Berlin (AFP) – French international Kingsley Coman and Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara have both recovered from ankle injuries and will feature for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen on Saturday, according to coach Niko Kovac. "Thiago is feeling good and Kingsley too but obviously they won't be playing 90 minutes yet," said Kovac on Friday. Coman, […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said Friday he is confident Spanish international goalkeeper David de Gea will sign a new deal linking him long-term to Old Trafford. The 28-year-old de Gea's long-term future at the club has been shrouded in uncertainty, although the club this week did activate an option […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Alexis Sanchez's miserable spell at Manchester United took another turn for the worse on Friday with manager Jose Mourinho announcing he faces several weeks out with a hamstring injury. The 29-year-old Chilean forward, dropped from the squad for Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Swiss outfit Young Boys, suffered the […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese national squads and a top league team have packed young footballers off to military camps for drills and Marxist-style "thought education" as a campaign to promote Communist Party values spreads even into the sporting world. Chinese fans have watched the militarisation of football with a mixture of anger and bemusement after […]

New York (AFP) – Atlanta United advanced to the MLS Cup on Thursday, claiming a 3-1 aggregate victory over the New York Red Bulls despite falling to a 1-0 defeat against their Eastern Conference rivals. Atlanta, who only made their Major League Soccer debut in 2017, will host the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer's […]

Paris (AFP) – Lyon striker Maxwel Cornet is riding a wave of praise, including compliments from Pepe Guardiola, as he prepares for his first Ligue 1 start of the season at Lille on Saturday. Ivorian Cornet gave an eye-catching display against Guardiola's Manchester City, twice put Lyon in front as in a pulsating 2-2 draw […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Tying down David de Gea on a long-term deal is a top priority for Jose Mourinho as he juggles the urgent need to turn around Manchester United's fortunes with longer-term aims. The club have completed the formality of activating a contract extension for the Spaniard, who joined them in 2011 […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool face a derby clash against Everton as they lick their Champions League wounds while Tottenham travel to Arsenal with a spring in their step on a weekend of big-city derbies. Jurgen Klopp's team lost 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, meaning their bid to reach the knockout stages in Europe will […]

Madrid (AFP) – Santiago Solari called it a "sporting decision, nothing else" as if that made it better but he was only fanning the flames of what has become his first niggling problem at Real Madrid. If Isco was injured, his absence from even the substitutes' bench for the Champions League win over Roma on […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Phil Foden must wonder what he has to do to earn a starting place at Manchester City and can only hope he will finally get a chance during their glut of December fixtures. Saturday's Premier League home meeting with Bournemouth is the first of nine games across three competitions that […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has urged his side to step on the gas in December to tighten their grip on an eighth successive Serie A title before they turn their focus back to their Champions League pursuit in February. The Italian champions booked their ticket to the knockout rounds of the elite […]

Asuncion (AFP) – South American football's governing body Conmebol on Thursday confirmed earlier reports that the twice-postponed Copa Libertadores final second leg between Argentine rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors will be played on December 9 at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Originally scheduled for last weekend at River's Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, it […]

London (AFP) – Two footballers at English Premier League club Huddersfield want to invite a Syrian refugee teenager who was bullied on a school playing field in the town to one of their games. Footage of the attack was widely shared in in a video published Wednesday, sparking national outrage across Britain and a crowd-funding […]

Paris (AFP) – Londoners Chelsea and Arsenal both enjoyed high-scoring Europa League wins on Thursday as Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers were left with work to do on the final matchday to qualify for the next stage. Unai Emery selected a youthful Arsenal to play in the Ukraine and they romped past Vorskla Poltava 3-0, […]

Madrid (AFP) – The Copa Libertadores final second leg between Argentine arch rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate will be played at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium on December 9, a source close to the Spanish club told AFP on Thursday. Originally scheduled for last weekend at River's Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, it was […]