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Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame has explained his long absence from Cameroon national team despite a recent invitation from coach Antonio Conceicao.

Nsame has been impressive in front of goal in the Swiss Super League and he currently holds the record for the most goals in a single campaign after scoring 32 goals in 32 league appearances last season.

He has continued the goalscoring form this term with 17 goals in all competitions for the defending Swiss top-flight champions.

Cameroon are tracking his exploits in Switzerland but the 27-year-old is finding it difficult to accept their invitation as he prioritises family commitment.

“Cameroon has been calling me for a year, but I can't go,” Nsame told Goal. “The reason is simple: my daughter lives in France and has gone to school. She also needs her dad to help her in this new stage.

“I then spoke with the coach to explain to him the reason for my non-attendance. This truce was the only time I could see my daughter. I told them: 'I am first a father before being a football player. I can win all the trophies in the world, but if my daughter hates me or isn't happy, I haven't won anything at all’.”

Nsame first made his Indomitable Lions debut against Nigeria in a World Cup qualifying fixture in September 2017 and he has not played for his country of birth since June 2019 in their 2-1 friendly win over Zambia.

Prior to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mozambique last year, the Douala-born star was invited by Conceicao and he has explained why he did not make the trip to Africa.

“And then last November, I was summoned and I said I was going to come,” he continued. “But during the match just before the international break, I hurt myself.

“I called the team manager of the selection (Salomon Olembe) and explained to him that I left the match earlier because I felt pain in the fibula and that the next day, I will go for exams. When I did the MRI, the doctor confirmed that the area is very inflamed and that if I keep playing with it, I will definitely hurt myself.

“He prescribed a minimum five-day cut-off and we called together a member of the selection staff to clearly explain the situation to him and show him the images. And the same evening, it starts to go in all directions.

“Salomon Olembe called me and asked me to make the trip to be able to discuss with the coach. But frankly, I'm not going to take the plane to stay an hour or two before leaving. Especially since I also had to do a Covid-19 test and treat myself.

“Then the situation came to a head when the coach (Antonio Conceiçao) made a statement saying that I had to take a position with regard to the selection and evoke the times he called me up and I did not come. At that point, I tell myself, he's looking for shit. A simple phone call would have been enough to settle all that..”

Hearts of Oak skipper Mohammed Fatawu has alleged former coach Kosta Papic had his favourites at the club.

Barely three months after assuming office for a second spell, Serbian coach Papic resigned from his post on Monday, citing the club's poor run of performance on the management's interference in his job among the reasons.

The latter claim has, however, been vehemently rejected by the leadership of the club, who rather accused the former Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Enyimba boss of favouritism in player selection.

“The thing about the favouritism is that some of the players felt they were ready to play matches but they were never given the chance [by Papic]," Fatawu said, as reported by Citi Sports.

“Others felt that injured players, who were out of the team for long spells, were immediately restored into the starting 11 once they returned to fitness. As a result, some players felt they were not getting rewarded for all the hard work they put in training.

“If someone is 100 per cent fit and training each day and another goes out injured for one or two months and on their return, they are easily restored to the first eleven, some players didn’t think it was fair."

Papic's accusation has brought Hearts' management under fire, with fans showing up at the club's secretariat on Wednesday for a protest against perceived poor leadership.

"Hearts of Oak players told the board that Kosta Papic is their problem because of his favouritism in the team when it comes to player selections," board member Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe said in responding to the Serbian's accusation on Wednesday.

“The players complained that the coach kept changing his winning team and there were inconsistencies of tactics implementation which he also featured injured players in matches."

"Everything Kosta Papic told you was a lie, we have never influenced his decision," Vincent Sowah Odotei, another Hearts board member, added.

"He rather had issues with the players. Alhaji Akambi and I have done nothing wrong."

The Serbian was appointed the new head coach of South African side Black Leopards on Thursday.

Ola Aina believes Fulham can maintain their Premier League status at the end of the season if they "stay positive" as a team.

Following a 1-1 draw with Burnley on Tuesday, Scott Parker's side remains 18th in the league table, six points adrift of safety.

Aina broke the deadlock for Fulham at Turf Moor in the 49th minute, unfortunately, Ashley Barnes' equaliser for the hosts ensured both teams shared the spoils.

With 14 league matches left to play for, Aina is upbeat about the Cottagers' chances of survival.

The Super Eagles defender, who is on a season-long loan from Torino, has been a key fixture in Fulham's defence and he has also contributed two goals so far in 20 Premier League appearances in this campaign.

"We have to keep the belief there, keep the stamina that we’ve been showing in the past couple of months and just keep plugging away," Aina was quoted by Chronicle Live.

"It will give way, we’ve just got to stay positive. We just have to pull through this as a team because we know what our end goal is and we know what we want.

"I know myself and everyone else is a bit disappointed (with the draw at Burnley).

"We thought we could come here and win, and there were moments in the game where I thought we were actually in the ascendancy.

"It was just a tough game but it’s good we didn’t lose and we come away with a point."

Fulham return to Craven Cottage on Saturday and Aina alongside his compatriots Josh Maja, Ademola Lookman and Tosin Adarabioyo will be targeting victory against bottom-placed Sheffield United.

They have both won three league matches so far this season, but the Cottagers hold an eight-point lead above Chris Wilder's side.

Marcus Rashford equalled a 56-year-old Manchester United record set by Bobby Charlton after netting against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.

Rashford put United 3-0 up in the first leg of their round of 32 tie against Sociedad on Thursday night - producing a trademark finish after being played through by Fred in the 64th minute.

The 23-year-old has now got 17 goals to his name from 32 appearances this season, including seven in Europe, which has seen him emulate legendary former Red Devils star Charlton.

Rashford's history-making moment

Rashford grabbed six goals in the Champions League group stages before United's elimination, and his latest strike has taken his tally to seven across all European competitions in 2020-21.

Charlton was the last English player to achieve that feat in the famous red shirt, with the World Cup winner recording eight goals in the club's 1964-65 Fairs Cup campaign.

Meanwhile, only Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland has outscored Rashford on the continental stage this term - firing in eight goals, including a brace in a last 16 Champions League win over Sevilla on Wednesday.

Rashford's overall record for United

Rashford has gradually established himself as one of the Red Devils most important players since making his senior debut for the club back in 2016.

The England international has scored 89 goals in 251 games for the Manchester outfit in total, while also setting up a further 51 for his team-mates.

What's next?

Rashford will have the chance to increase his tally when United welcome Newcastle to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Red Devils must beat the Magpies to keep the pressure on pace-setters Manchester City, before their focus switches to the second leg of their Europa League clash with Sociedad.

Further reading

Fulham and West Bromwich Albion have been given a glimmer of hope in the fight to avoid Premier League relegation.

Scott Parker’s side, regularly praised for their performances, have had issues turning draws into victories while Sam Allardyce’s troops looked dead and buried due to their feeble defensive record — 55 goals conceded is by far the worst in the top flight — and ineffective frontline.

The Cottagers’ improvement from open, easy-to-play-through opponents to being solid and gutsy in the last few months has seen them win admirers. However, there was a feeling they lacked someone to put chances away.

The raw and underlying statistics back this up, too.

According to Understat, Parker’s team have netted only 20 times in 24 games, despite expected goals of 27.2. Their underperformance is worse than all but two teams in the division (Brighton & Hove Albion & Sheffield United), suggesting chances have been created but haven’t been converted.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic mostly on the periphery this term, the 40-year-old manager has had to rely on Bobby Decordova-Reid (five goals), Ivan Cavaleiro (three) and Ademola Lookman (three) who aren’t natural goal scorers.

Hence, the reason Josh Maja’s deadline day loan move from Bordeaux came as a relief and why there’s been renewed positivity since his brace in that 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The nature of the Nigerian’s goals would’ve pleased Parker and Fulham supporters too: he smartly lost Mason Holgate with his movement for a simple tap-in from Ola Aina’s pass for the opener, while the second came about having stayed alive to tap home after Harrison Reed’s initial effort came back off the post.

While he generally fed on scraps on Wednesday night as the West Londoners mostly struggled with Burnley’s intensity, there were signs of the striker’s instincts in the box, especially in the second half when the visitors eventually seized control.

The 22-year-old’s biggest sniff at goal only came with four minutes of stoppage time to play, where he intelligently halted his run at the right moment and lost his marker but couldn’t connect to Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s pick-out. An unexpectant Lookman couldn’t capitalise on the loose ball.

Despite the Cottagers’ issues their build-up and final-third efficiency in the 1-1 draw with the Clarets, they’ve fared well in the main throughout the season for ball progression and chance creation. Parker’s side sits eighth for key passes per 90 and a respectable 11th for shot-creating actions per 90.

Furthermore, the fact they rank 10th and ninth for progressive passes per 90 and passes into the penalty area per 90 respectively suggest they haven’t done badly on their return to the league.

For context, the Craven Cottage outfit rank higher than second-placed Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal for chances created per 90 and are above the Foxes, Spurs and Everton for completed passes into the 18-yard box.

While they may not create as many big chances as the aforementioned teams, the West London club have still fashioned out 39 clear-cut opportunities — ranked 13th in the PL — just below the Toffees (40) and Mikel Arteta’s team (41).

There’s reason to believe Maja will have a say in Fulham’s survival hopes and Parker will hope the frontman scores vital opportunities his side will inevitably create in the forthcoming months.

For Allardyce’s West Bromwich, while the handwriting seemed to be on the wall due to a leaky rearguard and poor frontline, Mbaye Diagne’s traits potentially solve one issue to conceivably give the Baggies a fighting chance.

The forward’s hustling nature, by and large, suits an Albion side that may not offer him chances on a platter.

Diagne’s battling qualities were evident in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday where the Senegal frontman didn’t give Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire breathing room for 90 minutes.

He somehow managed to outmuscle the Swede to put away Conor Gallagher’s cross for the hosts’ second-minute strike but strangely spurned two absolute sitters in the final 15 minutes to possibly win the game for West Bromwich. The 78th-minute miss typified Galatasaray loanee: he chased down a lost cause, jostled with and stole the ball away from the Man United captain but was thwarted by David De Gea.

Against Spurs the previous week, the 29-year-old forced a save from Hugo Lloris and had two goals correctly ruled out for offside in the second half as the North London side won 2-0.

The Albion may not create enough shooting opportunities or promising openings — they rank bottom in nearly every attacking metric including shot-creating actions, key passes per 90 and big chances created — but Diagne’s impact so far suggests he may not necessarily rely on quality service to thrive.

Allardyce seemingly has his work cut out for him, though, as the experienced manager not only has to deal with issues in front of goal but could have any sort of improvement in that area thwarted by their soft underbelly, evidenced by having 55 in the goals conceded column.

Fulham, on the other hand, have allowed 32 goals (from 33.1 expected goals against), which betters all but two sides in the bottom half, level with defending champions Liverpool and one lower than the Red Devils (31).

Aside from their superior cohesive structure and healthier defence, the 18th-placed Cottagers look the likelier to escape danger, with the London side six points adrift of safety while the West Midlands club sits 12 points behind Newcastle United in 17th.

They’re running out of games with 14 to play and a lot of ground to make up.

The Cottagers and the Baggies may eventually fail to beat the dreaded drop but there’s a sense Maja and Diagne’s short-term spells could make for a fascinating relegation battle in the closing weeks of a strange season.

Jose Mourinho hinted at a fresh injury blow for Harry Kane after leaving the Tottenham striker out of his Europa League squad on Thursday night.

Kane was not named in Mourinho's final 23-man squad for Tottenham's trip to Wolfsberger in the first leg of their round of 32 tie, with Gareth Bale and Son Heung-min tasked with leading the line in his absence.

Prior to the contest, the Portuguese coach suggested that the Spurs captain's omission was fitness related, and he could now also be a doubt for a Premier League meeting with West Ham at the weekend.

What was said?

Asked to discuss his starting XI prior to the clash with Wolfsberger, Mourinho told BT Sport: “[The team] could be even stronger with Harry Kane, Gio Lo Celso or Sergio Reguilon, the players that couldn’t travel.”

The Tottenham boss added on the importance of progressing in the Europa League: “You have to look at this competition with very strong eyes, very strong minds and a great desire.

"We come with a strong team, with a strong mentality and we want to win.”

Kane's injury woes in 2020

Kane was enjoying another fine individual season at Spurs before injuring both of his ankles during a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the top-flight on January 28.

The England international missed subsequent losses against Brighton and Chelsea, but returned to action earlier than originally expected for an encounter with West Brom earlier this month.

Kane scored in the 2-0 victory over the Baggies, and found the net again a few days later after coming off the bench during a 5-4 reversal at Everton in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

He was back in Mourinho's starting XI as Spurs were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether he will feature at the London Stadium in three days' time.

The bigger picture

Tottenham fans will hope that Kane doesn't miss any further matches heading into the business end of the season, with a top-four finish still up for grabs in the Premier League along with Europa League and Carabao Cup honours.

The 21-year-old has hit 21 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions already this term, and Spurs have generally lacked a cutting edge in the final third when he's been unavailable.

Further reading

Ghana coach CK Akonnor reveals he is open to making changes to his squad as preparations continue for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe. 

The Black Stars coach called up a home-based contingent of 32 players for the upcoming games but six players - on the books of Caf Confederation Cup campaigners Asante Kotoko - were later excused. 

The training squad of 26 players broke camp on Thursday ahead of their Ghana Premier League and Division One League fixtures on the coming weekend.

“I am happy with what I have seen so far, and I am looking forward to welcoming them back on Thursday after their club football matches," Akonnor told Daily Graphic. 

“We will have to see if there is a need to make additions and omissions before the matches and when there is a need to do that, I will definitely affect it."

For the first time in a long while, three players in the Ghana squad ply their trade in the national second-tier league.

“I think we have to be fair in giving opportunities to deserving players. I don’t think concentrating on only Premier League players would be enough and I must admit that I have been impressed with them," Akonnor explained. 

The Black Stars set-up is expected to be boosted by some foreign-based players ahead of the March 28 games in Group C but there are currently concerns about their release by clubs owing to the coronavirus pandemic and associated travel restrictions. 

"This is not the first time a national team coach is inviting home-based players. For us, it has become necessary to do this because of the challenges we faced before the Ghana versus Sudan match [last November] when players were not able to come because of Covid-19 issues," Akonnor explained after naming his squad. 

"We made some late call-ups but travelling restrictions and quarantine issues made things difficult for us.  So, management and the technical team thought it wise to do this by inviting a chunk of home players to move to camp to prepare for the games.”

Ghana currently sit top of Group C ahead of the last two games of the qualifiers. 

Azam FC have claimed a 2-1 win over Mbeya City in a Tanzania Mainland League match at Azam Complex on Thursday night.

Iddi Selemani and Prince Dube scored for the hosts while David Mwasa scored the consolation for the visitors.

With Yanga SC settling for a 3-3 draw with Kagera Sugar on Wednesday, the 2014 champions had to win the game to revive their hopes of winning the title this season.

It looked like an easier task considering the fact that their visitors have struggled in the current campaign and prior to the game against the Ice-cream Makers, they had conceded 21 goals from 20 matches played.

As expected, the Chamazi-based charges opened their account after just four minutes. Iddi was at the end of a move involving his teammates and he did not disappoint.

The hosts did not have to wait for long to get the second goal. Once again, Mbeya lost concentration in the 29th minute, allowing Azam into the danger zone. Zimbabwean Dube took the opportunity fully and did not hesitate to double the advantage.

The George Lwandamina-led charges would have had more goals before the break but they did not capitalise on the chances they had created.

After the break, Mbeya came back a little bit organised hoping to avoid conceding more goals and maybe get the two goals to bring the two teams on level terms.

Mwasa halved the scores in the 70th minute capitalising on concentration lapses by their hosts who seemed comfortable after getting the two goals.

Despite setting up a tense finale, neither of the two sides managed to get another goal.

Azam are now third on the table with 36 points after 20 matches, 10 less than leaders Yanga. Simba SC come in second spot with 42 points from 18 games.

Azam XI: Mathias Kigonya, Nico Wadada, Bruce Kangwa, Abdallah Kheri, Aggrey Morris, Braison Nkulula, Ayub Lyanga, Ally Niyonzima, Prince Dube, Mudathir Yahya, Iddi Selemani

Subs: Wilbol Maseke, Abdul Haji, Daniel Amoah, Yakubu Mohamed, Awesu Awesu, Mpiana Platini, Ismail Aziz.

Mbeya City XI: Ally Mtinge, Kenneth Kunambi, Mpoki Mwakinyuke, David Mwasa, Babilas Chitembe, Edga Mbembela, Pastory Athanas, Mathew Robert, Jean Didie, Hamis Thabit, Siraji Juma

Subs: Castor Wanyama, Kato Yayo, Juma Shemvungi, Herbert Lukindo, Juma Liuzio, Kelvin John, Abasirim Chidebera

Wakiso Giants head coach Douglas Bamweyana has claimed the 2-2 draw against Sports Club Villa in the Ugandan Premier League was most painful to take.

The Purple Sharks took the lead in the 12th minute when Kipson Atuheire scored before Joseph Nsubuga added the second in the 28th minute on Wednesday.

The Jogoos responded in the second half as Abdalla Salim netted twice. He scored the first goal in the 54th minute before he added the second in added time to ensure the tie ended in a draw.

“This is probably one of the most painful draws one can have to take because we could easily have scored 12," Bamweyana said after the hotly-contested match according to Sports Nation.

“We had up to eight good opportunities in the first half and more in the second but it was not our day because, despite that, we had a healthy lead and somehow lost it.

“We certainly have to work on our maturity and we probably helped our players with their directness and errors they showed by us controlling a few things."

The tactician also stated the record Premier League champions did not deserve even the point from the draw.

"It is not the first time it [squandering a lead] is happening but we have to act upon it," he added.

“We made a mess of few things against Sports Club Villa but they honestly didn’t deserve to take anything from the game.

“This is unfortunate and unfair but that is how football is.

“Yes we wasted a lot of chances but still we had a healthy lead of 2-0 which could have won us the game. We only had to show a little bit of composure and maturity in defence.

“We errored here and there, kicking the balls direct to them in our own area but on a general note they never deserved to take anything away from this game."

Wakiso Giants remain unbeaten in the competition and will be up against Ugandan Revenue Authority in the next game that will be played away. 

After seven games, where they have won once and recorded six draws, the Purple Sharks are 11th in the 16-team table.

Norwich are resigned to losing Manchester United and Barcelona-linked defender Max Aarons, with the club's joint majority shareholder Delia Smith admitting "he is going to be one of the top footballers".

Aarons has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in English football since graduating to the Norwich senior squad back in 2018.

The 21-year-old is attracting attention from a number of top clubs after another stellar year at Carrow Road, with Old Trafford and Camp Nou being touted as possible next destinations, and Smith accepts that he will move onto a bigger challenge in the near future.

What was said?

"Luckily, because of this wonderful team behind the scenes, we have some really lovely players," the Norwich co-owner said at the Financial Times Business of Football summit.

"They've got a nice temperament and Max Aarons is one of the best. He is going to be one of the top footballers and it won't be at Norwich.

"He knows that, we know that. But we didn't have any problem with Max or his parents on this particular occasion and this particular deal.

"Obviously, we will lose him, but that is part of our plan."

Aarons' stance on his future

Aarons spoke out to address speculation over his future amid reported interest from Bayern Munich last summer, having been a standout figure for Norwich during their 2019-20 Premier League campaign - which ultimately ended in relegation.

“It’s kind of natural that, as a 20-year-old playing in the Premier League, there will be things out there in the press," said the 21-year-old. "I just leave that to the people off the pitch, like Stuart [Webber, Norwich sporting director] or the club to deal with.

“Anything else that happens or takes place, it’s not really in my hands. I’ve got four years left on my contract here, so I’ll be coming back ready to go, ready to attack next year.”

The bigger picture

Goal revealed in December that United had identified Aarons as a potential transfer target, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eager to bring in extra cover for Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back.

The England U21 international would give the Red Devils a valuable extra option in defence, and it has been reported that Norwich will sanction his departure if their £35 million ($49m) asking price is met.

United are being tipped to step up their interest in the summer, but Barca are also expected to make a move for the Canaries starlet, who has been ever-present for the Championship outfit in 2020-21.

Aarons can increase his chances of a high profile transfer if he continues to perform for Norwich between now and the end of the campaign, with his next outing likely to come against Rotherham at the weekend.

Further reading

Antonio Cassano has branded Cristiano Ronaldo "selfish" and believes the Juventus star is struggling to adapt to Andrea Pirlo's playing style.

Ronaldo has been the Turin giants' most productive player this season, scoring 23 times in 27 appearances so far.

But the 36-year-old had a quiet evening in midweek as his side were beaten 2-1 by Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

What was said?

While former Italy and Real Madrid forward Cassano admits Ronaldo is still at the top of the game, he believes he is going through a difficult spell this season.

"I have always said, even though he is a phenomenon and has scored a billion goals, that with Andrea Pirlo's idea of football he could run into difficulties," Cassano said to Christian Vieri on Twitch.

"He scores a goal per game, it's true, but he struggles with Andrea's idea. He's always been a bit selfish, he doesn't give a damn about others scoring goals.

"He's the kind of player that lives to score, not for the game, for the great match. He lives to score and in this moment the situation is getting worse. The years pass for everyone and he is having difficulties.

"The paradox is that Juventus have bought a player who has won five Champions Leagues but has so many difficulties in the Champions League.

"This is because, since [Maurizio] Sarri, Juventus are trying to show a style that is different to its history. It's clear that Pirlo must be judged in four or five years, but Juventus want everything immediately."

The current situation at Juventus

Not only are the Italian champions in danger of crashing out of the European competition, they have also fallen behind in Serie A.

Pirlo's team were beaten 1-0 by Napoli in their latest league match to end up eight points behind leaders Inter, though the Bianconeri still have a game in hand.

They are, however, through to the final of the Coppa Italia after beating Inter in the semi-finals.

Juve return to Serie A duty on Monday when they face Crotone. The second leg of their European clash against Porto will be played on March 9.

Further reading

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says there are chances that striker Jean-Marc Makusu could make his maiden start for the Soweto giants against Jwaneng Galaxy in Sunday’s Caf Confederation Cup play-off, second leg match at Orlando Stadium.

Makusu arrived at Pirates last November carrying an injury which slowed his integration into the team.

He has however recovered to so far make three league appearances, two in the Caf Confederation Cup and featured in one Nedbank Cup game.

After the striker scored in last weekend’s first leg match against Galaxy in what was his first-ever goal for Pirates, Zinnbauer is considering handing him a maiden start.

“A striker needs goals. He can play better if he scores goals. He scored‚ and he’s given himself more self-confidence on the field‚” Zinnbauer told the media as per Times Live.

“And‚ ja‚ maybe he has a chance on Sunday‚ the next chance maybe from the bench or the starting line-up. We are open for this. We have researched in this week exactly which player is ready for Sunday’s game.

“And then these players who get to play‚ if they give a good performance they have a chance they can play in the next weeks. It’s always like this‚ especially like Jean-Marc‚ who‚ as a striker scored‚ and then he has a good chance to play.”

Chances of Makusu starting are brightened by the fact that Pirates are facing a crisis upfront following injuries to Frank Mhango, Zakhele Lepasa and Tshegofatso Mabasa.

This has seen midfielders like Deon Hotto, Terrence Dzvukamanja and Azola Tshabeni being used as number nines by Zinnbauer.

The German tactician is impressed by Makusu’s progress and says the striker is close to the level of conditioning he wants him to reach.

“Mundele [Makusu] scored. That’s always good for a striker – he gets more confidence,” said Zinnbauer.

“He’s coming more with his conditioning‚ he’s coming more into the game model that we need. And we have felt this before in the training sessions and he’s now given us the signal in the game. He had a good game.

“For a striker to score is important. And I think‚ with a game on Sunday‚ we have to see now what’s happened in the squad. It was not just the three goals we scored‚ but also the performance we gave. This was a good team performance‚ and I’m happy about this.”

After the match against Jwaneng Galaxy away, Zinnbauer expressed concern that some of his key players were injured in that game.

Wilfred Ndidi, Daniel Amartey and Peter Olayinka have been handed starting roles in Leicester City’s Europa League clash against Slavia Prague on Thursday.

Ndidi has been turning heads lately with his impressive performances, earning praise from teammates, his manager and fans.

The Nigeria international played a key role in ensuring the Foxes extended their unbeaten run to four games across all competitions.

Ndidi was one of the standout performers for Brendan Rodgers’ men in their stunning victory over Premier League champions Liverpool on Saturday.

The midfielder has now been handed a chance to continue his impressive form for the King Power Stadium outfit, having been included among the starting XI.

Ndidi will be making his third appearance for Leicester in the European competition this season, having also featured against Zorya and AEK Athens.

The 24-year-old will be starting the encounter along with Ghana international Amartey, who will be making his ninth appearance across all competitions this season for the Foxes.

Amartey has been struggling with injury problems since the start of the season and will hope to make a key impact for the Foxes now he has fully recovered from his injury problems.

Slavia Prague have included Nigeria forward Olayinka in their starting lineup in the encounter in their quest to secure all three points.

The forward has made five appearances in the Europa League this season, scoring two goals and will be expected to add to his tally.

Olayinka has been with Slavia Prague since the summer of 2018 and has played 24 games for the club this campaign, bagging 10 goals and providing three assists.

The 25-year-old has one cap for the Nigeria national team and will hope to deliver eye-catching performances for Prague to boost his chances of getting a call-up for the Super Eagles' 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March. 

Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has defended the club's response to Mesut Ozil's condemnation of the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China.

After the attacking midfielder spoke out on social media in December 2019 about the alleged religious and ethnic persecution of Muslims in Xinjiang, the Gunners insisted they would not get involved in politics.

The north London club have several business ties in China and were accused of prioritising commercial interests in their response.

"I don't think it's fair to say we took a commercial view," Venkatesham said at the FT Business of Football.

What has been said?

"I know it is how it has been reported but I don't think it is fair to say it."

He added: "We were asked for comment around the situation, predominantly we were asked for a comment in China but it was generally.

"Our position was it was a statement the player made in an individual capacity.

"There wasn't a commercial driver behind that, it was simply being clear it wasn't Mesut making a club statement, it was him making one in an individual capacity, as is his right."

What did Ozil say about China?

Ozil spoke out against reports that Uighur Muslims are being held in concentration camps, which China claims are "re-education" camps used to integrate the minority group to society and reduce the chances of separatist violence.

Ozil posted on social media: “They burn their Qurans. They shut down their mosques. They ban their schools. They kill their holy men.

“The men are forced into camps and their families are forced to live with Chinese men. The women are forced to marry Chinese men.

“But Muslims are silent. They won’t make a noise. They have abandoned them. Don’t they know that giving consent for persecution is persecution itself?”

The Germany international followed up with an interview in The Athletic, admitting he was disappointed by Arsenal's response.

“It doesn’t matter what religion or colour you are - Muslim, Christian, Jew, black, white or anything else. We are all the same," he said.

“What I said was not against Chinese people, it was against whoever is doing this to the Uighur Muslims and other people who are not helping them, such as other Muslim countries.

“I have given a lot to Arsenal, on and off the pitch, so the reaction was disappointing. They said they don’t get involved in politics but this isn’t politics and they have got involved in other issues."

Ozil's Arsenal career comes to an end 

Ozil's last appearance for the Gunners was a Premier League clash against West Ham in March 2020. He was soon dropped from the team and left out of the squad completely by Mikel Arteta for the 2020-21 campaign.

The 32-year-old finally left the club in the January transfer window, making a free transfer to Fenerbahce.

He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Turkish giants and has made four appearances so far.

Further reading

Arsenal’s decision to hand Willian a three-year contract when snapping him up as a free agent has been branded “unnecessary”, with Nigel Winterburn admitting the former Chelsea star has “underperformed”.

The Gunners appeared to have pulled off quite a coup when luring an experienced Brazil international away from Stamford Bridge and into a new challenge at Emirates Stadium.

Having helped his former club to two Premier League titles and Europa League glory across 339 appearances in west London, the 32-year-old was expected to thrive in the north of the capital - but that has not been the case.

What has been said?

“Willian has underperformed in an Arsenal shirt so far,” legendary former Arsenal defender Winterburn, speaking in association with FreeSuperTips, told Goal.

“You can’t hide away from the fact that most of the supporters expected a lot more than what we’ve seen so far. 

“There’s no doubt in my mind the ability he has, especially watching him play at Chelsea, but he hasn’t delivered that for Arsenal. 

“The problem that he has now is with the emergence of some of the young players, it’s looking like his chances are going to be limited because the younger players are the players that Mikel Arteta simply cannot leave out of the team.

“Initially, I thought Willian was a good signing, I did also worry that I didn’t want it to interfere with the progression of some of the younger players, but also that experience from a player Willian, can help guide the younger players. Willian is simply not performing at the same level for Arsenal as he was for Chelsea.

“At this moment in time, you’d have to say that giving him a three-year contract was unnecessary, but if we offered him a one-year contract, then I don’t think he would’ve joined Arsenal. 

“I understand the logistics of what the club was trying to achieve when they brought him in at that period of time. However, given the way the club has developed this season with their younger players, I’m sure the club will look back and think it was a transfer they didn’t need to make.” 

Willian’s record in 2020-21

The experienced South American has taken in 24 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions.

He has contributed three assists to the collective cause, but is still waiting on a first goal in a Gunners shirt.

That lack of end product has contributed to him slipping down the pecking order, with Mikel Arteta already favouring other options.

Willian has not started a Premier League game since December 19 and faces a fight to win his place back.

The bigger picture

Willian’s track record suggests that he could come good in time, but patience is a commodity that few are afforded in modern football.

He will be aware of that and acknowledge that he needs to raise his game in order to enjoy a return to form and favour.

Part of the problem for Arsenal is that he is now tied to a lucrative deal through to 2023, with Arteta having only recently removed one expensive luxury from his books in the form of World Cup winner Mesut Ozil – who is now in Turkey with Fenerbahce.

Further reading