Doncaster midfielder Ben Close has been ruled out of Saturday’s League One game against Shrewsbury due to a knee problem.Close is nearing a return to action after sustaining the injury in the 2-0 defeat at Burton on November 27 but will not be fit this weekend.Joseph Olowu is available after completing a three-match suspension.Fellow defender Ro-Shaun Williams will miss the whole festive p...Full Story »

Matija Sarkic is expected to be fit for Birmingham when they face Cardiff.The goalkeeper was ruled out of last weekend’s defeat to Millwall with a tight hamstring but manager Lee Bowyer revealed it was “precautionary” and Sarkic is back in training.The Blues boss also confirmed Maxime Colin is expected to return to training in the next 10 days after being injured.Birmingham are...Full Story »

Derby will again be without Sam Baldock and Lee Buchanan when they host Blackpool.Baldock (hamstring) and Buchanan (knee) are still recovering from injuries, although the former remains on course to return in the next couple of weeks.Jack Stretton, meanwhile, has been absent due to a knee problem and illness, and Krystian Bielik’s knee injury is likely to sideline him until January.Derby, ...Full Story »

Walsall head into Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two home clash with Colchester appearing to have come through their last outing on Tuesday unscathed.That was the 1-1 draw with Crawley at the Banks’s Stadium that saw defender Stephen Ward back in action after a hip injury and winger Brendan Kiernan score on his return to the starting line-up.Forward Rory Holden has been on the sidelines.M...Full Story »

Cheltenham manager Michael Duff could make changes ahead of his side’s clash with Lincoln after they were thrashed 5-0 by Cambridge in midweek.Will Boyle could be a doubt for the side, with Duff revealing to the club website post-Cambridge he opted not to put the defender on the bench as he had “missed too much football” with his injury, and wanted to ensure he “doesn&rsq...Full Story »

Luton are sweating on the availability of Simon Sluga for their Sky Bet Championship clash with Fulham.Goalkeeper Sluga missed the 3-0 victory over Blackpool last Saturday because of illness and it is hoped he will recover in time to face the Cottagers.James Shea deputised for Sluga at Bloomfield Road and will continue in goal if his team-mate fails to pull through.Boss Nathan Jones made five ch...Full Story »

Oldham have a pair of injury problems to concern them ahead of Saturday’s clash with Forest Green.Midfielder Ousseynou Cisse went off early in the second half with a shoulder injury during Tuesday’s last-minute defeat to Tranmere.Defender Jordan Clarke missed the game due to an injury of his own, with the pair’s problems affecting what had previously been a full-strength squad ...Full Story »

Huddersfield are nursing a few injury problems as they prepare to welcome Coventry to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday.Captain Jonathan Hogg is still not available for the Terriers and it is yet to be known when the 33-year-old will make his return.Fellow midfielder Alex Vallejo continues his recovery after undergoing knee surgery and will also be out for a long period of time.Jordan R...Full Story »

Fleetwood will again be without Daniel Batty in Saturday’s Sky Bet League One home clash with Gillingham.The midfielder continues to serve the suspension resulting from his straight red card in the 5-1 loss at Accrington last Saturday.Three days later Fleetwood beat Bolton 3-0 at Highbury Stadium to end an eight-match winless run.The Cod Army, who have had Stephen Crainey as interim manage...Full Story »

Hartlepool boss Graeme Lee has no fresh injury or suspension problems as he looks to make it a hat-trick of victories since taking charge when Scunthorpe visit.Pools came from behind to beat Rochdale 2-1 in midweek – ending a run of five straight Sky Bet League Two defeats – and Lee praised his substitutes for their part in the win.Midfielder Tom Crawford and teenage forward Joe Grey...Full Story »

Preston play their first match under new boss Ryan Lowe when they host Barnsley in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday.Having sacked Frankie McAvoy on Monday, North End brought in Lowe the following day after he resigned from his role at Plymouth.Lowe has said Ched Evans, who played the full duration of last Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Blackburn, Andrew Hughes and Sepp Van Den Berg have been &...Full Story »

Brentford will be without suspended forward Sergi Canos and striker Ivan Toney for the Premier League match against Watford.The versatile Canos, who has played at wing-back in the Premier League this season, sits out a one-game ban after receiving his fifth booking in Sunday’s draw at Leeds.Toney is still unavailable after missing out at Elland Road due to Covid-19, but defender Mads Bech ...Full Story »

Newport boss James Rowberry is hopeful top scorer Dom Telford will return to face Port Vale on Saturday after a spell out with coronavirus.The striker, who has scored 14 goals this season and 11 in his last seven Sky Bet League Two appearances, missed Tuesday’s 3-2 comeback victory over Sutton.Lewis Collins came in for Telford in midweek and scored to give Rowberry food for thought.Newport...Full Story »

Oli Hawkins returns from suspension but may still miss out as in-form Mansfield host Salford in Sky Bet League Two.The tall striker sat out the 1-0 victory against Carlisle due to a one-match ban and is now grappling with illness as the Stags target a sixth win from seven games.Nigel Clough’s men, who are unbeaten at Field Mill in the league since October 2, will assess midfielder Ollie Cl...Full Story »

Let's start our 7M Daily Laugh today.   A couple of European heavyweights are landing in the Europa League     Sevilla have won the Europa League four of the last eight seasons     Barcelona will play Europa League football for the first time since it was the UEFA Cup in 2003-04     ZENIT STUN THE REIGNING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS - CHELSEA & THANKS T...Full Story »

The Brazilian legend was hospitalised for nearly a month earlier this year after having a colon tumour removed. Pele has been readmitted to hospital Credit: AFP The Brazilian legend has undergone extensive treatment this year Credit: Instagram @iamkelynascimento Pele, 81, has now been readmitted for further treatment. The three-time world champion was admitted to Albert Einstein Hospital in ...Full Story »

Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or last week, extending his record with the most wins, and his son Thiago was confused to see the latest trophy added to his dad's collection. Messi picked up his latest trophy confirming he's the best player in the world in France last Monday, although unlike the previous six times it was highly contentious. The PSG forward pipped Robert Lewandowski to ...Full Story »

Former Sheffield United defender Terry Kennedy was forced to hang up his boots in 2016 after suffering a career ending knee injury but this time his luck was in as he bagged the £1m Lotto jackpot A professional footballer forced to retire due to injury landed a £1million lotto jackpot with a ticket he left behind in the shop. Terry Kennedy, 28, played for Sheffield United alongside M...Full Story »

Liverpool still don't know whether top scorer Mohamed Salah will link up with the Egypt national team before the turn of the year. The African Cup of Nations begins on January 9. FIFA regulations mean players called up for the tournament should be made available 14 days before the start of the tournament. Salah would then be required to join Egypt after the Boxing Day match against Leeds Un...Full Story »

Barcelona are pushing to offload Samuel Umtiti in January. Italian reporter Rudy Galetti reports the 28-year-old is one of the options which AC Milan are studying as cover for Simon Kjaer who is facing six months out after rupturing the ligaments in his left knee. Milan view Umtiti as a low-cost alternative to some of the other players they are looking at, seeing as the Frenchman doesn't fig...Full Story »