..::Football III::..

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Van Gaal: Rojo suffered a dislocated shoulder

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed Marcos Rojo suffered a dislocated shoulder against Manchester City.

The Argentina international was stretchered off early in the second half at the Etihad Stadium after sliding in on Martin Demichelis, with the medical staff seemingly giving the defender oxygen for the pain.

And though Van Gaal is unsure as to the timeframe for the former Sporting Lisbon man's recovery, he admitted he is likely to miss out against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

"The shoulder is out, you never know how long that will take, I have to wait until tomorrow I think but he shall not play against Crystal Palace," he told Sky Sports.

"We have a lot of injuries in defence but you have seen how Michael Carrick and Paddy McNair came in. I don’t think that is the problem.

"We still have 11 players to play and also very good players, so I don't cry for that but it is sometimes difficult to select the best team, but I think I can manage that and we are close, you can see it every week, but you need more points.

"I see the fans are applauding after the game, so they see also that the boys are willing to give everything for the shirt of the club."

Sergio Aguero's 10th Premier League goal of the season separated the local rivals on Sunday after Chris Smalling was sent-off in the first half.

And though he is yet to taste victory away from Old Trafford in his short time at United, Van Gaal feels there are some encouraging signs for his team to build on.

"I said to the boys that the will power and the labour is unbelievable. When you give that you can be very proud, but in the end we have zero points and in sports it's goals that are counted.

"We were so close despite playing with 10 men, we created more chances than in the first half. We are close but not close enough today and we have to improve."

 

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Get well soon Rojo!​

 

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Mata: Man Utd are upset but will bounce back

Juan Mata has revealed the Manchester United squad are "very upset" following their derby loss to Manchester City but is confident the team is improving.

Sunday's 1-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium leaves Louis van Gaal's side 13 points behind league leaders Chelsea after just 10 games, with the club winning just three matches this term.

United played the majority of the game with 10 men following Chris Smalling's first-half red card and despite the disappointment Mata praised his team-mates' effort against the champions.

"A derby is always special and the one in Manchester is really intense, you can feel it in the streets during the week," Mata wrote in his latest blog post, titled 'Fighting until the end'.

"That’s why it’s hard to accept that we have lost and, despite not being able to help my team-mates on the pitch, I can tell you that the whole team is very upset.

"Playing away against City is always challenging because they have a big offensive potential, as it was shown, but having one player sent off in the first half just makes things more complicated.

"This is the fifth time this season that one of us gets a red card, so unfortunately we already know what it means to have one player less. But even if Aguero scored and we were just 10, our team showed pride and almost tied the game, although this time it was not possible.

"To be honest, right now, rather than looking at the table we have to focus on our path in order to improve and to win games."

Next up for United is the visit of Crystal Palace on Saturday before a trip to Arsenal after the international break, and Mata urged unity in the face of the latest disappointment.

"Obviously this situation is not what we wanted, but in this moment the team must stick together and keep on going. I’m sure we will do it," he continued.

"Our situation is not nice, I can tell you, but I’m fully confident that we will change it against Crystal Palace."

 

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'I'm at the best club in the world' - Isco rules out leaving Real Madrid

Isco insists that he will not be leaving Real Madrid, claiming that he sees no reason to ditch "the best club in the world".

The Spain international only joined the Blancos from Malaga last summer but, despite an encouraging start to his Santiago Bernabeu career, he ultimately failed to nail down a regular berth in Carlo Ancelotti's starting line-up last season.

The lack of game time led to speculation linking Isco with a move away from the Spanish capital, with Tuesday's Champions League opponents Liverpool among those said to have been seriously interested in signing the 22-year-old.The attacking midfielder ended up staying put and is currently flourishing, having been afforded a run of four successive starts in the absence of Gareth Bale.

The Welshman is on the verge of returning to first-team action but Isco is unperturbed and says he has no desire to leave Madrid - even if he is once again restricted to a bit-part role."My feelings on my career at Marid are very positive," he told Bwin. "I'm in the best team in the world, we are winning titles, we achieved La Decima [last season] and hopefully we can continue that."I think the best place to keep winning titles is Real Madrid."

Indeed, Isco believes that, if anything, the Blancos are even stronger than they were last season thanks in no small part to the summer arrivals of Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Javier Hernandez and Keylor Navas.

"With the new signings already adapted and given the commitment level of the team, the whole group is more united with each game," he enthused."Everyone has something amazing: Kroos has great ball control; James has enormous quality; Chicharito has an eye for goal that comes in hand in tough games; and Keylor is one of the best goalkeepers in the world."

Madrid are currently in the midst of an 11-game winning run in all competitions and will be hoping to make it 12 victories in a row when they host struggling Liverpool.
The Reds finished second in last season's Premier League but are struggling badly this season without Luis Suarez, who was sold to Barcelona, and the injured Daniel Sturridge.Isco, though, is refusing to underestimate the threat potentially posed by Brendan Rodgers' side on Tuesday - particularly on the break.

"Liverpool are a very good opponent, historically speaking," he said of the five-time European Cup winners. "We cannot rest for a moment because they can really hurt you on the counterattack."At the Bernabeu we have more chance of winning than Liverpool but we know that, today, any team can surprise you.

"To do this, we have to take the field with the same attitude and the same determination that we have shown this season, and hopefully this winning streak can last a lot longer yet."

 

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Sammer wants end to Bayern-Dortmund dispute

Matthias Sammer wants an end to the hostility between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, arguing that everyone should accept that mistakes were made on both sides.

The Bundesliga duo have long been considered big rivals on the field but the off-field tension between the two clubs has increased significantly over the past couple of seasons.Dortmund were enraged by the way in which Mario Gotze's imminent move to Bayern was leaked to the press before a crucial Champions League clash with Real Madrid last year.

Robert Lewandowski's subsequent free transfer to the Allianz Arena hardly helped matters but relations reached a new low this summer after Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge publicly discussed the buy-out clause in Marco Reus' BVB contract.

However, Sammer, who represented Dortmund during his playing career, feels that both clubs should accept some blame for the way in which the dispute has escalated so that nobody has to deal with any more questions from the media on the issue.

"Individual errors were made on both sides, no question about it," the Bayern sporting director admitted during an interview with Sky."We're discussing this strained relationship far too much at the moment."This focus of the discussion is completely unnecessary."

Bundesliga leaders Bayern beat Dortmund 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten start to the new season while at the same time dropping BVB down to 16th place in the standings.

 

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Oscar: Fabregas has taken Chelsea to another level

Oscar insists summer signing Cesc Fabregas has taken Chelsea to another level this season with his "beautiful passes".

The Blues finished third in the Premier League last term but have made an undefeated start to the current campaign and sit four point clear at the top of the table after 10 games.

Oscar played an integral role in Chelsea's latest victory, netting the opener in Saturday's 2-1 defeat of QPR courtesy of a sublime finish with the outside of his right foot.

However, the Brazil international was reluctant to take too much credit for his sublime goal, preferring instead to heap praise on Fabregas, who had provided the assist.

"Cesc gave a beautiful pass to me," Oscar told Chelsea TV. "It was perfect for shooting and when the ball came I decided now, I need to shoot.

"I don’t know if it is my best goal - I need to see it again - but it was a nice goal.

"But Cesc helps the team so much and not just with the assists. In a game, he helps everyone, with beautiful passes like the one for me in this game.

"He has come in this year and played so well and I like playing together with him.

"Last year the team was strong but this year the team plays so well and plays every game to win, and this is important for us."

Eden Hazard ultimately decided the game in Chelsea's favour by winning and then converting a penalty with 15 minutes to go, but the Belgium international conceded that it was Oscar who had provided the afternoon's most memorable moment.

"Sometimes this guy can score a beautiful goal – the free-kick against Crystal Palace, this one against QPR," the Belgian enthused. "He is a very good player and his shooting is very good.

"The game was really difficult, QPR played very well defensively and they had a chance and scored a goal, but after we could come back into the game and win.

"The most important thing was to take three points. Sometimes you cannot play well but we stay top of the league."

Chelsea face Maribor in the Champions League in midweek before resuming their Premier League title push with a trip to Liverpool next Saturday afternoon.

 

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Conte 'keeping an eye' on Italy outcast Balotelli

Italy coach Antonio Conte says he is "keeping an eye" on Mario Balotelli but admits that he will take his time before deciding whether to recall the Liverpool striker.

The former Juventus boss took charge of the Azzurri during the summer, following the departure of Cesare Prandelli on the back of a dismal first-round exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Conte has left Balotelli out of his first two squads and the 24-year-old attacker, who has netted just two goals since joining Liverpool from AC Milan in August, appears unlikely to be summoned for this month's Euro 2016 qualifier against Croatia.However, Conte insists that the door to the national team is not closed for Balotelli.

"As Italy’s head coach, I’m not excluding anyone," the 45-year-old told Sky Sport. "Balotelli has started a new career in England and it’s not easy. Let’s give him time to settle into a new league with Liverpool."I’m keeping an eye on him, just as I’m doing with all the players who are abroad."

Conte, though, took great joy out of recalling Juve's veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who had announced his intention to retire from international football after the World Cup."Andrea decided to change his mind when he saw I was taking over," the ex-Bianconeri boss enthused. "He’s someone you can totally rely on as a person and a player.

"He’s in good shape and I can bank on him to help me to develop players like Marco Verratti, who represents the present and the future of the national team."
Italy have made a perfect start to their Euro 2016 qualification campaign, winning their opening three games in Group H. The Azzurri next face co-leaders Croatia at San Siro on November 16.

 

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Rooney: Manchester United deserved more in derby

Wayne Rooney has insisted Manchester United were the better team despite Manchester City triumphing in Sunday's derby.

Sergio Aguero's second-half strike was the difference in a chaotic clash at the Etihad Stadium, with the visitors reduced to 10 men for the majority of the game after Chris Smalling picked up a second yellow card.

It was City's fourth straight win over their cross-city rivals, but Rooney is impressed with his team-mates' efforts and feels United deserved more after returning home empty-handed.

"We responded well and defended well [after conceding]," Rooney told MUTV. "I felt for long periods of the game we were the better team. We took control of the game with 10 men and created the better chances.

"We were unfortunate not to get anything out of the match and we're disappointed to leave with no points after a great effort.

"Chris is disappointed. It's tough when you get sent off, especially in a derby and with such a long time to go in the game it made it difficult for the rest of us to hold on. I'm sure Chris will learn from that."

The result leaves United 13 points behind league-leaders Chelsea with 10 games played, but Rooney is confident Louis van Gaal's measures are starting to take effect.

Rooney continued: "We're working on different things, which a lot of us haven't been used to. We're certainly heading in the right direction.

"We're progressing each week and playing some nice football. We need to turn that into results and I'm sure we can do that if we keep working, keep learning and keep doing what the manager wants from us."

 

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Deserved more newei...meh ganin shape wenna puluwan wechcha 1ka loku deyak​

 

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AC Milan 0-2 Palermo: Impressive visitors end Rossoneri's unbeaten run

Cristian Zapata had a match to forget as AC Milan suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Palermo in Serie A on Sunday, bringing an end to their six game unbeaten run.

The Colombian came off the bench in the third minute for the injured Alex, but soon found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

After heading into his own net from a corner, the defender was easily brushed aside by Paulo Dybala as the Palermo striker doubled his side's lead after just 26 minutes.Milan pushed desperately to reduce the deficit at a sparsely populated San Siro, but found their opportunities limited and quality in the final third lacking.

The defeat is just Milan's second under coach Filippo Inzaghi, but sees their winless run stretch to three matches following draws against Fiorentina and Cagliari.

Milan kept faith with Fernando Torres despite the Spaniard's disappointing goalscoring record since arriving in Serie A, while Jeremy Menez was added to an attacking line that also featured Keisuke Honda, but it was the visitors who made the early chances.

Franco Vazquez punished a defensive lapse to break clear and draw a one-handed save from Diego Lopez inside the opening two minutes, and Milan were dealt a blow when defender Alex had to leave the field through injury soon after.

Andrea Poli was sent through on goal after 13 minutes, but prodded wide of the left-hand post under pressure from both goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino and the Palermo defence, with home appeals for a penalty waved away by the referee.
Torres glanced a header across the face of goal from a free-kick after 16 minutes as Milan threatened to take control of the match, but Achraf Lazaar had Lopez sprawling with a low drive from distance seven minutes later.From the resulting corner, Zapata inadvertently headed into his own net.Palermo should have extended their lead when Dybala went clean through on goal moments later, only for Lopez to make the block, but the forward made no mistake with his next opportunity in the 26th minute.

The 20-year-old Argentinian outmuscled Zapata and left the defender for dead before lifting the ball over Lopez and into the back of the net.Palermo offered no let-up - Edgar Barreto testing Lopez with a curling effort from 20 yards before Ezequiel Munoz headed narrowly wide from a corner.

Inzaghi introduced Stephan El Shaarawy in place of Poli for the second half and the 22-year-old was straight into the thick of the action as he picked up a booking for a blatant dive in the Palermo penalty area.The Italy international then curled wide from 20 yards as Milan desperately chased a goal, and Torres did little to enhance his own stuttering reputation by heading another effort wide of the target.

Nigel de Jong's 25-yard free-kick 10 minutes from time was comfortably collected by Sorrentino as Palermo eased to a first away victory since gaining promotion last term.

 

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Robben: Bayern are not unbeatable

Arjen Robben has warned that Bayern Munich are not unbeatable and must keep improving.The Bundesliga champions are unbeaten after 10 games in the league, sitting four points above second-placed Wolfsburg.

Bayern came from behind to beat last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund on Saturday and go 17 points ahead of them, with Robben scoring the winning goal at the Allianz Arena.Despite their incredible form in the league and Europe, Robben insists the Bavarian giants are imperfect and cannot afford to drop their concentration.

"We are not unbeatable" he said. "Today the situation is like this, but in two weeks it may look quite different. "We must remain critical and always try to improve, not to relax and think we will march through easily and win the championship again.

"In the Bundesliga, each team fights for their position and for the points."We still have room for improvement, this is always the case. Sometimes we play really good football. We do not need to hide.

"In Rome we won 7-1 and we beat Borussia Dortmund, so we are on the right track. Nevertheless, we must not think that it just happens."

 

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Arsenal 3-0 Burnley: Alexis stars as Gunners pull through

Sanchez patta

 

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Pardew almost sacked wage hitiye but City & Liverpool wins nisa hoda relief 1kak Pardew ta​

 

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Jonas Gutierrez discharged from hospital after cancer treatment

Newcastle United winger Jonas Gutierrez has been released from hospital after receiving cancer treatment.

In September, Gutierrez announced he was undergoing treatment for testicular cancer in his native Argentina.

The 31-year-old had his left testicle removed and has undergone chemotherapy treatment.

"Today I was given a medical discharge. Thank you very much to all who accompanied me at this time, especially my family, my parents, brothers, godmother and friends," Gutierrez announced on Twitter.

Gutierrez has has made over 170 appearances for Newcastle since joining the club from Mallorca in 2008.

 

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'We'd only get a penalty if someone threw the ball at the ref' - Warnock

Neil Warnock believes Crystal Palace will only get a penalty if someone picks the ball up and throws it at the referee after his side were beaten 3-1 by Sunderland.

Fraizer Campbell was caught by Santiago Vergini as he raced through on goal inside 30 seconds at Selhurst Park on Monday, but referee Phil Dowd waved play on.

Sunderland went on to secure their first away win in the Premier League this season to move out of the relegation zone, with Steven Fletcher scoring twice and Jordi Gomez also on target after Wes Brown's own goal had made it 1-1.

Warnock made no secret of his displeasure with decisions in Palace's last two games against West Brom and Chelsea and he was baffled by Dowd's failure to point to the spot against Sunderland.

"Everybody knows it's a penalty, we need a bit of luck at the minute," he told Sky Sports.

"Our only way of getting a penalty is somebody picking up the ball and throwing it at the referee.

"How we have lost that game I will never ever know. You can't get a clearer penalty - he's just taken his leg, you can see it clearly and the referee is in great position to give it and it should be simple so I don't understand it.

"It bewilders me. In the last couple of weeks we've had major decisions go against us. It's cruel.

"We are at Old Trafford on Saturday and we won't get many decisions there either."

Wilfried Zaha also had a penalty appeal turned down in the first half, while Mile Jedinak was sent off for a second bookable offence three minutes from time to add to Warnock's misery.

The defeat ensures Palace are only out of the bottom three on goal difference, level on points with 17th-placed Leicester City.

 

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Lampard close to Manchester City return

Frank Lampard expects to return for Manchester City soon after recovering from a thigh injury.

The former Chelsea midfielder made the transition from Stamford Bridge to the Etihad Stadium seamlessly after his loan move to MLS franchise New York City.

However, Lampard's progress in Manchester has been checked somewhat by the thigh problem he picked up in City's 4-1 victory over Tottenham on October 18.

The 36-year-old has not played since, but is hopeful of being back in contention sooner rather than later.

"I'm not far off selection," Lampard told City's official website. "Fingers crossed, if all goes well over the next couple of days, I'll be back in contention.

"I had a small injury in my thigh - an old injury I'd disturbed slightly.

"It wasn't as bad as I'd first feared but you have to be very careful with muscle injuries. That was the issue.

"I've been working very hard to get back because I was really enjoying playing at the time and that was the bad thing about it."

Lampard's loan spell is due to end next month, but reports have suggested the Premier League champions may opt to keep him beyond that to aid their campaign - something he is not focusing on just yet.

"All I can say is how much I'm enjoying it at City," he added. "I'm contracted here until the end of December and my future will be at New York at some stage.

"All I can do now is go week by week and play as well as I can when I am playing to bring a good contribution."

 

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Monaco boss Jardim eyes first-ever French win at Benfica

Leonardo Jardim believes Monaco's clash against Benfica will be decisive for his side as they look to book a place in the Champions League second round.

The Ligue 1 side currently sit second in Group C, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen and one ahead of Zenit St Petersburg, while Benfica lie bottom with just one point, having held Monaco to a goalless draw on matchday three.Jardim, though, believes his side can become the first French team to beat the Portuguese side in Lisbon and feels it will be be crucial for his side to progress to the next round.

"There is always a first time [for a French team to win at Benfica]," he told reporters. "There is always a great atmosphere at the Estadio da Luz. Benfica's fans help their team a lot."It's true we lack efficiency, but we know we do and we're working to improve that.

"This is a very important game for us but for Benfica, it's a decisive one.
"They're under pressure, but they're a great team and they'll attack us."

 

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FA to take no action against Fellaini for alleged spit at Aguero

Marouane Fellaini will face no action from the Football Association after it was alleged that he spat at Sergio Aguero during the Manchester derby.

The Manchester United midfielder was pictured shouting at Aguero after the Argentina international went down appealing for a penalty in the 39th minute.

After City’s 1-0 win, United manager Louis van Gaal rejected claims that the 26-year-old had done anything wrong.

"I don't think he's a spitting character," said the Dutchman. "Sometimes when you shout there's a little bit of saliva [that comes out] with it."

Fellaini himself reacted on Twitter on Monday by suggesting the furore had been invented by the media and the FA has now confirmed that no investigation will take place.

It is the second time that Fellaini has faced spitting allegations against City, the first coming last season at Old Trafford following an altercation with Pablo Zabaleta, but no action was taken.

 

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Diego Costa's 'moment of weakness' led to Chelsea move, says Cerezo

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo admits he regrets selling Diego Costa and has described the striker’s decision to join Chelsea as "a moment of weakness".

The Spain international moved to the Stamford Bridge club in a €40 million deal in July and has played a vital part in Chelsea’s strong start to the campaign, scoring nine goals in 10 appearances.

Costa was also influential in Atletico’s title-winning season last term but Cerezo concedes the Spanish club were not in a position to keep the 26-year-old this summer.

"He's one of the best strikers in the world. His departure was rushed through because he had a moment of weakness and he couldn’t say no,” Cerezo told Radio4G.

“If the same were to happen now, he wouldn't leave. The financial side was not so great for us. We received around 50% of what had been discussed. It was more a matter of how much money he would receive.”

Cerezo also criticised Sergio Aguero’s decision to leave Atletico for Manchester City in 2011.

"Aguero had the chance to leave the club as a legend,” said Cerezo. “But the way he made his exit was stupid.”

 

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Dortmund are great, but we can beat them - Prandelli

Galatasaray coach Cesare Prandelli says his team must show aggression and passion if they are to beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Turkish side currently sit bottom of Group D with one point, while the Bundesliga club are first, having taken all nine points from the three games they have played so far.Despite that and the 4-0 hammering his team suffered against Jurgen Klopp's men in their matchday three meeting, Prandelli still feels Gala can get the three points.

"Borussia Dortmund is one of the biggest teams in Europe," he said at his pre-match press conference. "They also have a very strong tactical understanding.

"They've been working with the same coach for many years. We are aware of the expectations. Tomorrow we have to fight for every ball and show our spirit. If we can do that, we will defeat them.

"Dortmund is a team that can close spaces very well. Against them, we must show our agression and passion. It will be our first target of the match."