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Milan Skriniar bailed out goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and maintained Inter's winning run in a 2-1 victory at Hellas Verona to keep the pressure on title rivals Milan.

The Nerazzurri were made to work for their seventh straight Serie A success - a result that took them two points above their city neighbours, at least until the Rossoneri hosted Lazio later on Wednesday.

Skriniar's 69th-minute header proved decisive after Handanovic had gifted an equaliser to Ivan Ilic, cancelling out Lautaro Martinez's second-half opener.

The defender's first Serie A goal since February 2018 brought to a close a promising first section of the season for Antonio Conte's side, able to take in the Milan match and enjoy Christmas regardless, firmly back in the Scudetto hunt.

A stale first half did not produce a chance of note until the 26th minute when Federico Dimarco got in on the left but found Handanovic to be his equal from a tight angle.

Giangiacomo Magnani enjoyed his physical battle with Romelu Lukaku, but a slack pass set Inter away and the striker squared for Martinez to stab goalwards and draw a sharp save from Marco Silvestri.

Verona could not keep the Argentina international at bay again six minutes after half-time as he ran across Matteo Lovato to meet Achraf Hakimi's cross and aim a volley beyond the goalkeeper and in off the post.

An inexplicable error let the home side back into the match, however, as Handanovic dropped a simple Marco Faraoni centre and Ilic was alert enough to beat Skriniar to the loose ball inside the six-yard box.

If Handanovic looked to his centre-back to share the blame, Skriniar responded in impressive fashion with a towering header that left Silvestri rooted and restored an Inter lead they this time would not relinquish.

A thunderous strike from Ben Davies and Harry Kane's 16th goal of the season sealed Tottenham's place in the EFL Cup semi-final as Stoke City were consigned to a 3-1 home defeat.

Spurs dominated the first half and Gareth Bale put them ahead with a glancing header on a miserable Wednesday evening.

Bale was withdrawn at the break, leading to concerns he may have sustained another injury, and Jordan Thompson equalised with Stoke's first shot of the tie eight minutes into the second half.

Spurs were not to be denied a place in the last four, though, as Davies thumped in from distance before Kane sealed a first win in four games as Tottenham moved to within two victories of lifting their first trophy since 2008.

Tottenham were well on top from the start and Andy Lonergan beat away Kane's venomous strike from a tight angle, though the visitors had their lead when Bale cleverly nodded in an inviting Harry Winks cross in the 22nd minute.

Lonergan spread himself well to deny Dele Alli, who was thwarted again by a fingertip save from the Stoke goalkeeper when his measured shot was heading for the bottom corner.

Son Heung-min replaced Bale at the break and Stoke were level from out of the blue after 53 minutes, Thompson tucking Jacob Brown's cross home with his left foot.

Fit-again Erik Lamela came on alongside Moussa Sissoko, replacing Alli and Lucas Moura, as Jose Mourinho tried to inject some impetus, though it was Davies who provided the quality Spurs had been lacking in the second half, collecting a loose ball and driving in off the post from long range. 

Son should have had Spurs' third but the flag was incorrectly raised, with no VAR in this competition, but Kane rifled home clinically to give Tottenham breathing space, with Steven Fletcher missing the chance to set up a tense final when he headed wide.

Thomas Tuchel has admitted it can be difficult to keep superstars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe happy at Paris-Saint Germain.

Tuchel arrived at PSG in May 2018, a year after departing Borussia Dortmund, and has worked with Mbappe and Neymar for the past two and a half years.

The pair have played a key part in the club's recent success but Tuchel admitted it can be difficult to keep players of their ilk happy.

"Sometimes it's very easy, sometimes it's a big challenge," he said. "At a club like PSG there are many influences. That's why it can be very challenging to keep all the guys happy.

"Honestly, in the first six months here it felt like I was more of a sports politician or sports minister than a coach."

Tuchel is "sad and angry" that his achievements as Paris Saint-Germain boss are often played down.

The German coach has won six trophies during his two full seasons at the Parc des Princes, including the Ligue 1 title in back-to-back campaigns.

PSG completed a clean sweep of domestic honours last season and reached their first Champions League final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich in a tight contest.

Tuchel has regularly had his job called into question, though, particularly this campaign following an underwhelming start to their latest Ligue 1 title defence.

But Tuchel has defended his record in the French capital and suggested too much is being asked of him.

"We were one game from winning the Champions League," he told SPORT1. "We never had the feeling we had convinced people and that they recognised our achievement. It sometimes makes you a little sad and angry.

"There are definitely extreme expectations here. You get the feeling the appreciation for what we do, particularly in the league, is not there as it is at, say, Bayern Munich.

"They always say, 'They have [Angel] Di Maria, [Kylian] Mbappe, Neymar. Of course they win against Bordeaux - that's not an achievement.'

"And with that there is no appreciation for our discipline, sustained play, the intensity of our play.

"It's a shame for the players because very serious team performances can be completely wiped out."

Tuchel's position as PSG head coach appears to be safe again after recovering to advance through a tricky Champions League group and into the knockout stages.

The French champions finished ahead of RB Leipzig, Manchester United and Istanbul Basaksehir to set up a last-16 tie with fellow heavyweights Barcelona.

"We know how difficult it was to win that group," Tuchel said. "You sometimes have to celebrate that with the team in order not to get bitter.

"We do our best every day with the best possible energy. Resistance makes you stronger during your career because you have to learn to deal with these things. If everything is always good, you won't get any better.

"You cannot make yourself dependent on what others think. You have to remain yourself, then you learn to go again."

Following spells with German and French giants Dortmund and PSG, Tuchel hinted he will consider coaching a smaller club in the future.

"I don't know whether it has to be higher, higher, higher," he said. "I just like football. In a club like this, it's not always just about the football.

"Sometimes I make a substitution and it's a topic for two weeks. I think to myself, 'I just want to coach.'

"I know why I became a coach. I can find what I'm after anywhere there is half a space for me to train and a DVD player for me to make videos.

"But when you hear the Champions League anthem, you see things in training that simply inspire you because there's so much quality, then you become addicted.

"At heart I love the game and can find that satisfaction in many ways as a coach."

Bloemfontein Celtic will have a mountain to climb for themselves to entertain any hopes of progressing to the Caf Confederation Cup group stages following a first-round, first leg 2-0 defeat to Rivers United at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium on Wednesday.

Late goals from Godwin Aguda and Fortune Omoniwari left Celtic facing a tall order when they visit Rivers United for the January 6 return leg.

It was Siwelele’s second straight home defeat in this competition after losing 2-0 to DR Congolese side Maniema Union in the preliminary round. Then they snuck into this stage of the tournament via a penalty shootout.

On Wednesday, despite Celtic coach John Maduka not on the bench, he opted to rest key players just like he did in the preliminary round home and away fixtures against Maniema Union.

Captain Ndumiso Mabena did not even make the bench together with Siphelele Luthuli, Menzi Masuku and forward Victor Letsoalo.

Sipho Chaine started in goal ahead of veteran goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane while Congolese forward Harris Tchilimbou was handed the captain’s armband.

While Celtic had played three matches since eliminating their Nigerian opponents, they have been inactive since eliminating Futuro Kings from Equatorial Guinea in the preliminary stage.

After a goalless first half, Celtic responded with a double change by introducing attackers Sera Motebang and Reagan van der Ross for Menzi Ndwandwe and Ishmael Njoti respectively, in the 69th minute.

Rivers then struck a minute later when Aguda thrust them ahead before Omoniwari scored with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.

Further changes were made by Celtic five minutes from time when midfielders Shadrack Kobedi and Sello Matjila came on for Given Mashikinya and Tumelo Mangweni but they did not make a difference to the scoreline.

Frank Lampard has insisted he has no concerns over Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, with the Chelsea manager confident that the summer signings will prove to be great additions for the Blues.

Werner and Havertz arrived at Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, but both have had difficult transitions to life in the Premier League.

Werner began well and went on a run of five goals in four games through October and November, but he is now on a run of nine matches without finding the target in all competitions.

The Germany international came close to breaking the drought against West Ham on Monday, as he saw a thunderbolt of a shot crash against the bar, and Lampard feels some extra work in training will soon pay off.

"We always do extra finishing in training and I feel it's very important to do specific work for strikers," Lampard told Sky Sports. “I never felt you could score freely at the weekend if you didn't work on it throughout the week, so that's a big part of what we do.

"Timo has had a period where it hasn't gone for him and strikers get judged on goals. He's getting into positions very regularly and I feel that once he gets a goal or two, we'll see many more from him. We're working hard in training as we always do."

Havertz has shown flashes of quality, but his season was disrupted by a positive coronavirus test and Lampard says the Germany international was hit hard by Covid-19.

"He was just starting to play really well when he caught Covid and had quite heavy symptoms with it,” Lampard said of Havertz. “It has taken him some time to recover, but he's getting back to a better place now. He's a highly talented player, a great young lad with a great attitude.

"I certainly have huge confidence that he's going to be a really big player for the club. It's important that we remain patient in the short term, but Kai is a huge talent."

Havertz and Werner will hope to be involved when Chelsea take on Arsenal at the Emirates on Boxing Day.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter disclosed they are planning to bring Percy Tau to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

The 26-year-old is in his third loan spell in Belgium, and he is yet to play a competitive match for the Seagulls since he left Mamelodi Sundowns in 2018, initially because of work permit issues.

Tau had sent a 'message' to Potter from 13 Belgian First Division A appearances for Anderlecht this season so far.

He previously had stints at Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge before joining Vincent Kompany's team on a season-long loan in the summer. Now, Brighton are exploiting ways to cut the loan deal short and boost their attacking options with the South Africa international next month.

"It's fair to say it's something we're looking to do, but there are a few things to go through first," Potter was quoted by Sky Sports.

"He brings some attributes that are interesting, he has had good experience in Belgium.

"He brings something a little bit different to what we have got and he wants to take the next step in his career - we want to help him do that.”

While they work on Tau's return, Brighton & Hove Albion have been dealt an injury blow with Ghanaian descent Tariq Lamptey ruled out of Sunday's Premier League trip to West Ham United.

The 20-year-old has played 11 league matches for the Seagulls this term and Potter has downplayed the severity of the hamstring injury.

"It's not serious, it's just a slight problem with his hamstring. The nature of how he plays, you have to be careful, you don't want him to be away for a number of weeks,” he said.

"So I am expecting him to be back pretty soon. He's healing and recovering well.

"There's not another Tariq with the qualities and attributes that he has and that's the challenge for us to find the solution collectively.

"We haven't got a like-for-like replacement, so you have to adjust as a team and adjust for another person coming into the team."

Frank Lampard has insisted he has no concerns about Chelsea’s record against sides in the top half of the table.

Prior to beating West Ham on Monday, the Blues had not got the better of a side which started the day in the top half of the table.

Furthermore, the Blues have struggled for goals against teams in the top half - drawing blanks against Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Everton.

Lampard, though, feels it is nonsense to suggest his side have issues when playing against teams in the upper echelon of the division.

"I read about that stat a lot pre-West Ham and I think this year has shown that the balance of the Premier League has changed,” Lampard told Sky Sports. “Anybody can beat anybody, whether you're at the top or at the bottom.

"Leeds were in the bottom half when we played them, and that was a really tough match. They've given some big teams some really tough matches. 

“I think it's a bit of a red herring as a stat to look at games against the top half compared to the bottom half of the table."

The Blues head into their meeting with Arsenal, a team Lampard says are filled with class, on Boxing Day sat fifth in the table - six points behind leaders Liverpool.

Lampard feels his side are making progress, but says more needs to be done if they are to be seen as title challengers.

"I'm happy but we always want more as managers," Lampard said. “I'm pretty happy but we want more. 

“We want to be challenging for titles, but we have to accept sometimes that it's step by step. We've made some steps, but I feel we have the potential to make a lot more.

"It's about making continual improvement and that is important for focus.

"It's hard [to set a target]. It's clear I ask them every year to kick on - in my job, that's what you have to do all the time, no matter what your situation. Coming fourth for us was a positive last year considering the circumstances around it but every year looks different and every squad improves around us.”

Eric Bailly has acknowledged Manchester United's improvement across all competitions and he thinks they have a chance to beat Everton in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final fixture.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, currently on an impressive seven-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League, travel to Merseyside with the aim of advancing to the last-four stage.

Aside from their disappointing Champions League exit in the group stage, the Ivory Coast international thinks they have an advantage over Carlo Ancelotti's side who sit behind them in the league table with a lesser goal difference despite being level on points.

“It’s very important to see the team improve,” Bailly told the club website. “We have some young players who are learning from Ole and the staff and it’s very important that the team is improving and, game-by-game, we have the chances to get important points.

“I’m very happy when I watch the games, the team is ready and that is important for the future.

“You always need to be positive. As I said, the team has improved game-by-game and that is very important for the future.

“We are in a good position in the league, we have the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League as well, so we have a lot of trophies to fight for.”

Bailly has only played four games in all competitions this season and he recently recovered from a knock which he kept him out of action for over two months.

Wednesday’s outing at Goodison Park could be a chance for the 26-year-old to return to Solskjaer’s starting XI having featured in United’s previous League Cup games against Luton Town and Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this season.

“I’ve been going step by step and have been training well and I feel good. I’m very happy to be back with the team,” the former Villarreal defender added.

“In football, this [injuries] can happen sometimes. It’s time to forget now. I’m fit, I’m so happy with how the team is doing and I’m training well. I feel strong and I am ready for my chance to help my team-mates.

“For me, when you come back from injury and you’re in the squad, you know the manager has confidence in you.

“Now I keep training well to get my body ready to start. I know I am ready to start, but I will wait to take my chance and enjoy being back out on the pitch.”

Christian Eriksen's difficult spell at Inter could be brought to an early conclusion in the new year after club CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirmed the playmaker will be transfer listed in January.

The Denmark international arrived at San Siro just under 12 months ago on a four-and-a-half year deal from Tottenham. 

But fast-forward through a year blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 28-year-old has found himself cut adrift in manager Antonio Conte's plans, with just 275 minutes in Serie A this season.

Dissatisfaction at his marginalisation had led to widespread speculation that Eriksen would seek new pastures in 2021, regardless of whether Inter wished to retain him or not.

But now Marotta has made clear that the club's relationship with Eriksen is ready to come to an end, revealing that the ex-Ajax man will be able to depart if terms are met.

"Eriksen is on the transferable list," he told Sky Sport Italy. "He has struggled to settle into the squad, he is not functional to the squad. That’s just an objective fact.

“That is not any insult towards his professionalism, there is no punishment, it’s just a situation that has developed and it’s only fair to give him the chance to go where he can play more regularly.”

Marotta's comments effectively confirm his own expectations from November that Eriksen would look to force a move away from the Nerazzurri, and reaffirm earlier statements indicating that the player was free to leave in the new year.

Team-mate Romelu Lukaku previously hinted at the Dane's struggles as being linked to a language barrier, urging him to learn Italian to help smooth his transition.

Eriksen has been previously linked with a Premier League return, with both former club Tottenham and bitter rivals Arsenal among those reportedly linked with his services.

Since he arrived at Inter, he has made almost 40 appearances across all competitions, though he has started on only six occasions this term.

Under Conte, Inter - alongside local rivals AC Milan - have subsequently emerged as early pacesetters in Serie A, with the pair appearing to be locked in a battle to dethrone Juventus' long-term grasp on the Scudetto.

Kariobangi Sharks continued with their perfect start to the 2020-21 FKF Premier League season after they beat Western Stima 2-1 on Wednesday.

Erick Kapaito was the toast of the ‘Slum Boys’ as he scored two goals in the space of six minutes to make sure they remained unbeaten in the league.

After beating AFC Leopards 2-0 in their last league outing, Stima came into the match seeking to make it two wins out of two and took the lead in the 55th minute when Bernard Onyango scored into his own net.

However, Kapaito rose to the occasion to turn the game around for Sharks as he scored in the 70th minute to level matters and then in the 76th minute to seal maximum points.

Meanwhile, Posta Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Bandari. As the first half tempo was being set into motion Bandari forward Yema Mwana managed to knock down the postmen’s defence and bag a goal before the sound of the buzzer.

After the break, Posta Rangers got back in the game after Jackson Dwang put in an equalizer, to close the scores at 1-1. Elsewhere, at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, Ulinzi Stars earned their first win of the season after trouncing Kakamega Homeboyz 2-0.

Nairobi City Stars were also held 1-1 by Vihiga United at the Utalii Grounds in a match which saw Vihiga United players threaten to walk off the pitch after City Stars head coach Sanjin Alagic was accused of calling Vihiga United players 'black monkeys'.

United coach Sammy Okoth has told Goal his Bosnian adversary used the racial slur towards his players after the hosts fell behind, and the visitors duly had to be talked out of boycotting the match after being alerted to Alagic's comments.

"It is not right for anyone to use a racist remark towards any player in modern football," Okoth told Goal. "He shouted to my players calling them black monkeys, and even the fourth official heard him.

"We wanted to boycott the game but he convinced us to play, stating he has captured the incident in his report."

The visitors took the lead unexpectedly through David Simiyu in the 43rd minute, and put up a strong resolve before Sven Yidah eventually equalised for City Stars after United players had been talked out of walking off the pitch in protest.

Up next is a game pitting KCB FC against Wazito FC on Thursday, December 24 at the Kasarani Stadium, which will close the round five action as the league heads for a Christmas break

Kaizer Chiefs were frustrated by a stubborn CD Primeiro de Agosto side in the Caf Champions League first-round first-leg match which ended in a 0-0 draw at FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening. 

Amakhosi were targeting nothing but a victory over the former Angolan champions after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bloemfontein Celtic in a PSL game last weekend.

Philani Zulu, Willard Katsande and Lazarous Kambole were recalled to the starting line-up as coach Gavin Hunt made three changes to the team which took on Celtic.

On the other hand, the Black and Reds were playing their first competitive match since March 2020 when they secured a 3-1 win over FC Onze Bravos do Maquis in an Angolan top-flight league (Girabola) game. 

Coach Paulo Duarte named former Maritzburg United winger Yazid Atouba in Agosto's starting line-up, while Angola internationals Nebula and Mabululu also started.  

Agosto dominated possession in the early stages of the match, but they were able to test Daniel Akpeyi in the Chiefs goal-posts as the hosts' defence looked impenetrable. 

Amakhosi upped the tempo and they were awarded a free-kick near the visitors' box and Lebogang Manyama stepped up and placed his effort over the crossbar from the set-piece.

The home side came very close to breaking the deadlock when Kambole hit the woodwork with a header after connecting with Siyabonga Ngezana's delightful cross from the right.

Chiefs kept pushing for the opening goal, but they were playing crosses into the box which were either punched away or gathered comfortably by Neblu in the Agosto goal-posts.

The last chance of the first-half fell for the Black and Reds after Herenilson was afforded time and space outside the Amakhosi box. 

The 24-year-old midfielder unleashed a shot which was easily saved by Akpeyi to ensure that the first-half ended with the two teams locked at 0-0. 

Neither side was able to create clear chances in the opening stages of the second-half and Hunt decided to pull out Njabulo Blom and he introduced Leonardo Castro, who joined Kambole upfront.

Neblu then denied Manyama twice as the shot-stopper parried away the Bafana Bafana international's long-range shot and an effort from a free-kick. 

The Soweto giants were frustrated by Agosto's resolute defending and they resorted to long-range shots as Castro forced Neblu into a fantastic diving save with an attempt from distance.

Chiefs did most of the attacking in the closing stages of the match, but they could not seriously test Neblu and ultimately, the game ended in a 0-0 draw on the night.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in the second-leg encounter in Angola on January 6 and the winner on aggregate will advance to the group stage.

While the losing team will be relegated to the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round. 

Liverpool have been handed a boost as Thiago Alcantara, James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri all returned to training on Wednesday.

The trio have been sidelined for some time - Spain international Thiago since October, and Milner and Shaqiri since November.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been facing injury problems with several players in his squad, so it will have come as a boost that they were pictured in training at Kirkby on Wednesday.

The return of Milner will be welcome, as he can operate in a number of positions, but plenty of attention will be on Thiago.

The midfielder has featured in only two games since making the move from Bayern Munich this summer.

Speaking on Thiago’s knee injury, Klopp said: "On that day when he got injured in that bad challenge in the Everton game, there was another bad injury and after the scan there was good news and really bad news.

"[With Thiago] nothing was broken or ruptured but it was still a massive impact on the knee.

"The impact on the leg was that big that it's still not okay. It is not massive, and he trains from time to time, not at the moment because we have to realise we have to go through further steps."

His passing range and ability to control the pace of games have not been badly missed so far, as the Reds have still powered to the top of the Premier League, but Klopp will be keen to get Thiago back into the squad as soon as possible.

But given the midfielder's problems with injuries during his career, it is unlikely the Reds will rush him back into action. It is expected to be the same with Milner and Shaqiri, as Klopp will want to ensure they are at 100 per cent fitness before being thrust into action.

The season has been extremely busy for Liverpool, who are challenging for domestic and European honours, but the festive period ramps things up a notch.

Liverpool face West Brom, Newcastle and Southampton in the space of nine days over the Christmas and New Year period, and it will be interesting to see if Klopp beds the trio back in at any stage.

Simba SC have fallen by a solitary goal in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League against FC Platinums of Zimbabwe.

Perfect Chikwende scored the only goal to give his team a slight advantage ahead of the second leg.

The 21-time champions came into the match hoping to get at least a draw and stand a better chance of winning the second leg at home. The Tanzania Mainland League champions qualified for the second preliminary round after a 1-0 aggregate win over Plateau United of Nigeria.

On the other hand, Platinum made it to the next round on a 4-1 aggregate win after eliminating Costa De Sol of Mozambique. The Zimbabwean champions won the first leg played in Maputo 2-1 before claiming a 2-0 win in the return leg played in Harare on Saturday.

The Msimbazi-base side came into the match without the services of the injured Aishi Manula and the sick John Rafael Bocco.

In the absence of Manula, the Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck will start Ben Kakolanya between the posts while Rwanda striker Meddie Kagere will step in for Bocco.  

The East African outfit looked a more dangerous side but failed to capitalise their chances.

However, it was the Zvishavane-based side who scored in the 17th minute courtesy of Perfect Chikwende.

Simba intensified their attacks in the second half. In the 68th minute, Chris Mugalu teed the advancing Larry Bwalya. The latter unleashed a good strike that was destined for the back of the net but the goalkeeper pulled a fantastic save to deny him.

Mugalu thought he had equalized in the 75th minute but the assistant referee had his flag up for offside. He, later on, squandered a big chance when a cross from the right found him unmarked but he narrowly missed the target. 

The Tanzanian champions will now need a 2-0 win in the second leg to make it to the group stages of the annual competition.

Last season, Simba failed to make it past the preliminary stage after losing on the away goal rule to UD Songo of Mozambique.

The second leg is planned for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 5 or 6, 2021.

Frank Lampard has delivered fitness updates on Hakim Ziyech, Reece James and Ben Chilwell ahead of Chelsea's clash with Arsenal.

Chelsea are currently preparing for a huge derby showdown against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Blues will move into the Premier League's top four if they pick up a second-successive victory against the Gunners, having bounced back from a two-match losing streak by beating West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.

Arsenal find themselves in a far more desperate situation than their cross-city rivals heading into this weekend's encounter, and will be looking for three points to start distancing themselves from the relegation zone.

Lampard is wary of the threat Mikel Arteta's team will pose, as he labelled the Gunners a "dangerous" outfit with a "class manager" after seeing his side beat the Hammers at the start of the week.

“We've been in decent form [in London derbies] but I don't think we should be taking Arsenal at face value,” he told reporters.

The Chelsea head coach might have hoped he could call upon €40 million (£36m/$49m) summer signing Ziyech at the Emirates, but the Morrocan, who picked up a knock during a 3-1 win over Leeds United at the start of the month, is not quite ready to return to action.

Asked if the 27-year-old will be available for selection against Arsenal, Lampard told a pre-match press conference: "No, he won't be fit for Arsenal."

Pressed on whether or not he is concerned by Ziyech's persistent fitness issues, the Blues legend responded: "No. He had a knee injury at the start of the season and he now has a muscle injury.

"You have to wait to recover. It's not a long-term concern and we hope to have him back in the next week or so.

"And hopefully he can offer what he did before because he was offering great things.

"We missed that in a way but that's football, that's a squad and it's what happens when players are playing at high level every two or three days."

Lampard went on to reveal that James and Chilwell are both doubts for the Arsenal fixture and a meeting with Aston Villa on December 28.

The former missed the West Ham game due to a knee issue, while the latter was withdrawn in the first half after turning his ankle.

"They're both doubtful. We're not sure whether they will be fit for either game," said Lampard.

One man who will almost certainly feature when the Blues make the short trip to Arsenal is Timo Werner, with Lampard adding on a striker who has failed to score in his last nine outings: "I talk to him all the time, I don't sense his frustration, I think it's clear that as a striker you want to be scoring regularly, as he has done in his career.

"But at the same time, every striker has moments when the ball doesn't drop for you for whatever reasons.

"The positive thing is he's getting chances in games, he's using his attributes to get into the box, he's getting chances, so they'll come."

Kieran Trippier has been banned from football for ten weeks and hit with a £70,000 fine after breaking betting rules.

Trippier was found guilty of misconduct by the English Football Association after an investigation into alleged gambling offences occurring in July 2019, which was carried out by an independent regulatory commission.

The charges were first brought to the Atletico Madrid defender - who moved to the Spanish capital from Tottenham last year - back in May, and he withdrew from England's squad for a UEFA Nations' League clash against Denmark in October to attend an FA hearing regarding the offences.

It was orginally claimed that Trippier had breached seven betting laws, and four of those instances have now been proven, with a two-and-a-half month suspension and a hefty financial penalty dished out to the 30-year-old on Wednesday.

An official statement on the FA's website reads: "Kieran Trippier has been suspended for ten weeks and fined £70,000, following misconduct in relation to breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.

"The Atletico Madrid defender denied seven alleged breaches of FA Rule E8(1)(b), which were said to occur during July 2019, and requested a personal hearing.

"An independent regulatory commission was appointed to hear the case, with four of the alleged breaches found proven and three dismissed during a subsequent personal hearing.

"The independent regulatory commission’s written reasons for its decisions and the associated sanction will be published in due course.

"The suspension, which includes all football and football-related activity, is effective worldwide from today (Wednesday 23 December 2020) following an application to FIFA."

Trippier will be forced to miss a total of 12 games for Atletico in the second half of the season, including the first leg of a round-of-16 Champions League tie against Chelsea at Wanda Metropolitano on February 23.

He will be available for selection again in time for a derby clash against Real Madrid on March 7 though, by which time Diego Simeone will hope his team are still ahead of their rivals in the Liga title race.

Trippier played the full 90 minutes of a 2-0 victory away at Real Sociedad on Tuesday night, which ensured that Atletico remain three points clear of Madrid at the top of the table with a game in hand heading into the winter break. 

Roberto Carlos is delighted to continue his work as ambassador for Football for Friendship, stating that the program has helped children from every corner of the planet come together in their love of sport. 

The ex-Brazil, Real Madrid and Inter left-back began working with the Gazprom-sponsored project last year, and he has continued in that role in 2020 amid the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As F4F's global ambassador, he restated his commitment to working with youngsters and instilling a love of sport. 

"Every year, it unites girls and boys on the field of a real international tournament, teaches them to communicate with peers from different countries," the Brazilian explained.

"In 2020, Football for Friendship is once again uniting young people with a passion for sports from all over the world, and everyone here, we learn something new, make new friends, and just had an unforgettable experience.

"It is very important to support such initiatives. Football for Friendship is a real social lift, giving the younger generation the opportunity to realize their potential and make their dreams come true," 

"I really liked the idea in the sense of doing sports for children and adults. The most important things are friendship and sport. Football for Friendship is a unique project that gives equal opportunities for all children in the world."

Although he is now retired from professional football, Roberto Carlos continues to keep a close eye on the game. 

Famed during his playing days as one of the world's best left-backs, he now believes that Marcelo, his successor with both Madrid and Brazil, deserves the crown. 

"I think Marcelo is a phenomenon. Whenever they ask me, I always answer that he is an excellent player, but there are different ones, of course, it depends on the era, but currently Marcelo is the gold standard for all other left-backs," he added. 

He is also delighted to see two young compatriots, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, starring at his former stomping ground at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

"Vinicius is a real star, he shows real Brazilian football, and he likes to play one on one," Roberto Carlos explained.

"Nowadays there are no players who can show the same speed as him. Today, personally for me, Vinicius is practically an example of a Brazilian player who shows Brazilian football!

"So, Rodrygo is the guy who is very humble, but the quality of his game is amazing! I really enjoy these two Brazilian players. Vinicius is quicker and a smart player, but Rodrygo is reflective and balancing, it’s cool!"

The 2002 World Cup winner also placed his faith in Brazil coach Tite to return the glory days to the Selecao. 

"The problem is that everyone wants to return the national team that was in my time in order to return the titles!" he said.

"This is not an easy task, because there were great players in my time: Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Kaka, Robinho. But Tite works well, he is patient and he showed good results at the Copa America, the Confederation Cup, and the World Cup.

"Our national team was the first in the world, and now it is the third, after Belgium and Spain. But still, he may achieve his goal, and the team will start winning again."

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have remained on course to win the Mainland Premier League title after thrashing Ihefu FC 3-0 in a match played at Sokoine Stadium on Wednesday.

The Jangwani-giants came into the match protecting an unbeaten run of 16 matches and they took the lead in the 13th minute through diminutive winger Deus Kaseke.

Yanga enjoyed a 1-0 half-time and on resumption, they continued to raid the promoted side for more goals and it came as no surprise when Yacoub Songne, after missing a number of chances, found the back of the net with a beautiful header in the 50th minute.

Ten minutes later, Feisal Salum powered home the third goal which ended any hopes Ihefu had to get something from the fixture.

Yanga under coach Cedric Kaze took control of the game from the onset as they knew a win will help them stretch their lead at the top of the 18-team table with their rivals Simba SC, away in Zimbabwe for the Caf Champions League fixture against FC Platinum.

Kaseke, who was a thorn in Ihefu’s defence finally broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute after racing onto a through, rounded three defenders before placing it to an empty net.

The goal somehow gave Yanga the urge to attack and they continued to pin their opponents at their own half but nothing could come out of it as they headed into the half-time break with a 1-0 result.

On resumption, Songne made it 2-0 for Yanga and ten minutes later Salum was at hand to power home the third, which has seen Yanga reach 42 points, 13 more than Simba who are second while Azam FC are third on 29 points.

In another match played on Wednesday, JKT Tanzania cruised to a 2-0 win against KMC FC at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma.

Danny Lyanga was the hero of JKT as he scored both goals in the 52nd and 74th minute.

Elsewhere, Gwambina FC drew 1-1 with Mbeya City, Kagera Sugar managed a 2-2 draw against Polisi Tanzania, Biashara United scored a goal in each half to sink Tanzania Prisons while Mwadui FC drew 0-0 with Coastal Union.