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Real Madrid have revealed that Toni Kroos has suffered a muscle injury, which could make him a doubt to feature in a La Liga clash against Real Valladolid on Wednesday.

The Germany international had to be substituted in first-half stoppage time during a 3-2 victory over Real Betis on Sunday, with Luka Modric coming on to replace his midfield colleague. 

Following tests on Monday, Madrid have announced Kroos has an issue in the gluteal region, though did not reveal how long the 30-year-old will be sidelined. 

“Following tests carried out today on our player, Toni Kroos, by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with a muscular injury to the left gluteus medius," a statement from the club read.

"His recovery will continue to be assessed." 

Zinedine Zidane only has three days to prepare his squad for Valladolid's arrival at Santiago Bernabeu, with a tough away trip to Levante set to follow that clash on October 4.

Kroos may also be unavailable for a trio of upcoming international fixtures. Germany play Turkey in a friendly on October 7, followed by Nations League games against Ukraine and Switzerland during the break. 

Madrid will return to action later in the month with a home fixture against Cadiz, before preparations begin for the first Clasico of the season against arch-rivals Barcelona on October 25.

The Blancos can ill-afford to lose a talismanic performer like Kroos for an extended period of time, especially given the fact that they have yet to strengthen their squad in the summer transfer window.

The likes of Brahim Diaz, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon have all left the Bernabeu, but Madrid have decided against investing in new talent amid the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Zidane was quizzed on Madrid's lack of activity in the market after watching his side pick up their first three points of the new La Liga season at the weekend, to which he responded: "No. We spoke about this before. I'm happy with the squad that I've got.

"We are what we are and we're going to try to have a successful season."

Club captain Ramos added on the need for Madrid's current first-team stars to continue giving their all to the collective cause regardless of any incomings and outgoings: "We have to show our faces with those of us who are already here, but our lives don't depend on one signing or another." 

Dele Alli needs to find a “new challenge” after slipping down the pecking order at Tottenham, says Darren Bent, with the former Spurs striker of the opinion that Arsenal should not hesitate if the opportunity to raid a north London rival presents itself.

Few have crossed that divide throughout the course of history, with only a few brave souls daring to tread such a path.

It has, however, been suggested that Arsenal should be in the running if their neighbours make the England international midfielder available for transfer.

Alli would appear to be edging in that direction, with Jose Mourinho taking to freezing the 24-year-old out of his plans.

With game time in short supply and a dip in form having been endured prior to falling out of favour, Bent believes a man desperately searching for a spark should be considering a move elsewhere.

The former Spurs frontman told talkSPORT of Alli: “He’s been at Tottenham for a while now and I think he’s maybe a product of a process where he’s in at Spurs, they have got to the Champions League final, but other than that – there has been a couple of top-four finishes.

“I think every player comes to a point where they need a fresh challenge.

“For Dele Alli, Mourinho has come in, they have clashed and personally I think he’s thinking that he needs a new challenge. He deserves that.

“If I’m Dele Alli, he’s not going to be happy playing in Carabao Cup games because they play Chelsea in the week and if they get beat, that’s no more Carabao Cup.

“Are we saying we won’t see him in the Premier League again for weeks and weeks and weeks? He can’t wait until the FA Cup.

“If I’m Tottenham and Dele Alli, I’m looking for an option to get out of there.”

Bent is not the first to suggest that Arsenal should be considering an approach for Alli, with Gunners great Ray Parlour having already sounded similar advice.

It remains to be seen whether Mikel Arteta will be willing to explore that option, with a £50 million ($64m) price tag being mooted.

Arsenal fan Bent believes a deal would be a no-brainer for those at Emirates Stadium, adding when asked if he would push an agreement through: “100 per cent, I wouldn’t even hesitate.”

Chippa United have decided against keeping Orlando Pirates trio Diamond Thopola, Tercious Malope and Meshack Maphangule. 

The three players spent last season on loan at the Port Elizabeth-based outfit but Malepe had been there for more than just a season, after being allowed to go and get game time elsewhere following his promotion to the Bucs first team. 

Thopola, Malepe and Maphangule will now return to the parent club, Pirates, who will then decide whether to keep them, loan them out for another season or release them from their contracts. 

"Diamond Thopola, Tercious Malepe and Meshack Maphangule who were all loaned from Orlando Pirates Football Club. Their loan contracts expired and will not be returning for the 2020/21 season," said Chippa in a statement.

The trio follows Thabo Rakhale, Boikanyo Komane and Gerald Modisane through the exit door after they were also released upon the expiry of their contracts with Chippa United.  

"Thabo Rakhale, Boikanyo Komane and Gerald Modisane their contracts expired. The club will not be renewing their contracts," the statement added.

Furthermore, the Chilli Boys confirmed parting ways with no less than seven other players in Ruzaigh Gamildien, Lehlogonolo Masalesa, Kelvin Moyo, Elvis Moyo, Phetso Maphanga, Ryan Baartman and William Twala. 

According to the club, the contracts of the abovementioned players were terminated by mutual agreements. 

Lastly, Athini Jobodwana will be loaned out alongside Ronaldo Maarman for the upcoming campaign.

Jobodwana, 26, only joined Chippa United from Steenberg United during the January transfer window and made nine appearances across all competitions.     

"Following meetings with the players, mutual agreements were reached to terminate the contracts of Ruzaigh Gamildien, Lehlohonolo Masalesa, Kelvin Moyo, Elvis Moyo, Phetso Maphanga, Ryan Baartman and William Twala," it added.

"Athini Jodwana, who joined the club in January, will be loaned out for the 2020/21 season alongside with Ronaldo Maarman." 

The latest developments are seen as Lehlohonolo Seema's attempts to work with players of his choice as he starts working on a new project following his arrival from Bloemfontein Celtic a few weeks ago. 

The Chilli Boys will be expected to replace the outgoing players with new faces in preparation for the 2020-21 season which gets underway in October.

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa has revealed the reasons he decided to sign defender Enock Walusimbi.

The versatile defender was unveiled by the Red Eagles three days ago, after arriving from Bright Stars FC, to pen a two-year contract.

Bbosa, who has so far signed 15 players this transfer window, has revealed what drove him to sign the 22-year-old defender ahead of the new Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

“I have always kept an eye on Enock [Walusimbi] and those that know him can agree with me that he brings a lot to us,” Bbosa told the club’s official website.

“His game intelligence and leadership qualities are next to none.”

On signing for the team on Friday, Walusimbi said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to become an Express player, this club has a lot of history so much so that I’ve always wanted to be part of it.”

The 22-year-old has also featured for regional sides Nansana and Luweero United but it’s his time at Solito Bright Stars where he stood out, marshalling the backline for three seasons as well as captaining the side.

Most notably “Lucio” guided the Buganda Province Region to the 2019 Fufa Drum, scoring one goal in the process.

His arrival is a huge boost to coach Bbosa's backline, as they try to avoid a repeat of last season where the club leaked in over 35 goals, He also becomes the 14th signing for the upcoming campaign.

The other new signings at Express include goalkeepers Denis Otim and Cryspus Kusiima, right-back Richard Bbosa, midfielders Isaac Nsengiyunva, Abel Eturude, Godfrey Lwesibawa, Ibrahim Kayiwa, Mahad Kakooza, Baker Sakah, Faisal Ssekyanzi, and forwards Charles Musiige and Kiragga Mustafa.

Express will be keen to win their seventh Ugandan Premier League (UPL) title when the new season kicks off.

On Saturday, the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) confirmed they had postponed the start of the league by at least a month.

Initially, Fufa had set October 17 as a tentative date for the start of the new campaign, but it is not going to be the case as the Federation and clubs struggle to align themselves with the guidelines given to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Arthur Zwane has revealed he turned down overseas offers to stay at Naturena during his playing days. 

Zwane enjoyed a successful 10-year stint with Amakhosi as a player before becoming a coach soon after his retirement. 

The now 42-year-old mentor said the setup at the club's headquarters is similar to that of teams abroad, and therefore, he felt there was no need for him to move.  

The only time Zwane went overseas was when he left Jomo Cosmos for Brazil giants Santos in 1996. 

However, his stint wasn't as successful as he came back the same year to join Orlando Pirates.  

"Let me tell you something, that's one of the reasons [the setup] even as a player, when I had overseas offers, I said, 'no I am not going' because the setup here made me believe that it's more like I am still overseas," revealed Zwane to the Amakhosi TV. 

Zwane further stated that being at Chiefs, whether as a player or coach, one has to remain focused and be prepared to work hard in order to be successful. 

And this what he has done since joining the Soweto giants two decades ago as a player and again as a coach. 

"You just have to focus and give your best all the time and that's what I did as a player. Even today, I'm still doing the same thing; just focus and giving my best and the results will come," added Zwane. 

The former Bucs winger was pushed to retire from professional football by former coach Vladimir Vermezovic in 2010 and assumed the role of assistant coach to the Serbian mentor. 

He was then redeployed to the club's youth structures at the same time he was busy with his coaching badges. 

Zwane was made the club's MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) team head coach where he has had a hand in the promotion of a number of Amakhosi first-team players in the past three years.

He doubled up that role as an assistant to Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki; the position he still holds on an interim basis. 

The expectations on Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund are higher than they ever were for Robert Lewandowski when he joined the club, according to former BVB captain Sebastian Kehl. 

Haaland made an electric start to his Dortmund career after signing from Red Bull Salzburg in January, scoring 16 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions for the club in 2019-20. 

The 20-year-old striker hit a double in their season-opening game against Borussia Monchengladbach but struggled in the 2-0 defeat to Augsburg on Saturday, managing just one shot on target and 19 touches across the entire game. 

It was a significant dip for Haaland, who has been touted to follow in the footsteps of Lewandowski, who spent four seasons at Signal Iduna Park between 2010 and 2014. 

"Lewy came to us as a great talent at the time. Haaland, on the other hand, already arrived in Dortmund at a very high level – and with a very different reputation than Lewandowski did at the time," Kehl, who played alongside Lewandowski for Dortmund and now heads up the club's licensed player division, told Kicker . 

"We had been waiting for a player like him [Haaland]. The hopes placed in him were accordingly immediately high." 

While Haaland settled straight in, Lewandowski had to fight Lucas Barrios for a place in the first team after arriving from Lech Poznan. 

However, he has since developed into one of the leading strikers in the world, scoring 55 goals as Bayern Munich claimed a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble last season. 

"For Lewandowski, the 2010-11 season was not easy. He and Barrios didn't always get along well. Lewy had to fight for his place and prevail," said Kehl. "Lewy is so consistent, so complete, almost never injured – for me he is one of the best in the world. A great player." 

Haaland and Lewandowski will go head to head when Dortmund take on Bayern in the DFL-Supercup on Wednesday.

The Norwegian could easily have ended up at one of Dortmund's Bundesliga rivals, with Ralf Rangnick recently admitting that RB Leipzig had turned down the chance to sign him while the veteran coach was working with the club.

Ugandan coach Asaph Mwebaze has revealed why he believes goalkeepers end up making successful coaches following their playing careers

Without giving specific examples, the former Nyamityobora tactician explained that the nature and responsibilities of goalkeeping positions tend to breed tough and successful managers.

“On top of his individual responsibility, the goalkeeper needs to be a leader on the pitch. The position gives him a clear view of all players and enables him to spot potential dangers early on,” the former Maroons FC head coach told Football256.

“A good goalkeeper would take full advantage and command the whole defence by shouting orders throughout the game. He is responsible for the positioning of both the centre-backs and the full-backs.

“And no wonder they make very good coaches after their playing careers.”

Mwebaze, who has been in management for the last 22 years – also explained why the goalkeepers should be alert all through the games if his team has to record success.

“Another crucial part of the duties of a goalkeeper includes dead-ball situations,” the ex-Onduparaka FC coach added.

“He is the one who decides how many players are required for the wall when there’s a free-kick. Also, he’s the one supposed to set up the defence during corners and other situations when a cross is expected.

“If the goalkeeper is a solid leader, the whole defence plays much better. Obviously, they have a better awareness as stated in my last point, but there’s more than that.”

Mwebaze also suggested why a lack of trust in a goalkeeper may lead to disasters in any given outfit.

“The outfield players won’t feel pressured and in fear of mistakes if they trust their goalkeeper. If he’s able to bail the defenders, they are more confident and play better overall,” he concluded.

“The opposite is also true. You can instantly see when the defence doesn’t believe in its goalkeeper. You will see many mistakes, panic plays, and the reluctance to trust the last man under any circumstances.

“This is a certain recipe for a disaster.”

The coach believes the goalkeeper is the team's backbone although sometimes, they are not appreciated as much as midfielders and strikers.

Marcus Rashford admits that Manchester United need to “improve” quickly, with the Red Devils forward more concerned about raising collective standards than adding another entry to the Old Trafford history books.

In his last outing, the England international became the man to record United’s 10,000th goal in all competitions.

That is a notable achievement, but one that Rashford has shrugged off amid struggles for consistency at Old Trafford.

A 3-2 victory over Brighton was wrapped up in dramatic fashion on Saturday, with Bruno Fernandes converting a VAR-awarded 100th-minute penalty after the final whistle had initially been blown.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were far from their free-flowing best in that contest, with Rashford conceding as much, and there is acceptance on the red half of Manchester that standards need to be raised in order for ultimate targets to be hit.

Rashford told MUTV when being made aware of the mark he hit against the Seagulls: “10,000 goals? It’s funny the way it happened as well, but we have to take things in our stride.

“We have to use these three points as motivation to improve and keep getting better. We have to improve if we want to hit our targets for the season.

“We had a slow start in the last league game and it’s more important to pick up points. It’s more important that we lost the first league game, we had to win today.

“It doesn’t matter how we won, we got the three points and we’ll move forward and improve.”

While United have plenty of room for improvement, a thrilling win over Brighton has got them up and running for 2020-21.

Rashford considers that to be the most important thing for Solskjaer’s side, with an eventful afternoon on the south coast – which saw the Seagulls hit the woodwork on five occasions – proving that the Red Devils can grind out results.

“It’s probably the craziest game we’ve been involved in,” added.

“They were hitting the post, the crossbar, four or five times. [There was] VAR for the penalties too, and obviously our penalty at the end.

“We were definitely lucky to get the three points but, even when they equalised, we showed a lot of character and desire to keep pushing forward. We forced a corner out of nothing, a throw-in on the left-side.

“It was Harry [Maguire’s] determination to win the ball, he won the penalty for us and Bruno tucked it away.”

Rafael has described Louis van Gaal has "one of the worst" coaches he's ever worked with, insisting that the ex-Manchester United boss didn't give him a chance at Old Trafford.

United turned to the Champions League winner who had previously coached Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands after sacking David Moyes towards the end of the 2013-14 campaign.

Moyes failed to pick up from where Sir Alex Ferguson left off at the end of his glorious 27-year reign at Old Trafford, and Van Gaal was seen as a safer pair of hands due to his impressive CV and extensive experience of coaching at the highest level.

However, the Dutchman only lasted two seasons in the hot seat, with an FA Cup triumph ultimately failing to paper over the cracks of the team's poor Premier League and European form.

Van Gaal spent big on the likes of Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin, but struggled to create a cohesive side capable of challenging the elite, and was ultimately replaced by Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2016.

One man who barely got a look in under the 69-year-old tactician was Rafael, who says that he quickly learned he wouldn't be a part of the manager's plans.

The Brazilian full-back told The Athletic: “When they said Van Gaal was the manager, a lot of friends called me. I could not believe it, as a lot of people told me he does not like Brazilians because of their style of play. They told me, ‘The first thing he is going to do is take you out.’ Actually, it was the second thing because on the first day, he did not speak to me.

"On the second day, he said, ‘You can leave.’ I had not even trained and he said that. I could not believe it. Ryan Giggs tried to defend me a lot. I spoke with him and I could not understand it because I had not even had a chance to show my football to Van Gaal in training.

"He just came and said, ‘You can leave.’ He did not explain why. He said, ‘You will not play this season, I am not going to use you, if you want to leave, you leave.’ I said, ‘OK.’ I still tried to battle for my place. I stayed one year with him. It was so, so hard. He is one of the worst people I have worked with.”

Rafael, who is now on the books of Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir, went on to reveal that Van Gaal would sit the squad down for lectures on life and training multiple times a day, which the defender saw as nothing more than an ego-driven way of asserting his authority.

He added: “Every day, after breakfast, after lunch, or if we had dinner together, he would speak to everyone for 15 minutes about training, about what has happened, about everything, about life. You know when you start to stop listening to what someone is saying, because they speak so much?

"He wanted to show he could speak, but it was every day! All the time! You need to wait for everybody to finish their food to leave, which is fine, OK - but then we watched him talk, for 15 minutes, with all due respect, about sh*t. That is the truth, man. It was sh*t."

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has showered encomium on Chuba Akpom after making a scoring debut for his side in their 1-1 draw against QPR, stating the goal will relieve him of pressure.

The Nigerian centre-forward teamed up with Boro in September from Greek Super League side PAOK and has hit the ground running for his new club.

The 24-year-old was afforded his first appearance for Boro against Queen Park Rangers on Saturday and delivered an eye-catching performance.

The forward found the back of the net only 19 minutes into the encounter after he was set up by Patrick McNair.

Warnock is delighted with the fine start from the Nigerian forward and feels it will psychologically prepare him for life in the English second tier.

 "What's the perfect start for a striker? It's getting a goal on your debut and he's done exactly that,” Warnock said, as per Teesside Live.

"It's important as a striker you're seen to do your job and that is scoring goals. That has taken a lot of weight off his shoulders, psychologically whether he thinks about it or not."

The draw means Middlesbrough are yet to taste victory in the Championship this season, after losing against Watford and drawing with Bournemouth.

Akpom will hope to continue his impressive performances when Boro take on Barnsley in their next league game on October 3.

The forward started his career with Premier League club Arsenal at the age of six and was promoted to the senior team in 2013.

Akpom only featured for the Gunners four times in the English top-flight as he spent most of his time on loan, featuring for Brentford, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sint-Truiden.

He left the Emirates Stadium permanently in the summer of 2018 to team up with PAOK and impressed during his time with the club.

Akpom featured in more than 50 games for the Greek club, helping them to win the Super League and Cup titles.

The forward has played for England at youth level but has revealed his desire to switch his allegiance to the Nigeria national team.

Jamhuri Stadium is the latest facility to be banned from hosting any top tier matches, effective immediately.

The stadium's standards have been going down owing to poor maintenance by the management. It is for this reason the Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has decided to act. 

"TPLB has suspended the usage of Jamhuri Stadium in Morogoro from hosting any match until renovations are done," read a statement from the Board and obtained by Goal.

"The following areas should be renovated; the playing surface, the changing rooms, and the technical bench area.

"The committee will assess the stadium after the aforementioned renovation before giving a green light on its usage."

The Board recently banned Ushirika Stadium in Moshi from hosting any competitive matches and gave them three weeks to renovate the facility.

"TPLB has banned the use of Ushirika Stadium... from hosting any top-tier matches, or even competitions owing to missing vital requirements as explained in the rules governing the game in the country," read part of another statement.

"The Board has given the management 21 days to make renovations in the stadium in the aforementioned areas before the Inspection Committee visits the facility for inspection.  

"Following the decision we ask Polisi Tanzania, who use the venue as the home ground, to start using Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha for their on-going matches for the 2020-21 league campaign."

Other facilities to have been banned by TPLB include Mabatini based in Mlandizi, Pwani, Karume, and Gwambina Stadiums. 

Karume Stadium based in Mara was banned from hosting any competitive matches owing to the poor playing surface compared to Gwambina, whose playing surface was classified as substandard by TPLB.

Gwambina FC, who were promoted to the top-tier for this campaign, have been advised to use either CCM Kirumba or Nyamagana Stadiums, both based in Mwanza, as their home ground for the time being.

The TPLB is working closely with Azam TV, who are the official broadcasters of the Mainland Premier League, to have selected venues outside Dar es Salaam to host night matches this season.

The current season saw teams reduced from 20 to 18 to enable ample time to prepare between league matches.

Gift Otuwe and Moussa Xouwairatou were on target for Neman as they claimed a 6-1 triumph over ABFF-U19 in a Belarusian Women's Premier League fixture at Krytyj Futbol Manezh on Sunday.

Having returned from an international break, Neman were desperate to avoid a slip-up, having gone two matches without defeat after a 4-1 win over Bobruichanka before a 1-1 draw at Zorka-BDU.

With hopes for a winning return, Neman made a strong start to the encounter as former Nigeria international Otuwe fired them in front after just 10 minutes of action against ABFF in Grodno.

Elizabeth Sergeychik made it 2-0 13 minutes later before Juliana Nana struck in the 28th minute to hand the team a comfortable three-goal lead going into the half-time break.

After the restart, Zouwairatou scored her fourth goal of the season seven minutes into the second half before Ekaterina Dudko netted a fifth of the match in the 65th minute for Neman.

The visitors, however, pulled one back through Victoriya Valyuk four minutes later but Nana hit her second of the match six minutes from regulation time to ensure a five-goal victory margin.

Otuwe, who lasted the duration, has now ended her 12-game drought with her third goal in 17 matches this term. 

Michaela Koutouan was in action for 82 minutes and Cameroon's Xouwairatou lasted for 89 minutes, scoring her fourth goal in 17 outings for Neman.

The triumph takes Neman to the third position on the Belarusian table with 31 points - 11 behind second-placed Minsk and 20 adrift of leaders Dinamo-BSUPC after 17 matches this season.

Neman will seek to extend their winning momentum and will be host to Dnepr Mogilev in their next encounter on October 3.

While La Liga no longer boasts Cristiano Ronaldo, it remains blessed by some of the most talented footballers in the world. 

Ahead of the release of FIFA 21, EA Sports has revealed its ratings for the Spanish league's very best players with Lionel Messi once again coming out on top. 

The Barcelona star, who was initially hoping to be playing elsewhere this season, has been handed an overall rating of 93 with 95-rated dribbling and 92-rated shooting making him close to unstoppable in the final third. 

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak is La Liga's second best player with an overall rating of 91 - which also made him FIFA 21's highest rated shot-stopper. 

Rounding out the podium is Barcelona's No.1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has claimed an overall rating of 90 and remains one of the game's best all-round keepers. 

While no Real Madrid player cracked the top three, four Los Blancos representatives including Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Karim Benzema and Thibaut Courtois have earned an overall rating of 89.

Incidentally, Zinedine Zidane's side have the most players in EA's La Liga list, with nine Real Madrid stars making the cut.

Eight players from Barcelona have also been included, Atletico Madrid has three, while Villarreal and Real Sociedad have one each. 

If you're looking to form the best possible La Liga XI, EA suggests a line-up of: Oblak; Carvajal, Ramos, Pique, Alba; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Messi, Benzema, Hazard. 

Liverpool's dominance of the Premier League has extended to FIFA 21 with six players named in the starting XI of the league's best players in the game.

Four of the Reds' title-winning back five are among the best from England's top division, with Alisson between the sticks with a rating of 90, Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence with the same score, while Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson take the full-back positions on each side with their 87 ratings.

Jurgen Klopp's side also boast two of the starting three attackers with 90-rated Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in position on the right and left wings respectively.

Incredibly, Liverpool provide two of the nine substitutes as well, with Roberto Firmino and Fabinho - both 87 rated - featuring as back-ups.

Manchester City have three players in the starting side, with Kevin De Bruyne - the league's best player with a 91 rating - lining up in midfield, while Sergio Aguero (89 rated) is the team's centre forward and Aymeric Laporte (87 rated) is the only non-Red in the defensive unit.

With Liverpool and City comprising nine players of the best XI, Chelsea's N'Golo Kante (88 rated) and Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (87 rated) are the other players featuring in the team in the three-man midfield with De Bruyne.

Among the substitutes include Tottenham trio Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the lone representative from Arsenal.

Manchester City also provide three substitutes with Ederson, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva all starting on the bench.

Odisha FC’s newest recruit Steven Taylor has a vast experience of playing at the top level of English football with Newcastle United.

The experienced defender, who has spent 13 seasons with The Magpies, has several fond memories. From playing under top managers like Sir Bobby Robson and Rafael Benitez to sharing dressing rooms with legends like Michael Owen and Alan Shearer, Taylor has had a memorable journey in England.

The Brit reminisced fond memories from the St. James’ Park during a chat with Goal.

“Playing for my home town club Newcastle United, working under the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Kevin Keegan and Rafael Benitez is some of my most memorable moments. I played with some incredible players like Alan Shearer and Michael Owen. So for a young player coming through, it was always great to learn from legends like them.”

Taylor had won just two trophies during his time at Newcastle United. In 2006, the club had won the now-defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup and in the 2009-10 season, they had won the Football League Championship and returned to the Premier League.

“Scoring at St. James’ Park in front of 52,000 fans is always an incredible feeling. It was nice to experience European nights with Newcastle and winning the championship with them,” suggested the 34-year-old.

Newcastle United were on the verge of a potential takeover in April by a Saudi Arabian consortium of investors which included Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF, PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers. They were supposed to pay £300m to buy the club from current owner Mike Ashley.

Unfortunately, the deal did not materialise and the Saudi investors decided to back out citing a delay in the process of selling the club from the owners’ side.

While several reasons have come up justifying in the delay of the process, Steven Taylor believes that leaking of the takeover news to the press has resulted in the collapse. But he is also positive that the takeover will eventually take place.

“I think if it’s going to happen it will happen before things get leaked out to the press like most club takeovers. When it’s played in the press a lot and dragging on a lot of the time, things like that collapse. Which is what happened with the last potential takeover bid,” said the former Newcastle defender.

Churchill Brothers' new head coach Fernando Santiago Varela feels the club's past success makes it a challenging role for him, going into the 2020-21 season of I-League.

Varela was introduced to Indian football by Gokulam Kerala two years ago. The team won the Kerala Premier League before the coach left the club due to personal reasons. A year later, he returned to the Kozhikode-based club and took charge of the club for the 2019-20 campaign.

The Malabarians won the Durand Cup, reached the semi-final of the Sheikh Jamal Cup in Bangladesh and was close to finishing int he top four in the I-League. However, the coach and the club parted ways again and for different reasons this time around, according to the Argentina-born manager. 

"Football really is like that (leaving the club after winning a trophy), we had a great season and played brilliantly at times. It's also true that Gokulam Kerala wanted to keep me and asked me to stay several times, but we didn't come to an agreement on a budget or a sports project," Varela revealed to Goal. 

At the end of what was a trophy-winning campaign, Varela was linked to the coaching job at Kolkata giants East Bengal. However, it was not the Red and Golds who had put offers on the table for Varela.

"I had known for some time that I would not renew at Gokulam and several agents contacted me with various offers. Many East Bengal fans and even people with contacts at the club tried to recommend me but I never really received an offer from the club," Varela said.  

He further added, "Churchill Brothers are a club with history,  with 2 I-Leagues and 3 Durand Cups. For me, it is without a doubt a challenge to be in charge of one of the most important teams in India with history."

After two separate stints with Gokulam, Varela believes he has learned more about the nitty-gritty of Indian football. 

He said, "One learns from the experience of dealing with players, the leaders and the media. There are many lessons learned but above all, you work for the player, for the team, for the club and always give your best so that the team improves and wins.

"I think it is important for the future of Indian soccer to not compare yourself too much and to set goals that really help the development of Indian soccer. The quality improves when one looks at oneself and tries to learn from one's own mistakes." 

Goa, like Kerala, is one of the hotbeds of football in India and Varela believes he can be the person to develop young players at Churchill Brothers like he did at his previous club. 

"Last year, nine players from the reserve team made their debut with me, which shows that I believe in the development of the young players. You can't always focus on this kind of development because individual development should be based on progression and not by exposing a player more than necessary. It can be counterproductive for his future and the future of the team," he opined. 

Despite the restrictions imposed on the game by the Coronavirus pandemic, Varela is raring to go at his new club with the ambition of a league victory. 

The virus has put in (restrictions) and we must be prepared to face every situation in a conscious and professional way. The development of physical capacities (of players) will be key to avoiding injuries.

"Being at Churchill Brothers gives you the obligation to always go out and try to win the I-League title, regardless of whether East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are in the running. Churchill is a club with history and it will be our obligation to show character to win every game," Varela concluded. 

Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso declared he's not giving Hirving Lozano "any leeway" as he looks to get the most out of the Mexican star.

The 25-year-old scored twice in a 6-0 win over Genoa on Sunday after a turbulent first season in Serie A. 

Lozano found himself out of favour under Gattuso last term following a big-money move from PSV and managed just five goals across all competitions. 

The Mexico international has started the new season brightly however and Gattuso seems determined to ensure Lozano lives up to his potential in Italy. 

"I am not giving Lozano any leeway, so he is a different player now," Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia. "When he arrived, he was not at 100 per cent mentally or physically. He would kick the ball and fall over like a child, now he has strength in his legs.

"I knew Lozano from his days at PSV, he always attacked down the wing, but last season he wasn’t at his best at all. He’s playing now because he’s in good shape.

"The whole team hit rock bottom last year and we still need to be consistent over 90 minutes."

Prior to joining Napoli in 2019, Lozano had scored 21 goals and contributed 12 assists for PSV across the 2018-19 season as he turned heads across Europe. 

While struggling in Naples last term, Gattuso was already seeing signs in pre-season that the Mexican attacker was ready for a much better second season with the club. 

"It is very good if he expresses himself to the fullest. He finally understands that he is at Napoli," Gattuso said in September. 

"The first days he thought he was still in Eindhoven, then in Mexico and now in Naples. He's reacting." 

Despite Napoli's big win on Sunday and Lozano's strong performance, Gattuso wasn't getting ahead of himself. 

“This result is very harsh and does not reflect the game," Gattuso said post-match. "If Piotr Zielinski hadn’t scored 30 seconds after the restart, it would’ve been a very different match.

"We have to focus on improving and finding the right balance, because we need balance in order to play this type of football."

New Indian Super League (ISL) outfit East Bengal are set to sign Jeje Lalpekhlua in the coming week. 

The 29-year-old won the ISL twice (2015, 2017-18) with Chennaiyin FC before which he won the Federation Cup (2016) and I-League (2014-15) when he sported the Mohun Bagan shirt.

Jeje had to sit out the entire last season out due to a troublesome knee injury and was included in the list of probables for the Indian national team's 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifier match against Qatar that was supposed to be held in March and now indefinitely postponed to 2021.

The Mizo striker was earlier left out by India head coach Igor Stimac for the King's Cup and Intercontinental Cup in 2019 due to his injury. Jeje last donned the India shirt in the AFC Asian Cup in January 2019.

More recently, after his nomination for the 2017 Arjuna Awards, Lalpekhlua saw his name included in the list of recommendations for the famed Arjuna Award this year as well but eventually lost out to Sandesh Jhingan.

Jeje has previously played for Mohun Bagan as well but turned out to be Chennaiyin FC's poster boy in the ISL, representing them from the very first edition back in 2014. Jeje is also the highest goalscorer for Chennaiyin FC in the ISL. 

He also scored 23 goals with 56 India senior caps besides the six from 13 appearances with the India U-23 team. He has played for other clubs like Pune FC, Pailan Arrows and Dempo where he has a respectable goal output. 

It will be interesting to see the Mizo Sniper don the Red and Gold colours as the team goes about their inaugural season in the ISL.