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Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been named in Barcelona's squad to face Dynamo Kiev after making a full recovery from a serious knee injury.

Ter Stegen was forced to undergo surgery after sustaining tendon damage in August and hasn't featured for Barca at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Brazilian shot-stopper Neto has filled in for the Germany international over the past two months, with Dutch head coach Ronald Koeman currently ushering in a new era at Camp Nou.

Barca have endured a shaky start to the season in Ter Stegen's absence, slipping to 12th in the Liga standings after winning just two of their opening six fixtures.

Koeman's men have saved their best performances for the Champions League, claiming comfortable victories over Ferencvaros and Juventus to storm to the top of Group G.

The Blaugrana will be aiming to extend their 100 per cent record when Dynamo Kiev arrive at Camp Nou on Wednesday night, and will be boosted by the return of their No.1 keeper.

Ter Stegen has been included in Koeman's final 21-man squad for the contest, but it is not yet clear whether or not he will be handed his first start since Barca's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in last season's quarter-finals.

The 28-year-old's future in Catalonia had been the subject of much speculation over the summer, as talks over a contract extension seemingly hit a brick wall due to his lofty wage demands.

Barca were, however, eventually able to reach an agreement with the German , who signed a renewal on October 20 which will see him remain at Camp Nou through to 2025.

Ter Stegen's new deal also included a €500 million (£457m/$591m) buy-out clause, which effectively dismissed rumours of a potential move away from the club amid reported interest from the likes of Inter, Manchester United and Chelsea.

After Barca's latest European outing, the experienced 'keeper could be in line to feature in a Liga clash with Real Betis on Saturday, with four points currently separating the two sides in the table.

Zesco United coach Numba Mumamba has challenged his players to show they are a team that is ready to produce good results to win the title when they face Forest Rangers.

Zesco United will face off with their cross-town rivals on Wednesday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium and Mumamba has asked the players to react after drawing Napsa Stars in the Super League opener.

Timu ya Ziko were destined for a 1-0 win but Napsa Stars struck late to ensure the tie ended in a 1-1 draw to deny the former league champions three opening points.

“Our target is to collect maximum points especially that we dropped two in Lusaka,” the former Zambia international told the club’s website.

“We are playing a local derby against Forest Rangers which, I think will be an interesting fixture because this is the game that will show we have a team that can produce good results,”

“Today we have an opportunity to improve on what we did in Lusaka. If we do this, I think we are going to have a field day today.”

Mumamba, who was appointed to replace George Lwandamina after a poor 2019/20 season, is unfazed by a recent history where Forest Rangers have had an upper hand against Zesco United.

“This is a different game and I think we have planned for Forest Rangers and the team is ready for this afternoon’s game. All we are looking for is collecting maximum points,” the coach added.

“It is crucial that we start digging deeper so that we catch up with the teams that won their first games. Our aim is to challenge for the title so we need to start collecting points as soon as possible.”

Mumamba is expected to stick with his starting XI that drew Napsa Stars at Woodlands Stadium on Sunday.

“Looking at the way the team performed, I think we will give them another chance to prove themselves and will see how they will perform against Forest Rangers today,” the coach added.

Forest Rangers, Zanaco, Prison Leopards Green Eagles and Power Dynamos are the team that won the opening matches.

Kabwe Warriors, Young Green Eagles, Indeni, league champions Nkana and Kitwe United are the sides that were defeated.

Frank Lampard’s Chelsea will host Rennes as the two sides are set to meet for the first time in any European competition.

Chelsea vs Rennes Latest Odds

Chelsea have won five of their last nine home Champions League games against French sides and winning another on Wednesday has been valued at (1.30) with ZEbet.

In their last nine European matches at home Chelsea have drawn in three such games and a fourth draw occurring at Stamford Bridge has been priced at (5.80).

Rennes have lost their two away European games in England as they were beaten by Aston Villa and Arsenal and for them to end the poor run with a win has been tipped to happen at (9.25).

Chelsea vs Rennes Team News

Frank Lampard might rest German international Kai Havertz but Christian Pulisic is expected to be missed as he is still on the recovery path from a hamstring injury.

Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri and Callum Hudson could start while Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell might be rested too.

On the other hand, the French side will have to contend with a double injury given that Daniele Rugani and Eduardo Camavinga are both ruled out. Steven Nzonzi will be available after serving a European ban in full.

Chelsea vs Rennes Preview

Chelsea have only suffered one defeat in their previous 15 home games in the group stage of the Champions League (0-1 v Valencia last season), winning nine and drawing the other five games in this run.

Rennes are on a five-game losing streak away from home in major European competitions (excluding qualifiers), with four of the defeats in this run coming since the start of last season).

Chelsea vs Rennes Tips and Predictions

Chelsea’s Timo Werner has been directly involved in 11 goals in his last 13 appearances in the Champions League (eight goals and three assists), including six goals in the most recent six (three goals and three assists).

Rennes have only kept one clean sheet in their last 12 games across all European competitions (2-0 vs Lazio in the Europa League last season), conceding 18 goals in total in this run. Punters can grab the over 3.5 goals to be scored offer at (2.12) with ZEbet.

Over 3.5 goals at (2.12) with ZEbet.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.  

Ralph Hasenhuttl has confirmed that Danny Ings will have to undergo surgery on a knee injury and says that the Southampton star could spend the next six weeks on the sidelines.

Ings had to be substituted late on during a 4-3 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday after landing awkwardly on his knee following a collision with Egyptian midfielder Trezeguet.

A post-match scan revealed that the 28-year-old had sustained no serious damage, but Hasenhuttl expressed concern over the forward's condition during his press conference, stating: "It didn't look good at the time.

"He overstretched his knee and this is always dangerous and he was immediately shouting, 'my knee, my knee'."

Ings has since been assessed by Southampton's medical team, with Hasenhuttl revealing that he will have to have a minor operation on the issue before beginning a rehabilitation programme which will keep him out of action for at least a month.

"At the moment it looks like he is out for 4-6 weeks," the Austrian head coach told reporters ahead of his side's clash with Newcastle on Friday. 

"He'll have a small surgery tomorrow morning. 

"It could be worse, but he'll be out and it's not good news for us."

Ings netted his fifth goal of the season to put Southampton 4-0 up against Villa, with the final result ensuring that Hasenhuttl's men moved up to fifth in the Premier League standings.

He will be unable for selection when Newcastle arrive at St Mary's later this week, and will also likely miss fixtures against Wolves, Manchester United and Brighton after the international break.

However, Hasenhuttl insists the Saints can cope without their talismanic striker, as he added: "We are more than Danny Ings.

"It's a big loss but it's important now for other players to give us alternatives.

"Nobody has to play like Danny Ings, every player should play his best possible game."

Asked to discuss Southampton's impressive recent form, Hasenhuttl responded: "I’m using the energy to think about what we can do better, rather than what we’ve done well.

"Our level is a lot higher now than at the start of the season and this gives us a better chance to be competitive.

"We had a few opponents last season where we took no points, so Friday is a good challenge to show we're better now.

"It was the same against Burnley, so the clear message is we have to do better now."

Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) has confirmed six referees will be in charge of the Mainland Premier League derby between Young Africans (Yanga SC) and Simba SC on Saturday.

The Kariakoo Derby, which was the first meeting between the two giants in the 2020-21 campaign, was originally set for October 18, 2020, but it was moved to November 7, 2020, and will be played at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

TPLB CEO Almas Kasongo has confirmed the derby will have two extra referees to make sure that all the teams and both sets of fans are satisfied with the outcome at the end of the whistle.

“We have added two extra referees for the derby, so we will have six referees in total to officiate the match on Saturday,” Kasongo told Goal on Wednesday.

“The two extra referees will be at the end of both sides of the goal-posts like it happens in Europe, and they will assist the centre referee and also the two assistants, plus the match commissioner making it six officials for the match.

“We have also made sure that security will be provided during and after the derby so we want to urge as many fans as possible to come for the match, it is the first derby of the season and we hope to see a good match.”

Last season, the two giants met three times, with the first round ending in a 2-2 draw before Yanga turned on the screw to win the second round fixture 1-0, but they again faced off in the semi-finals of the FA Cup where Simba won 4-1.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi then went ahead to seal a season double – winning the Community Shield, the league, and the domestic cup – after beating Namungo FC 2-1 in the final played in Sumbawanga, Rukwa.

The Simba versus Yanga rivalry, also known as the Kariakoo Derby, is a high-profile inter-city rivalry between Tanzania professional association football clubs Simba and Yanga.

It is considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in association football in Africa along with the Soweto Derby in South Africa (Kaizer Chief vs Orlando Pirates), Cairo Derby in Egypt (Al Ahly vs Zamalek) and is considered the most famous fixture in Tanzanian football.

While Simba will still have their coach Sven Vandenbroeck for the derby, Yanga will have a new man – Cedric Kaze - in charge of the team after they fired Belgian Luc Eymael at the end of the last campaign and later Zlatko Krmpotic after 37 matches in charge of the club.

Orlando Pirates stand-in coach Fadlu Davids has emphasised on carrying the momentum from their convincing victory over Kaizer Chiefs last weekend into Wednesday’s Premier Soccer League match away to Bloemfontein Celtic.

The Buccaneers arrive at Dr Petrus Molemela on a high after dismissing old foes Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in an MTN8 semi-final, first leg encounter last Saturday.

That result could spur Pirates in Bloemfontein as they search for their first league win this season after similar 1-1 draws against AmaZulu and Stellenbosch.

“When you come from a good result it definitely lifts up the mood, brings the togetherness and the team spirit up,” said Davids as per Phakaaathi.

“When we analyse the secret of the success there are lots of good things tactically, yes. But the most important thing is the team effort, team structure, working as a team and not as individuals. Now it’s, on one hand, to carry that momentum into the next game, not to dwell on the past success, but to put all the focus into the next game which is a PSL match.”

Davids is temporarily holding the Pirates coaching reins in the absence of head coach Josef Zinnbauer who travelled back home to Germany to attend to his hospitalised son who was recently involved in a motor vehicle accident.

Another Pirates absentee on Wednesday would be chief striker Frank Mhango who is battling with a groin injury and missed the win over Chiefs.

Pirates will also be without midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu, Thabiso Monyane, Bongani Sam and Tshegofatso Mabasa due to injuries, the club has confirmed.

Zungu who came on as a late substitution in the win over Chiefs injured his hip at training on Tuesday.

Defender Sam and Mabasa are yet to play a single match this season, while forward Monyane has just one league match under his belt.

The last time the Soweto giants met Celtic was in a league match in January which ended 1-1 at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium.

After keeping a clean sheet against Chiefs, Pirates new goalkeeper Richard Ofori is expected to start in goal again in what would be his second league game in Bucs colours following his debut against Stellenbosch.

Davids and his men face a Celtic side that is also yet to with a league match following a 1-1 draw against Golden Arrows, before losing 1-0 to Swallows FC.

That means Siwelele have gone for three consecutive games without winning after they drew 1-1 in last weekend’s MTN8 semi-final, first leg match against SuperSport United.

Sierra Leone senior national team coach John Keister has invited 16 foreign-based players for next week’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Nigeria, with veteran Minnesota United striker Kei Kamara the pick of the selections.

The West Africans zoned alongside Lesotho and Benin Republic in Group L have made a poor start in the race to Cameroon 2022.

Having recorded a draw against the Crocodiles and defeat to the Squirrels, the Leone Stars sit at the base of the log with just one point.

To revive their qualification ambitions, coach Keister has invited a strong squad to face group leaders Nigeria in Benin City and Freetown, with Kamara who scored a goal against Liberia during the second leg of the 2022 World Cup qualifier in September, earning a recall.

Captain Umaru Bangura who plays for FC Zurich will miss the first-leg after being cleared of Covid-19 recently.

LA Galaxy II striker Augustine Williams has been handed his maiden call-up following his impressive goalscoring run in America. Williams won USL Championship’s Player of the Month for September/October after scoring seven goals in his last eight games.

Sierra Leone are hoping to make their third appearance in the biennial African football showpiece. They last featured at the 1996 edition staged in South Africa. There, they crashed out of the group stage after one win and two defeats.

The 33rd edition of the biennial tournament was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021, but has now been pushed to January 2022 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the continent.

LIST OF FOREIGN-BASED PLAYERS

Defenders: Alie Sesay FC Zire Azerbaijan, Mustapha Dumbuya Tampa Bay Rowdies, England QPR Osman Kakay, Kevin Wright Orebro SK and Ishmael Koroma Vasalunds IF Sweden.

Midfielders: John Kamara Azerbaijan Keşla FK, Mohamed Medo Kamara FC Haka Finland, Rodney Strasser TPS Finland, George Davies SKN Polten Austria and Kwame Quee Víkingur Reykjavík Iceland.

Strikers: Augustine Willaims LA Galaxy II the USA, Belgium Mustapha Bundu R.S.C. Anderlecht, Kei Kamara MLS Minnesota United FC, Mohamed Buya Turay China Hebei Fortune  Alhaji Kamara Denmark Randers FC and Alhassan Koroma RB Linense Spain.

Alvina Njolle starred and Henrietta Akaba scored for Minsk as they defeated Rigas FS 3-0 in Wednesday's Uefa Women's Champions League qualifying round at Minsk Stadium.

Njolle was handed a start on her third season for the Belarusian side, while compatriot Akaba returned to the competition for the first time since 2018 when she played for Turkish side Ataşehir Belediyespor.

Despite losing the domestic crown with Minsk, the Cameroon internationals featured prominently for the Belarusian side and helped Aleksandr Lukhvich's side into the Round of 32.

The hosts made a bright start to the contest as Njolle almost drew first blood, with a fine long-range effort in the eighth minute.

Nine minutes later, Akaba won a free kick for her side after being brought down in front of the Rigas box. Kseniya Kubichnaya struck from the spot to hand Minsk the lead in the 18th minute.

Njolle and Akaba came close simultaneously to double the advantage for Minsk before the 22nd minute of the encounter.

After the restart, Njolle was hacked down inside the area by Anastasija Cemirtane and Lyubov Shmatko made no mistake to convert from the spot in the 58th minute.

10 minutes from time, Akaba finally found the back of the net after she scored from the spot to ensure her side completed the rout.

Cote d'Ivoire's Nadege Cisse and Cameroon's Njolle featured for the entire duration for Minsk, while compatriot Akaba played for 86 minutes before she was replaced by Victoriya Belmach.

The triumph saw Minsk progress to the Round of 32 of the 2020-21 season of the Uefa Women's Champions League and they will find out their opponents in the next round on November 6.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Manqoba Ngwenya feels the club’s profile would improve if attacker Gaston Sirino joins Al Ahly.

The Uruguayan has been strongly linked with a move to the eight-time African champions where his former Downs coach Pitso Mosimane is reportedly eager for a reunion.

Sundowns stole the limelight when they won the 2016 Caf Champions League title and their subsequent participation at the Fifa Club World Cup, albeit they struggled there.

With Mosimane’s move to Ahly in September also thrusting the Brazilians into the spotlight again, Ngwenya feels that the club’s image would be boosted if Sirino moves to Egypt.

Ngwenya also believes Sirino’s departure would open playing opportunities for upcoming Downs stars like Promise Mkhuma.

“When Patrice Motsepe bought this team he wanted international teams to recognise our players and now it’s happening,” said Ngwenya as per Sowetan Live.

“If Sirino really leaves, that would be good for Sundowns’ profile…it will show that we can produce big players and also the move will give the likes of Mkhuma a chance to play regularly.”

Sirino arrived at Downs in January 2018 from Bolivian side Bolivar and he has already completed two full seasons at Chloorkop.

In June 2020, he extended his Sundowns contract by a further five years amid already reported interest from Al Ahly which is said to have now been heightened by Mosimane's arrival in Cairo.

A source told Sowetan Live that Sirino is "keen" to join the Egyptian giants but the Brazilians are the stumbling block.

“Sirino has agreed to join Al Ahly in principle…he’s so keen to work with coach Pitso again. The biggest problem is that Sundowns have not accepted Al Ahly’s offer…that’s the hindrance for now,’’ the Sowetan source said.

With the Uruguayan injured, he is yet to feature in any of Sundowns’ matches this season.

His much-anticipated attacking partnership with the club’s new signings Kermit Erasmus, Peter Shalulile and Gift Motupa is yet to be witnessed.

Despite making huge signings for this season, Sundowns have been struggling for consistency and face Cape Town City in Wednesday’s league match at Cape Town Stadium.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been labelled “ignorant” by Pasquale Bruno, with the former Juventus defender of the opinion that the Portuguese superstar lacks respect for both his team-mates and the country of Italy as a whole.

Largely regarded as one of the best footballers in history, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner ended a nine-year stay at Real Madrid in 2018 as he opted to start a new chapter in his career with Juventus.

Despite his advancing years, the 35-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down since his arrival, doing his fair share of graft and bagging plenty of goals to help the Bianconeri to back-to-back Serie A titles.

But, while the Portugal captain's talent is unquestioned, Bruno believes that a refusal to learn Italian throughout his two years in the country smacks of a lack of respect for the rest of the Juventus squad and general public in his new home.

“He is ignorant,” the 58-year-old said during an appearance on Tiki Taka. “He has been in Italy for two years and has not yet learned to speak our language. He uses Spanish to express himself. He has no respect for his team-mates or for the Italians.”

Ronaldo is unlikely to be affected by those comments, however, with Juan Cuadrado stating at the recent Champions League pre-match press conference that the attacker is a model professional who helps to drive his team forward.

“Ronaldo is very happy, he couldn't wait to come back and play,” the Colombian said of his team-mate's return from a coronavirus-enforced lay-off. “You saw that from the moment he stepped onto the pitch [against Spezia].

“He's an extra weapon for us, we all know what he gives to the team. He is very confident and that helps us too, passing on the professionalism and desire to win that we all ought to have.”

While Ronaldo came off the bench against Spezia, he is expected to feature from the start against Ferencvaros on Wednesday and head coach Andrea Pirlo confirmed that he will not change his tactics despite switching up his on-field personnel.

“The attitude is the same. The players change from game to game but the positions are the same,” the Italy legend said. “[Weston] McKennie played against Spezia, [Aaron] Ramsey was there two games ago and [Dejan] Kulusevski before that.

“It doesn't matter who plays, the model remains the same.”

Frank Lampard believes there is “a lot more to come” from Edouard Mendy owing to the Senegal international’s bright start to life at Chelsea.

The 28-year-old joined the Stamford Bridge giants from Rennes as back-up for error-prone Kepa Arrizabalaga for a fee worth £22 million.

With five clean sheets garnered in six appearances so far, Mendy has become the first Blue to record shutouts in his opening three Premier League matches since Petr Cech.

As the goalkeeper prepares to face his former team in the Champions League on Wednesday, the Blues boss is in awe of the African’s performances so far, while suggesting his potentials  areyet to be unlocked.

"I am sure he will improve as it is really early days for him at the club he is settling in still to a degree," he told media per Chelsea website.

"I am very confident in him and he has shown great qualities so far and I think there is a lot more to come, with his attitude which is key.

"I have seen how he wants to work, how he wants to be and the humility in him - I think he can go much further in many departments.

"What I have seen in a short period of time with Edouard is a player that has a massive work ethic to train and push himself every day.

"It seems his personality is pretty laid back with a tough edge when it comes to work."

“He has shown his qualities that we brought him into the club for,” he continued. 

“All the feedback was he had a great personality, a strong personality in the dressing room, and everything I heard, all those positives, came true. It seems his personality is pretty laid-back with a tough edge when it comes to work. 

“He is very low maintenance, he works hard, he wants to work more, and he is eager to engage with his team-mates and myself.

“He has a smile on his face so it’s a real positive when you have a player that comes in and hits the ground running on the pitch and in the dressing room.”

After the showdown versus Rennes, big games are coming thick and fast, and he is expected to get plenty of opportunities to impress.

Jose Mourinho took issue with the suggestion Harry Kane was "clever" in winning penalties as the Tottenham boss encouraged the media to look at similar incidents involving rival top clubs.

Spot-kick awards were a popular topic of discussion in the Premier League last weekend as both Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Spurs striker Kane drew criticism for the manner in which they earned penalties.

Kane appeared to step into a challenge with Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Adam Lallana, who was already in the air contesting a header.

Rather than award a foul against the Tottenham man, though, the referee pointed to the spot to the bemusement of Lallana after a VAR check confirmed the incident occurred inside the penalty area.

But Mourinho, speaking ahead of a Europa League trip to Ludogorets where he promised to go "full power", believed it was a genuine foul and defended his player.

"I think you are confused," Mourinho fired back when asked about the decision.

"You could be speaking about some Manchester United players, some Man City players, some Liverpool players, some Chelsea players. You are speaking about Kane?

"He was in position to control the ball and Lallana came in a reckless action and committed the foul. It was a foul. What are the media speaking about? It's a foul.

"Direct free-kick or penalty, that's for the VAR to decide. It's inside [the box].

"It's not being clever. Harry Kane is there to score goals. Lallana was reckless, he made a mistake. What are you speaking about?

"You have to speak about something that happened that could have a direct impact on the result of the game, which was their goal.

"Speak about Liverpool, Man United, these penalties where you see the 'clever' guy on the floor. Don't speak about Harry Kane."

It was not the first time Mourinho has railed against the media in recent days, revealing after Gareth Bale's first goal back at Tottenham - also against Brighton - he would be studying the response in Spain, where the winger was criticised as a Real Madrid player.

"I just talk about the Spanish media, the media that used to not be very nice with Gareth," he said on Wednesday.

"Yes, they were very fair, very honest, praising his connection with [Sergio] Reguilon. I think they were very honest and I'm happy with that."

Vihiga United have sealed their return to FKF Premier League after seeing off Kisumu All-Stars 5-3 on post-match penalties at Moi Stadium in Kisumu on Wednesday.

The Vihiga-based club were relegated from the top-flight last season and were seeking to bounce back against All-Stars, who were playing in the top league in the 2019-20 campaign.

Despite winning the first leg 2-1, Kisumu All-Stars could not protect the advantage as they recovered to win 2-1 in the return fixture and thus end the tie at 3-3 after the two-legged affair prompting the match referee to order for penalties which Vihiga triumph 5-3.

Vihiga under coach Sammy Okoth looked the determined side in the return leg but were shocked in the 47th minute when All-Stars took the lead courtesy of Erick Otieno, who rounded the keeper to stab the ball to an empty net.

However, Vihiga responded immediately as from the restart, they drew level when Dennis Wafula scored from a well taken shot for a 1-1 scoreline at the half-time break.

On resumption, Vihiga knew a goal will put them level on aggregate with All-Stars and they did exactly that when Patrick Okulo powered home the second goal from close range.

Vihiga then held on to the 2-1 advantage forcing the tie to be decided on penalties in which they converted all their spot-kicks while All-Stars missed two, to miss out on a chance to play in the top-flight again.

Vihiga coach Okoth could not hide his joy after the penalty win, saying his players had responded well and played according to instructions.

“In the first leg, we lost because of our own mistakes,” Okoth told Goal after the match. “it was the reason I asked my plans to play and avoid committing mistakes, I asked them to be solid at the back and also avoid conceding silly fouls inside our danger area.

“I am very impressed because that is what the players did, they played according to my plans and now we have a ticket back to the top-flight, we deserved to come back, playing in the lower league is not a joy for anyone and we are happy to make it up again.”

On his part, All-Stars coach Andrew Aroka conceded defeat saying it was unfortunate they could not take advantage of the result they had picked from the first leg.

“We won the first leg and I knew we could push them and win here again but it was not the case, we really never threatened them especially in the second half, we gave them room to control the ball and we have now been punished.

“It is back to the drawing board for us again now.”

The promotion of Vihiga completes the set-up of the FKF Premier League which will have 18 teams and is now penciled to kick-off on November 20.

Roberto Firmino is a "better bet" for Liverpool's showdown with Manchester City despite Diogo Jota's hat-trick against Atalanta, according to John Barnes.

Jota took his tally to seven goals in 10 appearances for the Reds by netting a superb treble in their latest Champions League outing on Tuesday.

The Portuguese forward produced a delightful dinked finish to open the scoring at Stadio di Bergamo after being handed a rare start ahead of Firmino.

He doubled his account when he took down a searching Joe Gomez pass before smashing home a half-volley, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead heading in at the break.

A fine individual goal from Mohamed Salah put Liverpool 3-0 up two minutes into the second period, and Sadio Mane got himself on the scoresheet moments later when chipped the ball past Atalanta 'keeper Marco Sportiello after being played in by his Egyptian team-mate.

Mane then turned provider himself as his delightful outside-of-the-foot pass found Jota bursting into the opposition half, with the 23-year-old then calmly rounding Sportiello before tapping into an empty net.

A man who arrived at Anfield from Wolves for £45 million ($58m) on September 19 is now being tipped to replace Firmino as the Reds' first-choice central striker, but Barnes believes the Brazilian is still vital to Klopp's plans.

The Liverpool legend expects Firmino to return to the fold when the reigning Premier League champions travel to the Etihad Stadium to face City on Sunday, as he told talkSPORT: “Jota scored a hat-trick, but that doesn’t mean he automatically goes into the team against Man City.

“I think who plays depends on what the games are and who they’re against and how that team plays.

“Against Man City, where you’re not going to have as much possession, maybe Firmino will be a better bet. You need a player like Bobby Firmino to not only get hold of the ball but also do his defensive work.

“If you’re playing a game against Atalanta or Leeds, a more open team, then you can see Jota coming in.

“It’s the same with Thiago. If you play Man City you won’t necessarily play Thiago, you play Wijnaldum, Henderson and Fabinho who are much stronger defensively.

“I think Klopp will chop and change this season, and I don’t think it’s a reflection on who he feels is better, it’s more about who they are playing against.

“Will Firmino’s lack of goals cost him? Well, the reason why Mane and Salah score as many goals as they do is because of the way Bobby plays.

“Now, if Jota plays maybe Salah and Mane, although they both scored last night, might not score as many goals.

“So I don’t think goalscoring is necessarily what he’s in the team to do. As much as people may say, ‘Firmino is Liverpool’s main striker’, the main goalscorers are Mane and Salah and Firmino gives much more than that.

“If we can finish 20-odd points ahead of everyone else and he doesn’t score goals, I’ll be having that all day long, and so would Jurgen!”

Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi has sent fellow countryman Diego Maradona “a big hug from the heart” after the Albiceleste legend and current Gymnasia y Esgrima coach had to undergo surgery for a blood clot in his brain.

Maradona had taken the decision to admit himself to the Ipensa Clinic in La Plata on Monday due to health concerns, before being transferred to the Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aires province.

At first, it had been suspected that the 60-year-old, who just recently celebrated his birthday, had been suffering from fatigue due to dehydration.

Indeed, his last public appearance before being admitted had caused public concern, with the South American icon having looked extremely weak and needing assistance to walk while receiving a commemorative plaque ahead of Gymnasia's clash with Patronato.

It soon became apparent after a series of tests that Maradona had a subdural haematoma, an issue that has since been operated on successfully, according to his personal doctor.

Tributes and well wishes have been pouring in since the news of Maradona's ill health broke, and Messi has added his name to the list of those hoping to see the former Argentina boss back on his feet as soon as possible.

“Diego, all the strength in the world,” Messi wrote on Instagram. “My family and I want to see you healthy again as soon as possible. A big hug from the heart!”

Regarding the surgery itself, Maradona's physician, Dr Leopoldo Luque, relayed that the procedure had gone well and his patient was now in recovery.

“I was able to evacuate the haematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well,” Luque said. “Diego is under control, he has a small drain [to remove fluid] that we are planning to take out tomorrow.

“His stay at the hospital will depend on his recovery but the start of it has been great. The way he reacted after the surgery is promising.”

Maradona's personal lawyer also chipped in, adding: “I've just talked with the clinic authorities. Diego is okay and continues his recovery. Detecting the haematoma on time was decisive and it happened because of the medical team's professionalism and the studies they decided to conduct.

“Yesterday, Diego was very anxious about what was going to happen. In September, he underwent the same haematoma test and nothing appeared then. If this hadn't been detected on time, Diego's destiny would've been a different one.”

Diego Maradona's brain surgery was a success and the Argentina great is recovering, according to his personal doctor Leopoldo Luque.

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach Maradona, 60, underwent a "routine" operation for a subdural haematoma on Tuesday.

The former Argentina and Napoli superstar was admitted to Ipensa clinic in La Plata on Monday due to concerns over anaemia and dehydration, before being transferred to Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aires province.

"I was able to evacuate the hematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well," Luque told reporters following the emergency procedure.

"Diego is under control. He has a small drain [to remove fluid] that we are planning to take out tomorrow. His stay at the hospital will depend on his evolution.

"But the start of his recovery was great. The way he reacted after the surgery is promising."

Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986 and guided Napoli to two Serie A titles, has been in charge of Superliga Argentina club Gimnasia since 2019.

He appeared in a fragile state when he briefly made an appearance as his Gimnasia side played a match on the evening of his birthday last Friday.

Gimnasia won their opening game 3-0 at home to Patronato.

Maradona has suffered a number of health issues since retiring from football, twice undergoing gastric bypass surgery after becoming dangerously overweight, and falling ill at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He took in another spell in hospital the following year due to internal bleeding of the stomach, with his daughter Gianinna raising fears on social media that her father was being "killed from the inside" by continuing his career in coaching.

Maradona dismissed her concerns in his own Instagram post, stating: "I'm not dying at all. I sleep peacefully because I am working. I don't know what Gianinna meant.

"I know that as one gets older people care more about what you will leave behind than about what you are doing. I am very healthy."

Manchester United's board of directors "panicked" in appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to Paul Ince, who says his old club have lost their fear factor under the current manager.

Solskjaer brought up his 100th game in charge at Old Trafford on Sunday, but had very little to celebrate by the end of a heavyweight clash with Arsenal.

The Gunners ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty, with the defeat compounding United's worst start to a top-flight season since David Moyes' doomed tenure in 2013-14.

The Red Devils are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table, nine points behind pacesetters and defending champions Liverpool having played a game less.

Solskjaer has so far failed to build on the platform of a third-place Premier League finish in 2019-20, with his side unable to maintain their impressive post-lockdown form at the start of the new campaign.

The Norwegian endured a similar downturn in results when he was handed a permanent contract in March of last year, having initially overseen a revival of fortunes as interim head coach.

Ince thinks United officials jumped the gun by handing Solskjaer a three-year deal, and that teams are now confident of picking up points against the Red Devils both at home and away.

“They've been inconsistent for a while now - even before Ole took over," the former United midfielder told Ladbrokes. "Then they went on that great run and he got the job. It was hard not to give him the job after that run. I do think the board panicked though.

“All the fans were singing his name, ordering the club to give him the job and they did. I think they should've waited until the end of the season. Let him have it as interim manager until the end of the season then see who's out there, who the best man is for the job.

“I'm not saying Ole's not the best man for the job, and getting that team last season into third place was a great achievement. But I look at United now compared to when I played...

“We had a presence. Teams were frightened of us. We already had teams beat before we walked out onto the pitch. Whether it was home or away, teams were frightened of Manchester United. I don't see that now.

“Teams look at them and think they can take points from the game. We saw it against Arsenal, where United were woeful. We've seen Crystal Palace do it. Something's not quite right.”

The Red Devils are due back in Champions League action against Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday, when they will be aiming to extend their perfect record in Group H.

Solskjaer will then start preparing his squad for a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday, before the second international break of the season comes into effect.