Shakhtar Donetsk have called for Iran to be banned from playing at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and Ukraine to replace them because "terrorists" should not be allowed to play in the tournament.

Ukraine was invaded by Russia in February. The country's football team reached the final stage of UEFA's qualification play-offs but suffered defeat to Wales in June.

FIFA and UEFA subsequently banned Russia from playing international football, but nations such as Iran and Belarus that have provided assistance to the invasion have avoided similar sanctions.

Ukrainian Premier League side Shakhtar on Monday urged the FIFA to prevent Iran from competing in Qatar, and to replace them with Ukraine instead.

Raheem Sterling's form is something that will improve if Chelsea take steps forward as a team, suggests Blues boss Graham Potter.

The England international has struggled for goals since his move from Manchester City to Stamford Bridge ahead of the current campaign, with the winger looking to cement his place in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions plans.

An injury to club and international team-mate Reece James has seen him take on a positional change, playing at wing-back over some recent games in an unfamiliar role.

That has reduced his direct impact in attack, but Potter has suggested the 27-year-old will get back into the swing of things if the players around him also take steps forward.

"It's something we have to look at not by zooming into one person but as a team," he was quoted as saying on the club's website. "We can do better but if we do better as a team, then individuals will benefit from that so that's where the work is.

"Raheem has the flexibility, ability and quality to play in a number of positions. It's not straightforward with us losing the players we have. We're trying to constantly find the right balance and the right solutions, but he can help us."

Sterling figured at the front again for Chelsea in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United, when Red Devils defender Raphael Varane left the field in tears with a potential injury that could scupper his Qatar 2022 World Cup chances.

Potter acknowledged the looming tournament is likely to have an impact on players as they aim to avoid any issues that may prevent them from being in contention.

"I don't think it affects their performances, but they're also human beings," he added. "Somewhere subconsciously, you're thinking that in three weeks' time, there's a World Cup.

"I guess because of how close it is after the games finish, normally you would have a build-up phase and a bit more time, but we're going from competition phase to playing the World Cup within a week.

"It's incredible how it is, but we can't do anything about it. We just have to help the players as best we can and make sure they're not in dangerous situations for their own health."

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane left the field in tears during Saturday's Premier League clash against Chelsea after suffering an injury.

The France international was stricken after an awkward fall with an hour gone at Stamford Bridge and showed visible signs of concern, with less than a month to go before the World Cup in Qatar gets underway.

Varane covered his face while crying and was given support my his team-mates.

While he did not require a stretcher, showing displeasure at the offer and instead walking around the edge of the field with medical staff, the injury is a clear worry for both club and country.

Defending champions France have a number of injury concerns ahead of the defence of their crown, with Chelsea's N'Golo Kante to miss the tournament with a hamstring injury and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba yet to return from a problem that has forced him to wait for his second debut with the Turin outfit.

France begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on November 22, before taking on Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.

Karim Benzema faces time on the Real Madrid sidelines after the Ballon d'Or winner was revealed to be suffering with muscular fatigue in his left leg.

With one month to go until France begin their World Cup campaign against Australia, the news of Benzema's exertions taking their toll may be of some concern to Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps.

For now, there is no suggestion Benzema will not be fit to play a full role in the Qatar 2022 tournament, but the injury announcement is a reminder all players are susceptible amid a packed fixture schedule for Europe's top clubs.

A Madrid club statement read: "Following tests carried out today on Karim Benzema by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with muscular fatigue in the quadricep muscle of his left leg. His recovery will be monitored."

Reports in Spain said that, as well as missing Saturday's game against Sevilla, Benzema was also expected to be absent for the Champions League fixture at RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

However, Benzema could be back for the LaLiga clash with Girona on Sunday, October 30, sports daily Marca reported.

Benzema won the Ballon d'Or for his feats last season, when his 44 goals in 46 games helped Madrid triumph in LaLiga and the Champions League.

He scored in last Sunday's 3-1 win over Barcelona as Madrid went clear at the top of the Spanish top flight, before netting again on Wednesday in the 3-0 victory at Elche, where he played the full 90 minutes.

Ronaldo Nazario ranks himself alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona as part of a "very special group" of football's greatest ever players. 

Legendary forward Ronaldo led Brazil to their most recent World Cup triumph 20 years ago, scoring eight goals as Luiz Felipe Scolari's team sealed the country's fifth title in Japan and South Korea.

No Brazilian has ever bettered Ronaldo's tally at a single edition of the tournament, while his total return of 15 World Cup goals has only been beaten by Germany's Miroslav Klose (16).  

While Ronaldo believes his exploits put him in the pantheon of footballing greats, he told the Guardian it was difficult to compare his abilities to those of players from different generations.

Asked to choose between seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi and another Argentina icon in Maradona, Ronaldo said: "That's unfair! 

"I think there is a very, very special group where you have Diego, Messi, [Johan] Cruyff, [Franz] Beckenbauer, Pele, [Marco] Van Basten, Ronaldinho. I would include myself. 

"Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars. But you can't rank them, can't compare generations. 

"People call me the 'original' Ronaldo but there were others – and they weren't false. 

"I'm not the only one, and more will come along and be better than me in everything. I did what I could, the best I could."

Brazil's hopes of repeating their 2002 World Cup win will depend largely on the form of Neymar, who has been involved in 42 per cent of the Selecao's World Cup goals since making his tournament debut in 2014 (8/19 – six goals, two assists).

Ronaldo compared the abilities of the Paris Saint-Germain forward to those of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting no football fan could fail to enjoy watching him play. 

"People love him a lot," Ronaldo added of Neymar. "If we talk specifically about football, I doubt there's anyone who doesn't love him. His private life transcends football, but I'm not interested. 

"He's daring, has skill, variety, is quick, scores goals, has personality. You could compare him to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, even though they are from a different planet. 

"On the pitch Neymar is one [thing], then people mix in all the other stuff."

Former Brazil forward Ronaldo admits he would "love" to see Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti take the reins of the Selecao, stating it would be a "historic" move.

With the Qatar 2022 World Cup set to start next month, Tite's side are bidding to break a two-decade European hold on the sport's greatest prize, led by talents such as Neymar, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.

But regardless of their ultimate tournament performance, the 61-year-old's tenure in charge could well be coming to an end, with pundits floating the Manchester City and Real Madrid bosses as potential successors.

In a country where the national team has always been led by a native, there is significant pushback to the suggestion of an outsider - but Ronaldo believes it could prove a watershed moment for the Selecao.

"I would love it," Brazil great Ronaldo told The Guardian. "A European not just with the Brazilian national team but the entire Brazilian football industry.

"A Pep or an Ancelotti could be historic, it could change our history for 100 years."

Brazil last won the World Cup at Korea-Japan 2002, and entered the 2014 edition - which they hosted - as home favourites, before a stunning 7-1 semi-final collapse against Germany.

As a squad headlined by Neymar - who is closing in on Pele's Selecao goalscoring record - prepares for their latest tilt however, Ronaldo sees no reason why they cannot break their barren run this time around.

"There's been a European dominance," he acknowledged. "France, Spain and Germany are always there. England produced a great Euros [campaign].

"But Argentina have gone 35 unbeaten. Brazil look very good, although that doesn’t count for anything.

"In Brazil, we want to win. Let's see what Tite does. He has options up front, very good ones.

"Vinícius has to start – he would start in any team in the world. On the right, Raphinha is playing incredibly, but we have Rodrygo, who would get in anywhere. Then there's Neymar. He's got the desire."

Reece James has described the knee injury that threatens to rule him out of the World Cup as "devastating", but says he will do everything in his power to feature in Qatar.

The right-back sustained the injury in Chelsea's Champions League win at Milan last week, and was ruled out for eight weeks after seeing a specialist.

If James were to miss the tournament, it would represent a severe blow for England manager Gareth Southgate, who is facing the prospect of a selection crisis on the right of his defence.

Manchester City's Kyle Walker is also battling to be fit after suffering an abdominal injury earlier this month, while Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold has come under fire for his recent performances.

However, Chelsea boss Graham Potter said last week that James would "fight" to return in time for the tournament, and the defender has now made a similar pledge.

"It's obviously devastating and you know the World Cup is only a month away," James said on his YouTube channel. "As a kid, growing up, I always wanted to go and this is my first opportunity.

"I'll do everything I can to try to be there, but I'm obviously devastated. Just [the] injury came at the wrong time. But every day, we need to be grateful and thankful.

"I'll keep you updated with what's happening on a day-to-day basis, and I'll touch base soon."

England begin their World Cup campaign in less than a month's time, facing Iran in their Group B opener on November 21.

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is not concerned by the number of minutes he has played this season and the risk of injury ahead of the World Cup.

The Switzerland international has started all but one of the Gunners' matches across all competitions this season, combining with Thomas Partey or Albert Sambi Lokonga in midfield.

Xhaka's influence has played a huge part in Arsenal's fine start to the season, including scoring the only goal of the game in Thursday's victory over PSV in the Europa League – sealing qualification for the knockout stages.

A packed schedule ahead of the World Cup, where Switzerland face Brazil, Serbia and Cameroon, will test the fitness limits of players this season, but that does not come into Xhaka's thought process.

"I'm not worried. The staff, the coach, they know how I am physically, how I look after myself. It's not the first time I'm doing this many games in a row, I've done this for the last 13 years," he said.

"I'm feeling very good. Every time you win, it makes it a little easier, but I'm not worried about my fitness, the World Cup or the future.

"I'm 30 years old, I know my body better than before. When you're young, you think differently, whereas now I know my body, what I need. Of course, you have the people around you helping you with the food, with the recovery, at the moment, everything is working well."

Asked if the risk of injury plays on his mind ahead of games, he added: "I don't think like this, I will never think like this when I go onto the pitch.

"This is football, it can happen in one second. You have to put your faith when there is a 50-50 ball. My personality, as people know, I will never go back on that."

With seven games to play before the World Cup, five of which are in the Premier League, Xhaka is aiming for the Arsenal squad to capitalise on their position four points clear at the summit and remain top of the pile for the mid-season halt.

"It has to be the aim. We're there now, we need to be there as long as possible," he said.

"If we have the chance to stay where we are at the moment, then the World Cup comes, maybe it's good for everyone, for us as well, to prepare something else for January."

Massimiliano Allegri ruled out Paul Pogba from his Juventus plans for Friday's clash with Empoli, saying it would be "pure madness" to rush the midfielder's recovery.

Juventus have been unable to field Pogba or Federico Chiesa this season, with the France midfielder undergoing knee surgery last month and Italy forward Chiesa suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January.

Pogba was initially a doubt for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, although France coach Didier Deschamps was upbeat regarding his recovery earlier this week.

Speaking at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, Deschamps said: "His programme is going well. The important thing is that he is cured, I think he will be, and this is already a good thing."

Despite both Pogba and Chiesa being pictured in team training recently, head coach Allegri said Juventus must treat their returns with caution.

"Let's see the real things, the reality today is that Chiesa and Pogba don't have them," Allegri told a pre-match news conference on Thursday.

"Chiesa did two training sessions with the team, Pogba trained temporarily, but very partially with the team. Avoid writing all that stuff there, you have a fantasy.

"Players have not even trained with the team [and you] write that after two days they are available. Fantasy is a power and it is very beautiful. Tomorrow they will not be there.

"I, too, would like everyone available, especially to make changes. With those we have, we will have a great match tomorrow, and we will prepare well for Benfica.

"Chiesa has already made progress. On Saturday morning there will be a friendly for Federico, to see how he moves on the whole field.

"Paul has done some partial work with the team, but we are on Thursday and until Tuesday there are four days. Damaging his work is pure madness."

After their meeting with Empoli, Juventus will have just three days to recover ahead of the decisive Champions League clash with Benfica, but Allegri would not be drawn on whether striker Dusan Vlahovic would be rested on Friday.

"Dusan, regardless of his goal, played one of the best games on a technical level [against Torino last week]," Allegri said.

"[Moise] Kean also did well, I'm happy with Moise because he's growing, he's physically better, and he makes himself available for the team above all.

"To obtain results, everyone must be available, and there seem to be good signs of this. Tomorrow will not be easy; among other things, they beat us last year."

Vlahovic has scored three goals in three Serie A appearances against Empoli, including his first league double for Juventus in February. The Serbian has also hit the net five times in five home league games this season.

Jose Gaya sees himself as a one-club man after signing a new deal with Valencia, as he outlined his hope to represent the club at the World Cup.

Gaya has been a regular in the first team since graduating from Valencia's academy in 2012 and has gone on to make 239 LaLiga appearances.

Named captain in 2020 following Dani Parejo's transfer to Villarreal, Gaya signed a new deal on Wednesday to keep him at the club until the end of June 2027.

The 27-year-old made his international debut in 2018 and hopes to be a part of Luis Enrique's squad for Qatar, though he has the likes of Marcos Alonso and Jordi Alba to contend with.

"Whenever I go away with the national team I try to represent Spain and I think it's the best a player can aspire to do," Gaya told Valencia's official website.

"The squad list hasn't come out yet, but I'm going to give it my all at Valencia to be able to be there."

When asked about any potential further renewals in the future, he added: "I would be excited to play 1,000 more games, but my mind is not thinking at that moment. I also have to earn that renewal and I will do my best for that."

Having been a part of Valencia's Copa del Rey success in 2019, Gaya hopes that in the years to come he can play a role in taking the club back to the top. 

He said: "In recent years I have been able to play in two finals and my ambition is to be able to continue at Valencia and work to be able to take us back to the top positions."

Paul Pogba returned to training with Juventus on Tuesday just over a month before France's first World Cup game.

The midfielder's second spell with Juve got off to a nightmare start when he suffered a lesion to the lateral meniscus in his right knee.

That injury blow has prevented Pogba from making a competitive appearance for the Bianconeri following his Manchester United exit.

Pogba was back training with his Juve team-mates on Tuesday, however, with the club revealing he worked "partially" with the squad as he was pictured in action.

That is good news for both the Serie A giants and France five weeks before the holders start their defence of the World Cup against Australia in Qatar.

Confirmation of Pogba's return came after Les Bleus head coach Didier Deschamps stated he would need to be sure the 29-year-old is fully fit before naming him in his squad.

Speaking after attending Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, Deschamps told Sport Mediaset: "His programme is going well. The important thing is that he is cured, I think he will be, and this is already a good thing.

"Then there will be the question of whether he looks athletic, since he hasn't played for a long time. 

"But I repeat, before thinking about whether I call him up, he must be healed."

Didier Deschamps is optimistic Paul Pogba will be fit to feature at the World Cup next month, amid reports the midfielder is set to return to training with Juventus.

Pogba has yet to make a competitive appearance for the Bianconeri since returning from Manchester United in July, and is a doubt for the tournament in Qatar after undergoing surgery to solve a lesion to the lateral meniscus in his right knee.

The 2018 World Cup winner initially opted to treat the injury with conservative therapy, which his doctor Roberto Rossi subsequently said had worsened his condition. 

On Tuesday, with little over a month to go before France's Group D opener against Australia, Italian media reports suggested Pogba's return to Juventus training was imminent. 

Speaking after attending Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, Deschamps told Sport Mediaset he was upbeat concerning the midfielder's progress, saying: "His programme is going well. 

"The important thing is that he is cured, I think he will be, and this is already a good thing.

"Then there will be the question whether he looks athletic, since he hasn't played for a long time. 

"But I repeat, before thinking about whether I call him up, he must be healed."

Pogba has won 91 caps and hit 11 goals for France since making his international debut in 2013, and scored Les Bleus' third goal in their 4-2 win over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final.

Meanwhile, Deschamps saw another of his France stars crowned the best player in the world on Monday, as Karim Benzema won the Ballon d'Or for the first time in his career.

Asked about Benzema's triumph, Deschamps added: "He deserves it. It is an important thing for all of French football, that of the national team and the clubs."

Diogo Jota will miss the World Cup after suffering a "pretty serious" calf muscle injury in Liverpool's win over Manchester City.

The Portugal forward was carried off on a stretcher in stoppage time at Anfield on Sunday.

He appeared to overstretch and was clearly fearing the worst in the immediate aftermath.

The news is bad for Jota, Portugal and Liverpool, whose forthcoming games he will also inevitably miss.

"It's really not good news. Yes, he will miss the World Cup," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said in a press conference on Tuesday.

"It's a pretty serious injury, calf muscle. Now we have to recover. The process starts like this. That's the first diagnosis which was pretty clear. 

"It's very sad news for the boy, for us, and for Portugal."

Klopp said Jota would not require surgery on the injury but that "we're talking about months" in terms of his lay-off.

"I don't want to put a number on it. Yes, it will be long," Klopp said.

He explained Jota had taken the news phlegmatically.

"It's Diogo and he's surprisingly OK, so far. He's an incredibly smart boy and very reflective. I think he knew it when we carried him off the pitch," Klopp added.

"When I came out we passed each other after the game and he expected what happened. I think in that moment he knew it was a serious one and could be pretty impactful on his World Cup dreams."

Jota's injury also leaves Liverpool short of another key attacking player, with Luis Diaz already sidelined until after the World Cup.

Frank Lampard's focus is on getting Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit and firing for Everton as he looks to make a late push for England's World Cup squad.

Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a brilliant 2020-21 campaign, scoring 21 times. That tally included a hot streak of eight goals in seven games to start the season, with his form seeing him make his England debut, scoring four goals in as many starts for the Three Lions, the most by a player since Kerry Dixon in 1985-86.

He was part of England's Euro 2020 squad but the 25-year-old missed much of last term through injury, returning to score the vital goal to keep Everton up in a 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace in May, only to suffer a knee injury on the eve of the new season.

With Calvert-Lewin limited to two substitute appearances in Everton's last two matches – defeats to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively – his hopes of making Gareth Southgate's squad for Qatar appear slim, especially with Brentford's Ivan Toney in rich form.

Lampard acknowledges time may be against his striker but is not giving up hope.

"We've got to be careful with Dominic coming back, making sure we gradually bring him in but as quickly as possible," he told reporters ahead of Everton's trip to Newcastle United. 

"We're definitely getting to the stage now where we can hopefully get more minutes out of him.

"It's human nature and a natural mentality of top-level players, they want to play for their countries. The first thing is you play well for your club to get there.

"Because of Dominic's injuries it's put him in this position. My feeling is if he'd been fit and playing regularly he'd be making that case.

"It's step by step for us, Dominic is an England player, he's been in that squad – can we get him fit for us first, see what he can deliver for us, then of course he gets himself into that question."

One Everton player certain to be going to the World Cup if fit is Jordan Pickford. 

The goalkeeper enjoyed a strong start to the season, but made a blunder in Saturday's defeat to Spurs, spilling Matt Doherty's shot and bringing down England team-mate Harry Kane to compound his error.

When asked if he had spoken to Pickford about the mistake, Lampard replied: "No need. He's saved us many times. 

"He's a high, high level of goalkeeper, top bracket in the world for me."

Perhaps there's something in the notion of a lucky Shamrock. Thirteen years on from making his Real Madrid debut in a friendly against Shamrock Rovers, Karim Benzema is the world player of the year, a richly deserving winner of the Ballon d'Or.

It was Cristiano Ronaldo who topped the bill at a jam-packed Tallaght Stadium in July 2009, having joined Madrid from Manchester United, but substitute Benzema was the matchwinner that night, a late goal delivering a 1-0 victory for Los Blancos.

He kept winning, and winning some more, even when others took the spotlight, but the winning has been almost unrelenting. And that has been the theme of his career.

Benzema had won four Ligue 1 titles with Lyon before, at the age of just 21, he earned himself a move to Madrid, where he has won five Champions League titles, four LaLiga crowns, four FIFA Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, four Spanish Supercopas, and two Copa del Rey winner's medals.

Now 34-year-old Benzema is harvesting the personal acclaim, having long played the patient consort to the garlanded Ronaldo and, even, Gareth Bale.

As he ascends to this particular throne, Stats Perform has looked at how Benzema reached such a high point, and what the Ballon d'Or result means in wider terms.

Brilliant Benz merks his rivals

This time it had to be him. The Karim of the crop. Last year, it was hard to distinguish what was more embarrassing: the constant campaigning for Benzema to take the Ballon d'Or by Real Madrid luminaries past and present, or the fact Lionel Messi took the prize again, ahead of Robert Lewandowski.

Messi's seventh Ballon d'Or felt like a long-service award. Benzema's triumph is both that, and a reflection of the greatest season of his career.

The Ballon d'Or rules shifted this year, with the time span set from August 1, 2021, to July 31, 2022, rather than the calendar year.

In that time, Benzema, more often than not as captain, hit 44 goals in 46 games, with his shot conversion rate at a career high of 24.18 per cent.

He scored 27 of those goals in 32 LaLiga games to earn his first Pichichi – the award that goes to the league's leading scorer – and in doing so led Madrid to the title.

Messi won the Pichichi eight times, while Ronaldo took it on three occasions, with Luis Suarez (2015-16) the only other player to lay his hands on the trophy in the seasons from 2009-10 to 2020-21.

Benzema's league goals came at a rate of one every 96.15 minutes, which he has bettered only once in Spain (2015-16: 24 goals in 27 games, one goal every 83.04 minutes). Significantly, he was a provider in the league too, weighing in with a career-best 12 assists.

His 15 Champions League goals in Madrid's glorious campaign came from 12 games, at one goal every 73.73 minutes. He vastly surpassed his expected goals tally of 8.2, the metric that reflects the quality of a player's chances and likelihood of scoring.

He has made a career of exceeding expectations. When he made a €35million switch from Lyon all those years ago, not even Benzema could have imagined he would be peaking in his mid-thirties.

Benzema also drew level with Raul's haul of 323 goals for Madrid last season, going joint-second on the club's all-time list, behind only Ronaldo (450).

Second place has since become Benzema's outright, with the goals still coming. He probably won't catch Ronaldo, but he might not be far behind.

No longer a young man's game?

With Benzema landing the award just two months before he turns 35, it is another example of the younger generation not yet doing enough to challenge the old guard.

The last player aged under 30 to win the Ballon d'Or was Messi, who took the 2015 award.

Kylian Mbappe might have been a reasonable shout this time around, if Paris Saint-Germain had not perished against Madrid and Benzema in last season's Champions League, but the other serious challengers were on the top side of 30: the likes of Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Next year is likely to be a different story, with Mbappe and Manchester City's Erling Haaland surely pushing for the trophy. The World Cup could also be impactful on the 2022-23 vote, and Qatar 2022 might yet bring Benzema more glory with France.

End of an era as the GOATs go out to pasture

This year's 1-2-3 was conspicuously lacking in GOATs. Neither Messi nor Ronaldo made the podium, which is the first time that has occurred in Ballon d'Or voting since the 2006 awards.

In fact, there have been 11 occasions when both have been in the top three, such has been their preeminence.

Messi has had 13 podium finishes and seven wins, just edging Ronaldo's 12 podiums and five awards.

Four of Ronaldo's awards came while a team-mate of Benzema at Madrid. While the Portugal great made the shortlist this time around, finishing 20th, Messi did not, and it might be a stretch to expect either man to threaten a top-three result again.