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David Silva “loves Serie A” and could play on “until he’s 40”, says the Manchester City midfielder’s father, with the World Cup winner being heavily linked with a move to Lazio.

At 34 years of age, the Spanish playmaker is preparing to take on a new challenge.

Silva has spent the last 10 years in English football, cementing a standing as a Premier League legend in the process.

He is committed to seeing out City’s Champions League campaign in 2020, but will then drop into the free agent pool.

Various landing spots have been mooted for the Spain international, from La Liga to MLS.

Italy could, however, be Silva’s next destination, with Lazio having made it clear that they would welcome the opportunity to add another proven performer to their ranks.

Everything may be falling into place for the Roma-based outfit, with a top target ready to listen to offers.

Fernando Silva can see his son heading to Stadio Olimpico, while there is no indication that he will be hanging up his boots any time soon.

“David had been telling me for some time that he wanted to leave Manchester City at the end of a decade-long era,” Silva senior told El Transistor.

“I would like him to remain in Europe. I can confirm that he loves Serie A and would really enjoy playing in Italy. He told me he could play there until he’s 40.

“At the moment, there are many offers and he has to decide, but I’d love it if he signed for Lazio, because even if Rome is quite far away, it’d be a huge opportunity for him.

“I know it’s unlikely he’ll come back to Spain, as he always tells me to rule out the idea of a return to Valencia.”

Silva emerged out of Valencia’s academy system to become a senior star and took in 168 appearances for Los Che before City snapped him up in 2010.

He was a World Cup and European Championship winner by that stage, with four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups added to his trophy collection during a memorable spell in Manchester.

Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi believes he has done enough to get a call-up to the Nigeria national team.

The forward has represented the West Africans at the U17, U20 and U23 levels but has struggled to gain attention from the senior national team coaches.

Awoniyi’s teammates at the youth level Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho and APOEL goalkeeper Francis Uzoho have become a key member of the Super Eagles while Watford striker Isaac Success has also been given a chance in the past.

The 22-year-old has been with Liverpool since 2015 but has spent his time on loan featuring for FSV Frankfurt, NEC, Royal Excel Mouscron, Gent and recently Mainz.

Awoniyi has impressed during his temporary move away from the Premier League club but in the 2019-20 season, the striker was restricted to 12 league games owing to a number of reasons, including injury problems.

The Imperial Soccer Academy graduate is looking forward to getting an opportunity to feature for the Super Eagles under manager Gernot Rohr.

"I'm happy for [Kelechi] Iheanacho and Uzoho because they are deserving of the opportunity," Awoniyi told BBC Sport.

"Personally, I feel like I deserve a chance. I recall when I was playing well and scoring goals in Belgium. Nigeria had a friendly game and I thought I had done enough to get a look in that would hopefully enhance my quest for a UK work permit, but I was overlooked.

"You begin to understand that it's not something you can control or have power over. You just need to enjoy what you do and keep on working hard."

Awoniyi, whose loan with Mainz ended at the end of 2019-20 season has spoken highly of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

"Jurgen Klopp's a man everyone is happy to be around. When I was going to Mainz last year he wished me luck because he is highly revered over there,” he continued.

"And during my first year of professional football in 2015, many of my teammates talked about him at FSV Frankfurt and meeting him again shows how much he's loved by people. His personality illustrates the success in Mainz, Dortmund.”

Awoniyi could spend the 2020-21 season on another loan as he is yet to secure a work permit that would enable him to play for Liverpool.

Jadon Sancho is “definitely a future Ballon d’Or winner”, says his former coach Louis Lancaster, with Manchester United considered a “great move” for the England international.

The Red Devils are doing all they can to push through a big-money deal with Borussia Dortmund.

Bundesliga giants are playing hard ball when it comes to discussions, with there an understandable reluctance on their part to sanction a sale.

Sancho is, however, expected to take on a new challenge at some stage in the near future.

He has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since taking the brave decision to leave Manchester City for Germany in 2017, with the 20-year-old now one of world football’s hottest prospects.

Lancaster feels the sky is the limit for Sancho, telling the South China Morning Post of a player he worked with in Watford’s academy system: “I think we are definitely looking at a future Ballon d’Or winner - 100 per cent.”

It could be that Sancho chases down a coveted Golden Ball while on the books at Old Trafford, with Lancaster fully supportive of a return to the Premier League for a man who has starred in the Bundesliga.

He added: “Jadon wants to play football. It doesn’t matter if he’s at a council pitch in London or in front of 80,000 at Wembley. He just wants to play football. He just wants to win. He just wants to be challenged and enjoy the game.

“It’s like watching The Last Dance with Michael Jordan. You can’t take the ball away from him. Give him the ball and he’ll start to produce.” Dortmund reaped the benefits of that with 17 goals and 16 assists in 32 Bundesliga games this season.

“If you look at a normal 20-year-old, they’ve got to go through a lot of mistakes and not on the pitch, I mean off the pitch. They’ve got to send out the wrong tweets, send out the wrong Instagrams, get in a little bit of trouble.

“He’s had to leave from the south of England to the north, he’s had to go from the north to another country, language is a problem, he’s now independent. I think Man United are going to get a very mature 20-year-old.

“I think Man United will be a great move for him. The club have got a tremendous history, the club are hugely ambitious but most importantly they are structurally set up for success, off the pitch and on the pitch.

“If Jadon goes to Man United, on a bigger scale they’re going to control the ball. He’s got [Marcus] Rashford, [Paul] Pogba, [Anthony] Martial, [Bruno] Fernandes, [Harry] Maguire who can play out. So they’re going to hopefully have more ball which is where he can add value to the team.”

FIFA 21 is out this October and fans of the EA Sports franchise will be counting down the days until they can get their hands on the new game to test out all the fresh features.

Every year, gamers discuss the pros and cons of the game, noting what sort of additions or improvements they'd like to see included in the next title.

VAR - Video Assistant Referee - is one gameplay feature that has been discussed ever since it was trialled as an augmentation of the officiating team a number of years ago.

So will VAR be in FIFA 21? Goal takes a look...

Will FIFA 21 have VAR?

VAR will not be a feature of FIFA 21 despite the fact that it is now firmly embedded into the fabric of professional football across the world.

Part of the reason for the decision not to include VAR in the new game is down to a question of priorities, with the EA Sports developers privileging other aspects of the gameplay.

“Regarding VAR, it’s a very good question, but the answer is no,” Sam Rivera, EA's lead gameplay producer told gamesradar.

“In a video game, what it would be adding to the experience isn’t very important at this time – the system knows if a challenge is a foul or not, so we decided to focus on areas which we consider higher priority.

"That doesn’t mean it won’t arrive in the future, but there are no plans to include it in FIFA 21."

As alluded to by Rivera, adding VAR would be a purely aesthetic touch since the game's AI is not liable to the same sort of human error that a real-life referee is.

Its omission from FIFA 21 means VAR has not been a feature of three successive FIFA games since the technological referee aid was written into the Laws of the Game in 2018.

Interestingly, FIFA 21 will not feature empty stadiums in order to reflect the new reality of the sport in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic either.

According to developers, the goal is to create a game which shows football "in its best and purest form".

Will VAR be included in the next FIFA game after FIFA 21?

The longer VAR remains a fixture in professional football, the more likely it seems that it will be included in future FIFA games.

Indeed, one of the chief considerations for games developers tasked with creating a new edition of FIFA is the immersive experience - making the game as true to real life as possible.

Persisting with no VAR in FIFA naturally contradicts that principle, so it is only a matter of time before it is brought in - in whatever form the game takes.

However, it is unclear how exactly VAR will be integrated into the game, given the fact that the computer does not make errors regarding issues such as fouls or offsides.

One simple way to bring VAR into the game would be by including a cut scene, which wouldn't necessarily interfere with the flow of the gameplay.

Another method of integration would be to weave it into Career Mode as a feature of a campaign - a controversial season-changing moment in the headlines, perhaps.

Of course the existence of VAR in football continues to attract criticism from many in the game and, while it will remain a part of the game for now, there is always a chance that it could be discontinued in the future.

Figures such as Gary Lineker have been vocal in their analysis of the video assistant referee along with other rule changes, including the handball and offside rules.

The former England international has given his views to the IFAB, but they have thus far been met with bemusement.

“I told them what I think VAR should be," Lineker said in an interview with the Guardian in January. 

"The referee on the pitch needs a mate sitting with all these monitors. He’s watching the game and he lets it go, lets it go, and then he says: ‘Mate, you absolutely f*cked up there. You’ve got to change that otherwise you’re going to look a complete d*ck.’

"That stops the Maradona/Thierry Henry handballs. The absolute howler. That’s all you need VAR for."

So, for now, it is not clear whether VAR will become a feature of the next FIFA game, but EA Sports will be keeping their eye on developments of the game to make sure they live up to their 'It's In The Game' motto.

Werder Bremen are in discussions with Manchester United over a deal for winger Tahith Chong, the club's sporting director Frank Baumann has confirmed.

The Bundesliga outfit have been linked with a move for the Netherlands youth star, who has struggled for first-team minutes at Old Trafford this season, with 12 games played across all competitions.

The 20-year-old only put pen to paper on a new deal with the club in March that takes him through to 2022, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have indicated their readiness to let him depart on a temporary basis.

And Baumann has reaffirmed his side's interest in Chong, insisting that discussions are underway with the Red Devils.

"He is a player who is interesting for us, no question about it," he told reporters. "We need a player like him in the position he plays. We are in good talks with Manchester United, but there are several details to be agreed on."

"I like to keep a low profile when it comes to something like this, but when the player's advisor communicates so aggressively, there is no point in denying our interest."

Chong's agent Erkan Alkan previously confirmed that the player was keen on a move to Germany's top-flight in search of further game-time, stating earlier this week: "Tahith wants to go to the Bundesliga."

Reports in Germany suggest that Chong may sign a two-year loan contract with Werder, though it is believed that the Bundesliga club will not have a purchase option in any deal.

If Chong does not depart immediately, he may yet play a part in United's Europa League campaign after the club sealed their place in the quarter-finals in Germany next week.

The winger came off the bench in a 2-1 victory over LASK to help seal his side's berth in the last eight following a convincing 5-0 victory in the return fixture earlier this year.

United face Copenhagen next, with victory potentially setting up an all-English encounter with Wolves, as Solskjaer looks to claim the first trophy of his tenure in charge at Old Trafford.

Regardless of results, the Norwegian has ended his side's absence from Champions League this season with a third-place finish and continues to rebuild his squad for a possible title charge next term.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic impacted the world of football along with other sports.

However, despite the challenges,  the new season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is set to commence from the third week of November.

The new season will be different from the previous editions of the league in several ways. It will be held at a centralised venue without spectators. The clubs too will have to undergo major changes in terms of adapting to the new regulations.

Jamshedpur FC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mukul Choudhari spoke about the challenges his club will be facing while playing football during the pandemic.

He said, “We are dealing with this situation like any other club and once all the players are here, they will be coming after two months maybe to Jamshedpur or directly to the venue. More importantly, there will be a lot of challenges going forward.

“We have trouble with logistics, international flights have not opened. ISL depends a lot on foreign players. We were very particular while we were picking players. We were also speaking to people whenever we were talking about getting visas and other stuff.

“There are lots of work that is happening in the background, there are a lot of grey areas which we don’t know of. At the same time, we are very clear that we will be taking lots of precautions.”

The club CEO also suggested that everyone involved at the club will have to be responsible and take care of the players and coaches to get the best performance out of them.

“There are a lot of SOPs that have been sent by the ISL. Otherwise, we are also very careful about our own health and safety. It will be a very different season but it is all about being responsible and doing the right things and taking care of yourself and the team to make sure they are in good health and they perform well,” said the Jamshedpur official.

On playing at a single venue without fans, Choudhari opined that the most important thing is that the league will take place. 

He said, “What is more important is that the league happens in the current circumstances when most things are not happening, in fact, I am very happy that the IPL is happening and it will set the ball rolling for all sports. It is not going to be easy. There will be huge psychological pressure and there will be trouble. It will be very different playing without fans in the stadium. It is important that the league happens. A lot has changed in the past four or five months and we are adapting to it and that is what we have to do.”

Jamshedpur have replaced Spanish coach (Antonio Iriondo) with Scotsman Owen Coyle and on being asked whether this change will affect the team's style, the Jamshedpur CEO responded, “It is a global game now. We have Spanish players in other parts of Europe but the game doesn’t change. We have to take the good parts from it. Somebody likes to hold the ball, Tiki-taka is all over the place now. We also learn a lot from Brazil and England. Those are just different styles and at the end of the day football doesn’t change.”

Lionel Messi has been carrying Barcelona’s “whole team on his shoulders”, claims Edmilson, with the Liga giants considered to be “experiencing a shady moment”.

Uncharacteristic struggles for consistency from the Camp Nou heavyweights have contributed to a domestic crown being snatched from their grasp by arch-rivals Real Madrid.

The decision to part with Ernesto Valverde in January and replace him with Quique Setien has been made to look like a questionable call, with there a very real threat that Barca could end the 2019-20 campaign empty-handed.

They are still in the hunt for Champions League success as things stand, but have a tricky last-16 encounter with Napoli to navigate before dreams of European glory can be formed.

Italian rivals are due in Catalunya on Saturday for the second leg of a contest that is currently locked at 1-1.

Edmilson admits that picking a winner from that tie is a tough task, with Barca becoming far too reliant on talismanic captain Messi.

The former Blaugrana midfielder told Radio Kiss Kiss: “On Saturday a Champions League match will be played after a long time and the qualification is open for both teams because playing in a situation like this where there are no fans, I believe Napoli can go to Barcelona and take their chances.

“[Gennaro] Gattuso’s team must continue to play as they have been doing and not be afraid of Barca, because the Blaugrana won’t be scared.

“After the pandemic the league was fraught with difficulty, but they are still Barcelona. They are playing at home and they are always favourites.

“Barca are, however, experiencing a shady moment. A moment where Messi is practically playing alone and loading the whole team on his shoulders.

“They have also changed their coach during the current season.”

Since competitive football resumed on the back of a coronavirus-enforced break, Barca have found the going tough.

From 11 outings in la Liga, they only managed to claim seven victories – with three of those coming by the odd goal.

Messi has conceded that they will need to raise their game considerably in order to challenge for the Champions League crown, with the latter stages of that competition set to take place in Portugal once the round of 16 has been played to a finish.

SuperSport United have announced that one of their players has tested positive for coronavirus. 

This has come as a blow for the Tshwane giants with the 2019/20 PSL season set to resume next week following a four-month break which was enforced by the coronavirus pandemic. 

SuperSport conducted their final round of testing before they go into the Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng this weekend. 

The three-time PSL champions have now revealed that one unnamed player has tested positive for the deadly virus. 

The player will now serve a mandatory 10-day quarantine and he will then be tested again according to the following statement by the club.

"We would like to confirm one positive COVID-19 case from the second round of testing that was completed this week."

"The player has currently been put into quarantine for 10 days and will be retested thereafter. A group of 40 personnel were tested [25 players and 15 staff members]."

"The rest of the squad will resume training and will continue to follow all protocols before heading into the bubble for the completion of the 2019/2020 season," a club statement read.

SuperSport confirmed four coronavirus cases within their camp two weeks ago as they prepared for the resumption of the league.

The Tshwane giants also disclosed that the four positive cases include three players and a staff member, but the club indicated two had already recovered from Covid-19. 

SuperSport are set to resume their league campaign against Bloemfontein Celtic at Bidvest Stadium in Braamfontein, Johannesburg next week Sunday. 

Matsatsantsa have been drawn to play their games at Bidvest Wits' home ground for the remainder of the current season.

Kaitano Tembo's side is placed third on the league standings - for points behind second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have three games in hand.

SuperSport have six games left in the league which are against Celtic, Polokwane City, Black Leopards, Orlando Pirates, Baroka FC as well as Cape Town City.

Finishing third in the league will see Matsatsantsa qualify for next season Caf Confederation Cup, while a two top finish will earn them a spot in the Caf Champions League.

Manuel Neuer hopes Liverpool target Thiago Alcantara can be persuaded to stay at Bayern Munich, describing him as "our engine in midfield".

On the eve of the Champions League last-16 second leg against Chelsea, captain and goalkeeper Neuer stressed how important the former Barcelona player has become over seven years at Bayern.

Thiago has one year left on his Bayern contract and the club would be reluctant to see him leave on a free transfer in 2021.

One alternative to that prospect would be cashing in on him now, with Premier League champions Liverpool apparently keen on taking him to Anfield.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has praised Thiago, describing him as "a great player", but has declined to speak any further about the Spaniard.

Asked about the influence of Thiago, and the possibility of him being in his final days as a Bayern player, Neuer stressed he hoped the Chelsea game was not the beginning of the end for the 29-year-old in Munich.

"I hope that it won't be one of the last matches of Thiago," Neuer said.

"He had to undergo surgery at the end of the season but now he's back and 100 per cent. He's a very valuable player for us, especially in ball possession. He's very important for us. He's our engine in midfield actually."

Bayern lead Chelsea 3-0 from the first leg of their European tie, so with home advantage on Saturday they should have little trouble making sure of a quarter-final place.

Lisbon will stage the Champions League from the last eight onwards.

Neuer says Bayern are eager to complete a treble, having already won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in Germany this season.

"We have played a good season and a successful season so far," he said. "We're still hungry and still committed. We have the objective right in front of us.

"We won the league, we won the cup, and now we want to win to achieve this next objective that we have.

"First we have to overcome Chelsea and then it's the knockout stage. They are very high calibre clubs in this competition. We know from our experiences with the national team, for example, that every mistake could cost a lot and you have to really pay attention.

"We've worked together very well for three and a half weeks and we want to achieve a lot."

From the quarter-final stage onwards, it will be a straight knockout event, with two-leg games abandoned to allow the tournament to be completed in the shortest possible time.

"You can achieve a lot, but of course you can also lose a lot in such a format," Neuer said.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane and Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo have been nominated for Premier League Player and Goal of the Season respectively.

Mane was in a terrific form for the Reds in the 2019-20 campaign, helping his side to win the title for the first time in 30 years.

The Senegal international scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in 35 league games, besides winning a number of penalties with his dazzling displays for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Following his performances, he has been shortlisted for the best player prize along with his teammates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson.

He will also battle Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Southampton striker Danny Ings and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy for the award.

Mane emerged as the 2018-19 season’s joint-top scorer along with his teammate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The 28-year-old will hope to win the coveted accolade after missing out on the Golden Boot prize to Vardy.

Djenepo, meanwhile, has been shortlisted for the best goal award following his brilliant match-winning solo effort for Southampton against Sheffield United in September 2019.

The winger beat a number of Sheffield defenders before he right-footed his effort past goalkeeper Dean Henderson for the only goal of the game.

Djenepo will slug it out with Leicester’s Harvey Barnes, Newcastle United’s Matthew Longstaff, Manchester City’s De Bruyne, Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Burnley’s Matej Vydra and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes for a chance to win the individual accolade.

The Mali international teamed up with the Saints last summer from Belgian First Division A side Standard Liege for a fee around £14 million.

The 22-year-old midfielder only made 20 appearances across all competition in his debut campaign owing to injury problems.

While Djenepo has 15 caps for Mali, Mane has scored 19 times in 69 appearances for Senegal and was part of the team that finished as runner-up at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Hansi Flick has praised Frank Lampard's "extraordinary" impact at Chelsea - but the Bayern Munich boss plans to leave his opposite number dejected for a second successive Saturday.

Chelsea suffered FA Cup final disappointment last weekend when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's double gave Arsenal the glory at Wembley.

Now they face the more daunting task of attempting to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Bayern in Munich, after the German giants scorched to a superb victory at Stamford Bridge in February.

It would appear a near formality for Bayern to complete their task, but Flick has typically prepared meticulously for the game and says his team will have no trouble in focusing.

He senses former England midfielder Lampard has the makings of a first-class head coach, so will take nothing for granted at the Allianz Arena.

"I can say Lampard has been doing an extraordinary job with Chelsea," Flick said.

"They've managed to qualify for next season's Champions League through the Premier League and they've been pretty successful after the restart.

"I like the way they play and how they've performed."

Lampard could not sign players when he took over at Chelsea last July, as the club were under a transfer ban, which has led him to blood a host of young players this term.

By recently bringing in Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Ajax's Hakim Ziyech, Chelsea have given an indication of their ambition for next season.

"It was a difficult situation when he started," Flick said. "But at the end of the season he really performed an extraordinary season with his team."

Bayern will be without the injured Kingsley Coman and Benjamin Pavard, with Joshua Kimmich expected to again fill in at right-back, with Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho pushing for an attacking role.

Flick, whose team won the domestic double of the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, expects Chelsea to be positive and to believe they can turn the tie around, however unlikely that may be.

"If I would be in the position of the Chelsea manager or Chelsea fan, I would say we have nothing to lose, we will try to give all we have and we'll see," Flick said.

"We have respect for our opponents. We know Chelsea have a great and also big squad with lots of players who have fantastic potential.

"I know from my time with the DFB [German Football Federation] how football is played in England.

"If we look at the development that has been showing for years now, it is unbelievable, it is fantastic, how they bring up new, young players and focus on the youth.

"Chelsea have a great team filled with a lot of young players with great potential and we will be ready to face them tomorrow."

Former Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Gordon Igesund believes Masandawana will not struggle against Bidvest Wits without their star midfielder Gaston Sirino, who is suspended.

The Uruguayan player is serving a two-match suspension after he was found guilty of assaulting SuperSport United defender Clayton Daniels and ex-midfielder Dean Furman earlier this season.

On the other hand, the Tshwane giants could also be without winger Phakamani Mahlambi, but Igesund says the Clever Boys will struggle against the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions.

“You know at this stage it’s very difficult to say they will miss the two players because all the teams have their own challenges,” Igesund told Goal.

“The four-month break has taken its toll on Sundowns and I’m sure it’s exactly the same for everybody. They can’t have a proper mini pre-season training or play friendlies to prepare for these games. It’s quite difficult for many teams now.

“For Sundowns, I don’t think it will be a train smash as they will be missing the likes of Sirino and Mahlambi. I think it’s Wits that are in turmoil. There are bigger problems at Wits that there are at Sundowns.

“I’m saying this because Pitso has been away with his team in Rustenburg and the same cannot be said about Wits. The players at Wits are fighting for their livelihoods. So, they are worried about their families because some are reluctant to go to Limpopo where the team will be based.”

Wits are also set to face Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs twice in the league, and former Bafana Bafana coach Igesund hopes Hunt can be able to steer his side to a decent position.

“It’s a very difficult time but Gavin is a professional, he will try and focus on winning the game. His players will be focused because they wouldn’t also like to see the club’s 99-year history go in vain,” he added.

“I don’t know all the facts but I can imagine he was suddenly told that the club was sold. I don’t think Gavin knew and that’s why I say it’s very difficult for him and the players.

"Wits will also have a big role regarding the championship, they will face Pirates and Chiefs (twice) in the league," he explained.

“I understand the players are human beings, they have got families to look after and they are now expected to focus on the job at Wits and ensure they finish on a high.

"But we are talking about players that don’t know where they will be going and that is including the coach himself – it’s pretty much a challenge for Wits than Sundowns going to this cup game.”

Al-Nassr winger and Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has announced the birth of a baby boy to his family.

The forward remarried in May 2017, to Juliet Ejue, after divorcing his ex-wife Jamila over "irreconcilable differences"

This is the second child between Musa and Juliet after welcoming their first in February 2018, although the 27-year-old winger has two children with his former wife.

The ex-Leicester City forward took to social media to herald the good news while also thanking God for the safe delivery of his child.

“Life is indeed a gift and Allah has decided to give us a gift that can't be bought with money,” Musa posted on Instagram.

“He decided to bless my family this morning with a bouncing baby boy. Mother and baby are doing well. Thank you for all your prayers and support always.”

Musa has been with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr since the summer of 2018 when he left Premier League club Leicester City.

The Nigeria international started his career at GBS Football Academy and played for JUTH and Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) before leaving for Europe in 2010.

The winger teamed up with Dutch side VVV-Venlo and made 37 appearances for the club before he signed for Russian Premier League side CSKA Moscow in 2012.

Musa’s incredible pace and goalscoring prowess marked him out at CSKA, where he bagged 42 goals in 125 league appearances, amid other dazzling displays.

His performances earned him a move to Leicester for a club-record fee of £16.6 million in 2016 but struggled to impress at the club.

Musa featured only in 21 Premier League games before his permanent departure from the King Power Stadium outfit in 2018.

The forward has 15 goals in 91 appearances for the Nigeria national team and his exploits at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments have continued to endure him to the Super Eagles fans.

Musa captained the West Africans to a third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Real Madrid will attempt to overturn a narrow deficit when they face Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, but they must do so without some of their best players.

Gareth Bale will play no part in the match after being left out of the 24-man squad and Zinedine Zidane explained that the Wales international did not wish to play at the Etihad Stadium.

"I will explain because many things are said," the frustrated Real Madrid boss told reporters in a news conference ahead of the second leg.

"We have a relationship of respect between player and coach, that is clear. The only thing I can say is that he has decided not to play, and the rest is between him and me."

Bale's future has been a consistent source of speculation in recent months, but, though the signs suggest an imminent exit, his agent insists that the winger is content to stay in the Spanish capital.

Sergio Ramos  is also set to miss the crucial game against Pep Guardiola's side on Friday because he was shown a red card in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu back in February, when Madrid lost 2-1.

Referee Daniele Orsato brandished a straight red card in the closing stages of the game when he deemed that Ramos committed a foul on Gabriel Jesus as the Brazilian striker raced through on goal.

Having capitalised on Casemiro's weak pass to Raphael Varane, Jesus found himself bearing down on Thibaut Courtois, but hit the deck after Ramos touched his shoulder just outside the 18-yard box.

The centre-back was subsequently sent off,  equalling a Champions League record in the process as he joined Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edgar Davids on ill-discipline row with four red cards in the competition.

It was a controversial decision given the nature of the foul, with former Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart expressing reservations about Jesus' conduct.

“I honestly don’t think that’s a foul or red card,” Hart told  BT Sport after the game. “Jesus waits for him to touch his shoulder. Worst case scenario for Jesus is a yellow card [for diving].

“Best case is he's got Real Madrid’s captain, leader, legend out of the second leg.”

Ramos' foul did prevent City from scoring a third away goal, meaning that the second leg remains delicately poised ahead of the meeting in England.

However, the trade-off - with the Spain international missing the game - is not necessarily worth it according to former Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello, who believes Ramos' absence will be pivotal.

“The problem when you play City is how well can you defend against them?" Capello told Laureus in the lead-up to the second leg.

“So I think, for me, I prefer Man City, because without Sergio Ramos, when you have to defend against City going forward, it will be difficult for Real.”

While Ramos will not feature in the game, he was named in the 24-man squad and travelled to Manchester in order to lend moral support to his team-mates. 

Another notable absentee for Real Madrid is James Rodriguez, while striker Mariano Diaz has been left out of the Madrid squad as a health precaution after testing positive for Covid-19 at the end of July.

There are some concerns over the fitness of Marcelo and Eden Hazard, but both players could feature after being named in Madrid's travelling party.

The main Man City absentee is Sergio Aguero, who suffered a knee injury in a game against Burnley in June. Pep Guardiola revealed that the Argentine is "getting better", but he will not play a part against Madrid.

Benjamin Mendy will also miss the game against Real through suspension after picking up three yellow cards.

Axel Disasi has joined Monaco in a €13m (£12m/$15m) transfer from Reims, with the Ligue 1 club beating off rivals including one-time suitors Arsenal to the defender's signature on a five-year deal.

The former France youth international was widely regarded as one of the division's best young performers last term as, in an abridged campaign curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, he helped the club to a sixth-place finish.

His move to Monaco represents something of a coup for the principality outfit, who unlike Reims will not compete in Europe next term after they finished outside the qualification places for both the Champions League and Europa League.

Wolves, Southampton and Roma were among the other clubs chasing the ex-Paris FC man's services, but Disasi has instead bought into Niko Kovac's vision for the club and put pen to paper on a long-term deal on the south coast.

"I'm delighted to be involved with AS Monaco," the 22-year-old told the club's official website. "This is a great opportunity for me to demonstrate my qualities at the highest level and to continue my progress at a club with high ambitions.

"I'm looking forward to starting training with my new team-mates and I'm going to put all my energy into helping the team achieve its goals at the end of the season."

Sports director Paul Mitchell expressed his elation at securing Disasi's talents too, adding: "We are delighted that Axel has chosen to join AS Monaco.

"His qualities as a defender, his maturity and his experience in the French league, despite his young age, will be additional assets that we are happy to make available to Niko Kovac's squad for the next five seasons."

Arsenal previously contacted Reims in April as the Gunners weighed up a defensive revamp under Mikel Arteta, with Disasi seen as a potential long-term talent to be nurtured at centre-back.

The club have welcomed back one young French talent, however, already this off-season, with William Saliba returning from his loan spell at Saint-Etienne.

Elsewhere, Arsenal are waiting on Pablo Mari's return to fitness after the Spaniard underwent ankle surgery, while Konstantinos Mavropanos has been loaned out to Stuttgart for the coming season.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has sent a strong indication that sporting activities could resume in the country soon.

The long-serving head of state has left Ugandan sportsmen and women in joy after he tweeted that he was considering lifting the ban of sporting activities so that sports can be played without fans.

"On the Covid-19 pandemic, I welcome the positive suggestions like the idea of sports without audiences that have been tried in other countries of Europe,” Museveni tweeted.

“There are also ideas of isolating the tourism areas that I saw in Cuba. However, all this must be subsidiary to life.”

Like many East African nations and across the world, Uganda moved to ban all its social gathering and sporting activities immediately after the coronavirus pandemic struck the country.

Football was not spared either as the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) was halted for some weeks before it was prematurely ended and the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) moved to award the league title to Vipers SC, who were sitting top at the time the league was suspended.

On the other hand, Maroons FC, Tooro United, and Proline FC were relegated with KCCA FC, getting the nod to represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Museveni’s tweet comes just a day after Fufa met with government officials to discuss the resumption of the league.

Initially, the UPL was set to return on April 19 after the elapsing of the initial 32 days of lockdown, only for time to be extended after the situation failed to normalise.

Already, teams in the top-flight are currently busy in the transfer window as they wait for the date to resume the league.

Vipers, who will carry the country’s flag in the Champions League, have already signed three players among them midfielders Ibrahim Orit from Mbarara City, Jamil Kalisa from Bright Stars, and defender David Galiwango from Express FC.

KCCA have also signed midfielder Bright Anukani from Proline, midfielders Denis Iguma from Kazma FC, Stefano Mazengo Loro from Sheffield FC (Futsal), Charles Lwanga from SC Villa, Ashraf ‘Fadiga’ Mugume from Police FC and Brian Aheebwa from Mbarara City.

Express FC defender Arthur Kiggundu is keen on helping the team perform better by tightening the backline in the upcoming season.

The Wankulukuku-based side finished the abandoned 2019/20 Ugandan Premier League season in the ninth position. The defensive record was not good at all as the team shipped in 37 goals in the 25 matches played.

"Honestly, I can’t be proud of last season’s performance, we learned from our mistakes and we shall do better," Kiggundu said as quoted by the club's official website.

"The backline has to complement each other to get the desired target of not leaking in goals and am certain my partners have prepared well ahead of the new season."

The 29-year-old played in the left-back position but was occasionally played at the heart of the defence.

With an improvement in the defence in mind, Express FC have swooped for the services of defender Murushid Juuko ahead of the new season.

According to  New Vision, Juuko, a full Uganda international, has signed for the Red Eagles on a one-year deal but will be allowed to leave the club if he gets an offer from a foreign club.

His decision to sign for Express has left Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions Vipers SC and last season's winners KCCA FC in shock as they were both eyeing the services of the player.

The transfer of the 26-year-old player was made possible by the club’s CEO Isaac Mwesigwa and will see them get 20% of the transfer fee if he manages to get a move abroad.

Juuko has previously played for Vipers and Simba SC of Tanzania and becomes the fifth signing for Express after Godfrey Lwesibawa, Mahad Yaya Kakooza, Charles Busingye, and John Byamukama.

The arrival of the player will be a great boost to coach Wasswa Bossa, who is expecting a competitive 2020/21 UPL season.

Many teams are buffing up their squads in preparations for the new campaign which will begin in October. The tactician stated he is already aware of what to expect from opposing teams.

"We all know clubs are re-organizing themselves and that they will be competitive next season," Bossa said in an earlier interview.

"But actually if anything, we have already done our homework on all the teams. So I would say we are braced up for any team that will come our way."

Jamal Lewis has “got all the attributes” to form part of a Premier League title-winning squad at Liverpool, says Ian Baraclough, with the Northern Ireland boss urging one of his charges to snap up the opportunity to head for Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp is in the market for another left-back during the summer transfer window.

Andy Robertson is the undisputed first choice to fill that role for the Reds, but there is little depth beyond him in that position on Merseyside.

Liverpool’s search for a suitable back-up is said to have led them towards Lewis, who took in 32 appearances for Norwich across the 2019-20 campaign and previously helped them to promotion out of the Championship.

The Carrow Road academy graduate is just 22 years of age, with plenty of potential to unlock in his game, but he already has 100 competitive outings at club level to his name and 12 international caps.

Baraclough believes the youngster could be a shrewd addition for Liverpool and would be in favour of a move being made even if it meant Lewis seeing less football that he has become accustomed to.

The Northern Ireland boss told The Irish News: “I've spoken to two or three people about the proposed move. There have been differing opinions.

“As a player, I'd be saying ‘Where's the contract, I want to sign it'.

“Why wouldn't you want to go to the European champions, the Premier League champions and the World Club champions?

“Some people might say you won't get as much game time, but if you're training day in, day out, with Jurgen Klopp and the calibre of players he'd be working with, you're going to improve as a player and it would take him to the next level.

“It would be up to him to knuckle down, if that move happens, and make sure he's at the forefront of the manager's thoughts.

“The amount of games they play, and the way they rotate players now, he'd certainly get game time and I certainly think it would bring him on as a player.”

Baraclough added: “He's got all the attributes, he's a level-headed kid and he's one that wants to improve.

“You'll find him in the gym before training and after training and he's probably one of those kids, having worked with him for a little bit of time, you have to keep the reins on a bit so he doesn't do too much.

“He wants to question you about how he can improve and I love players like that.

“I love players who invest time in themselves and don't just settle for what they've got.”

Jamshedpur FC have announced Owen Coyle as their new head coach on a two-year deal for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season.

As reported earlier , Chennaiyin FC were only willing to offer a one-year extension to retain the services of the Scottish tactician but it is understood that Coyle was looking for a longer tenure on his contract.

The 54-year-old holds the distinction of propelling Chennaiyin FC to the runners up spot last season after a tumultuous start to the campaign. 

Coyle's win percentage with Chennaiyin (53.3) was the second-best of his coaching career after his co-managerial stint with Scottish side Falkirk (63.2) whom he led to the Scottish Football League First Division title in his debut season as a coach in 2003. He also won the 2009 Football League Championship play-offs with Burnley. He was also named the Premier League Manager of the Month on two occasions (November 2010, March 2012) during his time with Bolton Wanderers.

Coyle is set to be Jamshedpur FC's fourth manager in the three years of its existence in the ISL. The club finished fifth under Steve Coppell and Cesar Ferrando in their first two seasons that was followed by a disappointing eighth place to show for under Antonio Iriondo despite a good start. 

The Men of Steel  will hope that Coyle can finally ensure that they reach the playoffs for the first time ever.