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Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is a "complicated" player to coach, according to former Lorient manager Mickael Landreau, who says that the 21-year-old's inflated ego makes him a "pain" to get the best out of.

The France youth international has earned something of a difficult reputation following clashes with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, with the playmaker farmed out to Hertha Berlin on loan for the 2020-21 campaign.

Guendouzi - who joined from Lorient in 2018 - has adapted fast to life in the Bundesliga and looks to have brought the curtain down on his career at the Emirates Stadium, where he fell fast down the pecking order following an incident against Brighton after last season's Premier League restart.

Now, former French international Landreau - who led Lorient between 2017 and 2019 following his retirement as a goalkeeper - has addressed Guendouzi's reputation, noting that while the national Under-21 skipper has talent to spare, his attitude can prove a major stumbling block.

"He annoyed me terribly, he is very complicated to manage," the 41-year-old told Canal+. "He sometimes has some behaviours within a group that are very, very hard, but somehow, that's what he is, a big character.

"He doesn't let go, he is a fighter. He has an oversized ego, but he certainly needs it. I think he needs to be in the spotlight, to be a leader. He needs to be a captain or vice-captain, and he will try to make the most of it.

"That's the way he is, and that means that his teammates have to accept him the way he is, because he's a pain on a daily basis. He's a pain on a daily basis, but on the other hand, he's talented."

Guendouzi found himself exiled following the incident at Brighton, and refused to apologise for his part, in which he grabbed Neal Maupay around the neck and was believed to have disparaged the hosts' financial deals with their players.

He is under contract for two more seasons with the Gunners, but it is widely expected that he has played his last game after running foul of Arteta's leadership in north London.

Eduardo Camavinga appears willing to sign a contract extension at Rennes despite reported interest from European heavyweights Real Madrid and Juventus.

Juve are said to be keen to rival Madrid for the signature of the 18-year-old France international, who is under contract at Roazhon Park until the end of the 2021-22 season.

However, Camavinga, who has made over 50 appearances for Rennes since making his debut in December 2018 at the age of 16 and earned three France caps, claimed not to be interested in securing a big move at this stage of his career.

"It's not something that comes into my head, that I think about constantly," Camavinga explained to reporters on Wednesday when asked about his future.

"I see and I hear [the talk]. These are things that give me pleasure. I'm at Rennes and other clubs, that's not for now. We'll see.

"I have two years left on my contract and we'll have time to talk. There will be talks. To prolong my stay at the club that formed me would make me happy.

"Obviously, the big clubs are a dream. After that I could not name one in particular."

Injury kept Camavinga out of contention for France's latest batch of international matches, but the past week has still seen him achieve the significant milestone of getting his driving licence.

"For the moment, my parents don't let me drive too much," he said. "I'm waiting to have my own car. We'll see if they let me."

Camavinga has made eight appearances in all competitions for Rennes this season to date, scoring one goal. 

Rennes currently sit in third in Ligue 1, six points shy of leaders Paris Saint-Germain; while the French club will also be out for their first Champions League win of the season next Tuesday when they host Chelsea.

His sparkling form has also pushed the teenager into contention for France, becoming Les Bleus' youngest international debutant since 1914 when he came off the bench against Croatia in September's UEFA Nations League clash.

Former Uganda captain Andy Mwesigwa has explained how the national team can reach the African Cup of Nations semi-finals.

Uganda are chasing a third straight Afcon qualification and the retired star believes if the players who participated in the previous tournament are maintained, the Cranes have a huge chance of reaching the latter stages of the competition.

Uganda would have qualified for the 2022 competition had they picked up maximum points against South Sudan in a November double-header.

Since the 1978 finals in Ghana, the Cranes have not advanced further than the Round of 16 in the subsequent editions.

“By all means, we have to quality because qualifying became our thing, what I should expect from the team is to have that style of play that will signify that this is Uganda, our identity,” Mwesigwa said as he was quoted by Sports Nation.

“And I think if we had consistency; say in players and coaches, we would have performed better – if we will have at least 70% of the squad that played in Egypt, we can go up to semi-finals.”

Mwesigwa also praised coach Johnathan McKinstry for taking responsibility for their 1-0 loss to South Sudan on Monday.

“In such a situation where the coach comes out and say he takes the full responsibility of such results, players get the confidence,” the Ugandan added.

“It somehow discourages them if you always put the blame on them, but the fact that he came out to take the blame, it is being very professional and I am very sure if they get right preparations for the next games, we will bounce back.”

Uganda will now have to fight for more points against Burkina Faso – Group B leaders at the moment – and Malawi next year in order to seal a place in Afcon that will be held in Cameroon.

“I am sure and confident that we will qualify but it will depend on how we are going to prepare ourselves for these next two and last games,” the retired captain continued.

 “If we collect three points out of the two games, we have qualified.”

The loss to South Sudan was Uganda’s first in the ongoing qualifiers.

David De Gea has reflected on his decade-long tenure between the sticks at Manchester United, with the veteran goalkeeper admitting that he feels at home at the club and the city after such a long association.

The 30-year-old joined the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson's watch from Atletico Madrid in 2011, and he has proceeded to establish himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world.

The Illescas-raised De Gea was picked as United's successor for Edwin van der Sar and after an initial slow start, has become one of the club's stalwarts.

During his time at Old Trafford, De Gea has also established himself as Spain's top-choice goalkeeper and enjoyed multiple triumphs with a succession of managers in both domestic and European competition.

Now, the keeper has admitted that he struggles to see his future away from Manchester and cites an increased responsibility gained over the years as key to his development.

“It's wonderful to be here and, to be honest, I feel right at home in Manchester," De Gea told the club's official website.

"I'm still the same person I am today but I'm much more mature now. I was coming to a massive club, [with a] different language, a different culture, everything was different and I matured a great deal.

"I've grown a lot as a player and I'm truly grateful for all these years that I've been here. It's been incredible."

De Gea pointed to United's successes - including a Premier League triumph and Europa League success - as well as their setbacks as key to his growth, citing personal rough patches as key to helping him bounce back at points.

“I think you learn from your mistakes, you start to mature and life throws up difficult situations. You learn from them, from the bad times especially, and I think that's life.

“The years have gone by. There have been good times and bad times but I'm doing well now.

“I’m looking forward to the future, which will hopefully bring many more years. Being at a club like this, and at this level for so many years, isn't easy so I'm proud of that."

The National Women’s Soccer League has announced its competition format for the 2021 season, with the Challenge Cup set to return after its inaugural edition in 2020. 

The 2020 season was severely curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic, with the Challenge Cup in June and July and the Fall Series in September and October the only competition for the league's nine teams this year.

The NWSL is planning on a more standard schedule in 2021, but the league will still feature the Challenge Cup – this time to kick off the season.

After players report to camp on February 1, the Challenge Cup will begin in mid-April in what the league says will be "multiple bubble environments, team markets, or some combination of the two."

The regular season is then set to kick off in mid-May, with each team scheduled to play 24 matches. 

“Bringing back the Challenge Cup is an opportunity for our league to continue growing our fan base and showcase our world class players with an exciting and competitive tournament ahead of the most important international tournament on the 2021 calendar, the Olympic Games,” said NWSL Chief Revenue Officer Mitch Poll.

“We’re focused on continuing to build opportunities to expand our reach, expose a global audience to the best women’s club soccer in the world, and provide meaningful opportunities for our teams and players to perform.”

Following the regular season, six of the league's 10 teams will qualify for the playoffs, with the top two seeds securing first-round byes. The NWSL Championship will then take place on the weekend of November 20.

“2021 is shaping up to be another big year for the NWSL as we continue to innovate our product, engage our incredible fans and support our players and teams,” said NWSL Director of Operations and Player Affairs Liz Dalton.

“Building on what we were able to safely accomplish in 2020, we’re expanding the opportunities for our athletes and teams to thrive, and for our sponsors and partners to invest in our continued growth.”

After the NWSL had nine teams in 2020, the league is set to welcome Racing Louisville in 2021 as its 10th team. 

Joachim Low is still the right man to lead Germany down a "rocky path" despite their humiliating 6-0 loss to Spain, according to the country's top football figure.

Needing only a point to secure a place at next year's Nations League Finals, Germany were embarrassed in Seville as La Roja triumphed through a Ferran Torres hat-trick and goals from Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal.

It was the 2014 World Cup-winners' heaviest defeat since they lost to Austria in a friendly in 1931 by the same scoreline, as Manuel Neuer, who set a new record for a German goalkeeper by winning his 96th cap, conceded six goals in a competitive game for the first time in his career.

The manner of the defeat, described by Low as "awful", was particularly concerning. Germany failed to muster a shot on target, had just 30 per cent of the possession, and Toni Kroos (43) was the only player from the visitors to have more successful passes than Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon (41).

It also cast a poor reflection on Low's decision last year to tell Germany stalwarts Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller they had no future with the national team, as the 60-year-old put his faith in younger players.

Fritz Keller, the president of the German Football Federation (DFB), admits there was always likely to be some difficult moments as Germany went through a transition period before Euro 2020.

However, he remains confident Low can turn things around and create a team capable of challenging next year, as well as at the 2022 World Cup and the Euros on home soil in four years' time.

"We had a black evening in Seville, which hurt us," Keller said in a statement. "The viewers at home, me, the coach, the players.

"I was in the dressing room after the final whistle and I felt everyone's extreme disappointment. But also the will to correct this feeling.

"Our young team can grow from the severe setback if this game, in which not only heart and passion were missing, is analysed carefully and the necessary conclusions are drawn. They have the potential.

"We made a conscious decision to bring about the change with many new and young players with perspective. As was seen yesterday, this path can be the more rocky one and also lead to painful defeats.

"But even if we all wished to get out of this difficult and, up until then, successful year of international matches, our challenge is still to form a strong team for the next three major tournaments: the European Championship next year, the 2022 World Cup and the European Championship on home soil in 2024."

The implementation of the bio-bubble and strict Covid-19 protocols in place in Qatar have come in for high praise from Shanghai SIPG head coach Vitor Pereira. 

The East Zone matches of the 2020 AFC Champions League which had been halted due to the pandemic back in March have kick-started in Qatar from Wednesday. Pereira feels that Qatar have created the right atmosphere for the tournament to go ahead. 

It must be noted that West Zone matches of the competition were also completed in Qatar back in September. 

Shanghai SIPG are set to take on Sydney FC at the historic Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday afternoon in their Group H opener. Pereira, who manages a team that has notable names like Hulk, Oscar and Ricardo Lopes, paid tribute to the Qatari officials who helped make the completion of the tournament a reality. 

"Qatar has created the right conditions to play this tournament," the former FC Porto, Olympiakos and Fenerbahce coach said. "We all currently live in very difficult times, but the country has done everything in terms of protocols to help get this game played. We’re happy about that and we’re looking forward to the tournament." 

“This tournament means a lot to me personally, so we are happy to be here and happy to play," he added. 

The matches are set to be held in the four venues, including three which have been developed for the 2022 World Cup which kicks off in two years' time as well. The facilities on offer at these venues have also come in for high praise from several participating players. 

Sydney FC midfielder Paolo Retre was left impressed by the Khalifa international stadium. "I’ve had a look around the stadium and it’s fantastic. The facilities are great and I’m sure the boys will love playing here," he said. 

Meanwhile, Choi Kang-hee, head coach of Shanghai Shenhua, who defeated Perth Glory 2-1 in their tournament opener on Wednesday was left in awe of the venue - Education City stadium. He feels it belongs in the same pantheon as the greatest football stadiums in the world. 

It must be noted that Kang-hee is a legend at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors whose home stadium is the Jeonju World Cup Stadium which was built specifically for the 2002 World Cup. 

"In addition to the 2002 WC stadiums in South Korea, my work has taken me to a lot of great stadiums all over the world. The facility here (Education City Stadium) has impressed me a lot. For our players to play in such a top quality pitch and such excellent conditions and facilities – we are really satisfied," he stated. 

Bordeaux manager Jean-Louis Gasset has revealed Samuel Kalu will not be rushed back to action after returning from an injury.

The 23-year-old suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty with Nigeria in their friendly against Algeria in Austria in October.

The fleet-footed winger has since been out of action, missing the Super Eagles double-header against Sierra Leone.

Kalu was also unavailable for the Girondins' last four games, against Marseille, Nimes, Monaco and Montpellier.

The forward has now recovered from the injury problems and rejoined his Bordeaux teammates in training on Monday.  

The Girondins will take on Rennes in their next league game at Roazhon Park on Friday and Gasset has explained the forward may not start the match.

"Samuel Kalu resumed training with us on Monday after five weeks of hiatus. You have to be very careful and patient," Gasset said in a pre-match press conference.

"I don't think he will start but we will gradually introduce him so that he will be there during the month of December.

"The matches will be close together, we will need everyone. We have sent this message to the team."

Kalu has been with the Girondins since the summer of 2018 when he joined the side from Belgian First Division A club Gent.

The Super Eagles winger has featured in more than 45 games across all competitions for the Matmut Atlantique outfit since his arrival at the club.

In the current campaign, Kalu has been delivering impressive performances before the injury setback, scoring two goals in six league games.

Kalu will hope to play a part for Bordeaux against Rennes as he continues his gradual return to action.

Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla is the star player in the Kenya U20 squad for the Cecafa tournament to be staged in Tanzania.

Kenya coach Stanley Okumbi has named the travelling party for the regional competition with Omalla, who signed for K’Ogalo from Western Stima, the star attraction.

The team also has players who played for the Kenya U17 team at the 2019 Africa U17 Cup of Nations Qualifiers, and the Union of North African Federations (Unaf) U17 tournament in Egypt in 2019.

Among them are Maxwell Mulili, Bixente Otieno, Boniface Mwangemi, Alphonse Omija, Kevintom Machika, and Nicholas Omondi. Also included in the squad are Chapa Dimba na Safaricom hotshots Enoch Wanyama and Omala.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) confirmed the Confederation of African Football (Caf) had ordered the Cecafa U20 tournament to be played behind closed doors.

According to TFF secretary general Wilfred Kidao, their efforts to convince Caf to have fans during the competition have hit a snag since the African body feels it is a tournament for junior players and Covid-19 protocols must be adhered to.

“Caf are the main sponsors of the tournament because it will produce two teams that will qualify for the 2021 U20 tournament in Mauritania, and for that, they have asked us to follow the protocol," Kidao told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

“Most tournaments under Fifa and Caf are adhering to Covid-19 protocols and saw all the matches have their own rules, so they have asked us as the host to follow the rules to the letter, we have tried to tell them we don’t have Covid-19 in Tanzania, but they have refused.

“We have told them our country has moved on and everything is back to normal but they have refused, we have also sent them a video of fans attending the derby between Yanga SC and Simba SC but they have also refused to accept our request.”

Kidao continued: “So it now means the U20 matches in Karatwa and Arusha will be played without fans, Caf has said the tournament involves juniors and they have a huge risk of contracting the Covid-19 and so they don’t want fans in attendance.

“We will follow Caf rules, we will adhere to the protocols as laid down and we will do everything to make sure the rules are followed and it is the same thing they did in the Cosafa tournament in South Africa, there were on fans, we really wanted to have fans to support our Tanzania team but the rules have now changed and we don’t have anything we can do.”

Apart from Rwanda and Eritrea who will not take part, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Somalia, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda, will participate in the competition.

Kenya has been pooled in Group C of the tournament that will run from Sunday, November 22, to Wednesday, December 2, 2020, in Arusha.

Rising Stars Squad; Goalkeepers: Maxwell Mulili, Bixente Otieno, Brian Opondo.

Defenders: Boniface Mwangemi, Wardfine Akhatsika, Kelvin Mose, Alphonse Omija, Frank Odhiambo, Lewis Bandi, Fredrick Alushula, Kayci Odhiambo.

Midfielders: Steiner Musasia, Nicholas Omondi, Enoch Wanyama, Ronald Reagan, Alphonse Washe, Mathew Mwendwa, Simon Omondi, Andre Kalama, Danson Kiprono, Ian Simiyu, Austine Odhiambo, Mwakio Kisaka.

Forwards: Benson Omalla, Kevinton Machika, Henry Meja, Sellasie Otieno.

Former South Africa international Katlego Mphela says he is haunted by the fact that he failed to break Benni McCarthy’s record to become Bafana Bafana's all-time top scorer.

Mphela, who retired from professional football three years ago, is considered to be one of the greatest strikers in the history of the PSL having turned out for local giants Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Boasting 53 international caps‚ Mphela netted 23 goals for Bafana and only Shaun Bartlett and McCarthy scored more goals than 'Killer' for the national team with 29 and 31, respectively. 

“I think in terms of life I would say I’m satisfied. Because‚ as you know‚ where I come from, it is a very difficult place to live. And I gave people hope there‚” Mphela told Shoot Online.

“Now if someone mentions the name Brits [Mphela’s home town in North West]‚ or you mention my name‚ people know the place now. And I gave a lot of people believe. Not only in soccer. They believe they can make it in life.

“But I think in terms of sports I look back and I think ‘Jeez‚ I could have broken that record’. The Bafana Bafana record. I look and I could have been more consistent and scored a lot of goals in the PSL."

Mphela feels that he could have achieved more during his time with Sundowns despite having won the PSL Players' Player of the Season and Golden Boot award during his six-year stint with the club.

"I could have gone overseas again‚ or stayed overseas. But you look back again‚ it’s like‚ ‘Nah man. For people to recognise me like this it means I did something’. So I did well. But me being me I don’t think I was always satisfied with what I achieved. Especially after Sundowns won the Champions League," he said. 

“When I was there I didn’t have that motivation – I don’t know why. And then‚ after they won it I was like‚ ‘I could have won this thing’. Because I had it in me – I had the talent. And I could have scored 30 goals a season if it wasn’t for injuries and other things. But I think I did well."

Killer's greatest moment probably came during the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup third-place playoff against Spain when he beat legendary Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a free-kick from 30 yards which sent the match into extra time.

“I can always come back and say I played in the World Cup‚ played against big nations. I scored against Spain and Casillas – that free-kick everyone talks about," he added. 

“And I actually played I think four Africa Cup of Nations‚ and scored in every big tournament I played in. So it’s not a bad career. But the one that haunts me most is the Bafana Bafana record.

"But it happened. When Pitso [Mosimane] left [as Bafana coach]‚ and things changed it was difficult to play for the national team again.

“But we also had easier games where I missed three or four chances‚ we didn’t perform. We were not a bad team but I think we didn’t lose a lot of games‚ but we also didn’t win important games."

Orlando Pirates forward Frank Mhango says the arrival of coach Josef Zinnbauer helped players to be “focused and pushing” in their bid to end a six-year trophy drought.

Pirates last won silverware in 2014 when they claimed the Nedbank Cup and have not clinched the Premier Socer League (PSL) titler since 2012.

Zinnbauer took over the coaching reins from Rhulani Mokwena as Pirates struggled for form, and the German managed to steer the Soweto giants to a third place finish in the PSL.

It was a season in which Mhango flourished, finishing the campaign on 16 goals, the same as Mamelodi Sundowns forward Peter Shalulile who was then turning out for Highlands Park.

“For me last season was wonderful. It was great to join a team like Orlando Pirates and then become one of the top goal scorers in the team,” Mhango told Front Runner.

“It was something I was looking forward to and it is something that is still going to come. When I was still at Wits I told my [then] coach Gavin that I am going to score 15 goals but he was like ‘hey stop joking.

"If you want to score 15 goals you must go and play at Thohoyandou but I said that is what I believe, I am going to score 15 goals.

“Then I did it, I actually scored 16 goals by the grace of God. For me it was just a target I set for myself. I didn’t know that I was going to move from Wits to Orlando Pirates, it is something that happened so quick.

“The moment the coach came everything changed. You could see that everybody was focused and pushing. We started playing as a unit. We came together and we were like ‘guys this is our job, this is what we need to do, let us push ourselves, let us do it together.’

“Then we did it as a team. It was a great feeling because everyone took part in it. It was teamwork for us to do what we did.”

This season has seen Mhango’s progress being blighted by injuries and the Malawian has featured in just two PSL matches, scoring one goal, from the penalty spot against AmaZulu.

But the 28-year-old feels that he can still manage as better outing that last term.

Apart from a good outing on the domestic front, Mhango relishes leaving a mark in Africa as Pirates participate in the Caf Confederation Cup.

“There are a lot of beautiful goals that I have scored, there are still beautiful goals coming. I need to look forward to this season,” said Mhango.

“We didn’t start the season well but in the middle of it we picked up some form and then Covid-19 came so it let us down and we needed to go back home, staying at home and that time the mentality of football was out.

"We lost focus and the momentum we had. It was hard. It was not only us but every team. It was tough.

“At the end of the day we tried to push each other as a team. That was the target [to qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup] because this is a big club in Africa. We deserve to play in Africa.

“That was the target, Even the coach told that ‘guys if we can’t make it number one or number two we still have to play in Africa. That was the target when we started.”

Pirates resume their league campaign by hosting SuperSport United on Saturday.

Mainland Premier League side Namungo FC have reportedly parted ways with head coach Thierry Hitimana.

Hitimana’s exit has been linked with poor results in the ongoing campaign where they have registered four wins, two draws and four losses.

Namungo are currently ninth with 14 points and the struggle has come at a time they are preparing to tackle Al-Rabita of Sudan in the Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round encounter.

The Tanzanian outfit will host their rivals at home first, in a two-legged round which will be held between November 27 and 29.

Hitimana led the club to a top-five finish last season and went all the way to the final stage of the Azam Shield Cup tournament.

They were defeated in the final by Simba SC and earned the Confederation Cup slot by virtue of being the domestic competition finalist as Wekundu wa Msimbazi lifted the trophy as well as the league title.

The Burundian coach had expressed optimism Namungo will overcome their domestic struggle before facing Al Rabita later in the month.

“We have started some homework on the opponents and in the coming days, I will analyse how we will play against them [Al Rabita] in order to come up with a game plan,” Hitimana told IPP Media on Tuesday.

“You know international games need proper preparations and we have done exactly that.”

He also shared his views on why the club was struggling.

“We did not have enough time to prepare for the league and this was due to so many factors that included the coronavirus pandemic. It affected us a lot,” he concluded.

“We will bounce back and come strong and I am very sure of that. I know it is not going to be easy but with the support of everyone, that is very possible to recover fast.”

Namungo’s communication officer Kindamba Namlia echoed Hitimana’s sentiments on their readiness to face the Sudanese side.

“We are not doing well in the league but that does not mean we will not perform in the Caf Confederation Cup,” Kindamba said.

“Let me assure you that the team will be ready for all the Caf assignments.”

Namungo strengthened the squad by signing Steven Sey, Shiza Kichuya, Amani Kyata, Haruna Shamte, Frank Maginge, Fred Tangalu and Jaferry Mohamed before the 2020/21 season began in September.

Frank Lampard has expressed his belief that management is much harder than being a player, with the Chelsea boss admitting that being in charge at Stamford Bridge is far more "consuming". 

Lampard enjoyed a hugely successful 13-year career at Chelsea during his playing days, during which he became the club's all-time record goalscorer, despite being a midfielder.

The ex-England international, who moved to the Bridge from West Ham in 2001, helped the Blues win 13 trophies in total, including three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League.

Lampard left Chelsea in 2014, and went on to take in spells at Manchester City and New York City before hanging up his boots for good in February 2017.

He took up his first head coaching role at Derby County the following year, and guided the Rams to a sixth-place Championship finish in his first season at Pride Park, but they ultimately missed out on promotion after losing the play-off final against Aston Villa at Wembley.

Chelsea saw enough promise in the 42-year-old to bring him back to the club last summer, when he was appointed on a three-year deal following the departure of Maurizio Sarri.

The Blues managed a fourth-place Premier League finish in 2019-20 under Lampard, who received widespread praise for promoting a number of academy stars amid a FIFA-imposed transfer ban.

He has been able to invest heavily in new recruits since the lifting of that ban earlier this year, with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Thiago Silva now helping the team reach new heights at the start of their latest campaign.

Lampard has thoroughly enjoyed his early years in management, but admits that he had no idea how intense coaching would be after living in a comfortable "bubble" as a player.

"The life of a player is a bubble of selfishness to a degree," he told BBC Sport. "The facts and reality is I realise now it's much harder than playing in terms of it being consuming.

"The life of a manager is 25 people in the squad, staff in the building, problems with different departments. It's so far removed from football.

"When you work for your coaching badges, you have to put time in. Then when you start doing it, you have to practise, you have to fail, get better, fail and have relationships with people you never had as a player.

"Players can easily sit there and say they want to be a manager, then they start the road and say: 'Actually, I want to be a pundit.' I respect it because being a pundit is tough as well but in terms of management I wanted to test the water.

"A manager gets 50 problems a day. It's much more consuming but I love it and couldn't live without it."

Lampard acknowledges the fact his status as a Chelsea legend played a huge part in his appointment, but he is well aware that he won't survive in the role on his reputation alone.

"I can be really open that it helped me get the job - playing 13 years at the club helped me get the job," he added.

"I had to put my ego at the door a bit and say that I might ruin what I achieved in 13 years to a degree - because if it doesn't go well, I will be judged harshly and quickly.

"I am so driven personally that my biggest fear is myself. If I try to pull the wool over your eyes as Chelsea manager, it's not going to work.

"My football career put me in a decent position. So if that job is taken away from me, as long as I go in thinking 'can I do the best job?' then I think that if I have done the best I can, I will be pretty happy."

Mohamed Salah has returned another positive Covid-19 test, the Egyptian Football Association has confirmed, meaning he will have to continue a period of self-isolation.

The Egyptian FA announced on November 14 that the Liverpool star, who was not showing symptoms of the virus, had tested positive for coronavirus despite initial confusion over the test results.

Indeed, they removed an initial statement that confirmed the positive result for Salah before releasing another update soon after that explained a second swab had also returned positive.

And despite there being the potential for a false-positive outcome in the days since - whereby an initial positive test is then followed by a negative result - Salah has now tested positive for Covid-19 again, four days after the initial announcement.

That means that the forward will have to continue a period of self-isolation and he will be unavailable for the Reds' Premier League meeting with Leicester City on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp's side face Atalanta in the Champions League three days after their fixture with the Foxes before then travelling to the Amex Stadium to taken on Brighton on November 28.

Following the latest positive result it's unclear when Salah will now be allowed back into the UK, having returned the positive tests while away on international duty.

It is also unknown how Salah contracted the virus although he has attracted criticism for attending his brother's wedding during the international break.

Former Tottenham striker and ex-Egypt international Mido claimed that the Liverpool sensation had made a "big mistake" by appearing at the wedding, insisting that he "showed great negligence with the steps taken to prevent the coronavirus".

Premier League rules state that a player who tests positive for Covid-19 must self-isolate for a period of 10 days, meaning Salah would've been unavailable to face Brendan Rodgers' side even if he had returned a negative test result.

The latest announcement from the Egyptian FA also confirmed that Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny failed to return a negative test result and he will also have to remain in self-isolation.

The most recent coronavirus figures published by the Premier League stated that between November 9 and November 15, 1,207 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19, with 16 positive cases.

Mikel Arteta says he was "shocked" by the split between fans and the team upon his return to Emirates Stadium, with it his belief that Arsenal have been "badly damaged".

The Gunners turned to their former captain to steady the ship after deciding to sack Unai Emery in November 2019.

Emery was relieved of his duties after overseeing a seven-match winless run, having been hired to replace legendary manager Arsene Wenger 18 months earlier.

Arteta's only previous coaching experience had come at Manchester City, where he spent three years as Pep Guardiola's assistant, but he has since proven his credentials by transforming Arsenal back into a formidable force.

Arsenal finished their last Premier League campaign in impressive fashion under the 38-year-old, and he also masterminded a thrilling run to FA Cup glory, which ended with a 2-1 final victory over Chelsea at Wembley.

Arteta has been attempting to build on that platform at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, with mixed results, and has warned that the "puzzle" he is piecing together at the Emirates will take time to complete.

"You cannot build something new [quickly], when something has been damaged and hurt badly, that you can see a big split between even our own fans and the team," he told the Gunners' official website. "When you were in that stadium 10 months ago, I was shocked. 

"You have to rebuild that [bond]. In order to do that you have to build some foundations, and afterwards start a process. You have to prioritise that process at the start, and where you are going to get to. 

"To do that you need some pieces that have to fill in there, and you have to start to create a puzzle and try to manage it because there will be bad moments and you don't want to break it. 

"All the time you have to be very alert because it takes very little to break what you are building."

The Gunners are scheduled to return to Premier League action away at Leeds United on Sunday.

Arteta saw his side comfortably beaten at home by Aston Villa before the international break, but will be expected to get back to winning ways at Elland Road.

Arsenal will turn their attention to a Europa League meeting with Molde four days later, before preparations for a tough trip to Wolves at the end of the month get under way.