Plymouth Argyle

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Image source, Getty Images

Midfielder Ayman Benarous has been reinstated to Plymouth Argyle's squad list after initially being left out by the club just last week.

The summer signing from Bristol City has not played since being withdrawn at half-time during the Boxing Day defeat by Reading, and lost his place in the squad following the deadline-day signings of Wes Harding and Herbie Kane.

Argyle explored the possibility of a loan move to a non-league side for Benarous.

But after defender Kornel Szucs departed for Serbian top-flight side FK Vojvodina for an undisclosed fee on Friday, Benarous has been re-registered as part of Argyle's 22-man squad of players over the age of 21 who can compete in League One until the end of the season.

The news came as head coach Tom Cleverley also confirmed that midfielder Joe Ralls and defender Brendan Galloway have both undergone surgery this week.

Ralls has required surgery on a hamstring injury which has ruled him out for the rest of the season, while Galloway is expected to miss four weeks to recover from a hernia.

Argyle will continue their League One campaign with a trip to Leyton Orient on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).