U.S. men's national team striker Patrick Agyemang will miss the World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury, Derby County confirmed. The injury occurred on Monday when the forward was stretchered off against Stoke City.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has surprisingly stated he would allow Antonio Conte to take charge of the Italy national team if requested. However, the Napoli owner paired that admission with a scathing critique of the current state of Italian football governance.
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has provided critical fitness updates on Bradley Barcola and Fabian Ruiz as his side prepares to host Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. While Barcola has made a surprisingly rapid return to training following an ankle problem, the Parisians remain cautious regarding the availability of their key stars.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has admitted he is "worried" for Arne Slot’s future following a humiliating 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, but he does not want to see the manager sacked. The former captain criticised the lack of fighting spirit in the squad after a run of only one win from their last five games in all competitions.
When Barcelona travelled to take on Atletico Madrid on Saturday, they did so in the knowledge that securing victory would be a giant step towards defending their title in La Liga. Real Madrid had lost at Mallorca earlier in the day, meaning a seven-point gap could potentially be opened up on Los Blancos at the summit.
Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has identified Bayern Munich star Michael Olise as the ideal "like-for-like" successor to Mohamed Salah ahead of the Egyptian's summer departure. The 33-year-old forward recently confirmed he will end his legendary nine-year stint at Anfield, leaving the Reds’ recruitment team with a monumental task to fill the void on the right wing.
Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has been forced to rejig her squad slightly ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Iceland next week, after an injury withdrawal. The England manager has taken the opportunity to hand out another maiden call-up while also strengthening her squad with a further body, by adding Chelsea full-back Niamh Charles following her strong return to action after three months out.
Former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has pleaded not guilty to a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. The 41-year-old appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool at Liverpool Crown Court, having been denied bail at a previous hearing over an alleged incident involving a 51-year-old man at a Merseyside golf club.