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      Bayern Munich threaten to sue Canada’s national team over ‘clear violation’ in Alphonso Davies injury

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      BAYERN MUNICH are considering legal action against the Canadian Soccer Federation after Alphonso Davies’ injury.The full-back, 24, is out for the rest of the season due to a torn ligament and further damage to his right knee.Bayern are fuming at Alphonso Davies’ injury and treatmentCredit: GettyThe Canada defender had surgery, ruling him out until the summerCredit: ReutersThat occurred on Sunday while playing in Canada’s 2-1 victory over the USA in the third-place decider for the CONCACAF Nations League.The star has undergone surgery after returning to Bayern, who have accused the Canadians of failing to provide “appropriate care” for Davies.Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen fumed: “We’re demanding a full investigation into the events from Canada Soccer and expressly reserve the right to take legal action.“Sending a clearly injured player with a damaged knee on a 12-hour intercontinental flight without a thorough medical assessment is, in our view, grossly negligent and a clear breach of medical duty of care.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“Davies should not have been playing at all. The participation of Davies, who already had muscular problems before the game, in a match of no sporting significance is incomprehensible from our point our view.”Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund also blasted the treatment by Canada’s medical team as he added: “Phonzy complained of fatigue.“He’s the team captain, a young lad who wants to help his country. Most read in FootballThe Germans will miss Davies for their important run-inBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK”Then there’s this injury. I think it’s negligent, unprofessional.”Bayern boss Vincent Kompany will be without Davies for Bayern’s Bundesliga run-in and quest to reach the Champions League final at their home stadium.Bastian Schweinsteiger is booed by own Bayern fans who think he is leaving before he announces he is staying French defender Dayot Upamecano also returned from Nations League duty with a knee injury, although it is not as serious.Fellow defender Kim Min-jae was already sidelined.Another Bayern defender, Dayot Upamecano, also picked up an injuryCredit: AFP More

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      Bukayo Saka returns to training with two word-post as Arsenal get major boost ahead of Real Madrid clash

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      BUKAYO SAKA is on the verge of an Arsenal return.The Gunners star was pictured for the first time back in full training at London Colney today after undergoing hamstring surgery in December.Arsenal superstar Bukayo Saka has returned to full trainingCredit: Instagram / bukayosaka87The England star is in contention to play in the Gunners’ upcoming games after recovering from surgeryCredit: ReutersSaka teased fans in an Instagram post showing him smiling with his thumbs up alongside the caption: “Hello again.”And SunSport understands he is in contention to be included in the squad to face Fulham on Tuesday night ahead of vital clashes against Everton and Real Madrid.Saka, 23, tore his hamstring in a 5-1 Prem win over Crystal Palace on December 21 before having surgery to fix the issue days later.He has missed 19 games in all competitions since then, a run that saw Arsenal knocked out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, as well as lose ground in the Prem title race.Read More on ArsenalThe target was always for Saka to make it back for the Champions League quarter final first leg at home to Real Madrid on April 8 – and he looks on course to achieve that.Arteta is keen for Saka to get some minutes under his belt before then, with opportunities to do so at the Emirates against the Cottagers next week before a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on April 5.Despite his impressive recovery and rehab so far, Arsenal remain wary over pushing Saka too hard too soon. He will likely be given cameo appearances off the bench to prove his fitness and get back up to speed.Saka has stepped up his training load during the international break while his teammates have been away with their countries.Most read in FootballBefore the break, asked how Saka would be progressing, Arteta explained: “Hopefully with more ball at his feet than he has had. “That will mean he is passing the ball and shooting and running and everything. He has done quite a lot already on the pitch working on his own. “Next we need to arrange it with people around him in a more competitive training session and see how he goes with that.”Despite his absence, Saka has been a constant presence in and around the team during his rehab, seen on crutches at the turn of the year supporting from the stands at the Emirates.On the club’s warm-weather retreat to Dubai last month, Saka flew out with the squad to carry on his individualised solo training plan with light gym work.He was also spotted in the Wembley tunnel speaking to Three Lions coach Thomas Tuchel after England’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Latvia on Monday.Saka’s return has been aided by some much-needed rest, spending time abroad on holiday with his family in late January.Arsenal are in need of some attacking inspiration after Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were ruled out for the season with hamstring and knee issues respectively, forcing midfielder Mikel Merino to deputise as a centre forward.And manager Mikel Arteta received yet another blow during the international break as Riccardo Calafiori had to withdraw from Italy’s squad after hurting his knee.Saka’s influence cannot be understated. Even after a three-month lay-off, he remains the leading provider of goals and assists in all competitions for Arsenal this term [nine goals and 13 assists].Three points adrift of Prem leaders Liverpool at the time of his injury, Arteta’s men now find themselves 13 points behind with nine games to play.Arteta was desperate to bring in reinforcements during the January window, linked with Red Bull Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, but could not get a deal over the line.Arsenal could be set for another major boost as Real face being without four stars for the first leg.Superstar strikers Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior as well as former Chelsea ace Antonio Rudiger and ex-Gunner Dani Caballos face an official Uefa probe for allegedly making obscene gestures after their victory over Atletico Madrid in the Last-16.Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The EmiratesVinicius was the most high-profile case as he reportedly took six “shots” at Atletico supporters during and after the clash at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.Rudiger, on the other hand, was accused of making a throat-slitting gesture to Atleti supporters.READ MORE SUN STORIESCeballos, who spent two years at Arsenal before his return to Madrid in 2021, is accused of making an obscene one-armed gesture with a clenched fist.And Mbappe was reported for touching his genitals in a clearly derogatory manner.Saka underwent surgery on his hamstring and has missed the last three monthsCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal Champions League boost as Mbappe leads FOUR Real Madrid stars under Uefa investigation for ‘indecent conduct’

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      ARSENAL could be handed a massive Champions League boost with FOUR Real Madrid stars potentially BANNED from next month’s quarter final clash.Superstar strikers Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Dani Caballos all face an official Uefa probe for their antics against Atletico Madrid in the last-16.Kylian Mbappe is one of four Real Madrid stars under investigationCredit: AlamyAntonio Rudiger began a jubilant high-knee run after scoring the winning penalty against Atletico MadridCredit: ReutersRudigerappeared to aim a throat-cutting gesture at Atleti supportersCredit: GettyUEFA said it appointed a disciplinary inspector to study the unspecified allegationsCredit: GettyA Uefa Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of “indecent conduct” by all four players.The unspecified incidents occurred during Real’s second leg last-16 victory against city rivals Atletico on March 12.Their punishment, if found guilty, is not yet known.But IF they are banned, it could be a huge advantage for Arsenal, who are missing several key players through injury.READ MORE ARSENAL NEWSThe Gunners host the 15-time European champions on Tuesday 8, with the return leg at the Bernabeu the following Wednesday.And Vinicius and Mbappe are joint-highest in club goals in the Champions League this season, with seven goals apiece.Madrid advanced to the quarter-finals in a controversial 4-2 shootout after Atletico won the second leg 1-0 to tie the aggregate score at 2-2.Tensions were high at the Metropolitano before, and after, Julian Alvarez’ spot-kick was disqualified by VAR.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAtletico are understood to have filed a formal complaint to Uefa, which then began its investigation.Vinicius was the most high-profile case, as he reportedly took six “shots” at Atleti supporters during and after the clash.Trent Alexander-Arnold has agreed terms on a move to Real Madrid this summer, according to reports The Brazilian, long targeted by rival fans and who has been a regular victim of racist abuse, was involved in two separate confrontations with home fans before and after the shoot-out.The 24-year-old skied a penalty in normal time and had been substituted in extra-time but taunted them by pointing to the Real crest on his coat.Rudiger was accused of making a throat-slitting gesture to home supporters.Ceballos is accused of making an obscene one-armed gesture with a clenched fist before joining Jude Bellingham in a victory dance at the very end of the match.German centre-back Rudiger – who won his first Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 – began a jubilant high-knee dance after scoring the winning penalty on the night.Most of the team followed, with subs imitating it. Mbappe was reported for touching his genitals in a clearly derogatory manner.Diego Simeone was banned for grabbing his bits during a Champions League match against Juventus.READ MORE SUN STORIESReal are likely to point out that their players were hit by bottles and other objects thrown by home supporters but the investigation could end up with serious repercussions.It remains to be seen whether Rudiger, Ceballos, Vinicius or Mbappe are charged by Uefa over these incidents.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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      ‘One day someone is going to die’ – Fans concerned as struggling Uruguay star forced to take OXYGEN 4km above sea level

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      FOOTBALL fans were left stunned after seeing a Champions League star need the support of an oxygen mask to breathe during a game 4,000km above sea level.The scenes were an unbelievable sight during a World Cup qualifying clash between Bolivia and Uruguay.Jose Gimenez was seen breathing heavily near the end of Uruguay’s clash with BoliviaHe needed an oxygen maskThe match was being played at a stadium more than 4km above sea levelIn the final few minutes of the game, Atletico Madrid star Jose Gimenez was seen breathing heavily before walking off the pitch to pick up an oxygen mask.The 30-year-old is then seen breathing into the mask to combat the difficult conditions he was playing in at the Villa Ingenio stadium in El Alto.The stadium sits a staggering 13,615 feet or 4.1kilometres above sea level.The Bolivian FA remarkably decided to move to this venue last October to help them qualify for the World Cup in 2026.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBolivia have always been tough to beat at home due to their traditional home, La Paz, sitting 11,940 feet above sea level. But three defeats in five games in World Cup qualifying left them in dire need of a result and prompted the switch to the venue 2,000 feet higher.At the height of the new venue, total air density decreases to around 0.82 grams per litre of which there is only roughly 0.17 grams of oxygen per litre.Less oxygen means more difficulty breathing, which naturally is counterproductive in a sport like football when players are constantly on the move.Most read in SportThe Bolivia clash ended 0-0 with Uruguay defender Gimenez able to complete the match, but fans on social media were disgusted at the risks being taken for the match.One fan on social media said: “One day someone is going to die.”Argentina players celebrate humiliating rivals Brazil in World Cup qualifier A second said: “Crazy!!”A third added: “South American football is something else.”The plan has not exactly gone to plan for Bolivia either, failing to win either game at home since the move. More

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      ‘Was he sent by Madrid?’ – Arsenal fans lose it as footage emerges of Norway coach WRESTLING Martin Odegaard

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      ARSENAL fans lost it as footage emerged of Martin Odegaard being WRESTLED by his own Norway coach.And that prompted some to even question if he had been sent by Real Madrid as a secret agent to hurt the Gunners captain.Stale Solbakken gave Martin Odegaard a tight hug as he subbed him offCredit: RexThe Norway boss then got his captain in a headlockCredit: XThey then wrestled but it was the gaffer who hit the floorCredit: XOdegaard, 26, led his country to a 4-2 victory over Israel in their World Cup qualifier played in Hungary on Tuesday.The playmaker racked up a hat-trick of assists before being subbed off by manager Stale Solbakken in injury time.Solbakken was clearly delighted with his star’s performance – and has a great relationship with Odegaard.So much so that he shook hands with the Arsenal hero and gave him a hug as he shared some words of encouragement.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLEx-Wolves boss Solbakken, 57, then jokingly got Odegaard in a headlock in the technical area at the side of the pitch.And he suddenly escalated the prank by yanking the footballer down in an apparent wrestling move to try and floor his skipper. Hilariously, though, it was Solbakken who hit the deck before releasing his grip as Odegaard somehow managed to stay on his feet. The pair were both laughing as the Gunners man walked to the dugout to take his seat and watch the last few minutes of action.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut Arsenal fans did not see the funny side as much.Mikel Arteta’s men have an important run of fixtures coming up – to keep their faint Premier League titles hopes alive but more importantly their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid.Footballers are great role models… but they need to be able to go partying, like I did, says Jack WilshereThe Gunners host the reigning Kings of Europe on April 8 before the return leg at the Bernabeu on April 16.And fans are desperate to see their injury-hit captain wrapped up in cotton wool to face his former team – rather than flung around in a wrestling match on international duty.After seeing the video clip with Solbakken, one quipped on social media: “Was this coach sent by Madrid to take out Odegaard??”Another wrote: “This man must be a Madrid fan… he wants our captain injured.”A third added: “I’d be flying to Norway to chin him if he injured him.”A fourth commented: “Get tf off my captain man we can’t afford any more injuries.”And a final user replied: “Dear coach, please stop doing that. Sincerely, all Arsenal fans.”Odegaard registered three assists in the 4-2 win over IsraelCredit: AFP More

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      Chelsea and Man City’s Club World Cup prize money confirmed with Premier League giants raking in millions

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      CHELSEA and Manchester City have been dangled a near £100million carrot for taking part in this summer’s controversial expanded Club World Cup.City aces including Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne, as well as England skipper Harry Kane, have been among the global stars accusing football chiefs of piling even more games on a congested calendar, without thinking about player welfare.Manchester City or Chelsea could claim almost £100million in prize money if they win this summer’s Club World CupChelsea qualified as 2021 Champions League winnersAnd Man City are part of it after winning Europe’s elite competition in 2023But Fifa President Gianni Infantino believes his latest pet project will become a huge event.And Zurich officials have now outlined exactly how the £775m prize fund – with Fifa insisting every penny will go to clubs around the world – will be split.Fifa say the winners will earn up to $125m – which is a fraction over £97m – under a heavily performance-related prize structure.Clubs can earn a maximum £68m if they win all three group games and go all the way to lift the trophy in New York’s MetLife Stadium on July 13, with the final itself worth £31m to the winners and £23m to the runners up.READ MORE ON CHELSEAThat adds up to a total £368m in performance-related cash, with the remaining £407m split between the 32 competing teams as entrance money.However, to prevent the enormous sum warping the competitive balance in smaller countries, there will not be an even split – which would have seen each club earn around £13m.Instead, the majority of the pool will go to the 12 European qualifiers, with Real Madrid understood to have taken the biggest individual fee of around £30m and Austrian outfit Salzburg taking £10m.Chelsea and City, who qualified as Champions League winners between 2021 and 2024 and who are both also high in the Uefa coefficient table, are each understood to be taking slightly less than Madrid.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford BridgeBut New Zealand’s Auckland City, representing Oceania, will be handed just £2.8m while the six South American qualifiers – four from Brazil and Boca Juniors and River Plate from Argentina – will get £11.8m each.The tournament, which has been publicly backed by US President Donald Trump, will kick off on June 14 with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami playing Egypt’s Al-Ahly in the Hard Rock Stadium home of the Miami Dolphins.Argentina humiliate Brazil 4-1 with Emi Martinez even doing keepy ups in his own box in fiery World Cup qualifier Chelsea’s opening opponents remain unclear after Mexican side Leon were bored out of the tournament by Fifa because they are part of the same Multi Club Ownership group as Pachuca.Leon have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to be readmitted but Fifa will not confirm a replacement team for the match in Atlanta on June 16 until the resolution of the legal issues.Chelsea’s other opponents for the group stage are Brazilians Flamengo and Tunisian side Esperance.City will open against Morocco’s Wydad in Philadelphia on June 18 before matches against Al Ain of Abu Dhabi and Juventus.If both Prem clubs win their groups they cannot meet in the competition before the final. More

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      Liverpool would be BOTTOM of Premier League table for English stars’ playing time without Trent Alexander-Arnold

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      LIVERPOOL are the champions-elect of England — yet have never given less playing time to English players.And now homegrown hero Trent Alexander-Arnold looks set to leave Anfield for Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones are one of five first team players eligible to play for England at LiverpoolBut Alexander-Arnold is the only regular starter in Arne Slot’s XIWhich means  the Reds could find themselves bottom of the table next season when it comes to footballers qualified to play for Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.In Kop chief Arne Slot’s debut season, Liverpool’s English contingent have racked up the second-highest total of minutes in all competitions — behind his fellow Dutchmen Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.But although Slot has fielded 11 different English players, Alexander-Arnold’s 2,869 minutes represents almost 35 per cent of the total.In the Premier League, Englishmen have played 4,258 minutes for the Reds,  the fifth-lowest figure in the top flight.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAnd Alexander-Arnold, despite his injury issues, accounts for 2,157 of them  — more than half.Take the right-back out of the team and the total falls to 2,101, only slightly more than the 2,075 that puts Wolves in 20th place.If Alexander-Arnold does leave and his replacement is not English — current understudy Conor Bradley is a Northern Ireland international — Liverpool’s English presence could be the lowest in the Prem  next season. The Reds are set for their lowest number of English minutes in the Premier League era, unless Alexander-Arnold regains fitness fast or Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott can feature prominently in their nine remaining league games.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSOf course, the fact Liverpool’s five- highest totals came in the first five seasons of the revamped competition demonstrates a wider trend.The situation at Anfield is one example of the challenge that Tuchel — and any England manager — has in finding English players operating at the top level.Top 10 highest-paid Premier League starsAs things stand, this season is on course to be one of the lowest overall shares of Premier League minutes for Englishmen, dipping below 30 per cent for only the second time.If Champions League football is the gold standard of club football, then the figures do not make great reading for Tuchel — or for Liverpool’s Englishmen, either. The club gave 1,684 minutes of action to English players in Europe’s premier competition, the lowest of the Prem’s four entrants across the same number of games — and only slightly more than Italian giants AC Milan.And Aston Villa, who are in the quarter-finals unlike Liverpool, have given nearly twice as much time to Englishmen in their campaign so far (3,318 minutes).Joe Gomez is not a regular starter for Liverpool, even though he’s currently out injuredCredit: The Mega AgencyAlexander-Arnold, “the Scouser in our team”, is England’s only representative in Slot’s first XI.The Reds have always looked beyond the country’s borders for players, dating back to their foundation.When John Houlding left Everton to set up a rival club in 1892, he drafted in a lot of Scots, leading to newly-formed Liverpool being nicknamed “Team of all the Macs”.Current left-back Andy Robertson is just the latest legend in a proud Scottish heritage that includes Kop heroes like Billy Liddell, Bill Shankly, Ron Yeats,  Ian St John, Kenny Dalglish, Alan  Hansen and Graeme Souness.When Dalglish led Liverpool to the Double in 1986 as manager, none of the starting XI in the FA Cup final against Everton were English.However, in Liverpool’s six European Cup/Champions League wins, there were as many as nine and never fewer than two English starters.The trophy was lifted by an English captain every time —  except in 1984 when Souness did the honours.Alexander-Arnold was the other Englishman in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI on a Madrid night in 2019 that ended with Jordan Henderson collecting the silverware after a 2-0 win over Tottenham.READ MORE SUN STORIESLiverpool have never started a European Cup or Champions League game without an English player.If Alexander-Arnold leaves, that proud tradition could well end.How Trent could look at the Bernabeu next season More

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      Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi deal ‘faces being hijacked by Real Madrid with £50m transfer plotted’

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      ARSENAL’S bid for Martin Zubimendi is at risk of being hijacked by Real Madrid.The Gunners have been keeping tabs on Real Sociedad star Zubimendi, 26, ever since last year when they tried to lure him away from Spain.Arsenal’s bid for Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi could be hijacked by Real MadridCredit: GettySociedad star Zubimendi has also been linked with LiverpoolCredit: RexThe North Londoners are going toe to toe with Premier League rivals Liverpool for the midfielder’s signature – with the midfielder having dramatically snubbed the champions-elect last summer.Now, according to El Partidazo de COPE, Arsenal – and the Reds for that matter – are now facing serious competition from Real who are pushing hard for the Spain international’s signature.As per the same source, Zubimendi’s agent is listening to offers ahead of the summer transfer window.And Real president Florentino Perez is making his move as he understands his team’s advantage.Read More on ArsenalThe reigning European champions can guarantee the talented Spaniard Champions League football next season as well as silverware in the near future.Sociedad, on the other hand, are 12th in Laliga with 17 points separating them from the top four.This comes after Imanol Alguacil’s side were eliminated from the Europa League in the Last 16 by Manchester United.Real are more than willing to meet Zubimendi’s €60million (£50m) release clause and the potential arrival of Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso in the dugout will have no affect regarding their plans.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The EmiratesThe same report claims the final decision now lies on the defensive midfielder.Zubimendi is highly rated and has been compared to Chelsea and Real legend Claude Makelele, Barcelona hero Sergio Busquets and Manchester City star Rodri.Myles Lewis-Skelly lost for words after finding out he has broken England recordArsenal and Liverpool were very keen to sign him last summer but he was persuaded to remain at his beloved Sociedad by manager Alguacil and sporting director Roberto Olabe.The pair prepared a presentation and pulled on the player’s San Sebastian heartstrings with pictures of his favourite local tapas restaurants and mountain hikes he enjoys in the Basque Country.The talented No6 has amassed a total of two goals and two assists in 38 appearances this season. More