Brazil is preparing itself for one of its biggest derbies, as Flamengo and Fluminense meet in Rio de Janeiro this weekend.The fixture is known as the Fla-Flu derby and brings together the 2009 champions and the current Brazilian Serie A title holders.
Ex-Portugal midfielder Deco should be fit for the weekend’s clash, after recovering from an injury picked up against Corinthians.
But Abel Braga will be without his frontman Fred, the striker is on international duty with Brazil in the Copa America.
In his absence Fluminense have scored only seven goals in their opening seven games.
Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Flamengo have no such problems – they boast the most profilic attack in the league, scoring 16 times already this season.
Ronaldinho and Deivid are in red-hot form, scoring six goals between them in the last two games.
With 99 years of tradition and just a point separating the teams, this weekend’s derby is set to be an enthralling affair.
Aleksandr Kerzhakov has conceded that despite Liverpool’s reported interest, he is unsure whether he wants to leave Zenit.
The Zenit St Petersburg has been in fantastic form this season, scoring 13 goals in 25 games, and has been linked with a plethora of clubs around Europe in the past 12 months.
Liverpool is one of those reportedly keen on the 27-year-old striker, as Roy Hodgson looks to bolster his attacking options, but Kerzhakov has conceded that he remains happy with life in Russia and there are only a few clubs in the world that could tempt him to quit Zenit.
“The talk about Liverpool is not baseless…The British club came to my agent with a proposal. I answered… I didn’t answer at all.
“I have other things to think about and in all respects I am happy in Russia. My team is in first place in the national championship and I have always said that I wanted to play for Zenit.
“In the case of Liverpool I will not take the initiative, but I can count the fingers on one hand for the amount of clubs I could theoretically go to.
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“This is because Zenit is playing beautiful, modern football and the club is growing rapidly. And I am here, at home.”Rossiyskaya Gazeta
Newcastle fans are absolutely loving the club’s little dig at Gareth Southgate, after the England manager excluded Jonjo Shelvey and Jamaal Lascelles from his England squad.
Lascelles and Shelvey have both been in fine form recently, with plenty of people backing them for an international call-up. However, neither were selected in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming friendlies, which was announced on Thursday.
Lascelles has been the Magpies’ stalwart in defence this season, and has shown both his ability and his leadership as he looks to steer the side away from the relegation scrap.
Shelvey has been enjoying some of the best form of his career, and grabbed two assists in the 3-0 win over Southampton last weekend. He also garnered national support when he dominated Manchester United’s expensive midfield in the Magpies’ 1-0 win last month.
Newcastle fans had already expressed their disgust at Southgate’s England selection, but they are loving the club’s sly dig at the England boss this morning.
James Tarkowski and Alfie Mawson were picked over Lascelles and Jake Livermore seems to be the popular choice to drop for Shelvey. Fans have been reacting on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…
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Cesc Fabregas has shown since his return to the Premier League that he is one of the best centre midfielders in the world at the moment – his assist record and play-making ability will go a long way to securing Chelsea some major honours this season.
Arsene Wenger was given the chance to sign the Spaniard back from Barcelona in the summer transfer window as part of a clause which gave the Frenchman first refusal to bid for the player. And Arsene Wenger turned it down. Arsenal didn’t need the midfielder in their ranks after the marquee signing of Mesut Ozil alongside the richness of midfield aces they already had like Carzola, Walcott and Wilshere.
However it stands to reason that you can never have too many world class players in a team if you are looking to push for silverware. A good rotational strength means keeping a quality line-up regardless of which players you decide to play in a game.
Wenger has received a lot of stick in the past for not being willing to spend money on bringing new players to Arsenal in order to compete against some of the other big teams in the country and across Europe, but he broke that mould in recent years with the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who is proving to be a really good player for the Gunners.
Despite having a decent transfer window, the decision to veto the Cesc transfer is still a boggling one considering how much of a key player the Spaniard was in his original spell in north London and his vital Premiership experience.
No one could have foreseen just how good a start he was going to have in his new life back in the English top flight, however it was clear to see that the player would easily walk in to any of the top teams in England and perform well. Arsene Wenger has always trusted his gut instinct and normally proved a lot of people wrong with certain decisions.
This time around however it seems like the stubborn manager has made a huge mistake in not re-signing his former skipper, not only due to the fact that the guy is clearly in the form of his entire career and enjoying some what of a purple patch for Chelsea, but also because of Arsenal’s present injury woes. Ozil is the latest player to be added to the ever growing injury list for the Gunners – a list which has actually seen them break all sorts of records recently that they would have liked to avoid.
They are down to their bare bones in terms of squad strength now, and despite the imminent return of Theo Walcott, they are looking very thin on the ground and are lacking quality which in Fabragas they would have had. Not only that but even if the the German ace Ozil was still fit to play, the pair of them would have been quite the force in the Arsenal engine room. The combination of these two players’ attacking prowess would have been very difficult for most other clubs to match, therefore tipping the odds balance in their favour a lot more in the race for the title.
The fact that they have such a massive injury list just highlights the mistake Wenger made even more so now as he really is in need of someone in the Fabregas quality bracket to come in and take the team by the scruff of the neck and kick start their title campaign.
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Will this mistake cost them the title? No one player makes a team, but Fabregas could well have made the ultimate difference. In this case it’s hard not to feel that Arsenal’s manager cost them title before the season even began.
Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez has revealed his frustration that the Blues are still without injured captain John Terry.
Terry came off with a knee injury in mid-November and is still sidelined with no real progress made in that time with the busy Christmas period fast approaching.
The West Londoners club captain has missed some crucial league and cup games including the FIFA World Club Cup in Japan last week where Chelsea finished as runners up.
Benitez was quick to rule Terry out of their game with Aston Villa on Sunday and refused to make him available for festive games with Norwich, Everton and Queens Park Rangers.
Frank Lampard was Chelsea captain as they won at Leeds United in midweek, but the England midfielder is another one who has been in and out of the side under Rafa.
The Blues boss still can’t put a date on Terry’s return from injury.
“It’s one step forward, one step back,” Benitez told talkSPORT.
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“The knee is quite complicated.
“At least he’s now on the pitch – that is positive news – but we cannot say, we cannot predict how long it will take.”
According to Goal, Chelsea are firmly in the lead in the race for Russian star Aleksandr Golovin. Obviously, given the Blues’ poor form last season, the club desperately needs to bring in some new players this summer, and the in-form Russian looks on course to be the first major acquisition. Given Chelsea’s struggles in midfield last season, the 22-year-old’s creativity could be just what the club needs ahead of next term.
The Breakdown
The prospect of landing Golovin, who is rated at £16.2m by Transfer Markt, has come somewhat out of nowhere for Chelsea, yet in reality, it makes total sense.
The Blues have really had a poor year in terms of midfield quality. Cesc Fabregas is past his best, Tiemoue Bakayoko has struggled, Danny Drinkwater looks poor, and nobody really knows where Ross Barkley is. Naturally, then, signing someone like Golovin makes perfect sense.
What differentiates him from most, though, and what makes him such an attractive signing for the Blues, is his creativity.
He’s perhaps best known for his attacking flair, and much of that comes through the creative aspect of his game. Specifically, his passing and distribution are both second to none, and as a result, he’s often able to create magic out of very little. As such, given that Fabregas had previously been the focal point of this team, perhaps the Russian could take his spot.
What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know
His creativity isn’t just coming in the form of passing, though. He’s also a brilliant dribbler, and he’s able to make magic with the ball at his feet when he’s dribbling too. He’s proven that in Russia with his country, displaying fantastic dribbling goalscoring prowess.
In truth, Golovin is just what Chelsea need. They lacked creativity last term, and perhaps someone like Alvaro Morata would be able to capitalise on his brilliant ability.
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Tottenham Hotspur will look to cement their spot in the top four of the Premier League when they host Huddersfield Town at Wembley on Saturday.
Spurs had spent some time outside of the Champions League qualification spots after struggling to hit the heights they did last season, but a late 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park last weekend combined with Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester United saw them climb up to fourth.
Harry Kane’s 88th-minute goal proved to be the difference between the two teams in south London, and Mauricio Pochettino will know that his team have a potential opportunity to increase the gap between them and Antonio Conte’s side into the latest round of fixtures given the Blues face a tough-looking trip to runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday.
The north London outfit followed up three points with a comfortable 6-1 win against Rochdale in their fifth round FA Cup replay during the week, and they will hope to make it six wins on the bounce at Wembley in all competitions against the Terriers, who are just three points above the relegation zone and in desperate need of points themselves.
Pochettino was forced to make changes to his team against Palace because of injury with Jan Vertonghen missing out, while Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier also replaced Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-Min respectively in the starting line-up.
Following some impressive individual performances in the thrashing of Rochdale the Argentine boss may well be considering making some alterations against David Wagner’s men.
Here is how Tottenham must line up against Huddersfield on Saturday, ahead of Hugo Lloris in goal…
Defence
Pochettino lined up with a back four of Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Ben Davies against Crystal Palace last weekend, and he should definitely make one change.
The former continues to be a bit of a liability and produced three foul throws against the Eagles, and it is time for the more reliable Kieran Trippier to come back into the XI for the visit of Huddersfield.
Tottenham announced on Friday that Jan Vertonghen was back in training after an ankle problem but unless he is 100% fit he should start the game on the substitutes’ bench, especially with the huge Champions League last 16 second leg tie against Juventus to come on Wednesday night.
Midfield
Dier dropping into the backline at Selhurst Park meant that Victor Wanyama came into the XI to make his first Premier League since he returned from a knee injury at the start of 2018.
The Kenya international produced an impressive performance alongside the in-form Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park, and there is no doubt that the duo should start together again for the visit of Huddersfield to ensure that Tottenham don’t slip up in a match they need to win to boost their chances of finishing in the top four.
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Attack
The January addition of Lucas Moura and the return of Erik Lamela from injury has given Pochettino plenty of headaches in the attacking midfield positions in recent weeks.
The latter got the nod ahead of Son Heung-Min against Crystal Palace, but the South Korean forward and Lucas both shone against Rochdale during the week and should be in contention to start against Huddersfield.
Meanwhile, Dele Alli hasn’t been at his best in the last few matches and the Argentine boss should look to leave him on the substitutes’ bench against the Terriers, playing Christian Eriksen through the middle and Son and Lucas on the flanks, with the main man Harry Kane up top.
With Twitter breaking down the barriers between fans and footballers, we get to know that little bit more about the players we all watch week in, week out.It seems like every top tier star has their own account nowadays, but Wayne Rooney is certainly one of the more high profile players around to have made use of the social media tool, and he’s a quite a good guy to follow.Here are SEVEN things you may not know about ‘Wazza’ which have been revealed by his personal account…[ffc-gallery]
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He loves One Direction…
Who doesn’t right? It appears that although Rooney’s major musical love is the work of Stereophonics, the Liverpudlian actually likes One Direction… Even though he’s not a screaming teenage girl, he’s taken to Twitter to praise the lads for their ‘talent’ and even follows all five of them. Oh, and Rooney follows Justin Bieber, too…
He enjoys a bit of banter…
Football – Manchester United v Norwich City – Barclays Premier League – Old Trafford – 13/14 – 26/4/14Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (L) and Juan Mata during the warm upMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jason CairnduffEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your acc
Even though Richard Keys has ruined the term ‘banter’, it’s still funny to see that our idols within the footballing world do like the odd humorous exchange. Rooney tends to get involved with Piers Morgan on a regular basis, and as two of the tweets below show, he’s game for a laugh. Also, the England and United captain responded to rumours of his hair transplant back in 2011, which shows some guts and a willingness to get involved in a bit of ‘micky-taking’.
He’s a fan of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad has been one of TV’s real phenomenons in recent years, and has been massively popular in the UK – despite never actually making it to our screens across the Atlantic Ocean. As well as Tweeting about the show, Rooney follows stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, as well as the network (HBO) – whom aired the Albuquerque-based hit.
He follows a wannabe Man United star…
Even though he doesn’t actually play football, Usain Bolt has long let it be known that he dreams of appearing for Manchester United. The Jamaican sprinter has dominated his field for some time, and has talked up a possible switch to his other sporting love at some stage. Rooney follows the speedster, and it would be quite the story if they became a strike partnership in the future…
He was caught out by Manchester United’s transfer fails
Football – Germany v Ghana – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group G – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil – 21/6/14Germany’s Thomas Muller (L), Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos (2nd R) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (R) before a free kickMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed LeicesterLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Twitter can often be used to work out which player is moving to what club, but Rooney’s account threw out a red herring. The follicly challenged striker follows Toni Kroos, who was one of United’s major transfer targets for the summer.
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The Red Devils missed out on the German – who now plays for Real Madrid – even though some would have hoped that Rooney’s decision to follow the playmaker maybe had some deeper significance.
He’s forgotten about Everton
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership , Aston Villa v Everton , 22/9/02Everton’s Wayne Rooney appeals to Referee Jeff WinterMandatory Credit:Action Images / Andrew Budd
Some younger football fans may not be aware that Rooney stared his footballing career at Everton. And it seems that the forward himself has forgotten his roots… to an extent. Rooney follows many of his team-mates at international and club level, as well as a host of other companies and figures, but his boyhood club have not made the cut… Bad form, Wayne.
He loves Denzel Washington…
Rooney let his top three films be known on Twitter a while back and also revealed that Denzel Washington is his actor of choice. The hit-man loves the work of the famous 59-year-old, with Man On Fire a favourite. He also enjoys Sister Act 2, making him the only person on earth to publically admit to such an embarrassing fact…
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson believes that his former side have to replace Arsene Wenger before it is too late.
The Gunners languish in 10th place following Saturday’s Premier League defeat at the Emirates 0-2 to Swansea suffering to a Michu brace in the closing stages of the game.
There has been restlessness about the lack of development in the first team following the sales of a number of key members of the starting XI and failure to replace them, most notably Robin Van Persie this summer.
Robson believes that Arsenal have stuck by Wenger for too long and that it is time to except the Frenchman as the past rather than the future.
“I would have sacked him four years ago but I’m in the minority,” he told talkSPORT. “Arsenal football club need a new manager and they need it soon.”
“He doesn’t have the tactical understanding, his manner on the side of the pitch doesn’t help the team, he’s petulant and therefore his players become petulant, he doesn’t give any information from the sidelines and his teams look under prepared defensively.
“I wrote that article five years and nothing has changed my mind since. In fact my views on Arsene Wenger are even stronger now than they were then. There’s still 50% of the fans which will say what a good job he is doing, and we must trust in Arsene Wenger, but I just don’t see it.”
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“Arsenal still have good players,” he added. “If somebody got hold of them and taught them how to defend, had a solid game plan and worked hard on them then I still think Arsenal can still be a very, very good side.”
Sadio Mane is one of a handful of Liverpool stars that hoped to shine on the World Cup stage.
Unfortunately, though, the 26-year-old, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, failed to make it past the group stage with Senegal.
Mane and his teammates were on the verge of setting up a potential last-16 encounter with England before Colombia netted the only goal of the game in their final group clash.
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Senegal were pipped to the top two in devastating fashion, which means that Mane joins Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah in exiting the tournament early.
The Reds still have Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dejan Lovren, Simon Mignolet and Roberto Firmino competitions in Russia.
How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.
When Mane’s Senegal team were eliminated on Thursday afternoon, Liverpool fans took to Reddit to post their thoughts.
Many were understandably disappointed for their star attacker, who racked up 20 goals in all competitions last season, but some were pleased that he will now get a decent pre-season under his belt.
Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.Comment from discussion Senegal are out of the World Cup.