Football rumours: Al-Nassr keen to reunite Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo

Cutting Joe Hart out of his first-team plans at Manchester City is the toughest decision Pep Guardiola has made at the Etihad Stadium.

Hart is widely expected to miss out on a place in England s World Cup squad when Gareth Southgate announces his 23-man party for Russia 2018 on Wednesday.

It marks a stunning fall from grace for the two-time Premier League champion, who has been the Three Lions starting goalkeeper in each of their past three major tournaments and was also first choice during the most-recent qualification campaign

Guardiola placed Hart behind Willy Caballero in the pecking order at City and then signed Claudio Bravo in August 2016 amid doubts the Englishman could adapt to his demands of building play from the back.

An error-strewn season on…

Haiti coach Marc Collat insisted his team deserved to draw against Panama in their CONCACAF Gold Cup opener, despite registering just four shots to 12.

Panama finalists at the 2013 Gold Cup looked set to open the continental championships with a win on Tuesday, after Alberto Quintero scored in the 56th minute, but Haiti secured a 1-1 draw thanks to Duckens Nazon s strike with four minutes remaining.

A counter-attack ended with the ball at Nazon s feet on the right flank and the substitute surged into the box, swerving past one defender before converting from 10 yards.

While Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide had to make six saves to just one for his counterpart Jaime Penedo, Collat declared that it was a fair game at Toyota Stadium in Texas.

We came back and…

Former Premier League defender Liam Ridgewell has reportedly been arrested following an alleged drink-driving incident on Monday.

Following media reports that suggested Ridgewell had been stopped alongside fellow Portland Timbers player Jake Gleeson, the MLS club confirmed their knowledge of the events.

While avoiding specifics, a Timbers statement added that the club are still looking into the situation.

The team is aware of the events that occurred last evening involving players Jake Gleeson and Liam Ridgewell and is in the process of gathering information on the matter, the statement read.

The team has been in close contact with the players, local law enforcement and the league office. The club will not have further comment until more information is…

Zinedine Zidane made the right decision to leave Real Madrid and will continue to flourish as a coach, according to former team-mate Robert Pires.

Zidane dropped a bombshell by quitting the Santiago Bernabeu just five days after leading Madrid to a third successive Champions League title.

The 1998 World Cup winner was immediately linked with the France post, but French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet said Didier Deschamps would remain in charge until at least 2020.

That could spark a scramble for his services, with Pires proposing the Premier League as a completely new test for one of the best in world football.

I think for him it s good news he left Real Madrid. He loves a new challenge, the ex-Arsenal man told Sky Sports.

He s comp…

Trent Alexander-Arnold hailed Liverpool’s late victory after their 2-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup third round.

Jakub Kiwior conceded an own goal after 80 minutes before Luis Diaz’s neat finish in second half added-time was enough for Jurgen Klopp’s men to claim victory.

Liverpool struggled to get going in the opening 45 before they found their rhythm late on to book their place in the fourth round.

INTO THE FOURTH ROUND

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

Speaking to BBC Sport, Alexander-Arnold said: “It was a huge win. We had a lot of players missing today. We came here with one objective, which was to win and to get into the next round and we have done that with two late goals.

“We had chances and we changed things at half-time inte…

Market: Blackpool win

Odds: 4/7 @

Looking to punch their EFL Trophy semi-final ticket on Wednesday night, Blackpool will welcome Burton Bloomfield Road.

Starting with the hosts, snatching an FA Cup replay away at Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest over the weekend, Blackpool will be confident of making a statement here. Still with their sights set on securing an immediate Championship return in 2024, Neil Critchley’s men will be excited to make a return to Bloomfield Road on Wednesday night. Opening the New Year with a routine 2-0 victory against Lincoln, the one-time Liverpool coach has seen his squad gain a real reputation for their continued success on home soil. Including a 3-0 romp against Forest Green last month, the Seasiders have won all of their …

West Brom have completed the capture of Stephane Sessegnon from Sunderland for a club-record fee.

The 29-year-old has fallen foul of Paolo Di Canio s close-season clearout at the Stadium Light and becomes West Brom s fifth signing of the current transfer window.

He has signed a three-year contract with Steve Clarke s side, who have also bolstered their attacking ranks with the signings of Morgan Amalfitano, Scott Sinclair, Matej Vydra and Nicolas Anelka of late.

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Sessegnon first arrived in England in January 2011, as he completed a move from Paris Saint-Germain to Sunderland for a fee in the region on £6million.

He has since scored 17 goals in 87 Premier League appearances, but has been deemed surplus to requirements by Di Canio.

Sessegnon …

Michael Ballack wants Germany to revert to real strikers in future after toying with a false number nine in recent matches.

Mario Gotze and Marco Reus have both been used by head coach Joachim Low in the past few months in a central position similar to that which Lionel Messi has made his own at Barcelona.

However, the former Germany captain is disappointed with the classic centre-forward spot being dropped and believes the team would benefit more with a more traditional striker.

Ballack told ZDF: I m still a fan of real strikers. The likes of Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose are needed.

The game is fluid but when the ball comes into the box, you need a centre-forward. I doubt it (false nine) is a model for the future.

Germany eased past Kazakhsta…

AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella says striker Gianluca Lapadula is in the middle of a fairytale after his remarkable rise continued with the winning goal against Crotone.

Lapadula dramatically scored with four minutes remaining of his first start at San Siro to seal a 2-1 Serie A win over the struggling visitors.

The 26-year-old had never played in the top-flight prior to joining Milan in June but Montella feels he has already cemented a place in the team even when Carlos Bacca returns from injury.

He is in the middle of a great fairytale, Montella said to Sky Italia.

Over the last month his prospects and status have changed, all of it earned with hard work and sweat. I hope this sporting determination never leaves him.

Up until two months ago L…

Watford captain Troy Deeney says there is more to come from Stefano Okaka after his double in the 3-2 victory over Everton on Saturday.

Okaka marked his second Premier League start under Walter Mazzarri with a pair of goals, the first a brilliant flick with his trailing leg after Romelu Lukaku had put Everton ahead.

The Italy international added to a header from Sebastian Prodl in the 64th minute, with Watford holding on for the three points after Lukaku halved the deficit late on.

Deeney suggests it is a sign of big things to come from Okaka over the course of the season.

The big man [Okaka] did fantastic today and that s his second start so he will build on it, the Watford captain told Sky Sports.

We have a real powerhouse on our hands and he…