Courtois set to miss Everton game
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has injured his knee and is likely to miss the champions' visit to Goodison Park to take on Everton on Saturday, British media reported.
The Belgium international returned to Chelsea fully fit after international duty, but limped out of his first practice session on Wednesday.The 23-year-old could be facing an extended period on the sidelines and the club will discover the full extent of the problem after more tests are conducted on Thursday.
Chelsea, who lie 13th in the table on four points from four games, can bring in Asmir Begovic as a replacement, having signed the former Stoke City keeper in the close season after Petr Cech departed for Arsenal.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring opening
ReplyDeletegoal
Barcelona finished the year with a dazzling
display as they sealed World Club Cup success
with a 3-0 win over River Plate in Yokohama.
With Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi all
starting for Barcelona, the result was never in
doubt, especially after Messi had given the
reigning European champions a first-half lead.
Luis Suarez took over after the break, firstly
racing clear on 49 minutes to double his side's
advantage, before heading a perfect Neymar
cross into the top corner on 68 minutes to
seal more trophy success.
Matias Kranevitter (right) and Sergio Busquets
(left) compete for the ball
That's five trophies in the calendar year for
the Catalan giants, and with Messi, Neymar
and Suarez back together, few look capable of
stopping them in their quest for further glory.
Neymar and Messi's inclusion in the starting
line-up was somewhat of a surprise, after they
had been doubtful in the run up to Sunday's
final, but both returned to link up with Suarez,
and immediately the telepathy returned
between the trio.
Andreas Iniesta's quick-thinking managed to
play in Messi, whose snapshot was brilliantly
saved by River 'keeper Marcelo Barovero, but
it wasn't long before the Argentine talisman
was on the scoresheet.
Gabriel Mercado (right) and Gerard Pique
challenge for the ball
There was a hint of controversy about the goal
after 36 minutes, as Messi appeared to control
the ball with his hand as he let the ball roll
across his body, but that didn't take anything
away from the finish, as Messi controlled his
strike brilliantly into the bottom corner.
Suarez should have doubled Barca's lead on
the stroke of half-time. Messi drifted out to
the right and nonchalantly picked out
the onrushing Suarez, but he couldn't find the
target with Barovero narrowing the angle.
However, just four minutes after the break,
Suarez raced clear on the counter, before
passing the ball past the despairing dive of
Barovero to give his side more breathing
space.
Messi controls the ball during the final
Neymar wasn't happy about having the
limelight taken away from him, as he tried to
take on the entire River side, before just being
dispossessed at the last.
The Brazilian then turned provider for Suarez
to seal the win. He pulled out left, before
lofting an inch-perfect cross on to the head of
Suarez, who made no mistake.
Despite having a very quiet evening in
Yokohama, Claudio Bravo had to be at his best
in the Barca goal to preserve his clean sheet
late on, brilliantly springing across his goal to
tip a Gonzalo Martinez strike onto the post.
It was a fitting way to cap of a wonderful 2015
for Barca. The result broke club records for
the most wins [50] and goals [176] in a
calendar year, and sent an ominous message
to their rivals, especially with their deadly
strike trio back together, and firing on all
cylinders.
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Last Updated: 20/12/15 5:51pm
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