Metz (France) (AFP) – Depleted Paris Saint-Germain gave debuts to two teenagers but still won 2-0 at Metz on Friday in a another Ligue 1 game interrupted by fan banners. Angel Di Maria and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored the goals the visitors needed to win an undistinguished game. "We won, and that was important," said […]

Milan (AFP) – Veteran Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini will undergo surgery after tore a ligament in his right knee in training, the Serie A champions announced on Friday. The Turin club said that the defender had suffered the injury in training on Friday and that tests "showed a lesion of the anterior cruciate ligament." "It […]

Rome (AFP) – Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has signed a year-long loan deal with Roma for three million euros ($3.2 million), the Serie A club confirmed on Friday. "This is the perfect opportunity for me," said the 29-year-old England centre-back. "The chance to experience a new league, with a big team that has got […]

Rome (AFP) – Roberto Mancini has dropped Moise Kean and Nicolo Zaniolo from his Italy squad picked to face Armenia and Finland in Euro 2020 qualifying, punishing the starlets for their behaviour during the Under-21 European Championships. Roma's exciting midfielder Zaniolo, 20, and Everton's new 19-year-old signing Kean were selected by Mancini last season after […]

Amiens (France) (AFP) – Saman Ghoddos, a Swedish-born Iranian international, has been suspended for four months by FIFA for failing to honour an agreement to join Huesca, his French club Amiens said on Friday. The case centred on the attacking midfielder's move in August 2018 from Ostersunds to Amiens in Ligue 1 for four million […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel will miss Saturday's game at Union Berlin after tearing a thigh muscle, the Bundesliga leaders said on Thursday. "Yesterday evening the club received a diagnosis on the injury suffered by Axel Witsel. Unfortunately Axel has torn a muscle in the adductor area," Dortmund said in a statement. […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino insists he will still be in charge of the Champions League finalists come what may in the North London derby against Arsenal on Sunday. Rumours had swirled around social media that the enigmatic Argentine, now in his sixth season in charge of Spurs, could walk out after […]

Paris (AFP) – Tickets for away fans in this season's Champions League will be capped at 70 euros ($77), UEFA announced on Friday following complaints from supporters in recent years. Tickets will also be capped at 45 euros for away fans in the Europa League, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin saying: "Fans are the lifeblood […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is hopeful the upcoming international break will give midfielder N'Golo Kante the time he needs to recover from an ankle injury. Didier Deschamps chose to leave Kante out of his France squad for the world champions' Euro 2020 qualifiers against Albania and Andorra next month, and Chelsea will […]

Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has admitted he cannot wait for speculation about Neymar to end when the transfer window closes on Monday. Valverde also confirmed that Lionel Messi will not recover from his calf injury in time to face Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday. Messi tore his calf on August 5 […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola says he will not judge himself too harshly if his spell as Manchester City manager ends without winning the Champions League. The draw for this year's competition this week appeared to offer City a favourable route into the knock-out stages, pairing them with Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, Croatian outfit […]

Derby (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Australia star Steve Smith batted in a competitive match for the first time on Friday since being felled by England fast bowler Jofra Archer and suffering concussion in the second Ashes Test. Smith took to the crease in the tour game against Derbyshire at Derby, coming in with Australia 179-2 […]

Monaco (AFP) – Tiemoue Bakayoko is closing in on a return to Monaco on loan from Chelsea after the Ligue 1 club's vice-president Oleg Petrov said on Friday that the France international's arrival would not be a "big surprise". "Before our match at Strasbourg (on Sunday), we expect the arrival of a physically strong defensive […]

Monaco (AFP) – Last season's runners-up Arsenal were placed in the same section as Eintracht Frankfurt in the draw for the Europa League group stage in Monaco on Friday, while Manchester United face a long trip to Kazakhstan. Unai Emery's Arsenal side lost to Chelsea in the final in Baku after Eintracht had been eliminated […]

London (AFP) – Rangers have been ordered to close a section of Ibrox for the second consecutive home Europa League tie following a second UEFA charge for sectarian singing already this season. The Glasgow giants secured their place in the Europa League group stages with a dramatic late 1-0 win over Legia Warsaw on Thursday […]