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Manchester City have a very simple permutation. If they beat Club Brugge at home they will go into the play-off round. If they fail to win they will be eliminated.

Aston Villa are guaranteed at least a play-off place.

A win at home to Celtic would give them a good chance of finishing in the top eight, though they would need one of five teams above them to slip up.

Celtic are only one point behind Villa so could conceivably finish in the top eight, but they would need to win and for a lot of things to happen above them.

Arsenal - away at Girona - are all but in the last 16 as they sit three points clear of the play-offs with a much better goal difference than any team on 13 points.

Liverpool are one of two teams, along with Barcelona, who know they are in the last 16 already, and will be guaranteed a top-two place.

Here's a reminder of what the 36 league-phase teams are aiming for.

Those finishing in the top eight automatically progress to the last 16, where they will be seeded.

They will await the winners of eight two-legged knockout play-off ties featuring the clubs ranked from ninth to 24th.

Those finishing between ninth and 16th will be seeded and face a team placed 17th to 24th, with the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

The clubs 25th or lower are eliminated and do not gain entry to the Europa League.

The play-off ties take place mid-February, with the last-16 matches in the first two weeks of March.

Champions League

Top-eight guaranteed: Liverpool, Barcelona.

Top-24 guaranteed (at least): Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Atalanta, Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Monaco, Feyenoord, Lille, Brest, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Celtic.

Uncertain of progression: PSV, Club Brugge, Benfica, PSG, Sporting, Stuttgart, Manchester City, Dinamo Zagreb, Shakhtar Donetsk.

Eliminated: Bologna, Sparta Prague, Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys.

• Manchester City have signed Egypt forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for 70m euros (£59m).
• Italian club AC Milan have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City captain Kyle Walker on loan for the remainder of the season.
• Check out all of Tuesday's and Wednesday's Champions League goal here.

STILL TO COME:

• Build-up to tonight's Europa League games, including Manchester United against Rangers.
• Premier League news conferences.
• All the latest transfer news.
• Champions League re-cap.

Ipswich Town

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Earlier we brought you the news that Ipswich have signed attacking midfielder Julio Enciso from Brighton on loan.

The Paraguay international, who has made 12 Premier League appearances for the Seagulls this season, is celebrating his 21st birthday today.

He joins Kieran McKenna's side as they continue their bid for survival.

Enciso could be in line to make his Ipswich debut when they travel to Liverpool on Saturday.

England

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During interim England boss Lee Carsley's short stint in charge of the Three Lions, Kyle Walker missed out on the squad that he named in September, despite playing every minute of the run to the Euro 2024 final.

Walker himself said it was "the right call" to leave him out as he had not played any minutes in the 2024-25 season up until that point and added that it was now his job to force his way back into the reckoning.

The right-back was then reinstated for Carsley's second squad that was announced in November.

New permanent manager Thomas Tuchel took over on 1 January and will name his first squad since taking up the role in March.

It is yet to be seen whether Walker will play any part in that, though the defender appears to remain committed to the cause.

Manchester City have brought in defensive recruits to try and stop the leaks at the back.

Vitor Reis was signed by the Premier League champions this week. The defender has been tipped for one for the future.

Reis is not the only defender City have brought in this window. Abdukodir Khusanov is another who is now on City's books.

The signings also come with the news that Kyle Walker will leave the English club on loan. Walker has been one of the best Premier League defenders during City's dominance over the past few seasons.

Let's go with the simple eye test, Anon!

Paraguay international Julio Enciso has signed for Ipswich from Brighton on a loan deal.

The attacking midfielder has played for Brighton since 2022. His first fixture for Ipswich will be on Saturday against Liverpool.

“I am so happy to be here,” he told TownTV. “The conversations with the Manager have been good. I am very grateful to him and the Club for believing in me. I can’t wait to get going.

“I’m a real fighter and I will do my best in every game.”

Do you believe Kyle Walker is the best right-back in Premier League history? And if not who do you think is?

Get in touch using the information above and let us know your reasons why too.

Shay Given
Former Man City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

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I think Pep would put himself under pressure, if I am brutally honest, he strikes me as a kind of character that would be, this is not acceptable from his own professional point of view. I don't think he would accept going out of the Champions League next week, I really don't.

When the dust settles after last night, I do think they will beat Club Brugge next week, it's a big game, I don't have any fears, I think they will get the job done. Man City should look to win the Champions League. I still wouldn't rule them out actually. If they get a few more players in before the end of this month and of course get back to the Man City of old, I think they're out of the Premier League title race, they could really focus on the Champions League when it gets down to quarter-finals, semi-final.

This season has been a tricky one for Manchester City with their downturn in form.

In the Premier League they have conceded 29 goals so far this season, only five less than they conceded throughout the entire league campaign last season.

In the Champions League they have conceded 13.

Matt Upson
Former England defender on the Football Daily podcast

I think the confidence has been dented and that's not an easy thing, you can't walk into Tesco and buy confidence off the shelf. It's something that gets built and happens over time and they've done that at this football club, years of being successful. It's taken a massive jilt, all of a sudden when you're up against it, the frailty is there. Physically they don't seem the same team, it links back into confidence, it's a psychological thing,

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Striker Matheus Cunha is expected to stay at Wolves this season, despite intense speculation over his future.

The Premier League strugglers have not received any offer or had any contact for the 10-goal forward, despite reported interest from Nottingham Forest and Arsenal.

Sources have told BBC Sport that Wolves are relaxed about the 25-year-old's future while he has two-and-a-half years left on his contract.

Discussions about a new deal are ongoing.

Cunha has 26 goals in 78 appearances for Wolves since joining, initially on loan, from Atletico Madrid two years ago - before a club record £44m transfer.

He is Wolves' top scorer this season with Vitor Pereira's side 17th in the Premier League ahead of Saturday's visit of Arsenal to Molineux.

Following Monday's 3-1 defeat by Chelsea, Cunha was criticised by Pereira for his body language.

Cold1: Serie A is played at a slower pace, it's more focused on technical ability, so I don't see why this would be anything other than a good move.