Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will miss England s friendly against Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday with a tendon problem.
Wilshere was in line for a first international appearance since Euro 2016, having battled back from persistent injury issues to regain a place in Arsene Wenger s first-team plans this season.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference, England boss Gareth Southgate played down fears the 26-year-old s latest setback was significant, and Wilshere could still feature when Italy travel to Wembley next week.
Jack just felt some tendinopathy in his knee, Southgate said. It s a problem he s had before, nothing too serious.
We had the option to bring him here and treat him here but we ve decided to have him back at base.
There s…
Germany assistant coach Hans-Dieter Flick is anticipating a tricky 2014 World Cup qualifier against Austria on Tuesday.
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Euro 2012 and 2010 World Cup semi-finalists Germany began their qualification campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win at home to the Faroe Island on Friday.
But neighbours Austria are likely to prove a tougher challenge for Joachim Loew s team, with Flick impressed by the work of their Swiss coach Marcel Koller.
They have some players from the Bundesliga and those players are important in their teams, Flick said.
Since last year they have a coach, with Marcel Koller, that installed a system into the team.
…
Spain will look to make it 22 games without defeat when they face the Republic of Ireland at the Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
The reigning world champions impressive run stretches back to November 2011, when a Frank Lampard goal was enough to secure victory for England at Wembley.
The friendly fixture against Ireland will act as a good test ahead of their Confederations Cup campaign, which starts against Uruguay on June 16.
Goals from Santi Cazorla and Cesc Fabregas helped Spain earn a 2-1 victory over Haiti on Saturday, though they were far from at their fluent best.
Spain have a wealth of talent among their ranks, and perhaps the biggest dilemma for Vicente del Bosque will be deciding who to starts up top with Fernando Torres, David Villa and Roberto Soldado all vying for…
Having played excellent football in the Premier League for a number of seasons now, the big question is, are Brighton and Hove Albion ready to take the next step and compete in Europe?
Manager Roberto De Zerbi believes so.
“I think we are ready. The players, the club, our fans. We are ready to compete and to fight and to achieve our dream.”
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi says his side have no pressure on them to finish in the European places.
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
…
Karim Benzema scored an exceptional first-half hat-trick to inspire Real Madrid to a 6-0 LaLiga win over Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Los Blancos title chances may resemble little more than a pipe dream with Barcelona 12 points clear, but Benzema s heroics at least helped ensure they did not fall even further behind this weekend.
It did not always look likely to yield such a one-sided scoreline, but Madrid s slow start subsided for a glut of four goals in under a quarter of an hour – Benzema s seven-minute treble coming after Rodrygo s well-worked opener.
Carlo Ancelotti s men continued their domination in the second half, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez getting in on the act to cap off an empathic win.
1 Karim Benzema has scored …
Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Dutch teenager Sepp van dan Berg from PEC Zwolle.
The 17-year-old defender will become the Premier League club s first signing of the transfer window pending international clearance.
Liverpool did not disclose the fee involved although it is reported to be an initial £1.3million and stated only that Van den Berg had signed a long-term contract.
Van den Berg became Zwolle s youngest ever player when he debuted aged 16 in March 2018 and went on to make 22 appearances in the Eredivisie.
It s just an amazing feeling, Van den Berg told his new club s website.
It is, for me, the biggest club in the world and it s a dream come true. I am really excited.
I ve seen what kind of players from the academy…
Jordi Cruyff seems to be a key part of Victor Font s masterplan for Barcelona, yet the Dutch coach insists he is committed to Shenzhen FC.
Cruyff – son of Barca legend Johan – played for the Blaugrana in the 1990s.
The 46-year-old is currently in charge of Chinese Super League side Shenzhen, having been appointed in August.
However, Font, who is one of the leading candidates for the Barca presidency, which was vacated by Josep Maria Bartomeu in October, wants Cruyff to return to the club as part of a revamped leadership team.
A hypothetical organisation chart released by Font has Cruyff installed as sporting director.
Former Barca great Xavi, who currently coaches Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd, would operate above Cruyff in the hierarchy,…
Josh King and Callum Wilson spoiled Burnley s European qualification party with second-half goals to help Bournemouth earn a 2-1 win at Turf Moor on the final day of the Premier League season.
The Clarets were already guaranteed a seventh-place finish before Sunday s game – their highest top-flight position since the 1973-74 campaign, when they placed sixth.
It looked like they would end 2017-18 with a return to winning ways after four matches without a victory, before King levelled with a fine strike and Wilson netted the winner in injury time.
Chris Wood had given Sean Dyche s side a first-half lead, inadvertently diverting Ashley Westwood s goal-bound effort past Asmir Begovic in the 39th minute.
Jeff Hendrick squandered a good opportunity to put the…
Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe believes new coach Thomas Tuchel shares the club s attacking mentality.
Tuchel was appointed to replace the outgoing Unai Emery on Monday, having been out of work since leaving Borussia Dortmund in May 2017.
Emery led PSG to a domestic treble this season but did not have his two-year contract extended at Parc des Princes.
And Mbappe believes Tuchel is well-suited to his new job and is looking forward to getting started under the German.
I faced him with Monaco [in the Champions League in 2016-17], he told Le Parisien. His teams are used to playing [with offensive style] and at PSG, we also have players who like to play, so it s a good basis to start.
This is a new chapter in the book of Paris Saint-…
Hull City s owners – Assem and Ehab Allam have failed in his latest attempt to change the club s name to Hull Tigers after the Football Association rejected their request.
Chairman Assem Allam has been trying to change the club s name for the past two years to incorporate Tigers the club s nickname into their official moniker, a move that has caused ructions within the club s support.
A first application in December 2013 was rejected five months later, but a second bid for the coming season was submitted after an independent tribunal found fault in that initial process.
However, the FA has once again rejected the Allams application, confirming their decision in a statement released on Saturday.
It read: The FA Council has rejected Hull City’s applicat…