Teams will be allowed to make a fourth substitution during extra-time in the final three rounds of next season’s FA Cup.
The FA is trialling a new format which will see teams who have made all three changes during the 90 minutes of a quarter-final, semi-final or final permitted one extra during the additional period.
The proposed format change is the latest innovation to the world’s oldest cup competition after the FA announced that from this season onwards, all quarter-final ties would be finished on the day of the original tie instead of going to a replay.
Argentina’s Lanzini out of Rio Games
Argentina’s injured midfielder Manuel Lanzini has been re-leased from their Olympic squad and is set to fly back to his club West Ham United.
Lanzini suffered a knee sprain in Argentina’s 0-0 draw with Colombia on Thursday in a warm-up match for the Games and missed the 3-1 friendly win over Haiti in Miami on Sunday.
Argentina had hoped Lanzini might recover quickly enough for the Rio tournament, which kicks off on August 4, but want to start with 18 fit players so the 23-year-old will be replaced by Boca Juniors forward Cristian Pavon.
Gradel commits future to Cherries
Bournemouth winger Max Gradel has signed a new four-year contract which will keep him at the Vitality Stadium until 2020.
The 28-year-old, who signed in the summer from St Etienne, made just 14 league appearances for the Cherries last season after a six-month lay-off with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Gradel had an initial spell on the south coast on loan from Leicester back in 2007 and chief executive Neill Blake is pleased to see the Ivory Coast international extend his stay.
Blake said: “Max is a player we know well and a player that has done great things for this club.
“We are constantly looking to strive forward and Max shares that philosophy with us.”
Novo on the move
Former Rangers favourite Nacho Novo has signed a one-year deal with Northern Irish side Glentoran.
The 37-year-old striker, who enjoyed spells with Raith and Dundee before a trophy-laden six years at Ibrox, was available on a free transfer having most-recently represented the Caro-lina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League.
Novo links up again with Glens boss Alan Kernaghan, who was a coach at Rangers during the Spaniard’s spell in Scotland.
After leaving Rangers, Novo went on to have a nomadic career, taking in stops at Gree-nock Morton and Carlisle.
Guardiola ticks the pizza off City’s menu
Pizzas are off the menu for Manchester City players as manager Pep Guardiola has im-posed strict weight parameters on the squad breaching which will result in training bans, left-back Gael Clichy has said.
“With him, if your weight is too high, you’re not training with the team,” Clichy said.
“So, we have a few players who are not training with the team yet. He has also cut out some juices and, of course, pizza and all the heavy food is not allowed.
“Guardiola just wants us to trust him, he wants to trust us and I think it’s the right way to start a relationship.”
Barcelona capture Portugal’s Gomes
Barcelona have completed the signing of Portugal midfielder Andre Gomes from Valencia on a five-year contract.
Neither club released any financial details but Marca reported that Gomes cost €50 million.
Barca had reached agreement with Valencia last week to acquire the 22-year-old, who was in the Portugal squad at Euro 2016 where the country won their first major title.
Gomes, who started 27 La Liga games for Valencia in the 2015-16 campaign, becomes Barca’s fourth close-season signing after the arrival of Samuel Umtiti, Denis Suarez and Lucas Digne.
Mkhitaryan: ‘I’m no automatic choice’
Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan acknowledges his hefty price tag does not guarantee him a starting place at Manchester United.
Mkhitaryan joined from Borussia Dortmund this month for a transfer fee estimated at £30m.
“It doesn’t matter if they buy me for, I don’t know, 30 or 40 million, I am not guaranteed to play the games,” Mkhitaryan said.
“So I am trying to do my best during the training to earn this place to play and then we will see, because I don’t think I will play every game, depending on the tactical situation.”
Coach Jose Mourinho expects Mkhitaryan to adapt seamlessly to the physicality of English football due to the 27-year-old’s ability to break open the tightest defence with his passing skills and astute game reading.