Chelsea and Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger has revealed she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer for a second time and will begin treatment this week.

Berger was initially diagnosed in November 2017 during her time with Birmingham City, but made a full recovery and was subsequently named in the PFA Team of the Year.

However, the 31-year-old said on Tuesday that after four years being cancer-free, a recurrence has been detected in her thyroid.

"I've said before that as a sportsperson, you have to fight every day to be the best you can be and that's something I will continue to do," she said in a statement.

"I hope by sharing my journey I can help others that find themselves in a similar situation.

"I am working closely with my club doctor and specialist in London, and my treatment will start this week.

"I remain positive that my treatment will be as effective as last time, and I'm looking forward to returning to the pitch and seeing you all at Kingsmeadow and Stamford Bridge."

Berger has played a key role between the sticks for Chelsea in their Women's Super League triumphs of the past three seasons.

The former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, who won the WSL's golden glove in 2020-21, was also part of the Germany squad that reached the Euro 2022 final last month.

Fabio Capello does not understand why Juventus would want to sign Marseille forward Arkadiusz Milik before the transfer window closes.

Juve are reported to be keen to land Poland international Milik rather than Barcelona's Memphis Depay.

Milik scored 20 goals in 37 games for Ligue 1 side Marseille in all competitions last season, and the Bianconeri are said to have lined up a loan move for the former Napoli man, with the option to sign him permanently.

Former Juve boss Capello is not enthused over reports that Milik could be on his way to Turin.

"We need a player who has more quality. I hear about Milik, but he is not a player that makes the difference," Capello told Sky Sport Italia 

"It's not what the fans dream of seeing at Juve – he's a good player, who can be part of the squad, but nothing more."

Vice president Pavel Nedved confirmed that Depay is a target for Juve ahead of Monday's goalless Serie A draw at Sampdoria.

He told DAZN: "There is no need to speed up the process, that is never a good idea. We are evaluating; we are vigilant about what the market offers.

"We must evaluate well, looking at training and injuries; we are considering entering the market.

"Depay can play with with Dusan [Vlahovic] or in his place. He can play with [Moise] Kean and play as a winger, but he is only one of the names we are evaluating."

Riqui Puig says Barcelona "hurt" him by making him train alone ahead of his transfer to Los Angeles Galaxy and criticised their approach of putting pressure on players to leave.

The 23-year-old midfielder made something of a surprise switch to Major League Soccer this month after being deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou.

Puig made his Galaxy debut as a substitute on Friday in a 3-3 draw with Seattle Sounders following his arrival on a three-and-a-half year deal.

While Barca spent their pre-season in the United States, the former Spain youth international was left back at home with other players they were looking to move on.

Puig felt he deserved to be treated with more respect.

"It was a tough month because I had never seen that before, leaving players behind in Barcelona and going on a tour without them," he stated.

"Perhaps I understand the club's position, they want to put pressure on players to leave, but there are other ways to do it.

"It was really difficult being in Barcelona, training alone, with four other team-mates who were also there with me.

"After seven years at the club, being in Barcelona when all my team-mates are in Los Angeles playing matches, well, the truth is that it hurt me a lot.

"It's a difficult situation and sometimes you have to make decisions and they have made this decision but I don't agree with it."

Manchester United players must be prepared to continue to "suffer" if they are to maximise their potential this season after beating Liverpool, according to manager Erik ten Hag.

United stunned their bitter rivals as they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 win at Old Trafford on Monday, with the result made even more surprising by the manner of the defeats in their two previous games.

The Red Devils began Ten Hag's tenure with back-to-back losses to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford, the latter of whom ran out emphatic 4-0 winners in London.

Ten Hag dropped Harry Maguire, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luke Shaw from his starting XI for the visit of Liverpool, with their respective replacements –  Raphael Varane, Anthony Elanga and Tyrell Malacia –  all acquitting themselves well in what was United's first league win over the Reds since 2018.

The collective attitude of the United team attracted widespread praise due to their defensive work rate – their 232 pressures applied to an opposition player on the ball was the third-highest in the Premier League this season.

But the key for United now is to ensure Monday was not just a flash in the pan, and for them to have sustained success in building towards their objectives, Ten Hag is warning the team they have to be willing to run themselves into the ground.

"What I demand is that players bring the top spirit every day. Every day, they have to bring it to the club," Ten Hag told United's official website on Tuesday.

"It has to be a way of life and I hope they understand. It's only working – high performance, high level – if you have that spirit and have that focus.

"If you accept that you have to hurt yourself, you have to suffer, to finally get the best level out of you."

Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford got United's goals on Monday, with the two England internationals generally looking lively as their movement and pace caused Liverpool's defence issues.

Both endured disappointing seasons last term, with Sancho netting only three Premier League goals and Rashford getting four.

Indeed, Rashford's strike against Liverpool ended a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for United since netting against West Ham in January.

Clearly, however, Ten Hag thinks they could both be crucial to United.

"I'm convinced they can be really a threat, really a weapon against every opponent," Ten Hag continued.

"As long as their focus and energy is there with them, it is very difficult to stop them.

"So it's about the team getting them in the right situation and also about themselves, with the right approach, right focus in the game and battling, defending, pressing. But also dribbles and combinations and runs in behind."

Ruud van Nistelrooy is hopeful PSV can ward off Manchester United's interest in winger Cody Gakpo, as he praised the Netherlands international for maintaining his focus amid widespread transfer speculation.

United have brought in Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and most recently Casemiro during a busy transfer window, but reports suggest Erik ten Hag is looking to his homeland in his attempts to add a winger.

Ajax's Antony – who was left out of their squad for a 1-0 win at Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday – and PSV star Gakpo are both reported targets.

Gakpo scored 21 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions for PSV last season and has been tipped to provide competition for Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho should he join United.

 

But PSV coach Van Nistelrooy, who himself scored 95 Premier League goals in a successful five-year spell at Old Trafford, is desperate to keep the 23-year-old.

"There have been rumours for a long time. It is clear that we would like to keep him," Van Nistelrooy said.

"I have been working with him for eight weeks now and have not seen a single moment that he shows different behaviour. That is very nice for someone his age."

PSV face Rangers in the second leg of their Champions League qualification play-off on Wednesday, having rescued a 2-2 draw in last week's first meeting at Ibrox.

Unai Emery says Juan Foyth wants to stay at Villarreal but knows he could join Barcelona before the transfer window closes.

Barca have targeted defender Foyth after missing out on Cesar Azpilicueta, who decided to stay at Chelsea.

Villarreal vice-president Jose Manuel Llaneza warned the Catalan giants they would have to meet the €42million release clause in order to sign the Argentina right-back.

Emery reiterated that former Tottenham full-back Foyth is not looking to leave, but the Villarreal head coach accepts there are no guarantees he will stay.

"Barca's interest is real," Emery told Cadena SER's 'El Larguero'. "It's a position they need and it fits for them. The issue is whether the player wants it or not, he has always told me that he is very happy.

"He does not contemplate leaving and wants to stay. From here, I don't know to what extent circumstances will go one way or the other.

"He's an important player for us and he's grown a lot in recent years. I don't rule out that at any given moment the surprise will be against us, but the most normal thing is that he stays at Villarreal."

Emery is hoping to add to his squad by signing striker Edinson Cavani, who is also wanted by Valencia.

The former Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal boss said: "I spoke to Edinson Cavani – we have a good relationship, he wants to come to Spain. It's possible."

Erik ten Hag is expecting Casemiro to emerge as a leader in his Manchester United team after the Brazil midfielder competed his £60million (€70m) move from Real Madrid.

Casemiro, who won 18 major titles during a trophy-laden nine-year spell with the Spanish giants, was unveiled as a United player ahead of their 2-1 Premier League victory over Liverpool on Monday.

The Brazil enforcer is the fourth arrival of a busy transfer window at Old Trafford, following in the footsteps of Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen, all of whom impressed when starting against Liverpool.

Casemiro will likely have been encouraged by a first glimpse of his new team-mates, as United handed Jurgen Klopp's side their first league defeat of 2022 via goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.

Ten Hag, who is now the first ever United manager to secure his maiden competitive win against Liverpool, expects Casemiro's big-game experience to be an asset for the Red Devils.

"He has won so many trophies in his career," Ten Hag said. "He knows the road, how you win games and finally how you win trophies.

"We [now] have more players who have won already many trophies in their career. That has to be a guidance for the rest of the team so they know and they understand how to win games.

"We did really well today compared to last week so we make a step [forward], but it is what you have to deliver every day and in every game."

No midfielder has matched Casemiro's tally of 415 tackles won in LaLiga since the start of the 2015-16 season, with the 30-year-old's defensive abilities allowing Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to star throughout one of the most successful periods in Madrid's history.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the match, Ten Hag referred to Casemiro as "the cement between the stones", adding: "That is what we have been looking for in the summer and found him, [I'm] very happy with his signing."

Ten Hag expects multiple United players to display leadership qualities, and used a post-match interview to hail Bruno Fernandes' performance as captain after dropping Harry Maguire to the bench.

"I think he took the responsibility and I think it encouraged him, the captaincy, and I think he showed leadership together with Rapha Varane," Ten Hag told Sky Sports.

"I think definitely on the pitch, they make a huge difference, but that is what they have to bring, and it’s not just those two, I think we need more leaders.

"When you want to make a winning team, you need more leaders and we need the spirit that we showed today."

United travel to Southampton for their next Premier League outing on Saturday, having collected three points from their first three games of the campaign.

Bernardo Silva will stay at Manchester City despite Barcelona's interest in signing the midfielder, according to the Premier League champions' chief executive Ferran Soriano.

Barcelona have enjoyed a busy transfer window as they attempt to close the gap on last season's LaLiga and Champions League winners Real Madrid, signing Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie, while they also hope to bring in Marcos Alonso from Chelsea.

But the Blaugrana have also been credited with a strong interest in Silva, who refused to rule out a move earlier this month when declaring City "know what I want".

Silva could make a Camp Nou appearance on Wednesday when City take on Barca in a friendly arranged to raise funds to fight motor neurone disease, but Soriano is adamant the Portugal midfielder will not be returning to Barcelona on a more permanent basis.

Speaking to El Chiringuito de Jugones, Soriano said: "Of course, I can say that Bernardo Silva will stay at Man City."

Pep Guardiola has also affirmed his desire to keep Silva on multiple occasions.

Silva made 50 appearances for City in all competitions last season, a tally only bettered by Joao Cancelo (52), with the 28-year-old scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.

Meanwhile, only Kevin de Bruyne (129) and Jack Grealish (78) created more chances for City than Silva's 76 last term, and he got off the mark for the new campaign by scoring the equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle United on Sunday.

 

Goalkeeper Mattia Perin said Juventus' draw with Sampdoria left "a bad taste in our mouth" and showed where Massimiliano Allegri's side must improve.

Juventus were looking to join Napoli, Inter and Roma on six points from two games at the start of the Serie A season on Monday, but could only manage a 0-0 stalemate on their travels.

They failed to break down a Sampdoria side who lost 2-0 to Atalanta on the opening weekend of the season, and coach Allegri said his players would need to train hard ahead of Saturday's enticing tussle with Roma.

Perin said of the result: "This draw should serve as a lesson to understand which areas we need to work on. 

"Obviously, it leaves a bad taste in our mouth, but it will be an extra incentive to better prepare for the next game.

"Surely not having conceded a goal for the second consecutive matchday is an excellent sign and confirms how much good we are doing in training."

Perin also told Juventus' website: "We knew it would not be easy to come and play at the Marassi, against a team as difficult to face as Sampdoria. Now, our goal is to continue training with the same determination as we have shown up to now."

 

Allegri could soon have reinforcements on the way, with Barcelona forward Memphis Depay a confirmed target. Vice-president Pavel Nedved strongly hinted Juventus also have other players in their sights when he spoke shortly before kick-off at Sampdoria.

After the game, Allegri preferred to focus on the players already at his disposal, saying: "The club will take care of the market, we have to work. We have to look at the positive things, not the negative ones."

Adrien Rabiot had a goal disallowed due to Dusan Vlahovic straying offside, and Allegri said Juventus had shown "little patience" in the first half before improving after the interval.

Striker Vlahovic only managed three touches in the first half and had just nine across the full 90 minutes.

No player to take the field for 90 minutes in a Serie A game has had fewer touches since David Trezeguet had eight for Juventus against Catania in May 2008.

"We would have liked the three points, but the positive aspect is that in these first two matchdays we haven't conceded a goal," Allegri added.

"We are growing in condition and we will continue to work hard to get ready for the match on Saturday evening against Roma."

Chelsea lost 3-0 to Leeds United on Sunday and it would appear that defeat has sparked the Blues into action.

New owner Todd Boehly has been keen to make his mark since arriving at Stamford Bridge, bringing in Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella among others.

But head coach Thomas Tuchel wants more. Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is a priority target for the defence, while last week Chelsea had two bids rejected by Everton for Anthony Gordon.

Now it would appear the Blues are confident of completing the signing, while they are also reportedly in talks to land a second attacker.

TOP STORY - CHELSEA IN FOR GORDON AND LEAO

The Times reports that Chelsea will this week push ahead and match Everton's £50million asking price for winger Gordon, who scored four goals in a breakthrough Premier League season last term.

Everton boss Frank Lampard stressed the importance of Gordon to his plans, and played the 21-year-old against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but also suggested that a decision might have to be made if a bid was too good to turn down.

Gordon might also be joined in moving to Stamford Bridge by Milan star Rafael Leao. The Portugal international scored 11 times for the Rossoneri as they won Serie A last season, and the same report claims that Chelsea are in talks with the Italian champions over a move for the 23-year-old.

ROUND-UP

- Several outlets are reporting that West Ham have struck a deal with Chelsea to sign left-back Emerson Palmieri for around £13million.

- Eric Bailly is close to joining Marseille on loan from Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano.

- The Telegraph claims Newcastle United have been told they must pay £30million to buy striker Joao Pedro from Watford.

- Villarreal coach Unai Emery told El Larguero that Edinson Cavani could join the club, while he also said that Juan Foyth is of interest to Barcelona.

- Everton were hoping to have Idrissa Gueye and Mohammed Kudus signed but have bumped into difficulties with Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax respectively, says The Times.

- Fabrizio Romano also reports that Fulham and Roma will hold further talks this week over Justin Kluivert.

- Barca defender Samuel Umtiti will join Lecce, says Gianluca Di Marzio.

Through the first two rounds of Premier League fixtures, there had been no case for Manchester United's defence. At Old Trafford on Monday, Liverpool's went completely missing.

A week is a long time in football, to use the most fatigued of tired cliches. United had just over a week to stew over their 4-0 humbling at Brentford, during which there was no shortage of talk about another prospective hammering from Jurgen Klopp's consistently merciless Reds. 

Yet after United pressed and harried their way to a surprise 2-1 win in front of a raucous home crowd whipped up by the latest round of protests against the Glazer family's ownership of the club, it will surely be Liverpool who has to face headlines pointing to a crisis among a group of players who have set such remarkable standards in the recent years of Klopp's tenure.

It would be an exaggeration to label Liverpool as a team in crisis – they were without nine first-team players for this derby – but, as the persistent squabbles between Virgil van Dijk and James Milner illustrated, there are certainly problems to fix at the back.

Though the focus may have been on their public disagreements, the first of which came after Jadon Sancho produced composure that has been largely lacking since his move from Borussia Dortmund to put United 1-0 up in the 16th minute, in the aftermath of this game there is more likely to be scrutiny on the performance of the defender to Van Dijk's right.

While Van Dijk was partly at fault for the opener after failing to close down Sancho, it was a goal that was a direct consequence of the frequent success United enjoyed when attacking Trent Alexander-Arnold.

To blame in part for the first goal, Alexander-Arnold was tormented by Anthony Elanga in the first half and had a similarly torrid time when Marcus Rashford switched to the left flank for the second. It was Rashford who doubled United's lead, ending a run of 997 minutes without a goal in all competitions for United by coolly finishing after a counter-attack with Alexander-Arnold conspicuous by his absence.

Alexander-Arnold, regularly maligned for his defensive deficiencies, conceded two fouls and lost possession a game-high 24 times in a performance to swiftly banish from the memory.

Yet to point the finger squarely at him would be to ignore the struggles of those in front of him. Milner, who won under half of his 16 duels, and Jordan Henderson offered little in the way of control or protection for the Liverpool backline. Both were eventually withdrawn in the second half, injury robbing Klopp of the opportunity to introduce a clearly desperately needed Thiago Alcantara.

To focus on Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool's failings would also do a disservice to the impressive nature of United's display.

Scott McTominay, with Casemiro, his new team-mate in the engine room, watching on, was sublime in midfield, his 10th-minute through ball for Bruno Fernandes deserving of a goal that the right-hand post denied Elanga.

Fernandes, forlorn in the two opening defeats, had nine final-third entries, more than any other United player. Rashford, meanwhile, was a player rejuvenated, recording five of United's 12 shots.

At the back, Lisandro Martinez brushed off jokes and questions about his diminutive stature to deliver an all-action showing that featured three blocks, including one clearance off the line to prevent a Fernandes own goal, while left-back Tyrell Malacia's five tackles were the most of any player.

For all the standout displays, United could not stop Mohamed Salah from fraying the nerves with a header after David de Gea denied Fabio Carvalho.

Yet the fact United did not allow that setback to spark a collapse is testament to the speedy turnaround Erik ten Hag – who became the first Red Devils boss to secure his maiden competitive win against Liverpool – engineered in the wake of their meek surrender at Brentford.

Klopp will almost certainly dismiss any crisis talk about a team who suffered their first defeat in 22 Premier League games and have failed to win their first three Premier League games for the first time since 2012-13. However, after seeing his side concede the first goal for the seventh successive league fixture and fail to recover, Klopp must find solutions that have the same impact of those Ten Hag discovered in the compelling latest chapter of this great rivalry.

An uninspiring performance from Juventus saw them held to a goalless draw at Sampdoria as they failed to make it two Serie A wins from two.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men were looking to make it seven consecutive Serie A victories against their opponents from Genoa, but they were unable to break down a resolute defence.

Adrien Rabiot thought he had opened the scoring in the second half, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR check and Samp held on for their first point of the season.

Monday's stalemate means the Bianconeri go fourth as they dropped points after lacking a cutting edge.

The hosts nearly went in front after just six minutes when a sublime through ball from Abdelhamid Sabiri picked out Mehdi Leris in the box, but the midfielder’s dink struck Mattia Perin’s hip and hit the crossbar.

Emil Audero then made an important stop to tip a deflected Filip Kostic effort, which was destined for the top corner, over the bar.

After the interval, Rabiot thought he had broken the deadlock with an excellent first-time left-foot finish, but the VAR ruled it out as Dusan Vlahovic was offside in the build-up.

Juve pushed for a winner late on, but could not find one as Sampdoria held on for an impressive point.

Jose Mourinho says he is worried about an injury Nicolo Zaniolo sustained in the win over Cremonese, but "crying about it does not help".

Attacking midfielder Zaniolo damaged his shoulder in the 1-0 Serie A victory at the Stadio Olimpico and had to be replaced just before half-time.

Another injury setback for the luckless Giallorossi came just a day after new signing Georginio Wijnaldum sustained a broken leg in training.

Roma boss Mourinho is concerned that Zaniolo could similarly be facing a lengthy absence, but he says they must not feel sorry for themselves.

"I am worried, but that is life," Mourinho said. "Crying about it does not help.

"Obviously, you have ideas and plans in place for how you want to play – and then you immediately find yourself in a situation where we are a few players down. But that's football, it can happen, and we need to look forward."

Mourinho is unsure whether he will be able to go back into the transfer market for replacements.

He added: "Right now, everyone wants the same thing, which is to make the right decisions for the club. These decisions are down to the ownership and the general manager.

"They know before this exactly what I would have liked – and now we have these new difficulties after the injuries to Zaniolo and Wijnaldum. But we are all united and together we will try to find the best possible solution."

Chris Smalling scored the only goal of the game against Cremonese to make it two Serie A wins out of two for Roma.

Casemiro is "as determined as ever" to win trophies with Manchester United following confirmation of his transfer from Real Madrid.

United confirmed last week an agreement had been reached with Madrid, and the reported £60million (€70m) deal officially went through on Monday.

The 30-year-old bade an emotional farewell to Madrid at a news conference prior to travelling to Old Trafford for United's clash with fierce rivals Liverpool.

And after being paraded on the pitch ahead of kick-off, United announced on their website that Casemiro has penned a four-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.

Vastly experienced Brazil international Casemiro won 18 trophies in his decade with Madrid, including five Champions Leagues, and is eager to land more silverware in England.

"The opportunity to start a new challenge at Manchester United and in the Premier League is extremely exciting," he said.

"I've worked with many great managers in my career, and having met with Erik [ten Hag] and heard his ideas, I can't wait to work closely with him, his staff and my new team-mates in the coming years.

"I'm ending one beautiful journey in Madrid whilst starting another in Manchester as determined as ever to win football matches, win trophies and make our fans proud by bringing success to this great club.

"Everybody knows the history of Manchester United, the significance of the club around the world and what it means to its supporters. 

"To represent United is an honour and I am ready to give everything to help the team achieve our ambitions."

Casemiro has played over 550 games in his career and has 22 trophies to his name, including Copa America success with Brazil, whom he is expected to represent in this year's World Cup.

He becomes United's fourth signing of the window following the arrivals of Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen.

"Casemiro is a serial winner and one of the best midfielders in world football; his exceptional record speaks for itself," said United football director John Murtough.

"He compliments the skillsets of the squad and will be a great addition to the dressing room with his experience, knowledge and character.

"I know that Casemiro remains as determined as ever to be successful on the pitch and we look forward seeing that happen in a Manchester United shirt."

Pavel Nedved has confirmed Barcelona forward Memphis Depay is a target for Juventus.

Barca are reported to have agreed to terminate Depay's contract just over a year after he arrived at Camp Nou as a free agent.

The Bianconeri are the favourites to sign the Netherlands forward, who has also been linked with Premier League clubs Tottenham and Newastle United.

Juventus vice president Nedved says the Serie A giants are interested in Depay, but he is not the only target on their radar.

He told DAZN: "There is no need to speed up the process, that is never a good idea. We are evaluating, we are vigilant about what the market offers.

"We must evaluate well, looking at training and injuries; we are considering entering the market.

"Depay can play with with Dusan [Vlahovic] or in his place, I agree. He can play with [Moise] Kean and play as a wing, but he is only one of the names we are evaluating."

Depay was an unused substitute in Barca's goalless LaLiga draw with Rayo Vallecano and the 4-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad.

 

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