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Rene Meulensteen has admitted his surprise at Donny van de Beek’s lack of playing time at Manchester United.

The midfielder arrived at the club from Ajax in September in a deal worth £35 million ($47.5m), but his impact has been limited under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Bruno Fernandes is an automatic selection in the attacking-midfield role, while further back Fred, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic are pressing for starts.

Former United coach Meulensteen says there can be teething problems when players move clubs, but he had expected to see more of the Netherlands international in the Red Devils’ starting XI.

“I don’t think it’s about [just] the treatment - it’s part and parcel of being a professional footballer - especially when you move clubs,” Meulensteen told Stadium Astro. “I think why people in Holland are baffled is that Donny van de Beek - you can ask anyone in Holland - is a very, very good player. 

“He had a similar impact for Ajax at the time that Bruno Fernandes has for Manchester United now. It really surprises me that we haven’t seen him more often and to have more starts.” 

Meulensteen does not believe it is a personality issue, as he claims Van de Beek has the ability to operate in a number of positions and only requires a run of games to cement his role in the side.

‘Good players always find ways to play with each other,” Meulensteen said. “Donny van de Beek is also a very versatile player. It’s not that he can only slot in one position. He can play in the deeper midfield position next to Fred or [Scott] McTominay, it would be no problem. 

“He can play higher up or he can even play coming off the side coming in to the pocket if you have a full-back that is going forward all the time. 

“So there are different ways to use him and utilise him.

“At Ajax he was really instrumental, especially in the latter years of his career at Ajax he was very important in the front end of the pitch to create chances and score a lot of goals. He has a great intelligence and an overview, and a bit of disguise to play players in and to set up other players.

"It is something that really surprises me that he’s not being used as much by Ole.” 

Meulensteen has urged the 23-year-old to keep working hard in training and grasp the chance when it comes his way.

“To get form, you need rhythm and to keep playing,” Meulensteen said. “I have seen some really good moments when Donny did play.

“In other games I have seen that he was not at his best, but the only thing you can do is keep training well, keep your focus and when that moment comes you take it.

“There are a lot of games around the corner and I am 100 per cent sure Ole will use him. He is a top, top player.”

Former Nigeria goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was satisfied with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ performance in their 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur and he thinks they deserved all three points instead.

The visitors opened the scoring at Molineux Stadium as early as the first minute through Tanguy Ndombele, but Morocco defender Romain Saiss scored a late equaliser for Wolves in the 86th minute, after nodding in Pedro Neto’s corner kick.

Shortly after both teams were level, Reuben Neves and Fabio Silva had their chances to complete the comeback but Hugo Lloris produced some good saves late in the game.

The result left Nuno Espirito Santo's side with just one win in their last five Premier League matches but Ikeme described Sunday’s display as promising, with the Portuguese attacking trio of Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Fabio Silva.

“I enjoyed the football we played tonight, deserved all three points in honesty,” Ikeme tweeted. “There’s some real exciting players up top with Podence, Neto, Silva.

“Even though we haven’t seen the best I’m really excited about watching them grow and improve.”

Wolves are 11th on the league table with 21 points from 15 matches, and they travel to Old Trafford for their next fixture against Manchester United on Tuesday.

Ikeme spent his entire club career at Wolverhampton Wanderers where he played over 200 games before he retired from football in 2017 following an acute leukaemia diagnosis.

The former Super Eagles goalkeeper has the No. 1 shirt at Wolves left vacant in his honour with current goalkeeper Rui Patricio opting for no. 11 after his move from Sporting CP in the summer of 2018.

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo, in his reaction, was happy with his team's resilience at Molineux on Sunday.

"I think we performed really well, we played a very good game. We conceded very early in the game but the team reacted and we played good - very intense, very aggressive against a dangerous side. I'm happy,” Espirito Santo said.

"It's a learning process. Sometimes you cannot explain how else things happen in the first minute, we demanded focus, we [had to remain] alert, we know how games are going without fans, the edge is not there.

“There are many games with early goals but if it happens to you, you have to react and I think we stayed in the game and performed well. We combine, we defend, we reacted to the loss of the ball and we had good chances."

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) held mediation talks between coaches Johnathan McKinstry and dismissed Fred Kajoba on Sunday.

Kajoba was sent away from the team’s camp at Kasasi Hotel for allegedly breaking protocols, including the coronavirus guidelines, but Fufa held the peace meeting between the two tacticians who are reportedly not seeing eye to eye.

The mediation meeting was convened at 18:00 and according to Football256, was conducted at the Kabira County Club and was attended by Fufa president Moses Magogo and the Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson.

Kajoba had claimed McKinstry instigated his dismissal after he attended a Christmas mass service.

“I requested the coach [McKinstry] and I was allowed to go to church and celebrate Christmas day mass,” the Vipers SC’s head coach said in an interview.

“It’s interesting how McKinstry would find trouble in me going to church when some other people including himself have on a regular basis been going out of the camp.

“Can’t they too bring in the coronavirus? I’m fine with the dismissal and in fact happy that I was dismissed from the camp because I had gone to church but not any other place!”

The coach added his expulsion from the pre-Chan squad will not affect his devotion to the church.

“Nothing or no one will ever separate me from my God and Mother Mary. I am what I am today because of the God that I have always worshipped and believed in,” the retired goalkeeper added.

“My present and future lay in him. I am yet to get someone to make me understand the wrong in worshipping more so on Christmas day.”

With Fufa keen on finding a truce between the two national coaches, McKinstry has already named a 25-man squad that will take part in a pre-African Nations Championship tournament in Cameroon. Kajoba’s role will be handled by Sadiq Wasswa in the meantime.

Pre-Chan squad;

Goalkeepers: Joel Mutakubwa (Kyetume FC), Nafian Alionzi (URA FC), Tom Ikara (Police FC)

Defenders: Eric Ssenjobe (Police FC), Aziz Kayondo (Vipers SC), Paul Willa (Vipers SC), Ashraf Mandela (URA FC), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers SC), Mustafa Mujuzi (Kyetume FC), Patrick Mbowa (URA FC), Hassan Muhammad (Police FC)

Midfielders: Shafiq Kagimu (URA FC), Tony Mawejje (Police FC), Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC), Karim Watambala (Vipers SC), Saidi Kyeyune (URA FC), Hassan Ssenyonjo (Wakiso Giants FC)

Forwards: Ben Ocen (Police FC), Ibrahim Orit (Vipers SC), Vianne Ssekajjugo (Wakiso Giants FC), Joseph Ssemujju (BUL FC), Joakim Ojera (URA FC), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Stephen Mukwala (URA FC), Mohamed Shaban (Vipers SC).

Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he will put no pressure on his son to pursue a career as a footballer, even though the Juventus superstar has said he "would like it" to happen.

The Portugal international has been at the summit of the game for more than a decade, dominating football alongside Lionel Messi, but he is now in the tail end of his career at the age of 35.

He was named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards  on Sunday, and said in his acceptance speech that children need to be shown the right path into the game.

His own son, Cristiano Jnr, has been showing promise and is part of the Juventus academy.

Ronaldo is famed for his work ethic and has attempted to instil drive into his son, although he has admitted it can be difficult to persuade a 10-year-old to take an ice bath.

“Sometimes he drinks coke, sodas and eats crisps and he knows it makes me angry,” Ronaldo said, according to A Bola .

"Sometimes I tell my son after a run on the treadmill to dive into the cold water to recover and he says: ‘Dad, it’s so cold there.’ That’s fine, it is normal, he is only 10 years old."

While his son has been making good strides with the Juventus academy, there will be no pressure from his father to forge a career in football.

“We’ll see if my son will become a great footballer,” Ronaldo said. "He has potential. He is fast and dribbles well, but that is not enough. I always tell him that it takes work and dedication to have success.

“I won’t pressure him to become a footballer, but if you ask me if I want him to, yes I would like it. The most important thing is to become the best at whatever he does, whether it is as a footballer or a doctor.”

Ronaldo’s current focus is on firing Juventus back into the Serie A title race. They have lifted the trophy for the past nine seasons but they are 10 points adrift of leaders AC Milan, albeit with a game in hand, and were beaten 3-0 by Fiorentina in their final outing before the winter break.

Juventus resume their Serie A campaign with a clash against Udinese on January 3. Three days later they take on AC Milan.

Gor Mahia are sweating over a bill amounting to Ksh 810,000 to be paid to the Algerian hotel they have been staying in.

K'Ogalo have been in the hotel since December 25 and after playing CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League, a match they eventually lost 6-0, they were scheduled to leave on Monday, December 28 at 17:00 EAT.

"Chairman Ambrose Rachier called me early this morning and echoed what senior [Francis] Wasuna just told us about the challenges of leaving the hotel," read part of the communication from a Gor Mahia official to other members and obtained by Goal.

"Dolfina [Odhiambo] herself just called me and said the hotel is adamant that they will only accept credit card payment. 

"This is a unique position. I urge that we act immediately as any delay will mean losing the flight as well."

Our source from the club has explained to Goal why it will be tough for the club to get anything from the ministry on Monday.

"After handing in the invoice, they could have made a follow up to ensure the monies are released," the source added.

"The ministry has made it clear the monies cannot be released on Monday and since the Kenya Embassy in Algeria is closed for the holiday, it means another alternative has to be used.

"Someone has to try and send the cash to the hotel before the departure time, or else the team might miss the flight back to Kenya."

Efforts to reach chairman Ambrose Rachier for comment bore no fruits as our calls went unanswered. 

K'Ogalo have a huge task of overturning the 6-0 loss in the second leg to make it to the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

On Saturday night, the Great Chabab scored their goals through Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo during a thoroughly one-sided encounter. 

K'Ogalo came into the match without the services of their influential captain Kenneth Muguna, midfielder Bernard Ondiek and Nicholas Kipkirui. The first two were nursing injuries while the former Zoo FC man had family issues. 

The East African charges have never made it to the group stage of the competition.

It always feels like there’s trouble brewing at Watford given their tendency to jettison head coaches at will, and it’s a pressure cooker William Troost-Ekong finds himself in after moving from Udinese (the Serie A club under the ownership of the Pozzo family).

The managerial precariousness has already seen Vladimir Ivic lose his job, with Xisco Munoz replacing the Serbian in December.

Knowing how quickly the higher-ups in Hertfordshire switch the men in charge, don’t be surprised to see Nigeria’s captain playing under a third manager in 2021!

Troost-Ekong: The story of 2020

While many questioned the logic in moving from Udinese, a team in the Italian top flight, to Championship club Watford, the decision could be justified upon the realisation that the centre-back, more or less, began his career in England and had his family based in Hertfordshire all this time.

Given the revelation, it was hard to argue with Troost-Ekong’s choice to leave a club that had by far the best defence — going by goals conceded, at least — in the bottom half of Serie A and ended the season in a respectable 13th spot.

For a bit of context: 51 goals conceded was three lower than Atalanta in third, same as Roma in fifth, five shy of AC Milan’s 46 and only one lesser than seventh-placed Napoli.

When taken into consideration that Udinese let in that eventual tally despite suffering a 7-1 hammering at the hands of Atalanta — a thrashing Troost-Ekong played in — their ‘achievement’ probably earns even more plaudits.

In truth, even though that obliteration by Gian Piero Gasperini’s team came in late October 2019, it’ll be remiss not to mention that defeat, as well as the 4-0 loss against Roma the following week, when assessing the Super Eagle’s 2019/20 season due to the subsequent response by the club to terminate Igor Tudor’s contract and appoint Luca Gotti.

The White and Blacks, by and large, tightened up for the remainder of the season — evidenced by the fact their heaviest defeat for the remainder of the league season (3-0 vs Lazio) came in November in the early weeks of Gotti’s reign.

Troost-Ekong was a firm contributor to the defensive steel of Udinese, even though he was rotated in and out of the side after the lockdown.

Still, the Nigeria international started 29 games in his second year at the club, with the biggest moment in the first half of the year coming in that 2-1 win over Juventus in July.

Being closer to his family is obviously the biggest merit in returning to England with Watford, still, the 27-year-old can help to continue the Hornets’ push to secure immediate promotion to the Premier League after last season’s relegation from the big time.

Troost-Ekong has featured in 12 league games since moving, ending on the losing side on only three occasions as the Hertfordshire outfit lie fifth in the table on 37 points, only two adrift of Swansea City in second.

Even though the head coach has been changed and the defender missed the club’s final game of the year — a 1-0 win over leaders Norwich City — the central defender ought to look forward to the New Year.

Troost-Ekong: Any transfer rumours?

None...for now. Due to the high turnover of players at Watford and Udinese, it won’t be much of a surprise to see Troost-Ekong either return to the Italian side or leave the Hornets in 2021.

Troost-Ekong: One big hope for 2021

Surely to play a big part in Watford’s promotion quest. From a Nigerian perspective, supporters of the West African nation will love to see the nation’s top centre-back in the world’s most-watched league week in week out.

Troost-Ekong: One big fear for 2021

Injuries. He’s already missed Xisco’s first game in charge vs Norwich and risks playing catch-up in trying to impress the already under-pressure head coach at the helm.

While family reasons was a primary factor in returning to England, playing games will make it more fulfilling for the centre-back.

As for Watford, missing out on a return to the PL will impact their finances but also reduce the prospects of Troost-Ekong playing in the top flight.

A few weeks ago, Arjun Jayaraj returned home after terminating his contract with Indin Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters. 

Arjun was inside a bio-bubble in Goa for a couple of months as a Kerala Blasters player and for someone who had already been sidelined for several months, it was not easy. 

The 24-year-old midfielder had signed a three-year deal with Kerala Blasters in 2019 but couldn't make a single appearance for the Yellow Army. 

The player, for whose signature Blasters paid a transfer fee to Gokulam Kerala, suffered an ankle injury at the beginning of the 2019-20 season and had to be excluded from the squad for ISL 2019-20 by then-coach Eelco Schattorie.

Following a long drawn out process of surgery and rehabilitation, the player joined the squad in Goa to prepare for the 2020-21 season of Indian Super League (ISL) but ultimately had to decide to mutually terminate his contract. He wanted to make a comeback in his career and for that, he needed to play regularly. 

The player chose to accept an offer from Kerala United, owned by the United Group that also owns Premier League club Sheffield United, hoping to embark on a new journey. 

"The situation inside a bio-bubble was hard to accept. The second floor, dining hall and the meeting room are the only places you can access. It helps to go out and relax to take time off stress during games but the players have started to adjust after the season began. With matches coming thick and fast, the focus shifts to that. Pre-season was more difficult," Arjun revealed what it is like to spend time inside a bio-bubble to Goal.

"When I left, I had many offers. But I-League clubs had already started pre-season. Kerala United contacted me after seeing my profile from when I played for Gokulam Kerala. 

"I have had a gap of two years so I wanted to go to a club which had coaches and players I knew and am familiar with so that I can play more games and be more confident. The training ground is six kilometres away from my home. I want to stay in the comfort zone and play more games and gain confidence before playing in a league with more intensity. They are starting a new club from Malappuram, my home, so that's a good thing as well," the player said. 

Kerala United are set to begin their preparations for the I-League second division in January and Arjun is fit and ready for a fresh challenge. 

"I felt okay during practice sessions and trained in pre-season for two months and played in friendly matches. I played with my friends here. I am close to full match fitness. Match fitness can be improved only by playing matches. I am training alone for now."

Arjun's decision to join a second division side may be confusing for some but it was all about getting regular game time for the midfielder who is only 24 years old and last played a professional game in March 2019 for Gokulam Kerala in the I-League.

"Every player wants to play at the top level. But it is better to play in a second division or any other league than not play in a top league. We need games, there are players who haven't played for more than a season. It is frustrating to sit at home injured and it is even more difficult when you are not injured and not playing."

After more than 540 minutes without a win in the 2020-21 Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters finally managed to end their winless run with a convincing 2-0 result against Hyderabad on Sunday. 

With key players such as Costa Nhamoinesu, Bakary Kone and Gary Hooper unavailable for selection due to injuries, Kibu Vicuna had a tough task in choosing the starting lineup for what was a must-win game considering the poor start to the season.

But he pulled it off and here's how he did it. The defence that included a foreign centre-back partnership that wasn't consistent was replaced by an all-Indian line featuring Abdul Hakku and Sandip Singh as centre-backs. 

It was a big risk considering both of them were starting a game for the first time this season and in the case of Hakku, it was only his seventh start in four seasons due to injury issues. They were up against the likes of Aridane Santana but the riskiest move of the season so far from Vicuna paid off. 

Hakku is the one who broke the deadlock in the first half from an accurate Facundo Pereyra corner-kick. He looked rusty at several instances in the game but had no trouble in heading the corner into the net in the 29th minute. 

Both Hakku and Sandip managed to withstand the threat posed by the Hyderabad attack but there were enough warning signs that meant that the all-Indian defensive line could be punished against a stronger team. 

Going into the game, only East Bengal had a worse defensive record in second halves than Kerala Blasters who had conceded eight goals after restarts. But Vicuna looked to have finally gotten his half-time team talk right as his side took control of the game in the second half and denied Hyderabad easy forays into their defensive third. 

Jeakson Singh found starts hard to come by at the start of the season but proved his mettle once again in the midfield with an energetic display alongside Vicente Gomez. He scored a late equaliser for his team on his first start and then produced a stellar show in his second.

On the right flank, Rahul KP was involved in a fantastic duel with Akash Mishra and it was the Keralite who came on top with his direct runs and quick feet.  Facundo Pereyra remained available for a pass and was happy to deliver balls into the box for Jordan Murray who looked more involved in the final third in one game than Gary Hooper did in all his games combined. 

Sahal Abdul Samad also got a start - once again on the left-wing - and he showed why he should start more often but not on the flanks. He was happy to dribble past defenders but gave away the ball cheaply and did not possess the expected defensive work rate when the team did not have the ball. 

Up next for Blasters is a big game against league leaders Mumbai City who have been phenomenal in all areas of the pitch. Given how a new-look team performed against Hyderabad, Kibu Vicuna has some decisions to make. 

Naby Keita and Joel Matip will not be available for selection when Liverpool face Newcastle United in Wednesday’s Premier League showdown, according to manager Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds’ defensive injury worries grew on Sunday when the Cameroonian defender was forced off against West Bromwich Albion with a groin injury.

Matip, featuring in his eighth English topflight game of the 2020-21 campaign, had supplied the assist for Sadio Mane in the 12th minute, however, the centre-back pulled up after attempting a clearance against Sam Allardyce’s men with 15 minutes gone in the second half.

After getting treatment on the pitch, the 29-year-old was subsequently replaced by Rhys Williams on the hour mark of the 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Addressing the media after being held by the Baggies, Liverpool boss Klopp disclosed that Matip would possibly miss some time.

“Joel told me he felt something in his adductor and that’s obviously not too good," Klopp told a post-game press conference as captured by Liverpool website.

“I am not sure how serious it is now, but it was serious enough that he had to leave the pitch. The rest of the information I will get tomorrow.”

According to former star Jamie Carragher, it is dominant that the Reds should sign a central defender in the January transfer window due to the club’s injury fears.

"It's a massive worry, but it's not a new worry. Joel Matip will not play every game between now and the end of the season,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

“We knew that even before the injury today, that's why it's paramount Liverpool sign somebody in January. I said that as soon as Virgil van Dijk had his injury against Everton.”

On Guinea international Keita, who has managed just 10 appearances so far this season for the reigning English champions, the German added that he would not also figure in that contest.

“He felt a muscle again,” said Klopp. “I don’t know exactly how long [it will be], but he was not ready for today and not for Wednesday, I think. We will see.”

Liverpool’s injury list is already a lengthy one, with Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota already out of action for various reasons.

Semi Ajayi is pleased to have scored his first English Premier League goal as West Bromwich Albion held reigning champions Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on Sunday evening.

In the keenly contested affair at Anfield, Sadio Mane gave Jurgen Klopp’s men a 12th minute lead thanks to a cool finish past goalkeeper Sam Johnstone after profiting from a fine assist from Joel Matip.

Despite dominating ball possession for a large part of the game, the hosts were unable to get more goals as Sam Allardyce’s team put up a strong defensive network.

However, the Baggies refused to go down without a fight with Nigeria international Ajayi levelled matters in the 82nd minute thanks to a Matheus Pereira cross.

In the process, he ended his six-year wait for his maiden goal in England’s topflight since his time at Arsenal.

Remarkably, the 27-year-old’s effort ranks him behind only Liverpool’s Vigil van Dijk and Aaron Pierre (both nine) as defenders who have scored the most headed goals in England’ top four tiers since the commencement of the 2018-2019 campaign.

Buoyed by his goalscoring performance against the Klopp’s side, the former Rotherham United and Cardiff City man too to social media to celebrate his first strike in England’s Premier club championship.

“First Premier League goal! God is great,” Ajayi wrote on Instagram.

In his assessment, West Brom’s boss was pleased seeing his players’ hard work pay off.

“I think that everyone has seen we showed a lot of resilience today to keep ourselves in the game and we kept trying to do the right things," Allardyce told club website.

“Defensively, apart from the slip up for the goal we were excellent. I think a change of tactics about 30 minutes in, putting Grant up front gave us a bit more of an out ball rather than everybody just getting pegged back. It started to work a little bit by him holding it up and us getting in to Liverpool’s half. In the second half I think we expanded on that.”

Even at their latest result, the Baggies stay in relegation waters – sitting in the 19th spot with just eight points from 15 outings played so far in the 2020-21 campaign.

Ajayi began his career with Charlton Athletic before joining Arsenal in 2013 after completing a season-long loan spell at Dartford.

His inability to get a regular playing time at the Emirates Stadium saw him join Cardiff City before the move was made permanent following the expiration of his Gunners’ deal.

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he likes it when people boo him and finds playing without fans "boring".

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, spectators have generally been unable to attend games across Europe with some exceptions. 

At Juventus over the past several months, Ronaldo has had to get used to playing in empty stadiums and was even sidelined temporarily after himself testing positive for Covid-19.

As someone who channels the good and bad energy from fans, the 35-year-old conceded he misses the boos just as much as the applause. 

"For me I have to be honest, to play in an empty stadium is boring in my opinion. We, the players, respect all the protocol and health is the most important thing of all, of course, but I don't like it, to be honest," Ronaldo said at the Globe Soccer Awards on Sunday. 

"I do it first of all because I love football. My passion is always football. I play for my family, my kids, my friends, the fans. But I don't like it, to be honest. It's so weird. 

"I like when people boo Cristiano. When I touch the ball they 'boo', I like it. I hope in 2021 they can change the rules and we can see the stadiums full of people." 

Ronaldo, who was named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards, has been a role model for the next generation of footballers for over a decade now and relishes having such an influence. 

"It's great when you look and see the kids want to be like you. They cut their hair like me. They want skills like me. I see my son, 10 years old and he wants to look like me and I say: 'You have a long way to do it, to be like your father'," Ronaldo said. 

"The future is the kids. I have four and I wish them all the best. When I see the kids around for example in Dubai, they run and say 'Siii' it makes me happy because they recognise my effort, my dedication, my hard work. I'm proud when I see stuff like that and it gives me motivation to carry on and continue like that." 

Lionel Messi does not believe Barcelona will be able to afford to bring Neymar back to the club. 

Since making a world-record €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Neymar has been consistently linked with a return to Camp Nou and a reunion with Messi. 

But such a move has yet to come to fruition and with Barca's current financial difficulties, it appears that Neymar's storybook return is a long way off. 

The Brazilian recently stated his desire to play alongside Messi again next season, but where that reunion would take place is unclear. 

Speaking to La Sexta, Messi admitted that his current side likely don't have the funds to bring the Brazilian back. 

"How do you pay Paris for the transfer?" Messi asked. "It is not easy, it will be a difficult situation for the new president. He will have to be very intelligent, get everything in order and make many changes to make it go well.

"It will also be difficult to bring in players because we need money and there is no money. There are several important current players we need to fight again for everything and you have to pay them."

On Neymar's recent declaration that he wants to be Messi's team-mate again, he added: "He didn't say, 'Let's play,' he said, 'I'd like to play' … right?

"Yes, we talk from time to time. The three of us either with him or with Luis [Suarez] every day. We maintain the relationship."

Another relationship of Messi's that has drawn speculation involves Antoine Griezmann, after the French star's uncle hit out at the Argentine last month.

Messi, though, has played down any potential feud with his team-mate, saying the two get along just fine. 

"The relationship is good, I already said it," Messi insisted. "I never had problems with him and I never did everything that was said, that I did not want his signing and all that, I think it was more than clarified.

"I have no problems, The relationship is good and sometimes we drink mate together in the dressing room and on trips. There is no kind of anything."
 

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he is considering dropping players ahead of Aston Villa's visit to Stamford Bridge on Monday.

Mikel Arteta's struggling Arsenal were the latest team to defeat Chelsea after earning a deserved 3-1 win at the Emirates on Boxing Day, the third defeat in four games for the Blues.

Lampard was left frustrated and was critical of his players who performed particularly poorly in the first half. Now, having hammered his players for "not following the basics," Lampard has admitted there will be consequences after a bad run.

"The first half certainly was our worst performance of the season as far as I saw it," Lampard told reporters ahead of his side's clash with Villa. "We lacked energy. We are in a position in the last four games of losing three and only winning one. So that needs a reaction.

"They did [lack character] and the players know that. The first half we lacked it. Second half we didn't, to be fair, and there will be some players that come out of it with credit for the performances in the second half. But today we did.

"I’m not going to generalise that that’s the case because it’s not. But today we did and football will punish you if you turn up and have that sort of lack of the basics in your game.

"There will be some changes and I knew that anyway. I am certainly not going to bang the drum about the quick turnaround after our performance today. That's not to point. We are playing two games in two days and [changes] would have happened anyway.

"Some of those will happen because of how the game went and people will have to come in and inject energy and personality."

Chelsea must count the cost of their efforts in the London derby ahead of the match against Dean Smith's side, who are one of seven teams above them in the Premier League after 15 games.

Ahead of the match, Lampard confirmed that Hakim Ziyech remains out injured but hinted that Callum Hudson-Odoi would start. The 20-year-old was one of the few bright performers off the bench against the Gunners after coming on at half-time for an out-of-form Timo Werner.

"Some people wanted to talk us up as title contenders but I never accepted that because we are not there," he added. "That takes time to build and days like today are ones where we have to learn big lessons from.

"You learn about the players and the players have to learn about themselves. Some of them are young and some of them are new to the Premier League and these tough times are things that we will have to go through.

"I don’t think this season was ever going to be plain sailing, winning every week. We got confident and we got into a position where we were not losing games and winning a lot of games.

"When you lose a couple of games, things become a lot tougher and the only way out of it is the fight and work hard. That’s what I will be instilling in the players – that idea – because it’s the only way that you get out of what is a difficult little period for us."

Chelsea next face an in-form Villa before Manchester City visit after the New Year.

Lampard spoke about his respect for the Midlands side and the impact that fellow legendary Blues player John Terry has had as Villa's assistant manager.

"I’m sure John has an influence because he’s one of the greatest centre-backs that played in the Premier League for England and in the world for a long time and an absolute wealth of knowledge," he added.

"His input will be invaluable to Dean Smith and all the staff and the team are working hard. You’ve seen a big uplift and I’m sure there’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes from John and all the staff.

"I think they are a good team with very good individual players. They added to their squad in a very good way in the off-season. Good manager, good coaches and good players that are playing well and they are in a really good time at the moment.

"I’m not completely surprised. It will be a tough match."

John Stones is determined to make the most of his remarkable turnaround after reestablishing himself at the heart of Manchester City's defence.

The England international's future at the Etihad Stadium looked uncertain in the summer when Pep Guardiola drafted in Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake to eliminate the defensive problems that blighted City last season.

But Stones has returned in brilliant form to dislodge first-choice centre-back Aymeric Laporte and help City to 13 clean sheets in all competitions - the most of any club in Europe's top five leagues.

City have not conceded a goal with Stones on the pitch for 718 minutes going back to the opening game of the season, and he is revelling in being back in the side.

“It makes you realise how hard you have worked and that the hard work is paying off," the former Everton defender said ahead of Monday's night return to Goodison Park.

"It makes you realise how special it is to be out there and also to realise that when other players aren’t playing, how they feel and what you should do for them when you are on the pitch.

"There are a lot of aspects you can look at but it is something you cannot take for granted. There is always twists and turns and you have got to grab it with both hands and enjoy it and that is what I am doing.

"I am really enjoying my football. It always makes it easier when you are winning and keeping clean sheets but I am just trying to move in the right direction and to keep trying to become better as a player and as a team.”

Individual errors have been costly to City, particularly with Guardiola putting his defence under pressure by asking them to defend high up the pitch.

But since the 5-2 defeat to Leicester in September when they conceded three penalties, the City boss has been happy to see his side largely eliminate their mistakes.

"What we’ve improved in is that individually we don’t make stupid mistakes," Guardiola said. "The opponent can make a good action and we applaud, but we are not making mistakes. Everyone is focused.

"That has helped us, we’ve conceded three goals in the last 10 games.

"We conceded five against Leicester because we gave them three penalties but otherwise we have been incredibly solid. Maintain it, don’t make mistakes, it will help us."

It has not been an easy two years for Stones as he struggled with injuries, being out of the side, off-field issues and losing his place as a regular in the England squad.

But he has been grateful for the support of his team-mates and believes he has learnt a lot about his own game.

“I think I have learnt who I am as a player," he added. "I have learnt a lot of things football-wise as a person as well.

"I think the biggest compliment is to my team-mates as I wouldn’t be where I am without them and my coaching staff.

"You get to learn how to become a winner from winners that are still here and have left.

"I have learnt a lot from players in different positions as well. I think we have such a variety of players here with different qualities and attributes that has made me better.

"It is a difficult question to answer but I think a winning mentality is the one I have learnt.”

Stones says he is enjoying the pressure that comes with being in a City side pushing for Premier League and Champions League success.

“Win or lose, the pressure is there and pressure is something we definitely thrive off and take a lot of motivation to do better and keep the pressure on the other teams," he said.

"There are all types of scenarios that run through your head at this club and it is exciting to be a part of it.

"We have got to just keep striving to be better and better and keep that consistency we have had in previous seasons.”

Granit Xhaka was happy to silence his critics with his goalscoring performance during Arsenal's 3-1 victory against Chelsea on Boxing Day.

The Switzerland international was playing his first game since his sending off against Burnley on December 13 and marked the occasion with an impressive performance as Arsenal claimed their first win in seven Premier League games.

Xhaka curled home a wonderful free-kick just before half-time to add to Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty and drew praise from manager Mikel Arteta for his all-round display in the heart of midfield.

It was the perfect response from the 28-year-old, who has come in for lots of criticism in recent weeks following his red card against Burnley and his failure to publicly apologise for the incident which led to a 1-0 home defeat.

“There was a lot of speaking after the red card,” Xhaka said. “A lot of people started speaking again ... and again and again.

“I will always show my character. I was very disappointed about my red card and I knew what I did was wrong for my side. But I am more than happy. I helped the team and I am back.”

Xhaka added: “We knew it would be a very difficult game, but we worked very well together like a team and at the moment we can only get points if we do this.

“We carried out the plan that the coach gave us. To press, to be focused 95 minutes. We scored at the right time and going 3-0 up helped a lot.”

Arsenal’s win against Chelsea saw them move up to 14th in the Premier League and edge six points clear of the relegation zone.

The victory was their first in the league since the 1-0 success at Manchester United on November 1 and it helped ease the pressure on Arteta, who had come under fire for his side’s awful run of form.

Arteta’s side now head into two crucial away games at Brighton and West Brom and Xhaka says the win against Chelsea will count for little if they don’t follow it up.

“It was very important that we got three points [against Chelsea] but we have to continue like this,” he said.

“The next two games away are very difficult but if we work together like a team we have the chance to take away all six points.”

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho was left frustrated by his side's failure to beat Wolves on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw.

Despite taking the lead in the first minute through a Tanguy Ndombele goal, Spurs ended up sharing the spoils with the home side when Romain Saiss headed beyond Hugo Lloris in the late stages of the game.

The north London side have collected just two points from their last four Premier League matches and the coach feels they should have put an end to their winless streak after going ahead so early.

"One point against Wolves normally wouldn't be a bad result because they are a strong opponent. But scoring in the first minute and having the control of the game for the rest of it and having 89 minutes to score more, there's a sense of feeling frustrated," he told Sky Sports.

"I know the way I prepare the team, I know what I asked of the players, I know all that and don't want to say much more than that. I give some credit to Wolves of course because they put pressure on us, pressure that we coped quite well with, controlling the game very well.

"But we didn't have that ambition, that desire to go for more."

He added to BBC Sport: "I don't know if we deserved more than a point. We had the best thing that can happen to a team which is to score in the first minute. We had control of the game and conceded from a corner. We had 89 minutes to score more goals and we didn't.

"It is very disappointing, it is like against Liverpool where you control dangerous players for 90 minutes and concede from a set-piece.

"Tanguy Ndombele had a good game when he had energy. I didn't want us to sit deep, I put [Steven] Bergwijn on for [Sergio] Reguilon, a fresh [Erik] Lamela for a tired Son [Heung-min].

"Defending deep, that's not the intention. They know what I asked them at half-time, if they couldn't do better it's because they couldn't do better."

Mourinho's men will host Fulham on Wednesday in their final match of 2020 and will welcome Leeds to north London next Saturday for the first encounter of 2021.