Plauseorminus

Manchester United will be without Paul Pogba due to injury for Thursday night’s crucial derby match against rivals Manchester City. The France international was forced off in the weekend win over Burnley, and Jose Mourinho has confirmed he will not be fit to take part at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow. Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera, however, are available for United in this crunch encounter against City in the battle for an all-important Premier League top four spot.  Speaking after the win over Burnley, Mourinho admitted he wasn’t sure what the problem with Pogba was, but suggested it could be down to exhaustion after playing so many games this season. ‘If he is injured or it’s just super-accumulation of fatigue in the muscles, I don’t know.’ Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are also still out, with United facing a mini-crisis in defence as Marcos Rojo was recently ruled out for the rest of the season. Credit: metro

Varane, 24, is yet to play a game since the win over Alaves on 2 April, being forced off in the 10th minute of the game. He had only just returned to action following a separate six-week spell on the sidelines. Zinedine Zidane has now suggested that Raphael Varane could return to action when Real Madridvisit Deportivo la Coruña on Wednesday night Meanwhile, the French boss has expressed his disapproval at the criticism he has received in the aftermath of the 3-2 defeat toBarcelona in El Clasico. The France international has been training with the rest of his teammates since last week but was left out of the squad to face Barcelona as Zidane thought the game would come too early for him. Real Madrid were hit by a further blow in El Clasico after Gareth Bale suffered a recurrence of another injury earlier in the game, which is expected to keep him out of action for around three weeks. Zidane has been questioned over his decision to play Bale against Barcelona amid suggesti...

Manchester United are reportedly in advanced talks to seal the transfer of Monaco attacking midfielder and rumoured Chelsea target Bernardo Silva in a £43million deal. The Red Devils could do with strengthening in attack this summer after struggling for goals, particularly at home, throughout much of the Premier League season. Silva, 22, has been one of Europe’s top playmakers this term, helping Monaco to the top of Ligue 1 and into the semi-finals of the Champions League. Chelsea have also been chasing the Portugal international, with rumours earlier this year claiming they’d also held talks over bringing him to England for next season. With eight goals and nine assists in all competitions this season, it is little surprise to see United are also big admirers of Silva’s potential, and France Football claim they’re leading the chase for his signature. United’s talks with the player are said to have reached an advanced stage as they close in on landing him for £43mill...

Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi has all but admitted he’d wished the club had beaten Chelsea to N’Golo Kante in the summer transfer window. The France international, who has just been crowned PFA Player of the Year after another outstanding season in the Premier League, was approached by the Gunners before moving from Leicester City to Chelsea. Kante arrived in England as a virtual unknown last season, but has quickly regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position. Iwobi admits he’s a big fan, and let slip that he would love to play alongside the 26-year-old. ‘He’s someone that works for the team and even though he’s a Chelsea player, you have to respect what he does,’ Iwobi told Arsenal Player. ‘He works for the team and just runs non-stop. ‘He’s got something every player would like to have. ‘Every player would like to have him in their team. ‘The engine, the energy he brings, the enthusiasm – he is my player of the season.’ Credit: Metro

Barcelona have ruled out selling Neymar in the summer amid reports linking the Brazilian forward with Manchester United. The Catalan club's technical secretary Robert Fernandez told RAC1 that there was no truth to reports that the 25-year-old could leave Camp Nou, saying he is "totally untransferable". Neymar, 25, signed a new five-year contract at Barcelona last October, keeping him in the Catalan capital until 2021. His buyout clause has been fixed at £181m ($227m) for the first year, £200m for the second and £226m for the remaining three years. The Brazil international said in an interview in March that he was an admirer of the Premier League and admitted that he would like to work with the likes of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and United manager Jose Mourinho. "The Premier League is a championship that amazes me," he told the Sun. "I like the playing style and the teams. And who knows, someday, I would like to play at it, yes. ...

Xavi, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona for four years, told the Sun that the Catalan manager was keen on signing more English players for City. Alli, 21, has enjoyed another excellent season at White Hart Lane, scoring 16 goals in 31 Premier League appearances. He beat his Spurs teammate Harry Kane to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second season in a row on 23 April. Several European clubs, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, are reported to be monitoring the England international, who signed a new deal in September to stay at White Hart Lane until 2022. "I speak with Pep, and I know he thinks it is important to sign English players," Xavi said. "I am sure in the summer he will look also across Europe for players to improve the squad, but also I expect him to look in the Premier League as well. "At the moment the best English player there is and also one of the best in Europe is Dele Alli. We are looking at a very s...

Diego Costa will leave Chelsea this summer, the club’s former assistant coach Ray Wilkins has predicted. The striker has been strongly linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge in the past, with Costa himself admitting he came close to a return to Atletico Madrid last summer and reports of a switch to China surfacing in January.According to Wilkins the lure of more money elsewhere will be too much for the Brazilian-born Spain international. ‘I think Diego Costa will leave if I’m honest,’ Wilkins told Sky Sports. ‘I think he should stay and play in the Champions League for Chelsea. When you go to China you’re saying your career is finished. ‘I would say he might go financially.’ Wilkins turned his attention to who Chelsea could sign to replace Costa should he depart, putting forward the names of Antoine Griezmann or Romelu Lukaku. ‘Do they get Griezmann or Lukaku? ‘I would go for Lukaku as I think they need that strength and power.’ Both strikers have been ...