19:45 BST 19/10/2021
The Man United boss insisted that the club are 'unbelievably proud' of Rashford's work on and off the pitch.
The Red Devils boss was eager to “get the elephant out of the room” when lining up alongside an England international on Champions League press duty
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has awkwardly addressed his “prioritise football” comment on Marcus Rashford while sat next to the Manchester United forward on Champions League press duty.
The Red Devils boss welcomed the England international back into his plans for the first time this season on Saturday, with Rashford fully recovered from a shoulder problem to see 25 minutes off the bench in a 4-2 defeat at Leicester.
Rashord did find the target in that contest, as he returned to action for the first time since the Euro 2020 final, and Solskjaer insists that his controversial comments were actually related to the forward now being able to focus on his football, being injury-free.
The United boss told reporters at the King Power Stadium: "I know that we will see the best of Marcus in the years to come.
"He has done remarkable things at a young age but he is now coming into the best age for a footballer and he is learning, getting more experienced.
"He has time to reflect on… what he has done off the pitch as well, because he has done some fantastic things and now to… maybe prioritise his football and focus on football because he’s got a challenge on his hands here at Man United, he has a challenge on his hands to play for England, and I think Marcus is one of those who takes up those challenges.
"He is going to express himself and his talent and he knows that we want a lot from him but we are going to give him the time to get back to what he was and what he can be."
The Norwegian was surprised to see a throwaway comment generate so many headlines, with Solskjaer eager to put the record straight ahead of a European encounter with Atalanta on Wednesday.
He said when taking a seat in front of the assembled media: “Let’s get the elephant out of the room... we’re so unbelievably proud of what he’s done.
“You made a headline out of one little comment that I never intended to be the focus of my comment. I just wanted to start with that so we got it out of the way.”
Rashford, who is now an MBE on the back of his political work during the coronavirus pandemic , was sat next to his manager and was spared an uncomfortable moment of his own as attention swiftly turned towards United’s efforts to offer a positive response to a disappointing setback against Leicester.
The American playmaker continues to be troubled by an ankle problem, with further setbacks keeping him stuck on the sidelines
Thomas Tuchel says Christian Pulisic is “really suffering” as his injury nightmare continues at Chelsea, with the Blues boss admitting that “recovery is not happening” for the United States international.
A talented 23-year-old forward has been nursing an ankle problem since suffering an untimely blow while representing his country in September.
Positive progress was being made in his recovery at one stage, but further setbacks are keeping him stuck on the sidelines and out of contention for a place in his club manager’s plans.
Tuchel has told reporters ahead of a Champions League clash with Malmo when asked for an update on Pulisic: “He got injured during a match with the USA, with a foul, a tough foul, and he hurt his ankle.
“There is nothing to worry about in terms of details, and that we are hiding details. I cannot give you all of the details because I am not a doctor, but at the moment he has had some setbacks from pain.
“Not from a major injury or complications. It is simply the pain in the ankle that disturbs him. Once these players with quick movements like Christian, once they feel this pain and they are not free in the movement the recovery is not happening.
“You start all over again and you reach a certain point and the pain comes back. And you have to do a little pause and start all over again.
“So right now we are very, very close. He was so close to coming to team training last week and had a little setback and reaction, with pain. Nothing serious. From there on we go.
“He is very impatient, of course, and he does everything and we can see him suffer in every meeting. And every time we meet him here [at the training ground] he is really suffering and he wants to be on the pitch and help us. Everybody is doing their very best. Unfortunately the injury takes its time.”
Pulisic has taken in just one Premier League appearance for Chelsea in the 2021-22 campaign.
He did find the target in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on August 14, but was replaced eight minutes from the end by Kai Havertz and has not figured for the Blues since.
That is because he suffered an unfortunate injury during an outing for the USMNT against Honduras which forced him from the field in the 62nd minute.
Prior to that, a bout of Covid-19 had meant Pulisic had to sit out two games at club level.
A further eight have now been missed as a result of fitness struggles, with there still no indication as to when Tuchel will be in a position to call upon the American again.
Robert Klein believes that the rise of clubs like Dortmund and Leipzig is slowly increasing the competitiveness of Bundesliga...
Bundesliga, Germany's top tier of professional football, is amongst the best leagues in Europe, with giants like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund being the star attractions. And football viewership in India is rising and as it is, India is a market for which Bundesliga has a lot of time for.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bundesliga, Robert Klein, spoke about India as a market has a lot of potential for football despite it being a cricket playing nation primarily. He also hoped that Indian players would one day be a part of the Bundesliga
It must be noted that Bundesliga recently signed a two-year deal with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) for exclusive media rights to broadcast the German top-tier league in India and the subcontinent.
"India has got a big potential for football. They are obviously are a Cricket nation and very good at it. But football is the third fastest growing sport and it will continue to be because it is so easy to play. There are also exciting developments in terms of the structural reform of Indian football with ISL as your top league and now the I-League which is going to be promotion and relegation creating a structure.
"Then the tie-ups with Dortmund and Leipzig are an indication of the potential for developments. For us, it is great to see because we want our clubs to come in and we also want Indian football to develop. So the ultimate goal, mostly for me would be to have an Indian player coming into the Bundesliga too which is absolutely achievable. It will take a bit of time. In the last two or three years, there has been a real step-up of football fans across the country," said the Bundesliga International CEO.
While Klein agreed that Bayern Munich have been the most dominant force in the last decade, he suggested that the competition level in the league has gone up in recent years with the increase in strength of clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
"Bayern have gone on an unbelievable run and it has required a lot of hard work and skill to get to that level. However, it is true that the driver for interest internationally is a competitive league. Luckily, in the last two or three years, the league has been much closer. So I believe Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and not just them Leipzig coming on strong and Wolfsburg consistently pushing Bayern but haven't got there yet so we hope that in the coming seasons, we deliver close and excitement till the end and the best team will win," opined Klein.
Recently, England manager Gareth Southgate suggested that the reason why Jadon Sancho is not able to replicate his Dortmund performance at Manchester United is due to the difference in the standard of the Premier League and Bundesliga and the winger will take time to adapt to the new conditions.
Responding to Southgate's comparison of the two leagues, Klein suggested, "I think that Jadon Sancho is not struggling to make an impact in the Premier League because of the league where he came from. He has gone into a new league and a new team with a system that is different from the one where he used to play and he needs time.
"What I can tell for sure is he will succeed because he is an outstanding player and would walk into almost any of the teams in the world and he was developed fantastically at Dortmund and it gave us a lot of excitement. There is now Jude Bellingham over there who is another fantastic player."
The Croatian coach clearly mentioned that he needs ample time to prepare the team for the 2023 Asian Cup third round qualifiers...
India coach Igor Stimac is hoping to have a longer domestic season in India soon in order to further develop the technical and physical aspects of the Indian players and make progress towards the long-term goal of qualifying for the World Cup.
The Croatian coach understands that the process of starting a longer Indian Super League (ISL) got deferred due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but he hopes that it gets resolved soon.
"With the pandemic going on, we cannot count on a season that will go on for eight-nine months. That is the biggest problem. Our last ISL season was supposed to start in August and end in May. That would have been fantastic. Players coming in national camps during the off-season is not great at all. We have to work on their fitness and cannot focus on the tactical part. Hope this changes soon and we can have a normal season like other countries," said the India coach.
Citing the example of China's investment in their domestic football, the Croatian suggested that if India wants to play in the World Cup one day, they have to go through a prolonged process.
"We have to have our internal competition at the same level as the best Asian countries. The same quality of academies and the same amount of investments. China are investing billion dollars in football, they have five million kids in structured academies, thousands and thousands of foreign coaches in those academies and still, it is not enough. They are trying to qualify for the world cup and don't think it will happen. If we are dreaming to qualify for the world cup it is a massive process and other countries are doing much more than us in this regard in every aspect. But we must be supportive of the process," opined Stimac.
The former Croatia international defender spoke about the process and the philosophy of playing possession-based football he has been able to imbibe in the Indian team since taking charge in May 2019.
"Two and half years ago I took up this job because of the technical committee which are formed by ex-players. They understand what and how long it takes to build a more technical team. The process that is involved and the suffering that we must go through. We started restructuring the team from the very first day as we opted for more technical and ball possession football. The only result that we made mistake in was the result against Bangladesh in Salt Lake (1-1 draw). We could not play all the home matches in the WCQ and still, we qualified for the third round.
"We have ensured that the footballers have increased their football knowledge about nutrition, individual training, and the importance of rest. We have some very important players on the pitch and then we have players who can fill in. In every position, we have at least three players. Therefore we are not afraid of losing anyone. We have to take one step forward and play good football in the third round and ensure qualification for the Asian Cup," said Stimac.
Stimac stressed on the fact that he needs enough time to prepare the team for the 2023 Asian Cup third round qualifiers and for that he would need cooperation from the clubs so that players are released in time.
"We don't know yet who will be playing. We need to prepare for the third round. We need to sit with stakeholders and find out how much time the national team will get. If we get time to prepare then he playing and results will be good. Otherwise, it will be a gamble. We have to make sure that all the players are released from the club for these games," said the India boss.
The Blues are expected to at least double the England midfielder's salary as they plan discussions over a new deal
Chelsea are preparing for contract talks with Mason Mount and are willing to make him among their top earners following his Player of the Year campaign in 2020-21, Goal can confirm.
The 22-year-old is currently one of the lowest-earning first-team players, making around £75,000 per week. He has just over two-and-a-half years left on his current deal.
There hasn't been a formal contract offer made to Mount as things stand, with Chelsea first working on deals for defenders Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Trevoh Chalobah.
Mount loves Chelsea and would be delighted to renew, but ultimately understands that he deserves to be valued alongside the likes of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.
Indeed, within the dressing room, Mount has been nicknamed 'star boy' by his fellow professionals who have seen his performances and work rate in close quarters.
Alongside winning Chelsea's Player of the Year award, which was voted for by the club's fans, he also won the Premier League Academy Graduate award for 2020-21.
He assisted Chelsea's Champions League winner and was a regular for England at Euro 2020.
In addition, a perhaps underrated aspect of Mount's value this year is his ability to bring the best out of Romelu Lukaku - his five passes per 90 minutes to the Belgian are more than any other player in Chelsea's squad.
It's something that Thomas Tuchel has noted as he aims to work out how to resolve the issue of his £97.5 million ($136m) signing being isolated in attack.
“I think that football right now is about connections," Tuchel has said. "Romelu, I feel, has a strong connection with Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic.
“They look for each other and have an understanding. Everybody else maybe lacks it a bit, so they need to learn and understand and adapt.”
Despite his positive link up with Lukaku, Mount has appeared tired in his performances early on in the campaign, perhaps due to a lack of pre-season as he recovered from the Euros.
During the last international break, the 22-year-old acknowledged that he has had a lot to deal with in the last few months.
"After what happened in the Euros and the experiences that we went through, it probably did take longer [to get over it than usual]," Mount said.
"You do reflect on how it went as a team and me personally on my game. It was such a heartbreak for us to go all the way and fall at the final hurdle. We now have to look at the next goal and challenge that is coming up."
The Ivorian has been saddled with the responsibility of promoting the organisation’s guidance on the importance of physical activities
Former Cote d’Ivoire international and Chelsea striker has been named as the World Health Organization's Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health.
Following the announcement on Monday in Geneva, the two-time African Player of the Year winner will support the organisation to promote the organization’s guidance on the benefits of physical activity and other healthy lifestyles.
Drogba quit football at the age of 40 following a professional career spanning two decades, the peak years of which the Ivorian spent at Stamford Bridge.
In nine seasons across two spells in London, he won a dozen major honours, including four Premier League titles and a famous Champions League triumph in 2012.
“I am proud to join the World Health Organisation team as a Goodwill Ambassador for Sports and Health,” the African wrote on Instagram.
“I believe #HealthForAll people is essential. The teamwork between WHO, Fifa World Cup and Qatar to make the 2022 World Cup the healthiest and safest ever is strong. I am excited to be part of it.”
“I am honoured to team up with the World Health Organization and support its work to help people reach the highest level of health possible, especially young people in all countries,” he had said during his unveiling.
“I have benefited first hand from the power of sports to lead a healthy life and I am committed to working with WHO to share such gains worldwide.”
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General waxed lyrical about the ex-Olympique Marseille star not only as a football icon but as a dedicated advocate for good health.
"Didier is a proven champion and game-changer both on and off the pitch,” Tedros told the WHO website.
“We are pleased to have him playing on our team, and helping communities worldwide reach and score goals through sports for their physical and mental health and well-being.
“He will also support the mobilization of the international community to promote sports as an essential means for improving the physical, mental health and social well-being of all people, including in helping Covid-19 recovery efforts.”
Apart from Drogba, other WHO ambassadors include Brazilian star Alisson Becker, Michael Bloomberg, Cynthia Germanotta, and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Real will be counting on Karim Benzema for goals as Los Blancos have scored just once from open play in their last three matches...
Real Madrid will face Shakhtar Donetsk in Tuesday's Group D Champions League clash in Ukraine.
Carlo Ancelotti's men are coming into the tie on the back of a humiliating home defeat to Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol in their previous Champions League fixture, before suffering their first La Liga defeat of the season at the hands of Espanyol.
Shakhtar Donetsk have a point to show from their opening two matches, with a draw against Inter Milan after their defeat to Sheriff.
Here's how to watch Shakhtar Donetsk vs Real Madrid in the 2021-22 Champions League from India.
| Game | Shakhtar Donetsk vs Real Madrid |
| Date | Wednesday, October 20 |
| Time | 12:30am IST |
The Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has the rights to show UEFA Champions League matches in India.
Matches will also be available to stream via SonyLIV app and website, besides JioTV mobile app, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches.
| TV channels (English) | Online streaming |
|---|---|
| Sony Six SD & HD | SonyLIV, JioTV |
Shakhtar's Lassina Traore is likely to miss the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury, and though not as serious, Junior Moraes also misses out on account of a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Eden Hazard has returned to training on Sunday but hasn't made the trip to Ukraine, even as Real Madrid have a big injury list that include the likes of Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, Isco and Gareth Bale, though Ancelotti has named Ferland Mendy and David Alaba in his squad for in Tuesday's contest.
Mohamed Salah has been in spectacular form this season and there is the prospect of a Luis Suarez reunion to spice things up...
Atletico Madrid are set to host Liverpool at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in Group B of the ongoing Champions League, on Tuesday.
Jurgen Klopp's men will look to continue with their good run, having won both of their matches in the competition so far. Atletico were held to a goalless draw by Porto in their first home clash but have kept eight clean sheets in their last 12 Champions League matches at home.
Here's how to watch Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool in the 2021-22 Champions League from India.
| Game | Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool |
| Date | Wednesday, October 20 |
| Time | 12:30am IST |
The Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has the rights to show UEFA Champions League matches in India.
Matches will also be available to stream via SonyLIV app and website, besides JioTV mobile app, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches.
| TV channels (English) | Online streaming |
|---|---|
| Sony Ten 2 SD & HD | SonyLIV/JioTV |
Diego Simeone will expect to have a full squad at his disposal after late checks on Jose Gimenez, Marcos Llorente and Matheus Cunha after the trio were out of action lately.
Liverpool confirmed that they are set to welcome Alisson Becker and Fabinho back into contention after the Brazil internationals missed the weekend's 5-0 win at Watford due to national team duty. Curtis Jones has not made the trip to Madrid due to a niggle, while Thiago Alcantara continues to miss out owing to a muscle injury.
The East Bengal coach suggested that despite having offers in Spain, he decided to come to India to gain international experience...
East Bengal have kick-started preparations for the upcoming 2021/22 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Goa and have played two friendly matches against Vasco and Salgaocar which they won 3-1 and 2-0 respectively.
New Red and Golds boss Jose Manuel 'Manolo' Diaz is currently evaluating the squad in the training sessions and so far he is satisfied with what he has seen.
"At the moment we are getting to know the players. We now have many players and we are testing them. In the coming weeks, we are going to finalise the squad. We have a lot of skilful and quality players and I am happy with everyone's hard work."
The Spaniard also informed that despite having coaching offers in his native Spain, he decided to take East Bengal's offer as he wanted to gain experience around the globe.
"I decided to come here because it (East Bengal) is a big club in India. Also, I had offers to continue in Spain but I wanted to get international experience. East Bengal is one of the most important clubs in India, 101 years old," suggested Diaz.
Like last season, the ISL will be conducted in a bio-bubble in Goa. While several coaches and players have had issues staying inside the bubble for nearly six months, the new East Bengal coach does not have any problem and instead suggested that he wants to put his energy behind the team to get success.
"We didn't have the experience of bubble life but we are prepared mentally and physically for this bubble. We know the conditions and the rules. When the league starts, we are going to play a match every three and four days and time will pass because we have to focus on the matches and their tactics. We will put our energy there and won't get time to think about the bubble," said the East Bengal boss.
The former Real Madrid Castilla coach complimented the Indian players of his team and said that some of them are skilful but he needs to improve the tactical aspect of their game.
"We have tested the Indian players in the two friendly matches we played. They have good skills. We have to improve the tactical movements in general and we are in the right away to achieve our objectives."
It must be noted that previous head coach Robbie Fowler had criticised the Indian players at East Bengal during his tenure, with his comments kicking up a storm.
As an East Bengal coach, the performance in the Kolkata derby against arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan will be very much scrutinised. Diaz is aware of the importance of the fixture and reiterated that he would try and win the derby for the fans.
"The derby is a very important match. We want to win it not only for three points but also for the fans, to give them happiness. But we will also try and do well in all the 20 matches of the league. We are ready to win the derby which is our second match of the season," said the Spanish coach.
The Soweto giants eased their woes in emphatic style at the weekend and a club legend gives his opinion on what their performance meant
Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Rudolph Seale feels the Amakhosi players are starting to positively respond to coach Stuart Baxter’s methods following Saturday’s 4-0 Premier Soccer League win over Chippa United at FNB Stadium.
It was a result which ended a four-match winless run of two defeats and as many draws which saw blame being switched between the players and Baxter.
But Seale feels their difficult run was not the coach's fault and focus should now be more on the players to raise their game, having “turned the corner” after the Chippa win.
“They have been together for a couple of weeks now, and the coach and players are starting to get used to each other,” Seale told KickOff.
“I think they have turned the corner now, and they're getting used to each other. After Gavin Hunt's sacking, I think they should now decide that they can't always be sacking coaches. They should instead turn their focus on these players.
“It cannot always be the coach. We just have to raise our performance to the expected levels. This win shows that if opponents can score four goals against us, we can do the same as well. I can say they've realised that it cannot always be the coach.”
Saturday’s win saw Amakhosi climbing up the PSL table from position 12 to eighth.
Seale feels the performance against Chippa shows that Chiefs have the potential to win the league title next season but warns the team against getting carried away by the heavy win.
“By the time the second round comes, I expect to see Chiefs in fourth or fifth position on the log. I don't expect Kaizer Chiefs to win the league,” said Seale.
“This season will only show that we have the potential to win the league next season. I'm very, very impressed, but you know after one win we shouldn't get carried away.
“Remember a couple of weeks ago I said Kaizer Chiefs was a team and not yet a club. I think they are building to becoming a club now. I'm just hoping we need to be consistent from now on. A draw should be the worst-case scenario result.”
Chiefs visit second-placed and unbeaten SuperSport United on Sunday.
The Senegal international continues to receive rave reviews for his outstanding display in between the sticks on Saturday
Former Liverpool striker believes Edouard Mendy could be the missing piece that they will help Chelsea win titles this season.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper made crucial saves in Saturday’s Premier League match against Brentford which helped the Blues secure a 1-0 win on the road.
Mendy’s brilliance at the Brentford Community Stadium has earned commendations from several pundits and even from opposition’s coach Thomas Frank who credited him for giving Chelsea maximum points.
Crouch buttressed the Senegal star’s impact in Thomas Tuchel’s team and how his presence could make the difference in their hunt for silverware in the 2021-22 campaign.
"Thomas Frank had it right after Chelsea somehow beat Brentford on Saturday night, when saying his team would have won that game nine times out of 10. The reason they didn’t? Edouard Mendy," Crouch wrote in Daily Mail 's column
"I spent my playing days hammering goalkeepers and I’m breaking the habit of a lifetime here by wanting to focus on the excellence of a No 1. Mendy underlines the importance of a goalkeeper to a title-winning side. He is the final, missing piece that could get them over the line this season.
"Chelsea were hanging on and it is one of those games they would have drawn or lost in previous years. That Mendy save from Christian Norgaard at the end was unbelievable, and there were a few more.”
Mendy joined Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Rennes on a five-year in September 2020 and he has displaced Kepa Arrizabalaga to become the Blues’ no. 1
In addition, Crouch praised the 29-year-old for his quick adaptation to life at Stamford Bridge.
"But it is Mendy’s overall contribution that has given them an added calmness since he arrived from Rennes last year. His touch is spot on when dealing with horrendous back passes, he comes and takes crosses with authority,” the former England striker continued.
"Look at all the teams to have lifted the league title and one common theme is trust in an exceptional goalkeeper. The signings of Alisson and Ederson altered the outlook for Liverpool and Manchester City, with both going on to finish top.
"Mendy is a major influence in Chelsea now finding themselves in the mix. There are other factors, of course. You have to be strong everywhere but the margins are so fine that the goalkeeper is often a deciding factor.
“Mendy has slotted in seamlessly — signed at 28, with experience and mistakes behind him, he is one of those goalkeepers who goes largely unnoticed most of the time. That is exactly the sort of steadiness you want. And when his moment in the spotlight came this weekend, he turned dropped points into three points.”
The Cote d’Ivoire international was excluded from the Eagles squad to face the Gunners on Monday and his manager has provided an explanation
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has explained why Wilfried Zaha was missing in action for the club’s Premier League showdown against Arsenal on Monday.
The 28-year-old has been a key figure in the Selhurst Park giants’ team – featuring in seven league matches with two goals to his credit in the 2021-22 campaign.
Surprisingly, he was not listed among the players to take on Mikel Arteta’s squad at the Emirates Stadium.
According to his manager, Zaha has been unwell since returning from international duties with Cote d’Ivoire, and as such, had to be excused from the crunch fixture.
“He came back from international [duty] and he wasn’t feeling well at all,” Vieira told Sky Sports in his pre-match interview, as per the Palace club website.
“He didn’t have any kind of training with the team, so we decided to leave him at home.
“He is feeling better, but it wasn’t good enough for him to be part of this one today. We have a squad, we have players who can perform, and players who are waiting to get their chance.
“Today is about them trying to perform as well as they can for the team.”
Having scored a brace in the club’s 3-1 triumph over Watford, Vieira talked about the areas where the African star should improve.
“We know his strength and know he’s capable of scoring goals, creating goals,” he told media.
“There’s the other part of the game he needs to work on and concentrate on is his work without the ball. How can we be a little more compact?
“How can he defend better with the rest of the players? But his work ethic has been really good since I’m in this football club. Scoring goals: we know that he is capable of doing it.”
He is also confident that his team will score many goals in the new campaign because his midfielders and forwards will create opportunities.
“I think scoring goals will be about how we will perform, the way we want to play. I think midfielders and forwards will create chances,” Vieira continued.
“But if we want to score goals we have to play well, have to penetrate in a zone that will allow us to score goals and today [Saturday] we showed we are capable of doing it.
“However, there’s still a big part we need to keep working [on], keep insisting because this team can still improve a lot.”
