Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli admits to feeling a “positive nervousness” before his first game in charge of the country, a Nations League tie against Slovenia in Ljubljana on Saturday.

The Belgian was appointed in August, replacing Steve Clarke, whose seven-year tenure ended after Scotland’s exit at the group stages of the World Cup.

Pocognoli starts with four Nations League matches across 11 days, with the trip to Slovenia followed by Switzerland at Hampden, a fixture in North Macedonia, then a return meeting with the Slovenes in Glasgow.

“If we talk about nerves, yes, but it’s a positive nervousness,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “We have a job with responsibility. It’s excitement and I’m just passionate about being on the touchline.”

Scotland are currently at a warm weather camp in La Manga, Spain with a much-changed squad.

Pocognoli has picked a 19-year-old in James Wilson, four 20-year-olds – Findlay Curtis, Ben Gannon-Doak, Lennon Miller and Colby Donovan – and another three aged 22 – Kristi Montgomery, Luke Graham and Robbie Ure.

With Blackburn’s Montgomery replacing the injured Kenny McLean, there are now eight uncapped players in the squad.

“It’s a lot of new faces, so it’s a challenge to find the right balance, to keep the cohesion in the team,” Pocognoli said.

Germany is hoping to win the right to host the Olympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. On Saturday, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is to meet to vote on which of three bids (Munich, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr, Berlin) to throw its support behind.

Munich: Political and public support

The motto of Munich‘s Olympic bid is “For Games with heart and soul.” The concept focuses on sustainability, with the 1972 Olympic Park serving as the centerpiece. According to documents published by the bid committee, around 90% of the competition venues are located less than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Olympic Village. Most of the venues that would be used already exist, with only a few temporary facilities to be constructed.

In addition to existing infrastructure, other advantages include Munich’s experience in hosting major sporting events and its Olympic legacy from 1972. The organizers aim to offer an alternative model to the pricey Olympic projects of the past.

Political support for the Munich bid is strong: “In Munich, we have the perfect conditions to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Munich Mayor Dominik Krause is quoted as saying on the city website, “muenchen.de.”

“Hosting the Olympic Games in Munich would be an investment in the future — not only because of the immense social value but also due to the resulting acceleration of key urban development and infrastructure projects. Munich is ready for the Olympics!”

Munich residents also appear to support the bid. In a city referendum held last October, just over 305,000 residents cast their votes, with 66.4% voting in favor of an Olympic bid.

Berlin: Political opposition and a the weight of history

The situation is different in Germany’s capital. The Left Party (Die Linke) won the most votes in Sunday’s election in Berlin, meaning Elif Eralp, its chairperson, could become the city-state’s new governing mayor. She is on the record as opposing the idea of bringing the Games to the capital, describing the bid as a “waste of taxpayer money.” The Green Party, a potential coalition partner for Eralp, also opposes an Olympic bid.

The prospect of hosting the Games in 2036 has sparked further debate. Critics point to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which were exploited by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime as a propaganda tool. Proponents, however, argue that the 2036 Games could showcase the values ​​of a democratic and cosmopolitan Germany.

Berlin’s bid also envisages mainly using existing sports facilities for the Games.

“Ninety-seven percent of the required sports facilities already exist. Apart from one privately financed arena, we do not need to build any new venues,” said Kaweh Niroomand, Berlin’s Olympic commissioner, told the “Die Welt” newspaper.

“The Games should fit Berlin — not Berlin the Games.”

Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr: Sustainability and public support

Unlike Munich and Berlin, this third bid encompasses an entire region, featuring numerous venues that are widely dispersed. Cologne would serve as the “lead city” in the bid that features 15 municipalities in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne would host the Olympic Village and a temporary athletics stadium.

Organizers highlight the fact that all of the venues either already exist or would be temporary and to the fact that 66% of those who voted in lasts April’s referenda in the affected municipalities voted in favor of the bid.

Apart from sustainability, the Rhine-Ruhr region’s dense sports infrastructure is considered a key strength. A potential drawback is the location of competitions across many cities in Germany’s most densely populated region. Traffic jams are a daily occurrence and many trains run late or are cancelled altogether.

Munich with a slight edge

A total of 144 votes are up for grabs in Saturday’s vote. Eligible to vote are Germany’s 42 Olympic sports federations — including those for winter sports — along with the 10-member DOSB Executive Board and eight individual DOSB members. The individual sports federations each hold three votes.

If none of the three bids wins an absolute majority in the first round of voting, the last-placed bid drops out for the second round – meaning a decision will come after no more than two rounds of voting.

The final report by a DOSB evaluation commission makes Munich’s bid the slight favorite, with 87.03 out of  a possible 100 points, ahead of Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr (85.02) and Berlin (74.64).

This is just the next step in a long process of deciding who will host the next three Olympic Summer Games. The International Olympic Committee isn’t to decide on who will host the 2036 Olympics until 2029.

This article was adapted from German.

A former world champion who shared the ring with Devin Haney is taking his gloveless career on the road.

Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz Jr. has officially confirmed his next bout, signing to feature at BKB 60 on Saturday, October 10.

The contest marks a major travel milestone for the 2012 US Olympian. Despite a 45-fight professional boxing career that featured clashes with elite operators like Gary Russell Jr. and Regis Prograis – as well as an IBF super-featherweight world title victory over Tevin Farmer – Diaz has never competed on UK soil.

The 33-year-old southpaw – who lost to Haney in 2021 – transitioned to bare-knuckle boxing earlier this year, making an immediate impact with a blistering first-round knockout over Nate Williams at BKB 56 in Los Angeles.

Now, he heads across the Atlantic to face Brian Hyslop in a super-lightweight contest at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.

“I’ve fought all over the States and in Mexico, but I’ve never stepped into a ring in the UK, not once in my whole career. Newcastle is going to be the first, and I’m doing it bare knuckle. This is a new chapter for me and I want the fans here to see exactly what a world champion looks like up close.”

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing CEO David Tetreault added:

“Getting a genuine former world champion like JoJo Diaz to make his first-ever UK appearance at our first-ever Newcastle show says everything about where this sport is heading. This is a huge moment for Newcastle and a huge statement for BKB.”

The October 10 bill is headlined by a BKB super-welterweight world championship showdown between Filipino titleholder Rolando Dy and five-time champion Scott McHugh.

The United Rugby Championship finally gets underway this weekend, but instead of excitement about the return of competitive rugby, one question keeps coming back: where are all the players?

There was a time when the old Celtic League season was getting underway in August. In 2026, we are now at the final weekend of September before a ball is kicked in the URC.

You might think that starting the competition later would ensure clubs were able to put something close to their strongest sides on the field.

Instead, the opposite appears to be happening.

Across Ireland, Scotland and South Africa, some clubs are heading into Round 1 without huge numbers of their leading players.

Round 1 – But It Doesn’t Feel Like Round 1

The issue isn’t simply that the URC starts late.

There are reasonable arguments for a late-September start given the increasingly congested rugby calendar. The problem is that even after waiting until September 25 and 26, the competition still cannot guarantee that many of its biggest names will be available.

That creates a very strange situation.

These aren’t pre-season friendlies. These are competitive fixtures carrying four league points, bonus points and potentially enormous consequences when the playoff positions are decided next May.

Yet look around the competition and some of the squads available for the opening weekend bear little resemblance to the strongest teams these clubs could field.

Connacht Already Counting the Absentees

Connacht’s situation ahead of Friday night’s opener against the Stormers is a perfect example.

Seven players involved in Ireland’s summer fixtures – Bundee Aki, Billy Bohan, Ciarán Frawley, Sam Illo, Sean Jansen, Darragh Murray and Cian Prendergast – are unavailable for Round 1.

That’s before injuries are considered.

Will Connors and Hugh Gavin are continuing their respective recoveries, Dylan Tierney-Martin will miss the opening block after ankle surgery, while Dave Heffernan and Harry West have also been ruled out of the Stormers game.

So Connacht are opening their competitive season with a substantial chunk of their squad unavailable.

And they’re far from alone.

Glasgow Highlight the Scale of the Problem

Glasgow Warriors are another particularly interesting example.

They travel to Thomond Park to face Munster on Saturday, September 26, just eight days after completing their pre-season programme against Bath.

That final warm-up showed just how stretched Glasgow’s resources have been, with a youthful Warriors side beaten 53-5 by Bath at Old Anniesland.

The problem for Glasgow – and several other clubs – is that the transition from a heavily disrupted pre-season into competitive rugby happens almost immediately.

International commitments and player-management requirements mean the club game is being asked to begin without access to a significant number of the players around whom these teams are built.

South African Teams Face the Same Problem

The South African franchises have their own version of the problem.

The Springboks’ international programme overlaps with the beginning of the URC season, leaving their franchises having to negotiate the opening rounds without a number of frontline internationals. South Africa play Australia on Sunday.

And that’s where the structure of the competition becomes increasingly difficult to understand from a supporter’s point of view.

The URC wants to be viewed as one of the leading professional rugby competitions in the world.

It has major broadcasters, sponsors, international stars and clubs representing some of the biggest rugby markets on the planet.

But its opening weekend can arrive while many of those international stars are unavailable.

What About the Supporters?

This is the part of the discussion that sometimes gets forgotten.

Supporters are paying full price.

They buy season tickets. They buy individual match tickets. They pay for television subscriptions. Families travel considerable distances to games and can spend significant amounts on transport, accommodation, food and everything else that comes with following a professional sports team.

Yet the fixture they attend in Round 1 carries exactly the same league points as a fixture later in the season when both clubs could have significantly stronger squads available.

That doesn’t seem particularly satisfactory for supporters.

Nobody expects every player to be available every week. Injuries are part of professional sport. Player welfare has to be protected and international rugby is enormously important.

But when large numbers of leading players are unavailable across several teams before the domestic season has even started, it becomes reasonable to question the structure rather than individual selection decisions.

When Exactly Is the Club Season Supposed to Start?

And this brings us to perhaps the biggest question of all.

If August is too early because players need a break…

If September is affected by international rugby and mandatory rest periods…

If November is dominated by another international window…

If February and March are disrupted by the Six Nations…

And if European competition also has to be accommodated…

when exactly is professional club rugby supposed to have its best players available?

That is becoming one of rugby’s biggest structural problems.

The sport has created an international calendar, domestic calendar and European calendar that are all competing for the same players.

Something eventually has to give.

Increasingly, it feels like the domestic league is the competition being asked to compromise.

Round 1 Should Feel Important

The opening weekend of a league should be one of its biggest promotional opportunities.

It should feel like an event.

After months without competitive club rugby, supporters should be looking forward to seeing new signings, returning internationals and the strongest possible versions of their teams.

Instead, we’re discussing who’s missing.

That can’t be the ideal way to launch a major professional competition.

The URC itself has developed enormously in recent seasons. The competition is more competitive, the South African franchises have added another dimension and the playoff race has produced excellent rugby.

This isn’t an argument against the URC.

It’s an argument that a competition of this quality deserves a calendar that gives it the best possible opportunity to succeed.

Because if rugby can wait until the final weekend of September to begin its league season and still can’t get many of its best players onto the field, the sport has a much bigger calendar problem than simply deciding when Round 1 should be played.

And the people who ultimately lose out are the supporters being asked to pay full price to watch it.

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After an initial training session with just 12 players, Zinédine Zidane had a full squad at his disposal on Tuesday. The manager could revert to a 4-3-3 formation, with Kylian Mbappé on the left and Ousmane Dembélé as striker.

After being released by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason, veteran cornerback Kenny Moore II has officially found a new home with the Philadelphia Eagles.

On Tuesday morning, Moore signed with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. According to NFL Network, he is expected to eventually earn a one-year deal worth up to $3 million while contributing at both nickel cornerback and safety.

Moore, 31, was a Pro Bowler with the Colts in 2021 and brings valuable experience to the Eagles’ secondary. With defensive coordinator Vic Fangio looking to maximize Moore’s versatility across multiple positions, he has a real opportunity to make a big impact.

The Eagles boast one of the most versatile secondaries, led by Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. General manager Howie Roseman continues to show his knack for finding value, consistently buying low on talented players who have the potential to make an impact.

After spending his entire nine-year career in Indianapolis, Moore leaves behind a strong final season with the Colts. He recorded 55 tackles, 1.5 sacks, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an interception while continuing to anchor their secondary.

With his versatility, the Eagles could tap into the Pro Bowl form Moore showed earlier in his career. Fangio’s defense is young and undergoing plenty of change, making an experienced veteran of Moore’s caliber a valuable addition to the room.

Through two games, the Eagles are allowing 21 points per game, but the pass defense has looked solid overall. Even after facing manageable offenses in the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans, this group will soon be put to the test as the NFC schedule toughens up.

Esther Okon Peter of Nsit Ibom has made history as the first gold medallist at the 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival.

Esther won the women’s 400m final in a time of 53.12 seconds to claim the first gold medal of this year’s festival.

Odotudo Effiong of Itu finished second in 54.22 seconds to take silver, while Unwana Udoh of Uruan won bronze after recording 56.06 seconds.

The first medals of the festival were decided on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, hours before Governor Umo Eno officially declared the Games open at a colourful opening ceremony at the Uyo Township Stadium.

The athletics events were held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, where heats for the 400m events also took place.

In the men’s 400m, the athletes who qualified for the final are Joshua Christian of Essien Udim, Samuel Patrick of Onna, Wisdom Wednesday of Uruan, Victor Marcus of Itu, Frank Mfoniso of Itu, Faith Tom of Mkpat Enin, Sampson Sampson of Nsit Ibom and Ezekiel Eno of Uruan.

The qualifiers for the boys’ 400m final are Solomon Ezekiel Udo of Eket, Godswill Samuel of Onna, Udom Daniel of Ikot Ekpene, Daniel Emmanuel of Eket, Daniel Daniel of Eket, Otobong Godwin of Onna, Favour Akan of Itu and Princewill Paulinus of Onna.

For the girls’ 400m final, Felicia Boniface of Ikot Ekpene, Janet Okon of Ibeno, Miracle Amos of Uruan, Hephzibah Okon of Ikot Ekpene, Mfoniso Ukeme of Eket, Etieno Israel of Itu, Joy Bassey of Eket and Inimfon John of Onna booked their places.

Athletics action continues on Wednesday, September 23.

Football Results

Football also got underway on Tuesday in both the male and female categories.

Male Results

• Etinan 1-4 Mbo
• Ini 1-1 Oruk Anam — Ini won 3-2 on penalties
• Udung Uko 0-3 Onna — Walkover

Female Results

• Udung Uko 0-4 Esit Eket
• Onna 3-0 Oron — Walkover
• Essien Udim 0-1 Mbo

Wednesday’s Football Fixtures

Football action continues across different venues today.

West Itam Sports Centre

10:00am — Ibeno vs Abak

12:00pm — Ikono vs Okobo

2:00pm — Ika vs Mkpat-Enin

4:00pm — Ikot Abasi vs Essien Udim

Uyo Township Stadium

10:00am — Eket vs Ikot Ekpene

12:00pm — Eastern Obolo vs Urue-Offong/Oruko

2:00pm — Etim Ekpo vs Obot Akara

4:00pm — Winner of Match 1 vs Esit Eket

Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly

10:00am — Ini vs Ikono (Female)

12:00pm — Uruan vs Oruk Anam (Female)

2:00pm — Ika vs Eket (Female)

4:00pm — Urue-Offong/Oruko vs Ibeno (Female)

With the first gold medal already decided, action continues today as athletes and teams from across the 31 local government areas compete for more medals at the 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival.

The joys of a good Week 1 picking games turned into misery in Week 2.

So much for stacking good weeks.

I went 9-7 straight up, but a miserable 5-10 against the spread. Let’s just hope that’s the last bad week for a while.

My straight-up record for the season is now 21-11 and my ATS season mark is 15-17. 

Not good enough.

This week’s slate has some big games, but also some where I think an upset will happen and I probably differ on the pick in those games than most.

I have Tampa Bay beating Minnesota and Cleveland beating Carolina. Those two games might be key to me getting back on track. One bad week is all I can take.

All lines via DraftKings; All times ET

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers (-5.5)

• Thursday, 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime

This will be Michael Penix back in at quarterback for the Falcons, who badly need it. The Packers rallied to beat the Jets last week, thanks to the defense. That defense will play well here as well. Jordan Love gets it going if the banged-up line can hold up. I think they will.

Pick: Packers 27, Falcons 17

Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills (-7)

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Chargers are a disaster at 0-2 and playing bad football. Buffalo has played well in its 2-0 start. Can the Chargers contain Josh Allen? I don’t think they can, and Justin Herbert won’t keep up in the Chargers’ first road game. Bills take it. 

Pick: Bills 32, Chargers 23

Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns (+2.5)

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Panthers are out on the road for the second straight week after blowing out the Falcons, while the Browns are playing their first home game. Bryce Young is rolling for the Panthers, but I think the Browns defense will play well again here as they did in Tampa last week. The Browns take it in an upset. 

Pick: Browns 23, Panthers 20

New York Jets at Detroit Lions (-6.5)

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Lions will have extra rest here as they welcome in their former defensive coordinator, Jets coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets are playing better on defense, but this is a big challenge against the Lions’ offense. The Detroit defense hasn’t been good, but they will play better here with the lead to win it. But it’s close.  

Pick: Lions 28, Jets 23

Houston Texans (-3) at Indianapolis Colts

These two both come in 0-2 and are in need of a victory. They can’t afford to go to 0-3. The Colts‘ defense has been bad, and the Texans‘ defense hasn’t lived up to the hype. But they will here. The Texans get their first victory as the offense comes to life against the Colts. 

Pick: Texans 31, Colts 20

Kansas City Chiefs (-11.5) at Miami Dolphins

The Chiefs are 2-0, but this is their first road game. It won’t matter. Miami is playing a lot of young players and building for the future. They won’t win many games, and they won’t win their first here. Look for a big day by the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. 

Pick: Chiefs 28, Dolphins 10

Tennessee Titans at New York Giants (-3)

The Titans are 0-2 and playing on the road for the first time this season. The Giants will be without starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, which means it’s Jameis Winston time. He wasn’t good in relief Monday night in the loss to the Rams, but he will be better here. Look for the Giants to rally around him in Dart’s absence. 

Pick: Giants 23, Titans 14

Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Bengals are playing a second-straight road game after beating the Texans last week. The defense had a big day, and that will be the case here. The Steelers have been limited on offense so far, so look for the Bengals to play well again on that side of the ball as they go to 3-0.  Joe Burrow and the offense should be better as well. 

Pick: Bengals 23, Steelers 13

Seattle Seahawks (-7) at Washington Commanders 

• Sunday, 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Seahawks are out on the road for the second straight week, but they get a break playing Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. With Jayden Daniels out, the Seattle defense will have a much easier day. Drew Lock played well last week, and that will continue here. Seattle takes it. 

Pick: Seahawks 24, Commanders 13

New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)

This is a big game for both teams. The Jaguars are coming off a tough road loss to the Broncos, while the Patriots beat the Steelers. The New England offense is sputtering, and that won’t change here. The Jaguars get back on track in a lower-scoring game. 

Pick: Jaguars 21, Patriots 16

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-8.5)

• Sunday, 4:05 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The 49ers are 2-0 and playing as well as any team in the league. Arizona is coming off a loss to the Seahawks. This is a real challenge for the young Cardinals team, especially one that looked bad on offense last week. I don’t see Jacoby Brissett keeping up with Brock Purdy. 49ers take it. 

Pick: 49ers 30, Cardinals 17

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5)

• Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Vikings are 2-0, while the Bucs are 0-2 and coming off a bad offensive showing in the upset loss against the Browns. That’s never a good way to go into a game against Brian Flores and the Vikings defense. Kyler Murray is back for the Vikings, but this one will be won by the Bucs defense. They finally step up. 

Pick: Bucs 21, Vikings 20

Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Dallas Cowboys (Brazil)

This is one of the games of the week, featuring Lamar Jackson vs. Dak Prescott. Baltimore suffered a bad home loss last week, but I think Jackson rebounds to lead the Ravens to a high-scoring victory. The Cowboys will also score with Prescott throwing it around as well. It’s too bad this isn’t on the fast track in Dallas. Even so, we will see many points. 

Pick: Ravens 33, Cowboys 30

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints (-3)

This is suddenly an interesting game, given how these two have started. The Raiders are 2-0, and the Saints are 1-1 and could be 2-0 if not for a two-play sequence that was stopped. Look for the Saints to look good in their home opener with Tyler Shough having another good day.

Pick: Saints 21, Raiders 14

Los Angeles Rams (-2.5) at Denver Broncos 

• Sunday, 8:20 p.m. on NBC (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

This is a big game between two good teams coming off impressive victories. The Rams are playing on a short week and traveling, which is tough, but I think they will be up for it. The Denver defense played well against the Jaguars last week, but this offense is a step up and has a good offensive line. Look for Matt Stafford and the Rams to win it. 

Pick: Rams 30, Broncos 23

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears

• Monday, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN (Stream: Fubo — try for free)

The Eagles are playing consecutive road games, but the Bears will likely be without injured quarterback Caleb Williams and could be without backup Tyson Bagent. That would mean Case Keenum. That will change the dynamic of Chicago’s offense. The Eagles will limit the run game and win it behind their defense, with Jalen Hurts having a good day. 

Pick: Eagles 27, Bears 13 

Alejandro Garnacho’s future hasn’t gone in the trajectory he would’ve liked after forcing a move away from Manchester United

Manchester United could lose out on a transfer windfall on Alejandro Garnacho as he is being monitored by La Liga sides over a possible move. The Argentine is currently on a season-long loan at Aston Villa from Chelsea after a temporary deal with a £43million buyout was negotiated.

Should Unai Emery’s side trigger the clause to make his move from Stamford Bridge permanent, it would see United earn around £300,000 due to the 10 per cent sell-on.

The clause only relates to the profit Chelsea makes on the £40m investment they spent on him last year. However, a £43m permanent deal to Villa already looks unlikely, putting any potential financial boost for United in jeopardy, with the Argentina enduring a nightmare start at his new club.

He will remain with Villa after being snubbed by Lionel Scaloni for the forthcoming Argentina camp, after the 22-year-old was consigned to just 31 minutes of action so far.

Should Villa opt against triggering the terms of their deal, it will see him return to West London. Xabi Alonso’s side will then have a decision on their hands over whether to offload the attacker.

Mail Online have claimed that La Liga clubs are watching the situation and ready to pounce should Villa opt against signing him. The chances of Garnacho, who joined United in 2020 from Atletico Madrid as a talented teenager after growing up in the Spanish capital, moving to La Liga for an offer in excess of £40m – particularly if his loan spell at Villa continues as it is – look slim, though, meaning United’s clause could all be for nothing.

Garnacho hasn’t come off the bench in each of Villa’s last three matches, and Emery has called for more from the summer arrival. However, he conceded that the forward is slightly off the pace after a difficult pre-season.

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He said: “Continue working. Work, work, train, work.

“When he can have minutes to play, try to play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now. George Hemmings is playing fantastic.

“Alysson is also understanding things well and is giving us things I want. [Ibrahim] Mbaye also responded well.

“We want a competitive team and players to compete in the style we have.

“Garnacho is a little bit behind because of some circumstances we had in pre-season. It is time to be patient for the time he needs.”

The winger has really struggled since leaving United, registering just one Premier League goal and four assists since his Old Trafford exit. Fans on social media are already concerned he may not live up to the billing, having exploded on the scene at United, with many fearing that Emery is not a fan and that his loan at Villa will go the same way as Harvey Elliott’s failed move.