Football rumours: Gareth Southgate considers uncapped midfield trio for England

Gary O’Neil welcomes Wolves supporters dreaming of Europe even if he is happy to play down such talk.

Wolves completed a Premier League double over Tottenham on Saturday with a 2-1 away win that moved them on to 35 points for the campaign.

It was Wolves’ fourth win from their last five matches and they are now only two points off seventh spot, which has earned Europa Conference League qualification in each of the last three seasons.

The connection

— Wolves (@Wolves)

O’Neil said: “I haven’t seen the league table but I don’t really set goals in league table positions, especially with a group that I didn’t know when I joined and most of the talk at that point was around relegation!

“To switch talk from relegation to Europe…

Paris Saint Germain midfielder Yohan Cabaye has urged his club to make a move to sign Chelsea’s Eden Hazard,.

The former Newcastle United man, who himself moved to the French capital in January, played alongside the Belgium international at Lille where together they won the league and cup double in 2011, and is keen to link up with him once more.

Hazard has made 104 appearances in all competitions since move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012, scoring twenty-nine goals, and his form this season has been key in his club’s charge to the top of the Premier League table.

The 23 year old is set to come up against Cabaye in the quarter finals of the Champions League, with the first leg of the tie taking place at the Parc de Princes next Wednesday where .…

Didier Deschamps is keen to avoid a repeat of history when France travel to Ukraine for the first leg of their FIFA World Cup play-off.

The national team coach was part of the France team that lost 2-1 to Bulgaria at the Parc des Princes in November 1993, a result that ended France s hopes of securing their berth at the 1994 World Cup under the stewardship of Gerard Houllier.

Deschamps would go on to captain France to World Cup glory on home soil in 1998, and they have qualified for each of the three tournaments since then including 2006, when they finished runners-up to Italy.

But the 45-year-old admits he is still haunted by their failure 20 years ago, and is focused on ensuring France reach Brazil next year.

It may have been 20 years ago but it still sticks in…

Manchester United match-winner Ander Herrera thinks referee Bobby Madley was correct not to award a handball against him in the build-up to his side s opening goal in the victory over Chelsea.

The Spain midfielder set up Marcus Rashford s goal with a magnificent throughball after seven minutes, before going on to score with a deflected effort after the break as United beat the Premier League leaders 2-0 at Old Trafford.

Chelsea were furious Herrera was not penalised for a handball when he intercepted Nemanja Matic s pass prior to setting up Rashford, but he feels his action was not deliberate, meaning the right call was made.

I didn t want to touch the ball with the hand, Herrera said to Sky Sports after Sunday s game.

I was running with my arms next to…

Juan Mata wants to prolong his stay at Manchester United as seeks Premier League and Champions League glory.

Mata arrived at Old Trafford from Chelsea in 2014 and the Spain international has made more than 100 appearances, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.

The 28-year-old, who faced an uncertain future in Manchester having been sold by manager Jose Mourinho during the pair s time at Stamford Bridge, is out of contract at the end of 2017-18 and he wants to extend his time at United.

I have two years left on my contract and I would like to stay beyond that, Mata said in quotes published by the Mirror and The Sun.

I am happy here and obviously since I came we have won the FA Cup, Community Shield and now we have another chance to win a trophy.

…

European heavyweights Barcelona and Bayern Munich face off at the Estadio da Luz on Friday in the pick of the Champions League quarter-finals.

While plenty of focus will be on hotshot attackers Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, it may well be at the other end of the field where the one-legged tie is decided.

German compatriots Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Manuel Neuer are two of the finest goalkeepers of their generation, playing a huge part in their clubs success on the field.

But there is a feeling Ter Stegen is not recognised as the star he is in his own country, which is largely down to the presence of Neuer – Germany s long-standing number one.

And to further fan the flames, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last week claimed he is not yet at …

Market: Flamengo win and over 1.5 goals

Odds: 

Marching towards their sixth Serie A crown, a high-flying Flamengo will welcome Vasco da Gama to Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Starting with the hosts, battling from behind to land a 3-1 win over Bahia on Sunday, Flamengo have firmly cemented their spot as this year s standout performer. Already with one hand on the Serie A title and continuing to shine in the second half of the season, Jorge Jesus men currently find themselves enjoying a 23-match unbeaten run that stems all the way back to the 4th of August. With a growing reputation for their lethal showings in the final third, the former Benfica boss will be most impressed by his side s continued showings in Rio de Janeiro. The runaway l…

Liverpool signed defender Paul Konchesky from Fulham, while Sunderland smashed their transfer record to land Asamoah Gyan and Birmingham made a surprise swoop for Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb on the final day of the transfer window.

Reds boss Roy Hodgson had been keen to land left-back Konchesky from his former club since taking over at Anfield in the close-season and he finally got his man on a four-year contract once Finnish striker Lauri Dalla Valle and Swedish winger Alex Kacaniklic agreed their moves in the opposite direction.

That deal, Sunderland s signing of Rennes star Gyan and Birmingham s loan move for Hleb took centre-stage as Premier League clubs tried to beat the 1800BST (1700GMT) deadline for registering new signings.

Hleb s capture represe…

N Golo Kante has returned to training with Chelsea after serving a period of isolation following his positive coronavirus test.

The 30-year-old missed Chelsea s final two games before the international break – a 1-0 loss to Juventus and 3-1 win against Southampton – after contracting the virus.

Kante was also not included in France s Nations League squad, with Les Blues set to face Spain in Sunday s final after edging Belgium in a thrilling semi-final.

However, the midfielder – who has featured six times in all competitions this season – was cleared to return to Chelsea s Cobham training base on Friday after serving a 10-day isolation period.

Kante trained away from the main group as he is slowly integrated back into the fold ahead of the Blues s…

Veteran Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo is hoping to win more Serie A titles after prolonging his stay at the Italian champions.

Pirlo was set to come out of contract at the end of the month but the 35-year-old signed a new two-year deal with Juventus on Wednesday.

The Italy international, who will remain at the club until June 2016, is already targeting more silverware, having won three consecutive Scudetto titles since leaving rivals Milan in 2011.

I am very happy to have renewed my contract for another two years with Juventus, said Pirlo, who is away on international duty at the FIFA World Cup.

I hope to spend the next two years the same way as the last three.

It was my choice to continue with Juventus, as it is a successful club aiming to always improv…