Yannick Bolasie may not play for Everton again until the end of 2017, with manager Ronald Koeman confirming that the winger would undergo a second operation on his knee.
The 27-year-old, who joined from Crystal Palace in August, played every game for Everton until injuring his anterior cruciate ligament against Man. United on Dec. 4.
The former Floriana winger had surgery in the third week of December to repair damaged cartilage in his knee, but the ACL injury requires another operation.
“The surgery was expected because his first surgery was about the meniscus and now what will happen at the beginning of March is about his cruciate,” Koeman said.
Barcelona to open academy in China
Barcelona will open a soccer academy in southern China this year in partnership with local developer Mission Hills Group.
The academy, to be based in Haikou, capital of the island province of Hainan, will have seven football pitches and eventually the capacity to enrol 1,000 children between six and 18 years old.
“The FCBEscola in Haikou will be staffed by FCB coaches and will follow the same training methods used by the FCB youth teams,” the release said.
Ronaldo, Man. United top internet tables
Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo is comfortably the most influential soccer player online in China, while Manchester United are the most dominant club.
The annual ‘Red Card’ report by Shanghai-based consultancy Mailman compiled data on top European clubs and their players, using metrics including social media followers, fan engagement and e-commerce.
Portugal forward Ronaldo topped the index ahead of second-placed Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil and third-placed Real team-mate Gareth Bale. Man. United pair Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney rounded out the top five.
Redknapp slams Alli tackle
Dele Alli’s tackle on Gent midfielder Brecht Dejaegere was a potentially career-ending challenge, according to former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
Alli was sent off as Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw against Gent at Wembley, which meant they lost the tie 3-2 on aggregate and crashed out in the Europa League.
The 20-year-old, frustrated at being denied a free-kick, jumped to his feet, miscontrolled the ball and then thrust his right foot high and into the shin of Dejaegere.
“Alli could have finished a fella’s career. He could have finished a boy’s career. There’s no doubt. It was that bad,” Redknapp said.
“He could have broken the lad’s leg, snapped his leg, and that would have been the end.”
Injured Varane to miss Napoli trip
Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is expected to miss the Champions League last 16 return leg at Napoli on March 7 because of a muscle injury.
The Spanish club said tests done yesterday showed that the France international has a “grade 2 injury” in his left thigh.
Varane was hurt during Real’s 2-1 defeat at Valencia on Wednesday, the club’s second loss in La Liga.
Real said Varane’s “recovery will continue to be assessed,” but he is likely to be sidelined for about three weeks.
Cazorla has no time frame for return
Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla cannot give a timeline on his return from injury after undergoing a minor procedure on his right ankle on Thursday, after the scar from surgery in December opened when he was cycling.
The Spain international has not played since Oct. 19 and was expected to rejoin the squad in the next few weeks.
“Everything was going well until I started to do some exercises on the bicycle and the stitches gave in,” Cazorla told Spanish radio station Onda Cero. “I had to have a minor operation to close the scar on Thursday afternoon.
“I had a graft done a month-and-a-half ago because the skin on my ankle was practically dead and that was the reason why the wound would not close when I first had my operation in Sweden.
“We hope this is the last one and I can return as soon as possible.”
Bastia punished for Balotelli abuse
Ligue 1 disciplinary committee has ordered Corsica’s Bastia to close part of their stadium for three matches after a group of supporters shouted racist insults at Nice striker Mario Balotelli during a 1-1 draw in January.
The club was also given a suspended one-point deduction, meaning that for now it is still second-from-bottom in the table on 23 points, a point ahead of Lorient.
The committee listed “shouts with racist connotations towards Mario Balotelli, use of pyrotechnic devices and intrusion of supporters at the edge of the field” among the reasons for the closure on the Ligue 1 website.)
Bastia has already banned one supporter who was caught on camera making monkey chants at Balotelli.