Daniele De Rossi is a major doubt for Roma’s Serie A match against Empoli after suffering an injury in Italy’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Arena.
The midfielder picked up a knock in his back that forced him to leave the pitch after 36 minutes.
De Rossi was spotted leaving the stadium on crutches and although it seems to be just a knock it has seriously limited his movement.
The player will undergo tests with his club today and it remains to be seen if he will be able to face Empoli on Saturday.
Youngsters must step up – Pulis
West Brom manager Tony Pulis has urged the club’s academy players to raise their game as he plans to make changes to his squad in order to cope with their packed Premier League schedule.
West Brom, who are eighth in the table, play three games in a week, starting with two away games against Manchester United on Saturday and Watford three days later, before a home match against Southampton on April 8.
“We have the younger players and they can play bit parts from now until the end of the season. But we do need them to step up to the mark for the final eight or nine games,” Pulis said.
“We will move the players around because each opposition will present different challenges.
Barca defend Messi against ‘unjust’ ban
Barcelona have branded the four-game international ban handed to Lionel Messi for abusing an assistant referee “unjust and totally disproportionate”.
The Catalan club released a statement expressing their “surprise and outrage” at the punishment dished out to their player.
Messi was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs for “having directed insulting words” at an official during his side’s World Cup qualifier with Chile last Thursday.
The club said: “FC Barcelona express their surprise and outrage at the official decision of the FIFA disciplinary committee to sanction Leo Messi. The club consider the four-game ban imposed upon the player unjust and totally disproportionate.”
Injuries mount for Everton
Everton were left counting the cost of another injury during the international break after Argentina defender Ramiro Funes Mori was carried off.
The centre-back was shown holding his left knee as he left the pitch after only 36 minutes of Argentina’s 2-0 defeat by Bolivia.
The Toffees have already seen Seamus Coleman sidelined until next season with a horrific leg break suffered during the Republic of Ireland’s draw with Wales last Friday.
Midfielder James McCarthy, meanwhile, did not even make it to kick-off in Dublin after aggravating a hamstring problem in the warm-up.
Mbappe proud after France debut
Kylian Mbappe was pleased with his full debut for France despite defeat to Spain.
Monaco’s 18-year-old sensation made his first start for his country as they lost 2-0 in Paris, the latest step in a remarkable rise for the product of France’s Clairefontaine academy.
“It is a great pride to start for your country, I am very happy. I am not the type to worry about things. I tried to give my best and show what I can do,” he said.
“I felt good but you have to remember the result – we wanted to win the match, even though it was a friendly, and we did not succeed. We come away disappointed but we have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Player banned after knife attack
Sawbridgeworth Town have cancelled a player’s contract and banned him from their ground for life after he allegedly wielded a knife at an opposition supporter.
The incident is reported to have taken place in the final moments of the Essex Senior Football League match between Sawbridgeworth and Clapton at Hertfordshire on Saturday.
It is alleged the player retrieved a knife after he was spat at by a Clapton fan, and the match was suspended by the referee.
“Rather than wait until the end of the investigation, we have already taken action regarding this matter and have suspended the player with immediate effect,” Sawbridgeworth’s secretary, Rich-ard Hogg, said.
Zaha’s agent hits out at Southgate remarks
Wilfried Zaha’s agent has dismissed England boss Gareth Southgate’s claim there was “a disappearing egg timer on him going to the Ivory Coast.”
Crystal Palace winger Zaha, 24, made two friendly appearances for England in 2012 and 2013 before switching allegiance to Ivory Coast, the country of his birth, in time for January’s African Nations Cup.
“Wilfried did not impose a timescale or set a date by which he had to be selected by England, there was no ‘disappearing egg timer’. The ‘private’ meeting with Mr Southgate was very amicable,” agent Will Salthouse said.
“It was Wilfried’s right as a senior player to accept the opportunity to represent his nation of birth and that of his family heritage.”