The Athletic | Football

Everton are into the last eight of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 win over Newcastle United. James Garner, Hayden Hackney and Thierno Barry scored for the home side on a good night at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Dan Burn netting a late consolation for Newcastle. Everton will face Fleetwood Town, who knocked out Arsenal, in the quarter-finals.

The new San Siro is set to be called the Stadio Generali after AC Milan and Inter struck what could be a record naming rights deal with the Italian insurance giant. The new stadium is expected to open in time for the 2032 European Championship, a tournament Italy will co-host with Turkey. According to sources with knowledge of the agreement, the naming rights deal with Generali is valued at €650million (£543.3m). 📝 @JamesHorncastle nyti.ms/4iO8rwY

Without Patrick Bamford, Leeds fell to pieces. Without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, you’d fear for them. Calvert-Lewin is fit and healthy, but even more worryingly for Leeds fans, Manchester United are interested in him. He is irreplaceable to Daniel Farke's Leeds side and it is no surprise the club are making the correct move to try and sign him to a new contract. Leeds, without a complete rejig and rethink, simply do not operate without Calvert-Lewin. To even countenance that in the middle of that tricky second season in the Premier League is a risk nobody should be willing to take. 📝 @awinehouse1 🔗 nyti.ms/4zW4b4g

Jack Grealish has been dropped from Everton’s squad for Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle United following a “breach of club discipline”. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, who was speaking anonymously because they were not allowed to do so publicly, an unauthorised absence from training prompted Everton to take action. 📝 @Paddy_Boyland 🔗 nyti.ms/47OddEA

The FA has confirmed that Arsenal’s appeal against Max Dowman’s red card has been dismissed by an independent regulatory commission. The 16-year-old will now be suspended for the upcoming Premier League matches against Liverpool, Hull City and Newcastle United. 🔗 nyti.ms/4kmFMQK

With Benjamin Sesko out until at least January, Manchester United are exploring the market for centre-forwards in the winter transfer window. The Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is one of those under consideration, though a move is considered remote given the rivalry between the teams. Our data writers @ThomHarris_ and @Conor0Neill_ analyse Calvert-Lewin's style and strengths, as well as picking six other strikers who could make an impact at Old Trafford. From Folarin Balogun and Ivan Toney to the in-form Esteban Lepaul and Nicolo Tresoldi... nyti.ms/48jAoXs

Manchester United are exploring the market for centre forwards in January, and one name under consideration is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. More from @lauriewhitwell and @BerenCross 🔗 nyti.ms/4ySWMSm

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris says the club “will discuss” Brian Brobbey’s potential inclusion in the forthcoming Netherlands squad for November’s Nations League games. Brobbey suffered a hamstring injury playing for his country in the October internationals, causing him to miss four Sunderland matches, and is still not fully fit. Le Bris is realistic that Sunderland cannot demand the Netherlands exclude Brobbey, but said “it’s important to share ideas” around the player’s workload. nyti.ms/4svne31

■ Emery the favoured option if Carrick goes ■ Just how bad was the summer transfer business? ■ Is relegation a genuine worry? ■ Does Fernandes deserve to be back in the team? Thousands of readers answered our Manchester United survey. The answers are fascinating. 📝 @reallycerys 🔗 nyti.ms/3W0jFFX

Andrii Fedchenkov, Flamengo’s head of scouting, is set to join Liverpool’s recruitment department. Fedchenkov, 30, has been head of scouting at the Brazilian champions since February 2025, but he is expected to leave the club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the year with Anfield his anticipated destination, according to South American sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships. Sources at Liverpool and Flamengo have described the Ukrainian as being data-driven and multilingual, in addition to highly-organised and regarded despite his age. Before working at Flamengo, Fedchenkov spent a year in English football as a scout at Cardiff City. He previously worked as head of scouting at Greek club PAOK, and as a scout in his home country with Karpaty Lviv and then Shakhtar Donetsk. More from @MarioCortegana & @adjones_journo nyti.ms/4zgr2aZ

Bruno Fernandes is set to return to the starting line-up and captain Manchester United against Chelsea on Saturday, head coach Michael Carrick has confirmed. More from @lauriewhitwell nyti.ms/4itB4hK

After their Wednesday session, Barcelona players organised a team lunch at their Joan Gamper training centre for the whole first-team group. The club set up a barbecue for the squad and the backroom staff to get together, lift spirits and boost morale. “We were not the best in history before, and we are not atrocious now,” a source involved in the first-team setup told The Athletic. “Moments like these happen throughout a football season. It (the season) is very long and, as the manager said, the important thing is to be in form around April and May.” Hansi Flick is not expected to make major tweaks. He is not seen as an overthinker, and one of his biggest strengths since taking over in summer 2024 has been his capacity to detach himself from the drama around the club. But this feels like a defining moment for the former Bayern Munich and Germany coach to show his man-management skills. @polballus nyti.ms/4e4cy5t

Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is hoping to make an earlier-than-planned return after suffering a broken jaw. The Argentina international sustained the injury after a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite on October 17. The 34-year-old, who underwent surgery to treat the issue, said at the time he would be “back in a few weeks”. However, sources with knowledge of his rehabilitation indicate there is optimism he could now return sooner than that timeframe. More from @J_Tanswell & @SJohnsonSport nyti.ms/4sxJFo8

Trey Nyoni has passed every Liverpool test he has had with flying colours. At the heart of Liverpool’s midfield in their penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, Nyoni produced another impressive performance that was as simple and efficient as it was eye-catching. The double pivot in Andoni Iraola’s midfield is very demanding both in and out of possession, but Nyoni has picked it up almost instantly and is flourishing playing in the deeper No 6 role. Up against the experienced Jordan Henderson, one of the Premier League’s best midfielders Moises Caicedo, and the talented Romeo Lavia, he stood up to the challenge and didn’t look out of place, outperforming his midfield team-mate Ryan Gravenberch. 📝 @adjones_journo 🔗 nyti.ms/4yKtbub