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Fulham’s Premier League game against Burnley on Sunday has been postponed after the London club reported a fresh outbreak of positive Covid-19 cases.

It is the second Cottagers game to be called off because of coronavirus in the space of five days after Wednesday’s game against Tottenham was also postponed, and is the fourth Premier League game in total in just under a month.

A Fulham statement read: “Following further new positive results returned from the most recent Covid-19 tests, the club can confirm that this Sunday’s away fixture at Burnley has been postponed after discussions with the Premier League and advice from medical teams.

“Those who tested positive are self-isolating in line with UK government and Premier League guidance.

“The welfare of our players, staff and their families continue to be of paramount importance, and we wish those who have tested positive a safe and speedy recovery.”

A Premier League statement added: "After the postponement of their match against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Fulham’s players and staff were immediately retested and this morning have reported a further increase in positive Covid-19 cases.

“Following Fulham’s request to rearrange the Burnley fixture, the Premier League’s board has taken into consideration further independent medical advice and decided to postpone the match due to the exceptional circumstances of the ongoing outbreak at the club.

“With the health of players and staff the priority, the League and Fulham will agree a further action plan to control the outbreak to allow the club to resume their season safely. Players and staff will now be retested as part of a revised testing schedule.

"With low numbers of positive tests across the overwhelming majority of clubs, the League continues to have confidence in its COVID-19 protocols, fully backed by the government, to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled."

Newcastle’s game against Aston Villa was the first match to be called off at the start of December following an outbreak at the Magpies’ training ground. Manchester City’s game against Everton on Monday was also called off just four hours before kick-off due to an outbreak among the City squad.

The postponements come as the UK battles a surge in coronavirus cases caused in part by a new, more transmissible version of the disease.

That had prompted talk of the Premier League stopping the season for a few weeks to act as a ‘circuit breaker’ and surpress the spread of Covid-19.

However, the Premier League says it has no plans to pause the season, while West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady says such a proposal has never been discussed by clubs.

The next step in Manchester United’s evolution needs to see them bring in a “goalscoring machine”, says Lee Sharpe, with Erling Haaland and Harry Kane considered to fit the mould for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Two prolific frontmen have seen moves to Old Trafford mooted in recent times.

United had hoped to position themselves at the front of a queue for Haaland 12 months ago, with the presence of Norwegian coach Solskjaer working in their favour, but the talented 20-year-old headed to Borussia Dortmund.

Tottenham talisman Kane is another to have been linked with the Red Devils on a regular basis, with talk of £200 million ($273m) deals doing the rounds at one stage.

Sharpe believes United, who have forced their way back into title contention this season, need a player of that ilk to provide competition and inspiration for the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

The former Red Devils winger told Stadium Astro when asked if Haaland would be the best option: “I think Haaland is unbelievable.

“I played with his dad at Leeds and he couldn’t score a goal if he tried and his son has come out as this prolific goalscoring machine – he’s absolutely unbelievable.

“I’d love to see him at Old Trafford but whoever signs him, if someone does at the end of this season, watch out.

“If Liverpool or Man City get him, I don’t think there is anyone to stop them going and winning the league.

“I think Martial on his day can be absolutely fantastic and then he can switch off and not look interested and stroll around the place.

“[Edinson] Cavani, years of experience and a great goalscorer, but I’m not sure he can do it week in, week out. He will be used as more of an impact sub. Rashford will chop and change from the middle to the wide position.

“I think the next thing for United is Haaland or someone like Harry Kane – a goalscoring machine because they do create so many chances.

“If you are a goalscorer, a natural goalscorer, you are going to get chances and you are going to score bagfuls at that club.”

Martial opened the scoring for United in their most recent outing, but Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes once again proved to the match-winner as his penalty helped to edge out Aston Villa 2-1 – with that victory drawing the Red Devils level with Liverpool at the top of the table.

Ronald Koeman claims to have no regrets at seeing Luis Suarez leave Barcelona, with the Dutch coach claiming that the decision to part with the proven striker was taken by those above him.

A Camp Nou icon returned to Catalunya in a managerial capacity over the summer following the sacking of Quique Setien.

One of his first pieces of business was to bid farewell to Uruguayan frontman Suarez, with the South American allowed to link up with La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.

A man who plundered 198 goals for the Blaugrana has been outscoring his former team-mates this season, with an eight-goal return in the Spanish top flight better than Lionel Messi and Co have managed.

Barca could be forgiven for wishing they had kept the 33-year-old on their books, but Koeman is reluctant to dwell on events of the past.

He has said: “No, I don’t regret letting go of Suarez. I always highlighted his qualities. The decision was already made by the club and him.”

There could be more outgoings at Barca over the coming weeks, now that the January transfer window has opened, with Koeman adding: “Players going out on loan? Yes. I think that some players have to play games and in this club they have it complicated.”

Movement in the opposite direction will be difficult, with funds in short supply, and it may that Barca have to make do until the summer.

Their boss said: “If we don’t sign anyone, it’s because of the club or the financial situation.

“With Ramon Planes we have prepared how we think the club should be. We have the plan, but we don’t decide. The new president has to do it.”

Barca already have plenty of talent at their disposal, with the hope being that talismanic captain Messi will burst into life at some stage.

He sat out a 1-1 draw with Eibar at the end of 2020, but will be back in contention for a trip to Huesca on Sunday.

Koeman said of the mercurial Argentine: “Messi is fine, he has trained on the 30th and 31st, days that his team-mates had days off. He has not had any more discomfort and he’s eager.

“Messidependencia? I think it’s still there, yes. This has been the case many years, he has resolved many games. That’s why he’s the best in the world.”

Koeman added on Messi’s future, with the 33-year-old continuing to run his contract down towards free agency: “Leo has said that he will not decide his future now and we have to respect it. We shouldn’t worry.”

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have taken their prolific partnership to new heights, with the Tottenham pair equalling an all-time Premier League goalscoring record.

Son converted Kane’s inch-perfect cross with a tidy first-time finish into the bottom-right corner to put Spurs 2-0 up against Leeds on Saturday, after Kane had opened the scoring from the penalty spot. 

The pair have now combined to score 13 Premier League goals so far this season – equalling a record which had stood for more than 25 years. Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton were the only previous pair to assist each other so many times in a season, during Blackburn’s title-winning campaign in 1994-95.

The goal was also Son’s 100th in all competitions for Spurs, and his 12th in 16 league games this season. Only Kane has scored more since he arrived in north London with 169, and nine of those 12 so far this year have been assisted by Kane.

Kane brought up a minor personal milestone of his own with his opening goal from the spot. It was his 10th league goal of the season which, when added to his 10 assists at that point, took him level with the number of goal contributions he managed in the whole of 2019-20. His assist for Son took him past that benchmark soon after.

It also meant Kane has now scored against all 30 of the teams he has faced in the Premier League.

Former Spurs and England striker Jermain Defoe recently said he thought Kane and Son were the best partnership in world football.

"With Kane and Son, what Mourinho has done has been incredible,' Defoe said on the Mennie Talks Podcast.

"Those two are the best partnership in world football at the minute. The hardest thing that you can do at the top level is to be consistent, so for those two to show that consistency, for me is unbelievable.

“Son is dynamic, so he runs in behind. He gets the ball and he is direct, he beats people.”

Jose Mourinho has said he expected Son to sign a new contract at some point as he believes the South Korean wants to spend the rest of his career at Spurs.

He said: “I just trust Sonny and Mr [Daniel] Levy [Tottenham chairman], I know both want to stay, if possible, for life and until the end of their careers, so I see Son signing a new contract here.

“But I don't believe – I don't even ask – for something to happen now because it's not the right moment."

NorthEast United have won once in their last seven Indian Super League (ISL) games this season. After a bright start to their campaign, the Highlanders are struggling for consistency and now find themselves sixth on the table.

Coach Gerard Nus was asked if his team are looking to strengthen their squad in the January transfer market as the ISL enters its midway mark.

“We are a club that is always looking to improve and obviously, in terms of movements in the market, we are with our eyes and ears open because we always want to be a competitive team. For whatever the players need to move, we have to analyse and consider with the coaching staff and management,” said Nus.

Ghanaian striker Kwesi Appiah has picked up an injury since their last match against Odisha FC on December 22nd 2020. Although it is highly unlikely that the striker would feature again this season for the northeastern side, Nus remained optimistic.

“We are looking to get him ready as soon as possible. We are discussing everything with the medical department and our players are our priority. So, we want to do everything in our hands to make him ready for the next games. We know it's going to be a lot of games coming and it may be hard to be 100 percent fit at times but we have to all work in that direction,” stated Nus.

On Sunday, the going will get tougher for NorthEast United as they will be up against ATK Mohun Bagan. The Kolkata outfit have the joint-best defensive record this season with just three goals conceded and have an in-form Roy Krishna waiting to pry on defensive errors. Nus believes that since ATK Mohun Bagan retained the core of the side from last season, it has helped them acclimatize better as opposed to those teams who have had wholesale changes to their squads.

“Regarding tomorrow's game, we know that it is going to be very tough. They are one of hardest teams to play against, no doubt about it. If you see the table, you can see why. No matter what, they will be at the top all this season because they have got amazing players. They retained many players that they got in the squad and that obviously helps in a short tournament like this,” reasoned Nus.

The Spaniard promised that his team will surely give a good account of themselves and would be keen to spoil the miserly defensive record of ATK Mohun Bagan.

“No matter how well we prepare, they are going to be a really tough side that has lost only one game. It's going to be difficult. They only conceded three goals and if you concede only three goals from eight games, you know that they are doing a lot of good things. We are going to be ready and would like to prove those statistics wrong by increasing the number of goals conceded by them,” said the former Liverpool FC academy coach.

Nus highlighted that NorthEast are the only team in the competition who have five different goalscorers. He also pointed that he has a squad full of fighters, who play in an organised fashion – both offensively and defensively.

“I think that we are a well organised team and a team that fights for every single ball. In the last game (against Odisha FC), we were capable of making a record 18 attempts. That is obviously something that we need to feel proud of as no other ISL team has achieved that so far.

“On the offensive side of our game, we want to be consistently creative and keep our structure defensively because if we do both things then we will get what we deserve and more points.

“As I said, we are the top team in creating chances and we should get a trophy for this. We are also the first team in terms of number of goalscorers. We have five players who have scored goals for NorthEast United,” he focussed on the positives.

Nus reiterated that his team should have picked up full points from their match against Odisha FC. He also spoke on how his team will have to put their best foot forward in order to pick up three points this Sunday.

“I think the Odisha game (2-2 draw) was an excellent answer after a (1-0) defeat against Jamshedpur. We have created the most chances in the ISL so far and that shows our answer. We are a team who focus on three points and we deserved three points. That is history and our commitment and determination is going to be even more because we are playing a side that is on the top of the ladder but at the same time, we respect them a lot. We know how good they are and we will need to be at our best to get full points,” Nus pointed.

Ashutosh Mehta, who has been in fine run of form this season, stated that his ambition is to win the ISL with NorthEast United.

“In football, the most important game is the next game. So our main focus is on ATK Mohun Bagan but it's important to take it step-by-step. Of course, I want to win the ISL with NorthEast United but we have to go step-by-step. They have good players for sure. ATK Mohun Bagan are tactically a very good team and physically very strong,” said the former Mohun Bagan player.

Orlando Pirates assistant coach Fadlu Davids has described Mamelodi Sundowns as a new team with a “completely changed structure” which makes them favourites to clinch the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.

The two teams meet at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday as league action continues after the festive break.

Under co-coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena, as well as senior coach Steve Komphela, Sundowns are leading the PSL table, five points ahead of fifth-placed Pirates, and Davids feels their rivals are well-placed to retain the league title.

The Soweto giants are, however, keen to close the gap and victory would see them two points behind Downs with a game in hand.

“We are quite confident in our preparations leading up to the big game against Sundowns away from home at Loftus,” Davids told Pirates’ media.

“We are ready for the challenge, we know that they are the favourites, they are leading the log. It is our job to try and close the gap. You can see they completely changed the structure and the principles of play. They are a new team with new ways of playing.

“We have to be prepared for them. Yes as have to take care of their structures but more importantly execute our game plan and our way of playing.”

Sundowns are bidding for a fourth-straight league title which would be a record for successive crowns in the PSL era.

On the other hand, Pirates are desperate to end a nine-year title drought, their longest run without being crowned champions in this era of the league.

The Buccaneers captain Thulani Hlatshwayo has emphasised starting the year on a “good note” as he also stressed Saturday’s game as important as a Cup final.

“Everyone is ready and pumped up to start a new year on a good note. I wouldn’t say we got some free time for a long time because we had a game in Angola [on December 22, 2020] and the guys needed to spend time with their families which was a short break,” said Hlatshwayo as per Front Runner.

“So you could see in training that the guys are still sharp. The preparations have been very good, everyone has been available. We don’t have much injuries except [Zakhlele] Lepasa and [Tshegofatso] Mabasa and we are happy with the preparations so far because everyone is sharp and everything has been good. For sure it is an important game, it is like a Cup final.”

Hlatshwayo has also identified areas Pirates have been found wanting so far in a campaign they have scored nine goals in seven league goals, the lowest tally in the top eight.

“So internally as a team we have targets, one of the targets has been accomplished [MTN8 triumph] and now we have to make sure we have to focus on the league,” Hlatshwayo said.

“We have played a lot of draws, we have not created a lot of chances, we haven’t scored a lot of goals. We have been doing finishing quite a lot this week and we are now looking forward to Saturday’s game.”

Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League-winning captain Jordan Henderson says he was in “a very dark place” when the club tried to sell him to Fulham in 2012.

The England midfielder was not always so highly rated at Anfield and then-manager Brendan Rodgers wanted to use him in a swap deal for Clint Dempsey.

Henderson turned the move down and eventually became a club hero on Merseyside, but things could have worked out very differently.

“That was a difficult moment I remember very clearly,” Henderson said to the Guardian.

“We were preparing for a [Europa League qualifying] game against Hearts at Anfield. We met as normal in the hotel and I got a knock on my door saying the manager wanted to speak to us.

“To be fair to Brendan Rodgers, it was really just a conversation. It was an opportunity I didn’t want and I didn’t like. I still felt I had an awful lot to give, but I was in a very dark place at that time.”

When Jurgen Klopp arrived in 2015-16, things weren’t any easier for Henderson as he missed 19 Premier League games through a succession of injuries.

“When the manager first came, it was difficult for me because I was injured,” he said. “I kept getting niggles so it took a while to get the real me and my rhythm back.

“And then I began to play in a deeper role and that is thanks to Jurgen, because I don’t think many people would have seen how I could do that role. There were times when I wasn’t performing well. Then you would question if I was good enough.

“But I had confidence in the manager and kept working and I matured. I’m really grateful for having that opportunity because my all-round game has improved defensively and offensively.

“When we signed Fabinho, a natural defensive midfield player, I felt that was a good thing for me because I could play a little higher up. So when I had the conversation with the manager he was very open. But I don’t think he was going to play us there straight away.

“Not long afterwards I was on the bench at that Southampton game before I came on as an attacker and managed to score. I’ve matured even more since then.

“At the end of last year, I played more as a No.8, but with certain injuries I’ve had this season I’ve played a little deeper again. I feel I can contribute to both positions.”

FKF Premier League side Bandari will have to wait for at least two more days before unveiling their new coach Andre Casa Mbungo.

Goal exclusively reported on Friday the former AFC Leopards tactician was heading to handle the Coastal-based side after agreeing on contractual terms.

The Rwandan tactician, who has already resigned as the coach of Gicogi United so as to take over at Bandari, will not arrive as planned after the delay in getting his Covid-19 results done in Kigali on Friday.

“Mbungo will not arrive as planned in Mombasa because Rwanda have strict Covid-19 regulations which he has to undergo before boarding the plane to Kenya,” a source privy to the transfer move, and who did not want to be named, told Goal on Saturday.

“He took his Covid-19 test on Friday and he is still waiting for the certificate and results and it means he can only arrive on Sunday or Monday meaning the unveiling cannot be done as planned.

“He will also not be able to watch the team in action against Western Stima.”

A source told Goal on Mbungo’s return to Kenyan football: “An agreement has been reached between the club and coach [Mbungo]. He will travel from Rwanda today [Friday] and will be unveiled on Saturday, of course, after signing the papers.”

Bandari will be the second Kenyan club Mbungo will be coaching after a short stint at AFC Leopards. The experienced coach quit Ingwe in December 2019 after going for months without pay.

He went on to work briefly for Gasogi United before Rayon Sports convinced him to join them. 

At the Dockers, Mbungo will be assisted by Patrick Odhiambo. The former Sony Sugar coach is currently at Gor Mahia acting as an interim coach after the exit of Brazilian coach Roberto Oliveira.

Former Bandari coach Ken Odhiambo has already been unveiled by Sofapaka in the top-flight.

Bandari started their league campaign with a 1-0 win over Sofapaka FC. They drew 0-0 with Tusker FC in their second game before falling 2-0 to Nairobi City Stars. 

Another 2-1 defeat came at home against league leaders KCB before settling for a 1-1 draw with Posta Rangers.

Mamelodi Sundowns forward Kermit Erasmus has underlined that Saturday’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) clash against Orlando Pirates at Loftus Versfeld “is all about the team” and not just his attacking partnership with Themba Zwane and Peter Shalulile.

The three have managed 13 of Sundowns' 16 goals in eight league matches so far this season and Erasmus says selflessness has been key in building their feared partnership.

While Erasmus and Zwane have been doubtful for this match, there have been, however, chances that the they could play to complete an attacking combination that has been terrorising PSL defences.

“We complement each other on the field of play and we always try to find space and look for one another and not be selfish in front of the goals,” Erasmus told the Sundowns website.

“We know it is all about the team, it’s the team before the individual. If the team wins we are happy and we have shown no selfishness amongst each other and it has been good for the team and us.”

Zwane headlines this combination with seven goals and an assist, Shalulile has chipped in with four strikes and two assists while Erasmus has contributed two goals and three direct goal feeds.

The Buccaneers’ defenders could be in for a torrid afternoon if the three are fielded and continue with their fine form.

But Erasmus says that it will not be an easy game as he comes up against his former team Pirates in this big fixture that opens 2021.

“Pirates are a very attacking and ball-playing team, they use their width properly,” said Erasmus.

“It will be a difficult game but if we stick to the plan we are working on anything can happen and we have been creating chances and we just need to convert them. It will be an entertaining game for the people to watch.”

Log leaders Sundowns are five points better off than fifth-placed Pirates who, however, have a game in hand.

A win for the Soweto giants will fire them up to just two points of the league leaders.

Roy Krishna hasn’t scored a goal in the last three Indian Super League (ISL) matches however, coach Antonio Habas isn’t a worried man. The Fiji international scored five goals in as many matches but hasn’t found the back of the net since their 1-0 win over FC Goa where Krishna converted from the spot.

In fact, his last goal from open play, where he was offside by some distance, was against Jamshedpur FC on December 7, 2020.

“I have to analyse the performance of the whole team and not just Roy Krishna in the last matches. The team's behaviour and performance is 100 per cent. Roy Krishna can score goals but more important is their attitude and overall performance,” said Habas.

The ATK Mohun Bagan coach was questioned on the reason as to why his strikers have been guilty of being wasteful this season. He answered by stating that he would be concerned if his team weren’t creating goalscoring opportunities.

“I would have been worried if didn't create chances to score but in football, you can do something in one situation and cannot do that in another. In football, all situations are different during the 90 minutes,” he said.

Javier Hernandez, who scored two goals in the ISL final last year, has been missing in action due to an injury. The 31-year-old hasn’t recovered completely from his injury yet as Habas and his medical staff are in no hurry to bring him back until then.

“He was well but just before the match (Chennaiyin) he had some problem, and we preferred not to force the player,” said the former Bolivia national team coach.

Habas maintained that it is vital for his side to continue their progress in the same vein and assimilate as many points as possible in the league stage.

“Being top of the table is good confidence for the team but at the same time, it is also a big responsibility for us to continue the performance and remain at the top of the table. Our team is preparing for that,” he signed off.

Kingsley Coman has revealed his Bayern Munich team-mates tease him because he is afraid of heading the ball.

The 24-year-old – who won the Champions League final with a strong header in August – admitted he has to shut his eyes when going up to strike the ball.

"It's just the way it is that I get a bit frightened of heading the ball, and my team-mates make fun of me over it," Coman told Bild.

"You can see it in the pictures. I closed my eyes for the header. It's instinctive - a natural reflex. I always try to keep my eyes open, but at the last moment I always have this reflex."

His crucial effort against Paris Saint-Germain aside, Coman has never been the most prolific wide player.

His tally of 10 goals in 2018-19 was the only time he has reached double figures in a season but, with five to his name this campaign, it is a benchmark that he is on course to match.

Coman once admitted he was never likely to be a 'killer' in front of goal, though it is an area of his game he would surely like to improve.

“I’ve had to be more present in front of goal and I’m creating more chances,” he told Le Parisien in 2019.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be someone to score 30, 40 or 50 goals in a season. This instinct to be a killer in front of goal, it’s not natural to me, even if I work for it.

“I love creating goals. But I know that scoring is very important. So I’m strict with myself and I try to be more egotistical.”

Coman and Bayern return to Bundesliga action on Sunday following a brief winter break.

They closed out a historic year with a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on December 19, overtaking Peter Bosz’s side to finish 2020 in their customary spot at the top of the table.

Bayern have six league fixtures to negotiate in January, starting at home to second-bottom Mainz, with a DFB-Pokal fixture against second-tier Holstein Kiel also on the schedule.

Uganda striker Muhammad Shaban has stated they learnt a lot from their pre-African Nations Championship engagement against Cameroon on Friday.

The Cranes and the Indomitable Lions played to a 1-1 draw and the Vipers SC forward has said they have learned a number of lessons despite going down to 10 men in the first half.

“We have learnt a lot from this match,” Shaban, who came on for Milton Karisa, said after the game according to Fufa’s website.

“Having played with 10 players for almost the whole game, we are happy with the result. We shall improve in our next game.”

Shaban’s coach Johnathan McKinstry said their main agenda for the pre-Chan tournament was not all about results.

To the former Rwanda coach, the main reason for engaging in the competition was to get the players ready for the actual tournament.  

“We said coming into this tournament was not about results,” McKinstry told the Fufa portal too.

“It was about taking on the host nation and other top opposition. We wanted to come here and prepare for the main tournament.  We encouraged our players to be confident even when we lost one of them.

“We created chances even with a man less but the equaliser was well deserved.”

In a separate interview, McKinstry said he was happy in how the players faced the Indomitable Lions but there are areas they have to work on.

“It was great for the fitness of the players and the tactical development of the players and also important for growing the confidence of the players,” added the tactician.

“And for large parts of the game we were the team creating chances from open play and we couldn’t be more pleased with the players.

“There are things to be improved naturally, but we felt that we played good football. We know we have speed in the team and on the bench.”

Uganda are among the three nations that organised a pre-Chan mini-competition in Cameroon as a precursor to the continental tournament.

They will play Niger and Zambia in the remaining fixtures but Ben Ocen will not feature after he was red-carded for a bad challenge in the game against Cameroon.

Tanzania Mainland League team Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC) FC have confirmed the exit of David Mwasa and Salim Aiyee.

The Kino Boys have released the two in the current short transfer window as they plan to restructure for the second leg of the 2020/21 campaign. The Kinondoni-based charges have officially confirmed the latest developments.

"During this short transfer window, KMC have parted ways with their two players David Mwasa, who has been sold to Mbeya City and Salim Aiyee who has left on a mutual consent," the club confirmed in a statement signed by the club's communications officer Christina Mwagala and obtained by Goal.

"Salim had joined us from Mwadui FC on a two-year contract and had served us for one year and six months. His contract was bound to end in June 2021.

"On the other hand, Mwasa had joined KMC from Lipuli on a two-year deal and had served the team for just six months. His contract was to expire in June 2022.

"KMC wishes to thank the players for their contribution to the team and wishes them the best in their endeavours."

The Kino Boys are currently placed in the 11th position on the Tanzania Mainland League table. They have played 16 games and have won six of them. Three have ended in draws while the remaining seven have ended in losses.

They have managed to score 16 goals and conceded 13, and as a result, they are on 21 points.

On Saturday, January 2, they will be playing Mbeya City, who are currently in the 17th position.

They have won just two of the 17 games they have played this season, drawing seven and losing eight. They have also scored just seven goals and conceded 20 and as a result, they are on 13 points, same as bottom-placed Ihefu who have an inferior goal difference.

Another game that will be played on Saturday is between Ruvu Shooting who will be at home hosting Mtibwa Sugar.

The administrative side are currently placed in the fifth position after collecting 25 points from the 16 games they have played.

They will be playing an unpredictable Sugar Millers, who are 10th with 22 points from 17 games played.

Watford manager Xisco Munoz has expressed his satisfaction with the progress Isaac Success is making to return to action.

The centre-forward has been on the sidelines since June after suffering a hamstring injury during a training session.

The Nigeria international has now teamed up with the rest of the Hornets in training ahead of their Championship clash against Swansea City on Saturday.

Munoz revealed the 24-year-old’s return will be gradual as he needed more time to fully recover from his injury.

“He has started training with us, step by step. He needs time but I’m very happy with him because in the last training he was at a good level,” Munoz told the club website.

“But it’s step by step when a player has come in after an injury, so we will see when he’s coming back.”

Success has struggled to establish himself at Vicarage Road since joining the side from Spanish side Granada in 2016 due to his inconsistent form and injury problems.

The Super Eagles forward has only found the back of the net seven times in 49 league appearances for Watford since his arrival at the club.

He has, however, revealed his readiness to improve on his performances for the second tier outfit when he returns from injury.

“It's been tough. It was painful, but it's football and it happens. I'm just trying to work my way back to the squad as I've missed playing with the team,” Success said.

“We need to get back to the Premier League as quickly as possible, so I'm looking forward to getting back and achieving our goals.

“I'm very excited. The last five months have been boring. I've done a lot of work and I know it's going to be an emotional first game back after six months out, but I'm ready for the challenge.

“Sometimes I feel disappointed with myself as I've got the qualities and everything a forward player will need.

“I need to do the right things and wait for my chance. I think I've got lots to offer the team. It's been disappointing not getting the chance [over the years] and being injured a couple of times when it was time for me to explode.

“I just need to keep working as there is so much more to come. It's time for me to deliver for the team and the fans as they have been waiting too long. The wait is now over.”

Watford are fifth on the Championship table after gathering 37 points from 21 games and will hope to secure all three points against Swansea to brighten their hopes of returning to the Premier League at the end of the season.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League side Sofapaka will welcome defender Michael Bodo for Sunday's league clash against Tusker.

Bodo, according to the club, is fully fit for the match that will be held at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasararani. Sofapaka will be under a new coach, Ken Okoth, who was appointed in order to fill the place that was left by John Baraza.

“Defender Bodo has fully recovered from a nagging thigh injury and should be in contention for Sunday’s match,” the club announced on Saturday.

As Odhiambo, who has already begun training sessions with Batoto ba Mungu, readies to take charge of his first game, he will be forced to do so without Isaac Mitima, who is suffering from a knee injury, Stephen Okola, who will is ruled out by an ankle problem, and midfielder David Simiyu, who is yet to recover from a foot injury.

“Rwandan centre-back Isaac Mitima will yet again miss Tusker clash. The defender, however, has resumed light training and should be fully fit in a week’s time,” Sofapaka added.

“Defender Okola will miss the third match of the season due to an ankle injury. We will miss the services of Simiyu who sustained a foot injury in training.”

When he joined, Odhiambo outlined his ambitions and said he believes the players will help him a great deal in chasing those targets.

“This a big club and the ambitions are so clear that when the president [Elly Kalekwa] talked to me I felt it was a good opportunity to join the club and help achieve their targets,” the former Bandari head coach said.

“The club has a good set of players who are very talented, skilful and of good quality. I believe they are capable of achieving a lot. When the president reached out to me, his desires were so clear for the club and that is winning the title.

“This is what made it easier for me to decide on joining the club.”

Odhiambo came back to serve a club he helped gain promotion in 2008 and won the league as a player in 2009.