The midfielder only recently played his first full match since September

Gio Reyna says he understands his minutes may need to be restricte as he rejoins the U.S. men’s national team for the first time since September.

Reyna missed months with a hamstring injury suffered during the initial round of World Cup qualifiers, only to pick up another knock on returning in February.

He has since returned and featured for 90 minutes in Borussia Dortmund’s 1-1 draw with Cologne over the weekend but, heading into a week with three games in quick succession, Reyna admits he is likely to have his minutes managed by USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter.

What did Reyna say?

“I just want to help the group,” Reyna said. “I know I can help the group, just with my playing and just being here. Obviously, I’ve been in the group in the past many times.

“We have really important games and our main goal is to go the World Cup and that’s what I’m here to help us do.

“I guess over the three games, obviously, I’m coming off a long injury, we’re going to see. I’m definitely going to be managed in some sort of way, but we’ll see. We’re figuring it out now.

“The main goal is obviously to qualify and then obviously to leave the camp healthy. So yeah, we’re going to be smart with it.”

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Asked about his fitness, Reyna said he feels sound but still needs more time to feel totally back to where he once was.

“It’s going to take some time,” he said. “I was off for a long time so I understand that. I’ve got to take it one day at a time and just try to try to improve.”

Watching on

Reyna has missed all but one camp for the USMNT since the start of qualifying, with injury in the initial round costing him months of games.

As a result, he has been forced to watch on as the U.S. has navigated World Cup qualifying towards this final round.

The U.S. sit second in the table, knowing that results against Mexico and Panama would ensure them of a World Cup spot, and Reyna is glad to be back and glad to have a chance to contribute to that goal after missing so much time.

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“It was really hard,” he admitted. “It was really hard being out, just not playing for that amount of time in general. Not necessarily the national team but just in general, not playing.

“Of course, these are important qualifier games. It was tough staying up late until 3 or 4am watching the games in Germany. It definitely motivated me to try to be back as soon as possible.”

Further reading

The Blues are subject to a number of offers including one from the owners of a Major League Baseball team

The Ricketts family’s bid to buy Chelsea suffered a significant blow after supporters turned on them just as three or four preferred bidders are set to be decided upon by Raine Group.

The US consortium led by Tom Ricketts, the chairman of Major League Baseball (MLB) team Chicago Cubs, with the backing of Citadel founder Ken Griffin who is reportedly worth $26.5 billion, has some of the highest financial support of any option for the Blues. 

However, , along with the recent underperformance of his MLB team. 

What can Ricketts do?

New York investment bank Raine Group are imminently set to decide preferred bidders alongside Chelsea’s senior staff, including Marina Granovskaia, Bruce Buck and Eugene Tenenbaum. 

Should Ricketts’ group get through, they have plans to meet with Chelsea Supporters Trust (CST) and Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO), who are the most influential fan groups. 

With the UK Government also involved in the process, Ricketts has already had a call with Chelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands. 

Useful call with Tom Ricketts, family owner of the Chicago Cubs, bidding for Chelsea FC.✅ runs a heritage sport stadium.✅ brought success to the Cubs. ✅ coming to London to meet and .✅ understands community. Am happy to meet other bidders.

— Greg Hands (@GregHands)

They are thought to have a good chance of reaching the next stage despite the backlash, with US bidders expected to get favoured.

What do people think in Chicago?

Head of the Chelsea Chicago Supporters Club, Brian Wolff – who is also a Cubs season-ticket holder – has caused a stir with his comments about the prospective owner. 

“I’ve had a unique position hearing what supporters in Chicago and worldwide have said regarding the Ricketts family’s bid for Chelsea,” he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “I can report the vast majority of opinion has been of universal disdain.

Tonight as part of the Fans Forum meeting I provided the following statement to the Board at Chelsea FC. For confidentiality, I will not comment on any further discussions.

— Baku Brian (@brienwulff)

“The Ricketts’ political donations, fundraising and support for candidates who do not share the inclusive views of Chelsea Football Club and its supporters are wholly inconsistent with 19 years of fantastic work done by the club and the Chelsea Foundation, most notably as a leader in committing to a living wage and efforts to protect and promote equality for BAME and LGBTQ+ communities.

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“Their ownership of Chicago Cubs baseball and redevelopment of Wrigley Field raises serious doubts whether they will build upon the club’s success on the pitch, and also the continued existence of the Chelsea Pitch Owners and the goal to keep Chelsea Football Club playing at Stamford Bridge at our forever home.

“On behalf of countless supporters worldwide, I urge you to reject their bid for ownership of Chelsea Football Club in favour of others who will commit to not only building upon the last two decades of investment in players and infrastructure, but equally important, the investment in supporters and the values we hold dear.”

Further reading

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The former Sunderland striker is unhappy by the 27-man roster announced for the double-header

Legendary Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan was unimpressed by Otto Addo’s first squad as Black Stars coach, taking to social media to lash out at team officials for snubbing in-form Anderlecht midfielder Majeed Ashimeru.

After weeks of hold-up, Ghana, on Tuesday, announced a 27-man roster for their upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off fixtures, starting on Friday.

While the selection featured Arsenal midfielder Thomas Teye Partey, Ajax playmaker Mohammed Kudus, Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew and Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey, there was no place for Ashimeru, who has seemingly discovered his spark at the turn of the New Year, having initially struggled following a transfer to Anderlecht from Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg.

“This guy Majeed Ashimeru is the best midfielder in Ghana, after Thomas Partey, PERIOD. I have kept quiet on this but this nonsense must stop. Smh,” an obviously incensed Gyan wrote in a .

The post, however, generated criticism on the striker as many questioned the public nature of such an outburst and his choice of words.

It was not long before the striker, who last featured for the Black Stars at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt, pulled down the tweet, going on to render an apology.

He posted: “I still insist that Ashimeru deserves to be in this current Black Stars BUT am sorry for using the word ‘Nonsense’ in my statement, so I unreservedly withdraw that word, I was carried by my emotions. Go Ghana!”

I still insist that Ashimeru deserves to be in this current Black Stars BUT am sorry for using the word “ Nonsense “ in my statement so I unreservedly withdraw that word , I was carried by my emotions . Go Ghana 🇬🇭 🙏🏿

— ASAMOAH GYAN (@ASAMOAH_GYAN3)

So far this season, Ashimeru has featured in all but one of Anderlecht’s 32 league games, starting in each of the club’s last seven games. His stats include three goals and three assists.

The midfielder was not the only notable absentee as Fiorentina ace Joseph Alfred Duncan and Crystal Palace man Jeffrey Schlupp were also missing.

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Captain Andre Ayew is also out of the double-header due to suspension, while Stade Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana and Reading left-back Baba Rahman are unavailable due to injury.

Ghana are set to host Nigeria at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Friday before travelling away for the return leg at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday.

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The 19-year-old midfielder has a contract that runs through the 2022-23 season

Ajax star Ryan Gravenberch has acknowledged interest from Bayern Munich and said contract negotiations with his current club have stopped entirely.

The 19-year-old featured at Euro 2020 and has drawn attention around Europe as his profile has risen.

Gravenberch said he is flattered by the spotlight as he works to regain his place in the Dutch national team after a dip in club form.

Click Here: What has been said?

“The contract negotiations have now been stopped,” the midfielder told . “I just have one more year of contract now and that’s it, really. We’ll see.

“My father and agent are very busy with [handling other clubs] while I focus on football.

“Yeah, of course [I’ve seen the Bayern interest]. You can read it everywhere, so there is interest from Bayern, but I think there are several clubs.”

“I have no idea [what I’m worth], I have no idea. But if you’re worth €25 million (as has been reported), you can be proud because it’s a lot of money, of course.”

How has Gravenberch fared this year?

It’s been an up-and-down campaign since he starred at the Euros, and he was left out of the senior Netherlands squad for this international break.

Dutch manager Louis van Gaal has said the player’s form led to that decision, however Gravenberch isn’t concerned.

“A lesser phase, I don’t want to see it that way,” he said. “Before the winter break I didn’t play such very good games, but after the winter it really only went up.

“Then the team does well and you have to fight yourself back into the team, I just did that in the end.

“So I don’t agree with that [assessment from Van Gaal] so much.”

The bigger picture

Regardless of how his current form is viewed, Gravenberch is still widely considered one of the world’s best youngsters and plays for a club renowned for developing players.

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He has featured in 26 league matches this year after appearing in 32 last term.

As a result, teams such as Bayern Munich have grown very interested in his services.

Further reading

The American midfielder isn't letting the threat of suspension change how he plays

U.S. men’s national team star Tyler Adams insists his style of play won’t change as he heads into this week’s clash with Mexico one yellow card away from suspension.

Adams, Zack Steffen, Tim Weah and DeAndre Yedlin all enter camp one booking from a ban as the U.S. gears up to face Mexico on Thursday before hosting Panama and visiting Costa Rica.

Rather than being concerned about the prospect of suspension, Adams says he’s taking things one game at a time and won’t avoid any tackles despite his yellow card sitution.

What was said?

“For me, it’s the same mentality as always,” he said. “I’m not thinking about the next game. I’m not thinking about if I get a yellow card, and I haven’t played like that since I’ve had the yellow card and I’ve had it for quite some time now. I’m still tackling.”

‘That’s football, right?’

Adams has seen his role reduced at RB Leipzig in recent weeks, having not played a full match since the last round of qualifiers.

The midfielder has played just 127 minutes since the last international break, having fallen down the pecking order in Leipzig.

He has also been dealing with a back injury in recent weeks, but Adams says he isn’t deterred by alterations in his playing time.

“That’s football, right? You go through those types of moments,” he said.

“You have coaches that are going to play you every single game, every single minute, and you have other coaches that may not, but mentally at the end of the day, you have to stay strong.

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“I think physically, I actually feel really really good. Coming in now and hoping to play regularly will be nice and going to the Aztec is never an easy first game after you obviously haven’t been playing recently, but I’m excited about it.

“We have a good group, a lot of confident guys, a lot of in-form guys coming into this camp as well so it’s business as normal.”

Further reading

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The veteran striker once played with his team-mate's father at Malmo

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he’s proud Manchester United forward Anthony Elanga comes from Sweden but hopes the player continues his growth in the coming years.

Ibrahimovic was once the club team-mate of Elanga’s father at Malmo and met the youngster while playing for the Red Devils.

Now, the duo will compete at international level alongside one another.

What has been said?

“[Elanga is] a great talent, we are proud and happy that he comes from Sweden,” Ibrahimovic told SVT Sport. “That he can represent Sweden now makes it even bigger.

“He has all the future ahead of him, and if he continues just as he has done, it looks positive. It’s just fighting, never being content, striving for more. How much he can develop depends on him.”

Ibrahimovic added: “We’re all happy and we’re enjoying the adventure he is on, he just started and he’s on the way up so it’s good. You will have something to watch for another 20 years.”

Family connection

Because his father Joseph had once played for Malmo with Ibrahimovic, the younger Elanga went up to Ibrahimovic at the Manchester United training facilities to say hello.

“It made me happy because I wasn’t the only Swedish one in Manchester, we had another Swedish player,” Ibrahimovic said.

The memory and his connection with the striker has made a strong impression on Elanga, who at 19 years old has already broken through in the Manchester United first-team.

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“You can see for the past 20 years what he’s done for the national team, and obviously at the club football level, you can see the way he’s scoring his goals,” Elanga said. “Even when I was young I used to look up to him, being from Sweden.

“When I found out that he signed for United, I couldn’t wait to speak to him, ask him about the memories he had with my dad. It means a lot, you know, to be able to see him day-in, day-out here, train with him – it’s an honour.”

Further reading

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The midfielder has joined an increasing number of star football players who have spoken out about their mental health

Paul Pogba has acknowledged that he has struggled with depression during his career, saying it has made him want to isolate himself at times.

The midfielder has faced constant criticism since joining Manchester United, with some pundits going as far as to question his character.

He has joined a growing number of players, including Neymar and Marcus Rashford, to speak out about mental health issues.

What has been said?

“I’ve had depression in my career, but we don’t talk about it,” Pogba told .

“Sometimes you don’t know you are, you just want to isolate yourself, be alone, these are unmistakable signs.”

Burglary incident

Besides dealing with persistent media pressure, Pogba was .

The incident has also had a negative effect on his well-being.

“I discover my home burglarized after the intrusion of three people who stole my safe,” he said. “There were jewels from my mother, my world champion medal.

“What scared me the most was that my two children were at home with the nanny during this incident. She overheard everything, called my wife and security, then locked herself in with the boys into a room. For several days, she was shocked. The main thing is that my children are well.”

Click Here: The bigger picture

Pogba, of course, is known for having a huge personality and expressing himself on social media.

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Behind the scenes, though, his mental health has taken a hit and it has become difficult to tap into that infectious enthusiasm.

Fortunately for the French star, he appears happy to be back on international duty this week.

The Blancos believed the match turned against them with the penalty call

Real Madrid were outraged in Tuesday’s Women’s Champions League clash with Barcelona as what they believed to be a soft spot-kick was awarded to the Blaugrana early in the second half.

They held a 1-0 lead at the time, but after Alexia Putellas converted from the spot, Barcelona went on to add two more goals to win easily in the quarter-final last 16 clash.

Real Madrid were thus denied their first-ever Clasico victory over their rivals.

Watch: UWCL Clasico penalty controversy

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Home

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

• Roy Keane hits out at Everton: ‘Maybe their players need to toughen up a bit’
• James McClean sat out Ireland training with a back issue today
• Mick Kearney backed Jamie Heaslip for World Rugby Player of the Year
• SGB featherweight James Gallagher is predicting ‘the best Conor McGregor we’ve ever seen’ at UFC 205
• New All-Star Jonny Cooper discussed his victorious 2016 campaign with Dublin
• A renowned specialist has spoken out about the alarming rate of hip injuries among top GAA players
• Former All-Ireland winner with Cork Fintan Goold has retired from inter-county football
• 8 Dundalk players were included in Soccer Republic’s Team of the Year
• Sean O’Brien reveals he missed the All Black Test in more ways than one
• Michael Shields and Ken O’Halloran will return to the Cork senior football squad for the 2017 pre-season

Away

Source: AP/Press Association Images

• Steph Curry sank an incredible 13 three-pointers to break the NBA record
• Jimmy Graham led the Seahawks to a controversial win over the Bills
• Ben Barba was released by his club Cronulla Sharks after failing a drugs test for cocaine use
• Inter Milan have brought in former Lazio manager Stefano Pioli to replace Frank de Boer

The Best Thing We Shared

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This was a really nice tribute to a pair of rugby icons.

On The Record

Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO

Roy Keane took a pop at Everton during today’s Ireland press conference in Abbotstown.

I think they’re out of the League Cup, Norwich beat them at Goodison. So maybe Everton as a club, and it’s a brilliant football club, maybe their players need to toughen up a bit.”

Where We Were Today

Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

Sean Farrell spoke to Ireland’s Keith Earls and Sean O’Brien at training in Carton House, while Murray Kinsella chatted with Peter O’Mahony and Finlay Bealham.

Paul Fennessy was at Ireland’s press conference in Abbotstown today where Roy Keane and Dundalk duo Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan spoke to the media.

The Fixture List

Source: PA Archive/PA Images

• There are a couple of international friendlies taking place tomorrow — Greece take on Belarus and the Netherlands play Belgium.

Showbiz, Baby!

The delightful pass from Diarmuid Connolly is doing the rounds from last Sunday’s Dublin SFC final. Not bad!
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EXPERIENCED DUO MICHAEL Shields and Ken O’Halloran will return to the Cork football winter training squad as preparations for the 2017 season begin.

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The42 understands that former captain Shields and goalkeeper O’Halloran will link up again with the Rebels setup, along with attacker Donal Óg Hodnett.

The three players all departed during the 2016 campaign but their availability now is a boost to Peadar Healy and his management team.

Cork, who exited the championship in a Round 4 qualifier against Donegal in July, are officially eligible to return to training for next season on 1 December with players currently in pre-season gym work.

The management are yet to finalise their entire panel for the coming season but will be planning without Fintan Goold, who announced his retirement today, and Daniel Goulding, who revealed he was ending his inter-county career a fortnight ago.

Donal Óg Hodnett in action against Eoin McHugh in the league last February

Source: Presseye/Donna McBride/INPHO

St Finbarr’s player Shields and Bishopstown netminder O’Halloran were released from the squad after this year’s league.

The Cork management insisted at the time that a breach of discipline was not behind the departure and that the pair were released back to their clubs to get more game time.

After Cork’s Munster semi-final loss to Tipperary, they were invited back on to the panel before the qualifiers but declined to do so. 30 year-old pair Shields and O’Halloran both won All-Ireland medals at senior level in 2010 and U21 level in 2007.

O’Donovan Rossa player Hodnett had departed the panel during a league campaign that saw Cork relegated to Division 2. The 25 year-old captained Cork to the Munster U21 football title in 2012.

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