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Ghana coach Nuhu Baba believes his team are favourites to beat Nigeria to secure a qualification ticket for the 2021 Fifa Women's U17 World Cup.

The archrivals are set for a final round showdown over two legs on October 30 and November 20.

Ghana come into the games on the back of a 10-0 aggregate triumph over Liberia in the last round, the same phase Nigeria accounted for Guinea on an 11-2 score after the home and away matches.

"If you look at our record of winning 10-0 against Liberia and that of Nigeria winning 10-1, I think that we are ahead of them, I should say so," Baba said, as reported by the Ghana Football Association's official website.

"There has never been anything like getting scared of Nigeria.

"We are Ghana, they are Nigeria and we are two strong teams in Africa, so we are going on with our preparations and when the match day comes, people will see what we are made of."

Ghana will host the first leg fixture In Cape Coast before travelling for the return encounter.

The games were originally scheduled for May but had to be postponed to new dates because of the coronavirus pandemic disruptions.

"It is very important that at least we have an idea of our opponent but for now, we don’t have any information on them so we are going ahead with our preparations," Baba continued.

"We are playing home first so it’s our game strategy. They should be looking out for us on how they will be able to counter us.

"Even though it's good for us to have information about them, we don’t have it. I believe we are preparing for them and everything is going to be okay."

The Black Maidens are the only African side to have qualified for all editions of the U17 Women's World Cup held so far, a reputation Baba and his charges are poised to protect.

"When people talk about my girls being scared, I laugh because this is not Black Stars vs Green Eagles," the coach added.

"Remember these are women's sides, under-17 sides.

"Ghana has always been a tough customer for this age category and I believe that they [Nigeria] will be more scared of us than we will do [about them] because we have always qualified for the tournament and excelled."

The 2021 U17 Women's World Cup is scheduled to be held in India.

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has warned his players not to underrate JKT Tanzania when the two sides clash in a Mainland Premier League match on Sunday.

The league champions are heading into the match knowing their rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) won their match on Saturday after beating Coastal Union 3-0 to move top of the table.

The Belgian tactician has now warned his players against underrating their opponents maintaining they must be ready to harvest maximum points from “a difficult pitch in Dodoma.”

“It is going to be a difficult game considering that we have not played at the venue for a very long time,” Vandenbroeck told reporters ahead of the match on Sunday.

“The pitch at Jamhuri Stadium is very difficult and not friendly to my players and the style of football I would like them to exhibit but we have no choice and my players know that they must work hard to get the points.

“We have been training for the three points and that is what we want to achieve at the end of the match, it is our target to win every match this season and I know we can beat them, they are tough while playing at home, and I have warned my players not to underrate them because they can hurt you.”

Simba are heading with no injury concerns apart from Gerson Fraga, who has missed the better part of the new campaign after he picked an injury and was ruled out for three weeks.

Vandenbroeck will face a headache to select his starting eleven, especially the striking force where captain John Bocco has returned from injury and could start ahead of Meddie Kagere, who has scored two goals so far this season.

Simba have so far played four matches, winning three and drawing one – a 1-1 draw against Mtibwa Sugar – and have accumulated 10 points but will come up against a wounded side, who lost their last match 1-0 against Coastal Union.

JKT Tanzania are lying in position 14th with four points while Simba are placed third.

In other league matches set for Sunday, Biashara United will come up against Mtibwa Sugar while Azam FC, who are yet to lose a match nor drop points from four matches, will come up against Kagera Sugar at Chamazi complex.

Ghana Football Association (GFA) communications director Henry Asante Twum has revealed the outfit has not received a withdrawal request from any of the players called up for the Black Stars' October friendlies against Mali and Qatar.

CK Akonnor's side is set to take on their African counterparts on October 9, three days before facing 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar in a second friendly in the Turkish city of Antalya.

The Black Stars boss has invited 23 players for the double-header but there have been reports Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Mohammed Kudus, Crystal Palace ace Jeffrey Schlupp and France-born Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku will not be able to answer the call due to injury setbacks.

“When a player gets injured, it is for the doctors to confirm. We have a very experienced doctor who is in charge of the Black Stars. So from last week when the list was made known to the public, he has gotten in touch with the clubs,” Asante Twum told Silver FM.

“What I know is that when any of these players are not in a position to play, the clubs will officially communicate that to the FA.

“As it stands, I am only hearing it on the radio, I may have read some in the newspapers and online, but at the end of the day we can only speak to facts.

“So if the clubs write to the GFA that any player is injured and is ruled out for one month or two months, then we can dwell on that to take a decision. So let us wait for just a few days. We have one more week to the game. If we get any official information from the clubs, we will make it public."

Schlupp, who has been recalled to the Black Stars for the first time since March 2019, has missed his club's last two games, including Saturday's league defeat to Chelsea, owing to injury situations.

Kudus has been confirmed out of Ajax's Eredivisie clash with Groningen, having picked up an injury in training during the week while there have been reports Djiku picked up an injury during his club's last league game against AS Monaco, casting doubts over his availability.

Former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher believes the club will find it tough to finish in the Premier League's top four without further recruitment. 

Ahead of the transfer window closing on October 5, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have been linked with a number of players including Jadon Sancho, Luka Jovic and most recently Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele.

Borussia Dortmund star Sancho has been a long-time target for the Red Devils but they have struggled to get a deal done. 

United have signed just one player so far this summer in the form of Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek and Fletcher is adamant more recruitment is needed if the club want to be competitive. 

"We know it's more difficult for Manchester United to sign players. The value goes up, the negotiations are difficult," Fletcher told Sky Sports.

"But at the same time they will be frustrated - Ole, the fans, everybody around the club - by the fact that Chelsea and other teams can do their business early, and that other teams have spent a lot of money already while Manchester United look like they are going to leave it last minute.

"For me, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, for the job he has done for the club, from where it was to what it is now, deserves the players he wants in. He's always got the best interests of the club at heart, I know that, but sometimes Ole has to look after himself as well, because he's going to be judged season on season.

"People don't look at the work you've done, they want the here and now, and for Manchester United to get to where they want, they need players. They need three, four, five players to get anywhere close to challenging Liverpool. If they don't recruit, they are going to find it tough to finish top four.

"I would hate all that pressure and criticism to go on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, because I feel he's done a fantastic job.

"The board have to back him. Ole will have identified targets and so will the club. They've got five or six days to get him some help and get him some players in."

After losing their first game of the season against Crystal Palace, Solskjaer's side have bounced back with consecutive wins over Brighton and next face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. 

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is unsure how long Eden Hazard will be sidelined, but said the attacker was "upset" after another injury setback.

Hazard, 29, is enduring a torrid run in Madrid, and is yet to make an appearance this season, with doubts now over whether he'll fit for El Clasico later this month.

The Belgium international was ready to return from an ankle problem, but suffered a muscle injury that saw him miss Wednesday's 1-0 La Liga victory over Real Valladolid.

Zidane is unsure how long Hazard, signed from Chelsea last year, will be unavailable.

"I can't tell you how long it'll be. He picked up a bit of a knock in training before the game," he told a news conference.

"It looked like a muscle spasm but in the end it turned out to be a bit more than that. It's something muscular. It's nothing to do with the injury he's had and these things happen.

"He's been out for a long time. I don't think this one will be long but I can't tell you exactly."

Hazard has struggled to impress since arriving at Madrid, where he scored one goal and provided three assists in 16 La Liga appearances last season.

Zidane said the former Lille star was disappointed after his latest injury but stressed the importance of keeping it in perspective.

"He's upset because he was all right. We talked about it at the press conference before the match, but he's had a setback and these things can happen," he said.

"He's not happy, he knows that it's not a big thing and we have to take it easy with him. It's a question of little time, I'm sure."

After earning seven points from their opening three La Liga games, Madrid visit Levante on Sunday.

Hazard's team-mate Thibaut Courtois sympathised with the Belgian star post-match and is hopeful he can bounce back quickly. 

"Hazard is a little sad, he was training very well, it's a little setback. It's not the ankle," Courtois said. "I hope he's back soon. Hazard was looking forward to playing again."

Rodrigo De Paul has admitted he'd go to war for Argentina captain Lionel Messi and revealed a lighter side to the Barcelona star. 

Messi was first named captain of his nation in 2011 and has also been handed the armband at Camp Nou. 

De Paul, who earned his first international cap in 2018 and plays at club level for Udinese, has emerged as a regular for Argentina over the past year and has clearly savoured playing alongside Messi.

While the six-time Ballon d'Or winner could overawe his team-mates, De Paul stressed Messi's openness has made him an ideal leader. 

"You look up to him obviously, but when you start sharing things with him, he is so transparent that instead of telling him what you think of him, you feel more like asking him about his little kids or of reminding him of the time he took you out with his studs up in a Valencia-Barcelona game," De Paul told FIFA.com.

"When he becomes your captain, you’d go to war for him if he asked you to.

"The key thing is that everyone knows what they’re expected to do, nobody is trying to hog the headlines. The only untouchable one is Leo. The rest of us contribute by doing whatever is asked of us."

While Messi has become an important leader for Argentina, he's still up for a few jokes with De Paul, who has been dubbed the team's biggest joker. 

"That's what they say, but sometimes I’ll just throw an idea out and some others will quickly run with it...Tucu Pereyra, Leo Paredes...Even Messi himself will join in – I'm not the only one," he said. 

De Paul was also quick to defend Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, who has often been criticised by fans and pundits for his bold team selection.

"He may lack experience as a head coach, but he has 30 years’ experience of the dressing room," De Paul said.

"He understands how groups work, knows his trade, came up through the national youth teams, played at a World Cup.

"I don't know how many people would have had the determination to implement the changes he made or to call up players not among the top teams in world football." 

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti praised "on fire" Dominic Calvert-Lewin after the striker scored his second hat-trick in the space of four matches.

Calvert-Lewin made it eight goals from five games this term with his treble in Wednesday's 4-1 Carabao Cup last-16 victory over West Ham at Goodison Park.

The 23-year-old opened the scoring in the 11th minute and added two more late on after team-mate Richarlison had cancelled out Robert Snodgrass' equaliser.

Ancelotti suggested Calvert-Lewin is deserving of a first call-up to the England squad when Gareth Southgate names his side on Thursday.

"He's doing a fantastic job in the moment. He's really on fire and scoring a lot of goals," said Ancelotti of Calvert-Lewin, who also bagged a hat-trick against West Brom in the Premier League 11 days ago.

"He's in a very good moment. Whether he's the best [English striker] I don't know, but I don't care. For me, for us, he is."

Calvert-Lewin, who has scored more goals than any other Premier League player in all competitions this term, is hopeful that he has done enough to win over England boss Southgate.

"I've said many times before that it's my dream to play for England but I can't control that so I'm taking care of business at the moment to give myself the best chance to make the next step," he said.

"I'm enjoying my football, which is the main thing. You look at the chances being created and they are there for me so it's my job to put them in the back of the net and I'm obviously enjoying being able to do that at the moment."

Former Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez set up Richarlison for Everton's second goal and has now created 15 chances in four games since joining the club.

"We've got players who are capable of scoring from different areas of the pitch which is very important," Calvert-Lewin added. "When you've got that, it's a helping hand from everyone on the pitch. 

"A lot of my goals have been one-touch finishes so it's about getting in the right areas and being the man to put them in the back of the net."

Thibaut Courtois admits Eden Hazard is a "little sad" after the Real Madrid star was once again ruled out of action with injury. 

The Belgium international was absent on Wednesday as Zinedine Zidane's side scraped to a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid in La Liga.

Hazard is yet to feature for Los Blancos this season after injury struggles across the 2019-20 campaign saw him score just one goal following his high-profile move from Chelsea. 

The 29-year-old's latest injury appears to be a muscle injury in his right leg with doubts now over whether he'll be fit in time for the first El Clasico of the season later this month. 

Courtois has plenty of sympathy for Hazard and is hopeful the attacker can bounce back strongly. 

"Hazard is a little sad, he was training very well, it's a little setback. It's not the ankle," Courtois said post-match. "I hope he's back soon. Hazard was looking forward to playing again."

Prior to Hazard's latest setback, Zidane had hinted that the Belgian was close to making a return to action. 

“He is prepared and training well with the team. The issue is that he hasn’t been able to train much until now, but now he is back training regularly. So, we’ll see what happens," Zidane said on Tuesday.

“What he wants is to play. He had a big problem that caused him issues for a long time, but now it seems like he is fine.

“The season is very long and he is a professional. What he wants is to be with his team-mates and to play.”

Real Madrid could certainly have used Hazard's creativity on Wednesday night as they struggled to break down a stubborn Valladolid outfit. 

Courtois was quite critical of his side's performance, stressing they need to be faster and more flexible on the pitch. 

"When we increase the pace like in second half, we've been better off. The formation doesn't matter, what needs to be done is to fulfill the plan of the coach," Courtois said. 

"If you don't move the ball fast, it's comfortable for them to defend. We lacked that speed. If we are flexible in tactics we can surprise the rest of the teams." 

Zidane's side next face Levante on Sunday and are currently equal second in La Liga. 

Hansi Flick admitted Bayern Munich made life difficult for themselves in the DFL Super Cup win over Borussia Dortmund that completed a quintuple of trophy triumphs.

It took a late Joshua Kimmich goal to give Bayern a 3-2 victory at Allianz Arena as last season's Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal winners landed more silverware.

Bayern had already won a trophy this term after clinching the UEFA Super Cup, so Bayern now can point to owning five current titles.

But what at one stage looked like being a routine win turned into a testing contest for Germany's all-conquering side on Wednesday.

Dortmund were in trouble when Bayern surged 2-0 up in 32 minutes through goals from Corentin Tolisso and Thomas Muller, but Julian Brandt and Erling Haaland struck to bring the teams level heading into the final half-hour.

Kimmich pinched an 82nd-minute winner after robbing Thomas Delaney of possession and exchanging passes with Robert Lewandowski, finding the net at the second attempt with a desperate flick at the ball after his initial shot was blocked.

"We wanted to win the game, but it was really not so easy. We deserved to lead 2-0 and then made life difficult for ourselves," head coach Flick said.

"However, what counts for me is that we won the game and everything else is something that we'll want to do better on Sunday."

Bayern's Sunday assignment in the Bundesliga is a home game against Hertha Berlin.

Kimmich was relieved to get his hands on another trophy, after Dortmund threatened to take the win.

It took a fine save from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to deny Haaland a goal that would have put Lucien Favre's Dortmund side 3-2 ahead.

"In the end we have the trophy. That feels good," Kimmich said, quoted on Bayern's website. "We fought for the cup, even if it wasn't our best game."

Like his boss and the match-winner, Neuer recognised Bayern were not at their most impressive level.

Neuer said: "You know that you're playing against a strong team, so something can always happen and we saw that today. It was our fault that we let Dortmund back into the game."

"You can't always assume you're going to score three goals, but at the end Joshua Kimmich did well," captain Neuer added.

There was regret in the Dortmund camp over the chance of a trophy gone begging.

Goalscorer Brandt said: "I think we let in two annoying goals in the first half. Unfortunately, we didn't do well there. We then got the next goal and we then had chances that we couldn't take."

Pep Guardiola compared Manchester City's teenage midfielder Cole Palmer to Phil Foden after the 18-year-old made a strong debut in a 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Burnley.

Manchester-born playmaker Palmer, who has been at the club since joining City's Under-8's, slotted into Guardiola's midfield alongside Kevin De Bruyne and showed his creative abilities while attempting two shots of his own.

A Raheem Sterling brace and Ferran Torres' first goal for the club put City into the quarter-finals of the competition they have won in three straight years, but Guardiola picked out Palmer for praise, comparing his finishing prowess to that of first-team regular Foden.

"He started a little bit shy, but that's normal," Guardiola told the club's official website.

"He is an incredible young lad in the training sessions. Since two months ago he has showed us a lot of things. He has a good future in this club.

"He is a humble guy. He is a guy with incredible finishing, like Phil. He had his chance to score. His debut in this competition against a Premier League side, it will be good for his future.

"Again, thank you to the academy for these players. We get players from the academy's work."

Guardiola handed a second start to £20m (€22m/$25m) winger Torres at Turf Moor and the 20-year-old rewarded him with a well-taken goal.

The Spain international joined City from Valencia in August and has since featured twice in the Premier League.

Guardiola praised his performance at Burnley while offering constructive criticism, saying: "He is a young player and still needs a little bit of time to understand what we want to do.

"He's clever in the final third, with his passes. He doesn't cross to cross, he passes the ball."

On City's overall performance, which came after a 5-2 home defeat to Leicester City on Sunday, Guardiola said: "It was good. This competition is special for us.

"Two games, this one and Leeds before the international break. After our result [against Leicester] it was important to win."

Manchester City next face Leeds United on Saturday with Marcelo Bielsa's side currently seventh in the Premier League. 

Pep Guardiola says that he believes Ruben Dias can be a key figure for Manchester City for "six or seven years" after sealing a deal for the Portuguese defender.

Manchester City completed a £62 million ($79m) move for the defender on Tuesday, with Dias signing a six-year deal with Guardiola's side.

Part of that cost was offset by a move for Nicolas Otamendi, who completed a move in the opposite direction to Benfica in a deal worth £14m ($17m).

Dias heads to Manchester having already won 19 caps for Portugal and emerging as a star as part of the Benfica set-up.

And Guardiola says that he believes that Dias can be a mainstay for City for years to come as the defender should jump right into matches with his new club.

"I have to thank Nicolas Otamendi, part of the incredible success we have had in recent years," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "The season we won the league with 100 points he was incredible.

"He played with a broken ankle, with 20 stitches, he had a great mentality so I wish him and his family all the best. He will be one of the things I will always remember about this club.

"We know Ruben Dias’s personality and I am sure he will be an incredible player for the next six or seven years.

"We’re very happy to have him. Our back four are now a young team. We start training tomorrow and get going as quick as possible."

Manchester City cruised past Burnley on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, winning 3-0 behind a brace from Raheem Sterling and a goal from summer signing Ferran Torres.

Guardiola was full of praise for the Spanish star, and his side in general, as City now look ahead to a must-watch clash with free-flowing Leeds this weekend.

"[It was] important we didn’t concede and the team was good in general. We are still far away from our best because we’re not training much. We have a lot of players out, six because of Covid and four injuries," Guardiola said.

"But step by step when we have all the squad we will get better. I hope we won’t be far away from the people up front but we are in the quarter-finals of this competition again so it’s good.

"When you lose a game the most important thing is the next one. Firstly, because if you lose in this competition, you’re out. Secondly because we have just two games before the international break and some players need to play, we didn’t have a pre-season so that’s important we have to give them minutes.

"Ferran Torres needs to improve some things, because we haven’t trained much or spoke much. He has the skills, he’s young, he’s aggressive he can play on both sides, he’s so clever it’s not cross to cross he is always watching what’s happening."

Vinicius Junior felt his introduction alongside Marco Asensio turned Real Madrid's La Liga meeting with Real Valladolid in the champions' favour.

Brazilian Vinicius grabbed the only goal in Wednesday's 1-0 win after arriving from the bench in the 58th minute.

Madrid had dominated up to that stage, but Luka Jovic - the man Vinicius replaced - missed two big chances and had a third well saved by Roberto.

With Jovic continuing to toil amid reports of interest from Manchester United, Zinedine Zidane turned to his bench and made a triple change, with Dani Carvajal joining Vinicius and Asensio.

Although the pattern of the game did not vastly change, Vinicius found the net and later hailed Zidane's substitutions.

"We are all happy with the game," the 20-year-old said. "The first half was more complicated, but Zidane changed the system in the second.

"He brought Asensio and I on and we were able to change the game."

It was a second straight win for Madrid, although they were similarly made to work hard in a 3-2 success at Real Betis.

"It was a different game from Betis," Vinicius said. "[Valladolid] put a lot of people behind the ball, but the important thing is that we won both games."

Jovic's struggles were further evidence of a slow start for Madrid's attack this season, having drawn 0-0 at Real Sociedad in their La Liga opener.

But Vinicius is encouraged by the way the team's defence is performing to keep their misfiring team-mates in matches.

"It's the beginning of the season – we haven't play friendlies and we had little time to train," he said.

"We know that if we do not concede, we have many options in attack. We continue working with Zidane to improve up front. The system depends on the players and each opponent."

The La Liga champions have now drawn equal-first with Getafe on seven points on the La Liga table, but several teams have played less league fixtures to date.

Real will travel to Levante on Sunday for their last league fixture before the international break, with the team to play newly-promoted Cadiz and arch-rivals Barcelona after that period.

Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno has insisted the club is "calm" over Luka Jovic's form after the striker missed multiple golden chances in a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid on Wednesday.

Jovic missed two great chances before half-time and a second-half header was well saved by Valladolid goalkeeper Roberto.

Vinicius Junior would eventually replace Jovic and go on to score the game's only goal in the 65th minute as Madrid won their second straight La Liga match. 

It was another frustrating evening for Jovic, who has struggled to show his best form since making a €70 million (£62m/$79m) move from Eintracht Frankfurt in June 2019.

The Serbian scored just twice last season and has not found the net in two La Liga starts this campaign. In 10 total starts with Madrid, Jovic is still looking for his first goal. 

However, Butragueno insisted after the game that he was happy with the 22-year-old's performance and said he is still confident Jovic will eventually come good for the Blancos.

"Jovic's header deserved a goal," Butragueno said. "He was very good. The goals will come. We are calm." 

Jovic has been linked with a move away from Madrid, with Manchester United, Roma, AC Milan and Inter all linked in recent weeks. 

Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has not ruled out the possibility that Jovic could leave and when asked about the striker earlier on Wednesday he said: "You have to take everything into account.

"Until the fifth [of October], the market is open. We will see. The players are fine and that's what interests me."

Madrid were dealt a blow on Wednesday when another one of last summer's big-money additions, Eden Hazard, suffered a setback with a muscle injury in his right leg.

Reports in Spain are suggesting that the ex-Chelsea star could be unavailable for the next 20 to 25 days, which means he may be forced to sit out the first Clasico of the 2020-21 campaign against Barcelona on October 25.

Though, like Jovic, Hazard also failed to live up to expectations in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, Butragueno recognised that the Belgian's injury was highly damaging to his side.

"Hazard’s injury is a big shame because he is fundamental,” he concluded.

Juan Mata praised Donny van de Beek for his "very clever" assist in Manchester United's 3-0 win against Brighton and says he loves playing in the same side as his new team-mate.

Van de Beek, signed from Ajax earlier this month in a deal rising to £49 million (€54m/$63m), played in Mata for United's second goal in Wednesday's Carabao Cup last-16 tie with a delightful back-heeled pass.

Having also teed up Scott McTominay for the visitors' first-half opener at the Amex Stadium, Mata has now been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 15 starts for the club.

The Spaniard was named as the sponsors' man of the match but he was quick to praise Van de Beek for his part in what proved to be a routine victory for United.

"It was a very clever assist. He's a very clever player," Mata told Sky Sports. "I love playing with him because he finds pockets and spaces. 

"He understands football in a way that I like, which is playing one-twos, passing and moving, and the goal was like that."

United were fortunate to grab a late 3-2 Premier League win at the same venue four days ago but this victory was far more straightforward come full-time, with substitute Paul Pogba adding a third goal via a deflected free-kick.

Dean Henderson was called into action to keep out Leandro Trossard with a top-class save at 1-0, though Mata was pleased with his side's overall display on England's south coast.

"They have a great manager who tries to play attractive football. They also change the system in the game, so you have to be alert," he said. "Today I think we played really good. 

"We created chances in the second half, we had even more chances to kill the game. So we're happy today.

"We want to lift trophies for our fans. We want to do it again. We try to win every game. This is different this year with the early stage.

"I feel good physically and mentally and have a passion for the game. I have a lot of football left in my legs and my mind."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side next face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. 

Chelsea defender Matt Miazga is set to join Anderlecht on a season-long loan, which has finally been agreed after he overcame a pre-season injury.

The U.S. men's national team centre-back is fully fit once again and has chosen to move to the Belgian giants following conversations with Vincent Kompany, who moved to manage his former club following his retirement after a legendary career at Manchester City.

It will be the 25-year-old's fourth loan club after spells at Vitesse, where he spent two seasons between 2016 and 2018, Nantes and Reading, where he spent half of 2018-19 and all of last season.

Miazga originally signed for Chelsea from the New York Red Bulls in January 2016 after coming up through their academy and becoming a key member of the team.

At the international level, Miazga has earned 18 caps with the USMNT after making his debut for his country in November 2015.

Ross Barkley became the 20th Chelsea loanee when he joined Aston Villa on Wednesday, but the group is set to grow beyond 30 before the transfer window closes on October 5.

With Chelsea having brought in a number of new faces during the transfer window, the club is now looking to move players out as they clear room on their roster. 

Midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is another player who could depart, with the Frenchman in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a loan move ahead of the transfer deadline.

Antonio Rudiger could be an unlikely departure from Stamford Bridge after the Germany international quickly fell down the pecking order under Frank Lampard. Tottenham, PSG, Roma and Barcelona are all eyeing a move for the 27-year-old defender.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri are just a few of the other first-team players who have been linked with an exit from the club in recent weeks. 

Alonso's exit could be hastened after the Spanish left-back was lambasted by Lampard at half-time of the Blues' 3-3 draw with West Brom at the weekend. 

Alonso is understood to have watched the second half from the team bus after being substituted at the halfway mark with the Blues down 3-0. 

Patson Daka propelled RB Salzburg into the 2020-21 Uefa Champions League group stage with his brace in their 3-1 triumph over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Jesse Marsch's side secured a 5-2 aggregate win in Wednesday's playoff after securing a first-leg advantage with a 2-1 victory in Israel last week.

Daka broke the deadlock for the hosts with his opener in the 16th minute and he later sealed their win with his second effort of the night in the 68th minute.

The 21-year-old who is reportedly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, has been in blistering goalscoring form this season with a tally of nine goals in six matches so far.

After scoring four goals in an Austrian Cup fixture earlier this month, the 21-year-old has scored a goal in each of his last three league outings.

Daka and his compatriot Enoch Mwepu were in action for 90 minute for Salzburg while Mali duo Mohamed Camara and Sekou Koita were replaced in the second half.

Cameroon defender Jerome Onguene was not involved as he watched his team's progress from the bench as an unused substitute.

Following Wednesday's result, Daka will shift his focus to Salzburg's next Bundesliga outing against Samson Tijani's Hartberg.

The Austrian champions are yet to lose a game this season and they will be aiming to extend their winning streak to seven games across all competitions.