Xavi believes forcing Barcelona to play Real Mallorca on Sunday is crazy due to the Blaugrana s 17 first-team absences.

Barca were hit with a spate of COVID-19 cases during the winter break, with as many as 10 players testing positive for the illness.

One of those – Samuel Umtiti – has since returned a negative test meaning he is technically available for Sunday s trip, though he is not deemed match fit after being unable to train in the past week.

Additionally, Xavi is without five players through injury; Sergio Busquets is suspended; Yusuf Demir is negotiating his departure; and Ferran Torres, who is injured anyway, cannot be registered until Monday at the earliest.

While postponements have become commonplace in other competitions, such as the Prem…

Curtis Jones’ double pushed Leicester to the brink of relegation as Liverpool cruised to a 3-0 win – two years to the day since the Foxes’ FA Cup triumph.

The midfielder’s first-half brace and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s stunner eased the visitors to victory as the hosts capitulated to leave them staring at the drop.

That it came on the anniversary of their first ever FA Cup win underlined the 2016 Premier League champions’ fall from grace.

Full-time.

— Leicester City (@LCFC)

Harvey Barnes called it one of the biggest games in the club’s history, but Leicester folded to remain two points from safety with two games left.

The Foxes have sleepwalked into this position. Stricter finances dictated last summer’s quiet transfer w…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proven to be a godsend for Milan, says Stefano Pioli.

The Milan boss added the Rossoneri squad have already been helped on and off the pitch by the forward s arrival.

Ibrahimovic signed for Milan as a free agent after leaving Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, returning to the club where he spent two seasons between 2010 and 2012 before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain.

It did not take long for the 38-year-old to make an impact, with Ibrahimovic scoring on his first start in a 2-0 win over Cagliari last time out in Serie A.

Milan, now unbeaten in three matches in all competitions following their 3-0 win over SPAL in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, sit 10th in Serie A, and Pioli has hailed Ibrahimovic s immediate impact.

Z…

Ederson is full of confidence that Manchester City can go on to win a domestic and European treble this season.

City missed out on their usual EFL Cup triumph this term, a trophy they had lifted four times in a row under Pep Guardiola.

However, they are six points clear at the top of the Premier League, albeit having played a game more than title rivals Liverpool, while they are into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Southampton stand in the way of a semi-final trip to Wembley in that competition, while City also have one foot into the last eight of the Champions League.

Last year s runners-up thrashed Sporting CP 5-0 in the last-16 first leg last month, meaning the return fixture in Manchester on Wednesday should prove a formality.

Definitely,…

Harry Kane says he would love to play with Kevin De Bruyne amid speculation linking the England captain to Manchester City.

Kane is reportedly keen to end a career-long association with Tottenham at the end of this season, with a desire to add silverware to his impressive individual numbers thought to be a prime motivation.

City are expected to be in the market for a centre-forward, with their all-time record goalscorer Sergio Aguero leaving at the end of his contract next month.

Pep Guardiola has previously expressed his admiration for Kane and, speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, the 27-year-old said playing with Belgium star De Bruyne would be a striker s dream

Asked which player in the Premier League would help him score more goals, he replied: …

Atletico Madrid s LaLiga title hopes were dealt a huge blow as Sergio Canales penalty claimed a 1-0 win for Real Betis on Sunday.

With LaLiga leaders Barcelona having drawn on Saturday, Atleti knew that a victory would have taken them to within three points of Ernesto Valverde s side.

But Atleti failed to make Barca pay for their slip up, and having been denied by a spectacular stop from Jan Oblak early on, Betis struck when Canales slotted home from 12 yards out in the 65th minute following Filipe Luis handball.

Diego Simeone will likely point to debutant Alvaro Morata having had what looked to be a clear penalty claim turned down earlier in the second half, while Antoine Griezmann hit the woodwork, but that was the most Atleti could muster as they suffer…

Whether he is still playing for England or enjoying a few pints and watching from the stands, Harry Maguire cannot wait for the European Championship to return to home soil in 2028.

UEFA confirmed on Tuesday that the UK and Ireland’s bid to host the tournament had been approved, having gone into decision day unopposed following the withdrawal of Turkey.

Six of the 10 venues at the five-nation event will be in England, just seven years on from Glasgow and London hosting matches at the pan-European edition.

Gareth Southgate’s men went all the way to the Wembley final at rearranged Euro 2020 and defender Maguire cannot wait to experience another special summer in 2028.

“Hopefully, I will be in the squad but, either way, I am sure I will be at the tourn…

Dries Mertens said it was tough to pull that shirt on after Napoli wore the famous number 10 shirt in honour of Diego Maradona prior to their Europa League win over Rijeka.

Argentina and Napoli great Maradona – arguably football s greatest ever player – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

Napoli s first match since the passing of their most iconic star this week was played out to the noise of songs and fireworks despite the empty stands at the Stadio San Paolo, where Maradona guided the Italian team to unprecedented Scudetto success in 1987 and 1990.

Captain Lorenzo Insigne laid a wreath before kick-off on Thursday, while the Napoli team lined up in Maradona 10 shirts – a jersey that was retired long before Maradona s death. The World Cup …

From the slums of Buenos Aires to the face of football. Former England midfielder Peter Reid hailed Diego Maradona following his death.

Maradona – arguably football s greatest ever player – died at the age of 60 after a suspected heart attack, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed on Wednesday.

Argentina and Napoli great Maradona was discharged from hospital a fortnight ago following brain surgery, having undergone a routine operation for a subdural haematoma after the World Cup winner was admitted to hospital due to concerns over anaemia and dehydration.

Reid came up against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach Maradona on the international stage and he told Stats Perform News: He is like, in Argentina and Napoli – Naples – he is like Go…

The Football Association stood alone in showing the red card to changes in UEFA’s rules which will allow Aleksander Ceferin the option of standing for a further four-year term as president from 2027.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham was the sole national federation delegate to hold up a red card rejecting the amendments at the UEFA Congress in Paris, but the motion passed with 49 of the 55 associations holding up a green card in support.

The amendment would mean Ceferin’s partial first term, which began in September 2016, would not count towards the three-term limit, allowing him the possibility of a further term between 2027 and 2031.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin kicks off his speech in Paris:

This year, UEFA is celebrating its 70th birthda…