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Andy Robertson can help propel Scotland to a first major tournament for over two decades when he leads his nation out against Serbia this week, according to Kenny Dalglish.

The Liverpool defender sits on the cusp of helping Steve Clarke's team achieve history, with a place at Euro 2020 at stake when they face off behind closed doors with Ljubiaa Tumbakovic's team on November 12.

Scotland have not reached the finals of a major knockout competition since they made it to the 1998 World Cup in France, but now face their best shot for years in Belgrade as the November international break gets underway.

Reds man Robertson, who succeeded Scott Brown as skipper of the national team two years ago, has enjoyed near-unparalleled success at club level since, with Premier League and Champions League crowns to his name.

But Dalglish feels that he can write himself into Scottish football folklore if he can take the team to next year's rearranged tournament, set to be played across Europe, including potential home ties at Hampden Park.

The former Reds legend and boss pointed to Robertson's prolonged career path, which saw him travel through the lower leagues after he was let go by Celtic as a teenager, as crucial to his influence in the game.

"Andy's a great advert for people who think maybe they've lost their way a wee bit in football," the 69-year-old was quoted by the Glasgow Times.

"We all know he got released from Celtic and off he went to Queen's Park and then onto Dundee United and Hull City and then onto Liverpool. He has been absolutely fantastic since he's come to us.

"So people who might be doubting themselves a wee bit can look up to Andy, and they can say if they've got the same drive and a wee bit of good fortune that everybody needs, then they can be an Andy Robertson as well.

"It would mean a lot to everybody [if he leads Scotland to a tournament]. Success is hugely important and for Scotland to have eight games undefeated, you would never have anticipated that.

“I know the levels of the team we've played aren't that great, but there have been some good ones in there and we've come out in front of them.

"The most important thing is that the players have the belief in each other to do what they're doing and if they continue to do that then they have a chance of winning this match.

"As for Andy, he's the leader. He's the one who would be getting the abuse if they weren't successful.

“Andy has probably sat back a wee bit and not been as adventurous with Scotland as what he is at Liverpool, simply because he understands the situation.

"That's great credit to him and to every one of the players, but more importantly, great credit to Steve Clarke.

"Fingers crossed we get the result. To get this close is a huge improvement to what we've had in the past."

Hapoel Ra’anana striker Peter Olawale is determined to show his worth for Nigeria U20 as they prepare for the Wafu B Africa Cup of Nations U20 playoffs.

The Israel based attacking sensation is part of the five foreign based professionals called up by the Nigeria Football Federation to prosecute the tournament billed for Togo.

In a chat with Goal before joining the rest of the squad in Abuja on Monday evening, the 18-year-old is brimming with confidence and is keen to show what he can do in Ladan Bosso’s squad, while assuring he would be at his best always to accentuate his relevance.
 
“First of all, I would say thank you to the [Nigeria Football] Federation for giving me that opportunity of being part of the players they are inviting,” Olawale told Goal.

“I would say it’s a great opportunity for me coming back to the national side to prove myself again. I feel it’s a great privilege.

“I expect nothing but goals. I want to try and give my best, my 100%. That is just it. Nigerians should expect my 100%.”

However, he states that he can thrive under the veteran tactician who he has a lot of respect for should he keep his head cool in camp.

“For me, that is not a problem because I am a player and he is a coach,” he continued.

“My duty as a player is to be humble to him, to respect him, follow his lead and decisions in a game. If I can do that, I believe I won’t have any problems with him.”

The tournament initially scheduled to hold from November 18 – December 2, 2020 has been postponed due to the growing cases of Covid-19 in the West African nation.

Nigeria have been zoned in Group B alongside arch-rivals Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. The competition’s winners will proceed to the 2021 Afcon U20 championship billed for Mauritania. There, four African representatives will be determined for the 2021 Fifa U20 World Cup scheduled for Indonesia.

Liverpool are set to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold until December after he suffered a calf injury in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

The right-back went down holding his leg off the ball midway through the second half, and received treatment on the pitch before being replaced by James Milner.

Alexander-Arnold will likely miss the upcoming games with Leicester, Atalanta and Brighton, and could also be doubtful for the fixtures with Ajax, Wolves and Midtjylland at the beginning of December.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed in his post-match press conference that Alexander-Arnold would miss England’s fixtures with Ireland, Belgium and Iceland during the international break, and a scan revealed the extent of the injury on Monday.

The news hasn’t improved Klopp’s dim view of the decision to return to three substitutes per game in the Premier League, after the switch to five post-lockdown.

The German was outspoken in his criticism of Premier League CEO Richard Masters after the City game, saying Alexander-Arnold would not be the last player to suffer from the heavy workload this season.

While Milner was the obvious replacement off the bench at the Etihad, Alexander-Arnold’s absence could present a first-team opportunity to Neco Williams.

The 19-year-old has made four first-team appearances for the Reds so far this season, most recently coming on as a late substitute to make his Champions League debut in the 5-0 win over Atalanta.

He also started in the Community Shield against Arsenal and played 90 minutes in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup games against Lincoln and Arsenal.

Liverpool are, of course, already without defensive lynchpin Virgil van Dijk and his initial replacement Fabinho.

Georginio Wijnaldum said on Monday that Van Dijk is ‘going through hell’ with his long-term knee injury, but backed him to recover in time to join him at Euro 2020 with the Netherlands.

The news of Alexander-Arnold’s absence at Liverpool will be softened by the fact it is now the international break, but it presents a new headache for England boss Gareth Southgate.

The Three Lions are at least well stocked at right-back with Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James all called up in the initial 29-man squad.

Chelsea defender James is only available for the first fixture, a friendly with Ireland, as he is suspended for the UEFA Nations League games with Belgium and Iceland.

Christian Pulisic’s fitness is ‘day to day’, according to U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter.

The winger has only made five appearances for Chelsea this season after suffering a fresh injury setback shortly after his return from a long-term lay-off.

Pulisic pulled up with a hamstring issue during the warm-up before Chelsea’s 3-0 win away to Burnley at the end of October. He had previously been out for around two months after tearing his hamstring in the FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal, in which Pulisic scored the opening goal.

The current international break sees the USMNT play their first fixtures since February, with friendly games against Wales and Panama.

Pulisic joined up with Berhalter’s squad for the games despite his lack of fitness, and the coach has praised his commitment to the cause.

"Christian is in camp and is listed as day-to-day," Berhalter told Fox Sports.

"It really says a lot about Christian that he wasn't playing for Chelsea but he wanted to come into this camp and be around the team and his status is day to day."

Former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole said he expects Pulisic to give manager Frank Lampard ‘a good dilemma’ once he is back to full fitness.

Pulisic starred at the end of last season and, with Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner finding their feet in the Premier League, things are looking up at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, Berhalter was also pleased to welcome Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie back to the squad, though he won’t have Josh Sargent at his disposal for the upcoming games.

Sargent was not permitted to leave for international duty by his club Werder Bremen, citing Germany’s current coronavirus restrictions. That had led to some concern that McKennie, who recovered from Covid-19 after testing positive in October, might also struggle to link up with his international team-mates.

"With Weston, we were able to get him out of Italy and the situation is changing by the hour,” Berhalter said.

“Josh Sargent wasn't able to join the team but Weston is able to come.”

The USMNT will be looking to hit form before their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign begins in the new year.

Sulayman Marreh refused to be critical of his Gent side after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Percy Tau’s Anderlecht in Sunday’s Belgian topflight clash.

The Buffalos were hoping to return to winning ways having lost 2-1 to Red Star Belgrade in a Europa League game on Thursday, however, the keenly contested ended on a no winner, no vanquished note at the Ghelamco Arena.

Vincent Kompany’s men took a well-deserved lead in the 44th minute courtesy of Michael Murillo who profited from Yari Verschaeren’s assist to fire past goalkeeper Sinan Bolat.

Nevertheless, the hosts levelled matters in the 89th minute through Roman Yaremchuk who found space in the visitors’ goal area before heading home a cross from Iranian defender Milad Mohammadi.

The Gambia international who was in action from start to finish for Wim De Decker’s team was pleased with the point and highlighted that the absence of key players prevented them from picking all points at stake.

"We knew this wasn't going to be an easy game," Marreh told club website.

"A team like Anderlecht is always difficult to fight. Although, despite the many absences, we have enough quality in the team to make it difficult for our opponents and to take victory.

“That was our goal [on Sunday] but in the end, we got a point which was not bad. But it was very frustrating that we were behind just before half-time."

"It is true that the results are not as we had hoped at the moment, but hopefully we can turn this all around quickly. We keep going!"

The 24-year-old defensive midfielder played as a centre back against Anderlecht combining effectively with Bruno Godeau and Andreas Hanche-Olsen.

When asked about how he felt playing in an unfamiliar role, the former Eupen and Almeria player said: "I've already played there, so I don't have a problem with it.

“It is not my normal position, but as long as I can help the team, I will.”

With this result, Gent stay 12th in the Jupiler League with 13 points from 12 games while Anderlecht are seventh having garnered 21 points from the same number of fixtures.

Fiorentina have appointed Cesare Prandelli as their head coach for a second time after the Serie A club sacked Giuseppe Iachini.

Prandelli previously managed La Viola between 2005 and 2010 before he left to take over from Marcello Lippi as Italy's national team boss.

The 63-year-old had been out of management since his contract with Genoa was terminated in June 2019, but he returns to the Artemio Franchi following Iachini's dismissal.

Iachini was relieved of his duties on Monday after Fiorentina picked up only eight points from their first seven Serie A games this season, having finished 10th last season. Their most recent result was a 0-0 draw away to Parma before the international break.

Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso said in a statement: "Unfortunately, the current results require a change of technical guidance.

"We believe that his skills, his professional history and his humanity, recognised and appreciated by the whole world of football, make Prandelli the most suitable person to sit on the Viola bench.

"I shared the management's choice to focus on Prandelli as the new coach, considering him the ideal candidate for his experience and his maximum motivation to return to work for us."

Fiorentina did not confirm the length of Prandelli's contract, which will likely be revealed when he is presented to the media on Tuesday.

Prandelli will have the chance to settle back in to familiar surroundings during the international break, with time to work with his new players before their next game.

Fiorentina host minnows Benevento on November 22, before a Coppa Italia fourth-round tie away to Udinese and a trip to high-flying AC Milan before the end of the month.

Prandelli has had a long managerial career since beginning with the Atalanta youth side in 1990, and he has branched out in recent years.

Before taking the Italy job, he has never managed outside of his home country but has since taken charge of Galatasaray, Valencia and Dubai-based Al-Nasr.

His most recent job was a short stint at Genoa between 2018 and 2019, though he only managed four wins from his 24 games in charge.

The 2022 World Cup might still seem like a ways away, but qualification for the group stages is already underway for some footballing federations as we all inch ever closer to the Qatar tournament.

The 2022 iteration will be the first World Cup competition to not be held in the summer, and will take place in December 2022 due to the cooler temperatures in host nation Qatar.

So far, the only nation confirmed for the tournament are hosts Qatar, who qualified automatically.

Here are all the dates for each federation's qualification games for the group stage as the road to World Cup 2022 continues.

Europe group stages (UEFA)

UEFA's qualification to the World Cup officially begins on March 24-25, 2021.

The qualification will depend on results from the 2020-21 Nations League, but to a lesser extent than Euro 2020.

South America group stages (CONMEBOL)

CONMEBOL's qualification stages runs from October 2020 to June 2022, recheduled from March 2020 to November 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

CONMEBOL's teams will play in a round-robin format with home and away games, with the top four teams qualifiying for the World Cup - and the fifth-placed runners entering the inter-confederation play-offs.

North America, Central America and Caribbean group stages (Concacaf)

Concacaf's qualification stages to the World Cup will begin on March 2021, previously rescheduled from October and November 2021.

Africa group stages (CAF)

The first round of the CAF group stage qualification phase finished in 2019, with the second round due to begin in 2021.

Asia group stages (AFC)

The second round of the AFC group stage qualification will start in 2021.

Oceania group stages (OFC)

Oceania's World Cup 2022 group stage qualification stages will start in 2021.

Spain defender Hector Bellerin struggled to accept being out of international football for such a long time.

The Arsenal right-back was called up to Spain's squad for the first time in four years after Sevilla's Jesus Navas was ruled out through injury.

He won the last of his three caps for La Roja in a friendly against Georgia in July 2016 and, although he made Spain's squad for Euro 2016, he did not feature at the tournament.

Bellerin, however, was given a recall by coach Luis Enrique for his side's friendly with the Netherlands plus the Nations League fixtures against Switzerland and Germany.

The 25-year-old has been one of Arsenal's most consistent performers this season and played every minute of their eight Premier League games.

He has made 12 interceptions and eight tackles with a success rate of 88 per cent in those matches, helping the Gunners to keep two clean sheets.

"Yes, I am so happy getting back home. It has been almost five years since the last time, so I am very happy," Bellerin said in an interview with the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

"They have been tough years, and they always are when you cannot join the national team, but I am very proud and happy now. I can't wait to start."

Another player thrilled to be recalled by Luis Enrique after a break is Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, who last featured for Spain just over two years ago.

Koke, 28, has not featured for Spain since a 4-1 friendly defeat of Wales in October 2018.

"I am very happy to be here again with the national team," Koke explained.

"It has been a long time, but I do have the same excitement that I had on my first day and I am looking forward to helping the team win the games."

Spain are top of Nations League Group A4 with seven points but saw their 13-game unbeaten run (W10 D3) in competitive matches ended last time out with a surprise 1-0 loss to Ukraine.

Left-back Jose Luis Gaya has warned his team-mates not to let any complacency seep into their forthcoming performances.

"It is true we are still first, and that gives us a little advantage. But we know how football is and everything can happen," added the Valencia defender.

"We need to try on winning all the games, that's what this jersey demands.

"Therefore, we cannot get relaxed and we have to face two official games plus the friendly one as they were finals."

Emiliano Martinez has revealed he asked Mikel Arteta in a text to let him join Aston Villa after failing to get the assurances he needed that he would be Arsenal No.1 this season.

The Argentine keeper returned to his former club for the first time on Sunday night following his £20 million ($26.5m) switch to Villa Park and helped his new side to a convincing 3-0 victory.

It was Martinez’s fourth clean sheet in seven games this season and his exit in the summer remains a source of frustration for many Arsenal fans, who believe the club should have done more to make him stay.

But speaking after Sunday night’s game, Martinez opened up on his decision to leave after more than 10 years in north London and revealed he was determined to move on, having been unable to overtake Bernd Leno in the pecking order at Arsenal despite his superb form during the final months of last season when he stepped in for the injured German stopper.

“I told him [Arteta] I wanted to play week in, week out and he couldn’t guarantee who was going to start,” said the 28-year-old.

“Even before the Community Shield, he didn’t know who was going to play in goal. After 10 years at the club, I didn’t want to wait until Friday night, the day before the game, to know whether I was going to play against Fulham [on the opening weekend] or not.

“So I just texted him to say I was going to Aston Villa, so please help me and let me go.”

Martinez traveled up to Birmingham while Arsenal were beating Fulham at Craven Cottage on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign and completed his move to Villa Park soon after.

The popular keeper insists he holds no grudges over failing to oust Leno in the battle to Arsenal No.1 and has thanked Arteta for allowing him to leave when the opportunity arose.

“He was very honest and very open with me,” said the keeper. “He helped me to leave the club after so many years.

“Obviously I have ambitions and he couldn’t help the ambitions that I wanted, so we had a clear conversation. He’s a very honest man and a great leader.

“I’ve already said how grateful I am for that and how pleased I am about how well he is doing at Arsenal. I’m so happy he is the leader of the club.”

Martinez added: “When I decided to come to Villa it was because I trusted the manager and the club’s ambitions, and I knew how big Villa were.

“Some people do not realise how big Aston Villa are. They were all saying it was a step down in my career, but I always said it was a step up.

“They called me from day one after the win against Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

“I just wanted to play first-team football and Arsenal could not guarantee me that. They would not say I was going to play in the first game of the season against Fulham so when I had that doubt I had to leave. And Villa were the first option and the only one for me.”

Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has revealed that Caoimhin Kelleher was supposed to leave Liverpool on loan over the summer, only for an untimely injury picked up by Alisson to scupper those plans.

A highly-rated product of the Reds’ academy system has seen just four first-team outings to date. That is because his path is blocked by Alisson, a man many consider to be the finest goalkeeper on the planet, and experienced back-up Adrian.

With minutes hard to come by, Liverpool had planned to send Kelleher to the Eredivisie in order to pick up valuable experience.

Alisson, though, was laid low in early October with a shoulder complaint, meaning that Jurgen Klopp needed to retain his full complement of custodians.

Kelleher has been forced to stay put as a result, much to the disappointment of the man himself and a national team coach eager for him to get competitive minutes under his belt.

Kenny told reporters ahead of the friendly clash with England at Wembley Stadium on Thursday: “We really need Caoimhin Kelleher to get matches under his belt as we feel he is ready to play for us

“He was supposed to go on loan to Holland, to a couple of clubs in the Eredivisie in the last window but when the first choice got injured at Liverpool, that move was pulled.

“He wants to go on loan, he was ready to play and certainly we feel we would have benefited from that - but it’s not easy to play at Liverpool, they are world champions at club level aren’t they, so it’s not easy to play there.

“He is good enough to play for Ireland, but he’s not playing matches so it’s an issue. He would have benefitted from that [move] we feel, but it’s not easy to play at Liverpool.”

While blocking Kelleher’s path in the last window, those at Anfield are aware of the need to get the youngster opportunities.

The Reds’ goalkeeping coach, John Achterberg, has said: “He would like to play games and obviously that would be easier if he went out on loan, but the problem for us is we need three good goalies and he is one of our three.

“For his development, a loan move would be his next step, but the club have to make sure they have everything covered in case we have a problem with our keepers and we know it would be hard to find a keeper as good as him if we let him go out on loan.”

East African Premier League champions have learned their Caf Champions League preliminary round opponents after a draw that was conducted on Monday in Egypt.

Gor Mahia will have to fight and win against Rwandan champions APR if they are to progress to the next stage, first at home, before going to Kigali for the second round.

Just like APR, Gor Mahia have been conducting training sessions for the past month in readiness for the competition even though they have not been in competitive action since March when the leagues were cancelled by their respective federations.

The winner between Gor Mahia and APR will face either Algeria’s CR Belouizdad or Al Nasr of Libya in the second round.

Vipers will be welcomed back in the continental competition by Sudan’s El Hilal and the winner between them will face either Nouadhibou of Mauritania or Ghana’s Asante Kotoko in the next round. The Venoms will welcome the Sudanese side at St Mary’s Stadium before the return leg away.

Tanzania’s Simba have landed Nigerian opponents Plateau United and will host them before travelling west for the second tie.

Gor Mahia will be participating for the fourth straight time after winning Premier League titles in their last four seasons.

The Kenyan champions will also be under a new coach given they made a change and brought Brazilian Oliveira ‘Robertinho' Goncalves; a former Rayon Sports tactician.

Steven Polack exited in a similar manner that Dylan Kerr and Hassan Okay did and forced K’Ogalo to look for a new coach that will spearhead their ambition of making it into the group stage.

They have signed 14 players but a few are expected to play key roles when Gor Mahia start their Champions League campaign.

Simba qualified for the third straight campaign after winning the 2019/20 title with seven matches to spare.

Although they looked a strong team, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi went ahead and signed key players like Larry Bwalya, Bernard Morrison, Chris Mugalu and Joash Onyango who will be tasked with pushing Simba further in the continental competition.

They have lost two matches in the league already and the Tanzanian champions will have to fight and see whether they can advance far, than what they afforded last season. Simba were eliminated in the preliminary stage by Mozambican champions UD Songo at their own turf when they went down 1-0 in August 2019.

For Uganda, there will be a different Champions League representative after Vipers were declared winners of the cancelled 2019/20 competition. The Venoms were leading with four more points than KCCA FC – the last editions country’s representatives – and thus the duty of flying Uganda’s flag lies squarely on their shoulders.

Just like Gor Mahia, Vipers have not been in action since the league was suspended in March due to the emergence of the coronavirus.

Head coach Fred Kajoba has already made signings – predominantly from local clubs – who he hopes will help the club as they return to the continental football.

Ghana Premier League (GPL) side Asante Kotoko will travel away to Mauritania to face FC Nouadhibou for their first test of the 2020-21 Caf Champions League campaign.

The draw for the preliminary round of the elite continental inter-club championship was conducted in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Monday.

Kotoko's first leg trip away is set for the weekend of November 27-29, a week before the return fixture in Ghana.

The winners over two legs will square off against the ultimate victors of the clash between Al Hilal Club of Sudan and Ugandan outfit Vipers in December and January.

Nouadhibou are the 2019-20 Mauritania Ligue 1 champions, their eighth time winning the national league.

Ashanti Gold, Ghana's only other club in Africa in the 2020-21 season, have been pitted against Salitas FC of Burkina Faso in the preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup.

The winners over two legs will have a date with El Amal of Sudan or KVZ FC of Zanzibar in the next round of the competition.

Salitas, the runners-up of the 2018-19 Burkinabe Premier League, got the nod to represent their country in the Confederation Cup due to the premature termination of the Burkina Faso Cup whose winners were to have received the ticket for the continental championship.

Owing to the premature termination of the 2019-20 Ghana Premier League (GPL) season due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, Ghana were similarly unable to decide their representatives for the 2020-21 Caf competitions on the pitch.

At a Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council meeting in June, it was decided that Kotoko fly Ghana's flag in the Champions League while Ashanti Gold represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Kotoko and AshGold were chosen based on their status as Ghana's representatives for the continental competitions last season after they won the 2019 GFA Normalisation Committee Special Competition Tier 1 and Tier 2 titles respectively.

Ghana's performance in Africa last season was, however, disappointing as Kotoko were eliminated from the Champions League in the first round by Tunisian club Etoile Sahel while AshGold were similarly knocked out of the Confederation Cup in the first round by RS Berkane of Morocco. 

Temwa Chawinga scored the only goal for Malawi as they progressed to the semi-final for the first time since 2011 following a 1-0 victory over Zambia at Wolfson Stadium on Monday.

Besides rekindling the rivalry between the teams, the match also set up the region's lethal strikers in Chawinga sisters and Barbra Banda, following their season campaign in China.

While Banda had scored three goals in Zambia's 8-0 win over Lesotho, Temwa played a vital role in the Malawians 9-0 win, scoring a goal and assisted her sister Tabitha to net six.

The 22-year-old, who helped Wuhan to a maiden Chinese Women's Super League title success in October, put up another brilliant display to ensure the Sorcerer outclassed the Copper Queens.

The DD Sunshine product struck the winner in the 31st minute to seal Malawi's passage to the semi-final of the tournament.

The first half solitary strike from the Wuhan star was all the Mcnelbert Kazuwa’s team required to condemn the 2021 Olympic Games campaigner to a first defeat of the competition.

The win means Malawi have avenged their expulsion last year at the expense of Zambia and this sees them finish top of Group B.

They will now have to slug it out against defending champions South Africa in the semi-final to reach their first-ever final on Thursday.

Despite the defeat, Zambia, on the other hand, still advance as the best loser on superior goals and will now battle Botswana in a quest for back-to-back appearances in the final on the same day.

Teenage sensation Youssoufa Moukoko has got goals in his blood, according to Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, who says that the 15-year-old has got scoring in his DNA.

The Germany youth star, who has already won caps for the national team's under-20 side despite being five years younger than the majority of his teammates, is poised to pick up his first Bundesliga call-up ahead of Lucien Favre's side trip to Hertha Berling on November 21.

League rules mean that players have to reach the age of 16 before they can play for the senior squad, with Cameroon-born Moukoko set to celebrate his birthday the day before, on November 20.

The striker, who moved from his home nation with his father, a German citizen, in 2014, has been training with Favre's first team since January this year and is widely tipped to pick up top-flight minutes before 2020 is out.

In addition, Moukoko is expected to be included on the club's B-list for their Champions League campaign, raising the possibility of a cameo that could see him break the longstanding record held by Celestine Babayaro for the youngest player in the top European competition, at 16 years, two months and 25 days.

Former Dortmund treasurer Watzke now has opened up on the youngster's performances, having seen him impress across the club's academy setups, with the 61-year-old professing his excitement at seeing the forward make the move up the ranks.

However, he was quick to caution that the club would not look to push him too hard, given his age and relative inexperience, though hopes are harboured that he can follow in the footsteps of former young sensations like Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland.

"He has the goal gene," Watzke told Sky Sports Germany. "Whether he's scoring three or four in games for the under-19s, if you're doing them regularly, you definitely have the goal gene.

"But it will be the decision of the coach as to whether or when he plays. He is going to be the youngest of them all, so we have to be careful not to overload him.

"It's ideal to have him [move into the senior team] though. If Haaland needs a break, then maybe Favre will try out Youssoufa."

France manager Didier Deschamps says he doesn’t think Paul Pogba is happy with his current situation at Manchester United.

The 27-year-old has struggled for consistent first-team minutes in recent months, with injury problems and a lack of fitness after testing positive for coronavirus among the contributory factors.

Pogba has played 90 minutes just twice for United this season – in the Premier League defeats to Tottenham and Arsenal – and his only goal so far was against Brighton in the Carabao Cup.

He nevertheless played well for France during the last international break, but Deschamps admits he isn’t at his best at the moment.

“I have no advice to give him,” Deschamps told a press conference. “He knows the group well. It has been a while since he played with his club.

“He is in a situation at Manchester United where he cannot be satisfied with his playing time and his position. He is not in his best period.

“The injuries came one after another, and Covid hit him pretty hard as well. He needs to find some rhythm.

“Last month his game had been pretty good and consistent despite a lack of pace. He's been playing since, but you can't say he's happy.

“With me, there is no problem, I will make sure to manage him. It is never easy for a player in his situation. I'll talk to him. He will tell me certain things, how he feels, and I will also tell him what I can see and feel.”

Whether in or out of form, Pogba is rarely out of the headlines at United, and that has been the case in recent weeks.

Comments from Juventus director Fabio Paratici sparked rumours he could be set to leave Old Trafford to return to his former club.

However, former United defender Phil Neville has said he doesn’t think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have a chance of winning the title without Pogba.

“I still think it’s absolutely disgraceful that Pogba can’t get in that team,” Neville told Premier League Productions.

“For United to win a league, for United to be successful, for United to play the style of football that Ole wants them to play, then Pogba has to play.

“You can play one of them [Nemanja] Matic, Fred or [Scott] McTominay and then you play Pogba with Fernandes.”

Kaizer Chiefs will begin their 2020/21 Caf Champions League campaign at the preliminary round against Cameroonian champions PWD Bamenda.

Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions Mamelodi Sundowns have been given a preliminary stage bye and lie wait in the first round to face the winner between Jwaneng Galaxy from Botswana or US Zilimadjou of Comoros.

Chiefs will first visit PWD Bamenda on the weekend of November 27-29, before hosting their opponents on the weekend of December 4-6.

While Amakhosi have endured a difficult start to the season, they could be fancying rejuvenating themselves against their Cameroonian opponents whose only appearance in Africa was a second-round exit from the 2004 Caf Confederation Cup.

Bamenda qualified for this season’s Champions League after claiming their first-ever Cameroon Elite One league title last season which was, however, prematurely ended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If Chiefs get past Bamenda, they meet Angolan champions Primeiro Agosto in the first round as they seek to reach the group stage under Gavin Hunt who led Bidvest Wits to the Caf Confederation Cup mini-league phase last season.

It would be a return to Africa for last season’s PSL runners-up Chiefs who have recently participated in the Champions League with little success.

Meanwhile in the Confederation Cup, Orlando Pirates will begin their bid for a first continental title since 1995 in the first round after being given a preliminary stage bye.

The Buccaneers will play the winner between SD Sagrada Esperanca from Angola and Eswatini representatives yet to be confirmed.

Pirates were Confederation Cup finalists in 2015 and return to this competition after finishing third on the PSL table last season.

Another South African participant in this competition Bloemfontein Celtic face AS Maniema from DR Congo in the preliminary round.

The Free State side will start their campaign away on the weekend of November 27-29 and if they pass this stage, they will come up against Nigerian side Rivers United or Futuro Kings from Equatorial Guinea.