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Manchester City's injury problems worsened on Sunday when it was confirmed Raheem Sterling had been ruled out for England ahead of the match against Belgium.

The winger was left out of the squad as England beat Republic of Ireland 3-0 in a friendly on Thursday and was once again absent for the Nations League clash in Belgium.

England coach Gareth Southgate confirmed the 25-year-old felt some discomfort on Friday and doubts he will be included in the game against on Iceland on Wednesday.

"Raheem felt something a couple of days ago and didn't train on Friday as a precaution," the Three Lions boss said.

"He started training yesterday and wasn't really happy with it. It's not one we should take a chance on.

"He should be fine by the end of the week but I think the games for us will just come too quickly."

City recently saw Nathan Ake sustain a hamstring problem in the early stages of Netherlands' 1-1 draw with Spain on Wednesday.

The centre-back was substituted just six minutes into the tie and was subsequently withdrawn from the squad, with Lille defender Sven Botman taking his place.

Pep Guardiola's side are already without Sergio Aguero, who has been limited to just three appearances this season.

The Argentina international missed his side's first three Premier League games with a knee injury and then had to be replaced in the match against West Ham last month due to a hamstring problem.

Aguero returned to training with City last week but was not fit enough to face Premier League rivals Liverpool in their recent 1-1 draw.

City have only recently welcomed Gabriel Jesus back into the team after he was kept out for several weeks with an injury.

Guardiola has been a vocal critic of the Premier League's decision to return to a maximum of three substitutes per match while other leagues in Europe have allowed teams to make five changes to help prevent injuries because of the busy fixture schedules.

"Here we believe we are more special, we don't protect the players, so that is why it is a disaster," he said last week.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also criticised the league, blaming chief executive Richard Masters for a "lack of leadership".

Four and a half years after Gernot Rohr was first appointed by Nigeria, the German coach finds himself at a crossroads during his time as Super Eagles head coach.

Friday’s 4-4 draw with Sierra Leone, a defeat in almost everything but name, represented one of the national side’s worst performances in living memory.

Ironically, the first half an hour of that match represented one of their finest spells of football since Rohr took the helm, as the Super Eagles put four past the Leone Stars without response, and appeared on course for a record-breaking victory.

However, the subsequent collapse threatens to become the defining moment of Rohr’s troubled time at the helm.

Nigeria, their confidence ebbing away with each Sierra Leonean goal, wilted over the next hour of action, with their midfield losing control, their defence flagging under pressure, and the attacking unit increasingly toothless.

Rohr watched on impotently as his side unravelled, ultimately losing two points in the race for Cameroon but, more critically, enduring a hammer-blow to their morale and denting the nation’s fragile confidence in the Super Eagles.

While the players’ professionalism and attitude must be questioned, Rohr must also take a considerable portion of the blame.

Time and again his substitutions have proved ineffective and have too regularly appeared to cost Nigeria momentum and control in a match, rather than helping the Eagles consolidate their authority and continue to take the game to opposition.

It was as clear as day, as Friday’s match swung in the Leone Stars’ favour, that Nigeria’s midfield was labouring, yet Rohr watched on helplessly, making tweaks and cosmetic re-alignments, rather than fixing the gaping hole in the hear of the team.

Certainly, it can be hard to find too much logic in some of Rohr’s substitutions, and sometimes, his changes appear to be made just for the sake of it.

Why, for example, remove the influential Samuel Chukwueze, whose movement and running gave the Leone Stars something to be worried about behind their defence?

Why remove Leon Balogun for Semi Ajayi? Why introduce strikers Paul Onuachu and Kelechi Iheanacho when the midfield requires bolstering?

The substitutions themselves are problematic, as are the timings of the changes…Rohr dithers, watching on as Rome burns, when a proactive approach is required.

Then, the broader squad selection must also be questioned.

In the past, we’ve seen Nigeria setting themselves up to fail, rather than succeed, and it feels as though the same is happening again with Rohr.

Many eyebrows were raised when the German coach named four midfielders—one of whom was right-back Tyronne Ebuehi—in his squad for the double-header against the Leone Stars.

It was hard to see, without injured Wilfried Ndidi, who would offer the defensive rigour in the heart of the park, and there were always going to be a certain issue of the practicality of a Joe Aribo-Oghenkaro Etebo midfield pairing.

Unsurprisingly, both of these two problems—both very predictable—came home to roost for the Super Eagles, as the duo in the centre were targeted and ultimately overrun as the contest went on.

Why replace injured winger Moses Simon with Onuachu? 

Why replace Frank Onyeka with Shehu Abdullahi?

Why invite two right-backs and then play centre-back Kevin Akpoguma in that position?

Was there no place for Ramon Azeez, Kelechi Nwakali, Mikel Agu, Uche Agbo, Anderson Esiti or Okechukwu Azubuike?

Perhaps they haven’t always impressed with the national side, but any of them should be a competent option—should Etebo tire or get injured, say—against a side ranked 120th in the world.

These are all questions, perhaps, that the NFF and Amaju Pinnick should have been asking Rohr and his team when federation officials called for a summit on Saturday morning to understand what went wrong in the 4-4 draw.

The federation also have some questions to answer, specifically about the decision to offer Rohr a new contract in May 2020—ahead of the World Cup, before the Eagles’ underwhelming performance and first-round exit at the grandest stage of all.

While Rohr’s handling of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign—after being drawn with 2012, 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria—was a fine achievement for a progressive, adventurous side, the West African giants haven’t built on the promise of those years.

The coach’s desire to constantly cut the average age of the side, and oversee consistent influxes of new faces may have resulted in Nigeria being the youngest squad at the 2018 World Cup, but has it also denied the Eagles of some critical experience and calming older heads who can help the team get through difficult periods.

Introducing youth around a spine of Ndidi, John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo was one thing, but with the three of them absent, Rohr’s Super Eagles project may be entering it’s terminal phase.

Senegal have become the first country to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon after a 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.

Sadio Mane separated both teams at the Estadio 24 de Setembro with his 82nd-minute strike.

The result stretched the Teranga Lions' unbeaten streak to four games with 12 points in Group I while Congo trail in the second spot with six points, although with a game against Eswatini on Monday.

Sunday's effort made Mane the joint-top scorer in the group with three goals, alongside Famara Diedhiou who scored a hat-trick against Eswatini in November 2019.

The Liverpool star who was on target against Guinea-Bissau in Thies four days ago, and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly played for 90 minutes while Watford’s Ismaila Sarr was replaced in the 79th minute.

Senegal have now qualified for their 16th Africa Cup of Nations tournament and they will be aiming to win their maiden title in Cameroon 2022 after finishing as runners-up in Egypt last year - they suffered a 1-0 loss against Algeria in the final.

The qualification comes as another feat for Aliou Cisse who has now guided the West African country to three successive editions of the continental showpiece without losing a game in the qualifying stage.

The former Senegal captain who was appointed as national team coach in 2015, also led the Teranga Lions to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

Aliou Cisse's men will hope to end their campaign on a flying note when they visit Congo for their next group game on March 22 before hosting Ewastini on home soil eight days later.

England hopes of reaching the Nations League Finals were ended as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium.

Gareth Southgate's side needed at least a draw to ensure their chances of topping Group A2 remained alive going into their final game against Iceland.

However, first-half goals from Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans put the hosts on track for a win that leaves them needing just a point in their final group game against Denmark to reach the Finals.

Belgium made a strong start to proceedings as some front-footed defending from Jan Vertonghen was followed by the ball being fired up toward Tielemans, whose shot took a deflection off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post just 10 minutes in.

England almost hit back immediately, Harry Kane's header from a corner being brilliantly cleared off the line by Romelu Lukaku.

But Roberto Martinez's men doubled their lead shortly after, Mertens curling in a fine free-kick despite the visitors' protests that Declan Rice had not committed a foul in the build-up.

With Southgate's words clearly ringing in their ears, England started the second half on top, winning a succession of free-kicks at the edge of the Belgium box before Kane forced a save from Thibaut Courtois with a low drive.

The visitors could not make the most of their chances, however, a theme that continued following the introduction of Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the bench and ensured their evening would end in defeat.

Italy moved top of Nations League Group A1 heading into the final matchday as a Jorginho penalty and Domenico Berardi's late goal sealed a 2-0 win over 10-man Poland. 

With coach Roberto Mancini isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, his team turned in an accomplished display in Reggio Emilia as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 matches. 

Jorginho's 27th-minute spot-kick proved crucial, with the penalty awarded for Grzegorz Krychowiak hauling down Andrea Belotti, whose earlier venture into an offside position had cancelled out Lorenzo Insigne's would-be opener. 

Though Belotti and Nicolo Barella squandered chances to add to Italy's lead, Poland's comeback hopes all but ended when Jacek Goralski received a second yellow card, with Berardi subsequently adding gloss to a dominant display.

Italy thought they had their reward for a bright start when Insigne drilled in from Barella's cross, only for the goal to be disallowed due to Belotti's position. 

Yet the striker swiftly made amends by drawing a clumsy foul from Krychowiak, with Jorginho coolly sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way. 

Belotti looked set to double Italy's lead only to volley over after latching onto Insigne's delightful pass, while Barella lashed over following the restart. 

Goralski was fortunate to escape with a booking for a lunge on Belotti, with Poland's half-time substitute having flown in with his studs up, though his luck soon ran out. 

After Belotti had a penalty appeal for handball dismissed, the Torino player was scythed into by Goralski, who duly received his marching orders to end a dismal cameo off the bench. 

Italy made their numerical advantage count to grab a deserved second – Insigne playing in the unmarked Berardi to thump in his second international goal.

England hopes of reaching the Nations League Finals were ended as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium.

Gareth Southgate's side needed at least a draw to ensure their chances of topping Group A2 remained alive going into their final game against Iceland.

However, first-half goals from Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans put the hosts on track for a win that leaves them needing just a point in their final group game against Denmark to reach the Finals.

Belgium made a strong start to proceedings as some front-footed defending from Jan Vertonghen was followed by the ball being fired up toward Tielemans, whose shot took a deflection off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post just 10 minutes in.

England almost hit back immediately, Harry Kane's header from a corner being brilliantly cleared off the line by Romelu Lukaku.

But Roberto Martinez's men doubled their lead shortly after, Mertens curling in a fine free-kick despite the visitors' protests that Declan Rice had not committed a foul in the build-up.

With Southgate's words clearly ringing in their ears, England started the second half on top, winning a succession of free-kicks at the edge of the Belgium box before Kane forced a save from Thibaut Courtois with a low drive.

The visitors could not make the most of their chances, however, a theme that continued following the introduction of Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the bench and ensured their evening would end in defeat.

Italy moved top of Nations League Group A1 heading into the final matchday as a Jorginho penalty and Domenico Berardi's late goal sealed a 2-0 win over 10-man Poland. 

With coach Roberto Mancini isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, his team turned in an accomplished display in Reggio Emilia as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 matches. 

Jorginho's 27th-minute spot-kick proved crucial, with the penalty awarded for Grzegorz Krychowiak hauling down Andrea Belotti, whose earlier venture into an offside position had cancelled out Lorenzo Insigne's would-be opener. 

Though Belotti and Nicolo Barella squandered chances to add to Italy's lead, Poland's comeback hopes all but ended when Jacek Goralski received a second yellow card, with Berardi subsequently adding gloss to a dominant display.

Italy thought they had their reward for a bright start when Insigne drilled in from Barella's cross, only for the goal to be disallowed due to Belotti's position. 

Yet the striker swiftly made amends by drawing a clumsy foul from Krychowiak, with Jorginho coolly sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way. 

Belotti looked set to double Italy's lead only to volley over after latching onto Insigne's delightful pass, while Barella lashed over following the restart. 

Goralski was fortunate to escape with a booking for a lunge on Belotti, with Poland's half-time substitute having flown in with his studs up, though his luck soon ran out. 

After Belotti had a penalty appeal for handball dismissed, the Torino player was scythed into by Goralski, who duly received his marching orders to end a dismal cameo off the bench. 

Italy made their numerical advantage count to grab a deserved second – Insigne playing in the unmarked Berardi to thump in his second international goal.

England forward Harry Kane declared England were "dominant" in their 2-0 loss to Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday. 

First-half goals from Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens ultimately decided the match with the Three Lions going on to enjoy more possession in the second 45 minutes but failing to make the most of it. 

The defeat means Gareth Southgate's side won't be playing at the Nations League finals next year with either Belgium or Denmark set to top their group. 

Kane, who was playing his 50th match for England, believes his side played well despite the result and should be backing themselves to succeed in the future. 

"We were dominant. We were unlucky to concede the two goals," Kane told Sky Sports post-match.

"A deflection and I don't think the second was a free-kick. A lot of positives to take but it will give us confidence. If we play like this going forward, we will win the majority of games for sure.

"Jack Grealish is a fantastic player. You can see his qualities on the ball. I am sure he will get plenty of opportunities in an England shirt.

"We haven't won a major trophy for a long time and that gives us a major carrot. With the squad we have and the players we have, we have to have full belief."

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, who was also marking his 50th game in charge of the national team, gave credit to the Three Lions after the match but stressed his side were always in control.

"It was a really good game of football, two strong teams who know each other very well and played each other four times since the 2018 World Cup," Martinez said.

"We got the early lead then we had to suffer and see the press and risk that England took. We could not utilise that in our advantage and we defended really well and showed a good focus that pleases me a lot. We used to see a lot of good things on the ball, being pretty but it was a good all round performance.

"You need to give credit to England, they did very well in the second half and pushed us high up. We can use the opportunity of counter attacking but we gave he ball away cheaply. We were always in control at 2-0, sometimes it can be dangerous, you feel comfortable but we defended Thibaut Courtois' goal very well.

"We want to work towards the third win in Leuven on Wednesday. Denmark are a very good side, the key is being good in what you do and we are looking forward to that game."

Bloemfontein Celtic defender Justice Chabalala says he will do his best to help Siwelele overcome Orlando Pirates in the 2020 MTN8 final on December 12. 

The 28-year-old player is on a season-long loan deal at Celtic from Pirates and he is looking forward to playing in another major cup final. 

Chabalala helped Celtic reach last season's Nedbank Cup final where they succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in September 2020. 

“I like Pirates and Celtic. They both treated me well. It was the same at Chippa United and Free State Stars, but now I am with Celtic," Chabalala told Daily Sun. 

"I have to be honest with my job and compete to ensure we get what we deserve. I will work hard and give it 100% effort to win the game.

"We got there [in the final], so we should fight and at the end of the day, we will see who wins. Celtic haven’t won a trophy in a long time and it’s the same with Bucs, so this will be an interesting final.”

Despite their good form in the MTN8, Celtic have had a slow start to the 2020/21 PSL season having recorded two draws and one defeat in the league.

The lanky centre back remains hopeful that Siwelele can challenge for the PSL title and win it for the first time in the club's history. 

“We are taking it one game at a time. Celtic are not a small team. I can’t say we want to save our PSL status or reach the top eight. We’re competing for the Premiership," he said. 

"We also have many quality players who can help the team reach the goal.”

However, Chabalala is concerned by Celtic's poor finishing having scored once in three league matches this term and he also praised coach John Maduka. 

“We need to score. We play beautiful football, but we lack goals. We also need to stop conceding. We can do much better.”

“We have a good coach who is also a father figure to us. Together with coach Wire [Abram Nteo], Mototo [Ditheko] and [Samuel] Kgopane, they treat the players equally.

"It’s nice to work with them as they are professionals who know what they are doing.”

Celtic will take on Cape Town City in a league match at Cape Town Stadium on November 22 as club football resumes following the current international Fifa break.

Lothar Matthaus has suggested Bayern Munich have an interest in Dominik Szoboszlai, a player he has described as a ‘gem’ who is being compared to Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas.

Red Bull Salzburg man Szoboszlai is a hot topic at the moment, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Real Madrid all being linked with the 20-year-old.

Bayern great Matthaus feels every top club in Europe is monitoring a player whose stock increased further last week when he scored a superb solo goal to secure Hungary’s place in next summer’s European Championship.

With the scores level heading into injury time, Szoboszlai picked up the ball in his own half, drove at the Iceland defence before arrowing a shot into the bottom corner to seal victory for Hungary.

Matthaus has connections to Hungary and Bayern, having coached the former and played a large chunk of his career for the latter, and he feels Szoboszlai is out of the top drawer.

“He is a gem,” Matthaus said in an interview with Munchner Abendzeitung. “He’s like Kai Havertz.

“He could move to RB Leipzig in January, but I'm convinced that every top club in Europe has him on their list, including FC Bayern."

Bayern are not short of attacking talent, which they added to in the summer with the capture of Leroy Sane from Manchester City.

However, as European champions, Hansi Flick’s side will be well aware of the need to keep growing - and Szoboszlai does look to have enormous potential.

Szoboszlai is at the fledgling stage of his career, but Hungarians feel they have a potential great on their hands - with Matthaus revealing that the nation believes he could be the successor to its greatest player, Real Madrid legend Puskas.

“In Hungary, Szoboszlai is already being compared to the great Ferenc Puskas,” Matthaus said.

Comparisons to a player who won five league titles with Real Madrid and was named the best player at the 1954 World Cup will only increase the pressure on the attacking midfielder.

But if his goal against Iceland is in any way a barometer, Szoboszlai looks capable of scaling great heights in the game.

Szoboszlai will have the chance to impress further on Sunday when his Hungary take on Serbia in Nations League action.

Youssoufa Moukoko should be given his chance in Borussia Dortmund’s first team, according to youth-team boss Lars Ricken.

Moukoko will turn 16 next Friday but has already been lighting it up for the Under-19 team this season.

In just three matches for the U19s, he has scored 10 goals and laid on another one. Indeed, he has netted at least a hat-trick in all three matches he has played this season and has captained the team on each occasion.

Ricken says that the young forward has earned his chance to play in the Bundesliga.

“I hope he can fulfil his dream because he deserves it,” he told Welt am Sonntag. “He’s a great and very sociable guy who’s worked hard to get to where he is.”

Ricken is well placed to understand Moukoko’s feelings, having been something of a BVB prodigy himself. Although he went on to score a goal in the 1997 Champions League final, in which Dortmund beat Juventus 3-1, there is a sense that he failed to fulfil his potential, despite 14 years at the club.

Nevertheless, he holds no fears about throwing Moukoko in early.

“There’s no youth player who has had as many minutes of play and training as he has in recent years,” he said. “This is an indicator that he is able to cope with the stresses of professional football.”

Meanwhile, Nuri Sahin, who is presently the club’s youngest-ever player, does not believe fielding the forward would be wise.

“You're not doing a young player a favour by throwing him in too early,” he said.

“I am sure that there is no better club for young players. Especially because I know the people involved, but can he handle it if he runs up to the goalkeeper alone four times in front of 80,000 fans and still doesn’t score?”

Dortmund will play Hertha Berlin in their next Bundesliga match. Lucien Favre’s side currently lie third in the standings, three points behind leaders Bayern Munich, having suffered a 3-2 defeat to the Champions League winners when they met in their previous outing.

Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau says he will continue to work hard in order to realise his dream of playing in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old player is still on the books of English outfit Brighton and Hove Albion having joined the Premier League side from Mamelodi Sundowns in August 2018.

However, due to work-permit complications in the United Kingdom (UK), Tau has spent three seasons out on loan from Brighton in Belgium. 

The left-footed player is currently with Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht having also had spells with Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise.

"I'm not aware, I'm not aware [laughs]. I think I've been doing well, I've been trying my best every time," Tau told the media when asked how far he is from playing in the Premier League. 

"For sure I've been on loan for three years. I think there's been progress in my game. I went to Brugge and won the league so I don't see issues with that.

"I've always said there have been issues that were forcing me out, it was never about talent or belief, so we will have to see when it does happen. But I have to keep on working hard."

Tau is widely considered to be Bafana's best player at the moment having enjoyed some success in Belgium where he has won the First Division A title and played in the Champions League and Europa League during his time with Brugge. 

The Witbank-born player also played an instrumental role in helping South Africa qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals and he is among the Bafana players who ply their trade abroad.

Tau urged his Bafana teammates to maintain their good performances at club level in order to give the national team head coach Molefi Ntseki a selection headache

"It is very important, it also gives hopes to local guys because they also have a chance to grow and also believe they can go overseas as well," he added.

"It gives us confidence and a headache for the coach to choose the starting line-up. It's always good to have players doing well locally and abroad."

Tau was on the scoresheet for South Africa as they secured a 2-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe in the 2022 Afcon qualifier in Durban on Friday.

The two teams are set to meet again on Monday at Nelson Mandella Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth where Sao Tome will officially be the home side. 

Former England, Liverpool and Tottenham goalkeeper Ray Clemence has died at the age of 72.

Clemence was one of the greatest goalkeepers ever to play the game, and played a massive part during Liverpool’s era of dominance through the 1970s.

Signed by Bill Shankly form Scunthorpe United in 1967, Clemence was a commanding and towering presence behind the Reds’ impressive back line.

Clemence won five league titles with Liverpool, along with an FA Cup, League Cup, two UEFA Cups and three European Cups.

After leaving Liverpool in 1981, Clemence went on to enjoy FA Cup and UEFA Cup success with Tottenham before retiring in 1988.

Clemence was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005 and was at the forefront of the campaign to raise awareness of the disease.

The Clemence family issued a statement on Sunday, which read: “With great sadness, we write to let you know that Ray Clemence passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his loving family.

“After fighting so hard, for such a long time, he’s now at peace and in no more pain.

“The family would like to say a huge thank you, for all the love and support that he’s received over the years. He was loved so much by us all and he will never be forgotten.”

Clemence won 61 caps for England, but that figure would have been far higher had he not shared the stage with Peter Shilton.

The pair were head and shoulders above their peers, and for a time the England management found it so difficult to split them that they played alternate games.

Clemence’s final game for his country was against Luxembourg in 1983, a career that spanned 12 years.

He briefly went into management, taking charge of Barnet in the mid-1990s, before taking up a coaching role with England under Glenn Hoddle.

Clemence kept his role under Hoddle’s successors Kevin Keegan, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren but was replaced when Fabio Capello took the reins and inserted Franco Tancredi as goalkeeping coach.

The former goalkeeper’s son Stephen followed him into the professional ranks, being a midfielder for Tottenham, Birmingham and Leicester before retiring from the game in 2010.

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has called out the Daily Mail for the manner in which it has reported his off-field investments.

While the 23-year-old striker has been in good form for the Old Trafford club this season, scoring seven times and laying on three more in 12 outings, his contribution off the field has also caught the headlines in 2020.

Rashford has spearheaded a campaign for free school meals, which has ensured that kids from disadvantaged backgrounds will be granted access to food throughout holiday periods until at least Easter 2021.

He has taken exception to the manner in which the Daily Mail has portrayed his property investments, with a headline reading: “What a result! Campaigning football star Marcus Rashford has bought five luxury homes worth more than £2 million.”

The young striker has been angered that his charity work has been cited in the report.

He took to Twitter to state: “Ok, so let’s address this. I’m 23. I came from little. I need to protect not just my future but my family’s too. To do that I made a decision at the beg of 2020 to start investing more in property. Please don’t run stories like this alongside refs to ‘campaigning’.”

Rashford was awarded an MBE for services to vulnerable children in the UK during Covid-19 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his work that secured 1.3 million children the right to claim free school meals vouchers over England’s summer holidays.

Speaking at that time, he said: "It's a nice moment for me personally but I feel like I'm still at the beginning of the journey that I set out to try to achieve.

"I think what I would like to do now that I'm in this position is just speak directly to the prime minister and really ask for the vouchers to be extended until at least October half-term because I think that's what the families need.

"Speaking to them and knowing how much they've been helped, and how much it's going to affect them if they don't have it, that's got to be my main focus now - to get that message across."

Liverpool should move for David Alaba, according to Emile Heskey, as he feels the Austrian ticks all the boxes for his former club.

Alaba’s future at Bayern Munich is in doubt after the club took the decision to end contract talks with the versatile defender.

It is not inconceivable that Alaba commits to a new contract with Bayern, but Heskey feels that the Reds should step in when the transfer window opens in January.

“You’ve got a player who plays left-back, left side centre-back and left wing-back and he can step into midfield as well,” Heskey told Rousing the Kop of a player whose present deal is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

“You’ve got a younger version of James Milner, someone who can tick all the boxes but tick them well.

“If you look at what he’s achieved, he’s a winner, so he knows what it takes to win and that’s what you want within your squad.

“Because that rubs off on the younger players as well because what you do and what you’ve achieved, they want to do as well.”

Liverpool could arguably do with having Alaba in their ranks now, given the injury crisis they are facing.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Fabinho from the centre of his defence, while full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are nursing knocks, albeit the latter’s hamstring complaint does not appear to be serious.

Even if they had to wait until the summer to bring in Alaba, it would be worth the wait as the 28-year-old is one of the most accomplished players in the game.

Equally at home at left-back or in the centre of defence, Alaba can also operate in midfield and is a proven winner having secured domestic and European success with Bayern.

Alaba has lifted the Bundesliga title on nine occasions, and earlier this year he played the whole 90 minutes as Bayern beat Paris Saint-Germain to secure Champions League glory - his second success in Europe’s elite club competition following their win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in 2013.

Former RB Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick believes centre-back Dayot Upamecano would be a success at Bayern Munich.

The 22-year-old has been linked with many top European sides in recent years, with Liverpool and Bayern currently tipped to make a move for him.

The Reds are expected to sign a new centre-back in the January transfer window after seeing Virgil van Dijk ruled out for several months with a knee injury amid a growing defensive crisis.

Bayern, meanwhile, are likely to lose David Alaba and Jerome Boateng at the end of the season and will have to invest in their back line. 

France international Upamecano was recently backed to become a world-class star by current Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann and his former boss Rangnick believes he is good enough for the European and German champions.

Asked if he believes he would excel in Bavaria, Rangnick told Sport1: "Why not? Bayern know this player well, you can assume that. Physically, Bayern saw that in direct duels: no one will run away from him.

"He might still have one or two risky balls too many in a game, but he will certainly learn in the next few years.

"I got to know Upa and his family over many years. They not only make decisions that sound good to them in terms of his image, but they also make decisions based on the feeling of what is best for the player himself."

But Upamecano is not the only defender in Nagelsmann's side that can reach the top level according to Rangnick, as he highlighted 21-year-old Ibrahim Konate as a star.

"There are a few others in Leipzig: I see Ibrahim Konate on the same level," he said.

Bayern signed promising defender Tanguy Nianzou from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window and although the 18-year-old is yet to feature for Hansi Flick's team, Rangnick believes he will become a regular starter before long.

"I was in contact with the player and his parents for two years," he added. "He is an exceptional talent and will be one of the best central defenders of the next 10 years.

"If he stays healthy, he will be a regular in a year."