Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been ruled out of Egypt’s upcoming matches against Kenya and Comoros with an ankle injury.

Mohamed Salah has been suffering with an ankle injury

Egypt confirmed Salah’s absence with pictures of the forward wearing a protective boot on his left ankle.

Mohamed Salah wearing a protective boot as he is sidelined from Egypt training (pic: Egypt FA)

Salah scored in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday before being taken off in the 87th minute.

He has been suffering with ongoing soreness in his ankle since the win over Leicester on October 5, and had to be substituted towards the end of the 2-1 win over Tottenham two weeks ago.

Salah had indicated his desire to play for his country, the Egyptian Football Association said, but was ruled out following a meeting between the national team doctor, head coach and captain.

Source – Sky Sport

The Brazilian forward has made a fast start to life at Los Blancos but is wary about being compared to a former star.

Rodrygo Goes says it is a “shame” he never got to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and does not want to be seen as a replacement for the Real Madrid great.

The 18-year-old has made a quick impact at the Santiago Bernabeu since arriving from Santos – scoring five goals in six appearances.

Rodrygo has already earned comparisons to Ronaldo, who scored a club-record 450 goals for Madrid before leaving for Juventus in July 2018.

However, the teenage forward – in line to earn his first senior Brazil cap in Friday’s friendly with Argentina – is cautious about playing with such high expectations.

“Being able to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid was a dream of mine and it’s a shame that he left because now I think it would be very difficult to play with him,” Rodrygo said at a Brazil news conference on Tuesday.

“I am still a very young player to talk about filling the place left by someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one of the greatest players in the history of the club – if not the greatest.

“I don’t want to weigh myself down with the pressure of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Rodrygo scored 93 seconds into his Madrid debut in September’s 2-0 La Liga win against Osasuna and netted a hat-trick in last week’s 6-0 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League.

The youngster has made a big impression in the Spanish capital but is surprised by how quickly his career has taken off.

“You always try to make sure you are fully prepared so that things turn out well, but I could never have imagined that everything would happen so quickly,” he said.

“It’s all come as a huge surprise to me. Only a short while ago I was hoping to make my Champions League debut… and maybe at the most score a goal.

“Scoring a hat-trick like I did was something nobody expected. So I can’t really explain how I felt after the game. All I could do was enjoy a special, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

“Learning the ropes as a footballer isn’t just about what’s done on the training pitch. There is a big mental part too, preparing yourself so that success doesn’t go to your head and knowing how to handle fame and to not be presumptuous.

“On that side of things, it helped me a lot that my father was a footballer, and that gave me a head start on the mental part. I watched him go through things that are happening to me now and so I know I can’t let all of this attention go to my head.”

Rodrygo was left on the bench for Madrid’s 4-0 win over Eibar on Saturday but is primed to make his senior Brazil debut.

The Spanish attacker will hang up his boots at the end of the season in Japan.

Photo by Getty Images

Former Barcelona star David Villa has confirmed his plans to retire once the current J-League season finishes.

The 37-year-old has been playing for Japanese side Vissel Kobe this year with three league matches remaining before an Emperor’s Cup semi-final in late December.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Villa revealed he will be hanging up his boots, declaring he wanted to finish his career on his own terms.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Villa said. “This is the result of discussions I had with my family and people around me.

“I wanted to retire from football, not be forced to retire from football.”

The 2010 World Cup winner is determined to end his career with one final piece of silverware, taking to social media to clarify he intends to play on in the Emperor’s Cup.

“It is my objective to put the cherry on top by winning the Emperor’s Cup with Vissel Kobe on January 1,” he said on Twitter.

“From then on, I will continue to enjoy football through all the projects that we’re currently developing with DV7 group. Thank you for all the love.”

Villa’s career has spanned 19 years and began in Spain with Sporting Gijon before subsequent moves to Zaragoza, Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

After spending most of his club career in his homeland, Villa then ventured to MLS side New York City in 2015, where he spent four seasons before joining Kobe earlier this year.

The attacker has scored 12 times and contributed two assists across 26 appearances this campaign, with the club currently 10th in the J-League.

Across his club career, Villa claimed three La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys and won the Champions League in 2011 with Barcelona.

Internationally, the Spaniard represented his country 98 times winning Euro 2008 before also lifting the World Cup two years later.

Villa recently secured USL franchise rights for New York-based Queensboro FC and now looks set to put his full focus into the club.

“I lived and played in New York for four years. I know what a special place Queens is,” Villa said. “I love the cultures, the food, the people and their passion for life and, of course, soccer.

“There is no other place like it in the world. It’s a dream to help build this football club in Queens and I couldn’t choose a better location.

“We’ve worked for many years on this. The opportunity to start a brand new team in a city like New York, in a borough like Queens, where the people are as passionate about soccer as I am, is huge!

“I’m very happy with my career. I’m very proud.  I have loved this sport from the beginning of my life. I have tried to do my best to bring this sport everywhere. And the future now is Queens.”

Source – Goal.com

Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris has had surgery on the left elbow he dislocated in a 3-0 defeat by Brighton in October.

Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris received oxygen before he was taken off on a stretcher against Brighton

The France international fell awkwardly as he failed to hold a cross and, initially, it was thought he would not need to be operated on.

But Spurs said: “Surgery was advised after further reviews by specialists found the elbow remained unstable.

“Our club captain remains on course to return to training in the early part of next year.”

Lloris received oxygen when being treated after suffering the injury and was then carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital.

Source – BBC News

The Wales international pounced on a loose ball to tap over the line against Lokomotiv Moscow, preventing a Portuguese colleague making more history.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Aaron Ramsey admits to having apologised to Juventus team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo for stealing a goal and another piece of history off the Portuguese during a Champions League clash with Lokomotiv Moscow.

The Wales international midfielder was credited with opening the scoring during a continental fixture in the Russian capital on Wednesday .

He pounced on a loose ball and prodded over the line after Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme had spilled a free-kick from Ronaldo.

The ball was heading in anyway, which would have seen a five-time Ballon d’Or winner become the first man to net against 34 different teams in Europe’s premier club competition, but Ramsey opted to make sure.

Ronaldo remains stuck on 33 alongside Lionel Messi and Raul, with Ramsey revealing that he has said sorry to an illustrious colleague for denying him another notable record.

The ex-Arsenal star told reporters after a 2-1 win for Juve: “I thought the keeper was a lot closer to me and had a chance of diving back and maybe clearing it.

“My instinct took over to make sure that it went over the line.

“I’ve apologised to Cristiano.”

Ramsey’s early effort, which came in the third minute, was cancelled out by Alexei Miranchuk.

Juve, though, collected another success courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Douglas Costa.

Maurizio Sarri’s side have cemented their standing at the top of Group D and are now assured of a place in the last-16 after moving seven points clear of Lokomotiv with two games remaining.

Ramsey added: “We still have work to do to finish top but we achieved our target of qualifying tonight, so we’re happy that we’ve done that.”

Juve’s remaining fixtures in the group stage of the 2019-20 Champions League are set to see them play host to Atletico Madrid on November 26 and travel to Bayer Leverkusen on December 11.

They will then be among those eagerly awaiting the draw for the first knockout round.

The Turin giants are determined to bring their long wait for European glory to a close this season, with the likes of Ronaldo and Ramsey having been acquired in an effort to land a first continental crown since 1996.

Source – Goal.com

The young Red Devils attacker has surpassed Wayne Rooney to etch his name into club history.

Manchester United have claimed a comfortable 3-0 win over Partizan in the Europa League on Thursday with Mason Greenwood setting a new club record in the process.

The 18-year-old opened the scoring at Old Trafford in the 21st minute before setting up Anthony Martial for the Red Devils’ second in the 33rd.

In bagging a goal and an assist, Greenwood became the club’s youngest ever player to both score and assist in a European game.

Doing so at 18 years and 37 days old, the exciting prospect broke a record previously held by Wayne Rooney, who did the same as an 18-year-old in September 2004 against Fenerbache.

Marcus Rashford would add a third goal for United shortly after half-time as Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s side claimed a convincing win that guarantees their place in the Europa League knockout stage.

Under-pressure manager Solskjaer was given a standing ovation as he left the Old Trafford pitch as he showed his side can fire freely.

The Red Devils have now claimed 10 points from their first four games in Europe this season, scoring five goals and are the only team yet to concede in the competition.

Greenwood has now struck twice in the Europa League having scored the winner against Astana in September with Paul Scholes backing the teenager to potentially become better in front of goal than Rashford.

“If Marcus lacks anything it’s a little bit of composure in front of goal,” Scholes told BT Sport . “I think Greenwood will eventually be a better goalscorer than Marcus. But his (Rashford’s) all round play has been brilliant.”

Rashford meanwhile was simply happy to see his side’s attack start to click having previously just managed one shot on target in there last two Europa League games.

“To score three goals, obviously we’re very happy,” Rashford said post-match. “It’s something we’ve been focused on as the forward players. Hopefully today is just the start of it.

“He [Greenwood] has done very well. He just needs to keep knuckling down and working hard and the goals will come because he has a lot of quality.”

While Rashford’s overall form in front of goal has been questioned, he’s now scored five goals in his last seven appearances at Old Trafford – one more than he managed across 23 matches at home last season.

Source – Goal.com

United States striker Alex Morgan says she wants to play at the Olympics – three months after she is due to give birth.

Morgan shared an image of her with husband Servando Carrasco in announcing she was pregnant

Morgan, 30, finished joint-top scorer at the 2019 Women’s World Cup and is viewed as one of the world’s best female players.

Her first child is due in April 2020, three months before USA are scheduled to play at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“It’s my goal to play there,” Morgan said.

“It’s clearly a short window but if I’m able to, I want to be there representing my country.”

Morgan and her husband, LA Galaxy footballer Servando Carrasco, announced last month that they were expecting a daughter.

Morgan, who plays for Orlando Pride, has scored 107 times for her country in 169 appearances and won the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019.

She was named in the FIFPro World XI in 2016, 2017 and 2019, and also won the Women’s Champions League while on loan with Lyon in 2017.

The Olympic Games officially begin on 24 July, though the football competition starts two days earlier.

Source – BBC News

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min said he was “really sorry” for his tackle which led to Everton midfielder Andre Gomes’ horrific ankle injury.

Son Heung-min was in tears on the pitch following the incident at Goodison Park

Gomes had surgery on Monday after he suffered a fractured dislocation to his right ankle in Sunday’s league draw.

Son was sent off for his tackle on Gomes and was visibly distressed.

“It has been a really tough few days,” Son told BT Sport after scoring twice in Spurs’ 4-0 Champions League win at Red Star Belgrade.

“I have realised how lucky I am with all the support I have had from the fans and my team-mates,” he added.

“I can say I’m really sorry for the accident and the situation but I had to focus for the team and I had to keep going and it was the right response to all the people who have supported me.”

Son scored two goals in four minutes as second-placed Tottenham easily won their Group B game to open up a four-point gap over Red Star Belgrade in third.

The South Korean did not celebrate his first goal, instead clasping his hands and bowing his head.

His red card for the tackle on Gomes at Goodison Park was overturned by the Football Association on Tuesday following an appeal by Tottenham.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had described Son as “devastated” following the incident, while team-mate Dele Alli said he “couldn’t pick his head up”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Gomes thanked fans on social media for their support.

“I am already at home with my family. I would like to thank you all for the supportive messages,” he posted on Twitter.

Source – BBC News