Sunderland turn their attentions away from Premier League survival this weekend as they entertain Leeds United in the FA Cup third round.
Gus Poyet s side sit three points above the drop zone in the top flight after their 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on Thursday, but the tables will turn on Sunday as they become the favourites for the cup clash.
However, a hectic period of games in December has only produced one win – against bitter rivals Newcastle United – and the injuries are beginning to build up.
Lee Cattermole (groin) and Santiago Vergini (knock) are the latest to be ruled out of this weekend s match leaving Poyet with a decision to make.
Ideally the Uruguayan – who was assistant at Leeds for 12 months from October 2006 – would like to g…
Croatian forward Ivica Olic has revealed he is set to join Wolfsburg when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The 32-year-old has barely featured for Bayern Munich this season and has been repeatedly linked with a summer move away from Alianz Arena.
After scoring a brace in the second leg of Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Marseille, the Croat hinted that he could stay in Munich after the season ends, but it appears that he has changed his mind.
The experienced striker has moved to confirm reports that he will join Wolfsburg on a free transfer in the summer.
It is true that I have signed a contract with Wolfsburg. I am very pleased about it, and have informed the people at Bayern of my decision, Olic was quoted as saying …
Kepa Arrizabalaga has held his hands up after making a calamitous error in Chelsea s defeat to Liverpool, but Frank Lampard insists it is his responsibility to give the goalkeeper confidence.
Sadio Mane scored twice as Premier League champions Liverpool made it two wins from two with a 2-0 triumph at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Kepa – whose days as Chelsea s first-choice appear to be numbered given the club are reportedly close to signing Edouard Mendy from Rennes – was at fault for Mane s second, passing the ball straight to Liverpool s forward, who drilled home from close range.
Though Lampard stated Kepa must take responsibility for the mistake, he claimed he is the person who needs to instil some belief in the former Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper, who …
Niko Kovac says Renato Sanches future is at Bayern Munich, with the coach ruling out a move for Gareth Bale.
Sanches has struggled to break through since joining Bayern from Benfica in 2016, the 21-year-old midfielder starting four Bundesliga games last term.
But the Portugal international still has a future with the German champions despite his problems, according to Kovac.
We ve told Renato that we d like him to stay, Kovac said ahead of Saturday s International Champions Cup clash with Real Madrid.
He s obviously been considering his options after last season, but we explained the reasons behind his limited game time and he understood them. He sees his future with us.
Niko on : We ll take the game very seriously, just like the first one. W…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is poised to give Milan a huge early-season lift by roaring back into action.
The extroverted striker is just weeks away from returning to full team training after the knee injury that forced him to miss Sweden s Euro 2020 campaign.
Head coach Stefano Pioli knows a fit Ibrahimovic can transform his team, as was proven when he scored 15 goals in his first 15 Serie A games of last season.
He netted at one goal every 79.47 minutes during that run, and even though his scoring then dried up, the veteran remains a talisman with the Rossoneri.
Asked about Ibrahimovic s condition, Pioli said in a news conference on Sunday: Physically, he is certainly looking better, even though he s not begun full training with the team and he s forcing thing…
Cristiano Ronaldo indicated he has no plans to retire by saying he hopes to play on for many, many years despite preparing to turn 36 in February.
The Juventus forward has shown no signs of slowing his goal output, finishing the 2019-20 season with 31 goals and a second Serie A title before firing in 12 in 10 league appearances this term.
In 2020 he became the fourth player in the history of Italy s top flight to score 33 goals in a calendar year after Omar Sivori (33 in 1961), Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).
That tally puts him top of the goalscoring charts in Europe s top five leagues this year, ahead of The Best FIFA Men s Player award winner Robert Lewandowski (32).
Portugal captain Ronaldo will be 37 by the time the 2022 Wo…
Erik ten Hag was left frustrated as Manchester United gave it away against a spirited Burnley, who held them to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were on course to claim all three points when Antony pounced on Sander Berge s error to open the scoring in the 79th minute, as they looked to close the gap on fifth-place Tottenham to four points.
However, the hosts could not hold on as Andre Onana was penalised for a foul on Zeki Amdouni, who picked himself up to level from the penalty spot and salvage a point for the visitors three minutes from time.
Ten Hag was made to rue his side s wastefulness as they converted just one of their 27 shots on goal throughout the contest.
We put ourselves in a winning position and, over long courses of the game, w…
FIFA has said Welsh supporters will be permitted to display rainbow-coloured hats and flags at Friday s World Cup game against Iran, according to the Football Association of Wales (FAW).
Wales LGBTQ+ supporters group, known as the Rainbow Wall, is being represented at the tournament in Qatar, but several fans were reportedly told to remove and discard their distinctive rainbow-coloured hats ahead of Monday s 1-1 draw with the United States.
Former Wales footballer Laura McAllister was among those told to remove her hat by what she described as heavy-handed security guards at the team s first World Cup game since 1958.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the FAW pledged to discuss the issue with FIFA, which has been criticised for organising the World Cup in a cou…
Genoa striker Marco Borriello said he wants to be picked for Italy for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Borriello scored the goal that secured Genoa a point against Palermo on Saturday, and the 30-year-old admitted he is hoping to force himself back onto the international stage.
The striker has seven caps to his name after making his debut for the national team back in 2008 and the Italian is determined to impress Italy coach Cesare Prandelli.
Prandelli knew me at a particular moment of my football life. I d love to get a second chance, Borriello told Sky Sports.
The former AC Milan player was pleased with his goal against Palermo but was also unhappy with Genoa s inability to take their chances.
There is the satisfaction of having won a po…
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder will not play for the Nerazzurri until the two parties agree to terms on potential changes to his current contract, which is set to expire in 2015, .
Sneijder, 28, has tallied two goals and one assist in eight matches in all competitions for the Italian giants this season, while adding one goal and five assists in 10 international caps for Holland.
Reports are suggesting that the Holland international could be sold by Inter Milan when the transfer window re-opens in January, with Dutchman having been linked with a bevy of Europe s top football clubs over the past few seasons.
The situation with Wes, who is part of the history of this club and a player we all care about, is that we ve been discussing a possible a…