Robert Lewandowski is set to miss Barcelona's Copa de Rey semi-final first leg at Real Madrid on Thursday due to a hamstring injury.

Barca on Monday revealed Lewandowski has sustained a strain of his left hamstring.

The league leaders stated that the prolific striker "is out and his recovery will determine his availability" three days before another Clasico showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Lewandowski's injury is another blow for Xavi on the back of a shock 1-0 defeat at Almeria on Sunday.

That was only a second LaLiga defeat of the season for the Catalan giants, who are seven points clear of Madrid at the summit.

Barca also suffered the blow of being knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United last week, losing the second leg at Old Trafford 2-1 after Lewandowski had opened the scoring with his 25th goal of the season.

Xavi's side face Los Blancos at Camp Nou in LaLiga on March 19 following clashes with Valencia and Athletic Bilbao. The second leg of their Copa semi-final takes place on April 5.

Besiktas fans threw thousands of toys onto the pitch during their home game against Antalyaspor for children who survived the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

The Turkish Super Lig game was halted after four minutes and 17 seconds on Sunday for the pitch to be cleared of donations for youngsters who survived the natural disaster.

Supporters made the gesture at that time of the match to mark the time the first quake struck at 4:17am on February 6.

Besiktas said in a statement: "To boost the morale of children affected by the recent earthquakes, Besiktas supporters organised a unique donation event called "This Toy is for You" to be held at Vodafone Park during Besiktas’ match against Antalyaspor.

"At exactly the 17th second of the 4th minute of the match, which corresponded to the time of the first earthquake, Besiktas supporters threw scarves, hats, and plush toys on to the pitch.

"The goods will be delivered to the children living in the earthquake-hit areas with Besiktas aid trucks."

More than 50,000 people, including Hatayspor winger Christian Atsu and Yeni Malatyaspor goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, died following the earthquakes.

Speculation about Mohamed Salah's future at Liverpool has re-ignited amid the Reds underwhelming campaign.

Liverpool appear destined for a last-16 Champions League exit after losing the first leg 5-2 at home to Real Madrid, while they are down in seventh in the Premier League.

The Reds are nine points outside the top-four league spots to earn Champions League qualification for next term.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL WILLING TO OFFLOAD SALAH

Mohamed Salah is willing to leave Liverpool if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League while the Reds are open to selling him, claims Fichajes.

Football Insider claims Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the Egyptian, who is contracted with Liverpool until mid-2025, and will bid €80 million (£70.6m) for his services.

Liverpool may be open to offers for Salah given their wealth of forward options as Jurgen Klopp looks to revamp his squad, with their intended pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, who is expected to cost more than €110m (£97m).

ROUND-UP

– Inter forward Lautaro Martinez is garnering interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, reports TEAMtalk. The 25-year-old Argentinian is contracted until mid-2026.

– Like Arsenal, Manchester United are weighing up a move for Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, claims AS. The 20-year-old is believed to be priced around £26m (€30m).

– Fabrizio Romano reports Liverpool's Naby Keita may join Barcelona as a free agent at the end of this season, although he clarified "nothing is serious yet".

– Napoli will rival Liverpool in the race to sign Empoli's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi, claims Calciomercato.

– RMC Sport reports Paris Saint-Germain will not axe head coach Christophe Galtier before the end of the season, following reports of a move for Thomas Tuchel to replace him.

– Liverpool are considering a swap deal for Milan's Rafael Leao involving Luis Diaz, while PSG are in the race for the Portuguese's signature, according to Calciomercato.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to basketball star Nikola Jokic after returning from a nine-month injury lay-off in Milan's victory over Atalanta.

The evergreen striker came on in the second half of Sunday's 2-0 win at San Siro, having previously been an unused substitute in three matches this month.

He made history by overtaking Alessandro Costacurta (41y and 25d) as Milan's oldest Serie A player in the three-points-per-win era (since 1993-94) at 41 years and 146 days.

While the Sweden international may turn 42 later this year, he still feels he has a big part to play, just like two-time NBA MVP Jokic for the Denver Nuggets.

"I want to help the team in every way by doing what I have to do to be there on the field," he told Sky Sport. "I want to be there when the coach and the team need me.

"It's obvious things change between the age of 30 and 41, but I feel like Jokic in the NBA."

Ibrahimovic's previous appearance for Milan came in a 3-0 win over Sassuolo on May 25 last year, with the former Barcelona striker injuring his knee and undergoing surgery.

Given his age at the time of the operation and the length of the lay-off, many expected Ibrahimovic to call time on his legendary career.

"I've lived this year with great suffering," he said when asked what it means to be back playing again at the highest level. "I've been out for a year. 

"I didn't feel well and I couldn't do what I wanted to do. I went on with suffering to help the team but in reality I wasn't well. 

"Today I can say that I'm fine and that I can give what I can to the team. Then obviously the more you play, the more you train and the more you improve."

Juan Musso's own goal – after Theo Hernandez's volley hit the post and went in off the goalkeeper's back – and Junior Messias' late strike earned Milan a fourth win in a row.

That includes three Serie A wins on the spin without conceding for the first time in a year, helping to lift the Rossoneri level on points with second-place rivals Inter.

It has been a largely disappointing campaign on the whole for Milan as they are 18 points adrift of leaders Napoli, something Ibrahimovic suggested may be down to his absence.

"I've done everything I can to recover, but in the last few weeks I've seen the team do well," he said. "We must continue doing more if we are to do well.

"I feel important and have a great responsibility here. I started an adventure with this team and helped to bring it where we are today. 

"When I'm not available I suffer, and perhaps the teams lacks a bit of my pressure as well as a result."

Christophe Galtier hailed Kylian Mbappe for his "magnificent" feat of becoming Paris Saint-Germain's joint-record goalscorer in Sunday's dominant 3-0 win at Marseille.

Mbappe scored a terrific volley to match Edinson Cavani's tally of 200 goals for PSG as the Ligue 1 leaders went eight points clear of their old rivals with a crushing win at the Stade Velodrome.

Mbappe and fellow attacking star Lionel Messi had earlier put PSG in command by exchanging assists before the break, and they have now combined for 10 goals in Ligue 1 this term – more than any other duo.

Speaking to Amazon Prime Video after the win, Galtier said: "Mbappe is a player who has a sense of movement, who obviously goes very fast, he is technically fast too. 

"He not only has the legs but an exceptional speed of execution. These are players of stats and records, he equalled this magnificent record of Cavani, and it is obvious that he will beat it. 

"His presence is important to the team, it gives us other options in the game, especially with our depth and his presence in front of goal."

PSG's win was marred, however, by a serious injury suffered by defender Presnel Kimpembe – who went down under no contact 15 minutes in and was promptly carried from the field in tears.

"Kimpembe has unfortunately suffered a serious injury and will be out until the end of the season," Galtier confirmed. "He has very bad pain in his Achilles tendon, we think it's serious."

Galtier was facing severe pressure ahead of Sunday's fixture, with PSG seemingly facing a fight to retain their domestic title and needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.

The sight of football advisor Luis Campos taking his place in the PSG dugout to bellow instructions during last week's dramatic 4-3 win over Lille suggested all was not well at the Parc des Princes, but Galtier insists he enjoys a strong relationship with the club's hierarchy. 

"I have a direct relationship with my sports management, with Luis Campos and my president, who have always been present to support me because it is obviously a difficult period," he said.

"The victory at the end of the match against Lille was important, it denoted a state of mind, the desire of the players to go after this victory until the end. Tonight, this team soothed the heart."

Stefano Pioli hailed the return of "leaders" Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mike Maignan after both players made their comeback in Milan's 2-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday.

Ibrahimovic was brought on in the second half for his first appearance since May 2022 when undergoing surgery on his knee that many thought would end his career.

Goalkeeper Maignan was back between the sticks for the first time since sustaining an injury of his own in September, meanwhile, and marked his return with a clean sheet.

The pair coming back into the fold coincides with Milan's best run of form this season, having now won four games in a row in all competitions, and Pioli is delighted to be back to full strength.

"Mike and Zlatan are not only two excellent players, but also two leaders of the team," Pioli, who was taking charge of his 800th career game as a coach, told DAZN. 

"Having them on the pitch helps us a lot. Now we must think about the next match. We will have players absent for that game but will still put in a good performance."

At 41 years and 146 days, Ibrahimovic overtook Alessandro Costacurta (41y, 25d) as Milan's oldest player in Serie A in the three-points-per-win era (1993-94 season).

The veteran striker only had 14 touches of the ball in his 16 minutes in action and did not manage a shot, but Milan's second goal arrived with him on the field.

Junior Messias clipped the ball over Juan Musso, who had earlier scored an unfortunate own goal when Theo Hernandez's 25-yard volley hit the post and went in off his body.

It was a brilliant strike from Hernandez after Olivier Giroud had nodded the ball into his path, and the wing-back believes he should be credited with the goal himself.

"I consider it my goal," he said. "I'm going to count it as mine. Thanks also to Oli for knocking it down for me. It was a good goal.

"It's true that we went through a difficult time, but with this victory we are getting back to being the Milan we were before."

Milan have now won four games without conceding in all competitions for the first time since February 2018, with their latest victory moving them level with second-place Inter.

The Rossoneri wasted a number of good chances with the game at 1-0, but Atalanta failed to offer any sort of attacking threat.

Indeed, they had only three attempts all match – their lowest tally since April 2013 – and did not test the returning Maignan on a single occasion.

"We gave our all and tried everything, but Milan were superior on the night and we must learn from these games to focus on the next one," Gian Piero Gasperini said. 

"What we saw tonight was that despite our best efforts, it is evident Milan simply had more than we did."

The only blemish for Milan is that Rafael Leao – who set up Messias' goal – and Rade Krunic will miss next week's trip to Fiorentina after being booked for the fifth time this term.

David de Gea believes Manchester United can add more trophies to their EFL Cup success this season after swatting aside Newcastle United at Wembley.

Casemiro's header and a Sven Botman own goal saw Erik ten Hag's side break a six-year silverware drought with a 2-0 victory on Sunday.

De Gea, who broke fellow goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel's record for the most clean sheets at the club with his 181st shutout, added another medal to his United collection.

But with the club still competing for success in the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League this season, the Spaniard is hopeful they can keep on winning.

"We are still in three competitions, and we have the chance to win more trophies," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I feel the mentality of the team is a winning one.

"I've been here a long time, so it means a lot for me. I'm emotional because it has been so long without a trophy. I'm happy here for the fans.

"We've been in a couple of finals [that] we lost, so we knew today we had to do it. We were against a difficult side, but I'm so proud of the team."

On passing Schmeichel's record, De Gea acknowledged he was thrilled by the achievement, though he stressed it was a combined effort.

"To win the final and break the record in the same day is unbelievable," De Gea said. "I love this team, so it's a great moment. People are having an impact from the bench too."

De Gea was just one of two players from Sunday's team, alongside Marcus Rashford, who featured in the matchday squad the last time United won the EFL Cup, against Southampton in 2017.

The former Atletico Madrid shot-stopper said United would celebrate "the start of a new era" in ending their drought, telling Sky Sports: "The team is ready for everything.

"It is a great moment for us. Let's enjoy [it] and be ready again. We showed today we can win trophies. [We will] enjoy the moment but [we will] go again."

Thomas Muller showed he remains indispensable to Bayern Munich as the veteran was thankful to play a full part in the 3-0 demolition of Union Berlin.

With two assists, setting up goals for Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala, the old man of Bayern's midfield showed he can still deliver at the cutting edge.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting got the first goal, with Bayern three to the good by the interval and the game essentially won. Musiala's goal came on his 20th birthday, and the win came in the wake of a midweek team get-together amid a results crisis.

With Muller captaining the side in the absence of injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, he found himself sacrificed just 16 minutes into Bayern's previous Bundesliga game at Borussia Monchengladbach after defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off.

Julian Nagelsmann sent on Joao Cancelo to strengthen the backline, and Bayern went on to lose 3-2 on that occasion as the 33-year-old Muller watched powerlessly, frustrated to have been hauled off so early.

"It's clear that I didn't enjoy it," he said of that experience on Sunday, looking back.

But Muller stressed it also "wasn't a huge issue", telling DAZN: "The coach made the decision and of course every player – including me – always has the feeling that he can give the team something, even if he's outnumbered, to win a game.

"We want to win a lot and it's also about everyone accepting tough decisions in the interests of the team and showing the reaction the next day in training – and not showing off in any way."

Bayern's players gathered together this week for an evening team meeting, head coach Julian Nagelsmann revealed.

It came amid their dip in results, with Union and Borussia Dortmund joining leaders Bayern on the same points mark heading into the latest round of games, putting hopes of an 11th consecutive title in some peril.

However, Bayern swept Union aside dismissively, and while Muller came off for a rest in the 87th minute, it was with the job done and to acclaim. The meeting seems to have had a positive effect already.

Dortmund continue to keep pace with Bayern, and there is a Klassiker coming up that could tilt the title race either way, but Bayern showed enough against Union to suggest they are moving in the right direction again.

The expected goals comparison between the teams underlined Bayern's dominance, with Nagelsmann's team posting xG of 3.56 to Union's meagre 0.35, reflecting the quality and volume of the chances that came their way.

Quoted further on Bayern's official website, Muller said Bayern's display against Union was "really lively".

"For example, the way we managed to break free in attack. We need to be active like that," he said. "We were always on the move and aggressive in the tackle. For me, it was a lot of fun to be so involved in such moments. It was a good game.

"We weren't top at kick-off, so had to do something about that. It was a good step but counts for nothing next week. We have to deliver again. I'm happy we made that step. You have to play that way against Union. It was the first small step towards the kind of football we want to play."

Nagelsmann described Bayern's win as a "benchmark" result.

He added: "We were dominant in all areas. We had 10-12 big chances and gave little away.

"Union are not a team that give you many chances – that in itself makes it a good performance from us. We trained well and talked a lot. We wanted to show what we expect of ourselves. We played very well today."

Confirming the players' meeting, Nagelsmann said: "There was a team evening, which is nothing earth-shattering, but where the team talked about what they wanted. I think it bore fruit today.

"The medicine at Bayern is easy to administer: you just have to win, then it's always calm. If you don't win, there's never calm."

Milan defeated Atalanta 2-0 at San Siro to move level on points with second-place Inter in a match that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic make his first appearance in nine months.

Inter's surprise 1-0 loss to Bologna earlier on Sunday opened the door for Milan to pounce and they took full advantage on home soil with a fourth win in a row in all competitions.

Juan Musso's 25th-minute own goal – after Theo Hernandez's long-range volley hit the frame of goal and went in off the goalkeeper's back – put Stefano Pioli's side on their way.

The hosts, who also had fit-again keeper Mike Maignan back in their side for the first time since September, added a deserved second through Junior Messias late on following the long-awaited return of Ibrahimovic.

There was a slice of fortune involved in Milan's opener as Hernandez's sublime strike from 25 yards was helped over the line by Musso after the ball had hit the post.

Rafael Leao clipped the side-netting, fired over from a glorious position and was then denied by a fine Musso save as Milan struggled to make their superiority truly show.

Messias was the next Milan player to fire off target with plenty of the goal to aim for, with that proving to be the moment Pioli turned to Ibrahimovic.

The home side finally killed off the contest through Messias' clipped finish over Musso four minutes from time after being played through on goal by Leao.

Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's joint-record scorer and Lionel Messi hit the 700th goal of his senior club career as the Ligue 1 leaders thrashed rivals Marseille 3-0 on Sunday.

Mbappe and Messi exchanged assists as the visitors stormed into a 2-0 half-time lead, with the Argentine's tap-in taking him to 700 goals in senior football for Barcelona and PSG.

The duo saved the best for after the break, however, with Mbappe volleying Messi's dinked pass home to join Edinson Cavani on 200 PSG goals on a memorable night for Christophe Galtier's men. 

The result took PSG eight points clear of Marseille at the Ligue 1 summit, easing the pressure which had begun to build on Galtier following their underwhelming start to 2023.

PSG suffered an early setback when a tearful Presnel Kimpembe was carried off injured, but they hit the front 25 minutes in as Messi found space to send Mbappe through on goal, with the striker applying an unerring finish.

Mbappe repaid the favour four minutes later, combining with Nuno Mendes on the break before teeing Messi up for a tap-in with a pinpoint low cross.

Messi should have had a second when he somehow blazed over from just six yards out, before Marquinhos fired narrowly wide of the bottom-left corner after beating the hosts' offside trap.

Mbappe nodded Vitinha's cross narrowly wide of the left-hand post six minutes after the restart, but the France star had his landmark goal four minutes later. 

A flowing move ended with Messi scooping a wonderful ball into the path of Mbappe, who lashed a left-footed volley beyond Pau Lopez to effectively end the contest.

Alexis Sanchez and Marseille's Vitinha went close to pulling one back, but Gianluigi Donnarumma denied both with sharp saves to preserve PSG's clean sheet. 

Barcelona coach Xavi acknowledged he was "very p***ed off" by his side's loss to Almeria, as the Blaugrana suffered just a second LaLiga defeat of the season.

A superb first-half finish from El Bilal Toure secured the spoils for the hosts at Power Horse Stadium, lifting them out of the relegation zone as they dealt a blow to the league leaders.

Despite the result, Barca remain clear at the summit, seven points ahead of rivals Real Madrid, who they meet in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie on Thursday.

But that cushion did little to stem Xavi's ire afterwards, with the Spaniard sparring little excuse for his team's lacklustre performance.

"[I am] very p***ed off," he said. "We played the worst game of our season, especially in the first half. We lacked intensity and rhythm.

"We didn't show passion to win the game. In the second half, we were better, but it was a difficult game. We are still leaders by seven points.

"We made mistakes and we apologise to the fans. It will be difficult to win LaLiga, but we have to change the chip now [for the Copa del Rey]]."

Xavi played down suggestions his side showed a lack of passion in their efforts however, suggesting it came down more to a tired team suffering from a recent heavy schedule.

"We noticed a bit of fatigue," he added. "That's why we have made rotations. That's why we have changed players. We've played a lot of games.

"But a golden opportunity has been lost. We could have had 10 points [as a lead]. It has been a bad day."

Erik ten Hag wants his Manchester United players to celebrate winning the EFL Cup, before targeting further success.

A header from Casemiro and a Sven Botman own goal in the first half gave United a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in Sunday's final at Wembley.

It brought an end to six years without a trophy for the club, and handed manager Ten Hag another sign of improvement since his arrival.

"You have to celebrate," he said at a post-match press conference, with the cup on display in front of him. "This is not a common day, [we] won a trophy.

"This trophy means something, that's the feeling I get in the UK. We have to celebrate but after that you have to keep going."

He added: "[We] know that it's worth [it] to invest, to suffer, to sacrifice, and to know that you have to give every day your best to [allow you to eventually] celebrate.

"It's about glory and honour and if you want to win something, you have to do it."

The win came just three days after United's victory against Barcelona in the Europa League playoff round, and Ten Hag was delighted with the energy his team showed so shortly after such a big performance.

"It's a massive performance that tells you we are fit, physically and mentally, we had energy. I think it was a great performance," he said.

Ten Hag left Ajax for United at the end of last season, and explained his "love" for the club led to him agreeing to join, before suggesting his players need to leave their own legacy over the next few years.

"Maybe it was a risk [to leave Ajax] but I am a little bit stubborn," he said. "I really love United, when I see the shirts, when I see the legacy of Alex Ferguson... this team needs to make its own legacy. When this opportunity came I thought this was the right team for me, I wanted to be part of it."

Club owner Avram Glazer was in attendance at Wembley and celebrated with Ten Hag and the players after the win.

"He was really happy for the club, as owner, he really wanted to be part of it," Ten Hag said. "You could see that when he was in the dressing room. It was good that he could be part of it."

Ten Hag then left the press conference, having to be reminded not to forget the trophy before he exited, joking that he would have to win more to replace it.

Manchester United's EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United is "just the beginning" for the Erik ten Hag era, says Red Devils full-back Luke Shaw.

Two goals in six first-half minutes helped United end a six-year wait for a trophy in Sunday's final, as Shaw's free-kick was nodded in by Casemiro before Marcus Rashford forced an own goal from Sven Botman. 

Ten Hag is now the first United boss to deliver major silverware since Jose Mourinho, and the Dutchman's rejuvenated side remain in contention to win a further three competitions this season.

With crucial fixtures in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup on the horizon, Shaw called on United's current crop to leave their mark on the club's illustrious history.

"It feels amazing. We said before that we want to create our own history here with the new team and the new manager, and I think [this] was the start of it," he told Sky Sports.

"I think the connection now is easy to see, we feel the love from the fans and we hope they feel the same from us. 

"We wanted to start with a trophy and this is just the beginning for us."

Fellow England international Rashford echoed Shaw's thoughts, calling for United to use Sunday's win as inspiration in their hunt for further silverware.

"It's massive for us to be involved in these games, it's something that we've missed as a club," Rashford said. "To come all this way and go on and win it, it's a massive feeling.

"Hopefully it pushes us to keep going now. The hunger is to have more moments like this. I've been in finals where we've won and where we've lost, and when you win it's massive for the club.

"It's part of our history at the club and we want to keep adding to that. I'm buzzing with the result.

"We want to be involved in a lot of games and staying in competitions. If we want to win things we have to keep pushing and keep going for everything."

United benefitted from another outstanding midfield performance from Casemiro at Wembley, while he became just the third Brazilian to net in an EFL Cup final with his header – after both Philippe Coutinho and Fernandinho did so in 2016.

Asked about Casemiro's impact, Rashford added: "He makes a huge difference with his leadership and experience in big games, it's huge for us. 

"When he's on the pitch you feel that sense of security behind you. I'm buzzing for him, for his first trophy for the club."

Erik ten Hag is convinced success can breed success at Manchester United after the Red Devils' trophy drought ended at Wembley.

Casemiro's header and an own goal from Sven Botman carried the Red Devils to a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in Sunday's EFL Cup final.

It gave the Mancunian giants a first major trophy since Jose Mourinho's side won the Europa League in 2017, and there could be more silverware to come in Ten Hag's debut season as manager.

They remain in the FA Cup and Europa League, and while a Premier League title push still seems unlikely, it is not entirely out of the question.

Ten Hag told Sky Sports: "First, you have to win the first one, and that is what we did today. I think you get a lot of inspiration from this, but also more confidence that we can do it.

"I think we are still in a start to restore Manchester United where it belongs and that is winning trophies and this is the first one."

He saluted the players that ended the club's barren run, saying: "They are really well connected with each other, they challenge each other as well. In the moment it's difficult, they help each other out. It's good to see, and I think it's the best a manager can get."

He suggested it would be the coaching team and staff celebrating long into the night, rather than the players, given United have an FA Cup game against West Ham on Wednesday.

While it was not a dazzling performance from the Dutchman's team, Ten Hag was more than content.

"We had again the right spirit, it's a very good spirit of the team. It was not always the best football, but I think it was effective," he said.

Pointing to the influence of senior figures, the former Ajax boss added: "I said before the game that Rapha Varane, Casemiro, David De Gea, they know how to win trophies.

"You need such lads on the pitch to point the team, to coach the team, to organise the team. Not only from a tactical perspective but also especially from a mental perspective, it's so important.

"The winning attitude, they have to bring it in the dressing room, they have to bring it in the team in difficult situations."

Eddie Howe could not hide his disappointment after Newcastle United were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United in the EFL Cup final, but the Magpies boss was still "proud" of his players.

Two first-half goals at Wembley took the game away from Newcastle, with Casemiro heading in a Luke Shaw free-kick before Sven Botman deflected Marcus Rashford's shot over stand-in goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Newcastle had been hoping to win their first trophy since the 1969 Fairs Cup, but had to look on as they lost to the same team and by the same score they had suffered in their last major final, the 1999 FA Cup.

"Naturally, I'm disappointed," Howe said at his post-match press conference. "I'm pleased with how we played. We were really good between both boxes but the penalty area is where games are won and lost. We weren't clinical enough.

"I've got no regrets with how we set up. We wanted to be brave as we have been all season; [we wanted to] have a go at Manchester United. It was a strange game, not much goalmouth action.

"I can't fault the players but the game was decided in big moments. We didn't defend the free-kick well enough."

Howe was pleased with the performance of his third-choice goalkeeper Karius, who came in with Nick Pope suspended and Martin Dubravka cup-tied.

"Karius did really well," he said about the German, who made seven saves. "His demeanour and distribution were good… he can be really proud of his efforts today."

Howe confirmed that Bruno Guimaraes, who came off with 12 minutes remaining, had twisted his ankle, adding that he did not think it was serious but would await further news.

Newcastle have gone four games without a win in all competitions (D2 L2), but Howe believes his team is playing well and is just missing the final finish, having scored just twice across those four games.

"I think the team's playing well, just maybe not as free-scoring as we were," he said. "It is the hardest challenge for any team. We had a lot of moments today where we could have opened them up and that's something we'll need to improve."

There was an impressive showing from Newcastle's fans, who made plenty of noise and supported their team throughout at Wembley.

"We felt nothing but support and love [from the fans]," Howe added. "It's so important that the players can play in a supportive environment. The scenes when we drove in [to the stadium] were exceptional, probably my words don't do it justice."