Police, ambulance and fire crews were in attendance between Eaglescliffe and Thornaby stations from around 11pm on Tuesday night.

The incident forced disruption to Grand Central services between London King’s Cross and Sunderland, as well as Northern services between Middlesbrough and Newcastle and Saltburn and Darlington.

National Rail said: “The emergency services have safely completed their work in the Eaglescliffe area allowing all lines to reopen. As service recovers, trains may still be cancelled or revised.”

The disruption is expected to continue until around 8am.

However, passengers have been warned services between Middlesbrough and Newcastle and Darlington and Middlesbrough or Saltburn could still be cancelled or delayed while timetables recover.

Northern has advised customers they can travel on the next available service to their destination and said ticket restrictions, including Advance and Peak restrictions, have been lifted during the disruption.

Police, ambulance and fire were in attendance late last night around 11pm.

The Northern Echo have contacted the emergency services for statements on the incident.

By LAURA TROTT

Published: 21:52 BST, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 07:36 BST, 29 July 2026

HONG KONG (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. said on Tuesday it would ban the import of foreign-made humanoid robots in a move that targets China, arguing they pose a national security risk.

The decision could strain bilateral relations as the technology race between the two world leaders advances. China makes substantially more humanoid robots than the U.S. and other competitors, and analysts estimate that Chinese humanoid robots’ global market share has reached roughly 85%.

The FCC’s ban includes new imports of humanoid robots, quadrupeds – often referred to as four-legged robot dogs – as well as foreign-made power inverters.

In making the decision, the FCC said these advanced robots produced in foreign countries pose supply chain vulnerabilities to the U.S. as well as cybersecurity and national security risks.

FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said in a statement that the move was to “secure America’s critical supply chains.”

The United States has been taking steps to keep Chinese technology out with recent bans on imports, including of Chinese-made drones. The U.S. is also weighing restrictions on Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models, at a time when Chinese AI is rapidly gaining ground.

“It’s a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September,” said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank focused on Chinese technology policies. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September following their mid-May meeting in Beijing.

Last year, China accounted for around 85% of humanoid deployments globally, according to Barclays. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast China’s humanoid robot market could reach $15 billion by 2030.

“Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” said analyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar.

“Restricting their access to the U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition,” he said. “However, it will not materially slow China’s overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets.”

Of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China’s largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000, while their U.S. counterparts like Tesla and Figure AI each shipped a few hundred or less, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

China has pushed back and defended its technological advancements as an opportunity for the world, rather than a threat, as countries including the U.S. raise concerns over how a “China Shock 2.0” could hurt their economies.

The latest U.S. ban could also potentially impact collaborations between U.S. and Chinese technology companies, said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia.

Nvidia, for example, in June revealed a humanoid robot reference design which uses the humanoid chassis of Chinese robot maker Unitree.

The Pentagon recently placed Unitree alongside several major Chinese technology companies on its list of firms that it said have ties to or aid the Chinese military, a claim that Beijing said it “firmly opposes.”

Selena Gomez and her husband Benny Blanco enjoyed some summer loving off the coast of France. 

The couple put on an amorous display as they boarded a luxury yacht to explore the French Riviera coastline, where they basked in the sunshine, exchanged kisses, and explored the water on a jet ski.

The trip marked a well-deserved break for Gomez, who has been busy filming Only Murders In The Building in London these last few months. 

But on Sunday, Gomez swapped her character’s iconic mustard-yellow fur jacket for an outfit better suited for some fun in the sun. 

Gomez, 34, displayed her fit physique in a burgundy bikini while her husband, 38, opted for blue swimming trunks. 

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Gomez and Blanco for comment. 

The couple held each other as they took in the ocean breeze

In between their tender displays, the couple also explored their adventurous sides as they jumped into the water together.

They appeared to be mustering up the courage to take the plunge as they approached the ocean blue, hand in hand.

Eventually, the couple overcame their nerves and jumped off the edge of the boat together.

They returned to their vessel, triumphant, where they exchanged a post-dip kiss.  

Gomez spent much of the spring and summer apart from Blanco, as she has been working overseas filming the latest season of the Hulu series.

But the couple have since reunited in Europe, where they celebrated Gomez’s 34th birthday. 

The loved-up duo dined at Trattoria Della Santa in Bologna, Italy, the day before her birthday, and restaurant owner Riccardo Lelli has now heaped praise on the celebrity duo.

‘They were absolutely amazing, very lovely, good-hearted people,’ he told People.

The couple, who wed last year, exchanged a post-dip kiss

Gomez sizzled as she traded in her Only Murders In The Building wardrobe for a burgundy bikini 

The couple returned to their boat triumphant following their epic jump

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‘They showered us with compliments for the food, for the service, and they were just great clients.’

Waitress Saria Ahmed also lavished praise on the high-profile couple.

‘It was just a great experience,’ she said.

Despite this, Ahmed did recall one slightly awkward and embarrassing moment.

They explored the high seas on a jet ski

Gomez gazed lovingly at her spouse 

The couple seemed to be mustering up the courage to jump into the water  

Gomez appeared to be screaming as she jumped into the ocean 

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‘I actually did a little faux pas with them,’ she revealed. ‘They asked for a couple of glasses of prosecco, and they asked for another round, and I recommended them the bottle because it was more convenient.

‘And while I was going to get it, I was like, “What did I just say to them? Why did I say this?” as if they need something more economic. So, I was just laughing with myself… It’s my job.’

Los Angeles-based music producer Blanco went to dramatic lengths to be with his wife in time for her birthday. 

Blanco, who has a fear of flying, traveled by boat to be with Gomez. 

The actress looked absolutely phenomenal in her bikini while her spouse opted for colorful swimming trunks

Gomez laid out by the sun, enjoying a well-deserved break from filming her show

The loved-up duo dined at Trattoria Della Santa in Bologna, Italy the day before her birthday

Blanco, who has a fear of flying, traveled by boat to be with his wife 

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The couple flung themselves off the boat

Before taking the plunge, they appeared to be gathering the courage to jump in

Gomez threw her arms into the air as they jumped into the water

Gomez and the record producer wed in September 2025 in Santa Barbara, California

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The couple jumped into the ocean blue together

A shirtless Blanco toweled himself off

The couple were assisted for their jet ski excursion 

Gomez and her love enjoyed some well deserved R&R

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He filmed himself on the vessel and wrote over a clip, ‘POV: ur traveling across the atlantic in the titanic to see ur wife bc ur scared of flying.’

The accompanying caption read: ‘The things we do for love.’ 

Gomez and the record producer wed in September 2025 in Santa Barbara, California.

Their lavish wedding and reception at the Sea Crest Nursery took place under a private tent with 170 guests, including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Paris Hilton, SZA and Finneas.

Gomez’s Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Paul Rudd were also there.

Tourists swarmed on to Saltburn-by-Sea’s pier yesterday, guzzling fish, chips and Mr Whippy ice-creams, but a few hundred yards inland, another great Victorian landmark was eerily quiet.

The seaside town’s historic cricket ground, with its white picket fence and neatly mown outfield, stood empty. Not a single holidaying schoolchild was using its well-tended nets or ‘Arthur Heslop Indoor Training Facility’. The doors to a £600,000 lottery-funded pavilion were bolted shut.

All that could be heard was an occasional seagull, venturing inland from the North Sea. And this unseasonal calm turned out to be at the centre of an utterly toxic storm.

To blame is a bizarre cheating scandal which, in just a few short hours, has turned Saltburn Cricket Club from a beloved local institution, which last year celebrated its 150th birthday, into a symbol of sporting corruption which has made headlines around the world.

The whole thing revolves around an incident during Saturday’s match against Norton Cricket Club, in which Saltburn’s second XI was seeking to cement their place atop Division Two of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League.

Footage shows the match nicely poised, with Norton on 39 for 2, when its number four batsman, Noman Shabir, strode to the crease. He then played at and completely missed his first delivery, a ball from Saltburn’s Sam Morrison which had pitched outside the off stump.

So far, so normal. As the ball passed Shabir, however, something very strange had happened: the fielder standing at first slip clicked his fingers.

This imitated the sound of the ball nicking the edge of Shabir’s bat. And when the wicketkeeper then took the ball safely, the fielding side appealed for a catch. Having heard the noise, the umpire raised his finger to give Shabir out.

Devine has been dubbed as ‘Clicky Ponting’ on social media for his actions on the cricket field

The Saltburn player was seen on camera clicking his fingers each time the ball neared the bat

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Norton batsman Noman Shabir protested that he didn’t touch the ball after being given out

Although the batsman was clearly outraged, his attempt to explain to the elderly umpire that he hadn’t actually touched the ball got short shrift. Saltburn duly went on to skittle out Norton for 143, giving them a thumping 159-run victory.

There things would have ended, were it not for the fact that (in common with many recreational cricket matches in the online era) the game happened to have been live-streamed online. A recording was preserved on the English Cricket Board’s ‘Play Cricket’ website.

A Durham-based amateur cricketer named Ben Mummery, who had been tipped off about the series of events, was therefore able to post footage to X, where he dubbed it ‘about the worst case of cheating I have ever seen in cricket’.

By last night, that clip had clocked up more than six million views.

Viewers then began to trawl the archives for other similar incidents. They promptly turned up dozens, suggesting that Saltburn (which, ironically, calls itself a ‘friendly, sociable and inclusive cricket club’) had been employing the cynical scam for more than a season.

In almost every one of the clips that have emerged, the same portly man can be seen standing at first slip, clicking his fingers as the ball whistles past. He has been widely identified as Saltburn’s opening batsman, one Brian Devine.

One particularly damning video was posted by Rory Cotterill, the captain of Middlesbrough CC’s second XI. He said there had been two more incidents like it in a single game they played on Saturday, June 27, which Saltburn won by 29 runs, ‘leading to a 15 and 16-year-old being cheated out of an innings’. He added: ‘I was at the non-striker’s end at the time, unknowingly watching them cheat in real time’.

Other cricket fans to weigh in included Piers Morgan, who dubbed the club’s behaviour ‘outrageous cheating’ and a ‘shameful scam’. Several posters dubbed Devine ‘Clicky Ponting’ – a play on the name of former Australian captain Ricky Ponting – on social media.

A formal investigation by the cricketing authorities is now under way. A statement from the North Yorkshire and South Durham League reads: ‘The League has received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday 25 July 2026. A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete, no further comment will be made.’

Disciplinary options include booting Saltburn out of the league, which has been running since 1892 and is one of 30-odd ‘premier leagues’ at the top level of recreational cricket in England and Wales. Sanctions could also involve giving individual players, or even the entire team, lifetime bans or suspensions from the game.

For Devine, justice is perhaps already being served. The bespectacled businessman, who has played 481 matches in a 24-year amateur cricket career and was previously described on Saltburn’s social media feeds as a ‘legend’ of the game, was last night reported to have been suspended by the club.

I had earlier caught up with him by phone at Northallerton Auctions, a local livestock auction house where he works as company secretary.

As cows mooed in the background, I asked whether he had any alternative explanation (aside from cheating) for the finger clicking. ‘Naturally, I cannot comment on that,’ he replied. ‘I also cannot answer any questions because I am currently at work.’

Devine, a bespectacled businessman who was previously described on Saltburn’s social media feeds as a ‘legend’ of the game, was last night reported to have been suspended by the club

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Saltburn-by-the-Sea’s historic cricket ground, with its white picket fence and neatly mown outfield, stood empty yesterday. Its team now face potentially being booted out the league

Later, Devine faced the ignominy of being ditched by his official sponsor, a local Indian restaurant named Spices which he patronises regularly.

Proprietor Akmol Hussain told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m very shocked and disgusted by this video and can’t believe that Brian would do something like this. I’ve met him many times, but he has damaged the reputation of cricket and my restaurant.’

It was left to Georgina Vaughn, the mother of Devine’s partner Clare, to defend his honour. ‘It was only a little village cricket match and now it’s become this thing that’s all over the news and social media,’ she said. ‘It has got totally out of hand and there is nothing any of us want to say.’

Asked whether Devine was a man of integrity, she replied: ‘He certainly is.’

Statistics suggest otherwise, however. They reveal that in the 13 matches that Devine has played for Saltburn this season, wicketkeepers have taken an astonishing 39 catches. In the seven that he hasn’t played, they have managed just five. And in one single match, against Shildon Railway on July 18, no fewer than eight catches were claimed by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes.

To put that number in perspective, the record for wicketkeeper catches taken in a single men’s Test innings, over a period spanning 2,600 matches and 150 years, is a mere seven.

Bowes, a local electrician, has been the main beneficiary of Clicky Ponting’s scam. Despite only playing in about half the side’s matches, he has taken 31 catches this season, which is ten more than any other keeper in the league. Last season, he only managed to take 12 catches, and the year before he had a mere six to his name.

Wicketkeeper Josh Bowes, a local electrician, has been the main beneficiary of the scam. He has taken 31 catches this season, which is ten more than any other keeper in the league

The haul equates to almost four catches for every single match in which Bowes has played. In matches where Bowes doesn’t play, Saltburn’s wicketkeepers have claimed a more normal haul of around one catch per game.

Among the questions the league will now have to unpick is that of who, aside from Devine, was in on the scam. Videos of suspect wickets show several bowlers and fielders appealing with huge enthusiasm when the fielder clicks his fingers. Yet it is of course possible that they, like the umpire, believed they had heard the sound of bat on ball.

The truth about who knew what is likely to be found in the WhatsApp group in which team members discuss club affairs, though it’s unclear whether investigators will have the power to compel the club to release it.

At the bowls club next door to Saltburn’s cricket club, a member suggested it was highly unlikely the organisation would go out of its way to co-operate, telling me: ‘If the cheating has come from the top it would not surprise me. There are some nasty pieces of work among those who run it.’

Whatever the outcome, the cheating scandal is just the latest in a long and ignoble tradition that stretches back to the earliest days of the sport, which generally results in rules being updated.

In 1771, for example, Thomas White walked in to bat in a cricket match in Surrey, with a bat ‘fully as wide as the wicket itself’ making it impossible for him to be bowled out. Two days later, laws were passed limiting the maximum size to 4¼ inches.

The ‘Bodyline’ Ashes series of 1932, in which England’s bowlers aimed at the body and head of Australian batsmen in an attempt to nullify their star player Donald Bradman, led to rules changing to prevent large numbers of fielders being placed behind square on the leg side.

And Trevor Chappell’s famous decision to roll the ball on the ground in 1981 to prevent New Zealand achieving victory by hitting the last ball of a match for six, saw authorities update laws to make such deliveries illegal.

Fast forward to 2018, and Australia’s captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were caught using sandpaper to rough up one side of the ball to help it move erratically in the air during a Test match against South Africa in Cape Town.

And now, we might have to add Saltburn’s very own opportunist to the scroll of dishonour of cheating cricketers: Clicky Ponting.

The Dingles’ difficult year is about to be capped off with a sad goodbye in Emmerdale.

Cancer has ravaged the family, with Faith having succumbed to the disease in recent years, Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) surviving breast cancer with a double mastectomy, and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) learning he has prostate cancer that has spread.

Cain’s own experience has been a particularly difficult one, with surgery promising permanent side effects, including destroying his sex life. Cain has wrestled with the idea of giving up on treatment, and up until recently he was clear that he wanted to just ride his cancer out.

But then Monty the dog was diagnosed with the Big C and it changed everything.

The Dingles discovered Monty’s cancer after Cain’s kid Kyle (Huey Quinn) set fire to a shed that Monty happened to be trapped in. He survived the fire, but the check over at the vets revealed the poor pooch was riddled with the disease.

This was a crushing blow for the family, but if good is to come of it, Cain came to realise that his unwavering desire to help Monty survive must be how his family feels towards him. It was a turning point for Cain, as he realised he needed to rethink his attitude to his own treatment.

Cain is still mortally afraid of his cancer, especially the idea of leaving his family without a dad.

Suddenly aware of his own mortality, Cain asks if Kyle would like Moira (Natalie J Robb) to adopt him, but before a blindsided Kyle can give an answer, Sam (James Hooton) appears and interrupts the moment with some terrible news – something is very wrong with Monty.

Rhona (Zoe Henry) examines him and tells the family what they all dread to hear, that the tumour may well have spread.

Cain is adamant that Monty must be saved, particularly as he sees his and Monty’s fate as one and the same, but when he finds the beloved dog sleeping on Zak’s grave, he realises it’s time to let go.

He breaks the news to Kyle and Isaac, then takes Monty off for his final visit to the vets.

Monty is sent off to doggy heaven as Cain and his sons share a moment. Isaac has an idea – Monty must have a proper Dingle send off and they agree to have a funeral for him. Will this sad moment finally spur Cain into action to save himself?

MORE: Desperate Moira issues a plea for Cain amid tragedy in Emmerdale spoiler video

MORE: Emmerdale launches unexpected new spin-off series with first episode imminent

MORE: Death agony triggered as Emmerdale’s Cain takes a violent plunge

You could soon be getting to work or home on a ‘driverless pod’, if a non-profit gets its way.

Hammersmith Bridge in west London has been closed to motor vehicles – including buses – since structural cracks were spotted in 2019. 

And the bridge may stay shut to cars and lorries for quite some time, if recent reports from the council are to be believed.

Officials say that the 138-year-old landmark linking Hammersmith and Barnes needs so much work, it would ‘essentially require’ a new bridge.

But Barnes and Hammersmith Electric Light Transit (BHELT) has a solution – ‘lightweight autonomous electric pods’ shaped like cardboard boxes.

‘The pods are like small trams that run on “virtual tracks”, fixed routes that the onboard AI is trained on, initially with human assistance,’ the community group’s chair, Charles Campion, tells Metro.

What are the pods?

The pods, called the Ohmio AV Shuttle, would be a public transport service.

They don’t have steering wheels or a footbrake and, at most, weigh less than three tonnes, making them light enough to cross the bridge.

Up to 14 people can board the tiny buses – eight seated and six standing – which can race through the city at a whopping 15mph.

There is also space for a wheelchair, which can be brought in by a ramp beneath the pod’s doors.

By using sensors, the driverless vehicle can ‘see’ what’s around it, such as swerving around roadworks or braking when someone crosses the road.

‘They are similar to driverless taxis in that they use a LiDAR technology which sends out and receives back laser pulses to an onboard computer to navigate safely,’ Campion says.

‘They will brake for pedestrians or other vehicles and can manoeuvre around unexpected obstacles without human guidance.’

This same programme would stop more than one pod trundling onto the creaky bridge at the same time, or when they’re too heavy.

‘Relatively low speeds will help to keep the stresses on the fragile structure manageable,’ Campion adds.

Where would the pods go?

The vehicles can’t hit the road yet as they legally need a driver, so, for now, safety drivers have been taking them for a spin using a joystick.

They carried out test drives earlier this month from Barnes to Castelnau to teach the pod’s AI-powered maps to know the route, Campion says.

He suggested the pods could run from Hammersmith transport interchange to the Barnes side of the bridge and to Barnes railway station.

On Instagram, BHELT has asked users to name the pods, suggesting ‘Podri’ in honour of the Spanish football player, Pedro González López.

New research has been published

Summer might be filled with fun, but seasonal aches and pains are leaving Brits struggling, with 51% suffering from headaches, 38% with lower back pain and 30% with leg pain.

This is leaving some unable to work, walk or even get out of bed. The research by Combogesic – an over-the-counter opioid-free pain relief – has also found that 23% are “so desperate” that they have taken prescription painkillers prescribed for someone else.

“Summer brings with it a number of pain traps; we might hurt our shoulders and back from lugging suitcases, experience aching legs from hikes, sore elbows from tennis, aching hips from long car journeys, back pain from gardening and headaches from the heat,” said GP Dr Nisa Aslam.

Five tips to avoid the biggest summer pain culprits

Stretch every day: Just five to 10 minutes could be the difference between feeling achy and stiff and feeling mobile. “Focus on your full body; try some cat-cows, arching and rounding your back in an all-fours position. Then, push hips back to your heels and walk your hands as far forward as you can,” suggested Dr Nisa Aslam.

“Sit on the floor and reach down your straight legs too. This stretches your back and hamstrings.”

Keep hydrated: Dehydration can cause headaches, so it’s wise to sip on water throughout the day. “On hot days, reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake, as this can dehydrate you further,” advised Dr Aslam.

Use a backpack: Shoulder pain from heavy bags is common. “Use backpacks when possible or evenly distribute weight between both shoulders. Avoid carrying really heavy bags on one side of your body for long periods and if you do, take regular stretch breaks,” said Dr Aslam.

Watch your form gardening: If you’re gardening, your body will be bending and twisting, placing strain on the muscles supporting the spine. Try breaking tasks into shorter bursts and rather than bending, squat instead to keep a flat back.

Avoid long periods of sitting: On a long-haul flight or a big day spent at your desk, it’s easy to forget to move. But, long periods sitting can cause tight hips, stiff neck and a strained upper back.

“Get up regularly, for a quick walk or stretch. Fidget and wriggle too as it will stop so much stiffness from developing,” said Dr Aslam. Research has found that movement and exercise can actually reduce pain perception, so you may feel less pain.

While prevention is important, aches and pains can still happen and if they do, go for an over-the-counter opioid free pain relief option for mild to moderate pain.

Liverpool face a crucial few weeks in the transfer window with Andoni Iraola in need of both attacking and defensive reinforcements

Liverpool need to find a replacement for Mohamed Salah and strengthen their defence before the new Premier League season begins. Following a tough campaign under Arne Slot, the Reds switched gears to Andoni Iraola and are aiming for a return to glory.

Iraola’s success at Bournemouth, culminating in the Cherries qualifying for European football for the first time, turned Liverpool heads. Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz have both signed deals at Anfield with Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate all leaving at the end of their contracts.

The Spaniard will be well aware that he still needs positional upgrades before the new season starts, and the wing is a priority. At least two new signings are required if the Reds have any chance of reaching the heights they achieved in Slot’s first season or Klopp’s successful reign.

Here, Mirror Football has detailed exactly what Liverpool should do to end their transfer window in the best way possible.

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Sign a winger

Munoz was brought in for £34.5million last month in a deal structured over six years, amounting to just £5.75m annually. This means there remains a significant war chest to land a marquee winger, which is understood to be the Reds’ biggest priority this summer.

A number of wide players have been touted for a move to Anfield, but Bradley Barcola remains Liverpool’s number one target. The Reds’ bid to land the French international received a timely boost at the weekend when it emerged that Barcola had rejected a fresh contract offer from Paris Saint-Germain.

One stumbling block in securing a deal for the 23-year-old, however, is PSG’s reported £140m asking price, which would set a club record. Liverpool are unwilling to match that figure and will reportedly seek a middle ground, with negotiations between the two sides said to continue this week.

Should they manage to bring him in for a reduced fee, Iraola would have one of the most electrifying attackers in the world at his fingertips. Barcola possesses skill and pace in equal measure, equally capable of leading swift counter-attacks and unpicking stubborn defensive blocks.

His versatility to operate on either flank is an added bonus, affording the Reds boss the flexibility to deploy him on the left or slot him into Salah’s role on the right. Should Liverpool fail to agree a lower price with PSG, however, Chelsea’s Pedro Neto could be a worthy fallback option.

Chelsea are not actively pursuing Neto’s sale but the Portuguese would command a lower fee than Barcola, while still representing a versatile and Premier League-proven addition across the forward line.

Boost the defence

After securing a wide forward, Liverpool must shift their focus to their struggling defence. Even prior to Konate’s departure, the Reds were light at the back, considering Joe Gomez’s persistent time on the sidelines and Giovanni Leoni’s lengthy recovery from an ACL injury.

The situation appears even more problematic now following Gomez’s withdrawal due to injury in the pre-season friendly against Sunderland at the weekend, while new signing Jacquet was omitted as a precaution.

If doubts exist over whether Liverpool possess sufficient depth before the campaign has even started, it suggests something is fundamentally amiss. Iraola acknowledged as much last Monday, when he delivered his second press conference and the opening one of Liverpool’s summer 2026 pre-season tour of the USA.

The manager referenced right-back Conor Bradley’s own rehabilitation from a serious injury and emphasised that, while he views Bradley as the club’s long-term right-back, the club are seeking a “solution” to their centre-back and right-back concerns. As a result, it would be smart to recruit a defender capable of performing both roles to a high standard, as Liverpool’s extensive list of injured defenders continues their recovery.

Pursuing James Hill appears to be the most logical move for Iraola, given the defender flourished under him at Bournemouth last season. Across 29 league outings, Hill proved to be one of the Cherries’ most reliable figures at the back.

While predominantly a centre-back, he made three appearances at right-back – a versatility that suits Liverpool well, given Iraola has identified Bradley as the long-term first choice in that position. Hill registered 11.16 defensive contributions per 90 minutes, won 65.5% of his aerial duels, and came out on top in 63.8% of his overall duels.

No central defender in the league won more aerial duels per 90 minutes than Hill (4.88), and he also showcased an ability to drive the ball in the forward-thinking manner Iraola wants from his defence, crafting an impressive 0.56 chances per 90.

At present, there is virtually no chatter surrounding a potential exit from the Vitality Stadium. But that is precisely something Liverpool ought to change by stepping up their interest.

He would represent a vital addition to the squad, bolstering depth and filling a homegrown slot in the Reds’ domestic and European squads.

With Hill and Barcola brought on board, Liverpool could head into the new season with genuine confidence in a near-unassailable squad – one capable of bouncing back from recent setbacks and striking fear into their rivals.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.