Rogers pushing for England start, Club León kicked out of Club World Cup: football – as it happened

That concludes the news blog. Our coverage of England v Albania will be along soon enough. Thanks for reading.

Alisson was forced off the field after a clash of heads during Thursday’s 2-1 win over Colombia in a World Cup qualifier and has left the Brazilian national team and will return to Liverpool.

Alisson and Colombia defender Davinson Sanchez both collapsed after clashing heads during the second half. Medical staff rushed onto the pitch to treat them, before both players were substituted.

Media reports said Alisson, 32, was taken off as a precaution after feeling dizzy following the injury. “Alisson is travelling back to Merseyside and will undergo assessment from the Reds’ medical staff,” Liverpool said in a statement. (Reuters)

Arsenal manager says more players will be injured if matches continue to be played on sub-standard pitches. (PA Media)

The Gunners’ 2-0 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid on Tuesday night took place on a rain-sodden surface was held at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, the 6,000-seater home of Real’s reserves, while Arsenal are guaranteed a better pitch when they host Liverpool in the WSL at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, as well as the return leg with Real next Wednesday.

“Of course we like to play on a good surface, I think every team does. It makes football a bit more easy,” said Slegers. I think women’s football deserves to play on good surfaces. Not least because of player injury risks.”

The conditions appeared to have caused a nasty injury to Real’s Melanie Leupolz, who caught her studs in the mud while playing a pass, with the Germany midfielder departing the field in tears. Real later confirmed the former Chelsea player had suffered a torn lateral ligament and will be sidelined for two months.

“That’s not for me to assess and that would be a hard call for anyone to make, why that happened,” added Slegers. But there was an injury on the pitch and, yeah, we want good pitches, for player health.”

Redmond Grimes nominates Neil Finn as a famous Kiwi. It’s only natural.

5d ago12.32 EDT

Reading could be thrown out of EFL if owner won't sell

Ben Fisher

Reading could be thrown out of the English Football League if their owner, Dai Yongge, does not sell the club before 5 April. The Chinese businessman was disqualified as an owner under the league’s owners’ and directors’ test last month, an action made public at commercial court in London on Friday.

During the proceedings, a letter from the EFL was referenced by the lawyer Martin Budworth, who was acting for Dai and Reading, detailing their decision to disqualify Dai. The EFL previously pushed to disqualify Dai after multiple breaches of regulations but was overruled by an independent panel and instead a financial sanction was imposed.

Neil Lennon is the new manager of Dunfermline Athletic, on a short-team deal until the end of the season, the aim to keep the Pars in the Scottish Championship.

Club statement: “Dunfermline Athletic are delighted to announce the appointment of Neil Lennon as First Team Manager on an initial short term deal, until the end of the season. Neil Lennon has a seriously successful track record as a manager.”

Chairman and CEO David Cook commented, “We very quickly identified Neil as the outstanding candidate for the role. Having managed at the very highest level in the country he will bring a huge wealth of experience to the club.

“Whilst it’s been a team effort in securing the services of such a high calibre manager, this wouldn’t have been possible without James Bord’s personal involvement in the negotiations.”

James Bord is the ex-professional poker player who took over the club, with Evan Sofer, both are resident in Las Vegas.

According to the Dunfermline Press: “Bord, a former banker and professional poker player, is the founder of San Francisco-based company Short Circuit Science, a sports analytics provider utilising artificial intelligence.

“He also has minority football ownership interests in Bulgarian outfit Septemvri Sofia, and Spanish side Córdoba CF, the latter of whom co-owner Sofer, who works closely with Bord on a number initiatives, including Short Circuit Science, also holds a minority stake.”

Modern football, right?

More details on Club Leon via PA Media: “Both sides are owned by Grupo Pachuca.
The decision to allow both teams to enter had been challenged by a Costa Rican club, Alajuelense.

“Fifa said on Friday that a replacement club would be announced in due course. Article 10.1 of the tournament regulations states that no club participating in the competition may directly or indirectly hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club participating in the competition.

“Chelsea were due to face Leon in Atlanta on June 16. The other teams in Chelsea’s group are Flamengo of Brazil and Tunisian side Esperance.”

Club León said they disagreed with Fifa’s decision and would appeal in the sport’s highest courts if they were denied a place at the Club World Cup.

“In the last few months we have presented all the evidence and documents confirming that Club Leon manages itself in an autonomous manner in all economic, administrative and sporting aspects,” it said.

Club León will be removed from the Club World Cup later this year as it and another Mexican club in the tournament, CF Pachuca, failed to meet criteria on multi-club ownership.

“Fifa has determined that Club León will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course,” Fifa said in a statement.

Pachuca’s spot at the 14 June to 13 July competition in the US is unaffected. Here’s the group León were in. Meanwhile, Léon are not the only club with multi-club ownership; Manchester City are part of such a structure.

• CR Flamengo (BRA)

• Espérance Sportive de Tunis (TUN)

• Chelsea FC (ENG)

• Club León (MEX)

Kári Tulinius gets in touch: “I think singers Lorde and Kiri Te Kanawa must be in with a shout as world’s most famous New Zealander.”

Bob O’Hara: Surely Sirocco (of Last Chance to See infamy) is still the most famous kiwi. Even though he’s actually a kākāpō.

More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirocco_(parrot), including the line “Sirocco’s preference for head-mating and resistance to massage techniques has made it difficult to collect his semen.”

Thanks, both.

Seb gets in touch: “Positioning schmozitioning - Kane was awful in the Euros and WC, at times missing clear cut opportunities. Just because there’s no obvious replacement doesn’t mean that England are going to win anything by persevering with a striker who’s *way* past his best.

”I mean, how many times have we been here - a former ‘great’ getting selected on past glories? There’s a reason he cut his losses and moved to the Bundesliga.

”Anyway Kane will probably blow a gasket trying and Tuchet will have no option but to throw Bellingham up there. Then when it works everyone will call him a genius etc etc...”

A debate in the office: is Chris Wood currently the world’s most famous Kiwi? Maybe Russell Crowe excepted…

Per Reuters

New Zealand forward Chris Wood received one of the strangest yellow cards of the season when he was booked for signing autographs in the stands after scoring a hat-trick in his side’s 7-0 defeat of Fiji in a World Cup qualifier.

Wood, who has enjoyed a superb season at Premier League club Nottingham Forest, was substituted to a standing ovation after his third goal in Wellington and headed straight to the stands to sign autographs and have his photo taken with fans.

However, Wood’s act of goodwill incurred the wrath of referee Norbert Hauata who cautioned the striker as he made his way back to the pitch-side because the game was still going on.

“If that’s the rules, that’s the rules, Wood was quoted as saying by France 24. “Just doing something nice and trying to sign for the fans.”

The All Whites will meet New Caledonia in the final of Oceania qualifying in Auckland on Monday as they try to book their first World Cup spot since South Africa 2010.

Per Reuters

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha has been handed an additional one-match ban and fined £50,000 pounds after admitting to acting in an improper manner after his red card at Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

Cunha was initially handed a three-match ban after being sent off for a clash with Milos Kerkez, argued with referees, teammates and staff before leaving the pitch. Wolves lost the match on penalties.

“Matheus Cunha will now be suspended from domestic football until Sunday, 13 April,” the FA said. Cunha, currently on international duty with Brazil, has already missed two of Wolves’ Premier League matches, and will also be absent from their games against West Ham United and Ipswich Town next month before returning against Tottenham Hotspur on April 13.

Wolves sit 17th in the league, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

A back four is the talk from the England camp, though will Tuchel expect there to be flexibility? This is the era of attacking full-backs, and Livramento and old warhorse Kyle Walker will expect to bomb on. Will those roles eventually fall to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Lewis Hall, both missing with injury?

Krishna gets in touch: “Bring football home” is a war cry delivered by ignoramuses. It is essentially pointless in that it puts unrealistic expectations (and hence pressure) on players who must be focusing on their game. It is also insulting to other (more) capable opponents. Let us be fair; England has won it once; at home. We will make it to the quarter finals with reasonable ambition.

Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, France, England and there will always be one dark horse (Morocco, South Korea, Japan, Uruguay, USA….). We are also assuming that England is not that dark horse. The group stages, the form of the opponents, injuries, weather (summer in USA), VAR, poor decisions, red mists (Scholes, Terry and the likes) – so many factors play a role in making progress in a tournament where after the formality of the group stage, it is knockout straightaway with no cushion of a two legged last 32, last 16, QF or a SF. Forget “ bring football home”, let us bring back Joga Bonito.”

In my editing days, I used to remove any mention of the beautiful game.

Hello there. Just chewing over the England team that will play tonight – will it be three at the back, four?

Three at the back worked in Russia, in 2018. That semi-final team against Croatia: all those players still eligible and the back five, minus Harry Maguire but plus Harry Kane, are all part of the squad. Ashley Young, 40 this year, has been excellent for Everton. If it’s only next year then why not?

And with that, my work here is done. The estimable John Brewin is stepping into the breach.

Tonight’s World Cup qualifying fixtures in Europe are as follows:

Group G
Malta v Finland
Poland v Lithuania

Group H
Cyprus v San Marino
Romania v Bosnia-Herzegovina

Group K
Andorra v Latvia
England v Albania

There’s also Northern Ireland v Switzerland in an international friendly. You can see all the fixtures here.

Rick, who we all agree with, is back!

He writes:

“Interesting reading the article on how best to accommodate Harry Kane as I note that France failed to score against Croatia last night despite having Mbappé, Dembélé and Barcola with goals dripping from their boots in club football, and were beaten by a team with 400-year-old Luka Modric and 399-year-old Ivan Perisic. Oh, and hot-streak Rasmus Hojlund scored the winner against the CR7 monster wielding Portugal.”

View image in fullscreen

Here is a piece on Japan’s 2026 World Cup qualification from Dan Orlowitz:

“Not bored by Kane at all,” emails Mark. “Probably the best English footballer I have ever seen alongside Wayne Rooney, Glenn Hoddle and Sol Campbell.”

View image in fullscreen

“I think it’s remarkable that the Uefa qualifiers start tonight, and Japan have already qualified,” emails Kári Tulinius. “It can’t have happened very often in modern times that a non-hosting country has qualified ahead of the first ball being kicked in a European qualifier.

“I’ll admit that I’m finding it hard to get excited about tonight’s opening round of fixtures. As a resident of Finland I have an emotional interest in the Eagle-Owls’ game against Malta, but most of these seem like the sort of matches that might be described as banana skins. The only exception is Romania v Bosnia-Herzegovina, who should be fighting it out for the second spot in Group H, and might even get automatic qualification if Austria stumble.

“The African qualifiers are a bit more exciting, with Algeria attempting to keep up in Group G with pacesetters Mozambique by beating Botswana, who are currently in third. Meanwhile in Group C, which is probably the most finely poised, Lesotho travel across their only border to take on South Africa, who have been making characteristically heavy weather of qualifying, currently lying in third behind Rwanda, who face Nigeria, who have yet to win a single match.

“The big match tonight is undoubtedly when Uruguay welcome Argentina to the Estadio Centenario. The same fixture as the first World Cup final, in the very ground where it took place. Since it kicks off at half past one in the morning here in Finland, it’s a bit late for me, but I know which highlights I’ll be looking up first when I wake up.”

View image in fullscreen

5d ago09.20 EDT

Guéhi may be left out against Albania

Jacob Steinberg

Marc Guéhi could be a surprising omission from the England team later. The centre-back was a regular during last year’s run to the Euros final but this is a new era. It’s worth remembering that Tuchel likes height - see the call up of Dan Burn, who could make his debut next to Ezri Konsa tonight. Tuchel is also the manager who sold Guéhi from Chelsea to Crystal Palace.

View image in fullscreen

Are you bored of Harry Kane? Get in touch.

If you missed it … Harry Kane believes his achievements are taken for granted and that people are “bored” by his goal-scoring.

“It’s like when Ronaldo and Messi were throwing these crazy numbers out there and the next season they’d score 40 goals instead of 50 and it was like they were having a bad season,” Kane said. “People take it for granted and maybe a little bit with England as well. I’ve scored 69 goals and when you score against Albania or Latvia, or these teams, people just expect it so it’s not spoken about so much.

“Say if I was 25 now and doing what I’m doing, the excitement around me would maybe be a little bit different to what it is now. Again, that’s part of where we are with football and I’ve seen it with some other players as they get into their 30s. Maybe people just get a little bit bored of what you do, but I’m certainly not bored. I’m excited for these games and the games ahead.”

View image in fullscreen

Kane’s goals this season for Bayern have fired them to the brink of the Bundesliga title while they are also in the Champions League quarter-finals, but it has not made him immune to to criticism.

“It’s hard. Sometimes it motivates me. Sometimes, to be honest I try to stay away from it as much as I can,” he added. “Probably, when I was young I listened to more than what I do now. Ultimately, I criticise myself more than anyone could do on the outside but … always use it as fuel to prove people wrong.

“Today’s game, I feel like there’s such a difference between a high and a low. You go from not scoring for a couple of games, to people saying he’s not sharp enough ... to scoring and you’re a Ballon d’Or contender and it’s like, the difference is too high and too low. I know what I’ve done in my career and I feel like I have a lot of respect from a lot of football people out there and I’ve achieved a lot in my career.” (PA Media)

Declan Rice hosting Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn, for an episode of “England Generations” on the official channels, is actually excellent content:

Myle Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal, called up by England for the first time by Thomas Tuchel, has been having a chat with the FA’s media team.

“Initially, the day before I got the call-up, I was on the phone with my friends and I got a call when I was on the phone with them,” said Lewis-Skelly.

“It said no number so I told my friends, ‘one second, I need to take this call’. I’m thinking, ‘there’s a good chance that it could be a call-up’ but I ended up picking up and it was Uber Eats for my mum! I was like, ‘ah, man’. Then the next day, I got a text confirming it.”

View image in fullscreen

Of his first experience of a senior England camp, Lewis-Skelly added: “There’s been so much to take in, but I feel like every moment, I’ve been present and I’ve taken it day by day. It’s something that you dream of and when it actually comes, obviously I visualised it and I work towards these moments but when it actually comes, you’re still so happy.

“I would say that it hasn’t been by accident because I’ve put in the work and I’ve really had self-belief and trust in my ability to do what I’m doing.”

(Quotes courtesy englandfootball.com)

Enough of all this England gubbins: Jeff Stelling says go and watch your non-league team this weekend. Quite right, Jeff, and not in the least bit unbelievable:

Non-league clubs can offer fans looking to get a live football fix over the international break something different, according to Hartlepool president Jeff Stelling. While Premier League and Championship clubs are not in action this weekend, with some EFL games also postponed, there is a full programme of fixtures down the pyramid.

As part of this year’s Non-League Day on March 22 - which sees its partnership with Prostate Cancer UK continue for an 11th season - there is an opportunity for fans to get a picture alongside the Premier League trophy during a two-day ground hop around the Essex Senior League.

While trips to the likes of Benfleet or Takeley may not normally hold appeal, Stelling feels taking a chance to help provide “lifeblood” to the clubs with extra people through the gates will prove money well spent.

View image in fullscreen

“Hopefully, just for a weekend, it puts non-league football a little more in the spotlight,” said Stelling, who has been honorary president of Hartlepool since 2015. “I know a lot of fans of big clubs hate international breaks, so it is a great opportunity for fans of those teams to just have a little look at non-league football and what it has to offer.

“It might well be something they have never thought about doing before, but if they go, they will realise it is a very different, much more all-embracing experience than it is to go and watch a Premier League side.

“This is a chance for people to go along and sample that, and I think for a lot of people, after they do it once, they will go back on a relatively regular basis.”

Stelling added: “Getting people paying to go into those non-league games is significantly more important to those clubs than it is at the top level, because they have got so much funding and sponsorship.

“But at a lower level, attendance money is still really important. It is still the lifeblood of those clubs really, so it is important that people go along.” (PA Media)

Also from Barney Ronay, this is from last Friday after Tuchel’s press conference, and well worth a read:

“Thomas Tuchel’s first squad conference was in the event a highly convincing production, expertly phrased, and hitting just the right note of hope versus realism.”