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Harry Maguire says the future at Manchester United is all about “winning trophies and Premier Leagues”, with top-four finishes considered to be the “minimum requirement”.

The Red Devils have booked themselves a return ticket to Champions League competition for 2020-21.

Having found a spark at the turn of the year, an impressive run of form has carried Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s through lockdown and to third spot in the table.

Another transfer window has now opened, presenting them with a chance to further bolster their ranks, and the intention of everybody at Old Trafford is to build from this point.

Maguire believes lofty targets should be set, with a side accustomed to challenging for major honours determined to put themselves in a position where tangible success can be savoured.

“That’s why I joined this club. I joined this club to play Champions League football,” club captain Maguire told MUTV.

“At the start of the season not many people fancied us. Now we are third in the league everyone is going to go ‘well, it’s expected for Manchester United’. But at the start of the season no-one fancied us to reach the top four but we’ve worked hard, we’ve improved and I think that’s the main thing this season.

“What you see is a proper Manchester United team where we’re not happy to just fight for the top four, that’s not us.

“We’re realists and we knew we’re not going to jump the points total that we finished on last season to win the Premier League. It’s not impossible, you’ve seen Leicester do it, but it’s hard.

“We set a target of the top four as a minimum requirement, we had great belief that we would get there. We have left it late but we’ve got there in the end.

“It’s not what we want in the future. The future is all about winning trophies and winning Premier Leagues. The main thing this season is to see the improvement from last season, and it’s been enormous.”

United wrapped up third spot when downing Leicester 2-0 on the final day of the season, with Maguire happy to have established momentum that also has the Red Devils chasing down Europa League glory.

He added: “We knew we had to put some run together to reach the top four.

“We gave ourselves a lot to catch up and do. We were a bit inconsistent over the start of the season, as I’ve been saying over the last few weeks, and it was nice to put a run together at the right time.

“I don’t think we sat third in the Premier League since the opening day. To go into the last day knowing we could draw as well, the onus was on them [Leicester].

“We wanted to win the game, that was the priority, finish third in the league. We’ve managed to do that and now it’s full focus on the Europa League because we want to win trophies.”

United will be back in action on August 5 when taking in the second leg of a Europa League last-16 clash with LASK that they currently lead 5-0 on aggregate.

Los Angeles FC manager Bob Bradley has showered encomium on Latif Blessing after helping the club reach the quarter-finals of the MLS Is Back Tournament on Monday.

The 23-year-old featured prominently as LAFC secured a 4-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC in the Round of 16 of the tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

After Diego Rossi opened the scoring from the penalty spot, Ghanaian midfielder Blessing then doubled the lead with a fine effort.

The 23-year-old struck a sublime shot from the edge of the box after he was set up by Bradley Wright-Phillips which was diverted into the net.

Rossi then completed his brace with eight minutes left to play before Brian Rodriguez sealed the victory to render Will Bruin’s effort a mere consolation.

Bradley is delighted with the contribution of the Ghanaian midfielder and Liberty Professionals academy graduate in the encounter.

“We started in a strong way. Latif [Blessing] in the middle brought a lot of energy tonight to go with the strong play of Mark [Anthony Kaye] and Eduard [Atuesta]. The third goal was hard to get,” Bradley told the club website.  

LAFC lost 3-1 to Seattle Sounders FC last time out and Blessing is thrilled with his side's response at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

“We needed to win this game. This time around, it was like payback time,” Blessing said.

The midfielder started his career in his home country in 2013 when he joined Liberty Professionals youth setup and was promoted to the senior side a year later.

In the 2016 Ghana Premier League season, the midfielder scored 17 goals to emerge as the top-scorer of the division and was named the player of the year by the GFA.

Following the performances, he joined MLS side Sporting Kansas City in January 2017 and featured 25 times, scoring three goals, before teaming up with LAFC.

The midfielder will hope to continue his impressive showings to boost his chances of playing for the Ghana national team.

Barcelona returned to training on Tuesday ahead of the resumption of the Champions League, with Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann both reporting for duty after injury layoffs.

The French duo have both been sidelined with injuries but underwent individual recovery work as they continued their rehabilitation.

Griezmann suffered a thigh problem in the 1-0 win over Real Valladolid on July 11, forcing him to miss the final two La Liga games of the campaign as Barca were dethroned by Real Madrid during the run-in.

As for Dembele, his season was seemingly over when he underwent surgery to repair his damaged hamstring back in February.

However, the extension of the 2019-20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic has raised the possibility of the winger featuring in Europe.

Meanwhile, defender Clement Lenglet also worked away from the rest of the group, with the centre-back attempting to overcome a groin injury suffered on the last day of the league campaign.

Barca are beginning preparations for the delayed second leg of their last-16 tie against Napoli, which is to be played on August 8 at Camp Nou. The teams drew 1-1 in the first meeting, which took place on Italian soil at Stadio San Paolo in February.

The subsequent knockout rounds will take place in Portugal, all as one-off games following changes to the schedule caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Lionel Messi questioned Barca's chances of beating Napoli after their failure to retain the La Liga title, telling reporters after a shock defeat to Osasuna: "We are Barca and we have to win everything.

"We can't look at Madrid…Madrid have done their job, but we have helped them a lot.

"If we want to win the Champions League, we have to change a lot. If we continue like this, we will lose the game against Napoli."

Should Quique Setien's men progress to the quarter-finals, they will be rewarded with a clash against either Bayern Munich or Chelsea.

The German outfit already have one foot in the last eight after thrashing the Blues 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their round of 16 encounter back in February.

Kepa Arrizabalaga will be "on his way" out of Chelsea this summer, according to Mark Bosnich, who has suggested that the under-fire goalkeeper has fallen out with Frank Lampard.

Chelsea forked out a club-record fee of £72 million ($93m) to bring Kepa to Stamford Bridge from Athletic Club in the summer of 2018.

The 25-year-old was drafted in to replace Thibaut Courtois following the Belgian's move to Real Madrid, and he was quickly thrust into the deep end by Maurizio Sarri.

Kepa's first year in west London was underwhelming, with his most notable moment coming when he refused to come off as a substitute during the Blues' Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City.

Frank Lampard kept faith with the Spain international after taking over from Sarri last year, but he has continued to fall below the required standard between the sticks.

Chelsea conceded 54 Premier League goals in 2019-20, more than any other side in the top 10, and Kepa was dropped from Lampard's line-up following his latest questionable performance in a 5-3 defeat at Liverpool on July 22.

Willy Cabellero filled in for the Spaniard for a final day victory over Wolves, with Lampard admitting post-match that the most expensive 'keeper in history has had a "difficult time" of late.

Bosnich thinks Kepa's time at Chelsea is already up, and that his old club cannot afford to let a top-earner sit on the sidelines and run his contract down.

"When a big club that has been challenging for honours purchase a goalkeeper it’s for right there and right now," The former Blues shot-stopper told Sky Sports.

"He hasn't had a particularly good season and the bottom line is you have a fall-out with the manager in any kind of way, it's a slippery slope.

"So I can fully understand Frank wanting to basically take that level up and to say 'look, listen, he's just not for me, I want somebody else'.

"If that's the case then there's going to be an issue as the club shelled out so much money for him. I don't think they'll be able to recoup that money, they may be able to recoup some.

"And of course the goalkeeper can make it very difficult for Chelsea by saying that if you are going to sit me out of the team then I'll stay here on these massive wages and run down my contract for nothing.

"They've got a big decision to make. I think it's quite evident from what we've seen, and the fact that he didn't play in that last game of the season, that he will be on his way."

Fernandinho has discussed Brazil’s national team post with Pep Guardiola, but the Manchester City star considers it to be “impossible” for the Catalan to take charge of the Selecao.

There have been suggestions in the past that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss would be open to the idea of working with the five-time world champions.

Back in 2015, Dani Alves claimed that Guardiola had expressed a desire to oversee events at a home World Cup in the previous summer.

He told ESPN: “Pep said he wanted to make Brazil a World Cup champion and had an entire strategy to make us a world champion.

“But they didn’t want it, because they said that they didn’t know if Brazil would accept a foreign coach.”

Fernandinho believes that remains the case in his homeland, while Guardiola is also of the opinion that high-profile positions in South America should be filled by native coaches.

City’s versatile Brazil international told Globo Esporte when asked about the talk of his club boss taking charge of a prestigious national side: “Once we talked about it, but in a very informal way, more in review. Mainly because of the news that came out in Brazil that claimed he had said that he would like to train Brazil. 

“But I believe it is a bit impossible. He said he thinks Brazil and Argentina should always have Brazilian and Argentine coaches. We produce so many players, we have the capacity to produce great coaches. 

“Within the more informal conversation I believe it is difficult, but in football there is no certainty about anything.”

Fernandinho has spent the last four years working with Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

The 35-year-old had already spent three seasons in Manchester before Guardiola arrived, winning a Premier League title along the way, but admits collective standards have been raised under the guidance of a demanding coach.

“He is quite intense, in the sense of the amount of information we receive,” Fernandinho added.

“It's really big. It makes us learn and grow a lot. All the players who had the privilege to work with him noticed this difference. 

“The moment you start working with him and then stop, the difference from what you learn is a very cool thing, it makes you think and fall in love with football again, of wanting to learn more and more.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is “the Michael Jordan of football”, says Jesse Lingard, with the former Manchester United star and current Juventus talisman held up as a “real icon” in the sporting world.

Comparisons across sporting fields are difficult to make, with different skill sets required in order to reach the very top of contrasting games.

In NBA circles, Jordan reached the summit over the course of two iconic spells with the Chicago Bulls.

He is rightly considered to be one of the finest sportsmen of all time, not just one of the greatest basketball players.

Few can claim to have scaled such heights in their chosen field, but five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo does form part of that elite group.

Lingard, who once worked alongside the Portuguese at Old Trafford, admits as much, with a big basketball fan placing a Portuguese legend alongside Jordan on any roll of honour.

"I have to say Cristiano Ronaldo," the United and England midfielder told Sky Sports when asked if there are any footballers that can be likened to Jordan.

"Everything he has achieved in his career. He has been at plenty of clubs and won many trophies. I believe he is a real icon of football, the Michael Jordan of football.

"When [Ronaldo] first came to Manchester United, I was 11 or 12. We did a skills DVD and it was him teaching us skills which was good. That was the first time I had seen him. He was young and skinny when he came [to the club].

"I have played against him a few times. Did he give me trouble? No, he wasn't too bad, to be fair! There was one game in pre-season where he came on and you could see the skills and the qualities that he brought."

Basketball is preparing to return after a coronavirus-enforced break, with football having already led the way there.

Lingard will be an interested spectator when the likes of LeBron James and Zion Williamson return to the court, with the 27-year-old one of several avid NBA followers in the world of football.

"Basketball has different tactics and ways of playing and they set up a lot different [to football teams] but [as a player] you can relate. Certain players are small and agile and can bring their teams into games. That's similar to football," added the Red Devils academy graduate.

"When Romelu Lukaku was at Manchester United, he was very keen on basketball. He was in Miami with Paul Pogba playing basketball. I think those two would be up there, for me."

Player-specific squad numbers have become a normal part of football since the abandonment of a simple one to 11 numbering system and some players are forever associated with certain numbers.

The number 10, for example, is usually associated with the creative heart of a team - think Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona - while number four might be a defensive midfielder or centre-back.

Cristiano Ronaldo followed a long line of famous number sevens at Manchester United - including George Best and David Beckham - subsequently making it a central component of his brand, CR7.

Occasionally, such is the influence of an individual that the number they wore at a club can be retired, thus ensuring that it is exclusively tied to the memory of their achievements.

Goal takes a look at why clubs retire shirt numbers as well as some notable examples of the practice.

Contents

Why do clubs retire shirt numbers?

Clubs can retire shirt numbers for any number of reasons, but it is generally used as a tribute to players who have excelled for the club or as a mark of respect to players who have died prematurely.

It is believed that former Toronto Maple Leafs player Ace Bailey was the first sportsperson to have a shirt number retired in his honour, when the team withdrew the number six from selection in 1934.

The practice is particularly common in the United States and Canada, but it has since spread through other sports across the world.

Clubs who have retired shirt numbers for players

The practice of retiring shirt numbers has caught on across the world, but it appears to be more common in certain countries.

As the lists below will show, Italian clubs seem to be more fond of the tradition, with the likes of Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio and Diego Maradona among the notable figures to be honoured.

In England, West Ham have retired the number six in tribute to World Cup winner Bobby Moore, while Manchester City retired the number 23 following the tragic death of Marc-Vivien Foe.

Brazil icon Pele has been honoured by American club New York Cosmos, while Major League Soccer Side New York Red Bulls have indicated that no other player will wear 99 after Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Dutch giants Ajax retired the number 14, which was famously worn by Johan Cruyff.

Notable retired shirt numbers in England

*Former Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino retired the number 17 in 2014 because he considered it to be an unlucky number.

Notable retired shirt numbers in Spain

Notable retired shirt numbers in France

Notable retired shirt numbers in Germany

Notable retired shirt numbers in Italy

*Paolo Maldini has given his consent for the number 3 to be worn by his sons if either of them play for AC Milan.

Notable retired shirt numbers in North America

Numbers reserved for supporters & mascots

As well as current and former players, many clubs have honoured their supporters by retiring the number 12, based on the idea that the fans are often considered to be the "12th man" on the team.

However, there are also deviations from that tradition across the world. For example, United Soccer League team Indy Eleven have retired the number 11, Turkish outfit Bursaspor have retired the number 16, while Swedish sides AIK and Djurgarden have reserved the number one for their fans.

Premier League side Bournemouth have dedicated the number 50 to their fans and the number 99 is reserved for the club mascot, Cherry Bear, while Leicester City's mascot Filbert Fox wears the number 50.

Major League Soccer side Atlanta United have reserved the number 17 for their supporters and also as a nod towards their first ever season in the competition.

Belgian First Division A club Oostende have announced the signing of Makhtar Gueye from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne and the forward has quickly set out his target.

Goal earlier reported the centre-forward was close to sealing a deal with the Versluys Arena outfit and completed the move on Tuesday morning.

The Senegalese signed a four-year deal with an option of an additional one-year extension on the condition of impressive performances for the side.  

 Gueye believes the club would serve as a springboard for him to play in bigger leagues in future and revealed how Oostende‘s President Gauthier Ganaye influenced his decision.

"I'm good with my back to goal and I can keep up with the ball to let my teammates join in," Gueye told the club website.

"In addition, I can also take my goals. I signed at KVO because Executive President Gauthier Ganaye gave me a lot of confidence and because young players get opportunities here.

“The Belgian league is also the ideal stepping stone to the even higher ranking competitions.”

Club’s President Ganaye revealed his delight to sign the centre-forward, whom he has been monitoring for a few months.

"I have been trying to get him here for several months so this is an important asset to us,” Ganaye said.

“Now we are looking to strengthen ourselves in defence and in midfield and then our homework is done. There is some work in the pipeline, but we will be a young, attractive team to watch.”

Gueye will link up with Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa and Zambia international Fashion Sakala at Versluys Arena.

The striker has been with the Saints since the summer of 2018 when he joined the club’s youth setup and has only featured in five league games since his promotion to the first team.

Gueye spent the 2019-20 season on loan with Ligue 2 side Nancy and gave a good account of himself, helping them to finish second on the table.

The 22-year-old scored seven goals in 23 appearances across all competitions, amid other dazzling displays for the club.

Oostende finished 15th on the Belgian top-flight table last season and the addition of the forward could help them compete for titles in the 2020-21 campaign.

The forward will be expected to make his debut for the Versluys Arena outfit during their pre-season games.

The South African Football Association (Safa) has confirmed that three of their 110 match officials have tested positive for Covid-19. 

Last week, the association ran a series of tests for all the match officials that will take part in the completion of the 2019-20 season. 

And the results came back earlier this week with Safa chief medical doctor and compliance officer Dr Thulani Ngwenya confirming that only three of the tests conducted came back positive for the coronavirus. 

According to Ngwenya, the said referees are all asymptomatic.    

"Only three referees tested positive for Covid-19 but are all asymptomatic," Ngwenya told the Safa website.  

Ngwenya revealed that the three referees are being monitored daily and have been isolated on the other wing of the hotel where the rest of the match officials are.  

"We are monitoring them on a daily basis and they are quarantining on the other wing of the hotel," he said.

Safa would hope for the speedy recovery of the trio more so after the PSL announced on Monday that the season will resume on August 8. 

The country's FA had proposed August 1 as their preferred return date but the league's decision to start a week later would give the trio enough time to recover. 

Safa will need as many referees as possible to handle the remaining matches of the season.

There are 54 PSL matches, 44 NFD and three Nedbank Cup games still to play in the next few weeks. 

As PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza said on Monday, chances are that there will be competitive matches almost every day in order for the season to completed as soon as possible. 

While Khoza didn't disclose the date for the conclusion of the current campaign, he confirmed the season will go beyond August 31 and into the first or second week of September.    

The Nedbank Cup semi-finals will kick start the suspended season on the weekend of August 8 with the rest of the league matches expected to start by no later than August 12. 

The current season has been suspended since mid-March and the PSL together with Safa worked around the clock to ensure football returns in the country. 

Lionel Messi is an "animal" and will definitely play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to Barcelona legend Xavi.

Argentina great Messi will be 35 by the time the next international global showpiece is held in Qatar across November and December. 

The Barcelona superstar has suffered more than his fair share of heartbreak with La Albiceleste, losing three Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup final to Germany. 

Despite turning 33 last month, Messi's numbers continue to be phenomenal and he topped La Liga's goalscoring and assists charts with 25 and 21 respectively this term. 

Xavi, who played alongside Messi in Barca's first team from 2004 until his Camp Nou departure in 2015, is currently coaching Qatari side Al Sadd, and fully expects to see his former team-mate involved at the next World Cup. 

"I see Leo playing until he wants to. On a physical level, he is fast, strong, he is a competitive beast, physically an animal," Xavi told Marca .  

"I have no doubt that he will play in Qatar 2022."

Xavi won eight league titles and the Champions League four times during a glittering Barca career. His name was heavily linked with the coaching vacancy at Camp Nou when Ernesto Valverde was sacked and while Quique Setien got the job, there is now speculation over his future too. 

The 40-year-old has made no secret of his desire to one day return to Barca but says respect must be shown to Setien, whom he feels has done some good work despite missing out on the league title to arch-rivals Real Madrid.  

"I do not hide, and I have always said, that my main goal, when it occurs, is Barca. It is my home and it would be a dream," he said. 

"But now I am focused on Al Sadd, looking forward to the new season. When Barca has to come, in the short or long term, it will come. Above all, Quique Setien must be respected and I wish the team all the best. 

"Sometimes Barca plays very well, others well, and others not so well. But I like the idea of Setien, now and with his previous teams - dominate and make an attractive game.  

"Sometimes it is not possible, it is true, but the rival makes it difficult for you. We have seen very nice and very good games of Barca with Setien. Definitely."

It was revealed over the weekend that Xavi had returned a positive test for coronavirus, which meant he was not on the bench for Al Sadd's 2-1 victory over Al Khor. 

The World Cup winner says he is doing well but expects the transfer market to suffer as a result of the global health pandemic. 

"I am fine, although logically isolated, and wanting to train soon," he added. 

"It [coronavirus] will lower the level [of the market], like everything after this pandemic. It will be very damaged. There will be a reorganisation of everything, of clubs and players. It is a shame, but it will be so." 

Philippe Coutinho "wants to come back to the Premier League", according to his agent Kia Joorabchian, who says the Barcelona outcast "adores" English football.

Coutinho completed a £142 million ($183m) move to Barca from Liverpool in January 2018, bringing to an end a hugely impressive five-year spell at Anfield.

The Brazil international picked up a La Liga winners' medal during his first full season at Camp Nou, but failed to reproduce his best form while shrinking in the shadow of star duo Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Coutinho was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, and Bayern snapped him up on a season-long loan.

The 28-year-old has shown glimpses of the form he produced on a regular basis for Liverpool at Allianz Arena, but the Bundesliga giants are expected to pass up the chance to sign him permanently.

Joorabchian has now revealed that a number of clubs are keeping an eye on his client's situation ahead of the summer transfer window.

The super-agent says that, although Coutinho has not yet given up on his career at Barca, he would welcome the chance to return to the Premier League if he is forced out of Camp Nou at the end of the season.

“Because the Champions League runs until August 23, it's going to be very difficult for players like Coutinho to make any commitments or moves before then,” Joorabchian told talkSPORT.

“For him to make a commitment is very difficult.

“We've not kept it a secret that he wants to come back to the Premier League if he can.

“He adores playing in the Premier League and I think it's one of his priorities, but he's also not against staying in Barcelona so it's very open.

“There's a lot of genuine interest because he's a great player, so there's always interest.”

Joorabchian added on the possibility of another big-money move for Coutinho amid the coronavirus crisis: “I don't envisage too many deals of that nature – 80 to 100 million. There will be a lot of 10 to 30 or 40 million.”

Coutinho's last appearance for Bayern came during a 4-2 DFB Cup final victory over Bayer Leverkusen on July 4, and he could be in line to feature when Hansi Flick's side take on Chelsea in the second leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie next month.

In the wake of his recent move to Mamelodi Sundowns, Lesedi Kapinga’s agent Moses Mudau has explained why they opted against entertaining offers from Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates among other teams that showed interest to sign him.

Mudau says his client had attracted interest from many clubs including National First Division (NFD) log leaders Ajax Cape Town, saying the Mother City-based side had promised to sign him once they gain promotion to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Mudau revealed the 25-year-old has the desire to lift the Caf Champions League trophy and he felt Sundowns were the only team that could offer him that chance.

“We chose Sundowns because Kapinga has a big ambition to win the Caf Champions League. He felt it’s only Sundowns that can give him that at this stage,” Mudau told Isolezwe.

“All in all, there were 16 clubs that wanted him and that includes Ajax Cape Town. They have been telling us they want him if they secure promotion to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

“Pirates and Chiefs also wanted him so much. [Ernst Middendorp’s] assistant coach Shaun Bartlett likes Kapinga.”

Having joined the reigning PSL champions on a five-year deal, Mudau has no doubts about his client’s abilities, saying he was born to play football.

“I don’t doubt Kapinga’s talent. He was born to play football. I wish he will get an opportunity to impress at Sundowns,” added the representative.

“I know that people think his career will be finished at Sundowns but there are players that are successful there such as Hlompho Kekana, Themba Zwane, Tebogo Langerman and others.

“Pitso likes Kapinga’s style and I have confidence in him. The kind of football that is played at Sundowns suits Kapinga – he likes to keep the ball.”

The former Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) star became Sundowns' second major signing after the arrival of George Maluleka. 

Although he is likely to make his official debut at the start of the 2020/21 campaign after Leopards decided against keeping him until the end of the season, Kapinga continues to train with his new teammates in Rustenburg.

When Ayoze Perez looked ready to be introduced for Leicester City in their hugely important game against Manchester United on Sunday, the casual observer would have predicted a change of shape rather than a like-for-like replacement by Brendan Rodgers.

Having started with a 3-5-2 against the Red Devils, the Foxes were the dominant side at the King Power Stadium in the opening half and it seemed like the Northern Irishman was looking to be more adventurous with his alteration.

Knowing full well Chelsea were 2-0 up in their encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge, the ex-Liverpool boss was aware his team needed to beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to seal a top four berth. Surprisingly, Kelechi Iheanacho’s number went up and the Foxes lost the chance to pile even more pressure on the fatigued Red Devils from a position of strength.

Up until then, Leicester had been the better side and their Nigerian forward was arguably their most threatening attacking player. Even though he couldn’t put the home team in front, the former Manchester City striker was a threat majorly due to the intelligent positions he was taking up between the lines.

In fairness, the hosts weren’t particularly creating chance after chance in the first 45 minutes, still, Iheanacho was getting the ball in positions that could potentially hurt the visitors. Following Harry Maguire’s early ninth-minute yellow card, the West African forward stuck to that position to test the nerve of the Englishman, who wasn’t helped by Nemanja Matic who wasn’t at his dominant best, be it on the ball or in protecting the defence.

Unsurprisingly, Jamie Vardy’s strike partner was involved in the home side’s two best moments in the opening half: the first came in the 24th minute of the game from a counter-attack after James Justin cut out a Paul Pogba pass to Marcus Rashford. Iheanacho had already positioned himself between Pogba and Matic and upon receiving the ball after Justin’s interception, ran beyond the Serb and Frenchman, who oddly opted against fouling the Nigerian to stop the attack, before firing tamely into David de Gea’s arms.

Having driven forward with the ball, and with a backtracking United defence reluctant to close him down, Iheanacho took on the shot with his weaker right foot. Indeed, the better option was playing in Vardy, who’d peeled away into the left channel or Justin to his right. In the end, he did neither and the chance was lost.

The frontman did pass on Leicester’s next best opening, though. Approximately 10 minutes after the aforementioned attempt, the African forward, taking up an even more dangerous position just inside the visitors’ half beyond Matic and away from the United centre-backs, received the ball from Youri Tielemans, drove forward and held on long enough for support to arrive.

He returned the ball to the Belgian midfielder who rolled his effort just wide of the post with De Gea scrambling to get across.

Those two instances highlighted Iheanacho’s influence on Leicester’s attack, so it was beyond bizarre that Rodgers withdrew his side’s best forward and possibly best player for an hour at the King Power.

It’d likely have been disappointing for Iheanacho who often gets the chop early regardless of performance. Indeed, it’s been a recurring trend with the 23-year-old forward, especially in important games after the Premier League’s restart in June. Rodgers made the strange choice to withdraw the Nigerian in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and also at half-time in their 4-1 defeat by Bournemouth.

The Nigeria international was undoubtedly Leicester’s best-attacking player against the Gunners, while he deserved far more than the ignominy of being replaced at the interval against the Cherries having played relatively well at the Vitality Stadium.

Rodgers’ team, despite the man advantage against Mikel Arteta’s side, looked a bit toothless in North London until Vardy finally levelled but Iheanacho’s showing before his withdrawal on the hour suggested they might have had a better chance of turning the game around had he stayed on longer.

It was apparent there was a reluctance to play the Imo-born striker for the entirety of games but whether this is due to an inability to maintain his level for 90 minutes or his manager having pre-planned substitutions is anyone’s guess.

What isn’t in question, however, is that Iheanacho’s withdrawal on Sunday gave the initiative away to the visitors who scored two goals from mistakes by the Foxes in their third.

Given United mustered only two shots in the second-half – Bruno Fernandes’ penalty and Jesse Lingard’s goal from a Kasper Schmeichel error – fans of the Foxes might wish their manager didn’t replace the team’s best player on the hour in a game they needed to win.

With the stakes so high and with fine margins in play, every decision needed to be spot on for the East Midlands’ side who missed out on Champions League qualification following the defeat.

Iheanacho has since been linked with a move to Newcastle United but, unless Leicester force him out of the club, is expected to fancy his chances of playing European football for the first time since joining from Pep Guardiola’s outfit in 2017.

After a season that promised so much, the Foxes now have to make do with competing in the Europa League in 2020/21 after finishing fifth in the Premier League. This could have been different had Rodgers kept Iheanacho on in Sunday’s decisive clash and also been braver in going for all three points against a flagging United side.

Manchester United will need to have "a serious think" about the future of David de Gea, former Red Devils goalkeeper Mark Bosnich says.

De Gea's place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side came back under scrutiny following a poor performance in the 3-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea.

The United manager kept faith with the Spain international and he kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Leicester City on the last day of the Premier League season, which secured the Red Devils' top-four finish.

De Gea has been named United's player of the year four times in six seasons but a worrying number of mistakes have crept into his game over the past two years.

Indeed, since the start of 2018-19, he has made seven errors leading to goals in the Premier League – only Martin Dubravka and Jordan Pickford (eight) have committed more.

Bosnich, a league champion with United in 1999-2000, is backing De Gea to recapture some of his best form but thinks United must give serious consideration to the future of Dean Henderson or the prospect of bringing a younger keeper through to compete with their number one.

"I do believe [he will prove himself again], he's been outstanding for such a long time," Bosnich told Sky Sports News.

"Obviously, when you start making mistakes as he has done in the last six to 12 months, people start opening their eyes and because it has happened in certain situations which have cost Manchester United – for example, the FA Cup semi-final – people start asking questions.

"Also, having someone like Dean Henderson playing so well at Sheffield United [on loan], and being on Manchester United's books, it is only natural that people are going to ask if he is up to it.

"The people who truly know that will be Ole and his staff. They see him day in, day out, they made a decision to go with him even after the FA Cup debacle.

"He proved them correct, they qualified for the Champions League but going forward they really need to have a serious think about this.

"Even if they do decide to stay with him, which I believe that they will, and if Dean Henderson wants to stay out on loan, which is understandable to play first-team football, I would seriously consider bringing in a really young up-and-coming goalkeeper.

"When I say young, I would say less than 20 years of age because he [De Gea] is obviously not getting the competition he needs right now at this moment in time."

Bosnich thinks part of De Gea's drop in standards has been born out of a technical flaw in his methods, which has affected him mentally.

"The problem has gone from being a technical problem, which was quite evident when he was diving backwards, which he was doing a lot, and that started to infiltrate into his head," he said.

"He has to make sure in this time off to make sure he gets that right and I believe he will be given that opportunity to reassert his authority in that number one position but it will be up to him to do so."

Real Madrid have confirmed that Mariano Diaz has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating at home.

The Blancos are in the process of finalising their plans for the second leg of a Champions League last-16 encounter with Real Madrid.

Zinedine Zidane’s side trail that contest 2-1 on aggregate and have it all to do at the Etihad Stadium on August 7.

Quarantine protocols have been put in place for those arriving in Britain from Spanish shores as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a serious threat to public health around the world.

Real had been granted exemption from those regulations, with there no need for them to isolate for 14 days once entering the UK.

There has been no suggestion as yet that a review of that situation will be carried out.

Mariano has, however, tested positive in the Spanish capital and been forced out of Zidane’s plans.

The 26-year-old is said to have had no contact with other players and staff, with his being the only positive test recorded after an initial round of screening.

Real announced via a statement on the club’s official website: "After the Covid-19 tests carried out individually on our first team yesterday by the Real Madrid medical services, our player Mariano has given a positive result.

"The player is in perfect health and complying with the sanitary isolation protocol at home."

Mariano is set play no part against City, but Madrid will be hoping that a fixture in England goes ahead as planned.

UEFA has, however, stated that all games currently lined up in Europe’s premier club competition will be reviewed on a regular basis.

It is intending to hold the latter stages of the Champions League, from the quarter-finals through to the final, on Portuguese soil between August 12 and 23.

A statement was, however, released on July 9 which read: “UEFA will continue to monitor the situation and reserves the right to reassign any such matches to the venues of the final tournament of the relevant competition should new events occur that would make it impossible to play one or more matches at the original venues.”

Mariano has taken in just seven appearances for Madrid this season, registering one goal, and saw just three outings off the bench once La Liga action resumed in mid-June and the Blancos wrapped up an impressive title triumph.

Willian will make a final decision on his future when the season ends, according to his agent Kia Joorabchian, who says the Chelsea star "has two concrete offers from Premier League clubs on the table".

Chelsea have reportedly offered Willian the chance to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge through to 2022, with his current deal set to expire in August.

However, the Brazil international is holding out for an extra year, and has made it clear that he will move onto pastures new unless his demands are met.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United have all been linked with the 31-year-old in recent weeks, as the opportunity to snap up a seasoned Premier League performer on a free transfer looks set to present itself ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

Joorabchian has now confirmed that a whole host of potential suitors are interested in Willian's services, including an unnamed club from MLS.

When asked to discuss the midfielder's current stance on his position at Chelsea, the super-agent told talkSPORT: “I don’t think he’s done a U-turn or any kind of turn. He’s always been very much the same mode.

“We had big offers – one from MLS which required him to move on July 1 – but he’s always wanted to finish the season at Chelsea and the day after the season has finished he would decide.

“He has two concrete offers from Premier League clubs on the table, an offer from an MLS club, and two other offers from Europe.

“He is going to make his decision after the last game of the season.”

Chelsea legend Dennis Wise admitted that Willian would be the ideal addition to Arsenal's ranks during an interview with Stadium Astro at the start of the month, as he stated: "I think he’d be a good fit for anyone; Arsenal, I think he’d be a wonderful fit for them.

"That’s the sad thing about it, we’ll let him go to an opponent who wants to compete."

Willian has taken in 339 appearances for Chelsea since joining the club from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, scoring 63 goals and laying on 62 assists.

He has featured 47 times this season, and has helped Frank Lampard's side secure a top-four Premier League finish while also reaching the FA Cup final.

The Brazilian will likely be in contention for a place in Chelsea's squad once again for the Wembley date on August 1, before focus shifts back to the Champions League.

The Blues are due to come up against Bayern Munich in a last-16 second-leg tie at the Allianz Arena seven days after their clash with Arsenal, where they will be aiming to overturn a 3-0 deficit.

Manchester United are “the next team to go and challenge” for the Premier League title, claims Michael Owen, with the Red Devils needing only “a little bit more” in order to become serious contenders.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have finished as the best of the rest in 2019-20, with a timely run of form since the turn of the year seeing them wrap up third spot and Champions League qualification.

Liverpool and Manchester City have once again pulled well clear of the chasing pack, but they are there to be shot at and have an ambitious group of rivals looking to rein them in.

Chelsea have already spent bid this summer in a bid to push themselves back into contention, with the promise of more to come at Stamford Bridge.

United are also looking to add in the transfer window and have shown that they are starting to get the right pieces of the puzzle in place.

Owen feels the Red Devils are the most likely to give Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola cause for concern, with Solskjaer requiring a few minor tweaks before the 13-time Premier League champions can set their sights on the ultimate prize once more.

The former United and Liverpool striker told Premier League Productions: “The players now, they do look as if they are the next team to go and challenge the Liverpools and the Manchester Citys of this world.

“You’re looking at it for a long time now and they have been miles clear of anyone but on form in the last 20-odd games, United are right up there.

“I think another tell-tale sign was when they won it there (at Leicester on the final day to wrap up a top-four finish)- yes there was celebrating, yes there were handshakes and all the rest of it, but there was no crazy celebrations, there was a steely determination look from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as if to say ‘this is the bare minimum, hang on a minute we’re Manchester United’.

“Top four is bare minimum. They are not going to rest on their laurels now. They are playing particularly well but they still need to add a little bit more before they can go and challenge for top honours.”

Fulham midfielder Neeskens Kebano has shifted his focus to their Championship second leg semi-final playoff with Cardiff City on Thursday.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international delivered an impressive performance in Monday’s 2-0 first-leg win over the Bluebirds. 

After Anglo-Nigeria Josh Onomah put the Craven Cottage outfit in front with his wonder strike, the 28-year-old then sealed the victory in the encounter.

The effort is the midfielder’s fourth goal in 17 games across all competitions this season and has taken to the social media to reflect on the showing while also appreciating the club's fans for their supports.

“Thank you all for your messages. Great team spirit and [I am] very happy to have scored one more time. See you Thursday,” Kebano tweeted.

Kebano has been with the Craven Cottage outfit since the summer of 2016 when he joined from Belgian side Genk.

The midfielder, who scored his first goal for Fulham against Wigan Athletic in February 2017, has now found the back of the net 12 times in 75 league games.

Kebano started his career with ASA Montereau youth team before teaming up with French giants Paris Saint-Germain youth setup in 2006.

The 28-year-old was promoted to the Parisians’ first team in 2011 and featured in three Ligue 1 games for the side before joining Caen on loan.

The former France youth international later departed PSG permanently for life in Belgium with Sporting Charleroi, where he shone, scoring 18 goals in 68 league games during his two-year stay with the side.

His eye-catching performances caught the attention of Genk, who secured his signature in 2015 and featured 37 times for the Blue and White before he moved to Fulham.

Kebano previously played for France U17, U18, U19 and U20 teams before pledging his allegiance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2014.

The midfielder made his debut against Ivory Coast and has now played 19 times for the country, scoring five goals.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has slammed UEFA over its handling of Manchester City's Financial Fair Play (FFP) case.

City were banned from the Champions League for two seasons in February after being found guilty of breaching FFP rules between 2012 and 2016.

The Premier League outfit swiftly launched an appeal against the ruling, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) looked at all the evidence in the case before making a final decision on July 13.

City's ban was ultimately overturned, and their €30 million (£27m/$35m) fine was reduced to €10m, which prompted several Premier League managers to question the way FFP operates, including Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho.

Rummenigge has now pointed the finger of blame at UEFA, insisting the organisation failed to provide proof of City's financial violations in the necessary time-frame.

“I believe the final decision made by CAS was an outcome because the UEFA panel responsible for Champions League matters didn’t do a great job, it’s looking like,” the Bayern chief told a press conference on Monday.

“What I heard from different sources is that it was not well organised in advance.”

Rummenigge went onto express his belief that changes must be made to FFP in order for future controversies to be avoided.

He said: "We have to modify Financial Fair Play because in the past 10 years, football has changed dramatically in [terms of] the financial behaviour and so we have to find different tools.”

Despite disagreeing with the outcome of City's case, Rummenigge also congratulated the club on their reinstatement to the Champions League.

"Congrats to the colleagues of Manchester City that they can participate next year in the Champions League and the year after as well," said the 64-year-old.

City and Bayern recently did business outside of the transfer window, with Leroy Sane completing a €60m (£55m/$70m) move to the Allianz Arena from the Etihad Stadium on July 3.

Rummenigge added on a drawn-out saga finally coming to a close: “The transfer market is looking likely to be affected by coronavirus because we had been interested in signing  him a year ago when the transfer amount was totally different than today.

“So we are happy that we have been able to sign him now for Bayern Munich. The only thing it’s looking like is that the agents are trying to keep their salary on a very high level.”