Alphonso Davies has been named in Canada's squad for the World Cup despite suffering an injury scare in Bayern Munich's recent Bundesliga win over Hertha Berlin.

Davies sparked fears regarding his condition when he limped out of Bayern's 3-2 victory at the Olympiastadion last week, with the Bavarian giants subsequently confirming he sustained a hamstring strain.

However, Bayern then said Davies' hopes of participating at the World Cup were "not at risk", and the 22-year-old features in John Herdman's 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar.

Lille's Jonathan David is another notable name in Herdman's party – his tally of nine Ligue 1 goals this season has only been bettered by Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe (12) and Neymar (11).

Canada begin their first World Cup campaign since 1986 by facing Belgium on November 23, before taking on fellow Group F rivals Croatia and Morocco.

Atiba Hutchinson, born in 1983, is the only member of the Canada squad who was alive the last time the nation competed at the World Cup.

Canada lost all three of their matches on their only previous World Cup appearance, failing to score a goal. They are one of just four nations to play at least three World Cup games without hitting the net (also Trinidad and Tobago, Zaire and China).

Christophe Galtier admitted he was concerned about fielding Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in Paris Saint-Germain's final match before the World Cup.

Messi returned from a minor Achilles injury to join Neymar and Mbappe in PSG's star-studded attack for their routine 5-0 win over Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Mbappe opened the scoring early on before Carlos Soler scored one and set up Achraf Hakimi for another as PSG eased towards a seventh straight win in all competitions.

Galtier was able to replace Messi and Neymar in the 75th minute, with substitutes Renato Sanches and Hugo Ekitike helping themselves to a goal apiece.

While the superstar forward trio were eager to play a part in the contest, Galtier was glad all three came through unscathed before heading off to Qatar.

"The afternoon is perfect. I can't even say almost perfect, it's perfect," Galtier told Amazon Prime. 

"We only conceded one chance and had a serious match that everyone wanted to play. Nobody was particularly concerned about the World Cup. 

"It was probably me who was the most [concerned]. That's why I wanted to relieve Ney and Leo. Kylian stayed on the pitch, but he is 23 years old. 

"Ney had also stopped in the middle of the week during a session, while Leo was coming back from an overload in the calf. I'm happy with the entries of Renato and Hugo."

PSG have gone 22 matches without defeat under Galtier, winning 18 of those, and enter the World Cup break five points clear of surprise package Lens.

The Parisians have reached the 40-point mark after 15 games for the fifth time in their history, with no other team in Ligue 1 history doing so on a single occasion.

Galtier will now enjoy a short hiatus, which includes taking in a few World Cup groups in Qatar, the home of PSG's mega-rich backers.

"I'm going to take advantage of being with my family and my granddaughter," he said. 

"And then I'm going to Doha for four days to see three matches, including the match for the France team, alongside my president and my leaders."

Sunday's contest marked the first time since Messi arrived ahead of last season that PSG have scored four goals in a row without one of their superstar attackers being involved.

It was also a welcome first clean sheet in five matches for Galtier's side, with defender Presnel Kimpembe being used as a substitute ahead of linking up with the France squad.

"The World Cup is something we've been thinking about for a while, albeit in the back of our minds," said Kimpembe, who has had hamstring issues this season. 

"Now the first part of the season is over, we can focus solely on the France team. I was never worried about picking up an injury beforehand.

"Playing minutes today felt good. I am feeling positive, but the fact I was brought onto the field shows everything is fine."

Inter striker Edin Dzeko says his form does not take him by surprise after his double steered the Serie A side to victory over Atalanta on Sunday.

Goals either side of half-time took the Bosnian to three in his last two appearances, and the 3-2 win at the Gewiss Stadium helped push the Nerazzurri back into the thick of the top-four race.

With a break for the World Cup set to halt all domestic football at the highest level until after Christmas, it marks an impressive capstone to the first half of the campaign for the veteran.

At 36, Dzeko should arguably be looking to wind down his career but after his 250th Serie A appearance, the forward told Sky Sport Italia: "I am not surprised by my form.

"I've been doing this for over 15 years. Others might be surprised, but I'm not.

"We started a bit sluggish, but we woke up after conceding. Atalanta are always a dangerous team, but we really woke up after that initial goal and it was a good performance from then on."

With a contract that expires at the end of the season, many had wondered if this could be Dzeko's final campaign for Inter, having arrived from Roma last year.

But the attacker harbours hopes he will continue in Milan, adding: "I have a contract until June. I do my best, I want to stay here and continue, so we’ll see what happens."

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw his side lose points from a winning situation once again, having gone 1-0 up through an Ademola Lookman penalty, and admitted it is a pressing issue for the club this term.

"Undoubtedly, it is something we need to work on, because we barely had time to control taking the lead when we were pegged back," he noted.

"We are up against some technically gifted sides and right now we aren't as lucky as we were at the start of the campaign."

Robert Lewandowski says "it would be a dream to play" with Lionel Messi amid speculation the Argentina star could return to Barcelona.

The Poland striker will face Messi at the World Cup in Qatar in Group C, though rumours persist the pair could play on the same team as the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner eyes a return to Camp Nou.

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta reiterated the Paris Saint-Germain forward "always has his home" at Barca, who were unable to keep Messi in August 2021 due to well-documented financial struggles.

While Lewandowski claimed to have no knowledge surrounding the speculation, the former Bayern Munich striker would love to combine with Messi if the opportunity arises.

"Messi is absolutely brilliant with the amazing passes he plays to the striker," he told Marca. "If you think about Messi, he has this brilliant connection with strikers.

"He knows how to put the ball into the box, between the lines... he's the best in the world at that. I don't know what's going on right now, but for a striker it would be a dream to play with Lionel Messi for sure."

The mouth-watering prospect of two of world football's most exciting attackers aside, Lewandowski will consider Messi a rival as the 35-year-old leads one of the pre-World Cup favourites in the Middle East.

"I think Argentina with Messi are one of the favourites to win the World Cup," Lewandowski added. "They haven't lost in 30 games; they play well and you can see they are a really good team.

"If you look at football for the past 10, 15 years, the main two figures have been Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and, in the end, if you think about who deserves to win this World Cup, these two names always pop up.

"They are legends. But on the flip side, this is football and you can never say what is going to happen because it's a dramatic and unpredictable game.

"But in Messi's case, it's impossible for his achievements to be replicated as his amazing story continues. Now he's dreaming to win the World Cup.

"For him, that's the big challenge. He wants to now win the World Cup with Argentina, but this is a World Cup and you can never know what is going to happen."

As for Poland's chances in football's biggest tournament, Lewandowski acknowledged his side must be at their best to escape Group C, which also contains Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

"It's a huge challenge and it's a very tough group, each game will be difficult," he continued. "In the World Cup, it's important to know how you're going to play.

"For everyone playing in Qatar at this part if the season, it's a huge challenge.

"We have to be ready for this, we have to fight from the first minute and it doesn't matter how hard it's going to be, you have to show your best."

Jude Bellingham will be able to decide his future as Borussia Dortmund do not have the financial might to put up a "big fight" to keep him, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has acknowledged.

Bellingham is regarded as one of the best young players in world football and has shone this season, scoring nine goals and adding three assists in 22 appearances across all competitions.

The England midfielder is now set to play a key part in his country's World Cup campaign, where eyes from European's elite are likely to be cast in the hunt for new additions.

There has been no shortage of interest in Bellingham already, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all reported as potential suitors, and Watzke has made it clear Dortmund will not stand in the way of a sale.

"We will hold talks when the World Cup is over. We will ask him if he wants to stay or leave," he told Bild.

"But when big European clubs come, we can't afford a big fight financially."

Dortmund head into the World Cup break in disappointing form, sitting sixth in the Bundesliga and already nine points behind Bayern Munich at the summit.

Edin Terzic has come under pressure as a result, with Dortmund six points worse off than they were at the same stage last season under Marco Rose, who now occupies second place in the standings with RB Leipzig.

But Watzke is not thinking of another change, explaining: "Marco Rose is a great coach, but we decided together to go our separate ways because some things stood in the way and somehow he never really arrived. Something was there that wasn't right. We don't know for sure ourselves.

"We are still in the Champions League, in the DFB Pokal, too. Edin is a guy who knows and loves the club, but he has a team that is still subject to too much fluctuation.

"But Terzic is doing a great job, so I'm sure we'll enjoy him for a long time to come.

"Terzic is highly regarded at BVB as a whole. I hear from everyone involved how meticulously he works. We will see great things from him.

"Jurgen Klopp fully committed himself to the club for seven years. I see parallels to Edin, who is also totally focused on the club. I also see that with Sebastian Kehl [BVB sporting director] and so it is with me."

Paris Saint-Germain restored their five-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 ahead of the World Cup break with a routine 5-0 win over Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring early on following some good build-up play from Lionel Messi, who returned from injury to join the France forward and Neymar in attack. 

A seventh win in a row for PSG in all competitions never looked in doubt when Carlos Soler added a second goal and then assisted Achraf Hakimi for the home side's third.

Christophe Galtier made full use of his squad depth and substitutes Renato Sanches and Hugo Ekitike added gloss to the scoreline with a couple of late goals.

The serene nature of the contest ensured Galtier could replace a number of PSG's Qatar-bound stars, with no players sustaining an injury problem of any sort.

Messi sent a delightful lofted ball over the Auxerre defence for Nuno Mendes to deliver a first-time pass towards Mbappe, who in turn helped it over the line with 11 minutes gone.

The goal stood following a VAR check for a possible handball against Neymar, but Auxerre nearly levelled as M'Baye Niang forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a fine save.

PSG toiled before Mendes took the ball past a couple of players and picked out Soler to glance a header away from Benoit Costil and in off the far post early in the second half.

Soler turned provider six minutes later when playing in Hakimi to coolly slot past Costil from a one-on-one position.

Messi hit the post but could not get his name on the scoresheet, though Sanches fired in off the post before fellow substitute Ekitike profited from some poor defending to coolly add a fifth.

Two Edin Dzeko goals helped Inter move clear of Atalanta and into Serie A's top form with a 3-2 win at Bergamo going into the World Cup break.

Inter trailed to Ademola Lookman's penalty on Sunday, but Dzeko scored either side of half-time to swing the game back in the visitors' favour.

Dzeko's second effort benefited from a deflection off Joakim Maehle, and Atalanta helped the Nerazzurri out again when Jose Luis Palomino put through his own net for the third.

Although Palomino later scored at the right end, it was too little, too late, as Inter opened up a three-point gap to Atalanta, level on points with second-placed Lazio ahead of the rest of the day's action.

Atalanta had started the brighter of the two sides, with Duvan Zapata seeing a pair of early chances blocked before he was caught by Stefan de Vrij's outstretched leg for a penalty that Lookman cleanly converted.

The goal stunned Inter out of their torpor, pushing them onto the front foot, and they were rewarded with Dzeko's finish after the ball was helped into his path by a Lautaro Martinez header.

Atalanta had hoped to reassert their hold on the match following the interval but instead contributed to their own downfall as a combination of Dzeko and Maehle sent Inter in front from Federico Dimarco's cross.

Palomino then glanced an Inter corner past goalkeeper Juan Musso, meaning his own riposte – a diving header with 13 minutes to play – was not enough to recover an Atalanta result.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated Lionel Messi "always has his home" at the club.

The Argentina superstar left Camp Nou in August 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, after financial issues left Barcelona unable to tie their academy graduate to a new contract.

Speculation of a return to Catalonia has been present ever since and have heated up ahead of 2023, when Messi is set to become a free agent unless he agrees to a fresh contract in the French capital.

Whether an emotional return materialises remains to be seen but Laporta is keen to stress that Messi will always be welcome.

"Leo knows that at Barca he always has his home," he told Sport.

"But let me not talk about Leo because he is a player of another team and we would enter again into a series of statements and counter-statements that would not benefit us at all. He has a current contract with a European club.

"I can only say that Leo has been the best player in the history of Barca."

Barcelona waved goodbye to another stalwart last week in Gerard Pique, who decided to retire, and Laporta made it clear the decision was solely down to the defender.

"Pique's departure has been decided by him. Motivated surely by a sports theme. If Gerard had had the confidence of the coach and played as an undisputed starter, he obviously would not have left," he added.

"Pique has decided what he wanted to do and we, from the board of directors, respect it.

"Xavi has been very honest with him. From the first moment the technician told him that he did not count on him and I also commented with him about his situation.

"But Gerard is a competitive man, a winner, and he still saw himself as a starter and wanted to continue. Although in the end he has seen reality and made a decision.

"He has had a way of saying goodbye to the club, given the haste, very nice. We always want our heroes to be eternal but it is impossible."

Barcelona head into the mid-season break for the World Cup top of LaLiga, two points ahead of Real Madrid, and return to action in late December against city rivals Espanyol.

Antonio Rudiger admits it would come as a "surprise" if Germany win the World Cup in Qatar, as the Real Madrid defender gears up to play a key role for his nation.

A member of the squad four years ago, Rudiger has been elevated into a starting berth for the 2014 champions and is one of the more experienced players within Hansi Flick's side.

Germany fell flat as defending champions in Russia, exiting at the group stage, and are not ranked among the favourites to go all the way in Qatar, with that honour falling to Brazil, Argentina and France.

While Rudiger is keen to go all the way in the tournament, he has conceded it would be a shock outcome if Germany were to end victorious for a fifth time in their history.

"It's exciting. In 2018 I was in the team, but always on the bench. I was young. Now I enjoy a different role, the role of leader," he told AS.

"I've worked all my life for this and it's something that makes me very happy. I'm ready.

"It's a new era. In 2014 there was an excellent generation, people like [Toni] Kroos, [Mario] Gotze, [Phillip] Lahm, [Bastian] Schweinsteiger.

"But I think now there is also a great generation of players capable of achieving something important.

"You can never get Germany out of the potential winners. But if we look at what we have done in recent months, it may be a surprise [if] we win.

"We haven't managed to do a good stage lately. In good shape, for me, is for example Brazil."

Germany have little room for mistakes in Group E as they sit alongside fellow European juggernauts Spain, along with Costa Rica and Japan, with Rudiger aware of the threat La Roja pose.

"It's a World Cup. If you want to win it you have to also beat the best, and it doesn't matter when you face them," he added.

"Spain is very, very high. Now, playing in Spain, I can see how many good players there are.

"Like Germany, it is a new generation. In football, it's hard to give things time. But I think they have a good team, a young team that may need time."

Germany's World Cup campaign begins against Japan on November 23, before then facing Spain four days later and closing the group stage against Costa Rica.

Jamal Musiala can become a Bayern Munich club legend in the vein of Lionel Messi at Barcelona after notching a century of Bundesliga games, says Lothar Matthaus.

The teenager became the youngest-ever player to notch 100 matches in the top flight for the Bavarian giants against Schalke on Saturday.

At just 19 years and 259 days, it marks the latest feat for the Germany international, who set up both goals in his side's 2-0 win at the Veltins Arena.

Having made history, Musiala was in line for plaudits from Matthaus, who believes the midfielder can enshrine his legacy if he chooses to remain with the club across the rest of his career.

"That's like Messi. That's Hollywood. He must never leave Bayern," he told Sky. "He always has to play. His value is a quarter of a billion."

With 20 goal involvements across all competitions, Musiala leads German players across all competitions for the season, underscoring his value for club and country.

He will head to the World Cup with Hansi Flick's national team following this weekend, with Germany's campaign set to open against Japan on November 23.

Paris Saint-Germain are weighing up their forward options given the uncertainty around Lionel Messi once his contract expires at the end of this season.

Messi has deferred all talk around his future for both club and country until after the upcoming World Cup.

The French champions also have doubts around Kylian Mbappe, who has been the subject of constant speculation despite re-signing until 2025 at the start of the season.

TOP STORY – PSG WEIGH UP SON HEUNG-MIN MOVE

Paris Saint-Germain  are considering a move for Tottenham forward  Son Heung-min , reports El Nacional.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi will try to speak to Son during the World Cup, where he has been selected by his country despite a fractured eye socket sustained a fortnight ago.

The report claims  Real Madrid  had previous interest in Son, but president Florentino Perez has moved on given the €80million (£70m) asking price for a 30-year-old.

ROUND-UP

–  Chelsea  and  Manchester United  are both keeping a close eye on Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper  Robert Sanchez , according to the Sunday Mirror. That comes in light of a Daily Star report that claims David de Gea will need to accept a £100,000 pay cut to stay at United.

–  Chelsea are Palmeiras' 16-year-old  Endrick 's preferred destination amid interest from numerous clubs, reports ESPN Brazil. Palmeiras have declined an offer from  PSG already.

–  Juventus  held talks this week with Lazio midfielder  Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 's agent about a move to the Bianconeri, claims Calciomercato. The report claims Juve have made him a priority but will likely need to wait until the end of the season.

– L'Equipe reports talks between  Marco Verratti and  PSG  on a new deal are well advanced. The Italian midfielder is contracted until June 2024.

–  Villarreal  are ready to offer a deal to Blackburn's Chile international forward  Ben Brereton Diaz , claims The Sun. Brereton Diaz's contract expires at the end of this season.

James Maddison eased fears of him missing England's World Cup campaign after limping off in his final club game before joining up with the squad.

Despite only picking up one previous cap three years ago, Maddison's impressive form was enough to earn him a place in Gareth Southgate's squad for Qatar.

But that spot looked to be in serious peril when, in his final game for Leicester City ahead of the World Cup, Maddison limped off in the 25th minute having put the Foxes 1-0 up.

Clutching at his hamstring, there was immediate concern for the 25-year-old, but he alleviated those fears after the game.

"It should be fine," Maddison said as he left the London Stadium after the match with West Ham, which his side went on to win 2-0.

"Injury isn't too bad! A small problem that was causing a bit of soreness. Can't wait to meet up with the lads Monday," Maddison tweeted after the game.

Maddison's Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that there should not be any problem with the midfielder's fitness for Qatar, telling reporters: "I’ve just spoken to the doctor, he said he’s fine.

"He just felt a little knock on the knee. We didn’t want to risk it for him or the team."

The news will come as a big relief to Maddison and Southgate with England's World Cup campaign scheduled to get underway against Iran on November 21.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann backed Jamal Musiala to shine for Germany at the World Cup after he produced a scintillating display in Saturday's 2-0 win at Schalke.

On the day he became the youngest player to make 100 Bayern appearances since the Bundesliga was founded (aged 19 years and 259 days old), Musiala laid on goals for Serge Gnabry and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in a routine victory.

Musiala has now contributed to 21 goals this season (12 goals, nine assists) – more than any other German playing in one of Europe's top five leagues has managed. 

The teenager was also denied a goal of his own by the offside flag after claiming his second assist on Saturday and Nagelsmann believes Germany fans should be excited by his presence in Qatar. 

"Jamal played an outstanding first half of the season," Nagelsmann told Sky Sports after the win.

"Hopefully, he will play the World Cup and the second half of the season even better. He has extremely lively feet."

Musiala's Bayern and Germany team-mate Manuel Neuer, meanwhile, sees him as possessing a crucial role in both teams. 

"He is a very important key player," Neuer said. "We are happy that he is with Bayern and also with the national team."

Musiala's total of 15 Bundesliga goal contributions this campaign (nine goals, six assists) is the highest in the competition, and four more than the next best tally by a Bayern player (Gnabry with 11).

Dusan Vlahovic will sit out Juventus' Serie A game against Lazio on Sunday with the Serbia striker struggling for fitness ahead of the World Cup, head coach Massimiliano Allegri said.

The 22-year-old has not featured for Juventus since they suffered a 4-3 Champions League defeat to Benfica last month, missing their last four games after sustaining a groin injury.

Vlahovic – who is Juventus' top scorer this season with seven goals – has been named in Serbia's 26-man squad for the upcoming tournament in Qatar but is yet to fully recover.

Despite Vlahovic participating in recent training sessions, Allegri is unwilling to risk him against Lazio, though he remains adamant the striker is not hesitant about returning before the World Cup.

"Vlahovic, no. He doesn't feel like it, he's not well, he'll stay out. [Federico] Chiesa is available tomorrow," Allegri said at Saturday's pre-match press conference.

"You have to be fatalistic. In general, maybe at the first training session with the national team, a player stops and misses the World Cup. 

"Vlahovic was part of training both yesterday and today, it is normal for a player to feel he has to help the team. He's not in optimal physical condition right now."

However, Juventus will be able to call upon Angel Di Maria against Maurizio Sarri's men, with the Argentina international having appeared as a substitute in each of the Bianconeri's last two games after recovering from a thigh problem.

Allegri will make a late decision on whether to start Di Maria ahead of Sunday's match and will not be swayed by his imminent appearance at a fourth World Cup.

"It is not a question of the World Cup. The other times he played half an hour and did well," Allegri said.

"I have to decide whether to let him play for a while or to start him from the beginning. It is clear that when he enters, he raises the level of the team. Tomorrow is about the team. 

"In the last match, it will be difficult. It is like the first of the championship, since then there will be a long break. It is a dangerous match already, because of the quality of Lazio."

Neymar is unsure whether he will get the opportunity to represent Brazil at another World Cup after this year's tournament in Qatar.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward will appear at his third World Cup later this month, where he will be looking to lead Brazil to their first triumph at the tournament for 20 years. 

Neymar will be 34 years old by the time the 2026 World Cup begins, and with little certainty whether he will feature in that tournament, he hopes to cement a place in football history by leading Brazil to glory in Qatar.

"I'll play like it's the last," Neymar told Globo. "I talk to my father, we always talk. [I'll] play each game as if it were the last because you don't know what will happen tomorrow.

"I can't guarantee that I'll play another [World] Cup. I honestly don't know. I'll play like it's the last. 

"Maybe I'll play another one, maybe not. It depends. There's going to be a coaching change [when Tite steps down after the World Cup] and I don't know if that coach will like me.

"I've already built a long history in the national team and, for sure, I want to finish it well.

"I'm happy. I like to play football and I like to win. I like to be better than I am every day. I like helping my team-mates, which is the main thing. I hope my name is engraved in football history."

Asked about Brazil's chances of glory in Qatar, Neymar added: "I want to play this cup, dedicate myself to it, because I'm sure we have the potential to go very far. 

"Although a lot of people don't believe in us, we will prove otherwise. I see that this national team has a lot of good things, and I see that we can go very far."

Since making his World Cup debut on home soil in 2014, Neymar has been directly involved in 42 per cent of Brazil's 19 goals in the tournament (six goals, two assists).

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old has scored 75 times in 121 appearances for Brazil, putting him just two goals short of Pele's Selecao record of 77.

While Neymar will be expected to trouble that record when Brazil face Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in their Group G campaign in Qatar, he says he is not driven by the desire to better Pele's feats.

"It's more than I imagined, than I dreamed. I never thought about numbers, I never wanted to overtake anyone, to break a record. I always just wanted to play football," Neymar said.

"Pele is the reference. Pele is football. Pele is practically everything for our country. The respect and admiration I have for him is enormous."