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Antoine Griezmann has asked for patience from Barcelona’s fans, saying he has had a difficult adaption process on account of the upheaval at the club over the past 18 months.

France international Griezmann joined Barca in the summer of 2019, but he has not shown his best form since making the move from Atletico Madrid.

Griezmann can understand criticism if he is not playing well, but he pointed to the fact that he is now working under his third manager at the club since his arrival as a valid excuse.

Ronald Koeman is currently in charge of a Barcelona side who sit in 13th in La Liga, having replaced Quique Setien in the summer.

Setien’s spell in charge only lasted eight months, as he took charge of the club in January 2020 following the departure of Ernesto Valverde.

Griezmann feels the manager upheaval has not helped his adaption process, while also citing the coronavirus pandemic as another obstacle to overcome.

"I accept the criticism,” Griezmann told Jorge Valdano on the latest edition of Universo Valdano. “I had three managers in a year and a half, that is really hard with Barca’s style of play. Together with a pandemic to deal with too.

“So I still need time to adapt, because we had three different systems under three different managers, and therefore the players need time to adapt to me and I need time to adapt to them.“

Griezmann believes that given time, he can prove that he was worthy of the €120 million (£105 / $140m) Barca paid to prise him out of Madrid.

“People are asking if I’m a good signing or not, I know I can help,” he said. “Maybe I haven’t helped as some people would have liked, but I want to help my team-mates.”

Barca may be struggling domestically and there is also upheaval due to the upcoming presidential elections, but Griezmann, who said in the same interview that he had cleared the air with Lionel Messi over his failed move on 2018, feels they have the quality to secure silverware this season.

“It has been a tough two years, but there is plenty ahead,” he said. “We have the Champions League to look forward to and lots of games coming up. I believe we have the group to show we can win big things and we have to respond.

“I’m excited to respond, to win, and to help the team. They trust me and there’s no problem at all. I just want to be left alone and have some peace.”

After the first few of matches of the 2020-21 Indian Super League, the aftereffects of an improper pre-season is evident in how the teams have gone about their business on the field. 

After several months without football and on-field training due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, the ISL clubs set up camp in Goa to train a month before the season opener on November 20. 

While domestic travel wasn't much of an issue, getting the foreigners to Goa proved to be a struggle due to visa delays and whatnot. The foreign players came in batches, sorted by country - some countries approved visas earlier than others and that meant none of the head coaches was able to train with a full-strength squad for at least a month. 

Not going through a proper pre-season can be detrimental's to a team's progress. 

This year, however, neither club nor the league can be blamed for this mess. It is what it is - due to the pandemic - and football fans are just glad to have football back. But they also need to keep in mind that their favourite teams may need a little bit of time before they showcase their full potential. 

None of the teams who took the field so far have looked ready for action. They all - especially the foreigners - look at least a few weeks short of being fully ready for a whole season. 

Before the season opener, Kerala Blasters Kibu Vicuna said, "It is true that pre-season is short. In a new team, you like to train more. You have players who ended quarantine three days ago. Every team has its own problems. No complaints and excuses. We are happy to start the league. 

“The foreign players came later due to visa issues and they need more time. The whole team needs more time, not only physically but also tactically. We are going to be better next month than today, I am sure about that."

While Kerala Blasters struggled to convert possession into clear-cut chances and struggled in the attacking third in the opening game, the matches since then have proved that it is going to be a common occurrence to have teams lacking the kind of chemistry that fluid football demands. 

FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando has also been vocal about the issues teams will have to deal with due to the kind of pre-season they have all gone through. "Everybody knows that the pre-season was very short and the problem for us and other teams is that all the players were out of action for seven months. I feel that all the teams are not ready for 90 minutes.

"It's time to pay attention to the mentality of the players and it's very important to take care of injuries. In these situations, we need to forget the stress and to improve the team game-by-game," he added.

However, the decision by the league to allow five substitutions this season is a welcome tweak and will help coaches manage the situation better. 

It would be unfair to expect all players - especially foreigners who came late - to fire on all cylinders right from the start of the season. They will need some to settle into the coach's tactics - especially if the head coach is also a new arrival at the club and he wants to play possession-based football.

There are no shortcuts available for match fitness and tactical training and they need to be perfected game by game. The group that gets it right first may get an early advantage this season. 

Egyptian Premier League side Wadi Degla have completed the signing of Ludogorets Razgrad winger Jorginho

The 25-year-old Guinea-Bissau international has signed a loan deal with the Petro Sport Stadium side, having struggled to impress at the Bulgarian First League outfit.

Manager Nikodimos Papavasiliou has taken the attacker, who netted once in eight outings for the Eagles last season, on an initial one-year temporary deal that has an obligatory purchase option inserted for if the certain conditions are met.

Jorginho began his career at Manchester City Academy between 2012-2015. There, he represented the Citizens’ U19 and U23 sides, while featuring in the Uefa Youth League.

His inability to get a chance in the English side’s first team necessitated his move to Portuguese side FC Arouca in 2016 on a three-and-a-half-year- deal. He was handed his Primeira Liga bow in a 2-1 away triumph against FC Porto – coming on as a 78th minute substitute.

Against Moreirense FC on December 17, 2016, he scored a hat-trick in his team’s 4-1 away triumph

Jorginho scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 away victory over Moreirense F.C. on 17 December 2016 at Parque Moreira de Conegos.

The following season, he was transferred to AS Saint-Etienne, who loaned him later to G.D Chaves in a season-long move after acquiring him on a permanent basis.

In France, he made only seven appearances, including two against Manchester United in the Europa League qualifiers, while scoring in a French topflight game versus FC Lorient.

Even at that, he couldn’t cement his place in the first-team and was sent out on loan to Bulgaria’s most successful club CSKA Sofia, before joining their rivals Ludogorets permanently in July 2019. In his maiden season at Ludogorets, the African scored six goals.

On the international scene, Jorginho played for Portugal at youth level and was part of their squad to the 2014 Uefa European U19 championship, featuring in three games as they bowed to eventual champions Germany in the final.

In 2018, he pledged his international allegiance to Guinea-Bissau before earning his first cap on March 22, in their 2-0 friendly defeat to Burkina Faso.

Antoine Griezmann says he will refuse to cut his hair even if Barcelona demand him to change it.

The 29-year-old has sported long hair for most of his career and has continued to grow his hair since moving to Barcelona from Atletico in the summer of 2019.

Griezmann's has struggled to maintain consistency during his time at Camp Nou and has come in for criticism from Barca fans that has often extended to the off the pitch.

Often, Barca's fans have blamed the France international's long hair for his poor performances, but Griezmann has vowed to not cut his hair, even if he was asked by the club itself.

The attacker also admitted he had grown tired of the hateful comments directed at him by supporters.

"I will keep my hair long even if they ask me to cut it. My children and my wife want me to keep it," Griezmann told Jorge Valdano on the latest edition of Universo Valdano.

"Since my arrival at Barcelona, I have not spoken. I said at the time that I only want to speak on the pitch, not publicly.

"I have been putting up with many different comments, and now I’ve said enough is enough. It is time to put things right."

Griezmann has scored two goals and provided one assist in eight La Liga games so far this season.

His big chance conversion (50 per cent) is at its highest since 2017-18, when it was 59.3 per cent and he netted 19 league goals for Atletico Madrid.

However, his involvement at Barca compared to Atletico is down. Only once during five seasons at Atletico – in 2014-15 – did he have fewer successful passes per 90 minutes than so far this season (28.4). His 43.4 touches per 90 this campaign are lower than he had in any of his seasons at Atletico.

Griezmann has also created just 0.7 chances per 90 minutes in La Liga in 2020-21, and not once did he have a lower figure at Atletico.

Coming off a 1-0 loss to Atletico, Barcelona visit Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo insisted Cristiano Ronaldo does not receive any special treatment at the Serie A giants despite his superstar status.

Ronaldo has made a fine start to the season for Juve, scoring eight goals in his first six games despite being struck down with coronavirus for a period also.

His brace guided Juve past Cagliari 2-0 on Saturday, and Ronaldo has scored 29 of Juve's 59 Serie A goals in 2020.

Ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash against Ferencvaros, Pirlo discussed Ronaldo - and said the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was treated like any other player.

"I haven't challenged [Ronaldo] on set-pieces yet. I treat him like I treat all the other players. I'm always available on and off the pitch," he told a news conference.

"It's easy to have a good relationship between humble people. I'm like that.

"I behave with him – a champion – like I do with [Gianluca] Frabotta or [Manolo] Portanova, who are two young players.

"I do the same things I was used to doing when I was a player."

Pirlo will finally be able to call on all three of his star attackers, Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morara, to play at full strength in the same team against Ferencvaros, with each individual of the trio having their own issues this campaign.

Ronaldo, Juve's top scorer this season with eight goals in six appearances, missed four matches across Serie A and the Champions League after testing positive for coronavirus in October.

Dybala has battled injury and ill health and has only recovered full fitness in the past week, and Morata, who has six goals in nine games, needed time to settle after signing on loan from Atletico Madrid in September.

"We've been thinking about it from the start. Unfortunately, we never had them together in good condition," Pirlo told reporters on Monday. "We are thinking of different solutions.

"Dybala was injured, Morata wasn't there right at the start, Ronaldo had Covid... they trained together for a few days. Now, we'll try to balance the team, and then we'll look for a solution to let them play together, if possible."

All eight of Ronaldo's Serie A goals this season have come from inside the box, while he has converted 75 per cent of his big chances.

Ahead of hosting Ferencvaros, Juventus are second in Group G, three points adrift of Barcelona.

Moving away from the trend of registering very few shots on target, the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) match between Odisha and Hyderabad on Monday had seven attempts that the goalkeepers were forced to stop. 

Hyderabad had four shots on goal and Odisha tried their luck with three. However, interestingly. Hyderabad's goalkeeper Subrata Paul had an easy night in between the sticks. Overall, it was a good night for Manuel Marquez and there were a lot of positives to note down. 

Santana leads the way 

It was important for a team like Hyderabad, who had a disastrous debut campaign last season, to start on a winning note. By winning their season opener, Hyderabad have already won half the number of games they won last season. The Nizams have also registered their first-ever clean sheet in ISL. 

There was a lot to like about how Aridane Santana led the line for his team against his former employers. Santana's move may have slipped under the radar on social media considering the number of big-name arrivals at other teams but the Spanish striker had nine goals and two assists to his name from 14 matches last season - an impressive tally whichever way you look at it. 

An unfortunate injury had cut his season short but he's now back in yellow instead of blue and looked hungry to get off the mark. There have been debates about what constitutes a handball in various leagues around the world but as Steven Taylor slid inside the box to block Halicharan Narzary's shot after the half-hour mark, the ball struck the defender's arm which was away from the body.

The player's intention did not matter in this scenario as the referee Tejas Nagvenkar pointed to the spot right away. Santana confidently dispatched the spot-kick to put his team in the lead and the advantage was rarely threatened for the rest of the game. 

Impressive Indian duo 

There were two Indian players who impressed with their performances for Hyderabad. Left-back Akash Mishra was solid throughout the game and his display earned praise from Manuel Marquez. The coach said that the 18-year-old defender can become the best left-back in India - that's a good way to start the season!

Liston Colaco, who came on in the 62nd minute in place of Mohammed Yasir, was a delight to watch when he got on the ball. Granted, he was given time on the ball by his opponents but there were a few sumptuous touches in the centre by the former FC Goa forward that will have caught the eye of his coaching staff.

Odisha didn't look ready

Like a lot of the teams who have played their opening games this season, Stuart Baxter's Odisha also lacked a punch in all areas of the pitch. This could be attributed due to the improper pre-season that they were forced into due to the Coronavirus pandemic but the teams who can overcome that challenge early on in the season will be favourites to get into the playoffs. 

Baxter chose to go with Diego Mauricio upfront and pushed last season's star striker Manuel Onwu out onto the left flank. There may be reasons for a head coach to do that but Onwu's effect in the game was reduced by him being played out of position. Experiments will be forgiven by the fans at the start of the season but they will hope the Juggernauts can bounce back in the next game - against Jamshedpur on Sunday.  

There was a ring of uncertainty on the fate of the Kolkata Derby a few months back when East Bengal's participation in the Indian Super League (ISL) was shrouded with doubts, while Mohun Bagan had already jumped ship into the top tier, courtesy of a merger with ATK. 

With Shree Cement Limited coming on board as the majority investor, East Bengal were finally handed a pathway to participate in the ISL. On the other hand, Indian football aficionados rejoiced as the Kolkata derby would only get bigger and better with the marquee match now set to be played in the top tier. 

Tiri has been somebody who has been associated with ISL since 2015 and has been a part of it in every edition. In fact, he has spent two seasons with ATK (2015 and 2016) and is well acquainted with the magnitude of the match. But he is yet to make a debut in this high-voltage fixture.

"I have been in India for 6 years and I have seen the derbies on television, it will be incredible to be able to experience it!  I think it will be something incredible. To be able to play a derby is always nice! This year will be different without our fans but a derby is a derby and you have to give 100 per cent as in every match," expressed the player to Goal. 

ATK Mohun Bagan have got off to a perfect start with the win against Kerala Blasters and now their focus is on the boro match (Big match) as it is fondly called in Bengal. 

Tiri put in a brilliant shift at the back against Blasters and he would hope to get another clean sheet against East Bengal as well. He followed Gary Hooper like a shadow throughout the 90 minutes and nullified the threat of the British striker. 

On Friday, it is likely that he would have to go up against either Balwant Singh or Jeje Lalpekhlua. Both the strikers haven't been at their best lately. While Jeje is making a comeback from a lengthy injury layoff, Singh hardly had minutes for ATK in the 2019-20 season. Hence, they might be a bit rusty. 

But Tiri must remain on his toes as both would be keen to prove a point and grab the opportunity of becoming the blue-eyed boy of millions of fans with a goal against the arch-rivals. 

However, this derby is likely to be a shadow of what it usually is as the fixture would be played behind closed doors in an empty Tilak Maidan due to the pandemic. Without the fans, Tiri would not get to experience the electrifying atmosphere that the derby is known for. Yet, a win on his debut derby would definitely make it a memorable one. 

Youssoufa Moukoko has insisted he will chase his dream “like a lion,” after becoming the youngest player in Bundesliga history.

Moukoko wrote himself into the history books on Saturday when climbing off the bench to make his Bundesliga debut during Borussia Dortmund’s 5-2 win at Hertha Berlin.

Moukoko was 16 years and one day old when entering the field of play in the 85th minute, breaking the previous record held by Nuri Sahin, who was 16 years and 334 days old when he made his debut for Dortmund against Nurnberg in 2005.

The teenager has been on the radar for a number of years. He played for the Bundesliga’s Under-17 side at the age of 13, and once scored six goals in a game at the age of 14.

"I can't do anything about being good at football," he said in an interview with DAZN. "The one who works harder gets rewarded in the end.

"It was always my dream to become a professional football player. And if you have that dream you have to chase it like a lion."

Giovanni Reyna is another youngster on the rise at BVB, and Moukoko says he has forged an excellent understanding with the American.

Reyna is two years older than Moukoko, and while the pair had trouble communicating off the pitch - it appears there is an on-field chemistry.

"We never talked because he did not speak German and I had my difficulties with English,” Moukoko said of his relationship with Reyna. “But on the pitch, we understood each other. It was unbelievable."

Having made his Bundesliga bow at the weekend, the focus has shifted to whether Moukoko will be handed a Champions League debut.

Dortmund entertain Belgian side Club Brugge on Tuesday and BvB coach Lucien Favre has a decision to make on whether to include Moukoko in his plans.

Should Moukoko get on the pitch, he would become the youngest player in Champions League history. That record is currently held by Celestine Babayaro who was 16 years and 87 days old when he played for Anderlecht in 1994.

The German side occupy top spot in Group F through three games.

Nicolas Pepe says he is "deeply sorry" after being shown a red card in Arsenal's 0-0 Premier League draw with Leeds United on Sunday. 

The 25-year-old was shown a straight red after 51 minutes at Elland Road for headbutting Whites defender Ezgjan Alioski.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta described the winger's actions as "unacceptable" and the Ivory Coast international has now taken to social media to apologise for his conduct.

"Yesterday I let my team down at a crucial time of the game and there is no excuse for my behaviour," Pepe wrote on Instagram.

"I am deeply sorry and would like to apologise to the fans, my team-mates, my coach and everyone else at the club.”

Pepe was widely condemned for the incident, though Alioski was also criticised for goading his opponent into reacting before tumbling theatrically to the floor with minimal contact.

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra said Alioski "deserves an Oscar" for his reaction in the Sky Sports studio after the game.

However, things took a sour turn when both players received abusive messages of a racist and threatening nature online in the wake of the incident, with the police now set to launch a formal investigation.

Leeds and Arsenal both released statements condemning the “vile” abuse and pledged to work closely with the authorities in order to find the culprits.

Despite having an extra man for the majority of the second half, Leeds failed to take advantage, with both sides having to settle for a point in a goalless draw that keeps them in the bottom half of the Premier League.

The incident caps a difficult start to the season for Pepe, who is in his second season at Emirates Stadium after his £72 million ($95m) move from French club Lille.

Sunday’s clash at Elland Road just his second start in the Premier League. The Ivory Coast international has scored once and created just two chances for his team-mates, although one of those did lead to a goal.

The 25-year-old scored eight goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners last season.

Every week, it seems as if a new footballer has been seen limping off the pitch, or there is news about another player having been withdrawn from the squad due to an injury picked up in training.

While some players, such as Virgil van Dijk, have needed surgery due to on-pitch collisions, there have been more and more footballers who have been sidelined due to other injuries.

So what's been happening with footballers? Goal takes a look.

The natural answer is that due to the strange nature of this year's fixture schedule due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, players have been more overworked than normal, causing their bodies to cramp and strain.

The congested fixture schedule - with its aim to make up for the three months' worth of lost time in spring - has meant that the players have played more games over a short period of time.

What's more is that there was no proper pre-season break for the players in the summer, which meant no chance for them to rest ahead of the new season.

As a result, players have had to push their bodies to the extreme to cope with the demanding fixture schedule. Most top-level footballers play multiple tournaments at a time now in quicker succession - domestic league, Champions League/Europa League as well as their domestic cup games - which were seen as plentiful even during a normal, non-Covid-19 year.

The November international break must have felt like a horror movie to club managers who received update after update that more and more of their players had been injured.

Liverpool in particular were hit pretty hard, with Joe Gomez picking up an injury in training with England and out of action for several months, and Jordan Henderson was taken off the pitch at half-time playing for the Three Lions. There was a brief scare regarding Andy Robertson, who picked up a tight hamstring during the Euro 2021 play-offs with Scotland, but he was cleared to play shortly after.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was sidelined for a few weeks after he picked up a calf injury against Manchester City, while Fabinho and Thiago had already been on the treatment plan for quite some time.

For Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos, Casemiro and Karim Benzema rounded up a string of new injuries.

Former Liverpool player Dejan Lovren explained on Twitter that we are seeing more injuries due to the influx of games and a lack of proper recovery time, as well as the fact that there were no pre-season preparations.

That, as well as the added mental fatigue of coping with Covid-19 has also taken its toll. Obviously, with the virus still rampant, the coronavirus poses an additional threat to players' health. 

Several high-profile European-based players have tested positive for coronavirus, another element to add clubs' injury concerns.

Football figures have criticised the fact that international matches were still being played amid the pandemic, owing not just to the already demanding fixture schedule, but the fact that international competition would only act as a chance to further spread the virus across the world.

Toni Kroos has criticised FIFA and UEFA's rigorous schedule, berating their plans to add even more fixtures to the table as he referenced the forming of the new European Super League.

"With the invention of all these new things we seem to be just the puppets of FIFA and UEFA," he said on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast.

"These competitions are created to suck everything out of every single player physically and to suck out as much money as possible. When certain things work well it is a good idea to leave them that way."

Wayne Rooney has revealed he was “ready” to join Real Madrid or Barcelona when he handed in a transfer request at Manchester United 10 years ago.

The former England skipper expressed his desire to leave the Red Devils in October 2010 after questioning the club’s ambition and ability to attract top players.

The news sparked a scramble among the game’s elite clubs as they attempted to lure Rooney away from Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea were believed to be frontrunners for his signature, as were bitter rivals Manchester City.

Rooney has now revealed that Real and Barca were also in the frame, and that he was tempted with a move to La Liga.

“I think it was well documented that Chelsea and Mourinho wanted to sign me,” Rooney told the UTD Podcast.

“There was Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Man City thing kept cropping up, but there was never the option for me to go there.

“Although there were rumours on that as well, but the other three, really, were more realistic options.

“In my head, at the time, in that two-day period, I was ready to go and play in Spain.

“Ideally, I would have liked to have gone to Barcelona, but it was looking more likely to be Real Madrid than Barcelona. Chelsea were always there as well.

“To be honest, it was two or three days where there was communication between myself and them, or my representatives and team.

“I remember sitting down for one day and thinking ‘imagine playing in that Barcelona team – Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets'. And at that time Messi wasn’t playing the way he plays now, as a no.9 for instance. He was out wide.

“I was thinking I could have slotted in perfectly. I could have come to the ball as well and have players running in behind.”

Rooney famously performed a drastic U-turn just two days after handing in his transfer request, signing a new five-year contract after talks with manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chairman David Gill.

“After a couple of days, I spoke to David Gill again and when there were those protests at my house, I’d actually already agreed to sign the new contract by that time,” he added.

“I was thinking “Jesus”, it was three o’clock in the morning and I didn’t fancy going out to calm down 20 or 30 lads with their hoods up!”

Wilfried Zaha accentuated his importance to Crystal Palace after the Eagles bowed 1-0 to Burnley in Monday’s Premier League outing.

Since the start of 2014-15 when the Cote d’Ivoire international re-joined the Selhurst Park giants from Manchester United, Palace have lost 71.4 percent of English topflight games played without him.

These games included each of the last seven away matches away from home.

The 28-year-old did not travel with Roy Hodgson’ squad for the game against Sean Dyche’s men after testing positive for coronavirus.

"He has tested positive unfortunately for coronavirus so is self-isolating, and is awaiting the results of the next test,” Hodgson said prior to kick-off per club website.

“He is not feeling particularly ill, but unfortunately the test proved [positive], and he is following the procedures.

"We've known about it for a few days. We didn't want to broadcast it to the world because we were rather hoping that the second test might free him to play.”

In his absence, Michy Batshuayi was handed a starter’s role, albeit, they ended up on the losing side following Chris Wood’s eighth minute strike.

Senegal’s Cheikhou Kouyate failed to deal with a high ball from Johann Gudmundsson with Jay Rodriguez latching onto the centre-back’s misdirected headed clearance, neatly placing the ball first-time into the path of Wood who coolly slotted past Vicente Guaita.

Despite waking up from their slumber, Palace returned home with heads bowed low as the hosts put up a strong display defensively to frustrate their attacking forays.

With 30 minutes left to play, a chaotic Dwight McNeil back-pass gifted Batshuayi a golden chance, but Pope was quick to the danger, spreading his body to foil the Belgian’s first-time strike with an outstretched leg.

Followingthis result, Hodgson’s men have now lost four games in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign to sit in the 11th position on the log having accrued 13 points from nine games.

Zaha, who featured for Cardiff City on loan in 2014 and has found the net five times in eight Premier League games so far is also expected to miss Friday's tie with 15th-placed Newcastle United.

Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos have not been included in the Real Madrid squad for their UEFA Champions League clash with Inter Milan, but Zinedine Zidane has been boosted by the return of Casemiro.

France forward Benzema has not featured since picking up a knock in the loss to Valencia on November 8, and was absent as Real returned to action following the international break with a draw at Villarreal.

There was hope that he would be fit to link up with the squad for the trip to Inter on Wednesday, but his name was absent from the 21-man list.

Also missing is Ramos, who picked up a hamstring injury during Spain’s 6-0 win over Germany last Wednesday and may be sidelined for a number of weeks.

While Zidane is without his most potent attacking weapon and most experienced defender, he can call upon Casemiro.

The Brazilian has not featured since testing positive for coronavirus prior to the international break.

Casemiro linked up with the Madrid squad ahead of the Liga game with Villarreal on Saturday, but he was deemed to not be sharp enough for match action.

The Brazil international’s return is a huge boost to Zidane as he offers control in the middle of the park, which will be needed on the night in Milan.

Real travel to Inter occupying second place in Champions League Group B, with a win, a draw and a loss to their record from three games.

The match is not a must win for Real, but defeat would be a huge setback for their chances of reaching the knockout stages - and Casemiro’s calming presence will be of major significance.

An intriguing name on the squad list is Hugo Duro, the 21-year-old forward who is on loan at the club from Getafe.

With Benzema out and Luka Jovic absent after testing positive for coronavirus, Duro has been given the nod to travel.

He joined the club earlier this year and was expected to spend the season with the Castilla squad, but the lack of options has prompted Zidane to include him and he could make his Real debut in a Champions League tie.

Manager Roy Hodgson has talked down suggestions that Crystal Palace are too dependent on Wilfried Zaha after Monday’s 1-0 loss to Burnley.

The former Manchester United winger, who has scored five league goals in eight appearances this term for the Eagles, was ruled out of the game after testing positive for coronavirus.

In his absence, goalscoring responsibilities fell on the shoulders on Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi, however, they left Turf Moor on a losing note following Chris Wood’s first-half strike.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, the 73-year-old was questioned on his level of worry for their lack of goals in the wake of the Cote d’Ivoire international’s imposed absence, but he was quick to put that to bed.

"We've scored 12 which is more than we've had in previous years after nine games," the former Liverpool, Inter Milan and West Bromwich Albion told media as reported by club website.

"I've had two years of listening to people tell us we don't score enough goals and we don't have enough goal-scorers. There are goals in the team, we do have players who can score and who will score.

"There are 29 games to go and the goals will come and will come from lots of different sources, I'm convinced of that.

"We were very much on the front foot (in the second half) and taking the game to Burnley.

"There were a lot of situations around their penalty area but unfortunately the last part when we shot wasn't there and when it was, we found the goalkeeper in excellent form."

Hodgson revealed he was left unsatisfied with the result and failure to finish off clear-cut opportunities.

“All defeats are frustrating, especially with the way we went about our game in the second-half which was very much on the front foot, taking game to Burnley,” he continued.

“We created lots of situations in and around their penalty area, but unfortunately, the last pass or shot wasn’t there, and when it was, we found the goalkeeper in excellent form.”

Zaha, 28, will also miss the team’s fixture against Newcastle United on Friday at the Selhurst Park as he remains in isolation.

Antonie Griezmann has admitted that his decision to reject a transfer to Barcelona in 2018 upset Lionel Messi.

Griezmann eventually joined Barca in 2019, but the previous year he teased the prospect of making the move to Catalunya - only to remain at Atletico Madrid.

Messi spoke positively about Griezmann joining the club in 2018, and the Frenchman has admitted the pair had a long conversation when he eventually joined Barca.

"When I signed for the club I asked for forgiveness for delaying the move and saying I wouldn’t join Barcelona," Griezmann told Jorge Valdano on the latest edition of Universo Valdano. "I told Lionel Messi that I would give everything on the pitch for the club.

"I spoke with Leo when I arrived and he told me that when I turned down the first chance to go, he was screwed because he had asked for it publicly, but he told me he was with me and I notice it every day.“

Griezmann has not shown his best form at Barca, but his situation has not been helped by off-field distractions.

His former agent Eric Olhats and uncle Emmanuel Lopes have caused controversy by saying Griezmann has a negative relationship with Messi.

The France international has denied this and says he has no contact with either man.

"He (Olhats) was very important in my life but I don’t have a relationship with him anymore,” Griezmann said. “I stopped having any relationship with him since the day I got married. I invited him to the wedding day, and he didn’t come. That’s why I stopped having a relationship with him. 

“My uncle doesn’t know how football works. And in the end, the journalist ended up getting the statement out of him. I told Leo that I never speak to them, in fact, I don’t even have my uncle’s phone number. 

“My parents don’t talk to Eric either, so who is going to talk to him? He can do a lot of damage, and create problems in the dressing room.”

Griezmann is well aware that the best way to put criticism behind him is to perform on the pitch.

Barcelona are struggling in La Liga, where they sit in 13th in the table - 12 points behind leaders Real Sociedad, albeit with two games in hand.

They are better placed in the Champions League with three wins out of three to top Group G, and they face Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.

Wilfried Zaha did not travel with the Crystal Palace squad for the game with Burnley after testing positive for coronavirus. 

The Eagles travelled north for the game at Turf Moor, but star man Zaha was absent from the  squad.

Eagles boss Roy Hodgson confirmed that the forward was self-isolating due to a positive coronavirus test.

“He has tested positive unfortunately for coronavirus so is self-isolating, and is awaiting the results of the next test," Hodgson said . "He is not feeling particularly ill, but unfortunately the test proved [positive], and he is following the procedures."

Zaha will be absent from the rest of the Palace squad until he produces a negative coronavirus test.

Like all Premier League sides, Palace are heading into an extremely busy portion of the season.

The trip to Burnley is the first of an eight-game spell between now and the turn of the year.

Following the clash with the Clarets, Palace will take on Newcastle United, West Brom, Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Leicester City.

Palace’s league position is fairly healthy. Prior to kick off at Turf Moor, Hodgson’s side were sat in ninth in the table - with four wins from their opening eight games of the season.

Zaha has been key to the Eagles’ fine start to the season, as he has five goals and two assists to his name from eight appearances in the league.

The 28-year-old did not link up with the Ivory Coast national side during the recent international break, as he sat out the home and away games with Madagascar in Africa Cup of Nations qualification. 

The absence of the forward will be keenly felt by Palace, and Hodgson will be looking for the rest of his squad to take up the strain.

Michy Batshuayi is the beneficiary, as he was handed a start against Burnley. 

The Belgian forward is yet to register a goal this term, although he does have one assist to his name.

Batshuayi is playing for his future, as he is currently on loan at Palace from Chelsea and will hope a run in the team will yield some goals and put him in the shop window.

A lot was expected from Brazilian talisman Marcelinho when Odisha FC took on Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League clash at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim. Marcelinho failed to make an impact in the game in the first half and as a result, was substituted in the 53rd minute.

Marcelinho completed 16 passes during his passage of play with only 62 per cent pass accuracy in a game that Odisha lost 1-0. He looked unhappy after being withdrawn in the second half of the match as he shook his head in agony while making his way back to the dugout.

Odisha FC head coach Stuart Baxter said that he was forced to make the decision as Marcelinho was not impactful in the first half. He also mentioned that the decision to withdraw the winger was tactical as he wanted to try out different moves with other players on the field. 

"Well we had an idea to play Marcelinho as a No.10, but we didn't see him on the ball and if you don't see Marcelinho on the ball then you're not going to see him making a tackle and running all over the field. So I thought that we should go more direct. We had 10-15 minutes to increase our momentum a little bit. I think the players worked very hard, otherwise, we wouldn't have been in the game till the last minute," Baxter explained the logic behind the substitution. 

Besides Marcelinho, there were other Odisha FC players looked rusty. Baxter believes that the short pre-season was one of the reasons behind his players' sloppy form and said that he would have liked to spend more time with them. 

"I don't think I'm different from any of the coaches, we would like more time with the players. I think the fact that we were chasing the game once we gave away the penalty, the frustration that crept in that resulted in a few time challenges, that's probably the reason," Odisha FC head coach Stuart Baxter said in the post-match interview. 

Odisha, after losing the match against Hyderabad 0-1,  will take on Jamshedpur next on Sunday.  

Diogo Jota has been in fiery form for Liverpool following his £41 million ($53m) move from Wolves in the summer, becoming the first Reds player since Robbie Fowler in 1993 to score seven goals in his first 10 appearances for the club.

The Portugal international has recently started celebrating his goals by spelling out various letter of the alphabet - but what is he trying to spell out? Goal takes a look.

What is Jota spelling out with his celebrations?

Jota celebrated his goal against West Ham on October 31 by putting his fingers together to form the letter "M".

A few weeks later, when he doubled Liverpool's lead against Leicester in the Premier League on November 22, he once again made a letter with his hands during his celebrations - this time into the shape of the letter "A".

Fans have wondered what word Jota is spelling out with his goal celebrations, which are unique and in the same vein of Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland's trademark goal festivities.

The theory that has proved to be the most solid is that he is spelling out 'Massarelos', his hometown in Portugal, located within the larger metropolis of Porto.

With "M" and "A" having both been spelled out, this theory is on the right track.

It is understood that Jota's letters celebration is different than what the likes of Ben Chilwell, Ross Barkley and Jack Grealish have done. The trio are part of a WhatsApp group consisting of Premier League-based footballers titled "The Avengers" and have also celebrated goals by forming the letter "A" with their fingers.

"We have a little group chat called The Avengers," Maddison told EA Sports.

"[It has] Jack Grealish, Ross Barkley, Dele Alli and John McGinn are the footballers [in the WhatsApp group]."

Mason Greenwood has also celebrated by making the letter "A", dedicating his goal to former team-mate Angel Gomes, who was released by Manchester United.

This celebration involving shaping your fingers into the letter "A" has been around since the early 2000s, with Premier League players initially doing so to raise awareness for the foundation A-Star.

The foundation's name is taken from the idea that every young child has the capacity to be a "star".

Jota has been in prolific form for the Reds, setting a new record for becoming the first player in Liverpool history to score in his first four top-flight home matches after the Leicester game.

With Jota scoring goals aplenty, we'll know what he is spelling out through his celebrations soon enough - with every strike and celebration each a puzzle piece.

What do other people think Jota is spelling out with his celebrations?

While Jota spelling out the name of his hometown in Portugal seems the most likely explanation, fans on Twitter have done their own sleuthing about what he could possibly be spelling.

Some theories range from Jota perhaps spelling out the name of his team-mate - Sadio Mane - or planning to propose to someone!

Robert Lewandowski is unsure if he will finish his career at Bayern Munich.

The forward is the premier marksman in world football at present, having posted some amazing numbers in the 2019/20 season - 55 goals in 47 games across all competitions.

His efforts in front of goal helped Bayern secure domestic and UEFA Champions League glory last season, and he is in the hunt for individual honours at the end of the year.

The Ballon d’Or has been cancelled due to the  coronavirus pandemic, but the FIFA Best player is up for grabs and Lewandowski is one of the front-runners.

The Poland international has not allowed the stellar previous campaign to distract him, as he has hit the ground running in the new season.

He has 13 goals, including two hat-tricks, from 10 Bundesliga and Champions League matches and appears as hungry as ever.

Lewandowski’s current contract expires in 2023, and it is unlikely to be his last in the professional game - but is unsure if it will be with Bayern.

“I have the contract until ’23 and I never think what’s happening after,” the 32-year-old told The Associated Press. “Two-and-a-half years more on the contract. So it’s a lot of time and I know that I can play longer but I have enough time to think about this.”

As well as Bundesliga and Champions League success, Bayern also won the German Cup and Lewandowski describes their season as 'spectacular'.

“If you see what we did in this run it is amazing, spectacular - because we won everything that we could,” Lewandowski said. “This is something special.”

Lewandowski’s feats in front of goal are likely shaping the careers of the next generation, as he they will look to him as a role model to aspire to.

During his formative years, Lewandowski has revealed that Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was his idol.

“His movement was amazing. His finishing was amazing,” Lewandowski said. “So that’s why I was loving how he played, what kind of skills he had.”

Bayern’s 10-game winning run was halted by Werder Bremen at the weekend, when Lewandowski drew a rare blank, and he will look to get back on the goals trail against RB Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday.