Naby Keita has been ruled out of Saturday s Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool, but Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane are set to be involved.
Liverpool midfielder Keita has a fitness issue but Thiago and Mane, who both tested positive for coronavirus prior to the international break, have given manager Jurgen Klopp a boost ahead of the match at Goodison Park.
The Premier League champions are looking to bounce back from their humbling 7-2 loss to Aston Villa last time out, while their local rivals are top of the table with maximum points from four games.
Naby will not be ready, said Klopp. Long-term of course, Oxlade-Chamberlain is not ready – but apart from that they all came back healthy from the internationals.
On Thiago and Mane recover…
Jose Mourinho has ruled out a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic because he has the best striker in England at his disposal in Harry Kane.
Ibrahimovic has been linked with a move to the north London club after Mourinho was swiftly announced as Mauricio Pochettino s replacement last week.
The pair briefly worked together at Inter during the 2008-09 season before linking up again at Manchester United in 2016.
Speaking ahead of his first Champions League game in charge of Spurs against Olympiacos on Tuesday, Mourinho poured cold water on suggestions he could swoop for the 38-year-old free agent.
Drop the shoulder,
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
I have more than a connection [with Ibrahimovic], he said. He s an amazing player, amazing…
Barcelona would not attempt to match the offers that Lionel Messi may receive from rival clubs, presidential candidate Joan Laporta has declared.
Laporta was previously president from 2003 to 2010, overseeing the early years of Messi s career at Camp Nou, and is now seeking a further term at the helm.
The Catalan giants were plunged into a financial crisis by the coronavirus pandemic and it has meant pay levels have been closely examined, re-thought and restructured.
Messi is the club s top earner, but as he approaches the end of his contract, which expires in 2021, there are doubts over whether he will renew.
The club s all-time record scorer wanted to leave before the 2020-21 season and may again tell Barcelona he intends to depart, although…
Tottenham fans have a new hero in Tanguy Ndombele.
The France midfielder marked his Premier League debut with a goal to help Mauricio Pochettino s side defeat Aston Villa on Saturday.
With Spurs struggling to break down Villa after going behind to John McGinn s goal, Ndombele levelled matters with an expertly taken strike from 20 yards out that left the excellent Tom Heaton with little chance.
The goal proved to be the catalyst for Spurs, who went on to win 3-1 thanks to two late finishes from captain Harry Kane.
Seventeen players have now scored a debut goal in the Premier League for Spurs, stretching back to Steve Sedgley in 1992, but only five have done so on the first day of the season.
The question is, will Ndombele follow a similar career pa…
In 2015, Lionel Messi and Barcelona were on top of the world.
Led by Messi alongside Neymar and Luis Suarez in a devastating 122-goal attack the Blaugrana claimed their second treble with Champions League success, then making them the first European club to achieve such a feat.
The Club World Cup title followed for Luis Enrique s side, but such supremely high standards were not maintained.
Five years later, the MSN front line has long since been broken up by Neymar s departure and now Messi intends to follow his former colleague out of Camp Nou.
Barca did not win a single trophy in a 2019-20 campaign that ended in humiliation with the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich that prompted Quique Setien s sacking before Messi s shock transfer request.
Just wher…
Atletico Mineiro had plenty to celebrate after the Brazilian side won their first Brasileirao title in 50 years.
Not since 1971 had Atletico – the oldest active club in Minas Gerais – conquered the country s premier club competition.
But Atletico ended their half-century wait with two matches remaining thanks to Thursday s enthralling 3-2 victory at Bahia.
Atletico trailed 2-0 away from home but Hulk s 73rd-minute penalty and a three-minute Keno brace ensured the club could not be caught by Flamengo.
It is Atletico s second Brasileirao trophy – the longest interval between two titles of the same team in the tournament since 1959.
It s been 50 years since we won the title, that s a long time, said two-goal hero Keno, with Atletico reportedly…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was kept waiting but finally scored his 500th career club goal for Milan against Crotone on Sunday.
The 39-year-old reached 499 on Tuesday with the opening goal against rivals Inter in the Coppa Italia, but he was later sent off in a 2-1 defeat.
Ibrahimovic should have netted the milestone goal in the first half against Bologna last weekend, only to miss a 26th-minute penalty, although Ante Rebic scored the rebound.
But the former Sweden striker s moment came at San Siro when he played a one-two with Rafael Leao.
Ibrahimovic fed Leao on the edge of the box and the young Portuguese slotted a perfect return ball behind the Crotone defence for his veteran strike partner to drive into the far right corner, securing another milestone for …
Luis Diaz does not believe Liverpool s start to the Premier League season has been problematic , but accepted the stumbling Reds must improve quickly.
Liverpool have failed to win any of their opening three league games for the first time since Brendan Rodgers first season at the helm in 2012-13, having fallen to a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Monday.
Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford dealt the Reds their first Premier League loss of 2022, which followed back-to-back draws with Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Liverpool have now conceded the opening goal in seven successive Premier League games for the first time in their history, while a number of injuries to key players have led to calls for Jurgen Klopp to dip into the transfer market.
W…
Gundogan, Jorginho, Zakaria, Rice, Havertz and more: The Daily Transfer Round Up – Thursday, June 22
Jorginho wants Arsenal stay amid Lazio interest reports
Recent rumours suggest Lazio are interested in taking Jorginho back to Italy this summer.
The Arsenal midfielder spent four years at Napoli, before joining Chelsea in 2018. He only made the move across London to join the Gunners this January, and the 31-year-old Italy international reportedly has no intention of leaving the UK capital just yet, even though the club are doing what they can to boost their midfield ranks.
The potential arrivals of players like Declan Rice or Moises Caicedo would surely limit Jorginho s time on the pitch.
Gundogan set for Barcelona switch
Ilkay Gundogan has reportedly decided to leave Manchester City and join Barcelona as a free agent.
It …
Liverpool are not battling through a blip but a serious problem , according to club great Jamie Carragher.
Jurgen Klopp s side sit ninth in the Premier League, 13 points off the top ahead of Arsenal s meeting with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, after falling to defeat against Leeds United on Saturday.
Crysencio Summerville s late strike snatched an unlikely victory for strugglers Leeds as Liverpool suffered their first Premier League defeat at Anfield since March 2021, ending a 29-match home unbeaten run in the competition.
Despite Mohamed Salah cancelling out Rodrigo Moreno s early opener, Illan Meslier made a series of impressive stops to help pave the way for Summerville s winner, and Carragher feels his former side face a worrying situation.
It s a hug…