Managers

Plymouth Argyle have mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Wayne Rooney after just over seven months in charge, the second-tier Championship club said on Tuesday.

Rooney had replaced Ian Foster in May on a three-year deal at Plymouth. However, the team struggled under his leadership, failing to win away this season, and are bottom with 18 points from 23 games, four points adrift of the safety zone.

Wayne Rooney fired from second manager job this year

LONDON — Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is set to be sidelined for more than two months after an operation on a hamstring injury, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.

"He had a procedure, everything went well but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks," the Spaniard told reporters after Arsenal beat Ipswich 1-0 to go second in the Premier League table.

Bukayo Saka hamstring injury

Injury issues continue to plague AC Milan with leading scorer Christian Pulisic now out of Sunday's Serie A clash against AS Roma after a setback during his recovery, coach Paulo Fonseca said.

"I expected to have Pulisic. He is fine, he has recovered from his calf problem, but in the last two days he has had an ankle problem," the coach said about the U.S. international.

"It has arisen in the recovery process and he is not ready to play tomorrow, not even for the bench."

Pulisic injury setback

BIRMINGHAM — Aston Villa inflicted more misery on shell-shocked Manchester City on Saturday, defeating them 2-1 in the Premier League with goals from Colombian forward Jhon Duran and former City forward Morgan Rogers.

Villa rose above City into fifth place in the Premier League table, and the title holders dropped provisionally to sixth with their ninth loss in 12 games across all competitions.

Pep Guardiola's team could fall to as low as ninth by the end of the weekend and have just one victory to show from that 12-game stretch.

MANCHESTER — Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola blames the congested fixture schedule for the injuries that have ravaged his struggling team this season, saying he needs a squad of 45 or 50 players to weather the storm.

Saying City are in survival mode, Guardiola added he could have just three defenders available when they host Manchester United in Sunday's derby at Etihad Stadium, another blow to their dwindling hopes of retaining their Premier League title.

They are fourth in the table and have just one victory to show for their last 10 games across all competitions.

Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou said on Friday that he was not hurting but determined to get things right after confronting angry fans as his inconsistent side slipped to a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth.

Spurs have won just one of their last six games across all competitions, with that victory coming against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in November.

Bracing for a tough test against second-placed Chelsea at home on Sunday, Spurs are 10th in the league standings with 20 points from 14 matches, having lost six of those games.

Taunted by the Kop with chants of "getting sacked in the morning", Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola afforded himself a wry smile and held up six fingers to remind the ecstatic Liverpool fans of how many Premier League titles he has won.

It was an unforgettable moment on a Sunday evening on Merseyside which could spell the end of Manchester City's domination of the English top flight.

MANCHESTER — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he did not intend to make light of the "very serious issue of self harm" with a joke he made after Tuesday's 3-3 draw with Feyenoord at Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola was asked in the post-match press conference how he got a cut on his nose, and he replied: "With my finger, my nail. I want to harm myself." The 53-year-old took to social media on Wednesday to explain his answer.

Pep Guardiola harm myself comment

Inter Miami CF named Javier Mascherano as their new head coach on Tuesday, replacing Gerardo "Tata" Martino.

Mascherano, 40, reunites with longtime Argentina and FC Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi and is under contract through the 2027 MLS season.

Mascherano Inter Miami hire

Bienvenido, Jefe ✍️