Ayew: Aston Villa boss Remi Garde confirmed Jordan Ayew will be fined for his red card at West Ham – as the manager’s striking woes continued. Five-goal forward Ayew was dismissed for an elbow on Aaron Cresswell in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Upton Park and is now banned for three games. To make matters worse for Villa, striker Libor Kozak has been ruled out for a month after it was revealed he has suffered a minor fracture to his ankle.

Imbula: Stoke’s new record signing Giannelli Imbula could make his debut in today’s Barclays Premier League home clash with Everton, while Philipp Wollscheid is set for a late fitness test. Midfielder Imbula arrived on transfer deadline day from Porto for £18.3 million but was not eligible to feature 24 hours later in Tuesday’s 3-0 loss at Manchester United. Wollscheid (calf) was forced off early in that game but Potters boss Mark Hughes is hopeful the German might be able to face the Toffees.

Man. City: Manchester City have announced they will play in China this summer as part of their next pre-season tour. The news comes two months after a consortium of high-profile Chinese investors acquired a 13 per cent stake, worth a reported £265million, in the club’s holding company the City Football Group. Full details are yet to be revealed but City will be playing matches in the International Champions Cup, a friendly tournament series which annually features some of the world’s glamour clubs.

Dyche: Burnley manager Sean Dyche has signed a new contract with the Championship promotion chasers. Dyche took charge at Turf Moor in October 2012 and led the club to promotion to the Barclays Premier League in 2014. The 44-year-old could not keep the Clarets in the top flight in 2014-15 but they are currently third in the Championship, four points off leaders Hull and five clear of seventh-placed Sheffield Wednesday.

Acquah: Torino will be without Afriyie Acquah for the next four weeks after picking up a thigh strain, the club said. The 24-year-old suffered the injury during last Wednesday’s Serie A match against Sampdoria which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Championship: Brighton vs Brentford 3-0.

Women’s Football: UEFA U-16 Development Tournament – Malta vs Liechtenstein 3-1; Austria vs Azerbaijan 3-0.

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