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O Palmeiras entra em campo no Allianz Parque, neste domingo (25), para enfrentar o Botafogo, líder o Brasileirão. Depois de ser derrotado por 1 a 0, fora de casa, pelo Bahia, o Verdão acabou se afastando da liderança. Muito disso por conta dos desfalques em decorrência da Data Fifa, entre eles Rony e Raphael Veiga, simplesmente os artilheiros do time na temporada. Com eles de volta, o Alviverde também recupera seu poder de fogo.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Um dos melhores ataques do país em 2023, o Palmeiras marcou 71 gols até aqui, sendo que 20 deles foram marcados por Veiga e Rony. O meia é o artilheiro da equipe com 11 gols marcados, seguido justamente pelo “Rústico”, que anotou 9 e é o vice. Isso significa pouco mais de 28% do total, praticamente um terço. Não à toa ambos estavam com a Seleção Brasileira e ambos fizeram muita falta para o Verdão.

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Coincidência ou não, foi apenas a sexta vez em 37 jogos na temporada em que o Palmeiras saiu de campo sem balançar a rede. Mesmo com Endrick (6 gols), Gabriel Menino (7 gols) e Artur (7 gols) em campo, que são outros no topo da artilharia, o time não conseguiu saiu do zero no placar.

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Mas os números expressivos da dupla não param por aí. Rony e Veiga também são os líderes de assistências na temporada. Juntos eles deram 15 passes para gols, sendo nove do meia (maior garçom) e seis do atacante (segundo maior garçom). De acordo com o levantamento do Lance!, o Verdão deu 45 assistências em 2023, ou seja, Veiga e Rony são responsáveis por 33% (um terço) do total.

+ Palmeiras treina de olho no Botafogo e dupla convocada volta a treinar em campo

Para se ter uma ideia da importância de cada um deles em 2023, basta ver que Veiga foi responsável direto por 20 (11 gols e 9 assistências) dos 71 gols da equipe, o que significa 28% do total. Rony vem logo em seguida no ranking de participação em gols com 17 (9 gols e 6 assistências), que significam 24% do total. O terceiro na lista é Gabriel Menino com 9 participações (7 gols e 2 assistências)., praticamente metade dos dois selecionáveis.

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Com cinco pontos a menos do que o Botafogo na tabela do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras precisa vencer os cariocas para diminuir essa vantagem para dois pontos e ao mesmo tempo evitar que o líder dispare com oito pontos a mais, que foi exatamente a vantagem que o time de Abel Ferreira fechou a edição de 2022, quando foi campeão. Depois dos números acima, não é preciso nem falar como Rony e Veiga serão importantes.

Real Madrid have made a perfect start under Xabi Alonso with six wins from six in La Liga. The Spanish manager is pleased with the progress but warned it is only the beginning and the team must keep improving if they want to stay at the top of the Spanish top-flight and in with a chance of competing in the Champions League.

• Real Madrid flying high under Xabi Alonso

  Madrid extended their perfect start in La Liga with a convincing 4-1 win over Levante. Vinicius Jr opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a brilliant strike and set up Franco Mastantuono for his first goal in a Madrid shirt just before half-time. Levante pulled one back early in the second half through a deflected header by Etta Eyong, but Kylian Mbappe sealed it with a penalty and a goal later to make it six straight wins in the Spanish top-flight.

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  Alonso reacts to perfect start

  Alonso reflected on the team’s performance, saying: "The path is good. Because of the results and the way we’re doing things. We’ve been here for 51 days and there’s still a long way to go. We're building a solid foundation to be competitive in the Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey. Many feel connected and engaged, which is important, but there are still things to improve. There are things we can do better. The path is good in terms of results and the way we're doing things. This is just the beginning, and we want to continue competing well."

• Vinicius Jr. delivers statement performance amid speculation over future

  For the first time in 13 competitive matches under Alonso, Vinicius completed the full 90 minutes. This came amid reports of his frustration over limited starts, but he responded in style with a goal and an assist against Levante. Alonso also showered high praise on the winger after the game, saying he was "decisive and important". When asked whether the Brazilian will start in the derby, Alonso added: "We're thinking about today, and starting tomorrow, we'll think about the derby."

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• Real Madrid boss continues to shuffle his squad

  When asked about the constant lineup changes and how players are adapting to it, the former Bayern Leverkusen manager said the quality and versatility of his players make rotation much easier. 

  “Having quality players makes things much easier, and players who understand the idea with little training," he added. "We have 'flexible' players who can play in different ways and in different positions. Today we thought it was appropriate because some had to rest, especially [Eder] Militao and [Dani] Carvajal, and that was good, and those who came on did very well. We shouldn't gloat too much; now we're thinking about the derby."

Former Pakistan Test cricketer Farooq Hamid died at the age of 80. Hamid, who played one Test for Pakistan at the MCG in 1964, had been suffering from cancer, according to his family.The PCB said on its official website it was saddened to learn of his passing. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also expressed his sorrow.Hamid’s career spanned the 1960s, a time when Pakistan cricket was in an extended period of decline. He was a fast-medium bowler who spent almost the entirety of his career on the domestic first-class circuit, playing for domestic departmental side Pakistan International Airlines, and the regional side Lahore, where he was born. In 43 first-class matches, he took 111 wickets at 25.21.He was called up for Pakistan’s tour of Australia and played his first and only Test in December 1964 at the age of 19 in Melbourne under the captaincy of Hanif Mohammad. His solitary wicket was that of Ian Chappell in what ended up being a drawn game.Hamid quit cricket at 25 after becoming disillusioned by what he saw as political interference in cricket. His older sister Tahira Hamid, who died in 2020, was an influential figure in the early years of Pakistan women’s cricket in the mid-1970s.

Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since the first international break of the campaign as they travel away from Glasgow to take on Kilmarnock.

Brendan Rodgers will want to see more from his side from an attacking perspective after the disappointing 0-0 draw away against Rangers last time out before the break.

The attacking set-up did not click at Ibrox, as they failed to create any ‘big chances’, and the Northern Irish head coach must look to make some changes to his starting line-up.

The Celtic player Rodgers should drop against Kilmarnock

Benjamin Nygren was deployed on the right wing against Rangers, despite thriving in a central midfield role for most of the season so far, and failed to shine with zero chances created and one out of six dribbles completed, per Sofascore.

The Sweden international, who scored three goals in the first three Premiership games, also lost possession a whopping 24 times, but it is Arne Engels who should be dropped instead of him.

Celtic’s £11m record signing played in Nygren’s best role, on the right of the midfield three, and did not do enough to suggest that he should keep his place in the starting XI, as the Belgian lightweight lost eight of his ten duels and failed to create any ‘big chances’ for the team.

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Per Sofascore, the £16k-per-week flop did not register any shots, successful dribbles, tackles, or interceptions in his 65 minutes on the pitch, which further illustrates how poorly he performed in the middle of the park.

Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch Engels from the starting XI, move Nygren into central midfield, and bring Sebastian Tounekti in for his debut for the club.

Why Sebastian Tounekti should start for Celtic

The Hoops swooped to sign the Tunisia international from Hammarby on deadline day last week to bolster their options in the wide positions. He is a versatile forward who can play on the left or the right flank.

With Michel-Ange Balikwisha now in the building and starting on the left wing, Rodgers should deploy the former Allsvenskan star on the right wing against Kilmarnock this afternoon.

Celtic’s right wingers, James Forrest and Hyun-jun Yang, have combined for zero goals and zero assists in the first four matches of the Premiership campaign, which shows that the Hoops have not had much in the way of quality in that position so far.

Tounekti’s form for Hammarby across 21 appearances in the Allsvenskan in the 2025 campaign, though, suggests that he has the potential to change that by coming into the starting line-up.

Shots on target

12

Top 19%

Goals

3

Top 25%

Successful dribbles

41

Top 3%

Chances created

22

Top 18%

xA

4.62

Top 3%

Assists

5

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian maestro is a winger who excels at creating high-quality chances for his teammates, breaking down opposition defences with crosses and passes.

Celtic did not create a single ‘big chance’ in the 0-0 draw with Rangers in the Premiership last time out, which is why they need to change their team to bring more creativity into the XI for this clash with Kilmarnock.

They have signed Tounekti to offer more quality in the wide areas than they have got from their other options in that area of the pitch, which is why he should be thrown straight into the starting line-up for this clash.

His form in Sweden this year suggests that he has a good chance of hitting the ground running and creating high-quality chances for the likes of Daizen Maeda and Balikwisha to open their accounts in the league this season.

He's worth way more than Dolberg: Celtic nearly signed Haaland-esque striker

A star who once had trials with Celtic is now worth £25m more than Kasper Dolberg.

ByDan Emery Sep 10, 2025

Howard Webb has backed Jared Gillett and the VAR officials for their decision to overturn a penalty following Nick Pope's challenge on Viktor Gyokeres during Arsenal's 2-1 win away at Newcastle on Sunday. The PGMOL boss made the comments on Sky Sports' Match Officials Mic'd Up, telling Michael Owen that Pope's touch on the ball made it a "clean challenge" making the original call a "clear error".

Overturned penalty sparks controversy

The contentious incident came after the Gunners were awarded a 14th-minute spot kick at St. James' Park. Gyokeres latched on to an errant back pass by Jacob Murphy, and looked to touch the ball past the onrushing Englishman in the home side's net. The striker's touch then struck Pope's foot, before the pair came together, prompting Gillett to point to the spot. 

Gillett was summoned to review the footage by the VAR, sparking a lengthy delay where the Australian and his colleagues studied the incident. In his on-pitch announcement, Gillett said: "After review, the Newcastle goalkeeper plays the ball and there is no foul. The final decision is drop ball." 

AdvertisementPGMOL boss Webb backs his officials over their decisions

Webb took to the Sky Sports studios to review the incident further alongside Owen. The former England striker quizzed Webb if the decision met the threshold for an overturned decision. 

Owen said: "It looked like the referee took a little bit of convincing, he had a good look at the monitor, which is absolutely fine. But are you happy that it was such a wrong decision that it needed reversing, because some people still think that even though there was a touch, it was still a penalty. Are you happy that it was clear and obvious enough to reverse the decision?" 

Webb replied: "I am. You know we work with referee's call, it's an important principle in the Premier League, where the call will be made on the field by the referee, it only gets overturned if when the referee looks at the footage he sees no reason at all to support the decision. There's no mix of considerations, it's a clear error. 

"In this one when you see Pope reach out with that foot, play the ball cleanly before making any contact with the opponent, in fact he doesn't make any real contact with the opponent they come together as a normal consequence of that clean challenge by Pope,  the referee hadn't recognised that touch. That was important, the VAR saw it. It was a clear error. I agree with the VAR's intervention. So the referee can go to the screen look at the full sequence, see that touch, see there's a normal playing action by Pope, and the penalty was rightly cancelled."

Was the VAR right to overturn Arsenal's penalty against Newcastle?

Debate over the decision has largely boiled down to whether Pope's touch was sufficient  in negating Gyokeres' attempt to retrieve possession after prodding the ball past the onrushing keeper.  As Webb explained, Pope's genuine attempt to play the ball, and his slight touch on it, saw the referee overturn the decision. 

Crucially, Pope's actions did not meet the threshold for a foul as defined by Law 12.1 of the International Football Association Board's laws of the game. That states that a direct free-kick or penalty will be awarded if a player acts in careless or reckless manner, or is deemed to be using excessive force. That includes if a player charges, jumps at, kicks or attempts to kick, pushes, strikes or attempts to strike, tackles, or attempts to trip the opposition. As Pope's action was not deemed to be careless — defined as when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration — his touch on the ball was sufficient for the decision to be overturned.

However, former Premier League referee Mark Halsey dissented with that interpretation of the law, claiming the spot kick should have stood. 

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Getty Images SportOverturned penalty splits opinions of the pundits

Speaking on the broadcast, Gary Neville admitted it was a difficult decision. He said: "Viktor Gyokeres kicks it against Nick Pope's feet. Pope has still blocked Viktor Gyokeres.

"Gyokeres touches the ball and then there is a touch and then he takes him down after that.

"I'm definitely torn. Nick Pope does get a touch and that is usually the barometer for referees and goalkeepers and penalties."

His colleague Jamie Redknapp said: "He [Pope] gets a touch but I'm not sure it's enough to negate the foul. I'm amazed it got overturned.

"Even though he got a touch, he still fouls the player. Gyokores anticipates it, gets away from it and he clears him out."

Les Ferdinand disagreed, however. He commented:  "It's a great touch. When I first saw it, I shouted, 'I think Pope gets a touch'. He goes through; he does get a touch. As a centre-forward, I probably do want the penalty.

"Once the goalkeeper gets a touch and he deviates the ball, it's not a penalty. I don't know what Pope can do there."

Newcastle United lost to Liverpool at St. James’ Park 3-2, but if ever there was a match which typified the spirit, togetherness and talent of Eddie Howe’s side, this was it.

With Alexander Isak still on strike, looking to join Monday night’s opponents before the looming crescendo to the summer transfer window, Howe was forced to field Anthony Gordon as a makeshift centre-forward once again.

However, in a moment of complete madness, the Three Lions star got himself sent off before half-time after a rash challenge on Virgil van Dijk, with the hosts 1-0 down in spite of a breathtaking and dominant display.

The Magpies rallied, restoring parity from two goals and a man down, but 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha struck an agonising blow at St. James’ Park at the eleventh hour.

But there was so much to like for the home side, and while Isak was absent (again), substitute William Osula proved he has a part to play at number nine this season. Could he be Newcastle’s next Isak? Time will tell.

William Osula shows his quality

In August 2024, Newcastle signed Osula from Sheffield United for a £15m fee. He has always been regarded as a top talent, but Howe and Co view the Frenchman as a work in progress.

Last year, the young attacker only featured 14 times in the Premier League, having not been handed a single start, scoring only once off the bench in a 3-0 win over Ipswich Town.

Had circumstances been different, it’s not unfair to suggest the 22-year-old Dane would have drifted through the clash against the Premier League champions as an unused substitute, but Isak wasn’t there, and Gordon was sent off in the first half, and so Howe threw him into the fray.

His influence was game-changing, scoring a vital second half equaliser.

Osula might come to replace or rival Isak in terms of positional value, but another talisman stepped up on Monday night.

Indeed, Bruno Guimaraes proved once again why he is Newcastle’s defining superstar.

Newcastle's next Isak-esque superstar

Guimaraes has now played 156 times for Newcastle, one of the first to christen this exciting new era and steadfast throughout, hailed by his teammate Dan Burn as being a truly “world-class” player.

His technical quality and iron-willed passion were on full show against Arne Slot’s side, and though it didn’t prove enough on the night, the goalscoring 27-year-old proved himself to be Newcastle’s true talisman as talk around Isak’s future drones on.

Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder remarked in his post-match comments that the Brazil international ‘played his heart out’ against the Reds, and awarded him an 8/10 rating for his tireless efforts.

Isak should take a leaf from his book. Guimaraes is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, and clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City have shown a vested interest this year, but the passion he exudes when performing in black and white is a thing to behold.

Guimaraes vs Liverpool
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	90′
Goals	1
Assists	0
Touches	49
Shots (on target)	1 (1)
Accurate passes	19/26 (73%)
Dribbles	1/6
Tackles	3
Duels won	7/20
Data via Sofascore

Praised by Arsenal-focused content creator Alex Moneypenny as being a “ridiculous footballer”, Guimaraes is bound to play a focal role in the year ahead.

His leadership and quality are sure to drive this football team on and toward greener pastures, building on last year’s trophy-winning campaign and ensuring that it proves a springboard for a sustained period of success.

Isak, who? The Brazilian is Howe’s true superstar.

Huge upgrade on Strand Larsen: Newcastle in talks to sign "special" £50m CF

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Angus Sinclair

Aug 25, 2025

Mooney made 70 off 42, Sutherland made 23 not out and took 4 for 8, while King took 3 for 27 as Australia smashed New Zealand by 82 runs

Alex Malcolm23-Mar-2025

Annabel Sutherland ripped through New Zealand’s top order•Getty Images

Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King starred in another dominant Australia performance to crush New Zealand by 82 runs in Mount Maunganui and close out their first women’s T20I series win in New Zealand with one game remaining.Mooney scored 70 off 42, her fourth 70-plus score in her last five T20Is, to earn Player-of-the-Match honours again and underpin Australia’s mammoth total of 204 for 3, where all five of Australia’s batters on show reached 23 or more. Only Phoebe Litchfield struck at under 153. Georgia Voll’s blistering 36 off 20 set the tone for Mooney to follow before Litchfield, Ellyse Perry and Sutherland all produced valuable cameos.Sutherland then ripped through New Zealand’s top order, taking three wickets in her first seven deliveries after King had knocked over Suzie Bates, to extinguish any hopes of a record chase as they folded for just 122. Sutherland finished with extraordinary career-best T20I figures of 4 for 8 from 2.1 overs. King, who was oddly left out of Australia’s XI in the first game of the series despite starring in the Ashes, took 3 for 27 having come in for the injured Ash Gardner.Amelia Kerr took 1 for 27 from four overs and made 40 off 36, but no other New Zealand player conceded fewer than eight runs per over with the ball or scored more than 22 with the bat.Alana King made the big breakthrough early on when she sent back Suzie Bates•Getty Images

Mooney and Voll once again took the wind out of New Zealand’s sails, this time blasting a 57-run opening stand in 5.1 overs after Australia won the toss and chose to bat on a pristine surface.Picking up from where the two had left off following their 123-run stand in Auckland, Voll was vicious in her assault on the new ball. She smashed seven boundaries in the first five overs and could have done more damage had she not picked out fielders in the ring with several powerful strikes. She clubbed Eden Carson for three fours in the second over on the innings and then produced back-to-back boundaries off Rosemary Mair in the fourth to reach 33 from 17 before Mooney had got to double-figures.She fell in unusual fashion, bounced out by Sophie Devine with keeper Polly Inglis up to the stumps. Both Voll and Inglis thought she had missed a pull shot. But Devine thought she heard something, and a review showed a spike on real-time snicko as ball passed bat.Mooney enjoyed a slice of luck when Devine misjudged an aerial square drive on the deep point rope. She came in too far and it sailed over her head but landed inside the rope.The left-hand batter then continued her form, accumulating with ease. She shared a 69-run stand with Litchfield, who made a scratchy 32 from 29. When she holed to long-on, Australia upped the tempo with Perry pumping her first delivery over cover for four.Beth Mooney posted another half-century•Getty Images

It sparked an electric finish to the innings. Mooney holed out to Amelia Kerr, who very nearly pinned Sutherland lbw first ball with a superb wrong’un. Sutherland needed a review to overturn a decision with ball tracking showing it was just going over middle. Sutherland and Perry proceeded to take 40 from the last 18 balls of the innings. Sutherland smashed an enormous six in her 23 not out from 15. Perry showed her class off the last two balls of the innings, lofting inside out over cover and then reverse lapping fine of third to finish unbeaten on 29 from 15.New Zealand’s pursuit of the record chase never got going. King bowled Bates in the second over before Sutherland removed Georgia Plimmer and Devine in consecutive balls in the fifth. When Brooke Halliday miscued to mid-on off Sutherland’s first ball of the seventh over, New Zealand were 45 for 4 and Sutherland had 3 for 3.Amelia Kerr fought hard alongside Maddy Green but the game was well and truly gone. Georgia Wareham trapped Green lbw for 22 before King and Darcie Brown tore through the tail. King removed both Kerr sisters within three balls before Brown picked up two in four balls in the next over.Sutherland flattened Carson’s off stump to seal the win with New Zealand losing 5 for 13 to be bowled out for 122.

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No alvo do São Paulo, Erick teve sua situação atualizada pelo presidente do Ceará. Com contrato até o final de 2023, o dirigente afirmou: “Erick só sairá se algum time pagar a multa rescisória.”

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Destaque no Ceará, o jogador despertou interesse do São Paulo, principalmente por ser um pedido de Dorival Júnior, que trabalhou com o ponta no último ano. O Ceará teria apresentado uma proposta de renovação de contrato. De acordo com informações apuradas pela reportagem do Lance!, membros do clube nordestino revelaram que, como o atual vínculo do atleta expira no final do ano, uma nova oferta teria sido feita a Erick, incluindo uma valorização salarial e um contrato mais longo.

Em entrevista ao jornal “Diário do Nordeste”, o presidente do Ceará confirmou a proposta de renovação, porém, ele mencionou que os representantes do jogador ainda não tomaram uma decisão.

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– Erick tem contrato até o fim de 2023, o Ceará fez oferta de renovação, mas o empresário dele disse que a ideia era esperar. Soubemos pela imprensa que o São Paulo estava negociando, mas o São Paulo não nos procurou. O que podemos dizer é que eu não vou liberar o Erick, se isso acontecer. A decisão é que ele só irá sair se o clube interessado pagar a multa do contrato – disse.

Foi informado à reportagem do Lance! que, apesar das propostas mútuas, a situação ainda não está definida, mas membros da própria diretoria teriam confirmado estes ‘atrativos’ em uma possível renovação contratual. Conforme divulgado pelo Lance! em 21 de junho, Erick chama a atenção por sua versatilidade, sendo comum vê-lo atuando pelo lado direito no clube cearense e estaria no radar tricolor muito por esta necessidade.

شارك بيدري لاعب خط وسط برشلونة في فوز فريقه أمام جيرونا، بهدفين لهدف واحد، مساء اليوم السبت في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وكان بيدري قد افتتح التسجيل لصالح برشلونة، لكن تقدم البارسا لم يستمر طويلاً، حيث تعادل فيتسل في الدقيقة 20.

وقدم بيدري مستوى رائعًا في المباراة، وكان نشيطًا ولعب دورًا حاسمًا في تنظيم اللعب، قبل أن يستبدل في منتصف الشوط الثاني.

وقال بيدري عن أداء برشلونة بعد الفوز أمام جيرونا في تصريحات نشرتها “BARCA UNIVERSAL”: “أعتقد أننا لم نقدم أفضل ما لدينا، نحتاج لتحسين الكثير من الأمور ولست راضياً عن أداء الفريق، لكن في النهاية حققنا الثلاث نقاط وهذا هو الأهم”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. تقرير مانزانو يحسم مدة عقوبة هانز فليك بعد طرده أمام جيرونا

وأضاف: “لم تكن مباراة جيدة من جانب الفريق لكننا خرجنا بثلاث نقاط وهذا هو الأهم، هذه الانتصارات هي الأهم لأنه عندما تلعب بشكل جيد وتفوز لأنك كنت الأفضل وسيطرت على المباراة بأكملها فهذا أمر طبيعي”.

وأكمل: “لكن في الأيام التي لا تكون فيها في مستواك ولا تؤدي الأمور كما ينبغي، فإن الخروج بثلاث نقاط أمر بالغ الأهمية في طريقك نحو لقب الليجا”.

وختم بيدري حديثه حيث شدد على أهمية إغلاق صفحة لقاء جيرونا: “علينا تحليل نقاط ضعفنا، ومحاولة تحسينها والآن علينا التفكير في دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

Barcelona have been handed a major fitness boost as Fermin Lopez edges closer to a comeback. The 22-year-old midfielder, sidelined since late-September with a muscle injury, has resumed individual training on the pitch. His expected return after the international break against Girona will be a welcome lift for Hansi Flick, who has faced mounting injury concerns.

• Barcelona get timely lift with Lopez return in sight

  Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain was softened by encouraging scenes at Friday’s training session, with Lopez making strides in his recovery. The attacking midfielder, who has been out since suffering a muscle injury against Getafe on September 22, returned to individual on-pitch work, according to . Though ruled out of Sunday’s trip to Sevilla, he is on track to feature in the La Liga clash against Girona after the break.

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  Why Fermin Lopez matters for Flick’s plans

  Lopez had cemented himself in Flick’s system before injury, scoring twice in five appearances this season and excelling in the No.10 role. His absence has been felt in recent matches, with the coach missing his pressing, creativity, and knack for late runs into the box. Having rejected Chelsea’s advances in the summer, the La Masia graduate has become a central figure in Barcelona’s long-term project.

• Extra insight into Barcelona’s injury woes

  The Andalusian's return comes at a crucial time as the Catalan giants continue to deal with fitness concerns elsewhere in the squad. While Eric Garcia has shaken off a knock sustained midweek, Flick remains without key players as Raphinha, Joan Garcia and Gavi are all injured. With the squad stretched across La Liga and Europe, getting Lopez back could ease some of the burden heading into a packed schedule after the international break.

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  The road ahead for Lopez and the Catalan giants

  Fermin is not expected to be rushed back, with Barcelona aiming for his full return against Girona on October 18. A strong comeback could re-establish him as a regular starter, especially as Flick looks to rotate his midfield options. For now, the Catalan giants will have to make do without him when they face Sevilla this weekend.