Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane will not rush Gareth Bale back into action as the Welsh forward continues his recovery from an ankle injury.
The 27-year-old damaged tendons during Real’s 2-1 Champions League victory at Sporting Lisbon in November and underwent surgery in London.
“Gareth is going to take a little longer but he is already training on the field with his boots and that is a good sign,” Zidane said.
“We have to take it step by step and not rush him.”
Elneny ruled out of Nations Cup semi
Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny is ruled out the African Nations Cup semi-final against Burkina Faso due to a calf injury, coach Hector Cuper said.
The Arsenal player suffered the injury in training over the weekend and missed Sunday’s 1-0 quarter-final win over Morocco in Port Gentil.
Cuper said the injury was serious enough to keep Elneny out of the team for the next match as well, although he would have a chance of playing in the final on Sunday if Egypt make it.
Schweinsteiger to remain at United
Jose Mourinho has confirmed Bastian Schweinsteiger will be staying at Manchester United for the remainder of the season.
On Sunday, Schweinsteiger scored in the 4-0 defeat of the Championship Latics on his first start for more than a year.
Mourinho said of the German World Cup-winner: “Yes, he is staying. He is going to (be included on) the Europa League list because we opened spaces with (Memphis) Depay and (Morgan) Schneiderlin (leaving) and we don’t have many players, and we don’t have many options in midfield.
“He was a good professional when he was not playing. With so many competitions and games he will be an option.”
Sullivan unhappy Payet got his wish
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan is disappointed he was unable to “make an example” of Dimitri Payet following his £25 million move to Marseille.
Payet’s exit was finally confirmed late Sunday as he rejoined the Ligue 1 club on a four-and-a-half-year deal after bulldozing his way out of the Hammers.
Sullivan is unhappy Payet was able to get his wish.
He said: “To be frank, my board and I would have preferred for Dimitri Payet to have stayed in order to make an example of him, as no player is bigger than the club.
“I am confident that with the quality of the players we have brought in during January already, the squad will be stronger at the end of this transfer window than it was at the start.”
Arena back as US draw with Serbia
Forward Jozy Altidore earned his 100th cap for the United States in a goalless draw with Serbia in a friendly in San Diego on Sunday in the first match of Bruce Arena’s second stint as US head coach.
Altidore came close to scoring in the second half but he was denied by Serbia goalkeeper Filip Manojlovic.
Arena, who was previously US head coach from 1998-2006, was appointed for the second time in November last year in place of Juergen Klinsmann, who was fired after a poor start to the North American qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.
Sunday’s match gave Arena a chance to assess his American-based players before qualifying resumes in March.
Incident-packed Boca-River friendly
Boca Juniors and River Plate showed they do not need to play for points to become embroiled in a match full of incidents and controversy after three coaches and three players were sent off in last weekend’s “superclasico” friendly.
River won 2-0 in the traditional annual clash between the great Argentine rivals at the seaside resort of Mar del Plata, a fixture which takes place during the summer break in the season.
The win was a measure of revenge for River after they suffered a 4-2 home defeat in the league in December when a brilliant Carlos Tevez scored twice in one of his last games for Boca before his multi-million dollar move to China.
Atletico Madrid lose Gimenez to injury
Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez faces a spell on the sidelines after scans revealed he suffered a groin injury at the weekend.
The Uruguay international was forced off the pitch during his team’s goalless draw at Alaves on Saturday.
No time frame has been given for his recovery but reports in Spain said the 22-year-old will be out of action for at least a month.
Gimenez will miss the King’s Cup semi-final against Barcelona and could also be absent from the Champions League last 16 first leg at Bayer Leverkusen on February 21.