Roberto Martinez remains "very positive" Eden Hazard will be fit and firing in time for Euro 2020 despite missing out on Belgium's latest squad.
And the Red Devils coach called on club side Real Madrid to join the national team in taking "responsibility" for Hazard's recovery.
The winger returned from a six-game absence in LaLiga to appear as a second-half substitute in Madrid's win against Elche last weekend.
However, Hazard had to miss training on Monday due to a damaged hip flexor and could not face Atalanta in the Champions League the following day.
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane fumed at the repeated "inexplicable" issues that have restricted Hazard to just 36 appearances and 29 starts since his €100million transfer in June 2019.
Hazard has scored only four times for Los Blancos, providing five assists from 38 chances created.
But he remains a key man for Belgium, with five goals, seven assists and 34 chances created in eight European Championship qualifying outings and is set to captain the side at the finals, if he can recover in time.
Martinez is staying patient, revealing the player - in "good spirits" - will not undergo surgery and explaining: "I think there is still a long, long, long, long way to go [to the Euros].
"Rather than setting a timeline, all that matters is to measure every day and to see that Eden is on the right path to get back to full fitness.
"It would be wrong and it would be gambling, by anyone, to imagine if Eden will be fully fit or not.
"I feel this situation can be solved a lot earlier than the Euros, but only when Eden goes from day to day will we see the final answer.
"Knowing Eden, what we're dealing with is a player that has never been injured in his career. This is a real shock, something new. There is a lot of uncertainty around that.
"But in terms of the injury, I feel very positive that we can get to see the best Eden Hazard well before the Euros."
While Zidane had no explanation for Hazard's woes, Martinez added: "This is a situation with Eden Hazard. We're dealing with the same problem. There's been a lot of different niggles and different problems, but everything comes from the same previous problem.
"Now is the moment to forget about any deadlines, any times, it's about Eden Hazard, giving him what he needs and getting him fully recovered and making sure he's back on the football pitch.
"We all need to take that responsibility, between the Belgian federation and the club where he's playing his football."
While Hazard will play no part in Belgium's March World Cup qualifiers against Wales, Czech Republic and Belarus, Romelu Lukaku has been included, despite a coronavirus breakout at Inter.
There are also first senior nods for midfielders Albert Sambi Lokonga and Orel Mangala.
Belgium squad in full:
Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn Rovers), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge); Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Hertha Berlin), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Jason Denayer (Lyon), Leander Dendoncker (Wolves), Thomas Foket (Reims), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica); Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Nacer Chadli (Istanbul Basaksehir), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Anderlecht), Orel Mangala (Stuttgart), Dennis Praet (Leicester City), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge); Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Charles De Ketelaere (Club Brugge), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Inter), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Brighton and Hove Albion), Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht).
Manchester United remain in talks with Paul Pogba over a new contract but they are not the immediate focus of the midfielder, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pogba came off the bench to send United into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, his close-range finish securing a 1-0 win at San Siro and a 2-1 aggregate success over Milan.
The France star is out of contract at the end of next season and has been heavily linked with a return to Juventus.
Solskjaer believes Pogba's performance illustrated his affection for the club, but contract discussions are not at the forefront of his mind.
"I think everyone in the team, Paul included, are just focused on doing as well as we can this season," Solskjaer told a media conference ahead of Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final with Leicester City.
"I don't think any energy would be used on the speculation. Of course we've got discussions and talks, when you see Paul playing like this, back training, it shows how much he cares for us, how much he enjoys playing and how much we can benefit from him playing."
Solskjaer is not anticipating Pogba playing the full game against Leicester, though he is confident the World Cup winner can still have an influence.
"We'll have to see how long he can play," Solskjaer added. "I don't think he can last 90 minutes, I'm not sure he can start.
"You see the impact he can make if he comes on as a sub. If he feels ok, maybe we can start him as well. I hope he's ready to start."
Marcus Rashford is a doubt after making way for Pogba with an apparent injury, while Edinson Cavani could again miss out with a knock.
Anthony Martial has missed the last two games with a hip injury, though he has still been picked in the France squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers.
However, Solskjaer is not concerned by Martial's inclusion by Didier Deschamps.
"I just want Anthony fit. Same with Paul, we just want them to go and play. They've missed too many games," said Solskjaer.
"This was a hip injury he got against Milan a week ago. We hoped he was going to be ready for West Ham. Then he couldn't make that one, he was close to getting fit for this one [Milan second leg], hopefully he'll make Sunday.
"We're not sure, because it's not reacted how we'd want. It'll just benefit him if he's fit enough to go with France and play."
Manchester United will face European debutants Granada in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and cannot now meet Arsenal until the final.
The draw for the last eight on Friday kept the two remaining Premier League giants apart.
United claimed a 1-0 win at Milan on Thursday to advance 2-1 on aggregate and their reward is an apparently kind draw against LaLiga's Granada, winners over Molde.
If United advance, they could have a replay of the 2016-17 final in which they defeated Ajax, who take on Roma for the right to play the Red Devils or Granada.
Ajax were too strong for Young Boys, while Roma dumped out Shakhtar Donetsk.
Arsenal, who knocked out Olympiacos despite losing at home, will be wary of their quarter-final opponents Slavia Prague.
Slavia have already eliminated Leicester City and Rangers, and have now been paired with the 2018-19 finalists, visiting Emirates Stadium before hosting the reverse fixture.
Arsenal's half of the draw is completed by Dinamo Zagreb and Villarreal.
Dinamo defeated Tottenham in a stunning second-leg comeback on Thursday and could get the chance to complete a north London double if they meet the Gunners.
A meeting between Arsenal and Villarreal would also have significance, with the Spanish outfit coached by Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta's predecessor and a three-time Europa League winner with Sevilla.
Emery's men swept aside Dynamo Kiev in the last 16.
Quarter-final draw:
Granada v Manchester United
Arsenal v Slavia Prague
Ajax v Roma
Dinamo Zagreb v Villarreal
Semi-final draw:
Winner of QF 1 v Winner of QF 3
Winner of QF 4 v Winner of QF 2
Mitchell Duke scored either side of half-time to help put Western Sydney Wanderers within three points of A-League pacesetters Central Coast Mariners thanks to a 3-0 win over Perth Glory.
For a while it was proving to be a frustrating day for the hosts, having had two first-half goals ruled out by VAR, but they finally made the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time.
James Troisi did well to turn out of danger in the penalty area before clipping an inviting cross into the danger zone for Duke to nod home.
The second half was 78 seconds old when Duke got his second, latching on to a long ball over the defence by Keanu Baccus and holding his nerve with an emphatic finish after shrugging off a defender.
Three minutes later it was game over for the Glory, as Bernie Ibini led a rapid break and fed Troisi to his right with the goalkeeper rushing out, leaving the forward with the simplest of finishes.
Victory puts Wanderers three points off the top and another three clear of Adelaide United in third, though both teams have at least one game in hand on Western Sydney.
The Glory are now winless in four A-League games and face a real fight to secure a spot in the Finals.
Where will Jack Grealish play his football next season?
It is one of the big questions in English football right now and Manchester City have joined the conversation.
City are reportedly emerging as the favourites to sign the Aston Villa captain.
TOP STORY – CITY LINE UP GREALISH SPLASH
Manchester City appear best placed to sign Aston Villa's £100million-rated captain Jack Grealish, according to the Daily Mail.
Grealish reportedly came close to joining Manchester United last year, but the Red Devils could not come up with the funds to seal the deal.
City manager Pep Guardiola is a well-known admirer of Grealish, previously calling him "an exceptional player".
ROUND-UP
- Gazzetta dello Sport claims Liverpool have joined the queue chasing Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, with a reported £43m (€50m) move. European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also allegedly keen on the 21-year-old Italy international.
- Tottenham are likely to opt out of exercising the £36m (€42m) option-to-buy Carlos Vinicius, who is on loan at Spurs from Benfica according to the Daily Mail. The report claims Spurs are only willing to pay more than half that amount for the Brazilian.
- Calciomercato says Juventus are considering a move for Arkadiusz Milik, who they have previously been linked with as they prepare for the possible departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. Juve are reportedly set to revive their interest in Milik, with the Poland international on loan at Marseille from Napoli.
- Football Insider reports that United are plotting a move for Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez amid doubts over star David de Gea and Dean Henderson. They have also been linked with Milan sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma.
- Real Madrid are keen to bring back Levante winger Jorge de Frutos to the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Marca.
Inter have hit out at the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, describing his comments about the club's stadium project as "offensive and disrespectful".
The Nerazzurri, along with city rivals Milan, have plans in place to build a state-of-the-art stadium to replace San Siro and renovate the surrounding area.
But speaking on Thursday, Sala revealed the project is on hold until Inter's ownership situation becomes clearer.
Current owners Suning, who acquired the club in 2016, are reported to be looking to find a buyer amid financial uncertainty.
"I think that until Inter clarifies its fate, things must necessarily be at a standstill for us," Sala said.
"The point is, and I want to say clearly to the people in Milan, that we are not just talking about the stadium, but a project in which half the investment is on the stadium and half on other things that make up the future of that area.
"It will mean that there will be, I assume, five or six years of work. I cannot entrust a district of the city for such a long period to a reality whose future ownership is not certain.
"I speak with respect of [Inter president Steven] Zhang, but they must necessarily clarify the future of the club, until then I think it's logical to stop."
However, Inter released a statement on their official website later on Thursday that was a rebuke to Sala's comments.
"FC Internazionale Milano has a glorious ultra-centenary history," the statement read. "It existed before Mayor Sala and will continue to exist when his mandate ends.
"We find the comments from the mayor of Milan offensive towards the owners, disrespectful towards the history and reality of the club and its millions of fans in Milan and all over the world, not to mention irrelevant with respect to the current administrative process on the new stadium for Milan project.
"If it is confirmed that Inter and the owners are not appreciated by the current administration, we will know how to take the consequent decisions."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists he is deserving of his place in the Sweden squad, even if he is no longer the same player he was when last representing his national side in 2016.
The Milan striker was recalled by Janne Andersson for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Georgia, plus the friendly with Estonia, paving the way for him to potentially play at Euro 2020.
He celebrated his first call-up in nearly five years by posting a picture on Twitter of himself in a Sweden shirt with the caption: "The return of the God."
Ibrahimovic, who turns 40 in October, is Sweden's all-time leading scorer with 62 international goals, the last of those coming against Denmark in November 2015.
And having also impressed in Serie A this term with 14 goals in as many matches, the ex-Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker believes he can still make an impact.
"I don't want to be considered and called up for what I did before, but for what I can give now," he told the Swedish Football Association's official YouTube channel.
"I can't be the player I was five, 10, 15 or 20 yeas ago. Now, I have a completely different physique and a completely different game.
"But I keep a very high level. You don't have to worry. I'm not on the squad list because my name is Zlatan and I'm Ibrahimovic.
"It's because of what I add to the squad and what I have achieved. I think I deserve it."
Andersson previously ruled out a recall for Ibrahimovic, but his stance changed following a "great conversation" with the 116-cap ace in November.
Asked about those discussions with Andersson, Ibrahimovic said: "It was very positive. We examined everything and drew a line on everything that is the past.
"We spoke with respect among ourselves. We were able to talk to each other.
"I recognise that mentality in myself. When you're a footballer at a certain level and you've the chance to represent your country it's the greatest joy there is to be able to do so.
"It is with pride and honour that I will wear the national team jersey."
Ibrahimovic returned to Italian football in December 2019 after a two-season spell in MLS with LA Galaxy and has scored 27 goals in 41 games in all competitions.
Twenty-four of those goals have come in 32 Serie A appearances since returning to San Siro, a tally bettered only by Romelu Lukaku (30 goals in 45 games), Ciro Immobile (31 goals in 44 games) and Cristiano Ronaldo (44 goals in 42 games).
Sweden's players are due to gather on Monday ahead of their home qualifier against Georgia on March 25.
The match between Inter and Sassuolo has been postponed after two further positive tests for coronavirus within the Nerazzurri squad.
Inter announced via a statement that Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino have gone into quarantine after testing positive. Samir Handanovic and Danilo D'Ambrosio had already begun isolating after previously returning positive tests.
Authorities in Milan have declared Inter must suspend all team activities for the next four days, which includes Saturday's game with Sassuolo and a ban on international players joining up with national squads.
The whole first team will undergo further tests on Monday.
The four positive tests within the Serie A leaders' squad have come as coronavirus cases across Italy continue to rise.
On Tuesday, Italy recorded 502 COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily number since the end of January. Approximately half the country entered a strict lockdown this week to combat spikes in case numbers and remaining regions are set to follow suit at the beginning of April.
Sassuolo's game against Torino on Wednesday had been rearranged after authorities called for it to be postponed due to concerns over virus cases.
Inter are top of Serie A heading into the final weekend of games before the international break, nine points clear of Milan and 10 ahead of champions Juventus, who have a game in hand.
The match between Inter and Sassuolo has been postponed after two further positive tests for coronavirus within the Nerazzurri squad.
Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino have gone into quarantine after testing positive. Samir Handanovic and Danilo D'Ambrosio had already begun isolating after previously returning positive tests.
Authorities in Milan have declared Inter must suspend all team activities for the next four days, which includes Saturday's game with Sassuolo and a ban on international players joining up with national squads.
The whole first team will undergo further tests on Monday.
Leroy Sane is beginning to show how important he can be to Bayern Munich after finding rhythm following a lengthy injury lay-off, says club great Franck Ribery.
Germany winger Sane joined Bayern from Manchester City in the close season but was in and out of the team as he continued to find fitness following the knee injury that restricted him to two appearances in his final campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
Across all competitions this season, Sane has eight goals and nine assists – both of which rank fourth among Bayern players this term.
He has also created 38 chances for his team-mates, 11 of those classing as Opta-defined 'big chances' – the fifth-best among Bayern's squad.
Ribery, who spent 12 years at Bayern, is delighted to see Sane begin to show his value at the Allianz Arena.
"I'm happy for him and for Bayern," Ribery told Sky Germany.
"When he came to Munich it was maybe a bit difficult for him at the beginning, the pressure was great.
"But you shouldn't forget that he was out injured for a long time. It takes time. But things are going much better now, he's an important player for Bayern."
Ribery won nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals and the Champions League during a spectacular spell at Bayern.
The veteran winger has been linked with a return to Germany's top flight with Eintracht Frankfurt but for now the 37-year-old is purely focused on Fiorentina, whom he joined after departing Bayern in 2019.
"Of course, I miss the Bundesliga. I had my best time at Bayern and won a lot there," Ribery added.
"My priority is here in Florence, I'm happy here. We still have a few games and we need the points. I want to help the club."
What does the future hold for Sergio Aguero?
With his Manchester City contract expiring at the end of the season, Aguero is no closer to re-signing.
Premier League rivals Chelsea could be ready to pounce…
TOP STORY – CHELSEA KEEPING TABS ON AGUERO
Chelsea are tracking Manchester City star and soon-to-be free agent Sergio Aguero, according to the Daily Mail.
Aguero is out of contract at the end of the season and the City forward has been tipped to join LaLiga giants Barcelona.
But Premier League rivals Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a move for City's all-time leading goalscorer.
ROUND-UP
- The Daily Mail reports City and Chelsea are both interested in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud. Tottenham and Everton have also been linked with the Germany international.
- Juventus are eyeing a move for star Atalanta wing-back Robin Gosens, claims Calciomercato. Gosens has starred for Atalanta, who value him between €35-€40million.
- FootMercato says Paris Saint-Germain want Tottenham full-back Serge Aurier as former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino seeks a reunion.
- Fabrizio Romano reports Manchester United have not made a bid for Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic. United have also been linked with RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate, Sevilla's Jules Kounde, Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and team-mate Raphael Varane, as well as Brighton and Hove Albion defender Ben White.
- In-demand Dortmund star Erling Haaland has a "crush" on Madrid but El Chiringuito insists no club is close to signing the Norwegian. Haaland has been linked with Madrid, Barca, United, City, Chelsea, Liverpool, PSG and Juventus.
Mauricio Pochettino was delighted with the spirit his Paris Saint-Germain team showed to defeat Lille in the Coupe de France after a difficult few days.
PSG were 3-0 winners against the Ligue 1 leaders as they were in action for the first time since a weekend defeat to Nantes that was disrupted by burglaries at the family homes of Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos.
Di Maria was substituted in that loss to attend to the matter, but both players were in the XI as goals from Mauro Icardi and Kylian Mbappe secured a quarter-final berth on Wednesday.
It was not an entirely convincing PSG display, as Lille had 18 shots to their 11 and Keylor Navas was required to save a penalty for the third time this season.
Pochettino was only interested in praise for his players and their families, however.
"Of course I'm so happy with the performance and the spirit of the team," the coach told the club's official channel.
"They deserve massive credit and I want to congratulate them but most of all the families because the last few days were very tough for everyone.
"We all feel what happened to Marqui and Angel. It really touched the group and that's why I want to congratulate the team, the players and the families suffering around them.
"I'm so happy. I think we fully deserved to go through to the quarter-finals and, in this difficult circumstance, I'm happy for the 3-0."
Di Maria had two shots and created a single chance, while Marquinhos contributed four tackles, five clearances and a block.
Navas was the star of the show, though, denying Yusuf Yazici from 12 yards with 12 minutes remaining.
Only Rui Silva and Oliver Baumann (both four) have kept out more penalties than Navas in all competitions this season among goalkeepers across Europe's 'top five' leagues.
"He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world," Pochettino said of Navas, who finished with five saves in all. "His level is incredible."
Several regular players will be missing from the Jamaica Reggae Boyz line-up when they face regional powerhouse the United States, in a friendly international, in Austria, next Thursday.
When the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) released a final 18-man squad on Tuesday, the likes of regular team captain and custodian Andre Blake, defender Damion Lowe, and Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey were a few missing from the line-up.
At present, some members of the national squad have been locked in tense negotiations with the JFF, and according to reports, have yet to sign contracts ensuring their availability to represent the national team.
The squad will in the meantime see the return of defender Adrian Mariappa (Bristol Rovers), Michael Hector (Fulham) with potential debuts for English-based talents Leon Moore, Ethan Pinnock (Brentford), and Watford striker Andre Gray. Also making a return to the squad will be former Manchester United youth player Ravel Morrison.
The United States have been in top form in recent friendly internationals, handing Trinidad and Tobago a 7-0 thrashing in their previous match Prior to that, they registered a 6-0 win over another CONCACAF team El Salvador and a 6-2 win over Panama.
The match will take place at the Stadion Wiener Neustadt at 12:00pm (Jamaica time).
Full squad
Joan Laporta has promised to do everything he can to persuade Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona, as well as offering an assurance to head coach Ronald Koeman amid speculation over his future.
Laporta was officially unveiled as Barca's new president at a ceremony on Wednesday, having seen off competition from Victor Font and Toni Freixa during an election staged on March 7.
It will be his second time in the role at Camp Nou; his previous stint from 2003 and 2010 saw the club win LaLiga on four occasions, as well as the Champions League twice.
However, he returns now with Barcelona dealing with financial issues off the field and great uncertainty over the future of their best player, the talismanic Messi.
The club's all-time leading scorer is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, though Laporta is determined to retain the "best player in history".
"I'll do everything I can to try to convince Leo to stay," he said in a speech that covered a wide range of topics, including the importance of the club's academy system.
"We will try because he's the best player in history and, sorry for telling you here, but you know how much I love you, and Barca also loves you."
Messi has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season under Koeman, who has Barca in contention for the league title in Spain following a shaky start to his debut campaign in charge.
They are also through to the Copa del Rey final – Athletic Bilbao will be their opponents on April 17 – but hopes of Champions League glory were dashed by PSG at the last-16 stage.
Still, with the team on a 17-game unbeaten streak in LaLiga, Laporta made clear his confidence in Koeman, who – like Messi – was present inside the ground for the event.
"Ronald, you have our confidence," he said.
"We want to go back to that success story between Barca and the Champions League. This year we have to go for LaLiga and for the cup."
Laporta described Barca as an "engine for optimism" despite their current financial plight, something he will be prioritising at the start of his new reign.
"The economic situation is a priority for us," Laporta announced. "We have the priority of making the club economically sustainable.
"We have a shock plan for it. The situation does not scare us. The people who accompany us are not scared by these things.
"If we have to make decisions in the interest of Barca, we will make them."
Paris Saint-Germain began a season-defining three-game stretch by beating Ligue 1 leaders Lille 3-0 to continue their Coupe de France defence.
PSG have successfully negotiated a Champions League tie with Barcelona but have work to do either side of this month's international break to maintain their domestic challenge.
Mauricio Pochettino's men, second in the league, visit third-placed Lyon on Sunday and then host Lille at the start of April, but they first took care of the pace-setters in the cup on Wednesday to advance to the quarter-finals.
Mauro Icardi had the holders in front before hobbling off and Kylian Mbappe, on in his place, made sure of PSG's progress with a brace either side of Keylor Navas' latest penalty save.
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