Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi says he has yet to agree a new contract with the Seagulls as his team prepare to face Liverpool on Sunday.
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Sunday, March 31, 2024
Saturday, March 30, 2024
'We have the opportunity to be chased' - WSL managers look ahead
The Women's League Cup final takes centre stage this weekend, but there are four key Women's Super League games too. Hear from the 10 managers in action this weekend.
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Friday, March 29, 2024
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes missing from Arsenal training pictures ahead of Manchester City clash
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes all appeared to be missing from training today as Arsenal’s first-team squad stepped up their preparations for their crunch match with Manchester City.
Arsenal’s star trio have been struggling for fitness in the lead-up to Sunday’s heavyweight encounter, with Saka – the club’s top scorer this season – playing no part in England’s Euro 2024 warm-up matches due to an achilles injury.
Martinelli, meanwhile, who scored the only goal of the game in Arsenal’s victory over City in October, had to withdraw from Brazil’s squad this month after sustaining a cut to his foot.
The forward’s fellow countryman, Gabriel, also had to pull out of Brazil’s party to face England and Spain through injury and all three players have been in a desperate race to be fit for this weekend’s Etihad showdown.
At his pre-match press conference this afternoon, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta suggested the trio all had a ‘chance’ of featuring, with the Gunners looking to hold onto top spot in the Premier League.
However, there was no sign of Saka, Martinelli or Gabriel as pictures from today’s session at Arsenal’s Sobha Realty Training Centre were released this evening. Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu were seen with the rest of the group, though, with the duo closing in on their returns following injury.
Partey managed an hour of Arsenal’s behind-closed-doors friendly with QPR last week after working his way back from a hamstring injury, while Tomiyasu – who had been out with a muscle problem – got 45 minutes under his belt.
City, last year’s treble winners, are dealing with injury concerns of their own in the build-up to Sunday’s match, billed as a potential title decider, with defensive duo John Stones and Kyle Walker both ruled out.
Stones was one of only five players to play the entirety of England’s 1-0 loss to Brazil and continued his run in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI versus Belgium, though lasted just ten minutes of Tuesday’s friendly with Belgium.
The England defender came off with a muscle issue and was replaced by Liverpool’s Joe Gomez before Jude Bellingham netted late on at Wembley to rescue the Three Lions a 2-2 draw.
Stones’ City colleague Walker injured his hamstring in England’s defeat to Brazil and the full-back appeared in some discomfort as he hobbled off the pitch to be replaced by debutant Ezri Konsa.
‘Ederson is much, much better. Kyle and John are out. It is what it is,’ City manager Guardiola told reporters at his pre-match press conference.
The Catalan added that Manuel Akanji was ‘100 per cent ready and available to face Arsenal’ after recovering from his knock in midweek.
City are hopeful Kevin De Bruyne will be passed fit, with the Belgium midfielder making significant progress in his recovery from the groin injury he sustained in City’s FA Cup clash with Newcastle.
Arsenal ensured they remained top with a dramatic defeat of Brentford before the international break and Arteta’s men would go four points clear of City with victory on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool sit behind the north London club on goal difference as they prepare to welcome Brighton to Anfield this weekend.
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Preston batter relegation-bound Rotherham
Preston boost their play-off hopes with a thumping win over dismal bottom side Rotherham, who slip closer to relegation.
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Thursday, March 28, 2024
Rio Ferdinand admits Jonny Evans has proven him wrong since returning to Manchester United
Rio Ferdinand says Jonny Evans has far surpassed his expectations since rejoining Manchester United and believes the veteran centre-back has arguably been the club’s ‘best defender’ this season.
Eyebrows were raised when United announced that Evans, 36, had put pen to paper on a short-term deal at Old Trafford last summer, eight years after his first spell with United came to an end.
Evans had been training with United’s Under-21 team after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season and impressed Erik ten Hag, who gave the green light for the Red Devils to resign the Northern Ireland international.
The centre-half has gone on to make 17 appearances for United in all competitions, including 12 starts in the Premier League, receiving widespread praise for his level of performance in the twilight years of his career.
Earlier this month, Ferdinand argued that Evans’ second-half substitution in the Manchester derby proved a ‘big disruption’ for United as City came from behind to beat their bitter rivals 3-1 at the Etihad.
And while Ferdinand has gone on record saying Evans ‘shouldn’t be at the club’, he admits his former team-mate has proven him wrong with the way he has conducted himself across the campaign.
‘He’s been arguably our best defender this year and that says a lot,’ the legendary ex-United and England defender told Cool FM News in Northern Ireland.
‘When he first signed, and even though he’s my mate and I played with him, I was like: “Flippin’ hell, how are we signing Jonny at this time?! Are we going backwards?”
‘But he’s come in and when he has been asked to do a job, he’s done it really, really well.
‘I was with him the other day at the training ground and he has surprised himself in terms of the amount of game-time he’s had, but then you’ve got to go out there and produce and play.
‘That’s testament to him as a professional footballer as well because you’ve got to prepare yourself and you’ve got to be ready for those moments, and he has been so good luck to him.’
Ferdinand was also full of praise for Evans’ fellow countryman Conor Bradley, who has proved a more than capable understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool this season.
‘He’s a modern day full-back, up and down. He’s really comfortable in attacking areas,’ Ferdinand added.
‘As I’ve mentioned before with Kobbie [Mainoo], he hasn’t seemed fazed.
‘You’ve got to remember that there’s an added layer for him. He’s come in and replacing one of the best full-backs in the world in Trent.
‘That’s a pressure that I’ve not really heard anyone talk about. That’s a big pressure, that.
‘It’s not like he’s coming in for one of the average players in the team… he’s coming in for one of the mainstays in the team so that brings a huge amount of pressure that he seems to have dealt with really, really well.
‘He looks a good kid and he looks like somebody who has been working hard behind the scenes for a long time to get to where he is so he deserves it.’
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Man City's Casparij charged over alleged derby gesture
Manchester City defender Kerstin Casparij has been charged by the Football Association after an alleged offensive gesture.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Euro 2024 team-by-team guide with the full line-up for this summer’s tournament now complete
The full line-up of the 24 teams who will take part in this summer’s Euro 2024 is now complete following the dramatic play-off finals.
Three spots were still up for grabs for the tournament, which gets underway in Germany on June 14, with sides who failed to book their place at Euro 2024 given a lifeline via the play-offs.
Wales fell to an agonising penalty shootout defeat to Poland, ending their hopes of reaching their third consecutive European Championships on a cruel night in Cardiff.
Georgia were involved in their own penalty drama, beating Greece on penalties to qualify for their first-ever major tournament, whilst Ukraine mounted yet another comeback to nudge past Iceland in their play-off final.
Here is a full rundown of the 24 nations who will be eying European glory at Euro 2024, with England and Scotland amongst the countries who will be taking part later this year.
Albania
Manager: Sylvinho
Star player: Armando Broja
Fixtures: Italy (June 15), Croatia (June 19), Spain (June 24)
Best result: Group stage (2016)
Albania, managed by former Arsenal and Manchester City player Sylvinho, topped their qualifying group ahead of the likes of Czechia and Poland to qualify for just their second-ever major tournament.
Euro 2016 saw Albania fail to advance from the group, but the Balkan country did finish the tournament on a high with a 1-0 win over Romania in their final game.
Austria
Manager: Ralf Rangnick
Star player: David Alaba
Fixtures: France (June 17), Poland (June 21), Netherlands (June 25)
Best result: Round of 16 (2020)
Austria finished second in qualifying under former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick, but they could be without their captain and Real Madrid star David Alaba, who is at serious risk of missing the tournament with a ruptured ACL.
Their Round of 16 appearance at Euro 2020 was the furthest they have ever progressed in the competition, suffering an extra-time defeat to eventual champions Italy at Wembley.
Belgium
Manager: Domenico Tedesco
Star player: Kevin De Bruyne
Fixtures: Slovakia (June 17), Romania (June 22), Ukraine (June 26)
Best result: Runners-up (1980)
The Red Devils made light work of qualifying under their new Italian-German manager Domenico Tedesco to seal their place at their third consecutive Euros.
Quarter-finalists in the previous two editions, Belgium will be hoping for a deeper run this time around, with a squad which is perhaps lacking some of the stardust of their golden generation in recent years but one which still possesses extreme quality – as well as a number of exciting youngsters.
Croatia
Manager: Zlatko Dalić
Star player: Luka Modrić
Fixtures: Spain (June 15), Albania (June 19), Italy (June 24)
Best result: Quarter-finals (1996, 2008)
Perennially the tournament dark horses, Croatia will be desperate to finally claim their first-ever major trophy having finished as runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and in the 2023 Nations League, as well as a third-place finish at the last World Cup in Qatar.
Captain Luka Modric will be featuring in his ninth major international tournament, with a number of his veteran teammates also likely to be playing in their swansong competition.
Czechia
Manager: Ivan Hašek
Star player: Patrik Schick
Fixtures: Portugal (June 18), Georgia (June 22), Turkey (June 26)
Best result: Winners (1976)
Czechia (Czech Republic) booked their ticket to their eighth successive European Championship with a runners-up finish in Group E.
Their squad includes West Ham stars Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal, as well as promising Bayer Leverkusen youngster Adam Hložek.
Denmark
Manager: Kasper Hjulmand
Star player: Rasmus Højlund
Fixtures: Slovenia (June 16), England (June 20), Serbia (June 25)
Best result: Winners (1992)
Denmark, who were beaten by England in the semi-finals of Euro 2020, qualified for this year’s edition as Group H winners.
The Danes pulled off one of the biggest shocks in football history when they won Euro 92, having only qualified after Yugoslavia was disqualified because of an outbreak of war following the break-up of the country.
England
Manager: Gareth Southgate
Star player: Harry Kane
Fixtures: Serbia (June 16), Denmark (June 20), Slovenia (June 25)
Best result: Runners-up (2020)
Qualification was never really in doubt for England, who completed the double over Italy and picked up four points against Ukraine.
Gareth Southgate’s men have been installed as the favourites for Euro 2024, and despite an underwhelming March international break, their envious collection of talent leaves them with a strong chance of finally ending their almost 60-year wait for silverware.
France
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Star player: Kylian Mbappé
Fixtures: Austria (June 17), Netherlands (June 21), Poland (June 25)
Best result: Winners (1984, 2000)
France and their star-studded squad start the tournament as second favourites behind England and are looking to win their first European Championship since 2000.
Les Blues were beaten finalists in their home tournament in 2016, but recovered from the disappointment to win the the World Cup two years later.
Georgia
Manager: Willy Sagnol
Star player: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Fixtures: Turkey (June 18), Czechia (June 22), Portugal (June 26)
Best result: N/A
Georgia finished fourth in qualifying, but their performances in the Nations League saw them granted a play-off berth.
The Black Sea country secured their spot at their first ever major tournament as an independent nation with a penalty shootout win over Greece. Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will undoubtedly be one of the players to watch at Euro 2024.
Germany
Manager: Julian Nagelsmann
Star player: Jamal Musiala
Fixtures: Scotland (June 14), Hungary (June 19), Switzerland (June 23)
Best result: Winners (1972, 1980, 1996)
Germany, who qualified automatically as hosts, parted company with former manager Hansi Flick in September 2023 after just four wins in 17 matches.
Results have still been mixed under Julian Nagelsamnn, who is in charge until the end of the tournament, but they still possess the quality to win their first European Championship for 28 years.
Hungary
Manager: Marco Rossi
Star player: Dominik Szoboszlai
Fixtures: Switzerland (June 15), Germany (June 19), Scotland (June 23)
Best result: Third place (1964)
Having gone 44 years without qualifying for the Euros, Hungary have now made it to their third tournament in succession and boast Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai amongst their ranks.
Hungary gave a decent account of themselves at Euro 2020, registering two draws in a group consisting of France, Germany and Portugal, but that ultimately wasn’t enough to stop them finishing bottom of the pile.
Italy
Manager: Luciano Spalletti
Star player: Nicolò Barella
Fixtures: Albania (June 15), Spain (June 20), Croatia (June 24)
Best result: Winners (1968, 2020)
Italy are the defending champions having beaten England in the final on penalties three years ago but will face a fight to qualify for the knockouts with Spain and Croatia also in Group B.
The Azzurri, who saw Roberto Mancini resign halfway through the qualifying campaign, finished as runners-up to the Three Lions, securing their spot at Euro 2024 with a draw against Ukraine on the final matchday.
Netherlands
Manager: Ronald Koeman
Star player: Virgil van Dijk
Fixtures: Poland (June 16), France (June 21), Austria (June 25)
Best result: Winners (1988)
The Dutch finished second behind France in qualifying and they will pose a real danger in Germany, with their squad packed full of immense talent with the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Xavi Simons.
Ronald Koeman is in his second spell in charge, having won the tournament as a player back in 1988 – their sole major honour to date.
Poland
Manager: Michał Probierz
Star player: Robert Lewandowksi
Fixtures: Netherlands (June 16), Austria (June 21), France (June 25)
Best result: Quarter-finals (2016)
Poland could only manage a distant third to Albania and Czechia in qualifying, and as such they had to settle for a spot in the play-offs to keep their Euro 2024 hopes alive.
Having dispatched Estonia 5-1 in the play-off semi-final, the Poles edged out Wales on penalties following a 0-0 draw after extra-time to qualify for their fifth consecutive major tournament.
Portugal
Manager: Roberto Martínez
Star player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Fixtures: Czechia (June 18), Turkey (June 22), Georgia (June 26)
Best result: Winners (2016)
Portugal were the only team to finish qualifying with a perfect record, winning all ten of their games with 36 goals scored and just two conceded in the process.
Now managed by former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, Portugal will be hoping for a fairytale send-off for Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be playing in his 11th – and surely last – major international tournament.
Romania
Manager: Edward Iordănescu
Star player: Radu Drăgușin
Fixtures: Ukraine (June 17), Belgium (June 22), Slovakia (June 26)
Best result: Quarter-finals (2000)
Romania topped Group I in qualifying to reach their first tournament since 2016 and their sixth in European Championship history.
Their heroics at Euro 2000 saw them make it out of a group consisting of England, Germany and Portugal before being beaten by Italy in the last eight.
Scotland
Manager: Steve Clarke
Star player: Scott McTominay
Fixtures: Germany (June 14), Switzerland (June 29), Hungary (June 23)
Best result: Group stage (1992, 1996, 2020)
Steve Clark guided Scotland to second place in their qualifying group to make it back-to-back European Championship appearances, and their latest Euro adventure sees them kick-off against Germany in the opening fixture.
Scotland have never qualified from their group at a major tournament and their attempts to put their sorry record to bed will most likely be determined by the crunch clashes against Switzerland and Hungary.
Serbia
Manager: Dragan Stojković
Star player: Aleksandar Mitrović
Fixtures: England (June 16), Slovenia (June 20), Denmark (June 25)
Best result: Runners-up (1960, 1968)
Remarkably, Serbia will be competing in their first European Championship since 2000, despite having participated in four World Cups in the meantime.
Serbia were runners-up in the competition in 1960 and 1968, when they competed as part of Yugoslavia, and this generation of team is packed full of talent such as Dušan Vlahović, Sergej Milinković-Savić and former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrović.
Slovakia
Manager: Francesco Calzona
Star player: Milan Škriniar
Fixtures: Belgium (June 17), Ukraine (June 21), Romania (June 26)
Best result: Winners (1976)
Slovakia finished a distant second behind Portugal in qualifying, with manager Francesco Calzona combining his role with the national team whilst also being the manager of Napoli in his native Italy.
Slovakia claimed the trophy as part of Czechoslovakia in 1976, with their best performance since splitting with Czechia seeing them reach the Round of 16 eight years ago, where they were beaten by Germany.
Slovenia
Manager: Matjaž Kek
Star player: Jan Oblak
Fixtures: Denmark (June 16), Serbia (June 20), England (June 25)
Best result: Group stage (2000)
Slovenia were only beaten twice in qualifying as they finished as group runners-up, with Euro 2024 the first major tournament they will contest since the 2010 World Cup.
England will have to keep a close eye on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko when they meet in their group fixture on June 25, with the 20 year-old regarded as one of the hottest young strikers on the continent and having been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Spain
Manager: Luis de la Fuente
Star player: Rodri
Fixtures: Croatia (June 15), Italy (June 20), Albania (June 24)
Best result: Winners (1964, 2008, 2012)
Only Germany have taken part in more European Championships than Spain, who secured their berth at their 12th Euros having finished first in their group with seven wins from eight games in qualifying.
Luis de la Fuente, who was appointed in 2022 to replace Luis Enrique after Spain were knocked out in the World Cup Round of 16, will be hoping to guide his country to a record-breaking fourth Euros title.
Switzerland
Manager: Murat Yakin
Star player: Granit Xhaka
Fixtures: Hungary (June 15), Scotland (June 19), Germany (June 23)
Best result: Quarter-finals (2020)
Euro 2024 will see Switzerland participate in their fifth finals in the last six editions.
The Swiss produced a timeless performance to knock France out of Euro 2020 on penalties, before succumbing to spot kicks against Spain in the quarter-finals.
Turkey
Manager: Vincenzo Montella
Star player: Hakan Çalhanoğlu
Fixtures: Georgia (June 18), Portugal (June 22), Czechia (June 26)
Best result: Semi-finals (2008)
Vincenzo Montella’s men, featuring the likes of Inter’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Real Madrid wonderkid Arda Güler, finished ahead of Croatia and Wales to finish Group D as winners.
Turkey have been knocked out in the group stage in their last two tournaments but famously made it all the way to the semi-finals in 2008, only to be beaten 3-2 by Germany in one of the all-time classic Euro games.
Ukraine
Manager: Serhiy Rebrov
Star player: Oleksandr Zinchenko
Fixtures: Romania (June 17), Slovakia (June 21), Belgium (June 26)
Best result: Quarter-finals (2020)
Having narrowly missed out on automatic qualification on goal difference to Italy, Ukraine produced two stirring comebacks against Bosnia and Iceland in the play-offs, with Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk scoring an 84th minute winner against the latter.
Ukraine will be confident of reaching the knockout stages at Euro 2024 in what will be their first appearance at a major international tournament since the Russian invasion in 2022.
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Man Utd set to name new head of women's football
Manchester United are set to appoint Matt Johnson as interim head of women's football for six months from the end of the season.
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Ex-Sierra Leone defender Bangura dies in bus crash
Former Sierra Leone international Lamin Bangura dies aged 59 after a road accident in the West African nation.
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Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Player-coach relationships are unhealthy - Wiegman
England manager Sarina Wiegman says player-coach relationships in women's football are "inappropriate" and "not healthy".
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Monday, March 25, 2024
Drama, icons & missed penalties - the history of Scotland v NI
From debut red cards and missed penalties to cult heroes finding the net, BBC Sport takes a look at the not so recent history between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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Man City track Everton's Branthwaite - Monday's gossip
Man City tracking Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Man Utd to give Scott McTominay new contract, West Ham planning move for Ivan Toney, plus more.
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South Korea's Son released after detention in China
South Korean footballer Son Jun-ho is released after being detained in China in relation to a bribery case, South Korea's foreign ministry says.
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Chelsea go top of WSL with win over West Ham
Watch highlights as Chelsea return to the top of the Women's Super League with a battling 2-0 victory over West Ham.
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Sunday, March 24, 2024
Watch: Louis Moult's stunner from near halfway line
Watch Louis Moult's stunner from near the halfway line as Dundee United draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
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Vinicius Jr asks Jude Bellingham to give his shirt to Arsenal star
England midfielder Declan Rice may have been on the losing side against Brazil on Saturday night but he got a parting gift from Vinicius Jr afterwards.
The two teams played out an entertaining contest at Wembley, with both missing a number of good chances before 17-year-old wonderkid Endrick came off the bench to net the winning goal in the 80th minute.
In doing so, Brazil became the first team to beat the Three Lions on home soil in four years, while Endrick also became the youngest ever goalscorer for club or country at Wembley.
The teenager does not quite have the star power of team-mate Vinicius just yet, though, and there were plenty of England players hoping to get their hands on his shirt after the game – though it was Arsenal midfielder Rice who left Saturday’s game with a very special gift.
Shortly after full-time, Vinicius beckoned Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham over in the Wembley tunnel and teasingly asked if the England star wanted him to sign his shirt as they traded jerseys, with the 20-year-old laughing and jokingly replying ‘No quiero’, or ‘I don’t want it’ in English.
Both players had brought two of their shirts with them, with Bellingham giving one of his to Vinicius and the other to Rodrygo – who he also plays alongside at the Bernabeu.
Bellingham looked a little perplexed about who Vinicius’ second shirt was for and asked the Brazilian, who replied that it was for Rice, who presumably asked for the jersey when they were on the pitch.
A member of England’s backroom team then took the shirt back to the home dressing room while Bellingham walked towards the Brazil changing room, sharing a handshake, a hug and a brief chat with Rodrygo.
Reacting to the defeat, Bellingham wrote on social media: ‘Always a pleasure to put on an England shirt and play at Wembley. Unlucky with the result but more motivation for Tuesday.’
England are in action again on Tuesday evening against Belgium, who are rated number four in the world, and Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate is already looking forward to the match.
He said: ‘Belgium have played a different 11 probably, or close to, so they’re going to be a bit fresher. But similar to (Brazil) we’re talking about a high-level game, brilliant experience for the players, a chance to see new players again, build towards the summer.
‘I’m not disappointed with the level of performance. I know in the end when you lose the game then there will always be a negative reaction to losing.
‘But my thought was, with 15 minutes to go given all the changes that we’d made, I thought the crowd was already with the team.
‘They could see a lot of young players going in and doing well, a lot of very inexperienced players going in and doing well, so I’m not down on the performance of the team at all.’
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Saturday, March 23, 2024
Oxford City relegated after defeat at Fylde
Bottom side Oxford City lose 2-1 to AFC Fylde in the National League, confirming their relegation back to the sixth tier.
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Friday, March 22, 2024
'It's going to be so special' - Keating on WSL derby
Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating looks ahead to playing in the Manchester derby in the Women's Super League.
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Chelsea defender Malo Gusto returns from France duty early after coming down with illness
Chelsea star Malo Gusto will miss France Under-23s’ upcoming friendly matches against the Ivory Coast and the United States after coming down with a virus.
Gusto made his senior international debut in France’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands in November but missed out on Didier Deschamps’ 23-man squad for the side’s Euro 2024 warm-up clashes this month.
Instead, the 20-year-old Chelsea full-back was named in Thierry Henry’s U23 party and had been expected to start both games of the team’s forthcoming double-header.
Looking to build momentum heading into this summer’s Paris Olympics, France take on Ivory Coast later today before doing battle with the USA in Sochaux on Monday.
Henry will be without one of his key squad members in Gusto, though, with the defender said to be feeling unwell this morning, according to French publication L’Equipe.
The report claims the right-back said his goodbyes to the rest of the group at their training base in Chateauroux and will land in London later this evening.
The youngster is likely to be replaced by either Kiliann Sildillia or Bafode Diakite on the right side of Henry’s defence.
Mauricio Pochettino will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Gusto’s fitness, with Chelsea welcoming Premier League strugglers Burnley to Stamford Bridge in just over a week’s time.
The Frenchman has made 15 starts in the English top flight this season, impressing the absence of injured club captain Reece James.
The Blues signed Gusto from Lyon for a fee of €30m (£26m) in January 2023 and immediately sent the defender back to the Ligue 1 outfit on loan for the remainder of last season.
Speaking to Paddy Power this week, former Arsenal and Manchester City star Bacary Sagna claimed his fellow countryman had the attributes to become ‘the best player in the Premier League’ in his position.
‘Malo Gusto and Reece James are going to have to compete for the right back spot and that’s good for Chelsea,’ Sagna said.
‘Gusto is dynamic, fast and good at one on ones. He was doing well at Lyon.
‘I’m not surprised to see him shining at Chelsea because he has all the qualities to be an important player.
‘Chelsea are in a rebuilding process at the moment and Gusto has been doing well but he can do even better in the coming seasons.
‘He has the quality to become the best right-back in the Premier League, if he keeps playing this way for a whole season.’
Pochettino, meanwhile, said Gusto had quickly established himself as one of the key players in his team following Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Leicester.
‘The plan for Malo Gusto was that of a 19-year-old player who had come from another league, France, and there were circumstances where a young kid needed time,’ the Chelsea head coach told reportedly.
‘But it’s true he played before we thought because of the injuries. He needed to perform from the beginning while adapting to the Premier League, to the club, and living in a different country.
‘Malo has suffered with some injuries and that is why we have played sometimes with Alfie Gilchrist or Axel Disasi in that position. But it’s not a surprise the young guys that have arrived need time.
‘He was injured, then he played and then he was injured, but now after eight, nine months, we have started to see what we expected from him.
‘I hope now he can be consistent, if he plays regularly, and starts to show his quality.
‘He is a player with a great capacity going forward and attacking.
‘Like the cross against Brentford, the quality going forward is really good. He needs to improve in other areas and with time for sure he will improve. I’m very happy with how he behaves and how he performs.’
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Thursday, March 21, 2024
Euros give 'extra edge' to Scots' friendly - Clarke
Proximity to the Euro 2024 finals has added an "extra edge" in training as Scotland prepare for Friday's friendly against the Netherlands, head coach Steve Clarke says.
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Nottingham Forest tell Arsenal and Chelsea how much to pay for Murillo
Nottingham Forest have told Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool how much they must pay to sign Murillo in the summer transfer window.
All three of the Premier League heavyweights are keeping tabs on the 21-year-old Brazilian centre-back and Forest may be forced to sell due to financial issues.
Murillo only arrived at Forest in August from Corinthians, penning a five-year deal, but his impressive performances in his debut season have already caught the eye.
Forest have been hit with a four-point deduction for breaking profit and sustainability rules – and while they are likely to launch an appeal – it is thought they are looking to offload stars this summer in order to avoid further problems.
Forest have now set an asking price for Murillo and are looking to secure a fee ‘in excess’ of £50m for their talented defender, according to The Telegraph.
Forest only paid £11m to sign Murillo but believe he could eventually be worth as much as £70m.
Murillo has made 27 appearances for Forest since his move to the City Ground and provided an assist in a 3-1 win over Newcastle United in December.
Murillo’s age makes him particularly attractive to Chelsea, who have decided to prioritise transfers for young players on long contracts in the Todd Boehly era.
But Arsenal and Liverpool will be hoping to convince Murillo too – and they may be more attractive options given Chelsea’s struggles in the last two years.
Arsenal and Liverpool are currently involved in a tense Premier League title race with Manchester City while Chelsea are all the way down in 11th.
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