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Edu Garcia is set to spend a considerable period of time on the sidelines after the midfielder got injured against ATK Mohun Bagan's previous match against Chennaiyin on January 21.

The Spanish midfielder is believed to have suffered an ankle injury which will keep him out for at least two-to-three weeks. 

Chennaiyin's Memo Moura fouled Garcia in the 87th minute of the match and the playmaker could not carry on any further. He was seen leaving the pitch with a limp, with the help of physios and team doctor. 

The Mariners have eight games left to play, and the Spaniard will miss at least the next five games. It will be a race against time for him to get fit before the much anticipated Kolkata derby against East Bengal, which is slated to take place on February 19. However, if everything goes well he should be back for the mega clash against Mumbai City on February 28. 

Previously, he has missed two games in the initial rounds against  East Bengal and Odisha FC after playing in the opener against Kerala Blasters. 

He has been an integral part of Antonio Habas' squad and has featured in 10 matches racking up 787 minutes. He has scored only once, a stunning free-kick against FC Goa, which helped Bagan to earn a point in a 1-1 draw. 

ATK Mohun Bagan are currently second in the table with 24 points from 12 matches. 

Diego Costa would win the Premier League title for Manchester City if he was plucked out of the free agent pool, says Micah Richards.

Pep Guardiola has his side back in the hunt for top-flight glory in 2021, with the Blues overcoming a slow start to hit their stride when it matters most.

They have, however, been enduring uncharacteristic struggles in the final third, with attacking midfielder Phil Foden currently their top scorer with nine goals across all competitions.

Established frontmen Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero have been struggling for form and fitness, with just seven efforts recorded between them.

Richards believes the time has come for City to snap up another striker, with former Chelsea frontman Costa currently without a club following his release by La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

“Manchester City are already on a ridiculously good run of form but if they signed Diego Costa now, he would win them the Premier League - I am sure of it,” former Blues defender Richards told BBC Sport.

“Costa is 32 and I am not suggesting he is a long-term solution for City up front, but the former Chelsea striker is a free agent after ending his Atletico Madrid contract in December, and can sign for anyone for nothing.

“Why not get him in until the end of the season? He would do more than just ruffle a few feathers and be a pain in the backside for opposition defences - he is a proven finisher who would offer Pep Guardiola's side a proper plan B.

“Yes, you would have to cover Costa's wages, but the massive difference he could make to City's season would make that worthwhile.”

Richards said of the issues a Brazilian forward has endured at the Etihad Stadium this season: “I like Jesus a lot, and he is far more than just a grafter, but when I watch him he is not always looking to get on the end of balls into the box like he did against Cheltenham in the FA Cup on Saturday - he is often lurking deeper or on the left, linking play.

“It means City sometimes don't have a focal point. If they had someone who constantly wanted to run in behind defences then, with their creative players looking for them, I honestly think they would be frightening. They would clean up, no matter how teams tried to stop them.

“Costa could be that striker and not only would he finish the chances that City are making, his presence would increase the opportunities for his team-mates too.”

Any efforts City make to bring in another goalscorer will also take into account the fact that Aguero’s contract is due to expire in the summer.

Richards added on the iconic Argentine: “He has had his game-time managed so much already this season that, when he returns after testing positive for Covid-19, we don't really know how much a part Aguero will be able to play in the final few months of the season.

“That's why I say get someone in now, and then see what Aguero wants to do in the summer when his contract is up.

“If he wants to stay another year, and he can get a proper pre-season under his belt - which didn't happen this time - then perfect. I'm not writing him off because I know exactly how good he is - I'm just saying City need another option right now.”

AFC Leopards will be in the market for a defender as they aim at strengthening their defence to offer a consistent challenge in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League this season.

The 13-time league champions have so far played seven games and have managed to get five wins and two draws.

They have looked shaky at the back despite conceding just five goals, the second least in the division, in the games played.

"The team is fine in almost all the departments and we are happy with what we have managed to achieve at the moment," Tom Juma, who is Leopards' team manager, told Goal on Tuesday.

"But we are a bit short at the back and we will be aiming at singing one or two defenders to strengthen. We want to ensure the stability is there as well as consistency."

The former Kenya midfielder has explained why people should not expect wholesale changes in the team.

"The current short transfer window was untimely for us, we have just played seven games which we cannot use to gauge the players," Juma added.

"So we cannot use the seven games to make changes in the squad, they are not enough. We have to do with the players we have and as I said, we might just add in the defensive department.

"Secondly, no players have expressed their intentions to leave. We had some whose contracts were running out but we extended them. So it is unlikely that we will be busy in the market."

The former champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Wazito before falling 2-0 against Western Stima in the top-tier matches played at Kasarani Annex. Juma has explained what led to the losses.

"Against Wazito, we had not played for some time as compared to our opponents. They were match-fit and we were not and it contributed to the loss," he claimed.

"The loss to Western Stima came because of concentration lapses, but we have worked on those. We intend to ensure we put up a brave fight and have a final laugh at the end of the campaign.

"We know other teams are also prepared but we are determined to be the best."

Having spent the last two years or so coaching at the junior level, former Selangor FC head coach Maniam Pachaiappan has returned to senior club coaching with a challenging task.

After leaving his post as a head coach at the national academy Mokhtar Dahari Academy, late last year Maniam was appointed as the new head coach of Malaysia Super League side; Petaling Jaya (PJ) City FC, as K. Devan's replacement.

In what is only his second permanent senior-level head coaching job at a top-tier club, the 52-year old trainer has been given a somewhat tall order; he is to lead PJ City this season without the service of a single foreign player.

However, he has denied that the decision by the club to employ an all-local roster was made due to financial difficulties, when contacted by Goal on Tuesday.

"Money is not an issue with PJ City and the club's decision to employ only Malaysian players had been discussed with me before my appointment. In my first meeting with Dato' Sri Vijay Eswaran (club chairman), he told me that his vision is to give more opportunity to Malaysian players and to also develop young players.

"Our U-19 boys can develop in our youth teams before progressing to the senior team after two, three years. For example, we have a couple of boys aged 20 and below, they have the talent and the chance to make the national team if they remain with us, because it's hard for them to get this kind of chances at a bigger club," he explained in a telephone call. 

Maniam added that instead of viewing the decision to field an all-Malaysian roster as a challenge, his charges must view it as an opportunity to be in the spotlight.

"This squad, who is composed of Malaysian players of all the major races in the country, they now have the opportunity to prove that local players can play well, and they can knock on the Malaysia national team's door," he noted. "Take Darren (new forward Darren Lok) for example; he did not get playing minutes at JDT and Terengganu. Now is his opportunity to shine here, and the same goes to Kogi (Kogileswaran Raj) and Beto (Khairil Anuar Zamri).

"They need to score goals so that they can get Malaysia call-ups. They need to train harder and play well here and as the head coach, I need to inspire them and provide good training to them."

With such a tall hill to climb, Maniam said that the trick is to not place his team under pressure with specific season targets.

"I don't want to put the players under pressure, so we will have to take on the challenges game by game. I believe that with this approach, we will do well."

But despite the foreign signing restriction placed by the club, Maniam insisted that the club board has been very accommodating otherwise.

"The board has been very helpful; Dato' Sri Vijay, Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal (club president) and Ganesh [Shanmugam] (general secretary), they know I have a good record in football development and they believe in me. It's a huge opportunity for me to coach PJ City, and I am grateful for the board's belief in me and local players.

"They've provided any equipment that we've asked for, and they've taken the time to talk to and check-up on the players, trying to keep the players' spirits up," said the former Selangor player.

Apart from the absence of foreign players from his roster, Maniam also needs to overcome another kind of challenge in his return to club coaching. 

After only several weeks of pre-season training, Malaysian league clubs were forced to suspend it due to another Covid-19 lockdown order by the country's government. PJ City players, as well as those of other clubs, can only train individually at home for the time being.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before. The last year or so has been different due to the pandemic. Thankfully, the coaching staff are better with technology and can set-up these Zoom trainings.

"But the players must maintain their fitness and weight levels, and train with the ball. I know that the situation is not ideal and they can sometimes get stressed out by not being able to leave the house, but as professionals they need to be able to take care of themselves, change the mood and prepare for their training well. They need to be strong, they cannot give up so that they can return fit to pre-season training," explained Maniam.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has hailed Kelechi Iheanacho's performances for the club this season and revealed the forward remains a key member of his team.

The Nigeria international has delivered impressive showings in the few games he was afforded in the 2020-21 campaign.

Iheanacho has made 19 appearances across all competitions this season, involving eight starts, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

The forward is behind Jamie Vardy in the pecking order and with the 34-year-old set to spend time on the sidelines, the Super Eagles star will be expected to play a more prominent role for the Foxes.

Rodgers has praised the performances of Iheanacho and looks forward to seeing him make more impact for the club in the second half of the season.

“The role he has been in, he’s done very well in. It’s difficult for any striker when you play with one up front, you need guys who are going to be loyal,” Rodgers said in a press conference.

“He played very well with Jamie. He has made a great impact coming into games. It’s difficult because they get confidence from scoring goals.

“He doesn’t play as much as a striker needs to get that rhythm. But he contributes. He brings great energy to the game.

“He’s still a very valuable player for us and will be important for us in the second half of the season."

Leicester City will take on Everton in a Premier League game on Wednesday and Rodgers is confident with the players available to him in the absence of Vardy.

“It just depends on the game. The type of game we want to play. There’s a lot made when Jamie doesn’t play, he’s one of the best in the league, but our development is about the collective,” he continued.

“Forty of our goals have come from others. Jamie’s got 13. Ayo I know will score goals. He hasn’t featured as much this season.

“He will play a really pivotal role. Whether it’s him, or Kelechi, or someone else, the responsibility for goals is the team."

Iheanacho has been with the King Power Stadium outfit since the summer of 2017 when he teamed up with the side from Manchester City.

The centre-forward will hope to get more minutes under his belt against Everton at Goodison Park.

Bruno Fernandes admits to being a bad loser and will not give up on landing major honours at Manchester United until every trophy has been handed out.

The Red Devils remain in the hunt for three pieces of silverware this season, with avenues to success still open in Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League competition.

Those at Old Trafford are approaching the four-year mark since they last took in a celebration party, with Jose Mourinho delivering three honours in his debut campaign at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is being charged with the task of recapturing former glories, with patience being rewarded in Manchester as a Norwegian coach starts to turn the tide.

While progress is seemingly being made off the field, Fernandes has become a talismanic presence on it.

The 26-year-old has made no secret of the fact that he moved to England in order to bolster his medal collection, with a fiercely competitive character determined to deliver on his own expectations.

Fernandes has said of his mentality: “I came to the club because I knew it is one that wants to win everything - and my mentality and my way to be in my life and football is about winning.

“So you have to be confident. You have to trust your team-mates, you have to trust yourself, and you have to believe.

“And I will believe until it's not possible anymore, you know? Like when I see someone get the trophy before me then I will (have) lost my belief.

“I always was like this. I don't like to lose, so I think maybe the mentality is more like I don't like to lose. For me, losing is not normal so my mentality comes from that.

“Whatever it is, when I was playing with my friends, my brother, with my neighbours, I never wanted to lose. I want to win every time, this mentality will be with me for the rest of my life.”

Fernandes has been doing all he can to put United in contention for prestigious prizes, but burnout fears have been raised regarding a key part of Solskjaer’s plans.

The Portugal international started an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Liverpool on the bench, but was introduced to grab the match-winner and claims he is still raring to go.

“Tired? I'm 26 years old so I can't be tired,” Fernandes said heading into a home date with Sheffield United on Wednesday.

“If I'm tired now, when I arrive at 30, 32, I will not play. I will play one game in five so, no, I'm not tired.

“Of course the coach knows what is better for the team and he chose to play with Donny [van de Beek] to give some freshness to the team.

“I think it's fair enough because Donny is training really well, he's been important for us and will be more and more important in the future.”

David Bright, who served as a coach with distinction both in his home country Botswana and in neighbouring South Africa, has passed away at the age of 64.

The news was confirmed by the Botswana government on their Facebook page:

The nation mourns beloved Major David Bright

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is in deep sorrow as we inform the nation on the passing of former national coach Major David Bright, aged 64.

Fakude, as he was affectionately known served football diligently, over the years, both locally and internationally.

His passion and love for football placed him at the pinnacle of football opportunities having coached in foreign countries such as Brazil and South Africa respectively. His trophy cabinet is adorned with distinguished awards and medals to his mettle.

The BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) and staff send their heartfelt condolences to the Bright family and the entire football fraternity during this difficult time.

We call upon everyone to give Bright's family the privacy it deserves as they come to terms with the passing of their beloved son, father, uncle, coach and overall national icon and soccer legend.

Bright, who also had a career in the Botswana army as a major, began his coaching career with Mogoditshane Fighters. He spent 13 years with the club and won three league titles with them.

Seen by many as one of the gentlemen of the game, Bright also had four stints as senior national team coach of Botswana.

In South Africa, he worked as head coach at Several PSL teams including Santos, Chippa United and Black Leopards. He also coached at First Division sides FC Cape Town, Sivutsa Stars and Thanda Royal Zulu, as well as at Botswana Premiership team Gaborone United.

Several publications, including Botswana's MmegiOnline, have stated that Bright passed away from Covid-19 complications.

"Former Zebras coach, David Bright has passed on due to #COVID19 related illness. He died at Sir Ketumile Masire Hospital on Monday evening."

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry has stated his charges will have to give absolutely every ounce of energy against Morocco to stand a chance of making it to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championship.

The two teams will meet at the Reunification Stadium on Tuesday night with the winning team qualifying for the quarter-finals of the competition. 

The Northern Irish manager concedes his charges have already given a lot in the previous two games against Rwanda and Togo, but they will have to work even harder against the defending champions to seal progression.

"[The players] have put a lot of energy in the first two games, and now it is about everything they have got," McKinstry said ahead of the game.

"There is no point in reserving energy for games in the future. Because those games may not happen. If we reserve anything it is going to be a waste. 

"They need to go out on the field and put every last ounce of energy. That is the first thing and look when we get the result we need, then yes we will have to rebuild [the players]."

The Atlas Lions lead Group C with four points, followed by the Sparrowhawks who are on three. The Amavubi are third with two points while the Cranes remain at the bottom with a point which came from a draw with Rwanda.

In an earlier interview, the 35-year-old likened Tuesday's game to a cup final and that the mentality of his players must be fixed on it.

"We are into the last [few] hours before we play Morocco," the former Rwanda coach said.

"We are looking to create that cup final mentality. We need to go out and play the game. There is no next game at the moment. This is a cup final.  

"We shall have a couple of new things because Morocco bring different challenges. We have asked the players to put in more effort, work rate and intelligence as they did in the second half against Togo.

"We have told them there is no quarter-final for the team until they play and get a result on Tuesday. We want to write a story for ourselves, the country and everyone back home.  

"The odds are against us but we believe it is possible."  

Karim Benzema "has Lyon in his heart", according to his former agent Karim Djaziri, who says the Real Madrid star will return to France at some point.

Benzema quickly emerged as one of the most potent young strikers in Europe after graduating to Lyon's senior squad back in 2004.

The Frenchman hit 66 goals in 148 games for the club, helping them to win four consecutive Ligue 1 titles in the process.

His stellar performances attracted attention from Madrid, who forked out €35 million (£31m/$42m) to bring him to Santiago Bernabeu in July 2009.

Benzema has since taken his career to stratospheric new heights, winning four Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles while scoring over 260 goals across all competitions for the Blancos.

The 33-year-old currently stands as the fifth-highest goalscorer in Madrid's history, and his output in the final third hasn't waned in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

The experienced frontman has 15 goals to his name from 24 appearances this term, with Zinedine Zidane still trusting him to lead the line as his team continue to fight for silverware on domestic and European fronts.

However, Benzema only has 18 months left to run on his current contract at the Bernabeu, and his agent has admitted that he remains an avid supporter of Lyon from afar.

Djaziri says the ex-France international wants to retrace his steps before he hangs up his boots, but has not given a timeframe for his potential departure from Madrid.

“Will Karim Benzema return to Lyon? Yes, I honestly think he will,” Djaziri told Inside Gones.

“He talks to me constantly and he watches all of the team’s matches.

“On top of that, he has never been to the Groupama Stadium and, in his mind, it is something he wants, he has Lyon in his heart.”

Benzema will line up for Madrid once again when they play host to Levante in La Liga on Saturday, with Zidane's side in need of a victory to stay within touch of current leaders Atletico Madrid.

The Liga champions are seven points adrift of their cross-city rivals having played a game more, but they did inflict Atletico's only defeat of the season to date in December.

TS Galaxy marksman Wayde Lekay is hopeful that his side can take the form from their last game into their league clash with Orlando Pirates at the Orlando Stadium on Tuesday evening.

PSL rookies Galaxy started the season fairly well, but after beating AmaZulu on November 20, they went on a nine-match winless spell before securing a 3-0 win over Maritzburg United last week.

Lekay was on the score-sheet against Maritzburg and is hoping that his team can build on the victory against the KwaZulu-Natal side.

“It is a great feeling to win again and get three points after so many games without a win. It is going to be very key for us to go out there and show consistency against Pirates," he was quoted saying by his club's website.

“It becomes very important for us to pick up three points because we don’t want to see ourselves in that last position once again.”

Having started the season with Dan Malesela in charge, Galaxy changed coaches earlier this month and Owen da Gama is now at the helm.

According to Lekay, da Gama has emphasised the importance of having the right mentality, and the striker feels that will be crucial against a Bucs side who have been battling for consistency in 2021.

“With the great attitude and mindset, we will do it," he said. "That’s what the coach told us. Each and every one of us believed that. I believe that we will get out of that relegation zone. We will climb the table from here.

“I don’t believe that form determines anything. It is going to be a tough game.

“We all know that. It is going to take a lot for us to win that game. We have to go out there with the right mindset and forget about what they are doing and focus on ourselves.

“As soon as we can get into the right areas and score the goals and play with a good mindset, it is there for the taking."

Tanzania giants Yanga SC have settled on former player Nizar Khalfan as their new assistant coach.

The assistant role at the Jangwani giants fell vacant six days ago after Juma Mwambusi left the position, citing health issues.

Mwambusi tendered his resignation in Zanzibar where the team took part in Mapinduzi Cup tournament and beat rivals Simba SC 4-3 on penalties to lift the trophy.

Goal can exclusively reveal former player Khalfan will come in to replace Mwambusi after he was recommended by head coach Cedric Kaze, and his appointment will be confirmed sometime this week.

Yanga media officer Hassan Bumbuli has confirmed to Goal they have picked the former African Lyon FC’s coach to replace Mwambusi.

“We have picked on Nizar [Khalfan] as he was the best among the coaches who applied for the job,” Bumbuli told Goal on Tuesday.

“In fact, over ten coaches had applied for the job and only five reached the final stage with Khalfan emerging the best.”

Among the coaches who reached the final stage before the team settled on Khalfan include Salvatory Edward, Maalim Saleh, and Omary Kapilima.

In a recent interview, Yanga confirmed coach Kaze will be given the opportunity to pick an assistant coach to work with at the club.

Yanga chairman Mshindo Msolla said it was upon the Burundian tactician, who is unbeaten in the last 13 matches, to decide whether he wants to have an assistant coach to help him out.

“For now, we will hold talks with coach Kaze to find out from him whether he can do the job alone or else he needs an assistant coach bearing in mind that he is the one who recommended for Mwambusi to be his right-hand man,” Msolla said as quoted by Daily News.

“If he says that he needs an assistant coach, then he will have to suggest whom he wishes to work with and then, as a club, will implement his recommendation.

“We even have former Yanga players with football coaching skills who can equally take up the post if he [Kaze] will be ready to have one of them on board.”

Yanga are topping the 18-team league table with 44 points from 18 matches.

Kaizer Chiefs defender Reeve Frosler says it has been difficult watching his team from afar during his two-month injury absence.

Frosler suffered a knee injury in a 2-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in an MTN8 second leg semi-final encounter on November 20.

He returned to action for the first time after coming off the bench for the final five minutes of Amakhosi's league clash against Stellenbosch FC last weekend, which ended 0-0.

He's pleased to be back and is determined to work hard to regain full match fitness.

“I’ve recovered very well, the doctors and physios are happy. I feel great, I just need to build the confidence up again, and that will happen with game time. I want to get stronger and stronger and try and get in some minutes to get fit again," Frosler was quoted saying by the Chiefs website.

The former Bidvest Wits man had made the right-back slot his own last season with 26 appearances in all competitions.

In total the Bafana Bafana regular Frosler missed 14 matches for Chiefs while injured and he acknowledged that it was a difficult time for him.

“I don’t like watching from the stands or from home – I prefer watching from the bench. It was hard, but it was nice to see the guys come together and keep going," he added.

"As we started working together, we started receiving better results.”

After struggling for results in the first three months of the season, the Glamour Boys appear to have turned the corner and have claimed three wins and a draw from their last four matches.

Their next challenge comes against Baroka FC at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening.

“Baroka are a good team,” Frosler stated. “They know how to make life difficult for you. They are a team who are not shy to play.

"They lost their last game (0-2 against AmaZulu), so they obviously out to get a victory which will obviously be very difficult for us. We just have to stick by each other and go forward.”

Chiefs are in seventh spot on the table, 10 points behind the top three sides - Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Swallows FC.

Selangor FC have confirmed the arrival of midfielder Oliver Buff, who was part of the Switzerland Under-17 squad that won the U-17 World Cup in 2009.

On Tuesday, the 28-year old's signing was officially announced by the club through their social media.

According to a German report, Buff was signed by the Red Giants on a free transfer for two years, after his contract with Swiss second-tier side Grasshopper Club Zürich expired in 2020.

In an interview with the club, Buff revealed that he wants to be a part of Selangor's bid to return to glory.

"I got a phone call from an agent about a project in Malaysia with Selangor, and I also had a chance to talk with the Selangor head coach Karsten Neitzel, and Technical Director, Michael Feichtenbeiner about their plans. From the first minute I was really confident that I wanted to be part of the Red and Yellow family.

Karsten Neitzel. Photo from Getty 

"Selangor's plan to return to glory has convinced me that this will be the best place for me to develop my football career in this beautiful country," said the midfielder.

Neitzel meanwhile revealed that this is not the first time that he has approached the player.

"I have never worked with Oliver. Back then, when he was a young player at FC Zürich, Oliver attracted my interest to bring him over to my former club in Germany. Although it was unsuccessful, from that day I followed his progress until now.
 
"Oliver is a player who is very calm on the ball, has a good overview, and is of good quality in both offence and defence. He can be a good example to our young players. I hope that he can show all of these qualities to us soon,” said the German.

The Swiss was trained as a youth player at top-tier Swiss side Zürich, for whom he played until 2017. He then joined Spanish second-tier side Real Zaragoza for two years, before a stint at a Cypriot club in 2019, and then the Grasshoppers in 2020. All his club competition trophies; 2013/14 and 2015/16 Swiss Cup and the 2016/17 Challenge League championship were won with Zürich. 

At the international stage, he had played regularly with the Swiss junior national teams in competitive teams, including the 2012 Olympics. He also won the World Cup U-17 back in 2009, alongside now Thailand senior international Charyl Chappuis.

The Red Giants now have one more foreign player slot remaining to be filled ahead of the 2021 season, having retained Ifedayo Olusegun and Safuwan Baharudin, while retaining Buff and German defender Tim Heubach.

Jordi Alba says that he feels like he is one of the most hated players in football, although he says his off-the-field attitude is much different than his on-field persona.

Alba has starred for Barcelona since joining the club in 2012 from Valencia, having made a total of 360 appearances for the club.

During that time, he's won La Liga five times while also collecting a Champions League title in 2014-15.

However, Alba says that he believes that he is a player that is hated by those he plays against due to his combative style.

“It is clear that if people know me through football, they would think I am one of the most hated players in football, that is clear,” he said during an interview with Movistar+.

“It is my way of playing and it’s what has led me to be the player I am today and to be where I am.

“Other people know me by how I am, as a very humble person that values everything in my life.

“The player Jordi has nothing to do with the human Jordi or the Jordi with his teammates.

“Yes, it’s true that the way I play is very heavy and I understand the hatred that people who do not know me can have me to me.”

In addition to reflecting on his own reputation, Alba opened up on his relationship with Lionel Messi, who he has played with for nearly a decade now.

"We do not work on it," he said of their connection on the pitch. "Both Leo and I look for each other a lot. If I give it to him, I know that it creates danger, soI always try to give it to him.

"Although rivals know us more and more every day, I also try to give it to other team-mates. [My relationship with Messi] is not something worked on. It comes out alone. "

He added: "I do more damage when I am not expected, when I take advantage of the space that my teammates generate. At Barca, it is more difficult to give assists, because other teams are closing more, but I am getting many and hopefully I will get many more."

Barcelona are currently third in La Liga, behind leaders Atletico Madrid and rivals Real Madrid

David Moyes has reiterated that it would take "Bank of England money" for Chelsea to pry Declan Rice away from West Ham in the wake of Frank Lampard's dismissal.

Chelsea parted ways with Lampard on Monday, ending the club legend's managerial tenure after less than two seasons in charge.

Throughout Lampard's time as Blues boss, the club has regularly been linked with Rice, a player that was often reported to be a major target of Lampard himself.

Lampard was reportedly leading the charge to sign Rice, who has emerged as a vital piece of England's midfield both in the present and the future.

But, with Lampard gone and Thomas Tuchel coming in, it remains to be seen how Chelsea approach transfers in the coming weeks and months.

Moyes had previously said that it would require "Bank of England money" for any club to convince West Ham to sell their prized midfielder, and the former Everton and Manchester United manager says that you can now add Bank of Scotland money on top of that too.

"No matter who was the manager at Chelsea, or whoever came in, it would have been the same answer," Moyes said.

"I said it right at the start and I'm only repeating myself - Bank of England money would be required, and you might even need to add Bank of Scotland on to that as well because he has been so good."

Rice, who was a member of Chelsea's academy from 2006-14, made his West Ham debut in 2015 and has gone on to make 131 appearances for the club while scoring three goals.

He's been a regular for the Hammers since 2017, making at least 31 appearances for the club in each of the last three full seasons.

This season, Rice has featured 21 times as West Ham currently sit seventh in the Premier League, two points off of a top-four spot.

The midfielder has earned 13 caps for England over the last two years, having made the switch from the Republic of Ireland after representing them three times at the senior level.

Rice and West Ham are set to face off with Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Jose Mourinho says that he doesn't believe that he should reach out to recently dismissed Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, with the Spurs boss saying that he doubts his former midfielder has any desire to hear from him.

Mourinho's Tottenham took care of Wycombe in the FA Cup on Monday, winning 4-1 thanks to goals from Gareth Bale and Harry Winks to go with a Tanguy Ndombele brace.

Spurs' win came just hours after Mourinho's former player, Lampard, was dismissed at Chelsea, with the Blues set to turn to Thomas Tuchel as his replacement.

Lampard played under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge from 2004-2007 and then again in 2013, winning two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and a Community Shield together.

Mourinho, like Lampard, has felt the sting of a Chelsea sacking, having left the club in 2007 to be replaced by Avram Grant before being parting ways again in 2015 following a second stint in favour of Antonio Conte.

And, after receiving news of Lampard's fate, Mourinho said he doesn't feel it is his place to reach out to Chelsea's now-former manager.

"I don't think Frank wants to speak to me or with anyone apart from his close circle of family and friends," Mourinho said. 

"But I am always sad when a colleague loses his job and Frank is not just a colleague. He is an important person in my career so I feel sorry he did.

"But it is the brutality of football, especially modern football so when you become a manager you know that sooner or later it is going to happen to you."

Mourinho's Spurs are currently fifth in the Premier League, four points ahead of ninth-place Chelsea, who have played an extra game.

Although Tottenham have had their share of trouble this season as well, they were able to shake off a slow start to take down Wycombe and advance in the FA Cup on Monday.

"I knew that the game was going to be difficult," Mourinho said. "We started preparing for the game by showing the players what they did a few years ago at White Hart Lane. Six of these players and the manager are still in this team.

"So that I think was a good start and then we prepared for the game knowing it could be hard and it was. It's not easy to handle their style of play.

"If you don't score goals they stay in the game and it was great for us to score in minute 85 because that gave us the possibility of not playing extra-time, which would have been not good for us."

Anglo-Nigerian midfielder Fred Onyedinma has now scored in back-to-back appearances for Wycombe Wanderers in all competitions thanks to his goal against Tottenham Hotspur in Monday’s FA Cup game.

Having silenced Preston North End 4-1 in the previous round of the tournament, the Chairboys were hoping to shock Jose Mourinho’s men, but that was not the case.

Despite their poor run in the English second tier, they took the lead in the 25th minute after Uche Ikpeazu’s cross flicked off Davinson Sanchez into the path of Onyedinma, who side-footed past veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart from eight yards.

With that effort, the 24-year-old has now scored in two successive games for Gareth Ainsworth’s men (both in the FA Cup), having scored on none of his first 24 games in the 2020-21 campaign.

Mourinho’s team levelled matters two minutes into stoppage time after Gareth Bale latched onto Lucas Moura’s pass and guided the ball past goalkeeper Ryan Allsopp. Before then, the Premier League outfit had hit the woodwork twice through Moussa Sissoko and Japhet Tanganga.

The introduction of Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Tanguy Ndombele brought life into Tottenham’s attack, nevertheless, they had to wait until four minutes to the end of the game before getting their acts right – as Harry Winks curled home his left-footed effort past Allsop.

While Wycombe were chasing the equaliser, it was Spurs who were looking dominant. This resolve saw them convert again, as Son slipped a ball through to Ndombele who made it three.

The Frenchman completed his double in stoppage time, as his deflected shot flew past Allsop.

Onyedinma was in action from start to finish with Ikpeazu coming off for English striker of Nigerian background Adebayo Akinfenwa in the 72nd minute, while on loan Leicester City forward Admiral Muskwe came off for Scott Kashket a minute later.

Tottenham will now face Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton in the FA Cup fifth round. Before that, they will turn their attention to Thursday’s Premier League showdown with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s Liverpool.

For Wycombe Wanderers, they will continue with their Championship relegation battle with Saturday’s clash at Brentford.