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Tactical innovation is a necessary phenomenon in football and coaches must be ready to adapt their approaches in the pursuit of glory.

There have been many different formations and playing philosophies in the history of the game, from the Totaalvoetball popularised by the Netherlands in the 1970s to Jurgen Klopp's 'Heavy Metal Football'.

Certain formations have emerged and re-emerged over the years, with 3-5-2 in particular becoming increasingly popular in the late 2010s as an antidote to the tiki-taka of Spain and Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.

Among the most important components in the 3-5-2 formation (or any set-up with a back three) are the wing-backs, and players who can play in the position are given a lot of responsibilities.

So what exactly is the role of the wing-back and how does it differ from that of a full-back? Goal brings you all you need to know.

What is a wing-back in football?

The wing-back position in football is essentially a mixture of a full-back and a winger. They play on either side of the defence, helping to provide width to a team.

A player who plays in the wing-back position is expected to get forward as much as possible in order to assist the attack, but they must also track back to help the defence.

It is a highly demanding position from a physical perspective given the ground that must be covered on the wing, so wing-backs need to have a lot of stamina and all-round strength.

As well as being able to get up and down the wing at speed, one of the main jobs of a wing-back is to supply crosses into the box or passes into the forward line.

However, a wing-back must also possess defensive attributes, such as good tackling ability and sound positional awareness - knowing when to drop deep or push forward at the right time.

While wing-backs are commonly used in 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formations, such as those used by Antonio Conte, they can also be a feature of teams playing with a back four, in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 for example.

Liverpool's 2019-20 Premier League-winning team under Jurgen Klopp lined up with a 4-3-3, but full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson pressed so high that they were effectively wing-backs.

Indeed, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson set up a combined 25 goals for the Reds on their way to the title in that campaign, while they scored six between them.

Brazil also famously deployed a back four with two flying full-backs - essentially wing-backs - in the form of Roberto Carlos and Cafu on their way to World Cup success in 2002.

What is the difference between a full-back and a wing-back?

Full-backs and wing-backs play in more or less the same part of the pitch, but there are key differences between the roles within a system.

The main difference is that a wing-back has more licence to attack, whereas the full-back has more emphasis on defence.

While full-backs can be encouraged to get forward and help attack on occasion, wing-backs are expected to dictate the attacking width of their team.

When Tottenham signed Matt Doherty from Wolves in 2020, he arrived in north London as a player who had played solely as a wing-back in the previous three seasons.

However, he has been deployed as a full-back at Spurs, as well as internationally for the Republic of Ireland.

Reflecting on the difference in the positions, Doherty told reporters: "When you play as a wing-back you don't actually have to defend as much. At full-back you have to properly defend.

"You have a lot of one-vs-ones and you have a lot of players running off the back of you [at full-back], so you have to be switched on at all times. Your body position and everything about it defensively is totally different."

Chelsea fans finally got a glimpse of what Hakim Ziyech can offer in the Blues’ 4-0 success over Krasnodar on Wednesday evening.

Due to an injury sustained in the club’s only official pre-season friendly vs Brighton & Hove Albion, the signing from Ajax had to bide his time with substitute appearances in draws vs Southampton, Sevilla and Manchester United.

After seemingly proving his fitness, Frank Lampard started the maverick in Russia and he made it count, too, scoring the visitors' third as the Premier League side returned to winning ways after three stalemates on the spin.

The overall mood within the Chelsea fanbase on the night and in the days after has certainly been mixed. In fairness, this is consistent with the glass half-full or half-empty notion among fans of the club since the start of the season owing to the club’s performances and results since September.

In a defensive sense, yet another clean sheet for the backline was a good thing, especially without 36-year-old Thiago Silva, whose minutes have to be managed due to his advanced years.

The credit for the West London club’s succession of shutouts has to be shared, however, with Edouard Mendy’s arrival and immediate impact giving a previously unconvincing backline renewed faith in the man between the sticks.

Mendy’s stop to deny Daniil Utkin early on was followed by the Senegal goalkeeper’s assuredness in coming off his line to claim potentially dangerous crosses into the box, witnessed intermittently on the night.

Still, the aforementioned comes with the caveat that it was just Krasnodar, a club making its Champions League debut.

This probably explains why critics in the ‘glass half-empty’ bracket remain sceptical. Truthfully, it’s near impossible to control a game in its entirety but the extended period in the second half where Lampard’s men were on the back foot was worrying.

During that period, the English side’s extreme sloppiness in possession saw the home side force them back as they racked up attempts at Mendy’s goal.

As a consequence of the adversity faced for much of the second half, the team’s attacking players like Ziyech were peripheral until the late flurry of goals which added a bit of gloss on the final score. Chelsea’s non-penalty xG of 1.1 to Krasnodar’s 0.6 further suggests the eventual result was harsh on the competition’s debutants.

Despite the rarity of clear-cut chances in midweek, the Moroccan’s undoubted qualities shone through, albeit sporadically. Asides scoring, the North African was indirectly involved in two of the away team’s other three goals, with the fourth by Christian Pulisic coming after his 80th-minute withdrawal.

For Callum Hudson-Odoi’s strike, Ziyech ignored the obvious pass to Ben Chilwell, instead playing a zipped ball to the seemingly unprepared Kai Havertz who then set up the winger’s first UCL goal. Also, it was the wide playmaker’s obvious — yet easy to misplace — pass to Pulisic that led to the award of Chelsea’s second penalty on the night.

Earlier in the game, Ziyech’s movement inside and awareness to then link-up with the overlapping Cesar Azpilicueta was crucial in winning the London side’s first penalty. Even though his teammates at times struggled to get him on the ball early enough, the maverick’s willingness to try things on the pitch was important to the Blues’ success in Russia and will be crucial for the rest of the season.

The aforementioned sentiment stems from an interesting defensive conundrum and frustrating midfield imbalance troubling Lampard’s team. For large periods of the encounter, possession was largely sterile as the ball kept going laterally across the backline.

While Kurt Zouma is arguably Chelsea’s best defender after Silva, with his dominance at defending set-pieces so far proving to be a key element in preventing concessions from dead-balls and crosses this season, playing vertical passes between the lines has never been the Frenchman’s forte.

This isn’t a strength of Antonio Rudiger, either, while Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori — ironically two players largely comfortable on the ball — appear to be out of favour.

The Dane’s inconsistency and failure to dominate opposition strikers have been emblematic of a general feeling he hasn’t kicked on from a promising 2017/18 campaign.

Tomori’s situation poses an even bigger headache. He’s probably the team’s most accomplished defender in possession and is many fans’ third-choice central defender after Silva and Zouma, but the Anglo-Nigerian seldom gets a look-in.

Having been criticised for chopping and changing last term, Lampard has ostensibly settled on Silva and Zouma as his first-choice centre-back pairing. While the Brazilian has somewhat excelled at playing fairly risky passes to get the ball forward to the attacking players, his age and need to be managed means long-term solutions have to be found eventually.

The club’s midfield bugbear was examed before the season commenced, where it was suggested how then-Arsenal target, Thomas Partey, could theoretically solve a huge problem at Cobham owing to his rounded nature in and out of possession.

Supporters have recently clamoured for a permanent switch to a 4-3-3 (utilised briefly vs Krasnodar) — which allows the hugely important Mason Mount to play in his best position in midfield — as a potential solution, but the presence of Havertz and profile of midfielders in the team imply that wish may be unlikely for now.

Indeed, the result of largely having so many passive players in the team means Chelsea often resort to playing the safest possible pass available, as opposed to attempting riskier plays to open up the pitch.

This is mostly alien to Ziyech, given his profile and proclivity to be adventurous in possession. Against Krasnodar, the Morocco superstar played the highest volume of passes into the final third (nine), joint-highest with Havertz for passes into the penalty area (three) and was tied with Azpilicueta for nine progressive passes.

Interestingly, the talented German and the club captain played from start to finish, having 77 and 96 touches respectively to the North African’s 54. Make of that what you will...

Undoubtedly, getting the ball quicker to the high-risk-high-reward playmaker would have its merits. Be that as it may, the improbability of this suggests Chelsea fans and Lampard may be in for a demanding campaign.

Zinedine Zidane insists there are no lasting issues between Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior after the Real Madrid striker told Ferland Mendy not to pass to their team-mate. 

In Madrid's 2-2 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Zidane's side two down at half-time, Benzema was caught on camera appearing to discuss Vinicius. 

"Brother, don't pass to him," Benzema told Mendy in the tunnel. "On my mother's life, he is playing against us." 

Benzema did not play a single pass to the Brazilian in the second half, having created an opportunity with one of his three first-half passes, while Mendy found Vinicius just twice more before the latter was substituted in the 70th minute. 

Zidane was not concerned by the part of Benzema - who pulled a goal back before Casemiro levelled - in the conversation, suggesting such exchanges are commonplace but not usually made public. 

"It is clear about Benzema and Vinicius," Zidane said. "They have talked to each other. Things stay on the field. They talked and it is perfect.

"There is no problem between them - the opposite. In the end, the important thing is that the energy is on tomorrow's game [against Huesca].

"Things like Benzema and Vinicius have always happened but they stay on the field. The only thing that has changed is that there are many cameras." 

By the time he made way for Eden Hazard, none of Vinicius' three shots had hit the target, with two blocked, while he did not pick out a team-mate with any of his three crosses, although he did create chances for both Benzema and Mendy. 

A disappointingly low 71.4 per cent of passes found their man, however, and the 20-year-old completed only two of his five attempted dribbles, but Zidane expects the forward to bounce back as he remains a big part of Madrid's plans. 

"Vinicius is young," he added. "He has a present and a future at Madrid. He is a boy who wants to learn and improve. He works and that is good for a coach and a team."

Real Madrid face Huesca at the weekend as they look to go top of La Liga. They are currently second, one point behind leaders Real Sociedad with a game in hand.

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Fabinho will not be part of Liverpool’s squad for Saturday’s match against West Ham because of a hamstring injury.

The Brazil international limped off in the first half of the Reds’ Champions League win against Midtjylland on Tuesday and was replaced by 19-year-old Rhys Williams.

Fabinho had been called on to slot into the centre of defence after Virgil van Dijk was ruled out with a knee ligament injury, but Klopp will now have to make another change to his back line for the upcoming clash at Anfield.

“Fab is not in, that's clear,” he told reporters. “He got a little injury and so he will be out for the weekend and probably slightly longer. That’s one thing, but all the others who are fit will be in contention, either on the pitch or on the bench and coming on.”

Liverpool announced on Friday that Van Dijk had undergone a successful operation on the knee injury he sustained after a heavy challenge from Jordan Pickford in the 2-2 draw against Everton in early-October.

The club said there is no timeframe regarding the Netherlands star’s return, but Klopp is hoping for a quick recovery.

“I don't think it's the place to talk about personal things. After surgery, a successful one, it is always unpleasant. He is good as can be and that's it,” he added. "It's clear to say he is a quicker healer. He can cope, it's clear.

“Virgil is a friend, he is our boy but we are used to injuries. It was just how it was unnecessary.

“The more you like a person, the more you suffer with them. Injuries are the worst part of a professional's life. A part of the game. We are unfortunately used to it.

“We care about Virgil and will take care of him, but our focus is on available players. That is what we do.”

Jordan Henderson was substituted at half-time in the midweek encounter, but Klopp says there are no concerns about his fitness. He said: “Jordan Henderson did not have a fitness problem. Responsible is maybe the better word for [the substitution].”

Kerala Blasters begin their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign with a fixture against ATK Mohun Bagan at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on November 20, 2020.

A week later, they take on NorthEast United in their second game. Kibu Vicuna's team will then face FC Goa and Bengaluru FC back-to-back on December 6 and 13 respectively. 

Here are Kerala Blasters' first 10 fixtures. 

Fixtures for only the first 11 rounds, which consists of 55 matches, have been released right now. The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December as the league awaits clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) matches.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, due to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament. 

Kerala Blasters have failed to make it to the playoffs in the last three seasons. The Kochi-based club has appeared in the final of the ISL twice, in 2014 and 2016 but has not been able to achieve similar success in recent years. They have assembled a strong squad and will be hoping to challenge for the title under the able leadership of I-League-winning former Mohun Bagan coach Kibu Vicuna. 

Arsenal head coach is pleased that Willian was able to feature for 30 minutes against Dundalk in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Gunners ran out straightforward 3-0 winners at the Emirates Stadium in the clash, with Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Nicolas Pepe all on target.

The scoring was completed by the time the experienced Brazil international arrived on the scene, but for his manager it was more about giving him the opportunity to gain some match sharpness after a period out with a calf injury.

“We missed Willian the last couple of weeks, he had a very short pre-season,” the former No 2 to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City said. "He needs that bit of rhythm. He looked good today, great to get some minutes in his legs.”

Willian previously given his thoughts on Arteta’s tactics, suggesting that they are not what he has been used to and that he has been forced to learn a new style of playing.

“It’s been a cool, new experience. I hadn’t worked with a coach with that mindset,” Willian told Globo Esporte. “The positional game doesn’t mean that you have no freedom on the pitch, you have the freedom to move, but many times you have to respect the position, what the coach asks, the instructions, understanding that it’ll be better for the team.

“It may happen that you don’t touch the ball and get frustrated, but Mikel always says that, wait a minute, the ball will arrive. I've been learning a lot.”

The 32-year-old, who arrived on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer, has, nevertheless, made a somewhat promising start to his time, securing a couple of assists against Fulham on the opening day of the season. He subsequently picked up a calf problem and missed last weekend’s 1-0 loss at home to Leicester as a consequence.

He will expect to have a role to play in Sunday’s showpiece fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford, an opponent against which he has only scored one goal in his previous 10 outings.

The Gunners are presently 11th in the standings, having won three and lost three of their matches to date.

The Confederation of African Football President Ahmad Ahmad has tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

Ahmad showed mild flu symptoms following his return to Cairo on Wednesday, after his recent trip to Morocco where he watched the Caf Confederation Cup final between Pyramids and RSB Berkane on Sunday.

Ahmad has immediately started his 14-day quarantine at his hotel in the Egyptian capital, to contain the spread of the virus.

“After his arrival in Cairo on Wednesday October 28, Mr. Ahmad Ahmad, President of CAF, presented mild flu symptoms, and submitted to the Covid19 protocol,” Caf statement read.

“Today, the test results are positive. The President immediately self-isolate for at least the next 14 days at his hotel.

“All those who have come into contact with Mr. Ahmad over the past seven days - especially during his trip to Morocco for the Confederation Cup - have been informed and requested to take the necessary measures.”

Earlier this week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino tested positive for Covid-19 after showing mild symptoms.

Ahmad’s medical update comes two days after he declared his intention to run for second term as Caf president with the election scheduled to take place in next year’s Extraordinary General Assembly in Morocco on March 12.

On Thursday, the 2019-20 Caf Champions League final as well as the semi-final second leg encounter between Zamalek and Raja Casablanca were postponed indefinitely after more Raja players tested positive for coronavirus.

Arsenal have every right to feel frustrated at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, says Nigel Winterburn, with the Gabonese striker having netted just once in his last six appearances.

Aubameyang was on target in the Community Shield, as Arsenal edged out Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties, before also hitting the net in an opening day win over Fulham.

Just one more effort has been added to his tally since then, in the Europa League clash with Rapid Vienna, and questions are being asked of a man tied to a lucrative contract.

Winterburn admits that Aubameyang needs to be offering more, even if playing out wide, with Alexandre Lacazette another proven frontman that is failing to fire at present.

The former Gunners defender told FreeSuperTips: “Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has certainly been less effective out wide. If you look back at all the games that he has played for Arsenal, he has started from the wide positions and has been scoring a lot of goals. 

“It is hard to say whether he would be more effective playing down the middle because he has been pushed wide to fit in Alexandre Lacazette. However right now, Lacazette is going through a dry patch in terms of scoring goals and not being that game changer for Arsenal that he once was.

“You have to consider that maybe he is not getting the service into the box, so when your team isn’t creating as many chances, there is always the claim that Aubameyang should play through the middle and be the main centre forward.

“Arsenal have many options in the wide areas, with the likes of [Nicolas] Pepe, Willian and Bukayo Saka. Mikel Arteta may look at it and think it hasn’t been working and change it.

“The fans will be rightly frustrated because he [Aubameyang] is the top goal scorer and currently, he is not putting the ball in the back of the net, not just because he is playing out wide, there is a lot more to it than that.”

Aubameyang was an unused substitute as Arsenal eased past Dundalk 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday, with Arteta opting to rest him ahead of a return to Premier League action on Sunday away at Manchester United.

Hansi Flick believes David Alaba has been as impressive this season as he was in Bayern Munich's treble-winning campaign and remains hopeful the defender will stay in Bavaria.

Alaba's Bayern contract expires at the end of 2020-21 and tense negotiations over a renewal have prompted a public spat between his father and board member Uli Hoeness.

George Alaba reacted furiously to Hoeness' insinuation his son was only interested in money and accused him of "spreading dirty lies".

The Austria international is consequently said to be a target for a number of top clubs, with Bayern facing the possibility of losing another key member of last year's successful side after Thiago Alcantara joined Liverpool.

However coach Flick is still optimistic and says the speculation has not impacted Alaba's on-field performances. He has made seven starts in all competitions.

"Against [Arminia] Bielefeld, Atletico [Madrid] and Eintracht [Frankfurt], Alaba is doing a good job," Flick told a news conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Cologne. "I feel he's the same as last season, very focused, loud on the pitch, one of the players who leads our defence. For me, there's no difference between now and last season.

"I'm not concerning myself with [worries about a January transfer] at all right now.

"I still hope he'll sign with Bayern because I think he knows what the situation is like here in Munich. It's a lot of fun to train with a team with a good atmosphere here, we play successful football and this club is one of the best in the world.

"The conditions are top for every player right now and I think he'll think twice about changing that.

"It's his decision - and we have to respect that, obviously - but I hope he will stay. He has to decide, my feeling is irrelevant."

Alaba has won just 40 per cent of his tackles and 50 per cent of his duels across his four Bundesliga starts in 2020-21, but he is averaging two clearances and two interceptions per 90 minutes.

In the top flight last season he was successful with 56.7 per cent of his tackles and 54.6 per cent of his duels, while he averaged one interception and 1.2 blocks per 90 minutes.

Flick has three options at centre-back, with Alaba starting four times alongside Niklas Sule and three times with Jerome Boateng in all competitions.

The coach suggested Alaba and Boateng as a pair are "maybe ahead because they're matched a bit together" due to Sule's anterior cruciate ligament injury last season, but the Cologne game is the second of four consecutive away fixtures and Flick may have to rotate his team.

"It's the way it is," he said. "I would've preferred to have a home game in between but we accept the situation. We will try to distribute the strain. I'm not going to tell you how we'll do it, but we accept all these trips.

"We flew into Moscow and flew out, to get back to Munich quickly. We have to accept it and try to win the three points everywhere."

ATK Mohun Bagan kick-off their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign on November 20 against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim, Goa.

In their second match, they will face SC East Bengal in a much-anticipated Kolkata Derby on November 27. 

Here is the schedule of ATK Mohun Bagan in ISL 2020-21 until January. 

Fixtures for only the first 11 rounds, which consists of 55 matches, have been released right now. The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December as the league awaits clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) matches.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, due to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament. 

Liverpool were close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo when he was still at Sporting CP, former Reds manager Gerard Houllier has confirmed.

Houllier’s assistant at Anfield, Phil Thompson, revealed in October that the club were close to agreeing terms with Ronaldo, but he left the remainder of the story open ended.

Houllier has now filled in the blanks, indicating the economic and political reasons were to blame for not getting the transfer over the line – as well as a sense of caution given that they had seen little of the burgeoning star.

“Phil is right in that we missed him but there are a lot of people who can say that too,” he said, speaking in Monaco.

“In 2002, the year I was sick, we decided to take Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma, two Sporting CP players. They had won the Toulon tournament with Portugal and were very good on the wings.

“We had been following Cristiano for a year, but it was dragging a bit because at the salary level it was more demanding than what we could do for Ronaldo.

“You have to know that there was a salary policy at Liverpool and Michael Owen had just won the Ballon d'Or. You couldn’t give a 17-year-old a higher salary than him.

“I have had a lot of contact with Cristiano but Manchester United played a friendly against Lisbon. Sporting won 3-1, Cristiano scored two goals [sic: Ronaldo did not score in the fixture] and all the United players said he had to be bought.

“His price went from £4 million to £13m and we could not match it.

“Maybe also our recruiter should have said yes right away but he wanted to be sure, to not make a mistake.”

Despite the near miss, Houllier has never held it against the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

"It's funny because I've always kept a special relationship with Cristiano,” he said. “I was at his first Ballon d'Or ceremony with Alex Ferguson, he was really happy.

“We kept a kind of close relationship when I was coach of Liverpool and he played against us.

“He is a model of professionalism, an exceptionally hard worker. We can say whatever we want about him, he is a talented leader but also a leader of effort. Forty goals per season, chapeau!

“English football did him good, plus he had David Beckham as his tutor.”

Since moving on from United, Ronaldo has continued an illustrious career with Real Madrid and Juventus.

Virgil van Dijk has undergone successful surgery on the knee injury that could see him miss the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Centre-back Van Dijk damaged ligaments in the early stages of the Merseyside derby on October 17 following a challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The Netherlands international had a planned operation on Friday to repair the damage, Liverpool announced.

“The Liverpool defender’s planned operation took place in London and was conducted successfully," a statement on Premier League champions’ website read.

"Van Dijk will now immediately focus on the beginning of his rehabilitation with the support of the Reds' medical department. No timeframe has been placed on the Dutchman’s return to action.”

The former Celtic and Southampton player was pivotal in helping Liverpool end their 30-year wait to be crowned domestic champions again, scoring five goals as he played in all 38 league games last season.

Van Dijk's absence has been further compounded by injuries to team-mates Joel Matip and Fabinho, the latter having been pushed back to play in defence due to a lack of alternative options available to Jurgen Klopp.

Brazilian Fabinho came off with a hamstring issue during the first half of the Champions League victory over Midtjylland on Tuesday.

Rhys Williams, 19, came on to partner Joe Gomez and could be set for a Premier League debut when Liverpool host West Ham on Saturday. He was the subject of praise from Klopp and team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold after his display against the Danish side.

However, Klopp has also highlighted 23-year-old Nathaniel Phillips and Billy Koumetio, 17, as options to slot into the back line.

The Hammers, meanwhile, have suffered an injury setback of their own, however; Michail Antonio will miss the game at Anfield with a hamstring problem.

Antonio has scored 11 goals in his past 13 Premier League games and has managed 39 in the competition in total. Only three players - Paolo Di Canio (47), Mark Noble (46) and Carlton Cole (41) - have registered more for the club in the competition.

David Moyes’ side are 12th in the table after six matches, five points behind Liverpool, who are in second place.

East Bengal kickstart their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) campaign on November 27 against arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan at the Tilak Maidan, Goa.

The Red and Golds face Mumbai City FC in the second match on December 1. In their final match of the first phase, they take on former I-League rivals Bengaluru FC.

Here are the first 10 fixtures of East Bengal in ISL 2020-21 season.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has explained the reason he started striker Ibrahim Ajibu as the lone frontman against Ruvu Shooting in a Mainland Premier League match four days ago.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi went on to lose the match by a solitary goal and it came three days after they had suffered the same result to Tanzania Prisons at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The Belgian tactician has now revealed he did not have options to play upfront owing to the injuries suffered to strikers John Bocco and Meddie Kagere, hence the move to start Ajibu.

“I did not have enough options because my other two strikers [Kagere and Bocco] are injured, it was not my fault but because of the condition my team was in, we did not have fit strikers,” Vandenbroeck explained to Sokaletu.

Ajibu started the game as a lone striker with Kenya midfielder Francis Kahata and Luis Miqussone assisting him, and he ended up with four shots that did not hit the target.

In an earlier interview, Vandenbroeck admitted he was yet to come to terms with the team’s two consecutive defeats in the Mainland Premier League.

“First of all, I want to apologise for the two losses in a row to the Simba family and it is very hard for us to digest,” Vandenbroeck said as quoted by Daily News. “If you look at the game, we missed some aggressiveness in the first half which was not our usual level of play.

“The second half was much better as we took some risks but in total, we were not efficient enough to take good results today [Monday]. It hurts to all of us.

“At this point, it is very difficult to point out what is the problem and if I have to analyse everything, it is something which I cannot share with the members of the media.

“According to the way we pushed in the second half, I do not think match fitness is the problem to point at. I think the question is what we have available in the striking position which made me play with a false number nine.”

The defeat against Shooting saw Simba surrender the third spot in the 18-team table as they dropped to fourth while their rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) who are still unbeaten, moved to second behind table-toppers Azam FC.

Simba will next face Mwadui FC at Uhuru Stadium on Saturday.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson says there was no need for Everton counterpart Jordan Pickford to make the tackle on Virgil van Dijk that resulted in the defender's serious knee injury.

Van Dijk will be out for several months after sustaining ligament damage when Pickford challenged him in the Everton box just 11 minutes into the Merseyside derby this month.

Pickford escaped a red card for the tackle and the England international has faced heavy criticism since, with the likes of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl among those who have voiced their shock at the clash. 

Brazilian shot stopper Alisson says it was unnecessary for Pickford to charge in the way he did.

"Every goalkeeper has a different way to play and a different way to move, but in that moment, 100 per cent, it was not a necessary movement," he told Sky Sports.

"Thinking what I have in my mind when I go for a situation - I go to finish the situation, if I go too soft, I know the opponent can score - but everyone has their own way to go for the ball. I don't agree with that way [Pickford on Van Dijk], everybody can see that. It was just an unnecessary moment and movement."

Klopp called on Fabinho to take Van Dijk's place in the centre of defence, but the Brazil international picked up an injury of his own in the first half of Tuesday's Champions League win against Midtjylland and could be out for several weeks.

The Liverpool manager has backed Rhys Williams, Nathaniel Phillips and Billy Koumetio to fill in at the heart of the back line and Alisson is confident his side can cope with the injury crisis.

"We have everything we need to keep doing our job, playing our football, playing the way we play," he added. "We don't need to make changes. Obviously you will miss some things - [like] Virgil's headers!

"He doesn't just help us in the defensive phase but attacking and scoring goals as well, but this will prove the strength of our team. We are a really strong side with many players who can play."

Leon Balogun is confident of Rangers’ chances against Benfica after they defeated Lech Poznan 1-0 in their latest Uefa Europa League outing.

The Nigeria international produced a fine performance at the back as Alfredo Morelos came off the bench to score the only goal that separated both teams at Ibrox Stadium on Thursday night.

The result was Rangers’ second straight win the Europa League this season and it also extended their unbeaten run to 17 matches across all competitions so far.

Balogun thinks the Gers’ fine form will continue to give them confidence as they aim to progress from Group D.

"We kind of made it a big thing to get the three points out of this game because we knew how massive it would be and I think everybody is happy that we accomplished that, because it wasn't an easy game. They are not a pushover,” the 32-year-old told the club website.

"We played a really, really good side and you could see that against Benfica as well. So yeah, it's a massive win and it definitely puts us in a good position for the rest of the group stage.

"Again there is still no need to get carried away, but I think definitely that was a big step forward for us."

Rangers and Benfica are level on six points after two games but the latter sit at the summit of Group D with a superior goal difference.

The Scottish Premiership leaders visit the Portuguese club for their next Europa League fixture on November 5 and Balogun is upbeat about their chances at the Estadio Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

"Nobody will go in there with fear. If at all, probably with respect, which we actually have for every team,” he continued.

"Those teams have qualified for Europe not because they are just some team. Benfica, we all know about the strength of that club, but I don't think we have to hide or anything.

"Definitely those last two games [against Standard Liege and Lech Poznan] gave us confidence, rightfully so, and we have a good management staff and they are going to prepare us well.

“We go into the games with Benfica to win them, there is no point going into the game just to participate. We want to win if possible and I think we are going to have a match plan next week that will show us ways to do that.

"Then it is on us on the pitch to put that into life and breathe life into that plan."

Kenya defender Michael Kibwage has vowed to give his best to make it to the final squad that will play Comoros in November.

The Harambee Stars will be playing the islanders in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier doubleheader scheduled for November. The Sofapaka FC defender is among the 40 players summoned by coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee to prepare for the fixtures.

"It is an honour and privilege to be part of the national team to represent millions of Kenyans," Kibwage told Goal on Friday.

"The competition in the team is really stiff but that is what pushes one to give his best. As a matter of fact, I am intending to go all the way and help Kenya get a win. I want to be in the final squad, I want to play and all that will happen if the technical bench is convinced of my ability to do the job on the pitch."

The 22-year-old was last involved with the national team on September 8, 2019, against Uganda. In a match that eventually ended 1-1, the youngster was paired alongside Joash Onyango but was replaced later on by Johnstone Omurwa.

"It is never easy to get that chance of playing in the national team because there are many players who are yearning for that chance," Kibwage revealed.

"To be honest, I am happy and delighted to be back and my desire is to continue being involved regularly, only if I also give my best on the pitch at my club level and grab my chance with both hands in the international level as well."

The first match will be played at Kasarani on November 11 with the second one four days later away.

Goalkeepers: Arnold Origi (HIFK, Finland), Robert Mboya (Tusker, Kenya), Brian Bwire (Kariobangi Sharks, Kenya), Ian Otieno (Zesco United, Zambia), Timothy Odhiambo (Ulinzi Stars, Kenya)

Defenders: Johnstone Omurwa (Wazito, Kenya), Brian Mandela (Unattached), Joash Onyango (Simba, Tanzania), Daniel Sakari (Kariobangi Sharks, Kenya) Andrew Juma (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Mike Kibwage (Sofapaka, Kenya), Joseph Okumu (Elfsborg, Sweden), Samuel Olwande (Kariobangi Sharks, Kenya), Baraka Badi (KCB, Kenya), David Owino (Zesco United, Zambia), Hillary Wandera (Tusker, Kenya), Eric Ouma (AIK, Sweden), David Owino (Mathare United, Kenya)

Midfielders: Kenneth Muguna (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Victor Wanyama (Impact Montreal, Canada), Ismael Gonzalez (UD Las Palmas, Spain), Eric Johanna Omondi (Jonkoping’s Sodra, Sweden), Cliff Nyakeya (Masr FC, Egypt), Antony Akumu (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Musa Masika (Wazito, Kenya), Bonface Muchiri (Tusker, Kenya) Lawrence Juma (Sofapaka, Kenya), Johanna Omolo (Cercle Brugge, Belgium), Ayub Timbe (Unattached), Peter Thion’go (AFC Leopards, Kenya), Hassan Abdallah (Bandari, Kenya), Elli Asieche (Sofapaka, Kenya), Mathew Olake (Unattached), Moses Mudavadi (Kakamega Homeboyz, Kenya), Austin Odhiambo (AFC Leopards, Kenya)

Forwards: Michael Olunga (Kashiwa Reysol, Japan), Benson Omala (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Masud Juma (JS Kabylie, Algeria), John Avire (Tanta FC, Egypt), Oscar Wamalwa (Ulinzi Stars, Kenya)

Reserves: Dennis Sikhayi (Wazito, Kenya), James Kinyanjui (Mathare United, Kenya)