All About News Entertainment Education And Sports: November 2017

Thursday 30 November 2017

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says he is still unsure how long David Luiz will be unavailable.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says he is still unsure how long David Luiz will be unavailable.
Conte said before Wednesday’s game against Swansea that Luiz would miss out with a knee problem which was being assessed by the Blues’ medical staff.
And after the 1-0 win over the Swans, Conte said there was no update on Luiz.
Conte said: “It is very difficult. He has liquid in his knee and we have to assess his recovery.
“I hope I don’t lose him for a long time, because we have to play every three days and I need all my players.”
There has been speculation over the future of Luiz since he was recently dropped by Conte.
Real Madrid have been linked with the Brazilian.
Conte praises players
Conte backed his players despite Chelsea being short of their best during Wednesday’s win.
They dominated the game but had to wait until the second half to open the scoring and were unable to find another goal after Antonio Rudiger put them ahead.
But Conte said: “In this type of game you are able to score early or must have a lot of patience. At the same time you must pay great attention for the counter-attack.
“In this type of game, when you have a lot of desire to win, sometimes you can lose your balance. But my players never lost that balance.
“We played an intelligent game and we must be very good to win this type of game.”
Conte also apologised for his conduct after being sent to the stands a couple of minutes before half-time.
He was ordered from the technical area by referee Neil Swarbrick after remonstrating with the fourth official and watched the second half of the match on a screen in the Chelsea dressing room.
“It is right to apologise for what happened,” Conte said.
“I saw Swansea were wasting time and I said this a few times to the fourth official but didn’t see something change. I was frustrated.
“I repeat: I apologise for this. I was frustrated and for sure I made a mistake. It was my fault, not the fourth official’s.”

Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, has reportedly given the club a shortlist of three players they must bring in next year.
Diario Gol reports that Ronaldo has appealed to president Florentino Perez to strengthen the squad. The 32-year-old would like to see Portuguese youngster Goncalo Guedes, PSG defender Marquinhos and a new goalkeeper arrive – with Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa the No.1 target.
The Portugal captain has also been outspoken on the club’s decision to allow experienced backup players like Pepe, Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez to depart in the summer.
Real Madrid hopes to strengthen their team ahead of the January transfer window and an agreement for Kepa Arrizabalaga is believed to be imminent. With the January window on the horizon, there’s plenty brewing in the transfer market.

Spanish Champions, Real Madrid are keen to boost their attacking line up in January with reports suggesting an £88m bid is being prepared for the Inter Milan star.
Icardi has netted an impressive 15 goals in 14 matches this season for the Milan giants to help them to second in the Serie A table.
Madrid are in desperate need of firepower up front, sitting eight points behind league leaders Barcelona.
But Messi doesn’t want that to change anytime soon.
Spanish publication Don Balon claim Messi is now trying to thwart Madrid’s transfer plans in the upcoming window by convincing Icardi not to join Los Blancos.
Lionel Messi doesn’t want Mauro Icardi to join Real Madrid.
The pair have a good relationship being Argentina team-mates, and Lionel Messi has tried to put Icardi off joining Barca’s rivals with a phone call to advise him on his future.
Icardi has not promised Messi his word that he won’t join Madrid, but would be open to a move to the Nou Camp to play alongside his compatriot if an offer came up.
Messi feels Icardi is one of the best strikers around and is doing all he can to ensure Madrid don’t strengthen and mount a title challenge in the second half of the campaign.
The 24-year-old is under contract with Inter until 2021.
And his wife, who is also his agent, Wanda Nara, claims Icardi is happy at the San Siro for now.

Manchester United given green light to seal £119million transfer raid on Real Madrid

Manchester United look in a good position to sign two big names from Real Madrid for roughly £119million as they plot a clear-out in next summer’s transfer window.
Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane are both targets for Jose Mourinho, with Don Balon claiming United are prepared to pay €100million for the former and €35m for the latter.
This is good news for Los Blancos, as club president Florentino Perez is looking to bring in funds to launch a big-money bid for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, accordint to Don Balon’s report.
United strengthened significantly over the summer, but arguably still look in need of some reinforcements in their squad, with a new centre-back and a new winger apparently on the agenda.
Manchester United are being linked with a transfer move for Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane
United already face an uphill struggle to beat rivals Manchester City to the title this season, so the club will surely do all it can to put Mourinho in a stronger position to finally win the big trophy again next year.
Bale has had his problems at Real Madrid but could relish a return to the Premier League, where he showed the best form of his career with former club Tottenham.
Varane, meanwhile, has also looked one of the most promising young defenders in Europe in recent years, and Mourinho may still be a fan of his after bringing him into the Madrid first-team while he was in charge at the Bernabeu.

Antonio Conte has apologised after the Chelsea manager was sent to the stands for a furious touchline rant during his side's 1-0 win over Swansea.
Conte was incensed with Swansea's time-wasting throughout the first half at Stamford Bridge and his frustration boiled over when referee Neil Swarbrick failed to award Chelsea a clear corner.
The Italian's constant complaining reached a peak with that incident and fourth official Lee Mason responded by telling Swarbrick, who immediately sent Conte to the stands.
Conte initially retreated to seats behind the Chelsea bench, but he had to watch the second half on television in the home changing room before seeking out Swarbrick and Mason to say sorry.
"It's right to apologise for what happened during the game. I apologised to both of them," he said.
"In the first half I saw Swansea was wasting time. I said this a few times to the fourth official.
"I didn't see anything change. I was frustrated with this situation.
"I tried to tell him again. Then the referee took this decision. For sure I made a mistake. I was frustrated.
"I was a bit animated. For this reason the fourth official lost his patience.
"The fault is mine, not the fourth official."
Conte could be fined for his first dismissal since his move to Chelsea 18 months ago.
However, he insisted he didn't swear and unless Swarbrick disagrees in his report to the Football Association, Conte is unlikely to be hit with a touchline ban.
It is five years since Conte last saw red and he admitted being banished from the touchline was a painful experience.
"It's a pity. I watched the rest of the game on a screen in the changing room," he said.
"I could see very well but I don't like to stay in there.
"I suffered in the changing room. You don't have the possibility to communicate with your players. It's very tough."
Great respect
Conte's angst was eased by Antonio Rudiger's headed winner in the second half.
But even then he couldn't be completely satisfied as leaders Manchester City snatched a late winner themselves against Southampton to remain 11 points clear of third placed Chelsea.
Asked how he felt about City's superb run, Conte said: "I think Manchester City won another game at the end.
"I have great respect for a team that doesn't give up until the end.
"If they are able to win many games at the end it means they trust until the end.
"They are doing something incredible. When you do this sort of situation you must be a bit lucky.
"For us it is important to look at ourselves. We are improving since the start of the season and we have good balance.
"My feeling now is we are better than the start of the season."
Conte also admitted he doesn't know if David Luiz's knee injury will keep him out for a long period after the defender missed the Swansea game.
"I hope to not lose him for a lot of time," he said.
Swansea remain second bottom as the pressure mounts on boss Paul Clement, whose team are without a win in six league games and haven't scored in their last four.
"Most disappointing for me is the nature of the goal. We had players with their backs turned, they weren't in the right position," Clement groaned.
Clement's cause wasn't helped by another poor performance from Renato Sanches, the Portugal midfielder on loan in south Wales from Bayern Munich.
Sanches was hauled off at half-time and Clement admitted his player's confidence is in tatters.
"He had a poor half. I feel for him," Clement said.
"I don't think he's shown the talent he has this season. He's struggling for confidence and form.
"I'm behind him but he's got to start doing the simple things."

Antonio Conte has told Willian that he must accept being on the bench until he finds his best form for Chelsea.
The Brazilian playmaker has found his first-team opportunities at Stamford Bridge to be somewhat restricted this season after having struggled to hold down a starting spot.
Willian started only six of Chelsea’s first 13 Premier League games but has been an impressive substitute whenever called upon by Conte.
The 29-year-old was the star of the show when he came off the bench to earn Chelsea a point in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool FC at Anfield last Saturday.
His lack of regular playing time has inevitably prompted some speculation about Willian’s future, and the uncertainty could continue as the January transfer window draws closer.
However, Conte insists that Willian must accept his situation as being part of life at a big club.
Speaking at his pre-match news conference ahead of Swansea’s trip to Stamford Bridge, Conte said: “Why are you asking me about Willian and not [Eden] Hazard at the start of the season, or Pedro the same?
“They have the same situation and every game I must make a decision. I repeat a player must be happy to stay at Chelsea, to play for Chelsea, to play for our fans.
“They must be happy if they start the game or start on the bench and then come on, but I think I have clever players to understand and accept this situation.
“I repeat: Hazard at the start of the season he accept this situation to stay on the bench before finding the right form, the same with Pedro, the same with Willian.
“When you are in a great team you have to accept this, at the same time you must be happy to stay in a great team.”
Chelsea return to Premier League action this weekend when they host Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime.
The Blues are aiming to try and defend their title, after having won it in style in Conte’s first campaign in charge last term.

Antonio Conte has warned Manchester United that Chelsea have them in their sights as the race for the Premier League title hots up.
The Blues are currently in third place in the Premier League table, behind Manchester City and Manchester United as they try to climb the standings and establish themselves as one of the main contenders for the title this season.
Chelsea won the Premier League title in style last season following Conte’s appointment at the club in the summer of 2016.
However, the west London side did not have the distraction of European football last term as they focused purely on domestic affairs.
Chelsea seemingly have some serious work to do if they want to bring themselves back into contention for the title this season.
And Conte has told his players to first focus on closing the gap to Manchester United, who are in second place.
Speaking at a news conference at Cobham before Chelsea’s home clash with Swansea on Wednesday night, Conte said: “For the problems we had at the start of the season, we are doing our best.
“At the same time, we have to look at ourselves. Man City are going very well now. If you take them out of the table, there is Manchester United.
“Our target must be to look at the team who is in front of us, in this case Manchester United.
“Our first target is to try to catch them up, and if we are able to do this, then we can see who is the team who stays in front of us. This must be our mentality.”
Chelsea booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League last week with a 4-0 victory over Qarabag in Baku.
The Blues return to Premier League action this weekend with a home clash against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime.

This is according to the Sun, who state that the 36-year-old has talks about a new deal pencilled in with boss Jose Mourinho.
Should United end up agreeing a new deal with Zlatan to keep the player at the club beyond next summer, it’ll come as a big boost for United fans, who surely love to see the forward continue his career at Ol Trafford.
Ibrahimovic could be set to extend his stay at United beyond next summer
Since joining the Premier League side in the summer of 2016, Ibrahimovic has been a massive hit at Old Trafford.
In 50 games for the Red Devils, the Swede has managed to amass a total of 28 goals and 10 assists, a very impressive record for someone of his age.
During his short time with the club, he 36-year-old has managed to add to his already vastly impressive collection silverware.
Since arriving, Ibrahimovic has helped his side win one Community Shield, one Europa League and one League cup, a decent haul
United fans will surely want Ibrahimovic to sign an extension, as the player’s ability and presence in the dressing room could prove the difference in United’s title charge.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is reportedly keen on his club signing a new striker, a midfielder and a left-back as priorities for the upcoming January transfer window.
The Italian tactician already brought in Alvaro Morata during the summer, but clearly wants more of a challenger to the Spain international than the unconvincing and inconsistent Michy Batshuayi.
Chelsea lost an influential figure in Diego Costa and, for all his quality in the position, Morata is a different style of centre-forward.
According to the Telegraph , Conte plans to discuss his specific targets with Roman Abramovich at a later point, but he has already focused on bringing in competition for Morata and for left wing-back
The report also lists Everton’s Ross Barkley as a target in midfield despite failure to land the England international during the summer.
Chelsea instead signed Danny Drinkwater in that position, and it seems he’s another new face who may have failed to entirely convince Conte so far.
Despite strolling to the Premier League title last season, Chelsea already look firmly out of the running this year and it’s little surprise to see them look to strengthen in the transfer market in a bid to turn things around.

It has been reported that a shocking clause was included in Lionel Messi's new deal with FC Barcelona.

The Argentine's contract extension at the Catalan club was announced this past weekend, and it is said to have made him, alongside Carlos Tevez, the highest paid player in the world.

Prior to the announcement, there was plenty of speculation around his future, with many believing Messi was considering a move away from the Camp Nou.

According to Diario Gol, the 30-year-old needed many guarantees to keep him at the club, which led to an unusual clause being included in his new contract.

It has been claimed that Messi will now have a say in the club's transfer business regarding both incoming and outgoing players.

Many suspect that the forward has already influenced some of Barca's transfer decisions, although this has been denied.

After Neymar's exit from the club in August, Messi is reportedly concerned the same could happen to his striker partner Luis Suarez.

Messi has played 20 games for the Blaugrana so far this season, scoring 16 goals and setting up a further six strikes.

Do you think Messi could win the Ballon d'Or next month? Let us know in the comments section below.

Jose Mourinho has identified what striker, Romleu Lukaku needs to start scoring goals again.
According to the Portuguese, Lukaku needs a new boot deal in order to get back among the goals for Manchester United.
The former Everton man started the season in stunning form but has now endured something of a barren run of late, netting just once in his last 11 appearances.
The 24-year-old again failed to find back of the net in a 4-2 victory over Watford on Tuesday, missing one gilt-edged opportunity to get him back on track.
But the former Chelsea boss told reporters, “I think he needs a contract with boots because he doesn’t have a contract with any brand.
“That’s why he is playing with the black boots, he needs to be paid the right money so he goes back to goals but jokes apart he works amazingly well for the team.
“I would never blame him for the easy chance he missed with me he doesn’t have that pressure, amazing player, amazing professional, I couldn’t be happier with him.
“He finished the deal and now he’s waiting for the right offer!”

What Messi Told Ref After Disallowed Goal

It has now reportedly been revealed what FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, who was angry he had a goal disallowed against Valencia on Sunday night, said to the referee during the incident.

The Argentine was denied a goal in Barca's 1-1 draw with Valencia in La Liga on Sunday, with replays and images showing that the ball definitely crossed the line.So bad that Ref needed a telescope to see this, it wasn't visible through naked eyes.

The disallowed strike is still being discussed two days after it occurred, especially as it would have given Barca a seemingly unassailable lead at the top of the table.

After the incident, Messi and his Barca colleagues were seen remonstrating with the referee, and Mundo Deportivo reportedly believe they know what the Argentine's exact words were.

"You are wrong, now you are going to see it," he said, according to Spanish publication.

"The line is here and the ball is there."

It has since been speculated that La Liga could introduce goal-line technology next season, which will surely help avoid situations like this from happening again.

Messi has scored 16 goals and assisted a further six strikes in 20 matches for the Blaugrana so far this season.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the last nine Ballon d’Ors between them and are again among the final three nominees for this year’s version. The Argentine has now discussed who could end their spell and become the next Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo was crowned FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player in 2016/17 and is widely expected to also pick up this year's Ballon d’Or on 8 December following his heroics last season

Messi, though, insisted next year other players could end the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon d’Or reign, which started in 2008.

"There are many great players around today who can win the Ballon d'Or,” he told Marca.

"In recent years there have just been two, but now players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Luis Suarez can compete for that award."

In addition, Messi stated that, even though he values his individual awards, he would much rather pick up another UEFA Champions League trophy.

"It's a beautiful way of recognising what it represents, but I've always said my priority was never individual awards,” he added.

"I would prefer to win another Champions League or LaLiga, they are my priorities.

"But it's beautiful to have these at home because of the meaning they have."

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the three players Real Madrid should sign in January to be able to catch up with the La Liga title race.
The Real Madrid forward was encouraged by Zinedine Zidane’s comments about the possibility of signing players in January.
Zidane has stated there "could be additions" made in the winter transfer window - comments welcomed by Ronaldo, who has complained about Real Madrid is being weakened this season by a raft of summer sales with an adequate replacement.
Diario Gol says Ronaldo has spoken to his agent Jorge Mendes about his own hopes of who could arrive over the New Year.
Valencia attacker Goncalo Guedes who is on from PSG is being mentioned and the young Portuguese remained Ronaldo’s top choice.
PSG defender Marquinos is also linked and Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa
Arrizabalaga on the lists of Ronaldo for a possible transfer to Real Madrid.
President Florentino Perez also agreed with the signature of Kepa from Bilbao following the form of Real Madrid keepers while the board has other ideas regarding the signing of a forward and a defender.
Chelsea David Luiz has been linked with a possible move to Bernabeu while Perez is keen on sign Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi as a forward.

Eden Hazard may not have been able to inspire Chelsea to victory against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday evening, but the Belgian winger still helped himself to a Premier League record during the 1-1 draw.
A freak cross-cum-shot from Willian cancelled out Mohamed Salah's opener on Saturday to earn the Blues a point on Merseyside, but the Brazilian wasn't the only Chelsea forward who caused the Reds' defence problems, with Hazard's constant dribbling causing Liverpool's back four all kinds of problems throughout the match.
And data from EA Sports has revealed that the former PFA Player Of The Year completed more successful dribbles in a single game than any other player in Premier League history, this weekend.
Image: EA Sports
Hazard completed 10 dribbles against Jurgen Klopp's team, two more than the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mohamed Salah have recorded in single games, this term.
The 26-year-old completes a dribble every 15 minutes and has completed 41 out of the 52 he's attempted so far, this term.
Image: EA Sports
Hazard missed the first few games of the season through injury, but has more than made up for lost time with several typically mesmeric displays since returning. In total the Belgium international has made 16 appearances and scored six times, this term.
The Belgian has been integral to Chelsea's two Premier League title victories in the last three seasons. Image: PA
Antonio Conte will be hoping his star man can avoid any further injuries, with his Premier League champions currently sat in third place in the league table, 11 points behind leaders Manchester City.

According to reports in the Daily Mail , Chelsea are interested in making a January move for impressive Lyon defender Mouctar Diakhaby, who would cost in excess of £30m, but they could face competition from Premier League rivals Manchester City for his signature.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Daily Mail has identified five players that Blues boss Antonio Conte in the New Year to boost his squad after a slightly underwhelming summer transfer window, with Diakhaby’s name on the list.
The Daily Mail says the west London outfit have been impressed with the 20-year-old’s performances for the Ligue 1 outfit this term, and they believe he has plenty of potential to grow and improve.
However, the report adds that Man City are also keen on the young Frenchman, who Lyon would hope to get more than £30m for considering his current contract isn’t due to run out until 2022.
The 20-year-old was in and out of the Lyon side earlier in the campaign, but he has started their last three matches in all competitions and even got on the score-sheet in the 4-0 win against Apollon Limassol in the Europa League last Thursday.
While he is primarily a centre-back, the France Under-21 international also showed his versatility by playing in a defensive midfield role against the Cypriot outfit.
Would he be a good signing for Chelsea?
As one of the future, he certainly would be.
The 6ft 3in central defender certainly has all of the attributes to be a success in the Premier League, and he may well be seen as a potential long-term replacement for the likes of Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz at Stamford Bridge.
The fact that he has been in and out of the Lyon side suggests he needs a little longer there to develop and improve before he moves to England, however.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed why Victor Moses was benched in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Saturday in their last Premier League game.
Conte admitted that Moses’ hamstring injury was a blow to Chelsea, the wing back has missed eight games for the Premier Champions after sustaining an injury but the Nigeria international has resumed full training with the rest of the squad a week ago.
The former Liverpool player was an unused substitute against the Reds last week and Conte sighting the reason to be lack of match fitness.
Nemanja Matic blasts Chelsea over Manchester United move
''He is in contention but at the same time I have to make the best decision for every player,'' Conte was quoted as saying by Football.London.
''For sure Victor is back from a bad injury and needs a bit of time to find the best physical condition. He is an important player for us. '' Conte said during his pre-match conference.
Chelsea will be up against Swansea at the Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, the Nigeria international is expected to feature in the match perhaps to play out some minutes in the encounter.

Eden Hazard believes Antonio Conte took a ‘defensive’ approach in Chelsea’s clash against Liverpool and claims he only had Alvaro Morata to support him in attack.
The Premier League champions salvaged a 1-1 draw at Anfield after Willian’s late goal cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s second-half opener.
Hazard was Chelsea’s star man against Jurgen Klopp’s side but the Belgian believes Conte’s decision to play Danny Drinkwater alongside Tiemoue Bakayoko and N’Golo Kante in midfield meant that he was isolated in attack.
‘It is a good point because when you are 1-0 down at Anfield, it is not easy to score. We should have scored more, but one point at Liverpool is satisfying,’ Hazard told the Evening Standard .
‘We changed the system, Danny Drinkwater was on the pitch and then we were a bit more defensive.
‘The only player around me was Alvaro Morata, so if we wanted to win we had to do something together, just me and him.
‘That’s why I tried to pass my opponent every time, and in the first half we did well.
‘In the second half it was more complicated but we scored so I am happy.’

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has reacted to Lionel Messi non-goal against Valencia in their 1-1 draw in the La Liga at the Mestalla Stadium on Sunday.
Zidane has commented on the Messi’s ghost goal, "I find it odd that video support is not used in Liga. Technology is changing and this system will improve football.
Iniesta and Lineker react to Messi's disallowed goal
"But Spanish football will decide when. As a fan, I want football to progress.
"It is possible that we lose some uncertainty, spontaneity, but it is inevitable, we are moving towards more technology. There will be less controversy."
Barcelona was denied an important goal that could have earned the Camp Nou outfit the Maximum points at the top of the La Liga table.
Up next for Barcelona is the Copa Del Rey match against Real Murcia at the Camp Nou on Wednesday while Valencia will be up against Real Zaragoza at home on Thursday.

Reports: Neymar Demands That Real Sell One Star Before Joining

Former FC Barcelona superstar Neymar has reportedly told Real Madrid he will only join the club if they sell a certain player.

The Brazilian has emerged as a Los Blancos target in recent weeks after reports surfaced that he is unhappy with life at Paris Saint-Germain.

According to Spanish publication Don Balon, Neymar has been in contact with the reigning Spanish champions, and has told them he would only consider joining them if they get rid of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 25-year-old is said to be keen on signing a long-term deal with 2016/17 UEFA Champions League winners, but will not play second fiddle to any other star like he did at FC Barcelona.

Neymar might have to wait some time before he can join Los Blancos, though, as the club is apparently not willing to sell their Portugal international any time soon.

Ronaldo is under contract in the Spanish capital until June 2021, having agreed a new deal with Los Blancos in November.

The report also stated that Neymar's father and Real president Florentino Perez are in constant discussions via an intermediary, agent Wagner Ribeiro, who is looking to make the deal a reality.

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku will face no action for allegedly kicking out at Brighton defender Gaetan Bong.
The alleged incident happened in United's 1-0 win on Saturday but was not seen by referee Neil Swarbrick.
The Football Association referred it to three ex-Premier League referees to independently review on Monday.
They each had to agree it was a sending off offence for action to be taken and that was not the case.
The decision means Lukaku has escaped a three-match domestic ban which would have seen him miss league games against Watford, Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Belgium international, 24, moved to United in the summer from Everton and scored 10 goals in his first nine outings for the Old Trafford club. Lukaku has scored just once in his last 10 games for the club.

Chelsea Football Clubhave reportedly offered compensation to supporters who were delayed on their return trip from Anfield following their 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Saturday.
Despite going home with a point after coming from behind to draw Liverpool on Saturday, the journey home for some Blues supporters was far from enjoyable. The Express report that fans who were on the Thomas Cook Sport shuttle bus to Liverpool South Parkway station were delayed, resulting in them missing their train home.
And the Blues have revealed in an official statement on its website that they are investigating the incident and will be compensating all those affected, including the cost of their ticket.
"Chelsea Football Club would like to
apologise to those supporters who experienced problems returning home from Liverpool via official club transport on Saturday night.
"We are continuing to investigate the issue with our travel partner Thomas Cook Sport, and will be compensating supporters for the inconvenience caused by the late arrival of coaches from Anfield to Liverpool South Parkway station. We will be jointly refunding each supporter who missed the train £200, plus the cost of their match ticket.
"Delays for fans were caused by two of the five coaches from Anfield arriving at the railway station after the scheduled train departure, which we were unable to delay. The club has already received correspondence from some of those
affected, and would welcome further observations. These can be sent to customer.services@chelseafc.com and will be shared with Thomas Cook Sport.
"Supporters looking to claim a refund should call the Thomas Cook Sport team with your card details and booking reference to hand. Unfortunately, automatic refunds are not possible due to PCI regulations.
"Thomas Cook Sport has also recovered all personal effects on board the train, and supporters wishing to retrieve their items can also do so by calling the number above. We will continue to review the process alongside Thomas Cook Sport to ensure these problems are not encountered in future.
"One again, we would like to apologise to all those supporters affected, and thank you for your patience while we have been working on the above arrangements." a club statement reads
The next away trip for Chelsea supporters is to West Ham on December 9 in the Premier League

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother, partner and son all watched on as Real Madrid clinched a dramatic win over Malaga, including watching him take a penalty.
Real Madrid entered their La Liga game 10 points adrift of league leaders Barcelona. Needless to say, Zinedine Zidane's side needed the three points. They secured the victory. Though were made to work.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring in the ninth minute. But Diego Rolan leveled. Casemiro regained his sides lead with Chory Castro equalising in the second half.
The defending Spanish champions were then given the chance to go 3-2 up after receiving a penalty with 15 minutes left of the game. Enter Ronaldo:
Credit: Sport TV
Ronaldo fluffed his lines from the spot. But did successfully rebound to score his first goal of the game and his sides third.
The Santiago Bernabeu paused in anticipation. And so did Ronaldo's family including his mother who couldn't bare to watch the penalty.

After months of speculation, Lionel Messi inked a new contract with FC Barcelona on Saturday morning that commits him to Camp Nou through the 2020-21 season when he is 34-years old.
His previous deal was set to expire at the end of this current season. In July, the club had announced an agreement was in the works, but it took four months for the Argentine superstar to agree to financial terms.
Had Messi not signed, he would have been free to listen to offers from other teams on Jan. 1.
Now it seems no other club can afford to go knocking on Barca’s door for him any time soon. With this signing, the club confirmed his new buyout clause is set at $835 million (€700 million), more than double his previous clause ($357 million / €300 million).
According to Spanish paper El Mundo, Messi will receive a $59.6 million signing bonus.
Two Forbes sources say he will earn $667,000 a week. Last season he made $50 million in salary and bonus for his efforts on the pitch.
If his entire bonus is paid this season, Messi will gain the top spot on our annual list of The World’s Highest Paid Soccer Players and round out the top three of The World’s Highest Paid Athletes.
Combined with his $30 million in endorsement income, anchored by his lifetime deal with German sportswear giant Adidas and including new deal with Spanish sunglass maker Hawkers for a signature line, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could bank over $130 million by this current campaign’s end.
Among the highest paid in the world, he could be sandwiched between Floyd Mayweather who earned in excess of $200 million and his August 2017 opponent Conor McGregor who earned an estimated $105 million.

Lionel Messi believes he and Cristiano Ronaldo will never share a close friendship because they do not get to spend enough time together to build the required bond.
The Barcelona and Real Madrid stalwarts have shared a formidable rivalry throughout their La Liga careers and have collected myriad individual honours between them.
But while Messi claims the alleged enmity is very much created by the media, he also admits the pair are unlikely to ever consider one another friends, if only because they rarely get the time to speak.
He said,
“I don’t know if we will be. Friendship is built through spending time together and getting to know each other.
“We have no relationship, mainly because we only see each other at awards ceremonies and that’s the only time we speak.
“Everything is fine, but our lives don’t cross over very often.”
Both Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the footballing sphere for the last decade and have shared the last nine Ballon d’Or awards (Messi 5, Ronaldo 4) – the Portuguese is currently heavy favourite to equal the standings for 2017.

Barcelona have slammed the referee and his assistants who failed to award a goal to Lionel Messi in the 1-1 draw with Valencia on Sunday.
Messi thought he had scored in the 30th minute as his tame shot was spilled by Valencia goalkeeper Neto and bounced over the line before the Brazilian dragged it back over.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner celebrated along with his team-mates, thinking he had scored, only for referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva to call for a continuation of play, insisting the ball had not crossed the line.
Valencia then took the lead on the hour with a close-range strike from Rodrigo Moreno which looked set to condemn Barca to a defeat, before Jordi Alba’s 82nd minute strike drew Barca level.
"In the end, the important thing is that we scored the goal but the referee made a monumental error, even I saw it from the middle of the pitch,” Alba said.
“We watched it at halftime and it was clear. It was very clear. You can interpret a foul in a certain way but plays like this have to be seen.”
Barcelona top La Liga table with 35 points after 13 games, while Valencia have 31. Atletico Madrid and champions Real Madrid are third and fourth respectively on 27.
The Spanish top flight is the only one of Europe's leading five leagues which has so far shunned the use of goal-line technology, much to the frustration of the teams.

£89million star has pre-contract agreement to seal Manchester United transfer, could spell bad news for Liverpool

Manchester United look to have won the race for the transfer of Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann if latest reports in Spain are to be believed.
While Barcelona have also been linked with a move for the France international, it seems Lionel Messi is not altogether keen on the idea of the move and that it may be out of reach now anyway.
This is according to Don Balon , who state that Griezmann has a pre-contract agreement to move to Old Trafford for next season in a £89million deal.
The report continues by suggesting this means it’s likely Barca will prioritise a move for Liverpool attacker Philippe Coutinho instead, which would be doubly bad news for the Reds.
Antoine Griezmann could be on his way to Manchester United

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has labelled Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko a disgrace after their 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Ferdinand was of the opinion that the midfielder was not contributing anything meaningful to Chelsea defensively.
The former Manchester United defender was dejected with the performance of the French international.
“If I was Gary Cahill out there I would be screaming at Bakayoko," Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
“I think defensively he's been an absolute disgrace today.
“He's doing nothing, he's letting people run off him he's leaving Gary Cahill isolated.
"Gary Cahill with the experience he's got he should be telling Bakayoko 'left, right, back' to protect.
“They're letting the ball being rolled into (Mohamed) Salah every time the ball comes on this right-hand side.
“They're causing problems."
Willian replaced the former Monaco midfielder in the 77th minute and also got the equalizer for Chelsea with five minutes remaining in the regular time.
Up next for Chelsea is the game against Swansea on Wednesday at the Stamford Bridge.

This is according to Goal , who say that the former England boss revealed that the Blues can recall the player should he not be playing enough games for the Eagles.
Speaking after his side’s win over Stoke City on Saturday, Hodgson said “I have a feeling that they have the right to call him back if he is not playing enough games or featuring in enough games, which is a good clause.”
Chelsea could re-call Loftus-Cheek from his Palace loan spell
Since his arrival at Selhurst Park from Antonio Conte’s side in the summer, Loftus-Cheek has managed to impress with his performances so far.
In nine league appearances for Hodgson’s side so far this season, the Blues loanee has managed to score one and assist one, with his only goal coming in his side’s 2-1 win over Stoke this weekend.
For Chelsea, the midfielder has managed to make 32 appearances, with the 21-year-old scoring twice and assisting five times in the process.
During hist time with the Blues, the England international has managed to help the club win two Premier League titles in the 2014/15 and the 2016/17 season.
Should Chelsea feel the need to recall Loftus-Cheek from his loan spell, it’ll be interesting to see if the player is used by Blues boss Antonio Conte.

Why Messi’s eldest son does not call him ‘daddy’
Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, has revealed that his eldest son, Thiago, does not call him ‘daddy’.
In an interview with Marca, Messi said his son is used to friends calling him by his name and has followed suit.
“Thiago already begins to realize, more or less, but not quite.
“He likes to go to the stadium and watch the games, but he still does not fully understand it. Even at home he sees me and calls me Leo Messi, because it is what he hears from his friends, he still does not understand it at all,” he said.
Messi on Saturday, put pen to paper on a new four-year deal with Barca, tying his future to the club until 2021.
The deal includes a whopping €700million release clause.

Jose Mourinho has admitted he made a mistake that nearly cost him the game against Brighton on Saturday.
The former Chelsea boss said he played with too many attackers as Manchester United laboured to a slender 1-0 victory over Brighton at Old Trafford.
Ashley Young’s deflected shot in the second half separated both teams.
The Portuguese manger had Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba on the pitch.
Mourinho told reporters, “I wouldn’t be surprised if today some of the pundits say we play with too many attackers. I wouldn’t be surprised.
“But if they said that, I think they were right. Sometimes you play with too many attacking players and you lose control of the game.
“We had a few problems defensively because [Nemanja] Matic and Pogba, they were a bit isolated in the centre of the park.
“If you compensate that with more creation, that’s good, that’s a good risk. Against Newcastle, it was good because we were not very solid defensively but we were really strong in creation. Today our creation was poor.
“The three players that played with Lukaku, they didn’t get the ball, nor successful on the one against one. Marcus didn’t have a happy match at all. So we didn’t have creation.”
Mourinho admitted the performance was poor. “We didn’t play well.
“The good thing for me was the intensity was higher in the second half in search of the goal and then after the goal we couldn’t kill the game.
“In the last 20 minutes I saw a humble team with everybody trying to play for the clean sheet and giving everything, and people like Lukaku playing wide on the left and chasing defenders.
“So I am happy with the attitude but I have to praise a team and a manager who were playing in the Championship a few months ago, and they were the team who gave us the most problems.”

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has signed a new deal with the club

The new contract will see Messi remain at the Camp Nou until 2021

- The Argentine was said to be unsettled at Barcelona putting European clubs on red alert including EPL side Manchester City

Barcelona star forward Lionel Messi has penned a new contract with club. The deal will see the player stay with the Spanish giants up until 2021.

The deal has since been confirmed by Barcelona, ending speculations about Messi's future at Camp Nou.

Messi joined The Catalans 17 years ago as a teenager, arriving from Newell's Old Boys.

He made his first appearance with Barca's senior team at the age of 16 during a friendly match FC Porto, before making his official debut a year later against Espanyol.

Chelsea’s attacking target will leave for £54m, 96 goal superstar could arrive at Stamford Bridge in January

A key Chelsea target will leave for £54m with the striker likely to leave his current club in January.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang could leave Borussia Dortmund in January for £54m with Premier League club Chelsea keeping close tabs on the star.
A report from German outlet Bild has stated that Dortmund are ready to allow Aubameyang to leave in January if a fee of £54m (€60m) is met.
The Sun have reported that Chelsea will lead the way to sign the 28-year-old with Manchester City and AC Milan also interested in the star.
It appears that the pressure has got to the Dortmund manager Peter Bosz after a mixed start to their 2017/18 season with the manager now ready to let go of his controversial star Aubameyang at the nearest possible opportunity.
Dortmund are currently on course to exit the Champions League in the group stage with the German side falling considerably off the pace of Real Madrid and Tottenham in their group. Further, in the Bundesliga the side currently sit in fourth place and are eight points off of the leaders Bayern Munich already.
While it appears that Dortmund no longer want their star striker and would rather cash in on him, he would be a superb acquisition for any club.
The star has 96 goals in just four Bundesliga seasons and is the joint top all-time African goalscorer in the history of the league.
He certainly would not be a bad acquisition for Chelsea and we are sure that Antonio Conte’s head will have been turned given this recent news.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has accused Chelsea of being defensive in their Premier League clash which ended 1-1 at Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool looked like they were heading for a win following Mohamed Salah’s goal in the second half.
But a late goal from substitute Willian who beat Simon Mignolet with a clever chip drew Chelsea level.
Reacting to the stalemate, Klopp also pointed out that luck was not on his team’s side.
“I think I need a little bit of time to be happy,” he said in his post-match reaction. “I’m happy about the performance, how we took the game. It’s a little bit more difficult when Chelsea played with eight defenders more or less.
“After a week like this (long trips away in the Champions League) we have both had, it was one of the better draws I’ve seen in my life.
“You need a bit of luck and we didn’t have it again. We wanted to change the system before the equaliser and the referee didn’t allow us.
“We wanted to go to five at the back, to change the situation and it’s not too cool to have conceded.
“Of course, if you’re at home 1-0 up, you want the three points, that’s my problem at the moment.
“It was a really good game and at the end, it’s one point against Cheslea. There will be a moment tonight when I think the result is OK – but not now.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's first La Liga goal for over a month ensured Real Madrid closed the gap on leaders Barcelona to seven points by squeezing past struggling Malaga 3-2 on Saturday.
Ronaldo's relief was clear to see when he fired home the rebound after seeing his penalty saved by Roberto 15 minutes from time.
Atletico Madrid remain tied with Real in third after they shrugged off a season of goalscoring woes by thrashing Levante 5-0 thanks to doubles from Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro.
Both Madrid sides will now be hoping Barca slip up when they travel to Valencia for a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday (1945GMT).
However, the Catalans will be buoyed by Lionel Messi ending speculation over his future by finally signing a contract extension to 2021 earlier on Saturday.
"We are pleased with the result because the team showed character with time running out to score the third," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
"There were plenty of good things, but also things we didn't want to see."
Real looked set to shake off their recent league struggles in a dominant start as Ronaldo's header came back off the woodwork leaving the unmarked Karim Benzema with the simple task of nodding into an empty net.
However, a slack pass from Toni Kroos on the edge of his own box handed Malaga a route back into the game on 18 minutes.
Keko pounced on the German World Cup winner's gift and his cross was calmly chested down and slotted beyond Kiko Casilla by Diego Rolan.
"We can play better for sure, it is true we gave the ball away too much," added Zidane.
"We are going to be positive because today we've taken the three points, but we can do things much better.
Real bailed out
Parity only lasted three minutes for the visitors though, as Kroos made amends with a corner from which Casemiro powered home.
Madrid's fans had complained before kick-off at their perceived harsh treatment from referees this season, but it was the hosts who were handed a let off from the officials on the stroke of half-time.
Paul Baysse's header looked to have levelled with the last touch of the half, but the French defender was penalised for a push on Dani Carvajal.
Malaga did level just before the hour mark thanks to some calamitous goalkeeping from Casilla as he let Chory Castro's drive from 25 yards slip through his grasp into the bottom corner.
However, Real were bailed out when they were finally awarded their first penalty in La Liga this season when Luka Modric was tripped inside the area.
Ronaldo still couldn't find a way past Roberto with his first effort, but followed up to smash home the rebound to avoid Real's title chances suffering another severe blow.
Atletico had scored just four goals in their previous six La Liga games, but ran riot at the Ciutat de Valencia for their first victory at Levante in six visits.
The hosts played a huge part in their own downfall as Rober Pier turned Gameiro's cross into his own net after just five minutes and Chema Rodriguez's botched goal line clearance then handed the Frenchman an open goal to double Atletico's lead before half-time.
Gameiro's future at Atletico remains uncertain with Diego Costa's impending return, but his good relationship with compatriot Griezmann saw the visitors net three more in a nine-minute spell after the break.
Griezmann's lovely through ball was slotted home by Gameiro before he returned the favour for Griezmann to finish on the stretch.
And when Oier Olazabal could only parry Gameiro's next effort, Griezmann swept home the rebound for his third goal in two games after an eight-match goal drought.

Lionel Messi has signed a new deal with Barcelona, which ties him to the club until 2021.
Messi’s new contract with the La Liga leaders, has a buyout clause set at €700million.
Barca have moved quickly to tie up their prized asset after Paris Saint-Germain swooped last summer to sign Neymar in a world-record deal.
Messi will be 34 by the time this new deal ends, which will bring him up to 17 seasons with the Barcelona first team.
The Catalans have won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues since Messi made his debut in 2004 and are on course to win the Spanish title this campaign.
They have a four-point advantage at the top of the table – and a ten-point lead over rivals Real Madrid.
Messi has netted 12 times in 12 league encounters and 16 goals in 19 games overall.

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho has defended his team’s style of play.
The Portuguese also insisted he is not paying too much attention to the gap between United and Premier League leaders, Manchester City.
Manchester City are leading rivals United by eight points, with Pep Guardiola’s men also receiving plaudits for a free-flowing football that has seen them net 40 goals in 12 league games this term.
Mourinho disagreed with the suggestion that any side plays with more ambition than his own as United prepare for the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
He told pre-match conference ahead of the game against Brighton on Saturday, “[To have] more ambition than we have at home is quite difficult. I don’t know who is more ambitious than us.
“We played against Newcastle with [Paul] Pogba, [Marcus] Rashford, [Anthony] Martial, [Juan] Mata, [Romelu] Lukaku; the full-backs are not full-backs, [Antonio] Valencia and [Ashley] Young are wingers not full-backs.
“So I don’t know what you want.
“I don’t know who is more ambitious than us. We played against Newcastle with Pogba, Rashford, Martial, Mata, Lukaku.
He added, “We cannot think about the gap. We cannot think about the gap to City, to the fifth position. We just have to focus on ourselves and in matches.
“It’s probably the first time this season with three Premier League matches in one week, with a couple of days in between matches, but I think every team is prepared for that, even when I look to teams with other ambitions I see fantastic squads so I think the teams are going to cope with the week.
“Obviously, for us, Brighton, Watford, Arsenal is a very important week. But let’s focus on Brighton, ninth in the table, good team, difficult to beat, don’t concede many goals, have a mix of physicality, aggression, quality, creativity. I think Chris Houghton is doing a great job.
“We must focus on this one. I know we have a good record at home and are strong at home, but the opponent is going to be difficult for us.”

The Chelsea forward insists Antonio Conte's side will be fresh for their trip to Liverpool FC on Saturday evening
Eden Hazard has warned Liverpool FC that Chelsea will be fully recovered for their clash at Anfield on Saturday evening.
The defending Premier League champions were 4-0 winners against Azerbaijan outfit Qarabag in Baku on Wednesday evening thanks to goals from Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Willian.
The Chelsea squad made a 16-hour return flight to Baku and back to London before preparing for the trip to their bitter top-six rivals Liverpool this weekend.
Antonio Conte’s side have won their last four Premier League games thanks to victories over Watford, Manchester United, Bournemouth and West Brom over the past month or so.
Liverpool had the benefit of an addition 24 hours rest and a shorter trip in Europe following a 3-3 draw with La Liga outfit Sevilla in a dramatic Champions League game.
The Reds will be hoping that Chelsea suffer a Champions League hangover at Anfield on Saturday evening as Jurgen Klopp’s side look to secure a fourth successive win.
Hazard warned Liverpool that the Chelsea squad will be fresh for the Premier League clash on Merseyside.
“It was a long trip, we were back in London at 3 or 4 in the morning, and we are playing on Saturday so the time between the two games is very short,” Hazard told Chelsea’s website .
“But we need to adapt. We didn’t adapt well against Man City so we need to do better tomorrow for sure.
“A couple of players didn’t play on Wednesday. I played only 60 minutes, N’Golo also came off. We can be fresh tomorrow even if the game is close. We are professionals and we can deal with this. We will do everything to recover.”
Hazard has scored four goals in his last four games in the Premier League to find his best form after his return from a broken ankle in September.

Messi warns Barcelona against signing Ozil

Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, has warned his club against signing Mesut Ozil from Arsenal next year.
Messi has asked manager Ernesto Valverde, to return for Liverpool playmaker, Philippe Coutinho.
Mesut signed for Arsenal in a £42.5m transfer from Real Madrid in September 2013.
According to Spanish outlet, Diario Gol, the Argentine has reportedly told Valverde and club president Josep Bartomeu, to prioritise the Brazilian over concerns about Ozil’s frequent dips in form.
Ozil will be out of contract in the summer and could leave Arsenal for free, four years after signing for £42million.
Amid speculation that Barca are ready to put in a bid for the Germany international as early as January, Messi wants the club to sign a young midfielder and believes Ozil at 29 is too old.
He would prefer to wait until June to sign Coutinho, 25, rather than settle for Ozil in January.

Lionel Messi received his fourth Golden Shoe award on Friday for leading all of Europe's leagues in scoring last season.
Messi after he received his 4th golden shoe
Lionel Messi insisted he was getting better with age after receiving the European Golden Shoe award for the fourth time on Friday. The 30-year-old Argentine won the prize for being the top scorer in Europe’s leading leagues last season after netting 37 times for Barcelona.
“I have always said that I don’t consider myself to be a striker, but I have been lucky enough to always score goals and win individual prizes,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said after being handed the trophy at a ceremony in Barcelona.

After several weeks on the sidelines owing to a hamstring injury, Victor Moses is set to return to action for Chelsea against Liverpool and the Nigerian star is quite elated
Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte discussed Moses’s return to fitness at Friday's presser and he assured that the Nigerian will be in his matchday squad even though he will be starting on the bench
‘His condition is good. For sure he needs a bit of time to recover the best form. Tomorrow he is in our squad. I think I want to put him on the bench, and then to decide if there is the necessity to put him on or not.
‘I am very happy because now he is fine, but he needs a bit of time to find the best physical condition.’
Moses himself put a picture on his twitter handle as he trained with the rest of Chelsea team.

Thursday 30 November 2017

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