Roberto Firmino was "frustrated" at missing out on Brazil's World Cup squad, but intends to use it as motivation.
The Liverpool forward was a surprise omission by head coach Tite for the tournament in Qatar, where Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals on penalties by Croatia.
Firmino had made a good start to the season at club level, scoring nine goals and recording four assists in 21 appearances (16 starts).
The 31-year-old put it down to being part of "God's plan", and hopes it can spur him on to improve further still.
"Of course it was frustrating not being called up to the World Cup but as I've said before, that's part of God's plan and I am following God's plan," he said to talkSPORT.
"It really does motivate me more and more not having gone to the World Cup, so I will work hard to get back into the Selecao."
Despite having time to rest during the World Cup, Firmino was unable to play in either of Liverpool's first two games back against Manchester City and Aston Villa due to illness, and is unlikely to feature in Friday's home clash with Leicester City either.
However, the player suggested he should be fine beyond that and is soon to be back in training, adding further to manager Jurgen Klopp's attacking options.
"I'm already healed, thank God. I'll probably train tomorrow [Thursday]," Firmino added. "Then all being well I'll be ready, not for the next game [Leicester] but the one after that [away to Brentford on January 2]. So all great."
Liverpool had a shaky start to the season prior to the World Cup, winning just six of their 14 Premier League games (D4, L4), but won 3-1 at Aston Villa in their first league game post-World Cup on Monday.
The club also confirmed the signing of Dutch forward Cody Gakpo from PSV on Wednesday, which will go through on January 1 pending a work permit, and Firmino is confident the Reds can push on and put their previous woes behind them.
"Individually speaking, I started [the season] very well," he said. "Of course we, as a team, did not start the season well, but we are coming back.
"Thanks to the work we are doing, and our mentality of never giving up, we're now back and in form."
Olympiacos 1-1 Rangers: Dessers leveller rescues valuable away point
Cyriel Dessers earned Rangers a priceless point at the home of the Europa Conference League winners, with his strike securing a 1-1 draw with Olympiacos.
The result left Rangers just outside the top eight in the Europa League table, while Olympiacos are one place further back, having picked up seven points from their four games.
Dessers, however, squandered a golden opportunity in the 11th minute after being sent through on goal, but could only fire his effort at the legs of Konstantinos Tzolakis.
Tzolakis was again on hand to deny the Rangers striker six minutes later, producing a stunning save to tip his effort wide as the Scottish side ended the half in the ascendency.
But their good work was undone shortly after the restart when Chiquinho's smart backwards header found Ayoub El Kaabi, who swivelled and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
However, Rangers responded eight minutes later, with Dessers finally getting the better of Tzolakis. The Nigerian skipped beyond the challenge of Panagiotis Retsos before curling the ball home.
Both sides pushed to try and find the winning goal in the closing stages, but the spoils were shared at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki.
Data Debrief: Oh I do love playing away
Rangers can leave Greece happy with a point, though could have returned to Ibrox with all three after a strong showing against Olympiacos.
They ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.13 compared to their opponents' 0.68, despite having three less shots throughout the contest.
But their impressive form away from home in Europe continued. They are now unbeaten in their last five away matches in the Europa League (W2 D3), equalling their longest such run in the competition’s history (also five unbeaten between October 2020 – March 2021).
Dessers also impressed for Philippe Clement's side. He has been directly involved in 10 goals across 13 away appearances in major European competitions (eight goals, two assists).
Galatasaray 3-2 Tottenham: Osimhen brace downs 10-man visitors
Victor Osimhen's first-half brace sent Galatasaray top of the Europa League table after they edged a five-goal thriller against 10-man Tottenham.
The defeat marked Spurs' first of their European campaign, and they could drop out of the top eight should results go against them later on Thursday.
Galatasaray took the lead with six minutes on the clock in stunning fashion. Archie Gray's headed clearance was collected by Yunus Akgun, who rifled a left-footed effort into the top corner.
But Spurs drew level through a surprise inclusion in their starting line-up as Will Lankshear notched his first senior goal with a simple finish from Brennan Johnson's cross.
However, after seeing an effort ruled out a minute earlier for offside, Osimhen put the hosts back in front, prodding the ball home after sloppy play from Radu Dragusin.
Osimhen then doubled his tally six minutes before half-time, combining again with Dries Mertens, this time planting the Belgian's teasing delivery beyond Fraser Forster.
It went from bad to worse for Ange Postecoglou's side on the hour-mark when Lankshear was shown a second yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Gabriel Sara.
Hopes of a Spurs comeback were revived in the 69th minute when substitute Dominic Solanke neatly flicked Pedro Porro's cross into the net, but Galatasaray held on for the win.
Data Debrief: Turkish delight
While the score-line suggests a tightly contested affair at Rams Park, Galatasaray were worthy winners against Tottenham.
Okan Buruk's side registered 28 shots compared to Tottenham's five, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 3.28 to their opponents' 1.87.
But having ended the night on a sour note, Tottenham's Lankshear followed in the footsteps of a former Spurs great.
At 19 years and 201 days, he became Tottenham's youngest goalscorer in a major European since Harry Kane (18 years and 140 days) scored against Shamrock Rovers in the 2011-12 Europa League.
Coventry sack longest-serving EFL boss Mark Robins
Coventry City have sacked the EFL's longest-serving manager, Mark Robins, after almost eight years in charge.
Robins returned for a second stint in charge at the Coventry Building Society Stadium back in 2017 and led the club from League Two to the Championship.
Coventry were also 90 minutes away from a remarkable return to the Premier League but lost the play-off final to Luton Town at the end of the 2022-23 season.
They placed ninth last season but did return to Wembley where they were beaten by Manchester United in a dramatic FA Cup semi-final.
Across his second tenure, Robins oversaw 387 matches, winning 157 (D98 L132), averaging a win percentage of 39.97%, a total only bettered during spells with Rotherham United (43.41%) and his first stint with the Sky Blues (51.52%).
It has been a slow start to the 2024-25 campaign, though, and Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Derby County left them 17th but level on points with Plymouth Argyle in the relegation places.
Rhys Carr, who joined as a first-team coach back in July, has been named as interim head coach.
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