Two Times

The Gunners went ahead at the Hawthorns but slipped to defeat with Santi Cazorla missing a penalty and Francis Coquelin forced off through injury Arsene Wenger felt Arsenal were "incredibly unlucky" to fall to a 2-1 Premier League loss at West Brom as the visitors surrendered a one-goal lead and missed a penalty. Olivier Giroud handed Arsenal the advantage at the Hawthorns, but James Morrison's effort and a Mikel Arteta own goal put the hosts in the ascendancy before the interval. Santi Cazorla fluffed his lines badly with a late penalty as Wenger's side lost in the league for just the third time this season. "It was a very bad day for us. We were incredibly unlucky and never deserved to lose," Wenger told Sky Sports . "We gave everything to win and did not deserve this. "The only part where maybe we lost focus a bit was between the 35th minute and the 45th minute. Our focus was not 100 per cent then. We were lacking concent...

The Foxes boss praised his record-equalling striker in the comfortable win over Steve McClaren's Magpies  Claudio Ranieri praised prolific goalscorer Jamie Vardy as he fired Leicester City to the top of the table with a 3-0 win over Newcastle United. Vardy equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of netting in 10 consecutive Premier League games when he opened the scoring at St James' Park, the England international rifling a low shot under Rob Elliot. He could have added to his 13 goals this season but it mattered little as Leonardo Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki completed a comfortable win. Ranieri was full of praise for his leading marksman, and backed him to continue his scoring feats.

Sergio Aguero's first-half strike against Liverpool has seen him leapfrog Carlos Tevez to become the Premier League's highest-scoring South American. The Argentine forward, who returned to Manchester City's starting XI after missing four league games through injury, struck in the 44th minute at the Etihad Stadium, his 85th in England's top flight. That strike moves Aguero ahead of former City team-mate and fellow Argentine Tevez, who hit 84 goals in the Premier League during spells with West Ham, Manchester United and their cross-city rivals at the Etihad Stadium. Barcelona forward Luis Suarez (69), meanwhile, is third in the Premier League's all-time list of South American goalscorers, while another Uruguayan, former Chelsea midfielder Gustavo Poyet, is fourth with 54.

The Rome-based side have not been getting the results they deserve but can improve if they amend their mental approach, says Stefano Pioli Stefano Pioli has blasted his Lazio team for their poor attitude but believes they can turn things around and r ise up the Serie A table. The capital club, who finished third last season, have won six and lost six of their 12 top-flight fixtures so far this term, leaving them ninth in the table – their latest defeat coming in the Derby della Capitale against arch-rivals Roma. Their demeanour during the start of the campaign has led to an outburst of criticism from the 50-year-old coach, who called for a rapid change in their mentality. "I want to see a team that I know I have which is strong, determined and has character," Pioli said.

Manchester United and Barcelona's rumoured interest is having a negative impact on Youri Tielemans, according to his coach at Anderlecht Anderlecht coach Besnik Hasi feels the alleged interest of clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester United is negatively affecting promising youngster Youri Tielemans. The 18-y ear-old is regarded as one of the best prospects in Europe and is frequently being linked with a move away from Anderlecht. He has been struggling to find his best form in recent months though, and Hasi believes the transfer speculation is playing a role in his recent slump in form.

The Manchester United boss is optimistic the pair will be available for the Champions League clash, but was not so hopeful about the fitness of Phil Jones and Ander Herrera Louis van Gaal is hopeful Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial will be fit to face PSV in the Champions League in midweek, but admitted it may be difficult for Phil Jones and Ander Herrera to recover in time. Jones and Herrera both picked up injuries in Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Watford on Saturday and had to be substituted, with the game at Old Trafford just four days away.

Atletico Madrid can close the gap to Barcelona and Real Madrid this weekend and their coach says he is focusing solely on his team Diego Simeone says he has "no interest" in the result of the Clasico on Saturday as Atletico Madrid aim to close the gap to La Liga's top two. Real Madrid host leaders Barcelona looking to draw level on points with the reigning champions, while Atletico will be looking to take advantage of dropped points by either side to make up ground when they take on Real Betis. Simeone considers the fixtures this weekend to be potentially significant, with Champions League hopefuls Sevilla facing a difficult trip to take on Eusebio Sacristan's Real Sociedad, but his focus is solely on Atleti. "The truth is I have no interest [in the Clasico]. What interests me is that we play a good game and keep going in the way we have been," he told reporters. "There are big games in this round. Sevilla are also going to Sa...

The Netherlands international needs to apply himself in a better way, according to the recently appointed Black Cats boss Jeremain Lens has been told he must work harder if he wants to regain his place in the Sunderland side. Lens joined the Premier League strugglers from Dynamo Kiev in July, but has failed to make a significant impac t, firstly under previous boss Dick Advocaat and now Sam Allardyce. The Netherlands international has been dropped to the bench in recent weeks and Allardyce says he must up his work-rate if he wants to get another opportunity in the starting XI. He told the Sunderland Echo : "I think what Jeremain has to do overall, like they all have to do, is to lift his level up in terms of work-rate. "There is no doubt at this level of football the size of the work-rate needed. "With each position, I have the levels of an elite performer and an average performer for a Premier League player. It's easy for me to monitor.

Louis van Gaal has got the Manchester United defender's name wrong on two occasions and the 25-year-old admits he's going to have to learn to live with his new nickname Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has revealed he is getting fed up of people constantly referring to him as ‘Mike’. Louis van Gaal first referred to the England international as ‘Mike Smalling’ during the club’s pre-season tour of America. But the Dutchman didn’t learn from his mistake and got his player’s name wrong for a second time after United’s recent win over CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.

The former Barcelona president says the Catalan club must take care of their Brazilian forward and ensure that he stays at Camp Nou for many years to come Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta says Neymar is the natural heir to Ronaldinho at Camp Nou - and maybe even the successor of team-mate Lionel Messi in the future. The Brazilian forward has shone in the Argentine's absence through injury since late September, but he has been blighted by a tax case off the pitch and the player's father admitted recently that he could consider leaving the Catalan club unless those problems are resolved. "I think that what the club has to do is to come to an agreement with Neymar," Laporta told Goal in an exclusive interview ahead of the Clasico clash between Barcelona and Madrid on Saturday. "Leo is the best player in the history of football and will be the king of football for many more years - the truth is he's the best and us culés are proud to hav...

Goal spoke to former Real Madrid and Barcelona players about the teams' meeting on Saturday and all the main talking points ahead of the Clasico clash at the Bernabeu Former Barcelona  and Spain striker Julio Salinas says Cristiano Ronaldo 's poor recent form is due to a "lack of motivation", while ex-Blaugrana youngster Albert Luque believes Lionel Messi  will play "if he wants to" against Real Madrid on Saturday. At an event for former Madrid and Barca players in the capital on Wednesday, Goal spoke to several of the experts and asked four key questions: Will Messi start against Madrid? What's up with Cristiano? Is Neymar the best in the world in the absence of Messi? And should James Rodriguez start for Real on Saturday? "I don't think it's necessary [to start Messi], but he's the best player in the world and having him on the pitch is a big plus," former Madrid and Barca forward Dani Garcia Lara said.

The manager fears the winger will burn out over the Christmas period but says the club's injury crisis means he has to pick him Arsene Wenger says he wants to rest Alexis Sanchez but can't because of  Arsenal's injury crisis. The winger has played 69 matches for Arsenal since joining 15 months ago alongside a busy international schedule for Chile. Sanchez was given a short leave of absence to sit out Arsenal's pre-season tour of Singapore after winning the Copa America with his country in the summer. However, Wenger feels he is now unable to give him the rest his body craves due to the injuries to fellow attackers. "I am worried because before he went away with Chile he was a bit jaded. But if I ask him 'are you tired?' you can guess the answer," he said.

High-profile foreign footballers could become even rarer in Russia after the country’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, said on Thursday that politicians were seeking to ban state monopolies from bankrolling such acquisitions. “The Russian State Duma will introduce this draft law into professional sport to make sure that state monopolies do not spend their money on buying foreign players,” Mutko said during a meeting with Russia’s women’s football team. “The priority should be farm clubs and youth clubs,” added Mutko, who is also president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), in an interview with the TASS news agency. A number of Russian Premier League clubs live off the money given to them by state corporations : Lokomotiv Moscow are sponsored by Russian Railways, Zenit St Petersburg’s main backer is the energy giant Gazprom, and Dynamo Moscow are supported by the state bank VTB. In September 2012 Zenit signed Axel Witsel from Benfica and the Brazilian forwar...

Everton will be powerless to prevent Gerard Deulofeu re-signing for Barcelona next summer should the European champions activate a €9m (£6.3m) buy-back clause, Roberto Martínez has confirmed. Deulofeu returned to Goodison Park this summer in a €6m transfer from Camp Nou having enjoyed a successful loan stay in 2013-14. The 21-year-old had found first-team opportunities understandably limited at Barcelona and also struggled to make an impact while on loan at Sevilla last season, but the Catalan club were reluctant to let the winger leave during their transfer embargo and insisted on a buy-back option lasting two years. The winger has been in fine form recently for Everton and Spain Under-21s, scoring a hat-trick against Georgia and twice against Croatia during the international break having been named captain for the European Championship qualifiers. Deulofeu’s development is being closely monitored by Barcelona and it has been suggested that, even if the ...

Jay Rodriguez is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after the Southampton manager, Ronald Koeman ,  said the striker could require surgery on an injured ankle. Rodriguez came back into the side at the start of the season after spending more than a year recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in April 2014.  However, the once-capped England international has not played since the 2-2 draw with Leicester City in October .  “Jay is not good, it’s now a long time and we have to make a really tough decision how we have to do the treatment,” Koeman said before Saturday’s home game against Stoke City.

Steve Clarke insists his decision to remain at Reading instead of becoming Fulham manager was down to “ambition and professionalism” and “wasn’t about money”. Clarke asked to speak to Fulham about their managerial vacancy and on Thursday was thought to be on the verge of replacing Kit Symons, who was sacked by the Craven Cottage club during this month’s international break. However, Clarke opted against the move and the 52-year-old believes his interests are better served at the Madejski Stadium. “When I sat down and weighed it up – Reading was by far the best option,” said the former Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool assistant coach. “All I wanted was the chance to speak to another club and weigh up what is best for me. In my mind I was always closer to Reading than Fulham .  “But you have to go and find out what their plans are and what they are thinking. Could they offer something better? And the answer was no.

Jay Rodriguez is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after the Southampton manager, Ronald Koeman ,  said the striker could require surgery on an injured ankle. Rodriguez came back into the side at the start of the season after spending more than a year recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in April 2014. However, the once-capped England international has not played since the 2-2 draw with Leicester City in October .  “Jay is not good, it’s now a long time and we have to make a really tough decision how we have to do the treatment,” Koeman said before Saturday’s home game against Stoke City. “His foot is still a problem, it gives a lot of pain. We did everything and now, the final call, maybe it will be surgery next week. We have to wait and first make that tough decision and then of course we will know something more about how long he will be out.” With Rodriguez sidelined, Koeman hailed Graziano P...

The format of the Scottish league is outdated and should be restructured with a 16-team Premiership to help boost football in the country, says the chairman of second-tier promotion-challengers Falkirk .  Speaking at the club’s AGM, Doug Henderson said the slide of Scottish football, from falling attendances to the poor performance of the national side and their top clubs in Europe, would continue unless steps were taken to change the current system. Scotland were the only team from the British Isles not to qualify for next year’s European Championship and Celtic ,  Scottish champions for the past four seasons, regularly fail to make any impact in European competition. Scottish football’s top four tiers are currently organised into a 12-team Premiership with three lower divisions each containing 10 teams. “Reflecting economic reality and the need for premier division full-time football, I believe that we must put vested interest aside and reform our lea...

They followed Leo Messi every step of the way, willing him to take his next step, then his next, then his next, from the Camp Nou to the Cruz Blau clinic and on towards the Santiago Bernabéu, his target and theirs. The countdown began the moment he tore the medial ligament in his left knee against Las Palmas and it has quickened as the  clásico  comes closer, but the tone has changed. It is different now: there is expectation not desperation, excitement instead of fear – and not just because Messi should now make it to Saturday evening’s match at Real Madrid. A week ago, Messi ran; on Sunday, he shot; and on Tuesday he completed a training match. He scored, too, beating Marc-André ter Stegen in an 80-minute game held at Sant Joan Despí. Afterwards his sponsors revealed the boots he will wear at the Bernabéu. That’s “will”, not “might”. And the following morning Luis Suárez said he did not know if Messi would play from the start or as a substitute, whic...

Dele Alli will try to stay grounded after scoring a wonder goal on his first England start but the Tottenham midfielder insists goals have always been a significant part of his repertoire.​ Alli scored from 30 yards against France at Wembley on Tuesday, despite some arguing that his selection in the squad had come too early in his career. It was the 19-year-old’s fourth international appearance and, along with Eric Dier in central​ midfield and John Stones at centre-half, his performance will have encouraged Roy Hodgson on a night when the football was of secondary importance. Alli signed for Spurs in February from MK Dons and has been a regular both in the Premier League and Europa League this season. He described his England goal as a “dream come true”, having won possession in midfield with a crunching tackle. “It’s one of those crazy moments and I’m sure I’ll think about it a lot,” he said. “To do it at Wembley and score my first goal for England...

Paris Saint-Germain’s coach, Laurent Blanc, threatened to walk out of his news conference on Friday when asked another question regarding the psychological state of his players in the wake of last week’s deadly attacks. Having earlier interrupted one reporter’s question relating to how certain players who lost friends in the carnage might be affected following last Friday’s shootings ,  Blanc responded angrily soon after when he was asked a similar question. His voice rising and with a hostile tone, Blanc barked: “We’re not going to talk about this during the whole press conference, because I guarantee you, if you ask me one more question about the context, I’ll leave.” PSG’s goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu lost two friends in the attacks, which killed 130 people and wounded 350.

Anthony Martial  has paid tribute to  Manchester United 's supporters, revealing they have made it easy to adapt to life at Old Trafford. The France international, who will miss Saturday's game against Watford with a foot injury, joined the Premier League club in a big-money move from Monaco in September. Martial has netted five goals for United, including a memorable strike in a home victory over Liverpool on his debut. "The atmosphere at Old Trafford is really unique and when you are a bit tired, they really help you," the 19-year-old striker told  Footlocker . "They shout out your name and that gives you extra energy. It is also because of them that I have adapted easily to Manchester.

Hector Bellerin  "plays like a guy who is 30", according to fellow  Arsenal  defender  Nacho Monreal . Bellerin has become Arsenal's first-choice right-back over the past 12 months, usurping France international Mathieu Debuchy. And Monreal has hailed the youngster's mature and confident approach. "He's a young player, only 20 years old, but he plays like a guy who is 30. He's very mature and he plays with a lot of confidence," Monreal told the official Arsenal website. "He trusts in himself and that's very good for us. Since he's started to play the level of the team is improving so we are very proud of him. When I was 20 like him, I was scared every time I had to play at the beginning, but he's not. That's the secret for him, that he's so confident in himself.

Laurent Blanc  believes  Paris Saint-Germain  have "a duty" to play  Lorient  on Saturday as France continues to come to terms with the terror attacks that devastated Paris last week. The Ligue 1 champions visit the Stade du Moustoir for their first match since the atrocities in the French capital last Friday that killed 129 people. There were concerns that some players would be hesitant to return to PSG following the international break but Blanc says not a single player has informed him they do not wish to play despite admitting they face a "psychological problem". "It's not an easy situation," he said on Friday. "It's not just the PSG players who are affected, it's all the players. "Foreigners may have been most affected because they were far away from Paris and they saw horrific images of the city on television. "We have a job to do, like all coaches. We keep saying that life goes on, but it's easier said than done. I t...

Barcelona  head coach  Luis Enrique  has confirmed  Lionel Messi  is available for Saturday’s Clasico, but stressed he will not be “100 per cent fit” for the trip to  Real Madrid . Enrique wouldn’t be drawn on whether or not Messi will start the match at the Bernabeu, though, saying he will make a decision on his line-up as close to kick off as possible. The Argentina international has been missing since the end of September when he injured ligaments in his knee against Las Palmas. However, he has returned to training this week and could feature in this weekend’s top of La Liga clash.

Corinthians  were crowned domestic champions in Brazil on Thursday following a 1-1 draw with Vasco Da Gama  . Julio Cesar gifted Vasco the lead after 72 minutes, but Vagner Love levelled 10 minutes later to lead Corinthians to their sixth Campeonato Brasileiro title. Head coach Tite's men hold a 12-point lead over second-placed Atletico Mineiro with three games to go. And Jadson, an attacking midfielder signed from Sao Paulo in 2014, has expressed his delight at becoming a champion.

Manuel Pellegrini  has challenged  Raheem Sterling  to show improvement in every game he plays for  Manchester City . The England international has already scored six times for the Premier League leaders but his manager stated before the draw with Aston Villa on November 8 that he wants to see a more clinical edge to Sterling's game. The 20-year-old is set to face old club Liverpool on Saturday for the first time since his acrimonious £49million exit, and Pellegrini says there is still much more to come from him.

Paris Saint-Germain  manager  Laurent Blanc  has confirmed he is in talks with the Ligue 1 champions regarding a contract extension.  The 49-year-old’s current deal is due to expire in 2016, with French newspapers suggesting earlier this month that a new deal was being negotiated.

Juventus  coach  Massimiliano Allegri  has revealed  Gianluigi Buffon  will undergo a fitness test on Friday before a decision is made on whether he will start Saturday's Serie A encounter with  AC Milan . The 37-year-old goalkeeper was being plagued by a hip injury earlier this week, but Juventus are hopeful he will be able to feature this weekend. 

Juventus  coach  Massimiliano Allegri  is determined to get one over on his former employers when the Serie A champions host  AC Milan  on Saturday. Allegri spent four years at San Siro between 2010 and 2014, guiding the  Rossoneri  to the Scudetto  in his first season in charge. Juve head into this weekend's encounter in Turin with 18 points from 12 games, trailing sixth-placed Milan by two points, so Allegri is thinking of nothing other than overhauling his old club in the standings.

The Jamaican sprint sensation is a fan of the Old Trafford club and insists that he can solve their current attacking woes by undergoing a trial for Louis van Gaal's side  Athletics icon Usain Bolt believes he is the answer to Manchester United ’s problems, claiming that he would be given a five-year contract were he to undergo a trial at Old Trafford. The Jamaican sprint star has previously aired his desire to play for the club while Alex Ferguson was in charge at Old Trafford and was once presented with a shirt before a home game. However, the six-time Olympic goal medallist holder believes that he is now in a position to go one step further and has called on Louis van Gaal to give him a chance to prove his worth.

The Portuguese manager has received punishments for his outspoken manner in front of reporters this season, and a club director recognised he needs help with the press A key aide of Roman Abramovich has affirmed that there is concern over Jose Mourinho's press outbursts, while admitting Chelsea should have taken some responsibility in the matter. The Portuguese manager has received a string of punishments for controversial statements this season. And while club technical director Michael Emenalo criticised his outspoken manner, he added that Chelsea also had to face up to club disciplinary matters. “As one of the big football clubs in the world, we understand that we have a responsibility to greater society and the football world,” Emenalo told the Daily Telegraph . “To represent ourselves with a certain responsibility and  [Abramovich] takes that very, very seriously. He demands that we must behave in a way that justifies our elevated status.

The Brazilian endured a shaky start to his Barcelona career but is now in sparkling form, while the Welshman has gone backwards since a successful debut campaign for Real Madrid  It was the question many football fans were asking in Spain: who was the better signing - Gareth Bale or Neymar ? The Welshman and the Brazilian both moved to La Liga in 2013 and were tipped as future superstars for Real Madrid  and Barcelona, respectively. But three seasons in, only one of them is living up to the billing. Every one of Europe's elite clubs wanted to sign Neymar from Santos and that included Madrid - but Barca beat them to the punch, as they completed a move for the talented 21-year-old on June 3, 2013. So, Madrid were forced to look elsewhere and, after missing out on the Brazilian, they bought Bale instead for a world-record fee of €100 million. But in an interview not long into the 2013-14 season, Real president Florentino Perez admitted: "Had Neymar arrived, I'm s...

The former Lyon coach saw his side draw 0-0 with league leaders Manchester City in his first game in charge and his next opponent expects him to build on that good start Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been impressed by  Remi Garde 's early work at Aston Villa and expects the Premier League's bottom side to quickly improve under his stewardship. The former Lyon boss, who replaced Tim Sherwood at the helm, saw his team hold Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in his first game in charge, halting a dreadful run of seven consecutive league defeats. Martinez - whose side host Villa on Saturday - was complimentary about what he saw in that encounter and says it is only a matter of time until Garde's men improve as an attacking force as well.

A 3-2 reverse to Sevilla in their last Liga outing and a poor run for star forward Cristiano Ronaldo has raised questions over the Merengue prior to the crucial clash Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta has rejected assertions that Clasico rivals Real Madrid go into Saturday's match at the Santiago Bernabeu wounded. Madrid are under pressure going into the game against treble winners Barca having lost 3-2 to Sevilla in their final match before the international break and with star forward Cristiano Ronaldo short of his prolific best form.

The 19-year-old midfielder praised his club manager's handling of young players after he scored his first international goal for England against France on Tuesday night Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has voiced his admiration for Mauricio Pochettino and believes the Spurs coach's trust in young players is improving the England national team. The likes of Eric Dier, Ryan Mason and Harry Kane have all broken into the England set-up after being given a chance to prove their worth at club level by Pochettino and Alli – who netted his first international goal on Tuesday – is grateful for the faith shown in him by the 43-year-old.

A Millwall fan has explained his decision to name his baby son Bermondsey Millwall  Den Bloomfield without telling his wife first. Mike Bloomfield, a life-long supporter who now lives in Croydon, told Southwark News he made the decision without the agreement of his wife, Kelly, saying it would be “a good way to get the next generation involved”. He told the newspaper: “If David Beckham can name his son Brooklyn, then I can name mine Bermondsey. I just love Millwall … One of the women at the registry office was a Millwall fan and she loved it when she saw what we are going to name him. I threatened to do it but I don’t think my wife believed me! I’m not sure how she’s going to react.” His wife later told the paper the name was “growing on me … He was a bit frightened to come home. I’m coming around to it though and I quite like it. I think he looks a bit like a Bermondsey and it’s definitely unique. I don’t think anyone else has got a name like that.

The Premier League has confirmed La Marseillaise will be played before all of this weekend’s matches as a mark of respect for those affected by last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris. England supporters were praised for singing the French national anthem before Tuesday’s friendly with France at Wembley and now the domestic programme will resume from its two-week break with a similar tribute. With 72 registered players, France is the Premier League’s second most represented nation after England. Having discussed the idea with all 20 of its clubs on Wednesday, the Premier League’s executive chairman, Richard Scudamore, confirmed a choral version of La Marseillaise will be played after the coin toss, with players from both teams coming together with the referee and assistants in the centre circle facing the main stand. “Given how close we are, as well as the long-standing relationship that exists between the Premier League and France, playing La Marseillaise as...

Jürgen Klopp has said Daniel Sturridge could feature for Liverpool at Manchester City but the temptation to involve the striker must be balanced against his poor injury record. The England international has declared himself fit and ready for Saturday’s trip to the Etihad Stadium after missing the past five weeks with a knee problem. However, Sturridge only returned to full training on Tuesday and, given his history of injury, the Liverpool manager is wary of risking a repeat with an immediate return. But Klopp conceded: “He is as fit as he can be after this long break. Of course he is not 100% and now we have to see. I have to think about it. His quality is outstanding but everyone needs training. Today was the third full exercise with the team after five weeks’ break. As a striker sometimes five minutes are enough [to influence a game]. We need to see.” The German said Sturridge’s quality increases the temptation to include the striker against his former cl...

“He is always reminding us to play with a big heart and to enjoy the game, but we have to respect it too. “The way the team played against Chelsea was good, and we can be much better. City have had a great start and [have] big players, but if we do what we know we can and play how the manager asks, we can get the result.”

The Japanese midfielder has barely featured under Sinisa Mihajlovic at San Siro, but he is determined to fight for a place and is not seeking a transfer Keisuke Honda insists he has no intention of leaving AC Milan and will only move on if the club force him out. The 29-year-old has lost his starting berth under new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and recently voiced his frustration with his lack of regular first-team action.

After a summer of so many comings and goings in Turin, a period of re-adjustment was always anticipated at Juventus. However, few expected the transition would prove so difficult and take quite so long, particularly as the Bianconeri cruised past Lazio in the Supercoppa Italiana in August. However, the reigning Italian champions then lost their opening two Serie A fixtures for the first time ever. A further two defeats followed by the sixth round of the season as Juve appeared to lose all hope of a fifth successive Scudetto . However, Massimiliano Allegri's men are on the comeback trail. They're within one victory of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, while back-to-back wins for the first time this season have hauled them up to seventh place in the Serie A standings, nine points off co-leaders Fiorentina and Inter ahead of the resumption of play following the international break.

Roy Hodgson has warned the core of England players who have formed the bedrock of his team that his loyalty to them is being tested by the emergence of new recruits who are making him rethink the possible make-up of his squad for next summer’s European Championship. Hodgson says Dele Alli and Eric Dier should now be considered realistic contenders to go to the tournament after their impressive introduction, putting pressure on some of the England manager’s established favourites such as Jordan Henderson and Jack Wilshere. Seventeen players who would usually be in contention for Hodgson’s squad were missing from England’s 2-0 win against France on Tuesday and Hodgson admitted it had left him with a dilemma about whether he should put his faith in the younger call-ups who have filled the void or go back to the more experienced ones. “When it comes to weighing up loyalty, it is an important quality and one should never dismiss the value of loyalty from pla...

Arsène Wenger will talk to Laurent Koscielny before Arsenal’s trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday to assess whether the France player, who was so visibly affected by the atrocities in Paris when he returned to playing in France’s friendly against England at Wembley, feels able to return to the Premier League with full focus. The Arsenal manager said: “He had a fantastic game against Germany. And you could see that on Tuesday night he was not himself. It affected him deeply and I didn’t recognise the player I saw on Tuesday night. “I will talk with him. I have not talked to him yet, but I will talk to him to see if he is completely recovered and focused. It’s a big game for us. You have to trust the player in these kind of situations. Today in the Premier League you don’t get away with it with 80% focus. You have to be completely committed. What I will want from him is that he’s completely committed and feels ready. If not, I will not play him.” Wenger w...

The Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has declared himself fit for Saturday’s Premier League clash against former club Manchester City. The injury-prone England international missed the start of the season after returning from hip surgery and has made just three appearances this campaign. A knee injury in training followed by a build up of fluid in the joint means he has yet to feature under Jürgen Klopp. Sturridge’s return will come as welcome news for the new Liverpool manager, whose first days at Anfield were marked by one setback after another, including the full-back Joe Gomez and the striker Danny Ings being ruled out for the season with cruciate ligament injuries. “I’m fit and ready to go and it’s going to be a great time for me,” Sturridge told the club website. “It’s been great under the new manager. I’ve been back training for the past couple of days and I was training when he first arrived.

The Arsenal stars both see their deals at the Emirates Stadium expire in 2018, which is why their coach is not in a huge rush to hand them extended offers yet Arsene Wenger has revealed that Arsenal are yet to open contract negotiations with star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil but that they will begin in earnest in 2016. Ozil has been the Gunners' standout performer in 2015-16 following a slow start to his career at the Emirates Stadium, where he has resided since his club record move from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013. Former Barcelona forward Alexis, on the other hand, was an immediate star for Arsenal as he scored 25 goals en route to FA Cup success and a third-place finish in the Premier League last season. Alexis is believed to be keen to tie himself down to a new and improved deal that would make him the best paid player at the north London club. Wenger is in no rush to open negotiations with the Chilean attacker or Ozil, though, and he says ...

Louis van Gaal's side have been criticised for their lack of attacking prowess but their favourable record against Watford could bring about a change in fortunes "The fans want to see attacking football and goals - that's the Manchester United way." Paul Scholes has not held back with his criticism of his former club and their lack of goals and penetrative play, with Louis van Gaal's side having scored the fewest of any of the current top seven in the Premier League.

The centre-back wasn't his usual self against England, according to his Arsenal coach, who won't force him to play against West Brom if he's not in the right state of mind Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says it will be up to Laurent Koscielny to decide if he is in the right frame of mind to play against West Brom this weekend. The French defender has been "deeply affected" by last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris - one of which took place at the Stade de France, where he was taking part in a friendly against Germany. He did represent his country in the defeat to England on Tuesday, just four days after the attacks, but Wenger says there is no pressure on him to play when the Premier League returns this weekend.

The Spain international has been linked with Barcelona and declared he is no longer interested in continuously discussing his future at the Galician club Nolito has revealed he will not sign a new contract with Celta Vigo until a "specific detail" is resolved during negotiations. The Spain international is tied to his current employers until the end of the 2019 season, though Celta's concern is that the player's current buyout figure stands at €18 million. Nolito's form has been exceptional so far this campaign - he has scored seven La Liga goals, including finding the net in home games against both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Celta sporting director Miguel Torrecilla hoped to convince Nolito to pen an extension that would push his release clause up to €25 million, but so far the two sides have failed to come to an agreement. "There is a detail that is not resolved and while it is not settled, I will not sign. I have a three-and-a-half ...

The former Milan forward dismissed questions about a potential move to Palmeiras, reaffirming his intention to return to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean  Alexandre Pato has reiterated his desire to secure a transfer to a European side. The former AC Milan striker's loan spell with Sao Paulo comes to an end next month and president of his parent club Corinthians, Roberto de Andrade, previously said they are "praying to sell" him. Pato, who has been linked with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, said he would be cheering for Palmeiras against Santos in the Copa do Brasil final, even though such a result could potentially rob Sao Paulo of a place in the Copa Libertadores next year. "Santos are a great club, but I will be supporting Palmeiras," Pato said. "[President] Paulo Nobre is a good guy and has done a great job at Palmeiras. We have to rely on our own work.