RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a ligament injury in Saturday s 3-0 win against Borussia Dortmund.

The 25-year-old Austrian came off late in the game, and it has been revealed by his club he suffered a blow to his left syndesmosis ligament, an injury often known as a high ankle sprain.

Laimer, who was linked with Liverpool and Bayern Munich before the transfer window closed, faces several weeks out of action, Leipzig said.

The news comes as a blow to new Leipzig head coach Marco Rose, who was appointed last Thursday in the wake of Domenico Tedesco losing his job after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.

The injury setback was confirmed on the eve of Leipzig s away game against Rea…

Milan s game against Roma on Saturday is worth double as both teams vie for Champions League qualification, says Rossoneri head coach Stefano Pioli.

Milan occupy the all-important fourth place in Serie A, but only by virtue of their superior goal difference, with Roma also on 56 points ahead of Saturday s vital clash.

Pioli s men head to Stadio Olimpico where the Giallorossi have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight home league matches, with no other team in the top five European leagues keeping more since the turn of the year.

Pioli acknowledged the importance of the fixture in his pre-match press conference, telling reporters: We need to give continuity to our performances, making sure that the next match is the most important one.

Tomorrow s ma…

French daily newspaper L Equipe has learned that Monaco and Napoli have been showing interest in Marseille defender Nicolas N Koulou.

The Cameroonian is widely regarded as one of world s most talented centre-backs, and it is only a matter of time before he leaves Stade Velodrome for greener pastures.

L Equipe understands that both Monaco and Napoli attempted to sign the 23-year-old this summer, only to have their approaches rejected by OM.

N Koulou appears to be unconcerned by the transfer talk, but chances are that both clubs are going to reignite their interest come January transfer window.

The interesting thing is that it was at Monaco that the stopper started his career, appearing in 78 Ligue 1 matches before making a switch to Marseille in the summe…

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has signed a new four-year contract with the Scottish Premiership club, ending speculation linking him with Dundee United.

The Northern Irishman, 52, has been in charge at McDiarmid Park since stepping up from his previous role as assistant boss to replace Steve Lomas in 2013.

St Johnstone have finished sixth and fourth in his two seasons in charge, with Wright famously guiding them to the club s first Scottish Cup success in 2014.

Dundee United had approached the Perth side in an attempt to speak to Wright after sacking Jackie McNamara but were turned down and the Saints boss has now agreed a new deal.

Of course, I am delighted to have extended my contract, said Wright. I am enjoying my time at the club and I do feel th…

Liverpool have pledged to seek a resolution with Bobby Duncan after describing allegations made against them by the teenage forward s agent as inaccurate and inflammatory .

Duncan s representative Saif Rubie claimed his client wants to leave the club and that Liverpool s moves to block a transfer away has taken a toll on the 18-year-old s wellbeing.

Rubie singled out Reds sporting director Michael Edwards for criticism and alleged the treatment of Duncan – who is Steven Gerrard s cousin – showed zero consideration for the player s mental health.

Liverpool have strongly refuted Rubie s claims with a spokesperson stating: Liverpool Football Club is aware of and disappointed by the unattributed comments and unfounded allegations that have been made in the media…

Jadon Sancho has withdrawn from England s squad after sustaining a minor knock. 

England thrashed Hungary 4-0 in Budapest on Thursday as they made it four wins from four games in World Cup qualifying. 

Sancho, who left Borussia Dortmund to join Manchester United ahead of the 2021-22 season, was not involved at the Puskas Arena after suffering an injury in training. 

The winger will now not feature in the upcoming matches against Andorra and Poland either.

England confirmed on Saturday that the 21-year-old had returned to his club but is expected to be fit for the Red Devils clash with Newcastle United on September 11. 

That game at Old Trafford will likely see Cristiano Ronaldo make his second debut for United, following the five-t…

Next years World Cup in South Africa will see some minor football countries competing with the top nations. Notable by their absence will be some major players.

Minor countries

New Zealand have confirmed their presence at next years tournament. Their top player and captain is Ryan Nelsen of Blackburn Rovers. He is the only player currently playing with a club in a major league.

They do have two players playing in the English Championship in the shape of West Brom youngster Chris Wood and striker Rory Fallon but the rest play their football at lower levels of the game. Fallon scored the winner in the play-off against Bahrain to get his country to the finals.

Do teams like New Zealand and North Korea add anything to the World Cup or are they just cannon-fo…

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has called on the club s fans to ditch their negative attitude after promotion to the Premier League.

After taking over the Welsh club in May 2010, Tan controversially changed the colour of their home kit from traditional blue to red a lucky colour in Malaysia two years later.

Fans protested about the decision, but there was a subsequent upturn in the club s form on the pitch as they won the Championship last season to take their place in the top flight for the first time in 51 years.

Despite this success, Tan has still faced criticism from a section of Cardiff fans and he has now urged all supporters to get behind the team.

“I am surprised there are fans against the colour, he said. I’m disappointed with that.

Despite the…

Lyon attacker Nabil Fekir has suggested he would find it hard to turn down a move to LaLiga if an interesting club from Spain made a move for him.

The France international has previously been linked with a move to Barcelona, but a serious knee injury at the start of the 2015-16 campaign has interrupted his progress.

Fekir has been a key figure for Lyon again this term, though, and has hinted he would be open to a move abroad at the end of the season.

I am not really thinking about my future yet, Fekir told RTL.

The end of the season is still far away, there are three more months to go.

But I cannot deny I like the Spanish league. It is a league w
00001059
here they play some nice football. LaLiga is the league I prefer most.

Behind L…

Charlton Athletic s home game with Fleetwood Town was stopped after fans threw packets of crisps on the pitch in the latest round of protests against the club s ownership.

Roland Duchatelet is in the process of selling the League One club, with Charlton managed by former England international Lee Bowyer in disarray off the field.

This week saw the English Football League confirm the organisation will seek to meet the club and the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust to discuss the situation.

Reports have suggested bonuses owed to staff members have not been paid, while it was claimed workers have been banned from eating crisps at their desks.

Saturday s protest, organised by the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) saw dozens of packets of crisps th…