Reus’ thigh injury a worry for Dortmund as Spurs loom
Berlin:bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund face a nervous wait to see if top scorer Marco Reus will be fit for next week’s Champions League clash at Tottenham Hotspur after the forward suffered a thigh injury.
Reus went off after drilling in a superb free-kick, his 17th goal in all competitions this season, in Tuesday’s shock 3-1 German Cup home defeat by Werder Bremen.
The injury-prone 29-year-old has scored in each of Dortmund’s last four games in all competitions, but rates himself doubtful for Saturday’s Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim.
Reus watched from the bench as Dortmund crashed out of the Cup on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will have noticed the problems Werder’s attack caused Dortmund in defence.
OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN NAMED IN REDS’ CL SIDE
LIVERPOOL:ALEX Oxlade-chamberlain has been included in Liverpool’s squad for the knockout stages of the Champions League as he looks to make a comeback after being sidelined by a knee injury for over nine months.
The 25-year-old underwent surgery after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the semi-final against AS Roma last season.
Although there were fears that he would miss the entire 2018-19 campaign, manager Juergen Klopp had earlier confirmed that he was ahead of schedule in his recovery and would play a role in the second half of the season. Liverpool face Bayern Munich in the last-16 with the first leg to be played at Anfield on February 19.
‘POCHETTINO SHOULD MANAGE MAN UNITED’
London:manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves the chance to take over as permanent boss while Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino is be the best alternative, according to former club captain Wayne Rooney.
Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho in December and has guided United to seven wins and a draw in the Premier League to make a
compelling case for his appointment ahead of Pochettino.
“It’d be nice to see Ole Gunnar continue with this form and get a shot at the job on a permanent basis,” Rooney said. “But if not, if the club go to choose from somewhere else, then I think Pochettino would be the right guy.”
BAHRAIN FOOTBALLER DENIED BAIL BY COURT
BANGKOK: Thai prosecutors will oppose bail for a refugee football player detained in Bangkok and facing extradition to Bahrain, the office of the attorney general said on Wednesday citing flight risks.
Hakeem al-araibi was granted refugee status in Australia after fleeing charges in Bahrain connected to Arab Spring protests but was stopped in Thailand in November attempting to go on his honeymoon.
He is wanted for damaging a police station but the former national youth footballer says the case is bogus and tied to his criticism of AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s ruling family. The 25-year-old fears being returned to Bahrain where he believes he could face imprisonment and torture.