Right, it's time for today's live text coverage to come to a halt after a few hours filled with international build-up, transfer gossip and plenty more besides.

Here's a reminder of some of the main stories we've brought you today:

• FA announces Wembley silence for victims in Israel and Gaza
• Uefa chief expresses 'profound sorrow' to Israel
• Mead returns to full Arsenal training after ACL injury
• Liverpool confirm upper Anfield Road stand delay
• Ex-Leicester boss Shakespeare diagnosed with cancer

Of course, there's still plenty of football to come today - England boss Gareth Southgate is holding a news conference before Friday's match with Australia and we'll have the best lines from that on the BBC Sport website later tonight.

And can Scotland seal Euro 2024 qualification with a point or better in Spain this evening?

You can re-join us for live text and BBC Radio 5 Live coverage of that game in a few hours' time.

Until then, take care...

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has said that while he has not bridged the subject of the England national team with North Shield-born midfielder Sean Longstaff, he believes the 25-year-old is "good enough" to play for Gareth Southgates team.

Longstaff scored in Newcastle's memorable 4-1 triumph over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and has impressed under the tutelage of the former Bournemouth boss.

"I haven't spoken with Sean in any great detail about the England squad or his dreams and aims, but I'd encourage it for him because I think he is good enough," said Howe.

"I think he's got everything depending on what system you want to play but for us, he perfectly fits the number eight role that we're using him in.

"I'd love to see him score more goals and get in more goalscoring positions because I think he is a very good finisher - you saw [against PSG] with a really good goal - so hopefully there's more to come from him. But he's certainly done very well at the start of this season."

BBC Sport has a dedicated Newcastle page packed with news, analysis and fan views - get it here

Chelsea

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are showing signs of recovery. It was always going to be difficult shoe-horning all those players into a particular unit, system, a way of playing. The amount of injuries they've had as well is incredible, when you look at the list it's like a team out which hasn't been easy.

The amount of players in and out, the sheer volume, the run they've been on - the history of that run as well - it's been an absolutely terrible run for a such a long period of time, not just the start of this season. It's been a rapid decline, the win ratio over the last 12 months is horrific.

I don't think there has been a huge change in recent games when I look at the difference in Chelsea. It just takes time on little bits of details to find a settled formula, settled system, a bit more confidence when you do win a game and go into the next one.

You win away at Fulham and then Burnley is probably a game that suited Chelsea with the 'you play, we play' style and I think that has suited them along the way. Even when you look at the games that were disappointing for them like Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

I just think it's been a slow start, but with that squad turnaround I think it was always going to be. The players they have got now, it has got a great potential.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Get Chelsea news, analysis and opinion sent straight to your device

Aston Villa

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins credits the arrival of Unai Emery for kick-starting his career after falling "into a rut" under former boss Steven Gerrard.

"Definitely, under Gerrard, I know he played me all the time - I've played under all managers - but I wasn't really getting the best out of my game," said Watkins, 27, who recently signed a new contract at Villa until 2028.

"That wasn't down to him, I had just kind of fallen into a rut, but I feel like I have gone on a different path and really focused on being a striker.

"Before I was trying to do everything, trying to cross it and get on the end of my own cross and head it. Now I am just focused, being the main man.

"He [Emery] put a lot of faith in me and gave me confidence to go out and perform, just focusing on scoring goals and helping the team."

Read more from Watkins on BBC Sport's dedicated Villa page, which is also packed with news, analysis and fan views

Luke Edwards
Daily Telegraph writer on the Football Gossip Daily podcast

Image source, Getty Images

Everton definitely would be interested - would he want to go to Everton?

Newcastle, I don't know if they would be that interested in him now. They've already got Sean Longstaff there who is playing really, really well and in my opinion should be knocking on the England door now.

For the money Manchester City would want, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a loan with a view or an option to buy - that's always a January favourite.

But he will be off somewhere I think - I feel sorry for him in a way because it just hasn't worked out for him at all at Manchester City. I think he never really wanted to leave Leeds but for the sake of his career he had to.

You will have half the Premier League probably interested in signing him - he's still a really, really good player. There will be no shortage of takers.

I think if he had his ideal move, he'd probably go back to Leeds - he's a massive Leeds supporter and he left on really, really good terms when he left Elland Road.

But even Gareth Southgate might baulk at picking a player who is starting every week in the Championship over players who are starting every week in the Premier League.

Image source, Getty Images

Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards believes Kalvin Phillips should leave Manchester City in January.

Edwards told the BBC Football Daily Gossip podcast: "There was an argument I made in the summer that he probably should have gone then - I think it was pretty clear he wasn't really wanted by Pep.

"Newcastle, one of the clubs being linked with him now, were very interested in him but they were told very early on, probably April, May time, that he wanted to stay at Manchester City and fight for his place.

"But he has started two Premier League games in coming up to 18 months and it's ludicrous really.

"I admire somebody who wants to fight for their place, who thinks they've got their big move and they're at the club where they want to be, playing for the best team in the world, with the best manager in the world, and they want to prove themselves.

"But there's a thin line between stubborn and foolish in all walks of life and I think Kalvin Phillips is a bit too stubborn."

Listen to the podcast in full here.

Image source, Getty Images

"Living and being around Liverpool by managing Everton, you understand more issues people face in this part of the country that [people] don't in London," says former manager Frank Lampard in the opening episode of new podcast Nothing Will Be The Same.

"You understand a bit more why football feels like everything to them in certain ways."

Lampard was sacked by Everton in January after less than a year in charge at Goodison Park.

He added: "It is a club that has a distinct thing about the fanbase, local area and club. I wasn't aware of that. When I walked in, someone told me I really have to tap into the fans, they want to feel you are listening to them."

Listen to the Nothing Will Be The Same podcast on BBC Sounds

Read more on this story here.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

"Once Everton has touched you, nothing will be the same."

That famous quote from former Everton player and England World Cup winner Alan Ball was summed up by a rollercoaster 2022-23 season.

A dramatic campaign saw a managerial sacking, absent board members, fans' protests, a Premier League referral to an independent commission and was topped off by escaping relegation on the final day.

"Let's put it this way," says ex-Burnley manager Sean Dyche, who took charge of the Toffees in January. "In nine and a half years in my previous club I have probably got one book in me, in four months here I have probably got three. There is a lot going on and a lot more to come."

In autumn last year, BBC Radio Merseyside's Giulia Bould was given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to document the inside story of a turbulent season.

"I thought this would be a club on the up," Bould says when reflecting on what she expected.

"I thought it was very much going to be a building process of how Frank Lampard, Everton, the board and the fanbase turned it around."

Listen to the Nothing Will Be The Same podcast on BBC Sounds

England international Beth Mead is back in full training with Arsenal following her return from a knee ligament injury.

Mead, 28, played in an in-house training match with the women's youth team on Wednesday as she approaches a return to competitive action.

The striker has not played for Arsenal since suffering an ACL injury in November last year, which caused her to miss the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Arsenal face Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Read more on this story here.

Image source, AFP

Just five years ago, organised women's football in Saudi Arabia did not exist in a meaningful fashion, but much has changed since a league was created with the aim of boosting female participation in the sport in a country where women's rights are restricted.

The women's national team - who played their first game just last year - are looking at qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup, while the country is bidding to host the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.

And on Friday the new season of the Saudi Women's Premier League kicks off.

Campaigners say much more remains to be done for women's rights in Saudi Arabia despite reforms, while human rights groups say sport is being used by the Saudi government to distract from long-standing reputation issues and accuse it of 'sportswashing' by investing in high-profile events.

At the same time, those involved in the growth of women's football in the country are excited by the opportunities ahead.

Read more here

Manchester United came from behind to draw 1-1 with Paris St-Germain in their first Women's Champions League qualifier.

They will play the return leg in Paris on Wednesday, 18 October, with the winners making it through to the group stages.

Chelsea have already qualified after winning the Women's Super League last season, but Arsenal, Cardiff City and Celtic failed to make it past the first round of qualifying.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Glasgow City's hopes of reaching the Women's Champions League group stages suffered a huge blow following a 4-0 defeat by Norwegian champions Brann Women.

The second leg of the qualifying round will be played next Wednesday at 18:00 BST.

Read the match report here

MOTD

"That was proper football back then, wasn't it?" said Micah Richards in a new series of Match of the Day: Top 10.

He joins Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer in the opening episode as they discuss which is the best attacking trio the Premier League has ever seen.

From the likes of Arsenal's Pires, Henry and Bergkamp to the Liverpool powerhouse of Salah, Mane and Firmino, they look back at some of the league's most deadly forward lines.

Listen to the full podcast episode now on BBC Sounds

Or watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

Evan Ferguson's withdrawal from the squad for last month's qualifiers was a huge blow for under-pressure Republic manager Stephen Kenny and the Brighton forward said it was a big disappointment for him too.

"It was such a big window and I was looking forward to playing the two games," added the Brighton man, who has two goals in his six international appearances.

"The injury held me back and I couldn't do anything. I just went back to get into rehab and tried to get myself fit. I watched the two games, two good performances and I'm looking forward to the two games we have now."

While hopes of a place at Euro 2024 now rest on the unlikely scenario of the various permutations handing the Republic a play-offs spot, Tuesday's official announcement of the successful UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028 means Ferguson can hope to play in a major finals on home soil as a 23-year-old.

"It would be an unbelievable experience for anyone, any of the Irish boys in their home town, their home country, I think it would be an unbelievable feeling to host it," said Ferguson.

Image source, Inpho

Brighton's teenage talent Evan Ferguson has insisted that he is fully fit for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2024 qualifier against Greece on Friday.

A knee injury ruled the 18-year-old out of last month's defeats by France and the Netherlands which all but ended any slim hopes of Group B qualification.

But Ferguson is back for a Dublin game which the Irish must win to keep alive hopes of finishing third in the group.

And he played down concerns that he has not featured in a full 90 minutes for Brighton since scoring a hat-trick against Newcastle on 2 September.

"If you see most of the games, I don't think many of the attacking players play 90 minutes," he said.

"I'm sure the gaffer [Stephen Kenny] will pick the team he feels suits for the game. I feel like I'm alright and I'm ready to start."

FAW will not make any “knee-jerk” decisions over the future of manager Robert Page, but the team must keep moving forwards, says chief executive Noel Mooney.

Wales have had a difficult qualifying campaign for Euro 2024, winning just two of their five games so far.

But they remain just three points behind Group D leaders Croatia, who Wales host on Sunday.

"We have to keep going forwards, we can’t go backwards. If we go backwards, we’re not doing our job," said Mooney.

"Every camp is reviewed, it’ll have a more serious review after the actual Armenia and Turkey games that comes up because then everything will be settled. We’ll know if we have achieved what we have set out to do, which is to qualify automatically."

Image source, Getty Images

Last year Page became the first man to lead Wales to a World Cup since 1958, but an underwhelming group-stage exit in Qatar followed by a disappointing start to this Euro 2024 qualifying campaign has seen Page's stock tumble.

"I think what’s always important is the values of the FAW, which are family, respect and excellence," added Mooney. "We’re not like one of those football clubs that keep changing things every time. Knee-jerk stuff, that’s not us.

"We’re a very warm, welcoming organisation but I caveat that by saying we have to keep going forwards, we have to keep winning football matches, we can’t keep losing matches. We have to keep winning, that’s really important.

"We’re very focussed on winning games, we’re very focussed on winning tournaments and that’s what we need to see in Wales, we’ve reached the top table of world football, we can’t go backwards."

To recap, a period of silence will be held before England's game with Australia for "the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine".

The Football Association also said players would wear black armbands for the game at Wembley on Friday.

More than 1,200 people have been killed after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a series of attacks on Israel.

Israel then launched air strikes on Gaza and stopped food, water, fuel and medicine going into the territory.

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Gaza since the retaliatory strikes, with 338,000 displaced.

Read more on this developing story here.

England and Australia players will wear black armbands during their match at Wembley Stadium on Friday and there will also be a "period of silence" held before kick off, the Football Association has confirmed.

"On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine," the FA said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with them, and their families and friends in England and Australia and with all the communities who are affected by this ongoing conflict. We stand for humanity and an end to the death, violence, fear and suffering."

More to follow.

Image source, BBC Sport

Scotland are next up, with a key Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain in Seville tonight.

BBC Sport website and app users were asked what team they would pick to face Spain.

The Scots are tantalisingly close to the Euro 2024 finals and a positive result in Seville will seal the deal. Scotland will also qualify if Norway drop points in Cyprus.

With regular left centre-back Kieran Tierney out injured, around a quarter of the 3,000-plus submissions favoured a 4-3-3 formation.

Aaron Hickey, Jack Hendry, Ryan Porteous and captain Andy Robertson make up the back four in front of goalkeeper Angus Gunn.

Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay and Callum McGregor are in midfield with John McGinn, Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams forming a three-pronged attack.

Read the full story here.