It´s not a good sign – Southgate awaiting further diagnosis on Alexander-Arnold injury

Trent Alexander-Arnold s participation in Euro 2020 appears to be in huge doubt after the England full-back sustained an apparent muscular injury against Austria.

England won 1-0 on Wednesday thanks to Bukayo Saka s first international goal, but a late injury for Alexander-Arnold may have spoiled the night.

Alexander-Arnold was left out of a previous England squad in March, but has made the 26-man cut for Euro 2020, with Gareth Southgate taking four right-backs.

Two of those right-backs – Kyle Walker and Reece James – were unavailable in Middlesbrough following their Champions League final exploits, so the Liverpool star got the nod.

However, in the closing stages, Alexander-Arnold pulled up after making a clearance with his left foot, and appeared t…

Belgium 2-0 England: Three Lions´ Nations League Finals hopes ended

England hopes of reaching the Nations League Finals were ended as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium.

Gareth Southgate s side needed at least a draw to ensure their chances of topping Group A2 remained alive going into their final game against Iceland.

However, first-half goals from Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans put the hosts on track for a win that leaves them needing just a point in their final group game against Denmark to reach the Finals.

Belgium made a strong start to proceedings as some front-footed defending from Jan Vertonghen was followed by the ball being fired up toward Tielemans, whose shot took a deflection off Tyrone Mings before going in off the post just 10 minutes in.

England almost hit back immediately, Harry Kane s header from a…

Ronaldo refutes France Football claims of Messi and Ballon d´Or motivation

Cristiano Ronaldo has criticised France Football after their editor-in-chief stated the Manchester United forward s priority is to retire with more Ballon d Or awards than Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo and Messi are both on the shortlist for the prestigious award, which is returning after it was scrapped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both players have made the top 10, with the players ranked from 30th to 11th having already been confirmed. Messi is expected to vie with Robert Lewandowski for the accolade.

While Messi is bidding to win a seventh Ballon d Or, Ronaldo has five to his name. However, earlier this week, Pascal Ferre, the editor-in-chief of France Football, the organisation that runs the award, claimed the Portugal star had told him that his ambition…

Grealish and Rashford pledge England will bounce back from World Cup devastation

Jack Grealish tipped England to make history at future tournaments after their World Cup exit against France, as Marcus Rashford joined him in pledging the Three Lions would respond.

England suffered their seventh World Cup quarter-final elimination – a tournament record – on Saturday, as goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud maintained France s bid to retain the trophy.

Harry Kane scored one penalty and missed another as England experienced a familiar sinking feeling at Al Bayt Stadium, but Grealish believes Gareth Southgate s men will atone in the future.

The Manchester City playmaker was sorry it did not work out this time, having been convinced England were on course for trophy glory.

Absolutely devastated to go out, words can t descr…

World class Kompany is Manchester City´s DNA, says Goater

Outgoing captain Vincent Kompany is the DNA of Manchester City, according to club hero Shaun Goater.

City confirmed on Sunday that Kompany s 11-year stay at the club is coming to an end, with the defender s appearance in Saturday s thumping FA Cup final win over Watford his last for the Premier League champions.

In all, Kompany has made 360 appearances for City since joining the club in August 2008, playing a crucial role in four successful Premier League title tilts, two FA Cup victories and four League Cup triumphs.

And Goater, himself a cult figure with City fans, believes that Kompany represents the essence of what the club stands for.

What a way to bow out, what he s done for the club, the former Bermuda striker told Sky Sports.

He is the D…

´We asked people to believe in us,´ says Messi after leading Argentina to another World Cup final

Lionel Messi revealed I don t know if it s my best World Cup after his inspirational performance against Croatia helped Argentina reach another final.

Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot before providing a remarkable assist for Julian Alvarez s second goal at Lusail Stadium, where Lionel Scaloni s side will face France or Morocco in the showpiece on Sunday.

The Argentina captain has now found the net five times in Qatar – moving him level with Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.

The 35-year-old surpassed his tally of four when he guided his nation to the final in 2014, where he won the Golden Ball for the tournament s best player despite narrowly missing out on glory following a 1-0 defeat to Germany.

Zidane: France cannot deny Benzema Euro 2016 chance

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane believes the French Football Federation (FFF) would be making a big mistake by allowing Karim Benzema s ban from international football to move into the European Championships in June.

Benzema was suspended from representing France at any level by the FFF until the legal investigation into his involvement in an alleged plot to blackmail international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena has been concluded.

France is the host of Euro 2016 and Zidane believes his country will be severely hurting its chance of a home triumph by not selecting Benzema.

France cannot afford to ignore a player of Benzema s calibre, Zidane told Le Foot.

When we look at his numbers and everything he does on the field, we cannot let a play of this level go…

Today is a sad day for me – David Silva waves goodbye to football

Former Manchester City playmaker David Silva has said his goodbyes to football as the World Cup winner and four-time Premier League champion announced his retirement.

The 37-year-old played 436 games across 10 seasons at the Etihad Stadium, helping to turn City into the best team in England and winning a total of 11 major honours with the club.

Silva started his career in the youth ranks at Valencia, making his senior debut in 2004 and spending six years in LaLiga before signing for City.

Muchas gracias…fútbol

— David Silva (@21LVA)

He was capped 125 times by Spain, scoring 35 goals and winning the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2008 and 2012.

“Today is a sad day for me,” he said in a message posted on his Twitter account.

“Toda…

Trent Alexander-Arnold paradox gives Klopp’s Liverpool their meaning

With 67 minutes gone at a breezy Etihad Stadium, on an afternoon that seesawed like a listing ship on a spring tide, Trent Alexander-Arnold could be seen twirling and jinking high up the pitch on the Liverpool right flank, a place he occupied for much of the afternoon.

Eventually his cross was cut out by a City foot. Kevin De Bruyne, who produced the perfect through pass for Raheem Sterling to skitter away upfield.

Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened!Read more

Sterling ran the length of Liverpool’s right flank, then stopped, twirled, stopped again, crowded out now by two red shirts. One of these was Alexander-Arnold himself, loping back in that dogged style, with the air even at top spe…