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Manny Machado has a lot of baseball people questioning what they know.

During Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado pulled a baserunning move that puzzled a lot of observers. Hall of Famer Chipper Jones is the latest to be confused by the play.

In the bottom of the second inning of Tuesday night's contest, Machado was on first base with no outs. Rookie Jackson Merrill grounded a Walker Buehler pitch to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. He made the stop on the infield grass from his knees and attempted to throw to second to get Machado. The Padres' first baseman saw where Freeman was set to field the ball and veered onto the grass on his way to second base. Freeman's throw hit Machado and bounced into the outfield, allowing him to reach third base. That sparked a six-run rally for the Padres who won 6-5.

Here's video of the play:

And here's Jones's reaction:

To answer his question, no this is not illegal. By rule, runners can establish their own running lanes unless an opposing fielder is attempting to make a tag. So on that play, Machado can run wherever he wants to unless he's trying to avoid a tag. The route he took was completely legal and is actually how runners are taught to do things on these types of plays. It's on the fielder to avoid him with the throw.

It's worth noting, that rule is different when players are running to first base since there is an established running lane.

After the game, Freeman was asked about the play and said the ruling was correct and he would have done exactly what Machado did.

After the game, Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts was asked about it and had a similar answer. He said, "Manny, you can create your own base path if you're not avoiding a tag. And it was a heady play."

So there's the answer. Machado's play was completely legal which is why he was not called out.

Pep Guardiola has described what an honour it is to have watched Phil Foden's rise up close as the midfielder prepares to play his 200th game for Manchester City. The 25-year-old will reach the milestone if selected to face Bournemouth on Sunday. The coach, however, is staying out of the debate over whether Foden should be recalled to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel.

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  Guardiola honoured to see Foden play 200th game

  Guardiola gave Foden his City debut in 2017 against Feyenoord and integrated him into the squad little by little. Foden made five Premier League appearances as City won the title in 2018 and a further 13 when they retained their crown in 2019. Guardiola described Foden as the most talented player he had ever worked with during the summer of 2019.
  Foden consolidated his place in Guardiola's starting XI from then on, playing a big role as City won four consecutive league titles between 2021 and 2024 and scooped numerous other titles including the 2023 Champions League and FA Cup to complete the treble. Guardiola revealed his pride at watching every step of Foden's City journey ahead of the game with Bournemouth.

  "It's an honour for me to see his impact, for the club of his heart, it's a good milestone at his age," Guardiola said. 

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  Guardiola stays out of England discussion

  Foden has not played for England since asking to be left out of the team's squad in June to focus on improving his physical and mental health after a difficult season on and off the pitch. He was injured for the September camp and although he returned to form soon after, England boss Tuchel left Foden and a number of other high-profile players including Jude Bellingham out of the squad for the October games against Wales and Latvia.

  Tuchel will name his final squad for 2025 next week for the games against Serbia and Albania but Guardiola refused to be drawn on whether Foden should be picked. "A question for Thomas," he said. "He has to play good every day, the competition is not easy, there are a lot of good English players in his position and then Thomas will decide."

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  Guardiola mulls playing Foden & Cherki together

  Foden came on as a substitute to help City beat Swansea City 3-1 on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup and reach the quarter-finals. Rayan Cherki was the standout performer for City, scoring and setting up a goal. The Frenchman and Foden are yet to start a game together this season but Guardiola said he can see it happening soon, even though they play in similar positions as aspiring No. 10s and are not the strongest players.

  He said: "It's a real option to play them together, like Erling and Marmoush. I will not be the one to say I don't like these kind of players, but you have to realise what it is like to play in the Premier League with the physicality. We need to get the balance. We saw it against Aston Villa, we were not solid enough to sustain it. They will learn."

  Cherki ended the Swansea match complaining of cramp but is fit to face Bournemouth. There was more positive injury news for City as Guardiola revealed that Rodri would be available for the first time in a month and top scorer Erling Haaland was also ready to play after his injury scare in the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa last week.

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  Bournemouth rise demonstrates Premier League unpredictability

  Bournemouth are second in the Premier League heading into Sunday's game at the Etihad Stadium while promoted Sunderland are fourth, one point and one place above City. Guardiola acknowledged that the Premier League has fewer dominant teams than before and praised the English top-flight's competitiveness. 

  "I remember when I was in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, I heard the rumour from England that everyone can beat everyone," he said. "Maybe Liverpool and ourselves changed that dynamic by getting near 100 points but it's good that other teams can be up there. Sometimes there is not a dominant team. Everyone can beat everyone, it's good for the Premier League and the spectators."

Newcastle United are pushing to sign a “complete” centre-back, with the Magpies believed to be ahead of Liverpool in the race to snap him up.

Newcastle preparing for Benfica clash

Eddie Howe’s side’s hit-and-miss start to the 2025/26 season continued on Saturday, with Brighton winning 2-1 at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League.

Attention now turns to Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Benfica at St James’ Park, with the Magpies coming up against Jose Mourinho, who has recently taken charge of the Primeira Liga side.

Speaking ahead of the game, Mourinho made it clear that the home crowd could have a big impact on the result, warning his side that it will be a tough night.

“Tough. They’re a tough team, very physical, with great intensity in midfield, and we’re not. They have a very strong team, giants who are very strong at set pieces. At St James’ Park, the fans play.”

For Newcastle, it is an important night, as they look to bolster their chances of reaching the Champions League knockout stage, which in part will help entice top-quality players to the club in the future.

Newcastle eyeing move for "complete" £43m ace

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle have a better chance of signing Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez than Liverpool, with Aston Villa also in the mix to acquire his signature.

The Ecuadorian is thought to be valued at £43m by his current club, with the Reds looking at Magpies ace Sven Botman as an alternative, creating a similar situtation to the one with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike this summer.

Ordonez is a highly impressive young defender who is already a key man for club and country at the age of just 21, so it is understandable why Newcastle want to sign him.

In fact, the Brugge star has been part of an incredible Ecuador defence that has conceded just five goals in 18 matches in 2026 World Cup qualifying, helping them sit second in the table behind Argentina.

Ordonez may feel that he has already outgrown Brugge, even at his tender age, and he should be viewed as a fantastic option, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “complete” defender in the recent past.

Newcastle can forget Elanga by unleashing 19-year-old "star in the making"

Eddie Howe could have a surprise Anthony Elanga replacement up his sleeve in this exciting 19-year-old talent.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 20, 2025

With Fabian Schar and Dan Burn now well into their 30s, long-term replacements need to be found, and in Ordonez, Newcastle have a player with such a high ceiling, and someone who should be viewed as one of their best options available.

Manchester United supporters very much enjoyed Grimsby Town's downfall as the League Two side crashed out of the Carabao Cup after losing 5-0 against Brentford on Tuesday. Grimsby fans were on cloud nine only a couple of months ago after they dumped the Red Devils out of the competition following an epic penalty shootout win over the Premier League giants. Goalkeeper Andre Onana in particular had a nightmare outing and was later loaned out to Turkey.

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  Grimsby stunned Man Utd in round two

  United made a sloppy start to the 2025-26 campaign as they lost their opening Premier League fixture against Arsenal and before being held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham. However, things became worse after their Carabao Cup second fixture against Grimsby as they played out a 2-2 draw against the fourth-tier and then were dumped out after a 12-11 loss in the penalty shootout.

  Onana had a nightmare game and the loss prompted United to act swiftly in the transfer market as the Cameroonian was loaned out to Turkish Super Lig giants Trabzonspor, while Senne Lammens was signed from Royal Antwerp on deadline day.

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• The reaction on social media

  United fans were mocked and humiliated after their club's exit from the Carabao Cup. But some supporters of the Red Devils decided to get their own back on Grimsby after they were beaten 5-0 by Brentford.

  @Lasha_069 wrote on X: "But you have won your “win against Manchester United” trophy already…idiots…Grimsby will always stay as Grimsby and no one ever will remember it’s name…"

  A use with the handle @ZirzkeeSzn11 posted: "Out you go hahahahaha bye bye."

  @Deen__K wrote: "You never see anything, fools."

  @eyebee_art could not stop laughing as the post read: "Let's all laugh at Grimsby town fc" and then several laughing emojis.

  A fan named @utd_BigC wrote: "Not only down. You'll perish."

• Grimsby coach took a dig at Man Utd ahead of Brentford clash

  Ahead of the Brentford clash in the League, Grimsby boss David Artell had taken yet another dig at the Red Devils as he claimed that the Bees would make for a much tougher opponent than Ruben Amorim's side. Artell said in his pre-match press conference: "I don’t want loads of letters from Manchester United fans from Kenya or Norway – or Stretford – but I think they’re still in that process of finding their way again. Brentford are fully in, fully understanding. That makes it so much more difficult. I think everyone agrees that Man United are still – maybe not in transition per se – but finding their way under a new manager that needs to be given time."

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  Has Carabao Cup loss helped Man Utd?

  A lot has happened since the fateful night at Blundell Park. While United still struggled in the next few games, they have finally managed to regain form as they are now on a three-game winning streak in the Premier League. The Carabao Cup exit may been seen as a sort of blessing in disguise for the Red Devils as they got even more time to prepare for their Premier League games on the training ground, having not qualified for European football this season. Manager Amorim even admitted after beating Brighton – who had won on their last three visits to Old Trafford – that his side were starting to benefit from that added preparation time.

  United have the chance to win a fourth consecutive league game for the first time since February 2024 when they take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday in Sean Dyche's first Premier League home match in charge at the City Ground.

Manchester United are struggling for momentum under Ruben Amorim and could look to replace their current boss if results don’t improve at Old Trafford.

Man Utd fail to impress in Brentford defeat

Once again, the Red Devils failed to build from a position of strength following their victory over Chelsea last weekend, falling to a defeat at Brentford that will be remembered due to a sliding doors moment.

After Benjamin Sesko halved the hosts’ lead, Bruno Fernandes spurned the chance to level the scoring from the penalty spot before Mathias Jensen ended Manchester United’s hopes of salvaging a result in the capital.

Amorim is a man under pressure at Old Trafford, and Ashley Williams has made it clear he can’t see improvement at the Premier League giants unless the Portuguese boss is relieved of his duties.

He stated on Final Score: “I don’t want to say they change manager, but how long can this continue? It seems to be every week that we’re talking about it. I’m a fan of managers who have a style and stick to it. That isn’t working. You have to adapt. I don’t see where Manchester united go with this unless they change manager.”

Slipping back into the bottom half won’t do Amorim any favours, and his side will now prepare to take on Sunderland at Old Trafford next weekend – a fixture that has now entered must-win territory.

Man Utd flop who had a "nightmare" was even worse than Shaw vs Brentford

The Man Utd player lost the ball 18 times and was even worse than Luke Shaw.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 28, 2025

Change is needed fast to avoid a seemingly inevitable parting of the ways, which many would attribute to the Red Devils’ refusal to alter their complex 3-4-3 formation.

Potential successors are already being floated, and a surprise name has emerged as a candidate to take over at Old Trafford should Amorim leave the club.

Man Utd could replace Ruben Amorim with Graham Potter

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United could take the surprise step of replacing Amorim with Graham Potter despite the Englishman being sacked by West Ham United earlier in the week. The report claims that the ex-Irons manager is a leading contender to come in at Old Trafford.

The 48-year-old has won 191 times during his managerial career, albeit his spell at the London Stadium was unsuccessful to say the least. Brighton & Hove Albion supporters will attest to his excellent work on the South Coast, though he also endured frustration while in charge at Chelsea.

Intriguingly, the outlet claim results over Amorim’s next few matches will determine his fate. Potter, who shares the same Wasserman agency as Mikel Arteta and Steven Gerrard, would offer something different with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, but moving to appoint someone with a recent record similar to Amorim isn’t something that would appease supporters.

Nevertheless, he would have the luxury of working with offensive talent such as Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, three players who are yet to gel under the current management team.

New Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche has made an instant impact since taking the helm at the City Ground, where one of his first moves was to ban a once very popular item of clothing favoured by players during the winter months. Dyche has become the club’s third manager despite the season just being a couple of months old, and the former Forest youth player is already laying down the law with his players.

• High drama at the City Ground

  It has been a dramatic few months for Forest, who have burned into their third manager of the season already, seemingly in disarray, despite qualifying for European football in May. Nuno Espirito Santo began the campaign after a successful seventh-place finish last season but was sacked in September following a public falling out with the owner Angelos Marinakis and his successor, Ange Postecoglou, was appointed in September but lasted only 39 days. The club's third and current manager, Sean Dyche is tasked with stabilising a squad and one of the first changes he has made is to draw the line on the wearing of a certain accessory, which used to be hugely popular with many Premier League players. 

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  Why it’s rude to wear a snood

  Dyche has banned the snood, which became a short-lived but memorable trend during the 2010-2011 season. Players, notably Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and Arsenal's Samir Nasri, popularised the neck-warmers to combat the cold. The trend sparked a significant debate, pitting the "old school" mentality against modern player comfort. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson famously banned his players from wearing snoods, while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger defended their use on medical advice. The controversy ended swiftly. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) banned snoods from competitive matches in March 2011, citing safety concerns that an opponent could grab it around a player's neck. And so the snood went the way of goalkeepers wearing jogging bottoms, baggy shorts and long sleeve shirts, consigned to the football history bin.

• No-nonsense Dyche bans snood

  Dyche said: "It’s early yet but I’d like to think they do their homework, I’d like to think they know enough people in the game and ring around. I’ve even let them wear white socks, for goodness sake, I’ve never let anyone do that. That’s fair isn’t it? But they’re not allowed to wear snoods or hats, I had to do a deal somewhere."

  And speaking about club owner Marinakis, Dyche added: "You can question the owner currently, which a few have. But look at the changes from day one to now – they’ve been huge at this football club. At the end of the day, the bigger picture is a lot of goodwill and a lot of good feeling around the area. There’s a bigger picture to this. Look at where the club was before."

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  Dyche’s overflowing in-tray

  The new Forest boss’ problems are numerous, include a defensively ragged team, a squad with low confidence after a difficult start to the season, and a chaotic club culture under a trigger-happy owner. He must also unify a fractured fanbase after the departure of the popular Espirito Santo. To overcome these issues, Dyche must restore basics , a strategy the club's ambitious owner is aware of but may not tolerate long-term as he chases a dynamic playing style. And he made a flying start with a confident 2-0 victory over Porto in the Europa League, next up is an away trip to Bournemouth and there’s the eye-catching trip to Manchester United in November. 

Tottenham could sign a highly-rated player in the winter window, knowing that he was once keen on a move to N17.

The recent board restructure, which resulted in ex-chair Daniel Levy resigning and CEO Vinai Vinkatesham taking a more prominent role alongside members of the Lewis family, has prompted some optimism over their future recruitment plans.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol recently mooted the possibility of further squad investment from ENIC, who may now be willing to spend more on both wages and transfers overall to hand Thomas Frank the best chance of on-pitch success.

The Lilywhites are already one of world football’s highest revenue-generating clubs, according to the Deloitte Money League, and Levy’s success in turning the club into a financial powerhouse cannot be understated.

However, Levy’s reputation for underspending compared to rivals was a key complaint of his tenure, and arguably contributed towards Tottenham’s lack of silverware during the 24 years he was chairman.

Now, Spurs insist a “new era” has begun with the swathe of recent boardroom changes, and it will be very intriguing to see how the north Londoners tackle their first transfer market post-Levy.

Frank has overseen an excellent start to 2025/2026, and worked wonders to tempt Xavi Simons with a move to Tottenham, according to super agent Ali Barat.

Reports over the summer claimed that Frank was also really pushing to sign Man City forward Savinho, and the Dane apparently believed that he could do ‘big things’ in north London, as per the reliable Fabrizio Romano.

Pep Guardiola was publicly clear that he wanted to keep the Brazil international and a potential Spurs move ultimately fell through, with City rejecting two bids, including an offer just under £61 million (Fabrizio Romano).

Savinho transfer to Tottenham alive for January after previous Levy plan

As per journalist Dean Jones, speaking to TEAMtalk, Levy was prepared to pay up to £65m for Savinho in the summer, and Tottenham know the winger wanted to join them before deadline day on September 1.

Spurs are still keeping an eye on Savinho, and it is believed they could move in January if Frank’s side get enough encouragement.

Savinho has played just 37 minutes in all competitions so far.

This is partly down to injury, but if the ex-Girona star continues to be on the fringes of Guardiola’s plans, a January move could well tempt him.

Savinho faces a battle to get into the starting eleven on a regular basis amid Jeremy Doku’s sensational start to the season, and with the 2026 World Cup looming, the 21-year-old may fancy a move elsewhere as Frank’s side maintain a serious interest.

His best-ever campaign yielded 11 goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances for title-chasing Girona in 23/24, and Guardiola has called Savinho an “exceptional” player.

Matt Jansen, during an exclusive interview with GOAL, has explained why Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac would continue to make ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ in the Premier League. Said documentary has opened up a window to the world for the Red Dragons, with a record-breaking run of three successive promotions being caught on camera. Just one more step up the ladder is required in order to reach the big time.

• Hollywood co-owners overseeing a remarkable journey

  Hollywood co-owners decided to document their exploits in North Wales from the moment that a stunning takeover was completed in 2021. It was clear from the start that Wrexham would be doing things slightly differently with A-list chairmen at the helm. A remarkable adventure has been enjoyed since then.

  Wrexham have become the first club to bounce up three divisions in the EFL back-to-back-to-back, with that meteoric rise lifting them out of the National League and into the Championship. Big money has been invested along the way, on and off the pitch, with a new legion of loyal followers being swept up in the journey.

  Interest in an award-winning documentary has been easy to maintain as success has come quicker than many anticipated. Drama aplenty has been delivered, with Reynolds and Mac figuring prominently. Questions have, however, been asked of whether the show could survive a few years of consolidation in the second tier, or even the threat of relegation.

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  Welcome to Wrexham in the Premier League: Why it would happen

  Former Red Dragons striker Jansen, speaking in association with , told GOAL when quizzed about interest being retained if mid-table obscurity became the norm: “I think it can be, yeah. The directors and producers can make great stories – there could be a sacking of the manager, a player that gets injured or a big name player that comes in and is a flop or he’s brilliant and is going to push for promotion. They can still make it interesting.”

  Wrexham would also need to make a big call on what happens next if they were to reach the Premier League, with privacy more of an issue when dealing with elite performers. Jansen, who graced the top-flight with Crystal Palace, Blackburn and Bolton, added: “They would have to carry it on because that is the ultimate goal, getting to the Premier League. They have done slightly less intrusive ones – Sunderland Til I Die, the Tottenham one, the Arsenal one. I think players like to be a little more private but they would have to carry the documentary on in the Premier League. If you want to keep private, you wouldn’t sign for Wrexham!”

• Why consolidation for Wrexham is no bad thing

  The obvious question is: Will Wrexham reach the Premier League? Pressed on whether inability to hit that target inside the next five years would be considered failure, Jansen said: “Every step up is big, but from League One to the Championship is huge and then again to the Premier League is even bigger. Every step up is huge. If you told any supporter when the duo came in and bought the club that they would be in the Championship in three or four years and be competing in there for another four or five years, they would have snapped your hand off.

  “It is an incredibly difficult league, a lot of strong teams. Every season, three Premier League teams come down and they are expected to go straight back up again. I don’t think it would be a failure just to compete in the Championship and try and get into the play-offs and knock on the door of the Premier League. It wouldn’t be a failure not getting to the Premier League in four or five years.”

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  Battle with Brady: Race on to reach the Premier League

  Jansen went on to say of famous investors and why they are good for the British game as a whole, with Reynolds and Mac having set a serious trend: “I think it is good for the game. It brings a wider audience. As long as it doesn’t take the focus off the football and the football stays at a high quality, it’s just making the game more widespread. I think it’s good. It makes it really interesting. I think everybody secretly has a look for Wrexham’s results because of it, and Birmingham’s as well. It’s interesting and really good for the game.”

  Birmingham have NFL legend Tom Brady on their board, with the seven-time Super Bowl winner often indulging in playful banter with Reynolds and Mac. The Blues, like Wrexham, have their sights set on reaching the Premier League as soon as possible – with transfer records being smashed on a regular basis while chasing that dream.

After finally making his first Liverpool appearance against Atletico Madrid, Alexander Isak will have his sights set on the Merseyside derby against Everton and Arne Slot has already dropped a hint about his potential role.

Isak makes Liverpool debut

It was never going to be a game that saw Isak steal the show in the same way that he so often did for Newcastle United. He’s not quite there yet, as he works his way back to sharpness. But the Swede certainly showed plenty of glimpses.

What particularly stood out is how Florian Wirtz also burst into life for the first time in Liverpool colours when combining with his fellow summer arrival. That partnership, if it continues to click, will be one to watch.

Although it’s difficult to criticise a side that have won four from four in the Premier League, Liverpool looked far more balanced against Atletico Madrid before complacency forced them into winning late on once again.

Isak, Mohamed Salah, Wirtz and Cody Gakpo formed a formidable frontline, whilst Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch proved that they’ll be a tough midfield partnership to break up for the rest of Slot’s options in that department.

Jeremie Frimpong’s influence should also be noted. The addition of a natural, overlapping full-back – which Szoboszlai did not provide – allowed Salah the space that he has been craving to cut inside and return to his most influential form.

Not Salah or Van Dijk: Liverpool star is now "one of the best in the world"

Liverpool left it late once more to collect a Champions League victory at Anfield over Atletico Madrid.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 18, 2025

Finally complete now that Isak is up and running, the depth of quality that this current Liverpool side have at their disposal should be frightening for any Premier League rival. But after making his debut against Atletico Madrid, will Isak start against Everton in the Merseyside derby this weekend?

Liverpool vs Everton: Slot drops early Isak hint

Speaking about the Swede’s potential role against Everton, Slot told reporters that, whilst Isak surprised him, fans shouldn’t get their hopes too high for another start in a matter of days. Instead, Anfield may be forced to welcome their new star striker from the bench on Saturday afternoon.

Of course, such is the depth of talent in Liverpool’s squad, it will likely be Hugo Ekitike who starts against Everton. The Frenchman has scored two Premier League goals in four games and has looked more than capable of pushing Isak all the way for a starting place this season.

Real Madrid centre-back Dean Huijsen has pulled out of the Spain squad for the October World Cup qualifiers after he suffered a muscular injury. Huijsen, who joined Los Blancos from Bournemouth this summer, has appeared in all of Madrid's matches, except for the Espanyol clash, where he was suspended. He also played the full match against Villarreal last weekend.

• Huijsen out of Spain squad for October qualifiers

  Huijsen was forced to pull out of the Spain squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifying games against Georgia and Bulgaria on October 11 and 14 after the Real Madrid medical team assessed his condition, and the centre-back was diagnosed with a muscular injury. 

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  Madrid confirms Huijsen's injury

  The official statement from Real Madrid read: "Following tests carried out on our player, Dean Huijsen, today and assessed by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with a muscular injury to the soleus muscle in his left leg. Further updates will follow."

• Huijsen a key figure in Xabi Alonso's squad

  Under new manager Xabi Alonso, the former Bournemouth defender has established himself as a key member in the Spanish coach's starting lineup, as he has featured in every game for Madrid across all competitions this season, except for the Espanyol clash, where he was suspended after picking up a red card against Real Sociedad. In the club's latest 3-1 win over Villarreal last weekend, Huijsen played the full 90 minutes, but might have picked up the injury at the end of the clash.

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  Madrid's injury crisis worsened

  Madrid are already missing their right-backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, as both defenders have been sidelined with injuries at the start of the season. Now, Huijsen's injury further makes the situation worse for Alonso, whose side are currently leading the title race by just two points. Alonso will hope that the Spanish defender's injury isn't too serious and he recovers before Madrid face Getafe on October 19.