Barcelona s Malian defender Seydou Keita will be out for two weeks, including Wednesday s Champions League clash with Basel, after picking up a calf sprain at the weekend, the club said.
But midfielder Xavi Hernandez, voted the best player at Euro 2008, will be back for the Group C match in Switzerland.
Xavi was rested for the first division game at Athletico Bilbao on Sunday, which Barca won 1-0.
Germany head coach Joachim Loew has hailed the quality of Portugal ahead of the Euro 2012 Group B contest between the two sides.
As one of the pre-tournament favourites for the European Championship title, Germany are tipped to defeat Portugal in their opening match, but Loew has warned his players about the quality of Paulo Bento s team.
Portugal have the capacity to defeat any side, Loew said.
They have very good players, who play at big clubs.
They have gone far in these tournaments. They have excellent players.
Cristiano Ronaldo is fantastic and can decide a match on his own, but they also have other players like Nani and Pepe.
While several members of his squad featured in Germany s run to the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World…
Maurizio Sarri hopes Eden Hazard will stay at Chelsea but will respect whatever decision the forward reaches on his future.
Hazard s contract at Stamford Bridge is due to expire at the end of next season and he has been linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid.
The Belgium international said after Chelsea s final Premier League game of 2018-19 that he had made a decision and informed the club.
However, Chelsea head into next Wednesday s Europa League final against Arsenal with the future of star player Hazard still up in the air.
Asked if the match in Baku could be Hazard s last for the club, Sarri said: I don t know. As I said in every press conference, I want to respect his decision.
I hope that he will stay with us, but we need to be ready …
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SPAL welcome AC Milan to their Stadio Paolo Mazza in Ferrara on the last matchday of the 2018/19 Serie A season.
S.P.A.L.
The home side have nothing but pride and a hope of a good performance in front of their fans against one of the biggest clubs in the world to play for. Sitting 11th with 42 points to their name, another three, or one, or none, would mean absolutely nothing. They are quite safe from relegation, while the European places are far out of their reach ahead of the last round of the season.
Team News
There are two players in their squad that need assessing ahead of the game due to injury defender Felipe and midfielder Simone Missiroli, and it s not very likely that boss Leonardo Semplici will want to risk them wi…
Despite fighting back from 2-0 down to lead, Lens were forced to settle for a point in Friday s Ligue 1 encounter with Saint-Etienne.
Lens were undone by a late Mevlut Erding strike as their recovery from a two-goal deficit was rewarded by just a point in Friday s 3-3 draw at Saint-Etienne.
With 15 places separating the sides before the clash at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, things initially seemed to be going to form Landry N Guemo giving the hosts an early lead with a stunning strike from the edge of the area 18 minutes in to punish some slack defending from Antoine Kombouare s side.
It was the Cameroon international s first Ligue 1 goal since December 2013 and, when Yohan Mollo added a second before the hour mark, the result seemed wrapped up.
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Kyle Bartley has followed Swansea City captain Ashley Williams by signing a new contract at the Liberty Stadium.
Kyle Bartley has followed Swansea City captain Ashley Williams by signing a new contract at the Liberty Stadium.
Williams committed his future to Swansea on Friday and Bartley, whose previous contract was due to expire next June, has now put pen to paper on a three-year deal.
A former academy player at Arsenal, Bartley joined Swansea in August 2012.
The defender spent much of last season on loan at Championship side Birmingham City but was recalled at the end of January and went on to make two Premier League appearances under Garry Monk.
With Monk having been appointed as the permanent successor to Michael Laudrup in May, Bartley is hop…
Steve Clarke once got into trouble for losing his younger brother on a trip to see Scotland play England at Wembley.
The Scotland manager hopes to gain a lot more from the latest in the series of the world’s oldest international fixture.
The two teams meet at Hampden on Tuesday to mark the 150th anniversary of the first international – a goalless draw at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick.
Clarke’s side go into the game on a high having won 11 qualifying matches in a row. Friday’s 3-0 victory in Cyprus made it five wins from five in the Euro 2024 qualifiers and kept open the possibility of Scotland qualifying on Tuesday.
But Clarke will put aside thoughts of Germany next summer as Scotland host a side who will provide a stern test of the…
Ravel Morrison s agent claims his client retains the respect of English clubs, despite a tough season with Lazio.
The former England youth international joined the Serie A outfit from West Ham United in 2015, but struggled to make an impact in his first campaign, starting only one game in all competitions.
But, while Morrison s Italian predicament led to talk of a return to the Premier League, his representative, Daniel Wilson, has insisted his future is with Lazio.
He did, though, add that English clubs are always likely to be interested in a player of Morrison s talents.
He is number 11 at Lazio, Wilson told Football Italia.
That s his status. Clubs in England will always respect his talent, because he played in the Premier League at a young a…
Iceland s joint coach Lars Lagerback says his players have not started climbing any volcanoes yet and must be wary of a vastly improved Hungary.
Lagerback watched his side hold Portugal to what is sure to become a famous 1-1 draw in the Nordic country s major tournament debut in Saint-Etienne on Tuesday.
Up next is a clash with Hungary, who defeated the fancied Austria of David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic 2-0 in Bordeaux on the same day.
While some considered Hungary s victory over their highly-rated neighbours to be something of a surprise, Lagerback has been keeping a careful eye on the resurgence of the former powerhouse.
The Hungary team, they developed through the qualification [campaign] and the play-off [against Norway], how they played some friend…
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has challenged his players at the UEFA Under-21 European Championship to use it as a stage to shine.
Jordan Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey, Andre Wisdom and Jack Robinson make up the Liverpool contingent for England at the tournament in Israel, and Rodgers expects them all to come back with more experience.
I always think going to big championships like that is great for their learning, Rodgers said.
All these football experiences are good for them. I m not one who is against players representing their countries.
Spain midfielder Juan Mata featured for the Under-21s for the 2011 tournament, despite having won the World Cup with the senior side a year earlier, with the Chelsea player crowned Golden Player as he guided his country to another t…
Former Real Madrid and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele has been cleared of assaulting his ex-girlfriend by a French court.
The Paris Saint-Germain assistant coach had been accused of punching former partner Thandi Ojeer during a dispute in October 2010, and a jail sentence had been mentioned at previous hearings.
However, Ojeer s case was dismissed by a judge and she was forced to pay 90,000 euros in compensation and fined a further 2,000 euros for bringing an unsubstantial civil claim to court.
Makelele denied the claims, although he did admit there was a dispute when she arrived at his house to collect clothes and belongings four months after the end of their relationship.
Neither Makelele or Ojeer were present at the hearing.
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