Rakitic: Ivan Rakitic has joined Luka Modric and Dejan Lovren on the sidelines and the three injured stalwarts will miss Croatia’s World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Finland, coach Ante Cacic said yesterday. The 28-year-old playmaker pulled out with an Achilles tendon strain while Modric has been ruled out for a month after undergoing knee surgery last week.

MLS play-offs: Orlando City’s hopes of being a part of Major League Soccer’s play-offs ended on Sunday. Dominic Oduro’s 56th minute goal gave Montreal Impact a 1-0 win which preserves their own top six hopes at the expense of their Eastern Conference opponents. Another team who will not be a part of the post-season are the Vancouver Whitecaps, following their 2-1 defeat to the Seattle Sounders.
LIBERTADORES: Brazil have been awarded two more places in next year’s Copa Libertadores, taking their total from five to seven as the South American club competition expands to 44 teams. “Brazilian football gets 7 spaces in the Libertadores, 6 from the Brasileirao and 1 in the Copa do Brasil,” the Brazilian Confederation (CBF) tweeted.

Witsel: Juventus are set to make a move for Zenit SP midfielder Axel Witsel when his contract expires this summer, according to director general Giuseppe Marotta. Marotta said: “We have an obligation to monitor all players. Witsel is in an easier position, facilitated by the expiration of his contract. We will try to take him in January or June.”

In Italy: Serie B – Carpi vs Pisa 1-1. Lega Pro – (Group A) Alessandria vs Cremonese 1-1; (Group B) AlbinoLeffe vs Gubbio 1-2.

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