Pele has joined Neymar in offering his support to Vinicius Junior, who was the subject of a comment with apparent racist undertones from a Spanish football agent.

Pedro Bravo, a chief agent in Spain, appeared on El Chiringuito this week, and said Real Madrid forward Vinicius had to stop dancing when he celebrated a goal.

Bravo said: "You have to respect your opponents. When you score a goal, if you want to dance Samba, you should go to [the] Sambadrome in Brazil. You have to respect your mates and stop playing the monkey."

This comment has led to outrage from Vinicius' international team-mate Bruno Guimaraes, with the Newcastle United midfielder calling for Bravo to be "jailed".

Guimaraes tweeted on Friday: "This MORON needs to get out of there already arrested! There is no excuse! If the guy says that on live TV, imagine what he doesn't say when he's not. Incomprehensible if this guy is not jailed."

Neymar subsequently tagged Vinicius in his Instagram story, along with a photo of the Madrid star celebration and a caption that read: "Dribble, dance and be you! Happy just the way you are. Go for it my boy, next goal we dance!"

Vinicius replied with a photo of him dancing alongside Neymar and Guimaraes while playing for Brazil.

Pele then joined Neymar in offering support, with the legendary striker writing on Instagram: "Football is joy. It's a dance. It's more than that. It's a real party.

"Although, unfortunately, racism still exists, we will not allow that to stop us from continuing to smile. And we will continue to fight racism every day in this way: fighting for our right to be happy and respected."

Sergino Dest is ready to give "100 per cent" in order to secure his long-term future at Milan following his loan move from Barcelona.

The United States international is on a season-long loan in Serie A, with a purchase option, following a frustrating 2021-22 campaign under Xavi at Camp Nou.

A pair of Champions League appearances has seen the 21-year-old on European rotation so far, but there are suggestions he will be given his chance to prove his worth with the club.

Asked ahead of this weekend's crucial clash with Napoli what he must do to earn a longer stay, Dest spoke of his commitment to the Rossoneri cause, adding that he is settling into life in Italy.

"What I can do is give 100 per cent so that Milan can decide to keep me," he stated. "Settling into Italy is going well, it has all be very fast.

"I haven't had much time to look around and visit the city, but everyone in the team is very welcoming. It's not easy to remember all the names, but the coach helps me."

Dest was included in the latest USMNT squad for their final matches ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year.

Though his place is likely secure on the plane, the right-back will hope for a string of impressive performances at club level to cement his spot.

It's a bit early in the season to call Napoli's trip to Milan a "title clash" given we're only six games in, but for the Partenopei it is clearly an opportunity to make a statement.

Luciano Spalletti, a former Milan coach, has guided Napoli to 14 points from their first six matches, and they sit top of the fledgling table ahead of Atalanta and the Rossoneri on goal difference.

While Milan have already beaten bitter rivals Inter this term, Napoli haven't had the chance for such a signal of intent – at least, not in Serie A.

But neither Spalletti nor Stefano Pioli will be able to rely on their star men in San Siro on Sunday, adding to the unpredictability of a match that promises excitement.

Sorely missed

Rafael Leao and Victor Osimhen will miss this contest due to suspension and injury, respectively. Both absences are bitter blows to not only the teams, but fans tuning in.

Leao has been an especially key figure for Milan over the past year or so. Since the start of last season, he has played in 40 out of a possible 44 matches, with only Alexis Saelemaekers and Sandro Tonali (both 41) appearing more regularly.

Their win percentage with him stands at 70, while they average 2.3 points with Leao on the pitch. Of the four games he has missed, Milan have only won two.

Over the same period, Osimhen has missed 12 league games for Napoli. Their win rate increases from 58.3 per cent to 65.6 per cent when he plays, and their goals average goes up to 2.2 from 1.5 per game. Similarly, he's the only current Napoli player to score 10 or more Serie A goals (16) in that time.

The opportunity is there for others to step up in their absence.

At home on the road

As their position at the Serie A summit suggests, Napoli have enjoyed a fine start to the season, and their Champions League demolition of Liverpool made even more people sit up and take note.

Any successful team cannot just rely on a vociferous home support, however, and Napoli have made decent early strides in that regard, amassing seven points from their first three away Serie A games.

If they can avoid defeat on Sunday, they'll be unbeaten after the first four away games in an Italian top-flight season for the third campaign in succession, a feat no team has ever achieved before.

Granted, Milan's recent home form is decent, having won six on the trot in San Siro, which is their best run since 2013 (eight successive wins). But it was Napoli who ended that run, and the Partenopei are also hoping to rack up three consecutive away league victories over Milan for the first time in 43 years.

Party up front, business in the back

Yes, that's not quite how the saying goes, but this altered phrase is more applicable to Napoli. They have been exciting to watch going forward this term, with Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Andre-Franck Zambo Aguissa and Piotr Zielinski all catching the eye on the offensive.

But credit where it's due to Spalletti's side when they're not on the attack, as Napoli have been solid defensively.

Stretching back into last season, they have kept six clean sheets in their past nine Serie A games, including three in six this term.

Even when they have conceded, Napoli possess the necessary mentality – and ability – to fight back, with their six points gained from losing positions second only to Milan's seven in 2022-23.

Milan unbeaten, Napoli with everything to prove

Milan's title success last season was helped massively by their exceptionally strong end to the campaign.

They finished 2021-22 with six successive wins and went on an undefeated run that stretched back to January 17 when they suffered a shock 2-1 loss at home to Spezia.

Milan have since stretched that unbeaten streak to 22 league games, which is their longest such run since a 27-match undefeated run ended in January 2021.

That form highlights the task that Napoli face on Sunday, though by the same token, being the team to halt such a sequence would surely show Spalletti's team mean business.

A senior German official has written to UEFA to request both Russia and Belarus are excluded from next month's qualifying draw for Euro 2024.

Following February's invasion of Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA issued a joint statement to confirm that Russia and Belarus, who are supporters of Vladimir Putin's regime, will be banned from competitions "until further notice".

That was followed up an update in May, where UEFA announced Russian clubs would be banned from continental competitions for the 2022-23 season, with Russia also excluded from the Women's Euros.

However, the European Championships in 2024, due to be held in Germany, were not mentioned in UEFA's most recent update.

That has led German federal minister of the interior Nancy Faeser, who oversees sport in her role, to write to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to call for both nations to be excluded from the qualifying draw, due to take place on October 9. UEFA did not comment on the matter but did confirm receipt of the letter.

German publication Der Spiegel carries reported quotes from the letter, which they say states: "Not only Russia, which is waging a war of aggression in violation of international law, but also Belarus as an essential supporter of the Russian leadership should be excluded from all international football matches and tournaments."

Faeser adds UEFA should include "the suspension of Russian and Belarusian officials from the influential bodies of international sports federations", as football must "live up to its responsible role and show a united stance against this form of disregard for human rights".

"All those responsible must be deprived of any possibility of sporting participation, influence or other representation."

The letter follows on from requests from Ukrainian Association of Football president Andriy Pavelko, who also requested Russia be excluded from next month's draw.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson is back on the practice field under three weeks after he was shot in a reported attempted armed robbery.

The 23-year-old took to Instagram to confirm he was completing drills over a fortnight on from suffering two gunshot wounds to the glute and leg on August 28.

"Brian Robinson continues to make progress in his recovery from multiple gunshot wounds," read a team statement. "He was on a stationary bike Wednesday.

"On Thursday he was doing agility drills. [He] still has a long way to go, but his progress is certainly incredible."

Robinson was a third round pick for the Commanders, and had been tipped for a significant role this season after an impressive preseason.

He was placed on the team's non-football injury list ahead of the start of the new campaign, meaning he could return as soon as the fifth game if deemed fit.

Roberto Martinez expects Romelu Lukaku to return to Inter training in the next week, but has left him out of Belgium's squad for their upcoming Nations League games as a precaution. 

Lukaku sustained a thigh injury in training at the end of last month, causing him to miss a derby defeat to Milan and Champions League fixtures against Bayern Munich and Viktoria Plzen.

The striker, who is Belgium's record goalscorer with 68 goals in 102 senior caps, also appears doubtful for the Nerazzurri's Serie A tussle with Udinese on Sunday, prompting Martinez to act with caution when selecting his squad for games against Wales and the Netherlands.

"Romelu is making good progress, his recovery is going in the right direction," Martinez said.

"He will probably return to Inter within a week, not calling him was a prudent choice. 

"With Romelu it was important not to risk, because a relapse with an injury of this type would be very risky in view of the World Cup."

Milan's Divock Origi is also absent from Belgium's latest squad after failing to make a Serie A start since completing his move from Liverpool, though fellow Rossoneri newcomer Charles De Ketelaere is in.

Anderlecht defender Zeno Debast is the only uncapped player selected by Martinez, who has picked an experienced 30-man party in a bid to make up a three-point gap to the Netherlands at the top of Group A4.

Belgium squad: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Matz Sels (Strasbourg); Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), Toby Alderweireld (Antwerp), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Jason Denayer (free agent), Dedryck Boyata (Club Brugge), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Zeno Debast (Anderlect); Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Leandro Trossard (Brighton and Hove Albion), Amadou Onana (Everton), Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Alexis Saelemaekeers (Milan); Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Charles De Ketelaere (Milan), Dodi Lukebakio (Hertha Berlin), Lois Openda (Lens).

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe said the media should "never write off" Callum Wilson making a late run for England's World Cup squad.

Wilson scored twice in three Premier League appearances at the start of the season, only to suffer a thigh injury in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Manchester City on August 21.

The 30-year-old has been plagued by persistent injury issues since he joined Newcastle from Howe's former club Bournemouth in 2020, with the Magpies spending a club-record fee on Alexander Isak late in the transfer window to bolster their attacking options.

Wilson is nearing a return, but Newcastle's meeting with Bournemouth on Saturday is likely to come too soon, while the injury also dashed any chances of him making Gareth Southgate's final England squad before the World Cup.

The last of Wilson's three caps came in November 2019, but Howe believes the striker could still be an option for Southgate heading to Qatar.

"I feel for Callum because he's not in the England squad," Howe said in a press conference on Friday.

"But it will just fuel his motivation, it will fire him even more, so when Callum returns to our team he will show how good he is.

"I think there's time for Callum to make the World Cup squad, and I know Gareth feels the same.

"What does he have to do? He has to return and score and be consistent in his availability. Maybe he has to have a bit of luck somewhere else to make that plane."

One of Wilson's potential rivals for a spot is Brentford forward Ivan Toney, who received a maiden international call-up on Thursday.

Toney excelled in Brentford's first Premier League campaign last season, scoring 12 goals as the Bees comfortably stayed up.

Only Manchester City star Erling Haaland (11) has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than Toney this season (seven), with the Brentford striker averaging a goal or assist every 77 minutes, compared to one every 171 minutes last term.

Toney played for Newcastle between 2015 and 2018, but made only two league appearances for the club, having six loan spells at four separate clubs before leaving permanently for Peterborough United.

Howe thinks Newcastle, under sporting director Dan Ashworth, are now well set to avoid repeating such mistakes.

He said: "I'd love to think that wouldn't happen now. That's not a criticism of anyone here at that time; why Ivan left, I don't know.

"But when you watch him play now and see his attributes and what he can bring to his team, he's an outstanding player.

"His England call-up is a great thing for people that drop into the lower leagues. It gives them hope that it's not the end of their dreams."

Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara has been summoned by France boss Didier Deschamps after Adrien Rabiot was ruled out of next week's Nations League games.

Already without a number of key midfield figures including Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, the injury to Rabiot deprives Deschamps of another experienced player.

Rabiot has not fully recovered from a left calf muscle injury, the French Football Federation (FFF) said on its website, and has been ruled out of Juventus' Serie A match against Monza this weekend.

Deschamps decided it was sensible, as a precautionary measure, to withdraw Rabiot from his group and promote a player more likely to be available for full squad activities when the group gather at the Clairefontaine training base on Monday.

Kamara made his France debut against Croatia in June, shortly after it was announced he would be leaving Marseille to join Villa.

France have recorded two draws and two defeats in their first four games in Group A1 of the Nations League, leaving the world champions battling relegation from the competition's top tier. They host Austria on September 22 and travel to face Denmark three days later.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic is "delighted" by Schalke's return to the Bundesliga – highlighting derby day as the most important in his team's season.

Having spent last season in the second tier, Schalke's return to the top flight means Saturday will see the first Revierderby at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park for almost two years.

The last, in October 2020, had just 300 fans in attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Saturday's clash will be the 99th Bundesliga derby between the teams, with Dortmund currently boasting three wins in a row including a 4-0 triumph in Terzic's first Revierderby that stands as his biggest league win with the club.

"We're absolutely delighted. We know what significance the derby carries for our fans and for the region. We're aware of the responsibility," Terzic said in Friday's press conference.

"The derby is the most important match. We know that we need to win the game. But we also want to win the game."

With four victories from six matches so far, Terzic is keen for another win before the international break, adding: "That would mean we've established ourselves towards the top."

Schalke sporting director Rouven Schroder is excited for Saturday's derby but concedes his side will be the underdogs – with only goalkeepers Ralf Fahrmann and Michael Langer having previous experience in a Revierderby. Neither is likely to play this weekend.

"Our overall performance will be decisive. We need to be confident and brave, and we're hoping to go home with a positive result," Schroder said.

"We've earned the chance to play the derby after working hard for a whole year. We can't wait for it now.

"We all know that Dortmund are a Champions League side and they've been on an incredible journey. It's therefore a derby where one side is perhaps a bit stronger than the other, but we'll gladly take on the challenge."

Roger Federer "set the tone" for a new breed of tennis high achievers and his retirement brings time for reflection, his long-time rival Novak Djokovic said on Friday.

At the age of 41, battling knee trouble, Federer has decided to call it a day and intends to have a send-off on court at next week's Laver Cup.

Djokovic will join him on Team Europe for the match against Team World in London, with Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray also due to be involved.

An emotional finale to Federer's career is assured, in the city where he won eight Wimbledon men's singles title, just one of many records he established in a 24-year professional career.

Djokovic wrote on Instagram: "Roger it's hard to see this day and put into words all that we've shared in this sport together. Over a decade of incredible moments and battles to think back on.

"Your career has set the tone for what it means to achieve excellence and lead with integrity and poise. It's an honour to know you on and off court, and for many more years to come."

Djokovic holds a 27-23 head-to-head winning record against Federer, although their careers did not run precisely side by side, with Federer six years the Serbian's senior.

By the time Djokovic began to make a major impact on tour, Federer had arguably already hit his peak. From Wimbledon 2005 to the US Open in 2007, Federer reached 10 consecutive slam finals, a record that has not been matched.

He went past Pete Sampras' record of 14 majors in 2009, and Djokovic and Nadal have followed in his wake.

His longevity since has set a high standard for those two chief rivals, who have both recently edged ahead of Federer on the all-time list of men's grand slam singles title winners.

Federer won his 20th singles slam at the 2018 Australian Open, going closest to a 21st when he lost a thriller to Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon final, squandering two match points. Djokovic has 21, while Nadal leads the way with 22 titles.

Swiss great Federer retires with the most grand slam men's singles main draw wins in the Open Era (369), and as the only man to win 100-plus matches at two different slams (105 in Wimbledon and 102 at the Australian Open).

Addressing Federer, and pointing to his family, Djokovic added: "I know that this new chapter will hold amazing things for you, Mirka, the kids, all your loved ones, and Roger fans still have a lot to look forward to.

"From our family to yours, we wish you much joy, health, and prosperity in the future. Looking forward to celebrating your achievements and seeing you in London."

Ecuador's place at the World Cup in Qatar is secure after FIFA rejected Chile's bid to have their South American rivals excluded from the tournament.

A spot in Group A, including the opening fixture of the tournament against Qatar on November 20, was under threat due to the eligibility of Byron Castillo – who played eight times during qualifying.

Chile presented evidence that Castillo was born in Colombia and were seeking action that would have seen them replace Ecuador in the tournament.

However, the FIFA Appeal Committee has closed proceedings initiated against the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF).

"Having analysed the submissions of all parties and after a hearing had been conducted, the Appeal Committee confirmed the decision of the Disciplinary Committee to close the proceedings initiated against the FEF," a statement read.

"Amongst other considerations, it deemed that on the basis of the documents presented, the player was to be considered as holding permanent Ecuadorian nationality in accordance with art. 5 par. 1 of the FIFA Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes."

Chile could still appeal the decision and take the hearing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City did not have to "add many things" to Erling Haaland's game following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, describing the in-form Norwegian as an "exceptional striker".

Haaland won the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August on Friday, having scored an incredible nine goals during his first calendar month in the competition.

The Norwegian has continued his goalscoring exploits in September, downing Sevilla with a Champions League double before haunting his former club Dortmund with a spectacular acrobatic finish as City beat the German side on Wednesday.

Having scored in City's last Premier League outing at Aston Villa, Haaland could become the first player in the competition's history to net on each of his first four away appearances when he lines up at Wolves on Saturday.

Asked whether 22-year-old Haaland is already the perfect forward, Guardiola said: "He's an exceptional striker, I said many times.

"But the age he is, I think his ambition is he wants to be better, and he will be better. He's a perfect person, a nice guy, this is the most important.

"With the quality he had before he came here, he has just continued to do what he has done. We didn't add many things."

Since losing both of their league meetings with Wolves in the 2019-20 season, City have won each of the teams' last four head-to-head fixtures by an aggregate score of 13-3.

Although Wolves have managed just one win from their first six games of this campaign, Guardiola is impressed by Bruno Lage's attempts to move them towards a more possession-based style of play, and expects a tough challenge.

"It's a completely different team than it was the previous seasons, they played five at the back with [Conor] Coady, now they decide to play with four," Guardiola said.

"I'm really impressed by the way they play, their position in the table is because football is unpredictable and sometimes you don't get what you deserve. They have a lot, a lot, of good things.

"They are one of the toughest opponents we've faced in the last seasons, and tomorrow will not be an exception. We had less recovery, so we have to be mentally prepared. Otherwise, it will be difficult.

"Give credit because what I've seen is completely different to previous seasons, [they would] sit back, just defend, have that transition with Adama [Traore], [Pedro] Neto.

"They still have that, but they added a completely different approach to the past. I respect Wolves a lot for what happened in the past but especially now for what they are trying to do."

City could be the first team to face Diego Costa since his return to the Premier League, with Lage revealing on Friday he hoped to have the former Chelsea striker available.

Asked about the potential presence of the fiery forward, Guardiola said: "Diego Costa has had an incredible career here and in Spain, we know his quality. We'll adapt in case he'll play."

Guardiola refused to be drawn on the debate surrounding a prospective Premier League all-star match, the idea that was suggested by Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly this week.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp declared fans would not want to see that particular addition, but Guardiola would not join him in criticising the idea.

"I don't have an opinion, not at all," Guardiola said. "If they give me the dates they will play, it should be nice. But I don't have an opinion."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club "needed to play" this weekend after back-to-back postponements.

Premier League action was called off last weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, while Arsenal's Europa League game with PSV on Thursday was also postponed.

Chelsea's clash against Liverpool and Manchester United's tie with Leeds United are off this weekend but the Gunners' trip across London to Brentford is going ahead.

With the added complication of the World Cup in Qatar later this year, Arteta is relieved Sunday's game will be played and hailed the nation's show of respect following the passing of the Queen.

"We needed to play. We want to play games. If you look at the schedule, after World Cup especially. We need to play games, or it is going to be tough," he said in Friday's press conference.

"It is phenomenal what the country has done. It shows the level of respect and admiration [the public have for her] and the legacy the Queen has left.

"It was very emotional, coming from a different country and culture it was pretty special."

Having suffered defeat to Manchester United last time out, Arsenal need a response and Arteta is not concerned about any lack of momentum.

"We are always available to play but there are authorities to make the right decisions. We have adapted our schedule to be as competitive as possible," he added.

Following the international break, Arsenal will have a challenging period with Premier League clashes against Tottenham and Liverpool as part of nine matches in October.