29/04/2026
Liverpool expect Mohamed Salah to play again for the club before he leaves at the end of the season.
The Reds issued an update on Salah's condition after he went off with a hamstring injury in the 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.
There had been fears the Egyptian star's Liverpool career was over, with just four games remaining prior to his departure at the end of the campaign.
But the club confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that his injury problem was 'minor' and they anticipate the 33-year-old will feature before he leaves after nine years at Anfield.
'Liverpool FC can confirm Mohamed Salah is expected to be available to play again before the end of this season,' Liverpool said.
'The No 11 was substituted during the second half of last Saturday’s Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Anfield.
'The issue that caused his withdrawal has now been confirmed as a minor muscle injury. It is, however, anticipated Salah will return to action ahead of 2025-26’s conclusion and his departure from the Reds this summer.'
Egypt national team director Ibrahim Hassan had claimed Salah suffered a tear of his hamstring in the win against Palace, which would have denied him a proper on-the-field farewell.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot also admitted he was concerned Salah could have made his last appearance for the club.
'We don't know. That is the best answer I can give,' Slot said.
'There might be a chance but we simply don't know. What we do know is that the season is over in four or five weeks so there are not a lot of games and we have to wait and see how.
'But Mo has taken such good care of his body all these years that he will have the minimum time required to recover. Let's hope for the best.'
The news is a boost for Liverpool in their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League. The Reds sit fourth in the table, eight points clear of Brighton in sixth.
They face Manchester United and Aston Villa away from home and host Chelsea and Brentford in their last four matches of the season - although it seems unlikely he will be available for the trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.
27/04/2026
Bruno Fernandes (70 goals, 70 assists) now has as many Premier League goal involvements for Manchester United (140) as Cristiano Ronaldo (103 goals, 37 assists) as MU solidifying their place in top 4.
2025/2026 Premier League
2 - 1
Casemiro (11')
Benjamin Sesko (43')
Mathias Jensen (87')
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
6' Match Event for Man Utd vs Brentford
11' GOAL! Man Utd 1-0 Brentford (Casemiro)
16' Match Event for Man Utd vs Brentford
23' Match Event for Man Utd vs Brentford
31' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
35' Match Event for Man Utd vs Brentford
37' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
40' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
43' GOAL! Man Utd 2-0 Brentford (Benjamin Sesko)
55' Match Event for Man Utd vs Brentford
68' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
71' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
74' Highlight from Man Utd vs Brentford
77' Match Event for Man Utd vs Brentford
88' GOAL! Man Utd 2-1 Brentford
Line-ups
Man Utd XI: Casemiro, Maguire, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot, Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens, Benjamin Sesko, Amad Diallo Traore, Mainoo, Ayden Heaven
Subs: Mount, Mazraoui, Altay Bayındır, Ugarte, Malacia, Zirkzee, Yoro, Patrick Dorgu, Shea Lacey
Brentford XI: Kelleher, Mathias Jensen, Mikkel Damsgaard, Van den Berg, Keane Lewis-Potter, Nathan Collins, Kevin Schade, Igor Thiago, Yegor Yarmolyuk, Dango Ouattara, Michael Kayode
Subs: Kristoffer Ajer, J. Dasilva, Nelson, Ethan Pinnock, Hákon Valdimarsson, Aaron Hickey, Kaye Furo, Romelle Donovan, Ollie Shield
26/04/2026
Michael Carrick believes Bruno Fernandes is revelling in being able to play with freedom at Manchester United.
United have enjoyed a major uptick in form since Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January, jumping up to third in the Premier League, with Fernandes a key player in that.
With five games remaining, Fernandes is seemingly on course to break the Premier League single-season assist record, sitting two behind Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne on the list (20).
He has provided 10 of those since Carrick's first game in charge, and the interim head coach says he is not surprised by the United captain's impact.
"I think giving Bruno the platform to go and perform [has helped him]," Carrick said.
"I think we're trying to create the structure and a team set-up, to try to bring out the best of everyone within that. But I like seeing Bruno in attacking positions with a little bit of freedom.
"He obviously plays for the team, and he has a big responsibility within that, and I thought he did that ever so well on Saturday [against Chelsea], without the ball, and the defensive work that he did.
"I've known Bruno a long time and worked with him when he was here, when he came to the club, so again, it hasn't surprised me. I knew exactly what he could bring."
Brentford will also be continuing their European push.
They have drawn their last five matches, but sit ninth in the table, and a win on Monday would see them leapfrog Brighton into sixth.
Brentford have not won at Old Trafford since their return to the Premier League, but Keith Andrews is prepared to attack the challenge and change their fortunes.
"It is a special place to play football, for sure, and a special place to go, with the history of the stadium and the football club," he said.
"I think it is just in that bracket of clubs where you want to go and really test yourself as a player. It is a really, really tough test for us.
"I just think it is a game for us that we should attack. We should embrace the challenge of it, and it has been a while since we have been able to do that."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes has 18 Premier League assists this season, with only three players ever creating more goals in a single season: Henry in 2002-03 for Arsenal (20), De Bruyne in 2019-20 for Man City (20), and Mesut Ozil in 2015-16 for Arsenal (19).
He has also created a league-high 109 chances in the competition this season, at least 48 more than any other player (Dominik Szoboszlai and Declan Rice joint-second with 61).
Brentford – Caoimhin Kelleher
Caoimhin Kelleher has kept nine Premier League clean sheets for Brentford this season.
The last Republic of Ireland goalkeeper to hit double figures for clean sheets in a season was Shay Given in 2009-10 for Manchester City (10).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
United have lost their last two league games against Brentford, more than they had in their previous 11 (W8 D2 L1).
And Brentford are looking to complete the league double over United for just the second time, previously doing so in the 1936-37 top-flight campaign that saw the Red Devils relegated.
However, United are backed to triumph at Old Trafford, having lost just two of their last 16 Premier League matches (W9 D5).
Brentford have drawn their last five Premier League matches. The last team to have a longer run of draws in the division were Manchester City in October/November 2009 (seven).
United lost 2-1 to Leeds United in their last home Premier League match, but they have not suffered consecutive home league defeats since May 2025.
26/04/2026
Olivia Smith completed the comeback to give Arsenal a slender 2-1 advantage over Lyon in the Women's Champions League semi-finals.
Jule Brand had given Lyon the lead at Emirates Stadium, but a clumsy own goal was followed by Smith's persistence, which resulted in a winner with seven minutes remaining.
Arsenal started well, with Caitlin Foord dragging a shot wide early on, but Lyon caught them cold with their first real attack of the game.
Sofie Svava won the ball high upfield, and Brand skipped between the Arsenal defenders into the box before lashing her strike past Daphne van Domselaar 18 minutes in.
Mariona Caldentey and Lotte Wubben-Moy both saw chances go begging as Arsenal sought an equaliser, while Foord almost sent another effort past the target.
The Gunners improved after the break – and saw a potential penalty overturned by VAR – but it was Ingrid Engen's own goal that gave them a lifeline. The Lyon defender inadvertently bundled home after Christiane Endler spilled Mariona Caldentey's 58th-minute free-kick.
Kadidiatou Diani rattled the woodwork following a blistering counter-attack, with Korbin Shrader unable to turn in on the rebound.
And Smith punished Lyon for that miss. She chased down a loose backpass and, after a mix-up between Endler and Engen, pounced on the loose ball to slot into the empty net.
Data Debrief: Holders show their mettle
Arsenal struggled in the first half and conceded with the only shot they faced on their goal, but they improved after the break to give themselves an advantage in next weekend's second leg.
The Gunners had lost their last two home matches against Lyon, but they did not let their heads drop and instead made it five wins on the bounce in the competition at the Emirates.
Arsenal finished with 1.33 expected goals (xG) from 16 shots, with six of those on target, while Lyon managed just 0.44 xG at the other end.
And it was Smith that led the charge, with a game-high five attempts worth 0.69 xG, while her eight touches in the opposition box were only bettered by Foord (nine).
25/04/2026
FULL-TIME: Atlético Madrid 3-2 Athletic Club ⚽🔥
Atlético Madrid bounced back in style with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Athletic Club at the Metropolitano, ending their four-game La Liga losing streak.
After going behind in the 23rd minute through a header from Aitor Paredes, Atleti came out firing in the second half. Antoine Griezmann leveled things just minutes after the restart, before Alexander Sørloth turned the game around with a clinical finish in the 54th minute.
Sørloth wasn’t done yet — the Norwegian striker sealed the win deep into stoppage time with a powerful counter-attacking goal. Although Gorka Guruzeta pulled one back late for Athletic, it proved to be only a consolation.
🔥 Sørloth delivered a standout performance, dominating duels and leading the attack with authority as Diego Simeone’s side returned to winning ways just in time ahead of their big European clash.
Final Score: Atlético Madrid 3-2 Athletic Club
A comeback, a statement, and a much-needed win for Atleti! 💪🔴⚪
