Kevin de Bruyne picks up knee injury in training

UK Football

Star Man City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne is set for a stint on the treatment room after injuring his right knee in training. The extent of the injury is unknown, but initial estimates suggest that De Bruyne would probably miss the next two months of City’s season. He is expected to be treated by Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona.

If De Bruyne is out for about 2 months, the games he’ll miss (Premier League ones) would be the ones against Huddersfield, Wolves Newcastle, Fulham, Cardiff, Brighton, Liverpool and Burnley. Not a very tough set of fixtures- you’d expect City, with their squad depth, to comfortably get through all those fixtures, with the trip to Anfield being the only really testing one for Pep Guardiola’s side. Continue reading Kevin de Bruyne picks up knee injury in training →

Transfer failure could cost Jose

UK Football

As the summer transfer window of 2018 began to draw to a close, Jose Mourinho’s demeanour became ever-more gloomy. The Portuguese has never been a man to enjoy a jovial, light-hearted press conference but the media were given an extra dish of truculence by the ‘Special One’.

The main issue concerned Manchester United’s failure to secure a number of reported transfer targets as the new Premier League season drew closer and based on the club’s opening day win over Leicester, Mourinho’s mood may start to get even darker. Continue reading Transfer failure could cost Jose →

Croatians at Inter Milan- Modric mulls switch

Serie A, Spanish Football

Inter Milan could have another Croatian in their ranks for the upcoming 2018/19 season after it was revealed that Real Madrid star Luka Modric was mulling a switch to the San Siro. Modric, 32, was a key figure for his country at the recently concluded World Cup, winning three MOTM awards as his side finished runners up to France.

Luka Modric

Inter already have Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic in their ranks and have taken Sime Vrsaljko on loan. With three Croatians already on the Nerazzurri’s books, the San Siro looks like an attractive destination for Modric, who has pretty much everything there was to win at Real Madrid.

However the question remains whether Real will be willing to sell both Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same transfer window. This may be Real’s best opportunity to cash in on Modric, and the move will also potentially allow more first team football for Mateo Kovacic.

Inter are also in the market for Arturo Vidal, but the Chilean’s transfer may not materialise if they get Modric.

Bayern 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt | Kovac delivers first trophy in 30 years and EL spot

German Football

Eintracht Frankfurt denied Bayern Munich and Jupp Heynckes a League and Cup double as they upset the Bavarian giants 3-1 in the DFB Pokal final. Frankfurt, who had lost the 2017 final to Dortmund, picked up the win thanks to Ante Rebic’s double, and will be competing in the Europa League season. Their manager, Niko Kovac, will be Bayern’s manager next season, and his first competitive game might be against his former charges when the two lock horns in the Super Cup.

It was a disappointing result for Bayern, who had been undefeated in their last fourteen games against Frankfurt going into this final in Berlin.

Heynckes Kovac

VAR again played a factor with Bayern claiming that Rebic’s second goal shouldn’t have been allowed because of a handball in the buildup. They were further incensed when Boateng’s kick on Martinez was not deemed worth of a penalty, with referee Felix Zwayer awarding a corner instead.

It was Bayern’s second straight loss in their new kit after falling to Stuttgart on the final day of the 17/18 league season. Perhaps, one could say, their minds weren’t quite in it after their agonising defeat in the semifinals of the Champions League to Real Madrid

Bayern 1 (Lewandowski) lost to Frankfurt (Rebic x2, Gacinovic)

Chelsea 1:0 Manchester United | Hazard penalty seals Wembley triumph

UK Football

Antonio Conte delivered silverware to Chelsea for the second season in succession as the Blues produced a resolute defensive performance to beat Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup final. A defensive error from Phil Jones against Eden Hazard, leading to the centre-back clumsily bringing the Belgian down, saw Michael Oliver point to the spot, and the Chelsea playmaker easily converted his own penalty.

United, for whom Romelu Lukaku was only fit enough for the bench, had their chances, with Rashford’s one and one, and Pogba missing a header when unmarked. However Chelsea were defensively resolute, with the likes of Kante, Rudiger and Courtois all having strong games, and far too many of United’s big name players went missing on a day the Red Devils needed them to perform. There was to be no repeat of the comeback they produced against Spurs at this same venue in the semis.

Hazard

England manager Gary Southgate will be hoping that the Jones-Hazard scenario does not play out in the World Cup next month (the Three Lions are in the same group as Belgium)