Mason Mount will not join up with England for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.

The Chelsea midfielder recently sustained a pubic bone injury and will miss his club's Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday.

Blues head coach Graham Potter announced at a press conference on Friday that the issue will also prevent Mount from going on international duty, despite being named in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad on Thursday.

"He wasn't 100 per cent the last game," Potter said. "He is still not quite there, so he will miss the England camp as well."

Mount has struggled for form this season, recording just six goal involvements (three goals, three assists) in 32 appearances.

Reports suggest he could attract interest from Liverpool and Manchester United at the end of the campaign due to contract negotiations at Stamford Bridge stalling.

Tottenham may only have the Premier League to focus on in the final months of the season, but that is motivation enough for coach Antonio Conte.

Spurs exited the FA Cup and the Champions League in quick succession at the start of March.

It means another season will pass without Tottenham winning silverware, but they still have plenty to play for, fourth in the Premier League and in the final Champions League qualification place heading into Saturday's game at lowly Southampton.

Just being in the Premier League is a challenge that means a great deal to Conte, he explained ahead of the Saints match.

"I think that for sure to play the Premier League, to be a coach in the Premier League means you have to be ready to face a great competition," he said.

"To face important players, important clubs, important coaches... and for this reason, the motivation is really, really high.

"For this reason, you want to be strong, to have a strong team and to try to be competitive."

Conte appears focused again on the task at hand, describing his discussion of potentially being sacked after losing to Milan as "a joke".

"I don't think the club is thinking this," he said.

Opponents Saints have sacked two coaches this season, with Ruben Selles now tasked with keeping them in the top flight.

With an international break following this weekend's action, Selles sees the meeting with Spurs as key.

"I don't want to sit on defeat for one hour, that is what I can tell you," he said. "So, imagine for two weeks.

"I will prepare every game to win the game, to do the best performance we can and to get the best results."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southampton – James Ward-Prowse

Southampton dominated the possession against Brentford in midweek but attempted only seven shots and one on target.

They need more creativity on the ball so will inevitably turn to captain James Ward-Prowse, who has created more chances both from set plays and in open play than any team-mate this season. He also scored against Tottenham in the reverse fixture.

Tottenham – Richarlison

After announcing his frustration at his limited playing time following Tottenham's Champions League exit, Richarlison looked to have come up with an ideal response when he found the net early against Nottingham Forest.

But his celebrations were for nought due to the tightest of offside calls. He is still without a Premier League goal in 18 games for Tottenham, although he netted five against Southampton for Everton.

MATCH PREDICTION – TOTTENHAM WIN

Expect goals in this one, as Southampton have scored at least once in each of their past 14 Premier League games against Spurs while keeping just one clean sheet in their last 21 against them.

Southampton have won only two of their 10 home league games against Tottenham since returning to the top flight in 2012, with Spurs now aiming to complete a home-and-away double over Saturday's opponents for a seventh time in the Premier League era.

Conte's side will have to snap a four-game losing run away from home in all competitions, but Southampton are winless in 15 games against teams starting the day in the top four of the table.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham – 54.0 per cent

Southampton – 20.3 per cent

Draw – 25.7 per cent

Though neither has hope of winning the Scudetto this season, history will be made at San Siro when Inter and Juventus meet in one of the Italian football's most famous fixtures.

Eighteen points behind Napoli, second-placed Inter are looking over their shoulders at those behind them in a tight fight for the Champions League places.

Had they not been deducted 15 points, Juve would be above Inter and firmly in that battle.

As it is, victory here is critical for Juve's slim chances of climbing into the top four — they are 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Milan — with both sides hoping the Rossoneri slip up at Udinese and Lazio and Roma play out a draw.

And, as Stats Perform explains in a look at the standout Opta numbers ahead of the Derby d'Italia, history is on the side of Juve keeping themselves in the hunt.

Juve dominance

Inter and Juve are set to face off for the 180th time in the top flight, making it the fixture with the most matches in Serie A history.

Juve have dominated this great rivalry, winning 86 matches compared to 48 for Inter, with 45 games finishing as a draw.

The hosts have long since struggled in this fixture when it has been played in the second half of the season. They are winless against Juve at home in Serie A in such games since April 2010.

On top of that, since winning the treble 13 years ago, Inter have prevailed in just two their 12 total home league games against the Bianconeri (D5 L5).

Key to improving that record may be Lautaro Martinez, who has scored four home goals in Serie A in 2023, a tally only Adrien Rabiot and Victor Osimhen can match.

However, the World Cup winner has only scored one goal in nine top-flight games against Juventus and has a goal average of one every 586 minutes against the Bianconeri: his worst in Serie A against any opponent versus whom he has found the net.

Bianconeri back at their best

From an Inter perspective, Juve head into this game in worryingly good form.

Indeed, the Bianconeri are playing at a level not far away from that of runaway leaders Napoli.

Only Napoli (23) have scored more goals than Juventus (20) in Serie A in 2023, while Partenopei are the sole team to have claimed more wins (9) than Massimiliano Allegri's side in this calendar year.

Perhaps of even more concern for Inter is the contrast in form between the two sides in the match immediately after a European contest.

Another Champions League hangover?

Inter got the job done in Porto in midweek and, through to a quarter-final with another Portuguese opponent in Benfica, can have hope of a first Champions League final appearance since their triumph in 2010.

But the Nerazzurri have struggled of late in games following Champions League tussles. Inter have lost three of their last six Serie A matches after their Champions League games, including their last two (against Bologna and Juventus in the reverse match).

Juve are competing in the Europa League after failing to make it out of the Champions League group stage, but they have won each of their last such six league games after Continental encounters.

If Juve repeat the feat from the reverse fixture and defeat Inter without conceding, it will mark the first time they have won both games in this fixture to nil since the 1976-77 season.

Mikel Arteta has backed his Arsenal players to put their Europa League disappointment behind them against managerless Crystal Palace in the first of "11 finals" remaining this season.

Arsenal's cup hopes for the season were ended in a penalty shoot-out loss to Sporting CP on Thursday, meaning their entire focus is now on finishing top of the Premier League.

The Gunners have won five in a row in the top flight and are five points clear of Manchester City, who are not in league action this weekend.

While Arsenal's European prospects are over for another campaign, it could yet prove a blessing in disguise as they chase down a first league title in 19 years.

"The disappointment is not going to go away," Arteta said. "The disappointment is there. But it brings us clarity.

"There are 11 Premier League games to play and the next final is against Palace. We have to recover and put all our energy and focus on that game."

Arsenal handed a first start to fit-again striker Gabriel Jesus since November in their meeting with Sporting, but Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba both sustained injuries.

Arteta will evaluate the fitness of his players ahead of Sunday's visit of London rivals Palace, who parted company with Arsenal great Patrick Vieira on Friday.

Under-21s coach Paddy McCarthy will take charge of the trip to Emirates Stadium as Palace seek a first win in 13 attempts across all competitions this calendar year.

They are still a respectable 12th heading into the weekend's action despite their poor run of form, but the gap on the bottom three now stands at just three points.

Explaining the decision to part company with Vieira, Palace chairman Steve Parish told Sky Sports: "It's a shame because I have an enormous amount of time and respect for Patrick.

"But it's a results-based business. It's very tight at the bottom, and I have to think about what gives us the best chance of retaining our status."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Gabriel Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli's penalty miss proved decisive in the shoot-out loss to Sporting, but the Brazil international has otherwise been brilliant for Arsenal this campaign.

Indeed, Martinelli is Arsenal's top Premier League scorer this term with 12, which is the most goals a player has scored for the club while aged 21 or under since Nicolas Anelka's 17 in the 1998-99 season.

Crystal Palace – Jordan Ayew

Palace have gone four games without finding the net and are in desperate need of their attacking players stepping up.

Ayew has not scored in 11 league appearances, but against no team has he scored more goals in the competition than he has managed against Arsenal (four).

MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

Palace have avoided defeat in each of their past four away Premier League meetings against Arsenal, with each of the past three finishing all square.

However, the Eagles are in terrible form and make this latest trip to Emirates Stadium with their under-21s coach in charge.

Arsenal by comparison are in good form domestically and have won eight of their nine London derbies in the league this campaign – a record they will be confident of improving.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 54.6 per cent

Crystal Palace – 18.9 per cent

Draw – 26.5 per cent

Seattle Sounders face Los Angeles FC on Saturday in what Brian Schmetzer has described as a game "between two of the biggest clubs" in MLS.

Reigning MLS Cup champions LAFC head to Lumen Field with two wins under their belt from their two games this season – they are second in the Western Conference, one place ahead of Seattle, who are also on six points but lost at FC Cincinnati last time out.

LAFC were beaten by Alajuelense in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday but have still progressed in that competition thanks to a 3-0 win in the first leg.

And Schmetzer knows the Sounders will have to be at their best to end LAFC's winning start to the MLS season.

"This feels like a game between two of the biggest clubs in the league," said Schmetzer.

"We're really focused on playing up to our potential and then we'll see what the scoreline says at the end of the game.

"They're defending champs, it's a big game, and I hope to see everybody out there. We'll need the fans."

Schmetzer's sentiment was echoed by Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan, who added: "This is another opportunity to send a statement out to the rest of the league, to ourselves, that we can compete with the best on a weekly basis."

LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, meanwhile, will be looking for more cutting edge from his side after their 2-1 defeat to Alajuelense.

"We're happy to be further in the competition, which was our objective," he said in a press conference.

"We created many chances, didn't finish. The only difference [from the first leg] was they scored a goal in the first half.

"We were a little too loose in our defensive transition. If we finish our chances early, the run of the game looks much different."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris

Jordan Morris scored in each of Seattle's first two home games this season. The only Sounders player to score in the team's first three home matches of a season was Obafemi Martins in 2015.

Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga

Denis Bouanga has had a flying start to 2023, scoring five goals – including a hat-trick in the first leg against Alajuelense – and assisting a further two.

Bouanga has contributed to four goals in two matches so far this MLS season (two goals, two assists) after recording only three goal contributions (three goals) in 10 matches for LAFC last term.

MATCH PREDICTION – SEATTLE TO WIN

Seattle won their opening two home games of the MLS season by a combined score of 6-0. The Sounders have won their first three home matches of a campaign on two previous occasions, back in 2019 and 2021.

Indeed, that third victory in 2021 came against LAFC, whose inaugural MLS game was a 1-0 win over the Sounders in March 2018.

Since then, however, Seattle are unbeaten in six straight home meetings with LAFC (W4 D2).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Seattle Sounders – 41 per cent

Los Angeles FC – 30.9 per cent

Draw – 28.1 per cent

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in the first Portugal squad announced by new head coach Roberto Martinez.

The former Belgium boss replaced Fernando Santos, who called time on his eight-year stint at the helm following Portugal's quarter-final elimination at the 2022 World Cup at the hands of Morocco.

Santos benched Ronaldo for both knockout games in Qatar – a comprehensive 6-1 win over Switzerland and the 1-0 loss to the Atlas Lions.

Ahead of the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024, Martinez has opted for continuity with just two of the players selected for games against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg not featuring at the World Cup.

Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in December after having his contract at Manchester United terminated, scoring eight goals in seven games so far, and Martinez believes the 38-year-old can still be an important figure for his country.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who is very committed to the national team," the Spaniard said. "A player like Cristiano brings experience, he is an important figure in the team. I don't look at age or other aspects.

"I think Cristiano has an opportunity to help the team and transmit the experience of his career to the other players."

Portugal will compete in Group J of Euro 2024 qualifying along with Iceland, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, and Martinez is optimistic about the Selecao's future.

"I want to build a team that shows the qualities of the players Portugal has," he said. "This is a starting point. I see quality, experience, youth, players that play at home and also abroad. I've seen a lot of commitment from all of them for the national team."

Portugal squad: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves), Rui Patricio (Roma); Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Joao Cancelo (Bayern Munich), Danilo Pereira, Nuno Mendes (both Paris Saint-Germain), Pepe (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Diogo Leite (Union Berlin) Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund); Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes (both Wolves), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Mario (Benfica), Otavio Monteiro (Porto), Vitinha (PSG); Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), Goncalo Ramos (Benfica), Joao Felix (Chelsea), Rafael Leao (Milan), Diogo Jota (Liverpool).

Graham Potter has noted the change in atmosphere around Chelsea following their positive recent run, which his side will hope to continue against Everton.

Potter was under huge pressure at Stamford Bridge after a dismal stretch that saw only two wins in 15 matches in all competitions.

But Chelsea have since won three in a row, with Premier League victories over Leeds United and Leicester City sandwiching a vital Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.

Emboldened by those results, Potter met with fans at an event this week and told them he would "try to win the f***ing Champions League".

That enthusiasm could have been dampened by Friday's draw, in which Chelsea were paired with Real Madrid on the same side of the bracket as Manchester City and Bayern Munich, but Potter remained upbeat ahead of Saturday's meeting with Everton.

"It was a nice event in front of 1,000 or so supporters. The atmosphere was good," Potter said after a clip of his rallying cry appeared on social media.

"It was a good evening. Results give everyone belief and happiness, and we're here to win."

Everton have also improved of late under Sean Dyche, winning three of their last seven to give themselves a fighting chance in the relegation battle.

All of those victories have come at home, but Dyche hopes his side have the mentality to take that form on the road – starting at Chelsea.

"It's more the consistency of the mentality, home games going into away games," he said. "It's the mentality and saying, 'look we're going to take it on'.

"There's certain tactical things that may change, but generally speaking, the mentality is massive.

"There's some tactical tweaks sometimes, certain grounds you might not have the ball as much, but you've got to find ways of winning, and we're trying to build a mentality where we can win games under different circumstances."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea – Mykhaylo Mudryk

Chelsea played some thrilling football in the win at Leicester and, to the relief of some supporters, there was a role in that team for Mykhaylo Mudryk.

The winger had previously lost his place in the side and did not even appear from the bench against Leeds and Dortmund, but his wait for a first goal involvement was ended with an assist for Mateo Kovacic. Mudryk will hope a first goal is not far away.

Everton – Demarai Gray

With Everton still without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Gray was handed a striking role last time out against Brentford.

Although he did not score, no Everton player was involved in more shots (three shots, two key passes). Dyche will likely rely on the winger-turned-forward's nuisance factor again at the Bridge.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN

Although Everton have beaten Chelsea in each of the previous four seasons, all of those wins came at Goodison Park. They have a miserable record in west London.

Indeed, Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 27 Premier League home games against Everton. Against no side have they ever had a longer unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge in their top-flight history.

And the Blues have started to find form at both ends of the pitch. They have scored five goals across their past two games, as many as they had in their previous 12 in all competitions, and are looking to keep three consecutive home clean sheets in all competitions for the first time since September 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chelsea – 54.1 per cent

Everton – 19.3 per cent

Draw – 26.6 per cent

Hansi Flick has selected five debutants in his first Germany squad since the World Cup in Qatar, while excluding Leroy Sane and Antonio Rudiger.

Josha Vagnoman, Marius Wolf, Mergim Berisha, Kevin Schade and Felix Nmecha could all make their international debuts in the upcoming friendly matches against Peru and Belgium.

However, the new faces come alongside a number of notable absentees with Thomas Muller, Ilkay Gundogan, Niklas Sule and the injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer not included, as well as Sane and Rudiger.

In total, only 15 of the 26 players who were part of the squad for last year's World Cup retain their spots.

"We want to put together a strong squad for Euro 2024 in Germany and it is also important to use the first international matches of the year to invite new players," Flick said about his selections.

"We are very happy that it [international football] is starting again. 

"[We want] to give them [the new players] space and the opportunity to show themselves.

"Every single training session on the way to the European Championship in your own country is enormously important in order to find the best team and to increase the anticipation of the tournament with inspiring performances."

Germany squad: Bernd Leno (Fulham), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt); Armel Bella-Kotchap (Southampton), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Christian Gunter (Freiburg), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Josha Vagnoman (Stuttgart), Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund); Mergim Berisha (Augsburg), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Niclas Fullkrug (Werder Bremen), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Mario Gotze (Eintracht Frankfurt), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Wolfsburg), Kevin Schade (Brentford), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).

West Ham will face Gent in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals as they bid to reach a European semi-final for the second straight year.

The Hammers made it to the Europa League final four last season, suffering a heartbreaking 3-1 aggregate defeat to eventual champions Eintracht Frankfurt.

But they thumped Cypriot side AEK Larnaca 4-0 at home on Thursday to seal a 6-0 aggregate win, before being matched with Belgian club Gent in Friday's quarter-final draw.

If they can get past Gent, David Moyes' men will face either AZ or Anderlecht to reach the final on June 7 after those two were pitted against each other in the last eight.

AZ have avoided defeat in seven of their last eight European clashes with Belgian opponents, with Anderlecht looking to win their first game against the Eredivisie side in three attempts having lost their previous two meetings.

On the other side of the draw, Lech Poznan stand between Fiorentina and their first European semi-final since the 2014-15 season.

History does not bode well for Poznan, with Fiorentina winning four of their six encounters with Polish clubs in European competitions.

The winner of that tie will play either Basel or Nice to see who will take their place in the showpiece match in Prague's Fortuna Arena.

The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on April 13 before the return fixtures on April 20.

Julian Nagelsmann is excited by the opportunity to face Manchester City and Erling Haaland in the Champions League, believing the Norwegian striker could be an even tougher opponent than Kylian Mbappe.

Bayern Munich eliminated Mbappe and Lionel Messi from the tournament when they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, and were drawn to face City in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Should they progress again, Bayern will then go up against holders Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-finals, having already faced Inter, Barcelona and PSG in this season's Champions League.

"I think it's a very good draw, a difficult draw but I think if you win the title at the end then you would not like to hear that we were lucky with our draws," Nagelsmann said at a press conference ahead of Bayern's Bundesliga clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

"We want to win it and do it by beating big teams. We've had PSG, we had Inter and Barcelona in the group stage, so now City and then Real Madrid or Chelsea, then probably an Italian opponent in the final, it would be a triumph that would certainly send a big message to everyone.

"It's going to be difficult, we know that... we will prepare well and I think everyone is looking forward to it."

Bayern will need to handle former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland better than RB Leipzig, who conceded five to him in the last-16 second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

"He's a tremendous player, he has great abilities... he's probably a little more physical than Mbappe and certainly comparable in pace," Nagelsmann said. "He has great heart, when he runs it's difficult to defend against him, but we also have a couple of strong offensive players."

The 35-year-old is also an admirer of City boss and former Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola, but said he does not model his ideas on the Spaniard, or indeed, any other coach.

"I saw a lot of games when he was at Barcelona, also at Bayern and City," Nagelsmann said. "I never really copied any things from him, I've never really analysed or copied anything from any other coach.

"Pep's teams are always nice to watch, he always has a nice idea to play football. [City] have a very balanced team."

It's fair to say Serie A sides have enjoyed themselves on the continental stage this season, with six Italian clubs reaching major European quarter-finals for the first time this century.

Three of those teams have been making waves in the Champions League, for which Luciano Spalletti's Napoli have been touted as genuine contenders after outscoring every other team in the competition.

Meanwhile, rivals Milan and Inter went about their last-16 assignments in quietly impressive fashion, seeing off Tottenham and Porto respectively, both winning 1-0 on aggregate.

With three of Italy's finest reaching the last eight, a first all-Italian Champions League meeting since 2005 was always highly probable, and so it proved with Milan and Napoli paired together.

With the winner of that tie set to face either Inter or Benfica in the semi-finals, the prospect of a first Italian Champions League winner since Inter's class of 2009-10 has perhaps never appeared more realistic.

Ahead of a blockbuster tie between last season's Serie A winners and their likely successors, Stats Perform looks back at the Champions League's previous all-Italian tussles.

Shevchenko decisive in tight derby double-header

Given the remarkable European pedigree enjoyed by seven-time European Cup/Champions League winners Milan, the fact that the Rossoneri have featured in all five previous all-Italian games in the competition is perhaps unsurprising. 

The first two of those came at the semi-final stage in the 2002-03 campaign, when Milan and Inter faced off in a tense double-header ultimately decided by a Rossoneri great.

Milan had reached the last four courtesy of Jon Dahl Tomasson's last-gasp strike against Ajax, while the Nerazzurri edged out Valencia on away goals.

Hector Cuper's men had less luck with that rule against their rivals, with Andriy Shevchenko's 'away' goal deciding a tie which ended 1-1 on aggregate – despite, of course, both legs being held at San Siro.

Inter's Obafemi Martins set up a tense finish after coming on as a substitute, but Carlo Ancelotti's team held on to reach a first final since 1995 – where they would face another domestic rival.

Dida wins battle of the goalkeepers at Old Trafford

Italian football's reputation for being risk-averse has not always been warranted, but given the way 2003's Champions League final between Milan and Juventus played out, that tag is perhaps understandable. 

Juve had already edged out both Milan giants to win Serie A by the time they faced the Rossoneri at Old Trafford, for what represented Marcello Lippi's fourth Champions League final with the Bianconeri (winning in 1996, losing in 1997, 1998 and 2003).

Both defences were on top throughout a nail-biting affair, with Shevchenko seeing a goal ruled out for offside and Antonio Conte rattling the crossbar as the game went to a penalty shoot-out.

With both goalkeepers clearly advancing off the goal line for each spot-kick, Gianluigi Buffon saved from Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze – only for Dida to go one better by denying David Trezeguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero as Milan won their sixth European crown.

Dida in the spotlight again as violent scenes mar San Siro clash

Dida was again in the spotlight when two Italian sides last squared off in the Champions League – this time for all the wrong reasons.

The 2004-05 quarter-finals featured another heavyweight derby clash between Milan and Inter – who, as was the case two years earlier – finished the Serie A season in second and third respectively as Juventus triumphed.

Milan have always been Italy's European kings, however, and goals from Jaap Stam and Shevchenko put them in the ascendency as Ancelotti's men won the 'home' leg 2-0.

When Shevchenko's first-half effort put the Rossoneri ahead in the return game and Inter – now requiring four goals – saw an Esteban Cambiasso strike ruled out for a foul, the Nerazzurri supporters reacted furiously.

Flares rained down from the stands onto the San Siro pitch, with Dida struck on the shoulder and left requiring treatment for a burn.

Referee Markus Merk attempted to restart the game after a lengthy delay, but when Christian Abbiati was targeted with further missiles, the game was abandoned and Milan were awarded a 3-0 win, making it 5-0 on aggregate and leading to condemnation from across the continent. 

From a Milan point of view, the less said about their subsequent trip to Istanbul for the 2005 final against Liverpool, the better.

Graham Potter acknowledged Chelsea's turnaround in form has involved an element of luck, though he also praised the "fight" of his players as he bids to continue the team's recent revival.

The Blues have won their last three games across all competitions, having previously struggled to string together a run of results since the mid-season restart.

Progress to the Champions League quarter-finals – where they have been rewarded with a tie against holders Real Madrid – has helped to ease the immediate pressure on Potter.

But ahead of Chelsea's final game before the March international break, a clash against Everton at home in the Premier League, Potter acknowledged his side had still needed the wind to blow their way in recent weeks.

"You need luck," he said after the wins over Leeds United, Borussia Dortmund and Leicester City.

"As much as you can be good, it is important to be lucky.

"But you can't wait for that to come around and sometimes you have to fight through the storm.

"We've come out of it with three wins, but we need to carry that form on. Now there are three points up for grabs against a tough team."

Pressed on drawing Real Madrid in the Champions League, a few days after he outlined his desire to lead the Blues to success in the competition, Potter insisted his focus was the Everton fixture on Saturday.

But on the subject of ex-Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is chasing back-to-back triumphs with the Spanish side in Europe, he was unequivocal in his praise.

"I've played against him when he was at Everton," he added. "He is a gentleman and there's nothing I can say in terms of the respect I have for what he's achieved in his career.

"I think the length of time he's had between Champions League wins – twenty years – is incredible.

"[But] where we are now is to focus on Everton. They play to their strengths and that is what we must focus on."

Vincent Kompany plans to keep his emotions in check when he returns to Manchester City on Saturday.

The Burnley manager faces off against his former employers in an FA Cup quarter-final at Etihad Stadium.

Kompany spent 11 seasons with City, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups, and is honoured with a statue that stands outside the stadium.

While it is certain to be an emotional reunion for the Belgium great, Kompany will not let it affect his preparations.

"It's the first time [going back] so it's obviously going to be different, but in terms of my mindset it's not different," he told a press conference.

"It's just to do my job, be prepared. The core message for us is [to] be prepared.

"I don't have a feeling I need to do anything other than give the one per cent extra to the team.

"I am extremely grateful for every moment I've been able to experience at Manchester City but I have to approach this game in the same way I approached every game at Manchester City, which is to do my job and live for that."

Burnley face a daunting task in their trip to the Etihad, with City firmly seen as the favourites to secure victory and book a semi-final date at Wembley.

Kompany is aware of the significant challenge that his side will encounter, having looked at the City's impressive record – winning 10 consecutive FA Cup games at home, scoring 41 goals and conceding just four.

However, Burnley may find inspiration by the fact that City's last FA Cup defeat at the Etihad came to Championship opposition; Middlesbrough in January 2015.

"They're trying to win the Champions League, we're trying to win the Championship," he added.

"All things considered, we don't have to put too much pressure on ourselves, but still have the desire to get something from the game.

"Sometimes in these types of games, the result is one thing and we all want to win, but many teams come to the Etihad and try to win. I shouldn't have, but I looked at the record of Championship teams going to the Etihad and it's not great.

"We've got to get something out of this game, hopefully a result, but there is so much more for us to get out of the game. The main focus is getting the best performance and then we'll see."

The Champions League quarter-final draw threw up no shortage of intrigue – particularly for Pep Guardiola.

The Manchester City manager will face Bayern Munich for the first time since leaving Germany in 2016.

But that is not the only reunion in the last eight as Carlo Ancelotti again goes back to Chelsea 12 months on from an epic tie at the same stage last season.

It might not be Ancelotti's last meeting with a former side either, potentially facing Bayern in the semi-finals and then Napoli or Milan in the final.

The Madrid coach has a mixed record facing sides he has previously coached, however, while Guardiola has some painful memories to get over.

Stats Perform looks at how the most dominant coaches of the modern era have fared against former teams...

Carlo Ancelotti (P14 W3 D5 L6)

The Italian eliminated two of his former employers en route to winning the Champions League in 2021-22, with dramatic comebacks against both Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and Chelsea in the quarter-finals.

And Ancelotti's first European crown as a coach came courtesy of Milan beating Juventus on penalties in the 2003 final.

There was another victory against Juventus while in his first stint with Madrid back in 2013-14, winning at the Santiago Bernabeu in the group stage.

Yet after that match, Ancelotti went nine without a win in the Champions League against clubs he had previously coached, finally ending that run with the second-leg victory against PSG last season.

That miserable sequence included a semi-final loss to Juve in 2015 when Madrid were defending champions, along with crashing out at the quarter-final stage against Madrid while in charge of Bayern in 2016-17.

In September 2017, Bayern lost 3-0 to PSG, prompting Ancelotti's sacking. It is fair to say he has bounced back.

Pep Guardiola (P4 W2 D0 L2)

Guardiola may be set to face Bayern for the first time since joining City, but he has already endured a pair of rough returns to Barcelona.

His first Champions League trip back to Camp Nou, where the Catalan coach had so many happy memories, was in the 2014-15 semi-finals.

Guardiola's Bayern were blown away by eventual champions Barca, losing 3-0 in a game best remembered for Lionel Messi's mesmerising second goal that left Jerome Boateng in a spin. Bayern's 3-2 home victory in the second leg was too little, too late.

Yet that tie does not even include Guardiola's heaviest defeat to the Blaugrana, taking City back to his former home in the 2016-17 group stage and losing 4-0 as Messi hit a hat-trick.

City at least responded with a 3-1 win at home, but Guardiola will hope this latest reunion is far more enjoyable.

Jose Mourinho (P8 W5 D1 L2)

Guardiola's great rival Jose Mourinho has had far more joy facing former friends, although he has had the benefit of taking on Porto – the underdogs he remarkably led to the 2004 title – with some big hitters.

Porto were still reigning European champions when Mourinho's Chelsea faced them in the 2004-05 group stage, splitting the two matches as the sides won their home games.

Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea also included a double-header against Porto in 2015-16, in which they again won one game apiece, but the now Roma boss revels in knockout ties.

Chelsea beat Porto over two legs in the last 16 in 2006-07, before the Blues saw one of these encounters from the other side in 2009-10. Mourinho's Inter dumped Chelsea out in the first knockout round, going on to win the competition.

Zinedine Zidane (P3 W2 D0 L1 – versus Juventus)

Despite persistent speculation, Zinedine Zidane has still only coached one club – albeit over two spells – in Madrid.

But the former France midfielder played for Juventus before joining Madrid, and the Bianconeri proved accommodating opponents during his time as coach at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Zidane and Madrid won three Champions Leagues in three years between 2016 and 2018, beating Juve en route to the second two successes.

The Madrid boss's first meeting with Juve as a coach was in the 2017 final in Cardiff, where Los Blancos swatted their Serie A opponents aside 4-1.

It was a rather closer and more controversial affair the following season, when Madrid were coasting after Cristiano Ronaldo's first-leg overhead kick in a 3-0 away win in the quarter-finals, only for Juve to rally in Spain.

At 3-0, the tie was heading for extra time, before a remarkable finale saw Gianluigi Buffon sent off as Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot. Rarely has a 3-1 loss been so celebrated.

Erik ten Hag is keeping his focus firmly on Manchester United's pursuit of further silverware even as he met prospective new owner Jim Ratcliffe on Friday.

Ratcliffe and his INEOS delegation arrived in Manchester for talks over a potential takeover of the club as the Glazer family looks to bring its time in charge to an end.

Ten Hag met the group but is not giving much thought to the possible change at the top, with United set to face Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

"I just met them and shook hands but I am focused on the game," Ten Hag told a pre-match press conference. 

"We play a big game on Sunday and all our focus is on that. Others in the club are dealing with potential investors.

"My job is focus on the game so let’s talk about the game Fulham, it is a big tie so let’s get ready for that."

United have been drawn against Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Sevilla have won the competition six times, more than any other club, prevailing in four of the last nine editions. Should United overcome them, they will face the winner of the tie between Juventus and Sporting CP, who knocked out Premier League leaders Arsenal in the last 16.

In short, United have been handed probably the most difficult route to the final.

"It is going to be tough, they are very experienced in the Europa League, won it so many times so I don’t know the team in detail but for me the most important is football and I don’t look forward to Seville," he added.

"First we have the international break and then three Premier League games so there is much time to focus on that, so definitely all the opponents who are coming to this stage of Europa League they are strong and you have to play your best football if you want to go through."

United's EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United at Wembley marked their first trophy since 2017, and Ten Hag believes that has whetted his side's appetite for more.

"We have to set a winning culture. We are Manchester United. We have to win all the games, we have to compete in all the leagues," said Ten Hag when asked about his team's mentality in the cup competitions. 

"That is the mentality. The mentality is when you go into a game you have to win it.

"Of course it [the prospect of returning to Wembley] is huge motivation. We enjoyed winning a trophy and it has to be the fuel for the next one and push for that idea and that has to bring extra energy to beat Fulham."