..::Football IV::..

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    Wenger admits Europa League is Arsenal's priority after Premier League away-day 'failure'


    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he will use Sunday's clash with West Ham to prepare for the "absolutely vital" meeting with Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-finals.

    The Gunners host David Moyes' side knowing a win could be crucial in the race for Europe, with Burnley able to climb above them into sixth place with a win over Chelsea on Thursday.

    A top-four league finish remains mathematically possible but winning the Europa League represents Arsenal's most realistic way of securing a Champions League return.

    With that in mind, Wenger is already planning for the visit of Atleti to the Emirates Stadium, telling a news conference: "I would say this weekend is a preparation for Thursday."I rested some players after the [CSKA] Moscow game so they will need a game. [Europe] is the priority because, in the Premier League, we go for not a lot. For us, it's the biggest priority now.

    "We are Arsenal and we want to win football games. Every game is important and we love to win. At home, we've had quite a good season, it looks a little bit strange. It's away from home that we failed. It's absolutely important we maintain that record at home.

    "We have a big opponent with Atletico Madrid. It's absolutely vital to beat them and have a chance to go to the final and win the competition. Atletico Madrid are seen as the favourite to win the competition but I believe, at our best, we can beat them."A disappointing result this weekend and a failure to get past Atletico would increase the pressure on Wenger's position, but the 68-year-old says his future is not a concern.

    "My personal situation is not so much my worry at the moment," he said. My worry is to transform a season with many disappointments away from home into success. That's what matters to me.

    "As I said the other night, my future is in front of me, every time I make a half-turn. It's not my biggest priority."If you have to give me some credit, if you look back at my career, you would have to accept that my priority has always been the interest of Arsenal Football Club.

    "I'm responsible for the results and when they're not as good as everybody wants, people ask the question. I cannot master that. I can only master my commitment and the quality of my work."Wenger expects Aaron Ramsey to be fit to face West Ham after a calf injury, although Jack Wilshere and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are expected miss out.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Wenger wants VAR in Premier League


    Arsene Wenger has criticized the Premier League’s refusal in institute VAR for next season, claiming the success of league has made it more risk averse.Premier League clubs voted against implementing the VAR for the 2018-19, though the system will continued to be trialled during that span.

    While VAR remains controversial, and will not be instituted in the Champions League next season, the Bundesliga and Serie A both use it, while La Liga and Ligue 1 will institute it next season.

    The Premier League’s decision against it is something that disappoints Wenger, who supports VAR and thinks it indicates a very conservative mindset.Commenting on VAR and the United Kingdom government’s decision to knock back an application from West Brom to introduce safe standing, Wenger took a critical approach to both outcomes.

    "At the moment, I would say that the Premier League is very conservative in all its decision-making," Wenger said. "You can see that with VAR and you see it as well with standing. "I'm a bit more [understanding] with standing - because you can raise government rules, safety rules - than with VAR. Personally I'm in favour of it.”

    Wenger further expounded on the idea that the refusal to institute VAR suggests a change in the league, as he thought the creators of the league wished to be trendsetters, not followers.

    "The Premier League has been created by people who wanted to be in front of everybody else,” Wenger said. “Overall I must say at the moment we look a little more like we look first at what happens everywhere else, then if it goes well we follow it.

    "But it's a bit of a conservative approach. That's the tendency, always, when you are successful, not to take many risks anymore."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Wenger to leave Arsenal

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    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will step down from his role at the end of the season.

    Wenger, 68, will leave a year before his existing contract was due to expire having led the club to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during a 22-year reign.Appointed on 1 October 1996, the Frenchman is the Premier League's current longest-serving manager and has taken charge of a record 823 games.

    In a statement to the club's website, he said: "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season."I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years.

    "I managed the club with full commitment and integrity."I want to thank the staff, the players, the Directors and the fans who make this club so special."I urge our fans to stand behind the team to finish on a high."To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club."My love and support forever."

    Wenger himself said on Thursday that former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira "has the potential" to succeed him as manager.The club's majority owner Stan Kroenke asked Arsenal fans around the world to pay an appropriate tribute to the Frenchman who transformed the identity of the club.

    He told Arsenal's website: "This is one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport. One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsène has brought to the club on and off the pitch. His longevity and consistency over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched."Arsène has unparalleled class and we will always be grateful to him. Everyone who loves Arsenal and everyone who loves football owes him a debt of gratitude.

    "Three Premier League titles, including an entire season unbeaten, seven FA Cup triumphs and 20 successive years in the Champions League is an exceptional record. He has also transformed the identity of our club and of English football with his vision for how the game can be played."We have high ambitions to build on Arsène's remarkable tenure and to honour his vision by ensuring that Arsenal competes for and wins the biggest and most important prizes in the game.

    "We must now focus on making a strong finish to the season and ask our millions of fans around the world to join us in paying appropriate tribute to one of the greats of Arsenal's history and one of the greats of the game."

    Sunday's 2-1 defeat defeat to Newcastle was their 11th in the league this season, equalling their worst tally in a campaign under Wenger.Arsenal finished outside the league's top four last season for the first time since Wenger arrived at the club in 1996, and are now 14 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, with five matches remaining.They face Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-final with the first leg to come on April 26.​
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    'Everybody wants to play under him' – Ozil pays tribute to Arsenal boss Wenger


    Arsenal star Mesut Ozil paid tribute to Arsene Wenger, saying he was proud to have played under the outgoing manager.

    Wenger announced Friday he would leave Arsenal at the end of the season after 22 years in charge of the Premier League giants.Ozil, who arrived at the club from Real Madrid in 2013, was full of praise for Wenger and the Frenchman's approach.

    "He's the main reason I came here, he convinced me and I am proud to have played under him," he told Sky Sports ."Everyone has a lot of respect for him. He has won many titles, developed some good players and has always played excellent football, so you know as a player if you come here you are going to be able to develop and play in that style.

    "He is an honest guy, a very respectful guy, has a good personality, and everybody wants to play under him." Ozil's future at the Emirates Stadium was uncertain before the Germany international signed a three-year deal in February.

    The 29-year-old, who has scored four goals and assisted eight in the Premier League this season, said he always wanted to remain at Arsenal.

    "He is the boss who brought me here and wanted me to stay so I said I am comfortable here, I never wanted to leave and that's why I stayed," Ozil said.
    "Now we want to reach our further goals."
     

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    Messi is an alien but Sevilla can bring Barcelona back down to Earth, insists Montella


    Vincenzo Montella described Lionel Messi as an "alien" but is confident his Sevilla side can bring Barcelona back down to earth in Saturday's Copa del Rey final.

    Already on the brink of securing the LaLiga title, Barcelona are firm favourites to wrap up the first leg of a domestic double at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.

    Yet Ernesto Valverde's side were given a fright against Sevilla when the sides met in league action last month, with Messi coming off the bench to inspire a dramatic comeback in a 2-2 draw.




    Montella has warned his Sevilla players they cannot allow the talismanic forward to shine again this weekend if the underdogs are to cause an upset in the Spanish capital."Barcelona are a great team, as we have seen in La Liga," the former AC Milan coach told a media conference.

    "They have almost won it, so they are favourites but we have to think about ourselves and our attitude and quality and skills. We have to think how to face Barcelona that way."I also think that Messi is an alien. I hope he will be that high tomorrow instead of on the Earth. We have to try to avoid him receiving the ball.

    "We've seen that it is possible to win against Barcelona, but for this to happen we have to be focused throughout the whole game and not lose concentration at any moment."I'm hoping for a balanced game, one that will be decided by smaller details, keeping us in the running."

    Sevilla know what it takes to cause an upset in a cup competition - they knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League earlier this season thanks to a famous 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford.
    The experience of overcoming the odds in Europe, coupled with their performance against Barcelona in the league, gives the squad added confidence they can spring a surprise, according to captain Sergio Escudero.

    "We've been doing a good job and we come with the mentality of believing we can win in the final," Escudero said at Friday's pre-match media conference."Everyone makes Barcelona favourites but we've already shown we can do them a lot of damage. When the team is together and united we can beat anyone."
     

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    Arsenal should look to Germany for Wenger replacement, says former Gunner Podolski


    Arsenal should consider appointing a German coach to replace the outgoing Arsene Wenger, according to Lukas Podolski.Wenger stunned the footballing world on Friday when he announced he will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season after nearly 22 years in charge.

    Podolski - who spent two-and-a-half years working under the Frenchman at the Emirates Stadium - is intrigued to see what direction his former employers go in as they begin their search for a new manager.

    The World Cup winner believes Carlo Ancelotti is an ideal candidate if Arsenal, who appointed German Sven Mislintat as head of recruitment last November, want someone with experience - but could see them instead looking for a younger option to take charge."If someone was in a club for 22 years, he leaves a lot of marks," Podolski said in an interview with Die Welt .

    "I'm curious which successor they decide on. It's a question of whether they want someone with experience like Arsene Wenger, a guy like Carlo Ancelotti, or maybe a young, hungry coach. "I think Arsenal would be good for a German coach. That is my feeling. The club has been relying on German know-how for several years now."

    Podolski has fond memories of his time under Wenger, including winning the FA Cup at Wembley in 2014."I got along great with him. He's a cool, laid back guy," he added.

    "He never gets loud, is always calm - a gentleman. He is a great coach. And he was also always having fun."I always had the feeling that I had with Joachim Low or Jupp Heynckes."They are coaches who clearly knew what they wanted but did not annoy their team - and they [the team] usually paid them back."
     

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    I wanted to be like Arsene Wenger and create a dynasty, says Antonio Conte


    Antonio Conte says he envisaged becoming Arsene Wenger-like figure by really integrating himself into one of his clubs as the Arsenal manager did in his 22 years in charge in London.Wenger shocked the football world on Friday morning as he announced that he will be leaving the Gunners at the end of the season.

    As Conte's own future is in major doubt, having clashed with the club's board over transfers this season, the Italian says that he always wanted to find himself at a club for the long term but admits that he needs to find the "right situation."

    “When you start to work for a new club, for sure your hope is to stay for many years because you bring your culture, you bring your football, you bring your methodology and your mentality," Conte told reporters. "Sometimes this is possible because you find the right situation.

    "Sometimes this is not possible. But we must be ready, for every coach, every experience you start in your mind, there is the hope to stay for many years. You have to know that, every time you change and go to another team, you have to restart.

    "You have to restart your work and bringing your ideas, your football, your culture, your methodology. And to restart every time is very difficult. Football is changing. If you compare this football with the past, it's totally different.

    "In England, for example, in the past the managers could stay here and work for the same club for many years.When you know this and have this possibility, you live football and you stay more relaxed because you know you have time to work, to show the importance of your work.

    "In the present, football is not the same like in the past. In England, you can see this difference. Now every club is ready to change manager if you don't get results, if you don't win. I think to live football in this way, your career could be less long because you live football with more pressure than in the past.”

    While Wenger became one of figures synonymous with the Premier League during his 22 years at the helm of the Gunners, it is worth remembering he was a trailblazer as well.Arriving from Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan, Wenger was just the third manager to come to England from outside the British Isles.

    The Chelsea head coach said that he understands Wenger's desire at the time to come and experience a new culture in English football and thinks that journey is one of the best parts of the job.“I'm enjoying having this experience," Conte said. "For me and for every coach who has the possibility to work in another country, it's a great opportunity.

    "But, at the same time, I can tell you that it's not simple to work in a different country because you have to understand quickly and to adapt yourself to life in the new country. In Italy, we have different habits and a different culture. Different ways to have the training sessions. I'm enjoying [life in England] a lot but, at the same time, it's not easy.

    "It's not simple to go into another country and bring your idea of football, especially if you have an idea of football. If you want to manage the situation, manage the players, it's more simple for everyone. But if you want to bring your idea of football, it's not simple to go into another country."Still, Conte believes such difficulties can forge a better manager, and thinks he has benefitted from his time in the Premier League.

    "I consider this experience fantastic for me, and now I'm stronger than before I was when I started this experience. I'm stronger as a coach and stronger as a manager than I was at Juventus and with Italy.”
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Ancelotti pleased to be linked with Arsenal job


    Former AC Milan and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he is happy to be linked with the coaching job at Arsenal.The Gunners are on the lookout for a new manager following Arsene Wenger's decision to leave the club after 22 years at the helm .

    Ancelotti is considered to be one of the frontrunners to replace the Frenchman, having Premier League experience from his time at Chelsea between 2009 and 2011 where he won the league, FA Cup and Community Shield.

    The Italian is currently out of a job after he was let go by Bayern Munich in September following the German side's 3-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League.

    Ancelotti is a highly-decorated manager, having won the Champions League with both Milan and Real Madrid, as well as league titles in five different countries.
    The 58-year-old praised Wenger for all he has done at Arsenal, but indicated he would not be adverse to replacing him at the Emirates Stadium.“He decided to leave and it was a great gesture of solidity,” Ancelotti said at the Match For Solidarity in Geneva. “He made history, and he has to be recognised for that.

    "The Gunners know their own future, if their plans involve me then I’m pleased from a professional point of view, but at the moment there’s nothing else.“My future depends on the chances and projects presented to me, it’s not only up to me. Right now though I’m focused on helping Uefa with this wonderful event for those in need.”

    Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman has backed Ancelotti to take the role, saying that the Gunners need someone with experience to take them forward.Seaman believes that the club need an authorative figure to take charge, and sees the Italian as the perfect example of the coach required.

    "Ideally for me, a very experienced manager with a lot of stature. Someone like Ancelotti," Seaman told ESPN FC ."He's been at big clubs before, he knows what he wants from his team and he'll know what sort of players he wants as well."So for me, you need someone with that sort of stature to go into Arsenal and say: 'Right, I want X, Y, and Z, otherwise I'm not coming.'"
     

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    Valverde: Barcelona can move on from Champions League exit by winning Copa del Rey


    Winning the Copa del Rey can help Barcelona move on from their Champions League disappointment, according to Ernesto Valverde.La Liga's leaders have the chance to complete the first leg of a potential domestic double when they take on Sevilla in Saturday's final in Madrid.

    However, their hopes of glory in Europe were dashed last week by Roma, as the Italian club incredibly overturned a 4-1 first-leg deficit to progress to the semi-finals on away goals.

    Valverde - who lost the 2015 Copa final against Barcelona when in charge of Athletic Bilbao - understands the pressure is on to lift the trophy at the Wanda Metropolitano.

    "To win the Copa del Rey would be a good way to put the Champions League slip up behind us," he told a news conference."To win with Barcelona is an obligation, in the Champions League, La Liga, the Copa del Rey. This is always the way with big teams.

    "The pressure is the same with other finals, you have not won the title as you still have to play the final and there are two teams involved."We are maybe the favourites but you still have to play. In the Champions League we were favourites, yet we didn't go through.

    "I never thought when I was with Athletic that to beat Barcelona was a miracle but more of an opportunity, and that is the situation tomorrow."Barcelona are unbeaten in the league this season but survived a scare in their clash with Sevilla at the end of March, coming back from 2-0 down to grab a point at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

    Valverde admits his side were fortunate to escape with a draw after substitute Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic comeback in the closing minutes."The 2-2 is a result for us to look at and a warning about what can happen in tomorrow's game," he added.

    "They have good players that can win the match in any moment. We suffered a lot in that match and it was Sevilla that were closer to winning."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Henry: Wenger's Arsenal legacy is untouchable


    Arsenal's all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry branded Arsene Wenger's legacy at the club as "untouchable".

    Wenger announced on Friday he will leave Emirates Stadium at the end of the season after a successful 22-year spell in north London, where he won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups.Henry, widely regarded to be Arsenal's greatest ever player, was signed from Juventus in 1999 by Wenger, who transformed him into a prolific striker that scored 228 goals for the club across all competitions.

    While Henry was saddened by the news, he hinted at relief given the Gunners' struggles in the Premier League over the past two seasons.
    "It was a bit of a mixed one. It is a sad day for me to see the big man leaving the club, although we all know he has some games left. Happy in a way that people are going to hopefully give him the exit he deserves," he told Sky Sports News."A bit of happiness also because I think recently it has been hard for him and the club. I just hope that starting from Sunday that people are going to support the team and give him a good exit.

    "Is it a good time or a bad time? People will debate that. It was his time and he felt like he had to say that. My thing is recently people were always confusing what the team was doing and his legacy. Once you announce that you're leaving people are going to talk about your legacy and his legacy is untouchable."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Sir Alex Ferguson issues classy tribute to 'great man' Wenger



    Sir Alex Ferguson has issued a classy tribute to Arsene Wenger after the Arsenal manager announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season.The pair were bitter rivals throughout the early years of Wenger's reign at the club, and Ferguson has expressed his happiness at the Frenchman leaving the club on his own terms.

    Indeed, the two traded barbs throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as titles, with every Premier League trophy won between 1997-98 and 2003-04 either lifted by Arsenal or United.

    Ferguson is outstripped by the Frenchman in terms of FA Cup victories; Wenger has won seven, while the Scot has five.And the 76-year-old has waxed lyrical about one of his greatest rivals in the game."I am really happy for Arsene Wenger," Ferguson said in a statement issued on United's official website . "I have great respect for him and for the job he has done at Arsenal.

    "It is great testament to his talent, professionalism and determination that he has been able to dedicate 22 years of his life to a job that he loves. In an era where football managers sometimes only last one or two seasons, it shows what an achievement it is to serve that length of time at a club the size of Arsenal.

    "I am pleased that he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season, as he can now have the send-off that he truly deserves. He is, without doubt, one of the greatest Premier League managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague and a friend to such a great man."

    United and Arsenal will clash one more time with Wenger in the dugout, with the Gunners set to visit Old Trafford at the end of April.
     

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    Mourinho: I always had respect for Wenger & I hope he doesn't retire



    Jose Mourinho has hailed Arsene Wenger after the Arsenal manager announced he will leave the club this summer, and has urged the Frenchman to stay in the game.

    The pair have clashed repeatedly throughout their careers, but Mourinho says he has always had respect for Wenger, insisting that their clashes have come about as a result of their mutual admiration for each other.

    Indeed, Mourinho has reserved some of his most vicious barbs for the Frenchman, labelling him a "voyeur" and a "specialist in failure", while also squaring up to the Frenchman on the Stamford Bridge touchline.

    However, he has issued a lengthy statement on Wenger's future, insisting he holds him in high esteem, with the two set to clash one last time when Arsenal visit Old Trafford at the end of April.

    "If he’s happy I’m happy, if he’s sad, I’m sad, I always wish the best for my opponents. I always wish the best, so for me that’s the point, if he’s happy with the decision he makes and looks forward to the next chapter of his career and his life I’m really happy for him," he told reporters."If he’s sad, I’m sad. I’m pretty sure we as a club and especially because Mr Wenger and Arsenal were for many many years the biggest rivals of Sir Alex’s era, I’m pretty sure that we as a club will show Mr Wenger the respect he deserves."

    When asked about possible regrets Mourinho may have regarding his conduct towards Wenger, he added: "It’s not about regretting, I think your question is a typical question from somebody that was not in this side, you were not a manager, a player, of course you don’t know the way we respect each other even when sometimes it doesn’t look like we do, players that get yellow cards and red cards by aggressive actions against each other, bad words during the career, the manager is the same thing but the ones that respect each other more are the ones with the problems.

    "It’s power and ambition and quality against each other but in the end it’s people from the same business and who respect each others’ careers, so it happened, what matters for me is the way I respect the person, the professional, the career and I always say that for some the memories short, but for us football people, the real football people, who are the ones inside the four lines, playing, or the managers, or the refs, the others live on us, the football people doesn’t have short memory.

    "I know what it means, three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, what he did in Japan and France, what he brought to French football and what he gave to Arsenal in the period without Premier League, the transition from stadium to stadium, we know what he did."If he’s happy with the decision, I’m really happy and I hope he doesn’t retire from football."

    Wenger has been linked with the PSG job, thus it remains to be seen if he will drop out of football altogether.
     

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    Thank you Arsene - Emery pays tribute to Wenger


    Arsene Wenger is a reference for all modern coaches, said Paris Saint-Germain's Unai Emery, after the long-serving Arsenal boss confirmed his departure.

    Wenger - who has a year remaining on his contract - surprisingly announced on Friday he will end his 22-year stay at the club at the end of the season.

    Emery was among the European coaches to pay tribute to the Frenchman, who was in charge of Monaco between 1987 and 1994 and has often been linked with PSG.

    "Cannot talk about Arsenal, the Premier League and coaching without citing Arsene Wenger, a reference without doubt," Emery wrote on Twitter. "Thank you, Arsene!"
    Emery himself could be on the market at the end of the campaign, with former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel reportedly set to take over at newly crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG.

    There are a number of candidates to take over from Wenger this summer, including Manuel Pellegrini, Carlo Ancelotti, and Leonardo Jardim, along with former players Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta.

    Celtic, meanwhile, have revealed that they would not stand in Arsenal's way if they wanted to appoint Brendan Rodgers.
     

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    Aguero out for the season - Guardiola


    Sergio Aguero will not play again for Manchester City this season and will now focus upon recovering in time for Argentina's World Cup campaign, his club manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

    Aguero underwent keyhole surgery on his right knee in Barcelona earlier this week after he failed to fully recover from a heavy challenge by Ashley Young in City's 3-2 derby defeat against Manchester United.

    United's shock 1-0 loss to West Brom last weekend meant City wrapped up the Premier League title with five matches to spare and Aguero, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year, will not feature again at the Etihad Stadium until 2018-19.

    Asked whether the 29-year-old's season was over, Guardiola told a news conference: "Here, yeah. It is four or five weeks. Hopefully we are going to try for him to be ready for the World Cup."He is in Barcelona right now for the first part of the rehabilitation."Aguero's attention is now firmly fixed upon Argentina's World Cup opener against Iceland in Moscow on June 16.

    Jorge Sampaoli has ample striking options at his disposal – Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala were left out of his squad for last month's friendlies against Italy and Spain – but City's all-time leading scorer had looked set to be a key part of their tilt for World Cup glory in an attack led by Lionel Messi.However, Argentina's team doctor Homero D'Agostino said this week that he fears Aguero will struggle to be at peak fitness by the time Russia 2018 comes around.

    "That a player has undergone an arthroscopy with 60 days to go before the World Cup is worrying," D'Agostino told Radio 10.

    "The recovery process will require at least five weeks. When one has old injuries, the recovery process is not as fast as one would like it to be. It's never going to be less than three or four weeks, or even more."I imagine that he will not arrive 100 per cent fit with the limited time that is left before the World Cup. The anatomy is the anatomy. The injury is what it is. He can try but I don't think he will arrive 100 per cent.

    "The important thing is to know what he had. The doctors would have tried to resolve the issue in a conservative manner, non-surgically, but they were unsuccessful. The arthroscopy is a process that you do when there are old injuries."