It's always going to be tough for young goalkeepers to get a chance with the biggest clubs, and it's even harder when they don't shine on any rare chance they get with the first team. Arthur Okonkwo is highly rated at Arsenal but did have a nightmare in a preseason game vs Hibs last season, but he bounced back to establish himself as the main stopper for the U23 side. The next logical step w...Full Story »

Cristiano Ronaldo could play his first match under new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after the Portuguese forward said 'the King' will be available for Sunday's friendly game against Rayo Vallecano. ESPN reported earlier this month that the Portugal international had handed in a transfer request due to his desire to play in the Champions League. Ronaldo held talks at United's traini...Full Story »

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reaffirmed hopes of bringing back Lionel Messi. Laporta has accepted he is partly responsible for Messi leaving for PSG last summer. Speaking in New York, Laporta stated: “It is clear that Leo's stage at Barça did not end as we all would have liked. I feel co-responsible for this ending. "I believe that it is a provisional end and that we will...Full Story »

German champions Bayern Munich are set for what is expected to be another season of dominance in the Bundesliga in 2022-23 when they clash with RB Leipzig tomorrow night in the DFL-Supercup at Red Bull Arena. But for the first time since 2013-14, the Rekordmeister will be without the services of Polish star Robert Lewandowski after the Warsaw native and all-time leading goalscorer for Biało-c...Full Story »

Basketball legend Bird buys stake in NWSL's Gotham FC Women's basketball legend Sue Bird has entered the world of football after buying a minority stake in NJ/NY Gotham FC. The NWSL team is currently in its second season as Gotham, having been known as Sky Blue FC prior to the 2021 season. Bird, meanwhile, is preparing for life after basketball, having already announced that she will retire ...Full Story »

Vincent Kompany has claimed he is happy to complete the season without an out-and-out goalscorer after Burnley won 1-0 in his first game in charge at Huddersfield.Despite dominating for long periods during, on-loan Chelsea winger Ian Maatsen grabbed the only goal of the evening at last season’s beaten play-off finalists in the opening match of the Championship campaign.It was the 20-year-o...Full Story »

Vincent Kompany’s reign as Burnley boss got off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory at Huddersfield in the opening match of the new Sky Bet Championship season.On-loan Chelsea winger Ian Maatsen marked his Clarets debut with the only goal of the game as Burnley secured three points on their return to the second tier following six seasons of top-flight football.Huddersfield were a pale sh...Full Story »

Celtic will be without Carl Starfelt for their cinch Premiership opener at home to Aberdeen as the Swedish defender is short of match fitness despite returning to training on Friday following his recent hamstring injury.Japanese midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi is the champions’ only other absentee as he faces a few weeks out with a leg gash.Summer signings Benjamin Siegrist, Alexandro Bernabei,...Full Story »

St Mirren keeper Trevor Carson will be available for the cinch Premiership opener against Motherwell in Paisley on Sunday.It was feared the Northern Ireland international’s knee injury would be long-term but boss Stephen Robinson welcomed the news that he is back in action.Curtis Main has trained for the last two weeks following a summer medical procedure and fellow striker Eamonn Brophy w...Full Story »

Goalkeeper Shamal George is in line to make his Livingston debut in Saturday’s cinch Premiership opener against Rangers following his arrival from Colchester.Defender Tom Parkes was this week ruled out for a further six to nine months after being told he needs fresh knee surgery.Morgan Boyes (ankle) remains out while Cristian Montano will be assessed after a head knock.Rangers new boy Rabb...Full Story »

St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has several unnamed injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s cinch Premiership opener at home to Hibernian and anticipates being without as many as nine players in total.This number includes long-term injury victims David Wotherspoon (knee), Chris Kane (knee), Callum Booth (Achilles) and Tony Gallacher (leg), although Davidson expects the quartet to “d...Full Story »

Hearts are closing in on a fully-fit squad ahead of their cinch Premiership opener against Ross County.Josh Ginnelly returned to training on Thursday after a knock.Cammy Devlin, Euan Henderson and Lewis Neilson have also brushed off fitness issues.Ross County will be without William Akio after the winger went off with a knee injury during his debut against East Fife.Josh Sims has recovered from ...Full Story »

Blair Alston, Liam Donnelly, Fraser Murray and Kyle Lafferty all re-joined the Kilmarnock squad ahead of the cinch Premiership opener against Dundee United at Rugby Park on Saturday after recovering from various injuries.Scott Robinson had a setback during pre-season and was booked in for a procedure to get some respite from his heel injury.On-loan Middlesbrough goalkeeper Zach Hemmings is still...Full Story »

Middlesbrough will be without Paddy McNair for their opening game against West Brom.The defender misses out through a suspension carried over from last season after he was dismissed on the final day against Preston.There are no other fresh injury concerns for Chris Wilder as his side prepare to challenge for promotion again after just missing out on the play-offs last season.New signing Marcus F...Full Story »

Hull head coach Shota Arveladze has a number of injury problems ahead of the season opener against Bristol City.Goalkeeper Nathan Baxter is a doubt with a finger injury and new signing Dogukan Sinik is awaiting the results of an MRI scan after suffering a calf problem in training.Defenders Brandon Fleming and Josh Emmanuel are also sidelined, while Mallik Wilks and Ryan Longman both missed the p...Full Story »

Josh Davison will be primed for his AFC Wimbledon debut in Saturday’s League Two clash with Gillingham.Striker Davison has arrived at AFC Wimbledon from Charlton on a permanent deal, in a busy summer of transfer activity for boss Johnnie Jackson.Free-transfer recruits Alex Pearce and Chris Gunter should also be in the mix to feature this weekend.Brentford loan midfielder Paris Maghoma will...Full Story »

Bristol Rovers will be without defender Nick Anderton and captain Paul Coutts when they kick off their League One campaign against fellow promoted side Forest Green.Anderton revealed on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, that is affecting his femur and he will undergo an operation in the coming weeks to remove that part of the bone.Experienced midf...Full Story »

Rochdale manager Robbie Stockdale will be without midfielder Jimmy Keohane for up to two months of the Sky Bet League Two season.Keohane suffered an unspecified injury during the pre-season friendly against Port Vale and will be sidelined for a significant period.Striker Tahvon Campbell also remains unavailable as he recovers from the broken foot which ruled him out of the end of last season.Goa...Full Story »

Aymeric Laporte will miss the start of Manchester City’s Premier League title defence after undergoing knee surgery in the summer.Manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed the Spain international could be out for at least a month after playing through the pain barrier in the closing matches of last season.City were hit by a number of other defensive injuries during the run-in with John Stones, K...Full Story »

Jordan Turnbull will be given a late fitness test ahead of Tranmere’s Sky Bet League Two opener at home to Stevenage.The 27-year-old defender moved to Prenton Park from Salford earlier this week but may have to wait to make his Rovers debut.Tom Davies, Kieron Morris and Charlie Jolley are definite absentees, the trio having all picked up knocks during pre-season.Micky Mellon’s side f...Full Story »