Plauseorminus

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla won't be ready to return to action in January having been forced to undergo a new surgery on his achilles tendon. The 32-year-old midfielder has been out of action since being forced off during the 6-0 win over Ludogorets in the Champions League on 19 October in 2016. The former Villarreal and Malaga star was originally expected to return to action in a matter of days but on 1 December IBTimes UK revealedthat the Arsenal star required a surgery because the recovery was not going as expected. Cazorla went under the knife days later, with Arsenal ruling him out for between two and three months. However, the Spaniard has been unable play since then after suffering a number of setbacks in his recovery. Cazorla was set to be out of contract last summer but Arsene Wenger opted to activate an option to renew his deal for one more season with hopes to have him available in the second part of the current campaign. Earlier this month, Cazor

Neymar’s father has not ruled out the possibility of his son moving to Real Madrid in the future, though insists he is committed to Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian became the world’s most expensive player when PSG paid up his £198 million Barcelona release clause, though his short time in the French capital has been littered with drama. The 25-year-old had a bust up with striker Edinson Cavani over who should take penalties and it was claimed he withdrew himself from selection for a Ligue 1 match. There have also been rumours that he is unhappy in Paris and asked his ex Barca teammates if they would have him back, while a move to Clasico rivals Real has been mentioned. And now Neymar’s dad, who never wanted him to join PSG in the first place, has added more fuel to the speculation that he could be the long-term heir to Cristiano Ronaldo. ‘Neymar has a lengthy contract at PSG and has just arrived. ‘We’ve been here for three months and there is already talk of an exit. It i

West Bromwich Albion have confirmed the appointment of Alan Pardew as their new head coach. Pardew, 56, has signed a two-and-half year contract at the Hawthorns and comes into replace Tony Pulis, who was relieved of his duties earlier this month after a disastrous run of no wins in 10 Premier League matches. Pardew returns to management after being sacked by Crystal Palace in December 2016 and becomes the Baggies sixth permanent manager since 2011. "I'm thrilled with the opportunity Albion have provided and looking forward to getting to work with what I consider to be a talented group of players," Pardew said. "The immediate challenge will be to get the results we need to pull ourselves up the table. But I'm aware that while I'm joining one of the great, traditional clubs of English football, it is one determined to go forward in the Premier League. "It's an exciting opportunity to play a part in that ambition." Chairman John William

Everton have named Sam Allardyce as their new manager on an 18-month contract. FormerLeicester City boss Craig Shakespeare and long-time Allardyce assistant Sammy Lee have also joined the backroom team at Goodison Park following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman and his staff in October. News of the appointment which sees the former England manager return to club football after six months was confirmed via the club's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri in a statement released through talkSPORT's Jim White. "I really want to give him the support he needs. He can go as far as he wants. We need a strong leader, he gives us that," the statement read. An official statement from the club is expected in due course. Allardyce will be in attendance at Goodison tonight where caretaker boss David Unsworth will take charge for the final time against another former Everton coach in David Moyes – appointed West Ham manager earlier this month. Unsworth is expecte

Gareth Bale is back in Real Madrid's squad to face Fuenlabrada on Tuesday night for the first time since suffering an injury during the 3-1 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on 26 September. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Isco and Karim Benzema have all been rested by Zinedine Zidane with Los Blancos holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg of the Copa del Rey last-32 tie. Jesus Vallejo is suspended after being sent off at Fuenlabrada while Sergio Ramos, Lucas Vazquez, Marco Asensio and Luca Zidane will also miss the cup clash due to varying injuries. The visit of the Second Division B team will come only four days before a Saturday's [2 December] trip to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. The Real boss is therefore expected to make wholesale changes in his line-up on Tuesday night ahead of having Ronaldo and co fresh for San Mames. Zidane will give the chance to some youngster

Arsene Wenger claims Alexandre Lacazette keeps getting substituted because of the physical demands of the Premier League. The Gunners’ club-record signing has only played one full game in the league so far and has been brought in the other 10 games he has started. The France international has already scored six goals for Arsenal this season, but Wenger admits the striker has a difficult job in leading the line for 90 minutes. ‘First of all I would like to say that in my job you sub more strikers than defenders because they have to create, they have to provoke, they have to be incisive in every run,’ said the Arsenal boss. ‘Secondly, I think he adapts physically to the Premier League and I’m very happy with work he does for the team during his time on the pitch. ‘And thirdly, I have a lot of options on the bench who are fresh and who can give us other variation in our attack ‘Physically, the Premier League is very demanding and it demands huge intensity of work and if you loo

United and Sweden defender, Victor Lindelof admits he has taken time to adapt to the toughness and competitiveness of the Premier League after making his big-money switch to Manchester United. The Sweden international has been integrated slowly into the side by Jose Mourinho, but has started back-to-back Premier League matches due to injuries to United’s first-choice centre-backs. At Benfica he romped to the title, but not only does the Premier League have more competition at the top – Man City are eight points clear – but the bottom sides are hard to beat too. He told United’s official website: ‘Obviously, the league here is much tougher than Portugal. ‘Over there, you have good teams but you have the top teams that are always the favourites in every game and winning almost every game. ‘Here, it’s much more difficult and you have tough games every week – that’s the biggest the change, the competitiveness you have in the league.’ Lindelof has credited both Mourinho and the c

Arsenal have been handed an injury boost ahead of their game against Huddersfield on Wednesday 29th of November after Theo Walcott returned to training after a fortnight on the side lines through illness. The 28-year-old missed the Gunners' last three games, which included the north London derby and the loss to Cologne in the Europa League. He was also absent for Arsenal's last minute win over Burnley on Sunday. Arsene Wenger was unsure of his participation for the midweek game, but is certain that he will be available for the visit of Manchester United on Saturday. According to the London Evening Standard, Walcott returned to training at the start of the week, but it remains to be seen if he will be included in the matchday squad by the French coach. The England international is unlikely to make it to the starting XI for the clash against the Terriers as he has only been used from the bench in thePremier League. Walcott's main involvement has been in the Europa

AS Monaco have confirmed they have appointed Michael Emenalo as the club's sporting director on 27 November. The 52-year-old was the technical director at Chelsea and decided to end his association with the Premier League winners on 6 November. The former Nigerian international told Chelsea TV that he wanted to see his "young kids grow," which convinced him to leave the west London club. However, Emenalo has taken over the role as the French champions' sporting director in less than a month. At Monaco, he will be in charge of all "sporting matter" under the leadership of club's Vice-President & CEO, Vadim Vasilyev. A statement on Monaco's official website read, "AS Monaco are pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Emenalo to the role of Sporting Director. He will take responsibility for all sporting matters, under the leadership of Vadim Vasilyev, vice-president & CEO." During Emenalo's time at Chelsea, th

Victor Moses has returned to full training ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Liverpool on Saturday. The 26-year-old has been sidelined for six weeks after suffering a grade-three hamstring tear in October. The Nigeria international did not travel with Chelsea’s squad for their Champions League fixture against FK Qarabag on Wednesday evening. But before the team flew out to Azerbaijan, Moses took part in a full training session with his teammates. Antonio Conte will confirm on Friday afternoon whether Moses will be fit enough to play some part in the match at Anfield on Saturday evening. But earlier this month, the Chelsea manager insisted that he would not rush Moses back. Elsewhere, Michy Batshuayi remains sidelined due to a foot injury and looks set to miss the trip to Liverpool.

Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison by an Italian court after being found guilty of sexual assault. The incident took place in January 2013 while the Brazilian was playing for AC Milan. Robinho, along with five other men, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman at a nightclub in Milan. Although the court in Milan has found Robinho guilty, the sentence will not be enforced until the appeal process has been completed. In January 2009, Robinho was arrested and released on bail over allegations of a sexual assault at a nightclub in Leeds, but he faced no charges following an investigation by West Yorkshire Police. The 33-year-old had become the most expensive player in British football less than a year earlier when he joined Manchester City from Real Madrid for £32.5 million. But the Brazilian struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and was sold to AC Milan two years later for just £15m. Robinho is currently playing for Atletico M

Italian Football Federation president Carlo Tavecchio has hinted Antonio Conte is the No.1 choice to take over the coaching post vacated by Giampiero Ventura. Italy sacked Ventura after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. Conte managed Italy before he took on the Chelsea job and has been consistently linked with a return to his home country. Italy are on the hunt for their next manager after the axe fell on Ventura and Tavecchio suggested Conte was the ideal man to take charge. ‘[Massimiliano] Allegri, [Roberto] Mancini, [Carlo] Ancelotti… I say getting warmer,’ Tavecchio told Gazzetta Dello Sport. ‘And Conte? Fire.’ Conte managed to get the best our of an aging Italy squad at last summer’s European Championships, but Ventura could not repeat the trick to achieve World Cup qualification. Chelsea fans will not be happy to hear Conte linked with a return to Italy after a difficult start to the Blues’ title defence. Chelsea sit in

Willian has urged Chelsea to recall Ruben Loftus-Cheek from his loan spell at Crystal Palace. The Chelsea star has admitted he was baffled to learn Loftus-Cheek had been shipped out on loan. Antonio Conte has spent much of the season complaining about Chelsea’ lack of spending and small squad, but the Italian decided Loftus-Cheek was surplus to requirements. And Willian believes Conte should reverse that decision and bring Loftus-Cheek back to the club. ‘I don’t know why he is at Crystal Palace now – he has to come back,’ Willian said. ‘A very good player. He is strong, he has quality. He has a great future.’ Since linking up with Palace, Loftus-Cheek has earned himself his first call-up to the England squad. And the midfielder put in a man of the match performance against Germany last Friday in his senior debut. Gareth Southgate knows the player well having coached him at Under-21 level and he suggested the Chelsea players have been deliberately holding the youngster ba

Jose Mourinho has been handed a huge and unexpected injury boost ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Newcastle on Saturday afternoon. The Portuguese coach has been juggling a host of injuries this season, though both Paul Pogba and, incredibly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic are pushing to return for the weekend visit of Newcastle. Although both, especially the veteran striker, are severely lacking in match sharpness, The Sun reports that Mourinho is ready to name the duo on the bench. Both have been involved in full first-team training during the international break, getting through the week so far unscathed. Understandably, United do not want to take any risks with two of their biggest stars, though Mourinho hopes to give them a run out and get them fully up to speed ahead of the busy festive schedule. In just under a month United take on fierce local rivals – and table-toppers – Manchester City, and the plan is to have both players fit and firing for the title batt

The Super Eagles of Nigeria has been placed in pot four ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup draw. The draw slated for Friday December 1 at Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace could see Nigeria come up against world champions Germany or Brazil in the group stage. Gernot Rohr’s side also face the daunting prospect of a rematch against the Argentine led Lionel Messi side who would want to proof a point and rewrite their wrongs from the last friendly match. All is now set for the draw as the final sides for next summer’s showpiece were decided yesterday with Australia edging out Honduras and Peru last through the door after overcoming New Zealand. Pot 1 Russia, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, France. Pot 2 Spain, Peru, Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Croatia Pot 3 Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Iran Pot 4 Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia

Spanish national team manager Julen Lopetegui has allayed fears that Isco picked a serious injury on international duty after confirming that the Real Madrid star will be fully fit to play when Los Blancos visit Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Isco, 25, was forced off and replaced by club teammate Marco Asensio in the second half of Spain's 5-0 victory over Costa Rica on Saturday following a heavy challenge by Kendall Watson. The Real Madrid maestro consequently pulled out of the Spain squad ahead of the upcoming friendly against Russia on Tuesday night. The news set alarms bells ringing at the Santiago Bernabeu ahead of the derby at Atletico Madrid. However, Lopetegui has played down the fears of Real Madrid fans after assuring that the player will be ready to face Diego Simeone's side. "It's a knock. It is a knock in the same area that he was hit at Girona. He already had some discomfort then. The feeling is that he was not going to be able to play ag

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 after a 0-0 draw with Sweden at the San Siro. The four-time World Cup winners needed to score in front of their home fans after a shock 1-0 loss in Sweden. But, the Italians could not break down a brilliantly resilient Swedish team that benefited from a tireless defensive display and a few questionable referee decisions. Italy saw three penalty decisions turned down while Sweden themselves had one excellent shout dismissed by the referee. Sweden set the tone for a hectic play-off decider inside the first ten minutes when Ludwig Augustinsson flew in on Marco Parolo in the box. The referee waved away Italy’s protests and then dashed Sweden’s hopes of a spot kick moments later after appeals for a handball. Ciro Immobile then saw an effort cleared off the line as Sweden somehow went into the dressing rooms level. Another penalty appeal was dismissed in the 47th minute when Mikael Lustig seemed to ki

Tammy Abraham says he rejected overtures from Nigeria to feature for the Super Eagles because his mind was always set on playing for England. London-born Abraham ’s decision to reject the country where both of his parents were born paid off when Gareth Southgate rewarded his early season form for loan club Swansea with a first call-up to the England senior squad. And with Harry Kane an injury doubt, Dele Alli ruled out, Daniel Sturridge not selected and Southgate keen to try out options ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals, the Chelsea striker, Abraham is set to make his debut in the friendlies with Germany on Friday or Brazil next Tuesday. Tammy Abraham said: “They [Nigeria] did try to roll out the red carpet and it was flattering but I was pretty set on England. I see myself as being a long-term England player. That is where my main focus is and I am 100 percent focused on trying to get into that team.” Kane had four loan spells before making the breakthrough at Tot

West Ham have appointed David Moyes as their new manager, less than 24 hours after sacking Slaven Bilic. The former Sunderland and Manchester United manager is expected to take training this morning. The club have not officially announced the length of his contract, however it’s understood to run until the end of the current campaign. It represents a swift change of manager at the London Stadium, with Bilic fired yesterday after a difficult start to the season.  The club are currently in the relegation zone after just two wins so far this season. Moyes’ first move has been to reach out to West Ham supporters amid a lukewarm-at-best reaction to rumours of his impending arrival. ‘I’m really looking forward to meeting the supporters. Being in the stadium. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing them getting right behind the team and my team also. ‘We need the support, we need everybody with us. ‘It’s a big job we have in hand now but I’m sure with everybody together we can get the right

Frank Lampard is being lined up as a shock replacement for Michael Emenalo as Chelsea‘s technical director, reports claim. The Blues legend has been doing punditry work since hanging up his boots but has been linked with a permanent coaching role at Stamford Bridge after he undertook his badges while helping out former team-mate Jody Morris with the Under-18s. And the Champions League winner has been touted as a replacement for Emenalo, according to the Daily Express. Emenalo surprisingly announced his departure from Stamford Bridge on Monday in the aftermath of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday. In the short term, Roman Abramovich’s right-hand woman Marina Granovskaia is set to assume his duties but Chelsea are on the lookout for a long-term successor. Lampard would be a popular choice among the fans, although senior club officials were questioning his credentials for the role. However, they accept that the appointment should be used to ease relations betw

Liverpool have been handed a major boost ahead of the lead up to the busy festive period after Mohamed Salah was left out of the Egypt squad for their final World Cup qualifier this month. The Pharaohs have already qualified after Salah's double which included a stoppage time penalty beat Congo and secured their passage to Russia where they will play in their first World Cup for 28 years One qualifying game against Ghana on 12 November remains but with Hector Cuper's side already assured of a berth in next summer's finals Salah will not be needed and will be given two weeks off. Egypt were due to play twice during the final international fortnight of 2017, but the friendly against the United Arab Emirates was cancelled earlier this week. The news is a major relief to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who has already lost Sadio Mane to injury suffered while on international duty and will be delighted at the opportunity to hand Salah a well-earned rest. No player

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta has given Ernesto Valverde a boost by returning to training with the rest of his available teammates on Thursday morning. However, it is still uncertain whether the Spain international will be 100% fit to feature when the Catalans host Sevilla on Saturday after having missed the last two games against Athletic Bilbao and Olympiakos due to a muscle injury. The 33-year-old has been hit by varying fitness issues since the beginning of the season and Valverde will surely not risk him unless he proves that he is fully fit during Barcelona's final training session before the game on Friday. Iniesta will have plenty of time to step up his recovery even if he misses the game, during the upcoming two-week international break. Yet, Iniesta's availability for weekend would be welcomed by Valverde after injuries to Sergi Roberto and Andre Gomes. The Spaniard was forced off during the Champions League goalless draw at Olympiakos and will b

Manchester United are contemplating recalling Andreas Pereira from his season-long loan spell at Valencia should he continue making regular starts for Los Che before the New Year. The 21-year-old has joined the La Liga side for the duration of the 2017-18 season and has made nine appearances in all competitions, four of which have come from the start. Pereira has contributed one goal and two assists during that period for Marcelino's side, who are second in the tabl just four points behind early leaders Barcelona. But with United having a clause in place to recall Pereira in the middle of the season, the club have sounded out the Brazil youth international ahead of a possible return, according to Plaza Deportiva. Reports suggest United have told Pereira a return to Old Trafford could be considered if he continues to make regular starts for Valencia between now and the end of the year. The form of Gonçalo Guedes and Carlos Soler, who has himself been linked with a

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte retains the support of the club's board despite the Champions League defeat against Roma in midweek, according to reports. According to Daily Mirror, the Blues hierarchy continue to hold Conte in high esteem and are sympathetic to the injury setbacks that have robbed the Italian of some key players this season. Chelsea were beaten 3-0 by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on 31 October and face a crucial game in the Premier League against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge this weekend. The Blues are four points behind United and could fall 12 points behind league leaders Manchester City if they lose to the Red Devils. The club's coaching staff is racing to get key midfielder N'Golo Kante fit from his hamstring injury in time for the visit of United to ease the load on Tiemoue Bakayoko, who has been playing with pain in his knee. "I don't know what will happen on Sunday against Manchester United," Conte was quoted as

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he does not want to renew his current deal with the Spanish giants, putting the recent speculation suggesting that he is looking for a new contract to bed. The Portuguese international put pen to paper on a new five-year contract in November 2016, which sees him reportedly earn in the region of £365,000 per week. However, there were reports that the forward was unhappy with his life in Spain and was looking for a move away from the La Liga winners in the last summer transfer window. Ronaldo was eventually able to resolve his issues with the club to continue with his current employers. Speculation continued, however, with reports suggesting that the former Manchester United star was seeking a new contract at Santiago Bernabeu. The 32-year-old has now ruled out those claims after confirming that he will not stay beyond his current deal, which will run down in 2021. "I am doing very well at Real Madrid. I have four y

Roy Keane says Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho should ‘shut up’ and stop listening to his critics. Mourinho said he would leave it to the ‘specialists’ to analyse United’s 2-0 win against Benfica on Tuesday following criticism of his side’s style of play in recent weeks. The Portuguese boss made a ‘shushing’ gesture following United’s 1-0 win against Tottenham last weekend and told critics to ‘relax and stay calm’ after the victory. The Red Devils have only lost one match so far this season and have a 100% record in the Champions League but Mourinho’s comments have created a slightly negative atmosphere at the club. Mourinho’s side face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and Keane says the self-proclaimed Special One should ‘shut up’ and focus on winning matches.  ‘My only concern about Mourinho is that he seems to be distracted by the so-called critics out there,’ Keane told ITV. ‘He is probably paid eight, nine or ten million pounds a year so focus on your own j

Thibaut Courtois admits Chelsea teammates Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko have struggled in the absence of N’Golo Kante. The midfield enforcer has been out of action since he sustained a hamstring injury on international duty earlier this month and his presence has been sorely missed. Chelsea had cobbled a run of three successive wins together before their midfield was exposed and defence totally overrun during Tuesday’s shambolic 3-0 defeat against Roma in the Champions League. Kante rated his chances of returning against Manchester United on Sunday as 50-50 but Courtois feels it is important not to rush the Frenchman back even if Fabregas and summer signing Bakayoko are in need of his combative presence alongside them in the Chelsea engine room.  ‘Obviously it is different to last season. Injuries have been coming and not at a good time,’ said the Chelsea goalkeeper.‘We know how important N’Golo is for us, he is the guy that brings a lot of balance into the team. But we

Paul Pogba's return from injury will spark life into Manchester United, who have struggled to showcase the same attacking flair that was on display at the start of the campaign, according to club legend Paul Scholes. The former Red Devils midfielder also believes Romelu Lukaku will get back to his best once the Frenchman makes his way back into the United midfield. The Belgian has gone off the boil in recent weeks after a blistering start to the campaign and has failed to score in his last five outings. Pogba has been sidelined for the last seven weeks with a hamstring injury he picked up during United's Champions League win over Basel. He underwent surgery and has since been in rehabilitation away from the first-team squad. Jose Mourinho was unable to provide a timeframefor his potential return but it is expected to be sooner rather than later as he has been seen undergoing some intense training sessions. United have come under criticism for their playing style

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is in line to faceBorussia Dortmund in their top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash this weekend, after he watched his side clinch their place in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday. The Polish international missed the 2-1 Group B win over Celtic in Glasgow that saw the German champions reach the knock-out stage of Europe's elite competition for the 10th successive season. Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, undefeated in his fourth spell in charge of the German giants after replacing Carlo Ancelotti last month, was forced to field on-loan Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez up front with Thomas Mueller also missing out through injury. However, the veteran tactician was confident Lewandowski would return to lead the line against Dortmund on Saturday as they travel to face their rivals, who are just three points behind them in the Bundesliga. "Obviously it's not my ideal choice to replace somebody up front with a midfield pl

Victor Moses’ absence is having a negative effect on Chelsea, according to Frank Lampard following the Blues' 3-0 loss to Roma in Tuesday’s Uefa Champions League encounter. Antonio Conte’s men have struggled at the back with Davide Zappacosta and Cesar Azpilicueta being drafted to right wing-back role as replacement for Moses who has been out of action since October 14. And Lampard admitted that the absence of the Super Eagles' player has left a vacuum in the Stamford Bridge outfit's defence. “Moses is a miss,” Lampard told BT Sport. “You wouldn’t have thought that 18 months ago with what he’s given them in the right-wing back position. "[Conte] is covering it with Azpilicueta, he’s covering it with Zappacosta and it’s affecting the whole back five and I think he will want to get back to knowing what his three is and working on it through the week. “The players are going to have to react because I don’t think Conte is a manager that will change h

Phil Neville believes Chelsea made the worst decision in Premier League history this summer by allowing Nemanja Matic to join Manchester United. The Serbian international joined the Red Devils for a fee of around £35million after lengthy negotiations between the two sides. Matic, 29, won two league titles at Stamford Bridge and Antonio Conte replaced him with Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. However, the Frenchman is yet to fill Matic’s boots and the Serbian has proved an instant success for the Red Devils. And Neville believes it’s proved to be an unforgivable decision. ‘I hate going back over old ground but when you’ve got Matic sat in front of you with Kante – who has been the player of the season for the last two years – you have the best two central midfielders in the league by a country mile,’ Neville told 5Live. ‘Why they sold him…whoever made that decision needs sacking because it’s the poorest decision I’ve seen in the Premier League.  ‘To get rid of somebody

Thibaut Courtois was disappointed with the lack of ‘fighting spirit’ displayed by his Chelsea team-mates in the second half against Roma and insists they have to ‘fight back’ against Manchester United on Sunday. The Belgian goalkeeper saw the ball fly past him three times on a difficult night at the Stadio Olimpico as Stephan El Shaarawy scored twice in the first half before Diego Perotti put the game beyond their reach in the second half. While the first-half performance was not utterly disastrous, their was a distinct lack of fight among Chelsea players in the second period as they fell tamely to a comfortable defeat. Courtois did not mince his words in the aftermath of the loss and hopes the Blues can prove it was merely an ‘off day’. ‘I think we knew Roma would start with intensity and we had to equal it,’ he told BT Sport. ‘But after 50 seconds, El Shaarawy scores a screamer – it’s unfortunate after 50 seconds you’re down 1-0. ‘I think afterwards we played quite well. W