Premier League, Carabao Cup and women’s Champions League: the latest news

Football’s latest developments span Premier League news, reactions around the Carabao Cup and the women’s Champions League. With the weekend approaching, Junior Kroupi’s return, the English cup quarter-final draw and Manchester City’s European situation are among the main talking points.

Marco Rose intends to continue limiting Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi’s playing time, despite the additional minutes he got in midweek. A foot injury had kept him out for the first three months of the campaign. He returned in a 3-0 win over Manchester United, then came on in the 80th minute of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Aston Villa.

Ahead of Saturday’s home match against Leeds, Rose said Kroupi’s return must be gradual: “We still need to build up his game time. I’m really happy to have him back, to have his quality, but he knows that he has to be patient in this situation to not get in a difficult situation with another injury.” The manager also stressed the need for more playing time alongside consistent training sessions as Kroupi works towards fitness.

Meanwhile, Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said he was confident Chema Andres and Ferdi Kadioglu would be available as his side seeks immediate revenge on Manchester City, following its midweek Carabao Cup exit on penalties at the Etihad Stadium. Hurzeler also noted the returns of Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer. He expects Ferdi, Chema and Kostoulas to be options for Saturday. Pascal Struijk, however, is not expected to be available this weekend, though Hurzeler is confident he will return afterwards.

The Confederation of African Football announced that the Africa Cup of Nations will again be held every two years. Patrice Motsepe said the time it would take for the proposed replacement, the Africa Nations League, to become financially viable was one reason for the reversal. He also cited the financial benefits and development of African football, as well as the interests of African players employed by clubs outside the continent. The next tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. CAF said the following three editions will take place in 2028, 2031 and 2033; the gap between 2028 and 2031 is linked to the Fifa World Cup scheduled for 2030.

In the women’s Champions League, Manchester City’s third consecutive draw in the league phase leaves its task more difficult. After Tara Elimbi Gilbert’s late goal, City may need to win both of its final two matches to avoid the knockout-phase play-offs in February. Manager Andrée Jeglertz felt his side deserved more, while acknowledging its failure to turn dominance into goals.