Football News: Review Of The Day 28th February 2018
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Review of the Day
Shelvey Set For Scan
Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is set for a scan on a knee injury he suffered during the weekend draw at Bournemouth. A Newcastle statement read: "Jonjo Shelvey suffered a knee injury during Saturday's draw at AFC Bournemouth. The midfielder will be further assessed and scanned this week."
Everton Youngster To Have Surgery
Everton's young defender Morgan Feeney, the current U23 captain who made his debut for the first team this season in the Europa League, is set to have knee surgery on both knees following advice from specialists. The 19 year old has been struggling with injury for a while and will now be hoping to be back to fight for more first team football in pre-season.
Fernandinho Ruled Out With Hamstring Strain
Manchester City will have to make do without Brazilian lynchpin Fernandinho in their Premier League match against Arsenal on Thursday. The midfielder was taken off in the 52nd minute of the Carabao Cup final against the same opponents on Sunday. "The initial prognosis suggests the problem isn't serious," said a statement on the club's website.
Neymar Accused Of Looking For Fouls
Marseille's former Aston Villa full back Jordan Amavi has suggested Neymar got what he deserved at the weekend, as the Brazilian suffered an injury. Amavi told RMC: "We played normally against Neymar. I found him looking for things [fouls]. I am just telling you what I saw on the pitch. He waited for us to press and then released the ball at the last minute. What did he expect? Personally, I do not know, I think he was looking for things though. He reaped a little of what he sows. Everybody knows that he has the talent, but he waited for us to press before releasing the ball."
Traore Has Rovers Contract Terminated
Vegan club Forest Green Rovers have agreed a mutual termination of midfielder Drissa Traore's contract. The 25 year old had made 59 appearances for the club but was not in the future plans of the club.
Hazard Tops Dribbling Stats
Not content with their list of the top centre backs as confirming that stats alone are no way to judge players, CIES Football Observatory have released their list of Europe's top dribblers:
9= Nabil Fekir of Lyon
9= Mario Lemina of Southampton
8. Soufiane Boufal of Southampton
7. Arthur Masuaku of West Ham United
6. Papu Gomez of Atalanta
4= Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur
4= Tanguy Ndombele of Lyon
3. Lionel Messi of Barcelona
2. Neymar Jr of PSG
1. Eden Hazard of Chelsea
Conte Confirmed As Italy's Top Choice
Italy's vice-commissioner of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), former international defender Alessandro Costacurta, has confirmed that Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is first choice to be the next Italy manager. "Among the potential candidates, he would be, for me, the best," Costacurta told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I'll definitely talk with him in a couple of months. Conte has already shown he can be the national team coach," said Costacurta. "We saw that at the Euros. The other [candidates] haven't yet. That doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy with [Roberto] Mancini or [Carlo] Ancelotti, although Ancelotti seems to have taken himself out of consideration."
Champions League Format To Change For Next Season
UEFA have confirmed changes to be put into place for next season's Champions League and Europa League. The top 4 teams from England, Italy, Germany and Spain will now be automatically qualified for the group stages in the Champions League. This has meant 26 teams gain direct entry to the group stages, up from 22 usually, with just 6 places left open to other qualifiers. Teams eliminated in the Champions League qualifying rounds will now all be entered into the Europa League. Kick off times have also been altered from the usual 7:45pm (UK time) to two different times, 5:55pm and 8pm (UK time) in both European competitions.
Spurs Consider Away Games Option For Next Season
With bad weather and high winds causing minor delays to the work on Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium, which is set to be named the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until naming rights are sold, despite it being in the same place as White Hart Lane, Spurs are considering a contingency plan. Following the recent allowance by the Premier League to give Liverpool and West Ham United away games at the start of the season, Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy has confirmed they are likely to request permission to play their first four league matches away from home next season.
Swansea Winger Sent Out On Loan By Loan Club
Ecuador international Jefferson Montero is having a season to forget. First Swansea City sent him out on a season long loan to Getafe, as he was not in their first team plans. There he has struggled badly, playing just 55 minutes, and so the loan club has now sent him out on loan to Emelec. Emelec is the team he began his professional career at in his native Ecuador.
Spurs Duo Ruled Out Of FA Cup Replay
Tottenham's key defensive pair of Belgians, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, are set to miss the FA Cup replay with Rochdale due to injuries. "Jan yesterday had a positive scan. We are positive, we are happy because he feels much better," Pochettino told the media ahead of the fifth-round replay. "For tomorrow, no, but maybe for the weekend, yes. With Toby, we need to assess him day by day, but he's different to Jan."
Mane Backs Liverpool To Beat Anyone
Liverpool winger Sadio Mane believes the club can beat any team in the world. "I can sense that the club is moving in the right direction," Mane told Liverpool's official matchday programme. "There were a couple of difficult years at Liverpool a while back but those things happen to every single club in the world. At the moment we are in a good way so everything is possible. I think we have improved a lot in the past few months. We know that on our day we can beat any team in the world."
Sunderland Have Fresh Injury Problems
The struggling Wearside team of Sunderland have lost Paddy McNair to injury once more, though they are boosted by the potential return of on-loan Liverpool midfielder Ovie Ejaria and Kazenga LuaLua. "We'll probably lose Paddy for two or three weeks with his groin which is unfortunate," Coleman told safc.com. "Paddy has that physicality in midfield - he has energy and he's a very good player - so to lose him, especially in the Championship where that type of player can change your life, is a blow."
Poch Says Kane Can Win Trophies With Spurs
Following Andre Villas-Boas commenting that Harry Kane would need to leave Tottenham if he wants to win trophies, Spurs' manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that they will win trophies if Kane stays. "We are here to develop, to help the club achieve and win titles," said Pochettino. "Harry is happy here and of course he wants to win titles here like all of us do, but I respect all opinions."
Huth Will Need To Earn His Place In The Side Puel Warns
Leicester City defender has returned to fitness following ankle surgery but manager Claude Puel has told him that he will struggle to get back into the team. Puel said: "He is fit and has good attributes, but we have five strong centre backs for two places. It's difficult for some players to give them all the game time they want. It's competition. Robert is an experienced player and he knows this. There is some frustration perhaps but he keeps a good attitude in training. He also gives good advice to young players. He's also a man with a lot of humour. I like this. I'd like to give him some more game time, but it's competition and we need to respect this. He's a good professional."
Stoke Trio Back To Fitness
Struggling Stoke City have been boosted by the return to fitness of Ryan Shawcross, Bruno Martins Indi and Peter Crouch. Assistant manager Stuart Taylor said: "Ryan's fine and is available at the weekend. He came back, passed all the tests and is ready to go. The injury was something he did in training. It wasn't a massive one. Obviously there was a concern when he missed the Leicester game, but he's fine now. Bruno is totally fine too. He had a bit of cramp because it was his first game for a while and because of the intensity of it. He was feeling it, so we went down the safe road so we could have him for the next weekend and hopefully the rest of the season, rather than risk something more sinister. Crouchy has started back on his recovery and will be available again as well, so that's good news too."
Bong Signs New Brighton Deal
Brighton & Hove Albion fullback Gaetan Bong has signing a new contract with the Seagulls. He said, "I'm very proud to sign a new contract with the club. I think we're doing well and I just try to bring my positivity to the team. I'm happy here and I thank the club for the confidence they've shown in me. I will do everything I can to help the team stay in this league. Maybe it's harder to play when you only have a one-year deal or a couple of months left on your contract, but I never think like that because when I'm on the pitch, I just think about playing. When you have a longer deal for yourself and your family, of course it's a good thing, but if you're not good on the pitch, even if you have a long deal, football can change so quick. You just have to think about being good on the pitch and then everything else will come."
Dugarry Has Dig At Evra Over Liverpool Performance
Patrice Evra, before leaving Marseille, responded to criticism from former French international Christophe Dugarry by making a sly dig about his friendship with Zinedine Zidane. Evra, referring to Dugarry as Duarig, said: "My brother told me, you have to take care of 'Duarig'. He works with you, Duarig? You know who I'm talking about, but do not say his real name. You will understand. Duarig, if he has a problem with me, let him come to Marseille. We will talk about it, we'll discuss it, no worries. I respect him, [he's a] world champion, European champion. But I think he is the only person in the world who knows the exact number of pubic hairs that Zinedine Zidane has on his family jewels." Now Evra is back in football with West Ham, Dugarry has continued the criticism that so annoyed Evra. Speaking to SFR Sport regarding Evra's performance against Liverpool, Dugarry said: "He was good that game, no? He lost 19 balls, late for everything. I found him very good. Well, I found him at his standard. It's got nothing to do with him. I'm just looking at what he does on the pitch. Even if I don't like the player or the man himself, I'm just looking at what goes on on the pitch."
Mayor Hits Out At Decision To Hold Liverpool Home Game On Grand National Day
Liverpool's City mayor Joe Anderson has called a Premier League decision to have Liverpool kick off during the annual Grand National race 'madness'. With the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster the following day, options were limited but it does seem odd that the game will be a late kick off, due to start while the race is ongoing. Anderson said: "Have just seen that Liverpool v Bournemouth is to be played on Saturday 14th April at 17.30pm the same day as the Grand National. Need urgent meeting with Mersey Police they simply will not cope given the normal pressure of a Saturday. #madness. The costs of the overtime for police will fall on the taxpayer and can the transport network cope? Seems a ridiculous decision to suit TV again."
Griffiths Sees A Specialist Over Recurring Calf Problem
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has consulted a specialist as he continues to be plagued by a persistent calf problem. Despite the consultation, the Hoops do not expect their Scottish international to be back in the first team quickly. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said: "Griffiths was seeing a specialist over his calves the other week but even when he gets back he needs to get fit. It could be an extended period really."
Inter Open Beirut Academy
Inter Milan have expanded their international network of youth academies to eight outside of Italy, after the opening of one in Beirut. Inter's vice president Javier Zanetti said: "It represents the international expression of the Inter youth academy, which is renowned for its success on the pitch and the unrivalled ability of its coaches when it comes to developing and moulding the professional footballers of the future. Yet Inter Academy is about helping youngsters grow as people first, and footballers second."
Barca Become First Club To Enter A Team In Konami's eSports PES League
Konami, the makers of Pro-Evolution Soccer, have launched a brand new eSports league for the game. The league's promoter in Spain, founded and owned by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, eFootball.Pro, have signed, unsurprisingly, Barca as their first professional team in the league. Pique said: "As a player, I'm glad that my club has decided to enter eSports and joined this innovative project that we are preparing together with Konami. Barça will be able to contribute its values to the competition and I'm sure that it will be a great rival for the rest of the teams. On our part, from eFootball.Pro we will join the club in its new adventure in this digital world and we will guide it so it gets to excite its fans as it does with the rest of sports."
RIP Quini
Former Spanish international striker Enrique Castro 'Quini' has died of a heart attack after collapsing while walking near his home in Gijon. He was 68. Quini was known as 'The Wizard' during his playing days for Barcelona and Sporting Gijon, going to two World Cups with Spain. He had survived throat cancer in 2008 but was most famous for being kidnapped at gunpoint in his first year at Barcelona and spending 25 days in captivity before being rescued by police. Quini was La Liga's top scorer 5 times and also won 5 league titles in his time with Barcelona.
Messi Should Be Banned Until FIFA Prove He Is Human
Former assistant manager to Alex Ferguson at Man Utd, Carlos Queiroz, has made a rather tongue-in-cheek suggestion regarding Lionel Messi, as the Iran coach discussed facing Messi at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Argentine forward rescuing his country from a shock draw against the minnows of Iran with an injury-time winner. "I've always said that Messi is an extraordinary player," Queiroz told FIFA.com. "He's out of this world. If he were human, he wouldn't have had that magical moment in that match. I don't usually like losing, but I didn't come away from that defeat with a negative feeling. It's when something magical like that happens that you know that football is alive and kicking, and that's why it's one of the best sports in the world to watch. And it's even more of a special moment when it comes from a player who shouldn't be allowed to play by FIFA until it's proven that he's actually human!"
VAR To Be Used By Doctors To Help Diagnose Injuries During World Cup
FIFA will not just be using VAR to help referees with decisions over offsides, they have also informed national teams that the video replays will be available to team doctors to assist with the diagnosis of injuries and assessment of concussions. While the medical team are on pitch giving an on-field diagnosis, a team doctor will also be able to assess the match footage at the same time to help aid in the diagnosis process. FIFA medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe said: "To help the doctor we have now introduced a system whereby an assistant of the doctor or a second doctor will sit in front of a television screen and can help the doctor in taking his decision." D'Hooghe continued "because he can review very clearly, very concretely what happened on the field, what the doctor sitting on the bench perhaps could not see. This is a supplementary help for the doctor to make his diagnosis and to say if (the player) can go on. This is the first time that we will try it. I am confident that it will certainly be a help for the medical care of our players."
Marseille Boss Hits Out At PSG's Transfer Strategy
Rudi Garcia, the head coach of Marseille, has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain have left themselves short in other areas with their world record signing of Neymar Jr. "If there is no Neymar, there will be [Angel] Di Maria," he said. "We will see if [Kylian] Mbappe and [Edinson] Cavani play when there is the Real Madrid game the week after. It is a team built to win the Champions League. If they do not, it will be failure. They have invested €400million, including €222m that is in the physio's room."
Ronaldinho Backs Kane To Get In Any Team
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho has claimed that Tottenham goal machine Harry Kane is not just a three season wonder and that the England striker could get in any team in Europe. "Harry Kane has been a great player for a while now - but there is no doubt this season he has hit a new level," he told the Mirror. "He is now at the level where any team in the world would want him. He could walk into any team in Europe. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, it doesn't matter how strong the team. He is now one of those few players in the world that any team would have to make room for if they had the chance to sign him."
Written by Tris Burke February 28 2018 05:33:00