Schalke defender Matija Nastasic has been ruled out for up to 12 weeks with a knee ligament injury, leaving him in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.
The centre-back was taken off in the second half of last Saturday s 3-2 Bundesliga defeat to Hamburg and tests have identified damage to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Schalke expect Nastasic to miss the rest of the season and his chances of being fit in time for Serbia s opening game at Russia 2018 against Costa Rica on June 17 are also in doubt.
In last Saturday s clash with HSV, Schalke s centre-back was substituted with a quarter of an hour to play due to a knee problem, the club said in a statement. The following diagnosis showed the injury in his knee that will rule him o…
Best odds: 11/10
Bookmaker:
In the seventh round of the qualifications for the World Cup in Qatar next year, in Group G, Turkey will play host to Norway at the the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on Friday evening.
Turkey
Turkey started the qualifications process in the best way possible. They triumphed 4-2 at home against group favourites Netherlands, and thrashed Norway away by 0-3 (Ozan Tufan struck twice, either side of a goal by Caglar Soyuncu, with Norway midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt getting sent off 11 minutes before the end of the 90). However, they ended the March international break with a somewhat disappointing 3-3 draw at home against minnows Latvia.
That disappointment was, however, nothing compared to the one they went through at the…
Barcelona missed the chance to cut the gap to LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid to six points as a late penalty gave Cadiz a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi marked a club record 506th league appearance with the opening goal from the spot in the 32nd minute.
That appeared to be enough to give Barca an unconvincing win, but a dreadful week for Ronald Koeman s side ended in fitting fashion.
Clement Lenglet was ruled to have clipped Ruben Sobrino in the area and Alex Fernandez emphatically converted from 12 yards in the 89th minute to earn a share of the spoils.
Barca dictated proceedings in the first half without posing a serious threat to break the deadlock until Iza s trip on Pedri provided Messi with the chance to do so.
He made no mistake in roll…
Manchester City will look to win their third trophy in as many years when they battle Wigan in Saturday s FA Cup Final at Wembley.
The Etihad Stadium outfit broke a 35-year trophy drought with victory over Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup Final, which they followed up with a dramatic final-day Premier League title win last season.
And while City have stagnated in the league in 2012-13, another success would still represent a decent year for Roberto Mancini s side.
Manchester City s run to this season s final has seen them concede just one goal in five matches, with the club barely raising a sweat in easy home wins against Championship sides Watford, Leeds United and Barnsley.
They also won away at Stoke, in the fourth round, before saving their most impressive performance for a 2-1…
Second-placed Bayern Munich beat Wolfsburg 2-0 with teenager Lovro Zvonarek scoring on his first start in their final Bundesliga home game of the season on Sunday as they eased towards the end of a trophy-less campaign.
Four days after Bayern s Champions League semi-final exit to Real Madrid confirmed their first season without any silverware in more than a decade, the Bavarians put in a solid performance against the Wolves despite a string of changes to Thomas Tuchel s team.
Zvonarek, the 19-year-old Croatian who had only made a handful of substitute appearances for the team, scored four minutes into his first start, drilling home for the lead.
Leon Goretzka doubled the advantage nine minutes later with the hosts quickly taking full control of the game.
…
Schalke skipper Benedikt Howedes has extended his contract with the club for a further three years to keep him at the Veltins Arena until 2020.
The 27-year-old currently sidelined with a thigh injury has been with the club since 2001 and was due to see his deal expire in 2017.
However, in his 15th season with Schalke, the Germany international put pen to paper on a contract extension that keeps him tied down until June 2020.
My heart was thumping when I put pen to paper, Howedes told the club s official website.
Schalke 04 is a great club with amazing fans, a club I am thankful to for developing me as a youth player in the Knappenschmiede academy, giving me the opportunity to make my breakthrough in the Bundesliga as a youngster and handing me the ro…
Alex Ferguson has revealed his admiration for retiring Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, labelling the 35-year-old a fantastic player .
Carragher, who has made 736 appearances for the club, announced his plans to retire at the end of current campaign while still at the top of his game.
He found first-team opportunities hard to come by at the start season, but he has been an ever-present under Brendan Rodgers since January.
And retiring Manchester United manager Ferguson was full of praise for the man who has lined-up 33 times against his side throughout his career.
He s absolutely a player I admire, Ferguson told Liverpool s official club website. He s the epitome of a loyal, dedicated player who Liverpool have been lucky to have for more than a decade.
Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld scored long-range stunners to see Tottenham to an entertaining 4-2 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.
Eriksen scored from 30 yards at Camping World Stadium to draw Spurs level after Edinson Cavani s opener in the International Champions Cup clash.
PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp endured a miserable outing, his error gifting Eric Dier a goal to put Tottenham ahead.
A thrilling first half saw four goals scored, with Javier Pastore equalising for PSG.
The second half was quieter, with Spurs winning thanks to Alderweireld and a Harry Kane penalty after playing against 10 men following Trapp s sending off.
FULL-TIME: A great start in the States as goals from , , and see off PSG.
— Tottenham Hotspu…
Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward would prefer to return to newly-promoted Huddersfield Town on loan next season.
Ward, 23, enjoyed a fine Championship campaign with Huddersfield, making 45 league appearances to help the club get promoted.
The three-time Wales international, who starred during the play-offs, said he wanted to be back with David Wagner s men in 2017-18, rather than likely sit on the bench for Liverpool.
On a selfish point, yes, I would like to stay at Huddersfield, Ward told a news conference on Thursday.
I am only young for a goalkeeper and to have a chance of playing week in, week out in the Premier League would be good experience for someone of my age.
Ward, who is contracted until 2021, has played just two Premier League games…
Thomas Tuchel expects Paris Saint-Germain will face big atmospheres in the Champions League after they were drawn with Real Madrid, Club Brugge and Galatasaray.
PSG are still seeking their first European crown and have been knocked out in the last 16 in each of the last three seasons, after a run of four successive quarter-finals.
Tuchel s side failed to get to the last eight in 2018-19 when they squandered a first-leg lead earned at Old Trafford to crash out at home to Manchester United in the round of 16.
That defeat put pressure on PSG coach Tuchel, who also saw his side fail to defend either their Coupe de la Ligue or Coupe de France titles.
PSG were knocked out by Madrid in 2017-18, Neymar s first season at the club, with the Brazilian superstar …