Barry Robson knows more than most what to expect from St Johstone boss Craig Levein when he takes his Aberdeen side to McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night.

The Dons manager was captain at Dundee United under Levein, who was also his boss at international level with Scotland.

Both are now dugout adversaries and the former Aberdeen, Middlesbrough and Celtic midfielder is looking forward to the cinch Premiership meeting in Perth.

“First and foremost, Craig Levein is a really good manager,” said Robson, who is frustrated that defender Jimmy McGarry could be out for another two weeks with a hamstring problem.

“I worked under him, I was his captain at Dundee United and I was with him at Scotland as well.

“I have lots of respect for him. I think he’s been a terrific manager over the years who knows exactly what he’s doing.

“He never gave me an inch as a captain or as a player either let me tell you, but very enjoyable to work under, demanding. I enjoyed it. Learned a lot.

“Good coach. Good manager. I get on very well with Craig, I have a lot of respect for him, but it doesn’t take away from me wanting to take the team down there and wanting to win.

“He will want to win, but I definitely want to go down there and pick up three points.

“Tomorrow’s game is really important just like every other game.

“It is a difficult game and it is always a hard place to go and play and get results. We understand that we know that, it will be a game that we have to go down and as I said, perform as well as we can.”

Namibia are relishing the opportunity to make history when they take on Mali in their final Africa Cup of Nations Group E match, head coach Collin Benjamin has said.

The Brave Warriors are looking to make it into the knockout rounds for the first time in a campaign that has already seen them register their maiden victory in the competition, 1-0 against Tunisia in their opener.

Having subsequently been thumped 4-0 by South Africa, Benjamin’s side are currently third in a pool that sees Mali top with four points, the Bafana Bafana second with three like them, and Tunisia bottom with one.

And he told a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s contest in San-Pedro Stadium: “We will not rely on other teams’ performance for qualification.

“We have the chance to write history for our country, and we look forward to the game.”

Namibia captain Peter Shalulile said: “Why should we wait for others to do us favours when we can do the job ourselves?

“We will show up tomorrow and give the game all we have got, and leave the rest to God.”

The shock result in Namibia’s opening game in the Ivory Coast was against opponents sat 87 places higher than them in FIFA’s world rankings, with Tunisia currently in 28th spot.

Wednesday’s clash at Laurent Pokou Stadium pits them against a Mali outfit ranked 51st who defeated South Africa 2-0 in their first fixture.

Eric Chelle’s team then battled out a 1-1 draw with the Tunisians in their second group game on Saturday.

New ground will be broken in this year's Concacaf Champions Cup when Jamaica's Cavalier Football Club square off against Major League Soccer's (MLS) FC Cincinnati in Round One action next month.

Not only will it be the first time that both teams will parade their skills in the tournament, but it will also be the first time that a Jamaican club will lock horns with an MLS outfit that is not DC United.

This two-legged encounter, like others in the first round, is possible due to the tournament's expanded format to accommodate 27 teams.

By virtue of winning the MLS Supporters Shield for the 2023 season, in which they had the league’s best record during the regular season, FC Cincinnati qualified for their first Champions Cup, while Cavalier qualified by way of their runner-up finish in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

This means that two teams making their Champions Cup debut will meet in the first round of action, for the first time since the 2020 edition when New York City FC faced Costa Rica's San Carlos in the Round of 16.

In all four previous instances when Jamaican teams drew an MLS opponent in the Champions Cup, all were somehow pitted against DC United. This started in the 2005 quarterfinals, where DC United eliminated Harbour View 4-2 on aggregate with a pair of 2-1 victories.

Three years later in 2008, those same two sides met again in the quarterfinal round. Harbour View earned a 1-1 draw at home, but succumbed 5-0 away loss, as DC United won 6-1 on aggregate.

In the 2014-15 Champions Cup, Waterhouse was the Jamaican opponent for DC United in the group stage. DC United narrowly won that encounter 1-0 at home and then 2-1 in Jamaica on their way to group honours.

The following season in the 2015-16 group stage, DC United faced Montego Bay United, and again came out tops. DC United collected a 3-0 win at home and then rallied from a three-goal deficit to claim a 3-3 draw in Jamaica.

Thanks to DC United’s prowess, MLS teams have six wins and two draws against Jamaican opposition in the Champions Cup, a mark that will be put to the test by Cavalier against FC Cincinnati in next month’s fixture.

Marco Silva has revealed last season’s embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to Crawley has spurred Fulham onto the semi-finals this year.

The Cottagers host Liverpool on Wednesday night trailing 2-1 on aggregate as they aim to reach a first major domestic cup final since 1975.

Silva’s side led at Anfield in the first leg before conceding twice in three minutes to find themselves as outsiders to down Liverpool and reach Wembley.

The journey is a far cry from their 2-0 loss to Crawley in the second round last August, where Silva made 10 changes from their previous Premier League game.

“My ambition is to always play cup competitions and go further,” Silva said on the eve of the tie.

“Last season we were promoted and we played in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and our aim was always to go further – of course it’s important to recognise that the Premier League was the main thing.

“But at the same time, when we played the other competitions we were trying to be strong enough – the first game in the Carabao was really poor last season.

“It was a good moment to speak with the players about what I demand from them and what we demand from any competitions that you play in the future.”

Silva has taken charge of 229 games in England across spells at Hull, Watford, Everton and Fulham.

The 46-year-old also reached the Greek Cup final with Olympiacos in 2016, having won the Taca de Portugal with Sporting the season before.

But he admits the visit of Liverpool and the potential for a first-ever game as a manager at Wembley means Wednesday is one of the biggest nights of his managerial career in England.

“It is one of them, yes,” he replied. “I did play a (League Cup) semi-final with Hull City as well against Manchester United but, if you ask me right now, I would prefer to have another more important one in one month’s time or two months’ time.”

Philippe Clement confirmed Abdallah Sima is set to be sidelined “long term” as the Rangers manager waits on the final prognosis of the striker’s injury.

The 22-year-old Senegal international, who has scored 15 goals since arriving on loan from Brighton in the summer, was sent home from the Africa Cup of Nations with a thigh problem.

The Senegal FA confirmed Sima picked up the injury in training and a statement warned he could face a “long period of unavailability.”

Clement was asked if had any further update on Sima at his media conference ahead of Wednesday’s Premiership trip to Hibernian, where Rangers will look to use one of their two games in hand on Celtic to cut the eight-point gap to the leaders.

“No, not yet and it is not that I want to keep things away from you,” said Clement.

“I expect to have more news today, tomorrow at the latest, from my medical staff and I always listen to them and not other people.

“So ask me this question after the game and then I will have the information.”

Asked if there was any indication if it would be a short-term or long-term absence, Clement replied: “It will be long term. That is also why I want to have the right information.

“Like I always say, I want to look at the glass half-full, I don’t want pity or disappointment.

“The team and squad has proven they always stand up when something happens and other players do the job and there have been really positive surprises that way so we are going to look for solutions and other surprises.”

Clement, meanwhile, refused to confirm reports that midfielder Mohamed Diomande will be arriving from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

So far in the winter transfer window only Fabio Silva has joined the Ibrox club, the Portuguese attacker coming on loan from Wolves.

While Clement expects to add further to his squad, he was tight-lipped about 22-year-old Diomande.

He said: “I don’t speak about many rumours because there has been how many, 50 names in the last couple of weeks?

“If you start to talk about one rumour you need to talk about the other rumours and then I am only busy about that and not making training any more or looking at players or talking to my own players, so I never do that.”

Clement also revealed that 20-year midfielder Alex Lowry will go back out on loan after returning from a temporary spell at Hearts which was cut short.

He said: “The plan is we want him to go on loan again to get minutes and come back in a good way. We will see what teams are interested and what is best for him.”

Barcelona boss Xavi has urged his side to remain “focused” ahead of their Copa del Rey quarter-final clash against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

The sides have history in the competition after Barca beat Athletic 4-0 in the 2021 final, but they were knocked out by Athletic the following year in the last 16.

Barca reached this stage of the competition after overcoming a scare from Unionistas in the last 16, where they came from behind to beat the third-tier team 3-1.

They now face a tough task against Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic side, who beat Alaves 2-0 to secure their spot in the last eight.

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Athletic are in great form this season, sitting just three points behind Barcelona in the LaLiga table, and have won six of their last seven games in all competitions, with the only blip being a 1-0 loss to Valencia on Saturday.

“(The game is) very important and we have to go into the game completely focused,” Xavi told a pre-match press conference.

“Athletic are an aggressive side and they will pressure us a lot.

“They have a great coach and international players who are in excellent form such as Nico Williams, (Oihan) Sancet and (Inigo Ruiz) De Galarreta.

“Also, they have a stadium and fans that make a lot of noise and gets behind them. It will be a tough game and we will have to compete.”

Barcelona have been handed a boost, with Joao Cancelo returning to the squad following his recovery from a knee injury, while Andreas Christensen is also back after missing the Real Betis victory on Sunday with a foot problem.

Xavi also praised the contribution of youth players from La Masia in recent games and Sunday’s clash against Betis saw spots in the starting line-up handed to then-16-year-old duo Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi.

He added: “We have a lot of confidence in them and they are showing great character. It’s a production line of players who can establish themselves in the first team.”

Udinese have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors after AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was racially abused during a Serie A match on Saturday.

The sanction has been imposed by the league’s sports judge, Gerardo Mastrandrea.

The judgement states the one-match stadium closure was the minimum sanction which could have been imposed, and was chosen to reflect Udinese’s active stance and willingness right from the start to identify those responsible.

The club announced on Monday they had banned a supporter for life for racially abusing Maignan.

Brazil defender Eder Militao has signed a contract extension with Real Madrid until the summer of 2028.

Militao, 26, is currently recovering from a long-term ACL knee injury suffered during the opening match of the LaLiga season on August 12.

The centre-back joined Real Madrid from Porto in the summer of 2019 and has made 143 appearances, scoring 11 goals.

During his time at the Bernabeu, Militao has helped Los Blancos win the Champions League as well as two LaLiga titles.

A short statement on the club website read: “Real Madrid and Eder Militao have agreed to extend their player’s contract with the club until 30 June 2028.”

As well as his nine trophies with Real Madrid, Militao also won the 2019 Copa America with Brazil and has so far been capped 30 times by the Selecao.

Scotland will prepare for the 2024 European Championships with a friendly double-header against Gibraltar and Finland.

Steve Clarke’s side will take on Gibraltar in the Estadio Algarve, Portugal, on Monday, June 3 before a send-off game against Finland at Hampden Park four days later.

It will be the last match action before the Scots head off to Germany for this summer’s Euros where they will face the hosts on June 14 before games against Switzerland and Hungary.

Scotland take on the Netherland and Northern Ireland in two March friendlies while Clarke also confirmed their team base camp for the Euros in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Clarke, assistant John Carver and performance director Graeme Jones visited the base camp last week, which lies at the foot of Germany’s highest peak, Zugspitze, and will be the squad’s headquarters for the duration of the campaign.

Scotland will stay at Obermuhle, a 120-room luxury resort that combines modern specification and alpine lifestyle with the tradition of being a family-owned establishment for the last century.

The team training ground is a short walk from the hotel and the delegation were greeted warmly by district administrator Anton Speer and Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s Mayor, Elisabeth Koch.

Clarke told scottishfa.co.uk: “It was important for us to finalise our preparations for Euro 2024 as soon as possible and I’m very pleased to have confirmed our final friendly matches and secured our first-choice base camp for the tournament.

“Garmisch-Partenkirchen will make for a comfortable base for our players and backroom staff for the duration of our stay at the tournament and the warm welcome we have received from the local community so far bodes well for when we are in camp there this summer.

“With Gibraltar and Finland confirmed as the final opposition before we take on Germany in the opening match of the tournament my players and coaching staff can now concentrate on ensuring we are in the best shape possible for it.

“I am particularly pleased that our final match before the tournament will be at Hampden and I am looking forward to experiencing what I am sure will be a raucous atmosphere in front of a full house of Scotland supporters that evening.”

Graeme Jones, Scottish FA performance director, said: “From the moment we qualified, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was our preferred location for team base camp and to be honest, I was more excited that the draw enabled us to have our first pick than I was at playing the opening match.

“The priority is making sure the players have the best preparation possible for the Euros and Obermuhle gives us a perfect balance of first-class facilities and a breathtaking, tranquil setting for the players to focus on the challenges ahead.

“The hotel staff, the Mayor and district administrator could not have been more welcoming during the site visit and now that the base camp is confirmed, we look forward to building up to the Euros starting with our matches against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland in March.”

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel knows it will not be easy to ‘flip the switch’ and get their Bundesliga campaign back on track.

Tuchel faced more questions over the direction of his side following the 1-0 home loss to Werder Bremen on Sunday, which left Bayern seven points behind unbeaten leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who have played one match more.

Union Berlin head to the Allianz Arena for Wednesday night’s rearranged game – with Bayern fans demanding an immediate response.

“It is not a case of simply flipping a switch. It is not easy,” Tuchel told a press conference.

“We are very aware of the state of play. It is our job and my responsibility to influence it. We are actually very positive, but we are falling well short of our expectations in matches.

“We will continue to demand it until it works, and we are ready to show the desire that will also spark the fans – we are below our expectations.

“We can do a lot better. There is a lot of room for improvement. The explanation in terms of passion, bite, tackling and enthusiasm remains the same.

“It is the foundation for all tactical things. We have not shown that and we will try to do so tomorrow.”

Tuchel maintains he is not feeling any extra pressure from the Bayern boardroom.

“I also have a very good relationship with (chief executive) Jan-Christian Dreesen. There have been no concrete exchanges,” Tuchel said.

“Christoph Freund is with us every day as sporting director. He has expressed his opinion – and he is right to do so.”

Tuchel reported no fresh injury concerns, but remains without defenders Kim Min-Jae and Noussair Mazraoui, who are on international duty.

Union Berlin head coach Nenad Bjelica is expecting Bayern to come out “with anger in their stomachs”, but challenged his side to make the most of their own opportunities.

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“Bayern are one of the most difficult opponents you can face in the Bundesliga, but like Werder Bremen, we are hoping to take our chances and capitalise on them to come home with one or more points,” Bjelica said at a press conference.

“Munich will certainly go into the game with anger in their stomachs, which is why we want to go into the clash with maximum discipline, aggression and courage.”

Union Berlin, whose last match against Mainz was postponed because of freezing conditions, have strengthened the squad with the signing of forward Chris Bedia from Swiss club Servette.

Rani Khedira and Josip Juranovic remain unavailable because of injury, while Aissa Laidouni is away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders has insisted Mohamed Salah’s commitment should never be doubted after his imminent return from the Africa Cup of Nations to have treatment on a hamstring injury provoked criticism.

The Egypt captain will fly back from the Ivory Coast on Wednesday so the club’s medical staff can take care of his rehabilitation, with the hope he could rejoin the national team should they reach the latter stages of the tournament.

That move has drawn criticism from Egypt’s record caps-holder Ahmed Hassan, who said Salah should have stayed with the team “even if he only had one leg to stand on”, but Lijnders has sprung to the 31-year-old’s defence.

“The one you should never doubt the commitment of is Mo Salah,” he said.

“I never met a guy, a player but also a human being, who is more committed to the life of being a professional football player.

“I know the country is devastated to lose him. We were devastated to hear he got injured.

“He played the first game, scores, assists, (he’s) captain and massively important, of course, but the only reason our medical team and their medical team decided for him to come back is to give the best possible chance to be available if Egypt make the final.

“What I’m really happy about is the medical team of Egypt and Liverpool Football Club worked together, were really in close contact and they made this decision together.

“It is an example of how international football and club football should co-operate to put the player in the centre and not the targets of everyone because it is a conflict of interest.

“All of us made the decision which is best for him and for him the best is having a stable environment, knowing the people and having people who are committed and have the time to focus on his rehab process and we know how it will go here in this facility.”

Former champions Montego Bay United extended their unbeaten run across four games, as they showed grit and determination in their come-from-behind 2-2 stalemate with Waterhouse in a lively Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (WNJPL) encounter at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall on Monday.

It was a contest worthy to be the first at the venue in almost 10 months as fans, who braved a downpour, were treated to end-to-end action for the most parts. The small turnout particularly came to life when Montego Bay United through Lucas Lima Correa (75th) and Owayne Gordon (83rd) overturned a two-goal deficit, after the League's leading scorer Javane Bryan (32nd) and Revaldo Mitchell (59th) put Waterhouse up.

With the point, eighth-placed Montego Bay United inched up 19 points, one behind Waterhouse in seventh position.

Montego Bay United's Head coach Neider Dos Santos welcomed the point as part of their steady ascension up the order.

"I feel like we should have won the match in the last 20 minutes, but we didn't and it's just the nature of the game because they played well in the first half, and we played better in the second half. Our midfield was very open in the first half, and we fixed it second half and we proved something because even two goals down the players never gave up. So, we just have to build on this," he said in a post-match interview.

Waterhouse adjusted best to the underfoot conditions and dominated proceedings for most of the first half but squandered numerous chances. They inevitably broke the deadlock two minutes past the half-hour mark when Navardo Blair's weighted cross found and unmarked Bryan, who expertly headed home his 10th on the season.

Montego Bay United's best chances of the half came through Gordon and Brian Brown, but both were denied by Kemar Foster's brilliance in goal for Waterhouse, as they went to the break 1-0 up.

Waterhouse maintained their momentum on the resumption and doubled the lead on the stroke of the hour mark through Mitchell, who rose highest to steer Denardo Thomas' well-weighted corner kick past the advancing William Ferreira.

The Drewsland-based team could have added to their tally and put the game beyond doubt, but for faulty shooting on the part of the usually clinical Andre Fletcher and others, and they later paid for their profligacy.

Lucas Lima Correa pulled one back for Montego Bay United in the 75th when he finished off a rebound for his third goal of the season after Foster blocked Brown's initial effort.

And the host were back on level terms eighth minutes later when Gordon applied a delightful first touch to Gregson President's chip pass, followed by a stinging left-footed drive that whistled past Foster, who had no chance at a save. That goal marked Gordon's second since his recent return to Jamaica's top-flight, and 48th across his Premier League career.

Both teams pushed for the win but came up short and had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Waterhouse's Head coach Marcel Gayle, like his counterpart felt the win was there for the taking.

"When you look at it, it could be considered a loss, but nevertheless I thought we played well. I thought we were in full control of the game until we lost concentration and gave up two silly goals. It has been an issue for us all season and we paid for it, so we just have to take the point, move on and turn our attention to the next game," Gayle noted.

Matchweek 15 Results

Lime Hall Academy 0, Portmore United 2

Mount Pleasant 1, Treasure Beach 0

Harbour View 0, Vere United 0

Humble Lion 0, Dunbeholden FC 0

Tivoli Gardens 0, Cavalier FC 0

Arnett Gardens 4, Molynes United 1

Montego Bay United 2, Waterhouse 2

What the papers say

Manchester United are keen to offload embattled winger Jadon Sancho in a permanent deal, putting the England international – currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund – on offer to Saudi clubs for around £50million, the Evening Standard reports.

The club have also opened offers up for Brazil winger Antony, to Saudi sides for a similar price tag, writes the Standard, as United look to claw back some of the heavy investment they made in the two 23-year-olds.

West Ham are inching closer to striking a deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, however the Daily Mail reports that there may be some late interest from Juventus in the 28-year-old England international.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Kieran Trippier: Newcastle are demanding that Bayern Munich pay a fee of around £12million for the 33-year-old England full-back who is open to moving to the German giants, says Sky Sports.

Armando Broja: West Ham’s hopes of signing the Albania forward in the January transfer window look slim, as Football Insider reports that Chelsea want at least £50million for the 22-year-old.

Abdoulaye Doucoure: The Everton and Mali midfielder is understood to be a target for Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, writes the Guardian.

Louis Saha joined Manchester United for £12.83million from Fulham on this day in 2004, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford.

The France international had spent three and a half years at Craven Cottage after joining from Metz in 2000, scoring 63 goals in 142 appearances.

It was said his performance in Fulham’s 3-1 win at Old Trafford in October 2003 – Saha did not score in the match but was instrumental in Fulham’s attacking play – convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to bring him to United.

He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut against Southampton, and going on to bag seven goals in 10 starts over the rest of the campaign.

But his first full season in United colours was hampered by a succession of injuries, two of them sustained while on international duty with France, and he was limited to only 11 starts and 11 substitute appearances, scoring two goals.

He also missed the start of the following season with a hamstring problem, an all too familiar pattern over the course of his four-and-a-half-year United campaign.

There were highs – during the 2005-06 season he was the regular partner for Wayne Rooney in the League Cup and scored in the 4-0 final victory over Wigan.

But, having been handed his chance as first choice in the Premier League following Ruud van Nistelrooy’s departure for Real Madrid, injury woes struck again in the second half of the 2006-07 season.

After a succession of injuries disrupted him again the following campaign, Saha would leave United for Everton in the summer of 2008, having scored 42 goals in 120 appearances.

Roberto De Zerbi admitted depleted Brighton are dropping too many Premier League points following a frustrating goalless stalemate with Wolves.

Albion dominated possession at the Amex Stadium as they stretched their unbeaten home run to a club-record nine top-flight fixtures to climb to seventh, above Manchester United on goal difference.

But the Seagulls, who lacked a cutting edge on Monday evening, have drawn five of those fixtures and a league-high eight matches overall.

Brighton boss De Zerbi feels a lengthy injury list and European commitments are impacting his side’s league results.

“We have to understand the situation of injuries, we have to understand how much energy we spent in the Europa League, in FA Cup, we have to analyse if we will be lucky or unlucky,” said the Italian, whose side drew 0-0 with West Ham in their previous game.

“In the last two games in the Premier League we have been unlucky because two points after two games with good quality to win the game, we are losing too many points.

“We have been unlucky because five draws (at home), for example Sheffield United, Burnley, Fulham and Wolverhampton, we deserved to win all of the games.

“We didn’t play the best game in my time (tonight) but we created a condition to win the game.

“Yes, we made some mistakes in the crucial part of the pitch and for it we didn’t win.”

Brighton controlled the play against Wolves but rarely threatened.

Facundo Buonanotte saw an early diving header cleared off the line by Tommy Doyle, while Wanderers captain Maximilian Kilman hit the frame of his own goal.

De Zerbi remains without the creative talents of Kaoru Mitoma, Simon Adingra, Ansu Fati, Solly March and Julio Enciso but dismissed talk of recruiting reinforcements this month.

“No, transfer market is not my business,” he said.

“I have to be focused on my work and my work is to give organisation, to give a style, to try the condition to play well and make points.

“We are seventh place on the table and if you consider how many problems we had in the first part of the season we have to be proud because we are playing better than the situation we are enduring.”

Wolves were thrashed 6-0 in this fixture last season but could have snatched victory.

Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha and Mario Lemina each went close for the counter-attacking visitors.

In the absence of 10-goal top scorer Hwang Hee-chan, Neto played as a central striker on the south coast on his first start since October.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil was impressed with the impact of the Portugal forward but hopes to bolster his striking options during the transfer window.

“We always had that threat,” said O’Neil. “Pedro was good, probably played a little bit longer than we would have liked ideally.

“I just felt there was still a goal in him so tried to push him a little bit more than was ideal but pleased that he got through it.

“Hopefully over the next few days we can do something in the window that can help us in that area.

“Until then we work hard to try and maximise what we have in the room and I felt we did that well today.

“The main thing was we looked like a team, we stuck together and when it got tough in certain situations we looked like we could cope and always had that threat.”