The big news: Rooney remains on the bench

England captain Wayne Rooney continues to warm the bench as he was dropped from the playing XI for the World Cup qualifier against Slovenia on Wednesday. England's interim manager Gareth Southgate said the decision was a tactical one and not specifically for Rooney. The Manchester United forward has not started Manchester United's past three matches and is finding it tough to get some game time. Tottenham's Eric Dier will replace Rooney in the midfield against Slovenia.

Rooney said that there was no embarrassment in being on the bench. "Of course, I'm not denying [my game] is in a difficult period. I've been on the bench the last few games for Manchester United but that's part of football," he said. "I have to work hard and when I'm needed for both club and country, I'll make sure I'm ready," he added.

Other top stories

  1. Spain and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos suffered a knee ligament sprain during La Roja's World Cup qualifying win over Albania on Sunday and will be out of action for a month. Real have confirmed that Ramos sustained a grade two tear of his medial collateral ligament. Ramos is set to miss four La Liga matches, including a clash against local rivals Atletico Madrid and a bunch of Champions League games. 
  2. Argentina’s Sergio Agüero will risk his fitness and play the team's second World Cup qualifier against Paraguay despite facing an injury scare. Agüero was taken off during Argentina’s 2-2 draw against Peru on Saturday due to what was revealed as an adductor problem. The Manchester City striker will need to be fit as they play Everton on Saturday with Pep Guardiola intent on ensuring they bounce back after the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in their last league outing.
  3. Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez admitted that Arsenal were interested in signing him in the summer. However, Mahrez said he did not want to force a transfer to avoid a conflict with Leicester City. “There was contact with Arsenal,” Mahrez said. “But Leicester wanted to keep me and I was pretty expensive. I did not want to create a conflict when the offer came in. Personally, I think it is a good thing I stayed put. It’s now up to me to prove myself again.”
  4. Barcelona striker Lionel Messi may return from injury against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday to ensure he can start in next week’s Champions League clash against Manchester City. Messi has been out of action since injuring his groin in Barca's 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid on September 21.
  5. Haiti’s Sony Norde may finally feature in Mumbai City FC’s clash against Atletico de Kolkata on Tuesday in Mumbai. Norde was away doing to international duty, but is back for his side as Haiti’s match against French Guiana was postponed due to hurricane Mathew hitting Haiti.