England midfielder Michael Carrick sustained an ankle injury during England’s 2-0 friendly defeat in Spain on Friday.
The 34-year-old Man. United player was carried off the pitch on a stretcher late in the game.
“Michael has got a severely twisted ankle which normally means ligament damage,” England manager Roy Hodgson said.
“We won’t know that of course until he’s had an X-ray or a scan, but it doesn’t look good.”
Carrick is definitely ruled out of Tuesday’s friendly against France at Wembley Stadium.
Raul ready to cap career with US title
Former Spain international Raul could be just 90 minutes from lifting one last trophy today, capping a remarkable playing career in professional soccer with a win in the North American Soccer League’s championship game.
Raul launched the New York Cosmos into the final – and postponed his retirement – with a goal in the previous game, a strike that ensured the final against the Ottawa Fury FC will be played in the Cosmos home stadium.
The championship game today also marks the retirement of Cosmos team-mate and former Spain international Marcos Senna.
“As coach, you want these players in the final. They’ve been there before, they know what to do,” said Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese.
Thiago picks up new knee injury
Spain’s Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara has withdrawn from the European champions’ squad for Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium after injuring his right knee against England.
Thiago was forced off midway through the first half of the 2-0 friendly victory in Alicante and a scan yesterday showed swelling on the medial collateral ligament, Spain said.
The 24-year-old playmaker’s career has been disrupted by a series of knee and ankle problems and he missed last year’s World Cup finals in Brazil after needing surgery to repair ligament damage in his right knee.
We can compete says Coleman
Chris Coleman felt his Wales side showed they could compete without Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey despite losing 3-2 to Holland in Cardiff.
Holland captain Arjen Robben produced a Dutch masterclass with a second-half brace as Wales fought back twice before eventually suffering only a second defeat in 11 games.
“It was a good exercise, they are a good team who have been criticised a lot (after failing to qualify for Euro 2016) but they still have top-quality players,” he said.
“We knew it would be tough and we always want to win, but we got other things out of the game.
“We were competitive. We used our full number of six subs and were still competitive.”
Griezmann’s sister safe after attacks
France forward Antoine Griezmann has revealed his sister escaped safely from the terrorist attack on Paris’ Bataclan Theatre on Friday night.
At least 200 people were killed by gunfire and explosions at the concert venue, one of a number of attacks on the French capital.
Griezmann was playing for France against Germany at the time at the Stade de France, where an explosion could be heard nearby as three separate attacks reportedly left four people dead and many more injured.
After the match, the Atletico Madrid player’s focus was occupied by the well-being of his sister Maud, who was at the concert by the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal.
Around three hours later, he wrote: “Thanks to God my sister was able to get out of the Bataclan. All my prayers are with the victims and their families. #ViveLaFrance.”
Matic could end Serbia career
Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic criticised his team-mates and said he was on the verge of quitting the national team after Friday’s 4-1 drubbing by the Czech Republic in a friendly.
“I always try to lead by example but some people don’t want to see that,” the 27-year-old Chelsea enforcer said.
“The attitude of some players is unacceptable, not just on the pitch but off it too and it was obvious from the moment we got together on Monday.
“I told our coach (Radovan Curcic) there is no point in me carrying on with the national team if things don’t change.”
Morata, Pogba to leave Juve – Bronzetti
FIFA agent Ernesto Bronzetti expects Alvaro Morata and Paul Pogba to leave Juventus for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
The Merengues have a buyback clause on Morata that will become active in summer of 2016, potentially depriving the Bianconeri of one of their most solid strikers.
“As far as I know Real’s intention is of taking him back,” Bronzetti told Tuttosport.
“But we’ll have to see what Morata himself says. You don’t go to Real with reluctance
“As for Pogba, I know that Barcelona are after him. It’s likely he’ll end up there sooner or later. We’ll have to see whether Juventus decide to sell him.”