Football news live: Latest international break updates as Ada Hegerberg returns for Norway

A: Right here. Abdiaziz Rashid will bring the latest updates from across an evening of UEFA World Cup play-offs.

Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from England’s squad to face Ivory Coast and Switzerland after testing positive for COVID.

Saka had been isolating from his England team-mates at their base at St George’s Park but has now been sent home.

The 20-year-old wrote on Twitter: “I am gutted to withdraw from @England camp but I have tested positive for Covid-19 and I will be isolating until I am negative.

“I’ll be supporting the boys from home this weekend and I can’t wait to be being back doing what I love soon.”

England boss Gareth Southgate will not call up a replacement for Saka as he has 24 players to choose from for the two Wembley friendlies.

Full story here.

(Photo: Getty Images)

If the Premier League has already mastered hype, now it is aiming to recognise history. “The home of the greats” is the modest tagline for what is currently an online celebration in the corner of the Premier League’s website.

As well as Shearer and Henry, who scored 435 Premier League goals between them, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard all got the public vote to join a “Class of 2021” at the end of last season.

Is it really an honour?

It is never a quiet week in the land of Manchester United.

Who are the runners and riders for the managerial position? Listen along to find out.

And there is no-one better to guide you through the return of one of football’s greatest players to the international scene than Katie Whyatt.

It feels as though fans’ expectations are often quite high when you see a player line up a direct free kick but, across Europe’s top five leagues, the average conversion rate of a direct free kick has been just six per cent since 2016-17.

Just six times in 100 attempts; hardly a nailed-on goal and nowhere near the 78 per cent conversion rate of a shot taken from the penalty spot.

There isn’t a discernible pattern when looking at how the conversion rate changes across the leagues each year but it is interesting that Serie A just edges the highest success rate in the past five seasons. Why?

Mark Carey reports.

That is despite a joint bid from the UK and Ireland being submitted yesterday.

The British PM said: “I can’t believe anybody would seriously consider their suggestion and the best thing possible would be for the entire Russian armed forces to retire forthwith from Ukraine and hand the tournament to them, of course.”

He went on to say that “the best thing possible” would be for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine and for Ukraine to be handed the tournament.

Full story here.

Arguably the toughest test of your managerial skills is the Derby County challenge.

Iain Macintosh and Elias Burke caught up to discuss their own journeys. Spoiler, they are experiencing mixed fortunes at the moment.

Click below to take a listen of the latest Football Manager podcast.

A lovely post by Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

It feels like the end of an era with Defoe retiring.

After suffering from COVID-19, star Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli has recovered to face Portugal in a potential final, should Italy overcome North Macedonia tonight.

Remember, only one of Italy and Portugal can reach the finals.

Mesut Ozil has been dropped from the Fenerbahce squad.

The former Arsenal midfielder has spent the last year in Turkey with the Istanbul-based club. He has helped them to third in the Turkish Super Lig.

However, a statement from Fenerbahce has now said he has been “excluded” from the squad, along with Ozan Tufan, who spent last season on loan at Watford.

To read the full statement, click here.

Boris Johnson has suggested Ukraine should be awarded the right to host UEFA Euro 2028 — the day after the UK and Ireland applied to host the tournament.

UEFA on Wednesday confirmed interest in hosting the 2028 tournament from the UK and Ireland, Russia and Turkey.

But Russian clubs and national teams are currently suspended by FIFA and UEFA because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

UK prime minister Johnson said on Thursday that Russia’s interest in hosting Euro 2028 is “beyond satire” and “beyond comprehension”. He also appeared to suggest Ukraine should stage the tournament instead.

Full story here.

(Photo: Michal Wachucik/Getty Images)

Marsch has a long history in the game, building himself up through the US college leagues, then as a professional footballer for a decade in his homeland’s MLS and as a coach in New York, Salzburg in Austria, Germany’s Leipzig and, after his appointment last month, Leeds.

So in saying that he should not be here in Yorkshire, what did he mean?

The Athletic’s Phil Hay found out.

Action from the Asian qualifiers has just concluded, and Japan have beaten Australia 2-0 thanks to goals from Kaoru Mitoma, who is on-loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.

That means Japan qualify automatically alongside Saudi Arabia, while Australia will be forced to play against either UAE or Lebanon in a play-off, before then facing South American opposition to reach the World Cup.

Jermain Defoe has announced his immediate retirement from football.

The 39-year-old signed a short-term deal with former club Sunderland in January until the end of the 2021-22 season. He will no longer fulfil the contract.

In a 22 year career, Defoe has scored 227 league goals in 624 appearances. For the full story, click here.