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Barcelona director Xavier Vilajoana said the La Liga champions have no intention of selling Ansu Fati amid links to Manchester United, denying talks over a possible transfer.

Fati has reportedly emerged as an alternative target to Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho for United as the Premier League giants eye attacking reinforcements.

There has been talk of United making a £100million (€111m) bid for 17-year-old Barca sensation Fati, who only made his senior debut in August.

However, Vilajoana dismissed the speculation over Fati's future at Camp Nou.

"For us, there's no story with Ansu, we have never spoken about selling him," Vilajoana told Sport.

"We won't use players from the academy to make cash. In principle, we have no intention of selling the players we believe will make the first team."

Vilajoana added: "I think he's happy. He will be an important player in the coming years."

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Fati had scored four goals and supplied an assist in 16 La Liga appearances for Barca.

Fati has played 24 matches in all competitions this season, scoring five goals.

Back in February, Blaugrana coach Quique Setien praised the talented youngster after he scored a brace in the 2-1 win against Levante.

"I think that Ansu is a boy that is emerging, that we all know that has great potential," Setien told a news conference.

"You have to understand that you have to give him peace of mind and confidence to exploit what he has inside.

"Apart from the two goals, what I give credit is the work he has done in defence. He has worked hard. He has given us solutions."

Fati was born in Guinea-Bissau but has decided to represent Spain at an international level and already has caps for the nation's under-21 team.

He honed his talents at his local Spanish club Herrera before moving to Sevilla's academy at the age of eight.

But after only two years at the Seville club, Fati was picked up Barcelona's La Masia academy and signed a professional contract prior to the current season.

La Liga leaders Barca will return to action with a trip to Real Mallorca on Saturday.

After Mumbai City FC star Rowllin Borges paid a huge compliment to Anirudh Thapa, backing him to become the best midfielder in the country, the Chennaiyin FC player has responded in kind.

Borges, during a recent Instagram chat, had heaped praises on his national team partner. He said, "My partnership with (Anirudh) Thapa has been good. He is very, very talented. He is one of my favourite players in ISL (Indian Super League). He has the talent and works hard, I wish him all the best. In a few years, he will be the best. He will become better and better." 

Thapa, in turn, told Goal that Borges along with Eugeneson Lyngdoh were two of his role models.

"I am learning from him (Borges) actually. Rowllin and Eugeneson are two midfielders I look up to. I am glad that I got the opportunity to play with him in the national team. I played with him against Oman and Qatar," he said.

Borges was one of the standout players for Mumbai City in the previous season of the ISL and Thapa was quick to point that out and re-iterate that he picks up nuances and tricks of the game from the Goan midfielder.

"I always watch him play and I pick up tricks from him. He is one of the best midfielders in India in the recent past. He's playing for the national team regularly.

"I need to learn from him and others as well. He’s right up there in terms of midfielders right now in India and If I want to beat him, I have to work hard."

Thapa himself had a stellar season with Chennaiyin FC, playing an important role as the team bounced back from a poor start to reach the finals. Not only was Thapa an influential figure in the midfield, he also popped up with an important goal in the semifinal against FC Goa and notched a few assists.

He is keen to take his game up a few notches in the upcoming season with the Marina Machans.

"I want to replicate the second half of the last season and actually improve upon that. I need to do better than last season personally. I need to work hard, physically and on my technique. Keeping on improving will help me become a better player and I must do that," he said.

Chennaiyin FC had made a poor start to the 2019-20 season and were floundering near the bottom of the table when John Gregory parted ways with the club. His successor, Owen Coyle, had a huge impact on the club's and Thapa's fortunes as the Marina Machans turned around their season in spectacular fashion.

They put together a brilliant run of form to reach the play-offs against all odds and then went on to beat the league-toppers FC Goa 6-5 in the two-legged play-offs. Though they lost the final against ATK, Thapa feels that Coyle's trust in the players was very important in the team's revival.

Personally, Thapa stated that the season showed him the importance of not giving up and fighting to the end.

"I learnt a lot last season. Obviously, we didn't start well. We were bottom of the table and things changed when the new coach came. That showed the importance of believing in ourselves, trusting the teammates. The coach showed us the possibilities and we trusted in him and ourselves. We worked really hard. We gave 100 per cent in every game and we saw our progress every week.

"That’s the big thing I learnt last season - we should never give up. We kept working hard. The day he (Coyle) came, he told us we can reach the playoffs if we work hard. And that’s what we did."

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are ready to start for Barcelona against Real Mallorca, head coach Quique Setien has confirmed.

Barca return to La Liga action on Saturday with a trip to Son Moix following the coronavirus-enforced break, and a win over relegation-threatened opponents will see them extend their lead at the summit.

Spain's reigning champions sit two points clear of rivals Real Madrid, who are not in action until Sunday when they host Eibar in the capital.

Messi's fitness was a major concern ahead of the resumption - the talismanic forward dealing with a quadriceps injury - but he has suffered no further setbacks since returning to training with the rest of the squad at the start of the week.

"He's ready to play, he's perfectly okay. He's trained well, there is no problem," Setien said as his pre-match media conference.

"Messi and a lot of these players know how to gauge things and how to save their strength when necessary.

"As for breaks, we'll see. For some, the more time they're on the pitch, the better."

As for Suarez, the striker had seemingly been set to miss the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign with a knee injury before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now the Uruguay international is back for the rearranged season run-in, both in terms of domestic duties and the Champions League.

However, Setien will be cautious with a player who is returning from a lengthy lay-off, meaning Suarez will not play the whole game against Mallorca.

"Surely he is to be a starter, but not for the full 90 minutes," the Barca boss explained.

"We will not take risks after five months. It will be good for him to play and he will need games to be the same as he was before."

Suarez has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season but has not featured since January 9.

Barcelona are still alive in the Champions League round-of-16, having drawn 1-1 with Napoli at the San Paolo in the first leg of their tie.

The date of the second match is yet to be scheduled, but the Blaugrana are in the box seat having picked up an away goal in Naples.

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri was pleased with "unlucky" Cristiano Ronaldo after the superstar missed a penalty against Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final.

Ronaldo rattled the post with a 16th-minute penalty as Juve drew 0-0 at home to 10-man Milan in the second leg en route to the Coppa Italia final on Friday.

Juve's Ronaldo scored a penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw away to Milan in February's opening leg prior to the coronavirus pandemic but he was unable to repeat the feat behind closed doors in Turin.

Speaking to Rai Sport following the first professional match in Italy since the Covid-19 outbreak, Sarri said: "I asked Ronaldo to take a more central role, he was pleased to try it out and he played the game he needed to at this moment.

"He probably isn't accustomed to missing a penalty, so hitting the inside of the post it could go anywhere and he was unlucky.

"I don't think playing him a few metres more one way or another is going to make a huge difference to such a strong player. Everyone had a strong opening 30 minutes and then faded away."

Serie A champions Juve will face either Napoli or Inter in the Coppa Italia final in Rome on June 17 and Sarri added: "Clearly after three months, getting back to the touchline and seeing the teams out there is a good sensation, even if it's not the same without the fans.

"I was very surprised and satisfied with our opening 30 minutes, as we moved the ball so quickly and totally dominated the game, even before the red card.

"After that, we slowly dropped our tempo, intensity and mental determination, but that is a risk in an empty stadium. We had been doing so well, playing one and two-touch football, but then we slowed down and lost some sharpness, focused more on individual moves and taking two touches.

"The positive is that we didn't allow the opponents to play at all. It's going to take a while to get the fitness and mentality back to 100 per cent. If you compare it to a pre-season game, it'd be early July, but this is worse than pre-season, because it was a much longer break.

"It'll take some patience, but the first 30 minutes I saw today was an excellent sign."

Saul Niguez insisted Atletico Madrid remains his "home" despite transfer speculation, revealing he has never spoken to any club over a potential move elsewhere.

Saul signed a nine-year contract extension with Atleti in 2017, though the long-term deal has not stopped rumours about the Spain international's future in the capital.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with the midfielder, as the club continues to rebuild under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Saul, however, claims he is unaware if anything has gone further than stories in the media.

The midfielder also made it clear that he is happy with his life in Madrid as he aims to help Diego Simeone's squad seal a top-four finish in La Liga this season.

"I see things on Instagram or in newspapers which you publish, but I haven't heard anything from any club," Saul told Radio Marca.

"I'm focused on finishing this season, achieving the objective [of finishing in the top four] and then dreaming about the Champions League.

"I have a long-term contract, which I signed because I want to stay here. I don't have any problem staying here because my family are here, it's my home.

"People say, 'come out and deny it', but then if you deny it and something happens, you look bad.

"I just stick to playing football and what has to happen will happen, I'm just focused on achieving Atletico's target, which is to be in the top four, and then try to get the most desired target of the season."

Atletico return to action on Sunday when they travel to Athletic Bilbao for their first fixture since the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

They have not played since a 3-2 extra-time win over Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League round of 16 on March 11, a result that saw them eliminate the titleholders to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo recently claimed that Atletico should be rewarded for their victory over Champions League title-holders Liverpool by being handed the trophy if it is not possible to conclude the tournament this season.

Manchester United's preparations for the Premier League restart have hit a snag after they were beaten 2-1 by Championship side West Brom in a friendly on Friday.

The Red Devils lost the first of two matches against the Baggies at Old Trafford, before rallying to win the second contest 3-1.

Both games were played behind-closed-doors at the famous venue as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team prepares to take on Tottenham away on June 19 in their first league match since the coronavirus hiatus.

United put out two different teams across the two matches against West Brom, with Manchester Evening News reporting Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes played in midfield together during the opening defeat, with the Portuguese playmaker scoring and missing a penalty during the 90 minutes,

The first United team also included Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, Eric Bailly and Nemanja Matic.

In the second tussle which resulted in a Red Devils victory, Andreas Pereira scored a brace while Tahith Chong snared the third in a team that featured the first choice defence of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan Bissaka, Luke Shaw and goalkeeper David De Gea.

Odion Ighalo spearheaded the attack during the second 90 minute, with Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Fred and Scott McTominay also featured.

Pogba and Fernandes will likely feature in their first competitive match together when the Red Devils aim to extend their 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions against Spurs.

Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher feels the star duo will have to alter their individual games slightly to help ensure they thrive together in midfield.

"Without doubt, of course [Pogba and Fernandes can play together]. Great players can come together," Fletcher told MUTV's Group Chat.

"Somebody might have to sacrifice a little bit of something - that's part of being in a team, it's not an individual sport. When you play with a certain midfield, whether it's a midfield three, you adapt your game to complement each other.

"That's what I had to do at United. I was in the team with lots of different midfielders, lots of combinations and, if a certain midfielder was playing, I would try to take up positions to allow him to benefit and he would do things to allow me to benefit.

"It's all about being compatible and recognising the strengths of your fellow team-mates and how to get your best performance, but, ultimately, you might be sacrificing what you do best to allow someone else to excel, which helps the team win."

Bernard Mensah scored a stunning free-kick as Kayserispor’s only goal in their 2-1 defeat against Fenerbahce in a Turkish Super Lig match on Friday.

After a goalless first-half in Istanbul, the Ghana international stepped forward to take a free-kick just before the hour-mark and he fired Kayserispor ahead with his right-footed shot placed to the top corner.

The 59th-minute strike gave Kayserispor a glimpse of hope in their relegation battle until two late goals from Fenerbahce condemned them to defeat.

Vedat Muriqi cancelled out Mensah's opener in the 87th minute and Luiz Gustavo scored the match-winning goal for Fenerbahce in less than a minute.

Mensah and Ivory Coast's Brice Dja Djedje were on parade from start to finish for Kayserispor but the Ghanaian was shown a yellow card in the 82nd minute while Guinean centre-back Simon Falette played the whole duration for Fenerbahce.

Mensah joined the Anatolian Star on a three-year deal last summer after his successful loan from Atletico Madrid in the 2018-19 campaign.

The 25-year-old has contributed four goals and eight assists in 21 league appearances so far this season.

Earlier this year, Kayserispor suspended Mensah from the first team due to disciplinary issues, but he has got over the event with all four of his goals coming after the suspension.

He made a goalscoring international debut for Ghana during an international friendly match against Togo in June 2015, and he went on to play two other games that year - against Congo and Canada in September and October respectively.

Meanwhile, Mensah is yet to feature for the Black Stars since 2015.

Kayserispor are rooted to the bottom of the Turkish Super Lig table with 22 points after 27 games.

Mensah will look forward to helping Robert Prosinecki's men when they host Genclerbirligi at the Kadir Has Stadium for their next league match on June 20.

Genoveva Anonman has clarified she has not been abandoned by the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation while battling health problems.

The Deportivo Evinayong defender captained the country's senior women's national team to two African Women's Cup of Nations successes, in 2008 and 2012, on their home ground. 

Earlier on Thursday, reports emerged on local media that the former Nzalang captain has been hospitalized over a health crisis without support.

It was rumoured that Anonman was not getting treatment on her ailment after being abandoned by the nation's football governing body.

But the 33-year-old has moved to clear up the confusion, confirming that she has chest problems but has not been left to herself.

"I'm not doing well, but I'm not in a quack store either [abandoned]," Añonman told the Equatorial Guinean Football Federation website.

"Well, I'm not here, but I'm not in a medical clinic either. I was admitted to Bata General Hospital yesterday [Wednesday], they examined me and said I have chest problems. 

"Now I hope that with the grace of God, the treatment will work."

On the matter, Donaciano Edjang, president of the National Association for Women's Football in Equatorial Guinea, assured her board will raise the necessary support for the defender.

"We cannot be excluded from the life of a national football icon like Añonman," she told the website.

"Now we are looking to channel our contribution and invest it as it should. We have always been with her and now this will not be the exception."

Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty failure did not prove costly for Juventus as they reached the Coppa Italia final on away goals following a 0-0 draw with 10-man Milan in Italian football's return on Friday.

The two teams drew 1-1 in the first leg of the semi-final at San Siro in February but had to wait four months for the return match at the Allianz Stadium due to the coronavirus pandemic leading to the suspension of major sport across the globe in March.

Prior to kick-off a minute's silence was held for those who died from COVID-19, before a round of applause for the nation's health workers. Milan had warmed up in 'Black Lives Matter' shirts, while Juve sported tops saying 'No to Racism'.

Ronaldo scored from the spot to salvage a draw in the first leg but was unable to repeat the trick following a VAR review in the 16th minute. Ante Rebic was sent off for a wild lunge on Danilo just 17 seconds later but Juve failed to capitalise on their personnel advantage as they scraped a place in the showpiece.

The Bianconeri were awarded a penalty after referee Daniele Orsato reviewed video footage and deemed that Andrea Conti handled the ball in the area, but Ronaldo's drilled effort from the spot cannoned back off the left upright.

Gianluigi Donnarumma perhaps got the slightest of touches on it but as Milan attempted to clear their lines, Rebic caught Danilo in the chest with a dangerous high foot and was shown a straight red card.

Blaise Matuidi had a volley batted away by Donnarumma in the 31st minute and Ronaldo warmed the goalkeeper's gloves, while Milan failed to test Gianluigi Buffon during forays forward that were surprisingly frequent despite their numerical disadvantage.

Hakan Calhanoglu sent a free header wide within three minutes of the restart before Stefano Pioli finally sent on a striker to replace Rebic – Rafael Leao coming on for Giacomo Bonaventura.

Despite both teams being allowed up to five substitutions each they clearly suffered from fatigue in the second half and neither side could find a winner as the match meandered to a low-key stalemate.

What does it mean? Treble still on for Juve

Their club-record run of 10 straight home wins in the Coppa may have ended, but Juve are still fighting for silverware on three fronts.

Maurizio Sarri's men will have their work cut out to achieve it, though; they only hold a one-point advantage over Lazio with 12 Serie A games remaining and before the hiatus lost the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Lyon 1-0.

Before thinking about that they have a chance to wrap up a 14th Coppa success in their 19th appearance in the final, where Inter or Napoli will be their opponents.

Donnarumma does his bit

It was tough to tell definitively whether Donnarumma got a touch on Ronaldo's penalty, but he made good stops from Matuidi and Paulo Dybala – both of whom, along with team-mate Daniele Rugani, contracted COVID-19 during the stoppage – to help keep Milan's slim hopes alive. After keeping out Alex Sandro in second-half stoppage time, Donnarumma finished the game with seven saves.

Rebic loses his head

Milan were already at a disadvantage with Zlatan Ibrahimovic out due to suspension and losing Rebic, who had contributed 40 per cent of their goals in 2020 prior to kick-off, to a needless, reckless challenge made an already daunting task look near impossible.

Key Opta Facts

- Before Friday's match, the last Coppa Italia game played in June was in 2005: the final between Inter and Roma.
- Juventus are unbeaten in their last 12 games against Milan in all competitions (W9 D3): this is the longest streak for the Bianconeri in the history of this match.
- Prior to this game, Juventus scored in all their previous 44 home games.
- Milan have received a red card in four of their last six meetings against Juventus, including the last two.

What's next?

Juve will face Napoli or Inter in the final on Wednesday, while Milan will turn their attention to resuming their Serie A campaign against Lecce on Monday week.

Oghenekaro Etebo and Allan Nyom featured prominently as Getafe lost 2-1 to Granada in Friday’s La Liga game.

The Spanish top-flight became the second European league to restart after the Bundesliga, having been suspended since mid-March due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Spain and around the world.

Getafe only won one of their previous four games before the pandemic and set out to clinch all three points at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.

Etebo and Nyom were in the starting lineup for the Coliseum Alfonso Perez outfit, partnering Marc Cucurella and David Timor Copovi in the midfield.

The visitors started the game on a brilliant note when Copovi opened the scoring with only 20 minutes into the encounter after he was set up by Cucurella.

Etebo made timely tackles and deliver solid defensive showings in an effort to ensure his side kept their lead and clinch victory in the encounter.

In the 70th minute, Diego Martínez’s men, however, levelled proceedings through an effort from Carlos Fernandez after benefitting from a sumptuous pass from Darwin Machis.

With 11 minutes left to play, Fernandez completed his brace, scoring the match-winning goal to deny Getafe a chance of sharing the spoils.

While Etebo played for the duration for the game, Cameroon international Nyom was replaced by Senegal’s Amath Ndiaye in the 84th minute.

Another Super Eagles player in the encounter Ramon Azeez watched from the bench as his side secured all three points.

Etebo joined the Coliseum Alfonso Perez outfit in January from Championship side Stoke City and has now played eight times since his arrival.

The result propelled Granada to eighth on the league table with 41 points from 28 games, while Getafe dropped to fifth with 46 points from the same number of matches.

While Azeez will hope to taste action in their next outing against Real Betis on Monday, Etebo and Nyom will look to help their side return to winning ways when they face Espanyol on Tuesday.

Fabrizio Ravanelli has said that he will try to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus if Marseille appoint him as sporting director.

With OM struggling to find a replacement for Andoni Zubizarreta, the former favourite of the Velodrome has thrown his hat into the ring and has suggested that he will target big names in order to help the club compete in next season’s Champions League.

One man who Ravanelli believes he could lure to the club is France-born Higuain, whose future in Turin looks distinctly uncertain.

“Would he come? I don’t know!” he admitted to L’Equipe du Soir. “He could be an important player for OM in the Champions League.

“It’s possible that he will leave Juve. He’s 32 and there is also a chance that a deal could be done as a loan.”

Even if the Argentina international was not lured by Ravanelli – and his wages would make any deal a long shot for a Marseille side that has been constructed on a comparatively small budget – the former Middlesbrough, Juventus and Lazio hitman believes he has the pulling power to help the club.

“I’m convinced I can sign players who will capture the imagination of the Velodrome,” he said. “Despite not having been a sporting director, I’ve got many contacts at very big clubs. And if OM has no money to sign players, why would Fabrizio, with loans, not be able to bring important players to Marseille?”

Meanwhile, Ravanelli is happy to let the club make the first move.

“I will not call Jacques-Henri Eyraud,” he said, referring to the club president. “I met him during the inauguration of the new Stade Velodrome. We spoke at the time. 

“I’ve not contacted him. He has a lot of things to do but he knows that I want to come back to Marseille to work for OM and he knows that I am available to the club.”

Marseille finished second in the Ligue 1 standings in what was an aborted 2019-20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning that they will return to the Champions League next season for the first time in seven years. 

Nigeria’s Anthony Nwakaeme and Ghana’s Caleb Ekuban found the back of the net as Trabzonspor defeated Goztepe 3-1 in Friday’s Turkish Super Lig encounter.

Friday’s games were the first action in the Turkish top-flight since football-related activities were suspended in the country because of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Nwakaeme got the visitors to a flying start at the Gursel Aksel Stadium with his 16th-minute opener which separated the two teams in the first-half.

Seven minutes after the restart, Ekuban doubled Trabzonspor's lead with his effort from the penalty spot while Abdulkadir Omur sealed the victory in the 84th minute.

Friday's header was Nwakaeme's 11th goal after 25 appearances this campaign while Ekuban has scored four goals in 16 Turkish top-flight outings.

The 31-year-old Nigerian ranks as the second African star with the most goals in the Turkish Super Lig this term alongside Sivasspor's Mustapha Yatabare after Alanyaspor's Senegalese star Papiss Cisse who has scored 16 goals so far.

The victory stretched Trabzonspor's lead at the summit of the league table to 56 points from 26 matches, holding a three-point lead above second-placed Istanbul Basaksehir.

On the international scene, Nwakaeme made his Nigeria debut in a 1-1 draw against Algeria during the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers back in November 2017.

Since his debut outing, the Lagos-born striker has not made any other appearance for the three-time African champions.

Ekuban, on his part, earned his maiden invitation to the Black Stars in March 2019, and he marked his debut appearance for Ghana with a goal against Kenya in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later that month.

The Italy-born forward also made two appearances for the West African country at the Afcon tournament in Egypt.

Trabzonspor will be hoping to build on Friday's victory when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahce in a Turkish Cup fixture on Tuesday. Their next league game is against Alanyaspor on June 22.

Hellas Verona midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has expressed fulfilment with his achievements while representing Ghana at various levels. 

Nearing the twilight of his career, the 29-year-old first represented the West Africans at youth level where he helped them win the 2009 Africa U20 Cup of Nations and Fifa U20 World Cup. 

He also played for Ghana's senior team at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, four years after helping the team reach the Afcon final in Angola. 

He has, however, been in the international wilderness for over three years. 

“I need to concentrate on playing games now due to my long spell out [because of a recent injury] . It’s everyone’s dream to represent their country," Badu told Citi Sports.

“But to be frank I’ve played for the Black Stars for close to 10 years. I’ve won both the U20 Afcon and World Cup.

“I’ve played five Afcons, twice as a finalist and three times as a semi-finalist, and also played at the Fifa World Cup.

“I’ve played 86 times for my country and scored 11 goals, one of which was nominated for the Puskas Award.

“So if I don’t get a call up to the national team again, I’m still very proud of myself."

Badu is currently on loan at Hellas from Udinese, who secured his services in 2010.

"I think I need a challenge elsewhere before i can call time on my career," said the former Bursaspor man. 

“I've been here [in Italy] for long and played in the Champions League and Europa League with Udinese.

“I have also managed to help the club achieve third and fourth places on the league log.

“It's not easy to be able to do that in Serie A.

“I have also had a spell in Turkey which was good even though I had injuries and had to come back.

“For now I just want to concentrate on my game and on helping Hellas Verona.

“When that’s done and all parties sit and the offer is good, why not? I’ll accept the challenge.”

Badu played for Berekum Arsenal and Asante Kotoko in Ghana before moving abroad.

U.S. men's national team defender Antonee Robinson has returned to training with Wigan Athletic, having been inactive since January.

The 22-year-old was found to have an irregular heart rhythm as he underwent a medical before an ultimately aborted transfer to AC Milan and was put at rest since then.

Robinson has since undergone further tests from Wigan’s staff and an independent cardiologist and has now been given the all-clear to return to the professional game without the need for further medical intervention.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the last few months, with a special thanks to club doctor Jonathan Tobin, the club’s medical staff and all of the team involved at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital,” he told the Latics’ official website.

“I can’t wait to get back to doing what I love. It has been a challenging time but I have good people around me.

“I am glad to be able to get back to training with the lads and to have the opportunity to play for Wigan Athletic again.”

The left-back began his career with Everton but failed to make an appearance for the Goodison Park side before moving to Wigan, where he spent the 2018-19 season on loan, last summer.

Robinson, who was born in Milton Keynes but has turned out on seven occasions for the USA, the country his father hails from, featured on 30 occasions for Paul Cook’s side this season, scoring a single goal against Millwall. 

Wigan face a nervous end to their Championship season as they lie 20th in the standings, just a single place above the relegation zone. Indeed, Hull City, who are locked on 41 points with them, are only behind them due to an inferior goal difference.

Play will resume in England’s second-tier following the coronavirus outbreak on Saturday, June 20, with nine matches of the campaign to be played over the course of 32 days.

Wigan’s quest for survival restarts with a trip to Huddersfield before home encounters against Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, who are one of their rivals in the relegation dogfight.

Frederic Kanoute believes the future is bright for Samuel Chukwueze but urged him to work on becoming more decisive for Villarreal.

Having impressed for the Nigeria U17 team at the 2017 Fifa U17 World Cup in Chile, the Nigerian was signed by the La Liga side from Diamond Football Academy.

Chukwueze impressed for the Yellow Submarine’s reserves in the third tier and that led to his promotion to the senior team by manager Javi Calleja.

Since making his debut in a Europa League game against Rangers – coming in as a replacement for Nicola Sansone - the youngster has been a regular in the Villarreal squad which earned him a Super Eagles call-up.

Asked about how the 21-year-old must do to justify his ratings during a LaLiga conference, the Sevilla icon underlined the importance of him getting more goals and assists as well as working very hard.

“Football entails the technical part, the physical part, tactical part and mental part as well which are very important,” Kanoute told Goal.

“And if he works very seriously and keeps a high level of discipline and work ethics, I think he is a kid that can be very impressive in the coming months and years for LaLiga.

“So all depends on him in terms of work and dedication he is going to put into his work and if he becomes a little bit more decisive – I mean scoring a bit more goals and assists.

“At the end of the day, they are going to look at his stats because it doesn’t matter if he can do three stepovers and dribble people, but if he doesn’t have an impact in the game for his team, then it’s going to be very difficult.

“He will learn that because - he is still young and an interesting player and I wish him all the best.”

Before football activities were suspended owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chukwueze boasted of 26 LaLiga appearances so far this term with three goals to his credit – two goals short of his personal best achieved in the 2018-19 season.

Kanoute’s sentiment was shared by African football great Samuel Eto’o during his visit to Nigeria in March.

“He is an incredible player who is growing in leaps and bounds and it’s just a matter of time,” Eto’o told  Goal.

“He is a quality player and he needs to score more goals, but he has the quality and ability to be more than just a goalscoring forward. Once he gets all of that he will be top.”

Barcelona head coach Quique Setien has held discussions with Arthur over the midfielder's future, but is counting on him for the remainder of the season.

Arthur has made 23 appearances in all competitions during a campaign that has seen him sidelined due to injury, though that has not stopped speculation that he could be on the move.

The Brazil international has been linked with a switch to Juventus, potentially with Miralem Pjanic moving in the opposite direction.

Setien refused to discuss rumours over the 23-year-old's long-term future at Camp Nou, instead making clear he remains part of his plans ahead of a return to La Liga action.

Barca face Real Mallorca on Saturday following a lengthy break caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which is also set to have an impact on the transfer market as clubs deal with the financial ramifications of the health crisis.

"It is true that we have talked about something, but not too much," Setien said when asked about Arthur at his pre-match media conference on Friday.

"The current circumstances are different from the usual ones and will affect the market.

"As for the players, I am clear that all those who are currently in the squad, I count on them and I need everyone because there are going to be many games.

"On outside speculation, I choose not to speak."

Arthur made clear his desire to remain with Barcelona back in April; he was previously suggested as a transfer target for Inter.

In a statement sent to Mundo Deportivo , he said: "There will always be speculation but, sincerely, my idea is very clear. The only option that interests me is to continue at Barcelona.

"I'm very secure and relaxed. I feel really well here and, plus, I'm grateful to the club and technical staff for their confidence. This is yet another reason to be totally clear that my only desire is to continue."

Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, has painted a stark picture for many lower league clubs in England, warning that they face a difficult fight for survival due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The former Arsenal manager, who attained legendary status with the Gunners after a stint with the north London side that lasted 19 years, is well versed in the make up of English football.

Having looked at the situation, Wenger holds no fear for clubs at the top level, but is concerned about those in the EFL system, where wages represent a huge proportion of turnover and clubs rely heavily on matchday income that will be denied to them when football returns after the pandemic stoppage as fixtures will be played behind closed doors.

“It is very concerning because we live in a world today which is mainly focused on regrouping the elite and you know well the cases in England,” he told BeIN Sports. “In England, the lower leagues are dying. The Premier League will survive, I don't worry about the Premier League.

“You worry more out of the 92 clubs you have 65 clubs that lose money and behind closed doors, if they open up the stadium they lose money to play the game. It is absolutely where football has to rethink, how we can help these clubs to survive.

“We need an elite but we need a basis that young players have a chance to play and where we have to get these people to survive.”

After the liquidation of Bury earlier this season, which means that League One has been played with 23 clubs, Wenger has forecast that many more clubs could potentially go to the wall.

“I believe so, there are too many clubs in trouble and there is not enough money there to help them enough to survive. Then you get to a stage where a club with some professional players will not be capable to be professional anymore and we will lose plenty of clubs,” he said.

Indeed, the financial picture for the game worldwide is a concerning one.

“We calculated that overall football will lose 20% of income, football let’s say can make £45 billion ($57bn) in turnover in the world. The loss will be £10-14 billion that is approximately the amount that football will lose,” he said.

“That means that if you look at the wage structure in most clubs it is between 60-80% of turnover. So that means only the player's wages can sort that problem out.

“I would say that it has made the weak clubs weaker and the strong clubs stronger.”