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Gernot Rohr has revealed Nigeria will aim to end Algeria’s unbeaten run when they meet in a friendly on Friday. 

The Desert Foxes have remained unbeaten in their last 18 games, culminating into their success at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where they clinched the title for the second time in their history.

The Super Eagles will be missing many of their key players for the encounter due to a number of reasons, ranging from injury and club inactivity.

Rohr believes the game will afford him an opportunity to test the newly-invited players and has set a target for his team to halt the impressive record of the North African side.

"It's a match to test new players, we want to see what they are capable of, Algeria will be a big test for us, it's a team that has been undefeated for 18 games and we will try to stop that,” Rohr said in a press conference.

“They are a great team in Africa, they are champions of the African continent, and we will try to put an end to their good results.”

Rohr has also revealed his delight with the performances of Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi during their training sessions.

The Franco-German tactician confirmed the 23-year-old will be handed his Super Eagles debut in the encounter.

"We have the other new defender, Sanusi, the left-back, he will start the game," he continued.

"He is a very strong and quick defender, you know they have Mahrez on the right side, he has to be very, very strong but we are satisfied what he's doing in the training sessions.

"He's in Porto now, he's one of our two boys who can play in the Champions League, him with Porto and Frank Onyeka with Midtjylland."

Frank Onyeka is one of the newly-invited players to the Nigeria national team and Rohr has highlighted some of the midfielder’s attributes.  

"Frank is a defensive midfielder, good passing, good presence, quiet, he's all the time available to play and to get the ball and to play forward, participate so really very good impression of him also," he added.

Nigeria will take on Tunisia in another friendly on October 13 as part of their preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone in November.

Manchester United may have left it late to get deals over the line in the summer transfer window, but Nemanja Matic believes “quality players” have been acquired in Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles.

The Red Devils also have an agreement in place for Amad Traore, who will join from Atalanta in January, while the potential of teenage midfielder Facundo Pellistri has been bought into.

Donny van de Beek was already on the books at Old Trafford when the latest deadline passed, with the Netherlands international adding more creativity to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ranks.

Many United fans had been hoping for more, with supposed defensive faults ignored, but Matic is encouraged by the business that United were able to carry out.

The Serbian midfielder told the Red Devils’ official website: “It's always good when we have additions to the team.

“We’ve signed quality players, so we will see what they can bring to our team. So we're happy; we are happy to see them.

“Hopefully they can fit very well in our team and they can win some trophies with us.”

Cavani’s arrival is the one to have captured the imagination of United supporters, with the experienced Uruguayan striker boasting an impressive track record.

He was snapped up as a free agent after severing ties with Paris Saint-Germain, in a deal which echoes that done for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2016, and Matic is confident that the prolific 33-year-old will have no problem adjusting to life in English football.

He added on Cavani: “I played against him a few times.

“A great player, a great player. Very experienced. He scores goals, always. So I hope he will continue to do the same job for us.”

Matic is also eager to point out that those inside the United camp were not left in the dark as Solskjaer scrambled around to land fresh faces in the last window, with the club always confident that deals would be done despite facing frustration down certain avenues, such as that which saw no agreement reached for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.

“Inside the club, we probably, more or less, know what is going on,” Matic said. “So we don't need to read the papers to have more information.

“But we're always excited to see somebody come in and, of course, it's always good to see new faces in the team, especially when we sign the quality players like we did. So yeah, I'm happy. I'm happy for the team and happy for them [the new players].”

United, who suffered a humbling 6-1 defeat to Tottenham in their last Premier League outing, will return to action after the international break with a trip to Newcastle on October 17.

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie has said that Andrea Pirlo still boasts the qualities he had during his playing career, stating that it is impossible to get the ball off of his new coach.

McKennie joined up with the Serie A champions in the summer transfer window on an initial loan deal with the option to buy for €18.5 million (£17m/$22m), potentially rising by a further €7m (£6m/$8m).

Pirlo, meanwhile, is in his first role as a head coach since hanging up his boots. And despite the 41-year-old's inexperience in the dugout, McKennie is well aware of the potential to learn from one of the all-time midfield greats.

“It's been good so far,” the USMNT international told ESPN of working under the Italy legend. “He was one of the best in his position and it's similar to the position that I play, so I knew I'd learn so much with him as my coach.

“He plays with us sometimes and he's so elegant and nonchalant, but at the same time you can't take the ball from him and he's playing dimes from behind the back line, so having him as a coach is pretty cool.”

The 22-year-old may be settling in well in his new surroundings, but he admits that he was originally star-struck upon arriving at such a global institution that boasts some of the biggest names in the game.

“It's a different level for sure, both on the field and off it,” McKennie added. “It was definitely jaw-dropping, walking into the locker room and seeing the players you play with on PES. It was like, ‘Oh my God!’. I can learn so much from these people.

“It wasn’t a secret that my goal was to make it to the Premier League, but having said that, when a team like Juventus comes in with the calibre of players that they have, the training staff, hearing Pirlo’s going to be the new coach, that made it all the more appealing."

The USMNT star has played in both of Juve's opening two matches of the 2020-21 campaign, with the Serie A champions having beaten Sampdoria before a 2-2 draw with Roma.

They were due to face Napoli on October 4 although that game was eventually called off after Gennaro Gattuso's were blocked from travelling to Turin by local health authorities after two players, Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas, tested positive for Covid-19.

Liverpool face being without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson for up to six weeks and Reds legend John Barnes is “not convinced Adrian is the man for the job” when it comes to providing cover.

The reigning Premier League champions have little choice but to line up with a Spanish shot-stopper between the sticks.

With Alisson sidelined through injury, Jurgen Klopp is having to put faith in his most experienced back-up option.

It is not the first time that Adrian has had to step in, with an immediate opportunity opening up for him following his arrival at Anfield as a free agent in 2019.

At 33 years of age he is a seasoned performer, but mistakes are an unfortunate part of his make-up and Barnes feels he falls short of the required standard at Liverpool.

The Reds icon told BonusCodeBets: “I think in terms of a number two goalkeeper, Adrian came in last year and did quite well when he arrived but considering he was taken on as a back-up whereas now, with Alisson injured, Liverpool is looking for someone to come in for three to four months, judging by previous performances, I’m not convinced Adrian is the man for the job.

“The [7-2] loss against Aston Villa was hard and not only would it have knocked Adrian’s confidence but it’d also have put doubt in players’ minds if he has what it takes to help win games - at this level. At the end of the day, he was a free transfer, which at times, says something about a player.”  

Klopp is going to have to make do for now, with inexperienced youngsters completing his goalkeeping crop, with another unfortunate spell on the treatment table for Alisson further underlining just how important the South American has become for the Reds.

Barnes added: “Of course, Alisson is just as important as Virgil van Dijk and there’s no doubt that his absence will hurt Liverpool a lot. The question is just how much damage it’ll do.

“Alisson is an incredible goalkeeper so we’re looking at massive shoes to fill, which is a problem, which became very obvious over the weekend.

“But with Alisson it’s also psychological in knowing that you have him there. Players trust him and he provides the team with a lot of stability and I think they’ll struggle to find that in a back-up goalkeeper. 

“And considering what happened against Villa, many have lost faith in Adrian, which is an issue so it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks.”

Liverpool will return to action on October 17 with a derby date against Merseyside neighbours Everton, with that contest presenting them with a chance to shake a humbling reversal against Villa from their system.

Claudio Bravo has slammed the referee's decision not to award Chile a late penalty in a 2-1 loss against Uruguay in World Cup qualifying on Thursday. 

Luis Suarez opened the scoring for the hosts from the spot before Alexis Sanchez equalised for Chile early in the second-half. 

The visitors looked more likely of scoring in the closing stages and were denied a penalty in the dying stages after the ball had struck the hand of Uruguayan defender Sebastian Coates in the box. 

VAR seemed to review the incident but no spot-kick was awarded with Coates deemed to have put his hand to his side rather than towards the ball. 

The decision would be costly as Uruguay went up the other end and scored an injury-time winner via substitute Maxi Gomez. 

Bravo, who was unable to play for Chile due to injury, wasn't happy his team weren't awarded a penalty at such an important moment and took to social media to express his anger. 

"I don't believe you...impossible when these things happen. Terrible!!" he tweeted. 

"If you call what we all see, we'd get 1-2 ahead if you awarded the penalty in minute 90. And you killed the game. With details like these it's impossible to score. Unfortunate!!!"

Prior to the match, Bravo had wished his team-mates luck as they look to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"The road is very long, but the satisfaction in the end is unimaginable," he posted on Twitter.

"For those who are just getting started, don't miss opportunities and for those with more experience, just keep believing @LaRoja forever!!! Let's go...one goal only." 

Chile failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but had made it to the previous two tournaments where they reached the Round of 16 both times. 

Reinaldo Rueda's side will look to bounce back from their controversial defeat against Uruguay when they host Colombia on Tuesday. Uruguay, meanwhile, will travel to Ecuador on the same night as they look to extend their undefeated streak to eight matches. 

Bravo, who is currently playing club football for Real Betis, will no doubt be watching both games closely. 

Renowned sports commentator Simon Hill will be the voice of the decider in the finale of The Wednesday League at Bankwest Stadium - a grassroots-community epic to be telecast on Sports Flick.

The Wednesday League is a trilogy tournament conceived in 2019 by a group of Year 12 students from The Forest High School in Sydney's Northern Beaches, with two teams squaring off for the ultimate glory.

It's a first-of-its-kind grassroots multimedia organisation that has documented its progress through social media on Instagram, Facebook and primarily YouTube.

With the fixtures tied one-apiece, the decider was held in late September but will be telecast for the world to see on Friday October 9 at 7pm (AEDT).

The match will see The Forest Originals - a group of football-crazed students who have been at the school their whole lives - take on the Northern Sydney Select - a squad of talent who joined the school later in their lives.

The series has garnered attention all over the world with sponsor Bankwest getting on onboard, while world-famous football commentator Peter Drury was the voice of the first game and ESPN/FIFA 21 commentator Derek Rae provided his thoughts on the second match.

You can watch the match at Sports Flick or on the Sports Flick app before the Year 12 class of 2020 pass down The Wednesday League to the 2021 students.

Luis Suarez has revealed he felt a similar pain to Lionel Messi over his controversial Barcelona exit. 

Messi took a swipe at the Catalan giants for their decision to push Suarez out of Camp Nou, who has since linked up with Atletico Madrid. 

"You deserved a farewell that fit with who you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club. Someone who achieved great things for the team and on an individual level," Messi posted on Instagram at the time.

"You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did. But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore."

Suarez expected his friend and former team-mate to speak out in such a way and has now admitted he harbours similar feelings over his Barcelona departure. 

"I was not surprised about Messi because I know him too well, I knew the pain he felt, as I did," Suarez said after scoring in Uruguay's 2-1 win against Chile on Thursday. 

"He felt they kicked me out of the club because of the forms. There were other ways to do things correctly with me. They were six long years and that bothered him too. I see him as a friend and he knows how badly we suffered.

"My family wanted to see me happy. There are some strange things at Barcelona like sending you to train separately because you were not considered for the game...

"Those kinds of things made me bad and my family saw me affected, so they encouraged me to take the opportunity. When Atletico came looking for me, I didn't hesitate for a single moment.

"Obviously I have to get used to various things, but I feel very happy at Atletico." 

The 33-year-old enjoyed a fairytale debut for Diego Simeone's side last month as he scored twice and claimed an assist in his first appearance.

Simeone was quick to praise Suarez after that match and singled out his work off the ball.

"His two goals didn't stand out for me, but his assists, his runs and his movement did," Simeone said. 

"The changes gave us a bit extra with the strength of Marcos, the quality of Vitolo, the clarity of Thomas [Partey] and Suarez knows what he has to do: play for the team."

Lionel Messi was the hero as Argentina opened their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win over Ecuador.

Argentina were scheduled to start their road to Qatar 2022 in March, but the qualifiers were postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Messi and Argentina finally took to the pitch at the iconic La Bombonera on Thursday, and the superstar captain's 13th-minute penalty settled the contest in Buenos Aires.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner took his international tally to 71 goals as Argentina extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches, dating back to the country's third-place play-off victory over Chile at the 2019 Copa America.

Argentina were playing for the first time since their 2-2 friendly draw with South American rivals Uruguay in November last year, and it was the same situation for Ecuador.

Messi, Lautaro Martinez and Rodrigo De Paul were in the starting XI for Argentina, while star Paulo Dybala was a late withdrawal due to a stomach problem.

Argentina were gifted the chance to open the scoring just 13 minutes in when a wild challenge from Ecuador defender Pervis Estupinan chopped down Lucas Ocampos inside the penalty area, and Messi made no mistake from the spot.

Lionel Scaloni's Argentina dictated proceedings but both teams struggled for fluidity in their first international matches in almost a year.

Ecuador had a chance to equalise in the second minute of first-half stoppage time as Erick Ferigra found himself unmarked at the back post following a teasing set-piece, but it would not have counted anyway after the flag was raised for offside.

Ocampos thought he had made it 2-0 for Argentina just three minutes into the second half – a lovely cushioned header from Martinez teeing up the Sevilla star – however Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez produced a stunning one-handed star to tip the ball around the post.

The second half was a largely dull affair as Argentina held on for maximum points in their first appearance of 2020.

What does it mean? Argentina building under Scaloni

After a turbulent 2018 World Cup campaign, Argentina's progress with Scaloni at the helm is evident. La Albiceleste have not lost since going down to Brazil at the Copa America in July last year. During that period, Argentina have beaten Chile, Mexico and Brazil, while also drawing with Germany.

Messi does his thing

Scaloni was asked about Messi's mindset following a difficult off-season, which saw the Barcelona superstar request a transfer from Camp Nou. A move away did not materialise and while he was far from his majestic best, the 33-year-old produced when it mattered most.

Toothless Ecuador

Gustavo Alfaro's men, led by Enner Valencia, did not offer much in the attacking third. While they were not outplayed, Argentina were rarely tested as Ecuador – routed 6-1 in the previous meeting – crashed to back-to-back losses after falling to Colombia in November.

What's next?

Argentina travel to face Bolivia on Tuesday, while Ecuador host Uruguay on the same day.

With the 2020 Malaysia Super League title having been secured by now seven-time consecutive champions JDT last weekend, what is left in the final matchday this weekend is the fight for the runners up spot.

Only two teams are still in the run for the second place, and an automatic 2021 AFC Cup slot; Kedah on 19 points and Perak on 18, who will meet at the Perak Stadium on Sunday, October 11.

The Bos Gaurus head coach Mehmet Durakovic was quoted by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) as saying that despite the absence of the injured centre back and skipper Shahrul Saad, his charges will be relying on the same kind of resilience they produced last week.

The team that needs nothing less than three points this weekend to secure the runners up spot had last week produced a stunning comeback away to Pahang, holding the hosts to a 3-3 draw despite having trailed 3-0 at halftime.

"My players' morale is at an amazing level at the moment, especially with the fight they showed in coming back from three goals down against Pahang, as well as their three straight wins prior to that. So I don't want to put them under undue pressure despite needing a win to secure the runners up spot, because they have given everything to me in the previous matches.

"For now I haven't decided on Shahrul's replacement, and admittedly his absence has complicated my plans due to his importance. But I'm happy to know that de Paula (striker Guiherme de Paula) has been positive in training and his chance of featuring against Kedah is now 50-50. But I'm not too concerned because at the end of the day, football is a team game and what matters is how my charges will combine on Sunday," explained the Australian.

Mehmet Durakovic. Photo from Perak

Kedah centre back Irfan Zakaria meanwhile is relishing the job of defending against Perak's man-in-form and the league's current top scorer, Shahrel Fikri.

"I know Shahrel really well and everyone can see he is in a good form. So defending against him won't be an easy task. His finishing has been clinical in the past few matches and we cannot give him too much space.

"Only a win will do for us in Ipoh, and I personally am looking forward to playing in the AFC Cup. I still remember the opportunity I had to play for Kedah in the AFC Champions League play-offs earlier this season, and I want the same experience next season," said the Malaysia defender to MFL.

Irfan Zakaria. Photo by Sports Regime

After playing hosts to the West Zone matches of the 2020 AFC Champions League, Qatar are all set to conduct the East Zone matches of the continent's premier club tournament. 

The leading sides from the eastern part of the continent will battle it out in Doha for a place in the AFC Champions League final, which is set to take place on 19 December 2020, against Iran's Persepolis who won the West Zone tournament. 

Qatar successfully hosted the AFC Champions League West Zone tournament which was held from 14 September to 3 October with a secure bio-bubble and Covid-19 restrictions in place. 

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), as a result, requested the 2022 World Cup hosts to help complete the East Zone tournament which was halted by the pandemic back in March. 

Sixteen teams from six countries from the East Zone will take part in the East Zone tournament from 18 November to 13 December, with matches taking place in four stadiums. Venues already built for the 2022 World Cup are also expected to be utilised for the tournament.

The players and officials who travel to Qatar for the tournament will have to adhere to a strict health and safety framework. It must be noted that during the West Zone tournament, Qatar carried out more than 7900 COVID-19 tests, with the positive rate being only 1.7 per cent.

QFA Secretary-General Mansoor Alansari, said: “We are very happy to provide a safe environment for the AFC in order to complete the AFC Champions League and look forward to hosting the leading clubs from the East Zone during November and December. Qatar knows how important football is to Asia so is pleased to be able to offer the world-class sporting infrastructure and operational and health and safety expertise that exists in the country to allow for the resumption of competitive Continental football once again.”

Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “We are extremely grateful for the outstanding support of the QFA and are pleased that we can now build on the success of the AFC Champions League (West) while looking forward to the remaining exciting matches in Asia’s premier club competition.

“We recognise the huge amount of work undertaken by the QFA, in conjunction with the AFC, the Qatar Local Authorities and Ministries, to ensure the smooth delivery of the AFC Champions League (West) and we look forward to a similarly positive collaboration for the AFC Champions League (East)."

Four clubs each from China and the Korea Republic, three each from Australia and Japan and one each from Malaysia and Thailand are set to participate in the competition.

All team members and visitors will be tested upon arrival and throughout the tournament as part of the measures apart from regular disinfection of facilities. Medical staff will also be at hand apart from social distancing procedures. 

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez both found the back of the net on Thursday night to equal Ronaldo's record for most goals scored for a South American national team in competitive matches.

All three have now struck 39 times in such games with Suarez the first to equal the Brazil legend's haul courtesy of a first-half penalty in a controversial 2-1 win over Chile. 

Former Barcelona team-mate Messi then matched the milestone in similar fashion as he scored from the spot in a narrow 1-0 win over Ecuador. 

Overall, the Argentina captain has struck more than both Ronaldo and Suarez on the international stage with 71 senior goals to his name. 

Messi struggled to carve out chances on Thursday against a stubborn Ecuador side as he touched the ball just once inside the opposition's penalty box - that single touch coming when he converted Argentina's penalty in the 13th minute. 

The 33-year-old did create two chances however, a stat only bettered on the night by Lautaro Martinez, who has scored the most goals in the Lionel Scaloni era so far.

It was a similar story for Suarez against Chile with his penalty the only shot he managed across 90 minutes with Oscar Tabarez's side relying on an injury-time winner from Maxi Gomez. 

Speaking after the game, the new Atletico Madrid striker opened up on his Barcelona departure and spoke about Messi's anger at how he was forced to leave Camp Nou. 

"I was not surprised about Messi because I know him too well, I knew the pain he felt, as I did," Suarez said.

"He felt they kicked me out of the club because of the forms. There were other ways to do things correctly with me. They were six long years and that bothered him too. I see him as a friend and he knows how badly we suffered.

"My family wanted to see me happy. There are some strange things at Barcelona like sending you to train separately because you were not considered for the game...Those kinds of things made me bad and my family saw me affected, so they encouraged me to take the opportunity. When Atletico came looking for me, I didn't hesitate for a single moment.

"Obviously I have to get used to various things, but I feel very happy at Atletico." 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin said it was the "stuff of dreams" to score on his England debut after a "long road" to the international stage.

Calvert-Lewin was handed his first senior start for the Three Lions as Wales arrived at Wembley for a home nations friendly clash on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old didn't take long to make his mark, rising to head home a pinpoint Jack Grealish cross in the 26th minute to open the scoring.

The in-form striker is the first Everton player to score for England at Wembley in 35 years, and now has 10 goals to his name in seven matches for club and country at the start of the new season.

Danny Ings and Conor Coady rounded off a comfortable 3-0 victory for Gareth Southgate's side, with Calvert-Lewin getting 60 minutes under his belt in total ahead of next week's UEFA Nation's League doubleheader against Belgium and Denmark.

The Toffees frontman expressed his delight after the final whistle, telling ITV Sport : "Absolutely [a dream debut]. It's a shame there are no fans here to celebrate and my family aren't here, it's bittersweet in that sense but to score on my debut it's the stuff of dreams.

"I've worked very hard to get here, it's felt like a long road but I'm very happy to be here and to get the opportunity and the goal."

Calvert-Lewin added on Grealish's contribution and how he has settled into the squad since receiving his maiden call-up: "He's a top player, I've seen it already. He has bags of ability and I knew if he got in that position he would get the cross in [for my goal].

"I felt comfortable. The lads have welcomed me in and I felt comfortable from the moment I walked through the door. I went out and the main objective was to enjoy myself."

Asked if he hopes to retain a spot in Southgate's line up when England resume their Nation's League campaign on Sunday: "I dont know what [going off early] suggests but I enjoyed the time I had on the pitch and I'm ready to step in when needed."

Parma star Gervinho will have to wait for Tuesday’s international friendly against Japan to stage his Cote d’Ivoire senior national team return.

The 33-year-old was an unused substitute as the 2015 African kings played a 1-1 draw with Roberto Martinez’s team inside Brussel's King Baudouin Stadium.

Following the Elephants’ 2-0 home defeat to Morocco in a 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier, the forward retired from international football – a consequence of the West Africans’ inability to qualify for Russia.

However, he was recalled after a three-year hiatus alongside Serey Die and Manchester United’s Eric Bailly by coach Patrice Beaumelle for October’s fixtures versus Belgium and the Asian country.

Even at this, he was not considered for action against the Europeans who were without Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku.

After a goalless first-half where chances were few, Michy Batshuayi put the highest ranked football playing nation in the world ahead after 53rd minute.

The on-loan Crystal Palace man slotted home from close range after his initial effort from Alexis Saelemaekers' cross had been kept out by goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo.

Wilfried Zaha was influential to his side's late equaliser, teasing a foul out of substitute Sebastiaan Bornauw inside the area to give Franck Kessie the opportunity to dispassionately lift the ball into Van Crombrugge's top-right corner and ensure the game ended all square.

With this result, Belgium’s winning streak have come to an end. Before taking on Cote d’Ivoire, they had secured wins in all previous 12 games played.

Beaumelle’s men take on England at Wembley on Sunday before travelling to Iceland three days later.

Cote d’Ivoire face Madagascar in a double-header Africa Cup of Nations qualification in November.

Gervinho, who boasts of 84 international caps for his country with 22 goals to his credit played a crucial role in their Afcon 2015 triumph as they silenced Ghana 9-8 on penalties after scores stood 0-0 after extra time inside Estadio de Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

In the 2019-20 season, he scored seven times in 31 Serie A games as Roberto D'Aversa's Parma finished 11th in the Italian elite division. He is yet to find a goal in the 2020-21 campaign.

Edouard Mendy has returned to Chelsea after suffering an injury while on international duty with Senegal.

Mendy has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since joining Rennes from Reims in the summer of 2019.

The 28-year-old shot-stopper helped the Ligue 1 outfit qualify for the Champions League for the first time last season, attracting the attention of Premier League giants Chelsea in the process.

The Blues forked out £22 million ($28m) to bring the Senegalese 'keeper to Stamford Bridge on September 24, tying him down to a five-year contract.

Mendy has been quickly thrust into the limelight in west London, featuring in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup before replacing Kepa Arrizabalaga in Frank Lampard's starting XI for a Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The former Rennes star recorded his first clean sheet as Chelsea ran out 4-0 winners, and generally impressed throughout the 90 minutes in terms of his handling, distribution and command of the box.

Calls for Mendy to take Kepa's spot as the Blues No.1 on permanent basis have been widespread since then, but he could now be a doubt for a clash with Southampton on October 17.

The in-form keeper had been training with Senegal after being called up for an international friendly against Morroco on Friday, but has been forced to return to England after sustaining a thigh injury, which will now be assessed by Chelsea's medical staff.

The Senegalese Football Federation confirmed the news via an official statement, which reads: "The Senegalese Football Federation announces the goalkeeper of the National Selection Edouard Mendy sustained an injury to the right thigh that occurred during the training session on Wednesday, October 07, 2020 and has undergone a medical examination at the hospital in Rabat.

"Edouard Mendy has also left the group this afternoon to return to his Club (Chelsea) where he will undergo further examinations.

"The Senegalese Football Federation wishes him a speedy recovery.

"He will be replaced by the young goalkeeper of the U20 national team, Boubacar Fall, who was regrouping in Toubab Dialao and who moved to Rabat in the early evening."

Gareth Southgate was impressed by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goalscoring debut for England in their 3-0 win against Wales on Thursday.

Calvert-Lewin headed in the opening goal of the friendly at Wembley, with Conor Coady and Danny Ings also getting in on the scoring - all three men finding the net at international level for the first time.

With nine goals in six games in all competitions for Everton, the 23-year-old striker has had an excellent start to the season, and while Southgate is pleased with his work off the ball, his ability to find the net completes the package.

"Really good, he had excellent presence, his runs are a threat, he presses well and he took his goal well," the Three Lions boss said in a post-match interview with ITV. 

"I thought he could be really pleased. I think he is in a really good vein of form. He's an all-round centre forward. I've always liked his general play but it's the goals that are making him another level of player."

Aston Villa star Jack Grealish made his first start for England and registered his first assist when he sent the cross in for Calvert-Lewin to nod past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey from close range. 

"His work with the ball was very good," Southgate said when asked about the 25-year-old's performance. 

"We know he draws those fouls, he's comfortable receiving the ball in tight areas and again it was a debut he could be really pleased with."

England are now unbeaten in six matches, having last suffered defeat against the Czech Republic last October. 

They return to UEFA Nations League duty on Sunday with a game against Belgium, followed by a visit from Denmark on October 14.

Southgate is happy with another victory but admits his side had some difficult moments against Ryan Giggs' team.

"I thought the players did very well," he added. "It's so difficult for a new team to come together without much experience.

"It was not fluid at the start but we got more and more into the game, the players saw the tactical problems that Wales posed to us when they were pressing and I thought we finished strongly."

England boss Gareth Southgate says Jadon Sancho and Tammy Abraham will be available for Sunday's clash with Belgium after breaching Covid-19 rules, but Ben Chilwell is still a doubt.

Borussia Dortmund's Sancho and Chelsea duo Abraham and Chilwell were all called up for the Three Lion's latest round of international fixtures after strong starts to the new club season.

However, the trio were filmed attending Abraham's 23rd birthday party at his mansion in London on Saturday, in clear violation of the "rule of six" designed to contain the spread of coronavirus across the country.

The Blues striker issued a public apology for the incident despite claiming to have had no prior knowledge of the event, and Sancho posted a similar message via his social media accounts.

However, Southgate ultimately decided to leave Abraham, Sancho and Chilwell out of a friendly clash with Wales on Thursday, explaining to reporters: "We do have an issue with the Covid guidelines and making sure any player that comes in is as lower risk as possible."

England stormed to a 3-0 victory over Wales at Wembley thanks to goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Ings and Conor Coady, warming up nicely for Nation's League showdown against Belgium at the weekend.

The Three Lions are also due to take on Denmark next Wednesday, and Southgate has now confirmed that he will welcome Abraham and Sancho back into the squad ahead of those fixtures.

The 50-year-old head coach also revealed that Chilwell will not be allowed to join up with the rest of his team-mates at international level just yet, with the Chelsea full-back currently displaying mild Covid-19 symptoms despite posting a negative test during the latest round of medical checks.

"Tammy and Jadon have trained independently. That's with us but in isolation this afternoon. All three players have tested negatively," Southgate told reporters after watching his side record their first win at Wembley in 2020.

"Ben has had some illness which we think is minor but as a precaution, we kept him separate from the group at the moment.

"So there's probably a small chance that he won't be with us for UEFA testing which should rule him out on Sunday. But, Jadon and Tammy will be available for that."

Southgate warned that his players must remain vigilant at all times as football continues to adapt to a post-coronavirus landscape or else risk losing their place, before praising England's latest set of debutants for an impressive display against Ryan Giggs' Dragons.

"That is, in essence, the really big lesson for anyone in that sort of situation, you want to be involved, you want to be playing," he added.

"When you have got the shirt or the place in the squad, then you don't want to allow other people the opportunity to take it.

"Whenever we give debuts or whenever we get guys who deserve their chance for time on the pitch. It is time to grab their place and push themselves up the pecking order a bit.

"Several did that tonight and there is competition for places, not just with the squad we named but other players just outside of that. The depth, compared to Ryan's tonight, really made the difference."

Ashley Young says he would “walk from Italy” to Watford were he offered the chance to return to the club he started his career with.

The Inter winger came through Watford’s youth system to make his professional debut in 2003 and went on to feature 107 times in all competitions before he left for Aston Villa four years later.

Young joined Inter in January and has a contract that runs until the end of the season, and while he has been a key player for the Serie A side, he would jump at the chance to move back to Vicarage Road.

“If I could go back and play [at Watford] again, I would walk from Italy right now because it's what I know, it's where I come from and it's what allowed me to be who I am and get where I am,” he told the club’s podcast Golden Tales.

“It gave me a humble beginning.”

Young won promotion to the Premier League with Watford in 2006 and stayed for one more season before making the switch to Villa, where he spent four years before moving to Manchester United.

But the England international’s career could have gone a completely different way had he accepted an offer from Tottenham or West Ham the year before he left Watford.

“There was interest from West Ham at the time, there was interest from Aston Villa, there was talk of Tottenham,” he added.

“My agent coming to tell me about the interest, as a youngster you’re like: ‘Wow, that’s amazing to hear of teams of that stature wanting to talk to you’. But on the other hand, it was: ‘No, Watford is my club, I don’t want to leave. I’ve just got promotion with a club I started at when I was 10, I’m not ready to leave’.

“I know I’m an ambitious person, I know the Premier League is where I was going, bigger clubs, of course, but it’s not where I wanted to go.

“Eventually I wanted to go, but at the time it was: ‘No, this journey with Watford is still going, I’ve got unfinished business’.

“I sat down with Aidy [Boothroyd, then-Watford manager] and I said to him obviously there’s interest and he said to me: ‘There’s obviously interest in you’.

“I said: ‘That’s all well and good, but until you turn around and tell me to leave, I’m not going anywhere, because of how I bought into the way you work, all these players, I love the club’.

“I loved everything about the club, to this day I love everything about the club. It’s what I say is home for me.”

U.S. women's national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski has named a 27-player roster for the team's October training camp in Denver, Colorado.

The squad will be entirely domestic based, as players currently in the Women's Super League such as Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis and Christen Press were left off the roster.

“For this camp, it just did not make sense for the players in Europe to leave their club environments, where they are getting quality training games, as they are just starting to get settled," Andonovski said in a U.S Soccer release.

“But this opens up the important opportunity for other players to step up and show if they can contribute to the national team during our run to the Olympics.”

Several other veterans of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad will also miss the camp, with Carli Lloyd, Mallory Pugh and Adrianna Franch recovering from injuries, Julie Ertz missing due to a family commitment, and Megan Rapinoe out with what U.S. Soccer calls "injury concerns."

The training camp just outside of Denver will be the first time the USWNT has gathered in seven months, as the coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to any team activities since March. 

There will be no matches in the camp, which will run from October 18 to 28.

“We’re looking forward to getting this group together in Colorado and we really like the mix of players as far as age, experience level and positions,” Andonovski said. “We are very aware that the players also have had different levels of activity over the past few months, so we’ll definitely take that into account as we run this camp."

The roster contains 23 players from the NWSL and four from colleges including Stanford star Catarina Macario, who was born in Brazil and is not yet eligible to play in an official match for the USWNT.

Macario, who has won the Hermann Trophy as the best collegiate player two years in a row, is currently pursuing her U.S. citizenship. 

GOALKEEPERS (4): Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit; 0), Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 3), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 25), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 63)

DEFENDERS (10): Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 61/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 26/1), Crystal Dunn (NC Courage; 104/24), Naomi Girma (Stanford; 0/0), Sarah Gorden (Chicago Red Stars; 0/0) Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride; 107/1), Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 131/2), Margaret Purce (Sky Blue FC; 1/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 177/0), Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars; 32/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Shea Groom (Houston Dash; 0/0), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 86/19), Morgan Gautrat (Chicago Red Stars; 87/8), Jaelin Howell (Florida State; 0/0), Catarina Macario (Stanford; 0/0), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 15/1), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 0/0)

FORWARDS (6): Bethany Balcer (OL Reign; 0/0), Mia Fishel (UCLA; 0/0), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Kealia Watt (Chicago Red Stars; 3/1), Lynn Williams (NC Courage; 28/9)