Looking for Soccer News?

Aishi Manula is optimistic Simba SC will get the result they need to eliminate FC Platinum from the Caf Champions League.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi lost the first leg of the second preliminary round by a solitary goal scored by Perfect Chikwende in the 17th minute. However, the Taifa Star believes the Tanzania Mainland League champions has a chance of making it to the group stage owing to several factors favouring them.

"Everybody is aware that we are trailing by a solitary goal," Manula told Championi on Friday, "but we still have a big chance of qualifying to the group stage of the competition by getting the result we need.

"We will be playing at home here in Dar es Salaam which makes it a little easier."

The Msimbazi-based side have played two games recently. They defeated Majimaji FC 5-0 in the FA Cup fifth round before defeating Ihefu FC 4-0 in the league assignment.

The custodian has explained what the win means to his team ahead of the crucial game that will be played on Wednesday, January 6.

"I believe the two results from our recent games have boosted our confidence," Manula continued, "and with the support of our fans and Tanzanians at large in the country, we will qualify for the group stage of the competition."

Meanwhile, coach Sven Vandenbroeck believes Said Ndemla has the potential to fill the void left by Jonas Mkude in the midfield.

The latter is suspended owing to disciplinary issues. In his absence, the former has impressed and played a crucial role in helping the 21-time league champions defeat Majimaji and Ihefu respectively.

"Ndemla has been outstanding in his role for the team," the Belgian said regarding the midfielder. "We gave him a role of playing as a defensive midfielder and he has executed his duties well.

"It gives me an easy time as we prepare for the second leg game against FC Platinum," he added. "I know we have someone who can play well in the defensive midfield position."

Platinum come into the match aware that a draw of any kind is the easiest way of securing passage to the group stage of the competition.

Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger has admitted that he would consider returning to the club, but he does not believe that will be required.

The Frenchman, currently FIFA's chief of global football development, oversaw a golden era for the club during a reign that stretched from 1996 until 2018.

Since his departure, Arsenal have struggled to compete for top honours under Unai Emery and now Mikel Arteta.

With the club 13th in the Premier League, the Spaniard finds himself under pressure, despite successive wins over Chelsea and Brighton during the Christmas period.

“If I’m needed, I will help them, but I don’t expect that, no,” Wenger told NBC Sports.

While Wenger continues to be frustrated by the manner in which his exit from the club was handled, he does not expect the feeling to last.

“Time is a good doctor, you know,” he said.

Wenger became synonymous with the club during his spell in charge, during which he won the Premier League title on three occasions and led the club to the FA Cup seven times. The Frenchman also helped the Gunners to the 2006 Champions League final.

While the current crop appear some distance from that standard, he has backed Arteta in the past as the man to turn their fortunes around.

Speaking to TalkSport in October, he said: “Mikel had passion for the game and big motivation, and good focus and a desire to do well. You could see the ingredients there, and he had a grip and influence on the other players.

“He’s lucky that straight away he got into a big club, in a position where you normally have to work ten years to get in that position, but because he played for the club and was a good player, he got his chance. I wish him well.

“I left the club in a position for my followers to do better and the club now has the financial resources to win the championship.”

Meanwhile, the north London club will travel to face Sam Allardyce’s West Brom on Sunday before an FA Cup clash with Newcastle next Saturday.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has indicated that he believes the Bundesliga side will “improve significantly” during the second half of the season.

Dortmund find themselves fifth in the Bundesliga, having sacked head coach Lucien Favre following a 5-1 home thumping by Stuttgart on December 12.

Edin Terzic, who was Favre’s right-hand man, is now in charge and the 38-year-old has posted a couple of wins in his first three matches in charge. It is this kind of form that Zorc believes will continue.

"I expect the team to improve significantly. No one here at Borussia Dortmund is satisfied with fifth in the table. Champions League qualification is always our goal and we have to achieve that at the end of the season," he told the club’s official website.

Nevertheless, Terzic oversaw a loss to Union Berlin which frustrated Zorc, who subsequently told the players to remember their responsibilities towards the club.

“After the Union Berlin game, I was especially annoyed because we’d lost two games in relatively quick succession from four corners,” he said.

“It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but four corners cost us six points, and a team with the quality we haven’t to have can’t let that happen.

“Ok, we were caught out by Cologne, but you can’t let that happen again three or four weeks later, especially when everyone knows Union Berlin are strong from set pieces.

“Overall, we aren’t happy with how we’ve been doing in the Bundesliga over the last few months. I think we’ve done well in the Champions League, and we deserved to get through to the next stage as group winners. We’ve done our job in the cup, but we’re not doing our job in the league, including the targets set by the players before the season.”

Dortmund return to action on Sunday with a home encounter against Wolfsburg, while they travel to face RB Leipzig a week later.

With those opponents both challenging Dortmund for a top-four finish, those fixtures are likely to be pivotal in the direction of the club's season.

Dortmund also have a Champions League knock-out tie to prepare for, after they were drawn against Sevilla in the round of 16.

Premier League side Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF FC) have released five players ahead of the resumption of the season.

Goalkeeper Tony Kyamera, winger Juma Ssebaduka and defenders Najib Gwaidu Tusaba, Fred Okot and Ronnie Kisekka are the players who have been let go by the league’s new boys.

According to UPDF’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ashraf Miiro the five stars were released after a general review of their performance at the end of 2020.

“We decided to release five players that include Kyamera, Ssebaduka, Tusaba, Okot and Kisekka after review of their commitment to serve the club via-a-vis the current demands and pressure at the club,” Miiro told Kawowo Sports. “Therefore varying factors for their release ranging from professional conduct, performance to commitment at work.”

The released players were signed before the season began, with Kyamera arriving from Express FC after the club felt it was not tenable to keep him when he was facing challenges in getting valid national identity documents.

Competition from Yusuf Wasswa and Douglas Kisembo did not make things any better for him as he failed to make his way into the first-team on regular basis.

Ssebadduka, signed from Bright Stars, also had issues with his national identity card as well as the passport.

According to the outlet, Okot and Kisekka were shown the exit door due to allegedly poor commitment and suspected unprofessional conduct that affected their dedication at work on numerous occasions.

Miiro further stated the five stars will not be compensated following their release and that the club has communicated the same to them.

“Definitely, we shall seek replacements for the players released. We need to strengthen our club before the league resumes in February 2021,” added the former national referee.

UPDF are the current leaders after clinching four wins out of five they have played in the season. The wins came against Busoga United, who they dispatched 3-0 before registering a 5-1 victory against Kitara FC.

They picked six points from BUL FC and Police FC after getting 2-1 wins from both games. The army outfit only lost points when Kyetume FC condemned them to a 1-0 loss.

The league will resume on February 13 after going on a break that will last over a month in order to give the national team favourable space to compete in the African Nations Championship (Chan) in Cameroon.

Board member for sport Hasan Salihamidzic says Bayern Munich are capable of “defining an era” as the German giants look to build on their Champions League success of last season.

Hansi Flick’s side overcame Paris Saint-Germain in August to win the trophy for a sixth time and secure the treble having lifted the Bundesliga titles and DFB-Pokal earlier in the campaign.

For former Bayern striker Salihamidzic it was the perfect start to life in a new role, having stepped up to the club's board in July after three years as sporting director.

Despite that early success, Salihamidzic says this should just be the start of a sustained period of dominance.

“This team is capable of defining an era,” he told the club’s website. “Our task is to support them and do everything we can to play attractive, successful football.”

The coronavirus pandemic has made its presence felt across the world, with football no exception. Salihamidzic says it has been a challenge to adapt and cope with the pandemic but is grateful that sport has been able to continue.

“There’s hardly been any breathers since March,” he added. “But there are no breathers for anyone in society at the moment.

“The workload for players and coaches, physios and doctors, is already huge. But we have to think differently about a lot of things right now and be grateful that we can play our sport.

“In terms of structure, we’re planning quite normally. We scout, we analyse, we discuss positions and players. Regardless of coronavirus, we as Bayern have to be early with our ideas and think very creatively.”

The sporting shutdown in response to the pandemic at the start of spring resulted in a extremely busy second half to the year, with little time for players to rest and recuperate.

One positive to emerge from such a situation is increased opportunities for young players. Jamal Musiala, Bright Arrey-Mbi and Chris Richards are among a number of Bayern academy graduates given a chance to impress this season, although Salihamidzic insists the promotion of youth has always been one of the club’s main priorities.

“Youth work is very important for Bayern, that has nothing to do with coronavirus,” he said. “If a young player has the talent to play for the first team, he has it, regardless of coronavirus or not.

“We see their development with joy and confidence, with Jamal Musiala, with Chris Richards, with Bright, but also with Angelo Stiller. And then we’ve got Alphonso Davies, who’s still young, and also Tanguy Nianzou, who’s only 18.

“Something is growing there and we have to do everything at all levels to ensure that as many of those named as possible make it to the first team.”

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said Alex Iwobi was dropped from their matchday squad for Friday's Premier League encounter against West Ham United due to an injury problem he suffered in training.

Iwobi has been a regular fixture in the Toffees' set-up since November, and he started their last eight matches across all competitions.

Aside from the versatility he has shown in Carlo Ancelotti's team, the presence of the Super Eagles midfielder in the starting XI helped Everton lose just one game in their last seven league matches.

In Iwobi's absence, Ancelotti went with the selection of Tom Davies, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Gylfi Sigurdsson in the midfield while Richarlison and Bernard join Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack.

As per Everton's Twitter handle, the Italian manager confirmed the severity of the injury but they avoided taking risk.

"Iwobi had a little problem during the training, we didn't want to take the risk," Ancelotti said.

Iwobi has contributed two assists and two goals so far in 17 appearances for Everton across all competitions this campaign.

The Toffees are fourth in the Premier League table with 29 points from 15 matches. 

DR Congo's Arthur Masuaku is another African star who misses Friday's encounter at Goodison Park as he continues to recover from a knee surgery. 

West Ham, however, have Ivory Coast's Sebastien Haller and Algeria's Said Benrahma in their attack for the match.

The Football Kenya Federation have released the new Premier League fixtures after Mathare United and Zoo FC were reinstated by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT).

The two top tier sides had been expelled after they objected to the StarTimes broadcasting deal, but after Zoo moved to SDT, the FKF expulsion notice was stayed by the tribunal’s chair John Ohaga and the federation ordered to allow the clubs to participate in the league.

Mathare United will consequently begin their campaign against Gor Mahia on January 14. As Mathare will be starting their season, the rest of the teams would have played six games already and the Slum Boys will have to try and catch up, as most of their fixtures have been congested into a two-week period.

Four days after the clash against the Green Army, Mathare United will play Zoo FC before hosting Bandari on January 22nd. The Slum Boys will then travel to Nakuru and face Ulinzi Stars on January 27th before concluding the month’s duties with a game against Tusker on January 31st.

On the other hand, Zoo will open the season with a match against Bandari FC at Afraha Stadium on January 9. They will then face Posta Rangers at the same venue on January 13 as FKF has not given a reason why the matches will not be hosted at the Kericho Green Stadium.

After being hosted by the 2008 champions on January 18 at the Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani, Zoo will be on duty once again six days later against Tusker FC in Nakuru.

The Kericho-based side has already launched their home, away and the third kit for the 2020/21 campaign.

The Premier League will resume on January 2, with six matches lined up across the country after taking a break for the Christmas and the New Year festivities.

Kakamega Homeboyz will start the round of fixtures with a home game against Nzoia Sugar at Bukhungu Stadium, while unbeaten Kariobangi Sharks will come up against Ulinzi Stars at Kasarani Stadium.

On January 3, Wazito FC will face Nairobi City Stars at Utalii grounds, Tusker tackle Sofapaka at Kasarani, Vihiga United entertain Bidco United at Mumias Complex Stadium while Bandari will take on Western Stima at the Mbaraki ground.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi is now free to discuss terms with any clubs, as his current contract at Camp Nou expires on June 30.

With less than six months left on his existing deal, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future is up for grabs, with Manchester City, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain thought to be among the leading contenders to sign the 33-year-old.

Although Messi has been associated with Barcelona since he joined them in 2001 as a youth, his future hangs in the balance after he came close to departing the Catalan side in the summer of 2020.

Ultimately, Messi was unwilling to go to court over Barca’s refusal to part company with him and would eventually stay put, but with his deal concluding in June, the Argentina star may find himself playing senior football for another club for the first time come August.

Messi has been unhappy with Barcelona's lack of competitiveness in recent months. The club relinquished the Primera Division title to Real Madrid in the summer and have failed to fire under new boss Ronald Koeman.

The Blaugrana find themselves sixth in La Liga, an alarming 10 points back from leaders Atletico Madrid having played a game more.

Having habitually challenged for the title since Messi debuted for the club in 2004, to simply be fighting just to make the Champions League next season represents quite a comedown.

Goal confirmed that neither the player nor his father, Jorge, have been in touch with any club. There has not been a single meeting or any contact with any other side, be it informal or casual, due to the sporting law that prohibits it.

Now, Messi is no longer bound by such a rule and can begin negotiations with any side he wishes.

It is not expected that he will decide before Barca’s presidential election on January 24, with all the candidates indicating the importance of retaining Messi at Camp Nou.

However, with Barca in need of slashing their wage bill and lacking competitiveness at the highest level, the Catalan club faces a major challenge to retain his services.

Roy Hodgson is not moved by speculation linking Wilfried Zaha with a move away from Crystal Palace after his impressive start to the season.

Only seven players have scored more than the Cote d’Ivoire international’s eight Premier League goals so far, with Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan reportedly joining his list of suitors.

However, such rumours do not bother the former Fulham, Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion handler, who instead sees them as a compliment to his winger, whose current contract expires at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

"There has been so much speculation regarding Wilf over the years that I tend to let those concerns disappear, as they often do,” Hodgson told Sky Sports ahead of Saturday’s game versus Sheffield United. "Wilf's good and it doesn't surprise me that there's clubs out there who would like to sign him, but a lot of things have to be put in place before a player leaves a club.

"I'm just happy at the moment that Wilf is playing as he is, displaying his discipline and concentration and his passion for football and the club, and unless I'm given a reason to think otherwise, I expect that to keep going."

In the summer window of 2019, the former Manchester United player appeared as thought he would secure a dream move to Arsenal, however, the North Londoners ended up snapping up Zaha’s international teammate Nicolas Pepe following their inability to thrash out a deal with the Eagles.

“It was nice. Supporting them and having them wanting you at the same time, leaves you thinking: 'this is amazing,” he told Rio Ferdinand’s Locker Room show on YouTube of the Gunners’ interest, "but things never worked out so you just have to move on as quick as possible.

"I was thinking this may happen, but my whole family was watching and it just didn't work out.”

Palace sit 15th in the English top flight table after accruing 19 points from 16 matches – eight points above the relegation waters.

Victory over Chris Wilder’s Blades – who sit at the base of the log – would see them steer clear away from the dropzone.

Roy Hodgson says he is not concerned about the future of Wilfried Zaha despite a fresh round of transfer rumours regarding the Crystal Palace forward.

Hodgson has grown used to dealing with speculation about the Ivory Coast frontman, who is linked with a move away from Selhurst Park seemingly every transfer window.

Arsenal and Everton reportedly came close to landing Zaha in the summer of 2019, but he ultimately remained in south London.

With the January window now open a fresh round of speculation is linking Zaha with a move away from the club. That has been fuelled by his fine form this campaign which sees him top the Eagles’ scoring charts with eight goals in 14 appearances, already double his tally from the whole of the 2019-20 season.

AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are the latest clubs to be linked with a move for the 28-year-old this month. The experienced Hodgson, however, would not be drawn on the rumours and is confident they will not negatively impact the player’s form.

“These days I tend to let those concerns just disappear, as they often do,” the former England manager told reporters.

“Wilf’s good, there is no doubt about that. It does not surprise me that there would be clubs out there that would like to sign him, but a lot of things have to be in place before a player leaves a club and joins a new one.

“I’m just happy at the moment that Wilf is playing as he is, showing the discipline, concentration and passion for football and the club that’s he been showing.

“And I just work on the basis that until I’m given a reason otherwise I should expect that to keep going.”

Next up for Crystal Palace is a home clash with bottom side Sheffield United on Saturday. They go into the game without a win in five games, one of those being a 7-0 thrashing by champions Liverpool.

They then face three successive away matches, against Wolves in the FA Cup before Premier League trips to Arsenal and Manchester City.

Simba SC head coach Sven Vandenbroeck has revealed he is not troubled by the absence of midfielder Jonas Mkude ahead of their Caf Champions League bout against Platinum FC.

The Tanzania international had to be frozen out of the first-team due to unspecified disciplinary issues but Vandenbroeck believes he has enough players to replace Mkude, who had established himself as a key star in the team over the season.

“I can liken his absence to one brought about by a red card, an injury or any other cause that might force a player to sit out,” Vandenbroeck told Mwanaspoti. “I am confident the remaining midfielders are ready to give us good performance in order to help us win games.”

Mkude’s issues arose after Wekundu wa Msimbazi had already signed Uganda international Taddeo Lwanga to reinforce the midfield department. Lwanga is yet to feature for the Tanzanian giants and the tactician stated why he is yet to kick a ball since his early December arrival.

“If Lwanga is going to be in a good state and participate in the training sessions properly, I am planning to use him for our game against Platinum FC," the Belgian tactician concluded. "I had also envisaged to play him against Ihefu FC."

Simba defeated the league’s new boys 4-0 before hosting the Zimbabwean champions on January 6.

Meanwhile, former Simba and Yanga SC star Amri Kiemba has said Mkude should have been relegated to the junior sides where he would have been kept busy and fit instead of freezing him out completely.

“Mkude should have been allowed to train with the junior team in order to maintain his fitness level as the indiscipline matters are dealt with at the administration level,” Kiemba told the same publication.

“This could have helped big so that, when Simba need him, he would be ready and fit to play. His absence is going to be a big miss, especially from the technical point of view.”

It is not clear when Simba will complete their investigation and render judgement following the allegations levelled against the star. The ongoing disciplinary matter also made Tanzania head coach Etienne Ndayiragije opt not to pick the deep-lying midfielder for the upcoming African Nations Championship tournament in Cameroon.

Taifa Stars will face DR Congo in two friendlies ahead of the continental competition in January.

Former England international Karen Carney has deleted her Twitter account after she received a barrage of criticism for her comments about Leeds United.

Carney was working as a TV pundit during Amazon Prime's coverage of Leeds' impressive 5-0 win at West Brom on Tuesday when she suggested the Whites "got promoted because of Covid", benefitting from the coronavirus-induced Championship shutdown in March before claiming the title after the restart.

Carney also suggested that the team "might blow up at the end of season” because of the high-octane style employed by boss Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds responded with a sarcastic tweet from the club’s official Twitter account alongside a clip of Carney’s comments, which was seen by some as encouraging social media trolls to abuse the 33-year-old.

A storm of online abuse did follow, but despite the criticism Leeds did not delete the tweet. Whites owner Andrea Radrizzani instead doubled down, saying he took responsibility for the tweet and again criticised Carney for her comments.

The criticism of the tweet continued, with the Women in Football Group labelling it "inciteful and inappropriate” and “not a good look now, or at any time.”

Leeds then released a statement on Wednesday condemning the abuse Carney received.

"Everyone at our club respects Karen greatly for all she has achieved in the game, as well as her work in the media and the charity work she undertakes,” it read.

Radrizzani added: "I'm very sorry Karen was abused on social media. I wanted to defend my club and our players from a comment which I felt was harsh from Karen on air. Our tweet wasn't offensive - simply stating that we won the league by 10 points.

"We honestly didn't expect such a reaction and we are sorry she experienced that. I respect her as a person and a pundit and I hope she understands that we just want to defend our club, we are a family.

"I hope the abuse stops and we can move forward and I hope Karen will be our guest at Elland Road soon - I'd like to meet personally with her."

Football is littered with examples of familial dynasties, with famous sons and daughters taking to the pitch after their parents.

Of course, there are varying degrees of success and very often the children of big stars struggle to emerge from behind the shadow of their relatives.

Justin Kluivert has a lot of work to do to emulate his father Patrick, while Daniel Maldini is a third generation footballer, following in the footsteps of grandfather Cesare and dad Paolo at AC Milan. Erling Haaland, on the other hand, has already surpassed his father Alf-Inge in terms of reaching the heights of superstardom.

David Beckham has a number of children who have had designs on a career in football, with Romeo being the latest prospect. Goal takes a look at whether he will follow in his famous father's footsteps.

On this page

Who is Romeo Beckham?

Romeo Beckham is a model and second-born child of David Beckham and Victoria Beckham. 

Born in London on September 1, 2002, he is one of the couple's four children, along with Brooklyn, Cruz and Harper.

Does Romeo Beckham play football?

Romeo Beckham is an avid sportsman and plays football along with a number of other sports.

While he is not a professional footballer like his father, Romeo has indicated a desire to follow in the footsteps of the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend.

In 2020, he revealed in an Instagram Q&A session that he would like to become a footballer, with Bustle magazine suggesting that the admission may come as a surprise to the previously tennis-obsessed teen.

Asked by one of his followers in August of that year if his aim was to be a footballer, Romeo replied, "yeah" on his Instagram story.

That means he has rediscovered a passion for the sport, having previously lost interest following his departure from Arsenal's youth structures.

Earlier in the year, in February, the Daily Mail reported that David Beckham was in Somerset to watch Romeo play for Millfield school's under-18 team in a game against Clevedon Town.

Millfield, which is the alma mater of England international Tyrone Mings, went on to win the Independent Schools FA Cup in March, beating Queen Ethelburga's 5-4 in the final. 

Beckham was not involved in the victory, however, and his name was not on the teamsheet.

It is not clear which team Romeo currently plays for, but he has continued to hone his skills and he regularly posts content filmed at an astroturf pitch which was installed at the Beckham family home.

An Instagram post in October 2020 gave some insight into the position Romeo plays as he had a training session with Allan Russell - England's attacking coach.

Romeo wrote that he was "learning from the best" in training with Russell, who works with the likes of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling.

Interestingly, Romeo appears to interact with a number of football stars on social media, including Sterling and Neymar, suggesting that he has cultivated friendships with them.

He certainly possesses technical ability and his approach to free kicks is reminiscent of his father.

However, he is running out of time if he wants to reach the heights scaled by his father. It can become increasingly difficult to break into the professional game if one is not playing regularly with a club.

Romeo isn't the only one of Beckham's children to show an interest in becoming a footballer. Brooklyn, the eldest of David and Victoria's children, was once on the books at Arsenal.

He was also involved with the youth teams of LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain, but his hopes of becoming a professional footballer were dashed in 2015 when he was failed to earn a contract with the Gunners.

What football team does Romeo Beckham support?

Romeo Beckham is a fan of Premier League side Arsenal and regularly sports Gunners regalia. 

In that respect, he deviates wildly from his father, who retains a love of Manchester United from his playing days.

Commenting on the split loyalties in the Beckham household, David said: "I tried to get United shirts on them early but one of them is an Arsenal fan. I don't know how it happened!"

Romeo also appears to have an interest in his father's team Inter Miami, showing his support on Instagram, and he follows the fortunes of the England national team too.

Arsenal are ready to sanction loan moves for Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock, claims Kevin Campbell, with Eddie Nketiah told he would also benefit from taking in another spell away from Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta has admitted that he will be looking to trim down his squad during the January transfer window.

Sead Kolasinac has already been allowed to link up with Schalke on a deal through to the end of the season, with it possible that other senior stars will follow him through the exits.

A number of “gifted” youngsters will also be given the chance to go in search of regular game time outside of north London, with those opportunities being denied them at present.

Campbell believes doors will be opened for Nelson and Willock, with Arsenal eager to get more minutes into academy graduates that they still hold in the highest regard.

“Some of these very gifted, talent youngsters have to play regular football,” former Gunners striker Campbell told Football Insider.

“Once they play regular football they will be much better players when they come back at Arsenal.

“Being a bit-part player is one thing but regular games, regular starts makes a massive difference to the psyche of the player.

“I’m told Reiss Nelson, possibly Joe Willock, may be going out on loan in January. It would be really good for their careers.

“I think Nelson could go to a Premier League or a Championship club. But the Championship is tougher, that might be a better move.”

England U21 international Nketiah has already tested himself in the second tier, having spent the first half of the 2019-20 campaign at Leeds, and Campbell wants to see the promising frontman push for another switch after being restricted to just three Premier League starts this season.

“Nketiah grabbed a great assist against Southampton and Mikel Arteta is just trying to find the right balance,” Campbell added.

“It really is difficult. I think Nketiah needs a season under his belt playing regular football.

“It is one thing coming in now and again at Arsenal but you never become seasoned that way. When you play week in, week out you learn so much more.

“He did not really start during his loan spell at Leeds. Nketiah should be going out on loan to learn his trade, he really should.

“He is not going to start for Arsenal very often so what does he do? Is he happy just sitting on the bench?

“Once he learns his trade has will be a different player because he knows where the goal is.”

Jurgen Klopp is encouraged by videos of Virgil van Dijk training in the gym but warned the commanding Liverpool centre-back still has a long road to recovery ahead of him.

Netherlands international Van Dijk suffered a serious knee injury during the 2-2 draw against Everton in October's Merseyside derby, as a result of a robust challenge from Jordan Pickford.

Van Dijk is likely to miss the rest of the season while his status for the delayed Euro 2020 remains unclear.

This week, Reds fans would have been boosted by the sight of Van Dijk's workouts in Dubai – where Netherlands great Clarence Seedorf dropped in to work with the defender.

Klopp is happy to see the progress being made but also ushered a cautious tone.

"Good, very good I have no problem talking about Virgil van Dijk," Klopp said when previewing Monday's Premier League clash against Van Dijk's former club Southampton. 

"It's very good but still a long way to go that's [the deal with] this kind of injury. I'm happy when I see these videos because it just shows he makes good progress but it will still take a lot of time that's how it is. 

"I'd like to say something else but these are the facts unfortunately."

This week saw two matches called off, Manchester City's clash with Everton and Tottenham's fixture with Fulham, due to coronavirus cases in the City and Fulham camps.

On Tuesday, the Premier League announced 18 positive results for Covid-19 – the highest amount since regular testing began – but there are no plans as yet for a so-called "circuit breaker".

Klopp says he trusts whatever decision is made, adding: "I'm not a specialist, you all know that, we all try to do our best to keep the competition going.

"I think it works well, we knew before that the winter will be a second wave or something however you want to call that.

"On top of that for us in society Christmas is a challenge when it's about self-isolation and stuff like this, so I'm not surprised that the numbers go up. 

"That then happens in football as well, the numbers go slightly up - it's understandable but we still all try to do everything to keep the boys as safe as possible. 

"I think the competition can go on and I think it's important as well because people want to watch it. 

"I think really we can carry on, but I'm not a specialist and I respect all the decisions made in the next few weeks."

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has “history of a lack of patience” but that does not mean that Frank Lampard is under pressure to deliver this season, says Scott Minto.

The Blues invested heavily over the summer, with big-money additions brought in across the field.

Having received full backing from his board, many have claimed that nothing less than a title challenge at Stamford Bridge will be accepted in 2020-21.

Chelsea have offered indications that they could come into that mix, but inconsistency continues to be an issue for Lampard and Co.

With just four points taken from their last five Premier League outings, the Blues have slipped seven off the pace and down into sixth spot.

It has been suggested that Lampard may start to see his position called into question if momentum cannot be established in the new year, with a sack culture still very much part of the makeup in west London.

Minto, though, believes that a club legend will be given time to get things right, with the former Blues defender telling Stadium Astro: “Don’t put pressure on Frank Lampard possibly losing his job.

“People are desperate nowadays around the world, seeing the money that has been spent, everybody wants instant [success]. Everybody wants it now, and it doesn’t happen like that.

“We can’t forget that Frank Lampard is a very inexperienced manager, he is learning as he goes, and you listen to him and he is saying – for example after the Arsenal game - this is about the players not giving enough. He can’t do any more than that.

“He is trying to change things around at the moment and he does need to start winning against top-six sides, of that there is no doubt. But I have no doubt either that he will do that.

“In terms of going forward, I hope he will be the Chelsea manager for the next three or four years.”

Minto added on the managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge, with nine permanent bosses overseeing matters in the last decade: “There is a history of a lack of patience by the owner.

“I genuinely think that the only time he wanted a long-term manager was when Jose Mourinho came back second time, but he had to get rid of him after what happened.

“I genuinely think this is the next time that he wants a long-term manager. Let’s give the guy some time.

“Last year was never about winning the title and again it is about progression, getting closer to the top two and next year he can go for a try at the title. At the moment it is too early.

“Let’s give him time to develop, and let the players develop. We are talking about players that aren’t playing to their maximum – that’s not down to Frank, that is down to them adjusting to the pace of the Premier League.”

Chelsea will be back in action on Sunday when they take in a testing home date with Manchester City.

Manchester City will be without at least five first-team players for their Premier League clash with Chelsea, which is set to go-ahead despite a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and three other players are in self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus and will not make the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Two staff members have also tested positive and City will have two more sets of test results ahead of Sunday's clash.

Pep Guardiola says the Premier League have told them not to reveal the identities of the latest players to test positive for coronavirus.

"Five players are out right now," the City boss told a news conference. "They are isolated for 10 days, some of the first cases that were released – four people, two players, and three more the second time.

"I think the Premier League will not allow us to say who but you will see who does not travel and you will know exactly who they are."

City have now resumed training after a round of negative results and a deep clean at the City Football Academy.

It comes after City's Premier League match against Everton on Monday was postponed due to an outbreak just four hours before kick-off.

Guardiola said they had enough players and wanted the fixture to go-ahead but the match was called off because of safety concerns.

The City boss said he called Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti to explain the situation and the Italian has sent his best wishes to players recovering from the illness.

"We had enough players to play Everton, we wanted to play, but for the day of the game there were more cases and the virus was inside our centre and we informed the Premier League," he added.

"I called Carlo personally to announce the situation, because we could play, but what would happen if we travelled on the coach and more players had it because the day before we were in touch all of us and there would have a risk of Everton players being infected because of us.

"It was a huge risk. It's not about what happened here at Manchester City, it's what's happening around the world.

"People are dying all around the world, in the UK as well, over 900 died in the last two days. The problem is still here, but now we’ve disinfected the whole centre and hopefully the next tests are all negative and those who tested positive can come back."

Everton requested full disclosure of all the information submitted by City to the Premier League after the match was postponed four hours before kick-off.

The Toffees would have been without several senior first-team players and Guardiola insisted they wanted to play, but the game was called off because of concerns about player welfare.

"I prefer the statement of Carlo than the one from the club," Guardiola said. "We spoke with the Premier League, like the one with Mikel Arteta in the first lockdown when he announced he had a positive result, we cancelled the game.

"We would have loved to play against Everton. We are going to go to Goodison Park when James [Rodriguez], [Luca] Digne, Allan, Richarlison can play. We are going to beat them with all of them.

"We would have loved to play that game but the Premier League decided wisely for the welfare of everyone, that in two or three days, there are seven people who had tested positive."

West Ham manager David Moyes and Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has also questioned the decision of the Premier League to postpone three matches, with Aston Villa's trip to Newcastle and Fulham's clash with Tottenham also called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I’m sorry the most important thing is the welfare of the people they are human beings," Guardiola said. "This is not a joke. You can be positive and nothing or you can be positive and be in trouble. Everyone is involved and you have to be careful.

"We told them to stay at home, be careful, don’t contact other people. Follow the scientists, try to follow them."

Wolves boss Nuno says he is “ready to make decisions” in the winter transfer window after seeing his side linked with free agent Diego Costa and Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Spain international striker has come onto the market after having his contract terminated at Atletico Madrid.

Wolves are looking to bring more firepower into their ranks after leading marksman Raul Jimenez was ruled out long-term with a fractured skull.

Costa, with prior experience of life in the Premier League under his belt from a successful spell at Chelsea, could tick plenty of boxes.

Wijnaldum could also be a shrewd addition, with the Netherlands international sparking talk of interest from Barcelona as his deal at Anfield runs down.

Nuno is giving little away when it comes to his recruitment plans in 2021, but he is eager to bolster his ranks in January and reinforce any areas that are looking light.

The Portuguese has told Wolves’ official website: “We have to sit down, plan and I think it’s a good chance to rebalance our squad, so we’ll see. We are ready to make decisions.”

While being in the process of identifying and chasing down targets, future planning continues to be complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Nuno admits that attempting to put building blocks in place remains difficult, with a couple of Premier League games having already been called off this season due to Covid-19 outbreaks.

He said: “All the managers and everybody has accepted that this situation is unprecedented and has never happened before, so we are reacting to situations on a day-by-day basis, that you cannot plan or predict.

“Every time there is a test you are worried. Every time you hear about the cases rising you are worried. You are worried about the players, you worry about the schedule, you start worrying about your future, but we are not away from society. These feelings go all over society - everybody is worried.”

Wolves will be back in action on Saturday with a trip to Brighton, with that contest presenting Nuno’s side with an opportunity to move on from a dramatic 1-0 defeat at Manchester United.