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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will work "100 per cent" on finding the next Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andrew Robertson and has high hopes for "real prospect" Neco Williams.

The Reds' star full-backs have once again been providers-in-chief for the Premier League champions, with both providing 10-plus top-flight assists for the second straight season.

With the coronavirus pandemic causing a three-month suspension before this season resumed in June, there will only be a short break before the next Premier League campaign starts on September 12.

Klopp has no doubt Robertson and Alexander-Arnold can fire on all cylinders despite a short break, but says Williams has shown he can be one alternative option. 

"We think constantly about our situation and we know we need to find solutions for that [the quick turnaround between seasons] but that's how it is," Klopp said. 

"With Neco Williams we have a real prospect there in the team already, it's really nice to have. 

"We will have other solutions for those problems but again finding the next Trent, the next Robbo is difficult but maybe possible and we will work on that 100 per cent."

Klopp also spoke about the challenges of squad building and says it is important not to stockpile players, even if having recognised cover in every position provides comfort.

Losing goalkeeper Alisson early this season was provided as a specific example, but the German boss says no team can fully prepare for losing players to injuries.

"If it's down to luck, it [losing Alisson] wasn't lucky that day - we all want to be prepared for these situations but we aren't, nobody is really," he added.

"It always hits the wrong player if you want. If you think you are okay in this department where you think you have alternatives then it hits somebody in a different department where I don't have enough alternatives and you have to get creative immediately. 

"So, we build a squad and everybody feels he is needed. That means sometimes we can be a little bit short with that one 'A' solution but we always have a solution and as long as we have that we have to work with that.

"For a club like us it's not possible on the bench to have like 20 world-class players, we have to perform on a world-class level and that's possible on different line-ups and all our players have all the potential to be world-class but sometimes they don't play often enough they can show that. 

"Squad building is pretty tricky and a big challenge every year, but the answer is never to have more players than you need actually, that is not the answer.

"It feels comfortable for a moment but then over the whole year you have different problems.

"That's why it's difficult to decide the right number or the right alternatives, but that's the job to do, so far we've done okay, hopefully it will stay like this."

Pep Guardiola does not believe Manchester City need to reflect on previous Champions League exits or their failed Premier League title defence as they prepare for Real Madrid.

City are aiming to triumph in Europe's elite club competition for the first time in 2019-20 but must first get past Madrid, the 13-time winners, who they lead 2-1 after their last-16 first leg.

Recent seasons have seen Guardiola's side thrashed by Liverpool and lose agonisingly to Tottenham in the knockout stages, despite dominating the Premier League.

This term, however, Liverpool streaked clear in the league, leaving City to reflect on an underwhelming domestic campaign in which they also ceded their FA Cup title.

It was put to Guardiola that his team would not be short of motivating factors as they look to finally deliver the European crown, but the Catalan manager insists such contemplation is unnecessary.

"What I want is to do a good game," Guardiola said. "It's absolutely a final. For us, for Madrid, it's a final.

"The plan will be to avoid making mistakes and to play a football game like we [can].

"I think what happened in the past is not going to make you play better. What happened in the past is the past. Sometimes it is what it is. Accept it.

"It's life. It's not perfect, it doesn't work perfect for all of us, in our private lives, in our professional lives either.

"The motivation is to go through, to prove to ourselves we can do a good game and beat Real Madrid. That is the only thing you are able to do.

"What happened in the past will not give you an advantage or something special for the future, for the game against Real Madrid.

"It's only if we play a good game in all departments, with all the issues we have to work on in these two weeks, that is going to give the opportunity to win the game and go through."

Asked if his players have the required hunger, Pep replied with a laugh: "If they don't have it, we will have a problem. We will not go through.

"This game is about the desire. It's Real Madrid. We know the quality they have in all departments. The players know the European leagues, they know.

"They were sitting there watching the last finals of the Champions League when Madrid was there. They know it. It's not necessary to tell them something special.

"We are going to talk a little bit about what we are going to do in this game. It's nothing special from what we've done this season. The tactics are not going to win this game, the tactics or something special.

"It's the energy that we have inside all of us, the club, all of us. That will give us more opportunity to go through - nothing more than this.

"I think with this kind of game, the special games, you know the desire of every single player to try to win."

Antonio Conte suggested Romelu Lukaku would be well suited to the NFL as he marvelled at the Inter striker's pace and power after a superb display against Genoa.

Lukaku scored the first and last goals in a 3-0 win, with Alexis Sanchez also on target as the Nerazzurri moved second in Serie A.

The Belgium striker was brilliant throughout but saved the moment of the match for stoppage time, accelerating into the Genoa box and blasting in for a stunning solo strike.

Lukaku now has 23 league goals this season and has matched a 70-year club record in the process, yet Conte believes American football would similarly be a match for his talents.

"Romelu is an atypical footballer because despite being 1.90 metres in height, he is also fast," Conte told a news conference.

"He acts as a focal point but also, from the middle of the pitch, attacks like an American football player.

"I insisted on having him here and he can still grow with his touch and attacking the goal with malice. He is only 27 years old and if he wants to continue growing, he has an important future."

Lukaku was delighted with his own contribution but announced his frustration at Inter's failure to seriously challenge Juventus in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The league leaders can clinch the Scudetto against Sampdoria on Sunday, with Inter four points adrift having played a game more.

"On a personal level, I am happy," Lukaku told Sky Sport Italia. "But I say that at the team level, we can do so much more.

"We have a good team, it is not easy to stay second because we want to win. But we have to go as high as possible and I want to help to do it.

"We have lost too many points, but we are young and we want to grow. Now we want to do well in the final matches in the league and then in the Europa League."

Inter next face Napoli on Tuesday before finishing their league campaign against Atalanta in early August. Conte's side are currently second in Serie A - one point clear of Atalanta. 

Joe Aribo scored the opening goal as Rangers rounded off their preparation for the 2020-21 Scottish Premiership season with a 2-0 win over Coventry City on Saturday.

The Super Eagles midfielder continued from where he left off after notching a goal in the Gers' 4-0 thrashing of Motherwell two days ago.

Steven Gerrard’s side ended their pre-season friendlies with a 100% winning record and keeping clean sheets in every game.

Aribo broke the deadlock at Ibrox Stadium in the 50th minute after a fine one-two movement with Alfredo Morelos.

A few minutes later, the Super Eagles midfielder won a foul and James Tavernier stepped up to deliver the free-kick which was turned to the back of the net by Connor Goldson’s header in the 67th minute.

Aribo was later replaced by Greig Stewart in the 82nd minute while new-signing Leon Balogun who moved to Glasgow on a free transfer was not involved in the game.

Rangers ended their pre-season schedule with victories against Lyon, Nice and Motherwell and they scored 10 goals in total.

Aribo and Balogun will be hoping to play a part when Rangers visit Aberdeen for their first game in the 2020-21 Premiership campaign on August 1.

Five days later, they travel to Leverkusen for the second leg of their Uefa Europa League round of 16 fixture at Bay Arena with the aim of overturning a 3-1 deficit.

Eric Dier has called on authorities to do more to combat the abuse players receive from fans, describing it as a "massive problem".

The England international was hit with a four-game ban and a £40,000 fine this month for going into the stands to confront a fan after Tottenham were knocked out of the FA Cup by Norwich in March.

Dier chased the fan because he had become involved in an altercation with the Spurs player's brother.

While the 26-year-old refrained from discussing the incident, he called on the Football Association to do more to protect players.

"I’m not going to risk getting in any more trouble, because my views on it are very strong," he told The Guardian.

"It’s a massive problem. It’s a massive problem in society in general because of social media, football stadiums, sports stadiums in general,

"It needs to be looked at much more seriously and there needs to be much more repercussions.

"It is being addressed, but it needs to be addressed even more. I have no problem with anyone criticising my footballing ability at any time, but when it’s anything more than that then there is a big problem."

Dier signed a four-year contract with Spurs this week, having regained his place in the starting side at centre-back since Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.

And he is enjoying life under the Portuguese coach during a pivotal time in his career.

"Playing with Wayne Rooney [for England], being managed by Mourinho – you can’t imagine that when you’re a kid," he said.

"It never seems realistic. But time is a funny thing. I was delighted when Mourinho arrived, not just for me but because it showed clearly the direction the club wanted to go in.

"He’s a manager that is only interested in winning trophies and the one thing I know is that he will go into every competition trying to win it. His history speaks for itself. Everywhere he has gone, he has won. That fills me with confidence but not just that, it carries a very heavy weight. So we need to listen to everything he says and follow him if we want to do the same here.

"Mourinho’s message to me was very clear: ‘OK, prove it to me,’. I never want to be seen as a utility player, even if I am always available to play anywhere for the team.

"I felt like turning 26, it was time for me to specialise, to stick my neck out and say: ‘This is where I see myself, this is where I can be one of the best'.

"We have the Palace game which is huge for us but I’m really excited for next season, to have a pre-season with the manager and a clean slate in terms of the table with the manager."

Fabio Capello believes the burden of wearing the Real Madrid shirt proved too much for Eden Hazard in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Former Chelsea winger Hazard made a €100 million move to Spain ahead of the 2019-20 season, but injuries blighted his first campaign with Los Blancos.

He made 14 starts and 16 appearances in total in La Liga, scoring only once and managing a modest three assists.

That was way down on the form of his final season at Chelsea, where he netted 16 times and had 15 assists in 37 Premier League games, including 32 starts.

"Of course, he hasn't been the same as he was at Chelsea," former Madrid head coach Capello told Marca. "He has been injured for a long time, he has not adapted.

"I've always thought of him as a great player. But let's be clear, the Real Madrid shirt weighs a lot and Hazard has sunk this year. It is clear that next season will be much better."

Hazard himself admitted it had been "the worst season of my career", even though it was a title-winning campaign with Madrid.

The success owed a large part to the intrepid forward play of Karim Benzema, who finished second, behind Lionel Messi, in the Pichichi reckoning after hitting 21 goals.

Benzema's leadership of Madrid's attack was priceless, given Hazard was not the only forward who struggled for form.

Others who contributed little to the goals tally included Gareth Bale, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Luka Jovic, who between them netted just nine times.

Capello, who has had two spells in charge of Madrid and also led the likes of AC Milan, Roma, Juventus, England and Russia, was full of praise for Benzema, describing his efforts as "sensational".

The French striker joined Madrid in 2009 from Lyon, and is going from strength to strength in his thirties.

"He has become the benchmark for Real Madrid. Undoubtedly the best," Capello said. "He has taken the responsibility that he did not have when he was with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"For me, it was the best season since he arrived."

Ritah Kivumbi starred while Sarah Micheal scored as Mallbackens clinched a 3-2 victory over Sandviken in Saturday’s Elitettan game.

Uganda's Kivumbi made her seventh outing for Mallbackens since joining from Vaxjo in January, while Nigeria's Micheal was on her third appearance after arriving from Kvarnsvedens this winter.

Mallbackens went into the contest with the quest of ending their winless run in five successive matches, having recorded their last win this season in a 1-0 triumph against Bollstanas on June 18.

Kivumbi, who played a crucial role in Conny Johansson's team with two opening victories, almost opened the scoring but her effort was halted by goalkeeper Tea Lundmark nine minutes into the game.

In the 16th minute, Sarah Michael, who made her first start for Mallbackens this season came close to finding the net before fellow teammate Kivumbi also saw her own chance three minutes later.

Nine minutes from the half time break, the hosts broke the resolve of their visitors when Malin Ahlberg struck to break the deadlock.

Mallbackens continued their bid to consolidate on their narrow lead but Micheal missed the chance five minutes after the restart before eventually doubling her side's advantage nine minutes later.

However, Sanna Ohlund pulled one back for the hard-fighting visitors in the 61st minute but Frida Brostrom recovered the two-goal lead of Johansson's team eight minutes later.

Amanda Hagelberg reduced the deficit, grabbing the second of the match for Marcus Larsson's side 10 minutes from time but the hosts held onto their nerves to secure their third triumph of the season.

Kivumbi featured for the duration of the match along with Micheal, who has now scored her first goal of the season in three outings.

The win saw Mallbacken move to eighth on the log with 11 points after eight matches and they will seek to maintain the winning run against 12th placed Lidkoping in their next match on Wednesday.

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) has suspended the Ivory Coast Footballers Association (AFI) for not supporting Didier Drogba's bid to become the next President of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF).

Earlier this month, the AFI being one of the five bodies that can sponsor a candidate in the forthcoming FA election slated for September 5, backed incumbent vice-president of the FIF, Idriss Diallo for the presidential seat ahead of the former Chelsea star.

“The Board of FIFPro Africa dissociates itself from the position of AFI, who refused to sponsor Didier Drogba, presidential candidate of FIF and deprives its founding member and vice-president of the legitimate support he was entitled to expect from his own family,” they tweeted immediately after the decision was made on July 14.

On Thursday, the FIFPro in a letter signed by its President Philippe Piat announced the suspension of the Ivorian Footballers Association as its member and immediately loses all its rights.

In their response on Friday, AFI disclosed that they acted in the best interest of Ivorian footballers as Drogba seeks his first endorsement for the election.

"By correspondence dated July 23, 2020, the President and the Secretary General of the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) announced that they had taken the decision to suspend the Association des Footballeurs Ivoiriens (AFI) "from all its rights as a member of Fifpro," AFI wrote on its website.

"While waiting to formulate, through the internal channels of FIFPro, an appropriate response to the reasons given in support of this decision, AFI would like to recall that it is completely independent that it takes its positions at the national level, in taking into account the best interests of Ivorian footballers.

"From its creation to this day, AFI has always worked in full transparency in the interest of its members. This is why it wishes to reassure all of its members of its commitment to the defense of their interests and respect for their choices and orientations for Ivorian football."

According to local reports, the 42-year-old who is Ivory Coast's all-time leading top scorer with 65 goals from 105 appearances has been endorsed by the Ivorian Football Referees Association (AMAFCI).

Romelu Lukaku equalled an Inter record for away goals with his double in a 3-0 win at Genoa on Saturday.

The Belgium international gave the Nerazzurri the lead 34 minutes into the clash when he headed past Mattia Perin after a cross from Cristiano Biraghi.

After Alexis Sanchez doubled the visitors' lead late in the second half, Lukaku charged into the box to meet a pass from Marcelo Brozovic and fire into the net.

Lukaku has now scored 15 away goals in the Italian top flight and is the first Inter player to reach that tally in 70 years, equalling the record set by Stefano Nyers. 

The former Manchester United and Chelsea striker has been in fine form since the campaign resumed following a three-month suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With six goals from the nine league games played since mid-June, he has taken his tally to 23 in Serie A and 29 in 44 appearances in all competitions.

Saturday's victory extends Inter's unbeaten run in the Italian top flight to six games and moves them up to second in the table with two matches left to play.

Antonio Conte's team are now four points behind leaders Juventus, who could secure their ninth consecutive league title on Sunday if they beat Sampdoria in Turin.

Lukaku is happy with his performances since his summer move, but admits his side have slipped up on too many occasions this term.

“On a personal level, I am happy, but I also say that as a team we can do so much more,” he said to Sky Sport Italia.

“We have a good squad, it’s not easy for us to be in second place, because we want to win and go as high as possible. I want to help Inter achieve that.

“We dropped too many points along the way, but we are young and eager to improve. Now we want to do well in these final rounds and then the Europa League.”

Inter will finish the league campaign with games against Napoli and Atalanta before they return to the Europa League with a clash against Getafe.

Victor Moses helped Inter Milan return to winning ways with an assist in their 3-0 victory against Genoa on Saturday.

The Nigerian wing-back assisted Alexis Sanchez in doubling Inter's lead in the 82nd minute after Romelu Lukaku's opener in the 34th minute.

Lukaku later sealed the visitors’ first win after three league outings with his stoppage-time effort at the Luigi Ferraris Municipal Stadium.

Moses made his first start for Antonio Conte's side since July 1, his 10th Serie A appearance since his loan signing from Chelsea in January and he was on parade for 84 minutes before he was replaced by Antonio Candreva.

Although he is yet to open his goal account in the Italian top-flight, the 29-year-old has contributed three assists for Inter so far.

Ghana's Kwadwo Asamoah was not selected for the trip to Genoa as he continues to wait for his first Serie A match since the goalless draw against Roma back in December,

Saturday’s triumph pushed Inter Milan above Atalanta to second in the Serie A standings with 76 points after 36 matches. They are four points behind league leaders Juventus who host 14th-placed Sampdoria at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

Moses reunited with his former Chelsea manager Conte in Milan earlier this year after finding playing time difficult to come by at Fenerbahce.

He joined the Turkish Super Lig outfit on a two-year loan in 2018 but he was only able to play 20 league games with five goals to his name before his departure.

Moses is in the final year of his contract at Chelsea which will expire in June 2021 and it is uncertain if Inter Milan will activate the option to buy the former Super Eagles star at the end of his loan spell.

Former Orlando Pirates winger Thabo Rakhale says he was open to staying at Chippa United until the end of the current season, but he will now weigh up offers.

The 30-year-old player is currently a free agent after leaving the Chilli Boys with his contract with the club having expired at the end of last month.

Chippa decided against keeping Rakhale until the end of the current campaign which is expected to resume soon having been suspended since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The experienced midfielder, who was on the books of Pirates between 2012 and 2017, confirmed that he has offers from several clubs.

“Training alone without any teammates is always going to be different but my fitness levels have to stay up," Rakhale said on Far Post.

"I’m itching to get back on the field like all the players, but we obviously are aware of the Covid-19 related reasons."

The dribbling wizard has been constantly linked with Kaizer Chiefs, who have signed former Pirates wingers William Twala and Joseph Molangoane from Chippa in the past.

Chiefs are currently banned from signing players, but they are set to appeal the transfer ban from Fifa at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland in September.

“I won’t lie, there has been a number of teams that have approached me about next season since we announced that my contract has ended at Chippa, and even though I was not able to stay to complete the season," he continued.

“I did tell them to wait until this current season gets finished, where then I will be able to weigh up all of the offers.

"I have heard rumours that have linked me to certain teams, but I prefer to not place any pressure on myself at the moment.”

The Vanderbijlpark-born player also revealed he is keeping fit and working with a personal trainer at home in Vaal, Gauteng.

“There is nothing more that I can do but to keep fit and be ready for next season at a new team," he added.

"Right now, I am working with a friend of mine at home in Vaal who also happens to be a fitness trainer, training by myself to make sure that my fitness levels stay up."

Rakhale hit the back of the net twice and registered three assists in 21 league matches for Chippa this season.

Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Committee member Albert Commey has expressed disgust by 'false' remarks concerning the sport governing body's disbursement plan for a Covid-19 relief fund.

Upon publication of the intended allocations last week, there have been questions over some beneficiaries, especially the national teams who are believed to be funded by the Government of Ghana and, thus, needed no such support.

Tema Youth president and former Black Stars management committee chairman Wilfred Kwaku Osei 'Palmer', who is currently battling the GFA at the Court for Arbitration of Sports (CAS) over his disqualification from the FA's presidential election last year, is reportedly among the critics of the disbursement plan.

“I heard someone granted an interview saying the Government [of Ghana] bears all national team costs. Don’t hide the truth because of football politics,” Commey told Atinka FM.

“He [Osei] was chairman…. ask him if it was only the government that took care of the national team. The truth is only one, so if you’re a leader, let the truth lead you, not lies.

“And does this mean they don’t read the audit report or they know the truth and have decided to paint someone black?

“People talk anyhow just because they have clubs. If you see the way some of them talk, is it right?

“Who was in the helm of affairs and in-charge of finance when all these things happened? And for such a person to grant such an interview is an apology of itself. He’s my friend but we must say the truth."

The GFA said it was expecting a combined amount of $1.8 million [€1.6m] from Fifa and Caf in support of some domestic football stakeholders in the wake of the coronavirus disruptions.

Both men and women's Premier League clubs, Division One League clubs, Regional Football Associations (RFAs), the Ghana League Clubs Association (Ghalca) and the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) are some other expected beneficiaries.

The 2019-20 domestic football season was initially temporarily suspended in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

After three months of waiting, the GFA Executive Council decided to permanently cancel the season. 

Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter returned to winning ways with a 3-0 Serie A success at Genoa.

Consecutive draws had seen the Nerazzurri pass up the opportunity to properly capitalise on Juventus' shaky form, with the leaders still able to seal the Scudetto against Sampdoria on Sunday.

But even with their title hopes virtually extinguished, Antonio Conte's side were back on their game at the Luigi Ferraris to move up to second.

Lukaku nodded in his 22nd league goal of the season 34 minutes in and, after Alexis Sanchez added a late second, got his 23rd with a marvellous individual effort, leaving Genoa still just four points clear of the bottom three, having played a game more than 18th-placed Lecce.

Pressure had steadily built on the Genoa goal after a slow Inter start, with Lukaku - at the heart of all of their best work - helping to create chances for Marcelo Brozovic and Christian Eriksen that were both squandered.

The Belgium striker made sure the visitors were in front heading into half-time, though, as he ghosted into the area to meet Cristiano Biraghi's searching cross with a firm header in off the post.

A curling Filip Jagiello free-kick provided a brief scare, yet a low-key second period saw few clear openings at either end.

Although Genoa belatedly threw men forward in search of an equaliser, they were swiftly caught out in defence at the other end and substitute Sanchez netted via the bar after fine work from Victor Moses on the right.

There was still time for Lukaku to produce the moment of the match, racing forward deep into stoppage time and cutting inside past desperate challenges to hammer in the third.

What does it mean? Inter up to second but focus on Europe

Inter's form has not been convincing since the season's restart, yet they climbed back up to second with just two league games remaining with victory.

Though their slim title aspirations remain alive, their focus now is surely on the Europa League, with a last-16 tie against Getafe less than two weeks away. Conte can be encouraged by the control his side largely displayed.

Lukaku key in games to come

Inter were well on top for much of this match, but it fell to Lukaku to be their driving force, playing the role of both creator and finisher. He might have had an assist even before scoring the opener.

The former Manchester United striker's form will be crucial heading towards the Europa League, with strike partner Lautaro Martinez still struggling for form.

Inter waiting on Eriksen impact

Conte's pre-match comments focused on Eriksen, who the coach believes is growing into his role at Inter.

Some supporters might not be convinced by the former Tottenham midfielder just yet, though, and he passed up a big early opportunity to net his fourth Nerazzurri goal, lashing over the top following a smart Lukaku lay-off.

Key Opta Facts

- Inter have won 12 away games in a single Serie A season for the second time in their history in top flight – the first one was back in 2006-07 (15). 
- Lukaku (15 away goals) has equalled the away goals record of Stefano Nyers in 1949-50 in a single Serie A season with Inter.  
- Since the restart of Serie A only Cristiano Ronaldo (11) has been involved in more goals than Sanchez (10 - three goals, seven assists) among the strikers in the competition. 
- Inter are the only one side Genoa have not found the net against over the last two Serie A seasons. 
- Biraghi has delivered five assists in Serie A this season, his record in single top-flight campaign. 

What's next?

The fixture list does not make easy reading for Inter, even if their league season is essentially over. They face Napoli next, followed by Atalanta and Getafe. Genoa do still need points and visit Sassuolo on Wednesday.

Leicester will need Champions League football next season in order to keep Ben Chilwell from the clutches of Chelsea, says Kevin Phillips.

The Blues have indentified the England international left-back as a top target for the next transfer window.

Frank Lampard has already pushed through deals for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, with Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Kai Havertz another of those said to figure on his wish list.

An official approach for Chilwell could be made over the coming weeks, with Phillips conceding that the “big boys” are likely to be mulling over moves for the 23-year-old defender.

Leicester are reluctant to part with any prized assets, but the outcome of a meeting with Manchester United on Sunday could be decisive – with a top-four finish on the line there.

Former Foxes striker and coach Phillips told talkSPORT of the interest being shown in Chilwell, with Chelsea seemingly leading the chase: “He was there as a youngster when we were there and we were monitoring him very closely and making sure he was being managed right, as we knew we had a gem on our hands.

“But, also, it has to come from the player; you have to listen, develop and have to live your life right and he certainly does that. He’s a very humble guy, very quiet but an awesome left-back.

“If Leicester weren’t to secure a top-four finish this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the big boys come in and pay big money for him, because he’d certainly fit in to any of those top-three or top-four sides. Credit to the player but also you have to give big credit to Brendan Rodgers for bringing him on as well.”

Leicester have spent much of the 2019-20 campaign inside the Champions League spots, only to endure a wobble since the Premier League re-start in mid-June, but Phillips says missing out on elite European competition would not write off their season.

He added: “Is it a failure? I’m not sure it would be a failure. They’d be very disappointed, of course.

“It’s not just them but other clubs have done [the same], but there’s been other clubs who have come back and performed even better, i.e Manchester United and Chelsea look really strong.

“I think they’ll be very disappointed. In a way, you could say it would be a failure but let’s not forget it is Manchester United and Chelsea and when you look at their squads player for player, I wouldn’t say they are far superior, but they’ve got two stronger squads than Leicester. It’s still not dead and buried but I think it would be more of a disappointment than a failure.”

Former Uganda international Ibrahim Sekagya has revealed Montreal Impact coach Thierry Henry called him to enquire about youngster Martin Kizza.

The 20-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Major League Soccer (MLS) side after an impressive run in the Ugandan Premier League with KCCA FC. The due procedure had to be followed before the player was signed and one of them was to get enough information about the left-back.

"[Henry] called me, but we just talked briefly," Sekagya told Daily Monitor.

"He was asking my opinion of the boy, whether I know him and whether he is disciplined.

"Of course I said good things about the boy because he is good; we shall see how things work out for him."

The 39-year-old Sekagya played with Henry at the New York Redbulls in 2013-14. 

"Let us keep our fingers crossed to see the boy [Kizza] makes it through," Sekagya advised.

"It is good he is going to be in good hands... and at least I am in touch with [Henry] frequently. 

"I will try to see how we can push him. I am also in touch with the boy and he seems excited and ready to join the new challenge."  

Kizza will still be at KCCA on loan from his new team owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. He will join the Canadian outfit in December when the situation improves.

In a separate interview, his agent Adamson Mansoor revealed optimism regarding the future of the player.

"Kizza is not staying at Montreal Impact for so long, his goal is to target one of the five big leagues in Europe. Montreal Impact is a platform for him to reach another bigger level.

"He is happy about the choice he made and cannot wait to play in Major League Soccer and I believe that we made the right choice."

According to the agent, MLS is a good league for his client and believes if the player puts enough effort into the game, he will end up being one of the best defenders.

"MLS is not a step too high or too low, and it has become a good league because they started recruiting young players," he continued.

"Kizza has the potential to become one of the best players in his position if he continues to put in hard work."

Barcelona need to be avoiding “short-term fixes” when it comes to coaching and transfer calls, says Bojan Krkic, with “a long-term plan” required in order to make the club “the envy of the football world” again.

The Liga giants are expected to be in the market for fresh faces on and off the field over the coming weeks.

Serious questions are being asked of Quique Setien’s position in the dugout after seeing a domestic crown surrendered to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Additions are also needed to an aging squad in order for a spark to be rekindled at Camp Nou.

Various options are being mooted, in the dugout and on the pitch, with Barca still hoping to bring 22-year-old Argentina international Lautaro Martinez onto their books from Inter.

He is the type of player that Bojan feels the Blaugrana should be targeting, with it important that any success when Champions League football resumes in August is not allowed to mask bigger problems in Catalunya.

A product of the famed La Masia academy system told Sport: “If they eliminate Napoli, they are just three matches away from being crowned European champions and that should help Setien's men.

“But let's not get confused here. More than simply the desire to win the Champions League, the fans want to recover what has traditionally belonged to Barca. They want that sense of identity of a stable project.

“And that's why, in case they do win it, the Champions League shouldn't mask the current situation at the club. As it would be a case of eating today but going hungry tomorrow.

“You can't talk about stop-gap coaches or transfers that don't fit the philosophy of the club. It's about creating a long-term plan and not short-term fixes. 

“Despite the disappointment of La Liga, they have a team capable of winning the Champions League. But the message should go further than that.

“The structure which exists right now isn't going to make the players feel comfortable and it's important that changes.

“Winning Europe's biggest trophy for a sixth time is important and would be rightly celebrated, but we can't allow the shine of the trophy to distract us from a more important priority.

“Barca shouldn't only aspire to win the Champions League but to return to what they once were: being the envy of the football world.”