Marcel Desailly believes Rafael Leao must become "ruthless" and "forge his character" following comparisons between the Milan winger and Thierry Henry.

Leao, directly involved in 10 of the Rossoneri's 29 Serie A goals this season (scoring six and assisting four), opened his Portugal tally in their World Cup win over Ghana on Thursday.

Desailly won the Champions League and two Scudetti during his five-year stint at Milan between 1993 and 1998 - the same year he was a team-mate of Henry's in France's first World Cup triumph.

When asked if he thought Leao was similar to Henry, whose national record tally of 51 goals was equalled by Olivier Giroud in Les Bleus' victory over Australia on Tuesday, the former defender told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Calm down.

"It seems to me that Leao became a star before he even became a star. He has enormous potential, but he doesn't give me the idea of being ruthless. I ask Leao to forge his character."

Meanwhile, Desailly praised another Milan player in compatriot Theo Hernandez, who appeared as a substitute in France's 4-1 triumph over the Socceroos and could remain at full-back for the remainder of the World Cup following injury to his brother Lucas.

"Theo Hernandez can become the strongest in the world," he added. "He is a chameleon, he has the ability to change his function within the team."

Having regained the Serie A crown last season, Stefano Pioli's side are eight points adrift of leaders Napoli after the opening 15 matches in the Italian top flight.

The Partenopei are unbeaten so far in their quest for a first Scudetto since the 1989-90 season, but Desailly does not believe they will maintain their momentum throughout the campaign.

"I love Napoli’s energy," he said. "But I doubt they can hold on psychologically until the end. They don't have the squad to hold up."

Lionel Scaloni will not alter his principles, insisting that is "non-negotiable", as he tries to plot a route past Mexico and keep Argentina's World Cup hopes alive.

The South American champions were stunned 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their opening game, plunging their qualification for the knockout phase from Group C into unexpected doubt.

Another defeat at the hands of Mexico, coached by Argentinian Tata Martino, could prove fatal but Scaloni dismissed any notion of a change in playing style from his team.

He said: "We watched the game back [against Saudi Arabia] but now we are thinking about Mexico which will be entirely different.

"But the way we will play will be similar, we won't change our style due to what happened on Tuesday, that's clear. Mexico are an excellent team, an offensive team with a great coach. But we have a style that is non-negotiable.

"We might have taken a blow in the opening match but we need to stick to our guns and approach it in the same way.

"When you have a blow you have to bounce back and the squad is ready to do that. We know there is a full country behind us and the fans can take confidence that the team will break their backs until the very last seconds they are on the pitch so we can reverse this difficult situation."

Scaloni confirmed captain Lionel Messi has no issues ahead of the encounter at Lusail Stadium.

"He trained well and he's feeling well," he added. "More than ever we need everyone, and I am sure everything will play out. We have no issues with his physical level."

Inter striker Lautaro Martinez acknowledged Saturday's game is "like a final", but is confident the team can cope with the levels of expectation.

He said: "Tomorrow is a big match for us. It's like a final because we need to win. It will be a very important match for our future but we've proved that we have the players and the quality and for a game like this that will be key.

"There is no pressure because we rely on our work. We are confident, have trust in our technical staff and every player. We are keeping calm and confident and will do everything for our fans."

Martino, who also coached Argentina from August 2014 to July 2016, was asked how he feels about potentially robbing Messi of a final chance to win the World Cup, replying: "What would you do if you were in my place? I hope Mexico win, there's no other answer. I will do my utmost for a Mexico win."

Mexico played out a drab goalless draw with Poland in their opener and Martino was eager to stress there was plenty at stake for his team too.

"I don't think the needs [for the teams] are that different," he added. "The game is key for us as well, we only have one point. We will try to play with our own ideas but we are playing a powerful team. When we saw Argentina in our group, we did not see a situation like we have.

"After Argentina's defeat, this has become a key match, especially as we also didn't have a positive result. If we get a positive result here, we might be in a position to qualify for the next round."

World Cup hosts Qatar are staring down the barrel of an early exit from the tournament after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.

Beaten 2-0 by Ecuador in their opening Group A match, a late push on Friday at Al Thumama Stadium was not enough for Qatar to claim a much-needed result.

With Boulaye Dia and Famara Diedhiou having put Senegal in control, Qatar had hope when Mohammed Muntari scored their first World Cup goal.

However, it was too little too late for the hosts, with substitute Bamba Dieng rounding off Senegal's victory six minutes from time.

After a bright start from Senegal, the lively Qatar fans gathered behind Edouard Mendy's goal were furious in the 34th minute, when Akram Afif was bundled over by Ismaila Sarr, but referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz waved away the seemingly valid penalty appeals.

Yet just as they had grown into the game, Qatar were made to pay for Boualem Khoukhi's calamitous error, with his failed clearance falling to Dia, who made no mistake with a composed finish.

Qatar's hopes were dealt a further blow three minutes into the second half – Diedhiou turning in Ismail Jakobs' inswinging corner.

Senegal had Mendy to thank for two excellent stops as Qatar searched for a goal back, the Chelsea goalkeeper brilliantly denying Almoez Ali and Ismaeel Mohammad.

Muntari's superb header four minutes after coming on set up a grandstand finish, yet Dieng swept home to strike the decisive blow and leave Qatar on the brink.

Diego Maradona should have a day of celebration dedicated to him at every World Cup, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The legendary Argentine died at the age of 60 in November 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Paying tribute during the Qatar World Cup at an event to mark the second anniversary of Maradona's death, Infantino said the mercurial figure should be remembered at each subsequent tournament for his significant impact on football.

"Diego is immortal, he is with us," Infantino said. "We not only need to pay tribute but to celebrate also Diego. I would like that from now on, at every World Cup we would take one day to celebrate Diego Armando Maradona, because he made so many people fall in love with our sport, football.

"I am Italian and an Inter supporter. I am not Argentinian nor a Napoli supporter, and of course Diego made Inter and Italy cry many times, but we love him.

"I am proud because after our arrival to football, mine and Alejandro [Dominguez, CONMEBOL president], Diego came back to be with us at the World Cup in Russia, and personally I had the chance to speak to him many times and start a friendship, and it was then when I realised his depth.

"Diego was a great leader in Argentina, South America and in all the world. We need to keep celebrating him. I feel great emotion, we would have liked him to be here at this World Cup, but he is in all our hearts."

At Argentina's press conference ahead of their crucial Group C encounter with Mexico, head coach Lionel Scaloni also acknowledged the anniversary of Maradona's death, saying: "It's a very sad day for everyone, tomorrow we will hope to bring some joy for Diego if he is looking down on us.

"Every time we see an image of him, it's unbelievable that he's not here with us. Tomorrow hopefully will be a happy day for all of us."

The Albiceleste were surprisingly beaten 2-1 in their opening World Cup clash against Saudi Arabia, and striker Lautaro Martinez reiterated Scaloni's comment that he and his team-mates will look to honour Maradona by securing a better result against Mexico.

"This is a very special day" the Inter forward said. "We have him in our minds as Argentinians but he was a very important player for everyone in global football, not just us.

"We hope tomorrow we can bring some joy."

Qatar World Cup stadiums were 94 per cent full for the first round of matches, according to FIFA, despite empty seats being clearly visible in almost every fixture.

There has been some confusion around the venues used for the finals, with initial reports of capacities later discovered to be inaccurate.

Lusail Stadium, which will host the final, was previously listed as an 80,000-seater arena, while Al Bayt Stadium was said to hold 60,000 people. Each of the other six stadiums were down as holding no more than 40,000.

FIFA has now clarified official capacities for the stadia, with each ground significantly bigger than previously reported.

The showpiece stadium in Lusail can allow 88,966 spectators in, with 68,895 seats at Al Khor's Al Bayt Stadium. The six supposed 40,000-seater stadiums are each also larger than first suggested.

The additional seating – presumably unsold until the capacities were finalised – would account for the large gaps in the crowds, yet FIFA is reporting the stadiums have been 94 per cent full.

The highest recorded attendance ahead of Friday's action was 88,103 in Lusail to watch Brazil beat Serbia 2-0 the previous day.

Gareth Bale accepts it will be "difficult" for Wales to keep their World Cup dream alive following Friday's demoralising 2-0 defeat to Iran.

Bale became Wales' most capped player by making his 110th international appearance at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, but he was virtually anonymous as Iran dealt a huge blow to his team's hopes of progressing from Group B.

Stoppage-time goals from Roozbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian saw Iran take advantage of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey's red card, posting their first win over European opposition at the World Cup (W1 D2 L7).

Wales, meanwhile, must now beat England in Tuesday's final group-stage game to have any chance of extending their first World Cup campaign since 1958, and Bale knows they face an uphill task.

"It's gutting, we're gutted, there is no other way to say it," he told BBC Sport.

"We fought until the last second and it's one of those things. 

"It's difficult to take but we have to recover and go again. We are all gutted, but we have to pick ourselves up straight away. 

"It is going to be difficult, but we have one game left, we have to try to look at every positive and try to enjoy the occasion as well."

Wales are now on a seven-game winless run in all competitions, their longest since they embarked on an identical sequence in 2003 (D2 L5 on both occasions). 

Winger Daniel James, meanwhile, says Wales must approach their must-win meeting with the Three Lions with a positive mindset. 

"Obviously, they [England] play tonight [against the United States] and then we've got to go into that game with no fear," James told reporters.

"We've got nothing to lose. We're here, we've got one game left and we can't go into that thinking we've already lost.

"We can pick ourselves up. It's going to be a tough one for the boys to take today but tomorrow we'll dust ourselves off and get ready for that one.

"England have got top players, but we have to go into that game with no fear."

Carlos Queiroz attributed Iran's vital World Cup win over Wales on Friday to his players going back to their "roots". 

Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian both scored in stoppage time to seal a 2-0 victory for Iran after Wayne Hennessey had been sent off late on for Wales.

Iran were thumped 6-2 by England in their opening game in Qatar, but a deserved three points against the Dragons has injected fresh life into their bid to reach the last 16.

Queiroz was thrilled by his side's display, describing the win as a "gift" to Iran's fans.

"We played with amazing character," he said. "We always play with a sense of unity and cohesion. Today, we went back to our roots. We were able to put everything in our minds.

"The second point was to get rid of this bad feeling of bleeding. I told the players very clearly, football, it is a game of different moments. It is not because you win or you do not win. Sometimes you lose your dignity, you lose your honour.

"First game, we were bleeding in our pride. This was an opportunity to rebound, close, to stop bleeding and get back to credibility, to show the football we have inside our souls, inside our minds.

"What was important today was to keep our hopes open. Today, we scored and we have three points.

"Now we need to be sure we are good enough to go to the second round. This game was a gift to Iranian fans. North, south, east and west, it is a gift to all of them."

Wales' hopes of reaching the round of 16 are hanging by a thread following the defeat, with the Dragons needing to beat England on Tuesday to stand any chance of escaping Group B.

Boss Rob Page knows his side will have their work cut out against the Three Lions, but he insists his players will do everything to give Welsh supporters something to cheer. 

"We want to finish the competition on a high," he said. "It's out of our hands in regards to going through, but we want to finish with a good performance and a win.

"We're low at the minute, but we'll get them back up tomorrow and prepare for another tough game to finish with.

"We've got to get on with it. We can't sit and cry about it. We've got an opportunity to go and put it right. Thankfully, the game is just around the corner so we can go back out.

"We want to give our supporters something to cheer about. They've shown massive commitment to come over, and that really disappoints me as well, that we've given that performance for them today.

"We'll bounce back, we'll pick them up and we'll go again."

Robert Lewandowski remains Poland's "number one" penalty taker despite missing his spot-kick against Mexico, head coach Czeslaw Michniewicz has confirmed.

Having drawn a blank in Russia four years ago, the Barcelona forward is still awaiting his first World Cup goal after Guillermo Ochoa denied him from 12 yards in the Eagles' Group C opener on Tuesday.

But Michniewicz confirmed Lewandowski remains Poland's first choice should they be awarded another penalty in their second group game against Saudi Arabia.

"When it comes to the penalties, Robert is still number one," the head coach said. "As a striker, of course, he will make a decision whether he will shoot or pass it on to someone else. He feels ready to score for Poland."

Jan Bednarek believes while Lewandowski will be desperate to break his finals duck, the captain's main focus is on the team's performance in Qatar.

"Robert Lewandowski is our captain, he's a striker, he wants to score as many goals as he can," the on-loan Aston Villa defender said. "But for him, the good of the team is most important. He wants us to win.

"He hides his pride in his pocket, and he really focuses on working as hard as he can. It's not important to him if he scores or not, he wants us to win the match.

"He's got his individual objective, but I am convinced he places the team's success at the top. This is the best striker in the world. I hope he leads us to win. I don't know if he will score or not, but the most important thing is for us to win."

Andre Onana revealed he is always learning from fellow Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, while he draws inspiration from Germany captain Manuel Neuer.

The former Ajax stopper joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer ahead of this season, eventually replacing veteran Handanovic between the sticks after watching their opening eight Serie A matches from the bench.

Onana frequently picks up tips from the 38-year-old, but it is Bayern Munich counterpart Neuer who he regards as "the greatest."

"Handanovic is a giant, I take off my hat to him," he told SportWeek. "He always helps and advises me. I'm a modern goalkeeper, I go out, I take a lot of risks and I play with my feet.

"As a child, I dreamed watching the miracles of [Gianluigi] Buffon and [Iker] Casillas, but the greatest is Neuer: he does crazy things, I am inspired by him."

Onana is on international duty with Cameroon at the World Cup, starting the 1-0 loss against Switzerland, and is set to feature in their remaining Group G encounters with Serbia and Brazil.

The 26-year-old revealed that following the defeat by the Swiss, the Indomitable Lions received a surprise visit from one of their all-time greats.

"The defeat against Switzerland is already behind us," he added. "[Samuel] Eto'o came to the locker room to encourage us.

"[Our] heads [are] held high for the next challenges with Serbia and Brazil at the World Cup. The goal is to qualify for the knockout rounds. For us, the dream remains alive, intact and achievable."

Saudi Arabia produced surely the result of the 2022 World Cup when they stunned Lionel Messi's Argentina this week, but they are not done there.

Herve Renard's men came from behind to beat the Albiceleste 2-1, scoring with their only two shots for one of the tournament's biggest ever upsets.

The odds were stacked against Saudi Arabia in that match, as they will be again on matchday two as they tackle Poland.

Saudi Arabia have lost nine of their 10 World Cup matches against European opposition, including each of the past eight in a row.

That dismal run included an 8-0 humiliation at the hands of Germany in 2002, but forward Saleh Al Shehri knows this is a very different team.

"That was a defeat in the past," said Al Shehri. "I think we, as a country, want to get back and go up to the top as a team.

"And I guess in the 20 years, we worked a lot, we worked hard. Now, in 2022, in Qatar, we made history, and there's still more to come."

Al Shehri scored the equaliser against Argentina, setting Saudi Arabia on their way to a second straight World Cup win after another 2-1 success against Egypt in 2018.

Saudi Arabia had won only two of their previous 15 games at the finals – again in succession in 1994 – while this is the first time they have scored twice in consecutive matches.

They have never netted three in a World Cup match, though, and face a Poland team looking for a third clean sheet in a row – last achieving such a sequence between 1974 and 1978.

"I think about the pressure," added Al Shehri. "Every game has its own pressure.

"We did one job perfectly. It's finished and we are waiting for the next game against Poland. The pressure is always on when you play at this top level."

Poland may be tight at the back but have struggled in attack, attempting only six shots in the 0-0 draw with Mexico.

It was their sixth goalless draw in 35 World Cup matches, making up 17 per cent – the largest such percentage of any team to play 15 or more games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Poland – Arkadiusz Milik

Milik is never likely to start while Poland play with only one striker, but the Juventus man will continue to get opportunities from the bench while Robert Lewandowski's drought drags on. Lewandowski has not scored in his four World Cup outings, attempting 11 shots – including that unsuccessful penalty against Mexico.

Saudi Arabia – Salem Al Dawsari

Al Dawsari could have retired a Saudi Arabia World Cup hero even before this tournament, having netted a stoppage-time winner against Egypt in 2018. Now, after topping that effort with the decisive goal in the Argentina game, he is just the second Saudi player to score in multiple World Cups. Sami Al Jaber, the other, netted three goals in total, a record Al Dawsari can match with another key strike.

PREDICTION

Saudi Arabia might have beaten Argentina, but the supercomputer still does not expect them to follow that up with victory against Poland. They are given just a 20.0 per cent chance.

Poland are clear favourites at 55.5 per cent... or could there be another 0-0 on the cards? The draw is rated more likely than a Saudi Arabia victory at 24.5 per cent.

Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian both scored in stoppage time to secure Iran a famous 2-0 World Cup win over Wales and keep their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive in stunning fashion.

Wales, who had Wayne Hennessey sent off late on, had seemingly been on course to somehow avoid defeat, but two fine goals right at the end sparked bedlam among the Iran team and fans.

Iran opting to sing their national anthem after abstaining against England contributed to a charged atmosphere that brought an early flurry, including a disallowed Ali Gholizadeh goal.

That let-off and the fact Gholizadeh and Sardar Azmoun struck the post just after the break suggested luck was on Wales' side.

But Hennessey's red card for a wild challenge turned the tide, and Iran picked the Dragons off in ruthless and remarkable fashion.

Hugo Lloris is confident Adrien Rabiot will prove crucial to France's World Cup defence following his impressive display against Australia, while Didier Deschamps wants even more from Ousmane Dembele.

Injuries to Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante opened the door for Rabiot to assume a central role in Qatar, and he did not let Les Bleus down in their 4-1 win over the Socceroos.

The Juventus midfielder grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck before the break, cancelling out Craig Goodwin's earlier strike by scoring the equaliser before assisting the first of Olivier Giroud's two goals.

Rabiot subsequently became the first France player to both score and assist a goal on his World Cup debut since Christophe Dugarry against South Africa in 1998.

Lloris said: "A lot has been said about the absences of Kante and Pogba, who have been vital engines for us for some years now. 

"But you can forget that there are players who can step up and have the maturity and experience to take a leading role – Adrien has that.

"We know his qualities, there is an opportunity for him at this World Cup.

"The opportunity is coming at the right time and he has shown that against Australia.

"He stepped up and scored that goal and gave an assist to Olivier, it shows the impact he can have on the team.

"We know how talented he is, but he also is a very hard worker, he is very technically gifted, a very elegant player. I'm sure he'll help us go as far as possible."

Meanwhile, Deschamps believes Dembele must continue to strive for improvement, despite grabbing an assist in the Australia victory.

The Barcelona forward, whose brilliant cross set up Kylian Mbappe, started France's first two games at the 2018 tournament, but made just two further substitute appearances in Russia.

He was then unused during the victory over Croatia in the final.

But Deschamps insists Dembele has not arrived in Qatar with a point to prove, saying: "I don't think he wants to make up for it or forget it; he was in 2018 squad, and it was successful.

"Four years ago, he was going through a difficult time with major injuries. Now, he is more mature, but he is still full of youthful exuberance. He is in a club that is very demanding, and maybe he is better at that club.

"He is always capable of creating problems for the opponent as he is so quick and skilful, but he needs to rule out any wastefulness and be as effective as he possibly can.

"He was pleased to be in first XI [against Australia], and he put in a good performance."

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris believes Richarlison has proven his qualities for Brazil, silencing his doubters with a double against Serbia.

Richarlison was the star of the show for Brazil in Doha on Thursday, as Tite's team started their World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory at Lusail Stadium.

The Tottenham forward tucked in an opportunistic opener in the 62nd minute, before lashing an acrobatic attempt into the left-hand corner to seal the victory in style.

Brazil's win was marred by an ankle injury for Neymar, though Tite was confident the Paris Saint-Germain star would recover.

Asked about his Spurs team-mate, as well as Neymar's injury, while previewing France's Group D clash with Denmark, Lloris said: "Neymar is an icon in global football, but I'm not going to talk about him that much, I don't know how serious the injury is.

"For Richarlison, I'm delighted for him, he's not one of the better-known players in the Brazil squad and maybe not everyone expected to be in XI, but he's a great player, a great goalscorer – as he proved with the first goal but then a wonderful second goal.

"[It was] spectacular, and the best goal of the tournament so far, so that's great for him.

"We know how good a team Brazil is, they're favourites. They'll be delighted to win the first game, that's what they needed to do, to get out on the front foot."

Holders France can seal their place in the last 16 by beating Denmark on Saturday, though they go into that match having lost their last two meetings with the Danes, both of those defeats coming in this year's Nations League.

Lloris said: "It gives you an idea of the level of this Danish team, it's an excellent side and capable of beating the best.

"It's been a wake-up for us, we can't say we don't know them and we don't need extra motivation, [it's] a decisive game for qualification. If you look at the first games between Tunisia and Denmark, you can see that we have a lot of work to do. Every team is in a good place."

"They are underestimated," France coach Didier Deschamps said of Denmark, who have kept a clean sheet in three of their last five World Cup games.

"We're talking about just between June and September where they beat us twice and made life difficult. We have to make sure that's not the case. It's not a question of revenge, we know their players, they know us.

"We'll learn from those experiences but Denmark can learn too."

Australia and Tunisia are hungry to snatch a rare World Cup victory when they meet at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday, knowing they could take a huge step towards the knockout stage.

After Australia were torched 4-1 by France, Graham Arnold will look to rouse his side for a clash with a Tunisia side who revelled in having huge support against Denmark, earning a 0-0 draw against the European Championship semi-finalists.

That result for Tunisia – just a second clean sheet for the team in 16 matches at the World Cup – has raised hopes of advancing beyond the group stage for the first time, at what is their sixth World Cup.

"We want to get past this round, this is our main objective, and we're quite optimistic about achieving this goal," said coach Jalel Kadri.

It is a lip-smacking opportunity for them against a Socceroos side who took the lead against France before being blown away by the firepower of the World Cup holders.

Australia have lost 11 of their 17 games at the World Cup (65 per cent), and have failed to win in their last seven outings on this stage, their longest winless streak in the competition.

Tunisia had just 38.7 per cent of the ball against Denmark and their passing accuracy in the opposition half was a disappointing 55.4 per cent; however, they won a healthy 55.8 per cent of duels.

Australia had just 37.6 per cent of possession against France, and the outcome of that game means they have now managed only one clean sheet in 17 World Cup games.

Kadri said: "We're playing a strong group and today we have one point, and we should invest this energy we have in the next match as well."

He said of the crowd's raucous support for his team: "It gives us a great lift and we're looking forward to seeing the fans continue to do that."

Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine, who plays club football in Germany for St Pauli, wants to see a response after the France result.

He said: "To feel disappointed... is huge testament to the mentality of the group and that desire to win and get results, and it's definitely something we have in us all the time and continue to have going into these next couple of huge games."

Citing the "very different opposition", Irvine predicted: "The game will flow in a totally different way."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tunisia – Issam Jebali

Jebali had Tunisia's best opportunities in the Denmark game, with his three goal chances being worth a total of 0.53 expected goals (xG) out of a team total of 0.92. Denmark's Andreas Cornelius (0.93) was the only player on the pitch with a higher xG score, having missed a golden close-range chance to win the game.

Tunisia will hope for Jebali to be sharper with his finishing against Australia. Kadri has Wahbi Khazri waiting in the wings, promising he will "get his chance", with many surprised the Montpellier man played no part against Denmark.

Australia – Mat Ryan

Goalkeeper Ryan and winger Mathew Leckie could both make their eighth World Cup starts for Australia, setting a new national record at the finals.

Ryan suffered against France as Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Co made his day a misery, and he will be looking to earn a rare World Cup shut-out this time around.

PREDICTION

Tunisia are given a 47.6 per cent chance of winning this one, while Australia have only a 25.6 per cent prospect of snatching the three points, according to Opta's AI model.

The draw, therefore, is a 27.1 per cent possibility, but with the stakes so high, victory is imperative for both teams. A draw, you might imagine, would likely be a crushing blow to each team's hopes of reaching the last-16 stage.

This will be just the third meeting between Tunisia and Australia – Australia won 3-0 in a friendly in 1997, before Tunisia won 2-0 at the 2005 Confederations Cup.

English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea have been linked with a big-money move for Aston Villa and Jamaica international Leon Bailey ahead ov the upoming January transfer window.

The London club has had a stuttering start to the new season, and are hoping to add a quality winger to boost the team’s hopes of challenging for the league title. 

Bailey, who has been in hot-form for Aston Villa reenntely, is reportedly one of several players being looked on as options. 

The move is, however, likely to depend on Chelsea winger and USA international Christian Pulisic being moved on.  

Pulisic still has a little over 18 months left on his contract, but could still move on in January after recent concerns over regular game time at the club.

The 25-year-old Bailey joined Aston Villa last summer from German club Bayer Leverkuson for a fee reportedly in the region of £25million.  The Jamaian was plagued by injuries at the start of his career in England but has now made 34 appearances and scored five goals, with four of them coming this season.

The Blues are reportedly keen to add more pace to their frontline and have also been linked with a January move for France striker Christopher Nkunku from Red Bull Leipzig.