Berlin (AFP) – Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst netted his fourth goal in five games this season to rescue a 1-1 draw on a frustrating visit to Fortuna Duesseldorf on Friday. The draw is a missed opportunity for Wolfsburg, who would have leapfrogged RB Leipzig to go top of the table overnight with a win. Yet […]

Sofia (AFP) – The Bulgarian authorities responded with outrage on Friday to suggestions by England manager Gareth Southgate that his players anticipated racist abuse when they visit Sofia in Euro 2020 qualifying. In a statement posted on its website, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) said it "views such behaviour as groundless, inappropriate and unnecessary prior […]

Paris (AFP) – Nigerian youngster Victor Osimhen scored his fifth Ligue 1 goal of the season as Lille claimed a 2-1 win over Angers on Friday. The 20-year-old Osimhen netted the opener six minutes before half-time to move clear of Lyon's Memphis Depay at the top of the early goalscoring charts in France. Luiz Araujo's […]

Brussels (AFP) – Former Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeeck was charged on Friday with corruption and money laundering related to player transfers, the Belgian federal prosecutor said. Van Holsbeeck was arrested on Thursday. After spending a night in custody, he was taken before the investigating judge handling the case. A statement from the federal […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Forward Luis Suarez could return to the Barcelona team for their La Liga game against Valencia, coach Ernesto Valverde said on Friday, adding that he was pessimistic about Lionel Messi's recovery. "Suarez participated in a full training yesterday and again today," Valverde said. "We hope he can play." The 32-year-old Uruguayan limped […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette will be sidelined until October after failing to shake off a persistent ankle injury. Lacazette had been playing with pain from the problem for several weeks and the France international has now been told to rest in the hope it will allow time for the problem to heal. […]

London (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp admits he still isn't sure when Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker will be ready to return from his calf injury. Alisson has been sidelined since suffering the injury in Liverpool's first Premier League game of the season against Norwich in August. The Brazilian is making gradual progress in his rehabilitation, but […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that influential defender Aymeric Laporte faces up to six months out after undergoing knee surgery. Laporte damaged cartilage and the lateral meniscus in his right knee after a clash with Brighton's Adam Webster in City's 4-0 win on August 31. City reported that […]

Paris (AFP) – Neymar could return to action for Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday after four months of injury-enforced absence after the Brazilian was selected in the matchday squad for the Ligue 1 match against Strasbourg. PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said: "We have 'Ney' in our squad, for sure", adding "he needs to make his comeback". […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Frank Lampard confirmed midfielder N'Golo Kante will not return for Saturday's visit to Wolves in the Premier League and faces a race against time to make Tuesday's Champions League opener against Valencia. Kante has not featured since a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester nearly a month ago. "He still […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paul Pogba heads a lengthy Manchester United injury list for the visit of in-form Leicester City to Old Trafford on Saturday with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer potentially missing seven first-team players. Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Diogo Dalot and Eric Bailly will also definitely miss the clash with the Foxes, while Jesse […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Friday that big-money summer signing Eden Hazard has been passed fit and will make his long-awaited La Liga debut against Levante on Saturday. "We all want to see Eden," said Zidane. "There's a lot of pressure on him, a lot of expectation. But he is ready […]

Berlin (AFP) – Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has voiced his frustration at playing second fiddle to Manuel Neuer in the German national team. Ter Stegen, 27, sat on the bench throughout Germany's Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland last weekend, despite repeated assurances from coach Joachim Loew that he would get […]

Berlin (AFP) – RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann has called on his team to confirm they are Bundesliga title contenders when they face reigning champions Bayern Munich in one of two top-of-the-table clashes this weekend. Leipzig host Bayern on Saturday evening, just hours after fellow Champions League participants Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen do battle […]

Milan (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Italian league action after his four-goal spree for Portugal as Juventus head for Fiorentina on Saturday also boosted by coach Maurizio Sarri's highly-anticipated debut on the bench after a bout of pneumonia. The ex-Chelsea coach missed his first two league games with the Serie A champions against Parma […]