Juventus have confirmed that midfielder Arthur will miss the start of the Serie A season after undergoing successful knee surgery.

The Brazil international is set to be sidelined for the opening few weeks of Juve’s quest to wrestle back the Scudetto from Inter, which begins away at Udinese on August 22.

Following his switch from Barcelona in June 2020 – in a deal that saw Miralem Pjanic head in the opposite direction – Arthur played 32 times in all competitions during his debut season with the Bianconeri.

The central midfielder scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Bologna in January.

After making their Concacaf Gold Cup return and debut respectively, Grenada and Qatar face off for the first time as Group D action resumes on Saturday night at BBVA Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Gianfranco Zola believes there is little prospect of social media platforms becoming safe spaces for sports stars, warning: "Bad people will always be there."

England footballers Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were subjected to racist abuse online after their penalty shoot-out misses in the Euro 2020 final.

Those failures from the spot helped Italy to land their second European Championship triumph.

There have been calls for the likes of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to police their platforms more effectively, with 19-year-old Saka urging the three tech giants to each step up their game.

Former Italy and Chelsea forward Zola told Stats Perform: "Racial abuse is unjustifiable, unforgivable and unacceptable. I reckon that youngsters have to understand very quick that not all people they come across on social media are good.

"They use it to provoke, insult, abuse and vent their daily frustrations. We have to get used to it and learn how to isolate from this. Especially young people who are famous like footballers.

"These are all unjustifiable attacks but we have to learn how to isolate from it all because these bad people will always be there."

Zola, who enjoyed a seven-year spell at Chelsea and collected 35 caps for the Azzurri, explained there is a "dark side of social media".

He said: "Many people use [social media] in an absurd way and can cause damage to kids who are on social media and are not ready to accept all this.

"If you are into social media, you have to be aware these can be used by people to insult and destabilise. This is the dark side."

Gianfranco Zola has claimed England boss Gareth Southgate was "too conservative too soon" in the Euro 2020 final and suffered the inevitable consequences.

Italy's penalty shoot-out victory over England at Wembley on Sunday has been followed by reports that Southgate could soon be knighted.

That is despite his team falling short when they had home advantage, failing to build on Luke Shaw's second-minute strike that was the earliest goal scored in a European Championship final.

Roberto Mancini's impressive Italy had 19 shots to England's six over the 120 minutes, while also enjoying 65.4 per cent of possession. The Azzurri finished with an expected goals score of 2.16 compared to England's meagre 0.55, underlining their dominance of the chances.

Leonardo Bonucci's second-half equaliser was followed by Italy edging a nervy battle on spot-kicks to land the trophy for the first time since 1968, and Zola sensed England retreated too quickly into their shell.

"Maybe Southgate was a bit too conservative because England boast important players at the highest level," Zola told Stats Perform.

"They were doubtlessly advantaged and having scored after just two minutes gave them further advantages. But especially in the second half, they started defending the goal cushion too early, defending so deep – as they say in England – enabling Italy to find their pace and plays and the equaliser was a natural consequence.

"So Southgate was too conservative too soon.

"Mancini on the other hand was so good. All the subs proved him right. When he subbed [Nicolo] Barella I was expecting more [Manuel] Locatelli than [Bryan] Cristante, but he got that right too as the team kept their pace high, producing quality."

Former Italy forward Zola, who won 35 caps for the Azzurri, was surprised by how little influence England's Mason Mount had on the final.

Mount has been impressive in the Premier League for Chelsea, the club where Zola was such a favourite in a seven-year spell from 1996 to 2003.

But in 99 minutes of action against Italy, before being substituted, Mount had only 36 touches of the ball and completed just 15 of 22 passes for a 68.2 per cent success rate. All of Italy's starting XI had a higher percentage than Mount achieved, with Federico Chiesa's 77.8 per cent their lowest mark.

Chiesa was far more threatening than Mount, who was given an advanced midfield role by Southgate, operating just behind Harry Kane but barely having any influence on the game.

In 54 games for Chelsea last season, across all competitions, Mount scored nine goals, had eight assists and created 109 chances. The 22-year-old had one assist in 464 minutes of action at the Euros, creating eight chances over the tournament.

"For sure after what he had shown in the Premier League, in the Champions League and even in the friendlies ahead of the Euros, he didn't shine," Zola said.

"He is young and the long season with Chelsea where he always played may have had an impact on his sub-par performance. Yet, he is a very skilful player and this experience will help him become better and stronger.

"As I am told, he is a level-headed kind of guy so this experience will help him for sure."

Tottenham must make signings in this transfer window if they want to challenge for the top four in the Premier League, according to former Spurs star Chris Waddle.

Having appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Spurs will be looking for the Portuguese head coach to guide them to Champions League football for the first time since their fourth-place finish in the 2018-19 season.

Following Jose Mourinho's sacking in April, Ryan Mason steered his boyhood club to seventh at the end of last season to secure a position in the new UEFA Conference League before Nuno's appointment.

Amid continuing speculation surrounding talisman Harry Kane's departure, Nuno may be preparing for life in London without the England captain, who netted four times at Euro 2020 to finish behind Patrik Schick and Cristiano Ronaldo (five each) for the Golden Boot.

But Waddle feels it is the other end of the pitch that Nuno needs to focus on.

"Tottenham need to sort their defence out first and foremost," he told Stats Perform.

"Nuno had a good track record with Wolves defensively. But the football at Wolves wasn't probably what Tottenham fans would want to watch."

Tottenham shipped 45 goals last campaign, two fewer than they conceded in the 2019-20 season.

While Wolves' defence was breached 52 times last campaign – a season largely hampered by Raul Jimenez’s injury and the departures of Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty – Nuno's men conceded just 40 goals in 2019-20.

Up front, the situation with Kane, who finished as the Premier League's top scorer with 23 goals in the 2020-21 season before guiding England to their first major tournament final in 55 years, remains unclear.

With or without their star forward, Waddle feels Spurs have quality in their ranks, which could thrive with a few smart signings.

"[Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg had a good tournament - good footballer, he's a good player," Waddle added.

"Son [Heung-min] is a good player we know that. It looks like [Nuno] is trying to buy, and it looks like he's trying to get a midfield player [to play] alongside Hojbjerg, which would be good.

"What I see, would it be a top-four team next season? At the present minute before the transfer market really kicks in. I would say well what they've got now - no.

"I would say they're probably going to be sixth or seventh. If they make four or five good signings - possibly top four, yes.

"Maybe they'll go into the pack, and they'll go into it with a chance, but at this minute in time no I wouldn't put Tottenham in top four."

Kieran Gibbs took strength from the pushback against the racism aimed at Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka after England's penalties heartbreak.

Former England defender Gibbs, who was speaking at his Inter Miami presentation, believes the fallout from the Euro 2020 final highlighted the best and worst of society in his home country.

Saka said on Thursday that he "knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive", and called on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to tighten up controls over content on their platforms.

Sancho and Rashford have also spoken out powerfully this week. A mural of Rashford's image in Manchester was defaced before it became a positive focal point in the local community, with messages of praise, sympathy and solidarity posted on the wall.

"I'm pleased with the reaction from the country," said Gibbs. "Maybe not the initial reaction. Obviously, most things these days are spoiled by a few individuals.

"But the way everyone has responded is testament to the country and where we're at in society.

"i was really pleased to see that, especially being on this side of the water when the game was on.

"I still felt that attachment from home and it was great to see."

Gibbs is relishing his chance to make an impact in Major League Soccer, joining a team who have made a slow start to their second campaign, collecting only eight points from 11 games under Phil Neville's leadership.

They have scored just nine goals and conceded 17 already. Neville's side are slightly underperforming against their expected goals (11.3 xG) and expected goals against (16.3 xGA) figures.

Gibbs, 31, who made over 200 appearances for Arsenal before joining West Brom in 2017, will be expected to add strength to the defensive unit.

Inter Miami will also be hoping Gibbs can turn back the clock and bring some of his creative spark to MLS.

In 2017-18, the last campaign where he made more than 20 top-flight appearances, Gibbs created 22 goalscoring chances from his left-back station for West Brom. That was the fourth highest number on the team.

Gibbs said of his move to Miami: "It's just a challenge for me to grow as a person off the pitch.

"I've been in the UK all my life and had everything done for me in a way because that's the route that you go down.

"I want to try and explore a different side of life, a challenge of setting up a new life somewhere else and seeing how it goes. I felt that this was the best place to do that.

"I come here humble, I don't want any expectation, I just come willing to give 100 per cent and the rest will be history."

Gibbs could make his debut for Inter Miami on Saturday as Neville takes his struggling team on the road to face the New York Red Bulls.

Jose Mourinho's Roma tenure started with a 10-0 rout of minnows Montecatini in a training match on Thursday.

Having been sacked by Tottenham, former Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter boss Mourinho was appointed as Roma's new head coach in May, replacing compatriot Paulo Fonseca.

Mourinho's first competitive match in charge will come in Roma's Serie A opener against Fiorentina in August, and the Giallorossi made an emphatic start to their pre-season against Serie D side Montecatini.

Borja Mayoral scored a hat-trick, with his first goal coming after Carles Perez and Gianluca Mancini struck to put Roma 2-0 up.

Riccardo Calafiori netted a swift follow up and an own goal from Montecatini put Roma 5-0 ahead at the break.

Nicolo Zaniolo converted a penalty after Mayoral helped himself to a second, with the Real Madrid loanee completing his hat-trick after Nicola Zalewski and Amadou Diawara had got on the scoresheet.

Serie B newcomers Ternana are next up for Roma, who face Serie C outfit Triestina three days later before rounding off their pre-season preparations with friendlies against Debrecen, Mourinho's former club Porto and Real Betis.

Real Madrid's desire to sign a new forward is not a secret.

The Spanish giants missed out on silverware in 2020-21, much to their dismay.

Carlo Ancelotti has replaced Zinedine Zidane as head coach with big expectations.

TOP STORY - MADRID TARGET SALAH IF MBAPPE FAILS

Ancelotti has told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez he wants to sign Liverpool's Mohamed Salah , reports Fichajes.

The Italian believes Los Blancos needs another forward, with Salah seen as his back-up plan if they fail to land Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe.

Madrid's financial situation is complicated, with the club not making any major signings in 2020-21 amid the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, but they appear determined to land a major forward this off-season.

ROUND-UP

- 90min reports that Manchester United's Jesse Lingard has emerged as a target for Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, having caught Diego Simeone's eye during his loan spell at West Ham United.

- Chelsea have shopped around striker Tammy Abraham and Arsenal are interested, according to The Telegraph.

- The Athletic believes Tottenham may make a move for Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, although he has a £26m (€30m) release clause.

-  Poor relations between Spurs and Southampton, stemming from 2020's Pierre-Emile Hjobjerg deal, may scupper a proposed move for Danny Ings, according to Standard Sport.

- Newly promoted Brentford are set to splash a club record transfer fee of £13.5m to land Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer, claims The Telegraph.

Daryl Dike scored a double as the United States claimed their second win at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Martinique in Kansas City on Thursday.

USA, who won 1-0 in their Gold Cup opener against Haiti, found their goal scoring touch with four second-half goals to seal their passage into the quarter-finals.

The largely MLS-based US side was dominant, with 69 per cent possession and 20-9 shots against Martinique who lost 4-1 to Canada in their first-up game.

Orlando City forward Dike opened the scoring with a 13th-minute header from Schalke talent Matthew Hoppe's cross, before Dike's 23rd-minute header deflected in off Martinique's Samuel Camille.

After the break, defender Miles Robinson headed in from close range before Dike grabbed a second after a slalom run and lobbed finish in the 59th minute.

Martinique pulled one back from the spot in the 64th minute from Emmanuel Riviere.

Columbus Crew forward Gyasi Zardes drilled a low shot home in the 70th minute before Gianluca Busio found substitute Nicholas Gioacchini to net a sixth in stoppage-time.

USA will finish their group phase against Canada, who won 4-1 over Haiti on Thursday, on Sunday in Kansas City, while Haiti and Martinique – who are both eliminated – face off in Frisco.

Canada are level on points and goal difference with the USA but ahead on goals scored heading into the final fixture, meaning the hosts must win to top the group.

Calvert Fitzgerald has decided to part ways with the management of Molynes United with immediate effect.

Following his resignation as head coach last evening, Fitzgerald had initially stayed on as the technical director but has since decided to sever ties with the club permanently.

He revealed that his decision to step aside as the technical director had to do with loyalty to his staff that he had brought in to work with him at the club.

After a two-year stint with the club, and just two games into the league this season, he has asked to be released from his contract. Fitzgerald also revealed that he was not happy with being relieved of his head coach duties and was no longer interested in staying at the club.

“I have asked for a termination letter, and I got it. My contract has now been officially terminated. They were asking me to be the technical director and I decided that I did not want that post, I prefer my contract to be terminated,” Fitzgerald said.

“I brought a staff, and I was contracted to the club for two years to be the head coach [and] technical director. So, if I relinquish the position as the coach then my staff would automatically have to go because the head coach that came in would bring in his people, as is the norm in football. So, even though I would still be there as the person in charge of the football, the people that I brought along would be out,” Fitzgerald continued.

Asked if there was any disagreement culminating in his resignation, Fitzgerald said he was unaware of any problems between himself and the club prior to Tuesday, July 13.

“No, everything started on Tuesday. Well, apparently things [were] happening that I did not know about, but the proposal was put to me on Tuesday.”

Plans are underway to finalize a mutual financial settlement, but the former head coach says that if the club is unwilling to satisfy his demands, he will be taking them to court.

“It depends on how we settle now, so if we can’t settle then it will end up in the court but if we can settle then we can see if it's alright.”

“But I have gotten the termination letter, so I am no longer [attached] to the club, so it is just for the financial aspect of the contract now to be concluded," Fitzgerald explained.

It is expected that both parties will meet next week to finalize the agreement, Sportsmax.TV has confirmed.

“Somebody will be doing that on my behalf, so we wouldn’t know until early next week when both parties meet or you know to see what is going to happen from then on,” Fitzgerald said.

However, chairman of Molynes United FC, Eurado Cornwall, says that the club’s executive members are currently discussing the matter and are expecting a decision to be made by today.

“Presently we are in an executive meeting right now discussing it, so as soon as we come to a conclusion, we will take it from there, hopefully, today (Thursday),” said Cornwall.

Phil Neville has labelled Gareth Southgate a "leader of great men" and "national treasure" following England's run to the Euro 2020 final.

Southgate led the Three Lions to their first major tournament final in 55 years, where they suffered penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Italy at Wembley.

It also represented England's best performance in the competition as they topped Group D before overcoming rivals Germany 2-0 in the round of 16.

They then put four past Ukraine in the quarter-finals, while Harry Kane's extra-time penalty secured a 2-1 win over Denmark in the last four.

Ex-England defender Neville, who guided England Women to the 2019 World Cup semi-finals, played alongside Southgate at Euro 96 as Terry Venables' side reached the semi-finals.

They also formed part of Kevin Keegan's squad that were knocked out in the group stages at Euro 2000.

And the Inter Miami head coach has hailed the achievements of his former team-mate, who is currently contracted until after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Arsenal have loaned defender William Saliba to Marseille for the duration of the 2021-22 campaign.

The 20-year-old has yet to make a competitive appearance for the Gunners since being signed for a reported £27million (€29.7m) in July 2019.

Saliba was loaned straight back to Saint-Etienne and spent the second half of last season with Nice after being left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads.

He will now return to Ligue 1 for another spell after Marseille reached an agreement with Arsenal over a season-long loan.

Following confirmation of the deal on Thursday, Arsenal technical director Edu told the club's official website: "Together with William, we have decided it will be good for his continued development to spend another season on loan.

"William joined us as an 18-year-old, and he is still only 20, so he is still developing all the time. William is a player with strong natural ability and next season has the potential to be really beneficial for him at Marseille, a good club.

"To play another season in Ligue 1 will be very important for his development. We will of course be keeping in close contact with William during the season and wish him all the best in France with Marseille."

Speaking earlier this year during his time on loan with Nice, Saliba claimed he was "judged on two and a half matches" by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

The France Under-20 international featured 22 times for Nice in all competitions in the second half of last season, 20 of those appearances coming in Ligue 1.

Among defenders to have played at least four times in the French top flight last season, Saliba ranked fifth for successful passes per 90 minutes (66.75), behind Marquinhos (67.98), Nayef Aguerd (70.02), Dante (72.81) and Presnel Kimpembe (72.95).

He averaged 73.15 attempted passes per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 last term, which compares to 69.85 for Gabriel Magalhaes for Arsenal in the Premier League, 55.17 for Rob Holding and 55.1 for Pablo Mari.

Marseille have already signed Matteo Guendouzi from Arsenal on a permanent transfer during the close season.

Lando Norris admitted he is "not in perfect condition" ahead of the British Grand Prix, after he had his watch taken from his wrist in an incident after the Euro 2020 final.

Norris, who is fourth in the Formula One drivers' championship, was targeted as he walked back to his car following Italy's penalty shoot-out win over England at Wembley on Sunday.

McLaren announced on Monday their star driver was left "understandably shaken" following an incident which has been reported to the police.

However, the 21-year-old was cleared to race in his home grand prix this weekend.

Norris acknowledged, though, that the preparation has been far from ideal.

"I'm fine... but I've been better, I can say that. I'm not in perfect condition, I'm not going to lie," he told Sky Sports.

"Some work to do, mentally. Of course I talk about that a lot and mental health, and mental strength is very important. I've not been sleeping that great, and so on.

"Not ideal and I'm feeling a bit sore. But I'm not the guy in the worst position after Wembley.

"I'll work on it, I'll make sure I'm in the best shape possible and I feel like can still go out and focus on what I need to do and that's the main thing.

"I guess it's just unlucky. I don't really want to go into too much detail, but I'm thankful that I'm here.

"It's not the nicest experience for anyone to go through and it's not only me that it's happened to, it's happened to other people. It's something I don't wish upon anyone and, of course, if anyone else goes through it, I can sympathise with them and I know what they feel like."

Norris earned his third podium finish of the season last time out in Austria, and has collected points at 14 successive races. It is the best run of his F1 career.

McLaren were dealt a blow ahead of the return to Silverstone, with chief executive Zak Brown forced to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19.

Bukayo Saka said he will not be broken by his Euro 2020 final penalty miss and the racist messages that followed, as he told social media bosses to raise their own game.

The versatile winger was one of three England players to miss in the shoot-out defeat to Italy on Sunday, along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, and revealed he "knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive".

Gianluigi Donnarumma's save from Saka's spot-kick was the decisive moment in the match, which finished 1-1 after extra time, as England fell to a 3-2 penalties defeat at Wembley.

Saka, Rashford and Sancho were all subjected to racist abuse on social media after the game, while a mural of Rashford was defaced in Manchester, prompting a strong reaction from England team-mates, manager Gareth Southgate and the Football Association.

Rashford and Sancho addressed the situation with messages posted on Monday and Wednesday respectively, and 19-year-old Saka delivered his own powerful message on Thursday.

"I have stayed away from social media for a few days to spend time with my family and reflect on the last few weeks," he wrote. "This message won't do it justice how grateful I am for all the love that I have received, and I feel that I need to thank everyone who has supported me."

He described his England team-mates as "brothers for life" and added: "There are no words to tell you how disappointed I was with the result and my penalty. I really believed we would win this for you. I'm sorry that we couldn't bring it home for you this year, but I promise you that we will give everything we've got to make sure this generation knows how it feels to win.

"My reaction post match said it all, I was hurting so much and I felt like I'd let you all and my England family down, but I can promise you this... I will not let that moment or the negativity that I've received this week break me."

The Arsenal youngster called out the likes of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, telling them to do more to tackle problem users.

"For those who have campaigned on my behalf and sent me heartfelt letters, wished me and my family well - I'm so thankful," Saka said.

"This is what football should be about. Passion, people of all races, genders, religions and backgrounds coming together with one shared joy of the rollercoaster of football.

"To the social media platforms @instagram @twitter @facebook I don't want any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that me Marcus and Jadon have received this week.

"I knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive and that is a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.

"There is no place for racism or hate of any kind in football or in any area of society. To the majority of people coming together to call out the people sending these messages, by taking action and reporting these comments to the police and by driving out the hate by being kind to one another, we will win. Love always wins."

Carlo Ancelotti is glad to have reunited with David Alaba at Real Madrid and has backed the "complete player" to thrive in whatever position he is used in.

Alaba's free transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu was confirmed in May after bringing an end to his 13-year association with Bayern Munich.

The 29-year-old, who featured four times for Austria at Euro 2020, has built a reputation for his versatility with an ability to play centre-back, left-back or in midfield.

Ancelotti knows all about Alaba's adaptability, having previously worked together for one full season at Bayern, and is looking forward to getting the most out of the 10-time Bundesliga champion.

"Alaba is a complete player, with a lot of quality and tactically intelligent in defence," the coach told Real Madrid TV.

"I put him at centre-back in my last games at Bayern Munich, but sometimes he plays in midfield for Austria and can also play on the left. 

"He is a complete player who is going to do very well this season."

Alaba will also bring experience to the Madrid squad, having racked up 448 appearances for Bayern and won 27 trophies during his time in Bavaria.

He is expected to plug the void left by long-serving centre-back Sergio Ramos, who ​last week completed a move to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

Marcelo has succeeded Ramos as captain and returned to pre-season training last week along with some other familiar faces.

Ancelotti, who is in his second spell as Madrid head coach, praised the dedication of some of the team's more senior pros.

"We have worked a lot," he said. "The players have done very well. There is a lot of quality in the youngsters and a great commitment from the veterans. 

"I really liked the commitment of Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Marcelo, Lucas Hernandez and Isco.

"They are players who have won everything and still have the desire, enthusiasm and hunger to have a great season as we would all like to have."

Ancelotti was sacked by Madrid during his first stint six years ago, despite winning the Champions League, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Los Blancos averaged 2.7 goals per game during Ancelotti's previous two-year reign, a number aided by the presence of the club's all-time leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.

In LaLiga, Ancelotti's side led the way in terms of goals, scoring 104 in 2013-14 and then 118 in the following campaign, eight more than a treble-winning Barcelona squad led by Luis Enrique.

His Madrid averaged 18.1 shots per game – the same number as Zinedine Zidane's side during the Frenchman's first stint – with a conversion rate of 14.9 per cent.

With Ronaldo long gone, Ancelotti may struggle to match the offensive numbers of his previous version of Madrid, but he is acutely aware of what is expected from his team.

"We have to take into account the history of this club," he said when asked to describe his preferred style of play.

"The team has to play well, showing the quality they have. Real Madrid's history is about energetic football, with intensity with the ball and without the ball, which is what today's football requires."