Neymar ´very happy´ to stay at Barcelona, says Roberto

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could make his long-awaited Paris Saint-Germain return in their top-of-the-table clash with Marseille on Sunday.

The Sweden captain was back in training in the build-up to this weekend s Ligue 1 clash and while a start is unlikely, it would not be a surprise to see coach Laurent Blanc use the talisman off the bench.

A heel injury has kept Ibrahimovic sidelined in recent weeks he last featured for the French champions in a 1-1 draw with Lyon in September.

But his potential return comes at a good time for PSG, who sit second, four points adrift of leaders Marseille.

No side in Ligue 1 has drawn more games this season than PSG who have had to share the points on six occasions but they will hope for all three when Marcelo Bielsa s men visit…

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has refuted suggestions Stewart Downing blew his chance in the England team.

The midfielder made his first international appearance since 2012 as Roy Hodgson s men triumphed 3-1 over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday, but came off at the break following an anonymous first half.

However, Allardyce says Downing was carrying an injury and has backed the 30-year-old to enjoy further involvement with the national side.

He had an injury in the first half which restricted his movement, said Allardyce on Thursday. I watched the game and I didn t see him do anything wrong.

I know people have criticised his performance but I thought he did OK.

He certainly hasn t blown his chances of further international call-ups.

Do…

Market: Leicester win

Odds: 

Looking to make it back-to-back victories over Newcastle after their thumping 5-0 victory back in September, Leicester will make the trip to St. James Park on New Year s Day.

Starting with the hosts, although a very eye-catching run of form entering December may have shocked many across the Premier League, Newcastle have started to slow down the pace. Hit with a 2-1 defeat against Everton in the North East, their first defeat on home soil since opening the opening weekend of the 2019/2020 campaign, Steve Bruce s side have lost three of their last four contests and they have shown some worrying issues at the back. Shipping six goals in their back-to-back defeats and losing their top-half status, Newcastle have recorded just a single t…

Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen fired 10-man Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals as their goals clinched a 2-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday.

Welbeck put United ahead on six minutes before Owen doubled the holders advantage on the hour mark with his third goal of the season.

But United s passage into the last eight was made more difficult than it should have been when captain Gary Neville received his marching orders on 63 minutes for raking his studs down the shin of Adam Hammill.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wielded the axe in spectacular fashion following United s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.

He made 11 changes to his starting line-up and recalled Owen along with Neville, Wes Brown and Anderson.

Owen partnered Federico…

David Moyes and Declan Rice revelled in repaying West Ham supporters back after a difficult season as the Hammers reached the Europa Conference League last four on Thursday.

A Michail Antonio brace, along with goals for Lucas Paqueta and Rice, sent West Ham through with a 4-1 home victory and a 5-2 aggregate triumph over Gent.

That saw Moyes side reach their second continental semi-final in as many years, having made it to the Europa League last four a season ago.

With West Ham battling relegation in the Premier League, sitting just four points above the bottom three, Moyes hailed the Hammers achievements in balancing European football and domestic challenges.

He told BT Sport: It is a brilliant achievement. To do it two years in a row is special, it real…

Defender Anderson Bamba has put pen to paper on a new deal with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Anderson Bamba has signed a three-year contract extension to keep him at the Bundesliga club until 2018.

The Brazilian joined Eintracht from Borussia Monchengladbach in August 2012 following a loan spell at the Commerzbank-Arena in the previous season.

Anderson has made 16 appearances in all competitions this season for a Frankfurt side that sits ninth in the German top flight.

I am very happy that I am staying for three more years, Anderson told Eintracht s official website.

I feel very comfortable in Frankfurt, my family likes it here very much, which is important to me.

I get along very well with the coach and the team…

Ten-man Borussia Dortmund lost for the first time in the league this season on Saturday after going down 2-0 at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Mats Hummels was sent off 10 minutes from time for a professional foul on Havard Nordtveit inside the area to concede a penalty and change the complexion of the game.

Max Kruse put the hosts ahead from the resulting spot-kick before Raffael added a second in the 86th minute to seal Monchengladbach s first Bundesliga win against Dortmund since April 2011.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had earlier denied Dortmund, who struck the crossbar in between goals from Kruse and Raffael, with a string of fine saves as Monchengladbach executed an excellent late smash and grab.

Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre named just one change fro…

Premier League leaders Manchester City are hot on the trail of FC Porto winger Jesus Corona, .

The 22-year-old only joined the Dragons few weeks ago from Twente, but he has already seen some of Europe s top sides show interest in his services.

Manchester City reportedly had the winger watched in weekend s derby with Benfica, with a view of luring the Mexican to Etihad in the near future.

Corona moved to Europe without even establishing himself as a first team regular at Monterrey, joining Twente in the summer of 2013.

Following the slow start to his career in Dutch Eredivisie, the Mexico international largely impressed in his second season, scoring 9 goals in 27 league outings.

Corona then went on to score a brace on his FC Porto debut, proving h…

Chelsea have signed the largest kit deal in Premier League history, which will net them £900million over the next 15 years.

The Stamford Bridge side confirmed on Thursday that they had agreed the largest commercial deal in the club s history with American sportswear giants Nike, having cancelled an agreement with their German rivals Adidas six years early.

Reports also suggest the deal eclipses the 10-year £750m sum agreed between Manchester United and Adidas in 2014.

The eye-watering figures pale into insignificance, however, when compared to LaLiga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, who annually rake in an estimated €140m from Adidas and €155m from Nike respectively to have their kits made.

Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: This is an…

Cesar Azpilicueta has absolved Thiago Silva of blame for his error leading to Salzburg s equaliser in Wednesday s 1-1 draw and remains confident his side will advance in the Champions League.

Chelsea dominated large parts of the Group E contest – Graham Potter s first game as new head coach – and took the lead in the 48th minute through Raheem Sterling s curled finish into the bottom-right corner.

However, Silva failed to intercept a pass out on the left and Junior Adamu broke clear to set up Noah Okafor, who escaped the attention of Azpilicueta in the middle to guide the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Rather than blame individuals for Okafor s fifth goal in his past six Champions League outings, captain Azpilicueta – preferred to new signings Kalidou Kouliba…