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Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.
As another international break descends, the fixture congestion debate was given significant reason to rear its head again, after Dani Carvajal suffered one of the most gruesome injuries seen for a while. He tore three types of tendons and ligaments against Villarreal on Saturday night, and will miss a year of action.
Meanwhile Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior are missing Brazil duty with injuries, while Kylian Mbappe was fit enough to start against Villarreal in their 2-0 win, but not to travel for France duty, causing no shortage of ire in his home nation.
Of course that has raised questions about the right-back position at Real Madrid. Los Blancos insist they will not sign a replacement for Carvajal, and while it does seem it would be for next summer, it has only increased links to Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The latest in Spain is that Real Madrid are optimistic about signing him if he can resist Liverpool’s attempts to make him stay, and reports appear to suggest contract talks have been postponed with Liverpool this week.
Raul Gonzalez has been told by #RealMadrid that this season will be his last in charge of the Castilla side. (Marca) pic.twitter.com/oWmcx9uY7r
— Football España (@footballespana_) October 10, 2024
On the other flank, Los Blancos and Barcelona are being linked with a move for Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras. The 21-year-old Spanish youth international is formerly of Manchester United, and they have a buyback option on the left-back, but if the Clasico duo do go after him, they may want to act sooner rather than later. The pair are also believed to be battling for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah. As with Alexander-Arnold, the German international is just three months away from being able to sign a contract.
Real Madrid stayed within three points of the rampant Barcelona, who have 10-goal Robert Lewandowski fresh off a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Alaves. That was after the worst Champions League night in Spain’s history, as Girona lost to Feyenoord, Real Madrid to Lille and Atletico Madrid to Benfica.
Los Colchoneros struggled mightily in Lisbon, losing 4-0, and could only manage a draw aat Real Sociedad. They have the best defence in the division, but despite Alexander Sorloth, Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann up front, have five draws from nine games, even if they are undefeated.
Meanwhile Pedro Porro has been speaking positively about a move to Madrid while on Spain duty, where not all of La Liga’s managers have the weekend off. There is also the curious situation where Carlo Ancelotti could end up lecturing Diego Simeone on management this weekend, as part of the UEFA Pro Licence process.
More must-reads:
- Steve Kerr 'very concerned' about worrisome trend plaguing NBA
- Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette among players to reject qualifying offer
- The 'NFL QB rushing TD leaders' quiz
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Heartbreak for Arsenal as extent of Gabriel’s injury is revealed
Arsenal appear braced for a significant setback as star centre-back Gabriel Magalhães faces a potentially lengthy spell out through injury. The 27-year-old has been one of Mikel Arteta’s most indispensable players in recent seasons, forming the backbone of a defensive unit that has transformed the Gunners into consistent Premier League title challengers. His combination of aerial dominance, physicality and leadership, alongside his growing threat from attacking set pieces, has made him a crucial figure at both ends of the pitch. But Arsenal’s defensive stability is now under threat following Gabriel’s premature withdrawal during Brazil’s 2–0 victory over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. Arsenal suffer Gabriel setback at crucial stage The centre-back was forced off just after the hour mark, clutching his right thigh, and was immediately released from the national team squad. His departure raised concerns within the Brazil camp and even more so among Arsenal supporters already anxious about their team’s growing injury list. According to The Athletic, further medical examinations are scheduled, but early indications suggest Gabriel may be facing up to two months on the sidelines. If confirmed, the defender would be ruled out until mid-January, missing a crucial run of fixtures during the congested winter period. A best-case scenario indicates a recovery time closer to four weeks, which could enable him to return just before Christmas, though Arsenal are said to be preparing for the longer prognosis. The timing could hardly be worse. Gabriel now joins a lengthy injury list at Arsenal, one that already included Martin Ødegaard, Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus prior to the international break. Mikel Arteta has worthy replacements in his squad Arteta, who has worked tirelessly to build depth and balance across the squad, is now facing the prospect of navigating multiple competitions without several of his most influential players. With the festive schedule approaching, Arsenal’s reliance on defensive pairing William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera will grow. The club also have the option of Piero Hincapie, who is a versatile defender and can play as a centre-back along with playing as a left-back. The club will hope that Gabriel’s injury is not as severe as feared, but with key matches in the Premier League and Champions League looming, Arteta may be forced to rethink his short-term tactical plans. Arsenal told what they need to do if they want to sign Antoine Semenyo in January
Steve Kerr 'very concerned' about worrisome trend plaguing NBA
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is sounding the alarm on a troubling trend affecting the league that could potentially worsen down the line. The NBA has faced some huge crises over the past few months. The Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration issue in the offseason raised concerns about the Los Angeles Clippers potentially circumventing the salary cap. The arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier highlighted the growing threat of sports gambling on the integrity of the game. Steve Kerr highlights an under-the-radar concern While those fiascos have understandably grabbed headlines, Kerr recently expressed unease about a different issue that’s flying under the radar. The Warriors coach admitted to ESPN’s Anthony Slater that he is “very concerned” that the heightened pace of play in the modern game over an 82-game schedule may finally be taking its toll on the Association, with a growing number of soft tissue injuries impacting players of late. Eight different players have suffered soft tissue injuries over the past couple of weeks, headlined by stars like Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama and, most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kerr stated that the Warriors’ medical staff believes “wear and tear, the speed, the pace, the mileage” are increasing the risk of today’s players suffering such injuries. “Across the league, everyone understands that it’s easier to score if you beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition,” Kerr said. “But when everybody’s doing that, the games are much higher-paced. Everyone has to cover out to 25 feet because everybody can shoot 3s. We have all the data. Players are running faster and further [than] before. We’re trying to do the best we can, but we basically have a game every other night. It’s not an easy thing to do.” Kerr, who has been an advocate for shortening the regular season, also lamented the struggles teams face with the league schedule, which makes it difficult for teams to get adequate recovery and practice time. With the Steph Curry-era Warriors being a huge part of the NBA’s pace and space movement, Kerr knows just how physically demanding the modern game has become. But with the financial implications that come with potentially shortening the season, Kerr understands that such a drastic change to the NBA schedule is “not happening” anytime soon.
Jerry Jones made bold claim about George Pickens after Cowboys’ ‘MNF’ win
Jerry Jones sounded like the conductor of the George Pickens hype train after the Dallas Cowboys’ Monday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Pickens caught nine passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 33-16 win at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. The numbers don’t do justice to some of the masterful moves Pickens executed in the primetime victory. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1990609821054509411 Pickens had himself quite a night, especially considering he and CeeDee Lamb were benched on the Cowboys’ opening drive. Nobody was more impressed than Jones. After the game, the Cowboys owner claimed he had “never seen” a performance like the one Pickens put on during Week 11’s “Monday Night Football” clash. “Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet,” Jones said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. Jones’ claim is certainly a bold one, given that he’s watched the likes of Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Dez Bryant, Terrell Owens, and even Lamb catch passes for Dallas over the years. There’s definitely some recency bias at play, on top of Jones’ incentive to hype up one of the Cowboys’ key offseason acquisitions. The look on Jones’ face after watching Quinnen Williams get his first sack as a Cowboy said it all. Bold claims aside, Pickens has indeed been dominant in his first season in Dallas. Through 10 games, the Georgia alum leads the team in receiving yards (908), receiving touchdowns (7), and ranks second on the team in catches (58).
Ranking the top five defenses in the NFL after Week 11
In an era that has been defined by great quarterback play, last Sunday’s slate proved that even the best signal-callers can meet their match with a great defense. Standout performances by the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos defenses helped put each team in the driver's seat for a division title, while the Philadelphia Eagles' domination of the high-octane Detroit Lions offense secured a hard-fought 16-9 victory. With more than half of the 2025 season complete, the great defenses — and great defensive coordinators — are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Here are the top five defensive units in the NFL right now. 5. Seattle Seahawks In just his second season as head coach, Mike MacDonald has built a defense that is just as fast and physical as the one he had in Baltimore. The secondary group of Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant and rookie Nick Emmanwori has had fans dreaming about another Legion of Boom, while veteran defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence has proven to be a valuable offseason addition with four sacks and two fumbles returned for touchdowns. The lack of a standout pass-rusher holds them back from being at the top of the list, but their stifling of the high-powered Rams offense proved they can hang with anybody. 4. Houston Texans The Texans defense has been steadily improving in each year under head coach DeMeco Ryans, culminating in what has been the NFL’s best unit in terms of both points and yards allowed in 2025. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter make up possibly the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL, combining for 17 sacks and 29 quarterback hits through the first 10 games, and first-team All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. leads a stout secondary. The only knock on the Texans is that they haven’t been tested by many elite offenses over the season’s first half, but they will get their chance to prove themselves with the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs looming over the next three weeks. 3. Los Angeles Rams The Rams may not have the star power of the Texans, but what they lack in flash, they make up for in depth and consistency. They are the least penalized team in the league and rank in the top five in both opponents' third-down conversion percentage and opponents' red zone touchdown percentage. And while the Rams' pass defense ranks just 21st in passing yards allowed, that's largely due to their stout run defense and the fact that they are usually so far ahead that teams need to take to the air to catch up. There’s a reason why defensive coordinator Chris Shula is getting head-coaching buzz, and his masterful game plan against the Seahawks helped force quarterback Sam Darnold into four brutal interceptions. 2. Denver Broncos Much like the Texans, the biggest criticism of the Broncos was that they hadn’t been tested by any elite offenses. That all changed last week, as they held quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to just 19 points en route to the franchise's biggest win in the last decade. With three more sacks, the Broncos extended their NFL-leading total to 49.0 and kept them on pace with the 1984 Bears for the most in NFL history. Nine-and-a-half of those have come from Defensive Player of the Year candidate Nik Bonitto, though Jonathon Cooper (7.5) and Zach Allen (6.0) have played a key role as well. The fact that the Broncos dominated the Chiefs without star cornerback Patrick Surtain only adds to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s case for Assistant Coach of the Year, and the looming return of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year should take the unit to yet another level. 1. Philadelphia Eagles Though the Broncos' defensive talent may be second-to-none, they haven’t done it on the biggest stage like the Eagles. Most of the unit that dominated Mahomes and company in the Super Bowl has returned, with second-year defensive backs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell taking another step forward. The free-agent losses of Milton Williams and Josh Sweat played a part in some early-season struggles, but the trade-deadline acquisition of linebacker Jaelan Phillips has helped pick up the slack. The last two weeks have seen the Eagles hold the Lions and Green Bay Packers, two potential postseason opponents, to just 16 combined points, indicating that they may once again be peaking at just the right time
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