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      Premier League urged to CANCEL last round of fixtures as England injuries pile up ahead of World Cup

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      PREMIER LEAGUE chiefs have been urged to CANCEL the last round of fixtures before the World Cup.Injuries are beginning to pile up for Gareth Southgate’s England and other nations.
      Calls have been made for the last round of Prem games before the World Cup to be axedCredit: Alamy
      Injuries are starting to pile up with the tournament just weeks away
      Ben Chilwell became the latest Three Lions star to see his dreams in ruins ahead of this month’s tournament in Qatar after suffering a hamstring injury at the end of Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb.
      Premier League teams still have two matches to play, with the final round taking place on November 12 and 13 – just a week before the World Cup starts.
      Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara reckons one way to avoid further injury woe is for the final round of Prem fixtures to be axed.
      O’Hara told talkSPORT: “Cancel the last round of games in the Premier League, give them a bit of breathing space.
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      “The Premier League should do it, or the players should get involved.
      “This is the problem with the Premier League. It’s all about money, all about getting the revenue in. The players are not being protected.
      “It’s as simple as that. There are too many games and too many injuries and England are going to suffer.”
      There are also Carabao Cup ties to be played in between the league fixtures.
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      England begin their World Cup campaign in under two weeks

      SunSport has exclusively revealed Chilwell’s hope of playing at the World Cup is over after he left Stamford Bridge on crutches.
      Blues team-mate Reece James is already set to miss out on Southgate’s squad.
      And Man City duo Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips are racing to be fit.
      Meanwhile, Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also unlikely to recover in time.
      There are too many games and too many injuriesJamie O’Hara
      Southgate will now be sweating on the rest of England’s stars as he prepares to name his final squad.
      There are issues for other countries too, with South Korea potentially without captain and talisman Son Heung-min due to a fractured eye.
      France have also been dealt a blow this week with the news that Juventus star Paul Pogba is out of the tournament.
      Argentina’s FA hope the Prem go for O’Hara’s idea, as they are hoping English clubs will let South American stars depart for World Cup duty before the final league games.
      But England captain Harry Kane insists he is looking forward to playing all the matches, as it will give him and team-mates confidence heading into Qatar 2022.
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      Tottenham star Kane said after Spurs beat Marseille this week: “We’ve got three games before the World Cup and hopefully we can use tonight to finish strongly.
      “If we can be there or thereabouts in the Premier League and get through in the Carabao Cup, it’ll be a really good start to the season.” More

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      Ben Chilwell in World Cup heartbreak with England star OUT after hamstring ‘pops’ and missing most of season for Chelsea

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      BEN CHILWELL is OUT of the World Cup – and will miss a large chunk of the season.The Chelsea and England left-back is undergoing scans on the injury which he picked up in the final moments of his club’s 2-1 Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.
      Ben Chilwell went down injured after hearing a ‘pop’ in his hamstring last nightCredit: Alamy
      Stricken Chilwell is being sent for scans on his crocked left leg but there is a suspicion he may have torn the hamstring muscle – which is more serious than a routine pull.
      The player even told pals he heard a ‘pop’ as he felt pain in his leg while chasing the ball in the dying moments of the Group E game at Stamford Bridge.
      Chelsea boss Graham Potter revealed immediately after the match that Chilwell’s hopes of making the 26-man England squad for the World Cup later this month are grim.
      Potter said: “When a player pulls up like that it is never positive.”
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      A full diagnosis is expected within the next 24 hours but Chilwell looks destined for a long spell on the treatment table alongside club and country team-mate Reece James.
      James damaged knee ligaments at AC Milan last month and, while insisting he can still make it to Qatar, faces an uphill battle.
      England boss Gareth Southgate names his 26-man squad for the tournament next Thursday. Chilwell was part of the Euro 2020 squad but did not play a minute.
      He then ruptured ligaments in his knee in November last year and spent a long period of the summer this year getting himself in top shape.
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      The awful news comes with Southgate seeing a number of his top Three Lions defenders become doubts for the World Cup.
      Kyle Walker is fighting to be fit along with James and Kyle Walker-Peters.
      John Stones has been struggling and Harry Maguire has had a lack of game time at Manchester United.
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      Midfielder Kalvin Phillips is almost certainly out as he struggles to recover from a recurring shoulder problem.
      Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has only just come back from injury, and is trying to find his form again – although he did score his first goal of the season in Everton’s recent 3-0 home win over Crystal Palace. More

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      Watch Lionel Messi ‘lose his mind’ in incredible speech before Argentina’s Copa America final win over Brazil

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      LIONEL MESSI “lost his mind” in a passionate speech before Argentina’s Copa America final win over Brazil last year.The legendary Argentine, 35, hadn’t had the best of luck on the international stage until then.
      Messi ‘lost his mind’ in a pre-game speech, Di Maria said
      Di Maria scored the winnerCredit: Getty
      Messi won his first international trophy with ArgentinaCredit: AFP
      He racked up a World Cup final loss to Germany in 2014 and finished runner-up on three different occasions in the Copa America.
      But ahead of playing Brazil in their own back yard at the Maracana in the final of the 2021 Copa America, Messi “lost his mind” in a passionate speech.
      Ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain ace Angel Di Maria said of the moment: “Before the start of each game, he (Messi) spoke.
      “But this last speech was different, he lost his mind.”
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      Messi said as the group huddled together: “We already know what Argentina and Brazil mean.
      “I don’t want to say anything today, just thank you guys.
      “Thank you very much for these 45 days.
      “I told you on my birthday, we have made a beautiful group, and I enjoyed it very much.
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      “Forty-five days where we traveled, ate, were locked up in hotels.
      “Forty-five days without seeing our families guys.
      “Dibu (Emiliano Martinez) had a daughter and he couldn’t even see her, he couldn’t hold her in his arms.
      “Chino also had a son, and he only got to see him for a little while.
      “All for what? For this moment. Because we had a goal, and we are very close to achieving that.
      “And you know what the best of all is? That this depends on us.
      “That’s why we’re going out on the pitch, and we’re going to raise the cup.
      “We’re going to take it to Argentina to enjoy it with our family and friends, and with those who have always supported us.
      “The last thing, with this I finish. There are no coincidences guys.
      “This cup was going to be played in Argentina, but God wanted it to be played in Brazil, so that we can win it at the Maracana, and make it more beautiful for all of us.
      “So go out to the pitch confident and calm, we’ll take this cup home.”
      FINALLY MESSI WINS
      And take it home they did, winning 1-0 with a Messi-inspired Di Maria getting the goal, inside the ground where they lost the 2014 World Cup final.
      Argentina carried that momentum on, beating Euro 2020 winners Italy in the Finalissima.
      The South American champs won 3-0 at Wembley.
      Messi and Co are on a 35-game unbeaten run heading into next month’s winter World Cup, which will be the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s last.
      He has also returned to form at club level after a poor first season at PSG.
      Messi has 12 goals and 14 assists in 18 games played this season for PSG, heading into Qatar in frightening form.
      Argentina will fancy their chances, with European champions Italy not at the tournament.
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      France, Germany and England aren’t having the best of times either.
      Their main rivals could be Brazil, who are looking for their sixth world crown.
      Messi and Argentina are in frightening form heading into the World CupCredit: AFP More

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      Which teams should Dream Team World Cup gaffers back and who should they avoid?

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      DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP is live and one of the very first things you’ll need to consider before selecting your XI is which teams will be in the best shape in Qatar.The logic is simple: the better a team performs, the more likely they are to score goals and keep clean sheets, meaning plenty of Dream Team points.
      So who are the favourites to lift the prestigious trophy on December 18th?

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      The South American giants are favourites with the bookies with Brazil generally priced at 4/1 and Argentina at 11/2.
      Tite’s side have won their last seven games in row, scoring 26 goals and conceding just two.
      The Selecao have only lost one game in the last two years and eleven months and their attacking pedigree is virtually unmatched on the world stage.
      With the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Richarlison having impressed on the international stage so convincingly in recent times, quality forwards like Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino may not even make the squad.
      Richarlison has been a regular goalscorer for Brazil in recent months
      Argentina are widely fancied because, as reigning Copa America champions, they easily defeated Euro 2020 winners Italy in the first ever Finalissima.
      Lionel Scaloni’s men haven’t tasted defeat in over three years and while the squad may not be as star-studded as previous generations, they are as galvanised and disciplined as they have been in years.
      The Albiceleste will once again be heavily dependent on the brilliance of Lionel Messi, who has recaptured something close to his best form this season at the age of 35.
      Argentina’s iconic No10 has scored 19 goals in his last 22 international appearances – he bagged five in one game against Estonia earlier this year to send out something of a warning to the world’s defenders.
      France are third favourites, closely followed by England, though both teams have suffered disappointing results this year.
      The defending world champions have just won of their last six games, a run that includes three defeats.
      Les Bleus will also be without injured absentees N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, two midfielders who have been regulars during Didier Deschamps’ reign.
      France will be without Pogba and Kante this winterCredit: getty
      Similarly, the Three Lions have lost to Hungary twice this year and went five games without a goal from open play before an entertaining 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley in their last outing.
      However, France and England both boast talented squads that have performed well in recent major tournaments.
      Spain and Germany are next in line according to the bookmakers though again, both sides have found wins harder to come by than they would have liked this year.
      What may surprise some casual fans is that Netherlands (12/1) are shorter odds than Portugal (14/1) and Belgium (16/1).
      Louis van Gaal has done a good job at the helm of the Oranje so far, registering two wins over Belgium and a 4-2 victory over an organised Denmark side this year.
      Memphis Depay has scored 21 international goals in the last two years and should be a popular selection in Dream Team World Cup, despite the fact he’s not getting many minutes for Barcelona this season.
      Netherlands have reached the World Cup semi-finals five timesCredit: getty
      If you’re looking for a dark horse then Denmark may fit the bill.
      No European team earned more points when qualifying for the tournament and they beat France home and away in the Nations League earlier this year.
      As luck would have it, they’ve been drawn alongside Kylian Mbappe and co in Group D and will secretly fancy their chances of causing an upset or two in Qatar.
      Croatia, Uruguay and Senegal follow in the odds with the rest of the participants all 100/1 or more.
      So what can we gauge from this overlook?
      Dream Team World Cup bosses should definitely be thinking of backing at least two assets each from Brazil and Argentina – although be aware that neither have faced many European opponents recently.
      Brazil and Argentina are the two favourites for the 2022 World CupCredit: getty/DREAM TEAM
      It may not be wise to overinvest in the likes of France and Germany – perhaps England too although Gareth Southgate’s team have been gifted a relatively friendly group.
      You should probably give appropriate consideration to both Netherlands and Denmark as both nations should offer decent value for money if you do a bit of research.
      Remember, you can make as many changes to your XI as you want before the tournament gets underway so there’s no reason to shy away from getting involved right now!

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      Sergio Ramos breaks silence on shock inclusion in Spain’s World Cup squad… 18-months after last playing for them

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      SERGIO RAMOS has broken his silence on his shock inclusion in Spain’s initial World Cup squad. The 36-year-old defender made it into Luis Enrique’s 55 man list of players, which he will need to break down into 26 in the coming weeks.
      Ramos is Spain’s most-capped player and is hoping for a sensational turnaround to his international careerCredit: Getty
      Ramos will hope to make the cut again but some fans were stunned he even made it into the initial squad, given he has not appeared for Spain for 18 months.
      The PSG defender last won an international cap against Kosovo in March 2021.
      He even missed Euro 2020 as Enrique turned to younger alternatives to man the Spanish defence.
      But after an injury hit spell, the legendary centre-back is hoping to fight his way all the way to Qatar.
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      He told Mundo Deportivo: “Everyone knows what it means to defend those colours. I feel good again, I feel prepared, but ultimately it doesn’t depend on me but on Luis Enrique, whom I respect a lot. 
      “I still have a lot of excitement to return and play this World Cup. I hope I can be in Qatar.”

      The star also discussed the injury issues which held him back after leaving Real Madrid, seeing him only make 12 league appearances in his debut season at the Parc des Princes.
      He added: “Last year was tough because I had a lot of problems, as well as having to adapt to another club after almost a lifetime at Real Madrid.
      England begin their World Cup campaign in under two weeks

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      “Throughout my career I have been injured very little. At no time did I think it was the end. 
      “They are challenges that life presents to us, and if there is something that gives meaning to my way of being, it is effort, personality and perseverance.
      “I think I have years left at the highest level, I love this sport. When you dedicate so much to it, in the end you reap the rewards.”
      Ramos is Spain’s most capped player in their history with 180 international appearances between 2005 and 2021.
      That is 13 more than second-place Iker Casillas and well ahead of Sergio Busquets, who is third with 139 caps.
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      Ramos was also part of the golden era who won back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010.
      With his injuries behind him, Ramos has become a regular at PSG this season as the club look to win their first ever Champions League. More

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      Wales fail to fill 55-player provisional World Cup squad – with Gareth Bale set to lead nation despite injuries

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      WALES have not filled their full allocation of 55 players for their provisional World Cup squad.Unlike Group B rivals England, Robert Page’s Dragons opted to name 40-odd players on their preliminary list for Qatar.
      Bale will lead Wales into the World CupCredit: Getty
      Page has selected 40-odd players instead of 55 for the provisional squadCredit: Reuters
      The first draft of names are given to Fifa for logistical reasons ahead of the tournament.
      Page will name his final 26-man squad in his hometown of Tylorstown in the Rhondda valley next Wednesday night with few surprises expected.
      Captain Gareth Bale will lead Wales with stars Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen also included despite recent injuries as Page remains loyal to his long-serving stalwarts.
      Wales, who have used 30 players during 2022, do not plan to release their provisional list – just like Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions.
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      The Dragons – making their first finals appearance since 1958 – are similar to European rivals Holland, 2018 finalists Croatia and Poland, who also did not use their full allocation.
      Luka Modric leads 34 Croatian players while Virgil van Dijk spearheads a 39-player Dutch party and Poland also picked 47 players.
      Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Uruguay, featuring Luis Suarez, Rodrigo Bentancur and Edinson Cavani, have gone for full allocations.
      The 32 competing nations have different plans in naming their squads.
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      Japan were the first country to finalise their 26-man World Cup squad on Tuesday.
      Fifa have set a deadline of November 14 for nations to submit their final squads.
      England boss Southgate will announce his squad four days prior. More

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      Son Heung-min’s World Cup dreams hang in the balance as South Korea set to make final decision on injured Tottenham star

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      SON HEUNG-MIN’S World Cup dream hangs in the balance.That’s after South Korea’s FA admitted they may not be able to call their captain up with the Tottenham star to undergo surgery.
      Son Heung-Min must wait to find out if his World Cup dream is alive after surgeryCredit: AP
      Son, 30, was forced to come off the pitch in Spurs’ dramatic Champions League group stage win at Marseille on Tuesday.
      The forward’s head was rocked by Chancel Mbemba’s shoulder during a challenge.
      And Tottenham confirmed yesterday that Son would go under the knife to fix a fracture around his left eye in the next 48 hours – once the swelling has subsided.
      But South Korea chiefs have now cast doubt over the striker’s participation at Qatar 2022.
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      They admit both they and Son remain in the dark until he has surgery.
      And only then can a decision be made on whether the national hero is fit enough for selection.

      A statement read: “We will decide whether he could participate the World Cup or not after the outcome of his surgery.
      “We are keep cooperating with Tottenham medical team on Son’s injury.”
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      Meanwhile, Son’s close friend and South Korea left-back Kim Jing-su insists the Spurs star will give everything in his bid to play at the World Cup.
      Kim added: “I spoke with Son this morning. He is a very responsible man and representative of the Korean national team.
      “He will not easily give up to play in the World Cup.”
      Son is a key player for South Korea, having scored 35 goals in 104 games.
      He won his first cap back in 2010 and scored seven goals in qualifying. More

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      Spain vs Germany: TV channel, live stream FREE and kick-off time for HUGE 2022 World Cup Group E clash

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      GRAB your popcorn football lovers as Spain are scheduled to take on Germany in the standout tie of Group E.And both European giants are on a mission to right their wrongs from what happened at the 2018 Russia World Cup.
      Spain were kicked out of the 2018 World Cup by the hosts RussiaCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Germany failed to make it out of the group stages in 2018Credit: Getty – Contributor
      A penalty shoot-out saw Spain go crashing out of the competition at the hands of the hosts despite being in control for most of the tie.
      However, Germany’s bags were packed even earlier as they failed to make it out of the group stages by finishing rock bottom.
      But the personnel has changed on both sides since then which includes the managers.
      What time does Spain vs Germany kick off?

      Spain’s mouth-watering fixture against Germany takes place on Sunday, November 27.
      It is scheduled to kick off at 7pm UK time – 9pm local time.
      Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar is the allocated arena for this encounter and it can host approximately 60,000 fans.
      Germany got annihilated 6-0 when the European giants last met in a Nations League game back in 2020.

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      What TV channel is Spain vs Germany on and can it be live streamed?

      Spain vs Germany will be broadcasted LIVE on BBC One in the UK.
      Viewers also have the option to stream the entire action live via the BBC Sport website or BBC iPlayer app.
      BBC iPlayer is available to download on your preferred choice of mobile phone or tablet device.

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      Can I watch Spain vs Germany for FREE?
      Good news, you can! Spain vs Germany is available to watch for FREE in the UK so long as you have a valid TV license. More