Our loanees enjoyed another busy week as the season continues to pick up pace, with Jakub Kiwior impressing once again for Porto – this time on the European stage.

Jakub has carried on his superb start to life with the Portuguese giants, having kept a clean sheet and produced an excellent defensive display as they started their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 win at RB Salzburg on Thursday night. National outlet A Bola described the Polish international as “putting in some very consistent performances.” Jakub’s league leaders turn their attention back to domestic action on Monday evening, taking on Arouca.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has been in the thick of the action, starting for Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Sunderland. The Ukrainian emerged on the losing side by a solitary first-half goal at the City Ground, but he also featured in Forest’s Europa League bow, playing the full 90 minutes in Thursday’s 2-2 away draw at Real Betis.

Karl Hein was called up to the Werder Bremen starting XI to debut between the sticks away at Bayern Munich, no less, on Friday evening. Werder were beaten 4-0 on the night, but Estonia international Karl kept the Bundesliga champions from inflicting further damage with a string of impressive saves.

Reiss Nelson was sidelined through illness as his Brentford side enjoyed a terrific win over Manchester United at the GTech Community Stadium. The 3-1 victory moved the Bees above United on goal difference in the Premier League table. Reiss has returned to training in west London ahead of a planned return in the coming days.

Fabio Vieira endured a sour end to his Hamburg side’s goalless draw away at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Sunday night, receiving a red card in second-half stoppage time in the German capital. Vieira has been influential in the newly-promoted side’s early matches this season, but will now serve a domestic suspension. Academy youngster Maldini Kacurri suffered the same fate for Morecambe on Saturday afternoon, dismissed for two bookable offences in a defeat by Truro City in the National League.

Elsewhere from our Hale End loans, Ismeal Kabia completed another 90 minutes for Shrewsbury Town in League Two, as his side were edged out 2-1 by MK Dons in Shropshire on Saturday. Lucas Nygaard once again featured in goal for Brabrand in the Danish second division, and was on the winning side courtesy of Saturday’s 2-1 success over Thisted.

From our women’s loanees, it was a roaring success for both Michelle Agyemang and Rosa Kafaji as their Brighton & Hove Albion side overcame Everton 1-0 in WSL action. Rosa laid on the decisive goal for Michelle after 26 minutes, a moment which saw the Seagulls into sixth, a point and a place behind Arsenal.

Staying in the women’s top-flight, Cecily Wellesley-Smith was an unused substitute for Leicester City as they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.

Ipswich Town and Portsmouth met in WSL 2 this weekend. Jessie Gale featured as an early first-half substitute for Pompey, though Madison Earl did not feature in the Ipswich side who carved out a 3-2 win.

Elsewhere in WSL 2, Naomi Williams was an unused deputy goalkeeper on the Bristol City bench as the 10-player Robins were edged out 2-1 by Nottingham Forest on Sunday, while Vivienne Lia did not feature for Southampton in their 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

Across the pond, Laila Harbert entered the fray for the final 29 minutes of Portland Thorns’ 3-0 defeat at Gotham. Laila was introduced with her side already two goals down and taking risks to claw a way back into the contest. Portland still sit fifth in the 14-team NWSL, with four league games remaining.

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