Germany international Lars Bender has been ruled out until next year due to an ankle injury.

Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt confirmed yesterday that the 26-year-old is to undergo surgery in the next few days.

“Lars is going to come back some time at the start of next year,” Schmidt said.

The Leverkusen captain has been sidelined since early October, although he did make an attempted comeback in the 6-0 win over Viktoria Cologne in the DFB-Pokal a month ago.

However, he lasted only 26 minutes of that game.

Keegan takes swipe at Newcastle’s stars

Former Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has claimed the club is too big for some of current head coach Steve McClaren’s players.

The Magpies slipped to a humiliating 3-0 Premier League defeat by Leicester last Saturday as too many members of McClaren’s side went missing at St James’ Park.

Keegan said: “This club’s going nowhere at the moment.

“I don’t think McClaren realised how poor the squad was when he took over. Those players remind me of when I took over all those years ago when they were in the second division.

“The players’ biggest problem was Newcastle United was too big for them.”

Players strike

Players in Ecuador’s top two divisions have gone on strike over about $20 million in salaries owed to them by the clubs.

Of the 24 clubs in the first and second divisions, 18 are in debt to their players over unpaid salaries this year, a players’ union director said.

The strike action, which could affect the weekend’s programme, was called after the Ecuadorean Football Federation decided against sanctioning indebted clubs despite these being repeatedly denounced by the union.

Jay Rodriguez out for two months

Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez will be sidelined for at least two months after undergoing surgery on his foot.

The 26-year-old had come back into the side at the start of the season after spending more than a year on the sidelines recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

He has not played since a 2-2 draw with Leicester on Oct. 17.

Shorn of Rodriguez, South-ampton’s options up front are limited and manager Ronald Koeman said striker Sadio Mane would not be sold despite speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea or Manchester United.

“Rumours aren’t important.

“We will sell nobody,” Koeman said.

“You can ask again about Sadio, Man. United, Chelsea, but we will sell nobody in January.”

Agent Raiola says Pogba not leaving

Agent Mino Raiola denied Paul Pogba is on his way out of Juventus in January.

Pogba is one of the most sought-after players in transfer market with Juventus reportedly turning down an €80m bid from Barcelona last summer.

Raiola said: “Paul is not a player just discovered. There have been offers for him, and they’re still there.

“Last summer he decided to stay another year at Juve. Paul is a lad who decides with his heart.

“I can categorically rule out a move in the January transfer window. In the future we’ll see, we’ll talk at the end of July.”

Nicolas Anelka eyes lucky 13th club

Dejected French striker Nicolas Anelka is on the hunt for his 13th club after failing to guide Mumbai City into the knockout stage of the Indian Super League.

The 36-year-old journeyman forward has been the player-coach at Mumbai, who crashed out of the eight-team league after a 1-1 home draw against lowly Kerala Blasters on Thursday.

“I don’t think I will come back. You have to speak to the management,” Anelka, the former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Chelsea striker, said after the draw.

Anelka was ambiguous about his future.

“As a player maybe, I don’t know, I will have to rest and think what I need to do for the future,” he said.

Klopp happy with progress in Europe

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp was delighted the club wrapped up an early place in the Europa League knockout stages after Thursday’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Bordeaux at Anfield.

Now, they can win the group if they draw away to second-placed Sion on December 10.

“I am very happy to have qualified, the team are very happy to have qualified, the club are very happy to be qualified, so you (journalists) can also be very happy to have qualified,” Klopp told reporters after the game.

“(Finishing) top of the table is important, but not the most important thing because there are only good teams in the next round.

“We will try everything when we travel to Sion in two weeks, but there are so many games between then and now.”