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Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman has suggested that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will be the happier coach heading into this Sunday’s derby against Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho will have to take on the Premier League leaders without Paul Pogba due to the Frenchman’s suspension.

The £89m midfielder was handed a straight red card when he caught the back of Hector Bellerin’s leg with his studs during Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates.

Pogba’s absence during his spell on the sidelines with injury was heavily felt by United, so losing the former Juventus star for a hugely important game is less than ideal.

City are yet to be beaten in all competitions this season and they currently have an eight-point lead over their neighbours in the league table.

If Guardiola’s side win at the weekend, then City will pull away with an 11-point advantage.

While speaking to Sky Sports, Osman gave his verdict on Pogba’s ban.

“He [Pogba] is the key to Manchester United’s style of play. The size of Manchester United, not many players can take the team on their shoulders and he’s come back and done that. He’s been the driving force behind that team. To miss him will be huge. Pep Guardiola will be delighted.”

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has named his starting line-up for the crucial Europa League final tie against Ajax in Stockholm, with Marouane Fellaini starting and Chris Smalling preferred to Phil Jones alongside Daley Blind at the heart of the defence.

Sergio Romero also got the nod over David De Gea in goal as United look to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League after failing to secure a top four finish in the Premier League.

If they lose, Mourinho will know they will compete in this competition again next term and the nerves will be building among fans in the build up to the kick-off.

Those United supporters were quick to have their say on the starting XI via social media, with many nervous about the inclusion of Smalling and hoping that the England international puts in a big performance in the club’s biggest match of the season.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Newcastle United are well on course to make an instant return to the Premier League and they will be top of the Championship table on Christmas Day.

Despite losing their first two matches of the season in England’s second tier, the Magpies have bounced back well, winning 16 of the subsequent 20 matches, and they lie nine points above third-placed Reading and the play-off positions.

Rafa Benitez’s side are also the top goalscorers in the Championship – netting 45 goals in their 22 games, at a rate of more than two goals-per-game – and there have certainly been some memorable results and strikes within those encounters.

From set-pieces to long-range shots to brilliant team goals, the Toon Army seem to have seen it all this term but only a handful of them could make it onto our shortlist.

Without further ado – and in no particular order – here are FootballFanCast’s FIVE best Newcastle goals of the season so far…

Jonjo Shelvey vs. QPR

The midfielder has scored his fair share of brilliant goals over the years, but this one was very special, and even more satisfying as it came in a crushing 6-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

When Ayoze Perez laid the ball back to Shelvey just outside the penalty area, there looked to be little on but he then unleashed a curling strike that started about two or three yards outside the far post before bending into the top corner. Sensational.

Dwight Gayle vs. Leeds

We talked beforehand about Newcastle scoring some brilliant team goals, and this was one of those.

The Magpies secured a comfortable 2-0 win against an in-form Leeds side at Elland Road, and their second was one to be remembered.

Matt Ritchie picked up the ball on the right and fed it inside to Jack Colback, who passed it forward to Vurnon Anita.

The Dutchman played a delightful one-two with Ayoze Perez before firing a ball across the six-yard box for Dwight Gayle to finish.

Yoan Gouffran vs. Wolves

Many Newcastle supporters might have expected the Frenchman to be leaving St James’ Park during the summer, but instead he has been one of their most influential attacking players this season.

In the 2-0 win against Wolves, Matt Ritchie broke down the right-hand side before firing in a cross towards the edge of the box.

What happened next was quite brilliant. Gouffran met the ball on the volley and sent an acrobatic effort into the top corner.

Dwight Gayle vs. Reading

Some people may not think that free-kicks should be in a list of best goals, but this one from Newcastle’s top goalscorer was terrific and it narrowly ousted Shelvey’s effort against Brighton from our top five.

25 yards out to the centre of goal, Gayle stepped up and fired a magnificent curling ball into the top right-hand corner of Bartosz Bialkowski’s goal to send the St James’ Park faithful into raptures.

The Magpies fans have a new hero up top.

Ayoze Perez vs. Ipswich

Newcastle seem to have perfected scoring team goals this season and their best to date came after a brilliant start to the match against Ipswich from Rafa Benitez’s men.

From the very first kick-off against the Tractor Boys at St James’ Park, every Magpies player touched the ball – without any of the Town players having possession – and after 23 passes and 59 seconds, Perez expertly volleyed in Yoan Gouffran’s flick-on at the far post. The hosts went on to win 3-0.

Newcastle United's home St. James' Park is the favourite to host the inaugural Over-35s World Cup.

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• St. James' could host Over-35s World Cup
• Eight teams to take part in the inaugural edition
• Could be held in the first week of June

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The first-ever edition of the Over-35s World Cup is all set to be held in England in June with Newcastle United's home ground St. James' Park likely to host the matches, according to the Daily Mail. The Elite Player Group, who are organising the tournament, recently met representatives of the Magpies and the local council of Newcastle city.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The tournament is all set to feature eight teams – England, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay – all past champions of the FIFA World Cup. Players who are aged 35 or above capped by their country or with 100 top-flight appearances are eligible to participate in the competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  All eight teams have already revealed their respective captains for the tournament. The leaders will be Steve McManaman (England), Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Emerson (Brazil), Christian Karembeu (France), Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), Marco Materazzi (Italy), Michel Salgado (Spain) and Diego Lugano (Uruguay). Full 18-man final squads will be announced soon.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While the dates of the competition are yet to be finalised, the tournament could be tentatively hosted in the first week of June with the final taking place on June 11 or June 12.

German media labelled Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho 'the worst' after an uninspiring display in Borussia Dortmund's defeat to Hoffenheim.

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German media slammed SanchoHas two assists since re-joining Dortmund on loanDortmund went down 3-2 against HoffenheimWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho has failed to make a mark in Germany having returned to Dortmund on loan from United in the January transfer window. He started his second stint in the Bundesliga on a brighter note as he recorded a couple of assists in his first two appearances. But since then, the winger has not made any goal contribution and also failed to make a mark in the club's recent 3-2 defeat to Hoffenheim in a league clash.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

After yet another uninspiring performance for the Black and Yellow where he spent 75 minutes on the pitch, German media wrote: "BVB was so happy when Jadon Sancho was brought back during the last winter transfer period. The prodigal son is finally back. He really sent the fans into a state of euphoria. A few weeks later there is no sign of it anymore.

"Against TSG Hoffenheim, the supporters hoped that the 23-year-old would finally score his first goal. But they were disappointed once again. The BVB star showed another poor performance against Hoffenheim and was probably the worst player on the pitch."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The England international decided to start afresh in Germany after being frozen out at United for his public fallout with manager Erik ten Hag in August 2023. The Red Devils may look to offload the player in the summer, although the German club are unlikely to sign him as they cannot afford to pay his high transfer fee.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JADON SANCHO?

The 23-year-old needs to be much more consistent if he wants to stand any chance of being picked by Gareth Southgate for the England squad ahead of the upcoming Euro 2024. For now, he will be next seen in action on Saturday as Edin Terzic's side take on Union Berlin.

United States head coach Gregg Barhalter has spoken of his respect for Weston McKennie amid the midfielder's return to stardom at Juventus.

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• McKennie was loaned out to Leeds
• Is a key player at Juve once again
• Resurgence has impressed Berhalter

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a strong first season with the Serie A giants, McKennie's career in Italy took a dip, resulting in him being loaned to Leeds, where he failed to inspire as the English team were relegated from the Premier League. He returned to Juve last summer, however, and has managed to establish himself as a key figure under Massimiliano Allegri, much to Berhalter's delight.

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  WHAT BERHALTER SAID

  "I think people [in the squad] have a lot of respect for Weston. I don’t think it gets said enough how he is able to deal with things like that," Berhalter told reporters.

  He added: "When you talk about this negative energy or negative attention, I mean, he’s dealt with it all. He’s a guy that doesn’t have a place in the [Juventus] team, and fights his way back into being not only a starter, but one of the most important members of the team. It says a lot about him, [it] says a lot about his character and his competitive spirit."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McKennie has faced his share of difficult times with the USMNT, too. He was sent home from a training camp for violating Covid-19 precautions in 2021, but managed to claw his way back into Berhalter's good graces before long. He is once again seen as an important part of the team and will likely be called up to the Copa America squad this summer if he continues his positive performances for the Bianconeri.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MCKENNIE?

  The 25-year-old has featured 23 times in Serie A this season and will likely add another appearance to his record when they take on Hellas Verona on Saturday. Juve are currently second in the league but trail leaders Inter by seven points, and the Nerazzurri have a game in hand.

One of the hottest teams in MLS continues to falter while the Eastern Conference leaders keep setting the pace

The LA Galaxy have gone from the hottest team in MLS to one of the coldest, while the Philadelphia Union have succeeeded in keeping their own hot streak rolling

That's what has the Galaxy and Union heading in opposite directions in the latest Goal MLS power rankings, with the Union reaching a new high after an impressive road win against Toronto FC. The LA Galaxy's defensive struggles continued in their third straight loss, while their attack also stalled out, marking the first time all season the Galaxy were shut out at home.

The Union's 2-1 road win against Toronto FC helped Jim Curtin's squad stay in first place in the East, extending their winning streak to thiree matches and unbeaten run to five.

The only team in the league with a longer winning streak is Atlanta United, which posted a pair of shutout victories to climb up the East standings and extend their winning streak to four matches. The reigning MLS Cup champions suddenly find themselves just six points out of first place in the East, with two games in hand.

Out West, the Vancouver Whitecaps are quietly start to climb out of a rough start to the season, posting their second straight victory by topping Cascadia rival Portland.

Here are Goal's MLS Power Rankings after week 11 action:

• 1Colorado Rapids (0-9-2)

  The good news for the Rapids is their attack keeps scoring goals, but the bad news is the defense keeps leaking them. Surrendering three goals to Real Salt Lake at home had to feel a bit like rock bottom, and things don't get any easier as the Rapids prepare for a road trip to take on an LA Galaxy slide looking to shake off a slump.

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• 2New England Revolution (3-8-2)

  The Bruce Arena era has begun in New England after the recent firings of Brad Friedel and Mike Burns, and the Revs have already responded well to Friedel's departure with their 3-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes. Arena will need some time to put his stamp on the team, but it's a safe bet he will shake things up for a team with some good attacking pieces.

• 3FC Cincinnati (3-7-2)

  it wasn't tough to predict that Cincinnati would respond well to the firing of Alan Koch, but interim coach Yoann Damet still deserves some credit for helping the expansion side look miles better than it has in a good while. We shouldn't expect a magical turnaround just yet though, and it seems more likely that Cincinnati hires a high-profile replacement for Koch than turning to the 29-year-old Damet. Either way, FC Cincinnati looks to be in better shape now than a week ago.

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• 4Sporting Kansas City (2-4-4)

  The winless rut is up to six matches now for SKC, and Sunday's loss to D.C. United provided little to be excited about besides Tim Melia's performanced in goal. Sporting KC's midfield has long been a strength, but it was outplayed by D.C., and looked plain flat, even with the insertion of recently re-acquired Benny Feilhaber. If there's a bright side, it's that Sporting KC's next three matches are at home, starting with a visit from Vancouver.

MatériaMais Notícias

Como já era esperado, Flamengo e Real Madrid, da Espanha, oficializaram nesta segunda-feira a transferência de Reinier para o clube merengue. O meia de 18 anos assinou contrato com os Galácticos por seis anos e meio, até junho de 2026. A transação foi finalizada por 35 milhões de euros, cerca de R$ 138 milhões.

O acerto entre Flamengo, Real Madrid e estafe do jogador já existia há algumas semanas, com os clubes aguardando Reinier chegar à maioridade – o que aconteceu neste domingo, dia 19 de janeiro – para confirmar a transferência.

O jogador, assim, não volta a vestir a camisa do Flamengo. Foram apenas 15 partidas pelo Rubro-Negro de Reinier, que teve uma ascensão meteórica no segundo semestre de 2019, sob o comando de Jorge Jesus, o primeiro técnico a lançá-lo entre os profissionais, em julho. O meia marcou seis gols e tornou-se peça importante na equipe que terminou o ano com os títulos do Brasileirão e da Libertadores, além do vice-campeonato mundial diante do Liverpool (ING).

O planejamento de Reinier ser integrado ao Real Madrid Castilla, o Time B merengue, será respeitado. Assim aconteceu com outros jovens brasileiros contratados pelos Galácticos recentemente, como Vinicius Júnior e Rodrygo.

Reinier está à disposição da Seleção Brasileira Sub-23 no Torneio Pré-Olímpico, na Colômbia, e se reapresentará na Espanha após a participação do Brasil.

RelacionadasFlamengoJorge Jesus conversará com Gabigol: ‘Tenho confiança muito grande nele’Flamengo20/01/2020FlamengoJorge Jesus volta ao Rio e fala em sintonia com a direção por renovação: ‘Não haverá problemas’Flamengo20/01/2020FlamengoSó falta assinar! Thiago Maia chega ao Rio para reforçar o Flamengo e projeta ‘casamento’ com Jorge JesusFlamengo19/01/2020

Nota Oficial – Reinier https://t.co/Un4IIkRQvh pic.twitter.com/gIw5SaPBfJ

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) January 20, 2020

#WelcomeReinier pic.twitter.com/FaVxmrGJIf

— Real Madrid C.F.⚽ (@realmadrid) January 20, 2020

Confira a nota publicada pelo Flamengo sobre a venda de Reinier:

“O Clube de Regatas do Flamengo e o Real Madrid C.F. comunicam que chegaram a um acordo comercial para a transferência do atleta Reinier. O contrato foi assinado nesta segunda-feira.

O Flamengo deseja ao atleta e ao homem Reinier um grande sucesso nesta nova fase em sua vida.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O América-MG anunciou nesta sexta-feira a contratação de Léo Passos, atacante formado no Palmeiras. Ele foi emprestado até o fim de 2022, justamente o prazo de término de seu vínculo com o Verdão.

Aos 20 anos de idade, Léo Passos disputou a Série B pelo Londrina – foram 17 partidas e cinco gols. Ele estava no Palmeiras desde 2013 e passou pelas categorias sub-15, sub-17 e sub-20. Pelos juniores do Verdão, conquistou duas vezes no Campeonato Paulista, uma Copa do Brasil e um Brasileiro.

No time profissional, ele jogou uma vez, contra a Ponte Preta, no Campeonato Paulista de 2019.

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Sarah Taylor is taking an indefinite break from cricket and may miss the summer series against Pakistan that gets underway on June 20

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2016Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper who is widely considered to be one of the most talented women’s players in the game, is taking an indefinite break from cricket and may miss the summer series against Pakistan that gets underway on June 20.According to the ECB, Taylor, 26, is “taking a break from cricket, having decided to take some personal time away from the game”.She has already missed the first three fixtures of Sussex’s domestic season, and the decision also puts in doubt her participation in the inaugural Kia Women’s Super League, which gets underway at the end of July.An ECB spokesperson told the website CRICKETher that they were continuing to monitor the situation and that the board would “support her, keep in touch and talk with her prior to selection for the Pakistan series and the start of the Kia Super League.”The news comes just days after Charlotte Edwards stood down from her ten-year role as England women’s captain, following pressure from the head coach, Mark Robinson, for a renewed emphasis on youth and fitness in a squad that has stagnated in recent years.The team disappointed at the World T20 in India in March, exiting at the semi-final stage following a limp defeat against Australia, and have not won a major global title since 2009.Taylor’s dismissal in that semi-final at Delhi was heavily criticised at the time, as she finished the tournament with 49 runs at 9.80 in five matches – well short of the standards that have made her one of the most talked-about female players in the game.Taylor’s decision also effectively rules her out of becoming the next England captain, a job that now seems likely to go to Heather Knight.Taylor took a four-month break from cricket in 2010, missing an Ashes tour in the process, but returned to the sport to become the leading wicketkeeper batsman in the world.