Veteran boss Steve Bruce is relishing his return to the game with Blackpool.

The 63-year-old had been out of work for almost two years before taking over at the League One club in September.

Bruce, in his 13th managerial appointment in a career that started in 1998, spoke to Mark Clemmit for BBC One’s Football Focus after four wins and a draw from his first five games as Seasiders boss.

“When I was out for nearly two years, at the end of the day I wanted and needed to do something,” he said.

“I had to have something to get me out of bed in the morning and this opportunity came along and I thought ‘why not?'”

He added: “I’ve been to South Africa and done a safari and been to places I never thought I’d go but I wasn’t just ready to pack up.

“I think you know when the time is right and for me it was ‘let’s go and do a couple more years and see where we are’.”

“I still think I’ve got something to offer and as long as you maintain the enthusiasm that you’ve got… if that goes away, I’ll know it’s time.”

Bruce was sacked as West Bromwich Albion boss in October 2022 after an unhappy nine months at The Hawthorns.

That followed a difficult two years in charge of hometown club Newcastle.

In his whole managerial career he had never previously been out of work for more than six months and admitted he needed to take a longer break before returning.

“I wanted to make sure that I took at least 12 months off,” he said.

“I think all my family know that I was wanting to go back to work and good for them that they never tried to stop me either and I’m grateful for that.

“It’s just being involved in football – the winning on a Saturday or even the disappointment like we had on Tuesday of conceding a last minute equaliser.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked he would reimburse fans after hearing they are set to display a new banner asking him to stay at the club.

The 1894 Group, who organise displays of flags and banners at Etihad Stadium, raised more than £1,000 in just 24 hours to create a banner.

It is due to be displayed in the South Stand on Saturday, when Fulham visit at 15:00 BST, and will read “Pep Guardiola, we want you to stay” in his native Catalan tongue.

“They have to bring me the bill, I have to pay for the banner,” Guardiola said.

“What can I say? Thank you so much, I fell in love since the first day I arrived here, lets see.”

Guardiola took the reins at Manchester City in July 2016 and his contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, with no indication as to whether he will sign an extension.

The Spaniard has led City to 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and a first Champions League title in 2022-23.

They are currently second in the Premier League, one point behind leaders Liverpool, after drawing the past two matches.

In July, Guardiola said he wanted to wait until the season was under way to “look at how everything is going and how connected we are” before making a decision on his future.

“When it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,” Guardiola said at a news conference on Friday.

Manchester City are currently fighting 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

That hearing, billed as sport’s ‘trial of the century’, got under way on 16 September and is projected to run for 10 weeks, with a verdict expected in early 2025.

“I’m part of this club, deep inside of my bones, and the best way to defend the club is winning games and doing my job as best as possible,” Guardiola said when asked if there is a need to defend and promote City.

“I am going to defend my club, I trust [them], since the owner, since the chairman for the relation, the CEO, and all the people working here, for many many years. I know them quite well, much more than any of you.

“The best way to defend is by doing our job the best, everyone working here has their own responsibility.

“I’m part of this club, not just the manager. I love this club and it will always be that way.”

Wojciech Szczesny is in line to make his Barcelona debut against Alaves in La Liga on Sunday – just over a month since he had announced his retirement.

Former Poland international Szczesny, 34, announced that he was hanging up his gloves after his contract with Juventus was terminated, but has now reversed that decision after Barca lost first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to a serious knee injury in their 5-1 win against Villarreal last month.

“He is not going for the money at Barcelona, I can tell you that much,” Spanish football expert Guillem Balague said on the Euro Leagues podcast.

“They needed something after the injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen. I get the impression he is coming to be the number one and play in the big games, and have an experience that will run until next summer.”

Barca go into the game looking to bounce back from their 4-2 defeat by Osasuna, as reigning champions Real Madrid look to do the same after their 36-match unbeaten run in all competitions ended against Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side play Villarreal at the Bernabeu and trail Hansi Flick’s Barca side by three points.

“Defeat is an opportunity, if we take it and react well,” Ancelotti said.

“We are self-critical. There are times when you have to reconnect and you need to do it quickly.

“Sometimes a good run makes you think you’re invincible, but a defeat brings you back to reality. We are still not at our level, we have players who are not at their best.

Kylian Mbappe returned as a substitute at Lille after a thigh injury and the France striker may start this weekend, with Andriy Lunin set to deputise in goal again for the injured Thibaut Courtois.

Girona and Atletico Madrid also suffered Champions League defeats on Wednesday and both are in action on Sunday, against Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad respectively.

BBC Scotland will broadcast live television coverage of Threave Rovers against fellow Dumfries and Galloway side Stranraer in the second round of the Scottish Cup.

The match on Friday, 25 October will kick-off in Castle Douglas at 19:45 BST, with coverage beginning on BBC Scotland, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app from 19:30.

West of Scotland League Third Division side Threave beat hosts Glenafton Athletic 4-2 in the preliminary round and thrashed visitors Vale of Leithen 6-1 in round one.

Stranraer enter at the second-round stage as one of the clubs in League 2.

There are 19 more ties scheduled for Saturday, 26 October, with the third round – featuring League 1 and Championship sides – taking place over the last weekend in November.

Ten Hag has won two trophies in two years at Old Trafford, but an impressive 2-1 victory against Manchester City in May’s FA Cup final proved vital to the Dutchman keeping his job.

Ten Hag ended the club’s six-year wait for silverware with victory against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final in his first season at the club, also achieving a third-place finish in the Premier League.

But his second season proved far more difficult as United, having been knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, finished eighth in the league before ending on a high against City at Wembley.

The initial deal Ten Hag signed when he was appointed in 2022 was due to expire at the end of the current season, in 2025.

Following a review of the team’s performance across the 2023-24 season, which included speaking to potential replacements for Ten Hag, the club – led by Ratcliffe – decided to trigger an extension to keep the manager at Old Trafford until 2026.

But just 10 games into the campaign, with United 13th in the Premier League table and winless in Europe, speculation over his future is mounting – with a trip to high-flying Villa to come before October’s international break.

“I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the [Club] World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed. The Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not.”

However, after talking to officials at City and the Premier League, the BBC has learned there has been no formal request.

The Premier League has yet to confirm its start date for the 2025-26 campaign. However, if past seasons are any guide, the competition will begin on 9 or 16 August, with the Community Shield – which City have been involved in for six of the past seven seasons – played the week before.

City and Chelsea are involved in the Club World Cup next summer.

The BBC has learned there have been informal discussions, with Premier League officials saying the issue has been created by an expanded international calendar which they have no say over.

Guardiola is among a number of senior City staff who have concluded the outcome of those informal talks is that the current English champions will just have to get on with it.

In the Covid-affected 2020-21 campaign, City and Manchester United were allowed to start a week later than the rest of the Premier League as they both took part in the specially-created ‘Super Eight’ competitions at the end of the Champions League and Europa Leagues in the previous season.

That meant they did not finish the 2019-20 season until 15 and 16 August respectively, four weeks before the first games of the new season took place.

Wolves, who had played their last European game on 11 August, did play in the opening round of fixtures but their match at Sheffield United was moved to Monday, 14 September.

World governing body Fifa has told all clubs at the Club World Cup they must use their strongest available squads.

“They won’t postpone these games so there will be a moment of ‘what do we do?'” added Guardiola.

“I don’t have an answer right now but we are going to take a decision with common sense.”

Farke admitted he had never experienced such an incident in his 30 years in football, with such a defining mistake coming with effectively the last touch of the match.

The Leeds boss suggested captain Pascal Struijk had seen the ball bounce unkindly in front of his goalkeeper, causing Meslier to let it spin past him.

But Farke could not definitively say if there was a rogue divot on the pitch which had cost his injury-hit side two crucial points at the Stadium of Light after an impressive display.

“After such a situation, you don’t need to speak about it – no-one wants to hear any words,” he added.

“Pascal came over and said he had never seen anything like this. He said it bounced and jumped in the other direction because there was a mark on the pitch.

“I can’t tell you if that was the case because I wasn’t on the pitch, but Pascal was probably in the best position to see. If it was this, it was unbelievably unlucky.

“To lose those points in this way is heartbreaking, is horrendous, is so sad and disappointing for our lads.”

Manchester United will turn to Thomas Tuchel if the club decide to sack manager Erik ten Hag, while Real Madrid are interested in Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

Manchester United will revive talks with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel if they sack Ten Hag. (ipaper), external

United’s hierarchy will meet on Tuesday to discuss the club’s plight after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe watches them play Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday. (Athletic – subscription required), external

Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi has rejected an offer to succeed Ten Hag at Old Trafford (Sportitalia – in Italian), external

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen says he would be open to a return if Ruud van Nistelrooy, currently assistant manager at the club, was to become manager. (No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, via Mirror), external

Real Madrid are closely monitoring Aston Villa’s 20-year-old Colombia striker Jhon Duran. (Football Insider), external

Arsenal are interested in Barcelona’s 18-year-old Spain Under-19 forward Arnau Pradas. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Manchester City have discussed Crystal Palace’s England midfielder Adam Wharton, 20, as a replacement for the injured Rodri. (Football Insider), external

Everton will attempt to revive new contract talks with England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 27, if the proposed takeover by the Friedkin Group is approved. (ipaper), external

Liverpool are keen on signing England forward Eberechi Eze, 26, from Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are both plotting a move for Arsenal’s Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 31. (Fichajes, via TeamTalk), external