The crew’s main scorer this season was injured in a 1-0 win over Liverpool final week and was initially anticipated to return this month.

“We’re taking a look at as much as eight weeks,” Rodgers mentioned. “His is the upper finish of his hamstring. You’re looking into March for Jamie. He doesn’t want an operation and that was the one excellent news from it.”

The information was worse for centre-back Jonny Evans, who wanted surgical procedure on his injured hamstring. The Northern Eire worldwide will likely be side-lined till April, Rodgers mentioned. Evans was injured throughout the 4-0 win over Newcastle on Dec. 12.

“Jamie will likely be out for a variety of weeks. It’s been unlucky for him, however we’re taking a look at as much as eight weeks, so he will likely be out for a time frame.”

Supervisor Brendan Rodgers spoke about Jamie Vardy’s harm and the supply in his squad pre-#LeiWat

— Leicester Metropolis (@LCFC) January 7, 2022

Vardy has scored 9 objectives, third-most within the Premier League this season. His absence leaves Leicester with a striker scarcity, as Patson Daka continues to be recovering from an harm and Kelechi Iheanacho is with Nigeria on the African Cup of Nations.

Rodgers had earlier attributed Vardy’s harm to the packed festive schedule and the additional calls for positioned on gamers attributable to COVID-19.

FA Cup champion Leicester hosts Watford on Saturday within the third spherical of the competitors.

Ralf Rangnick is starting to know simply how huge a job he has taken on at Manchester United.

His gamers are already changing into dispirited, too.

Rangnick fell to his first loss as United supervisor after Joao Moutinho’s 82nd-minute strike earned Wolverhampton a 1-0 win within the English Premier League on Monday, and his crew’s first victory at Outdated Trafford since 1980.

Outplayed for a lot of the sport, United’s gamers seemed like they might survive for a degree till Moutinho met a defensive headed clearance by controlling the ball on the fringe of the realm and driving in a volley that rolled simply contained in the put up.

This was the hardest take a look at of Rangnick’s opening six matches in cost and United at instances couldn’t get close to Wolves, whose passing and motion was sharper in its first sport in two weeks following COVID-19 points within the squad. Wolves had 19 photographs in complete, with the 15 within the first half probably the most by a visiting crew at Outdated Trafford because the league’s statistic provider, Opta, started recording stats in 2003.

There have been murmurings of discontent from the house followers, too, with some jeering Rangnick’s resolution to substitute Mason Greenwood simply earlier than the hour.

“I didn’t really feel once I was on the pitch that we have been all there collectively,” mentioned United left again Luke Shaw, who complained of a scarcity of choices on the ball and aggression off it.

Shaw went on to color a bleak image of life in a squad that features world-renowned gamers Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, the latter of whom began on the bench.

“You have a look at our crew, the gamers we now have, we now have unbelievable high quality,” Shaw mentioned. “Typically high quality isn’t sufficient. We have to deliver the depth, be extra aggressive, and produce extra motivation.

“Perhaps from the surface it didn’t appear like we had any of them three.”

United stayed in seventh place, 22 factors off chief Manchester Metropolis and 4 off the highest 4 after probably the most worrying show but below Rangnick.

“We didn’t play properly in any respect, individually or collectively,” mentioned the German, including: “The sport confirmed we nonetheless have a variety of work to do.”

Rangnick has had a benign begin on paper after arriving as a substitute for the fired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with three of his 4 earlier league opponents being the underside three of Norwich, Newcastle and Burnley. Wolves was the primary crew from the highest half to play Rangnick’s United and there was a gulf at school and crew form.

United’s new coach was imagined to deliver a greater urgent sport to the crew, however that isn’t obvious but.

“We didn’t press in any respect,” Rangnick mentioned. “We weren’t capable of get in urgent conditions … that is the massive situation.”

A optimistic for United was a primary begin in practically two years in all competitions for Phil Jones, a former England middle again who has struggled with a longstanding proper knee harm. He was given a rousing ovation when he made his first clearance and he barely put a foot improper.

Jones couldn’t mark his return with a clear sheet, although, and it was his clearance that was pounced on by Moutinho for the objective, which made him the oldest visiting participant at 35 to attain a winner within the Premier League at Outdated Trafford.

Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa preserved his shutout with a diving save to his proper to maintain out Bruno Fernandes’ free kick with one of many final acts of the sport.

“We got here right here with a giant character,” Wolves supervisor Bruno Lage mentioned. “Credit score for my crew. We got here right here with a giant ambition.”

Fernandes had been the participant to come back on for Greenwood and, inside minutes, struck the crossbar with United’s greatest probability. Cristiano Ronaldo, making his 1,one hundredth senior profession look, additionally had a objective for United disallowed for offside.

“We have now time to refocus again,” Shaw mentioned, referring to the hole to United’s subsequent sport _ at dwelling to Aston Villa within the FA Cup subsequent Monday. “We’ve acquired a protracted coaching week. And possibly the supervisor can deliver some extra concepts that he needs on the pitch.”

Alexis Mac Allister scored twice to guide Brighton to a 3-2 win at Everton that piled extra strain on supervisor Rafael Benitez on Sunday.

Even the long-awaited return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin after virtually 5 months out with a thigh damage failed to vary Everton’s fortunes, with the striker’s principal contribution being a missed first-half penalty.

By then the house facet had been already 2-0 down after Mac Allister’s opener within the third minute was adopted by a header from Dan Burn within the twenty first.

FULL-TIME Everton 2-3 Brighton

Alexis Mac Allister scores twice as Graham Potter’s facet earn a hard-fought win#EVEBHA pic.twitter.com/1p0qt7q71Z

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2022

Everton conceded the primary objective for the 14th time in 20 matches this season within the Premier League and seventh time in succession.

Whereas academy graduate Anthony Gordon scored his first two objectives for Everton within the 53rd and 76th minutes, Mac Allister’s second in between that double made it an sad begin to 2022 for Benitez, whose facet have now gained simply as soon as within the final 12 matches.

Everton is fifteenth within the 20-team standing, whereas Brighton is in eighth place.

Brentford beats Aston Villa 2-1 in Premier League

Mads Roerslev was an unlikely match-winner for Brentford, scoring his first objective in skilled soccer towards Aston Villa.

The defender sealed a 2-1 win within the Premier League on Sunday within the 83rd minute. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez beat away his first shot however the 22-year-old Dane struck from the rebound.

FULL-TIME Brentford 2-1 Aston Villa

Yoane Wissa and Mads Roerslev Rasmussen full a turnaround for the hosts, after Danny Ings’ opener#BREAVL pic.twitter.com/F2OfyYOYGE

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2022

Villa had led by a strike from Danny Ings within the sixteenth minute, however Yoane Wissa curled in a equalizer three minutes earlier than halftime.

Brentford moved above Villa into twelfth place.

Burnley’s Matt Lowton hit by bottle throughout loss at Leeds

Stuart Dallas and Dan James scored second-half objectives as Leeds beat Burnley 3-1 to assist its Premier League survival possibilities on Sunday.

Jack Harrison’s first-half opener for Leeds was canceled out by Maxwel Cornet’s high-quality free kick. In the course of the Burnley celebrations, defender Matt Lowton was hit by a plastic bottle thrown from the house followers.

FULL-TIME Leeds 3-1 Burnley

Possibilities produced at each ends however objectives from Stuart Dallas and Daniel James safe all 3 factors for Leeds#LEEBUR pic.twitter.com/9cpETGYpOc

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2022

A thumping drive from Dallas put Leeds in entrance within the 77th minute and James sealed the workforce’s first league win for the reason that finish of November with a stoppage-time header.

Leeds halted a run of three straight losses and climbed eight factors away from Sean Dyche’s facet, which stays third from backside within the relegation zone.

Chelsea dropped Romelu Lukaku from the squad for Sunday’s sport in opposition to Liverpool after the membership’s record-signing expressed frustration about his function within the staff.

The interview was performed earlier than he scored final Sunday and once more on Wednesday within the Premier League however it was solely aired later by broadcaster Sky in Italy. The striker mentioned he was “not pleased with the scenario” at Chelsea and indicated he didn’t like supervisor Thomas Tuchel’s type of play.

Tuchel on Romelu Lukaku out: “The factor obtained too large, too noisy, so near the match, so I made a decision to guard the preparation for the match”, he informed @SkySports. #CFC

“After all we’ve spoken, twice to the primary gamers – however after that we needed to realise it’s too large”. pic.twitter.com/qm3AJnDjPS

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 2, 2022

ICYMI: Thomas Tuchel’s pre-match response to Romelu Lukaku’s interview.pic.twitter.com/klwOQTKuA1

— Squawka Information (@SquawkaNews) January 2, 2022

Lukaku first joined Chelsea in 2011 however spent two years on mortgage earlier than being bought to Everton in 2014. He returned to Chelsea this previous offseason in a deal price almost 100 million kilos (then round $140 million). after he netted 24 Serie A targets to assist Inter win the Italian league title for the primary time since 2010.

Lukaku: “I’m not pleased with the scenario and that’s solely pure. The pinnacle coach has determined to play a distinct system and I mustn’t let up, I have to hold working laborious and be skilled. I’m not pleased with the scenario however I’m a grafter and I mustn’t let up” pic.twitter.com/xamRI8DcGV

— Patrick Kendrick (@patrickendrick) December 30, 2021

However Lukaku has had a irritating first season again in London the place he was out injured for a month and missed time in December after contracting the coronavirus.

Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick stated he hopes to enhance the understanding between all his gamers on the pitch and never simply Portuguese attackers Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.

Ronaldo has scored 14 objectives in all competitions since he rejoined the membership within the shut season whereas Fernandes — one in all United’s key gamers final season — has suffered a dip in kind prompting questions on whether or not the pair can play collectively.

Fernandes was suspended for United’s 3-1 Premier League win over Burnley on Thursday and Rangnick stated he was proud of the way in which his gamers tailored.

“In opposition to Burnley, we needed to play with out Bruno and once more we did effectively, we performed with two strikers, two wingers, two quantity sixes, each participant in his very best place,” Rangnick advised Sky Sports activities.

“That is one other factor we’re making an attempt to attain, regardless of which formation we’re making an attempt to play we’ve got each participant in his very best place.

“So it’s not solely in regards to the partnership between Cristiano and Bruno, it’s about partnerships between different gamers.”

German Rangnick stated he was particularly happy with Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, who performed alongside Ronaldo.

“Edinson was the participant with the best distance in the entire group,” Rangnick stated.

“Since we’ll change the group and beginning lineup each recreation it’s about completely different partnerships and creating the entire group, and they need to play with the identical mindset and ideas after we’re in possession or the opposite group is in possession.”

United, who’re sixth within the desk with 31 factors from 18 video games, tackle Wolverhampton Wanderers within the league on Monday.

A seamless coronavirus outbreak at Newcastle has led to Sunday’s sport at Southampton being postponed, the Premier League stated on Friday.

Newcastle’s earlier sport towards Everton scheduled for Thursday had additionally been referred to as off.

𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙 #NUFC‘s fixture towards Southampton at St. Mary’s on Sunday has been postponed attributable to ongoing Covid-19 circumstances and accidents amongst the Magpies’ first staff squad.

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) December 31, 2021

The Premier League stated a mixture of Covid-19 circumstances and accidents meant Nineteenth-place Newcastle doesn’t have the required 13 outfield gamers and one goalkeeper obtainable to face Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.

The league stated in a press release that it “was capable of make its choice prematurely of the fixture to provide readability to the affected golf equipment and their followers.” It brings the whole to 18 Premier League video games postponed prior to now three weeks, together with last-place Norwich’s journey to Leicester on Saturday.

FRANCE

The French league postponed the sport between Angers and Saint-Etienne on January 9 due to a excessive variety of coronavirus circumstances within the Angers squad.

Angers requested for the postponement on Thursday, saying there have been 19 confirmed circumstances amongst its squad of 30 gamers and that greater than 10 aren’t approved to play once more till January 10. Angers added {that a} additional 5 workers members have the virus.

Angers had 5 gamers out with Covid-19 when it misplaced 4-1 at Montpellier on December 22 earlier than the winter break.

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been launched early from the membership to hitch Gabon for the Africa Cup of Nations as a result of he isn’t going to characteristic in Saturday’s Premier League match at house to Manchester Metropolis, supervisor Mikel Arteta stated.

Aubameyang, 32, has fallen out of favour with Arteta at Arsenal and was stripped of the captaincy this month following a “disciplinary breach”. He final performed in a 2-1 league defeat at Everton on December 6, lacking 5 video games in all competitions.

Aubameyang signed a brand new three-year contract with Arsenal final yr however has struggled this season, scoring solely 4 Premier League targets — the final of which was in October.

Gamers heading to subsequent month’s Africa Cup of Nations finals are allowed to play for his or her golf equipment till Jan. 3, however Arteta stated that Gabon requested if Aubameyang might be part of early.

“We had a letter from the (Gabon) nationwide workforce asking permission to get the participant and the participant was not going to become involved… so for his health and to maintain competing, it was the correct factor to do,” Arteta informed reporters on Friday.

“In the intervening time he has gone (for AFCON). He must concentrate on the nationwide workforce. We had the dialog that it was the absolute best method to do it. We are going to handle it game-by-game.”

Arteta himself stated that he’s recovering nicely after testing constructive for Covid-19 this week. He added that assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg will take cost for Saturday’s recreation, although the Spaniard will likely be in contact with the teaching workers.

“Albert will likely be in cost with the remainder of the workforce and relying on who of the coaches can be found, all people will likely be there making an attempt to assist as a lot as potential,” Arteta stated.

“We will likely be in contact as nicely … I’m going to be right here to assist and assist in sure moments however they should get the momentum of the sport and communication themselves.”

Arsenal are fourth on 35 factors after 19 matches, 15 factors behind leaders Metropolis who’ve performed a recreation extra.

Three Liverpool gamers and extra employees members have examined optimistic for Covid-19 forward of the journey to Chelsea however it’s too quickly to ask the Premier League to postpone the sport, supervisor Juergen Klopp mentioned on Friday.

The league has postponed 18 video games to date because of a mix of Covid-19 outbreaks and accidents at a number of golf equipment, leaving them with out sufficient gamers to fulfil fixtures.

“We’ve got three new Covid circumstances within the group and some extra within the employees, so it’s not so cool for the time being,” Klopp informed reporters forward of Sunday’s recreation in London.

“I’m not (capable of reveal who examined optimistic) as a result of we now have to undergo the entire course of, PCR (checks), however you will notice the day after tomorrow on the group sheet, will probably be clear who’s affected.”

When requested if Liverpool must ask for the sport to be postponed, Klopp mentioned: “Not but, however we don’t know. We by no means had an outbreak the place 10-15 gamers had it.

“For us, it’s extra on daily basis one other one (checks optimistic)… it seems like a lottery within the morning. It’s daily one other case. We don’t know the way it will look in a couple of hours.”

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Curtis Jones had returned to coaching earlier this week after going into isolation because of optimistic Covid-19 checks.

Klopp added that Thiago and Takumi Minamino, who missed the midweek loss at Leicester Metropolis because of muscle soreness, weren’t but match to play.

“Taki might be nearer, he’s working exterior. Thiago not but,” the German coach mentioned. “It would take a bit of longer, a hip difficulty — we don’t know the place it’s coming from. We’ve got to be a bit of bit affected person.”

Third-placed Liverpool are one level behind Chelsea, who’re second, with a recreation in hand.

Leaders Manchester Metropolis are eight factors forward of Chelsea and Klopp mentioned that regardless of their wholesome benefit midway via the season there was nonetheless quite a bit to play for.

“When you might have this sort of shut (title) battle, particularly with a constant group like Metropolis who aren’t fazed by COVID or accidents – they’re in a great second – however you can’t win the league correctly within the winter. It’s unlikely,” Klopp mentioned.

“However what they (Metropolis) have now could be a niche, it’s completely deserved for them, however let’s simply give it a go. Just one group might be champions.

“There’s a decisive second in April, there it’s important to be shut sufficient to offer it a correct go. We’ll see the place we’re then. From now to then … so many video games to play, so many various competitions to play.”

The variety of confirmed instances of the coronavirus within the Barcelona squad swelled to 10, doubtlessly jeopardizing the workforce’s return to league play after Spain’s winter break of almost two weeks.

In the meantime, in England, Saturday’s match between Leicester and Norwich within the Premier League was postponed as a result of Norwich didn’t have the required numbers to play on account of Covid-19 instances and accidents. It’s the seventeenth match to be known as off within the league up to now month.

[MEDICAL UPDATE]

Sergiño Dest, Coutinho and Ez Abde constructive for COVID-19.

The gamers are in good well being and self-isolating at house.

The Membership has reported the instances to the related authorities. pic.twitter.com/pQVqwkykjT

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 30, 2021

Sergiño Dest, Philippe Coutinho and Abde Ezzalzouli are the newest gamers to contract Covid-19, Barcelona stated. They’re self-isolating at house and the workforce stated they have been “in good well being.” The membership already introduced this week that Ousmane Dembélé, Samuel Umtiti, Gavi, Jordi Alba, Alejandro Balde, Clement Lenglet and Dani Alves had examined constructive and have been isolating.

Barcelona can also be depleted by accidents going into Sunday’s match at Mallorca in seventh place.

Actual Madrid stated Wednesday that 4 gamers — Vinicius Jr., Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga — examined constructive for Covid-19 forward of Sunday’s sport towards Getafe.

In the course of the break, Dest and Vinicius had posted pictures on Instagram of their respective journeys to Miami.

They included court-side pictures at a Miami Warmth basketball sport and photos with star Jimmy Butler.

Vinicius’ account included one in every of him with Warmth guard Tyler Herro. All of them wore masks within the pictures.

On Wednesday, the Warmth was unable to fulfill the NBA’s requirement of eight obtainable gamers for the sport towards San Antonio, resulting in it being postponed. Miami had 12 gamers listed as out due to a mixture of accidents and constructive virus exams.

ENGLAND

Leicester now has three matches to atone for, having beforehand seen fixtures towards Everton and Tottenham get known as off.

Following a request from Norwich, the Premier League Board met immediately and regrettably agreed to postpone the membership’s away fixture towards Leicester, resulting from be performed at 3pm on 1 January

Full assertion: https://t.co/CYwd42fCIl#LEINOR pic.twitter.com/BkTh9fyKoT

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 30, 2021

Norwich, which is in final place, shall be two video games in arrears after an earlier postponement towards West Ham.

Premier League groups are required to have 13 outfield gamers and one goalkeeper obtainable to play in a match, and the league deemed that was not the case with Norwich.

It’s the first sport to be known as off within the twenty first spherical of fixtures.

FRANCE

French membership Angers requested the soccer league to postpone its house sport towards Saint-Etienne on Jan. 9 due to a excessive variety of coronavirus instances.

Angers stated there have been 19 confirmed instances amongst its squad of 30 gamers and that greater than 10 won’t be licensed to play once more till January 10. Angers added {that a} additional 5 workers members have the virus.

Angers had 5 gamers out with COVID-19 when it misplaced at Montpellier 4-1 on December 22 earlier than the winter break.

Strasbourg stated coach Julien Stephan has the virus however is exhibiting no signs.

In the meantime, Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta wrote on Instagram that he examined constructive on trip in Dubai and is isolating there.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a fourth purpose in his final 5 Premier League video games to assist Manchester United beat Burnley 3-1 on Thursday for its greatest win beneath just lately employed supervisor Ralf Rangnick.

Ronaldo grabbed the third of United’s first-half objectives, tapping into an empty web within the thirty fifth minute after Scott McTominay’s long-range shot was tipped onto the put up by Burnley goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

With 14 objectives in all competitions this season, the Portugal ahead has made a powerful begin to his second spell at United and he was paired up entrance towards Burnley with Edinson Cavani _ a strike partnership with a mixed age of 70.

United had far an excessive amount of going ahead for the guests, who have been enjoying their first sport since Dec. 12 after seeing fixtures towards Watford, Aston Villa and Everton get postponed since then due to COVID-19 outbreaks in opponents’ squads.

McTominay, with a curling shot from the sting of the realm, and an own-goal by Ben Mee _ off his outstretched foot as he tried to dam Jadon Sancho’s shot _ had set United on the right track for victory as Rangnick’s staff bounced again from a disappointing show in a 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Monday.

In maybe a sign of his displeasure in regards to the Newcastle sport, Rangnick made six adjustments together with three in protection. One in all them was Eric Bailly, who went off injured halfway via the second half in a possible blow to Ivory Coast forward of the African Cup of Nations.

Aaron Lennon capped an entertaining first half by discovering the web with a shot into the far nook to cut back the deficit within the thirty eighth together with his first purpose since September 2018.

By then, United had carried out sufficient to safe a 3rd win in 4 league video games beneath Rangnick and climb above Tottenham into sixth place.

McTominay mentioned he felt United’s first-half efficiency was the most effective the staff had performed since Rangnick arrived.

“We’re studying and adapting,” the Scotland midfielder mentioned. “The sport towards Newcastle was troublesome and we needed to bounce again from that.

“The supervisor mentioned we set the file for probably the most quantity of turnovers within the league. We needed to preserve the ball higher.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i_mnJoefGU

United is nineteen factors behind chief Manchester Metropolis, having performed two video games fewer.

Burnley stayed within the relegation zone in third-from-last place however has performed fewer video games _ 16 _ than all of the groups round Burnley combating towards the drop.

“We haven’t performed for 3 weeks and there was a little bit of rustiness there,“ Lennon mentioned. “We’ll mud ourselves down and go once more.”