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      Guardiola jokes he and Klopp will have to play themselves in Carabao Cup with fixture just days after World Cup final

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      PEP GUARDIOLA joked he and old rival Jurgen Klopp might have to play themselves in next month’s Carabao Cup clash.The old foes have been drawn together in the fourth round – with the fixture set to take place only three or four days after the World Cup final.
      Man City will face Liverpool in the cup just three or four days after the World Cup finalCredit: Reuters
      Guardiola admits he has no idea what his team will look like as most of his squad are heading for Qatar this weekend.
      He explained that those who go out early will be back in contention but others whose nations go deep in the tournament will need a break.
      So his squad could be so threadbare that the 51-year-old might have to pull on his boots himself.
      He said: “Yes I am going to play holding midfield and Jurgen is going to play left back – this is the strategy.”
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      Guardiola will have just a handful of players staying behind and a training camp in Abu Dhabi has been pencilled in for early December.
      He added: “I don’t know how many we will have. Riyad doesn’t go to the World Cup, Erling Haaland, Sergio Gomez, Rico Lewis too but the rest are going.
      “If they go through the group stage to the last 16 then they need to have some days off.
      “If players don’t get through the group stage they will be able to play against Liverpool. If not, we will see.
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      “After the World Cup we are here to train, see how many we have for Liverpool.
      “When we take breakfast we will see who we have. Players will come back day by day and I don’t know in what condition.”
      Even so, Pep says he feels sorry for the players who are not involved – particularly Haaland and Mahrez.
      He added: “I’d love for them all to be going.
      “I would prefer Erling to go with Norway, that they’d qualified. I think he will be in Marbella and Norway and then come back to training.” More

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      Why isn’t Liverpool’s Diogo Jota in the Portugal squad for the World Cup?

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      PORTUGAL kick off their World Cup campaign against Ghana as Diogo Jota won’t be featuring in the side.Fernando Santos wasn’t short of attacking options when it came to picking his 26-man-squad to head to Qatar, however one man missing for the team in red and green is Diogo Jota.
      Diogo Jota misses out on making his first appearance at the World CupCredit: Getty
      The 25-year-old forward has being doing a great job of proving his £45million price tag from Wolves, scoring 24 goals in 58 games for Liverpool.
      Although Jota will be unable to increase his 29 caps for Portugal with Santos making the decision to keep him out of the side.
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      Why isn’t Diogo Jota in the Portugal squad for the World Cup?
      The absence of Jota has proven difficult for the Merseyside outfit in recent times, especially since the departure of Senegalese sensation Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich in the summer.
      Liverpool’s number 20 suffered a calf injury during their 1-0 victory against Manchester City in October which saw him stretchered off during stoppage time.
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      The injury to Jota means that he will miss the chance to represent his nation at the World Cup for the first time.
      Despite not needing surgery, it looks like the forward will have a sizeable lay-off before looking to return to action by the end of the season. More

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      Win a World Cup party with Iceland and The Food Warehouse

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      WITH just over a week until the World Cup begins, we have teamed up with Iceland and The Food Warehouse to give away a share of £10,000 to throw a massive World Cup party at your home!50 lucky Sun Savers will each take home £200 to fill your freezer with tons of delicious food. Plus, with party food season being just around the corner, these prizes will come in perfect time for the Christmas food shop.
      Get World Cup ready with the ultimate party food spread.
      Iceland and The Food Warehouse have got you covered to host the party of the year. Take your pick from a range of bundle deals they have on offer ready for The World Cup!
      Choose from their famous three for £10 mix and match deal, where you can save up to £5. This deal includes over 100 products, such as Crispy Chicken Breast Fillet Strips, Iceland Pork Leg Crackling Joint, Magnum Classic Ice Cream Sticks and exclusive to Iceland Cathedral City Mac ‘n’ Cheese.
      Exclusively to Iceland, cheese lovers can pick up the Cathedral City mac ‘n’ cheese for just £3.50.
      There are also three for £5 across frozen and chilled party packs, including delicious Sticky Chicken Skewers, Mini Steak Bakes and Vegetable Samosas.
      Lastly, it would not be a party without drinks included. Your guests can enjoy a round of soft drinks with Iceland’s four for £32 on packs of fizzy drinks, such as Diet Coke (£8.50, 24 x 330ml) and Fanta Orange (£8.75, 24 x 330ml).
      Plus, it just would not feel right to watch football without a pint in your hand. For this reason, Iceland is giving two crates of beer on a selection of beers for just £20. For the more sophisticated football fans, Iceland is also offering two bottles of wine for just £11, including its Mount Rozier Sauvignon Blanc (£5.95, 75cl) and Mendoza Malbec (£5.95, 75cl).
      How to enter:
      To enter the competition, follow these simple steps:
      1) Download the Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk.
      2) Go to the Offers section and click ‘Start Collecting’ on the ‘World Cup Party’ page.
      3) Collect SEVEN out of 13 Sun Savers codes. We will print one Sun Savers code daily in the newspaper from Monday, November 14 to Saturday, November 26.
      4) Enter or scan your seven Sun Savers codes on the app or website by midnight on Friday, December 2 to be automatically entered into the competition.
      Terms and Conditions
      Collect SEVEN Sun Savers codes from the 13 printed in The Sun from Monday, November 14 – Friday, November 26, 2022. Last chance to start collecting your first code is Sunday, November 20, 2022. Competition closes at 23:59pm on Friday,December 2, 2022. Over 18, residents of the UK only. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. There will be 50 winners in total who will each win  a £200 (two hundred pounds) Iceland voucher, only (terms apply, see voucher for details). Allow 14 days from entry closing for the prize draw to take place. Winners will then be notified within seven days of the prize draw and will receive their prize within 30 days of the draw. No cash alternative to prize in whole or in part. Prize is non-transferable. The Sun will share the name and address of the winners with Iceland Foods Limited (Iceland) for the purpose of sending out the prize only (“Personal Data”). Iceland will process the Personal Data fairly and lawfully in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR. Iceland will be required, with the winners’ prior consent, to share the winners’ Personal Data with Iceland’s appointed courier services provider for the purpose of delivering the Prizes to the winners. Promoter is News Group Newspapers Ltd. Promotion not open to employees of the Promoter, Iceland or any organisation directly connected with the fulfilment of the Promotion or their families and household members. The winners will be required to participate in reasonable publicity relating to this competition. For full T&Cs see sunsavers.co.uk. More

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      Glenn Hoddle reveals his England XI for World Cup 2022 with James Maddison in daring front three

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      GLENN HODDLE wants to see James Maddison in a daring England front three with Phil Foden and Harry Kane.And the ex-Three Lions boss hopes current chief Gareth Southgate has learnt his tactical lessons in time to beat World Cup favourites Brazil and France.
      Glenn Hoddle has named his England World Cup line up
      Hoddle is pleased Maddison has been included in the squadCredit: Getty
      Southgate named his 26-man England squad on Thursday which included a few shock call-ups, such as Leicester midfielder Maddison.
      The 25-year-old last represented his country back in 2019 – his one and only cap – but Hoddle is desperate to see him strut his stuff with the handbrake off.
      With England’s group opener against Iran just ten days away, Hoddle said: “I’m very, very pleased to see that James Maddison will be going to the World Cup.
      “He has been one of the players of the season so far with his assists, goals and the way he plays and creates.
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      “I hope he plays at the tournament, but I think that will be down to Gareth’s system. I would definitely look at him to play.
      “I’ve always been a massive fan of Phil Foden, him and Maddison would be something special just behind Harry Kane.
      “It a difficult one to just pick up the reigns, but I hope if he gets that England shirt he can just relax and play, like he does for Leicester. That is the key at international level.”
      Hoddle revealed he would also play a 3-4-3 formation with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka as wing-backs, leaving out Harry Maguire of the back three, as well as Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham in midfield.
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      The 65-year-old feels England could go all the way if their defence is up to scratch, something that let them down in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and 2020 Euros final.
      Hoddle added: “For me, you’ve got to beat Brazil. On paper, France look very strong but this is all about tournament football.
      “Brazil are favourites, and rightly so, they’re a very experienced team and they’ve got a solid defensive look about them.
      “Outside of Brazil and France, I think England are in a group of about six countries that could go all the way, but it will depend on how we defend.”
      ***For more from Betfair ambassador, Glenn Hoddle and to get all the latest football tips this World Cup head to https://betting.betfair.com/football/world-cup-2022/*** More

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      Liverpool players at World Cup 2022: Who has been CONFIRMED for Qatar and who is staying at home?

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      LIVERPOOL stars look for a change in fortune as they head to Qatar in poor form.Despite a rocky start to the season for the Merseyside outfit, Qatar comes calling for Brazilian and English duo meanwhile it’s injury and despair for forwards Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
      Virgil Van Dijk, Fabinho and Alisson will all feature at the 2022 World CupCredit: The Times
      Alisson and Fabinho are confirmed to be in Brazil’s 26-man-squad however fellow countryman Roberto Firmino missed out on a place on the plane.
      Here’s our guide to the Liverpool players representing their nations in the middle-east.
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      ENGLAND
      Jordan Henderson will feature in his third and most likely final World Cup for England as Trent Alexander-Arnold embarks on his first after missing out on Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2021 side due to injury.
      BRAZIL
      Alisson and Fabinho will be wearing the famous yellow jersey in Qatar.
      FRANCE
      Young defender Ibrahima Konate has been selected by Didier Deschamps for the France squad.
      Darwin Nunez will attend his first World Cup as Uruguay search for successCredit: Getty
      NETHERLANDS
      Virgil Van Djik will look to further the achievements of the 2010 final reaching side as he captains Netherlands into the tournament.
      URUGUAY
      £64million man Darwin Nunez has found form at the right time as he gets the call up.
      STAYING AT HOME
      The most notable absence from the competition will be Mohammed Salah after his missed penalty against Senegal saw Egypt lose out on a spot in the tournament.
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      Andy Robertson and Joel Matip’s World Cup hopes ended in similar fashion as Scotland and Cameroon also failed to qualify.
      Diogo Jota has been ruled out of the Portuguese squad through a calf injury he suffered against Manchester City in October whilst Colombia’s Luis Diaz is still recovering from a knee injury.
      Spanish manager Luis Enrique has left out midfield maestro Thiago as he will be watching from home along with Brazil’s Roberto Firmino as well as England duo Joe Gomez and Harvey Elliot, all of which not being favourable selections with their managers. More

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      Callum Hudson-Odoi ‘snubs Ghana’s World Cup call-up as Chelsea star holds out on breaking into England squad’

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      CALLUM HUDSON-ODOI has rejected the chance to play for Ghana at the World Cup.The Chelsea winger is on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and shining in the Bundesliga.
      Callum Hudson-Odoi has snubbed a World Cup call-up for GhanaCredit: Getty
      The Blues academy graduate is eligible to play for Ghana, who booked their place at the tournament in March after drawing 1-1 with Nigeria.
      Hudson-Odoi was reportedly considering switching his international allegiance from England to Ghana in order to play at the World Cup.
      Hudson-Odoi has three senior Three Lions caps but can still switch as they all took place before he turned 21.
      His father Bismark was also a footballer in Ghana for Hearts of Oak.
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      However, the Chelsea ace has now opted to snub the African nation’s advances in order to focus on his club football, according to the Evening Standard.
      And he wants to keep his options open regarding a potential recall for the Three Lions.
      Hudson-Odoi, whose last England cap came in 2019, was not included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man World Cup squad on Thursday.
      But he is allegedly due to release a statement to explain his reasons behind snubbing Ghana shortly.
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      Manager Otto Addo is currently preparing to announce the Black Stars’ squad for Qatar.
      Ghana were drawn in Group H for the showpiece with Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. More

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      Louis van Gaal reveals he saw his players naked while FaceTiming the 11 stars he cut from World Cup 2022 squad

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      HOLLAND boss Louis van Gaal has revealed he caught some of his players “naked” on FaceTime when telling them they had not made his World Cup squad.The Dutch head coach, 71, announced his 26-man side for Qatar on Friday.
      Van Gaal said some bizarre lines during his squad announcement press conferenceCredit: EPA
      Prior to confirming the squad, Van Gaal told each of the 11 players he had not included that they would not be in the final selection.
      But it did not go exactly to plan, with the ex-Manchester United boss claiming some of his stars were not yet dressed.
      Speaking in his announcement press conference, he said: “It’s not easy dropping someone.
      “I spent 1 hour and 45 minutes Facetiming the 11 players this morning. It wasn’t easy.
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      “I also took into account the time difference with the English players. I saw some naked players because they were still in bed.”
      Man Utd midfielder Donny van de Beek and Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman were among the players snubbed from the final squad.
      During the presser, Van Gaal was also quizzed about his wife saying he was superstitious.
      To which he rather bizarrely replied: “No. I received orange underpants from her. Do you really think I will wear these orange pants every day?
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      “I only do it on match days. This is why I wear it. Out of respect for my sweet wife.”
      Van Gaal has a lot of quality to choose from in his final squad, including the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay.
      And he is not shying away from Holland’s chances of winning the tournament – despite them failing to qualify in 2018.
      He said: “We stand a big chance to win the World Cup.
      “There are not a lot of managers who dare to say this, but I’m here to tell you this.”
      During his time at Bayern Munich, Van Gaal once dropped his trousers in front of his players to prove he has total authority.
      Italian striker Luca Toni revealed: “The coach wanted to make clear to us that he can drop any player.
      “It was all the same to him because, as he said, he had the balls.
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      “He demonstrated this literally by dropping his trousers. I have never experienced anything like it, it was totally crazy.
      “Luckily I didn’t see a lot, because I wasn’t in the front row.”
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      Spain announce World Cup 2022 squad with Man Utd star David De Gea and PSG’s Sergio Ramos left out

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      SPAIN have left legendary defender Sergio Ramos and goalkeeper David De Gea out of their World Cup squad.Paris Saint-Germain star Ramos, 36, has won 180 caps and is his country’s most-capped player in history.
      David De Gea has missed out on Spain’s World Cup squadCredit: Getty
      Sergio Ramos has also failed to make the cutCredit: Getty
      But national boss Luis Enrique decided there was no place for the veteran or Manchester United stopper De Gea on the flight to Qatar next week.
      And they are not the only star names that failed to make the 26-man Spanish World Cup squad.
      Liverpool midfielder Thiago also misses out having last appeared for his country at the Euros in 2021.
      However, there was room for five Premier League stars among Enrique’s selections.
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      Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta and Manchester City duo Aymeric Laporte and Rodri both made the cut.
      And Brentford and Brighton goalies David Raya and Robert Sanchez also got picked.
      They are involved instead of De Gea, who won the last of his 45 Spain caps in October 2020, and Chelsea’s injured stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
      Barcelona’s 20-year-old wonderkid Ansu Fati was also chosen after recent speculation over whether he would make Enrique’s squad.
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      And ex-Man City forward Ferran Torres and former Chelsea flop Alvaro Morata were among the attackers.
      Both Real Madrid and Barcelona veterans Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba are in, along with another former City man in Eric Garcia.
      Barca youngsters Gavi and Pedri were also included, as expected.
      While Enrique also added some experience with midfielders Sergio Busquets and Koka selected.
      Spain were drawn in Group E for the tournament in Qatar with Costa Rica, Germany and Japan. 
      SPANISH WORLD CUP SQUADLUIS ENRIQUE’S 26-man selection in full:
      Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, Robert Sanchez, David Raya
      Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Dani Carvajal, Eric Garcia, Hugo Guillamon, Pau Torres, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba, Jose Gaya
      Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Rodri, Gavi, Carlos Soler, Marcos Llorente, Pedri, Koke
      Forwards:  Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio, Pablo Sarabia, Dani Olmo, Ansu Fati More