Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp must be patient with Daniel Sturridge, just like he was with Ilkay Gundogan during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Sturridge has been plagued by injuries during his Liverpool career with at least seven of his stints on the sidelines being for six or more games at a time.
Like Sturridge, Germany international Gundogan was troubled by injuries missing practically all of the 2013-14 season before getting over his back problem and returning to playing regularly.
I had 15 months with Ilkay Gundogan where we had to all wait. It was his back and we had no chance to force it, Klopp explained. It s not a back problem with Daniel, but it s the muscle.
Out of responsibility, we have to do everything we can to give him the phys…
Michael Carrick could be set to quit Manchester United at the end of the season,.
The thirty-four year old’s contract expires in five months time and is considering his options, with sides in England and the MLS monitoring the situation.
Carrick is currently in his tenth season at Old Trafford and recently made his four hundredth appearance for the club in all competitions.
He has scored twenty-three goals for the Red Devils and has won a whole host of major honours including five league titles, the League Cup and the Champions League.
Internationally, the former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur man has been capped thirty-four times for England and was part of their squads for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the tournament in South Africa fo…
Speaking in the press conference ahead of their Champions League match with Hoffenheim, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has dismissed rumours linking the Premier League title-holders with Paris Saint-Germain s Kylian Mbappe.
After shining for AS Monaco, Mbappe moved to Paris in 2017, initially on loan with fee for a subsequent permanent deal set to €145million and a potential add-on sum of €35million. That figure has made him the second most-expensive player in the world, behind only his teammate Neymar. Since then, the 19-year-old has won the World Cup in Russia, and he continues to impress at the French capital. It is to be expected his price would have only increased so far.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager was very clear about this particular…
Callum Wilson would not compare himself to England captain Harry Kane but feels he can nail down a regular place in the Three Lions squad.
Bournemouth striker Wilson is in the England team for the first time, having hit six Premier League goals so far this season the same number as Kane while contributing four assists.
Jamie Vardy s retirement from international football has opened a spot up front, while Arsenal s Danny Welbeck faces an extended lay-off after breaking his ankle.
And Wilson, 26, believes he has what it takes to become a firm fixture in the England set-up for many years to come.
I feel like I don t want to come here just to make the numbers, Wilson said in quotes reported by The Telegraph.
I want to impress the manager [Gareth So…
Toni Kroos has hailed the performance of the Shakhtar Donetsk squad following their 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The Ukrainian side came agonisingly close to a remarkable victory against the European champions but Antonio Rudiger s last-gasp header ensured honours would be even, clinching Madrid s spot in the knockout stages.
Shakhtar s valiant display came on the back of more difficult days for Ukraine, with Russia resuming missile strikes across the country, including upon the capital Kyiv, in a further escalation of the conflict.
Kroos was left impressed by the spirit of Shakhtar s squad, praising them for their efforts this season as they play out their campaign in their adopted home of Warsaw.
In general, the last couple of mon…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accepts a greater focus on defending has impacted his team s attack this season.
Klopp s men are unbeaten in eight Premier League games, but their attack is yet to reach the same heights as 2017-18.
With 15, Liverpool are equal fifth for goals scored, however, they have conceded just three – a league-best alongside Manchester City.
Klopp said a change in approach had contributed to those numbers, but believes his team are still creating enough.
We want to be stronger defensively but we didn t say that means we don t have that much interest in offensive things, the German told UK newspapers.
It s a normal period of adaptation. You need to get used to things closing this gap, this space.
You put the focus …
Zenit are readying a summer bid for Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan, Portuguese daily newspaper .
The Russian giants have been keeping close tabs on the Argentine forward for quite a while, but they finally look ready to step up their interest.
Zenit scouts have been impressed by the player s latest performances and they have instructed the club officials to try and lure Gaitan to St Petersburg.
The 26-year-old has a long list of admirers among Europe s top clubs, but there are not too many of those prepared to pay top dollar like the Russian champions.
Gaitan joined Benfica from Boca Juniors in the summer of 2010 and has since featured in 92 league appearances and scored 15 goals in the process.
The Eagles sit five points clear at the top of Prime…
Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has refuted suggestions in the German press that his re-found form is only down to having his ego boosted by Bayern s Dutch coach van Gaal.
I m not as sensitive as I am often presented in the media, the Germany forward, who has scored 15 goals in his last ten matches, told German magazine Sport Bild.
I do not need to hear compliments every day. I just do my job the best I can and Louis van Gaal has chosen me when everyone was available.
The 25-year-old became the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history when he moved to Munich from Stuttgart in July 2009 for 30 million euros (39 million US dollars).
Last season, van Gaal preferred to use Croatia s Ivica Olic and Miroslav Klose, but Gomez has taken his chances this…
French daily newspaper that Manchester City are on the verge of signing French defender Eliaquim Mangala from FC Porto.
The Citizens have been hot on the trail of the highly rated stopper for quite a while, and they seem to have finally decided to act.
According to L Equipe, the Premier League side have had a €40 million bid accepted by Porto, meaning all that s left is to agree personal terms with the player.
Manchester City officials plan to pair the Frenchman with Vincent Kompany at the heart of defence at the Etihad and they appear to be close to wrapping up the transfer.
Eliaquim Mangala has been at Estadio do Dragao since the summer of 2011, making 51 league appearances and scoring 6 goals.
The 23-year-old is unlikely to feature in the …
Schalke coach Andre Breitenreiter hopes the addition of Younes Belhanda to his squad will spark an upturn in form by increasing competition for places.
The 25-year-old Morocco international completed a six-month loan move from Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday, heading straight to Orlando to undergo a medical and join up with his new team-mates at their mid-season training camp.
Two wins in their last three Bundesliga matches have seen Schalke show glimpses that they are on the road to recovery following a run of five games without a win and Breitenreiter wants Belhanda to play his part in the club s push for a Champions League place.
We want to increase the competition within the squad, said Breitenreiter. Younes Belhanda can play attacking midfield both centrally and o…