Ajax: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen and Atletico Madrid defender Toby Alderweireld will both receive a €48,000 bonus if Ajax win the Dutch league this season. The pair played four games for Ajax at the start of the season before their respective transfers in August and therefore will get a share of a bonus pool Ajax will pay their players for league success.

El Shaarawy: Stephan El Shaarawy has moved a step closer to making a return with Milan after scoring a goal for the youth team in a friendly yesterday. The Italy striker is close to completing his rehabilitation from metatarsal surgery and was back in training this weekend. REMY: Newcastle boss Alan Par-dew’s hopes of having striker Loic Remy back have been dealt a blow. Remy is out with a calf injury and Pardew hoped he would be available for the trip to Stoke after returning to training. He said: “Remy won’t make this game, but we’d like to think he will back next week.”

Benteke: Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke is poised to go under the knife ahead of the weekend. Benteke ruptured his Achilles tendon in training last week, and has returned to Belgium for the operation. Manager Paul Lambert said: “Our doctor (Roddy Macdonald) is in Belgium and has spoken with the surgeon, and it’s pretty imminent he will get it done.”