France boss Didier Deschamps could be without Ousmane Dembele for Sunday s Nations League clash with Denmark after the Barcelona winger reported a calf problem.

The game in Copenhagen will see Deschamps make a number of changes, with the trip coming just two months before the teams meet again in the World Cup group stage.

France are eager to get the win, as that would guarantee they avoid relegation from the top tier of the Nations League, but Deschamps will not push anyone into playing.

Ousmane felt discomfort in a calf and will train separately, said Deschamps on Saturday evening.

We will review after the session. I will make changes, but I won t decide tonight. I will wait for the medical return and the feelings of the players. There will be chan…

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore believes moving the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is nigh on impossible .

Concerns have been raised about the temperatures in the Middle East country June and July, with speculation the tournament could be moved to cooler months.

However, this would mean the competition taking place at the same time as the domestic football calendar in many countries, meaning Scudamore would not support FIFA in any such switch.

The Premier League boss insisted this would cause too much disruption around the world, and called on the governing body to consult with all parties before making any decision.

It s extremely difficult (to move it), nigh on impossible in our view, he told Sky Sports News. Where they award the World Cup to i…

Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones is undergoing a medical at Besiktas ahead of a proposed loan move to the Turkish club.

The 32-year-old United States midfielder is set to join Slaven Bilic s side until the end of the season after being allowed to leave the Bundesliga club.

Jones contract expires at the end of the season, so his long spell at the Gelsenkirchen outfit appears to be over.

Besiktas posted a picture of Jones undergoing a medical on their official website on Thursday.

Jones joined Schalke from Eintracht Frankfurt back in 2007 and has made well over 100 appearances for the club, including 14 in the Bundesliga this season and five in the UEFA Champions League.

He spent a loan spell with Blackburn Rovers in 2011 and also played for Bayer Leverkusen…

Ernesto Valverde says Barcelona will not make the Champions League their priority over winning the LaLiga title again this season.

Barca have topped the table in seven of the last 10 seasons but have found European success harder, reaching only one of the last seven Champions League finals.

Valverde s men won the double last term, adding Copa Del Rey glory to the LaLiga title, but their 2017-18 campaign was marred by an extraordinary European exit.

Despite taking a 4-1 lead against Roma in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the Catalan giants contrived to lose 3-0 in the Italian capital to crash out on away goals.

Rivals Real Madrid subsequently collected a third consecutive Champions League crown but Valverde insists he will not switch focus to …

Niko Kovac applauded Renato Sanches for making great strides psychologically since returning to Bayern Munich from his Swansea City loan spell and suggested he could face his former side Benfica on Wednesday.

After emerging as a highly rated prospect at Benfica and helping Portugal to Euro 2016 success, Sanches joined Bayern to great fanfare ahead of the 2016-17 season.

But he struggled to adapt and rarely impressed in his 17 Bundesliga appearances, getting shipped out in a temporary deal to the Premier League last term as a result, and he fared no better as Swansea were relegated.

Despite his troubles, the 21-year-old has been reintegrated at Bayern, with Kovac speaking highly of him on multiple occasions since succeeding Jupp Heynckes.

Although Sanche…

Eddie Howe has challenged his players to ride out the wave of chaos which has engulfed the club as Newcastle attempt to rediscover their best form.

The Magpies sailed serenely through last season as they gatecrashed the Premier League’s top four to secure a first Champions League adventure for two decades.

This time around, Howe’s expensively-assembled squad is riven by injury and suspension and the control they exerted for much of the last campaign has deserted them.

Eddie Howe reflects on this afternoon s draw at St. James Park.

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)

Speaking after Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Bournemouth, in which they trailed twice, Howe said: “I’m well aware and I think people who watch us regularly are aware…

With Takeshi Okada likely to step down after Japan s Last 16 World Cup defeat on penalties to Paraguay, Spain s Vicente Del Bosque is among potential candidates to replace him, a report said on Thursday.

Japan s Sports Nippon tabloid revealed that Hiromi Hara, a senior Japan Football Association official, had said the former Real Madrid coach Del Bosque was on a wish-list of candidates to manage the national side when Okada departs.

(Del Bosque) demonstrated a stable leadership with Real Madrid, Hara said, quoted by the Sports Nippon. The issue is his age and whether he will really accept the offer.

Hara made an informal offer to the 59-year-old del Bosque when the pair met last August, the paper said.

Del Bosque is under contract with Spain until 2012…

Eden Hazard is confident Chelsea have the game plan to put a dent in Paris Saint-Germain s UEFA Champions League campaign next Wednesday.

PSG are currently 12 games unbeaten in all competitions and breezed past their round-of-16 opponents Bayer Leverkusen, recording a 6-1 aggregate win.

Laurent Blanc s men have only lost on three occasions all season, with one of those defeats in the Champions League against Benfica, and Hazard believes Chelsea can add another to that list.

The 23-year-old likened PSG to Premier League rivals Arsenal, who Chelsea beat 6-0 last weekend, and revealed they will use a similar approach when they meet the French champions in Paris.

I feel Paris are a bit like Arsenal, they like to dictate the play and if we re ready, if we close them d…

Portugal defender Pepe believes there is nothing to choose between his country and Sweden as they prepare for their FIFA World Cup play-off.

Portugal were forced to settle for a play-off place once again when they finished second behind Russia in Group F.

Sweden, runners-up in Group C, were drawn to face Paulo Bento s side over two legs in what has been billed as duel between captains Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Portugal qualified for the 2010 World Cup via the play-offs and they also sealed a spot at last year s European Championship via the same route.

And Pepe expects Sweden to provide a stern test, with the Real Madrid man refusing to believe Portugal should be considered favourites.

He said: We have to face this situation with as much tra…

The Premier League title race was blown wide open as Ander Herrera scored one and assisted another for Marcus Rashford in Manchester United s 2-0 win over leaders Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Chelsea s lead over closest rivals Tottenham remains at just four points with six matches to play after Antonio Conte s men lost for the second time in their last four games.

Jose Mourinho made four changes to his side, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic – described by the manager as very tired – among the players dropping to the substitutes bench.

But United made a fast start, Rashford putting them ahead after only seven minutes with a controversial strike after Chelsea had claimed for handball against Herrera in the build-up.

The Blues were already without the injured Thib…