICTION: BRENTFORD WIN

This is the first ever top-flight meeting between Brentford and Ipswich. It will be the 1452nd fixture to be played in England’s top-flight, and the 937th in the Premier League.

Brentford have lost just one of their last nine league games against Ipswich (W4 D4), with this the first meeting between the sides since a 2-0 home win for the Bees in April 2019.

Ipswich will also have to be aware of the Bees’ aerial threat. Only Aston Villa (five) have scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than Brentford (four).

However, after losing a league-high 30 points from winning positions in the Premier League last season, Brentford have also dropped the most when leading in the competition this term (11). The Bees have scored first in each of their last six league games but have gone on to win just two of them (D1 L3).

McKenna’s side remain winless in the Premier League this season (D4 L4). In only two previous league campaigns have they endured longer winless starts, both in the Championship in 2009-10 (14) and 2018-19 (11).

Ipswich have also had the fewest shots (75), fewest shots on target (23) and had the fewest touches in the opposition’s box (130) in the Premier League this season, while the Tractor Boys have also accumulated the lowest expected goals (xG) total (6.3).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brentford – 54.2%

Draw – 22.6%

Ipswich – 23.2%

Atlanta United will play Inter Miami in the MLS playoffs after edging past CF Montreal on penalties in an enthralling encounter at the Stade Saputo. 

Atlanta won only their second away playoff game in club history and the first since 2018. They will start a best-of-three series on Friday against Lionel Messi's Miami. 

The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when Brooks Lennon nodded Pedro Amador's cross beyond Jonathan Sirois, before Stian Gregersen doubled their tally a minute before the interval. 

But Montreal responded after the break, as Josef Martinez reduced the deficit just after the hour-mark against his former employers.

Martinez notched his second, this time from the penalty spot, in the 89th minute after Lennon was brought down by Kwadwo Opoku, with the Venezuelan scoring his eighth goal in six games. 

The winner would be decided on penalties, as Tom Pearce's spot-kick proved decisive with his effort saved by Brad Guzan. That left Saba Lobjanidze to send Atlanta through. 

Data Debrief: No Five Stripes joy for Martinez

It proved to be a gut-wrenching end to the season for Montreal, having ended the contest with more shots (15), more shots on target (seven) and a higher expected goals (xG) tally (1.57) than Atlanta. 

It was even more heartbreaking for Martinez, who almost dealt his former side a hammer blow to their hopes of continuing in the post-season. 

He ended the encounter by having all of Montreal's shots on target, while also registering the most touches in the opposition box (nine) than any other player on the pitch. 

Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos lamented his side's lack of efficiency after playing out a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

The Parisiens needed a stunner from Achraf Hakimi to salvage a point at the Parc des Princes after Noa Lang had given the Eredivisie outfit a 34th-minute lead. 

Luis Enrique's side have struggled in this year's competition, with Hakimi's leveller only their second goal in the Champions League this term, despite netting 25 goals in Ligue 1 this campaign. 

PSG dominated for large parts on Tuesday, registering 26 shots, the most against PSV in a Champions League match since November 2018 (30 from Tottenham).

Luis Enrique's side have also now had 25 or more shots in each of their last three Champions League home games (also 30 against Borussia Dortmund and 26 against Girona).

"Efficiency was our main problem because we had a lot of chances," Marquinhos said.

"We had so many opportunities in the beginning but did not convert, while they were more clinical, opened the scoring, and it changed the scenario of the match."

But for all of PSG's attempts, only eight were on target, with the Parisiens underperforming their expected goals (xG) total by 1.57. 

Ousmane Dembele struck the woodwork in the 18th minute, while Bradley Barcola and Lee Kang-In threatened, but they rarely threatened visiting goalkeeper Walter Benitez. 

"We are among the teams who create the most chances, the team are playing the way I want them to," said Luis Enrique.

"If you look at the statistics, we've been scoring a lot of goals," added Marquinhos, referring to their 25 in the opening eight Ligue 1 games this season.

PSG currently sit 17th in the new Champions League table ahead of Wednesday's fixtures, with games against Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich to come.

"Our style of play has changed," Marquinhos said. "We need to be more calm in front of goal.

"These are things we need to work at in training and in our heads."

Carlo Ancelotti believes Vinicius Junior will scoop the Ballon d'Or this season after he netted a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

In a repeat of their Champions League final in June, the Bundesliga outfit looked well on their way to exacting revenge at the Bernabeu when Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens had them two goals up at the break. 

However, Antonio Rudiger's header on the hour-mark sparked the turnaround, with Vinicius levelling the contest two minutes later to set up an enthralling conclusion.

With Lucas Vazquez completing the comeback, the Brazilian turned on the style in the closing stages, scoring twice to notch his third Los Blancos treble. 

Vinicius is tipped to win the Ballon d'Or for his displays during Madrid's Champions League and LaLiga successes last year, with Ancelotti insisting it will be won by the 24-year-old.

"What I can say is that it's rare to see a player who plays a second half like Vinicius did," Ancelotti said.

"And not because of the three goals, but because of his character; he's extraordinary. 

"Vinicius is going to win (the Ballon d'Or), not for what he did tonight, but for what he did last year.

"These three goals are already going to count for next year's Ballon d'Or, that's for sure. He is a player who gets whistled at because he can make a difference."

Since the start of last season, Vinicius has 50 goal involvements (32 goals, 18 assists) in 53 games in all competitions for Madrid. 

But the result looked beyond doubt after a poor first half showing, with Ancelotti's men only managing one shot on target from the nine efforts they attempted.

However, after the interval, Los Blancos took control. They registered a mammoth expected goals (xG) total of 2.41 to Dortmund's 0.09 in the second half. 

The victory saw Madrid win a match in the Champions League in which they trailed by two goals at the break for the first time, with Ancelotti revealing there was no panic among his players in the dressing room at half-time.

"We lived it calmly, calmly (over the break). We changed the system and came back playing more intensely," Ancelotti said.

"Talking about scoring three goals might have seemed utopian, so we talked about small details like passing well, winning duels. 

We had to win the dynamic of the game and from there you start to win the game.

"We were timid in the first half, we weren't intense on the ball and in the second half we did better with more quality, more pressure.

It was the best second half of the season.

"We have to learn from what we did in the second half. The aim is to start the game and not wait for them to put two past us.

"I don't think we can play 90 minutes with the intensity of the second half but we can be more balanced."

Eltham High remained perfect so far in this season’s ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup with a 2-0 win over Hydel High in their Zone A clash at Homestead on Tuesday.

Eltham have now won all eight of their games to have a perfect 24 points in the preliminary phase while Hydel are also already through with 18 points from their eight games.

In Zone B action, Jonathan Grant kept their hopes of advancing alive with a 2-0 away win over Waterford to move to 18 points from nine games, equal with Charlie Smith, who have played all their games, in second.

Jonathan Grant will advance with a win over Gaynstead High in their final game on Thursday.

The day’s other game saw Excelsior High defeat Bridgeport High 5-0 at Dunbeholden in Zone F.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girl Shania Hayles is brimming with excitement as she makes a long-awaited return to the setup ahead of their highly anticipated friendly international against France on Friday.

Hayles, currently enjoying a rich vein of form with her new club Newcastle United, is eager to make her mark once again for the Reggae Girlz as they continue to build toward greater international success.

The striker, who earns her Jamaican stripes through her grandparents, has always spoken fondly of her deep connection to the island, attributing her decision to parade her skills for the Reggae Girlz to the love and pride she feels for her Jamaican heritage.

“I was excited to come back. Obviously, Jamaica's in my family, my grandparents, which is lovely, so when I got the call, it just showed that all the hard work that I've been putting on the journey so far had paid off,” Hayles said in an interview with JFF media from the team’s base in France.

For Hayles, the decision to play for Jamaica over other potential options came from a place of family loyalty. Born in England, she grew up with stories of her grandparents’ life in Jamaica, and the culture became an integral part of her identity.

Shania Hayles in action against United States during the Women's Soccer Summer Series. (Photo: Alamy)

Now, each time the 24-year-old, who made her Jamaican debut in 2021, pulls on the black, green, and gold jersey, she feels a strong sense of responsibility and pride. Her tree appearances for Jamaica were in the United States Women's Soccer Summer series in Houston in 2021.

“Obviously, it (choosing to represent Jamaica over England) wasn't an easy decision, but my grandparents mean a lot to me and for me, being a role model to other black children out there, that's the big thing for me. I did a lot that last season just so they can see someone like me playing for Jamaica and for my club, and they can aspire to be like me,” Hayles shared.

“Each time I come into camp, it's like family. I felt comfortable as soon as I came here; everyone's so lovely, so it was really nice to catch up with the girls and obviously going back to Jamaica, I went there for the first time for one of my camps and, yeah, it was just unreal,” she added. 

Having recently made a move to Newcastle United, Hayles has quickly settled into life with her new club, where she has been in scintillating form. Her four goals in six appearances so far, including a hat-trick last weekend, have not gone unnoticed, and the forward is keen to carry that momentum into the national setup, especially now expected to lead the attacking line in Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s absence.

Prior to joining Newcastle United, Hayles had a two-year stint with Bristol City, where she tallied 11 goals in 37 appearances.

Hayles celebrates a goal for her club, Newcastle United.

“I think I just had a fresh start from last season, new team, so I had a lot to prove so I just went in with a lot of confidence and I think grabbing the first couple goals early on is always good for a striker because you kind of want to get them first goals. So when I got them, I went on to find a few more. Obviously, getting my hat-trick at the weekend was a proud moment for me because that was the first one in my career, so hopefully I can get a few more this season,” Hayles stated.

“Obviously, scoring goals is a big thing; that's part of my game, so it’s about just being confident and kind of showing what I can do. I think before I probably wasn't as ready as I am now, so coming back in (the Reggae Girlz team), I already feel a lot more confident and I'm just ready to give everything for the team,” she declared.

The friendly against France is expected to be a tough test for the Hubert Busby-coached Reggae Girlz, but Hayles is optimistic about their chances and is eager to contribute. In fact, she is also already looking forward to the two fixtures against South Africa on November 29 and December 2 on Jamaican soil.

“I think you want to play against some of the best national teams, so for me, France is up there. It will be a hard game, a tough game, but it is one I'm looking forward to,” she noted.

 “Even the home games against South Africa, I think, are a big thing. I think when we have the support behind us, it's always a big thing, so I just think, the more support you get, obviously it helps, like the crowd... everything just helps us play well,” she ended.

A number of teams booked spots in the Round of 16 as action rolled on in the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup on Tuesday.

Cornwall College and Kemps Hill secured 4-0 and 1-0 wins over Spot Valley and Rusea’s, respectively, to advance from Group 1 of the second round.

In Group 3 action, STETHS and Manchester each finished the second round on seven points after wins over the Manning’s School and William Knibb Memorial, respectively. STETHS defeated Manning’s 3-0 on the road while Manchester beat William Knibb 1-0 at home.

In Group 7, Glenmuir got their third win in as many games in the second round with a 3-0 win over Paul Bogle High at home while Clarendon College defeated Titchfield High 2-0 at Wembley Community Centre to finish on six points.

In Group 8, McGrath advanced as group winners with seven points from three games thanks to a 3-2 win over Christiana at Dinthill Technical while Garvey Maceo also advanced thanks to a 5-0 win over St. Mary High at Highgate Community Centre.

Mikel Arteta has been dealt another injury blow ahead of their blockbuster clash with Liverpool after Riccardo Calafiori limped off against Shakhtar Donetsk. 

The Gunners scraped to a 1-0 victory over the Ukrainian side in the Champions League thanks to a Dmytro Riznyk own goal, after the rebound of Gabriel Martinelli's shot off the post went in off his back. 

Arsenal were again without Bukayo Saka, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, while they will be without the suspended William Saliba on Sunday after he was sent off against Bournemouth.

This victory came with a cost as Calafiori was forced to leave the field in the 72nd minute, leaving Arteta unsure if the defender will be available this weekend.

"Riccy, I don't know, he felt something and could not continue playing so [it's a] bit of a worry," he told TNT Sports. While talking in his post-match press conference, Arteta added: "He had to come off because he felt something. I don't know the extent of that. So, in that sense, not great news."

"I don't know, sorry, [Saka] wasn't able to train yet, so that's unlikely," he added.

Arsenal were far from their best, with Leandro Trossard seeing a spot-kick saved 13 minutes from time, while David Raya was called into action to preserve their win with a big save.

It was a third consecutive clean sheet in the Champions League, which is their first such run since keeping four under Arsene Wenger in November 2007.

They generated just 1.8 expected goals (xG) on Tuesday, having 13 shots, with five of those on target, but Arteta was happy with the reaction he saw from his team.

"Very pleased with the result," he said. "Always difficult in Champions League.

"We should've scored more in the first half and the second half, I felt a bit of fatigue. Playing 60 minutes with 10 men a few days ago is difficult. We left the game a bit open but we dug in for three points.

"I don't know if [the penalty miss] was related to fatigue. Credit to Shakhtar, they are brave.

"When you give them time on the ball, and you lose the ball, you will suffer. I don't know [why Kai Havertz didn't take the penalty]. He is one of the takers, but Leo took it."

Milan had substitutes Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze to thank for beating Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday, according to head coach Paulo Fonseca.

The 3-1 home victory ensured Milan earned their first points of their European campaign, with Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders scoring a brace in the second half.

Okafor came on for Ruben Loftus-Cheek after an hour with the game at 1-1, while Chukwueze was swapped in for Rafael Leao, and both players provided assists for Reijnders to win the game.

"The credit goes to the players and mainly to those who came on," Fonseca told a press conference.

"They changed the match, changing our game, the intensity."

At the time Fonseca made the changes, Milan were labouring against a Club Brugge side who were playing with 10 men after midfielder Raphael Onyedika had been sent off in the first half.

"Obviously, in the first half, we didn't do things well," Fonseca said.

"We were up against a team with 11 players that was very deep, then with numerical inferiority, they became even deeper.

"We had difficulties in this type of game, in creating and provoking space.

"Then, when we don't find the right solution, the game starts to be too slow. When we don't find space, we need to have a different intensity in our actions. We didn't do well... I think it was a problem of understanding the game."

Fonseca brought on 16-year-old Francesco Camarda with Milan leading 3-1, with the teenager playing the final 15 minutes and having a goal ruled out for offside.

"I'm very sorry for the disallowed goal," said Fonseca. "But it was a beautiful moment for the team, all on the pitch celebrating a child who works so hard.

"Camarda will have many opportunities to score more goals during his career."

Camarda is the youngest player to have made their debut for Milan in the Champions League at just 16 years and 226 days.

He is also the youngest Italian player to feature in the competition, having beaten the record previously held by former Juventus forward, Moise Kean (16 years, 268 days).