Premier League

KAI HAVERTZ has been pictured wearing a knee brace after suffering a season-ending injury.The Arsenal star picked up a hamstring problem last month and has since undergone surgery.Kai Havertz wore a knee brace as he posed for a photo with a friendCredit: @homme_xy_senyoIt was the same knee support seen in the photo after his surgeryCredit: https://x.com/kaihavertz29Havertz posted a picture from his hospital bed sporting a knee brace and he was seen with it on again as he posed for a photo with a friend.He also remains on crutches, with them placed next to the German forward in the snap captioned “road to recovery”.The photo was uploaded by his pal Senyo, who runs a male grooming business and a barber shop in London’s iconic Portobello Road.Senyo has a relationship with several past and present Chelsea stars.READ MORE ON ARSENALHis Instagram shows him giving the likes of Mason Mount and Enzo Fernandez a trim.He charges £65 for a haircut and a £250 call out service if you want to save a journey to his shop.Havertz sustained his hamstring strain during Arsenal’s warm weather training camp in Dubai on February 12.He underwent surgery a few days later, writing on social media: “The last few days have been tough to process both physically and mentally.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS”But yesterday was a good day. A successful op.”Thanks for all the messages of support over the last few days, it’s really helped.Ian Wright fears three Arsenal superstars could run down contract, including Saka “I’m now focused on my journey to full fitness and giving all the support I can give to the team in the background.”Arsenal have struggled without Havertz leading the line after failing to score in a 1-0 loss to West Ham and 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest.Liverpool have played an extra game but are now 13 points clear at the top of the table. More

FULHAM frontman Rodrigo Muniz has been fishing longer than he has been a striker.And the two skills go hand in hand for the Brazilian, who heads for the local lagoon rather than the beach when he goes home.Rodrigo Muniz has a surprise love for fishingCredit: Instagram @r.munizThe Fulham frontman has compared fishing to scoring goals in the Premier LeagueCredit: Instagram @r.munizMuniz spoke to SunSport ahead of facing Man Utd in the FA Cup fifth roundCredit: Darren FletcherMuniz celebrated his winner at Wolves on Tuesday night by pretending to reel in a rod.And ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round trip to Manchester United, he said: “I tried fishing in England… but it was too COLD.“My mum and dad used to go almost every weekend. I loved it and I still do.“You go there, you sit and relax, and when you get the bite from the fish, you feel, ‘This is really exciting’. And you have to take your chance — just like a striker.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMuniz is making a big splash now but dad Alexandre was once the local celebrity in their Brazilian hometown of Sao Domingos do Prata.Factory worker Alexandre had a sideline in Axe — a style of music particularly associated with Carnival season.Muniz Jr, 23, recalled: “Everybody in town would tell me, ‘Your dad is a really great singer’.”But Alexandre was also an avid football fan who coached his son.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSMuniz recalled: “When I was eight, Ronaldo came back to Brazil to play for Corinthians. “I remember watching him on the TV and my dad said, ‘Look at the striker, he is the biggest star of the club because he scores goals, the centre of attention’.I experienced the poshest, most exclusive stand in the Premier League and it was like no other“I was a midfielder but the next day I had training and I said to my coach, ‘Now I am a striker.’”Muniz adopted Samba Boys legend Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his idols and, aged 14, moved hundreds of miles from home to join Desportivo Brasil, a club near Sao Paulo.His mum Luzia, a school cook, had to talk him out of leaving after the first week. But the goals soon flowed and continued after he earned a move to the youth set-up of Brazilian giants Flamengo.Muniz had to wait for chances in the senior side because Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa and Pedro were top dogs. But he still attracted attention with his contribution to the club, winning three trophies.Muniz cites Ronaldo as his idolCredit: Getty Images – GettyFulham boss Marco Silva convinced him to choose FulhamCredit: GettyA personal phone call from Fulham boss Marco Silva helped decide his next move. Fellow Brazilian Richarlison had become a Premier League star under the Portuguese at Watford and Everton.Muniz revealed: “Marco Silva said, ‘Look at Richarlison now’, and said he wanted to do not exactly the same with me, but very similar.“I didn’t play a lot in Flamengo but he believed in me. I had offers from Saudi Arabia, Atletico Madrid and other clubs.“But Marco really wanted me to play for him and, after that call, I decided to go to Fulham.”The patience Muniz learned from fishing stood him in good stead once more.In his first season in England, 2021-22, he watched and learned from Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Serb banged in the goals that earned Fulham promotion from the Championship.In his second season, Muniz had an underwhelming loan at Middlesbrough. But midway through last season, everything clicked.Muniz is a devout Christian and he said: “Fishing helped me but what helped me more was the Bible, because there are a lot of examples in there of patience.“When I was in Flamengo, I told myself, ‘Now it is Pedro and Gabigol time, my time is coming’. When my time arrived, I scored goals and came here. My third season in England was really good… it was my time.”Muniz scored eight goals in eight league games in February and March 2024 — and became the first Fulham player for 14 years to be named Premier League Player of the Month.He wept when Brazilian team-mates Willian and Andreas Pereira presented him with the trophy.And on Boxing Day last year, Muniz moved Fulham fans to tears by scoring the stoppage-time winner that earned their first victory over neighbours Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 1979.He revealed: “A woman came up to me and said, ‘I was here when we won 45 years ago and I am here now, thank you so much.’  Then she started crying. I felt really happy.”Muniz has had to be patient again for much of this season with in-form Raul Jimenez being Silva’s first-choice frontman.But Muniz started at Wolves on Tuesday and scored a sumptuous winner in the 2-1 victory.His last three league goals have all been decisive in 2-1 victories — with that strike at Chelsea and at Newcastle last month — and has also scored three times in Fulham’s two FA Cup wins against Watford and Wigan. In the fifth-round Red Devils clash, Silva’s side will try to repeat last season’s 2-1 league win which was the club’s first triumph at Old Trafford for 21 years.Muniz loves a big stage, having already scored at Anfield, the Etihad, Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park this season.And he once struck twice for Flamengo at the legendary Maracana Stadium, including a bicycle kick.Muniz said: “I feel much better than last season. I have more confidence, even though I have not played a lot, and I am in the best shape since I came here.“I was 20-years-old when I scored that goal in the Maracana.“If I can score any goal at Old Trafford I will be very happy.  But if it happens like in the Maracana it will be even better.”READ MORE SUN STORIESThe highlight of Muniz’s fishing career was landing a massive “tambaqui” back home a couple of years ago.But reeling in fallen giants United would be his biggest catch yet in England.Muniz scored in the 2-1 win over Wolves on TuesdayCredit: Getty More

FROM dogs at training to bust-ups with coaches – things are just as disastrous behind-the-scenes as they are on the pitch for Leicester.The Foxes are only five points from safety but amid a run of 11 losses in their last 12 Premier League games – look doomed and set for relegation.Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Leicester are set for relegationCredit: GettyThe Foxes have lost 11 of their last 12 league gamesCredit: GettyJannik Vestergaard shocked staff by bringing his dog to trainingCredit: Instagram @jannikvestergaardRuud van Nistelrooy joined the club following the sacking of Steve Cooper in November.But the former Manchester United caretaker boss has been unable to turn things around with a toxic atmosphere now filling the King Power Stadium.Leicester are spiralling back into the Championship and several incidents in recent weeks sum up their horror season.Jannik Vestergaard, who fell out with previous managers Brendan Rodgers and Cooper, allegedly shocked members of staff by bringing his dog to training.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe defender commutes to Leicester from his London home and Van Nistelrooy was keen for those living far away to spend more time closer to the club’s state-of-the-art Seagrave base.There are five-star rooms at the training ground and a deal was struck for Vestergaard to spend a few nights there.The Telegraph claim to the surprise of many, Vestergaard brought his dog with him and was seen walking it around the pitches one morning.He even supposedly asked a player liaison officer to look after the pet while he trained.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThe report says it reflects a “do what you want culture” at Leicester – before adding that he had “one-off” permission to bring the dog with him as there was nobody to care for it.After the 4-0 home defeat to Brentford last Friday, the club axed coaches Ben Dawson and Danny Alcock.Leicester stars party in nightclub next to ‘Enzo I miss you’ sign hours after Chelsea loss on night before Cooper sackedBut prior to the woeful performance, fellow coach Brian Barry-Murphy reportedly had a bust-up with players.Leicester stars were accused by him of not following instructions, while they argued that his guidance was unclear.Barry-Murphy is understood to have apologised a day later – with The Telegraph claiming the club insist it was nothing more than a standard dispute.And it was not the only chaotic moment before the Brentford loss after the team’s formation was changed just hours before kick-off.But sources argue it was just a minor tweak of the kind that would be made mid-game.Meanwhile, coach Andy Hughes has supposedly had his role “dramatically” reduced in recent weeks.The recent chaos comes after a party scandal earlier in the season.Just hours after losing a game to former boss Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side, Cooper was sacked.But the players still went on a pre-arranged fancy dress night out in Copenhagen.READ MORE SUN STORIESWhile in a nightclub, members of the squad were seen dancing next to a sign being held up that read “Enzo I miss u.”Meanwhile, there is growing fan anger being directed at Leicester chief Jon Rudkin. More

RUBEN AMORIM admitted he is “embarrassed” by his first three months as Manchester United manager. The Red Devils splashed out more than £10million to buy Amorim out of his Sporting contract.Ruben Amorim admitted his start to life at Manchester United has been ’embarrassing’Credit: GettyHe replaced Erik ten Hag in November.But things have not gone according to plan so far.Amorim’s first 16 Premier League games have yielded just five wins – and a whopping eight defeats.He also set the record for the fewest number of matches to reach five home Prem losses in United history after just seven – half the previous record of 14 set by David Moyes. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAmorim knows it has not been good enough. But despite the struggling start to life at Old Trafford and poor results so far, he still has the backing of the majority of fans and former United players alike. Speaking to Rio Ferdinand with TNT Sports, Amorim said: “I feel that [people believing in me]. “At the same time, I’m embarrassed by that because if you look at our performance and you see our team sometimes on the pitch, it’s really hard for me as a coach to take a lot of positives.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAmorim started off with a draw at Ipswich then thumped Ipswich 4-0 before defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.A dramatic Manchester derby win and draw at Anfield sandwiched three defeats without a goal over Christmas. How Bruno Fernandes’ ‘Steven Gerrard syndrome’ spoils Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd systemUnited needed a late Amad Diallo hat-trick then a Harry Maguire winner to rescue them against relegation-threatened Southampton and Ipswich at home.Maguire admitted in February that the Red Devils squad are feeling the pressure – particularly at home. And the Portuguese boss agrees – but is confident he can turn it around. He added: “I think we are so nervous sometimes in the game and you can feel it in the small things. “The way that we move sometimes, the understanding of the game, especially at Old Trafford.”I feel that sometimes the players are in the dressing room and we go to warm up and we go inside to start the game, I feel that the air is heavy. “These kind of things I think we show a lot in the games.”The only way I know to help them is to give them to the solutions to play on the pitch, but they have to believe it. “And to believe it is when we are losing or in a difficult situation and you feel like you cannot even build up one play, they have to stick with that and to believe in that. That is the hardest part. “Because when we suffer a goal or we have a bad moment, you feel like the connection is not there, we lose ourselves. “We get lost a little bit. I understand it is more than football, more than tactics, it is something that is in the players’ mind.”Former United striker Federico Macheda told SunSport he reckons with the right signings and by turning to young players, Amorim can deliver titles again within “two to three years”.Macheda, now playing for Asteras Tripolis in Greece, said: “I believe yes he can. Amorim has a special connection. He’s one coach that can get Manchester United to fight for everything.“I like Amorim even if you don’t see the results, maybe sometimes they play bad football.READ MORE SUN STORIES“It’s difficult because for a club to be successful, you need great players.“If they trust Amorim and give him time, bring in the right players and change some things in the club like the bad mentality, I believe Manchester United will be back in two to three years.”Harry Maguire and Amorim agree that United are feeling the pressure at Old TraffordCredit: GettyFederico Macheda believes the Portuguese manager can deliver the Premier League title for the Red DevilsCredit: Asteras TripolisMan Utd ratings vs Ipswich as Maguire saves the day after Onana makes case to be WORST ever signingMANCHESTER UNITED eased their fears of the drop in a topsy-turvy relegation six-pointer with Ipswich.The Red Devils triumphed 3-2 despite playing the second half with ten men.A major cock-up from Patrick Dorgu and Andre Onana saw Ipswich take a third-minute lead through Jaden Philogene.Then, after United had recovered to lead 2-1, Dorgu saw a straight red card for a poor challenge on Omari Hutchinson.Philogene scored again to level it before the break only for Harry Maguire to nod in to be United’s saviour.But who was United’s best player on the night?Here, SunSport’s Phil Thomas reveals his Manchester United player ratings… More