Chelsea buoyed by prolific Azpilicueta-Morata link

Neymar gave Brazil cause for concern by hobbling out of a training session less than three weeks before the Copa America starts.

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar clutched at his left knee after attempting a routine shot and limped away from the session in discomfort.

The injury worry comes less than 24 hours after Brazil boss Tite stripped Neymar of the captaincy and installed Dani Alves as skipper for the Copa America on home soil.

Neymar, 27, spent three months on the sidelines with a foot injury earlier this year.

He returned for PSG towards the end of April and linked up with Tite s squad over the weekend as Brazil aim to reclaim the continental crown they last won in 2007.

The Selecao meet Qatar and Honduras in friendlies next week ahead …

Eden Hazard will sit out Chelsea s EFL Cup fourth-round match against Derby County but could return against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Belgium international Hazard missed the Europa League victory over BATE and the Premier League win against Burnley due to a back injury.

Chelsea assistant coach Gianfranco Zola expects the 27-year-old to return to full training this week, potentially making him an option for the visit of the Eagles.

He s certainly much better. Not sure today [Tuesday], maybe tomorrow he s going to join us in training, said Zola, who also suggested Pedro and Olivier Giroud will miss out.

I don t think he s going to be involved in the game [against Derby], but he s looking quite good for the weekend. We are pleased because he s such an imp…

According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are no longer actively pursuing Dinamo Zagreb winger Dani Olmo during the January transfer window. 

While a deal could always be done somewhere down the road, it certainly feels like – for the time being – that the priority is going to lie elsewhere for Barca. This is one of those links that seems to follow the club in question around for what feels like forever, with everyone under the sun thinking that Barca would make an official approach for Olmo sooner rather than later. 

Dinamo will certainly be encouraged by this news and they’ll definitely be hoping that they can keep hold of him until the summer transfer window, and with no other clubs making any real serious approaches at this moment in time,…

A packed Etihad Stadium paid a warm tribute to Vincent Kompany on Wednesday as his Manchester City Legends played out a 2-2 draw against a Premier League All Stars XI.

The four-time Premier League winner saw the funny side of a hamstring strain keeping him out of his own testimonial, the new day job as player-coach of Anderlecht meaning he could not risk lining up alongside an array of past team-mates.

For me not to play this game because of an injury… surely the irony has not escaped anyone? Kompany chuckled before the match – his 11-year stint as an inspirational and decorated captain at City having been frequently peppered with injury lay-offs.

Given a guard of honour onto the field before kick-off, the man of the hour was serenaded by the masses and e…

Paris Saint-Germain lacked control and did not deserve any luck in their shock 2-1 defeat to Dijon, according to head coach Thomas Tuchel.

The Ligue 1 leaders were punished for a below-par display in Friday s clash at Stade Gaston Gerard as they fell to a third defeat of the campaign.

Kylian Mbappe put PSG ahead against a side that started the game bottom of the division, but goals either side of half-time from Mounir Chouiar and Jhonder Cadiz earned Dijon a first top-flight win in this fixture.

Tuchel bemoaned the lack of quality showed by his side in the first half and suggested Mbappe s opener against the run of play worked against them.

It s football anything is possible, he told Canal+. This is not the first time that the side last in the standing h…

Kylian Mbappe has received the glowing praise of France s president Emmanuel Macron, who hopes the star continues to enchant the public .

Mbappe has enjoyed a sensational rise and, at just 23, is already considered one of the world s best players.

Having burst onto the scene at Monaco in 2016-17, Mbappe has gone on to win four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de France crowns, the Coupe de la Ligue twice and the 2018 World Cup.

Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Mbappe has scored 150 goals in 196 appearances, ranking him third out of players across Europe s top five leagues within that timeframe, behind Robert Lewandowski (208 goals) and new PSG team-mate Lionel Messi (162).

This week, Mbappe was placed at number one on French sports newspaper L Equi…

Ronald Koeman and new president Joan Laporta will map out Barcelona s future during the international break, and going Dutch would be in keeping with Camp Nou tradition.

The club which has been a magnet to Netherlands greats of the past may see more Oranje stars arriving, with Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum said to be a prime target.

According to the Sunday Times, Wijnaldum has a pre-contract agreement to move to Barcelona when his Anfield deal expires at the end of the season.

Reuniting with former national team coach Koeman would hold obvious appeal to Wijnaldum, who has been circumspect about his Liverpool future.

But what would Wijnaldum bring to a team already in the hunt for a domestic double? At the age of 30, would this signing make sens…

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he is confident of clearing his name amid a rape allegation.

American Kathryn Mayorga has accused Ronaldo of sexually assaulting her in a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009, something the Portuguese has strenuously refuted.

German publication Der Spiegel first reported the claims, which also included the suggestion Ronaldo paid Ms Mayorga $375,000 in 2010 as part of a privacy agreement, preventing her from going public with the allegations. Ms Mayorga filed a lawsuit in an attempt to quash that agreement while Las Vegas police have re-opened an investigation.

Ronaldo s lawyer Peter Christiansen confirmed the payment was made to Ms Mayorga, but said some documents presented as evidence had been stolen and completely fabricated .

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Prediction: Portugal to win 5-0

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Portugal and Bosnia and Herzegovina will lock horns with each other in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group J this weekend. The match between Roberto Martinez’s side and Faruk Hadžibegić’s team will be held at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm UK on Saturday.

Portugal

Portugal are one of the biggest footballing nations who are regularly among the favourites to win major competitions. In Cristiano Ronaldo, the European country have one of the greatest footballers of all time. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward is still going strong and is not showing any signs of slowing down despite playing for Al Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia.

Roberto Martinez�…

Best odds: 1/2

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Many expect the title race in the Premier League this season to be much more interesting and more teams to stake a claim in it than in the last couple of years, given that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all played very well towards the end of 2019/20. They could all indeed come much closer to Liverpool and Manchester City this time around.

The first blockbuster of the season is scheduled to take place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, when Chelsea will take on Liverpool.

Chelsea

As has been said, Chelsea stepped their game up towards the end of last season and secured a top-four finish, together with reaching the FA Cup final. They ended up in fourth place on 66 points, the same as Manchester United in third and four more t…