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Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed when the new trophy for the 2020-21 Premier League season, made of pure gold will arrive in the country.

According to FKF President Nick Mwendwa, the 24-carat gold trophy will arrive in the country in the next 21 days.

“The golden trophy is being worked on, the progress is very good and I can assure you we will have a big ceremony when it arrives in the country in the next 21 days,” Mwendwa told Goal on Saturday.

“We have already booked KCB Bank and that is where we will keep it [the trophy], it will be round in shape, very good for everyone’s eyes, these are some of the changes we promised after taking over the league.

“We don’t have time to waste now, we were given the mandate to run football and that is what we are doing now, we don’t have time to fight, our work is for the job we are asked to do by Kenyans and it is the reason we want to have everything in place to avoid inconveniences when the season ends.”

Mwendwa also confirmed the winners for the 2020-21 campaign will walk home with Ksh5million while a similar amount will be shared among the remaining 17 clubs.

“Winners of the league will get Ksh5million, plus the golden trophy, then another Ksh5million will be divided amongst the remaining teams, and let me make it clear, the proposal of awarding teams was decided by the clubs themselves, not FKF, even promoted Vihiga United attended the meeting.

“The clubs felt that was the only way to share the sponsorship money, and as FKF we have supported it, that is how it is going to work.”

In the last two seasons, winners Gor Mahia never received a trophy and prize money after title sponsors SportPesa walked away.

Three matches will kick-off the season on Saturday with AFC Leopards versus Tusker being broadcast live by StarTimes, with the two other matches pitting promoted Vihiga United against Kakamega Homeboyz at Mumias Compex and Bandari against Sofapaka at Mbaraki Stadium.

On Sunday, four matches will be played - Nairobi City Stars taking on Nzoia Sugar at Nyayo Stadium, Kariobangi Sharks against Wazito FC at Kasarani Stadium, Posta Rangers vs KCB at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, and Western Stima against Bidco United at Moi Stadium in Kisumu.

Gor Mahia, who will be taking part in Caf Champions League assignment against APR of Rwanda, and will open the season with a home game against Zoo FC at Nyayo Stadium on December 2.

East Bengal began their journey in the Indian Super League (ISL) on a sour note as they went down 0-2 against arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan on Friday.

The Red and Golds were a late entrant into the ISL and hence, had less time to prepare for the season as compared to the rest of the teams. Former India striker Shyam Thapa believes that although East Bengal suffered a defeat in their ISL opener, Robbie Fowler's team did a commendable job given the circumstances.

“It is quite normal that East Bengal went down to ATK Mohun Bagan as it was their first match. But there was not much difference between the two teams except the two goals. I have to say that East Bengal, in their first match and with less preparation in such a big tournament, did not play badly. I am quite sure that they will improve in the coming days.

“The match was interesting but there was a lack of good moves. The match was decided by individual brilliance,” Thapa told Goal.

The former East Bengal striker praised ATK Mohun Bagan’s Roy Krishna, who scored the opening goal of the match. He was also impressed by Manvir Singh’s second goal which was his solo effort.

“Krishna is a great goal-scorer. For one hour he did nothing with the ball. He got one chance and buried that into the net. He does not miss much. And the second goal by Manvir (Singh) was an intelligent goal. A good goal by an Indian scorer.”

Thapa, who is also the Chairman of All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Technical Committee, praised Antonio Habas’ pragmatic tactics. He also reiterated that Fowler's team can only improve but they need to be more alert at the back.

He said, “Habas is a very clever coach. He knows when to make the substitutions and whom to bring on. This shows his experience. He knows how to defend a lead and manage the game. This is his forte. But if East Bengal had beaten Bagan in their very first match, there was a chance of complacency setting in the side. This defeat would spur them to work harder and come back stronger. Fowler has a lot to think about after conceding two goals.”

ATK Mohun Bagan won the bragging rights in the first-ever Kolkata derby in the Indian Super League (ISL) as they downed East Bengal 2-0 with goals from Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh.

East Bengal, under Robbie Fowler’s tutelage, started the match on a positive note and were dictating the proceedings in the first half. However, Antonio Habas' side came back strongly after the break and scored two crucial goals.

Former East Bengal coach and legendary Indian footballer Subhash Bhowmick was not surprised by the outcome of the derby and hailed ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Habas for being shrewd in his tactics.

“This was predictable,” Bhowmick told Goal. “I knew East Bengal would start aggressively because they are unknown but (Antonio) Habas is tactically and defensively a very disciplined coach. East Bengal played well in the first 20 minutes but failed to make any impact thereafter.

“He watched the first half and then went for the kill in the second half. The second goal was pathetic. It was a great example of counter-attack but neither Narayan (Das) made any effort nor did any central defender come to his rescue. The second half belonged to Habas who tactically outclassed (Robbie) Fowler.”

ATK Mohun Bagan are yet to concede a goal after 180 minutes of football in the ISL this season and Bhowmick believes that the Mariners’ backline will continue to perform in a similar manner throughout the campaign.

“Their defence will not concede for many minutes. They have Habas as a coach who is defensively astute,” said the ASEAN Championship winning coach.

Bhowmick was in awe of ATK Mohun Bagan star striker Roy Krishna, who has scored two goals in the first two matches.

“Roy Krishna is a perfect poacher. That is how poachers function, they score from any small opportunity they get in front of the goal. Robbie Fowler himself was a poacher and so he knows,” said the former India striker.

The aftereffects of an improper pre-season are evident in how the teams have gone about their business on the field after the first round of matches in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season. 

As the season enters into Round 2, injuries and fitness issues have hogged the limelight for a lot of clubs. 

After several months without football and on-field training due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, the ISL clubs set up camp in Goa to train a month before the season opener on November 20. 

The foreign players came in batches and that meant none of the head coaches were able to train with a full-strength squad for at least a month. 

Not going through a proper pre-season can be detrimental's to a team's progress. Moreover, the players will take time to reach full match fitness and are more likely to pick up niggles along the way. 

Improper pre-season is only one of many reasons for players to pick up injuries. Even otherwise, the teams have had to deal with injury blows to tackles and bad landings. 

ATK Mohun Bagan received the biggest hammer blow to their the season right after their first match when Michael Soosairaj suffered a ligament injury. The former Chennai City player is set to be ruled out for the rest of the season. 

Kerala Blasters missed the services of Rahul KP and Nishu Kumar for their season opener due to knocks they picked up in pre-season. Nishu returned for the second game but Rahul remains out of contention. Sahal Abdul Samad also picked up a quad strain was unavailable for the second match. 

Mumbai City had to take off Raynier Fernandes in the 26th minute of their opening game against NorthEast United. The Indian midfielder suffered a groin injury. Odisha's Thoiba Singh had to be stretchered off the field in the second half of their game against Hyderabad. 

Jamshedpur have also suffered a big blow as an injured Peter Hartley had to be replaced after the half-hour mark in their first game of the season. His replacement Narender Gehlot too had to be subtituted as he picked an injury.

Other than these, the return to full fitness of several key players is also anticipated in the upcoming rounds of matches. One such player is Brandon Fernandes, ISL's all-time top Indian assist provider, who injured his knee in the playoffs last season. He made a brilliant cameo appearance in Goa's 2-2 draw with Bengaluru but was an unused substitute in the second game.

The decision by the league to allow five substitutions this season is a welcome tweak and will help coaches manage the situation better if their players are under pressure in terms of fitness. Only five teams - Kerala Blasters, Bengaluru, Chennaiyin, ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City have made use of five changes and going forward, coaches may be forced into rotating their squad more often and making five changes every game.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick wants to see more from Leroy Sane, but said the attacker needed time.

Since joining Bayern from Manchester City for a reported €45million earlier this year, Sane has scored five goals and provided two assists in nine games.

The attacker missed almost the entire 2019-20 season with City after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

While Flick is eager for Sane to improve, he is also prepared to be patient with the 24-year-old following his injury.

"He is 100 per cent fit. His efficiency is great," he told a news conference.

"But like other players, he unnecessarily lost the ball a couple of times against Salzburg and in some instances, he didn't quite pursue one-on-ones. There are reasons for it, and we talked about that. He will try to do better next time.

"When he comes on the pitch, he creates a certain dynamic in the team, increases it. In the last couple of games, he has always scored after being subbed in. That's what makes him stand out and he has quality.

"It is obvious that he still needs time after a long injury, and he will get that time. He works hard in training.

"We are pleased with him, but it is important that when he starts a game, he gives a 100 per cent. We are working on that."

In six Bundesliga games, three of which have been starts, this season, Sane has scored three goals and provided two assists.

He has also created four big chances. Only Thomas Muller (six), Serge Gnabry, Admir Mehmedi and Raphael Guerreiro (all five) have created more.

However, his big chance conversion percentage is 50 per cent, while he has completed just seven of 20 attempted dribbles.

Top of the Bundesliga by a point ahead of Dortmund and Leverkusen, Bayern visit Stuttgart on Saturday.

Friday evening was eventful for the Indian football audience. It was a special night not only because Indian Super League (ISL) hosted its first-ever Kolkata derby but also due to the fact that Robbie Fowler is making his debut in Indian football. 

The Liverpool legend was announced as the head coach one of the Kolkata giants a few months ago and people have been waiting to get a first impression of the club in their first season in ISL  - and the first impressions are positive.

Two well-taken goals in the second half - by Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh - put the game beyond doubt and out of reach of East Bengal. Full credit to Bagan for taking their chances and going atop the ISL table with six points after two matches. 

But it was a closer contest than what the scoreline would suggest. East Bengal was always in the game right until the final minute and looked like they could score at any point in the game. Considering the pre-season that they have had, they looked nearly ready and that is impressive. 

It must be remembered that Fowler's squad was assembled and arrived in Goa a few weeks after the rest of the teams started training for pre-season in Goa. This also meant that the foreign players have had only a few sessions with the rest of the squad. But there were some good performances on the field on Friday. 

Anthony Pilkington looks like a player ready to take ISL by storm once he fully settles into his rhythm. On his Indian football debut, he was a menace for the defenders to handle and looked threatening in the final third. Fowler went with Balwant Singh upfront, with Jeje Lalpekhlua on the bench, but the Indian striker failed to grab eyeballs.

The Indian contingent of the Red and Golds will need to step up and deliver and in the current state, East Bengal look like a team without a proper centre-forward. 

Matti Steinmann was always available for a pass and helped East Bengal keep hold of the ball for long periods. The Red and Golds had nearly 60 per cent of the ball and twice the number of passes compared to their arch-rivals. 

But in the end, it is the final scoreline that matters and that is where Antonio Habas' shrewd tactics came to the fore. The efficient attack of the Mariners proved to be the biggest difference between the two teams, and Roy Krishna broke the deadlock with a wonderful low hit from the edge of the box that took the keeper Debjit Majumder by surprise soon after the restart. 

With the opposition chasing the game and leaving themselves vulnerable to quick counters, substitute Manvir Singh decided to embark on a solo trip to greatness. He latched onto a long ball into space on the right flank by Prabir Das, knocked it forward and outran his marker, got into the box cut inside onto his left foot and smashed home. Two back-to-back strong cameos from Manvir should give Habas a selection headache for their third game. 

Bagan were more ready and efficient in the match and fully deserved their win. But for a first match in the ISL, Fowler's men exceeded expectations in terms of their performance.

Kerala Blasters midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad is hopeful about getting a good Indian Super League (ISL) season under his belt with Spanish head coach Kibu Vicuna on board. 

The Malayali midfielder, who recently signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club till 2025, spoke to Goal just before the season started and expressed his confidence in the squad. 

"Everyone’s hopeful of a good season. My family’s supporting me from home. They have asked me to focus on the game and enjoy what I’m doing. The atmosphere in the team is pretty good. We have that positive feeling, the coach, players, staff - everyone’s motivated (for the season)."

The bio-bubble forced upon players due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that all games will be played behind closed doors have made this season a strange one for both footballers and coaches. Sahal believes it will be a challenge at first. 

"Being in a bio bubble and playing before empty stands might be a challenge at first. It is strange without the fans. We were used to that season opener excitement, but we have to accept the situation now."

The ISL teams have struggled to be at their best at the start of the season due to the short pre-season that they've all had. Kerala Blasters lost their opener to ATK Mohun Bagan and conceded two second-half goals to allow NorthEast United to come back and secure one point. 

"Pre-season is always crucial for a team’s performance throughout the season. We had to adapt to new conditions and restrictions. We had to be careful after a long break from the game," Sahal said. 

He added, "Players might take time adapting to the conditions in Goa. But I think physically we would be better. Most players were focusing on their fitness during the lockdown, so it will be helpful throughout the season."

"Kibu Vicuna is a great tactician with a good plan. He’s got a role for everyone in the team. He will do what’s best for the team and individual roles will change for that common goal."

The footballer from Kannur is also of the opinion that Blasters will have to be alert against all the teams in the ISL as it is difficult to pick one particular team as their toughest rival. 

"We can’t consider one team as the toughest opponent. There are 10 opponents and they are all equal to us. Every team is tough and we respect all of them. All of us play good football. We don’t take anyone lightly. All 10 oppositions play good possession game so we see all of them equally."

Sahal has had the chance to play with highly reputed footballers at Blasters and this season also he will be sharing the first team with footballers who have prior experience in Premier League (Gary Hooper) and La Liga (Bakary Kone). The young midfielder is hoping to learn from their approach to matches.

"Our squad is a blend of exciting youngsters and experienced foreigners. There are players with experience in top leagues including La Liga and Premier League. There is a lot for us to learn from them. The way they approach the game, their style of play. It is a great opportunity to play alongside such players."

Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold hit out at the Premier League fixturing, saying some of it "defies common sense".

Jurgen Klopp, manager of the Premier League champions, has been critical of the scheduling amid a busy run of games for clubs.

Three days after losing to Atalanta in the Champions League, Liverpool will visit Brighton and Hove Albion in the early kick-off on Saturday.

Alexander-Arnold, who is sidelined with a calf injury, was also critical of the scheduling, saying change was needed.

"At a time when we've had a three-month lockdown, coming back and not being able to get fully fit as we would like to and having to play the remainder of the games, and then not getting much of a break – I think we got two weeks and then a 10-day pre-season – and then straight back into the most competitive league in the world, it's ... difficult," the full-back told Standard Sport.

"The times of games, in terms of your last internationals coming back [before playing early on a Saturday] defies common sense really. Anyone with common sense would spot that that is something that cannot happen.

"The teams that play midweek most weeks – I think Tottenham had it recently where they played on the Thursday and then on Sunday at 12 [noon].

"There is not enough time to recover, your body cannot recover that quickly. Your muscles are going into it not being 100 per cent and that is how you pick up injuries. Something has to change."

The 2019-20 Premier League season was suspended for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It finished on July 26 before the 2020-21 campaign started seven weeks later.

Liverpool, who are second in the Premier League table, will play eight games in December and Alexander-Arnold said the injury problems were predictable.

"I think these problems could have really been predicted, anyone could have seen them coming," he said.

"Maybe not to this extent because it looks as if every club is feeling the harshness of the schedule, but you would expect this period to be coming around December and Christmas time because that is when it is the most intense, but for this to be happening so early in the season – eight games in – is far too early. It shows that something is not right. As long as something happens soon, then it is better than nothing."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed the club will not be making any signings in the January transfer window despite their indifferent start to the Premier League season.

The Citizens are currently 14th on the Premier League table after their eight matches, and trail leaders Tottenham by eight points despite holding a game in hand.

Guardiola's side have only won three league contests, with defeats against Leicester City and Spurs, and draws versus Liverpool, West Ham and Leeds blotting their copybook.

There has been suggestion the Manchester giants will be looking to bolster their squad when the player movement period resumes in a month's time, but Guardiola denies the club will be pursuing reinforcements.

"No, not at all. I have a fantastic team to fight for all the titles," Guardiola told Man City's official website.

The former Barcelona coach's belief in his squad depth was proved true by John Stones' performance in the mid-week win over Olympiacos in the Champions League.

The England international has found himself on the periphery of Manchester City's first team for most of the season, but showed Guardiola he has a part to play this campaign.

"The guys who play good, they continue to play," Guardiola said.

"The guys especially at the back who don't make mistakes - everyone makes mistakes - but the [guys who don't make] mistakes that cost a lot, they have more chance to continue in the team.

"And the guys up front who score goals, they have more chance to continue in the team. I try to judge players in the present. John [Stones] played very well, and I am especially happy for John because he is a special guy for me.

"We arrived here together, we spent lots of time together, he was injured and had personal issues but now he is settled again. He is confident. He will have chances to show his quality in this team."

Manchester City will attempt to catapult themselves up the Premier League table as they host Burnley at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Their next Champions League clash against Porto on Tuesday will be a dead rubber with the English side accumulating maximum points from their four matches to date and have secured qualification for the knockout stage already.

Former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney will be in sole charge of Derby County this weekend as he takes his first steps in management.

Rooney, a player-coach at Derby, has shared responsibility of the first team since Phillip Cocu was sacked earlier this month.

The veteran forward was joined by Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker in the coaching set-up, but the Rams lost at both Bristol City and Middlesbrough without scoring.

Hindered by a points deduction, Derby are bottom of the Championship table, six points shy of safety and winless in nine.

With a takeover imminent, the club have made a change, promoting Rooney in a decision the new interim coach hopes will provide "clarity".

Rooney, who will not play at home against Wycombe on Saturday, revealed technical director and former England boss Steve McClaren - returning to Derby this week - was "part of that conversation".

"For the two previous games, the four of us did it together, preparing the team and picking the team together," Rooney said.

"We felt that it needed one voice, one person to do that and make the decisions on the team, the starting team and obviously the subs coming into the game.

"We felt I felt I was the right man for that. That's where we're at.

"It's obviously exciting for me to do that. Management is something I've always said I wanted to go into. It's an opportunity for me to try to pick the right team to get us a positive result."

Despite his eagerness to kickstart his coaching career, Rooney refused to look beyond Saturday's match.

"Tomorrow is so important to us that we have to focus on tomorrow," he said. "We can't focus on what happens in the long term just yet.

"There will be conversations, obviously, but we have to focus on tomorrow and can't look too far ahead. It wouldn't be fair on the players to be looking at what happens in the next few weeks.

"We have to solely focus on tomorrow's game and then the new owners will be in, I'm sure, in the next few days. Once that's complete, there will be conversations and we'll see where that goes.

"I wouldn't sit here and say I'm auditioning myself for the job. This football club deserves better than that. It deserves better than someone saying they're having an audition."

Rooney believes he could not juggle the new role with playing - at least for now.

"Obviously I played the last game, but if I'm making decisions on who plays the game and doesn't play the game and the preparation of the team, I wouldn't be able to give it my full attention and still be part of the game," he said.

"I won't be involved in the game tomorrow. I'll be focusing on getting the team right to play the game."

Asked if he would miss the opportunity to use a player of his talents on the pitch, Rooney replied: "Of course, but as I said before, this is what I want to do, this is what I see myself doing.

"As much as you'd like to carry on playing for as long as you can, there comes a point where you have to make decisions. For tomorrow, I think it's the right decision."

Arsenal will need multiple transfer windows "at least" before they can mount a credible challenge for the Premier League title, according to boss Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners have not finished inside the top four since they wound up as runners-up to Leicester City in 2016 under Arsene Wenger, with last season's eighth-place finish representing their worst result for 25 years in the top-flight.

Former Manchester City assistant Arteta was brought in last December to revive fortunes at the Emirates Stadium following a poor start to the campaign by Unai Emery, and he guided the club to an FA Cup triumph at the first time of asking in August.

Yet having failed to even secure Champions League football for the past four seasons, the task of transforming Arsenal back into genuine title contenders looks to be a sizeable one, with just one win in their last five league games compounding their former player's problems at the helm.

Arteta however says that he is under no illusions that there is an easy fix to the matter at hand and revealed that he believes it could be a matter of years before his side reclaim their former standing, aided by multiple transfer periods.

"That [will] take a few windows at least to do that," the Spaniard responded to Sky Sports when asked how long it could take his team to complete such a turnaround. "To establish yourself to compete at the level of certain clubs in this league, which is nearly 100 points, it takes time.

"In football, time is very precious and people are very impatient. But if you don't respect the processes and you ask certain people to do certain things when the foundations are not there, it's a really dangerous thing to do.

"I know we all want to see Arsenal at the top of the league. My only intention every time is to prepare the football match. Where we get, time will tell. There's still a lot of things that are going to happen.

"We have to prepare for difficult moments. We knew that right from the start because it's not something that has happened in the last year - it has happened many years in the past.

"To flick that into a league with 38 games; that's a big challenge. But we're all ready."

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he was under more pressure during his time in charge at Chelsea than current Blues boss Frank Lampard.

Mourinho won three Premier League titles with Chelsea over two separate stints, with Lampard one of his most important players at Stamford Bridge. 

Lampard has now returned to the Blues as manager, leading them to a fourth-place finish last season in his first campaign in charge.

The pair are set to renew pleasantries on Sunday in a major Premier League showdown, with Tottenham entering the match in first place and Chelsea in third. 

Though Lampard has plenty of expectations after Chelsea invested heavily over the summer, Mourinho has insisted that he faced more pressure during his time at Stamford Bridge.

“What I felt is that when I was in these clubs, there was huge pressure on me and now there is not huge pressure on the coaches of these teams. Put a little bit of pressure on them and leave us in peace, doing our job.”

Though he believes he faced more pressure than subsequent managers at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho also said that Lampard is currently under more pressure as Chelsea boss than Mourinho is at Spurs.

“When you are favourites, you know why you are favourites,” Mourinho said. “And you have to accept that and you have to deal with that kind of pressure and responsibility.

"I was at clubs which were, let’s say, champions in the market because of their powerful investments. I had to deal with that pressure. So now it’s not for me to deal with that pressure. It’s for others to deal with that pressure. That’s not for us.”

Mourinho contrasted Chelsea's major summer spend with Tottenham's more subdued transfer business, even though Spurs did spend on the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg among others.

“It’s a different way of going into the market [at Spurs],” Mourinho said. “I’ve been at Chelsea before and I know the difference but I enjoyed very much to do this first market with Tottenham, to do that kind of wise market where, with less money, you try to give a good balance to the team, not to make mistakes, choose the right guys. I am really happy with what we got.”

Bright Osayi-Samuel continued his impressive form for Queens Park Rangers in their 2-1 defeat to Brentford in Friday’s Championship game.

The 22-year-old delivered another scintillating performance for Mark Warburton’s men against the Bees, although he could not help them to avoid their fifth loss of the campaign.  

The Anglo-Nigerian scored his second league goal of the season against Rotherham United on Tuesday and continued the impressive form against the Bees, grabbing an assist in the encounter.

QPR found themselves on the back foot as early as the 14th minute when Vitaly Janelt opened the scoring after he was set up by Rico Henry.

Osayi-Samuel then inspired his side back to contention when he found Lyndon Dykes with a fine pass and the Scotland international swiftly fired his effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper David Raya.

Moments after the hour mark, Ivan Toney scored what turned out to be the winning goal, firing home a fine strike after receiving a timely assist from Emiliano Marcondes.

Four minutes before the full time, Queens Park Rangers were reduced to 10 men after Todd Kane received his second caution and was subsequently sent off.

Osayi-Samuel featured for the entirety of the game while Ghana international Tariqe Fosu played for 71 minutes before he was replaced by Sergi Canos.

The defeat saw QPR drop to the 13th spot on the Championship table after failing to add to their previous 17 points.

Osayi-Samuel has now made 14 appearances across all competitions for QPR this term, scoring two goals and providing four assists.

The 22-year-old forward has been a key member of QPR since his arrival at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium in 2017.

He will be expected to continue his impressive performances when Queens Park Rangers square off against Bristol City on December 1.

Bengaluru FC are to face Hyderabad FC in the second round of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Fatorda stadium in Goa, on Saturday evening. 

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Bengaluru FC Possible XI:   

Injured - None
Doubtful - None   
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Ashique Kuruniyan, Cleiton Silva     

Hyderabad FC Possible XI: 

Injured - None  
Doubtful - Fran Sandaza  
Suspended - None

Key Players - Aridane Santana, Joao Victor    

Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on Marcus Rashford for his campaign to tackle child food poverty.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the Old Trafford striker has brought the issue to the attention of the public.

Furthermore, he has achieved positive change, with the government now guaranteeing the children in need of food will receive support during the school holidays until next Easter.

“You have to be shocked at the number of people who are in need of food,” Ferguson, who is set to pledge up to £2 million towards the FareShare charity that Rashford is an advocate of, told The Times.

“What Marcus has done is he’s led the way – people will say, ‘That boy he’s only 23 years of age’. People who are in their later ages … should be saying, ‘I can do something’.”

Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles with the Red Devils, has been left stunned by the maturity of the current Red Devils favourite.

“He should be giving me some advice because what he’s doing at 23 is fantastic for a young person,” Ferguson said. “I’ve no need to tell Marcus because I think there’s humility in the way he lives his life. His feet are on the ground.

“These are great qualities to carry you through life. Football hasn’t changed him. There is a danger in football that it can change people, money can change people, stardom can change people.

“Getting a celebrity position in life can sometimes be a problem because not everyone can carry success well. And at the moment Marcus is doing that very, very well.”

Rashford, who made his bow for the club three years after Ferguson retired, has proven as influential on the field as he has been off it.

He has scored eight times for United in 14 appearances this season and has chipped in with three further assists. Included among his goals are a hat-trick against RB Leipzig in the Champions League and a later winner against Paris Saint-Germain.

Perth Glory have been knocked out of contention for the Asian Champions League knockout stage after suffering another heartbreaking loss to Ulsan Hyundai in Qatar.

After giving up two goals in the dying stages to lose to the Koreans 2-1 on Wednesday, Glory repeated the dose on Friday, conceding two late strikes as stoppage time approached in a 2-0 defeat at Education City Stadium.

Incredibly, it was also the same two Ulsan players that did the damage, with Kim In-sung scoring the go-ahead goal on 87 minutes before Junior Negrao sealed the victory 120 seconds later.

Missing stars Diego Castro and Bruno Fornaroli from the starting line-up, Glory were second best throughout the match, giving up 68 percent possession to the K-League side and conceding 18 shots with seven of those on target.

A costly turnover from debutant Nicholas Walsh left Glory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi wide open to concede In-sung's opening goal, just as it looked like Perth could secure their first ever point in the competition.

After going behind, Glory pushed forward hard for an equaliser and were caught on the break with Negrao exploiting the vacuum of space.

Glory have now lost all four of their Asian Champions League matches so far and cannot catch second-placed FC Tokyo, who are seven points ahead with two matches to play.

Richard Garcia's side still have two remaining dead rubbers to come in the competitions, with matches against Shanghai (Tuesday 12am AEDT) and FC Tokyo (Thursday 9pm AEDT) on the horizon.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard believes Thiago Silva's experience and leadership can help him stop high-flying duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min as Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Spurs front two have 16 Premier League goals between them already this season, which has helped their side claim top spot in the Premier League table.

Still, Chelsea could leapfrog their fiercest rivals with a home win and Lampard thinks his summer signing from PSG will be keen to stop such a potent combination.

"Let’s be fair to Harry Kane, he can probably play against most defenders in world football and give them a problem," Lampard told reporters ahead of the match.

"I don’t want to tempt fate but with Thiago’s qualities, his positioning and his experience, he can deal with these things individually. But as much as that, the influence is what he gives to others around him.

"The major thing when you play against players as clever as Kane and Son is that your concentration levels are absolutely spot on and you have the desire to deal with situations and keep clean sheets. Thiago gives off that.

"His individual talent, yes, but also as a unit, we have to make sure and Thiago is the leader of that unit when you look at the back end of the pitch."

The decision to sign Silva on a free transfer is proving a masterstroke even though he recently turned 36 years old.

The central defender has been an important part of Chelsea's run of six clean sheets in their last eight games which has seen them correct their previous weaknesses at the back.

Reports from Italy this week claimed Silva is in talks about renewing his one-year contract, but Lampard dismissed those claims while confirming the club does have an option to extend the deal by one season.

"I've seen the reports and there's an option in his contract that we can look at as the season goes on," he added. "Obviously the way he's playing at the minute, we're really happy and that's the end of it really, I'm surprised it's come out that way."

Chelsea are expected to wait until 2021 to consider whether to activate the clause or not.

Meanwhile, ahead of their clash on Sunday, both Chelsea and Spurs are being discussed as possible title contenders.

Yet Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, like Lampard, has played down his team's chances of winning the league. Lampard has agreed with his former manager that it is too soon to be discussing the title race.

"Tottenham at the moment are top of the league," he added. "I think Jose thinks exactly what I think. The quote I was told earlier where he says, ‘We are not really contenders, we have to look at the next game’.

"I think that is the reality for Tottenham and for us because the last two or three seasons don’t lie. The last two or three seasons have Liverpool and City ahead of the rest. As managers, I think we will certainly be jumping the gun to proclaim ourselves as anything at this stage of the season.

"I agree with Jose’s comments. He is saying it from his point of view - looking at the next game - and that is exactly what I am doing."

Jurgen Klopp admits he wants Gini Wijnaldum to stay at Liverpool – but says the uncertainty surrounding the Dutchman’s contract situation will have no effect on the relationship between the pair.

Wijnaldum entered the final year of his Reds deal in the summer and is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of the UK as of January 1, should he wish.

Negotiations over an extension at Anfield have not moved on at all this year, though Liverpool sources insist all parties are relaxed about the situation. 

Wijnadum has been linked with a move to Barcelona, where he has a huge admirer in his former national team boss Ronald Koeman, but remains a central part of Klopp’s plans. 

Indeed, no player has played more games for the club so far this season. The 30-year-old has made 201 appearances in all competitions since joining from Newcastle in 2016.

“I would be happy if he would stay here,” Klopp told reporters on Friday ahead of his side’s trip to Brighton.

“I am pretty happy with Gini. You can see that when you see most of the line-ups! He always played good, that’s why he played so many games. And he has played plenty of positions, different positions.

“He’s in a good moment, thank God! Long may it continue.

“There is nothing else to say about it. As long as nothing is decided, then everything is possible. I’m positive.”

The fact that Wijnaldum and his representatives would be free to negotiate with other clubs in a little over a month, though, presents something of an issue.

Liverpool have allowed players to leave on free transfers before under Klopp – Emre Can, Alberto Moreno, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne all did so – but the manager does not anticipate any issue with Wijnaldum.

“Gini is one of the best people I ever met, and one of the best players I ever trained,” he said. “He’s an outstanding person, which means there is no issue at all.

“It’s professional. Our relationship didn’t change at all over the years. We won a few things together, we know each other much better. I am interested in his life, he is interested in my life – which is not so spectacular, really!

“That’s the truth, it’s no problem. We had situations like this with Emre Can, for example. He gave us absolutely everything until the last day of his contract. Gini will do the same, no doubt about that.”

Liverpool could welcome back captain Jordan Henderson for the visit to Brighton. The England midfielder has trained with the team this week after missing the last two games with a groin issue.

Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xherdan Shaqiri, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, however, are all expected to be missing.