Barcelona hoping Lionel Messi will be in squad for clásico against Real Madrid

Barcelona are hopeful that Lionel Messi will be fit enough to be included in the squad for the coming clásico against Real Madrid.

According to AS, the Argentinian talisman is not expected to start the game but the coach Luis Enrique will be looking to introduce him from the bench as he did against Atlético Madrid in September when Barcelona were drawing 1-1 but went on to win 2-1 through Messi’s late winner.

The striker suffered knee ligament damage against Las Palmas on 28 September and has not played since although he is said to be running and kicking a ball again in training.

In his absence his team-mate Neymar has risen to the occasion, leading the line and scoring 10 goals in eight games with Barça suffering just one defeat, to Sevilla.

Neymar is likely to come up against the Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos who is hoping to postpone an operation on his damaged shoulder until after the match on 21 November.

Cristiano Ronaldo: I want to retire with 'dignity', not in USA, Qatar or Dubai

Cristiano Ronaldo said Friday that he wants to end his career “with dignity” and not playing in “the United States, Qatar or Dubai”. The Real Madrid and Portugal star, the subject of a new documentary that premiered on Monday in London, said Thursday in an interview on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show that he expected to play six or seven more seasons and hoped to finish his career at the highest level. The remarks ostensibly referenced the recent wave of top players who have finished their careers outside of Europe’s top leagues, among them MLS imports Didier Drogba, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, along with Xavi, the lifelong Barcelona midfielder who signed with Qatari club Al Sadd in May. “That does not mean it’s bad play in the leagues of the United States, Qatar or Dubai, but I do not see myself there,” Ronaldo said. Ronaldo, who turns 31 in February, became Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer last month and has th...

Falkirk chairman calls for restructure of ‘outdated’ Scottish league

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Young people to lose access to unemployment benefits as part of welfare reforms

YOUNG people will not be able to get unemployment benefits until they turn 25 under reforms introduced by the Turnbull Government today. The coalition has unveiled wide-ranging welfare reforms in parliament today, including changes to the Newstart program. It hopes to stop people aged 22 to 24 getting Newstart or the Sickness allowance, and they will instead be shifted to the Youth Allowance payment. This will reduce the amount of money that they will be able to get, costing a single person living away from home about $90 a fortnight. They will also be required to study in order to qualify for the payments. “The key aim of this measure is to provide incentives for young unemployed people to obtain the relevant education and training to increase employability,” according to an explanatory memorandum for the bill. However, it says Youth Allowance does allow students to earn a higher amount of money from part-time or casual work than Newstart, before this begins imp...

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