LOS ANGELES (AP) — After the dramatic downfall of Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, the race for California governor is moving on.

Once a leading candidate to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Swalwell suspended his campaign — then announced he would resign from Congress — following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman. A lengthy lineup of remaining candidates is scheduled to gather Tuesday in Sacramento, their first public appearance together since Swalwell’s departure reshaped the wide-open contest.

Meanwhile, lawyers said a woman would detail new allegations of misconduct against Swalwell on Tuesday in Beverly Hills.

In a crowded race with no clear leader in the heavily Democratic state, Swalwell’s exit presents an opportunity for his one-time rivals to pick off former supporters just weeks before mail ballots go to voters in early May. The outcome of the June 2 primary election featuring more than 50 candidates is unpredictable.

Democrats have feared for months that the large field of candidates dividing the vote could result in the party being locked out of the November election, with only Republicans appearing on the general election ballot under a quirk in the state’s election rules.

Republicans, meanwhile, have yet to settle on a preferred candidate. President Donald Trump endorsed conservative commentator Steve Hilton, but Republicans at a state convention did not endorse a candidate for governor, with Hilton splitting support with Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff.

No clear beneficiary with Swalwell out

Swalwell’s decision to suspend his campaign Sunday followed allegations published in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. He remained defiant, saying, “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”

On Monday, he said he planned to resign from Congress but did not provide a date for his departure. He wrote on X that it was unfair for his constituents to have him distracted from his duties. He said he would continue to fight the allegations against him and added, “I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

It’s difficult to predict where Swalwell’s supporters will go, and it’s possible they could scatter across the field of seven established Democrats remaining in the race, with some voters losing interest in the contest.

Swalwell is perhaps best known nationally as a House manager in Trump’s second impeachment trial in early 2021, and he didn’t have strong ties to Democrats across the state outside his San Francisco Bay Area district.

Democrats have been struggling to find traction with voters.

Billionaire hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist Tom Steyer has tapped his personal fortune to blanket media with ads. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is trying for a comeback after he flopped in a 2018 run for governor, and Katie Porter is among the leading Democrats after she fell short in a 2024 run for U.S. Senate.

Porter posted a line from a San Francisco Chronicle column on X saying “Democrats can pull victory from the jaws of defeat by coalescing around Porter.” Steyer said he secured the support of a handful of lawmakers, including Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat whose coastal district runs north of San Francisco, not far from Swalwell’s home turf. Villaraigosa pitched a new ad promising to lower gas and grocery costs in a state known for its punishing cost of living.

While Swalwell has suspended his campaign, his name cannot be removed from the ballot.

“Nobody has really caught fire,” said Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta, who is not involved in the campaign. Swalwell’s supporters “will scatter out to other candidates.”

Many Democrats hoped former Vice President Kamala Harris, or U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, would enter the contest, but they declined.

Lawmakers switch support

In Sacramento, a handful of state lawmakers quickly switched their support from Swalwell to Steyer. Democratic Assemblymember Nick Schultz said he believes Steyer will put in the work to form strong relationships with the legislature. Steyer’s business background — he has never held public office — means he’ll challenge the status quo, Schultz added.

Democratic Assemblymember Corey Jackson — who also shifted to Steyer — said he wanted to back a candidate who had a legitimate chance of winning. He said in a statement that he and Steyer shared a “commitment to building an economy rooted in dignity for working people.”

San Jose’s Democratic Mayor Matt Mahan, running for governor in his first statewide election, sought to distinguish his record from Steyer and Hilton, the Republican candidate known for hosting a show on Fox News for six years.

With Swalwell out, “now we have a field that’s got a billionaire who made his fortune investing in private prisons, ICE facilities, oil and gas companies … and a MAGA-backed TV commentator on the other hand,” Mahan said on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”

“California deserves so much better,” Mahan said.

Swalwell’s swift downfall came amid rising pressure for him to leave Congress. He earlier lost the support of powerful labor unions that had backed his candidacy, along with one-time allies, including California U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez.

A stop site was also set up to target e-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds being driven in illegally in the area and being used for crimes, resulting in three arrests and a number of seizures, including a van with connections to drug dealing which contained nitrous oxide cannisters worth more than £3,000.

Pope Leo XIV, a studious and soft-spoken cleric, and Donald Trump, an unapologetically bellicose and pugilistic politician, have long been on a rhetorical collision course. Now their disagreement over the war in Iran has escalated in spectacular fashion, and their comments show how differently each see the conflict and its impact.

On social media, Trump said Leo was “Weak” and captive to the “Radical Left,” even suggesting that Leo somehow owed his position to Trump. The pope has declared Trump’s threats toward Iran “truly unacceptable” and pointed his flock to Biblical text and church doctrine on war and peace, explaining that his purpose is not about Trump at all.

“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration,” Leo said Monday on the way to Africa, “or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for.”

It’s an unusual spectacle involving the world’s two biggest megaphones, both held by Americans for the first time. Here is how they got to this point.

Before the papacy, Robert Prevost did not mince words

WHAT HE SAID: When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the future pope was a bishop in Peru. He did not shy away from assigning clear blame to Moscow. On a Peruvian show “Weekly Expression,” Prevost described an “imperialist invasion in which Russia wants to conquer territory for reasons of power given Ukraine’s strategic location.”

The clip resurfaced in Italian media soon after he was elected pope on May 8, 2025.

In early 2025, then-Cardinal Prevost used social media to share a news analyses that criticized U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a converted Catholic, for justifying harsh immigration policy by arguing that Christianity sets a pecking order of caring for others, putting one’s family, immediate community and fellow citizens above foreigners.

“JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” read the headline that the future pope shared.

CONTEXT AND WHY IT MATTERS: Catholic bishops comment often in their local media, and some achieve considerable influence. But they vary widely in how detailed they are about public policy and politics. Many stick to broad statements about church doctrine and values and avoid taking stands at odds with individual politicians. With his comments in Peru and then his rare retweet as a cardinal in Rome, Prevost showed he kept abreast of world affairs and was willing to be quite direct in his critiques.

Trump celebrated the ‘Great Honor’ of Pope Leo’s election

WHAT HE SAID: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump posted on Truth Social on May 8, 2025. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Trump later said at the White House that “we were a little bit surprised and very happy” with Leo’s election.

By Monday, he was using Truth Social to take credit for Leo’s election: “He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Trump sees Leo in terms of nationalistic pride and loyalty. The immediate look toward meeting Leo (something that still hasn’t happened) reflected his typical embrace of power and celebrity, even when it isn’t a natural political fit. Further, Trump’s takes do not reflect any nuance about Leo’s origins or the Vatican’s relationship with the U.S.

The College of Cardinals historically has viewed the U.S. with some skepticism — specifically because of how Washington’s military and economic policy have affected the world, especially poor nations, and with a general reluctance to grant the papacy to someone from the world’s preeminent superpower.

Leo grew up, was educated and then ordained in the States but spent decades as a church leader elsewhere, including in poor areas of South America. “He was the least American of the Americans,” said Steven Millies, a professor at Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union, where a young Leo earned his master of divinity.

From the start, Pope Leo reflected church teachings on war and peace

WHAT HE SAID: “Peace with you all … the first greeting of the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who gave his life for the flock of God.”

Those were Leo’s first words from the balcony of St. Peters. When he returned to the loggia for his first Sunday blessing, he addressed the Russian war on Ukraine and violence between Israel and Gaza, decrying a “third world war in pieces.” The following Monday, Leo opened an audience with journalists by quoting Jesus. “In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’” the pontiff said.

WHY IT MATTERS: Leo’s earliest statements all emphasized “peace” as a central message of Jesus — and previewed a likely theme of his papacy. Adding mentions of Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Palestine affirmed his willingness to go beyond theory and apply doctrine to what’s happening to people around the world.

The pope was careful about any US branding

WHAT HE SAID: Just as important as the words of his opening papal statements on peace were the languages the polyglot Leo used: None of them were English.

At his introduction to the world from St. Peter’s Square, Leo opened in Italian and then used Spanish to address Peruvian Catholics and citizens where he’d served. Leo’s Sunday blessing was in Italian. He briefly greeted the journalist assembly in English, with the obvious inflection of a Chicago native, but then quickly transitioned to Italian for his remarks. Even in recent encounters with reporters, Leo has opened in Italian before then answering in English.

WHY IT MATTERS: Latin and Italian are the official languages of the Vatican so it’s no surprise that Leo speaks the local vernacular. But it’s a conscious choice for the polyglot Leo to use his fluent Italian and Spanish. It underscores that he’s the leader of a global institution with 1.4 billion followers.

“He doesn’t want to be perceived, I think, as coming from the American side or as relying on his authority as American,” said Catholic University professor William Barbieri. “He wants to speak in the name of the church.”

Holy Week and Easter revealed a chasm

WHAT THEY SAID: Trump escalated threats to Iran around Easter, when Christians celebrate the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Leo used his Palm Sunday message to call Jesus the “King of Peace” and say God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”

Trump welcomed conservative religious leaders to the White House for a Holy Week observance. His spiritual adviser Paula White compared the president to Jesus, saying they’re both persecuted figures who endured.

In Rome, Leo washed the feet of others, as the story of the Last Supper records Jesus doing for his disciples. Speaking to reporters, Leo named Trump directly for the first time and said he hoped the president would seek an “off-ramp” in Iran. On Easter, Trump threatened widespread bombing of Iran’s civilian infrastructure and eradication of a “whole civilization.” Leo called that threat “truly unacceptable.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Their starkly different viewpoints and personalities, combined with the gravity of the Iran war, finally stripped away any pretense or possibility that Trump and Leo could avoid engaging directly.

Trump is still treating Pope Leo as a domestic political rival

WHAT THEY SAID: In Trump’s post Sunday blasting Leo as “weak,” among other things, the president said, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.” He added that Leo should “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”

Leo, meanwhile, said again that he’s not speaking as a politician.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal flight to Algeria. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”

WHY IT MATTERS: It’s all a rare exercise for the papacy, whose occupants often comment on global affairs without specifically naming secular politicians. And while Trump routinely lashes out at anyone he perceives as an enemy, these dynamics are uncommon for the president, too: This time, Trump is picking a fight with someone who does not accept the president’s terms and faces no measurable political pressure to do so.

The U.S. military says it carried out another strike Monday, killing two people on a boat accused of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific.

The campaign against alleged drug vessels in Latin American waters, which has now persisted for over seven months, continues despite the U.S. military’s six-week focus on the Iran war.

It was the second consecutive day the U.S. Southern Command reported a strike.

A Sunday announcement detailed two boats destroyed Saturday in the eastern Pacific, killing five, with one survivor whose fate remains unclear.

Monday’s incident brings the death toll from the strikes to at least 170 since the effort began in early September.

This predates the January U.S. raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces drug trafficking charges in New York and has pleaded not guilty.

U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs.

It posted a video on X showing a small boat floating in the water before a huge blast hit it and smoke was seen pouring from the vessel.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives.

But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Trump on Monday appeared to reference the tactic of boat strikes in Latin America while issuing new threats against Tehran as a blockade of Iranian ports took effect.

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The standoff between the United States and Iran deepened Tuesday as the U.S. declared it had blockaded Iran’s ports, Tehran threatened to strike targets across the region, and Pakistan said it was racing to bring the sides together for more talks.

Though last week’s ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities and deepening the region-wide war’s economic fallout.

Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — failed to produce an agreement last weekend, though Pakistan has proposed hosting a second round in the coming days.

Two Pakistani officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter with the media, said that the first talks were part of an ongoing diplomatic process rather than a one-off effort.

Two U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations, said on Monday that discussions were still underway about a new round of talks. They said that the venue, timing and composition of the delegations hadn’t been decided, but that talks could happen Thursday.

The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as a great deal of shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,000 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Blockade takes effect

The U.S. military said on Monday that the blockade applied to vessels going to and from Iranian ports. The blockade could restrict the passage of the few ships that Tehran considers friendly, which have been permitted to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran has curtailed maritime traffic since the start of the war.

Most commercial vessels have avoided the waterway amid Iranian threats, apart from the few allowed to pass through lanes between Iran’s islands and coastline.

Both the nature of enforcement and the extent to which ships will comply remained unclear during its first full day in effect on Tuesday. But there were early signs of hesitation — at least two tankers approaching the strait on Monday turned around shortly after it took effect, vessel tracker MarineTraffic said in a Monday post on X.

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil, mostly to Asia, since the war began. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits that evade sanctions and oversight, providing cash flow that’s been vital to keeping Iran running.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said that Iran’s control of the strait amounted to blackmail and extortion as the U.S. blockade took effect. He said in a social media post that Iran’s navy had been “completely obliterated,” but still had “fast attack ships.”

He warned that “if any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

Iran threatened to retaliate against Persian Gulf ports if attacked.

“If you fight, we will fight,” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a statement addressed to Trump.

Israel and Lebanon scheduled for talks

Meanwhile, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon were set to begin in Washington on Tuesday, the first such negotiations in decades.

Israel has pressed ahead with its air and ground campaign since last week’s ceasefire in Iran, insisting that it doesn’t apply to fighting in Lebanon. It has, however, halted strikes in the country’s capital since April 8, after a deadly bombardment that hit several crowded commercial and residential areas in central Beirut. It sparked an international outcry and threats by Iran that it would end the ceasefire.

After more than a year of near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon, Israel escalated its offensive in the early days of the war following Hezbollah launching rockets into Israel. The fighting has carved a path of destruction from agricultural towns near the border to Beirut, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing in excess of 1 million others, according to Lebanese authorities.

The talks are expected to be preliminary, focused on setting parameters rather than resolving core issues. Lebanese officials have pushed for a ceasefire, while Israel has framed the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a potential peace deal, without publicly committing to halting hostilities or withdrawing its forces.

Israel wants Lebanon’s government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades and said on Monday that it won’t abide by any agreements that may result from the talks.

___

Sam Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee in Washington, and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations, contributed to this report.

What Atletico manager Simeone sold him was a football project that had the striker at the centre of it. Alvarez wanted to feel wanted.

“He told me I could give the club something huge,” he recalls. “That I’d have the space and the opportunity to be my best version.”

The Argentines already at the club helped too – De Paul, Griezmann’s warmth, the Spanish language, a culture that felt closer to home than Paris or Manchester ever could.

In August 2024, Atletico Madrid confirmed the deal – 95m euros (£81.5m), a club record received by City, and a six-year contract. The club announced it with a Spiderman video and Alvarez loved it.

Ask him about the price tag and he almost looks confused by the question.

“It’s more something that gets talked about in the media,” he said. “In the dressing room I’m just one of the group. I like being treated that way.”

His father worked in a cereal factory in Calchin. His mother was a schoolteacher. He grew up knowing that you have to earn respect, or reputation. He is still the same person. It shows on the pitch too – the World Cup winner who sprints back to win the ball, who presses from the front. Simeone rarely singles out individuals, but with Alvarez, he makes exceptions.

Across two seasons in red and white, he has made 102 appearances and scored 47 goals, numbers that tell only part of the story.

His time at Atletico has not been without frustration. In La Liga this season, the numbers have been modest – eight goals in 29 appearances, and just one in 2026.

His strike against Oviedo at the end of February ended a run of 14 league games without a goal, his previous one coming against Sevilla on 1 November. But the Champions League has been a different story, bringing nine goals in 12 appearances this season.

Irish musician and Clannad lead singer Moya Brennan has died, aged 73.

The folk star, often hailed as the First Lady of Celtic Music, was best known as part of the Irish family band, which began performing in 1970 and went on to win a Bafta and a Grammy for their traditional albums.

According to RTÉ, Brennan died peacefully on Monday (13 April) while surrounded by family. She is survived by her husband, Tim Jarvis, and their two children, Aisling and Paul.

Brennan shared in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease characterised by irreversible scarring. The condition affected her breathing and meant that she had to rephrase some of her songs, however, she continued to sing – touring and writing music with Aisling and Paul.

The Irish folk singer, who was born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin, grew up in Gweedore – a remote Irish-speaking parish in County Donegal, Ireland. The eldest of nine children, Brennan formed the band Clannad with her brothers, Pól and Ciarán, and their mother’s twin brothers, Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin, in 1970.

They were joined in 1980 by Brennan’s sister Eithne – who left two years later to become international sensation Enya – as well as siblings Brídín and Deirdre.

The group became one of Ireland’s biggest folk exports, becoming known worldwide after creating the theme for ITV’s 1982 drama Harry’s Game, set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The track reached No 5 in the UK Singles Chart that same year and went to number two in Ireland.

They provided the soundtrack for a number of TV series, winning a Bafta Award for Best Television Music in 1984 for ITV’s Robin of Sherwood. Clannad also picked up a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album after releasing Landmarks in 1999, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Brennan was the band’s lead singer for over 50 years before leaving in 2024, but she also embarked on a successful a solo career during that time, releasing album Máire in 1992.

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She later featured on the soundtrack for 2004 film King Arthur, co-writing the title theme with Hans Zimmer, as well as music for 1997 blockbuster Titanic and Robert Carlyle film To End All Wars (2001). Brennan sold over 20 million records throughout her career and released 25 albums.

Brennan and her family band Clannad are often credited for introducing the Irish language into mainstream music culture, having collaborated with Mick Jagger, Bono and Paul Young among other stars.

Paying tribute to Brennan on BBC Radio Foyle, County Donegal singer Daniel O’Donnell said that she “never forgot her roots”.

“She loved the music, and she loved to see people doing well. Especially in these last few years, she loved giving young singers a chance – that was her focus,” he added.

“Everyone around here loved her, and when you met her, she had a great peace about her.”

A simple but full-flavoured dish to wake up the taste buds, with sweet-sharp citrus and a punchy dressing that’s hot, sour, salty and sweet all at the same time.

Grapefruit can also be used in this salad instead of blood oranges.

Hold on to the recipe for the Thai nam jim dressing here – it’s good for spooning over roast or griddled fish as well.

Emergency services were called to the road at around 2.50pm and the road was taped off, with police and the ambulance service in attendance.

A police cordon was put in place and the road was closed as emergency services dealt with the incident.

Greater Manchester Police has now confirmed that a cyclist died after suffering a suspected medical episode.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We were called at around 2:50pm yesterday to Chorley Road, Blackrod – a cyclist sadly died following a suspected medical episode.”

The road was partially closed until just after 6pm.

Liverpool will be aiming to stage a miraculous comeback when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at Anfield on Tuesday night

Liverpool could be missing five players for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds welcome PSG aiming to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg in Paris.

Arne Slot’s side were defeated convincingly five days ago and the margin could have been greater had PSG shown more ruthlessness, having registered 18 shots, six on target, four big chances and generating 2.35 expected goals (xG). Nevertheless, the Reds managed to emerge from the first leg at Parc des Princes trailing by just 2-0 with Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia netting either side of the interval for the hosts.

It still provides them with a genuine opportunity of advancing beyond PSG and reaching the Champions League semi-final for the first time in four years. But Slot is anticipated to be without at least four players for the fixture at Anfield, with Alisson Becker, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley still sidelined.

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READ MORE: ‘Mo Salah is an easy scapegoat!’ – Egyptian media tears into Arne Slot’s Liverpool decisionREAD MORE: Virgil van Dijk sends ‘most important’ message to Liverpool fans ahead of PSG showdown

Alisson picked up a fresh injury blow before the March international break and Slot confirmed last week that the Brazilian won’t make his comeback until the closing stages of the campaign. There is optimism that he could feature in the trip to Manchester United at the beginning of next month.

Endo’s season was brought to a premature end after he sustained a season-ending foot injury in the victory over Sunderland in February. The Japanese, though, is aiming for a comeback ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Leoni damaged his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) on his debut against Southampton in September 2025 and is expected to be sidelined until the beginning of next campaign. Bradley is another long-term casualty after picking up a significant knee issue in the goalless stalemate at Arsenal back in January.

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Curtis Jones is the fifth Liverpool player who could be ruled out of the PSG second leg after the midfielder picked up a muscle problem in the 2-0 victory over Fulham on Sunday. He went down off the ball late in the opening period and was observed clutching his groin before being substituted by Ryan Gravenberch.

Slot provided a concerning update when discussing Jones post-Fulham, stating he doesn’t believe the midfielder is going to be fit to face PSG. He told Sky Sports: “He felt a little bit in his groin. It wasn’t a moment, he felt it already for a few minutes. Let’s hope for the best, but I would be surprised if he is available for Tuesday.”

However, Jones was seen training with his team-mates ahead of the fixture in a significant boost for the Reds. He was among those going through their routines at the AXA Training Centre on Monday lunchtime.

PSG, meanwhile, have received a welcome injury boost ahead of the second leg, with Bradley Barcola returning to the squad. The French international had been ruled out for a month after sustaining a severe ankle ligament sprain during the Champions League last 16 second leg at Chelsea.

Barcola, who has missed PSG’s last three fixtures as well as France’s friendlies in the United States against Brazil and Colombia, has been included in the travelling party for PSG’s visit to Merseyside.

However, Fabian Ruiz and Quentin Ndjantou remain sidelined, bringing the total number of potential absentees across both sides to seven. “The good news is that Fabian (Ruiz) is on ‌the mend and ⁠training with the team,” PSG boss Luis Enrique revealed in his pre-match press conference, as he provided an update on Ruiz’s fitness.

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