4:56 AM ET The FA Cup third round begins on Friday with Swindon Town hosting Manchester City — (stream all games LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.) — and as England‘s biggest teams enter the competition, it means we’ll get a good look at the next generation of young stars set to break through. The
Football
4:00 AM ET Ralf Rangnick is dealing with increased player unrest at Manchester United — ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. PLUS: Ed Woodward’s big United regret. Jump to: Woodward’s Kane disappointment | Benzema shirt in demand at Alcoyano | Ruthless Conte plans major Spurs clear-out | Red card romance Rangnick battling with Man United’s
3:12 AM ET Associated Press Midfielder Sebastian Lletget, defender Miles Robinson, forward Paul Arriola and goalkeeper Sean Johnson are rejoining the USMNT for a 19-man training camp ahead of the next World Cup qualifiers. The four were given time off after the Major League Soccer season and missed last month’s exhibition against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
4:06 AM ET Sam Marsden Moises Llorens Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season, the Premier League club announced on Friday. Sources told ESPN that five Premier League sides held talks with Coutinho’s camp, with Villa and one other
3:06 AM ET Alex Kirkland Rodrigo Faez Newcastle United have completed the signing of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid, the club announced on Friday. The England full-back returns to the Premier League after a successful two-and-a-half year spell in Spain. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
4:52 AM ET Arsenal’s jersey will not be available for sale and instead will be donated to good causes. Adidas Arsenal will wear a once-off all-white kit for their FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest on Sunday in a bid to raise awareness about the high levels of knife crime among young people in London. The
1:42 PM ET Caitlin Murray FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, insist that their brewing plan for a biennial World Cup will be a good thing for soccer. The problem is that when they say that, they seem to be talking about the men’s side of the sport. As usual with FIFA, the women’s game
5:34 PM ET Atletico Madrid thrashed third-tier Rayo Majadahonda 5-0 away in the Copa del Rey to reach the round of 16 on Thursday. – ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more A year after Atleti suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss to Unio Esportiva Cornella in the last-32, manager Diego Simeone played a
7:49 AM ET Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations after a video emerged of him partying with teammates in Dubai on the eve of the tournament. The 32-year-old now has to self-isolate and is a major doubt for Gabon‘s opening two matches against Comoros
8:46 AM ET Inter Milan‘s Serie A game at Bologna descended into farce on Thursday as the hosts failed to turn up after the team were placed into quarantine. Rising COVID-19 cases in the Bologna squad meant the local health authority (ASL) placed the team into quarantine for 7-10 days from Wednesday, meaning they could