Luis Suarez makes his return to international football on Friday when he and his Uruguay team-mates travel to Recife for their World Cup qualifier against Brazil, with the hosts looking to spoil the party.
Suarez has not played a competitive game for Uruguay since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after he was found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
The 29-year-old was handed a nine-match international suspension, as well as a four-month ban from any football-related activity for his actions.
But as the Barcelona star prepares to step back into the fold and aid Uruguay s CONMEBOL qualifying bid, Brazil goalkeeper Alisson insists he and his defensive compatriots are looking forward to the challenge.
For a goalkeeper, it is always im…
Lens coach Antoine Kombouare insists he has no bitterness towards Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Friday s reunion with his former club.
Kombouare, who won the Ligue 1 title with PSG as a player in 1994, was controversially sacked as coach of the capital club in December 2011.
PSG were top of the French top flight at the time of his dismissal, but famously let that position slip under Kombouare s replacement Carlo Ancelotti as Montpellier went on to be crowned champions.
Ancelotti and his successor Laurent Blanc have since guided PSG to two straight Ligue 1 crowns, while Kombouare has set about the task of restoring Lens – league winners in 1998 – to their former glory.
The 50-year-old took the helm at Lens in June of last year and guided them to pro…
Southampton, runners-up in last season s EFL Cup, have been drawn at home to Championship side Wolves in the second round of the 2017-18 competition, while Blackburn Rovers host local rivals Burnley.
Saints lost out in a thrilling 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley in February last season despite Marco Gabbiadini s double.
Lancashire rivals Blackburn and Burnley will renew acquaintances at Ewood Park in a fixture playfully dubbed locally as T el Clasico , with their last meeting having coming in the Championship during the 2015-16 season, with the Clarets running out 1-0 victors on that occasion.
Elsewhere, Leicester City are away to Sheffield United, Newcastle United host Nottingham Forest, while West Ham were drawn at home to Cheltenham Town, although t…
Sergio Romero has signed a new four-year deal with Manchester United, according to the Mail Online.
The club have secured the services of the Argentina shot-stopper long term and are confident of him playing as their first choice ‘keeper should David De Gea move on this summer.
De Gea remains linked with a return to his home country with Real Madrid still monitoring the situation.
Romero made just two Premier League appearances last season but played almost of their Europa League, culminating in him keeping a clean sheet in the victory over Ajax in the final.
In total he has played twenty-eight times for the Red Devils in all competitions since signing from Sampdoria in the summer of 2015 while he has also played for Racing Club, AZ and Monaco.
Frank McAvennie has suggested that West Ham United should have signed Ollie Watkins from Brentford before the striker joined Aston Villa in the summer transfer window.
The former West Ham striker has been impressed with Watkins, who scored a hat-trick against Liverpool in Villa’s 7-2 victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side at Villa Park in the Premier League this season.
McAvennie believes that the 24-year-old who can operate as a forward or as an attacking midfielder is a very good player.
that West Ham wanted to sign Watkins from Brentford in the summer transfer window.
Villa have made some great signings. I wanted Ollie Watkins at West Ham. He is the striker that they should have gone for but he is at Aston Villa now.
“Villa are a massive club…
James Rodriguez is still having a difficult time at Real Madrid following his two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich, and Manchester City are reportedly interested in taking the Colombian off Real s hands when the transfer window opens.
Spanish outlet Don Balon claim that the Premier League champions want the attacking midfielder to join them. In itself, the notion would make some sense given that David Silva is about to leave the Etihad when his contract expires this summer, and James could provide a similar influence just behind the attacking line in Pep Guardiola s team.
However, the part of the report which takes away from the report s credibility is that Guardiola intends to send Bernardo Silva the other way. Since his arrival from Monaco in 2018, Bernardo has been a…
Genoa are close to announcing the loan signings of Juventus striker Amauri and Benfica midfielder Ruben Amorim, according to reports.
In the wake of Alberto Malesani s departure and former Udinese and former Parma boss Pasquale Marino s appointment as Genoa manager, club president Enrico Preziosi is now close to wrapping up deals for both the Brazilian-born former Italy forward and the fringe Portugal international.
Tuttomercatoweb are claiming that Amauri will trade Juve for Genoa within the next 24 hours, though details surrounding the transfer remain unknown and a loan deal seems to be the most likely proposal.
Amauri was reportedly targeted ahead of Catania s Maxi Lopez and Fiorentina s Alberto Gilardino, ending Genoa s long drawn-out search for a foil to Ro…
What the papers say
Nottingham Forest are reportedly looking to capitalise on Manchester United’s pursuit of Andre Onana by going after England international goalkeeper Dean Henderson who was on loan at the club last year, the Telegraph reports.
The Telegraph say promoted Burnley have set their sights on Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer.
Coventry, who lost to Luton in the Championship play-off final, are set to lose their striker Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon for a deal worth around £20million, according to the Daily Mail.
Manchester Evening News says Manchester City are close to signing 16-year-old young gun Harrison Parker from Manchester United as “revenge” after United attempted to sign City’s 16-year-old twins Jack and Tyler Fletcher.
So…
Michael Carrick cannot stop talking about his solo goal which sealed Manchester United s 2-0 victory on Sunday.
Sir Alex Ferguson s men took a first minute lead through Wayne Rooney, but looked to be having difficulty killing their opponents off until Carrick picked the ball up just inside his own half, drove all the way to the edge of the QPR area and fired low past Radek Cerny.
Carrick agreed his first goal since December 2009 was far from planned, but was relieved to see it hit the net after his side had missed several chances to double their lead.
It just seemed to open up for me and I kept on going and going and thought: Why not? . It was great to see it go in, Carrick said.
We had so many chances in the game, so many opportunities to get a shot o…
Liverpool are targeting highly rated trio Eden Hazard, Javi Martinez and Seydou Keita according to a report.
Director of football Damien Comolli was at Wembley to see his club lift the Carling Cup on Sunday and confirmed that the club are watching several targets, with a lot of players interested in joining the team in the off-season.
There s a very positive vibe around the club across Europe, Comolli told the Daily Mirror.
A lot of players I know are very interested about joining the project because it s a very interesting project.
We already know there are big players who want to join us next summer because they believe in the project. Everybody in Europe knows what Liverpool Football Club are trying to do.
Lille attacker Hazard is highly…