Sports

Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick will consider selecting Anthony Martial to face Brentford after holding clear-the-air talks with the forward.

Martial was absent from United s squad for Saturday s 2-2 Premier League draw with Aston Villa, which Rangnick explained was down to the player not wanting to be included.

However, the 26-year-old subsequently refuted his manager s claims by stating on social media that he will never refuse to play a match for Man United .

Speaking on Tuesday, Rangnick did not explain the contrasting versions of events, but he left the door open for Martial to return to the squad should the forward prove his fitness.

I had a conversation with him on Sunday about what happened and how I saw the situation, Rangnick said …

Tottenham defender Eric Dier is appreciating the impact Antonio Conte has had on his game as he explained he feels 2021-22 has been his most consistent season.

Dier has featured in 26 Premier League games for Spurs this season, starting each of those matches.

Of those league appearances, 19 have come under Conte, with the 28-year-old only missing three top-flight games due to a thigh injury sustained in January.

No Tottenham player has featured in more defensive clean sheets than Dier s 11 in the league this season, while his 95 clearances is also way ahead of any team-mate, with Emerson Royal ranked second on 51.

Harry Kane is the only Spurs player to win more aerial duels than Dier s 52, with the centre-back making a team-high 60 headed clearances.…

Former Ipswich striker Marcus Stewart hopes the club’s generosity in raising funds for the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation through a new kit launch will continue to help give a voice to others with the disease.

Ipswich’s new shirts, again sponsored by Ed Sheeran, are their fastest selling so far as the Tractor Boys gear up for a return to the Sky Bet Championship having won promotion from League One last season.

For every home shirt sold during July, the Suffolk club will make a donation of £2 to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation in support of Stewart’s fundraising efforts for the charity following his own diagnosis for motor neurone disease last year.

Ipswich Town this morning have launched their new 2023/24 kit sponsored again by Ed Sheeran.

The club a…

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says he wants to see Ruben Loftus-Cheek work at 150 per cent with the midfielder s long-term outlook at Stamford Bridge uncertain.

Loftus-Cheek has been linked with a move away from the Premier League club, with Lazio reportedly among those interested in landing his signature.

The England international, who has been with Chelsea since the age of eight, spent last season on loan at Fulham, making 32 appearances in all competitions.

Having replaced Frank Lampard in January, pre-season has provided the first opportunity for Tuchel to work with the 25-year-old, who has featured in friendlies so far against Bournemouth and Arsenal.

Although pleased with Loftus-Cheek’s current performance levels, the German hopes the player can d…

Everton boosted their hopes of a top-four finish and a place in next season s Champions League as Bernd Leno s own goal gave them a 1-0 win at Arsenal.

In a low-key Premier League encounter, the result was settled by a mistake from goalkeeper Leno when he allowed Richarlison s cross through his legs and diverted it into the net.

Arsenal had earlier seen a penalty chalked off after a VAR check for offside while Dani Ceballos brought a good save out of Jordan Pickford.

Everton s victory was their first in 25 league attempts (lost 20, drawn four) at Arsenal since a 2-1 win at the north London giants former home Highbury in January 1996.

2 Arsenal have scored an own goal in both league matches against Everton this season, the third time they have put the ball…

Lionel Messi will lead out Argentina in Saturday s Copa America final aware it could be the last opportunity he has to win silverware with La Albiceleste – and ending that hoodoo against Brazil would be the sweetest prize of all.

Messi holds the records for most caps and goals for Argentina, and his career at club level with Barcelona has ensured his legacy will be intrinsically linked to the sport for the rest of time.

But there remains a niggling frustration with respect to his time with Argentina, given he is yet to win a major international tournament with them. It is arguably the final piece of the puzzle and the one thing that separates him from the others in the greatest of all-time debate.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, Diego Maradona – they all enjoyed suc…

Inter head coach Antonio Conte compared Romelu Lukaku to an NFL quarterback, while he also hailed two-goal hero Achraf Hakimi following Saturday s 3-1 win over Bologna.

Conte s Inter closed the gap on Serie A leaders and city rivals Milan to two points thanks to Lukaku and full-back Hakimi at San Siro.

Inter star Lukaku broke the deadlock in the 16th minute before Hakimi doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Emanuel Vignato s 67th-minute goal threatened to make things tense for Inter, but Hakimi s second wrapped up proceedings as the Nerazzurri took their tally to 26 goals in the first 10 Serie A games of the season for the first time since 2009-10.

 | THESE BOYS

A good night to be Nerazzurri. This one was for you, !

— In…

Spain boss Luis Enrique has described the abuse received by Alvaro Morata as a crime  and says it should be a matter for the police. 

Morata has been the focus of attention since being jeered by his own fans during a pre-Euro 2020 friendly with Portugal after missing several opportunities.

He was then criticised for his displays in Spain s 0-0 draw with Sweden in their Group E opener and 1-1 draw with Poland, a game in which he scored but missed more chances.

The Juventus striker, whose loan from Atletico Madrid was extended for another season last week, then missed a penalty in Wednesday s 5-0 win against Slovakia, which saw Spain progress from their group in second place.

Morata revealed in an interview that he has received vicious messages on social…

Rafael Benitez s dismal tenure as Everton manager was brought to an end on Sunday after a run of just two wins in 14 games across all competitions.

Former Liverpool boss Benitez was a divisive appointment at Everton when he was drafted in to replace Carlo Ancelotti in July after the Italian left for Real Madrid.

Everton started the season well, winning three of their first four league matches, yet injuries to key players and a dreadful loss of form has seen them slide down the table.

A win over Hull City in the FA Cup third round offered Benitez a reprieve, but defeat to lowly Norwich City on Saturday marked a new nadir, and Everton have decided to make a change.

Here, Stats Perform looks at the data behind Benitez s miserable spell at Goodison Park.…

Lionel Scaloni says Lionel Messi is determined to enjoy his last World Cup and will give everything to end Argentina s 36-years wait to lift the trophy.

Argentina were last crowned world champions when Diego Maradona inspired the 1986 triumph in Mexico, and have since lost in the 1990 and 2014 finals.

Scaloni said nobody could promise the team would enjoy success in Qatar, saying that football is sometimes unfair .

Yet he senses a pleasing eagerness to please from 35-year-old Messi, who lacks only a World Cup victory on his career record, having won a stack of trophies with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as seven Ballon d Or awards.

Argentina s Copa America success last year gave Messi a major international trophy, but the World Cup is the one…