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Sadio Mane's goal in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Burnley on August 21 has been nominated for the month's Premier League Goal award alongside eight other strikes.

The Senegal international struck in the 69th minute after a good pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold to ensure the Reds won the match comfortably.

In the match played at Anfield, the Reds had scored their first goal in the 18th minute after Diogo Jota received a pass from Konstantinos Tsimikas and he wasted no time in burying the ball into the net.

Egyptian Mohamed Salah thought he had scored in the 27th minute, but after the VAR review, his goal was scrapped off for offside.

But Mane was not to be denied with 21 minutes to go.

He will now be competing with Luke Ayling's strike in Leeds United's 5-1 loss to Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes' third goal in that particular match has also made the list.

The remaining five goals are Jamie Vardy's strike in 1-0 win over Wolves, John McGinn of Aston Villa in their 3-2 loss to Watford, and Danny Ings' goal as Villa beat Newcastle United 2-0.

Raphinha of Leeds has also been nominated after scoring a wonderful goal in a 2-2 draw with Everton with the last nominee being Manchester City's Rodri in a 5-0 win over Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Mane is setting himself the target of hitting 30 goals for Liverpool this season after managing 16 last season.

"I want to score goals, and set up team-mates, even to score 30 goals," the West African told the official matchday programme.

"Why not? The more the better as far as I'm concerned and my ambition for the team is to win trophies. Everybody is hungry for that. 

"I was so disappointed with last season, and passionately so, as I thought I could have done more. Whereas I might have been scoring between 18 and 22 goals a season, then on that occasion it was no longer the case so, of course, I was going to be disappointed."

"In football, things move on very quickly and people forget the past. It's a shame, but that's how it is. People aren't always talking about what we have won up to today, and there's no excuse for relaxing in pursuit of our goals. 

"Of course, the experiences of last season have given all of us even more motivation, and all of us are really fired up to have a terrific season this time around."

Boris Johnson has called on FIFA to take "strong action" against spectators who racially abused England players during Thursday's 4-0 win against Hungary.

England secured the three points in a dominant display in the World Cup qualifying match, but the evening was marred by the behaviour of the home fans at Puskas Arena.

Racist chants were aimed at Three Lions players Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham and the UK prime minister has condemned the abuse.

What has been said?

"It is completely unacceptable that England players were racially abused in Hungary last night," Johnson posted on Twitter.

"I urge [FIFA] to take strong action against those responsible to ensure that this kind of disgraceful behaviour is eradicated from the game for good."

World football's governing body has vowed to take action once it has reviewed official reports from the game, as a statement read: "First and foremost, FIFA strongly rejects any form of racism and violence and has a very clear zero-tolerance stance for such behaviour in football.

"FIFA will take adequate actions as soon as it receives match reports concerning yesterday’s Hungary v England game."

What happened during the game?

The animosity began when parts of the home crowd jeered as England players kneeled in an anti-racism gesture before kick-off.

Then, missiles were thrown at Sterling after he opened the scoring and a flare was thrown from the stands after Harry Maguire's goal.

"Everybody knows what we stand for as a team and that's completely unacceptable," England manager Gareth Southgate said after the game. "Everything has been reported to UEFA and we have to see what happens from there. There's no more that this group of players - and all the staff in fairness - could do in the fight against racism."

Hungary face discipline again

Hungary could be hit with further sanctions following the behaviour of their fans. During Euro 2020, Hungary fans were heavily criticised due to homophobic and racist behaviour which prompted UEFA to issue a three-match ban for supporters.

However, that punishment does not apply to World Cup qualifying matches because they fall under FIFA's authority.

Further reading

Ghana coach CK Akonnor believes his team are adequately drilled to beat Ethiopia in their 2022 World Cup qualifying opener on Friday.

The Black Stars take on the Walias in a Group G fixture in Cape Coast, three days ahead of a big away encounter with South Africa.

“We’ve had a couple of days to prepare. We don’t have much time. We are aware of the opponents, and before we got here, the players were aware of what to do,” Akonnor said at the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“We’ve tried to do a couple of training sessions relating to the opponent which will give us victory. We want to be victorious in tomorrow’s match. For that matter, I’ll say we’re ready for tomorrow’s game.

“It’s a game that we’ll want to win. We want to start well like the captain [Andre Ayew] said. But of course, it’s a journey and from the beginning of the game to the end is not going to be easy. I’m aware. I’m very courageous my boys are ready, they will deliver, and that’s what matters.

“We’re coming across an opponent that likes to possess the ball and that’s what we’re focusing on. We want to try as much as we can.”

Ghana’s group also contains Zimbabwe, whom the Black Stars will face home and away in October.

Only the group winners at the end of the campaign will qualify for the third and final round of the qualification series.

“This is a World Cup [qualifications]. There are six matches. By the sixth match we want to be on top, this means that we want to be focused and start very well. I trust my boys that they will deliver,” Akonnor added.

“We want to win [against Ethiopia but] you cannot just get up and say 5-0, 2-0, I’m sure that’s what you want to hear. I won’t be able to tell you that. What matters most is for us to win this match.

“We believe that once we do the things that we want to do on the field of play, tomorrow we will be successful.”

Ghana have qualified for the World Cup on three previous occasions, their last appearance being at Brazil 2014.

Uganda head coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic has conceded he was infuriated after the referee reversed a decision to hand his charges a penalty against Kenya during Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Nairobi.

Kenya's Joseph Okumu brought down Milton Karisa on the edge of the danger zone and an initial decision from Sudan referee Ismail Mahmood Ali Mahmood was a penalty. However, after consulting the assistant referee, he handed the visitors a free-kick.

But it was not amusing for the Serbian tactician who saw his Cranes side play out a goalless draw with the Harambee Stars.

'I am used to such decisions'

"We shall have an opportunity to see why the referee changed his mind after reviewing the incident," Micho told Goal.

"But, I am now getting used to such decisions because [in a friendly match against Kenya], Zambia had a genuine goal disallowed and again, we have seen a penalty decision reversed.

"Apart from that, the boys gave everything despite playing against a team that has just completed their season. For us, most of the players are in recess so it is a positive result.

"It was hard to prepare the players physically for the match, the match that meant so much. The opponents resorted to playing long balls to [Michael] Olunga, but we succeeded in keeping the clean sheet."

What are the negatives for Cranes?

Uganda will now be focusing on their next assignment at home against Mali on Monday, who defeated Rwanda in another Group E match. He has shed light on what he will be working on.

"I was not impressed with the way we were holding the ball and our numbers when facing the ball. It is something that we need to go and work on," Micho continued. 

"There are positives we need to pick up and upgrade, and there are negatives that we need to correct because we are playing against probable favourites [Mali]. I also regret the fact that a few of our players could not report due to various reasons.

"But I want to give total credit to the players who were there, they were committed, they worked very hard against a very competitive team."

As the Cranes tackle Mali, the Harambee Stars will be away to Rwanda to play Amavubi on Sunday.

Tottenham new boy Emerson Royal has been quizzed on whether he feels "used" by Barcelona after being signed and sold by the Liga giants in the same transfer window.

The Brazil international full-back saw a purchase option taken up at Camp Nou in June, with a €9 million (£8m/$11m) deal seeing him acquired by Catalan heavyweights on a permanent basis from Real Betis.

At the end of August, and with financial difficulties at Barca making sales essential, another deal was done as Emerson found himself leaving Spain for England in an agreement worth up to £26m ($35m).

What has been said?

Emerson took in three appearances for Barcelona and admits that heading through the exits came as something of a surprise, telling Marca: "I thought that the club wanted me to stay. I played the Sunday as a starter, they day after I woke up and I went to training relaxed.

"There I already started to see that there were many things happening, that Tottenham spoke with Barcelona, that they had almost done it.

"I didn’t understand anything that was happening because I didn’t know anything.

"By the afternoon, the club called me because they wanted to speak with me and there they told me they wanted to sell."

He added: "I met with the directors of the club. They started to tell me that the situation of the club wasn’t good, that I came in a complicated time and that for that reason it was better to sell.

"I repeated my intention to stay because I had a dream of playing here and contribute to Barcelona. I know that in my best form I was going to triumph here.

"I am smart and I realised in that moment, no matter what I said I was out. They were kicking me out with good words.

"I have the ambition to play. I could say that I am a footballer with a contract and I could have said I am staying, but I am a person who wants to be happy.

"I don’t want to stay at a club that I love but being sad. I knew their thoughts were that I don’t stay, without saying it.

"Then, I decided to leave. I said that I don’t want to stay and be sad."

Did Royal feel used by Barca?

Pressed further on whether he believes that Barca always intended to move him on, despite handing him competitive minutes at the start of the 2021-22 campaign, Emerson said: "Used is not the word, but it hurt me in the way it happened.

"They could have acted in another way. There were better ways to fix things.

"When I arrived I was sure that Barcelona did not want to sell me, but seeing what happened I am clear that when they signed me they already had the idea of ​​selling me in mind."

Emerson is now ready to open another new chapter in his career at Spurs, with an ambitious Premier League side that has started the 2021-22 season with three successive wins set to return to domestic action on September 11 in a derby date against London rivals Crystal Palace.

Further reading

Chelsea FC manager Thomas Tuchel insists Callum Hudson-Odoi must patiently wait for his chance to play for the team and there is no need to feel sorry for him.

The attacker has been used sparingly at Stamford Bridge of late and was at one point a target of German champions Bayern Munich.

However, the deal did not materialise as the Uefa Champions League champions did not want to let him leave especially after failing to land Sevilla's Jules Kounde.

The German tactician has now explained the situation of the Ghana prospect.

"To be absolutely fair, I have to say that sometimes we use him as a right side wing-back which is not his very best position but we do it because, in the Super Cup match [against Villareal], he had a good pre-season and all the training in his legs so he had the capacity to play the 120 minutes," Tuchel said as quoted by FootballLondon.

"He waits for a chance in the half left position but he fights against Mason [Mount], Kai [Havertz], Hakim [Ziyech], Christian Pulisic, a lot of guys with a lot of quality.

"It is very hard for him. I agree but we don’t have to feel sorry for him. Once the door is open we demand he goes in between and makes his mark. This can happen at any time. He needs to be ready, this is what we demand from him."

Meanwhile, Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech was omitted from the latest Morocco squad due to "unacceptable behaviour", according to the country's head coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

Ziyech has won 41 caps for Morocco since making his international debut in 2015, with his last outing coming in the 1-0 friendly victory over Burkina Faso on June 12.

"His behaviour in the last two matches, especially the last one, was not that of a national team player who as a leader in the team has to be a positive role model," he told a press conference.

"He arrived late and after that, he even refused to work. There was no point in discussing it afterward, as a coach the answer is right there to see. For me, the national team is above everything, nobody can hold it hostage."

Erling Haaland will find the lure of playing in the Premier League impossible to resist, claims former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The Borussia Dortmund striker has been linked with several of Europe's top teams in recent years, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all reported to be interested.

English teams are not the only ones in the frame, however, as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been linked to the Leeds-born star.

What has been said?

Wenger believes Haaland, 21, will return to his country of birth before long, telling Bild Live: "I think that will happen. The economic power of the Premier League is too strong.

"English football is dominant because it is where the most money is. The best players always go the best way to make the most money."

Haaland destined for greatness

The French coach is convinced Haaland will continue to develop into one of the world's top strikers, alongside 21-year-old PSG star Kylian Mbappe.

"Haaland is likely to be the next high-profile goalscorer after Mbappe. He's a super talent," Wenger added.

"His ambition, his will to score goals and the ability to fight in a duel [set him apart]. He's there and wants to win, there is something in him that is great for a striker."

How has Haaland performed for Dortmund?

Since joining Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020, Haaland has scored 63 times in 64 competitive games.

He is already off to a solid start this season, netting three goals and registering two assists in as many Bundesliga matches. Haaland also found the net for Norway as they drew 1-1 with Netherlands on Wednesday.

Further reading

Nigeria go neck-and-neck with Liberia in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday as the race for a ticket to Qatar 2022 begins.

The Super Eagles are hoping to qualify for a seventh tournament, nevertheless, they must negotiate their way past the Lone Star, Cape Verde and Central African Republic to advance to the next stage.

Coach Gernot Rohr has the luxury of prosecuting this fixture with his full-strength squad, with the likes of Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Osimhen expected to start against the West Africans.

The Lone Stars have struggled in their last five international outings - losing four of them and leaking eight goals in the process.

Regardless, Peter Butler’s men are looking forward to caging the three-time African champions at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch

For Nigerian readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! For those across the globe, that is also the place to be.

Also, the game can be watched live on TV through AIT and it can be streamed online courtesy of the NFF streaming platform. 

Squads & Team News

Potential Nigeria XI: Okoye, Ekong, Balogun, Shehu, Sanusi, Ndidi, Aribo, Kalu, Simon, Osimhen, Iheanacho

Potential Liberia XI: Songo, Balde, Paye, Saygbe, Dweh, Dorley, Njie, Tweh, Sherman, Kosiah, Kamara

Betting & Match Odds

Nigeria are 1.16 favourites to win with Betking. Liberia's chances of winning are rated at 16.00 and a draw is available at 6.50.

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

Match Preview

Butler is bullish of Liberia’s chances when they face Nigeria at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

His squad is majorly made up of players plying their trades in the Liberian top flight, except for a few like Hatayspor’s Mohammed Kamara and FC Aarau’s Allen Njie.

Although the Englishman is aware of the depth of quality in Nigeria’s squad, he is unruffled, stating his team can cause a stir.

‘’I am going to compete, be organised and be attacked-minded,” the Butler told the media.

‘’Firstly, I don’t use social media and a lot of those young lads who were listed, I didn’t select them and whoever did that is false to start with.

‘’It’s going to be a tough group and favourites Nigeria have got qualities and are heavily funded as compared to us, but I’m going to back myself against any coach in this group.

‘’They have Wilfred [Ndidi], Kelechi [Iheanacho], Alex [Iwobi] I could name more…but we’re going to be competitive and I believe we’re going to offset a few teams on the road.”

This is the fifth time both countries will be squaring up against one another in qualification campaigns.

They first met on July 9, 2000, in a World Cup qualifier staged at the National Complex, Monrovia, when Christopher Wreh’s brace powered the Lone Star to a 2-1 win over the Super Eagles – who got their only goal through Nwankwo Kanu.

Tiemoue Bakayoko hopes his association with Chelsea has come to a close, with the French midfielder eager to avoid returning to Stamford Bridge after securing a second loan at AC Milan.

The 27-year-old midfielder spent the 2018-19 campaign at San Siro, having failed to convince during a testing debut season in England following his £40 million move.

Bakayoko has since spent time with Monaco and Napoli, keeping him on 43 appearances for his parent club, and is now back in Italy on a two-year loan that includes an option to buy.

What has been said?

Bakayoko is determined to remain in Milan, telling reporters: "I hope to stay here even after these two years on loan, everyone knows how attached I am to this club that I consider my home. 

"When you are at Milan you must always aim to the maximum, I will give my all to win as many trophies as possible. At this point in my career I need stability after all these loans, so I hope to stay at Milan for a long time. I will do everything possible to make that happen."

Could Bakayoko have returned earlier?

Having previously impressed with the Rossoneri, a return to Milan for Bakayoko had been speculated for some time.

No deal was ever done, but the France international is happy to finally be back in surroundings where he feels comfortable.

Asked if he had come close to sealing another deal in previous windows, Bakayoko said: "There have been negotiations, but I don’t know how close I was to getting back here. Now that’s not important, the most important thing is to be back here."

Further reading

Kenya coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee believes youngster Richard Odada has solved the defensive midfield problem the national team has been suffering recently.

The 20-year-old Red Star Belgrade player gave a good account of himself in his debut game against Uganda in Group E of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

In the game played at Nyayo Stadium on Thursday, the two neighbouring countries played out a goalless draw, but the tactician has picked out some positives in their road to Qatar.

Why did Stars miss their rhythm?

"We did not expect the result, but it is encouraging considering the fact that we had not played any build-up match since playing Togo [in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers]. This was our first game and as usual, it is tough to get your rhythm," Mulee told Goal.

"Again, we have had different players coming in, and new players who were making their debut. I was impressed with Odada, meaning he has solved our problem in the midfield department. He is just 20 and has a lot to offer.

"If you were keen enough, the selected team was a mixture of experienced players and those upcoming ones who want to be involved more often in future assignments."

'Uganda were favourites'

Mulee has further stated the Cranes came into the match as favourites owing to their preparations. He has further welcomed the point collected at home and has targeted three points on Sunday away to Rwanda.

"We have a big squad, the only concern is that we have not gelled. We did not play our usual passing game, we did it for about two or three instances," Mulee continued.

"I am also impressed with my defenders, the way they stopped Uganda who had experienced players in their squad who have been together for some time.

"They also had an advantage, remember they played Ethiopia in a friendly game recently. Yes, we wanted maximum points, but we are thankful for the one we managed to get.

"I cannot say it is a bad outing, the journey has just started, and for us, we started with a point which is a plus.

"We now have to focus on our next assignment against Rwanda where we will be targeting all the three points."

Mali lead the group with three points after defeating Amavubi by a solitary goal in Bamako in their opener.

New Chelsea signing Saul Niguez says he is hoping for a quick adjustment to life in London and has already asked compatriot Kepa Arrizabalaga to only speak to him in English.

The midfielder made a deadline day switch to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid in a loan deal that could become permanent at the end of the season.

Saul, 26, says he always wanted to experience playing in the Premier League and hopes to pick up the language as quickly as possible.

What has been said?

"I’ve spent 15 years at Atletico Madrid, it’s my home. Then, when the opportunity to join Chelsea came up, I couldn’t turn it down," he told the club's website.

"The last day of the transfer window was crazy but in the end I could come here, as we all were hoping, so I have to seize this chance. Since I was a child, I always had two goals - to make history at Atletico Madrid and to play in the Premier League, not only because of the league itself but also for its culture and the language.

"The language is a big challenge for me and I want to learn it as soon as possible in order to be able to communicate with my team-mates simply and comfortably. At Atletico I used to speak with [Kieran] Trippier but my English isn’t good enough. I don’t even dare to do interviews in English!

"It’s really important [having Spanish players around]. Having [Cesar] Azpilicueta, Marcos [Alonso] and Kepa, especially Kepa, who has shared a room with me since we started playing for the Spanish national youth team.

"I already told Kepa to speak to me in English because I need to learn and get used to it. I don’t want to speak in Spanish with them. He can help me, but I’ll try to speak to him in English as much as I can, unless I’m really struggling."

Which number will Saul wear for Chelsea?

Saul has been assigned a familiar number in the Chelsea squad. The club announced on Thursday that he will wear the No 17 jersey for the Blues.

It is the number he was given early in his senior career at Atletico Madrid and wore it for two years before switching to No 8.

Further reading

Donny van de Beek endured a "really painful" season at Manchester United in 2020-21 admits the Dutch midfielder's agent, who admits there are no guarantees the current campaign will be any better for the 24-year-old.

Eyebrows were raised when the Red Devils raided Ajax for another creative talent last summer, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already boasting plenty of alternative options in his squad.

Van de Beek has found it difficult to make an impact at Old Trafford, leading to regular rounds of exit talk.

What has been said?

Van de Beek's representative, Guido Albers, told talkSPORT: "Donny is happy with the fact the club has so much trust in him, but last season was really painful because he didn’t play much. He was ready for this. It’s about choices and timing, you have to accept. He signed a six-year contract, but he wants to play.

"In the last few weeks he showed he is ready for the new season and he showed what the club likes to see. So we will see in the next few months whether the club will use him or not.

"Hopefully they will use him, if not we have to find other solutions, but I don’t think it is necessary.

"In the next months, it will be clearer that Donny can be a really good Man United player and please the fans who are supporting him all the time. He will succeed."

Will Van de Beek get game time?

Albers has admitted a push for the exits was made during the summer transfer window, with interest shown but no deal done.

Van de Beek, who made just four Premier League starts last season and is yet to see a single minute of action in the current campaign, has no guarantees when it comes to game time in 2021-22.

Albers said: "Coaches will never do this. So no, he won’t get guarantees and I think that’s fair. Coaches have to do their jobs and players have to do their job.

"In the end, if you get the chance and you get the minutes, you are in shape and you play well, you are responsible for your own career. He is not looking for guarantees. He is working hard every day and if he gets his chance he will go for it."

He added on the approach Van de Beek must take: "He is patient. He is a good guy. The problem is the environment is not patient anymore. People who write about him don’t know the story, they all write their own story. That’s 2021.

"At the end he wants to play, but he has to accept that he will have to be more patient than he was willing to be.

"He’s not the type of guy who does crazy things and changes his mentality. I think everybody will enjoy his qualities in the next months."

United, with Cristiano Ronaldo in line to make his second debut for the club, will return to domestic action on Saturday September 11 at home to Newcastle.

Further reading

Former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey has explained how Hugo Broos's side can pick up a positive result from the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on Friday at the National Sports Stadium.

Broos, who is taking charge of his first game as South Africa's coach, will be in Harare with his charges and Tovey has laid down a plan that can help them begin the qualifiers on a bright note.

"You are playing away from home and you want to get something out of the game, so you can’t just go there and start attacking," Tovey told Sowetan.

"You have to make sure that you start with a solid defence. I don’t mean play defensive. Just make sure you are solid in all areas on the field. Don’t give silly free-kicks away and all those types of things.

"When you get a chance, get the ball into the area where you can hurt them and play on the front foot. But it would all depend on the game earlier on how you can dictate, dominant Zimbabwe or how non-dominant they are.

"It is a new-look Bafana team, so they also have to find their feet. I will make sure you consolidate at first and build on from that throughout the game.

"We can get good results to take off a lot of pressure from us and if we can get a point or more, that will be great."

"If you draw away from home and you win your home matches you will stand a good chance to qualify. That's logic. Where we have been playing at home and not getting full points is the worrying factor," he added.

"Let’s make sure we get something away from home since our home form is not good and then we will build from there."

Broos himself admitted the qualifier against the Northern neighbours will not be easy, but stated they will remain focused.

"I’ve seen Zimbabwe’s games in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, against Algeria, for example. They’re a strong side and it’s not going to be easy, but we’ll just try to focus on what we can do," said the coach.

The former African champions will face Ghana after the Zimbabwe clash on Monday.

Former Nigeria international Gbenga Okunowo claims Ansu Fati will not be affected negatively by his new jersey number at Barcelona, but urged the teenager should not be compared with Lionel Messi.

Following the Argentina international’s move to Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, his no. 10 jersey as a Blaugrana player was officially passed to the Spanish teenager on Wednesday.

That announcement put an end to assumptions that the Spanish elite division side would retire the number to honour the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Weighing in on his former club’s decision to trust the 18-year-old with the no.10 shirt, the retired right-back feels the choice of the five-time Champions League winners should be respected as it was based on merit.

“Fati has been given the no. 10 jersey the same way Messi was trusted to excel with it. It's now up to Fati to prove to himself,” Okunowo told Goal.

“The coaching crew must have thought highly of him before handing him that number.

“We all have to respect the decision of Barcelona management. Having this in mind, there should be no basis comparison between Messi and Fati.

“The latter will surely create his own pathway.”

Having in mind that football icons like Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Hristo Stoichkov donned the shirt number during their time with the Catalans, there will no doubt be a burden of expectations on the youngster to deliver.

Nevertheless, Okunowo advises the player of Bissau Guinean descent on what he should do if he hopes to succeed like his predecessors.

“My advice to Fati is that he should enjoy himself, play football, stay disciplined and be focused on his career,” the 42-year-old continued.

“This new number should not affect his football negatively. If the club management team felt it would, they would have given it to someone else.”

Fati’s progress was halted by a knee injury in November 2020 – which ruled him out of the European Championship – however, he has returned to full training after nine months on the sidelines.

He could be in line to return when Ronald Koeman's side take on Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich in a Champions League group stage fixture on September 14.