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Simba SC striker Meddie Kagere has stated they will have to rectify some mistakes to stand a chance of winning the Mapinduzi Cup final against their sworn rivals Yanga SC.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi qualified after a 2-1 win over Namungo in the semi-final played at Amani Stadium on Monday night.

Meddie Kagere and Miraji Athumani scored the goals for the Tanzania Mainland League reigning champions, to set up a Kariakoo Derby, while Ghanaian Stephen Kwame Sey grabbed a consolation for his team.

On their part, Wananchi sealed the final slot after defeating Azam 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. Timu ya Wananchi opened the scoring in the 55th minute when Tuisila Kisinda found his way past the Azam backline and fired past Wilbol Kaseke.

In the 66th minute, Azam equalised through Obrey Chirwa, who headed home from a cross that was delivered by Bruce Kangwa from the left-wing.

"First I would like to thank my teammates because we have done our best and reached the final," Kagere told reporters.

"We will now have to focus on the final which is a derby to us. But before then, we need to rectify some mistakes we made to stand a better chance of winning.  

"Our job as Simba players is to make our fans happy. We know what they want [against Yanga] and we will do everything possible to get a win in the final."  

This is the second time the two rivals are meeting this season. The first meeting was in the Tanzania Mainland League where they settled for a 1-1 draw. Michael Sarpong scored for Timu ya Wananchi with Joash Onyango scoring for his team.

It will be the first time the two rivals meet in the Mapinduzi Cup, considering this is the first time Yanga have qualified for the final,

The final will be played on Wednesday, January 13 at Amani Stadium from 20:15 EAT.

Namungo and Azam will be playing in the third-place play-offs at the same venue on the same day.

Mtibwa Sugar defeated Simba by a solitary goal in the last edition to be crowned champions. However, this time around, the Sugar Millers did not make it to the final.

Victor Ogada, the brother to Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga, has fueled further speculation the player is indeed set to sign for Al Duhail SC.

Ogada, who resembles the towering striker, has posted a photo on Instagram sitting in a room in Dubai which he only captioned as Doha, just a day after a photo leaked of Olunga in a Duhail jersey.

Doha is the capital city of Qatar, where Duhail is based, and according to QSL Newss, the striker could even feature against the Xavi-managed Al-Sadd on Tuesday, January 12, after sealing his transfer from Kashiwa Reysol of Japan.

Ogada is a close friend to Olunga and on many occasions, he followed his brother when he signed deals outside his home country.

Meanwhile, Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has waded into the transfer issue by saying he will support any move Olunga makes this transfer window.

Wanyama, who currently features for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was in the same situation before leaving Tottenham Hotspur, has now said Olunga is mature enough to make a good decision.

“In football, it is always difficult to try and advise someone who has played the game and knows what’s next in his move,” Wanyama said as quoted by Standard Sports.

“But Olunga is a mature player and he knows what’s next for his career. All of us have ambitions and they cannot be the same. So, I’m supporting him in every step he is going to take and I wish him all the best in whatever move he is going to take.”

On the other hand, former Harambee Stars striker Dennis Oliech has called on Olunga to move with speed and sign the contract with Al Duhail.

“I haven’t talked to him [Olunga] but heard he has another good offer from Qatar,” Oliech said as quoted by Nation Sports. “I encourage him to pick up these offers because he is [almost] 27 and not 22.

“He has about four or five years remaining at the top level. It is time for him to make good money.”

Oliech however, warned Olunga to prepare for a tough life in the Gulf by stating: “He will have to get a strong agent and negotiate a good contract.

“When I was there, most club owners would delay the salary of a player when his performance dipped, there wasn’t much world-class management.

“It is also very hot over there and he will have to adapt fast.”

Last week it was reported in Japan that Kashiwa Reysol have already accepted a transfer fee of 7million Euros (approximately Ksh890m) from the Qatari club.

Championship club Cardiff City have revealed Sol Bamba has started chemotherapy after he was confirmed to be suffering from cancer.

The Ivory Coast international has been with the Bluebirds since the summer of 2016 after leaving Leeds United.

Bamba helped Cardiff gain promotion to the Premier League in 2018 and featured prominently during their campaign in the top flight.

The defender, however, suffered a ligament injury in March 2019 which ruled him out for the remainder of the season and could not help the side as they were relegated to the Championship.

The 35-year-old captained the club on a number of times and has made 117 appearances, scoring 10 goals across all competitions.

In the current campaign, the centre-back has played six times for Neil Harris’s men and has previously spoken of his target to help the club return to the Premier League.

Cardiff have confirmed that Bamba has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and has started treatment

“We are saddened to inform supporters that Sol Bamba has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,” according to a statement from the club website.

“With the close support of the club's medical team, Sol has immediately started a course of chemotherapy treatment.⁣

“Universally admired by teammates, staff and supporters in the Welsh capital, Sol has begun his battle in typically positive spirits and will continue to be an integral part of the Bluebirds family.

“During treatment, Sol will support his teammates at matches and our younger players within the Academy, with whom he will continue his coaching development.⁣

“All future updates on Sol’s progress will be provided only via official Club channels. While we request privacy for him and his family at this time, messages of support to be passed on to Sol may be sent to club@cardiffcityfc.co.uk."

Besides playing for Cardiff, the defender also featured for Paris Saint-Germain, Dunfermline Athletic, Hibernian, Leicester City, Trabzonspor and Palermo.

Bamba has 46 caps for Ivory Coast and was part of the West African side that finished as runner-up at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Robert Lewandowski has revealed that a €50 goal bet with Jurgen Klopp helped to put him on a path to becoming The Best, with the current Liverpool boss forced to back out of a training ground wager while calling the shots at Borussia Dortmund.

The prolific Polish frontman was snapped up by Dortmund in 2010 and charged with the task of spearheading quests for domestic and continental glory.

He would ultimately deliver on that remit, claiming two Bundesliga titles while also reaching the Champions League final, but a modern-day great initially found the going tough in Germany.

Klopp, who has cemented a reputation as one of the best man managers in the business, helped to aid Lewandowski’s transition by making every aspect of his work more competitive.

The 32-year-old found that those challenges left him out of pocket early on, but the tide soon turned as he started “raking in the cash”.

Lewandowski told The Players’ Tribune of how his remarkable skill set was honed: “When I arrived [at Dortmund] I could barely speak a word of German. I knew danke. Thank you. The weather was rainy and grey. And with Klopp, the intensity in training was very, very high.

“I was desperate to make my mark, and Jurgen wanted to challenge me. So in the first few months we made a little bet. If I scored 10 goals in a training session, he’d give me 50 euros. If I didn’t, I’d give him 50 euros. 

“The first few weeks, I had to pay up almost every time. He was laughing. But after a few months, the tables turned. I was the one raking in the cash. 

“So one day he said, ‘Stop! OK! That’s enough. You’re ready now’.”

Lewandowski was ready, with 103 goals plundered through 187 appearances for Dortmund.

His predatory instincts were then taken to Bayern Munich in 2014, with a further 269 efforts recorded for the German champions in just 309 outings.

The Poland international has been getting better with age, with a personal best return of 55 goals in a treble-winning 2019-20 campaign allowing him to land the prestigious FIFA Best award.

Lewandowski’s legacy as one of the very best in the business is now safely secured, but he acknowledges that a number of important figures have helped him to this point.

He added: “Of course, Jurgen was not the only one who helped me get better. When I moved to Bayern, I learned so much from coaches like Jupp Heynckes, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and now Hansi Flick.

“Just playing for Bayern is an educational experience really, because the demands are so high, and the club culture is so professional — you are forced to raise your standards, and you do. Still, I could not have performed the way I have without help from those close to me.”

Callum Hudson-Odoi claims to be aware of his “flaws” at Chelsea but, after sparking more transfer talk in 2020-21, is determined to iron them out and become a key part of Frank Lampard’s plans.

The Stamford Bridge academy graduate has always been held in high regard by those in west London.

Having burst onto the scene as an exciting teenage forward, big things were expected of Hudson-Odoi.

Injuries and competition for places have stunted his progress at times, while talk of interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich is seemingly never far away.

The England international has, however, worked his way back into favour of late and is eager to ensure that he unlocks his full potential under the guidance of a Chelsea legend.

Hudson-Odoi, who has taken in 16 appearances for the Blues this season, told the club’s official website of his development: “Nobody is a perfect player. There are always flaws and you want to keep improving every day.

“I want to keep working hard and learning every day. I want to keep educating myself whether it’s at home watching clips or just learning under the manager.

“He knows what to do and he knows what is right for me and how to play so I want to keep learning under him and working hard.

“Every time I get on the pitch or in training, I want to give my best every time. I want to give 110 per cent in the match.

“I want to always make sure that I’m ready. The best way you train is the best way you play in a game.”

Chelsea have struggled for consistency in 2020-21, with just four points taken from their last six Premier League games, but a star-studded squad remains in the hunt for major silverware.

A 4-0 FA Cup third-round victory over Morecambe was secured last time out, with that contest allowing Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz to find the target and restore any fragile confidence.

“We keep improving and keep working hard,” added Hudson-Odoi.

“This game was a good step for us, we want to go back into the right way of winning games, so hopefully this is a start of good things and we keep going and keep pushing.

“We want to keep pushing on from this game and hopefully keep winning games and get a good run. As I said, this game was a good step. I feel like we needed this game to show the right mentality and attitude to get the job done.

“We kept a clean sheet and scored four goals which is a good thing for us. We want to keep improving at both ends of the pitch. We are all going into the next game against Fulham full of confidence trying to win that game as well.”

Chelsea will take in a derby date with neighbours Fulham on Saturday evening, with that fixture having been pushed back as the Cottagers are due to take in a rearranged meeting with Tottenham on Wednesday that had initially fallen foul of a coronavirus outbreak.

Former Germany star Lothar Matthaus says it is only a matter of time before Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland moves to one of the world's biggest teams.

The 20-year-old has been a huge hit in the Bundesliga since joining Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg a year ago, scoring 35 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions.

Haaland played a pivotal role in his side's 3-1 win against RB Leipzig on Saturday, netting twice as Dortmund moved to within five points of league leaders Bayern Munich.

Ex-Bayern and Inter midfielder Matthaus has been astounded by the Norway international's impact at Dortmund and expects him to keep getting better.   

"Haaland is the face of Dortmund and I believe that he is not yet at his peak, but will learn. He has a life plan that is fully focused on football," Matthaus wrote in a column for Sky Sport. 

"He's a machine. A hurricane that blows you over. For me he's sensational at 20 years of age.

"At some point he will play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. But I hope that Dortmund and the Bundesliga will enjoy him for a few more years.

"What he does with his size, dynamism, strength and passion on the pitch is madness. Technically, too, he scored two goals in an outstanding manner. He's a machine. Wow."

Dortmund's results have stabilised since they sacked coach Lucien Favre and put his assistant, Edin Terzic, at the helm.

They have won four of the five games they have played since the change, but although Matthaus has been impressed by the 38-year-old, he believes Borussia Monchengladbach boss Marco Rose could be the long-term solution.

"[Rose] is definitely one of the preferred candidates for the BVB bosses. I believe Rose will switch at some point and even fear that it will be after this season. For me it looks a lot like moving to the Ruhr area," he said.

"Except Terzic continues to do such a good job and the win in Leipzig was just one of many that might follow. Then a rethink could possibly take place and Terzic could gain even more trust. 

"I haven't seen the Dortmund team perform like this in such an important game for a long time. The criticism from Mats Hummels seems to have had an impact, the team showed great character and their miracle striker was once again a pleasure."

More than a year has gone by for Tan Cheng Hoe without being able to get his senior Malaysia national team together for a match or even a training session, and now the wait continues for the man in charge of Harimau Malaya after the Malaysian government announced on Monday the return of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

The latest restriction is understandable as it comes after a continuous rise in the Covid-19 cases in the country but nevertheless forced Cheng Hoe to scap his plan to call-up his players for a training camp that was supposed to be held from Jan 16-25 in preparations for the resumption of the World Cup qualification matches in March.

Speaking during the press conference after the 12th Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) executive committee meeting for the term 2017-2021, FAM's general-secretary Stuart Ramalingam divulged that following the announcement that the national team's plans to get together later this week has now been cancelled.

While the squad that was being prepared consist only of players that were supposedly not first picks for Cheng Hoe, it was an exercise which the former Kedah head coach was very much looking forward to after not being able to work with his players for a sustained period of time.

The fear right now will be that Malaysia could be at risk of being booted out of the qualifiers should the pandemic situation not improve in the coming months and ultimately leading to the team being unable to either fly out to face United Arab Emirates in March or welcome Vietnam in the same month.

However FAM president Dato Hamidin Mohd Amin allayed those fears and explained that his organisation are in constant talks with Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) as well as Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on how best to approach those matches and the alternatives that are in place.

"We've discussed with Dato'' Windsor on what will happen if we can't play in March. FIFA and AFC will look into the matter and it could go into June, in a carnival style where it is the last date where it must be played. Any country that can't go, will be forfeited of their participation," said Hamidin in the press conference.

"Still for now we need to prepare for March but we are ready with the options. We've already sent letters to Security Concil via our sports minister that when we travel in March, we can adopt a special quarantine special which will allow us to play two matches home and away within a short time frame. We have a verbal agreement but situation can always change."

In the 69th minute of Mumbai City's top-of-the-table clash against ATK Mohun Bagan, Hugo Boumous picked the ball up in the centre of the field and started running at the league's best defence.

There were more than five defenders in front of the midfielder but he still managed to get into the box, make a turn and find Bartholomew Ogbeche to his left. What happens when defenders leave Ogbeche unmarked and provide him space and time to pick his spot? He scores. And that goal separated the two teams on Monday.

The Mariners took close to an hour to complete 100 passes on the field out of the 164 they managed to complete succesfully. And that was because Mumbai City, at no point, decided to relinquish control of the game. 

Bagan did what they have done really well so far this season. They formed an organized defence and camped in their own half, hoping to break away when an opportunity arrives. But such instances were few and far between. 

Lobera's men registered more than twice the number of passes than ATK Mohan Bagan did (513 vs 253) and held 75 per cent possession in the first half which is the highest percentage a team has achieved in the first 45 minutes since the 2015 ISL season.

Habas' team had just seven touches in the opposition box against Mumbai City, the fewest in a game this season. It was absolute control. 

Ogbeche scored the all-important goal but it was Hugo Boumous who ran the show from the midfield for the Islanders. The absence of Ahmed Jahouh meant Boumous had to drop deeper multiple times in the game but he was a delight to watch whenever he got on the ball and the opponents had no answer to his technical prowess.

Habas will have wished he had a midfield presence like Carl McHugh in there to keep Boumous in check because McHugh, who has been stellar this season, were their best bet against such a silky smooth talent. 

Boumous now has five assists this season, the most by any player and has extended his overall assists tally to a total of 22, currently the most by any player in the league. He has quickly become Mumbai's marvel. 

Roy Krishna and David Williams need to quickly regain the chemistry that propelled ATK to the trophy last season if Bagan are to catch the Islanders at the top of the table. They have an excellent defence but without enough firepower up front. If Krishna and Williams have an off-day, the Mariners would be stuck. 

And it's going to be difficult to catch Lobera's team who not only have a good starting lineup but also a strong bench. They had Adam Le Fondre coming on as a substitute in the second-half against Bagan! 

Mumbai City now have amassed 25 points from their first 10 games and in doing so, they have beaten the record set by Bengaluru during the 2018-19 season wherein the Blues had 24 points in the first 10 matches.

Bengaluru finished the league stages on top of the table and went on to win the title. Will Mumbai City take the same route? 

All stats used in this article are from @OptaJeev.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said that he is not tempted to bring in a big-name signing in the January transfer window, with it having been suggested that a Bruno Fernandes-style acquisition could help push the club towards another league title.

Fernandes arrived at Old Trafford a year ago and made the difference as United had an impressive second half of the season that pushed them into the Champions League spots. 

With the Red Devils currently sitting second in the league behind Liverpool on goal difference, it was put to the Norwegian that another signing of Bruno's ilk could add extra quality and push United on to be champions.

“The situation is different now from a year ago, so it’s unlikely something is going to happen,” Solskjaer said of the transfer window. “But you’re right. Bruno came in and has had a great impact, made us a better team and he’s become a better player as well. 

“If there was something out there that was nailed on I wouldn’t say no but it’s likely nothing is going to happen.”

A positive result at Burnley's Turf Moor would send United top of the league ahead of their crunch clash against Liverpool at the weekend, but Solskjaer doesn’t want his players to get carried away and is confident he has the right personalities in the dressing room to manage expectations ahead of an important few weeks.

“We need to get points against Burnley before anyone can say that you are top of the table, but that is a position that we have put ourselves in.” the United manager said.

“So I would like to think that we go into this game not thinking about where we will end up tomorrow night in the table, but where we can end up in the table in May. That’s what matters. 

“You accumulate the points throughout the season, so if at one point you think, ‘Ah we’ve made it now, we have cracked it,’ and you relax, that is when it’s going to hit you back.

“So we are very focused. We have some good characters in the team, the dressing room is louder, it’s more vocal. We’ve got Nemanja Matic, who has won it a few times, Juan Mata, Edinson [Cavani], Brunocoming in. 

“I think he wants to feel part of a team that is going to be challenging for trophies.”

Mesut Ozil has said Emile Smith Rowe “made the difference” for Arsenal in recent weeks.

Smith Rowe has made the breakthrough at Arsenal this season, and his efforts in recent games have coincided with the Gunners’ uptick in form.

He has added effervescence and a creative spark from the number 10 role, to draw comparisons with Ozil.

Arsenal lacked a creativity during their dire run through November and December, and many eyes were focused on Ozil who was completely out of the picture - having not featured for the club since March.

With pressure mounting on manager Mikel Arteta, the Spaniard said there was a chance Ozil could come back into the fold. 

The former Germany international could not have featured until January as he was not named in the Premier League squad at the start of the season. 

Arteta could have changed his squad in January, but in the meantime he turned to Smith Rowe and the 20-year-old grasped his chance in style.

He impressed in wins over Chelsea, Brighton, West Brom and Newcastle - in the latter of which he scored the opening goal in the 2-0 win to propel them into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Ozil has been an interested spectator from his sofa, and has been impressed with Smith Rowe’s performances. 

And he reinforced the point that the youngster’s efforts prove that there is still room for a No.10 in the modern game.

“He made the difference in the last couple of games as a No.10,” Ozil said during a question and answer session on Twitter.  “Really happy for him… and that he showed that playing with a No.10 still can make sense in today’s football.”

Ozil’s Arsenal career is drawing to a clos and had Smith Rowe not emerged and the Gunners’ poor form continued, the 32-year-old may have been drafted back into the fold.

But it now looks as if he is on his way out of the Emirates, possibly in January, and he talked up a move to Fenerbahce or MLS in his Q&A.

Despite the disappointing end to his Arsenal career, Ozil also admitted that he does not regret joining the club.

Joan Laporta and Victor Font are among four candidates who look set to do battle for the Barcelona presidency later this month. 

Laporta, Font, Toni Freixa and Emili Rousaud all delivered signatures from enough socios on Monday to advance to the election on January 24. 

Laporta, previously president for a decorated period between 2003 and 2010, presented 10,272 signatures, significantly ahead of Font's 4,713, Frexia's 2,822 and Rousand's 2,510.

Validation of these signatures will begin on Tuesday, with confirmation of the final candidates announced on Thursday. 

Jordi Farre, Xavier Vilajoana, Agusti Benedito, Luis Fernandez Ala and Pere Riera were unable to meet the threshold of 2,257 signatures.

Given the small amount by which he passed the cut-off total, Rousand might yet miss out on the final run-off.

Barca last week ratified January 24 as the date for their presidential election despite calls for it to be postponed amid rising cases of coronavirus.

The region of Catalonia has recently imposed new restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of Covid-19 infections, with certain rules tightened for 10 days as of January 7.

While that does not interfere with the previously agreed date for the election, there had been increasing clamour for it to be delayed due to fears some members would not be able to vote.

But Barca confirmed on Thursday that the date of January 24 and "all procedures" have been accepted by the local authorities.

Carlos Tusquets has the presidency on an interim basis following the resignation of former club supremo Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Barcelona will hope the vote goes smoothly to bring some stability back to the club.

With Laporta - who has spoken confidently about Lionel Messi staying at the club - securing more signatures that the other three combined, he is the overwhelming favourite to take the helm for a second time.

While Barca are seeking stability off the field, their performances on the pitch have improved.

Barca are unbeaten in eight games in La Liga, winning their last three against Huesca, Athletic Bilbao and Granada.

They are still outsiders in the title race, as they trail leaders Atletico Madrid by four points having played three games more - but momentum could carry them deep into the season.

Rio Ferdinand has described Amad Diallo as a potential "world-beater" and feels there are comparisons to when Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo.

United struck a deal to sign Diallo from Atalanta last October, with the player remaining in Italy before joining the Red Devils in January.

Diallo arrives at United somewhat under the radar - although manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he has "special abilities" - but he has impressed many overservers in Serie A with his pace and trickery out wide.

Those attributes were similar to what Ronaldo brought to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Like Diallo, Ronaldo was 18 when he made the move to the North West of England and Ferdinand is hopeful of seeing the player make a similar impact to the now five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

"We’ve just bought a kid in from Atalanta and hopefully he does something,” the former Manchester United defender said on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE podcast. “If you see his clips and speak to people at the club who are involved in buying him, potentially this kid could be a world-beater.

“That is the thought of Manchester United people that this kid is one they have unearthed.”

Mentioning Diallo in the same breath as Ronaldo is a bold call, but Ferdinand feels there are similarities to when the club brought a relatively unknown teenager to the club from Portuguese side Sporting CP.

“I don’t want to put the pressure of Ronaldo on him, but no-one knew about Ronaldo when we bought him other than the people in Portugal,” Ferdinand said. “This kid seems similar in that sense and if you see his clips and the way people talk about him, the world is his oyster if he applies himself right.”

While Ronaldo arrived at United as a relative unknown, he came with a hunger to improve and drive himself on to greatness.

He won the Premier League title on three occasions with the Red Devils, along with a Champions League crown, before heading to Real Madrid and propelling himself to superstardom.

Two La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns followed at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Now 35 and at Juventus, Ronaldo is still winning trophies and setting benchmarks.

If Diallo has half the career of Ronaldo, it will be money well spent by the Red Devils.

Tiemoue Bakayoko’s preference is to remain at Napoli rather than return to Chelsea when his loan spell comes to a conclusion in the summer.

The midfielder joined Chelsea in 2017, but cut little ice at Stamford Bridge and was farmed out on loan to AC Milan and former club Monaco.

With little prospect of forcing his way into Frank Lampard’s plans in west London this season, Bakayoko headed out on loan to Napoli.

The Naples club are sixth in Serie A and battling to barge their way into the title race. Their prospects were boosted with a 2-1 win at Udinese on Sunday, which came courtesy of a last-minute winner from Bakayoko - his first goal for the team.

The player’s agent was quick to talk up the France international, and said the aim is to remain in Italy with Napoli.

“He is very happy to score his first goal for the club, it’s been a long time since he had scored the last one,” his brother and agent Abdoulaye told Radio Marte. “The goal has boosted his confidence; he always wants to help the team.”

Talks have yet to take place with Napoli or Chelsea over the 26-year-old’s future, but his agent feels everything is in place to forge a career where he is at the moment.

“It’s too early to talk about that (a permanent move), there are many things that must be considered," the player's representative said. “He is on loan until the end of the season and he hasn’t talked to the club yet, but staying at Napoli would be a nice opportunity, so we will see.

“He has played for many clubs, but he is happy at Napoli. The results are there and this club would be an ideal option for the future.

“Napoli are title contenders; a positive ending is in everyone’s interest. Napoli will be his priority in June.”

Napoli are nine points adrift of Serie A leaders AC Milan, although they do have a game in hand.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side are in Coppa Italia action at home to Empoli on Wednesday, before welcoming Fiorentina to the Stadio San Paolo in Serie A on Sunday.

Navigating split and double gameweeks in Fantasy Premier League takes some skill, with careful selections required to get the best possible points return.

Gameweeks 18 and 19 represent something of an anomaly in 2020-21, with just six fixtures being played in Gameweek 18 and a number of games being moved into Gameweek 19, making it a double gameweek.

So why are the fixtures split in this instance?

Scheduling issues associated with delays brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the Premier League scrapped a winter break in 2020-21, but efforts have been made to reduce the load on players.

To that end, eight clubs will have no fixture to play in Gameweek 18, with those games now taking place in Gameweek 19 - so it will be a double gameweek for some teams.

Which teams play in FPL Gameweek 18?

Arsenal, Burnley, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Tottenham and Wolves are playing in Gameweek 18.

You can see all the Gameweek 18 fixtures in the table below.

That means there will be a blank gameweek for eight teams. They are: Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leicester City, Leeds United, Liverpool, Southampton, West Brom and West Ham.

It may be wise to use your Free Hit chip during this gameweek to change up your team if it is heavily populated by players at the above clubs

Which teams have a double gameweek in FPL Gameweek 19?

A total of 12 teams will play a double gameweek in Gameweek 19.

The teams in question and their opponents in the gameweek can be seen in the table below.

If you want to take full advantage of the double gameweek, selecting high-scoring players from clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United could be wise.

Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes are the type of points-getters who are sure to be popular candidates for the captaincy during the double gameweek.

The eight teams that only have one fixture on Gameweek 19 are: Arsenal, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Tottenham, Wolves.

That means you may want to think carefully about choosing players such as Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for this gameweek.

It is worth noting that some teams will play three matches across the two gameweeks. They are: Manchester City, Manchester United, Burnley and Fulham.

Vihiga United technical director Nick Yakhama and head coach Sammy Okoth have tendered their resignation letters to club management after allegedly going six months without pay.

However, they could still remain in their jobs after a meeting with the club, which is due in the next two days.

The duo explained why they initially opted to resign at the Western-based team.

"Okoth and I handed in our resignation letters because of the circumstances surrounding us," Yakhama told Goal on Monday.

"We have not been paid our salaries for the last six months, this is going to be our seventh month. And prior to our action, nothing concrete had been done by those responsible.

"So we sat down with the coach and felt the better thing to do is to resign."

However, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League side is trying to find a solution to keep them at United.

"The management has however refused to let us go saying they are looking for a solution," Yakhama added.

"We have a meeting with management, and we are waiting to see what they are putting on the table. Yes, we love being at this team, but it is tough working without a salary."

Goal contacted Vihiga United for their response to Yakhama's claims but the calls have not been answered yet.

Yakhama and Okoth were appointed as the technical director and head coach in August 2019 respectively.

They were hired to help the team get promoted from the National Super League (NSL) to the top-tier.

Eventually, the team was promoted to the FKF Premier League. They finished third in the abandoned 2019/20 season and had to play Kisumu All-Stars in the two-legged relegation/promotion play-offs.

They defeated All-Stars 5-3 on post-match penalties at Moi Stadium in Kisumu. Despite winning the first leg 2-1, Kisumu All-Stars could not protect the advantage as they lost 2-1 in the return fixture and thus the tie ended 3-3 after the two-legged affair.

This season, Vihiga have played seven games and collected five points after a win, two draws and four losses.

Hamrun Spartans’ Franklin Sasere is keen to win the Maltese Premier League diadem, insisting that remains his focus ahead of individual honours.

Following his loan move from Swiss side Lugano, the 22-year-old Nigerian has enjoyed an awe-inspiring debut at Victor Tedesco Stadium, scoring eight goals in 13 outings for the league leaders.

The well-built striker scored a brace on Sunday as Mark Buttigieg’s men silenced Mosta 3-1 – a feat which put him on track to win the Maltese top-flight’s Golden Boot, as well as saw his team stay in contention for an eighth league title.

“Honestly, if I have to choose between the top scorer prize or the league title, I won’t blink my eye,” Sasere told Goal.

“The individual prize will just be for me alone, whereas the league title is for everyone, starting from the club president down to the coaches, players and fans.

“So, whenever I step onto the pitch, I have the club at heart first. However, if we win the league and I emerge a Golden Boot winner, that will be a welcome development.”

Also, the player who began his professional career in the Nigeria Professional Football League, discusses his team’s victory over Mosta while attributing his form in front of goal to collective efforts from his coaches and teammates.

“It was not easy finding the net twice in a crucial game where we conceded in the first half as well as got reduced to 10 men,” he continued.

“Inspired by what the management is doing for the team, love for our darling fans and the desire to emerge as champions, we gave our best in the second-half and we are glad we got all three points.

“We will double up our efforts in forthcoming games because it would be disappointing if we get axed from the summit.

“For my goalscoring form, I will say it’s a collective effort starting from the coaching crew who believe in my ability down to my teammates for giving the crucial assists at the appropriate time.”

Unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions, Hamrun Spartans are guests of Sirens in their next league fixture on Friday.

Manchester United have been pulled out alongside Liverpool in the undoubted glamour tie of the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The two sides will meet in the Premier League on January 17, before meeting in the FA Cup a week later.

The FA took the decision to have the fourth and fifth round draws on the same day in order to aid with fixture scheduling on account of the condensed, coronavirus-affected season.

The fourth round ties will take place over the weekend of January 23, with the fifth round in the week of February 8.

Holders Arsenal required extra time before seeing off Newcastle to reach the fourth round and they will take on Southampton or Shrewsbury.

Manchester City lifted the trophy in 2019, and eased into the fourth round courtesy of a comfortable win over Birmingham and they face a trip to Cheltenham.

Liverpool lead the way in the Premier League, but have not won the FA Cup since 2006. They eased past a depleted Aston Villa side in round three to set up a clash with big rivals Manchester United who have started 2021 in style.

Chelsea snapped a poor run of form over the Christmas and New Year period by seeing off Morecambe to set up a meeting with Luton.

Crawley caused a huge shock to dump out Premier League side Leeds and their reward is a clash against Bournemouth - with the carrot of a meeting with Fulham or Burnley in the fifth round.

National League North side Chorley dumped Derby out of the competition and will meet Wolves in round four. Should they progres there is a potential meeting with holders Arsenal in round five.