Frenchman Isaac Hajjar, a Red Bull driver, is expected to miss the Dutch Grand Prix scheduled to be held early next week after suffering a wrist injury during training, according to media reports.
Reports stated that the 21-year-old driver was injured during regular training in the gym, making his participation in the race in the Formula 1 World Championship highly doubtful.
Red Bull has not issued any official confirmation of the injury yet. According to reports, New Zealander Liam Lawson is expected to replace Hajjar.
Lawson currently drives for the Racing Bulls team, and is ranked ninth in the drivers' championship standings. This participation, if confirmed, will represent a temporary return for Lawson to the Red Bull ranks, as he previously competed in the first race of his Formula 1 career at the Sandvoort circuit in 2023, when he replaced Australian Daniel Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri team, after the latter suffered a broken wrist.
Former Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda is expected to take Lawson's seat at Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad.
Hajjar performed at remarkable levels in his first season in Formula 1, making him one of the most prominent candidates to occupy a permanent seat alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen in the future.
The Dutch Grand Prix represents the twelfth round of the Formula 1 Championship, after which competitions will resume with the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza Circuit in two weeks.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho confirmed that his club had overcome the failure to sign Spaniard Rodri, who chose to move from Manchester City to rival Barcelona, stressing that wearing the royal team's shirt requires a clear decision from the player.
According to what was reported by the French newspaper "L'Equipe", Rodri was a main target for Real Madrid since the World Cup, but Barcelona later entered into negotiations and succeeded in resolving the deal in its favor, in a blow that was considered painful for the Madrid club, especially since the Spanish player was crowned the best player in the 2026 World Cup.
Mourinho said, in an interview with the Spanish “El Chiranguito” program: “I spoke with Rodri on more than one occasion, and Real Madrid made him a very good offer. But he was hesitant, and he had doubts, and these doubts made me, too, doubt the possibility of completing the deal.”
The Portuguese coach added: “Rodri is an exceptional player, and he was very respectful to us, but Real Madrid is a club of great size, and it cannot afford to have players who hesitate to join it.”
Despite the loss of the Rodri deal, Mourinho seemed convinced of the squad he currently has, stressing that the transfer market does not need more reinforcements. He said: “If you ask me, the transfer market is over. I really like my current lineup. “Rodri is not missing, we have solutions and we have quality, and I also like the idea that I am able to develop players.”
Real Madrid spent more than 220 million euros during the current transfer period to strengthen its ranks, at a time when the position of defensive midfielder is still among the positions that may need support, along with Frenchman Aurelien Chouamini.
Mourinho believes that losing the Rodri deal does not mean losing the battle against Barcelona, stressing that the real referee is on the field, not in the transfer market.
He said: “Victories are achieved on the field. "It's the points and the titles, and only there are the victories."
The brilliant trio consisting of Ousmane Dembélé, Georgian Khvicha Kvara Tsakhelia, and Desiree Doue, who was the basis of Paris Saint-Germain’s great achievements over the past two years, forms the spearhead again this season to lead the team’s attack on the French and European arenas.
Dembele... Follow the leader: The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner has further strengthened his position as the leader of the attacking system after playing a pivotal role in the club's efforts to win the second Champions League title in its history. Despite the disappointment of being eliminated from the semi-finals, “Demboz” also emerged from the World Cup with a relatively successful performance, as he finally found his place in the French national team after several previous participations in secondary roles during major tournaments.
The 29-year-old player scored six goals, after he had previously been unable to score in any major tournament with the Blues, playing an ideal role alongside the captain and star Kylian Mbappe.
He enters the new season in high spirits, seeking to win the fifteenth French League title, and the third consecutive European Champions League crown, as he promised Saint-Germain fans during the continental coronation celebrations in the French capital.
“Once is good, but twice is better... We will come back next year for the third,” Dembele said as he raised the “big-eared cup” in the Champ de Mars square.
This was also a way to put an end to speculation about his future, given that he is under contract with the Qatari-owned club until 2028.
After the absence of the Georgian national team from the 2026 World Cup, Khvicha Kvara Tskheliya spent a summer full of work, and regained his energy after a long and arduous season.
He returned to Saint-Germain's training headquarters on July 27, on the first day of resuming training, and he is in his best physical and mental condition, as confirmed by his outstanding performance in the European Super Cup against England's Aston Villa in Salzburg, when he opened the scoring with a wonderful shot (2-1).
Kafara began the 2027 season on the same strong foundations with which it ended the previous season. After scoring 10 goals and assisting 7 others, the former Napoli player excelled in the European Champions League, and was chosen as the best player in the competition after Paris Saint-Germain won the title for the second time in a row.
His name is frequently mentioned among the natural candidates to win the Ballon d'Or, although his absence from the World Cup may negatively affect his chances.
To enhance his chances, and raise doubts among voters before the award ceremony on October 26 in London, the 25-year-old striker realizes that he is required to shine from the beginning of the season.
Brazilian captain Marquinhos said before winning the European Super Cup: “He is in a really great form.” He obviously had a good holiday, had enough time to recover and prepare. Naturally, Kafara will have an important role, as he is a player capable of making a difference, as he did last season. We hope that he will present another exceptional season.”
On the cusp of his third season with Paris Saint-Germain, Desiree Douet, even though he is only 21 years old, has become one of the main pillars of the Parisian team’s attack.
His essential participation in the Champions League final in 2025 and 2026, with his scoring a double in the 2025 final, confirms the amount of confidence placed in him by Spanish coach Luis Enrique, and his position in the team’s attacking hierarchy.
Naturally, the arrival of several prominent signings - such as Spain's Ferran Torres, Magnes Akliush, and Belgian Mika Godets - will make the competition more difficult for the player who graduated from Rennes' academy.
But the French international, who has 15 international matches and three goals, really imposed himself after scoring the winning goal in the European Super Cup, after he also excelled with the French national team in his first participation in the World Cup, where he scored two goals.
