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SCOTT CARSON TO START AS “GOALEE” FOR MANCITY AFTER EDERSON BAN

Scott Carson is set to make his second Premier League appearance in a decade, with Manchester City facing a goalkeeper crisis.

First-choice stopper Ederson is set to miss the champions’ clash with Leicester City on Saturday, after the Brazilian FA asked FIFA to enforce a five-day ban on players that did not appear during the latest batch of internationals.

Ederson along with teammate Gabriel Jesus were two of eight Premier League players to not travel to Brazil, after top-flight bosses unanimously decided to not release those which would need to travel to red-list countries.

Had the 28-year-old turned out for the Selecao, he would have had to quarantine for 10 days upon his return to Manchester, as per the current government guidelines.

Instead, City decided not to release him, but now Brazilian chiefs have told FIFA to enforce the restrictions between September 10 and 14.

City are expected to appeal the ban, but there is a chance he will miss the game at the King Power Stadium.

USA international Zack Steffen is Ederson’s backup , but he is also absent after testing positive for Covid-19 whilst on international duty.

The American had already been suffering with back spasms, but the positive test will definitely see him miss the clash with the Foxes.

That leaves 36-year-old Carson as Pep Guardiola’s most senior option, with youngsters Josh McNamara and Mikki van Sas fighting for a place in the squad.

Carson has played just one Premier League game since leaving West Brom in 2011, turning out for City in the closing months of last season.

Initially signed on loan from the Rams, Carson was announced as a permanent City player during the summer window, signing a one-year contract at the Etihad.

Speaking about his decision to start Carson against the Magpies, Guardiola opened up on the huge influence the veteran keeper has within the City dressing room.

He said: “Maybe people don’t know it but he’s a real leader for us.

“He says straight away what he believes, he has a lot of experience, he has been in incredible locker rooms with big teams.

“He is an incredible person and we are delighted – not just me but Eddy (Ederson) and Zack (Steffen) and the players that today he could play.”

In more positive news for Guardiola and City, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne are both set to return to the squad after missing time in the early portion of the season.

Foden has been out since the Euro 2020 semi final, while De Bruyne missed the 5-0 win over Arsenal before the international break.

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EIGHT BRAZILIAN PLAYERS TO BE BARRED FROM PLAYING IN PREMIER LEAGUE THIS WEEKEND

Eight Brazilian players at Premier League clubs are set to be barred from playing this weekend over a refusal to release them for international duty.

The PA news agency understands that the Brazilian football federation (CBF) has written to FIFA asking that an automatic restriction be placed on the players from appearing for their clubs between September 10 and 14.

The players are Ederson and Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, Liverpool trio Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino, Fred at Manchester United, Thiago Silva at Chelsea and Raphinha at Leeds. The CBF did not request a restriction be placed on Everton forward Richarlison, who was released by the club to play for his country at the Olympic Games this summer.

FIFA in turn has contacted the Football Association and the clubs concerned regarding the Brazilian federation’s request. The world governing body may impose sanctions if the players do feature for their clubs when classed as being ineligible.

The Premier League announced prior to the September international window that players would not be released where that involved travelling to countries on the UK Government’s coronavirus ‘red list’.

Anyone returning from a red-list country or who has been in a red-list country in the 10 days prior to entering the UK must quarantine in a Government-approved hotel for 10 days, which would mean players missing Premier League as well as Champions League and Carabao Cup games.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for an exemption, but the request was not granted.

Aston Villa did reach an agreement with two of their players – Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia – to play in Argentina’s first two World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Brazil, but miss the third against Bolivia.

Tottenham duo Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso are expected to be fined when they return to club duty, PA understands, after travelling without permission.

All four Argentinians are at the centre of a separate row over allegations that they had declared false information on official forms to the Brazilian health authorities on entering that country and in doing so had broken quarantine rules.

Health authority officials entered the pitch during the Brazil v Argentina match in Sao Paulo on Sunday seeking to deport three of the players on the field at the time, forcing the match to be suspended. The situation was described as “crazy” by Infantino this week and FIFA has now opened a disciplinary investigation involving both countries’ national associations.

FIFA is understood to have also received requests from two other South American nations asking for restrictions to be imposed – from Paraguay in the case of Newcastle midfielder Miguel Almiron, and from Chile in relation to Francisco Sierralta of Watford and Ben Brereton-Diaz of Blackburn.

The Mexican federation has requested Raul Jimenez be ineligible for Wolves between September 9 and 13.

It remains to be seen whether clubs will follow the restrictions this weekend, and, unless an agreement can be reached, then the whole situation looks set to flare up again ahead of the October international window.

In previous international windows since the pandemic began, clubs had been allowed to refuse to release players if they would be required to quarantine for five days either on arrival with their national team or on their return to their club.

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Tottenham, Chelsea to play world’s first net zero match

According to a release, Tottenham Hotspur will work to minimise emissions from matchday activity such as travel to and from the stadium for both fans and clubs, and dietary choices at the stadium.

On September 19, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are all set to renew their city rivalry in the Premier League but this time there will be a sense of uniqueness permeating through the proceedings. According to a release issued by Spurs’ official website, the match aims to become the world’s first elite-level football game which aims to be a net zero carbon fixture. With that in mind, they have branded the match as #GameZero.
What does net zero mean

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.

In the context of the match, this can be achieved when direct emissions associated with it (for example, fan and employee travel, energy use of the stadium, production of food and drink) are reduced as much as possible and the remainder is ‘offset’ through natural projects, says BBC.

These can include investing in organisations that plant trees or charities that help clean oceans, or by contributing to projects exploring more ways to produce renewable energy.

Spurs and Chelsea vow to adhere to the plan

According to the release issued by the Tottenham website, for the match to be net zero, the club will work to minimise emissions from matchday activity such as energy used to power the game, travel to and from the stadium for both fans and clubs, and dietary choices at the stadium.

They will be encouraging fans attending the Chelsea match to take sustainable actions on the day, including, using public transport, cycling to the match, choosing a plant-based food option with all food served inside the stadium locally and sustainably sourced, with plant-based options available across all outlets and in Premium areas. They will also keep an eye on recycling waste with clear recycling instructions for fans on its bins, as well as a reusable beer cup scheme.

Furthermore, the Spurs squad will travel to the match by coach to reduce the number of car movements, and as the away team, Chelsea will also be asking all their staff to travel across London sustainably.

Both sets of players will head to the stadium on a coach that is running on biofuel, which is a form of renewable diesel produced from food waste products and reduces carbon emissions significantly and the players from both teams will also be drinking water on the day from cartons provided by Spurs, as opposed to plastic bottles, the release further stated.

Spurs chairman hails historic occasion

Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, said: “We are delighted to be the chosen partner of Sky on this ground-breaking initiative that will demonstrate the role our game can play in addressing the urgent issue of climate change.

“As the Premier League’s greenest club, Tottenham Hotspur is passionate about our planet – we look forward to showcasing our wide range of sustainable measures that are already in place and encouraging our fans to take simple actions that can make a huge difference.”

In January, Spurs were named the Premier League’s greenest club, after a study was conducted by the Sport Positive Summit, who are supported by the UN.

This match is supported by COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference and Jonathan Licht, managing director at Sky Sports, explained that even small changes can help.

“We hope that by using the power of sport, we can inspire and support football fans to make simple changes to reduce their carbon footprint and make more climate-friendly choices,” he said.

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Liverpool lining up club-record £80m Jude Bellingham swoop

Liverpool are reportedly preparing to launch a club-record £80m bid for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham.

The 18-year-old continues to impress for club and country since making the move to the Bundesliga from Birmingham City last year and remains contracted to BVB until the summer of 2025.

However, Bellingham’s impressive breakthrough has supposedly led to interest from top clubs such as Chelsea, who are said to be plotting a swoop for the teenager in 2022.

Now, the Daily Star claims that Jurgen Klopp has earmarked Bellingham as the perfect addition to his midfield, with the Reds failing to replace Georginio Wijnaldum in the most recent transfer window.

The report claims that Liverpool are ahead of Manchester United in the race for the England international, who remains content at Dortmund but is aware that a Premier League move may be inevitable.

Bellingham has already scored one goal and set up two more in three Bundesliga appearances this season, and he garnered significant praise for his performance in England’s 4-0 thrashing of Andorra at the weekend.

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Gareth Bale not in favour of biennial FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar could be Gareth Bale’s last opportunity to play in the tournament but the forward said making the competition a biennial event would diminish its appeal.

Wales captain Gareth Bale said he is not in favour of a FIFA proposal to hold the World Cup every two years.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be the 32-year-old’s last opportunity to play in the tournament but the winger said making the competition a biennial event would diminish its appeal.

“I like the tradition of every four years. It has that prestige, like the Olympics where it comes around every four years. It feels that little bit more special because it’s not happening too often,” Bale said.

“It does make it that bit more prestigious … I don’t really like that every two years because it loses that bit of history.”

Manchester City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano said the football calendar was already overwhelmed.

“There is no space for anything,” he said. “No room at all. The players cannot play more games.”

Nasser al-Khelaifi, the European Club Association (ECA) president and Paris St Germain chief executive, and Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani urged FIFA to engage with clubs on the matter.

“I would like every four years but perhaps there could be a discussion around every three,” Radrizzani added.

A joint statement signed by Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and fans’ groups from across the six confederations called on FIFA to abandon their proposals.

“Such a move threatens to destroy the already fragile balance between local, domestic, continental, and international competitions and calendars,” the statement read.

“The game needs to change. But it needs to change for the better. We do not want or need more World Cups.”

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FIFA OPENS DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS FOR ABANDONED BRAZIL-ARGENTINA MATCH

World football’s governing body FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings into Sunday’s Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier which was abandoned after five minutes due to intervention by health officials.

Brazilian health authorities invaded the pitch to stop the game after accusing four of Argentina’s English Premier League players of violating the country’s COVID-19 quarantine rules.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham Hotspur duo Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were on the Neo Quimica Arena field as part of Argentina’s team when officials from Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa halted the match.

“Following the analysis of the official match reports related to the FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Brazil and Argentina, FIFA can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened involving both member associations,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The two teams were asked to provide further information on the facts that led to the suspension of the match, which will be gathered and then thoroughly reviewed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee.”

Anvisa said Brazilian rules make clear that travellers who have been in the UK, South Africa or India during the previous 14 days are forbidden from entering the country unless they are Brazilian citizens or have permanent residency.

It said Argentine players had made false statements about their previous whereabouts on immigration forms. Brazil’s Federal Police said on Monday they had opened a formal inquiry into the actions of the Argentine players who, a spokesperson said, were deported.

Argentina’s Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia had also traveled from the UK and was in the stands.

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GRIEZMANN DOUBLE FIRES FRANCE TO VICTORY OVER FINLAND

Antoine Griezmann played chief tormentor as France sprung back into life to end a five-game winless streak by beating visitors Finland 2-0 in a World Cup Group D qualifier on Tuesday.

Griezmann struck in each half after his partnership with Karim Benzema bore fruit in satisfying fashion to put the world champions on 12 points from six matches at the top of the group.

Finland, who had a decent opening half, are third on five points but have two games in hand of the French.

Bosnia are fourth on three points from four games after a 2-2 draw with bottom side Kazakhstan, who also have three points. Ukraine are second on five points from as many matches.

“Even it was not perfect we showed determination and with that came some more technical quality,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.

“We had more confidence, it was more like us. It’s a very important result for us, now we have to finish the job in November.”

After two 1-1 draws against Bosnia and Ukraine, Deschamps’ tinkering paid off as France started in an usual 5-2-3 formation with Leo Dubois and Theo Hernandez as fullbacks and Griezmann, Anthony Martial and Benzema up front.

But it was Finland who had the first clear chance through Urho Nissila, whose floating strike was tipped over the bar by Hugo Lloris.

Les Bleus, however, were on the attack and Lukas Hradecky pulled off a nice save in the 22nd minute to deny Benzema.

Griezmann found the back of the net when he whipped the ball past Hradecky with the outside of his foot after collecting a clever deflection in the box by Benzema on 25 minutes.

Finland continued to threaten on the break, but France proved clinical early in the second half.

After some more nice work from Benzema, Dubois found Griezmann in the area and the forward sneaked the ball between Hradecky and the left-hand post to give the hosts some breathing space in the 53rd.

He has now scored 41 international goals to become France’s joint third all-time top scorer alongside Michel Platini.

Shortly afterwards, Martial missed Hernandez’s cross for what would have been France’s third.

France controlled the end game, keeping the ball high on the pitch and creating a few chances through Benzema, who had a night to remember on his visit to his former stadium, 12 years after leaving Lyon for Real Madrid.

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WCQ: RED-HOT MEMPHIS DEPAY NETS HATRICK AS NETHERLANDS THRASH TURKEY

Red-hot Memphis Depay nets hat-trick as Netherlands hit Turkey for six

Memphis Depay scored a hat trick as the Netherlands ran out 6-1 winners over 10-man Turkey at the Amsterdam Arena on Tuesday to go top of World Cup qualifying Group G on goal difference.

It was the first international treble for the 27-year-old striker — who joined Barcelona as a free agent this summer — as the Dutch posted an emphatic victory for the second time in four days. The big win put them on 13 points from six games and vaulted them above Turkey at the head of the group.

Davy Klaassen scored in the opening minute to make a dream start for the home side, who had lost 4-2 to Turkey in Istanbul in March at the start of the qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 finals, before Depay added three more, including a penalty.

Guus Til scored the fifth 10 minutes from time and Donyell Malen added a sixth in stoppage time before a consolation goal for Cengiz Under.

The result means Turkey slip from top to third in the group as they remain on 11 points with Norway moving second, behind the Dutch on goal difference, after beating Gibraltar 5-1 on Tuesday.

It was a night for dominance by the Dutch, who picked up where they left off after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Montenegro to snatch the lead as Klaassen combined with Depay to score almost straight from the kick-off. An aggressive Dutch approach led to Klaassen then providing the assist for Depay’s first goal in the 17th minute as they doubled the score, and it was 3-0 at halftime after Depay converted a 38th-minute penalty.

Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu was booked for a foul on Klaassen to concede the spot-kick, which was awarded after a VAR check. The Turkey defender was then sent off for a second caution on the stroke of halftime. From there, Depay completed his hat-trick with a diving header on the goal-line to touch home Steven Berghuis’s cross in the 54th minute, before Til and Malen sealed the win with two more goals.

The one blemish came from a errant pass from goalkeeper Justin Bijlow that allowed Under to score for Turkey with the last kick of the game.

All in all, it was a triumphant night for veteran coach Louis van Gaal at the start of his third spell as coach. He had just days to prepare the team for their draw in Norway last Wednesday, but has since engineered two emphatic wins and a clear path to automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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WCQ: NIGERIA COME BACK FROM BEHIND TO GET NARROW WIN AT CAPE VERDE

Victor Osimhen’s strike and Kenny Rocha Santos’ own goal helped Nigeria come from behind to beat Cape Verde 2-1 in their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying game.

Two defensive blunders from the hosts secured maximum points for the Super Eagles as they clinched back-to-back wins in Group C.

It was a memorable outing for Ahmed Musa who made his 100th appearance for the Super Eagles while Malmo’s Innocent Bonke and Bolgona’s Kingsley Michael were handed starting debuts, in the absence of Wilfred Ndidi and Joe Aribo.

The Blue Sharks drew first blood in the 19th minute after Dylan Dos Santos beat an offside trap to fire his left-footed shot past goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

Five minutes later, Ryan Mendes tried to test the Super Eagles shot-stopper with another shot but it went off target.

Osimhen and Ejuke linked up a few minutes later as Nigeria kept pushing for an equaliser and the CSKA Moscow winger forced Cape Verde’s Vozinha to parry his long-range shot for a corner-kick.

Their push finally paid off as Osimhen capitalised on a defensive error to draw both teams level in the 29th minute.

Ejuke proved to be a threat to the Blue Sharks’ defence with his long-range efforts, he again forced Vozinha to make a fine save off his curling right shot from the edge of the box.

Nigeria started the second half with a much higher tempo with Nantes winger Moses Simon winning a number of fouls for the visitors.

Just before the hour-mark, Cape Verde coach Bubista opted to introduce Garry Rodrigues for Vagner while Rohr made his tactical changes in the 70th minute as Henry Onyekuru and Terem Moffi replaced Simon and Musa respectively.

Onyekuru made an instant impact but his effort lacked power to beat Vozinha, however, they finally turned the game around after another defensive error. Kenny Rocha Santos played the ball into his team’s net after the goalkeeper had left his position.

With three minutes left on the clock, Vagner Dias nearly canceled the Super Eagles’ second goal but his header was slightly off target.

The victory stretched Nigeria’s lead in Group C to six points after two games while Cape Verde have just gathered a point and they are behind second-placed Liberia.

On Tuesday, Kpah Sherman helped Liberia beat Central African Republic 1-0 with his 86th-minute effort in Douala.

Nigeria will shift their attention to next month’s double-header clash against CAR with the aim of extending their dominance in the group while Cape Verde have a date with Liberia in October.

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Joan Laporta confirms talks with Ronald Koeman over new Barcelona contract

President Joan Laporta has revealed that contract discussions have already been held with Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman.

The Dutchman has needed to handle a number of on and off-the-pitch issues during his time at Camp Nou, including the club’s financial crisis and the departure of Lionel Messi.

There has also been a change of leadership behind the scenes with Laporta returning to the Catalan giants to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Despite calls for a fresh face in the dugout, Laporta has insisted that Koeman has his full support for the coming season.

Speaking to Onze TV, Laporta said: “Koeman has all my support, my respect and all the confidence so that he can work as comfortably as possible.

“We have already spoken a couple of times with Rob Jansen, his agent, so we are talking. I told the coach that he has to be strong, he cannot be in the weak position of ending the contract, so I raised the possibility of extending the contract.”

Barcelona have recorded two wins and a draw from their opening three La Liga fixtures of the new campaign.