^ ^ Wayne Rooney disagrees with Rio Ferdinand over ‘uncomfortable’ Man City punishment

Rooney and Ferdinand won five league titles together (Picture: EMPICS Sport)

Wayne Rooney says he would be uncomfortable accepting a Premier League winners’ medal were Manchester City to be stripped of their titles.

City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges made against them by the Premier League last week and face a number of sanctions, ranging from huge fines, points deductions and even expulsion from the league.

United finished second behind City in two of the league seasons during the period in which City have been investigated – 2011/12 under Sir Alex Ferguson and again in 2017/18 with Jose Mourinho at the helm.

Rio Ferdinand, part of that 2011/12 squad that missed out on the final day of the season, has called for another league winners’ medal to be added to his collection while David de Gea has also questioned whether he is owed two more.

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While Rooney believes the right move now is for City to be relegated from the top flight, the former United skipper does not see sense in the titles they won retrospectively handed to other teams.

United had an eight point lead at the summit of the league with just six games remaining during the back-end of the 2011-12 season. But costly defeats to City and Wigan and a 4-4 draw with Everton having led 4-2 blew them off course.

‘I have heard Rio has come out saying about getting another Premier League medal… I wouldn’t really feel comfortable accepting another Premier League medal, if I’m being honest,’ he said on Stick To United. 

United won their last title in 2012-13 (Picture: Manchester United FC)

‘I don’t think we deserve it, we didn’t do enough that season to win the league. I think we were six or seven points clear with four or five games to go and we threw it away.

‘I’ve seen everything that has come out over the past few days and listening to people and I was putting myself in a Man City player’s shoes… they’re players, they’re doing everything they can to try and win the Premier League title and in their mind they have done it, if those players have no understanding of what is going on above them, if that happened to me… I would be absolutely devastated.

‘It might happen, they might take them [medals] away, but I wouldn’t want it [a medal] because I don’t think as a team we deserved it that year because obviously we didn’t finish first. 

‘So when I see team-mates saying “I want a medal”, I’m happy with the five I’ve won. I wouldn’t want this one. Should they get it stripped for what the owners have done? Yeah maybe, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting it.’   

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^ ^ Man Utd organise behind-closed-doors friendly for Michael Carrick’s struggling side

Michael Carrick is trying to keep his squad match sharp during the international break (Picture: Getty Images)

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick is looking to keep his squad match sharp during the international break, with a behind-closed-doors friendly later this week.

A lot of Red Devils stars are on duty with their countries during this epic international break, with Manchester United’s next fixture still 11 days away on October 10.

However, there are still plenty with the club and training at Carrington as they prepare for a huge clash with Tottenham in their next outing.

United’s English stars are all with the club after Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from Thomas Tuchel’s squad and the likes of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were not selected.

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The players Carrick has available to him will be involved in a friendly later this week against another club that Jim Ratcliffe is involved with.

The Telegraph reports that United will play Swiss side Lausanne-Sport, a club that was bought by Ineos in 2017.

Lausanne are currently bottom of the Swiss Super League with just one win in their opening nine games and seven goals scored in that time.

Harry Maguire is one of the Red Devils stars not involved with his country (Picture: PA Wire)

Both clubs will be hoping that a friendly contest will spark something in their form as the Red Devils have also had a very disappointing start to the campaign.

Carrick’s team has won just one of their first five Premier League games and has been dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton, letting slip a two-goal lead against the Seagulls to lose 3-2.

Their league form has been concerning as the only victory has come against Ipswich Town, while they have been beaten by Hull City and dropped points against Everton and Fulham.

Manchester United were heavily criticised for their performance in a 1-1 draw at Fulham (Picture: Getty Images)

A loss to Manchester City is no disgrace, but given the match at Old Trafford saw Phil Foden shown a red card after just 23 minutes, it was a very frustrating defeat.

Frustrations were only increased by Erling Haaland’s winning goal proving to be incorrectly given by VAR when it should have been ruled out.

Manchester United’s early season struggles see them sitting 12th in the Premier League table and pressure already mounting on Carrick.

The Red Devils have an extremely busy October ahead of them, despite their first match of the month not being until that clash with Tottenham on the 10th.

Before the end of the month, United then face Atletico Madrid, Leeds United, Como, Bournemouth and Chelsea.

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^ ^ Patrick Dorgu injury labelled ‘annoying’ as Denmark star returns to Manchester United

Patrick Dorgu is the latest injury concern at Manchester United (Picture: Shutterstock)

Manchester United’s Patrick Dorgu will return to the club after limping out of Denmark’s win over Wales in the Nations League on Sunday.

The 21-year-old started the 2-0 win for the Danes in Copenhagen but lasted just 30 minutes before going down and being substituted.

It was a non-contact injury and Dorgu appeared to be feeling at his hamstring as he sat on the turf.

The severity of the injury is not yet clear, but there will be great concern for the versatile full-back and winger who missed a substantial amount of last season due to a hamstring problem.

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Dorgu sat out from late January to late April with the injury and will be desperate to avoid a similar absence due to the latest problem.

Denmark manager Brian Riemer was left very frustrated by the ‘annoying’ situation as Dorgu and Hamburg’s Albert Grønbæk are now both unavailable due to injuries.

‘I’ve never experienced anything like it. I’d like to be allowed to say that. And now another one went today – also a good one,’ said Riemer.

Dorgu went down without any contact, sparking concerns (Picture: Shutterstock)

‘I counted up, and that was seven or eight players before today who would normally always be in a squad of 23. They’re not here. They’ve either gone home or never came at all.

‘And now Dorgu went out today. And it’s just really annoying to be honest.

‘I have to call up one more winger. It’s easy to find a player who can be a winger, a full-back or something else, but it’s even harder to find someone who can cover more positions.

‘So it’s going to be a bit of a headache for me. I have to figure out whether we should call up one or two.’

Manchester United are next in action on October 10 against Tottenham, but Dorgu’s involvement is now in serious doubt.

He will also be disappointed to miss Denmark’s meeting with Portugal on Thursday and another clash with Wales on Sunday.

Bruno Fernandes missed Portugal’s game against Norway on Sunday (Picture: Getty Images)

There was also concern at Old Trafford over Bruno Fernandes during this international break, with the Red Devils captain sitting out of Portugal’s win over Norway on Sunday.

However, manager Jorge Jesus suggested he would be back for the meeting with Denmark this week.

‘He played with an injury he brought from Manchester United. He really wanted to play against Wales,’ Jesus said on Saturday. He wasn’t at his usual level, we’ll see if he’s ready.

‘He said he’s been dealing with that pain for about three games, and that was one of the factors that prevented him from being at his usual level against Wales.

‘He was my player [at Sporting], I know him perfectly. I’ve already spoken to him. I prefer not to risk him in this game and have him clean and in good physical condition for the Denmark game.’

Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both pulled out of the England squad during this international break, although their issues are not thought to be serious.

Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko withdrew from international action as well with an ongoing shin injury.

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^ ^ Thomas Tuchel risks angering Premier League managers with ‘madness’ comment

Thomas Tuchel does not have much sympathy for club bosses (Picture: Getty Images)

England manager Thomas Tuchel says he does not take calls from Premier League bosses who are hoping he rests their players, saying it would be ‘madness’ to do so.

The new-look international schedule this season sees the Three Lions play four matches in this current break from Premier League action.

They began with defeat to Spain on Saturday, then play Czech Republic on Tuesday, before taking on Croatia this coming Saturday and the Czechs again next Tuesday.

It is a busy time and comes after a long World Cup over the summer, which saw pre-seasons cut short and players starting their league campaigns with little rest.

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Understandably there will be plenty of club managers hoping that their players are not involved in all four games over the international break, but Tuchel says their feelings are not his concern.

The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss says he never contacted an international manager to make a request for a player and he does not intend to take any calls in his current position.

‘I don’t take calls from Premier League managers. I never called any national team coach. It is what it is,’ said the England boss.

Harry Kane rarely misses an England game (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I cannot manage the players. It’s just impossible. I knew as a club coach, when I was on the other side, that I had this example many times.

‘If I would call a coach in Brazil or Argentina, they would not know what I am talking about. The players would not know what I am talking about.

‘So why would I do this and start giving the players the impression that it’s okay to take a step back or share a half or to rest one match? Why would I? I would never. It’s madness. We want to win the next match.’

There were a number of withdrawals from Tuchel’s squad for this set of Nations League matches, with the manager warning those that miss a lot of international action, that their chances of returning will diminish.

Cole Palmer was left out of the World Cup squad over the summer and pulled out of the current squad, with Tuchel saying the Chelsea star has missed an opportunity.

Cole Palmer has started the season in good form but pulled out of the England squad (Picture: REUTERS)

‘For sure it’s a missed opportunity,’ said Tuchel. ‘It’s another missed opportunity. He misses too many opportunities, and I don’t blame him for it. It’s just the fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries and I only want to rely on what I personally witness and what I see within my team, and for that you have to be in camp.

‘If you’re not in camp, there’s a next level to impress that you cannot achieve because you only can do it when you’re actually with me on the pitch and with us on the pitch so, yeah, it is a missed opportunity.

‘My understanding is that he plays with discomfort and pain, and he cannot compete on the highest level with discomfort and pain, so he withdrew and informed us and Chelsea informed us. That is my that is my understanding.’

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^ ^ Injury concern for Arsenal star after ‘cowardly’ tackle from Bernardo Silva

Norway and Arsenal star Martin Odegaard was visibly struggling after the late tackle from Bernardo Silva (Picture: Reuters)

An irate Martin Odegaard was seen hobbling out of the stadium after he was on the receiving end of a woeful challenge from Bernardo Silva in Norway’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal.

Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos scored either side of Erling Haaland’s 51st-minute strike to maintain Portugal’s 100 per cent record in this year’s Nations League on Sunday night.

Having beaten Wales 1-0 in their opening clash, the Portuguese sit top of Group A4 ahead of their trip to Copenhagen to lock horns with Denmark on Thursday.

However, much of the talk after Portugal’s latest victory surrounded Silva’s poorly timed tackle on Arsenal captain Odegaard in the dying moments of stoppage time at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium.

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After picking up possession deep inside Norway’s half, Odegaard found Andreas Schjelderup from the edge of his own penalty area before taking a nasty blow to the ankle from former Manchester City midfielder Silva.

Silva, who joined Real Madrid in the summer, played on as if nothing had happened, but Norway’s skipper was visibly livid with the late challenge, appearing to mouth, ‘F*** you!’ to his opposite number when they came face to face.

The usually calm and collected Odegaard continued his furious protestations long after the incident and it was clear he was struggling as the minutes ticked down in the Norwegian capital.

pic.twitter.com/Bn9dgaunz6

— Siuuuuuu (@ballknowersiuuu) September 27, 2026

🚨🗣️| Ødegaard to Bernardo Silva after Bernardo kicked him in the final moments of Norway vs. Portugal:

“F*ck you… f*ck you!” 🤬 pic.twitter.com/0FYYlgVO4c

— Kalshi FC (@KalshiFC) September 27, 2026

Odegaard was later seen limping his way through the mixed zone towards the home team’s coach, pictures that will no doubt be a concern to fans of both Norway and Arsenal.

‘He just kicked me down long after I had played the ball away,’ Odegaard told Norwegian television channel TV2 when asked about the incident.

‘I didn’t understand what he was talking about.’

He continued: ‘It doesn’t belong on a football field. It’s a shame that people do that.’

Asked what he had said to Silva in the immediate aftermath, Odegaard tellingly replied: ‘I don’t think we should do that on TV.’

Martin Ødegaard limping as he leaves after the match pic.twitter.com/5u5yXlZUlm

— ØnlyØdegaard (@OnlyOdegaard) September 27, 2026

He later added: ‘I got a knock on my ankle. It probably won’t be good tonight.

‘But I’m betting it will be fine in the next few days.’

Norway defender Leo Ostigard was similarly unimpressed with the ‘ugly’ challenge, which he suggested ‘looked quite deliberate’ from where he was standing.

‘It’s very late. When you see it afterwards on video, it’s very ugly,’ he told reporters.

Ramos scored what proved to be the decisive goal in Oslo
(Picture: Ane Frosaker/SPP/Shutterstock)

Haaland and Co will look to return to winning ways against Wales in midweek (Picture: Getty)

‘It could well have been red. It’s terribly ugly. It’s just terribly bad.’

The centre-back, who plays his club football for Genoa in Italy, added: ‘These are the kinds of things we don’t want happening to our captain.

‘When it comes so long after, it looks quite deliberate.

‘Last year he was unlucky with a lot of injuries and he can’t do anything about those things.

‘They’re going to take him because he’s got the ball a lot in the middle there. Of course they’re frustrated, but you can’t do that.’

🎥 Bernardo Silva’s response when asked what Martin Ødegaard said to him after the tackle:

“It’s football, my friend.” 😌 pic.twitter.com/aN5U7VHY32

— TrueAFCNews (@TrueAFCNews) September 27, 2026

Silva appeared less than sympathetic when asked about Odegaard’s reaction to the tackle in the mixed zone, bluntly responding: ‘It’s football, my friend.’

Arsenal supporters were, unsurprisingly, angry and upset with Silva’s tackle and post-match remarks, with one fan account on X writing: This coward has been part of a cheating culture his whole career. Have you ever seen Odegaard like this?’

Arsenal reporter Charles Watts, meanwhile, tweeted: ‘You never see Odegaard this angry.

‘He knows full well Bernardo has gone out purely to hurt him. Understandably furious.’

Odegaard will hope to shake off any injury concerns ahead of Norway’s next Nations League contest away to Wales on Thursday.

Stale Solbakken’s men have picked up three points from their first two matches after defeating Denmark 3-2 in their opening encounter.

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^ ^ Roy Keane takes swipe at former Man City star for defending ‘cheating’

Rodri’s comments did not sit well with Roy Keane (Picture: ITV)

Roy Keane was not on board with former Manchester City star Rodri after the midfielder insisted the club deserved all its success and it cannot be taken from them.

Manchester City have been found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges leveled at them for breaking Premier League financial rules.

City were initially charged in February 2023 with breaching financial regulations over nine years from 2009 to 2018.

What punishment is to come is still unclear, with the club still insisting they are innocent and there is much of the Premier League’s process still to run, including an appeal process.

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Rodri, who won four Premier League titles with Manchester City from 2021-24, captained Spain against England at Wembley on Saturday and gave his view on the situation.

‘What we did, they cannot take out of us. It’s something that is not paid by money. It’s paid with effort, with partnership, with, being shoulder-to-shoulder every day,’ he said in a pre-match press conference.

‘We had a lot of success and I can tell you that everything was deserved, and I’m glad that I could live one of the best eras of English football in here.

Rodri is still backing his former club, having left for Barcelona in the summer (Picture: Shutterstock)

‘Everyone has to follow the rules, that’s great and they always express the confidence that they never did something wrong, and we believe in that.’

Former Manchester United captain, Keane, did not echo those sentiments and feels Manchester City now need to take their punishment, if indeed the guilty verdict stands.

‘It’s about time. It has obviously been going on a long time now,’ Keane said on ITV. ‘I certainly would disagree with Rodri’s messages there. It was their choice, the club. They chose to cheat.

‘Whatever they have won over the last few years, they deserve to be punished. Where we start and finish with that obviously is difficult but they were cheating. They’ve been found guilty of it and they have to take their medicine now.

‘It was a shock to be found guilty of, is it 114 charges they were found guilty of? Big news.’

Rodri won four Premier League titles on the spin with City (Picture: Reuters)

Arsenal legend Ian Wright also had little sympathy for Rodri’s viewpoint and, although he accepts no one can take the experiences away from the Manchester City players, the accolades could be stripped.

‘He’s talking about what he’s done, he went shoulder-to-shoulder with the guys and of course you can’t take that away from them, they experienced that,’ said Wright. ;But they should take it way from them, they should be punished for it.

‘They may be able to experience those memories and great times together, but when you look at the teams that were trying to chase them, who were doing it right, its not right!

‘What have we taken from Liverpool’s legacy? [Jurgen] Klopp and that team. What could they have experienced?

‘They cheated to get it done and people have missed out on that, players have missed out on unbelievable opportunities for themselves. I’m glad we’ve finally got there.’

City won three titles during the period in question (Picture: AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

In terms of the most likely punishment for Manchester City, football finance expert Kieran Maguire suggests a points deduction is expected.

‘There is no doubt a points deduction would be the most likely outcome in the view of many,’ Maguire told TalkTV.

‘We have seen points deductions before for Nottingham Forest and Everton for breach of the financial limit rules. So that is feasible. There is a separate issue of whether clubs who have missed out on titles, could they put in for financial compensation for not getting into Europe and loss of prize money.’

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