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Jurgen Klopp claims to have no transfer "itch" in need of scratching at Liverpool, with the Reds boss hinting at a quiet end to the summer window.

Ibrahima Konate has been the only arrival at Anfield with another market open for business, with the French centre-half snapped up from RB Leipzig early on for £36 million ($50m).

There has been plenty of talk regarding further additions, with Klopp urged by many to bring in another forward, but the German tactician claims to be happy with his current squad.

What has been said?

Quizzed on his plans, Klopp - who has seen his side claim back-to-back wins at the start of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign - has said: "There is so much focus and transfers and recruitment in football and particularly in the Premier League.

"It might not always seem so when I speak to the media, but I do understand it.

"I'm a football fan as well and guilty of being attracted to a story about which team might sign which player.

"The difference is I don't have that 'itch' when it comes to us.

"I don't for one second criticise anyone - be it fan, pundit, journalist or players and coaches - for getting drawn into the allure of transfers."

He added: "But as the manager of this team and leader of this football club, I must always view these things with the proper perspective.

"We have exceptional players and we have long-term commitments for the majority of them.

"We have recruited smartly both in this season and last. We have an elite environment and a home ground with an atmosphere that is the envy of most.

"We have so much to be optimistic about. To be joyful about. Does that guarantee success? Of course not!

"This is football and specifically the Premier League - the most competitive in the world.

"Other teams are strong but they always have been.

"Winning in England is so hard but it always has been. It's why our club's history is so special."

When does the summer window close?

While there are no imminent deals being lined up on the arrivals front, with there seemingly more movement out of Anfield than in, Klopp and Co will continue to monitor potential additions.

The summer window will remain open until August 31, meaning that there is still time for Liverpool to make late bids for reinforcements.

Untimely injuries, such as those suffered on a regular basis last season, could influence those plans, but the Reds have few concerns at present - with Andy Robertson in line to return against Chelsea on Saturday - and they may decide to make do.

Further reading

Tusker FC head coach Robert Matano has now set his sights on helping the team perform well in the Caf Champions League after leading them to their 12th FKF Premier League title.

The Brewers have been rewarded for their consistency this season, as they managed to collect 65 points, three more than second-place KCB, to win the league. Having secured their ticket for the continental assignments, the veteran tactician is now working on preparing well for competition against foreign teams.

What has been said?

"The season was tough because of coronavirus, our preparations were not so good like other teams as you are aware, Tusker have been strictly adhering to Covid-19 measures taken to curb its spread. We were not training as a team, it took as long to do that," Matano told Goal.

"But because we wanted something, we had initially prepared well with the main aim being winning the league. Focus, commitment, and hard work, we just remained calm and together, and we said we will move on no matter how. 

"Most of the teams did not enjoy the support we enjoyed. The brands came out strongly, paying us on time and we also had insurance as well for the players and the team in general. It really helped us and we thank the brand; they should do more of that which will help us move forward.

"Good preparations will help us do well [in Caf Champions League]; we have been promised money to work on that, and we are optimistic about preparing well for the continental assignments.

"I am determined and focused, and I am sure we are going to do well [in the Champions League]."

'We want to represent Kenya well'

Captain Eugene Asike has echoed his coach, stating their main agenda will be to perform well in Africa's elite club competition.

"The season has not been easy, you saw KCB gave us a good run for our money," the centre-back told Goal.

"We also had our ups and downs throughout the season but the character that is in the team; the experienced and young players really tried to play together and at the end of the day you can see the results.

"We have gotten massive support from the sponsors even during the pandemic and as players, we really appreciate it. Now we want to go and have some rest after that come back strongly as we prepare for the Champions League.

"We want to represent the country well."

The new Kenyan champions will face Arta Solar in the preliminary round of the competition.

The 130th edition of the Durand Cup is set to be organised jointly by the Indian Army and the Government of West Bengal in Kolkata, in September.

This will be the second consecutive time that the iconic football football will be held in Kolkata after the previous edition in 2019, after moving from its long time venue at Delhi.

Goal tells you everything you need to know about the 2021 Durand Cup football tournament.

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When does the 2021 Durand Cup start?

The 2021 Durand Cup football tournament is scheduled to be held in Kolkata between September 5 and October 3, 2021. 

Named after its founder, Sir Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India from 1884 to 1894, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament, held between 16 top Indian football clubs across divisions.

Traditionally organised by the Indian Armed Forces, the Durand Cup was first held in Shimla in 1988 as an Army Cup. Initially open only to the British Indian Army troops in India, it was open to civilian teams from 1940 as Mohammedan Sporting defeated Royal Warwickshire Regiment 2-1 to become the first civilian team to win the tournament.

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How to watch the 2021 Durand Cup on TV & live stream in India?

There is no official announcement yet on how to watch the 2021 Durand Cup football tournament on TV or via online streaming in India. The official fixtures of the tournament are also yet to be announced.

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Which teams are in the 2021 Durand Cup?

Among the 16 participating teams in the 2021 Durand Cup, five will be from India's top tier league, the Indian Super League (ISL). Theere will be three and two teams representing the I-League and I-League second division respectively, while the remaining six will be from the various Indian Armed Forcesincluding the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi.

Two teams from each group will progress to the knock-out stages that involve two semi-finals and the final.

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Where will the 2021 Durand Cup take place?

The 2021 Durand Cup will be held across three venues, namely Kalyani Municipal Stadium Ground in Kalyani, the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata and the Mohun Bagan Club Ground in Kolkata.

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Who are the defending champions of Durand Cup?

Gokulam Kerala are the defending champions of the Durand Cup after a 10-man Malabarians defeated Mohun Bagan 2-1 in the 2019 Durand Cup final played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The Durand Cup is unique in the sense the winners are awarded three trophies with two rolling ones (the Durand Cup and the Shimla Trophy) and the President’s Cup for permanent keeping.

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What is the prize money at the 2021 Durand Cup?

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Goal can confirm Atletico Madrid are closing in on a deal for Matheus Cunha, as negotiations with Dusan Vlahovic continue to drag on.

Atletico are in the market for a new striker after seeing Moussa Dembele return to Lyon after a loan spell at Wanda Metropolitano last season and selling Nicolas Ibanez to Mexican side Pachuca.

Angel Correa has fired Diego Simeone's team to back-to-back wins in La Liga at the start of the 2021-22 campaign while Luis Suarez has just returned to action after his summer holidays, but the Spanish champions are still lacking strength in depth up front.

What's the situation?

Goal understands Atletico originally identified Fiorentina talisman Vlahovic as their first choice target, but the Italian club have so far refused to comprise in talks over a final fee.

Los Rojiblancos have now turned their attention to Hertha Berlin's Cunha as an alternative option, and are confident of completing a transfer before the market closes on August 31.

Hertha are demanding €25 million (£21m/$29m) for the Brazilian, who helped his country win a gold medal at the Olympic Games earlier this summer, but Atletico are working to try and bring down that asking price

The Liga giants could even submit a loan offer for Cunha that includes an option to buy, with talks between the two clubs currently progressing.

Cunha and Vlahovic compared 

Cunha scored three goals in the U23 football tournament at the Tokyo Olympics including one in Brazil's final victory over Spain, but has yet to represent the Selecao at senior level.

The 22-year-old is still a raw talent, having initially joined Hertha from RB Leipzig in January 2020, and is not yet a proven goalscorer at the highest level.

Cunha has scored 13 goals in his first 40 outings for the Bundesliga club, 18 less than Vlahovic has managed in 46 more games for Fiorentina.

Of the Serbian forward's efforts for La Viola, 21 were scored last term as he established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in Italy, but it has been reported that his current employers won't budge on their €70m (£60m/$82m) asking price.

Goal has reported that Atletico are refusing to match Fiorentina's valuation of the 21-year-old, and it now looks likely that they will instead settle for Cunha as Simeone puts the finishing touches on his squad.

Further reading

Donny van de Beek has been offered hope that he does have a part to play in Manchester United's plans this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claiming that the Dutchman remains "important" to the collective cause.

There has not been too much evidence of that since the Netherlands international midfielder completed a £35 million ($48m) move from Ajax in the summer of 2020.

The 24-year-old was restricted to just four Premier League starts in his debut campaign, while he is yet to see a single minute of competitive action in 2021-22.

What has been said?

Solskjaer once again favoured other options in a 1-1 draw at Southampton, but told reporters afterwards when it comes to opportunities for those that have seen more bench duty than they would have liked: "Whenever you don't win a game you look at it but I always look at it as much when you win as well.

"What could we have done differently?

"I thought Nemanja [Matic] was excellent, Antho [Martial] was close to scoring a goal but Jadon [Sancho] and Donny will be important for us."

Who is keeping Van de Beek out?

Nemanja Matic, Fred, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes were all handed started berths against Southampton, while Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho were introduced off the bench.

Van de Beek was an unused substitute, alongside Juan Mata and Daniel James.

He faces fierce competition for places when it comes to earning minutes for United, with his last outing coming in a final Premier League fixture against Wolves in 2020-21.

Van de Beek did not play any part in a Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, before finding himself left out of the Netherlands' Euro 2020 on the back of an untimely injury.

Exit talk was sparked early on this summer, especially as Solskjaer appears to still be in the hunt for another holding midfielder, but he remains at Old Trafford for now and is tied to a contract through to 2025.

Further reading

Liverpool are refusing to release Mohamed Salah for 2022 World Cup qualification duty, the Egyptian Football Federation has revealed, with the Reds superstar set to sit out upcoming meetings with Angola and Gabon.

The Pharaohs are due to be in first and second round qualifying action in September, but their talismanic figure will not form part of their plans.

That is because Premier League heavyweights are following advice regarding the spread of coronavirus, while also being reluctant to see Salah forced into quarantine once he returns to Britain from international duty.

What has been said?

A statement released by the Egyptian FA reads: "The Egyptian Football Association continues its continuous contacts regarding the task of international players joining their national teams to participate in the World Cup qualifiers, which requires exempting them from travel restrictions imposed on them in the countries in which they play due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Egyptian Football Association has received a letter from Liverpool FC apologising for the unavailability of its player, Mohamed Salah, to join the national team in its next camp, which includes facing Angola in Cairo and Gabon in Franceville during the first and second rounds of the African continent's qualifiers for the World Cup.

"The English club’s letter referred to the precautionary measures applied in England to confront the outbreak of the coronavirus in the world, which puts returnees from some countries in compulsory health isolation for a period of ten days upon their return to England.

"In this letter, the English club also expressed its hope that the Egyptian Federation would understand that it was forced to do so, in the face of the player being subjected to a quarantine for this period and being affected by this physically, as well as the uncertainty of the conditions determined by English authorities.

"It is noteworthy that Liverpool FC took the same position with a number of its foreign players."

Have Liverpool blocked Salah before?

This is not the first time that Liverpool have prevented Salah from linking up with his country, with the Egyptian FA left disappointed by a decision from Anfield not to release the 29-year-old for Olympic duty.

The Reds were however eager to ensure they had a star man fully rested and recharged ahead of the 2021-22 Premier League season, which they have opened with back-to-back wins.

They also saw Salah contract Covid-19 during a previous visit to his homeland in November 2020, when he attended his brother's wedding.

For now, Liverpool's priority when it comes to Salah is getting him tied to a new deal, while they are also hoping to see him reach 100 Premier League goals - he currently sits on 98.

What is Liverpool's stance?

Liverpool are eager to point out that they would be willing to let Salah play Gabon on September 5, as that will take place in a country that is not on Britain's red list.

The Reds are however making it clear to all of their international stars that they will not release anyone who would be forced to quarantine once returning to England. If isolation rules were to be relaxed or removed altogether, then players would be freed to link up with their respective nations.

Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino would also fall into this issue, as Brazil is another red list country and they have World Cup qualifiers there. 

This is not viewed by those on Merseyside as a club vs country row, but as more of a difficult diplomatic situation that impacts both parties.

Liverpool would like a solution to be found, as they have no desire to prevent players from adding to their cap hauls, but government rules need to be revised as a starting point.

Further reading

Granit Xhaka has slammed Arsenal's critics for trying "to kill the players" after their London derby defeat to Chelsea, while also confirming that he has signed a contract extension at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal followed up their 2-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening weekend of the new season by losing by the same scoreline at home to the Blues on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta's side are now 19th in the Premier League and it has been suggested that the Spaniard will be axed if they continue on their current trajectory, with a number of first-team stars being accused of not performing for their under-fire manager.

What's been said?

Gunners captain Xhaka is among those to have seen his contribution questioned, but he thinks it is still far too early for any harsh judgements to be made.

Pressed on whether Arsenal can use the outside negativity as a motivational tool, the Swiss midfielder told the club's official website: “Of course. The other way is by staying together.

“A lot of people try to speak and to kill a little bit the players and the team but the strongest thing to do at the moment is to be together, and only together will we be stronger and give the results on the pitch after.

"We want to achieve something big, of course. After two games a lot of people are speaking about this team and about this club but I will say no season finishes after two or three games. We still have games still in front of us, we know we have to improve a lot of things and I'm sure we will do that.

“I don't think the season is over after two games. We know we lost the two games and we are very disappointed, but we have still many, many, many games to go.

“A season never ends after two, three or four games. We know we have to do better things, but this will come soon, and as I say, we have to believe in each other so we can come out from this."

Xhaka confirms new contract

Xhaka was heavily linked with a move away from the Emirates earlier this summer amid reported interest from Roma but Arteta has insisted that he will be staying put.

The 28-year-old has now put an end to any speculation over his future once and for all by revealing that he has already extended his contract at Arsenal, with an official announcement now imminent.

"I'm very happy, I'm still here," said Xhaka. "I've signed a new contract of course and I want to give back, first of all to our staff, and then after to our fans, and they know I will give everything - in every game and every training session. So yeah, I think we have to show that as a team soon."

What's next?

Xhaka will be back in contention for a place in the Gunners' starting XI when they meet West Brom in the second round of the EFL Cup in midweek, with that outing coming just three days before a crucial Premier League showdown against reigning champions Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

Further reading

Tottenham new boy Cristian Romero claims Lionel Messi wanted to put a deal in place that would have taken him to Barcelona before the summer transfer window shifted significantly.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was expected to sign a new contract at Camp Nou, allowing him to remain in La Liga alongside a number of fresh faces such as Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.

Messi however walked away as a free agent and signed with Paris Saint-Germain, while Romero - who tasted Copa America glory alongside his illustrious team-mate - is now in north London following a €50 million (£42m/$59m) move from Atalanta.

What has been said?

Romero claims he could have headed in a different direction if Messi had got his way, telling Radio AM 550: "The fact that Messi would want me in his team, and that he wanted me to come to Barcelona is amazing.

"The team that PSG have built is crazy. I'm a bit sad about how Leo left Barcelona, I thought he would have stayed there forever. I wish him all the best, he's a great person and hopefully he can win everything alongside the other Argentinians there."

Romero's experience with Messi

Romero has made impressive progress over recent years having been forced to leave Juventus in search of regular game time.

He made a senior international debut for Argentina in June and is now a continental champion, with Messi and co welcoming him into a star-studded fold.

The 23-year-old added: "I'm thankful to Messi and for everything that I shared with him and the rest of the national team. From the first day the group made me feel like I'd been there for years. That's just the kind of group it is there."

Further reading

Chelsea have kept in touch with Sevilla's Jules Kounde as they continue to weigh up a move amid a possible Kurt Zouma sale.

West Ham have a verbal agreement in place with Chelsea over a £26 million ($35m) move but have struggled to convince Zouma to move to London Stadium.

Even though Chelsea haven't recently contacted Sevilla directly about Kounde, they have remained in contact with his agents over a possible summer move.

Will Chelsea sign Kounde?

Chelsea have the wealth to complete the Kounde move, especially after raising nearly £100m ($136m) through player sales in the current transfer window.

They will, however, have to come close to the La Liga club's £68m ($93m) release clause to sign the France international.

This comes after the Blues tried to offer players like Zouma, Kenedy and Emerson Palmieri in part exchange for Kounde.

The Blues have weighed up the addition of a central midfielder with West Ham's Declan Rice, Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni and Rennes's Eduardo Camavinga all being considered.

However, Thomas Tuchel is happy with his three main midfielders of Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, making it unlikely that one will come in as a fourth option.

Chelsea could use either Ethan Ampadu or Ruben Loftus-Cheek as cover and have chosen not to loan them out with just eight days left in the transfer window.

Tuchel has also discussed using Trevoh Chalobah in the midfield after telling him that he is no longer allowed to leave the club on loan. The 22-year-old will also soon be offered a new five-year contract.

Will Chelsea sell or loan even more players?

The Blues are close to the sale of Ike Ugbo, with Genk having rescheduled a medical for the striker to complete a £4m ($6m) move. Marseille came in strong last week to derail his move back to Belgian football where he excelled on loan, but have yet to complete a deal.

Chelsea are also in talks to sell Davide Zappacosta to Atalanta and Tiemoue Bakayoko to AC Milan. Meanwhile, they are weighing up their options over a loan move for Dujon Sterling who impressed Tuchel in pre-season.

It remains unclear what will happen to the remaining fringe players including Malang Sarr, Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater and Baba Rahman.

Further reading

Carlo Ancelotti cannot guarantee Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale regular game time at Real Madrid this season, with Los Blancos prepared to rotate in the final third until a winning formula is found.

The Belgium international is yet to produce his best in Spain and the Welsh forward, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham, are among the options pushing for starting berths at Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale has looked bright in his early outings in 2021-22 - registering his first goal for Real in nearly two years during their 3-3 draw with Levante - but Karim Benzema, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior are also eager to nail down spots in Ancelotti's plans.

What has been said?

Quizzed on his attacking options and what his favoured unit may look like, Ancelotti has told reporters: "I can’t tell you how many minutes they’re going to play. There’s a lot of competition up front.

"We’ve got some quality forwards like Bale, Vini Jr., Hazard, Benzema and Jovic, who did well [against Levante]. I have to enjoy that quality on the pitch by handing those who deserve to be out there the game time."

Who has impressed so far?

Real have taken four points from their opening two games this season, with Brazilian star Vinicius grabbing three of their seven goals.

Ancelotti said of the 21-year-old, who has faced criticism at times over his lack of end product: "Vinicius Jr. has the quality and is very quick. Is he a great goalscorer? I don’t know about that, because he enjoys playing out wide. 

"He needs to score goals like the first one he got, by taking players on, because he’s quicker than his opponents. It’s tougher for him when in the box, but given his quality, he’s capable of scoring goals from range and in one-on-one situations. He’ll be an important for us. 

"He may start next week’s game, we’ll have to see. It’s more important that you’re on the pitch at the end of the game rather than at the start and he did that today thanks to his freshness and ability.

"Vinicius Jr. has scored three goals in two matches and that’s the sign of a really important player. 

"I don’t give too much importance to who starts because I’ve got such a good squad. We’ve scored a lot of goals in these first two games. The problem isn’t whether Vinicius Jr starts or not, the concern is if he isn’t scoring but he got two goals today."

What do Real need to work on?

While goals have been flowing for Real, they are waiting on a first clean sheet of 2021-22 and required an 85th-minute leveller from Vinicius to take a point from their trip to Levante.

Ancelotti admits there is plenty for his side - who have lost Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane this summer - to work on at the back, adding: "Where we have gone wrong and dropped points is not in attack but in defence. 

"The third goal was unlucky. For the first, our defensive line wasn’t right and we were out of position. For the second, it was three against two and that can’t happen. It should at least be three against three when the cross came over."

Further reading

Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has warned striker Victor Osimhen to watch his reactions in future assignments after getting sent off in the 2-0 win over Venexia on Sunday.

In the Serie A match played at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, the Nigeria international was punished for violent conduct on Daan Heymans during a corner-kick situation in the 23rd minute. 

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Spalletti's men held their nerve and prevented their opponents from scoring before half-time, when they made some tactical changes.

After the restart, Napoli cruised to victory with Lorenzo Insigne and Eljif Elmas finding the back of the net, in the 62nd and 72nd minutes, respectively.

But the tactician has warned the West African over the incident, at the same time lauding Insigne for his influence.

"The expulsion of Osimhen? He has to be careful of his emotional reactions," Spalletti said as quoted by Ilnapolista.

"He is a strong attacker and all defenders will help each other. He will always have his hands on the defenders. He must be careful. The referee was corrected when I went to talk to him and he explained what he saw.

"Insigne confirmed that he was a true leader because he came out in a difficult moment. He had the misfortune to miss a penalty and showed up to take the second. He made the public participate and when the fans entered the field, the ball traveled more. 

"In the second half, even when outnumbered, we figured out what to do and I liked it a lot."

As a result of the straight red card, Osimhen will be expected to miss Napoli's next two Serie A matches against Genoa and Juventus, on August 29 and September 11.

The 24-year-old would also have to wait for his maiden goal of the season after he scored 10 goals in 24 Serie A matches last campaign.

Two years ago at the Reale Arena, Osimhen was sent off for the first time in his professional career during a Uefa Europa League clash against Real Sociedad. 

Prior to their Serie A opener, the Super Eagles striker was in impressive form during pre-season with a brace in their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich and he scored Napoli’s only goal in a 1-0 victory over Serie C club Pro Vercelli.

Harvey Elliott is "a special player", according to Jordan Henderson, who has praised the Liverpool starlet for his "outstanding" performance on his full Premier League debut.

Elliott, who returned to Anfield this summer following a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers, played the full 90 minutes of Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday after being handed his first top-flight start for Jurgen Klopp's side.

The 18-year-old was deployed in a three-man midfield alongside Naby Keita and Henderson, with the Reds captain hugely impressed by his energy and vision in the final third of the pitch.

What's been said?

Henderson has told Liverpool's official website of Elliott's performance: “Harvey’s a special player. He’s been fantastic last season when he was on loan at Blackburn and then he’s come back in great shape for pre-season and done really well, so he deserved his start today and I thought he took it. 

“I thought he was outstanding, his work rate, but also obviously the stuff he can do on the ball, the final passes. Overall I thought he was outstanding.”

Klopp's assessment of Elliott

Elliott's outing against Burnley at Anfield was only his 11th senior appearance for Liverpool since joining the club from Fulham in 2019, but Klopp insisted that he "was not surprised" by the maturity he displayed after a strong pre-season campaign.

“Harvey was part of this performance. Everybody wants to speak to me about Harvey and I understand absolutely when an 18-year-old plays such a mature game why everybody is asking, but I was not surprised he played like this," the Reds boss said post-match. “That’s exactly how he trained in the six or seven weeks he has been back with us from loan. It was good.”

What's next?

Elliott will be back in contention for a place in Klopp's line-up when Liverpool take on European champions Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday.

The international break comes thereafter, with the Reds not due back in action again until September 12 away at Leeds United.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has explained why goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was missing from the squad against TS Galaxy in their Premier Soccer League opener on Sunday.

The Soweto giants opened their 2021-22 campaign with a 0-0 draw against Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium and conspicuously missing from the team’s squad was long-serving player Khune.

What did Baxter say?

"Itu, there is nothing wrong with him, nothing he did against Mamelodi Sundowns [was wrong]," Baxter told the media after the match when quizzed about Khune's absence.

“We just thought that this would be a longer game from their side as it turned out it was.

“It was going to be a more mobile, out of your penalty area sort of goalkeeper’s role and we thought Bruce was the best one of our four suited to that.”

Khune’s absence comes just two days after the 68-year-old British tactician confirmed he will captain the Glamour Boys this season.

Though the 34-year-old custodian was Chiefs’ captain in the 2020-21 campaign, he did not play regularly owing to injury and loss of form, a decision that forced the armband to rotate between Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Samir Nurkovic, and Bernard Parker.

Khune named overall captain

“We had a discussion around this the other day and the club captain will be Itu,” Baxter said ahead of the Galaxy game.

 “Club captain, meaning whenever he plays he’s captain, whenever he doesn’t play, he’s still club captain. It doesn’t change that he is the voice of the squad and he is the go-to man, now that will not change.”

Baxter continued: “Apart from that, we wanted a captain for the team; we want all players to take responsibility. We want all players to have a voice, we want all players to be confident enough to help their teammates.

“Now, we’re talking about a senior player or a player that has been outstanding or a player that has clearly shown leadership qualities.

“Now that one, we might see against Mamelodi Sundowns but we want to be a captain-full team with people that are there to take the pressure, are there to take responsibility, there to have a voice and dare to express themselves.

“I think if you get lots of players good enough, the armband can almost go to anybody.”

Khune will now hope to make the squad when Chiefs face Baroka Swallows in their second top-flight match of the season at FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

Further PSL reading 

Nigeria international Joe Aribo has spoken of how he scored a similar goal as his effort against Rose County in the 4-2 Scottish Premiership win on Sunday.

The 25-year-old scored a wonder goal at Global Energy Stadium in the 15th minute after receiving a pass from Alfredo Morelos in the right corner of the box: he shifted the ball onto his left side, before unleashing an inch-perfect effort into the far corner past Rose County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.

The goal set the road to victory for Steven Gerrard's side as Connor Goldson added the second in the 19th minute but Harry Clarke pulled a goal back for the home team in the 40th minute.

In the second half, Alfredo Morelos scored the third for Rangers in the 56th minute but Rose Country reduced the deficit courtesy of Jordan White, who converted from the penalty spot in the 77th minute but Scott Arfield struck the fourth for the winners in the 84th minute.

“The boys are buzzing. We knew what we had to do today and put in a strong performance. We are definitely happy that we were able to do that,” Aribo told Rangers TV as quoted by Rangers Review.

“I have [scored a goal like that before]. I did it last season at home; it was a similar position and similar finish.

“I think when we come to places like this, we need to start fast and be on top. We just needed that breakthrough and that goal so it was massive. We needed it to get into our stride.

“We wanted to score more goals and keep a clean sheet, of course, but it was good to see the rhythm, the passes, there was a lot of interchange today [Sunday] between the midfield and strikers. That is what we need in the upcoming games.”

Aribo continued: “It is massive [to have that desire]. When you have subs coming off the bench and giving their all, it is good to see. It is a squad game, not just the starting eleven. Everyone has to play their part and it is massive. It is amazing to see.

“We need to do everything we can to be the best that we can be. We can’t make any excuses for what is to come so we need to make sure we are ready to go.”

Speaking to Rangers TV, Gerrard praised the Super Eagle for the brilliant striker by stating: "Yeah, I think that has been coming. Joe [Aribo] was a little bit frustrated through the week but that is what Joe Aribo is all about. Driving up to people, being aggressive, breaking the rules.

"It was a fantastic finish and we want him to keep doing that, we want him to keep scoring goals and has got the license in the midfield three when we name that three that he can go forward and be a bit more ambitious."

Paul Pogba has helped Manchester United to a record-setting start to the 2021-22 campaign, but the Red Devils remain a work in progress and the Frenchman admits tangible success is most important.

The most decorated side in English football last claimed a major trophy back in 2017, with a barren run at Old Trafford set to hit the five-year mark this season.

Pogba could have a pivotal role to play to bring that run to a close, with the World Cup winner contributing five assists in two games while United have extended their unbeaten away record to 27 games.

What has been said?

Pogba told MUTV: "It’s always great, but I prefer to win the league and not have the record.

"It’s good, it’s positive, next time what we want to have a record of is winning away – that would be the best and not draw when we know we can win these games, the same [with a] clean sheet. We learn from that, stay positive and we go again."

Will Pogba remain at Man Utd?

Pogba has entered the final 12 months of his current contract and continues to see a move elsewhere mooted, with Paris Saint-Germain among those said to be keen on doing a deal.

He is, however, feeling happy in his current surroundings and offering no indication he will be pushing for a move.

The France international said: "I think I’m good, I’m good. The team, we all good. Training well, we came back very focused as always and like I said I always give my best on the pitch and give my heart to help my team-mates. 

"So we need to keep it up, we keep improving and I wanted to win today – that’s why I’m disappointed with the result.”

Further reading

Arsenal legend Ian Wright lauded Nicolas Pepe despite his team losing 2-0 to Chelsea in the Premier League match played at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Romelu Lukaku outmuscled Pablo Mari to tap in a Reece James cross after 15 minutes for the opening goal. The provider then turned scorer 20 minutes later, converting a Mason mount pass to ensure the Blues went home with maximum points.

"What I saw [on Sunday], apart from [Albert Sambi] Lokonga, I thought he was very good today, [Nicolas] Pepe did a bit in places, I thought we looked really bereft of anything that we were doing," the now 57-year-old Wright said as quoted by DailyPost.

It was the second game for the Gunners in the new Premier League campaign. They started their match with a 2-0 loss away to promoted side Brentford who scored their goals through Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has delivered updates on the fitness and availability of Kieran Tierney, Ben White, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as under-strength Arsenal start to ready themselves for a meeting with defending champions Manchester City.

Against Chelsea, Gabriel Martinelli was also substituted and the youthful tactician has commented on the player as well.

"They had to limp off," Arteta told reporters, "KT had an issue with his quad and Gabi was cramping. He and Bukayo [Saka] haven’t played 90 minutes for a long time. We’re asking them to do that right now when they’re not fully prepared. 

"They tried really hard, the boys."

Club captain Aubameyang was introduced later on after recovering from Covid-19. Arteta has explained whether he will be available to start against the Citizens.

"I don’t know. Auba made a real effort to be able to be on the bench [against Chelsea]. He only trained one day," Arteta continued.

"He really struggled with illness - he was in bed for a long time but he wanted to be in the squad, he wanted to try to help the team and I thought he did help the team when he came on."

After starting their campaign with a 1-0 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur, the champions bounced back with a 5-0 win over Norwich City last weekend. 

Manchester City will unveil statues to David Silva and Vincent Kompany outside the Etihad Stadium before the Premier League match with Arsenal on Saturday.

City commissioned the sculptures to the pair who are seen as the two of the greatest players in the club’s history - and will later add a third of former striker Sergio Aguero.

Kompany spent 11 years at the club while Silva was at the Etihad for a decade and helped transform City into one of the best teams in England.

What’s been said?

“It's still difficult to grasp. I go back to the very beginning when I signed for City and we didn't talk about statues at the time,” Kompany said.

"From day one it was just hard work and staying strong mentally and physically just to compete. At the end of my time at City, you get honoured with something that you didn't expect at all at no stage.

“Afterwards, you realise you've been part of a very special group of players for the history of the club and the start of something but it's difficult to grasp.”  

The bigger picture

Created by award-winning British artist Andy Scott, the finished works will remain a secret until they are officially made public this weekend.

Scott was only able to meet Kompany and Silva virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and made them at his studio in Philadelphia.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak announced the decision to honour the three players in 2019 following Kompany’s exit to manage Anderlecht.

“Ultimately, Vincent and David do not need statues to enshrine their achievements at Manchester City over the past decade, they are already revered as icons of their generation,” he said.

“But what these artworks give us, and generations to come, is the opportunity to be reminded of, and savour, the truly magical moments created by both men.”

Kompany was City’s long-time captain winning the Premier League title four times, as well as two FA Cups and four League Cups while Silva won one more League Cup medal.

Further reading