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• Erling Haaland aware of the weight of Man City’s Champions League expectations

  Erling Haaland admits the pressure is on as he prepares for Manchester City’s Champions League date with destiny.

  The Premier League winners face Inter Milan on Saturday night bidding to claim the European crown for the first time.

  Victory would not only end years of frustration and near-misses in pursuit of the continent’s top club prize but complete a glorious treble.

  City’s outstanding season, which has also included winning the FA Cup as well as a fifth domestic league title in six years, has been fuelled by the goals of Haaland.

  The prolific Norwegian has scored 52 times in an outstanding first season at the Etihad Stadium and is well aware the club hope he proves the final piece in their jigsaw.

  “Of course I feel pressure,” the 22-year-old said. “I would lie if I said I didn’t.

  “It’s true – they won the Premier League without me, they won every trophy without me. So I’m here to try to do a thing that the club has never done before and I’ll do my best.”

  Winning the Champions League is also the chief reason manager Pep Guardiola was brought to the club.

  Victory for him would end a 12-year wait to reclaim the trophy since the second of his two triumphs as Barcelona boss.

  “It’s absolutely a dream,” said the Catalan. “What has happened in the past is in the past. It’s an incredible competition.

  “Inter Milan is bigger than us in terms of history but what’s important is at 10pm Istanbul time we do the best performance possible and that can make the difference.”

  Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who left the field injured in City’s final defeat to Chelsea two years ago, admits winning the competition has become an obsession as well as a dream.

  “Maybe it’s both,” said the Belgium international. “Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.

  “If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”

  City have a fully-fit squad for the clash at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, which was also the venue for Liverpool’s remarkable victory in 2005.

  Nerves and tension are likely to increase in the build-up to the match but defender Ruben Dias feels the team are ready to thrive in such circumstances.

  “We love the pressure, we love it,” he said. “The pressure will make you run faster, jump higher, be more focused.

  “That’s what these kind of games need and we need to embrace it. It’s another time for all of us to step up to the occasion.”

• FA and PFA study finds increased dementia risk in ex-footballers

  Former professional footballers are almost three and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population, according to a study commissioned by the Football Association and Professional Footballers’ Association.

  First findings of the FOCUS study, conducted by the University of Nottingham, support previous research that former footballers may be at higher risk of neurocognitive disease.

  The new report states that 2.8 per cent of retired professional footballers in their study reported medically diagnosed dementia and other neurodegenerative disease compared to 0.9 percent of controls.

  This means former pros in the study were found to be 3.46 times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases compared to the control group.

  The study also showed retired footballers in the study were twice as likely to fall below established thresholds in some dementia testing than the general population.

  Dr Charlotte Cowie, the FA’s head of medicine, told the governing body’s website: “The FA and the PFA jointly commissioned the FOCUS study in order to gain additional insight into the findings of the FIELD study, and to further examine any potential link between neurodegenerative disorders in former professional footballers.

  “The FOCUS study worked with an established group of former professional footballers that were participating in research and was able to review their brain health, and it supports the previous findings in the FIELD study which suggest an increased risk for neurodegenerative disease in former professional footballers than in the general population.

  “This is an extremely complex area of our game, but we are committed to working collectively with our stakeholders to help grow our knowledge in this area through further medical and expert analysis.”

  The initial findings of the FOCUS study will be shared with both FIFA and UEFA, and the FA has reiterated its support for further research from across the wider game to help build a better understanding of players’ brain health and well-being.

  “This is an important new study which supports previous evidence suggesting that footballers are at greater risk of dementia and poorer cognitive functioning in later life,” said the PFA’s head of brain health Dr Adam White.

  “Studies such as this… ensure that targeted and evidence-led action can be identified and taken to support and protect players at all stages of their career.

  “Continued investment in this type of research will remain absolutely vital.”

  An FA statement read: “The FA has led the way in taking steps to help reduce potential risk factors within the game (including) establishing industry-leading concussion guidelines, introducing the world’s most comprehensive heading guidance at every level of the professional and amateur game in England, and implementing a new trial to remove deliberate heading in football matches across under-12 level and below.

  “Further findings from the FOCUS study will be published in due course.”

• Phil Neville joins Canada coaching staff

  Phil Neville has joined the coaching staff of the Canada national team just days after leaving his role with Inter Miami.

  The 46-year-old will join up as part of John Herdman’s technical team alongside Richard Shaw, and the two new additions will be part of Canada’s plans for their CONCACAF Nations League finals in Las Vegas.

  Neville was relieved of his duties with Inter Miami last week with the club sitting rock-bottom of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer, just days before Lionel Messi was announced as their new marquee signing.

  The former England Women boss will take a familiar role with another national team after leading the Lionesses to a fourth-place finish at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2019 SheBelieves Cup success.

  Canada reached just their second ever World Cup in 2022 and first since 1986 but exited the group stage, and now have the opportunity for their first trophy since 2000 when they play Panama in the semi-finals of the Nations League where the winners face the United States or Mexico for the trophy.

  Shaw will take up a similar position to Neville and his first as part of any national team having previously been involved at Watford, Millwall and Crystal Palace.

  Following the announcement, Canada boss Herman told their website: “Both Phil and Richard bring with them winning experience at the highest levels and have worked with some of the Premier League’s top managers during their careers.

  “They’ll work as positional and unit coaches with the aim of helping us to win our first trophy in over two decades.”