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Ferran Corominas' future at FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) is anybody's guess.

The Spaniard has been one of the most consistent goalscorers for the Goan side and one of the best to have played in India in the last three seasons after two Golden Boot awards. He is also the reigning all-time top scorer in the ISL with 48 goals from 57 outings. 

He has been an integral part of the team which has now qualified for the AFC Champions League group stage after topping the league stage of the 2019-20 ISL.

"The Asian championship is a good tournament to play but for me the important thing is that they value me for my performance. This year FC Goa, with the offer it has made, hasn’t valued me for the performance I have had," the 37-year-old expressed to Goal.

However, given the Coronavirus pandemic situation cutting down on clubs' budgets for the upcoming season, the striker has revealed that no other ISL side has made him an offer yet.

"For the following season, the future is not clear. I am a free player without a contract and I am listening to proposals. But with the Covid-19 problem, it doesn't help. In India, only FC Goa has made me an offer. I have received a proposal from other countries, but at the moment I haven’t decided anything," he said.

So far, among the foreign players, FC Goa has managed to extend the services of Edu Bedia for the next two seasons while Hugo Boumous currently has his contract running till 2022 after the Frenchman had become the first foreigner to sign a three-year contract in the ISL.

"I think my three seasons on a personal level have been excellent with very good statistics and contributing a lot to the team. FC Goa is changing a lot, in terms of players and coaches," said Corominas.

FC Goa have roped in Juan Ferrando as the head coach with the club facing departures of key personnel such as Ahmed Jahouh, Mourtada Fall, Mandar Rao Dessai and Jackichand Singh while Carlos Pena has announced his retirement.

Till date, the Gaurs have announced the signings of Redeem Tlang from NorthEast United, Sanson Pereira from Salgaocar FC and the promotion of developmental side captain Leader D'Cunha to the first team. They have also announced the capture of Makan Chothe from Punjab FC.

Jorginho is unlikely to leave Chelsea this summer, according to his agent, because the "price tag has gone up" for the Italy international and "nobody can afford" him in the current market.

The defensive midfielder followed Maurizio Sarri from Napoli to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018, making a €57 million (£52m/$65m) switch from Serie A to the Premier League.

He is under contract with Chelsea until 2023, but speculation has linked the player with a return to Italy and linking up with Sarri yet again at Serie A champions Juventus.

However, his agent, Joao Santos, has played down the possibility of a move due to the financial impact on clubs caused by the coronavirus outbreak, which has seen many teams suffer through the loss of matchday revenue as games are played behind closed doors because of social distancing regulations.

As a result, Santos does not think that clubs currently have the financial power to draw Chelsea into accepting a bid or being able to offer his client the wages he desires.

He told Italian football website Calciomercato: “His price-tag has certainly gone up over the last two years, as he has done well in London and become a regular for Italy.

“He is now the vice-captain at Chelsea and has amassed a great deal of experience playing in the Champions League and Europa League. I think it’s very unlikely an offer will come in for Jorginho, because nobody can afford to make that kind of investment in the market right now.

“Because of the pandemic, nobody knows when we can return to normal or even play with fans in the stadium, so that’s a big problem for the transfer market.”

Jorginho was not an immediate hit at Stamford Bridge following his move, with some Chelsea fans using him as a scapegoat for their dissatisfaction at the football played under Sarri.

However, he kept his place in the team and was a key figure as the Blues won the Europa League, reached the Carabao Cup final and qualified for the Champions League last season.

Indeed, he has remained a first-team fixture in 2019-20 under Frank Lampard, who replaced Sarri as manager last summer, with Jorginho having made a total of 91 appearances for Chelsea so far in all competitions, scoring nine goals.

The Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) have promised to get to the bottom of a complaint filed by Azam FC citing unfair refereeing during their Mainland Premier League match against Young Africans (Yanga SC) on Sunday.

On Tuesday, the ‘Ice Cream Makers’ lodged an official complaint to the TPLB against the three officials who were in charge of their game away to Yanga.

In the match that ended in a goalless draw at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Elly Sasii was the centre referee with Mbaraka Haule and Soud Lila assisting him.

According to Azam, the trio made some grave mistakes - a denied penalty for either side and two legit goals flagged for offside.

"We have written to the board regarding the officiating witnessed on Sunday in a league game away to Yanga," read the letter to the TPLB and obtained by Goal.

"Azam were denied a legit goal scored by Abdallah Kheri who converted an Iddi Selemani cross with the officials arguing the former was in an offside position which is not true.

"The same happened in the 47th minute, this time around Never Tigere converting a Richard Djodi pass, but again the assistant referee flagged the goal scorer for offside which again was not the case. 

"With 15 minutes to go, our defender Nicholas Wadada was fouled in the danger zone and we expected the referee to award [Azam] a penalty. To our dismay, the referee waved play-on and the opportunity was lost.”

TPLB CEO Almas Kasongo has confirmed receipt of the complaint from Azam and promised to do a thorough investigation on the matter.

“The focus of their letter is they are not satisfied with the way it was managed by referees on the day as such, the board through its league management committee will watch again the match to identify the shortfalls,” Kasongo is quoted by Daily News.

“As the secretariat, our job is to receive the letter, go through it and send it to the concerned section for the appropriate decision to be taken.”

Azam CEO Abdulkarim Amin also said in a separate interview there were some decisions that did not go their way during the fixture.

“After gathering enough evidence, we have followed the right procedures to voice out our complaints by writing a formal letter to TPLB for them to hear our part,” Amin explained to Daily News.

“This is not the first time for us to write a letter of such kind. Even after the 3-2 match against Simba, we also wrote them (TPLB) a complaint letter following biased decisions against us of which they have not responded until now.

“As a club, we invest a lot into the team to get good results hence when such unfair decisions are made; it becomes a setback for the club since there are no benefits.

“Whenever we play against big teams [Simba and Yanga], we always become victims of poor refereeing and this has been going on for a long period now.”

Scott McTominay has all the attributes to become Manchester United's captain in the future, according to Dimitar Berbatov, who was pleased to see the dependable midfielder sign a new deal.

McTominay put pen to paper on a new five-year contract at Old Trafford on Tuesday, which will see him remain in Manchester through to 2025 with the option of a one-year extension.

The 23-year-old is currently enjoying his best season yet in the famous red shirt, and has now firmly established himself as a key member of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad.

McTominay has already racked up 75 appearances for United since making his debut in 2017, with his next opportunity to shine likely to come in Wednesday's meeting with Sheffield United.

Berbatov says the Red Devils have shown their faith in the Scotland international's ability by tying him down to fresh terms, and has urged him to repay that trust by taking his game to the next level.

The ex-United striker told Betfair: "I think it is a perfect time to extend Scott McTominay's contract. I think he is developing in the right way, playing regularly and I hope they give him more time. 

"It certainly shows that United have faith in him as a player and the club are making a statement that they are going to depend on him in the future. He's still young and in his early 20s, so for him to see that the club are trusting him and rewarding him with a contract extension is a great day for him to celebrate.

"He now needs to put those celebrations aside and prove why the club have given him a extension, he needs to be even better than before, and he needs to put even more effort into his game so that he can show that he can be a regular starter.

"He definitely deserves a new contract, he has great confidence in the way he moves around the pitch and the way he looks for the ball.

"He is at the stage where he is now comfortable in his position and the way he plays football. In the beginning, he needed some game time to get used to everything but now he is fully integrated into the team at such an early age, which is great because he now has more time to play, enjoy his football and make a name for himself as a player.

"With his physique and the way he plays football, he looks like a future captain and leader of Manchester United to me. Now, the most important thing isn't to relax because he has a new deal, it is the opposite, he needs to play and work even harder.

"He is in the right place to develop, he is surrounded by great players and the coach believes in him. How good he turns out to be only depends on him and how ambitious he is to be one of the best."

The South African government has given the PSL the go-ahead to resume the suspended season. 

The league's executive committee had been waiting for the government to approve their 'return to play' proposal for the past few weeks following the adoption of the task team's report by the Joint Liaison Committee (JLC) in May. 

More to follow... 

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have once again called on their fans to stop castigating players especially their striker Gnamien Yikpe.

The Ivorian striker, who joined the Jangwani Street-based giants from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, has been a target of heavy criticism from Yanga fans since the Mainland Premier League resumed on June 13.

Yikpe has only managed to score one goal since he joined the club and after their 0-0 draw against Azam FC at National Stadium at the weekend, the agitated fans stormed the team’s dressing room calling for his sacking and even further demanded to know who signed him for the club.

Addressing the media ahead of their league match against Namungo FC on Wednesday, Yanga information officer Hassan Bumbuli appealed to the fans to stop criticising the players, giving the example of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who had a difficult time at Manchester United but is now shining at Inter Milan.

“My appeal to our fans is they should avoid attacking players whenever the result doesn’t come our away,” Bumbuli told reporters.

“I can give an example of Lukaku, he was on-form when he signed for Man United but he failed terribly but look at him now, he is the best striker for Inter Milan and without him, they will not win a match.

“Yikpe was a very good player when we signed him from Gor Mahia but, who knows, he will get his form back, but the problem now is that our fans are not giving players time to settle, they are demanding for an instant result which is okay but should try and avoid using abusive language against the players.”

On Tuesday, Yanga SC coach Luc Eymael admitted exclusively to Goal that he has run out of ideas on how to help the under-fire striker.

“Now about Yikpe, it is a terrible problem, he is so good in training sessions but he is not repeating this good style in-game time, then is a big problem and I give him so many times a chance and now the fans are there, they are on his neck, and it will be worse and it is for sure for now it will be difficult to give him playing time,” Eymael told Goal on Tuesday.

“But fans have to know, I am not the one who signed Yikpe, fans should know we don’t have the real solution for a striker, if we had one top striker, one of the strikers that I recommended to the club, we should have scored more than 15 or 20 goals by now, fans should know that I have recommended top strikers but until now the situation is the same.

“But until now we are just waiting for the decision from the stakeholders who are taking decision for signing new players, the coach can only recommend and the work of management is to sign, the only player I recommended for the club is Bernard [Morrison] and you can see the job he is doing for the club.

“It will be very difficult for Yikpe, it will be very difficult for him, even going into training on Monday the fans were still on his neck again on the road [going to training and back] and to recover will be difficult for the player.”

Yikpe is likely to be benched when Yanga takes on Namungo, seeking to bounce back from the 0-0 draw against Azam.

While the future of Thomas Partey remains uncertain, the relentless mill of transfer speculation has already begun to turn up potential replacements for the influential midfielder.

Per recent reports, the Ghana international has a contract offer from Atletico Madrid to extend his stay in the Spanish capital. However, links to North London club Arsenal persist, no doubt sparked by a statement attributed to his father in April but now fuelled by the player's own reticence toward signing the extension.

Partey's importance within Diego Simeone's system has continued to grow over the last two seasons. Following the departure of long-serving captain Gabi in 2018, the 27-year-old has assumed not just the position at the base of the Atletico midfield, but also a de facto leadership role within the team.

It is a level of responsibility he has risen to and relished: he leads the team in successful dribbles per game (1.8), is third for interceptions (1.4 pg) and second for completed passes (41.0 pg) .

More important than the volume, however, is the types of passes.

Per FBref, of players who have made at least 15 starts, Partey leads Atletico for passes played into the final third (6.92 per 90), touches (70.7 per 90) and is second only to Kieran Trippier for progressive passes (7.44 per 90).

For a side that is built first and foremost to be solid defensively, he is absolutely crucial to the construction of their attacking play.

Big boots to fill then if, as is widely expected, he leaves the Metropolitano.

Two names that have been strongly linked as replacements are Real Mallorca midfielder Iddrisu Baba and Villarreal's Andre Zambo Anguissa, who is on loan from English side Fulham. While their styles are somewhat contrasting, they both have certain merits that make them interesting considerations for Atletico.

Iddrisu Baba

There are, of course, a few obvious similarities between Baba and Partey.

Both are Ghana internationals and, like his older compatriot did six years ago, the 24-year-old Baba is receiving a footballing education at RCD Mallorca.

That is not all he has going for him, however.

Even within the more humble stylings of Mallorca's game, Baba asserts similar influence on their passing game. He is second in the club for passes into the final third (3.02 per 90) and second for touches (50.4 per 90).

While of players at the club who have at least 15 starts, Baba ranks fourth for progressive passes per 90, he does not carry the responsibility in terms of starting attacks that Partey does. That brief falls to the experienced Salva Sevilla; Baba is tasked with winning the ball, keeping it simple and establishing possession in the centre of the pitch.

Capped by Ghana for the first time last November, he could realistically play as a foil for a player like Partey, allowing his more attacking instincts to flourish. The self-effacing nature of his game is one that has reportedly attracted attention in the past from Real Madrid, interest which forced Mallorca to offer the player two contract extensions in 20 days in July 2019.

There will no doubt be concerns as to whether he can offer the same incision that Partey does. However, it is worth noting that Partey himself was not a like-for-like replacement for Gabi, so a slight difference in profile need not be a deal-breaker.

Andre Zambo Anguissa

The Cameroon international endured a torrid time in the Premier League with a hapless Fulham side in 2018/19, but is rebuilding his reputation at Villarreal.

His strong performances for the Yellow Submarine have seen him earmarked as a possible replacement for Partey at Atletico.

An imposing figure in midfield, Anguissa excels at carrying the ball forward. He leads Villarreal in total dribbles (69) this season, a remarkable statistic considering he plays alongside Santi Cazorla, and is fourth for progressive carries.

However, his actual work in possession is good too. He has the second-highest passing accuracy in the team, and of players who have made at least 15 starts, he is second for passing the ball into the final third.

Physically more imposing than Baba, he is however less active defensively inside his own defensive third. Typically, Anguissa, perhaps by virtue of Villarreal's high defensive line, plays higher up the pitch, using his engine to disrupt and break up play.

Vicente Iborra plays the more disciplined defensive role alongside him in midfield, and so he has license to storm forward and apply pressure to opponents.

While it would be a great ask for him to acquire the discipline needed to provide a solid base for the team to function, it is effectively the same route to first team prominence that Partey took, morphing from an energetic box-to-box player to a more metronomic presence.

The sheer difference in playing style between the mooted replacements tells a story in itself, and is a compliment to how aptly Partey has embodied the role at Atletico.

Certainly, the club's preference would be to retain his services.

However, if Arsenal (or indeed anyone else) activate his release clause, either of the above would make for interesting replacements, but for quite different reasons: whereas Baba would need to show more, Anguissa arguably would need to strip back.

Rebekah Vardy is suing Coleen Rooney for libel following her claims that she had been leaking stories about her to the press via her private Instagram account.

The wives of former England international team-mates Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney had a public falling out last year following claims made by Coleen Rooney on her social media.

Rooney said she had put the settings on her Instagram account in such a way that her posts could only be viewed by one other account, owned by Vardy. She had then posted a number of false stories on this account, including about her family home being flooded and that she was considering gender selection in order to have a baby girl.

These stories then appeared in some British newspapers, leading Rooney to go public with her claims in October 2019.

Her statement on Twitter read: “For a few years now someone who I trusted to follow me on my personal Instagram account has been consistently informing The Sun newspaper of my private posts and stories.

“There has been so much information given to them about me, my friends and my family - all without my permission or knowledge. After a long time of trying to figure out who it could be, for various reasons, I had a suspicion.

“To try and prove this, I came up with an idea. I blocked everyone from viewing my Instagram Stories except one account. (Those on my private account must have been wondering why I haven’t had stories there for a while).

“Over the past five months I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way into The Sun newspaper. And you know what, they did! The story about gender selection in Mexico, the story about returning to TV and then the latest story about basement flooding in my new house.

“It’s been tough keeping it to myself and not making any comment at all, especially when the stories have been leaked, however I had to. Now I know for certain which account/individual it’s come from.

“It’s... Rebekah Vardy’s account.”

Her claims caused a storm online as her post accusing Vardy went viral, and leading to the hashtag #WagathaChristie in honour of her perceived sleuthing skills.

Vardy has denied any wrongdoing, saying other people have access to her account and claiming the accusations have caused her to have anxiety attacks.

She is now pursuing legal action against Rooney, with court records showing Vardy filed the libel claim to the High Court on June 12. No date has been set for the hearing, however the case will proceed to trial unless a settlement is agreed beforehand.

Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho played down suggestions of a rift with Tanguy Ndombele after Spurs' win over West Ham.

Ndombele, a club-record signing from Lyon for a reported €60 million (£54m/$68m) last year, was again an unused substitute as Tottenham recorded a 2-0 win in the Premier League on Tuesday.

But reports in France said the midfielder had told Mourinho he no longer wanted to work with him.

However, Mourinho dismissed suggestions of a disagreement, telling a news conference: "No. On the bench was Tanguy, was [Ryan] Sessegnon, Toby [Alderweireld], [Jan] Vertonghen. Who else? Gedson [Fernandes] and they didn't play and that's football. For me, there is nothing.

"I have attacking players on the bench, [Erik] Lamela and Harry [Winks], two great players to bring and then wings to give us more consistency. This situation of the five changes, some people maybe think that you have to do the five changes, you don't have to do it, you have the chance to do it.

"I felt that the team was fine. I never believed that 2-0 was a completely safe result because of course they were trying everything and one goal could change our state of mind and give them the motivation they need for the last minutes so I decided to keep the team stable and three changes were enough."

Mourinho added: "It's not just him, I try to do the best for my team, I cannot start the game with 12 or 13 players, I try to do the best for the team.

"Sometimes I apologise to my players that are not my first choice because I feel the work in training is something that deserves more than what I give, but I have to do my job the best I can and I felt for these two matches I didn't need him."

Spurs are seventh in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, after a Tomas Soucek own goal and Harry Kane strike.

Mourinho said he warned his players of the importance of claiming three points when they were level at half-time.

"First of all, the three points were not important, they were crucial. I told the players that at half-time," he said.

"Don't think if we don't win this match we still can think about chances because tonight is three points or nothing so three points fundamental, then great clean sheet."

National First Division (NFD) outfit TS Galaxy have confirmed that three of their players tested positive for coronavirus. 

In a statement released by the club, a series of tests were conducted to the squad, the technical team and the management in preparation for the restart of the suspended campaign. 

The Kwa-Ndebele-based didn't reveal the names of the players who tested positive for the deadly virus. 

However, they confirmed all three are asymptomatic and self-isolating.   

"TS Galaxy Football Club can confirm that three of their players have tested positive for Covid-19," said the TS Galaxy in the statement. 

Following a series of tests conducted on the entire squad, technical and management staff in preparation for the resumption of the season, the results of the three players returned positive and were confirmed to the club on Tuesday, 23 June."

"The club, however, is pleased to confirm that all three players are asymptomatic and are currently in isolation, taking a serious precaution on their journey to recovery.

"The TS Galaxy FC medical team is working tirelessly in strict compliance with all regulations to ensure that all players and technical staff are diligently following all health and safety guidelines." 

These are the first three confirmed cases in the NFD and more results are expected to be made public from the clubs after having conducted tests toward the end of last week. 

As things stand, the number of confirmed cases in the PSL - both in the elite league and NFD - have risen to 10. 

In May, Ben Motshwari of Orlando Pirates became the first professional player to test positive but he has since recovered from the virus. 

On Monday, a second case was confirmed with Bloemfontein Celtic announcing that Given Mshikinya had tested positive. 

This was followed by three more cases from Stellenbosch FC, who revealed that none of the confirmed cases was from the players but staff members. 

Kaizer Chiefs also went public about the results from their camp - with two unnamed players testing positive. 

As per government and PSL's instructions, a series of tests for the coronavirus should be conducted while the league is waiting for the go-ahead to resume the season from the Minister of Sports Nathi Mthethwa and Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize. 

The PSL executive committee is aiming to conclude the season before July 31 but that deadline appears unlikely to be met as clubs have only conducted the first round of tests. 

Harry Kane scored his first goal since December as Tottenham boosted their Champions League hopes with a 2-0 win over West Ham. 

Tomas Soucek inadvertently turned into his own net in the 64th minute to give Spurs the lead and Kane, who finally returned from a hamstring injury suffered in January in Friday's draw with Manchester United, made sure of the result on his 200th league appearance for the club. 

Victory for Jose Mourinho's men keeps the pressure on Manchester United and Wolves as they seek to return to the Champions League following their last-16 exit this season. 

Meanwhile, West Ham remain outside the bottom three only on goal difference having suffered successive defeats since the season resumed after the coronavirus-enforced hiatus. 

The Hammers succeeded in neutralising Tottenham's threat in a first half that was most notable for VAR ruling Son Heung-min had strayed offside before lashing beyond Lukasz Fabianski in the 45th minute. 

Tottenham registered the only two shots on target of the first half - one of which came from a vicious long-range drive from Lucas Moura, who struck woefully wide in stoppage time after good work down the left from Ben Davies. 

Fabianski had to be alert to block Kane's flicked effort at the near post from Serge Aurier's right-wing cross before Pablo Fornals spurned a presentable opportunity at the other end. 

Kane fired narrowly over the crossbar from the edge of the area and was guilty of profligacy at the end of a rapid counter, firing wide of the right-hand post by an even finer margin. 

But Tottenham finally broke the deadlock in fortuitous circumstances when a corner from their right struck the back of Soucek's leg and squirmed past Fabianski. 

Jarrod Bowen clattered the post for West Ham before Kane surged through and slotted home in confident fashion to seal the points. 

What does it mean? - Spurs gain ground, Hammers still in trouble

The manner of the victory is unlikely to be of much concern to Mourinho, whose squad are a point behind fifth-placed Manchester United and sixth-placed Wolves. United face Sheffield United on Wednesday while Wolves host Bournemouth. 

For West Ham, their seventh consecutive away league defeat keeps them 17th and looking nervously over their shoulders at the foot of the table.

Kane only second to Aguero 

Kane's strike took him to 137 in the Premier League. Sergio Aguero (138) is the only player to have scored more in their first 200 appearances for a club.

After spurning earlier opportunities, the England international produced an assured finish after having plenty of time to think about it, in the process wrapping up Jose Mourino's 300th win in English football. 

Own goal woe 

Soucek was extremely unlucky with the opener, which was the third own goal shipped by West Ham this season, the joint-most in the Premier League along with Chelsea and Watford.  

Only Brighton and Hove Albion (four) have benefited from more own goals by the opposition than Spurs (three) this campaign. 

Key Opta Facts

- Spurs have won their first Premier League home game since February 2 versus Manchester City.
- West Ham have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since December 2015.
- Mourinho has never lost against David Moyes in their 14 meetings (W9 D5) in all competitions – this is his best record against any manager.
- Kane's strike was his 30th goal in Premier League London derbies (48 apps), meaning only Teddy Sheringham (32), Frank Lampard (32) and Thierry Henry (43) have netted more often in such matches in the competition's history.

What's next? 

Tottenham travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United a week on Thursday. West Ham, meanwhile, host Chelsea in another London derby a day earlier. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that he has a problem regarding what to do with Dean Henderson and his goalkeeping department next season.

The 23-year-old has impressed again during his second stint at Sheffield United and now the Manchester United manager must make a decision over whether or not to send him out on loan again.

Henderson has started 29 games for the Blades during the current campaign and the concern for the England international is that if he comes back to Old Trafford he will struggle for game time, stuck behind David de Gea in the pecking order. 

And Solskjaer has admitted it will be a big decision for him to make in the summer.

“We need to make sure Dean plays football to develop, so we’re going to make a decision later on,” Solskjaer said. “He’s had two fantastic years and we appreciate what Sheffield United have done with him as well. So that’s an option, for him to stay at Sheffield United.”

But, despite De Gea’s decline in form over the past 18 months and his mistake against Tottenham on Friday, Solskjaer insists the Spaniard is still his first choice and said it will take a lot for Henderson to replace him in that position - for now.

“I think Dean has had a fantastic couple of years at Sheffield United and I think eventually he will end up as England's No.1 and Man Utd's No.1,” Solskjaer continued.

“But he’s got the best goalkeeper in the world to tip [De Gea] off his place and for me David is still developing and still getting better and better. 

“We’re going to make a decision on Dean as it comes.” 

United also have Sergio Romero on their books and despite impressing when he has been given a chance, he has only made 14 appearances in all competitions this season which leaves Solskjaer with some big decisions to make this summer.

Argentina shot-stopper Sergio Romero remains on the books at United and has turned in some impressive displays when called upon, taking in 14 appearances across all competitions. Addressing that fact, Solskjaer further hinted that Henderson will have to wait for his big chance.

“I think Sergio is the best No.2 in the world. He’s so professional, even though he wants to play every game. He challenges David but they’re also good friends,” the Norwegian said of the 33-year-old. 

“Every day in training there’s a good atmosphere and environment there, but of course he’s disappointed every time I choose not to play him. 

“I’ve got a good problem, we’ve got a good problem, a challenge to decide how our goalkeeping department is going to look next season because you can’t have three or four top keepers there.”

Ed Woodward is confident Manchester United can navigate through what he predicts will be a ‘difficult next few months’ thanks to the club’s support.

United’s executive vice-chairman has already warned it will not be business as usual when the transfer window opens and on the pitch things are completely different too as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s prepare for their first behind closed doors game at Old Trafford against Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

With home advantage all but gone and the players getting used to a new normal, as well as the financial implications Covid-19 is expected to have on every club up and down the country, Woodward is confident United will come out of the crisis in a strong position.

"On the pitch, there is no escaping the reality that the coming months are going to be difficult for everyone in football and we are no exception," Woodward said in United Review.

"However, our club’s foundations are solid and, provided we stick together and manage our resources carefully, we will come through this period with our strength intact – thanks in large part to the loyalty of our fantastic supporters."

While supporters are not allowed in the stadium they will be represented by giant mosaics which will be wrapped around the Old Trafford seats. Pictures of 40,000 supporters from 193 countries will be used and Woodward used this as an example to reiterate the club’s commitment to diversity and their mission to support Kick it Out and Black Lives Matter.

"As a club, we say ‘thank you’ through the ‘United for the Heroes’ banner displayed in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, as well as the NHS logo on the players’ shirts," Woodward said.

"You will also see powerful anti-racism messages, on the players’ shirts and in the stands, and we are proud to be uniting with our players and the rest of the Premier League behind this crucial cause.

"Diversity, inclusion and the fight against racism are at the core of our values as a club whose support spans racial and cultural boundaries. This has been a long-standing commitment from the club, as part of our All Red All Equal campaign and our support for groups such as Kick It Out.

"The breadth and diversity of our fan base is demonstrated by over 40,000 supporters from 193 countries who submitted their pictures for the spectacular fan mosaic, which will be on show in the stands for the first time tonight.  We hope the mosaic will provide inspiration to the team as a reminder of the hundreds of millions cheering them on from home.

"As a banner in the Stretford End tonight declares, quoting Sir Matt Busby, ‘football is nothing without fans,’ and we can’t wait for you to return to Old Trafford as soon as it is safe to do so."

Ivan Rakitic came to Barcelona's rescue as the substitute fired Quique Setien's side to a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. 

All eyes were on Lionel Messi, chasing his 700th career goal, but he had to settle for an assist to Rakitic's 71st-minute strike that lifted Barcelona back above Real Madrid. 

Amid Messi's pursuit of a slice of history, a drought had looked to be undermining Barcelona's LaLiga title bid until the late twist. 

After a goalless draw at Sevilla on Friday, Barcelona were far from their best again. 

The biggest impact Messi made until his assist for the goal was arguably the one he left on Yeray Alvarez's ankle in what was perhaps generously considered an innocent collision. 

He threatened to steal the headlines in the closing minutes when he darted in from the right flank, the ball on his left foot, and took aim for the far corner. 

It is a goal that Messi has scored so many times in his career, but this time the fierce shot flew wide of the left upright. Ansu Fati, meanwhile, hit the right post from close range in stoppage time. 

The chances were not all Barcelona's though, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen almost caught out in the opening moments of the game when Unai Lopez's snappy cross from a short corner on the left nearly arrowed into the far corner. 

Ter Stegen just got there in time, but the goalkeeper was struggling midway through the first half when Yeray connected with Lopez's teasing free-kick. Ter Stegen and Barca were thankful the defender sent his header over the bar. 

After the break, Messi teed up Antoine Griezmann with a clever pass, but the French forward could not apply a suitable finish. 

Eventually the breakthrough came as Messi teased the ball through for the charging Rakitic to slam beyond Unai Simon. 

Luis Suarez suddenly looked energised and saw a thumping shot deflect over for a corner. The ineffective Griezmann had already made way, his drought now up to seven league games. 

Then came the moment when Messi should have completed another century of goals, but the landmark will have to wait. 

What does it mean? The lead changes hands 

Barcelona go three points clear of Real Madrid for now, having been second on head-to-head record going into this game. Madrid face struggling Real Mallorca on Wednesday, so are expected to reclaim top spot.  

Athletic, meanwhile, are enduring a mid-table campaign but at least competed well here. 

Grim again from Griezmann  

Griezmann last went seven games without a goal in late 2016, amid a nine-game barren streak for Atletico Madrid. He emerged from that to re-establish himself among LaLiga’s most-feared forwards, so Barca will hope the same applies this time. But the 29-year-old was worryingly flat in this game, fluffed his one big chance and was hooked by Setien midway through the second half. 

Visitors unfortunate to lose

Athletic defended doggedly and could count themselves unfortunate to miss out on a point, with Yeray particularly impressive. What he did not deserve was the challenge from Messi that caught him around the ankle. Messi will be flooded with cards when he turns 33 on Wednesday. He surely should have had one here, too, perhaps red.

What's next? 

Barcelona will hope to prove sharper when they travel to face lowly Celta Vigo on Saturday. Athletic face Mallorca on the same day. 

 Faouzi Ghoulam played his first competitive match for Napoli since October as a substitute in Tuesday's Serie A win over Hellas Verona.

The 29-year-old was introduced as a 67th-minute substitute in their 2-0 away triumph at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

He replaced Elseid Hysaj, and he assisted Hirving Lozano in securing Napoli's second goal on the stroke of full-time after Arkadiusz Milik opened the scoring in the 38th minute.

The game was Ghoulam’s first outing since October 6 when he was introduced for Hysaj in a goalless draw against Torino.

It was his sixth appearance in the Serie A this season as Gennaro Gattuso’s men boosted their chances of qualifying for the Uefa Champions League next season.

Napoli are sixth in the league table with 42 points after 27 matches and they are nine points away from the top-four with 11 games to go.

At the end of the match, Ghoulam said he was excited to return to the pitch and he was pleased with the team’s overall performance on the road.

“I was looking forward to returning to the field. I'm happy: for the victory, the team's performance and for the assist. Kudos to us,” the Algeria international tweeted.

Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly was also in action for Napoli but he was shown a yellow card during the encounter.

The centre-back who played a crucial role in helping Gattuso's men lift the Coppa Italia last Wednesday was delighted to see the team maintain their winning streak and he also shared in Ghoulam’s joy.

"The joy of Coppa Italia did not distract us. We played a difficult game very well. Happy for the return to the field of Faouzi Ghoulam,” he tweeted.

For Hellas Verona, Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat was on parade for 84 minutes while Ghana's Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu was an unused substitute.

Harry Kane said he feels "as fit as I've ever done" after scoring his first goal of 2020 in Tottenham's 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday.

Kane returned to action for the first time since New Year's Day following a hamstring injury and the coronavirus-enforced hiatus in Friday's draw with Manchester United .

The England striker looked visibly off the pace in that game and wasted several chances against West Ham before making sure of the points eight minutes from time.

Tottenham's win moves them within a point of fifth-placed United and sixth-placed Wolves in the race for Champions League football.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Kane said of his goal: "As a striker, it's what you want to do, you want to score goals, you want to help win games.

"I'm happy to get back on the scoresheet. It was a tough game, it took us a while to break them down. Obviously we had a few chances before we scored the first one, then it was nice to finish it off at the end.

"When you've been out for over six months, it's getting that feeling back on the pitch. You can train as much as you want, but being out here is totally different. I had a few I probably should have scored – definitely one other – but it was nice to put that one away.

"I've been working very hard all through my rehab, through the lockdown and the warm-up games leading to the first Premier League game. I feel as fit as I've ever done before.

"It's been a good chance to rest, recover and work on a few things I haven't been able to over the years. I'm feeling in good shape.

"I'm someone who, whether I score or not, miss chances, I'm always ready for the next one. I don't think it bothers me too much. But scoring is one of the best feelings in the world. It's been a while since I've done it. It's great to get that.

"We've got a little rest now – it's Sheffield United next in a big game – so hopefully we can continue from this win and take it into the rest of the games."

Kane's goal came in his 200th Premier League appearance for Tottenham. He has 137 goals for Spurs in that time, only Sergio Aguero (138) has scored more in his first 200 league appearances for a club.

"It's good but it can always be better," Kane added of that tally. "Look, 200 games goes so quick. I've been playing first-team football now for five or six years and the years just fly by.

"I've got to make the most of it, keep in as good shape as possible. I'm still only 26 and I've still got plenty of years to go, so hopefully I can get to that 200 mark sooner rather than later and see where we go from there."

Moussa Marega grabbed a brace as Porto moved to the top of the Primeira Liga table after defeating Boavista 4-0 in Tuesday's encounter.

The commanding win at the Estadio Do Dragao moved Porto to 67 points after 28 matches with a three-point lead above second-placed Benfica who lost a seven-goal thriller earlier in the evening.

After a goalless first-half, Marega started the party for the hosts with his opening goal in the 53rd minutes and Alex Telles doubled the lead seven minutes later from the penalty spot.

Sergio Oliveira made it 3-0 from the penalty spot again in the 70th minute before the Malian striker put the icing on the cake for Porto with his second goal six minutes from full-time.

The brace stretched Marega's tally to eight goals after 24 league outings, making him the Dragons' second-highest goal scorer after Telles who has nine league goals this term.

He was in action from start to finish alongside DR Congo's Chancel Mbemba while Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar watched on as an unused substitute.

Aboubakar currently finds himself struggling in Conceicao's team with just 66 minutes of football played so far in the Portuguese top-flight this season and his last league goal dates back to September 2018.

For Boavista, Gambia's Yusupha Njie, Senegal's Idrissa Mandiang and Ghana's Yaw Ackah were on parade while Nigeria's Nwankwo Obiora was on the bench for 90 minutes.

Next up for Porto is a league visit to Pacos de Ferreira on June 29 while Boavista host Santa Clara a day before.

Phil Foden is a “really special player”, says Owen Hargreaves, with the promising Manchester City midfielder boasting the potential to “reach the level of a David Silva”.

A World Cup-winning Spain international is a current team-mate of an exciting 20-year-old playmaker at the Etihad Stadium.

Silva will, however, be leaving England at the end of his current contract – with a short-term extension agreed to get him to the end of a delayed 2019-20 campaign – meaning that a starting berth is about to open up in Pep Guardiola’s plans.

Foden, who netted twice when included from the off in City’s 5-0 victory over Burnley, is expected to take on a more prominent role from next season.

He has had to be patient in waiting for that opportunity to present itself, but is about to see that persistence rewarded.

Hargreaves is among those expecting a home-grown star to flourish at City, with there every reason to believe that one of the Premier League’s hottest prospects can follow in the footsteps of some illustrious figures.

“I don’t think there is a better player you can learn from than David Silva,” former City midfielder Hargreaves told Premier League Productions.

“Kevin De Bruyne is another one he is learning from, Bernardo Silva is another.

“But I remember one of my youth team managers said to me – I came on the pitch one day shouting out someone’s name that I had watched in the Champions League, I think it was David Beckham – my manager at the time when I was 16 took me to the side and said: ‘Owen, stop shouting out everyone else’s name, just be yourself, that’s good enough’.

“Phil Foden is at this level now that he’s good enough, he doesn’t have to worry about looking at anybody else’s game.

“Phil Foden is a really special player. In between the spaces, the lines, I think he’s as good as any player in the Premier League.

“His use of space is really special, he just needs the reps. When he gets the reps, I think he is going to reach the level of possibly a David Silva.

“It’s a long way away, but his starting point is exceptional.”

Foden’s two-goal showing against Burnley was his 64th senior outing for City, with the target having now been found on 13 occasions across those appearances.

While pushing to nail down a regular role for the Blues, the England U21 international is also looking to force his way into contention for a place in Gareth Southgate’s senior Three Lions fold.