Manchester City academy graduate Nico O’Reilly is aiming to secure his first major trophy for his boyhood club when they face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley this weekend.

The versatile prospect has established himself as a crucial component of Pep Guardiola’s squad this season.

Despite the club spending heavily on new recruits, the homegrown talent from Collyhurst has consistently earned his place in the starting line-up.

He proudly displays his deep connection to his hometown with an ‘0161’ tattoo, representing the Manchester telephone dialling code.

It’s where I grew up, Manchester, the area. It’s me, really, how I became who I am today.

From academy prospect to first-team regular

The midfielder grew up idolising Kevin de Bruyne and has now found himself seamlessly slotting into roles previously occupied by the Belgian and Ilkay Gundogan.

His rapid rise has included sharing the pitch with global stars such as Erling Haaland and Rodri.

Guardiola has also utilised the youngster’s adaptability, notably deploying him as a makeshift left-back during a fixture against Salford last year.

The tactical switch proved highly successful, leading to increased minutes and ultimate trust from the demanding Catalan manager.

A family affair at Wembley

O’Reilly made his senior debut during the 2024 Community Shield victory over Manchester United beneath the iconic Wembley arch.

Returning to the national stadium to face the Gunners offers a chance to add a significant piece of silverware to his growing collection.

His family, predominantly supporters of the reigning Premier League champions, will be in attendance to watch his monumental afternoon.

My little sister comes to every game. She loves it, a big City fan, and she’s massively into football now.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has withdrawn from the Brazil squad for their upcoming international fixtures due to an undisclosed injury.

The national team confirmed the removal of the 32-year-old despite his initial call-up earlier this week.

It remains unclear how severe the issue is ahead of the Reds’ Premier League trip to Brighton this weekend.

Recent return to action

The Brazilian shot-stopper had recently missed his club’s Champions League first-leg defeat against Galatasaray.

He returned to action against Tottenham in the domestic league before retaining his place for the European return leg.

The South American completed the full 90 minutes as Arne Slot’s side cruised to a 4-0 victory at Anfield to overturn their aggregate deficit.

Growing fitness concerns

This latest setback adds to a mounting list of fitness issues for the Merseyside club as they navigate a congested fixture schedule.

Head coach Slot has already confirmed that talisman Mohamed Salah will miss the upcoming clash against the Seagulls.

However, versatile defender Joe Gomez is expected to be fit enough to make the matchday squad.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal’s squad for their upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and the United States due to a hamstring injury.

The 41-year-old forward has been sidelined since limping off during Al-Nassr’s Saudi Pro League victory against Al-Fayha at the end of February.

Roberto Martínez opted not to risk the men’s record international goalscorer for the upcoming fixtures in Mexico City and Atlanta.

World Cup place not in jeopardy

Despite travelling to Spain for specialised rehabilitation, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is expected to make a swift recovery.

Portugal’s head coach moved quickly to dismiss any fears regarding his captain’s availability for the upcoming tournament in June.

“He’s not at risk, no. It’s a minor muscle injury and we think he can return in a week or two.”

The veteran attacker had been in prolific form for his club, netting 21 times in 22 league appearances before suffering this minor setback.

Squad changes and notable absentees

While the former Real Madrid star misses out, his Al-Nassr teammate João Félix has been included in the travelling party.

Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva is another high-profile absence from the extended squad list announced on Friday.

Portugal will face Mexico on 28 March before travelling to play the United States on 1 April as their tournament preparations intensify.

Portugal squad in full

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will undergo hernia surgery on Monday, dealing a significant blow to the club’s Premier League survival hopes.

The 29-year-old was forced to withdraw from the latest Italy squad after struggling with the issue following Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.

Reports from Sky Sports confirm that the stopper requires an immediate operation and will likely rest for several weeks, potentially ending his season prematurely.

His extended absence arrives at the worst possible moment for interim manager Igor Tudor.

European highs and domestic lows

Spurs recently ended a dismal run of four consecutive defeats with a vital top-flight draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

That positive momentum carried over into Europe, where the North London side secured a thrilling 3-2 second-leg victory to eliminate their Spanish opposition.

However, attention must now abruptly return to their desperate fight against domestic relegation.

The team faces a crucial basement battle against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, a fixture they must navigate without their reliable first-choice shot-stopper.

International heartbreak for the Italian

The impending procedure also shatters the player’s hopes of representing his country in an upcoming World Cup playoff campaign.

Gennaro Gattuso’s national side face Northern Ireland in a high-stakes semi-final tie over the next fortnight.

If successful, the Azzurri must then overcome either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina to secure their place at the 2026 tournament in North America.

Goalkeeping crisis looming

This medical setback creates a severe selection headache for the Tottenham coaching staff following recent tactical controversies.

Tudor boldly dropped his regular number one for Antonin Kinsky during the first leg of their European knockout tie in Madrid.

That decision backfired spectacularly when the Czech reserve was directly at fault for two goals while falling 3-0 behind in a disastrous opening 15 minutes.

The deputy was ruthlessly substituted shortly after, raising serious doubts about his readiness to step into a high-pressure Premier League six-pointer.

Pep Guardiola faces a major selection dilemma over out-of-form striker Erling Haaland as Manchester City prepare to play Arsenal in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

The Norwegian international has seen his goalscoring numbers plummet since the turn of the year.

He netted an impressive 25 times between August and December, but has managed just five goals so far in 2026.

This dramatic decline raises serious questions over his guaranteed starting spot against the Gunners.

Guardiola’s tactical evolution

Manchester City are desperately seeking their first major silverware in two years this weekend.

Their manager has constantly tinkered with his tactical setup this season to unlock attacking creativity.

Recent experiments have included pairing the former Borussia Dortmund frontman with Antoine Semenyo or Omar Marmoush in a two-man attack.

The Catalan coach is reacting to a broader Premier League trend towards aggressive man-to-man marking.

Adapting to a shifting landscape

Teams across the division are increasingly relying on direct transitions and set-piece dominance.

We are moving in that direction.

Those were the recent thoughts of the City boss when asked about the shifting tactical landscape.

However, the Manchester side have scored a league-low 16.6 percent of their goals from dead-ball situations.

This need for verticality prompted the recruitment of rapid defenders like Abdukodir Khusanov to win individual duels.

Finding the perfect formula

Playing direct football previously benefited the prolific Scandinavian striker by cutting out patient build-up play.

Yet Guardiola’s men have frequently struggled to balance defensive stability with genuine attacking threat this term.

The team looks distinctly different from the dominant sides previously orchestrated by David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

Whether that means benching a generational goalscorer at Wembley remains the biggest question of the weekend.

Fifa has decided not to suspend the Israel Football Association following a formal Palestinian complaint regarding teams based in West Bank settlements.

However, world football’s governing body simultaneously issued a £142,000 fine and a warning to the Israeli organisation over a separate discrimination charge.

The Palestinian governing body had officially requested the suspension ahead of the 2024 Fifa Congress due to the involvement of settlement clubs in sanctioned competitions.

Legal complexities cited by committee

The Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee ultimately recommended against sanctions, citing the highly complex and unresolved legal status of the territory under public international law.

This territorial dispute remains a profoundly contentious global issue, highlighted by a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling that declared the ongoing occupation illegal.

Shlomi Barzel, head of communications for the Israeli association, expressed profound relief at the disciplinary outcome.

“We are constantly working in various ways to repel time and time again desperate attempts to harm Israeli football for political reasons,” the communications chief stated.
“I am convinced that we will continue to face great challenges in the international arena, but also beautiful days on the pitch.”

Discrimination fine and sanctions

Despite avoiding a blanket suspension, the national association must still address the significant financial penalty handed down by the independent committee.

Officials have also been ordered to prominently display an anti-discrimination banner alongside their official crest during their next three top-tier home international fixtures.

Addressing the financial penalty, the official acknowledged the vital necessity of tackling racism within the sport.

“Even before the fine regarding racism was decided the IFA and the clubs acted, are acting, and will act even more vigorously against the sickening scourge,” he added.

The Palestinian authorities have yet to publicly comment on the dual rulings issued by the global federation.

Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera has received his first senior international call-up for Spain ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Head coach Luis de la Fuente named the 21-year-old in a 27-man squad for home friendlies against Serbia and Egypt.

The Alicante-born centre-back is joined in the national setup by club team-mates David Raya and Martin Zubimendi.

Ending Colombia speculation

This maiden senior inclusion represents a significant progression for a player who has already represented La Roja from Under-15 to Under-23 levels.

It also seemingly resolves recent speculation regarding a potential switch of international allegiance.

Reports previously suggested the versatile defender could declare for Colombia, his parents’ homeland, to secure a place at the summer finals in North America.

Making an impact in north London

The highly-rated prospect arrived at the Premier League leaders from Valencia last summer for an initial fee of £13m.

While fierce competition has prevented him from becoming an undisputed regular, he has impressed across 25 appearances in all competitions.

The former La Liga talent has also had to carefully overcome a recent ankle injury to establish his role within the title-chasing squad.

Domestic decisions and fresh faces

He recently replaced an injured Jurrien Timber during a league victory over Everton, though Ben White was preferred for the subsequent Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Manager Mikel Arteta must now evaluate his defensive options for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final showdown against Manchester City at Wembley.

Meanwhile, the Spanish national squad features several other new faces preparing for the international window.

De la Fuente has also drafted in Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, Real Sociedad forward Ander Barrenetxea and Osasuna winger Victor Munoz.

Thomas Tuchel has omitted Trent Alexander-Arnold from an experimental 35-man England squad while resting 11 established players ahead of friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

The national team manager has opted to give several senior figures a short break due to their heavy domestic workloads this season.

Key players including captain Harry Kane, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka and midfielder Declan Rice will sit out the first international fixture.

These rested individuals are widely expected to be guaranteed spots on the plane for the 2026 World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold and Watkins left in the cold

The exclusion of the Liverpool full-back serves as a significant blow to his international aspirations.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has also been left out of the expanded selection despite an otherwise strong club campaign.

Being overlooked for a camp designed specifically to open up competition suggests a steep uphill battle for the omitted pair.

Fierce competition for the playmaker role

A highly anticipated five-way battle for the number 10 position is set to define this international break.

Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are expected to stake their claim in the upcoming test against the South American side.

Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and a returning Jude Bellingham will then have their opportunity to impress against Japan.

The German head coach emphasised the need to trim down his attacking midfield options before the major tournament.

It is very unlikely we will take three, four or five players for one position.

Both the Chelsea forward and the Manchester City playmaker have struggled to find consistent form or minutes in recent weeks.

This upcoming double-header represents a final audition for these creative talents to secure their World Cup futures.