Maresca said that any player at Manchester City can work to earn minutes on the pitch after Jack Grealish made a surprise return to the team. The 30-year-old has started just one Premier League game for the club since December 2024 but came on for the second half of their Community Shield defeat to Arsenal. City agreed for Grealish to go on loan last season to Everton, where he briefly impressed but also suffered a serious injury that brought a premature end to his campaign. He was not included in City’s pre-season tour to Asia as he worked individually instead in Mallorca, but has trained with the squad for the last week and got 45 minutes against Arsenal.

Grealish is still expected to leave the club, either permanently or on loan, before the transfer window shuts, but Maresca was happy with his performance in Cardiff. “Jack was inside when we were 2-0 down so the game already became complicated after that, but overall I think Jack was good,” he said. “The ones that are still here and want to work every day and if they deserve they’re going to get minutes. At the moment the transfer window is open and we will see what happens.”

Read more here>>>

As the new Telegraph Fantasy Football season approaches, the fantasy football experts at Fantasy Football Hub will continue to bring you the very best in fantasy football knowledge, tips and tools to help you rise up the ranks and win your mini-leagues.

To join the Hub and get access to all their great resources and expert tips you can take advantage of its 50% pre-season discount here.

Telegraph Fantasy Football managers need to make compromises to fit in fantasy heavyweights like Erling Haaland (£8.3m) and Bruno Fernandes (6.5m). Picking some set-and-forget budget enablers who have either high point ceiling potential or will return a steady stream of points, is key to freeing up those funds.

Below are five players the Fantasy Football Hub experts have highlighted for consideration.

Brian Brobbey (£3.3m)

The Sunderland forward had a steady Premier League debut season, netting seven times and helping the Black Cats qualify for the Europa League. The Dutch international netted three times at the World Cup, improving his stock further, and will be looking to get off to a goal-scoring start against Ipswich and Fulham in GWs 1 and 2.

 

Enzo Le Fee (£3.3m)

Depending on the formation TFF managers are using, Brobbey’s midfield teammate at the same price may be the preferred route to target those opening fixtures. The 26-year-old accrued 12 attacking returns last season, and bumped up his overall score with an impressive 93 tackles.

 

Harry Wilson (£3.2m)

The midfielder swapped London for Yorkshire in the summer, as he looks to expand on a whopping 17 attacking returns from last season. Feeding the rejuvenated Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£3.9m), and adding goals from midfield for Leeds will be two primary objectives for the Welsh international, who could make a mockery of his mere marginal price increase.

 

James Trafford (£3.0m)

Another Leeds United summer acquisition, Daniel Farke fought off rival Premier League suitors to land the ex-Manchester City shot-stopper. Leeds United have a mixed bag in terms of opening fixture difficulty, but do have three home league games in the first five before the international break, and the new no.1 has an outside chance of getting the nod in the Carabao Cup games too, so there are points available should the Whites be able to shut out the opposition.

 

James Hill (£2.6m)

If looking to fit in more big-hitters, a sub £3m player can be extremely useful for team balance, and the Bournemouth defender looks assured of starting having played a pivotal role in getting the Cherries into Europe this season.

 

Pick your team for the 2026/27 season >

You can follow the latest Telegraph Fantasy Football news and discussions throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter and Fantasy Football Content Hub.

This week also saw a Greater Manchester council told it needs to make improvements

A Greater Manchester care service has been recognised for going ‘above and beyond’ in this week’s round-up of healthcare inspections.

Oldham’s Roxhsana Ltd received the top ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Staff at the homecare service, also known as Visiting Angels Manchester East, are ‘like family’, users and relatives said.

Care delivered by the homecare service made an evident impact to the wellbeing of service users, the healthcare watchdog documented.

Here is a breakdown of Greater Manchester’s recently published CQC reports:

Bolton

Spennymoor Care Home, in Church Road, was rated ‘good’ overall this week. The home was praised by inspectors as ‘homely’ with ‘regular staff team, some of whom had worked there for many years’.

There were enough staff, these were recruited safely, and training was in place. Staff ‘responded well’ if residents experienced problems or had concerns, the report added.

People were able to choose how they spent their day, what they wore and what time they got up and went to bed. The home also put on activities such as crafts, music and quizzes. However, people said they wanted more opportunities to go out into the community.

One relative said: “I think it is good, there is a smile on [person’s] face, so they are doing something right. We don’t worry about [person] in this home.”

A resident added: “You get bucket loads of care.”

However, concerns were raised over leadership at the home, with the CQC saying improvements were needed in that area. Lessons were not ‘continually identified’, the report said, and reviews did not take place into incidents.

Inspectors also said risk assessments were not consistent, with staff not having ‘all the required information about people’s care’. There was also not an up-to-date fire risk assessment, the report said.

Regular night-time spot checks did not appear to take place, the CQC said. While the provider advised that these were completed, they were not documented.

Despite this, people who used the service, along with their relatives, felt it was ‘safe’.

Bury

Dr Laurence Howard Sherman, at Greyland Medical Centre, also received a ‘good’ rating this week. Staff at the Prestwich GP were described as ‘caring’, ‘always eager to help’ and ‘like old friends’ by patients.

The surgery had introduced specialist nurse clinics to improve access following patient feedback. There were enough ‘qualified, skilled and experienced’ staff employed there.

However, the CQC found some hazards in staff-only areas, including a torn carpet inspectors felt could be a trip risk. They also said documents for staff recruitment were missing, including signed contracts and right to work evidence. The GP had plans in place to address these concerns.

Another ‘good’ rating was handed to Huntley Mount Medical Centre, in Bury. Inspectors praised the GP’s ‘innovative ways of working’ that made access to important information ‘simple’ for staff.

This included an emergency equipment wall that had information about what to do in an emergency, checklists and pictures of what was in locked medicine boxes.

Experienced staff had also created a ‘library’ of guides to help less experienced staff understand how to carry out tasks. Some 92pc of patients said staff treated them with ‘care and concern’ in a national survey.

More services had been brought into the practice to help people who could not afford to travel to access them elsewhere.

Manchester

Chorlton Place Nursing Home was deemed to be ‘good’ this week after improvements had been made following a previous critical report. The CQC found the service was no longer in breach of regulations around safe care and good governance.

Inspectors said improvements had been ‘sustained and further strengthened’. They reported that lessons were learned from incidents and changes introduced.

Previous concerns regarding cleanliness and pest control had been addressed, while risks in the home had also been resolved. Care was now considered to be safe and service users said staff ‘worked hard’ to meet people’s needs.

Oldham

Roxhsana Ltd received the top ‘outstanding’ rating this week. Staff at the homecare service, also known as Visiting Angels Manchester East, go ‘above and beyond’ and are ‘like family’, users and relatives said.

When one service user went into respite, her carers in their own time visited and took her flowers and chocolates, a family member said. They added: “It was very much appreciated by [Name], she loves them.”

The CQC said staff ‘took time to listen’ to people’s concerns, encouraging them to express how they were feeling and helping them access support.

Another family member said their relative was ‘very depressed’ and the service employed someone who could speak with them in their first language. They added: “They are eating more, and are smiling more, I think he [registered manager] relates, he doesn’t just provide care, he provides the socialisation bit, he sees everything.”

When staff raised concerns with the provider about practical concerns such as feeling vulnerable in the darker winter months, prompt action was taken. This included creating winter care kits containing torches with panic alarms, ice scrapers, reusable water bottles and snacks.

Recruitment processes were ‘rigorous’, ensuring ‘suitable, skilled and safety‑conscious employees’ were hired. Care was safe and ‘person-centred’.

When a service user was discharged from hospital, staff used gentle therapeutic exercises and activity, and light massage techniques to reduce stiffness and increase movement in their limbs. Care was ‘adapted daily’ and progress monitored ‘closely’, with the person eventually regaining ‘significant movement’ and their pain reducing.

Stockport

Caritas General Practice Partnership, in Dial House Medical Centre, received a ‘good’ rating from inspectors. Some 96pc of people using the Mile End Lane GP said the provider was ‘good at treating them with care and concern’.

The premises were ‘visibly clean’, the CQC added. Changes had been made in response to patient feedback that saw a triage system introduced. This guaranteed all patients who wished were seen or contacted by nursing staff on the same day.

Significant adaptations and upgrades had been made to buildings to improve accessibility, despite them being more than 100-years-old. However, leaders recognised this was an ‘ongoing challenge’.

Trafford

Adult social care services at Trafford council were rated ‘requires improvement’ by the CQC in the second critical service report received by the council this month. The watchdog found long waits; low satisfaction; and ‘ineffective’ sharing of safeguarding lessons.

Just 58pc of those using Trafford’s adult social care services were ‘satisfied’ with their care, compared to the England average of 65pc, the report said. Various service areas were experiencing delays, including care act assessments, care reviews, occupational therapy and financial assistance for carers.

Inspectors flagged additional concerns with safeguarding handling. While concerns were dealt with in a ‘timely manner’, partners said they had to ‘chase outcomes which were not forthcoming or timely’, leaving them ‘uncertain how to manage risks going forward’.

When updates were received, these were ‘usually limited’, resulting in ‘inadequate understanding and delayed coordinated action to reduce risks’.

Transitions from children’s services into the department were ‘not seamless’ with inconsistent pathways and delays, the CQC said. Families were ‘often unclear’ on what to expect and ‘worried about their future’.

However, the CQC did recognise that improvements were underway at the council, acknowledging that waiting times were reducing and people were accessing care and support more quickly.

The council has a ‘senior leadership team who had the vision and passion to improve services for the people of Trafford’, the report added. ‘Clear improvements’ have been made since January 2025 when a new interim director was appointed for the service, it continued.

Leaders say they ‘accept the findings’ and ‘know there is more to do’. Further measures have been introduced since the inspection, including improved access to support efforts to reduce occupational therapy waiting lists, the council added.

The Japanese macaque, whose name is Luka, was reported missing from the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore.

A monkey has vanished from a Scots wildlife park just two years after a similar escape two years ago. The Japanese macaque, whose name is Luka, was reported missing from the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore after he disappeared overnight on Sunday, August 16.

A desperate search of the area is now underway to trace the animal, with members of the public urged not to approach him if they see him. Teams are currently using a range of techniques to trace Luka, including thermal drones.

When last seen, he was in the Balavil area. Darren McGarry, head of animal care at Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said: “We are doing everything we can to locate the macaque using a variety of techniques in the local area including a thermal imaging drone.

“Primate group dynamics can be very complex and males being forced out of a group is not uncommon. Although the macaque is not dangerous, our advice is members of the public should not approach him and to contact 07769165117 with any details of a sighting.”

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A statement from Highland Wildlife Park reads: “A young male Japanese macaque named Luka has escaped from his habitat at Highland Wildlife Park. The search teams are currently working to locate Luka using a range of techniques including a thermal imaging drone. He was last seen in the Balavil area.

“The macaque is not considered dangerous, but members of the public are asked not to approach him if spotted.”

Families with children aged 16 to 19 have until 31 August to tell HMRC whether their teenager is staying in approved full-time education or training.

The warning comes just days before GCSE results day on Thursday, August 20, when hundreds of thousands of teenagers will decide what to do next.

If a teenager is continuing in qualifying non-advanced education or approved training, parents can extend their Child Benefit claim. But if they fail to respond by the deadline, payments will stop automatically.

More than 372,000 parents have already extended their claims digitally.

Parents can complete the process in just a few minutes using the HMRC app or GOV.UK. Those who received a letter from HMRC can also scan the QR code to access the service.

Child Benefit is currently worth up to £1,406.60 a year for the eldest or only child, or £930.80 for each additional child.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Exam results season is a big moment for teenagers deciding their next steps, and it’s the perfect time for parents to confirm those plans with us.

“Child Benefit is a vital source of support for many families and we don’t want anyone to miss out. It only takes a few minutes using the HMRC app or GOV.UK, so make sure you’re receiving the payments you’re entitled to.”

Who can continue receiving Child Benefit?

Child Benefit can continue while a young person remains in full-time, non-advanced education, including:

• A levels
• T levels
• Scottish Highers
• NVQs up to Level 3
• Certain approved training schemes

Parents only need to act if their teenager is starting a new qualifying course or training in September. Those already partway through a course that HMRC has previously been told about do not need to contact them.

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However, Child Benefit does not continue for children doing a university degree, a standard apprenticeship in England, or a course forming part of a job contract.

Parents must also tell HMRC if their child’s circumstances change, such as leaving education or starting a paid apprenticeship, to avoid being overpaid.

Around 1.5 million parents have received letters from HMRC this year reminding them to extend their claim by August 31.

Two women from the Alway area of Newport have been charged with drug supply offences following an investigation by Gwent Police.

Officers arrested the two women and seized crack cocaine, cocaine, cannabis and a quantity of cash following a search of an address in the city on Saturday 15 August.

Lisa Thomas, 44, was charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession of a controlled drug of class A – cocaine, and possession of a controlled drug of class B – cannabis/cannabis resin.

Carmen Thomas, 24, was charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

Both women, from Walford Davies Drive in Newport, were remanded into police custody to appear at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Monday 17 August.

The manager of a family farm defiantly refused to change the name of his Titanic-themed ride after facing backlash from the ‘woke brigade’.

A slide at Graveley Farm in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, is decorated and themed around the ill-fated ship which sank in 1912.

Despite having been an attraction at the park for multiple years, this summer a number of parents became enraged at the theming of the slides, branding it ‘disrespectful’.

Furious parents compared the Titanic theming to having a ‘Twin Towers ride’, despite the tragedy taking place more than 110 years ago.

Initially wishing to calm the critics, farm manager Will offered to change the name of the popular ride.

However, he was then encouraged by other guests to hold firm and chose not to change it at the behest of a small handful of people.

He pointed out that there are no living survivors of the tragedy and very few children of survivors and referred to the Titanic immersive exhibition, which opened in London last year.

The farm opened in 1981 and offers fruit-picking in summer as well as crazy golf, a playground and water slides for children.

The farm has vowed not to appease the ‘woke brigade’ and has decided against changing the ride’s name

Tickets for the slide at the farm are given out as boarding passes, with each ride called a ‘wreck’

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The ride lifts up into the air, providing four slides for children at the attraction

For £2-a-turn, children can hop on board the replica ship, which then lifts its bow into the air, creating four slides.  

Tickets are handed out in the form of boarding passes to the fateful 1912 ship, with each ride referred to as a ‘wreck’. 

Criticism began to emerge on Graveley Farm’s Facebook page, with parents describing the attraction as ‘sickening’.

Andy Taylor wrote: ‘I’m sorry, but this is one of the most distasteful, disrespectful and strange attractions for children.

‘I cannot believe that you have created a game and ride based on such a tragedy.

‘The Titanic is infamous for sinking, causing the deaths of 1,500 people of which 60 were children. This is sickening and anybody who doesn’t see an issue with this clearly has no sense of morality.’ 

Claire Borchers added: ‘So odd to have a children’s ride themed around one of the worst tragedies in history.

‘Why is it named Titanic? Strange bunch of people who not only enjoy, but endorse this. 

‘A simple change to the name or colour of this ship would make it far less offensive and more appropriate as a children’s ride. 

‘There wouldn’t be a ride focused around the twin towers or other historical tragedies, so why is this acceptable? Very very odd 

‘Certainly won’t be visiting whilst it is there and will urge others not to as well.’

In response to the backlash, the farm was forced to apologise and at first promised to change the name. 

They wrote: ‘We are absolutely making no joke about it at all.’

However, farm manager Will later had a change of heart and vowed to ignore the ‘woke brigade’ and keep the name.

He said: ‘We did get some criticism at first, and we did change the name. 

‘However we then got considerably more people telling us not to give in to the “Wokes”, so we changed it back. 

‘We get around five hundred people a day using it, and as far as I’m aware it has offended only a handful of people.

‘Titanic has become almost a byword in the English language. There are no survivors, or for that matter, children of survivors alive today.

‘I would like to think if we could talk to the ghosts of the people who drowned over a hundred years ago when the ship went down, that if they knew that there was a children’s slide made in their memory that gives a lot of pleasure to so many people, then it would be met with a kindly smile.

‘There is a full immersive experience in London and this was put up after our ride. 

‘Everyone loves the slide and we honestly got far more backlash for changing the name than we did when we had it as Titanic. This is why we changed the name back to Titanic and have had it ever since.’

A finance boss who worked from home tried to sue for unfair dismissal after being warned she would be sacked if she moved to France but did so anyway.

Iryna Malyk ignored her company Teleperformance Contact when given an ‘express instruction’ that she would lose her job if she moved outside the UK.

Her claim has been rejected at a tribunal held in Bristol, where she lived and worked.

She was told by her boss that it was not ‘financially viable’ for the company and that it would cause legal issues.

Ms Malyk was informed that she would have to resign if she moved to France but she ‘disagreed’ with this decision and moved there anyway.

The finance boss was fired after she continued working for the company after moving across the channel.

The tribunal heard she worked for Teleperformance Contact from May 2022 as a European regional finance business partner.

The firm provides outsourced visa services to governments including in the UK, France and Germany.

In her contract, her home and the address of the company were both in Bristol.

Ms Malyk’s ‘principal’ place of work was at home, but she was also required to travel into the office until it closed in September 2022.

In late 2023, a big contract in France was lost, which affected Teleperformance Contact’s operations there.

Ms Malyk’s husband got a new job in France in early 2024, so she booked a meeting with her line manager to discuss relocating there.

Michael Aouate told her she could not work from the country with a UK-based employment contract and there was not a position there available to her.

The tribunal was told: ‘In a follow-up call on June 26, Mr Aouate told [Ms Malyk] that she could not work on UK projects in France on a permanent basis because the laws are different and this would cause legal and tax issues.

‘He did not provide specific detail about the laws he was referring to.

‘Later on June 26, [Ms Malyk] emailed [Drussila Solomon, head of HR in the UK] saying that due to personal circumstances she was moving to France in July, and was planning to continue to work from home from there.

‘She said Mr Aouate had told her he wouldn’t be able to perform her duties from France as it would mean breach of certain law.’

Ms Malyk said that she believed her contract was ‘fully remote’, so she thought that she could ‘work from anywhere’.

Ms Solomon told her that she needed permission from her line manager to work in another country.

In July, Mr Aouate said that it was not ‘financially viable’ to employ her in France, and the business did not ‘offer the facility for employees to be able to work remotely outside the country they were employed from’.

He said that it was a ‘reasonable management instruction’ to require her to work in the UK.

Mr Aouate asked her to review her decision to move to France, but added that if she decided to go ahead with it, she needed to resign.

Ms Malyk said she ‘disagreed’ with the decision and claimed that the instruction to work in the UK was a change to her contract.

The tribunal heard: ‘She continued to work from France under her existing contract, and explained in evidence that it was a busy time coming up to month end and so she needed to continue with her duties.’

An investigation meeting was held at the end of July in which she said there was ‘nothing to investigate’ because she had moved to France and ‘was not hiding this’.

She was suspended in August and her line manager told the tribunal this was due to a risk the company would be pursued by French authorities for breaking the law.

Following a disciplinary hearing, Ms Malyk was sacked for ignoring the company’s ‘express instruction’ not to carry out her role from France.

The company did not find she had committed gross misconduct and her appeal against her sacking has been dismissed.

Employment Judge Hazel Oliver found the reason Ms Malyk was sacked was ‘not trivial’, as the firm believed it would not be complying with French law if she lived in the country permanently while working on a UK contract.

The judge said her contract ‘expressly states that [Ms Malyk] will work from her home in the UK’ and she ‘was insisting on working from France’.

She continued: ‘[Ms Malyk] argues that she had acted openly and did not believe there was gross misconduct, and says [Teleperformance Contact’s] actions were disproportionate.

‘I do not agree. The instruction was reasonable in the circumstances, and the disciplinary action was pursued because [Ms Malyk] was continuing to refuse to comply despite having been warned about the consequences.’