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The 2020-21 edition of the I-League is scheduled to begin later this year but with the Coronavirus pandemic halting the final round of the second division league, the All India Football Federation has re-introduced it as I-League qualifiers 2020. 

The mini-tournament, whose winner will be promoted to the upcoming 2020-21 I-League, will be played from October 8 - 19, 2020. 

Goal has your complete guide, including participating teams, fixture schedules and results.

I-League Qualifiers 2020 format

Five teams will vie for a single seat in I-League and the tournament will be conducted in a round-robin format. Each team will play each other once at a centralised venue in West Bengal. The qualifiers will take place at two venues - Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, and the Kalyani Municipal Stadium, in Kalyani.

All teams have reached the venue. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will take care of the teams' lodging and transportation. 

I-League Qualifiers 2020 fixtures

The qualifiers will kick off at 12:30 PM IST on October 9, 2020, with a game between Bhowanipore and Bangalore United. The second match, between Mohammedan and Garhwal, will start at 4:30 PM IST. The timings remain the same for the two matches every day until the final day on which both games start at 2 PM IST. The full set of fixtures below. 

I-League Qualifiers 2020 telecast

All India Football Federation has issued a notice to accept bids for the production of the Hero I-League qualifier 2020. 

I-League Qualifiers past winners

The last team to secure promotion to the I-League was Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) who won the 2018-19 second division league. They put in a good shift last season as a newly-promoted club and finished sixth in a league campaign that was affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Only a point separated TRAU from second-placed East Bengal. 

A list of newly-promoted teams and how they have performed in the I-League can be found here . 

Neymar is recovering from a calf injury and will be reassessed on Thursday, while Paris Saint-Germain announced Juan Bernat underwent knee surgery.

PSG star Neymar sustained a calf injury during Sunday's 2-0 win over Reims in Ligue 1 as Thomas Tuchel's side claimed their third consecutive victory to sit seventh in the table after five matches.

French champions PSG provided an update on Neymar ahead of Friday's fixture against Angers in the capital.

"After feeling some tightness in his calf during Sunday's match, he has received reassuring test results," PSG said in a statement on Tuesday.

"His condition will be reviewed again in the next 48 hours."

Neymar played the full match against Reims and was involved in the majority of PSG's best attacks, but appeared to show Tuchel that he had suffered a knock to his calf when leaving the pitch.

Asked to address the possibility of the Brazilian being sidelined through injury, the Parisians boss told reporters post-match: "I thought it was a hit, but maybe not. I don't know yet, I need to speak with the doctors."

Neymar has only made two appearances in 2020-21, and the Brazilian forward is yet to score for last season's Champions League runners-up.

PSG full-back Bernat, meanwhile, had an operation to repair his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Bernat suffered an ACL injury in the 1-0 win over Metz earlier this month, and the ex-Bayern Munich defender is set to miss the majority of the season.

PSG confirmed Bernat's surgery at Pitie Salpetriere Hospital was a success.

It's been a tough start to the season for the Ligue 1 champions after ending the previous campaign with a defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Their first two league matches resulted in a shock 1-0 defeat to newly-promoted Lens before crashing to a loss by the same scoreline at home against arch-rivals Marseille.

Since then, the Parisians have recovered to win their last three matches, with a 1-0 victory against Metz, a 3-0 thrashing away at Nice and the comfortable 2-0 win on the road versus Reims.

Following the upcoming match against Nimes, PSG will face Dijon (home), Nantes (away) and Rennes (home).

Heung-min Son is expected to return from injury after the upcoming international break as coach Jose Mourinho used the news to send a message to national team managers about match time for his players.

The South Korean international injured his hamstring during the first half of Spurs' 1-1 Premier League draw with Newcastle on Sunday, with Mourinho declaring post-match the attacker would be "out for a while".

Following Tottenham's penalty shootout win against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup last-16, the Portuguese manager revealed Son would likely return after the upcoming international break - which will see the North London side host West Ham on October 17.

Mourinho also used the reporter's question about Son to alert international managers about the heavy workload completed by Tottenham's players in recent weeks, hoping they will look after his squad members while they are with national teams.

Along with three Premier League matches and the Carabao clash with Chelsea, Spurs have also had two Europa League qualifiers in Bulgaria and Macedonia - and will host Israel's Maccabi Haifa on Thursday night.

"I expect to have him back after the international period and you give me the opportunity to speak about it," Mourinho said in his post-match press conference.

"I hope the national team coaches they have their data and they realise how many minutes Tottenham players have played this week and I hope they care about the players and they protect them because Tottenham players this week they have an incredible amount of minutes and work and it's very, very dangerous."

Son's injury cut the forward down at an inopportune time with the 28-year-old scoring four goals in Tottenham's rout of Southampton, while he also hit the woodwork on two occasions before being forced off at half-time against Newcastle.

New signing Gareth Bale hasn't been available for selection because of a knee injury after joining in a loan deal from Real Madrid earlier this month.

Mourinho has said Bale might feature in the Spurs squad before the international break but he is unsure of the exact date for second debut for the Welsh forward.

After hosting Maccabi Haifa on October 1, Tottenham face a blockbuster clash against Mourinho's former club Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 4 before the international break.

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard was pleased to see new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy take a proactive approach in his first appearance for the club during their Carabao Cup defeat at the hands of Tottenham. 

The Blues' woes between the posts have been well-documented over the past 12 months, with neither Kepa Arrizabalaga nor Willy Caballero doing enough to convince Lampard they could be depended upon for the 2020-21 season. 

Mendy was powerless to stop Tottenham converting all five of their penalties in the shootout that ensued after a 1-1 draw at full-time on Tuesday, but the former Rennes keeper nevertheless left his manager pleased with what he saw. 

“I thought he was very good. He made a couple of good saves, one particularly good save," Lampard told reporters after Chelsea's Carabao Cup exit. 

"He came and caught a few balls, even the one where he came and didn’t catch, the idea that he wants to be positive is not a bad thing. Very, very pleased with every part of his game, really.”

Mason Mount proved the villain of the piece, missing Chelsea's fifth, decisive shootout kick - but Lampard does not believe the error will rankle with the young star.

“I don’t think a shattering blow is what it should be. A disappointing night to get knocked out of the Carabao Cup," he added.

"Mason will have many more nights for this club and for his country where he will play in games with huge importance on them and he will be the deciding factor on a positive note in them.

"He has my support for all times and the team and everybody around it. You miss a penalty, it is a collective when you get to a game like this.

"We were dominant and we want to score more goals at that point because of the amount of possession. Couple of good chances, Callum [Hudson-Odoi] had a good chance at the end of the first half.

"Tottenham will have felt that hard and they changed their game to go longer in their build which meant that our fantastic press in the first half wasn’t as relevant up the pitch.

"They turned us round and made us run backwards, rather than pressing forwards and that becomes really difficult to be fair to the lads. We could have been better on the ball in the second half, maybe dealt with the physical nature of the Spurs game but it slightly changed the case of the game.

"They had chances in the second half but so did we. At 1-0, the second goal finishes it for us and we didn’t get that."

Manchester City have asked supporters to submit questions to "new signing" Kalidou Koulibaly in an article on their official website revealing the squad number of recent acquisition Ruben Dias.

In what could be an indication of how close City were to signing the Senegal international, a hyperlink titled 'CITYZENS: NEW SIGNING - Ask Kalidou Koulibaly a question' was posted at the bottom of a news piece that revealed Dias would be wearing No.3 at the Etihad Stadium this season.

Dias' signing was announced by City on Tuesday evening, with the defender penning a six-year contract after making a £62 million ($79m) move from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica, with veteran Nicolas Otamendi heading in the opposite direction.

City have been linked with multiple central defenders throughout the transfer window, with Koulibaly and Atletico's Jose Gimenez also mooted before the club swooped in to nab Portuguese international Dias.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis claimed Man City were interested in signing Koulibaly but were making discussions difficult because the Serie A club had sold Jorginho to Chelsea instead of them in 2018.

Despite City signing Dias, Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso is still nervous of losing Koulibaly before the transfer window shuts next month, with PSG reportedly interested following Thiago Silva's departure, while the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked previously.

"I hope he remains with us, selfishly speaking, because he gives us so much both in technical terms and as a character," Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia after Napoli's 6-0 demolition of Genoa on Sunday.

"The world has changed because of the pandemic and I realise all clubs need to balance the books. I hope the call won't arrive, but I'll be nervous about it until transfer deadline day."

Manchester City's run to last season's Champions League quarter-finals saw the team have their opening Premier League match postponed in order to get an extended rest for their squad.

Pep Guardiola's team started their league campaign with an impressive 3-1 win on the road at Wolves, before overcoming Bournemouth 2-1 at the Etihad in the Carabao Cup.

However, City were thrashed 5-2 at home by Leicester City in the league on the weekend, with centre-half pairing Nathan Ake and Eric Garcia struggling to deal with last season's Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy, who scored a hat-trick.

Aissa Mandi was shown a red card as Real Betis bowed to a 3-0 defeat against Getafe.

The Algeria defender who was making his fourth appearance in the Spanish top-flight this campaign, ended Tuesday's La Liga encounter on a bad note.

Mandi compounded Real Betis’ woes at Getafe after receiving two yellow cards within two minutes in the closing stage.

It was the first time in almost three years Mandi was sent off in a La Liga match, with the last occasion being a straight red card against Eibar in November 2017.

Angel's double and a goal from Marc Cucurella in the first 45 minutes were enough for Getafe to secure maximum points at home.

The result made it two losses for Manuel Pellegrini's side after they were edged by Real Madrid in a five-goal thriller on Saturday.

Cameroon’s Allan Nyom and Togo's Djene Dakonam were also on parade for Getafe with the former providing the assist that helped Jose Bordalas' side break the deadlock in the 13th minute.

Prior to his expulsion, Mandi made two interceptions with one clearance registered but the contributions were not enough to help the visitors avoid defeat at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

The 28-year-old who opened his goal account against Zinedine Zidane's side over the weekend, will now miss Real Betis trip to Valencia on Saturday as punishment.

Real Beits are third in La Liga table with six points after four matches, and they will be hoping to recover from the back-to-back losses at the Mestalla Stadium.

Chelsea coach Frank Lampard has revealed he had a crack at Jose Mourinho's tendency to target referees when the two clashed on the touchline in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

While the Blues would strike first through Timo Werner, Erik Lamela would score a late equaliser for Tottenham before Mason Mount missed the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out. 

In an entertaining match off the pitch, which saw Eric Dier forced into a mid-game toilet break, Lampard and Mourinho were also seen in a fiery exchange on the sidelines. 

Lampard, who previously played under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, was quick to stress they remain close but admitted he couldn't resist taking a jab at the Spurs manager's habit for talking too much with the officials. 

"We were having some fun on the line. I get on well with Jose and I think he said that to me," Lampard said post-match.  

"I commented on the fact that he seemed to speak more with the referee than he speaks with his players so it is just a moment with us.

"I have a huge respect for Jose, no matter what he says on the touchline. I think he was feeling the sense of the first half and how it was. All was well at the end of the game and that will never change." 

Mourinho himself also revealed post-match that he had some touchline advice for the Blues boss, who he believes needed to be more vocal when his side was losing against West Brom in the Premier League over the weekend. 

"With Frank the most important thing is my feelings towards him rather than any words we exchanged," Mourinho said.

"I owe him everything he gave me, he always gave me everything he had as a player and I never forget that. My feelings towards him will always be feelings of how much I owe him for how much of an incredible player, friend he was.

"The only thing I was telling him, just an opinion of an old coach to a young talented coach, which was when the players need us it is when they are losing, when they are winning we don't need to be the protagonists of the touchline, we need to be there when they are losing.

"In the last match when they were losing 3-0 I felt really sorry for him because he was sad and quiet in his chair. In terms of football I can't teach him anything, he knows football, it is just an opinion, stay on the touchline when your team is losing and stay calm when your team is winning." 

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho explained that an unplanned call of nature prompted Eric Dier's surprise exit during his team's Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Chelsea. 

A late goal from Erik Lamela earned Spurs a 1-1 draw against their London rivals on Tuesday, before they prevailed on penalties thanks to Mason Mount's miss. 

The tie, however, will be remembered for a hilarious scene involving Mourinho and Dier just over 10 minutes from the end. 

Dier disappeared down the tunnel, with a seemingly fuming Mourinho in hot pursuit. 

The pair emerged minutes later and the defender resumed regular duties, and his boss was able to see the funny side after beating his former employers. 

"We tried to organise a team with the players we had available. What happened to Eric Dier is not normal, I have to praise him in a special way. It should be forbidden for a player to play two games in 48 hours at this level [after he played against Newcastle]. What he did is not human to do," Mourinho explained to Sky Sports after the final whistle. 

"He had to go [when he ran off] - he had no chance! Maybe it is a normal thing when you are completely dehydrated which is the case, I had to put pressure on him to get back but he is a great example for everybody. If the authorities don't care about players, I care.

"On the penalties I have a negative record but I had the feeling that everything was going well.

"We were ready to fight, I told you. I told the players before the penalties that they were magnificent in the second half, we made Chelsea look ordinary. The team waited for the right moment.

"I have to think about three games at the same time but the players only thought about this game, they were phenomenal. Phenomenal."

Spurs were forced to take the field on Tuesday just 48 hours after facing Newcastle United in the Premier League, which Dier believes may explain his quick retreat to the restroom. 

"I'm so happy, I'm proud of how we played apart from the first 15 minutes. We showed them too much respect but then we were fantastic," the England international said.

"After playing on Sunday it wasn't easy, maybe that's the reason I had to run off but we got through it! All of the staff and the players put the effort in.

"Jose wasn't happy but there was nothing I could do about it, nature was calling. I heard there was a chance while I was off the pitch but thankfully they didn't score."

After the match, Dier posted a picture on Instagram of his Man of the Match award sitting on what he called: "The real M.O.M." — the toilet.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is keen to put his summer transfer stand-off with the club behind him, while assuring fans he never meant to cause the Blaugrana any harm.

Last month the Argentine told Barcelona of his intention to activate a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave on a free transfer.

Barcelona, though, hit back, saying that the window to activate the clause had closed because the request needed to be made in June, not in August, when the coronavirus-extended season eventually ended.

Rather than challenge Barcelona in court, Messi told Goal earlier this month that he would drop his request to leave and stay at the club for the 2020-21 season.

As his contract enters its final season, Messi's future is far from certain as his frustration with the Catalan outfit has reached an all-time high. 

In an interview with Sport, however, Messi has told his club's fans that he did not mean to offend them during the dramatic showdown with the Blaugrana, saying he always had the club's best interests in mind.

"I take responsibility for my errors and if they existed, it was only to make FC Barcelona better and stronger," Messi said. 

"I wanted to send a message to all the socios and fans that follow us. If at any moment, any of them were annoyed by something that I said or did, let there be no doubts that anything I did was always with the club's best interests in mind." 

Barcelona began their new campaign at the weekend with a 4-0 win over Villarreal at Camp Nou. With the new season now underway, Messi has underlined his desire to put the drama of the summer behind him and focus on the club's on-field goals.

"After so many disagreements, I would like to bring an end to everything. We all have to be united and assume that the best is yet to come," the 33-year-old said. 

"Uniting passion with excitement and motivation will be the only way to achieve our objectives, always united and rowing in the same direction." 

Barca's campaign continues on Thursday with a La Liga match at Celta Vigo.

Former Orlando Pirates captain Thabo Matlaba has parted ways with Black Leopards after one season with the club.

The experienced utility player had moved to Lidoda Duvha on a free transfer in July 2019 after leaving Pirates. 

Matlaba joined Lidoda Duvha on a two-year contract and he was immediately made captain of the side.

The Bafana Bafana international disclosed that he asked to be released from his contract with the Limpopo-based club in order to sort out some personal issues.

“Yeah it’s true I have left but I sent my termination request on 17 June because of family problems which I needed to sort out,” Matlaba told Far Post. 

“But I told the Chairman [David Thidiela] that I will stay in the meantime and help the team stay in the Premiership because it would be bad to leave while they were still fighting for survival.

“The Chairman understood my reasons so he gave me his blessing to leave."

Matlaba played 32 matches for Lidoda Duvha across all competitions and he scored once as he helped the team win the 2019/20 PSL promotional/relegation playoffs. 

The 32-year-old made it clear that he will not be retiring from professional football as he will be looking for a new club.

"Black Leopards is a good team so I enjoyed myself, unfortunately, I had to part ways but I never had any problems during my stay there,” he said.

“I am not retiring from football anytime soon, it is just that I had to leave. I am still going to look for a job but I am not retiring."

Matlaba was included in the Bafana squad which was scheduled to face Sao Tome and Principe in back-to-back 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in March 2019.

However, the qualifiers were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the tournament which are set to be hosted by Cameroon has been moved to 2022.

It has been reported that Matlaba is on the radar of newly promoted PSL side Swallows FC.

Swallows are back in the top-flight league after clinching the 2019/20 National First Division (NFD) title.

The Soweto giants have been busy beefing up their squad having signed seven new players thus far.

Tottenham reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup after beating Chelsea on penalties following a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.

Timo Werner struck his first Blues goal 19 minutes into the contest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it looked to be enough to send them into the last eight for the 14th time in the past 20 seasons.

However, Erik Lamela, who started as a makeshift striker, drilled past debutant Edouard Mendy to give Spurs a deserved equaliser with seven minutes of normal time remaining.

The first nine penalties of the ensuing shoot-out were converted before Mason Mount clipped the outside of the left post with the 10th, allowing Spurs to progress.

Chelsea made eight changes from their Premier League draw with West Brom on Saturday, handing full debuts to Ben Chilwell and new goalkeeper Mendy, while Harry Kane dropping to the bench was one of nine alterations for Spurs from their draw with Newcastle United.

Sergio Reguilon's debut did not start according to plan, as the Tottenham left-back lost possession and was easily beaten by Cesar Azpilicueta, whose deflected low cross allowed Werner to fire low past Hugo Lloris.

Mendy was also given a busy first half in English football, just managing to stop Gedson Fernandes along with Kurt Zouma and then blocking Lamela's strike with his legs.

Reguilon and Mendy came face to face early in the second half, the Spurs man's stinging strike palmed over the bar after good play from Serge Aurier.

Mourinho threw on Kane with a little over 20 minutes left as Spurs maintained their pressure, but it was Lamela who levelled, slotting low past Mendy after working space from Reguilon's cross.

Eric Dier, Tammy Abraham, Lamela, Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Jorginho, Lucas Moura, Emerson Palmieri and Kane all scored before Mount's crucial miss, as Spurs avenged their shoot-out defeat in the semi-finals of two seasons ago.

Former Manchester United and France star Patrice Evra was incensed to see the head of the French Football Federation claim the sport free of racist attitudes, laying bare his own battles with discrimination while on international duty. 

Noel Le Graet caused a stir in the wake of Neymar's allegations against Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez over the use of racist language. 

The Paris Saint-Germain star claimed that Gonzalez had called him a "monkey son of a bitch" during the clubs' chaotic Ligue 1 clash, which ended with Neymar and four other players receiving red cards. 

In response to the controversy, Le Graet asserted to BFM Business: "This phenomenon of racism in sport, and in football in particular, does not exist at all or barely exists.”

The FFF chief's comments produced a swift backlash, with Evra even calling for him to resign his position. 

“We have to get Le Graet fired, because he really messed up," the ex-full-back stated in a video shared on Instagram. 

It was Le Graet's assertion that racism was not present in football that really riled Evra, who lifted the lid on a series of shocking attacks suffered by himself and his France team-mates from both their fellow citizens and visiting dignitaries while on duty with Les Bleus. 

"I am obliged to reply to Noel Le Graet, I'm obliged to speak of the Chateau [France training base Clairefontaine], you know very well what happens there, how many racist letters do we receive?" Evra continued.

"One said 'Didi take your monkeys and go to Africa' how many messages like that do we receive? Yet, we hide them, I have seen some.

"We have even received boxes full of faeces.

"We have assigned places to eat, but every time the president or the politicians came, everything changed," he added.

"I was sitting there and all of a sudden they would put me at the end of the table, where normally Sakho and Sagna were, we had to change.

"They put Hugo Lloris, Laurent Koscielny and the president in the middle, but we knew they were the rules of the game, when the president wanted a photo it was better to be with Lloris and Koscielny instead of Sakho or Sagna."

Gabrielle Onguene scored the winner for CSKA Moscow as they secured a 1-0 win at Tatiana Ekogo's Zenit Saint Petersburg in Tuesday's Russian Superliga game.

Onguene was handed her 10th season start by Maksim Zinovjev's team, having got a goal in CSKA's 3-0 win over Yenisey in their last league outing two weeks ago before the international break.

Before Tuesday's fixture, the Cameroonian striker had six goals in nine matches this term, including the last registered goal in their recent away victory on September 12.

The Cameroon international scored from a tight angle inside the area in the 16th minute to ensure the Russian champions recorded their seventh win of the current season.

Onguene, who played the duration for CSKA has now scored seven goals in 10 appearances on her sixth campaign in Russia, moving two short of her best ever goal tally of nine in 2017.

While compatriot Ekogo was in action for 59 minutes on her sixth outing this season but could not rescue Zenit from their second defeat on the bounce before she was replaced by Tatiana Morina.

The victory sees CSKA retain a seven-point gap at the top with 26 points from 10 matches ahead of Lokomotiv Moscow, who will take on city rivals Chertanovo Moscow on October 11.

Up next, CSKA will shift attention to their European qualifying round campaign before returning to face Chertanovo on October 31.

On their part, sixth-placed Zenit will aim to bounce back to winning ways when they welcome Zvezda Perm on October 11.

Ruben Dias has completed a £62 million ($79m) move to Manchester City, signing a six-year deal after having impressed with Portuguese giants Benfica.

Nicolas Otamendi has also completed a move in the opposite direction to Benfica in a deal worth £14m ($17m).

Dias, 23, who could cost a further £3.3m with add-ons, says he cannot wait to work with City boss Pep Guardiola, a man he believes can improve his all-round game.

“To have the opportunity to join a club like Manchester City is fantastic for me and one I couldn’t turn down,” he said.

“Their success speaks for itself. They have been the dominant team in England over the last few years, playing an attacking brand of football which I feel suits my own game.

“It is really exciting to be part of such a talented squad and to play for a world-class manager like Pep Guardiola, who has a proven track record of developing young players like myself.

“I believe I can improve here, at a club whose ambitions match my own and I will give everything to be successful and win titles.”

Dias is City's third signing of the transfer window following deals for fellow centre-back Nathan Ake and winger Ferran Torres and ends a long wait to replace former captain Vincent Kompany, who left in May 2019.

The defender, who could make his debut at Leeds on Saturday, won the Portuguese title with Benfica after coming through the Portugal club’s academy and says both sides share the same desire to win trophies.

“The competition is different and here the opponents will be a level higher, but the mentality of the club is the same, it is win or win,” he said.

“I am a player that loves to win, a player for the team, for the fans, a player that loves this family spirit which I've felt a lot since I have been here.

“I am an aggressive player and I love what I do. I love the game and without getting into too much detail, because it is something you will see when I start playing, the most important thing to say is I love to win and that is the thing you most need to know about me.”

Dias has won 19 caps for Portugal and will join up with international team-mates Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo at the Etihad Stadium.

“We have been in touch, not just this year but for the last two years perhaps,” he added. “Obviously, the talks were amazing because you only hear amazing things about the club and about the environment.

“When the word came, I was just really happy to be able to join.”

A new centre-back has been City's priority all summer, with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Sevilla's Jules Kounde and Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez among alternatives considered.

Director of Football Txiki Begiristain believes they have got the right man having watched Dias's progress for the past two years.

“Ruben is a player we have admired for some time and we have been impressed with how he has progressed at Benfica,” Begiristain said.

“He has developed into a real leader and as a defender, he has all the attributes we are looking for. He is strong in the air, good in one vs one situations and technically he is very good, so we are confident he can thrive in our system.

“He is another talented addition to the squad and someone who is only going to get better working under Pep.”

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced it has "warned" veteran Ghanaian coach JE Sarpong over allegations that 60 per cent of players in the domestic leagues allegedly smoke marijuana.

In June, the former Liberty Professionals and Aduana Stars coach became the subject of controversy as his claims generated unhappy reactions from several quarters.

"The GFA Ethics Committee has warned coach JE Sarpong and coach Ntow Gyan to be of good behaviour in accordance with Section 2 Article 7(1) (a) (Disciplinary Measures) of the GFA Code of Ethics," the GFA announced on its official website.

"In addition, they shall undertake social work to provide public education and conduct programmes on anti-doping and anti-drug abuse in sports, football and the youth in general.

"They are expected to liaise with an NGO that is engaged in such programmes for a period of six weeks after which the NGO shall submit a satisfactory performance report on their services.

"These decisions were taken by the Ethics Committee after receiving two audio recordings in which coach JE Sarpong and coach Ntow Gyan alleged in radio interviews, that '60% of players in the Ghana Premier League and the Division One League smoke marijuana (weed).'"

During the June episode, Sarpong buttressed his claims with revelations he once personally assisted a player to obtain the substance ahead of a Premier League game.

"The comments were deemed to have brought the game into disrepute and breached Article 11(2) (a), (b) and (d) of the GFA Disciplinary Code (2019)," the GFA announcement continued.

"However in their respective Statements of Defence, both coaches apologised and admitted that their comments were inappropriate.

"In its ruling on both cases, the Committee has asked both coaches to publicly retract the comments and provide audio evidence to the committee."

Sarpong was called out by veteran Aduana Stars striker Yahaya Mohammed who demanded an apology from the then unrepentant coach.

GFA Executive Council member Frederick Acheampong called the claims a "serious matter" and urged the former Asante Kotoko coach to "prove his allegations with evidence".

Sarpong, who has also worked with Liberty Professionals and Ebusua Dwarfs, was once assistant coach of Ghana's U23 side. 

Manchester United are yet to make a bid to sign Jadon Sancho and could turn their attentions to Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele should they fail in their efforts to land the Borussia Dortmund winger.

The club remain committed to bringing in a right-sided attacker but it is understood they have yet to submit an official bid to the Bundesliga side for Sancho. 

Discussions to get the winger to Old Trafford have been continuing all summer, with the two clubs far apart on their valuation of the player.

United made progress in their negotiations earlier in the month with wages and agent fees but Dortmund’s asking price has been, and still remains, a sticking point. 

The German side are holding out for a €120 million (£108m/$142m) fee for the 20-year-old, who has emerged as one of Europe's top attackers, but United believe that is an unrealistic price given the current economic climate and are unwilling to pay more than €100 million (£91m/$117m).

With the window closing on Monday October 5, United are still working on a deal and discussions are ongoing. However, they have yet to submit a bid for the former Manchester City man.

Should a deal not be agreed, the club have a list of alternatives they are considering. 

Barcelona winger Dembele is one of the players the club have under consideration as a back up but it is likely that any move for the 23-year-old would be a loan deal and would only be pursued once they are convinced a move for Sancho is not happening.

Ivan Perisic and Douglas Costa are two other players who are under consideration. The club are also continuing negotiations with Porto over a deal for left-back Alex Telles to bring in competition to push Luke Shaw.

Andreas Pereira has agreed to join Lazio on a season-long loan, with the Italian side having the option to buy at the end of the campaign. It is understood the Serie A outfit will also foot his wage bill.

In addition, United are in ongoing discussions with Roma over a permanent deal for Chris Smalling, with the 30-year-old keen to return to the Italian club after having impressed on loan.

United are also open to offers for Diogo Dalot, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero.