Alexis survives; relieved sighs recorded at Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez has given Arsenal an injury boost after playing – and scoring – for Chile on Tuesday. Sanchez’s fitness has been a cause for concern over the international break for the Gunners, with the forward having suffered a “low-grade muscle injury” during Chile training. It was thought that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has keen for the 27-year-old to return to his club for treatment, but Chile insisted he remain with their camp. He missed the 0-0 draw with Colombia with the injury, but it then emerged that Sanchez has been passed fit to feature in the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Tuesday. Record levels of panic were seen at the Emirates Stadium, with Wenger branding the decision to play the star as “suicidal”. But the forward played 85 minutes, scored twice and emerged unscathed as Chile ran out 3-1 winners. Arsenal are now expected to wrap Sanchez in cotton wool ahead of the club’s trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. Manchester United – and 16 Conclusions – await.

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England 2-2 Spain: Rating the players

OE HART: Didn’t shout in the tunnel or punch any walls. Had no meaningful save to make but his distribution – bypassing the Spain press with searching balls into midfield – was comforting to watch. Pep would have been furiously shaking his head with disapproval. And England conceded twice after he was substituted, so that’s something. NATHANIEL CLYNE: Defensively, he was fine. Spain found little luck down Clyne’s right-hand side, as the Liverpool full-back transferred his club form to the international scene. More questions can be asked of the 25-year-old offensively however, as a number of England counter-attacks were thwarted by his poor first touch or a slight delay in his decision making. It remains difficult to separate him and Kyle Walker. GARY CAHILL: This always happens. Gary Cahill starts and plays the majority of a match, and yet I write absolutely no notes down on his performance. Much like a referee, the Chelsea centre-half is at his best when he goes unnoticed. The statistics tell us he made one interception and one clearance, while his pass accuracy of 94.1% was the highest of any player in an England shirt. JOHN STONES: The accepted wisdom is that John Stones has the perfect manager at club level to help harness his ball-playing abilities. Perhaps the same can soon be said for his boss on the international stage, too. The Manchester City centre-half still takes risks in possession, but he was robust, forceful and authoritative in the tackle. Is it the Southgate influence? Who knows. But the 22-year-old is at least showing signs of progression, development and learning; eight clearances, three tackles and two interceptions say so. DANNY ROSE: It’s strange to think that the Tottenham defender was considered as Ryan Bertrand’s equal on the international stage not long ago. Rose has truly embraced the challenge of taking the regular left-back mantle as his own, providing width and solidity on the flank. Luke Shaw faces a bloody big battle to claim his spot back. And England conceded twice after he was substituted, so that’s something. ERIC DIER For 94 minutes, he was fine. He manned the midfield, offered a passing option to the defenders, and tracked the Spain runners. Then the Isco thing happened. For a defensive midfielder who has spent much of his career at centre-half, letting his marker evade him so easily to score is borderline criminal. JORDAN HENDERSON: No England player made more tackles (three). No England player attempted more passes (49). No England player created more goalscoring opportunities (two). His assist for Jamie Vardy’s goal was a fine delivery. He remains unbeaten as England captain, and was the more accomplished member of the midfield two. RAHEEM STERLING: The positive performances are becoming so commonplace that it was somewhat disappointing to see Sterling regress in the second half. In the first, the Manchester City winger was an absolute delight, making incisive runs, bursting past opponents with pace and brushing them off with strength and skill. But the most striking part of his continued development is his decision making, with a couple of low, driven crosses troubling the Spain defence a number of times. The footie idiot is regularly displaying an awful lot of football intelligence. ADAM LALLANA: We keep saying it, but we really do mean it: Thank you, Jurgen. Lallana set the tone in defence and attack, relentlessly chasing the opposition down when out of possession and, when Spain were bullied into relinquishing the ball, using it to perfection. His curved pass into Jamie Vardy was inch-perfect, and he dispatched the subsequent penalty with confidence. It is a massive shame that injury restricted him to just 27 minutes. JESSE LINGARD: Busy. Sharp. Tidy. Neat. These are the words that will be used to describe a Jesse Lingard performance which screamed ‘seven out of ten’. Which is fine, because the Manchester United forward pressed well, passed with purpose and combined effectively with his teammates. He was great. His international future does not lie as a No 10, but he is a serviceable squad option. And there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever. JAMIE VARDY: The first half was terrible. The Premier League winner resembled more of a competition winner as he miskicked, miscued and mishapped his way through a mistake-riddled opening period. The early tackle on Cesar Azpilicueta was as high and dangerous as his skewed attempt with the outside of his boot on 25 minutes. His only positive contribution, winning the penalty Lallana converted, was borne from the horrible first touch of a player clearly lacking in confidence. So Vardy deserves immense credit for his improvement in the second-half. His well-taken header marked a first goal for club or country since September 10, while he was robbed of an assist only by Theo Walcott’s errant finishing shortly after. His international career might well have been hanging in the balance after that first half; he managed to rescue it before his removal after the hour mark. SUBS THEO WALCOTT (for Lallana, 27): Why did Theo Walcott waste a large portion of his career pretending to be a striker? The Arsenal forward had three shots – no player had more – yet his attempts were either too weak, poorly-placed, or a combination of the two. The thing is, he scores the chance Vardy provided him early in the second half if he is playing for Arsenal in a routine win over Sunderland or Hull. TOM HEATON (for Hart, 45): Far busier than Hart, but Heaton will have felt comfortable facing a constant onslaught on his goal. Iago Aspas’ strike would have been too much for most goalkeepers, but Isco’s late equaliser was preventable. Therein lies the reason that he is not England’s No 1, despite Burnley fans’ protestations to the contrary. PHIL JAGIELKA (for Cahill, 45): Stop calling up 34-year-old centre-halves who aren’t good enough to play at this level. Cheers. ANDROS TOWNSEND (for Sterling, 65): He’s great, isn’t he? Some questioned his inclusion in Southgate’s squad, claiming that he is not even the best England winger at Crystal Palace. But that misses the point entirely. The 25-year-old has earned his place in the international fold through his international performances. He can be trusted to do the job, basically. And with two tackles, two interceptions and three dribbles in under half an hour, he did just that. MARCUS RASHFORD (for Vardy, 68): Fast, isn’t he? Direct, isn’t he? It was quite nice to see the teenager feature as a central striker, and he almost reaped the rewards after rounding Pepe Reina, but he ran the ball out of play. Ceded possession for Spain’s opener, a crime which he knows would be punished with a public haranguing were it committed at club level. AARON CRESSWELL (for Rose, 79): Congratulations on the deserved debut. Commiserations on the defence conceding twice in the 16 minutes you played, having kept a clean sheet for the previous 79. Cresswell was not at fault for either goal, but it does not reflect well.

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Frank Lampard to leave New York City FC

New York City FC has announced that the former Chelsea midfielder will not return to the club for the 2017 MLS campaign. Frank Lampard will leave New York City FC when his contract expires at the end of 2016, the MLS club announced Monday. Chelsea great Lampard signed for the expansion franchise in 2014 but initially spent a season with parent club Manchester City in the Premier League. Having arrived at Yankee Stadium midway through the 2015 MLS season, 38-year-old Lampard went on to score 15 goals in 31 MLS appearances. Lampard teased on Instagram that he would be making an announcement regarding the "next stage" of his career soon, while also saying: "As my time at NYCFC comes to an end, I would like to thank so many people for the kindness and support that they have shown me over the last two years. "My teammates have been a pleasure to play alongside. The amazing fans have given me incredible support and backing. ... I have very much enjoyed my time, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to play for such a great club and in such an incredible city." NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira added: "Everybody talks about Frank's goal-scoring record from midfield but I can tell you after a year of working with him, he brings so much more to a team than just goals. "What Frank has brought to the locker room is something just as important – his experience, his elite mentality and his mentorship for the younger members of our squad have helped us greatly this year. "It is clear that Frank has embraced playing in this league and for this club. I am grateful for his service in my first year here and I wish him the very best in whatever he chooses to do next."

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How did Pep get the best out of Messi? He banned sex after midnight, says Nasri

The Frenchman has opened up about some of the Manchester City manager's more unusual rules, revealing how important it is that his players get a good night's sleep. Samir Nasri says Pep Guardiola's secret to getting the best from his players is to prohibit them from having sex after midnight. Nasri left Manchester City to join Sevilla on loan in August after managing just 15 minutes of Premier League football under the new manager at the Etihad Stadium. Although the former Arsenal star spent little time working with the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss, there was one clear instruction issued to the squad that he has not forgotten. "Relations must be before midnight. Even if you have a free day the following day," Nasri told L'Equipe du Soir when asked for one of Guardiola's secrets for getting the maximum from his stars. "It's so you can have a good night's sleep. He told us this is how he managed to get the best out of Messi and Lewandowski, and for them to avoid the maximum number of muscular injuries." The 29-year-old, who was deemed overweight by Guardiola upon his return for preseason training, also hinted at the Catalan coach's equally strict dietary guidelines. "He suppressed many things that were in the kitchen," Nasri said. "With Guardiola, on the first day of training, you know how you should play, how to squeeze and also how to stand off the ball. The next day, you have videos for everything that you have to do. "He will not bully you, but he will do everything to make you progress, to get you to know you how to position yourself and how to play. He's a picky person." City enjoyed a stunning start to the campaign, winning all 10 of its opening matches, and a recent dip in form was offset somewhat by a convincing 3-1 victory over Barca in the Champions League. The side resumes its domestic campaign with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday. Nasri, who has enjoyed outstanding form under Jorge Sampaoli at Sevilla, is set to face Deportivo La Coruna in his next outing.

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Ronaldo draws level with Muller, Keane in international scoring charts

Two goals against Latvia have taken Cristiano Ronaldo to 68 for Portugal, placing him joint-fourth in Europe's all-time list. Cristiano Ronaldo has drawn level with Gerd Muller and Robbie Keane with 68 international goals following his double in Sunday's win over Latvia. The Portugal captain scored a penalty and a brilliant volley a 4-1 World Cup qualifying victory to stretch his run to seven goals in his last three appearances for the European champions. Ronaldo, who hit the post with a second penalty and steered a header against the crossbar late in the match, is now joint-fourth in the scoring charts in Europe alongside Germany great Muller and Keane, who retired from Republic of Ireland duty in August. The Real Madrid star, who has scored more goals than any other active player in international football – 12 clear of Lionel Messi – is now behind only Ferenc Puskas (84), Sandor Kocsis (75) and Miroslav Klose (71) in the continent's history. He has some way to go to become the greatest international goal scorer in history, though. That honor still belongs to Iran great Ali Daei, who hit 109 goals in 149 appearances across a 13-year career.

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Rojo names his toughest away ground, and Man Utd fans might not like it

The Argentine defender reveals he dislikes playing at Anfield, and admits the Reds supporters make it a hostile environment Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has admitted that playing Liverpool at Anfield is one of the toughest games of the Premier League season. The 26-year-old was an unused substitute when the Red Devils played out an uneventful stalemate with their rivals on Merseyside in October and so it’s quite right he doesn’t hold fond memories of the iconic stadium. And it appears the Argentine, who signed for United in a £16m deal in 2014, isn’t a big fan of travelling to London either as he singled out away ties at Crystal Palace and West Ham as particularly difficult - though he's yet to play at the Hammers' new ground, the London Stadium. “A few stand out but I think the toughest are Crystal Palace, West Ham and also Liverpool,” he said on a Q&A video posted on Man Utd’s Twitter page. “It’s the people, the supporters and also the team. There’s a hostility and a tangible rivalry there.”

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Alexis Sanchez returns to Chile training

The Arsenal attacker joined Claudio Bravo in training for Juan Antonio Pizzi's side ahead of their clash with Uruguay Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been given a boost with news that Alexis Sanchez is back in training with Chile. The former Barcelona forward limped off during training on Tuesday with a calf problem, causing him to miss the World Cup qualifier with Colombia. However, Sanchez returned to training for Juan Antonio Pizzi's side on Sunday, with Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo also back from injury. Despite taking part in drills, Sanchez wore a large bandage on his right thigh as Chile hope he will recover fully ahead of their upcoming international with Uruguay. On Thursday, club boss Wenger stated that he did not wish the 27-year-old to be risked, but with Chile sitting outside the automatic qualification spots for the World Cup, Sanchez could be likely to feature. "It's a grey area between the national team and the club team and of course they look at their own results, which I can understand, but we have to preserve the health of Alexis Sanchez," the Frenchman told BeIN Sports. "He always wants to play and that's where it is a more sensitive case because he's always ready to play even when injured." Sanchez has scored six times in 11 Premier League games for the Gunners this season, looking to build on last year's tally of 13, and the 16 goals he scored in his first campaign after joining from Barcelona. Arsenal currently sit in fourth place in the English top flight, and have upcoming games against Manchester United, PSG, and Bournemouth when they return from the international break.

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Almost 40 years old, Simons makes first Belgium appearance for three years

The Club Brugge veteran answered his manager's call on the day of Sunday's game after a number of injuries in defence left Belgium short at the back Timmy Simons proved his professionalism and dedication to his country by returning to action for Belgium on Sunday for the first time in almost three years. The 39-year-old received a last-minute call from Roberto Martinez to bolster Belgium’s defence for Sunday’s match against Estonia after Christian Kabasele dropped out to an injury. And Simmons didn’t let his nation down, eventually joining up with the rest of the squad at 1am on Sunday. The defender replaced Axel Witsel to win his 94th cap in a poignant moment towards the end of the World Cup qualifying Group H encounter which Belgium won 6-1. It is his first appearance for the Rode Duivels since he came on in a 4-2 friendly win over USA in 2013. Simons is far from the oldest player to grace the international stage though. Barrie Dewsbury holds that record, having played for Sark at the grand old age of 52.

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Lukaku enjoying Martinez's 'fun' Belgium tactics

The former Wigan and Everton boss has enjoyed a strong start in charge of the Red Devils and Sunday's crushing victory was another positive step Romelu Lukaku is finding playing in Roberto Martinez's attack-minded Belgium side "fun" after scoring two goals in the 8-1 demolition of Estonia. Martinez's men have been almost flawless so far in World Cup qualifying Group H, with the defeat of Estonia moving them on to a maximum 12 points, while they have scored 21 times and only conceded once. Dries Mertens was in particularly inspirational form on the day, scoring twice and setting up another two, but Lukaku also played a pivotal role and added a late double of his own. Speaking to VRT after the game, the Everton star was in a jovial mood: "How much was it again – 8-1, really? "The team was really good and it's fun to play in such an offensive team. "We did well in possession and created many chances. We did a good analysis of the match against the Netherlands [a 1-1 draw], where we should have done much better. "We have scored eight times and this is the standard we should try to keep to in the next games. "The fans come here to see a great game and that was the case. They want to see us play like our clubs and that's what we have done, so everyone is happy."

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RUMOURS: Spurs delay Kane contract talks

The England striker could be on his way out of White Hart Lane, with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City all interested Harry Kane could be set to leave Tottenham as the club are refusing to make him one of the best paid players at White Hart Lane, according to the Sun. The England international is currently on £60,000 a week with Spurs, but is looking to increase his salary in line with the top earners at the club. Should negotiations with the 23-year-old fail, Kane has no shortage of admirers in the Premier League, with Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United keen on the striker. Kane currently has three goals in six league appearances for Spurs this season, having hit 21 and 25 goals in his last two Premier League campaigns with the London side.

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RUMOURS: Juventus consider Depay move

The Italian giants have added the Manchester United attacker to their list of targets should a deal for James Rodriguez not materialise Juventus are targetting Manchester United attacker Memphis Depay if their bid for James Rodriguez fails, according to Don Balon. The 22-year-old is currently outside of Jose Mourinho's plans at Manchester United, with Everton interested in signing the Netherlands international on loan. However, the Toffees could face competition from Juventus in the transfer window. The Serie A champions have already targetted Real Madrid's James Rodriguez as their key signing in January, but could turn to Depay if they do not get their man. James could cost Juventus £75 million to sign on a permanent deal, but Depay may be available on loan as he looks for gametime away from Old Trafford.

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Robben hopeful after injury scare

The Bayern Munich winger sustained a hamstring issue but believes he will be able to feature in the derby match with Dortmund Arjen Robben confirmed he was substituted at half-time of Netherlands' 3-1 win over Luxembourg with an injury scare, but stressed the problem is not a significant one. The winger scored with a cool finish after 36 minutes – one year to the day of his last Netherlands appearance – but did not return to the pitch after the interval due to tweaking his hamstring. Robben says he made a sensible decision not to risk further damage and is hopeful the problem will not keep him out of Bayern's crucial match away to rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga next Saturday. The 32-year-old told NOS after the match: "The word 'injury' is probably a little bit too heavy and I hope it is not bad. "But of course it was not nice that I had to leave the field. I had to defend a counterattack and attempted a sprint. I felt a brief cramp at the back of my thigh. "When we arrived in the dressing room after the first half I had a discussion with the team doctor and we decided not to start the second half. "I used my head and did not get caught up the emotion. You want to keep playing, but it is wiser not to do this. Of course, you always feel responsibility, even towards my club Bayern Munich and therefore this was the best decision." The match was level at one apiece at the break, with two second-half goals from substitute Memphis Depay required to see Netherlands to victory and avoid falling victim to a shock result. Robben said: "We just gave a goal away at the end of the first half and you cannot say that we played well. "I do not want to be negative but it is the reality. We want to reach the World Cup, but we will have to play a higher level." Netherlands are second in Group A, three points adrift of leaders France and ahead of Sweden on goal difference as they look to reach Russia having failed to qualify for Euro 2016.

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No broken foot for Griezmann

The French star has escaped bone damage to his foot and could be available to face Real Madrid in the derby next Saturday Atletico Madrid have confirmed that star forward Antoine Griezmann did not suffer a broken bone in his foot during France's World Cup qualifying win over Sweden. Goal 50: The best footballers of 2016 Griezmann was taken off in the first half of Friday's 2-1 victory after taking a blow to his left foot and withdrew from the squad for the friendly against Ivory Coast as a precaution. Further medical checks have revealed that he has suffered heavy bruising and he will continue to undergo treatment in the Spanish capital with a view to recovering fitness in time for the Madrid derby on November 19. "In the x-ray that was completed yesterday, an injury to the bone was ruled out, and the diagnosis indicates that he has suffered a trauma with a hematoma on the left foot," an Atletico statement read on Sunday. "Both the medical services of the France national team and those of Atletico Madrid have agreed for the Frenchman to return to Madrid, where he has already been placed in the hands of our physiotherapists. "During the day on Monday, he will continue with a new course of treatment and his recovery will continue to be assessed." Griezmann was eager to play down fears of a significant problem and promised fans that he would do everything to be available for the meeting with Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon. "It's not too serious," he said, as quoted by Marca. "But I have to work morning, afternoon and night to be ready." Griezmann has eight goals and five assists in 14 games for Atletico in all competitions this season

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Hazard gives Chelsea injury scare after being forced off for Belgium Getty Featured Dzeko pulls down opponents' shorts! Related Stories Main Robben hopeful after injury scare Main No broken foot for Griezmann Main Lukaku enjoying Martinez's 'fun' Belgium tactics Main Almost 40 years old, Simons makes first Belgium appearance for three years Main Santos hails Quaresma impact as Portugal survive Latvia scare Next Previous

Hazard gives Chelsea injury scare after being forced off for Belgium The Belgium international has added to Antonio Conte's injury concerns after he signalled he was unable to continue and was substituted late on in their World Cup qualifier Eden Hazard has given Chelsea an injury scare after being forced off late on during Belgium’s 8-1 World Cup qualifying win over Estonia. The forward was on target for Roberto Martinez’s side in Brussels but was replaced 73 minutes in after picking up a knock and signalling to the bench he was unable to continue While it was unclear how bad the injury was it will be a further blow to Antonio Conte with star striker Diego Costa also struggling to be fit. The striker will miss Tuesday’s international friendly with England after being forced out of the Spain squad after aggravating a groin problem. Both players have been in fine form for the Blues this season with Conte having led them to second place in the table, just a point behind leaders Liverpool going into the international break. Costa has nine goals already this season, and is the Premier League's top scorer, while Hazard has seven with Chelsea due to play Middlesbrough on Sunday.

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