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      Diogo Jota stretchered off and huge doubt for World Cup in worrying scenes at end of Liverpool clash with Man City

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      DIOGO JOTA was stretchered off at the end of Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Manchester City and is now a doubt for the World Cup.The Portuguese international, 25, seemed to overstretch when flicking the ball on during stoppage-time at Anfield.
      Jota was carried off the pitch on a stretcherCredit: Getty
      A lengthy delay ensued before the forward was eventually taken from the pitch on a stretcher.
      And with just one month until the World Cup, Portugal will now be biting their fingernails over his availability for the tournament.
      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will also be concerned after it was revealed earlier this month that Luis Diaz is expected to be out until December.
      It leaves the Reds with Darwin Nunez, Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Fabio Carvalho as their forward options.
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      Harvey Elliott can also float between midfield and the attacking positions.
      Jota is yet to score in eight appearances for Liverpool so far this season.
      But he has been capped 29 times by the Portuguese national team, netting 10 times for his country.
      Meanwhile, Liverpool produced their best performance of the season so far to beat Manchester City.
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      Salah’s second half strike handed Klopp’s men all three points as they ended Man City’s unbeaten start to the campaign.
      The result takes Liverpool up to eighth place in the Premier League table, six points off the top four.
      Next up they face West Ham at home on Wednesday, before travelling to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. More

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      Raheem Sterling’s failed experiment at wing back was a PLUS for Chelsea and England and shows Potter isn’t too proud

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      RAHEEM STERLING is not a wingback.Many would have known that before now, but Chelsea boss Graham Potter has confirmed it to everyone.
      Sterling played almost all of the first half as a right wingbackCredit: Getty
      Potter moved Sterling into a more attacking position shortly before the breakCredit: Reuters
      The England international, 27, lined up on the right side of the Blues’ five-man back line for the start of their 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
      And it was evident from the off that he simply does not have the defensive capabilities to successfully play the role.
      John McGinn found acres of space in behind, with Sterling often unsure whether to press or drop.
      Not only was he being misused as a wide defender, his pace and quality was being missed at the other end of the pitch.
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      Despite taking the lead through Mason Mount, Chelsea were struggling to stretch Villa, something Sterling is renowned for.
      The plus side? Potter noticed it. And he changed it quickly.
      The ex-Brighton boss has gained a reputation for being a superb coach, moulding individuals around his system of playing.
      But he is clearly also willing to accept when he is wrong.
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      After 40 minutes, Potter switched Ruben Loftus-Cheek to right wingback and pushed Sterling to the left side of the front three.
      And it almost paid dividends straight away.
      The ex-Liverpool and Manchester City star was immediately on the end of a flowing Chelsea move which resulted in him curling an effort against the crossbar.
      After the break, Potter brought Cesar Azpilicueta on as he reverted to a more orthodox right wingback.
      It shows the former Ostersunds boss is not afraid to admit his mistakes and own them.
      And it is also a major boost for England.
      Gareth Southgate will not want one of his most trusted attacking talents learning the traits of a wingback just one month out from the World Cup.
      Alongside skipper Harry Kane, Sterling has been one of the Three Lions’ most trusted attacking options over the past few years – and he was arguably their best player at the Euros.
      He missed a couple of chances towards the end of the Villa match as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure saw him lead the line for the final 30 minutes.
      While his killer touch in front of goal has never been his calling card, it is an underrated trait of his as three 20-goal seasons with Manchester City will testify to.
      The pace, energy and creativity he offers going forward makes him a handful for any defence in the world.
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      Potter and Southgate both know that – which is why he is one of the first names on the team sheet for club and country.
      And now that this failed wingback experiment seems to be a thing of the past, England fans can look forward to the Chelsea man wreaking havoc in Qatar. More

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      FA angry at Chelsea over Reece James injury as crocked England ace was not flown straight home from Milan for treatment

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      FA CHIEFS are furious with Chelsea for their handling of Reece James’ knee injury last week, according to reports.England bosses have been rocked by the news that James, 22, is set to be out for up to eight weeks after picking up a serious injury during last week’s 2-0 win over AC Milan.
      Reece James sustained a knee injury against AC MilanCredit: AP
      The full-back received treatment on the pitchCredit: Rex
      After meeting with medical staff after the match, James was allowed to stay in the Italian city for a scheduled day off.
      According to the Mail, the decision to let the full-back stay in Milan, rather than rushing him home for immediate treatment, has left FA bosses dumbfounded.
      They add that James’ injury worsened overnight, and he eventually flew home on an easyJet flight on Wednesday evening.
      Scans on Thursday morning showed that James had sustained serious knee ligament damage.
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      Despite the nature of his injury, the defender is refusing to give up on his World Cup dream.
      Chelsea wrote in an official statement: “Following the knee injury sustained in our away match against AC Milan, Reece has received treatment from the Chelsea medical department and visited a specialist this weekend.
      “After consultation between all parties, Reece will now undergo a rehabilitation programme and is expected to be out for eight weeks.”
      James then tweeted: “The race against time is on… but we won’t give up.”
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      England’s World Cup opener against Iran kicks off in five weeks’ time.
      While the final will take place in Lusail on December 18.
      England are facing a potential selection headache at right-back, with Kyle Walker also facing a race to be fit.
      While the out-of-form Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to be sidelined by injury for the rest of October.
      James will miss key Prem fixtures while out of the Chelsea team, including clashes with Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City. More

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      Gareth Southgate in line for £4million bonus if he achieves World Cup glory with Three Lions

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      ENGLAND manager Gareth Southgate is in line for a £4million bonus if he can lead the Three Lions to World Cup glory.It is almost three times as much as the £1.5million he was offered to win the 2018 World Cup.
      England manager Gareth Southgate is in line for a £4million bonus if he can lead the Three Lions to World Cup gloryCredit: AFP or licensors
      England’s first Group B game will be against Iran on November 21Credit: PA
      Southgate, 52, has already banked £500,000 for qualifying for the tournament, which kicks off five weeks today.
      England’s first Group B game will be against Iran on November 21.
      A source said: “Gareth has been offered bonuses for each stage of the World Cup and stands to pocket a fortune if he brings home the trophy.
      “It’s entirely normal that footballers and the management are incentivised.
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      “That said, Gareth is already on record as having described managing England as the highlight of his career.
      “He is a proud Englishman and would love nothing more than to win a major trophy for the nation.
      “His motivation is to ensure he and his team do their best for the country. Any money he earns along the way is incidental to that.
      “He’s not financially driven and is very conscious of the cost of living crisis.”
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      During Covid, Southgate took a voluntary 30 per cent pay cut and did not take a rise in his basic salary when he was awarded a new three-year contract by the FA in November last year.
      His current deal is worth £6million a year and runs until 2024.
      Southgate and the FA declined to comment. More

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      England fans to be outnumbered by Iranians ten to one at opening World Cup game

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      ENGLAND fans will be outnumbered ten to one by Iranians at the opening game.The Three Lions were allocated 2,489 seats for the November 21 clash and are believed to have struggled to fill the allocation.
      Iranian footie fans will outnumber Three Lions supporters more than ten timesCredit: Alamy
      But at least 30,000 Iranians will hop across the Persian Gulf to the 45,400-seater venue in Doha.
      England fans have balked at the cost of travel, accommodation and £13 pints but support could be boosted by expats.
      England have 4,158 tickets for the USA match at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on November 25.
      Only the Wales match four days later is oversubscribed.
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      At least 7,000 England supporters travelled to Kaliningrad for the final group stage match in June, 2018.
      Demand from travelling fans peaked in 2006 when a colossal 19,000 England fans clamoured to tickets to see the star-studded 2006 team led by David Beckham in Germany.
      This year’s tournament is set to be the most expensive World Cup yet, with the oil rich Middle Eastern state poised to spend a staggering £200 billion.
      But the cost-of-living crisis has combined with huge travel costs and compelled the vast majority of England fans to stay home.
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      The FA said: “We’re expecting to see just two to three thousand England fans travelling out to Qatar this year, which is very low for a World Cup.
      “Some fans have tickets to the semi-final and final so the numbers should increase.”
      Dozens of disgruntled football supporters have taken to social media to protest the cost of travelling to Qatar.
      Mohamed Amiin said: “I don’t understand why people want to go to Qatar to watch the world cup – everything is so expensive, and it will be a culture shock for most people, so it will be chaos I reckon.
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      “Why waste money there?”
      Another fan tweeted: “Football is for the elite. We can’t afford Qatar.” More

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      Richarlison major doubt for World Cup with Brazil after leaving Tottenham stadium on crutches and IN TEARS

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      RICHARLISON left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in TEARS after picking up an injury against Everton.The Brazilian made his way out of the ground on crutches and is now a major doubt for the World Cup.
      Richarlison left the stadium on crutches and looking emotionalCredit: Twitter / @TomBarclay_
      Richarlison was replaced by Yves Bissouma after suffering a calf injuryCredit: EPA
      Richarlison now appears to be a World Cup doubtCredit: Getty
      The Brazilian was replaced by Yves Bissouma in the 52nd minute after picking up a calf injury.
      And the emotion was all too much for him as he spoke on his way out of the ground.
      He said: “It’s kind of hard to say because it’s close to the realisation of my dream (the World Cup).
      “I’ve already suffered a similar injury to this but I hope it can heal as soon as possible.
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      “The last time when I was at Everton, I was out of action for about two months.
      “I know it’s hard to talk at this moment, but let’s see, I’ll recover. Monday, I have an exam but even walking hurts. I have to stay positive if I want to go to Qatar.
      “It’s all so close, it’s about a month to go, and we’ve been getting ready, working every day so that nothing serious can happen.
      “Unfortunately, today I had this calf injury, but now it’s just a matter of waiting, doing the treatment every day so that I can recover as soon as possible.”
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      With just under six weeks to go until Brazil kick off their World Cup campaign, his tournament now looks to be in doubt.
      Richarlison went down injured in the Everton box just after half-time.
      He massaged his calf with a pained expression on his face as the Spurs medics rushed on to tend to him.
      The decision was quickly made that the 25-year-old could not continue against his former club.
      Richarlison bit on his shirt in frustration and looked emotional after being forced off.
      Spurs gaffer Antonio Conte looked worried as Richarlison hobbled off, and the Italian confirmed the forward will have a scan on Sunday.
      Conte said on the extent of the problem: “We don’t know, we hope it is not so serious he felt a problem in his calf.
      “He will have an MRI to understand it tomorrow, we hope it is not serious.”
      Brazil kick off their World Cup campaign with a Group G clash against Serbia on November 24th.
      Richarlison was likely to be in the squad having featured in the two friendlies against Ghana and Tunisia last month.
      Manager Tite will now be sweating over the fitness of the £60million forward.
      Richarlison had started the home clash against Everton with Dejan Kulusevski sidelined.
      The Swedish winger has now missed the last five games with a hamstring injury.
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      Harry Kane gave Spurs the lead from the spot after being tripped by England team-mate Jordan Pickford.
      Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then sealed the points with a deflected effort four minutes time.
      Antonio Conte looked worried as Richarlison came off nursing an injuryCredit: EPA
      Richarlison bit on his shirt in frustration as he trudged offCredit: AFP
      The Spurs ace was visibly disappointed after picking up the injuryCredit: PA More

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      Reece James’ World Cup dream all-but over with Chelsea star out for EIGHT WEEKS with knee injury in huge England blow

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      REECE JAMES’ World Cup dream looks over after Chelsea confirmed he will miss EIGHT WEEKS through injury – but the star insists he “won’t give up” just yet.The 22-year-old went off with a knee problem during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over AC Milan on Tuesday night.
      James will miss up to eight weeks on the sidelines with his knee injuryCredit: AP
      England fans were left desperately concerned about the extent of the injury as fellow Three Lions right-back Kyle Walker is already facing a race to be fit for Qatar.
      And Chelsea have now confirmed James will be out for eight weeks, with his availability for Qatar in huge doubt as a result.
      But despite admitting he’s in a “race against time”, the flying wing-back has vowed to give his all in rehab to try and make the plane for Qatar.
      An official statement from Chelsea read: “Following the knee injury sustained in our away match against AC Milan, Reece has received treatment from the Chelsea medical department and visited a specialist this weekend.
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      “After consultation between all parties, Reece will now undergo a rehabilitation programme and is expected to be out for eight weeks.”
      James later tweeted: “The race against time is on… but we won’t give up.”
      It leaves Gareth Southgate facing a selection dilemma ahead of the tournament, with Kieran Trippier expected to now be first choice to play on the right side of England’s defence.
      Walker, who can play as both a right-back and right centre-half, is a doubt after undergoing groin surgery.
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      Trent Alexander-Arnold is also out with an injury until the end of the month.
      And while he is set to be back well in time for the World Cup, Southgate did not give him any game time in their recent Nations League games against Italy and Germany.
      James’ injury was originally played down as merely a “minor jarring of the knee”.
      But he was then seen with a brace on his leg, which led to cause for concern.
      And now damage to the ligaments will keep him side-lined for a lengthy period of time.
      Immediately after the Milan game, Chelsea boss Graham Potter said: “It’s pretty normal that as soon as there is a bit of discomfort the day or two after, you need to get it checked properly.
      “There is discomfort so we just need to check and see a specialist.
      “He has been in fantastic form for us, so fingers crossed we wait for good news.”
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      Chelsea now face a number of key games without James – including matches against Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.
      Potter’s men currently sit fourth in the Premier League table after a five-game winning run. More

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      Gary Lineker claims he knows of two gay Premier League stars and hopes they both come out at Qatar World Cup

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      GARY Lineker believes there is no better time for homosexual Premier League players to come out than in the lead up to the Qatar World Cup.The broadcaster and former England striker says he knows at least “one or two” homosexual players who have been “very close” to coming out.
      Gary Lineker is encouraging homosexual Premier League players to come out ahead of the World CupCredit: Getty
      He told the Daily Mirror: “I know for a fact that some have been very close and contemplated it. There’s a couple I know, but obviously it’s not for me to say who they are.”
      The World Cup will be held in the Muslim country next month where same sex activity is illegal under strict Sharia law, punishable with a maximum penalty of death.
      Game officials have sought to give reassurance to LGBTQ+ fans that they would be welcomed at the tournament, to be hosted at eight stadiums across five cities.
      World Cup Chief Nasser Al Khater said: “At the end of the day, as long as you don’t do anything that harms other people, if you’re not destroying public property, as long as you’re behaving in a way that’s not harmful, then everybody’s welcome and you have nothing to worry about.”
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      World Cup Chief Nasser Al Khater said: “At the end of the day, as long
      Online critics have called for stronger action with one posting to Twitter calling for “teams to Boycott” the event.
      Several European soccer federations are putting pressure on FIFA, campaigning for captains to wear an armband with a rainbow heart design during games in a stand against discrimination.
      England captain Harry Kane has promised to wear a OneLove armband, even if it is prohibited by FIFA.
      Lineker believes there is no better time to support LGBTQ+ than against the backdrop of one of the most highly anticipated and watched championships in the world.
      But the Match of the Day host, 61, says fear of retribution from fans and criticism from team-mates would be holding back many players who are “living a lie.”
      A few high-profile players have already come out as gay, including Championship Blackpool player Jake Daniels and Lineker hope this will have a “domino effect.”
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      He says: “I was hoping, because there are lots, obviously, lots of players that are having to live a lie.
      “I’m sure it’s very difficult. I always thought it’s so difficult to know unless you’re in that circumstance and you’re living through how that is. I think what we’ve seen so far is that the feedback and the response, it will be incredibly positive.”
      Qatar will be the first Muslim country in the Arab world to host the World Cup, which kicks off on November 20. More