Jose Mourinho must decide whether now is the time to recall Zlatan Ibrahimovic to his starting line-up as Manchester United prepare to visit West Brom in the Premier League on Sunday.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker has played 73 minutes in five substitute appearances since returning from cruciate knee ligament damage against Newcastle in November.

There were fears that Ibrahimovic's career may be finished after he suffered the injury during a Europa League quarter-final victory over Anderlecht in April.

The 36-year-old's return to fitness came sooner than most expected, although it is clear that Mourinho is wary of asking him to do too much too soon.

United's manager suggested a week ago that Ibrahimovic, who has yet to score since his comeback, is not yet ready to play a full 90 minutes, but the form of Romelu Lukaku may cause a rethink soon.

Lukaku did score the first-half winner on Wednesday as United beat Bournemouth, 1-0, at Old Trafford, but has looked below par for the past two months, with just three goals in 15 games.

"There will be a bit of rotation," said Mourinho without directly addressing the Lukaku situation.

"I'll change a few players from match to match, because I think it is almost impossible for players to play all these matches in December and the beginning of January."

- 'Pressure to win games' -

Lukaku's goal did at least lift the mood at United, which was pretty low after last Sunday's home defeat by neighbours Manchester City.

It was a result that left Mourinho's side still second in the league but now 11 points behind Pep Guardiola’s leaders and with diminishing hopes of getting back into the title race.

Mourinho tried to put the 38 points his side have accrued into some perspective

"We are second. The number of points could be first in other seasons, but we are second," said Mourinho.

"We go one match at a time and let's see at the end of the season how many points we have and where we are."

A further setback off the pitch came with Mourinho’s confirmation that centre-back Eric Bailly, who has not played since November 5, needs ankle surgery and is likely to be out for the next three months.

Sunday’s visit to The Hawthorns may not necessarily offer an easy way to lift the mood.

Albion are on a club-record run of 16 matches without a victory, and have not scored in three games since Alan Pardew took charge, but they drew 0-0 at Liverpool on Wednesday with a disciplined display.

Prior to that they dropped five points against fellow strugglers in a 0-0 home draw against Crystal Palace and a 1-0 defeat at Swansea.

"They (the fans) understand the opposition is different this time (to Crystal Palace), they'll probably give us a bit more licence," said Pardew.

"That's natural when you come up against top opposition, our players should gain confidence that there's no massive pressure on them.

"There is a pressure in terms of where we are in the league. It's a pressure to win games."

AFP

Wladimir Klitschko has tipped Anthony Joshua to unify the heavyweight division. The now-retired Ukrainian believes the British star could dominate boxing for the next decade. 

Klitschko, who was beaten by Joshua at Wembley Stadium in April, says that if Joshua does go on to win all the heavyweight belts it would put a better “shine” on his defeat.

Speaking to The Sun, Klitschko said: “I’d say the more Joshua shines, the better I shine. If I lost, I want to make sure I lost to the better man. 

“I wish, from the bottom of my heart, he continues to carry this torch for a long time and is very successful just like I was.

“I have passed the torch to the younger lion. Joshua is capable of unifying the division, absolutely.”
For Joshua to do this he will have to beat WBO champion Joseph Parker and WBC holder Deontay Wilder. He will also potentially face British rival Tyson Fury.

While praising Joshua for an “incredible fight” at Wembley, Klitschko was not as complimentary about Fury, who he also lost to in 2015.

“Listen, I don’t want to bring any attention to him – it doesn’t make sense,” Klitschko told The Sun. “Fury was announcing he would fight a rematch. Then he was using drugs, cocaine or steroids.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Fury has declared that he’s “the king” of heavyweight boxing. 

The 29-year-old is free to return to the ring after this week accepting a backdated two-year ban from UK Anti-Doping. He has set his sights on Joshua, Parker and Wilder.

Fury said: “Someone labelled it the four kings right now, four undefeated heavyweight fighters in myself, Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker and Deontay Wilder. But I labelled it ‘three peasants and a king’. There’s only one king of the division and that’s me.”

The Week

Spanish striker Alvaro Morata cannot be compared to Chelsea icon Didier Drogba, the Premier Leaguechampions' coach Antonio Conte said on Friday.

Morata - who is likely to return to the first team on Saturday against Southampton after missing the win over Huddersfield Town due to a bad back - revealed this week he has been watching old film footage of Drogba in his pomp at Chelsea.

The Ivory Coast great scored 164 goals - including the equaliser against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final and the decisive penalty in the shootout - in 381 appearances over two spells at Stamford Bridge.

Conte, who has effectively raised the white flag in terms of defending the title with Manchester City 14 points clear of his team, said 25-year-old Morata was not yet the finished article.

"Two different players, different characteristics," said Conte.

"Didier Drogba, I think, he wrote the history of this club. He's a wonderful player, a wonderful striker.

"I think he's more powerful than Alvaro, but Alvaro, don't forget, has a lot of space for improvement.

"He's strong physically, is a technical player. I see a great future for Alvaro."

Conte was not sure whether Morata - who has scored nine goals in 15 appearances this season -- and his team-mates will find Southampton as easy pickings as Leicester City did in their 4-1 away win on Wednesday.

Timesofindia

Eduardo Berizzo is set to return to Sevilla's bench for Friday's LaLiga clash with Levante less than three weeks after prostate cancer surgery.

Berizzo's illness was confirmed shortly after Sevilla's 3-3 draw with Liverpool in the Champions League on November 21, when the Spanish side heroically battled back to secure a point after being 3-0 at half-time.

The Argentine coach remained in charge of the team for their 3-2 win over Villarreal five days later, before then leaving them in the hands of his assistant, Ernesto Marcucci.

Sevilla won their first two games under Marcucci, but a 1-1 draw with Maribor and a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Real Madrid have since highlighted problems.

But Sevilla announced on Friday that Berizzo surprised his players at training and delivered a technical talk with the expectation of being in charge of the team for Levante's visit later that day.

The club have not confirmed whether Berizzo is returning permanently or just temporarily.

Fourfourtwo

Kim Kallstrom, who won 131 caps for Sweden, announced on Friday that he was hanging up his boots at the age of 35.

The left-sided midfielder had returned to one of his first clubs, Djurgardens, in Stockholm, on a two-year deal before the recently Kallstrom won national league titles with Djurgardens and Lyon and also played for Rennes, Spartak Moscow, Grasshoppers and Arsenal.

"That adrenaline rush that you experience in every on-field duel is a big part of what I've built my career on. If you do not have that any more, you're in danger. It's best to stop," he told a press conference.

"I still have so much pleasure playing at the weekend but it's also necessary to work during the week and I'm beginning to lack the energy and strength for that," he added.

Kallstrom said he told the club he wanted to quit after the season ended in November but sporting director Bo Andersson told him to take a holiday first.

Kallstrom did not change his mind.

"I'm sitting here a very grateful man. I feel I'm done. I feel I've done what I can do as a football player," he said.

Kallstrom started his professional career with BK Hacken in 1999 before joining Djurgardens in 2002, winning league titles in both seasons before leaving for France.

He played three seasons for Rennes and joined Lyon in 2006, playing more than 200 games over six years and collecting a pair of winners' medals each in Ligue 1 and the French Cup and French League Cup.

He featured sparingly over 18 months at Spartak Moscow who loaned him for half a season to Arsenal where he made just four appearances. After a stint with Grasshoppers in Zurich he returned to Sweden.

Kallstrom retired from international football after Sweden were eliminated at the end of the group stage in Euro 2016 in France. He scored 16 goals for the national team.

AFP

Nigeria have forfeited their 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Algeria and handed a 3-0 walk-over defeat for fielding an ineligible player in the match, world football ruling body FIFA ruled.

The fixture on Nov. 10 had ended 1-1, but FIFA on Tuesday added that the decision did not affect the final standings in African Qualifying Competition Group B.

It said the decision also did not affect Nigeria’s qualification for FIFA World Cup in Russia, as they had finished six points clear of Zambia.

The player involved in the match played in Constantine was Mr Shehu Abdullahi, and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is also receiving a fine of CHF 6,000.

The sanction relates to Abdullahi failing to serve the automatic one-match suspension imposed on him as a result of receiving a caution in two separate matches of the same competition.

FIFA, in a statement, also said East Timor had forfeited seven games in the World Cup qualifiers for fielding a total of nine players who were ineligible because of nationality.

This was based on a decision previously taken by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Reuters/NAN

Manchester United have to quickly move on from their derby defeat to City if they are to keep their slim Premier League title hopes alive, says Juan Mata.

United suffered their first Premier League defeat at home since City's last visit in September 2016, with Jose Mourinho's side beaten 2-1 on Sunday.

Goals from David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi secured all three points for City, a record 14th successive win in a single top-flight The players will have to motivate themselves at home to Bournemouth on Wednesday after manager Jose Mourinho suggested their Premier League title challenge was probably over

Goal

Egypt and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, has beaten in-form Nigeria and Super Eagles star, Victor Moses, to the 2017 BBC African Footballer Of The Year Award.

Salah picked up the prestigious award on Monday to further elongate Nigeria’s long wait to have one of her players win the award.

Austin Okocha is the last Nigerian male player to win the award having won it in 2003 and 2004.

This is also the second time that Victor Moses will be getting a nomination but won’t be winning the top prize.

Aside from Moses, Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Guinea’s Naby Keita, and Sadio Mane of Senegal were the other beaten finalists for 2017.

“I am very happy to win this award,” Salah told BBC Sport.

“It’s always a special feeling when you win something. I feel like I had a great year, so I’m very happy.”

Salah, the current Premier League top scorer with 13 goals, has enjoyed a stellar year for both club and country.

In early 2017, the forward was the central figure for Egypt as they finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations.

He also helped his country secure a ticket to the world after almost 20 years of absence.

It is yet to be seen if Salah will make it a double over Moses and his other rivals as the 25-year is also nominated for the African footballer of the year award.

Huddersfield - Chelsea's powers of recovery will be tested as Antonio Conte's side attempt to bounce back from a painful weekend defeat when they visit Huddersfield on Tuesday.

Conte claimed Chelsea were no longer in the Premier League title race in the wake of the 1-0 defeat at struggling West Ham on Saturday. 

That was the reigning champions' fourth league defeat of the season and has, for now, retrained their focus on the fight to retain a top four position. 

The trip to Huddersfield presents an early opportunity to show they can put the West Ham loss behind them. 

But while Conte concedes his side's defeat to Manchester City was understandable, their losses to Burnley, Crystal Palace and West Ham, the latter two both in relegation danger, have given the Blues boss major cause for concern. 

The inquest following the visit to the London Stadium was clearly painful. 

"We just didn't play our stuff. It's frustrating," said Chelsea captain Gary Cahill. 

"We were just not at the races - for whatever reason that is. It's disappointing to come off and feel like that. 

"I'm not one to make excuses. We do have loads of games - but if we played to our levels today we get something out of the game. But we didn't. 

"We have been in good form of late which is why it's so disappointing to put in a performance like that. 

"We have to reflect, we have to pick ourselves up and go again. We have to try to freshen up and get the energy levels back up." 

Conte will attempt to freshen up his side and having withdrawn Tiemoue Bakayoko in favour of Pedro, is likely to reshape his midfield after a lacklustre weekend display even if the manager declared himself happy with the Frenchman's display.

"Bakayoko was playing a good game but when you find 11 players behind the ball and you are losing 1-0, it's important to change something," said Conte. 

"Pedro has different characteristics to Bakayoko, he's better one-versus-one and he has good technical qualities. Bakayoko satisfied me with his performance." 

David Luiz was the only weekend absentee and the centre-back is again expected to be missing with a knee problem. 

Huddersfield winger Tom Ince believes life will be made very uncomfortable for Chelsea when they visit the John Smith's Stadium. 

The Terriers recorded a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Brighton on Saturday and have already beaten Manchester United at home. 

Ince reckons no team will fancy facing Huddersfield on their own patch in West Yorkshire now they have regained confidence, and that includes the defending Premier League champions. 

"I don't think Chelsea or anyone does," Ince said. 

"The way we get in people's faces, we stop people playing, we win our tackles, we win our battles, we make it difficult for teams. 

"Chelsea have got talent in abundance. We know we are going to be spells in the game where we won't be on top. 

"But we feel we can cause any team problems here. We beat United here - we deserved to beat them - and we ran City close." 

Huddersfield manager David Wagner will be without on-loan midfielder Kasey Palmer, who will be ineligible to face his parent club. 

Michael Hefele is still lacking fitness following a long-term Achilles injury while fellow defender Jon Stankovic is still out with a knee ligament injury.

Sport24

Manchester United and Manchester City players and staff were involved in a heated altercation in the Old Trafford tunnel which left Jose Mourinho covered in water and Mikel Arteta nursing a cut eyebrow, Goal understands.

City's players were celebrating their 2-1 victory at the home of their rivals when Mourinho, on his way to a post-match press conference, entered the visiting dressing room.

It is believed that the City players were playing music, cheering and singing after goals from David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi put them 11 points clear at the top of the table.

Sources indicate Mourinho took exception, believing the celebrations to be a lack of respect, and told Pep Guardiola's men to calm down with a comment in Portuguese that sparked an ugly reaction.

Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson is said to have confronted Mourinho, which led to a number of players and members of staff from both teams spilling out of their respective dressing rooms and into the tunnel, where they pushed and shoved each other.

United first-team coach Silvino Louro is believed to have been in the thick of the action, along with a handful of players from both sides, coaches and masseurs. Goal has learned that City coach Arteta received a cut eyebrow in the ruckus, while United striker Romelu Lukaku is believed to have been heavily involved.

Witnesses claim a number of bottles were thrown, with Mourinho left covered in water after the melee. 

Footage of the incident would have been captured by the Amazon Prime camera crew who have been filming a behind-the-scenes documentary of City's season at each game this season.

However, United denied the film-makers access to the dressing room and tunnel area in the build-up to the game, despite conversations between Ed Woodward, United's executive vice-chairman, and Ferran Soriano, City's CEO, in a bid to resolve the row.

The Amazon team have already recorded footage of City's raucous celebrations following their victory at Stamford Bridge in September.

That did not lead to any ugly scenes, but there was a tunnel row at Stamford Bridge following City's 2-1 defeat in April.

Guardiola, who is not thought to have been involved on Sunday, was one of the chief protagonists on that occasion, confronting a number of Chelsea players after coaches from both sides had initially sparked a bust-up.

Goal