Football news LIVE: Liverpool confident of Salah contract agreement, Saka hints at imminent return, FA Cup quarter-final build-up

Back in the saddle

Walsall boss Mat Sadler claimed the decision not to request a postponement this weekend was 'out of' the club's hands.

The League Two leaders will be without five players due to international call-ups for Saturday's must-win trip to Gillingham.

Three of those players are first-team regulars, which is the minimum threshold required by the EFL to request a game be rescheduled.

Loanee Stoke City goalkeeper Tommy Simkin and Manchester United striker Ethan Wheatley are away on England Under-21 and U19s duty.

Defender Liam Gordon was called up by Guyana, while Republic of Ireland pair David Okagbue and Darius Lipsiuc are also unavailable.

Walsall's options have been further depleted by wing-back Connor Barrett's two-match suspension for accumulating ten yellow cards.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Sadler said: "Yeah, it was a tough decision, make no bones about that - it was a really tough decision and the only consideration in the end was what would then be the ramifications of where we played it.

"We've got two free weeks - apparently EFL don't let you go into the last week.

"One of our free weeks they've got a game, so the only time to do it would have been to then make us play would be away at Barrow on the Saturday [April 12), away at Gillingham on the Tuesday evening, a Friday game, and then the Monday.

"Four games in nine days, it just didn't seem to make sense to do that either. We were kinda caught between a rock and a hard place with it.

"So yeah that's what we've gone with."

Dai of reckoning

The EFL have confirmed that Dai Yongge has been disqualified as an owner as Reading hope he sells the club before 5 April.

An EFL statement said: “Following its disclosure in open court earlier today, the league can confirm that Mr Yongge has been recently disqualified under the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ test.

“The disqualification requires Mr Yongge to divest his interests in the club, and in the event that he fails to do so within the agreed timeframe, the league will consider all options available within its regulations to bring the matter to a conclusion.

“The league continues to work closely with Reading FC to progress a sale of the club at the earliest opportunity, in order to end the current uncertainty surrounding its future for its staff, supporters and wider community.”

Elimination

FIFA have announced that Club Leon have been removed from this summer's Club World Cup.

The Mexican side were drawn in Group D with Flamengo, Esperance de Tunis and Chelsea for the United States-based tournament.

However, they will no longer compete after failing multi-club ownership rules, as per a media release from FIFA.

"Following disciplinary proceedings opened against CF Pachuca and Club Leon, the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to refer the case directly to the FIFA Appeal Committee in accordance with article 56 paragraph 3 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

"After having evaluated all evidence on file, the chairman of the FIFA Appeal Committee has decided that CF Pachuca and Club Leon failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under article 10 paragraph 1 of the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

"In line with article 10 paragraph 4 of the Regulations for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, FIFA has determined that Club Leon will be removed from the competition, with the club to be admitted as a replacement to be announced in due course."

CF Pachuca and Club Leon are both under the ownership group of Group Pachuca.

As reported by ESPN in December, owner Jesus Martinez was willing to sell control of the latter side to compete in the Club World Cup.

Worrying

Reading face the prospect being thrown out of the Football League unless the club is sold imminently.

The EFL submitted a letter to a London court stating they plan to disqualify current owner Dai Yongge from being a director on April 4 due to overseas debt.

Under EFL rules, the controversial Chinese businessman would have 28 days from disqualification to sell his shares, at which point Reading could be expelled from the league.

The bombshell came to light during a hearing at London Commercial Court into a dispute between Yongge and Rob Couhig over the potential purchase of the Royals last year.

Reading fans have protested against the club's ownership for years amid various point deductions, with takeovers also falling through.

Off to a flying start

Thomas Tuchel will have dreamt of a winning start with England, and the odds may well be in his favour later.

Across his managerial career at club level, the German has never lost on his debut match at each club.

Tuchel has a record of three wins and two draws, with 11 goals scored and only four conceded.

Can he extend this run with England tonight?

• MAINZ 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen - August 8 2009
• Wolfsberger AC 0-1 BORUSSIA DORTMUND - July 30 2015
• PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 4-0 AS Monaco - August 4 2018
• CHELSEA 0-0 Wolves - January 27 2021
• BAYERN MUNICH 4-2 Borussia Dortmund - April 1 2023
• ENGLAND ?-? Albania - March 21 2025

Calafiori update

Riccardo Calafiori has left the Italy squad.

The defender picked up a knee injury last night and is longer able to continue during the international break.

Calafiori will now return to Arsenal to begin his recovery, with a statement from Italy confirming his departure.

"Riccardo Calafiori, who underwent instrumental tests late this morning for the sprain-contusion trauma to his left knee sustained in the match against Germany, was deemed unavailable for the return match scheduled for Sunday and will return to his club."

Calafiori will miss Italy's Nations League quarter-final second leg tie against Germany as a result of his injury.

Longer suspension

Matheus Cunha has seen his Wolves suspension extended by an extra game after his red card offence against Bournemouth.

The striker was sent off for aiming a punch, kick and headbutt at opposition defender Milos Kerkez in their FA Cup clash on March 1.

Cunha is currently on a three-match ban and already missed their fixtures against Everton and Southampton.

However, the Football Association have announced that he has been banned for a further match and given a fine.

"An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a one-match suspension and £50,000 fine on Matheus Cunha.

"The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward was charged with acting in an improper manner after he was sent off around the 121st minute of their FA Cup tie against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday 1 March.

"The player subsequently admitted the charge.

"The Regulatory Commission imposed his sanctions following a hearing, and its written reasons for them will be published in due course.

"Matheus Cunha will now be suspended from domestic football until Sunday 13 April."

Cunha will now miss Wolves' home clash against West Ham and trip to Ipswich Town after the international break.

Go elsewhere for silverware

talkSPORT's Alex Crook has questioned Arsenal fans' 'blind loyalty' to Mikel Arteta amid a lack of trophies.

Arteta has improved the Gunners in recent years but has just one FA Cup to show for his efforts in terms of silverware.

They're in this season's Premier League title race but similar to the past two campaigns, they look set to fall short.

talkSPORT chief football correspondent Crook was asked if Arsenal is the place to win major trophies, and cast major doubt.

"Well, not based on the last five years, without being brutal," he said. "I understand that when Mikel Arteta came in, there was a massive overhaul needed.

"Obviously got rid of a few rotten eggs, should we say, the likes of [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang and [Mesut] Ozil, and slowly but surely moulded the squad in his own image.

"He's won that one FA Cup behind closed doors. But I have this debate with Arsenal fans a lot and I know a lot of Arsenal supporters, and I don't fully comprehend the blind loyalty that they've got in Mikel Arteta.

"Because I think if you said to them, 'At this stage of this season, Manchester City are miles adrift, they've had a complete drop off in terms of the Premier League, and you're still 12 points behind the leaders,' I don't think they would've believed you.

"The league was there last year, they obviously messed it up with a couple of bad results they had over the Christmas period, West Ham and Fulham back-to-back, and then Aston Villa at home really put paid to their chances.

"This felt like the year, particularly with Manchester City going through a bit of a rebuild and uncertainty over [Pep] Guardiola, when the Premier League title was there to go and be won.

"They're nowhere near it, being honest. Even with Liverpool having this drop off and getting knocked out of the Champions League, and obviously weren't great at Wembley last weekend."

'Where he plays his best football'

Gabby Agbonlahor would name Morgan Rogers in his England starting XI.

talkSPORT understands that Aston Villa star Rogers is in contention to start for the Three Lions against Albania tonight.

It would be his first senior start, and Villa legend Agbonlahor has full backed the idea.

"I would start him, I would start him in that no.10 position because that's where he plays his best football for Aston Villa.

"He can play off the left, different player on the right, but in that no.10 position..."

Agbonlahor was then asked if he would play Rogers in the 10 over Jude Bellingham, but he said: "No.

"I would play Bellingham and [Declan] Rice as two centre midfielders and I'd play Rogers as a 10, give him a chance.

"Then bring him off maybe 60 [minutes], [Morgan] Gibbs-White, see what these players can do in an England shirt."

You're joking?

Chris Wood received one of the most bizarre yellow cards you'll ever see.

The Nottingham Forest striker scored a hat-trick of headers in New Zealand's 7-0 World Cup qualifying win over Fiji.

He was substituted just after the hour mark following an excellent performance.

However, the referee showed Wood a yellow card after he went into the crowd and signed autographs for fans.

Wood unsurprisingly appeared confused with the booking, although he may not care too much following his three goals on the night.

Waiting game

Riccardo Calafiori will undergo tests after suffering a knee injury on international duty.

The Arsenal defender slipped and awkwardly fell to the turf during Italy's 2-1 Nations League quarter-final first leg defeat to Germany.

Calafiori left the pitch alongside medical staff, with Italy boss Luciano Spalletti confirming he will be assessed.

"We still don’t know if he’s injured. Ricky feels something strange at his knee but we still don’t know."

Arsenal could therefore be without the Italian for the final weeks of the season as they continue to challenge for the Premier League title.

The 22-year-old has made 26 appearances this season and has already suffered a knee injury in recent months.

All sweet at the Toffees

Sean Dyche insists that his spell at Everton was successful.

The former Burnley boss joined the Toffees at the beginning of 2023 and helped secure their Premier League survival.

He left in January as they set one points above the relegation zone and was replaced by David Moyes.

However, he told talkSPORT that his time at Goodison Park saw 'a couple of years of good work'.

"I know there's that mixed bag of people who agree and disagree, but I look back at it as a very successful couple of years.

"The club was in a really bad state, it's a big club that was in a poor situation. So to guide it through that and hand it over…

"I said when I left, in my statement, they're in good shape. A few people questioned that but it's been proved right because Moyes has gone in there and is doing great with them.

"Just adding a new voice, a new flavour, different details to what he wants to do, but it wasn't far away from being better than it was shoving at that time.

"But the change was probably at the right time, after me and my staff and many others, Kevin Thelwell [director of football], doing a good job to sort of reorganise the club if you like.

"Then on the pitch, you always get questioned, do you play this way, that way? All the rest of it, that's standard.

"But off the pitch, there was so much work done by so many, so that was good, overall it was good. A hard finish, but it was a couple of years of good work."

Injury worry

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson was substituted for Brazil following a nasty collision with Davinson Sanchez.

Alisson and the Colombian defender had a clash of heads during their World Cup qualifying match on Thursday night.

The Reds star was brought off in the 78th minute and replaced by Bento as Brazil ran out 2-1 winners.

Speaking via ESPN Brasil, Doctor Rodrigo Lasmar revealed that the 32-year-old suffered a suspected concussion.

"Alisson suffered a head injury and was replaced due to a suspected concussion.

"We will now follow the CBF protocol, and he will undergo the recommended imaging tests, a CT scan and then a diffusion MRI.

"If all the tests are normal, we will proceed and perform a cognitive test. Then we will evaluate the player.

He added: "If everything is normal, we will continue to monitor the situation over the next few days.

"Today, we will do the tests and all the necessary assessments. Alisson is normal, without any complaints.

"He did not report any fainting or memory loss. He thought he was a little slower. With this complaint, the recommended replacement is the player."

Sanchez was also substituted for Colombia and went off on a stretcher.

'For my idol'

Rasmus Hojlund has insisted that he didn't mock Cristiano Ronaldo when pulling off his celebration against him.

Hojlund scored the only goal in Denmark's Nations League win over Portugal on Thursday night.

The Manchester United forward did Ronaldo's 'Siu' celebration whilst the Al Nassr star was on the pitch.

Speaking afterwards to Danish broadcaster TV2 via ESPN, Hojlund said that the celebration was just an ode to his idol.

"It's for my idol. It wasn't to mock him or anything. He's had such a huge impact on me and my football career.

"Maybe it's a bit ambivalent, but to score against him and Portugal, it's huge.

"I remember him scoring from a free kick in 2011 when I went to watch the match, and since then I've been a huge Cristiano fan."

New arrival

Brighton have announced the signing of South Korean winger Yoon Doyoung.

The 18-year-old currently stars for K League 1 side Daejeon Hana Citizen but will make his Premier League move on July 1.

talkSPORT understands he's joined for a £2million fee.

He is then expected to go out on loan next season.

"Yoon is widely regarded as one of the best young talents in Asia and we’re very pleased he’s chosen to become a Brighton & Hove Albion player," said technical director David Weir.

"We will be watching closely as he continues his development in the South Korean League through until the summer, and then look to find a suitable loan for him next season."

Road to the World Cup

Thomas Tuchel hasn't been given an easy test for his touchline debut.

There's a World Cup next summer and England must impress over the next few months if they are to secure qualification.

Starting tonight at Wembley, the Three Lions will face four other European nations in UEFA qualifying Group K.

• March 21 - England vs Albania
• March 24 - England vs Latvia
• June 7 - Andorra vs England
• September 6 - England vs Andorra
• September 9 - Serbia vs England
• October 14 - Latvia vs England
• November 13 - England vs Serbia
• November 16 - Albania vs England

Should England finish top of Group K, they will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A second-place finish would see them progress to the play-offs for another chance to seal their place in the coveted tournament.

'A very, very good camp'

It's been so far, so good in terms of England's preparation.

Thomas Tuchel has spoken to talkSPORT about his squad and their attitude during training ahead of tonight's match.

"I have been very impressed," he said on Thursday.

"I know the players, I played against the players and they reminded me just instantly why I wanted to have this job and why I was so excited about this job, because of them.

"To be around them and to work with them, I love the attitude, I love the way they are with each other.

"It was a very, very good camp until now and I hope they can show everyone tomorrow what they did during this week and how they acted during this week. They impressed me a lot.

"We had a good mix between very young players like Myles [Lewis-Skelly] and the experienced players like Jordan [Henderson], like Harry [Kane] and Kyle Walker, Jordan Pickford.

"It was good together, was exactly what we wanted."

Who could feature tonight?

Morgan Gibbs-White, Jarell Quansah and Aaron Ramsdale may not feature, but Thomas Tuchel still has plenty of talented options.

Dan Burn and Myles Lewis-Skelly could make their England debuts amid impressive seasons at Newcastle and Arsenal respectively.

Three Lions captain Harry Kane is likely to lead his side out at Wembley again, with Jordan Henderson back in the fold.

Goalkeepers - Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, James Trafford

Defenders - Dan Burn, Levi Colwill, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, Kyle Walker

Midfielders - Eberechi Eze, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers

Attackers - Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Dominic Solanke

Omitted

Morgan Gibbs-White will not be involved for England against Albania, talkSPORT understands.

The Nottingham Forest midfielder received a late call-up by Thomas Tuchel after Chelsea star Cole Palmer withdrew with injury.

Gibbs-White has already earned two caps with England but hasn't been included in their squad for tonight's match.

Reports elsewhere have claimed that Jarell Quansah and Aaron Ramsdale are also omitted.

Tuchel can only select 23 players for a matchday squad as per UEFA rules, meaning three of his 26-man selection must be left out.

It's Tuchel time

Today's the day.

England begin their new chapter under Thomas Tuchel tonight.

The Three Lions face Albania in their first 2026 World Cup qualifier at Wembley, live on talkSPORT.

Tuchel has arrived as the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate following a huge amount of success at club level.

After a breakthrough at Mainz, he moved to Borussia Dortmund and won the DFB-Pokal before a switch to Paris Saint-Germain.

The German guided the French giants to two Ligue 1 titles and four other domestic trophies, as well as the Champions League final.

Tuchel was then appointed at Chelsea in January 2021 and won the Champions League just four months later.

Super Cup and Club World Cup triumphs would follow in west London ahead of a return to Germany with Bayern Munich.

He added a Bundesliga title to his list of accolades, but now turns to international management with England.

And there's only one trophy that he and the fans have on their mind - the World Cup.

Full time!

That's full time in the Nations League tonight and there were a number of impressive results across the board.

Croatia produced one of the shocks of the night as goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic helped them to a 2-0 win over France.

Arsenal's Mikel Merino popped up with a 93rd-minute equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw for Spain against a 10-man Netherlands after Jorrel Hato was sent off for the hosts in the 81st minute.

Ukraine came back from behind to record a 3-1 win over Belgium, with the home side netting three times in the space of 12 minutes.

Read below for all of tonight's results!

Armenia 0-3 Georgia

Bulgaria 1-2 Ireland

Kosovo 2-1 Iceland

Slovakia 0-0 Slovenia

Turkiye 3-1 Hungary

Austria 1-1 Serbia

Ukraine 3-1 Belgium

Greece 0-1 Scotland

Netherlands 2-2 Spain

Croatia 2-0 France

Denmark 1-0 Portugal

Italy 1-2 Germany

Rasmus Ronaldo?

Rasmus Hojlund, that is NAUGHTY!

The Dane opened the scoring for Denmark in their Nations League clash against Portugal in the 78th minute.

Hojlund was perfectly position to tap home from close range after fellow substitute Andreas Skov Olsen squared the ball back across goal.

And the Manchester United striker made sure to celebrate the goal in style by replicating Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic celebration.

What made it Hojlund's celebration all the more cheeky was the fact Ronaldo started the contest up top for Portugal.

Hojlund's goal also came less than ten minutes after he came on as a substitute and four days after he scored his first Premier League goal in 14 games during United's 3-0 rout of Leicester City.