Argentina will be without Carlos Tevez as well as Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero for their crunch World Cup qualifier against Brazil on Thursday.
South America s footballing giants clash in a competitive fixture for the first time since 2009 in Buenos Aires this week, with both having made slow starts to their qualifying campaigns.
Gerardo Martino s Argentina have taken just a point from games against Ecuador and Paraguay, while Brazil overcame Venezuela last time out after losing to Copa America winners Chile in their opening match.
Messi missed both of Argentina s first two games due to a knee injury, and Martino will once again have to make do without his captain and talisman against Brazil, while Aguero is also sidelined with the hamstring injury he picked …
Thomas Tuchel was unimpressed by the performance of Romelu Lukaku after Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
A stunning goal from Kevin De Bruyne sent Pep Guardiola s City 13 points clear of Chelsea in the Premier League table, with the Blues having won just four of their last 12 league games.
Lukaku cut a lone figure for much of Saturday s game, having just 21 touches – the fewest of any starting player for either team – while completing just seven out of 12 passes, and he did not win any of his seven aerial duels.
He also saw a shot saved by City goalkeeper Ederson when through one-on-one at the start of the second half, a chance that Opta measured with an xG (expected goals) score of 0.365, meaning that he would be expected to sco…
Samuel Eto o is in no doubt that Neymar will be the best player in the world once Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo are past their peak.
The trio make up the shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d Or, an accolade which the Argentine and the Portuguese have dominated for the past seven years.
Former Barcelona and Madrid forward Eto o is confident if Neymar applies himself appropriately, he will be the sport s leading performer in the future.
Neymar has a lot of potential. After the era of Messi and Cristiano, surely he will be number one, Eto o, who played for Barca between 2004 and 2009, told ESPN Brasil.
But he has to remember that it depends on him a lot. He must remember that he hast the talent and needs to t…
Guus Hiddink has challenged Chelsea to step up their defensive efforts as they look to extend their dominant record against Arsenal on Sunday.
The champions are unbeaten in the Premier League since the 2-1 reverse to Leicester City in December, though they have conceded five goals in consecutive draws with West Brom and Everton.
Arsene Wenger s side who head into the weekend top of the table have not beaten Chelsea since October 2011 in the top flight and have gone more than eight hours without a goal in that run.
And Hiddink has demanded an improved defensive display from his side as they aim to preserve that recent record and inflict a first home league defeat on the Gunners in 10 matches.
It s not just a matter of the four defenders, nowadays if you d…
Luis Diaz’s father has been released almost two weeks after he was kidnapped, the Colombian Football Federation has confirmed.
Luis Manuel Diaz was taken along with his wife Cilenis Marulanda 12 days ago, although Diaz’s mother was freed swiftly.
After days of negotiation with guerilla group the National Liberation Army, the Liverpool winger’s father has now been released.
We are delighted by the news of s father s safe return and we thank all those involved in securing his release
— Liverpool FC (@LFC)
An FCF statement read: “The Colombian Football Federation thanks the national government, the military forces and the national police, as well as all the institutions and officials that made the release of Luis Manuel Diaz, father of o…