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Wales international Bowen opens up on MND diagnosis

Former Cardiff and Swansea footballer Jason Bowen has promised to fight "as much as I possibly can" after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

Bowen, 50, went public with his devastating diagnosis earlier this month. He has admitted it was "terrible" when he told his wife Hayley and three boys the "heart-breaking" news but has pledged to stay "as positive as I can" throughout his battle with the illness.

MND, which is also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a degenerative neurological disease that causes the progressive loss of motor skills. Bowen, who was diagnosed with the disease in March 2021, was given "three to five years" to live.

Read the full story here

FULL-TIME: Fulham 1-1 Wolves

Both teams had chances to steal victory late on, but in the end it's ended all-square.

Fulham did well to pull things back in the second period, but Wolves have picked up another valuable point as they pull further away from the drop zone.

Garnacho slammed in Spain

Alejandro Garnacho has been criticised by the Spanish press for mocking Barcelona midfielder Pedri in his latest Instagram post.

World Cup hero wants Man Utd move as doubts over Harry Maguire's future grow

Garnacho, 18, came off the bench to help Manchester United beat Barcelona at Old Trafford on Thursday night. The visitors opened the scoring through Robert Lewandowski, but second-half goals from Fred and Antony secured a 4-3 aggregate win for United.

The result means Erik ten Hag's side will play Barcelona's La Liga rivals Real Betis in the last 16 of the Europa League. Garnacho, who born in Madrid, was delighted with the win - but his Instagram post has angered Barcelona supporters and the Spanish press.

GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Wolves

Fulham made some changes at the break, and one of their substitutes has brought them level.

Manor Solomon scored the Cottagers' winner at Brighton, and he has equalised tonight with a brilliant curling effort.

Potter makes mental health admission

Chelsea manager Graham Potter has admitted his mental health and family life have suffered due to his team's disappointing form in recent weeks

The Blues have won just two Premier League games since the World Cup in Qatar and been dumped out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Their Champions League dream also hangs in the balance after a 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Potter is facing calls to be sacked - just five months after he succeeded Thomas Tuchel as manager. Chelsea chair Todd Boehly is sticking by Potter - for now - but the Englishman is still finding life tough. The Blues have scored just four league goals in 2023.

Read the full story here

HALF-TIME: Fulham 0-1 Wolves

Andreas Pereira had a chance to equalise on the stroke of half-time, but Jose Sa comfortably dealt with the midfielder's free-kick.

Pablo Sarabia's goal remains the difference at the break, with Fulham missing Mitrovic.

Neville opens up on Inter Miami Messi links

Inter Miami manager Phil Neville has confirmed the Major League Soccer club are eyeing up a move for Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi and the forward's former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets.

Argentina star Messi signed a two-year deal with PSG when he joined from Barcelona in 2021. The higher-ups at the French club have made clear their preference for the World Cup winner to stay at the Parc des Princes, but he has yet to commit his future to the club.

Busquets, who has spent his entire playing career at Barcelona, is out of contract at Camp Nou at the end of the summer. Neville's team have space in their squad for high-earners after the retirement of Gonzalo Higuain.

Read the full story here

GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Wolves

Wolves have looked the stronger team in the opening half-hour and they have the lead.

It's Pablo Sarabia with the goal, his first since joining from PSG.

Kick-off in West London as Fulham host Wolves

Fulham and Wolves have kicked off at Craven Cottage, with plenty at stake for both clubs.

Victory for the hosts would take them within a point of fourth-placed Tottenham, while the visitors are still just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Schmeichel questions Man Utd transfer

Peter Schmeichel believes Erik ten Hag should have given an opportunity to a youngster rather than sign Wout Weghorst during January transfer window.

The Dutchman, 30, joined Manchester United on loan after Cristiano Ronaldo left the club by mutual consent during the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo's contract was ripped up after he criticised his employers during an interview with Piers Morgan.

United, who are in the midst of a possible takeover, could not afford a big-money transfer and signed Weghorst from Burnley on a temporary basis instead. Red Devils legend Schmeichel thinks that was the wrong decision by Ten Hag due to the striker's poor form.

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Fulham and Wolves line-ups confirmed

There is one Premier League game tonight, with Fulham taking on Wolves at 8pm, and both teams have named their starting line-ups.

The reverse fixture ended all-square, with Jose Sa saving a penalty from Aleksandar Mitrovic to keep the teams level at 0-0.

Mitrovic isn't involved tonight, with Carlos Vinicius leading the line for Marco Silva's team, while Raul Jimenez leads the line for the visitors.

Motson spent final night watching football

Legendary commentator John Motson spent his final night watching football in his local pub, the landlords have revealed.

Motson, who enjoyed a 50-year career with the BBC, sadly passed away on Thursday aged 77. The commentator has been described by many as the 'Voice of Football' after covering 10 World Cups, 10 European Championship and 29 FA Cup finals for the BBC.

Motson hung up the microphone in 2018 and became a regular at The George, his local pub, after moving to the village of Little Brickhill in Buckinghamshire. Landlords Simon and Louise Babikian have revealed Motson visited the pub three or four times a week.

Read the full story here

Klopp gives injury update

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed defender Ibrahima Konate is closing in on a first-team return after nearly a month on the sidelines.

French international Konate last featured on January 29, playing the full 90 minutes as the Reds lost to Brighton in the fourth round of the FA Cup. He has been unavailable through injury since, though, with Liverpool shipping five goals to Champions League opponents Real Madrid in his absence.

The return of the former RB Leipzig star will be a welcome sight for fans as Klopp's team attempt to claw their way back into the top four. However, the manager has accepted his key men haven't been returning good as new this term, with Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino yet to hit top gear after their own comebacks.

Read more here

Guardiola accepts Haaland blame

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has shouldered the blame amid Erling Haaland's struggles in front of goal.

Haaland is still the leading scorer in the Premier League, nine clear of his closest challenger, but has scored just once in his last six outings in all competitions. If the Norway striker fails to find the net against Bournemouth on Saturday, he would equal his unwanted City record of three straight games without scoring.

The former Borussia Dortmund man has also seen his perceived lack of involvement come under scrutiny, with some commenting on the number of touches he took in the midweek draw with RB Leipzig. As City battle to keep pace with Premier League leaders Arsenal, though, Guardiola has set out his stall.

Read the full story here

Arsenal and Man City fined

Arsenal and Manchester City have been handed fines by the Football Association after their players 'surrounded the match official' during their recent Premier League clash.

The FA has issued a statement in relation to the offences from the February 15 meeting, with charges first announced in the days after the game. City won the top of the table clash in north London.

Arsenal have been fined an initial £65,000 plus an additional £20,000 - a sum which had been suspended in relation to a previous charge relating to the Gunners' FA Cup match against Oxford United. City's charge, meanwhile, amounts to £75,000, with the FA making reference to incidents in the 42nd and 64th minutes.

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Kroos' Casemiro comments in focus

Toni Kroos launched something of a rant when Casemiro left Real Madrid for Manchester United.

The Germany international took aim at the Premier League, pointing out that an English side hadn't won an international trophy in 2022, and suggested that players only move to the UK for a payday.

He also name-dropped Casemiro, admitting he was "surprised" and "sad" to see his teammate of eight years say goodbye to the Bernabeu for Old Trafford. "The Premier League has not won an international title this year," said Kroos in the summer. "Television money has been significantly higher in England for years and yet it hasn't resulted in English teams winning everything.

Read the full story here

Potter's Chelsea swipe

Graham Potter has appeared to criticise his Chelsea predecessor Thomas Tuchel for the “worst pre-season” for many of the club’s senior players.

Tuchel was surprisingly sacked by Chelsea in September with Potter replacing him in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have struggled for results in recent months with fans recently chanting Tuchel's name during their four-goal FA Cup defeat at Manchester City.

The Blues are now without a win in five games and have just two victories from their last 15 matches in all competitions – a run which has yielded a miserly six goals. Chelsea are now a whopping 11 points off the top four – the same distance in points they are above the Premier League relegation zone.

Read more here

Messi could rejoin former club

Lionel Messi is considering returning to his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys in Argentina – that is according to his close friend and former teammate Sergio Aguero.

Aguero was forced into early retirement due to health issues last season after being taken to hospital due to breathing difficulties. However, he remains close friends with Messi – whom he was a long-time roommate with at international level with Argentina.

The former striker was part of Argentina’s entourage at the World Cup earlier this winter and was a key part of the celebrations, as the South American nation won the trophy for the first time in 36 years with Messi spearheading the triumph.

Read the full story here

Jorginho says Arteta reminds him of ex-Chelsea boss

Arsenal's newest recruit Jorginho has explained how Mikel Arteta reminds him of ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri.

"He [Arteta] reminds me a little bit of Sarri," Jorginho told BeIN Sport. "I am used to working with a manager that looks into the details. For me, details make the difference in the end between a good team and a winning team.

"I am sure, 100 per cent, that he worships [the details] so much. I’ve only been here a short time but I’m sure every day there is going to be something new and that’s why I’m so excited as well because I can see that I have so much to learn here."

Full story here

(Getty / @BeinSport/TheArsenalGuns/Twitter)

Klopp's admission on Liverpool rebuild

urgen Klopp has admitted Liverpool are in need of a serious rebuild after being thrashed by Real Madrid - but insists he knew that when he signed his new contract.

The German coach could only watch on from the sidelines as his side threw away a two-goal lead to concede five to rampant Madrid - the same team Liverpool narrowly lost last season's Champions League final to, despite dominating the match.

Liverpool fans had been given reasons to be slightly optimistic amid the club's disastrous season after back-to-back wins over Everton and Newcastle heading into the match, before Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah goals gave them a healthy advantage. But ultimately, those did little more than paper over the cracks ahead of what will be a major summer for Klopp as he overhauls his squad.

Continued here

Waiting game for Rashford

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag does not know if in-form Marcus Rashford will be available for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

The 25-year-old has been in sparkling form this season and helped the Red Devils to beat Barcelona in the Europa League knockout play-off round on Thursday night.

Rashford was substituted in the 88th minute and seemed to hint on Instagram he had picked up a knock, posting an image of him walking down the touchline looking in discomfort accompanied with a bandaged emoji.

Asked if the forward, who has scored 16 goals in 18 matches since the World Cup, will be available to face Newcastle at Wembley, United manager Ten Hag said:

“I don’t know. So, players now are coming in. We have to do investigations, medical of course.

“Yesterday we did but straight after the game most of the time you can’t say. We have to wait for a 100 per cent diagnosis, so we have to wait.”

More from Ten Hag on Rashford here

(UEFA via Getty Images)

Xavi Hernandez proved right after surprising pre-match verdict

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez wasn't shy about dishing out praise to Erik ten Hag in the build-up to this week's eagerly anticipated Europa League showdown with Manchester United.

Marcus Rashford's renaissance has been the main driving force behind United's strong form, but the impact Ten Hag has also had on the likes of Bruno Fernandes and, more recently, Jadon Sancho shouldn't be underestimated. But Xavi raised more than a few eyebrows when he pooled Fred in with that blockbuster trio in the build-up to Thursday's clash.

Xavi told The Times earlier this week: "He [Ten Hag] is very good, I like him a lot. He has built a team and is getting the best out of all his players. That speaks well of him. Tactically he is very good and he handles the dressing room very well.

"He is getting all the talent out of his players. You see [Jadon] Sancho, [Marcus] Rashford, the Portuguese guy [Bruno Fernandes]. And look how Fred is playing."

Find Xavi's comments in full HERE.

Arteta delivers fresh Partey and Gabriel Jesus injury updates

Mikel Arteta is hopeful Thomas Partey could be fit in time to face Leicester on Saturday while Gabriel Jesus is recovering well from his knee injury.

Partey has not featured in Arsenal's last two matches and was sorely missed in the defeat to title rivals Manchester City.

Speaking in his press conference on Friday, Arteta admitted Partey was still not fully involved in training as normal, but could make the squad if things go their way. "Thomas hasn’t trained much, but looks like he could be available," the Arsenal boss told reporters. "Let’s see how he trains today."

Click to read his Jesus assessment.

Erik ten Hag brands Newcastle "annoying"

Erik ten Hag has branded Newcastle “annoying” and accused them of time-wasting tactics ahead of tomorrow's EFL Cup final.

Ten Hag's Manchester United take on Eddie Howe's side at Wembley, with the Dutchman claiming Newcastle are one of the most annoying opponents they could face – because of their underhand tactics.

Ten Hag said: “It's a great team, they have a clear philosophy about how they want to play the game.

“The key word is intensity, they do really well, but they're an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win. They try to annoy you. We have to play our game and focus on our game.”

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag (Sky Sports)

Jorginho admits Arteta reminds him of ex-Chelsea boss

Arsenal's newest recruit Jorginho has explained how Mikel Arteta reminds him of ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri.

"He [Arteta] reminds me a little bit of Sarri," Jorginho told BeIN Sport. "I am used to working with a manager that looks into the details. For me, details make the difference in the end between a good team and a winning team.

"I am sure, 100 per cent, that he worships [the details] so much. I’ve only been here a short time but I’m sure every day there is going to be something new and that’s why I’m so excited as well because I can see that I have so much to learn here."

Rashford spotted limping out of Old Trafford amid concerning injury update

Manchester United fans could be fearing the worst after Marcus Rashford was spotted appearing to limp after suffering an injury during the win over Barcelona.

The in-form forward was substituted late on during Thursday's Europa League clash after receiving treatment only moments earlier following a coming together with Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. Rashford then walked down the touchline with only one boot on having removed the other in a concerning sight for Red Devils supporters.

The 25-year-old only added to those concerns when he posted that image of himself on Instagram accompanied by a bandaged emoji, suggesting his knock could prove problematic. He was then seen walking out of Old Trafford after the game and looked to be hobbling more than usual.

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Europa League round-of-16 draw in FULL

Union Berlin vs Union SG

Sevilla vs Fenerbache

Juventus vs Freiburg

Bayer Leverkusen vs Ferencvaros

Sporting CP vs Arsenal

Man Utd vs Real Betis

AS Roma vs Real Sociedad

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Feyenoord

Karius story is where Newcastle vs Man Utd Carabao Cup final will be won and lost

There are so many angles to the story of this year’s Carabao Cup final.

The Newcastle fairytale, Erik ten Hag’s first trip to Wembley as Manchester United boss and a clash of the titans as two giants of English football go head-to-head. But the final also serves up one of those amazing twists of fate because all eyes will inevitably be on Newcastle keeper Loris Karius.

What an incredible comeback story, the chance of redemption and, ultimately, where the showpiece final could be won and lost. Karius, 29, has quite simply disappeared from view since his two howlers in the 2018 Champions League final when Liverpool lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in Kiev.

Read the full story .

Pickford signs new deal