Real Madrid have confirmed James Rodriguez has suffered a calf injury.
The Colombia international had tests on Monday, which confirmed muscle damage in his right leg.
It is unclear how long James will be out, but he is likely to miss the trip to Villarreal on September 1 and could sit out the international break, with Colombia playing Brazil and Venezuela in friendly matches next month.
The playmaker started for Madrid for the first time since May 2017 on Saturday, when Zinedine Zidane s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
833 James Rodriguez will make his first start for Real Madrid in all competitions in 833 days, last starting on May 14th 2017 against Sevilla in LaLiga. Return.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose)
Former France and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has joined Montreal Impact in MLS, where he will play until at least the end of 2018.
The 35-year-old has opted to leave Benevento after just five months with the Italian club, with whom he suffered relegation from Serie A at the end of 2017-18.
Sagna was without a club after leaving Manchester City in June 2017 following a three-season spell in which he helped club to a League Cup win in 2015-16.
Montreal have the option of signing Sagna for a further year and the right-sided defender, who earned 65 caps with France between 2007 and 2016, joins a team currently fifth in the Eastern Conference.
LIRE | . . . . Et maintenant .
Bienvenue à Montréal Bacary Sagna!
Welcome to Sagna! …
Sadio Mane says all is well after he was taken to hospital following a nasty clash of heads during Senegal s Africa Cup of Nations victory over Cape Verde.
Mane s brilliant strike broke the deadlock as Aliou Cisse s side overcame stubborn opponents 2-0 to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.
However, Senegal forward Mane was substituted soon afterwards, appearing to still be feeling the effects of an earlier collision with Vozinha.
As he chased a bouncing ball on the edge of the penalty area, Mane collided with the Cape Verde goalkeeper, who was dismissed following the intervention of VAR.
A photograph – posted on the official Africa Cup of Nations Twitter account – revealed that Vozinha visited the Liverpool forward in hospital after th…
Barcelona director Javier Bordas said the LaLiga champions will do what they can to bring Neymar back to Camp Nou.
Neymar wanted to leave Paris Saint-Germain prior to the transfer deadline and was reportedly desperate for a Barca return, though a move did not materialise.
It came just two years after Neymar left Barca for Ligue 1 giants PSG in a world-record €222million deal.
Neymar s father and agent has already claimed negotiations between Barca and PSG are not over amid ongoing speculation.
Bordas kept the door open, telling EFE: While he wants to come, we will do what we can to bring him back.
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr)
What happens will happen, everything is constantly changing in football, but Neymar is Neymar.
…
Ligue 1 club Monaco have sacked head coach Niko Kovac, bringing an end to his 18-month spell in charge.
Former Bayern Munich coach Kovac succeeded Robert Moreno in July 2020 on a three-year deal and finished third in his only full season in charge.
However, Monaco were defeated by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League qualifying play-off stages in August and are sixth in the French top flight after 19 matches.
The Principality club found a bit of form with three wins in their final four league games of 2021, but they confirmed on Saturday that Kovac has been relieved of his duties.
A club statement read: Monaco announces they have decided to part ways with Niko Kovac. The Croatian coach was informed about this on Thursday in a preliminary interview.
Toronto FC head coach John Herdman admits his team still have some growing to do as they travel to Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.
Despite losing three of their last four MLS games – winning the other 5-1 at home to CF Montreal – Toronto sit sixth in the Eastern Conference on 22 points with a very balanced record.
They have won seven and lost seven of their league games, drawing the other one, and have both scored and conceded 24 goals.
After conceding late in their 4-3 loss to Cincinnati, Herdman says his team need to put more work into their defensive side of the game.
It s that level of concentration, that level of discipline that championship teams are able to bring to games, Herdman said.
Knowing your job and delivering your job in hig…
Derrick Henry is set to make his long-awaited Tennessee Titans return against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday after he was activated off the injured reserve.
The running back has not played since injuring in his foot in a win over the Indianapolis Colts back in Week 8.
Henry endured a frustrating spell on the sidelines following surgery, but is back for the Divisional Round showdown with the fourth-seeded Bengals at Nissan Stadium.
The 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year came through contact training this week and is ready to make a timely comeback.
Henry said: I felt great. I just wanted to get some pads on. Haven t had them on in a while and got some contact going.
The Experience is BACK
— Tennessee Titans (@Titan…
Emiliano Martinez was thrilled with his response to being kicked three times by France and Kylian Mbappe, as the goalkeeper produced penalty shoot-out heroics to help Argentina claim World Cup glory.
Martinez saved from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis in a quarter-final victory over the Netherlands, and on Sunday he denied France s Kingsley Coman from 12 yards as La Albiceleste prevailed 4-2 on penalties after a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium.
Martinez, who was awarded the Golden Glove accolade, was beaten three times in the final by Mbappe – including twice from the penalty spot – as Lionel Scaloni s side were pegged back from 2-0 and 3-2 ahead.
But the Aston Villa stopper – once an Arsenal reserve who spent time on loan at Oxford Unite…
Mats Hummels revealed his exile from the Germany team felt like a personal defeat as he vowed to make up for lost time at Euro 2020.
The 70-cap defender was ousted from the national squad after the 2018 World Cup when head coach Joachim Low decided Hummels, Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng belonged to Germany s past.
Low said the time had come for a new beginning , but he performed a U-turn this year when asking Hummels and Muller to return to Die Mannschaft.
Now Hummels and Muller, former Bayern Munich team-mates, could have big roles to play in what will be Low s final tournament in charge.
Germany have upcoming friendlies against Denmark and Latvia before they begin their Euro 2020 quest with a titanic group-stage clash against France on June 15 in Mun…
With 100 days to go until the 2014 FIFA World Cup begins, we take a look at six centurions who will be eager to make an impact in Brazil.
Each of these players has earned over 100 caps for their respective country and can be expected to put their experience to good use at the global showpiece.
Steven Gerrard (England)
At 33, Brazil 2014 looks likely to be the England captain s last World Cup.
Premier League and World Cup medals are the only pieces of silverware missing from the 108-time international s glittering trophy cabinet.
Expect Roy Hodgson to use Gerrard in a deep role in midfield, just as Brendan Rodgers has often done at Liverpool this season.
Gerrard has often lifted his club team-mates and will need to do the same at international …