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Thomas Tuchel says he still does not expect Kylian Mbappe to be fit for Paris Saint-Germain's upcoming Champions League clash with Atalanta despite the forward's best efforts.

Mbappe suffered an ankle injury during PSG's Coupe de France victory over Saint-Etienne, with the French forward seen on crutches for the ensuing celebration.

Shortly after, the club announced that Mbappe was facing a three-week absence, one that would keep him out of the Champions League opener on August 12.

Tuchel stated that it would take a "miracle" for Mbappe to be fit for the match against Atalanta, while team-mate Ander Herrera was a bit more hopeful as he said the club was "optimistic".

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger also weighed in on Mbappe's status, saying that he expects Mbappe to do whatever it takes to be fit for the upcoming match.

Ahead of a friendly against Sochaux on Wednesday, Tuchel says Mbappe is still doubtful, but the club will meet on Saturday to reassess Mbappe's status. 

"I have no idea," Tuchel told beIN Sports. "I see Kylian every day. He's at the training centre. He works hard with the physiotherapists almost 24 hours a day. 

"But the deadline is short, super short. We spoke with the doctor today and we decided to meet again on Saturday to see what phase he is in and if it is possible that he is on the bench against Atalanta. But I do not expect too much. "

Mbappe isn't the only PSG star in danger of missing the upcoming Champions League match, as Marco Verratti is now a doubt for the game against Atalanta.

According to RMC Sport, Verratti suffered an injury in training on Tuesday following a clash with another player, and the Italian star was subsequently left out of PSG's squad for the match against Sochaux.

Neymar, Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria, Thiago Silva, Mauro Icardi, Thilo Kehrer and Presnel Kimpembe were also left out of Wednesday's friendly for precautionary reasons as the club looks ahead towards next week's Champions League clash.

PSG edged Borussia Dortmund in their round of 16 tie, winning 3-2 on aggregate against the German side after two goals from Neymar and one from Juan Bernat.

Gabriel Jesus feels Manchester City have let down their assist king Kevin De Bruyne this season, saying the Belgium star could have had 30 assists were it not for his team-mates' wastefulness.

Jesus and De Bruyne were on target during the second half when City beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu back in February. 

The long-awaited second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie takes place behind closed doors at the Etihad Stadium on Friday. 

De Bruyne heads into the contest after a stunning domestic season where he matched Thierry Henry's Premier League record of 20 assists in a single campaign. 

Still, Brazil striker Jesus feels that number could have been much higher, insisting City were frequently wasteful in front of goal despite scoring 102 times in the league. 

"I think every game he can make three or four assists for us," he told the club's website. 

"This season we miss a lot of goals, if not Kevin would have 30 assists. He is so good. 

"He has so much quality and he always looks to the strikers. It is so good playing with him."

Praise has not always been so forthcoming for Jesus, who is likely to lead the City attack in Sergio Aguero's injury absence against the La Liga champions. 

The 23-year-old did impress, however, in the initial clash – deployed on the left flank to fine effect in an experimental 4-4-2 system that featured De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva as false nines until the closing stages. 

"I don't think it is my best performance," Jesus said of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu. "It was a top game. I scored and helped the team and that's why people say that.

"They [Madrid] played so good. It is so difficult to go there and play against them.

"We suffered in the first 15-20 minutes and after we played well. We started to play our football and after we came back and could have scored three.

"We played so good with the ball, but without the ball we played one of the best games I have seen since I came to play here."

Tanzanian referee Ramadhan Kayoko has revealed how he dealt with the pressure of officiating the Yanga SC vs Simba SC FA Cup meeting in July.

The Kariakoo rivals met in the penultimate stage of the domestic tournament and Kayoko was charged with the responsibility of being a referee in the derby, something he had not done before.

Simba won the tie with a 4-1 scoreline and went ahead to lift the cup after beating Namungo FC 2-1 on August 2.

“At first I was nervous because it was my first big game and at such an age. However, I got the courage to face it. The pressure was there but I managed to calm down,” Kayoko told CafOnline.

“It was such a huge surprise for me. I really prayed for things to go okay and I am happy that my colleagues gave me the strength and encouragement to face it. On our way to the stadium with my colleagues, we came singing and dancing to calm the pressure.”

The Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) Referees’ Committee chairman Soud Abdi explained why Kayoko had to be picked for the highly-charged derby.

“It is common that this derby is officiated by Fifa referees but this time round most of them were not doing enough. Jonesia [Rukia] doesn't have match fitness because she [had] underwent surgery a few weeks ago,” Abdi said.

“We don’t look at the face or age of someone to officiate such a match. We look at his or her quality. In the past few weeks, Kayoko was doing very well and deserved the appointment.”

Kayoko, who initially hoped to become a footballer, a dream that was crushed by injuries, also spoke about the challenges he has encountered in his first season as a Premier League referee.

“There have been many challenges. As a young referee, the road is always not so smooth. But I have never given up and I continue to work hard to improve myself,” the official added.

He revealed plans of getting further education with sanctioned football bodies.

“I want to continue learning and becoming better and eventually getting Caf and Fifa certification,” Kayoko concluded.

“I don’t want to feel proud because I officiated the derby or people are saying good things about me. I know there are challenges ahead but I will work hard to keep beating them and becoming better.

“I feel like it is a good start to my career. This is my first season in the Tanzanian Premier League and I have picked several lessons from all the matches. I will keep learning and build my experience to become a better referee.”

Kayoko was also in charge of the Azam FC FA Cup quarter-final match against Simba.

Galatasaray have confirmed the signing of Arda Turan, who returns to the club of his youth nine years after leaving to join Atletico Madrid.

Turan, 33, was a free agent after his contract with Barcelona expired last month. The midfielder had spent the past season and a half on loan with Istanbul Basaksehir.

The Turkey international came up through the youth ranks at Galatasaray before making his senior debut in 2005. Turan became a star for club and country before joining Atletico in 2011.

Speaking to  Galatasaray's official website,  Turan admitted he was emotional returning to Gala, and thanked the club's chairman for making the move happen.

"Emotions are very deep," Turan said. "Now is not the time to comment and talk too much. It's time for me to get on the field and fight. I would like to thank Mr. Mustafa Cengiz and members of the board of directors.

"I hope everything will be good: the most beautiful days, successful days again both in Turkey and in Europe. I miss the fans very much. I am waiting for the day I will meet with them. I hope to see you as soon as possible."

Turan spent four seasons with Atletico, where he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League, before moving on to Barcelona in 2015. 

With the Blaugrana, Turan continued his success by again winning La Liga, as well as two Copas del Rey. 

Last autumn, Turan found himself in legal trouble after being involved in a brawl that resulted in  a suspended two years and eight months prison sentence for firing a gun to incite fear and panic, illegal possession of weapons and causing intentional injury.

Turan has not served any jail time, though he did pay a fine of 2.5 million Turkish lira (£350,648) for the incident.

Speaking about the incident, Cengiz said that he felt comfortable with signing Turan and believes that the midfielder should not be judged too harshly for any indiscretions. 

"We have no personal problems with Arda," Cengiz  told the club's official website . "People can make mistakes."

Arsenal’s senior scouting network has been left stunned after several key figures were told they would be losing their jobs on Wednesday morning.

As reported by the Mail and since confirmed by Goal, one of those who will be leaving the club is head of international recruitment, Francis Cagigao - the man credited with discovering the likes of Hector Bellerin and Cesc Fabregas during Arsene Wenger’s reign.

Cagigao was also the driving force behind the deal to bring Gabriel Martinelli to the club last year and personally travelled to Brazil to watch the teenager in action when he was playing for state side Ituano.

When Martinelli scored his stunning solo goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in January, Fabregas immediately took to Twitter to pay tribute to the man who has been leading Arsenal’s scouting network. “Francis Cagigao strikes again and again,” Fabregas said. “Legend.”

Cagigao has been at Arsenal for over two decades and has long been hailed as one of the most important figures within the club’s recruitment network, with his extensive contacts book the envy of many and his talent for unearthing some of the best young players respected across football.

But following Wenger’s departure, Arsenal - under head of football Raul Sanllehi and technical director Edu - have increasingly moved towards an agent-led strategy when it comes to transfers.

And that strategy looks set to increase further now with the departure of Cagigao and some of his most trusted team members, who will leave as part of 55 proposed redundancies at Arsenal, which the club say are being enforced due to the significant impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Brian McDermott was a senior player at Arsenal between 1979 and 1984 and has been a long-term scout at the club, working alongside Cagigao and focusing primarily on European leagues. He was also told on Wednesday morning that he no longer has a job, as were other figures within the scouting network.

Sources have told Goal that there is a feeling of bemusement that a club of Arsenal's stature would move to get rid of so many respected figures within its scouting network in favour of relying on working with agents.

Upon announcing the news that the club would be making 55 redundancies, a joint statement released by Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham said: “We do not make these proposals lightly and have looked at every aspect of the club and our expenditure before reaching this point. We are now entering the required 30-day consultation period on these proposals.  

“We know this is upsetting and difficult for our dedicated staff and our focus is on managing this as sensitively as possible.

“These proposed changes are ultimately about ensuring we take this great football club forward, creating the right organisation for a post-Covid world, and ensuring we have the resources to return to competing effectively at the top of the game here and in Europe.”

Chelsea target Kai Havertz is "100 per cent still fighting" for Bayer Leverkusen and will play against Rangers in the Europa League, says head coach Peter Bosz.

Germany attacking midfielder Havertz has long been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, with Goal reporting last week that Chelsea have made the 21-year-old their primary target after already signing Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner this summer.

Leverkusen have set their asking price at €100 million (£90m/$111m), but Chelsea feel that they will eventually be able to secure the Germany international for around €76m (£70m/$87m).

The Blues saw their hopes of landing Havertz boosted earlier this week when Bayern Munich confirmed that they are no longer in the running to sign the Leverkusen star.

Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness confirmed that his side did not have the finances needed to sign Havertz after making another major move already this summer.

"I am sure that after Leroy Sane there will be no major transfers this year," Hoeness told German newspaper FAZ.

"That has nothing to do with the quality of Havertz. We all think he is a very, very good player."

The Blues have acted swiftly in the market, with Ziyech and Werner already on board – the latter opting not to finish RB Leipzig's Champions League campaign.

But Havertz will be involved on Thursday when Leverkusen return to Europa League action for the second leg of their last-16 tie against Rangers at the BayArena, where the Bundesliga side will start with a 3-1 aggregate lead.

"I will answer these questions [about Havertz] very shortly," Bosz told a pre-match news conference. 

"Yes, he will play and yes I'm convinced he's 100 per cent still fighting for Leverkusen."

Following the completion of the round of 16, the Europa League – which was halted in March by the coronavirus pandemic – will be concluded with a knockout-style tournament in Germany.

But Bosz warned his side not to look further than their date with Rangers.

"We can only win the tournament if we win against Rangers. It doesn't make any sense to dream ahead to the upcoming matches," he added.

"I've tried to convey this to the players that they see it that way.

"We want to progress. If I need players tomorrow who may be at risk of being suspended, they will still play. Our focus is only on progressing."

Europa League winners are not only guaranteed silverware in addition to automatic qualification to next season's Champions League, the champions are also awarded a generous sum of prize money.

The cash float for Europa League champions is not as lucrative as that of the Champions League, but it is still a substantial amount of money,

Clubs participating in the Europa League accumulate more money as they advance in the competition, with the prize money growing the closer they get to the final.

The likes of Manchester United, Wolves, Roma and Sevilla are all battling it out for Europa League glory this season, and here's what the prize money breakdown looks like.

Much like the Champions League, prize money for the Europa League is separated into fixed payments that are dependent on tournament participation, results & finishes as well as variables that are based on the value of the television market.

For the 2019-20 season, Europa League competition winners receive €8,500,000 (£7.5m/$10m). The runners-up earn €4,500,000 (£4m/$5m).

Group stage participation earns teams a base fee of €2,920,000 (£2.5m/$3.5m), while each win in the group pays €570,000 (£515k/$680k) and a draw €190,000 (£170k/$230k). Each group winner then earns €1,000,000 (£900k/$1.2m), while each runner-up receives €500,000 (£450k/$600k).

Teams who reach the knockout stage of the competition are then awarded additional prize money: €500,000 (£450k/$600k) for the round of 32, €1,100,000 (£1m/$1.3m) for the round of 16, €1,500,000 (£1.4m/$1.8m) for the quarter-finals and €2,400,000 (£2.2m/$3m) for the semi-finals.

Due to the impacts of Covid-19 on the 2019-20 season, and with revenue from ticket sales being axed due to the games being played behind closed doors, prize money to participating clubs will be essential.

Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have been left out of the Real Madrid squad for the Champions League trip to Manchester City, the club revealed on Wednesday.

The Wales star was not named in the 24-man travelling group, but captain Sergio Ramos, who is suspended for the last-16 second leg, was included.

Rodriguez was also left out, along with striker Mariano Diaz, who tested positive for coronavirus last week and has been self-isolating.

Eden Hazard is in the squad despite concerns over his fitness following an ankle injury, while Luka Jovic, who has started just one Champions League game for Madrid, is also included.

Madrid are trailing 2-1 from the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Isco's goal for the Spanish side being outdone by finishes from Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne.

Bale's stock under head coach Zinedine Zidane appears to have dropped to its lowest point in 2020, the former Tottenham forward having featured just twice since the Spanish season resumed in June.

Team-mate Casemiro insisted this week that Bale still has the support of Madrid's coaches and players despite going through "not the best time in his career".

The Brazilian midfielder added that he believes that Bale is still one of the top three players in the world when on his game, despite making just 20 appearances in all competitions this season.

Bale has caused some consternation in Spain for his attitude on the sidelines in recent weeks. He has often appeared bored during games and was distant from some of the title celebrations when Madrid were crowned champions last month.

However, his agent, Jonathan Barnett, told BBC Sport that the player "likes living in Madrid and he is going nowhere", and is keen to see out the remaining two years on his contract.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, has also played a limited role for Real Madrid this season, having returned to the club for the 2019-20 campaign after a two-year loan stint with Bayern Munich.

The Colombian star made just 14 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring one goal, with only eight of those appearances coming in La Liga. 

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have come out to clarify why they released 14 players from their squad ahead of the new season.

On Monday, the Jangwani Street-based giants, who missed out on winning silverware in the just-ended season, shocked many in Tanzania after they sent packing 14 players, among them captain Papy Tshishimbi, their top scorer for the season David Molinga, and ex-Gor Mahia forward Gnamien Yikpe.

Others axed were veteran striker Mrisho Ngassa, Jafary Mohamed, Mohamed Issa Banka, Tariq Seif, Andrew Vincent Dante, Patrick Sibomana, Muharami Issa, Ali Ali, Rafael Daud, Ali Mtoni Sonso and Eric Kabamba.

The decision was not received well with a section of Yanga fans, who felt some of the players who were dropped did not deserve to leave because they had a good season with the club despite the problems they faced

The club’s mobilisation officer Antonio Nugaz has now urged the fans to be patient by stating the departure of the 14 players will provide room for others to come and it should not be a cause for concern.

“We want to rebuild a competitive team next season that is why it was inevitable to offload some of the players so that others should come in to replace them,” Nugaz is quoted by Daily News.

“We have even let go David [Molinga] who was our top goal scorer last season, which means that we are aware of what we are doing.”

Nugaz also confirmed they are in the process of naming a new technical bench to lead the side after they fired coach Luc Eymael and later his assistant Boniface Mkwasa.

The players who were retained by the club include Kenyan keeper Farouk Shikhalo, Metacha Mnata, Ramadhan Kabwili, Haruna Niyonzima, Lamine Moro, Bernard Morrison, Feisal Salum, Juma Mahadhi, Adeyum Saleh, Said Makapu, Balama Mapinduzi, Deus Kaseke, Ditram Nchimbi, Abdulaziz Makame, and Paul Godfrey.

Yanga had a disappointing campaign in the last season where they failed to reach the final of the FA Cup after losing to eventual winners and rivals Simba SC in the semi-final, and could only finish a distant second behind their old rivals on the league table.

The Timu ya Wananchi have now been linked a with a number of foreign players, including Kenyans Jesse Were and John Makwatta, who play for Zesco United, Sven Yidah of Kariobangi Sharks, Erick Rutanga of Rayon Sports and Mukoko Tonombe of AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A number of coaches including Kenya’s Bernard Mwalala, who also played for the team, have been linked with the vacant role at the club.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has once again postponed the announcement of its judgement on the legal tussle between Tema Youth president Wilfred Kwaku Osei Palmer and the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The new date is September 1, 2020.

The latest development was announced on Wednesday, a day after the tribunal was due to announce the verdict. It is the second successive rescheduling of the release of the ultimate outcome.

Osei Palmer is contesting his disqualification from the GFA presidential election last October.

"On behalf of the deputy president of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division, please be advised that the time limit to communicate the arbitral award to the parties, pursuant to article R59 of the Code of Sports-related Arbitration, has been extended until 1st September 2020," a CAS letter dated August 5 reads.

Osei Palmer was among seven candidates who filed applications to compete for the FA presidency. The seat had become vacant following the unceremonious exit of Kwesi Nyantakyi over a bribery and corruption scandal.

In the search for a new boss for the national football's governing body, Fifa, Caf and the Government of Ghana jointly set up a Normalisation Committee for Football (NC) to run the nation's sport in the interim.

A Vetting Committee set up by the NC to screen the presidential aspirants proposed disqualification of Osei Palmer for once breaching financial regulations after the transfer of a player of his club.

The administrator, a Black Stars Management Committee member during Nyantakyi's administration, promptly filed for an appeal upon receiving notification of his disqualification.

The NC, however, threw out the appeal on grounds of late submission and went ahead to conduct the election with six contestants where Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku emerged a the winner.

Displeased, Palmer dragged the GFA to CAS to seek redress, among his requests, seeking clearance of his name and re-organisation of the presidential election where he will be allowed to contest.

The tribunal initially set a July date for the announcement of their final verdict before moving it back to August 4.

Wednesday’s latest development means Osei Palmer and the GFA will have to wait until next month to know their fate.

Jose Mourinho deserves "a lot of credit" for guiding Tottenham to sixth place, according to Darren Bent, who says the Spurs manager's methods are "clearly working".

Spurs had slipped way down to 14th in the Premier League standings when Jose Mourinho was drafted in to replace Mauricio Pochettino in the hot seat back in November.

Mourinho's arrival had the desired impact initially, as Spurs won five of their first seven games under the Portuguese, before an inconsistent Christmas period threatened to derail their campaign once again.

Tottenham were decimated by injuries to key personnel in the new year, and found themselves out of the FA Cup, Champions League and top-four race by the time the coronavirus outbreak stopped play in March.

However, Mourinho was able to welcome back the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn and Dele Alli when the top-flight resumed in June, which helped ensure a strong finish to the campaign.

Spurs recorded five wins, three draws and just one defeat in their last nine matches to secure Europa League qualification, with Mourinho beaming with pride after a final-day draw at Crystal Palace.

"After lockdown, we finished third or fourth in the table. That is where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players, a pitch full of players," he told reporters post-match.

Bent says the former Chelsea and Manchester United head coach is right to be proud of his efforts over the past nine months, and he has backed Tottenham to kick on and emerge as an elite force again in 2020-21.

“For them to finish sixth this year, what an achievement that is. They were way out of the race and to come back into it, Mourinho’s got to take a lot of credit," the former Spurs striker told Football Insider.

“He knows full well they need to do better next season and so he’ll have his eye on who he wants and the players he wants but first and foremost we’ve got to give him a round of applause and say job well done.

“The staggering stat that no manager had won more games than Mourinho, other than Klopp and Guardiola since he took the job, that is an unbelievable stat – whatever football he’s playing, it’s clearly working.

“He’s done a very, very good job and I expect them to be better next season. It’s a really big season for some of their players, the likes of Harry Kane – what does he do next season with the ambition he shows? That’s a really, really big year for him.

“First and foremost they need to go and get some players but I fully expect, once Mourinho’s got a full summer in, I expect them to be even better next season.” 

Dinamo-BSUPC head coach Yuri Ivanovich has revealed he is ready to unleash Rhoda Mulaudzi and Lebohang Ramalepe on Bobruichanka in the semi-final of the Belarusian Women's Cup on Wednesday.

The Belarusian top-flight newcomers completed the signing of the South African duo from Sasol Women's League sides Polokwane FC and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, respectively, on Friday.

Ramalepe, who sealed her first move abroad, has earned 50 caps for Banyana, featuring at three Africa Women's Cup of Nations and the 2016 Olympic Games, and was part of three Cosafa Cup-winning squads. 

Before now, Mulaudzi starred for Cyprus' Apollon Ladies and Australia's Canberra United before helping Sundowns Ladies claim the Safa National Women's League title, with 36 goals in 15 games.

Following their signing announcement for the rest of the season, they could not earn their first appearances in Sunday's 4-0 at Bobruichanka.

With a 5-1 semi-final first-leg lead against Bobruichanka, the manager is set to hand the South Africa internationals their debuts as he vowed to change the side that thrashed the same foes on Sunday.

"If we manage to announce the girls before the second match of the Belarusian Women's Cup semi-final, then on Wednesday they will be on the football field," Ivanovich told the club website.

In last week's triumph, the manager rested the club's joint-topscorer Salimata Simpore and has offered a response to questions about the Burkina Faso striker's absence against Bobruichanka.

"We have girls  'on the cards' and she is one of them, and therefore I was a little afraid," she explained. 

"Simpore is a rather aggressive, mobile player who does a good power struggle, for this reason, he decided to keep it until the 14th round."

Dinamo will hope to maintain their impressive run of form, having recorded victories in all competitions this season, at home against Bobruichanka to seal a final spot against Minsk or Neman.

Stellenbosch FC have announced the promotion of Jayden Adams from the club's reserve team. 

The 18-year-old midfielder caught the eye while playing for the Stellies reserve team in the Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC).

This was before the 2019/20 season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic in March with Stellenbosch placed seventh on the MDC standings. 

Adams' exploits in the reserve league have not gone unnoticed as he has been promoted to Stellies' first team after signing a long-term contract.

"Jayden Adams (18) puts pen to paper on a long term deal with Stellebbosch FC," a club statement read on Wednesday afternoon.

With Stellenbosch having been established in 2016, Adams has become the first academy player to sign a professional contract with the club's first team.

"Adams becomes the first Academy graduate to sign a professional contract with the club," another statement read.

The Western Cape-based side has decided to beef up its squad after losing influential midfielder-come-striker Iqraam Rayners to SuperSport United.

The 24-year-old player has signed a pre-contract with SuperSport earlier this year and Stellies decided to release him last month.

Stellies also parted ways former Kaizer Chiefs central defender Morgan Gould last month, with the 37-year-old player having made only 11 appearances in the league for the team this season.

The 2018/19 National First Division (NFD) champions are busy with their preparations with the current season set to resume this weekend with the Nedbank Cup semi-finals matches taking place.

The suspended campaign will be completed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng between August and September 2020.

Stellenbonsch were eliminated from this season's Nedbank Cup by Maritzburg United in February and they will focus solely on their Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign.

Steve Barker's side has been drawn to play their remaining home league matches at Tuks Stadium which is also known as Absa Stadium. 

Coach Barker is familiar with the venue which is owned by the University of Pretoria, who were coached by the experienced tactician between 2008 and 2014.

Stellenbosch will lock horns with Lamontville Golden Arrows at Tuks Stadium next week Saturday.

Charlie Nicholas expects Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay put as he doesn't believe Barcelona can afford him, or that Manchester United are a bigger club than Arsenal.

Aubameyang's future at Arsenal has been up in the air in recent months, with the Gunners now looking at accelerating talks over a new deal for the 31-year-old.

Mikel Arteta is optimistic he will commit to fresh terms, but there are plenty of potential suitors keeping a close eye on his situation.

Barcelona, United, Juventus and Real Madrid have all been linked with Aubameyang, and it has been suggested that he could be tempted by a high-profile switch.

However, Arsenal's chances of convincing the Gabon international he can still achieve his lofty goals at the Emirates improved following their 2-1 FA Cup final win over Chelsea last weekend, during which he grabbed both goals to take his tally for the season to 29 in all competitions.

Nicolas doesn't think a potential switch to United will hold appeal to Aubameyang, and he is not certain that a move abroad is realistic either given the uncertainty of the financial climate amid the coronavirus crisis.

Former Gunners striker Nicolas said during an interview with Off The Ball: "I do genuinely believe if I said to Aubameyang right now that there’s two in England that are bigger than Arsenal: there’s Liverpool and Manchester City.

"Does he really want to go and join Manchester United? Are they getting closer? My answer is 'no'. I think Manchester City and Liverpool are still way out there.

"I don’t think Juventus are miles ahead, Barcelona are struggling for cash and I don’t think Real Madrid are so rich as what they were and what they want.

"So I’m finding that for one of the best strikers and certainly one of the best finishers in world football, I am very optimistic about him being in the red and white of Arsenal."

Asked where Aubameyang ranks in terms of the best strikers in world football, Nicholas responded: "He’s right up there and that’s why I can see Real Madrid and Juventus looking at buying him because they’re all trying to do deals to sell off as they need some money – everybody needs it, Barcelona included. 

"Then they’re trying to work out who is cheaper and who is the best buy and because of Aubameyang’s age, people try to look at that number. 

"At one stage if was suggested around £30 million for Aubameyang and I thought: 'who put that number on him?! That’s ridiculous!'"

Nicolas added on the ex-Borussia Dortmund man being happy in north London: "The lifestyle that Aubameyang has got at Arsenal in London is stardust and I think he likes that.

"I think he plays on that. He’s got his supercars and he can do whatever he wants because he’s the king.

"He helped make Dortmund become a big club again after being in the doldrums and maybe this is how he sees Arsenal – being in the doldrums and gradually getting right back to the top again and him being a major fabric of that.

"We have to be careful that we don’t get carried away because he might just say one day, 'I’m not re-signing' but the small choices that he has, I think we fit him perfectly."

Champions League and Europa League action will resume this month after both tournaments were suspended in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

After nearly four months of suspension, the knockout stages of both 2019-20 competitions will begin again imminently - though not without some substantial changes.

Goal has everything you need to know about how to watch this year's UCL and UEL matches on television, when the games will take place and more.

Explained: Champions League 2020 tournament

Contents

Champions League round of 16

Manchester City head into their round of 16 fixture against Real Madrid with a narrow 2-1 lead, while Juventus trail Lyon 1-0.

Chelsea will attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit when they face off against Bayern Munich, and Barcelona and Napoli will battle it out following a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg.

Champions League quarter-finals

UEFA announced on June 17 that due to the spread of Covid-19, the remaining stages of the Champions League would change significantly, format-wise.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final stages will played in a single-leg format instead of the traditional two-legged format, beginning on August 12, 2020 to August 23, 2020.

Additionally, the games will no longer be played at each stadium's respective home venues. They will be played at neutral venues in Portugal: the Estadio da Luz and Estadio Jose Alvalade. All matches are set to be played behind closed doors.

Champions League semi-finals

Both semi-finals featuring the winners of the quarter-finals will take place at the Estadio da Luz and Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.

Champions League final

The Champions League final will take place on August 23, 2020 at the Estadio da Luz.

The 2019-20 final was set to be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, but the venue will now host the 2020-21 final instead.

Europa League round of 16

Only six of the eight first-leg matches of the Europa League round of 16 were played in March before the rest of the games were postponed due to the spread of Covid-19.

UEFA announced on June 17 that the remaining second-leg matches will be played from August 5-6, at the home team's stadium.

The two ties that had yet to play their first legs, however, will now be played in a single-leg format instead at neutral grounds in Germany.

Inter vs Getafe will be played at Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, while Sevilla vs Roma will be played at MSV-Arena in Duisburg.

Europa League quarter-finals

The Europa League quarter-finals will take place from August 10-11 2020 at neutral stadiums in Germany.

Europa League semi-finals

The Europa League semi-finals will take place on August 16 & 17 2020, at RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne and Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.

Europa League final

The Europa League final will be played on August 23, 2020 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

Jose Marcelo Ferreira (Ze Maria) has claimed to coach Kenya’s giants Gor Mahia was like managing Brazilian top sides Flamengo or Corinthians.

Ze Maria led the Green Army to the 2015 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title with an unbeaten run before he abruptly resigned in 2017.

“I arrived in Nairobi and, when I got off the plane, I almost caught fire. The sun burns on your skin. I walked down the road and there were zebras on the other side,” Ze Maria told The Guardian.

“I was having lunch next to Lake Victoria and a guy came over and said: ‘Careful if you see any waves here because it might be a hippopotamus.’

“People wondered what I was doing there. ‘Ze Maria who played for Brazil and Inter?’ They wanted to touch me. People wanted to hear my stories.

“It was the biggest club in Kenya, so every game was like managing Flamengo or Corinthians in Brazil. The stadium was packed.”

The Brazilin spoke about the challenges he encountered but declared Africa has talent but the big problem is the lack of opportunities to push them to bigger leagues.

“There were difficulties. Sometimes you go to a stadium where the players don’t all fit in the changing room, so you have to change on the bus,” the former KF Tirana coach said.

“But the passion is absurd. African players are technically similar to Brazilians, but they lack opportunities to move to bigger leagues. Because of the pitches, when you dribble, the ball would bounce a metre up in the air, but the quality with which they controlled and conducted it, not even a Brazilian would do that.”

Ze Maria also added his voice to matters of racism, an issue that has continued to generate debate especially in the world of sports.

“I was going to move to Verona but I didn’t go because the fans thought there should not be a black player in their team,” he concluded.

“I’ve been to cities where I was booed, along with other players of colour, like [Lilian] Thuram. When it happened, I responded by dedicating myself even more. That was my way of showing up their stupidity. They harmed their own clubs.

“They lost on the pitch and were fined off it. But in the following game, the same thing happened again. That’s why I say it’s unlikely that it’ll change. It’s sad that people don’t learn.

“We need a 180-degree turn and that requires courage. It requires courage from club presidents and the people in charge. When a coach of colour takes over at a big club, he has to be the best, otherwise, he will be fired quickly.

“We’re not asking for much. I just want the same amount of time a white manager would have. If the opportunity comes for me to coach a big club in Brazil or Europe, I am qualified to do it well.”

When Ze Maria resigned as Gor Mahia coach, he later signed Kenneth Muguna and Musa Mohamed for the Albanian side but the two returned after a short stint in Europe.

Manchester City winger Ferran Torres has explained how he spoke to Pep Guardiola prior to signing for the Premier League club, insisting that his words helped convince him that he was making the right decision.

Guardiola's side completed the signing of the Spaniard on Tuesday for a £21 million ($27m) fee, with Torres being brought in following Leroy Sane's exit to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

The 21-year-old has explained how everything happened late regarding City's interest, and that he had enquiries from other "very big clubs" before ultimately deciding to head to England.

He told Marca: "Everything was done late with City. The first contact was with Valencia and they said that they wanted to speak with us. Then we reached an agreement before they negotiated with Valencia.

"I was very nervous that day. My agent was in Manchester with the club and he called me to tell me they had an agreement and I'd play for City. It's a club who want to win everything so I think I'll improve a lot here. Very big teams called but I have to keep that to myself."

On his talks with Guardiola, he added "He congratulated me and gave me peace of mind. It calmed me down and made me want to sign even more.

"[I want] to work, adapt quickly and learn. The more competition you have, the better you become. You always have to be at your best because otherwise you'll be on the bench.

"On the one hand, I'm excited and happy, but at the same time I'm sad because I'm leaving my club. Valencia game me everything and trained me since I was seven. I've had hard times there and that's why I ended up leaving, but I want to emphasise that I'm very grateful to Valencia and will always support them."

Indeed, Torres, who came through Valencia's academy system and made his first-team debut back in 2017, was left frustrated at his acrimonious exit from the Liga club, revealing that he had wanted to stay put.

In a message to the Los Che supporters, he said: "Thank you for everything. I always felt your support and encouragement. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone with my departure, that was never my intention, but what has happened has forced me to take a different path from the one I always dreamed of."

Discussing City's chances against Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 second leg, with Guardiola's men 2-1 ahead from the first meeting, he continued: "City did well at [Santiago] Bernabeu. Madrid are a great team but I don't think they'll get through."

Tema Youth president Wilfred Kwaku Osei 'Palmer' has rubbished reports of receiving the verdict of his legal battle with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday.

The tribunal was expected to announce the outcome of what has been a prolonged challenge, having rescheduled the date of their ultimate decision from July 17 to August 4.

Palmer dragged the national football's governing body to court over the displeasure of being "unfairly" disqualified from the GFA's presidential election in October last year.

“Contrary to reports suggesting our lawyers have received the much-anticipated ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), we wish to establish the fact that our lawyers are yet to receive the ruling from CAS," Palmer said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.

“CAS has not given any reason for the delay, but we are hopeful that in due course the ruling will be sent to both parties involved.”

Ghanaian media were left disappointed on Tuesday as CAS failed to announce the outcome of their hearing on Tuesday as planned.

However, Techiman Eleven Wonders chief executive officer Albert Commey, believed to be in the camp of the GFA, claimed both parties have received the verdict.

"Both Palmer and GFA have received the summary of the verdict but it is up to Palmer who is the complainant to release it to the public," Commey claimed on Angel FM.

"I will not blame the GFA if they decide to hold on to the verdict because they are not the complainant."

Palmer was disqualified from contesting for the presidential seat, which became vacant following the exit of Kwesi Nyantakyi, by a Fifa/Caf Normalisation Committee which briefly administered football in Ghana during the search for a new GFA boss. The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Vetting Committee.

His exclusion left behind six candidates for the October election which was ultimately won by Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku.

Palmer initially appealed the Normalisation Committee's decision but moved on to seek redress at CAS after failing at national level.

Should the former Black Stars Management Committee member's appeal be upheld, there could be an order for an all-new election to be organised.

Alternatively, the GFA could be handed a fine while the status quo stays but Palmer was cleared to compete in future elections. 

Bidvest Wits midfielder Haashim Domingo has vowed to fight for his current team and upset his soon-to-be employers Mamelodi Sundowns during Saturday’s Nedbank Cup semi-final showdown at Orlando Stadium.

After GladAfrica Championship side Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila bought Wits’ Premier Soccer League (PSL) status, Downs have moved in to secure Domingo together with his Wits midfield partner Gift Motupa and goalkeeper Ricardo Goss.

Although Domingo is not comfortable focusing on his future with the Brazilians, for now, facing a team he would soon be calling home does not appear as a drawback to his ambition of helping Wits bow out on a high.

“I can't comment about that for now [playing against his new employers]. I'm honouring my Wits contract and concerning joining them next season, I can't comment on that," Domingo told Sowetan Live.

“Right now, I am a Wits player and that's what it's going to be. I am going to fight for them. We want to go to the final and Sundowns also have that mentality of wanting to go to the final.

“So it is just a matter of giving our all and leave everything on the field and we will see what the outcome is. We have to write our own history with the club that's almost 100 years old. For us as players we need to get some silverware irrespective of whatever happens, you know.

“We need to show that we are better than everything that went on and write our own stories. Hopefully, we will be in the final and we can say that irrespective of what happened with the club, us as professional footballers we still fought and that will mean a lot.”

Having been inactive for almost five months owing to the suspension of football in South Africa due to the coronavirus, Domingo says that is no excuse of them returning to action while not at their best.

"We have not played too, it is not like Sundowns have been playing matches and we were not. So I think the game will be interesting and it will be up to who wants it at the end of the day. We are looking forward to it, we know it is not going to be easy but we are excited about it,” said Domingo.

Bloemfontein Celtic and Baroka FC will square off in another semi-final at the same venue earlier on Saturday.