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New Nantes boss Raymond Domenech reacted in a characteristically bizarre manner when questioned about the club’s transfer window, citing the recently deceased Diego Maradona.

Back in football after more than a decade in the wilderness following his departure from France after a debacle at the 2010 World Cup, Domenech was known for his strange comments and idiosyncrasies during that period.

He has shown he has lost none of his flair for a soundbite, though.

Speaking in a press conference, he was asked for his reaction to missing out on Lyon midfielder Jean Lucas on loan, with the Brazilian going to Brest when he seemed destined for Nantes.

“I didn’t follow the ups and down of the deal but he’s now in Brest and that’s how it is,” he reflected to the media. “I would like to have signed Maradona, but he’s dead. That’s how it is.”

Nantes, meanwhile, swept former Stoke midfielder Giannelli Imbula away from second-tier Guingamp to put him on trial.

“He’s got real potential,” Domenech said. “It’s interesting. He’s coming back. I haven’t made any decision but we’ll speak in a few days.”

Domenech is remembered infamously in France for his bizarre outbursts and strange selection decisions while in charge of the national team.

In 2007, after Jose Mourinho had accused him of treating midfielder Claude Makelele “like a slave”, Domenech hit back: “As long as he can walk, he will play. I have the right to pick him.”

His demise arrived in 2010, when Nicolas Anelka delivered an expletive-ridden tirade at him during the half-time interval of a 2-0 defeat to Mexico at the World Cup. In protest at Anelka being subsequently sent home the following day, the rest of the squad refused to train in full view of the world’s media.

Les Bleus finished bottom of their group with just a single point, beaten 2-1 by the host nation in their final game. Domenech’s reign finished with the indignity of him trudging past South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira without shaking hands.

This latest comment, then, is simply the latest in a catalogue of such incidents.

Sven Vandenbroeck has revealed the reason he decided to part ways with Tanzanian champions Simba SC.

On Thursday, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi confirmed the exit of the Belgian tactician only a day after he led them to the group stage of the Caf Champions League after eliminating FC Platinum of Zimbabwe 4-1 on aggregate.

The decision left many football followers in the country in shock with some wondering why they had parted ways with a coach, who had guided them to the group stage of the competition for the third time in history.

The Belgian tactician has now revealed he left Simba because of family issues in a statement on his Instagram page.

“I have amicably parted with Simba to find more balance between work and my family, and for personal development,” said Vandenbroeck. “I do so with a heavy heart because I became a part of Simba and Simba became a part of me.

“I thank all the players for their contributions to our success and fans for all the wonderful memories.

“I especially thank president Mo and CEO Barbara Gonzalez for their professionalism and for helping me do my job. They both tried to convince me to stay until the last second.

"I will always wish Simba great success.”

In an earlier statement, Simba Information Officer Haji Manara openly admitted it was not good news to part ways with Vandenbroeck.

“It is not good news for this period,” Manara wrote on his Facebook page after the exit of Vandenbroeck. “But let us pray we relax and leave the task of getting a good successor to our leadership so that we can cross the line together.”

On the coach’s exit, Simba said in a statement obtained by Goal: “The Board of Directors of Simba Sports Club announces to its members and fans that we have parted ways with our head coach Sven Vandenbroeck by mutual consent.

“Simba thank coach Sven for the success achieved during his time with the club where we won the Tanzanian Premier League, the FA Cup, the Community Shield and qualified for the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

“In light of the above, assistant coach Selemani Matola will hold the position vacated by Sven up until we announce a new person for the role," the statement continued. "We recognize that Sven will always be part of the Simba family.

“We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Simba appointed the 41-year-old Belgian to take charge of the team in December 2019 after sacking Patrick Aussems a month earlier.

Aussems was relieved of his duties when Simba claimed the Belgian left the club without official permission during the last international break.

They turned for help on another Belgian, Vandenbroeck, who had left his role as the head coach of the Zambia national football team in February 2019.

Vandenbroeck served as the caretaker coach of Greek side Niki Volos Football Club in 2014. The former defensive midfielder was Hugo Broos' assistant when the Indomitable Lions won the Africa Cup of Nations two years ago.

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt has tested positive for coronavirus, the Italian club have confirmed.

The Netherlands international played the full 90 minutes of Juventus’ 3-1 win at leaders AC Milan on Wednesday but will now begin a period of self-isolation.

“Juventus Football Club announces that, during the checks provided for by the protocol in force, Matthijs De Ligt has emerged positive with Covid-19,” read a statement on the club’s website.

“The player has already been placed in solitary confinement.”

De Ligt missed the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery over the summer but has featured in every game for Juventus since returning to fitness at the end of November.

The Bianconeri have lost just once in 12 games in all competitions since De Ligt returned to the side, helping them recover from an inconsistent start to the season that saw them fall behind the early pacesetters in the Serie A table.

Led by new manager Andrea Pirlo, Juventus are chasing a 10th successive Italian title.

Pirlo’s side are currently third, seven points behind leaders AC Milan, though they have a game in hand on all of the sides above them. They host Sassuolo in Turin on Sunday with Roberto De Zerbi’s side just one point and one place behind them in the table.

De Ligt is the second Juventus player to test positive for coronavirus in the space of a week after Alex Sandro returned a positive test on Monday.

The Brazil international is also currently self-isolating after he displayed mild symptoms of the virus. Sandro played alongside fellow defender De Ligt in Sunday's 4-1 league victory over Udinese in Turin.

The news comes as a number of countries grapple with a fresh wave of coronavirus cases, which has inevitably had an impact on sport.

In England, four Premier League matches had to be postponed in December because of outbreaks at clubs’ training grounds.

Aston Villa will also be forced to name an U23 side for Friday’s FA Cup third round tie against Liverpool after an outbreak of cases forced the first-team squad and management team into self-isolation.

Express FC defender Murushid Juuko has revealed they are determined more than ever to succeed in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Red Eagles started their campaign in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) on a high note as they are currently sitting sixth on the table with eight points from four matches.

The positive start has elated the Uganda Cranes defender who now says they are psyched more than ever to resume action after the league took a break for Christmas and New Year holidays and also paved the way for their national team to take part in the African Nations Championship (Chan) set for Cameroon.

“Am glad most of my mates returned in good health,” Juuko told the club's official website as the team resumed training for league resumption on Friday. “Now we need to catch up fast because we’ve got a lot coming.

“Personally I am happy with how I’ve performed in the four games played so far and as a team, we’ve managed to improve in each game.”

On how he had managed to cope despite playing with different options at the back, Juuko said: “So far I’ve managed to play alongside Enock [Walusimbi] and Isa Lumu but I can ascertain that both are capable.”

Skipper Walusimbi started out partnering with Juuko on matchday one away against Onduparaka in Arua but was sent off and in came Isa Lumu who has since formed a solid partnership while captain Walusimbi was moved to right back.

On returning to training, Express coach Wasswa Bbosa also expressed optimism that they are destined for a great season.

Bbossa along with his assistants in James Odoch, Daniel Kiwanuka the goalkeeping coach, Helen Buteme the strength and conditioning coach, took the players through light paces with the tactician insisting the boys will get their form back in due course.

“We’re glad everyone has returned safely, we carried out our Covid-19 tests on Monday and we’re glad everyone is negative because it means we have a full squad to ourselves save for the injuries,” Bbosa explained.

“We’ve started lightly but we shall step it up in due course, the boys will be ready by February - make no mistake about it.

The six-time league champions are also unbeaten and hope to continue the run when the league resumes in February.

When Lionel Messi announced last summer that he wanted to leave Barcelona, the world was at a standstill.

Messi outlined his unhappiness at Camp Nou, but, in an exclusive interview with Goal, he revealed his decision to stay, as the only way to break his contract was to take Barcelona to court.

But now that Messi's contract is expiring this summer, he could be set to actually leave this time. Which club could he potentially play for next? Goal takes a look.

Barcelona

Messi's contract with Barcelona expires at the end of the current season, meaning he could leave Camp Nou for free in the summer and is now allowed to talk to other clubs.

Messi's contract buyout clause (or release clause) is €700 million (£630m/$825m), which was put in place when Messi signed a new four-year contract with Barcelona in 2017. 

This clause, however, will expire at the end of his current deal, paving the way for him to join another club as a free agent.

The Argentine has stated that he does not intend to announce his future plans until the end of the season, telling La Sexta: "What matters now is thinking about the team, finishing the year well and not being distracted by other things. I don't know what will happen.

"I'm focused on what we have here and battling for whatever we can. I'll wait until the season is over."

Staying at Barcelona and extending his contract is still an option for the forward, but it will be up to the next Barcelona president to convince the superstar to stay.

After the major falling out between Messi and former president Josep Bartomeu, the relationship between the board and the player still remains uncertain - with even presidential candidate Agusti Benedito pessimistic about Messi's future at Barcelona.

"Keeping Messi would be the best news for the club but I am not very optimistic," the Spanish entrepreneur told ESPN. "Given the club's situation, I think it's really important that he stays at Barca, with the understanding that he understands the next two years we have in front of us [could be difficult]."

Barcelona are set to hold elections for a new president on January 24.

PSG

Paris Saint-Germain as a destination for Messi is one of the likelier options, especially as the club will be able to afford him - and he will be granted a long-desired reunion with former team-mate Neymar.

Mauricio Pochettino refused to link himself to rumours that the club have targeted Messi as a summer target, telling reporters in his first press conference as manager: “We leave the rumours aside. All great players are welcome at PSG.

“Father Christmas has been generous with me, I take this opportunity to thank president Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] and [sporting director] Leonardo for the trust and to be in this great club and back in this house. 

“It's one of the biggest clubs, if not the biggest in the world, so it's normal that there are rumours. We have just arrived so we leave them aside.”

The Premier League club emerged as a hopeful frontrunner for Messi's signature during the transfer saga last summer, and is another likely option for the 33-year-old along with PSG.

Both clubs have the financial means to afford Messi, but Manchester City have the lure of Pep Guardiola, whom Messi played for during his golden years at Barcelona.

The two continue to have a strong relationship, with chief operating officer Omar Berrada telling the Manchester Evening News of previous Messi links: “He's an amazing talent, he's somebody that can make a significant impact at any club in the world on and off the pitch immediately.

“He's the best player in the world, he's the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team."

Messi revealed for the first time in his career a desire to play in MLS, telling La Sexta that he would like to play in the United States one day.

"I always said that I have the impression that I would like to enjoy the experience of living in the United States, of living in that league and that life, but if it happens or not I don't know," he said in the interview.

Should Messi decide to go Stateside, he would follow in the footsteps of European greats David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, who all had stints in North America.

Due to the unique nature of the City Football Group, which owns both Manchester City and New York City FC, the Big Apple could be a realistic destination for the striker.

According to ESPN, there is a likelihood of Messi reuniting with Guardiola at Manchester City before retiring at NYCFC - a sister club to the Eithad side - to mark the end of his playing career. 

While high-profile sides like LA Galaxy and LAFC shouldn't be ruled out, the links between NYCFC and Man City make it a more likely destination, though David Beckham's Inter Miami is also an option.

To nobody's surprise, Messi outright denied the possibility of joining a rival La Liga club, saying when asked if he could join Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid: "No, impossible." 

Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko have been pitted against Algerian side ES Setif in the Caf Confederation Cup play-off round.

The draw was conducted on Friday.

The development comes amid the Ghanaians' contesting their elimination from the Caf Champions League to the Confederation Cup under controversial circumstances.

The Porcupine Warriors will host the first leg on February 14 before travelling to Setif for the return leg after a week.

Kotoko were dumped out of the Champions League under controversial circumstances on Wednesday.

Having lost 1-0 at home to Sudanese side Al-Hilal Omdurman in the first leg, the Porcupine Warriors saw the reverse fixture cancelled after a kick-off delay. The home side was handed qualification to the next round as Kotoko were declared to have presented an inadequate number of players for the match.

Just before kick-off, Kotoko's team became depleted after seven players were confirmed positive for the coronavirus, reducing their squad size below Caf's stipulated 15-player number.

Kotoko are, however, contesting the positive coronavirus tests, declaring the results were falsified by Hilal. Media reports say the Ghanaians are considering heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should they fail in their Caf appeal.

As per Caf regulations, a club unable to present enough players for a game have to forfeit the match and are declared losers.

This rule sees Kotoko eliminated from the Champions League unless they are able to win their appeal before the start of the group stage.

Also, per Caf rules, a team which loses its Champions League first round fixture is demoted to the Confederation Cup.

"Four officials and seven players are alleged to have tested positive for Covid after the results of the tests came in," Kotoko posted in an update amid Wednesday's controversy.

"The Covid results were delivered by known officials of Al Hilal but suspiciously enough, the positive results clearly look different from the negative results.

"The team [Kotoko] has made an official complaint to the match commissioner as the Covid results have been tampered with."

Last season, Kotoko were eliminated in the Caf Champions League in the first round by Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel. After dropping to the Confederation Cup, they were beaten by San Pedro of Cote d'Ivoire in the play-offs.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has explained the club is willing to keep Leon Balogun beyond the 2020-21 season.

The 32-year-old defender teamed up with the Ibrox Stadium outfit in the summer of 2020 after leaving Wigan Athletic.

The centre-back has been delivering solid performances for the Gers since his arrival, featuring in 18 games across all competitions.

His fine showings helped the Ibrox Stadium outfit to their current top spot on the Scottish Premiership table after gathering 62 points from 22 games.

Balogun’s one-year contract with the Gers is set to expire at the end of the current season and Gerrard has revealed the club’s desire to hand the Super Eagles star a new deal.

“All contract chat will remain private between players and the club once they get up and running,” Gerrard said in a pre-match press conference.

“At the right time, we will sit down with Allan McGregor and see what he wants to do in terms of his own future. Leon Balogun is also someone we want to keep a hold off.”

Rangers have kept clean sheets in four of their last five games and are on a five-game winning streak to ensure they open a 19-point gap at the top of the table.

Connor Goldson, who has partnered Balogun a number of times this season at the heart of the defence, has praised the Super Eagles star for his solid displays.

“I'm enjoying playing with Leon, a really good defender and very athletic,” Goldson said.

“I feel like we are locking teams in and not letting teams attack us as much as they like. Both Filip and Leon have helped the team out massively and have been brilliant.”

Balogun has spent most of his career in Germany, playing for Turkiyemspor Berlin, Hannover 96, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Darmstadt 98 and Mainz 05 before moving to England in 2018.

The defender teamed up with Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion but struggled for game time before joining Wigan in the Championship, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

Balogun will be expected to continue his impressive performances for Rangers when they take on Aberdeen in a league game on Sunday.

The centre-back remains a key member of the Super Eagles since he made his debut for the West African side in 2014.

Ronald Koeman is keen to bolster his options at Barcelona with some January additions, but he acknowledges the club's financial situation may make it too difficult.

Philippe Coutinho last week joined Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Gerard Pique on Barca's long-term injury list, while Carles Alena was allowed to leave for Getafe on loan until the end of the season.

Koeman has already expressed his desire to add a striker to his ranks, with the club having let Luis Suarez leave in the close season without signing a replacement, and they continue to be linked with Memphis Depay.

However, Barca's finances have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that they have delayed the biannual wage payment due to players in January.

Koeman consequently accepts it may not be possible for Barca to fulfil his wish to bring in new faces.

"It is important for our short-term future. We want to improve the squad. I still think some positions need more competition and effectiveness," said Koeman on Friday.

"But I understand the situation of the club. If it is not possible, it is not possible, and we will wait for the next window."

Koeman suggested Alena may not be the only young player to leave Camp Nou this month, though he revealed 17-year-old midfielder Ilaix Moriba could be in line for a first-team debut against Granada on Saturday.

"We have told the players that I think it is better for them to find a way out so they have minutes, predominantly [these suggestions have come from] Ramon Planes [club technical secretary] because I am more focused on the games," said the Dutchman.

"Once again it is the player's decision. I think that for some, without mentioning names, because of their youth it is best to seek the best as a player. A young man cannot go a year without playing. It's not good for improving as a young player.

"We know that with Alena's loan we are missing a player, and Ilaix was with us in pre-season. Sometimes he trains with the first team. It is a possibility he will be called up for tomorrow's game."

Barca will be without the suspended Clement Lenglet at Nuevo Los Carmenes and Koeman indicated Samuel Umtiti could make his first start of the season in his fellow Frenchman's stead.

"He has been out for a long time and has recovered from his injury. It's a long path for him to be as he was before," said Koeman.

"He has had some minutes and we have to make a decision. Without Lenglet, he and [Oscar] Mingueza can deliver. We will make a decision after training today."

Following their meeting with Granada, Barca will compete in the Supercopa de Espana and the Copa del Rey.

In the latter competition they were drawn against fellow Catalan side Cornella, who remarkably knocked out La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

"I am not surprised. There are surprises like this in all countries," Koeman said of Atleti's defeat.

"It can be a complicated game. They deserved to win against Atletico, who played with a strong team. If it's not your day, a lower team with motivation and dedication can make things complicated for you.

"It's a nice tie because we don't have to travel, but we have to adapt to the artificial pitch. There are other games that we have to have maximum attention on first, though."

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Odion Ighalo will feature for his side when they square off against Watford in Saturday’s FA Cup tie.

The 31-year-old has found game time difficult to come by in the current campaign following the arrival of Edinson Cavani at the club in the summer.

The former Nigeria international has made only four appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions this season.

The centre-forward has, however, been assured of his involvement for United against his former club Watford, following his satisfactory performances in training.

 “Odion, it’s special for him against Watford. He will be involved; he’s in the squad,” Solskjaer said in a pre-match press conference.

“He’s been training really well. I was just saying before, I don’t know how many goals he scored, but he was the top scorer by a mile in the round-robin we just had in training.

“So he’s not lost any of his sharpness or his quality. It’s been difficult for him to be out of the squad as many times of course because he did really well up to the summer.

“This season he’s not had as many opportunities, but he’s never let himself down as a professional and a human being.

“In training, he always works hard and he’s been a positive influence in the dressing room. He’s in the squad and hopefully, I don’t need to put him on that we need goals, but hopefully, he can join in.”

Ighalo teamed up with the Old Trafford outfit during January 2020 transfer deadline day from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season.

The forward thus became the first Nigerian player and the seventh African star to feature for the Premier League giants.

The former Super Eagles marksman hit the ground running on his arrival at Old Trafford, scoring five goals in as many appearances, amid other dazzling displays.

The attacker immediately became the toast of the Red Devils fans following his eye-catching performances.

Ighalo’s fine displays also earned him a loan contract extension with Manchester United until January 2021.

The forward will hope to utilize the opportunity to feature against his former club Watford, where he spent three years, to open his account this season for the Red Devils.

Over the next several months, Charlotte FC will be linked with plenty of transfers as they march towards their inaugural MLS season.

The club is roughly a year away from its first preseason and, with only three players on the squad, they still have plenty of wheeling and dealing to do in the transfer market.

In recent weeks, the club has been linked with what would be a massive move as reports out of Spain stated that Charlotte was in pursuit of Andres Guardado, a player long linked with MLS.

However, while the Mexican international may someday end up playing in the U.S., it does not appear he will do so with Charlotte.

Sources familiar with the team's thinking have told Goal that Charlotte FC do not plan to sign Guardado, who is currently playing in La Liga for Real Betis.

Reports out of Spain recently stated that Guardado had held talks with Charlotte, who are currently filling their roster after seeing their debut season pushed from 2021 to 2022 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources close to Guardado confirmed to Goal that Charlotte were interested at one point when the team was scheduled to begin play in 2021. However, talks have not been held between the two parties for quite some time.

The 34-year-old's contract with Real Betis is set to expire in 2022. He originally joined the Spanish side back in 2017, and has gone on to make 110 appearances for the club since making the move from PSV.

At the time, Guardado admitted that he had shunned offers from MLS having previously been linked with Atlanta United and Los Angeles FC.

Guardado is one of Mexico's most decorated players, having represented El Tri at four World Cups since making his debut in 2005. He has earned 164 caps for Mexico, scoring 28 goals in the process while claiming three Gold Cups.

Guardado was recognized with the Golden Ball during Mexico's run to the 2015 Gold Cup title after scoring six goals throughout the tournament.

At club level, Guardado began his career at Atlas before moving to Europe to join Deportivo La Coruna in 2007.

He eventually earned a move to Valencia, where he remained for two seasons, before joining Bayer Leverkusen and PSV on loan.

His loan with PSV was made permanent in 2015 and he went on to win the Eredivisie twice before linking up with Real Betis.

Charlotte FC do already have their own connection with the Mexican, as the club's director of scouting, Thomas Schaling, joined from the Dutch side where he helped finalise the signings of Guardado, Hirving Lozano and Oleksandr Zinchenko as the club's international senior scout.

Guardado, who has featured just eight times this season as he has fallen down the pecking order at Betis, has recently been out of action after testing positive for coronavirus.

Charlotte FC currently have three players on their roster: Spanish midfielder Sergio Ruiz, Australian up-and-comer Riley McGree and MLS veteran Brandt Bronico, who recently joined the club from the Chicago Fire having played college soccer for the Charlotte 49ers.

Sergio Aguero's mood is "better than ever" as he tentatively nears the end of his injury nightmare, according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola confirmed City's all-time top scorer will start Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie against Birmingham City at Etihad Stadium as he looks to put the after-effects of meniscus surgery behind him.

Aguero underwent the operation in June and has been forced to manage ongoing discomfort in the joint since a hamstring injury at West Ham curtailed his initial return in October.

Despite being ravaged by a coronavirus outbreak among their squad, City head into the weekend buoyed by their two finest performances of the season - a swashbuckling 3-1 win over Chelsea preceding a 2-0 victory against rivals Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Four minutes from the bench at Stamford Bridge was the sum of Aguero's action across the those games, as he was an unused substitute at Old Trafford.

Nevertheless, his goalscoring prowess has been an obvious miss across the course of the campaign.

In their most recent title-winning season, City averaged 2.6 goals per game in the Premier League with Aguero in the side. That has fallen to 1.6 in all matches this time around, with a win percentage of 53.9 per cent, set against 84.8 with Aguero in harness two seasons ago. Shots per 90 minutes are also down from 18.1 to 15.6 when the two data sets are compared.

"Just look at the numbers, the quality he has in the box, Sergio is unique," Guardiola told his pre-match news conference. "He has a tough, tough injury. The important thing is his mood is exceptional, I would say better than ever.

"It's important that the feeling, the last two weeks, his knee's reaction was really good after training. This is the best news we can have.

"He’s going to start, the minutes his performance level or knee will dictate. What's important is good quality minutes, as much as possible, we start from the beginning and after we'll see what happens.

"It will be great to have Sergio fit. He’s so optimistic. He says 'I will score goals' and that is the most important thing."

Aguero is out of contract at the end of the season, as is fellow fans' favourite Fernandinho. The 35-year-old Brazil international has returned to his customary central midfield position this season, having deputised at centre-back for much of last, and completed the scoring with a sweetly struck volley against United in midweek.

Following the departure of David Silva over the close season, Fernandinho has stepped up as club captain and impressed Guardiola greatly with his leadership skills.

"With the players in this part of the season, everything is open," Guardiola said, when discussing the prospect of the veteran earning a fresh deal. "I am more than impressed with the first captain role of Fernandinho, he is leading in an exceptional way. In the good moments and the bad, bad moments.

"If everyone can take an example of what he has done so far, the team will be stronger."

Pressed for examples of how the quietly spoken star commands the dressing room, Guardiola replied: "How he talks with his mates, how he talks with my assistant coach, before the game, at half-time.

"Not just talking to players about football matters, in life, how to behave in training, every single day. He's the first who proves that he's able to do it. That's why he goes to Old Trafford, plays holding midfielder there. It was not easy for Bruno Fernandes to control him.

"At the beginning of the season he stepped forward and showed how to be a captain."

City will have Ederson, Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle available for selection once more, provided they returned negative Covid-19 tests on Friday. The trio tested positive ahead of the postponed Premier League match at Everton on December 28.

Frank Lampard has confirmed N'Golo Kante has a hamstring problem, but is hopeful that his injury isn't too serious with his star midfielder key to turning around a run of poor form.

Chelsea's manager is under increasing pressure following a bad run that has seen his side win just one of their last six Premier League matches.

Kante has been ever-present during the run, starting the last four games in a 10-day period.

After being hit by injury last season, Kante had stayed fit until now, but he joins Reece James and Andreas Christensen on the injured list ahead of the FA Cup third-round clash with Morecambe at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

"Reece James is out for the game, although he will be training with us tomorrow," Lampard said. "It's the same as Andreas Christensen, and Kante is out also with a minor hamstring injury. So he misses this game and is suspended for Fulham anyway, so we'll get him right. Those three are out."

Christensen's injury came in the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa as a heavily rotated team dropped points against Dean Smith's high-flying side.

Anwar El Ghazi's equaliser was hotly debated as he scored while Christensen was down which left Chelsea short in defence. The Danish defender came in from some criticism after the collision with Jack Grealish, who got up while he stayed down injured.

Even Blues legend and now-Aston Villa assistant coach John Terry took to Instagram to criticise the defender, but Lampard thinks it is harsh in light of his knee problem.

"It was from that moment in the Villa game," Lampard added. "It’s probably a typical modern-day reaction where Andreas has taken stick. He’s out but the injury isn’t too bad which is good news for him. He’ll be back training with us tomorrow.”

Chelsea can ill-afford to lose to Morecambe on Sunday with Lampard under increased threat of losing his job after a difficult run.

Lampard has one of the Premier League's biggest squads but he is hopeful of giving some opportunities to stars of the club's youth teams. Chelsea have blocked the Cobham academy graduates from seeking loan moves until after the match.

Tino Anjorin, Jude Soonsup-Bell, Lewis Bate, Tino Livramento and Henry Lawrence could all make the matchday squad having tested negative for coronavirus and trained with the group ahead of the cup clash.

“We've called up both Tinos (Anjorin and Livramento), Jude, who has been scoring goals in the youth team," he added. "We’ve called up Lewis Bate who has trained with us before and Henry Lawrence.

“It’s a great experience for them and it’s something I’ve wanted to do and last season was able to do pre-restart. It helps training because it’s really important to have competitive training and having young players enables you to be really competitive with killing the other players physically in between games.

“We’ve had a long week and they’ve been really able to help that. They’ve also been able to show their qualities and it’s always great to gauge young players to see how quickly they take to the football side of training but also how their personalities react to the uplift in pressure and level in training.

“It’s something I’ve always believed passionately for the club and I have seen a lot out of all of those players that have come to train with us. They are real potential for us and there are lots of steps for them in many different ways, but I’ve been really pleased to do it.

“It’s good for the older players because they can speak to the younger lads and help them. And for the young players, it shows what they can aspire to.”

Neymar continues to be unavailable for Paris Saint-Germain, with the Brazilian missing what will be his fifth match in a row.

The 28-year-old has been nursing an ankle injury and has not yet been able to train under the French club's new head coach, former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.

While PSG have revealed that the former Santos star has started running, the game against Brest on Saturday comes too soon for him to be involved.

What are the details?

PSG have confirmed that Neymar is unavailable for selection for Pochettino's second game in charge of the club against 10th-placed Brest.

The Argentine was appointed as Thomas Tuchel's successor on January 2 and oversaw a 1-1 draw away at Saint-Etienne in his first match, a result that enabled Lyon to move three points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Indeed, Neymar has now not featured for his club since suffering an ankle injury in a 1-0 home defeat to Rudi Garcia's Lyon on December 13.

And the former Barcelona forward was absent from training once again on Friday, with the likes of Presnel Kimpembe, Juan Bernat, Rafinha, Danilo Pereira and Leandro Paredes all also missing the meeting with Brest on Saturday evening.

The bigger picture

The continued absence of one of Europe's top players will be a source of frustration for Pochettino, with Neymar having been in scintillating form prior to his injury, scoring seven goals in his last five appearances in all competitions.

Injury issues have frequently plagued the Brazil international ever since his switch from Barcelona for a world-record €222 million fee.

The 28-year-old has barely played a European knockout fixture for PSG in his three-and-a-half years at the club and former Spurs manager Pochettino will be desperate to get him fit and firing ahead of the Champions League round-of-16 meeting with Barcelona in February.

Getting Neymar, and his other star man Kylian Mbappe, on the pitch and playing in tandem with each other could well be the difference between success and failure for the Argentine in what is his fourth managerial job.

What's been said?

An update on Neymar's condition on PSG's official website read: "Neymar (ankle): He's started running and is doing individual work."

Pochettino, meanwhile, has been commenting on Neymar and how he plans to get the best out of the forward.

Speaking at his first press conference in charge of the club on January 5, he said: "When Neymar starts training with the squad we will find the best position for him so that he can be the best he can be.

"We don't like to talk about systems. We will work on the game, on the animation and that all the players including Neymar be the best they can be. 

"They are all leaders, there are different ways of expressing leadership and the more leaders we have in the team, whether in the locker room or on the pitch, the more beneficial it will be for the club."

Further reading

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is “the Pope, the King and the Cardinal” at Santiago Bernabeu, says Antonio Cassano, with absolute power wielded by a man calling the shots in the Spanish capital.

Perez, who is currently taking in a second spell as Blancos supremo, is best known for his ‘Galacticos’ approach to player recruitment.

He has delivered a stunning collection of marquee signings at Real down the years, from Luis Figo to Cristiano Ronaldo via David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.

Silverware has been collected on a regular basis under his stewardship, with a steady stream of coaches learning the hard way just how demanding their boss can be.

Zidane occupies the hot seat at present, with the Madrid icon having overseen two La Liga title triumphs and three Champions League successes during two stints in the dugout.

His efforts have been keeping Perez happy, despite the odd question being asked of the French coach’s future.

Patience is a commodity rarely seen at the Bernabeu, with a revolving door policy allowing players and managers to come and go, and there is no questioning who holds the greatest influence.

Cassano experienced first-hand between 2006 and 2008 just how dominant Perez can be, with the 73-year-old making everyone aware that what he says goes.

Former Italy international Cassano told Christian Vieri’s Podcast: “I was at Real Madrid and it is something different from the rest of the world.

“At this moment Florentino Perez is the Pope, the King and the Cardinal.

“If he decides to offer you one [year contract] and you have an agreement with another team that offers you three, he will decide if you stay.

“Look, [Luka] Modric was going to leave, he stayed and won the Ballon d'Or. [Fabio] Cannavaro, the same.

“That year he had played well with Juventus but they could have given it to [Gigi] Buffon or [Zinedine] Zidane if it wasn't for the World Cup headbutt.

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a joke about the Ballon d'Or a couple of years ago and said that Florentino always won it.”

Outspoken Swedish frontman Ibrahimovic, who is currently back on the books of Serie A giants AC Milan, made his Perez quip in 2018.

He said: “[Lionel] Messi was competing for the Ballon d'Or with Florentino Perez, not Cristiano [Ronaldo].”

Barcelona superstar Messi failed to make the top three of the Golden Ball vote in 2018, as Madrid midfielder Modric walked away with the top prize.

Prior to that, Portuguese icon Ronaldo had enjoyed a run of four successes in five seasons across his record-setting spell at the Bernabeu working under Perez.

Jose Mourinho has warned Tottenham would be left in an "impossible situation" if their game at Aston Villa is postponed due to Covid-19, and called on the Premier League to show "leadership".

Villa are expected to field a young side in their FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool on Friday, as a large number of first-team players and staff tested positive for coronavirus this week.

Spurs have already had a derby at Fulham called off on December 30 after the Cottagers were hit by the virus and a scheduled trip to Villa Park next Wednesday is now in doubt.

Tottenham will also face Manchester City at a later date of April 25 due to the pandemic and given they are fighting for honours on four fronts, Mourinho suggested they would refuse to accept any more postponements.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup tie at Marine, he said: "I believe that is a completely impossible situation for a club to have three matches postponed, especially if that club plays in Europe. If that club doesn't play in Europe, of course there are the UEFA fixtures.

"For a Europa League team to have three matches postponed is impossible. Completely impossible. That's the only thing that I can say."

Asked about the prospect of facing Fulham instead of Villa, he added: "I don't know. It's not for me to find solutions. I'm not going to lie to you, I've been doing that hypothetical exercise with my staff.

"Of course, we have no influence and we don't want to have influence. The only thing that we can say is that what we did in the beginning of the season is impossible to repeat and we refuse to repeat.

"We have to defend our players, the integrity of our competitions and we would never accept to play seven matches in three weeks like we did before. One thing is [the] beginning [of the season], another thing is mid-season.

"Also because of the difficulties and demands of the matches. One thing is to play with all the risks, the Europa League play-offs, another thing is to play Europa League knockout where all the best teams are there.

"We cannot be put in an impossible situation. To have three matches postponed, it is the moment for the Premier League to show leadership, make decisions, that of course a club like us, is trying every day to be ready to play, to follow the rules that we had in our hands.

"We cannot be punished. If we don't play against Aston Villa, we will have three matches postponed and that is impossible. Because after the season we have the Euros, and of course the matches cannot be moved."

Mourinho revealed Gareth Bale trained on Friday and could travel to eighth-tier minnows Marine, while Jack Clarke and Harvey White will be in the squad.

The blossoming centre-half partnership between Ruben Dias and John Stones at Manchester City means the Blues could have the new Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand on their hands, says Trevor Sinclair.

Pep Guardiola has not always seen those at the heart of a back four earn such high praise.

Vincent Kompany was once a talismanic presence for City, but his injury struggles and subsequent departure in 2019 left a sizeable void for any alternative options to fill.

Big money has been thrown at trying to fix those problems, with recent windows seeing Aymeric Laporte, Dias and Nathan Ake snapped up.

Stones was drafted in prior to that, with £47.5 million ($65m) invested in his ball-playing ability back in 2016.

The England international has struggled for consistency throughout his time at the Etihad Stadium, sparking exit talk on a regular basis, but a welcome return to form is being enjoyed at present.

The 26-year-old is flourishing alongside Portuguese star Dias, with Sinclair seeing similarities between a City pairing of the present and a legendary Manchester United duo of the past.

The former Blues winger told talkSPORT: “I think Manchester City have got two ways of playing now.

“If you look at the possession against some teams, it’s not what it used to be. They’ve got a possession-based game where they’re dictating and getting in the final third, but also if they’re not having any joy with that they’ll sit back.

“Because they’re so confident with John Stones and Ruben Dias they’ll sit back and like we’ve seen in that 15 minutes at Chelsea, they’ll hit you on the break. They’ve got speed going forward and if you give them half a pitch to work in they’ll go and destroy you.”

On the Stones/Dias partnership, Sinclair added: “It’s been outstanding. It kind of reminds me of when Vidic and Rio were together – one of them would make a block and they’d high five each other.

“It just seems they’ve got that kind of relationship and chemistry where they respect each other.

“They look like they’re a really good contrast of players; one of them wants to head the ball, Ruben Dias is a really good talker and John Stones’ stats… he’s played eight, won seven and drawn one and lost none.

“He’s got 93.4 per cent pass accuracy – that’s number one in the league – and this season he’s played 10, won nine, drawn one and lost none. When he’s not in the starting XI, they’ve played 15, won eight, drawn five, lost two.

“It’s there in black and white. It’s great, he’s had difficult times and been in the media for the wrong reasons, he’s been dropped from the England squad but he seems to have got his life together and it’s back together on the pitch.

“This is what we knew we [Man City] were buying. Everyone knew he had the potential to play like this and for me this is the best football he’s been playing in his career.”