Former Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld feels the return of Jerome Boateng could be essential to Pep Guardiola s Champions League hopes this season.

The 27-year-old suffered a groin injury in January and is not expected to be available again until April, meaning he faces a battle to be fit for the quarter-final and semi-final stage should the Bundesliga champions progress that far.

Boateng was left humbled by a brilliant solo goal from Lionel Messi during last season s semi-final against Barcelona, but Hitzfeld maintains the Germany international will be crucial to Bayern s chances of lifting Europe s top prize for the first time since 2013.

It is not easy to miss that many defensive players, he told Omnisport. Jerome Boateng especially is a huge loss for Baye…

Sebastian Larsson has ended speculation about his future at Sunderland by signing a new three-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

The Sweden international midfielder arrived at the club from Birmingham City in 2011 and has gone on to make over 120 appearances for Sunderland, including 41 in all competitions last season.

Larsson s previous deal was set to expire at the end of the month, but he has snubbed offers from rival clubs in favour of being part of Gus Poyet s plans for the future.

I m delighted to have signed a new deal with the club, he told Sunderland s official website.

I ve had talks with Gus and (sporting director) Lee Congerton and I feel that this is a club moving in the right direction and I want to be part of it.

I had a few options but I…

Lionel Messi has sensationally told Barcelona he wants to leave the club.

Barca captain Messi, whose contract runs until June 2021, is said to have a clause in his deal that allowed him to leave on a free transfer at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

It was required to be activated before the end of May but, due to the season being extended into August amid the coronavirus pandemic, the six-time Ballon d Or winner has told the Catalan giants he still intends to make use of it.

Messi last week held talks with head coach Ronald Koeman, who replaced Quique Setien at the helm after Barca were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The 33-year-old reportedly told Koeman he was leaning towards a departure from Camp Nou and St…

Paulo Dybala scored a wonderful free-kick to earn Juventus a 1-0 home win over Atletico Madrid that secured top spot in Group D of the Champions League.

Atletico, knocked out by Juve last season, had the better of the first half but moments before the interval Dybala whipped a superb set-piece in from a narrow angle to open the scoring.

Although Joao Felix s introduction from the bench improved Atletico, it was Juve substitute Federico Bernardeschi who went closest to the game s second goal when he hit the post on Tuesday.

Juve, who welcomed back Cristiano Ronaldo, were already through but with 13 points Maurizio Sarri s side now cannot be caught at the summit with Atletico needing a win when the group stage ends next month.

Dybala had an early effort …

What the papers say

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could move to French giants Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer, the Sun reports. The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 27 games for Crystal Palace in all competitions last season and is reportedly attracting interest from the Ligue 1 champions.

After securing the signature of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are looking to add more strength to their midfield with the club linked with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, the Mirror said. The 28-year-old is in high-demand across the Premier League after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.

Chelsea are weighing up a deal with Champions League runners up Inter Milan, according to the Sun. The Blues are reportedly offering the I…

Jude Bellingham has praised England manager Gareth Southgate for the “amazing job” he has done in easing him into the set-up and aiding the ascension of fellow young stars.

With talent and maturity that belies his tender years, the nascent 19-year-old midfielder has established himself as a key player for the national team and has two major tournaments under his belt.

Bellingham has won 24 caps under Southgate and only a knee injury has prevented the England star from adding to that tally in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualification double-header against Malta and North Macedonia.

“I think Gareth has done an amazing job in easing me in,” Bellingham told the PA news agency. “I think England as a country are famous for kind of getting carried away, if you like…

Turkish side Besiktas have completed the signing of Demba Ba from Chelsea, .

The 29 year old completed his medical midweek, and will wear the number nine shirt with the side that finished third in the Super Lig last season.

In eighteen months at Stamford Bridge, the Senegal international made fifty-one appearances in all competitions, scoring just fourteen times.

He originally moved to the Premier League in 2011, when West Ham United signed him from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim.

The forward then moved to Newcastle United on a free transfer just six months after making his switch to the Hammers while internationally he has won eighteen senior caps for his country, scoring four times.

With Champions Fenerbache excluded from European competitio…

Miralem Pjanic believes the current Roma squad is the strongest he has played in and has targeted winning the Serie A title this season.

Rudi Garcia s men secured a return to the UEFA Champions League by finishing runners-up in Italy s top flight last season.

The coach has since been busy bolstering his squad ahead of a campaign in Europe s premier competition, with the likes of Ashley Cole, Juan Iturbe and Urby Emanuelson having moved to Stadio Olimpico.

Pjanic who joined Roma in August 2011 from Ligue 1 side Lyon takes confidence from the improving strength in depth at the capital club, but claimed reigning champions Juventus remain favourites, while also noting the threat of Napoli.

We want to win this Scudetto, Pjanic told Corriere dello Sport.

…

Paris Saint-Germain tied their record Ligue 1 winning margin with a 9-0 victory over Guingamp at the Parc des Princes, but Marco Verratti hobbled off with an apparently serious injury.

Despite losing to a late Guingamp penalty in a remarkable Coupe de la Ligue meeting last week, the result never looked in doubt for PSG in an altogether different affair on Saturday as Neymar scored a double while both Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani hit the simplest of hat-tricks.

Yet an already depleted midfield, featuring Dani Alves out of position, was further limited by Verratti s first-half withdrawal after taking a kick, nursing his left foot as he headed off the pitch.

With a crunch Champions League clash with a reinvigorated Manchester United to come in less than a mont…

Jesus Vallejo has vowed to repay the faith shown in him by Real Madrid with performances on the pitch after he was handed Pepe s former number three shirt.

The 20-year-old defender was bought by Madrid in 2015 but spent the following campaign on loan at former club Real Zaragoza.

Last term he was loaned out to Eintracht Frankfurt and made 25 appearances as they finished 11th in the Bundesliga.

He will finally get his chance at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2017-18, though, and steps into the shoes of Pepe who completed a free transfer to Besiktas earlier this week.

Thank you very much to the president and the club, who have shown great confidence in me when they signed me two years ago, Vallejo said on Friday.

Since then I have wanted to repay that t…