Month: September 2019

After sustaining an Achilles issue against Burnley, the England winger faces an arduous recovery period. But when might we see him again?

Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi saw his season ended on April 23, when he suffered a serious injury.

The 18-year-old winger went down in pain after 41 minutes of the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Burnley with an issue that was later confirmed to be a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Named the club’s Young Player of the Year, he had been winning increasingly regular game time under head coach Maurizio Sarri, having been previously unsettled after spending much of the early part of the season on the bench.

Despite the nature of his injury, Bayern Munich continue to be associated with a move for the highly promising winger and Chelsea want to renew his contract, suggesting that they are confident he is capable of making a full recovery.

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Chelsea quickly established the nature of the injury to be serious, though they have not put a timeframe on the youngster’s return to the field. 

A note on their website on April 23 simply said: “Callum is seeing a specialist this afternoon and is expected to undergo surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon this evening.”

What is certain, however, is that he will miss England’s Nations League semi-final against the Netherlands in June.

Bupa’s website advises, meanwhile: “It can take months to recover from a ruptured tendon and to return to your previous level of fitness and activity.”

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Practical examples from the recent past include David Beckham and Steven Taylor. 

Beckham tore his tendon while playing for AC Milan in March 2010, rendering him absent for England’s World Cup campaign in the summer, with his absence spanning almost exactly six months, which is the duration that most experts believe it takes for the issue to fully resolve.

Should Hudson-Odoi be absent for a similar period of time, it would mean he would return to the field towards the end of October 2019, causing him to miss a significant portion of the season, including two or three Champions League matches and a handful of international fixtures.

Optimistic estimates have suggested he could be back on the field after just four months. Even in this scenario, the start of the season is likely to come too soon for him.

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Achilles injuries can be so serious that they are difficult to fully overcome.

Liverpool legend John Barnes, for example, was never thought to be the same player after he suffered the problem in June 1992, with observers suggesting that he had lost his turn of speed.

Though recovery methods have come on a great deal in the interim, statistics in America suggest that only two-thirds of athletes fully recover.

Surgery itself can be a risky business as Santi Cazorla, then of Arsenal, discovered when he went under the knife to cure this issue.

His wound became infected and he required 10 operations in total, losing eight centimetres from his tendon – and nearly his whole foot.

The former Spain international did not play for nearly two years, although it should be stressed that his example is a very extreme one.

The Hornets boss is keen for his Brazilian shot-stopper to be a part of his squad in the 2019-20 season

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Javi Gracia has revealed that he plans to sit down with Heurelho Gomes in the coming weeks to speak about the goalkeeper’s future in football.

The Spanish manager has deployed Gomes exclusively in the domestic cup games, with his strong performances contributing to Watford’s run to the FA Cup final, which will take place this Saturday.

Gomes had previously said that he is 99 per cent sure that he will hang up his boots at the end of this campaign, but Gracia believes that he can be convinced to stay on.

“First of all, I don’t know if it will be the last game [for Gomes],” Gracia told The Evening Standard.

“I would like to speak with him and the club and see if he is able to carry on next season, we have to speak about that.”

Although the Brazilian has been ever present in the FA Cup this season, Gracia also refused to rule out dropping him in favour of Ben Foster, who expressed his desire for Gomes to start.

“We will see, the keeper on Saturday, I don’t like to speak about it,” the former Malaga manager added.

“I only focus on the game and try to choose the best keeper for the game, after that we will see what happens in the future.”

Gracia admitted to having a limited knowledge of the FA Cup before arriving in England, but he now has a profound love for the competition and hopes to conquer Manchester City when the two sides meet.

“I didn’t know much about this competition before coming to be honest,” he said.

“I watched on TV some games but I didn’t realise how important it was until I arrived here and I could feel the supporters and the importance of this competition.

“Now I can say that I know it and I’m very proud to be here.”

Watford are by no means the favourites in the tie, as Manchester City seek an unprecedented domestic treble, having already won the Carabao Cup and the Premier League. 

The Hornets came back from 2-0 down against Wolves in the semi-final to clinch victory in extra time with Gerard Deulofeu scoring the winning goal

Reports have suggested other clubs are interested in the full-back, but the Ivorian is keen to put a frustrating season behind him

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Serge Aurier has revealed that he does not want to leave Tottenham in the summer despite enduring a season disrupted by injuries and fierce competition for the right-back spot.

The Ivorian has only featured 17 times in all competitions in Spurs’ 2018-19 campaign, which has seen them finish fourth in the Premier League and reach the Champions League final for the first time.

Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker-Peters and Juan Foyth have all played at right-back this season, while Spurs have also been linked with a move into the transfer market this summer to bring in new blood.

Despite this, though, the 26-year-old Aurier wants to stay put in north London, telling Canal Football Club : “In football things can happen very quickly.

“For the moment I do not desire to leave Tottenham. For the moment, I am very happy. 

“This season I have been interrupted by injury more than anything else, but life is like that.

“I will have to see what will happen.

“We have done a good season and we are in the Champions League final, we are going to enjoy that, see how it goes and next year, my season is not finished, I still have an Africa Cup of Nations too.”

Aurier’s commitment to Tottenham comes following recent reports that Inter were interested in signing the right-back as a replacement for Cedric Soares, and that the Serie A club’s director of football Piero Ausilio was present at the opening match of Spurs’ new stadium to scout the former Paris Saint-Germain man.

Further reports have suggested that Spurs were looking at offloading Aurier and Trippier, who have both struggled this season, as they target Crystal Palace’s stand-out right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Norwich’s Max Aarons as potential replacement.

Despite his disappointing season, Aurier, who has not made an appearance for Mauricio Pochettino’s side since March, will still be part of the Ivory Coast squad who will play Morocco, Namibia and South Africa in the group stage of the African Cup of Nations, which starts next month, and he could also feature for Tottenham in the Champions League final against Liverpool on June 1 in Madrid.

The Red Devils are expected to be busy over the coming weeks, with Federico Pastorello seeing them enjoying a “lot of success”

Manchester United will “be able to convince top players” to join the club this summer, claims Romelu Lukaku’s agent Federico Pastorello.

The Red Devils are expected to spend big once the next opportunity to recruit presents itself.

A sixth-place finish in 2018-19 and failure to qualify for the Champions League has left those at Old Trafford with another rebuild to undertake.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has conceded that he faces a tough task, with United having slipped further behind their Premier League rivals than they would have liked.

Their struggles over recent years, and a lack of elite European football, may make it difficult for them to land the calibre of player they require.

They remain one of the biggest clubs on the planet, though, and Pastorello believes Solskjaer will be able to make notable additions.

He told Sky Sports: “I think Manchester United will have a lot of success in the summer bringing in players.

“There will be a lot of work for Mr [Ed] Woodward but they will be able to convince the top players to come because the brand is amazing, one of the best in the world.”

Speculation has suggested that Lukaku could form part of the comings and goings at United, with Pastorello having previously revealed that the Belgian striker’s future remains “very open”.

A number of top teams are likely to be busy this summer, with United not the only ones in need of sizeable investment.

“One of the top movers, in my opinion, will be Real Madrid,” added Pastorello.

“For two summers they did not spend much but they have called back [Zinedine] Zidane and there will be a big revolution. The team needs to be younger so there will be a domino effect from that. I expect a very interesting market.”

Pastorello believes more eye-watering deals will be pushed through in the next window, as an ongoing consequence of Neymar’s €222 million (£200m/$262m) switch to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, but believes asking prices will return to normal in time.

He added: “The Neymar case is one I understand more because he is like a cash machine with image rights and sponsors. I was more shocked about the fee paid for [Ousmane] Dembele. This shocked me more than Neymar. Chelsea paid 80 million for a goalkeeper [Kepa Arrizabalaga] who was at Bilbao and not at Madrid!

“I think this is the trend for the next four or five years. After that, if you ask me if it will keep going, I have my personal doubts but there has to be a limit to everything. It’s like the stock exchange, like a wave going up and down.”

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The interim manager’s future is still up in the air despite a successful second spell at Parkhead, but the Bulgarian is not sure he should stay

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Celtic legend Stiliyan Petrov says the club and caretaker manager Neil Lennon must act decisively to come to a resolution on the Northern Irishman’s future.

Following Brendan Rodgers’ mid-season move to Leicester City, Lennon took the reins at Celtic Park and guided his side to their eighth consecutive title despite a strong challenge from Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.

With the Scottish Cup final against Hearts to come on Saturday, Lennon was serenaded by fans singing ‘There’s only one Neil Lennon’ as they beat the same opponents 2-1 in the final league game of the season.

But former midfielder Petrov is not convinced a permanent contract is the right option – for Celtic or for Lennon.

“Everyone is talking about whether Lenny will get the job but he has to analyse it and see if it’s a good job for him,” Petrov told the Scotsman.

“It’s not just from the club’s side but for Lenny as well. Managers have different ways of working. Lenny is completely different from Brendan Rodgers and he’s inherited a squad built by Brendan Rodgers.

“Brendan built it very well and got in his own players who could fit his style. Neil Lennon is completely different and if he is to continue then they have to sit and analyse where the club is going.

“What do they do about Rangers closing the gap? What do they have to do to make an impact in European football again? What do they have to add to the squad?”

A win on Saturday would secure a third consecutive domestic treble for the club and, after his previous spell as manager, a seventh piece of silverware for Lennon as Celtic boss.

But not everybody would be happy to see their former midfielder take the job on a full-time basis, with Lennon having endured a frosty relationship with some sections of the club’s fanbase.

Whatever the final outcome, Petrov wants a decision to be made soon.

“I think they have to make a quick decision,” he said. “That will show they have a clear plan and that they know what they are going to do. Because if you look at it Lenny will be losing a few important players from the team.

“He will need to rebuild and move the club forward and there’s not a lot of time to prepare ahead of Europe.

“A quick and clear decision would give reassurance to the fans and to whoever gets the job that they will get the support and time to rebuild.”

The Blues completed a first-ever domestic treble which their manager believes is harder to win than the only trophy that has eluded them this year

Pep Guardiola feels Manchester City’s clean sweep of domestic trophies is harder than winning the Champions League but predicted the feat will be achieved again.

Guardiola’s side routed Watford 6-0 at Wembley on Saturday to add the FA Cup title to the EFL Cup and Premier League the club won earlier in the season.

City opened the campaign by winning the Community Shield, with a quarter-final Champions League exit to Tottenham their only failure in a history-making year in which they achieved a feat never previously completed by an English club.

“[It is] one of the best seasons I have experienced as a manager. I wouldn’t say the best but one of them for sure,” Guardiola told a news conference.

“Playing all competitions and after what incredible teams have done in this country to be the first – it means if one team is able then one will repeat sooner or later but we are first. 

“I love the Champions League but to do that is more difficult than to win the Champions League.

“For the organisation and [City owner] Sheikh Mansour and these players deserve all the big, big compliments. Because it’s not easy, to play every three days – after a bad night you’re out. 

“Today we played with a lack of energy, winning the Premier League was so tough. This week we could not keep the energy but we had it when we needed it.”

Guardiola insisted City can get even better and hinted he will enter the transfer market to add further depth to his squad.

“Individual attributes and moments, mistakes some are repeated in some players they have to improve, maybe a few are coming to help with the way we play,” Guardiola added.

“We cannot forget we won the Premier League by one point from Liverpool, we are not far away.

“I said yesterday Liverpool showed how tough it will be, the standard we face, we tried to improve but always in game you can improve, saying that I am more than satisfied of course.”

City have been repeatedly linked with Atletico Madrid’s Rodri, who is seen as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho, whose season has been affected by injury.

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The former Blues striker is intrigued to see how the France international would cope in the Premier League despite rumours of a move to Barcelona

Antoine Griezmann ‘can pick whatever he wants’ for his next challenge, but former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink would relish the chance to see the Atletico Madrid forward at Stamford Bridge.

France international Griezmann, who scored 15 goals in La Liga this season, announced last week that he would be leaving Atletico this summer and he has been heavily tipped to sign for Barcelona.

However, Hasselbaink, who starred for both Atletico and Chelsea during his playing career, is intrigued to see how Griezmann would fare in the Premier League.

Hasselbaink told us-bookies.com: “He can pick whoever he wants to play for. I would love to see him at Chelsea or in the Premier League, seeing how he’d cope with it but he can pick whatever he wants.

“If it is Barcelona, then what a combination that’ll be with Luis Suarez and [Lionel] Messi. It’s not great for [Philippe] Coutinho, it’ll be difficult for him to cope with another addition but he’s still a world-class player.”

It appears unlikely Griezmann will end up at Stamford Bridge given the interest from Barcelona, along with Chelsea’s currently unsuccessful attempts to appeal an impending transfer ban.

If Chelsea can overturn the sanction, then Hasselbaink has identified a couple of players who would be welcome additions to his former club’s squad for next season.

He added: “If Chelsea don’t have a transfer ban, I think they’ll target two Crystal Palace players.

“Firstly, Aaron Wan-Bissaka can push Cesar Azpilicueta for a starting place and will learn a lot from him. He’s a very good right-back, and can defend very well.

“And then Wilfried Zaha brings the excitement. If Eden Hazard goes, you need somebody to take players on.

“Yes, they have Callum Hudson-Odoi but any good side needs four wide players, especially if something happens to Pedro or Willian.

“I think it will be difficult for Crystal Palace to keep them, with all due respect. If they’re going to go, I think it’s best for them to stay in London.

“Yes, Wilfried Zaha had a difficult move to Man United that didn’t work out so I think it’d be good for him to stay in London.”

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The defender looks set to move on after eight years in Bavaria, while coach Niko Kovac received a vote of confidence from the chief

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has delivered some friendly advice to Jerome Boateng: leave the Allianz Arena and seek a new challenge elsewhere.

Boateng has been a fixture in the Bayern squad since joining from Manchester City in 2011. 

But in recent seasons he has become less important to their plans, and now sits firmly behind Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule in the club’s defensive pecking order. 

At 30, the Germany international has only a handful of years left at his prime; according to Hoeness, he would be better served spending them at a different club. 

“As a friend I would advise him to leave the club,” the Die Roten chief signalled to Sky. 

“He needs a new challenge, he has seemed to be out of place recently.”

One man who is set to stay at the Allianz Arena in 2019-20 is Niko Kovac, who survived a difficult start to life as Bayern coach to deliver yet another Bundesliga title after seeing off the challenge of Borussia Dortmund.

“It should be taken for granted that our coach next season will be Niko Kovac,” he added.

“A team wouldn’t be able to play such good football if the understanding with the manager wasn’t good. The [dismissal reports] were all fairy tales.”

“Will he stay? One hundred per cent, yes.”

Kovac, however, should not be expecting a blank cheque when it comes to recruitment, with Bayern planning to spend sensibly if the right targets are identified.

“[Sporting director Hasan] Salihamidzic has to find players which fit us. And then we’ll talk about money.”

 

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The Reds will meet Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid – and their former goalkeeper is backing them to win a sixth crown

Pepe Reina believes “justice has been done” with Liverpool reaching the Champions League final – but feels Manchester City’s failure to make the Madrid showpiece leaves “a bad taste in their mouths”.

City pipped current Milan goalkeeper Reina’s former club Liverpool to the 2018-19 Premier League title by a point, despite Jurgen Klopp’s side losing just once in the league all season.

The Reds defeated Wolves 2-0 on the final day, but Pep Guardiola’s side’s simultaneous 4-1 victory at Brighton left them on 98 points to seal a second title in a row under the Catalan.

Liverpool extended their season to June 1 with an incredible 4-0 second-leg semi-final win over Barcelona at Anfield to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit from Camp Nou.

A day later Tottenham staged their own remarkable recovery as they came back from 3-0 down on aggregate against Ajax to win 3-2 through Lucas Moura’s hat-trick at the Johan Cryuff Arena and set up a meeting with their English rivals at the Wanda Metropolitano.

In an exclusive interview with Goal, Reina was asked who football had been most unfair on this season.

“Maybe with City,” he responded, “for the squad it has but has not achieved the Champions League in the last three years with Guardiola. They have a bad taste in their mouths because they could not reach the final.

“But justice has been done with Liverpool’s football, with which there has also been unfairness if we see that they have not managed to win the Premier League despite getting 97 points and having lost a single game. That is also bad luck.”

Liverpool have a chance to win a sixth European Cup against first-time finalists Spurs, thanks to their epic Anfield comeback.

Reina continued: “It is that Liverpool were better also in the first leg, but [Leo] Messi appeared at Camp Nou and they did not concede goals thanks to [goalkeeper Marc-Andre] ter Stegen.

“Nobody expected it, but it is that incredible things happen in Anfield. What I’m going for is that the surprising result was that of the first leg.

“In the second leg Liverpool did everything that they had to do.”

With two Premier League sides aiming for glory in Madrid, Reina feels the English competition is the best in the world.

“Absolutely, it’s something I already said when I arrived at Liverpool 14 years ago,” Reina added. “It is, in competitive and organisational terms.

“They are two teams that know each other very well, but, for me, Liverpool are the favourites. Tottenham have earned respect and are also a very chameleonic side. They have their favourite systems, they like to play with three at the back, but have more tactical versions than Liverpool.

“Even so, they (Liverpool) can do more damage if they press high. Tottenham will also depend on who plays up top – if it is Fernando [Llorente] they will be dangerous in those second plays.”

Meanwhile, Reina revealed he has spoken to Iker Casillas since the Porto goalkeeper’s recovery from a heart attack earlier this month.

Reina said: “Yes, I have noticed him happy and grateful for how quickly they saved his life. Now he has to make a decision and I hope it is the smartest, and the one I imagine. As a friend, I hope so.

“Iker can look back with great pride, and Spain must be eternally grateful to him because he has been the best goalkeeper in the history of Spanish football.”

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The Netherlands international is keen for more playing time having made just five Liga appearances in three seasons with the Blaugrana

Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has agreed a deal to join Portuguese champions Benfica, but negotiations over price are holding up the transfer.

Goal understands that the Blaugrana are demanding €25 million (£22m/$28m) for the Netherlands international despite him having barely appeared for the first team over the past two seasons.

Benfica value the player at closer to €15m (£13.2m/$16.7m), and as such talks are ongoing between the two clubs as they aim to come to a compromise.

Cillessen has made his desire to leave Camp Nou clear during the closing months of the season after falling firmly behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the pecking order in Catalunya.

He has made just 10 appearances this season, with six of those coming in the early rounds of the Copa del Rey, keeping three clean sheets.

And while he has remained first choice for his country, the 30-year-old is keen to earn regular playing time ahead of Euro 2020 next summer.

Speaking to Ziggosport in April, he said: “After this season I will go on vacation first and then I hope to find a new club to get more playing time.”

Cillessen joined Barcelona for €13m (£11.5m/$14.5m) from Ajax in the summer of 2016, but has made just five Liga appearances in his three seasons at the club.

His current contract runs until the end of the 2020-21 season, and Barca are hopeful of recouping much more than the initial price tag they paid for the shot-stopper.

Benfica’s current goalkeeper is Greece international Odisseas Vlachodimos, who has impressed during his debut campaign at Estadio da Luz having joined from Panathinaikos in the summer of 2018.

They also still have Mile Svilar on their books, who in 2017 broke Iker Casillas’ record as the youngest ever Champions League goalkeeper when lining up against Manchester United at the age of 18 years and 52 days.

Should Cillessen be sold by Barcelona, current Ajax No.1 Andre Onana has been touted as a potential replacement, though he has also been linked with a move to Man Utd should David de Gea depart Old Trafford.