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Ollie Watkins suggested on Wednesday that this Europa League campaign could be the last chance for Aston Villa's current squad to achieve something. A seventh starter against Forest, John McGinn, came off the bench in that game three and a half years ago.
On this episode of The Cooligans, the boys tackle one of football’s most frustrating debates: is the UEFA Champions League handball rule fundamentally broken? They unpack the inconsistency that leaves fans and players confused week after week. Then, USMNT and Bournemouth star Tyler Adams joins the show for a candid conversation about the pressure of a home World Cup, his growth under Andoni Iraola, and the accountability culture among U.S. players. To close things out, the crew debates whether Jose Mourinho’s rumored return to Real Madrid would be a masterstroke—or a massive mistake.
Lamine Yamal’s injury scare has raised concerns in Spain just over a month before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, something head coach Luis De La Fuente addressed this week. In one month, Luis De La Fuente will have to confirm the final 26-man roster that will represent Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That means any last-minute injury could alter his plans—something highlighted by the recent scare involving Lamine Yamal. De La Fuente spoke during a medical symposium at the CEMTRO clinic in Madrid this week. “Will Lamine be there?” was one of the questions posed to the coach regarding the availability of the Barcelona winger for Spain’s World Cup squad. “In a call-up, we consider every scenario—whether you’re winning, losing, or if the opponent goes down to 10 men,” De La Fuente said, according to Marca. “There are players who can give you 20 minutes, and that has enormous value. Some players may not be able to give you 50 or 60 minutes, but they can deliver 20 very good ones—and that can make the difference.” In that sense, the coach avoided addressing Yamal’s specific case but made it clear that his presence could still be crucial even if he is not at full fitness at the start of the World Cup. “Our priority is to arrive at the decisive stage with the best possible team,” he explained. Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona reacts to an injury after scoring. De La Fuente has experience managing these situations In nearly four years as Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente has faced situations that forced him to make difficult decisions, and that experience is now shaping his approach ahead of North America 2026. To explain his thinking regarding players who may not be at 100 percent for the World Cup, the coach cited an example from Euro 2024, where Spain were crowned champions. “Olmo arrived injured—we were close to leaving him out—but he went on to be decisive at the Euro. There are players who can come in less than fully fit and still make a difference in the knockout stages. Olmo was decisive from the quarterfinals onward,” De La Fuente said, referring to Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo. Based on those comments, it can be inferred that Lamine Yamal’s place at the World Cup could be secure even if he does not fully recover before the tournament begins. Spain’s group-stage path includes matches against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, but the coach’s priority appears to be the knockout rounds that follow. De La Fuente points to the schedule In the same conversation, Luis De La Fuente shared his views on the growing number of injuries among elite players. “The pace is so intense, with matches every three or four days, that injuries are inevitable,” said the Spain coach. “It’s one thing to recover, and another to return to peak performance. The biggest risk when a player comes back is suffering another injury.”
In the first season playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman has now hit his career-best goalscoring season at Al Nassr. Kingsley Coman has been one of Al Nassr‘s standout acquisitions of the 2025-26 season, settling quickly into Cristiano Ronaldo‘s attacking unit. The French winger is currently enjoying the finest goalscoring campaign of his career, setting new personal benchmarks in Saudi Arabia. After a disappointing previous season, the Al Nassr board moved decisively in the summer, bringing in head coach Jorge Jesus and several high-profile additions to overhaul the squad. Coman was among the most significant of those signings, arriving from Bayern Munich for a fee of €30 million after spending his entire career in Europe. Even while playing a supporting role alongside Ronaldo in the attack, he has consistently delivered in crucial moments, particularly in front of goal. His goal against Al Ahli on Wednesday, which sealed a 2-0 victory, brought Coman’s tally to 15 goals across all competitions this season for Al Nassr in 37 appearances. What makes that figure all the more remarkable is that it represents the most goals the French winger has ever scored in a single season at any club in his career. His previous personal best had come in the 2018-19 season with Bayern Munich, where he managed 10 goals and seven assists in 30 games. That campaign was also affected by a syndesmosis ligament tear that sidelined him for 19 matches, limiting what might have otherwise been an even more productive year. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr celebrates with teammate Kingsley Coman. Since arriving in Riyadh, however, Coman has wasted no time in establishing himself as a key figure. With 15 goals and 11 assists across 37 appearances, totaling 26 direct goal contributions, he sits as the third-highest scorer and creator in the squad, reflecting a role that extends well beyond that of a pure wide attacker. Al Nassr and a more democratic goalscoring record Throughout the 2025-26 campaign, Al Nassr have asserted themselves as one of the most dominant sides not only in Saudi Arabia but across the Asian continent, sitting atop the Saudi Pro League and reaching the AFC Champions League Two final. Their goalscoring, however, tells a story of collective effort rather than individual dominance. Across the SPL and the AFC Champions League Two, Jorge Jesus’ side have found the net 124 times. Cristiano Ronaldo accounts for 26 of those, representing 21 percent of the total. The remainder has been spread across a potent attacking unit, with Joao Felix contributing 20 goals, Coman 15 and Sadio Mane 12, meaning that just four players are responsible for 59 percent of all goals scored across both competitions. By comparison, in the 2024-25 season, Al Nassr scored 106 goals between the SPL and the AFC Champions League Elite, with Ronaldo alone responsible for 33 of them, close to a third of the entire total. The shift in numbers this season reflects a team that is not only less reliant on their Portuguese superstar but also more prolific overall.
With last week’s agonising defeat at the hands of Stuttgart ending Freiburg’s DFB Pokal dreams for another year, their last chance for a trophy this season now rests on the Europa League. They tra...
