..::Football IV::..

[Frosty]

Kepa karapu wade nisa Sarri ta yaka nagala hitiye
​

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sarrita wasa nondiya.

ewale anith keeper awanam samaharawita dinannath thibba.
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Kepa has left Sarri in a fragile situation at Chelsea


Maurizio Sarri has been left in a fragile situation at Chelsea after Kepa Arrizabalaga's act of defiance in their League Cup final defeat against Manchester City, according to Jose Mourinho.

The club's £70 million ($91m) record-breaking signing refused to be substituted for Willy Caballero in extra-time, despite pulling up twice with a physical issue towards the end of the contest.When his number came up, Kepa reacted by waving away Cabellero and insisting he was fine to continue , which sent Sarri into a fit of rage on the touchline.

The Blues boss angrily threw down a drinks bottle before storming towards the tunnel, but he ultimately stopped short of leaving the ground in extraordinary scenes at Wembley.

With the scores locked at 0-0, the game was decided on penalty kicks and Kepa failed to cover himself in glory, allowing a tame Sergio Aguero effort to slip under his gloves.

He did manage to save from Leroy Sane thereafter, but City eventually won the shootout 4-3 , with Raheem Sterling thundering home the winner to capitalise on a David Luiz miss.

Mourinho offered his take on the Kepa incident in the wake of the match on DAZN , revealing he has never experienced anything like it as a manager himself.The former Manchester United and Chelsea coach also admitted he now fears for Sarri's position at Stamford Bridge, as he stated: "Luckily I never had to live through anything like this.

"I think on the one hand the goalkeeper wants to show his personality, his confidence and wants to say 'I'm here, I want to go to penalties and save them, and I am here with the confidence that I will go and do it'. And this is what I like.

"But then I don't really like that he [Kepa] leaves the manager, the coaches and everyone else in a very fragile situation, also including one of his own team-mates who was ready to enter the pitch."Eventually we saw how he [Caballero] was thrown into a mess that he wasn't really part of."It saddens me because it's a really complicated situation."

Next up for the Blues is a huge Premier League clash against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, before another London derby against Fulham four days later.Chelsea are currently sixth in the Premier League and three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, with a game in hand.

Kepa is not expected to face any disciplinary action for his outburst against City, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will retain his place in Sarri's starting line-up against Spurs.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

PSG star Cavani to return to training ahead of Man Utd clash


Edinson Cavani is set to return to Paris Saint-Germain training this week, coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed.

PSG's record goalscorer suffered a hip injury in the win over Bordeaux earlier this month and missed the Champions League last-16 first leg at Manchester United, joining Neymar on the sidelines.But the Ligue 1 giants won 2-0 without the star duo at Old Trafford and Cavani is now nearing a return.

The Uruguay international will not be involved against Dijon in the Coupe de France quarter-finals on Tuesday, yet Tuchel is hopeful he might feature in the league this weekend as he rejoins the group for training."Edi will train with the team this week. He's talking to the medical staff," Tuchel told a news conference.

"He has worked very hard in a very professional way. I hope he can play on Saturday against Caen."PSG face Man Utd in Paris four days after playing Caen, with Cavani now seemingly likely to feature in that crunch clash.

Neymar is further away from a return as he recovers from a foot injury in Brazil, but Tuchel wants to see the forward link up with PSG to offer his support before the United game. He could then train afterwards.

"There is a lot of time difference, so it's difficult, but we have been writing," Tuchel said. "He's good when he's in Brazil."It's important for us that he comes back before Manchester to support us. I hope that after Manchester United he can begin training again."

Meanwhile, Marquinhos will be rested in the cup this week, with Tuchel believing a break is necessary, yet there will be no complacency from the capital club against strugglers Dijon."This is a difficult time for Dijon, but this match is an opportunity for them to be more liberated than in Ligue 1," he said. "No-one expects much from them.

"I can imagine that they want to take this opportunity to go through, to reach the semi-finals and forget the everyday business of the league. But it's a very important competition for us, too."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lukaku: Shaw has been Man Utd's best player this season


Romelu Lukaku has hailed Luke Shaw as Manchester United's best player this season as the striker praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's influence on the defence.The resurgent United have been clinical since Solskjaer's appointment as caretaker manager in December.

The coach has been praised for his impact on attackers like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, as well as midfielder Paul Pogba, whose goals have helped the Old Trafford outfit to 11 wins in 14 games under the Norwegian.

While United have scored an impressive 30 goals in that time, they have conceded just nine goals and earned a fourth clean sheet in five games on Sunday when they drew 0-0 with Liverpool.

Lukaku feels their defensive work has been under-rated this term and highlighted Shaw as one of many defenders to have played a pivotal role in keeping United in with a chance of a top-four finish in the Premier League."Everybody is talking about us being offensively really good, but defensively we’re doing really well," the Belgian told The Mirror."Chris Smalling coming in for the last couple of games has been brilliant and Luke Shaw has been the best player of the season for me.

“Ashley Young has been consistent and David de Gea is the best number one in the world. From the midfield to the front, we try to help out and make sure the defence has an easy task. We did that [against Liverpool] and it was all about the team."United had to make all three of their substitutions in the first half on Sunday, as they lost Ander Herrera and Juan Mata to injury before losing the latter's replacement, Jesse Lingard, less than 20 minutes after he came on.

And Lukaku was proud of the mental resilience his side showed to hold out against the current league leaders after the set-backs.“You always want to win these type of games, but for us it was about being mentally strong, having had players injured. We had to be resilient," he added.

“We had some chances, but it was all about mental strength and making sure we don’t lose and grab the point. Obviously you want to win, but now we have to move forward and focus on Crystal Palace on Wednesday.”

 

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Kepa fined a week's wages for Carabao Cup final substitution farce


Chelsea have fined Kepa Arrizabalaga one week's wages for refusing to be substituted in Sunday's Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

The Spanish goalkeeper went to ground with an apparent injury in the closing moments of extra time, prompting manager Maurizio Sarri to ready penalty specialist Willy Caballero to enter for the impending shoot-out.A messy cross-field exchange ensued as Kepa argued with Sarri - who had to remain on the touchline - over his ability to remain in the game.

Chelsea would go on to lose the shootout, with Kepa letting a tame penalty run underneath him to contribute to the defeat.

The Stamford Bridge side released fresh statements from both Sarri and Kepa on Monday night, adding that the 24-year-old would be fined a week's worth of wages."I was very happy to play in my first Cup Final for Chelsea yesterday and very proud of the team performance," the goalie's statement begins."I have thought a lot more about yesterday’s events. Although there was a misunderstanding, on reflection, I made a big mistake with how I handled the situation.

"I wanted to take the time today to apologise fully and in person to the coach, to Willy, my team-mates and to the club. I have done this and now I want to offer the same apology to the fans."I will learn from this episode and will accept any punishment or discipline the club decides is appropriate."Meanwhile, his Italian boss is keen to put the matter to rest and get on with the season at hand.

"Kepa and I have spoken about the incident," Sarri said. "It was a good conversation. There was a misunderstanding yesterday but he realises he made a big mistake in the way he reacted."He has apologised to me, his team-mates and the club. It is up to the club if they want to discipline him according to the club rules, but for me this matter is now closed.

"The team performance as a whole was extremely positive and it is a shame to see how this incident has overshadowed our efforts in what was a very competitive Cup Final."Everyone’s focus is now on the next game and we must all now put this behind us."

The club also confirmed that Kepa's fine will be donated to the Chelsea foundation.

 

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​

sarrita wasa nondiya.

ewale anith keeper awanam samaharawita dinannath thibba.

Ow bro.enith eka Substitution eka Coach ge decision ekakne.Anisa aniwaryema Coach ge decisions walata respect karanna one[/CENTER]

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Solskjaer backs Fred to take his Manchester United chances


Six weeks after playing his last minutes for Manchester United, Fred is set to be handed another chance by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Wednesday against Crystal Palace.

With the Red Devils plagued by injuries, Solskjaer hinted Fred's exile could be about to come to an end with the midfielder making just seven Premier League starts so far this season.

The Brazilian joined United over the summer from Shakhtar Donetsk with Solskjaer confident he can impress once he fully adapts to his new environment.

"You have to look at the time it needs to settle," Solskjaer said. "You look at Juan [Sebastian Veron] - he is one of the best players that I played with - and it took him time to settle. And I am sure that when given the chance and a run in the team Fred will grab the opportunity."Fred will get his chances, maybe tomorrow."

The Red Devils will be without several first-team players on Wednesday with Anthony Martial, Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard among a growing injury list for the club.Those casualties leave the door open for Fred to feature in some form against Palace with Solskjaer also suggesting his younger players will get their chance too."The kids are joining in [training] today. They’ll be involved in the squad," Solskjaer said.

"James Garner is a Michael Carrick but 20 years younger, I’m sure he’ll do well and Chongy (Tahith Chong) will be taking people on if he comes on."They’re ready, they’re kids."

A result against Crytal Palace is pivotal for United's top-four aspirations this season with the club currently fifth and one point behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Solskjaer backs Fred to take his Manchester United chances

Fred thamath flopForm ekata awoth nam patta​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

It's 'survival of the fittest' at Man Utd - Solskjaer


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called life as a Manchester United player “survival of the fittest” as he comes to terms with an injury crisis which leaves him without 10 players heading to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

United lost three players to hamstring injuries in the first half of their clash with Liverpool on Sunday, while Marcus Rashford limped on for the remainder of the game with a hamstring problem which makes him a doubt for the trip to south London.That came on the back of the Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain during which both Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard were lost by half-time due to injuries.

And while Solskjaer admits that his insistence on a higher intensity in games compared to predecessor Jose Mourinho may have had an effect on players, there will be no compromise for as long as he remains in caretaker charge.

“It’s probably linked, yes, because when do you make that change? Do you wait until pre-season and think you will change results by just not asking them to run, or do we start now and show them what the demands of intensity are and how we want to play?” he told reporters“Well you have seen what I have chosen, I have chosen that we need to play as a Man United team and if you want to be a part of Man United, it’s survival of the fittest isn’t it?”

Among those to be missing through muscle problems are 30-year-old pair Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata, and 29-year-old Ander Herrera. And Solskjaer, whose own career was curtailed by injuries during his thirties, adds that as players get older there is a greater need to adjust their standards of preparation.

And while Solskjaer admits that his insistence on a higher intensity in games compared to predecessor Jose Mourinho may have had an effect on players, there will be no compromise for as long as he remains in caretaker charge.

“It’s probably linked, yes, because when do you make that change? Do you wait until pre-season and think you will change results by just not asking them to run, or do we start now and show them what the demands of intensity are and how we want to play?” he told reporters“Well you have seen what I have chosen, I have chosen that we need to play as a Man United team and if you want to be a part of Man United, it’s survival of the fittest isn’t it?”

Among those to be missing through muscle problems are 30-year-old pair Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata, and 29-year-old Ander Herrera. And Solskjaer, whose own career was curtailed by injuries during his thirties, adds that as players get older there is a greater need to adjust their standards of preparation.

“If you look at it, we’ve had five or six days between most of the games, so it’s not been the amount of games or the lack of days in between. It’s tougher now until the international break, and we’ve got Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, then midweek again, now we will go into tough games and then it’s a tougher period physically.

“Maybe it’s mental, the way we prepare before training sessions. You can see Manchester City have a couple of muscle injuries, it’s not just us. It’s this time of year in England really.”

United head to Palace looking to regain fourth spot from Arsenal, who sit one point ahead of the Red Devils.

 

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'I don't care if fans boo me, Chelsea are training harder than ever before' - Sarri


Maurizio Sarri has called on Chelsea fans to give more support to their players and insists that the atmosphere in the camp remains positive, despite doubts over his long-term future and Kepa Arrizabalaga's refusal to leave the field in the Carabao Cup final.

Arrizabalaga has since been fined one week's wages and apologised after he left Willy Caballero waiting on the touchline, sparking a furious reaction from his manager in the penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

The Blues boss says he wants to put the incident behind them and spoke to the club's director Marina Graniskovaia, insisting that the dressing room atmosphere at the club remains positive ahead of another massive game against Tottenham.

“I spoke with Marina this week, before the final, just for good luck. I spoke to Marina after the match about the Kepa situation. My relationship with the club is like before,” Sarri said.

“The goalkeeper is not a problem. He made a big mistake, but he is really a very nice boy. There is only one difficulty: the results. The atmosphere in the training ground is now very good. The application of the players is better than before."I think Willy Caballero is a very good goalkeeper and he's a great man. He is a point of reference in the dressing room for his personality, for his behaviour, for everything.

"He has the maturity to be ready for anything. The problem now is to have results with consistency. We know the situation. It's difficult to play every three days with the same mental intensity."It's not easy because, usually, we talk about physical condition, that it is very difficult to play every three days. But the big problem is mental, to play every match with the same level of application and determination is very difficult.

"We have to do it tomorrow because this is a very important match. A very difficult match. Tottenham are playing very well away from home. It's not easy to play with the same level of application as in the last match because, mentally, we spent a lot in the match on Sunday.”Chelsea's match at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday is their first in the Premier League after four consecutive cup games in the Carabao Cup, Europa League and FA Cup.

Sarri reiterated that he thought his side played well against Manchester United in the 2-0 FA Cup defeat despite chants of "f*** Sarriball" that emanated from Stamford Bridge's Matthew Harding End.

The 60-year-old says those chants have no effect on him but that they do hurt his players, with Jorginho having been booed coming onto the pitch against Malmo in the Europa League."I was disappointed with the atmosphere for my players. Only for my players. But I can understand the fans because they are used to winning. I'd like to see more support for my players, not for me.”

Chelsea have also had news from FIFA, who have imposed a two-window transfer ban on incoming players. The club are appealing the decision, and the appeals process is likely to leave them in a position to sign players at least in the summer.

However, it will still ultimately prove a blow to whoever manages Chelsea in the long-term with no room to manoeuvre in the transfer market. Sarri is keeping the issue out of his mind, but also says that he believes the club will be okay to make signings in the summer.

“I don't know the situation well, but I know the club are working," he added. "So I think they can solve this problem. Maybe for this summer, maybe not. But they are working. I think that, first of all, we need to improve these players.

"Because we cannot buy 20 players in the market because they aren't 20 players ready for Chelsea in the market. It's very difficult to find a player ready immediately for this level, so I think the first target is to improve these players."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lazio 0 AC Milan 0: Stalemate at Stadio Olimpico in Coppa Italia first leg

Lazio failed to capitalise on having home advantage in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final as they were held to a 0-0 draw by AC Milan on Tuesday.

The battle between the last two beaten finalists never sparked into life at the Stadio Olimpico, though the outcome was hardly surprising considering they had failed to muster a goal between them in both meetings at the same stage of the competition last season.

Milan eventually went through to the final on penalties and the Rossoneri will be favourites to progress again this year with the second leg at San Siro, though the return fixture is not until late in April.


Lazio had the best opportunity to break the deadlock, Ciro Immobile carelessly shooting wide from a central position inside the penalty area to let Alessio Romagnoli – who had scuffed his clearance straight to the striker – off the hook in the opening half.Both Francesco Acerbi and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic also failed to hit the target from long range and while Lucas Leiva did force Gianluigi Donnarumma into a save, his curling effort was straight at the goalkeeper.

Milan, meanwhile, were not helped by the loss of Franck Kessie, the midfielder substituted just before the half-hour mark having suffered an injury in an earlier challenge.The visitors did briefly pose more of an attacking threat after the break, only to soon drop back and force their opponents to make all the running.

Milinkovic-Savic drifted a header over from a corner but did test Donnarumma from distance, his deflected strike comfortably held by the Italy international, who kept a clean sheet a day after celebrating his 20th birthday.Donnarumma also got down low to deny Joaquin Correa, yet Milan's last line of defence was underworked by the hosts in a game that will not live too long in the memory of those who witnessed it.

 

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Cardiff City 0 Everton 3: Sigurdsson strikes twice to lift Silva


Gylfi Sigurdsson marked his return to south Wales in style as his double helped Everton to a 3-0 win over Premier League strugglers Cardiff City, relieving some of the pressure on Marco Silva.Three successive defeats had led to increased scrutiny on Silva, with Everton having had to wait 17 days to try and bounce back from the loss at Watford, but former Swansea City star Sigurdsson stepped up to the mark.

Having opened the scoring four minutes before half-time, Sigurdsson curled in a superb second to ensure Everton's dismal run came to an end – becoming the Toffees' leading scorer in the process.


Things could have been different if not for some excellent defending from Lucas Digne early on, but Cardiff offered little threat as they slumped to a second straight defeat, their misery compounded by a late third from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Phil Jagielka almost cost Everton with an untimely slip two minutes into his first start since opening day, but Digne beat Nathaniel Mendez-Laing to Kenneth Zohore's subsequent cross.Jagielka was involved in Everton's first chance – Theo Walcott slicing his volley wide from the defender's knockdown.

Sigurdsson made no such mistake from Everton's next opening though, side-footing home with a composed first-time finish from Seamus Coleman's cutback.

And Sigurdsson came up with the goods again in the 66th minute, drilling in on the rebound after Bernard's low cross was blocked.Further gloss was added in the final minute of stoppage time, Calvert-Lewin capping his 100th appearance in league football with a well-taken goal to get Everton back on track in emphatic fashion.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leicester City 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 1: New boss Rodgers watches first home win of 2019


Leicester City served up their first win since New Year's Day for new manager Brendan Rodgers, who watched their 2-1 Premier League victory over Brighton and Hove Albion from the stands.

Rodgers was confirmed as Leicester boss on Tuesday, succeeding Claude Puel and signing a contract until June 2022 after stepping down from his position at Celtic.

Demarai Gray fired the hosts – led by caretaker boss Mike Stowell - in front after 10 minutes at the King Power Stadium, before Jamie Vardy made it 2-0 18 minutes into the second half.


Davy Propper pulled a deserved goal back for Brighton three minutes later, but they could not deny the Foxes their first home win of 2019.Vardy was denied by a Shane Duffy block in the early stages, but it was Gray who quickly brought himself to Rodgers' attention.

The winger slotted home a composed finish after being sent through one on one with Mat Ryan by Youri Tielemans, before drawing an excellent diving save from the Australia international with a low shot from the centre of the box four minutes later.

Duffy headed over from a corner as Brighton's first real attack came to nothing, but Kasper Schmeichel then had to be alert to tip over a deflected Pascal Gross strike that was dipping awkwardly under his crossbar.With Brighton growing into the game, Schmeichel was called upon again in the 36th minute, getting down brilliantly to his right to keep out Anthony Knockaert's fierce left-footed strike.

Vardy headed wide from a Gray cross early in the second period, before Glenn Murray blazed over when Gross teed up what would have been the veteran striker's 100th league goal for Brighton with a neat backheel.

Leicester doubled their advantage when Vardy got on the end of a James Maddison throughball to smash home their second, but Propper's first goal for Brighton - a powerful drive beyond Schmeichel - kept the Seagulls in it.

A deflected cross fell kindly for Murray two minutes from time, but it was not his or Brighton's night, as an ill-judged half-volley saw Leicester hold on for the win.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leicester confirm Rodgers appointment from Celtic following Puel sacking


Leicester City have confirmed the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as their new manager on a deal until June 2022.The Foxes sacked Claude Puel on Sunday following a 4-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, with Rodgers and Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez touted as potential replacements shortly after.

Celtic announced on Tuesday that they had "very reluctantly" given Rodgers permission to travel to Leicester for talks and he has now sealed a return to the Premier League.

"I’m very privileged and honoured to be here as Leicester City manager and I’ll give my life to make the supporters proud of their club," Rodgers said."Together, we’ll be stronger and I’m looking forward to working with the players, staff and supporters to make the right steps forward.”The 46-year-old previously managed Swansea City and Liverpool in the competition, almost winning the title with the Reds in 2013-14.

He took charge of Liverpool in 2012 following a stint that saw him lead Swansea to promotion in 2011.Rodgers then claimed seven major trophies during his time at Celtic, leaving the Glasgow club on the brink of a third consecutive domestic treble.

"I’m absolutely delighted to bring a manager of Brendan’s calibre to Leicester City and I look forward to seeing what he, our talented, young squad and our dedicated, skilled team of staff can achieve together," said Leicester City Vice Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

“As projects, including the development of our new training ground and the proposed expansion of King Power Stadium continue to take shape, and as a young squad of great potential begins to mature, Brendan and his colleagues arrive at an exciting time for Leicester City."We’re continuing to grow as a Club and I am anticipating that Brendan’s coaching methods, knowledge and experience can enhance our journey.”​

Rodgers will be in attendance Leicester take on Brighton at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday and will take charge of the club for the first time for Sunday's match at Watford.

His first home match will come the week after when the Foxes host Fulham as the club currently sits 12th in the Premier League.​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Solskjaer calls for Lukaku & Alexis to 'step up' as they get chance to impress during injury crisis


Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez have been challenged by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play to their potential and help Manchester United through an unfortunate injury crisis.The Red Devils could be without as many as 10 players for a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata all picked up knocks during a goalless draw with Liverpool, while Anthony Martial and Nemanja Matic were ruled out before kick-off.

Phil Jones, Matteo Darmian and Antonio Valencia are also absent, leaving Solskjaer down to the bare bones.He is going to have to get creative with his team selection at Selhurst Park, with it likely that a number of academy graduates will be involved in the matchday squad.

United will, however, have senior stars such as Lukaku and Sanchez at their disposal and two men who have struggled for form at times this season have been told that they need to “step up”.“It's a chance for them to play to their potential,” Solskjaer said.

“Reputation is one thing, the potential is high and I'm sure of that because the two of them are good mates.“They link up well together, so this might be a chance for them two to find some form and give a selection headache for when everyone gets fit again.

“Rom created our two biggest chances against Liverpool. It's a different position for him, I know, because Rashy's injury meant we had to rely on him standing up there and running in behind.

“He couldn't do too much defending work, so Rom's attitude and work rate was fantastic and the two chances - Jesse's and Chris [Smalling’s] at the end - was Rom's doing.“They linked up between them against Arsenal in the FA Cup so hopefully Alexis and Rom can step up.”

If things get any worse for United, then Solskjaer may be forced to dust off his boots.The Norwegian was a prolific frontman in his day, but admits that he probably is not the best option for Premier League duty at 46 years of age.

He joked when it was put to him that he may have to lead the line at some stage: “I don’t think age is the problem, the problem is my fitness!”United will be hoping to see their injury issues ease over the coming weeks, with the club having worked hard to force their way back into contention for a top-four finish.

They are yet to suffer a Premier League defeat through 10 top-flight outings under Solskjaer and are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Wolves.

 

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'I'll play anywhere for Solskjaer' - Lukaku makes Man Utd pledge


Romelu Lukaku will play in any position for interim Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The big Belgian - bought by previous boss Jose Mourinho for £75 million ($99m) from Everton in 2017 - has seen Marcus Rashford emerge as the Norwegian's favoured striking option during a run which has brought eight wins from 10 Premier League games.

Lukaku has been consigned to the bench for some of that period and, after starting centrally against Liverpool on Sunday, was forced on to the wing as United reshuffled following an injury to Rashford.

But the 25-year-old, who prefers to play as a centre-forward, says he is happy to pitch in anywhere as United look to secure a top-four position.

"Left or right or up front it doesn’t matter to me," he said. "Playing for this club is an honour and I just try to do my best in whichever position I play in."If it is on the right then I will try to create chances, which I did against Liverpool, and if it is up front then I will try to score goals."At the end of the day I just try and help my team-mates out and try win matches."

Solskjaer predicted Rashford, 21, would struggle to be available for Wednesday's league trip to Crystal Palace after being forced to play for most of the 0-0 draw with Liverpool with an ankle problem after United used all their substitutes in the first half.That could mean a return to the central role for Lukaku, who added: "As long as the manager wants to use me I will do my best to help the team out.

"We have a number of injuries, we have to stay positive, have that positive mentality. We are Manchester United and you have to go wherever we go and win.

"Roy Hodgson will set up his Palace team really well. We know that. We will prepare and we need to recover properly because [Sunday] was a physical game.
"Tactically and with our preparations we will be ready to go again."

 

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David Luiz enjoying 'best season' but still waiting on Chelsea contract extension


David Luiz admits he is enjoying “one of the best seasons” at Chelsea, but appreciates results have to take priority over an extension to his current contract.

The Brazil international defender is set to see his deal at Stamford Bridge expire at the end of the season.If no fresh terms are put in place, then the 31-year-old will drop into the free agent pool this summer.

Chelsea are reluctant to part with an experienced performer and Maurizio Sarri is eager to see Luiz tied down – preferably to an agreement longer than the 12 months usually offered to players over 30.

Discussions have come to nothing so far, though, and it remains to be seen what the future holds.Luiz is prepared to be patient as he waits on further talks, with the South American happy with his form as an individual as he endeavours to improve the collective standard in west London.

"It's one of the best seasons I've had individually, but, for me, this doesn't count because I want my team to win," he said ahead of a midweek meeting with Tottenham."It's better that my team wins 5-4 and it's better that everyone talks bad about me but my team is winning than I'm doing a great job and we're still not winning."

Chelsea, in Sarri’s first campaign at the helm, have slipped out of the Premier League’s top four in recent weeks.They are still very much in contention for Champions League qualification, but have suffered an alarming dip away from home.

The Blues also tasted Carabao Cup final heartache in their most recent outing, as they slipped to a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City – with Luiz among those to fail from the spot.A home date with old adversaries Tottenham presents them with a chance to return to winning ways, with all of those at Stamford Bridge determined to get a disjointed campaign back on track.

Luiz said: "Chelsea is a team which should be fighting for the Premier League and now we are seeing it is a bit far, so it is not the same mentality. It is up to us to pass this step."

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2019.02.27

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2019.02.27

Arsenal Vs Bournemouth

Southampton Vs Fulham

Chelsea Vs Tottenham

Crystal Palace Vs Manchester United

Liverpool Vs Watford

Manchester City Vs West Ham

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Good Luck Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

Crystal Palace Vs Manchester United

Crystal Palace Starting Line-up

Guaita
Ward
Tomkins
Kelly
Van Aanholt
McArthur
Milivojevic
Schlupp
Townsend
Batshuayi
Zaha

&

Manchester United Starting Line-up

De Gea
Young
Lindelof
Smalling
Shaw
Dalot
McTominay
Fred
Pogba
Sanchez
Lukaku​