Gareth Bale is "100 per cent fit and ready to go" for Wales at the World Cup in Qatar after battling injury issues.

The former Real Madrid winger's fitness had been a concern before Robert Page named his 26-man squad for Wales' first appearance at the World Cup in 64 years.

Bale has only started twice for Los Angeles FC since joining from Madrid in July, managing just 370 minutes on the pitch.

However, he scored an extra-time equaliser as a substitute against Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup final, which LAFC won on penalties on November 5.

Bale initially gave Wales reason to be concerned after the final as he said he felt "not 100 per cent fit", but has since backtracked on those comments before travelling to the Middle East.

"I'm 100 per cent fit and ready to go," the Wales international told Sky Sports after revealing his struggles with a "slight issue".

Bale suggested playing the United States, England and Iran in Group B in the space of nine days would be "no problem", with the mental aspects of being sidelined more of a problem than the physical side.

"I'm fully fit and ready to go. If I need to play three 90s, I'll play three 90s," he added. "It's been difficult, mentally more than anything.

"I guess for everybody, the last three or four weeks, it's been difficult, even hearing stories of players going down and knowing they're going to miss the World Cup.

"Speaking to a few of the boys, even for them having to play this weekend was tough mentally, and we're just praying not to have an injury at all because it's such a big occasion."

The tournament has been somewhat overshadowed due to human rights issues in Qatar.

Bale will be among eight captains to wear a distinctive heart-adorned armband, raising awareness for the OneLove campaign against discrimination in a country where same-sex marriage is prohibited.

"For us as footballers, it's been a difficult subject to talk about," said Bale. "But we can shed a light on the problems there that are going on.

"We've spoken to the FAW [Football Association of Wales] and they've been speaking to Welsh government, who've been speaking to Qatar and FIFA, working on these issues.

"For us as players, we're fully behind and support everything we can do. As footballers, the most we can do is raise awareness and it's for people higher up to make those decisions, and hopefully make change for the better."

Hugo Lloris believes players must focus on football at the World Cup amid concerns over human rights in Qatar but says they "cannot remain insensitive" over the issues.

Qatar has come under the spotlight long before the first game of the tournament on Sunday due to controversy over human rights in a country where same-sex relationships are illegal.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has penned a letter to all 32 nations who will play in the World Cup encouraging them to focus on football, but that was met with a backlash.

France goalkeeper Lloris is one of nine captains who will wear a distinctive rainbow heart-adorned armband at the tournament, raising awareness for the OneLove campaign against discrimination.

However, the Les Bleus skipper shares FIFA's view that players should respect the beliefs of their host country, telling reporters: "I have my personal opinion and that is in line with that of the president [French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet].

"When we welcome foreigners to France, we want them to follow our rules and respect our culture. I will do the same when I go to Qatar. We may not agree with that, but I will show respect.

"We cannot remain insensitive to these subjects. We are asking more and more of the players.

"But I believe that we must keep the focus on the game. Outside, everyone is free to express themselves and defend their opinions."

Lloris feels the onus to denounce Qatar's human rights record should not fall upon footballers, saying: "There’s too much pressure on the players. We are at the bottom of the chain.

"If you have to apply pressure, first of all it had to be 10 years ago. Now it’s too late.

"You have to understand that for players this opportunity happens every four years and you want every chance to succeed. The focus has to be on the field. The rest is for politicians. We are athletes."

Jamaica's Reggae Girlz lost 2-1 to Paraguay at the Kingston’s National Stadium on Sunday in what was the second of two international friendlies. The Reggae Girlz won the first encounter against their South American opponents in Montego Bay on Thursday, November 10.

First-half goals from Celsa Sandaoval and Ramona Martinez in the 16^th and 35^th minutes, respectively gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at half-time before Khadijah ‘Bunny’ Shaw pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 61^st minute.

Glaring errors by the Jamaica’s gifted the Paraguayans their two goals against a wasteful Jamaican team that missed several opportunities to score.

Deneisha Blackwood’s errant back pass was seized upon by Sandaoval, who beat an advancing Rebecca Spencer in the Jamaican goal before shooting into the bottom right hand corner.

The second 19 minutes later resulted in a poor pass from Havana Solaun, which gave the Paraguayan forwards to spread the ball wide before a cross found Martinez free inside the box to smash home from close range.

Head Coach Lorne Donaldson said he was not surprised by the slow start. He said he saw it coming given that the girls were not sharp during their warm-ups and it showed in the opening 20 minutes of the game.

He explained, however, that the match was not all about trying to win as there were several players that the coaching staff wanted to take a look at before finalizing the squad for the World Cup still nine months away.

“Our camp is a little bit different from Paraguay. We are still looking at stuff. We are still looking at players, so obviously we want to win but it is not going to be at all cost for this camp because we have to give some players a look, so stuff is going to be a little bit off and that was evident in the first 20 minutes,” he said.

Among the things that we “off” was the Reggae Girlz shooting. Chances fell to Drew Spence and Shaw in the first half but were either blocked missed entirely.

Spence’s 13^th minute shot was parried by goalkeeper Christine Ricalde while Shaw dragged one past the far post just two minutes later.

Siobhan Wilson’s cross fell to Paige Bailey-Paige, whose shot from inside the box was charged down by a defender. Allyson Swaby also had a shot from two yards blocked by Ricalde.

Three changes made at the resumption of play resulted in Jamaica being more organized and stable defensively. Vyan Sampson replaced an ineffective Solaun and Atlanta Primus came on to replace Kayla McCoy in midfield while fullback Tiernney Wiltshire replaced Malikae Dayes.

Bailey-Gayle and Wilson were substituted for wingers Cheyna Matthews and Rachel Jones in the 59^th minute, the latter making an immediate impact.

Jones’ driving run down the left flank and resulting cross led to the handled ball from which a penalty was awarded allowing Jamaica back into the game.

The changes, Donaldson said, were a direct result of the team’s inability to control the game and limit the number of turnovers, which invariably but the defence under pressure.

“If you see, when we came out in the second half there were two changes in the midfield because we couldn’t control the game, we couldn’t anything. We were passing the ball to the next team, so that’s a part of saying this would never work or this is not going to work,” he said while lamenting the poor finishing that ultimately cost the team.

“Should we have knocked some goals in, maybe we should have but such is football. To us, it’s preparation and the end product is what we are looking at.”

Donaldson said this was the last window when the coaching staff would be looking at new players. He indicated that by the next camp they should have the 30 players from which the final squad will be selected for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Jude Bellingham can leave Borussia Dortmund if Europe's big names come calling as the German club cannot "afford to fight financially", says their CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.

Bellingham's strong start to the season has seen him register 12 goal involvements in all competitions, earning him a place in England's World Cup and garnering interest from a number of top clubs.

Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City are all rumoured to be interested in the midfielder, who signed for Dortmund from Birmingham City as a 17-year-old in 2020 for an initial fee of £25million.

If Bellingham does leave, Dortmund reportedly want a fee of €100m, though that number could end up reaching €150m should a bidding war play out for his services.

While Bellingham is yet to publicly state any desire to leave Dortmund, Watzke knows will be difficult to keep hold of him if that changes and the top teams come calling.

"We will hold talks now, as soon as [the World Cup in] Qatar is over," Watzke told Bild. "Then we'll have a fundamental talk about what he would like.

"He just needs to tell us if he'd like to stay or if he'd like to go. In both cases we'll talk about it very pleasantly and reasonably together.

"In general we can imagine that he'd stay with us, but we can't behave as if this topic wasn't on the table.

"If he says 'I'd like to do something else,' then the really big [clubs] in Europe will be there and we can't afford to fight financially."

Presnel Kimpembe has been replaced in France's World Cup squad by the uncapped Axel Disasi, despite returning from injury for Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend.

After sitting out the wins over Juventus and Lorient, PSG defender Kimpembe played the final 15 minutes of Sunday's 5-0 Ligue 1 triumph over Auxerre.

Kimpembe, who has represented France 28 times, said after the match he "is feeling fine" and was looking forward to linking up with his country for Qatar 2022.

However, the French Football Federation announced on Monday the defender "does not consider himself sufficiently recovered" to be able to represent the reigning world champions.

Didier Deschamps has added centre-back Disasi, who has made 23 appearances for Monaco this season, to his 26-man squad as Kimpembe's replacement.

Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram has also been called up after scoring 13 times and assisting four more in 17 appearances this season.

The France squad are due to meet at their Clairefontaine training base on Monday ahead of their Group D opener against Australia on November 22.

Les Blues, who are attempting to become the third team to win back-to-back World Cups, then take on Denmark and Tunisia.

Cristiano Ronaldo's time at Manchester United is surely up. 

Following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which the superstar forward said he feels "betrayed" by senior figures at Old Trafford and does not respect manager Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo's departure seems certain.

Having tried and failed to join a new club in the past transfer window, Ronaldo may be granted his wish in January once the World Cup is done and dusted.

If that is the case, there are only a few likely destinations for the Portugal international, who is reportedly eager to continue his career at the highest level despite turning 38 in February.

Napoli

A return to Serie A has been touted for Ronaldo, with Napoli being named as potential suitors earlier this year after losing attacking spearheads Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens. Whether the that remains the case, with Luciano Spalletti's side eight points clear at the Serie A summit, remains to be seen.

But in Ronaldo's three years in Italy with Juventus, no player scored more Serie A goals than his tally of 81 and, despite spending the past year and a half with United, only Ciro Immobile (117) has scored more Serie A goals since 2018.

Napoli would certainly match Ronaldo's aspirations, with Champions League football post-Christmas to look forward to and a first Scudetto since the glory days of Diego Maradona a realistic target. However, the club's finances and the forward's wage demands may prove to be restrictive.

Chelsea

Finances will certainly not be a problem for Chelsea, who are at somewhat of a crossroads following Todd Boehly's takeover earlier this year. The American billionaire is said to have previously met with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes, but no transfer went through in August.

Thomas Tuchel has since been replaced by Graham Potter in the Stamford Bridge dugout, though, and while the Englishman may not be on board with the idea of signing another ageing attacker, Boehly will very much have the final say.

Whether Ronaldo would accept a move to a Premier League rival, even if his reputation at Old Trafford has plummeted in recent months, is the biggest question regarding any hopes the Blues may have in signing the Portuguese. There is also then the small matter of United agreeing to offload to a domestic rival midway through the campaign, with both sides battling for a top-four finish.

Sporting CP

With a United homecoming already under his belt, could Sporting secure a sensational return of their own and bring Ronaldo back to where it all began? It's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility – especially as he enters the final six months of his United contract.

Ronaldo had just a single season in the senior squad with Sporting before he moved to United, so he may feel he has unfinished business – and it is a side that can definitely compete, having ended a 20-year barren spell without a league title in the 2020-21 season.

That said, Sporting have endured a difficult campaign this time around as they sit fourth in the Primeira Liga and have exited the Champions League. As head coach Ruben Amorim recently stated, however, there is no harm in dreaming of seeing CR7 in the famous green and white strip once again.

Real Madrid

Another possible return destination... could Ronaldo wind back up in the Spanish capital?

The Champions League winners are hardly in need of another superstar forward, given they already have the world's best player in Karim Benzema, but bringing Ronaldo back to the club where he scored 450 goals would surely appeal to president Florentino Perez, who is never shy in his attempts to make statement signings.

Madrid missed out on Kylian Mbappe earlier this year, much to their frustration, and having Ronaldo in their side would undoubtedly provide some depth up top until the PSG forward is further into the new, three-year contract he signed with the French club in May.

MLS

Champions League football has been documented as the reason for Ronaldo's strong desire to leave United but, if such offers are not forthcoming, could a move to MLS be on the cards? 

Financial rules and designated player spots would make a switch complicated, with there only being a handful of teams likely to be able to make a move possible – likely to be those in Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

With the 2026 World Cup taking place in North America, bringing Ronaldo to MLS would raise the profile of the league further – and would undoubtedly be the biggest acquisition for the league since David Beckham's move to LA Galaxy in 2007.

That move marked the start of a new era of soccer in the US and has evolved considerably since, though Ronaldo's arrival would send things to a completely new level.

Barcelona are expected to be major players in the January transfer market after a busy pre-season.

The 26-time Spanish champions are top of LaLiga at the World Cup break but crashed out of the Champions League.

The Blaugrana are still battling financial challenges, while they also have some unsettled players on their books.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA PLOTTING JANUARY GUNDOGAN MOVE

Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona are planning to move for Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan in January, with fears Franck Kessie may exit soon.

The Blaugrana are eager to bolster their midfield options and a move for Bernardo Silva appears difficult despite their ongoing interest.

As a result, Barca have turned to the Germany international, whose contract with City ends in mid-2023. The report also claims the Catalans could move for Leicester City's Youri Tielemans.

Kessie has been linked with Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Fulham by Spanish media outlet Sport. The Ivorian only joined in July, but the club's financial position means they are open to letting players go.

ROUND-UP

– Despite being linked with a long list of names, Sport claims Barcelona will only make one signing in the January transfer window, with a right-back seen as a priority. Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard and Villarreal's Juan Foyth are among their options.

– New Aston Villa heard coach Unai Emery wants to bring in Real Madrid's Eden Hazard and Nacho Fernandez, according to El Nacional. Spanish boss Emery left Villarreal for the Villans last month.

– Juventus are ready to offer a new contract to French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, claims Tuttosport. Rabiot had been linked with an off-season move, with Manchester United mentioned as a possible destination, but has impressed this term.

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Milan are putting together a bid for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech in January. The Moroccan winger is expected to cost less than €20million (£17.5m).

– Inter are keen on Valencia left-back Jesus Vazquez in January and a mid-2023 move for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram, reports La Gazetta dello Sport.

Massimiliano Allegri believes "a different mental approach" has been crucial for Moise Kean following his impressive recent form.

The Italy international scored his first Serie A brace since March 2019 as Juventus leapfrogged Lazio into third place following a 3-0 victory at the Allianz Stadium.

Kean has now netted four goals in as many league appearances, as many as in his previous 38 matches in the Italian top flight.

"He is far more balanced mentally, as when you are young, and he is so exuberant, it all gets a bit much," Allegri told DAZN.

"He is working hard, he weighs five or six kilograms less than last season, and you can see he has a different mental approach."

The win over Lazio was Juve's sixth on the bounce in Serie A heading into the World Cup break, and Allegri praised his players' efforts.

"The lads did well, especially after a tough month," he said. "It was not easy against Lazio, we had the patience to close their passing channels, allowing them practically nothing until the final minutes.

"Just six rounds ago, nobody believed we would be third in the table, so that is a step forward. I can only thank the lads for their performances."

The break has arguably come at the wrong time for in-form Juventus, but Allegri insists it will be beneficial for the Bianconeri, who are missing several players through injury.

"Now, we need to recharge our batteries and be ready to resume in January," he added. "We have too many players with question marks over them, and now we have the opportunity to get them back fully fit. We needed this break to have a breather.

"I think when we do resume, there will be a game every three days, we will try to go all the way in the Europa League and there will be space for everyone to give their contribution."

Cristiano Ronaldo says he feels "betrayed" by senior figures at Manchester United and has no respect for the club's head coach Erik ten Hag after enduring a tumultuous season at Old Trafford.

Having top-scored for United with 24 goals in all competitions last term, Ronaldo reportedly asked to leave the club following their failure to qualify for the Champions League, and the 37-year-old has fallen out of favour since Ten Hag took charge ahead of this campaign. 

Ronaldo was temporarily exiled from first-team activities last month after refusing to come on as a substitute in a 2-0 win over Tottenham and has only scored one Premier League goal all season.

Before travelling to Qatar to represent Portugal at his fifth and likely final World Cup, Ronaldo stated his belief that senior figures at Old Trafford – including Ten Hag – want rid of him.

 Asked whether he felt he was being forced out of Old Trafford, Ronaldo told Piers Morgan uncensored: "Yes, not only by the coach but by another two or three guys around the club that I felt betrayed me.

"I shouldn't say that [they were trying to get rid of me], I don't know, but yes, I feel betrayed. I felt that some people didn't want me here not only this year but last year too."

Ten Hag has preferred to hand opportunities to Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Anthony Elanga in United's attack this season, and has only started Ronaldo in four league games.

Last month, Ten Hag said he opted against bringing Ronaldo on in a 6-3 defeat to rivals Manchester City "out of respect", while the Portugal forward was visibly irritated by the Dutchman's decision to substitute him against Newcastle United two weeks later.

Asked about his relationship with Ten Hag, Ronaldo added: "I don't have respect for him because he doesn't show respect for me. 

"If you don't have respect for me, I'm never going to have respect for you."

Milan technical director Paolo Maldini is still confident his side can mount a challenge for the Serie A title after cutting Napoli's lead at the summit.

A last-gasp own goal from Nikola Milenkovic handed Milan a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina at San Siro on Sunday in the final game before the World Cup, reducing Napoli's advantage to eight points.

While that tally is still significant, victory against La Viola was a crucial one as a draw would have seen the deficit in double figures.

With 11 consecutive wins, dethroning an in-form Napoli side when the season resumes in January is a stern test but Maldini feels the race is far from over.

"Absolutely, we believe in it. Last year in the derby we were seven points from Inter, then we won," he told DAZN.

"It is not easy to keep this pace until the end, we have to grow. Maybe at this moment we are a little empty of energy.

"The standings speak for themselves; we have two points fewer than last year. Napoli have done incredible things.

"We are in line with last year. For the rest, nothing can be said. We are through in the Champions League with players still to recover.

"We must keep the spirit and enthusiasm that made us win last year."

Maldini also continued to back Charles De Ketelaere, who is yet to impress with Milan after his arrival from Club Brugge.

"He's suffering. It's a different environment with different pressures and demands. It is the difficulty of having so many emotions," he added.

"We have a five-year contract with Charles, not five months. We are waiting for it. Judgements must be partial. Time will tell if he can fit in well."

Harry Kane believes England are no longer scared of admitting they can win the World Cup, where he thinks the Three Lions' poor form may work in their favour.

Gareth Southgate's side reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final and lost on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 showpiece in what was England's first major final in 55 years.

But they head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup short of form after being relegated from the top tier of the Nations League following three draws and three losses in Group A3.

Southgate's team have not won since a 3-0 friendly victory over Ivory Coast in March, but captain Kane says the Three Lions will not shy away from outlining their hopes of lifting the World Cup.

"We have to believe we can win it," the Tottenham striker told Sky Sports."I look back at England 10, 15 years ago and it was almost [like] we were scared to say we wanted to win it.

"I think one of the big shifts that we've made over the last four or five years with Gareth is not being afraid to say that.

"Look, we're going to this tournament to win it because we believe we can. It'd be wrong to think otherwise. What's the point of going to a World Cup and not believing that you can bring the trophy home?

"It's going to be tough and we're going to have to work extremely hard, have a little bit of luck and have a lot of things go our way to achieve that.

"But I think it's important not to be afraid to say that that's what we're going there to do."

Pressure has mounted on Southgate after a dismal Nations League showing, yet Kane says the winless run has lowered expectations and may help England in their November 21 opener against Iran.

"The first game's really important, for sure," Kane added. "Of course it hasn't been the greatest period in a long time for England. Since Gareth took charge – we haven't had a spell like we've had.

"But in a way, before a major tournament that can be a really good thing because it allows you not to be carried away, or even the media or the press to get carried away.

"I feel like if we won every game leading up to this tournament it would've been, 'We're guaranteed to win it' and 'We're going to win it', and that can come with a different pressure.

"We feel like being judged on major tournaments is the main thing and the last two we've had have been good."

As for the fitness of Kane, who has been ever-present for Tottenham in the Premier League, the 29-year-old believes the mid-season tournament will help him hit the ground running.

"For sure, I'd rather be going into it playing loads of games where you feel match fit," he continued. "Sometimes after the season in the summer you have a break and then you have to gear back up to play and you haven't played a lot of games.

"You can try and train as much as you can but the bottom line is you need to be ready to have all your energy ready for the game, and that's what I'm trying to do.

"I think major tournaments test you the most in terms of the high pressure. Playing for England is always high pressure but in a major tournament there's always that added incentive.

"The mentality of being away from home, being in camp for five or six weeks but this one is fairly quick because it's during the season. Normally you're away four or five weeks before the tournament and then you're away four or five weeks in the tournament, so it is a long period of time where you're just outside your comfort zone.

"But I guess what separates the top nations and the winning nations from the others is who can deal with that the best."

A last-gasp Nikola Milenkovic own goal handed Milan a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina at San Siro on Sunday to cut Napoli's lead at the top of Serie A.

Rafael Leao opened the scoring after just two minutes, but Fiorentina responded fiercely, finding an equaliser before the half-hour mark through Antonin Barak's deflected effort.

It appeared Milan would have to settle for a share of the points, which would have seen them sit 10 behind Napoli, but a remarkable end saved the hosts.

Milenkovic diverted the ball into his own net to deny Fiorentina in cruel fashion, with their appeals for VAR to intervene being waved away.

The hosts came out of the blocks flying, Olivier Giroud flicking a pass for Leao to charge into the box and slot home into the bottom-right corner with just two minutes on the clock.

Fiorentina had a swift chance to equalise, Riccardo Saponara smashing an effort against the frame of the goal, before pulling level minutes before the half-hour mark as Barak's drive took a wicked deflection off Malick Thiaw to beat Ciprian Tatarusanu.

Milan were back on the front foot at the start of the second period, Giroud forcing a close-range save from Pietro Terracciano and Leao thumping an attempt wide of the post.

At the other end, a superb last-ditch tackle from Fikayo Tomori on Jonathan Ikone kept Fiorentina at bay, with a VAR check confirming no infringement from the England international.

Tomori was again on hand to prevent Ikone, clearing off the line, which proved to be decisive when Milenkovic sent the ball into his own net after Terracciano failed to punch the ball away.

Jordi Alba labelled Luis Enrique as "the best coach in the world" as Spain aim for World Cup glory in Qatar.

Alba worked with Luis Enrique at Barcelona when he was in charge between 2014 and 2017 before the latter left and went on to become La Roja coach.

The former Real Madrid and Barca midfielder initially left his role in 2019 due to family reasons before returning in the same year, subsequently guiding Spain to the semi-finals of Euro 2020.

A second-place finish in the 2020-21 Nations League further added to the resume of Luis Enrique, who Alba feels is the right man to lead Spain in the Middle East at the World Cup, which starts next Sunday.

"I already know him from Barcelona. He is a direct person, who trusts the players a lot," the Barca left-back told Mundo Deportivo.

"For me, I have always said, he is the best coach in the world. Not only in the football field, but also in the human field. 

"He is very close and helps all his team-mates and that is important for all the players and for me. He has a lot of personality. He captures his idea and that all the players go in the same direction. 

"It is something very difficult and he has achieved it in all the teams he has been in. We all go to what he tells us. At that he is the best."

Alba, Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets all reportedly took a significant drop in wages to allay Barca's financial difficulties after Lionel Messi left in August 2021.

The Spain left-back reiterated his commitment to Barca as he outlined his plans to stay at Camp Nou amid reports he could leave at the end of his contract in 2024.

"As far as I am concerned, I feel qualified to continue here for many years," he added. "I think that when I'm playing I'm doing well and when I'm not playing I'll support my team-mates and try to help the younger ones as much as I can. 

"I want to continue performing well. I've been here at Barcelona for many years and my intention is to stay here. Honestly, I didn't get any offer from that club, or from any other. 

"I knew the opinion of the coach, who was counting on me. There has been talk for many years that I could go on loan or sign to another club. But my intention has always been to stay here. 

"During these years I have worked hard for this club, then things will turn out for better or worse, but that will continue to be my intention until the end of the season and everything that remains on my contract."

Barca brought in the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde ahead of the 2022-23 term but were eliminated at the Champions League group stage for the second time in as many campaigns.

Xavi's side head into the World Cup break two points clear of Real Madrid at the LaLiga summit and Alba hopes to repay the faith of the Blaugrana faithful.

"This year we have not qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and we are in the Europa League, but the people have continued with the players and that has been very important," he said.

"Now we have to try to return it in the form of titles. The deal with the fans has always been phenomenal."

Roma director Tiago Pinto says the club "cannot accept" Gareth Southgate's reasons to leave Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling out of England's World Cup squad.

The Giallorossi pair had hoped to push for inclusion in the Three Lions' 26-man party for Qatar 2022.

Abraham was mooted as a possible understudy for Harry Kane, having scored 27 goals for Roma last season, but after only managing four in 20 appearances in 2022-23 so far, Southgate instead turned to in-form Newcastle United frontman Callum Wilson.

The presence of England regular Harry Maguire too in defence over Smalling, despite limited minutes for Manchester United, has left Pinto fuming.

"I cannot accept, both Roma and the representatives of other clubs, that people try to justify international call-ups with what is happening at club level," Pinto told DAZN.

"If Tammy is not part of the England squad because he didn't score over the last month, for example, but they called up a player benched for his club yesterday, then Smalling ought to be a starter for England."

Abraham ultimately paid the price for a drought of form at the wrong time, as Southgate suggested in his squad selection press conference.

Pinto admits there is further growing room for the attacker too, adding: "I want to say we are satisfied with Tammy, but always with the perspective that he can still improve, and I am sure he will do.

"We're pleased to see our players go to the World Cup, because it is important for them, but I cannot accept that after a call-up there is talk about the way these players work at Roma as justification for a personal choice."

Jose Mourinho says he was "humble enough to apologise" to referee Antonio Rapuano after accepting he deserved his latest red card in Roma's late 1-1 draw with Torino.

Roma head coach Mourinho was sent to the stands in the 88th minute with his side a goal down for repeatedly protesting decisions made by the official in Sunday's fiery contest.

Mourinho watched on from the Stadio Olimpico stands as Nemanja Matic rescued a point with a 94th-minute goal – Roma's latest at home in the league in 12 years.

The 59-year-old is no stranger to being given his marching orders and did not react kindly to being banished from the sidelines, but he later held his hands up for his actions.

"It was the right decision – my words to the referee deserved a red card," he told DAZN. "I spoke to him after and apologised, but I don’t want to talk about his performance. 

"I was humble enough to apologise, but I will leave his performance and the hypothetical influence on the match to you. 

"I don't want to talk about what we said, that was private. My words deserved a red card, but I will not judge the referee's performance."

Matic's dramatic late leveller came immediately after substitute Paulo Dybala had hit the frame of the goal, while former Torino striker Andrea Belotti missed an injury-time penalty just moments earlier in an exciting end to the contest.

Mourinho's side enter the World Cup break seventh in Serie A after winning just one of their past five matches.

The 10 points the Giallorossi have collected from their opening seven home league games this term is their lowest return since the 2005-06 season, when accruing eight.

Roma's disappointing form has coincided with Dybala's month-long absence from the side, with the Argentina international making a difference on his return against Torino.

"There are two games tonight – one until the 70th minute and one after," Mourinho said. "Until the 70th, Roma fans wanted to just go home.

"But in the final 20 minutes we created more, perhaps more than we have done in the last four or five games. Why? Easy, because Dybala came on.

"When you have a player like Paulo and he doesn't play, it's different. How many extra points would we have now if Dybala hadn't been injured? 

"The break is coming up, it will be the right moment for certain players to look at themselves and try a little self-criticism.

"Despite all these problems, we are a united group. A team that misses a penalty at the 92nd minute is usually dead, but not us, we kept going."

Roma host Bologna on their return to action on January 4, before travelling to reigning champions Milan four days later.