Calhanoglu: Bayer Leverkusen’s Hakan Calhanoglu will miss the remainder of the season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday upheld a four-month ban imposed by FIFA over his contract dispute with Turkish club Trabzonspor. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who was ordered to pay Trabzonspor €100,0000, will also miss his team’s Champions League round of 16 matches against Atletico Madrid.
Toure: Manchester City have recalled midfielder Yaya Toure to their Champions League squad after he was left out for the group stage last year in an omission that triggered a furious response from his agent. The 33-year-old Ivorian has become a first team regular again after being tipped by many to leave the club following manager Pep Guardiola’s arrival from Bayern Munich. The first, home leg is on Feb. 21 .
Van Dijk: Southampton’s defensive kingpin Virgil van Dijk’s ankle injury will rule him out of this month’s League Cup final, manager Claude Puel said yesterday. The Dutchman will not recover in time to make the Feb. 26 Wembley clash with Manchester United, leaving Saints exposed at the back. Van Dijk, who picked up the knock during Southampton’s 3-0 victory over Leicester City last month, will be out for two to three months, Puel said.
Iniesta: Barcelona’s influential captain Andres Iniesta has returned to training after recovering from a calf injury. The Spain international missed Barca’s last four games after suffering the left leg injury during the club’s King’s Cup quarter-final win at Real Sociedad on Jan 19. Iniesta trained with his team-mates yesterday.
Wilson: Bournemouth’s top goalscorer Callum Wilson has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in training, the Premier League side said yesterday. “We are all devastated for Callum,” manager Eddie Howe said after scans confirmed the striker had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Wednesday.
Championship: Huddersfield vs Brighton 3-1.
In Spain: King’s Cup SF, first leg – Celta Vigo vs Alaves 0-0.