West Ham manager David Moyes believes his side are still well-placed to progress from the Europa League round of 16, despite a 1-0 loss to Sevilla on Thursday.

Munir El Haddadi's 60th minute winner was enough to separate the two sides at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, having come into the Sevilla team in place of midfield talisman Ivan Rakitic, who sustained an injury in the pre-match warm-up.

West Ham grew into the match but, aside from an early Nikola Vlasic chance, lacked any tangible threat in the first leg. Nevertheless, Moyes was encouraged by the performance.

"We came up against a really good European team, an experienced team and I thought we came really close tonight to getting a draw," he said afterwards.

"We've just got to turn these games [into results] – on Saturday at Liverpool we could easily have turned that into a draw, tonight we could probably have had a draw.

"It's a lack of concentration a little bit for the goal, then there was a period for 15 or 20 minutes in the second half when they got their tails up and we had to weather it, which we did. I feel that we can be proud of the work we put in. We're right in the tie.”

West Ham were without Jarrod Bowen, who picked up an injury against Liverpool, meaning Vlasic was given a rare start. Said Benrahma was given the task of impacting the game off the bench, along with a late cameo from Arthur Masuaku, but the Hammers failed to achieve parity.

According to Moyes, though, there was enough in the first-leg performance to suggest his side will turn the tie around at London Stadium as long as they defensively disciplined.

"We'll get a goal next week, I've got no doubt about that, and what we need to do is make sure we don't concede any," he said.

"They [Sevilla] are a good team who keep the ball and they might make it difficult for us. We're going to have to probably chase the ball at different times, but ultimately we will go into the game feeling that we are right in the tie."

The Hammers will face Sevilla in the return leg next Thursday, but first host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

Sevilla will take a slim advantage into their Europa League last-16 second leg against West Ham after winning 1-0 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

A superb second-half strike from Munir El Haddadi was enough to give the LaLiga side the victory, though the visiting Hammers also had their chances.

Munir only came into the side after Ivan Rakitic picked up an injury in the warm-up, and the Moroccan was at the centre of most of his team's best moments.

West Ham manager David Moyes may well be satisfied with his team's performance and coming away from Spain with just a one-goal deficit, as they look to get back into the tie at the London Stadium next Thursday.

Sevilla threatened early with two headers in the first four minutes, first from Youssef En-Nesyri and then Munir, while Nikola Vlasic should have given the Premier League side the lead after 11 minutes but could only direct a free header from point-blank range straight at Yassine Bounou.

Munir went close again just before the half-hour mark as Marcos Acuna found him with a delightful throughball, but the former Barcelona man could only guide his shot wide of Alphonse Areola's right-hand post.

Vlasic also had another opportunity after receiving a knockdown from Michail Antonio, cutting inside and hitting a fierce effort at Bounou's near post, with the keeper turning it behind.

Tomas Soucek forced Bounou into another strong save early in the second half, but it was the home side who took the lead just before the hour when a free-kick from Acuna was crossed to the far post where Munir, in acres of space, coolly side-footed a half-volley into the far corner of the net.

Lucas Ocampos threatened a second as he bent an effort just wide, before Manuel Lanzini was denied an equaliser when Jesus Navas blocked his shot following good work by Said Benrahma, and so it is advantage Sevilla at the half-way point of the tie.

Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United may be coming to a premature end.

The Portuguese forward has struggled since Ralf Rangnick's arrival as interim manager in December.

United are also battling to finish in the Premier League's top four.

TOP STORY - RONALDO COURTS MOVE TO MESSI'S PSG

FootballTransfers claims that Ronaldo has decided that he will leave Manchester United if they do not qualify for the Champions League, with a move to join Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain on his agenda.

Speculation about Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford ramped up after he missed Sunday's Manchester derby due to a hip flexor injury and flew to Portugal.

The report that claims that Ronaldo returning to Juventus has been ruled out, along with his original Portuguese club Sporting CP, with the five-time Ballon d'Or courting a move to Paris.

ROUND-UP

- Defensa Central reports that Newcastle United have commenced talks with Real Madrid over a move for 31-year-old ex-Chelsea forward Eden Hazard who has had an underwhelming spell with Los Blancos.

- Manchester United's Marcus Rashford has a list of clubs circling for his services with Arsenal, Newcastle and West Ham all interested, according to 90Min.

- The Mail claims that PSG will make a move for Rashford too, should Kylian Mbappe leave the French capital to join Madrid.

- Manchester City and Madrid are in the lead to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland ahead of Bayern Munich and Barcelona claims The Athletic.

- RB Leipzig midfielder Christopher Nkunku is being tracked by Chelsea and Man City according to FootMercato.

West Ham have confirmed key player Jarrod Bowen avoided a serious injury after being forced off the field during Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.

The 25-year-old sustained the injury to his right heel during the early stages of the second half at Anfield when colliding with former Hull City team-mate Andy Robertson.

Bowen was helped off the field by West Ham's physios and boss David Moyes admitted after his side's narrow defeat that he was "worried" about the extent of the damage.

However, an MRI on Sunday revealed Bowen suffered no significant injury, though it is unclear at this stage if the versatile attacker is facing a spell on the sidelines.

West Ham's head of medical, Richard Collinge, told the club's official website: "Jarrod underwent an MRI scan in London and thankfully no significant injury has occurred. 

"He will continue to be monitored by the medical team and will undergo further examination in the coming days."

Bowen has scored eight goals and assisted the same number in 28 Premier League appearances for West Ham this season.

His 16 direct goal involvements in the competition is a tally bettered only by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who has 19 goals and 10 assists in 25 games.

Indeed, his 21 goal contributions in all competitions this term is the most of any England-qualified player in Europe's top five leagues, followed by Trent Alexander-Arnold (18).

Moyes will be eager to have the Liverpool-linked star available for Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg against Sevilla, with the second leg on home soil following a week later.

West Ham host Aston Villa in the league between those European matches as they aim to bridge a three-point gap on fourth-placed Arsenal, who have played three games fewer.

Manchester United's search for a new manager continues after axing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November.

The Red Devils are taking their time with the appointment, with Ralf Rangnick in an interim role until the end of the season.

United hope the next man in can turn their fortunes around, having struggled to be Premier League contenders since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

TOP STORY – UNITED SHORTLIST HASENHUTTL

Manchester United have added Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to their shortlist, according to The Mirror.

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax’s Erik ten Hag remain the front-runners, but United face a battle to persuade either to head to Old Trafford.

Current United interim manager Ralf Rangnick worked with Hasenhuttl at RB Leipzig and the club are admirers of the Austrian.

ROUND-UP

- Atletico Madrid are considering making a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, reports Mundo Deportivo. Wijnaldum is weighing up his future at PSG despite moving to France only last year.

- Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea's Andreas Christensen has turned down offers from other Premier League clubs and is on the verge of agreeing to a deal with Barcelona.

- Lazio could make a loan move for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, with manager Maurizio Sarri keen to be reunited with the Spain international, reports Corriere dello Sport.

- The Sun claims West Ham are plotting a move for Lille's 20-year-old midfielder Amadou Onana, who is valued at £20m by the French club.

- Crystal Palace have joined the pursuit for Marseille's out-of-contract midfielder Boubacar Kamara, alongside Newcastle United and West Ham, according to the Sun.

Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool rode their luck to overcome West Ham 1-0 and further intensify the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester City.

The Reds ground out a narrow victory at Anfield on Saturday thanks to Sadio Mane's 27th-minute strike as they moved to within three points of top spot.

Despite being without star midfielder Declan Rice and losing Jarrod Bowen to injury early in the second half, West Ham more than held their own on Merseyside.

Pablo Fornals had an effort saved off the line by Trent Alexander-Arnold, and big chances went begging for Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio in the final 20 minutes.

Liverpool finished with a higher expected goals (xG) return than their opponents – 2.0 compared to 1.4 – but Klopp accepts his side could easily have dropped valuable points.

"I don't know if we will remember this game as one of the most important. It was a tricky fixture but we did really well in the first half," he told Sky Sports. 

"We know about all the different things West Ham are really good at, and in the first half we denied them in all these situations. 

"We could've scored more, we didn't and then the game is open. I told the boys if you are not well organised you have to defend with passion and that's what we did.

"For their first chance Ali [Alisson] was calm, Trent cleared the situation. But this situation is a good example – people say we defend with a high line.

"But there was no pressure on the ball at all, we still had a high line and forgot completely Fornals, and that's obviously not how you defend. 

"The other situations were different. We lost the challenges and they were really there, had their big chances.

"We were lucky in these moments, but you can't win the number of games the boys have in the last few weeks without stressing a bit of luck."

Liverpool have now won seven top-flight games in a row, making this their best such run since stringing together 18 victories on the bounce two seasons ago.

The Reds went on to win a maiden Premier League title that campaign and are well in the hunt for another crown this time around after closing the gap on City.

City can restore their six-point lead at the summit on Sunday with victory over Manchester United, albeit having played a game more than their closest challengers.

Klopp will have one eye on events at the Etihad Stadium, where Liverpool are still to travel next month in what is shaping up to be a potential title-deciding showdown.

"Of course, we are interested in that game, but we have no influence on it," he said.

"We have to win the games we play. Those we do not play in we have no hand in it. We don't think about it or talk about it, we just try to win our games."

Alexander-Arnold's assist for Mane's winner was his 16th of the season, setting a new benchmark for the full-back having previously registered 15 in two separate seasons.

Only Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller (19) has set up more goals than the right-back this season among players from clubs in Europe's top five leagues.

Klopp hailed Alexander-Arnold's latest match-winning contribution from the back, while also praising Mane for getting on the end of what appeared to be a shot from the defender.

"When you see him [Alexander-Arnold] playing I think we help him a little bit with positioning and stuff like this," Klopp said.

"We try to bring him into positions, formation-wise, where he can be that influential but of course it's all about him and his skill-set and his quality and his right foot.

"That's it, that he is really in the situation and focused to set up goals in these moments, that he knows where the dangerous situations and positions in the opposition box are.

"It's very helpful if you work together for a longer time because the strikers obviously expect that as well. It was a brilliant run from Sadio for the goal.

"And I don't think it was a shot, by the way, I really think he wanted to… bring the ball in the box and then you need somebody who picks it up. It was a really good goal."

Liverpool closed the gap on leaders Manchester City with victory over West Ham, while Chelsea tightened their grip on third place in Saturday's Premier League action.

The Blues saw off Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor, a scoreline that was matched by Aston Villa in their statement victory against Southampton.

Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brentford also picked up wins, but it was a bad start to life under new management for Leeds in their early kick-off against Leicester City.

Following another eventful day of Premier League action, Stats Perform delves into the key Opta facts from each of the games.

Leeds United 0-1 Leicester City: New manager, same Leeds

Jesse Marsch's first game as Leeds boss ended in defeat to Leicester as United fell to a fifth successive league loss for the first time since April 2015, when they were in the Championship.

Leeds have failed to score in three straight league matches for the first time in a year, this despite registering 19 shots in their latest blank against Leicester.

United's expected goals (xG) return of 1.95 is their highest without scoring in a league game since June 2020, and the familiar failings were also on show at the other end.

Harvey Barnes' second-half winner means Leeds have gone 13 league games without a clean sheet, their longest-such run since 14 without a shutout ending in August 2016.

This was the fifth straight league game Barnes has scored against Leeds – four of those while playing for Leicester and one for West Brom, making them his favourite opponent.

Aston Villa 4-0 Southampton: Coutinho's home comforts

Villa are firmly back on track after registering back-to-back victories under Steven Gerrard for the first time since his opening two games in charge in November.

The Villans put four unanswered goals past Southampton at Villa Park for their biggest Premier League win since thrashing Liverpool 7-2 in October 2020.

Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho once again played a big part in the victory by scoring one and assisting another for Douglas Luiz.

Coutinho has now been directly involved in six goals in his first four home league games for Villa, scoring three of his own and setting up as many.

Ollie Watkins had earlier opened the scoring with his 21st Premier League strike since the start of the 2020-21 season, while Danny Ings added to his two assists with Villa's fourth goal.

Newcastle United 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Fraser helps end Magpies' duck against Seagulls

For a while things looked incredibly bleak for Newcastle, even after their big-money takeover, but they now find themselves seven points above the relegation zone.

The Magpies held off Brighton to make it eight Premier League games without defeat – no team is on a better such run – with five of those matches ending in victory.

Ryan Fraser opened the scoring to make it two goals in five Premier League outings, matching his tally from his previous 70 appearances, before setting up Fabian Schar.

That was the earliest United have scored twice in a Premier League home game since January 2007 and, despite Lewis Dunk's header, Eddie Howe's side saw out the win.

It marks the first time Newcastle have defeated Brighton in the Premier League in their 10th such encounter, having previously failed to so much as score against them at home.

Norwich City 1-3 Brentford: Bees buzzing thanks to Toney treble

After a run of eight Premier League games without a win, Brentford bolstered their survival ambitions with a well-earned victory away at bottom side Norwich.

Ivan Toney was the hero for the Bees with three goals, two of those from the penalty spot, making Brentford the 40th different team to boast a hat-trick scorer.

The Brentford striker now has nine Premier League goals for the season, each of those coming via his right foot.

Teemu Pukki scored a consolation but it was another miserable day for Norwich, whose goal difference of -42 is the worst at this stage since Derby County in 2007-08 (-44).

Not that it will matter a great deal in the grand scheme of things, but Brentford are the first team Pukki has scored home and away against in a single Premier League season.

Wolves 0-2 Crystal Palace: Shaky Wanderers lose again

Wolves' European hopes suffered another blow as they fell to a third successive Premier League defeat, as many as they lost in their previous 13.

Bruno Lage's out-of-form side have now conceded six goals in their last four league games, after shipping just five in 12 before that.

Jean-Philippe Mateta came up with the breakthrough from close range for his fourth goal in eight Premier League starts, and Wilfried Zaha doubled Palace's lead from the penalty spot.

Ivory Coast international Zaha has now been directly involved in 83 goals in the competition, the joint-ninth best total for an African player, level with Nwankwo Kanu.

With this latest loss, it is the first time Wolves have lost three games in a row against Palace in their entire league history.

Burnley 0-4 Chelsea: Blues cruise at Turf Moor

It was business as usual for Chelsea as they won for a third Premier League game running without conceding in what proved to be a straightforward victory at lowly Burnley.

The Blues scored all four of their goals in the second half as they enjoyed their biggest away league win since October 2018 when also beating Burnley by the same scoreline.

This was the biggest margin of victory for an away side in a game that was goalless at half-time since Tottenham beat Aston Villa 4-0 in December 2012.

Reece James started the scoring and in the process became the first defender from Europe's top five leagues to both score and assist five goals this term in all competitions.

Kai Havertz also netted twice before Christian Pulisic added some gloss to the scoreline – his fourth goal at Turf Moor, matching a record for an away player set by Tottenham's Harry Kane.

Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Reds roll on thanks to Mane

Sadio Mane's first-half goal made it seven wins in a row for Liverpool in the Premier League, their best such streak since a run of 18 when they claimed the title two years ago.

That close-range finish was Mane's 12th of the season in the league, nine of those coming at Anfield – no player has scored more home goals in the division this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold played the ball into the box for Mane's goal for his 16th assist in all competitions this term, more than he has ever registered in a single campaign.

Liverpool were not at their best and that was particularly true of Mohamed Salah, who failed to score from six shots – only against Stoke in April 2018 (seven) has he fared worse.

Incredibly, Virgil van Dijk has never been on the losing side for Liverpool in 60 Premier League home games at Anfield, setting a new record in that regard.

Sadio Mane's close-range finish earned Liverpool a nervy 1-0 win over West Ham as the Reds closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City to three points.

West Ham are one of only two teams to have defeated the Reds in all competitions this term and the top-four-chasers put up a real fight in Saturday's contest at Anfield.

Liverpool opened the scoring through Mane's 27th-minute goal and that ultimately proved enough for the home side after West Ham wasted a couple of big chances late on.

The Reds' 11th victory in 12 matches across all competitions, and a seventh on the spin in the league, only increases the pressure on City ahead of Sunday's derby with Manchester United.

West Ham – without key midfielder Declan Rice – were carved open inside three minutes, only for Lukasz Fabianski to thwart Mohamed Salah when one-on-one.

Michail Antonio twice tested Alisson but it was Liverpool who opened the scoring through Mane, who just about stayed onside to turn in Trent Alexander-Arnold's wayward shot.

A lively end to the first half saw Aaron Cresswell block Luis Diaz's shot on the line, a minute before Alexander-Arnold did likewise to deny Pablo Fornals.

The visitors were dealt a blow early in the second period when Jarrod Bowen limped off with an apparent foot injury, but they made life difficult for their opponents.

Manuel Lanzini fired over with just Alisson to beat from eight yards and Antonio could not shoot on target when through on goal in the final 10 minutes as Liverpool held on.

Jurgen Klopp hinted he could remain at Liverpool beyond 2024 if he has the energy required. 

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup victory over Norwich City, Klopp said he was unsure whether he would extend his contract at Anfield. The German's deal is due to expire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. 

The 54-year-old has won five trophies – including Premier League and Champions League titles – during his six and a half years on Merseyside, and on Friday he said it was still his intention to see out his deal. 

However, he believes it is more important that the club is positioned to continue challenging for multiple honours even if he is no longer at the club. 

Asked what would convince him to continue at the helm, Klopp replied: "If I have the energy levels for it. That is important. I love what I do but I've said a couple of times there must be something else out there in the world, to be honest, apart from always thinking about properly skilled, good-looking, fantastically nice football players. 

"But I really don't think about it. At the moment I am full of energy but we have to – I have to – make sure that is the case because I don't want to sit around and be more tired than others and think: ‘Wow, why is everyone bothered about the things out there because I couldn't care less?' 

"My future will be OK. I don't have to plan. I could book last minute – let's put it like this. It is not a problem. No, the plan is the future of the club that we are constantly working on, that everything is in place and the things we do are not for me, not for us, not for this generation, they are for a long, long time. 

"So many things we've tried to improve over the years. It's about just doing the right things, employing the right people, putting them in the right positions. It doesn't mean you win the title, it just means you have the right people for the right job, so use them – and that's what we try. 

"These people – a lot of them are here at the moment – will be good and it will be fine whenever it will be after I leave. The plan at the moment is to do 2024, thank you very much." 

Liverpool will look to close the gap to reigning champions and Premier League leaders Manchester City to three points by defeating West Ham on Saturday. City are in action against local rivals Manchester United the following day.

Victor Osimhen has netted 11 goals in all competitions, prompting admiration from some top clubs.

The Napoli striker is valued at around €80million by the Serie A leaders.

Manchester United are understood to be interested in Osimhen.

TOP STORY – REAL TO RIVAL MAN UTD FOR OSIMHEN

The race for Napoli forward Osimhen is heating up with Real Madrid joining United in pursuit of his signature, according to Calciomercato.

Osimhen's Napoli contract does not expire until 2025 but both clubs are ready to flex their muscles and move for him in the off-season transfer window.

The 23-year-old forward's stock has risen dramatically since Napoli signed him for €70m from Lille in 2020.

ROUND-UP

- Inter are lining up a move for Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram as they prepare for Lautaro Martinez to be prized away amid interest from Manchester City, claims The Sun.

- Nicolo Schira claims that Milan have agreed personal terms with Lille defender and Newcastle United target Sven Botman, who has been lured by a five-year deal.

- Barcelona are set to join the race for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who has interest from Arsenal and Manchester United, reports the Mail.

- The Express claims that Aston Villa are interested in manager Steven Gerrard's ex-Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez along with Milan's Franck Kessie .

- Teenage England international Jude Bellingham has opted to remain with Borussia Dortmund for one more season, claims Bild.

- Kicker claims that Roma have joined the pursuit for Stuttgart's Sasa Kalajdzic along with Tottenham, West Ham, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig .

- West Ham are interested in Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo, according to The Mirror, while Celtic are also tracking him.

Declan Rice has outlined his and West Ham's support of team-mate Andriy Yarmolenko, who has been given compassionate leave by the club.

West Ham announced on Friday that Yarmolenko had been granted time off by manager David Moyes after Russia invaded Ukraine, his homeland.

The forward, who grew up in Chernihiv and played club football in Kyiv, is a 106-cap Ukraine international.

Speaking after a 1-0 Premier League win over Wolves, Rice highlighted how tough recent days had been for Yarmolenko and pledged the team's support for the people of Ukraine.

"It's so, so important for me, for the team, for everyone at the club to support [Yarmolenko]," Rice told Sky Sports.

"The day it all started, we saw him at the training ground and he was in bits, and so were all the lads for him.

"We're all there for him, we're all there for the people of Ukraine. It's horrible what's happening, but we're all there with Yarma and the little tap on the shirt [bearing Yarmolenko's name] to start the game obviously brought some good luck.

"Tomas [Soucek] has spoken to him a little bit more, but we've all sent him a little message and he sent us a message in the group chat before the game saying 'good luck boys', so I'm sure that brought good luck for us today."

Hammers boss Moyes had earlier stated Yarmolenko was "not in a really good position at the moment".

London Stadium was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag prior to Sunday's match, accompanied by a message which pledged "love and prayers to Andriy Yarmolenko and the people of Ukraine".

Meanwhile, the West Ham players warmed up in t-shirts bearing Yarmolenko's name, while visitors Wolves wore pre-match shirts displaying the message "no to war".

One topic sure to take up plenty of column inches at the end of the season will be the appointment of Manchester United's next permanent manager, but one front-runner may be out of the race already.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has been heavily tipped to make a sensational return to the Premier League to take over at Old Trafford.

However, the former Tottenham manager may have already turned down the opportunity while he waits for what he considers to be a better offer from elsewhere.

TOP STORY - POCHETTINO HOLDING OUT FOR REAL MADRID

Pochettino has been linked with the manager's role at Man Utd since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November, but has turned the opportunity down as he waits for Real Madrid, according to Sport.

Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim manager at the Premier League club after Solskjaer's departure and will play a role in deciding on the next permanent Red Devils boss at the end of the campaign.

However, it seems the Argentine may have ruled himself out of contention as he believes he could have an opportunity waiting for him at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The report claims that Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has Pochettino "in mind as one of Madrid's future coaches", and that should the Spanish giants decide to dismiss Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season, he would be one of the leading candidates to replace the Italian at the helm.

ROUND-UP

- PSG are considering an off-season move for Chelsea star N'Golo Kante, whose contract at the Blues expires in 2023, according to the Telegraph.

- The Daily Express reports that Harry Kane may once again try to force a move away from Tottenham if manager Antonio Conte does leave the club.

- Georginio Wijnaldum could leave PSG after only one season, with West Ham, Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa among those interested in the former Liverpool midfielder, says Calciomercato.

- The same publication also believes that RB Leipzig left-back Angelino could leave Germany at the end of the season, with Barcelona, Arsenal and Tottenham all interested in the former Manchester City man.

- Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen will not join another Premier League club when his contract expires at the end of the season, but could move to either Barcelona or Bayern Munich, according to Fabrizio Romano.

- Romano also reports that PSG are "really convinced" to make the loan move of left-back Nuno Mendes from Sporting CP permanent for a fee of around €40million.

Barcelona will face Galatasaray in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Xavi's side were 4-2 winners on aggregate over Napoli in the round of 32 after dropping into the competition from the Champions League.

They will now meet the Turkish Super Lig giants, with the first leg at Camp Nou to be played on March 10.

Sevilla, winners of a record six trophies, will face David Moyes' West Ham, while rivals Real Betis will play Eintracht Frankfurt.

Rangers, who shocked Borussia Dortmund in the previous round, take on Red Star and RB Leipzig will play Spartak Moscow. Spartak's home leg must be played at a neutral venue due to the military invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The first legs will be played on March 10, with the exception of Porto versus Lyon and Betis' game with Frankfurt, which will be held a day earlier. The second legs are a week later.

Europa League last 16:

Rangers v Red Star
Braga v Monaco
Porto v Lyon
Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen
Sevilla v West Ham
Barcelona v Galatasaray
RB Leipzig v Spartak Moscow
Real Betis v Eintracht Frankfurt

Sure, relying on Mohamed Salah every week is a decent fantasy football strategy, it's certainly good enough for most, but what happens when the Egyptian magician isn't in Premier League action?

With Liverpool in EFL Cup final duty against Chelsea, the Reds' fearsome front-line and creative full-backs are suddenly off limits to fantasy football managers across the land, while Arsenal and Chelsea are also out of league action.

However, courtesy of Opta-powered data, Stats Perform has managed to pick out some of gameweek 27's potential stars, featuring the England captain, an in-form Burnley new boy, and one of the Premier League's most lethal defenders.

HARRY KANE (Leeds United v Tottenham Hotspur)

Despite Antonio Conte's team lurching to a fourth loss in five Premier League games at Turf Moor in midweek, the England captain remains the perfect pick for managers who need a big-hitter in Salah's absence.

Kane has been involved in seven goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances, registering six goals and an assist in that time. Meanwhile, five of those contributions, including four goals, have come on the road.

If that isn't enough to make managers' minds up, Kane will be facing a Leeds team which has already shipped 56 league goals this term, and has scored 10 goals in his eight Premier League appearances in Yorkshire. 

DAVID DE GEA (Manchester United v Watford)

For those looking for an adequate replacement for the likes of Allison or Edouard Mendy between the sticks, Red Devils stopper De Gea looks to be the perfect choice, ahead of a kind home fixture with Watford.

When looking at Opta's Expected Goals on Target data, no Premier League goalkeeper has prevented more goals than the Spaniard this season, with De Gea conceding 32 Premier League goals from 39.09 xG on target faced.

Although De Gea did ship four times when Watford ended Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Red Devils reign earlier this season, United have never lost a home league game against Watford, recording 11 wins and two draws against the Hornets at Old Trafford. They have not faced any other side in more home games during their league history without losing (also 13 unbeaten vs Hull City).

CRAIG DAWSON (West Ham United v Wolves)

The best fantasy football managers are those that find themselves looking for marginal gains, and what better way to do that than to pick one of the division's most lethal defenders?

Since the 2014-15 season, no Premier League defender can match Dawson's tally of 14 headed goals, and the big centre-back has now netted in successive games, against Leicester City and Newcastle United.

West Ham's next Premier League clash sees them take on Wolves at the London Stadium. For all their good form, the visitors are averaging under a goal per game this season, so Dawson could also be in with a chance of a clean sheet.

WOUT WEGHORST (Crystal Palace v Burnley, Burnley v Leicester City)

Finally, Burnley's towering Dutch striker Wout Weghorst stands out as an appealing under-the-radar selection, ahead of the Clarets facing two games in four days.

Since Weghorst made his move from Wolfsburg to Turf Moor, he has weighed in with a goal and two assists, meaning only Salah (three goals and one assist) has registered more goal involvements amongst Premier League players since his arrival.

Although Burnley's weekend opponents Crystal Palace have been buoyed by a 4-1 win over Watford, they then host a Leicester team which has conceded 40.61 expected goals this season, a tally worse than all but three Premier League teams, so another Weghorst contribution could be on the cards.

Mauricio Pochettino's future at Paris Saint-Germain is unclear amid rumblings that he wants out.

Manchester United have been linked with the ex-Tottenham manager, who took over at PSG in January last year.

The Red Devils dismissed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November, with Ralf Rangnick taking over on an interim basis.

TOP STORY – LOS BLANCOS KEEN ON POCHETTINO

Real Madrid are set to rival Manchester United to land Pochettino this off-season, claims the Daily Mail.

The Red Devils are understood to be circling for the Argentine, who is reportedly unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain.

But the report claims Madrid have doubts over current boss Carlo Ancelotti's future and believe that Pochettino is obtainable in the off-season.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester City's Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva is dreaming of a switch to join Real Madrid, claims Calciomercato.

- Calciomercato also reports that Inter are monitoring Gabriel Jesus' status at City, with a view to bolstering their attack.

- Nicolo Schira reports that Atalanta are keen to move for Torino's Italy international striker Andrea Belotti in the off-season when he is a free agent.

- TuttoMercatoWeb claims Arsenal, Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund and Inter are all in the race to sign Lille's Canadian forward Jonathan David.

- GiveMeSport claims Liverpool are "seriously interested" in West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen.

- Roma are keen on signing Barcelona's USA international defender Sergino Dest according to Fichajes.