Manchester United could again be without Marcus Rashford for their Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.
The forward missed last weekend’s victory over Wolves with a leg injury but has trained all week and had been expected to be available before going down with illness.
Manager Erik ten Hag said: “Rashy trained well the whole week but today he reported he doesn’t feel well, so he is ill. We have to see how he recovers during the day and then see tomorrow.”
Preparing for our final away day of the campaign ||
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
Defeats against Brighton and West Ham prior to the victory over Wolves coupled with Liverpool’s strong finish to the season have put United’s Champions League hopes in some jeopardy.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim manager Markus Gisdol has rubbished reports linking highly-rated No. 10 Roberto Firmino with a summer exit from the Rhein-Neckar Arena.
The former Figueirense starlet has been the subject of interest from a number of top European clubs, including Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, in recent times.
Firmino, 22, has already set career bests in goals (12) and assists (8) in the Bundesliga (22 appearances) this season, while adding six goals and four assists in four DFB Pokal matches.
The 22-year-old eye-catching performances in 2013/14 have earned him an average match rating of 7.82 on WhoScored.com.
To put that in perspective, Chelsea star Eden Hazard has an average match rating of 7.73 in the English Pre…
Outgoing Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman is keen to take over at Swansea City, according to his agent Guido Albers.
Koeman is poised to leave De Kuip at the end of the season after announcing his decision to quit last month.
Swansea named Garry Monk as their head coach for the foreseeable future following Michael Laudrup s departure on February 4, but the Welsh side have won just one of their four Premier League games since Monk took over and sit just four points above the drop zone.
And Albers confirmed that he has contacted Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins on Koeman s behalf as the Dutchman looks to make the next move in his coaching career.
If he (Koeman) gets the chance to be the new manager of Swansea then he s willing to, Albers told Radio Wales Sport.
One…
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard says he and his family are settled in London, amid talk he could join LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
After a disappointing Premier League campaign in 2015-16, Hazard has starred for table-topping Chelsea this term and reportedly attracted the attention of big-spending Madrid, with a £100million fee mentioned.
However, despite the rumours regarding his future, the Belgium international insists he is happy in London.
Maybe I will live in Belgium, to be close to the family, or else I could go somewhere with nice weather, Hazard told the Chelsea website when asked where he sees himself living after hanging up his boots.
My kids are very settled in London so it could be here that s a long way off yet, so we will see.
Hazard…
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insisted he had no intention of selling Juan Mata as the Spanish midfielder was always going to be a key figure in his plans at Old Trafford.
Many expected Mata to be sold when Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal ahead of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign, after he was allowed to leave for United by the then-Chelsea boss in 2014.
However, Mata has been an important contributor for Mourinho and United this term, scoring his sixth goal of the season in Saturdays 2-0 win at home to Watford.
When I come here people thought that Mata was in trouble, Mourinho said.
I knew that he wouldn t be in trouble because one thing is the football I wanted my Chelsea to play and another thing is the football I want my Manchester Uni…
Inter struggled as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in Tuesday s Champions League clash.
Nicolo Barella, who was denied by the crossbar, and Edin Dzeko spurned first-half opportunities, with Roberto De Zerbi s hosts also faltering with a multitude of chances at the Kiev Olympic Stadium.
Manor Solomon and Tete both went close for Shakhtar, but with neither able to beat Samir Handanovic, the Ukrainian outfit settled for a creditable goalless draw against the Serie A champions.
Both teams are left on a point apiece in Group D as they suffer similarly timid starts and will need to make up early ground on Real Madrid and Sheriff, who meet later on Tuesday.
Tying 0-0 with Inter in the match in Kyiv.
Shakhtar s next group stage game is a…
France head coach Didier Deschamps believes FIFA s proposed biennial World Cup plan will trivialise the tournament.
FIFA, led by chief of global football development Arsene Wenger, want to shift the World Cup format to see an edition take place every two years.
The former Arsenal manager s proposal would cause further scheduling issues for international footballers with an already heavy workload for club and country.
However, after both UEFA and CONMEBOL pushed back against the idea, Deschamps warned of devaluing football s showpiece event, though he appreciates any change will likely not come during his tenure with Les Bleus.
To be honest, my first feeling in my playing career, being able to move on to a World Cup every two years, it makes me feel lik…
Diego Maradona, sacked as coach of Argentina only last week, is in the frame to succeed himself, it emerged here on Wednesday in the latest twist in the saga involving the footballing icon.
According to Ernesto Cherquis Bialo, Argentina Football Association (AFA) spokesman, Maradona s name is among the list of candidates to fill the vacant coaching position.
Diego has never gone away and he is still arriving, Bialo told radio station Ten, paraphrasing the lyrics of a famous tango dance.
Bialo said that the identity of the new manager would be revealed in October.
He added: Nobody s name is forbidden, nor the support for anyone assured.
The possibility of Maradona being reappointed to the job he held for 18 months comes as an unexpected developm…
KIEV (AFP) – Miron Markevich resigned as manager of Ukraine on Saturday in protest at a match-fixing scandal involving Ukrainian first division club Metalist Kharkiv.
Metalist, who are also managed by Markevich, were found guilty this week of rigging the result of a game which they won 4-0 against Karpaty Lviv in 2008.
Both clubs were found guilty of match-fixing by the Ukrainian Football Federation (FFU) and handed 25,000-dollar fines and docked nine points in this season s championship.
As a result, Metalist Kharkiv have just one point, while Karpaty Lviv are minus one point after six matches.
This proved too much for Markevich, who declared: I have to inform Ukrainian football fans that I step down from the national head coach s post.
FFU c…
Diego Simeone will make a late decision on the involvement of Diego Costa and Arda Turan before Saturday s UEFA Champions League final.
Atleti meet fierce rivals Real Madrid in the final of Europe s premier club competition, with head coach Simeone attempting to orchestrate a famous double after guiding the team to a first La Liga triumph since 1996.
However, their chances of winning the clash at Estadio da Luz are hindered by doubts over two of their most influential players in the form of top scorer Costa and winger Turan.
Spain striker Costa who has eight goals in the competition limped out of a 1-1 draw at Barcelona last Sunday that secured the title, while the latter injured his hip in the same fixture
Simeone now has to decide whether to gamble with the duo…