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Jose Mourinho is expecting Harry Kane to be out for at least "a few weeks", with the Tottenham head coach revealing that the striker "has injuries in both ankles".

Kane was forced to withdraw from Tottenham's home clash with Liverpool at the half-time interval after suffering multiple knocks.

The 27-year-old was seen clutching his ankle after a challenge with Thiago early on, before going down again later in the half in visible discomfort.

He lasted until the break before being taken off for Eric Lamela, and had to watch on from the stands as Spurs suffered a damaging 3-1 loss.

Mourinho revealed the full extent of Kane's injury woes post-match, telling reporters: "Two ankles, the first was a bad tackle, it was Thiago, the second one I didn't know well.

"But two injuries in both ankles, the second one worst than the first one - a few weeks, I don't know.

"There are some players you can't replace. When it happens it happens but I believe we have to fight against it, we cannot do anything else."

Tottenham will now be sweating on a prized asset's fitness ahead of a meeting with Brighton at the weekend, which they cannot afford to close after slipping four points behind Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.

Mourinho's men were second best throughout the clash with the Reds, who earned three points thanks to goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg grabbed what turned out to be nothing more than a consolation goal for the Lilywhites, with their manager admitting that too many individual mistakes ended up costing the north Londoners.

"My analysis is that we started very well, but before we scored the offside goal we showed immediately what the game was going to be for us - a big occasion for Mane, a big defensive mistake," Mourinho added during an interview with BBC Sport.

"That was the game for us, the team in the first half was very well organised, the goal is another mistake in the same position.

"The second half we had to make changes, we lose Harry, had to change the structure of the team. First minute, same mistake, second goal. Good reaction, another mistake and goal.

"It was a team fighting against its own mistakes. Some individual mistakes that you saw, you can replay and I cannot say much more than that."

Mauricio Pochettino has denied he ever turned down the chance to manage Real Madrid, while opening the door to a possible move for Sergio Ramos.

The new Paris Saint-Germain manager had been linked with Madrid after leaving Tottenham, with some reports claiming he had turned down a direct offer from president Florentino Perez.

Pochettino says there is no truth to these claims, adding that his former club PSG offered him “the perfect project”.

Asked by Marca if he was indeed ‘the coach who turned down Perez’, Pochettino replied: “That never happened. Clubs are always above the individual and anyone who can say such a thing is out of place.

“This is not the case [that he rejected Madrid], although there was a lot of talk at the time. We have a lot of respect for the teams that may have been interested in our staff.

“It wasn't like that and of course I have been approached by clubs, but the one we received with love was from PSG. And this is the ideal project.”

PSG are one of the many clubs linked with a move for out-of-contract Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

Pochettino said Ramos would find ‘one of the biggest clubs in the world’ if he were to move to Paris, acknowledging he has arrived at PSG with the task of winning the club a first Champions League title.

“After one month [at PSG] I am finding players with great leadership. The great [players] are able to play and coexist in different projects and cultures, but I am very respectful.

“PSG's strategy has been the same for years, ever since we signed Ronaldinho: to look at market opportunities and bring in those who can improve what we have.

“We will see in the coming months. Here, Ramos would find a great club with the obsession to always win. PSG are one of the biggest [clubs] in the world.

“Nothing else matters here except winning. Winning the Champions League has been a dream for 50 years; we have never won it. Even when I was a player it was an obsession.

“That's the objective; we can't just think about doing well in the Champions League, we're talking about winning it. Since we [the coaching team] lost the final at Tottenham, our dream is to have the chance to play in a final again.”

Chelsea's new manager Thomas Tuchel wants to learn from his troubled past that has seen him fall out with club directors as he looks to find success during his time in west London.

At PSG, Tuchel fell out with the sporting director Leonardo over transfers in his final few months.

That bust-up led to him being sacked in December despite winning the league and reaching the club's first Champions League final.

Similarly, at Borussia Dortmund, he fell out with CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, who said the coach left him feeling "worn out".

The German club were happy to part ways with their coach, but he believes that he has learned from the experience.

“It’s pure passion—also some principles. Your word is your word and I trust the word of a man," Tuchel told reporters of his reputation at an unveiling press conference.

"What I like now and why I am very positive is that I am self-aware that this is a thing to improve, to be also more relaxed and not to be too stubborn in my beliefs.

"The structure that I find here is very clear and a very easy structure. It is easy to understand there are not many people who make the decisions and I can absolutely live with that.

"When things are clear it is on me now as the head coach to adapt and to make my opinion clear and to give the analysis of what I see, what I feel and where I also think that we can still improve and I hope this comes along in the right way."

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia runs the club on behalf of Roman Abramovich, with Petr Cech lending a hand as the technical and performance advisor, linking the football side with the board at Stamford Bridge.

That trio of key figures decided to sack Frank Lampard and appoint Tuchel in his place this week. Having had problems with former manager Antonio Conte in the past, Chelsea will not want history to repeat itself, but Tuchel is optimistic about his early discussions with those at the top.

"I got two titles in the league and we won four in the last season. I got sacked so it was not enough [at PSG]," he added.

"What I meant with the word was, your colleague mentioned difficulties between certain people on the board and me. It came up, I have to admit, in the transfer periods where sometimes the wishes and ideas and from coaches and CEOs and sporting directors do not really match. This can happen sometimes.

"There were no words from Roman Abramovich so far. I spoke to Marina and to Petr Cech and this was first of all confidential and then very trustful. Very honest and very clear. I have the feeling that this structure works for me absolutely to bring out the best. There was no moment of hesitation."

Tuchel has only been at Chelsea for three days, but he is already preparing for his second match against Burnley after a 0-0 draw with Wolves. Tuchel has set out the aim of a top-four finish, while also competing for a cup, but wants to wait to challenge for the Premier League title until next season.

"Honestly, we have to be ready when the new season starts, latest," he added. "We have to be ready to compete. Chelsea is the club where you compete for trophies and there is no time to waste.

"As a manager, there is no time to waste. Honestly, now we compete for FA Cup, we will get ready absolutely to compete at the highest level in Champions League and we want to create a team that is absolutely no fun to play against.

"We want to create a team that is confident enough to beat anybody in two games, which is possible, and from the latest start of next season we want to be ready to close the gap to Manchester City, Liverpool."

Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool 'showed who we are' in their 3-1 win over Tottenham on Thursday.

Liverpool moved back into the top four, closing the gap to leaders Manchester City to four points - though City retain a game in hand.

Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane scored as Klopp's side notched their first league goals of 2021 and recovered from back-to-back defeats against Burnley and Manchester United in style - though there were yet more injury worries in defence.

"We scored goals in the right moments, wonderful goals," Klopp told BT Sport. "The right people scored the goals. All good, apart from obviously Joel Matip had to go off.

"What I saw today was not about form, it’s… who we are. That’s us. Today, the second half especially, was us. It was a massive fight and football on top of that.

"I don’t know the numbers but I think apart from a few minutes in the first half, I don’t remember them having a lot of the ball. It was always pretty quick and counter-attacking and we defender really well. It was just a good performance and I saw a lot of things I wanted to see.

"Offensively, the way we played, I thought we coped really well with their formation. Played around, played in between, so we were so often in and around the box which is really important. The counter-press was really good. The last line defended really well; high enough but not crazy high."

The game started in frantic fashion as Mane missed an early chance before Son Heung-min tucked away a similar opportunity, only to see VAR rule the goal out for offside. 

Firmino opened the scoring with the last kick of the half from Mane's assist. Alexander-Arnold doubled the lead almost immediately after the restart with a powerful finish but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pulled a goal back with a stunning half-volley within two minutes.

Mohamed Salah saw a fine goal of his own chalked off as VAR spotted a Firmino handball in the build-up, but Mane smashed a shot into the top corner to restore the two-goal lead.

As well as taking Liverpool four points clear of Spurs - though Jose Mourinho's side do also have a game in hand - the result provides a welcome boost ahead of a huge run of fixtures and following a double injury setback.

Stand in centre-half Fabinho was ruled out of the squad altogether with a 'minor muscle issue', while Matip was taken off at half-time.

Chelsea showed "no purpose" in Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge, says Tony Cascarino, who says he "hated every minute it".

Tuchel was drafted in to replace Frank Lampard in the Stamford Bridge dugout at the start of the week, with a club legend having been axed for overseeing a poor run of results between December and early January.

The Blues turned to a man who led Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever Champions League final last season in the hope he could instantly turn the team's fortunes around, but his reign in west London got off to a dull start on Wednesday night.

Chelsea laboured to a 0-0 draw at home to Wolves which saw them stay eighth in the Premier League standings, 11 points behind leaders Manchester City having played a game more.

Tuchel's side dominated possession throughout the contest but struggled to create any clear cut chances, while the Wanderers were unlucky not to snatch a winning goal on the break.

Cascarino was not impressed with the German's set-up on his Blues debut, and he criticised the 47-year-old for a lack of preparation with regards to picking his starting XI.

“I was surprised by his comments even before the game started,” the former Chelsea star told talkSPORT. “He said it was probably one of the most difficult selections I’ve ever had to make.

“I was thinking, ‘have you not watched a certain amount of videos before you coach your first game?’

“Watch their last ten games and you might have got a good idea what their best team is! I found it a very strange comment.

“And the performance? I hated every minute of it!

“Especially the first half. I could have gone and put the kettle on and made a cup of tea when Chelsea started to move.

“I probably could have got to my tea and started drinking it by the time they got to the 18-yard box.”

Cascarino added: “I’ve watched a lot of Dutch football and one of my biggest criticisms of it is that everybody plays the same way – possession-based with no purpose.

“You’ve got a similar scenario with France in the past ten years where teams will play this way; dominating the ball, never want to lose possession, but never really scared you.

“I hated what I saw in the first-half because, to me, possession-based football in the Premier League does pose different problems for you when you adopt that style.

“Wolves offered nothing’ they had two glorious chances but they offered nothing in the game. I didn’t like it.

“I could be totally wrong here, but if that’s the way Chelsea can play then Stamford Bridge… if there were any fans in there they’d be booing!”

Zamalek have confirmed Mostafa Mohamed’s departure to Galatasaray after accepting a one-and-a-half-year loan offer from the Turkish club.

The Egyptian Premier League giants disclosed that the deal will run through till June 2022 with Mohamed set for his maiden adventure outside the shores of Africa.

Zamalek will earn $2 million for the loan and Galatasaray will need to pay $4 million if they activate the purchase clause to make the move permanent before December 31, 2021.

The Super Lig giants won the race to sign the 23-year-old after Zamalek’s talks with Ligue 1 club Saint-Etienne broke down due to 'misunderstanding' between both parties.

“The committee in charge of managing the Zamalek club, headed by General Counsellor Imad Abdel Aziz Helmy, agreed to loan the player Mustafa Mohamed, the striker of the first football team of the club, to the Turkish Galatasaray team for a period of one and a half years, starting from today January 28 until the end of June 2022,” the club statement read.

“This came in response to the player's desire to become professional and the club’s management was keen not to stand in front of his ambitions to realize the dream of European professionalism.

“The contract includes the Zamalek club obtaining $2 million, to be paid in cash, and in the event that the club wants to buy the player’s card permanently and the Zamalek club agrees to that, the Turkish club pays $4 million in cash, provided that this item is activated no later than December 31, 2021.

“The club in charge of managing the club expressed its wishes that the player would be the best ambassador for Zamalek club and Egyptian football in European stadiums.”

Last season, Mohamed enjoyed a fine goalscoring run with 20 goals across all competitions as Zamalek won the Caf Super Cup.

He missed the White Castle's 4-1 win over Misr Lel Makasa on Thursday, but he has two goals already to his name this campaign after four league appearances.

FC Goa are missing a few key personnel but will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven in the 2020-21 Indian Super League when they take on East Bengal at Fatorda Stadium in Goa, on Friday evening. The Red and Golds will be looking to bounce back from a defeat at the hands of Mumbai City.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

 TEAM NEWS

FC Goa Possible XI:   

Injured - Brandon Fernandes, James Donachie
Doubtful - None 
Suspended - Ivan Gonzalves

Key Players - Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz

East Bengal Possible XI: 

Injured - None
Doubtful- None
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Jacques Maghoma, Anthony Pilkington

Harry Kane was hauled off at half-time during Tottenham's clash with Liverpool, apparently due to an ankle injury.

Kane could be facing a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knock during the heavyweight Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night.

With just 13 minutes on the clock, the England international slipped after a challenge with Liverpool midfielder Thiago and went down clutching his ankle, with Spurs' medical staff subsequently rushed onto the field to treat the striker.

He shook off the knock initially, but took to the turf on his own accord later in the half as he continued to struggle with his mobility and landed heavily while challenging Jordan Henderson for a high ball. Jose Mourinho ultimately decided to make a change at the interval.

Eric Lamela was introduced to the action in Kane's place for the second period, while Harry Winks also came on for Serge Aurier as the Tottenham boss altered his system.

Liverpool took the lead in first-half stoppage time through Roberto Firmino, who tapped into an empty net after being teed up by Sadio Mane.

Spurs came into the contest knowing that a win could take them into fifth place, but supporters will now be worried about a talismanic performer missing a large portion of the season.

Kane has hit 19 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions this term, including 12 in the Premier League, while he has also recorded an impressive 14 assists.

His partnership with Son Heung-min in the final third has reaped huge dividends for Tottenham in the final third, with the FA Cup, Europa League, and Carabao Cup also still up for grabs in the coming months.

Mourinho will hope that Kane hasn't sustained any serious damage, with his side's next top-flight outing due to take place at the Amex Stadium against Brighton on Sunday.

Spurs will turn their attention to a London derby encounter against Chelsea four days later, with both sides currently fighting for a top-four finish.

Liverpool’s defensive injury crisis has seemingly gone from bad to worse with Joel Matip substituted at half-time against Tottenham – after Fabinho was ruled out of the squad entirely.

Though no injury was obvious in the first half, Matip was replaced by Nat Phillips, making only his fourth appearance in the Premier League. Phillips joined midfielder Jordan Henderson at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.

Matip had only recently returned to fitness for Liverpool after three weeks out with a groin injury. He played 90 minutes in the surprise 1-0 defeat to Burnley but did not feature in the FA Cup exit to Manchester United in midweek.

Liverpool came out for the second half 1-0 up after Roberto Firmino’s goal on the stroke of half-time, and soon doubled their lead through Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg pulled a goal back almost immediately with a stunning strike from the edge of the box, with the substitute Phillips then earning a yellow card inside five minutes of his introduction for a foul on Steven Bergwijn.

Fabinho's injury was described as 'a minor muscle issue' when Liverpool announced their squad before the game, and Jurgen Klopp seemed to suggest it was not a serious problem.

"That’s our situation at the moment," Klopp told BT Sport . "Actually, it was nothing really. He just felt something and we had to take him out and now he’s out. It was not a challenge or an intense situation or whatever, it was just how things happen."

Klopp will be desperate to have Fabinho and Matip at his disposal for a run of fixtures, which could make or break their season.

Just three days after the Spurs game, Liverpool head across London to face an in-form West Ham side who started Thursday a point ahead of them in fourth place.

A home fixture with Brighton follows before a string of high-stakes games against Manchester City, Leicester, RB Leipzig and Everton.

Henderson has been standing in at the centre of defence with Phillips and the youngster Rhys Williams having helped plug the gap at the back in recent weeks.

Klopp has been encouraged by Virgil van Dijk's progress in his recovery but the Dutchman isn't expected to return in the near future.

Jesse Lingard is on the brink of joining West Ham on loan for the rest of the season after a breakthrough in negotiations, Goal can confirm.

The attacking midfielder has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen to keep Lingard at the club to boost his squad in what is expected to be a busy second half of the season, he reluctantly agreed to let the 28-year-old midfielder head out on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Goal understands negotiations have been complicated, but that the two sides came to an agreement late on Thursday where West Ham will pay a £1.5 million ($2.1m) loan fee while covering Lingard’s wages.

David Moyes’ side beat off competition from Sheffield United and West Brom, who were also interested in signing the England international.

Lingard has only made two starts for United this season, which has led to his desire to leave to pursue more regular playing time.

"Jesse trained this morning, he wasn’t in the squad," Solskjaer said after Lingard was left out of the FA Cup squad to face Liverpool at the weekend. “So, of course, he wants to play football, we will have to see and I will sit down with Jesse and make a decision on what we're going to do.

"So far, he’s been the ultimate professional, trained well with a small group this morning that were not in squad. I will sit down and see if anything comes up. I'm very happy to have him around us as I know he could have played today and done well."

Lingard has made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils, having joined when he was just seven years old.

The club triggered an extension in his contract just before Christmas, which means his current deal will not expire until the end of 2022 season.

He is highly regarded at Old Trafford, but with playing time limited he has been seeking an exit.

With just a few days left of the winter transfer window, United are expecting a quiet final few days with no incomings anticipated. Facundo Pellistri is also likely to leave on loan, with Goal understanding that United have opened discussions with Deportivo Alaves over a loan for the right-winger until the end of the season.

Mauricio Pochettino says he expects Kylian Mbappe to stay at Paris Saint-Germain “for many years to come” amid speculation linking the forward with Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Mbappe has long been linked with a move away from PSG but there are question marks over whether any club could actually afford to sign him.

The 22-year-old recently said he was considering his options with a long-term contract offer on the table from PSG. His current deal is set to expire in 2022.

“Who doesn't love Kylian, we say to each other? He makes himself loved, with his smile, his face and his energy,” Pochettino said in an interview with Marca.

“At the age of 19 he was a world champion, impressive things have happened to him, but he is special and different, with a lot of emotional intelligence. He has a lot of potential to develop but he is already [someone for the] present, not just the future.

“It's a challenge and a good thing to work with this kind of talent, it makes you a better coach. You give this type of player a solution and he gives you five back.

“There are a lot of rumours, but I think he will be at PSG for many years to come, and that's the club's hope. We are counting on him for as long as we are here. It's true that he has to make a decision [on his future], but he seems happy and very committed to this project.”

Pochettino was also asked about rumours linking PSG with a move for Lionel Messi.

The new head coach was careful not to fuel such speculation but, with PSG accused of disrespect by Barca presidential candidate Joan Laporta, Pochettino noted that no football clubs are perfect when it comes to pursuing players from other clubs.

“Whatever I say will be misunderstood, and I love what I have here,” he said. “Great footballers fit in any league and any team.

“I respect players who belong to other teams, because they [the teams] can get angry and I understand why.

“We understand that in the world of football there are no saints; nobody can complain that each club does its best to improve their team. But this does not hide a hidden message on our part.”

Pochettino’s eventual success or failure in Paris could come down to the form of Mbappe and strike partner Neymar, and the former Spurs boss is enjoying the task of coaching the pair.

“The relationship with them is spontaneous and natural. We took an approach to show them that we are genuine and expect the same from them. We don't prejudge people and when we arrive at a place, we are open to that change.

“They are eager to see how you arrive and how you talk to them. They are people first and foremost and have an emotional intelligence that makes them understand any situation.

“Sometimes we relate to each other with gestures. Trust is not achieved in a year, it is with a gesture or a word, and we have had a feeling with them and with everyone since the first day.”

Mbaye Diagne’s agent has revealed his client does not fit into Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim’s system and has been assured of regular playing time at West Bromwich Albion.

The 29-year-old has been with the Yellow and Reds since January 2019 when he teamed up with the Turkish Super Lig side from Kasımpaşa.

The forward spent last season away from the Turk Telekom Stadium on a season loan with Club Brugge before returning in the summer.

Diagne has scored 11 goals in 19 appearances across all competitions for the Yellow and Reds this season, amid other dazzling displays.  

His impressive performances have caught the attention of West Brom manager Sam Allardyce who is keen to bolster his squad before the end of the January transfer window.

Diagne is now set to join the Hawthorns outfit on an initial loan with an option to team up with the Premier League club permanently after delivering convincing showings.

The representative of the Senegal international has revealed why the forward is interested to leave Galatasaray and sign for the Baggies.

“West Bromwich Albion gave him a continuous play guarantee. He’s actually happy in Galatasaray, but he agreed because he thought he could take more time there,” Diagne’s agent told Haber7 .

“Diagne is going to England. Correspondence has been done; this is done. He is going on loan, but there is a mandatory purchase option.

“It is a great transfer for Galatasaray because I think Diagne does not fit into [Galatasaray manager] Fatih Terim’s system.”

Diagne has featured in more than 30 games for Galatasaray since joining the side and helped them win a number of trophies, including the Super Lig title in the 2018-19 season.

West Brom are currently in the bottom three and will hope the addition of the Senegal international will boost their chances of maintaining their Premier League status at the end of the season.

If the deal becomes successful, the 28-year-old will link up with Nigeria international Semi Ajayi, who has been one of the standout performers for the club this campaign.

Diagne has previously played for Brandizzo, Bra, Juventus, Tianjin TEDA and before signing for Kasımpasa in 2018.

Yannick Bolasie has expressed his desire to help Middlesbrough return to where they belong.

He joined Neil Warnock’s men for the rest of the season having failed to command a regular place under Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park.

At the Riverside Stadium, he reunites with his former manager at Crystal Palace. Speaking to the club website upon his arrival at Boro, the 31-year-old hopes he can add an extra dimension in the club’s push for the English top-flight.

Bolasie revealed he is looking forward to getting going having previously come close to signing for the North Yorkshire based outfit.

"It's kind of a case of 'finally!' he said.

"I'm delighted that this time it's gone through and I'm just looking forward to coming in and helping the team. 

"We know that Middlesbrough's a big club, I've seen some legends come through here - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mark Viduka, Mendieta, Juninho.

"And I know where the club should be, so the main thing is to get it back there.

"We've got a good squad from what I've seen and obviously I know the manager really well - it's a match."

The former Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon player also added that club manager Warnock played a role in his move, having enjoyed a healthy relationship with him during their time at Selhurst Park.

“100%! That has just been me throughout my career especially when he was at Crystal Palace, I knew my responsibility was on the field but he gave me that freedom which made me enjoy the game even more.

“For me, when he got onto the phone and told me to come and enjoy. I do feel that I have unfinished business in England.”

Bolasie has commenced training with the rest of his new teammates, and he could be in line to make his bow when Boro take on Daniel Farke’s Norwich City in their next league outing on Saturday.

The club, currently, sits in seventh position in the English second-tier after picking up 39 points from 26. Victory for them at Carrow Road would boost their promotion chances.

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is under investigation for allegedly breaching Covid-19 rules to take a birthday ski trip.

Ronaldo's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez posted footage on social media of the couple riding a snowmobile at a mountain resort in Italy earlier this week, which has sparked an inquest from Valle d'Aosta police.

Italian laws currently forbid travelling between the Covid "orange zones" unless proceeding to a second home or receiving valid clearance for work reasons, but the pair have been accused of flouting those protocols to celebrate Rodriguez's 27th birthday.

According to reports in Italy, Ronaldo took the Argentine model from the Piedmont region to Valle d'Aosta on Tuesday for an overnight stay in a resort hotel before returning to Turin, where he plies his trade with Serie A outfit Juventus, on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old  forward and his partner could both face a large fine if found guilty of breaking coronavirus rules, with Italy currently embroiled in a political crisis amid a rising number of second-wave cases across the country.

Ronaldo tested positive for Covid-19 himself earlier this season, and faced criticism after reporting for international duty with Portugal shortly before being diagnosed.

The Portuguese left the national team bubble to travel after his infection was reported, with Italy's minister for sport Vincenzo Spadafora reacting by labelling the striker's actions "arrogant" and "disrespectful".

Ronaldo denied any wrongdoing before undertaking a 10-day period in quarantine which forced him to miss four successive games for Juventus.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner made his long-awaited return after testing negative before a Serie A clash against Spezia, and marked the occasion by scoring twice in a 4-1 victory.

Despite the fact he is now being investigated by Italian authorities, Ronaldo will be eligible to line up for Juve again when they take in a trip to Sampdoria on Saturday.

Ronaldo will be well-rested for that encounter after sitting out the Bianconeri's 4-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final win over SPAL in midweek, and will be aiming to add to his haul of 20 goals so far this season.

Juve can move up to third in the Serie A standings if they beat Sampdoria, with leaders Milan currently seven points ahead of them having played a game more.

English League One outfit Wigan Athletic have announced the signing of Funso Ojo on loan from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen.

Having been frozen out of Derek McInnes' Dons, the former Belgium youth international of Nigerian background has teamed up with the Latics with the ambition of getting regular playing time.

“We are pleased to confirm the loan signing of midfielder Funso Ojo until the end of the 2020-21 season, subject to international clearance,” a statement from the  Wigan website read.

“Ojo, 29, has featured 13 times for parent club Aberdeen this season and brings over 200 senior appearances to Latics’ squad.”

After spells at PSV Eindhoven, VVV Venlo, Royal Antwerp and Scunthorpe United, Ojo moved to the Scotland elite division side on a three-year deal in 2019. In his maiden campaign at the Pittodrie Stadium, he showed a lot of promise. Nevertheless, he struggled for playing time under manager McInnes the following season.

In his first interview with Latics TV, he revealed that he is looking forward to helping the club’s young players to a commanding second half of the season.

“I'm very happy,” he told the Wigan website. “I've been introduced to the lads today; we had a light session and they took to me well. I'm very happy and looking forward to getting some minutes in, that s my biggest motivation.

“I loved my time at Aberdeen, it's a great city and a nice club to be at but I wasn't getting the minutes that I wanted. After speaking to the club here and the gaffer, he said there would be some minutes for me here and that's why I'm looking forward to being here.

“I still have goals to achieve in my career and I might be going from Aberdeen on loan but I'm still going to a massive club.

“I'm from Antwerp and played for them and they were struggling in the Second Division for 10 years but it was still a club with a big fan base and with the history it's still a big club which you can't take away from there and it's the same here.”

With his move, Ojo becomes the fourth player in Leam Richardson's team after Tendayi Darikwa (Zimbabwe), Emeka Obi (Nigeria) and Divin Baningime (Congo DR).

The Latics are in danger of getting demoted to League Two as they occupy the 23rd position in the log having garnered 21 points from 23 outings.

Liverpool have another injury headache to contend with after Fabinho was ruled out of the Reds' squad for Thursday's Premier League clash with Tottenham.

The Brazil international has been a key performer for Jurgen Klopp's side at the heart of defence this season, helping to fill the void left by the injured Virgil van Dijk.

Fabinho has helped Liverpool stay within touch in the Premier League title race but they went into the Spurs game seven points behind leaders Manchester City.

Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson were named as central defenders with James Milner starting in midfield. Liverpool's Twitter account described Fabinho's injury as 'a minor muscle issue'.

"That’s our situation at the moment," Klopp told BT Sport. "Actually, it was nothing really. He just felt something and we had to take him out and now he’s out. It was not a challenge or an intense situation or whatever, it was just how things happen."

Klopp will be hoping he is fit for some important upcoming fixtures. After Spurs, Liverpool play fourth-place West Ham and Brighton before a potentially season-defining run of games against Manchester City, Leicester, RB Leipzig and Everton.

Rhys Williams played in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United in midweek, after Henderson had been moved into the back four for the league draw against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team.

Matip played in the shock defeat at home to Burnley but has been regaining his fitness after suffering an adductor problem in late December.

Klopp suggested after the Burnley defeat that Liverpool wouldn't be signing a new defender during the January transfer window.

“I am not a five-year-old kid any more and if I don’t get what I want I start crying,” he said. “Most of the time in my life I didn’t get what I want, to be honest!

“I am responsible for a big part of this club but there are people who are responsible for the whole thing, and I cannot make their decisions. I know they are with us, I know they want to support us, and they do.

“Now we talk about a centre-half. Yes, it would help, 100 per cent. Would we score more goals with a centre-half? I am not sure. Would it give us more stability in specific moments? Probably, yes.

“But it’s not about that. We never, ever spoke in the transfer window like this because that would be an excuse and we don’t need that. What we have to do is improve the football in the decisive areas with this squad, and not sit here and be disappointed or frustrated with some decisions. I’m not.

“Of course we know what we would do in an ideal world but the world is not ideal and not just for us. We have to deal with the situation."

However, he was more upbeat when providing an update on Van Dijk's recovery from his potentially season-ending injury.

“I don’t know what is possible, and I don’t think I am the right person to judge it," he said.

“He looks really good. I spoke to him this morning on the phone, and he is in a really good mood. It’s all very promising, but I don’t know when he will be back.

“For sure there are still a lot of stages to go and to clear. I had this injury myself, so I know. But for the time we are in, and for how long he is out now, and the rehabilitation, he looks really, really promising.”

When Manchester United get a penalty, the man they charge with the responsibility of converting it is Bruno Fernandes.

It used to be Marcus Rashford or Paul Pogba - and it still is, on occasion - but the Portuguese playmaker has shown such accuracy from 12 yards that he is usually the best bet.

Since taking over the penalty-taking duties at Old Trafford, Fernandes has been dubbed 'Penandes', but why? Goal takes a look.

Why is Bruno Fernandes called 'Penandes'?

Fernandes is called 'Penandes' by rival supporters because of a perception that his goalscoring exploits are heavily padded out by penalty goals.

A portmaneau of 'penalty' and 'Fernandes', it is a pejorative nickname designed to play down the attacking prowess of the Portugal star by emphasising that penalties make up a significant portion of his goal tally.

The nickname has some currency on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where rival supporters frequently trade barbs.

Interestingly, in being christened 'Penandes' by opposing fans, Fernandes follows in the footsteps of his compatriot, and five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo.

During his time at Real Madrid, Ronaldo was disparagingly called 'Penaldo' by Barcelona fans for the same reasons described above.

The nickname has followed the Portuguese icon to Italy, where he hits penalties for Juventus as well.

Is it a fair nickname?

As with any nickname that has been anointed by rival fans in football, there is always a chance that it is unfair or wildly exaggerated.

However, with apologies to Manchester United supporters, in the case of Fernandes, the mocking epithet may well be warranted.

In his first season at Old Trafford, in 2019-20, Fernandes scored a total of 12 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions. Of those 12 goals, eight of them - or two-thirds - were from penalties.

He scored eight times in the Premier League that season and 50 per cent of them were from the penalty spot, while his FA Cup semi-final strike against Chelsea and all three of his goals in the Europa League were from spot kicks too.

Even Jose Mourinho got in on the joke in 2020 when he remarked how his compatriot was one of the best penalty takers in the world "because he had about 20 to score."

Of course, Fernandes does happen to be Manchester United's chief penalty taker and, in his defence, what is he supposed to do? Miss them to take the wind out of the sails of his detractors? That would be preposterous.

Either way, the Portugal midfielder is nonplussed by the nickname, stressing in a 2020 interview with the United Review that "penalties are part of the game".

"We can’t talk a lot about penalties because everybody will say: ‘Bruno only scores with penalties’," Fernandes said. "If the others score them, it’s no problem! They just score a penalty, you know!

"Penalties are part of the game, you know. You need to score. You have the chance but you need to score.

"I know everyone is talking about them like it’s easy but you can lose a final with a penalty. Manchester wins the Champions League in Moscow with penalties [in 2008].

"For most people, it’s easy when you’re in front of the TV. It is easy – just look at the goalkeeper jump to his left so why don’t you shoot to the right?

"Yeah, I can shoot to the right but, on my mind, was the left and the goalkeeper saved it! It can happen!

"But the most important thing, for me, is to keep scoring."