Newcastle United head coach Steve McClaren has confirmed that Cheick Tiote has been left out of their tour of the United States after he was refused a visa.
McClaren s men are in Milwaukee, preparing for the first game of the tour against Club Atlas at Miller Park on Tuesday.
They will then take on Sacramento Republic on Saturday before rounding off the tour by taking on MLS side Portland Timbers.
But Ivory Coast midfielder Tiote has been left to train at home following his unsuccessful visa application.
Obtaining visas for the USA can be difficult for people with criminal convictions. Tiote received a seven-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months and 180 hours community service in October 2013 for possession of a fake driving licence.
McCl…
The big three in Spain are expected to once again go head-to-head to win La Liga
On Friday night La Liga returns for another pulsating campaign of top-flight Spanish action.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are once again expected to fight it out for the title.
It seems unlikely that any other team will break that trilogy in the title race. Here is a lowdown of the big three in the Spanish title race:
Barcelona
Last season Barcelona looked imperious for much of the season until a collapse towards the end of the campaign nearly cost them dearly.
While that collapse coincided with a Champions League exit against Atletico Madrid, it did not stop Luis Enrique’s team from being crowned Spanish champions for a successive campaign.
New signing Antony was named in Manchester United s starting line-up for the first time for Sunday s Premier League clash with Arsenal.
The Brazil international became United s second-most expensive signing when joining from Ajax for £86million (€100m) earlier this week.
Antony was expected to be included among the substitutes against Arsenal, but the winger was instead named in Erik ten Hag s starting XI.
The introduction of debutant Antony was the only change from Thursday s 1-0 win at Leicester City, with Anthony Elanga dropping to the bench.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also named among the subs for the fourth game running, while Casemiro must wait for his first start for the club.
Ten Hag had previously named the same starting line-up for United …
Thomas Tuchel claimed Reece James development is far from over after the right-back signed a new long-term contract with Chelsea.
James has emerged as a key player in Tuchel s Chelsea side since he took over last January, driving forward from a wing-back role or filling in on the right of the German s favoured three-man backline, and has made five Premier League appearances this season.
The England international penned a new five-year contract with the Blues on Monday, which reportedly makes him the highest-paid defender in their history.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea s Champions League opener with Dinamo Zagreb, Tuchel expressed his delight at the Blues ability to tie down one of their prized assets.
Of course, he s a very decisive player for us and he …
Wayne Rooney has reportedly admitted to team-mates that he could leave Manchester United in the summer.
Rooney has maintained a public stance of silence following widespread suggestions that Sir Alex Ferguson might be willing to sell him.
But football website Goal.com has reported that the 27-year-old has privately told club and international colleagues that his Old Trafford future is up in the air.
Rooney harboured the doubts long before he was dropped for last Tuesday s Champions League defeat by Real Madrid.
He is believed to have told team-mates during the international break in the first week of February that he could leave United in the summer.
Although Rooney scored United s second goal upon his return to the starting XI in their 2-2 FA C…
AC Milan crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Antonio Cassano-inspired Sampdoria as the heat on coach Carlo Ancelotti cranked up another notch on Sunday.
Just three days after blowing a 2-0 lead at the San Siro and exiting the UEFA Cup at the hands of Werder Bremen, Sampdoria, and Cassano in particular, heaped further pressure on the under-fire Milan coach.
The fall-out from Milan s midweek UEFA Cup elimination could be seen in Ancelotti s team selection as a host of old hands found themselves making way for younger legs.
Out went 40-year-old Paolo Maldini, 37-year-old Giuseppe Favalli, 35-year-old Filippo Inzaghi and 31-year-old Massimo Ambrosini while in came Philippe Senderos (24), Daniele Bonera (27), Mathieu Flamini (24) and Luca Antonini (26).
With a top thr…
Sevilla recruit Fernando Llorente lamented a losing return to La Liga, as his new club went down 3-0 to Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Llorente completed a switch back to Spain from Juventus on Thursday, the former Athletic Bilbao striker starting in Sevilla s home opener, with the 2013-14 champions taking the points.
The 30-year-old, a prominent goal-scorer for Bilbao between 2004 and 2013, said Sevilla were unfortunate at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Slack defending led to Atletico s opener from Koke, before Gabi s second-half strike from distance deflected in off the back of Sevilla s Grzegorz Krychowiak.
It was a very hard and tough game. Atletico are a very compact team that fights a lot, we have tried in the second half but we had no luck, Ll…
Australia international and Ingolstadt star Mathew Leckie believes he is well equipped to take the Bundesliga by storm this season.
Germany is quickly standing up and taking notice of Leckie, who netted a goal-of-the-season contender for newly-promoted Ingolstadt before the international break.
Leckie, however, is no stranger to the Bundesliga.
The Socceroos forward was an unknown 20-year-old when he first arrived in the league via Borussia Monchengladbach four years ago.
Back then Leckie made just a handful of senior league appearances nine in total before he was shipped out to 2.Bundesliga outfit FSV Frankfurt permanently in 2013.
Now one of Ingolstadt s main men after leading the Bavarian club into the top flight with seven goals in his first s…
Vinicius Junior said he hopes to emulate the success of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in Spain as he gave a tearful goodbye at his final Flamengo news conference.
The 17-year-old is set to join Real Madrid for a reported €45million after scoring 11 goals in 51 league appearances for Flamengo since making his debut in May 2017.
He predicted that the adjustment to Spanish football tactics would be the most challenging aspect of his move, while paying tribute to the club that gave him a start in the game.
I m saying goodbye to the club that I love very much, he said. I m going after more dreams in my life.
All people who love me are always by my side. I managed to realise my dream here in Flamengo.
We also said goodbye to our Vinicius Junior. Thanks fo…
Spanish La Liga strugglers Valencia have decided to cash in on star player Joao Cancelo, .
Los Che have so far resisted temptation to sell one of their most prized possessions in spite of heavy interest from Barcelona and other top clubs, but they appear to have changed their minds.
Superdeporte has learned that Valencia have already begun the search for new right-sided defender as Cancelo is widely expected to leave.
With the player determined to help los Che claw their way out of the danger zone, he is unlikely to leave in January, but summer exit seems on the cards.
Barcelona remain the most likely destination, but it is important to note that Manchester United, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are keen as well.
Joao Cancelo j…