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Tenerife midfielder Raissa Feudjio struggled to contain her emotions after making her return in a 4-1 victory over Real Betis on Sunday. 

The Cameroon international made her first appearance since she suffered a serious knee injury against Betis on November 24 and played the last five minutes in her side's win against the visitors. 

Cote d'Ivoire's Ange N'Guessan opened the scoring before Patri Gavira and Allegra Poljak netted to wrap up the seventh win of the season for Francis Diaz's team at Estadio La Palmera.

While satisfied with her team's return to the top of the table, the 25-year-old has taken time to reflect on her recovery journey from injury after a year since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"I am a warrior, I have returned," Feudjio told the club website on her return from a one-year-long injury layoff.

“The warm-up, the instructions from Francis Díaz and my entry to the field were exciting. Those minutes made me very happy and I said to myself, this is my moment and I'm going to do my best.

“They were hard moments, they are hard for any athlete. When I felt the crunch I felt fear at that moment, but I have always considered myself a strong player and with the help of teammates and management of the club to this day I can continue to enjoy my profession, fully recovered."

Besides missing club actions for the Spanish club, the Cameroon international also missed the Indomitable Lionesses' defeat to Zambia in the Tokyo 2020 Caf Olympic Games qualifier last March.

Her return offers a huge boost for Alain Djeumfa's team as they gear up for a Caf/South American playoff clash with Chile in February and the midfielder is eager for a return to the national team fold.

"I will also fight to play ninety minutes as soon as possible and help my teammates to continue making history ”, she concluded.

Following her return, she will hope to get more minutes when her side take on newcomers Santa Teresa in their next game on Sunday.

Lionel Messi shocked the football world when he announced he wanted to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Messi's desire to leave the Catalan side stemmed from the club's poor performances, a lack of improvement in the squad, and tumultuous off-pitch politics.

In an exclusive interview with Goal, Messi revealed he had decided to stay as he wanted to avoid taking his beloved club to court - the only route available to opt out of his contract - but as his current deal is still set to expire in 2021, could he still leave the club on a free transfer?

As Messi's current contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the 2020-21 season, he could still leave Camp Nou for free in the summer of 2021.

Messi's contract buyout clause (or release clause) is €700 million (£630m/$825m), which was put in place when Messi signed a new four-year contract with Barcelona in 2017. 

This clause, however, will expire at the end of his current deal, paving the way for him to join another club as a free agent.

In entering the final 12 months of his current deal, he will be free to speak with interested clubs outside of Spain starting from January 2021.

“I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not,” Messi told Goal.

“Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.

“And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700m clause, and that this is impossible.”

Manchester City is a potential destination for the Barcelona superstar, with Messi eyeing a potential reunion with former manager Pep Guardiola.

The Etihad side were reportedly front-runners for Messi's signature last summer, with Man City believing they possess the financial prowess to sign the legendary forward.

The club's chief operating officer Omar Berrada told the Manchester Evening News of previously being linked to Messi: “He's an amazing talent, he's somebody that can make a significant impact at any club in the world on and off the pitch immediately.

“He's the best player in the world, he's the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team.

“The fact that it was commented that he wanted to come to play for City just shows you how far the team has come over the last years where the best talent of his generation and potentially saying he wants to come and play for us."

Basaksehir striker Demba Ba has revealed what was said in the dressing room during Tuesday’s aborted Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

The fixture was abandoned with only 13 minutes played after the fourth official allegedly used racist language to pinpoint Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo for a red card.

The incident sparked remarkable scenes on the sidelines, including Ba confronting the officials.

Ultimately, Basaksehir did not elect to continue the fixture with the same referees and the game was restarted a day later, with PSG defeating the Turkish side 5-1.

Former Chelsea and Newcastle striker Ba, though, has lifted the lid on what was said in the dressing room as the Turkish side discussed whether they should continue the game.

“It started by speaking to the right and to the left, and then some raised their voices to say: ‘Either we all go out or none of us go out,’” Ba told BeIn Sport.

“I was surprised by the reaction of certain players, notably Enzo Crivelli.

“I told him: ‘Enzo, if they all go out, you go out. You’re 25 years old, you go out.

“If you knew the violence with which he yelled at me to say: ‘No, I’m not going out.' These are things that must be eradicated from the football field and if we don’t do anything today, it will continue.

“He decided not to play on and he was followed by the team. They all stayed and we played the following day.”

Ba won acclaim for his reaction to the incident. Having started on the bench, he remonstrated with the officials: "You never say, 'This white guy, that white guy.' But when it's a black guy, you have to say, 'This black guy.'"

After the fixture was ultimately played, PSG midfielder Marco Verratti commented to RMC Sport: "We are watched by millions of people and we must set an example. We made a gesture by deciding with the other team not to play.

"The fourth official should be punished, to set an example for everyone, including our kids, and for him to change.

"The smartest thing was to stop playing. We will try to set even more examples in the future.

"It's a personal matter for everyone – some players were more affected than others. There were no conditions yesterday to finish the game.

"There are more important things in life and we are done today. Now we are happy with the match, to have won and we are moving forward."

UEFA is set to open an investigation into the accusations of racism.

Bengali-Fode Koita scored twice as Kasimpasa secured a 3-2 victory over Denizlispor in Friday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The 30-year-old was handed his fifth start of the season and made a vital contribution to help the Apaches return to winning ways after losing against Besiktas last time out.

The Guinea international opened the scoring for Fuat Capa’s men in the 36th minute with a fine individual effort.  

Denizlispor levelled proceedings in the 39th minute through Recep Niyaz but the goal was shortlived as Kasimpasa got back to the driving seat three minutes later.

Completing his brace, Koita fired home a well-taken effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Cenk Gonen.

After the restart, the Apaches continued to dominate proceedings and rightly got their third goal in the 51st minute.

Kevin Varga found the back of the net with an impressive strike which sealed the victory despite a late effort from Hugo Rodallega.

Koita featured for 86 minutes in the encounter before he was replaced by Alan while Mali international Hadi Sacko was on parade for 70 minutes before making ways for Fede Varela but could not help his side to avoid the defeat.

The win ensured Kasimpasa climbed to the sixth spot on the Super Lig table after gathering 18 points from 12 games.

Koita has now scored four goals in seven league games this season for the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium outfit.

The forward has been with Kasimpasa since January 2016 when he teamed up with the club from Blackburn Rovers.

The attacker has scored 25 league goals in 93 appearances since his arrival at the club, helping them to finish in mid-table last season.

Koita will be expected to continue his eye-catching performances when Kasimpasa take on Muglaspor in a Cup tie on December 15.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scotched any suggestions that he could be about to retire by indicating that he will keep playing football until he is not physically able.

The Milan forward may be 39 but he has been on red-hot form this season, scoring 10 goals in six Serie A matches, despite having suffered from Covid-19.

And given such a return, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United forward has no intention of hanging up his boots.

"I'll keep going until I can't do these things I'm doing," he told BBC Sport. "I just have to keep physically good and the rest will be solved by itself.

"I have a lot of experience, goals have never been an issue, I just keep going. I'm not the same player I was five years ago, I'm not the same player I was 10 years ago, we all change because of the development in your physical point of view," he said.

"I'm honest in saying that I'm not running like I ran before; I'm running more intelligent now. The Italian league, the reason I say that it's the most difficult to play in for a striker is because it's very technical and the philosophy of Italy is to not to concede a goal rather than score a goal.

"I feel like I've been here different generations. I played against [former Milan defender] Paolo Maldini and now I'm playing with his son, Daniel. Hopefully I can play with Daniel's son also, that would be a miracle."

With the former Sweden forward on such hot form, it is no surprise that Milan have been going well in the league.

They presently top Serie A and are five points clear of San Siro rivals Inter ahead of the weekend’s kick offs.

"We are in unbelievable form - we are doing great, we're doing good," Ibrahimovic added.

"But still we haven't won anything, we have to keep that in mind."

Indeed, he returned to Milan precisely because of the challenge it posed.

"The first time I came to Milan I came to a club fighting for the title, the second time I came it was in a situation to bring the club and the team back to the top where it belongs," he said.

"It's a different challenge, it's a challenge I like, because when they say it's too difficult, it's almost impossible, that's where I come in the picture and that's where I feel alive.

"If I can succeed and if I'm able to do what I think I can do, the feedback is amazing, the feeling is amazing because it's a bigger achievement than coming to a top team that is already top. I'm very motivated."

Playing in the same team as Lionel Messi is too stressful for some players because of the Barcelona star's ambition, Juan Carlos Unzue says.

Messi upset the Catalan giants in the summer when he declared his desire to leave, citing the club's failure to compete for the Champions League as a major factor in his decision. 

The Argentina international has been a first-team regular for Barca for almost 15 years and remains the dominant force at Camp Nou.

Unzue, who spent three years working alongside the Argentine icon as assistant coach to Luis Enrique, says the 33-year-old's high standards turn out to be too much for many of his team-mates.

"What has kept Messi going has been ambition, and that brings moments of stress with it," he told Marca.

"He demands that he continues to be the best and as a consequence he always wants the maximum from those around him.

"It doesn't matter if this is team-mates, the coach, the physio or what, it produces great stress on some colleagues who aren't able to shoulder it."

During Unzue's spell as assistant, Barca won the Champions League, Club World Cup and two La Liga titles among other trophies.

The Blaugrana have struggled to compete for the European prize since that era, with Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien falling short in their spells in the dugout.

Ronald Koeman took charge in the summer and, while they have disappointed in La Liga, they have secured their place in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Unzue believes Koeman has walked into the club at the right time, saying it is more difficult when expectations are high.

"Koeman I think he is managing well with Leo and with the group," he said.

"Entering a club when you have won titles is more complicated than when you're not winning. When we arrived with Luis Enrique, we did it at the right time, after a year in which the team had not won anything.

"That's how it is with Koeman, because he arrives at a very screwed up moment, but if he is not in a very screwed up moment, Barcelona don't make you the coach.

"Barcelona is always difficult, but if you do it in this situation I think the management is simpler, than for example in the situation that Quique Setien arrived after the titles that Valverde won."

Paul Pogba's situation at Manchester United is a "joke" according to former Red Devils man Louis Saha, who launched an attack on the club's communication with the playmaker's agent Mino Raiola.

But the ex-France international has nothing but praise for new United talisman Bruno Fernandes, who he compared to the quality of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne.

Les Bleus star Pogba's future at Old Trafford cropped up once again on the eve of United's Champions League crunch clash with RB Leipzig, which they subsequently went on to lose 3-2, consigning them to another Europa League campaign.

Agent Raiola, who has consistently floated his player's unhappiness as a media topic, did so again, revealing that he believed the 27-year-old had reached the end of his career at the club.

The Italian's comments drew criticism from some quarters, though others agreed that his belief in a clean break for Pogba and United would be best for both parties.

Saha however feels that Pogba may have been caught unawares by his agent's public posturing, while hammering home his frustrations at the apparent lack of dialogue between the various parties.

"I’m baffled with the situation with Paul Pogba," he told Genting Bet. "I really love Pogba, he’s someone I consider highly, but this communication is a joke.

"I was shocked and I can't believe something like this happened because this game was so important for United. 

"I’m not speaking as a fan, I’m speaking about Manchester United in general, you think that it’s a big game, going into the last 16. You need that focus, but the focus was on one player.

"This is unbelievable, the headlines were about Pogba because of the agent – it wasn’t even Pogba who said anything.

"I can’t understand how these things can happen. This is absolutely against the interests of the club. 

"I can't believe that Paul knew about it, I just can’t believe it. We need to find out what happened as there might be more to it but the timing of it was really bad.

"I still think that obviously Paul has got tremendous talent and is still a good player with a lot of ego, which is really helpful to actually prove people wrong, and this is what I want from him.

"He definitely needs to step up his game because there is a team who need to win."

On Fernandes, Saha was unequivocal in his praise, hailing the Portuguese as one of the best players in the Premier League.

"Bruno Fernandes is up there with De Bruyne in terms of status," he added. "You look at every game and he has had an impact.

"In terms of leadership, he’s the only one at the club that has shown leadership and helped lift the whole club. He has that kind of attitude and emotion to actually put people under pressure. 

"He has been at the club one year, but it seems like he has been at the club 10 years, it’s amazing."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed striker Edward Nketiah is in strong contention for a starting spot in Sunday's Premier League meeting with Burnley following a good outing in the Europa League on Thursday.

The England U21 star of Ghanaian descent was on the score sheet in 62 minutes of action as the Gunners secured a 4-2 away victory over Irish side Dundalk in a Group B fixture.

The win in a timely morale booster ahead of Sunday's league tie, the club having succumbed to a 2-0 away loss to Tottenham in their last match in the championship.

In nine league appearances so far this term, 21-year-old Nketiah has started only one game - a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in October.

"He [Nketiah] has started and he has the possibility to start again [against Burnley]," Arteta has told pressmen, as reported by his club's official website.

"As you said, he’s a goal threat and he’s a player that’s always very close in every action that is around the box.

"He’s lively, he’s got the hunger and he’s only satisfied when he scores, and that’s what we need now, so he’s an option for sure."

Nketiah's strike on Thursday was his third in the Europa League this season and his fifth goal for Arsenal in all competitions so far this campaign, having also found the back of the net in the Premier League and League Cup.

"These boys [young guys] are pushing and pushing," Arteta added.

"You saw the performance of Eddie straight away in the first half, how committed he was, he was going for every ball and Flo [Folarin Balogun] when he came on, the same. Others, the same. We have some top talent here and we need to be a little bit patient with them but I think we're on the right track.

"I hope [it's one of many big nights for them]. It's always good to have games where we can give them an opportunity and they're surrounded by experienced players which is exactly what they need. We are really happy and I think it's a great experience for them."

Born to Ghanaian parents in London, England youth forward Nketiah has been contacted by the Ghana Football Association over a possible change of international allegiance to the Black Stars. 

Arsenal have endured a seriously disappointing start to the 2020-21 season and, unless they can turn things around, they are currently on course for their worst Premier League campaign on record.

Their worst-ever Premier League start was confirmed in November after a defeat to Wolves saw them collect just 13 points from their first 10 games - their lowest tally after so many games since 1981-82. 

Then, a week later in December, Mikel Arteta became the first Arsenal boss since Bertie Mee in the 1960s to lose his first two north London derbies after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Jose Mourinho's side. 

Things are not looking pretty at the Emirates at the minute and, though it is still highly unlikely, mischievous whispers have asked the question: could Arsenal get relegated from the Premier League?

With that prospect in mind, Goal takes a look at when the Gunners were last relegated.

When was the last time Arsenal were relegated?

Arsenal have never been relegated from the Premier League (since the 1992-93 beginnings) but they have been relegated from England's top division.

However, the last time it happened was at the start of the 20th century, during the 1912-13 season, when, as Woolwich Arsenal, they finished bottom of the old First Division.

That season they won just three league matches, losing 23 and finished the campaign with just 18 points. They were 10 points adrift of safety, with Chelsea avoiding relegation with a total of 28 points.

The manager of the club at the time of their relegation in 1912-13 was George Morrell.

The Gunners returned to the top flight for the 1919-20 season - the first official season after the First World War - as part of the Football League's desire to expand the number of teams in the competition.

Though the circumstances of Arsenal's elevation were a source of controversy at the time (they finished fifth in the Second Division before the suspension of action), the club have remained in the top division ever since - for over a century.

Arsenal have firmly established themselves as one of England's big clubs - forming part of the traditional 'top six' - thanks mainly to periods of sustained success in the 1990s into the 2000s and 2010s.

Prior to that, their best success was enjoyed when they won a number of league titles and cups in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

You can keep up to date on where Arsenal are in the Premier League table here.

How many times have Arsenal been relegated?

Arsenal have only ever been relegated once in their history. That relegation came in the disappointing 1912-13 season.

However, they have come close on a number of occasions. While it seems difficult to imagine nowadays, the Gunners flirted with relegation from the First Division in the 1970s.

They finished 16th in 1974-75, just four seasons after they won a league and FA Cup double, and finished 17th in 1975-76.

They were just four points from safety in 1974-75 and, though they finished lower in the table the following season, they were actually safer - six points ahead of the drop zone. 

Since that low point, the Gunners have consistently been top-half challengers and they have never finished lower than 12th (in 1994-95).

Everton follow Arsenal as the second longest-serving member of the top league in England, having been part of it for an uninterrupted period since the 1954-55 season. 

Liverpool are not far behind Everton, having been part of the First Division (now Premier League) since 1962-63, last being relegated in 1953-54.

Ghana coach Abdul Karim Zito is looking to capitalise on Cote d'Ivoire's desperation when the two sides meet at the ongoing Wafu B Cup of Nations in Benin on Saturday.

In a three-team group at the sub-regional tournament, Ghana have already booked a qualification ticket to the next round of the competition following a 1-0 win over arch-rivals Nigeria on Wednesday.

Cote d'Ivoire, on the hand, badly need to avoid defeat against the Black Satellites, in the least, to join the latter to the next round, having held Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in their opening game.

"We were fortunate to have watched Nigeria play Cote D’Ivoire," Zito said, as reported by the Ghana Football Association's official website.

"We missed the first thirty minutes of the game but we were here [in Benin] when they played since we drew a bye.

"Yes, for now, I don’t have a problem thinking about qualification, they will have to fight to qualify so I think it will be a nice game. They will come at us just as Nigeria did."

Against Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana will have to do without key man Precious Boah, who was sent off for a second bookable offence against Nigeria, moments after scoring the all-important goal of the game.

"Yes, Boah is my everything in the team, he showed that by scoring the only goal of the match," Zito said.

"But he is out after the red card and there is nothing, we can do so I have started planning for the next game without him.

"Maybe he will return if we make it to the final since its two yellow cards."

"[Possible squad change against Cote d'Ivoire] depends on a few factors, like fatigue, mental toughness and the opponent. So, I can’t say much for now.

"I have to go back and asses the players before I plan for the next match.

"But definitely there will be a few changes to the team but its too early to know who will play against Cote D’Ivoire."

The two tournament finalists will secure qualification for the 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania.

The four semi-finalists at the African gathering will, in turn, be rewarded with tickets to represent the continent at the World Cup in Indonesia. 

Katlego Mphela has backed Bloemfontein Celtic to edge Orlando Pirates in Saturday's MTN8 final in Durban, but he admitted Josef Zinnbauer's side are also in good shape.

Celtic reached the final after eliminating defending champions SuperSport United 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, having also earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over a highly fancied Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarter-finals.

This was after only scrambling to qualify for the MTN8 via goal-difference on the league's final day of matches last season.

Pirates, on the other hand, qualified smoothly after finishing third and then edged Cape Town City on their way to a 5-0 aggregate stroll over rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals.

Speaking exclusively to Goal, former Kaizer Chiefs striker and MTN8 winner Mphela stated that he wishes for John Maduka's men to walk away with the R8 Million title and prize money, but warned that the Buccaneers will also be no pushovers.

''It's a difficult one to predict [the winner],'' Mphela told Goal.

''But I want Celtic to win it because they surprised a lot of teams.

''No one saw them coming and I think their fans deserve it as well. They have been loyal to their team and deserve a trophy. We all love Celtic supporters. 

''So hopefully they will go all the way and not suffer stage fright and lose it at the final moment.

''Hopefully, they win it, but Pirates also look good and very strong.''

Since 2013, Pirates have played in nine finals and only won the 2014 Nedbank Cup, losing the other eight.

Celtic on the other hand, will be appearing in their second cup final in three months after losing the Nedbank Cup final to Mamelodi Sundowns under controversial circumstances.

Pirates have gone six seasons without a trophy while Celtic’s last piece of silverware came two years earlier, with the Telkom Knockout in 2012.

New SC Villa signing Meddie Kibirige is happy to have kept his first clean sheet for the side in a Ugandan Premier League (UPL) battle.

The 24-year-old played his first home game for the Jogoos as they roared to a 3-0 win against Mbarara City at Bombo Military Grounds on Wednesday.

Having featured in the season opener where he conceded two goals against BUL FC in a 2-2 draw, Kibirige has hailed his teammates, especially the backline for playing a solid game that helped him to keep a clean sheet on home soil.

“The team was hungry for the three points,” Kibirige told the club’s official website. “Therefore, prior to this game, we trained very hard leaving no stone unturned in order to be on top of our game come match day.

“I thank our coaches for the preparations they gave us and I also thank my teammates for working as a team. There were a lot of challenges from our first game, we made a lot of mistakes which I am happy we corrected.

“Unlike the first game, our centre-backs were so solid in this one and did not allow any goal threatening error to occur.”

On keeping a clean sheet, Kibirige said: “I am very happy about my first clean sheet in a Villa jersey. With hard work and support from my teammates and the coaches, more clean sheets are coming.”

During the match against Mbarara, Isaac Ogwang, who was named the man of the match, scored a brace while Derrick Ndahiro added the other to give the Jogoos their first win of the current campaign.

After the game, Villa coach Edward Kaziba said he was impressed with the way his new players performed.

“[On Wednesday] we played our first home game and it is good that we have won it, it was generally a good start [considering the fact that] we fielded in new players and they performed so well,” Kaziba told reporters.

“It is good that we collected maximum points but the most important thing is that our new players are picking up. It is a very good gesture; it gives us hope that we have a good future.

“It is a good gesture and it is where we have to build on; we want to win more games so we want to work hard because there are things we need to rectify which we are working on and we are going to be able to collect points.”

The Jogoos will next face URA FC at the Arena of Visions in Bombo on Saturday.

ATK Mohun Bagan had chances to score against Hyderabad in their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match on Friday but an organized display by Thangboi Singto's men forced Bagan head coach Antonio Habas to settle for a 1-1 draw. 

Both the goals in the match came in the second-half as Manvir Singh (54th minute) opened the scoresheet for ATK Mohun Bagan and Joao Victor (65') netted an equalizer from the spot. Bagan head coach Antonio Habas was not pleased was his team's performance as he believes that his side failed to convert chances. 

"I think the team has played better in other games this season in attack. We had many chances to score but couldn't. We lost the match (doing) stupid moves. It was not a penalty (in the second half for Hyderabad)," Antonio Habas said after the game. 

Habas also mentioned that his team needs time and needs to find a balance between attack and defence. Bagan will next take on FC Goa and Habas said that his focus will be on preparing his side for the next fixture. 

"We need time, (with) the team we have, we don't have fine technical matches where we balance between our attack and defence. We have to prepare (for the game against FC Goa)," Habas said. 

Before signing off, Habas mentioned that Tiri missed out because he was sidelined with an injury. 

England Under-21 defender Jonathan Panzo only joined Ligue 1 side Dijon in the summer but he is being closely watched by both Udinese and Sporting CP over a future transfer.

The 20-year-old will likely be in Aidy Boothroyd's starting XI for the U21 European Championships in March and is regarded as one of the country's most exciting defensive talents.

Panzo came through Chelsea's academy at Cobham but he was poached in 2018 by Monaco. He made just two appearances at the provincial club before going on loan to be a regular starter at their partner club Cercle Brugge last season.

Dijon signed Panzo for a reported €2 million (£1.8m/$2.4m) in the summer having been impressed with his performances in Belgium, but they are rooted to the bottom of the table in the French top flight.

Sporting are hoping to show the Primeira Liga is a good place to develop with Eric Dier having taken that path before returning to England with Tottenham. There are further examples of young British talent in Portugal with the likes of Marcus Edwards, Angel Gomes and Ryan Gauld thriving in the division.

Serie A side Udinese can offer a possible route back to English football for Panzo due to their connection to Watford through their owners.

Giampaolo Pozzo owns Udinese and his son Gino owns the recently relegated Watford. That connection has seen 52 deals between the two clubs in the last 10 years, including Gerard Deulofeu's recent move from Vicarage Road to Stadio Friuli.

Boothroyd continues to track Panzo and spoke about his development on Thursday after England's group with Portugal, Croatia and Switzerland was announced for the tournament in 2021.

"With Jonathan Panzo out in France with Dijon, his team is having a difficult time but he is playing and learning and growing every week," Boothroyd. "The same as Trevoh Chalobah who is at Lorient in the division playing every week so we have a lot of players out in Europe with Jude Bellingham at Dortmund.

"We want our young players playing which can only help us in the U21s and ultimately the seniors."

Panzo has made nine starts and one substitute appearance this season in France with his current deal running until June 2023.

Hyderabad looked like a well-drilled side in their 1-1 draw in the Indian Super League 2020-21 clash against ATK Mohun Bagan at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Friday.

By the virtue of the result, they are now at the fifth spot with six points from four matches.

After a sub-par first half, Hyderabad came back strongly after the break make life difficult for Bagan.  Manvir Singh (54th minute) opened the scoresheet for ATK Mohun Bagan but Joao Victor (65') netted the equalizer.

Assistant coach Thangboi Singto, who stepped in for the suspended Manuel Marquez, was pleased with the result as he mentioned that though his team conceded from a mistake, they came back strongly to equalise. 

"Conceding a goal from a mistake happens in football. But coming back strongly and getting a penalty was well deserved," Thangboi Singto said after the game. 

ATK Mohun Bagan has started the season on a positive note. But Singto played down the win against a strong team as he believes that the teams in the Indian Super League this season can beat each other on their days.

"You know that in this league, any team can beat any other team. A lot of teams have injury issues. It was tough but we believed that we could get a draw," Singto said.  

Hyderabad will take on East Bengal next on Tuesday. 

Bayern Munich  will not pursue Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi in January, but the European champions continue to regard him as a long-term transfer target.

The 20-year-old has struggled for game time under Frank Lampard this season but the Blues continue to value him highly. They turned down Bayern's bid in October to loan Hudson-Odoi with an option to buy for £70 million ($91m).

The homegrown star is currently out with a hamstring injury and is targeting a return for Chelsea's games against Arsenal and Aston Villa after Christmas.

For Bayern, Hudson-Odoi remains a key target after they first made an offer for him almost two years ago. Chelsea rejected a transfer request from the youngster late in that winter transfer window after he grew frustrated with a lack of appearances under Maurizio Sarri.

Since then,  Lampard helped convince Hudson-Odoi to sign a lucrative new contract  after he offered increased chances to players from the Cobham academy.

Hudson-Odoi is again attracting an interest from Bayern but his future is tied to Douglas Costa, who is on loan at Bayern from  Juventus . Costa is fighting to convince the German giants to turn his temporary move into a permanent one but there is no obligation for Bayern to sign him.

Chelsea are prioritising the sale of fringe players aside from Hudson-Odoi in January but also continue to track the possibility of signing Declan Rice from West Ham.

Rice is regarded as West Ham's most valuable asset and he would command a huge transfer fee from the Blues' London rivals, who are reluctant to sell him.

Still, Chelsea are buoyed by their last transfer window, where they were able to  close difficult deals for the likes of Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell .

Alternatively, David Alaba has been reportedly linked to Chelsea and he is free to talk to clubs on January 1 if he doesn't agree on a new contract with Bayern.

Before making any big signings, Chelsea will work on offloading players with options being explored for Kepa, who remains extremely difficult to sell.

The £71m ($92m) goalkeeper still has four and a half years left on a contract worth £190,000 per week, which is out of the price range of almost every club in world football.

Similarly, Marcos Alonso's contract and age makes him difficult to sell outright despite him having not played a single minute of football since his  half-time row with Lampard away at West Brom.

Inter  showed interest in signing the 29-year-old in January, in part due to their manager Antonio Conte's connections from his time at Stamford Bridge. However, the Italian giants were only able to fund a potential deal for a loan with a purchase option.

Similarly, Emerson Palmieri had a deadline-day approach from Juventus that collapsed . Having jumped above Alonso in the left-back pecking order, Emerson is increasingly happy to stay in west London having had assurances over future chances with Italy despite his fringe status at Chelsea.

Chelsea will also offload a centre-back in January, with Fikayo Tomori earning a host of interest from across Europe over a loan move. Newcastle are one of the front-runners for Tomori, who hasn't played since September and  turned down a season-long loan move to West Ham on deadline day .

However, Chelsea may block Tomori from leaving if Antonio Rudiger pushes for a move. The Germany international has jumped back up to third place in the central defender pecking order having almost left in October . He has just over 18 months on his current contract.

Andreas Christensen also has only 18 months on his deal at Chelsea, who have received interest from the Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga clubs. However, he is unlikely to push for a move in the near future.

Furthermore, Billy Gilmour marked his return from a knee injury with a man of the match performance against Krasnodar on Tuesday. The Blues are reluctant to loan out the 19-year-old despite the intense competition in their midfield.

Olivier Giroud had grown frustrated at Chelsea although a recent run in the team is expected to dampen his desire to attempt to leave in January.

In Chelsea's development squad, the Blues will consider loans or permanent deals for both Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman who didn't find a move in the summer market.

Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC are currently trying to get a solution on how to settle a fee of $127,000 slapped on them by Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) for illegally acquiring Shiza Kichuya from Pharco.

The Egyptian outfit sued Wekundu wa Msimbazi, stating they signed the player, whose contract was still active, illegally. The Tanzanian had a running contract with Pharco, the team he signed for in 2019.

Fifa has now ordered the 21-time Tanzanian champions to pay the Alexandria-based team the aforementioned figure.

"Our board of directors would discuss it and see what we should do. Let’s wait," Simba chairman Mwina Kaduguda briefly updated.

Kichuya joined the Egyptian second division side in 2019 but loaned him to ENPPI SC. However, the midfielder did not last and he was later returned to his parent club where he failed to cement his status in the first team.

Pharco were intending to secure the 24-year-old another loan deal after exhausting the number of foreign players allowed in the team. 

This is where Simba jumped in and persuaded the player to join them. However, there was no agreement reached between the involved parties and Pharco decided to seek legal redress.

If Simba fail to compensate the Egyptian side as ordered, they might be banned from signing new players for two seasons while Kichuya will be suspended from playing for six months.

Meanwhile, Simba head coach Sven Vandenbroeck has explained why he opted to sign midfielder Taddeo Lwanga.

The Ugandan joined Wekundu wa Msimbazi on December 2 in a deal the details of which were not disclosed, and his move came after he ended his association with Egyptian Premier League side Tanta SC.

While the new signing is yet to feature for the champions, the Belgian coach has revealed the long-term injury suffered by Brazilian winger Gerson Fraga was the reason he signed the Ugandan, saying his intention was to have an extra player in the midfield section.

"As you know, Gerson [Fraga] was ruled out for six to eight months meaning we had only one holding midfielder Jonas [Mkude]," Vandenbroeck explained.

"This means Fraga will be missed for the whole season hence, we had to get another player to fill his void.

"I would have loved to have him [Fraga] for the whole season but unfortunately, he will not be able to play any game this season. It is unlucky for Fraga to be out of action for eight months and his contract expires at the end of the season."