..::Football III::..

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Manchester United 3-1 San Jose: Mata, Memphis & Pereira on target

Memphis Depay scored his first goal for Manchester United as they recorded a 3-1 win over San Jose Earthquakes at the International Champions Cup.

The Netherlands international, whose signing from PSV was confirmed in June, struck during the first half of United's win at the Avaya Stadium.

Memphis almost opened the scoring - he was unable to get a touch to Juan Mata's strike that went in off the post - but did make it 2-0 moments later.

A Fatai Alashe goal brought the Earthquakes back into the game before Andreas Pereira sealed United's win after the hour-mark.

It made it back-to-back wins for the Premier League giants in the United States.

Louis van Gaal started the same XI that helped United beat Club America 1-0 in their opening International Champions Cup match.

Memphis and Morgan Schneiderlin, the new signing who scored against the Mexicans, both went close early on.

But the goal would come just after the half-hour mark in San Jose, California.

Mata received a pass from Ashley Young before taking a step into the area and clipping a low effort across goal.

Memphis reached to try to poke the ball in, but Mata's effort evaded everybody and bounced in in off the post to give United the lead.

Signed from PSV earlier this summer, Memphis would only have to wait another four minutes for his first goal in United colours.

An awful pass from Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi missed its target and Memphis made no mistake, latching on to the loose ball and neatly placing an effort past David Bingham.

The Earthquakes then pulled a goal back through Alashe in the 42nd minute. Shea Salinas tricked his way past Morgan Schneiderlin down the right before getting into the area and cutting back for Alashe to slot home.

Van Gaal made 10 changes at half-time as only goalkeeper Sam Johnstone remained - the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ander Herrera, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones entering the fray.

Pereira was also introduced and he made it 3-1 in the 61st minute, the Brazilian's run going untracked before he headed a Jesse Lingard cross into the bottom corner.

Former Liverpool youth product Marc Pelosi fired a long-range effort over the bar for the Earthquakes in the 70th minute, but United saw out a comfortable win.

 

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Barcelona 2-1 LA Galaxy: Suarez on target as Catalans triumph in pre-season opener

Barcelona kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy in the International Champions Cup.

Luis Suarez struck on the stroke of half-time against LA Galaxy, although he appeared to use his hand to control the ball in the build-up, while Sergi Roberto wrapped up Barca's 2-1 victory with a goal 10 minutes after the break.

In Barcelona's first match since their 3-1 triumph over Juventus in the Champions League final, Luis Enrique named a strong starting line-up at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Galaxy's two goalkeepers - Brad Rowe in the first half and Andrew Wolverton in the second - were busy men, although the home side fought back in the latter period with Ariel Lassiter wasting two big opportunities to score his debut senior goal for LA.

Tommy Meyer eventually got on the scoresheet for the hosts in stoppage time, heading home Mika Vayrynen's corner.

Only three players - Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic - that began the Champions League final were also included in Luis Enrique's starting XI at the Rose Bowl.

But the 45-year-old coach still wheeled out a chunk of his senior squad, with Pedro Rodriguez, Jeremy Mathieu, Adriano, Douglas Pereira, Marc Bartra, Rafinha and Sergi Roberto also included, while Barcelona B goalkeeper Jordi Masip also started.

As Barcelona began strongly, Galaxy suffered an early blow when Baggio Husidic limped off midway through the first half, with Rowe forced into a fine save soon after from Roberto.

Eventually, however, it was Suarez who scored Barcelona's first goal of the 2015-16 campaign, although in controversial circumstances.

As the ball looped into the box in the 45th minute, Suarez pounced, seemingly disrupting the attempted clearance of Galaxy defender Leonardo with his arm before volleying past Rowe.

Sergi Roberto doubled the visitors' advantage in the 56th minute, thrashing a loose ball into the net from near the penalty spot, while Wolverton parried Rafinha's effort just after the hour-mark.

Lassiter then failed to convert from a tight angle, shooting across goal when released by Bradford Jamieson IV.

With the likes of Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard sitting out the second half, Galaxy's young players seemed to relish the chance to play Barca, with Lassiter bursting onto Raul Mendiola's through ball in the 74th minute only to miss a one-on-one opportunity.

Barca substitute Sandro Ramirez then hit the bar before Meyer gave LA's fans something to cheer about with a powerful header at the near post.

 

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Casilla not at De Gea's level, says Canizares

Former Spain international Santiago Canizares has questioned Real Madrid's decision to sign Kiko Casilla rather than Manchester United star David de Gea.

The Santiago Bernabeu side have long considered signing De Gea as their new No.1 following the departure of Iker Casillas to Porto, but have since swooped for Casilla following United's refusal to let go of their goalkeeper.

Canizares is not convinced Madrid made the right choice, though, and feels they should have fought harder to convince United to sell.

"De Gea is perfect for Madrid," he told International Business Times. “[United] would like to renew his contract but can’t, so next year he’s available for free. "He’s a goalkeeper of international standard, one of the best in the world.

"The goal at Santiago Bernabeu is the same size as other places, but many people find it too big -- that is why you have to appreciate Iker Casillas' career.

"Casilla is a good goalkeeper in certain conditions, but obviously he's not at De Gea's level. De Gea is who Madrid need to win titles and games."De Gea, 24, previously enjoyed a successful spell in La Liga with Atletico Madrid, where he started his professional career.

 

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'Messi better now than he was in 2009'

Lionel Messi is a better player in 2015 than he was in 2009, according to former Barcelona winger Lobo Carrasco.

The 28-year-old inspired the club to the treble last season as he did six years ago during Pep Guardiola's first season in charge, but Carrasco believes he is now a more all-round weapon in attack."This Leo Messi is more complete," he told Goal.

"He can hurt you 40 metres away from goal, not because he takes the ball and starts dribbling past opponents, but because on top of that he can also create the definitive goal chance.

"The best player in the world, ahead of my precious [Andres] Iniesta, [Toni] Kroos and Isco, who are players that make the final assist, is Leo Messi. I haven't seen anything like him."Messi initially struggled to find his best form in the first half of last season but excelled in the second half of the campaign.

Carrasco believes it merely took time for the Argentina international to find his feet again after a long year that saw him reach the World Cup final with his country.

"In the moment he found himself good physically and mentally, he tried to bring the team together, everybody joined him and from there all talents became stronger," said the 56-year-old."The god of football started playing, he is unstoppable when he starts playing. If you think otherwise, ask [Jerome] Boateng or all those fantastic players that face him.

"Barcelona expected good things last season, but not the treble. Matching the magical season of 2009 seemed almost impossible. Messi was the cornerstone of that success."Carrasco claimed 10 major trophies during more than 300 appearances for Barcelona, including the Liga title in 1985.

He also reached the final of the European Championship in 1984, where Spain were beaten by host nation France and the inspirational Michel Platini.

 

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Luis Enrique: Pedro can go - but only if release clause is met

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has stressed that any interested clubs will have to meet Pedro's exit clause if they are to lure the Spain international away from Camp Nou.

The 27-year-old is no longer an undisputed starter at Barcelona following the arrival of Neymar and Luis Suarez in the past two years and has been heavily linked with a summer exit.

His buyout clause recently dropped from €150 million to €30m and clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United are keeping a close eye on the versatile attacker's situation.

Luis Enrique stressed earlier this month that he is hopeful Pedro will stay put and he has now made it clear Barca will not allow the forward to leave on the cheap."Pedro? If he wants to go, a club will have to meet his release clause," Luis Enrique was quoted as saying by Sport.

"I have talked with Pedro to discuss his situation. I have told him how I think about it and he told me how he feels about it."I obviously won't reveal the exact content of the conversation we had."

Luis Enrique also had his say on the situation of Adriano - who has been heavily linked with a move to Roma - and stressed that, even though the Brazilian's situation is different to that of Pedro, he will not be granted an exit on the cheap, either.

"I have not talked with Adriano, because this are all rumours. Pedro's case is different."But I have already said before that we cannot prevent players from leaving if a club meets someone's exit clause."

The 30-year-old has a contract with Barcelona until June 2017.

 

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Guardiola hails Bayern wonderkid Benko

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has hailed teenager Fabian Benko's potential following his side's 1-0 win over Inter, but insisted the midfielder is not yet ready for senior games.

The 17-year-old midfielder came on at half-time of Bayern's win in Shanghai as Mario Gotze scored an 80th-minute winner for the Bundesliga champions.Guardiola was full of praise for Benko after the encounter and said he would continue getting his chances with the senior team, but only in training.

"Fabian Benko is a very young player. He is only 17 years old, but we think that he is very good," he said."We have to go step by step. It is an honour for him to be here. He is practising with our big players, so the training alone is a big step forward for him, but his place is still in the second and third team.

"From time to time he will train with us but he will stay in the second team. At 17 he still has to improve in all areas of the game, but we are very satisfied with his performances and his attitude in the training.

"Today was a hard match against a tough opponent. But we have no new injuries and I am very happy about that. We are OK."It took until late on for Bayern to secure their win as Gotze got on the end of a Sebastian Rode pass before rounding Samir Handanovic to tap in.

Guardiola said he was happy with his squad after using 21 players in the friendly.
"Not only was it just the 11 players that started [who] performed well, all of them did," he said.

"Every player knew their position, and every player did what we asked them to do. That is what is important. For example, a winger has to play his role the best he can. Every player did that."

 

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Filipe Luis will soon be back at Atletico, says Cerezo

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has confirmed Filipe Luis will rejoin the Liga club shortly after just one season at Chelsea.

Speaking at a dinner with Atletico's squad on Tuesday, Cerezo applauded the club's transfer dealings so far in the close-season, with Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Stefan Savic having arrived at the Vicente Calderon already.

Filipe Luis is set to become the fifth signing for Atleti coach Diego Simeone, with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho revealing he expects to sell the Brazilian full-back soon and Cerezo confirmed the capital club are working to regain his services.

"Filipe's missing, I don't think it'll take long for him to come in," Cerezo said according to AS."[Guilherme] Siqueira is a great player and he might carry on with us. I'm delighted with the squad, the signings are fantastic and we're going to have a great season."

Filipe Luis played 127 league matches for Atleti before leaving for Chelsea in July 2014 - with the left-back playing a key role in winning La Liga in 2013-14.

Atletico have seen Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Miranda (Inter), Arda Turan (Barcelona), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham) and Emiliano Insua (Stuttgart) depart the club on permanent transfers this European summer.

But with the likes of Martinez coming in, Cerezo reckons Simeone's squad can again challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid for the league title."I think we're building a great team and the players coming in more than make up for those leaving," he said.

 

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Van Gaal criticises Schweinsteiger's performance in friendly

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has criticised the performance of Bastian Schweinsteiger against San Jose Earthquakes after the summer signing from Bayern Munich played 45 minutes in the friendly.

Van Gaal's men claimed a 3-1 win in the International Champions Cup clash on Tuesday, thanks to goals from Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Andreas Pereira.

Schweinsteiger, signed for a reported £12 million from Bayern, was introduced from the bench at half-time at the California Memorial Stadim but Van Gaal was unimpressed with his 10 half-time substitutions, including the World Cup winner.

"He was also bad. There was one highlight I think and that was Pereira," the Dutchman said.

"Players can play bad and certainly when you have only three days or six days training sessions in your legs and you have to play 45 minutes.

"Everybody can say that it's easy to step in but it is not easy. I think the first match he played very well, and now he played bad. But that is also a process and certainly when you only have one week of training."

Van Gaal was also critical of the manner in which United played in the second half of the game, insisting that his players gave the ball away too easily, despite having already built up a healthy lead.

"The first half I was satisfied. The players want and have performed what we want," he added.

"The defensive organisation [was good] and they have created a lot of chances – 10 and they scored two goals, so I was satisfied. It can always be better, but I was satisfied.

"In the second half, I think we played very badly, a lot of ball losses, unnecessary, and the only highlight was the goal from Pereira and I think we don't give many chances away but we give possibilities away.

"It was a threat always and that was not necessary. Our positions in midfield were not so good as in the first half."

 

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Van Gaal: 'Surprise' Manchester United signing is NOT a striker

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal once again alluded to a 'surprise' signing this summer, but insists it will not be a striker.

Van Gaal was speaking to the media after his side beat San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 in their latest pre-season friendly, with goals from Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Andreas Pereira.

The Dutchman has previously hinted that he will bolster his striking ranks with a player who has not been written about in the newspapers, but now says the man in question is not a forward after all.

"I have read in the media a striker is the surprise," he said. "That's not right. It's something else."

After United beat Club America on Saturday, Van Gaal discussed his options up front for next season, saying: "We have Rooney, he can play in striker's position, and all media had written he should play there so I listen and now you put this question so I don't know what you want.

"Also [Javier Hernandez] and maybe Wilson and maybe there comes a surprise. It's a process. I'm not worried about that position."

And in the build-up to their second match of the summer he shed further light on the club's progress in the transfer market: "He [the 'surprise'] is in the process. "It's not the striker the media has written about. You have to wait and see."

Barcelona forward Pedro has emerged as a United target in recent days but it now appears Van Gaal's mystery player will play a different role next season, should he arrive at all.

 

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Van Gaal: 'Surprise' Manchester United signing is NOT a striker

LVG mona karanna hadanawada mandamona de unath mage idea 1kanam Striker kenek one kiyana 1ka thamai​

 

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Snubbing Van Persie is like rejecting Messi, says Monchi

Sevilla director Monchi has laughed off suggestions that he turned down the chance to sign Robin van Persie this summer, stressing that snubbing the former Manchester United man would have been like rejecting Lionel Messi.

The 46-year-old attempted to lure the Netherlands international to Sevilla in 2004, but the striker eventually opted to join Arsenal instead.

Reports from Spain suggested that Monchi got another chance to sign Van Persie this summer as his Manchester United career came to an end, but he says a deal for the striker was never on the table."Turning down Van Persie is like rejecting Messi. He is a top player and I would not even dare to say no to a player like him," Monchi told Marca.

"I would do everything to get him in and never snubbed Van Persie."If a player like him would be available and open to a move to Sevilla, the club would always look into it.

"I am not a spiteful man who would reject someone because he did not come to this club in the past."Van Persie, 31, eventually left United for Fenerbahce earlier this month.

 

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Bayern need someone like Vidal, says Xabi Alonso

Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso feels Juventus star Arturo Vidal would be a perfect fit for the Bundesliga champions.

The Bavarians have earmarked the Chile international, 28, as the ideal replacement for Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has left the club for Manchester United, and are expected to complete the transfer in the coming days.

"Vidal is a great player. He is just the type of player we need at Bayern," the Spaniard said at a press conference."He has shown over the years that he is a true winner, both at Juventus and with Chile's national side.

"Plus he has plenty of Bundesliga experience already, which is also quite important.
""I wouldn't say he is an aggressive player, but he is quite forceful. He is very complete and can play in a number of positions."We will welcome Vidal with open arms if the transfer does happen. You always want to be surrounded by the best players. But it is obviously not official yet."

Vidal started his professional career with Colo Colo and also wore the jersey of Bayer Leverkusen before joining Juventus in 2011.

Juve director Giuseppe Marotta has already confirmed Vidal will leave the club this summer as he pursues a new challenge.

 

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Chelsea fans hit with banning orders after racist Metro incident

A former human rights activist has been banned from football matches for five years after racially abusing a black commuter with fellow Chelsea fans at a Paris Metro station.

Footage that emerged after Chelsea's Champions League match with PSG in February showed several Blues supporters shoving Souleymane Sylla, thus denying him entry to the train, and chanting racist songs.

Chelsea subsequently banned five fans from home games, and Richard Barklie – a 50-year-old director who works with the World Human Rights Forum – admitted to pushing Mr. Sylla on Wednesday, though he insisted the Frenchman used "aggression" as he tried to board.

However, prior to handing down the banning order, district judge Gareth Branston said that Barklie joined in with the chanting of "John Terry is a racist and that's the way we like it" and had shown "aggressive, disorderly conduct".

Josh Parsons and William Simpson – who were also on the Metro – were both given the same punishment, while another Chelsea supporter, Jordan Munday, has been banned from football matches for three years.

Judge Branston criticised the fans for tarnishing the game's reputation in Britain, describing the incident as "nasty, abhorrent and arrogant".

Chelsea were knocked out of the competition by PSG, losing on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

 

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Grosskreutz hints at Borussia Dortmund exit

Kevin Grosskreutz has admitted he could leave Borussia Dortmund before the start of the 2015-16 campaign after making a long-awaited return from injury in a friendly against Luzern on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old had not featured for BVB since February due to thigh and knee problems, but played the last 20 minutes as Thomas Tuchel's men saw off Luzern.The Germany international's contract is set to expire at the end of the 2015-16 season and, with no new deal on the horizon, his future could lie elsewhere."I am simply overjoyed to be back," he told reports.

"I have even had doubts whether I would come back at all."The next few weeks will now show whether I will continue to play with Borussia Dortmund or not."

Grosskreutz came through the ranks of the Dortmund youth academy, but left for Rot Weiss Ahlen before breaking into the first team.He eventually returned to BVB in 2009 and has since made over 200 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga side.

 

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Shaqiri: Schalke are a great club

Inter attacker Xherdan Shaqiri has admitted that he might find it hard to turn down Schalke if the Gelsenkirchen side come calling.

The Switzerland international joined Inter from Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, but has been unable to live up to the high expectations so far.He has consequently been linked with a summer exit and Schalke allegedly see him as a suitable replacement for Jefferson Farfan, who is expected to join Al Jazira.

"Schalke are a great team," the 23-year-old told Sport1."They are a club with a lot of ambition both in Germany and in Europe. For now, I remain an Inter player, though, with an ongoing contract.

"I cannot really say much about at this stage, but I would love to play in the Bundesliga again at some point."Shaqiri netted once in 15 Serie A appearances for Inter in 2014-15 and has a contract with the Giuseppe Meazza side until the summer of 2019.

Premier League side Stoke City have also been rumoured to be monitoring the player, with Inter boss Roberto Mancini thought to be considering the prospect of a sale.

 

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Stones can’t turn down Chelsea opportunity, says Cahill

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has told Blues target John Stones that he cannot afford to turn down the chance to play for the Premier League champions.

Goal understands that Jose Mourinho is preparing a £28 million offer for the Everton centre-back after an initial bid of £20m was rejected, with the Portuguese publically clashing with Roberto Martinez over the approach.

And Cahill, whose place in the Chelsea starting XI could be under threat should Stones arrive, has urged the 21-year-old to move to Stamford Bridge and begin competing for major honours.

"In terms of ambition, if you're a young player in the game, have played in the Premier League like he did a lot last year, and a big club come calling, it's very difficult to turn down," Cahill told the Daily Mail.

"You want to achieve the most you can in the short period you have in your career as a professional footballer.

"When a top club comes calling, who you know will be firing on all fronts with competitions and medals, that's ultimately what you want to be playing for. It's hard to turn down of course.

"He will look at the club, look at the players, and look at being involved in a squad like ours. When Chelsea came calling for me, it was an opportunity, it was a chance and looking from the outset you may not be sure how it's going to go.

"But it's one you can't turn down, you have to grab it with both hands. Then you have to work as hard as you can to make it work."

Having trained alongside Stones with England, Cahill is convinced the youngster will fit in well at Chelsea and has the right mentality to deal with the pressures of such a big price tag.

“When you talk about being able to handle something like that, you look at their personality,” he continued.

“From what I have seen when I have been away with him for England, he is a genuinely nice guy, a down-to-earth lad. There is nothing 'big-time' about him. I'm sure he will be able to cope with the fee.

“Plus, with the right support around him, like from the more experienced players in the squad, and his family, I'm sure he'll be fine.

“Personality wise he would fit into the group straight away. Potentially as a player he can be a top player, not just for us but also for England.

“I think England will benefit too because he will get more experience playing in the Premier League and also the Champions League. I'm sure he will become a bigger and better player for that.”

 

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'He was non-stop against me' - Cahill praises new Chelsea striker Falcao

Gary Cahill has praised Chelsea's decision to sign Radamel Falcao and believes he is still a top player after enduring a torrid time against the striker at Stamford Bridge last season.

The Colombia international started for Manchester United during last season's clash with the Blues at Stamford Bridge, a 1-0 defeat for Louis van Gaal's side.

Though he could not find the net, Cahill revealed he was never allowed a moment's peace by Falcao, and hopes to see the 29-year-old reclaim his form in west London.

"I just remember he was non-stop. He was always pulling you left to right, coming short and running in behind," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"Even when he wasn't getting a lot of the ball, off the ball I was having to do a lot of running, chasing him and he was moving me around every two minutes.

"He made that game tough and there was a lot of movement people didn't see because the ball was elsewhere. I had to always be on my toes.

"Of course his time at Man United didn't go as well as he hoped. His experience there was obviously a bad one, so obviously everyone is going to be speaking about that."

Jose Mourinho revealed on Monday that Cahill and John Terry had endorsed Falcao's signing, with the striker taking a pay cut in order to prove his critics wrong at Stamford Bridge.

"I can only speak about when I played against him, what he did even before he came to Manchester United and he's a top player. He is an experienced player that has scored many, many goals," Cahill continued.

"I'm sure he's got things he wants to prove. When you have a fire in your belly and have things to prove to people, generally you come out on top. I hope he will for us."

Falcao has enjoyed playing against Chelsea in the past, scoring a superb hat-trick for Atletico Madrid in their 4-1 win over the Blues in the Uefa Super Cup in 2012, and Cahill has little doubt that he will become a feared striker once more.

"We got well and truly beaten in that game and he was fantastic," Cahill added. "When he settles in with the great squad we have now, I'm sure he will be fine."

 

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Van Gaal: De Gea could face Barcelona, but Di Maria is not ready

Louis van Gaal is planning to select David de Gea for Manchester United's International Champions Cup clash with Barcelona, but Angel Di Maria will not be involved.

De Gea has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid and missed victories over Club America and San Jose Earthquakes with what Van Gaal has described as a minor training ground injury.

But the Dutcman has suggested De Gea will play a part against Barcelona in Santa Clara on Saturday.

"I am hoping that De Gea can play in the Barcelona game," Van Gaal told reporters. "He didn’t play against San Jose as he is still not fully recovered from his injury. Neither did Lindegaard play.

"I didn’t feel it was prudent to run the risk. I feel De Gea will play against Barca however."

Di Maria, meanwhile, is set to join Van Gaal's tour squad, along with Marcos Rojo, following his involvement in the Copa America with Argentina despite talks over a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but will not face Barca.

Van Gaal added: "Yes - Di Maria and Rojo will come. But they cannot play here because it's the same with Schweinsteiger. You have to first train more, and then we have to play 45 minutes."

When pressed on Di Maria's future, Van Gaal added: “I can’t answer that. You can ask all you want. When I have anything to say on the subject, I’ll do so."

 

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Balotelli future is in his own hands - Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers says that Mario Balotelli has his Liverpool future in his own hands after he was left out of the club’s pre-season tour squad.

The Reds are currently preparing for the 2015-16 season in the Far East and will face a Malaysia XI on Friday, though Balotelli has been left at Melwood.

Liverpool have already acquired Danny Ings and welcomed Divock Origi back from his loan spell at Lille this summer, while Goal understands that the Reds have launched a £32.5 million bid for Christian Benteke.

Such competition has left Balotelli’s future up in the air, and Rodgers admits he will leave it up to the Italy international - who scored just four goals in all competitions last season - to decide whether he wants to leave the club.

“Mario is obviously not on tour but working hard and training well with a number of other players at Melwood,” Rodgers told reporters.

When asked where Balotelli’s future lies, he responded: “I’m not sure, that will entirely be up to Mario.

“He is working hard to get fit and we will see when the season begins.”

Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has expressed his desire to sign Balotelli, but says the firebrand striker will have to take a pay cut to join his club.

 

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Ibrahimovic: My future is in Raiola's hands

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted that his future will be decided by agent Mino Raiola.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker has been linked with a return to his former club AC Milan this summer, as they look to improve after last season's 10th place finish in Serie A.And Ibrahimovic has suggested a transfer could happen, stating that it will be handled by his representative.

“Will I stay in Paris? My future is in the hands of Mino Raiola," he told Sky.
The 33-year-old was on target in PSG's 4-2 friendly win over Fiorentina on Wednesday in the International Champions Cup.“It was a good game," he said afterwards.

"The team played well but we must continue to work to find our rhythm. Against Fiorentina, we showed we were physically strong but mentally as well."We did a good job. Now we must continue working. It is only preseason."