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Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has revealed the reason he pulled out Lawrence Juma during the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Comoros in Moroni.

The 52-year-old tactician recalled Juma for the reverse fixture after he missed out on the first leg that ended 1-1 in Nairobi and gave him a start in the match Kenya lost 2-1.

Juma, who left Gor Mahia for Sofapaka, was later substituted early in the second half for Kenneth Muguna and Mulee has now explained what forced him to pull out the midfielder.

“We did not substitute him [Juma] because he was playing badly…no, we removed him because he was tired, very tired in the early stages into the game and these things do happen,” Mulee told Goal.

“If you look out also the heat was very strong in Comoros and that is why you saw we used all the five substitutions we were given by Caf.

“The heat took a toll on many players [including Juma], even Ayub [Timbe] was tired and we had to pull him out, but one thing I want people to understand is that most players who are in Kenya have not been active especially the attacking area if you look at Timbe he played for 45 minutes.

Mulee continued: "Other players affected during the match include Benson Muchiri, there is no league in Kenya, and if you check on Masoud Juma, they have not played, even Muguna.

“All the players are lacking match fitness, nine months without action, it leaves the coaches with a lot of work to do to come up with a good squad.”

Mulee has further defended his move to start Juma by stating: “I don’t have any fears to start Juma, only the fans are saying he should not have started but I started Juma because he has always been playing in the qualifiers we have played so far and was putting up a good show.

“It was the reason I gave him a starting role and even the squad was not changed much because I tried to maintain the squad which has been playing before and I think they did very well.”

After the loss, Kenya are now on three points after four Group G games, five points behind the islanders, and will host the Pharaohs on March 22 before wrapping up their campaign with a trip to Lome against Togo on March 30.

Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has confirmed the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has ordered the Cecafa U20 tournament to be played behind closed doors.

The regional competition which will bring together nine nations is set to kick-off on November 20 and will run until December 2 in Arusha, Tanzania.

But despite Tanzania having their Mainland Premier League attended by fans and even their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tunisia including spectators, the African body has maintained the tournament will be played without fans because of Covid-19.

According to TFF secretary general Wilfred Kidao, their efforts to convince Caf to have fans during the competition, have hit a snag since the African body feels it is a tournament for junior players and that Covid-19 protocols must be adhered to.

“Caf are the main sponsors of the tournament because it will produce two teams that will qualify for the 2021 U20 tournament in Mauritania, and for that, they have asked us to follow the protocol," Kidao told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

“Most tournaments under Fifa and Caf are adhering to Covid-19 protocols and saw all the matches have their own rules, so they have asked us as the host to follow the rules to the letter, we have tried to tell them we don’t have Covid-19 in Tanzania, but they have refused.

“We have told them our country has moved on and everything is back to normal but they have refused, we have also sent them a video of fans attending the derby between Yanga SC and Simba SC but they have also refused to accept our request.”

Kidao continued: “So it now means the U20 matches in Karatwa and Arusha will be played without fans, Caf has said the tournament involves juniors and they have a huge risk of contracting the Covid-19 and so they don’t want fans in attendance.

“We will follow Caf rules, we will adhere to the protocols as laid down and we will do everything to make sure the rules are followed and it is the same thing they did in the Cosafa tournament in South Africa, there were on fans, we really wanted to have fans to support our Tanzania team but the rules have now changed and we don’t have anything we can do.”

The Kenya U20 national team, the Rising Stars, started residential training for the tournament on Tuesday at the Kenya School of Government with both the team and the members of their technical bench undergoing the mandatory Covid-19 tests ahead of the regional junior tournament.

Kenya has been pooled in Group C of the tournament that will run from Sunday, November 22, to Wednesday, December 2, 2020, in Arusha.

Apart from Rwanda and Eritrea who will not take part, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Djibouti, Somalia, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda, will participate in the competition.

Odisha FC’s Shubham Sarangi was one of the young Indian players who stood out in the Indian Super League (ISL) last season. The youngster, who had joined Delhi Dynamos in 2017-18, was deployed as a right full-back by former coach Josep Gombau and the player impressed immediately. 

The versatile footballer, after joining in 2017-18, was immediately sent to Qatar’s famous Aspire Academy for a four-month-long training stint.

Earlier that season, Dynamos had signed a strategic partnership with the Aspire Academy and as a result, Sarangi was sent for training at the academy’s state-of-the-art facilities.The short training stint has been beneficial for Sarangi who believes he came back as a much better player.

Sarangi was left in awe of the Aspire Academy’s infrastructure and coaching modules as he spoke about his brief stint there.  “Aspire Academy is one of the best in the world. The facilities and the infrastructure is really good and world-class,” Sarangi told Goal.

“When I was training there, the sessions were really helpful and we used to understand the game much better. We used to have technical sessions and they used to make us understand the basics of football to improve our game.

“All these things really helped me as a player. My former teammates from Aspire are all playing the AFC Champions League and for the Qatar national team. I am still in touch with them. I am also looking forward to playing against them. Aspire gave me a platform and it was a very good learning experience.”

The Odisha-based footballer was among the probables for the Indian team for the U-17 World Cup in 2017 but had failed to make the cut in Luis Norton De Matos’ final squad.

The 20-year-old further spoke about the amazing experience he had in Qatar and credited Aspire for their top-notch infrastructure which is one of the reasons behind Qatar's improvement in stature as an Asian giant. It must be noted that Qatar won the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. 

“I would like to start with the Aspire academy. They have eight football grounds, one indoor pitch and that is what a budding footballer requires. The pitches are great. They pay attention to every small detail in order to improve the standard of the footballers.

Perhaps it was destined that Tiri would be returning to Kolkata, the city where he won his first ISL (Indian Super League) title in 2016. Unless providence had played its part, the defender would have been playing in yellow in the upcoming ISL season as he had signed a three-year deal with Kerala Blasters.

But things started to fall apart when the Blasters' management asked him to take a wage cut. In the end, no consensus could be reached and both parties mutually terminated the contract. 

The ATK Mohun Bagan officials were keeping a close tab on the developments in Kochi and as soon as the deal fell through, they knocked on Tiri's doors. They were in the hunt for a left-footed centre back who could replace Augustin Garcia who retired after last season. And the Spaniard fitted their bill. Soon enough, an agreement was reached and his next home changed from Kochi to Kolkata. 

Not many doubt his abilities on the pitch and his addition to the Bagan roster makes the team boast of arguably having the best backline in ISL, at least on paper. With Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan and Sumit Rathi the other centre-backs available for Antonio Habas, we can safely assume that Bagan's defence will be a tough nut to crack. 

However, Tiri needs to make a few adjustments as he would have to slot into a three-man backline, rather than in a usual back four. But the 28-year-old is confident that he can deliver the goods. 

"We are working hard and little-by-little I am adapting to my colleagues and to what the mister (coach) wants from me," stated the former Jamshedpur FC player to Goal. 

In the previous season, ATK had the second-best defensive record and that too by playing without Garcia for a large chunk of the season. With the arrival of an experienced campaigner like Tiri, Habas would definitely like to better his numbers from last year. 

Moreover, he is one of the few players who has clocked at least 1000 minutes in every season he has participated. This shows that he remains available in all weathers and can be counted upon in the decisive moments of the season. 

He is a leader and was one of the vital cogs in Jamshedpur's rearguard for the last three years. He not only had to marshal the defence but also had to guide the youngsters in Narender Gahlot, Jitendra Singh and a makeshift centre-back in Memo Moura. But at Bagan, he will be playing alongside quality defenders like Jhingan, Kotal and Subhasish Bose, who have proven their mettle consistently on the highest stage. This should further help him put his best foot forward as he would be able to focus more on bettering his own game. 

No ISL team has successfully defended the title since its inception and Tiri believes that this year too, the race will be wide open. 

"I think that each year the teams are reinforced better.  And this year will be special, not being able to play in our stadiums and without our fans ... so I think any team has options (chances) this season! We will do our best in each game," expressed the former Atletico Madrid Reserve player. 

 Given the firepower in the green and maroon armoury, it will not be surprising if a new record is set at the end of the campaign. 

Lionel Messi praised Argentina's performance against Peru and believes they are only getting stronger.

Nicolas Gonzalez and Lautaro Martinez scored first-half goals in Lima on Tuesday, lifting Lionel Scaloni's men to a third win in four World Cup 2022 qualifiers.

Argentina extended their unbeaten run to 11 games, while they have won their past three away qualifiers – something they had not achieved since 2000.

Messi was pleased with Argentina's display, which came five days after their draw at home to Paraguay.

"Happy with the victory, we needed it after the game we played the other day," the star said, via Argentina's Twitter account.

"From the beginning we had a great match, the goals came and we created many, many chances."

Messi added: "The second half the other day was already very good and I think we continued on the same line, even raising the level a bit.

"I think this is the way we have to follow. Little by little we are becoming stronger as a group."

Messi made his 142nd Argentina appearance against Peru, joining Brazil great Cafu for the equal fifth most by a South American man.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner wants to continue contributing for Argentina, who won in Peru for the first time since 2004.

"Whenever I come here I try to do my best and I feel qualified to fight for this shirt," Messi said. "I feel good to continue working and adding games."

The 2020 edition of the Club World Cup will be held in Qatar from 1-11 February 2021. The 2022 World Cup hosts will host the continental club championship for the second consecutive season after hosting the 2019 edition.

Hassan Al Thawadi, the Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, has assured that the upcoming Club World Cup will be an ‘exceptional experience’ for fans, players and officials'.

 “Hosting the FIFA Club World Cup for a second time represents another vital learning opportunity for our country as we edge ever nearer to hosting the FIFA World Cup. We will be working closely with our stakeholders to provide an exceptional experience for fans, players and officials, while fine-tuning our plans for 2022.”

Nasser Al Khater, who serves as the CEO of the FIFA Club World Cup 2020 Local Organizing Committee, hopes to deliver the continental club championship with as many fans as possible at the stadiums.

“It is our goal to host matches during the FIFA Club World Cup with as many fans as possible and build on the success of 2019 to deliver an even better experience for everyone involved. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and ensure our preparations prioritise the health and safety of everyone involved in the tournament.”

Meanwhile, H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al Thani, who is the President, Qatar Football Association (QFA) believes that hosting the Club World Cup for the second time running would confirm their readiness for the 2022 World Cup.

“It was a pleasure to welcome thousands of fans from across the world in 2019. Hosting the event for a second time will undoubtedly confirm our readiness for the FIFA World Cup.

“I wish all the participating teams the best of luck and look forward to witnessing top-level football during the tournament.”

“The tournament presents an exciting opportunity for Al Duhail, who will have the chance to take on some of the best club sides in the world. We also look forward to again hosting Bayern Munich, one of the most prestigious clubs in world football.”

The AIFF (All India Football Federation) President Praful Patel took to social media to assure fans that the federation remains committed to promote women's football in the country in the aftermath of FIFA's announcement that the 2021 U-17 Women's World Cup, which was scheduled to be held in India, has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

India was appointed as the host by the FIFA Council meeting at Miami on 15 March 2019. But after taking stock of the pandemic situation, the governing body for the sport decided to scrap the event in its entirety. The 2020 U20 Women's World Cup has also been cancelled along with the U17 edition. 

It must be noted that India will also host the Women's Asian Cup in 2022 as well.

"In light of not being able to host the tournament next year, FIFA U17WWC taking place in India in 2022 comes as a delightful silver lining. We now have a unique opportunity to start afresh and still have a considerable headstart from the work that has been already put in.

"Following discussions with FIFA, we agreed that hosting the tournament without proper qualifications & without spectators led to more uncertainty and it would have taken away from our objective of developing & promoting women’s football by hosting the U17WWC in such circumstances.

"We thank FIFA for its support and now eagerly look forward to 2022. The journey we have made so far has given our women footballers confidence to compete at the highest level and we are committed to steering women’s football in the right direction to ensure it achieves greater heights," stated the Member of Rajya Sabha.

FIFA asserted that the decision to cancel the event was taken after the various stakeholders decided to take a 'health and safety first' approach. 

"Since the previous decision earlier this year to reschedule both tournaments to early 2021, FIFA has been consulting with all stakeholders. As a result and after careful consideration of the feedback received by the stakeholders combined with the inability to further postpone these tournaments, the FIFA-Confederations COVID-19 Working Group subsequently recommended that the 2020 editions of the two women’s youth tournaments be cancelled and that the hosting rights for the 2022 editions be offered to the countries that were due to host the 2020 editions," FIFA stated in their release.

It must be noted that the CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America) and CONMEBOL (South America) qualifiers had not been conducted while UEFA (Europe) cancelled their qualifiers outright earlier this year, nominating Spain, England and Germany (as the highest-ranked teams) for the World Cup.

India will now host the 2022 U17 Women's World Cup while Costa Rica will get the chance to host the 2022 U19 Women's World Cup. 

Perth Glory will return to Asian Champions League action nearly nine months after their campaign was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The A-League side will take on Chinese giants Shanghai Shenhua in Qatar on Wednesday evening (AEDT) - where a hub has been organised by the AFC for the competition to be completed over the next month.

Glory will be hoping for a better result than in their debut match in the tournament, where they were beaten 1-0 by FC Tokyo back in February shortly before the competition was stopped because of coronavirus.

When the Australian first division returned in July, a Glory side - minus superstar Diego Castro - performed inconsistently but still managed to qualify for the finals and won their elimination match 1-0 against Wellington Phoenix.

Tony Popovic's Glory were unfortunately bundled out 2-0 by eventual champions Sydney FC at the semi-final stage, with their Australian coach deciding to leave the club in the aftermath to join Greek side Xanthi.

Now with former Socceroo Richard Garcia in charge, Glory - armed with Castro back in the team - are ready to make an impression on the continental stage.

"It’s good to have Diego back, to be honest it’s good to have all the players back,” Garcia told FTBL.

"The experienced guys as well like Neil Kilkenny, Liam Reddy and also great to have Bruno back on board and the addition of Andy Keogh as well.

"We’ve got a good bunch of experienced guys who are there to be able to help facilitate the younger guys ad help them evolve.

"It’s important that we treat every situation on its merits. Look, I think Diego has come back into the club and been very positive, been a great leader amongst the group, especially amongst the young guys.

"His attitude and application have been top class."

Perth's opponents Shanghai Shenhua finished seventh in the Chinese Super League and feature the likes of Stephen El Shaarawy and Giovanni Moreno in their squad.

When Gary Hooper put pen to paper on a deal to sign for Kerala Blasters in the summer of 2020, all he wanted was to get back on the pitch and continue scoring goals. 

Nothing fancy. Just be the fox in the box and convert chances and help the team win games. That's what Hooper wanted to do and with the seventh season of ISL set to begin on Friday, the English striker is raring to go. 

"ISL is an upcoming league. When the manager (Kibu Vicuna) and the club got in touch with me, it was an interesting phone call, and the goals for this season made me want to come," Hooper, who is currently training with the team in Goa, told Goal .

"Over here (in Indian football), there are a lot of chances in the game, it is an open game. My playing style is (about) scoring inside the box. (I don't score) many goals from outside the box, my goals are (from) inside the box."

Hooper had a difficult start to his professional career and has had to work hard to play to top-level football. He spent his youth career at Tottenham Hotspur but couldn't get a ticket to the senior team. After several unsuccessful trials and a few short stints in non-league football, he got his big break. 

"My journey was interesting, I have played and scored in every league now. I was at Spurs for seven-eight years and then went non-league. I think the turning point was going on loan to Southend, scoring goals and then to Scunthorpe. Then going to Celtic was the biggest one for me."

Hooper took the Scottish league by storm - scoring 82 goals in three seasons and winning back-to-back league titles. His displays got him an offer from the Premier League which he couldn't turn down. 

"Celtic (stint) is the best three years in my career so far. We won the title twice, played in the Champions League and the Europa League, played with some good players. After the third year, the Premier League came calling and I could not turn it down, it is the best league in the world," Hooper recollected.

The 32-year-old couldn't replicate his success in England but still made a name for himself in the final third at Norwich City. Last season, he replaced ATK's Roy Krishna at Wellington Phoenix and this year, he has followed the Fijian to India. 

Hooper's first days are unfortunately and understandably in a biosecure bubble in Goa due to the Coronavirus pandemic. He will need time to settle in but he is already enjoying the practice under Kibu Vicuna. 

"I am still getting used to the hotel restrictions, the bubble and the humidity. I was used to the quarantine when I went to Australia. The restrictions in the hotel are different for me, coming from England. Going to training and then coming back to the hotel straight is a bit weird for me but I am getting used to it. 

"The lads are friendly, they came up to me and spoke to me, which helps because I didn't know anyone. In training, there is a lot of (focus on playing) football so I like it. I enjoy the training, hopefully, we can take it to the pitch. My first few sessions were getting used to the style and how everyone plays."

Hooper has set his eyes on scoring plenty of goals this season. After the departure of the club's all-time topscorer Bartholomew Ogbehce, fans will be hoping Hooper can hit the ground running. 

"For me, it is about winning games and getting into top four for the playoffs. If we get to playoffs, we take it game by game. So the main thing is getting top four, winning games and keeping everyone fit. For me, it is about scoring a lot of goals."
 

Sergio Lobera has revealed that he has always been an admirer of Mumbai City FC before joining the Islanders following his exit from FC Goa towards the end of last season.

Having joined the City Football Group (CFG) side, he said, "I think it's the best place to work now because it's a bigger step in my career. The support and advice I can receive from the City Football Group are very helpful for me and Mumbai City always was a club I admired. I think they have very good players and it's the best place to try and implement my ideas.

During his time in India, Lobera led FC Goa to the play-offs in each of the three seasons including a final appearance, won the club its first major piece of silverware in the form of the 2019 Super Cup before parting ways with the Goan outfit when they were atop the standings in the 2019-20 Indian Super League (ISL) with only three matches to go in the league stage. 

While at Mumbai City, over the past couple of seasons, Jorge Costa managed to build a formidable side with a strong defensive organisation and a counter-attack philosophy - something that is expected to change under Lobera who professes a free-flowing, attacking brand of football. 

"I respect all coaches and it's important to respect the different styles of play, but after working for eight years at FC Barcelona my belief is in (attacking) football. Thankfully, until now I could decide where I can work and I always try to go to a club where it is possible to implement my philosophy. 

"I think Costa did a very good job at Mumbai and now is a new era. I will try to help the club in my position as much as possible," the new Mumbai City coach insisted.

At FC Goa, Lobera boasts of an enviable record of winning 29 of his 56 games in charge of the Gaurs (a win ratio of 52 per cent) - the best numbers in his managerial career so far.

"[To do] better [than what I did at FC Goa] is difficult. Now I only need to think about how to win the ISL," he quipped. "It is very difficult but I accept the challenge. If I am here, it's because I believe it is possible (to win the ISL with Mumbai City).

"I don't like to compare with another club because when you compare with another club, you try to explain how the other clubs are working and I am not at these (other) clubs. I don't try to compare but I know how the situation is inside Mumbai City and City Football Group and I think it is the best," he stated.

Players like Ahmed Jahouh, Hugo Boumous, Mandar Rao Dessai and Mourtada Fall have all followed Lobera from Goa to Mumbai and Lobera feels players who are familiar with his style will help him implement his philosophy. 

"I think if you have players who have played under you before, you can implement the style of play easier and I am very happy that they decided to come on board with us for sporting reasons. When I read some news about the money (fees), only the club can answer if they had the best offers. 

"If they decided to come and play with us, it is because they want to play in our style of play and be part of the Mumbai City family and the City Football Group. I am very happy and proud about that," the 43-year-old esteemed.

However, if you're wondering how long until Mumbai City can absorb Lobera's attacking style of football, his response was - "It's not easy. We have a short time, we have new players and a fresh squad. We are talking about Mandar, Boumous, Jahouh, Fall, but I have 28 players. You know that, at FC Goa, the first season was not the same as the second and the second was not the same as the third. I try to improve every day but I need to be competitive from the first day."

Under Lobera, FC Goa has always dominated Mumbai City. With the clubs to cross paths in an exciting encounter on November 25, will that change?

"I don't know. This is the past and I have not predicted the future, but hopefully, we can play very well against all teams and against Goa," Lobera signed off.

Nicolas Gonzalez continued his rapid rise and Lautaro Martinez was on target as Argentina maintained their unbeaten start to CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win over Peru.

Argentina's perfect record was ended in a draw against Paraguay last time out, however the Albiceleste stayed undefeated on the road to Qatar 2022 thanks to Gonzalez and Martinez in Lima on Tuesday.

Gonzalez, who scored in the Paraguay stalemate, opened the scoring with his second international goal in five appearances in the 17th minute before Martinez doubled Argentina's lead 11 minutes later.

With the result, Argentina remain second and two points behind CONMEBOL leaders Brazil through four matchdays.

Peru started on the front foot at the Estadio Nacional, where Christian Cueva appealed for a penalty inside the ninth minute but it was waived away by the referee, despite a pitch-side review – Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani was adjudged not to have made contact.

Pedro Gallese did not have much to do, but he was forced to collect the ball from his net after Gonzalez capped a fine team goal – Giovani Lo Celso creating space in a sublime movement before laying off a pass with the outside of his boot as the former finished powerfully across the Peru goalkeeper.

Lionel Messi almost helped double Argentina's lead when he played a throughball for Nicolas Tagliafico, who was denied by a last-ditch block in the 24th minute.

Argentina, though, did get their second goal four minutes later after Martinez broke the offside trap, running onto Leandro Paredes' pass down the middle and rounding Gallese in a swift attacking move.

While Peru ended the half strongly, they had nothing to show for it, though they continued to build some momentum in the second half.

Lucas Ocampos almost scored a goal with his first touch, but Gallese made a fine save approaching the hour-mark, after Messi's exquisite pass almost released Martinez.

Messi tried desperately to get on the scoresheet, but he had his penalty appeals waived away and his goal-bound effort was deflected for a corner, while substitute Angel Di Maria was thwarted by Gallese.

What does it mean? Argentina roll on

Argentina are yet to taste defeat in four World Cup 2022 qualifiers. Not since last year's Copa America in July have Lionel Scaloni's side lost – a run of 11 international fixtures. It was also Argentina's first victory away to Peru since September 2004, having drawn three times previously.

Lo Celso shines in Lima

After impressing off the bench against Paraguay, Lo Celso was at it again from the outset on Tuesday. He helped set the tone with a wonderful assist – his quick feet, vision, composure and passing on display.

Subdued Messi wasteful

Messi was far from his best against Peru, but it did not matter as the likes of Lo Celso and Paredes stepped up. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was not without his chances, though Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer uncharacteristically saw two golden opportunities go begging in the second half. Messi has now gone three international matches without scoring.

What's next?

Argentina will be back in action in March next year, the South American powerhouse facing rivals Uruguay and Brazil, while Peru will take on Bolivia and Venezuela.

Luis Enrique said his Spain team delivered a perfect display as they thrashed Germany 6-0 to secure their Nations League progression, while also revealing that Sergio Ramos' injury appears to be minor. 

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick while Alvaro Morata, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal also grabbed goals in a remarkable match on Tuesday, meaning Spain top Group A4 ahead of their opponents. 

It was Spain's first win in four matches, Luis Enrique's side having drawn successive matches against Switzerland and the Netherlands on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Ukraine. 

However, victory in Seville was never in doubt as they dominated from start to finish, amassing 23 attempts to Germany's two and controlling 69.7 per cent of the possession. 

Neither of Germany's efforts were on target, with Spain the first side since France in November 2015 to prevent Joachim Low's side from hitting the target at all in a match. 

"Well, the game went perfectly. Everyone plugged in and hit the mark," former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique told reporters. 

"Germany has brought out its best team and I think that from the beginning we have played very well, and it is one of the best and most complete matches of the national team. 

"In the previous matches we were superior, but we had no prize. It will be nice to play in the final four.

"These players can represent Spain well. We have a group of 30 players who perform very well. Our forwards have a lot of quality, and I wish we had a player who scored a lot of goals, but today we have seen several players score." 

The only disappointment for Spain was first-half injuries sustained by Sergio Canales and Ramos, both suffering hamstring problems. 

Though unable to confirm a definite timeframe on Ramos' return, Luis Enrique offered hope that the Real Madrid defender will not be out for too long. 

"The injuries are minor and I hope they are out for a short time," he added. "It is what I feel the most, because I have been a club coach and I put myself in their place."

Manchester United star Edinson Cavani has been sent off while on international duty for Uruguay after making a dangerous challenge on Brazil and Everton striker Richarlison.

The 33-year-old was shown the straight red mid-way through the second half as the 10-man Uruguayans crashed to a 2-0 defeat at home against the Selecao on Tuesday.

Cavani attempted to make a challenge as Richarlison powered away with the ball but only managed to catch his opponent's shins with his studs in a reckless and dangerous manner.

After being alerted to the incident by VAR, the referee deliberated in front of the pitch-side screen before returning to the field of play to show Cavani the red card.

The two-goal defeat leaves the Uruguayans positioned in fifth on the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table after five matches, with the top four achieving automatic qualification for Qatar 2022 and fifth place earning a playoff.

With each team playing 18 matches, Uruguay made the best possible start to their qualification with a 2-1 win against Chile last month, however they disappointed in a 4-2 defeat versus Ecuador shortly after.

Heading into the Brazil match, it appeared the Uruguayans were in top form as they crushed Colombia 3-0 on the road, but they were unable to deal with the early brilliance from the Samba stars.

Despite missing Neymar through injury, Brazil earned a 34th minute lead through Juventus' Arthur, before Richarlison's goal on the stroke of half time gave them some crucial breathing space.

Uruguay worked hard to get back in the match during the second-half, but their task was made harder by the 71st-minute dismissal of Cavani and they failed to record a shot on target for the entire 90 minutes.

Cavani, who joined Manchester United at the end of the transfer window, was making his second start for his nation during the international window - after scoring the opening goal against Ecuador.

The ex-PSG striker has been slowly working his way back to match fitness at Old Trafford, and scored his first goal in the 3-1 win against Everton just prior to the international break.

Brazil continued their perfect start to World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win over Uruguay in Montevideo on Tuesday.

First-half goals from Arthur and Richarlison lifted a Neymar-less Brazil to a fourth straight win to begin their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Uruguay, who were without Luis Suarez after the forward's positive coronavirus test, hit the crossbar twice in the first half before their chances took a further hit when Edinson Cavani was sent off in the 71st minute.

The result extended Brazil's unbeaten run against Uruguay to 11 matches.

While Brazil made a bright start, it was Uruguay who went closest to an early opener, Darwin Nunez powering an effort onto the crossbar from inside the area after cutting inside from the left in the fifth minute.

After a relatively even opening, Brazil struck twice in the 11 minutes before half-time through Arthur and Richarlison.

Arthur opened the scoring with his first international goal, the midfielder receiving a pass from Gabriel Jesus before seeing his 20-yard effort take a huge deflection and wrongfoot goalkeeper Martin Campana.

Roberto Firmino squandered a great chance two minutes later when he was denied by Campana, but Brazil would double their lead through Richarlison.

A short corner led to an unmarked Richarlison getting on the end of a Renan Lodi cross to head in and make it 2-0.

There was still time for Uruguay to be denied by the woodwork again to finish the half, Diego Godin's header hitting the crossbar after Nicolas De La Cruz's set-piece.

After few chances to begin the second half, Uruguay's comeback chances were dealt a blow in the 71st minute, Cavani having a yellow card for a challenge on Richarlison upgraded to a red following a VAR check.

Just as Martin Caceres thought he had given the hosts hope with a goal shortly after, it was correctly ruled out for offside, Uruguay unable to find a way back into the contest.

What does it mean? Brazil stay perfect

In what is a gruelling qualifying campaign, Brazil have made a dream start with four wins from four. Tite's men finished top of the 2018 standings with 12 wins, and they are on track for another dominant campaign.

No Neymar, few problems for Brazil

Without their star forward due to a thigh injury, Brazil still managed back-to-back wins to continue their perfect start to qualifying. However, they missed the Paris Saint-Germain star's spark in Montevideo, creating few chances but making the most of those they had to claim three points.

Uruguay still can't find a way against Brazil

The loss extended Uruguay's winless run against Brazil to 11 games, with their last victory in meetings between the nations coming in 2001. It could have been different with some luck after Nunez and Godin hit the crossbar in the first half and Caceres had an effort ruled out in the second.

What's next?

Brazil and Uruguay continue their qualifying campaigns in March next year. Tite's men will face Colombia and Argentina, while Uruguay meet Lionel Scaloni's side and Bolivia.

Eden Hazard will have a "fabulous" 2021 after missing out on Belgium's final games of this year with coronavirus, according to Roberto Martinez.

Since completing a €100 million (£88m/$112m) move to Real Madrid in June 2019, Hazard has been beset by injury problems and limited to just 25 appearances in all competitions.

He has scored two goals and supplied four assists for Los Blancos, after a final campaign at Chelsea in which he registered 16 goals and 15 assists in the Premier League alone.

A muscle injury meant his first outing of 2020-21 did not come until October 27 and three games into his return he tested positive for coronavirus.  

Hazard was again positive for Covid-19 at the weekend and will consequently miss Belgium's crunch Nations League Group A2 clash with Denmark.

However, Martinez is confident the 29-year-old will soon return to his previous heights and play an important role for Madrid and Belgium.

"Eden really wanted to join us and play the last three games in 2020," said Martinez on Tuesday.

"He has had a really complicated year. I am convinced that 2021 will be a fabulous year for Eden Hazard, and also the national team."

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois added: "It's a shame he'll miss this match, but we have enough quality to win without him.

"The group has more experience, we know what we have to improve. We have one of the best teams in the world."

Martinez will also be without the suspended duo Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier for the meeting in Heverlee, where a point will be enough for Belgium to qualify for the Nations League Finals.

"We are not going to focus on the absentees. I am looking at the players that will have the chance to put themselves forward, to seize an opportunity," said Martinez.

"I have many solutions to compensate for the absences of Wistel and Meunier. There is Thomas Foket, Thorgan Hazard and Nacer Chadli among others.

"Denmark are a very strong team but we want to participate in the Finals so we will do everything to win. We are not going to aim for a draw. We have to win for the fans and to end the year on a good note."

Belgium missed out on a place in the inaugural Nations League Finals in 2019 after losing their final group game against Switzerland 5-2.

Courtois insists they have learned from that performance and know they cannot take Denmark lightly.

"We know their strengths and weaknesses. If they win, they will quality. We have to show intensity from the first minute to the last, be careful and focused. We will not easily win this game 4-0," said Courtois.

"We had relaxed a bit that day [against Switzerland], it's true. We learned from that match. We are ready for Wednesday."

France manager Didier Deschamps has heaped praise on Paul Pogba after the Manchester United’s performances for Les Bleus during the international break.

The spotlight has been on Pogba in recent weeks with the midfielder out of favour at Old Trafford, but he helped France qualify for the Nations League finals with wins over Portugal and Sweden.

Deschamps praised Pogba’s ‘pride and talent’, and said he hopes his performances for France will help him win back his place in the Man Utd team.

“Just see what he was able to do in Portugal and what he did tonight,” Deschamps said in his press conference after Tuesday’s 4-2 win over Sweden.

“I know him, I know how he works. He has pride and above all he has talent. When you have to defend, he can defend. When he has the opportunity to express himself, he is able to do so.

“Paul is a top-level player and I hope what he did with us will be useful to him when he gets back to his club.”

Pogba seemed relieved to be back on the pitch with France after a recent interview where he admitted the last few months have been the most difficult of his career.

"I had never known such a difficult period in my career," he said in an interview with RTL.

"The France team is a breath of fresh air, the group is exceptional, it's magic."

While Pogba faces plenty of criticism in Manchester, team-mates past and present have rallied around him during the international break.

N’Golo Kante described him as a pleasure to play with, while Hugo Lloris backed him as one of the leaders of the world champions.

Meanwhile, former Juventus midfield partner Claudio Marchisio publicly called for Pogba to return to the Serie A champions with a tweet saying he “will be happy again” in Turin.

Juventus director Fabio Paratici made headlines recently when he admitted that Juve still care about Pogba, though he didn’t go as far as saying a move was in the works.

“Right now, Pogba is a Manchester United player and it is far too early to think about future transfer targets,” Paratici told Sky Sport Italia. “We all care for Pogba here, one of many ex-players who gave Juve so much, but it's too early to talk about future objectives.

“We are concentrated on constructing this team for this season, that is where our focus lies.”

England boss Gareth Southgate is adamant Premier League managers would also select the best players for international duty if they were in his position - as the club versus country battle continues with injuries continuing to grow.

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Liverpool Joe Gomez have both suffered injuries on international duty with the Three Lions, while Chelsea's Ben Chilwell has also picked up a minor issue as the players' schedule continues to be heavy across club and country.

The current international break has seen the Three Lions compete in three matches across a week period, with a Republic of Ireland friendly and a dead rubber against Iceland either side of a crunch contest versus Belgium.

Southgate made no apologies for selecting the best players for England duty - but said he understood the angst from club managers.

"In terms of the club managers, there is a power game the whole time," Southgate said ahead of Wednesday's Nations League clash against Iceland.

"Whether that’s phone calls, messages, press conferences. We know everything that goes on. I totally understand it.

"Four years ago I was thinking, “I had better be careful”, but if we start going down that route we would have to pick just one from every club to make sure it’s balanced. That’s impossible. So I have to do what is right.

"We have given what ground we can but we have to prepare to win. All the league managers would do the same in my position."

England were in contention to qualify for the Nations League finals at the start of the international period, and following a 3-0 friendly win against Ireland, the Three Lions were beaten 2-0 by Belgium at Den Dreef to end their chances of progression.

With the Euros coming up next year, Southgate insists his England players want to be playing for their national team and pointed to the depth of squads for other nations as a reason why the Three Lions need to be at full strength,

"We are representing 50 million people, we are trying to prepare for the European Championship," Southgate said. "The players want to play. They want to achieve personal landmarks.

"They are in a really difficult situation. They are under huge pressure from their clubs. That is going on in the background, for sure. That is the landscape whether it is made public or not.

"I totally get it from a club perspective. It’s never been more competitive in our league and we have lots of huge personalities and strong people who are always looking for an edge. So we’ve got to manage that.

"We will help but we’ve also got to be firm. Our competitors are making use of the games and building their teams, and we’ve got to do that.

"We have challenges in our country and have done for years because of the strength of the league. It makes it more difficult for England at times, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t hinder our own chances.

"We are competing against France, who pick all their players, Spain, who pick all their players, Portugal, who pick all their players. For example Paul Pogba has played this week, Ronaldo has played. He has 150 caps."

Alvaro Morata revelled in Spain's 6-0 rout of Germany as Luis Enrique's side shrugged off previous criticism to produce a stunning performance in Seville. 

Spain failed to make the inaugural Nations League Finals after a disappointing 2018 World Cup, but have progressed to the semi-finals in style this time around. 

Germany needed just a point from the clash to ensure they finished top of the group, yet instead Joachim Low's side suffered a chastening defeat on Tuesday.

Morata opened the scoring, with Manchester City duo Ferran Torres and Rodri also on target before half-time. 

Torres went on to get a hat-trick – becoming the first Spanish player to net three in a single match against Germany – while substitute Mikel Oyarzabal rounded off the scoring late on.

The victory means Spain finish top of Group A4 having inflicted Germany's heaviest defeat since they lost 6-0 to Austria in 1931.

This was no fluke either as the hosts dominated from the off, Torres alone managing seven attempts compared to two from Germany's entire team combined. 

A delighted Morata believes the performance will have silenced the doubters as he praised the attitude of his team-mates.

"There is always something. I want to go home and see what they say about us," Morata told Teledeporte. 

"We have to do our job. The other day we did it. I would like to see what people say now. Against a European and world champion team. 

"We all help each other, there are young people. You have to have faith. We have a Euros ahead of us. 

"It is the attitude of the team. This is the team, we do what we have to do. It is a strong message for everyone. We want to continue this way. 

"It was our best match with Luis Enrique. You have to take it to see all the good we have done. We would like it to always be like this." 

After two years out of the national team picture, Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has returned to Spain duty this month, featuring in all three November fixtures. 

It was his corner that allowed Rodri to head in Spain's third before the break and he finished the contest with a 95 per cent pass completion rate, also creating five chances for his team. 

"I had been away for a long time and continued working, which I have always done," Koke added. "The work pays off. Anything that is adding is positive for everyone." 

Torres, meanwhile, is anticipating a bright future for Spain. 

"We are very excited about the team we have and how things are going," the forward said. "Now we are going to prepare for the final four in the best possible way."