Month: October 2019

West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has undergone surgery on his torn hip muscle.

The 34-year-old Poland international faces three months on the sidelines after suffering the injury while taking a goal kick against Bournemouth a fortnight ago.

Hammers chairman David Gold revealed the procedure to fix the club’s reigning player of the year’s muscle had been a success.

Click Here: mochila fjallraven

Gold said on Twitter: “Just to update you all, the surgery on Lukasz Fabianski‘s hip went as planned this morning in London.

“He will hopefully be discharged later today. Speedy recovery Lukasz.”

 

Bundesliga transfer expert Kevin Hatchard believes that unhappy Thomas Muller could complete a move to Liverpool in January.

Muller has spent his entire professional playing career with the Bavarian giants having joined the club’s youth ranks at the age of 11 in 2000.

But the one-time World Cup golden boot winner has cut a frustrated figure this term as his playing time has been marginalised to just three Bundesliga starts under Bayern boss Niko Kovac.

That’s due, in the main, to the arrival of Philippe Coutinho on a season’s loan from Barcelona; the former Liverpool playmaker slotting straight into Kovac’s side and marginalising Muller in the process.

Earlier this week, German publication Kicker claimed the player was unhappy with his situation and was looking to move in January – and had a switch to the Premier League very much in his sights.

Manchester United, who tried to sign the player back in the days of Louis van Gaal, have been mentioned as obvious suitors, but German football expert Hatchard reckons a move to Anfield is very much a possibility.

“I think there is a genuine discomfort for Muller at the moment because he’s been on the bench for the last five games,” he told the Liverpool Echo’s Blood Red podcast.

“People go on about his goal output has dropped, but you look at the assists, he is still very much involved in a lot of the good stuff Bayern can do.

“He’s in a position he’s never really been in at Bayern which is somebody who is having to really scrap for a starting spot.

“The arrival of Coutinho has put him under pressure because Muller operates in that No.10 role. It’s probably the biggest challenge of Muller’s career.”

Hatchard added: “I still think he is a very, very good footballer and any top Premier League team would benefit from having him in the building.

“The fluid nature of it would appeal to Muller, without question because his movement is incredible.

“He’s so elusive, he picks up positions a lot of players simply don’t and I think he’d be a huge boost to Liverpool.

“I think Premier League clubs will be on alert.”

 

Click Here: mochila fjallraven

THE REAL DEAL

Spanish publication AS bring us news of Real Madrid’s apparent interest in Erling Haaland, who was recently linked with a move to Manchester United. Haaland has four goals in two Champions League matches this season, leading to rumours that United and Arsenal were set to go head-to-head to sign him. The player’s father – former Leeds and Man City midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland – has also played his part to talk up his son’s future. His son though is “f*cking bored” of it.

And now AS have added Real Madrid’s name to the mix with Haaland ‘making the right noises’ in the corridors of the Bernabeu. The 19-year-old ‘fits like a glove’ into Los Blancos’ plans of buying up the best youth in the world. And despite buying Luka Jovic in the summer, Haaland is ‘firmly on their list’.

 

NIGHTS IN ISTANBUL

Turkish football journalist Mehmet Demirkol told BeIN Sports that Steven Gerrard is on a shortlist of candidates being considered for the manager’s job at Besiktas. The Black Eagles find themselves 12th in the table after their opening seven fixtures in the Turkish Super Lig and rumours are rife that they could sack Abdullah Avci. If that happens then Gerrard could be offered the chance to reignite his memories of Istanbul.

The Liverpool legend has been in charge of Rangers for 15 months now, guiding them to second place in the Scottish Premiership last term. After finishing last season nine points behind champions Celtic they are leading their arch-rivals by two points in 2019/20. And that seems to have impressed the Besiktas hierarchy. Cutting his time short at Rangers to head off to Turkey does seem unlikely though…

 

AND THE REST

Phil Parkinson has been added to Sunderland’s list of targets to replace Jack Ross as boss…Newcastle’s newest hero Matty Longstaff earns just £850 a week at St James’ Park…Feyenoord’s teenage midfielder Orkun Kokcu is being tracked by Arsenal, who could launch a £20m January approach for his services…Unai Emery’s job as Arsenal boss could be at risk if his side do not qualify for the Champions League this season…Paul Pogba looks certain to miss next Sunday’s crunch clash against Liverpool, with Manchester United medics fearing he could be sidelined until at least the end of October…David Beckham is targeting Kylian Mbappe as his first blue-chip client as he starts his career as an agent…Liverpool have received assurances that Mo Salah’s presence in Qatar during December’s Club World Cup will not be used for propaganda purposes, amid fears that the Egyptian striker could be pressured into withdrawing from the tournament for political reasons.

Click Here: gws giants guernsey 2019

Chelsea youngster Juan Familia-Castillo has revealed that he was in line to move to Juventus before he re-joined Ajax on loan in the summer.

The 19-year-old joined Chelsea from Ajax in 2016, but completed a loan switch back to the Dutch giants who also have an option to buy the defender.

However, Castillo has revealed that he nearly joined Serie A champions Juventus before the deal fell through.

Castillo penned a new Chelsea deal – for whom he is yet to make a senior appearance – before completing the loan move to Ajax.

He told Dutch magazine Voetbal International: “Things happened so I finally chose Chelsea.

“Chelsea is a big club, so I am happy with my choice anyway. That I could be loaned out to Ajax, that is absolutely beautiful.

“I was actually supposed to go to Juventus. That was the number one. For some reason, that was cancelled. Now it is up to me to continue.”

Castillo admits he is hoping to make a positive impression back at Ajax and convince the Dutch giants to then activate the purchase option to keep him permanently.

“Ajax loaned me with an option to buy. If I do well this season I hope that I will be bought and that I will get more minutes in the Eredivisie.”

The defender is currently featuring for Ajax’s second string, Jong Ajax, who play their football in the Dutch second tier, and will look to work his way into contention for the senior squad.

Castillo has not made a single senior appearance for Chelsea.

 

Click Here: gws giants guernsey 2019

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold isn’t considering a move to midfield any time soon after Jamie Carragher suggested he could be Jurgen Klopp’s very own Kevin De Bruyne.

The England international has made a bright start to his third full season in the Premier League , scoring a brilliant goal against Chelsea as well as providing three assists.

The comparison was drawn with De Bruyne, who has also made a stunning start to this campaign, with eight assists already.

 

 

Click Here: gws giants guernsey 2019

Carragher suggested that the defender’s passing ability and vision could see him take up a midfield role and become Liverpool’s equivalent of De Bruyne.

He said: “People talk about the future and could he come into midfield and be a Kevin De Bruyne type player and he has more quality now that Liverpool’s midfield players and you think about the crosses that De Bruyne puts in from the right midfield position and maybe that’s a position where Trent could play.”

However, Alexander-Arnold has revealed he is fully focused on becoming one of the best defenders in the world, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“Maybe one day it will happen, but right now the manager sees me as a right-back and that’s where I’m going to play,” he said while on international duty with England.

“I just want to play football and if a manager decides he wants to use me as midfielder or a centre-back or a striker then that’s where I’ll play.

“I’m a defender first and foremost and then obviously I want to try and help the team create chances.”

 

The Reds know that victory in France could secure their place in the last 16 and the defender says they are ready to take their chance

Virgil van Dijk insists Liverpool will have no fear when they travel to Paris Saint-Germain for their crucial Champions League clash this week.

The Reds know that victory in the French capital on Wednesday would likely secure their place in the last 16 of Europe’s premier knockout competition, but are also aware that a defeat against the Ligue 1 champions would place them in a precarious position heading into their final group match with Napoli in a fortnight’s time.

Click Here: essendon bombers guernsey 2019

It promises, then, to be quite an occasion. Liverpool ran out 3-2 victors when the sides met at Anfield back in September, but PSG have won all 14 of their domestic games so far this season, and could be boosted by the return of the injured duo of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for this week’s contest.

Van Dijk, though, says Jurgen Klopp’s men are ready to take care of business – whoever takes to the field on Wednesday night.

“I don’t have any fear,” said the Dutch international. “We respect them as a team but the thing is we want to win the game. We are going to totally up for it, motivated and we will make sure we are ready from the start.

“We don’t need to forget that we are one of the best teams in Europe as well. We reached the final last year and we want to do at least the same this year. That’s our goal. So we are going to try, try and beat them.”

Liverpool head into the game buoyed by Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Watford, a game which saw them extend their unbeaten start to the Premier League season to 13 games, and set a new club record for the fewest goals conceded (five) at this stage of a league campaign.

Impressive stuff, even if the common perception is that the Reds are not yet operating at the level of Manchester City, the league champions and current leaders. Klopp’s side remain two points behind Pep Guardiola’s men.

“I don’t care what other people think,” Van Dijk said. “We are still unbeaten. We need to look at ourselves. We are doing very well.

“Obviously there is always room for improvement but we can’t be sad about the situation we are in. We just need to keep improving. Keep doing what we are doing and get better. That’s the only way forward.

“We can only look at ourselves. We can’t look at them [City]. They are the champions, they are a fantastic team. But so are we and we need to focus on our game. Then we’ll see in the end how it’s going to be, whether it’s going to be very close. Hopefully it is.”

Van Dijk’s own form, of course, has been outstanding, the Netherlands captain settling brilliantly since his £75million (€85m/$96m) move from Southampton in January. The suggestion now is that the 27-year-old is among the world’s best centre-backs – but does that bring an added layer of responsibility?

“I think at a club like Liverpool you always feel a bit of pressure,” said Van Dijk. “You should. But it doesn’t bother me.

“I just want to play. I want to enjoy the games because not a lot of people have the chance to do what we do. That’s how we started football as well, enjoying what we are doing and that’s what I try to do as well.

“It’s always a great feeling to help Holland as well as Liverpool but we all do it together. We want to evolve, same as with Liverpool.

“Both teams have great players and everyone wants to do their best. In the end we all to it together and I am just enjoying every minute of it.”

Liverpool will train at Melwood on Tuesday morning before flying to Paris, having declined the opportunity to use the Parc des Princes for their open session ahead of Wednesday’s game. Klopp, along with Sadio Mane, will face the media at a press conference on Tuesday evening.

After earning a credible 2-2 draw in Spain back in September, the Gers will attempt to keep their qualification hopes alive at Ibrox

Click Here: COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 2019

Rangers host unbeaten Villarreal on Thursday at Ibrox as they attempt to negotiate a path through Europa League Group G.

Steven Gerrard’s men lost their undefeated record earlier this month in a thrilling 4-3 loss against Spartak Moscow, during which they led three times, yet with just two points separating first to fourth, this is a game they will feel they need to win.

Villarreal, meanwhile, have tied three of their four matches to date, including a 2-2 draw against the Scottish side in Spain back in September.

Game	Rangers vs Villarreal
Date	Thursday, November 29
Time	8pm GMT / 3pm ET

---

---

In the United States (US), the game can be watched on Galavision and streamed live online via B/R Live.

US TV channel	Online stream
Galavision	B/R Live

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on BT Sport 3 and BT Sport 4K UHD and livestreamed on BT Sport Live.

UK TV channel	Online stream
BT Sport 3 and BT Sport 4K UHD	BT Sport Live

---

---

Position	Rangers squad
Goalkeepers	McGregor, Foderingham, McCrorie
Defenders	Tavernier, Goldson, Flanagan, Ross McCrorie, Katic, Bradley, Barisic, Worrall, McAuley
Midfielders	Dorrans, Jack, Ejaria, Halliday, Coulibaly, Kent, Arfield, Kelly, Grezda
Forwards	Candeias, Sadiq, Morelos, Lafferty, Middleton

Long-term injury issues Lee Wallace, Jamie Murphy and Graham Dorrans are all still on the sidelines.

Borna Barisic could make a welcome return for this clash, while there are doubts over on-loan Liverpool winger Ryan Kent.

Potential Rangers XI: McGregor; Tavernier, McAuley, Goldson, Halliday; Jack, Arfield, Ejaria; Candeias, Morelos, Middleton.

Position	Villarreal squad
Goalkeepers	Sergio Asenjo, Fernandez, Barbosa
Defenders	Gaspar, Alvaro, Funes Mori, Victor Ruiz, Jaume Costa, Llambrich, Bonera, Layun
Midfielders	Caseres, Fornals, Trigueros, Pedraza, Fuego, Cazorla, Bruno Soriano, Raba, Chukweze, Lomotey
Forwards	Moreno, Bacca, Sansone, Ekambi

Villarreal are sweating on the availability of several players prior to the trip to Glasgow, with Bruno Soriano and Manu Trigueros both struggling to prove their fitness in the midfield. 

Javi Fuego is another concern in that area of the park, while Manuel Iturra is already ruled out.

Daniele Bonera is their final doubt.

Potential Villarreal XI: Moreno; Gaspar, Ruiz, Funes Mori, Costa; Caseres, Morlanes, Cazorla, Fornals; Moreno, Bacca.

---

---

Villarreal are priced at 11/10 by bet365 to leave Ibrox with maximum points. Rangers are 13/5 to end their opponents’ unbeaten record, while the draw is 11/4.

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

---

---

Rangers have defied the critics in the Europa League this season. 

It was an achievement that Steven Gerrard’s men even reached the group stages as they embarked on a campaign of transition, yet they have proven themselves to be competitive in a testing pool against experienced European rivals.

Chairman Dave King admitted at the club’s AGM earlier this week: “We are ahead of where my realistic expectations would have been.”

Rangers, though, may live to regret their inability to see out victories in their two away matches to date. They led twice against the Spaniards before settling for a 2-2 draw, while a 4-3 loss against Spartak Moscow earlier this month, in which they three times led, has left them with their backs against the wall.  

Gerrard’s record at Ibrox, though, is a formidable one. He has won 11 of the 14 matches he has overseen at the Glasgow venue and has yet to taste defeat.

Since that loss in Russia, the Gers have bounced back by beating Motherwell 7-1 and Livingston 3-0 at the venue.

Of course, Villarreal represent a step up in class but they have also made life complicated for themselves in the fight to qualify for the knockout stages.

They lie only 16th in La Liga and have one eye on preserving their top-flight status, while a series of draws means that they only have six points from four European matches, even if that is sufficient to top the group.

From their last 11 games, they have only two victories to their credit, though one of these arrived at the weekend when they stunned a very handy Real Betis side 2-1.  

Their last away win, however, was back in September – a statistic they dearly want to change on Thursday.

The 29-year-old denied trying to kill anyone by targeting the team bus with three bombs, but was found guilty on attempted murder charges

The man who attacked Borussia Dortmund’s bus with a bomb has been found guilty of 28 counts of attempted murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

A court in Dortmund convicted the man, a dual German-Russian national known as Sergej W, on Tuesday for the attack carried out on April 11, 2017 when the German side were en route to a Champions League clash against Monaco.

The explosion occurred shortly after the team embarked on their journey from their hotel and left centre-back Marc Bartra needing surgery on a fractured wrist and shrapnel in his arm. 

A police officer was also injured in the attack, but no other Dortmund players or members of staff were hurt.

The culprit admitted to making and setting off three bombs in the attack, but he has denied that he tried to kill anyone in the process.

In fact, the bombing was part of a money-making scheme. On the day of the attack, the 29-year-old bought €44,000 worth of share options with the expectation that the club’s stock price would plummet and allow him to sell them on for a large profit.

Instead, the share price rose in the wake of the attack.

Bartra, now at Real Betis, described the incident as “the longest 15 minutes of my life”, while defender Matthias Ginter admitted he considered retiring from the game as a result of the attack.

Then Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, who currently manages Paris Saint-Germain, said in March that he would have stayed at the German club had the attack not happened.

When asked by chief prosecutor Carsten Dombert at the trial whether he would have remained as BVB boss had the events of April 11 not occurred, Tuchel replied: “I would assume that.

“Aki [Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke ] has already said publicly that there has been big dissent, which is true.

“The big dissent was that I was sitting on the bus and Aki was not. That’s why there was a different approach to dealing with it, without wanting to reproach Aki for that.”

The match against Monaco was rescheduled for the day after the attack, with the visitors claiming a 3-2 victory that they would duly close out with a 3-1 win in the return leg.

After the rearranged game, Tuchel claimed neither he nor his players had been consulted over playing 24 hours on from ordeal – something Watzke denied.

Click Here: brisbane lions guernsey 2019

The Carabao Cup clash was initially postponed following the helicopter crash that killed Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others

Leicester City are seeking to progress to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday at the expense of Southampton.

The match was initially scheduled to be played on October 30 but the tragic King Power Stadium helicopter crash that killed five, including owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, meant that a postponement was necessary.

The Foxes have enjoyed steady form since that day, beating Cardiff City and drawing against Burnley and Brighton, and they will be hopeful of continuing that against a Southampton side seemingly destined to face a relegation battle this term.

Click Here: geelong cats guernsey 2019

Game	Leicester City vs Southampton
Date	Tuesday, November 27
Time	7:45pm GMT / 2:45pm ET

---

---

In the United States (US), the game is not available for viewing.

US TV channel	Online stream
N/A	N/A

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game is not available for viewing.

UK TV channel	Online stream
N/A	N/A

---

---

Position	Leicester City squad
Goalkeepers	Schmeichel, Ward, Jakupovic
Defenders	Simpson, Chilwell, Soyuncu, Morgan, Evans, Pereira, Maguire, Fuchs, Benaloune, Knight
Midfielders	Gray, Maddison, Albrighton, Amartey, Iborra, James, Silva, Mendy, Ndidi, Ghezzal, King, Choudhury
Forwards	Iheanacho, Vardy, Okazaki, Diabate

Harry Maguire is still missing for Leicester, who are also bereft of midfielder James Maddison, who was sent off at the weekend and is therefore suspended.

Daniel Amartey, Matty James and Rachid Ghezzal are also missing. 

Vicente Iborra is a doubt after sustaining an injury at the weekend.

Significant changes are expected in the starting XI for this clash, with numerous squad men expected to be given the chance to impress by Claude Puel.

Possible Leicester starting XI: Ward; Simpson, Soyuncu, Evans, Fuchs; Choudhury, Adrien Silva; Albrighton, Okazaki, Gray, Iheanacho

Position	Southampton players
Goalkeepers	McCarthy, Forster, Gunn, Rose
Defenders	Vestergaard, Hoedt, Stephens, Yoshida, Bednarek, Bertrand, Targett, Cedric
Midfielders	Lemina, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Armstrong, Davis, Redmond, Elyounoussi
Forwards	Gabbiadini, Ings, Austin, Long, Gallagher

Southampton find themselves with a largely healthy squad prior to the trip to the King Power Stadium, although there are doubts over forwards Shane Long and Danny Ings.

With Mark Hughes under pressure, he may not rotate his side quite so heavily as the hosts.

Possible Southampton starting XI: Gunn; Cedric, Vestergaard, Stephens, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Romeu; Elyounoussi, Armstrong, Redmond; Austin

---

---

Leicester are rated at even money favourites by bet365. The draw is priced at 13/5 while Southampton can be backed at 3/1.

Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

---

---

Although Leicester lie 10th in the Premier League, having established a nine-point cushion to Southampton in 18th, manager Claude Puel has made it clear that their immediate priority is to consolidate that position as opposed to chasing Carabao Cup glory.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for some players to have game time,” admitting that alterations will be made in order to preserve the team’s best long-term interests.

“We managed with 10 men at Brighton, so we’ll see how we can play against Southampton.

“The cup is important for this squad, important for the Club, and it’s important to carry on because we may achieve something at the end of the season.

“We will give our best like every time but we have to manage all the difficulties.”

For Southampton boss Mark Hughes, though, each game is of the utmost importance as he tries to preserve his job.

Saints have just one win and eight points to their credit after a wretched start to the season while they suffered a frustrating 3-2 reverse to Fulham at the weekend.

“We have to learn from these games, of course we do,” Stuart Armstrong, who scored both Southampton’s goals at Craven Cottage, told the club’s official website.

“Tuesday is a good chance to make amends, move forward and progress.

“The quality is there – we have a very talented squad and I feel we’re better than the league position shows.

“We’ve had a number of results where we’ve ended up with a draw when we’ve felt we could’ve had more, so we need to start turning those draws into wins.”

It may not be Christmas yet, but it is already getting to the stage of the season where any win will do for the embattled south coast side.

Click:Pre-terminated Cable Assemblies

The out-of-favour striker is aiming to win trophies under Jose Mourinho and claims there is a “winning vibe” with the Belgium national team

Romelu Lukaku intends to remain at Manchester United for as long as Jose Mourinho’s side want to keep him.

The Belgium international striker is currently out of favour at Old Trafford, starting on the bench for the games against Everton and Manchester City, as well as the 1-0 win over Young Boys on Tuesday night.

Indeed, the former Chelsea forward has revealed the 10-minute conversation he had with Mourinho where he was told he was being dropped from the starting XI, insisting he was “angry” at the decision.

Lukaku is without a goal for United since September, when he found the net in the 2-1 win over Watford to make it four goals in five games at the start of the season.

Despite his recent struggles, the 25-year-old is not seeking an exit from Old Trafford and claims that he’ll stick around until he’s told he’s no longer needed.

He told Bleacher Report: “Obviously you sign here to win as many trophies as you can. How long I’m going to be here depends on how long they want me here, you know.

“I will always give my best to this club because they gave me the opportunity to play and compete in the best league, so I’m always grateful for that.”

Asked about his relationship with team-mate Paul Pogba and the potential difficulties of playing in a competitive environment with someone who is also a good friend, Lukaku added: “It’s like taking and giving, I’d say.

“Sometimes it’s better that you compete throughout the week against each other to play well at the weekend together.

“Because then I know I have a warrior who is going to give everything to the team and hopefully he knows what he can have from me, and then we just go out there and ball.”

Click Here: Cardiff Blues Store

Lukaku was also asked about why he appears to be a lot happier playing for Belgium and whether it is as simple as Roberto Martinez’s side winning more games at the moment.

He said: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Winning is the vibe, man, it’s the vibe over there. It’s different.”

United sealed qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League with their narrow win over Young Boys on Tuesday and now face a trip to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.