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Looking to pick up a crucial first-leg advantage on Thursday night, Ajax will travel to the Huvepharma Arena when they meet Ludogorets.

Ludogorets

Starting with the hosts, extending on their Europa League qualifying adventure earlier in the month as they secured an action-packed 6-3 aggregate victory against Astana, Ludogorets will be desperate to spring a major upset in midweek. However, despite mounting a stellar second-leg comeback at the Huvepharma Arena on August 17th, the Bulgarian heavyweights will be more than aware that they face a stern challenge over the next week. Failing to pick up any kind of momentum over the weekend while on domestic duties as they slumped to a toothless 1-0 loss at the hands of Cherno More, Ivaylo Pete…

Joe Hart stressed a consistency of message will help Celtic deal with major disruption in central defence.

Brendan Rodgers has lost Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and summer signing Maik Nawrocki to injury for about eight weeks.

The blows came quickly in the wake of Carl Starfelt’s exit, while Yuki Kobayashi will also miss games against St Johnstone and Rangers.

Gustaf Lagerbielke is set to make his cinch Premiership debut against Saints on Saturday, while Liam Scales could come in for his first Celtic appearance in 18 months after spending last season on loan at Aberdeen.

Hart said: “I have had a few different partners to play with this season, but the message has been pretty consistent.

“A large percentage (of games) were obviously …

Ramires has penned a new four year deal at Chelsea,.

The Brazil international has been at Stamford Bridge since signing from Benfica in the summer of 2010, and has played for them two hundred and thirty-six times scoring thirty-six goals.

During his time with the club so far, he has won the Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League while he was named the London club’s Player of the Year in 2012.

He has also been capped fifty-two times for his country, scoring four times and was part of the Brazil squads that attended both the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and last summer’s tournament in his home country.

Chelsea, fresh from being eliminated from the League Cup on penalties by Stoke City, host Liverpool on Saturday an…

Rangers chief executive Charles Green has predicted that the Glaswegian side will be playing in English football within five years.

Scotland s most successful club are even prepared to start as low as the Conference and work their way up to the Premier League, with Green ready to go to court to make it happen.

Green also believes that the presence of the Old Firm in English football would be hugely beneficial to the game south of Scotland.

Whether it is next week, because the English authorities change their mind, or in five to 10 years, Rangers and Celtic will leave Scotland, Green told the Daily Mirror.

I would like to think within five years. I say to English clubs: Don t be afraid of the unknown. There will be cross-border leagues and that will chan…

Jamie Vardy thinks England s World Cup squad have a similar spirit to that of Leicester City s shock Premier League champions of 2015-16.

Gareth Southgate s side head into their opening match in Volgograd on Monday in good form, having gone 10 matches without defeat since a 3-2 friendly loss to France last June.

A relatively low level of expectations among supporters, coupled with a strong sense of unity within the camp, has also helped to create a quiet optimism around an England side who were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Iceland.

Midfielder Jordan Henderson has previously said they should take inspiration from Leicester, who stunned the football world by winning the top-flight title two years ago.

And Vardy, a crucial part of that famous triumph, can s…

Paul Clement has warned in-demand Gylfi Sigurdsson to remember his failed spell at Tottenham before rushing to leave Swansea City.

Sigurdsson won Swansea s Player of the Year award for a second straight season after his superb Premier League haul of nine goals and 13 assists helped them to secure survival.

But Everton have been heavily linked with a £25million move for the Iceland international, prompting Clement s advice to think carefully after he struggled for regular games during his two years at Spurs between 2012 and 2014.

I think Gylfi has a unique situation, said Clement.

He was here on loan and then he went to Tottenham, which was set to be the next step in his career.

It didn t work out, he came back here and has done really well. He…

Rafael Benitez has refuted suggestions he moved to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang for financial reasons and says he left Newcastle United because he could no longer trust the owners.

Newcastle s managing director, Lee Charnley, said over the weekend that Benitez moved to China for the money after the Spaniard left St James Park following the expiry of his contract at the end of June.

Magpies owner Mike Ashley accused Benitez of making unrealistic wage demands and went on to name ex-Sunderland manager Steve Bruce as his replacement.

Benitez has reacted strongly to Charnley s comments, saying that three years of unfulfilled promises meant he could no longer trust the club s hierarchy.

I tried to do my best every day, even staying when we went down…

Shkodran Mustafi concedes he has struggled to handle the pressure of criticism that followed some high-profile mistakes for Arsenal.

Germany international defender Mustafi joined the Gunners from Valencia in 2016 but his form has dwindled over recent campaigns.

This term, the 27-year-old has predominantly been used in the Europa League and EFL Cup, although Calum Chambers being out for the season and Konstantinos Mavropanos joining Nurnberg on loan means he could be granted opportunities to add to a solitary Premier League start.

I just put my head down when all the criticism came at me and worked hard. I just closed my ears and focused on the work, and I think the fans kind of appreciated that, Mustafi said in an interview with Arsenal s official website. I ju…

Senegal secured their spot in the knockout phase of the Africa Cup of Nations as Group B winners after a late penalty reprieve saw them draw 0-0 with Malawi.

The Teranga Lions came into the tournament as one of the favourites, and while they progress to the next stage at the top of their group with five points, it was by no means convincing.

Malawi looked to carry the greater threat in the first half, with Gabadinho Mhango seeing a couple of long-range efforts go close.

Senegal did at least test Charles Thom in the Malawi goal early in the second half, with Abdou Diallo s header tipped just over, though it was hardly a sign of imminent domination.  

Malawi then looked set to take the lead with 15 minutes left when Bouna Sarr conceded a penalty for appear…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a new one-year contract with Serie A giants Milan.

The 39-year-old striker rejoined the Rossoneri on a free transfer in December 2019 until the end of the season, with the option of extending his stay.

Ibrahimovic put pen to paper to remain at San Siro for the current campaign and the evergreen frontman has now agreed terms for another 12 months.

The Sweden striker has scored 17 goals in all competitions in an injury-hit season, finding the back of the net 15 times in 17 Serie A matches.

Ibrahimovic had made no secret of his desire to stay at Milan and the club confirmed a deal has been agreed on Thursday.

Ex-Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona forward Ibrahimovic, who has scored 84 goals in 130 …