It was Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor’s first game in charge of the club in the Women’s Champions League so she was pleased to get off to a winning start.

The Frenchwoman has won the competition three times, twice as a player and once as a manager with former club Lyon.

But she said on Monday that the postponement of Chelsea’s Women’s Super League match against Manchester United – due to be played on Sunday – impacted their preparation.

They had not played a competitive fixture in 10 days when they lined up at Stamford Bridge to face Real and were hit by illness in the squad this week.

“We have to play with a lot of intensity. I don’t want to find excuses but maybe because we didn’t play for 10 days, it’s something that can help you understand why tonight we were a little bit down,” said Bompastor.

“We scored the two goals but the players were not working as hard as I wanted them to work on the pitch.

“When we had the ball we were just walking to get the ball which is not enough. If you want to possess the ball, you have to run a lot.”

Bompastor also said she wanted her side to “manage the game more” after sloppiness let Real back into the game.

“When I say manage the game, it’s not about slowing it down, but being smarter,” added Bompastor.

“When you begin the game with two goals, it’s good to keep that result. We conceded two goals where we maybe could have done better.

“We were a bit nervous about Madrid getting stronger. I would like us to manage the game better.”

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is attracting interest, Kevin de Bruyne could be set for a move to Saudi Arabia, while Liverpool are hopeful of keeping Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, 24, is attracting interest from Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham after the Ghana attacker’s impressive start to the season. (Give Me Sport), external

Saudi club Al-Nassr are confident of signing Manchester City’s Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 33, when his contract expires at the end of the season. (Team Talk), external

Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, could be convinced to run down his contract at Anfield to join Real Madrid on a free transfer by England team-mate Jude Bellingham. (Sun), external

Real Madrid are stepping up their interest in Alexander-Arnold but Liverpool are hopeful they can convince the 26-year-old to stay. (Football Insider), external

Liverpool have identified Eintracht Frankfurt’s Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, 25, and Borussia Dortmund’s Germany attacker Karim Adeyemi, 22, as potential replacements for Egypt winger Mohamed Salah, 32. (Sky Germany – in German), external

Manchester United’s hopes of signing Colombia midfielder Richard Rios have improved, with Palmeiras willing to consider selling the 24-year-old for 20m euros (£16.7m) in January. (Caught Offside), external

Arsenal and Manchester United are tracking Wigan Athletic’s 22-year-old English goalkeeper Sam Tickle as they look to bolster their goalkeeping options. (Team Talk), external

Southampton’s hierarchy are set to meet to discuss manager Russell Martin’s future at the club. (Football Insider), external

Paris St-Germain’s France striker Randal Kolo Muani, 25, could leave in January but the Ligue 1 champions want at least 70m euros (£59m) for him. (AS – in Spanish), external

Bayer Leverkusen and Germany forward Florian Wirtz, 21, is keen to join Bayern Munich next summer. (Sky Germany – in German), external

Newcastle United are continuing to monitor Lille’s Canada striker Jonathan David, 24, as a potential January transfer target. (Football Insider), external

Hugo Viana, director of football at Portuguese side Sporting, is Manchester City’s favoured candidate to replace the outgoing Txiki Begiristain in the same role at the Premier League champions. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Palmer is the first Chelsea player to receive the recognition since Ashley Cole in 2010. Frank Lampard also won the award while at the Blues.

Arsenal’s Saka was named men’s player of the year in the past two seasons, while Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham are also past winners.

Past winners:

2023-24 – Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

2022-23 – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

2021-22 – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

2020-21 – Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)

2019 – Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)

2018 – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

2017 – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

2016 – Adam Lallana (Liverpool)

2015 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2014 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2012 – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

2011 – Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur)

2010 – Ashley Cole (Chelsea)

2009 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2008 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2007 – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

2006 – Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)

2005 – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

2004 – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

2003 – David Beckham (Manchester United)

Northern Ireland have called Mansfield Town goalkeeper Christy Pym into their squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Belarus and Bulgaria.

The 29-year-old has not played for his country before, but trained with his new team-mates on Tuesday after regular keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell withdrew from the squad on Monday with a shoulder problem.

With Plymouth Argyle’s Conor Hazard already absent through injury, manager Michael O’Neill was left with just two goalkeepers in his squad, Bolton Wanderers’ Luke Southwood and Pierce Charles of Sheffield Wednesday.

Pym, who has featured regularly for Mansfield in League One this season, was born in Exeter and previously played in a friendly for England Under-20s but qualifies for Northern Ireland through a Belfast-born grandmother.

Northern Ireland face Belarus in Hungary on Saturday evening before returning to Belfast to take on Bulgaria at Windsor Park.

They began their Nations League campaign with a home win over Luxembourg last month but were then beaten by Bulgaria in Plovdiv.

Ipswich Town defender Axel Tuanzebe is expected to be out for at least a month after sustaining a freak hand injury while doing the washing up.

The 26-year-old DR Congo international sustained a deep cut to his thumb while he was washing the dishes last week.

The former Manchester United and Aston Villa player had started the first six Premier League games of the season for promoted Ipswich before missing Saturday’s 4-1 loss to West Ham.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said on Saturday Tuanzebe’s injury was a “very unfortunate accident”.

“He’s naturally a miss with the way he’s started the season. He’s going to be out for a little while,” McKenna said.

Ipswich told BBC Sport the accident had occurred at home and Tuanzebe has had successful surgery.

Ben Johnson replaced Tuanzebe at London Stadium, where defeat left Ipswich still winless after seven league games.

Liverpool have confirmed Sofie Lundgaard suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Sunday’s Women’s Super League win over Tottenham.

The 22-year-old went down in the first half following a 50-50 challenge with Spurs defender Amanda Nilden.

The Danish midfielder signed a new contract for the Reds in September and had featured in their opening three WSL fixtures, but will now undergo knee surgery.

Reds boss Matt Beard said to the official Liverpool website, external: “We’re all devastated for Sofie.

“We have to rally around her because it’s going to be tough at times during the rehabilitation programme. Sometimes these things happen in football and it can be so cruel.

“This is going to be a test of her character but I’m sure she will come back stronger from it with the support network she has here and the closeness of our group of players and staff.”

Lundgaard has become the third player in the WSL this season to rupture her ACL following injuries to Everton duo Aurora Galli and Inma Gabarro.