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Hyderabad FC head coach Manuel Marquez is looking for a better performance his attack when they take on Jamshedpur FC at the Tilak Maidan stadium in Vasco on Wednesday.

Having opened their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign with a 1-0 win over Odisha, they held Bengaluru to a goalless draw in their second match.

"We need to improve not only in defence but also the final part of the opponent box. We have to create more clear chances. In two games we have only one point and one goal from a penalty. But I would be worried if my team didn't create many chances," said Marquez on Hyderabad not being able to convert their chances having taken a total of 31 shots in two matches.

He was quick to point that Nerijus Valskis will be a threat for his defenders to deal as the striker already has three goals to his name this season. He also spoke on how the Lithuanian forward has scored three different types of goals.

"For me, they (Jamshedpur) are a very good team. Against Chennaiyin (1-2 loss), maybe it was a different game because they conceded in the first half and they lost their centre-back (Peter Hartley) and his substitute (Narender Gahlot) was also injured in the second half. But the other day (the 2-2 draw against Odisha), it was the opposite. They started strongly with a very good high pressing game. They have very good players in all the lines but they could not score in all the moments of the game."

"He (Valskis) has scored three goals in two games and three different types of goals. First with a header, second was a penalty and third with his boot. He doesn't only play in the box. He goes to the wing and he's very difficult to mark. We have to be very focused on the game but there are other players like Jackichand (Singh) and the other players who are also dangerous in the second line."

Asked about Adil Khan's availability given that the India international hasn't had a role to play in the two games so far, the coach explained, "The problem was that he had an injury and he couldn't start the championship and the centre-backs who are playing now are doing very good. So now he has to wait for his moment but to have a player like Adil is very good and he will play soon."

It's been observed that teams playing a possession-based game this season are yet to find their feet while those who voluntarily do not look for play the pass-and-move style of game have accumulated more points.

Marquez opined, "We have to respect how the other teams play. Sometimes they play in another way but for me, the style that our team plays is very difficult because we have very good technical players. Of course, with ATK (Mohun Bagan) with this (pragmatic) style last season, they have a lot of continuity. For me, continuity is very important. The work of Gerard (Nus) at NorthEast is fantastic. It shows that the team is very organised and I'm sure that they would like to play in another way. But if they play counter-attack or not depends on the opponent."

Indian Arrows will no more be just restricted to men's football any more as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel announced that an Arrows team will participate in the upcoming edition of the Indian Women's League (IWL). 

The AIFF organised a virtual interaction session on Tuesday where the members of the India U17 World Cup team interacted with Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju and Patel.

The Indian FA had first started the Arrows project back in 2010 before being disbanded in 2013. Following the success of the men's Under-17 World Cup qhich was held in India, the AIFF decided to keep the squad together to further hone the skills of the players and provide them with game-time. 

The Under-17 Women's World Cup which was to be held in India this year has been cancelled however, the next edition in 2022 will be hosted in India. Some of the girls from the current Under-17 World Cup batch would still be eligible while the others will continue to develop their skills under the Arrows project.

“The All India Football Federation had formed a developmental side Indian Arrows for the boys which take part in the I-League. So for the current set of girls who were a part of the U17 World Cup squad, we will form a women’s team of the Indian Arrows who will participate in the Indian Women’s League (IWL). This will help in the progress of the girls’ careers,” said the AIFF president.

Patel further stated that the AIFF will continue to conduct camps in India for the women’s team and will assure that the girls will continue to get international exposure which will help them improve further.

“AIFF, along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), will continue to host long term domestic camps interspersed with regular participation in competition with top international teams. This team will continue to progress and we will make sure they regularly compete in international matches and friendlies so that they can grow further,' said Patel.

Liverpool star Andrew Robertson has criticised VAR for its continued inconsistency, while insisting "people aren't enjoying football as much as they did".

Robertson was at the centre of another video technology storm when Liverpool took in a trip to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Seagulls were awarded a late spot-kick after the Scottish full-back was penalised for fouling Danny Welbeck in the box, but only after a long delay which saw referee Stuart Attwell consult his pitchside monitor.

Pascal Gross stepped up to score from 12 yards to cancel out Diogo Jota's opening goal, with Liverpool ultimately missing the chance to move two points clear at the top of the table after the 1-1 draw.

Jurgen Klopp voiced his frustrations with the match officials post-match, while Reds captain Jordan Henderson admitted he "would rather play without" VAR.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner took to social media to voice his opinion, writing on Twitter: "It’s “clear and obvious” we need a serious discussion about VAR.

"Sure I’m not alone in feeling like they are falling out of love with the game in its current state."

Robertson thinks Milner tapped into the collective mindset of all players and supporters, with it his belief that unnecessary VAR disruptions are taking away the joy of the game.

"I used to love going to football games and being in that moment to celebrate a goal," the 26-year-old said ahead of Liverpool's Champions League clash with Ajax on Tuesday night.

"That's just taken out of the game. Now you're waiting sometimes two to three minutes to see if there is an offside. If it's that tight for me then leave it to whatever decision they have made.

"Millie echoed not just what players but also a lot of football fans are feeling. A lot of people I speak to aren't enjoying watching football as much as they did before."

Robertson added on the latest spate of controversial incidents in the Premier League: "When VAR came in we believed there would be no grey areas, it would all be black and white, and I don't think we are quite getting that just now.

"There are a lot of improvements to be made, we knew we had to be patient with VAR and it wouldn't just be perfect overnight but we are now 18 months down the line and still the same mistakes are being made.

"On Saturday... If the rules and the referee deem that to be a penalty, then I have no problem with it.

"But I was also watching the games [on Sunday] and I saw two very similar [challenges] on Marcus Rashford and Adama Traore that went unpunished and looked very similar to what I did to Danny Welbeck and both of them weren't a penalty and mine was.

"For me, either all three have to be a penalty or all three aren't. It is frustrating for teams to see certain decisions in different games go against them and they think it is very similar.

"We are just looking for consistency. We believed we would get that with VAR and maybe we aren't getting it just now. Hopefully, that can come in time because I think the game is crying out for it."

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has played down the significance of Themba Zwane potentially winning the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award this season.

Specifically, he feels it would be putting undue pressure on the player known as 'Mshishi' to place such high expectations upon his shoulders.

Zwane has drawn attention to himself after some scintillating goalscoring form of late, for both club and country.

For Bafana Bafana, he netted a brace in the second of two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe, in a recent match in Port Elizabeth.

He followed that up with a stunning quickfire hat-trick in a 4-3 league win over AmaZulu and then scored again in Sundowns' most recent encounter, a 3-0 win over Stellenbosch FC. In addition, he scored a penalty against Kaizer Chiefs in the first league match of the season.

He now has five league goals to his credit this term and has scored seven goals in his last six matches in all competitions.

But Mngqithi has warned about getting too carried away, even if he has also been impressed by Zwane.

“One is impressed with how Mshishi has done but it will be unfair to say now I am expecting him to be the top goalscorer.

"I just want to enjoy this movie and maybe we must all sit back and see where this thing is taking us," the coach said, as quoted by the Citizen.

Mngqithi is also aware that Zwane could come in for some additional man-marking in matches ahead.

“Let’s wait and see, maybe people will come up with strategies to try and stop them but we will keep working a little bit hard to make sure that it is difficult for people to pick up what we are trying to do in attack," he said.

Last season's Premier Soccer League top scorers were Gabadinho Mhango and Peter Shalulile, who each netted 16. Zwane got 11 league goals last term. Shalulile made an off-season move from Highlands Park to Sundowns.

The Brazilians are top of the league standings, with four wins and a draw from their opening five games. They next play Maritzburg United, away on Saturday evening.

Olivier Giroud may be forced to honour his contract at Chelsea, says Joe Cole, with the World Cup-winning striker a “massively important” option for Frank Lampard to have on the bench.

A support role at Stamford Bridge does have a 34-year-old France international weighing up his options.

Giroud is eager to see regular game time in the latter stages of his career, with competitive minutes required in order to remain part of Didier Deschamps’ plans with Les Bleus.

It has been suggested that he will go in search of those opportunities by departing west London in January.

Chelsea do, however, have a vastly-experienced frontman tied to a contract through to the summer of 2021.

They have alternative options at their disposal, such as Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham, but Giroud offers a more physical threat in the final third of the field.

Cole believes that value may lead Lampard to close a transfer door, with Chelsea under no pressure to part with a player that could hit free agency at the end of the season.

The former Blues winger told talkSPORT: “I think Giroud has been different class and is a massively important part of the squad.

“Frank would love to keep him and Chelsea are in a position where if they don’t want him to go he doesn’t have to go as he signed a contract.

“He’ll have a big part to play in what will be a successful year for Chelsea.”

Werner and Abraham have been impressing for the Blues over recent weeks, with both men among the goals.

A summer signing from RB Leipzig was initially asked to play centrally, with Chelsea well-stocked for wide attackers, but he has shifted to the left as Abraham steps into a No.9 role.

Germany and England internationals have squandered the odd chance during a productive run for Lampard’s side, which has thrust them into the Premier League title race, but Cole is pleased to see academy graduate Abraham getting more first-team opportunities.

He added: “Tammy’s been excellent. He offers something different to the other guys.

“Having competition for places is important. He won’t be the first striker to miss a few chances.”

Abraham has five goals to his name this season, while Werner has eight, and it may be that one of them has to slip out of the starting XI once Christian Pulisic is back to full match sharpness and ready to fill a position on the flanks.

Jack Grealish believes the VAR is "ruining the game" after Aston Villa were denied a late equaliser against West Ham.

Having earlier missed a penalty on Monday, Ollie Watkins thought he had made it 2-2 in additional time, only for his strike to be ruled out by the VAR following a tight offside call.

Jarrod Bowen's 46th-minute goal proved to be the winner after Grealish had cancelled out Angelo Ogbonna's opener.

But after further VAR controversy in the Premier League, Grealish said the system was hurting the game.

"As for VAR, I've shared my views before and it's now just getting borderline embarrassing with some off [sic] the decisions," the England international wrote on Twitter.

"Ruining the game."

Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith rued the decision, with Watkins seemingly getting fouled by Ogbonna before tucking away Matt Targett's cross.

"We've had a penalty we've missed, and a goal disallowed for a part of his body which can't put the ball in the net anyway," he told Sky Sports.

"The goal Ollie scores at the end, they've given it as offside for his arm, but the only reason his arm's out there is because he's getting fouled. He either scores or it's a penalty. I still don't understand that.

"I'm okay if it's a red line and it says he's offside. That's the rule. But if his arm's up there because he's getting fouled, that's a penalty.

"I won't go home and think about VAR. It frustrates everybody, but there's no point in getting worked up about it. It's happened, I can't do anything about it now."

It came just days after Brighton and Hove Albion were awarded a controversial late penalty to draw against Liverpool.

There are growing calls for change and former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said it was needed, pointing to David Marshall's heroics for Scotland against Serbia in a Euro 2020 play-off that saw the goalkeeper initially not celebrate a penalty save.

"I was a massive fan of VAR. They were bringing it in to help the game and I was defending it at the start as there were teething problems, but now we're at the stage where the majority of people in this country haven't bought into it," he told Sky Sports.

"I don't think people are enjoying football as much. The moment that sums it up for me is David Marshall saving the penalty for Scotland, a massive moment in his career and he couldn't celebrate as he was waiting for the referee. If I could go back, I would use VAR in a different way."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hit back at Sergio Conceicao after the Porto coach's claims he pressured referees.

Conceicao accused Guardiola of pressuring referees during Porto's 3-1 Champions League loss to City in October.

Ahead of the return Group C meeting on Tuesday, Guardiola denied the claims.

"I'm not in agreement. He can say, maybe it's his opinion, but I'm not agreeing that we pressure the referees," Guardiola told a news conference.

"It's not the way that we in the history speak for ourselves. We are not the type of team to do this, honestly. I would admit it. So one thing is an action that you don't agree [with], you can make any comment, one specific action. But it's not a part of who we are, honestly.

"In the five years we are here together and the people in Germany and Spain know completely that it speaks for itself, our behaviour.

"I'm not agreeing. It's not true."

City have already secured their place in the last 16, while Porto sit second on nine points, three behind and six clear of Olympiacos.

Guardiola expects a difficult encounter, although City have won their previous three meetings with Porto by an aggregate score of 9-2.

However, City are playing an away game at Porto in European competition for just the second time and first since February 2012, when they recorded a 2-1 win in the Europa League.

"It will be tough, we know it. It’s the Champions League away. Top teams in Portugal have to win every weekend," Guardiola said.

"When you have that mentality in all departments in the club, not just the players, it makes them so dangerous. That’s why we expect a difficult a game.

"We did when they came here and it was. Tomorrow will be too."

Manchester City have had an inconsistent start to their Premier League campaign and are currently sitting 11th on the standings, six points behind leaders Tottenham but with a game in hand.

The Citizens have suffered defeats in the league to Leicester City and Tottenham, while failing to get wins against Liverpool, West Ham and Leeds United.

East Bengal did not have as a good a start to their Indian Super League (ISL) as they would have hoped for after they went down 0-2 against arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan in the league’s first-ever Kolkata derby.

Robbie Fowler’s East Bengal were good in patches and showed promise despite the defeat. It has to be said that with lesser preparation time than other ISL clubs and limited resources in hand, the English coach looks to have put together a competitive unit.

There are a lot of positives to take from the derby - they showed brilliance in patches. Also, Four out of the five overseas recruits who took the field were impressive, with former Norwich City winger Anthony Pilkington showing his credentials. The Irish attacker was versatile and was a threat to the ATK Mohun Bagan defence throughout. 

The Red and Golds now need to shrug off their derby blues and focus on the season, starting with an encounter against Mumbai City on Tuesday. Fowler wants his players to buck up and change the mood of the camp with three points in their next outing.

“Any time you play football, whenever you get beaten, you can't wait for the next game to try and rectify that. I hope the result isn't behind the players (players' minds). What can happen now is you can turn that disappointment (of the derby defeat) into joy by producing a better result,” said the Liverpool great.

One of the concerns in this East Bengal squad is their Indian contingent. There is a dearth of in-form domestic players in their roster and their attack looks lightweight.

But the East Bengal manager trusts his players and will hope they find some form as the matches start rolling in.

Sergio Lobera’s Mumbai City looked rusty in their first two outings and have not been as dominating as fans expected them to be. The squad is yet to settle down and this could be the right time for Kolkata giants to pounce and get a result.

Three points against the Islanders will do a world of good to the team’s confidence and will help them settle quickly.

Are you a supporter of a club that tries to play a style that is heavily reliant on possession of the ball? If you are, then chances are that you also aren't happy about the team's start to the seventh season of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The line above may seem generic but there is a pattern present in the results from the first two and a half rounds of ISL 2020-21. 

The teams who are religiously focused on playing possession-based football are yet to find their feet this time around.

Mumbai City, Goa, Kerala Blasters, Odisha and East Bengal are teams who either have employed a head coach who is hell-bent on not deviating from his football philosophy with his team or have created an identity with the type of football they play. And all these teams are yet to showcase their best so far. 

If there is one thing Sergio Lobera doesn't like, it is going to a plan B. He loves his plan A and will attempt to stick to it no matter what - that much is clear from his three-year stint with Goa. Mumbai City, even with all the high-profile footballers in their squad, are yet to gel as a team and play the kind of football that their coach wants them to play. It is a system that takes time to learn and adapt to.

Kibu Vicuna perfected his Mohun Bagan team by playing in around 30 matches before the I-League season kicked off. As a result, his team enjoyed a title-winning season by going on a long unbeaten run after initially losing their first game. Vicuna also was famous in Kolkata for sticking to his philosophy and refusing to move away from his vision - and this is already evident at Kerala Blasters who have had loads of the ball without penetration in the final third which will only be achieved by playing more matches together. 

Lobera may have left Goa but the team's vision more or less remains unchanged under new head coach Juan Ferrando. They registered a 1-1 draw against a defensive NorthEast United side which registered only 24.9 per cent possession - lowest by any team this season so far. Goa, like Bengaluru, Blasters, Odisha and East Bengal, are winless and like Blasters, they also have played three matches.

On the other hand, teams like ATK Mohun Bagan and NorthEast United are off to a good start. They spend less time working with the ball and are happy to sit back and counter-attack. Their focus is on keeping things tight at the back, which they have managed to pull off. Chennaiyin also aren't all about possession - they look very direct under Csaba Laszlo this season, and that has benefitted the team. 

Hyderabad has been the only exception to this case study - while they haven't been excellent, Manuel Marquez' team has showcased an attractive blueprint of the football that they intend to play this season and has shown glimpses of their approach. Hyderabad have had possession but injuries to key foreign players has put them in a spot of bother. Interestingly, Hyderabad have scored just one goal in two games, a penalty. 

They will look to make better use of their possession.

At least in the first few rounds, teams are bound to counter-attack their way to the top of the table due to short pre-season and the time coaches require to implement their more elaborate systems on their teams.

NorthEast United are running as the dark horses in the ongoing season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The Highlanders have started their campaign on a positive note as they registered one win and two draws from their three outings. 

But team depth could cost them heavy and FC Goa at the Fatorda stadium on Monday was a testament to that. Gerard Nus took drastic decisions as he made five unforced changes to his starting line-up, given that the team was playing their third match in 10 days.

And the Highlanders ended up dropping two potential points against the Gaurs, settling for a 1-1 draw. 

The changes saw Provat Lakra, Lalrempuia Fanai, Idrissa Sylla, Luis Machado and Britto PM replace Ashutosh Mehta, Federico Gallego, Kwesi Appiah, Ninthoinganba Meetei and Rakesh Pradhan.

As much as some of his decisions looked tactically correct, some were questionable. Sylla replacing Appiah could be justified as the former has the pace and ability to run behind the defender quicker than the latter. Besides he had also scored the equaliser for NorthEast against Kerala Blasters last time out and was in form. 

But the decision to bench in-form Mehta, who was a star player for Mohun Bagan in the I-League last year, for Lakra did not go well for the Highlanders. The equaliser for FC Goa in the 43rd-minute came after Brandon Fernandes beat Lakra on the left flank to whip in a brilliant low cross to Igor Angulo who made no mistake to finish the ball at the back of the net. 

Luis Machado started as one of the front three for the Highlanders and was involved in the game more often than not but to little effect. Machado took four free-kicks for the Higlanders in 66 minutes of play but his side could hardly benefit from it. His passing was sloppy on multiple occasions. As a result, he completed only nine passes from the intended 23, recording a dismal accuracy of 39 per cent. Other changes made by Nus - Fanai and Britto - justified their place with their decent displays.

Nus is the ninth manager for NorthEast United in the ISL. The Highlanders last managed to enter the ISL playoffs in its 2018-19 season. The Spanish coach has brought a positive impact on the side, with five points from three matches. They have scored in all their games so far and have shown considerable mental resolve at times, especially against Kerala Blasters where they clawed back a 2-0 deficit. 

But, the Spaniard will hope to utilise his squad more effectively. 

Though Nus, in the post-match interview, did not regret the decision to risk bringing in Lakra in place of Mehta, it will be interesting to see if how he rotates the team in the upcoming fixtures against East Bengal and Bengaluru FC respectively. 

Gervinho bagged a brace to inspire Parma to a 2-1 victory over Genoa in Monday’s Serie A game.

At 33, the Ivory Coast international is not looking to rest on his oars as he delivered yet another impressive display for the Crusaders at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

The forward was handed his eighth league start and found the back of the net twice to help his side secure their second win in the 2020-21 season.

Gervinho opened the scoring with only 10 minutes into the game, hitting his effort beyond goalkeeper Alberto Paleari after receiving a through ball from Juraj Kucka.

The former Arsenal star then completed his brace with a well-taken strike in the 47th minute of the encounter after capitalizing on a poor defensive display from Genoa.

Three minutes later, Eldor Shomurodov reduced the deficit with a fine strike, leaving goalkeeper Luigi Sepe no chance.

Despite efforts from Rolando Maran’s men, the Crusaders held their nerve to secure all three points at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Gervinho featured for the duration of the game in his eighth league appearance for Fabio Liverani’s side in the current campaign.

The victory ensured Parma climbed to the 16th spot on the Serie A table after gathering nine points from nine games.

The Ivory Coast international has been with the Crusaders since the summer of 2018 when he returned to Europe after leaving China, where he featured for Hebei China Fortune.

The forward has played more than 65 games for Parma and last season he helped them finish in the mid-table.

Gervinho will be expected to continue his blistering performances for the Crusaders when they take on Benevento on December 6.

Brenden Aaronson, Efrain Alvarez and Mark McKenzie headline the U.S. men's national team roster for an upcoming match against El Salvador.

The USMNT will take on El Salvador on Dec. 9 at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, marking the team's first visit to the home of the first-year MLS club.

It will mark the team's third game in a month, having previously been out of action since January as a result of the pandemic.

The U.S. recently battled Wales in a 0-0 draw in Swansea before then smashing Panama 6-2 in a friendly held in Austria.

Those games were played by an almost-entirely European-based squad, with Sebastian Lletget the only player from that camp set to join up with the team as the upcoming clash with El Salvador will feature a young, domestic-based side.

The match falls outside of a FIFA international window, which means players still in season have been excluded, although additional players may be added following the completion of the MLS Western Conference semifinals.

“Since returning to the field, the focus has been on continuing to build on our foundation and preparing the team for important competitions in 2021,” head coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We have utilized these opportunities to work with our core group while evaluating young talent in an effort to strengthen our overall player pool.”

Berhalter's squad features fifteen players are eligible for the 2021 Summer Olympics, with nine under the age of 20.

A total of 11 players could earn their first cap, with nine players attending their first USMNT camp.

Among those players is Alvarez, who has spent time with both the U.S. and Mexico youth national teams. The LA Galaxy youngster would need to file a one-time switch in order to be able to play for the United States after featuring for El Tri at the U-17 World Cup in 2019.

Fellow newcomers include Orlando City attackers Daryl Dike and Chris Mueller, Toronto FC striker Ayo Akinola, FC Cincinnati midfielder Frankie Amaya, Colorado Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa and defenders Julian Araujo, Kyle Duncan and Marco Farfan of the LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and Portland Timbers, respectively. 

Benfica goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos is the only European-based player called into camp, while Aaronson is set to join up with RB Salzburg in January after sealing a move this summer.

In total,  the roster holds an average age of 22 years, 201 days with Paul Arriola, Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman headlining the list of veterans in camp.

Here's a look at the full squad:

GOALKEEPERS: CJ Dos Santos (Benfica), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS: Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy), Kyle Duncan (New York Red Bulls), Marco Farfan (Portland Timbers), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union), Mauricio Pineda (Chicago Fire), Sam Vines (Colorado Rapids), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

MIDFIELDERS: Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union), Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Frankie Amaya (FC Cincinnati), Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy)

FORWARDS: Ayo Akinola (Toronto FC), Efrain Alvarez (LA Galaxy), Paul Arriola (D.C. United), Daryl Dike (Orlando City SC), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire), Chris Mueller (Orlando City SC)

Luis Suarez could be a late addition to the Atletico Madrid squad for the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich despite returning another positive coronavirus test.

The Uruguay international has missed Atletico's last three matches, including a reunion with former club Barcelona, after contracting COVID-19 while away with his country.

Despite Suarez not featuring on the 22-man squad list published by Atletico on Monday, however, head coach Diego Simeone is not completely ruling out the striker.

"This virus is strange. It is possible that tomorrow he tests negative and is fit. He has been training and wants to help the team," Simeone said at his pre-match news conference.

"We will have to wait and see what happens and then inform you. I spoke to him yesterday and he felt good, wanting to be with the rest of the team.

"The most important thing is he is well. If he doesn't play tomorrow he will play on Saturday."

Suarez had been in fine form for Atletico before being ruled out, scoring five goals in his first six La Liga appearances after joining from Barca for a nominal fee in September.

The 33-year-old's 1.2 goals per 90 minutes is the highest of any player in the division to have played at least three matches, with Valencia's Manu Vallejo (1.02) next best.

His six league goals have come from 22 shots, eight of those on target, both being the most of any Atleti player this season.

Bayern are also without key players for the Group A clash, meanwhile, as Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer, Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso have not made the trip to the Spanish capital.

Alphonso Davies and Joshua Kimmich are unavailable for a Bayern side already assured of top spot, but Simeone insists the competition holders cannot be taken lightly.

"The squad selection is a decision made by the Bayern coach," he said. "This Bayern side understand how to compete in each game they play.

"They have very good players and have almost all of their attackers available, with lots of goals in the side. That is a great strength that they have."

Atletico have picked up five points from four games and are two ahead of third-place Lokomotiv Moscow, who host Salzburg on Tuesday.

Bayern won the reverse fixture with Atleti 4-0 last month but Simeone wants to see his side take the game to their opponents and remain on course for a place in the last 16.

"In football you need forcefulness," he said. "After two draws, one loss and one victory, our margin is short. We are in need of points.

"Whatever the results have been in the previous games, we have to look at where we can do damage against Bayern."

Mumbai City will have to surpass the East Bengal challenge at the GMC stadium in Bambolim, on Tuesday evening, as Sergio Lobera looks to return to winning ways in the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL). 

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Mumbai City Possible XI:   

Injured - None
Doubtful - None  
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Ahmed Jahouh, Adam le Fondre     

East Bengal Possible XI: 

Injured - None  
Doubtful - None  
Suspended - None  

Key Players -  Anthony Pilkington, Jacques Maghoma     

Perth Glory have secured their first point in the Asian Champions League after a 3-3 thriller against Shanghai Shenhua in Qatar on Tuesday morning.

The Australians established a two-goal lead by mid-way through the second half after a pair of magnificent free-kick goals from Bruno Fornaroli and Carlo Armiento.

But Shanghai hit back with a quick-fire double from Giovanni Moreno and Yu Hanchao's go-ahead goal to put the Chinese Super League side in front with 17 minutes to play.

However, Glory dug deep snare a late equaliser with veteran Neil Kilkenny converting from the penalty spot in the 86th minute to earn Richard Garcia's side a point.

Shanghai Shenhua's Cao Yunding was sent off after the final whistle as his team missed an opportunity to put themselves in the box seat for qualification.

The highlight of the match was undoubtedly the two stunning free-kicks from Fornaroli and Armiento, which gave Glory a shock two-goal lead.

Fornaroli's 25-yard scorcher into the top corner was his first goal in Asian competition, while Armiento scored with his first kick of the ball, as his curled shot crept in despite the goalkeeper getting a hand on the ball.

Perth Glory have already been eliminated from the competition and have a dead rubber against FC Tokyo on Thursday to come.

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville says the current offside and handball rules in the Premier League are “nonsense”, and he increasingly feels most fans hate VAR.

The seemingly never-ending debate around VAR in England added another new chapter on Monday night as Ollie Watkins saw a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out as Aston Villa were beaten 2-1 at West Ham.

Watkins side-footed home from Jack Grealish’s cross but, after a lengthy VAR stoppage, the goal was disallowed. Watkins’ arm was adjudged to be fractionally offside as he jostled with defender Angelo Ogbonna.

Analysing the decision on Sky Sports after the match, Neville said his view was that the current rules on offside and handball are the biggest problem, rather than the VAR system itself – but he is aware fans are growing tired of the video refereeing system.

"Lines on screens are not the problem. What's happened is that the referee's credibility has been threatened and now they're even doubting themselves,” Neville said.

“The referee going over to the screen is not a problem. The referee going over to the screen and not sticking with the decision if it's right is the problem. It's the application of the technology that's the big problem, or the rule itself.

“The handball rule is a nonsense. The offside rule about the arm is a nonsense. Those two rules need changing. At that point, VAR would become more acceptable.

“The problem at the moment is that they (referees) look like they've been briefed, they look like they've been programmed like robots. They need to relax and chill out and go over to the screen and say 'I'm comfortable with my decision.' They're not. They're briefed like mad. They're programmed to the nth degree. They're frightened to death.

“Their authority has been taken away and the biggest problem is that the fans hate this thing. They've got to change it."

West Ham eventually prevailed through goals from Ogbonna and Jarrod Bowen, either side of a consolation from Grealish.

David Moyes' side rose to fifth in the Premier League table, while Villa remain firmly mid-table in 10th.

Gary Neville has lavished praise on Edinson Cavani, saying he is one of the best in the business at making near-post runs.

Uruguay international Cavani has been a deadly goalscorer throughout a career which has seen him shine at Palermo, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester United are looking for him to make the same sort of impact after bringing him to the club from PSG earlier this year.

There have been signs of quality, before he burst into life with two goals and an assist to inspire a win at Southampton on Sunday.

Both of his goals were headers where he showed his instincts to get in front of his marker to score.

Neville was deeply impressed and feels that even though Cavani has been pulling the same trick for years, he is difficult to stop because he executes the move so well.

“He had a big impact,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “The interesting thing about his [first] goal, Cavani is one of the best at it, he has been for years. 

“He did it against England in making that run in and around the near post. He does it all the time. He is always there, making that movement across defenders.

“As it comes to [Bruno] Fernandes, Manchester United have four players in this area, but the one that is on the move is the goalscorer, the one with the instinct.”

Neville referred back to Cavani’s debut for United against Chelsea in October as evidence of how he executes the near-post run so well.

“I talked about the near-post run and his first touch in English football is from a corner. He goes across the near post - which he will do every single time, you know it is coming.

"Against Southampton when the ball went out wide to the left, you are thinking Cavani is going to go in. You can’t believe Southampton, with three players around him, have not gone body-to-body to manage the run.

“As he runs in, he is one of the best in the business at it. Cavani has been doing it for years.”

Neville feels Cavani would have thrived at Old Trafford in the team he played for under Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Sir Alex Ferguson used to say as a striker, you have to get across the near post to take the first defender away as he likes to position himself and cement his feet at the near post, but to also affect the goalkeeper and Cavani is the best at it.”

Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has revealed he takes inspiration from club legend Eden Hazard and examines the Belgium international's style of play.

The Morocco international was part of the Blues side that battled to a 0-0 draw with Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, with Jose Mourinho's side going top of the division after the result.

Prior to the Spurs match, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said he didn't want to place the burden of replacing Hazard, who scored 110 goals in 352 games for the club before being sold to Real Madrid in 2019, on any of his attacking players.

However, Ziyech says he is an admirer of Hazard's abilities and admitted he studies the Belgian's game to help improve his own.

"Eden is a world-class player," Ziyech said.

"You always take inspiration from that, how he plays the game. You always look at the small things, how he does stuff - and I can learn a lot from him."

Despite failing to secure all three points against Tottenham, Chelsea remain only two points behind their London rivals on the Premier League table after 10 matches.

Ziyech believes Lampard's Chelsea side are capable of competing for title if they want to work hard enough for it.

"Of course we can make a challenge," Ziyech said.

"You always have to believe in it. It starts from believing in it and then working every day harder. At the need of the day we will see what it brings.

"But you have to believe it is possible and that is what we are doing. We believe it.”

Chelsea enjoyed the majority of possession with 60 per-cent against Spurs and also had 13 shots to five in the stalemate at Stamford Bridge.

Ziyech says he feels like only an individual mistake would break the deadlock and the Blues were disappointed to not pick up all three points at home.

"It felt like whoever was going to make the mistake would lose the game," he said.

"It was not really a game to play football. It was a tactical game. For their attackers and ours there was no space to play. We had much more of the ball than they had, but it was difficult to find space and create chances.

"Our feelings were mixed. A little disappointed because we were at home and we want to win the game but on the other side you have to look to yourself and say you didn’t create enough.”

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son are the best partnership in world football right now, according to former Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe.

The England and South Korea captains have helped fire Jose Mourinho’s Spurs to the top of the table, and are well on their way to becoming the most prolific duo in Premier League history.

Despite drawing a blank in the goalless draw with Chelsea last time out, Kane and Son have assisted each other to score 29 goals in the Premier League. Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba hold the all-time record after combining 36 times for Chelsea.

Kane has registered an incredible 13 goals and 11 assists in 16 games in all competitions this season, while only Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored more than Son’s nine goals in the Premier League.

Defoe scored almost 150 goals in 11 seasons at Tottenham and he thinks Mourinho deserves immense credit for helping the pair flourish together.

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

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

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

Tottenham were 14th in the Premier League when Mourinho took over late in 2019, and the turnaround he has orchestrated has surprised many.

After some mixed years at Chelsea and Manchester United, plenty dismissed the veteran Portuguese as past his best when he was appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s surprise successor.

Now Spurs are flying high – though Mourinho insists they aren’t in the title race – and Defoe thinks fans should appreciate the coach’s enduring greatness.

"I think it is understanding the players that he has got. Credit to Mourinho because there were a lot of people before he took the job that were thinking ‘no’.

“I believe that you should always appreciate greatness because he is a great manager. He is unbelievable."