E360hubs

When only appointed at Barca, Koeman said that he won't use Griezmann as a winger. Despite a rather quiet match vs Villarreal, the coach is satisfied with Antoine's work. "Antoine Griezmann is doing very well. He has more freedom playing on the right. He does things well, and we can help him even more. I'm very happy with his work," Ronald Koeman has said during the press conference ahead of the Celta Vigo match. Curiously, when he was only appointed as Barcelona's coach, the Dutchman said that 'Griezmann is not a winger' and that he 'has to play where he has played all his life'. Nonetheless, Antoine started the match against Villarreal on the right wing and didn't do too much, to say the least. In fact, he registered fewer touches than Neto and had the worst passing accuracy among all of Barca's players.

Ousmane Dembele has two more years left on his contract with Barcelona and he has no plans to extend it, Fabrizio Romano reports. He wants to see through his current deal, which expires in 2022, and leave as a free agent once it ends. Still, 'Dembouz' has no plans to leave Barca at the moment despite reported interest from Manchester United. However, the Red Devils are only interested in a loan deal with an option to make it permanent at the end of the 2020/21 season. Meanwhile, Ronald Koeman has told the media that he counts on Ousmane but didn't exclude his possible departure, saying it is for him and the club to decide. If true, Dembele not wanting to renew would be a big problem for us, as it'll be nearly impossible to sell him for a decent amount next summer when he'll be only one year away from becoming a free agent.

The coach reveals he wants to have two players per each position. He singles out Martin as a different centre-forward compared to Messi and Griezmann. "Martin does serve me. I would like to have 2 [players] per position. Leo and Griezmann can play as '9', but they are not the type of centre-forwards as Martin,": Ronald Koeman told the media, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. Yet the coach also confirmed the club are looking for a new clear-cut striker, saying: "We are looking for a number 9, and there are many options. I will not mention the names of the players we are interested in." Braithwaite has just recovered from a muscle injury and is included in the travelling squad to face Celta. Barca are still linked with Lyon's Memphis Depay and Inter's Lautaro Martinez but time is running out for any signings as the transfer window slams shut next Monday.

The coach appears to be happy with Leo's latest statements and calls for unity. Yet the Dutchman admits he doesn't know if he has everything in his power to make Messi happy. "It is very positive that the team captain shows himself in this sense, asking for unity. Hopefully, we can be calmer than we have experienced lately," Ronald Koeman has commented on Leo Messi's latest interview, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo. On the iconic star's future, the coach added: "I don't know if I have everything in my power for Messi to be happy here." "You have to find the best team for him, where he can shine and the best position. And formulas in training because he lives for football and does everything to win, even in training." Last night, Leo Messi revealed that he wants to put an end to the disagreements between himself and the Barcelona board following his attempt to leave and some clear digs on Josep Maria Bartomeu.

The coach hails the winger for what he shows in training. Yet he hasn't fully ruled out any potential exit, only saying it's between the club and the player himself. "I want to say that I am counting on him [Ousmane Dembele],": Ronald Koeman has just revealed during the pre-match press conference, quoted by Goal. On the recent rumours linking the Frenchman with Manchester United, the coach added: "It is up to the club and to the player. But he is with us and as we've seen in recent weeks I am counting on him. "He is training well, getting fitter." The Dembele transfer saga got a new twist this Tuesday when the Frenchman got heavily linked with the €75m transfer to the Red Devils. However, other reliable sources have denied this rumour, adding that Dembele wants to succeed at Barca.

The 21-year-old has the manager's full backing despite his miss cost Chelsea place in the 5th round of the EFL Cup. "I don’t think it should be a shattering blow," Frank Lampard told the post-Tottenham presser of Mason Mount's missed penalty attempt. "It is a disappointing night to get knocked out of the Carabao Cup, but Mason will have many more nights for this club and his country when he will play in games with huge importance on them and he will be the deciding factor in a positive way. "He has my support at all times, and the team’s and everyone around him. You miss a penalty and it is a collective when you get this far in a game like this." Chelsea's EFL Cup fourth-round tie with Spurs was sent to penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. The Blues lost the shootout due to Mount missing a decisive penalty.

The 24-year-old's options, however, may be limited. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is likely to leave Chelsea on loan before the end of the current transfer window, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph. The news comes after Ross Barkley joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan on Wednesday. Loftus-Cheek's options, however, may be limited due to his £150,000 weekly wages and his injury record. The Villans also had an interest in Ruben but their manager Dean Smith prioritised Barkley. Fulham are keen on the 24-year-old but his move to Craven Cottage depends on whether Chelsea's London rivals spend big on defenders before the transfer deadline.

Eden is yet to start a single game for Madrid this season. Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have been called up for international duty with Belgium for upcoming games against Ivory Coast, England and Iceland. The Belgian's ankle hasn't been in the best condition, with Belgium coach Roberto Martinez acknowledging that Hazard will need treatment before and after games for the rest of his career. However, it looks like caution has been thrown to the wind. The last time he went on international duty, he reported late to Real Madrid training. Hazard is yet to start a single game for Los Blancos this season but has been included in the squad for Real Valladolid.

The Serbian is believed to be a favourite option among the United chiefs. According to Catalan news outlet Diario AS, Real Madrid's negotiations with Man United regarding a loan deal for Luka Jovic are progressing well. Jovic, 22, has been struggling for game time under Zinedine Zidane, with the French boss only trusting Karim Benzema for the No.9 role. In fact, Zidane has been criticized for his unfair treatment of the Serbian striker, leading to rumours about a possible exit on loan. And the Red Devils have emerged as potential takers, with Jovic believed to be a favourite among the club chiefs.

Marcos Alonso set to leave Chelsea this week. Alonso was lambasted by his manager because he watched the second-half of Saturday's 3-3 draw with West Bromwich Albion after being subbed. And The Sun says the Spaniard looks set to be sold this summer after the incident. Ben Chilwell was already brought in to become Lampard's starting left-back this summer. But now a role off the bench will not be available for Alonso, with Lampard desperate to get him out of the club before the October 5 transfer deadline. Lampard has done a u-turn with his decision, having previously decided to sell Emerson Palmieri and keep Alonso. But Italy international Emerson was on the bench for Tuesday's loss to Tottenham, while Alonso missed out altogether.

Fulham battling Tottenham for Inter Milan defender Skriniar. The 25-year-old center back is no longer wanted at Inter by boss Antonio Conte. But he has a reputation as one of the top defenders in the world, which means there is a huge price tag on his shoulders. Per The Sun, Inter want £45 million, and Spurs are not prepared to pay that much. Now Fulham, who have started the Premier League season very poorly, may be willing to pay the money to sign an established top center back. They want to ensure their defense is good enough to keep them in the league beyond this season.

The 19-year-old hasn't signed his contract yet. The coach hails the promising right-back for his skills and experience. "Dest's having medical, still has to sign the contract,": Ronald Koeman has just told ESPN during the pre-match press conference. On the new signing, he added: "He's a young full-back, it's about having young players for the club's future. "He has to compete with the other full-backs we have. Despite age, he's played a lot of games, played in Champions League. A very useful player." The 19-year-old landed in Barcelona on Tuesday night. It's expected that Dest would sign a contract until 2025, with Barca paying Ajax around €25m for the transfer, split in the instalments.

The striker has recovered while the outcast midfielder appears to be closer to an exit. Barcelona's 23-man squad for the Celta game: Goalkeepers: Neto, Inaki Pena, Arnau Tenas; Defenders: Pique, Lenglet, Alba, Araujo, Santiago Ramos Mingo; Midfielders: Busquets, Coutinho, Roberto, De Jong, Alena, Pedri, Pjanic, Puig; Forwards: Fati, Griezmann, Messi, Dembele, Trincao, De La Fuente, Braithwaite. Martin Braithwaite has recovered from a muscle injury. Promising attacker Konrad de la Fuente makes the squad for the first time in La Liga. Rafinha is excluded without any given reason. Firpo is out with a hamstring issue while Samuel Umtiti and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are still recovering.

The Catalans travel to Vigo on Thursday night with a clear task ahead of them. Barcelona continue with their quest to bring back the La Liga crown as they face Celta away on Thursday night. Here is why the Catalans will be more than hungry for a win at their cursed ground. Barcelona haven't won at Celta's Balaidos stadium for more than 5 years already. Their last victory dates back to April 5, 2015. Back then, a certain Jeremy Mathieu netted the winner - the French defender moved to Sporting CP and retired from football since then. The Catalans have faced Celta away 5 times in La Liga and once in the Copa del Rey since Mathieu's winning goal. They've suffered 3 defeats and managed 3 draws during this run. Even though Barca haven't won, they've failed to score at the Balaidos just once, in the 2-0 defeat on the final day of the 2018-2019 campaign. In total, the Blaugrana side have registered nine aways goals against Celta since April 2015 wit...

The captain promises to give everything on the pitch. Leo assures the fans his commitment to the Blaugrana shirt is 100%. "Those that know me know I'm not capable of playing any other way than to win and to give everything on the pitch," Leo Messi has just told Diario Sport. The captain added: "It's been that way throughout my whole career and won't change now. My commitment to the shirt and the badge is 100%, it is still intact." In the same interview, Leo opened up on his intention to leave Barca and called for unity. Messi's commitment to Barcelona was truly shown in the 4-0 triumph against Villarreal last week as the captain was all over the pitch, converted the penalty and was even caught given instructions to Ansu Fati.

Spanish broadcaster Movistar caught Leo Messi giving instructions to Ansu Fati during the Villarreal showdown. These screens prove that the Argentine is Barcelona's true captain who cares about the young stars. In fact, the relationship between Messi and Fati is similar to the Leo-Ronaldinho bond. The Brazilian legend took great care of Leo during Messi's first steps at the Catalan club. Here is what Ansu said on his connections with the captain: "Leo Messi helps me and gives me advice in matches and in training." In the 4-0 Villarreal triumph, the 17-year-old scored a brace and won a penalty which Leo converted.

The captain explains he wasn't able to 'shut up or let it go' as he used to do previously. Leo confesses a lot of things hurt him at that moment. "I said what I felt in what was a tough moment," Leo Messi has confessed to Diario Sport, referring to his emotional farewell message to Luis Suarez. The Argentine added: "I understand people may have thought I should have shut up or let it go, as I did on many other occasions. "But a lot of things hurt me in the last few weeks and it was my way of expressing that." Messi aimed a clear dig at the Barcelona board with his goodbye message to Luis Suarez last week. Among other things, the captain wrote: "You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did. But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore." In the same interview to Sport, Messi also said he wanted to put an end to the disagreements between himself and the Catalan club.

​Manchester United U21s claim EFL Trophy win over Rochdale. The Red Devils' youngsters battled for a 0-0 draw in the competition, and came out on top in the penalty shootout. It is a result that moves them to the top of Group B in the tournament with five points. United have a very young under-21 team, which is encouraging for the club. More than half of the team that started could have played with the under-18s, given their age. United were impressive in the game, but both sides had chances to score. However, the goalkeepers put up solid displays, leaving the result to the lottery of a penalty shootout, where United came out on top.

Mendy is Zidane's new first-choice left-back. The Frenchman is looking to learn from Marcelo. Speaking to Telefoot, Ferland Mendy said: "I don't think I have taken Marcelo's position. "We have a good relationship and he has given me good advice so far." The Frenchman has played in both Real Madrid games so far this campaign while the Brazilian is yet to feature. Last season, Marcelo played a total of 1,854 minutes in all competitions while Mendy got 2,403 minutes after his summer transfer from Lyon.

The Spanish journalist raises questions over Zidane's decision to sign Jovic in the first place. He also urges the Madrid boss to seek the advice of those who watch football. Spanish football expert Josep Pedrerol said on El Chiringuito de Jugones: "If Zidane kicks Jovic out, he has to resign. "The only player Zidane has chosen is Jovic and Madrid, who were very keen to pay 60 million [euros] for Jovic. And now, after a year without playing, he says it's not worth it. "Zidane can't sign anyone. Really. There are coaches who are there to put the pieces together and can't sign [players]." Pedrerol goes on to add: "You have to listen to people who watch a lot of football. Zidane puts the pieces together, he knows what he wants, he knows how he wants to play, he knows the style. Well, nobody knows the style. "But Zidane wins [matches]. So, there is no argument with him. Zidane asked for Jovic for 60 million [euros]. "Madri...

The 23-year-old would provide more competition for Jordi Alba and facilitate Eric Garcia's arrival. Barcelona are really interested in Manchester City's versatile defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, according to reliable Oriol Domenech of Mundo Deportivo. Here are 3 reasons why the Catalans could be eager to make this surprising swoop. Versatility: Originally a left-back, Zinchenko can also play as a left midfielder and even in the double-pivot system, something that Ronald Koeman is going to use regularly. Healthy competition: The 23-year-old could be the right man to offer some competition for veteran left-back Jordi Alba as Junior Firpo hasn't managed to prove his class in his debut season. Boost for Eric Garcia: The Ukraine international appears to be transferable and Manchester City could include him in the deal for Eric Garcia, especially if Rafinha goes the other way. Zinchenko has fallen out of favour with Pep Guardiola and hasn't made a single appearan...

Ronald Koeman isn't convinced with Ousmane Dembele anymore, reliable CatRadio reveal. The Dutch coach now feels the winger's departure would open the door for the new arrivals. Barcelona are asking for between €50m and €60m for the French star, as confirmed by multiple sources. The Catalan club need this money to afford the signings of both Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia, both sanctioned by the coach. The Dembele transfer saga got a new twist this Tuesday when the Frenchman got heavily linked with the €75m transfer to Manchester United. However, other reliable sources have denied this rumour, adding that Dembele wants to succeed at Barca.

Pogba appears to be nowhere near his best at the moment. Speaking to the Daily Mail, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said: "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a big decision to make because Manchester United will continue to ship goals if he keeps on naming Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in the same line-up. "Excellent creative players as they are, neither is good enough defensively to play together in a three-man midfield. It is not laziness on Bruno or Pogba's part, it is just an aspect of their game that defensively they are reactive rather than proactive. "They just do not spot or sense danger quickly enough. By the time they realise they need to get back, it is too late. Over the past few months, I have to say Bruno has been more influential in an attacking sense than Pogba, so I do not know where that leaves the Frenchman" Pogba has featured in both Man United's Premier League games so far this season with the Red Devils conceding a whopp...

With less than a week to go, the reserves still have a lot of business that needs to be taken care of. Contrary to earlier rumours, Oriol Busquets and Alex Collado will continue at Barcelona B for the 2020/21 season, Gerard Romero reports. If Junior Firpo leaves, Juan Miranda considers staying with the reserves so he can get playing time at the first team; if Firpo stays, Miranda would prefer a loan. Barcelona are looking to sell Ludovit Reis, Rey Manaj and Matheus Perreira, all of whom joined the team only last season. The club will look to sign a full-back and a forward; Atletico Madrid's right-back Andres Solano has been named as a potential target. They won't buy a new centre-back, however. Perhaps because Oriol — who played as a centre-back while on loan at Twente — is staying

The two managers exchanged some words during the Carabao Cup game and Mourinho insists he has no problems with and still holds affection for his former player. However, he does not believe the way in which Lampard behaves during the games helps his team. "With Frank, the most important thing is my feelings towards him rather than any words we exchanged," Jose Mourinho said, as quoted by Goal. "I owe him everything he gave me, he always gave me everything he had as a player and I never forget that. My feelings towards him will always be feelings of how much I owe him for how much of an incredible player, friend he was. "The only thing I was telling him, just an opinion of an old coach to a young talented coach, which was when the players need us it is when they are losing, when they are winning we don't need to be the protagonists of the touchline, we need to be there when they are losing. "In the last match when they were losing 3-0, I felt rea...

The manager also spoke about Timo Werner's issue that prevented him from taking a penalty in the shootout. "You get to penalties and anything can happen at that stage. You want to stay in these competitions of course, but there were some really good bits in our performance," Frank Lampard told Sky Sports after the Spurs defeat. "The first half was as dominant as you can get in terms of possession. You want to create more chances, yes, but Tottenham was out of of the game. In the second half, they messed our game up a bit, but with the control, we had before then we wanted to score more goals or that can happen. "When teams go long and miss your press and turn you around the other way it's not easy to get the fluidity and rhythm going. It was a clear change of tactic from them, and it's something we need to deal better with. "We looked tired at the end which was understandable given where we are at. Timo Werner had some cramping at the end...

Frank Lampard aims to make it three out of three over his former boss Jose Mourinho in the London derby but Mason Mount made sure that doesn't happen by missing the final penalty kick, and Tottenham went through. Edouard Mendy - 7 Apart from dropping the ball after crosses on several occasion, looked comfortable on his debut. Staked his claim for the No 1 spot with some great saves on Reguilon and Lamela. Emerson - 4 The left-back was subbed on in the second half but did not help when he lost position for Spurs goal. It does not look like he'll be able to compete with Chilwell. Timo Werner - 7 Finally got off the mark with a great finish. Playing on the left, Timo was quite involved in the game but got lost in the second half when Spurs took control. Olivier Giroud - 4.5 The target man was pretty much quiet throughout the game, even though Chelsea had a lot of the ball in the first half. Cesar Azpilicueta - 6.5 Did well to beat Reguilon to provide Werner with ...

Luka Jovic is likely to leave Real Madrid on a short-term deal before the European transfer window closes on October 5. According to AS, a respected source, the Blancos prefer for the 22-year-old to move to Italy on loan and mature as a striker by playing first-team football. AS Roma, AC Milan and Inter Milan are reportedly interested in the Serb's services for the 2020/21 campaign but no official bids have bid submitted yet. Karim Benzema remains Zinedine Zidane's first-choice striker and the manager would rather have Borja Mayoral - and not Jovic - as the Frenchman's back-up.

Valverde scored against Betis in his first game of the new season and The midfielder understands his role at the Bernabeu perfectly. Speaking to Real Madrid TV, Fede Valverde said: "My job is to run until I can't run anymore until my legs give way. That’s the role of a central midfielder. That is what I will always do. "As time goes on, I'm correcting things because there are times when I run without a goal. Running for the sake of running isn't worth it. You have to make the right choices." Valverde scored at Real Betis on Saturday in his first appearance of the 2020/21 campaign with Madrid securing a 3-2 win. The midfielder is likely to retain his starting XI place against Real Valladolid on Wednesday with Toni Kroos out with a muscular injury.

Rodrygo Goes is one of the most talented youngsters at Real Madrid right now and the Brazilian never shies away from showing off his skills. He scored a stunning goal during the latest training session, as Zinedine Zidane and co ramp up the preparations to face Real Valladolid. Rodrygo started in our La Liga opener against Real Sociedad but was replaced by Luka Jovic against Real Betis. However, prior to the 2020/21 season, the youngster openly revealed his desire to be a regular for Los Blancos. ⚡ THUNDERBOLT! 🇧🇷 @RodrygoGoes #RMCity | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/neFK4QS1nD — Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 28, 2020

Espinosa believes that Dest will arrive at Barca already prepared to perform, the American is expected to be made official by the end of the week. "Sergino Dest is an offensive player and Barcelona is the best place for him to develop. I think he will do well from the beginning. Sergino is going to arrive prepared," ex-Blaugrana midfielder Javier Espinosa has told COPE. The Spaniard knows Dest well as he's playing for Twente and has met the American on the pitch. "I read that Ronald Koeman asked for Dest, but he will also have competition with Sergi Roberto who also performs well as a full-back. He is the only one who understands Barca's style. Dest will not have it easy." According to the latest report from RAC1, Dest will land in Barcelona late on Tuesday. The 19-year-old is expected to be presented this week.

Messi wants to put an end to the disagreements that may have arisen recently and Leo says that he always has the club's best interests in mind. He believes that 'passion and enthusiasm' is the way forward for Barcelona. "After so many disagreements, I would like to put an end to it. All Barca fans must unite and believe that the best is yet to come," Leo Messi has told Diario Sport. "I assume my mistakes, and if they existed, they were meant to make Barca stronger. "Adding passion and enthusiasm will be the only way to achieve our objectives. We have to be united and all go in the same direction. "I wanted to send a message to all the club members and fans that follow us. If at any moment, any of them were annoyed by something that I said or did, let there be no doubts that anything I did was always with the club's best interests in mind." Messi is likely speaking about his intention to leave Barcelona this summer and, perhap...

Junior might leave only if he's offered a better project than the one at Barca. Junior Firpo wants to stay at Barcelona for the 2020/21 season as none of the departure offers have convinced him, Mundo Deportivo's Fernando Polo says. The 24-year-old has already talked to Ronald Koeman, and the coach has informed him that Jordi Alba will be the starting left-back this season. Still, Firpo believes that the coach will give him enough chances to prove himself in case Alba doesn't perform at the required level. Last term, Junior recorded one goal and two assists in 23 matches; he acted as a back-up to Jordi Alba.

Koeman wants to radically change the rusty Barca we've gotten used to in the last few years. Before Ronald Koeman, Barcelona had a rather relaxed pre-game warm-up routine, with the players passing the ball around most of the time. The Dutchman has had the physical trainer Albert Roca add more exercises to the warm-up, Diario Sport claim. Moreover, the players finished the warm-up before the match against Villarreal practising crosses and shots from outside the box. Unlike Quique Setien, Koeman instructs the players himself and doesn't let his assistant do the job for him.

Barcelona deny any kind of negotiations with Manchester United over the transfer of Ousmane Dembele, RAC1's Gerard Romero reports. The Premier League side consider a move but only if it's going to be a loan so that they can pay Barca next summer. As it stands, the 23-year-old refuses to leave Camp Nou, but Romero says that 'anything could happen' in the remaining six days. Meanwhile, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano also claims that Ous doesn't want to leave, adding that he turned down Liverpool and Juventus this summer. Earlier, it was reported Dembouz's agent confirmed the move, which would cost around €75m in total.

While on his way to Barcelona's training facilities, Martin Braithwaite was met by a group of Blaugrana fans. The Dane showed his kind nature as he left his car just to take a picture with a disabled fan. Also notice that Braithwaite put the mask on before going to meet the fan. Make sure you wear yours every time you go outside. 💙❤ @MartinBraith https://t.co/KIP2Nm8Qj3 — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 29, 2020

Like always, stats show the big gap between Messi and Ronaldo that the media try to hide. Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are regarded as the two best players in the world, but the league stats show that the Portuguese isn't at Messi's level. Although their stats are comparable, people tend to forget one important detail — Ronaldo is two years older. Let's check out the stats League games: Messi - 486, Ronaldo - 554 Minutes: Messi - 39,240, Ronaldo - 45,454 Goals: Messi - 445, Ronaldo - 450 Assists: Messi - 183, Ronaldo - 135 Goal contributions: Messi - 628, Ronaldo - 585 Dribbles completed: Messi 2,067, Ronaldo - 1,128 Goals per 90 mins: Messi 1.02, Ronaldo - 0.89 Assists per 90 mins: Messi - 0.42, Ronaldo - 0.27 Goal contributions per 90 mins: Messi - 1.44, Ronaldo - 1.16 Dribbles completed per 90 mins: Messi - 4.74, Ronaldo - 2.23 The only significant stat where Cristiano beats Barcelona's captain is goals scored. However, we should take into acco...

Finally, the first transfer of the Koeman era is (almost) here. Cameras have spotted Barcelona's transfer target Sergino Dest at the local El Prat airport. According to Catalunya Radio, the right-back will undergo his medicals on Wednesday, September 30. He will be presented on Friday, October 2, so as not to interfere with Barca's match against Celta Vigo planned for Thursday. It's expected that Dest would sign a contract until 2025, with Barca paying Ajax around €25m for the transfer. However, the Catalans will pay only €5m now, the remaining sum will be paid in instalments over the next few years.

Real Madrid host Real Valladolid in La Liga on Wednesday as the Blancos look to secure back-to-back league wins. Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio have been included in the matchday squad with both players finally getting back to full fitness. As confirmed by the club earlier, Toni Kroos is out with the German facing a two-week spell on the sidelines with an unfortunate muscular injury. Madrid's official squad vs Valladolid Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Altube. Defenders: Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo, Odriozola, Mendy. Midfielders: Modric, Casemiro, Valverde, Odegaard, Isco. Forwards: Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Mayoral, Vazquez, Jovic, Vinicius, Rodrygo.

After an impressive come in their last La Liga game against Real Betis, Real Madrid will be hoping to continue with that winning form heading to the game against Valladolid at home. Team news Toni Kroos and Mariano Diaz will miss the Real Valladolid clash while Eder Militao is doubtful. However, Marcelo is back and Eden Hazard could feature as well. Stats to know • Real Madrid have won their last 7 home matches in La Liga. Real Valladolid have lost their last 3 away matches. • Madrid have won 9 of their last 11 matches against Valladolid in all competitions. • There have been 2 goals or less scored in 11 of Valladolid's last 13 league games. Probable Real Madrid line-up 4-3-3: Courtois; Mendy, Ramos, Varane, Carvajal; Modric, Casemiro, Odegaard; Hazard, Benzema, Rodrygo. Score predictions WhoScored's Simon Harrison: Real Madrid 2-0 Real Valladolid "Real Madrid got their first win of the season at the weekend against Real Betis, but it required VAR co...

Both clubs have representatives in the current round but the next set will have officials from other clubs. According to Marca, both Real Madrid and Barcelona will be left out from the La Liga's board of delegates in the upcoming round. Madrid and Barca are part of the current board along with Levante, Sevilla, Real Betis, Valencia and Villarreal. Voting for the next round will begin from October 7 but we aren't expected to participate. Instead, the likes of Sevilla, Betis, Villarreal, Levante, Real Sociedad and Eibar are believed to be the favourites to make the next round of the board of delegates. The present board of delegates has 15 positions - out of which six are held by La Liga clubs, six by La Liga SmartBank clubs. Other positions include the president and the two vice-presidents.

After Araujo, Barca B are ready to provide another promising centre-back. Santiago Ramos Mingo was surprisingly included in Ronald Koeman's 23-man squad for the debut match against Villarreal. The 18-year-old earned his call-up after doing greatly in an inter-squad match for Barcelona B, Mundo Deportivo report. Alfred Schreuder and Koeman happened to had watched the match, and Mingo left a good impression on the assistant coach. Later on, he started in the reserve's friendly match against Tona and did a good job again, so he was summoned to train with the first team. Together with Konrad de la Fuente, Santiago was the only Barca B youngster to train with the senior side the entire week. The Argentine joined Barcelona from Boca Juniors in February 2020 but is yet to make his official debut.

Kroos will be out for at least 2 weeks with a muscular injury. The German's issue is not serious and he's looking to be back as soon as possible. Toni Kroos sent a message to Real Madrid fans on Twitter after being diagnosed with a muscular injury: "Back in no time." Back in no time. https://t.co/ZxkzTDkyXl — Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) September 28, 2020 The German picked up a knock on Saturday in the first half against Real Betis on Saturday with Luka Modric replacing him. The 30-year-old will be out for about two weeks, the club officially confirmed earlier this week. No complications are expected during the recovery process. As it stands right now, the midfielder is set to miss upcoming games vs Real Valladolid and Levante as well as Germany's UEFA Nations League matches in early October.

Barca are so desperate that they are ready to accept loan deals. Barcelona want to reduce their wage bill after being severely wounded by the pandemic and hope to part ways with at least three more players, Mundo Deportivo claim. The Catalans have less than a week to do so, as the transfer window shuts down on Monday, October 5. Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite, Carles Alena, Jean-Clair Todibo and Rafinha are the players most likely to leave. Barca could accept loan deals for everyone but Rafinha, as his contract expires already next summer; they hope to sell the Brazilian. So far, Blaugrana have said goodbye to Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Nelson Semedo, Arturo Vidal and Moussa Wague.

Ter Stegen  is looking forward to creating 'new group' with the new incoming players and coaches. Marc is very ambitions, looking to win all possible titles this season. "The knee is very, very good. We have a very long season ahead of us and we need to be in shape," Diario Sport quote Marc-Andre ter Stegen saying during a sponsored event. Interestingly, this contradicts an earlier report saying that Marc's return would be delayed because of his recovery process going slower than expected. As a reminder, the goalkeeper underwent surgery back in August as he was dealing with a chronic knee injury. Ter Stegen is expected to be back in training in November. In his absence, Neto is acting as the first-choice goalie. The German also spoke about the goals for the 2020/21 season and the 'new group' that's forming at Barcelona. “There have been some changes and we have to create a new group, with new ‘feelings’. The final goal has not changed an...

The 17-year-old continues to enjoy his incredible rise. Ansu Fati has been rated the third-best player in Europe's top five leagues in the latest gameweek by WhoScored. The 17-year-old earned his 9.68 rating by scoring a brace and registering an assist in Barcelona's 4-0 La Liga win over Villarreal on Sunday. Europe's top 10 performers in September 26-27 gameweek, as per WhoScored: Hirving Lozano - 9.16 Mikel Merino - 9.28 Karl Darlow - 9.34 Joao Felix - 9.39 Alejandro Gomez - 9.42 Dries Mertens - 9.55 Jamie Vardy - 9.60 Ansu Fati - 9.68 Niclas Fullkrug - 9.70 Roberto Soriano - 9.95 Fati now looks set to feature in Thursday's league encounter with Celta Vigo at the Balaidos.

Silva says that he's at Chelsea to win and nothing else. He didn't come to London to sightsee - he came to play football. With the help of his team and Lampard, Chelsea will be in the race for multiple trophies this season, adds Silva. Thiago Silva told Chelsea’s official matchday programme for a Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Tottenham Hotspur (via Goal): “I’m not here just to go through the motions, or just for the experience – I’m here to win. “I want everyone to be very clear about that: I’m going to give my all to make sure that Chelsea win. “I didn’t come here to dine out in London or visit the tourist sites. I came to play football, to work, and that’s what I’m preparing for. “I’m certain, with the group of players we’ve got and a coach who’s a natural leader, that we’ll be in the fight for every piece of silverware going this year.” The defender did not have a dream debut against West Brom as he made an error leading to a goal and the Blues narr...