Marc Skinner insists Manchester United have the "boots they need" for their Champions League qualifying second leg clash with Brann. The Red Devils lost 1-0 in Norway, having mislaid the players' footwear. Staff were dispatched to a local sports shop to buy boots and shinpads ahead of the fixture but Skinner insists that his side are "ready" for the return leg.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has delivered a fiery warning to Barcelona ahead of their Champions League opener, insisting the Spanish heavyweights won’t find life easy at St James’ Park. The Magpies icon, speaking ahead of Thursday night’s clash, believes his old club are more than capable of denting Barca’s campaign and snatching vital points on home soil.
Russell Martin has been warned that there is an "obvious" replacement for him at Rangers: Sean Dyche. The SPFL giants have yet to win this season, recording four draws and one defeat from five games, and speculation continues to rage about a potential change in the Ibrox dugout. Kris Boyd believes Dyche is the ideal candidate.
Pep Guardiola has crushed talk that Abdukodir Khusanov could be Manchester City’s permanent right-back solution, despite the youngster’s heroic display in Sunday’s derby demolition of Manchester United. The Catalan manager admitted the Uzbekistan international has the tools to cover the role, but warned the brutal intensity of City’s fixture calendar makes it impossible for the 21-year-old to handle the job on a full-time basis.
Benfica announced their decision to part ways with Bruno Lage with immediate effect after their shock defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the Champions League opener on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, Lage, while speaking to reporters, wished Jose Mourinho "best of luck". Mourinho has been linked with the Benfica role and it is understood that he is keen on taking over at the Estadio da Luz.
Jose Mourinho has been told to "accept" that "his career is over" as the former Chelsea & Manchester United boss nears a surprise return to Benfica. The 62-year-old tactician, coming off an ill-fated stint at Fenerbahce, is reportedly in advanced talks to take charge at the Portuguese giants once again. However, some fans aren't buying the comeback story.
Timmy Abraham, the brother of former Chelsea striker Tammy, is set to play in front of Lionel Messi in a 1v1 tournament founded by the Inter Miami and Argentina star. Timmy will be hoping to impress Messi when he heads to Miami, alongside semi-professional female footballer Che Thomas, to compete against 'ballers' from all over the world in the hope of being crowned the world’s best.
Monaco's Champions League journey began in chaos after their flight to Bruges descended into scenes straight out of a comedy sketch. With the air conditioning system completely out, Paul Pogba's teammates were forced to take off their clothes and sit in nothing but underwear as the cabin transformed into a sweltering sauna.
Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones was honoured at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium after he completed his sport directorship degree in a bid to start a new career. Jones only retired last year after so much time spent battling injury setbacks, walking away from playing with just five senior appearances in his final four seasons. Now, instead of marshalling defences, he's plotting moves from the boardroom.
Bayern Munich are reportedly hoping to exploit a transfer precedent set by Chelsea with loanee Nicolas Jackson. The striker secured a deadline day season-long loan move to the German giants with a conditional obligation to buy for £54 million. But it seems the Bundesliga champions are exploring ways to snap up the Senegal international for a smaller fee.
