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Ghost goals and the controversies that surround them make up a big part of football - with some goals having the ability to determine the entire outcome of a competition despite some officials conceding that they may not have crossed the line.

So what exactly is a ghost goal? Goal takes a look.

What is a ghost goal?

The term 'ghost goal' entered the common football vernacular after Liverpool's semi-final win against Chelsea during the 2004-05 Champions League.

Jose Mourinho, who was manager of Chelsea at the time, popularised the term following the controversial circumstances involving Luis Garcia's goal in the second leg at Anfield that handed Liverpool the 1-0 aggregate victory.

The referee awarded the goal, but even on video playback, the angles of the camera make it difficult to see if the ball truly crossed the line.

Lubos Michel, the referee, indicated the goal had been scored after seeing the reaction of his assistant referee.

But according to Mourinho, it was not obvious if the ball had indeed made it over the line, describing it as a 'ghost goal'. Garcia's goal was decisive in allowing Liverpool to progress to the finals of the tournament in Istanbul against AC Milan. The Reds ended up winning the competition for the fifth time in epic circumstances dubbed the 'Miracle of Istanbul'.

“It was a goal that came from the moon – from the Anfield stands," Mourinho said at the time.

"I felt the power of Anfield, it was magnificent. I felt it didn't interfere with my players but maybe it interfered with other people and maybe it interfered with the result."

Even if the referee had not awarded Garcia's goal to Liverpool, he would have awarded Liverpool a penalty kick and sent Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech off due to his foul against Milan Baros.

Mourinho has continued to talk about the ghost goal well after the fact, based on his incredulity that a crucial tie was decided on a goal that, to him, should not have counted.

In an interview recalling the worst moments of his managerial career, he referenced the Garcia goal, stating that in the day and age of VAR, it would not have counted.

"It was against Liverpool with a goal that today the VAR would not have conceded," Mourinho said in 2020.

As a result, former Liverpool players have continued to haunt the Portugal coach about the ghost goal years later, with Jamie Carragher and Garcia himself taking every opportunity to milk not just the outcome of the semi-final, but the fact that they ended up winning the entire Champions League outright.

But even Garcia himself has since admitted that he wasn't sure if the goal actually crossed the line.

“That's the question, isn't it? I should ask for a penny every time someone asks me that,” he told the Guardian in 2014.

"For me it was and the referee gave it so. If I am being honest, I remember the feeling of hitting the ball and when I saw the bounce going up I turned away and celebrated."

Classic ghost goal and goal-line incidents

Before the introduction of VAR, ghost goals and did-they-didn't-they goals were far more plentiful.

A classic example came in England and Germany's knockout game during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when Frank Lampard's shot struck the crossbar and crossed the goal line before it bounced back into the field again.

Neither Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer nor the referee acknowledged the goal, which would have been an equaliser for England to tie the game 2-2. The Three Lions went on to lose the match 4-1 and were booted out of the tournament.

During the 2019-20 season in the Premier League, Sheffield United player Oliver Norwood's free-kick was carried past the goal line by Aston Villa shot-stopper Orjan Nyland after a clash with Keinan Davis.

But despite goal-line technology and VAR used in the game, neither awarded a goal for Sheffield United. Hawk-Eye, who operate the technology, issued an apology that no goal was given and cited the cameras being blocked by the players.

Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic has tested positive for the coronavirus, the club confirmed on Friday.

The Serbian returned to the Spanish capital this week following a spell away with his national side.

It was a good international break on the field for Jovic, as he netted twice during Serbia’s 5-0 win over Russia in the Nations League on Wednesday, but he returned to Spain and Real confirmed he had tested positive for Covid-19.

A statement from the Spanish champions read: “Real Madrid informs that our player Luka Jovic has given a positive result in the Covid-19 tests carried out on Friday morning.”

There was nothing further from the club, but it is assumed that Jovic will now head into a period of self-isolation.

It is something he may well be used to, as he was the centre of a major controversy back in March.

Jovic was spotted breaking regulations surrounding the pandemic, as he was pictured outside his apartment in Serbia despite being legally bound to spend 28 days in self-isolation.

He returned to his native Serbia when the Spanish season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Jovic initially attempted to explain the error away by saying he had not been provided with clear instructions, but this was met with negative media attention and he subsequently issued a statement saying that it was his own fault for not researching the restrictions thoroughly enough ahead of his return to Serbia.

At the time, Jovic said: "My intention was not to blame the authorities for my ignorance, I was aware that I was isolating myself, for which there is a document that proves it.

"My ignorance was that I did not know how I should behave in isolation. Once again I insist that it was because of the conditions I came from.

"Of course, I am ready to bear the consequences of my actions."

The positive test is the latest setback for Jovic at Madrid. He arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu to much acclaim from Benfica in 2019, but his form was poor and so far he has only two goals to his name for the club. In contrast, he has four in as many games for his country this month.

The Spanish season resumes this weekend, and Jovic will be a spectator from home when Real take on Villarreal on Saturday.

If the period of quarantine is 14 days, Jovic will miss the games against Villarreal, Inter, Alaves and Shakhtar Donetsk. He will then have to produce a negative test before he will be allowed to rejoin the squad.

Egypt have vowed to discuss Mohamed Salah's potential selection for the 2021 Olympic Games with Liverpool, insisting that they will not call him up to their Under-23 squad unless the Reds give their approval.

The delayed Games is due to take place in the summer of 2021 in Tokyo, with Egypt having qualified after winning the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations back in 2019.

Teams taking part in the tournament are allowed to include three players over the age of 23 to complement their squads, with Liverpool star Salah likely to be one of those that Egypt would hope to call upon for the tournament.

That request may not be welcomed by the Reds, however, with the 2021-22 campaign likely to start soon after the conclusion of the Olympics, undoubtedly disrupting Salah's pre-season preparations with the Reds.

Indeed, prior to the Olympics being rescheduled following the coronavirus pandemic, Jurgen Klopp expressed his frustration at potentially losing Salah for a spell, whilst also accepting that the lure of playing in an Olympics is likely to appeal.

He said back in February: "Do I want to lose a player in the pre-season? No. Of course not. But we have to consider different things. I will speak with Mo and all that stuff.

"We are completely clear about what we want, but we need more information – how will it look, when will the preparation start, all that stuff, and nobody has really contacted us so far, it’s just in the media."

Klopp added: "We have had to play already without Mo but not too often, thank God, but from time to time we have to.

"It’s not about that. All the positive things I could say about Mo I have said in the past. But come on, it’s the Olympic Games, I’m still a sports person, the Olympics is the Olympics, but we have to see."

Egypt may also wish to include Salah in their squad for the next AFCON, which is due to take place at the beginning of 2022.

It's unclear what the African nation's plans are in terms of Salah's potential inclusion for both tournaments, but Under-23 head coach Shawky Gharib insists that, should Egypt wish to call up their star man for the Olympics, they'll consult with Liverpool first.

He told MBC Masr: "We will speak with Liverpool in March. We haven't discussed the issue (a potential call up for the Olympic Games) with the player yet.

"The problem is that the AFCON will be played a few months after the Olympics, but the latter will end and the Premier League will start three days after. But we can't call up Salah unless Liverpool approve."

Salah is set to miss out on Liverpool's Premier League clash with Leicester City on Sunday after testing positive for coronavirus while on international duty.

Klopp was, however, reluctant to criticise the 28-year-old after he attracted negative headlines for attending his brother's wedding during the break.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to take sleeping in a Gambian airport as an experience.

The Panthers arrived in Banjul for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against the Gambia late on Sunday night but they were delayed at the airport by immigration officials.

The delay forced Gabon players and coaching crew to sleep on the floor until 5am on Monday, a situation Aubameyang likened to being a hostage.

The unpleasant reception made Gabon coach Patrice Neveu worried about Aubameyang’s future invitation to the national team which might be blocked by Arsenal.

When asked if the claims were right, Arteta said via Football London; “No [he's not right]. Obviously, it was a shock to see a full squad sleeping the way they were doing.

“I always believe that everybody's trying to do their best and the Gabon national team are trying to organise things the best possible way. Sometimes unpredictable things happen and it was an experience.

“I said to Auba, 'Take it as an experience. I'm sure for many months or years you haven't slept on the floor, take it from there and just make sure when you're in your bed, you know how good it is, how comfortable is it and how lucky you are' and that's it.

“You cannot change it, you cannot rewind it so take it the way it is and move on. I hope that the next time it doesn't happen and that our players have the rest that they need.”

Gabon lost the match in the Gambia by 2-1, and they dropped to the second place while their hosts claimed Group D top spot.

A few days before Monday’s trip, Aubameyang sealed the Panthers’ 2-1 victory over Tom Saintfiet’s side at Stade de Franceville.

He is back from international duty and he is in contention to feature when Arteta's men visit Leeds United for Sunday’s Premier League fixture.

The 31-year-old has scored two goals in eight league appearances for Arsenal who are 11th in the Premier League table.

Antoine Griezmann should have known that life at Barcelona is “Messi, Messi, Messi”, says Paulo Futre, with an Atletico Madrid icon questioning why a Frenchman who was “God” in the Spanish capital headed to Camp Nou.

A long-running La Liga transfer saga was brought to a close in the summer of 2019 when a World Cup winner traded life in the capital for that in Catalunya.

He was considered to be quite a coup for Barca, given his exploits at Atletico and for France.

Griezmann has, however, struggled to deliver on expectations since completing a big-money move and continues to face questions of his form and future.

Operating in the shadow of Lionel Messi is doing little to aid his cause, with the 29-year-old said to endure a strained relationship with his talismanic skipper.

Futre believes the wrong career call was made in leaving Atletico, with Griezmann never going to get the credit he deserves at Barca as long as a six-time Ballon d’Or is around.

“I understand Griezmann's move because he was trying to win the Champions League with Barca,” Futre told Catalunya Radio.

“I think he left to win much more, he must have thought it would be more likely.

“But we all know that at Barca first is Messi, Messi, Messi... 50 Messis. After [Luis] Suarez, [Gerard] Pique and Griezmann came fourth or fifth [last season]. 

“If Barca win the Champions League, the newspaper covers will always be for Messi. 

“If Griezmann had not left Atletico, he would have been a legend, more than me. But I knew that this would happen, that he would have problems adapting. At Atletico, Greizmann was God. At Barca, he can be a duke or a count.”

Messi has grown tired of the questions he faces when it comes to Griezmann and other supposedly underperforming stars at Barcelona.

He has never spoken out against any of his team-mates, with former colleague Ivan Rakitic claiming that the talk of rifts at Camp Nou is wide of the mark.

He told El Pelotazo: “What I saw was that they got along very well. I got along wonderfully with Antoine and Leo. The two drink mate together and spend a lot of time together in the dressing room.

“If both of them start to score goals, there will be no more talk – that’s the requirement and expectation of a great team like Barcelona. I don’t worry, though, because they’re two spectacular guys. I wish them all the best.”

While there may be no divide between Messi and Griezmann, the latter does need to find a spark from somewhere after registering just 17 goals through 57 appearances for Barca.

Youssoufa Moukoko is anticipating a formidable combination with Erling Haaland in Borussia Dortmund’s attack as he awaits his Bundesliga debut.

Earlier this year, the Cameroon-born teenage sensation was promoted to train with Dortmund’s first-team and having clocked 16 on Friday, he could make his debut in the German top-flight against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Moukoko has been in astonishing goalscoring form since he joined Dortmund youth team at the age of 12 in July 2016.

So far this season, the 16-year-old has returned 13 goals for the U-19 team and he is hoping to create a fitting partnership with Haaland who has scored six goals in six Bundesliga games for Lucien Favre’s team.

"He's funny and jokes with me in training. We talk to each other and I've already learned a lot from him. I learned how explosively he goes into his depths,” Moukoko said.

"This combination would also fit: Moukoko and Erling. It won't be fun for the opponents at all."

Ahead of his potential debut against Hertha Berlin on Saturday, the teen goal machine recalled why he chose Dortmund for his next adventure after St. Pauli.

He added; "I got so many offers, but I just wanted to go to the club where I knew: Okay, you want to make it here.

"I think I would have done that with the others too, but Dortmund showed me a plan and so far it works exactly as it was shown to me. Ultimately, I decided on Dortmund because a lot of young players came out of it. That is extreme. A house number.”

Over the last two years, Moukoko has played against older players in the U17 and U19 levels for Dortmund.

He explained how he adapted to training requirements at each level.

“After the first training session I thought: It's already intense. You have to be able to make up your mind quickly before you get the ball," he said.

"After the second session, I was able to do that. I can keep up very well.

"If you want to be a professional, you have to put up with a lot of effort. I was really small in the U13, but suddenly I got a body because I trained in the weight room every day - with and without an athletic trainer.

"But I can't help it that I'm good at football. I work and whoever does more, gets the reward in the end.”

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre said the club are yet to decide if Moukoko will make the trip on Saturday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has lost none of his hunger for goals despite signing a “humungous” contract at Arsenal, says Alan Smith.

A talismanic presence at Emirates Stadium has been finding the going tough in the final third of late.

He has found the target just four times across all competitions in 2020-21, with only two of those coming in the Premier League.

Arsenal rely heavily on their captain to provide an attacking spark and have looked out of sorts at times as a collective amid the toils of their skipper.

Plenty have pointed to the fact that Aubameyang is being stifled in a role on the left flank, while others have questioned his appetite after committing to a lucrative new deal.

Smith admits that the Gabonese needs to be moved inside if he is to rediscover his spark, with Alexandre Lacazette failing to convince in a No.9 berth, but he is not buying the criticism when it comes to fresh terms.

The former Gunners striker told the Evening Standard: “The fact that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hasn’t scored from open play in the league since the opening day does tend to point in a worrying direction.

“If one of the world’s best finishers can’t find the net in seven games, what does that say about the team as a whole? Well, it says for a start that the number of chances created has dropped. The Gunners don’t carve out the opportunities of old.

“In fairness, that’s bound to happen when a coach is concentrating on organisation and solidity, when he’s determined to eradicate flimsy defending in favour of a disciplined approach that gives little away.

“Some say he is wasted on the left, but I can’t agree with that when he has shone so brightly from that position in the past.

“Mind you, his success from that flank partly depends on the centre-forward’s input and Alexandre Lacazette has fallen into a slump that’s not helping. It might be time to move the captain inside.

“As for the accusation Aubameyang has lost his hunger after signing that humongous contract, I’m not having that. The 31-year-old doesn’t seem the type to coast along. He likes scoring too much to be going through the motions.

“A lack of creativity doesn’t help his cause, a shortfall that leads to Arsenal struggling against sides adopting a low block. Leeds, however, don’t go near that tactic, with Bielsa insisting on attacking verve. As a result, this might be a day for Auba’s huge grin.”

Mikel Arteta will be looking to find a winning formula when he names a starting XI to face Leeds on Sunday, with Arsenal eager to offer a positive response to the 3-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of Aston Villa prior to the November international break.

Jose Mourinho has once again taken aim at Gareth Southgate, suggesting that Manchester City put pressure on the England boss to release Raheem Sterling early ahead of this weekend's clash with Tottenham.

The Spurs boss has had his battles with the England manager this season, with Mourinho frequently criticising Southgate's usage of Harry Kane in particular.

Kane started two of England's three matches during the international break, missing the friendly against Ireland before featuring in Nations League clashes with Belgium and Iceland.

Spurs regulars Kane, Harry Winks and Eric Dier were all involved in the dead-rubber clash with Iceland, with the latter forced to pull out of October's England squad with a hamstring issue that subsequently ruled him out for Spurs.

Sterling, meanwhile, was allowed to return to his club early, with the Manchester City star joining Jordan Henderson in being exempt from the Iceland game due to injury.

The winger played no part in the game against Belgium before returning to Manchester, having injured his calf in training last week.

Southgate stated this week that his squad was "under huge pressure from their clubs" to withdraw from national team matches due to the risk of injury, adding that he believes club managers would do the same as he is doing if they were in his position.

And Mourinho has called on Southgate to specify which managers he has been discussing his squad with, hinting that Sterling and Manchester City are getting preferential treatment. 

"Gareth Southgate, I read, I don't think I'm wrong in what I read, he supposedly told that some football club managers, they put pressure not to play for the national team and because of that he feels sometimes the need to call club managers to try to cool down the emotions and try to control the difficult situation for him," Mourinho said.

"I would like him to say who. I would like him to say which are the coaches who put pressure on the players not to go, and I would like him to say which are the coaches that he calls and speaks on the phone with them.

"Apart from that, he has the right, he has the power to call the players he wants. He wants to win matches, especially after a defeat, the next match even being a dead rubber is an important match. I sympathise with that.

"And of course we all know Sterling will play tomorrow. When Eric Dier left the national team injured in the previous month, he didn't play two matches for Tottenham. He didn't play a Premier League match and a Europa League match. He needed a couple of weeks to recover and Raheem is going to play tomorrow.

"These are the little details I think Gareth should explain to us all. Apart from that, I totally support him in the fact that in the national team, in a country like England, the Three Lions on the shirt is always to be respected and he plays with the players he wants to play.

"I'm OK with that [Kane starting against Iceland]. A national team match should never be a dead rubber like you call it. The only problem for me is should be the same for everybody, not just for some."

Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Moise Kean have been included in the Paris Saint-Germain squad for the Ligue 1 meeting with Monaco on Friday.

A groin injury forced Neymar to miss PSG's previous three games and he was released from Brazil duty after it was deemed he would not be ready to feature in their World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Tuesday.

Kean sustained a muscular problem while representing Italy during the international break, and Mbappe made his return for France on Tuesday after suffering a hamstring issue against Nantes on October 31.

The trio will all be available to Thomas Tuchel when the Ligue 1 champions take on Monaco at the Stade Louis II, though.

Tuchel said on Thursday: "Kylian has a very positive mindset. There was good communication between us and the France national team, so we know exactly what they did with him in training.

"So, that is all fine. He had a full training session with us [on Wednesday]. That was very good, so I'm very confident that he can play. We will have to decide how many minutes he will get, but he feels fit.

"With Neymar, it is a bit different because he didn't play for Brazil. He has been back for a few days.

"He started training [on Wednesday] but didn't do the full training session. He just took part in the first part, so we will step that up. We will do a bit more.

"I am confident that he might be able to play some minutes, but we will have to wait and see how he reacts in training."

PSG have struggled with injuries throughout the 2020-21 season and will continue to be without Marco Verratti, Mauro Icardi, Julian Draxler, Idrissa Gueye, Thilo Kehrer and Juan Bernat.

Ander Herrera will also sit out the trip to Monaco after taking a blow to his calf during a training session on Thursday.

Tuchel's side are currently five points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table although their Champions League progression is anything but certain, with PSG currently in third place in Group H, behind both Manchester United and RB Leipzig.

Willian is looking “lost” at Arsenal, says Paul Merson, while the struggles of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the final third are considered to be down to opponents working him out.

The Gunners thought they had pieced together a fearsome attacking unit when acquiring an experienced Brazil international from London rivals Chelsea.

Willian made a bright start to life at Emirates Stadium, with there plenty of promise to be found in his partnership with fellow forwards Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

The South American has, however, gone off the boil of late as Arsenal’s firepower has fizzled out.

Merson admits that a 32-year-old with two Premier League titles to his name looks a shadow of his former self, with consistency proving to be an issue for all concerned in north London.

The former Gunners playmaker told Sky Sports: “I think I’m seeing things at the moment.

“Willian was unbelievable at Chelsea last year. For me, he was probably one of the best Chelsea players. He was phenomenal – an outstanding talent.

“He has gone to Arsenal and he looks lost. They have got to get him performing.”

Mikel Arteta also faces a conundrum when it comes to club captain Aubameyang, with the Gabonese finding the target just four times this season – with one of those efforts coming in the Community Shield.

Merson believes a previously prolific presence is being hindered by a role on the left flank, with opponents learning him to cut off his supply line and route to goal.

“When Aubameyang is out on the wing, he can go 15 minutes without touching the ball,” Merson added.

“You can’t have your star player going that long without touching the ball. How many goals would Jamie Vardy get for Leicester if you played him out on the left wing? Not as many as he gets now, that’s for sure.

“Defences are starting to work him out. They are starting to nullify the threat from him from out wide and making life hard for him.

“They are stopping the cut inside and shot into the far corner. Something has got to change. At the moment, he’s not seeing enough of the ball where it matters.”

Arsenal will be back in Premier League action on Sunday when they take in a trip to Leeds.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has “no doubts” over Mason Greenwood after weeks of mounting speculation over the teenager’s absence from Manchester United's starting XI.

The 19-year-old has started just three of United’s opening eight games of the Premier League campaign and did not travel for the fixture against Newcastle in October or the win against Everton at Goodison Park before the recent international break.

There have been various reports regarding concerns about the teenager’s form this season but Solskjaer confirmed he has been given time off from training to recover from an illness and has no doubts in the forward’s ability.

“You have to take a step back sometimes, the boy's only 19, he's had a fantastic year,” Solskjaer explained. “If we go a year back, I left him out of the Carabao Cup against Chelsea. Mason stayed back and played against Doncaster in the Checkatrade for game time, that's how far he's come.

“Now he has 19 goals for the first team, he’s made his England debut, scored in his first Under-21 game... he’s had a fantastic development. The headlines are going to be there about him if he scores and doesn't play. 

“Everyone's allowed to not be well and if you’re not well you can’t train. He's been away eight or nine days from training, we just started building him up again. I have no doubts about him, he has a very good head on him and his talent is there for all to see.”

While Greenwood is a doubt for the game against West Brom at Old Trafford on Saturday night as he gets back to full fitness after his time off training, Solskjaer is hopeful that Marcus Rashford will be available for selection after missing the international fixtures with a shoulder injury. 

Solskjaer is also hoping his side can finally get off the mark at home in the league after playing four games without a win.

“Home and away is no different, not like it used to be,” he said. “[We] had four home games in the league. The first one, we look at having no preparation and Palace deserved it. 

"Tottenham deserved their win after Anthony [Martial] was sent off, and in the other two games, if we had our fans, that might have sparked that little extra X-factor we needed.

“Our best win this season was against RB Leipzig at home, it's something we want to correct and get our first win hopefully against West Brom. But it's a different sensation playing in front of the Stretford End without fans, they usually score a goal for us.”

Pep Guardiola insists he wants Lionel Messi to finish his career with Barcelona despite increased speculation that he could join him at Manchester City.

The former Barca manager signed a contract extension with City this week which is set to keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2023.

And his decision has ramped up speculation that City will make a move for Messi either in January or in the summer when he will be available for free.

“Lionel Messi is a player from Barcelona,” Guardiola told a news conference when asked about the possibility of signing the Argentine. 

“If you ask me my opinion as a person, I have a huge gratitude for what Barcelona has done for me. In the Academy as a football player and after as a manager it gave me absolutely everything. 

“What I want is [for Messi] to finish his career there. I would love it, I would wish it. That is what I said I don't know how many times, maybe a thousand times. 

“I would like as a Barcelona fan for Leo to finish there. But he finishes this year his contract and I don't know what's going to happen in his mind. 

“Right now he is a Barcelona player and the transfer market will be in June and July.

Messi has made it clear over the past year that he is unhappy following Barca’s problems both on and off the field.

It was further ignited this week when the 33-year-old returned from international duty to be met at the airport by a tax inspector and reporters asking him about his relationship with Antoine Griezmann.

Messi handed in a transfer request at the end of last season with City keeping an eye on the situation, but it was later withdrawn with Barca only allowing him to leave if his €700 million (£630m/$825m) release clause was met.

City is still thought to be his most likely next destination if he does leave Camp Nou over the next seven months.

Messi enjoyed the most successful period of his career when his mentor was in charge at Barca, winning two Champions League titles and the City boss has consistently called him the best player in the world. 

Barca boss Ronald Koeman remains convinced that Messi will stay at the club and refused to answer questions on his future.

Meanwhile, Guardiola said that he had not considered joining another club before signing his contract, which was set to expire at the end of the season.

"I have just decided to stay here,” he added. “Just in case we felt the decision is not just mine, that it was enough I would have taken a break. 

“I said when I signed the contract, we have many things to do."

Manchester United are hopeful Marcus Rashford will be back in action against West Brom this weekend despite missing the international break fixtures with a shoulder injury.

The forward picked up a knock in the win against Everton at Goodison Park two weeks ago which ruled him out of England’s three games, but he has since returned to training ahead of United’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Saturday.

“Marcus joined in for the first time today, hopefully there’s no reaction, I’m not sure,” Solskjaer said in his pre-match press conference.

While there’s hope the England international will be fit, Solskjaer confirmed there are a number of doubts, with Victor Lindelof still struggling with a back problem and Mason Greenwood having missed eight days of training with an illness. 

Alex Telles has been restricted to just one appearance since signing from Porto, but is also expected to be in contention after returning to training following a recent positive Covid-19 test.

“The short version is: Luke Shaw, Jesse Lingard and Phil Jones are the only ones who didn't join in part of the training today, some are at different stages,” Solskjaer said. 

“Some are in recovery after the internationals and travels, some are working back after illness and fitness and we'll make a decision tonight. But most of them have joined in today and some joined in yesterday, so it’s looking good.

“[Eric] Bailly, that was his first day today so no, him and Marcos Rojo just joined training today for the first time for a month, not ready. Victor, we'll have to check tomorrow because his back is not great.”

The amount of injuries across the league has been cause for concern for all managers, with the hectic schedule thought to be having a direct impact on players picking up knocks. 

As a league, it voted against allowing five substitutes, something Solskjaer has criticised, and the Norwegian again explained why he would like to see the rule reconsidered after changes were brought in by the Football League.

“We had a very good managers' meeting the other day where we discussed it,” Solskjaer explained. “Player welfare has to be at forefront of our heads this season, mental health and physical health. 

“Life has changed for all of us and 2020 is a year no one could have foreseen and no one knows the after-effects of it. But the football authorities can help and use common sense with fixture scheduling as well and we as managers need to look after players.

“When they've played too many games, we need to try and get the rest when possible, it's a complex situation for many of us. 

“I think, and I know, loads of injuries happen towards end of games and if you have a chance in the last 15 or 20 minutes to take players off instead of only making three substitutions you might save some injuries. 

“Fatigue is the main cause, you might be late in a tackle and you might not hurt yourself, but you might hurt someone else, so it’s a bigger discussion.”

Pep Guardiola has delivered on his remit of making Manchester City winners and attractive to watch, says Txiki Begiristain.

One of the most decorated coaches in world football was enticed to the Etihad Stadium in 2016.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich took a while to find his feet in English football, with no silverware secured in his debut campaign.

Any rust was quickly shaken off as City set about establishing dominance on a domestic scene.

Guardiola has guided the Blues to two Premier League title triumphs, a hat-trick of Carabao Cup successes and an FA Cup win.

Champions League glory has remained elusive, but the most highly rated of coaches has done enough to earn a new contract through to 2023.

Begiristain is delighted to have the Catalan tied down on a fresh terms, with City’s director of football enjoying watching a star-studded team that has learned to win with style.

“Pep took us – the club – to the top level, the maximum you can get,” Begiristain told City’s official website. 

“He has been important because we wanted to play attractive football and to win. He has done both extremely well. We have played unbelievable football and we have won.

“He’s a hard worker. Everybody wants to do well and be successful, but he is a hard worker.

“Everyone talks about the complexity of his tactics and that he’s always studying the opponent and his team - but it’s basically hours and hours of thinking and sharing with his staff.

"He spends a lot of hours here at this training centre, so the final product is on the pitch.”

City have won 181 of the 245 matches they have taken in with Guardiola at the helm and are averaging out at one trophy every 31 games.

Remarkable standards have been set by a team that became the first in Premier League history to record 100 points in a single season, with Begiristain of the opinion that those on the touchline have raised the bar for those out on the field.

He added: “For me, something unbelievable was to do two seasons winning 198 points.

“I could see he could do it [win titles] but I could not expect such a big amount of points.

“I told him [Guardiola] once when he was in Germany and we were talking: how difficult it is in the Premier League. You can win the league with 85, 86, 87 points… but to get 198, even I had thought it was impossible, but he did it.”

As the seventh season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is all set to kick-off on Friday evening in Goa, founder and chairperson of Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) Nita Ambani welcomed the return of football and sporting activities in India.

Nita Ambani proudly announced that the ISL has become the first sporting activity to be organised in India after the Coronavirus forced the country into a lockdown back in March. She said, "I am proud to announce that ISL will become the first sporting event of such large scale to be organized in our home country, India. We are overjoyed to bring the League back into your homes once again and broadcast it in over 80 countries outside of India.”

Mrs Ambani also spoke about the spirit of sport which has helped everyone amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sports has always been a symbol of hope and inspiration – a way to connect, reflect, engage and show solidarity. I am thrilled that we are back with yet another exciting season of football for you.

“It has taken a lot of courage, determination, and planning to bring football back into our lives, in these pandemic times. I am sure that the next four months of ISL will fill our lives with joy, excitement, and positivity.”

She also mentioned that the arrival of the traditional powerhouses of Indian football, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, will further strengthen the league as well as the ecosystem of Indian football.

"The merger of ATK with Mohun Bagan, and the entry of our 11th club SC East Bengal, has reaffirmed our faith in the ecosystem we are creating for Indian football. An ecosystem that is already showing results internationally and has given us our own Indian footballing heroes to look up to, from the likes of Sandesh Jinghan, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal and the promising youngsters like Sumit Rathi, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Narender Gahlot and many more,” she added.

The 2020-21 season kicks-off with Kerala Blasters taking on ATK Mohun Bagan at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim.

November 19 is a date that will remain etched in the minds of video gamers for some time as it marks the day that the PlayStation 5 finally became available, ending the long wait for the highly-anticipated next-gen console.

'Available' may be too strong a word, however, as headlines have been dominated far more by how difficult it has been for the public to get their hands on one. 

As electronics websites repeatedly crashed and stocks ran out in a matter of minutes, it quickly became evident that a huge number of gamers would have to wait even longer before Sony's latest machine becomes more readily available.

That is, of course, unless you're a team-mate of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ever the one for pulling off the impossible, Ibrahimovic saw to it that his pals at AC Milan got their Christmas presents early this year, gifting them a PS5 despite stocks of the console being borderline impossible to find.

The likes of Mateo Musacchio, Samu Castillejo and Rafael Leao all took to social media to thank Ibrahimovic for his timely gifts, with the latter stating “Thanks GOAT for the gift”, while Castillejo added a further flex to his brag by taking a picture of his atop the spoiler of his Lamborghini.

In classic 'if you don't laugh, you'll cry' style, gamers piled onto Twitter to make the same quip at Ibrahimovic's expense, joking that the reason the PS5 is in such scarce supply is because the Swedish icon has bought them all up.

Access to the latest video games isn't the only present Ibrahimovic has given his team-mates this year, of course, with the age-defying 39-year-old having chipped in with an incredible eight goals in five Serie A appearances thus far this campaign.

Those strikes have helped propel the Rossoneri to a surprising lead at the top of the Serie A table, with Stefano Pioli's side having lost only one match in 2020-21 – a 3-0 loss to Lille in the Europa League – across all competitions.

Leao, Castillejo and Co. will want to make sure they follow up their team-mate's generosity with more positive results in the matches to come, however, as – as parents are always quick to let their children know – Christmas presents must be deserved.

Jurgen Klopp has refused to condemn Mohamed Salah for catching Covid-19 at his brother’s wedding, with the Liverpool boss unfazed by another selection poser that has been thrown his way.

The reigning Premier League champions are set to return to domestic action on Sunday with a home date against table-topping Leicester.

Said contest will be taken in with a number of senior players unavailable to Klopp.

Injury victims such as Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson will all be missing, with Salah added to the absentee list after contracting coronavirus.

His actions, which saw him breach social distancing measures to attend a wedding in Cairo during the international break, have been questioned by some.

Salah has, however, returned to England on a private flight and will be available again once a negative test has been posted.

Klopp has no complaints at seeing another star turn ruled out of his plans, with the German considering his Egyptian forward’s movement over recent weeks to be understandable.

The Reds boss told reporters of Salah ahead of a visit from Leicester: “He is probably back today [Friday]. That’s what I have heard. We are obviously in close contact with him.

“How it always is in these cases, once you have a negative test then the process really starts. He is in a good place, he feels well, no symptoms, that’s all fine.

“There’s nothing to say in public about [him attending the wedding] to be honest. I talk to all my players in private.

“But what I can tell you is that I was in Germany in the summer, and a friend of mine moved his birthday party because of me because he knew I was in Germany. Fifty people attended, and I decided in the last minute not to go. And that was only a birthday party, and it was allowed in Germany.

“That’s only one situation. In other countries, there is more social pressure on you, and a brother’s wedding is a very special moment.

“What I can say about my players is that they are all incredibly disciplined. There were some cases of course, but they really know about the situation. But sometimes it doesn’t work out like this, something happens and we are in the situation are in.

“The rest, that is all between Mo and me. We did that already and we are fine.”

Salah has taken in 13 appearances for Liverpool this season, finding the target on 10 occasions and passing the 100-goal mark for the club in the process.