Bayern forward Perisic out for two weeks due to ankle injury
Bayern Munich striker Ivan Perisic will be sidelined for several weeks after fracturing an ankle bone in Tuesday’s training, coach Hansi Flick said.
The Croatian 31-year-old was injured during a challenge with teammate Alvaro Odriozola and had to be taken off the pitch in a golf cart.
“Ivan has an ankle bone fracture. That means it will take four weeks until it fully heals. After that there will also be rehabilitative training,” Flick said.
Perisic, a 2018 World Cup finalist, joined Bayern in August from Inter Milan to provide attacking options. He has scored four goals so far in the Bundesliga.
Continue readingPSG coach Trash spat talk with Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel on Monday attempted to play down a touchline spat with Kylian Mbappe which overshadowed the French champions’ big weekend win over Montpellier.
“There is nothing personal between him and me. These things happen,” said Tuchel after Mbappe reacted angrily to being substituted midway through the second half of PSG’s 5-0 victory at the Parc des Princes, with Mauro Icardi taking his place.
“It was between a player who does not want to come off, and a coach who had his reasons for doing something, and who wanted to give a game to players who deserved it.”
After Saturday’s match, Tuchel admitted that the reaction of Mbappe “doesn’t look good” and pointed out that: “This is football, not tennis, and you have to respect everyone.”
The 21-year-old World Cup winner, who had scored his 14th league goal of the season in the victory, exchanged words with Tuchel as he came off, and then stormed to his seat on the bench, throwing away a training top in disgust.
Tuchel said he discussed the matter again at training on Sunday, with the player and with Leonardo, the club’s sporting director. Start forecasting your games Now
“I spoke about it yesterday with Leo, of course, and with the squad, as we generally do. But what I said will remain in the dressing room,” added Tuchel, speaking before PSG return to league action on Tuesday away to Nantes.
Continue readingSolskjaer looks forward to Martial regaining his scoring touch
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Anthony Martial to rediscover his scoring touch and says the French forward is giving the club “everything” both on the pitch and the training ground.
The 24-year-old has scored 12 goals in all competitions in an injury-hit season but has just one in the last six matches as United struggled for goals in the absence of striker Marcus Rashford, who is nursing a stress fracture in his back.
“He’s giving us everything. He’s been asked to play – he has started the last eight games – and running probably 20% more than he did when I came here,” Solskjaer told reporters.
“We’ll give him more support, give him rest when he deserves it … he’s been asked to play too much as well, especially now when Marcus is injured.
“I know he’s tired, but he’s never ever dodged a training session. He’s training, he’s available for every game, so I’m delighted with the boy.”
Continue readingMessi leads the way for Fati as Barca hold on against Levante
Ansu Fati became the youngest player ever to score a brace in La Liga on Sunday by capitalising on two brilliant Lionel Messi assists to give Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Levante.
Fati, at 17 years and 94 days old, broke the previous record held by Juanmi Jimenez, who scored twice for Malaga against Real Zaragoza at 17 years and 115 days old in 2010.
Messi teed up Fati’s quick-fire double with a defence-splitting pass and then a trademark weaving run before Ruben Rochina scored Levante’s goal in the 92nd minute, which reallyshould have come sooner.
Barca reduce the gap at the top to three points behind Real Madrid and begin to regain some rhythm under new coach Quique Setien after Thursday’s 5-0 thumping of Leganes in the Copa del Rey.
Yet Levante should have convertedmore of a handful of excellent chances in the second half, that suggested Barcelona’s defensive problems and fragility when in the lead are far from solved. Place bet on today’s games 24/7 on NaijaBet
Leganes and Levante, who sit 18th and 13th respectively, offered a relatively straight-forward route back to winning ways too for Barcelona, who were wobbling last weekend when they followed a last-gasp win over Segunda side Ibiza with a convincing defeat by Valencia.
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