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Dave Roberts has made his pitching decisions for the next few games.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers' manager announced that Tyler Glasnow will start Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, while Shohei Ohtani will start Game 4. That follows Blake Snell's start in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2.

L.A. entered Tuesday with a 1–0 lead over the Brewers in the series after a tight 2–1 win in Game 1 that featured a truly absurd double play.

It's easy to extrapolate from there that Snell would be back on the mound for Game 5 if necessary, with Yamamoto following for a potential Game 6, then Glasnow for Game 7 if the series goes that far.

Game 4 will mark Ohtani's second start of the postseason. He earned the win on Game 1 of the NLDS against the Phillies when he went six innings and allowed three runs on three hits while striking out nine.

Dodgers starting pitchers are dominating the postseason

So far during the 2025 playoffs, L.A.'s starting rotation is dominating the competition. The Dodgers have played seven games, and their starters are a combined 5–1 with a 1.65 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, and opponents are hitting .141 off of them. They have also only allowed two home runs as a group. The WHIP and ERA are both the best among active teams.

Snell has been phenomenal. After being sidelined for much of the season due to shoulder issues, the 32-year-old lefty has been outstanding since the postseason began. Through three starts, the two-time Cy Young Award winner is 3–0 with a 0.86 ERA, a 0.52 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts against five walks in 21 innings. Opponents are hitting .090 off of him.

Yamamoto (1–1, 2.53 ERA) and Glasnow (0–0, 0.00 ERA) have also been solid, though the latter has only made one start and thrown 7 2/3 innings.

L.A.'s weak spot all season has been the bullpen, and that has continued into the playoffs. While Roki Sasaki has helped solidify the ninth inning a bit, as a group Dodgers' relievers have a 5.91 ERA, a 1.92 WHIP and 18 strikeouts against 18 walks in 21 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .280 off the team's bullpen.

If L.A.'s starters continue to dominate and go deeper into games, their weakness at the back end won't be as troubling.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on fire in the ALDS, and he's helping the Blue Jays run away with the series against the rival Yankees.

Toronto took a 9–0 lead by the fourth inning on Sunday, thanks to a thunderous grand slam from Guerrero. Rogers Centre was roaring after Guerrero deposited a pitch from Will Warren into the seats. The superstar first baseman celebrated with a savage bat flip, chucking his lumber to the side before he gleefully took his trip around the bases.

Fans at Rogers Centre have been making plenty of noise throughout the series, and when the Blue Jays' star slugger unleashed the grand slam, the volume reached deafening levels. Have a look and a listen at the incredible moment in Toronto:

Everyone at the stadium knew that one was gone from the moment if left the bat, and they were already celebrating by the time it reached the upper deck.

Barring an unheard of collapse, the Blue Jays will head to New York with a 2-0 lead in the series and will be feeling plenty confident about booking a trip to the ALCS.

Enzo Maresca has singled out one Chelsea player following their dismal 3-1 loss to lowly Leeds United. The Blues came into the Elland Road clash off the back of a 3-0 win over Barcelona and a 1-1 draw with Arsenal – a game where they were a man down for more than 45 minutes. Although they were beaten by Daniel Farke's side in midweek, Maresca doesn't think their lack of experience had much to do with it.

Chelsea suffer Leeds horror show

Chelsea came to Leeds on Wednesday with Premier League title ambitions but they were sent homeward to think again after a chastening 3-1 loss. The Whites started the day in the relegation zone but were fully deserving of the three points as a disjointed and petulant Blues side were put to the sword. After the defeat, head coach Maresca admitted his team – who have the youngest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 23 years – didn't deserve to come away with anything from the encounter.

He told : "A very poor night, they [Leeds] deserved to win the game, they were better in all aspects. [We will] Just try to analyse and learn from this game and focus o the next one. It's not about possession, in possession you need a purpose. Today they were better in all aspects. Congratulations to them. After the goal we scored we had one or two clear chances, but the third goal killed the game completely, then it's much more difficult. It's reality, it's Premier League, you need to perform every game, no matter if you are at home or away or who the other team is. It's important to see where we are going to be in February or March, but most important is to understand what we did bad tonight and then try to improve."

AdvertisementGETTY/GOALChelsea man incurs Maresca's wrath

While nobody had a particularly good night for Chelsea, ahead of facing Bournemouth on Saturday, Maresca singled out centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo for his mistake that led to Leeds' third goal. The Italian was asked if the team's lack of experience hurt them in Yorkshire, with captain Reece James, the suspended Moises Caicedo and more not in the starting XI. But he pointed out that the former Fulham defender was their oldest player, and that didn't help him a great deal. 

He said, via : "Listen, we always talk about experience when we drop points. When we beat Barcelona, we drew against Arsenal, no one was mentioning about experienced players. So, again, I understand that when we don't win, we are always looking for the reason why, but I think the reason why we didn't win against Leeds is not because of the experience, it's because we were not good enough. But we have experienced players. Unfortunately, they were not inside the pitch. One because he was suspended, the other one because of injury. So, it's because in that moment, the ones that have more experience, they were out. Who is the oldest one for us in the pitch? Who was? Tosin. Did he play good? So, it's not about experience. It's about that 11 players, they were not good enough. I know that we are always looking for experience, but it was a bad game for all of us."

Chelsea to continue rotating

Maresca was criticised after he made five changes from the Chelsea side that drew with Arsenal for the match at Leeds. But with the Blues regularly playing three games a week, due to Premier League and Champions League duties, the former Leicester City manager is conscious of not over-exerting his players – especially after their Club World Cup-winning exploits this summer. 

When asked about how difficult it is to keep tweaking his starting line-ups, he replied: "Yeah, it's the most difficult thing for me, personally, this season. Because, as I said, for many reasons, we need to make changes. Now, we played two days ago, we came back yesterday afternoon. We have just one session this morning. Most of them, they cannot take part of the session because they need to recover. So, we're going to try to prepare in the best way tomorrow."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Chelsea?

Chelsea, who are still fourth in the Premier League but are now nine points behind table-toppers Arsenal after 14 games, will hope to bounce back from their loss to Leeds when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon. The Cherries have lost four of their last five fixtures, so this game presents a good opportunity for Maresca's side to return to winning ways.

تحصل فريق خامس على بطاقة التأهل إلى بطولة كأس العالم للأندية نسخة 2029، والتي تُعد الثانية من نوعها بعد تحديث نظامها حيث زاد عدد المشاركين بها إلى 32 فريقًا.

كان الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، قد أطلق النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، بنظامها الجديد، في صيف 2025 في أمريكا، والتي توج بها فريق تشيلسي الإنجليزي على حساب باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي.

وتمتلك قارة أوروبا نصيب الأسد في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، بنظامها المستحدث، حيث لديها 12 مقعدًا، يليها أمريكا الجنوبية 6 مقاعد، إفريقيا 4، آسيا 4، كونكاكاف 4، أوقيانوسيا مقعد واحد والدولة المضيفة التي لم تتحدد بعد.

وسبق أن تحددت هوية 4 فرق مشاركة في نسخة كأس العالم للأندية 2029، وهي، أهلي جدة السعودي (الفائز بدوري أبطال آسيا 2024/25)، بيراميدز المصري (الفائز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا 2024/25)، كروز آزول المكسيكي (بطل كونكاكاف 2024/25) وباريس سان جيرمان (الفائز بدوري أبطال أوروبا 2024/25).

وقد تحددت هوية فريق خامس هو فلامينجو البرازيلي بعدما فاز منذ قليل ببطولة كأس ليبرتادوريس على حساب بالميراس، بهدف دون رد (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

الجدير بالذكر أن الأهلي المصري شارك في النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، في نظامها الجديد، في صيف 2025، حيث خرج من مرحلة المجموعات.

Karun Nair left out of the 15-man squad while Pant remains injured

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-20253:28

What does the squad for the WI Tests tell us?

Ravindra Jadeja has been named the vice-captain of the India Test squad for the two West Indies matches next month – it’s his first time in the position, though he has been vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is in the past.Shubman Gill will lead in his second Test series after debuting in the position in England earlier this year, but the injured Rishabh Pant, who was the vice-captain on the tour of England, hasn’t recovered sufficiently to make the squad. Pant, who had fractured his foot while batting in the fourth Test in England, is currently recovering at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan are the two specialist wicketkeepers in the squad, with Jurel expected to be the first choice to stand behind the stumps.Jasprit Bumrah is also part of the squad, although there is only three day’s gap between the Asia Cup final, on September 28 in Dubai, and the start of the first Test against West Indies from October 2 in Ahmedabad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

From the expanded squad that toured England, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur have missed out, along with Pant. Abhimanyu, Akash Deep and Kamboj have been included in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, which will be played against Vidarbha from October 1 in Nagpur. Of them, Akash Deep had reported to the CoE recently to recover from a niggle he had picked up in England, which kept him out of the Duleep Trophy and recent India A matches.Coming in are Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal and Jagadeesan, who had been flown in for the final Test after Pant picked up his injury.On the exclusion of Nair, who had scored 205 runs in eight innings in England with a best of 57, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said at a press conference in Dubai while announcing the squad: “We expected more from Karun. Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Padikkal was in the Test squad in Australia, played against England in Dharamsala, got a fifty there. He’s shown some decent form. Frankly, we expected a bit more from Karun.”Related

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Meanwhile, one of Nair’s likely replacements, Sarfaraz Khan, is currently recovering from an injury.The rest of the squad wears a familiar look, and with spin expected to play a bigger part at home than pace, India have named Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar as the three spin-bowling allrounders, as well as Kuldeep Yadav. Nitish Kumar Reddy is the fast-bowling allrounder, with Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna the frontline quicks.On Bumrah’s availability – it had been confirmed before the five-Test tour of England that he would play only three Tests to manage his workload – Agarkar said, “This team has been picked for both the Tests, so he’s available for both Tests. We’ve had a fair break after England. He didn’t play the fifth Test [at The Oval] either. So there’s been a five-week break. Even this tournament [Asia Cup] has been fairly spaced out till the last week. So no, he’s ready and keen to play both Test matches.”India’s two Tests against West Indies, starting on October 2 in Ahmedabad and October 10 in Delhi, is their second of six series in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Their cycle began with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in England, where India drew the five-Test series 2-2.Having earned 28 out of the maximum of 60 available points for five Tests, India are third in the WTC points table, with 46.67 percentage points. Australia and Sri Lanka are above them with 100 and 66.67 percentage points respectively. West Indies have zero percentage points, having lost three Tests to Australia in June-July.India’s squad for West Indies TestsShubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-capt), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, N Jagadeesan (wk)

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been handed a fresh boost over Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović, with the player now ready to take one drastic action to leave Turin.

While summer signing Liam Delap is now ready and available once again after weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, the Englishman’s absence somewhat exposed Chelsea’s lack of striker options.

BlueCo were forced to cut short Marc Guiu’s loan spell at Sunderland and bring the Spaniard back to Stamford Bridge as cover for Delap, with Joao Pedro, an arguably more natural number 10, also handed the task of playing up front by Maresca.

Guiu was handed his first Premier League start of the season for Chelsea in their 2-1 loss to the Black Cats last weekend, but failed to make the desired impact, despite scoring against Ajax a few days prior.

While Chelsea forked out nearly £300 million in the summer transfer window, placing them among England’s most lavish spenders, Maresca still finds himself short in key areas.

This is particularly the case at centre-back, and reports suggest that Chelsea are set to prioritise a new defender in January as a result.

The likes of Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, who could reportedly re-join his former club on a cut-price deal in the winter, and Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano have both been discussed as options by Chelsea in that regard (Graeme Bailey).

Further forward, Chelsea are believed to be considering a new striker as well, as journalist Simon Phillips has reported, but any deal would be in the ‘cheaper’ bracket.

Phillips mentions Vlahovic as one option, and this is backed up by other media sources.

It is believed that Chelsea have already held talks with the Serbia international’s agents given his contract expires at the end of this season, and there’s now been another update.

Chelsea given fresh Dusan Vlahovic boost amid fresh stance

Speaking to The Chelsea Chronicle, reporter Graeme Bailey says that Maresca’s side have been offered the chance to do a deal in January.

Vlahovic, who apparently earns a staggering £370,000-per-week at Juve, is also ready to take a pay cut after renewing his stance in that regard — coming as a boost for Chelsea.

Ever since his breakout campaign in 2020/2021, Vlahovic has managed at least 14 goals per season, often far more.

The ex-Fiorentina “superstar” has also scored in big Champions League games against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Man City in the last two campaigns, so the prospect of signing him for below £20 million is a pretty enticing one.

If Chelsea do make a move, Vlahovic’s potential wage cut will be key, as Chelsea’s current highest earning first-team player is Reece James on £250,000-per-week.

This doesn’t include ‘bomb squad’ member Raheem Sterling, who takes home roughly £325,000-per-week.

Sterling is among Chelsea's highest earners

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By
Charlie Smith

Sep 23, 2025

تعادل منتخب قطر تحت 17 عامًا مع بوليفيا، سلبيًا، في مباراة الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من دور المجموعات في بطولة كأس العالم للناشئين.

والتقى منتخب قطر مع بوليفيا، في لقاء الجولة الأخيرة من مواجهات المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا المقامة في قطر.

وبهذا التعادل، يفقد منتخب قطر فرصته في التأهل إلى الدور المقبل من بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا، لاحتلاله المركز الثالث برصيد نقطتين فقط.

طالع | منتخب قطر يودع كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا بتعادل مخيب أمام بوليفيا

وكان منتخب قطر خسر من إيطاليا في لقاء الجولة الأولى 1-0 ثم تعادل مع جنوب إفريقيا 1-1 في مباراة الجولة الثانية.

وفي إطار نفس المجموعة، حقق منتخب إيطاليا الفوز على جنوب إفريقيا بنتيجة 3-1، ليتأهل الأزوري متصدرًا برصيد 9 نقاط بالفوز في الثلاث مباريات بدور المجموعات. ترتيب مجموعة قطر في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا بعد نهاية دور المجموعات

1- إيطاليا، 9 نقاط.

2- جنوب إفريقيا، 4 نقاط.

3- قطر، نقطتين.

4- بوليفيا، نقطة واحدة.

Liverpool needed a response after they were beaten in their own backyard by Manchester United at the weekend, thus condemning Arne Slot to three successive Premier League defeats.

And reply they did against Eintracht Frankfurt, winning 5-1 in the Champions League to end the losing run and turn toward a weekend trip to Brentford with fresh optimism

It was a rip-roaring attacking display. Defensive fragilities remain, but there are promising signs for Slot and co to grab onto and develop.

But for Mohamed Salah, the win in Germany was one of strife on an individual level. Left out of the starting line-up for the second Champions League match in a row, he entered late on and failed to get in on the action, finishing tamely when the opening was there to play Florian Wirtz in for a tap-in, thus handing the new recruit his first goal in red.

Salah's struggles continue

Salah has for so long been the indomitable hero at the front of Liverpool’s success. But this season, the 33-year-old is struggling, having scored only three times across 12 matches, and with no contributions across his past five.

Everyone anticipates his revival, but Liverpool’s win over Frankfurt came without the veteran in the starting line-up, and pointed toward a future beyond the legendary winger’s presence.

Last season, the Egyptian legend scored 34 goals and assisted 23 more across all competitions. He was the leading force of Slot’s title charge and won the full gamut of individual accolades.

The drop-off has been stark, and though Salah wasn’t performing with his same gusto and athleticism last season, he was sharper than ever and incredibly prolific. That wellspring has dried up, and it’s uncharted territory.

Goals

0.77

0.25

Assists

0.48

0.25

Shots taken

3.23

1.77

Shot-creating actions

4.51

2.65

Touches (att pen)

9.50

5.30

Pass completion (%)

70.6

69.0

Progressive passes

3.84

3.28

Progressive carries

4.14

3.16

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.13

Ball recoveries

2.70

3.16

There is the fact that Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak’s respective arrivals have reshaped Salah’s role somewhat, with the elite marksmen commanding the box as Darwin Nunez and, in a makeshift role, Luis Diaz did not last season.

Salah is getting old. While he is still underperforming the expected level, the £400k-per-week superstar is entering the autumn of his glittering Premier League career.

And, with this in mind, Liverpool will need to identify a new proverbial talisman. Perhaps they already have.

Liverpool's new version of Salah

Salah will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic forwards in Liverpool’s history. He is one of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

It is only October, and the clinical winger will surely find form again soon, but there’s a sense he might struggle to outscore Ekitike, who looks every bit the perfect successor as Liverpool’s new star forward, even when pitted against a phenomenon like Isak.

Liverpool signed the 23-year-old Frenchman from Frankfurt this summer for an initial £69m fee, and he netted on his return to Die Roten this week to make it six goals (and an assist) for Slot’s side this year.

He’s brilliant. Ekitike is a deadly finisher, but he’s also so much more than that, with journalist Peter Bolster putting it perfectly.

The Liverpool writer said, “Ekitike’s got the pace of Torres, the touch of Crouch, the flair of Sturridge and the intelligence of Firmino.”

That’s quite a player, and it’s indeed fair to suggest that Liverpool’s slick striker may well be undroppable right now, especially when considering he started from the bench as the Red Devils struck a shocking blow against the Premier League champions last year.

With the rangy forward also ranking among the top 13% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months for shot-creating actions and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90 (as per FBref), it’s clear that the aforementioned Bolster’s effusions might just have some substance.

His rapid running, seamless link-up play and silky movements around the final third all emphasise the calibre of talent Liverpool have signed, and like Salah before him, he is resurgent after previously falling by the wayside for a top European outfit.

Salah flopped at Chelsea. This is well-documented. But Ekitike, too, has tasted regret for a superpower, having left Reims for Paris Saint-Germain at the start of his career only to score four goals across 33 matches before being shipped out to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.

There he made his name and was tutored into the player he is today. It is a similarity he shares with Salah, and he is a better player because of it.

Salah is too much of a world-class sensation to not rediscover his goalscoring form in the coming months, and with a player like Ekitike beside him, a stunning partnership could be forged to maintain the African’s levels across the final two years of his illustrious career in English football.

But Ekitike is coming for the crown. Few expected this would be so when Isak completed his British record move from Newcastle United to Merseyside, but the Sweden international has his work cut out if he is to shift ahead and stand as Liverpool’s star striker.

Perhaps the most exciting part is that Ekitike is only going to get better and better. Without a doubt, he has what it takes to take the baton from Salah’s hands when that rueful day comes.

Mac Allister upgrade: Liverpool preparing huge offer to sign £69m "monster"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool midfield is malfunctioning this season.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 21, 2025

Monaco sporting director Thiago Scuro has decided to defer the activation of the €11 million option to make Ansu Fati’s loan move from Barcelona permanent. The Spanish forward has been in fine form since joining the Ligue 1 side on loan, but Scuro emphasised that he must first be provided with the right conditions to develop into an important and consistent player before any transfer decision is made.

Fati's record start to the season

Fati’s brace against Nice extended his impressive record to six goals in five games, following another double against Metz after coming on as a substitute. The Spaniard also became the fastest player to reach five goals in the French league, a record that had stood since 1948. Monaco have an €11 million (£10m/$12m) option to make Fati’s loan move from Barcelona permanent, but sporting director Scuro has downplayed the early success, insisting that the club will wait before making a decision on his long-term future.

AdvertisementAFPScuro's words on Fati

Fati's resurgence comes after a difficult few years for the former Barcelona wonderkid. After his sensational rise to stardom at Camp Nou, his career faltered amid a dip in form, a disappointing loan to Brighton and a few injury troubles. 

While he is off to a fine start in Monaco, his long-term future remains unclear as Scuro, speaking at the unveiling of new coach Sebastien Pocognoli, said more time must be given to Fati so he can achieve consistency and become an important player for the team. 

"The key is to continue giving Ansu the conditions so he can get playing time and be an important and consistent player for Monaco," he said. "Business isn't important right now. When the time is right, we'll make a decision. Monaco is protected in this situation by the agreement we have with the player and Barca. The goal is performance and keeping him on the pitch."

Will he return to the Spain squad?

Fati’s impressive performances have caught the attention of Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente, reigniting hopes of a potential call up to the national side after his recent run of form.

"He's scored five or six goals, and we've assessed him," the coach said. "Ansu is on the list, and that's interesting."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Fati will aim to stay injury free and continue his strong form as Monaco prepare to face Angers in Pocognoli’s debut match as head coach. The French side hoped the game would mark Paul Pogba's debut and first game following his doping ban, but another injury setback means he may have to wait a bit longer.

Gio Reyna “could play at most clubs”, USMNT legend Brad Friedel has told GOAL in an exclusive interview, with it possible that a move away from Borussia Dortmund could act as a “stepping stone” back towards another top team. Reyna has ended his six-year association with BVB in order to make a fresh start at Borussia Monchengladbach, with it up to him to prove that undoubted potential can be fully unlocked.

Time for a change: Why Reyna left Dortmund

Reyna has been one of the hottest prospects in U.S. soccer for quite some time, having moved to Germany in 2019 after starting out in the academy system at New York City FC. A senior bow was earned with Dortmund at 17 years of age, allowing him to break a youngest debutant record previously held by fellow countryman Christian Pulisic. Big things were expected of the classy playmaker.

He did go on to make 146 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, but injury problems stunted his progress. A forgettable loan spell at Nottingham Forest in 2024 saw Reyna fail to make an impact in the Premier League. He returned to Signal Iduna Park with serious questions being asked of his future.

A permanent transfer was finally completed in the summer of 2025, with Reyna opting to remain in a division that he knows well. A three-year contract was signed with Gladbach, meaning that there is still plenty of time for the 22-year-old to catch the eye of another elite outfit.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFuture transfer: Reyna can reach the very top

Friedel believes that path can be trodden, with the former USMNT goalkeeper – speaking in association with – telling GOAL: “Absolutely he could (join another top club). Look at his age. For whatever reason, his body has broken down in the manner it has. He needs to figure out why and then build.

“He could play at most clubs. Sometimes when players get injured you see straight away that the clubs will realise and then make sure he’s out. Gio’s always attached to big clubs or somebody is looking. They know he can play, that’s not the issue. That’s a good thing. Everybody knows the talent is there. Now he has to figure out how to stay fit.”

Word Cup dream: What Reyna needs to do

If Reyna can steer clear of the treatment table, then he should get a chance to rub shoulders with the best in the business at a home World Cup in 2026. A move to Gladbach is intended to help get him the regular game time that ongoing development requires.

Friedel previously told GOAL: “With Gio, a lot of unfortunate stuff from the last World Cup, then injury after injury after injury. Talented, talented player. For Gio, he needs minutes and he needs not to be injured. Then we can see before the World Cup if he is ready. If he is, if he has a run of four or five months with no injuries, playing lots of minutes, he’s in the squad.

“He’s a really talented player, one of the better ones we have. But he really does need to play. When I took the job at Besiktas, I was over at the Copa America and was watching. You could just tell there was something a little bit off. It’s not his ability, that is there. That’s not it. His body has unfortunately not cooperated with this sport.

“Hopefully for him it goes well. He’s a really good kid and I hope he just stays fit, gets a run of games and then it will be down to Mauricio [Pochettino] choosing him or not. I don’t like to see anybody get left out because of injury.”

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Getty Images SportInjury issues: Familiar theme for Reyna at Gladbach

Reyna has taken in two appearances for Gladbach so far, with a 4-0 defeat being endured on debut against Werder Bremen. He lost his starting berth for a meeting with Bayer Leverkusen and only managed 10 minutes off the bench in that contest.

He has been nursing another fitness issue since then, with thigh problems causing concern, and all too familiar physical ailments are threatening to derail another bid to get his promising career firmly on track.