Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet will return to Liverpool s starting line-up for the EFL Cup match against Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.

Alisson s arrival during the close season has consigned the Belgium international to the sidelines this term, while he lost his starting spot to Loris Karius – now on loan at Besiktas – in 2017-18.

But Klopp confirmed at a news conference that Mignolet will be in the first XI when Chelsea arrive at Anfield for Wednesday s third-round game.

The only position I will confirm that we will change is Simon will start, he said.

All the rest, you have to wait, but it will be a good team, believe me.

Klopp went on to praise Mignolet s application and hard work while accepting his new reality as understudy to the se…

Carlo Ancelotti considered a solid defensive display cause for celebration as Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 to move above Barcelona at the LaLiga summit.

Los Blancos were far from their fluid best at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, but Eder Militao s third-minute header was enough to see them return to winning ways in the league after last weekend s 1-1 draw with Osasuna.

It was the first time Madrid had kept a clean sheet in eight LaLiga games this season, so Ancelotti was pleased in that regard, hailing his central defenders.

He was less enthused by Madrid in an attacking sense as they failed to add to their early opener.

We were very solid and both Militao and [Antonio] Rudiger played a great game, he said. We could have scored more goals, but at this point…

OL Group, the company that runs Olympique Lyonnais Football Club, on Tuesday announced heavy losses for the 2009-10 season, due largely to high expenditure on new players.

In the financial period leading up to June 30, 2010, the group recorded net losses of 35.6 million euros, having enjoyed profits of 5.3 million euros in the previous year.

Revenue also fell by 16.6 percent to 160 million euros, according to a statement released by the club.

Lyon attributed the figures to a sluggish trading market that failed to allow gains to be made on the termination of the contracts of important players .

In the summer of 2009, Lyon sold French international striker Karim Benzema to Real Madrid for a fee of 35 million euros, but the period since then has been charac…

Market: Hull win

Odds: 19/20 @

Looking to shore up their position in the play-off chase, Hull will welcome Birmingham to the KCOM on Tuesday night.

Starting with the hosts, while Hull might have spent large spells of last season looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, the Tigers are enjoying a remarkable Championship flurry this season. Only continuing to receive a string of plaudits and with the mood in Liam Rosenior’s camp at a red-hot high, fans around the KCOM are now dreaming of the chance to book a famous play-off ticket in 2024. Opening up Tuesday’s showdown holding a one-point buffer in the top-six chase, Hull will know the importance of making another statement here. Losing just one of their previous eight Championship appearances…

Joe Hart wants Manchester City to make history in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday night and the England goalkeeper remains bullish over his club s ailing Premier League ambitions.

Saturday s drab 0-0 draw at Norwich City left Manuel Pellegrini s team nine points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City in fourth.

They will aim to bounce back by reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time and are handily placed to do so, taking a 3-1 advantage from the first-leg into the Etihad Stadium clash.

Hart, who has played throughout all four of City s previous Champions League campaigns as the club s longest-serving player, told a pre-match news conference: It s important for us [to reach the quarter-finals].

It s a targ…

Everton forward Steven Naismith may look for a transfer away from Goodison Park after finding first-team opportunities hard to come by under Roberto Martinez this season.

Naismith joined Everton from Rangers in 2012 and made over 90 Premier League appearances across his first three seasons at the club.

However, 2015-16 has seen the Scotland international manage just nine league outings only four of which were starts and the 29-year-old has hinted he could look to move elsewhere.

The manager said we d speak about it again come January time so we ll do that, Naismith said at a charity event in Glasgow.

At the moment I m just concentrating on playing my football as part of a great squad and hopefully if I get my chance to play again, I take it.

Bu…

Joachim Low has defended his squad for the upcoming Confederations Cup in Russia, insisting his star names needed to rest ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

Reigning world champions Germany have omitted Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, as well as Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Mats Hummels, from their selection for the tournament which starts on June 17.

Borussia Dortmund winger Marco Reus has also been rested, while Leroy Sane of Manchester City, Mario Gotze, Manuel Neuer and Julian Weigl are all unavailable due to injury, but World Cup organising committee chief Alexey Sorokin criticised Low s decision to leave out big name players.

The heart of a football fan bleeds when the reigning World Cup winner plays without stars,  Sorokin said.  They are the…

Marco Asensio is honoured to be on Inter s radar but has no plans to leave Real Madrid, according to his agent.

Reports have suggested the Nerazzurri are considering a January bid for the Spain international, who has started 11 of Madrid s 17 LaLiga matches this season and scored only once.

Asensio s representative, Horacio Gaggioli, acknowledged his client would be proud to hear of an offer from the Serie A club but says the 22-year-old wants to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It s an honour if a club like Inter are interested in Marco, he told FCInternews.

I don t know if it s true, but for now the player has no intention of leaving Madrid.

Asensio has won eight major trophies for Madrid since 2016, including the 2018 Club World Cup this mon…

Nice have extended Colombia international goalkeeper David Ospina s current deal by a year, until 2013, the French first division side announced Friday.

The 22-year-old Ospina has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the French top flight, which he joined in 2008 from Atletico Nacional Medellin, and is drawing attention from major French clubs.

Nice also secured the services of Peru s international goalkeeper Raul Fernandez earlier this week on a four and a half year deal.

Fernandez was signed to cushion the impending retirement of Lionel Letizi at the end of the season and will have the number two role behind Ospina.

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